First Steps?

I used to think that a baby's first steps were an obvious milestone, so when I thought Jacob might be trying, I had the camera ready. However, it didn't turn out to be as obvious as I expected. Which event counted as the first? There were the attempts that started with him holding my hands and then biffing it when I let go. Then there was the time I was loading the dishwasher, looked up, and he was walking towards me. And let's not forget the over 20 times I tried to turn the camera on, only to find that he was suddenly more interested in the camera than his new found walking skills. So, whether this footage (from December 17th) is actually THE FIRST I can not guarantee, but I can tell you that when he wants to, Jacob can walk.

p.s. Enjoy the sound effects! Jacob comes up with those on his own.

Holiday Cheer

If you would like to receive a hard copy of this card, please send a self addressed, stamped envelope to our address:)

One of our 2010 goals: mail Christmas cards!

For now we hope you enjoy our attempt at sending you our love.

To see a larger, more legible version, click on the image.

Fostering Independence and Making a Mess

It seems that in the last few weeks Jacob has come up with all kinds of new tricks. I am sure it has something to do with exploring his world. Most of them are pretty harmless (and even cute) like insisting on turning books right side up before he "reads" them, banging a whisk on a bowl for several minutes at a time, bouncing up and down when he hears a beat he likes, and taking several steps on his own (video to come when I have Dad around to help me film...finals!). However, his recent explorations with food have proven to be a bit more messy. It started with him wanting to have his own spoon. He would hold it in his left hand and continue to grab the food and put it in his mouth with his right hand. It was pretty funny. It seems that in the last few days he has noticed that the big people not only have silverware, but also a bowl! I keep telling myself that soon he will realize that the big people leave their bowl on the table and eat their food rather than wear it! Until then, BOTTOMS UP!

As a side note, you might be seeing the cheesy grin he is displaying in the bottom picture quite a bit now. Since he saw one of his older friends say cheese and smile at the camera, he seems to have decided that this is the perfect face for photo-ops. The face comes along with a sound that I think is his attempt at 'cheese'. He clenches his teeth and blows air out of his mouth. Try it... sounds sort of like cheese. (Hey, you've got to give him credit for creativity:))

p.s. sorry for the sideways picture. I can't figure out how to rotate it. Please let me know if you know how.

Happy Thanksgiving!

This slide show is my small attempt at expressing gratitude for the many "ordinary" and "EXTRAordinary" miracles that have been part of our lives this year. Much of it has to do with Jacob and the other amazing kids in my life. There is much to be learned from little children!

Thank you for thoughts, prayers, love, and laughs sent our way! I hope you enjoy the miracles in your life!

To listen to the music, click on the picture in the lower left corner, press play, and then click on the "x" to make it smaller. Click on the "x"again, and you will be able to hear the music, see the pictures,and read the captions! Sorry for the complications, but the song is SO worth it!

Blow out...and it wasn't a tire, although I wish it was

Warning: This entry comes with no images, except perhaps a few mental ones that may be difficult to remove from you mind. Hopefully you can get a good laugh!

So, Jacob and I took a quick trip to Target today to pick up our favorite diaper rash cream: Triple Paste. It seems that every time he gets a tooth he ends up fighting diaper rash as well, so I like to keep some on hand at all times. Little did I know that I was about to encounter a much larger diaper complication than rash!

As we looked for the right section, I noticed a strange smell, but just thought it must be the store. (first mistake) By the time we found the right aisle we had passed a bunch of baby toys and gear, and Jacob was trying to climb out of the stroller to reach all of it. So, I decided to take him out while I got the Triple Paste (second mistake). As soon as I put my arm under his bum I realized we had a major problem on our hands (and everywhere else for that matter). Diarrhea! This is our first case, thank goodness.

So, I went into disaster relief mode. On our quick trip to the bathroom, I picked up a new outfit (for Jacob) from the clearance rack, a pack of wipes (in case the diaper bag didn't have enough), and several empty target bags for the goodies I had to bring home.

After unknowingly leaving my credit card at the register, we made it into the bathroom. My single focus was to get to the changing table, so when I noticed an older woman sitting in a stall with the door wide open I didn't think much of it. All I remember is a pink flower outfit, knee highs, and two wads of toilet paper. However, she didn't seem to be as comfortable with us being there, so she said, "Close my door please." At this point I had Jacob in my arms and quite a mess to deal with. So, I quickly walked to her stall and closed the door. As I walked away I heard her say, "Hold it closed please." (almost my third mistake) I didn't even take the time to explain to her why I would not be holding the door for her. I just looked away, and headed for the changing table.

