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Saturday, November 07, 2015

10 Months

10 Months
September 27 – October 26



You’re a double digit baby now!  And you’re getting way too close to being a one year old.  I’m not ready for my baby to become a toddler!  Slow down, sweet boy! 

Here’s a look at what Jack was up to this month:

Long story short:

-Milestones: Jack is cruising and speed crawling everywhere!  He is SOCLOSE to standing on his own- I just know he will be standing any day now.  Jack had his first vacation this month- to Hawaii (lucky baby), and he traveled like a champ.  He still has just the 4 teeth, and I love his little vampire smile.  He can feed himself most table foods with his hands, and he is making all kinds of new sounds: “k,” “g,” "b," and unfortunately for our ears, his scream has reached even higher volumes. 
-Likes: Jack still loves climbing the stairs- he will stand at the gate and whine at me until I open it for him to do his daily stair climb.  At the beginning of the month he HATED when I would try to make him use his walker, but now he loves it, and he pushes it everywhere.  He’s still oddly obsessed with the alarm panel, the thermostat panels, and the string that hangs down from the attic door.  Weirdo.  Unfortunately, he still loves pulling my hair and now biting me.  Yay.  Favorite toys include: big stuffed bear (who really needs a name), Baby Einstein “ipod,” Tupperware, toilet paper, toilet seat, walker, rugs (he obsesses over the fringe), and his basting brush (don’t ask). 
-Dislikes: Diaper/clothes changes and wiping of face/hands = torture. 
-Foods:  I haven’t really come across any foods that he refuses to eat, but in general he’s just not that big of an eater.  He still loves his milk and formula.  Sometimes I get a little worried that he’s not eating enough solids, but I figure he is gaining weight fine, so I try not to worry about it.  He does really seem to like avocado and still loves broccoli.
-Sizes: Diaper size 4, Clothing: 12 months, moving into 18 month
-Sleep: Sleep got a little messed up with all the travelling we did, and the 5 hour time change was a doozy.  But overall, it really wasn’t as bad as it could have been, and I’m so glad we started sleep training BEFORE our trip to Hawaii.  It took about 3-4 days to adjust back to Houston time, but after that sleep was good again.  That is, until he started cutting 3 teeth all at once.  Grrrrr….

Long story (very) long:

40 Weeks (September 27 – October 2)



During Jack’s 40th week, we made a quick trip to Austin so that he could meet David’s cousin who was visiting from Germany.  This week Jack also cut his 4th tooth.  So now he has the two bottom middle teeth and the top two lateral incisors.  Which basically means he looks like a vampire.  He caught a cold this week, unfortunately.  Just in time for our trip to Hawaii… ugh!
Other highlights of the week: loves sticking his tongue out.  He also loves to blow raspberries on his hand, my neck, the couch, etc.  

42 Weeks (October 10 -  16)


First taste of Texas BBQ



TEEF!

Jack ALWAYS rubs his head while eating



41 Weeks (October 3 – 9)


Jack traveled to Hawaii this week!  We went for my mom’s 60th birthday celebration, and I’d been both looking forward to and dreading this trip for months.  I was mostly nervous about the flight, but he did great!  It was totally exhausting to entertain a baby on your lap for 6+ hours, but he really surprised me and was a great little traveler.  Once there, we had lots of extra hands to help out with Jack, and he loved all the attention.  The 5 hour time difference was a big adjustment and resulted in many EARLY mornings, but again, overall, he did really well, and I can’t complain.  It was so fun to watch him experience the beach and the ocean for the very first time.  He loved the water and (eating) the sand! 
New trick this week: rubbing his fingers over his lips to make a “blub blub” sound

First time in the Pacific Ocean (or any ocean for that matter)






Stuck





Rough life
42 Weeks (October 10 - 16)


This week we were mostly just recovering from our trip and readjusting to the time change and our normal schedule.  I have been trying to get him to practice “walking” either by holding onto his hands and making walking motions forward or by trying to get him to practice with his walker.  Every time I try either method, he plants his feet firmly and leans forward for as long as he possibly can without moving his feet.  And when I try to get him to use the walker, he just cries.  It’s so pathetic.  Poor guy!  Also noteworthy this week- Jack is getting a little bit more cuddly!  He has always loved being held, but he hasn’t ever been cuddly while being held.  He’s much too busy to lay his head on my shoulder or relax on my lap.  But it now seems like this is slowly changing.  When he is sleepy before naps, he will rest his head on my shoulder for a minute or two… until he gets distracted by something more interesting.  I’ll take what I can get though!   He also is starting to reach his arms up/out when he is sitting on the ground and wants to be picked up.  And he also loves to pull to standing at my leg while I am cooking or washing dishes or otherwise busy and whine and cry until I pick him up,  He loves being in on the action at all times and does not appreciate being left alone for very long.  

