feels like home

Spartan Video

2012-02-13T10:54:00.000-08:00

Here's j* in action through the tires!

From Potty Power to Spartan Race

2012-02-12T21:10:00.000-08:00

The last few months have been full of good times. Here are a few highlights.

l* turned 3 and has successfully potty trained! As he likes to say, "I've got potty power!" We're enjoying the next few months of no diapers!

j* is 5 and now old enough to run in a Jr. Spartan Race, which is a kids version of the ultimate mud/obstacle run. The half mile course included pony walls, cargo net, balance planks, tires, mud pits, muddy hills, and ended with a gladiator trying to stop you with his joust! I couldn't resist the chance to make a little toga and leaf crown (which was only kept on for a few photos before it made his head too itchy). When I mentioned the toga to him he said, "But Mom, will my nibbles be showing?" So, we compromised with a shirt underneath.

At the starting line they said that parents could join the kids, so Dad joined him for the course. Fortunately he wore his running shoes. We were pretty sure that the whole thing would be a little too overwhelming for j*, but once they took off, he was at a full run to each of the obstacles. Dad had to race to get ahead of him enough to catch a few photos of his performance.

Here he is in action over the first wall.

Victory! Notice the muddy hands and shoes! He was so proud! Totally recommend it to anyone with a race in their area.

The cheering squad after the race. j* is holding his Spartan Finisher medal! l*'s favorite part, watching the gladiator at the finish line try to take down the kids and watching the grown-up course where the runners had to jump over a fire pit on their way up a hill. Thanks for coming along Aunt K*!

As for #3, here is the baby bump for now. The ultrasound last week confirmed that we are having a girl and caught a few images of her little face.

When j* heard that Grandma was coming to visit, he turned to l* and said, "It's so much fun when she comes because the only thing she has to do is play with us! She doesn't have to go to work like dad or do errands like mom!"

It was even more fun than we had imagined!

Just a fun one of l*.

Finally, I couldn't resist posting this photo of the boys waiting at the train stop, looking like the own the place. Hilarious! We were able to ride the train to downtown Phoenix to visit some friends and even swim in their roof-top pool. It was quite an adventure. This shot was on our way home, and they were feeling pretty sure of themselves with the big-city transportation scene :)

Guess Who?

2011-05-08T22:11:00.000-07:00

Joey completed his last Law School final on Friday! To celebrate we went out to dinner at Phil's, which means that we waited in a line for a bit. While we were waiting an artist drew this portrait of one of our boys. The boys then each claimed it as their face. Thought I would put it up for a vote.
Who do you think? l or j?
(btw I think it is l, but don't tell j)
And, yes I acknowledge that the artist did not have to stretch much with the exaggerated head size ;) Gotta love it!

Ragnar Relay

2011-04-25T10:29:00.000-07:00

Visitors!!!!

2011-04-25T10:11:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of April Carol brought her kids to visit! We had such a blast. They were thrilled to get out of the freezing cold weather and we were thrilled to have cousins with whom to play! The boys got along really well, minus Luke’s nasty habit of throwing toys at people's heads (gotta work on that one, any tips?) I loved having time to chat with Carol, even if we were totally exhausted!
Among the activities we enjoyed were Lorikeets landing on us, Butterflies of all shapes and sizes in the Butter Pavilion, day at the beach, visit with friends, Wahoo’s fish tacos (just Carol and I and all the boys!), Sea World (including climbing the cargo nets with all the boys in tow!), Gepetto's toy store, Mormon Battalion, playing at the park, and an Easter Egg Hunt at Albertsons!
F.Y.I.: You will notice that unfortunately I do not have pictures of each of these events. We realized that with our hands so full of kids it was difficult to remember to bring the camera, let alone snap a decent shot! Oh what I would have given for a photographer to be following us around! Here are some of the moments we did capture.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-26T20:46:00.001-08:00

2010 has proven to be a year of twists and turns!
Thanks to family and friends for all of your support, love, and blog comments (hint, hint)
We hope you enjoy a blessed 2011!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2010-10-30T23:26:00.000-07:00

(Yes, I know it has been 6 months. I am hoping to be better, but am not quite ready to make any promises:))

2007- The Rubbles
2008-The Peanuts Gang
2009- Goldilocks and da' three bears
2010...
Your clues:

Last clue....think Disney/Pixar movie...

The cast of Up! We love the movie, and j* was amazed that Daddy actually had a 'wilderness explorer' uniform with badges! Thanks to Joey's graphic skills and a little bit of sewing, it worked out.

Being the house caused me MUCH less anxiety than being Kevin, the large, rainbow-colored bird.

Gotta enjoy the treats!

l* had this look on his face most of the night as he took in all the fun!

Despite the trauma of mom and dad spraying his hair dark, not recognizing himself in the mirror, and many other surprises, Jacob loved the trunk or treat.

a good boy... funny too

2010-04-21T21:55:00.000-07:00

So *j has been sharing some gems lately...

