Merry Christmas to All...

...and to all a good night, or morning, as the case may be. It's 2:30 a.m. here - I took some claritin d for allergies/cold, but now I remember why I don't usually take claritin. It always keeps me awake!

The boys have grown so much! Probably the best way to keep up with us is through my flickr page: www.flickr.com/photos/kristieab. I have discovered I am sporadic at best when it comes to blogging, which shouldn't be a surprise, I never journaled well in school, either! Some of the highlights of the past 2 months are: Halloween - my mini-Imagination Movers were too cute! We went trick-or-treating around my dad's neighborhood. J pretty much didn't realize what was going on, but Eli did. Every time someone put candy in his bucket he'd drop it, which was really funny. Then we went to some friends' house for their annual Halloween party. Both boys had fun playing with friends, although they are still not too sure about people in full costume. As long as they can see your face, they are fine; if you have a full mask on, they won't come near you!

We went to First Friday in November - a little cold, but lots of fun. Case in point on the full masks - Big Al the Alabama mascot was there, & although E loves elephants (he calls them elephanents) he didn't want to get near Big Al, even with Zach holding him!

My grandmother came to visit us all the way from PA. We had a great week with her, made extra special for me since it was my birthday. The boys loved having her here, and Elias even got to make sticky buns with her, which was a real treat. J also started taking a couple of steps toward the end of the week, so Gram got to see that. Now, he's off - full speed ahead! He has 5 teeth now, though the 6th is so close we can see it through the gum. He's eating table food now, and will often reach for what he wants if you don't give him anything!

Elias has been talking up a storm - to the point that sometimes I have to tell him to just stop talking & be quiet! We're trying to learn the difference between 'outside' voice, 'inside' voice & 'restaurant' voice, but the 'outside' voice usually wins out. It is increased by J chiming in with his baby babble, and they usually play off one another to see who can get the loudest. This usually results in lots of giggles for the 2 of them! Jacob is also saying a few words - Mama, Dada, Jay, Ball, & my personal fav - Bite Bite. He's so funny in the way he says it; I don't know if it's the southern accent or just him, but it usually comes out biiiiite biiiite, all drawn out, complete with a little growl in the middle!

Thanksgiving was a blur...I didn't even get any pictures of that. Everyone came to our house to eat - Zach had ordered a smoked turkey, so I didn't have to cook a whole bird. We went that Friday to cut down our Christmas tree - all 3 of the boys had a great time with that. Thankfully Faith went with us to help corral the wee ones while Zach played lumberjack! Then we had an Iron Bowl party, giving the boys more time to play with friends. I think they wore Dame Catoe out, running her back & forth through the house!

The next weekend we had a cookie swap/SEC championship party at the same friends' house, and there was another friend there to play with, too. The 3 older ones ran all over the house, while J just sort of wandered after them & eventually just did his own thing. I think he got tired of all the walking! Bama won, Zach was happy & we came home with 2 tired kiddos & a tin full of cookies. It was a great ending of Zach's birthday week & a great start to the Christmas season.

And now it's a week until Christmas. The tree is up and the house decorated; stockings are hung, Christmas cards sent. We made a couple of gingerbread houses with the boys - which really just involved Zach & I decorating while trying to keep them from eating all of the candy! We also went the the Christmas parade - Elias was so excited that for 2 days before & a week after all he could talk about was 'going to see big drums, going to see people marching & waving, see people dancing & see the horses.' He loved the bands & spent most of the parade up on Zach's shoulders, waving at everyone that walked by!

Elias has been a source of holiday cheer - saying 'Merry Christmas, Mommy' & 'Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas' to people in the store. We got a countdown calendar complete with chocolate for the boys to share & E has had such a hard time sharing with J. J gets a little bite & E gets a big bite, but it's usually accompanied by tears & requests from E to 'put it back together!' Now, by the 18th day, we're slightly better at sharing. One night I was explaining to Elias that we only have 1 calendar, so we have to share & he promptly told me to get 2! I love the fact that he figured out that solution! Next year, we will have 2 countdown calendars!

Both boys love the tree & ringing all the jingle bells they can find. They love the cookies I've baked & seeing all the wrapped presents in the extra bedroom. I haven't put them under the tree - I'm sure my 2 little elves would have them all unwrapped before Christmas! Everyone will be here Christmas day for presents galore & Christmas ham. What better way to spend the holiday?

Feeling H-A-double P-Y!

'Cause it's Jacob's birthday! Actually, we had the party this past Saturday, and it was really a lot of fun. We usually go through the whole thought pattern of 'well, we did this for Elias, but we've haven't really done this for Jacob' but I have to say, J's 1st party was just as big as Eli's. You'll have to check out some pics on flickr. We went with a construction theme party, and Zach even got into the decorating! I guess it was a theme near & dear to his heart, since we've been on a remodeling kick for over a year. It's hard to find time to get things done with 2 little ones running around! Added to that the rain that falls anytime Zach has time to paint outside, & I think I'm destined to live with a crazy-colored house for a while!

