Jack Jack got his own room yesterday... sort of. We'd been wrestling with the moving to the crib issue for a couple months, trying to set him in there for the first part of the night as we did with baby Harper but as soon as he'd wake crying (as babies do), this would upset Harper and we'd have two crying kids in need of consolation. So the decision was made to move his crib into the office, set up his own monitor in there, and see how it goes. Last night was the first try and he was set down at 8:45 after nursing, slept for an hour, was comforted back to sleep, slept another hour, and came into our bed with us. He then woke for the next two hours on the hour until I nursed him again at 2:45 and he slept until 6:30. My sensitive kids... when something's been changed they notice it.
Speaking of changes, Jack continues to grow up into a cutie pie big boy. He signs more words, including elephant (along with the trumpeting sound), and bird (pinchy fingers). We had a huge (bigger than my head) sunflower from our garden cut and in a pitcher on our dining table for several days, during which time he learned to do a snorty nose for the word 'flower'. He also puffs up his cheeks and blows when we read "Mirror Me" and we get to the page where cow puffs his cheeks. He also sticks out his tongue when the frog in said book "sticks out his long, pink tongue". He began signing "all done" a couple weeks ago, and uses this sign to let us know he doesn't want to eat any more. He makes the sign for water when he's thirsty. He can follow the commands "Arms up! Arms down!" and feels proud of himself for doing so. He says Dada (started on July 1st), and he says BaBa for bye-bye as well. He still uses the signs for these words as well, sometimes verbally communicating, sometimes signing, sometimes both simultaneously. Jack also says "fff--sh" for fish (which we first noticed when he was standing in front of Harper's aquarium, touching the glass), and "kkkk" for duck/quack. He can identify them in books this way, as well as point them out when asked. He also does a "vvvv bbbbbb" sound for a car.
Jack is also working on walking. That downhill skiier scoot (this side, now that side pull with the legs) is going to be gone soon (the crawling stage is such a short window of time!). Jack's been cruising furniture for a while now, but he's getting bolder, even taking a few unassisted steps (walking!) back and forth between mom and dad a few nights ago (July 3rd was when he first did it). We went to a 1st birthday party for Brooklyn Collins (Adam's daughter) this weekend and she had a push toy that you walk with. Jackie LOVE LOVE LOVED it. He pushed it along squealing excitedly. We had to distract him and give him his sucker when we finally pried it from his hands. He lets you know in no uncertain terms that he is mad when a toy is taken from him! He's a second child-- knows how to fight for his toys already! When we got home, we got out Harper's old walker/stroller and let him push it around. He loves it until he hits something and he's stopped. Then he gets frustrated.
In preparation for American Idol auditions coming up, I have recently eliminated breastfeeding until just before naptime, so he's going from his middle of the night feeding (the wee hours of the AM) until around 2 PM before nursing again. In the morning he's eating oatmeal cereal, some banana and yogurt. He is drinking a lot more water (I've tried formula, whole organic milk, and soy milk-- won't drink any of these) from the sippy cup too. Jack also eats graham crackers, bananas, Cheerios, tiny bits of bread, and he still eats a lot of baby food, preferably a tad warm.
Jackie had his first ocean experience the weekend of June 21st. We went to Cayucos with Amy and Jason. It was so nice to stay at a home, where we could have our bedroom for our family and a kitchen to feed the kids. Jack liked the water except for the coldness. He liked playing in the sand on the shore with big sister Harper, too. He pretty much likes everywhere as long as he's with his family. It was tough to keep him from being covered in sand. The first day, he (despite my best attempts to prevent it) tried to eat some sand. After discovering it wasn't so good, he never tried it again! It was funny that I'd spent so much effort trying to keep his sandy hands out of his mouth and if I'd just let him do it right away, it would've been a lot less stress in the end.