I used my foot to push the garbage can as close as I could get it, and the clean-up began. Needless to say Jacob was not very happy or comfortable, but we survived. As our friend left the restroom she stopped by the changing table to say, "oh, poor baby!" I thought, "What about poor mommy!"
So Jacob got some new clothes out of the ordeal, and I even got my credit card back.

We spent the rest of the day doing loads of laundry, changing lots of diapers, searching the Internet for good diarrhea diets, calling the pediatrician, and hoping Dad was coming home soon!

All in all, we survived, and as my mom said, "Some days bed time is a bigger relief than others!" He has been asleep for several hours with no "incident", so we are hoping for a calm night. What an adventure! I think we will be staying home tomorrow, just in case.

You Are Only 1 Once!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JACOB!

We were able to celebrate Jacob's first year of life and our first year as parents with a little beach party! It was a beautiful day with friends and sunshine. (Even a few dolphins played off shore for a little while!) Instead of real cake we opted for a sandcastle with a hidden prize (ie the wiffle balls in his hands), and for a treat...a chocolate shake at Johnny Rockets. Jacob loves any food that is part of the ice cream family.

What an incredible year! Here is a list of a few of our family's firsts!

Jacob-breath, meal, laugh, bath, smile, rolling over, crawling, taking a few steps, and everything in between.

Tiff-gave birth to my first baby, lost 20 pounds in one week!, cried over spilled milk-literally, joined play groups, and became the mom nobody wants to sit next to on the airplane:)

Joey- became a father, changed a diaper, got peed on, and enjoyed family picnics at work.

Thank you for all of your support and love! We are better because of it!

GO DEVILS!

This weekend's game between ASU and UCLA brought some of Joey's family to visit! It was so much fun to see them. Jacob especially loved having extra attention and love. They gave him his ASU garb for an early birthday present, and I have to say that he was cutest Sun Devil at the game! Since the Sun Devils won by 4 points, we had a lot to celebrate.

It is great to have visitors. (Hint, Hint!)

While Jacob Was Sleeping...

One of Pepperdine Law School's traditions is the Barrister's Ball (essentially a big party on a yacht). We figured you don't get do something like that everyday, so a friend came over to listen to Jacob sleeping, and we had a hot date on a yacht! It was pretty fun to get all dressed up. We learned a few things about a party on a yacht. #1-You can't get off at 11 p.m. when the tired parent in you starts to think, "Jacob is going to be up at 6 a.m. regardless of when I go to bed!" #2 A party on a yacht is a great idea #3 A 'dry' party on a yacht would be even more fun #4The open air top deck provides an awesome view of the marina and the L.A. sky line #5 Jacob really is going to wake up at 6 a.m. #6 The higher the deck, the farther away from the diesel fumes (so if you ever have the chance to party on a yacht, choose the upper decks)

It was a lot of fun, and we are grateful to our friends for helping us out with the crazy timing!

p.s. Don't worry, the blanket is not suffocating him. It's the camera angle! Jacob is a pretty busy body during the day, but he sure knows how to relax at night! We always love finding his feet up on the bumper when we go in to check on him.

A New Leaf...

So those of you who know me know that I would much rather cheer-on those who choose to put on a costume than put one on myself. However, something about being a mom has inspired me to make the most of each moment, including crazy holidays that involve costumes. So, I turned over a new leaf...(with Joey's help) I planned, created, and WORE a Halloween costume!!!

We were the Rubble family. As a group, I think we pulled it off really well. However, there is still the conundrum of "selling" your look on your own. Without Jacob between us joey and I risked being mistaken for Nephi and a random girl in a blue outfit! Needless to say, we kept Jacob as close as he would allow.

He is getting around pretty quickly these days. The action shot shows you how he crawls. He has decided that it works better on toes and hands. Why rough up his knees?!?

So, from the Rubble family to each of you: HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Better late than never...

We hope you enjoy our first post. This past weekend the City of Calabasas had a pumpkin festival and admission was free...so we were there. Highlights from the festival: (1) Mobile Marine Lab. These kind folks collect animals from local tidepools, let people explore and then return them to the ocean two days later; (2) The petting zoo. Tiff just had to get Jacob up close and personal with the billy goat, what a nostalgic moment; (3) Pumpkins. Just the right size for Jacob...and perfect as a backdrop for Jacob pics; (4) A whole booth devoted to pirate gear. (5) Free parking.

Other news and notes: We appreciated all of the calls and emails to check on us as the fires continue to burn in Southern California. We are safe and Joey has started back at school. Law school is going well and our house rule limiting legal references or comments about possible lawsuits remains in force. Tiff has been busy whipping up some sweet Halloween costumes for us. Jacob has been busy growing, cutting teeth, crawling like an iguana, napping, and saying "da-da" when the phone rings.