Hardware Ranch

Today was a gorgeous day and Jacoby was acting like he was feeling a bit better (he's had an ear infection), so we decided to take him out and show him some new things. We have a really cool thing here in Cache Valley called Hardware Ranch. It's an Elk Wildlife Management Ranch. They pretty much just feed Elk all winter long to keep them from becoming a nuisance to the local farmers. There is a big meadow where they put out hay for them, and the Elk congregate and eat. They do sleigh rides through the Elk so you can see (and smell!) them up close, all while telling you the history of the ranch and facts about the local wildlife. It's pretty cool. So, we drove the 2o miles and went to see the Elk today. Jacoby actually wasn't that impressed and he didn't want to sit on the sleigh. He wanted to get down and play in the snow. Thankfully, once we started moving, he relaxed and seemed to enjoy himself a little. He kept calling the Elk "horsies", but was soon bored by looking at them and had more fun playing with the camera. Oh well, at least we tried...


Yeah, he didn't care...







And, we're done. I was trying to get him to pose and smile with me by the Clydesdales, but he wasn't having anything to do with it. He just wanted down. The horses were gorgeous though, and they were HUGE!

Valentine's Day

On Friday, Dominic brought me home balloons and roses for Valentines Day. Jacboy loved the balloons and had a great time playing with them. We didn't do much for Valentine's Day this year because it's such a pain to try and go anywhere, and Jacoby has been sick (again!). We grilled steaks at home and had a nice relaxing weekend. It was perfect.

Cheese!

Dominic is just awesome at taking pictures of me while I'm making silly faces for Jacoby. Unfortunately, I usually just look crazy.

This heart balloon is Jacoby's favorite.

Cute Dad and Jacoby picture.

Getting ready for bed.

Just Jacoby

True to form, I have posted more than once today...so please scroll down and keep reading.

Here are several new pictures of my happy little boy.

I put in a movie in our bedroom for Jacoby so I could get some house work done. He was awful quiet so I went to check on him and I found him laying on the side of our bed by the heater vent. It's suddenly his new favorite place to watch movies.


I don't know what this face is, but it's cute.

Sorry about the up-the-nose picture. He was laughing and it's a cute picture, other than the snot...

He absolutely LOVES the bath lately. We bought him tub crayons for Christmas and he loves having us write the alphabet, 1-20, and several shapes on the walls for him. He then repeats the letters, number, and shapes as he colors on the walls himself. I guess that bath time is more of a wet learning time now.

Fun with the Mayhews

Last night, Nate, Michelle, and Porter came to visit. We went out to eat and then came back to the house and let the kids play. Jacoby would get a little rough with Porter and we would have to remind him to be nice and we had to use a couple of time outs when he would throw toys at Porter's head or hit him. For the most part though, they did great and had a blast. The kids wore themselves out and the adults had a great time talking and catching up.




Jacoby was actually grabbing Porter's toes and saying "toes" and trying to tickle him. It was too cute. Porter loved the slide and they were really good at taking turns and playing together.

Dear Non-Pregnant Person....

I usually use my blog as just a picture update for family that doesn't see us often, but this was funny. This was sent to me by a friend and I thought it was hilarious! #5 is especially one that I think applies. I absolutely HATE being told that "You look bigger" anything along those lines. I know that I'm pregnant and I'm supposed to get bigger, but it doesn't make it any easier to deal with (and I have fears of getting HUGE and gaining 60 lbs. like I did with my first). Comments about a woman getting bigger are never a compliment...

Dear Non-Pregnant Person,

I hope you find these guidelines helpful in your interactions with pregnant women as failing to follow them may result in serious physical harm. If you are thinking, surely she doesn't mean me- then you should probably read this twice.

1) The appropriate response to a couple telling you they are having a baby is 'Congratulations!' with enthusiasm. Any other response makes you an a**hole.

2) Through the wonders of science, we now know that babies are made ONLY by the mother and father- nobody else. Unless the baby is in your uterus or you are the man that helped put it there, you may not EVER use the phrase 'my baby'.

3) On the same note, unless you made the baby as defined in 2, the pregnancy, birth and raising of the child are not about you. You do not have input. No one wants to hear your opinion unless they ask for it...period.

