Told you I was determined to get this shot!
Monday, July 21, 2008
The Picture I Promised
I finally captured the moment on camera! Look at my big boy walking around! We're so proud of him. He claps for himself once he reaches his destination. :)
Told you I was determined to get this shot!
Told you I was determined to get this shot!
We moved!
We moved! After 3 months of living in an apartment while our new house was being built, moving day was finally upon us. The spiders, beetles, mosquitoes, moths, flies, centipedes, roly polies, and 2 cockroaches who stayed with us at the apartment hosted a Bon Voyage party and we said our farewells. I'm pretty sure I heard tiny, high pitched cheers after we closed the door behind us. We'll miss our coexistence with bug life in our small, dark apartment. I'm sure our housemates are happy to have the space all to themselves.
The night before our closing, I was too anxious & excited to sleep. I was up until 1 a.m., and then tossed & turned until getting up for the day at 6:30. In spite of the lack of furniture, and all of us having to share a bed (we're used to that), everyone but me slept pretty great.
Jeff was even able to get somewhat comfortable on Jacob's couch. Too bad it took him about 5 minutes to stand up after his nap on this mini sofa. I guess they're not for adults?
On the morning of Friday the 18th, we closed on our new house. We didn't waste any time, and began moving within an hour after closing. Even though it has only been a few days, Jeff & I absolutely love living here. And the boys are thoroughly enjoying the space. Jacob is even letting Alex play with him in his room! And when he does need a retreat, he takes a break in his enormous closet that pretty much doubles as a small playroom. And where he secretly stashes his Spiderman action figures.
Jacob has already told me several times, "I like livin' in our new house, Mommy." And we couldn't be happier with our new neighbors. It's wonderful to be within walking distance from Aunt Kerri & Uncle Matt, and Aunt Tricia, Uncle Scott, and Daniel & Lainey.
Here are a few pictures I've taken during the moving process.
Jacob helping Daddy take apart his bed in the apartment. It was a hard hat area.
Granddad hauling some precious cargo out of the apartment.
About to enter our house for the first time after closing. It was finally officially ours!
A new fun place for Jacob to play with his cars.
Since we've been in an apartment for the past few months, Alex has missed out on the fun of climbing stairs. He immediately began making up for lost time. He does a great job climbing up, but he doesn't quite have the hang of getting back down. He's actually trying to walk down the stairs holding on to the railing. I keep reminding him that he's only 11 months old, and needs to perfect walking on flat surfaces before showing off his skills on the steps.
Uncle Matt thought he was taking a break from moving heavy furniture, but instead his time was spent smelling stinky feet & wrestling with a 37 pound toddler. Sorry, Uncle Matt! But for what it's worth, Jacob had a blast!
Alex enjoying his playtime with his cousin, Daniel. Judging by the constant giggling, I'd say Daniel enjoyed it too.
It's impossible to move without at least one box becoming a new toy.
"Mommy, stop taking pictures & get back to unpacking."
The apartment was just a temporary residence. I think all of us finally feel that we're HOME.
Thank you to our family and friends who helped us pack, let us use their homes for storage, helped move heavy boxes & furniture, and have helped clean out the apartment & unpack at our new home. We appreciate it!
The night before our closing, I was too anxious & excited to sleep. I was up until 1 a.m., and then tossed & turned until getting up for the day at 6:30. In spite of the lack of furniture, and all of us having to share a bed (we're used to that), everyone but me slept pretty great.
Jeff was even able to get somewhat comfortable on Jacob's couch. Too bad it took him about 5 minutes to stand up after his nap on this mini sofa. I guess they're not for adults?
On the morning of Friday the 18th, we closed on our new house. We didn't waste any time, and began moving within an hour after closing. Even though it has only been a few days, Jeff & I absolutely love living here. And the boys are thoroughly enjoying the space. Jacob is even letting Alex play with him in his room! And when he does need a retreat, he takes a break in his enormous closet that pretty much doubles as a small playroom. And where he secretly stashes his Spiderman action figures.