On other news, J had his one year check up yesterday, & I mentioned to the dr. about him not wanting to drink milk out of a sippy. Apparently, he decided that he'd prove me wrong last night & drank 2 cups of milk out of a sippy cup yesterday! Whoo! No more bottles for us! Sometimes I feel a little sad that we are moving so quickly out of the baby stage, but him being able to feed himself & hold his own cup is a great thing. He's also decided that he doesn't want any more baby food, he'll have what we're eating, thankyouverymuch & he'll feed himself, too. I wish he had decided that before I bought baby food! So now I'm trying to make dinners that he can eat if we cut it up, and try to shove some baby food into him between grownup bites.

We also took our first trip to the zoo with the boys. Somehow, between remodeling, moving, having J, etc. we never managed to take Eli to the zoo. So J's birthday seemed like a perfect opportunity to take them both. We had a great day as a family, though the zoo was a little pitiful. There are a lot of birds, snakes/spiders, & monkeys, with a rhino & giraffe thrown in for good measure. No bears, & the elephant & gorilla have recently passed away. There were a couple of lions & tigers, but they were being lazy. The kangaroos were being lazy, too, but it was cool to see the kangas up close. I've heard the Chatty zoo is even more pitiful, so I think the next zooventure we have will be in Hotlanta. I remember going to the National Zoo in D.C. as a child, so I guess my zoo expectations are rather high!

Halloween is Saturday, & it will be interesting to see how we fair. We're going as the Imagination Movers, & hopefully Elias will want to wear his costume, Zach will be happy dressing up, & Jacob won't have a meltdown before we go anywhere. The next post should be very interesting!

So Much to Write...

And never enough time!

Jacob will be 1 next week - big construction party is all planned! We've been to the pumpkin patch - check out picture on my flickr page. Jacob has 2 bottom teeth, and seems to be working on the top 2. He's still not walking by himself, though I think he could if he just would.

Elias keeps getting bigger and bigger. He's so much more conversational now. Last week, he told Zach where to find his pjs, which pair he wanted, & when Zach held them up he said, 'yep, that will work!' Too funny! He's also become really concerned when we're up on ladders or step-stools (which is most of the time, since we're painting the outside of the house!) He'll look up at you and say "Be careful up there, pay attention to what you're doing." and once even told me to come down from up there & offered his hand to help me down. I have no idea where he comes up with it all! He can count to 12, and knows how old he is, and how old Jacob will be. He knows his colors and shapes, though he still likes to call round crackers (ritz) oval crackers. I think he just likes saying oval! No potty train yet...maybe one day?

Jacob has become more conversational, too. He only really says MaMa or DaDa clearly enough to make out, but he'll just babble away & then look at you as if you should know what he's saying. He loves chasing Elsie around, and has really started looking at books. One of his favorites has a little mirror in it, which he thinks is hilarious! He's also eating everything in sight - potatoes, green beans, banana, you name it, he'll eat it. Luckily, he seems to be slimming down rather than getting chubbier! The only thing he's not fond of is milk in a sippy cup. He'll drink juice from a sippy, but not milk, unless it's in Elias' sippy, which is just like his. Otherwise he wants his milk in a bottle, thankyouverymuch!

Whoosh!

The end of summer flew by...I think I was a bit optimistic in hoping I could maintain a blog while raising 2 little boys. Jacob will be 1 year old in less than a month! He's so close to walking, and still doesn't have any teeth. Hopefully in the next few weeks we'll get a couple, or there will be a lot of toothless smiles in his first birthday picture!

Elias is getting his 2 year molars in, whoa, 2 boys teething! Most of the time it's not bad, but the other day while we were getting groceries Elias bit his finger while trying to chew his tooth through! Oh, the wails! He has become quite a conversationalist, and while I understand most of what he says, there are still some phrases that escape me!

There is so much more I could write about, and yet, so much I've probably forgotten, too. I guess just check out my flickr page to see what all we've been up to. I hear Jacob (oh, now Eli, too) waking up from naps, so I guess that's all for now!

Elias is 2!

Whee!

July is almost over...so much has been happening, and yet, a bunch of nothing has gone on, too. The hilights of this month are:

Elias' 2nd birthday - so much fun! He even blew out his own birthday candle, then promptly burst into tears. Now he's obsessed with watching the video & blowing out candles.

Jacob is still scootering around, and now pulling up on everything. Every so often he will take a tentative step, so it won't be long before he's fully mobile.

We've had to move Elias into another carseat, because Jacob has pretty much outgrown his pumpkin seat. So, new carseats for both boys, and the backseat of the Accordian is getting smaller and smaller...I see a 3 row SUV in my future.

