Not yet...

The widget says zero days... but baby Luke has yet to arrive. We'll keep you posted. Mean while, here's Jacob doing his "excercises"/almost the splits. This one's for you Dave, Jenny and Joe Cypress!

A Lot Can Happen...

...in 4 Years! Besides really missing my blonde hair and my not-pregnant face, I have to say that we have gotten better with time!

This year we decided to borrow a tradition from some friends (thanks Posterts), and come up with gifts inspired by the traditional anniversary presents. The fourth anniversary is fruit or flowers, so here's what we came up with:

One of Joey's favorites: fruit pizza
Notice Jacob's portion on the lower portion of the roman numeral I. Made with love and a few germs:)

A shout out to our wedding flowers.
I wish I would have caught a picture of Jacob's face as he carried these flowers in from their trip to the store! It was priceless. Beware girls, he has major heart breaker potential when he gets older.

TAWANDA!

This post is a shout out to all those familiar with 'Fried Green Tomatoes' or anyone interested in a good holiday laugh.

Background info: 1. I am one week away from being 'full-term' as they say, which means that the belly has become more than obvious. 2. Joey has been preparing for and taking finals over the past two weeks, which means that Jacob and I have been fending for ourselves and for the most part doing pretty well.

The Story: I can't say that I experience much of a 'nesting' tendency with pregnancy, but I do maintain my usual need to make lists and cross things off. My list on Wednesday included a trip to the mall in order to hit a couple of stores while getting in and out of the car only once. I have to admit that I didn't even feel like I could accomplish that much, until I realized that the mall has "Expectant Mother" parking! With the little bit of enthusiasm that came from that realization, we headed out.

Now for the fun part! There were two cars in front of us as we entered the parking structure, so I just told myself to be patient and wait for the "E.M" parking. Well, the first car actually pulled into the only empty E.M. space, and I thought, "I guess I am out of luck today. I might have to come back another day!" (Yes, the thought of finding a regular parking space was enough to send me all the way home) Then, just as suddenly as they pulled in, they pulled out. Turns out it was an older couple who were probably not 'great with child'.

Now I only had one more car to wait for. Wouldn't you know it, that car also pulled into the space! Encouraged by the first driver's lack of pregnancy, I thought, "What are the chances that this person is actually pregnant?" Well, the chances were high enough that two young ladies (probably in their 20's) parked and got out of their car. However, their figures were showing no signs of pregnancy (at least not such obvious signs as my figure is showing lately). So with the threat of having to come back another time, I decided to confront them!

That's right, I pulled up behind their car, got out of my car, put my hands under and on top of my belly (to add emphasis to its already obvious size), exaggerated the waddle a little more than necessary, and then started the following conversation:

Me: Excuse me Miss, I really am an expectant mother, and I could really use that space." (Now that I think about it, this could have been really insulting, but it didn't dawn on me in the moment.)

Miss: (after hesitating for a minute) Well, we're pregnant too.

Me: (after watching her friend look at her like, are you crazy?!) Oh, in that case, it's fine!

Then I turned to get back in my car. As I got to the door, she said: (in a rather disgruntled voice)"Okay, we're not pregnant, we'll move!"

Sure enough, she moved, I parked, and Jacob and I survived our trip to the mall!

Considering all of the possible outcomes, I have got to give "Miss" props for deciding to leave the space, and I wish her all the holiday cheer she can stand! And, in an effort to avoid confronting any more strangers, I have now limited any possible outings to 1 stop and within 5 minutes, which basically means the grocery store. So, Malibu grocery shoppers BEWARE!

By the way, sorry for the lack of pictures. I just can't get up the courage to post this belly!

Going Hollywood

Joey and I had our first Hollywood gig the other day. A friend from our ward works in the sound business doing all kinds of sound effect, music, and background sound for movies. She was working on a project that included footage from Brazil, so she asked if we would work with some actors on the background conversations. Our friend watched Jacob (Thanks Beth!) as we headed to the sound studio!

It was a lot of fun. The actors were experts in improvisation and we couldnt' believe how many different accents they had mastered. Joey was much more comfortable with the improv aspect of things, but both he and I had our chance at the microphone. Our little taste of Hollywood was a lot of fun.

On another note: Jacob was able to watch snipets of Kung Fu Panda while we were 'in the studio'. He is now obsessed! We hope you enjoy this clip of his dance moves as much as we do. He is watching the music video for Kung Fu Fighting that is on the special features of the DVD.

Continuing with his new found Kung Fu obsession, this is how we found him sleeping:

I'm Chew!

