halloween

i LOVE halloween.  it has always been one of my favorite holidays, even though i didn't have kids.  i LOVE seeing all of the little ones dressed up going trick-or-treating.  it was one of my "can't wait for" moments when i had jake.  he was only 10 months old last year so it was more about the costume/photo op for me.   

last year he was in a cutesy, baby costume but i knew this year i wanted to something more fun edgy.  i saw a mc hammer costume last year and have obsessed over it for the last 12 months but lost the fight (real fight) with matt.  he wasn't havin' it, so i decided to find something that jake liked that would mean something to him.  he loves jake and the never land pirates cartoon and walks around the house saying "arrrrrgh!"  and a few days before halloween, i found it!

he got to wear it twice.  carma had a halloween party so we dressed him up for that.  he was front runner for the kids costume contest but we left early. imo...you shouldn't have had to be present to win but i'm not bitter.

2 days later it was halloween.  my mom and i took him trick-or-treating on our block while candy monitor matt stayed back to pass out candy. i know i'm biased but he was the cutest pirate and all of the neighbors fell in love.  he walked right up to each house and stuck his bucket out for candy.  he even tried to go inside a few houses.  it was a defining night in motherhood for me.  goosebumps up and down the block.  jake, you bring mommy so much happiness. 

on a side note...there was some chatter about whether or not he could have been prince in his purple rain days.  i'm okay with either label.

purple rain flashback?

pooped after the party

getting in a little leap frog letter learning 

before trick-or-treating.  c'mon son, let's go...mama's excited!

halloween 2010- 8 months old.

pumpkin patch

my mom and i took jake to the pumpkin patch while matt stayed behind to finish our fence. we took tai and tafa, too.  great times.  he ran around everywhere and rode rides with tafa.  i tried to get him on the pony but he started to cry.  i should have done like last year and put him on there anyway so i could at least get a photo (jake will thank me later...or at least his wife will).  didn't feel like getting stank stares from other parents thinking i don't care about my kid's feelings. 

he loved the train ride the best and the petting zoo.  afterwards we went to ruby's for ice cream sundaes.

ever tried to get hay out of an afro?

i'm back.

life has been a little busy lately.  i've been out of it (more info on that later) but i've got lots to share.  for those 3 of you that follow...i'm back.

night at the aquarium

they had a free family night at the aquarium so we decided to go.  we took him back in january when jake was 11 months and he liked it so i figured 8 months later with a new appreciation for animals/fish, he'd really be into it. we met up with dana, lisa and the twins.  he enjoyed it but he's still a toddler so running around from place to place was still the most exciting part.  stopped to see each exhibit for about 15 seconds and then he was off.  he actually was more excited about a ramp that he kept running up and down more than the sea otters.  oh well, mommy gets joy from seeing you enjoy...even if for 15 seconds.

flashback

jake at one month old...i remember so much but yet so little.  i remember never wanting to put him down and him always on either mine or matt's chest.  i remember him being such a good sleeper but wanting him to hurry and wake up.  i remember not wanting anyone to hold him for fear of him getting sick.  i remember feeling that everyone in the world could go away and i'd be fine as long as i had him. 

with grandpa marks in front of what would be our house.  we had just closed escrow and gotten the keys on this day, Mar. 19, 2010.

latest obsession...

jake is into light switches.  really into light switches.  when one of us is holding him and we walk by one, we HAVE to stop so he can turn it on...and then off...and then on...and then off.  but now he's figured out that he can go and grab the bath seat his step stool, put it up to every light switch in the house and do it himself.  independence.  bittersweet.

milestone...for mama

jake slept away from home for the first time last night.  my brother and sister-in-law have been asking for a sleepover since he was born but i kept telling them i he wasn't ready.  it's not that i don't trust them...they love my son deeply and he loves going over there.  it was just my first-time-mom freak-show-self worrying.  hello, he still sleeps in our room.  we can't seem to get comfortable with him far away from us at night IN the house, let alone somewhere else.  but, finally we agreed.  i didn't want to keep denying my brother and secretly matt and i both knew it was time.  so we got him bathed, in his pajamas, packed his overnight bag, packed up the pack n play, got his blanket, pacifiers, milk and his crib puppy and drove the longest 4 miles to my bro's house.  i had anxiety the whole way and probably would have backed out if matt and i weren't going out for a much needed date night.  when we got there, he immediately started playing and didn't even notice us slip out the door.  when we woke up at 9:30 the next morning (haven't slept in like that in 19 months) it felt strange to look over into an empty crib.  bittersweet.  we missed him terribly but also enjoyed a leisurely morning complete with a trip to breakfast.  my bro said he fell asleep with no problem, slept the whole night through and woke up in the morning smiling and playing.  wow...so proud of you son!  watch out jason, we broke the seal and now you might start getting phone calls for sleepovers!