Adventures with a Poodle & Baby

Happy Birthday Jacob

Today is Jacob's 2-Year old Birthday. Happy Birthday Jacob. Your Mom and Dad love you and hope you have a fun party tomorrow.

JPOD becoming JPOW?

Since I can't seem to keep up with the Jacob Picture of the Day (JPOD) like I once did, I'm considering making it the Jacob Picture of the Week. Partly because now that he's approaching two years old, he's changes will be slower. We also find that he's not a part of regular life and it's almost awkward to take pictures of normal life just to capture the moment for the JPOD. Maybe there'll be at least one interesting thing per week - or maybe not and it will be normal situation pictures anyways. Well, that's the direction that I think we'll head as soon as his August 15th birthday arrives.

Things about Jacob

We have been enjoying the outside lately.  It was suggested to us, that Jacob may like sidewalk chalk and he sure does.  He has been drawing his pictures on our patio, mostly lines that he calls balls.  He has a great time and is so proud of his skills.  (He calls lines balls, because we draw balls and he is trying to do what we do. He does know the difference.)  We had some balloons left over from the open house.  He had a great time with them today. 

Jacob is really into Elmo.  We watch him almost every day on Sesame Street.  I am not sure what he loves about him, but it is not breakfast time unless Elmo is on.  We are thinking that his birthday party will have an Elmo theme this year.

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!

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 :)

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.

Bristow Update/Mother's Day

Bristow has been home since Wednesday afternoon.  He is beginning to return to his energetic normal self-barking at other dogs and moving around the house quickly.  He is wearing his cone collar (Not his favorite) and a diaper.  We are constantly cleaning to keep the house as fresh as possible, since he leaks urine and blood. He will receive a sponge bath today and hopefully then he will smell nicer.  The catheter is scheduled to be removed on Friday.  Then his sutures next week.  We hope and pray that he is healing well so we can stay on schedule.  Life is a bit crazy with a baby and dog in diapers. 

We had a very nice Mother's Day yesterday.  We went to church and I was surprised by Tom with a picture of Jacob and me on the big screen during a musical tribute to mothers.  Then we came home and Tom cooked chicken shish kabob on the grill with hummus and pita chips.  We ate outside and then went for a walk.  Jacob and Bristow gave me some Gerber Daisies and a gift card to by some flowers for our yard.  Later that night I went over to Grandma and Grandpa Williams house to visit with them and Dad and Chris' house.  The boys did not come because it had been a big day for all of them.  It was a really nice day!  Thanks Jacob, Bristow and Tom (Of Course).

Bristow's Surgery

Tonight was a night of surprises.  To first give some background, Bristow has been having many accidents in our basement over the past several months.  We thought that this was just his difficulty adjusting to his new schedule with me staying at home-Never knowing what days I am home all day and others that I will be gone for a bit.  We also thought that it could have been attributed to the changes in family dynamics with the addition of Jacob, basically a behavioral problem.  Up until about two weeks ago he would have an accident in the basement when we were gone or at night.  But two weeks ago, he started to have accidents in the basement  while we were at home.  This seemed odd and not following the pattern.  I began to ask my Mom about the issue (she works at the Vet).  She thought it sounded behavioral and gave us some directions on what to do next.  Then over the past two days, he moved his accidents from the basement to the main floor.  We knew something was wrong and needed to be done.  He was already scheduled for his yearly vaccs so we added a urine check to the list of things needing to be done. 

I was supposed to collect a urine sample from him, so yesterday I kept chasing after him.  It was quite a sight and he was not too pleased.  After all the work Tom and I did yesterday, we forgot his sample at home.  So the Vet assistants had to try to get a sample themselves.  God really does work in the smallest of things, because while they were trying to get the sample they discovered he had bladder stones.  Had we brought our sample, the problem may have been overlooked.

They took X-rays of him and determined that he needed surgery tonight.  At this point, it was not life or death; but given a little more time even a few days it would have been.  Dr. Oliver needed to do the surgery tonight because of his schedule also.  So we came into the Vet a little before 7:00 pm and he was beginning the operation by 8:00 pm.  They were just finishing by 10:30 pm.  The doctor said that it was the most difficult bladder stone removal operation he had ever done.  There were between 15-20 stones in his bladder and urethra.  They had to make two incisions to collect them all.  He did fine throughout the surgery and should be awakened by about 10:45 pm.  Doctor said that these had been collecting over the past few months and had to have caused him a lot of pain.  The funny thing is that he was acting normal as an be (except the accidents).  He must have a very high pain tolerance!

