Daily Adventures

It seems like everyday Jacob is doing some new fun thing.  I try my best to remember and capture the memories.  I try to write in my journal that I have on my phone at the very least just a line or two about that day.  Although I am a few days behind at the moment.  But for the times I miss I usually have a picture or two that would remind me of the wonderful moments that have occurred.  Here are a few of my favorite pictures that I took with my phone over the last few weeks. 

Jacob loves water fountains and sprinklers.  He had so much fun playing in these at an outdoor mall. 

I love this picture and how it reminds me of how much Jacob likes to explore and do new things.

Visiting the horses that are nearby our home.

Spending time with his cousins

 Ok, this picture wasn't taken on my phone, but it is one of my new favorites.  I am usually the one taking the pictures and I want to be in more pictures.  So I am trying to remember to do this and even set the self timer so I can have pictures with Jacob.  Jacob loves books with any kind of truck, car, or train.  I love when he grabs a book and then backs up to sit down in my lap :D

Jacob isn't really attached to any specific toy, but he does like to give some of his stuffed animals a hug, pretend to feed them, or give them a high five.  This sock monkey I made for him happened to be in the car while we ran errands and towards the end of the day Jacob was tired and enjoyed holding him.  

Cousin Time

A few weeks ago we were able to visit with my sister and her family.  All of the kids are close in age so it was fun to see them interact with each other.  It also gave me a glimpse of how it would be to have 2 kids.  It would be a lot of work, but also a lot of fun.  Here are a few pictures of our time with them.

 We went on a pretty hike in the mountains.  Here we are eating our PB & J sandwiches.

The whole crew

Rub a tub tub three cousins in the tub

This picture makes me laugh.  There was a big squishy plastic spider outside and Rob would touch it, throw it up in the air, and then start hopping around pretending it had bit him.  Jacob would laugh his head off each time and then started imitating Rob.  It was pretty entertaining to watch.

Unbirthday party with brownies in the shape of cars, trains, and planes.  

Jacob found a new love--doughnuts.  He was all over them and probably would've eaten the whole box if we had let him.

Strawberry picking.  This was another dream come true for Jacob.  Whenever we are grocery shopping he spots the strawberries.  I grab a box and have to feed him them until I can hide them from him and hopes he forgets them.  Usually that means finding another snack in my bag for him.  At the strawberry patch he was in heaven being surrounded by strawberries just waiting for him to pick them.  The problem was, he would just toss them in his mouth and swallow them as fast as he could (stem and all).  It was pretty funny, but we had to get him out of the patch before he got too sick from gobbling down too many.

Jacob loved playing with his cousins toys.  He loves cars and steering wheels.  I would run around the yard while he would turn the wheel.  In the picture below you can see how happy he was to be driving around.  

Mothers

As Mother’s Day approaches I am once again reminded of the love and gratitude I feel for Jacob’s birth parents.  Without them, their love for Jacob, and desire to place him with us I would not be celebrating Mother’s Day with as much joy and enthusiasm as I currently do.   Jacob is so lucky to have the birth mother and birth father that he does.  I am sure Jacob’s birth mother will be thinking about him on Mother’s Day.  And we are thinking about her too on this special day.  I like this quote about the bond and connection between birth mothers and adoptive parents.  “He is mine in a way that he will never be hers, yet he is hers in a way that he will never be mine, and so together, we are motherhood.” ~Desha Wood

I love being a mom.  Being a parent and having a family to love and care for is one of the most fulfilling things I have ever been able to do.  Is it challenging and difficult as times?  Yes.  But is it worth it and wonderful?  YES!   I feel so blessed to be able to be a mom and am grateful for the love and sacrifice Jacob’s birth parents made for him so he could be with us.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of those who currently bless the lives of their own or others’ children and to all those who desire to someday have children call them “mom”. 

Window into our world

From our adoption profile and with updates on this blog, Rob and I try to give people a chance to see the type of people we are and what our home and life is like.

I try to cherish each day I have with my family.  Life with a little one at home is a lot of fun and a lot of work.  Taking pictures and recording the little moments helps me keep difficult and challenging moments of the day in perspective with the funny and rewarding ones.  I love being a mom and grateful to have the opportunity and responsibility of raising and having Jacob as my son.  I love Jacob so much, and can't imagine my life without him.  I know I will feel the same way when another child joins our family, and the thought of that gets me really excited.

