The Plylers

Ryan Luke Plyler

2011-01-19T19:18:00.000-06:00

Jacob became a big brother yesterday, January 18th, at 7:16 AM. Ryan weighed in at a whopping 7 lbs 12 ounces and was 21 inches long. Mom and baby are doing well. Dad is tired and Jacob is a bit unsure of this new addition to our family. He insists that his brother's name is "Baby Jesus". We hope to get to go home this Friday.

Labor Day Weekend

2010-09-06T18:01:00.001-05:00

Fun weekend including: a trip to the zoo, Auburn football, trip to Nana & Pawpaw's house, and the requisite trip to the Trussville park.

August Pics

2010-08-29T17:38:00.001-05:00

June & July Pics

2010-07-12T21:18:00.002-05:00

Not much from June, just a trip to Trussville's splash pad, a birthday party, and my trip to Limestone Springs with Dad and Andrew:

Fourth of July in Fitzpatrick and more backyard pool-time:

Aunt Betty's birthday party, July 10th:

May Pics

2010-07-11T21:45:00.002-05:00

Jacob's second birthday:

More birthday pics:

First "real" haircut" and other silly business:

Jacob's favorite toy? A $1 squirt bottle!

March & April Pics

2010-07-11T21:40:00.003-05:00

Yes, we've been a bit lazy for the past few months, so I'll try to make up for lost time with a few new posts the next couple of days. More to come later.....

March:

Hannah's first birthday:

Easter:

Snow Day

2010-02-13T22:00:00.001-06:00

Fun in the snow:

Here's our pitiful little snowman, that lasted about 30 seconds before Jacob unleashed his fury:

Some pics from the last couple of weeks, showing his X-Games skills, crashing after "a hard day at the office", and demonstrating his art talents:

January Pics

2010-01-31T17:16:00.000-06:00

December '09

2009-12-30T17:33:00.001-06:00

Christmas was a lot of fun this year, and Jacob seemed to really enjoy himself. He managed to open his first present less than an hour after getting out of bed Christmas morning.

More Christmas-y pics:

Here's some randoms from the past month. My favorite is one that didn't turn out very well. All I had was my iPhone, and the lack of flash produced a dark and grainy picture. We were at a party for Kristine's work, and the hosts had a pet boxer that Jacob liked, almost as much as she did him. Their common bond was their affection for ping pong balls. Jacob liked to throw them, and the dog loved to fetch them. They were a match made in heaven.......

"Burn the Baby!"

2009-11-15T19:46:00.000-06:00

Yes, that's what he's trying to say. We're attempting to teach him to stay away from the stove with limited success. Somehow, this has all became just a game to him. On this particular night, applesauce was the chosen ingredient for finger painting.

Finger Painting w/ Chocolate Pudding

2009-11-15T17:16:00.000-06:00

Lil' Slugger

2009-11-15T16:18:00.000-06:00

Another Day at the Park

2009-11-08T21:28:00.001-06:00

The weather today was perfect, so we all went out to enjoy the sunshine.

Halloween

2009-11-01T21:26:00.001-06:00

Here's some new pics from the past couple of weeks, including a visit to the pumpkin patch, school party, and handing out candy to trick-or-treaters. The little pumpkin (or as he calls it, "ball") he's holding like a shot-put is the one picked out to bring home. I guess it's one of the few he could pick up and carry. He really enjoyed giving out candy to the trick-or-treaters, and felt that he should get a few pieces each time we handed out candy to the other kids.

Trussvillle Park

2009-09-22T22:04:00.001-05:00

Checking out our local park:

Mmmmmm, snack time!! Is there anything better in this world than Cheez-Its????

It's Football Time!

2009-09-05T17:18:00.000-05:00

August Pics

2009-08-27T21:27:00.000-05:00

Wild Man

2009-08-25T21:33:00.000-05:00

Here's a new complilation of video of Jacob:
1. Yelling "Dixie!"
2. Attacking Kristine
3. Seeing how much water he can splash out of the bathtub
4. Playing with a ball and some grocery sacks
5. And finally, enjoying one of his favorite new treats, Fig Newtons, while he wanders about the house........

Outdoor Adventures

2009-07-27T21:39:00.001-05:00

This past week, we've spent a good bit of time outside. Jacob seems to enjoy playing in the grass, flower beds, and attacking Dixie. Poor ol' girl.......

Sunday Lunch

2009-07-19T18:10:00.000-05:00

Finally found a good hat for Jacob while out for lunch today.

