September 29th, 2009 – Sometimes We Need the Week to Recover from the Weekend
Wow, what a week is all Mommy can say. Well, more like, what a weekend! Jack is 37 weeks old today and if his demeanor is any indication, he too, is still recovering from all of the running around we did.
Just as I predicted when I posted up Jack’s general schedule, he decided he was going to change things up a bit. So, rather than waking at 9:00 in the morning as he has been for the past month and a half, Jack has been wiggling himself into wakefulness closer to 8 AM. Yes, Mommy does mean wiggling quite literally.
Since Little Man has discovered the magic of movement he can’t seem to stay still. He will scoot himself all over his play room moving from toy to toy. He has learned that if he wants something out of reach, he must move to get it. Well, as great as this milestone is, it also means Jack understands the power of movement in all situations, even in his crib.
Baby Diaper Inchworm
With Jack’s growing curiosity with the world around him, Mommy tries to keep things interesting. So, Thursday morning, when the weather was mild, Mommy and Jack went for a walk around the neighborhood. Jack was more than entertained as I pointed out all of the various sights.
Ready to go Ma!
Later that day, we had a pleasant surprise. While Mommy was making lunch for Jack Jack, JaNae called. She and Kiera were in the neighborhood and wanted to see if it would be alright to come by for an impromptu play date. It had been a little while since the last time they were over so Jack and Mommy were thrilled to have the company. Jack, now a stable sitter and scooter had a lot of fun although he spent more time staring and Kiera and her pretty golden curls than he did playing.
Friday was a fairly laid back day. Not a whole lot happened, but despite the relaxed mood (or maybe because of it) Jack did something he hasn’t done in ages – he fell asleep in Mommy’s arms. The scene was so sweet it was hard to hand him over to Daddy to be put down for the night.
Someone was a tired little man
Considering the weekend we had in store for us, I think Jack was just resting up because he knew he wouldn’t have a chance come Saturday or Sunday.
Saturday Jack was packed up into the car right after breakfast because Mommy and Daddy needed to pick up a large purchase from Wal*Mart and we needed the use of Grandad’s truck. This required 4 trips! A trip to Grandad’s to pick up the truck. Then a trip to Wal*mart (Daddy drove Jack in the Honda while Mommy drove the Ford). From Wal*Mart we went home to unload the truck (Daddy was driving the Ford at this point) and to give Little Man a bottle. We also took a minute to introduce ourselves to our new neighbors who were having a garage sale across the street. Then we headed back up to Grandad’s to drop the truck back off. Unfortunately, we had a bit of time crunch so we weren’t able to stay and visit.
After Grandad’s, we had to head out to Oma’s neck of the woods to meet up with Oma, Grandpa Turner, Aunt Danielle, Aunt Ali, Uncle Matt, and Cousin Carson to celebrate Aunt Ali’s 23rd birthday. But, before we could head in that direction though, we had to stop off at Barnes and Noble to pick up the last part of Aunt Ali’s gift. We finally made it to Red Robin at 1 o’clock after a little over 40 minutes of travel time to get there. And of course, as we’re unbuckling Jack, we discover that he needs an outfit change because he became a little car sick. Eventually, we made it inside to enjoy our first dining experience out of the house with Jack and the whole family. We had a lot of fun, even if Mommy did forget to pack a spoon to feed Jack his lunch. He ate with a regular spoon like a real trooper!
Happy Birthday Auntie
If I pull hard enough this stuff comes out!
Where's my burger?
Where did that waitress go?
Unfortunately, as much as Mommy would like to say, “And on Sunday, we rested”, I can’t. Sunday was just as busy with trips to Babies ‘R Us, Costco, and Fred Meyer all on the agenda. It was no wonder Jack was cranky and Daddy’s blood pressure was through the roof. But, the shopping trips did provide us with very important Jack supplies.
Jacks first Toothbrush
Elmo says this stuff is yummy
Brushy, brushy, brushy
And new Jack pjs!
Wheeeee.........
We’re all exhausted . . . . Here’s hoping for a more relaxed week and weekend.
Side Notes
- Jack now uses the signs for milk, daddy, juice, and dog!
- He is learning to vocalize more so when he gets excited, like when he sees a cat or Daddy, he screams like a little Pterodactyl.
