Date Night.

What a day. We started our day at around 1:00 this morning (no exaggeration). Jacob didn't seem to be feeling well when we put him to sleep; we thought it could be teething or ears or maybe both. The little guy was up and wailing just a few hours after he finally settled down. Our attempts to calm him down and put him back to sleep failed miserably. Into our bed he came. Normally, this stops any problems. He snuggles in between us and falls fast asleep. Not last night. He was up and bouncing around, holding the headboard so he could jump on the bed, laying on my stomach and then laying on Phil's... he just could not get comfortable.

Before I continue... promise you won't judge me.... do it, make a promise right now.

We both rolled over to the outside, so that Jacob might think we are sleeping and try to go to sleep. Jacob, perhaps wanting my attention, jumped forward over my back and fell.... right off the bed. I know what some of you are thinking. This is why you don't let children sleep in the bed. What if I told you that there just happened to be two fluffy pillows at the bedside exactly where he landed. We got lucky. I was also done with Jacob in the bed (if you don't remember all of my bad experiences with Jacob and the bed, read back to month five or so). I successfully rocked him to sleep and slipped back to my bed.

Fast-forward ten minutes. Screaming again. Philip opts to take this one. I assume that he is going to rock him back to sleep. I honestly think I am dreaming when, through our monitor, I hear Jacob laughing and running around his room. This must be a joke. I enter Jacob's room to see Philip sitting in the rocking chair, all of Jacob's toys and blankets covering the floor and Jacob toddling around the room pulling things out.

Me: Are you kidding me?
Philip: He wanted to play.

I honestly didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Yes, Philip, we should allow the thirteen month old to choose whether he wants to play at 2:00 in the morning. Our night did not get much better from here. We counted down the hours until we could bring him to the doctor at nine, convinced that he had horrible ear infections. You can imagine my reaction when the doctor told us that he was perfect.

Me: Well, are you sure?
Doctor: His ears look perfect. Nose looks perfect. He is great. Maybe he had a little gas or something?
Me: He was screaming his head off last night. Are you sure nothing is wrong?
Doctor (looking at Jacob): Are your parents lying? You are just the happiest baby ever.

Hmmmpphh. That's what I think of that. I think there should be a new rule at the doctor's office. If your kid is not sick, you don't have to pay your co-pay. I'm not saying that I would have liked there to be something wrong, but at least I would feel like we were getting our $35 worth. I'm not a huge fan of dishing that out to hear that my son might have had a little gas.

Our day did get better... the little one caught up on sleep and Philip and I just recently returned home from date night. I was even surprised with some beautiful flowers. And while we did manage to squeeze in some much needed adult conversation, our minds never drifted too far away from our little one....


Sleepy, sleepy little boy after a rough night.

Jacob Moments

Last night, Philip and I were doing what we do every Tuesday night after Jacob goes to sleep (watch American Idol and critique each performance as if we are the judges and actually know how to critique music) and mid-performance, Philip tells me to pause the show.

Me: What?
Philip: What was your favorite "Jacob moment" from today?
Me: My what?
Philip: You know, your favorite "Jacob moment"? What was the best thing he did today?

I am laughing to myself again as I write this... I had never really thought of what exactly is my favorite "Jacob moment" of each day. I'd be lying if I said all of them. I don't love the fact that he tosses all of his food on the ground when we are out to lunch at Cheesecake Factory; I don't think it's hilarious when he cries because I won't let him play outside any longer; and I'm not a huge fan of the fact that he was up and ready to go at five this morning. But, my goodness, there is so much to love about this child....

.....I love that if I am on my computer checking my email, he will walk up to me with a book in his hand and rest his head on my leg so that of course I will read to him.
....I love that he mimics every sound we make; if Daddy clears his throat, Jacob clears his throat; If Mommy coughs, Jacob will cough.
...I love when he actually dribbles a basketball (at only one), makes a shot, and then waves his right arm in the air as we cheer for him.
...I love the way he runs to greet us if we are just coming home, like we are the most important people in the world (and to him, I guess we are).
....I love that when you ask him, "Does the baby need to take a nap?" he lays his head down and pretends to go to sleep.
....I love that if you ask him to put his shoes on, he sits down wherever he is and lifts one leg in the air.
...I love that we play the piano and he thinks it's the funniest thing in the world when I use his fingers to play a song.

