Happy Holidays!

Hello, fans of Jacob!  I'm done with school until after the New Year, and we head to Colorado shortly to see Grandpa and Grandma Tibboel for Christmas (and of course to ski!).  Should be grand.  The lead in to Christmas has been fun with Jake, for the simple reason that he's fun!







For Thanksgiving we stayed at a little get-away that Maxwell AFB keeps down on the Florida coast (on the inland waterway, anway - a short drive from the real beach).  Their cabins were booked, so we stayed in a single wide - not much to say about that except that Jake couldn't cause too much damage; and it was just a few steps away from a pretty good little beach that Jake loved.  It was hard to keep him out of the water, so mostly we gave up on that.  Notice the wet but in these pictures.

This is on the real coast, Destin FL

Shortly after that was an exciting first for me:  the first time I saw Jake carefully take legos apart (vs the usual destructive swipe) and actually put two together.  It brought a tear to my eye - he really is my boy!  For all those keeping track, mark November 28th as a day to celebrate in Jake's long journey to manhood (or engineer-hood, which really isn't even remotely the same thing).

A little tid-bit that has been a constant since at least the move to Alabama, but that I don't think I've written about before:  it's true that music soothes the beast, but in Jake's case there seems to be only one song.  Anytime he's in the carseat, cranky, tired, and generally fussy, the only near sure bet I've got is "The ants go marching two by two."  No other song works remotely as well, and this one almost without fail calms a crying Jake into a state of quiet contentedness - at least while I keep singing, that is.  The saving grace for me as I sing it over and over again is that he doesn't mind me changing up what it is the little one stops to do each time (admittedly, when they're marching five by five he always stops to do the hand-jive).

As for the rest of this blog, some cute pictures:

Clearly winning a wrestling match with Dad

Halloween pics, finally

I've been chastised for not posting pictures of Jake's award winning costume yet ($25 WalMart gift certificate!). So to satisfy the masses, here's a few. Laurie made the whole costume, to include the 500 lb barbell. Unfortunately, he promptly hid one of the black socks from us (we still haven't found it), so Navy blue had to substitute on Halloween.

On the coffin from Dad's haunted house.

I'm not sure if I've mentioned before how great the neighbors and neighborhood are. One of the neighbors bought a pirate pinata, and all the kids gathered in costume before trick-or-treating for a warm-up candy extravaganza. As the smallest kid, they let Jake hit it first -- the older kids gave a sigh of relief that he didn't break it open too soon, before they got their chance. Almost every kid in that line is a regular out there, and they've all taken a liking to Jake - they look after him pretty well (with some parental supervision, of course). Many of their parents have also gone to great lengths at times (or offered to do so) to help us out. Old house, but living here is pretty good!

Birthday Blog

Yeah!  He made it through year 1, largely unscathed, much bigger, and with lots of new tricks up his sleeve!  As importantly, we survived the colic and have been having a ball with him since then.  Now's the hard part, as I understand it:  Laurie and I now have to figure out how to be good parents beyond just lavishing him with love and play time (we've gotten good at that).  I think my biggest fear at this point is spoiling him.  Where do you draw the line between encouraging exploring his world (including learning to throw balls) and teaching him not to do certain things (like throwing the biggest, heaviest thing he can pick up)?  The good news is we have a lot of great neighbors who seem to be raising some great kids, so I don't have to just read books.  Plus, you'll all weigh in and help us, right?  (I mean that sincerely)

The birthday party was fun, though I complicated it by having a few neighbors and friends (including a few USAFA classmates and their fams) over to grill at the park in our backyard during his afternoon nap, before the party.  I think everyone had a good time, though Laurie and I realized (again) that trying to organize anything and take care of Jake doesn't really work out that well.  He woke up (Laurie thinks I woke him up - not quite true) for the birthday part.  The top pic is him making his way out to the gazebo.  Here he is not having any of his cake.  Not even frosting or rasberries.  He's been generally unwilling to try too much new in the last couple weeks -- just as well with regards to frosting, anyway. 

A few friends disregarded our no-gifts request, so Jake got some help in opening presents.  He was, as might be expected, mostly interested in the bags and the kids helping him.  But he got some great toys that he'll be enjoying over the next year (and one from my Bosnian classmate that he's already into!).





Taking the Not-Too-Far-Back Machine, I've got some good pics from the previous weekend to share.  Over the long weekend, he got to the zoo, the fair, a fun-farm (not sure what else to call it), and a hike in Tuskegee National Forest.

Arriving at the farm.  The first time since about
3 months old that he's slept in my arms.

 The corn box.  Infinitely cooler than a sand box.  I'm going to have my own some day.




