- Jack watched a portion of his first movie on Sunday evening, The Wizard of OZ. He definitely seemed to comprehend what was going on. He yelled with excitement whenever he saw the dog, Toto, and he smiled when there was singing.
- Saturday Jack began to eat puffy finger food bits that dissolve in the mouth. He enjoys picking them up with his fingers and putting them in his mouth, but he doesn’t seem to be a fan of eating them.
- Friday afternoon, Jack spent a fair amount of time trying to use the ottoman to pull him self up to a standing position. He’ll be walking in no time!
- Daddy has been calling Jack his little “space monkey” because of how Jack looks in his pjs.
- Jack enjoys throwing things out of his crib, i.e. his paci.
- Jack has learned how to switch off the light switch in his room while Mommy or Daddy holds him up. He thinks it’s fantastic!
Jack is Tweeting
Jack has been hooked up with his very own Twitter account. You can follow him at http://twitter.com/TuesdayJack. We will use this feature to update everyone on his doings and such more often than the once weekly blog posts. These tweets will post up on the upper right hand corner of this website as well.
Also, Jack has directed me to begin using this site to generate some charitable contributions for The Nature Conservancy. He wants his planet to be healthy and happy when it comes to be his turn to take it for a spin. It costs no money, simply click on the SocialVibe panel on the right and viewing the advertising generates contributions from the company.
September 22nd, 2009 – Schedules, Saturday Visits, and Sad Sundays
Jack is 36 weeks old today and this week has brought both joy and sadness. Last week, Little Man welcomed his first tooth and this week he welcomed his second! This has made for a slightly grumpy existence around the house and resulted in a few standoffs at dinner time as Jack has preferred a bottle to solids.
We’ve also established a fairly routing line-up of daily events. Even though I’m sure it will change once I write it down, here it goes:
8:30 – 9:15 Jack wakes up and Mommy gets Jack dressed.
9:30 – 10:00 Jack eats breakfast.
A typical breakfast is 8 ounces of formula and a small bowl of an eight grain yogurt mixture combined with a little bit of fruit and fruit juice.
10:30 – 11:45 Jack and Mommy play in the play room.
This is usually a combination of reading books, looking at animal flashcards, working on our ASL vocabulary, and just general playing.
12:00 – 12:15 Jack eats a 6 ounce bottle of formula and goes down for a nap.
12:45 – 1:00 Jack wakes up from his nap which is usually about 45 minutes long.
1:00 – 2:15 Jack plays independently while Mommy works on school assignments.
This time is a combination of Jack in his exer-saucer, jumper, and playing with various books and toys.
2:30 – 3:00 Jack eats lunch.
A typical lunch consists of a sippy cup with a few ounces of fruit juice, a bowl of grains, i.e. whole wheat cereal, mix grain cereal, brown rice, etc, combined with either a mixture of vegetables or fruit. Jack will usually eat a full container of veggies and half of a container of fruit.
3:30 – 3:45 Jack gets a bath in his quacktastic bathroom and then goes down for a nap.
4:30 – 5:00 Depending on the day Jack’s afternoon nap may be 45 minutes to an hour and a half long – after which, he gets a 6 ounce bottle of formula.
5:15 – 6:30 Jack plays and watches Mommy get dinner ready.
6:30 – 7:00 Jack eats dinner.
A typical dinner for Jack is a small container of grains, veggies, and a meat product mixed together along with a sippy cup of fruit juice and a small container of fruit. Right before bedtime, dinner is topped off with 4 to 6 ounces of formula.
7:00 – 7:30 Jack gets ready for bedtime and goes to sleep.
This is just a rough outline of a typical Jack day, but as Mommy knows, there is never a normal Jack day. And just as there is rarely a normal Jack day, there are rarely normal Jack activities as Mommy and Jack are always doing new things and having different types of fun. Some days we may just read and play tickle games while other days we will sing and dance. Mommy tries to keep baby man guessing as much as he keeps me guessing.
Our little monkeyman
This past weekend was certainly a weekend for guessing on Jack’s part! Saturday, after Jack’s morning nap, we headed out to Oma and Grandpa’s house for the afternoon. It was a lot of fun, although, as Jack is getting older, he is developing more anxiety of “strangers”, i.e. anyone who isn’t Mommy or Daddy. So, when we first arrived, it took a few minutes for him to feel comfortable, but after Daddy set up his high chair for lunch time, I don’t think Jack had the slightest bit of worry.
