dear daddy

dear daddy,

i had the best day with my mommy today. i started the day with lots of coughing in my bed, but once I got up I had no more coughs.

I was so excited to spend the day with mommy. she wanted to get some work done, but i wanted to be with her. she would take a break from work and we would play with my cars. she would then sneak away and work some more. eventually i convinced her to stop working and play with me.

we played with blocks and then she read me 4 books. she made me fish sticks for lunch that were really yummy and then put me down for a nap. i thought that if i slept good that maybe she would play with me more when i got up.

when i got up, i worked really hard to be nice so she wouldn't put me in time out. i haven't been in since i got up, which is good because i spent a lot of time in there this morning, but i think i was just extra tired and cranky.

after my nap, she took me on a walk. it was really hot so we only walked for 30min. i did good. i ate goldfish and drank my water.

when we got home she left me in my stroller and started messing with something. i didn't know what she was doing so i just kept eating my fish.

she pulled out this funny looking thing and attached the hose to it! she took off my shorts and put me in it. it sprayed water on me. i didn't know what to think at first, but then i got brave and started playing in it. i liked it a lot.

i kept getting mommy wet. i got totally soaked, but i didn't mind. then she got out my pool and put water in that. i liked that a lot. then she put the funny looking thing in there and it sprayed me with more water and i liked that more.

i was very brave today. you know how i am with water. i had so much fun. we played outside for a long time.

then mommy took me in and let me shower with her. i didn't know what to think. i was a little upset cause she made me walk through the house with my soaked diaper on and that bothered me. i kept saying "diaper" until she took it off (don't worry, i got her back and went pee on her in the shower).

i got brave in the shower and mommy sat on the floor and played with me. i kept walking into the water and wasn't scared at all!

thank you so much for working so hard so that i can have fun days like this with my mommy. i love you!

-jacob

The things I say...

This is Jacob. My mommy has been posting a lot, but she forgot a few stories.

Last night my Gramma put me to bed (mommy and daddy were playing at Aunt Sheila's house with the young marrieds). Gramma asked me if I wanted her to rub my back when she put me in my crib. I said "want to go night-night". I love night-night!

I told my mommy and mommy (lately all I call daddy is mommy) at a restaurant that "I want to co-co" which means "I want to color". It was my first complete sentence!

When I cry or have something in my eyes, I say "eyes, eyes" so that my mommy wipes them. When my nose runs, I say "nose" and my mommy wipes that. I like to be clean.

When my mommy puts me in time out (which I'm spending a lot of time in lately) she lets me sit there a few minutes and then comes and talks to me about what I did to get put there. She always tells me to say "sorry" and I say "please" instead. She tells me to say "please" all of the time so I think it is perfectly applicable in this situation. She can't get everything she wants (just don't tell her I said that)!

I'm not completely sure yet, but I might be teething. That would make mommy so happy because that would give somewhat of a reason for all of my bad attitudes. I'll keep you posted on what happens in my mouth. For now I have to go because my nose is running...

Even more videos of Jacob

You can tell I'm really playing catch up...


I love how he says "hello".


Jacob has started pretending. It is so much fun to watch him. His favorite thing to pretend is that he is eating or drinking. During one of his more fussy days (and what I mean by fussy days is that he basically pitched a fit all day), I gave him a spoon and bowl to "cook" while I was cooking and couldn't hold him. He was too cute with it!


This kid loves to dance!

Random Jacob Pictures

He likes to get into the pantry and get the raisins out. He sits down, takes the lid off and eats them. I guess he is concerned about being regular (and trust me, he has nothing to be concerned about!).

This is his praying face. It is too funny. I think he makes it because I half-away close my eyes so that I can watch him when we pray (because he is a funny kid) and I think he is just mimicking what he sees.

That is one way to play with a dump truck...sit on it!

He loves dinosaurs!

He went to bed with wet hair one night, and greeted me like this in the morning.

More videos of Jacob

I love his laugh!


This kid loves to dance. He was dancing to the music in his head.


This is his "I'm too cool for school" dance. It is the typical Jacob dance (minus the bugger).


You have to listen hard for this one. He is snoring! It was just too cute that I couldn't help myself. We were on the way home from youth and he was so tired.

We've been attacked!

Man your battle stations. We have been attacked!

It is a sneak attack from the front that only experience could have predicted.

The terrible twos have hit early and they have hit hard!