Walking

2009-07-16T21:06:00.000-05:00

Here's a few videos of Jacob walking. He's getting better at it, able to walk across our living room before inevitably biting the dust. He also likes playing peek-a-boo with his towels.....

Fourth of July '09

2009-07-06T21:18:00.002-05:00

The weekend before the fourth, we attended a birthday party at the McWane Center. Jacob really enjoyed the aquarium exhibit.

Jacob and the cat had a fun week playing in the box that his new car seat came in:

Everyday Jacob has to got outside to see how Dixie is doing. Sometimes she lets him go for a ride before hiding in her doghouse. In the pic at the bottom right he's wearing his "Linus" shirt, which couldn't be more appropriate. He doesn't suck his thumb, but he loves that blue blanket of his....

Pics from the fourth in Fitzpatrick. Jacob had a great time playing with the other kids, swimming, fishing, and just playing in the dirt and getting dirty....

Overdue Update

2009-06-24T21:21:00.003-05:00

Yeah, it's been a while since we've updated our blog with some new pictures. Jacob wasn't too happy about that, and let me know that we better get it done promptly.....

"Pool" day at daycare:

More assorted pics of Jacob clowning around:

He's really close to walking now. He can take about 4-5 steps before losing his balance.

Silly boy!

2009-05-31T22:18:00.000-05:00

Memorial Day

2009-05-25T17:26:00.001-05:00

New pictures of Jacob playing with some of his new toys, and demonstrating his new skills by standing on his own.

First Birthday

2009-05-10T21:31:00.000-05:00

Jacob turned one on Saturday, and we had a nice little party with family and friends. He got a bunch of new toys, books, puzzles, and clothes. We've just got to find some place to keep all this stuff. He really enjoyed the attention, especially when he got to smash his own little cake. You just don't know what funny is until you see a little boy blow a blue/green bubble of icing from his nose. It's all fun and games until baby gets cake in his eyes!

The week in pictures

2009-05-03T21:41:00.000-05:00

Crawling, Jibberish, and other Shenanigans

2009-04-29T21:32:00.004-05:00

Jacob has finally learned to crawl, at least in his own special way. He hasn't quite mastered the pattern of how to move his hands and legs. He's also pulling up on anything he can get his hands on, including unstable furniture, his bed, me, the cat, etc. He's taken a couple of spills over the past week, but he is getting much better at it of late. This prompted a quick sweep of the house for "baby-proofing". Video evidence below:

Weekend at the Beach

2009-04-20T21:00:00.001-05:00

We got home today from a weekend at Seagrove Beach in Florida. Kristine's cousin Katie got married in Destin on Saturday, and we also celebrated Kristine's mom's and uncles' birthday. The weather wasn't exactly ideal for sunnin' on the beach, except for the day we had to leave. The water is still a bit on the chilly side, and Jacob didn't seem to enjoy the beach as much as last time. I'm guessing because of the cooler temperatures and very windy conditions. It was still nice to get away from home and work while spending time with family.

Easter Pics

2009-04-12T20:54:00.000-05:00

Bubble Time with Kitty

2009-04-06T22:01:00.000-05:00

Jacob still can't crawl or walk, but he can spin in circles with the best of them!

Why is the remote wet?

2009-03-30T22:16:00.002-05:00

Jacob showing his "dark and mysterious" side:

Jacob vs the Evil Twin

2009-03-19T21:04:00.002-05:00

Snow!

2009-03-01T13:26:00.001-06:00

Another funny video, with Jacob playing with our cat, talking on his phone, and saying "Bye-Bye" (sort-of). Be sure to watch to end for the real funny.

We got a few inches of snow today, so Jacob went out for a photo-op. The picture in the middle is from his daycare. They made one for all the students and hung them on the walls in their classroom. The look on his face is priceless, as if he's thinking "You're gonna put this in a scrapbook somewhere and embarrass me by showing it to my girlfriend when I'm sixteen, aren't you?" That's right!

Poor Man's Teacup Ride

2009-02-21T22:13:00.002-06:00

Who needs Disney World? We've got our own version, with Tigger too!

9 Months Old

2009-02-08T20:31:00.006-06:00

There's not much new to report this week, other than Jacob is doing great and growing like a weed. He went to the doctor this past week and tipped the scales at 17 lbs 6 oz. He's developing a taste for particular foods, and a disliking for others like peas, bananas, and green beans. His sleeping pattern hasn't been the best lately, I guess due to his teething. But he's managed to avoid illness for the most part, other than a few sniffles and coughs.
Here's some new pics of Jacob asleep in his jumper with his head on a panda, one of him gnawing on a bottle (he still won't hold it himself to drink), and a couple we took today since the weather was so nice.
Here's some new video clips, including a failed attempt to bite the cat.

