Random Photo: Jacob Looks Surprised

Random Photo: Jacob

Random Photo: Jacob Peek-A-Boo!

Hanging Around Doing Nothing

(From my journal to Jacob)

Last night your dad played with you for a long time while I did stuff around the house. Afterwards, he said he could understand how it would be possible to not get anything done during the day because you're so fun. I thought that was so cool. :) It's totally true.

Jacob's First Christmas

(From my journal to Jacob)

Christmas was good. You cried a lot for your Uncle Ben, but then got happier. He took lots of pics of you with his new digital camera. Auntie Anne played with you for a long time on the floor. You were sick and feverish, so we ended up visiting the ER at St. Joe's Friday morning. You were okay, but it made your grandma and me feel better to be sure! We drove back Saturday afternoon and spent the evening with Nana and your aunts and uncles here.

We Are Such Bad Parents -- South Park?!?!

(From my journal to Jacob)

Last night we were watching South Park and Cartman started crying. You stopped smiling and put your eyebrows together. When he stopped, you started smiling again. We rewound and you did it again, but frowned. The third time, you started crying. We did it a few more times, and each time, you cried when Cartman cried, and stopped when he did. It was so funny! You don't cry when other babies cry!

I'm in the middle of getting us ready to go to St. Louis. Your dad is at work, but he might get off early, so we have to be ready to leave pretty much right away. I think we are now -- I'm just trying to get the house clean now. You have a little bit of a cold right now because I'm sick.

Baby Einstein Rocks!

(From my journal to Jacob)

You are happily playing on your Baby Einstein mat. I think you've just figured out that kicking makes the music start. As soon as I wrote that you were happy, you started fussing, so I need to go. :)

Hingle... Do You Know What That Means?

(From my journal to Jacob)

You said "Day" and "Hingle" today. (I don't know what "hingle" is.) You're so funny when you're tired because you get really cranky and once we comfort you, you fall asleep instantly.

I put you in your crib last night and you slept there for 3 hours. You took two short naps in it today. I have you in there now, so we're going to try it again tonight. We love you so much! You're such an awesome baby. I can't believe you're almost 3 months old! That is just incredible. If time keeps flying like this, I'm going to be old in no time! Just so you know, I'm 25 right now.

Fists Taste Good

(From my journal to Jacob)

You love to chew on your fist! You have to be chewing on something. Drool, drool, drool! Lately you've wanted to be sitting upright or standing most of the time. Unfortunately, you can't do this on your own. :) We bought you a Jumperoo today and put you in it. You were so little in it that you couldn't even see over the seat. It was so funny!

The First Time We Left

(From my journal to Jacob)

Friday night was your first night without us! Your Aunt Rosie watched you while your dad and I went to his work's Christmas party. We were gone for about five hours (I didn't want to go!). Aunt Rosie said you only cried for about 12 minutes. She said you played and talked. She said you reached for toy keys. :)

Your Aunt Sarah/Jemima is here now because there's a shower for you tomorrow at your Grandma and Grandpa S.'s house.

You were pretty angry today -- you have not been enjoying the carseat much lately. It makes me sad when you're so upset.

Thanksgiving

(From my journal to Jacob)

We spent Thanksgiving with Grandma and Grandpa B. Your Aunt Anne and Uncle Ben both wanted to hold you whenever they were home. You started rolling form your back to your side this weekend. You are talking all the time now! You smile so much and "ooo" and make "h" sounds and a "b" sound and you stare so intently when people talk to you. Over the weekend, you and your dad played foot games where he would press his hands against your feet and then drop them. You loved it. When he'd stop, you'd lift your foot to play again.

On Sunday night, I was holding you and sitting next to your dad. You kept looking at him and trying to get him to look at you. It was sweet.

You calm down more easily with me than anyone else right now. I love it!

Right now you're sleeping in my arms on the Boppy. You threw up a couple of times this morning, so maybe you don't feel good.

You don't like blankets on you, even if you're cold. You just kick and kick until they're off. You are so precious.

Sometimes when I'm tired and just want to sleep, I'll look down at you and you are just grinning at me and waiting for me to smile back. It makes everything better, and I have to laugh.

Popular movies right now:
The Incredibles
Alfie
Bridget Jones 2
Closer

We picked up a roll of photos of you, and they are so cute! I had you in a Santa outfit, and you just looked so adorable! Oh, last Tuesday we went to see Santa, and you would not wake up! You just slept, no matter how much we pinched your cheeks and moved you around. We had the photo taken anyway, and you are just dead to the world in it.

I'm hoping I can put you down to sleep now so I can shower and clean the house. Stay asleep! :)

Nose to Nose

(From my journal to Jacob)

Last night your dad was touching his nose to your nose and then leaning back. Then doing it again. Each time he got close, you would smile, tilt your nose up to him, and open your mouth. It was so cute!!! Later on, your dad was sweeping a cloth lightly over your face, and it made you smile.

Two Months Old!