Here is a little conversation we have been practicing with Jacob for the past few weeks. (So far we have not had any luck getting a video, so, for now, you will just have to use your imagination.)

Mom or Dad: Hey Jacob. (wait for some sort of acknowledgement) How old are you?

Jacob: (making the peace sign with two fingers and pointing them at his chest) I'm chew!

That's right, our Jacob is two!

We had a little celebration with several friends this Saturday. The original plan was a beach party with a treasure hunt, but due to high winds, hot temps, and unfortunate fires, we decided to move our little Beach Party inside. I was amazed by how much more aware Jacob was of the whole party idea compared to last year. As we were walking over to the party room he asked, "Sing Happy Birthday to Jacob? Friends come party?"

His friends did come, and we did sing Happy Birthday. Thank you to everyone who celebrated with us, including so many friends and family who we are far away from right now. We can feel you celebrating from a distance!

Here are some pics:

ARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!

Apple Boats to go with delicious apple dip.

Beach and Shark Infested Waters Cupcakes

The Candles.

Enjoying the cupcake!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween to everyone! We have enjoyed the holiday, although I feel like I don't have the energy to celebrate the holidays! We began our celebration with some cookie decorating. Jacob helped me with making the icing, and then we met up with the other children who live on campus. It was lots of funs, and the cookies were covered in piles of icing, sprinkles, and other goodies. Jacob is definitely more aware of what is going on than he was last year. A few of his most repeated words over the past week are: party!, candy!, and trick or treat (which is more like a grunt followed by tweet!)

Making icing!

Piling on the cookie decorations!

Our family costume. Linus, Charlie Brown, and Snoopy.
For those who have requested a belly shot, this is the best I can do right now.
Not the best angle, but it worked well for Snoopy.

Fun with things from the dress up box as well as the toy bins.

Mac and Cheese Dinner party with friends

Catch-up

October has been a great month! I am feeling human again, even with my growing belly. Joey made it through mid-terms and organized a great lecture event on campus. As for Jacob, here's a few pics:His first tie, dress pants, and shoes for Kelly's wedding. He was a great sport for the hour of pictures, and then he was happy to go to polo, shorts, and crocs. I think he looks pretty handsome either way.

One of the highlights of staying at Grandma and Grandpa Moore's house...Uncle Casey's full drum set! He had to wait to play until everyone was awake, and then when the last person got up, he would run into the room and start off with this pose! Next came a lot of noise. He loved it!

Cheesy pumpkin patch shot. We can't seem to get him to smile for real at the camera these days, so this is the best we could do. A few days before I took this shot I was going to take some pictures of him for the GAP baby casting call, however that morning he hit his head on his little table and now has the stripe across his forehead that you can see in this shot. So much for my dreams of starting his modeling career early;)

Peek-a-boo!

We finally figured out how to do haircuts with no screaming! Our secrets:

1. A cheesy drape that came with the clipper set

2. Return of the binkie!

3. Bumbo on top of a regular chair

4. Grandma's gift...battery operated clippers, so we weren't confined to a plug

and of course....

5. Television with a Baby Einstein video playing.

(Plus Joey making comments about the 'cool' stuff on the video.)

With all of these tools, it only took about 10 minutes, the hair was all the right length, and no one was screaming or being restrained during the process! Let's hope there are many more peaceful haircuts in our future.

90263

We now have a Malibu zip code and we are are trying to savor the flavor, becuase it sure isn't going to last past graduation. We are pretty much settled into our new apartment and we are enjoying our new surroundings, especially the proximity to the law school and the beach (not necessarily in that order.) This past Saturday, we saddled up and made our way down to L.A. to visit the Natural History Museum. Our primary purpose was to visit the butterfly pavilion. What we didn't realize, is that we shouldn't have told Jacob that we were going to see butterflies until we were AT the butterfly pavilion. At first his flapping arms and repitition of the word "flutterby" were pretty funny, but soon he became a little annoyed at how long he had to wait to see them. The clip below is fairly indicative of his enthusiasm for flutterbies. (Don't worry, he also likes dinosaurs, lions and other tough animals that growl.) After the butterfly pavilion, we made our way over to the natural history museum where we saw some dinosaur skeletons, etc.

Jacob and Daddy with T-Rex and Triceratops... it makes a dad proud to here his boy growl when he sees some dinosaur skeletons... especially after a trip to the flutterby pavillion!

Jacob and mommy lookin' good at the flutterby pavilion.