Last day in Hawaii

Tickle!






43 Weeks (October 17 – 23)


This week started off with a bang.  Literally.  Jack had his first big fall.  He fell off of our bed and landed right on his head.  And it happened on my watch.  I felt so awful. Still do.  It was so scary for both of us!  He screamed and cried, and even ended up vomiting shortly after it happened, which can be a bad sign after a fall.  I spoke with a nurse at our doctor’s office though, and she asked me a million questions, gave me some things to watch for, and determined that he didn’t need to be seen.  I took him in to see his pediatrician the next day though, just to be sure.  He got the all clear. 

We had some fun Halloween/Fall activities this week.  We had a neighborhood Halloween play date where we decorated pumpkins.  Jack was more interested in the toys, but we left with his very first Halloween pumpkin that he (I) decorated.  At the end of the week, Jack and I went to ZOO BOO at the Houston Zoo.  This is definitely an activity that will be more enjoyable when he is older, but it was still fun to check it out.  The highlight of that trip was that he stood on his own for the very first time while we were in the mini pumpkin patch!  And lucky for me, it was right when I was taking pumpkin patch photos of him!  He has only done it again a handful of times.  I don’t think he even realizes what he’s doing when it happens, but there’s no doubt that he will be standing on his own very soon! 


Other updates from the week:  After the drama of me forcing him to use his walker last week, he now LOVES the walker and waddles around all day now!  It’s the cutest thing, and he is just so proud of himself!  He will walk full speed ahead until he rams into a wall, and then he will just stare at me like, “um mom, hurry up and get over here to help me so I can keep moving!”  


My very own JACK-o-lantern

Obsessed

Trouble

Mohawk


1st time standing!!!

Why is this a thing again, mom?...

Zoo selfies
It's been a wonderful 10 months with you, Jack Andrew!  Can't wait to see what the next month brings!  


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Saturday, October 17, 2015

9 Months

9 Months
August 27 - September 26



Happy ¾ birthday, Jack!  It was another busy month for you full of new teeth, new skills, new tricks, new noises, some travelling, and even SLEEP!  What?!  I know…. I still can’t believe it either. 

Here’s a look at what Jack was up to this month:

Long story short:

-Milestones: Cruising, standing holding on with only one hand, 4 teeth total, another round trip flight under his belt, pincer grips like a pro, babbles “ma,” “da,” “ba,” and “heh.”
-Likes: Still loves climbing the stairs, loves being tickled, dropping things off of his high chair for me to retrieve, music class, pulling my hair while basically holding me in a headlock, and he now actually enjoys swim lessons.  Favorite toys include: his big stuffed bear, pillows, toilet paper, my keys, my old metal baby rattle, and his activity table. Jack has reached new volumes with his screaming, and his screams seriously hurt my ears sometimes.  I swear, one of these days the neighbors are going to call the police. 
-Dislikes: Having his diaper or clothes changed- still major drama here.  Wiping his face and hands is also another battle for both of us. Jack is also in that fun stage where if you take something from his he fuh-reaks out and immediately begins to scream and fake cry.  It’s absurd. 
-Foods: Jack is pretty much over purees, and has moved on to mostly finger foods.  And at least for now, he isn’t really all THAT messy of an eater.  His favorite food this month seems to be broccoli and baby Mum Mums. Also, he LOVES water.  He drinks out of his sippy cup on his own, and for some reason it cracks me up when he does so. He holds on with one hand, turns his head to the side and just throws it back like he’s chugging.  
-Sizes: Diaper size 4, Clothing: some 9-12 month, moving into 18 month
-Sleep: I finally ripped the band-aid off and began sleep training at the end of this month.  After 2 weeks, I saw major improvements!  He is still waking up once a night, but I’m OK with that for now.  Naps still need some work, too, but one thing at a time.  It’s just amazing to be able to put him in his crib awake and have him fall asleep in 15 minutes or less!  WAHOO!! How I survived nearly 9 months of such broken sleep is beyond me.  Let’s not talk about it. 

Long story (very) long:

36 Weeks (August 29 – September 4)



As much as it hurts my teacher heart, Jack hasn't really shown much interest in books. He's too busy for that, but I keep trying. So in an effort to force bibliophilia on him, this weekend we went to a Little Blue Truck Story Time at the bookstore. It was really cute. This week, Jack started cruising on the coffee table, and he has a new squinty eye, open mouth smile he does when he's really happy.  I call it his “cheese smile.”  Cutest thing ever! His word/sound of choice this week was "da da da da." Jack's great grandmother Helen passed away this week, so he and I flew out to Phoenix for her funeral and to spend some time with family. I'm so grateful he got to meet his great grandmother a few months ago.

