Cotton

Yesterday was Jake and my 2nd wedding anniversary. It's really not very long, especially when you think about all that has happened and it's only been TWO years since we said, "I do." Either way, I am still incredibly happy and blessed to be married to Mr. Jacob Springsteen. Not only is he a great husband, he is also an awesome father.

The traditional gift for 2 years is cotton and the modern gift is china. We already have china and I was thinking we would have Chinese food, but Jake is on a pretty limited diet right now, so that wasn't going to happen. So for our gifts- Jake got me a robe. He wasn't entirely sure it was cotton, but he made sure it was at least "made it china." ha. Good job, honey. :) I ended up getting Jake (and kind of myself) a cotton hammock. We spent the afternoon and the evening cuddled up in it. Pure bliss! I was impressed how comfortable it was with both of us in it, particularly at night when we watched a two hour show on Jake's iPad! Success.

In the afternoon, I set up Isaac's chair right next to the hammock so we could talk to him and he could eat his chicken.

We also let our kitties out for the first time. A few days ago we got them up to date on shots and we also got them new collars and tags. They need one booster in a couple weeks, so we only let them out while we were outside and close to dinner time. :) They had a marvelous time exploring the yard.

All in all a lovely relaxing day with the ones I love. God is good.

Isaac Weekly Update: Week 42

This week started off with a sickly Ike. Even with a runny nose and cough, he still can smile! This is how Jake and Isaac enter the kitchen:

Besides Isaac and I being sick this week there's really not much more to report. Isaac's sleeping has changed some which is a bummer. I didn't mind waking up at 5:30am to feed him if that meant I got to sleep till 8-8:30am, but lately he's been skipping the 5:30 feeding and just waking up at 7:30am. Most people would probably prefer that time, but I am a night owl and it is a rare night that I get to bed before midnight no matter how hard I try, so this has been a more trying adjustment. Jake has been home so he's helped a lot in the morning with this munchkin.

Isaac and the kitties enjoy the same toy. Thankfully, they are good at playing together.

Happy Birthday Jake!

Today is my wonderful husband's 34th birthday. In honor of him I made a little compilation of his 33rd year using my "magisto" app. It was a busy year for him- moving to California, having a baby and then moving to Roseville. The video does comprise mostly of pictures of Jake and Isaac, but what can you expect when most of your year is filled with your first child?

I also want to give a shout out to my mother-in-law, Betty Springsteen. Today really is her day since today, 34 years ago, she brought her second miracle into this world and I am forever grateful. Happy Birthing Day Betty! You're amazing!

Date Night at Duveneck Dinner

This last Saturday Jake and I made a trip to Los Altos Hills to attend the 19th Annual Frank and Josephine Duveneck Humanitarian Awards Dinner. I have attended this dinner a couple of times, but this was Jake's first time. This was also Isaac's first time being with a babysitter who isn't family. I am proud to say he did great!

My sister lives in San Jose (close to Los Altos Hills), so we left Ike with the babysitter that was watching my sister's girls. It was fun hanging out with my sister and her husband and as always, the honorees were so inspiring! When they talk about the legacy of my great grandparents it makes me proud to say I am a Duveneck. Dressing up for the dinner and leaving Isaac with the sitter also made me feel so adult! Am I growing up? I guess so. :)

Animals At Home

I haven't been in our backyard as much because we are lacking outdoor furniture. However, the other night I wanted Annabel to go to the bathroom so I walked around with her and Isaac and it was so peaceful.

Our animals are settling in nicely. 

We keep the kitties in the garage at night because they can become quite irritating in the evening, or rather the early morning. We miss cuddling with them, but any time we are on our bed during the day Striker (and sometimes Bug) is sure to join us. Annabel follows me wherever I go. This is nothing new for her, but I do feel kind of bad that she doesn't have the outlets for energy and love here as she did in San Luis. We go on walks almost every day and she LOVES it. There is a nice path near where I live and I can let her off leash. I think it helps a lot to let her get out and run around. Though it would be great to find a small dog for her to be friends with and chase!

Isaac Weekly Update: Week 41

Isaac's accomplishment this week was balancing on his feet without support. It's brief, but he's able to do it! He continues to be a good little eater and sleeps well at night, though he has turned into a little more of a light sleeper. I'm thinking/hoping it's just a phase.

We have a baby monitor that we can watch from our phones and computer. It catches some pretty cute pictures of this kid.

We have a few books that we read to Isaac. Because of his age, we stick mostly to the board books since he still wants to gnaw on them. One that never gets old is "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" Why is it such a child favorite? It really does amaze me how this book seems to capture every child's attention.

