Lance, Nicole, and Jacob

First Steps!

2012-02-11T13:18:00.001-07:00

After Christmas was over and we got back to Arizona, Jacob wanted to practice his many new skills, especially standing all by himself.

We were showing his physical therapist his standing skills when he saw the ball in my hands and took three steps forward all by himself! I burst into tears of joy. It was so wonderful to see him do the thing I feared he might never do. Now I’m realizing how much Jacob is capable of. He continues to surprise me all the time!

New Year’s Fun

2012-02-11T13:11:00.001-07:00

We watched the BYU bowl game at my Grandma and Grandpa Elder’s house.

Jacob practiced standing all by himself again. He likes clapping for himself.

Back at my parents house, we played lots of games. Jacob got bored so he wanted Grandma to take him downstairs. He loved going downstairs while we were there.

Downstairs he always asked to go up on the pool table.

Lance stashed some fireworks in his suitcase and pulled them out on New Years’ Eve.

The neighbors had some big ones.

Fun party!

An Elder Christmas

2012-02-11T12:55:00.001-07:00

At my parents’ house, every time we have a fancy dinner we take a picture. It’s a tradition. My mom sets the camera timer so everyone can be in the picture at the same time. For Christmas eve this year we were having turkey and mashed potatoes and Martinelli’s…yum.

Another tradition is opening the Christmas pajamas from Grandma Dyer on Christmas eve.

Jacob did a good job tearing the wrapping paper open.

He tried to put the jammies on all by himself. He loved them!

Christmas morning we had breakfast egg casserole and cinnamon roll Christmas tree! My mom has been making that every Christmas since we were kids. Trevor always tries to take the biggest cinnamon roll at the bottom, but this year I think Jared got it.

Jacob found the stockings.

What he wanted most on Christmas morning was granola! Yum.

And chocolate…whenever he wanted some, he’d hold it up to Grandpa until he unwrapped it for him.

Jacob unwrapped a laptop!

He knew exactly what to do with it.

My mom sewed aprons for Elizabeth and I!

The Elders and Dyers

It was a nice treat to have Christmas fall on Sunday. Merry Christmas! (I realize this is about a month and a half late...oh well!)

Jacob’s first snow

2012-02-11T12:35:00.001-07:00

Utah was a little light on snow this Christmas. Luckily there was some still leftover when we got there.

Socks make good last minute gloves.

Even though it was in the 30s, Jacob consistently asked to go “out-saayd.” He never seemed cold and wanted to stay out as long as possible. A true outdoorsman.

He even outlasted Grandpa, whose cold hardiness is proven.

Battle of the Gingerbread Houses

2012-02-11T12:29:00.001-07:00

Lance’s gingerbread house

Nicole’s house, Jared’s house

Jacob stealing some of Elizabeth’s house

So sneaky!

What Happens at Grandma’s Stays at Grandma’s

2012-02-11T12:23:00.001-07:00

We went to Utah for Christmas. Jacob was in heaven with so many playmates! Who would’ve guessed that his favorite friend would be Grandpa?

Jacob learned how to go up and down stairs while we were there.

He caught up on some phone calls.

He had a lot of people to call.

He put on his hat and got the net out for an outdoor expedition.

But he ended up just staying put.

He and his buddy tried on some hats.

Jacob practiced standing up all by himself.

It was exciting to see that he could do it!

Jacob led us all in a race of bum scooting.

Bompa and Momma (Grandpa and Grandma)

Jacob lately

2012-01-27T11:34:00.001-07:00

Sleeping with bum in the air

Playing in the garage with the truck’s hubcap.

So proud to be walking with his truck walker

Falling asleep with Daddy while Mommy's at Young Womens

Sleeping in bug position

Eating a yummy cookie

Stuck under the barstool

Eating chapstick

Smelling chapstick

Putting the chapstick cap on his thumb

Guarding the chapstick

Singing and dancing (video)

Fashion Statement

2012-01-27T11:02:00.001-07:00

I found Jacob like this one morning.

He thought he was so funny!

Christmas Tree

2012-01-27T10:56:00.001-07:00

These are ornaments from our wedding reception. It’s the first time we’ve used them on a tree at our own house! The first couple years of our marriage we just didn’t get a Christmas tree.

On the right you can see the stocking that Becca made me after Grandma Dyer’s style. She made one for Jacob too! You can kind of see part of Jacob’s in this picture after the Jingle Bell Run (a 5k in our area that was super duper cool because we wore jingle bells on our shoes):

You can see the little basketball on Jacob’s above the tree. It’s so perfect because Jacob LOVES basketballs and all other balls too.

Winter Farmer

2012-01-27T09:30:00.001-07:00

In December…

Our trees. Nectarine, Lime, Orange.

Our lime harvest.

Pepper harvest!

Turkey Trot

2012-01-27T09:16:00.001-07:00

On Thanksgiving Day we joined Greg’s family in Orange County for the Dana Point Turkey Trot! It was my first 5k since the Rex Lee Run in college.

Greg and his boys ran too, and they even had SWEET shirts that Julie made them. So jealous. I just wore my Redefining Spina Bifida shirt because I was running in honor of Jacob.

Lance and Jacob cheered me on at the starting area!

They cheered for me at the end of the race too and when I saw them, I just about fell apart! It was such a glorious sight to see everybody at the end!

Great day. Greg blogged about it here, in a much more entertaining and thorough post.

Young Women 5k

2011-12-05T05:52:00.001-07:00

For the last couple years I’ve been serving in the young women’s organization at church. Last month we had one of the best activities ever! For our yearly Young Women in Excellence, we did a 5k run.

We had an “opening ceremonies” the Wednesday before where all the young women shared what they’ve been working on this year, then on Saturday morning we all showed up at the local elementary school parking lot and the girls all ran/walked 3.2 miles!

We had our own race route with 8 value stations along the way decorated in the value colors.

Family members and young women leaders manned the value stations and handed out water and stickers for their race numbers.

Before the race, they all wrote the name of someone who inspires them to go to the temple on their race number. It was neat to see them training and preparing for weeks beforehand, just like preparing for the temple. Here’s a close-up of the shirts:

We used the song “Go the Distance” from Disney’s Hercules movie and changed the lyrics to be more about preparing for the temple.

