Jack Jack is getting to be a big boy and enjoys exploring and playing alone more and more. He's gotten markedly more mobile in the last couple of weeks, rotating 360 degrees in the sitting position, traversing the floor in pursuit of a toy by pulling with his legs in the sitting position as well. When he nears the toy he wants, he will lean onto his hands (over his knees) to reach it, but then quickly sits back on his rear to inevitably bite the thing.
Speaking of biting, he is working on his top two teeth. The gums have been swollen for a couple weeks now and the other day I thought I saw his top right one poking through the gums. It's hard to confirm because when you try to pry, the boy purses his lips tightly and won't allow a gander. Nevertheless, from the occasional finger bite and quick glance I think it's safe to conclude that the teeth are coming in.
Last week was pretty rough for the little one. Jack started the week with a low fever, which I attributed to his teething. Monday and Tuesday he just wasn't his usual cheery , babbling self and his sleep (and ours) was severely disturbed. I held him by my side all night long (our usual arrangement) and noticed that his breathing was labored. He was working way too hard to breathe. By Wednesday with no improvement, I decided I needed to take him in to be checked out by a professional. I'd noticed a wheezy sound that bothered me. The doctor said she heard something in his lungs and ordered a chest x-ray. It was sad to watch Jackie get his x-rays. The contraption was medieval-looking, and certainly uncomfortable for the boy: sitting on a bicycle seat-like thing, held in a clear plastic tube with a cut out for the face, clasped closed to hold his arms straight up. The good news was that the results were conclusive and treatable-- Jack had pneumonia in both lungs and was prescribed an antibiotic. Although I hate to hear that antibiotics are necessary, there is an element of relief when I do-- at least I know that a couple days from now, the kid will be much better. When it's "just a virus", we're looking at another week or more of a sick kid. He's slowly improving.
On a happier note, Jack loves music. I put on the "Latin Playground" Putumayo CD yesterday (a gift for the girl from Raquel) and when each new song would start, Jack would begin bouncing to the beat and dancing-- very aware of the new tune and enjoying each one. He also really likes and responds to my singing. It can make otherwise uncomfortable situations (like diaper changes) more bearable.
Little Jack is a talker and a singer. He likes to draw out vowel sounds in sing-songy ways, muffle his voice with his hand to create different rhythms, and experiment with new consonants all the time. The newest sounds to emerge are the g and k sounds, but his favorite fake-words have lots of y's in them.
Jack is enjoying books more and more too. He wants to touch each page and is learning to turn pages and open and close books. He has a couple soft cloth books, one of which is about farm animals (why is it that all kids love farm animals?) and he really likes playing with the many textures. When I read a couple pages, one animal on each side of the page, I can ask him to touch one or the other and he'll accurately do so. It's fun to begin these little tests and start to see that his receptive language is definitely there. As they say, he understands much more than he can speak. Another favorite book is "Peekaboo kisses", where different animals say peekaboo and readers are urged to kiss them. Jack began kissing them about a week ago, leaning in with an open mouth and giving each his little baby love. We'll work on transferring that skill to actual people ASAP because I can't wait for the day when I get an actual kiss from Jack, not just stolen ones!
I woke up this morning with an immobile neck and I know it's from holding the extra-needy Jack so so much, even while pulling weeds and gardening all day Saturday. My lovey husband saw that I was in no shape to be solo with the kids today, so he called in sick to help me out. As I type, he is sitting with Harper on his lap, singing different songs to the kids from the "Children's Song Treasury" book. Jack scooted up to them and sings and bounces along to the songs. He's enjoying their company and the songs, but occasionally looks over at me plaintively and says "Mama, Mama..." and does his closed-mouth mmm sound to register complaint or frustration.
This morning E and I decided to test out Jack's mobility to see if his movement was really purposeful. We see him in different places (hey, he was three feet over this way five minutes ago!) but it's been tough to confirm how much intention was involved. We set up the cell phone and pacifier to motivate him and he did make his way to them, several feet away. He scooted on his bottom, pulled forward by his feet to the toys.
One thing we've noticed with Jackie is worth noting, though. He's more motivated by his own ideas and desires than the urging of others. He's a self-motivated dude, not easily impressed with our ideas. It's not very convenient for getting any kind of routine established or getting him to nurse when my boobs say he must be hungry. No matter how often I offer ninny milk or how long it's been since he last ate, the boy won't take it until he decides he's ready for it. He has a mind of his own and feels very confident making his own decisions. It's admirable and interesting for such a young guy to be so in control of himself. I hope that we surround him with good options and experiences so that he will always choose well for himself.
