Mother's Day '09

I remember my first mother's day as being almost a little surreal. I couldn't believe I was actually a mother! Becoming a mommy is one of those things you dream about for years, then when it actually happens, you just can't believe it. I mean that in a good way, of course. I was so excited to get a cute little "I love my mommy" card from Jacob along with a teddy bear that I'm sure he picked out all by himself :). All those surreal feelings were doubled this year. God has certainly poured out his blessings on me with these two precious children. Jacob and Annabelle are the joys of my life and I thank Him everyday for my family.

For me, Mother's Day '08 was marked by a severe case of morning sickness, so this year was considerably better as far as that goes! We celebrated the day by first going to church, then going out for a Mother's Day lunch at Carrabba's. Going out to lunch anywhere on Sunday is always an adventure for us because we never know how Jacob will behave. On a typical Sunday, he falls asleep in the car before we even drive out of the parking lot. True to form, he fell asleep on this particular day too. When we got to the restaurant, I wasn't sure if we should go in or not. Believe me, waking up Jacob from a nap is never a good thing. Annabelle was asleep too, but at least she's in a carrier, so we can take her out of the car and let her sleep as long as she chooses. Heath and I went back and forth for a few minutes trying to decide what to do before we finally agreed to go in and have lunch.

I often wonder, excatly how obnoxious and loud do you have to be before you get kicked out of a restaurant? I am sure we have come close on several occasions, this day included. Just as we suspected, Jacob was not a happy camper and he wanted to make that known to the public. I have to say, he did a good job. Then, of course, while we were dealing with him, Annabelle woke up and wanted some attention as well. Thankfully, they both settled down for a little while, allowing Heath and I just enough time to scarf down our food. It was delicious, by the way :) I am a dessert person, but I decided to forfeit this time knowing if we didn't leave soon, our two little volcanoes may erupt again. All in all, it was a nice lunch. I can't say that it was relaxing, but it was nice.

So, back to where I said Jacob and Annabelle are the joys of my life. They truly are. I know I've said this many times before, but not a day goes by when they don't make me laugh. For example......

Do you remember the way George McFly laughed in Back to the Future? If not, here is a link to refresh your memory: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wy4wq_lTbc

This is Jacob's best attempt at the George McFly laugh. At the end, he says it's the monkey laugh. I'm not sure where he came up with that.

He loves playing with (in) this laundry basket. Sometimes he puts it over his head and walks around the house saying it's his helmet. Other times, it's a cage for his animals. I'm not sure what he was pretending today, but he and the giraffes were having a fun time.

Annabelle is THE messiest eater I have ever known! She can't eat anything without getting it all over her and everything around her. She usually chases each bite with a thumb suck which adds to the mess. C'mon...you are six months old, Annabelle...and you've been eating from a spoon for TWO whole weeks now. I think it's about time to start keeping the food IN your mouth! HA!

A little bit of food...a little bit of thumb

Although she makes "icky" faces in the video, she has grown to love sweet potatoes. Now, she gets really excited when she sees that yummy orange stuff, and can hardly wait for the next bite. She can polish off an entire jar in no time!

Here I grow...a little bit, anyway!

Annabelle went to the doctor last Monday for her 6 month check up and all is well. She is a perfectly healthy baby. I was, however, surprised to hear that she had moved down into the 5th-10th percentile from the 50th where she was at her last visit. I was a little concerned, but the doctor assured me she is just fine and it is common for babies to reach a plateau with their weight around six to nine months of age. Annabelle now weighs 13 pounds, 9 ounces and is 24 1/4 inches long. Actually, I am used to the lower numbers because Jacob was always on the smaller side until he was around 18 months old.