Bluebonnets 2010

Well, it's that time of year again...Bluebonnet pictures!! I love seeing these beautiful wildflowers, the State Flower of Texas, blooming all over the sides of the roads and in parks around here. There is a relatively new park in the Woodlands, called Creekside Park, that planted Bluebonnets when it was being developed. I think it was a great idea and it has made for a wonderful place to take pictures of the kiddos without worrying about being hit on the side of a freeway! After you're done with acting as Mommy Paparazzi you can enjoy a picnic and let your little ones play on the playground or run around in the open grassy field. I'm a big fan of this park :)

So, today I took Taylor and Jacob to the park and we had a really great time. The weather was wonderful. Slightly overcast most of the day. (Which would have been great for pictures with no shadows but it was pretty sunny during the 20 minutes we were in the flowers so it didn't help me much.) We did have to watch for bees but they really only wanted the flowers, not us. I fished about 4 flowers out of Jacob's mouth throughout our session, hoping that they weren't poisonous. Afterwards, we ate and then played. The kids were in a really good mood the whole time! Usually we go with a big group of our friends to take these pictures but today it was just the three of us. And while I love the social aspect of an outing with friends, I must say that it was a very relaxed, enjoyable time that I was blessed to have with my kiddos.

Here are some pictures from today along with a few from previous years.

A new dress for Taylor

Here's the dress I made for Taylor this week. I had a fun afternoon sewing with friends, Nikki and Jess, last Thursday, and finished most of it in that one sitting. I had to make a few adjustments and line it (and make a matching headband!) once I got home. Of course, Taylor really wants nothing to do with it since she would prefer to wear her pjs all day long!! I have informed her she will be wearing this to church tomorrow and she seemed okay with that.

Boo Bear is 7 months!

Yes, we call him Boo Bear. No, he will probably never live this down. But Jacob is 7 months old now and having lots of fun!
He is now sitting unassisted for long periods of time and managing to roll over when he does fall. He has become a bit attached to Mommy and doesn't always want to be set down or for her to leave the room. He is doing pretty well with sleeping. We put him down at around 7pm now and usually don't hear from him until about 5am. Hopefully that will eventually turn into 7 or 8 am but for now its okay. He almost always just eats and then goes right back to sleep for another couple of hours. This growing boy is just hungry! At his 6 month checkup he was 17 lbs 10 oz so we're guessing he's a little more than that now. He is in the 75% for height and 50% for weight now. Jacob is really good at pushing himself up with his arms when he's on his belly but so far no crawling. He does manage to scoot around his crib quite a bit though and this has led to some waking up at night to get him "unstuck" from the end of the bed. He is such a good natured baby. Always smiling, laughing and loving to cuddle. He can sit and watch Taylor, the cat, and the dogs for a long time. They all do such interesting things I guess!
Mommy and Daddy are going on vacation soon without the kiddos so please pray that everything goes well and that they are good little kids for their Mimi!  We will miss them sooo much but we definitely need some R&R.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Something to smile about...

I wanted to post this to have to look back on.  Both of my kids love their crocheted blankets that Jessica made them. Even more than the ones that I made them! But Jacob REALLY loves his. It has gotten to the point that when I lay him down in his crib and his blanket is at the end of his bed, he is trying to reach for it. Then, when I pick it up to cover him up with it, he starts laughing. Then, once he has it in his hands, he buries his face in it, snuggles down, and goes right to sleep. With all the trouble I had trying to get Taylor to take naps, I am so thankful that Jacob is a good sleeper. And it just makes me smile to see how much pure joy he gets out of that little blanket.

6 months!

Jacob had his half birthday last Friday. I can't believe he's already 6 months!! It's all gone by way too fast.

He's had two doctor appointments this week. On Monday he saw the cardiologist. (He had to see him before we left the hospital in July. There is a valve that closes soon after birth they were mildly concerned with because it hadn't closed yet.) We got great news that the hole had closed and the flap (?) was almost closed. We didn't realize there were two things they were concerned about until we talked with Dr. Reddy but he assured us that there was nothing to be worried over and that he did not need to see him again. Great news!

The second appointment was Wednesday for his 6 month check up and shots. Dr. Flanagan said everything looked great. He's in the 75% for length and 50% for weight and head size. He's dropped % for weight so it looks like he's leaning out and going to be really tall. I wonder where he's getting that height from?? haha (for those of you who don't know - his dad is 6' 3") He did have to get two shots and a vaccine drink at this appointment. He turns beet red when they give him shots and then just lets out this loud cry. It really only lasted less than a minute though and he was over it. He's a tough guy :)

So, at 6 months, Jacob is rolling from his tummy to his back (and only once so far from his back to tummy), sitting for a little bit before falling over, reaching and grabbing toys and everything else he can get his paws on, and laughing like crazy. I love his big smile and his laugh. Jacob is such a cuddle bear and he smiles so big whenever you hug him tight and love on him. He's such a happy baby and is really a joy to take care of! I feel so blessed to have him and Taylor.

Speaking of Taylor, she is still the best big sister to Jacob. She tries so hard to find toys for him, gets him his paci, will come find me if he's crying, etc. She loves him so much and you can really tell. I was talking to her the other day about taking her to a movie for the first time and she was visibly upset that Jacob wouldn't be able to go with us. She just couldn't understand why he wouldn't go too. Such a sweet girl!

Testing a picture

Taylor in Grapeland...1.1.10