Pumpkin Patch: Kruger's Farm

A couple of weeks ago we set out for a sunny day at the pumpkin patch.  We were lucky enough to have the Powell family join us for a little October fun.  We went out to Sauvie's Island to Kruger's Farm, chosen for it's obvious appeal to kids...and also because they serve beer. 

We went up to the barn first and grabbed some sausages for lunch and few cold ones.  Viola took a pony ride which was one of the cutest things ever.  Then we headed out to the patch to find the perfect pumpkins.  Jake crawled around in the dirt standing up on any pumpkin that would hold him.  Viola was a big help with Brian searching for the just the right pumpkin.  We got our pumpkins weighed and paid for them, grabbed a couple more beers and headed to the corn maze.  We wandered around in there, took some pictures, enjoyed the sunshine, and then called it a day!  It was a great day at the patch where everyone had a lot of fun.  Unfortunately about a week later our larger of two pumpkins that we bought was stolen off of our front porch.  I liked to think they were just borrowing it, going to carve it and then bring it back....but I haven't seen it yet.  

Eleven Months Old

Happy 11 Months to sweet Jake!

At 11 months old Jake was:

23 lbs 3 oz

30+  inches

I had to call for back-up in this months pictures so Papa was on hand to help me keep Jake in the chair. Let me tell you, it is not easy to get a clear picture of this kid, and certainly not one where he is actually looking at the camera.  We gave him a book (which he loves) and then I think Brian was doing some kind of dance over to my right that was bringing all the giggles.  I took as many photos and I could and then we released the crazy animal. 

To be honest, Jake's 11th month is a little bit of a blur to me.  It isn't just because I am writing this update a month later, even when we took these pictures and I was writing the chalk board I had to ask Brian about the milestones.  I think it is a good sign, the months are just rolling together and we are in a good groove, but Jake is doing so many new things all the time I want to try to remember as many as I can.  

First for the basics - Jake regularly sleeps through the night, usually about 6:30 or 6:45 to 5 or 5:15.  He takes two naps a day, usually a good morning one over an hour and then an afternoon nap that is all over the board.  Sometimes 35 minutes, sometimes nearly 2 hours.  The morning nap is key for me, I get us all ready for the day and run around doing as many chores as possible. Once in a while on Fridays I will buy a cinnamon roll and watch some of the Today show.  Those are usually the days he takes a short nap of course.  Our days are full of play and eating and lots of walks outside.  Jake loves to ride in his wagon or on the bike seat on the front of my bike.  He often goes over to a door or a window and fusses until we go outside.  

Meals are a big part of our day because basically Jake eats like a teenage boy (we will be broke when he is an actual teenager) and I have to keep this house stocked to keep him full.  He eats very little baby food or purees anymore and mostly feeds himself.  He still loves yogurt, any kind of bread products, hummus, cheese, all fruit, and lots of veggies.  He is a little weary of meats.  He will be really into it one day and want nothing to do with it the next.  He eats breakfast around 7, lunch around 11:30, and dinner at 4:30 or 5...then we do it all over again, sometimes with some snacks in between.  I am only nursing twice a day, morning and night, and Jake gets really excited when he gets a sippy cup full of breast milk I have frozen from last spring.  It makes a great snack.  On another note, my boobs feel like they have zero milk in them and I am pretty sure if there is a size less than A, that is what I now wear. Boo hoo.....

Jake was making some explosive diapers this month...I wont get into details, but one time I literally wanted to cry.  There was poop EVERYWHERE!

We went on our first vacation this month and stayed at the Westin Scottsdale for a week.  It was glorious and Jake had a blast.  The resort was perfect for a little crawler who loves the water.  There were fountains and a wading pool and lots of little kids to watch.  He rode down the "lazy river" with us on a tube and ate lunch everyday by the pool.  He slept like a champ in the small crib they gave us, through the night (though waking a little too early for vacation standards) and 2 naps everyday!  All that sun and fun wore the little guy out.  We went out to dinner every night and he was SO GOOD.  He sat there and ate with us and flirted with other tables and all around was darling until he got sleepy and few times lay his head down on the table.  Bless his little heart.  It felt like a real vacation. I didn't have to cook dinner, I got to have beer in the middle of the day, and I got sun and fun watching this sweet little guy discover new things!

Unfortunately Jake got his first cold the last couple days we were there.  You would never know it except for the crazy snot flying from his nose.  He was so clogged up and really wasn't liking any of the suckers we tried to use on him, but he made it through like a champ!  I can totally understand how hard it is going to be to see your child sick. You are so helpless!

Jake learned a really exciting trick about half way through this month - standing up!  He loves to pull himself up on the coffee table, the couch and our legs.  His chubby little legs are getting stronger, but I think it will still be a while until we get to walking.  Jake talks a lot and tells us all kinds of stories.  Most days start with a lot of chatter in his crib.  He mimics anything we do and you can tell he is going to be smart.  He still loves to play with doors and checks the same outlets everyday - still covered buddy.  He loves music and every time I drink from a water bottle he makes a AHHHH sign, I taught him that and its pretty funny.  He still claps and kicks his legs when he is excited.  He talks all the time and understands a lot of what we say to him.  He shakes his head no when he goes after something he isn't supposed to play with like a plug in an outlet or something that could hurt him.  He shakes no, but still goes after, still cute and at least we know he is listening when we say "no, thank you."  

