Little Swimmer

Vince took the day off to watch Jacob for me today while I worked this morning. When I got home it was such a beautiful day that we decided to head over to the community pool. We got everything together and Jacob looked so cute in his swim trunks. The pool was really busy with all kinds of kids and parents. We first headed over to the kiddie pool to make sure that Jacob was comfortable being in the water. He loves bath time so much we didn't think he would have too much trouble. We put him in his swimming tube and he took off. He was a little hesitant at first because it took some getting use to the cold water, but once he got over the shock we was fine. The kiddie pool wasn't too much fun for mommy and daddy so we decided to head over to the grown-up pool. Again Jacob was in heaven. He was a little unsure about floating in the water because his feet didn't touch the ground, byt he really enjoyed himself. After a few minutes he decided that he didn't want to be in the floaty tube and wanted daddy to hold him. He swam around awhile with daddy, but did not like being held out far away from daddy. He wanted both arms holding him the entire time. He did however like standing on the pool steps and hanging off of the stair rail. He kept reaching for the blue tiles and trying to pick them up. No such luck. Vince and I thought that maybe we could get him use to swimming if daddy and Jacob both went under water together. This is where it started to go down hill. He cried the entire time. He usually doesn't like to be held too much, but after that if we let go of him for just a moment he would scream. Poor baby!!! We soon packed up and decided that it was getting late and close to his nap time. We didn't want to ruin the pool for him and make it a bad experience because he was getting cranky. Overall I think he really enjoyed himself. We are definitely going to take advantage of the pool this summer. Maybe next year we will put him in swim lessons when he is a little older. Sorry we don't have any good pictures, we forgot the camera, but Vince was able to get one on his phone. I promise you he isn't crying. This is his new thing where he snorts and growls at us in excitment.

Great Weekend

Vince, Jacob and I had a very much needed relaxing weekend together. Friday night we basically just lounged around the house cleaning up and watching T.V. It was fabulous. Jacob went to bed at his usual time and I think Vince and I both fell asleep before 10pm. That usually doesn't happen with me very much because unfortunately I am a night owl. I think I was worn out from the week and from the Friday ordeal. Earlier that morning I got a call from my dad saying that my mom wasn't doing too good and needed to go to the hospital. He rushed her over to the ER and they went ahead and admitted her because of her heart and breathing problems. She basically has been retaining fluid in her body and lungs and hasn't been able to get rid of it. The doctors all say this is typical after having heart surgery and that we shouldn't be concerned. Everything has checked out good and her heart is in great condition, actually better than before. So it's a good thing. They have kept her there until hopefully Monday or Tuesday and then she will get released. Yeah!!! On Saturday, Vince and I cleaned up around the house some more and did some yard work. The grass really needed to be mowed because of all the rain we got during the week. And now it looks picture perfect. Sorry honey I didn't actually take a photo. I promise I will next time. Then the three us headed to the grocery store to buy food for the family cook-out that night. We invited over some of our dear friends', the Carriers and the Wylies. Both families have a 3-year old and they get along great. It was perfect because they entertained each other while the grown-ups got to chit chat and catch up with each other. It was so much fun. It was also really funny to see the boys playing and running around with each other because it gave Vince and I insight to what to expect when Jacob is closer to that age. We can't wait! After dinner we all hung out and watch baseball, college and professional. Too bad the Rangers didn't win. Jill made a dessert, peanut butter pie. She found the receipe on the Pioneer Woman's website and it was so good. Unfortunately I only had one slice, but it's okay I think if I had anymore I would have gained about 10 lbs. It was a great evening. Thanks to the Wylies and Carriers for coming over and hanging out with us. We really did enjoy it. Sunday, again Vince, Jacob and I just hung around the house. Earlier I had bought Jacob two new toys, a basketball hoop and a baseball toy. He absolutely loves both of them. He immediately got the hang of the basketball hoop. I promise I will work on getting it on video real soon. It's super cute. He still has a little trouble with the baseball and the bat. He prefers to chew on each piece individually. But daddy is working on hitting with the left hand. I still don't understand why it's such a big deal to be left handend in the Major Leagues. If he sucks left handed it doesn't matter anyways, does it? Is there some special rule that if you are left handed and play baseball you are automatically drafted? If so, sign my kid up!!! Later that day we went to visit Mimi and Big Daddy at the hospital. She has been missing her little man and she desperately needed a fix. We stayed for about an hour before Jacob became too restless and needed his afternoon nap. It was nice to visit with them. Hopefully Mimi won't be in the hospital too long and we can come visit her at home. All in all it was a great weekend. Too bad the week has to begin.

Prayer Requests

Okay I normally don't do this, but I am desperate. Things have been really stressful for me lately. I haven't been able to find a job in this economy and it is wearing me down to the point that I am becoming a little pissy and cynical. I hate to say it, but I am. The other thing that is bothering me is that Brodie seems to be having a few too many seizures. This stresses me out because it means that his condition is either getting worse or that we have to plan on him having more seizures more often. And lastly, today Jacob's latency test came back with abnormal responses. They aren't sure if his auditory nerve has hit a plateau or not. This means that we have to have more tests in the near future. So as you can tell I am pretty much at my wits end. I am asking everyone to please keep us in your prayers and thoughts. We really do appreciate it. This such a difficult time for us and we really do need it.

