Hi, My Name's Jacob and I'll Be Here All Night, Folks!

I don't know what was in Jacob's milk at Sweetwater Tavern that night, but something got him going. He was hilarious. Actually, he had been cracking us up all day. I was convinced he was using us as a test audience for his stand-up act because every word that came out of his mouth was so incredibly funny. I wish we had some type of recording device attached to him that day. That kid is some comedian.

Jacob was sitting beside his beloved Aunt JoBeth when suddenly, he turned to her and said, "Aunt JoBeth, you are the prettiest one.....you are a good Aunt JoBeth....I yuv you." Then he proceeded to pat her on the back and rub her arm. This was all after he downed a full glass of milk in approximately 49.8 seconds.

As we were about to leave, Jacob jumped down from his seat and danced his way around the table. He then stopped to dance in the middle of the restaurant -- right beside a table where two older gentlemen were in the middle of their dinner. The more Jacob danced, the more the men clapped. It was, quite possibly, one of the funniest moments I have ever witnessed; mainly because it was so unexpected. I could not stop laughing. Tears were rolling down my face and Heath was just about in the same boat.

Jacob continued to dance his way out of the restaurant all the way to the car. Here is a little taste of what happened that night. If only I'd had the camera out when we were inside the restaurant.......

When we were back in the car, the dancing subsided, but Jacob was still on a roll...and was still feeling the love. Out of nowhere he announced, "I love Daddy and David and Aunt JoBeth and Annabelle and Mommy.....and I love myself."

Whatever was in Jacob's milk must have also been in Annabelle's. I had brought along some little Transformers toys for Jacob to play with at the restaurant. When he was through with them, I handed them over to Annabelle, not knowing if she would play with them or not. Oh, she played with them alright. She loved them. It looked like she was making them fight. I guess she was just copying her brother. Anything he does, she wants to do also. I was just happy she was content and not throwing a fit at the table. :)

Transformers...more than meets the eye...

Later that night, we drove into DC to see the White House. David asked Jacob if he wanted to live in the White House. Jacob replied, "No. I can't yiv in the White House because I'm not a pwesident." Well, maybe one day, Jacob...maybe one day......

And yes, the dancing continued at the White House. Jacob wanted to dance up beside the iron gate, but we convinced him to come down. This one's for you, Mr. President.

18 Months

Annabelle is 18 months old. Wow. Time flies. We went to see the doctor this morning for her well-visit. I must have temporarily lost my mind when I scheduled this appointment...for 7:00 AM. Seriously, what was I thinking?!?!?!?! Especially since Annabelle is a late sleeper. We're talking 10:30, 11:00 AM late. Anyway, I woke her up (after prying myself out of bed) and she was in a surprisingly good mood.

She now weighs 21 pounds, 11 ounces which puts her in the 10th percentile for weight. She's moved up in height, to the 25th percentile. She's 31 inches. And since they always measure head circumference, I'll give you that too: 17 3/4 inches, which falls into the 10th percentile. She's definitely gotten taller, but still petite...and adorable. :)

Annabelle is much more vocal lately and I giggled when the nurse asked me if she could speak at least seven words. Annabelle knows a lot of words now:

shoes: shhhhs

trees: tees

juice: dooce (which is her word for any drink)

pig: dih

Jacob: Dahtcha

go: guh

ball: bah

cracker: gack-uh (usually yelled loudly, in a demand)

Mommy: mama (she has said mama for a really long time, but she's only recently began calling me mama. I love it. :) )

Daddy: Daa-tah or Dah-tee

bubble: buh-puh

Bottle: bopple

Paper: pah-puh

Book: buh

good girl: guh-goal (she claps when she says this)

uh-oh: uh-oh

There are more, but these are some of the "regulars."

