Adventures with a Poodle & Baby

Sam's 1st Haircut

With less than a month to go before his 1st birthday, Sam had his 1st haircut tonight. It was at home with a man we recently met who is very helpful in teaching us about Sam's hair and some good tips on how to cut and treat it. The haircut went pretty well at first, but as he grew more tired he got pretty fussy. We were happy to see the hair go and to see Sam grow up right in front of our eyes. He looks much better with his hair cleaned up. Without further ado, a couple photos...

Jacob's First Fireworks

We arrived at the beach shortly after 7pm to watch an early airshow - regular ones are Sat and Sun afternoon. The planes didn't start flying for about an hour later. Jacob played in the sand with his elephant, tiger and lion. He ran around our chairs and had a fun time. When the Blue Angels started flying over, he grabbed Grandpa Dillenbeck to protect him - they were loud.
Finally the fireworks followed around 10:15. Normally Jacob goes to bed at 9:00, so it was pretty late for the little guy. He liked the lights and sometimes covered his eyes when they were bright. A lot of "ohhs" and pointing at the lights.
Well he fell asleep in the car ride home, of course and now he's sleeping sounding in bed.

Jacob and the Corn

This week Jacob ate corn on the cob for the first time. Dinner started with slicing off a whole cob worth of corn onto his plate. As the dinner went on, he was watching mom and dad eating corn right off the cob and was very interested. He started reaching out for the cobs on the table. So we decided to give him one to see what he would do. He pretty much ate all the corn off the cob.
There's a 4-part series of photos on Jacob's picture of the day.

May 15, 2008

May 16, 2008

May 17, 2008

May 18, 2008

Jacob's New Things

We are beginning to get settled in our new house.  Jacob and Bristow are especially happy with it.  It provides a lot of room for them to run around.  In the next few weeks we will be working on beginning to sew curtains, decorate the walls and organize the stuff in the basement.

New things that Jacob has been doing are saying Uh-oh and Ouwie.  He also has been playing with Bristow much more.  He loves to throw Bristow's ball and other toys, but he is still learning how to master the game of fetch.  Many times he gets upset if Bristow holds the ball too long. 

He loves to say the word cookie.  He uses this word for cookies, brownies and many other things that are treats but not cookies, like potato chips.  He has also started to walk backwards with a big smile on his face and without looking behind him.  He is beginning to run and loves to look out our picture window and watch the cars go down the street.

He can use a straw

Also on Saturday, we were on our way to Sam's Club when we decided to take a spontaneous stop at a local Mexican Restaurant.  We had always wanted to eat there but never had.  We were not prepared at all.  No diaper bag, bib, sippy cup or silverware, but we thought that we would manage.  We tied a napkin around his neck for a bib and he eat with a big spoon from the restaurant.  However, the most impressive thing that happened was that Jacob received a to-go cup with a straw.  He had not figured out how to use a straw before, but Tom and I were desperate to teach him.  We placed the straw in his mouth and made faces and sucking noises.  It must have been a sight for other people.  Thankfully the restaurant was almost empty.  After he watched and listened to us for about a minute, he was able to suck his milk through the straw!  He is a very quick learner!

New Things

A few new things...

A couple weeks ago, My Mom, Jacob and I went to the Stride Rite Outlet at Birch Run.  Jacob received his first pair of walking shoes.  He was fitted for them and that was really great because I found out his other shoes were too small and too narrow.  Jacob wears a 4.5-5 extra wide.  Now that he has shoes that fit, he loves them!  And the best news is that I am no longer trying to stuff his feet in little shoes.  No wonder he cried. 

Jacob is now speaking many new words-some clearer than others.  He has added to his vocabulary the words-good, book, all done, more, this, Papa, Heidi, and a word that sounds like coo which we think may mean cool since he points at many different things and says it.  It is amazing how much he is mimicking us in words and gestures.  He also will put his hands on his face and then remove them when we say the word Peekaboo.  He is playing peekaboo with us! 

Walking and A Visit

Just a few new things.  Since our last post, Jacob has started to walk.  He went from taking a few steps and falling to now walking across the room.  He gets the biggest grin on his face and makes some noises of excitement while walking.  Every day he walks more and more.  We have even ventured outside to let him walk on the driveway (closely supervised of course).  It is exciting to see him reach this milestone.  And it is also encouraging since Halloween is next week, he will be able to walk a little during trick or treat time and Aunt Laura's wedding is coming up next year.  He is going to be the ring bearer for it. Walking is a very important skill required for the job. 

