A Good Laugh

Jim was giving Hunter zerberts the other day. The video below is the result:

Hunter in the Tub

A little video of our chunker taking a bath. He LOVES being in the water.

Clean Playroom

It doesn't happen very often (about once a week when I just can't stand it anymore), but I cleaned the playroom today. I've mentioned before, our computer shares the room with all the kids' toys, so whenever I'm skyping or i-chatting with anyone the background they see is our VERY messy play area. I just wanted to post these pictures to prove that (yes, mom) I do clean my house.

Almost everything put away

Here I am watching the play area get messy again. (I've got the full-on mommy-do going: No make-up, in my comfy clothes, and I haven't done anything with my hair since I got out of the shower earlier- oh well, someday I'll try to be glamorous). Literally a minute after I cleaned up the play area, ten things were back out again. I'm trying to get Tralee to clean up one mess before she starts another. Unless I'm hoovering, this plan doesn't go into action. I never really expected it to, but it's always nice to hope.

Adoption Blog

Our good friends, Josh and Necha, are going through the adoption process through LDS family services. They have asked us to help spread the news in this very exciting time in their lives. If you know anyone who might like to take a look, here is a link to their adoption blog.

http://www.gettingtoknowourfamily.blogspot.com/

Thanks!

H.E.L.P

Potty training isn't going well. We've done the videos, we've let Tralee run around naked (in hopes that when she has to go, she'll go in her potty. . . instead she just pees on the floor and comes and tells me, "I go pee pee. Mommy, clean up!"), we've put the potty in the room with her, we've read potty books, we let her watch us use the bathroom, we've said prayers, the list goes on. I need some advice/help with this potty training thing. Or, if you think I need to just wait a few weeks/months and try again, let me know. Here's the latest event that has happened to give you an idea of how this adventure is going:

I set the timer yesterday, and every twenty minutes I told Tralee it was time to go sit on the potty. She kept saying, "No! I don't want to." Some books that I've read said not to force them, because that will only push kids further away from using it. From there I tried to trick her by not using the word potty, and just say, "Tralee, come with Mommy" while leading her towards the bathroom. She would come with me, but once she realized where we were heading, she would take off. This happened all morning long. After lunch we still had no luck. She wasn't wearing a diaper, so I knew she hadn't gone all day. I decided to try a new tactic.

I said, "Tralee, let's go sit on the potty" and she answered, "No." I told her she had too. This didn't go over well, and she tried to think of every excuse not to. "Tralee go play," "Tralee watch a show," "Tralee tired, go night night." I told her she could do every one of those things AFTER she sat on the potty. She wouldn't let me near her, so I went and got the potty and sat it down in front of her. At this point she was saying, "No! Tralee wants to watch a show!" I told her, "As soon as you sit on your potty I'll put a show on for you." The tears started at this point (hers not mine) and she kept saying, "No! I don't want to." I then told Tralee I was going to count to three, and if she didn't sit down she would have to go to time-out. Here's how it went down."

Me: "One."

Tralee: "No! No! No!" (But moving closer to the potty.)

Me: "Two!"

Tralee: Sobbing at this point, but reluctantly sitting down on her potty

Me: "Good girl! Now I'll put a show on for you!"

Tralee: Stood up immediately, still crying.

I walked away to go find a show to put on and heard an ANGRY blood curdling scream. I turned around just in time to see Tralee pick up her potty chair and throw it across the room. She then looked up at me and knew she was in trouble.

So. . . she went to time out for that.

While I was listening to her wail in time-out I thought, "She's like a little wild horse that can't be broken." She has such a strong will. I wonder where she gets it from? (If you know me well, please don't answer that.)

We're back to me asking her every twenty minutes, "Do you need to use the potty?" and her answering, "No, I don't want to." I put the potty chair in front of her this morning without saying anything. She promptly picked it up, and put it back in the bathroom.

Am I doing something wrong? Or, do I just need to have patience and wait a while longer?

Help please!

Tralee Is THREE!!!!!

We celebrated Tralee's third b-day this weekend. She turned turned three on Saturday, and Jim and I couldn't believe it. Three seems so much older than two. Three means our little baby girl isn't a baby anymore.

