We have lots of catching up to do...so here we go.

Jacob's canine teeth finally broke through so he's been having some good night sleep for the last week or so.  Mommy and daddy are very happy about that.  He's also been working hard at learning his alphabet...but it seems as though all the letters are either "S", "X", "B", or "E" as no matter what letter he is holding up, he says one of those letters.  He loves playing with his "sticky" letters in the tub and the other day he got a toy that goes on the dishwasher that says all the letters...he LOVES his new toy.  He's also working on learning his numbers.  He's got "2" down now.  When I start to count something for him I'll say "one" and then he says "two" and that's the extent of his counting...but he's working on it.  He now has somewhere between 30 and 35 words in his vocabulary not counting his numbers and letters.  I can hardly wait until he's talking...he seems to get so frustrated when he wants something but can't express himself.

We think he is done sitting in his high chair.  he doesn't want to get in it and when he does he doesn't eat and cries until one of us takes him out and puts him on our lap.  So we got him a booster seat so that he could sit with us at the table in a "big boy" chair.  Amazingly, it's working so far.  He loves sitting at the table and eating off of his placemat with Elmo, Big Bird and Cookie Monster.  He's eaten every meal we've given him from his big boy chair.  In fact one afternoon he was playing with his choo-choo and I called him over to eat lunch.  Of course he ignored me (as usual) but then I told him he was going to eat while sitting on the big boy chair and he dropped his train and came running over and ate all his lunch.  I couldn't believe it.

Jacob has really been enjoying these summer months.  Every Wednesday evening we go to the Concerts in the Park sponsored by our city.  He loves to hang out, run around with and dance with his friends Christian, Malaya and Brixie Lee.  They are so cute together.  As the weeks have gone on, the kids get more and more daring and are venturign out farther and farther from our blankets.  We all have our eyes on them, but they are thinking they are getting away with something.  Jacob has also gone to Disneyland a lot, usually in the evenings and likes to stay up as long as he can to take it all in.  Last week Daddy and Jacob went with Malaya and Christian and their daddy's to Disneyland...it was Daddys night out with the kids.  They had a GREAT time and I think Bill enjoyed being on his own with Jacob at the park without me nagging him :)  The other night we went to California Adventure to watch the Disneyland Electrical Parade.  I loved that parade as a child and was so excited for Jacob to see it.  He LOVED it.  He and I sat on the floor (then daddy joined us after the parade started) and one of the snails came up to Jacob and had a little chat.  Jacob was a little scared because I felt his little hand reach for my arms and grip tight!  But overall he really enjoyed the parade and was pointing and babbling about all the floats!  It was so much fun for me to watch him enjoy the parade.  I can still remember being a kid and watching that parade after a long day at Disneyland...that was one of the highlights of my childhood memories.  Jacob has also really enjoyed his Little Gym classes.  He goes once a week.  His favorite parts are the free play time when he can run around and play on all the equipment, the bubbles, the balls and the stamp at the end.  When his teacher, Miss Melissa, asks who wants a stamp, Jacob's eye's light up and he is usually the first one at the door waiting to get out to get the stamp on both hands, both feet and one on his belly!  He LOVES those stamps and shows them off to anyone who will look for the rest of the day.  He's also still enjoying his mornings at the park with his Stroller Stride buddies.  He's gotten in trouble a few times this summer and had to leave the park early for hitting his friends, but we are working on that.  Again, back to the lack of communication, that is the only way he knows how to tell his friends that they can't have the toy he's playing with.  I really hope he doesn't turn out to be the bully of the playground..that would NOT be good. A few times this summer his friend Christian came over to play in the sprinklers outside.  We have an Elmo water toy that the boys love.  They especially loved when I got the hose and sprayed them.  They also enjoyed eating their orange juice and cranberry juice popsicle...which Jacob also called "kycle" 

Jacob had the 2nd haircut of the summer on Thursday.  Again he screamed in the chair.  The hairstylist gave him a lollipop (a dum dum).  It was the first lollipop he's ever had and he was amused by it for a few licks, but then he remembered that he was strapped down in the car/chair and having his hair cut and he started screaming again. He was so happy when it was all over with so we let him play with the train set they have there for a little while. 

His motor skills continue to improve.  He can pretty much walk up and down stairs by himself now.  I do however hold his hand almost every time.  At the park he is up and down the stairs at the park by himself, but at home and on the jungle gym, mommy always holds his hand.  He thinks he's a big boy sometimes and doesn't want to hold my hand, but I always win on that one.  He loves riding on his motorcycle tricycle.  He's gotten pretty good at steering it around the house.  He'll go from the family room to the kitchen, around the island and back to the family room with no problems.  There are a few times when he tries driving into the bathroom and gets stuck.  Then I hear some loud crying and it's mommy to the rescue to help him steer himself out of it.  I am trying to teach him the three point turn, but he just wants out of the bathroom as quick as he can so he can continue riding. 

I know there is lots more to catch up on, but I can't think of it right now...so until next time...mommy and daddy love you!