Bubbles!

2009-01-26T22:00:00.001-06:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, Jacob really enjoys his baths. It's even more fun when you add bubbles. He doesn't have enough hair to do the shampoo faux-hawk, so we improvised:

A glimpse of his two new teeth:

Napping on the "big bed":

New year, new look

2009-01-17T19:52:00.001-06:00

I figured it was time to give our blog a bit of an overhaul. Kristine had to work today, so Jacob and I spent the day at home and tried to stay warm. That gave me a little time to fiddle with some new templates for this site. It took a lot of tries, but I think I finally found one that I like. It's kinda "dark", but I'm pleased with the results. I've added links at the top of the page if anyone would like to email us a note, or you can subscribe to receive an email when there are new posts.
Here's my little man dressed like his great-granddaddy Moore:

Home Video Montage

2009-01-15T21:54:00.006-06:00

I finally got around to converting, editing, and compiling a few of the videos we've recorded over the past month. In case anyone is wondering, HD camcorders aren't the best for creating blog movies due to the large file size and unique format. However, the quality is pretty awesome when viewing on our TV. For some reason, the movie maker I'm using is squishing the aspect ratio so everything looks skinny. Anyway, here it is......Enjoy!

Jacob has had a tooth or two starting to cut through his gums, so no more chewing on Daddy's fingers. He's sitting up pretty well on his own now, and I'm thinking he's getting interested in going mobile pretty soon.
Here's a few random pics from the last week or so:

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T21:28:00.001-06:00

Christmas "vacation" has come to an end, and we're getting ready to start back to work. I've had a couple of weeks off, and Jacob and I got to spend lots of time together. We had a great time, except for those few days when he was cranky from an ear infection. He's all better now, and ready to go back to daycare next week. I just wish they could develop a better tasting antibiotic medicine, or at least a more modern way of administering it. Yuck!
I'm still not convinced that Portrait Innovations can do a better job of photographing my boy than I can....

"When a problem comes along......you must whip it!"

I admit it, I didn't spend all of my off days at home. I took a couple of days for some R&R in the woods with some moderate success.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T22:46:00.001-06:00

Christmas has come and gone this year, and it was one of the funnest ever. We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with Mama Green and Aunt Erica, and then off to Nana & Paw-Paw's for the rest of Christmas day with the Plyler clan. Jacob was in a great mood and smiled all day. He was more interested in the bags, bows, and tissue than he was in his gifts, but he really racked up on some toys and clothes. By the end of the day, we were all pretty worn out.

Gettin' ready for Christmas

2008-12-15T20:17:00.001-06:00

Not much has been going on lately at the Plyler household, just getting ready for the holidays. Kristine took some nice pictures of Jacob in his Christmas outfit. He got to meet Santa, and didn't even cry. In fact, she says he liked Santa's beard and started pulling it.

We've started trying some new foods the past couple of weeks. Kristine whipped up a variety of pureed vegetables and fruits, and he seems to like the apples and carrots best. That would be butternut squash all over his face in the picture below.

We also got us a nice new camcorder to start making some of those always-entertaining home movies. I'll post some short clips up, once I get my computer beefed-up so I can edit.

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-11-30T20:11:00.000-06:00

We went to Jacksonville, AL this year for Thanksgiving to celebrate with Kristine's family. We all had a good time at Aunt Betty's house and had lots of great food.

I was off work all week, so Jacob and I got to spend a few days together for a little father-son bonding. He also got to see his first Iron Bowl, but it was certainly one to forget.

Here's Kristine with her co-workers and their babies. There must be something in the water at Children's Hospital, because they were all pregnant at the same time.

