11 Months Old!

It's been pretty crazy lately, and Jack is changing so quickly, but here's a quick summary of the last month or so.

• a LOT of cruising & standing
• He cruises really fast around the couch & really wants to walk. He often gets frustrated when he falls.
• He took 2 steps on his own!!! :)
• I was trying to wash dirt off his legs when I realized it was really bruises on his little knees & shins! Poor little crawling man!
• Communication breakthrough! He asks for "more" (using baby sign language) unprompted pretty regularly & he will go find objects when you ask him to (puppy dog, bottle/milk)
• Makes his opinion known! Loudly.
• Is eating more & more real food! He finally got past the the gagging & eats crackers, chicken, potatoes, peas, carrots, apples, beans, cheese, corn, bread, muffins, etc.
• Feeds himself his bottle & now likes to attempt this while standing up - another balancing act in itself
• Met Sis & Julia & LOVED playing with them both
• Same words as before, but will sometimes get lucky when he repeats something we say to him (Julia, Irish)
• Favorite word at the moment: Lucy (pretty much any animal/picture of an animal = Lucy) Also says Lucy when he hears a dog bark
• Lucy is also his favorite playmate. He throws her ball & pets her, but has trouble being gentle when he gets excited. Lucy is super patient with him & has learned how to avoid him when she's not in the mood for his feisty games
• He LOVES to explore & follow me around the house. I love this! He's my little buddy!
• He's really into opening & closing doors
• 4 teeth
• 21 lbs.
• He will be one year old in less than a month! Eek! :)

My First Baseball Game

Howdy! Jack here, again. Mom said something about "laundry"...whatever that is, so I'm taking care of the blog today. So, during mission trip we got to meet up with my cousins & go to my first ever baseball game. I had so much fun! There was sooooo much to look at, and people were doing a lot of one of my favorite things: clapping. Naturally, I had to join them. Mommy kept taking pictures of Daddy & me. Some turned out kinda silly... and some were sweet (one of Mommy's words, not mine). I made it through the first 5 innings before I got too tired, but hey, it was waaaay past my bedtime, so I think I did pretty great! Speaking of tired, it's nap time. Later, Peeps! -Jack

Noodles

Jack was a part of our church's Vacation Bible School this year! He missed the end because he got a cold, but he had fun while he was there! Each night he brought home a little craft he "made" including a paper surf board with his little footprints on it. He also brought home an ornament with sand inside & stickers of the nativity scene on the outside. Our sweet children's director even specially made him a shirt since the official shirt didn't come in his size. It was so sweet & really warmed my heart that she went above & beyond to include little Jack. The whole experience reminded me how blessed we are to belong to a church who believes even the youngest ones can learn about Jesus' love. I didn't get a great picture of him, but here's one that shows off his cute shirt! (I had to hold on to him since he was standing on a chair!) Thanks again to Lesa & the whole children's council, our church family, & all Jack's sweet teachers & helpers!

Jack's First Mission Trip

Howdy! Jack here, reporting on my first mission trip. First of all, I have to say mission trips pretty much rock. I spent the week being adored by 80 people or so & I was pretty much the center of attention at all times. Notice the ring of teenage girls admiring my awesomeness. Other than that, I spent the week travelling to different worksites bringing plenty of smiles & popsicles to the workteams while Mom and Dad took pictures and videos. I saw the big kids do everything from building wheelchair ramps and a roof, to cleaning and painting houses. It was pretty impressive, but boy was it hot outside! Good thing I had my trusty carseat in the nice, cool car! When I wasn't out traveling around, I manned my command station back at the church, helped plan the worship stations, or spent time resting & playing at Etta's house. I loved Miss Etta, but I really loved the GIANT dog they have there named Gabe! I guess mom forgot to get a picture of him...but trust me, he's HUGE! Other than that, I got to go to my first baseball game (which I'm sure my mom will blog about soon), & I made my video debut. You can check the church's YouTube page for my amazing performances!

I guess that's it for now. I've gotta get back to my busy schedule of entertaining/terrorizing Lucy (my big red dog), exploring the living room, & emptying out all my toy boxes.

Later.

-Jack

10 months

This is late coming seeing as how he will soon be 11 months, but better late than never, I guess. This month has been crazy! Jack is learning and changing so fast, I can't even believe it!

• I just looked back at the 9 month post...at that point I said "No crawling yet." That almost makes me laugh now! He went from scooting, creeping, & rolling, to crawling, pulling up, standing, & cruising in the blink of an eye. His current focus is trying to stand with no hands. He also likes to stand (while holding on to the couch) & trying to lean down to pick up toys without falling.
• He loves playing and exploring, putting toys in buckets, pushing buttons, etc.
• We made him a book of pictures of family members so we can practice names & he loves it. He will sit & flip through it over & over with a big smile on his face. :)
• He loves clapping, cheering, sticking his tongue out, & playing peek-a-boo.
• Favorite song: Itsy Bitsy Spider
• Favorite Book: Barnyard Dance (by Sandra Boyton)
• Jack is very social & LOVES people. He smiles, babbles, & displays his cuteness to anyone who will pay attention.
• Jack is working on tooth number 4 at moment & it's been a rough week or so, as he's also been dealing with a cold. :(
• Baby signs he knows: more, all done, milk
• Favorite words: dada = daddy, dahd = dog, nana = nana, mama = mommy, dat = Jack
• Latest foods: pasta, corn, peas, chicken, potato, muffins, & bread
• Jack is super active all the time! He is so much fun & we're having a blast. :)

Faces