Jake's Progress
Updated January 5, 2002

Mommy & Daddy say I'm on my way from bein' a tadpole to bein' a frog!
They just can't believe how much I'm changing.

Latest Changes In My Life

You will find the latest changes at the top of this list. My mommy will
add all my latest accomplishments as I do them.

It's January, 2002. It has been a busy time during the last month or so. In December, I had my 4th birthday. I had a fire truck party. I had been asking for a remote control fire truck for a while & I got that for my birthday. For a few weeks before my birthday every toy I saw, I said, "I want that for my birthday. We have to see." I also got a train set and workshop and lots of other toys. 

We also decorated a Christmas tree in December and I had my picture taken with Santa. I love sitting on Santa's lap. Lots of presents appeared under our tree on Christmas Eve night. I asked my parents how they got there. Daddy said it was magical. I said, "Will it happen again next year while I'm sleeping?" 

I love to play games now like Candy Land, Hi-Ho Cherro-O, Chutes & Ladders, Memory Game, Cookie Monster Game, Animal Crackers Game, Oreo Cookie Game & Hungry Hound. Games are one of my favorite new things to do. I also love playing outside both by myself and with my brother and Mom-Mom. It snowed on January 3rd about 2 1/2 inches. I was so excited saying, "I love snow. I love winter!" I wanted to go outside at 6:30 AM. I got a new hat and gloves and we built a snowman! I also loved making snowballs and throwing them at my little brother. I love the snow!

I call the moon a "toenail" in the sky when it's not full. 

I talk to all my grandparents on the phone & want to call "Grandma in the Home" all the time. I like to stay with her and Grandpa now too and ask to go see them all the time. I recognize the difference between talking to my two grandmas on the phone. I call one "Grandma in Salt Lake City" and the other "Grandma in the home." Grandma in the Home took me to see a live nativity scene on my birthday and a Christmas parade. My parents took me to another Christmas parade in our town too. I love parades, especially the marching band and fire trucks. At home I love to pretend I'm part of a marching band with my little brother, Caden. 

In December, I also had my first trip to the emergency room. I fell and cut my forehead on the changing table. I didn't have to have stitches but the doctor glued me back together with Dermabond. I didn't cry at all. I let the nurse take my temperature and blood pressure. My mom says my lips puckered up a little bit when the doctor said it would sting, but I did not cry. I was a big boy and talked to them and told them what happened.

I weigh 41 lbs and am 41 inches tall in December, 2001!

It's November, 2001 and my parents talk about how much I'm growing. I weigh 41 lbs and am 41 inches tall. I wear 4T pants and 5T shirts and a size 10 shoe. I love chocolate milk better than any other drink. Pizza, fries and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are my favorite foods. I hate hamburgers and hot dogs. I ask for remote control vehicles for my birthday and Christmas. I like blue, red, and yellow. I can't wait until my birthday next month when I will be four years old ! I ask all the time if I'm growing up.

It's October, 2001. I like to catch caterpillars and let them walk on my arm. I also catch crickets and grand-daddy longlegs too. I've enjoyed decorating my grandma's house and my own house for Halloween. I went to the pumpkin patch and was able to pet all kinds of animals and feed them and find my way through a hay maze. I made a nice jack-o-lantern, not a scary one. I dressed up like a pirate and went trick-or-treating with my cousin. I had so much fun.

It's September. This month I've decided I want to be a pirate for Halloween. I asked my mommy if my eyes were blue like my daddy's because he loved me so much.

It's August 30th and for the first time, I've actually asked to go stay at my Grandma's. Usually I like to stay with my mommy and daddy and no one else.

August 28th is the date & one of my favorite things is Daddy tucking me in and covering me up at night. I talk about how much I love it each and every night. I also like it when he sings a good night song to me with my dinosaur.

It's August 18th. Remember the tadpoles we saved and raised? Well, today it was time to let them go in the lake. We watched them run and hide.

It's August 17th and my latest career aspiration is to be a "freak singer."

It's August 7th and we went to the fair. The motorcycles and helicopters were my favorite rides. I also loved feeding the llamas. What a good time we all had. Daddy won a toucan for me and helped me with a dinosaur.

It's August 3, 2001 & I got stung for the first time! Darn that wasp!

July is almost over. We went to a party because it's the end of storytelling at the library for the summer. I got a certificate for reading 73 books. Wow! We had a nice pizza party outside. I also went to Stone Mountain, Ga this week and had fun riding the air tram and train.

I like painting myself and my brother better than paper and I have learned not to put his shoes on as well as my own sandals which are hard to buckle.

It's the middle of July. I can write my name almost perfectly in all capital letters. I'm still hiking to waterfalls. My latest is Kilby Mill Falls.

It's July, 2001. It's just the beginning of the month right now, but it's already been busy for me. I had loads of fun on the 4th of July. I now love fireworks again. I didn't last year. I had fun making construction paper flags, and flag cakes with mom-mom and Caden. I went to the boat parade too & was so proud to spot the only sailboat on the lake. I loved collecting nuts under the trees & putting them in my pocket. One of my favorite outdoor activities now, besides hiking to waterfalls, is going for long walks down our road with my family.