In the weeks leading up to the 5k, I told the young women that I wouldn’t be running with them, since I wanted to be on the sidelines cheering them on. I did tell them that I’d be training for a different 5k, on Thanksgiving day in honor of Jacob, who inspires me to be worthy for the temple. (And I did it! More on that later.)

I get to work with the most wonderful, inspired ladies. After Julie’s amazing work as young women president, I have some pretty big shoes to fill.

And here are some of the cutest cheerleaders ever:

Ewok

2011-12-04T22:48:00.001-07:00

Jacob was an Ewok for Halloween. Except, he hated wearing his costume. The hat part of it was the worst. I could only get him to leave it on if I gave him a sucker!

I made the costume from a large teddy bear. I just made some cuts here and there, took out the stuffing, and put Jacob inside.

Here’s the look we were going for…this is Wicket, an Ewok from Star Wars Episode VI, where the natural inhabitants (Ewoks) of the moon Endor helped the rebels.

One of our Halloween activities was going to the zoo for Boo at the Zoo! We were pretty excited when we saw that Princess Leia was there.

I dressed up as Leia for the Trunk-or-Treat:

Jacob learned a lot about chocolate this Halloween.

Our street had a block party on Halloween before trick-or-treating started.

I have really cute neighbors!

We got to go trick-or-treating with our great friends the M family!

We had some cocoa afterward. Fun times!

I tried to carve a Jacob pumpkin. This pumpkin has the same amount of teeth as he did at Halloween.

Woo!

Fall Festival

2011-11-01T12:42:00.001-06:00

Our community had the cutest festival last week. The fire truck was there! Jacob (and Lance) were enthralled.

There was a pumpkin carving contest and we did Star Wars pumpkins:

I did Yoda and Lance did Darth Vader.

Jacob and I went on a cart ride – a pony pulled us around in circles – fast! We are not talking about a slow ride here, people. Jacob and I were holding on for dear life!

Next Jacob played in the 3 years and under bouncy house. He just bounced on his bum and crawled all over inside that thing. It was cute to watch.

AFOs

2011-10-28T21:58:00.000-06:00

Jacob got his ankle foot orthotics (AFOs) last week.

They are race car themed!

We hope the braces will help him balance better and get used to standing with his feet flat, instead of like this:

Without the braces, his toes are always up and he tries to balance on his heels.

They don’t seem to bother him! He likes standing up to the couch to play with his helicopter and tool box.

Jacob also had another haircut. So cute!

Shower Time!

2011-10-27T21:48:00.000-06:00

Jacob likes to climb in and out of the shower. All the time.

Especially when it’s running!

He likes standing on the scale.

Once he dove head first into the bathtub…but he only tried that one time and then he was over it.

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-26T21:40:00.000-06:00

Jacob likes to play in the dirt.

Jacob wasn’t very much into the petting zoo.

He wanted to be close enough to see the animals, without being within touching reach.

Yay for the farm!

Big Red Toys

2011-10-25T21:43:00.000-06:00

Jacob is fascinated by the laundry room.

He likes to push the buttons on the washer and dryer and sit on top of it while I’m folding clothes. Sometimes he just climbs right into the dryer… (well, he did one time!)

He used to hate the vacuum but now he loves it. He especially likes to crawl up to it when I’m vacuuming and try to sit on it.

Toilet Paper Fun

2011-10-24T20:55:00.000-06:00

We can’t let Jacob into the bathroom anymore…

He must take after mommy, who used to be highly skilled at decorating with TP.

This is the grumpy face that Jacob has perfected in the last month. We’re thrilled about it, obviously.

Pumpkinman 2011

2011-10-23T20:43:00.001-06:00

Four Dyers and one Dyer-in-law made an appearance in Las Vegas last weekend for the BBSC Pumpkinman Triathlon.

Swim 1500 meters in Lake Mead.

Bike 24.8 miles, climbing 1300 feet.

Run a 10k around Boulder City, NV.

Pulling Up!

2011-09-16T19:01:00.000-06:00

Right after Jacob started four point crawling, he pulled himself up to the couch! I took the couch cushion off and he just crawled up to it, got on his knees, and pulled up until he was standing. When he does this he’s pretty unstable. If he tries to “crusie” or walk while holding onto the couch, he trips over his feet. He can take steps if we’re holding his hands, but can’t balance very well on his own. After a while, his legs get tired and he plops down on the floor.

Jacob got fitted yesterday for AFOs – Ankle Foot Orthotics. They are ankle braces that will help him hold his foot straight and be able to balance better. Jacob isn’t able to do plantar flexion with his feet very well. The braces should help with that.

I was a little sad when I realized we really were going through with the braces thing. I just can’t imagine Jacob wearing them. It will restrict his movement, so he won’t wear them all the time. And he’ll have to wear some big ol’ shoes so the braces will fit inside.

On a good note - the man fitting Jacob for his braces asked what neurological level Jacob’s defect is. So I told him L5 (lower lumbar). He examined Jacob’s feet and told the resident he was working with that he presents at more of an S2 level (sacral). Yay fetal surgery!

Crawling Developments

2011-09-15T17:50:00.000-06:00

A couple weeks ago at church, Jacob and I were waiting for Lance who was in a meeting. Jacob was playing on the floor and I was talking to some friends. Then I saw him get up off his belly from army crawling, which he had been doing lots; but then HE ACTUALLY CRAWLED FORWARD! I stopped mid-sentence and totally forgot what I was saying! Everyone around us was excited to have witnessed Jacob’s first real guy crawl.

As soon as we got home we coaxed Jacob to do it again. It’s wonderful to see him doing the “four point crawl” now, even if he still army crawls when he’s trying to get somewhere fast (like when the vacuum is coming after him).

Popcorn Popping

2011-09-14T16:58:00.001-06:00

A few things have changed for our little cutie in the last month or two. One of them is that we started catheterizing him again, as recommended by the urologist in San Francisco. The urodynamics test showed that he didn’t empty his bladder very well, even when it was all the way full. So, five times a day, during diaper changes, we “cath” him. He doesn’t really mind it. Sometimes I have to sing “Popcorn Popping” distract him.

Jacob’s bladder neck is always open, so someday he’ll have to take medicine to stay dry. Even with the neck being open, he can’t empty his bladder by himself because the nerves going to his bladder don’t work right. So that’s why he needs a catheter.

