This morning at the park Jacob finally discovered the sand.  He's been walking on it forever now, but he's never actually bent down and really stuck his hands in it.  He loved it today.  He began digging his hands in the sand and got VERY dirty.  I actually had to take off his shoes before he got in the car and for the first time there was sand in his shoes.  Of all days I had his pants cuffed up so when I uncuffed them, tons of sand came out.  It was so fun to watch him explore all that there was to do with the sand.  I think he may have even gotten a taste of it when I wasn't looking.

This weekend is his 1st birthday party.  We have been busy preparing for that, though he has no idea what is going on.  He just plays all over the house.  He loves going in the ball pit and throwing the balls out of the pit.  Mommy and daddy especially love when he does that because then they get to pick up all the balls.  We've noticed that he loves taking, actually throwing, things out of where they belong.  He got a wagon full of blocks for Christmas and he loves taking the blocks out and either handing them to whoever is close by or throws them on the ground.  He has become a good sharer.  Many times he will hand you what he is playing with at the time, but then he wants it back right away.  Everyone comments on his walk.  Now both arms sway back and forth next to his body.  He walks with an attitude.  Yesterday the mommies at Stroller Strides were laughing at him as he was walking around the tennis court like he owned the place.  When we are at the park he hates it when it's time to go.  He loves running around, climing on the jungle gym and going down the slide.  I think his favorite thing to do is climb up and down the stairs, which of course makes mommy nervous. He likes to swing too.  Today he walked over to the swing and kept touching the swing until I lifted him up into the swing.  He just kicked back and enjoyed the ride on the swing with his hair blowing in the breeze. 

When eating we know when he's done because he will either throw the food over the edge of the tray onto the floor or he will "hide" it on the seat.  He takes a piece of food, when he thinks we are not looking, and stick it under the tray either on his leg or between his leg and the chair.  He thinks he is being slick, but we know better than that.  New foods he's had lately include broccoli (Nani gave him some the other day and he ate it!), oranges (He loves the oranges, but the juice runs down his face and it gets everywhere), and he finally likes his vanilla flavored soy milk.  Last night, he drank half of his milk out of big boy cup practically all by himself.  Of course we had to take him out of his shirt after because it was all wet, but he got a good majority of it in his tummy.  He loved drinking out of the cup and didn't like it when mommy tried to help him.  He also loves avocado.  The other day I had a salad that had avocado on it and I did the mistake of giving him a bite and the next thing I knew, I no longer had any avocado because he ate it all.  For breakfast he loves pancakes, french toast and waffles, but I think he likes his blueberry waffles the best. 

He is doing much better with his naps now.  He will usually take at least an hour and 45 minute naps, but sometimes they are 2 hours.  It is so great now that he is taking longer naps.  I get lots of stuff done which is great. He will even sleep through the telephone ringing, assuming it doesn't ring just as he's falling asleep. 

Well speaking of naps, he is due to be waking up from his nap anytime now, so I better get going.  So until next time...mommy and daddy love you!