A while back ago, *J and *j were in the bathroom (*j often requests that someone accompany him, not really because he needs the help, but because he wants someone to chat with). *j tells his daddy: "just tell mommy it's ok for me to go to school... just tell her to take a deep breath and it's ok for me to go to school." This in response to *T's frequent reminder that *j will go to school for the rest of his life so he doesn't need to be in such a hurry. Result? We found a sweet deal on a killer Quicksilver spring suit and *j goes to swimming lessons once a week in the pool where the 1984 Olympic Water Polo matches were played.

The other day, *J and I were sitting on the couch, watching television, and *j was sitting at the table for lunch. *j announces that he is going to say the prayer and begins to thank his Heavenly Father for a few things. Then he says: "and thank you for the commercial where the guy says "hellllooooo"... that was funny" and then he continues on with the prayer. Classic. It was a reference to a Bush's Beans commercial that he'd seen about 10 minutes prior to the prayer... the one with the talking dog and the guy that gets locked in the pantry.

Another funny prayer story happened just last night. *j says: "thank you for *m (little neighbor girl) not being scared of me anymore." She's actually afraid of *J but *j now thinks she's afraid of him too.

Update: *j still loves saying "tell Buggati when you know"... still don't really know what that means, but now he has set those words to music. Be sure to request it the next time you see him.

On a more serious, but possibly more cute note. The other day on the way to church, we came to an intersection and noticed some police activity across the way. There was a gentleman in a wheelchair, looking like he might be missing a leg, clothes tattered and sitting on the median, probably hoping for some charitable donations. As if that wasn't hard enough, a policeman had pulled over and appeared to be writing him a ticket. *j said "what's that man doing daddy?" *J said "I think he's having a hard time and I don't think he has a house. *j asked why he didn't have a house and *J repeated that he is probably having a hard time in his life. As we made the left turn, *j watched the scene very intently. After passing the policeman and the gentleman in the wheelchair, *j says: "I think we should build that man a house." *J responded: "yes, we should build that man a house." Of course, that would be a great thing to do, but we just continue on. *j then says: "we should go to Home Depot and buy some wood and some paint and a roof and build that man a house." *J, nearly speechless at this point, says: "yes, we should... we'll have to figure out how to do that." *J sat with the boys in Sacrament meeting at church, thinking, 'I gotta figure out how to help this kid act on his good intentions'. Heart of gold that *j.

MUD RUN!

2010-04-15T12:46:00.000-07:00

This is what j* said when I woke him up before we left.

Me: Good morning bud, it’s time to get up. Mommy is going to the mud run today.

j*: Are you feeling nervous like? You said you would feel nervous.

Me: No, I am feeling excited.

j*: Tell Daddy that he is supposed to pull you out of the mud if you get stuck. Will you take a shower before you come home?

Me: Okay, I will.

j*: Make sure Daddy stays with you!

Me: Sounds good.

Here are the basics:

- 3.8 mile trail around Irvine Lake

-16 different obstacles including 4 waist high walls, 2 ramps, 1 hay bale pyramid, 2 shallow mud pits where bear crawling is required and 7 pits where you are at least knee high in mud and water!

-5,000 racers

-2 of us having a fantastic time

J and I were able to join a team that was running to benefit a little boy who has lost his sight, “Gavin’s Groupies”. The KROQ dj made a special announcement at the start for his family and our group. We put on our orange (Gavin’s favorite color) and hit the trail. Here is our ‘before’ shot.

As with the most public facilities, the line for the men’s shower after the race was about a 5 minute wait versus the 45 minute wait in the women’s line. As Joey headed into the stalls, I realized that we neglected to take an after shot. So, here is our ‘joey after the shower, and me still waiting” shot.

You can check out one shot of us in action at the following link. http://www.brightroom.com/stf.asp?EVENTID=63650&PWD=&ID=84398572

My final thoughts:

-So much fun and everyone needs to do this at least once. Put it on your bucket list. If at this point you’re saying, “that’s not my kind of thing” …just think of me and embrace your inner mud-loving self. It will be the most entertaining 4 miles of your life!

-I’m in better shape than I give myself credit. Turns out pushing the boys around campus has been beneficial for all!

boys will be boys...

2010-03-30T19:39:00.000-07:00

So our blog needs a new entry. We have a bunch of pictures to download from our cameras and a lot to blog about, but right now we just need a new post. So here's a quick note about our boys.

Along with growling when he sees pictures of dinos, bears or lions and his love for any type of ball that he can throw or kick... *L loves cars. He and his brother are establishing quite the little Hot Wheels garage, befitting of their zip code: Bugatti Veyron, Lamborghini Murcielago, Ferrari F540, Ford Mustang GT, Barracuda, Land Rover, Fire Truck, and others. (Still no Aston Martin or Rolls Royce, but we'll find 'em.) Here is a clip of *L driving his cars in his high chair.