Also this past weekend, we headed up to TC for a quick visit.  We wanted to surprise Grandpa and Grandma Dillenbeck with Jacob's new found skill.  They were very excited.  The weather was beautiful and the colors of the trees were beyond words.  It was great to spend some time with them.  Also a very cute thing that developed over the weekend.  After saying grace at each meal, Jacob would say something similar to "Amen" when we said "Amen."  Unfortunately, it has not happened since we have been home.  Maybe it is a TC only thing.

Jacob's first words

Jacob has been beginning to talk over the past few weeks.  We cannot say for sure what his first word was-it is was either Mama or Dada.  He has been saying these words as babble for a long time but it seems that he has gotten the idea that these are our names.  We started to understand that he was talking, when he said the word "ball" a few weeks ago.  He would say the word over and over while he was playing with a ball.  At that point, we clued in that he was also saying Mama and Dada. 

On Sunday, Jacob was playing in his room and had pulled out our ear thermometer case from his changing table. This case is white and resembles our cordless phone.  He would hold it up to his ear say, "Hello, hello" then put it down as if he were hanging up.  He then repeated this many times.  It was so adorable and it really shows just how much he is watching us.  I think he answers the phone like that, because that is how we answer telemarketers calls-if we pick up.  Since Sunday, he has also held up other items to his ear and said, "Hello" when I answer our real phone.

He also has started to take his brush and put it next to his hair making a brushing motion.  He truly is an independent little guy who really wants to learn how to do things for himself. 

Jacob's 1 year checkup

Jacob went to his 1 year old checkup visit.  He is now 23 lbs 1 ounce and 31.75 inches tall.  His head circumference is 46.5 inches.  The doctor said that he is the 60% for weight and the 90% for height.  He has grown almost 2 inches in 3 months. She said that he grew normally over the past year from birth he gained 16 lbs and babies on the average gain 14-18 lbs in the first year.  But he grew slightly more in height over all for the year because most babies are only 30 inches tall at 1 year.  She said that on average kids gain only an additional 4-5 lbs from age 1 to 2 and grow about 5 inches during that time.  All of this info was really helpful for me, since I have been trying to figure out what size clothes he will need for the next few seasons and our cruise in December. 

I also asked her about when Jacob needs to be moved to a toddler bed.  I had read that once a child is 35 inches tall, you need to move him.  She said that she had never heard of a certain height being a factor in moving a child to a bed.  It just depends on when the child figures out how to climb out of the crib.  It usually happens around 2 years old but could be earlier or later.  Since Jacob is a tall child, naturally it is something on my mind.  I figure if he grows normally this year in about 6-9 months he may be 35 inches tall. It seems so crazy to think about him becoming a toddler instead of a baby.

We  unfortunately had  a rather miserable visit to the doctor.  Normally he just cries when he is given a shot.  But this time he cried for everything: including have his ears checked and weight. He even broke the paper measuring tape.  I felt so bad, I apologized to the doctor and said, "Hopefully he will be better at his 15 month checkup."  I love my doctor because she is so encouraging.  She said to me, "Honey, they are all like this.  Kids between age 1-2 have memorized that this place is not fun.  But you cannot play with them much or reason with them.  This next year is rough at the doctor's office, we just try to do what we have to as quickly as possible."

Happy Birthday Jacob!

Happy Birthday Jacob!  Today is the day of his actual birthday and we are reminded of what a wonderful blessing he is.  God has been so good to us!  Each day over the past year has been a new experience that is both challenging and rewarding.  We are so thankful for him.

As his birthday has drawn closer, I have been reminding myself of what we were doing the same time last year.  I started this a week ago by trying to remember my last week and even last day that I worked at the Hyatt.  I recalled  being  a crazy nesting  pregnant  woman.  I kept reminding Kelly, who was replacing me, of every detail I could remember.  And I began each detail with, "In case I am not here tomorrow..." 

I also recalled the trip to my doctor's office the day before Jacob was born that was due to the false labor I experience the night before.  I remember how disappointing it was to go through all that pain (for me)and sleeplessness (for the  both of  us) for nothing.  We were also very sad to hear that this would most likely continue for the next few weeks until Jacob was born.  Then to our surprise that same night, the real contractions began and my water broke.  It was very unlike the textbook way to have labor and we were skeptical that it was the real thing, but later that day Jacob arrived! 