Jacob has already told me several times, "I like livin' in our new house, Mommy." And we couldn't be happier with our new neighbors. It's wonderful to be within walking distance from Aunt Kerri & Uncle Matt, and Aunt Tricia, Uncle Scott, and Daniel & Lainey.
Here are a few pictures I've taken during the moving process.
Jacob helping Daddy take apart his bed in the apartment. It was a hard hat area.
Granddad hauling some precious cargo out of the apartment.
About to enter our house for the first time after closing. It was finally officially ours!
A new fun place for Jacob to play with his cars.
Since we've been in an apartment for the past few months, Alex has missed out on the fun of climbing stairs. He immediately began making up for lost time. He does a great job climbing up, but he doesn't quite have the hang of getting back down. He's actually trying to walk down the stairs holding on to the railing. I keep reminding him that he's only 11 months old, and needs to perfect walking on flat surfaces before showing off his skills on the steps.
Uncle Matt thought he was taking a break from moving heavy furniture, but instead his time was spent smelling stinky feet & wrestling with a 37 pound toddler. Sorry, Uncle Matt! But for what it's worth, Jacob had a blast!
Alex enjoying his playtime with his cousin, Daniel. Judging by the constant giggling, I'd say Daniel enjoyed it too.
It's impossible to move without at least one box becoming a new toy.
"Mommy, stop taking pictures & get back to unpacking."
The apartment was just a temporary residence. I think all of us finally feel that we're HOME.
Thank you to our family and friends who helped us pack, let us use their homes for storage, helped move heavy boxes & furniture, and have helped clean out the apartment & unpack at our new home. We appreciate it!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
The Cutest Rock Band Ever
It seems we have instilled a love of music in our boys. We are always singing, playing music, and when we are fortunate enough to have time, playing Rock Band or, more recently, SingStar. Neither Jeff nor I can sing well. And if there was a time we thought we could, that misconception was quickly cleared up when we heard ourselves singing "The Greatest Love of All" on audio playback on SingStar. Yikes.
For quite some time, Alex has known what to do with a microphone. He'll excitedly crawl over to it, pick it up, and start moaning & yelling into it. He even dances by bouncing up & down. And Jacob will periodically walk around the house singing. Sometimes he'll come over to me, just look, and say nothing. Then he'll burst into song.
He & Alex sound the best out of the 4 of us.
So I thought I would share these pictures because:
1) They are a couple of my new favorites.
2) This is the most adorable rock band ever.
3) You can see Alex standing!
4) The boys look so cute in their skivvies.
These are definitely pictures that will be shown to future girlfriends and eventually find their way into slideshows at their weddings!
:)
For quite some time, Alex has known what to do with a microphone. He'll excitedly crawl over to it, pick it up, and start moaning & yelling into it. He even dances by bouncing up & down. And Jacob will periodically walk around the house singing. Sometimes he'll come over to me, just look, and say nothing. Then he'll burst into song.
He & Alex sound the best out of the 4 of us.
So I thought I would share these pictures because:
1) They are a couple of my new favorites.
2) This is the most adorable rock band ever.
3) You can see Alex standing!
4) The boys look so cute in their skivvies.
These are definitely pictures that will be shown to future girlfriends and eventually find their way into slideshows at their weddings!
:)
Another Picture Post
So here I am, writing another "blog" as an excuse to post more pictures. The boys & I went on an awesome outing on Thursday. Once again, we tagged along with Aunt Tricia, Daniel, Lainey, and Piper (the little girl Tricia babysits). Tricia's mom even joined us! It sure was helpful to have an extra pair of hands (& legs to chase after little kids).
Destination: The Greensboro Children's Museum.
First stop: Tricia's mom's house.
On the way to Tricia's parents' house, I explained to Jacob who we were going to see. Sometimes he's shy around people he doesn't know, and it can take him several minutes to warm up to others. I thought it might help if he knew in advance that we were visiting "Daniel's Nan & Pop Pop". Actually, his cousins refer to their grandparents as Nana & Papa, but it's close enough to what Jacob calls my parents.
