Merry Christmas from the Pickles!

Obviously we can't send a card out to everyone, so I'll post here! Merry Christmas, friends and family! I hope you spend time with your families. Remember the reason for the season!!

looking back for a minute

Just a look back of the past months of little Jake man!

This time last year, I was 33 weeks pregnant

My belly, 3 weeks to the day, before Jake was born. Check out my pregnancy induced swayback!

Jake Ryan

February 6th 2010

8lb 2oz

21.5"

Jake, freshly born. This was taken within hours of his birth. He was wide eyed from the very beginning!

2 weeks old

3 weeks old

1 month old - I love this picture, haha

6 weeks - hilarious!

Easter, 2010. He was 2 days shy of 2 months

so presh, my favorite of his 2 month photos (he was almost 3 months)

11 weeks old

Just a few days shy of 3 months

3 months old, after the swing, the jumperoo was the next major hit (later came Big Cat)

the swing always helps me see how big he got in the tiny days... 3 1/2 months here

3 month photos

4 months old, starting to get around via rolling everywhere

4 months, haha

Those eyes!! 4 months

we called this the inchworm

5 months, Jake's first Fourth of July

swing fail. last time in the swing. ornery fella! 5 months

sitting up unassisted and without falling over- 5 months. we also got our first teeth this month

I know it's blurry. This is one of the only pictures I have of this mode of transportation that lasted a few weeks. He scooted himself like this. 5 1/2 months

sweet boy 6 months

this was his very first time on all fours. he pushed up and had this look on his face. he spent 3 weeks rocking back and forth and moving from sitting to this position before he took off. this was 6 months and a few days

I could not complete this post without including food. this was a favorite for a while... wagonwheels. mmm. lol

the very first time he crawled. he crawled through here and into the kitchen, where he knocked over the dog bowl and dog food went everywhere. 6 months, 28 days

4 days later, he pulled up. this was the first time.

my favorite of his 7 month photos

probably one of my favorite photos, to date, of anything i've ever photographed.

J's first vacay to Branson 7 1/2 months

8 months old with "Big Cat" and yes, a naked butt.

8 months old. Jake took his first steps at 8 months, 22 days.

8 1/2 months old, playing at the park

LOVE this. A week before he turned 9 months.

ROTTEN, getting into everything

After J took his first steps, (3 in a row) It took him about a month before he'd take more than 3 at a time or stand alone without plopping back down immediately. Once he took more than 3 steps, it was all down-hill from there!!

And this is where we are now. This video was taken today. He walks about half the time now. :( 

Just like I was warned... time really does fly by!!!

10 Months

On the night before my sweet baby's 10 month "birthday" I find myself reflecting quite a bit on our last 10 months. They've been filled with more joy, love and laughter than ever before... than I even thought possible! They've also been filled with more frustration, anxiety, and worrying than ever before. I knew life would be more intense, but I'm not sure I realized that every emotion, including the bad ones, are felt way more intensely when a child is in the picture. You don't just fear things for yourself any longer... there is an innocent child that depends on you that you start to fear things for, as well. I try not to let my mind go there often, but we all think too much sometimes and with a kid, I feel like when I do let myself worry--I worry a bazillion times harder than the pre-kid days!!

I wrote a letter to Jake. You know, in the event that he begins reading in the next 24 hours. Kidding. I love blogging and the idea that it's like journaling, in a way... except I alway lose track of a journal. I always know where to find this one. And one day, I want Jake to read this and other letters I will be writing to him while he's little. :)

Dear Jake,

On your 10 month birthday--

I love, love, love being YOUR mommy. My heart overflows with love for you. You light up my life like nothing I’ve ever experienced. You are such a happy baby. You love to eat. Oh, honey, how you love to eat… anything and everything.  You are SUCH a good sleeper and this could not make a happier momma! You do not like to be alone unless you are in your crib. You love bath time. That is your fun time with Daddy. You have a blanky, but you only use it when you sleep. You snuggle your face into it before you go to sleep, and I think it is so stinkin’ cute! You absolutely refuse to hold your bottle, and just within the past couple days, you have started holding your sippy. I’m ok with that, because I know you won’t need me to hold that bottle forever, so for now… I will, and I'll love it. You are walking!! All over the place!! It is really hard to watch you run off and crash, but you have to learn somehow! You just get up and go right back at it, you’re a very determined little fella. You have most definitely perfected the art of run crawling. You crawl just like Mogley, from Jungle Book when you speed crawl. You are so funny. Your facial expressions keep everyone laughing. Your personality is very big and you let the world know it. When we are out in public, you talk to everyone we pass. If they don’t talk back, you talk louder until they do. You can say, “mama” “dada” “yum-yum” “uh-oh” and “hi”. You wave, and it’s not a normal wave… you flop your little hand up down and say, “hi, hi, hi, hi, hi”. You are a wild little boy; always busy doing something.  You love to climb all over Momma and Daddy.  You love playing with balls. Throwing them, rolling them, bouncing them, chasing them and taking them from the dogs.  Your very favorite toy is the “Big Cat”. He is a push-toy that plays music and you would push him for hours if you could. Your face lights up so big when you see “Big Cat”. You love to dance. Anytime your hear music or any kind of beat, you dance your little hear out. You bounce up and down or rock back and forth to the music. I have even seen you dancing to the sound of the whooshing dishwasher. You love to give kisses, but only on your terms. I have caught you kissing your reflection several times. You give the best sugars. You do not like to cuddle, except for bedtime. That is our special time together. You are so sweet when you twirl my hair and brush my face with your tiny little hand. You fall fast asleep in my arms and most nights I will just hold you and look into your beautiful little face. A lot of the time, I will dream about the future. What will you look like? What color will your hair be? What will your hobbies be? I pray that God blesses you with a sweet countenance. There is nothing more precious than a sweet little boy. We feel so blessed to have you as our baby boy, Jake Ryan.

Love you a million times a million, and that’s too many to count,

Momma

Jake with Big Cat

Wordless Wednesday

Jake's first encounter with the Christmas lights at Rhema