It’s not a very big deal and we want to be proactive and do what we can to preserve his bladder and kidneys! It seems that those are the problem areas in adulthood for people with spina bifida. We’re glad Jacob’s kidneys are healthy and that he hasn’t had any problems so far. We hope to be able to keep it that way by cathing now, before there is a major problem.

First Hair Cut

2011-09-14T14:08:00.000-06:00

Going back in time a month or so...here are the pictures from Jacob's first haircut!

Before

I didn’t want to cut that much off. He still had most of his hair by the time I was done! Good thing we were at my mom’s or I wouldn’t have known what I was doing! She’s a great teacher.

We definitely saved some of these sweet blonde locks for the good ol’ baby book.

After

Dyer Reunion

2011-08-30T16:00:00.000-06:00

We joined over one hundred other Dyers in Alamosa Colorado to celebrate the life of Grandma and Grandpa Dyer. We visited a gator farm, the sand dunes, went swimming, and played games together. One of the days we took a historical railroad ride up into the mountains!

Jacob and his cousins on the train

From the open air car of the train we saw a huge pack of elk running up the mountain away from the train.

Jacob fell asleep in Grandpa’s arms on the way up.

When we arrived we ate lunch while listening to some twangy country tunes. What a fun event…especially since we all wore our matchy- matchy shirts.

My favorite day was Sunday. We all converged on the small Alamosa chapel and tripled the size of their meeting. Afterward we went to the Sanford Cemetery where James Wesley and Beulah Levert Dyer were buried with their four children who died as infants: Thelma Marguerite, Othello Vernon, Vion Dixon, and Vernis Lillian Dyer. They sure knew how to choose names!

The children’s headstones were covered with grass and dirt, so it was exciting to see each new stone uncovered!

The family plot, after the years of dirt and moss had been cleared off.

Next, about 15 cars caravanned through Sanford’s country roads, looking for the Dyer farmhouse.

Though it was dilapidated, everyone was delighted to see that it was still standing.

We loved seeing everyone and sharing so many laughs. As you can see, Jacob was very sad when it was all over.

Return to San Francisco

2011-08-29T15:33:00.000-06:00

The Management of Myelomeningocele Study (MOMS) brought us back to San Francisco this July for Jacob’s one year evaluations.

We stayed in this pretty turn of the century historic hotel near UCSF. We walked up to UCSF both days and Jacob had lots of tests done. Ultrasound of his kidneys, back x-ray, MRI, neurologist exam, urology tests, and developmental exam.

When the neurologist tested Jacob’s sensation, she took a long toothpick and broke it in half to make it sharper. Then she poked him all over his lower extremities. He felt almost everything…which wasn’t very fun to witness! Poor Jacob. We’re glad that his sensation is good.

By far the most interesting was the developmental exam. We weren’t allowed to reinforce Jacob’s behavior, so we had to sit quietly in the room while the psychologist tested Jacob’s skills by playing with him. She gave him little cubes and showed him how to put them in a cup. Then she told him “you do it.” He did a great job mimicking her behavior…for the first hour. Then he started to get really tired. It was long past his naptime by then. He put his little head down on the table and she said, “wake up Jacob!” haha.

At one point, we failed our instructions not to laugh, when she gave Jacob a bunch of cheerios and told him to put them in a tiny vial. He picked one up, looked at it, looked at her, then shoved it in his mouth! Too funny. Later he showed her his newly acquired army crawl skills and his ability to take steps while holding on to our hands.

The MRI was a nightmare. Jacob wasn’t allowed to eat beforehand because he was receiving anesthesia. He was starting to get anxious already when we arrived, but then we had to wait, so he just got more antsy. Finally they took us back, only to make us sit in another waiting room/hallway place where a nurse turned on a movie. We thought it would be a video about anesthesia or the MRI or something…but no, it was The Jungle Book. (really?!) We watched about half of it before they brought Jacob back. We were told it would take a couple hours.

We waited for about 4 hours and finally we were allowed to go see Jacob. He was just waking up from anesthesia. He thought he was ready to hold his head up and sit up but he was very wobbly! It was adorable. He scarfed down some crackers and apple juice as soon as he could figure out how to work his mouth again, and we were out of there. The MRI showed that his brain is a little different, but doing well. The fetal surgery almost completely reversed his hindbrain herniation (chiari malformation), so we’re glad about that.

The best part of the trip was seeing our favorite fetal treatment center nurses, Rachel and Tamara, and our friends who were so nice to us while I stayed in San Fran last year – the Bellisarios and the Elliasons.

Some sweet shots

2011-08-28T14:50:00.000-06:00

To wrap up our Utah visit, here are some cute pictures:

Bath time. Jacob likes bath time as long as he can play with the sweet boats Elizabeth gave him! He just doesn’t like laying on his back to rinse the shampoo out of his hair…

Learning to crawl on my parents’ table. Jacob loves faces. He likes to get up real close and feel my cheek. So sweet.

This is what we like to call the “stiff arm to the neck.” This happens all the time when we pick Jacob up and he wants to face outward. haha!

Cute and snuggly.

The close mouthed thin grin. He sure does love his grandparents.

We had a great time in Utah. (We even saw a double rainbow!) It was sad to leave.

Double rainbow all across the sky.

Elders

2011-08-26T17:45:00.000-06:00

We had a fun Elder Reunion this year. Uncle Sam organized lots of fun games like a mini golf course in Marianne’s back yard, corn hole, and dodgeball.

My grandparents and their ten children

The Grandchildren

Jacob with my cousins

Grandma’s family home evening was so cute! She read a statement about each grandchild and we had to guess who it was. There are over 40 grandchildren!! Mine was that I’ve met Mitt Romney; I had almost forgotten that… After family home evening we watched fireworks!

The next few days we did some swimming in Aunt Marianne’s pool and played games.

We loved being able to have Rochelle’s bridal shower during the reunion and go to the temple with her. What a beautiful experience, all being in the temple together with Grandma and Grandpa.

Thirteen Months – So Grown Up!

2011-08-26T09:30:00.000-06:00

Jacob has grown up a lot. He has had more than one haircut by now, he’s a super fast army crawler, and he insists on feeding himself. He loves pancakes and smoothies. Luckily, he doesn’t notice when I slip carrots and spinach into those smoothies. Yum!