Jack played with Oma and spent some time with Grandpa, who felt more comfortable playing with Jack now that he is bigger, but after a while the afternoon came to an end and it was time to go home.
Oma, Grandpa Turner and Jack
Sunday was a big day too! It was the first Sunday of the NFL season that Mommy and Daddy had games being shown on TV! Mommy’s Chiefs were playing the Raiders and Daddy’s Seahawks were playing the 49ers. Jack was all dressed and excited for the game!
Just chillin'
He's doomed if he keeps wearing this...
Mommy made a cheese ball, a football game must have, and we all hung out in the living room to watch the warriors of Sunday. Unfortunately, as I alluded to at the beginning of this post, much sadness was to be had. Both the Chiefs and the Seahawks lost. Ah, the heartache of loving a losing team . . .But, as Jack will learn like Daddy and I have, there’s always next Sunday!
September 15th, 2009 – Are You Ready for Some Football?
35 weeks old and nearly as many words about ready erupt from little Jack’s mouth. It seems that since the birth of his first tooth, Jack has decided he’s ready to begin his baby babbling stage. He babbles at Mommy and Daddy, but he also babbles at his toys and Max. The only things that interrupt his strings of “babababa, yayayaya, gagaga, ohohohoho”s are giggles from a smiling mouth.
Feeling on my new tooth
One of Jack’s latest favorite things is being startled. What once made his cry in fear now causes an explosion of laughter and smiles. This weekend, after a game of startle and giggle, Daddy determined Jack will definitely be the type to enjoy a good roller coaster. This is very exciting for Mommy – I’ll have someone to go on Splash Mountain with at Disney World! After our Honeymoon at Disney World and Daddy’s first trip on Splash Mountain, he proclaimed it was his last.
Each day, more and more of our Little Man’s personality is revealed. When our darling little boy isn’t trying out his vocal styling and giggling his cute little booty off, he is simply sitting quietly trying to figure out one of his toys – in quiet contemplation. If the toy makes noise, he spends a great deal of time turning it over and inspecting it to see where the noise is coming from. In fact, even toys that are beyond his age he finds fascinating as long as he can manipulate it. We discovered this while at Babies ‘R Us over the weekend. He is constantly in search of a new discovery and a new adventure.
Thankfully Jack is always up for a new adventure because this week Mommy added a new activity to the mid-day schedule, baths. Prior to this week, I had never bathed Jack. I had always let this be a special activity for Daddy and Jack, but with Jack spending more and more time scooting around and Daddy and Jack having less time in the evening for baths, Mommy thought it was time to step up to the tub. The first couple of baths I gave him were in the sink, like the baths Daddy gives Jack, but then I decided it was time to move to the duck tub in Jack’s quacktastic bathroom. Not only did Jack survive, but he had fun! Mommy got a little wet, but all was well in the end.
Saturday brought forth a milestone. Jack’s first tooth decided to make its appearance, just a day shy of his 8 month birthday. It’s barely poking out, but it is there nonetheless. I’ll try not to dwell on my typical, “my baby is growing up too fast” feelings, but . . . my baby is growing up too fast! It is only one tooth, but one leads to two, which leads to three and before you know it he’s graduating from college. .
Looking very much like a little boy, instead of a baby
The emergence of Jack’s tooth on Saturday explained a lot of his grumpiness over the past few days, especially on Friday. Friday, Oma came to visit for a few hours after she got off of work. This was the first time we had seen her since school had started, so it was great to have her over. Unfortunately, Little Man wasn’t in his usual good mood.
On the bright side, Jack was in a splendid mood for the Sunday kickoff of the NFL season! He even had a special football outfit for the occasion. Unfortunately, neither Mommy’s nor Daddy’s games played in our area, but there is always next week! In addition to wearing a special outfit with what looks like Pippi wearing a football uniform, Daddy went out and bought Jack a mini football. He had a blast with it.
I like this football stuff
Put me in coach, I'm ready
So, one tooth, an 8 month birthday, and a lot of adventures and babbles later, it’s fair to say we had an eventful, but very good week.
September 12th, 2009 – Finally!
Dad here.
Just wanted to share that after months of pawing at his face, acting grumpy, and 1 day shy of his 8 month birthday, when the little guy woke up this morning he had a shiny new tooth to show us. Lower left incisor, and the little sucker is sharp!
