22 months - week 1 - Busy boy

This was a really fun week for Jacob as we had an outing almost everyday. We went to a local gymnastics place to play one day, swam in the pool in the backyard, swam at the neighborhood pool, went to Chuck E Cheese for the 1st time to celebrate cousin David's birthday, went to Double Dave's to celebrate with the family, and visited Kid's Town, a local indoor playhouse. Mommy was tired, but Jacob had a great week staying so busy. It was also wonderful to have Daddy home an extra day this week too.

On Monday, we also went shopping for Jacob's big boy bed, so that was fun for Jacob to climb and play on the mattresses. Although we have only tried sleeping on the new bed once, he seems to like the idea of the bed, so we'll see how the transition goes.

Mommy's swim team moved from evening to morning swim practices today, so we will start waking up early (~6:20am) for that everyday. It will take away from our fun outings most days, but instead, he will get to spend the mornings playing with his cousins, which he loves to do. Go here for the rest of this week's pictures.

Big boy bed

A big step in our house yesterday. For the first time, Jacob took a nap in his new room in his big boy bed. He didn't fight it at all, and actually fell asleep quickly without a sound. Unfortunately, he slept just under an hour (which is not nearly enough for him) and he was ready to go. He got out of bed, retrieved some toys, and played there until I came to get him about 15 minutes later. Right now, the mattress is on the floor, so climbing in and out is no problem for him. We hope to have the bed put together in the next week or so. We'll then continue to get him used to sleeping there instead of the crib. I hope the transition goes well!

21 months - week 5 - Recouperating

After a fun-filled, busy week in Myrtle Beach, this past week was one spent close to home. As much as a vacation like that can relax you, it can definitely tire you out, too. Especially being 7 months pregnant and chasing a toddler in an unfamiliar setting. We had a pretty low-key week...except for the little injury Jacob incurred last Sunday. Thankfully, the chipped tooth is only that, a chipped tooth, and nothing more serious. It is definitely obvious when you look in his mouth, but it doesn't seem to be causing him any discomfort, outside of the "different" feeling that the points of the tooth feel to his tongue. It was incredibly hot in Houston this week - breaking records at least 2 days. That is definitely not something I'm enjoying. I know July and August will be hot - can we not have a pleasant May and June? I guess the swimming pool will be visited often to keep cool. Go here to see the rest of this week's pictures.

21 months - week 4 - Myrtle Beach Week

I know I am incredibly late in posting about our Myrtle Beach trip, but I just didn't take the time to upload the 350+ pictures from the cameras onto the computer until a couple of days ago. Then I had to filter through them and only upload to the Kodak site the "good" ones. I got tired of it after awhile, so there are still 130+ pictures out there. Some are really cute, so if you have the time and desire to go through them...you can go here for the rest of the week's pictures.

We all had a great time. Jacob really enjoyed the sand and water. He was a bit tentative of the waves at first, but that didn't last long. We spent hours out at the beach everyday. We were so happy to stay sunburn free the whole week too. What a relief. As Jacob's vocabulary continues to grow, he added several new ones including beach and ocean. He asked for them everyday. There was also a pool at one of the beach houses we stayed at, which Jacob did play in a few times, but we figured there were plenty of those at home, so we took advantage of the beach that was right at our fingertips instead. It was usually chilly in the mornings (that didn't stop us from going out to the beach everyday though!), but every afternoon was beautiful.

We attended a first birthday party for one of the beach cousins, Ryder, and a be-lated baby shower for Ryder and a baby shower for Baby Haeberle. It was a great week. We were so happy to get to see family, relax, and enjoy the beach. We are definitely beach people.

Our first injury

As energetic, wild, and fearless as Jacob is, I'm actually surprised that it took this long for his first "real" injury to take place. Thankfully, it is minor in the whole scheme of things, but it didn't make it any less traumatic for Jacob or me.

While playing at the swimming pool on Sunday evening, Jacob slipped and fell and chipped one of his front teeth. It was a pretty clean chip, straight across. He only cried for a few seconds after it happened, so we didn't immediately notice the broken tooth. That evening, the tooth seemed sensitive, so we were a bit worried about the damage that was caused. By Monday, though, it didn't seem to bother him at all.

