I Want to Wear Cheese Today

Now that Jacob is two years old, he thinks he is an adult and can do all things independently. He is very much into "self" -- doing things all by himself. "Self" is his favorite word these days. He likes to get in and out of the bathtub himself, push the buttons on the microwave himself, get diapers himself, turn on the lights himself, open his yogurt himself, etc.... Pretty much anything he does, he likes to do "self." I was amazed the other day when he turned on the kitchen lights. He used to build steps with his blocks to reach the light switches. Now he just walks right up and flips them on...no steps required! He really has gotten bigger!

Since he enjoys doing everything on his own, I've started letting him choose his own clothes and shoes in the morning (to a certain extent). Today we opened his shirt drawer and I asked him to choose a shirt. He looked through them for a few seconds, then pulled out a solid yellow shirt and said, "is one...cheese" (this one...cheese). I guess he wanted to wear "cheese" today. He's been pointing at his shirt and saying "cheese" all day. The shirt is almost the exact same color as American cheese, so in his mind, I guess he really is wearing cheese!

We spent last weekend with Heath's brother, Philip, and his wife, Michelle. It was a fun weekend and we had a great time visiting with them. Clemson pulled out a huge (expected) win over SC State, so that made things even better. The only problem was, like all weekends, the time passed by way too fast. I wish we could have stayed longer. Jacob enjoyed the trip too and is still a fairly good traveler. He did get a little antsy on the way back though.

Here are a few pictures from the weekend:

The morning of the football game, (Go Tigers!) Jacob ate about 100 grapes for breakfast. He loves "gapes." He spent the day with Uncle Kenny (a.k.a. Coo-coo Nanny according to Jacob), Aunt Tammy, Caitlyn and Bethany (Benny) while we went to the game. I think that was Jacob's favorite part of the weekend! When we went to pick him up, he didn't want to leave!

Dumpin' (jumping) on the stump!

Jacob loves to go up and down stairs, only now, he doesn't want any help. He's two, remember? He can do it "self!"

Obviously, Jacob wasn't thrilled about being in this picture.

In other news.....we haven't really started any hard core potty training, but Jacob is getting it little by little on his own. He uses the potty every night before his bath and yesterday in the middle of lunch, he started saying, "Potty, potty!" So, we went to the bathroom and sure enough, he had to go! He doesn't do that all the time, but he's catching on and that makes me happy.

Only about six more weeks to go before my due date! We've been busy trying to make our house bigger than it actually is...that's not going so well. A little more storage space would be helpful, but we'll manage somehow. I've actually bought several baby girl outfits too which is a big step for me since I'm still not 100 percent convinced this baby is a girl. BUT...for some reason, the more I buy, the more convinced I get. And no....still no name yet. Feel free to voice your suggestions!

Bundle of Energy

Jacob was full of energy this morning...as usual! As I stood in the kitchen washing the never-ending sink full of dishes, he played with his toys the entire time. Lately, he's been driving his John Deere tractor around the house saying he's going home. "I divin'!" he'll announce, "Bye!" Then, when he gets to a certain spot, he'll say, "I home!" Sometimes, he'll even say " I wuh you (I love you)" as he's driving off. How sweet! Usually he will have grabbed a toy or blanket to accompany him on the ride. He rode around on that thing for what seemed like forever this morning.

Something else he's started doing is calling me by my first name -- especially when he gets really excited about something. "Nook! Pah-wuh! A Pee-ig! (Look! Paula! A pig!)" I heard that a lot this morning. Every time he found a new toy to play with, he wanted me to come see. If I look at him and say, "Who am I?", he'll say, "Mama," but "Pah-wuh" just slips out every now and then. He used to hear Katie say it and since that's what Heath calls me, I guess Jacob figures he can call me Paula too. He does like to repeat EVERYTHING people say!

Taking pictures of this little bundle of energy gets harder and harder. He's so interested in the camera. As soon as I pull it out, he wants to see Jacob. He knows he can look at pictures of himself on the camera, but he doesn't understand, in order to see pictures, we have to take them first! Here's a quick example of what I'm talking about:

I was finally able to take a short video by giving Jacob a juice box first. Notice, even with the juice box, he still can't help but be interested in the camera. Also notice how fast he finishes the juice box. When he likes something, whether it's food or drink, it's gone within seconds!

Baby Update: I went to the doctor yesterday and everything is as it should be. She told me I'm still right on track for my November 12 due date. No, Heath and I still haven't chosen a name. Well, maybe I should re-phrase that: Heath and I haven't been able to agree on a name yet. I think we've both chosen what we think is the perfect name. The problem is, he has his perfect name and I have mine. And so the battle rages on..... a friendly battle of course. :) I'm certain we'll agree at some point. I mean, neither of us wants our child's name to be Baby X.

I'm still trying to figure out what life will be like with two children. I know Jacob will really enjoy having a playmate around. He likes to play independently, but I think he would rather have someone to play with. Of course, the baby won't be doing much playing in the beginning, but it will be interesting to see them grow up together.