*j likes his electronics, much like his dad. Recently *j was recruited to accompany me on a "special mission" to long sought after iPhone. No more getting frustrated when he grabs his dads 4 year old Razor and trys rubbing his finger over the screen to scroll through the apps. Now he can be found playing the guitar, typing notes, deleting his dad's emails, popping bubble wrap, caring for Pedro (our goldfish), jamming to the CBS Sports theme song when he pulls up the March Madness app, playing the drums, reading the scriptures, using a compass to navigate his pirate ship, taking pictures or recording voice memos (for some reason he likes to say "tell Bugatti, when you know" - I'm sure he knows what that means, but I just think it sounds funny). *j is also scary good at navigating his way around pbskids.org and the Playhouse Disney website. Finally, in one of his funniest "boy" moments, while playing in the courtyourd of the dorm complex where we live, *j made his way behind some bushes, dropped his Disney/Pixar underoos and relieved himself! Gotta do what ya gotta do!

This one's for my sister...

2010-02-09T22:24:00.000-08:00

So this morning Joey and the boys let me sleep in a little. As I gradually made my way out of bed *L and Joey came in to greet me. *L was laughing and giggling when he saw me so I squatted down to say hi to him. Unfortunately I passed a little gas (or as *j says, "I cut cheese")... and when *L heard it he paused and then giggled. The laughter got me going and I let another one slip... this time, in addition to the giggle he added his own interpretation of the noise that he had just heard. He put his little lips together and ppppphhhhhhhhhhwwwwww... pppppppphhhhhhhhhwwwwww! The three of us had a pretty good laugh together. Lessons learned: (1) little boys have a propensity for sound effects and (2) avoid early morning squats.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-23T22:01:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! We have been very blessed by the love of friends and family this year. We hope this card finds you well and that you feel the love of our Savior during this special time of year when we celebrate His birth.

Videos, As Promised

2009-12-15T21:54:00.000-08:00

So here are the videos that I had so much trouble with for my last post. They include j* riding his 'no pedals' bike and some of l*'s first steps. Enjoy!

Milestones

2009-12-13T22:37:00.000-08:00

The past few weeks (okay, month and a half) have been very busy. Here's a little update:
J*- one word...finals
graphic design for invites and holiday cards. Here's one example:
T*-opened an etsy shop for her new hobby...making headbands (http://www.everythingoes.etsy.com/)

j*- turned 3!

loves to ride his bike and explain to anyone "it has no pedals and no training wheels!

www.bootscootbikes.com

loves doing projects. Here is our Tom the turkey project

lounging on his chair

walking

(vided to come)

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T22:55:00.000-07:00

We hope you each enjoyed a spooky and sweet holiday!

We celebrated in our version of Goldilocks and 'da Three Bears

aren't vertical stripes supposed to be slimming?!?

the candy sort!

p.s. I was two different versions of Goldilocks for different parties.
(Those who know of my costume phobia might be shocked, but it worked out alright.)
Here's a peak at the more traditional, and almost totally homemade version.
I told you I was getting into sewing.

Passing the Time

2009-10-19T23:35:00.001-07:00

It seems like the boys have grown up quite a bit over the past few months. We've been passing the time lately with some of these fun things....

...clearing the pantry shelves several times a day. I know, you might suggest child locks, but I say, "look at that face, he loves it so!"
...surfing the wave at a Pepp event

...resting in between adventures. (This seems to be the only form of nap that j* is willing to take these days, so I enjoy every minute of it!)

Back in the saddle again...

2009-10-09T00:10:00.000-07:00

My last post was in July?!?! How did that happen? It is not for lack of life being full of cute moments, adventures, and stories. Maybe it is because it is so full. At any rate, I am officially back in the blogging saddle.
To kick it off, a few of our highlights and some pics.

-potty trained!!!

-mixed his own 'dough' today while I was changing a diaper (it ended up being about 1 CUP salt and 1 cup flour!)

-favorite phrase: "What we do next Mommy?"

-standing on his own. (I know, I missed the crawling milestone...that happened about August)

-finger foods- for now cheerios and animal crackers are the faves.

-this one's a thinker. He checks people and situations out from a distance. Once he has it figured out, he is off.

-Still gives cuddles.

J and I

-Have made the most of his free Friday afternoons with trips to the beach for the past two weeks!
-I have walked several days a week, while pushing the boys all the way around Pepperdine campus. (For those who have not been here, there are some major hills here.)

-Making time to play tennis with friends. (Even if that means that both boys are playing on the court next to us.)

A Miracle

2009-07-20T00:19:00.000-07:00

I know many of you have offered prayers of support for my neice, Izzy, over the past 2 and 1/2 years. Last Friday was her last dose of chemo, and the cancer is in remission! What a wonderful miracle!

It has been an incredible journey for her and her family! Here is a link to her blog which has a new video to document and celebrate this life changing chapter! I hope it reminds you of the miracles in your life!

http://izzycostley.blogspot.com/

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

2009-07-19T23:36:00.000-07:00

What would summer time be without a couple good baseball games?!? Well, for me, it would still be a great summer. But for J* it would be incomplete. The boys have been able to enjoy two major league games with us. Both times we were allowed onto the field to watch fireworks after! Pretty sweet!