We walked in the house and were welcomed warmly by Tricia's mom. (From here on out, she'll be referred to as Daniel's Nan.) :) Jacob got over his initial shyness pretty quickly and treated her to a Spiderman impression. When she kindly commented on Alex's blue eyes, Jacob was quick to inform her, "I have blue eyes too. And my teeth are white."
While the kids enjoyed playing together, we got to work on setting out the lunches we had packed. After eating, cleaning up, doing diaper changes, and taking trips to the potty, it was time to head to the museum. As we were getting ready to leave, Jacob asked, "Is Daniel's Nan coming?" He was happy when I answered yes. And we were off!
The children's museum was made up of a variety of different play areas. One of them was a market, which included kid sized carts, shelves stocked with boxes of real food (empty boxes, but real, nonetheless), plastic fruits & veggies, a section with meats & seafoods, and 2 cash registers. Very cool. Apparently, Jacob felt we were in dire need of bananas & corn on the cob.
He bought the lobster especially for Daddy.
Jacob was such a whirlwind of activity. What to play with first? There was a post office, construction zone, a stage for performing, and a rocket ship, to name a few. He was running from one area to the next, ecstatic about finding a real firetruck, police car, race car, mail truck, and a real cockpit of an airplane. At 31, I also found it pretty exciting, so I can only imagine how he felt. Of course, most of my excitement came from watching him enjoy himself. It was next to impossible to get a decent still shot of Jacob during our visit. So be prepared for lots of action pics.
Loving the race car, but just noticing the next station he wants to run to.
Look closely and you'll see Jacob on the left, helping to fly the plane.
Suit up!
A little girl was using the fireman's hat, so we worked with what we had.
Jacob LOVES playing in the sand. Just out of the frame of the shot, is a sailboat also filled with sand & toys.
After digging in the sand, we played on the nearby train tables.
I was thrilled to find an activity that Alex could participate in instead of watching the others play from his stroller. He was so happy to play with the big kids!
There was even a sectioned off play area dedicated to kids 2 years & younger. That it provided areas for my baby to enjoy himself was one of my favorite aspects of this museum. I always feel bad for Alex during our outings when he is cooped up in his stroller, too young to play with what the big kids are. But as you'll see in the pictures, he loved crawling through the tunnels, playing with soft balls & shapes, and climbing up stairs.
Peek-a-boo!
Thanks, Lainey, for being a good sport when Alex playfully grabbed your hair.
Not only was it fun to splash in the soapy water, but it was great to make huge bubbles with plastic coat hangers!
You could also pull the rope, and surround yourself in one huge bubble! Naturally the bubble popped in unison with my flash of the camera. But you get the idea.
Check out those biceps! Jacob was a pro at jumping up and grabbing on to the bars! Also in this area were tumbling mats & hula hoops.
Jacob & Daniel preparing to make some eggs in the play kitchen. There was an adjoining dining room where they could sit and enjoy their meal. "Outside" the house was a picnic table, rocking chairs on the front porch, and a clothesline for hanging laundry.
"Hello, I'm Dr. Jacob. I'll be performing your surgery today."
The big red chair was in the lobby of the museum. Of course we had to attempt a shot of all the kids. Not bad, huh? Good job, Tricia.
I was tempted to try out the chair myself, but since I didn't notice any other adults sitting in it, figured I'd just let the kids enjoy it. Maybe next time we go, I'll work up the nerve to take a turn in it. And there will be a next time because the boys & I had so much fun. And maybe our next visit will include Daddy!
Destination: The Greensboro Children's Museum.
First stop: Tricia's mom's house.
On the way to Tricia's parents' house, I explained to Jacob who we were going to see. Sometimes he's shy around people he doesn't know, and it can take him several minutes to warm up to others. I thought it might help if he knew in advance that we were visiting "Daniel's Nan & Pop Pop". Actually, his cousins refer to their grandparents as Nana & Papa, but it's close enough to what Jacob calls my parents.