I did have sort of a meltdown the other day just thinking of dealing with two children. I was in the post office. I loathe the post office! I never go there for anything and now I remember why. It's so much easier and less stressful to mail everything from the UPS store, but if you want to buy pretty stamps, you have to buy them from the post office. Anyway......when I walked in, the line wasn't too long, so I stood there waiting patiently. Even though I was being patient, I could tell Jacob's patience was wearing thin. To make a long story short, we ended up spending a very long time in line since we had to get out of line, then get in line again...a much longer line. As we stood in line for the second time, Jacob threw the temper tantrum of all temper tantrums. When I finally got up to the counter to mail my package, Jacob was at my feet, screaming and rolling around on the floor. After losing it with the USPS worker, I grabbed Jacob and walked out as fast as I could. I noticed everyone in line was staring at me with looks of horror. I was just as horrified as they were, believe me! We weren't in the car for 2 minutes before Jacob went to sleep. I know he was just tired, but that was such an embarrassing situation. I cried all the way home. Then, I cried more as I wondered what I will do when I have a baby crying and Jacob throwing a fit all at the same time. God, please give me the strength!

I've since spoken to several people about that little incident and it helps to know I'm not the only one who's been through something like that. Every mother has her own version of that story and every mother has had a meltdown (or several) at some point. All I can say is, at least those moments don't occur on a daily basis! :)

Bye-Bye Fat Rolls!

While in the waiting room at the doctor's office the other day, I found myself in the middle of a conversation about pregnancy. One girl was whining and complaining about how much she hated being pregnant, while the other sat quietly and kept interjecting, "Well...yeah, but it isn't THAT bad." I agreed with her. I admit, pregnancy does have its ups and downs, but the positives outweigh the negatives...at least they do in the end.

Some of the downs? Feeling sick all the time for the first three or four......or five months. I know some people who have been sick the entire 40 weeks. Yuck. This time, I was sick for about five months. Thank goodness, it has finally tapered off. I've only gotten sick twice in the past month or so. Based on other experiences I've heard, I really can't complain.

Another downside? Trouble sleeping and feeling uncomfortable. But, pillows help...lots and lots of pillows.

Weight gain is one side of pregnancy most people do not look forward to...me included. But I've decided there are even a few postives about this. For instance, this is the second time in my life (since this is my second pregnancy) that I have had a firm stomach. Bye-bye fat rolls! Granted, my stomach protrudes from my body like an overinflated basketball, but it is firm. AND...all the flab and fat rolls have disappeared (at least for a little while)!! Even if I slouch or sit slumped over (that's kinda hard to do since sitting that way seems to cut off my air supply), there is not a fat roll to be seen. Just a very large tummy.

I also see pregnancy as my one chance to eat what I want to. Lately, I have had some serious cravings for cheesecake and have not held back one bit. Ok, so maybe that's not really a good thing, but cheesecake sure is tasty. Of course, I am quite certain my sweet-tooth has contributed to my quick weight gain over the past two weeks, but hey....I still don't have any fat rolls!

Probably the most obvious postive aspect of being pregnant is that God is growing and developing a new little life inside your body. That in itself is amazing. Just being able to feel that little baby flipping and kicking around is incredible...and sometimes a bit uncomfortable...but still incredible.

So while I've met some people who love being pregnant and others who loathe it, I think it's important to remember there is an upside to everything and in the end, the whole experience will be well worth it. One look at Jacob proves that!

Jacob loves playing with garage sale stickers and especially loves to put them on his nose. I have no idea why. He'll pull a sheet out of the desk drawer, walk off, then come back with his nose covered in stickers saying, "Nose...nose...nose."

Photo Session

A couple weeks ago, Jacob and I went to Portrait Innovations to have his pictures taken. I scheduled the appointment so that he would be able to eat lunch, then nap on the way (it's about a two hour drive). As soon as he finished eating, we jumped in the car and were on our way. Just as I had hoped, he fell asleep before we even made it to the interstate -- perfect. BUT.....about 45 minutes later, he woke up crying. I think he had a stomachache from drinking his juice too fast. I gave him diluted juice with his lunch and he drank the entire cup in about two minutes. Hmmmm....wonder where he gets that from? After a few minutes of crying and asking to get out, he finally settled down for the rest of the drive; however, he never did go back to sleep. When we finally made it to our destination, I was feeling a little anxious because I know how challenging Jacob can be when he hasn't had his full nap.


If you would have been at the studio watching our photo session, you would never believe we were able to get several great pictures. Jacob would NOT cooperate at all. He was only interested in eating the Cheez-its I accidentally let him see in his diaper bag. He whined and cried and screamed and cried almost the entire time. I was so embarrassed and kept apologizing to the photographer for Jacob's unruly behavior. I kept explaining how he's usually a wonderful little boy, but that he didn't take a full nap. I think she understood, but I still felt bad that she had to deal with us.....especially since right before our session, I overheard her say they had been incredibly busy all day and she hadn't even been able to take a lunch break.

All I can say is, that girl is a fabulous photographer. She was so patient and I can't believe how many good pictures she was able to take. Amazing. Here are a few from the day -- the good and the not so good!

I do not want to do this.

Ooooooooooooh....a big block!

Look everybody! I've got cheez-its stuck in my teeth!

Tell me again.....why am I doing this?

My fellow Americans........

Whaaaaaaaaaa! I can't take this any longer!

Wooo-hooooo! I am OUTTA HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't believe she caught me.

Ok...you want cute? Just look at me!

Ta-dah! Now may I PLEASE have my snacks???????!?!?!?!