Happy First Birthday!

Jack,
You are one! This has been the fastest year of my life. Each month brought so much love and lots of fun to our lives. Before I get all weepy about you turning one, let's recap the past month.

Somehow you have become a toddler. I swear it happened overnight. You are such a sweet boy who loves to give hugs and hold my hand. Yesterday at church, Daddy picked you up from the nursery (which you don't seem to care for) and brought you back into the auditorium for the closing song. You reached for me and immediately went in for a kiss. It was so cute!

Reading has been the theme for this past month. You have always loved to read, but that love grew by leaps and bounds this month. Anytime I am sitting on the floor you will go grab a book and sit yourself down in my lap for me to read. You have your favorites and have started to vocalize when you want me to read a certain book again (and again and again). Mouse's First Halloween (you love the eeek! parts) is your favorite book. You have started to mimic the mooo sound in one of your farm animal books. It's not quite a mooo yet, but you are trying.

You are trying so hard to communicate. If something is not going your way you will arch your little back and try to throw a tantrum. We haven't had any all out tantrums yet, but I know they are coming. To help combat miscommunication between us, we have started to teach you a few baby signs. You have caught on to "more" and "eat". You have also started pointing at things that you want.

Just this past week you have really taken off in the food department and are eating more food and less baby food. You tried and liked hummus, nutella toast, and squash & corn from our favorite summer veggie and chicken tostadas.  I am trying to get you to eat more meat and tonight made you quesadillas from our pork tacos. You were a big fan. Your favorites are watermelon, peppers, mum mums, fruit pouches, cheerios, and apple slices.

You aren't too interested in your current toys and I think it is time to put some of them away. You would much rather play with things like your Daddy's belts, or Nuts' food and water bowls. We have to keep several doors in the house closed off to you and if one of them happens to be open then you take off so fast toward that room. You really like your Pottery Barn Kid's chair and you look like such a big boy sitting in it.

You love to play chase. It gets you so excited that you can't even walk and you just fall down. Peek-a-boo and being tickled are other things that you love right now. You have a couple of Fisher Price apps on your phone (my old iPhone) and on our iPads, and you love them. You are going to be a high tech baby! You also love the tv show, Bubble Guppies, and have started to dance to it and other songs and sounds that you hear.

Being outside is something that you love! Going on walks, swinging in your swing or being on the back porch is something that will keep you occupied for a long time. You have started to request bubbles and are slowly figuring out that you should try to pop them.You continue to try to be friends with Nuts and he is warming up to you. He will at least come around to give you a lick. :)

(You and the alligator slowly slid off the chair. I thought it was so funny, because it looks like the alligator is trying to hold you down.)

You have adapted nicely to your new daycare. I think you love being around the "big" kids. You are part time with Miss Joanie this summer and Danielle takes care of you two days a week. You are such a good napper for them and nap for an hour in the morning and three hours in the afternoon. I think being around all the big kids wears you out. You seem to be thriving with them.

You HATE bath time. It is the weirdest thing, because you used to love it. There have been a few nights where you have been fine in the bath tub, but if I wash your hair it is all over at that point. I introduced you to brushing your teeth and you love it. I let you do it and I'm so proud that you actually want to do it and can actually move it around and somewhat get those (4) teeth clean.When it is time to put the toothbrush up you get quite upset.

You don't really care to be rocked anymore. You cry for a bit when we put you in your crib, but then you fall right to sleep. I miss rocking you! You are a good sleeper and sleep through the night. You have discovered the video monitor and it's funny to see you walk right up to it. 

 Jack, you bring so much joy to our lives. You are such a sweet boy who loves to smile. I am excited to see you continue to change and grow. Just don't grow up too fast, baby boy. Thank you for making this the best year yet!

We love you!
Love,
Mommy


Weight: 18 lbs
Height: 27 1/4 in
Clothes: mostly 9 month clothing, 6 month shorts, 12 month jon jons, 9-12 month jammies
Diaper size: 3
Nicknames:  Jack Attack, Jackie Jack, sweet boy, sugar bear

A year in review

5 on Friday

1. My parents are coming up to spend today and Saturday with us. My mom's birthday is next week, and I won't be able to go home to celebrate. So, I made her some gluten free cupcakes to celebrate a few days early.