We're in the process of replacing the fascia on our house, in hopes of getting gutters installed before it rains too much. This means lots of Saturdays & evenings with Zach outside, banging away.

Still trying to hop on board the potty train...Elias has discovered how the play the song on his potty (which should only sound when he uses said potty) by just pushing the button. No peepee in the potty yet.

Jacob has really started being more vocal - I think he's even said 'mama' & 'dada', though I don't know if he realizes yet what he's saying.

Faith & I have set up sprinklers & the baby pool in the backyard. Elias loves it. Jacob screams when we put him in the pool. I think sometimes Elias is a little bit too much for him!

But, Jacob & Elias can totally crack each other up. They get to staring at each other until one of them laughs, and that makes the other one laugh. Too funny.

And speaking of funny - Elias was in his new carseat, and started speaking gibberish. I turned around to ask him 'what', and he repeated himself. I asked him if he was speaking alien, and he matter-of-factly told me 'Yes.' Who knows!

Life keeps passing me by!

I can't believe it's been over a month since I last posted something! I guess that's what raising 2 babies will get you, especially if you spend half the month travelling all over the south. We had a great time at the beach. Faith came down, too, to hang out, which was good - we had to put some of our stuff in her car to get home!!! Jacob started crawling while we were there, a cute little inchworm crawl. By the time we got home, he was fully mobile. Too bad for Elsie - she wasn't prepared for him grabbing her all the time! The trip home was pretty horrendous - Elias was having trouble going to the bathroom, so we had to stop at almost every exit on the way home. What should have been a 4-5 hour trip turned into 8-9 hours! Thankfully, by Birmingham he fell asleep, and we managed to get home rather uneventfully from there.

We were home about 2 weeks, then off to Atlanta with our youth for Jesus Culture. What an awesome experience! And thank God for Gran-Gran, who went with us and took care of Eli & Jacob. We never would have made it without her! It was so cool to watch Elias dancing with hundreds of other people during worship, and even Jacob got into it, singing along. It definitely kicked Elias up a notch - he'd been praising and praying and blessing people ever since we came home!

Jacob has moved to sitting up on his own. The first few times he did, we figured Elias must have helped him, but one day I went to get him up from nap, and he was sitting up, looking at me! Time to drop the mattress down a level! No teeth yet, but we are so close!

Elias learned a new stunt, too - crawling out of his crib. The first time he tried, he got his knee stuck in the crib slats. At 2 a.m. Nothing like the wailing that occurs and rips you from deep slumber! The next time he climbed out during naptime, and he made it about halfway up the stairs before I realized he was out. I think I finally made him understand that it was too dangerous to climb out, because he hasn't tried again. I know it's not long before we're swapping to a toddler bed.

Elias turns 2 this weekend - I can't believe how grown up he has gotten! He's all conversational now, and will pretty much tell you anything. He also repeats everything you say, word by word, which is pretty funny when you're trying to have a conversation. He also loves singing and dancing, and will sing along to the cds in the car. It's amazing that he knows most of the words to a bunch of worship songs. He'll also start singing and dancing in the most random places, like in the buggy at Lowe's! I guess it's better than what Jacob did - he was chewing on Eli's juice cup, and managed to soak his entire shirt while we were there. Nothing like a wardrobe change in the parking lot of Lowe's!

We're almost ready for Elias' birthday party - Imagination Movers. That seems to be his favorite show, and even Jacob will get up on his hands & knees to "dance". It is so funny! I'm sure next week I'll have a ton of pictures up from the party!

Beach Bound

Tomorrow we are leaving to go to the beach for a few days. It's amazing what you need to take with you when you have two small ones along! I'm just hoping that we'll have enough room in the car...I can see a suv with a 3rd row on the horizon! (Zach refuses to buy a minivan!)

I'm super-excited about going to the beach. The last time we went, Elias was only 4 months old, so he should have a great time. Jacob will probably eat sand...a lot. Everything ends up in his mouth. To get ready, we bought the boys beach hats & sunglasses...too cute!

testing...

Laura sent me an email to tell me how to upload pics to my blog...I'm trying to see if I can make it work. I'm afraid I'm not so up on my computer skills.

Wait, there it is! A picture! of my 2 cute boys, loving each other. Yay! I've got mad skillz now, Thanks, Laura!

Too Funny

Just a quick update, because both boys have been hilarious lately! Last night, I was folding laundry, and Elias was 'helping' which means he pulls clothes out of the basket & either hands them to me to fold (actually helpful) or dances around the room with them. Well, now we have a new one. He grabbed a pair of Zach's underwear & proceeded to put them on over his head! Zach & I just lost it! I've noticed that he tends to try to put pants on over his head, and shirts on his legs...perhaps we should work at our dressing skills.

