Low Key Weekend

Since our last weekend was so packed & busy, we had a very low key weekend this weekend. Jake wore basically no clothes all weekend except to go out to eat or run errands. A toddler is so much easier to handle in a diaper only!

Fresh off of nap time

Look at that little hiney!

Being the old creepy guy that just sits & looks out his window at his neighbors

Ooh, did you see what they just did?

Just reading a good book
"Could you just please leave me alone lady?"

Bath time! All smiles!

Jake's new backpack

Trying to rock on his rocker if mommy would just get out of his way!

This morning before school. His shirt is so funny, but he did NOT wanting me taking a picture of him.
Tired little boy with Monkey watching over him

Yes I posed this. I thought that it was too funny that he sleeps with a stuffed monkey & there was one on his pajamas. Monkey was rubbing Jake's hair. (Thankfully Jake is a VERY heavy sleeper.)

To stop & play OR just keep going?

So, should you stop & let your child play on something if you know they are going to throw a fit when you make them leave? Jake & I were at the mall early Saturday morning. Our mall has a little soft playground inside. It is usually very crowded, so I normally would not stop to let Jake play. But, since it was early, there were no other kids playing. I decided to stop & let Jake play (even though he had been content just sitting in his stroller). Jake had a great time playing. After about 15 minutes, it was starting to get crowded. There were lots of other kids now & their parents were too busy playing on their phones to notice their kids about trampling my toddler. So I decided it was time for Jake & I to move on. He threw the BIGGEST fit. Screaming, lying on the floor, the whole 9 yards. (And let me tell you, that trying to pick up 35 lbs. of dead weight throwing a fit IS NOT easy or something you can do gracefully!) After we got outside, he calmed down, but I asked myself "why did I even stop". Yes, he had fun, but it was such an ordeal leaving. So, is it worth it to stop & let them play, or should I have just kept going?

4th of July

What a wonderful 4th of July! As I get older, I love the 4th of July more & more. I understand more about the scarifices that so many have made for our freedom. Plus, the 4th is such a great holiday to stay in town, go to fun events & hang out with wonderful friends. The holiday started off with Jake's school's annual 4th of July parade. Go figure, I forgot. So Jake went to school not only not wearing anything red, white or blue, but he was wearing his green Snoopy St. Patrick's Day shirt! Whoops! I thought about going home to get him a change of clothes, but knew that was silly & would be a waste of time. It's not like he cared or noticed. So he was in the parade unpatriotic. Again, because I forgot about the parade, I had a conference call scheduled. I considered trying to take it from the parade, but again knew that Jake would not really notice or care. I went last year, and honestly felt kind of silly. They basically just walk around the church. I figure I've got lots of other times to feel guilty about, so I'll just pass on this one!

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Saturday morning, while the boys played golf, the moms & kids got to together at the pool. I was only able to get 1 picture. I was too scared to try to take pictures while my toddler was running around. 3 moms to 3 kids ratio, meant no pictures! I did take one quick one though of cute little Addie in her bikini. Thankfully her dad had already left to play golf when her mom got her ready for the pool!

Saturday night, we went to the annual Pops on the River down in the park downtown. Robbie & I have gone every year since we have been dating (he was going long before that!). It is always so much fun (Even though we missed you Lara!). Every year, I think back to what we were doing that previous year. The 1st year Robbie & I went together (2006) we were just dating. The 2nd year we were engaged. I was positive that the 3rd year we would be celebrating as a married couple. I had not planned on celebrating as a married couple & a newly pregnant couple! Last year, Jake had just started really moving & rolling around. Then this year, he was running all over the place. It really was a great night spent with great friends & great kids!

Jake (18 months) & Addie (11 months) before dinner, waiting on their friend Connor (19 months) to arrive

Jake wearing daddy's sunglasses at dinner Our group (minus Alli & Chris who had not yet arrived)

Our family 2010

Our first Pops on the River as a couple dating 2006 Our little All-American boy Cousin Jackson is spending the week with Mimi & Granddad, so they were up in Chattanooga over the weekend to pick him up. They brought him to Pops to celebrate with us. Jackson got stuck with all the kids playing on him. Especially Jake. In this picture, he looks so sweet. He was actually tackling Jackson. Jake loves to wrestle! Jackson was being a great sport about it though! Jake adores his cousin Jackson!

