Little Things

Jack is 14 months old and has been so much fun lately. There are so many little things he has been doing and learning that I wanted to document them so I don't forget.

• Jack doesn't walk anywhere, he jogs. It's very cute, and very fast. He's always on the go and I think he likes to get places quickly because he has so much to get done in a day.
• He LOVES blueberries right now. So much so, that we have to hide them until he eats a good meal or else he'll only want to eat blueberries.
• He learned the sign for more. He first made the sign when asking for more blueberries.
• He also learned to say uh-oh. It was in response to his blueberry falling off his plate.
• He claps, blows kisses, and waves bye bye, but only on his terms. If he's really feeling sweet he'll even give kisses, but again, only on his terms.
• While he loves to snuggle with me and will always be my baby, the relationship he has with Brant is the sweetest thing ever. Jack follows Brant everywhere, they play hard and laugh hard. They will be such great pals as Jack grows up.
• Jack is getting tall. He seems to have grown inches overnight.
• We introduced Jack to bubbles this weekend, and he's fascinated.
• He's been tormenting Buster the cat a little more now. Buster is so good with Jack, but we're definitely working on being gentle with out kitty friends.
• Jack loves his grandparents and acts like an angel around them.
• Jack loves daycare and acts like an angel for our daycare provider.
• Jack loves us, but is a little devil around us and does whatever he can to get into trouble. He knows what no means, he knows what is off limits, but again and again he tests the limits, all with the cutest smile on his face. It's hard to say no and mean it with such a cute little trouble maker.
• Jack likes to stand on things-toys, boxes, the cat.
• When Jack wants something he'll say "Pwese, Pwese, Pwese" over and over and with such desperation. I don't think he's really saying "please," but it seems to mean the same to him. Either way, he usually gets what he wants.

That's all I can think of right now!

One Year Photo Shoot

Here are some pictures from Jack's one year photo shoot. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday, Jack!

Jack's birthday came and went faster than I could have ever expected. How can my little baby be 1 already? The week before his birthday, Jack came down with the stomach flu, which was the first time he's ever been sick. He spent most of Monday throwing up and then feeling pretty pitiful the rest of the week. Brant got sick Wednesday morning with the same bug, and I followed suit Wednesday night. We laid low and luckily Brant and I recovered fairly quickly. Jack still had symptoms for another week, which I guess is normal, but was not fun for us. I swear he lost a couple pounds while being sick.

We celebrated Jack's birthday at a pizza parlor in town with a small gathering. Jack still wasn't 100% so he was a little quiet and punky, but he still had fun. He received wonderful toys and gifts that Brant and I are rotating through with his other toys. We're learning how to get some extra miles out of his toys by introducing a new one once and awhile as well as bringing out old one's we put away awhile ago.

Jack had his 1 year check up last week and is a healthy little boy. He is 65th and 60th percentile for height and head circumference and 30% for weight. I knew he had lost some weight during the flu. The doctor wasn't concerned and said that at this age genetics start to kick in and bigger babies start to lose weight if they're not meant to be bigger. Given Jack's genetics, I don't think he's meant to be skinny, but he might be tall and lean. We're trying to give him more calorie rich food, and he does love to eat, so we'll fatten him back up in no time. All I know is the kid won't sit still so I'm sure he's burning more calories than the average baby. He's always on the go, walking everywhere, chasing the cats, getting into things he shouldn't (hiding behind the piano, sitting on the heaters, crawling under the dinning room table, pulling on wires, pulling on the cats' tail...etc.). He really is a joy, even though he's exhausting. He's a joker, a teaser, a cuddler, a thinker, a sweetie, and a total boy. He waves bye bye, only on his terms, gives high fives (again, only on his terms), loves to dance, play with other kids, stand on things while looking out the window, give hugs, and push things around the house. He's such a fun little guy right now. I know I haven't posted a picture of him in a long time, but blogger is giving me a heck of a time uploading photos right now. I will try to post pictures very soon, so come back soon....

Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, Happy 11 Months...