He's more and more fun daily. Harper says he's a fuzzy, cute, and funny boy.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
Communicating Joy
Jack is more and more expressive everyday. He waves his little hand and flashes a coy smile at his favorite people. If you say "bounce, bounce, bounce", he dances and bounces his body. He started clapping his hands in celebration two days ago. If you say, "Yay" and clap, he'll follow suit. Or if he's feeling it, he just starts clapping on his own. It's fun to hear baby hands clap together and see your little boy smiling up at you, hands mirroring the obvious joy his face is radiating. Jack likes to applaud his sister when she does something impressive (sings songs, runs, hops...). He also says something that sounds like "Yay" when I prompt him.
He's got a sweet, subtle sense of humor, too. When I'm walking and singing him to sleep, if I stop the song and the walk abruptly and look at him, he smiles at me like he gets the joke. If I ask him, "Do you think that's funny?" He smiles and laughs like he understands what 'funny' means.
Just like Harper, Jack's enjoying the bird mobile/toy on the side of his crib. When he wakes from his nap, he entertains himself by pushing the button with his foot and watching the birds fly around and around to the tune of classical music. I often hear the sound of this toy before I hear him cry out through the monitor. Such a sweetie pie. We're trying to use his crib more and he's taking to it slowly. It just requires patience and consistency and it's a little tougher to do it with #2 than with Harper, simply because he is the second child (keeping Harper quiet, keeping Harper out of her own room when Jack's having his AM nap, worrying about Jack's noise waking Harper...).
Having two is definitely tougher than one, but we lucked out that Jack is as sweet as he is. Harper and Jack are great buddies, and his general contentment, attachment and lovey-ness, and capacity for joy makes him a natural part of our family and a fun part of everything.
He's got a sweet, subtle sense of humor, too. When I'm walking and singing him to sleep, if I stop the song and the walk abruptly and look at him, he smiles at me like he gets the joke. If I ask him, "Do you think that's funny?" He smiles and laughs like he understands what 'funny' means.
Just like Harper, Jack's enjoying the bird mobile/toy on the side of his crib. When he wakes from his nap, he entertains himself by pushing the button with his foot and watching the birds fly around and around to the tune of classical music. I often hear the sound of this toy before I hear him cry out through the monitor. Such a sweetie pie. We're trying to use his crib more and he's taking to it slowly. It just requires patience and consistency and it's a little tougher to do it with #2 than with Harper, simply because he is the second child (keeping Harper quiet, keeping Harper out of her own room when Jack's having his AM nap, worrying about Jack's noise waking Harper...).
Having two is definitely tougher than one, but we lucked out that Jack is as sweet as he is. Harper and Jack are great buddies, and his general contentment, attachment and lovey-ness, and capacity for joy makes him a natural part of our family and a fun part of everything.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
7 months old today!
Jack Jack has begun waving hi and bye. It is sooooooo cute... the blogging doesn't do it justice. In true genius fashion, the boy is waving his greetings to loved ones at a very young age. He first waved back to us on Saturday morning, just a few days before he turned 7 months. He will often wave back in reply to your greetings, but perhaps the coolest part of this is that he will also initiate your interaction by beginning to wave at you without any solicitations. He just wants to say "hi".
Jack remains a super sweet kid, leaning into me when he wants to nurse or if he is feeling a little shy. He prefers Mama, a little of the "stranger anxiety" setting in, and when in another's arms, he'll whine a sad (almost dog-like) sound at me with eyes fixed until I respond and rescue him. He instantly, I mean instantly, stops his fuss when Mama holds him. That goes for waking up from a not-in-Mom's-arms nap, as well. He will cry out, maybe even tear up, but as soon as I have him, it's completely over. Sometimes he'll even smile at me through wet eyes. He's definitely well-attached. Jack adores his Daddy, too. He tosses gleaming smiles at Dad when E returns home from work or when we approach Dad. He leans into Daddy when he's tired. He continues to adore his sister, clearly missing her when he wakes before Harper in the afternoon, and clearly happy to see her when she emerges from her nap.