This, however, was too much. And then, because we were cracking up, he kept doing it - taking them off, then putting them on again. He never quite figured out that there wasn't anywhere for his head to go. As soon as I post pictures on flickr, I'll link to it. (Still haven't made time to get with Laura to learn how to post them here!)

This morning Jacob was playing in the saucer while I was folding more clothes in the dining room. He was cooing & gooing, so I knew he was fine, but after a while I noticed it was really quiet...because he fell asleep in the saucer, sitting up! Of course, I had to grab the camera then, too. Elias was standing there, like a little museum guide, showing off his sleeping brother. They are both too funny!

catching up

That seems to be my new motto in life...I feel like I'm always trying to catch up on something. I guess between the 2 boys, and church stuff, and just life, it's a lot like my purchases at Hobby Lobby yesterday - random! I was buying a bunch of stuff for church, and I found a few things for Elias' birthday (he's going to be 2 in 2 months!), so I ended up with a little bit of everything - canvas, paint, fabric, floral stuff, party supplies...very random indeed!

The boys are great, though a little fussy from teething. Elias has gained another incisor - this one on top, opposite the bottom one; and he's working on the other bottom one. Still no teeth for Jacob - I can't remember when Elias got his first tooth, but for the most part they are very similar in their growing patterns, so I figure it will be about the same time. Jacob has gotten a case of the clingys, and doesn't like when he can't see me at all times. The only cure I know of for this is to put him in his saucer and move to another room, or at least out of his line of sight. After a few minutes of fussing, he adjusts and has a great time playing.

We made it through the first year of my mom being gone...there were some hard times, but we are continuing to push through. The sweetest thing is when Elias see a picture of her and points & says 'Grammy'. He was still too young to really remember her, but hopefully he'll be able to get to know her through me. I realize how much like my mom I really am, and even sometimes can hear her saying things to me in the way I say things to the boys.

Zach took the day off Tuesday, and we took the boys to Huntsville to the children's history museum. It was a let-down after going to the children's museum in Chattanooga. Huntsville has a science museum, too, so maybe that one is a little bit better. We also went to the Bridge Street Town Center, which was so much fun! I definitely want to go back there sometime. I wish we had something similar here - it was so relaxing just walking around, shopping and watching all the people. We bought some chocolates for a snack, and beach hats for the boys - so cute! Now, if we can only convince Elias to keep his on his head!

new pictures

I've got a bunch of new pictures posted on my flickr page. This afternoon Elias was napping, so I was able to take some bucket pictures of Jacob. They turned out really cute! When we took Elias' pictures, it was so much fun, I wanted to be sure I took some with Jacob, too. http://www.flickr.com/photos/kristieab/1758520361/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/kristieab/3447575415/. One of these days, I'll get Laura over to show me how to add pictures - until then, I'll just have to add links!

In other big news - Jacob is still working on sitting up. He loves standing, and rolls all over the place when he's having tummy time. We've moved up another diaper size, so both boys are in size 4's! When I last weighed them, Jacob was 17 lbs. and Elias was 25 lbs. - I guess with only 15 months apart, they are going to be close in size!

Elias has gotten one of his incisors, and is working on the other 3. No teeth for Jacob yet, but plenty of drool! Elias is also starting on the potty train, though I'm afraid I'm not really very consistant. It's sort of the same way with Jacob & baby food. Sometimes, it's just hard to find the time! Both boys seem happy, so I'm not going to worry about it. We did get Jacob his own high chair, and they both seem to love being able to sit at the table together. http://www.flickr.com/photos/kristieab/3447322763/. We also put Jacob in the bath seat in the tub, and let Elias swim around in the tub. They just love being together! I'm glad that right now they like each other so much - I'm sure that won't always be the case.

Finally, everyone at our house has been getting sleep! Naps are good, though Elias is transitioning to only 1 nap a day. Jacob still likes 2 or 3 depending on the day. Both boys are sleeping well through the night, which is really a blessing, since I'm not getting to nap during the day! They are both so good natured - this week we've been all over the place shopping & stuff, and they both just hang out, hardly making a fuss at all. We're planning to go to the beach for Memorial Day, and I'm sure they'll do great in the car, and as we're down at Gulf Shores. We are so blessed!

Busy-ness Business

I'm not sure how we are going to survive this manic pace we're setting, but it's been a great week. The guys that stayed with us (Ben & Josh) were so awesome! We got to see God move in our youth group & church, and even saw some people get healed! Yay! Elias loved the guys - Tuesday after they left, Elias kept looking around for them. I think he's finally understood that they went home.

He was so funny the past few mornings. All last week he woke up so early, so I would tell him 'shhh...' because the guys were still sleeping. The past few mornings, he's woke up and told me 'shhh...' even though I told him Ben & Josh were at their house. Today he finally has stopped looking for them.

