If You Are 9 Months Old...

This is what The Itsy Bitsy Spider will do to you...IF you are 9 months old. I couldn't resist sharing!

One more of my cutie...can you tell how much I love him?

Okay, I promise, last one...both of my babies this time.

"Du, Du, Du"

I've debated blogging about this in fear that someone might think I'm crazy. But, Clay can vouch for me...he witnessed it this weekend. The big news is...Jack said his first word with meaning. Of course it didn't exactly sound phonetically correct, but I knew just what he was talking about. It all started about a month ago. Every evening I take him upstairs to his bedroom and we undress for bath time. He has figured out the ritual considering we have been doing it since his newborn days. But now that he is a crawler, as soon as his clothes are stripped off, his naked rear end takes off for the bathroom. When I meet him in there, he always has a handful of his yellow rubber ducks. And for the past month, I've been saying, "Jack, you've got your ducks". Then off to the bath we go, ducks and all. He loves those ducks. He just wouldn't even think of bathing without them. The baby duck goes straight to his mouth and the Mommy and Daddy duck float around in and out of Jack's wet slippery hands. It's the same thing every night. Well, a week ago, we did what we always do at bedtime...upstairs and undress. This time when Jack's naked rear end took off to the bathroom there was something different. Instead of squealing with delight, he was chanting, "du, du, du, du". Now I know what you are thinking he was probably just saying "da da", as all babies do at this age. But, I promise there is a clear distinction in his vowels. Initially, I thought "no way, he doesn't know what he is saying". But, sure enough I met him in the bathroom with a handful of ducks and he was still chanting "du, du, du". He even went as far as to hand me one and repeat "du, du" over again. I was pretty sure, his new sound had meaning, but I wanted to give it some more time. From then on out, every time we saw a duck, I showed Jack, repeated "duck" (stressing the /ck/) and sure enough he would start chanting again. This past weekend, during Daddy's bath duty, he saw and heard it too. This time there was even a little /ck/ with it (just a little one). So, I'm not an over analytical proud Mommy. It is true...Jack said his first word with meaning! I won't lie, I was hoping for "mama" first, but I guess "du, du's" with an occasional /ck/ are easier. Or at least I'm telling myself that...maybe "mama" is next!
And yes, that is a bruise and a scratch on Jack's face...war wounds from our "all boy" crawler!

Flight Canceled

Our bags are packed and we have no where to go...some things just aren't meant to be. Clay, Jack, and I had these grandiose plans to board a plane this afternoon and fly to Florida to see family. I started packing on Tuesday. Between Jack's suitcase, mine, and Cosby's, it takes a lot of prep time to get ready for vacation these days. Sometimes being overly prepared can cause you more work in the long run. It looks like I will be unpacking all the bags today............
It all started Tuesday evening when Jack came down with a stomach bug. It wasn't pretty...his first vomiting fit followed by some yucky diapers. I felt terrible for the little guy. Lots of whining and a loss of appetite followed for the next two days. Jack was pushing bottles and spoons away...so uncharacteristic of him. He finally ate some Cheerios and that is pretty much what his diet consisted of until this morning. Before bed last night, we could see an upside to things. Still a little whiny, but feeling much better. So, we assumed, Jack's first plane ride was still on. Our suitcases were zipped and ready to head out the door the next day. At 2 am, our plans went down the tubes. Daddy woke with a queasy stomach and it was all down hill from there. So instead of loading the car, boarding a plane, and hugging family in Florida...we are home. Daddy is layed up, Jack isn't sure how he feels, and poor Cosby is just plain confused. I on the other hand am feeling fine, (knock on wood), and am very disappointed. I suppose I will spend the rest of the afternoon putting away all of those strategically planned outfits with matching bibs and placing suitcases back in the closet. Everything happens for a reason, so I assume it just wasn't Jack's time to attempt flying. We aren't giving up though...hopefully we can give it a try again sometime soon. As for right now, I have my fingers crossed that I'm not the next victim of the "vacation ruining" stomach bug.

Love This Product

I first saw "Baby Legs" at music class when Jack's sweet friend, Sophia had them on. She was dressed in a denim mini skirt and her cozy adorable "Baby Legs" were hanging out. "If I only had a girl, she would so be wearing those", I thought to myself. After complimenting Sophia's charming outfit, her Mommy stated, "boys wear them too". "Yeah right", I thought. I just couldn't see it. So, Sophia's Mommy convinced me to check out the website and take a look. Still not convinced Jack could pull the chic patterned leggings off, I ordered him two pair of white ones. I thought they would be perfect for under his clothes during the chilly winter months. And the big selling point...they only go to the thigh! So no diaper changing challenges! (at least clothing wise, diapers are still a huge challenge with a crawler, no matter what he is wearing). They came in the mail shortly afterwards and I fell in love! No more cold shins when his pants ride up and no more worries about pants being too thin. Just when I was about to share this new find with my other Mommy friends, here comes Karen and Wesley Kate dressed in...you guessed it..."Baby Legs". Of course, Wesley Kate had a stylish patterned pink pair on...too cute! "Okay, I'm going to try a fun pair out on Jack", I was thinking. In mid thought, Karen informs that she had ordered a pair of blue and brown striped ones for Jack and a black skull and cross bone pair for baby Patterson. Thanks Karen! Preppy style for Jack and rebel style for Patterson...perfect, even though their personalities are the exact opposite! Regardless, Jack has been sporting his "Baby Legs" everywhere. He gets one compliment after another and more importantly....his chubby legs are warm. And you can't help but love that irresistible fat tush that hangs out over them...I could eat it up! So, from one Mom to another, I had to share my new love..."Baby Legs". Check out the website, you may just fall in love too! http://www.babylegs.net/

