Ten Months Old!

Jack turned 10 months old just before Christmas and the next day he began to crawl. It's still just the beginning of crawling...sometimes just an army crawl but his radius of what he can get to is getting wider and wider. Also around the same time, he found his pointer finger. From the instant you pick him up, that pointer finger automatically comes out and points. As you get closer to an object, he zeros in on his pointing. The second you pick him up from his nap, he reaches and points for the door ("Take me outta here...no more nap!").

He giggles, talks, and laughs even more and he loves his mom. He's become very needy towards mom, even when Dad is available. Of course, I eat it up but at times, it's not very convenient!
He's started eating table food. He loves bread crumbs and has tried bits of waffles and tortilla. For some reason, he seems to be done with the puffs for now...maybe he's realized there is so much better food out there!

Last but not least, his first tooth appeared! It's hard to catch a glimpse but it's slowly making it's way out! It's on the bottom right side.

Christmas Party!

We had a Christmas get-together with some of our friends at the beginning of December. It was a great motivator to get the house decorated for Christmas and we had such a great time. We tried different wines and cheeses and found a new favorite wine. The night went way too fast!

Our November Cutie

We have some random photos from the month of November. Jack was sick just in time for Thanksgiving but he's done pretty well at handling it. Thanksgiving day was actually the hardest day! He's doing great at standing and is also taking steps with someone's hands to hold. I can tell he is even more curious about things and wants to grab ANYTHING within reach. The Christmas tree is protected until Jack figures out that he can crawl!

Check out more photos here:
http://tinyurl.com/yccl96v

Outtakes

And last but not least, a few excerpts from Jack's 9 month old photo shoot.

Jack in the Box

Some of you know that I am not one that is into posing babies with toys for portraits. But come on, we had to pose him with Edward's old "Jack in the Box." He basically loves the tiny little spinning handle. Another thing about Jack, he loves things that spin or rotate!

Click image to see larger.

9 Months Old!

Jack turned 9 months old today! We haven't been to his 9 month appointment yet so his latest "stats" are to come. Some things about Jack this month:

1. He started eating puffs a couple weeks ago and loves them. He picked up on it so quickly (picking them up, scooting them around, putting them in his mouth.) Puffs have also proven themselves to be a wonderful distraction and cry-stopper.

2. I think his favorite baby foods are probably Sweet Potatoes, Prunes, Prunes with Apples, Squash, and Carrots. LEAST favorite are definitely Peas, Peaches and Green Beans.

3. Jack has become even more vocal including, yelling at us more "Ahhh! Ah!" And also his version of a duck "squack" in response to dad's "duck sound." Edward was making the sound with his lips at Jack and then started to walk out of the room, Jack responded by letting out this squeaky, yell-like sound. He did it quite a few times in response to Edward and has used it a few times to call for Dad.

4. Jack was in another photo shoot at Group. It's fun to see his reactions to it all. This time he was the only one, on the floor of the studio. I said we were lucky that he is so good at sitting, but not crawling. He was a great candidate for the job!

5. We also found that Jack has become particular about his "blankies." He spent one day at my mom's house protesting sleep. We couldn't figure out what his problem was until the next day when he had spit up carrots on his blankie and I threw it in the wash and then went to put him to bed for a nap. Unfortunately, that is when I found that he wanted that particular blankie. Luckily after carrying around a tired Jack for about half an hour, I was talking on the phone with my mom when she remembered that the hat she had crocheted for him was made out of the same yarn. The second I pulled it out of the drawer, Jack grabbed it and snuggled it into his face, thumb in mouth. (It's really one of the cutest things when Jack rubs his face into his blanket and puts his thumb in his mouth).

6. Jack has started to stand! He's able to hold himself up quite well while leaning into something. We are so proud of him and he loves the new view on the world.

7. With his standing, we've started holding his hands and he's actually taking some wobbly steps. Should we really be helping him with this? It's been pretty convenient that our baby is happy to sit or roll around on the floor.

Jack is simply the best in our world. We are amazed at how he has already grown and changed. He continues to thrill us by just being him. God has truly blessed us with our baby boy. We are looking forward to his first Christmas...and our first with a 10 month old!

