A summer's worth of pictures.

I realize it has been just shy of three (or maybe closer to four-I am not really sure) months since I have been on here. That is how long my life has been in a sort of medical limbo. For a few weeks I wasn't sure how scared I needed to be, but now have been reassured by the docs that my condition is not life threatening. It is just changing my quality of life for now. As I have been experimenting with different medications trying to find the correct dose/doses to get everything back on track it has been hard for me to find the motivation to get up and write anything. The last three months have been recorded only sporadically with pictures. I cannot tell you enough how sad that makes me. I have had days where getting out of bed to care for my monkeys was the only feat I could manage that day. The last two days however, I have been feeling a little better and now that most of the housework has been done I am making time to finally post about the kids. Again, sorry for those of you who come here regularly and have found nothing new for 3 months. My life and mind have been other places. None the less, I am here now and ready to fill you in on all the happenings we have had, and there have been plenty.

Jake has most definitely furthered his independent personality over the last three months. He knows what he wants and really will stop at nothing to get it. He throws a fit if there is any barrier put in the way of him and the prize he has his eye on, which is usually dog food. Yes, we have come around the corner to a very quiet baby gumming down some kibble a few times. Thus a baby gate has been put up blocking off the kitchen. Oh! Let me back up. I forgot to tell you that our little preemie, Jacob, can now crawl. He crawls fast. He is also pulling himself up on things or just randomly standing up. He has just started letting go of the couch and attempting, but not completing a step. He has a whole bag of tricks he pulls out for us everyday. He can also pull his diaper off and likes to do it around the corner of the couch so he can hide for a bit before it is discovered he is bare bunned. He fights you the entire time you are in diaper change mode. Once the old one is off he is twisting and turning and bucking in all directions to try to break free of you before the new diaper is put on. He is happy all the time. As long as his belly is full and there are toys to play with there is a smile on his face. He loves the water. All forms. He screeches and laughs whenever a dog pays any sort of attention to him. He draws the attention of everyone in public. Sometimes for screaming, he likes to scream really loud for no reason. But other times it must just be his happy face that draws them in.

Alexis. Oh, Alexis. This summer I have come to believe that the very existence of the Earth depends on the noise that she makes. If she stopped making noise for one split second we would fall out of rotation and perish. She sings and dances all day, usually not paying attention to her surroundings, knocking things down-including her brother. She loves her brother by the way. They play peek-a-boo, hide and seek, and more recently tag. She gasps at every move he makes scared that he is going to get hurt. She sings to him and forces him to snuggle with her. She is a typical 5 year old in that when you give her one thing she is already asking for another. She has enough questions to get her through the 24 hour period. She wants to be a princess, and actor, a doctor, an artist, and a zoo keeper. She accessorizes every out fit she puts on, getting compliments everywhere we go. She loves lip stick. She loves going to the baseball games and mostly she loves Otto, the teams mascot. She loves to talk on the phone with anyone, call her and find out. She is all about play dates with her friends. She starts school on August 27th and she could not be more excited. Every day she asks, "How many more days before I start school?" I am going to be sad that she is knocking down another mile stone, but I think the quiet time might be nice. As always, though she is noisy and busy she is beautiful and every day I am thankful that she is here.

The pictures attached are in no particular order. They are just a collage of photos that we have taken over the summer. Again I am sorry that it is not more organized, but it is a miracle that I had enough time to get this done before one of the kids needed something! Take care :)

Alexis loves Otto, the Indians Mascot

Grandpa thinks Jake is too cold

Not diggin' the hat

Yay for the Indians Game!

Alexis showing off her batting skills

Daddy and the kiddos

New Indians hat

Alexis and G'ma walking the bases for the cure

This looks bad, but it was all staged

Our little red head

Snuggles

Alexis' first train ride

Lex driving the train near Canada

This is what the red eye light on the camera does to Jake

MMMM... Chocolate Pudding

America's next top model

The gate

Dancing Queen

Where you can usually find Jake

Trying to stand up

Getting into things as usual

Strike a pose

Smile

"He was trying to get into my room"

Best Buds

Shiny New Bike

During the three day weekend my parents came to pick Alexis up to spend a couple nights with them. While she was gone Gene and I shopped around and found a great deal on a bike she had been asking for since her birthday. We put it together and hid it in the garage. On the two hour drive home from picking her up we hyped her up for this great surprise we had for her. We told her it was going to be one of the best things that ever happened to her. Being the drama queen that she is, she totally played to our hand getting over excited. When we got home we told her the surprise was in the cupboard. The surprise we told her were a new box of fruit snacks!! A little let down she mustered up a smile and said, "Thanks guys."

