Halloween!

Halloween was so much fun this year. Lucy had a GREAT time trick or treating. She dressed up as a cowgirl and Penelope as a pig. Lucy was so excited getting to ring the doorbells at all the different houses and gallop down the driveways with her horse "Shelly." "Piggy Penelope" (as Lucy called her) found a way to enjoy a few pieces of candy - by chewing through the wrappers!

Penelope turns ONE!

On Monday, September 24th, Penelope turned one! It's hard to imagine that last year she was this little newborn....

and this year she is this sweet happy girl!

On Saturday, September 22nd we had her 1st birthday party! We were going to have it outside, but it was too windy, so last minute, we just had it at our house. It worked out fine and it was great! I had such a fun time planning "Penelope's Pink Pumpkin Party." Lucy and I painted pumpkins earlier in the week and I made some pumpkin cookies and cakes. For the entire week leading up to her party Lucy would ask "is it Penelope's Pumpkin party yet?" It was so sweet to see how excited she was for it and how much she wanted to help prepare for it too. (She also REALLY appreciated all of Penelope's new toys) :) One of the first presents we opened was some princess Little People from Aunt Shannon and Uncle Drew, as soon as Lucy saw them she exclaimed, "ooohhh, but we can share together, right?!" :) It's a good thing Penelope doesn't mind sharing her new toys just yet!

Penelope got loads of great gifts, but one of the most special gifts was a gift from Great Aunt Susan. Susan gave her a very special quilt that was made with squares from her Mother's (Marcus's grandmother's) sewing room. As you probably remember, we named Penelope, Penelope Helen, after his grandmother, so having this quilt, with pieces that his grandma saw with her own eyes (we aren't sure if she sewed them herself or not) - makes it so special. I bet she never imagined those pieces would be on a quilt that is used to keep her great granddaughter warm at night. I know she would love it.

Here are a few pics from the party!

So, Happy Birthday Sweet Penelope - Happy Birthday to you! You are such a gift to us and we thank God for you everyday! Mommy, Daddy and Lucy love you to pieces. You have brought us so much joy
XOXO

Penelope is 11 months old!

This weekend Penelope turned 11 months old! It is hard to remember what life was like without her, yet it seems like it has gone by in a flash! She is such a huge blessing in our lives!

11 things about our 11 month old! (in no particular order)

1. She loves learning from Lucy! She watches everything Lucy does(eeek, we could be in trouble later) - and mimics it! She loves to "talk" on the phone, brush her hair (whenever she can get a hold of a brush), play "doctor" and "play" puzzles (usually this ends in slobbery missing pieces).

2. She loves Little Einsteins. Okay she doesn't even watch the show, but she loves the intro with all the music. She squeals, claps and bounces the whole way through.

3. She LOVES to eat. Okay maybe this should be #1! This girl can put it down! Marcus always jokes by saying to keep your hands and fingers away from her plate - as you might just loose them. :) But in all seriousness, she's a great eater, and I'm thankful for that. The only thing she doesn't like is tomatoes, which obviously is hereditary. I mean after all she is Marcus and I's daughter! :)

4. She loves to cuddle. Oh, be still my heart! I'm sure you can guess how much I LOVE this!

5. She's VERY tolerant. Having Lucy as a big sister is sometimes a little rough and this little girl takes everything in stride. Lucy accidentally closed her finger in the door a few weeks back and she cried for two minutes max. (I'm know I cried longer than she did). She was back to crawling around and playing a couple minutes later.

6. She's a great sleeper. She goes to bed easy and sleeps in - two things that NEVER happened with Lucy! She is usually in bed by 8pm and wakes up around 8:30/9am - with a quick wake up around 6 to eat. She's best with two naps per day (one short morning nap and a long afternoon nap) - but sometimes she only gets one - and she's still such a good baby - even when she's tired!

7. She finally likes baths. She wasn't a fan for a while, but splashing in the water is one of her new favorite things. I'm thinking we will try to get her in baby swim lessons in the winter.

8. She's a fast crawler. She has finally given up the "army crawl" since crawling on her knees is much much faster. She can also get up the stairs in lightening speed. If we watch her - she takes her time, but whenever we turn our back - she flies up them before we can even stop her!

9. She isn't quite ready to walk yet (thank goodness) but I'm sure it will happen soon enough. Lucy started walking at 10 months, so I'm enjoying the extra time.

10. She loves trying to climb up our slide in the backyard, but isn't super sure about the swing. She's okay with it, but every time it swings forward, and "wind" is in her face, she has a surprised look on her face. It makes me laugh every time.

11. Her hair is finally getting a little thicker. I'll be interested to see what kind of hair she ends up having. My guess is straighter and blonder than Lucy's, but only time will tell. Now, I just need to work on her keeping a bow in her hair!

In memory of Aunt Helen

This morning, I found out that a long time family friend, Helen Peterson, past away. "Aunt" Helen and "Uncle" Deano lived across West Wood Street from the Jacoby family back in 1981. While, the Jacoby family moved a few streets away from West Wood when I was 6 months old, we stayed close to them over the years. They had the best 4th of July parties - parties that will always hold a special place in my childhood memories.