Bristow will be at the Vet tonight and tomorrow.  He may come home tomorrow night or stay for one more night.  He will be on an IV.  The good thing is that Grandma will be there to comfort him and say "Good Morning."  It is the best possible situation to have at the Vet.  We cannot thank Doctor Oliver, Mo, Sharon and My Mom enough for all that they did tonight for Bristow and us.  It was a surprise and very scary, but they and God saw us through this. We are thankful to have  caught it  early enough to  save our dear boy's life.  He will have a collar on his neck (shaped like a cone) for the next week and life we not be too easy for him.  Stay tuned for details and possibly pictures.  Thanks again Trenton Veterinary Hospital Staff.  We love you guys!

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.

Trip to the Park

This past weekend, we went on a picnic to the park down the street from our home.  We enjoyed Popeye's chicken at the picnic table while Jacob sat in his stroller and looked at the cars going by.  Then we went over to the swing set.  We put him in a baby swing and he loved it.  Swinging back and forth, Tom and I took turns pushing him.  We topped off our trip with Jacob's first trip down a slide (accompanied by Daddy of course.)  It was a great day!

6 months doctor visits

Jacob had his 6 month checkup on Friday.  He is now 21 lbs and 28.5 inches long.  His checkup went well and Dr. Boriboon said that he is the average size of a 9 month old.  His is in the 90th percentile for height and weight. 

We talked about his diet and the doctor said that now he should have 4 feedings of formula throughout the day 6-8 oz a piece, 1 juice snack in the afternoon and 3 meals a day combined with the bottles.  He also needs to have meat in his diet at dinner time.  So I have been reading my Super Baby Food book on how to make meat and juice.  I will start him on this diet by Wednesday this  week.  His newest foods that he has been eating are carrots, peas, mangoes, green beans, oatmeal and pears.  We are moving right along.  Upcoming foods waiting in the 3 day allergy testing que are beets, mashed potatoes, squash and prunes.  However, juice and meat are jumping to the front of the line. 

Jacob also gave Mama a surprise at the doctor's office.  Dr. Boriboon wanted to know if he has been rolling over and I told her "no" and explained his roll off of us onto the couch.  (Mentioned in a previous blog entry.)  She said a "roll off is not the same a roll over." So she took him and demonstrated to him and me what he needs to do to roll over from his back to his stomach (the more complicated roll) and then she left him on his stomach on the examining table.  The doctor and I continued to talk while he was on his tummy pushing up with his arms and then he rolled over! (tummy to back the easier roll but we will take it)  It was the perfect time for the doctor and I to see it.  What a relief, he can roll over!

We expect him to gain 1 more pound in the next month so at 7 months we will move him to the next car seat.  Jacob also just visited Dr. Shaft today for his last head adjustment.  Dr. Shaft said the treatment is finished and Jacob's head is round again.  Praise God!  My pediatrician was also pleased with the progress on his flat sided head.  Just in time for his head to become harder!

Updates

Jacob is feeling much better.  He is still is not 100% but somewhere close.  He is not as fussy, not rubbing his ears as much and sleeping.  When we went to the doctor last Friday, the doctor said he was doing well and not anemic.  He is now 19 lbs 5 ounces, 27 3/4 inches long and 43 3/4 in Head Circumference.

We are hopefully that Nate and Heidi's baby will be born today.  They were over our house last night along with Kim to have a fun night before the baby was born.  We also discussed her upcoming baby shower that the small group girls, Kim and I will be planning.  Everyone is very excited about the arrival of their little one!

4 month visit and solids

Jacob had his 4 month visit to the doctor last Tuesday before Christmas.  He now weighs 17 lbs 13 ounces. He also grew to be 26 3/4 inches long.  The doctor said that he is a tall and skinny baby.  I was surprised by that statement since I thought he was getting a little chunky.  She said "Not at all, those little rolls are called baby fat almost every baby has those.  The overweight babys look like round balls."

We talked a little more about solid foods also.  She gave me the go ahead to give him homemade baby food before 6 months-avocado, sweet potato and banana.  I have started this process and so far he likes avocado and sweet potato.  He has not had any allergic reactions so far.  We will try out banana next week.  Today's picture shows Jacob eating his avocado.  The only drawback is that he is no longer really excited to eat his rice cereal.  He prefers the other flavors.

He got a better report on his head flatness.  She is not too concerned until he is 6 months old regarding his head flatness.  We are continuing to work on laying him in different positions and keep him more upright or on his tummy.  We are also taking him to our friend Jeremy the chiropractor for him to work on molding his head back to a round shape.  It is working quite well, but we still have a ways to go.

Lastly, he received his next set of immunizations.  He cried and was really tired the rest of the day.  But he was not as clingy throughout the day as he was during his last set.  So I think he is getting a little more used to them.