Jack got his 6 month shots yesterday. At the appointment, he measured 27 1/2" long and weighed in at 16 lbs. 3 oz. All of these stats mean he's not particularly tall (a bit taller than average... 65th percentile) and he's skinny (35th percentile) for his age.
Knowing that this is my last time in life with a baby, I am savoring the moments with little Jack. I am so glad that I have the chance to be home with my little ones as they start their important lives. I hold Jack for his afternoon nap (he usually naps in the AM, during Harper's afternoon nap, and occasionally evening-- although we're phasing that one out). He sleeps nestled in, on my left arm and if all is well (no snot, no diarrhea, nothing ailing him), he's a good sleeper at night, only waking once or twice to have a quick sip and go right back to sleep. As he falls asleep, he usually sings/hums a little song to himself. I held Harper more than most Mommies, too, and looking back I have no regrets: I didn't miss any opportunities for cuddling, she's well-attached and ( I believe) as a result, easy to discipline, and she's a great sleeper while many of her peers we know don't sleep as well as she. Jack loves to snuggle in and be lovey, and why deny him that luxury?
He still nurses 97% of his nutritional intake, but we've started to introduce some cereals (he likes them better than the baby food stuff). Interestingly, the introduction of this additional food has been just that, additional. It hasn't seemed to change his desire for "ninny milk" yet. He's a growing, hungry boy!
Since we've been gardening lately, we've learned that Jack really likes to be outside. We put on a wide-brimmed white hat, throw out a blanket for him, and he's happy in the grass with a few toys. He watches me work and smiles at me often. As my great Aunt Jesse said upon seeing his birth announcement, "he's smiling because he knows he's landed in a soft place"... I think there's something to that. He truly loves his family, and he's a perfect fit with all of us.
Jack remains a super sweet kid, leaning into me when he wants to nurse or if he is feeling a little shy. He prefers Mama, a little of the "stranger anxiety" setting in, and when in another's arms, he'll whine a sad (almost dog-like) sound at me with eyes fixed until I respond and rescue him. He instantly, I mean instantly, stops his fuss when Mama holds him. That goes for waking up from a not-in-Mom's-arms nap, as well. He will cry out, maybe even tear up, but as soon as I have him, it's completely over. Sometimes he'll even smile at me through wet eyes. He's definitely well-attached. Jack adores his Daddy, too. He tosses gleaming smiles at Dad when E returns home from work or when we approach Dad. He leans into Daddy when he's tired. He continues to adore his sister, clearly missing her when he wakes before Harper in the afternoon, and clearly happy to see her when she emerges from her nap.
Jack got his 6 month shots yesterday. At the appointment, he measured 27 1/2" long and weighed in at 16 lbs. 3 oz. All of these stats mean he's not particularly tall (a bit taller than average... 65th percentile) and he's skinny (35th percentile) for his age.
Knowing that this is my last time in life with a baby, I am savoring the moments with little Jack. I am so glad that I have the chance to be home with my little ones as they start their important lives. I hold Jack for his afternoon nap (he usually naps in the AM, during Harper's afternoon nap, and occasionally evening-- although we're phasing that one out). He sleeps nestled in, on my left arm and if all is well (no snot, no diarrhea, nothing ailing him), he's a good sleeper at night, only waking once or twice to have a quick sip and go right back to sleep. As he falls asleep, he usually sings/hums a little song to himself. I held Harper more than most Mommies, too, and looking back I have no regrets: I didn't miss any opportunities for cuddling, she's well-attached and ( I believe) as a result, easy to discipline, and she's a great sleeper while many of her peers we know don't sleep as well as she. Jack loves to snuggle in and be lovey, and why deny him that luxury?
He still nurses 97% of his nutritional intake, but we've started to introduce some cereals (he likes them better than the baby food stuff). Interestingly, the introduction of this additional food has been just that, additional. It hasn't seemed to change his desire for "ninny milk" yet. He's a growing, hungry boy!
Since we've been gardening lately, we've learned that Jack really likes to be outside. We put on a wide-brimmed white hat, throw out a blanket for him, and he's happy in the grass with a few toys. He watches me work and smiles at me often. As my great Aunt Jesse said upon seeing his birth announcement, "he's smiling because he knows he's landed in a soft place"... I think there's something to that. He truly loves his family, and he's a perfect fit with all of us.
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