Many years ago, they moved to Stuart, Florida. They loved it there, Dean loves the golf, Helen loved the weather, but most importantly they loved each other. They were able to live independently, while taking care of each other. They were a true representation of what every person wants their marriage to be like. Last year they celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary.

Lucy was born on Dean's 89th birthday, and Penelope's due date was one day before Helen's birthday. We chose to give Penelope the middle name "Helen" after Marcus' paternal grandmother - Helen Rapp, but it also holds a very special place in my heart for my "Aunt" Helen.

Back in 2010, the Jacoby family was able to visit them in Stuart. It was such a special time with them.

Birthday Buddies! Lucy and Uncle Deano on their 9 month and 89 3/4 birthday respectively!

Lucy loved Aunt Helen too!

I know I'll have to dig to find some of the notes/cards Helen wrote to me, but this morning I found the one she wrote me for my wedding. Something I will always cherish.



March 13, 2007

Dear Meghan:

Even though we can't be with you and Marcus on your wedding day, we shall be thinking of you two all day. We would love to see you walking down the aisle looking beautiful in your gown and on your Father's arm. You mother will be savoring every moment through teary eyes. And Erin and Steve will be reliving their own day four years ago.

As long as you and Marcus continue laughing together and living for each other, you will have may years (more than our sixty) of a healthy, happy marriage. We wish you both health, happiness and a good long marriage.

Lots of love -
Uncle Deano and Aunt Helen


Rest in Peace Aunt Helen, you are greatly missed.

Penelope is 10 months old!

With vacation at the beginning, and Lucy's head incident towards the middle, this month seemed to fly by! While on vacation on June 30th, Penelope pulled herself up to a standing position, and spent all of July moving and grooving everywhere! She has even gone up all the stairs ("spotted" of course). She's a super fast crawler even though she still army crawls. She's started attempting to "cruise" around the furniture and chairs, but I think (and hope) she's still a little ways away from walking. I can't believe Lucy took her first steps at a few days over 10 months (the SAME AGE Penelope is now!)

Penelope is a great eater and sleeper. (Much better than Lucy was - or for that matter is!) She sleeps from around 7:30am to 5:30am, eats, and goes back to sleep until at least 8am! If only Lucy followed that schedule! She entertains herself so well, but loves it when Lucy plays with her too! She loves blocks and also the play kitchen. She also LOVES the bath, finally! You can even see the disappointment in her face when bath time is over! She, like her sister, has already figured out how to ignore me and the camera when I'm trying to take a picture, so this will make getting a Christmas Card picture this year a little tricky!

I can't believe we are inching our way to 1 year! 2 months to go!

Not again...

Back in April I mentioned that Lucy fell into the tv cabinet at our house and had to get it glued. Thankfully, that scar has pretty much healed and is pretty small and not very noticeable. (They even say it takes 12-18 months in little ones for it to fade all the way).

Well....we are back to square one...it happened again.

Yesterday, we ran into the mall to get a gift for a friend and on our way out, after a "well behaved" visit, we usually stop and Lucy gets to play on the ride-on cars for a few minutes. She was jumping around from car to car and she saw the gumball candy machine "station" - that they have strategically placed next to the cars. She ran over to me asked is she could have a coin for a piece of candy. I told her I'd "look and see if I had a quarter, but that she needed to settle down a little bit" and as I started looking in my purse she ran over toward the station. Next thing I heard was a bonk. She turned around, put her hand down from her forehead and blood just started going everywhere - down her face, in her eyes, in her mouth...everywhere.....Worst.feeling.EVER! Needless so say, it was a little crazy for a few minutes trying to get the bleeding stopped and Lucy calmed down. I don't even think she hit it all that hard, as when we were leaving the mall she kept telling me "I bumped my head a little bit, but I'm okay."

We headed to Marcus's work to pick him up and then went to the ER after talking with our Pediatrician on the phone and him recommending having a Plastic Surgeon take a look at it.

The ER staff, tried to persuade us to just let them do it as they do it all the time, and it would make our visit much shorter, but after getting some advice from family we decided to wait for the surgeon. The surgeon, however, just went into a surgery so we were told at 2pm that he would probably be here at 5. So, 3+ hours later he came in and decided he wanted to glue it. We thought she would have to have stitches for sure, as even he said he usually sutures, but he thought it was shallow enough that glue would work best.

So, in the meantime, we are trying our best to keep Lucy from messing with the bandaid on her head (so far so good) and hoping that it heals well and has minimal scaring. The fact that it is on her forehead, just makes me sick to my stomach, and I know I can't protect her from everything and that accidents happen, but can I make her wear a helmet for the next 10 years of her life?

I should mention, this picture was taken at the hospital, when it was still bleeding a bit - it really isn't as big as it looks in this photo. It is a clean/straight line, so hopefully it heals well.

Hilton Head 2012 and 9 months old!