Happy Jake, smily, silly, laughing, crawling, eating, Jake.  He just gets cuter and more fun everyday, if that is even possible!

Jake Month 11

Jake's 11th month was full of adventure.  He had a lot of fun continuing to explore and discover new tricks, he spent time with his sweet little friends, lots of time in the sunshine at the park with Mama and finished off the month with a trip to Scottsdale for our first family vacation just the three of us!  

Jake Month 10

Here are some of my favorite pictures from our 10th month together.  He is a little harder to get a picture with in focus, but Grammy still managed to get a lot of good shots, many of which show him in action, because he is ALWAYS in action!  The pictures here show him exploring, popping up where you least expect (like a prairie dog his Papa says), on his "search and destroy" missions, running from Mama during a diaper change with a bare bottom, on bike rides, broken swings, and out to lunch or dinner, enjoying his food, hanging with Papa, and just being silly and cute like always.  Just before he turned ten months old we got a quick visit with his Ti Ti Boom.  He loved seeing her and his Uncle Sammi too.

 His smile warms my heart every time.  It is completely impossible not to smile right back. 

Ten Months Old

Happy 10 Months to sweet Jake!

At 10 months old Jake was:

22 lbs 10 oz

30+  inches

The 10th month is most definitely marked by Jake being on the move and constantly exploring.  He has totally mastered crawling and by the end of the month he was crawling to push things and taking things with him.  He is always on his knees to reach things he wants and not happy unless he has something in his hands to discover. He definitely has a usual route around the house and some of his favorite stops are the stick that secures the back sliding glass door, the handles on the tv stand back there, any kind of remote control.  He loves to play with doors (scary for his little fingers) and will push them shut and pull them open over and over again.  So far without a pinch, but I stay close by just in case.  In the kitchen he loves the tupperware in the pantry, the plastic tongs in the cupboard and a ladle I strategically placed so we wouldn't drag the pots across the floor.  He still thinks the heat vents are pretty cool and is more interested in his high chair as a toy than he used to be.  He loves to be outside and will demand to get some fresh air by whining by the door.

Jake loves to chat.  He makes a lot of "Ba" and "Boo" sounds and points when he does it.  He loves loud trucks and airplanes and will stop what he is doing and point in the direction even if he can't see the object making a sound.  Jake is not pulling himself up yet, but started to do a bear crawl this month, up on all fours.  He will mimic any sound or motion you make, which makes me laugh and is always a daily activity.

Jake was nursing 3 times a day during this month and eating 3 solid meals.  He is a great eater, he has still found no food he won't eat.  He has 6 teeth now, 4 on top and 2 on the bottom.  I don't have to ever trick him or anything.  The kid loves food and hopefully continues to be open to try new things.  I'll feed him hummus in one bite, apples in another and then some chicken and he just keeps opening his mouth.  By the end of this month he is feeding himself finger food much of the time.  He still loves yogurt and fruit, but eats a lot of veggies and was orange for a while from the all the sweet potato.  He easily drinks from his sippy straw cups.  Sometimes he gets a little wet, but he is just playing then.  I give him a glass of previously frozen breastmilk some afternoons when he needs a little snack to get him to dinner.  He can suck down about 5 oz in 3 to 4 minutes.  Its incredible.

Changing Jake's diaper is a total nightmare, he never stops moving and we have had some pretty messy changes because of it.  There doesn't seem to be a toy in the world that will hold his attention through a diaper change.  He always enjoys the iPhone in my moments of desperation and has known to update my Facebook status once or twice.  He will also sit still if I give him the fingernail clippers.  Great toy.

We had a little refresher course on putting himself to sleep at bedtime this month.  Over time the length of my rocking and singing had gotten out of hand and he was mad when he was put into his crib.  One or two nights of a little crying at bedtime and we are back to easy bedtimes.  This kid has no faults, literally he is the best baby ever...but he is an early riser...like never past 6am kind of riser.  Luckily we are morning people, but sometimes just to sleep to 6:30am would be nice.  I guess if that is the one downfall we have to deal with we will survive.  We usually leave him in his crib for 15 to 40 minutes when he wakes up and plays until a more reasonable time to get up.  He sleeps through the night.  It just happened one day, he had gotten up for an early morning feeding at 4am for so long and then it just stopped.  If he is up (no matter how early) it is always for the day now! His naps continue to be hit and miss.  He almost always has a good morning nap 45 min to 2 hours, but the afternoon is a little harder.  If I do get him down it is never longer than 45 minutes.  Sometimes he is just so wound up he can't relax, I mean too many new tricks to do.  If he falls asleep in the car I have to keep moving to keep him asleep.  I have toured much of the eastside and NW Portland to give him a good nap.  I never mind though.  I have explored some new places and it is relaxing for me if I am not chasing him around!

This life we've got right now is pretty special.  We are buds, he thinks I am funny and although he is constantly on the go he still has time to swing by Mommy for some snuggles.  I have been there every single day since he was born and still when I look back at pictures it is hard to remember that little baby.  I feel so lucky to have all the little moments with Jake.  He would have been starting daycare at Nike right about now.  I know he probably would have loved it and made friends and charmed everyone, but instead we get to continue this crazy adventure we are on.  Days with Mom, nights with Papa, and a lot of laughs all around.  I get sad to think about Jake getting older, it must be time for another one...