month 17!

hi my smoochy moocher,

it is getting harder for me to write these things every month, but i am going to try and stick with it until you're 2. which, realistically speaking, is only 7 months away...?!?!?! soooooooo, my little boy. you are a dancing fool. i am pretty sure i have never seen anything so funny as a toddler dancing. every time those damn imagination movers come on, you get down, and it is the cutest thing i've ever seen. you are blibber blabbering away, but haven't really added any words except for "baby" to your vocabulary. you are still napping twice a day (THANK THE LORD, see previous post), but i don't hold out hope that it will last much longer. i am just not sure what i will do with ALL OF THOSE HOURS IN A DAY with you AWAKE. ;)

we took our first family vacay with just the three of us at the beginning of september. we stayed in keystone, sd and visited so many fun places that i hope we can go back to one day when you're a bit older. the first day we got there we stopped at the cosmos and you were hilarious! we were letting you waddle all over, which in hindsight probably did not make us look like the best parents ever, but sometimes you have to sacrifice your image for a laugh. the cosmos are this strange phenomena where although you are on level ground, gravity pulls you sideways. it is impossible to stand up straight and we all had to hold on to the walls just to keep our balance. i don't know if it was easier for you because you were closer to the ground, but you managed not to fall over!

we also went to the reptile gardens (daddy's favorite), the petting farm (my favorite), and bear country - where bears walk right in front of your car! it was tons of fun. we also took you to toys r us for the first time and you loved it there. but then what kid doesn't? you climbed all over the shelves, up onto power wheels, behind boxes, and just generally ran amuck. daddy and i really enjoyed watching your face light up as you ran from thing to thing. we also visited mt. rushmore which was our main reason for going to sd in the first place. it is a lot smaller than i had imagined it, but still pretty awesome, and i'm glad i can finally say i've been there. strange, since i still haven't seen the grand canyon after living in phoenix for 17 years, but we are going to try and rectify that in december when we go visit grandma & grandpa d for christmas.

so, my lucky little guy, you have offially visited 7 states already in under a year and a half of life. you have been to arizona, nevada, montana, north dakota, south dakota, indiana and illinois! wow! before you know it you'll have been to all 50! it was great to take a trip somewhere as a family and i can't wait for our next family vacation. :)

that's about all i have to report this time, but stay tuned for your next update. i'm sure i will have LOTS to tell you about being ONE AND A HALF!

love you lots and lots,

mama

oh boy...

son,

i think you are close to ridding yourself of your afternoon nap. you may not find it necessary, but i find is absolutely necessary. there will be tears, for sure. most likely they will be mine, so bear with me.

also, i am sorry i didn't write you a 16-month post, but it was a shitty month and i just didn't feel like it. so there.

love,

mama

month 15!

jacob,

you are the most kick ass kid on the planet! i took you for your 15 month check up today and you didn't even cry when you got your shots...in fact, you smiled at the nurse after she did it! YOU ARE SO COOL. don't get me wrong, if you had cried, you'd be just as cool, but i think not crying during shots is unheard of and makes you exceptionally exceptional. :)

you weigh 26.4 lbs and are 31 1/4 inches long. you are starting to look more like your daddy every day, and it's very clear to me now that you have his build. it's especially apparent now that we buzzed your head. you are TOO CUTE. i mean, so much cuteness should not be allowed. it nearly kills me on a daily basis.

you are saying "ball" and "hot" now. you babble so much and i am fairly certain we will have no trouble getting you to talk when the time comes. you walk up the stairs like a big boy, holding onto the wall for support. you walk downstairs as well, but not without the aide of my hand, so far.

you are such an easygoing kid, i can't believe how lucky i am. although, i would like to take just a tad bit of credit for that. ;) you have no attachment issues, you eat great, you love everyone, you sleep well, drive well. you and i went up to bottineau this past weekend to see daddy, and although it is a 4 1/2 hour drive with no stops, it was a 6 hour drive because we had to take a few breaks. you did not freak out once! you napped on and off, babbled to yourself, or just stared out the window. have i mentioned you are AWESOME?

this is by far my favorite phase of your life, and i am trying to enjoy it as much as i can before the tantrums and what not start. you are my little buddy and i enjoy you so much it's almost indescribable. you love to chase me around the island in the kitchen, and then collapse in laughter when you catch me. i nibble your knees and it elicits an adorable peal of giggles every time. you sit in my lap to read books, you hold my hand and pull me to the gate when you want to go out and play, and you rest your head on my shoulder and play with my hair several times a day when you want a snuggle break.

your brother is going to turn 8 in 10 short days, and it makes me sad that i missed out on seeing him do all of the adorable things you're doing, but it also makes me that much more grateful. i can't wait for the two of you to have a relationship as you get older, and see the two beautiful boys i've given birth to play together. i am so glad that he has been able to have the kind of life i'm now able to give to you. you are two very lucky little boys.