Let It Snow!

That is what Jack's t-shirt said and that is exactly what it did today! I didn't even think about it this morning when I pulled his long sleeved "Let It Snow" onesie out of his dresser drawer. I was just looking for something warm and cozy for an indoor day. I couldn't have planned it any better if I had tried. The snow started falling at our house around 4:30 this afternoon...just some light flurries to start with. But, hey, that's snow in Atlanta! Clay and I couldn't resist bundling Jack up and taking him outside to witness his first snow. Who knows, it could be another 5 years before we see this again. At first Jack was extremely curious. Daddy held him in his arms and tried to show him the scarce falling snowflakes. The flakes were few and far between at this point, so Jack was unsure why we were standing in the front yard holding our hands out and acting so giddy. He even saw neighborhood kids running around squealing with glee...."hmmm, what is all the fuss about?", is what I'm sure he was thinking. Eventually the snow began to fall more steadily and he was beginning to get the idea. The ground began turning white and so were we. Jack gave a taste test with his tongue, crawled around in the wet grass for a moment, and then decided it was way too cold out there. Our romp in the snow was very short lived, but at least, one day, Jack can say that he has actually seen snow...and we have pictures to prove it!

Nine Month Birthday

Jack turned 9 months old today. I know I've said it before, and it probably won't be the last time I say it, but time sure does fly. Today was much like any other Sunday in Jack's life. He woke up, ate breakfast, played a bit, attempted a morning nap after his gymnastics practice in his crib, ate lunch, went to Mass, attempted an afternoon nap after more gymnastics practice, ate dinner, played some more, and then bath, bottle, and bed time. For the 9th month of his life, I would prefer some more of the same and just a few additions. Here are 9 things that I am hoping for this month:
1. more teeth...we got 2 on the bottom 4 months ago...where are the rest?

2. bigger feet...I sure hope they catch up with his body this month

3. a slimmer waist line...with all of this crawling, surely that's not too much to ask for

4. creative mobility...he is pulling up on everything, but I wouldn't mind a little cruising

5. restful naps...since crawling, they are far and few between and he NEEDS them

6. no ear infections or colds...wouldn't that be nice?, just for 1 winter month

7. baby sign language...we've been working with him, but no response yet

8. an utter of the word "mama"...with meaning

9. and of course more of the same...lots of smiles, giggles, crawling, and playing hard

I may not get my whole list granted this month and that is all right with me. I feel so blessed for every minute and day spent with Jack. But a Mommy can wish, can't she?

Playdate Palooza

Jack and I ended our week with a bang...two play dates, two days in a row! On Thursday afternoon, Jack hosted his very first play date in his toy filled playroom. We had quite a crowd and plenty of toys to go around. Wesley Kate and Karen were here. Wesley Kate is still a wee baby so she spent most of her playtime in the swing. Patterson and Donna were here too. Patterson showed off some of his new sitting skills for us...he sure is trying! Sophia and Cristina joined us also. Sophia is Jack's favorite buddy from music class. She is only one week older than him and he loves to learn new tricks from her. Pamela and Allyson came too. Pamela is a new walker, so she was cruising around the playroom showing the other babies what they had to look forward to. The Mommy's had a great time chatting over lunch and the babies were fully entertained with a plethora of toys and each other. The "mommarazzi" was in full effect with flashing cameras and videos everywhere. Who could resist snapping shots of all those cuties? Jack was so worn out from his hosting duties that he took a 2 hour nap...he hasn't done that since his pre-crawling days!
All of the fun doesn't end there though. On Friday, Jack was invited to Meg and Heather's house for a birthday play date. Heather turned the big "30" and what better way to celebrate than with a group of happy tots? The Mommy's ate birthday cake and the babies played hard. Jack was glad to see that Miller was there, as he was the only other guest not walking. So, Jack and Miller spent most of their time crawling and laying on one another. They even tried to share toys a few times, but they still haven't mastered that concept yet. Meg was such a gracious host...she delivered toys and books all around and made certain that everyone was fully entertained. What a wonderful end to a fabulous week. Finally the weekend is here...time to relax...(if only Jack would allow it)!