Jacob is almost sitting up on his own now - he'll sit for a minute, then lean way over until he just sort of rolls over. He's also trying to talk more - especially when I go put him to bed at night. He will be almost asleep if not asleep upstairs, but as soon as I take him down to change him & put him to bed he turns into Mr. Chatterbox! All bright-eyed and conversational is he.

This morning, Elias got in the exersaucer. I was changing Jacob's diaper and turned around & he was sitting in it, playing with the toys! I managed to grab a few pics, but still haven't figured out how to post them to the blog. Laura, you need to help me!

What a Week!

I realized it's been a week since I've posted anything...I'm becoming like Liz! We've been busy cleaning house & preparing for our guests from Bethel. They arrived last night, and we have 2 guys staying with us. Fun!

In preparation for the guys, I blew up the air mattresses last week to be sure they didn't deflate in an unreasonable amount of time. Do you know how hard it is to inflate air mattresses with a toddler jumping on them? I do! Elias loves the air mattresses, and after they were inflated, I had to shut the door to the bedroom just so he wouldn't jump on them all the time. Even when Ben & Josh got here last night, Elias made a bee-line to their room just to jump on the beds!

In other news, Jacob is becoming much more vocal. Even now he's sitting in his saucer, cooing & gooing away. I wish you could hear him - it's hilarious! He is all smiles for anyone who will talk to him - Mommy, Daddy, Elias, the clerk at the grocery store, the random people at Walmart. I guess it's good we raise such friendly children!

Elias is drawing ever closer to the age of 2! His friend Ben turned 2 over the weekend - it doesn't seem that long ago that Laura & I were both preggers! Now we have Jacob, and they are preggers with 2.2! It is becoming more evident in his actions that 2 is going to loads of fun. Already he is whining & crying if he doesn't get his way. Monday night Faith came over, and Elias got upset about something because Zach & I were both telling him no. He started crying, saying 'Aunt Baith! Aunt Baith!' thinking she would help him. She told him no, too, and he turns around and cries 'I want Paw-Paw!' Needless to say, we all busted out laughing at him!

I've got new pictures posted on my flickr page - www.flickr.com/photos/kristieab. I want to take a few more pictures of Jacob this week, but with all the business I don't know if we'll get to it!

Growing Up

I was reading Laura's blog, and she mentioned how surprised she was at some of the stuff Ben has learned to do. It made me think about all the stuff Elias & Jacob are learning (almost every day there's something new!) that I don't even realize until someone else mentions it. Yesterday morning we called Paw-Paw just to say hi, and Elias actually carried on some conversation. And when I tell him to hand the phone over to let me talk, he actually will hand it back.

My favorite is when Zach is swinging Elias around, and when he counts to 3 he tosses Elias onto our bed. Now when Zach starts counting, Elias will finish counting for him. It's really funny when I count to 3 before he gets in trouble, because he'll finish counting for me, too. (is he that eager to get in trouble?)

Elias also surprised me yesterday. He's got a little photo album of family pictures. He usually goes through the album, & I'll tell him who everyone is. Lately, he'll pick out Zach & I, but won't say anyone else's name. Yesterday, he was flippng through, pointing out Zach's parents & my dad, & Faith, Andrew & Lori. The only hang-up he had was that he thought the baby in the picture was Jacob, even after I told him that baby was Elias!

Jacob is just about sitting up on his own, although he's still pretty wobbly. He's so sweet, trying to reach out and touch your face while you hold him. Yesterday he grabbed 2 big handfulls of my hair, and thought that was the best thing ever! He watches Elias so intently that I know in a few months I'm going to be running to keep up with those 2!

Jacob Big Boy

I haven't taken time to blog this week. We've been sort of crazy (as in, I still have laundry from Monday to fold & put away!) but I wanted to take time to write down some things about Jacob so I don't forget. I am so so so so thankful he is an easy baby. If he were difficult, I'd probably go nuts, with Elias around and about to hit the two's. Jacob rarely cries, so if he does, you know something's not right. Even when he wakes up at night, he doesn't cry, he just goos & coos until you come get him, or he falls back to sleep. It's so much nicer than being jolted awake by screaming (which Elias did last night, ugg!)

Jacob is also really good natured. He'll put up with Elias messing with him, and at almost 2 years old, Elias messes with EVERYTHING! (the dog, Jacob, the toilet, the cabinets, the doorknobs, Elsie's food, water, & litter box...) Jacob is loving his playmat & his exersaucer, too. I think he likes the fact that he can reach his hands out for something and actually pick it up if he wants! He is usually all smiley when you talk to him, and will often reach out and try to touch your face. And I've found that if you blow raspberries on his belly, he totally cracks up!

This week during bath time Jacob was sitting in his tub as I got Elias undressed. As soon as I put Elias in the tub, Jacob turns to him and grins. It was so precious. He will usually smile when he sees Elias. Jacob loves bananas, pears, and applesauce, and is starting to do really well eating with a spoon. I'm having a harder time trying to find a good time to feed him while Elias is occupied.

