Happy 7th Month Birthday!

I just noticed on our blog that it's Jack's 7 month birthday today!! At least for another 30 minutes... Has it really been 7 whole months?? WOW. I guess since I've been horrible at updating our blog, I should probably give a quick summary of what's happened in the past month...

At 6 months, we started Jack on "solid food" - really, it's pureed food, so I'm not sure if you would call it "solid". We started Jack on rice cereal initially. First time was a mess, but he seemed to catch on fast. Surprisingly, the second time was overall pretty clean! He was eager to have more. After a few days of just plain rice cereal, we started mixing in pears. Now, he's eating applesauce, squash, sweet potatoes, green beans, peas, and bananas.

Over Thanksgiving, we went to see Grandma and Grandpa in Amarillo. Jack got a chance to meet several of his cousins that we hardly ever get to see. It was so much fun to have everyone over to play with him. He loved it and was such a good boy! He even got to play "horse-y" with his Uncle Kham.LOVE how he's got a grip on uncle's "mane"!!

In Amarillo, Jack got to see his first snowfall. It snowed the last day we were there. So glad he got to see the snow!

Jack has become such a happier baby! What a difference from when he was an newborn! His coarse laugh cracks us up. He started sitting up on his own just in the past couple of weeks and has been playing with his toys more purposefully - meaning, he seems to know what to do to cause a noise or make a toy light up.

I've got about 10 minutes left to get this post up before his 7 month birthday is over, so I will have to continue another time. We are in Midland for the Christmas "break", so I will post Christmas pictures up when we get home. We had a white Christmas in DFW, then made the trek to Stamford, then on to Midland. Hoping we get a little breather when we get home before my family visits next weekend! We hope everyone has had a BLESSED CHRISTMAS!!

The Sullivans

I wanted to share a blog with you that I started following back in September. I've been meaning to post on it for some time now. This family has such a unique and inspiring story. I encourage you to start from the beginning of their blog (February 2009) of their journey through the trial they were given and how they fully trusted in God's hand in its outcome. All things happen for HIS Glory. Their journey has blessed me and I hope it blesses you.

Click Here: The Sullivans

Boys are Gross.

Jack is SO GROSS. He actually TOUCHED Josh's feet. YUCK.

Catch Up Postings

So I'm playing a little catch up... click on the links below to take you to the postings. Hope you enjoy the pictures of Jack!!

5 month posting (about a month or so late)
Orange is NOT My Favorite Color! (Pumpkin Patch - Take 1)
Pumpkin Patch - Take 2
Halloween
I'm a Burrito!

I'm a Burrito!

Like I said, Jack is a master roller. His newest trick is rolling himself up in his blanket. He grabs one end of it, then ROLLS himself into it like a burrito. He's so funny.

Halloween

We were boring parents and didn't dress up our baby for Halloween. Mostly because we didn't have time to get a costume. We had great ideas for costumes, but no luck getting one for him. Oh well. Our friends, the Foys, invited us over for chili, and to hand out candy to the neighborhood kids.

Here we are in the driveway getting ready to hand out candy. From left to right: Carsyn, Lincoln, Cason, and Jack.He had so much fun!!

Pumpkin Patch - Take 2

So we went back the next day (Sunday after church) to try again. Every time we sat the boy down, he cried. I really think it's because he doesn't like the color orange. Maybe that means he'll be an Aggie one day. We ended up having to hold him for pictures.

This picture looks like he's thinking, "Really mom? Weren't we here just yesterday?"People were probably pointing and laughing at me for the dancing I had to do to get the boy to crack a smile. Josh was most likely a little embarassed with my goofy faces and baby talk, but I got him to smile. That's all that matters.

Orange is NOT My Favorite Color! (Pumpkin Patch - Take 1)

Our very first trip to the Pumpkin Patch didn't go so well. This is what happened when we sat him down with the pumpkins:"Orange is NOT my favorite color!!"I don't think it helped that he was pretty tired.He was so sweet...

5 month posting (about a month or so late....)

So we've kind of disappeared for a while. Life got.... BUSY. I'm going to have to do a little catching up.

At 5 months old, Jack started to push forward with his legs. Not quite crawling yet. He's a master roller and will end up in the next room if you're not watching. He loves to be sung to. He still makes the goofiest faces. He thinks his daddy is so funny. He absolutely loves his mommy. He's not sitting up on his own, but does pretty well supported. I caught this picture as he was tipping over in the chair. Here's the after shot:

4 (and a half) Month Stats

The results are in!!