It's June, 2001 & I'm loving having my mom-mom home from work with me for the summer. This month we've done so much like hiking to beautiful waterfalls. I'm quite a trail guide and can walk up to a mile before getting tired. I can put on my sandals all by myself now, straps and all. I'm night-time potty trained too! A weekly activity I like is going to storytelling hour at the library. I even sounded the siren in a firetruck one week. I went to the beach this month at Tybee Island, GA. At first I didn't like the water. I'd forgotten how much fun the beach can be, but I did grow to love it again: building sandcastles, collecting shells, looking for starfish, and wading. My favorite part was riding a boat to look at dolphins. I learned to chew gum on vacation. I used to just swallow it, but now I know how to do it right. This month I also found my first tadpole and a frog on my deck. By the end of the month, I learned to dress myself completely from shirt to underwear to pants to shoes. I'm growing up. One of my favorite and most cute things to say when I wake up in the morning is, "It's a shiney day outside. Time to get up."

It's May, 2001 and I love talking to people in parking lots. I like saying, "Hi, how are you?" and "bye, adios amigos, see ya."

I told my mommy "Happy Mother's Day" so many times on Mother's Day this month and I told Caden to say it too. When my mommy was talking to my grandma in Utah about me, I said, "That's embarrassing."

I talk about dreaming about ghosts. My favorite color is yellow. I say that my favorite toy is Elmo and my favorite t.v. show is "Bear in the Big Blue House." I like playing Reader Rabbit and games about numbers and letters on the computer. I love to eat pizza, pizza rolls, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, toast with strawberry jelly, raisins, chicken nuggets shaped like dinosaurs which I call dinosaur chicken, and lots of other things. I seem to be eating more in the last couple of months and have gained a pound since December. I now weigh 35 pounds and I wear size 5T shirts and 3T pants. I love to fold washclothes for mommy and sort laundry.

The funniest thing I've been saying lately is "McScuse Me" instead of "Excuse me." I'm always asking if I was in Mommy's belly and if Caden was in there too and if the doctors took me out and how can I get back in?

It's April, 2001. I really liked hiding eggs and hunting for eggs this year on Easter. Last year I did not like it, but I sure did this year. Dying eggs was so much fun and making cards with Mommy and drawing on them for my family. I can sign my name by writing a big letter J on things that I want to sign. I went to TN aquarium this month and wanted to see the frogs so bad all the way there. As of April 11th, I've been potty trained TOTALLY for five days!

This month I also went to a pediatric dentist to get a tooth fixed (upper left front) that was chipped. I was a big boy at the dentist, telling the hygienist when I needed to use the potty, and staying in the back without my mommy and daddy.

I've been practicing jumping up and down on one foot this month.

I fell in the lake at Vogel State Park while feeding the ducks !

I like to say things like, "That's interesting," "I appreciate it," Caden's trying to throw a toy at me. It's like a weapon."

Toward the end of the month, I really liked hunting caterpillars to put in my little bugcatcher box for a while & then let them go. I even took one to the grocery store with me and showed it to everyone one night. I said I didn't want him to go back to his mommy and daddy because he was so small.

I learned to say I love you in sign language. I do it all the time and say, "This means I love you."

It's March, 2001 & now I wear big boy underwear. I ask questions like, "Why do I have to grow up?" I say that I want to be either a policeman or a fireman when I grow up. I also say funny things like, "Caden's going to jail." Mommy & Daddy have no idea why I'd say that!

I can count to 20 and usually only just mess up on 15.

I've learned to lean over on my head and roll completely over in a flip.

It's February, 2001. My favorite thing to do right now is to make Valentines for all my friends and family. While my mommy was in the kitchen, I put lots of stickers on an envelope, went running into the kitchen and said, "Ta-Dah!" I gave her that Valentine and then ran off to make Daddy one. Later on while Mom-Mom was holding me on her lap, I told my little brother, "see I made valentines for Mommy and Daddy."

This month (February) I'm also getting really good at using the potty and not just for pee-peeing anymore. This month I asked to use the potty in a store for the first time. It was Subway in Murphy, NC.

I say things to my Daddy like, "I want to stay with you and I want to be like you."

I wear size 9 shoes now!

It's January, 2001. I rang in the new year with lots of confetti poppers and even learned to work them on my own. My daddy showed me how. I had my 3 year old checkup and was 34 lbs and 39 1/2 inches. I'm in the 80th percentile with height and 60th percentile with weight. I love to talk, talk, talk, type on the computer, play games.

It's December, 2000. I went "poop in the potty" for the first time. I got a Super Trike. We decorated a tree that I helped pick out and made hand ornaments for me and my brother. I loved my birthday party that lots of my family came to. I got loads of toys like a Cozy Coupe II Car, Sit 'N Spin, Ride On Bus, Blues Clues Touch Pad, Watch, Grinch, breakfast set & not to mention all my brother's toys to take away from him too since we had a birthday on the same day & he got just as many toys as I did !!! I kept running up to my mom-mom and daddy saying "thank-you birthday."

I like to say "uh-oh" somebody's kissing if my daddy & mom-mom kiss.

I can draw GOOD smiley faces with all the trimmings.

At the store a manage asked you "you shopping?" You said, "No I'm Jacob."