I LOVE YOU, MY SON.

love,

mama

14 months...

i love this boy.

month 14!

JaLu,

yes, i really do call you this sometimes, but only when i'm mocking celebrity monickers such as these.

you are no longer my sweet little baby boy, nosiree, you are on the fast train towards being a boy, and i love almost every moment of it. things i do not love: you drinking your milk and spitting and/or letting it run out of your mouth, down your chin, and all over your clothes. i don't know why, but this drives me CRAZY. also, pulling my hair, hitting me, and kicking me during your rare (so far) tantrums. i would list the fact that you love to throw your food all over the floor, and only eat half of your lunch and then insist on eating half of mine, but i'd like to keep the dislikes list to a minimum. and let's be honest, you're a 14-month-old, of course you do those things!

you are pretty much only walking these days, and are finally standing up on your own. i thought that would have come before you walked, but whatever. i don't really read up on that stuff because i figure you'll do it when you're good and ready. i loved what to expect the first year, and thought i'd be all into what to expect: the toddler years, but no so much. i'd rather just enjoy things as they come. =)

you and mommy went to chicago at the beginning of the month to say goodbye to great grandma. it's a good thing we went when we did because she passed 2 days after we left. we got a couple great pictures of the 3 of us, and you would give her a kiss on command each time i told you to. you're such a sweet boy, my little monkey. i have to admit, staying at someone else's house without the luxuries of home is tough. you handled it like a champ though and slept thru the night the whole time we were there. and of course, everyone was won over by your sparkling smile and good nature. you sure know how to make your mama proud.

the night we got back from chicago, we survived our first tornado. we were locked out of the house for 3 hours, and couldn't even get in with the help of a locksmith. luckily our friend who was taking care of lula while we were gone, called at just the right moment and we had enough time to get inside and give you a bath before heading to the basement. we hung out watching the storm for a while and then i decided it was time to retire to the bathroom when the power went out. ignorance was bliss since i had no idea what to expect, and maintained my composure throughout. you and i played in the bathtub, in between snuggles, and you eventually fell asleep on my chest. you never do that, so it was a special moment for me.

you have 8 teeth now, and are currently cutting some molars. you eat great for the most part, and drink your milk like a good boy. when you're not spitting it out that is. ;) you're still in your 18 month clothes, and seem to have stopped growing for the time being. all that walking around is slimming you down, but you've still got your chunkalicious thighs. nibble, nibble. mmmmm, yum.

you love playing with puzzles, and reading books. you enjoy exerting your strength at every opportunity. daddy and i can't believe how strong you are! you give hugs and kisses now, and when you hug, you repeatedly squeeze your little hand on the back of my neck. you're still sleeping thru the night, but seem to wake up on weekends when daddy is home. i'm sure it's because you don't want to miss a moment with him while he's here, and i don't blame you one bit!

i somehow manage to love you more with every moment that passes, and no one can melt my heart the way you do little man. thank you for being you.

love,

mama

look out chicago!

me and the monkey are headed to chicago tomorrow to see my grandmother, probably for the last time. although the circumstances are not the best, i am glad to have a reason that i have to get my butt out there to see the fam. my parents are there as well, helping to take care of my grandma, so it's a bonus that we'll get to see them as well. pizza, portillo's, white castle, and steak n' shake...look out, i'm coming to eat you! YUM!

i'm also excited to spend the 4th of july there, as i used to visit every summer for the 4th of july when i was a teenager. i was back there a few years ago for the 4th, but because my friend had won an all expenses paid trip to see the police play at wrigley, so needless to say, i didn't get to see the fam then. although, as you can imagine, i wasn't all that disappointed given the situation.