Great surprise

When she had finished her pack of fruit snacks Gene asked her to help him put away some tools in the garage. She went out dancing the whole way, just because that is how she rolls


When the garage door opened up her shiny pink and purple bike was sitting there and her face lit up like Christmas all over again!

Sorry for the blurry pics. Not sure what is going on with the camera...or the operator!

Family BBQ

This weekend we used the holiday to get the family together, something we have not been able to do for a few months due to my sister being cast in the spring theater production at EWU. The show closed last week and has given her some free time. We all met up at my parents house to enjoy the green scenery, a BBQ, a birthday cake, and good company.

Mom taking charge, as usual, manning the grill

Aunt Sarah with her "new" hair.

My grandma with Jacob and Alexis

Part of the view off my parents back deck

You would think that something funny just happened, but no, this is how my dad always looks while holding Jake. Truth.

You would think that Sarah just did something to make Jake angry, but no, this is how he always looks when she tries to talk to him. Truth. Again.

Grandma and Jake didn't know I was sneaking around with the camera

Aunt Sarah's "real" hair length...and Eric (it was his birthday)

Alexis customizing some wrapping paper

Dad and Alexis playing some ball

He is 7 months. She is at least 15 years

Toes in the nose

Hello all! I always hope that I can come to this blog and write about something that will grab your attention and be entertaining. Unfortunately, for you, today I have a cold and am not much in the mood for attention grabbing. However, you are in luck because the sky decided that it was our turn to have some sun which puts Alexis out side. While Jake is napping I thought it best to make good use of my time and update the goings on here in the last month.

Toes in the mouth

Jacob still amazes us daily. He has discovered flexibility and his toes, not being able to enjoy one with out the other. He is a fan of tummy time and using his big head to steer him in his 360 rolls. A couple weeks into his seventh month and his personality is taking shape a little more each day. As always he loves to eat. He will try anything. Fruit, veggies, fingers, toys, his toes, keys, anything and everything that he can get his hands on. When he decides he is hungry he goes into hysterics that would give an outsider suspicions that we might be starving him. He doesn't just cry, he wails and arches his body as if he was in pain. Once the spoon or bottle hits his lips all is right and he can go on exploring while being fed. Yeah, you read that right. There is much too much to discover to stop for eating. This makes feeding him a game that requires great skill in hand eye coordination, something I do not have. He moves and lurches and lunges toward anything in his sight whether it is within his grasp or not. Once the food or formula is gone we have to quickly put away the bowl or bottle he was eating out of, if it is left to sit any more than ten minutes after the meal he will scream again demanding more to eat. He is not under fed, in fact I have been told that he eats more than an adequate amount of food, I suppose he just likes to eat.

He has begun to gibber jabber. Pretty much non stop. His favorite sounds right now are the da's, often sounding like dada. Or dadadadada. Either way, Gene swears that he is calling him.

He is still growing both taller and wider. I have taken advantage of the warm weather and cleaned out his drawers and stocked them with clothes we have been storing in the garage. He pretty much skipped past 3-6 month clothes and is now in 6-9 month and some 9-12! So much for the little preemie baby that didn't fit into anything.

Breakfast was not filling enough, he needed the bowl too!

Alexis. Oh, Alexis. I know that a few months ago I told you all that she turned five. But, I am pretty sure that I left out a digit. I am almost certain that I meant to say 15. She is mouthy, and whines and cries if she doesn't get her own way, which is most of the time. She is so independent that it is frustrating at times. She knows what she wants, how she wants it, and when you should be giving it to her. If it doesn't go in that order all hell breaks loose.

She takes a bone in the backyard and makes Blue follow her around before she gives it to him. She thinks it's the funniest thing in the world!

She has a love for all things centered around here. She talks. Non-stop. About anything and nothing. She talks to the point of utter insanity. I am sure she gets that from Gene. She is intelligent. She loves her brother more than anything. She is energetic and out going. She is scared of ALL bugs and goes into a screaming crying fit that only a five year old girl can produce when one comes any where close to her. She is creative. She is careful. She is beautiful.