You like to get your own little kid's buggy at the grocery store. You named a teddy bear "ABC Pyrlik"

Christmas was loads of fun. I got a huge slide and play house, Little People Train, train to ride on, rock and roll Elmo, and so much more :-)

It's November, 2000. We had our first snow of the season. My mom tried to get me to taste the snow, but I would not, calling it "yucky snow." I told everyone "happy birdsnest" on Thanksgiving and wasn't much of an eater like I used to be. It's my 3rd Thanksgiving. I know all my colors and like to say "don't sell me." I like to say "Oh I'm sorry, Don't be mad, Yes, thanks,, No, thanks, May I have a drink of soda, please and night-night time?" I LOVE to say "don't tell me" whenever people tell me things I don't want to hear. We ordered my birthday cake, Henry from "Thomas the Tank Engine" because he's engine #3 and I'm going to be 3 next month. We bought lots of cool party stuff and went to the mall. I rode the carousel.

It's October, 2000. I went to a pumpkin patch in early October to pick out a pumpkin. I loved the petting zoo. I can sing songs like the "ABC Song" and "I've Been Working on the Railroad" perfectly. After I sing, I like to say, "great songing" and "that's berry nice." I was a blue crayon for Halloween. I loved trick-or-treating and handing out candy to others. I loved my blue face paint. I make my mommy feel guilty about working by playing with my Teletubbies and having them tell each other "I miss you work" while they are playing.

It's September, 2000. I wear 3-4T clothes and 8 1/2 - 9 shoes. I like to draw the letter "T" and put things together to make that letter like vacuum hoses.

It's August, 2000. I went to the fair & rode lots of rides. My mommy had to go back to work this month & I wanted to go with her. My favorite videos are the "Wiggles" now. If my mommy asks if I missed her at work, I say, "yes, duh!" I'm getting good at catching balls now. I've always been a pretty great thrower. I love to sing songs like the one from "Dragon Tales." I like to play peek-a-boo with my little brother. My brother had his 9 month old checkup and I told the doctor that "I want a turn too." Some of my new phrases are "Are you fine? Are you sick? Are you taking a shower? I don't know. and I can't hear you." I like to say that last one when people are telling me things I don't want to hear.

It's July, 2000. I've started wearing pull-ups. I love doing puzzles with pieces that fit back into shapes like them. I DO NOT like fireworks this year. I used to but for some reason I am scared of them this year. I did not go to the "real" fireworks this year because of it, but I did finally watch some from through the window at my house. I like to draw things on the Magna Doodle like rabbits with big, long ears. I'm getting to be really good at sliding at the park. I visited several waterfalls this month and Zoo Atlanta. I saw a policeman and told him my full name: first, middle and last. I had my first dental appointment this month. The people were really nice. They showed me all the equipment, let me go up and down in the chair, gave me stuff like a toothbrush, floss and a balloon. I love the dentist. I'm using my potty to pee as much as 8 times a day now. I love to say, "I did it! I did it!"

It's June, 2000. I'm loving my mommy being home from work. We're doing lots of fun stuff like going to the park & the library. I'm a little wary of the swings & slides, but I'm learning to like the slide a little. I can use the computer very well noy. I love playing Reader Rabbit. I operate the mouse with two hands.

It's May 29th. I like to say "Yes, Sir" and do a military salute when asked to do something. No one knows where I got this from.

I weigh 30 pounds now.

It's May 28th. I sing lots of songs now like "I've Been Working on the Railroad." Daddy taught me that one. I sing lots of others too. I'm combining three and four words now to make sentences like "Jacob go store." I'm a big splasher in the tub when I take a bath with Caden. Remember that song that my mommy has sung to me that she made up, "Baby, Baby?" She's sung that to me since I was born. Well, now I can sing it all by myself. Sometimes I sing it to Caden, Mommy, or Daddy and substitute their name in it instead of baby.

It's May 27th. I like to say, "FINE, MOM-MOM!" whenever my mommy tells me to do something I don't particularly want to do.

It's May 24th. Tonight I counted from one to fifteen. I sometimes mess up on 13 and 14.

It's May 20th. My latest fun thing to do is to go up to Caden, Mommy, and Daddy, saying "let it show." While I'm saying this, I take my fingers and move their lips to form a smile. Shouldn't everyone always be smiling? I also do this to myself :-)

It's May 19th. We put up an outdoor tent. I call it our "real house." I caught an ant today in my bug catcher and called it a "fast ant."

It's May 15th. Mommy and I got a bug collecting kit and we've been chasing bugs everywhere. At first we couldn't find many so I went from bush to bush, tree to tree, saying "Home, Buggy?" I'm so excited about bugs that I even woke up in the middle of the night saying "night-night, buggy."

It's May 5th and I counted to 14 all my myself today.

It's May 2nd. My daddy has done a good job of teaching me my right foot and left foot. He's always said this to me for as long as I've been alive while putting on my socks and shoes and now I can tell them apart when he asks.

It's the 1st of May and mommy found that my two year molars have already started coming in, all of them!

It's the last day of April. I'm a big helper by piling up lots of toys on my little brother, Caden's swing for him to play with.

Today was also my grandma and uncle's birthday. They let me dip my fingers in the icing of the cake :-)

Well as of April 27th, I've had my 3rd haircut and I'm still liking them. I even like it when they use the electric razor.