(From my journal to Jacob)

Happy 2-month birthday! You are sleeping on my lap right now. You are so wonderful! You squeal and coo, and it's so fun! You've been in a great mood the past 2 days. :) You're just getting bigger every day. Last night you rolled over 3 times at Nana's house. I should put you in your bassinet and shower, but you're so cute! Your dad is on his way to Michigan with your Uncle Theo and Grandpa S. right now to pick up a hoist. Today I'm going to do some proofreading. I'm trying to read it out loud to you to help you learn words. You are just the most beautiful baby ever. You are so gorgeous! Some time soon I want to figure out how much you sleep a day. Yesterday you slept a ton, but normally it doesn't seem like much.

Laughter... What a Delightful Sound!

(From my journal to Jacob)

You laughed out loud today! You smiled all through breastfeeding group. Your dad held you for a while tonight, and you were so cute! You were smiling and talking. He was so entertained by you. Last night you slept in your dad's arms for about 3 hours while I got things done around the house. You looked so content and comfortable. We love you!

Grandma and Grandpa Come to Town

(From my journal to Jacob)

Your Grandma and Grandpa B. came to visit this weekend. They were so excited to see you! They stayed up late and got up early just to be with you. They took you for a walk on Sunday morning. They bought you a play mat and it's so fun to watch you watch the lights and look at the toys! You coo at it and smile. You say so many different sounds. Ah goo, um gee, mar, oo-oo-, oh, ah-oo, etc. :)

A Little of This and That

(From my journal to Jacob)

You make so many noises now! So many different vowel combinations. You say "Gaa" and "Goo" even when you're not mad now. You talk a lot in the morning and when I change your diaper. You're also full of smiles then.

Tuesday I took you in to Accu-Temp. You charmed the socks off of everyone, just smiling and smiling.

You've been wanting to eat so much that you throw up lately. If I try to stop you, you just cry and cry.

You've been going to sleep more easily since I started holding you close to me and lying down with you.

Your Grandma and Grandpa B. are coming tomorrow to see you. I think if we lived just a little closer, she'd visit you every day. :)

Writing in the Wee Hours of the Morning

(From my journal to Jacob)

It's 4:34 a.m., and you are awake. I am too, but just barely. You are fighting to stay awake. You keep dozing off, but then waking up.

Tonight we went to Nana's house for dinner. You smiled really big for Crystal. Nana said you smiled for her, too.

Often times, you wake up struggling and flailing your arms and legs. You seem panicked, and you make lots of straining noises. Usually I can calm you down by stroking your face. It worries me, though.

I lose a lot of sleep just trying to make sure you're breathing. I listen for it at night, and am constantly feeling for your chest to move.

A lot of times, you don't want your pacifier. You don't like it nearly as much as your cousin Brianna. Not too much time, and your cousin Keaton will be here.

Still Tired

(From my journal to Jacob)

Last night your dad took you from 2-4, which helped me get some sleep! You were very fussy for your dad yesterday, but were in a great mood yesterday afternoon. I slept on the recliner holding you from 4 a.m. to 9 a.m. today. I felt better about doing that with the Boppy to help keep you in place. When you woke up, you were all smiles. We played together for about an hour, and that was really fun and special to me. We joined Dad in bed for some family cuddle time.

Lately you've been wanting to eat for only 5-7 minutes, and then you're hungry again pretty soon. This makes it hard to get things done! You haven't wanted to burp much lately, either, which causes you to spit up more.

Today you're wearing a fortune cookie onesie that says, "A surprise will appear in my pants."

A Tired Mom

(From my journal to Jacob)

You are so big! Last Wednesday, you weighed 10 pounds, 2.9 ounces after a feeding. This past Wednesday, you weighed 10 pounds, 12.4 ounces! Before a feeding! You are smiling more and you chuckle as you fall asleep sometimes. You can lift your whole upper body with your arms. Dad had you sort of standing last night. He had you standing with some help from his legs, but you could hold your entire body straight!

You've been fighting during feedings. You grunt and thrash your head around. You always fight to stay awake and leave your left eye slit open. You make lots of funny squeaky noises. You smile in the morning at things like the window and headboard. You're still sleeping in the co-sleeper, but I think I'm going to start you in the bassinet again tonight.

You like kisses near your ear and on your mouth. You always get comments about how alert you are, how big your eyes are, and how much hair you have, even though you've lost quite a bit since you were born.

I think just recently you've decided to become a night owl again. The last two weeks were good, but the last two nights have been bad again.

Today your Aunt Rosie came with us to my doctor appointment. She held you and you were so good! We visited Dad after work, and then Aunt Rosie gave you your first bottle in probably five or so weeks. Then we all met Uncle Theo at the Olive Garden. You snuggled the whole time with me and then Aunt Rosie. She is so crazy about you and Brianna! Aunt Rosie just goes on and on about how beautiful/funny/sweet you are (all true).

Your Grandma B. was showing off pictures of you to your Great Aunt Karen's Friday group today.

I love you tons and tons and tons! I am so tired, but so very happy to have you. I can't believe how big you are. I can't believe it's been over 6 weeks!