One of my favorite things is how he'll get all snuggly after he eats. He just burrows into your neck and cuddles up. It's so sweet. Elias will still do this sometimes, but Jacob does this several times a day. And he smells all sweet and lovey, like baby lotion and milk. It just makes you want to cuddle him even more and cherish how small he is. He's starting to sit up more on his own, so it won't be long before he's crawling, standing & walking. Though if Elias has his way, Jacob will just skip those and move straight to running, rolling & tumbling!

Sick is no Fun...

Thursday, Elias was running a little bit of a temp. but was still playing and napping fine, so I didn't think anything about it. Friday morning, he woke up with a temp of 102.3, and since our dr. office is closed on Saturdays, I packed him up and carried him to the dr. Nothing big, just a viral infection, but we definitely wanted to get him checked out, in case it had turned worse.

By the time we got to the dr. office, you could tell he was feeling a bit better, but still not himself. My friend Jen works there, and we arrived at the same time. She asked where Jacob was (with Paw-Paw), and then Elias starts looking around, asking 'Where's Jacob?' and looking at me like I forgot him! I guess because I'm with him all the time, I don't realize that he actually can speak in full sentences, clearly enough to be understood by someone.

At the dr. they drew blood, just to check his counts (all good!) and usually he clots really quickly, but for some reason his finger kept bleeding. I didn't realize this (it had a band-aid on) until he looked up at me with blood all around his mouth! I thought he might have bit his tongue, but then he keeps on showing me his band-aid and when I touch it, blood oozes out. 2 more band-aids, and we finally got it to stop bleeding!

In other fun news - Elias has realized he can climb up on the toilet and turn the faucet on. I realized this Friday morning (should have known he wasn't really sick!) when he took my make-up bag and floated it & all my make-up in the sink. Always an adventure!

I also realized how extremely grateful I am for my family. Zach's dad was supposed to go to B'ham Friday morning with a friend, but delayed his trip so he could watch Jacob while I took Elias to the dr. Friday night my dad took us out to dinner - yummy! Then Saturday, the boys & I hung out with my dad & went shopping for clothes while Zach's dad helped him with a plumbing project. Sat. night, Zach's parents kept the boys overnight and let us have date night (to Sam's to buy diapers!) and brought them to church Sunday. Every Sunday & Wed. night, Zach's parents come and help us with the boys at church, and even come to the worship kinship to help watch them. I know the boys are cute, but I also know it takes some time for them to come do this all the time. They are all just the best grandparents, ever!

crazy week!

We've been at church 2 of the past 3 nights, and we'll be there again tonight for worship kinship. Luckily, both boys have been sleeping well at night and taking really good naps! Elias is in explorer mode right now, just checking everything out & getting into everything. Jacob is his usually smiley self - he's decided he's too big to sleep in the pack-n-play, and wants to sleep in his own crib. It's sort of nice when they are both napping - I have the whole upstairs to myself & don't have to worry about being really quiet!

Last night at church, Elias was in rare form. He was dancing & laughing & raising his hands. From time to time he would point to the ceiling, though I think he could see a balloon from Valentine's Day that is stuck up in the rafters! Jacob was pretty sweet most of the evening, too. Zach's parents were there, which is a huge help since Zach plays bass with the band. I can corral 2 kids at home, but it's a little harder at church! Luckily, there's always someone willing to hold them!

weekend events

I'm not sure how our weekends always get to be so crazy...even when we don't plan anything, we always end up with more to do! It makes it hard to remember all the cool stuff the boys learned & did over the weekend. This weekend we had friends over Friday night, visiting friends and a birthday party Saturday, and church Sunday. Add in that we went to Chic-fil-a Saturday morning to let Elias play in the playplace, and the snow we got Sunday morning, the weekend was definitely eventful!

I don't know if I've mentioned how Elias loves for Zach to play the guitar & he sings along. Well, any time Zach heads toward the music closet, Elias is ready to sing & worship Jesus. His favorite song is 'Holy, Holy, Jesus'. We don't know a song that is exactly like that, but that's what he always sings. Sunday morning we were getting ready for church, and Zach went to get his guitar & things out of the closet so we could leave. Elias jumps up and runs over to the closet, arms outstretched, ready to sing. Zach told him we couldn't sing right now, and Elias erupted into tears! So Zach had to pull his guitar out for a few choruses of 'Holy Jesus' before we could go.

We also love to watch concerts on tv. Elias usually stops and starts dancing to the music, but especially if there is worship going on, he'll stop, put his hands up and worship Jesus. Yesterday, he even added a new dance move to his repertoire - and it actually looked like a real move, versus stomping his foot & turning in circles. He is just too cute when he's worshipping Jesus, and it is so sweet to see his young heart so tender toward God.

