Eleven Month Birthday

Jack is eleven months old today. We are nearing the end of babyhood and toddler days are right around the corner. It is so hard for me to believe. I have enjoyed everyday of Jack's baby life, but am anxiously awaiting to see what the next stage has in store for us. It has been a WONDERFUL month with new feats, lots of laughs, and plenty of growing. I don't want to forget any of this, so this post is going to be rather detailed and lengthy. Here is everything you ever wanted to know about Jack Henry Cibula and more...

Jack is looking more and more like a toddler everyday. He is growing taller, leaning out a bit, and his baby face is maturing. If I had to guess, I would say he weighs about 23lbs. That is only an estimation based on getting on the scale with him, then without him, and subtracting the numbers. When he stands up he comes just above the middle of my thigh. I know this because he is constantly pulling up on my legs and holding on for dear life. Depending on the brand, he is wearing clothes sized 12 months -18 months. We just recently moved him to size 4 diapers. We probably should of done it a little earlier, but I had full stock on size 3's. Had to use those up first....poor baby had rolls hanging over his diaper. He is still wearing the same size shoe, which is a 3. The only change is that when we had him fitted for "cruising appropriate" shoes, he is now an extra wide. They come in regular, wide, and extra wide...needless to say, our baby boy has chubby feet.

Jack's eating habits have changed in the last few weeks. If you had asked a month or two ago, I would have said "he hasn't met a food he doesn't like". But, now his palate is becoming more particular. He is eating smaller portions and choosy about what actually makes it all the way down. His favorite veggies are Lima beans and peas. Yuck...those might be the only two vegetables I don't eat! However, Clay loves both so maybe that's where he got it from. Depending on the day, Jack likes carrots and squash, but has learned to snub his nose at broccoli. He drops it off of his tray and waits for Cosby to clean it up. Cosby is not a huge broccoli fan either, so Mommy usually ends up doing the dirty work. He will eat any and all fruit. He devours grapes, blueberries, oranges, bananas, strawberries, pears, apples, you name it. He drinks lots of water and formula and couldn't care less about juice. I finally stopped buying it due to the waste of money and the time it took to dilute it with water. We'll try again later. For now, its just water and Jack is happy with that. I have begun the bottle weaning process too. Jack drinks from a sippy cup the majority of the day. The nighttime bottle is my biggest dread. He loves to drink his formula while he is laying down getting his pj's on. I can't imagine him drinking from a cup laying down...that wean will be interesting! I think Ill put that one off for another couple of weeks. I've found that Jack's favorite food is whatever Mommy and Daddy are eating. It doesn't matter what it is or how it smells...Jack wants it. And he will be the first to let you know. He points, moans, groans, and does his baby sign for more. I warn him that he may not like what we are eating, but somehow he always does. Our most recent experience that comes to mind is a dinner time when Clay and I were enjoying parmesan crusted tiliapia. You guessed it...Jack ate an entire fillet and loved it. Jack's philosophy on food is..."as long as mommy and Daddy are eating it, it must be good".

Jack is still a great sleeper and for that we will be forever grateful. He takes two naps a day...morning nap at 9:30 and afternoon nap at 2:00. He sleeps twelve hours at night...7:30-7:30. I don't even need a clock in my house with him around. I can tell the time of day just by his mood. Anytime we are nearing crib time, all of the sleepy signs show. If for some reason Jack doesn't get a good rest, we all pay for it. He loves and needs his sleep. I think he gets that from his Mommy. Putting him down is very easy too. He practically dives into his crib when we enter his nursery. All I have to do is mention Lovey Dog's name and he is ready. Lovey is Jack's bedtime buddy and he wouldn't dream of sleeping without him. I hand him Lovey and with two arms outstretched he grabs him, rubs him in his face, and lets out a big yawn. The thumb usually follows, which thank goodness, is only a sleepy time habit. Most of the time Jack falls asleep rather quickly, but occasionally he and Lovey Dog enjoy a little one sided chat. I think Jack likes telling him about all he has done and learned that day. Jack usually wakes well rested and happy. I love his rosy cheeks and huge grin he gives me when I arrive to get him. It is worth it's weight in gold.

