Jakob's World

I can't believe this boy.  Seriously, he is growing like a weed!  He's 15.5 months and is officially a toddler.  He started taking steps at 13ish months, and he's getting better all the time.  He still drops to his knees every once in a while for a quick crawl, but it's becoming less and less frequent.  He still has that hilarious wide-stanced-T-Rex pose, which just cracks us up.  His hair has grown so much, but the curls manage to keep it out of his eyes most days, thankfully.  I'll delay that decision as long as I can, thank you very much.  

(Jakob and his punch-drunk expression, courtesy of Pops)

Jakob loves water.  We spent last week up at the Lake, and by the end of the week, he was crawling in deeper water, holding his breath at times, and just crawling right out like it was a game.  Terrifies me!  But, he's cautious and adventurous at the same time, for which I am thankful.  I love his toughness (a very welcome new trait to this girl-majority home).  He falls and tumbles often enough, but it has to REALLY hurt to elicit a wail.  

Speaking of wailing, we are starting to see more of this dude's temper!  His new favorite trick is refusing to walk when he's mad.  Quite funny by the third time around, I must say.  I usually just let go and let him wallow for a moment.  Then he turns to look up at me with a little smirk.  Stinker :)  He also loves to screech, get our attention, then smile and clap.  I guess that alone proves he's expecting a rebuke, right?  He isn't nearly as bad at throwing/dropping food right now, mostly because his appetite seems to be returning after a few weeks of teething/cold discomfort.  

As for teeth, he has all but three... He  is cutting his last two molars now, so that will leave just three small vacancies in his mouth until 2 year molars.  Boy, that went quick for him.  He seriously seems to be getting them all at once.  Teething seems rougher with him, probably because my girls just cut them one or maybe two at a time, all nice and spaced out :)  Jakob- he loves to get them all out of the way and make us all suffer. 

Jake's dairy "allergy" is definitely easy to manage, for which I'm grateful.  These infant allergies often just end up being an intolerance, so I've been able to quit reading labels (which is especially helpful on vacation!) and just give him everything we are eating,minus the obvious culprits (butter, cheese, cow's milk, yogurt).  I have tried introducing yogurt and cheese with no success (he ends up with nasty diapers and wakes up in the night feeling miserable...).  A little butter in his veggies might only give him a bit of eczema, but lest you think I torture him just so I can put butter on his plate, I promise it was an experiment :)  He is not a fan of meat these days (minus "faux" meats like hot dogs and sausages- thanks, vacation food).  That's a pain, but he loves a green smoothie now and then, so I'll pretend he's a raw foodie.  

(Jakob with his cousin Owen... and Emily trying to photo~bomb)

Jake still takes two naps, but I am starting to cut down his morning nap.  If I nap him from 8:30 - 10, he will usually sleep from 1-3 in the afternoon.  He's never been like clockwork on his naps, but I am thankful he will still take them and allow us a little flexibility.  

I just love this kid.  There's nothing like hearing him yell "mommy!" as he toddles towards me and hugs my legs when he arrives.  His favorite word by far is "daddy!" and we also hear lots of his other words: car, fire (points to anything under the sun and calls it fire), hi!, bye!, side (for outside), stay (for stairs), cracker, cheese (ironic), cookie, Leese (for Elyse), Emmie, luh loo (love you), night.  His only animal noises are a growl for lion and a grunt for pig :)  Love those two little noises.  He loves animals.  We took him to the zoo last week, and he would just sit in his stroller and stare at monkeys (his favorite), bears, and lions.  He jabbers all day, sounding much like a little German boy, all gutteral and throaty.  

This boy gives big hugs, kisses, smiles, and even the occasional temper tantrum, and we love him to pieces.  I have called this the best and worst of ages... so incredibly fun, yet so incredibly exhausting!  I'm reminding myself to be persistent in these small battles (believe me, they are small compared to the battles with the older ones) so I won't make those big-toddler battles much worse.  Funny little guy- he still has me wrapped around his finger.  I'm sure I'll stay there, too.  Love you, Jakob Henry.  

10 years.

We've had two ten year anniversaries within the last week or so... Our tenth anniversary of marriage, and our tenth anniversary of living here in VA.  Seriously, a decade has flown by.  But, our wedding anniversary took the cake.  I'm SO THANKFUL we pushed to take a real "TRIP" for this anniversary. In fact, I'm pretty sure we talked about it before our 9th anniversary.  Yep, I guess that would have been about the time I was experiencing sleepless nights post Jakob.  Pretty sure that's when I planned out EVERY detail of our trip.  But, I digress...