Jacob is still growing a ton - lately he's decided that he's not going to sleep upstairs in the pack-n-play or the swing. He wants to nap in his room, in his crib. It's amazing how quickly he's growing up. He is such a happy guy - always smiling and laughing for anyone who will pay attention to him. We got some snow here on Sunday, and I was excited because I thought we'd get to take the boys out to play in it. Unfortunately, it started snowing on our way to church, and had all melted away by the time we got home. Today the sun is out, and I have the windows open. Crazy Alabama weather. So, Jacob's first snow came & went, and I'm not sure he noticed it at all!

Bath Time is Always Fun!

Elias has always loved his bath...Jacob is beginning to love them as well. When I first put him in his little bathtub, he wasn't really sure what was happening, but now when I put him in there, he's all smiles. He giggles when I spray him with O Blue, the sprayer hose. Bath day is always a chore, though, with both boys. Do I bathe them the same day, or try to alternate days? It seems like on bath day, we're in the bathroom all morning!

This past week I've actually started bathing them at the same time. Jacob's baby tub fits perfectly cross-wise in the tub, leaving plenty of room for Elias' bath chair. And I think they love being in there together. Yesterday during baths I was spraying Elias & Jacob was just watching and grinning. Then Elias started drinking water from the sprayer & Jacob just cracked up over that, which got Elias clowning around more. Bath time is going to be so much fun with everyone in the tub. Just remember to bring an extra towel, because it's definitely in the splash zone!!!

Quick Update...

Time to wake up this morning - Jacob is rolled over, playing songs on the pull toy in his crib..."3 Blind Mice, 3 Blind Mice"...I go to get Elias up, and he's standing in his crib wearing nothing but a diaper. I guess he's figured out how to take off his zippered footie pjs. Good Times, Good Times!

How time flies!

The weekend just flew by - the boys spent the night with Gran-Gran & Paw-Paw on Friday, then Pancake Day Saturday, a church thing Saturday night, and church & youth on Sunday! Where does all the time go?

Zach was off on Friday, and spent the day painting the downstairs hallway. Elias got so upset that he couldn't spend time helping Daddy (toddler with a 5 gallon bucket of paint? No Way!) he just stood at the baby gate and cried. Saturday, after we went and ate pancakes, Zach & his dad hung trim in the hallway. Again, no place for Elias. He, Jacob & I spent the day in the living room, playing & watching playhouse disney. He finally got so tired he fell asleep sitting on the couch, upright; I laid him down on the couch and he snoozed for a few hours. That night was a tough sleeping night for him - he had sinus stuff, plus he hadn't slept in his bed since naptime on Friday. I finally fell asleep on the couch with him. Jacob, however, has been sleeping like a log! He's going to bed around 9-9:30, and sleeping until at least 5 am. A clean diaper & quick bite, and he's back to sleep for a few more hours. Yay!

Jacob has also started eating cereal & bananas. He's so funny with them - each time we sit down to eat, he has to remember how the spoon works. You can just see him trying to figure it all out, when he tastes a few bites and gets so excited! Seems like he'll love fruit, just like Elias does!

What?!?!

I just came back upstairs from putting in my contacts. I left Elias in the livingroom watching Handy Manny. When I reach the top of the stairs, Elias walks over to the gate, wearing his shirt. Nothing else. He took off his diaper and overalls, and then peed on his overalls. Imagine my shock! I guess we'll be stepping up the potty train.

In other news, this much better - Jacob slept the whole night through again last night. I think I've found his trick: Feed him milk, then cereal before bed. He's started eating fruits, too. Loves the bananas, apples & blueberries.

A Full Night's Sleep Makes All the Difference

Surprisingly, everyone slept all night long! Yippeee! I was rather shocked that Jacob made it all night, but definitely grateful. This morning, after I got him up & changed & fed, he played on the floor while Zach got ready for work & I folded clothes. Next thing we know, he's rolling over, belly to back, then to belly again. I think he surprised himself with so much movement on his own, but wasn't too upset by it. He spent the rest of the time on his belly, 'talking' to a rubber duck - too funny! They seemed to be having some serious conversations!

Yesterday we made a trip to Kmart (to avoid going to Walmart!), and just like at Lowes, Elias kept trying to turn around to see Jacob. He's always trying to watch out for him when he's in the swing or pack-n-play. E is almost tall enough to see over the side of the playpen, so he grabs hold of the side and stretches that last inch or so. He's always throwing toys in there, so Jacob has something to play with. Thankfully, it's usually soft toys, so it doesn't hurt!

Busy Weekend!

We had such a busy weekend, but lots of fun with the boys. Friday night, they got to stay with Aunt Faith while Zach & I went to a Valentines dinner at church. Zach's parents also stopped by with Valentine surprises. The boys got stuffed dogs that sing Burt Bacarach's Close to You. Love it!