The picture below is from our trip to the Peterson Automotive Museum in L.A.
I snuck this one in as a tribute to "papa".

And finally... what's the best way to relax after a long day at the museum?
Take a bath, lay down and read the most recent edition of Malibu Times!

Ain't it the life!

Something to Talk About

The majority of our blog posts usually focus on Jacob's adventures or the joys/pains of parenthood. This post is significantly more "grown-up" than our usual topics. We hope that sharing our thoughts will give you something to think about.

For California voters, like us, the upcoming ballot includes not only a chance to vote for a Presidential candidate, but also the chance to weigh-in on Proposition 8. This is a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would define legally recognized marriage as only between a man and a woman.

We have learned about this proposed amendment, and wish to share some of the information that we have found helpful in understanding the issue and deciding where we stand.
The Divine Institution of Marriage
The Family: A Proclamation to the World

We believe that strong families form the foundation for a strong society. We also believe that God defined marriage as between a man and a woman. Because of these beliefs we support Proposition 8.

This issue encompasses individual rights and freedom of religion. In some cases involving a clash between the individual rights of same-sex couples and freedom of religion, the courts (in states that recognize same-sex marriage) have tended to find in favor of the individual rights of the couple over the free exercise of religion. For example, Catholic adoption agencies in Massachusetts ceased operations after the courts mandated that they serve same-sex couples just as they served heterosexual couples. We believe that the free exercise of religion is one of America's greatest strengths, and that limiting this freedom will do a great disservice to our country.

This Proposition does not limit rights already established in CA such as fair housing, hospitalization, and others. It is specifically focused on the definition of marriage. We understand that this issue effects many of our friends and their families in different ways. We are committed to loving, serving, and respecting each of God's children, regardless of lifestyle choices. Therefore, we support this measure because we believe it is necessary to defend the sacred institution of marriage, not because we have any ill will towards a certain group of people.

We hope that sharing our view, has helped you to think about yours. Thank you for letting us share with you.

Ultrasound Checklist

Joey, Jacob, and I went to the doctor today to see "pictures of the baby" (At least that's how we described it to Jacob). It was a great time. The ultrasound technician walked us through each of the images. It went something like this:

4 chamber heart: Check

Spine: Check

2 Kidneys: Check

Upper Lip: Check

2 Femurs: Check

Penis: Check

IT'S A BOY! We are grateful to know that he is healthy, and our budget will be grateful when we reuse the clothes we have! He's due on Christmas Day. We are very excited, now let's see if we can come up with a name before he is born!

Here is a profile shot!

Memories

In an effort to get back into blogging, I have copied an idea from a friend. Here are the directions:

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you.

The Good Life

Ok, so this post has two purposes: 1) To be the first post people see when they visit our blog (as opposed to that last post which involved a breach in our blog security... we still love you Carol, but favorite aunt status may have taken a hit!) and 2) to show Jacob living the good life at Bear Lake. Being able to frequently visit Bear Lake is just one of the benefits that come with having a dad who has an internship in Salt Lake for the summer, a nauscious/pregnant mom who enjoys a little r&r at the lake from time to time, and Grandparents who let us campout at their place! Jacob likes to take advantage of the opportunity by chilling lake-side with a pb&j... and then hitting the pee-pond for an afternoon of fun. (The shallow inlets at the lake have acquired this nickname from the number of young children who enjoy the warm, shallow water... you do the math.) Anyways, it has been a good summer so far... and we will try to update our blog with some more pictures and updates soon.

First Picture of the Baby

It's been a while since we've posted on the blog! So, to assuage any fears that we've dropped off the face of the Earth, we are still having our baby in December. The most exciting news is that we went to the mall and got one of those cool 3D images of what the baby looks like at this stage. Can't tell if it's a girl or a boy yet, but it sure is ADORABLE!!!! 6 months seems like too long to wait to see this cute little thing in person!! There is something so cute about wrinkly baby skin. If only it were that cute when we get old. Hope you enjoy the picture as much as we do:

And as one last tribute, let me just get this off my chest...my sister Carol is the BEST! I don't know where I would be without her. She completes my life and has for sure secured a place as permanent favorite Aunt to my kids...especially the photographed one.

And I also promise never to go this long without a post again.

XOXO

Tiffy-kins

Big News

Jacob (and Joey and I) have some exciting news to share.

Juliard or Bust

We are not sure which Jacob loves more: making noise or making music. Fortunately for him those two things often come in the same package. Here are a few of our favorite clips of his music making over the past few weeks. (Wait 'till you see the dance moves he has developed! If only we could get him to ignore the video camera.)

p.s. Amy, thank you for the keyboard and books!