The First Visit to St. Louis

(From my journal to Jacob)

We visited your Grandma and Grandpa B. for the first time this weekend! We drove in Thursday night, and visited people on Friday. On Saturday, Grandma gave an open house for people to meet you. You were very good, but I think it was an overwhelming weekend -- we were all happy to get home on Sunday.

You started doing full face smiles this weekend. You smiled the most for Grandpa. Your grandparents are so in love with you! Your Auntie Anne couldn't come to the open house, but spent Friday night with you and Saturday early afternoon.

Your smiles are so wonderful. You're starting to reach for things. You grabbed someone's necklace and your grandpa's glasses. You're sleeping more through the night -- for longer stretches, at least. You're usually smiley in the morning. I love to just hold you and sing to you. You seem to enjoy it.

Tonight you were on your tummy and your dad leaned down close to you. I told you to smile for your Daddy and you did! It was so cute!

You rolled over tonight!!! You went from your tummy to your back. I'm so excited.

Sounds and a Photo Shoot

(From my journal to Jacob)

You are so beautiful! You are making "ooh" and "oh" sounds. They are so cute! A lot of times I can soothe you by saying "ooo" softly. You can lift your head for so long! We love how when we touch your lips as you sleep, you purse them together and pucker up. :)

Today we could calm you instantly by holding you in a sitting position with my arms fully extended and raising you up and down. However, you cried each time I stopped. It's very hard to do for a long time. It's really funny how well it works, though.

We took pictures of you and Brianna on Saturday. You were so cute! I love you so much and I just want every second recorded. I feel like I'm missing so many moments in here -- I wish I could write all of them down and fully describe them.

You are a very warm baby. Your head gets really hot and you get sweaty pretty easily. You love to be held, but you have to be able to see around you. You usually don't want to snuggle really close.

You fart and poop very explosively. It's easily heard across the room or over the phone. It makes us laugh.

You love to look at people. You can stare at your dad for a long time. Your dad can calm you better than most people by holding your chest on his palm and patting your back.

We love you!

Trip to Brown County

(From my journal to Jacob)

You are the sweetest baby ever. We had a lot of tummy time today. You get so frustrated because you can't crawl yet. You're crying and trying to move at the same time. It is so funny! You'll be moving around any time now! Your dad and I love you so much. I wish we could capture every single moment.

We drove to Brown County today to look at the leaves and trees. You slept all the way. We took a couple of pictures and then headed back. You got really upset close to home. When we got home, I picked you up and you just seemed so content to be held.

Jacob's First Time Eating Out

(From my journal to Jacob)

Today we ate at Logan's Steakhouse for your first restaurant. You slept the entire time. A couple and then two men went on and on about how beautiful you are! We went to the mall and you were awake and so good there! Your Aunt Rosie is so in love with you! She held you while I was trying on nursing tops and was just enthralled. You smiled several times in a row. I'm sure they're just gas smiles, but it's so cute! You are going to be quite the charmer once you're smiling for real.

Jacob's First Bath

(From my journal to Jacob)

Tonight you had your first bath at home! You didn't fuss much as I was cleaning your body, but you didn't like when I got your hair wet. You looked so cute all bundled up in the hooded towel! I didn't brush your hair right afterwards because I wanted to get you warm, so your hair's sticking out in funny places. It's so cute!

We've put you in a co-sleeper the past two nights, and the nights have been much better! I think you like being close. I keep my arm touching you, and it seems to help you sleep. Dad and I got to sleep in until 10 this morning! It's really exciting to be able to sleep.

Tomorrow's your two-week check up, so we get to see how big you've gotten! Your Grandma and Grandpa B. are getting ready for us to visit. It's still three weeks away, but they're pretty excited.

New Baby Jacob

(From my journal to Jacob)

I love you so much! Today has been fairly uneventful, for the most part. Since you didn't let me sleep last night, we both napped this morning. Today has just been feedings, naps, and diaper and clothing changes. You choked a little while feeding, and it really scared me, but you got it up pretty quickly and I kept you upright for a while after that. I'm hoping I just had you too horizontal and that it won't be a regular occurrence.

Your umbilical cord fell off yesterday. I'm pretty sure Boehmke carried it off, because I can't find it now. I thought once the cord was off, we'd be able to put diapers on tighter and that then you wouldn't pee through your diapers, clothes, blankets, AND bassinet sheets, but I was wrong! I've never done laundry on such a regular basis before -- it's pretty much always running. You're sleeping now, and you look so sweet! I'm waiting for your dad to call, and then it's shower time!

Regarding Pre-Benjamin Posts

Any posts before Benjamin was born are from my journal to Jacob. I put them in so this blog wouldn't be missing tons of Jacob stories. Well, it is still missing tons of them since I have forgotten to write down quite a few! Anyway, I typed in my journal to Jacob word-for-word, to balance out all of Benjamin's new baby stories. I also wanted a reason to insert some of Jacob's earlier photos. :)

I am keeping a journal to Benjamin, but I won't be typing any of those entries in here because I'll be keeping the blog current and won't need those entries.

Random Photo: Newborn Jacob