We walked in the house and were welcomed warmly by Tricia's mom. (From here on out, she'll be referred to as Daniel's Nan.) :) Jacob got over his initial shyness pretty quickly and treated her to a Spiderman impression. When she kindly commented on Alex's blue eyes, Jacob was quick to inform her, "I have blue eyes too. And my teeth are white."
While the kids enjoyed playing together, we got to work on setting out the lunches we had packed. After eating, cleaning up, doing diaper changes, and taking trips to the potty, it was time to head to the museum. As we were getting ready to leave, Jacob asked, "Is Daniel's Nan coming?" He was happy when I answered yes. And we were off!
The children's museum was made up of a variety of different play areas. One of them was a market, which included kid sized carts, shelves stocked with boxes of real food (empty boxes, but real, nonetheless), plastic fruits & veggies, a section with meats & seafoods, and 2 cash registers. Very cool. Apparently, Jacob felt we were in dire need of bananas & corn on the cob.
He bought the lobster especially for Daddy.
Jacob was such a whirlwind of activity. What to play with first? There was a post office, construction zone, a stage for performing, and a rocket ship, to name a few. He was running from one area to the next, ecstatic about finding a real firetruck, police car, race car, mail truck, and a real cockpit of an airplane. At 31, I also found it pretty exciting, so I can only imagine how he felt. Of course, most of my excitement came from watching him enjoy himself. It was next to impossible to get a decent still shot of Jacob during our visit. So be prepared for lots of action pics.
Loving the race car, but just noticing the next station he wants to run to.
Look closely and you'll see Jacob on the left, helping to fly the plane.
Suit up!
A little girl was using the fireman's hat, so we worked with what we had.
Jacob LOVES playing in the sand. Just out of the frame of the shot, is a sailboat also filled with sand & toys.
After digging in the sand, we played on the nearby train tables.
I was thrilled to find an activity that Alex could participate in instead of watching the others play from his stroller. He was so happy to play with the big kids!
There was even a sectioned off play area dedicated to kids 2 years & younger. That it provided areas for my baby to enjoy himself was one of my favorite aspects of this museum. I always feel bad for Alex during our outings when he is cooped up in his stroller, too young to play with what the big kids are. But as you'll see in the pictures, he loved crawling through the tunnels, playing with soft balls & shapes, and climbing up stairs.
Peek-a-boo!
Thanks, Lainey, for being a good sport when Alex playfully grabbed your hair.
Not only was it fun to splash in the soapy water, but it was great to make huge bubbles with plastic coat hangers!
You could also pull the rope, and surround yourself in one huge bubble! Naturally the bubble popped in unison with my flash of the camera. But you get the idea.
Check out those biceps! Jacob was a pro at jumping up and grabbing on to the bars! Also in this area were tumbling mats & hula hoops.
Jacob & Daniel preparing to make some eggs in the play kitchen. There was an adjoining dining room where they could sit and enjoy their meal. "Outside" the house was a picnic table, rocking chairs on the front porch, and a clothesline for hanging laundry.
"Hello, I'm Dr. Jacob. I'll be performing your surgery today."
The big red chair was in the lobby of the museum. Of course we had to attempt a shot of all the kids. Not bad, huh? Good job, Tricia.
I was tempted to try out the chair myself, but since I didn't notice any other adults sitting in it, figured I'd just let the kids enjoy it. Maybe next time we go, I'll work up the nerve to take a turn in it. And there will be a next time because the boys & I had so much fun. And maybe our next visit will include Daddy!
Friday, July 11, 2008
Jacob's Talking & Alex's Walking
"Two minutes, mommy. In two minutes." I can't count the number of times I've heard this from Jacob lately. This patent response can work well in a variety of conversations between a child and his parents. Naturally, it's used at bedtime:
"Come on Jacob, it's time to get ready for bed."