My favorite part of Easter this year was all the candy. I ate about two and a half chocolate bunnies today. I got an interactive Barney and a neat counting game with Winnie-the-Pooh. My grandma got me lots of stuff in my basket and my uncle got me an airplane. A couple of weeks ago, I dyed Easter eggs with my cousin, Craig.

As of April 21st, I made a pretty good sentence by saying "Jacob eat breakfast."

I love chasing butterflies. I call them "fly-flies."

I managed to eat some dental floss and kept saying "eat string, Jacob."

As of April 19th, I can count to twelve on my own!

When I get in bed at night, I always say "Love you, Caden, Love you, Caden."

One of my favorite sayings is, "Man, tell you what, Mom-Mom."

I always know circles and triangles. I sometimes know squares and rectangles.

For Easter, Mommy and I made my handprints and footprints for all my grandparents. At first I was scared to put the paint on me, but finally I started liking it. I still like putting it on a brush and using it to paint better than making my prints with it. I did try to make a bellyprint though.

April, 2000 is almost half over. At long last I'm getting some use out of my toddler bed. I've been falling to sleep in it most nights. I'll sleep in it until around 3 or 4 AM and then go join Daddy and Mommy.

It's April, 2000 ! My daddy has taught me to count to ten in Spanish. I've already
been counting to ten in English. I say "please, thank-you, and you're welcome."
I can put lots of words together like when I pulled Mommy into the living room
and said, "show you Caden crying."

I try to teach my little brother, Caden, things like how to make noises. I get down
really close to his face and scream. He screams back. I talk to him and he talks back
to me in his own cooing language.

I love playing games on the computer like "Elmo," my interactive "Winnie-the-Pooh" and
Reader Rabbit.

I wear size 3T shirts, 2T pants and 8 1/2 shoes.

On March 9, 2000, I turned 27 months old. I weigh 29 lbs. I am 36 inches
tall. If you believe in the saying that you can double a boy's height at 27 months
to get an estimate of adult height, that means I will be around 6 feet tall when
I am all grown up.

It's the new millennium ! Yay year 2000 ! Since my baby brother,
Caden, was born I am learning so many new things and saying
so many new things that my mommy can hardly keep up with it all.
Every day it seems I learn a new word. I can say "please" and
"thanks" now ( when I want to, of course. ) I can sing the ABC song and
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star filling in parts that I know.

I can say "spoon, plane, truck, car, motorcycle" and all these things
are my favorites to play with.

I can say "jacket" and go get it when I need to. I repeat almost all
words. I know almost all the animals and what sounds they make too.

In fact, I can say just about anything. I'm learning my colors and my numbers
and can say them when someone else is saying them with me.

Otherwise, I like to say them, just a little out of order.

I had my 2 year old well baby (toddler) checkup. I weighed
27 1/2 lbs and am 34 inches tall. I'm in the 50th percentile on
everything, so I'm still a perfect cube.

It's December 18th and I've had the best me-mo birthday party ever!
We had me-mo balloons, cake, plates, cups, and everything!
I got lots of neat presents! I blew out my candle so quickly no one was
even ready for me to do it. I said a lot of words like "neat," "cute," and
"me-mo" at my party.

It's December 9th, my birthday, and guess what? I'm going to be sharing my
birthday with someone else now, someone very special, my little brother! He was
born today! At first I did not understand what was going on when my Grandma and
Grandpa took me to see my mommy and daddy in a hospital. They kept saying we had
to wait and that my baby brother, Caden, would be here soon. And finally some people
came into the room with a little rolling bed and inside was my brother! This is the BABY
I've been waiting for. The first thing I did was say "Baby!" and the "Eye!" while I pointed at
(or maybe in also ) his eye. Then I named other body parts. We could not be parted. I
wanted to hold him and touch him all the time. I cried whenever he was taken away. I went
to visit in the hospital every single day. Guess this means my birthday party will be
next weekend instead of this one, but that's okay by me, I have a baby brother to take
care of now!

At home finally ! I stayed with my grandparents while everyone else was at the
hospital. Now I love looking at and touching my brother. I love holding his hand.
I help mommy by throwing away dirty diapers and putting bottles in the sink. "Sink"
is one of my new words now along with "cold, cool, and sleep, and wake!" Wake is
something I like to do to my brother when he is sleeping.

Since I help my mom with Caden, I had to figure out a way to help my daddy too.
So I figured the best way is to get him Diet Mountain Dew's out of the fridge.
This is his favorite drink and I love to bring them to him.

December is here! One of the funnest things I have learned to do is jump up and down.
I like to jump while going places or just while standing still. I've been doing this for a couple
of weeks and I think it's the greatest. I also enjoyed helping to put up our Christmas
tree on December 6th. Even better than putting things on the tree is taking things
OFF the tree! My mommy and daddy don't like it when I do this though!

It's still November and one of my new words is "wait." On November 24th, we went
to a party store and bought stuff for my birthday party. My birthday will be December 9th.
I'm going to have an Elmo party. I call him me-mo.

Another holiday has passed ! Thanksgiving was great but I couldn't eat as much as I'd like because I have a cold. It's only about the 3rd cold I've ever had in my whole life so mommy and daddy say I'm very lucky but I sure don't feel good!