My favorite Jacob Moment? How could I pick just one?

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

I was finishing up a session today when I received this text from Philip, "We are ready to go to the zoo!" (exclamation point and everything). Not having discussed this little plan, you can imagine how excited I was to take our first trip to the zoo with Jacob. Sure enough, Philip and Jacob were all packed up and ready to go when I arrived home (although Jacob did need a quick outfit change...brown sweatpants in 70 degree weather and an undershirt just didn't seem right). With an afternoon nap only a few hours away, we managed to see the penguins, bears, monkeys, hippos, and elephants. Jacob loved seeing all of the animals, pointing to everything and anything that was in his reach. And we were so happy that "Uncle Dan" (Jacob's Godfather) could come along for the big day! We tried to squeeze in an ice cream treat at the end of our outing, but to our surprise, the little guy wanted nothing to do with it. He was fast asleep by the time we pulled out of the area. I text my mom on the way home, telling her how much Jacob loved the zoo. Her response? "Yeah. That is every parent's dream." And she's right.

Warm weather. Trip to the zoo. As a family. Mom. Dad. Child. Together as one. It doesn't get any better than this....

Little Moments

Maybe it was the smell of grilled hot dogs in the air or maybe it was Jacob running around outside in his pj's after a bath, but we could feel summer coming... and we are enjoying every moment. I'm thankful to have a husband that enjoys these little moments as much as I do... and more, to have a husband that tolerates me trying to document all of these little moments. How could I ever want to forget this smile and excitement over something as simple as bubbles!

Not quite like Papa's hotdogs... but pretty darn tasty!

And because we can't ask our one-year-old to snap a photo yet, here's one of the two of us enjoying the moment.

At Least I'm Trying....

I received my new edition of Parenting magazine yesterday. I remember the days in college when my new US weekly magazine would arrive. I would read it cover to cover and feel slightly saddened when I was done, for I would have to wait another week for another gossip filled edition to arrive. Oh, how the days have changed. I couldn't tell you who was dating who and have no idea who the up-and-coming stars are, but I can tell you how to attempt to get your child to sleep in until 8:00, where the best place to vacation with your one-year-old, and how to get rid of the pacifier. In recent months, I've really taken a liking to the "A Week of Dinners for the Whole Crew" article. Now, let's not get crazy. I modify this to attempt some small baby steps towards my Holly Homemaker status. "Two or Three Dinners a Week for the Three of You." One of the showcased meals in this edition? Panfried Falafels. Easy enough, I thought. "Super kid-friendly" and "super easy." Quick and manageable for me and so I thought to invite Lindsay and Jonny over for dinner tonight to enjoy my home-cooked deliciousness. Who was I kidding?

My "chickpea mixture" would not mold in the patties they were supposed to form. My kitchen became a complete disaster because the food processor was shooting pureed onions and parsley all over the place. The mixture was crumbly and dry and little baby burgers were not the end result. Instead, I composed this:

Needless to say, the falafels were quite tasty. Don't judge a book by its cover, right? Philip would have preferred something with meat in it, but he is always good to try new things. Live and learn. And then, get take-out :)

In other news, cold weather is back. We won't complain... just toss back on the winter hat and coat and enjoy the cool air. How can you complain when we have the most amazing little guy to spend our time with?

Linzaloo and Jonny

I had so much fun taking Lindsay and Jonny's Engagement Pictures today. For some more sneak peaks, head to http://stephaniecotta.blogspot.com/.

Oh, the Possibilities

So maybe Jacob is not quite ready to color on his own, but he certainly had a good time carrying around the little chalk bucket and watching his mommy draw his name. Our Warm Weather To-Do List has already started:


1. play around in the wet grass and get dirty (check)
2. color with chalk on our driveway just like I remember doing when we were little (check)
3. visit the zoo and see all of the animals
4. dance around in rain puddles (and take some shots without my camera getting wet)
5. go on a picnic


New days, new moments, new giggles and fun await us...