Jacob: "Not yet! In two minutes!"
Or when it's time to get dressed, time to go to the potty, time to leave, or pretty much at any given moment we tell Jacob to do something that he doesn't want to do. And sometimes we throw our hands up, sigh, and choose not to fight the battle. "OK, Jacob, 2 more minutes, and then it's really time." And after 2 minutes pass, I'm sure you can guess what we hear.
"No! In two minutes!"
In the above response, you will see Jacob's most popular AND 2nd most popular responses as of late. First place in the popularity contest goes to "No!" As if this response isn't irritating enough by itself, it is usually said while having a temper tantrum, meltdown, or with an attitude. I swear this started right around the time he turned 3. During an outing of ours today (a picture post coming up soon!), I was using my amazing skills to persuade Jacob to follow me.
"Come on, Jacob, let's go see what Daniel's doing."
Jacob: "In two minutes."
Sigh.
pause for 10 seconds
Me: "Alright, Jacob, come on. Let's get up & go find Daniel & Tricia & Lainey."
Jacob: "No. In two minutes." (calmly continues his activity)
Me: "Well, I'm going to go play with Daniel then. See you later."
Jacob looks up at me & watches as I ever so slowly turn the stroller around, with Alex in it, and pretend I'm really going to leave him.
Me: "Bye, Jacob. I'm leaving."
Jacob: "Okay, bye."
Me: "I'm really going."
Jacob: "Bye, mommy & Alex."
And I walk about 3 steps away, turn around, thinking he's definitely going to follow me now that he sees I'm "really" leaving. Nope. Still in the same spot and totally ignoring me. I look around to see who else is witnessing my stellar motherly manipulation tactics and notice another mom playing with her son & daughter nearby. She gave me one of those "been there, done that" looks and said, "That's a 3 year old for ya!"
Hmm, wonder how she knew he was three?
He finally followed me, but only because of my exciting and enticing description of our next activity. Mothering sure does get harder when your child can walk on his own, talk back, and is almost too heavy to carry when he's being stubborn!
The other day, he wanted to see a picture of himself pouting.
"Mommy, I want you to take a picture of me crying."
Here was his first attempt to force a pout.
Better acting the 2nd time:
"Mommy, I want a picture of me happy now!"
I wonder if it's just mine, or do all 3 year olds make these kinds of requests?
Jacob Quotes
Of course Jacob isn't always a stereotypical 3 year old. In fact, most of the time he's completely charming, adorable, and sweet. Funny too.
Proud Moment
After peeing on the potty the other day, Jacob climbed off the toilet with a big grin on his face. He threw his arms up in the air and said, "I so proud of me!"
Living Situation
Today in the car, Jacob & I were talking about Grandmom, Granddad, & Nani moving to a new apartment. I was explaining that Daddy had to go help them move heavy furniture, and that's why he wasn't riding with us to go purchase some delicious (& nutritious) McDonald's.
Jacob: "Granddad and Grandmom moving?"
Me: "Yes, they're moving to a new apartment. And very soon, you, Alex, Mommy, & Daddy will move to our new house!" (Countdown is on: closing is on the 18th!!!!)
Jacob: "Our new house?"
Me: "Yes, our new house. I'm so excited to live in our new house, aren't you?"
Jacob: (makes a little pouty face & crosses his arms) "I no want to live in our new house!"
Me: "Why not?"
Jacob: "'Cos I no want to!"
Me: "But our new house is big and has lots of room for you to run around. You'll have your big room with your big closet. And our new house is so close to Daniel, Lainey, Tricia, Scott, and Kerri & Matt!"
Jacob: "I wanna live in our apartment!"
I can't WAIT to get out of the apartment.
Me: "Well, I guess me, Daddy, & Alex will just live in our new house then. We sure will miss you. I wish you wanted to live in the new house with us."
Long pause.
Jacob: (all smiles & excited) "Mommy, mommy! I wanna live in our new house!"
Me: "You DO?!"