This month (11-13-99) I got my very own potty chair ! For about a week, I did nothing but play with it but now I'm figuring how how to use it. I started by going pee-pee for a couple of nights in it right before bedtime and now I go in it lots more and more each day. I love it when I go. Everyone makes such a big deal out of it. Daddy and mommy congratulate me a lot, so I want to make them happy. I have even gone once without telling anyone. They just found the evidence a little later.

My two new animals that I know are "sheep" and "tiger." I love to sing e-i-e-i-o at the right part of that song and I'm obsessed with Barney Videos. The Halloween video is my favorite but I also have the Christmas one and Barney's Grand Adventure. I love them all which has led to new words like "e-mote" for remote and "ideo" for video.

I also like to say "away, again, coke, broke, straw, and wait." I love to talk on the phone and say "yeah baby" or "hey baby" or "whoa baby."

Today is November 27, 1999 and I'm going to watch the Christmas Parade in town tonight. Also my baby brother is due next Sunday ! My parents have finally decided on a name for him they think. I think it's about time. His name will be Caden Alexander. They just decided last night. Up until now, their best choice has been Lucas Alexander.

It's the beginning of November now. Halloween has come and gone. I was Tigger! I had black whiskers on my face. I sure didn't mind face painting this year as much as I did last year.
I ate more candy than I ever have in my whole life.

I can say so many new words now it's hard for mommy and daddy to keep up with them all. Here's a few of them, "cup, drink, star, mimi ( for binky ), frog, smell, sock ( can you see
the connection? ), Po, Laa-Laa, ghost, pumpkin, rain, play, hurry, great, eat, mouth, nose,
no mommy, A-B-A-B ( this is my alphabet ), school, sun, sky, clock, green & blue ( while
pointing at objects of those colors ), Jake, key, e-i-e-i-o ( while singing the old McDonald
song ), and cheek. " I can also say the names of lots of animals and the sounds they make
too.

I help my mommy by picking up things on the floor for her since her belly is so big now
(because of my baby brother). She says I'm a big help.

It's almost the end of September. We're planning a trip to the pumpkin patch next weekend. I can't wait to go there. That's where I saw those gigantic pumpkins last year! I'm starting to put more and more two word phrases together now like "Hi, Baby" and "Me Go" and "Me Ball." I also love to sing. I sing the Barney song. I'm pretty good with the tune and dancing to it. The easiest word to understand that I say in the whole song is "family." I also like to sing the alphabet song. My favorite letters must be "a-e-i-p-y" because those are the ones that you can understand the best. Sometimes I sing it long and sometimes I sing it short but when I'm done, I always stop, clap for myself and shout, "YAY!" just like everyone else is doing. Whenever I see words or letters, I always say "A." When I count, I say "A-O."

When my mommy gets me out of my bath at night, she wraps me in a towel and sings to me. I've started singing that song ( my own version ). I sing "Baa-by, Baa-by, Baa-by Boy" and do my usual clapping and "yaying." My mom sings a little longer version something like this, "Baby, Baby, he's my little baby. Baby, Baby, he's my baby boy. Baby, Baby, I love my baby boy!" I like that. It makes me fall asleep.

Another favorite word of mine right now is "bob-bee" for rabbit when I see one in books.

I now wear a 7 1/2 shoe, 2T pants, and 3T shirts! Wow, I'm gettin' big. On our scales at home, I weigh 26 lbs.

When I'm ready to jump on something or fall down on purpose, I say, "ready, go!" I love to point at the sky now and say "sky." I really love pointing to people's toes and saying "toe!" I say "no" for nose when I point at my nose. I also say "mouth" and "mel" for smell when I want someone to smell something.

Well, the summer has come and gone so quickly. It's September and my mommy has started back to work already. I have a new toddler bed ( but I won't sleep in it ). I much prefer to sleep on the couch and then head in to daddy and mommy's bed when I wake up. I can repeat most anything my parents say to me. I'm still shy about saying and doing things in front of other people though. I like to point at things and say their names in books like " eye, nose, toe, kitty, doggy, bear, rabbit, hat, ball, balloon "

I've decided I'm not ready to give up the title of baby to my baby brother yet. I mean I looked at him in the ultrasound video in August and he just looked like a little alien to me. The other day my mommy put a new crib set in MY crib. Now I don't sleep in my crib anymore but just the sight of this pretty new comforter in my old crib made me want to get in it. So I dragged my mommy over there, lifted up both arms and tried to make her put me in it. She started telling me it was for THE BABY! Well, I let her know who THE BABY was. I started pointing at myself with both hands and saying "Baby,Baby!" I'll have everyone around here know, I'm still a baby myself and they'd better not forget it !

I do know where my baby brother is and I hug my mommy's belly whenever she talks about him. I guess it'll be pretty neat having a little brother around to show the ropes.

Oh yeah, another new trick of mine is turning somersaults on the bed and floor !

