Settling in

In the past few days, we've added some "new" things that we think are worth sharing via photo. (Mainly due to Jacob, duh.)

First, we got Jacob a jump-up yesterday and he is unstoppable!

Thanks to great grandma Barnes, little boy also got his first crib- and he loves it. And he's sleeping a bit better each night he's in it (thank goodness).

(<--this is jacob's "thug" look)

And finally, today we received a couch (thanks to a fellow seminarian's interest in craig's list!). Jacob likes lounging already and I'm sure we will love it, too.

When our apartment is more livable and looks like a home, we'll post pictures for everyone!

Reporting from Berkeley

We made it- and in pretty fine form. Sacrificing just one frame in the move (dents and nicks on stuff doesn't count as a loss) leaves us feeling pretty smug for now! Daniel, his dad, and brother Luke bravely drove the vehicles and load of "stuff" out here last Friday/Saturday and Jacob and I came in last Saturday (Jacob slept like a champ the whole flight). Our 2 bedroom apt (seminary family housing) feels more 'spacious' than believed it would, so we're really feeling very fortunate! Our new address is:
1300 Delaware St, Apt 11
Berkeley, CA 94702
Here's Jacob with his DiDi after traveling to Berkeley!

So far this community/our apartment has convinced me of a few things, some positive, some not so much...:
-dishwashers make you messier; handwashing dishes makes certain that you do it in a timely and efficient manner
-screen doors on apartments are awesome!
-gas stoves/ovens just make me nervous.
-'babyproofing' is easier to do in a small apartment
-we can recycle nearly everything. it's bliss.

Moving on to the Jacob aspect of the blog:


Jacob is doing wonderfully during the day, squirming and squealing with joy during all the walks he gets and charming all new people with his cheeky grin. At his 4 month check-up, he weighed in just over 16 pounds (75%ile) and 24.5 inches (40%ile). He's just a solidly built baby that is making his mom and dad's arms really strong!:) After his shots this past time, he took a teeny recovery nap and then awoke ready for action. He was so active and mischevious that he intentionally reached down, grabbed a hold of his band-aids and ripped one right off!

Before we moved out of our apartment last June, Jacob had gotten through most nights typically waking twice to eat then happily returning to sleep. Through moving and traveling, we attempted to keep his evening predictable and he was usually a decent sleeper. This was true until he arrived here in Berkeley.


We're hoping that a real place to call his own will make Jacob feel more secure and calm. The little guy's crib just arrived at the store today, and Daniel is off picking it up so that we can do our darndest to get it up in time for a test run during Jacob's afternoon nap. Here's for hoping!!


This afternoon we're visiting the Rose Garden with some other little guys, so Jacob is meeting people all over the place! Much love to everyone <3

SUMMER OF FUN

Hello All.

It has been a while since I have posted something, but I think this will make up for it. We have had a great time this summer, and while we're not ready to call it Fall yet (it was 113 today), we are closing a chapter in the next week. So, without further ado, here's Jacob's 3rd movie, a look back to his first summer.

Mucho amor,

DP

Countdown to Californie-way

Things around here are same old limbo for the three of us, but only for a little while longer. Daniel made it home safely and healthily from the Mexico house building trip and Jacob and I were happy to have him back! Jacob missed his playmate and special time with the dad and for a few days following Daniel's return, the little guy whould whimper a bit when Daniel had to go anywhere.

It's finally in stone: our official moving to Berkeley date is August 8th. Then it's desert weather no more for this family, just cool coastal breezes and monstrous hills. What a drastic change it will be....but we're getting really excited (nerves included) and we're thinking our petit boy will love the environment. Just recently he's finding trees to be hilarious (I can't explain that one) and is starting to notice wildlife, so this move is timed just right to help him fall in love with nature. (and you know that makes all of his family proud!)

Before the move Jacob's got a bit in store for him: he'll be baptized on August third and then have his 4 month check-up on the 6th. Four months already and he continues to grow, change, and surprise us.