Jack's a hugger and a kisser. He will often scoot over to me, pull himself up and kiss my leg. He's also starting to do the "mm, mm, mmmmm" sound when he hugs. Today he even patted my shoulder when he hugged me. He is also a very ticklish kid, good spots include under the chin, kissing his ears, under the armpits, inner thighs, sides of ribs, feet just under toes. He cackles and laughs big belly laughs and loves to be tickled. He also sings. He does high-pitched aahhs and he vocalizes the b sound while flicking his closed lips to make the sound more staccato.
He's fun.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
So Much to Report!
Our enthusiastic little Jack Jack. Click this picture to see his top teeth coming in. The boy now has four teeth and seems to be working on more.
Jack has always loved being outside. Here he is in Daddy's new hammock (a birthday present from the Ertls-- thanks!) leaning over to pet Sadie.
Jack loves kitties, but the other day while visiting the Correas their little doggie, Chuy, came over to Jack on the floor and got right in his face-- not in a threatening way, just friendly. Jack shouted and grabbed Chuy by the neck and pushed him away. It was surprising how instantly the boy defended himself; it also enlightening to see that this is how he reacts-- when he felt scared he defended himself. He didn't look up for help. He faced this little puppy head on.
Here's Jack on a recent trip to the neighborhood park. He's a swing-lover like his sister and true to his love of the outdoors, he adores stroller rides.
Check this confident, cute smile as he sits in the front of the double stroller.
Now that hes been pulling up for a month, he does it with such ease. Jackie scoots all over the house and gets to the furniture (Harper's bed right now, or the ottoman, couch, our bed, the highchair...), reaches up and ascends. He can be up in under-a-second, ready to play.
He is still very self-determined. When we call to him he begins scooting to us but often gets distracted by his own interests and diverted to something else (an interesting outlet, cord, something "chokable" usually).
He's cruising on furniture, taking steps while holding on. He is very interested in walking-- who knows when he'll take his first unassisted steps, but he is definitely bolder than Harper was. He really enjoys taking steps while a grown up holds his hands above him, (I usually narrate, "step, step, step" as we go) and the last few days he'll even take several steps while only holding one hand. His balance is improving.
His receptive language has grown this month and Jackie can follow the direction "Gimme Five", "Turn the page", "Pat, pat, pat", "Shake, shake, shake", or "Touch the ___." He demonstrates his knowledge of some animals by distinguishing them in books this way. He can also locate my nose, mouth, ears, and tongue when I ask him to touch them.
He went to the doctor's the other day for his nine month appointment. Everything looks great. He's 28 3/4 " tall, and 18 lbs. 1 oz. This means he's relatively tall and thin-ish. He has dry skin, a couple spots of excema which we keep at bay with some super thick cream I use. Sometimes I see him scratching, though, poor guy.
7 o'clock at night is his grumpy hour. Jack would probably prefer if that were his bedtime, but it's just too darn inconvenient for our family. He goes to bed at about 8:15- 8:30 by nursing and still sleeps in our bed because he wakes and when that happens in Harper's room it stresses her out. When he sleeps more soundly, he'll join her in their room but for now he enjoys the luxuries of babyhood.
He's eating more solids, but he has fewer teeth than Harper so he's not eating foods as lumpy as she was at this age. His favorites include: butternut squash and corn, turkey and vegetables, butternut squash, corn and chicken, carrots, prunes, oatmeal cereal w/bananas, and he's beginning to try puffs.
Jack is signing more. He can sign: Dada, all done, good, bye bye (with the "Ba ba" sound), hi (with the long i sound), light, eat (hand to/in mouth with a smacking lips sound), and he claps to show approval/celebration.
He continues to adore his big sister. Each morning, when we emerge from the bedroom, I ask him, "Do you want to go see Harper?" Jack kicks his little legs, and begins waving his hand, ready to greet her.
Jack is learning to give hugs and kisses. It's the classic, open-mouthed kisses. Love it!
Another important milestone: he's beginning to use the sippy cup. Yesterday he drank the most so far, probably about an ounce and a half from a sippy.
His nicknames these days are Sonny Son Son, Cutzal (like the bird Quetzal, or the Quetzalcoatlus dinosaur... but waaaaaaaaay cuter) and Cutzal McKay.
