A Guest Post

Hello All!  Jakob Becket here.  

Excited to pen his first blog post

Mommy has been a little too busy and sleepy to write lately....so I thought I would fill in for her.  I was sitting on her lap this morning as she was looking at the blog and I realized that the last pictures of me were when I was 5 months old.  Good grief!  So, allow me to fill you in a little on the goings-on at the Pedersen household.

I turned 6 months old in March.  I've already been here...well, on the outside at least, for 6 months!!!  I started to really sleep through the night for mommy but just as she was starting to get comfortable and happy with the new arrangement, I decided to cut 3 teeth in about 3 weeks and since then, I've been making sure to wake her up at least 2 times a night.  I miss her.  What can I say?!  :) Thank goodness I have a cherubic face so that she is forced to still like me.  God obviously knew what he was doing when he blessed me with a smile that instantly melts her heart....no matter how tired and frustrated she is at me.  

6 month smiles

My friend, Mary Kate, says that in reality, I'm 9 months + 6 months old.  I don't know what that equals but I like the sound of that as I think it would make me old enough to really play with my big brother.  He gets to play outside in this really neat box with big trucks and something called "sand" and can stay in there for hours while mommy and daddy work in the yard.  He hasn't been able to play in it too much this year as it has just been way too cold and snowy but mommy says that the weather should be warming up soon so maybe he'll get to play in it some more.  

First day this year in the sandbox

As for me, I'm content to just swing while they're outside.  I don't know why but I get upset when Mommy puts me in my bouncy seat next to Jeffery's sand thing-a-majig.  Maybe I'm jealous and want to be playing with him.  Maybe I'm overwhelmed at being outside.  I don't know.  Good grief!  I'm just 6 months old.  But as soon as Mommy puts me in my swing and gives me a toy....I'm good to go!  And sometimes, my eyes get so heavy that I just have to fall asleep!  :)

Toys are important -- even in sleep

Mommy and Daddy are doing well.  Mommy says that come May, things won't be so busy.  Daddy has a very busy schedule until then but no matter how busy he is, he always chases after Jeffery and has time to throw me up in the air.  I LOVE that!  It feels like you're flying....like the cheepy-birds outside the window.  A couple weeks ago, Mommy went to a Lenten Retreat at church and was gone for 5 whole hours.  I heard her tell Daddy that she couldn't remember the last time she had peace and quiet for 5 whole hours.  I made sure to wake her up 3 times that night so she wouldn't forget about me.  :)  But while she was gone, me and Jeffery helped Daddy make her something: reasons why Daddy loves Mommy.  She cried as she read them all.  She said they were happy tears.  Happy tears?!  I don't get that at all!!

I am so lucky to have such a great big brother.  He is teaching me all sorts of things.  He is always trying to share his cars and trains and duplos with me.  He announces my arrival every morning when mommy brings me down the stairs.  Really.  He yells to Daddy, "Daddy!!!  It's Jakob Time!!!!!".  I think I could get used to that!  :)  He always wants to hold me and tells me that I'm so cute and then tries to tickle me. He says my name "Jakob Becket" in a very funny way that makes me laugh until my sides hurt.  He has introduced me to his favorite TV shows "Dinosaur Train" and "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood" and "Thomas and Friends".  And even though they're for babies, like me, he will watch Baby Einstein videos with me .  Best yet.......he tells Mommy that I'm his "best friend" and his "amigo".  I don't know what an "amigo" is but it sounds like a good thing and he always gives me a hug when he says it, so....I think it is a good thing.  

Watching Baby Einstein together

Mommy sent me to work recently.  She says all Pedersen boys have to spend time in the Baby Office.  I wasn't so sure about it at first.  I just sat there like a bump on a log.  Jeffery played with the toys and showed more interest in it than I did.  I do like the ability to stand up though....and turn around....oh!  And look!  This hippo guy has a mirror on him and Mommy says that it is me in the mirror.  I don't believe her.  I'm here....in this weird contraption....not in some mirror.  But, I do have to admit that the little baby looking at me in the mirror is mighty cute.  Maybe we could have a play date someday and become amigos....whatever that means.

Reporting for work in the Baby Office for the first time

Mommy is at her wits end with Jeffery when it comes to meal times.  He is very picky about food I guess and takes forever to eat.  Me?  You give me a bottle and I'll have it polished off in less than 10 minutes....most of the time.  Mommy has started to introduce me to something called "yogurt".  It is.....interesting.  I'm not sure about it yet but it is a lot of fun to have Mommy put it in my mouth....and then use my tongue to push it back out.  Hee, hee, hee!!!

First time having solid food

And just like that....I turned 7 months....just a couple days ago.  See!  I told you it had been a while since Mommy had written about me! I think I will give her a yellow card as a warning and watch her try to plead her case.  That would make Jeffery laugh. :)  Anyway, I have 2 teeth on the bottom and a 3rd tooth is starting to push down on top.  I'm still giving Mommy a few nights a week of uninterrupted sleep and then I'll mix things up a bit and wake her up 2-3 times a night for a couple nights in a row.  Have to keep her on her toes, you know.  :)  I am VERY interested in the cats that roam the floors of the house.  They seem wary of me.  I don't blame them given how much Jeffery chases them.  I am rolling from front to back and back to front and today, Mommy came in to the family room to find me on the opposite side of the room from where she'd left me. I'm somewhat mobile, Mommy!!!  Hee, hee, hee!!!!  Look out!!! :)

How can he already be 7 months old?!!!!

Jeffery says that Oma and Papa are coming to visit us soon and I am so excited to see them again!  They're even going to babysit us a couple times while they're here.  Jeffery says we'll watch NASCAR and talk about trains and cars and have lots of fun.  Father M. at church calls me the Nordic Viking baby.  He baptized me so I guess he should know.  Maybe when Oma and Papa are here, we can also talk about pirate and viking stuff.  I think that would be fun!  I mean, Jeffery already has the pirate hat.  I just need some Viking horns.

Doing his best Johnny Depp impersonation

I think that about covers everything.  This has been rather fun.  Jeffery talks nonstop from the moment he wakes up until he goes to sleep.  Mommy says it makes her ears bleed some days.  She says that if I'm going to hold my own, I better stand up to him and assert my will and use some words or else he'll eclipse me.  Now, I already feel a little more reserved and definitely more shy around other people than Jeffery seems to be....but maybe....maybe guest posting for Mommy every now and again can be my forum where I can get my thoughts out.  :)  I mean, the children in the comic strip "The Family Circus" sometimes take over for their daddy.  Why can't I take over for my Mommy sometimes?!  I think I will bring this up to her in our secret code of "ggggg"s and "bbbbb"s. 

For now.....I must get back to work in my Baby Office.  Buh-bye, everyone!!