I have found myself discussing the day Jacob was born with him today and over the past few days.  I am sure this will continue in future as my Mom has always told me about the day I was born every year of my life.  I never understood why she did this until now.  I am a proud Mama, just as she is.  Jacob's birth was one of the biggest events in my life as I am sure that my birth is to her!  Thanks Mom for always making me feel special.  I love you!

Jacob's 1st Birthday Photos

Here are some photos from Jacob's 1st Birthday that we had on Saturday at our home.

Zoo and Jumping on the Bed

Mark, Jacob and I went to the Detroit Zoo on Tuesday.  It was hot, but we still enjoyed ourselves.  Jacob is still more interested in the kids rather than the animals.  However when we had lunch at the Arctic Circle cafe on the outdoor patio, we saw a number of sea galls and peacocks, just wandering around. Jacob was very interested in them.  Every time I see  peacock walking around at the zoo, I think that it has escaped since it is such an odd site.  But that is what they do, I guess it adds some interest.   The other fun site was the red panda.  This is my brother's favorite animal at the Detroit Zoo.  We went to exhibit and he was no where to be found.  Then all of the sudden he came climbing down a tree, then walked to another tree and disappeared.  It was quite the red panda sighting! 

Yesterday, I went into Jacob's room after he woke up from a nap to find him standing up holding on to the side of the crib.  This is not new, but what was new was that he was jumping on his mattress and laughing.  This is particularly amusing because just this week I have been singing "Eight Little Monkeys."  It was as if he has been understanding me.  He is very smart, who knows how much he understands :)

July 4th

Jacob's first Independence Day was spent cleaning around the house for most of the day and then evening in the park. We had dinner at a park in Riverview with Grandma Nancy and Grandpa Phil. Afterwards Phil's friend William and his wife Michelle came because she was in a band that played there. Jacob enjoyed the big band music and we had him dancing to some Count Bassie tunes. William turns out to be a amateur photographer (by that I mean better than me) and he took some photos of us while watching the concert. Here's one picture of Jacob - I'm not sure what he's watching at the moment.

Jacob's First Haircut

Sunday night we celebrated Father's day with Karen's dad. He and Chris made great inside-out hamburgers and grilled corn-on-the-cob. Karen's brother Mark was also there. Of course Jacob showed off his great crawling skills.

After dinner, the big event for Jacob was his first hair cut. Chris has cut hair for her sons and grandsons and is experienced at dealing with wiggling little boys.

At first he was real uncertain about being in the chair with the sheet over him.

Jacob was fussy for most of the experience, especially when he got spray with the water bottle.

But he did settle down a little when we gave him his favorite measuring cups to play with.

Now he looks really great, and Karen's really hoping people stop mistaking him for a girl.

He looks like a little boy now, we're so greatful to Chris to do such a good job on his hair.

Updates...Crawling, Trip, Etc.

Well Heidi, Teri, Kim and I went on our girls only camping trip.  It was a great time of refreshing and bonding.  The weather was perfect not too hot, although I still managed to get a sunburn.  We got to PJ Hoffmaster State Park on Friday night just in time to set up camp.  We cooked smores that night, talked and then settled in.  The next morning we went to the Gillette Visitors Center to learn about Sand Dunes as there are quite a few within the park.  We then climbed up many stairs on a Dune Climb.  At the top it was a beautiful view of Lake Michigan. After that we hiked to the beach. 

In the afternoon we relaxed by having naps and going to the beach at the campground.  Which is just a gorgeous beach.  For dinner we had pizza, nachos, apple pies and banana boats.  Not exactly the healthiest for us, but it was so good!  The next morning we drove to nearby Grand Haven to do some shopping, walk around and have lunch.  I was home by 6:00 pm on Sunday.  The trip was wonderful and economical.  The Campground was so family friendly, safe and the facilities were clean.  I would highly recommend this park to anyone looking for a nice getaway.