This morning we visited a pediatric dentist, mostly for my own peace of mind that everything was ok. He broke off the enamel of the tooth, but it doesn't appear to have caused any root or nerve damage, which is great. Jacob is a bit young to do anything to cosmetically fix the break, so we'll have at least 6-8 months of this "broken" smile. All part of growing up, right?

Even though there are many worse things in the world, I have to admit I was/am very saddened by this event. My sweet boy's beautiful smile is now a bit tainted. I know I shouldn't worry about it, but I do. Hopefully in 6-8 months we'll be able to put a filling or something on the tooth to make it look a little more "normal." Here is the picture of my little's guy's smile just minutes before falling, and the resulting "new" smile.

Almost Famous

OK, so not really famous, but it is something kinda neat. A picture I took of David and Jacob is now hanging above the photo counter at the Walgreens near my house. I had some prints made there last week and when I went in to pick them up, the photo technician pointed above her head at one of my pictures which she had made into a fake magazine cover. She said "I was hoping I would be here when you came in so I could ask if it was ok if I hung your picture up here. I just loved the picture and wanted to use it." Of course, I had to say yes. Now everyone can see my adorable boys. This is the "famous" picture.

21 months - week 3 - Updates

I took Jacob back to the doctor for a re-check to make sure his ear and sinus infections were cleared up, but unfortunately, his sinuses weren't quite cleared, so he'll continue on antibiotics for another 10 days. He's 1000% better than 10 days ago, but not quite all the way there yet. We also took Jacob for a much needed haircut. I can't believe how grown up he looks just by cutting his hair. I still want to keep it a little bit toddler like, so I don't let them use the clippers on his hair yet - just scissors. I was able to purchase a backup lovey for Jacob off Ebay this week. I spent a few dollars more than I was really hoping to, but I figured having that backup was worth the expense. The clingy, separation anxiety phase seems to have passed, for the most part. He is back to the pappy only when sleeping, so that is a relief. And finally, Jacob's learning of the ABC's is going well. He still struggles with about 5 letters, but in his defense, they are the ones that look extremely similar to other letters (Q is O, V is Y, Z in N, for example.) Now if only we could have the same success with numbers and colors...Go here for the rest of this week's pictures.

Spring has come to Houston

As I write this post, it is dreary and overcast outside with a temperature somewhere in the low 70s. Besides the threat of rain for a second day in a row (it rained ALL day yesterday), not a bad day. I know how hot it will be in just a couple of weeks, so I'm enjoying the cooler weather for now. That being said, it was a wonderful weekend. Crisp, cool mornings and sunny, low humidity afternoons. Definitely a couple of top 10 days. Our neighborhood pool opened on Thursday, so we were excited to get to take a dip. The water was a bit chilly, but that didn't bother Jacob. He had a great time going on both on Saturday and Sunday. He came home and relaxed in the hammock for a moment to round out a great day.

21 months - week 2 - Feeling Better

If someone asked me a few years ago to predict how I would be enjoying a beautiful Saturday night, I doubt the answer would have been "watching my Astros play some great baseball while working on my family's weekly pictures and blog." But that is exactly what I am doing. Jacob is in bed, David is enjoying the cool night air, and I'm lounging in the study watching TV and typing.
As I mentioned in the earlier post, I took Jacob to the doctor on Monday to see if his nagging runny nose and cough were more than just Houston allergies. Sure enough, ear and sinus infections were present. A few days after being on the antibiotics, he is now doing much better. And he is a much happier child too. I'm now wondering if the clingy/whiny phase we have been dealing with was extended a couple of weeks because of the illness. To think I could have been a much happier, nicer mama if we'd figured this out sooner. He has been in such a better mood since feeling better.
Of course, with feeling better, Jacob has even more energy. I didn't think it was possible. He is definitely playing the "boy" role. He's very loud, rough, destructive, and always on the move. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with that style of play, it just takes some getting used to. He hasn't quite figured out that mom can't be his jungle gym and target for throwing toys in her preggo state. Thankfully, he can still be a very sweet, gentle kid, dishing out hugs and kisses whenever he's asked. Every mother has to love that.
We are still working on listening to mommy and daddy and his increasing defiance too. We definitely have a long way to go there. He wants to do what he wants to do. Especially when it comes to climbing on chairs, couches, or beds, where he proceeds to give mommy a heart attack as he plunges off head first. Go here for the rest of this week's pictures.