We both wanted to relax in the mountains, and we'd heard that Asheville was a great place for that.  So, Jordan found a charming, rustic cabin on the side of a mountain, and we made it a real plan.  Four days with just my man, thanks to the amazing aunts and uncles who sacrificed to house our children!  Would we do it again?  Yes, we will do it again.  Do we have to wait till 15 years?  I hope not!  Quiet conversation, quiet meals, rediscovering what we had in common before children :) and reminding ourselves that we have a relationship that runs deeper than just common responsibilities.  I am so thankful for a husband who is willing to drop everything for a few days to hang out with me.  I'm so thankful we made this happen, even though there were a million reasons not to.  I'm so thankful for this amazing gift of marriage, one that the Spirit is using to sanctify us and to bring us more joy than I ever thought imaginable.  I can't wait to see what this decade will hold.  I love you, Jordan.

Em turns three

Sweet Emily, you are now three!  You are such a ray of sunshine to our family.  You are typically the first to giggle, screech, or boisterously laugh at the good, and you are typically the first to pronounce the bad.  You say it like it is because you are three - and because you are Emily Mae.  I feel like you have been three for a while, actually, but let's make it official today, kiddo!  

I love so much about you, but I have to keep it concise...  I love your chuckle.  Seriously, it draws a crowd.  When you get excited about something, it's hard to ignore my own excitement.  You make me care about the itty bitty spiders in our yard and the teeny tiny ant that lost his mama.  You are passionate about everything you do, from food to leggins'.  Yes, you are obsessed with your leggins'.  I love your piercing blue eyes and they way you charm us with your quick smiles.  I can almost always snap you out of your tears and get a giggle. Em, you dream of being a ballerina, but you can get as dirty as a pig during both mealtime and playtime.  Oh, you will make a fun ballerina!  Your taste for fruit far outweighs your taste for cake, and for that I am jealous.  You love puppies and kitties like crazy, but do not get your hopes up: no.  You have a soft spot for just about anything that looks pitiful, and you love making people happy.  You are the sweetest little Emily I know, and I treasure your spirit.  I pray your spunk will work only to your advantage in life, but I'm sure it will cause you a few scrapes along the way...  

We love you so much, Emily.  Words cannot express it all, but I had to try.  Happy third birthday!  May all your precious wishes come true...

MAY days

May! Seriously? Unbelievable. If I ever suspected that this would be a busy stage of life, I was right. Wow :) Don't get me wrong.. I could totally make time to blog. Totally. Right in between painting my toenails and all my soaps.. But I don't ;)

Emily is ecstatic about her upcoming birthday, and I am excited too! Jakob is definitely in the throes of mini-toddler, and he does keep me hopping. Elyse seems bigger and bigger to me all the time. Wow. Here are some pictures of what we have been up to- when it's not raining, that is.. Hope your May days are as lovely!

Sunny Days

Apparently, we don't believe in SPRING around here. It's already hot, and the only upsides are lots of time outdoors and good water bottles. Oh, and cute baby legs... And ice cream ;)

Happy springishness!

Happy Birthday, Jakob!

One year from THIS

to THIS.

Amazing.  What a precious year.  I've had this feeling since the day I entered the hospital a year ago - I just knew he'd make our family feel even more complete.  He did.  What a precious gift from GOD!  If you need to read the birth story for posterity's sake, you can do so here.  Not everyone all at once, please :)  It's been a wonderful year - despite the exhaustion of baby #3, sleepless nights here and there while we toyed with a dairy-free diet for mommy and baby, cutting 8 vicious teeth, ...  not one of those things really matters when you look at a little boy that just turns on the charm at whim.  Who is he like?  Good question.  He's spunky and goofy (perhaps a bit more like Mommy's side), yet chill and focused - determined and tough (surely Daddy's side :)  I can't wait to watch him grow and develop.  He holds his own quite well for being "little bro" around here - tolerates the girls dragging him around the house to "reposition" him after he's been caught digging in their special toys... he doesn't mind crawling around in rocks - wearing shorts no less - (can you tell I'm used to raising two girls??) - and I love how tough he is.  As tough as he is, though, he is by far my most snuggly kid.  He loves to sit and cuddle - play with my face or ears and chant "mama' like it's going out of style. YES, I cherish every moment.  Not wasting this precious time of life.