Each time we go to the doctor for a well-visit, I am given a handout on what to expect from my child at his/her particular age. I laughed when I read this one: "Toddlers sometimes seem out of control, or overly stubborn or demanding." Ummmmm. Yes. This is right on target. Annabelle is quite the stubborn little girl. And she has a fiery temper too; but, we've known that for a while now. :)

She's also extremely smart and catches on to things very quickly. The other day, I said the word "excited" in conversation with someone else. Annabelle overheard me and began clapping...because that's what you do when you are excited. If you mention shoes, she will immediately run to her closet and bring back a shoe. She loves shoes. If you say the word, "go," she is ready. She heads to the door...or to the closet to get her shoes if she's not yet wearing any.

She has also developed a hearty appetite, eating her brother under the table. I'd venture to say she usually eats more than Jacob at just about every meal. I asked the doctor about this. Since she's still in the 10th percentile for weight, we don't have anything to worry about. The doctor's advice: "Feed her 'til she's full." Will do.

I tried pigtails. From the side, very cute. From the front, not so much. I was just excited that she can now actually have pigtails!!

While The Cat's Away...

...the toilet gets clogged, apparently.

The night before I left on my trip, we experienced total chaos. Wednesday nights are always a little rough because we get home so late from church. The kids' schedules get thrown out the window, so that alone creates chaos in itself. On that particular night, I wasn't going to give them a bath before bed because it was so late. But, they had been to the playground and both of them were filthy. To the bathtub they went...kicking and screaming.

Heath took Annabelle after her bath while I finished Jacob. Amidst all the crying, I suddenly heard Heath exclaim, "OH NO!!" He had Annabelle in one arm, while his other was in the toilet. Somehow or another, Annabelle's baby brush got flushed. Jacob continued crying. Annabelle cried harder because she bumped her head on the doorframe. I sat in silence trying to figure out what happened. Heath still had his arm down the toilet, fishing for the flushed brush. I tried not to laugh...unsuccessfully.

That night, the toilet seemed fine, even though we could not retrieve the brush; however, after I left the next day, things didn't go so well.

I'm not exactly sure what was done, but by the time I got home, the toilet was back inside...and unclogged. Hmmmmm....I wonder what the neighbors were thinking. :)

Mommy Has Left the Building...For One Night, Anyway

I feel like a new person. Really. One overnight trip with friends and no children can do wonders. :) It was so great to go somewhere as "Paula" and not "Mommy." Don't get me wrong. I love being a mommy, but I have to say, it was very nice to leave the house for a little while without that responsibility -- no strollers, no sippy cups, no breaking up fights, no "If I see you do that one more time....." Aaaaaahhhhhh. When we were planning this trip, I was a little nervous. After all, I had never been on an overnight trip away from my kids. Yes, Jacob is almost four years old. You can gasp if you want to. I guess it was about time.

We went to Jacksonville, mainly to see our good friend Tim McGraw. Tim was wonderful and he brought along his new friends, Lady Antebellum. Ok, so we're not really "friends" but I've been listening to Tim McGraw's music for so many years, we might as well be best buds. :) The concert was great and we had tons of fun.

My concert pictures aren't so great.

I must confess, when we began talking about this little trip to Jacksonville, I was secretly hoping a stop at The Cheescake Factory would be involved. Fortunately, everyone else on the trip enjoys food just as much as I do. We went to The Cheesecake Factory. Twice. Good times. We also ate at P.F. Changs -- a restaurant I'd been wanting to try for quite some time. I had heard great things about their food and it didn't disappoint. Looking back on it, this one night getaway may have been more about the food than the concert....and there's nothing wrong with that!



Of course, our restaurants of choice were both conveniently located within a fabulous shopping center. So, I don't have to tell you how we spent the rest of our time. Besides eating and shopping, we did manage to do a little sightseeing in St. Augustine. The weather cooperated with our plans, which made the day even better -- sunny, breezy. It was perfect. I actually got a little sunburned, but that's nothing unusual.



Erika and I raced to the top of the lighthouse. No. Not really. It was more like a casual climb. Still, my calves were not happy with me. But after 219 steps, I do believe they are more toned.

The view from the top.

Shopping, cheesecake...is there anything better? And no, I did not eat the entire piece of cake; but, I came pretty close.

We all had sooo much fun. I can't wait for the next trip...whenever that is.