Jack had his four month checkup last Wednesday. He's got a little congestion, but is as healthy as can be. The booger came in at whopping 13lbs and 10oz, and is now 25-3/4" long. His doctor laughed at how squirmy he was - he was moving all over the table! He takes after his momma - it bugs me to sit still for too long.

Random Photo: Here's Josh and Jack - Josh thinks it's hilarious how Jack can get his toes to his mouth. I think Jack thinks it's hilarious, too.

All Smiles

Our little guy is starting to laugh and smile a ton. It's great! What's probably most funny is what we try to do to get Jack to laugh. I've caught myself jumping up and down with my hands in my armpits making monkey noises - now THAT'S a sight! Here are some pictures of that great smile of his. I love it, and I hope it makes YOU smile!I know he's not smiling in this one, but I thought it was too cute not to put up....

Boogers are Yucky!

Jack LOVES it when his daddy reads to him before bed. Our new favorite book is "Yummy Yucky". I think it's pretty funny. My favorite line in the book is, "Burgers are yummy, BOOGERS are yucky!" I hope Jack learns a lot from this book - maybe he won't be a booger eater like most kids. Here he is with his daddy. He likes to help hold the book.

Baby Dedication

On Sunday, September 13th, we presented Jack before God and the church and committed to raise him according to His word and direction. We were priviledged to participate in Dedication Sunday with two other families that we just adore (the Scheuflers and the Clouses), which made it more special. Pastor Craig prayed for the Lord to grant us grace and wisdom in carrying out our responsibilities as Christian parents, and that we would be examples for our children. He also prayed that one day, our children would choose to follow Him, something we pray for often for Jack. We hope the Lord uses Jack beyond his own abilities, and that Jack will be passionate for furthering His Kingdom. Please keep us accountable to teaching him His Word.

We weren't able to get photos at church, but here a few afterwards in his little plaid outfit that I love. He's also wearing some socks that look like golf shoes (they have spikes on the bottoms of them). And yes, I know his hair is crazy, but there is nothing we can do about it.

Grandma and Grandpa

Doing a little catching up....
Grandma and Grandpa came to visit Labor Day weekend. They were so excited to see Jack and couldn't believe how much he's grown!! I think he's got his grandma's nose... what do you think?

Upstream DoubleOnes

Josh, Jack and I met up with my old college friends for dinner last weekend. Duane, Eddie, Jared and I were in the same Upstream group (on-campus bible study) our freshman year at A&M and have continued to stay friends even after college. It's amazing how God formed our group that year, and it is even more amazing how many of us are still friends after being away from each other for so long! It was so fun seeing these guys again, but I wish that the rest of the gang could've been there, too! By the way, Jared and Anna are expecting a little one soon and just found out that they are having a little BOY!! Congratulations guys!! And here's Jack. He was getting fussy so we had to give him is pacifier. He get's sleepy around 8PM these days. Which is great if we aren't out!

Sitting Up

We tried the Bumbo for the first time this week. Jack did so well and didn't seem to mind it. I wonder if he just doesn't know what to think about it yet. Can't believe how fast the little guy is growing up and developing! He looks so relaxed in his chair. Check out the drool hanging from his lip and all over his shirt!

Handsome Little Fella

I love this picture but hate that it came out so blurry! Doesn't he look like a stud? He looks much older than just 3 months old, doesn't he?

All Sprawled Out

This is how my little man sleeps... I think he gets it from his dad. Here he is taking a nap on our bed. It's crazy how much room such a little body can take up!Remember how I wrote in the last posting that we keep finding him turned around in his crib? Here's how we found the little monkey Thursday morning when we went to go wake him up. His head should be up at the right. How he gets himself that way is a wonder...

No Longer a Newborn

Jack is now an infant. He turned 3 months old on August 27th. It's kind of sad! Although, I have to admit, I am enjoying him more now than I have before. Here's what he's doing at 3 months:

1. He's less fussy. I don't think he was ever colicky, but I was starting to wonder. By weeks 8-10, he started to improve quite a bit! He was actually pleasant to be around!
2. Jack started sleeping 9-10 hours consistently around week 9-10... just before he started daycare and before I had to get back to work. It's been so nice to get a full night's rest these days!
3. He's started to talk, smile, and laugh. My favorite is when he smiles, then buries his head into our shoulder - like he's being shy. It's the sweetest thing ever!
4. Jack's holding his head up really well.
5. He makes eye contact with you and will hold it for a long time.
6. He rolls over from his tummy to back.
7. Every now and then during the night, he'll spin around in his crib... meaning, when we go in to wake him up in the morning, his head is where his feet were when we put him down for bed!
8. He's starting to wake up happy.
9. His baby acne is FINALLY starting to clear up! He still has a few here and there, but I was starting to wonder if he'd have them forever!
10. He's starting to pack on the pounds... my big boy!!