Mohawk Style!

 

 

Dad finally styled Jack's hair. He has the perfect basis for a mohawk. Jack's going to be so hip and in style. Especially since his parents are so cool. :)

Double Date Night!

 

 

There was a great deal at The Melting Pot and we decided to go out on a double date with Kadie and Hahn. We hadn't been out just the 4 of us and no babies since Valentine's day! (Exactly 1 week before Jack was born...so I guess you could argue that he was there....). We had a blast and ate awesome, yummy food! I do have a bit of a crazed look in my face. I guess you could say I was excited to eat an entire meal without getting up from the table!

The Boys Video

As you probably know, I just can't get enough photos of "our boys" together (Jack and Henry). Babies are cute, but babies are even cuter together! :) Here's a video of a few photos of the boys together over the last 9 months!

Back Door Time!

Jack just loves to sit by the back door and look out and play with his toys. (That is, when he can't just be outside!) You can also see the snow that we got this week! It's taller than Jack when he's sitting!

Jack's Fall Photos!

Here's the scrapbook page of our fall photos of Jack. There were still so many photos I could have chosen. He can be quite photogenic. :)

8 Months Old!

Jack turned 8 months old last week! Boy what a month it was! Events and milestones of the last month:

1. He had his first trip to the ER. He had a rash that gradually grew on his arms and legs, then onto his ears, hands and feet. After a day of having him on Benadryl, I got home from work just in time to find that his lips were turning blue. After speaking with his doctor, we rushed him to the ER. Of course, after our 2.5 hour wait (in the Swine Flu infested waiting room--Eek!), his rash was almost all gone and the color was back in his lips. The rash made a brief appearance again the next day but then was gone.

2. Two days later, he had his first cold. (We're now wondering if the rash and the cold were related). That set us back at least a solid week of him not feeling good. It was rough. Edward also had the cold, then I did after they were both getting over it. We felt like we were catapulted back to the first days of his life, waking often, feeding him throughout the night, but even more unpredictable. But we made it through and it was so fun to see him upbeat again.

3. While he was sick, I introduced him to his Baby Einstein videos. He loved it and it was a relief for him to have something to entertain him while he could relax. He would even get upset when the screen would go black in between segments.

4. I think he squeals from delight and smiles even more than he did before. When he sees us in the morning, he sucks in so much air and squeals with delight. We love it, of course.

5. He's a pro at eating his baby food. We still have lots to introduce but he loves it and we are now giving him baby food 2-3 times a day. We even found that he insists on having it sometimes.

6. He's recently started the "head-bob." I like to ask him questions that always end in the answer "yes."

7. And...the other day while giving him a bath, he found that to keep the little dolphin bath squirters close by (instead of floating away), he just had to hold them down underwater in front of him with both hands. It was so adorable.

Fall Preview

We happened to be at the park to take some senior portraits for someone and we had Jack with us. After we were done with the senior photos, we decided to plop Jack down for a few photos (if he would last!) He loved it and I think he was just thrilled to finally be put down! Here's a very small preview of the photos. More to come soon!

(And don't forget to vote on the blog if Jack will be crawling by Christmas--voting ends soon! :)

New Poll--Will Jack be crawling at Christmas?

Hey everyone! Check out the blog and vote at the top if Jack will be crawling by Christmas. Polling ends 10/31!

Trip to City Park!

We had lunch on a beautiful day at City Park in Fort Collins. It was great to spend some time hanging out outside together!

Click to see larger

Visits from a Distance!

We've had a few friends come visit us recently from afar. Kim & Todd and their children Hannah and Aaron live in Castle Rock. I realize Castle Rock really isn't tooo far but in our busy lives, it's become further and further. It was great to have them to our house for the first time and also for us to meet Aaron and them to meet Jack for the first time! (Aaron was born just about 2 weeks after Jack!) We took them to one of our favorites, Cafe Mexicali.

Also, our great friends Sean & Michelle and their daughter, Averi, visited us from Texas! We had a great time at The Rio and also shopped CSU Alumni gear (Michelle and I met at CSU and were both Design majors)!

