Progress on Jacob's new room

I don't have pictures right now, due to battery issues with our camera (I have new ones charging right now), but two coats of paint have been applied to the walls of Jacob's new room. We have a few spots to touch up with brushes and the heat register hasn't been done yet, but it feels really good to have the biggest job behind us. All that is left now is to get new shades that actually go up and down, put the bed together, and find some sheets.

Christmas Tree part 2

As I hoped, once Jacob saw our tree with lights on it, he was much more excited. He really likes the "pretty lights" and the "twinkle star." He has proclaimed that it "smells good." I showed him how to turn the lights on and off, and he has taken that job for himself. We're working on not doing his job more than a few times a day. He also watched me put water in it once, and now he tells me several times a day that the tree is "thirsty."

We started to put ornaments on the tree today. It's about half done. Jacob got bored before I finished, and rather than let him destroy all the boxes, I decided that for one year I can do the decorating in two parts.

Jacob was in charge of putting candy canes on the tree. This was a good task until he realized that they are candy, and kept trying to open them.

Jacob decided to arrange the Nativity scene. This was also a good task at first. Then he figured out that the fake grass can be scraped off.

Showing his "Baby's First Christmas" shoes to the camera. I missed getting a picture of the best part. He was trying to put the shoes on his own feet.

More pictures later, after the tree is finished!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Or so I thought. I put away the few fall-themed decorations that I have, and pulled out my snowmen and other winter-themed decorations. We have snow outside that should actually stick around, and last weekend we finally bought our tree. Last night, we brought it inside after Jacob went to bed. I was excited to see what his reaction would be, because he loves seeing the decorated trees at all the stores. The keyword there is decorated.

His reaction? He pointed at it and started talking about trash, and the truck will come to take it away. I was confused at first, but then realized that he thought the tree was yard waste. He was a great help this summer and fall in the yard, helping Daddy pick up sticks and leaves. To him, we had brought yard waste into the house. Why would we do that?

Now we'll have to see how he reacts once we get some lights up. We're going to try to let him help decorate this year. He'll be in charge of hanging some candy canes on the tree. I know it's been awhile since I've put up new pictures, so I'll be sure to get some action shots of his handy work.

Gather 'round, and he will tell you a tale

In the last week or so, Jacob has become quite the little storyteller. Sometimes it makes sense, and sometimes it's a bunch of random sentences all strung together, but it's always entertaining. It started with him repeating a bunch of warnings we've given him when he's standing on something that he shouldn't. "Be careful...don't fall...you'll get hurt...then you cry." He will climb up somewhere just so he can say this. We figure at least he's hearing us and it's sinking in, even if he doesn't actually listen.

From there, he started narrating familiar routines. If I said we were getting ready to go to class, he would talk about going to the gym, and playing with cars, and washing hands, and having snack. He has told us the things he does to get ready for bedtime, or what he's going to do when he goes upstairs.

We got a dusting of snow on Saturday. Jacob was looking out the window, admiring the snow. He noted that it was on the grass and at the park. On Sunday, most of it had melted and he was asking where the snow went. He saw puddles outside and said something about how there was snow at the park but now it was all gone.

We're hoping he'll do some of his storytelling while we're visiting all the family this week. It's just so cute that we want everyone to hear it!

Back to His Roots

Jacob got a new haircut today. This is the shortest it's been since we've been getting it cut. It's easier to see this in person, but this new haircut looks very similar to his early days hairstyle. I like Spike 2.0.

We had pictures taken 2 weeks ago for our Christmas cards. If you were inside my pregnant brain, it would make perfect sense to you that I scheduled pictures before the haircut.

I like this one, as if he's showing us how pretty he is.

Now I Know My ABCs

I'm playing catch-up. I didn't realize that it's been almost a month since the last post.

The biggest news from the past month is that Jacob knows his letters! It started off with just a couple (O and Y), and then he added a few more. Suddenly, in what seemed to be overnight, he knew almost all of them. He has an alphabet puzzle that he really likes to use in showing off his new knowledge. He loves to tell us which letters to draw on his doodle toys (Aqua and Magna). When we go shopping, he reads the letters on the building. The one thing he doesn't know yet is the alphabet song, but I'm sure that will come someday. He still confuses some of the letters that look similar, but he's figuring them out quickly. For awhile, he would tilt his head and call a Z an N, but now he calls it a 2. I'm not sure if that's a step in the right direction, but it's pretty funny. We are very, very proud of his letter accomplishment.

Jacob had a very busy Halloween. He wore his costume several times, yet we had trouble getting a picture of him wearing it. Either he wouldn't wear the hat, or he wouldn't stand still. We attended 3 Halloween parties, plus took him trick-or-treating for the first time. He caught on very quickly that when he rang the doorbell, someone would come to give him candy. After a few stops, he started pointing out things he could see in people's houses--like stairs, a dog, or a TV. It was pretty cute. We only went to about 10 houses on our block, but he came home with a bucket full of treats.