Latency Test

Tomorrow Jacob will go with his Dad to Dallas to UTD Hearing and Speech Center for his Latency Hearing Test. This is his 3 month check-up to make sure that he is still on track with his hearing. There is a specific range that children his age should follow within that determines how quickly their ears and brain responds to sounds at different decibels and frequency. The first time Jacob took this test he fell within in that range. When we spoke to the doctor he said that it is very unlikely that once a child is within that range that they will fall out of it. I hope this is true for Jacob. I am asking everyone to say a prayer that things go great for Jacob and that his hearing only gets better.

Blogging

Okay this might sound like a stupid question, but I have no idea how to do this through blogger. Does anyone know how to highlight a word and have it link to a webiste? How about a website address that will automatically connect you once you click on it? Help???

Cute Backgrounds

For all you bloggers out there I found some really good sites that have some really cute backgrounds for your blogs. They are super easy to install and some of them come with blinkie buttons and glitter flashies and more. Check 'em out. simplychicblogs thecutestsiteontheblock

9 Months

I can't believe how big my boy is getting. Everyday he amazes me with all the things he is learning and doing all by himself. He is already starting to stand without any help from anyone. He usually can do this for about 20-30 seconds and then of course plops on his bottom and giggles. He is really getting into the rythmn of cruising with the coffee table and sofa. We will sit down on one end and he will move all the way to us in a matter of seconds. Vince and I think he is going to start walking before he turns 10 months. I don't know, but we will see. He loves food and will pretty much eat anything we give him. He has eaten strawberries, bananas, peaches, pears, potatoes, green beans, carrotts, whole milk, yogurt, cheese, baby crackers, vienna sausages (the baby kind), and anything else he can get his hands on. He already has 6 teeth that have come through. These last two have been a bit of a downer because they have been the most bothersome of all. Normally he had no problems before, but for some reason these are keeping him up at night and a little bit more cranky. He is also excelling in the verbal department. He is learning to communicate much better with Vince and I. He has learned to play a few games and can recognize a few commands and words. He is already starting to say "dada" and "mama" a bit. He recognizes the words for a few toys, the dogs, his bottle, both Vince and I, bath time, and few other things. This first year is flying by and before I know he will be moving out of the house and onto college. Everyday I try to remember how special and awesome he is to be mine my little boy. He is the most precious thing I could have ever asked for. I love you little guy, you mean the world to your daddy and me.

Playing around in the Study

So Jacob wanted to have a little fun in the office today while I checked my email and a few blogs. I know what you're thinking, "is his hand in the paper shredder?" And yes it is, but it's turned off and unplugged basically because of him.

Another One Completed

Another project completed today. I had an old magazine box that usually was filled with Jacob's toys. So I figured I would dress it up a little to go with the whole toy theme that we have going on in the living room. I think I did a pretty good job. Someone else also likes it too!!! Got it! That's what I have been looking for this whole time!

Project Complete

It's finally finished. I have been working on the drapes for Vince's office for months now. I started the leather cornice right after Jacob was born and installed it about two months later. I then started on the drape panels and completed one whole drape about 3 months after that. So today I finally finished the whole darn thing. I took Jacob over to Nana's house because there was no way I was going to get anything accomplished with him around house. I got to sewing around 12 noon and was done by 4:00pm. I can't believe it. This project has taken way too long, but at least I finally have my dining room back to normal. It's no longer the craft project room. So here are the pictures, what do you think? I was going for a gentleman's hunting theme.

These are the drapes that I actually sewed all by myself. I am so proud. I will never do it again! This is the leather cornice that took three people to hang. It was a doozy to get up on the wall.

Popsicle

Okay my son is going to kill me when he gets older because of this video, but who cares that's a long ways off. So today I headed over to my parents' house after speech therapy to give them a chance to hang out with Jacob for awhile. Mom hasn't really had a chance to be around him much since she just got out of the hospital not too long ago. She is finally feeling better and was able to really enjoy being with him and playing. It was such a nice day outside that we decided to hang out on their back porch and get a little sun and shade in with a nice breeze. Dad figured it was a good thing to go ahead and give the dogs a bath because they kind of smelled a little funny after being in the kennel for a week. Afterwards, we all had popsicles to cool us off. Jacob loves popsicles, but hasn't quit mastered the art of how to eat them. They are kind of cold on his teeth and I think they give him brain freeze, but still he shoves them in his mouth. We striped him down to his diaper and straped him in the highchair and let he go at it. Once he was finally done, he was an absolute mess of stickiness, but still adorable. Mom suggested that I give him a full bath, but I just wasn't in the mood to do that at 2:30pm in the afternoon. So I got the brillant idea from my dad that we should just hose him off in the backyard. The water wasn't too hot or too cold, but just perfect. He loved it. I practically had to pry him of the iron bars to get him dry. It was so cute that we had to get it on video tape. Enjoy!!!

