You Know...

that your pre-schooler isn't feeling well when you find this
just as you finish making her lunch.

Of course her sitting still, snuggling in your lap before you started lunch should have also been a clue.

And now that the toddler is also taking a nap...I think I will attempt to make up for the last few wakeful nights with my own little nap.

Bluebonnet Kids

I took the kids out to take their pictures in the bluebonnets. They were NOT cooperative! I couldn't get either of them to look at me most of the time, Jacob NEVER smiled, and Samantha only smiled when she was looking the other way. Then, not too far into taking pictures, I discovered that there were FIRE ANTS in the field! At least they only bit me and not the kids. And in spite of everything, we got some pictures taken and a few of them turned out OK. Maybe next year they will cooperate a little more!

Wordless Wednesday {Spring in Texas}

16 months

Jacob is 16 months and truly a toddler (as you saw from Saturday's video) Each day he walks a little more and crawls a little less. And he's just so cute as he is concentrating on walking!

He got two more teeth this month, for a total of 15 so far, and the last canine is not far from coming out. He wears size 4 diapers, 18 month pants, 24 month or 2T shirts, and 3T pajamas. Yes, he wears the same size PJs as his 3 year old sister...and his head is big enough that sometimes those 3T PJ shirts are really hard to get on him!

If I just look cute enough, maybe I'll get away with crawling away to go play!

He still loves to eat, but his appetite is beginning to slow down a little. All that means is that he doesn't eat everything in sight all day long, though. He still eats at least 2-3 times the amount of food that Samantha eats. He has started having definite opinions about what he should be eating and will often refuse to eat what is right in front of him because he sees something else that he wants more on the table. Once he can't see any more of the food that he wants more, he will agree to eat what is in front of him again.

He still nurses once in the early morning, and he sleeps from 7:30 or 8pm until about 7:30am (well, there is the 20 minutes or so that he is mostly awake for nursing sometime between 5 and 6 am, but I still count that as sleeping) He takes one nap for about 2.5 hours and most days we are able to put this nap off until 1 or 1:30. If he wakes up too early, though, it ends up being around 11am. Those days he ends up being quite a bit grouchy come bedtime.

He really wants to go play with the big kids!

Jacob has also learned the fine art of the tantrum. And he is getting very good at it. When he is told no, or has something taken away from him, he will lay himself out flat on the floor and scream, with great big crocodile tears coming out of his eyes. I walk away and ignore it. And REALLY hope this is something that he outgrows...and soon! I figure the odds are not in my favor, though, since Samantha still hasn't outgrown them.

Still not too big for finishing a nap while sleeping on Daddy.

He will occasionally tell you that a cow moos but so far has refused to try any other animal sounds. He hasn't started saying any new words, but he does copy Samantha with signs sometimes, and his newest sign is "baby" His most frequent signs are "all done", "book" and "milk." It's kind of funny that I will try to teach him new signs and he doesn't do anything, but as soon as he sees Samantha doing the same sign, he almost immediately copies her. Hopefully she continues to enjoy her little brother, since he seems to be so adoring of her.

He is a sweet little boy, snuggly and almost always smiling. It is so much fun to watch him grow and learn and we remain grateful for the gift of Jacob.

Getting Braver

Jacob has finally decided to let go of a hand or the couch or whatever is handy to give him security...at least for a few steps. He isn't taking off yet, he still wants to crawl, but he is getting a little braver. He'll be off and running before we know it.

Warming up

Since the weather has been getting nicer, we have been venturing outside more and we are loving it. The other day, we even broke out the chalk again. Samantha was excited and loved seeing her name written on the carport. Jacob, however, just wanted to taste the chalk and crawl down the driveway. He STILL has scratches on the tops of his feet!