Adjustable Waist

This post is partially an excuse to show off another cute picture of Jacob and partially one of those 'mom tips' I thought I would pass along. So, here is the picture:And here is the 'mom tip'. Since Jacob has been walking, I have noticed that his growth happens in two directions. For a little while his belly will seem to be filling out, and then a few weeks later all of that filler seems to spread out as he gets a little bit taller. It is quite a miracle to watch a baby grow! However, miraculous or not, it can be tricky to keep up with clothes that fit. For the past few weeks his short and pants have been in two different piles. One pile was for the fuller tummy/shorter legs days, and the other pile for thinner tummy/longer legs days. Then, I discovered the wonder of adjustable waist shorts and pants (like the ones Jacob has on in the above picture). They have elastic the can be adjusted on the inside of the waistband, so they can adapt to whatever kind of day it is. We love them! He can breath, and they will last for more than a couple of weeks! YEAH! Oh the simple pleasures of motherhood:)

Happy Easter!

First, if you need something to help you smile today,

this picture should do the trick! Happy Easter from Jacob!

We also wanted to include our own little Easter "eCard" below...

We want to wish everyone a Happy Easter.

This time of year reminds us of the blessings that we have received through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and that by following His teachings we can find happiness in this life. We also know that it is through His sacrifice that our families can be together forever.

Worth a Thousand Words

Tagged

I have been tagged, and I am supposed to tag two other people. So, instead of passing it on to one of you, I thought I would tag joey and jacob at the same time. Our entries are in different colors. My answers are red, joey's are blue, and jacob's are green. Enjoy!

1. What was I doing ten years ago?
I was in my 2nd year at BYU. That semester I changed my major from psychology to education. Don’t remember much else, and I can’t seem to find my journal to get any juicy details.
I was a junior at Mesa High and everyday after school I went to Dobson Ranch to hit a free bucket of golf balls.
Don’t ask me, I don’t remember.
2. 5 things I need to do today:
Take a shower, grocery shop, get some fresh air with jacob, read the scriptures, and check my email
Wake up, work on my appellate brief, work on my appellate brief, work on my appellate brief, go to sleep
Take a lap around the house to check for anything that is in a new place, sort my DVD cases, eat several meals, nap, and subtly remind my parents that I am the one in control here
3. What snacks do I enjoy?
Are Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs considered a snack? (even if they aren’t I LOVE them!) On a healthier note, bell pepper slices, grapes, or a piece of toast with home-made raspberry jam on top.
Chocolate in any form: including double stuff oreos, ice cream, and chocolate chip cookie dough.
Grapes, strawberries, goldfish crackers, yogurt, bananas, and kix
4. What would I do if I were suddenly a billionaire?
I would try to keep my daily life about the same. I like the simplicity of having more time than money. However, I would definitely look into buying a house instead of renting and pay for joey’s schooling with cash.
As for a few fun things to do: I would go to Hawaii and sit in a hammock right by the ocean, leave money at the cash register to pay for the groceries of the person behind me, leave anonymous gifts on people’s doorsteps, set aside a little bit for both joey and I to use for whatever we want (you know, sometimes peanut butter and jelly for lunch just doesn’t sound as good as eating out)
I’m sure the practical side of me would start investing and saving as well. I would love to donate to some great causes, and I would find a way to get books to kids who don’t have that luxury in life.
Pay off my student loans, fly tiff to Hawaii, quit law school, trademark my own surf brand, and set up shop making t-shirts
Pay for my daddy’s schooling, buy a tricycle like the one my neighbor has, and buy a house where I could here my own echo
5. Three bad habits:
Staring at people, twirling my hair, using the word ‘like’ entirely too much
Over-seasoning the meat for tacos, hoarding old t-shirts, and eating food that’s already been in Jacob’s mouth
Getting impatient while my diaper is being changed, biting my mom, and coloring on the dishwasher
6. Five jobs I've had:
babysitter, EFY counselor, pack and ship expert at the BYU Bookstore, elementary school teacher, graphic designer
Revenue management analyst, graphic designer, wood shop assistant, serviced fire extinguishers, washed plumbing trucks
n/a: See child labor laws
7. Five things people don't know about me:
a) I’ve never lived in the same city for longer than 4 consecutive years
b) I really don’t like wearing costumes
c) My dream job is with a company called Chapters of Hope
d) My favorite Jamba is Peanut Butter Moo’d (I think it is the most unhealthy item on their menu!)
e) I canceled my Church News subscription because I couldn’t keep up with it, and I felt guilty about not reading it from cover to cover!
a) I’m actually not shy
b) I can quote any episode of Seinfeld
c) My golf shot improves dramatically right after eating a Snickers bar
d) I would love to learn to surf
e) In high school I won a t-shirt design contest for the Phoenix Suns
a) All four of my molars have broken through my gums
b) I do a great elephant impersonation
c) I’m actually only in the 30% for height and weight, not exactly ready to play football as many people suggest. (Maybe it has something to do with the fact that my head is in the 85%!)
d) When I sign ‘please’ I don’t mean that I am going to wait until you get around to it, essentially, you have 15 seconds to respond before the yelling starts!e) I like to go down slides with my feet first and on my belly. No help from the grown-ups, thank you very much!