Here are a few of the latest pictures took of Jacob and our fun times together. 

Rainy day fun.  I made a fort for Jacob, (It fell down before I got decent pictures.  And then he kept grabbing and stepping on the sheets, so I couldn't rebuild it.  So instead I made a little hammock for him.  It was so funny how he just enjoyed sitting in it for a good part of the day. 

Rob made a much sturdier fort for Jacob out of couch cushions.  As you can see, they had fun playing in it.

Jacob loves trucks.  It is fun to see him peer out the window as they drive by the house or when we're in the car.  He especially likes the trash truck.  It comes by our house in the mornings, and if he hears it when he is eating his breakfast he doesn't want to eat because he wants to go see it.  So, I often end up taking him outside so he can watch the trash truck and eat at the same time.  It's fun.  

Last week we took Jacob to play in some water fountains.  He loved them.  The funniest part was seeing him run to and from the fountains as they would suddenly disappear and reappear in a different location. 

April Fool's Day

Yesterday was a fun day.  It was April Fool's.  Rob likes to think he never gets tricked, and when he does, he then plays it off and acts as though he wasn't tricked.  But I was determined to trick him.  I saw a few harmless but funny ideas on the internet.   They worked out well.  I put clear nail polish on the bar of soap so it wouldn't lather up while Rob showered.  It was pretty funny, he was trying to scrape it off and then was concerned that he had just smeared nail polish all over himself, (which he hadn't). 

The other trick I had prepared was some fake poop made from toilet paper rolls.  This trick would be from Jacob.  A few hours later I changed Jacob's diaper, and one thing to know about Jacob is, he does not like stopping whatever he's doing to get changed.  He fights laying down, and so occasionally he will escape.  So, as I changed him, I let him escape and run towards Rob, (who was nearby on the couch).  As he did I threw the fake poop on the ground.  I then did my best to look and sound horrified that Jacob had pooped on the carpet.  Rob looked at it, agreed it was gross, and then while I picked it up he ran off to catch Jacob who was running bare bottomed down the hall.  I could hardly keep from laughing out loud as I heard Rob telling Jacob not to poop on the carpet.  Rob brought him back and then I told him April Fool's!  Ha ha. 

All day, I kept on my toes for a trick Rob might play.  And right before I got into bed and while brushing my teeth, I thought, he will probably put something in my bed, or in my pillow.  But a minute later, I totally forgot and when I got in bed I felt something in my pillow.  It was a scrap of paper that had been on my night stand.  Rob was so proud of himself for "getting me".  Congratulations Rob. 

Holiday Recap

I am not the best blogger in the world.  Not by a long shot.  It is hard to be even a mediocre blogger with all the other things I am doing throughout the day.  From playing with and caring for Jacob, to cooking, eating, cleaning, the time I think I had carved away for blogging always disappears.  But that just means I am busy having fun and living life.

We had a fun Thanksgiving.  We spent it with family that lives near us in TX.  It is fun to have kids around the same age.  It is also nice to have a little preview of what Jacob will be up to since his cousins are a little older than he is.

We spent Christmas in CA.  Jacob received so much love and attention from the many family we saw in CA.  Visiting with great grandparents, grand parents, as well as aunts, uncles, and cousins made for a lot of fun memories.

Here are a few photos of the fun times we had 

 Shooting hoops

 A little off schedule from flying and the time change, Jacob fell asleep while swinging

 Playing with one of his cousins.  Kitchen gear is always fun to play with

 Jacob loves his uncle.

 Playing with the ribbon and wrapping paper.  

I think I will wrap up a few boxes for hours of fun.

Heading to the beach.

 Soccerball, sand, and his dad to play with makes for a great day.

 Jacob had fun rolling the soccer ball up the life guard tower ramp

Grandparents are the best.                           Cookie decorator contest winners.  

  Spending time with family is always fun. 

Slipping and Sliding

I took Jacob to the park today and he had a great time sliding down the big slide.  It was the first time he did it on his own.  The first time he did it, we were both surprised  He slid down so quickly--but he loved it.  After that, he went down the slide at least 20 more times.

I love being a mom and spending time with Jacob.  I am excited that our adoption profile is now up and running.  I hope to be able to take another little one to the park soon as well.