Dad of course rejoiced in this new milestone while Mom is a little less hesitant to celebrate anything that indicates that her baby is getting bigger. Of course, this gets harder and harder to do, as we just returned from Costco with size 4 diapers!
A picture of the new little nubby will get posted as soon as he cooperates with me in taking one 
September 8th, 2009 – A Lazy Labor Day and the End of Summer
Today, Jack is 5 days shy of his 8 month birthday which means he is 34 weeks old. This week marked the end of summer, but the beginning of the Boise State football season. Mommy and Daddy spent a lazy three day, Labor Day weekend with Jack and we ceremoniously bid a fond farewell to Jack’s nightlight and mobile. This week has been busy for sure!
This past week, Jack has had some trouble sleeping. For reasons unbeknown to Mommy and Daddy, Little Man had returned to his newborn ways of nocturnal restlessness, waking at all hours of the night for no apparent reason. This was rough on all of us. Jack was in a grumpy mood because he was becoming overtired and Mommy and Daddy were in grumpy moods because not only were we tired, like Jack, but we had no idea how to help our little guy out. Then, one evening, Mommy had an idea. I thought I would turn off his night light and not turn on his rainforest sounds as we put him down for the night. And, it worked! All Jack needed was a dark and quiet room. So, now Jack is sleeping sound with a little added help from some special night time diapers for added comfort.
With Jack sleeping through the night again, all of us were well rested and good spirits for the Boise State opener on Thursday when they played the University of Oregon. Although Mommy and Daddy are far more excited for the NFL season to start, with Daddy and Oma being BSU alumni and Mommy on her way to becoming one, we’re fans none the less. Not to mention, Jack looks just too cute in his little Boise State Bronco-wear.
Go Broncos!
Woo hoo!
We are winners...
This will have to suffice until Mommy and Daddy can decide which NFL team Jack will be a fan of, the Seattle Seagulls. . . sorry, Seahawks, or the Kansas City Chiefs, which is Mommy’s team. Last season, while Mommy was still pregnant with Little Man, Daddy and I had a bet going, whoever had the better team would be Jack’s team. Unfortunately, both KC and Seattle had horrible seasons. So, the bet is on again this season.
The weekend, which marked the end of summer, was fairly laid back. We hung around the house on Saturday. Daddy spent the afternoon shampooing the carpets and Mommy spent the afternoon playing with Jack so as to keep him occupied.
Sunday was a lot of fun. Mommy and Daddy like to BBQ on Sundays; it’s becoming a family tradition. We have BBQ chicken, steaks, or sometimes even salmon with grilled Asparagus, red potatoes, and homemade Naan. It’s always quite the little spread with plenty of leftovers. This Sunday was particularly nice because our friend, Eileen, came over for dinner. Jack was in such a good mood and he was even a good enough sport to stay up a little past his bed time so he could spend time with Eileen. Unfortunately, Jack has become quite curious and grabby in recent weeks, so while Eileen was cuddling with him, he grabbed her soda and dumped it all over the front her nice white blouse. Eileen laughed. It was a fun evening.
Just before Eileen arrives to be soaked
Monday was a day for errands. After Jack’s morning nap, we all piled into the car and headed for, where else? Babies ‘R Us Jack needed some super absorbent diapers for nighttime and they are the only place who carries them. So, we took a quick little trip there. To save on time and money, Mommy and Jack stayed in the car while Daddy ran in. Then, we were off to Hastings.
Yes, Monday was Jack’s first trip to Hastings and Mommy’s first trip back since before Christmas when I was still pregnant. It was so much fun! Anyone who knows Mommy and Daddy knows that we LOVE movies and even have a little theatre in our home dedicated to movies. So, it was not uncommon for us to spend way too much time and money at Hastings buying hundreds of DVDs. However, since Jack was born, our priorities, rightfully so, have shifted, but it was nice getting a little closer to a happy middle ground of the life Mommy and Daddy had before our Jack Jack and our all consumed life with our baby man.
Another first occurred just this evening! Jack washed his hands for the first time! Granted it was with a little help from Daddy, but this is an important event as it is the first of a lifetime habit. It really is quite neat when you think about it.
Washy washy washy
After a fun filled summer, chalked full of firsts and adventures, we all look forward to a fun filled fall. After all, Jack’s first Halloween is coming up and this is the first year we’ve had a Jack-o-lantern this cute.
