STL Recap

On Saturday morning, we left for a quick weekend getaway to St. Louis.  Jacob thought he needed to wear his Cardinals hat for the occasion!

We met Grandma Anna and Grandpa Gary at Zia's on The Hill for some lunch.  After that, we went to the Magic House. 

Balloons on the ceiling as you enter the Magic House

It was a great place for Jacob to be able to run around and explore!  His favorite exhibit by far was this garden, and he was particularly interested in the carrots. 

Future farmer, perhaps? 

He also liked all of the trucks and got to meet Bob the Builder.

They had a real Bob the Builder, but my picture with him didn't turn out very well, so you'll have to settle for this picture.



There was also a ball pit that was a big hit.  Guess who likes to look at himself in the mirror? :)

After that, we made a quick stop at Pottery Barn and said goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa.  We were exhausted when we got to the hotel, so we decided not to get out again.  We ordered pizza and then went swimming! 

Showing off his new swimming trunks!

All smiles!

Jacob LOVES the water!  We splashed and played Mama Shark/Baby Shark and Daddy Shark/Baby Shark (Fortunately, we had the pool to ourselves- there was a lot of silliness going on!).  I'm making a mental note to buy water wings for the next time we're in the pool.  Aparently, having your parents hold on to you is beneath him. 

Not much was open on Sunday, but we made a couple of stops before we went to lunch at Flannery's Pub.  Great food but no high chair so it made for a interesting lunch..  (In my head, I was hearing the line from Sweet Home Alabama, "You have a baby... in a bar...") 

This was my entertainment on the way home:

Little Baby Stevie Wonder!

As we were leaving, we heard about a huge snowstorm coming our way in the next few days.  Fingers crossed that it misses us!!

Books and Brooms and Stairs- Oh My!

Lately, Jacob wants to play with "real" things- the TV remote still being one of his favorites.  He loves throwing things out of kitchen drawers and playing with plastic containers, spoons, and pans.  It's like a little tornado hitting the kitchen.  We do have some cabinets locked, but most childproofing requires drilling a hole in or putting adhesive on the cabinet, and I'm not willing to do that-  yet.  Here he is in all of his tornado-glory...

Fortunately, he will sit still for stories.  He loves to be read to!  I think reading is so important, and I hope he always enjoys books.  For Christmas, he received a St. Louis Cardinals book from Aunt Rachael and Uncle Garett, the kind that has pictures and words like, "Busch Stadium."  Adorable, but way above his head, right?  Nope!  It's a new favorite, and I have to admit, I've learned some stuff about the Cardinals! 

Notice the bare feet?!

Another new favorite book is Starry Sky Songs, a Sesame Street book that my Uncle Art and Aunt Susie bought for him.  It plays music, so of course, he's obsessed. 

Despite his destructive tendancies, he does like to help me clean.  (Finally, an area where he takes after me!) He dusts and vaccuums like a pro!  For the last few days, he's been walking around wtih a child-sized broom that Grandpa Gary and Grandma Anna bought for him.  Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of him with his broom yet, but soon- promise. 

Yesterday it was all about the stairs.  He's been crawling up the stairs since summer but has only recently learned to slide down.  Then he discovered that if he crawls up a few stairs, he can turn on the lights in the stairway.  He knows he can get our attention if he starts climbing the stairs...

There's never a dull moment!

Numero Uno

Everyone has been telling me I need to start a blog.  I love reading blogs because they give me ideas and inspiration on kids, home, and- um, which TV shows I should be watching- but I've never really had the time to devote to a blog.  I'm still not sure I have the time to devote to a blog. 

Then I thought about all of the stuff Jacob says and does (well, mostly does... he's not much of a talker) on a daily basis and realized I will never remember this if I don't write it down somewhere.  And ya'll  know he doesn't have a baby book; nobody remembers when he started crawling or cut his first tooth.  We were kind of too busy living it to write it all down. 

So here's to the beginning of a fun, informative blog, and a glimpse into Our Normal Days...!