I just got back from a July trip to Salt Lake City, Utah ! This was the greatest because I got to meet my Grandma Brock for the first time. I already live near my Grandma and Grandpa Rhinehardt but I had never seen my other grandma before. She was so nice. I flew in a plane to get there and now I like to say "plane" whenever I hear one. I saw so many new things in Utah. I liked Hogle Zoo. I also liked the Bonneville Salt Flats and Kennecott's Bingham Canyon Mine. I hope I get to go again next summer. I also got to go to Wyoming and Nevada.

July is here already! I watched so many fireworks and loved them all. I liked clapping when each one was over. I am learning new words like crazy. This all started more towards the end of June. Ever since I got back from the ocean, I say "oooh wah-wee" every time I see water like in the tub, the lake, my baby pool or rain.

My daddy loves to have this conversation with me:
Dad says, "Hi Jake. How are you?"
I say, "How are you?"
Dad says, "Fine. How are you?"
I say, "Kine." This is my way of saying fine.

If mommy and I are going to the store by ourselves, I run over to kiss Daddy good-bye before we leave.

I like to help mommy make up the bed by pulling the covers to the corners and by taking off and putting on pillows as needed.

I can also say "Go!" and "Pretty!" I love books. I get them all the time and crawl up in my mommy's lap for her to read to me. I can repeat a lot of words she says in there. I like pointing to my nose, eyes, ears, mouth, toes, and hair too when asked.

Summer's here! It's June, 1999 and I'm so glad my mommy's home from work with me for the summer. We just got back from Tybee Island. I loved the ocean. I hunted shells and said "oooooh" every time I found one. I splashed in the water and floated on my float out to sea. I loved the sand and I even loved the crabs. I enjoyed the trip there more than I enjoyed the trip home.

What else is new in my life? Well, I told you before how I hate my crib. I've decided I like to sleep out in the living room with the t.v. on. Whenever I wake up around 4 AM or sometimes not until 6 AM I just walk in and get in bed with my parents.

I can say "grandma" and "grandpa" now. Grandma sounds a lot like "mom-mom." I recognize pictures of my family members, love to put things in the trash when asked to (and sometimes when not), know my eyes, nose, mouth, ears, hair, and toe. I love to have books read to me. I get books all the time and crawl up in my mom's lap to have them read to me.

When I wake up in the morning, one of the first things I do is go and give my daddy a kiss!

I love to clap for myself and say "yay!" when I do something new. I also clap for mommy and daddy when they do something pretty smart too.

As for eating, I don't eat as much as I used too and I don't like milk much anymore at all!

It's April 5, 1999. I've been walking everywhere. I can walk and walk long distances until I fall down. Then I can't get back up on my own. I have to pull up on someone or something and then go again. I like to run and walk! I had a great 2nd Easter. I got lots of stuff in my baskets. I love my little stuffed bunnies and chicks. I love to give them hugs. I have lots of fun putting eggs in my basket too.

I'm still not sleeping well through the night. During the middle of March I slept through the night about 3 times, but that's all. Otherwise I wake up one, two, or three times a night. I don't like my crib at all !

My latest favorite food is Hungry Jack Wild Berry Waffles. I could eat those any time of the day or night! But hey those marshmellow chicks I got in my Easter basket aren't bad either.

March 14, 1999: Here's 2 new cute things I can do. Whenever someone asks me a question I don't know or says " I don't Know" I will throw both my arms up in the air and turn my head to the side as if to say " I Don't Know." I also put a kiss on my hand and give that kiss to people. Sometimes I will crawl great distances with a kiss in my hand to deliver to someone. I always share my kisses equally with my mommy and daddy whenever I'm giving out kisses like that. I go back and forth from one to the other.

Today's March 6, 1999. I went to Tennessee Aquarium today. I had such a good time looking at all the huge fish! I also liked walking behind my stroller and pushing it around everywhere. We also went to Lookout Mountain and Point Park.

I can't believe it's March. Today is March 3, 1999. I'm taking a nap right now, but I left my notes out for Mommy to update my progress. I'm walking quite a bit now on my on but only in short spurts. Sometimes I just decide I want to walk 4 or 5 steps on my own to get someplace and I do it ! I still love to crawl though and yesterday my daddy and mommy noticed that I had worn a tiny hole in my blue jeans from crawling so much!

I love it when my mommy reads books to me. I have one about a kitty making a mistake and when mommy asks me to point to the kitty, I can do that on any page! My mommy and daddy say " Yay ! " and clap for me. I laugh really hard and clap for myself too!

I still love my paci. When I'm being funny, I love to stick it in my daddy and mommy's mouth too. Not for long though because I want it back.

I can say lots of stuff now and love to jabber all the time! I still love to laugh, of course. I like watching Barney and Teletubbies on t.v. My newest food that I like to eat is "pancakes and sausage on a stick." I love those things. I still eat most anything that my parents eat. I'm not a picky eater at all. I even grabbed a jalapeno pepper off my mommy's veggie sub one day by accident. See I normally love to eat all the bell peppers, olives, and tomatoes off her sandwich but this jalapeno was hidden in there. I made quite a face and spit that right out ! Oooh, my eyes watered !

Mommy & Daddy laughed at me last night ( 2-20-99 ) because I was laying in the floor with my shirt up tickling myself ! I also love to say "see" all the time when there's something neat to look at. Today I also started getting up and down on the couch all by myself. I love to get up there and look out the window at all the trees!

