Where did our little baby go?

Our little baby is not really a baby anymore... he's a little boy. Jake can say almost 30 words now and is using them correctly. He's even starting to master yes and no. Yesterday I was telling him to stop eating his crayon and I said "no Jake... no, no" and he looked at me and smiled and said "jez" (his version of yes) and put the crayon back in his mouth. He also understands and will point to lots of other things that he can't yet say ... like drum and turtle. He loves scribbling with crayons, pens and pencils and has made us some beautiful art for our house. He can use a spoon and a fork and insists on feeding himself most of the time now which is quite messy but so fun to watch. Jake has four new FAVORITE things... ice, sticks, his new toothbrush and the dishwasher. He gets so excited when we open the dishwasher door and hurries to get to it before we shut it. He will crawl into the kitchen and sit in front of the refrigerator and say "ice... ice.. ice" until we give him a piece. He loves his cars and trucks and has now started making the cutest little... "mmmmmmmmmm" sounds when he pushes them around the house. Trip says that he learned it from me because I do it when I play with him... especially when I push him on his big Tonka truck.

I know that I'll be going back to work at some point but I'm really thankful for this very special time with Jake. Trip has to travel some for work and he really misses Jake when he's gone but when he comes home Jake is so EXCITED to see him. It is so adorable... he just "talks" and "talks" and follows Trip around the house like he's trying to tell him what he did while he was gone and of course Daddy LOVES it.

I'm posting a bunch of new pictures and a couple of videos of our little man so enjoy and stay tuned for more updates.

"MMMMMMMMM"

I drew this for Daddy.

Making Daddy a picture to hang in his office.

Mama... is that little boy supposed to be

hanging upside down like that?

What's going on over there?

Look Daddy... a little stick!

I still love to swing.

Look at me ... eating like a big boy.

This peach yogurt is sooooo yummy.

Oops ... I thought we were finished so I took

the sign down... sorry.

Happy 13 Month B-Day to me!

I really like to brush my teeth.

Daddy still likes to give me crazy hair.

Me and Mama went to Raleigh with Daddy this month

and I took my first bath in the big boy tub.

Mama... can I keep this stick?

Shopping always wears me out.

Daddy... am I doing this right?

I love to help Daddy cook.

Mama said to go get in my chair and

watch my reading video but she didn't

tell me to sit in it so I'm standing up.

This dishwasher is AWESOME!

And another thing I like about this pasta is...

I prefer to use Daddy's spoon but

sometimes they still give me the baby

spoons.

I thought Daddy should taste this yummy yogurt.

On the move!

I love ice!

Let it snow... let it snow...

We got 8" of snow on Sunday and Jake was fascinated by it. It started snowing around 2pm on Sunday and dropped huge, fluffy flakes until early Monday morning. It was absolutely beautiful and we enjoyed watching it fall and showing it to Jake when he woke up from his nap. Trip took him outside in his pj's to get a handful and he wouldn't let it go. Monday morning we took him outside and he had a blast. He especially liked it when his Daddy threw snowballs at his Mama... he just laughed and laughed. He had to bring some snow inside with him and of course as you might guess... he had to taste it too. Enjoy the pictures and the snow if you were lucky enough to get some.

Yep... tastes just like chicken.

Daddy just hit you with a snowball, Mama. 
Don't worry we can get him with this one.

I'm having strawberry yogurt and Cheerios
for breakfast today and yes, they are as good
as they look.

Sometimes I sleep in the crawling position... that way I'm ready to go.

Wait a minute... I thought I said scrambled.

What no biscuit to sop this up with?

Happy Birthday Jake!

Wow... has it really been a year since our baby boy was born? It seems like only yesterday that we were on our way to the hospital to meet our little man for the first time. It has truly been the best year of our lives. Believe it or not... Trip and I have been together for almost 20 years and during that time we've been very happy and had a lot of fun but nothing compares to sharing our life with Jake. God blessed us with a such a beautiful little soul and we will spend the rest of our lives trying to express our love and gratitude for such a wonderful gift.

Jake had his 1st birthday on Valentine's Day and we had a little Winnie the Pooh party for him. He didn't eat very much of his cake but he really enjoyed digging in it and he had fun with his cousins (Abbie and Katie), his Uncle Russell, his Grandma and his Mamaw and Papaw. Jake was absolutely mesmerized by his balloons especially the giant Winnie the Pooh & Tigger balloon. Luckily that one has lasted several days because he is so happy to see it floating on the ceiling every morning when he comes downstairs for breakfast. He had fun opening his gifts and playing with his new toys.

Jake had his one year pediatrician's appointment today and Dr. Love says that he is doing just great. He weighs 19 lbs 2.5 oz and he is 28 inches tall. He had four shots and a finger stick and he was a little trooper.... only cried for a few minutes after the 3rd and 4th shots.

Jake has added a couple more words to his vocabulary. We took him hiking last weekend and Trip showed him some dirt under the leaves and Jake really liked it (such a little boy) so he immediately started saying dirt and loves saying it over and over. Jake likes to watch Trip cook and Trip has been trying to teach Jake that some things are hot and Jake has picked up that word now so when Trip cooks Jake is constantly saying "hot, hot, hot". It's just so precious!

Thankfully, our gates are arriving this week because as you'll see below Jake has already figured out how to climb the stairs. He's also enjoying getting into everything and pulling out things that aren't toys... soft drinks... bowls... pictures... DVDs... etc.

You said you wanted a Mountain Dew, right?

Ouch!  That finger stick hurt but this band-aid is surprisingly tasty.

Hanging out with my Sophie, waiting on Dr. Love.

I have to have how many shots?

Where did I see that box of Cheerios?

Is this the purple block you were looking for Mama?

I love to read in my new chair.

See Grandma, the ceiling fan is right there.

It was so fun to read with Grandma.

I'm getting so big!

Happy birthday to me... happy birthday to me...

This is my Daddy and my Mama.

Uncle Russell and Papaw always make me laugh.

Mamaw needed to hold me even though she had
a broken arm.  It probably made her feel better.

My cousins are crazy about me... and I love them, too!

Mama helped me open my presents.

Wow!  That balloon is really up there!

Peek-a-boo

Hey, I know who that is!

Mama had to wash me off and take off my icing covered shirt
before we could open my birthday presents.

Here Papaw... have some cake.

I love to give Mama bites of my food.

Cool!  It looks like I have gloves made out of cake.

It's about time I got some cake to go with all of the milk I've been drinking.

Do you think Mama knows that I'm making this mess?

Is that for me?

Daddy is so proud of me!

My cousin Abbie loves to carry me around.

I sleep with one leg out... just like my Daddy.

I love a good snack after a big nap.

This is my new friend Sophie.

Daddy, I got your sunglasses.

This inch worm is so much fun.

Wonder if I can go all the way to the top?

I think I'm ready for the stairs.

I think I can see where the light is coming from...

Shhh... Daddy is looking for me soap.  He doesn't know that I have it.