He’s actually interested in Sesame Street every once and a while. He sometimes dances along (by bouncing) and giggles at funny scenes.

He’s so grown up that he has parties with lots of friends and even a couple girls!

He’s still a little nervous around girls ...

We figured the only way to get a picture at our playdate was to confine the kids. That plan backfired a bit.

Good times with the neighborhood babies!

“I’m not a baby anymore, Mom!”

Fishing Trip

2011-08-25T17:23:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite things to do in the American Fork Canyon is to go stream fishing. So that’s what we did the morning of July 4th!

The water was really high this year at silver lake! The stream that feeds into it was running quick.

Despite that, Jacob still tried his hand with the pole (for the first time)!

My dad still puts worms on the hook for me.

Pretty day.

Jacob’s Birthday

2011-08-24T16:55:00.001-06:00

The Birthday Boy! Jacob turned ONE last month!

On his actual birthday, we were at Grandma Dyer’s house in San Diego. Then we went to Utah to celebrate at Grandma Elder’s house a couple days later!

It’s double special having our birthdays together.

Uncle Jared

New boots from Grandpa and Grandma

Elizabeth and I made a monkey cake.

Jacob didn’t really like it, but he made a mess anyway.

One year old, wowser!

A “J” Birthday

2011-08-02T20:36:00.001-06:00

Jacob and his cousins Jules and J have birthday so close that we had a combined birthday at Grandma’s house! I made a J cake out of cupcakes, and we even played ‘Pin the Tail on the Jaguar.’

The day before everyone was fascinated with the jaguar at the zoo.

Grandpa pinned his tail all the way in another room!

The birthday kids

We had a pinata.

Jacob didn’t want to pick up candy off the grass, but he did enjoy eating his first sucker.

Happy Birthday!!!

Happy Birthday to Me

2011-08-02T15:58:00.000-06:00

This year am a quarter of a century old!

After the spina bifida conference, I was ready to have a fun day with Jacob and all the cute Dyer cousins. So for my birthday, we went to the San Diego Zoo!

Jules entertained Jacob the whole time. She got really good at making him laugh with her excellent peekaboo skills.

She was my buddy all day.

Jacob’s zookeeper outfit was perfect! It was a gift from our lovely friend Michelle. It fit him perfectly and he looked so handsome in it. It even had a key on the belt.

It really scared me when this polar bear jumped up on the grate in between him and the people! It was super loud and I thought for sure he would break it and come get me.

Jacob was happy in the stroller almost the whole time. All he required were frequent sips from his juice box and loads of crackers.

The whole crew

Spina Bifida Conference

2011-08-01T15:38:00.001-06:00

After Tammy’s wedding in San Diego, Lance went home to work and I stayed to go to the SB conference in Anaheim. It was three days long, but I opted to go just one day. Jacob stayed with Grandma and his cousins while I met up with Jessica, a wonderful mommy of a 2 year old with spina bifida, who also had fetal surgery in San Francisco. Her son Ty is doing amazing!

It was lovely to go to the conference with someone I had already met!

This picture is from June of last year in San Francisco. Jessica and her husband met Rachel and I at a restaurant near the family house. It was so fun to meet Ty back then! I think he was the first baby with spina bifida I’d ever met. I remember thinking he looked so adorable and happy.

We took a shuttle from her hotel over to Disneyland. The conference was in Hotel Disney so we walked through Downtown Disney to get there.

After the conference, Ty showed me how he can walk with his cute little walker and I was just blown away! He is really fast.

Jessica and I with some of the other moms of amazing children with spina bifida.

I tried to go to one class in each of the areas that affect Jacob – urology, neurosurgery, orthotics, etc. I learned about the Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy (ETV) procedure that one of my friends, Sara, elected to do instead of a shunt for her beautiful daughter Ruth. It sounds very promising and I am interested to see what Jacob’s neurosurgeon says about it. So far Jacob hasn’t had a shunt problem, but if he does, I wonder if an ETV would be a possibility.

Mostly, it was wonderful to talk with other moms! Without their help and support, I would feel alone a lot of the time. It helps so much to have friends with similar experiences and questions.

Ears

2011-08-01T15:01:00.001-06:00

Jacob’s love of ears is genetic. As an infant, he enjoyed sleeping with his hands by his head:

1 week old

1 month old

Then, once he realized he had some perfect little handles on his head to grab, he held them to fall asleep and for comfort:

1 year old

Now he’s learned that other people have ears and that it’s just as nice to hold on to theirs.

We even know where this love of ears comes from. If anyone can find a baby picture of Lance holding his ear while sucking his thumb, I will love you forever!!

Physical Therapy

2011-07-30T17:01:00.001-06:00

At Jacob’s last visit with the orthopedist (back in May), we decided it was time to start physical therapy. The nurse from the ortho office referred us to TMC’s outpatient pediatric physical therapy group and said they would call soon.

I waited and waited but they didn’t call, so I called them. And I was told to keep waiting, because they didn’t have any openings! I was a little surprised, and getting anxious. I felt like Jacob was ready to learn some things and that PT would really help him. I didn’t want to wait until after our summer travels were over.

Finally, a week before we were about to take off on our trip, TMC called at 8am and asked if I could come in an hour later. Well considering the fact that we live 45 minutes from the place, we had to leave right away! I was super excited that we got in. There’s a long waiting list and I was totally praying it would happen. We went right over for his evaluation.

We went back four days later. Jacob’s therapist is Tracy and she’s wonderful. She showed me how to help him practice getting into sitting from laying on his back, and ways to help him learn to crawl. I got a printout of exercises to work on with him. Then we went out of town for about a month!

I’m amazed how fast Jacob is learning. In about a week he was transitioning to sitting on his own all the time.

We started coaxing him to crawl forward with electronics (why are these the favorite toys?), and lo and behold, he did it! He’s an army crawler, and getting fast! Obviously we’re totally thrilled with his progress. Check him out:

Or watch it here.

A Day in SD

2011-07-30T15:51:00.001-06:00

We took Jacob to the beach while in San Diego. We walked out to the water, and I set Jacob down in the sand. He didn’t mind the sand but didn’t really want to play with it. Then, ALL OF A SUDDEN, a wave came and washed up way closer than I thought it would. Then it reached Jacob and got his legs and shirt all wet! He was so shocked!