6 Months Old

2008-11-17T20:38:00.008-06:00

Jacob turned 6 months old last weekend (Nov 9th). He went to the doctor for another checkup and round of shots. He now weighs a whopping 14 lbs 6 oz. and is 25" tall. That puts him at about the 25th percentile for his age. The doctor said he won't necessarily always be a midget and that he should catch up by the time he's two.
The doctor gave us the go-ahead to start giving him some cereal. The first attempt didn't go so well, as you can see:

We been giving him cereal everyday since last Friday, and he's getting a little more used to it. But it is an extremely messy process.
It's getting so that everything Jacob can get his hands on goes straight to his mouth, and that includes the camera:

We had Jacob's dedication ceremony at the church this past Sunday, too. It was nice having the same pastor who married us also lead in Jacob's dedication. Here he is all dressed up for the occasion:
More pictures from the past week:

Gatlinburg wedding

2008-11-10T20:11:00.000-06:00

We loaded up the car and headed to Gatlinburg this past weekend for Andrew's wedding. The whole family stayed in a nice cabin in Sevierville along with one of Andrew's friends, Steven, and his family. It was nice to finally get to meet Samantha, since they were getting married this weekend. She's a really sweet girl, and we're happy to have her in the family. There were some really nice views from the balconies:

Unfortunately, to have a place with views this nice you will not be near the hustle and bustle of Gatlinburg. To get there, we had to drive through Pigeon Forge and almost the entire length of the Gatlinburg strip to get to the wedding chapel. We were a few minutes late, but we were able to witness most of the nuptials. Here's the happy new couple:

Of course, Jacob got all dressed up for the occassion too. Hopefully, Kristine will eventually learn how to put his shoes on the right feet. Words don't begin to explain how happy he was to wear a tie and vest. Actually, my little buddy was pretty grumpy all weekend. I hope he didn't scare poor Samantha too much. We did manage to get him to smile for a least one picture:

And in other news, Jacob said "Don't blame me, I voted for the other guy!"

Halloween

2008-11-02T20:13:00.006-06:00

Jacob and all of his classmates dressed up on Friday for Halloween. All things considered, he looks like he might be the least miserable of the bunch. I'm still trying to figure out what kind of hybrid reptile/dinosaur/dragon with ears he is supposed to be.Fun times at the Halloween festival at Carrington Lakes:
Sometimes the funnest toys are the ones that are free. Like feet!

More pictures from the past week:

This is what happens....

2008-10-21T20:12:00.000-05:00

...when I dress Jacob. Kristine had to work this past Saturday, so she left me to get him dressed for the day. Apparently, we have different tastes in clothes because she wasn't as impressed as I thought she should be. At least the socks match! We call this his "Wild Man" outfit.

I couldn't help but think that this is probably how Ted Nugent would dress one his kids.

We had the opportunity to watch a lot of football with Mommy away, but Jacob had a bit of trouble staying awake for a whole game. He and his monkey buddy took a couple of naps during the day, which I took full advantage of by also catching a few z's myself.

Sunday we traveled to Jacksonville, AL for the Green family reunion. Here's Jacob visiting with Kristine's aunt Betty:

I also learned a valuable piece of information that day. The only thing worse than changing a dirty diaper at home is trying to change a dirty (of the "blow-out" variety) diaper on a Honda's front seat parked in a gas station parking lot.

"Little Monster"

2008-10-12T20:08:00.003-05:00

We got Jacob a Halloween costume, which looks something like a lizard. Kristine put it on him Saturday to try it on, and he tolerated it just long enough to snap a few quick pictures.

Here he is at his daycare in the pumpkin patch:

This is pretty ridiculous. A lizard/scarecrow? I've never heard of such.
It's getting pretty obvious how much bigger he's getting when you put him next to the cat. When he goes mobile, she's gonna be in trouble.

More Strange Noises

2008-10-06T21:39:00.003-05:00

Jacob is starting to get pretty vocal, especially when he's playing with his favorite toy monkey. He'll lay on the floor and suck on the monkey's ears, presumably trying to get milk from his green and furry friend. You can really see the excitement in his face as I lower the monkey down towards him and he snatches him away as if to say, "Mine!" I found the dancing portion of his performance quite entertaining as well.

Funny Faces

2008-09-30T21:50:00.001-05:00

As most of you know, getting one good picture means you've got to take about fifty. However, amongst those "outtakes" are some pretty funny pictures. Most happen right before, or after, a sneeze, yawn, or fit of varying degrees. Here's a few that always make me laugh:

Newer pics:

This is how Jacob rolls........

2008-09-24T21:25:00.003-05:00

Yes, that thud at the end is his head hitting the table. Guess he's got a hard head like his daddy.

Baby Talk

2008-09-21T21:30:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure what he's trying to say, but he's serious about it. He's probably trying to say, "Put down that stupid camera and get me something to eat!"

Sorry for the low quality. In my rush to grab the camera, I didn't check the settings before pressing record.

Jacob has also managed to roll himself over from his stomach to his back a couple of times. Hopefully he'll get better at it and we can record it.

