I'm 47 Weeks Old!

Hello, everyone! I hope you're having a good July so far. It's been really hot here, and I've been sick most of the month.

Yes, I got sick again. School called Mommy on Friday to say that I had a temperature around 100 degrees. Mommy figured my ear infection was back, so she called and made a doctor's appointment. But she couldn't leave work right away because she had an important deadline. When she came and got me, my fever was up to 102 degrees. The doctor said my ears were fine, but I had a virus.

My tummy was really upset. My little hiney was like hamburger, it was so raw. Mommy stopped at the drug store to get me Pedialyte and special butt cream. I was really tired and cranky, although I was trying hard to be good.

We were supposed to go up to Door County (that's in northern Wisconsin) to visit Grandma and Grandpa. Mommy and the doctor agreed that I probably shouldn't travel. I was really disappointed. But then Grandma decided to drive down and help take care of me! Wasn't that nice?

We had a nice weekend, even though I wasn't feeling too great. Grandma likes to sing to me and play with me. She makes me laugh. Here's a picture of us (Jacob071105b). Mommy really enjoyed having adult conversation on a weekend that wasn't with the grocery store clerk.

I felt a lot better on Sunday, so we all went to the Madison Arboretum. Mommy and Grandma thought it would be nice to see some flowers. But there aren't really any flowers there -- just "ecosystems," and boring ones at that. So we walked around the mall for a while. It had air conditioning. It was good to get out of the house and have some things to look at--plus, I had an excuse to lie back in my stroller and get some rest, instead of feeling as if I had to show off playing. I was tired when we got home, though, and took it easy (Jacob071005c).

Grandma stayed with me this morning while Mommy went to work, so I had Grandma all to myself. It was great fun. Mommy came home at lunch so Grandma could go home. I was sorry to see her go!

I like to stretch after my naps (Jacob071005b), although I have to be careful because Mommy will tickle me. I'm getting really big now. Mommy and Grandma measured me this weekend and I'm almost 29 inches long.

I clapped for the first time today! Mommy has been trying to teach me to clap since I was really little, but I've shown no interest. But today, we were watching Elmo talk about his two hands and I finally figured out how to clap! Wow, my hands can make noise just like Mommy's.

I think I'm ready to graduate to the next room at school. The Little Toddler room is for babies 10 to 15 months old. I'm going to be 11 months old next week, which means I should be 8 1/2 or 9 months. That's early, except I'm really a lot more like an 11 month old when it comes to motor skills.

There are other babies in the Little Toddler room that can't walk, so I won't be the only one -- although I will physically be the smallest. But I'm more advanced than one of the 11 month olds, who can't even pull himself up. I can do that! And I'm getting bored in the baby room, with all of the baby toys. But I will miss my teachers. Anyway, I'm going to start splitting my days and we'll see how it goes.

I'm trying to get new teeth. I've had my two bottom teeth for a while now. Mommy is convinced I'll never get teeth on the top! But I've been gnawing on anything and everything again, so more teeth must be on the way. Here's a picture of me chewing on my stroller strap (Jacob071105a). Do you think I have curly hair? Grandma is convinced my hair is starting to get curly. Mommy thinks I just have spectacular bed head and need some serious product.

Well, I'm off to get a good night's sleep so I can go to school tomorrow. Have a great week!

Love and bed-head kisses,

Jacob

P.S. Special get-well wishes for my cousin David.

P.P.S. Congratulations to my Daddy and Miss Amy.

I'm 46 Weeks Old!

Happy 4th of July! It's a grey and rainy day here, but it won't matter to me if the fireworks are cancelled -- that's way past my bedtime anyway. But Mommy and I are having a good weekend anyway. I feel much better and my earache is all
gone.

On Saturday, I went to the zoo for the first time! It was a lot of fun. I saw lions and bears and monkeys and giraffes and crocodiles, and all kinds of other animals. Here's a picture of me trying to feed the bears my paci
(Jacob070205a). I really liked the tropical rain forest habitat, because it was filled with beautiful birds. Mommy says birds are mean, but I liked the noises they make.

I also saw giant tortoises. The zoo has two and they live in an enclosed yard outside the snake house. Did you know that tortoises can weigh up to 600 pounds and grow to five feet long? And did you know that tortoises can make very loud
noises? While we were looking at the tortoises, the big male one climbed on top of the little female one and started groaning and bellowing, very loudly. It made me jump! Mommy laughed and said it is a good thing I am so little, as some of the other parents had to explain what the tortoises were doing. Somehow, birds and bees were involved, although I didn't see any.

I'm getting really good at moving around. I crawl all over the house now, instead of just staying in the living room. Three times this weekend, I've crawled into my bedroom and grabbed the wipes when I've needed a diaper change (I just finished my antibiotic so I've had a little um, intestinal difficulty). Of course, sometimes I just like to play with the wipes box, so Mommy is assuming I'm not really ready for potty training so soon. Although I do hate a dirty diaper and always have...yuck!

Mommy got me my first scooter (Jacob070205b). It flips up so it can help me walk, but I'm not ready for that yet; I just fall over. But I like to sit on it and if I wiggle my legs fast enough, I actually make it move! It's a lot of fun.

I've been talking a lot this weekend, too. I babble long strings of syllables and then wait for Mommy to reply. She doesn't ever seem to understand what I'm saying, though. My favorite word right now is "dadalada." I refuse to make any sound with an "m" which Mommy finds very frustrating, but funny.

Mommy and I have spent a lot of time together, just like the old days. It's been fun, but I've been testing my limits. There are only two things in the house I can't touch -- the vertical blinds and the tv stand. All weekend, I've been looking at Mommy and then reaching my hand out to touch either the blinds or the DVD player. She says "no" very sternly and moves me away if I touch them. I get mad and scream, but she just walks away, so I stop. If I don't touch them, she praises me and gives me a kiss. I can't help wanting to touch, it's the lure of the forbidden!

The rest of the house is mine, though. Mommy lets me play in most of the the kitchen and bathroom cupboards. I particularly like the cabinet where the tupperware lives. I get it all out and bang on it with my wooden spoon (Jacob070205c). It's one of my favorite things to do.

My spoon also makes a good weapon. A lizard followed us home from the zoo, and I like to hit him with my spoon. (JAcob070205d). I can protect my mom! (Although to protect the lizard, Mommy moved him up to the freezer door.)

Let's see, not much else to report. Oh, I have a new favorite food -- blueberries! Mommy gave me some banana blueberry mix the other day. I liked it so much I cried until she fed me the entire jar, even though I had already eaten a jar each of carrots & beef and green beans & potatoes. It's funny, because Mommy loves blueberries, too. And I got to try ice cream and American cheese for the first time. Yum!

Everyone have a great 4th of July!

Love and red-white-and-blue kisses,

Jacob