1/2

I have never felt like time had gotten away from me more than I have felt this month. I had a good reality "smack" in the face while sitting in the pediatrician's office on the the tenth. I had to choke back an emotional moment when I had to say out loud, "We are here for Jacob's six month check". Are you kidding me? Six months already? Ugh. Where has all the time gone? When did my little booger become six months old? What happened to that under weight preemie I brought home from the hospital? What happened to that little baby boy I was struggling to feed? How did I get this boy that everyone in the Doc's office calls a Barracuda?

I think the fact that this is our last baby has a lot to do with the fact that that it feels like it went so fast. Or, maybe it is because unlike Alexis he has been a very calm and for the most part GREAT baby. Maybe it is because I am a little more laxed in my parenting than I was with Alexis. What ever it is, it sure has caused these past six months to fly by.

The office visit always starts with a strip down to the birthday suit for a weight check and length measurement. This doesn't ever pose a problem as the little monkey much prefers to be in the nude. The table length mirror also helps to increase his mood, as it gives him another little person to yell at. On this visit the moment he hit the scale is when things started to get fun.

The nurse sort of giggled under her breath, but didn't really go into much detail other than telling me that his weight was up to 14 lbs 3 ozs. Considering the way he came into this world with his low weight, any time there is a jump in numbers I am thrilled.

Next, comes the questions about his sleeping and feeding schedule/habits. To which I answer for ever two to three hours he is asleep he is up for about two to three. His feeding is a six ounce bottle every two to three hours with two feedings or rice or oatmeal mixed with a fruit or veggie. Another laugh, this time with an " He really enjoys his food, doesn't he". Don't get the wrong idea. This nurse is in no way being rude, she is just as thrilled as I am when I hear about the weight gain. The people at this office have been through the worst with Jake and I and are just as excited to see him healthy.

Then the doc comes in and reviews the chart. She reviews his past visit from his four month check and then goes back to today's page to look at the new measurements...some under the breath counting...a huge smile, some reading on the feeding habbits...and...a HYSTERICAL laugh. I mean Dr. Kim practically had tears coming out of her eyes. "Oh my gosh, this little Barracuda has gained a ton of weight. Look how much he eats! What a chubs! He looks amazing" ( I am telling you they are almost more happy than I am to get a good bill of health out of this man) Obviously Jake is no chub according to most baby measurements, but for as far as he has come he has surpassed all expectations on the growth front.

We left the docs office with a new appointment for his nine month check and big smiles on our faces.

In the past six months Jake has formed quite the personality. Here are a few things that I have learned so far:

He loves to take a bath, always has. BUT he does not like to have his hands or his face wiped after a meal. He likes to be naked. If he knows you are taking his clothes off he is happy to be pulled and pushed into ten different directions. However, if you are dressing him he will protest. He loves to eat. He doesn't like his rice to be made with formula. He prefers it to made with water and then mixed with some other, more tasteful food. He favors carrots, squash, and sweet potato over green beans and peas. He loves bananas, strawberries, pears, apples, and plums. He does not like peaches. He still must be swaddled while sleeping, other wise he will pull at his face and bink until it wakes him up. He likes to be the the upright position, thus he spends most of his awake time in his walker. He will stop crying during a fit long enough to hear what you have to say, once you have finished he will continue on with his bitch fest. He likes music, doesn't matter what genre-he loves it all. He adores his sister. He will laugh at anything she does to entertain him. If he wants attention from somebody that is not looking he will yell and scream at you until you turn to look, then reward you with a smile. He likes to hold his toes with one hand and chew of the fingers of his other hand. He likes any object, be it a phone or the TV that lights up and makes sound. He is not a fan of his car seat. He hates it. The whole time is strapped down it in he attempts to sit up, this makes long car rides a bit of a pain. Most importantly, he is healthy and happy.

Hello Mr. Sun

Getting ready for school

Mr. Jake and his new walker

The sun has been shining here in Spokane for two days in a row now and if you have ever lived here you know that means that the people here go straight from their winter parkas and right into their halter tops and flip flops. The people in my household do not participate in this crazy behavior, but the sun shine has rubbed off on us.

Lex playing on her swingset

"Oh yeah!"

"Whach how high I can go!"


Lex loving on Blue

We have spent the last three days outside enjoying the weather and catching some rays. Alexis has thoroughly enjoyed being able to go outside and swing until the sun goes down. Even Jake got in on stocking up his vitamin D.

Jacob getting some sun on his white head

Handsome
Uh Oh. We lost the bink
All is right in the world again