Go D-Backs!

Hanging out in the dugout at Bank One Ballpark

Can you say, "All you can eat?" Right field bleachers at Dodger Stadium

Enjoying fireworks laying in outfield at Dodger Stadium

This is our version of a summer on steroids without the 50 game suspension.
Sorry Manny, we love you, but you're not top on our list of role models.

As Promised...

2009-06-14T22:28:00.000-07:00

...pics of the boys! Enjoy.

To mop or not to mop? That is the question.

2009-06-08T09:43:00.000-07:00

It is June! How does that happen? (I plan to post pictures of our growing boys soon, I promise.)

True confession: mopping is one of my least favorite household chores. Not so much because of the back breaking work involved, but more because the floor still doesn't feel clean after that back breaking! Does anyone else have this problem?

Here is my situation: Luke is a few months away from crawling. Of our 600 sq. ft., I guess that 150 of it is a type of linoleum. I usually use the vacuum or broom to get up the dirt. Then I use a sponge mop and a bucket with a little bit of Mr. Clean. Like I said, it just doesn't seem to be clean, even after a few passes.

What works for you? Is hands and knees the only way to really get it clean? Please tell me there is a better option! Do the Swiffer mops work well enough to outweigh the expense? Can't wait to glean your tips!

We're Going to Ride a Train... errr Wait, We're at the Zoo!

2009-05-16T21:39:00.000-07:00

So as the spring semester was winding down we tried to think of something fun that we could do as a family once I was done with finals. We had heard that Santa Barbara had a nice zoo so we planned a family trip to the zoo. While looking at the zoo's website, which had a picture of the little train at the zoo, j* got really excited about riding the train. We told him that we were going to ride the train and he could hardly believe it. We live a little over an hour from Santa Barbara and needless to say, we were asked a few times when we were going to get to the train. As we pulled into the zoo parking lot we told j* that the place with the train was actually a zoo with animals... he was blown away and quickly began asking if they had various types of animals. T* remarked that it was a good thing we didn't tell him that we were going to the zoo before we left the house and I quickly agreed.

The Santa Barbara Zoo was great. It is not the biggest or fanciest zoo in the world, but it is also not the most expensive and it is across the street from the ocean. We were there on a "postcard" Santa Barbara day and really had a good time. They had elephants, lions, gorillas, giraffe(s), eagles, California condors, penguins, snakes, monkeys and more. The really cool thing was how close you can get to the animals. One of j*'s favorite things was feeding the giraffe(s) with his mommy. One of his other favorite things was playing on the little rides that cost fifty cents. Luckily for us, he still thinks its cool to play on them without putting any coins in. The gorillas were also pretty cool. We lucked out and they were really close to the glass. One was probably about 6-8 feet away. As far as the snakes go, J* is not a real fan and when we first arrived at the zoo j* asked if they had snakes. J* told him they did and j* got a little freaked out. Then J* told j* to make faces at the snakes and all of a sudden he really wanted to see the snakes, in fact we had to go back to see the diamondback a couple of times.

We would really recommend the Santa Barbara Zoo to anybody with kids. One cool thing is that it doesn't feel like they are trying to get you to buy stuff around every turn. They have their souvenirs and stuff, but they aren't to get your kids to notice them and beg for them everywhere you go. The ocean view from the giraffe pen and the accompanying breeze are two other reasons to go. Also, there were school kids there until about 2pm and the rest of the time the zoo was wide open. If you can avoid the train, you can save some money. It is a little overrated since you don't really get to see a lot in the way of animal life. Finally, if you do get the chance to go make sure you take some pieces of cardboard. The good people of the Santa Barbara Zoo put in a sweet astro-turf hill for kids to play on and it is one of the most popular attractions. With a little piece of cardboard the little munchkins can get flyin' down the hill.

Here's a few pics:

Feeding the giraffe... more fun for j* or mommy?

Face-off with the gorilla... thank you thick glass.

No coins... but we still got a thumbs up.

Memo to the City of Santa Barbara... thank you for putting the zoo so close to the ocean!

Astro-turf hill without cardboard... luckily no holes in the shorts!

Finals, Toddlers, and Wrinkles...OH MY!

2009-05-13T00:42:00.000-07:00

Finals...
J* completed his last final today!!!!! He has worked and studied very hard, and we are very proud of him. We've come a long way over the past 2 years! Way to go babe!

Toddlers...
Okay, just one toddler, but what an life-force he is! He has survived finals as graciously as any two year old could be expected! He and I went to a local cupcake bakery (with a coupon, of course) today to get a cupcake to share with daddy! The last hour before daddy made it home was just about too much for him to handle, but I wish I had a video of how much he enjoyed the bites of chocolate cupcake. Not to mention the joy in finding out that daddy was not going back to the library tonight!

They say children make sense of their experiences through play. Here's an example of j*'s attempts to make sense of law school finals. Over the past few weeks, he's has been packing up a little bag full of toys and saying, "I'm going to school." He walks down the hall to his room, and comes back within a minute with a big grin on his face. When I ask him what he learned about at school, he says, "Wills and trusts!"

