Our Little Tax Write-Off

Jacob has hit twelve weeks and likely twelve pounds! He is growing so much each week that I can hardly believe he was once so tiny inside me. It is such a miracle that he started out as a bunch of cells and grew into this little person.

In addition to getting bigger, we can tell that he is growing developmentally too. He has better control over his movements and is starting to discover what his hands can do. We are able to make him smile and sometimes laugh. He has learned that he can make objects move by hitting them, and he recognizes certain sounds. He even can entertain himself in the mornings for quite a while. I just love watching him play and look around his crib through our monitor. And, when one of us finally goes in to get him, he has a big smile and lots of coos. It makes waking up so much fun.

That doesn’t mean that every moment is easy. There are still times he cries and we don’t know what is bothering him. Or, there are the pee or spit up accidents when we just changed him. Sometimes there is poo everywhere. But, we love him and happily take the challenges as long as we get those smiles.

Jacob cries, and we come running to decipher his sounds and try to figure out what he wants. I mean, it could only be one of a few things (ok, sometimes it could be a combination of multiple things). Either he is hungry, needs a diaper change, has gas, or is otherwise uncomfortable. Despite how demanding our little man is, we love him so much. His little sounds are so cute. His laugh makes us smile. I could stare into his eyes forever — especially when he is just staring at you.

The little things crack us up too. Sometimes he toots so hard that it scares him. Sometimes, I think that he will lift off like a rocket and go into orbit. Sometimes his mom and I just stare at him in amazement after a toot and say, “Wow, that was really impressive.”

Then there are the times, like today, when he lies asleep on my shoulder with his little mouth just a bit open. It is the cutest thing. And then when he is in a really good mood and laughing and trying to speak, but pretty much gibberish comes out — now THAT is adorable. We can’t wait for his first words. So far we have only gotten “hi” when we play with him and occasionally an “ow” after a sneeze. By the way, even his sneezes are adorable.

When mommy lifts him, he stretches his arms out above his head and she says, “Superman!”

This morning, I was changing him after he spit up on his onesie. As soon as I get his new onesie on, he spits up on that too and then starts to laugh. I think he is toying with me.

All of these little things make him who he is and we love him so much. I look at his little face each night after he has fallen asleep and think that it is one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. We are truly blessed to have him in our lives and are very thankful.

Jacob is two months old, which means he was due for his first big round of vaccines. At the appointment, the doctor said it looked like he is developing very normally, and at 10 pounds and 6 ounces he is not as chunky as we thought he would be. When it came time for the shots, I tried to be brave and positive even when holding him still for the nurse. It still made me sting, however, when I saw his face go from happy to crying in a split second. He only cried for about half a minute though. Then he kind of just looked dazed like he didn’t know what was going on.

Later on, we could tell the poor guy’s legs hurt. Every time he kicked them he would give off a little cry. He also didn’t want to eat and just wanted to nap most of the rest of the day. To make us feel better, Jacob slept in our room for the first time in a very long time. Unfortunately for me, all the sleep he got in the afternoon and evening meant he woke up hungry a few times in the middle of the night. Oh well, that is why coffee exists.

Our next adventure awaits this week as daddy goes to a conference and mommy gets to have Jacob all to herself!

Born May 6th, our little man is now two months old. Fatherhood is the toughest, yet most rewarding thing that I have ever done. The tough parts are really tough. I mean, I am starting to wonder if there is even a need to iron my shirts in the morning. Odds are that they will get spit up on or pee’d on. Some days you run on 4 or 5 hours of sleep. Val probably gets even less. Sometimes you question what you are doing because he is fine with mommy, but loves to cry with you. Sometimes things get tough and frustration hits you. However, when you see is little face in the morning and he is happy to see you too, it becomes clear that it is all worth it and you know that he has enriched your lives.

Jacob is gearing up for his first Independence Day, and turning 8 weeks old today! It is strange how quickly time has passed, and I am realizing how soon I will be back at work. While I am looking forward to getting into a familiar routine, I will miss the leisurely mornings spent with Jacob when he is all smiles and gurgles.

He has been doing okay even though we are going through a mini heat wave. I make sure he stays inside during the hottest parts of the day and is nice and cool. I am so thankful we have central air, we would all be miserable without it. He spent a short period in just a diaper yesterday, and didn’t complain despite his hating being naked.

Next week will be his two week check up and vaccines…I hope mom and dad survive their baby boy getting his shots!