Jack Has New Shoes

Jack got a new pair of shoes today. It was a big deal because it was the first time he got a pair of shoes because he needed them, not just because they were cute. He needed them for several reasons. The first being that, socks just aren't enough to keep his feet warm in the cold weather. The second is that he pulls off EVERY pair of shoes that are elastic, so we had to get some with velcro. And most importantly, he needed some traction for all of this crawling he is doing around here. He has been slipping and sliding all over the hardwoods and the tile...no longer a problem! The best part of the shoe shopping was choosing a size. I always knew that Jack's feet looked a tad bit small compared to his body. But, I have really noticed when I've tried to put shoes on him in the past. He always had about half an inch in the toe too much, even when the shoe size was clearly his age. So, I knew that I needed to find some shoes that ran small and had velcro and good traction. I expressed my needs to the clerk at the store and then, of course, she asked, "how old is he?" I responded, "he will be 9 months on Sunday, but trust me that doesn't matter". She gave me a pair of velcro shoes with traction, sized 9 months-12 months. Again, I stressed the fact that his age REALLY didn't matter in this case. Reluctantly, she found me another pair of velcro shoes with traction, sized 6 months- 9 months. She tried to convince me that they would be too small, but I assured her that would not be an issue. When I got home, Jack immediately tried on his new shoes. He touched them, tried to reach them to his mouth, and then pushed off into a crawl with them. Perfect!...except I looked down and sure enough, there was that half an inch too much in the toe. We even went a size down and still TOO BIG! Jack didn't even give it a second thought....he loved them! We went downstairs to model his new shoes for Daddy. Jack crawled up and down Daddy's office like he had never crawled before...he was so proud. I whispered the"too big" situation to Daddy, in hopes of Jack not hearing. Before long, Daddy was searching "small baby feet" on the Internet. Luckily, there seems to be no research that causes concern for us. However, we have really come to the realization that he doesn't have much hope to stay in the 90th percentile for the rest of his life. Regardless, we love him just the same, new shoes and all!

Swinging Stunt Baby

The great thing about living in the suburbs is that no matter which way I turn out of the neighborhood there is a kid friendly park nearby. That's exactly what Jack and I did today. We turned out of the neighborhood and went to the park. We couldn't resist the unusual spring like weather and figured we better enjoy it while it lasts...cold weather and rain are on the way. As soon as we arrived, Jack knew where he was. He started telling me all about the trees, the joggers and their dogs, and of course the many kids playing. He was completely satisfied with observing all of the sights until he spotted the swing set. One look and that is where he longed to be. I put Jack in the baby swing and away he went. With each push he belted out a boisterous giggle. So much so, that he accumulated a full audience of Mommys and kids....which he loved! If the swing slowed down too much his face turned into a somber grimace. If he could talk, I know he would have been saying, "higher, higher". I kept pushing higher until I thought the swing would come off of the hinges and that is just what he wanted. Giggle after giggle told me he was enjoying every minute of it. It makes me wonder if I have a future stunt baby on my hands...no fear here. After Mommy's arms got tired and too much spit up was flying, we headed over to the play scape. Again, no fear, Jack climbed and wiggled and talked to all of the big kids who surrounded him. I had to join him up there to make sure there were nearby hands to catch my little dare devil in case of any emergencies. We topped off our visit with a 2 mile walk on the park's trails. Not nearly as exciting for the stunt baby but, he enjoyed it none the less. Upon returning home, Jack settled in for an afternoon nap. The only problem was he fell asleep sitting up...I think he was dreaming about that swing!

Christmas Again

Jack celebrated his 2nd First Christmas this weekend. Grammy, Grandpa, and Uncle Mike came to visit from Florida to celebrate with us. It has been 2 weeks of holiday celebrations around here for us and oh, what fun it has been. We have had a full house since the day before Christmas! Jack was showered with more toys, lots of love, and constant entertainment. So much so, he didn't even want to sleep. He surprised Grammy with a 6:30 am wake up to play on Saturday. That is a whole hour earlier than usual..don't get to use to that Jack! He had so much fun showing off his new crawling skills to all of the admiring faces. Jack even gave them a little run for their money during diaper changing sessions. He squealed, laughed, and ate the whole weekend through. Of his new collection of toys, his Sesame Street riding car was his favorite. As soon as he opened it, he was crawling on top and pushing buttons. It didn't take him too long to figure out that it moved too! We put him on the seat, he grabbed the steering wheel and he was gone...with a little pushing from Daddy. It's hard to believe in no time his feet will reach the ground and he will be doing it on his own. All of this moving is more than a boy could ask for! Jack also got some new trucks, books, a See n' Say, a bowling ball set, and more. Daddy's favorite gift for Jack was his new FSU hat and shirt. He already grew out of his last suit...can't have that! Jack proudly wore his hat around as if he knew he was going to be a future Nole. Jack, Clay and I sure did love having all of that company. The house is so quiet now...well I wouldn't go that far. We still have Jack and Cosby to keep the volume up, but it is much quieter. I guess now life resumes to normal for a while. Jack and I are going to enjoy all of his new toys. We can actually call his playroom an official "PLAYroom", not just a room anymore.