Jake is about to transition from cat-food-smelling formula to almond milk, so we'll see how it goes.  He has no problem with peanut butter or eggs, thankfully, so we'll probably be introducing some cheese or yogurt soon to see how it goes.  Either way, I'm ready to be done with the $27 cans of formula that buy us a week of nutrition...  He has started to thumb his nose at some of his old favorite foods, but he is definitely still an eater.  He still loves bananas and sweet potatoes, and fruit is always a hit.  He loves broccoli, but shies away from breads most of the time.  Now HATES avocado.  Bummer.  Anyway, he's the messiest kid, but I'm glad to watch him get what he needs.

He's getting chatty- his vocab isn't that much different from last post - "buh-bye" with a wave, sometimes a "ya" with a wave for 'HI' - "mama" and "dada" - "nana" for anything he wants to be a banana ;) - "nigh nigh" with a wave at bedtime.. pretty fun.  I love that he's trying to converse with us.  It's so fun.

He's cruising like a camero - he can stand by himself for a few seconds at a time, but then giggles and plops down like it's a game.  He loves to cover his eyes and play peek a boo - and he BEGS to be tickled!  I love to oblige...  His favorite is still digging in the plants and pushing buttons of all kinds. He gravitates toward electronics like a bee to honey.  He loves to eat off the floor and be near his sisters.  He occasionally tries to eat rocks, but he's figuring that one out!

Jakob sleeps about 12.5 hours at night with rarely an interruption (YES!!!) and sleeps about 1.5 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon.  He is on an antibiotic for a case of strep throat, so technically he is sick on his birthday.  I guess I will have to spoil him a bit. Oh, well! :)  We transitioned him right to a sippy cup, so I don't feel that "milestone" that I did with the girls when they turned one.  Half of my worries were wrapped up around what they would do when I got rid of the bottle!

Here are some of my one year notes :)

fun's:

* LOVE coming to get him in the morning!  He's standing like a little jailbird just giddy to see someone.  Yesterday he got so excited that he head-butted his railing and split his lip a little... oops.  I am THAT cool to him that he beats himself up just to see me.
* I love watching his various facial expressions.  Lately he has been sporting this little smirk that just about takes the cake.  He's crazy.
* He does a little engine sound with his mouth that reminds me of what my brother used to do as a baby.  So funny!
* He loves to bury his head into my stomach.  Weird, I know, but funny!
* He's so adventurous.  He pushed a box over to his dresser last night just so he could stand up on it.  The smug look on his face was awesome.
* I love that we're able to give him foods that aren't super soft- he does ok with apple slices now and some crispier foods as long as I'm watching him like a hawk.  He still has just his 8 teeth- all in the front- but it's surely going to be time for molars soon.
* He loves to crawl into my lap.
* Did I mention I'm DONE with cloth diapering?  And NOT because he's potty trained.
* He's learning to give kisses :)
* The look when he's caught red-handed= pretty adorable ;)

not-so-fun's:

* This kid is a food "dropper" now.  No more throwing food- just casually, innocently plopping it onto the floor.  He must just be crying out for quality time from his parents, right?
* He just started screeching when he's impatient.  I'm very sad about this.
* The reason I'm done cloth diapering.  That's a not-so-fun for sure.
* His consistent injuries.  Geesh.
* The last month or so, Jakob's been up just whimpering in the night - maybe once a week?  I tried everything from letting him go to checking his diaper... FINALLY figured out the link to him not eating a big dinner and the midnight whining.  I can't believe it took me so long, but after I figured it out, a banana solved the problem and he went right back to sleep.  This midnight snack had better not haunt us!
* He is into everything.  It's not a bad thing, but it does keep life busy.  When I just make myself sit and play with him, it's much easier :)
* It's so bitter-sweet watching him turn one.  I love this boy, and I know I'll always "miss" the baby in him.  He will always be my baby, I'm sure, and I treasure every day with him!

Jakob Henry, you are definitely our child.  For better or worse, we are seeing so much of US in YOU!  You brighten every day with your sweet personality and your goofy antics.  We can't wait to see God use you as you come to know him.  You have a wonderful heritage of men who follow God, and we trust that someday that will impact you deeply.  Happy birthday to you, buddy!

In my wildest imagination...

