Cute baby feet

That is all.

Shake, Rattle 'n' Pants

When I picked up Mia from daycare today, she had no pants.

She had just fallen asleep when I arrived, but I pulled her blanket off anyway to take her home. Her teacher, Persephone, laughed when she saw my face. She then explained that the teachers eventually just gave up on Mia's pants today. Mia loves her rattle pants. A little too much.

Apparently Mia had been so excited about the rattles in the feet of her pants, she was pulling her pants off and either eating them or flinging them around. So the teachers decided that rather than risk some kid losing an eye to Mia's pant flinging, they'd just give up and let her spend the afternoon pantsless. Mia seemed content, so it was OK with me. Better to wear no pants at all than to swallow them whole.

When I got her home she immediately did the same thing. She squirmed out of her pants and stuffed them in her mouth. Apparently rattle pants are delicious.

Keeping things casual

Here's Mia, lounging around the house, taking it easy.

Why babies have pockets, 5

In case they need to freshen up with their favorite scent from the Dillard's cologne counter.

Read all the other reasons babies have pockets: phones, pacies, the remote and cash.

Soft as a Mia's butt

So we've been giving the cloth diapers a try and they're really nice. They feel softer and cozier than the disposables, though the person who has to actually wear them has yet to tell us which she prefers. Right now the smell is to a minimum, so that's nice. We haven't been able to use them as much as we've liked because of the super cold weather. (Our washer and dryer are in the garage, so no laundry when the temperature is really low.)

However, one thing that we can't get past is how hilariously huge they make her butt look. I'm thinking that this is because she's on the low end of the sizing scale. These are adjustable and are supposed to be able to fit until she potty trains, which we're hoping will be some time next week. We also hope she'll be able to drive herself to daycare some time before this summer.

Going to South Africa

We finally did it. We bought our tickets for South Africa. We're leaving mid-May for four weeks and we absolutely cannot wait. The only thing that muffled our excitement a bit was the ticket price. Good gravy! But nevertheless, it's going to be an amazing trip. We absolutely cannot wait for Mia to meet her family in South Africa. And we can't wait for the World Cup! We're hoping to see at least one game.

In Da Hood, 2

In case you didn't know, our family loves hoodies. Mia is wearing a hilarious sweatsuit that makes her look like a skeleton. We admit it's probably a Halloween costume. But YOU have to admit that it's adorable!

Why babies have pockets, 4

To keep their phone in case they need 2 txt ur BFF.


Read the other reasons that babies have pockets.

I hate you, blond girl. Maybe.

So Monday marked the beginning of my return to physical activity. I went to gym for the first time in about a year. (A YEAR, people! I have no excuse. That's pretty embarrassing.) I had mixed feelings about this: excited about working out and nervous about operating my new mommy body in public.

Well.

I changed and was getting ready to leave the locker room when this girl from the office trots out of the changing area to go work out, too. She's about my height and maybe half my weight. She's going to work out in makeup and a skin-tight Jagermeister tank top she obviously got from when she used to work at some strip club. She gets onto the treadmill and starts running without even putting her blond hair into a ponytail. Come on! She probably doesn't sweat.

So while I was feeling all grumpy about huffing and puffing next to Queen Barbie, I had an epiphany. This is really the best case scenario for my first time back to the gym. I looked around and realized that every pair of eyes was on her. Yes! I was working out in virtual solitude. The elliptical machine could have ricocheted me into the weights and nobody would have batted any eye.

So thank you, blond girl, for being the best decoy ever.

The Jacobs Fam

So, I'm going to get mushy. Don't judge me! I entered this contest that was to send in a photo that describes love and write a short essay about why. I entered us with this photo, which is probably the coolest photo ever. (In case you're wondering, the uber-talented Lindsay Laird took it.) And I included my essay below. Yes, it's mushy but I mean it! So hush!

Love is our family.

My husband and I celebrated our first anniversary ten days before the birth of our daughter, Mia. As first time parents, we were petrified and excited. Most of all, we were impatient for her arrival. We couldn’t wait.

This photo shows our hands over my pregnant belly just a month before Mia was born. A friend of ours took it. To me, this picture shows our effort to raise our daughter in a caring home where she will be supported and encouraged by both of us. And it shows that before she even came into the world, there was an army of people who already loved her. It’s my favorite family portrait, even though you can’t see anyone’s faces.

Now that Mia is here, our excitement continues every day. It’s hard to believe that your heart can get any bigger — that there’s any way for you to love any more than you already do. But each day brings new challenges, triumphs and little details that are special to us, even if they’re the everyday things that nobody else would care about. I realize now that the heart doesn’t have a limit.