Friday, March 25, 2011

March 25, 2011



I love this picture! Jacob's smile says SO many words.
When he smiles like this, I think he's communicating:
I love you
I'm SUPER excited to be with you
I am having so much fun!
Life is wonderful :)

Monday, March 21, 2011

Spring has Sprung!

   This is my favorite time of year...when you can open the windows and enjoy that smell that hasn't been around for months. There's just something about it that gives me energy, betters my mood, and overall just makes me happy :) 






    


    
    I'm also thrilled because it is Jacob's first Spring. He just beginning to experience everything for the first time. And we get to show him everything wonderful about it :) He is 9 1/2 months now and just started crawling last week. Today is was sunny and in the 70's with a nice breeze, so we went outside! Jacob was crawling in the grass and kept stopping to break some off and just stare at it. 


   






    We have also already been to the park a couple times this spring! Jacob's Grandma (my mom) got Jacob a pair of "Squeaky Shoes" for Christmas. When he walks in them the heels squeak; they're supposed to encourage walking. And they do! When he hears them squeaking while walking (with help) he smiles the while time :)

















Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Recap of February

Sometimes I have more words than photos to share. This will not be one of those times. I'd like to share a chunk of my favorite photographs from the month of February.

February was our second month living in our new (to us) house we are renting. It's started to feel more cozy, now that all boxes are out of sight...and unpacked :) I am happy Jacob has his own room now! When we lived in Carbondale, we called his room the "Nursif". Half nursery, half office. Even though he has his own room now, for some reason, most of his toys are stored in the corner of the living room.

I can't believe how much Jacob has changed since we moved in. We're having to baby proof EVERYTHING now. There's not a cabinet, drawer, or end table, that he can't get into. His new favorite thing is to pull himself up to standing and take things one by one off the end tables in the living room and drop them on the floor. Sometimes I'll wait in the hall until he's reaching for something and then come out and say, "Jacob!" He startles and laughs :)

When it was in the 70's a couple weeks ago, I took Jacob for a walk in the stroller. It was the first time he was outside for a while, since the fall. And he's changed so much since then...noticing everything, so much more alert... The way he was looking at cars going by, trees, houses, people walking, it was like he was seeing it for the first time. He was so excited, his little legs were wiggling the whole time :)

One of his new favorite things to do is pull himself up to standing & hang on to a dining 
room chair and walk while pushing it across the floor!

Sometimes I'll put his toys in it for him to find
...this time we put him in it :)
This is a cabinet in our kitchen Jacob is
allowed to play with.












Jacob is doing really well at pulling himself
up & standing, on everything!
(Including his dirty clothes hamper!)

Jacob has recently tried pancakes for the first time. 
He loves them!
Especially when I make them with applesauce :-)

He's starting to prefer self-feeding over baby food!
I can't get enough of that face!










                                               Somehow he found a role of tape & it became his new favorite toy for a day :-)








3 teeth on the bottom! He just got one on the top, too!


James' 25th birthday was February 27th. I threw him a surprise birthday party the evening before. He got home from work and walked into the dining room... Someone flipped the lights on and everyone shouted, "Surprise!" 

I made James a vanilla & carmel layered cake!

My sister Julie decorated the back of the envelope of a card from from my parents.
She drew "25 Cats for your 25th Birthday!"
Neither of them are cat lovers or anything... Julie was just being, Julie :-)
This is an envelope worth keeping :)

My sister's Sharon & Lisa, and good friend Holly

Me & Beverly (James' mom)

James was zooming Jacob around on his new toy when they went around the corner and Kita (the family dog) ran towards them to see what was going on & startled Jacob. I don't think we've ever seen him pout like that before!

This is usually how their relationship goes :)
Grandpa Cichon (my dad) helping Jacob walk.


























Grandpa & Jacob, waving :-)

Sharon at the table with the birthday lunch my Dad made for James.
Everything he cooks/grills is DELICIOUS!!

Aunt Lisa & Jacob :-)

Jacob's first day out in a while! A few seconds after I took this picture...
he scooted over to the mud next to him and touched it with one finger,
decided he liked how it felt, and started grabbing and 
squeezing it through his fingers!
I would have taken a photo, but I was afraid he was going to eat it next!

Playing with our front door for the first time :)


Watching cars go by...

Recently we had a nasty storm, complete with tornado warnings. 
So our lantern that we got as a wedding gift came in handy!
(hopefully we can go camping sometime & really use it!)

Daddy & Jacob hanging out :-)