4) The body of a pregnant woman should be treated the same as any other body. You would not randomly touch someone's stomach if they were not pregnant, nor would you inquire into the condition of their uterus, cervix or how they plan to use their breasts. Pregnancy does not remove all traces of privacy from a woman.

5) Likewise, no woman wants to hear comments on her weight...ever. A pregnant woman does not find it flattering that you think she is getting bigger, is about is pop, must be having twins, looks swollen, or has gained weight in her face. Telling her she looks too small only makes her worry that she is somehow starving her baby. Making such comments invite her to critique your physical appearance and you may not act offended. The only acceptable comment on appearance is 'You look fabulous!'.

6) By the time we are 20-30 years old, most of us have picked up on the fact that the summer is hot. We are hot every summer when we are not pregnant. We don't need you to point out that we will be miserably hot before the baby comes.

7) There is a reason that tickets to Labor & Delivery are not yet sold on Ticketmaster. Childbirth is actually not a public event. It may sound crazy, but some women really do not relish the idea of their mother, mother in law, or a host of other family members seeing their bare butt and genitals. Also, some people simply feel like the birth of their child is a private and emotional moment to be shared only by the parents. You weren't invited to be there when the baby was created, you probably won't be invited to be there when it comes out either.

8) Like everything else in life, unless you receive an invitation, you are NOT invited. This includes doctor appointments, ultrasounds, labor, delivery, the hospital and the parents' home. You do not decide if you will be there for the birth or if you will move in with the new parents to 'help out'. If your assistance is desired, rest assured that you will be asked for it.

9) If you are asked to help after the birth, this means you should clean up the house, help with cooking meals, and generally stay out of the way. Holding the baby more than the parents, interfering with breastfeeding and sleeping schedules and making a woman who is still leaking fluid from multiple locations lift a finger in housework is not helping.

10) The only people entitled to time with the baby are the parents. Whether they choose to have you at the hospital for the birth or ask for you to wait three weeks to visit, appreciate that you are being given the privilege of seeing their child. Complaining or showing disappointment only encourages the parents to include you LESS.

By the way, sorry about the blue background lines. When I copied this, I somehow managed to copy them and I can't figure out how to get rid of them.

New Jacoby Pictures and Baby News!

Jacoby has gotten to be so darn cute lately. He had a phase a few weeks ago where he threw lots of tantrums and was a complete turd, but thankfully, it didn't last long. I was wondering how I was going to make it through the "terrible two's". Now, I just laugh at him all day long because he is adorable and does so many cute things. The other night, he got my slippers out and was a total ham while he paraded around for us.


Later we put him in the tub and he loves bath time! He thinks it's fun to stretch out and put his head in the water. This time, he actually laid on his belly so I could snap a few pictures and post them on the blog!




I love his smile!

In other news, we had our anatomy ultrasound last week. We are having another BOY! He looked perfectly healthy and is very active. I can already see him moving through my tummy and he never seems to stop! I thought that he was a big baby because I can feel so much more this time, but he measured perfectly to his due date. He is already very different than Jacoby was. Jacoby was a super mellow baby and it wasn't uncommon for me to not feel him move for a full day at this point. I just hope that doesn't mean that I'm going to have a super hyper baby that never sleeps... I am excited to see the differences in my children though. Having 2 is going to be an adventure and I'm really starting to look forward to it.

Jacoby's Hats and Awesome PJ's

Lately, Jacoby is really into hats. Dominic has a couple that are knit and Jacoby likes to put them on. He looks like a little hippie!


We also bought him a hat with ears and he won't leave the house without it. He loves it and if he sees it, he puts it on himself. He had it on the other night while he was playing with his dad and he had put it on backwards so the ears were up high on his head and it just looked funny.


He's finally figured out that when we get the camera out, you say "cheese" and smile. Almost every time he sees the camera now, he says "cheese".

Lastly, Jacoby has hit a growth spurt lately and has suddenly outgrown all of his PJ's (seriously, he outgrew everything with in a week or two). So, we hit the after Christmas sales looking for cheap PJ's. We found these PJ's at Kohls and they say "Daddy's Little Sidekick". Jacoby never gets excited about clothes and could care less how I dress him, but when he saw these, he got so excited! He would run around with them on and stop to look at his feet or his wrists. He absolutely loves his new PJ's.

He was getting ready for bed, so the PJ's weren't as fun and he wasn't into the camera at the moment.