As usual, here's a little montage of the boy and some of his current hobbies:

Lifting his tush and legs straight into the air and cooing at us (while making odd faces at the camera).

Shoving his entire fist into his mouth- and then smiling and talking.


Being large and in charge in his exersaucer. Seriously, look at those thighs. They're incredible.


Smiling at everything. And he's beginning to laugh too, not just loud smiling. (Which absolutely cracks us up every time!)


And since lunch-today, he's taken to dominating this caterpillar rocker at a random Cracker Barrel. He's moving on up in this world!

We're back

Sorry for the long absence, but don't fret: we're back in action!

These past few weeks Jacob has traveled the country and met every single aunt, uncle, cousin, grandparent, and great grandparent! He's been very busy what with all the cooing and getting his cheeks pinched. Fortunately, he's a great sport and smiled for every related cheek pincher and random stranger passing on the way. Jacob grew so much while we were there that we had to laugh at how squished we all felt flying back to Phoenix with him on our laps as opposed to the trip to NC!

Our travels took us first to North Carolina where he met the Atlantic Ocean, then some raleigh time, and then on to Green Pond, NJ (which is actually a gorgeous clear lake as opposed to its name). Rather than blab too much, I'll just explain some pictures :)

This is Jacob with his two cousins Colby ( 1 month younger than Jacob) and Samuel ( 16 months) at the beach(house).

Catching up with our sweetest friend Ashley. What's Jacob wearing you ask? Well, the baby is sporting an Enloe t-shirt thanks to Ms. Scarborough, Daniel's high school theater teacher.

And now he's being swallowed in his dad's panther hat. Daniel just really wanted a picture of he and my dad with their Panthers attire on...and wanted to include Jacob. Jacob wasn't as excited as Daniel.

Like Grandpa like baby. Jacob always sleep with his arms thrown above his head, so his grandpa was giving is a test run to see if it helped you sleep better.


The boy really doesn't sleep that much, but we just don't think of grabbing the camera when we're so actively playing with him! As you can see, he has now figured out how his hands work and has taken a liking to his star friend. The little boy made it in a 10+ hour car ride from NC to NJ in large part thanks to this toy (and naps).

Happy Birthday "Crazy Uncle Dana" and also to his great grandpa and great uncle:) Yes, he really is a our chunky monkey.

We hope you enjoyed those...there will be more and updated ones to come soon!

Here are some fun shots of my boys: (and Jacob is 10 weeks old!)


Using Daniel as a baby jungle gym was Jacob's way of celebrating Father's day.


This is Jacob's newest discovery: a motorcycle-esque pose of the arms, flared nostrils, and a duck-bill looking top lip. All of this is done with frantically kicking. It's absolutely hilarious!


What better way to start a day then to get to sleep in mom's spot next to dad in bed!


Again with Jacob's friend Yertle. Jacob's nearly always happy when he gets to sit up and look around!

Movin' on up

Well, we're not so much "moving on up" as we're just starting the summer of moving. Despite living in summers of 110+ heat, Daniel and I seem to have made it tradition to have at least two moves. You'd think we'd learn....there's always next year :)
We're in the process of moving out of our apt and into the home of daniel's parents until we make the official move to Berkeley in early August. As we'll be on the East side of the country (WAHOO!) from this wednesday through July 7th,and Daniel will be in Mexico for a week in July, paying another month of rent seemed like a waste. And fortunately, we have some very loving and accepting family to take us in for the time being.
Jacob doesn't seem to mind living with his grandparents as it means more people to laugh at and play with daily. Or, as it was yesterday, nightly too. Jacob proved to us just how aware he is of his environment- on moving day he took 2 naps for about 20 minutes each. Daniel and I yearned for a nap and Jacob refused to sleep or be out of one of our arms.

There will be some pictures to share -but as of right now, the website won't let us upload them. Until then, we can't wait to see NC folks in less than a week!!