Portrait Innovations

2008-09-14T14:43:00.000-05:00

We finally got some "professional" pictures made. Here's a sampling:

I've also found a fun use for junk mail, besides sending back pre-paid return envelopes with nothing in them to credit card companies. One particularly annoying insurance company sends us junk about once a month. This time it included a bumper sticker:

Jacob's getting pretty good at standing up, when he has something to hold on. If I'm quick enough with the camera, it looks like he's standing on his own:

Resting up before kickoff (should have slept during that 3-2 snooze-fest of a game):

Somebody looks sleepy, and it ain't Jacob:

Fun on the beach

2008-09-08T20:46:00.000-05:00

We finally got to make our trip to the beach this weekend. Kristine and I had planned on going before Jacob was born, but I guess he didn't want to miss out, so he interupted our plans. We stayed in a condo on Blue Mountain Beach, which was really nice. I just wish the unit we were in wasn't on the 3rd floor. Just having a baby seems to quadruple the amount of stuff you take down to the beach. Jacob took a while to get used to the heat and bright sun, but he eventually got used to it and seemed to enjoy standing on the edge of the water as the waves washed over his feet.

We were very careful to keep him lathered up with plenty of sunblock, but you would never guess that by looking at our pictures. Thankfully, we all made it home with no sunburn, which is a first for me.

Toying with Kitty

2008-09-01T20:48:00.001-05:00

Our cat really likes spaghetti noodles. Actually, to say she likes them is a bit of an understatement. She seems to have a sixth sense to know when we are cooking anything that involves pasta, and will stand at the stove begging for a noodle until we give her one. And by give her one, I mean wait until a noodle is nice and sticky and throw it at her so it sticks to her back. Good times! Well, since she is scared of Jacob, we wondered if she would take a piece of spaghetti from him. She was cautious, but her curiosity got the best of her. Now we just have to teach Jacob how to throw.

Playing dress-up with Kristine and Nana:

Trying out the "Bumbo" seat:

Toy overload:

New Pictures

2008-08-24T21:08:00.000-05:00

Starting Daycare

2008-08-17T20:03:00.000-05:00

After all the panic and worry, the infection on Jacob's head ended up not being an infection at all. It seems that he (and all the other babys at Children's daycare) had an adverse reaction to some of the cleaning agents used in their room. He's completely healed and is doing great. He started at the church daycare last Monday, and he seems to really enjoy it there. There are two really nice ladies that care for Jacob and five others in his class. Right now it's only him and two others, so he's getting a lot of attention. They take him for a stroll every day, and they say he sleeps most of the day in his swing. Here he is all pimped out for his first day at "school":

Jacob's favorite part of the day at home seems to be when he is getting a bath. He just lies back and plays with the rubber duck.

"GQ" pose:

More random pics:

Dressed up for another day at daycare. (Anybody else noticing a theme with the color of his outfits?)

Waiting for us to get ready for work in the morning: (The mits are because he's starting gnawing on his knuckles and making them raw.)

Here's an outfit Kristine picked out for him. It reminds me of Ralphy in "A Christmas Story" when he's wearing the pink bunny costume.

Poor little buddy

2008-08-09T20:21:00.001-05:00

Jacob has been staying at the daycare at Kristine's work for the past week and a half. It was very convenient because she got to see him a couple of times during the day as well as feed him during her lunch. Unfortunately, he picked up some sort of infection during his stay. Monday and Tuesday we noticed the back of his head and elbows were red and rashy. Wednesday morning, the area on the back of his head now had blisters and felt like there was pus under the skin. So Kristine took him to the doctor that morning to have him checked out. They mashed all the goo out of the blisters and gave him some antibiotic shots. They took a sample of the goo stuff, but we haven't heard back from the lab on the results. We've been applying a topical antibiotic on his head and giving him an oral antibiotic. It's healing nicely, but the back of his little noggin' is a bit ashy. Needless to say, he won't be going back to the daycare at Children's any time soon. Thank goodness the daycare we signed him up for at the church starts Monday. Here's some pics of him with some of Kristine's handy-work using gauze:

EDIT: We didn't get the pictures made at Portrait Innovations this weekend. Kristine was afraid they would think she was a bad mother if someone saw the back of his head.