i wish phil was coming along, but tickets were too expensive, and he shouldn't take anymore time off work considering it's only june and we've had 2 out of town weddings, 2 months out of work, and now a last minute trip to see my grandma. *sigh* hopefully one day he'll be able to come with and see where i hail from. also? sucks that he won't be able to see monkey enjoy fireworks for the first time, but i think we bought enough that when we get back we'll have loads of fun setting them off in the front yard. yay for living somewhere you can buy fireworks!!!

happy 4th everyone!

p.s. all well wishes in regards to flying alone with the monkey are greatly appreciated. i am dreading every moment. =)

month 13!

hi boo bear,

this nickname is quite possibly the most annoying to date. no clue where it came from, but it's out of my mouth before i can stop it every time!

the most important thing i'd like to discuss with you this month, is that you are growing up entirely too quickly for my liking and i insist you stop it right now! with that said...

this month was a big one! we left for phoenix on may 30th, to go to your uncle g's wedding, and first thing the next day we had your 1st birthday party. most of your friends came and a good time was had by all. you had your first classic toilet paper moment, while i'm a bit ashamed to say, i had no idea where you were, nor was i paying any attention whatsoever. luckily, someone asked me where you were, and we found you in the bathroom surrounded by toilet paper.

you swam, you ate, and just before everyone left, we had cake. grandma and grandpa d got you your own little cake, and everyone else munched on cupcakes with monkeys. you had a blast eating it, and of course later ended up with an upset stomach. fun times.

the next 10 days were a whirlwind of eating, visiting friends, and lots and lots of driving. you did great, except for sleeping, and there were multiple times that i wanted to disown you. every night that your daddy and i went out, no matter what time we came home, you would wake up just as soon as we laid our heads down on the pillow. i finally decided that as soon as we got home, you were crying yourself to sleep no matter what. i had had ENOUGH.

the morning after we got home, i also decided to start weaning you. i figured the time was finally right...no more teeth coming in, daddy was home for a few more days, and i no longer had any reservations. we immediately cut out your two daytime feedings and you handled it like a champ. you started eating better, and you started sleeping thru the night. AMEN AND HALLELUJAH. this weekend when daddy comes home we're going to stop the morning feeding, and as long as mama keeps making milk i will only nurse you at night.

you and i will be going to chicago in a few weeks to visit my grandma. she was recently diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer that has spread to her brain and we aren't sure how much longer she's going to make it. i swore that i would never fly alone with you again, but considering the circumstances i am making an acception. and i plan on being armed with ten million books, snacks, and a portable dvd player. the fact that i am even considering buying a portable dvd player to fly with a 13 month old should tell you a lot about your excellent behavior on airplanes.

as far as your development goes, you seem to have crossed over into toddlerhood. you started walking on june 1st, the last day we were in phoenix, and daddy and grandma and grandpa d were so glad to have witnessed it. you are clapping, and saying, "wow, woah, and oooh," and respond to certain questions, such as, "would you like some yogurt?" you are drinking milk, out of a 12 month sippy cup without handles, and whenever we go on walks, you always put it back in the cup holder in your stroller. you give hugs and kisses, and love to read books with mama.

you have also started throwing tantrums that make we want to screeeeeam, and i wonder why the hell no one ever warned me it begins this early! you also like to drink your milk at times, and spit it all over the place. this makes me crazier than any other thing you do. i HATE it. you, however, are obviously aware that i hate it and laugh like it's the funniest thing in the world. note to self: will have to practice reverse psychology on that one. you have also started hitting me, and while you don't do it often, you do it enough that i wonder how i will ever deal with your terrible two's and three's. one day at a time, i suppose.

you are handling daddy being gone much better after our trip to phoenix, and i am so relieved. it had an obvious effect on you the first couple of weeks, and sometimes you would wake up at night and we would both end up in tears. during the day i try to keep us busy, whether it be a trip to walmart, or a walk around the track at the community center, because you are always happier while outside or out and about.

people still continue to ask me whether you are always so happy, and to that i say, "boy, do you have them fooled." although you are mostly a happy boy, they have never seen your tantrums. but you still never fail to smile at anyone you walk by, and that is one of the things i love most about you. you are my little charmer, and you make me so proud every day.

love,

mama