No More Newborn

This past week we celebrated Jacob's 3 month birthday.  I was told that 3 months marks the end of the "newborn" stage, although in my opinion, Jake hasn't looked newborn in probably 6 weeks.  But as I look at his progress over the past few months, he has definitely changed by leaps and bounds.  First of all, he is a pro at holding his head up. (well most of the time anyway..when he is tired, we thinks he looks remarkably like a bobble-head toy.)  Also, his love affair with the giraffe continues, as well as a plethora of other colorful trinkets.  Because of these two new advancements, Jake is finally grown-up enough to sit in an activity chair and play!  It's so fun to see his eyes light up with joy when we put him in his exer-saucer.  You can see the immense satisfaction on his face at being able to sit up like a big kid and have so many new fun things to play with.His favorite game is to sit in his chair, suck on all the toys, and watch disney movies.  Speaking of Disney movies, i have something to say for the classics.  Mr. Disney really new what he was doing.  Do you realize that the music never stops going in Cinderella? Why can't they make them like that anymore?  Jake has twice the attention span when there are both colors and music.

Also, just yesterday he became sturdy enough to sit in his Bumbo chair.  I let him play in my room while i was unpacking boxes (yes, nearly 2 months later and i'm STILL unpacking.)  I parked him in front of a big mirror that i have yet to force wesley to mount on the wall, and Jake made a new friend.  He talked to his reflection for about 20 minutes--it was so funny.  

And then the most important milestone of all....drumroll please....

as of 3 days ago, Jake has begun sleeping through the night! thats right ladies and gents--we are now sleeping a 7+ hour stretch.  I'm not sure what this is comparable to, maybe finishing a marathon.  Not that i've ever done that, but seriously, I am so happy.  

It's so amazing to watch him grow stronger and more independent each week.  I can't express how seeing him learn new things brings me so much joy.  Being a mother has made me become a little less selfish and a little more tenderhearted.  And i know its only going to get better. Because Jacob is all mine for the next 18 years. 

Party Time

    (Jake loved his first 4th of July)I just wanted to do a quick catch-up on whats been happening the last couple weeks. on June 30th, Wesley's parents came to see Jake all the way from Thailand.  They are in the middle of a 4-5  year job assignment over there, and were finally able to make a trip to come see their new grandson.  They are staying half the time with us and half with Melanie, Wesley's sister.  Jake has loved hanging out with them.  

We also celebrated the 4th of July and Wesley's 26th Birthday.  It was great to spend these with so much family.

    (at the Cheesecake Factory!...Jake is sleeping on the  floor behind Wes and I)

           (We bought matching outfits for Jake and his cousin Scott. It was so cute!)

Last Saturday, Jessica and I threw Jerai a baby shower.  I've decided it was probably the best baby shower ever, and not necessarily to our credit.  It was held in Jill Moulton's (Jerai's mother in law) backyard, which is arguably the most beautiful backyard known to mankind. The setting was so beautiful, next to a pond and under the shade of a tree.  Jake loved it! Also, I think he loved it because he got to hang with his new cousin Peyton, who is 2 months younger and officially one-third his size.

  

      (This is Jake's current favorite nap position.)

I was kind of dreading throwing a shower at 10 o'clock in the morning. Mothers who still have to get up 3 times with their babies every night will understand.  Jake must have been really excited about the shower tho, because something very special happened on that shower eve.  He slept for FIVE HOURS STRAIGHT!!!!!!!!!. By that i mean, he only got up ONCE (at 5:30).  It was the best night of my life. the 2 nights since that shower, he has continued to sleep this way.  I think i know what this means, but i am afraid to jinx it---could he possibly be just around the corner from sleeping through the night? maybe! 

Also, he is starting to play with his toys.  He recently discovered the wonder that is his baby gym, and has attached himself to an unsuspecting stuffed giraffe. (whom he sucks on until soaked with baby drool).  Jake is such an individual--"I don't want a bottle or a pacifier--Just this hairy giraffe to suck on, thank you." He's growing up so fast! By the way, I had the oldest child at the baby shower.  So weird.  

                                   

(I have no idea why he was only in half a sleeper. )

Mornings with Jake

It's been 10 weeks since little Jacob came into our lives.  After all the adjustments we have made, and nights of lost sleep, we are finally starting to have some structure and routine.  Jake isn't very big on naps, but i am so lucky, because He looovvvveessss to sleep in! Every morning, Wesley brings Jake into our bed before he leaves for work.  I feed him and we cuddle for about an hour, and then I wake up and start my day.  I usually get about 3 hours in the morning to clean the house and get myself ready which is awesome.  Then, around 11 ish, Jake usually wakes up.  This is my favorite time to hang out with him.  I hop in bed and say good morning, and he smiles and babbles at me, so overjoyed to begin the new day.  I've decided he is definitely a morning person. We usually spend at least 10 minutes talking in bed, then we go to his room and pick out his clothes.   After a moisturizing cream "massage" for his super-dry skin, we get dressed and officially begin our day.  This is really how most mornings go.  I am so grateful for this time with him.  Becoming a mom has been a huge adjustment for me, and it can definitely be frustrating and very demanding at times, but i so look forward to my mornings with jake. 

 

Adventures at Home

It has been a big week for us! It started out with an overnight visit from Jess and Nate last Tuesday. We really miss being next door neighbors with them, so it was nice to be able to hang out for a couple of days. We showed them around Salem, and stopped at this pond to take some family pictures. This was a first for us with our new little boy! I'd been putting it off for nearly 2 months, hoping I would lose some of the prego poundage I was carting around. It was an awesome couple of days, and we are dreading the day that they move to Arizona for dental school :(
The next fun thing was yet another sleepover! My good friend Sarah is leaving for her mission this week, so on Friday she drove up from Cedar City. Our other old roommate Jessica drove down with her husband Jeremy and 5 month old daughter Lilee from Boise. We had such a blast, cooked dinner together, and stayed up talking until 3 AM. Something funny: Lilee is a realllyyyyy tiny 5 month old. She was only slightly larger than our 2 month old son. It was so strange seeing a baby Jake's size looking so coordinated. Saturday afternoon the reunion ended, and we said our teary goodbyes to Sarah.