We wish they lived closer!

7 Month Old...scrapbook page

Here's a scrapbook page with some more 7 month photos!

Click to view larger.

7 Months Old!

Jack is 7 months old! Boy has time flown. Here's just some of the changes since just last month:

1. He's a pro at sitting up now. It's so nice to be able to sit him down upright. He loves it.
2. He's an avid "high chair" baby at restaurants. He definitely does better now that we can put him in a high chair instead of leaving him in his car seat.
3. He's officially started eating baby food. So far he loves Squash and Sweet Potatoes. However, he has decided when he's done, he can let us know by spitting the last bite back at us with a raspberry.
4. And the raspberries continue. Only now, you can tell what a happy raspberry sounds like, and you can tell what an angry raspberry sounds like. It's amazing how there is actually a language of raspberry blowing.
5. He earned another $30 as a model in a photo shoot at Group. We can't wait to show off what his photo will be on once the product is released!
6. He doesn't have a ton of new hair but he definitely has enough now to officially give him bed head some days!

He still L-O-V-E-S his sleep. He leans to be put down when he sees his crib. I just hope it sticks! It's so nice being able to put him down for his naps so easily.

Still no teeth. Henry has him beat there. We keep waiting to see one poking through but nothing yet!

Famous Laughs by Jack

Edward took this video of Jack today while entertaining him. He was basically flailing his arms and acting like a crazy robot....needless to say, Jack loved it! Too bad we didn't get video of both of them!

Best Friends in the Making

Just a handful of photos of Jack and Henry together. We've had so much fun seeing them begin to interact together. We can't wait for more to come!

Jack Approval Meter

Jack Approval Meter. Enough said. 

Click to see image larger.


See more new photos and video here!
http://tinyurl.com/md6ywd

Swimming!

We took Jack swimming for the second time. He was a little in-different about it but we think he was not 100% after getting his vaccines on Friday. But he was very good and handled it all so well! I was thrilled to be out in the pool and enjoying the summer, not-too-hot weather! And, how is it that Jack and Henry were both ready to go at the SAME time...it was meant to be!

Check out more photos here:
http://tinyurl.com/kork4c

The Many Faces of Jack

This speaks for itself. Click the image to view larger.

View more photos from this photo session here:
http://tinyurl.com/lubdgo

6 Months Old!

Jack has now officially reached half a year of life! We are still amazed at how much he has changed. No wonder the first birthday is such a big deal.

He continues to remain "long and lean" but very healthy at his doctor appointments. He was so great at his last appointment, even with a shortened nap. He loves to smile at people, even the new ones. This was about the only smile from him that morning. He was feeling somewhat in-different about photos that day.

Recent things about Jack's world:
1. He's almost sitting up...just a little support. And if only he could reach things without worrying about the back end of his body, he'd be good.
2. He now has a sippy cup. We've stolen his first one from Henry and he loves it. He even holds it himself, just can't quite tilt it up high enough.
3. He held his bottle and put it in his mouth for the first time yesterday!
4. He reached for mom at church this weekend. Actually *reached.*
5. And the top advancement of our little one, RASPBERRIES! Restaurants...church...at home...in the car...doesn't matter when or where. This kid loves to blow raspberries. His face actually gets strained when doing them. He's serious about it.

Baby food and baby-proofing...here we come!

We're Hungry.

Whenever we may think it's time for another baby, we'll look back at this video first. This is Edward enacting the "5 S's" to calm Jack (The Happiest Baby on the Block...we strongly recommend it!). Wow how things have changed! And look how miniature he is!

And for those who don't remember why Edward is wearing a glove,
he had recently burnt his hand while on a trip to see his grandfather.

Famous Quotes...by Edward

Tonight we were looking back at the early days with Jack...video of him at 6 weeks old. He pretty much just sat there and looked cute. And then Edward said this:

"And we were so happy with him then...I don't think I'd be as happy now. I mean do something...smile!"

Ah, it's amazing how quickly we adapt to his changes. He's such a different baby than he was a few months ago. It goes fast!

