I know today is February 15, but I never had a chance to share this fun and easy science experiment-style craft Jacob and I did. Dissolve 1/3 cup or more of borax in hot water in a wide-mouth Mason jar or bowl. Submerge a shape made of pipe cleaners. It can be any shape, but make sure it will make it out of the jar without scraping the beautiful crystals off. Let it sit overnight or until totally cool and sparkly!
Love, love, love.
Love, love, love.
All you need is love.
Love, love, love.
Love, love, love.
All you need is love.
Happy birthday to a man who works his bootie off for his family and still comes home with energy enough for Jacob. He is obnoxiously good at everything he does. He is smart, kind, and forgiving. He is not good at relaxing. He is neat, orderly, and organized. He cannot carry a tune. He is very competetive. He has a five-year and a ten-year plan. He loves his children. He has a funny laugh. He is immensely practical and pragmatic. Sometimes he buys me flowers for no reason. He loves beets, which is pretty random. He has at least one feeling. Sometimes I want to throw things at him, and other times he makes me laugh until I snort (and then makes fun of that and I laugh even more). He is not good at finding things. He knows how to give a compliment that makes you feel kinda bad at the end. He doesn’t cry very often. He is good at fixing things that are broken. He suddenly fell in love with country music (much to my chagrin). He isn’t going to know what “pragmatic” or “chagrin” mean, and he’s not going to look them up. He loves to wear board shorts and flip flops. He never knows the words to songs but sings them anyway. He can still surprise me with his sweetness from time to time.
This guy.
Whiting Ranch, CA
Happy 7 months of life to our sweetieheart Jackson.
He is such a blessing.
This curious kitty is getting into everything! He is like a very cuddly wrecking crew. I guess I forgot how much trouble one curious baby can get into! He really likes to pull my hair (out of my head – ouch!) and grab my bottom lip and pull it suddenly and with surprising strength toward him. He will do the same with a nose or cheek if he can get a grip. One minute his soft little hand is stroking my face, and the next, it’s trying to rip my skin off. He shrieks with delight when he can make contact with something, and lets out this low laugh that is like gurgling water. It’s adorable.
This sweet, friendly guy is almost all smiles, all the time. Except if he loses sight of me. He is all about mama right now! He just wants to be held by me most of the time, and loses his patience with anyone else or any other situation. This makes car rides really difficult, and that’s our biggest problem right now. It’s so scary to go anywhere, because I never know if he’s going to be fine, or cry until he starts to choke. At night, I am basically guaranteed that he will cry and I will be pulling over a lot. I take him out of his seat, console him, sometimes I sit in the front with him and nurse him, and when he’s calm we start over. And by start over I mean that he starts crying again…
If someone is holding him, and he wants me, he reaches out to me. He always tracks me with his eyes, and makes sure he knows where I am. It’s pretty cute.
Everything still goes in his mouth: fingers, toys, clothes, anything he can reach. That said, we have tried a couple of vegetables and he was not a fan. Steamed carrot made him quiver with distaste, and avocado was not to his liking, either. He doesn’t seem to be in a big hurry to eat, so I am not in a big rush to feed him solid foods. If he shows interest in something, we might try it. He’s certainly well-fed and happy. 🙂
Just those same two teeth yet, and while I wonder often if he is “toofin'” as Jacob says, I don’t see any evidence of more teeth. He is army-style crawling all over the house, and can pull himself up to standing. He sits up alright, but he is really not interested in doing that. He wants to stand, and, I think, to walk. Not yet!!! Stay a baby!
He’s a big, solid boy. He knows what he wants, and it is hard to get him to do something he doesn’t want to do. He will resist, and he is strong!
Curious kitty is eating the photo drop cloth (above).
He loves his brother. Jacob can make him smile like no one else can. Even his mama preference has nothing on the joy that Jacob brings. With me, I think he’s just making sure food and comfort are accessible, but with Jacob, he looks for fun. He wants to do what Jacob and Josh do, and I can tell he’s ready to play. 
Oh to be 7 months old with a whole world of curiosities to explore! 
I can tell you that, for me, this is going way too fast. But let me assure you that I am enjoying it. I get frustrated, for sure, when I have a day in which I just can’t put him down, and my back and neck ache from trying to do things while holding or wearing him, but I still love it so much. By “it” I mean being Jackson’s mama. He is just amazing. He is soft and cuddly and those cheeks! I could lose myself for days in that sweet face and breathy voice.
He says consonant sounds, and often it really sounds as though he is saying “oh mama!” More likely he is saying “oh-mm-mm-mm-mm” but it makes me smile anyway. He also likes to babble “ba-ba-ba-ba” and the breathiness of his voice is just the cutest. Jacob asks me sometimes, and I think this is such a sweet and smart question, what I think Jackson’s voice will sound like. I don’t know, of course, but I can wait. I am enjoying the baby talk.
He also has this quavery quality to his voice sometimes: he laughs with a quavery little sound, and sometimes does it when he is upset as well. I wish I could describe it better, but it’s really cute.
Our days seem to fly by in a flurry of cries, nap attempts, and obligations, so I am glad when it’s nighttime and I can snuggle my sweet boy. His favorite way to sleep is with one leg thrown over me. Sometimes he holds my face or my hand, as if to try and keep me from sneaking away from him to fold laundry. He has his priorities straight, and I should, too. 🙂
Happy 7 months (on January 30) to my littlest boy. I love you so.
Some days I just have to pinch myself. It’s too good to be true! Look at this sweet little faces, looking to me for guidance and comfort. Can this be real life?
Josh and Korey 