I think that l* gets the award for smiling the most during the past few weeks! Thank goodness for his goodness!
Wrinkles...
Calling all friends, family, and beauty experts! My skin and I really need suggestions for a great, budget friendly moisturizer. Leave me a comment with your beauty tips....PLEASE!

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-09T21:34:00.001-07:00

To all of the women who have had a mothering influence on my life I say, "THANK YOU!"

Throughout my life I have been nurtured by friends, sisters, teachers, aunts, grandmothers, in-laws, roommates, cousins, co-workers, neighbors, strangers, and of course my very own mother.

Inspired by your influences, I choose to develop a mother heart!

What an adventure it is proving to be!

(*As you can see, watercolor is one of our new favorite activities! The credit for painting goes to j* and I added my tearing skills!)

Brings Me Joy

2009-05-02T23:36:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note about how much joy I find in using our stroller! So many of our friends and ward members helped us to buy this stroller, and I send them thank-you-vibes every time I use it. It is easy to push, fits both boys or only one, makes navigating an airport with two kids a breeze, and even fits in our tiny trunk! I LOVE it! Just thought I would share.

More than Half Full

2009-05-02T23:25:00.000-07:00

With J much more occupied with school (finals are approaching), I have had a lot more solo time with the boys. There have been lots of great things to do, but I noticed that about 30 minutes into each great activity, I would be thinking, "If only I weren't alone doing this...This would be so much easier with someone else helping...etc." At one such moment, I looked down to see the boys in the stroller, both smiling and just enjoying the beautiful day. I thought, "Okay, time to see the cup as half full! Make the best of the good that is around me. Enjoy what there is to enjoy, and let a beautiful day with my boys be 'enough'."

View of the boys in the stroller

Our days have been much better since then! The three of us have made it to the library, to the park, and even to the beach together. And when loading them in the car seems like too much, we have just walked to the courtyard or dipped into some watercolors! My cup is much more than 1/2 full! (Plus, my husband will back soon ;))

Just to See You Smile

2009-05-02T23:24:00.001-07:00

Spring Cleaning!

2009-05-02T23:09:00.000-07:00

Because we live on a college campus, many of our neighbors are in the process of moving. We have been blessed to be able to stay here over the summer, but I have found myself feeling envious of our neighbors' chance to sort/throw out, etc. while moving. So, I thought I would spring clean!

Although it has taken much longer than I would prefer, I am loving it! I have found about an hour a day that I can work on a closet or cabinet. Slow and steady wins the race! One of my favorite projects was giving our book shelf a face lift. With only two bedrooms in our place, our room serves a bed-room, baby nursery, office, library, 'cold storage', and much more. Needless to say, it is not oozing with style! I saw a design show where they sorted all of the books in a room by color, so I thought I would give it a try.

The result is one of my favorite face-lifts ever...and it was FREE! (Since I neglected to take a before picture, I am including a picture of our other book shelf which has not been overhauled:))

Faux Before

Fantastic After!

Even with all of my love for the new look, the best part came a few days after the project. The shelf at j* eye level includes a Bible and Book of Mormon. While he was checking out that shelf, he found both. He grabbed them, put them on the bed, and said, "Mom, read me the scwiptures, pwease!" How could I pass up that kind of request! We had a great time reading several favorite verses and talking about how much God loves us! Gotta love how organization and de-cluttering bring peace and clarity to our lives!

Fun With Cardboard

2009-05-02T22:47:00.001-07:00

One of my best 'mom-spirations' ever!

J* is easily bored with his toy selection. As I wondered what I could do (short of getting new toys constantly), I thought of hiding and rotating toys. Since we are very short on storage space, I wasn't sure I could make it work. Then, the mom-spiration'! Cardboard to divide half of the shelf. Look closely, and you will see that there is white cardboard blocking off the back half of each cubby. Every few weeks, I hide the toys that have been out and switch them with toys that have been hiding! This simple idea has breathed new life into our play time! YIPEE!

I have heard people say that children often have more fun playing with the boxes their gifts come in than they have with the actual toys. I am not sure if that is always the case, but we have gotten a lot use out of several different boxes around our house. Here are a few of our cardboard creations! Enjoy.

Car seat box....I mean playhouse!
(complete with pipe cleaner door and window handles)

diaper box...oh, I mean deluxe cook top, stove, and sink combination
(complete with play food that is probably toxic plastic, photoshopped burners ala joey, basin from hospital for the sink, and an old towel bar as the stove handle)

Happiest Places on Earth

2009-04-05T21:55:00.001-07:00

This past month has been full of happy places and faces!
We have all thrived with the chance to spend time with family!

Quigley Cousins

The happiest place on earth
(after one of the longest lines on earth)

We had a joint baby blessing in UT with my sister
All of the Moores were able to come into town

Snow! I talked him into one sled ride, but his preference was just to sit and eat it.
I checked to make sure that none of it was yellow!