Mary and Tanner

This past weekend our friends Mary and Tanner were able to come visit. It was so much fun!One of the reasons I love having people visit is because it gives us a reason to do some of the great "tourist-ee" activities around here. We went to the Ronald Reagan Library, one of Joey's classes, the Latter-Day Saint Temple in Los Angeles, and of course the beach. We also slipped in a game or two of Ticket to Ride, a board game that we borrowed from some friends.(Thanks Moons!) Okay, so it was more than a game or two...try staying up past 1 a.m. every night!

Joey and I were both friends with Mary and Tanner before any of us were married to each other, so we already have a lot in common when we get together. It is great! We also celebrated Tanner's birthday while they were here. It only took Jacob a day or so to warm up to them, and then we couldn't keep him away from them. I think he is going through withdrawl now.

Anyway, thanks to Mary and Tanner for coming, and remember that we always love to have visitors.

(Joey and Tanner were born in the same neighborhood, 8 days apart.
They've been friends ever since)

(Air Force One at the Reagan Library. You can actually walk inside of it!)

(The view from the patio of Pepperdine Law. What a beautiful day!
That little outline in the left hand corner is Catalina Island)

(We love the tide pools at Malibu Lagoon state beach.
This time we found this incredible star fish!)The L.A. Temple

Going with the Flow

Two of my favorite tools for keeping a healthy and happy perspective about motherhood are phone calls to my own Mom and blogging. I know, it may sound funny, but often when I feel myself getting overwhelmed by a situation, I can get my sense of humor back if I will just think of what my Mom would say or imagine some of you laughing with me as I blog about it. The following is one of those experiences.

Okay, most people who know me know that I like to get things done. One of my simple pleasures is crossing items off of my to-do list. One of my biggest frustrations is starting a project and only getting half-way through. However, since having Jacob, I have learned to be a little bit more flexible in my expectations for completing a project. One of the best examples of this change comes from cleaning my house. My personal preference is to get it all done in the same morning, but Jacob does not seem to enjoy that very much. So, my new strategy is "One area at a time". That way I feel like I can at least cross that area off of my list, and he avoids feeling neglected for an entire day.

I used to be able to get him started with some toys or books or something, and then I would have a good 15 or 20 minutes to work on the "area" for that day. However, recently he has decided that doing what Mom is doing is much more fun than playing on his own. Having gleaned some wisdom from my Mother, I try to look at this time together as play time with a little bit of work. Sometimes that perspective works, sometimes it does not:) Like the other day when I decided the bathroom was going to be our 'area'. I put Jacob in the bath-tub (fully clothed) with a cloth, and I told him that he got to 'clean' the bathtub while I worked on everything else. All I needed was a solid 8 or 10 minutes, and I could get it all done. Instead, this is my best recollection of how it went:

9:00- Jacob in tub, fully clothed, no water, and a cloth. Me putting on my cleaning gloves and turning on the sink.

9:01-Jacob noticing the water running, and asking for the bath water to be turned on. Me turning the bath water on at a trickle, putting cleaner in the toilet, and removing a few items from the counter top.

9:02-Jacob realizing that he could easily get more water to come out by turning the knob a little more. Jacob in tub, fully clothed, pants soaked, wet cloth, and crying because the water was cold. Me taking off my gloves, taking off his pants, getting a wash bin, putting it in the tub, filling it up with a little bit of warm water, and giving him a bath toy to play with in the warm water.

9:03-Jacob wearing only a diaper and a shirt, sitting in the tub, playing with his toys. Me putting my gloves back on, quickly cleaning the sink and counter top, thinking to myself, "Phew two uninterrupted minutes, this is going pretty well! Then thinking, why is he being so quiet?"

