Better Late than Never...

These pics are from a while ago... we went to an ECU football game with Jeremy and Lindsey Jones. We had a great time....Jake sat through the whole thing- there were some tough parts where he just wanted to move around. However right before halftime he just got still and sat in my lap for the rest of the game... he was sooo good on such a long day. Ok here are the pics

For Exie...

Jake has had some pretty bad diaper rash lately so i tried something that a friend recommended- I think it was Lindsey Woolard.
I let him sleep naked last night.... Now i know all the concerns crossed my mind too- like it will be too cold, he will pee all over himself and get cold. I thought about that and so i decided that it was bad enough to take this drastic measure. I put a nice warm top on him and socks so he was somewhat dressed. I also kept an area heater by his bed so it was definitely warm enough. Then i put a crib liner down with a thick towel on top. I also did not give him his nighttime milk- hoping that would keep him from peeing all night. It was a success- this morning he got in the shower with me for a quick rinse off just in case he did pee. His bottom looked 10x better. I just hope it stays that way...

My little helper

With Brent working overtime it has made it a little more challenging to prepare a non- boxed or microwaved dinner. However a couple of nights ago i thought to try something. Jake has always wanted to be where ever we are- like emptying out the dishwasher, brushing our teeth, blow drying my hair, cooking- etc. Well without Brent there to keep him occupied i decided to have him pitch in.

So the other night i pulled up a chair to the stove before burners were turned on and i let him mix the sauce together for the meatballs that we would later add. After the sauce was mixed i gave him his own pot and spoon to stir - to keep him busy.Then proceeded to fix our meatballs over the BACK burner. Every so often he would motion that the meatballs would need stirring so i would pull the pot off the burner and help him stir with a LONG handled spoon. Making sure to take all precautions to allow him to help but not get burned. He seemed to have a good time with HIS pot and spoon long enough for me to get done what i needed to. It was fun having my little helper with me and it lets him have a little "guided" independence.

Seems like everyday he wants to push the envelope of what he can do. I also know i will not be able to guide him much longer- soon i will just be cleaning up the mess....

Catch Up!!

The Internet is down and has been for over a week now. This has made it difficult to keep up with everyone and to get some blogs in myself.
We have had a pretty good week- Brent has been working overtime-- Cha Ching$$$ - i don't know if i spelled that right. The over time is definitely needed with Christmas traveling coming up- however i think that it has been hard on Jake. If we are out somewhere or at TNT he will walk around and stare at men trying to see if they are Brent. Poor kid. It has not been all bad- i try to stop by Brents office if i know that he is working overtime so they can get a little hug and kiss in. Every morning Jake wakes up saying DaDa!! So cute- Brent will go in and pick him up and the play around and get ready till its time to leave. On the other hand i honestly dont think Jake knows that i am his Ma Ma. Yes i know that he knows that im the one that cares for him but he has been cared for by two other women who are called Mom all day. I think that he only knows me as Emelie. When i say where is Ma Ma? he turns and looks around the room. I have been trying to remind Brent to call me Ma Ma when Jake is around but i think he forgets. He definitely knows his DaDa though- Im glad. I hope that by this Friday he will know me as Ma Ma- that would be the most wonderful present ever.
Jake is no long the take anywhere anytime child- his fussy miserable side has come out this past week twice when he has not received the naps that he normally gets. Up until this point he could skip a nap and still be fine and very well behaved. NOT ANY MORE!!!! If he has had his nap he is one of the best behaved children ever.
Our weekend has been pretty uneventful- nice for a change- T-giving is at our place so we have been picking up some extra clutter here and there. I am still having this week long head ache. I have received a couple of pointers- take out caffeine, eat more greens (iron), not sure what it is but it is getting to interrupt my daily activities more and more. AND it HURTS.... oh well.
I am very excited for the T-giving dinner tonight at church i think im going to make cream cheese mashed potatoes. Oh they are soooooo good- even better when they are left overs and fried in the pan. Yummm

ok well thats all for now now here is the good stuff--here are some picks of Jake and DaDa playing the guitar

bummer

OK i was really excited about blogging b/c i had this great video of Jake and it will not post. I think it is b/c it is too big. Well now i am not motivated so here is one that will just have to do. Enjoy- if anyone knows how i can post a long video please let me know...