On Friday night we sat down with Tralee and looked at pictures from when she was born. She was so little. We can't believe how fast this child-rearing thing goes. We're excited for what new adventures three brings, but sad that Tralee will NEVER be two again. After Jim took Tralee up to bed, and tucked her in, he came back downstairs with a sad expression on his face. He reminded me, "When she wakes up, she'll be three!" Seriously, if I could wave a magic wand and stop my children from growing I might be tempted. On the other hand, it's always amazing and exciting to see what new things they come up with.

We spent Tralee's birthday having LOTS of fun. The night before Jim bought some balloons for Tralee. I hung the birthday banner for her (that I got for free!), and we wrapped her presents. When Tralee woke up I made her favorite breakfast, chocolate chip pancakes with strawberries and blueberries on the side. We also opened a bottle of bubbly (the fake stuff), and as we ate breakfast we kept reminding Tralee that she's now three. Jim and I would quiz her by asking, "How old are you Tralee?" She still answered, "two." It took some time, but by the end of the day she was saying, "Wee" (translation: three).

After breakfast I gave both the kids a tub, while Jim got the presents out from their hiding place, and he put the finishing touches on the treasure chest he re-finished for her b-day. Earlier that morning Jim told me he picked out her outfit. I informed him that he picked a spring/summer-time dress to which he responded, "But I want her to look like a pretty princess on her birthday, and I like that dress." I went into Tralee's bedroom and saw that Jim had layed the dress all out on Tralee's bed. It was just so stinken cute, that Tralee wore her summery dress her daddy picked out on her birthday. Jim was right too, it was the perfect dress for her to wear! Once the kids were all ready for the day I asked Tralee, "are you ready to open your presents?" Oh boy, she was READY! We spent the next bit of the morning opening her b-day gifts and playing with them.

She was SO excited to get Rocket from Little Einsteins. Every time we went into a store that had this thing, she would sit down and play with it. I made her get up every time and wave "bye bye" to Rocket. Each time she did so reluctantly, and sometimes with protest. A few weeks ago I came across this Rocket on clearance at Walmart, it was in our price range, so now Tralee is the proud owner of her very own Rocket.

I love her face in the picture above. She was so full of glee to be playing with Rocket. She kept looking at Jim and saying, "It Rocket."

In the above picture Tralee is opening a care package from Grammy Char-Char and Grandpa Jim. She LOVED everything inside it.

For the last few weeks I kept asking Tralee what she wanted to do for her birthday. She always answered by saying, "Go bowing." So, we met up with the other Jacobs family at the bowling alley at 1pm. We spent the next few hours letting the kids (and by kids I also mean Jim and Jared) go bowling. Audie and I threw a few bowling balls down the lane, but we mostly just let the kids play while the adults chatted. It was a fun little party filled with bowling alley food, bowling, and birthday cake. The most important part of all: The kids had a BLAST!

Check out Audie's PERFECT bowling form. I'm pretty sure she got a strike. :)

Ah. . . bowling alley food! Tralee seems to be enjoying it. Can her mouth get any wider?

Hunter mostly stayed like this during the festivities. He was happy to play with a straw I gave him. I hope he's always so easy to please.

As always, Tralee had to be a kitty at some point during her party. She's meowing in the above picture.

Playing with her dollar store party favors.

I asked Jim to take a picture of Audie and me. He said, "I'm going to count to three and take the picture." He purposefully took the picture on "one" so we weren't ready. Weirdo!

Lighting the candles.

Blowing out the candles.

Jim's dad always re-lit the candles a billion time so all the kids could get in on the blowing-out action. So, of course Jim re-lit Tralee's b-day candles several times so Tralee, Jovie, and Oakley could all blow them out a ton.

I think Tralee's b-day was a success. On the drive home from the bowling alley she kept shouting, "Happy Birthday!" By the time we pulled into our driveway we looked in the backseat and saw that Tralee had crashed. She partied herself right out. . . with birthday cake still on her face.

I love my little three-year-old and can't wait to see what three brings to the table.

Yup, This Seems About Right. . .