I was a little sad to see that Jacob seemed a little mad at me when I came home.  I was really hoping for a happy smile and his "Heyyyyy."  The greeting he gives Daddy when he comes home from work.  But he did warm up to me soon after I came home.  We have had some great bonding time since then.  Also to my astonishment, Jacob is Crawling!  He started this on Saturday (a very stable forward crawl).  He is still refining his movements and speed, but he has the idea.  We are now finding our quickly what baby proofing still needs to be done in our house.  Right now books, magazines and DVDs are the first on the list to be addressed as he has found all of them.  We will be buying some latches and another baby gate soon.  He has also found our stairs. 

He is eating more foods with more textures now and some table foods.  He is a big fan of Oatmeal Creme Pies so when he sees me eat one, I give him a few small pieces-no creme just cookie.  He eyes everything we eat, even if he just ate!   

He went to the doctor 2 weeks ago and is doing great.  He weighed 22 lbs 4 ounces and was 30 inches long.  We also went to the Toledo Zoo with my Mom.  He really got into the zoo.  In particular the butterflies, the monkeys and the polar bear cubs.  He seemed to like the Toledo Zoo better than the Detroit Zoo.  I think because the animals are easier to see since they are closer.  We had a great time and planning to go back every month during the summer.

First Tooth

While we were in Traverse City for the weekend, we found that Jacob's first tooth is on the way. He always likes to bite fingers, and now there's a little cutting edge to his bite. It's very exciting, although I haven't actually seen the tooth yet. He keeps it under his tongue. I think Karen found a way to tilt his head back and have a peek.

Jacob's First YouTube Video

Watch with amazement as Jacob almost crawls, and then gives up to investigate some lint.

Some More New Things

Everyone is getting pretty excited with Jacobs new accomplishments.  He just started the "Wet Razz" sound on Sunday right after Sasha was here.  She was doing the sound and apparently taught him.  Good Job Sasha!  He also has been eating Gerber fruit puffs for some time and Cheerios just this past week.  On some occasions he can complete a successful self feed.  We have a little more work to do on that.

But he is making great strides toward crawling each day.  He is now officially creeping.  This has been going on for about 2 weeks.  He manages to move backward, spin around, and move a little foreword while dragging his legs and torso.  He rolls all over.  He is able to get to his "all fours" from the sitting position and back again.  But he is still working on crawling in the traditional way.  We still need to have more practice.  But it is so great to see these strides and he now loves his tummy.  The doctor said that he would when he started to move and she was right.  He is now very excited to practice every day with some frustration too.  We think that he will be officially crawling in the next month.  Everybody look out, here he comes!

Great Grandma's Memorial Service

This past weekend we took a trip over to Charlotte, MI and Vermontville,MI (both small towns near Lansing) for Tom's Grandmother Ewilda Dillenbeck's (Jacob's Great Grandmother) memorial service.  While it was a sober occasion, it was very much a celebration of her life and legacy.  All of the Dillenbeck relatives came together many who live out of state.  It was nice to see them all and catch up.  Many got a chance to meet Jacob for the first time.  Jacob was really good through all the activities, we couldn't have asked for a more well behaved baby.  Jacob got to spend some extra special time with his Aunt Laura.  They were backseat buddies on the drive over and back and roommates in our hotel room.

Jacob's New Things 7.5 months

• Jacob loves to make new noises.  He babbles expressions such as, "Mamamamamamama", "Abaabaabaabaaba", "Umumumumumum" and one of his most used "Ahah!" (He screams this one loudly and it is associated with things he likes kids, dogs, Daddy, and Mama to name a few.  Most likely meaning "come here or I like you.")
• Jacob loves to click his tongue and listen to you click yours in response.
• He flattens his lips and smacks them together.  We call this his fishy face.  We do the same and he thinks it is a riot.
  
• He loves to jump to the beat of the music on his Baby Einstein Jumperoo.
• He loves to smile at Daddy when he comes home from work.   
• Jacob loves being tossed around by Daddy.  The rougher and the more upside down the better. 
• Jacob loves to laugh
• He loves to play peek a boo.  He loves to laugh when you hide and reappear.  But he has even started hiding himself.  He will be sitting on the couch with me and Tom on the other side of the room.  Jacob will lower his head from Tom's sight.    While he is hiding, Tom will say "where is Jacob?"  He seems to respond to that, because at that moment he lifts his head and laughs.  Tom then says "There he is."  It is so adorable!!  Jacob doesn't just play with Tom, he plays with me too and even Bristow.  Unfortunately Bristow just looks at him strangely.  It doesn't last too long with him.  It just goes to show that Bristow is his brother and friend.