What else did I miss from the title of this post? It feels like a lot. I have been absent from this blog for too long now. So much has happened in the last two months, I know that I'll forget some tidbit of information that seemed like a major milestone at the time. I do have an excuse. I was recently promoted at work, which has taken up much of my time and energy. I don't like excuses though ("Reasons or Results" is what I always say), and I feel guilty that there are things that Jack has done or experienced that I'll most definitely forget to list here (mother's guilt!) I will do my best to recount the last two months!
Let's start with Thanksgiving. On Wednesday we drove a couple of hours to a childhood favorite of mine, McKenzie Bridge. Growing up, I spent some time every summer running around this place with other family friends. It holds a very special place in my heart and I felt so fortunate taking Jack on his first trip to "The Bridge." The lodge itself is right along the McKenzie River nestled along a bend in the river. We spent Wednesday and Thursday hanging by the large walk in fireplace, eating, sleeping, and playing in the snow. That's right, Jack got his first experience of snow. My sister so kindly took him outside the first day we were there and let him crawl around. That's what aunts are for, right? Thanksgiving dinner was filled with lots of Turkey and mashed potatoes, as well as every one's favorite side dish. The adults enjoyed an array of adult beverages while the gaggle of kids ran around like a herd of wild children, stayed up late, and ate their fill of sweet treats. We had a great time while we were there, and Jack seemed to enjoy the wide expanses where he could push his push car.
On Friday we headed to North Bend/Coos Bay to spend some time with Brant's family. We watched the U of O vs. Arizona game on Friday night, which had everyone yelling at the TV and ultimately cheering on another Oregon victory. There were lots of great leftovers to be had, and the traditional day after Thanksgiving pizza. Saturday Brant went crabbing, and I was able to get out and do a little shopping with the ladies. Like always, we greatly enjoyed our time with Brant's family. There's nothing better than catching up with aunts, cousins, and grandparents during a relaxing weekend along the coast.
So that brings me to Christmas. Jack had a great time this weekend. Our little family opened gifts on Thursday evening. Brant picked out the Playschool Barnyard for Jack and he loves it. Brant received some new dress shirts and ties, as well as cuff links and a tie pin from myself, and Brant gave me some new boots! Friday and Saturday are a bit of a blur. We spent time with both of our families, and enjoyed catching up with everyone. A highlight of Christmas was Christmas Eve Mass at my parent's church. My sister's son and Jack have a very special bond. This is the same nephew who guessed that Jack was a boy, that his name would be Jack, and that he would be crazy just like himself while I was pregnant. So during the service, he was making Jack laugh during one of the songs. Then the song ended and Jack kept on laughing. Unfortunately it was during the Priest's homily. He kept giggling at everything, so I ended up taking him to the back of the church so he wouldn't be so distracting. I would rather take a happy baby out of church, than a crying baby!
So those are the big events of the last couple of weeks. A general update on Jack is that he has been walking, but not confidently. He won't do it unless we encourage him to do so or put a motivating person or thing in front of him. He can do it none the less, and has started walking from one object to another without realizing it a couple of times. He'll be walking in no time, that's for sure. He can get anywhere he wants to crawling, and he's fast at it too! He pushes his push car around with one hand, while making 90 degree turns and talking on his play phone. He jabbers and talks all day long, but he doesn't say any real words yet. I have caught him mimicking words that I say, like "light", "kitty", "dada", "hi", "oh", and "woof" but I don't think he knows what he's saying. He loves to be chased, and he LOVES his daddy. They have such a special relationship. It makes my heart melt every time I see them together. Another fantastic milestone recently is that Jack now sleeps through the night!!! I know that he should have been doing this a long time ago, but we got stuck in an awful routine with me nursing him. He was getting up two to three times a night because his brain was programed that way, not because he was hungry. I perpetuated this cycle by not breaking it soon enough. Anyway, we were able to break the cycle, and now we are all sleeping through the night. It is glorious! I'm not sure how I was functioning before.
Well, this may be my longest post ever, but I supposed being gone for 2 months justifies it. I will be sure to post pictures very soon, and I will try my hardest to be more active on here.
We hope everyone was able to spend time with family and loved ones over Christmas. Here's to 2011 and a new year full of laughter, fun, and memories!

10 Months Old!

Happy 10 Months Jack Donald! You are the light of our lives and so much fun right now!
Here's a picture recap of the last couple of weeks...

The Stai boys


Jack the Puppy on Halloween


Saying hi to Chester


The fam


Mama's buddy

You are such a funny little boy with so much personality. You have added so much to our lives and I couldn't imagine life without you! Your daddy and I love you very much!