Jacob: "Yes, I do!" Then he smiles and puts his hands up to his mouth and says, "I so happy now!"
Jacob's Observations
The other day, I had just finished changing a pretty heavy duty #2 diaper of Jacob's. When I noticed Alex was just finishing up a poop, I figured it was a prime opportunity to teach Jacob a good lesson about taking turns. So I told Jeff he could handle Alex's diaper. Jeff was a good sport, and started to change Alex. Jacob & I were supervising. As the soiled diaper was stripped away, Jacob keenly observes, "Look! A turd, just like mine!"
And then, "Awww, look! A little tiny penis!"
Pieces and bits
You know when people say they love someone to pieces? Well, a couple of years ago, I started saying that to Jacob. Only I added to it, and told him I love him to "pieces & bits." I really can't remember why. I guess I was being silly, but the phrase just stuck, and now I tell him that all the time. And I'm the only person who says it to him. I like that it's just between us.
Lately, I'll say, "Jacob, I love you to pieces..."
Jacob: "And bits!"
Me: "That's right, I love you to pieces & bits!"
He always completes the sentence. It's so cute, that I just always trail off after pieces, and let him say the rest.
Jacob: "Mommy, say it again. Say pieces & bits."
Me: "I love you, Jacob, to pieces & bits!"
In other news, Alex took his first steps this week!! We knew this monumental event was coming. After all, it didn't take him long at all to master walking behind a push toy. He was a pro the first day he tried it at Nan's & Pop Pop's house.
And there were times we'd look up to find Alex just standing there, holding on to nothing, looking at us like, "What? You didn't know I could do this?"
He's been walking with the assistance of furniture for months now, and lately has needed less support. When you're steadier on your feet, it sure does make it easier to reach up and play with everything you can get your hands on.
So we've been waiting. We've propped him up against the couch, held out our arms to him, and in our most inviting tones, said, "Come here, Alex! Come to mommy! Come to daddy!" Or sometimes we'd hold up a toy and kind of dangle it in the air, hoping he'd decide it was worth walking for. Until a few days ago, all this accomplished was getting Alex really excited and cause him to promptly plop down and crawl over to us. That's really cute & all, but not what we had in mind. :)
So on July 7th, while Jeff was out jogging, I decided on a whim to try again. And sure enough, Alex took 3 steps to me! It isn't any less exciting when it's your 2nd child. I'm sure I disrupted our neighbors with my cheers & obnoxiously loud kisses on Alex's adorable chubby cheeks.
When Jeff got back, he couldn't believe he missed it. Actually, I'm not even sure he believed that it happened. I think he was skeptical since he probably thinks I'm still a little bitter about missing Jacob's first steps. So I tried it again. And after a few attempts, Alex took about 5 steps over to us! We are so excited! Our 10 1/2 month old can walk! Kind of. He still prefers crawling to walking, and I haven't seen him take so many steps as he did that first night. But I know he will again soon.
I regret having to inform you that I do not have a picture of my baby walking. For those of you who know how I am about taking pictures, you know it's irritating the heck out of me that I haven't been able to capture this moment. But do you know how hard it is to prop a baby up against the couch, scoot back, get your camera in focus with your finger on the trigger, try to coax Alex over to you, and get a decent shot? Usually, he's already crawling over to me before I can even get the camera up. But I did manage to get one shot of him. Sure, he's about to fall, but this is all I have to offer. I'm determined to get a better shot, and as soon as I do, I'll post it!
I still haven't quite come to terms with Jacob turning 3, and now my 10 1/2 month old is taking his first steps? And in just 6 short weeks, he'll be a year old!
Time is flying. And my two babies are growing up so fast. I read a quote the other day that I thought was appropriate. It's helpful to remember during those moments I'm feeling frustrated with temper tantrums & stubbornness:
"The days are long, but the years are short."
And because time is going by so quickly, I'm so happy to be spending my days with these two little guys. I love them both. To pieces and bits.