Then he was fine a minute later.

Jacob likes sharing his sunglasses.

After the beach we went to a Padres game with everyone. We were way at the top of the bleachers but it was awesome! I wasn’t sure if Jacob would last, but as long as he had cheerios to stuff in his mouth, he was a happy dude.

The lovebirds got hitched!

2011-07-29T17:08:00.001-06:00

What a beautiful day for a wedding in June!

Mr. and Mrs. Jennings

Jacob’s Uncle Spencer, cousin, and Grandpa

Me & my cute blonde nephew Cousins waiting

A reception in the garden

Hanging out with Becks and Jacob’s blonde cousin twin

Beautiful Jules

Rach and Roberto

Clap clap!

It was an excellent party. So happy for Tammy and Troy!

Del Mar Fair + Switchfoot

2011-07-29T00:41:00.001-06:00

One weekend in June, we went to San Diego. We saw…

the Del Mar Fair,

and Spencer who just got home from his mission in Orlando,

and the Switchfoot Concert!

Jon Foreman was so entertaining.

Garden Bounty

2011-07-29T00:27:00.001-06:00

This was in June. We’re still getting tomatoes and peppers and it’s almost August! Yay. I’m still in shock that the desert can produce food, when you add seeds, water and miracle grow.

This beautiful lily plant was given to me by one of my students last year. It was my last day as a teacher before I left for fetal surgery. Those kids were so sweet to me. One even gave me a giant homemade pretzel. Anyway, Lance potted this plant and it came back this year with large, white, lovely blossoms. So symbolic.

June Camping

2011-07-29T00:11:00.001-06:00

"Huh? It’s morning?”

“I slept in my clothes, mommy…”

“How do I work this?”

“Wake up, Daddy!”

Well, as you can see, Jacob, Lance and I went camping. This was back in June – it was a young women campout and I brought my family along! It was gorgeous there and fun and the perfect amount of time for a campout – one night. We did some canoeing, then made hot dogs and dutch oven cobblers. What more can you ask for?

So happy to be in Daddy’s arms

The art of water bottle drinking

By the way, this campout was in preparation for girls camp. Jumping ahead to that…our location (Mt Lemmon) for girls camp closed because of fire danger, so we had to relocate to a much hotter place! When I was there, we were setting up tents in 108 degree weather. Luckily 12 and 13 year olds find plenty of ways to beat the heat and they seemed to be having a great time (as soon as I got out my squirt gun).

My Cowboy Grandpa

2011-06-09T19:29:00.001-06:00

He always told stories about the wagon trip he took as a kid. They went from Texas to Oklahoma; it was 1934. He would joke about eating cornbread and black eyed peas for three meals at a time, and how his menu improved when they started catching squirrels.

He joined the navy and went to aviation machinist school at the end of WWII. This picture has hung in my grandparents’ room in Burley my whole life. I guess it must be from aviation school. I took it off the wall and took a picture of the frame when I was there last week.

My grandpa was so handsome.

Gosh it’s pretty in Burley.

The Idaho veterans presented my Grandma with a flag.

She is so beautiful.

My cute brother

and my cute sister.

Grandpa and my mom on the tractor

Me and Jacob on the tractor

Me and my grandpa. I will miss him!

11 Months

2011-06-09T17:44:00.001-06:00

This is one handsome baby, folks. And he turned eleven months last week!

Also, good news: Jacob is starting to push up onto his knees! But only every once and a while. I happened to be taking his picture in front of the lion the first time he really did it. As you can see, he gets into a sort of girl push-up pose.

And guess what finally decided to make an entrance into Jacob’s mouth…

TEETH!

He has two teeth on bottom now. The first one came in about a month ago, and the second one just came in. I just noticed it today! It’s basically impossible to get Jacob to show off his teeth, and this was the best picture I could get. You probably can’t even see that little tooth down there…

Also, Jacob loves to clap his hands! We play pat-a-cake a lot.

Some cuteness.

Video Link

He sometimes will “give me five.” It’s more like he claps my hand over and over, but it’s still cute!

Jacob’s orthopedist recommended that we start physical therapy. I’m glad because I think it will help me know how to help Jacob! He is actually doing really well with trunk strength, sitting, and rolling. He is not crawling though, which we’d like to see him learn (call me crazy!) and he doesn’t balance well on his feet when I hold him up.

We’ve been on the waiting list for the pediatric PT location in Tucson and they finally called yesterday! I almost jumped for joy. Someone had cancelled and we went right in an hour later for his evaluation. We had a great time playing with the therapist and I’m excited to go back Monday.

Chillin’ with Carter

2011-06-09T16:54:00.001-06:00

Thank you Jaden for the cute matching tubes!!

Jacob loved this new way to enjoy the water. It was so fun!

Swimming with Uncle Scotty

2011-05-19T10:40:00.001-06:00

Brothers racing

Brothers tie!

Jacob is impressed.

Jacob loves Uncle Scotty!

Ten Months

2011-05-19T10:27:00.001-06:00

I’m big. Like a lion or an elephant.

I can sit up really tall!

28.5 inches long (39th percentile)

19 lbs 3 oz (20th percentile)

46.7 cm head circumference (79th percentile)

Jacob’s head has only grown 1 cm since he was 6 months old. It’s great to see that his head isn’t in the 90th percentile anymore. The shunt is working!

We are some lucky parents. Just look at that smile!

Burley, Idaho

2011-05-11T18:53:00.000-06:00

While Jacob and I were in Utah, we took a side trip with my mother to visit Grandma and Grandpa Shults. (Hi Grandma! I know you're reading this! I love that you check my blog every day.)

Jacob played with his new mirror monster. It was cute to be able to look back from the front seat of the suburban and see him in the reflection. He loved being able to see me too.

Jacob liked seeing his great grandparents again.

He had a fun time playing with the kitty on the other side of the glass door.

Then he had even more fun when he saw the curtains! Perfect for peek-a-boo.

Grandpa. I love him.

Grandma and Jacob

Right before we drove back, Aunt Nancy, Gracie, and Ty stopped by! I was so glad they made it.

A week after our visit, Grandpa Shults got very sick. We found out he has lymphoma and will begin chemo treatments soon. So, we're sending love to Grandma and Grandpa Shults!

