Santa? You sound familiar...

This Saturday Dad-Jeff (Grandpa) dressed up as Santa for the kids in the neighborhood. So Jacob and I headed over to Cottage Lake Beach Club to meet Santa. I thought Jake might recognize Grandpa's voice but he didn't. Grandpa said at one time, Jake looked at him a little closely. But we made sure Jake didn't see "Santa" enter or leave the house on Grandpa's way to and from the event. And in the end, all potential questions were dismissed when Jacob accepted a mini-candy cane from Santa. That was certainly the high point of the whole evening for Jake.

Jake gets a package

This video is for Grandpa Meyer & Grandma Sherry. Jake got a package in the mail from them and I was trying to video Jake opening a present with one hand while trying to help him open the package with another hand.

Jake turns TWO

We had two small family parties for Jake's second birthday.

Grandma was in Manhattan with Aunt Jaime (who just has twins) for 6 weeks so we had one small party Sunday night on 11/9/2008 with Jake, Grandpa and me. The included video is Grandpa and me singing happy birthday to Jake. He stuck his finger in the flame of the candles. I didn't expect Jake to do that - and next time will have a little pep talk to explain not to put our fingers in "the hot".

Oh, by the way, in the video - Jake has a screw driver in his hand covered in painters tape.
This item must be in his hands when not sleeping or taking a bath at all times...

Boats or Girls?

In a few very short years - Jake will start to realize girls can be just as cool as sitting in a play boat. But in the meantime, Jake is smiling that he is allowed to play in a boat on his daycare field trip to the pumpkin patch. And at the time of this snap - he was oblivious that there was another person in the boat - let alone a... GIRL!

Haircuts & Halloween

The end of October, I took Jake to get his first real haircut. I had tried to trim his hair a couple of times. "Tried" being the key phrase. Each time I trimmed his hair it turned out looking like an obvious home-made haircut. So I decided to have his "edges trimmed". My little guy still doesn't have very much hair and I just wanted to trim the wispy edges that are getting longer. Because I haven't had great success in persuading Jake to hold still while I am cutting his hair, I decided to take him to a children's salon that has chairs geared towards children. Jake got to sit in a chair shaped as a jet; which was right up his alley. He was an angel and held perfectly still while also watching Thomas the Train Engine. I couldn't believe this was the same kid...

That night, we went to a Halloween party. Last year, Jake was an adorable penguin. This year, I wanted to find a costume that was just a cute. I ended up settling on a Prince costume. I tried to spike Jake's hair a little - but his hair is so fine the style wouldn't hold.

All Boy

My little man. He is ALL boy. If it's loud, roudy, and active - my little guy is all over that activity. He loves tools and trucks. I am amazed that no one taught him how to be a boy - he just IS.

He is very charming. We have started to morph into the terrible twos and times outs have become a reality. He definitely has an opinion and is not afraid to tell me all about disagreement my parenting decisions.

But at the end of the day we kiss and make up. I still marvel when he's asleep like in these pictures at this little person, with his darling body and how much personality he has. I am very blessed to have him in my life and I often feel like he is my teacher and I am the stubborn student.

Uncles!

My apologies I am between 6-8 weeks behind on blogging. I have been busy working 11-13 hours days, being a full time Mom, going to school and doing a re-model.

Jake has been thriving and charming us all. He has mastered jumping with both feet, climbing up and down the bed. Doing laundry. (Not kidding - he loves to take clothes in and out of the washer and dryer.) He has a cute sense of humor. He loves to sing. And he has been talking up a storm.

His 24 month check up last week showed he's in the 80th percentile for weight and height. He's 35 inches and 31 pounds.

He has also started talking in more and more phrases rather than just single words. Lately he has been telling me things like, "Mommy this is a shirt, Mommy this is a bed, Mommy this is the dryer."

Remarkably he's not a great eater. And mealtimes seem like more songs and dance to get the kid to eat. And I am lucky if I can persuade him to have 2 bites of anything green at any given meal. I have resigned myself that 2 bites of anything green is good enough.

This summer Uncle Shay and Uncle Jason came to visit about 2 weeks apart. Jake enjoyed both their visits and had some male bonding with both of them. Chasing, wrestling, a good time was to be had by all. I am grateful for brothers who are willing to be positive role models and friends to my little Jake.