 He can't reach the pedals yet, but is an otherwise champion tractor driver.

We did elephant day at the zoo.  The outfit is from Aunt
Twyla and Uncle Greg in India.  (click on the pic for a
better view of the shirt)

Getting so big.  Yet so small.

During our hike, he got a little tired of sitting in the backpack, but he loved walking in the woods on his own two feet! Pinecones were an amazing discovery.

First Haircut

Last Tuesday (Sep 27) was a mini-milestone.  Not so much for Jake as for us - we finally let someone cut his hair.  Which was cute, but out of control.  Now it's shorter and out of control.  Wavy, curly, and what-not.  Anyway, he doesn't mind, and neither do we, but now I don't feel like a as a bad parent walking my unkempt kid around the grocery store (interestingly, I have no qualms about letting him run up and down the cooler isles putting his hands and occasionally mouth on the glass doors - I figure no one else is touching down there.  should be clean.  right?!?).  Without further ado, before and after pictures:

Hey, Babe.  Wanna go for a ride
and toussle my golden locks?

Rose is cool, but I'm not
digging the cape.

Rose!  How could you?!?

 

Okay.  Older girls still dig me.
I can deal with this.

In other news from Jake-land (this is pretty stale by now), all his grandparents visited in early September, though it was all pretty quick. Still, we had a brief mini-reunion, and I got an Iowa pork chop and some corn on the cob in the deal!  The timing was good, too:  they got to see him just after he'd started walking.

The Alley in Montgomery

Since that visit, he's kept getting better at walking.  The worst of the bruises are dissipating, and we're amazed by how much he can push around (examples:  the ottoman, a full recycle bin).  He's got 'getting down' figured out (off the bed, off the couch, down the stairs), and actually tries to be constructive at times.  Though trying to stack blocks and the like is clearly more frustrating - sometimes it's still easier and more fun just to knock things over.  Sharing is pretty easy, and he's starting to get that, too - at least with us.

As a closing note, Jake's Great Grandma Cornelia Tibboel passed away on September 9.  Although Jake won't remember her, we're glad she got to spend some time with him earlier this year.  We'll miss her, and think daily of Great Grandpa Tibboel as he deals losing his partner of over 66 years.

Tadpole's Got Legs!

I got to see Jake do a couple short, apparently un-self-aware, stands on the trip here.  But yesterday he clearly picked up on the idea that he could stand himself.  Today, he worked on that and tried taking a couple steps on a few occasions.  Slightly more controlled than his earlier attempts to just start running, with a subsequent dive into his best sprint-crawl.  Looks like a new trick for his Grandparents' visit next weekend!  Good thing he'll be keeping them entertained, since I have a test Tuesday and an appalling amount of reading to do.  I don't have walking video yet, but since I'm posting, I thought you'd all enjoy this, too:

I've had to have a word with young Master Jacob about making fun of local culture based on ridiculous stereotypes.  Not sure if I convinced him.  (if you're curious - that's a couple pieces of corn; he didn't much like it yet)  Here's a nicer picture to end with, just because I think I should:


 

Aug 26.  And now, a follow-up photo as evidence.  Aside from walking Jake (just before the fall), note the super-duper reflective tape on the car seat.  That's was an early Dad-add for when it was attached to the stroller.  The jogger stroller is covered in the stuff.

Sweet Home Alabama

Hello again!  We're now 2 week into living in Alabama.  I'd hardly say we've got the house settled, but the essentials are in place (like, say, internet as of yesterday).  I've been down with a bad cold, so haven't gotten too much done since the first few days here.  The house is an old duplex on base.  Plenty of flaws, but fine for 10 months.  Biggest concern is the lead paint report they handed Laurie upon signing for the house (she drove Monster the cat down in advance).  Everything is "encapsulated" (painted over numerous times).  Just so Jake doesn't sink one of those razor sharp teeth into a window sill or something.  They're still a little high for him, fortunately.  And we avoid messing with the walls.

Lobster backlog:  8 months

I'm going to back up a bit before talking more about our short time here.  In the weeks after my last blog he got progressively better mainly at getting himself into trouble (pulling things over, finding small objects, pulling drawers open, and the like).  Then came Milisha's last day as nanny, and things started to get shook up.  Nana Mimi cama up and took care of him for a couple days that they both enjoyed thoroughly.  To include a trip to the playground, where he merrily practiced waving at the passers-by on the nearby track.  Then Uncle Greg and Aunt Twyla arrived from Iowa enroute back to India (seen "Mumblings from Mumbai" yet?) for a few days of QT with him.  Aunt Christie and cousin Maya arrived from Brazil a couple days later, and we all headed for the cape.  Somewhere in there was a great Marc Cohn show, and more importantly Jake's first two teeth:  bottom front.  He also started saying "mmmmm - mmmmm - mmmmmaaaaamaaaa" - usually in a pitiable tone when he was sad and needed her.