Jack Laughing

Jack thinks it's hilarious when Edward throws his hat at him.
We've taken a few videos of it and he just cracks up. It's a little dark online but still fun.

You can check out more of the latest photos and more videos here:
http://tinyurl.com/no3962

Jack's New Favorite Thing

Jack has discovered how to make raspberries with his lips. The other day, he did it for a while. You can see his shirt is soaking from all the spit. And after Henry came over the other day, it seems that Jack taught Henry how to do it, too!

Jack and Henry

It's fun to see Jack and Henry interacting a little more with each other. We took this video of them on the floor. Henry couldn't take his eyes off the camera and Jack couldn't seem to win his attention but was having fun! There's also a few pics from when Kadie came to babysit and they spent a little time together before Jack went to bed.

Henry & Jack

Best friends in the making

Hey! This guy is kind of like me! Does that hurt?

Baby Photos 2

Here's a couple of photos of Edward as a baby next to Jack photos. He's a bit older in the 10 month one so we'll have to update it when we get there. :) Edward definitely had more hair at 5 months old but you can still tell Jack's his son!
Click the image to see it larger.

Baby Photos

We get a lot of people saying that Jack looks just like either Edward or me. I decided to post a couple photos of when I was a baby next to ones of Jack. I think there's definitely a resemblance! (Photos of Edward has been harder to track down at the moment...)
Click the image to see it larger.

5 Months Old!

Jack turned 5 months old last Tuesday. All I can think is "I can't believe we almost have a 6 month old!" Then I think, "that's still an entire month, enjoy THIS month...it's changing fast!"

I think every month gets better. He is just so sweet I don't even have words for it. It's amazing seeing him explore the world. He's also finding that he has really kooky parents. He seems to like us, though. :) Who can get him to laugh most frequently? No surprise there, Dad is the coolest.

Changes since last month:
1. He weighed in at 15 pounds 2 ounces last week.
2. I can't keep up with keeping his clothes that fit in his drawer--he's growing so quickly!
3. He has found his thumb and thinks it's pretty awesome. He still enjoys a good nosh on his hand but more and more, I see him sucking just the thumb.
4. He finds comfort in blankets & burp cloths but especially his afghan that he sleeps with. It cam calm him in an instant (sometimes :). He grabs it and pushes the blanket into his face and sucks on his thumb.
5. He started eating rice cereal and is wondering why we've kept it from him all this time.

And on a side note, he's already accrued 46 cents of interest in his savings account and he's only 5 months old!

Jack's First Camping Trip

We took Jack camping for the first time this weekend to a campsite near Ward, CO. He did great...but he wasn't sure what we were doing out there and was definitely glad to be home. We went with our friends Brady & Loryn and their baby Faye (who is 6 days older than Jack!) and Kyle & Monica and their 2-1/2 year old Sadie. After we almost didn't find each other, we tracked down the Tarplee's at about 9 pm on Friday night at the camp site.
Saturday we hiked a little over 2-1/2 miles round trip to the reservoir. We ended up with some rain that afternoon and all got in our afternoon naps. Luckily, the rain subsided in time for us to have dinner but did come back in time for s'mores!
Click on the photo to see it larger. You can see more photos here:
http://tinyurl.com/m6fdtg

Jack was so glad to be back in his Jumperoo when we got home and he slept great in his crib.

Jack's Jumperoo

Jack just loves his Jumperoo so much. He also doesn't mind using you as a jumperoo. Here's a short clip of him being cute in his "Jumpy." He's already on the highest "stage" because he is such a good jumper and such a long baby.

Time for Rice Cereal!

Jack was one day shy of being 5 months old when we tried rice cereal! The first batch was pretty soupy. He did great, though. Not totally sure what to think of it but it wasn't too bad. (See photos...he loved to grab his bowl--we had to hang on tight!)

The video is of the third time eating rice cereal. By now, Jack is loving it and we couldn't seem to shovel it in fast enough for him! (At the end of the video, he was upset that I stopped to wipe his face. Bad mom.)

""I'm pretty adorable."

"I'm pretty adorable in stripe-on-stripe."

"Just look at me."

"No, don't look at me."

"Just Kidding! You can look at me!"