Make sure you read post below this one FIRST!!!

Hey there, so the first post was really long, and I was sick of moving pics, so I'm going to do the bday photos in this one! Just make sure you scroll down and read the other post first! The bunny cake has been a tradition in my family for first birthday's, so that was a given, and quite fun to finally get to make my own! Unlike most 1 year old, Jacob's basked in the attention of all the people (and there were a lot in our house since it poured rain all day). He loved having all of his cousins around him and everyone else to play with. He had a slow start to the cake but eventually got right into it. And he got absolutely spoiled with the gifts he received, so thank you very much to everyone!!! We had a great time!

Jacob is one!!!

So sorry for the delay in updating this but I"ve been procrastinating like crazy for many reasons:

1. I don't want to get out of vacation mode and do this
2. there is so much to catch up on, I"m avoiding picking what to post
3. we've been so busy adjusting back into normal life after our trip to Florida
4. We had Jacob's birthday party to get ready for last weekend
5. Jacob had a rough few nights for sleep because of teething snot
and finally.. It's way to darn hot to sit in my computer room.


So.. I have no more excuses tonight... Jacob is sleeping better, I'm done my cleaning for the maids to come tomorrow morning, and there's at least a breeze coming through the open window!


I'll put up a couple pics from our trip, but it's hard to pick from 400 of them. And then a few from Jacob's birthday party.. and then I'll try to stay better at updating this with regular every day growing, changing Jacob.


He isn't walking yet, but Kent was so happy to see him crawling and all the other amazing things he can do, that I don't think he minded missing the first steps. At this rate, he may wait for daddy to get home in the fall. He stands on his own a lot more now, and wants to walk, but then gets down and crawls because it's way quicker.


He is signing 2 signs with a lot of regularity now. More, and Nurse (or milk). It's amazing how much these 2 simple signs have changed our world of communication. This morning, I thought we were up for the day at 7:30, since Jacob is usually up at 6 am. But he sat in the bed looked at me and signed more. I said, more what, do you want to go have breakfast already, and then he smiled at me and signed "nurse" with both hands. So I layed down to nurse him and he fell back asleep. I was able to get out of the bed and chat with a friend on MSN for an hour before he woke up. I was completely shocked and amazed.


Also, I"ve noticed him finally understanding and responding much more. Tonight in his bath, I asked him to hand me the green fish toy that lights up and suctions to the tub like the red star one we were playing with, and he handed me the right toy. Could have been a coincidence, but I'm going to say not! :) Because I"m the proud mama, and that's my privelege!!!

Anyway, here's the photos and I"ll do one video of the bday party!!! Hope you enjoy!!

Jacob spent a bit of time seeing the sights from the ergo (when it wasn't too hot)

Jacob absolutely loved the shows at Seaworld.. he clapped so much!
We got to go to Sea world for free with our Military Id's, and they had us all stand before the Shamu show!
Jacob spent a lot of time inside the suitcases, inside the drawers, basically getting into as much as he could manage, with 2 of us around to chase him!
Even though I was still feeling a bit sick, we made it to the cirque du soleil show finally and absolutely loved it! Didn't get my fancy dinner at the Crab house.. next time..
Jacob showing off his new ears!

Jacob became a pro at sleeping in the stroller. He's resting his feet on the bench here in the restaurant in Epcot's england!

Most of the parks had great soft-surface playgrounds for Jacob to go crazy out of the stroller!

At our first Character dinner.. Jacob was not a fan of them getting too close! Luckily they made it around the room twice, and he was much better with them the second time around!

Had to be geeks and all get tshirts for star wars weekends!

Jacob absolutely loved the characters at his birthday breakfast.. Especially Minnie!!!

Jacob was very interested in their noses.. He even got a taste of Minnie's!

He wasn't too interested in eating his cupcake.. Just wanted to figure out how to get the icing off of his fingers (without licking it)

Family Photo at Cinderella Castle on Jacob's Birthday

Opening his presents back at the room!

Posing with Dad in their father's day tshirts at the airport

Family Photo at the airport

Jacob crashed on the last plane ride home!

