New Toys

Jacob's Grandma and Grandpa visited him this weekend, so he had all kinds of fun. He also got two new toys-- an outside swing and a Jeep walker. His grandpa installed the swing, so it is less likely to come crashing down than had his dad put it up.  He pretty much loves his new toys, of course. Here are a few pics to prove it:

A few more pics

 At M and Pa's

 Tea Party

M and Jacob at Steak N Shake

You think Jacob is growing okay?

Makinley and Jacob Four months ago:

Now:

Jacob is now officially out of control with the shrieking. He gets excited about something, starts flailing around, and shrieks at a deafening decibel level. Sometimes it's about every 30 seconds. Like when he's watching Go Diego Go, his favorite cartoon. Here he is watching it in our bedroom:

Sometimes, he just busts out laughing, all hopped up on goofballs. Here is a tame version of that:

And another one in his jumperoo:

Christmas on New Years

We had the always entertaining Wiltshire Family Christmas on New Years this year, and it was fun as usual. Because our "Christmas Eve" fell on New Years Eve this year, we added fireworks to our list of activities. Although I did start a small fire, we did manage to shoot off the aforementioned fireworks without anyone losing an eye or burning anyone's house down. But I'm not gonna lie...we came close in both cases.



The presents were plentiful, as they always are. And I hate to see how many presents Jacob gets once he actually starts caring about Christmas. Scary thought.



I think my family thought I was exaggerating about Jacob's mad spitting-up skillz. But they are doubters no more. Everyone had at least one regurgitated baby food/formula stain on their clothes by the time we left. Logan, Brynna and Makinley all got to hold J-Dub, and they all thought it was great fun until he unloaded on their hands, clothes, and hair.


As I told you before, Jacob has had to go to a specialist for a flat spot on his head. After the last visit, Nancy has been increasing his tummy time and doing some stretching exercises to try to keep him from having to wear a helmet. They went to the doctor again today, and she said he was much, much better and will not have to wear a helmet! Nancy did such a great job fixing him, that the doctor even said she should teach a class. As much as Jacob HATED the stretching, I'm glad she was able to stick with it. And oddly enough, he loves tummy time now.



We finally found a food that he doesn't like. Avocadoes. Nancy mashed up some fresh avocadoes the other night to feed him...his first non-baby food food. He made such an awful face when she put them in his mouth, that we had to get a picture. It was hilarious, but unfortunately the camera ate the photo. I mean he was literally gagging with each bite. We haven't tried them again.


On to some pics:


Goofy Brynna



Logan



Brynna chewing on fireworks, which is oddly, not at all surprising. And Makinley




Nick double barrel Roman candle action




Scott making roman candles bounce down the street

Me shooting a roman candle at something, or someone

Logan lighting a firecracker tank

Howdy, pardner

Laura and Makinley

Jacob looks almost as big as Makinley!

J-Dub and Brynna

Logan loved holding baby Jacob, and Jacob loved him

Pa and naked Jacob

dressed up in the "fancy" clothes that his Grandma Doris made him.

Smiley, as usual

More Christmas

A few pictures from Christmas so far:

Brooke, Grandma, and Tyler

Jacob with Grandma and Grandpa




J-Dub and Grandma




Holding his own bottle

Family Picture

Happy, as always, in his bouncy chair

Notice the spit-up stains

Learning to drive his new Christmas present. Again, note the spit-up.

Learning to sit up. He's getting the hang of it.

Sitting in his boppie

Merry Christmas Part Deux

Jacob has started this thing where he gets really excited and squeals/screams/shrieks. Last week, it was reserved for when he was on his favorite changing table looking at his favorite tv underside. But today, he was doing it a lot. We managed to catch some of it on video:

Finally got some pictures of Jacob with his grandparents. It took us several takes because someone was not cooperating very well. As you can see from the pics, it was not the five month old.

This year has been an amazing year, with lots of ups, a few downs, and never a dull moment. More than anything, it has taught me to be thankful for all the blessings God has given me. There are so many things that I am thankful for that I can't list them all, but here are a few:

1. I have the most incredible wife in the world. But I already knew that. I also knew that she would be a great mom. But she has blown me away. She is not teaching right now, but she definitely works...and she deserves a raise. How she does what she does amazes me, and I know there is no way in the world I could do it. She is an incredible mom, patient, selfless, tireless, and above all, she does it all with a smile on her face. Jacob and I are very, very lucky to have her.

2. Speaking of moms...I also have the most amazing mother. Despite a setback or two this year, she is as strong and selfless as ever. My dad is pretty great himself. They are both crazy, of course, but that is part of why I love them. I am looking forward to spending Christmas on New Years with them this year, and many more Christmases with them in the years to come.

3. I have the most amazing son in the world. Just over 12 months ago, we found out that after a little preheating, our little bun was finally in the oven. To watch him go from a blurry black and white blob on an ultrasound screen to the little guy asleep in his bed right now has been nothing short of miraculous. He is the sweetest, funniest, cutest little creature I have ever seen, and I don't know how we ever lived without him. Even after the longest, most terrible day at work, seeing him smile at me as I walk in the door makes it all disappear.

4. The list goes on and on... awesome in-laws, great job, great employees, great friends, great home. Blessed for sure.

When you have a baby, they don't send a manual home with you, much to my surprise. Between Google and good old fashioned experience, I now know a lot more about babies than I did 6 months ago.

A few things I have learned in the past 4-5 months:

• What regurgitated baby formula mixed with carrots tastes like. I already don't much care for carrots, but this sealed the deal. A well-timed spit-up while going in for a kiss will do that to a man.

• Not to remove the diaper before the replacement is ready to go. Between his own personal water gun and unexpected hershey squirts, his mother and I have learned this lesson the hard way.

• A baby can spit up a volume 3 times greater than what he has consumed, and yet still be in the 90th percentile for weight. Nancy has given up on changing clothes when J-Dub covers her shirt (pants, hair, face) with chunky white creamy goodness. Now she just wipes it off and goes about her day. Otherwise, she would be doing five loads of laundry a day and not have time to sleep. By now a completely reflexive response, every time he burps, Nancy cups her hand under his mouth to catch the inevitible tidal wave that is coming.

• Every single word to that literary classic, Pajama Time.