We've been back for a few weeks now, after having a great vacation in Hilton Head at the beginning of July. It was great weather and great to spend the week with my parents and sister's family. Lucy loved getting to see Maggie and Lucas everyday! Penelope had a great time too! She, unlike Lucy right now, loves the water! She also stood up for the first time on June 30th. Here are a few pics from the week!

Penelope went for her 9 month checkup when we got home and weighed in at 17 lbs 3 oz (29%) - 27.75 inches in height (44%) and 45 cm head (73%)- growing perfectly and right on track developmentally! We love our little peanut! She is getting much more verbal and loves playing with her sister. She just laughs and laughs when Lucy is around. I know Lucy is also enjoying that Penelope is finally big enough for her to play with! She loves to eat almost anything (though he weigh doesn't prove that) and also loves to play with blocks and Lucy's dolls. It is hard to believe she is 3 months from being ONE year old!

a little update...

Well, that top right tooth finally broke through - June 1st!

AND

She went from a sitting position to a crawling position on her own this morning (June 4th!) There is no stopping her now! I'm in trouble! :)

She is SO BIG!




In other news, Miss Lucy experienced her first carnival ride this past weekend at the Washington Cherry Festival. Apparently her fellow drivers were going a little too slow and she had a bit of road rage...

A May post (barely) and Penelope is eight Months Old!

I can't believe it is almost JUNE! I honestly can't tell you where the month of May went! It seems as if it was a big blur filled with Mother's Day, birthdays (Nana Jacoby and Luke), visits with friends, graduation parties, and all the fun that nice weather brings (especially walks to Dairy Queen).

Last week, Penelope turned eight months old! This month as been filled with lots of fun and changes! First off, she crawls! She decided to wait until Marcus was home for lunch (how sweet) and on May 14th, she took her first scoot/drag/crawl towards some toys in Lucy's room. It's been non stop since then. She can sit up pretty much totally unassisted (and wont' fall backwards) but she hasn't figured out how to go from a sitting position to a crawling position just yet - I give it a few days, tops - and then I REALLY won't be able to contain her!

We've made some great strides in the food department too! When we went in to talk to the pediatrician last month, he recommended we skip the "baby food" (thank goodness I didn't buy that baby food steamer) and move right to toddler food. He said some babies just like to feed themselves and don't like the texture of pureed food. He was right! She's doing great with it and is finally eating! I'm curious to see how much weight she has gained now, as she was only 16lbs 6 oz at the appointment (7 months old and 29th percentile). She was 16 lbs (even) at 5 months, so the fact that she had only gained 6 oz in two months, kinda concerned me, but the doctor wasn't worried. She's not as picky as Lucy was/is - as she pretty much eats what we give her. So far she's had, cheerios, puffs, sweet potatoes, peas, carrots, avocados (she obviously isn't her fathers daughter), bananas, and peaches. I'm looking forward to cheese and yogurt next month, as I think she'll like those too!

On a not so fun note, we've been watching Penelope's swollen gums in anticipation of her top teeth coming through, for a number of months. (Her doctor said he thought they would be coming in the first week of April!). And they still aren't here! EVERY DAY I think this HAS to be the day they break through, but so far I've been wrong. I'll keep saying it though - it has to be tomorrow!

Lucy is, as always, keeping us busy. She's such a little mommy - and is still constantly taking care of her babies (including her baby sister "Elopee.") "Taking care of" also includes helping get her dressed and ready for the day and OF COURSE - helping her with her makeup. :)

Below is a photo of the proud toddler who can get dressed "all by herself" (obviously).

Lucy certainly has her moments of being a three year old, but I can see such a change in her as she understands, obeys and comprehends more and more each day - she's growing up too fast! They both are!

Lucy is THREE!

Today is Lucy's third Birthday! I can't believe how fast three years has gone! It really seems as if she went from being a baby to a 3 year old overnight! We had a great day celebrating with family - and Lucy, as always, loved playing with her cousins. This year she requested a Babar birthday party, which I loved, BUT it is so hard to find "Babar" things nowadays! So, I bought a few vintage Babar books, Grandma Rapp found one at a garage sale and Nana Jacoby found a few old Babar figurines in the basement (from my Arby's kids meal back in the early 90's). It was a group effort, but the decorations turned out very cute and the cakes I made tasted great too (whew!) Lucy was showered with all types of fun presents, but the "big" present from us was a BIG GIRL bike! We had tied a Care Bear balloon to the bike, and when I brought it in the room all she could see was the balloon, so she started walking towards the balloon (without taking her eyes off it) - she was standing right in front of the bike - but didn't even notice it! It was so funny! Finally, once we pointed out that the balloon was tied to a BIKE she eagerly jumped on! We are so blessed to have her in our life and can't even remember what it was like before we had her - okay maybe it was a lot quieter, but a whole lot LESS fun! She brings us so much joy!

And I'll leave you with a few from Lucy's 3 year pics....

You know how people say three is the new two? Yeah, this should explain that.