Before my sister left with her prom date, we got this shot!
There's a lot of strength to be found in this group of women and Dad!

We are also glad to be back home (although I haven't taken any pictures)!
We walked on the beach together tonight, and I was reminded how blessed I am.
I still can't believe I am the mom of two kids, but it is a wonderful life!

P.S. If anyone is looking for a 'happy place' to visit, you are welcome to come visit.
It is gorgeous here!

Pay It Forward...

2009-03-01T22:14:00.000-08:00

This idea was inspired by my friend, Jana, who has more 'share-able' talents than anyone else I know.

Here's how it works: I am offering my photographic skills to the first person to leave a comment on this post. I can either:
- take some pics of your family, children, favorite places, etc...or if you and I live too far away for the to be realistic...
-doctor up some of your favorite pics for a blog banner, announcement, holiday card (why not get started early?:)), etc.

The catch is that you must participate as well. Before you leave your comment, write up a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going. Then come back, let me know you’re going to play.Remember that only the first comment will receive this from me, so be quick! Have fun!

You Might Be in Malibu if...

2009-02-24T21:28:00.001-08:00

...you see this when you get to the waterfall at the end of your hike...

...you can hike comfortably in t-shirts during February!
We are enjoying much of what there is to enjoy about life on the coast!

Jacob couldn't believe it when a real horsie was drinking from the pond in front of him.

p.s. I promise that Luke enjoyed the hike much more than this photo lets on!
We interrupted his meal to pose for a minute:)

WiDe MouTHeD FRoG

2009-02-02T21:42:00.000-08:00

I have been composing this post in my mind since the day Luke was born. (Okay, that probably set your expectations a little too high!) When we first spent time with him, I noticed that he has the ability to purse his lips so tightly that they are less narrow than his little nose. Looking at his face like that reminded me of a story my Mom used to tell us as kids. It is called "The Wide Mouthed Frog".

For those of you not familiar with the story, a wide mouthed frog visits several animals asking them, "What do you feed your BABIES!" (All caps to emphasize the fact that when you tell the story, you use a wide mouthed when he talks...similar to the following picture)

Each animal he talks to tells him a different food, and his response is "OH!" (again with a wide mouth) Then he approaches a snake. The snake says, "I feed my babies wide mouthed frogs!" In self preservation he responds (with tightly pursed lips this time...as in the following picture)

"oh! don't see many of those around here, do ya?"

Here's to my little wide mouthed frog!

some pictures...

2009-01-25T23:32:00.001-08:00

It's a hard knock life...

hello world...

kickin' back...

brother's on the beach...

kickin' up his feet after a long hard day.

Toesies!

2009-01-08T21:37:00.000-08:00

We have had such an amazing couple of weeks! Mom was here before Luke's arrival, so we all enjoyed some special Grandma time. Luke arrived, Jacob and Grandma had more quality time together, and now we are settling into being home. A few thank yous: to Mom for sharing her time, love, and wisdom with us. To KK, Ali, and Dad for sharing Mom, during the holidays and everything. To all of our family and friends for your prayers, thoughts, cards, emails, and calls.

We thought you might enjoy a few more pictures and a great video clip of Jacob and Luke. In case you aren't fluent in Jacob-ese, you can hear my voice in the background translating for you!

Hello World!

2009-01-02T22:20:00.000-08:00

His name is Luke… and this is how he got here:

*Warning: This is a long story with a lot of details. If you are a picture-book kind of person, here’s the bottom line: Luke was born on Monday, 12.29.08 at 5:42 pm in Tarzana, California. He weighed 8 pounds and measured 21 inches long and has blue eyes and dirty blond hair. Now you can skip to the pictures. For those who want to know the details, read on…

