Jacob Is 5 Months Old!

Jacob is 5 months old today. It is sure amazing to see his transformation from a little helpless newborn to a loud & rambunctious infant! He likes to squeal, especially when he is super excited about something or just happy. Even though he can't speak yet, he often finds a way to let his wishes to be known.

My little intactivist

Jacob & Gerritt

His bald head is filling out nicely with fine curly (!) hair. The curl is especially more noticeable after a bath. Jacob has the curliest hair out of my 3 children (just like my Mom & I). My Mom has been commenting that he looks so much like my Dad. My Mom & Dad have been divorced for many years & now my Mom is reminded of my Dad every time she looks at Jacob. I am married to a Korean, yet Jacob has my Russian Dad's high forehead, double chin, cheeks, dark thick eyebrows & full lips. Genetics is sure fascinating!

Jacob & I in our garden

My husband & I celebrating my 35th birthday

Jacob has been drooling a lot & his chest is often wet. He also loves to chew on toys & his fingers. We are are looking forward to him getting his first set of teeth. He has been literally begging us for solid food. We weren't planning on starting solids until Jacob was 6 months old, but gave in at 5 months & 3 weeks because he started to grab food off our plates. :-) After eating an egg yolk for the first time ever, Jacob rewarded us with sleeping from 10 pm until 4 am.

Jacob, Sophia & I

Jacob & I at the Boehm's Chocolates

I haven't done any tummy time with him since I've recently learned it's so much better for him to go through the learning process of getting onto his tummy on his own (see the article below). Jacob has recently surprised us by rolling over from his back onto his tummy all by himself on Easter. He is so strong & motivated! I just love watching Jacob's progress & feel so proud in being given an opportunity to assist in his creation (I truly believe children are gifts from heaven).

Jacob & babushka Nina

Another visit from Kat

Looking forward to finding out what the next month will bring!

Additional References:

The Case Againts Tummy Time by Irene Gutteridge

Homemade Pesto Sauce

Our Trader Joe's often carries beautiful bunches of fresh basil. After passing them by for a few months, I got inspired to make a homemade pesto sauce - to use fresh & to freeze. Pesto is an Italian sauce made of crushed garlic, basil, nuts, olive oil & cheese. It is flavourful & delicious & can be added to pasta (add last & don't overcook), boiled potatoes, sliced tomatoes, soups or used as spread on sliced bread (lightly toast the bread after applying pesto).



Ingredients:

3 cups fresh basil leaves (washed & thick stems cut)
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
4 large cloves of peeled garlic
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste



Directions:

In a food processor blend together basil leaves, nuts, garlic & cheese. Pour in oil slowly while still mixing. Stir in salt & pepper.


Pasta & cubed chicken dressed in pesto sauce

Pesto can be stored in the fridge for up to a week & in the freezer up to 6 months. Pour pesto sause into a glass or plastic container (allow 1.5 inch at the top for expansion). Cover the container with an air-tight lid (write the storage date on the container for convenience & to ensure freshness). You can also pour pesto sauce into an ice cube tray as an alternative freezing method. Buon appetito!

Serendipity Books

I am totally in love with recently discovered Serendipity Book Series! I once heard someone raving about them on Facebook a few months ago. Since I am always on a lookout for good books, my curiosity got the best of me. Even though some of the books in the Serendipity Series have been out of print for a few years, I was pleasantly surprised to find a few at our local library.
The books were written for readers ages 5 & up by our local Northwest author Stephen Cosgrove in the 1970s. Each tale teaches youngsters how to deal with the challenges of their world, providing them with positive solutions to difficult problems. The cute characters are whimsical, & the illustrations are beautiful, inspiring every reader, no matter the age. For example, the moral of the story titled In Search of the Saveopotomas is that you'll enjoy life more if you stop being a hoarder & take only what you need ("If you've got a lot of stuff, things you really don't need, remember S'mine & the blue-feathered shrill; and the heaviness of greed").
The moral of the story about the adorable bunny Buttermilk is that the dark of the night can make ordinary things seem scary. The story titled Crabby Gabby teaches that having fun while playing a game is more important than winning ("When the ball is yours and you start to play a selfish Gabby-game, instead play Share the Leader, let it be someone else's game"). The moral of the story Leo the Lop is that you are best just who you are ("If you want to be someone else, and you wish upon a star, remember a little rabbit named Leo, who learned you are best just who you are").
With many children's books being so superficial, it's sure refreshing to find some high quality books about morals. I am so happy to have discovered the Series & look forward to reading all of the books with the kids!

Happy Easter!

This year I made plans to take Gerritt & Sophia to the Easter Egg Hunt at nearby Vasa Park Resort. We all had a blast at their egg hunt last year. But it was not to be... Due to unexpected road construction & the time required for a detour (unlike my husband, I drive places the same way every time & am totally incapacitated without a GPS), we arrived to the park 20" late. We immediately knew that the egg hunt was finished due to the crowds of happy children running around with baskets full of sweets. I had a strong urge to turn around & go back home, but after looking at my kids' disappointed faces decided to go in, hoping for some small miracle to cheer them up.

It was a good hunch. Although all of the plastic eggs were picked, we were able to play & take a few amazing photos in the large heaps of straw which volunteers were cleaning up from the lawns. The Easter bunny was still there so Gerritt had a chance to sit on his lap (just like year, Sophia was too afraid to come close for even a high five). There was plenty of candy left after the Hunt so one kind gentleman filled my kids' empty baskets with chocolate goodness.

After our visit to the Vasa park, we went out for dim sum at a Chinese restaurant. The kids then spent the rest of the afternoon admiring colorful Easter eggs, eating sweets & playing with toys from the Easter baskets. Sophia was not in the mood, but I was able to take a few memorable photos of Gerritt (he climbed on our cherry tree) & Jacob (he was small enough to fit into the Bumbo seat & be displayed on our kitchen table as part of the Easter decor).

Our cherry tree all in bloom

Another Easter behind us... My Mom was pleasantly surprised with our Easter celebration tradition. We are so blessed she is with us! I will make sure she won't miss the Easter Egg hunt next year. :-)

Pure joy!

Sophia finds the Easter egg lights fascinating!

Spring Bouquet

I got the idea for this fun spring project for Gerritt & Sophia from the High Five magazine subscription to which Gerritt received from grandma Chris. The High Five magazine is designed with preschoolers in mind & includes a variety of stimulating & interesting activities including the Hidden Pictures puzzle, the Adventure of Spot, a mix of read-aloud stories & action rhymes. Since Gerritt & I read the magazine so often, I couldn't help but get inspired by this bouquet idea from the latest issue.
To make the bouquet you will need tissue paper (I chose pastel colors), twist ties, twigs & a vase.

Steps:

1) Cut tissue paper into 2-inch squares.
2) Tie a twist tie around the center of a tissue-paper square.
3) Use the twist tie to attach the flower to a twig.
4) Put the branches in a vase.

We are all ready for Easter!