9:05-Me looking at Jacob. Jacob squished inside the wash bin full of water, legs squeezed into the tiny space, diaper expanding right before our eyes, and asking for all of his bath toys to be close enough that he can still reach them.

9:06-Me talking off my gloves, scooting Jacob his toys, and putting my gloves back on to get to the toilet. Jacob realizing his diaper has now expanded to such a size that he can no longer stand up or lean to get out of the bin, letting me know that he is not happy about this, and shivering from the cold.

9:07-Me on the verge of feeling sorry for myself because I can't even clean 1 bathroom in peace, thinking of what my Mom would say and what a great blog post this could make, taking off my gloves, getting the camera, talking Jacob into smiling for the camera, promising I will help him after we get one good shot, and laughing as I lift him and his at least 3lb diaper out of the tub. Jacob wondering why Mom just left the bathroom instead of helping him, crying in distress, agreeing to smile for one picture, and relieved that I picked him up.

9:08- Jacob and me in his room, getting a new, light-weight diaper, and deciding that playing with some blocks is a much better idea than finishing today's 'area'! So much for 8 to 10 uninterrupted minutes!

p.s. I did eventually get the bathroom done as Jacob napped, and I did have some good laughs with my Mom that same afternoon! Hope you enjoy!

Happy Birthday Joey

27 years ago Joseph T Moore came into this world!

We celebrated with dinner at one of Joey's favorites: Johnny Rockets, and for dessert...brownies with ice cream! Joey prefers his brownies all mixed up and the ice cream melted, almost like a bowl of cereal and milk. You might want to try it once, in his honor!
We love Joey, and Jacob and I want to share a few things that make him great.
He helps us laugh!
He will do almost anything to help make diaper changes easier
(including sing ELMO songs)!
He loves people just as they are.
*Those are Jacob's pj pants,

and Joey was trying to help me convince Jacob that it is a good idea to wear them!
We love you Joey! Happy Birthday!

p.s. In the first picture Joey was 17 months old. Jacob is now 15 months, and the similarities are amazing! (except Jacob does not have any socks that are as sweet as the ones Joey has on, nor would he leave them on if we had them!)
I love photographs!

CLOTHES!

My cousin Trisha first introduced me to the idea of using sign language to help your baby communicate, and I loved the idea. So, I have been using basic signs with Jacob since he was about 6 months old. Until a few months ago, it was basically just that, me signing and Jacob watching. I was about to give up when seemingly overnight he started using a bunch of the signs. It has been so great for him to be able to tell us when he wants more, or is done, or if he wants milk, etc. (We started with signs about food). Anway, I totally recommend baby signing to everyone! I love the perk of being able to communicate with my baby!

Of course there are some drawbacks to him knowing the he can communicate what he wants. The biggest one being that once he tells me he wants something he wants it RIGHT THEN! We are working on the concepts of waiting and not getting exactly what you want. As you can imagine it has been quite an adventure! I certainly have to pick my battles! For example: He will sign that he wants crackers all day long, and I have the fun task of convincing him that other food is a great option as well:)

Along with food signs he has learned a few for clothing signs (shoes, socks, hat, and coat), and that has lead to some funny moments. He is now sure that his job is to tell me what to put on and when. Some mornings I will go in to get him, and the first thing he does is sign for his hat or shoes or coat. Since I figure it is less detrimental to his health than the eating battle, I usually go along with it. Most days I manage to get a pair of pants on as well (Anyone know that sign?). The following are a few pictures of some of the outfits he has dressed himself in, including my coats which he enjoys much more than his own.

Hope you enjoy the pictures!

That's him under my beige coat, searching through his drawer for another coat because he kept tripping on mine!

In his full garb!

P.S. Happy Valentine's Day to you!

Vitamin D

Warning: If you live in a cold or overcast climate please know that this post is not designed to make you feel bad. We just thought it might give you a few more reasons to plan a visit:)

One of the aspects of life in California we love is the sun shine. Although it has been 'cool' here lately, we have had plenty of time to get outside and stock up on our Vitamin D. A few of our favorite outings include:

trips to the beach (Jacob loves to just wade in a little water and walk around in the sand),

outings to the park (where Jacob even got a ride in a mini-Escalade...pics to come later),

and bubbles on the porch.

Here are a few pics for you to enjoy! Whenever you want to stock up on your Vitamin D, we would love to see you. (That includes you Aunt CoCoa)

Lounging after the beach! With the keys (another one of Jacob's favorite things)