Speaking of handy-work, I've been keeping myself busy with a couple of little projects around the house. I was talking to a guy at work a few weeks ago about HDTV, and he said you could build an antenna using wire coat hangars to receive over-the-air HD broadcasts. I was skeptical, so I did a little research on the internet. You know, you can believe anything that's on the internet, right? I found a video on YouTube that showed how to make the antenna, so I got to building. All I had to buy was a $6 transformer from Radio Shack. I hooked it up to the TV, and I couldn't believe it. I was getting Fox, NBC, and CBS just by placing it behind the TV. I couldn't get ABC, so I figured if I could get the antenna higher it might work better. So I ran coaxial cable to the attic and attached the antenna to a board up there. Now we're getting Fox, NBC, CBS, NBC, NBC-Weather, WB, and some other channels I don't recognize. Here's a pic of my masterpiece hanging in the attic:

Free HD! No more satellite outages during storms!

We've also been looking into getting a baby monitor. These things are pricey, so I decided to get a bit more creative. You can get a wireless camera from Best Buy for a little over $100. It uses my wireless network to send audio and video to any computer on my network, or I can watch by going to a webpage using the device's IP address. Pretty cool I thought, and much cheaper than that crap they sell at Babies R Us. It can even start recording when detecting motion, and email the video to me. This may get some use when (or if) we're ever away for a few days since I can move it anywhere as long as it has reception and a plug. Here it is temporarily sitting on Jacob's crib:

Not exactly high quality, but here's a low-light snapshot from the camera:

It's been a busy couple of weeks....

2008-08-05T21:35:00.004-05:00

With Kristine going back to work, we've been pretty busy. It seems there's hardly any time to do anything other than go to work, come home, cook dinner while trying to keep Jacob from having a fit, and go to bed. All of this at the same time we're trying to keep Jacob on a somewhat regular feeding schedule so we can get to bed before midnight. Thankfully, he's actually started to make it until about 4am every night. But it sure is hard to get back up at 6 when you just lied back down at 4:30.
I haven't had as much time to take as many pictures lately, but here's a few and a video of Jacob "dancing" on his play mat. You might notice that he's actually starting to outgrow some of his outfits (the dinosaur onesie). Kristine is planning on taking him to Portrait Innovations next weekend for his 3 month pictures, so we should have plenty of new pics next week.
(I have updated the pics so they are no longer linked from Photobucket. They should be better quality now, and you can click on them to enlarge. I couldn't upload directly to the blog last night for some reason.)

Little League Baseball

2008-07-20T22:04:00.002-05:00

We had another fun-filled weekend. We all went out Saturday and watched Hayden (Kristine's cousin Jason's son) play baseball. He's the lil' feller in the pictures below holding Jacob, and he "starred" as the ring bearer in our wedding. They are playing in the Dizzy Dean 7 Year Old World Series in Gardendale. That brought back a lot of memories for me, like when a kid turns a bunt into a triple. It's also funny to watch all of the parents get all wrapped up in the game, and the boys are just out there having a good time. But some day soon I'll be that idiot in the stands yelling, screaming, and calling the umps blind and stupid. Of course, after loading up a stroller, carrier, diaper bag, and cooler, we didn't think to take the camera to the game.
Kristine is getting ready to go back work this week, so I guess I'll be getting up during the week to help with the feedings. It sure was nice getting to sleep through the nights Sunday-Thursday, but we'll cope.
Jacob's starting to smile a lot more, especially when Kristine walks in the room and starts talking to him. And he's also starting to sleep a bit longer at night. We've actually been able to sleep for 5 straight hours a couple of times. WooHoo!

Twinkle twinkle little star

2008-07-15T20:32:00.000-05:00

Dixie got a bath this past weekend, so Jacob thought it would be fun to play a bit. Dixie is getting to be more tolerant in her old age, but not much can distract her from a bowl of food.

2 Month Checkup

2008-07-07T22:01:00.001-05:00

Jacob went today for his 2 month checkup, and the doctor confirmed what we already knew. He's doing terrific! He's up to what most baby's weigh when they're born, 8 lbs and 6 oz. Unfortunately for him, this visit to the doctor involved lots of shots. He's resting comfortably though, as you can see:

Jacob got to visit Fitzpatrick for the first time this 4th of July. He slept for the entire trip down and back. He got to meet a lot of folks from his Nana's (Matt's mom) side of the family. Here's a pic of him with his great-grandmother:

Other than road-trips and visits to the mean ol' doctor's office, we've been hanging around the house. He's been keeping his mom busy during the day (and night). He's also has learned a few tricks. Like holding his vitamins in his mouth until we take the bottle out, and spitting the vitamins everywhere. I can't help but laugh and be amazed at his devilish cleverness. We've also found that he doesn't mind lying in his crib for a while, entertaining himself with the duck/blanket thing and the fish on the sheets:

Jacob also secretly confided in me that he can't wait for football season this year. War Eagle!