A Utah Trip

2011-05-05T21:14:00.001-06:00

Hey, Grandpa, can you get my puffs?

Nevermind, I’ll get them!

Playing with Aunt Elizabeth.

Meagan’s Wedding

Easter Sunday

Playing with Grandma

The Fair

2011-04-17T18:30:00.001-06:00

I missed the fair last year, so I really wanted to go this year! Luckily, Lance and Emily were nice enough to go with me. Jacob went too. We rode a tractor pulled shuttle from the parking lot into the fairgrounds.

We tried some honey sticks, saw the antique steam and gas powered engines, and admired the prize winning jam, pies and all different kinds of art. (Who knew there was a table setting category?)

Jacob did some dancing.

We saw an elephant.

Then Em and I decided to ride it!

We saw the animals.

Then Jacob fell asleep.

She came to the desert

2011-04-17T18:18:00.001-06:00

We had a fun weekend with Jacob’s Aunty Em!

It turned out to be a fine time for desert swimming.

Jacob loved grabbing my sunglasses and floating on his back.

He had his first swimming lesson!

We’re convinced he’s a natural born swimmer.

He splashed, dolphin kicked, put his face in a couple times, and smiled lots.

April Fool’s Cakes

2011-04-06T14:08:00.001-06:00

We had cupcakes for dinner on April Fool’s Day.

Meatloaf cupcakes! With mashed potatoes on top. I saw the idea on Bake at 350. I used the meatloaf recipe from my America’s Test Kitchen cookbook. After all, it’s the best cookbook ever and everything I’ve made from it is perfect (minus the cucumber soup)!

Lance was slightly disappointed that although they looked like a delicious dessert, they were really just meat and potatoes.

Maybe next year we’ll make these for dessert:

Spaghetti and Meatball Cupcakes via Bake at 350

9 Months

2011-04-01T16:35:00.001-06:00

Jacob can hold his weight up when I stand him up. Isn’t he a strong little guy?

He’s still learning how to balance on his feet.

Can you tell that his hair is strawberry blonde?

Jacob runs the ship around here.

(and still wears the shirt to prove it)

He uses his cute smile and chubby edible cheeks to get whatever he wants. He doesn’t let Mom play volleyball on Wednesday mornings anymore. He drinks Dad’s sparkling water right out of his cup. He doesn’t let Mom use the blender, or vacuum, and sometimes he doesn’t even let her sleep (like last night…we both slept in the guest room so not to wake up Daddy).

Happy nine months, little captain!

Finally! Rolling Both Ways.

2011-03-31T18:44:00.001-06:00

Jacob has done it. I am so happy! He can now roll to his tummy. It just took a little enticing.

Once he realized he could get that toy over there, he was very motivated to do it over and over! He’s been rolling all day.

I haven’t been this happy about one of Jacob’s accomplishments for a while. I just hate to see all the other babies doing stuff that he can’t.

He’s been strong enough to do this for a while, so I’m glad he finally got the hang of it! Everyone always tells me that I won’t be that happy when he’s crawling all over the place and getting into stuff…but I think I will. This kind of stuff is pure joy.

Zoos

2011-03-31T18:25:00.001-06:00

Jacob and I went to the Reid Park Zoo in Tucson with the Merrimans. What a great zoo!

The best part was feeding the giraffes. Frankie had no fear!

I got some of that bluish tongue on my hand when I gave the giraffe a carrot. Ick!

A couple days later, we went to the San Diego Zoo with Daddy, Grandma and Grandpa Dyer, and Uncle Scott.

Jacob liked the fish.

I liked the flamingos.

We all loved this face.

That green day…

2011-03-31T18:07:00.001-06:00

We had fun on St. Patrick’s Day this year!

First Jacob rocked his green shorts to the baby party.

Then we got to hang out with Jacob’s friends:

Frankie

Jack

Emma

They even built a fort.

Giggling and silliness

We ended the day right with all sorts of green food. The cilantro chicken was yummy, so was the spinach salad and broccoli with green cheese sauce. The parsley mashed potatoes were not my favorite, but it was fun to use parsley from the garden! It’s funny how a plate full of green food is somehow less appealing than a plate filled with colorful food, but it was fun.

Some winter swimming…

2011-03-16T00:53:00.001-06:00

I took these pictures on my phone back in JANUARY!

Fun times in the warm place…!

It’s been in the 80s this week, so glorious.

Scar

2011-03-16T00:37:00.001-06:00

Jacob’s scar looks very similar to how it looked when he was born, just less red.

Flashback to his day of birth:

His skin was so much pinker! He still has the little skin tag at the top. While we’re doing comparison pictures, check this out:

Yep, same car seat, same baby. He’s grown so much!

8 Months

2011-03-05T11:36:00.001-07:00

As of last Tuesday, I’m eight whole months old.

I like teething rings, especially cold.

My blonde hair is growing and getting so crazy.

I love my ExerSaucer (except when I’m lazy).

I watch Baby Signing Time on the TV,

if press all the buttons sometimes I can’t see.

I got a new bookshelf, my room looks so hip,

I really like eating, and I run this ship!

Ahoy!

Desert snow

2011-02-27T21:09:00.001-07:00

This is what we woke up to this morning:

Yes, there are carrots, onions, parsley, cilantro, and radishes under that snow.

By 11am it was already gone, but it was cool too see the desert covered with snow!

Garden snowed over

Front yard

Tomorrow’s forecast:

70 and sunny!

If you could see into our house right now...

2011-02-24T19:04:00.000-07:00

Video here.

...you would probably be laughing too! Jacob's laugh is so infectious. We have good times.

Princess Training

2011-02-23T13:50:00.002-07:00

I love hanging out with my 12 and 13 year old girls. We get to watch princess movies, practice being graceful, and pretend to ballroom dance around our classroom. Isn’t it the best?

Lance tries to be home from work early on Wednesday nights so I can leave Jacob with him. Last week Jacob and I waited and waited for Daddy to come home, but he was in the lab and didn’t have his phone! So we left for Young Women’s and sure enough, five minutes down the road…driving down the street we see Daddy driving home! He turned around and we pulled over and we did a baby hand off. Jacob didn’t have to endure a night of princesses and dressing up.

