As 2010 comes to a close, we fondly reflect upon all the great experiences our family has had together this year. We’ve enjoyed watching Jacob learn to crawl and recently start walking. We had a large gathering of friends and family in July to celebrate Jacob’s 1st birthday, including Manuel’s family from Mexico.
We’ve had so many blessings and wonderful experiences watching Jacob grow. Jacob is big, healthy, happy and full of smiles. He’s also very observant, intelligent, sometimes impatient, but also very loving. Jacob loves music and he dances to all kinds of music, even classical. He says many words, including: ma-ma, da-da, ball, bird, more, milk, uh-oh, car, dog, wow-wow (referring to a dog or any other animal: bear, cat, etc.). Jacob also uses baby sign language when he wants ‘more’ to eat or is ‘all done’ eating, although he usually grabs one last bite before truly being done.
Looking back on 2010, we remember:
- Last year at this time Jacob was just starting to eat solids – single grain cereals, but now he eats almost everything - and a lot of it! Jacob has his three meals a day, plus a morning and afternoon snack. And then he finishes the night with a 10 oz bottle of warm soy milk.
- Our week in Cancun during April with Manuel’s parents to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary. We discovered Jacob’s love for water while preparing for this trip by taking baby swimming classes.
- Michelle’s mom, Maria, moved down from Michigan and lived with us 10 months.
- Michelle’s step-dad, Ruben, moved down from Michigan after retiring, and he and her mom, Maria, bought a house in October.
- Jacob loves the action and activities at day care. There was a month of transition when he changed classrooms and cried every morning when daddy dropped him off, but now he heads straight to the breakfast table and is ready to start the day with Ms. Janice. We don’t visit during lunch anymore because we disrupt the routine and Jacob has a screaming fit when we leave.
- Jacob blows kisses with his hand when you leave, even as he was crying in the a.m. when daddy dropped him off at day care (several months ago – he doesn’t cry anymore in the mornings).
- Jacob climbs upstairs to his room every night, and he recently walked all the way back to the living room to give daddy a kiss before going up.
- Michelle sits with Jacob to say a nighttime prayer and then rocks him for several minutes, but Jacob is frequently more interested in spreading out in his bed to pass out than being rocked.
- Jacob is a good sleeper – about 10 hours at night plus a 2 hour nap during the day. About once a week Jacob wakes after 5 or 7 hours, but after a diaper change he falls right back to sleep.
- Grandma Maria babysat Jacob in early November, and he directed her through the evening routine by taking her to the stairs, moving the rocking chair, and pointing to his stack of books for a nighttime story.
- Last year Jacob was extremely plump, but now he’s long and slender wearing 3T and 4T clothes.
- Jacob recently started walking with arms up in the air and frequent falls. He’s not yet running, but it’s just a matter of time.
- Manuel’s parents recently sold their house in Ciudad Victoria, Mexico, and they are moving closer to the border to Reynosa. They will be closer to us for visits, but we hope and pray that the violence in Mexico gets under control soon because it’s very scary to think that our loved ones could get stuck in the middle of a gun fight at anytime, even in their homes.
- Manuel’s brother, Armando, and his family are moving to California for a great job opportunity at the end of December 2010. Jacob’s cousin Antonio has already been learning English at school, so it should help the transition. We are very happy for them!
- Manuel and Michelle have been having parents’ night out almost monthly for the past five months, enjoying dinners, a two family weddings, and they a Shakira concert.
We look forward to many more exciting adventures in 2011. We’re planning for vacations to Puerto Vallarta for spring break and maybe a visit to California. And perhaps we’ll get started on a sibling for Jacob.
Happy Holidays! With Love,
The Mejia Family - Manuel, Michelle & Jacob (17 months)
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