Jack has always loved being outside. Here he is in Daddy's new hammock (a birthday present from the Ertls-- thanks!) leaning over to pet Sadie.
Jack loves kitties, but the other day while visiting the Correas their little doggie, Chuy, came over to Jack on the floor and got right in his face-- not in a threatening way, just friendly. Jack shouted and grabbed Chuy by the neck and pushed him away. It was surprising how instantly the boy defended himself; it also enlightening to see that this is how he reacts-- when he felt scared he defended himself. He didn't look up for help. He faced this little puppy head on.
Here's Jack on a recent trip to the neighborhood park. He's a swing-lover like his sister and true to his love of the outdoors, he adores stroller rides.
Check this confident, cute smile as he sits in the front of the double stroller.
Now that hes been pulling up for a month, he does it with such ease. Jackie scoots all over the house and gets to the furniture (Harper's bed right now, or the ottoman, couch, our bed, the highchair...), reaches up and ascends. He can be up in under-a-second, ready to play.
He is still very self-determined. When we call to him he begins scooting to us but often gets distracted by his own interests and diverted to something else (an interesting outlet, cord, something "chokable" usually).
He's cruising on furniture, taking steps while holding on. He is very interested in walking-- who knows when he'll take his first unassisted steps, but he is definitely bolder than Harper was. He really enjoys taking steps while a grown up holds his hands above him, (I usually narrate, "step, step, step" as we go) and the last few days he'll even take several steps while only holding one hand. His balance is improving.
His receptive language has grown this month and Jackie can follow the direction "Gimme Five", "Turn the page", "Pat, pat, pat", "Shake, shake, shake", or "Touch the ___." He demonstrates his knowledge of some animals by distinguishing them in books this way. He can also locate my nose, mouth, ears, and tongue when I ask him to touch them.
He went to the doctor's the other day for his nine month appointment. Everything looks great. He's 28 3/4 " tall, and 18 lbs. 1 oz. This means he's relatively tall and thin-ish. He has dry skin, a couple spots of excema which we keep at bay with some super thick cream I use. Sometimes I see him scratching, though, poor guy.
7 o'clock at night is his grumpy hour. Jack would probably prefer if that were his bedtime, but it's just too darn inconvenient for our family. He goes to bed at about 8:15- 8:30 by nursing and still sleeps in our bed because he wakes and when that happens in Harper's room it stresses her out. When he sleeps more soundly, he'll join her in their room but for now he enjoys the luxuries of babyhood.
He's eating more solids, but he has fewer teeth than Harper so he's not eating foods as lumpy as she was at this age. His favorites include: butternut squash and corn, turkey and vegetables, butternut squash, corn and chicken, carrots, prunes, oatmeal cereal w/bananas, and he's beginning to try puffs.
Jack is signing more. He can sign: Dada, all done, good, bye bye (with the "Ba ba" sound), hi (with the long i sound), light, eat (hand to/in mouth with a smacking lips sound), and he claps to show approval/celebration.
He continues to adore his big sister. Each morning, when we emerge from the bedroom, I ask him, "Do you want to go see Harper?" Jack kicks his little legs, and begins waving his hand, ready to greet her.
Jack is learning to give hugs and kisses. It's the classic, open-mouthed kisses. Love it!
Another important milestone: he's beginning to use the sippy cup. Yesterday he drank the most so far, probably about an ounce and a half from a sippy.
His nicknames these days are Sonny Son Son, Cutzal (like the bird Quetzal, or the Quetzalcoatlus dinosaur... but waaaaaaaaay cuter) and Cutzal McKay.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Healed!
Harper and I made "Wellness Crowns" for her and Jack this week. Turns out, there's power in the crown! What improvement, huh?
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Dalmatian Boy
Jack had pneumonia last week and ended up with an allergic reaction to the amoxicilin and broke out in hives. He doesn't seem to be too fazed by it but it looks something awful.
Monday, May 12, 2008
8 months old with a mind of his own!
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.
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.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
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