Tonight we’re learning calligraphy and next week we’re making stationery. Will the fun ever end?!

p.s. I got my dress at Twice as Nice…isn’t it fun?

Hearts!

2011-02-15T22:08:00.001-07:00

“Holy cow! Dad is decorating cookies!” Jacob was so impressed with Dad’s skills. So was I.

My two valentines. Sweetest boys ever!

Jacob’s Valentine’s Day play date! He’s lucky to have such wonderful friends.

He even had a few flirtatious looks with little Gianna!

Sending lots of love through cyberspace!

Study Results

2011-02-09T17:21:00.002-07:00

I was so excited to see that we received an email from the chief investigator of the study at UCSF today! The MOMS Trial has concluded early, after 183 (instead of the planned 200) women enrolled. Dr. Farmer included a copy of the article published in the New England Journal of Medicine in her email.

The study shows that prenatal surgery helps! It's so neat to see the good news all over the internet: New York Times Article and NPR Story. The TODAY show is doing a feature about fetal surgery for spina bifida tomorrow (Thursday 2/10); I'm recording it!

Though no new participants will be enrolled, the study will continue to follow Jacob's development at 12 months, 30 months, and hopefully sometime between 5-9 years old, if the NICHD approves additional funding.

Seven Months

2011-02-08T11:49:00.001-07:00

Jacob turned seven months last week. He doesn’t look much fatter than last month, but he does look longer to me. He sure was tiny when he was born!

It’s funny to see him looking so bald back when he was four months...his hair has grown lots lately!

When he sits up, he’s like a bowling pin. If he teeters off balance, he’ll fall; but if he holds really still, he can sit there forever!

He has several smiles in his repertoire of cuteness. In addition to his usual open mouthed delighted looking grin,

he does this closed mouth line smile.

He started saying ba ba ba ba and babbles all the time.

Sometimes when he’s crying he says maaaaahhh-mmmm. Lance doesn’t think that counts as his first word…but it sounded like Mom to me!

Jacob eats rice cereal, oatmeal cereal, applesauce, bananas, pears, sweet potatoes, and peas.

He likes peas much better when they’re mixed with rice; if they’re not mixed with rice, he’ll send them back. All over his face.

He’s interested in stuffed animals, tags, cell phones, napkins, our food, books, blocks, and his ear.

We love him!

Six Month Neurosurgeon Visit

2011-01-31T14:44:00.001-07:00

Jacob saw his neurosurgeon at Phoenix Children’s Hospital last week. He had a head ultrasound at 7:15, so we had to get up at 5am to get there on time!

Needless to say, Jacob was still in his pajamas. I had to take his foot out of the pajamas for the ankle bracelet with his name and reference number on it.

His ventricles are small and the shunt is working properly! After the ultrasound we only talked to the neurosurgeon for a couple minutes. He said we don’t need to come back for six months.

A side note - I’ve heard that everyone who wants to have fetal surgery for spina bifida will be able to get it now… because the study is over!Rachel, our nurse coordinator with the MOMS trial in San Francisco, confirmed the rumors when I talked with her for Jacob’s 6 month follow up call last week.

The NICHD concluded the study early because the preliminary results were positive enough to offer fetal surgery to all. The study will release these results in a few weeks and I can’t wait to read them! Jacob will still go back when he’s 1 and 2.5 years for follow-up tests. We’re happy to hear that there will be no more randomization. When I first learned about the study, I was pretty bummed that it wasn’t already over so I could know the results. So this is great news for future SB moms!

Dos sábados en enero

2011-01-25T23:05:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday Scott came to visit. We love having the guest room occupied, if even for just one night! We enjoyed some horchata and tortas at a Mexican dive in South Tucson before he headed up north.

Later that day we took Jacob to his friend Landon's birthday party!

We spoke in church about trusting in God. Jacob sat on the stand with us and no one even knew he was there until I got him out of his carseat toward the end of the meeting. He was being so good!

This Saturday was Lance's birthday! Scott visited us on his way back home for a birthday lunch, this time at Cafe Poca Cosa. It was so so yummy and the perfect way to celebrate.

Lance ordered yellow cupcakes with cream cheese frosting for his birthday cake. I added some ganache filling for fun...

and colored the cream cheese frosting blue.

Jacob wanted to join in the birthday fun, but he had rice cereal instead.

Trying to get every last bit of rice deliciousness...

He wore this shirt in honor of his Daddy's birthday.

He even helped Daddy open his presents.

Among other really awesome things like socks, garden seeds, and dinero, Lance got a sodamaker. Agua con gas cada día!

I'm so glad I have such a sweet husband. Lance is so kind to me. I can't help but think that I am incredibly lucky that he was born 27 years ago.

Un cumpleaños verdaderamente feliz.

Splish Splash

2011-01-25T22:31:00.002-07:00

Jacob used to use this little blue bath seat. I would put it in the tub and fill 'er up.

Now I just put a couple inches of water in and let him splash around! He loves it. Sometimes he tries to eat his rubber duckie. Most of the time he just likes to move his arms and legs like crazy.

Baby hooded towels are the best. I love this one that Jessica and Candice made him. It's nice and big and snuggly.

Wrinkly feet after a nice long bath

Handsome and clean

Jacob grew hair! Can you even spot his shunt?

Now can you spot the baby?

Giggling about Paper

2011-01-14T11:12:00.001-07:00

View the video here.

1/2 Year Old

2011-01-10T11:53:00.002-07:00

At six months, Jacob is 16 pounds, 11 ounces (25th percentile).

His head is down to the 90th percentile, thanks to the shunt. He is 26.5” long, 50th percentile.

He is proficient at rolling from his tummy to his back.

Sometimes he make crawling motions, as if he’s thinking about wiggling his way to a toy out of reach.

He has the cutest boyish growl-laugh.

As of today, he’s mastered eating with a spoon. He downed a bunch of rice cereal mixed with applesauce, opening his mouth for more every time and scraping the spoon with his lips. I’m so proud!

He’s still working on sitting unsupported. He usually falls forward or to the side after a couple seconds! He loves his bumbo seat, however. The tray attachment is awesome.

A Sparkly New Year

2011-01-10T11:28:00.001-07:00

My last two journal entries look something like this:

January 7, 2010 11

Don’t you hate that? Oh well.