It's kind of starting to hit me that Jack is not going to be a baby for much longer. It's amazing to see his development each day. And more amazing to feel how our love for him grows more and more each day!

Recent Favorite Photos of Jack Attack

This was a mobile photo. Phone's not quite fast enough to catch his moving arms. He's in his rockstar shirt for his Aunt Kristyn.

Another mobile photo - this has to be my absolute favorite.Jack with his famous "scowl". He always does that thing with his eyebrows. He gets it from me...My favorite photo of Jack and Josh... even though he's wearing a cap. I don't like caps. Speaking of caps, the church is taking donations for baseball caps to take on their mission trip to Africa [JOSH, I'M TALKING TO YOU].

Off to Daycare! And Back to Work...

WARNING: This is a long posting....
This was Jack's first week at daycare. I didn't think I'd have a hard time with it, but it was tougher than I thought! We started him on Monday so I could get an idea of what time I needed to get up, when I needed to feed him, how long it'd take to drive to the school, what traffic would be like... you get the point. Even though I wasn't starting back at work until Wednesday, I went ahead and practiced like it was a work day. I didn't get out the door with my teeth brushed or face washed, but I was on the road by 7AM. Pretty good for the first day, I thought. I dropped him off and visited with his teacher for a while before I left, then got in the car and had an emotional breakdown! I don't know what came over me. I came home and asked Maggie (my other baby - the dog) to come give her momma a hug, and let her lick the tears off my face. I pray daily for protection over Jack, and that the Lord would give the teachers wisdom in how to care for Jack and that they would be loving to him, and that he would give me peace that this is where he needs to be right now. I kept myself busy all morning - I had my quiet time, did laundry, picked up around the house a little, made some curtains I'd been meaning to finish for the past year and a half, folded the laundry, and went to the chiropractor to get an adjustment. Crazy morning, but I was eager to see him before long. I didn't have him stay the whole day and ended up picking him up just after lunch. The teachers said he did really well.

Tuesday was a lot easier for me. The Lord covered me with peace and I did not feel uneasy at all. I even got out the door with my teeth brushed! Josh went with me this time to meet the teacher, so we dropped him off extra early - I think we were out the door by 6:30. Jack stayed until 4, and he had another great report.

Wednesday was my first practice day back to work. Let me start off by saying that we've been real lucky because Jack has started sleeping about 9 hours at night. Here's how the day went...

-NIGHT BEFORE - shower, get laptop loaded into car, diaper bag ready, car seat in place, outfits picked out (mine and Jack's - Josh can pick out his own clothes these days...), and anything else I can get done, preferably all before 9:15PM

-5:50AM - get up, brush teeth and pump

-6:15AM - put away milk, feed Maggie, wash face, get in contacts, put on a little bit of makeup so I don't scare anyone

-6:20AM - Josh wakes up Jack and gets him out of his pjs, changes his diaper, and gets him into his outfit for the day while I finish getting dressed

-6:25 to 6:30AM - I feed Jack and say bye to Josh

-6:50 to 7:00AM - grab a quick snack and go

-7:10 to 7:15AM - arrive at daycare and visit with teacher

-7:20AM - off to work!!

I'm going to be honest and admit that I was not able to get in my quiet time Wednesday, Thursday or Friday - and it's been difficult to be consistent since Jack arrived. Once I started getting back into the routine of things, we had to change it up with going back to work! I just don't see it possible to do it before I leave for work unless I get up earlier, which I'm already struggling to get up at 5:50. I'm going to challenge myself to commit some time to do it at night. Please check in on me and ask me about it so that I've got some accountability!! And if you think about it, please pray for me as I work on this!

Overall the week back to work was great! My team was sure not to put too much pressure on me - there weren't any high expectations for me this week, and I even left early a couple of the days to pick up Jack. My bestest friend Kristyn decorated my desk with printed pictures of Jack, and taped "Jack Loves You" to my computer screen. If I remember, I'll have to get a picture of it! It was nice to see everyone again and to get back into the swing of things. I forgot how much fun I have at work and how much I missed everyone!

My sweet friend Melissa surprised me with a "going back to work" homemade frozen key lime pie - well, it was kind of a surprise. Her husband accidentally told me when he shouldn't have. Nonetheless, it was sweet of her to make my fav dessert - and it was delicious!! I don't know where she found the time to make it with her busy schedule, but I'm so glad she did - it was a nice treat!! I'm sure you're salivating from the photo below. :)