Jake: 16 Months

Jake had a well check last week.

it was an eventful one.

thankfully not so much medically.

more an example of how i am rocking this mom thing.

our appointments always start with a quick question and answer session with the nurse. this is when things got interesting.....

nurse: does jake take a vitamin?

cece: well, he ate one off the floor!

me: um... this is true. yes. he ate one off the floor. this is when we realized he could eat vitamins and now we give him one every morning. we tear it in half. we don't leave vitamins on the floor. so, yes he is taking a vitamin.

maggie drops goldfish on the floor.

me: lets throw that away.

maggie eats goldfish.

nurse laughs.

nurse: is jake a picky eater?

cece: well, he doesn't like mustard! but he LOVES ketchup!

me: are you getting this all down?


and that was the moment i decided having siblings at a well check was a very bad idea. word to the wise. leave the big kids at home:)


so back to jake....

jake weighed in at 26 pounds 15 ounces. which puts him at the 91st percentile!!!!!

this was both shocking and exciting!

a year ago jake was at the 3rd percentile. and we were concerned. having a baby drop that low is definitely worrisome. it means pressure to never miss a feeding. pressure to always have a good feeding. weight checks. a lot of second guessing your instinct.

we knew he was ok. he was growing and developing. we were so excited when he moved up to the 11% at 6 months. he made his way to the 57% at 12 months and now to the 91st! whatever was slowing his weight gain seems to have resolved itself.

jake has his gain on!

jake at 16 months you....

• love to play outside. 
• say momma and dadda
• have an "ee-ee" sound for all three girls. 
• love to eat.  your favorites are bananas, strawberries, yogurt, cottage cheese, and applesauce. 
• do not like most meats. even the really good ones. one night when you wouldn't eat roast beef. cece shook her head and said "jake you are not the man we wanted." we got a good laugh out of that one. don't worry jake, you ARE most definitely the man we wanted, meat eater or not. 
• love to feed yourself with a spoon and fork. or try to feed yourself. 
• are a playground playin' fool. the slide is your favorite. 
• wear 18-24 months clothes. 
• wear size 4 diapers. 
• sleep all night. most nights. 
• are getting four molars. which has been a slow process. and it seems to bug you a bit. 
• are dealing with a bit of eczema.
• wave goodbye to me every morning when i drop you off at daycare and are excited to see me when i pick you up. 
• have mastered going up and down the stairs. 
• love to play with trucks and tractors. 
• would climb all the time if you could!
• love to bounce, kick, throw, and carry balls. 
• have attended your fair share of soccer practices and games. 
• love to clap. 
• go to bed most nights between 7 and 8 pm. 
• jabber a lot. but not many real words. 
• sign more, all done, and sometimes please. 
• love to play with TV remotes. 

here is the deal jake. you are more loved than you will ever now. your sisters love you. your momma and daddy love you. your whole big family loves you.

buddy you are the best boy.

we love you.

random thoughts on a sunday

1. tim took the big girls to church this morning. i stayed home to let the littles nap. ellie has a early afternoon soccer that falls right in the middle of nap time. with the bigs and littles it is always a balancing act between activities and naptimes. sometimes we push the littles to be more flexible and go without naps. sometimes we make changes to protect their naps. today we decided they needed naps. jake went to sleep right away as usual. we thought trying to get maggie to take a early nap would be tough. not the case. she took full advantage. she was asleep within 5 minutes. the house is quiet now. so i am blogging. then a shower. priorities.

2. soccer has been keeping us busy. so fun to watch the girls get after it on the soccer field.

3. tim and i played in a charity poker tournament last night benefiting the cyclone wrestling club. tim placed 5th and i placed 4th. i had never played before. honestly, i had no idea what i was doing. i won big a couple times and that was pretty fun!

4. lots of outdoor work going on around our house. this week we had a pallet of flower bed edgers delivered. we are going to edge all of our flower beds. i am guessing this will take several work days to get completed, but will be well worth the effort. we really want to clean up our flower beds. make a few places a bit bigger. as well as add some plantings. in the past we had some pretty awesome ornamental grasses, but then they did come back. i would like to try them again. just to see.

5. our garden is partially planted. zinnias, tomatoes, onions, and radishes went in last weekend with a lot of help! i am hopeful that i can get peppers, beans, peas, and cucumbers planted today. we also want to try some potatoes. and anything else we are going to plant should be able to get in this week.

6. we tried this parmesan chicken slider recipe a few weekends ago. go ahead give it a try. it was good.

7. we have 16 days left of school. in so many ways i am so excited for summer. and in a few big ways i am bummed the year is coming to an end. for years we have talked about ellie being at my school. and her 6th grade year is quickly coming to a close. half done in my building. it is absolutely crazy how fast time goes by. these moments. you have to gobble them up and enjoy. it just goes way to fast not too.

Happy Mothers Day

this mom game.

it's good stuff. 

it's giggles and laughs. smiles and silliness. i love yous and ice cream. rainbows and sunshine. 

it's hard and challenging too. laundry and dishes. groceries and cleaning. squabbles and tears. 

it's one great adventure. learning along the way. stretching you and taking you to places you never thought possible. 

one great gift. 

it is hard to put into words, how I feel about being a mom. 

its what I was meant to do.

it fills my heart. 

and I love it. 

the quiet moments. the crazy moments the funny moments. the i want to pull my hair out moments.

the moment where your 8 year old tells the nurse that your one year old eats vitamins off the floor.

all of it.

it is a gift i do not take for granted.

God chose these four sweet souls for me to mother. 

and for that I am truly and deeply grateful. 

i think being a mom is best done with people by your side. 

i am so very thankful to have others to walk this mom journey with me.

it does take a village. 

i am thankful for my village. all those who love me and support me. who love my kids and support them. the words of encouragement. the shared stories. tears and laughs. the car rides. the conversations. watching and caring for my kids. cheering them on. cheering me on. play dates and pool outings. those near and those who are far. loving us at our worst and at our best. being there for us. for my family.

my mom. cheryl. my sister, emily. shanna. tina. my mom friends. my daycare provider. my stay at home mom friends. my working mom friends. all of you. you know who you are. i am thankful for all of you.

happy mothers day.