Spreading Like Wildfire

Jacob has been a little--shall we say--irritable the past few days, and now I know why: the kid has sprung three teeth since Christmas. At this rate he will be ready for braces next week!

Yee Haw!

Every child needs a rocking horse. Now get this kid a cowboy hat, and he will be ready for the rodeo! Giddy up.

Future Mountain Climber?

Add highchair to the long list of climb-able objects. Seriously, is there anything that Jacob won't scale?

It's That Time Again

A big, huge happy birthday to my dad. I won't give away your age, but I can't believe that this time next year you will be 60!

Monkey Boy

I don't know if it is his current obsession with chowing down on bananas or his need to climb up and over everything (including but not limited to chairs, stairs, step stools, and our legs), but I have coined Jacob with the nickname Monkey Boy and I think it suits him well.
Note: This chair (actually more of a jungle gym) should come with a five-point harness to contain our climbing beast.

Christmas: Unwrapped

These are a Few of My Favorite Things

Though he received many, many presents for Christmas, this tiny back massager stashed in a family room drawer at Grandma and Grandpa's proved to be Jacob's favorite find. And when not massaging, you could find Jacob chug-a-lugging from his sippy. All. Christmas. Day. Long. Note: Even when not in actual use, Jacob had the massager in sight and ready to snag it from anyone looking interested in it, as demonstrated in Exhibit 2.

Where's Jacob?

A classic game of peek-a-boo is the perfect way to keep this contained child entertained for a few minutes on the long, long ride to visit Grandma and Grandpa. You have to be creative to come up with four hours worth of distractions!

And speaking of distractions: A nice little nap also speeds up the traveling process...

Merry Christmas to All!

My Little Christmas Miracle

Exactly one year ago today we got the go ahead to bust Jacob out of the NICU and bring him home for good. And that was the BEST Christmas present I have ever gotten. Ever.

Oh My Gawdy

Move over, Griswold, you have been replaced. Tacky. Bright. Amazing. Many words can describe our neighbor's house, and this picture hardly shows the awesomeness of their hard work that began minutes after Halloween ended. Yes, you can see the glow coming from this house blocks away. And, no, you won't have to ask "Is this the house?" because you will know without question when you have found it. I love directing friends and family to it because, really, you will never find a house more ready for the holidays than this one. It is the epitome of Christmas decoration and is more than deserving of the nightly trolley tour that guides spectators to its front door. (Seriously, a trolley drives past this house every night so people can gawk at the lights. Funny!)

I Got My Baby Back

After nearly a week of crying, screaming, tantrum throwing torture, we finally have the original squealing, giggling, babbling Jacob back in our possession. Thank goodness! At just about the time when I thought we would never again sleep through the night, make it through a meal without a meltdown, or have playtime that didn't evolve into a serious crying fit, we have been struck with a Christmas miracle, and not a moment too soon. I'm not sure if it was the cold, the rash, or the new teeth that caused our little guy so much trouble, but if this fit of rage comes back for a second round I may have to board Jacob at the kennel until it blows over...

Not Hopping on This Bandwagon

When did larger-than-life blow up holiday decorations become the norm? Frosty in a snow globe just doesn't scream "Christmas" to me. And who really wants to have a yard full of deflated, lifeless holiday decorations convulse on the ground and litter their yard during the day? Just like the plastic candy cane and reindeer, I imagine that this is just another obnoxious trend that will also pass. So I think I will stick to the traditional Christmas lights lining our rooftop. And by we, I mean Caleb.

Fever and Rash and Grumpy. Oh, My!

What began as an out-of-nowhere 102 degree fever on Thursday, has quickly escalated to a full-blown crabby, whiny, rashy baby boy. A quick call to the on-call doctor, and we have a diagnosis: Roseola. The bad news is that there is nothing we can do to speed up the recovery and tone down the moodiness. The good news is that Jacob should be back to normal by Tuesday and, like Chicken Pox, once he gets over this rash he won't get it again. A silver lining to this very, very, very long weekend...

Chopped

I had five inches of hair lopped off of my head on Tuesday (picture to follow... some day!) and neither my parents nor my brother noticed, and Caleb said, "I thought you were getting your hair cut." Does anyone in my family pay any attention to detail?