It started around 18 months and Jacob was teething. Teething is tough and I had grace for him, but then the teething was over the attitude stayed.



Oh my, where did this come from? Why did no one warn me? Where was this covered in the manual...oh wait, there is no manual.



What happened to my happy child? Where did my Jacob go? Who is this fussy, fit-throwing expert that has come to live at my house?



In the Shaw house, we are learning valuable lessons. I'm trying (and failing more than succeeding) at finding the balance between truth and grace. When he is tired do I let him have his way? How hard should I be on him? If I put him in time out every time he pitched a fit he would be there all day!



We are surviving, but barely. Some days are better than others. The other day was bad. He was in time out twice and he had only been up 30min! I'm learning to be consistent. Figuring out what is acceptable behavior, what he understands (which is so much) and how to communicate with him is much harder than I thought. It makes me glad for the days that I go to work, just to have a break, but then makes me glad that I have so much time with him so that we can work on his attitude.



We'll get there. In the meantime, Jacob is learning tons! He has learned that pitching a fit and running is hazardous to one's health. He has learned that I want him to say "please" after he demands something. He has learned that hitting mommy is not a good idea. He has also learned (after only 1 week) how to sit in time out without getting up (I don't even have to gate him in).



Hopefully he will survive this new learning season for his Mommy and Daddy!

Videos of Jacob (hopefully with the right videos this time!)

Here are some cute videos of Jacob (I LOVE my new iPhone!!!)


This is Jacob running at the beach!


Playing with Daddy


He LOVES Micki Mous Clubhouse on Disney. He LOVES saying "oh toddles" and it is just too cute. Now when he watches the shows, he shouts "oh toodles" at all of the right times!

Sea World

We went to Sea World with Juli and Thomas when they were here last month. It was Jacob's first time and he did GREAT! We got to meet Shamu and Juli & Thomas had a friend that arranged a meeting with Elmo. Jacob loved that as long as we didn't get too close.

The park is so much fun. We have season passes now and I can't wait to go back. He like the shows and did pretty good in the exhibits. We didn't get to play in the kids' place. He is really going to like that next time.

We fed the dolphins and he LOVED that (and so did I). They have changed everything and you are only allowed in if you are going to feed the dolphins. It was much nicer. Next time, Adam will have to join us as it was hard to hold Jacob, feed and pet the dolphin all at the same time (all the while Jacob was desperately wanting to just jump in with the dolphins).

We saw the dolphin show, the sea lion and otter show (my favorite) and the elmo show. I think Jacob's favorite part was dancing to all of the music (videos below).

The funniest part of the day had to be when we were walking into the Sea Lion and Otter show and the mime scared me half to death. I saw him, thought "I shouldn't be startled by this", jumped and screamed. Of course everyone was watching and got a good laugh out of it!

We rod Manta (by we I mean myself, Adam and Juli; Thomas and Jacob stayed behind to take pictures). It was the best! It is my new favorite ride!

It was a great day. It was hot, but TONS of fun. We stayed until 3pm (Jacob normally naps at 1pm)! I can't wait to go back!



Here are 2 videos of Jacob dancing. He loves to dance!

The Things Jacob Says...

My kid is the funniest kid in the world, not that I'm bias or anything!

The things that come out of his mouth are some of the funniest.

The other night, Adam and I went to peek in on him before we went to bed. Adam covered him with a blanket and he stirred. He rubbed his leg where the blanket was, smiled and said "thanks". In his sleep he has good manners...how to get that to translate to when he is awake is beyond me.

He is calling everyone Mommy. This started while we were at the beach (pictures and stories to come soon). It started as just a word used in desperation and then quickly it became what he called Adam and my mom. He has yet to call Adam "daddy" since we have been home. My favorite was when we were in the car and I was explaining to him (after he said "mommy" none stop for several minutes) that we had discussed before vacation that he was supposed to be a daddy's boy this week. Jacob quickly said "oh no no no no no, Mommy". That settled that. He was and still is a mommy's boy.

He repeats everything and is talking so well. We still have conversation where I have no clue what he is talking about, but I can see more and more he is trying to communicate with me something specific.

Yesterday morning he woke up and said "book". I told him that I had to change his diaper first. Then he said "oatmeal". I told him I had to change his diaper first. Then he said "cars". That boy knew what he wanted to do.

I have TONS to catch up on blogging. I'm going to try and knock that out today. So be prepared to be bombarded with blog posts!