No news, just some more pics

2008-06-27T20:15:00.000-05:00

Old pics with new effects

2008-06-18T20:32:00.004-05:00

I was playing around with a web-based photo editor and created these pictures. They're not new, but I thought the effects were pretty cool.

If you're interested, the website is http://www.dumpr.net

Feeding time

2008-06-16T21:43:00.004-05:00

Mom seems to think it's funny holding the bottle just up to Jacob's lips as he searches for it. Dad would never do anything so mean!

More pictures:

Another good checkup

2008-06-11T21:29:00.003-05:00

Jacob got another clean bill of health from the doctor today. He's up to 6 lbs 13 oz and 21 inches long now, which ironically is what his mother's weight and length were at birth. Since he technically wasn't supposed to be here until yesterday, I guess that is what we should have expected. He had to get a shot, which for some reason, he didn't seem to enjoy too much.
We're starting to figure out how to get him to sleep more at night. And no, it doesn't include duct tape and a muzzle! If we can keep him awake for a couple of hours before bedtime, feed him, and then put him to bed, we all sleep a little better.

The waking up process

2008-06-08T20:47:00.000-05:00

Not much new this week......

2008-06-03T21:21:00.004-05:00

No big news to report on this week. Jacob is starting to let us know when he is getting hungry. He gets pretty upset if his feeding is a little late. We are starting to notice that he is gaining weight. His arms, legs, and his face are starting to put on a little fat. He goes next week to the doctor for another checkup. Kristine and I are still trying to get sleep whenever we can. It seems that he will sleep all day, but want to stay awake all night. We have no trouble getting him to sleep after a feeding during the day. But at night, he'll want to stay up for another hour or so after he has fed. We're trying to figure out the technique to adjust his sleeping pattern, because Mommy sure could use some sleep. (Dad does help out on nighttime feedings on the weekends!) Here are some new pictures:

The Jacob Suite, Phase II

2008-05-27T20:07:00.007-05:00

Jacob's furniture finally came in last week. Fortunately, we had gotten a bassinet and a "pack & play" with a built in changing table as gifts. Here are some before and after pictures of his room. I think Mommy has more decoration ideas in store.....

We also got another good checkup at the doctor's office today. Jacob continues to put on weight. He's up to 5 lbs 9 ounces, which is 10 ounces more than last Tuesday. The doctor was a bit concerned about his hips, since he was in the breach position. They checked him out at Children's Hospital and said everything was fine. Here's some more pictures of Jacob and his many faces.

More pics from the hospital

2008-05-17T22:33:00.004-05:00

We went for another "weigh-in" today at the doctor's office, and Jacob is finally starting to pack on the pounds. OK, maybe ounces. His weight had dropped from 5 lbs 4 ounces at birth to 4 lbs 10 ounces on Tuesday. Today he weighed in at a whopping 4 pounds 12 ounces! I never thought I would be measuring someone's food intake in milliliters, but we really get excited when Jacob polishes off 60 milliliters (about 2 ounces). However, I don't get very excited about the messy diapers. Those are old hat by now. We're still having to feed every 3 hours, so sleeping around here is done more by napping. But we are loving every minute of it.
Here's some more pictures from the hospital last week.

Home at last

2008-05-14T22:08:00.003-05:00

The doctors checked Mommy and baby and sent us home Monday. Jacob has been feeding a lot better as he gets stronger and more alert. We went to the doctor for a checkup today, and he had lost a couple of ounces. The doctor didn't seem concerned, and said she expects him to start putting weight on pretty soon. We're still trying to figure out how to get him to sleep at night instead of all day. People weren't kidding when they were saying to me a few months ago to get sleep now. Oh yeah, Mommy is recovering well too.

More Pictures

2008-05-11T13:29:00.001-05:00

More pictures at Brookwood's virtual nursery:
http://www.bwmc.com/CWS/VirtualNursery.aspx?hospitalid=3801
Mom and baby are still doing great. We should get to go home tomorrow.

Jacob Dylan Plyler

2008-05-10T11:00:00.001-05:00

Born May 9 at 9:19 AM
Weight 5 lbs 4 ounces
18 1/2 inches long

Mom and baby are doing very well.