Jack & Max; Together Forever
September 1st, 2009 – Who Knew Books Could Rattle Too?
What a week for discovery! As with every other week in little Jack’s 33 weeks, he has been growing. I would say like a weed, but Mommy doesn’t like to compare her darling little boy with something noxious, no matter how bad his diapers smell. No, Jack is growing like a little boy is supposed to be growing – much too quick. However, despite Mommy and Daddy being able to see the speed at which little Jack Jack is growing, he still manages to surprise us on a fairly regular basis.
One of the more surprising aspects of Jack’s growth recently has been his strength. Mommy and Daddy are both well aware of Jack’s hand strength as he enjoys pulling at our hair, much to the chagrin of our scalps. But, neither of us realized just how much weight he could pick up until he began to pick up a full container of wipes after his dinner one evening. We both quite in awe of our Little Man considering the wipes weighed at least 2.5 lbs. Well, this was nothing compared to his feat of strength a few days later.
On Saturday, as is our biweekly routine, Daddy and I packed up little Jack-man and set out to go grocery shopping. On that day we made a trip to Costco (where we were assaulted by no less than 10 people dying to know where Jack gets his red hair) and we made a trip to Wal*Mart. After our trip to Wal*Mart, with grocery bags scattered atop our counters, Daddy was holding Jack and showing him what we bought. Jack was sitting on top of the counters amongst the groceries while Daddy held him. Then, Daddy went to pick up little Jack who, unbeknownst to him had grabbed the handles of a grocery bag containing two 2 Liters. This fact was only realized when Daddy had lifted up Jack and the bottles came with him. It was quite impressive.
Super-Baby
Later in the weekend, Jack also managed to impress Daddy and I by offering us his paci. Now, at first glance this may not seem all that impressive. However, if you take into account all of the mental reasoning that must go into such an act it is nothing short of impressive. By offering us each a paci Jack had to accomplish the following:
- Recognize that he has a mouth.
- Recognize that his paci is something that goes in his mouth.
- Recognize that Daddy and I both have mouths, mouths that are like his.
- Realize that the paci is something that is separate from his body.
- Understand that the paci which goes in his mouth is something that could, go into our mouths.
- Think that perhaps, Daddy or I would like his paci to go in out mouths like it goes into his.
That’s a lot of thinking for someone so small.
Another exciting development is Jack’s use of signs. For the past few months, Mommy has been using different basic ASL signs. Whenever I say certain words, like Mommy, Daddy, milk, juice, etc. I will sign them. Most of the signing takes place when Jack eats because it provides the best opportunity for not only showing the signs, but opportunities for Jack to understand the signs. For example, before I give Jack his milk, I will say milk and give the sign. Then I will pick up the milk and make the sign for milk right next to is as I say it. I will also take Jack’s hand and show him how to make the sign. Well, this past weekend, during dinner, Jack began to make the sign for milk. So, Daddy gave him milk to test Mommy’s assertion that he was, in fact, signing milk. Lo and behold, he wanted the milk. This continued on throughout dinner and Jack was quite pleased. Mommy began to cry tears of pride. Now, Daddy isn’t entirely convinced, but his mind is open to Jack’s new found form of communication.
Yes, Jack is quite full of wonderful surprises. These past few days, he’s even started surprising himself. One of Jack’s new favorite games is discovering new toys and the difference between them. Mommy will take a little yellow bin and fill it with a couple of different toys and place the bin in front of Jack. Jack will then take one item at a time out of his little yellow bin and inspect it. He will put it in his mouth, shake it, and even hit it against another toy. He is a very tactile little boy who tries to experience everything in everyway he can come up with. When he experiences something new, like when a book makes a rattling noise like his rattles when other books don’t, you can see his excitement.
Happy with his bin-o-toys
Checkin' it out
What is this bumpy thing? (Daddy doesn't even know)
Even more stuff!
This thing looks like fun
Look at all my stuff on the floor
This one tastes yummy
Well, maybe a little sour
There is just no end to this bin of stuff. Look ma, both hands!
Yes, this has been a week of fun and new discoveries, but then again, every week is like that because after all, Jack has only been experiencing life for 33 weeks and he has so much still to learn. Daddy and I can hardly contain our own excitement. Who could have imagined that a rattling book could set our hearts all a twitter?