We picked a spot in the very back so the kids would have plenty of room to run around

Jake tackling Zach

Connor enjoying a piggy-back rideJake & Daddy (I'm sure Robbie would say Jake is making this face because of the outfit I made him wear!)

Alli being a natural holding Addie!

Jake with his light saber. Granddad had bought Jackson a light saber. Of course, as soon as he Jackson started playing with it, Jake wanted it. Jackson was sweet & let Jake play with it for a while. But then Jake would not give it back. Jackson kept suggesting to me that it would be a good idea for us to just buy Jake his own. Ha! After enough fighting, sweet granddad bought Jake his own light saber as well. Of course, Jake never wanted to play with his light saber, he only wanted the one that Jackson was playing with. He is such a mess!

Fireworks time! Jake & Addie watching the fireworks safely in their daddy's arms On Sunday. Happy 4th of July!

Sunday night, Zach & Kimberly cooked out at their house

Jake giving kisses to his girlfriend Addie. Addie's daddy kicked us out of the house after that.

One tired little boy. He even slept through the fireworks!

Since Lara was out of town & not able to join us Saturday night (she has been at every Pops that Robbie & I have been to), she came over Monday night & we cooked out. Much fun!

18-Month Checkup

Jake had his 18-month checkup today. He weighed 36 pounds & was 36 inches tall. That put him off the charts for both weight & height. The doctor promises that Jake is fine & healthy, he is just a big boy.

Some of my favorite things about this age....

• The hugs & kisses. Jake is such a lovable little boy.
• He is ALL boy. He loves balls, cars, playing outside & tackling people.
• Hearing him talk. If you listen closely, you can begin to make out some words from his jabber.
• He is a great helper. He loves to help you move stuff, unload the dishwasher, close doors & put things in drawers.

Some not so favorite things about this age...

• Tantrums for attention.
• Hitting. We have been lucky that Jake is not a bitter & so far, is not saying "no". But he loves to hit. It usually starts out as playing, but he also does it when you get on to him. The thing is, you get on to him for it, and he just looks at you & does it again. Then he laughs. He thinks it is a game. I don't know how to discipline that. It seems like telling him "no", even in a forceful voice, just makes him continue. He doesn't understand time out yet. I have popped him on the hand once when he hit me in the face. That discipline did upset him & certainly made him stop. But it broke my heart. Jake is a great pouter. Plus, I figure that is sending a bad sign, telling him not to hit, but then hitting him on the hand. It just seems like that is the only thing you can do that lets him know he is in trouble.

New trick he has learned... drinking from a cup! He does really good drinking from a cup. The problem is when he is not drinking it, he forgets not to turn it over. Plus he wants to stick his hand in it. So for now, we will definitely stick with sippy cups!

Does this look like a sick little boy to you? Well, it doesn't to us either, but we are on week 5 of being sent home at least once a week from daycare. The problem is Jake keeps having diarrhea / bowel movements (which I'll just call BM's since I'm sure he'll one day kill me for blogging about it!) at school. If they have 2 BMs in 1 day, they are sent home & can't come back for 24 hours. This all started the same week he moved up to the Ducks class. There has also been a virus going around the daycare that they can't shake. The problem is, he never has these BMs at home. It is only at school. He never has a fever or vomits. And he certainly isn't acting sick. We've taken him to the doctor, and the doctor says that he is fine. After the 3rd time he was sent home (& I was starting to loose my patience) we sat down with the teachers to go over everything he was eating at school. We figured out that they were giving him juice in the new class, which they were not in his previous class. We don't give him juice at home, so I just knew that was what the problem was. They started giving him water instead of the juice. He went all of last week without being sent home any. Problem solved, right? Wrong! The BM is back this week. If he wasn't 18-months, I would swear he is faking it to stay home. He doesn't act sick at all. He plays, laughs & has a great time. Needless to say, it's been extremely frustrating. We don't know what is causing it because it never happens at home. Only at daycare. Can an 18-month old have anxiety? The daycare wants to try him on the BRAT diet (bananas/rice/applesauce/toast). He has his 18-month checkup next week, so the doctor said that we would discuss it then. Hopefully we'll be able to get this figured out. Robbie & I are both super busy at work, so it's a face off on who is going to pick him up early or stay home with him. It makes me feel so guilty as a mom. We've got a major project going on at work & everyone is working 10-12 hour days, so I feel pretty bad when I have to tell them that I have to leave to go get my son or stay home with him. It's a very torn & can't win feeling. But, I know that the Lord does not put more on our plate than we can handle, so we'll figure it out. Hopefully we'll get some answers next week!

