Thursday, September 1, 2011

Amazing month of August

Some days it felt like the long, hot days of summer would never end, and now that August is over it seems to have gone by quickly!

Jacob started pre-school at the beginning of the month at the Wee Wisdom School at the Unity Church.  He goes T/Th mornings and gets to experience all sorts of fun things like art, music, storytime, dress-up, outdoor playground, and making new friends.  This month they focused on learning about animals and the first three letters of the alphabet.  The teachers are so warm and caring, they always have nice things to say about Jacob, and we really love his new school!  Here are some pictures from his first day.




Jacob also celebrated his 2nd birthday this month and we had a little party at the house with the family.  He really understood that it was his birthday and it was special.  He was singing "Happy Birthday to Jacob" in the car on the way home from the store after we got him a special Elmo balloon and the ingredients to make his cake!  So cute!  He was very patient and waited for Daddy to get home with the BBQ before opening his presents -- and then he dumped the contents of the bags on the floor as fast as possible!  He is really into his tools (he insisted on sleeping with his hammer a few nights) and his toy chainsaw (wore the batteries out the first day) and his trucks.  I think the love for construction runs in the family!







Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Summertime Fun

We have been having a fun summer and spending lots of time outside!  I just realized I haven't posted anything in over a month so I wanted to send out a quick hello!  The first picture is the walk from our house to the neighborhood pool, Jacob decked out in his swimsuit and cap.  We have been walking and swimming on Tuesday and Thursday mornings before it gets super hot outside.  Jacob is fearless, as usual, and loves to get in the kids pool and splash and go down the slide and run under the buckets that dump water.  He also loves to ride on my back in the deep pool, kick-kick-kick like a tugboat, and watch the big kids go off the slide.

We have also joined a fun Mommy-Baby workout group called Stroller Strides, and enjoy going to Springwoods Park on Monday and Friday mornings for some exercise and playtime.  Jacob will get out of the stroller and imitate us doing our lunges and jumping jacks, or cheer for us when we do sprints and races.

This weekend we had fun going out on the boat with him for the first time.  We took the video camera but not the digital camera, so I have to see if we can post a quick clip next time.  He had a blast!!!  We were out on the water by 8 am and back out again by 10 am so we missed all of the crowds.  We had fun swimming in the cove, Jacob got to sit in Daddy's lap and drive the boat, and he wanted to stand up at the very front and "surf" when we went over wakes.  I hope we get to go out a few more times this summer, it was an awesome day!


Thursday, May 26, 2011

Choo Choo!




Last month we met my friend Courtney and her daughter Olive and Julie and her son Rhett at Zilker Park to play and ride the train.  Jacob was so excited to see the choo choo!  He climbed right up into the seat and handed the engineer our tickets himself!  It was a super-hot day, and next time we go back we will bring our swimsuits to cool off in Barton Springs!

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Kristin's Birthday

Well, we've been busy so I'm going to keep it short and try to get updated for the last month!






I had a great birthday weekend and we met Mom and Dad at Mandola's for lunch.  Jacob enjoyed the cheese pizza and, of course, pineapple gelato.  We walked down to the little pond, played at the Waterloo playground, and then drove over to the park by the Hill Country Galleria.  Jacob had a blast and especially enjoyed talking to PaPaw through the megaphones and climbing on the rocks with Dad.  It was a beautiful spring day and we made the most of it!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Basketball with Ben-Pa



This is just such a cute picture!  They are watching the Sweet Sixteen college basketball finals a few weeks ago. The even cooler thing is that there is a similar picture of Adam at the same age doing the exact same thing with Ben.  So sweet!

Just Chillin'





Jacob recently re-discovered his little Bumbo chair that Grandma Lucita have him for his birthday.  He has been dragging it around the house and will set it down wherever he is ready to stop and chill.  Sometimes on the couch, the floor of our bedroom, in Adam's seat at the dinner table. . .all kinds of funny places!

He was cracking us up the other day with his plaid shorts, plain white t-shirt, sippy cup, goldfish snack, and his "recliner". . .like he was an old man relaxing on the weekend ready to read his paper and drink his coffee --- but much cuter!

Baking Brownies




Everyone knows Ghiradelli brownies are the BEST ever. . .especially when you make them for the first time with your sweet little son!  The best moment was when the mix was all ready and I let Jacob have a little lick, yum!  Then I turned around to grab the pan and when I turned back around he practically had his whole arm in the bowl!!!  I can't blame him, they're my favorite too!

He even remembered that now he can drag the kitchen chair to the counters. . .uh oh!  He wants to help Mamma in the kitchen, especially if it has to do with baking sweets or playing with the water faucet!



Of course he had to share with his best buddy Shiska!  Ruff Ruff!

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Ice Cream at the Marble Cows






Last weekend we got out and enjoyed the nice spring weather with a trip to the Arboretum.  We stopped by Amy's Ice Cream to get some treats, then wandered down to the water fountains and marble cows.  Jacob had fun climbing all over them and saying "Mooooooooooooooo!"  Now if he sees ice cream he still says moo!