My Little Doggy. . .or Kitty

Tralee likes to pretend she's a kitty or a doggy. The other night at Target she spent the entire time crawling on the ground behind me meowing. If I said, "Tralee, come on, get off the ground please." Her response was, "No, I a titty." I didn't want to fight this battle so, I went shopping with a little kitty trailing behind me. I ignored the occasional glance by passersby, and made sure to wash her hands when we got home.

If Tralee's not acting like a kitty, than chances are she's acting like a doggy. She even goes as far as to get Corky's leash and make me put it on her. I put it around her wrist, so it's not a choking hazard. As soon at the leash is on, Tralee says, "Mommy, take goggy on walk!" (Have I ever mentioned that Tralee is a bossy little thing? Well, she is, and we're working on it.) That little girl loves to be an animal.

Other animals she loves to act like are cheetahs and elephants.

What a silly little girl.

What a little couponing can do

I normally don't do this, but thought "why not" tonight. I'm pretty excited about this shopping trip anyways.

When I asked Jim what he thought all this cost me he guessed, "Around fifty bucks?"

Good guess, but WRONG!

I paid less than twenty dollars for all these diapers, wipes, and cereal.

$18.94 to be exact!

Without all the couponing and deals we would have spent $70.54 that's a savings of $51.60 thank you very much.

It takes a little work, but I think couponing is so worth it. As any mother knows, diapers can take up a huge chunk of your budget, but with savings of around 75% the diapering cost isn't as tough to swallow. If interested, I mostly go here and here to check for deals. Feel free to check it out.

Hunter at Eight Months

Move over Levi Johnston, there's a new centerfold in town, and his name is

Hunter Owen Jacobs.

We call this Hunter's centerfold pose. He does this a lot. It makes us laugh. It's like his "go to" pose whenever there's anyone around.

I love Hunter's chubby little cheeks. And yes, in case you were wondering, they are the most kissable cheeks in the world.

I love Hunter's birth mark. He's had it from day one. A little brown jelly bean above his knee. He also has another birth mark on the back of his other thigh, and a lighter little dot on his back.

I love how content Hunter is to just be where we are. He DOES NOT like being alone. As long as someone is within viewing distance of Hunter, even if they're sleeping, he's happy.

I love the color of Hunter's eyes. I'm not sure what color they are. Somewhere between blue and brown. Not quite green, not quite hazel either. Not sure, but I love 'em. Hunter's eyebrows are also so expressive, they're to die for.

I love when Hunter looks up at me with his big eyes and blinks in slow motion. His long, thick, eyelashes bat at me. I swear, sometimes he's pretty enough to be a girl.

Those cheeks! Oh, I love those cheeks!

I love Hunter's five teeth. I love the gap between his two front teeth. When he smiles it reminds me of Dale from Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers.

I love Hunter's lips. Just as kissable as those chubby cheeks. They're so fun to kiss. I kiss them a lot. I want to make sure I do, because someday this sweet baby will be a teenager, and he won't like it when I kiss him so much.

I love how much Hunter loves his big sister. He looks up to her. When she's happy he's happy.

I love how when Tralee was spinning in front of Hunter the other day, she would stop, look at him, and then they would both crack up. I'm not sure why it was funny, but I'm so glad they have a special bond.

I love how chubby Hunter is. Seriously, the boy is a CHUNK!!! He's almost twenty pounds at eight months, and he eats anything he can get his hands on.

I love that Hunter has discovered his feet. They're so fun to play with.

I love how Hunter pulls and tugs on Corky when he gets the chance. I think Corky has given up. She used to get up and run away from the kids when they were bugging her. Now she just sleeps through it.

I love Hunter's happy little expressions. He's such a happy little boy.

Seriously, don't you just want to pick him up and eat him up?

I love the little tuft of hair that ever-so-slightly hangs over the top of his ear.

I love him so. If I had it my way Hunter wouldn't change or grow anymore. He would stay my snugly, happy, sweet, little, baby boy forever. I really love this stage. He's finding a little more independence, but he still needs me. He'll return my kisses with a huge open-mouth of slobber on my cheek. I love it. He's starting to find his rhythm and bob up and down to music. I love that too. I love it all, and I hope I don't ever forget this stage, cause it sure is fun.