Isaac is also quite chatty and is constantly pulling himself up to stand.

Although Isaac is becoming more weary of strangers he was happy to be held by my dear friend, Renee. Her personality is great and that necklace was a great "conversation" piece for them. :)

And the last video (probably one of my absolute favorites) is of Isaac crawling over to Jake.

Mother Goose on the Loose!

This morning Isaac and I attended Mother Goose on the Loose at the Community Library just about a mile from us. It's a really neat library program that is put on all over the country and the best part- it's FREE!

There were TONS of kids there. This was just one area I was able to snap a picture of.

Isaac was a little unsure at first, but once the clapping and songs began he was happy. He got to shake a bell, wave a scarf and watch other kids jump and sing along to songs- what could be more fun?

Isaac Weekly Update: Week 40

This week Isaac turned 9 months old. He has now been in the outside world longer than he was in the womb! :) He remains our bundle of fun.

Isaac has become more weary of strangers and holds onto me more when we meet new people or when I'm trying to put him down for a nap.

He is also getting better at standing and is able to transfer himself from one chair to another while standing. He's not taking a lot of steps, more pivoting, but it's progress! When he's not trying to get into the bathroom, he is either trying to get to Jake's guitar or the animal's water dish. We desperately need a baby gate for this child! He is simply too mobile. 

He still likes his bouncer, which has been a saving grace for when I need to go to the bathroom or get ready to go somewhere. He is never very pleased when I place him in it, but he quickly remembers how fun it is. :)

He enjoys making noises and laughs a lot at the different sounds he makes. Overall he is a patient little guy. There are many times when I am trying to get food together or am doing something with the pets and he sits patiently in his seat at the table. There are times when he vocalizes that he's ready for food, but there are more times when I am amazed and thankful at how good he is at waiting.

Isaac Weekly Update: Week 39

This week started off pretty busy for Isaac and me as we tried to get everything ready for Jake's arrival. Ike’s been happy and adjusting well to living in his new home. He loves to eat and PLAY with his spoon.

He is still figuring out how to drink water from a sippy cup, but at least he really enjoys exploring it and it doesn’t get him too wet in the process.

He’s still a little mover- crawling and climbing on things.

Jake was home for a couple days and played his guitar for Isaac. After that, Isaac now makes a beeline for Jake’s guitar whenever he gets a chance. 

Ike is getting clearer on his gibberish and lowers himself MUCH better to the floor now from a standing position, so not as many face plants! YAY! He's also a lot more purposeful with his toys and is becoming more dexterous. Sometimes I don't realize these things until Jake comes home after not seeing Ike for a couple days and brings these advances to my attention. Many times things slip past me since I'm with him so much!

Recap of Moving

It has now been about 1 1/2 weeks since Jake and I moved into our new home in Roseville, CA. We packed up a U-Haul on the 25th and then started driving north on the 26th. First we stopped in San Jose to pick up some furniture from my sister's place and have lunch with her and then arrived in Roseville around 6pm to this:

My awesome cousins had set this up and it made me feel so special and welcome. They then came over and helped us unpack the U-Haul and get the essentials inside like the bed, couch and table. Around 9:30pm Jake picked up BBQ from one of the only places open for dinner. Isaac had gone down at 8:30pm (his normal bedtime), but woke up at 10pm and we brought him out to eat with us since the poor guy hadn't gotten much solid food all day.

The next day Jake left for work and right when I was pulling in from dropping him off, my mom arrived with my dog. :) My mom is one of the best workers I know. What would have taken Jake and I weeks to complete, she helped me do in just a few days.

When we unpacked the U-Haul we put most of the boxes in the kitchen and dining area. I wish I had a picture of what the before looked like. In the first hour my mom was here the kitchen and dining area was clear and she was doing dishes (LOVE this woman!!). I sent this picture to Jake since we were both feeling overwhelmed with all there was to do and this was so encouraging that already a dent was being made.

On my mom's last night here, we had microwave s'mores.

It is wonderful to have a place and feel like I can start establishing myself, but I will definitely miss the many moments that I got to share with my parents and that my parents got to spend with Isaac. It was a really special time and as weird as it sounds, I am really thankful we ended up living with my parents (for almost a YEAR! crazy). I feel blessed that Jake and I have parents that are so awesome. I know his would do the same for us if we were in Michigan. So again, I will miss getting to hang out with my best friends every day, but I am excited for this new chapter! (and at least they are only a drive a way!)