Adam and I remember coming to these statues and playing when we were kids, so it was pretty cool to re-create the moment with our son :)

We walked down the trail to the pond in the hopes of seeing some ducks, and coming back one day with bread to feed them.  All that was there were two angry geese who chased Adam and Jacob off when they got too close.  I had a flashback to being attacked by geese when I was little and said. . .NO THANKS. . .we're outta here!

I'm sure this is an activity that we'll repeat many times, fun way to spend a relaxing afternoon!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

18 Month Birthday Part II

Here are some more adorable pics that Nancy took on his 1 1/2 year b-day afternoon!

We had a great check-up with the pediatrician on Tuesday.  Jacob is 24 1/2 pounds now which is the 30% for weight, 15% for height, and 80% for head circumference (I think that's his big brain :)  She said he is one of their most well patients ever, because we have only had to see them with a cold one time!  Hope he keeps up the healthy trend!  He was a very cooperative guy, he said "eyes", "nose", "ears", "chest" when she was doing her exam, and then sat and read his book in the little kids chair while we talked for a minute.  He said "Mom, backpack, book please!" and then said "Trash Truck", "Dump!", and "Beep Beep!" while he was reading it.  She said that putting together words like that is something 2+ year olds do and he is advanced in his speech.  He loves storytime now and we read to him about 30 minutes every night and usually at least once more during the day.






Some of his other favorite things and developmental updates are:

"Phsnacks" - loves snacktime!  Bunny crackers (hop! hop!), raisins, Cutie oranges, berries, puffs
"Bike", "Walk", "Stroll" - he will ask to go out and go on a walk or ride his tricycle everyday
"Trucks" - from his truck DVDs to toy trucks to real life trucks like Dada's and PaPaw's he is crazy about all things trucks!!!
"Balls", "Shot", "Boom!" - his other favorite toys are soccer, baseball, basketball, golfball, football, pretty much any kind of ball that he can throw or kick.  He is really coordinated and can aim and make baskets, catch, and throw, and is starting to dribble the basketball.  He's played so much soccer with Ben that he'll walk around repeating "Tar. . .siiiiiiit. . .shot. . ..BOOM!" Which is his command for Carmen to sit and get ready for him to kick the ball to her!
Playing in the Car - I have to plan on an extra 10-15 minutes when we go anywhere so Jacob has time to play in the car.  He loves to sit in the drivers seat and steer the wheel, honk the horn, and just look at all the knobs and gadgets.
Eating - Jacob is a great eater and loves all kinds of food.  While he still likes things like black beans, bowtie pasta, edamame, and things he can pick up with his fingers, he has recently started to want to feed himself and is learning to use a fork and spoon.  He has fed himself cream of wheat, applesauce, yogurt, and spaghetti.
New Words - He can point to and name almost all of his main body parts.  We are working on colors right now, and when I ask him to point at the "red ball" he can pick it out.  He just this week started saying "orange" and this morning he said "white truck" and "red truck" and "black truck" when we were out on our walk.  I think numbers might be next. . .he knows One and Two so we're off to a good start!
Sleeping - Usually in bed by 8-8:30 and sleeping until 6:30-7:00 in the morning!  Hallelujah!  He has started going to bed without crying, and will say "Night Night!" and "Shut door" when he's done with stories and is sleepy.  His two favorite books that we have to read every night are "Monster Trucks" and "Goodnight Moon".  "Night-Night Trucks. . .Night-Night Moon. . .Night-Night Dada. . .Night-Night Mama".  So sweet!
Bye-Bye - One of the cutest things that I think he does is to say "Bye-Bye!" to everyone.  He'll wave and say Bye to his Gymboree class, Sunday School, and friends at the park.  When it's family he MUST get a kiss from EVERYONE before we leave.  He'll pucker up and say "Mwwwwwaaaa" to get you to kiss him back.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Ready for Church

Jacob is excited this morning about two things --- going to his second week of Sunday School and his new red Converse!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

18 Month Birthday







Yesterday was Jacob's 18 month birthday and we had a little photo shoot to celebrate!  Here are some pics of him on the trails of our favorite neighborhood park.  Now that the weather is nicer, we have been getting out to play on the playground and walk almost every morning.  I really like the first one, I think especially with his outfit it gives it a "vintage" feel.  And the last one I have titled "Best Buds in Black and White" because those two do everything together!  In the one with the hat I asked him what sound the lion makes and he said "ROAR!" right as I took the picture.  He can definitely be a ham for the camera --- if he can stay still long enough to capture the picture!

Snow Days Part II


So since there were so many cold days in a row. . .we had to resort to riding the tricycle inside!  Jacob would go to the garage door through the laundry room and scream "BIKE! BIKE! BIKE!" until I would bring it in from outside and push him around the house on it. . .over and over and over again!  I'm surprised there aren't permanent tracks on the tile!

Snow Days







I'm sure everyone remembers the crazy snow and ice storms that swept across Texas a few weeks ago!  Jacob was thrilled to watch and play in the snow --- or as he says "phsnow".  He got to throw his first snowball, make his first snow angel, and walk through the winter wonderland that was our neighborhood park.  Even though we just got about 1", we had fun getting all bundled up and going out first thing in the morning to play!  We came home and had warm milk (for Jacob) and hot chocolate (for Mom and Dad) and enjoyed the rest of the day staying warm inside :)