"Come on Jacob, it's time to get ready for bed."
Jacob: "Not yet! In two minutes!"
Or when it's time to get dressed, time to go to the potty, time to leave, or pretty much at any given moment we tell Jacob to do something that he doesn't want to do. And sometimes we throw our hands up, sigh, and choose not to fight the battle. "OK, Jacob, 2 more minutes, and then it's really time." And after 2 minutes pass, I'm sure you can guess what we hear.
"No! In two minutes!"
In the above response, you will see Jacob's most popular AND 2nd most popular responses as of late. First place in the popularity contest goes to "No!" As if this response isn't irritating enough by itself, it is usually said while having a temper tantrum, meltdown, or with an attitude. I swear this started right around the time he turned 3. During an outing of ours today (a picture post coming up soon!), I was using my amazing skills to persuade Jacob to follow me.
"Come on, Jacob, let's go see what Daniel's doing."
Jacob: "In two minutes."
Sigh.
pause for 10 seconds
Me: "Alright, Jacob, come on. Let's get up & go find Daniel & Tricia & Lainey."
Jacob: "No. In two minutes." (calmly continues his activity)
Me: "Well, I'm going to go play with Daniel then. See you later."
Jacob looks up at me & watches as I ever so slowly turn the stroller around, with Alex in it, and pretend I'm really going to leave him.
Me: "Bye, Jacob. I'm leaving."
Jacob: "Okay, bye."
Me: "I'm really going."
Jacob: "Bye, mommy & Alex."
And I walk about 3 steps away, turn around, thinking he's definitely going to follow me now that he sees I'm "really" leaving. Nope. Still in the same spot and totally ignoring me. I look around to see who else is witnessing my stellar motherly manipulation tactics and notice another mom playing with her son & daughter nearby. She gave me one of those "been there, done that" looks and said, "That's a 3 year old for ya!"
Hmm, wonder how she knew he was three?
He finally followed me, but only because of my exciting and enticing description of our next activity. Mothering sure does get harder when your child can walk on his own, talk back, and is almost too heavy to carry when he's being stubborn!
The other day, he wanted to see a picture of himself pouting.
"Mommy, I want you to take a picture of me crying."
Here was his first attempt to force a pout.
Better acting the 2nd time:
"Mommy, I want a picture of me happy now!"
I wonder if it's just mine, or do all 3 year olds make these kinds of requests?
Jacob Quotes
Of course Jacob isn't always a stereotypical 3 year old. In fact, most of the time he's completely charming, adorable, and sweet. Funny too.
Proud Moment
After peeing on the potty the other day, Jacob climbed off the toilet with a big grin on his face. He threw his arms up in the air and said, "I so proud of me!"
Living Situation
Today in the car, Jacob & I were talking about Grandmom, Granddad, & Nani moving to a new apartment. I was explaining that Daddy had to go help them move heavy furniture, and that's why he wasn't riding with us to go purchase some delicious (& nutritious) McDonald's.
Jacob: "Granddad and Grandmom moving?"
Me: "Yes, they're moving to a new apartment. And very soon, you, Alex, Mommy, & Daddy will move to our new house!" (Countdown is on: closing is on the 18th!!!!)
Jacob: "Our new house?"
Me: "Yes, our new house. I'm so excited to live in our new house, aren't you?"
Jacob: (makes a little pouty face & crosses his arms) "I no want to live in our new house!"
Me: "Why not?"
Jacob: "'Cos I no want to!"
Me: "But our new house is big and has lots of room for you to run around. You'll have your big room with your big closet. And our new house is so close to Daniel, Lainey, Tricia, Scott, and Kerri & Matt!"
Jacob: "I wanna live in our apartment!"
I can't WAIT to get out of the apartment.
Me: "Well, I guess me, Daddy, & Alex will just live in our new house then. We sure will miss you. I wish you wanted to live in the new house with us."
Long pause.
Jacob: (all smiles & excited) "Mommy, mommy! I wanna live in our new house!"