... I would have never thought that THIS is what I would want to report. Don't get me wrong - it's not that I'm embarrassed or ashamed that this is my blog post. It's just funny. I genuinely find a lot of joy in knowing that these little things make my days so special. I could entertain you greatly with the stories of what colors we painted our walls, or what errands we've been running... or the awesome conversations Jordan and I have had during quiet moments when the kids are playing or sleeping. I could tell you awesome stories of how God has provided for us these last three months (and perhaps I should?) above and beyond what I could have expected. Yet, tonight, my "pick" for blog post is funny things my kids say and do. Okay, even WORSE, funny to me. So, here they are. Someday I know I will care about them far more than what we painted our living room or what we ate for dinner... right? :)

* tonight as Daddy finished up a story for the kids, Elyse asked if he would ever get younger. His reply was, "no, I'm going to just get older and more gray." To which Elyse replied, "Old and gray? I thought you would get pink and sparkly?" Serious conversations are hard to come by.

* Jakob has some serious vices. One is the big plant. The ONE big plant I just had to buy as he learns to cruise around. Yep, he loves playing in and eating the dirt. Just when we go DAYS without an offense, he will pull a good one. Today he was stuffing the dirt in his mouth and gagging on it. I probably swept up at least a cup of dirt (cup o' dirt for you humorous readers). I would like to think that he got his own punishment for that one, but I highly doubt that plant has lost its appeal.

* Speaking of Jake, he gets hurt ALL THE TIME. Poor kid has had a bloody lip at least three times this week. Today he totally nose-dived out of his highchair (Yes, he was completely buckled in??) and was instantly distracted by pasta. He seems to handle pain quite well. Should I be proud? Probably not. That quality keeps him heading to the plant for more.

* Emily. Where do I start? The moment she wakes up in the morning, she is thinking about wearing "Leggins." No joke. Don't mess with her leggings! She despises wearing jeans, and she will make you suffer when she has to wear them. That's my girl: loves comfort over style ;)

* I love that Emily will almost always pick fruit over any other food in the world. Candy, cookies, you name it- she wants fruit. I also love that she says "mine eyes" or "mine hair"... A few weeks ago, we were singing Em's favorite song (at the time) "Zacchaeus" when Elyse asked an out-of-the-blue question about why the Jews put a crown on Jesus' head. Thinking this was a great time for a great lesson, Jordan answered the question only to have Em's follow-up question go like this: "Did Jesus go to Zacchaeus' house to play dress up with the crown?"

* Elyse is obviously in love with pink. I showed her the pink sky outside her window one morning, and her comment was, "Oh, Mommy... I wish my tongue was always that color!"

* Jakob is VERY close to standing by himself these days. He chickens out pretty easily, but it's fun to watch him flirt with danger... He is jabbering all the time, and since I didn't manage to get an 11 month post out for him, I guess I can tell you his AMAZING new tricks right here :) He now says "nigh-ni!" and waves when he goes to bed, signs "all done", says "yeah" when prompted once in a while, "na-na" when he wants a banana, "ma-ma" when he wants me :) He's pretty awesome. He also raises his arms for "so big!" He likes to pull that one out when he knows I have to change a horrible diaper. AND, I can't believe I can still get excited about these tricks third time around! I love him.

* Elyse was playing with duplo blocks at her cousins' house a while back... Aunt B and Uncle S asked her what she made, and apparently her response was that she made some amazing dessert creation that also had "A little itty bitty bit of popsicle juice" in it :)

* Speaking of her sweet tooth, she was thrilled that I made a cake for our time with our community group... she said with a huge hug, "Mom, you make the best cakes EVER..." but as she turned and walked away, she muttered, "even if you make the yuckiest dinners ever..." I know, I'm appalled. :)

* Emily went to the church building early with Jordan a few weeks ago, and as soon as she entered the front door, she looked up at him and said, "Hey! Now you're Pastor Jordan!"

* Elyse was admiring a picture in a book, and she said, "Mom, that purple house is a million of prettiness!"

* She was lecturing Emily on how to take care of her crayons and said, "You see, Emily Mae, if you break them, they will DIE. You don't want that to happen, do you?"

* Emily asked Elyse if Jesus ever had to go potty. Elyse answered, "No, Jesus doesn't go potty. There's no bathroom in heaven!"

Oh, these kids crack me up. Some of my favorite moments are hearing Elyse and Emily as they have little conversations about life. Elyse obviously picks up from my "matter-of-factness" when it comes to stuff, and she will quickly put Em in her place :) It's funny and convicting at the same time. The joy these kids bring me is pretty much one of the best things ever. As crazy as the days are, every second is worth it. Jordan and I have said so many times lately that we are so blessed with these precious people. I hope we never tire of thanking God for them!

(Okay, since I can't seem to put captions on these pictures, the drawings are Elyse's and Emily's (respectively) pictures of Cinderella and the prince. I also love the one of Jakob throwing out the vibe...)