I learned a new word today ( 2-18-99 ) --- It's tree ! I say it all the time now and point at the trees.

It's February 5, 1999. I'm learning so much new stuff now. I've just started nodding my head up and down when I mean yes. Now I can do both "no" and "yes."

I've been holding out on getting one bottle per night now for quite some time, even though I stopped taking bottles during the day quite a few months ago. But last night was my last night. It's February 17, 1999, and I'm no longer getting ANY bottles at all. I haven't had any "baby" food since early December, so I feel like a really big boy now.

It's a new month now. It's February 2, 1999, and I can get up and down on the futon in our living room all by myself now. It's fun because I like to get up there and lay my head down on Kyro, our kitty.

Well, walking felt so good yesterday, that I decided to stand up dancing by myself today.

Today ( 1-25-99 ) I took 4 whole steps by myself !!! I walked to my daddy who was sitting at his desk! YAY!

Well, it's January 19, 1999. I'm 13 months old now. I can't believe it's a brand new year! I'm so proud of the new things I've learned in the past year! I'm still not walking completely on my own yet, but I can walk really good with someone holding me hand. I have taken a few steps between my mommy and daddy when they are really close together though. I did that about a week ago.

I eat just about everything now. I love peanut butter sandwiches.

Yesterday, January 18, 1999, I learned to say " Hey ! " I'm also saying " Baby ! " Actually I say it more like Bay-Buh. I say it whenever I see a baby's picture. I can also say " all gone " whenever there is nothing left.

I have a favorite toy that is a lion key chain. I hug it all the time up against my face.

I'm clapping all the time now which I've been doing now for months but the difference now is that I actually use both hands to do it and it makes a sound rather than one hand just hitting the other hand.

I have been shaking my head to mean " no " now for a long time. Well actually I shake my whole body back and forth instead of just my head.

It's Christmas Today! I can't believe it's December 25th already! Why it seems like only yesterday Mommy & Daddy were putting up that tree... And now it's almost time to take it down! Oh no! What fun will I have then?

I had a good Christmas today and opened up lots of presents! Whew! I'm just about exhausted from all that work!

My mommy was so shocked when she looked in my mouth tonight! She saw that I am getting four new teeth! Wow! This will make a total of eight teeth! I'm getting two more on the top and two more on the bottom.

Since my last update, I've learned many things. I say "hello" now all the time! I wave to people and give hugs to my stuffed animals. I like to say "uh-oh" whenever I'm about to do something I shouldn't like throw food down from my highchair or whenever I've just had an accident.

I like to dance too! When I hear music, I start stomping my feet!

I like to wave at Kyro, our cat and at mommy & daddy & everyone else too.

I like to say "hello" when the phone rings & pick up the phone off the floor and say it too.

It's December 9, 1998, and I just turned one year old today ! I feel like a really big boy. I'm standing up on my own now some and have even stood up clapping before. I haven't decided to walk yet because crawling is much easier and faster for me. I like to say "ma-ma," "da-da," "ki-ki," "bye-bye," and "uh-oh." I can wave bye-bye and shake my head "no" when I don't want something. I love to give kisses and headbutts too!

On December 6, 1998, I celebrated my 1st birthday ! We had the party 3 days early. It was a Tigger Party ! I loved the balloons and cake more than anything. I got lots of neat presents and had a really good time.

On December 5, 1998, we put up our Christmas tree ! This is the 1st time I've ever helped put one up because last year I hadn't been born yet when my daddy and mommy put up our tree. It sure was fun. I loved getting all wrapped up in the lights!

On November 26, 1998, I celebrated my 1st ever Thanksgiving ! I ate green beans, corn, a roll, turkey, ham and even some pumpkin pie! It was so delicious!

It's November 25, 1998, and I climbed in the refrigerator today!

On November 22, 1998, I ate my 1st peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I scarfed that sandwich down faster ( well actually in the same amount of time ) it took my mommy to eat hers. I decided to dig in with both hands. I got it all over my hands, arms, face and belly, but it was worth it and I got a fun bath afterwards.

On November 21, 1998, I went with my mommy and daddy to pick out stuff for my 1st birthday! It's all going to be about Tigger. I really love Tigger ( and so does my daddy! )
I also got my 3rd tooth today!

On November 20, 1998, I spent about 20 seconds standing up on my own
at school ( my mommy's work ) ! I think I'll be standing up and walking
on my own any day now.

On November 19, 1998, I started making a cute " mmmmmmm-aaaaaa " sound
after I give my mommy and daddy kisses. My daddy taught me this sound because
he is always making it when he gives me kisses.

It's getting chillier now that it's November. I wear my denim jacket when my
Daddy brings me to see my Mommy each day at lunch. Lots of girls like
my denim jacket, so I wear it often. Daddy says "every single man
ought to have one of me " whatever that means. Think it's because
lots of girl people talk to me in stores and stuff?

It's Halloween, October 31, 1998, and I dressed up as a pumpkin just like I'd told
you that I would. I was so cute. We carved a pumpkin and went over to my
grandparents to hand out candy to the trick-or-treaters. I was so tired I went
to sleep on the way home, still in my costume!

When we went grocery shopping on October 28, 1998, I decided to see what
it was like to wave to somebody else for a change so I waved to a lady
who was coming around the corner. Boy, she liked that. I got a lot
of attention. Think I'll do that more often.