Happy Halloween

ok ill get to the good stuff--- one quick story first. The first house we went to Jake got a lolly pop. He insisted that he get it - he actaully threw a fit. He literally sat down and fussed until we gave it to him. The kid loves a lolly pop- come to think of it how did he even know what a lolly pop was???? Ok now the pics-

Jake is not talking all that much yet- but he defiantly knows more than we think. He has gotten to this point where i will ask him to repeat a word or tell me what a certain animal "says", he will think about it for a minute and depending on what it is- he smiles and does this little fake laugh- it is so cute. This reaction only happens for special things. Like when i ask him to say Mommy, what does a snake say? and what does an elephant say?
He has started to pick up on some other things too. He has always been good at listening to "no" or "no sir" there are only a couple of things that he refuses to listen. Wellll- he has picked up the word NO- There have been several times today when i said no to him and he had stopped what he was doing turned to me and said no right back. Not in an oh just try and stop me way, but an obedient cute innocent way. I cant wait to see what he does next.

sorry no new pics yet- but soon

Pop Rocks

Now I know you all remember this wonderful treat. The sweet taste, the fun sound and the crazy feeling of little explosions- when in reality its candy passing gas in your mouth... funny when you think about it... Anyway while Brent and I were treating our selves to a long over due movie night we saw the wonderful treat and grabbed a pack for later. We thought Jake would get a kick out of the popping. Later that night we gave him a little bit to see what he would think- not too much emotion so we decided to save the rest for the morning when he might not be sleepy. Around lunch we tried again and still not to much emotion- i think he just liked the fact it was candy more than the crazy party in his mouth. Oh well maybe next time when he can understand a little more about food and that it is funny when it explodes in his mouth- well we can hope.



It has been a while since i have posted and i realized that i forgot to post the HAIR CUT. Here is a video and and some before and after shots...

Before


After



Not bad Huh!!!
Don't worry the curls are coming back already

Thank you Lindsey Woolard

Thank You Lindsey Woolard

fall fun

The last couple of weeks have been really crazy but we have also had a lot of family fun. One day last week we went to the park up the street and played on the slides and a sea saw animal thing- i dont know what they are called. Saturday we went to Briley's Farm with the recommendation from Lindsey Woolard. We went on a hay ride and saw all kinds of animals. I think Jakes favorite thing was running around with the goats and looking at the cows. Brent packed a lunch early that morning so that we could have a picnic while we where there. It was so cute Jake sat at the table like a big boy, with mommy on one side and daddy on the other. So cute- wish i took a picture.

Ok serious note- I need prayer - the owner of the company im running told me that if Obama wins then i will probably be out of a job. I also need to find a new sitter for Jake by December.....im, having some trouble with blind faith and waiting on this one. Deep down i do know that God will provide- its just how and when that im struggling with.... so if you think about it throw one up for me.

here are some pics from the family fun of our crazy week....

On The GO...

Well these past two weeks have been so crazy- every time i even think i have a second to blog i have just not been motivated. I woke up this morning refreshed and ready to go. Brent woke up and made waffles and eggs. They were so good- i thought that he put some vanilla in the mix. And now Jake is taking a nap and i get to enjoy a tallllll cup of coffee. I LOVE COFFEE!!! It has been a long time since i have been able to just sit and enjoy a cup from beginning to end.

Today is going to be fun- when Jake wakes up we are going to take him to the park across the street and let him play and run around. Later we will probably head out to the dollar store we have a couple of odds and ends to pick up then tonight is the volunteer banquet. I am looking forward to some olive garden.

B/c we have been so busy and had so much going on at night i have been able to stretch out having to go the grocery store- and we have only had to eat out twice and we went cheap. I think it was Monday when Brent and i were going to go food shopping but something came up and we were not home- then we had youth group on Tuesday and with everything going on i challenged myself to see if i could make it till the following wed- next wed. So far so good but man am i scrapping. Ive decided this week i am going to plan our meals out and shop for only what we need for the meals. I usually refill the pantry so to speak when i go but I'm only going to get what we need.