Regression

For the past few weeks the three of us have been sleeping in, and by sleeping in I mean until 7, 7:30, even 8:00. A time that, pre-parent, would have never been considered sleeping in! So that's why I'm not sure if it's the next installment of teeth, a change in sleeping habits, or the impending excitement of Christmas that, for the past three days, has made Jacob decide 5:30, 6:00, or 6:30 is a more appropriate time to start the day's activities. Oh, child, can we please go back to the days of recent past when I didn't slam my hand on the baby monitor while blindly grabbing for the off button as if it was my blaring alarm clock?!

Ho, Ho, Ho

Third in line, a 15 minute wait (only because Santa was taking a potty break), and two clicks of the camera later, and we have our first official "Sitting on Santa's Lap" picture. It might have been the hunger, the tiredness, or the stranger danger that led to Jacob's screams and tears, but it's the exact shot Caleb and I were hoping for. I love this crying baby photo!

Self-Discovery

Christmas is getting near and with that comes the traditional baking of the cookies. I like to say that I like to bake, but I have realized that is a lie. In fact, baking only sounds like fun until the process gets underway, and then I realize just how much work and clean up I have involuntarily signed up for. So to that I say: Bring on the take out and store-bought cookies, and save me time in the kitchen that could better be spent lounging around! Bah-hum-bug to me?

New Ride

Another milestone that comes with turning one: a forward facing car seat.

One!

Today is Jacob's first birthday. What a fast 365 days this has been! Our little guy is a crawling, climbing, dancing, babbling, squealing, screaming, giggling, smiling, biting, clapping, kissing, reaching little kiddo.

He loves to open and shut doors, turn on and off light switches, push buttons, climb stairs, click his tongue, slap his hands on objects, splash in water, observe his surroundings, and put everything in his mouth.

He is an excellent sleeper, car rider, eater, sippy cup drinker, laugher, and explorer.

He says the words "dog," "dad," and "light," but to the untrained ear those three words may sound nearly identical. I'll lie and say that Caleb and I know exactly what he means when he "talks."

He is one laid back little guy, and his personality will put a smile on anyone's face.

I knew I loved Jacob from the moment I met him just one year ago, but I never knew that I could wake up loving him more each morning, and put him to bed loving him even more each night. This past year has been so incredibly full of emotions, some overwhelming at times, but we've got a year under our belts, and I can't wait to see all of the new discoveries and excitement that this next year brings.

Happy birthday, Jacob. I venture to say that I will recover from your birthday a lot quicker this year than I did last year!

About that Hat

Since chewing his only pair of knit mittens down to a mere wristband, I have been on the search for a replacement pair for our kiddo. I wanted blue fleece mittens that match his coat and the green/blue striped hat he already has, are easy to put on, and allow me to maneuver his fingers. I had no problem finding mittens, but not a single pair of mittens came without a matching hat. After looking everywhere, I finally scooped up this hat/mitten combo. I guess that having an extra hat during the Midwestern winters never hurt anyone, and how cute! And hats off (no pun intended) to those conniving marketers in charge of forcing me to buy a hat with those mittens...

Marshmallow Puff Man

Jacob loves his winter coat, no matter how bulky and ridiculously puffy it is on him. And the best part about the coat is the contagious laughs Jacob gets every time we push his padded, straight-out-to-the-side arms against his body. Who knew that could be so funny!

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas!

Snow on the ground, decorations in place, and a happy kiddo sitting on top of a large wrapped present. It looks like we have the perfect recipe for Christmas!

Jacob's Birthday Party Wrap-up

A play-by-play of the festivities:
1. Yep, I can be domestic. I made this cupcake spread, thank you very much. But Caleb will be the first to chime in to say that he was the one who frosted the big cupcake. Or maybe he would want to keep that a secret so as to not compromise his manhood. Oh well, cat's out of the bag now: Caleb does a great job decorating cakes!

2. Aaahhh! Birthday parties are fun, and Jacob knows it. Our little guy spent the afternoon entertaining guests with his wide array of squeals and screams.

3. Balloons are a must at any party, but we could have done without the SpongeBob. Here's the story: I sent Caleb out Saturday morning with a specific list of party items to buy, right down to the type and amount of balloons (3 blue, 3 green, and 1 Mylar happy birthday balloon). I specifically told him to stay away from the themed balloons, especially SpongeBob. At that point, I should have known that SpongeBob would be making an appearance at the party. And because that ridiculous balloon cost $10, he will be re-inflated for every birthday hereafter until Jacob leaves for college!