Tralee Gettin' Down to Business

Tralee was in our backyard running around with her favorite furry friend the other day. The giggling and laughing came to a halt, so I looked out the window to check on things. I burst into laughter when this image met my eye:

You see, we're still working on the potty training thing. In other words, potty training stinks and is going horribly. When Tralee has to (ahem) relieve herself she finds a quiet corner of the world, lifts up her shirt (Why? I have NO idea) and goes to town. She wants no one around her while she's getting down to business (her favorite pal Corky is welcome, however). This is part of the reason potty training isn't going so well. She refuses to let us near her when she's about to go or while she's going, and if we force her to sit on her potty she screams, cries, and nothing happens. Frustrating? Heck yeah.

Anywho, when I saw Tralee standing in the corner of our back yard, wearing her pj pants that are too short, winter coat, winter hat that's falling off, holding onto Corky's leash, with her shirt lifted up, I knew exactly what was happening. The whole image was hilarious to me, so I had to grab the camera and snap a few pictures. Yes, Tralee will probably hate me for it in about ten years, but I'll take my chances. I like how Corky is patiently sitting there, waiting for Tralee to finish up before the play continues.

When I was downloading these images to the computer Tralee came and sat on my lap. As soon as she saw these pictures she pointed at herself and said, "Look! Tralee's pooting."

Yup, she sure was.

The Worm

Hunter isn't crawling yet, but he's found other means of transportation to get around. He does "the worm." Jim captured it on video the other day. This doesn't even show the true awesomeness that is "the worm" but you get the general idea. It's really fun to watch Hunter go from one end of the room to the other as fast as he can go. He's so stinken cute.

Road Trip Story

I just remembered a funny story about Tralee that I forgot to write about.

On our way home from Canada about a month ago, we stopped to fill up with gas. It was getting late, the roads were slick, and we were a few hours away from the hotel we were going to stay at for the night. Jim went inside to pay, and also hook us up with some beverages. We usually get Tralee chocolate milk on road trips. Jim came out with the bag of drinks, and filled Tralee's sippy-cup with the chocolate milk he purchased. Jim also let me know he got a few of them since our hotel had a fridge and Tralee would probably want a drink the next morning. We continued on our journey, Tralee drank her chocolate milk, and all was calm. After another hour or so I was surprised Tralee hadn't drifted off to sleep. In fact, she was continuously kicking the back of my seat. "Oh well" I thought, that just means she'll sleep even better once we get to the hotel. Right around this time, I also thought a chug of chocolate milk might do the body good. I dug around in the bag of drinks until I found the chocolate milk Jim has already opened for Tralee. It was dark, and I didn't want to bother with the lights, so I took the lid off and took a sip. I immediately knew something wasn't right.

"THIS ISN'T CHOCOLATE MILK JIM" I shouted. "IT'S COFFEE!!!" Jim didn't believe me until I turned on the lights and showed him the label that said "Mocha" on it. Yup, we gave our two-year-old daughter a sippy cup full of coffee right before bedtime! We also had two other bottles of it. In Jim's defense it DID look like chocolate milk. I'm also sure with how late it was, and how bad the roads were he was driving on, he didn't pay special attention to the label. It looked like chocolate milk, so he grabbed it.

Needless to say, Tralee was up until about 1am. So much for a good nights sleep.

Tralee's First Haircut

Tralee got her first haircut from Aunt Cassi while we were in St. George for Thanksgiving. Nothing major, just a trim, but it was a momentous occasion. We sat Tralee in the bathroom sink, gave her a bucket of popcorn, a sippy cup full of her favorite beverage -- chocolate milk -- and we were good to go. Tralee did SO good! Aunt Cassi did a great job too!

Tralee plays with her ears when she's tired or nervous. It's how she self-soothes. She's done it her whole life; we even saw her doing in in utero. At every sonogram, her hands were ALWAYS up by her ears. I noticed in the two pictures below that she's playing with her ears. Maybe she was a little nervous about the chop, or else she was just tired from running around with all of her cousins.

She's such a big girl, and I'm one proud Mama!