Tomorrow after church we are driving to Raleigh to have a small family reunion. Brent's parents, grandmother, uncle, his sister and her husband and his parents are all coming. Big gathering. We always meet @ south point mall. We get lunch at Camps and enjoy walking around- usually followed up with some ice cream. While we are there we are going to see if we can get Jake a new Carolina outfit- he has out grown his other and since its not b-ball season they should be on sale. Then if we have time and the price is right i might look for a pair of jeans. Since i lost all my preggo weight i have been so excited cause i fit back into all my clothes. Well all except my jeans - yes I've lost the weight- but no things are not the same SHAPE they used to be. I would just love to find an everyday pair of jeans. I'm looking forward to tomorrow jeans or no jeans.
Well that's all for now... All of you up there in Jersey - miss you terribly her is a video to keep you going till we can hopefully come visit in December..

This is a video of Jake and Uncle Jeremy playing with a frog that he got from the aquarium that we went to at the beach... We would not have got this for him if he did not seem to enjoy it so much

Sweet Story

This afternoon I took Jake to his well visit at the pediatricians office. I was not too excited b/c he had to get several shots today. As you can imagine he did not like the shots too well. I have never seen him cry that bad before. I gave him his MR. BEAR that he loves so much and he began to calm down. Once he stopped crying we left the room and went to hand in our paper at the front desk and the nurse that pricked him 4 times came over to say goodbye. This is the kicker-- ready? The BEAR that he loves so much and cries for when we take it away- He gave it to the nurse. How sweet is that? In his own way he was telling the nurse that he forgave her for pricking him. Oh I love that kid....

Jake's Birthday Fun

Yesterday was filled with birthday traditions. Daddy woke up early and made us all waffles- this is Jakes favorite breakfast food. He can eat a whole on all by himself. Then Brent and I drove him to Miss Robin's together. Ridding together is not something that we have been able to do in the past, but I moved into his office building on Monday so now we all ride together in the mornings. Then we picked him up for lunch and took him to Pizza Inn- this too is one of his favorites. For dinner I whipped up some home made Mac- N - Cheese with some fish sticks on the side. He loved it- just shoveled it in. After dinner we decided to begin a tradition of making a fort in the living room with all kinds of blankets and chairs. We -- Brent took the futon mattress off and put it on the floor in the living room - then Brent built the fort around it. It was perfect. Just tall enough for Jake to walk around on the cushion. He thought it was funny that he could not grab the sheet and pull it down. I know most of you are thinking grown people sleeping in a fort- Let me tell you the reasoning behind this. When Jake was born I was pretty sick and Jake went to the NICU so I was not able to see him till some 24 hours later. So from now on till he no longer thinks its cool will we make a fort and camp out together all night. We had a blast- Jake woke up at about 5am and started playing around till we decided we were going to get up and get ready for work.







Here are a couple of observations that I have had about Jake and his first year in the world.
- It looks like he is going to be left handed (just like his Uncle Adam)
- He loves chicken
- He will eat anything as long as he can pick it up like a big boy
- He thinks the world of his Daddy and already wants to show him that he is a big boy
- He is the next Thomas Edison- the kid is fascinated with lights
- He loves to point so that you will tell him what he is pointing out
- HE LOVES HIS MR. BEAR
- He is very curious and wants to see everything
- He does not like to have his diaper changed
- He misses family far away and kisses there photos
- He prefers a musical with a baby in it over a cartoon
- He does not like wearing a hat until he figures out that it helps him
- He does not mind taking medicine- he actually like it
- He make the funniest faces
- He swallows most of his food whole
- He likes using a straw
- He still like to feel things with his mouth
- He understands and listens when we tell him NO
- He is comfortable with anyone and does not get scared with strangers
- He loves to watch and smile at little kids
- He has never really been hurt
- Even when he is sick his is in a good mood
- He is good a problem solving
- He likes to go for walks in the stroller but I think he would prefer to walk himself
Im sure that there is more and will continue to be more but this is all I can recall right now...
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Back to normal