On Saturday, everyone was up early, so we went to breakfast at Waffle House, then a quick trip to Lowes. Elias was really tired during the whole outing, but Jacob was a sweetie. When we were in Lowes, Elias was sitting in the cart seat, and Jacob was in his car seat in the basket. Elias kept turning around to see Jacob or talk to him. So cute!

Both boys took naps when we got home, and the Catoes stopped by for a bit. Jacob woke up, so he got to visit - very talkative! Then we spent some time with Poppy, who brought more stuffed animals - yep, dogs! before we went out for lunch. We had thought to go to B'ham, but never made it, so we went to Mater's pizza, then Walmart & the Mall. Both boys were pretty fussy, so we didn't stay long. Elias, true to form, still had to wave to everyone as we were leaving. :o)

Sunday we were up early for church; I got to play with the boys while Zach practiced with the worship team. Elias was up onstage with our friend Amber, and he wanted to sing in the microphone like Daddy. Of course, then he didn't want to give up the mic for Amber to sing! We spent the rest of practice dancing around and chasing each other. Then, when everyone was arriving for church, Elias kept going around telling people 'morning!' A regular little greeter.

Both boys slept during church - so sweet. They must not have gotten their naps out, though. We went to lunch with Zach's family, and they were both fussy! Meals out, we're 0 for 3 this weekend! By the time we got home, neither one wanted to take a nap, even though we tried to get them to sleep several times. So we watched E run around & play, while J played in the swing or saucer. Finally around 5:30 p.m. Jacob fell asleep in my arms. Elias went strong until after 8 p.m.!

All in all, it was a fun weekend to spend together as a family. Now for a few days of rest before the week picks up!

roll over, roll over

I figured that since this blog will be predominantly about Elias (he is older, into more stuff, & just generally funnier right now!) I'd be sure to take time to write something about Jacob. He's beginning to figure out how to roll over - he's rolled over by himself a few times in the last 2 months, but nothing consistently. Now he's getting to where he'll roll on his side to be able to see more of what's around him. Yesterday, he was laying in his pack-n-play while I cleaned up after Elias. I laid him down in the middle, with some toys around him, and when I walked back by he was holding and playing with a toy that had been farthest away from him in the very corner of the pack-n-play. Big Boy, getting his toys all by himself!

Jacob also loves to play in the exersaucer. At first he wasn't sure if he was happy there, since the first time he got in it Elias came over and 'showed' him how all the toys work. Loud and Fast. But now Jacob thinks the saucer is the most fun thing ever. He loves to sit in there and bounce around. I was downstairs grabbing the laundry, and he was upstairs in his saucer, and all I could hear was what sounded like animals running & jumping around upstairs. At first, I thought we had animals between the floors, but then I realized that it was Jacob, bouncing around in the saucer!

He's so social, if you pay attention to him. He'll sit there and coo & goo & try to talk to you. He'll do this for hours! So so cute!

Sleeping is Over-rated

Most of the time the boys sleep really well - 7-8 hours at night, plus 2 good naps (2-3 hours at a time) during the day. Every once in a while, we have a rough night, where there isn't much sleeping going on. This week, we've had 2 so far. Monday night, Jacob wakes up a 3:20 a.m. to eat. Then, Elias woke up at 4 a.m., so Zach brings him to bed with us. Then Jacob wakes back up at 4:45 a.m., ready to play, so we all go upstairs to start the day. We had 2 really good naps that day, so I didn't really mind too much.

Yesterday they slept through the night, but neither one really wanted to take naps. I finally got them to sleep by 8:30 a.m., and they slept for a while. Yesterday afternoon was not as blessed. The weather radio kept going off just as Elias fell asleep. Then when the weather finally passed & I thought he'd be going to sleep, the UPS guy rang the doorbell. Ugg! Elias finally laid down around 3:30 p.m.

Last night, however, Elias was up around 2 a.m. Zach got up and changed him, but he wouldn't go back to sleep, so they went upstairs to play. Elias must have fallen asleep, because Zach put him back to bed around 3 a.m. Just in time for Jacob to wake up at 3:40 a.m. to eat. He cooed for a while, then finally went back to sleep until about 5 a.m. So Jacob & I went upstairs to play & he's just now fallen asleep at 7 a.m. And now, Elias is talking in his crib, meaning he's ready to get up...maybe we'll get a good nap this morning? I can only hope!

First Post

I thought I'd create a blog to keep up with the boys' accomplishments. I have baby books, but Elias has grown past his, and poor Jacob doesn't get much written in his since I usually have to find it before I can write anything down, and by then I'm having to chase down Elias or comfort Jacob. By the time I remember I was about to write anything down, I have to find the book again. So maybe here I can keep a log of what they're up to, and, since my family is all over the country, they can see what the boys are up to, as well.

I'm also not super-great with computers, so maybe I'll even learn something on this adventure!