Me: "You DO?!"
Jacob: "Yes, I do!" Then he smiles and puts his hands up to his mouth and says, "I so happy now!"
Jacob's Observations
The other day, I had just finished changing a pretty heavy duty #2 diaper of Jacob's. When I noticed Alex was just finishing up a poop, I figured it was a prime opportunity to teach Jacob a good lesson about taking turns. So I told Jeff he could handle Alex's diaper. Jeff was a good sport, and started to change Alex. Jacob & I were supervising. As the soiled diaper was stripped away, Jacob keenly observes, "Look! A turd, just like mine!"
And then, "Awww, look! A little tiny penis!"
Pieces and bits
You know when people say they love someone to pieces? Well, a couple of years ago, I started saying that to Jacob. Only I added to it, and told him I love him to "pieces & bits." I really can't remember why. I guess I was being silly, but the phrase just stuck, and now I tell him that all the time. And I'm the only person who says it to him. I like that it's just between us.
Lately, I'll say, "Jacob, I love you to pieces..."
Jacob: "And bits!"
Me: "That's right, I love you to pieces & bits!"
He always completes the sentence. It's so cute, that I just always trail off after pieces, and let him say the rest.
Jacob: "Mommy, say it again. Say pieces & bits."
Me: "I love you, Jacob, to pieces & bits!"
In other news, Alex took his first steps this week!! We knew this monumental event was coming. After all, it didn't take him long at all to master walking behind a push toy. He was a pro the first day he tried it at Nan's & Pop Pop's house.
And there were times we'd look up to find Alex just standing there, holding on to nothing, looking at us like, "What? You didn't know I could do this?"
He's been walking with the assistance of furniture for months now, and lately has needed less support. When you're steadier on your feet, it sure does make it easier to reach up and play with everything you can get your hands on.
So we've been waiting. We've propped him up against the couch, held out our arms to him, and in our most inviting tones, said, "Come here, Alex! Come to mommy! Come to daddy!" Or sometimes we'd hold up a toy and kind of dangle it in the air, hoping he'd decide it was worth walking for. Until a few days ago, all this accomplished was getting Alex really excited and cause him to promptly plop down and crawl over to us. That's really cute & all, but not what we had in mind. :)
So on July 7th, while Jeff was out jogging, I decided on a whim to try again. And sure enough, Alex took 3 steps to me! It isn't any less exciting when it's your 2nd child. I'm sure I disrupted our neighbors with my cheers & obnoxiously loud kisses on Alex's adorable chubby cheeks.
When Jeff got back, he couldn't believe he missed it. Actually, I'm not even sure he believed that it happened. I think he was skeptical since he probably thinks I'm still a little bitter about missing Jacob's first steps. So I tried it again. And after a few attempts, Alex took about 5 steps over to us! We are so excited! Our 10 1/2 month old can walk! Kind of. He still prefers crawling to walking, and I haven't seen him take so many steps as he did that first night. But I know he will again soon.
I regret having to inform you that I do not have a picture of my baby walking. For those of you who know how I am about taking pictures, you know it's irritating the heck out of me that I haven't been able to capture this moment. But do you know how hard it is to prop a baby up against the couch, scoot back, get your camera in focus with your finger on the trigger, try to coax Alex over to you, and get a decent shot? Usually, he's already crawling over to me before I can even get the camera up. But I did manage to get one shot of him. Sure, he's about to fall, but this is all I have to offer. I'm determined to get a better shot, and as soon as I do, I'll post it!
I still haven't quite come to terms with Jacob turning 3, and now my 10 1/2 month old is taking his first steps? And in just 6 short weeks, he'll be a year old!
Time is flying. And my two babies are growing up so fast. I read a quote the other day that I thought was appropriate. It's helpful to remember during those moments I'm feeling frustrated with temper tantrums & stubbornness:
"The days are long, but the years are short."
And because time is going by so quickly, I'm so happy to be spending my days with these two little guys. I love them both. To pieces and bits.
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