On Monday morning, Grandma Costley came down to watch Jacob (still sleeping), while Tiff and I snuck out to the hospital. We checked in to the hospital, Tiff got her sweet hospital gown and the adventure began. Tiff and I had decided that this would be an unmedicated birth (for various reasons) and communicated that to the nurse. She seemed to doubt my wife’s ability to deal with the pain and go through with it. Bad idea, do not bet against my wife. You will lose. That kind of gives away part of the story, but that’s ok, I just wanted to underscore how crazy-tough Tiff is in case any of you doubted as well. A couple failed attempts at the initial IV setup had us a little concerned, but that didn’t slow us down. At 10:30 am, Tiff got started on round one of the anti-biotics. Tiff was strep B positive, which means she tested positive for a bacteria that many humans carry without ever knowing it and without becoming ill as a result of their carrying it. As such, they want to get two rounds of anti-biotics in mom before delivery to greatly reduce the risk to the baby. At 12:30 pm she started on the pitocin and round two of the anti-biotics. The contractions came slowly at first, nothing that seriously interfered with Tiff’s mad Sudoku skills. By around 2:30 pm, when the doctor came in to break Tiff’s water, she was at a two and the contractions had reached the “uncomfortable” stage. For the next hour and a half, Tiff was able to breathe through the contractions and relax in between. By 4:30 pm the contractions had gotten pretty uncomfortable. The doctor checked her and she was at a four. The doctor told her to work through the contractions for another thirty minutes, get to a five or six, and then she would turn off the pitocin, let Tiff get in the shower to relax, and then we would see if labor would continue on its own. Just shy of the 30 minute mark Tiff was, one might say, in quite a bit of pain and questioning whether or not she could make it the rest of the way. She told me to call the doctor in, so I knew that she wasn’t messing around. When the doctor came in, Tiff explained the pain and the doctor checked her again. Tiff was not at a five or six like that doctor thought she would be… she was at an eight while resting, and almost a nine during the contractions! She had reached the “transition” phase, which we had learned about in our birthing class. Transition is usually a brief period, twenty minutes or so, when the contractions hurt like crazy and one feels like she might be losing her mind. That is kind of how it was, but with reassurances that she was in transition and that it would be over soon, Tiff battled through it. As we neared 5:30, Tiff was heard saying things like: “I can’t do it, they said I could, but I can’t.” The doctor kindly noted that she was at a ten, that she was almost done, and that she would have a baby in her arms in about fifteen minutes. After a couple more pushes and Tiff’s comment that she couldn’t “push for hours” and that she “couldn’t do it”, the doctor said “you already did it, one more push and your baby will be here.” Tiff told the doctor that she didn’t believe her, then gave one more push and sure enough, Luke’s head emerged. Another little push and out popped his shoulders. Then the doctor tells me to take Luke, while he is still half inside Tiff mind you! I politely told her that I thought that he was a little too slippery for me to be handling him. She told me to grab him anyways. I grabbed the little guy under the arms, helped him the rest of the way into the world and handed him to Tiff. (Easily one of the most amazing moments of my life, right there with marrying Tiff, and Jacob’s birth.) The next part leads me to a little advice. I won’t try to say that no one should get epidurals or anything like that. However, what I will suggest is that you tell the doctor and nurses that you want to hold the baby for the first hour or so of his/her life. They can postpone the weighing, measuring, shots, tests, bath, etc… all you have to do is ask. That first hour of Tiff holding Luke was awesome. He sat on her chest and calmly looked up at his mom, and then I took a turn holding him while he just gazed up at me, wondering what was going on. After that we took care of all the other stuff and moved to our recovery room. The little guy was born at 5:42 pm, in Tarzana, California; he weighed 8 pounds and measured 21 inches in length. He has blue eyes and dirty blond hair.
The next morning, Luke and I went down to the nursery for his blood test. His “billy-count” (ya, that can’t be the medically correct terminology, nor the correct spelling) was a little high, and since Luke’s blood type was different than Tiff’s, he had to be under lights for the rest of the hospital stay. This included him lying under fluorescent lights, with nothing on but his diaper and some fabric “sunglasses” velcroed to the side of his head. Yes, velcroed… not a word, but an accurate description of the setup. I’m not going to lie to you, that was a bummer. He could only come out from under the lights for feeding, and for a maximum of thirty minutes every three hours. We made sure that we squeezed in a little time to hold the little guy before we strapped the shades back on and put him back under the lights. The next hurdle came after the circumcision. The procedure went fine, but the little guy had to pee before we could be discharged from the hospital. Unfortunately that had not occurred by Wednesday at 11:00 am, which is the normal discharge time. He had most likely peed sometime between the circumcision on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning, but we hadn’t noticed it, and the nurses needed proof. As the time went on, we were dying to get out of there. Tiff and I got the water running in the bathroom, I poured water from a pitcher into a cup and back again, and Tiff took of Luke’s diaper, all in an effort to coax out a little urine. After that didn’t work, we asked the nurse if she new any tricks. Actually, I should back up to the point where I asked Tiff if I should maybe take matters into my own hands and make one of his diapers look as if he had wet it. She looked at me as if she wasn’t totally opposed to the idea, but we tried asking the nurse for ideas first. The nurse asked around and heard that laying him on the cold scale might help. She seemed concerned that we might think she was crazy for suggesting such a thing, but I quickly agreed to accompany her to the nursery to try. First they put Luke on the scale and took of his diaper… nothing. Then the nurse tried fanning him below the belt to see if the cold air would help… nothing. At this point, the other dad in the nursery with his new baby looked a little concerned, as if he was questioning the competence of the nursing staff based on this little covert operation we had going on. Our nurse called another nurse over and joked that she should say something to Luke in Spanish, hey we were desperate. The other nurse suggested drizzling a little warm water on the little guy’s nether regions. First few sprinkles… nothing, and I began to lose hope. Round two… the little geyser went off like old faithful… “Mission accomplished, back to base Joe.” (That’s from Seinfeld.) Just then, Tiff emerged from our hospital room with a desperate yet hopeful look on her face, essentially asking without words whether Luke had peed. I gave her the thumbs up and, while totally oblivious to the fact that other people were in the hallway and she was just in her hospital gown, Tiff raised her arms and triumphantly exclaimed “YES”! After that, we packed up and shipped out of that joint.
Though reasonably nervous about the journey, I safely navigated the 101 freeway and Malibu Canyon to get us home. We had to wrap these special lights in Luke’s blanket to help him with the jaundice, but that is done now. Mom and Luke are healthy and doing well. The Malibu branch of the Moore family is now four members strong and loving it. Jacob loves watching his little brother, who he calls “Baby Ñuke”. Baby Luke loves eating and sleeping. Mommy and Daddy love sleeping.