XOXO
Mama

Long Overdue

Has it really been over three weeks since I last posted? And where are those haircut pictures I promised you? I'm sorry for the neglect dear blog reader. I will try to make it up to you :)
Jack had his 9 month check up a couple weeks ago. He is doing well and right on track. I can't remember the numbers, they weren't shocking. He's an average baby in weight, height and head size. I think I'm bored of the baby numbers game. In two years I won't remember what he weighed at 9 months old :) Either way, he's doing well and is as active as ever. He's so active, that I think he's burning all of the calories we're feeding him. The doctor has instructed us to feed the kid as much table food as we can to try to fill up his belly. We're eating avocado chunks, cheese chunks, Cheerios, yogurt, black beans, an assortment of diced fruit and veggies including corn (one of Jack's favorites), buttered toast, pancakes, etc. For the last couple of months, Jack has not slept through the night. Actually, it seemed like the opposite. A good night would mean two night feedings. A bad night would mean three night feedings. I talked with his pediatrician about this because I am one exhausted mama! She thinks feeding him more solid food will help with this, and so far since stepping it up in the finger foods arena, I've seen some good progress. There are far fewer bad nights and he's actually starting to have great nights where he only wakes up once. There also was that one night that I fed him around midnight, came back down stairs and forgot to turn the monitor back on which resulted in a wonderful night's sleep for me! Whether Jack slept through the night that night is debatable since I couldn't hear him. I felt fairly guilty the next morning, but he was still alive and happy. Which makes me believe that I just need to let him cry it out. I'm not prepared for that yet though, so we'll just keep shoveling food in his mouth and hope that helps him sleep through the night!
Did I mention that Jack is very ACTIVE? So active that he has decided that his favorite game is to crawl up our stairs, over and over and over again. Last night Brant counted, and Jack climbed the stairs a total of 10 times in 20 minutes. We haven't bought a baby gate yet, I have borrowed one from a coworker, but I don't think it will work with our staircase. I think we'll have to invest in a heavy duty one that we permanently install, or Brant and I have to make climbing the stairs with Jack a hobby. Stairs are a parents worst nightmare, I think. They make me so nervous! Ours are double as bad, since they are floating stairs. You can see through them, which means Jack could fall through them. Yes, it's time to invest in a couple of baby gates so I don't have to watch Jack like a hawk all of the time.
Another favorite of Jack's is to slowly crawl around acting like he his playing with toys while he makes his way to our wine rack. Within 5 feet of it, he kicks it into high gear and speed crawls to the rack to try to pull wine glasses out of it. He's such a stinker! That's another thing to baby proof on our list.
Brant taught Jack how to high five awhile ago, but I think Jack forgot. We've been trying to get him to high five, wave goodbye, and clap. Last night I high fived Brant slowly a couple of times, and Jack figured it out, so now we have a high fiving machine (at least for now, until he forgets again!) In the waving and clapping, Jack just looks at us like we're crazy. I can't wait for the day he will return my wave!
That's all I can think of for now. Here are some pictures to hold you over. Have a spooky Halloween!

After Jack's Haircut:


Multitasking


Beep Beep


Visiting the neighborhood ducks


Cheese!


Tops


Climbing the stairs


Happy stair climber


See ya later!

First hair cut

I gave Jack his first hair cut tonight! I had no idea how it was going to go, and to be honest I was really nervous of the mess I could have made. I've been thinking about trimming his hair for a while now, but Jack's crazy hair is a perfect complement to his wild personality. What finally pushed me over the edge was a comment from a stranger. "It's (yeah, right of the bat this guy was a winner calling a child "it") dressed like a boy but looks like a girl." Ugh, every mother hates to hear something like that. Jack is a very pretty baby, so I could see how is wild and long hair might through someone off. His sideburns were past the bottom of his ears too, and his bangs were starting to grow past his eyebrows! So it was time. But how do you keep an 8 month old still? I started this evening after his bath, and only got one side burn trimmed. So after he fell asleep tonight, Brant held him while I trimmed away. I didn't take any pictures, and I couldn't even tell you if it turned out ok, because Jack was asleep. So I guess we'll see tomorrow! I've always had the attitude that hair will grow back, so I'm not too concerned, but I still want him to look cute!
Fun things about Jack lately...He loves feeding him self! He would much rather eat little bits of real food than baby food. He's pushing his push toy around very well, and getting more courageous by the day. Instead of plopping backwards on his bottom to get down, he's started squatting. He still won't sit still to read a book with us. He is starting to dance to little beats that Brant will sing. It's pretty adorable the way he bounces to the beat. He does funny little things now, like bobbing for his Binky. Instead of picking it up with his hands, he'll pick it up with his mouth. When Brant gets home after work, he always scoops Jack up and gives him hugs and pats his back. Well, Jack has started to pat Brant's back at the same time. Jack's normally on the go, but when he needs a little love he'll crawl over to us and pull himself up on our legs and reach his arms up to be picked up. Once he's picked up he'll usually bury his head in our shoulder for a little cuddle. It normally lasts only a moment before he wants down again, but those few moments of baby cuddles are the best!
Things have been extremely busy in our professional lives lately. Jack is the soul reason I have stayed sane through the last few months. He makes the stress of work disappear the minute I pick him up. I can't wait for the time when work will not encompass so much of my time and require so much of my energy so that I can just be a mom to our wonderful little boy.
I'll post pictures soon! Blogger isn't letting me at the moment, so stay tuned!