Jacob at the MOMS Club Halloween party, not cheating at the bean bag toss game

Sitting with his friend, Scarlett the fairy princess

Oh, so that's what his costume is! He's Curious George!

Curious George with his bucket, ready to trick-or-treat

Jacob's first-ever trick-or-treat stop, the neighbors across the street

Counting his loot at the end of the night. He may have sampled some, too.

Apple Orchard

Nothing says Fall like a visit to the apple orchard. Especially when said visit takes place on a lovely Saturday morning in mid-October, when it is almost 70 degrees. We very much overdressed for this outing, but we had no idea it was going to feel so warm in the sun after all our nights of running the heat.

We were going to pick our own apples, but it was easier to just let Jacob wander the paths and then buy a bag of apples in the shop. He had a lot of fun picking apples off the ground, just like last year. The difference now is that he can throw them really far. There was also a big pile of hay to play on. We all brought home a little sampling of it in our clothes. Jacob's favorite part of the orchard was the maze. We spent quite awhile going around and around. In the middle were a bunch of animal statues, and he kept petting them. We realized that we need to get him to a farm sometime, because he kept calling the pig a "doggy."

We came home with a bag of Honeycrisp apples (my favorite), 2 slices of apple pie, and some strawberry preserves. Jacob and I were at the orchard earlier this summer helping to pick some strawberries, and it really made me want the preserves. I've only eaten half the jar in 4 days. Well, the baby and I have been eating them, so splitting it between 2 people isn't so bad, right?

This would have been a nice picture of Jacob and Mommy, but he decided to look away. Then he decided no more pictures.

Jacob pretending to eat an apple off the ground, just before throwing it.

Daddy needed to taste an apple off the ground too.


Daddy and Jacob in the maze

Sliding off the haystack, which was really fun and did not result in bringing home a bunch of hay in somebody's diaper

Fall is here!

The first part of September was nice and warm. Then it got cooler, and I realized it was time to dig out the warmer clothes I had set aside for Jacob. Then I realized that most of the pants were too big, so we raided the consignment shop. The third week had him back in shorts. Laundry has been interesting lately. His closet and dresser are bursting with a 2-season wardrobe, but I think the days of shorts and t-shirts are finally behind us and I will be able to put the summer clothes away.

Last night was the first night he wore his fleece PJs, and we also had to turn the heat on. At least it was October for most of the time that the heat was running, that makes us feel a little better.

Today Jacob and I went to a park in Lakeville called Ritter Farm Park with some friends. We've never been there before, and it was a great place. There are lots of trails to walk on, ponds to look at, and an apple orchard. While we were walking, we saw a deer running off into the trees. Jacob thought that was pretty cool. I think we'll be back there again soon. No bugs + fall colors = a good time.

He likes to say "cheese," but never looks at the camera. Notice the winter coat and hat, which are always fun to pull out on the first day of October. It was sunny, but not quite 50 degrees when we were at the park. In March, we would be wearing t-shirts!

I call this one "Kid who thinks he's big stuff standing on a rock"

Running up a hill, actually coming to me when I called him!

Running again, and no--he didn't end up in the water!

Taking a stroll with his friend Scarlett. She kept trying to hold his arm, but he wouldn't let her. We need to work on his gentleman skills.

Jacob's 2 year check up

Jacob is still growing and growing! He had a great check up at the doctor last week. He got to stand on the big boy scale for the first time, instead of sitting on the baby scale. It said he weighs 30 lbs. clothed. He measured 36 inches tall, which is still on the tall side for his age. He did a lot of talking at the doctor's office, and she was impressed with both his motor and verbal skills.

Because his growth is going so well, he doesn't need to drink whole milk anymore. That feels like a milestone. He is becoming slightly less picky with food, but he still has his favorites. One thing that's nice is he's been more interested in eating what we're eating. Last week he ate almost an entire pancake one night for dinner, and then ate another one for breakfast the next morning. Last night he ate several noodles off of Daddy's plate, and we were pretty surprised. Let's hope this continues!

All of his 2-year molars are in. They started poking through in June, and the last one came in a few weeks ago. So now we are finished with teeth until they start falling out. Yay!

Jacob's Announcement
Most people already know this, but Jacob is excited so you can act surprised. He's going to be a big brother! His baby brother or sister will arrive in late February.

In the meantime, I've started a webpage for our family where I will post updates on the pregnancy and all that fun stuff. The link is at the top left of this page. I won't have a lot to update for awhile, but feel free to check it once in awhile for pictures or any news we might have.

Birthday Pictures

I don't have very many pictures from the party, but I'm sure I can get more from Jacob's grandparents. His party was a lot of fun, and he had a great time. It was a Wiggles party, because he has a bit of an obsession with The Wiggles (though it seems he might be shifting to Curious George these days).

In early August, Jacob got an early birthday present from Mommy and Daddy: tickets to The Wiggles concert in Minneapolis. It was a good time with good music. Jacob loved it, even if it was a little long for him to pay attention.