Home again - no baby yet

2008-05-07T21:00:00.003-05:00

Well, Kristine finally got out of the hospital on Monday. She went back for another check-up today, and actually got to come back home. The doctor said that the amount of amniotic fluid is up to normal levels now. We're keeping our fingers crossed that it will stay that way so she can at least rest here at home. They'll be checking her twice a week from now on, which may be another week, or a month.

Back in the hospital

2008-04-28T18:34:00.002-05:00

Well, unfortunately, I am back in the hospital. I was discharged on Friday and was on bedrest all weekend and went back in for a check up today. The amount of amniotic fluid was decreased again. So I am back in the hospital on IV fluids and bedrest. I am hoping to go home by the end of the week (especially since we had planned on going to the beach this weekend!) The doctor is saying that I will most likely be on bedrest either at home or in the hospital for the next 3-4 weeks. At that point, the doctor may go ahead and deliver the baby a couple weeks early. (We are still about 6 weeks from the due date). We appreciate everyone's thoughts, calls and visits. Our goal is a healthy baby!

Finally! Back Home!

2008-04-25T20:09:00.002-05:00

The doctor said things are looking better, however I still have to be on bedrest for the weekend and drink water constantly. There was more amniotic fluid today but still a little lower than the doctor would like. The baby is fine - good, strong heartbeat and healthy. I go back to the doctor on Monday am and hopefully can return to normal activity after that. Thanks to everyone who kept us all in their thoughts and prayers! (Bedrest stinks!!!).

Stuck in the hospital

2008-04-22T18:25:00.003-05:00

I went in for a check-up today and they found that the amount of amniotic fluid around the baby was a little low. The doctor decided to admit me for the day and overnight for IV fluids and fetal monitoring. There were a few contractions but so far everything seems to be ok. They said the baby is fine and weighs 4 pounds, 10 oz right now. They are going to re-check the ultrasound in the am to see if the amniotic fluid level has improved and probably send me home after that and I will probably be on bedrest for a couple days.

Baby Shower

2008-04-13T21:02:00.003-05:00

We had a shower today, and the baby got a lot of great gifts. Thanks again for all the gifts and good wishes. A special thank you to Jane, Erika, Sandra, and Judy for hosting such a wonderful party. We can't wait until we get a chance to use all these new toys!

Not much new this week

2008-04-03T21:39:00.002-05:00

Kristine went back for another ultrasound, but the boy just won't cooperate. I think her exact words were, "Your son is being bad!" The boy is not even here yet, and he's already "my son" when he's doing something wrong. I found that pretty funny.

We did go to a birthin' class Tuesday night. That's probably a good thing, because I don't know nuthin' 'bout birthin' no baby Mrs. Scarlett. The class was on unmedicated childbirth, and was quite an eye-opener. Personally, I could have done without the 1970's video, but the class gave us some good information. We have another class Saturday on general childbirth preparation and infant care. Hopefully, they won't scar me again with more videos.

Went for a checkup yesterday......

2008-03-26T20:15:00.002-05:00

It looks like the baby is still doing great. They said he weighs about 2 lbs 12 ounces now. We had the 4D ultrasound, but he didn't seem to enjoy having his picture taken. He kept hiding his face with his hands, like we were paparazzi or something. However, the ultrasound re-confirmed that he is a boy. Kristine is going back next week to try to get some better pictures, so hopefully he'll be more cooperative. And no, we haven't decided on a name yet, so vote early and often! Only 11 more weeks to go.

Kristine is getting bigger

2008-03-15T20:40:00.003-05:00

Here is mommy at 28 weeks. This was taken in the baby's room, which is still a work in progress. The paint, chair rail, and ceiling fan are done. But I have a feeling that there is a lot more work to be done.....

And here's a picture of our cat. I don't know how many of you have ever had a cat, but this is the first time I've ever lived in a house with a cat. If anyone is thinking of getting one, consider this: It's like having a wild animal in your house. No kidding. I've lived in houses with dogs, but they tend to sleep a lot. Apparently, cats are mostly nocturnal, and think everyday should be the same as the previous day. Since we usually get up around 6:30 to go to work, she thinks we should be up at the same time on the weekends to feed her. Maybe she trying to prep me for the sleepless nights to come.

Gettin' Started

2008-02-03T13:49:00.000-06:00

Well, we know now that we are having a boy. He looks like an alien to me, but here's some ultrasound pics:

And here's one of Mommy:

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2001-01-17T12:08:00.001-06:00

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2001-01-17T09:49:00.003-06:00

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