When Jack is awake he is a busy baby. His favorite toys are his walkers and his books. At the first sight of a push toy he is racing towards it. This excitement just began about 3 weeks ago. The pride on his face shows when he is wheeling around the house. He makes laps from the front door, through the dining room, into the kitchen, past the living room, around the sun room and back again. If he gets stopped by a dreaded wall he gives a pitiful whine and we are always there to rescue him. And then off he goes again. He makes an occasional pit stop to play with his letters, his cars, or a ball. He has also found that putting toys where they don't belong and hiding them can be very entertaining. His favorite hiding spot...under the couch. I find all sorts of pieces and parts under there after he goes to bed at night. EVERYTHING must go into something too. Jack likes to put puzzle parts and balls into his shape sorters, stuffed animals into his book baskets, instruments and plastic rings into the ball popper, and tiny farm animals into his tunnel. Like I said EVERYTHING goes into something. But above all, his favorite activity involves books. He likes to turn the pages, point at the pictures, hand them to me, and listen to Mommy and Daddy read them. He climbs into his red reading chair in his playroom, kicks his feet, flails his arms, gives us a toothy grin, and then hands us one book after another. His favorite book is "Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?". He is fascinated by the animals and the goofy sounds Mommy and Daddy make while reading it out loud. I have that book memorized and often find myself saying it in my sleep. The best part is when he tries to imitate the noises we make, so far he has the bear growl down.

Although Jack has several "likes" in his life right now, he also has some dislikes. One that has been plaguing us for 3 months now is a diaper change. Jack has no time to slow down for a clean diaper and unfortunately dirty diapers don't bother him too much. I pull every trick out trying to keep him still for that one minute of agony (2 minutes if it's really dirty). Wow, it can wear a Mommy out! He is not too keen on getting dressed either. However, I can usually get that done while he is on the move. I just have to shut the bedroom door so he can't get too far. Other dislikes include, sitting in a still stroller, waiting for food, putting on shoes, and getting his face wiped down. I'm guessing that list wont change in his toddler years.

Regardless of the few challenges, so much about Jack has amazed me this past month. I always say he was a new baby when he woke up on his 3 month birthday...no more colic! Now, I say, he was a baby ready to learn when he woke up on his 10 month birthday. I'm sure he has been taking in the world since he was a newborn, but now he is actually acting on it. I find that he is truly trying to communicate with me all day and I love it! He points to everything and babbles on to tell me about it. If it's something he really wants that babble turns into a moan very quickly. He is beginning to use his baby signs at meal time. He is pro at "more" and attempting "all done". I am beginning to see an end to meal time drama...I think? We are still working on "drink", "eat", "lovey/sleep", "mommy and daddy", and a few animals. As long as we get the meal communication down, I will be happy. He waves hi and bye, but not always on command. None the less, he will do it even if you are already up the driveway and down the road. He likes to feed the whole family, including Cosby. He tries to shove crackers and veggies in all of our faces. But, if it is one of his favorite foods, he'll psych you out. He will attempt to hand it over and as soon as we get ready to take a pretend bite, he shoves it in his mouth. Jack just isn't quite ready to share his favorite things yet. Physically, he is moving all over the place. If he is not speed crawling, he is up on furniture cruising around. He has let go for about half a second only to grab back on to safety before a fall. I can see so much progress on the road to independent walking and it amazes and scares me all at the same time. He has also begun imitating Mommy and Daddy. He watches with that studying face and then turns around and tries it himself. If we do something that he thinks is funny, he'll try it over and over again. Clay put a plastic Easter egg on his head and Jack did the same, Clay put the egg on his eye and Jack did the same, Clay put the egg on his ear and Jack did the same. You get the picture. Who knew such simple feats could amaze us? We are having so much fun watching him learn.

I haven't quite pegged his personality yet. He is starting to get a wonderful sense of humor though. His giggle is the best sound in the world. I will embarrass myself to no end just to hear it. Although, Daddy is the best at getting the laughs out of Jack. I would definitely say that Jack is a happy baby, unless he is sick, tired or hungry, but isn't that the case with all boys? But, if I had to describe Jack in one word it would be intense. His emotions are always at full throttle when we are at home. If he is happy, the whole house shakes with his squeals and giggles. But, if he is upset, the whole neighborhood can hear his whines. Out in public or around new faces, he is somewhat different. He will get that curious Jack look and study everything around him. It almost looks as if he is trying to solve the problems of the world or memorize everything that he sees. Once he warms up, the intense Jack settles in, and emotions run high, whether happy or upset. I always smile when people ask me, "is he always this mellow?". Funny thing is, I don't see anything mellow about him. He may appear that way, but he is actually in deep thought, soaking it all in. I always hoped he would have Clay's more laid back personality, but I think he has got a little more of me in him. If I had to guess, I would say, Jack got Daddy's looks and Mommy's personality (with a bit of his own originality in there). The way he is changing everyday, who knows if that will always be the case. All I know is we love him no matter who he looks or acts like.

I knew this would be lengthy, but when I start talking about Jack , I could go on forever. I"ll stop here to avoid boring anyone, if you even made it this far! I must thank God everyday on the hour for my baby Jack (soon to be toddler Jack). He is such a gift and a most precious one at that. I can't remember life before him and I can't imagine life without him. As my Grandma has said, "God knew what he was doing when he made babies". I hope he knew what he was doing when he made toddlers too because that is where we are headed in a month!