Welcome 2011!

Crafty

2011-01-10T11:14:00.001-07:00

I’ve been practicing with my sewing machine. I started by making two car seat covers for some friends. I got the idea from a lovely friend who made me one while I was still in San Fran.

Ladybug Car Seat Canopy

I love this fabric.

Reversible.

This one was for a cute little boy named James.

Next, I tried making an apron for my niece Julia.

It didn’t turn out as perfect as I wanted, but I learned things!

Next I want to sew some cute burp cloths…

Jacob’s Christmas

2011-01-08T21:15:00.002-07:00

Waiting in the hall

Lining up in order of age

Playing with Grandpa

Relaxing. For his first Christmas, Jacob got a cold. It was his first; he was tired and coughing all day. Poor guy, we felt so bad for him.

Check it out - Jacob liked playing with his cool new toy. It’s awesome because it can clip on to his car seat, crib, cradle (which he still barely fits in) and bouncy chair. He loves it! He also got some way cute pjs, clothes, socks, and board books!

Jacob’s Christmas Letter

2010-12-22T14:51:00.003-07:00

Dear everybody,

Mommy is helping me write a Christmas letter to you all.

First, here’s a little about me. This year, I have practiced my laughing. And burping. A lot!

I’m getting good at sitting up and I am so happy when I can be up and looking around instead of laying on my back.

People say I’m a pretty handsome guy.

Lots of girls want to babysit me.

My mom and dad are pretty fun. I like smiling at them when they do silly things.

Did you know that lots of people prayed for me this year, before I was even born?

And even after I was born, when I had surgery, you guys prayed for me some more. I’m a pretty lucky baby. Thank you all! Merry Christmas.

Love,

Jacob

If you came to my house today

2010-12-21T13:02:00.001-07:00

you might see some of these…

and these…

I was inspired to try sugar cookies with royal icing when I saw these blogs - Bake at 350 and Sweet Sugarbelle. I never knew cookies could look so good! And mine don’t look as good as the ones I drooled over for hours before I decided to try it myself. Plus I had all this meringue powder from sister’s weekend to use! It was so perfect.

Also, I made Lance Raspberry Cream Cheese Brownies** (my favorite) for our anniversary Sunday.

Happy two years!

Sugar cookies, chocolate dipped oreos, and brownies package up real nice. Don’t you love cellophane wrap?

I sure do. I love this guy too:

**Raspberry Cream Cheese Brownies

3/4 C Butter

1/2 C cocoa powder

2 C sugar

4 eggs

1 C flour

1/2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

Heat oven to 350. Cream cocoa and butter. Add sugar, then add eggs one at a time. Add the flour, baking powder and salt, then mix. Pour into a 9x13 buttered pan. In a separate bowl, mix 1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese, 1/3 C sugar, 1 egg, and 1/2 t vanilla. Drop spoonfulls of the cream cheese mixture onto the brownie batter. Drop 1/2 C raspberry jam onto the brownies by spoonfulls. Marble with a knife. Bake 45-50 minutes. Yum!

Get your folate everyday!

2010-12-20T11:03:00.001-07:00

Deck the halls with boughs of folate,

Fa la la la la, la fo-oh-late.

Folate bells, folate bells, folate all the way, oh what fun it is to sing and get your folate every day!

Why all the buzz about folate? 2 out of 3 women of reproductive age may not be taking the recommended daily amount of folate.

Get your folate everyday!

p.s. I love flash mob videos. I was searching for something totally different on youtube, but somehow this came up. Fate? I think not.

Some pictures in front of the tree

2010-12-20T10:37:00.001-07:00

There’s really no such thing as a Christmas tree farm where we live, so Jacob and I took full advantage of the gorgeous, freshly cut blue spruce at my parents’ house.

Jacob on his throne (the bean bag chair)

Wearing our Christmas colors

Jacob got lots of love from his Auntie Elizabeth and Grandma Elder.

Surprise! A camera flash!

Jacob loved all the attention. He especially loves Elizabeth!

It was so cute to see my parents dote on Baby Jacob. My dad helped Jacob exercise and do sit ups and my mom held Jacob as much as she could while still having hands to make delicious food.

Playing with Uncle Jacob’s stocking:

So done with pictures.

Cousins!

Jared, Elizabeth, Me, Jacob, Mom and Dad

Why would you take a picture anywhere else when there’s a Christmas tree in your house?

Night in Bethlehem

2010-12-20T09:58:00.001-07:00

For our ward Christmas party, we were Mary, Joseph and Jesus. Everyone did a beautiful job decorating the church gym! It looked amazing. Almost everyone was dressed up, even the kids – who were sheep and angels.

We had the easiest part ever. We knelt in the little nativity scene and tried to look reverent while everyone went around to different booths. One little girl looked at us with her mouth wide open and whispered to her mom, “I saw the real Jesus!” It was hilarious.

After the Turkey

2010-12-14T11:17:00.001-07:00

The weather was pretty snowy for Thanksgiving in Utah. But Jared, Elizabeth and I braved it to go mini golfing. Outdoors!

The day after Thanksgiving, Jacob met his Great Grandpa and Grandma Elder. Here’s our four generation picture: Me, Jacob, my Dad, and my Grandparents:

The next day Jacob got to see his Auntie Em, who made him laugh and giggle like no other,

and his Auntie Jen, who loves him so much;

Jen’s boys tried to get Jacob to laugh. They tried so hard. He just wasn’t in his tired giggly mood I guess!

Next, Jacob met his Great Grandma and Grandpa Shults! Here is another four generation picture:

As you can see, everyone had fun snuggling Jacob.

Such a fun Thanksgiving week!

Five Months

2010-12-13T13:48:00.001-07:00

At five months, Jacob is 26 inches long and weighs about 16 pounds.

He can sit up for a few seconds all by himself if he balances with his hands.

He’s handsome and smiles all the time.

He likes playing with his legs and feet.

When he gets excited he moves his arms and legs like crazy.

Jacob has only rolled over to his back a few times. Today, as I was taking pictures, he rolled again! Rolling in action:

He’s so interactive and fun these days.

He reaches for toys, hands and faces and anything put within his reach.

When he reaches for something, it’s only a matter of time before he shoves it in his mouth.

Happy five months little cutie pie!