Not yet...

2008-12-25T22:21:00.001-08:00

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...

2008-12-21T23:28:00.001-08:00

...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!

2008-12-18T17:36:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-20T13:19:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-11-16T23:08:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-10-31T21:19:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-27T20:58:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-31T22:53:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-25T21:18:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-11T21:35:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-20T21:16:00.001-07:00

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

2008-06-29T23:32:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-09T21:03:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-22T12:46:00.000-07:00

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

Juliard or Bust

2008-04-07T21:56:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-06T22:41:00.001-07:00

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!

2008-03-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-16T21:00:00.000-07:00

Tagged

2008-03-09T21:42:00.001-07:00

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

2008-03-06T18:51:00.001-08:00

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

2008-02-27T10:40:00.000-08:00

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

2008-02-23T23:02:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-02-16T17:54:00.000-08:00

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

2008-02-10T20:09:00.000-08:00

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)

Free Zoo

2008-01-28T13:19:00.000-08:00

Jacob and I love to go to the park with our friends, and a few weeks ago we were there with our friends Elijah and Rachel. Elijah and Jacob saw some birds, and I mentioned to Rachel that I think Jacob might enjoy a zoo now that he seems to be more able to find animals (as long as they are moving)! That's when Rachel suggested a fantastic idea...try a trip to PetCo (aka a free zoo of sorts)

Here's a shot of Elijah and Jacob enjoying the rodent section.

We saw guinea pigs, rats, mice, gold fish, all kinds of fish, parakeets, other birds, and Jacob's favorite...an ELMO fish tank (without any fish in it, of course).

It was a great outing, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a trip to the zoo without the cost and the all-day commitment.

Playing Catch-Up!

2008-01-20T21:42:00.000-08:00

I think blogging is a little bit like any other worthwhile endeavor. Once started it gains its own momentum, and you find yourself seeing post possibilities throughout your day. The problem: once you take a break, you still see the possibilities, but you get so behind that to begin again seems overwhelming. I have been suffering from that problem since we had the wonderful chance to visit family and friends over the holidays.

So, in an effort to get "back in the saddle", here are some of the highlights from our trips and time off!

Anyone who has lived through law school finals, knows that the family members not taking finals get to spend A LOT of time together! So, in addition to our normal daily activities, Jacob and I started watching Jeopardy together (or at least trying), going on walks outside to check for the moon or any stars, and making dinner together. Here he is mixing up some mac and cheese.

To quote from a children's song, "I'm so glad when Daddy comes home!"

Once Joey was done with finals (WAY TO GO JOEY!), we headed for Utah to visit my family. Jacob loves having more people to play with, especially his aunts Ali and KK. Since it was pretty cold and snowy outside, we had most of our fun inside. Here is Jacob getting Ali's help to fit into her miniature radio flyer wagon. (He knew he had her undivided attention while she pulled him around!)

After celebrating with my family, we headed to Arizona to see Joey's family and visit friends. In an effort to win "favorite uncle" status (Jacob only has two uncles), Casey purchased a bag of cheese shaped like Mickey Mouse and gave Jacob a few drum lessons on his Rock Band gear. Our future rocker! (Thanks Uncle Cheese)

We also had time to visit several other family members and friends. Here is Jacob's first picture with Great Grandpa Quigley. (This picture is also proof that Joey and I occasionally get in front of the camera as well:))

To top it all off, we took a trip to LoLo's Chicken and Waffles! Uncle Cheese discovered this authentic soul food restaurant some time ago. Our meal included: fried chicken, thin waffles, creamy mac and cheese, and super strong red Kool-Aid in mason jars (check out how red it was!). Jacob loved the mac and cheese, as well as the water-downed koolaid in his sippy cup. (We had to water it down, we're just not ready for him to take in that much sugar!). We highly recommend LoLo's for anyone looking for a great place to eat in Phoenix.
Those are just some of the highlights of our time off. What a blessing it was to see family and friends and get recharged! Now onto semester #2!

First Steps?

2007-12-17T08:34:00.000-08:00

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

2007-12-16T21:13:00.000-08:00

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

2007-12-11T08:17:00.000-08:00

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!

2007-11-21T11:31:00.000-08:00

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

2007-11-20T22:10:00.000-08:00

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!

2007-11-18T22:03:00.000-08:00

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!

2007-11-13T10:39:00.000-08:00

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...

2007-11-04T22:08:00.001-08:00

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...

2007-10-30T23:02:00.001-07:00

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...

2007-10-24T23:11:00.000-07:00

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.