How my morning routine has changed in 8 months

Before we had Jacob we knew , from family , friends, and the glaring obvious , that our lives would never be the same. With that said I just never knew I would be sitting at my desk on a Friday afternoon humming the theme to "Shaun the Sheep"! Don't get me wrong I am a fan of the show. Jacob and I usually get an hour in the morning together before Rebecca gets out of bed and we have a fairly consistent routine now. We drink our milk for 10-15 minutes in what seems is the only time of the day he will sit still for a period of time, then we are off to the races. First we empty the toy bin in the living room that mommy and daddy just got through organzing, once we have spread every toy out in the living room (which takes no longer than 5-10 minutes itself) , we then move on for daddy's attention and wrestles the sports page out daddy's hands with one hand and grabs for his cup of coffee from the coffee table with the other hand. Once we have shredded daddy's newspaper to a unreadable crumbled mess we move to the TV stand and start banging on the DVD Player, Daddy's Playstation, the VCR and grab for any wires within our grasp. At this point in time I usally tell Jake "No" and he will then proceed to cry for 5 seconds before becoming distracted by the DVD/VCR Tape Rack . He then moves for that at lighting quick speed and pulls every "Field of Dreams" "Full Metal Jacket" and Pilates exercise DVD/Tape off the rack and throws it on the floor. Once the living room is completely wrecked he will move on to terriozing the dogs. Brodie and Seven could not be any better with the way they behave around Jacob but to their credit they have learned to stay out of his way. Jacob usally spots a dog lounging on the floor from across the room and if he is interested will pounce on them like a cheetah hunting a gazelle. If quick enough he will pull their tail or grab a handfull of their coat and laugh as the dogs just look back at me with a "How long are you going to let this kid stay in our house?" gaze. The dogs now have caught on and when they see the cheetah coming they leave the room for the saftey of the grassland praires (our closet). By this time its usally 6:45am or 6:50am , this is the time for the "Hot Dog Song" on Disney's Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Jacob loves this song and it's worthy of it's own post in due time. So we sit there for a minute or two that the hot dog song is rocking out and Jacob stares with amazement. Once the song is over it's back to toys, dogs, and living room demolishment. At this time I am out of breath and begging to get into the office to take on something less physical like dealing with an IRS Auditor and working up a Statement of Grounds on a Sales Tax Redetemination for my clients. However before I get that that I usally catch the 5 minute interlude between cartoons on the Disney Channel which features "Shaun the Sheep"at this time. Dont get me wrong, I would not trade this new morning routine for anything on earth but it is exhausting chasing after an 8 month old with a mission. I absolutly adore, respect, and cherish Rebecca for her ablity to handle him for 10-12 hours a day , 7 days a week as it is no easy task. And when Jake gives us that great big smile and laugh it makes our day. For those of you that have not had the opportunity to hum the theme to "Shaun the Sheep" at your desk, enjoy:

Mom's Surgery

Hey everyone if you want to get an update on my mom's surgery and recovery check out her blog at www.the-jacob-house.blogspot.com You can also find the link to the right side of my blog. I will keep updating it daily.

First Mother's Day

It was my first official Mother's Day this year. I was about 5 months pregnant last year anxiously awaiting to meet our new bundle of joy. And boy is he. It was such an awesome day. Vince let me sleep in a little while he took care of Jacob in the morning. It is such a treat to always get a few hours of extra rest. Once we all got up and going, we headed over to pick up Nana Rita for lunch. We had a wonderful lunch outside and took some pictures. Jacob really enjoyed himself and behaved very well the entire time. He kept looking at the table next to us and talking out loud. I guess he figured everyone needed to know what he had to say. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful little boy. I couldn't imagine my life without him or what my life would be like if he was never around. He is the most precious gift I could have ever received and I thank my lucky stars that I have him. He is the cutest and most adorable little thing I have ever witnessed. He cracks me up all the time and always keeps me on my toes. I love you Boo Bear!!!

My favorite thing to do

We have all heard the famous quote, "Never wake a sleeping baby!" But lately it has become one of my favorite things to do with Jacob. I usually start getting ready for bed around 9 or 9:30 at night. I brush my teeth, wash my face and change my clothes, if I am not already in my pj's. Then I will sneek into Jacob's room and pick him up out of his crib. He will usually wake up for a minute or two, but will then fall back asleep in my arms. We sit in the rocker and listen to music while I hold him and cuddle. If any of you know my child he doesn't sit for very long and is off to the next big adventure. So this is my time to be close to him and let him know how much I love him. He so sweet when he is sleeping and I swear I can actually tell what he is dreaming about. Sometimes he will make whimpering sounds, like he is chasing after mommy, daddy and the dogs. When he is awake he is always trying to attach us. This is such a precious time in his life that I always want to remember, so I try to take the time when I can because it is always so crazy around here that I don't want to miss a moment. I want to look back on our time together and know that I spent every chance I could to be with him, awake and sleeping.