4. So many gifts! We are on noisy toy overload right now, and I expect that the next wave of toys will strike in just a couple of weeks with Christmas. Oh my!

5. When all else fails, put it in the mouth. Though Jacob did help rip into some of his gifts, he just didn't quite get the concept of (or care about) unwrapping most of the boxes. But, in true Jacob fashion, most everything did make its way to his mouth. This is a phase, right?

6. Baby hats are super cute. Besides being outfitted with a whole new wardrobe, Jacob also got this hat. He's so adorable in it, that I have been having him wear it EVERYWHERE. Even during nap time...

7. Birthday crowns do not make for a happy baby. Our kiddo cringed anytime this hat was placed even remotely close to his head. His reaction to the crown was so funny, that Caleb and I couldn't resist torturing him with this hat for the sake of a laugh!

8. Cake is better to throw than to eat. Though Jacob did manage to grab a few bites of cake, he was more interested in dropping it to the ground to share with Sadie. She didn't mind, and I was happy to have her help with clean up!

Too Much Traffic

Blogger seems to be evolving, and with that comes more visitors. It seems that there is a "Next Blog" toolbar located at the top of each blog. When clicked, you will journey to a random blog that is published by anyone, anywhere in the world. It could even be my blog. I have noticed an increased number of "strangers" visiting my blog (those from other countries, continents, places I have never heard of). And some visitors have even gone so far as to use my comment option to pitch sales for their companies (tacky). This increase in traffic is making me a bit uncomfortable, and I'll tell you why.

I blog for myself and my family. I write so that Jacob can look back on these stories, pictures, and shenanigans, and remember his past through my words. But I am happy to share my blog with friends who want to keep up with our generally non-exciting life. And I am happy to share my blog with friends (and friends of friends) who I have met on and really only know through the cyber world. I have built trust in all of these relationships. But I am not so sure that I want to share my blog with random people who randomly visit the Blurbs by clicking a button. Hidden agendas and bad intentions make me a bit leery. Perhaps I am being a bit over-protective, or maybe my perceptions have been sculpted by the negative suburban news I watch every day. Either way, I am at a crossroads. Do I continue to trust the people I know and, similarly, those I don't, or do I go private with the Blurbs and continue writing for myself, my family, and my friends? Isn't it sad that the world in which we live makes me question the safety of my family when all I am doing is sharing insignificant stories over the Internet? What to do...

Blogging friends: Is there a way for me to opt out of having my blog randomly shared with all of these "strangers"? That would be a quick fix to my dilemma!

The best toys aren't toys at all

Jacob has an absolute fascination with buttons. He will stand up by our entertainment centers and continuously press all of the buttons on the satellite, television, DVD player, stereo, Wii. No button is off limits, and all buttons provide hours of entertainment. And today he expanded his button horizon to include light switches. He has figured out how to flip the light switches and laughs hysterically every time the room gets brighter, darker, brighter, darker, brighter you get the idea... He even says the word "light" as he reaches for the light switch. Such a smart kid!

Closer to a Resolution?

So my mom--who thinks she can change the world--sent an email to Kohl's after I shared my gripes with her. And, would you know, they got back to her. An actual personal email--not one of those "your satisfaction is important to us" blah, blah, blah automatically generated notes--arrived in her inbox today. We were both shocked when somebody of higher power said that they planned to contact that exact store and speak to the people who matter to discuss my dissatisfaction. Maybe you can change the world, Mom, starting with the Bolingbrook Kohl's! In a world where customer service is a lost art, I am happy to know that somebody somewhere does care. It's just too bad that we have to go searching for that somebody...

Oh, Jacob.

My goodness, our kiddo can sure suction himself to a window. Perhaps an aquarium snail in his former life? I can't help but laugh at Jacob's charades, mostly because these are Grandma Joan's windows, and we skipped town before getting assigned clean up duty!

Movin' on Up

OK, moms, this blog's for you: Jacob is ready for a forward facing convertible car seat. Do we go with the cheaper First Years brand, spend a little bit more and get an Evenflo, or is there a better brand out there that I have overlooked? Reviews from people I know are more meaningful than those supplied on the websites, so I just have to know: What do you recommend?

Side note: This picture was taken last Christmas Eve when our little runt weighed in at a puny 5 pounds. I never thought we would be looking to buy a bigger car seat!

Happy Monday!

A Cheerio smile to get you through the week.

Thanksgiving in Pictures