Greg and Twyla - First Impressions

Great Pond is Grrrrreeeeaaat!

Time on the Cape with all his aunts and uncles (minus 1, still in Brazil) was great fun.  Wellfleet has wonderful ponds - clear water, great temps, mostly not too crowded.  That's where he got his first "open water" play time, and he loved it!

 

Near the Wellfleet Pier

 

Jake got on famously with his cousins.  Maya had been waiting to meet him since admiring Laurie's largish belly the previous summer.  She and Nadia took turns feeding him, and Alexa enjoyed sharing with him and patting him on the head - always with a twinkle in her eye!  

For our final week before shipping the goods and driving south, Laurie went back to work.  The week was only survivable with the help of Nana Mimi, Christie, and Maya who came over for a few days to watch Jake while I prepared and the movers took it all away.  Thanks, once again!

Standing!

The trip was pretty good, except for Jake getting sick during the latter part.  Laurie's instinct to not drive him the whole way was, of course, right.  We drove the 1st leg to New Jersey together, where he had a great time again with his cousins, to include a trip to the pool.  I also saw him stand on his own, three times!  I don't think he realized that the legos (and later a bag handle) he was holding weren't supporting him.  Thanks, Nadia, for showing me!

Alex and the neighbor labs

Then I flew with him from New Jersey to the SW corner of North Carolina (Laurie did the drive twice, you say??  Crazy, but it's true), where we met his Great Uncle Keith and Great Beth (no typo) at their mountain cabin.  He and their two friendly labs were a little afraid of each other at first.  Lettie's mothering instincts eventually came through, but Alex (2 yrs) never quite trusted him.  The neighbor's labs, however, showered him with effection - especially the puppy - which he enjoyed to a point. Unfortunately, that's also when he started to get sick and not sleep well.


The car ride and our stay in Atlanta, with Beth's sister Mardi, were rough while he got what I think was his first real fever.  Just over 100 - no big deal, but lousy for a car ride and new place.  Mardi and her husband Charlie were great hosts, as were their other guests who were working hard with Charlie to publish a historical document (3 vols) about Mt. Willing, SC.  It was very interesting to talk with them about the many years of work that had gone into it.  Especially over amazing peach cobbler!

Last stop:  Montgomery!  On our way into town we stopped for sandwiches.  While eating and playing with Jacob in the highchair, he very clearly looked at me and happily said "Da-Da!"  I was, of course, elated.  As was Laurie, I think.  So we merrily packed back into the car for the final 15 minutes to our new home.  Since Laurie had already been down once, she took over the driver seat and I joined Jake in back.  After about 5 minutes of me failing to entertain him, he again very clearly said it, but this time with much annoyance:  "DAA-DAA!"  And so it goes . . .

Jake got over his cold while mine came on strong. Meanwhile, the next day our stuff got delivered, and the day after the frantic search for child care started.  No known daily options on base until September.  The day cares we liked had waiting lists or were at least 20 minutes away (45 minute round trip twice a day?  only if we need to).

Backlog Lobster #2:  Getting Ready to Roadtrip

Laurie started work Monday, and I kicked off Tuesday afternoon.  Monday morning we interviewed a nanny based on a recommendation, but she had a suspended license and couldn't get on the base.  Oy.  It looked like we'd be making the drive.  But Monday afternoon Laurie arranged another interview - she didn't have the experience we wanted, but with Laurie working at home we decided to give her a try.  Further details will have to wait, but basically we're still undecided about whether to take the day care slot here when it opens up.  Certainly it's much cheaper and still convenient, but he'll have to give up the morning nap and his afternoon nap would be in the same bright room with kids of various ages still playing/crying.  Back to cranky underslept Jacob??  But he loves being around other kids.  hmmm.

Oh, if you're wondering:  he hasn't taken to regularly saying da-da, but Laurie has seen him stand again finally in the last couple days.  He's a tease.  But he does still call for his Mom when he's sad - which is only fair since I cannot compete with the level of love she showers upon him, unconditionally and tirelessly.  I will say, though, that the days I spent with him while Laurie was working/travelling were valuable, in addition to the QT had with him, as they brought me back into better standing (he was getting to be a Momma's boy).


ps - since I'm posting, I'm happy to announce that the old black Trek 1200 which I rode on so many RAGBRAIs, is looking good again!