So the grandparents are back home and things seem to be back to normal. While they were here there was so much that got done- Brent and his Dad planted 3 trees- two of which are Jake's Birthday trees. The other tree was a maple. We took Melanie Gibbs advice and went with a fruit tree. We decided on apples. But as it turns out you cannot just get one apple tree if you want actual apples- you have to have two. And on top of that you have to have the right two so that they can pollinate and make apples. I am excited about the testimony that we are going to be able to tell Jake by using the trees. . Then they painted the shed- and for those of you that have seen it knows that it defiantly needed it.
While the guys were working out side I decided to clean out the island cabinets and get more organized. Now that the safety devices are on the cabinets I don't want to have to open 3 cabinets looking for one thing. But now they are all cleaned out I feel like i can finally relax. Continuing with the painting momentum Brent finished painting the house shutters tonight. Now all that has to happen is for them to go back on the house. Maybe tomorrow......
I cant believe that Jake is going to be one on Wednesday. It was this time last year that I was sitting in the hospital with the most amazing Kim Eubanks and the my Best friend/ husband by my side. I would not have changed anything - Jake is the most amazing thing that has ever happened to Brent and I. I look forward to Jake getting older and being able to tell him all that God did for him and his family. I know everything that went on had its purpose and Jake, Brent and I are who we are b/c of it.

Well thats all for tonight... till next time.....

YAY !!!! for Grandparents

We have been so spoiled these last few days. Brent's parents were going to go to Frip Island for there vacation. Lucky for us the hurricanes came through and messed there plans up. We were able to convince them to come visit us. They had planned to come on Thursday of this week. WEEELLLL Jake got sick on Sunday so I called on Monday and said that Jake needs and his GrannaGrampa. Wonderfully they called and said that they would be here that next morning. WHAAAHOOOO. I was so excited- so was Jake he kept kissing the phone. So all week the house has been clean Jake has been home recouping from his cold and we have been able to wake up get ready and leave-- its been great. Oh Brent and I even got a date night. We decided to go play some tennis. Boy did I forget how bad at tennis I am. We were there about 3o min when I hit myself in the face when I decided it was time for ice cream. The people on the court next to us just started laughing-I think it was more at me than for what I said. Any Whoo. Once more day with Granna and Grampa --- sooooo sad-- MOVE TO GREENVILLE!!!! Please!

Ahhhh Chooo

Just a quick post- Jake, Brent and I were eating dinner tonight. We were eating some left over Chinese. Jake was eating some noodles - doing very well I might add. Well at one point I guess the noodles tickled his nose and he sneezed. Not only did some boogies come out but so did about a 4 inch noodle. It was hilarious. It took a minute for Brent and I to convince ourselves that that really just happened- then we cracked up. Then Brent swiftly cleaned up the discarded noodle so that it would not return to the mouth where this all began. Just a quick little story of young boy- from the beginning of his book of embarrassing stories to tell his prom date...

Anniversary/ Labor Day/ Early B-Day

Ok it has been sooooooo long since my last blog I think Im just going to post the pictures and then I will try and get back into the swing of things...


pre- bath
post-bath
ribbon eating
cake eating
yummm
oh Dad
plays well with others
The end result
Carolina fans playing in the pool
Grampa and Jake in pool
Mamas 2nd cake ever and Jakes first b-day cake - just early
Blowing kisses to all those far away
cake delivery
more pool
oh i think i have to sneeze 1
2
3- God Bless Him
eating a snack with Granna
Feeding the sheep
This is a kid proud of his bug

he is tuckered out
dino
swimming with Daddy in Great Grandma's lake
WALKING and the zoo
love birds- wallabies- SP
playing well with others

walk around the lake
this is a cool dude
Jake was not so sure at first...
He warmed up-- This is my favorite pic ever....well right now
So... Sweet...

Ok what a weekend- there was so much and we had such a great time with Granna, Grampa, Aunt Katie, Uncle Dusty and Great Grandma Comes & Myers-

Thanks for everything...Now MOVE TO GREENVILLE PLEASE!!!!