First Thanksgiving and First Meal

Since our Thanksgivings are usually on the DL, we decided to make this one very memorable. Jacob had his first solid meal consisting of organic rice cereal spiced up with some water (mommy's pump broke or it would have been with some of my goodness). There he was decked out in his Thanksgiving outfit with a fresh bib around his neck, first time sitting in a highchair, awaiting the unknown. There we were with a video camera and camera in hand, a bowl of cereal, and full of anticipation. Jacob had a full audience. Despite the "this is sooo yucky" facial expressions (pictures will follow tomorrow) Jacob swallowed 2.5 teaspoonfuls of mush. We are so proud! Also, he is really ready to crawl lifting his bum and pushing off. Man, oh, man we have to childproof the house a.s.a.p.

~Jacob's Thanksgiving meal~

~Sitting so nicely in the highchair~

~First Spoon full of mush~

"YUCKY"

~Second Spoon full of mush~

"Maybe it won't go pass my hand"

"What do I do now?"

"I swallowed and it was finger licking good"

Out and about

We've met up with Danielle and Thomas today and went out for a stroll. Danielle and I enjoyed a sweet goodie at the Common Ground, while the boys were busy banging on the table.

~Snuggled~

It's raining cats and dogs

We've spent most of the rainy day at home. I had to be creative and think of many things to do, since my little man gets bored very easily. Jacob was ninja rolling (from back to stomach to back) nonstop, which is very impressive. He was vocalizing "dadada" all day long. We watched the rain and squirrels running up and down the tree in the rain outside of Jacob's room. I filled up a plastic container with warm water and we experimented which toys sank or swam. Jacob just loved splashing around. Needless to say, he was very wet at the end of that activity. I have been pretty consistent in putting him down in his crib when he falls asleep. Today he slept for an hour and forty five minutes during nap time! It's a marked improvement considering the fact that his peepers usually open after only fifteen minutes to half an hour. He is doing a lot better at night- snoozing away from 9 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. - which totals a 7-8 hr stretch. Sometimes he wakes up, but is able to fall back asleep within 5 min. We have a bedtime routine that seems to be effective. Today I placed him down drowsy but awake and he fell asleep with no problem. He is completely out of the swaddle and has been sleeping on the side, flipping from time to time to the back, and onto another side. At this point, he still has no teeth and I haven't felt any bumps yet. We have a supply of night and daytime baby Orajel when the time comes. He sure is drooling a lot though. Anyways, we've spent the evening at grandmas and grandpas'. Jacob was showing off his new moves and vocalizations. We had a great day despite the rain. We'll take the warm rain over cold and snow any day.

Waking up

November 23

This is how I found him this afternoon

Jacob says "Dadada....dadadada....dadadada"

~Mr. Happy~

Jacob surprised us this morning with saying "dada", which he continued throughout the day- occasionally interjecting "bla...dada." Daddy is absolutely thrilled. We went to St. Brendan's playgroup this morning. Jacob enjoyed circle time and observing other kids. We've spent the rest of the afternoon engrossed in play. He is a funny little dude. He is spinning in circles on his belly, always curious as to what is out of his reach, and he has been crawling backwards. Jacob is incredibly strong. He was lifting his entire belly- supporting himself by his arms and feet- just like a push-up. It was amazing!

"Dada"

~Looking at Daddy~
~Banging on the crib~

Party on the weekend

We've had a very cold weekend. On Saturday night we celebrated Melissa's Birthday (Max's mom). We've had a wonderful time in the company of Melissa's family and friends. Max and Jacob stole everyone's attention. Jacob has been very interested in exploring everyone's faces. A few times he was going for Max's head underestimating his own strength and the sharpness of his nails. He enjoyed Max's excise saucer, thus, allowing Scottie and I to enjoy the party as well.

~Jacob and Max hanging out~

Overalls are in style

~Kisses for Mommy~

~What are you looking at?~ No, it's not a potty....it's a Bebe Bop seat

Serious, inquisitive, or just plain skeptical

Aloha!

We did absolutely nothing today. Jacob and I listened to Hawaiian music all day long. We goofed around, snuggled, tickled, played peek-a-boo, read books, played with toys, interrupted Daddy a million times. Jacob rode the babe, jumped on the jumperoo, and CRAWLED backwards like a crab on the bare floor. We had to shake all of the sillies out, clap all of the crazies out, jump all of the jiggles out, and wiggle the waggles away!

~Squished~~All aboard ?~

~Drool~

Playgroup at Max's house

~Lounging with my friends~
Max, Jacob, and Lilly

Jacob is snuggling up to Lilly
Holding handsGoing for the shoe move
Mmmmmm.....pink shoe... tasty~Jacob and Lilly~

~Belly Time~

Gymboree class

Daddy has been so good at getting up with Jacob in the morning and letting mommy sleep in a little. Last night Jacob decided to be unswaddled so we let him be. He chose the side sleep position and slept for about 7 hrs. Today we had an adventurous day. Kristy from Building Blocks came to visit. Then we went to a Gymboree Class with Thomas and Danielle. The boys had so much fun rolling on a gigantic tube, tummy time, playing with raddles, balls, and rainmakers, looking at other babies, and enjoying the parachute and bubbles. Here are the pics of the day.

~A visit from Kristy~

~Gymboree Class~

We went to a Gymboree Class with Danielle and Thomas today. ~Tummy Time~
~Bubbles~

5 Months Old!!!

Today Jacob is 5 months old!!! I can't believe it. Let's sum up his milestones thus far. Jacob smiles, laughs, and squeals with delight (especially at the site of familiar people). He grasps, manipulates, and mouths his toys and is interested in everything new. We call him our little kitty because he's been scratching everything in order to explore textures. In addition, he bangs toys against his leg to see if they rattle. He has discovered his hands and toes and sucks them all the time. Jacob rolls over from back to stomach in both directions and recently has been sitting unsupported. Also, he is working very hard on learning how to crawl. He uses his belly as an axis to rotate 360 degrees. He enjoys his jumperoo and started to jump! His favorite activity is blowing raspberries and he occasionally babbles and says "a-goo". Our little love bug is very sweet and funny. As far as his growth... well he is a big boy coming in at 20 lbs. and 28 inches.

~Out and about~ November 18

~In the Mirror~

Jacob loves to look at himself in the mirror