Bumps and Bruises

We officially made it to spring break! Jacob could sense the excitement when I came home from work today. We played outside (the sun was back!), we played the piano (I attempted to teach him Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star), and he ran around the house in a diaper after an unsuccessful attempt to get some clothes on him. We almost made it for his first Ice Cream Truck stop, but by the time I could grab my camera and some money, he was long gone. He will have to be introduced to this sweet summer experience soon.


I'm not quite sure if it is the new shoes or the amount of time Jacob has been walking, but the child has no fear anymore. He takes off running whenever he wants and this makes everyone around him a little nervous. In Houston, we were loading our car up before our ride to the airport and Jacob got excited to see Daddy by the car so he just took off ... this ended with Jacob falling head first onto the concrete, me feeling like the worst mother in the world, and Philip looking at me with the first-you-let-him-fall-off-the-bed-and-now-his-head-is-bleeding-again look. Jacob recovered quite quickly of course, but now I panic every time he sprints on the hard ground. For now, we hope to keep the number of bumps and bruises during all of our new time outside to a minimum.









The amount of drool this child acquires over the course of an hour is impressive. I'd like to think that this is because he is teething, but frankly it might just be because he loves blowing bubbles.




I have had many people ask me if Jacob is ever upset or if he really is just "that happy" all of the time. Exhibit A, My Friends: We refuse to let Jacob play in the street and force him to play on our grass or the sidewalk (I know, mean parents). This is how mad Jacob gets when we guide him away from where he wants to be. We all have our moments.

Freedom (Almost)

We have almost made it spring break. Two more days. Spring break means several different things. It means time to relax, to sit around the house and do nothing, to finally get to the gym on a consistent basis, to do some spring cleaning (maybe), to enjoy the warm sun that will (hopefully) soon be here. It also means just eight weeks left of school when spring break is done. For our kids, this excites them. Eight weeks left until free summer days. For me, this thought scares me. I have resigned from my part-time position teaching high school. It is time for me to be able to spend all of my days with my little guy (and future little ones) and to also take time to do things I am passionate about; to photograph everything and anything, to work one-on-one with struggling students, to teach online, to actually cook dinner five nights a week, to get back to Bikram yoga. This freedom is a little scary, but I know it is the right decision. We will have structure when we need structure and we will play around, not caring about the time, when we need that too. I feel very fortunate that we are able to make this decision and I know good things await us.

Ready for Some Pictures?

Back to reality today. The little man was desperately in need of some sleep time. And sleep he did, with two two-and-a-half hour naps today. We thought for sure he would not be ready for bed at his normal time, but 7:15 rolled around and he was out. Gotta love the child that sticks to his schedule even after a four day hiatus. As for me, I'm not quite sure how I feel about this cold weather. Our little introduction to blue skies, warm sun, the hint of flowers and green grass last week left me wanting more. Here are a couple of my favorites from the weekend. I think it is absolutely amazing watching two people say "I do" and it makes it even better when they are family. The next big event? Lindsay and Jonny's wedding in October! The countdown has begun!

My little stud.



Introducing Mr. & Mrs. Adam Lourie!

Hello, Home.

We had a fantastic weekend in Houston celebrating Adam and Kate, but it is definitely good to be home. All weekend, we continued to hear that Jacob is such a "good baby." He sat through services, dinners, drives, and dancing and had a smile on his face a good 95% of the time. We debated whether to leave the wedding early because he was so tired, but the little guy must have really wanted Mommy and Daddy to stay and dance the night away. He fell asleep in his stroller, with Lady Gaga and Black Eyed Peas in the background, and let us park him in the corner while we enjoyed the wedding. I can't tell you we didn't check on him every five minutes, but we did manage to steal some time alone on the dance floor.... and I loved dancing with my Philip as much as I did on our own wedding night not so long ago.

I have piles and piles of laundry to wash, suitcases that still need unpacking, a house that needs cleaning, and many stories to share, but I am also desperately in need of a few hours of sleep and relaxation. Did I mention it is not as easy traveling with a one year old? But, yes, worth every moment.

More pictures from the wedding to come but here is one of my favorites. My little prince....

3.14.2010