Yesterday Jake had his 2 month check-up. I can't believe he's already so old! and not only old, but so big! He weighs 12 pounds 4 ounces, putting him in the 69th percentile, and he is 23 inches long! (58th percentile). What a big boy! For those of you who have kids, you know what the real point of these check-ups is: SHOTS. It was Jake's first round of vaccinations. I was a bit nervous, having read about all the possible side effects and reactions. But I decided to go for it. I am pretty sure Jake would have gone the other way, had it been up to him. When the nurse started doing the shots, Jake became very quiet and red. By the 3rd shot, he was completely purple in the face--Then he let out the loudest wail! it was so sad! But we both survived and headed home to face an evening with tender thighs (Jake) and tender hearts (me and Wes). Jake bore it like a champ, and we spoiled him with lots of cuddles and kisses. He even got to do his favorite thing--A half hour bath with mom. We played til the water was tepid and our hands were wrinkly. Wes decided to snap a few pics of the fun. I was skeptical at first, but they turned out so cute! Yay for random photo-ops. The night ended with an episode of Lost (Wes and I have finally started watching). Jake got another small leg rub and thanks to the makers of Infant Tylenol we all got a pretty good nights rest.

Gratitude

It's been 3 weeks already since my last post! it's crazy how fast the time goes, and it amazes me how much Jake changes every single day. I'm starting to forget what he was like as a tiny newborn. At this point he is already over 7 weeks old. He spends all of his waking hours diligently working on his neck muscles, trying to hold his head up. Jake is sort of a strange duck. He won't allow anyone to hold him in the "baby" position - you know, cradled in your arm. he has to either be standing on your lap, trying to hike up your chest, or be thrown over your shoulder like a sack of potatoes. We aren't quite sure what this alludes to about his future personality, but its pretty funny. Also, when laying on his back, he always turns his head to the right. He's actually starting to get a lopsided head, so we are constantly turning his head to look left. The pediatrician doesn't seem concerned, but i'm still trying to correct it. I was collecting a bunch of pictures for Jake's album, and realized he is looking to the right in every single one. He definitely has a mind of his own. I've got to say, I feel very lucky these days. Being a mom is hard work for sure, but it's so rewarding! Jake is just getting cuter every day, smiling at me like crazy, and developing his little personality. even the crying isn't so bad, because he looks so funny when he is doing it. Poor kid is crying and i just end up laughing at him. The other day, he was screaming for food while we were driving home. When we finally got there, and got him some milk, he expressed instant relief, and sucked like crazy for about 10 seconds. Then, he paused, looking up at me. All of a sudden he cracks this huge smile, letting milk pour out of his mouth all over the place. It was a huge mess, but so worth it. Already, Jake is learning to express gratitude.

A couple of his firsts - First nap in his crib, and first haircut. I know it seems a bit early, but what can I say? I'm a hairdresser and he was growing a small rattail. It had to go.

A true guy

Its been 4 weeks since his birth, and each new day, I feel like I discover a new side to Jacob. I'm finding out that I have a very sensitive kid. He smiles at us now, which is very cool (and not just when he is passing gas). The funny thing is, about 5 seconds after he cracks a big grin, Jake will usually burst into tears. We don't know what to make of it, but its pretty funny. The other day, My sister Jess, me, and Jake were out shopping. Now, Jake is usually pretty good about going on outings, but this trip was different. We started at Costco, on the Saturday before Memorial Day (arguably one of the craziest days in Costco's calendar year). As soon as we got there, Jake decided that he wasn't really up for shopping, and began crying in protest. So, as Jessica shopped, i walked around Costco with Jake on my arm and a bottle in hand. This seemed to settle him down, so we decided to head to our next stop - Forever 21. As it always seems to go in that store, we got sucked in and before we new it Jake was up from his nap. Just as we got in line for the dressing room with piles of clothes in hand, he began to cry. We grabbed a handicapped room, stroller in tow, and i began to try on clothes. Jess got out a bottle to feed him, and to our dismay we realized that the cap had come unscrewed, and its contents had poured onto Jakes clothes. I grabbed the sticky screaming baby and breastfed him while Jessica hurried to try things on. Then we switched back and she changed his messy diaper while i finished with my clothes. I can only imagine what we sounded like from the outside of that dressing room. My life is definitely a lot more exciting with little Jacob around. Really, we shouldve known better--Jake is a true guy, and what guy would want to be stuck in Forever 21 for 2 hours?

He's Finally Here!

I thought the day would never come...but it did. And now it's passed. And our lives have changed dramatically. Jacob Rulon Hurst was born on April 26, 2008, weighing in at a whopping 8 lbs 7 oz and 20 inches long.(those of you who saw the giant belly i was carting around for the last half of my pregnancy shouldn't be surprised). Thankfully, along with the midnight crying, poopy diapers, and occasional spit-ups...the little boy has brought quite a bit of laughter and love into our home.

I figured with the start of a new chapter in our lives, this would be an opportune time to start sharing it with all of you. So I'm going to make an effort to keep up this blog. Of course with a 3 week old baby and us moving into a new home over the next couple weeks...i don't make any promises on the efficiency of my posting...but i will certainly try. So to read more about our crazy lives...visit our blog! We love you all!
~Love Kristie and The Boys