Guess what Jacob can do now???

That's right folks.. Jacob stood on his own, without even knowing he was doing it. Then he did it again for me to grab the camera and get a video and photo! We're one step closer to him taking his first steps... maybe it'll happen in Florida after all.

We're definately in summer mode now, and loving it. We've been busy playing with all the new toys the Simon kids handed down to us. I had J0-Ann and Abby over for scrapbooking on Saturday, and it got me in the mood so I've been doing it all week now. I've now got 3 pages done from our honeymoon trip to Disneyworld! Just in time to convince Kent to let me buy more scapbooking supplies down there on this trip lol!

Finally tried to make Jacob and Rylea pose together. Jacob looks like he thinks I'm crazy for making him sit beside a girl!
I have no idea how he did this. He was eating his new organic teething cookie, and all of a sudden he had one arm out the neck hole of his tshirt! (and cookie all over his face like it was spaghetti)
Apparently the lego bin is for sitting in

Those white lines are sparkles! I'm so proud lol!

Finally found a use for those 5x7's we bought!

We went to the park in St. Albert yesterday for a visit with Johann and her daughter Silka (Her husband is deployed with Kent and they leave on their trip 2 days before us). We had a great time outside watching all the other kids play in the spray park.
So I decided afterall to put in a garden yesterday. I went to just buy a container at Home depot, and bought some annuals too. I'm just so excited to show off our apple tree that is finally blooming in it's 3rd summer!!!
This is Jacob showing off his new "Roots of Empathy Teacher" shirt that all the kids signed for him. Today was his last day, and it was very sad for me. But he did a great job of showing off for the kids, including his new standing skill. They also gave us a really neat book with all the photos of the kids and a bit about them, as well as a "wishing tree" with a wish from each of the kids that they have for Jacob when he is there age (Grade 3). Also, this is the slide that Grandma and Grandpa Howell got Jacob for his birthday.. Kurt set it up yesterday so that it's ready for his birthday party when we get home from Florida. So we had to go try it out today. Katie was so excited to have me out there to throw her kong, and Jacob had a blast watching. I unfortunately didn't get a video of that though. I have yet to get the camera out to get a video of Jacob playing with his new truck from Grandma and Grandpa Windover.. Also a very popular toy!

And once again, I"m up way too late! Tomorrow is a day at home to get my butt in gear and start packing/organizing myself. I can't believe it's less than a week away now!!!

3 months down, 13 more sleeps, and he's already 11 months...AHHHH!

Hey there folks!

So, I am skipping out on much needed sleep to finally update this so you better appreciate it!!! Especially you Kent, since I'm still waiting for an email or phone call from you today! The above picture is of some really cute pj's that we were given when Jacob was born. They are 6-12 months and he was wearing that size when it was much too cold to wear them. But I figured I"d try them the other day and they fit! His puffy diaper bum sticks way outm but oh well!!

So we've been busy, as usual. Mostly with prep for our upcoming trip, general house stuff, and a great trip to Red Deer for Mother's Day weekend with the Simon's and I finally got to use my spa gift certificate from my birthday! (which was soo lovely.. thanks again for babysitting Jenn). We also got to go to Emily's dance recital and Cole's soccer game. Both of which, Jacob loved! Amongst playing the piano, emptying the tupperware cupboard, climbing stairs, watching the basketball extravaganza, and showing off and making his cousins giggle. I have several photo and video proof of this to add.

We also were at a family picnic for the International Day of the Midwife with Helen and her kids, as well as one of the families from our prenatal classes! As well, we went on a mini road trip to Vegreville with Abby and Rylea for Abby's father in law's change of command/retirement/bridge naming ceremony. Even though it had nothing to do with Kent, I still loved it. Someday I'll get to see Kent on parade (where he isn't hiding behind all the tall people). Maybe for his change of command parade in 34 years! :)

Just a fun vide of Jacob's new talking!

Another fun video of Jacob having a giggle session with mum!

So I think that is finally it! I didn't do as many little explanations this time! Hope you all enjoy! It took me so long to do it that now there is only 12 more sleeps!!!