When it was January...

Oh, January.  It probably is my least favorite month of the year.  My little family doesn't like being cooped up inside, and we spent a lot of time inside during January.  It was pretty outside but very cold.  With Jakey still being so little, I don't like taking him to too many public places because of all the yucky sicknesses going around.  That added to us being homebound.  But with two sweet cuties to always keep me on my toes, it became a very fast month!  I used our lazy days to practice with my camera. Cooper didn't like having to "stop and smile" for the camera, but his little brother was pretty cooperative. 

I love this picture because Jake's hands are always like this.  He stares at one and chews on the other!

Everything is new and exciting to him.  He has a love for lights and ceiling fans.  

 With those chubby cheeks, I know he's ours!

 That's my boy: smiling and sucking on his precious hand!

Finally big brother decided he wanted in on the action too...

 He's a cutie and a mess and the best big brother in the world!

At three months, I finally decided Jake's cradle cap had to go.  Coop Man had cradle cap too.  At three months, I soaked his hair in baby oil, let it sit, and brushed that stuff right off his scalp.  Along with all that newborn hair I love so much.  I didn't know that Cooper was going to lose his newborn hair that day.  It was a week before Thanksgiving.  I would have waited!  The pediatrician brought up the cradle cap at Jake's two month appointment.  I told him I was waiting until after the holidays this time!  Jake's beloved newborn hair had started falling out on its own after Christmas though. Karl would torture me by rubbing Jake's head and then show me the hair he collected.  I knew it was time for the cradle cap to go, and with the hair falling out on its own, I was just going to speed up the process.  Two birds, one stone.  I soaked Jake's sweet hair, and then I brushed.  And there in the brush was the beloved newborn hair!

He still has a good bit of hair though, and his new hair is already coming in.  Mommy is in the postpartum hair loss stage too.  I couldn't remember when that happened after Cooper was born, but I definitely remember it happening.  It's amazing how much hair you lose in this stage.  If only the weight would fall off too!  Between Jake, me, and Sadie (she's shedding like a mad woman), there is hair all over our house.  

About a week after Jake turned three months, he got booted from the pack and play in our room!  He is finally sleeping in his crib, and he's done great with it!  I, however, miss him being right beside me.  I loved having him in our room.  I find myself waking up a lot on my own since we moved him.  Middle of the night feedings were much easier when I could just reach over and grab him and nurse him in bed, but hopefully we'll be weaning out those feedings (really just one now) soon anyway.  Here is our big shot after his first night in his crib!  I think he was confused about why I was taking his picture so early!

Little Man is almost three and a half.  I'm not going to lie: Three is a butt kicker.  He is old enough to have an opinion and express that opinion but obviously way too young to know what's best for him.  He knows what he likes and what he doesn't like, and right now it seems like he likes everything I don't like and vice versa.  He's learning that it's not okay to say "no" to mommy and daddy and that obeying in this house is really not an option; it's what we do.  He knows how to push our buttons, but the little stinker also knows how to seriously turn on the charm.  As mad as he can make me, I often find myself struggling to keep a straight face when disciplining.

For instance, the other day he was having a time out in his room.  When I went in to talk to him, I explained that he had been a bad boy that morning.  I asked him if he wanted to be a bad boy.  He said no and shook his head no for added emphasis.  I asked him what he wanted to be.  I was going for "a good boy."  His response: "A ninja turtle."  Yeah, well, I think he was missing my point.  Thank goodness he is a really good brother though, and I mean that.  He is wonderful with Jake.  We have not had to get on to him a single time for doing anything wrong with Jake.  In fact, he gets unto us if he thinks we're not holding him correctly or if Jake's fussing.  We're very thankful!

This picture is one of those "real" pictures.  I look exhausted and unshowered because, well, I am, and Cooper is picking his nose despite being told 500 gazillion times not to.  

 

Towards the end of the month we took Jake to Simmons Sporting Goods for the first time.  This was the first place Karl ever took me, and its a place he loves and has been going to for all his hunting goods since he was a very little boy.  It's a special place to him, and I know it will be special to the boys too. We captured Cooper's first trip there, and as we were walking out the door to go there the other day, I ran back in and grabbed the camera so we could capture Jake's first time too.  It's just one of those places.  I know my boys will spend a lot of time (and probably money) here in the years to come.  I'm just thankful they let me tag along, for now at least!

Speaking of hunting stuff, deer season ended on January 31st.  The last day of my least favorite month, and hunting plays a big part of why I don't like January.  

Welcome February!