Well, on the days he can go to daycare, he is having a good time! Last Friday they had a picnic on the lawn for their lunch. So I got to pack him a lunch & he got to use his cute little lunch box. It has his name monogrammed on it (because I'm sure he cares) and everything.
Things we've been doing on our "sick" days...

Feeding ourselves breakfast

Dancing

Playing in mommy's tennis shoes

Taking phone calls in mommy's shoes

Jumping (which for right now, means bouncing on his tippy toes)

Happy 18-Month Birthday Jake!

So Jake turned 18 Months today! I'm having to update the blog from my work laptop (our wireless is messed up on our home computer), so no pictures. But, I wanted to update the blog, since it is our baby book, since I'm not doing so well on the actual baby book!

• Jake starts waking up around 6:30. He will usually play in his crib & doses in & out of sleep. I go in & get him around 7:30 once I've gotten ready for work. He is so funny when I go to get him out of the crib. He tries to grab all of his stuffed animals he sleeps with. He tries to carry them all out of the crib with him.
• I drop him off at daycare. He really likes his new class (The Ducks) and we really like his teachers. On Monday's, his class has water sprinkler day, so they have to bring their swimsuits. Hopefully I can make it by one day to take pictures. His teachers say that all of the kids love it. He is also doing lots of art work. I love seeing the artwork he brings home!
• Robbie picks Jake up from daycare. I love when Jake is looking out the window when I get home. He looks so cute peaking out the window!
• He is getting better at adjusting to going to one nap (due to his new class. certainly not my choice!!) It was making him extremely moody by the evening. (Which is my main time to be with him. Great!) He is getting better though. He does tend to throw tantrums more in the evening though.
• Jake's favorite thing is to play outside. He LOVES outside! He also loves playing with balls and cars/trucks. He'll say "vrrrrrrrrrrrroom". He also loves for you to read to him. Especially his 3 favorite books.... "Llama Llama" books, "Brown Bear Brown Bear" and "The Foot Book" by Dr. Seuss. He is obsessed with those 3 books. After we read them each 100 times, they usually get accidentally pushed under the sofa.
• He is talking on his own more & more. (At first he would just repeat words you told him to say.) He will now bring you his shoes & say "shoes". (He thinks that means he is going outside.) He will also say "bubbles" anytime he sees his bubble containers. Each day it seems like he discovers a new word. It is so much fun to see what he is going to say next!
• He doesn't watch much TV. The only show he really ever seems interested in is Sid the Science Kid. We did take the Envoy to the beach since it has a DVD player in it. It entertained Jake somewhat. He loves commercials with dogs in it or singing in it. I think for our next trip, I'll try to find a singing dog DVD.
• He is still a good eater for the most part. He has his moments when he is picky. But for the most part, he will eat almost anything. His favorite is Mandarin oranges. (His favorite thing that we give him. At the beach, my dad gave him some of an ice cream Oreo sandwich. I think that became his favorite!)
• Lately, when Jake has been going to bed, he has wanted me to rock him. Which is fine with me! I will usually rock him for 5-10 minutes & then lay him in his crib. When I rock him, he loves for me to laugh. Then he laughs back. We go back & forth. We both start out with fake laughs, but then it turns into real laughing. It is the funniest thing. He is such a sweet little boy. His favorite sleep pal is a very soft pig. But he also sleeps with a stuffed Curious George, 2 luvees, a hippo pillow & blanket. I keep thinking I need to remove some, but he is such a good sleeper, I don't want to throw him off!

I need to start writing down the funny things. So many funny things happen throughout the week, but then when I sit down to blog, I can't think of them. I just read this post & it is kind of boring. Sorry! But at least I've updated his 18 Month stats! Happy birthday to a very sweet & special little boy!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all of the wonderful father's out there. I hope you had a wonderful day on Sunday. I have been so blessed to have such a wonderful father. He has been an amazing example of the kind of Christian man I should seek for myself. I feel so lucky to have found an equally as great of man to be my husband. Robbie is such a wonderful husband & father. I went through several "not quite the right ones" to find the perfect one for me. I knew very early in our relationship that Robbie was going to make an excellent father. And I was right. I am very grateful to Robbie's father as well, for raising such a stand-up son. Jake is so very lucky to have such a wonderful father, Gran, Granddad & Granddad Jake! We love you guys!!