2. Jack loves to push things. He loved being out of the cart at Lowe's helping Ty push.

3. Last night he discovered one of cabinets with a built in lazy susan. He stayed entertained for quite awhile...well, maybe 5 minutes. It allowed me to eat my nutritious dinner of eggos.

4. Let's face it the majority of these are going to be about Jack. Are you surprised?! He loves this planter we have on the back porch that is full of dirt. Last weekend we were working on things on the back porch and plopped down and played with it. After getting wet at his water table and being stripped down, he went back to the dirt and climbed in.

5. I am taking Fridays off this summer and it is great! I am not going to want to go back to working five days a week in August. This picture is from last Friday.

I know it is 5 on Friday, but I can't resist sharing this photo. Nuts doesn't let Jack touch him very often. Jack absolutely loves Nuts, but the love isn't reciprocated. I think Nuts is terrified of this very grabby baby!

11 months

Jack,
Eleven months means only one more month until you are a year old! That is crazy! You have changed a lot this past month. Really, this past week!

Clapping is something you do quite a bit. It is adorable! You clap during singing at church, randomly during diaper changes, during movies, etc. You love to clap! Your favorite toy at the moment is anything that is a household item. Forget the toys, you love the tupperware drawer, pots and pans, etc. You also love your books. We read quite a bit and you have a big collection of books.

See that cat in your mouth. You tore it out of a pop up book and were 

insistent that it be a part of the photos.

You started walking this month! It started with a couple of steps at a time and now you are officially a walker. Your daddy and I were both home to see your first steps and we cheered and cheered for you!
Speaking of your daddy, he is really loving this age. He can finally throw you around and you are both having so much fun with it! With the new found walking comes lots of tumbles and bruises. You currently have three bruises gracing your face.

Your appetite is increasing and you are no longer satisfied with just one package of baby food. I can see into the future and how you are going to eat us out of house and home. You have caught onto drinking out of a straw. Your favorite foods are cucumbers and watermelon. I recently gave you a spicy sweet potato fry and I was worried it might be too spicy, but you loved it! You are working on a bottom tooth, but it hasn't popped through yet. You still only have two top teeth and they are starting to come down a little bit more.

You completed your last day at the daycare by my work. You will start at a small, home daycare soon. While, the change will be good it was still sad to leave the place you have been for the past eight months. Your teachers wrote you a nice goodbye card saying how much they would miss you. I will no longer be able to see you at lunch every day, so the change is bittersweet. It was so nice to drive over, feed you, and snuggle for a bit. 

I went to see you at lunch the other day and walked into your classroom, picked you up, and immediately went to look at your info sheet. I guess I didn't properly say hi to you, because you leaned your body around to look at my face and just grinned. It melted my heart.

You have started to give eskimo kisses unprompted. It is so sweet. You give the best hugs and have started hugging your stuffed bunny, Peter, whenever we hold him up to you.
 

We took a vacation at the end of this month. You experienced your first airplane ride and first visit out of state. You were so good on the plane! You slept the entire flight to Colorado, and took a short nap on the return flight. You are a good traveler!  I think your favorite part of vacation was the pool! A close second was the game room.

We got home from our trip and realized just how much you had changed while we were gone. You were all over the place, exploring, walking, etc. You developed a love for balls while we were on vacation and it is so cute to see you carry one around with you.

You also got your first hair cut this month. The hair around your ears was getting quite long. Daddy gave you a little trim. :) Speaking of long, you have the longest eyelashes. They frame your baby blues and are just precious.

Jack, it is so fun to see you develop and grow. I could probably write several more paragraphs about all the cute things you do. We are gearing up for your big first birthday and we can't wait to celebrate YOU! Your daddy and I love you very much.

Love,
Mommy

Weight: 18 lbs
Height: We'll find out at your 12 month appt, but you have definitely gotten taller!
Clothes: You are in a wide variety of sizes. 3-6 months shorts (you have a tiny waist), 9 months shirts, 9-12 month jammies
Diaper size: 3
Nicknames:  Jack Attack, Jackie Jack, sweet boy, sugar bear