On his birthday, he played outside and then we had pizza for dinner. That's his favorite these days. He opened a couple more presents, some puzzles and a workbench. Daddy helped put it together.

Finally, it was time for his party. Jacob had a lot of guests to entertain. He tried to make his rounds, but he had the most fun playing with his cousins. He opened presents, ate lunch, had cake and ice cream, and played with some new toys. It was a busy day, but all in all a great (month long) birthday!

Happy 2nd Birthday!

Jacob says:

I'M TWO!

More details later, but I wanted to get this picture up on his actual birthday.

The Much-Talked-About Picture Post

Finally, finally, here are more pictures. I also posted a new video of Jacob dancing at his uncle's wedding. It was dark, so the video is also pretty dark, but you can make out his moves. I should also explain that the video was taken shortly after he ate cake and a bunch of M & M's.

OK, now for pictures:

Sitting with Daddy

Playing a game with Uncle Chris and Daddy

Swimming with his cousins

The kids checking out the beer cooler

Playing at the park on Father's Day

Helping Daddy put on his sunglasses

Jacob won the slide race!

Tired, but a good sport at dinner for Father's Day

Playing in the sand at the MN Zoo

Riding a tractor at the zoo

Trying on Daddy's shorts

Yogurt goatee

Helping Daddy sweep the driveway

Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes

Jacob is a body part-naming expert. I'm not sure when he learned them all, but he was obviously absorbing all the parts when we pointed them out. It seems like one day he only knew "eye," and then suddenly he knew them all.

He enjoys being "quizzed" on body parts. He smiles as he points to each one, and you can tell he feels very smart. Here are the ones he knows:

• head/hair
• ear
• eye
• nose
• cheek
• mouth (points to his lips)
• teeth (opens his mouth to point)
• tummy/belly button
• arm
• hand
• fingers
• knee
• foot
• toes

Jacob talks all the time now, as many of you know. He repeats things all the time, especially the particular way you say something. He loves to "make fun" of Mommy. He requests to watch Elmo or Wiggles several times a day (but only gets to watch sometimes), and has learned to say "please" and "thank you." He doesn't always use them correctly, but he's getting the idea!

Jacob started his summer ECFE class today. He walked in there like he owned the place and made himself right at home. It was like we hadn't taken 7 weeks off. I can see that he's changed a bit. He focuses a little bit more on one thing at a time than he did before. He went down the slide several times at the gym instead of only going once. He spent a lot of time cooking in the play kitchen, and at snack time he knew that he needed to go wash his hands first. He sat nicely in his chair and ate his crackers one bite at a time (who can believe that?). I'm going to be really happy to have class for the next month. It will give us something really fun to do once a week.

I have new pictures to put up, but as usual naptime is almost over and I don't want to be in the middle of loading pictures when he wakes up. I'll add them tonight.

My new favorite picture

This is my new favorite picture of Jacob. It's been really hard to catch him still enough for a picture, let alone get him looking at the camera AND smiling.

His naptime is almost over, but I will try to update soon with all the exciting new words and phrases he is saying. And I haven't forgotten about the video I said I was going to work on!

Busy Days

We have had a very busy couple of weeks. On Mother's Day, we participated in the Race for the Cure. It was our second year of doing the 5K walk, so Jacob has done it every year of his life. How about that? It was very windy, but not too chilly. After the walk, we went inside the Mall of America to let Jacob run around for a bit and to eat lunch.
Later that week, Jacob went to the amusement park at the MOA with his grandpa & grandma Schoenbauer and his cousins Abby and Libby (and Aunt Kati). He loved the rides. There was a roller coaster, a train, a car that whips you around in a loop (his favorite), a merry-go-round, and a few others.
He doesn't understand that rides are timed, so he got upset every time our turn was over. We will have to take him back there someday, because he had a lot of fun.
Last Friday, Jacob got his first skinned knee. Who would believe that it took this long to finally draw blood? I guess it was fortunate for him that he's been wearing pants all winter, when he would have done the most damage. Of course, the first time he wore shorts this year, he fell and got a good "owie." He was upset for awhile, but after it was cleaned up and he got a bandaid, he was OK. He thought it was a sticker. (See his right leg in this picture for his bandaid.) A week later, it still has a long way to go before it heals, but we expect a full recovery. Jacob knows that he has an "owie" on his knee, but he also calls it "cookie" and pretends to eat it. What a weirdo.

Last weekend, we went to Rochester. Jacob saw Grandpa & Grandma Boyum, Aunt Jena & Uncle Ty, the dogs Claire and Gracie, and Great-Grandpa & Grandma Kuehn. I have to get some pictures from Grandma B., because my camera wasn't working. Jacob went to a really big and fun playground in Rochester. He could run forever, and he almost did. It was nice that his great-grandparents got to spend some time with him, even though he was running around most of the time.

Jacob just woke up from a nap, so that's all the updating I can do for now. I am going to try to work on getting some new video clips on here. He's been very entertaining lately.