On October 22, 1998, Daddy said I waved to a man on t.v. who said "hi"
Boy, we sure like the word "hi" around here.

On October 21, 1998, my mommy and I were sitting on the couch practicing
saying "hi" to my daddy ( don't ask me why we were saying "hi" to him
so many times, but it seemed to make mommy happy ) Anyway, I waved
at my Daddy all by myself.

As of October 17, 1998, I can sit back down on my own after I've been
standing up. I just lean my hand down really close to the floor
and go for it!

On October 15, 1998, I was playing with the Kitty Kyro and said "Ki-Ki"

On October 14, 1998, my Daddy was busy trying to block my escape from the living room to the bathroom. I just crawled on over to him and pulled myself up by his pant legs. His feet were further back than I had thought though so I couldn't really get as close to him as I wanted. My legs just started trembling really hard and one at a time I made those legs take two whole steps towards my daddy!

I've learned such a funny face to make now. I like to scrunch up my nose and blow through my nose and stick my lips way out! It's real cute!

On October 13, 1998, my parents say I've officially started "cruising." I can hold on to furniture and walk around a little bit on my own. When my grandma came to visit me tonight, I told her bye-bye over and over as she was leaving. I can now say "bye-bye," "Da-Da," "Ma-Ma" and I repeat lots of others sounds I hear too.

On October 9, 1998, I turned 10 months old! Happy birthday to me!
I sat on our horse's back for the 1st time tonight!
'Course Mommy was helping me, but it was fun. Wow, that horse is big!

On October 8, 1998, I stood up on my own for 3 whole seconds! Me and my daddy were busy working on our usual daily job of making web pages. I wanted to get a closer look at what Daddy was doing so that I could give him some good advice on how to complete the job. I was holding on to Daddy and looking real hard at the work when he just up and decided to let me go. Well, I stood up on my own! I could've stood up longer. I just know it, but that darn cat walked by and got me sooo distracted!

On October 4, 1998, I said two new words and got my 2nd tooth! Wow, it's been a very busy day. This morning when my mom was holding me, I started saying "Hey" and then a little while later when Daddy walked by I said "DaDa"

On September 30, 1998, I started giving kisses to everyone when they asked me. I figured it was my turn to give back a few of those kisses I've been getting for so many months now!

On September 28, 1998, my Daddy heard me wake up from my nap. When he went in to get me out of my crib, he got a big surprise! I was standing up. At first he looked at me and wondered if I'd just grown a few inches because I have been sitting up in my crib on my knees for a while now, but this time I was further up over the railing standing up! He was so shocked. He started smiling and talking to me and ICQ'ed my mom at work to let her know. Later on in the living room, I got my 1st bruise as I made my 2nd attempt at pulling myself up.

Mommy & Daddy just helped me pick out a Halloween costume. I'm going to be a pumpkin. I'll be wearing a pumpkin sleeper with matching hat ( Mommy says I WILL wear the hat, but let's just wait and see 'cause she also thinks I'll be wearing a little orange facepaint, but she's really in for a big surprise on that one! ) They think they will get me to do this because they threw in a couple extras on the costume like a matching pumpkin pacifier and bib so I'm humoring them right now.

Be sure and check back to see my Halloween picture though!

During the week of September 21, 1998, I have learned a lot of new things. These are things that I had been practicing with, but I now consider myself to be an expert at going. I can clap my hands and make a real noise while doing it. I love to do this and I smile at everyone when I do it to let them know how much I enjoy it.

I can also maneuveur myself around much better. If I'm crawling and I decide to get up on my knees, I can do that or if I just want to sit up, I can do that. I can crawl over things and people too.

On September 12, 1998, I started to crawl. I've been doing all sorts of scooting
and rolling around before this, but now I think I've figured out the BEST
way to get Kyro the Cat!

On September 9, 1998, I turned 9 months old!

On August 28, 1998, I pulled myself into a sitting up position all on my own!

Also on August 28, 1998, my 1st tooth finally broke though! My parents are hoping that now I will finally get back to getting more sleep at night ( they say it's for my own rest and well-being, but I think it may have something to do with their sanity also!)

As of August 9, 1998 ( my 8th month birthday ), I can sit up all on my own now!

I am starting to grab the spoon & try to feed myself.

I get to ride in a forward-facing "big-boy" carseat now.

I'm almost too big for my Snugli Carrier.

I have a neat system of getting mobile. I like to scoot in circles, half-crawl, half-drag myself around as well as roll in every direction!

I want to grab everything in sight.

I can hold my own bottle. Sure sometimes I get lazy, but we know I can do it!

I'm really interested in neat toys like my stacking rings. I'm still trying to figure out how to put the ring on the stacker thingy but I'm making all sorts of tries at it.

I CAN SAY Ma-Ma. I don't say it much unless I want something really bad though like to be picked up.

I'm eating 3 meals a day of solid foods now. I really don't like my bottles much anymore, but my parents still say that formula is good for me & make me drink it. I'd much rather have all those yummy fruits, vegetables and meats though!

Well, I guess that's all for now. I'll try to start doing some more neat stuff so I can tell you all about it :-)

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