Angel baby





Taking up the airplane seat all to himself while making me stand in the aisle

Swimming with Mimi




It doesn't get much more handsome than this

37 Weeks (September 5 – 11)



We were in Phoenix this week and really enjoyed our time there. Jack loves swimming in my parents' pool. It makes me wish we had a pool because he has so much fun and it wears him out!  Needless to say, he slept really well in Phoenix! In good news, Jack seems to be losing interest in purées, so I've started giving him more finger foods which he's doing really well with. Jack's new trick this week is laughing after he or anyone else burp… or has any other bodily function. Boys...

This was a big week in Jack’s life in the mobility and sleep departments. He's cruising along furniture with ease, and he'll often even hold one with just one hand and then let go for a brief second while he reaches out to grab for me if I'm close enough. Some new tricks of his this week are: dropping things from his high chair and making me pick them up- on repeat until I get sick of it, blowing raspberries on my neck or arm, and climbing up on my back when I'm sitting on the floor and laughing when I turn around... A little like peek-a-boo I guess. 


Big news in sleep this week- I finally broke down and started sleep training. I used the book The Happy Sleeper as my guide, and I actually just so happened to start the same night as two other girls in my mom group did, so we messaged throughout the days/nights and it was so great to have that support. Night 1, Jack cried an hour, night 2- 30 minutes, night 3-8 minutes, and since then it's been 15 minutes or less most night. He still wakes up once a night around 3 or 4, but I'll take it! This is such a huge improvement! It was so hard listening to him cry those first few nights, but he's made so much progress and I'm so proud. We are both a lot happier these days! Yay sleep! 

Uncle Mark



Lola supervising bath time







Decided he liked a pacifier randomly.  That lasted about 15 seconds.


38 weeks (September 12 – 18)


This was a big week in Jack’s life in the mobility and sleep departments. He's cruising along furniture with ease, and he'll often even hold one with just one hand and then let go for a brief second while he reaches out to grab for me if I'm close enough. Some new tricks of his this week are: dropping things from his high chair and making me pick them up- on repeat until I get sick of it, blowing raspberries on my neck or arm, and climbing up on my back when I'm sitting on the floor and laughing when I turn around... A little like peek-a-boo I guess. 

Big news in sleep this week- I finally broke down and started sleep training. I used the book The Happy Sleeper as my guide, and I actually just so happened to start the same night as two other girls in my mom group did, so we messaged throughout the days/nights and it was so great to have that support. Night 1, Jack cried an hour,
night 2- 30 minutes, night 3-8 minutes, and since then it's been 15 minutes or less most night. He still wakes up once a night around 3 or 4, but I'll take it! This is such a huge improvement! It was so hard listening to him cry those first few nights, but he's made so much progress and I'm so proud. We are both a lot happier these days! Yay sleep! 
1 Hour of crying... then finally asleep!

Asparagus. Nom!

This is what happens when you skip your nap


Baby's 1st eye exam



39 weeks (September 19 – 25)


Sleep training is still going well. The book says it takes a good 2 weeks to "work," but I've already seen huge progress. We had a couple nights this week where Jack cried for 30 minutes, and one night where he was up from 3-4L30 AM, but other than that it's been good! He seems to fall asleep in 15 minutes or less most nights, and he is still waking once each night for a feeding. I'm so proud of him (and me)! I think Jack was ready for this long before I was ready. 

This week we had two visitors! One of my best friends from home came for a long weekend, and my cousin Lesley stayed with us during the week while she was in town for an interview. Jack loved having both visitors! 

New tricks this week: fishy face, unraveling the TP rolls, and open mouth slobbery kisses.  This week we started a baby sign language class, which I am so excited about.  I can’t wait to for him to do his first sign!  I think this will be so helpful as he tries to communicate with us in the future.  Also new this week- Jack is oddly obsessed with and fixated on the alarm and thermostat panels.  He crawls over to where they are and just stares at the little indicator lights. And he gets extra excited if I’m holding him while using either panel.  Weirdo.  This week Jack was promoted to a convertible car seat.  He was looking pretty ridiculous in his infant seat, so this was a bit overdue.  He looks like such a big kid now!


Jack had his 9 month well check the day before he turned 9 months.  He is 21 pounds (83%) and 31 inches (99.9%)!  Crazy to think that he has tripled his birth weight and grown 10 inches since he was born!  He had a toe prick to check for anemia and lead (no problems with either), and he had to get the flu shot. He cried for both, but only briefly.  He was pretty quickly distracted with obsessing over trying to remove the band aids. 


Discovered the tupperware drawer


My giant baby


Fishy face

A fun toy AND a delicious snack!

Trying on his bathing suit for Hawaii

Baby legs

Not happy about the toe prick.  Or the band aid on his toe. 

Aunt Sarah!
Cousin Lesley
Last time in the infant car seat (looking pretty ridiculous) - Big Boy car seat
And a comparison... 1st time in the infant car seat, last time in the instant car seat

I love you, sweet boy!  On to the double digit months!

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