My lil Irish man...

I could not resist the urge to dress jack up for St. Patricks day. The results were adorable.

9 months...

Jack is 9 months and so very active now. We've had quite the milestone this month as well... His first word! 

I say it every month but it really is so awesome to watch him develop, grow and change each month. Being a parent is incredible. 

At 9 months Jack:

Has Two teeth

Officially said mom on valentines day (an melted my heart in the process)

Waves hi and bye 

Stands for a second on his own before falling. 

Does not like puffs. You put them in his mouth and he acts like he is choking. It's actually quite funny to see. 

Eats purees/cereal 3 times a day and breastfeeds.  

Gives slobbery sweet open mouth kisses 

Wears Size 3 diapers and size 6-9 month clothes. 

Usually will take 2 naps...if mom is lucky. 

Still wakes up twice during the night. 

Jack really is such a sweet natured boy and is happy pretty much all the time. He has no problem with strangers and loves everybody. His smile still lights up a room and his laugh will make even the grinch giggle. 

7 months...

We have a very active kiddo on our hands these days. Even taking these pictures was a bit of a challenge but they turned out just as cute as ever. (I'm the mom, I'm allowed to be biased)

At 7 months Jack is:
16 lbs 12 oz
25 and 3/4 inches
wearing size 2 diapers
in size 3-6 clothes
crawling all over
pulling himself up on furniture and standing up in his crib
eats real food twice a day (bananas are a favorite)
teething but still no teeth
absolutely LOVING his dogs!

There was about 5 days in a row where he slept from 8pm-7am straight. Then he learned his new trick of standing up and that all went out the window. He thinks its HILARIOUS that he can pull himself up in his crib and stand and bounce. He does it and just laughs and laughs over the monitor. Its was really cute the first couple times, now I just want sleep!

Naps are still a bit of a struggle and usually only last 30-45 min but I guess we will take what we can get at this point. 

Besides the sleep deprivation we could not be more in love with this guy. He has the sweetest disposition and really is so good-natured and happy. He is up for anything and always has a smile for anyone he meets.

Jack's 7 month birthday also marks the one year anniversary of my dad's death. I still think of my Dad on a daily basis and miss him so much but having Jack makes the passage of time that much easier. It's also a wonderful thought knowing that Jack has my Dad as a guardian angel, to watch over and protect him, along the way. Jack will no doubt grow up hearing all about his special "angel grandpa".

no way...

It is not possible my baby is 6 months old already! The time is flying by and I want to stop it and capture every moment, every smile, and every laugh. I can not believe I have been a mom for half a year. How weird is that? I am a mom...that is still crazy to me. Sometimes I just look at Jack and I am overwhelmed by how lucky I am to have him and call him my boy.

At Six Months Jack is:

25 3/4 inches tall

16 lbs 2 oz

wearing 0-3 clothes and some 3-6 clothes

using a size 1 diaper

sleeping 7pm-6 am with 2-3 wake ups in between

crawling

babbling non stop and discovers new sounds he can make every day

eating real food (rice cereal and a fruit or a veggie twice a day).

Jack continues to be a smiley happy baby regardless of lack of sleep, which is a blessing. Even though mom is tired its all worth it when he laughs. Which he does on a regular basis sometimes for no reason at all :)

Jack has really started to get his groove now and is moving all over. He figured out the crawling thing and can do it when he wants but if he is really in a hurry he will still roll to get somewhere. I have a feeling he is going to be a child that never really sits still for very long. Pretty sure its in his genes, like his grandma and his Uncle Terry

Here he is trying rice cereal for the first time: 

He wasn't real sure what to think at first but he quickly learned to love it and is such a good eater!

People often ask if parenthood is all its cracked up to be and as cliche as it sounds it really is. I have never, in my life felt so fulfilled with anything. I now know the purpose of my life and what it means to truly love completely unconditionally. Parenthood is a crazy, frustrating, hard, confusing, wonderful, amazing ride and I love every single minute of it. 

5 months...

Wow 5 months already.  Jack is at the BEST stage we've seen so far. I love it. He is SO happy and smiley and really only gets upset when he is hungry or tired. He has the cutest laugh ever and will laugh at pretty much anything these days. He learned how to blow bubbles with his mouth and makes funny sounds. He cracks up when we blow on his arms or tummy or hands. Or even when we makes funny faces or noises. He likes to play with our dogs and thinks its hysterical when they kiss him. Whenever they are close to him he just opens his mouth and puts his hands out for kisses. So gross but still very cute :) 

No official stats this month but he is getting cute little rolls on his arms and legs and I just want to eat him up! 

At 5 months Jack is:
wearing size 0-3 and 3 month clothes
wearing size 1 diapers
rolling all over the place
grabbing everything in site (and putting it in his mouth)
sleeping on his stomach/back/side
propping himself up on his hands and legs but not yet crawling
starting to learn his name
sucking on his lower and upper lips...first signs of teething?
Catnaps in his swing in the mornings

Still goes to bed at 7 but waking up consistently during the night starting at about midnight.
breastfeeding and takes 4-5 oz from a bottle
sticking out his tongue when concentrating (gets this from his dad). 

Jack is such a good baby. I just wish he would sleep more. This past month we have really been trying to get in the habit of taking better naps to see if that helps at night. He still fights it with every inch of his being but he is at least taking about a 45-hour nap in the morning. The afternoon nap is more of a struggle. We are hoping when we introduce some cereal and veggies next month it will help.

4 months old...

Sadly this was the month I was dreading the most, I finally had to go back to work at the end of August after 16 weeks maternity leave. I never thought I would be the type of mom who wanted to stay home all the time but apparently I am.  Going back to work has been the hardest thing I have done since giving birth. Thankfully we have amazing parents, friends, and family who help watch Jack while Jim and I are working or sleeping. That makes leaving him a little easier it still breaks my heart a little bit each time I leave. I mean how can you want to leave this face?

 

That being said Jack has not skipped a beat-thankfully! We were already in a good bedtime routine of bath, books, bottle and bed so nothing much changed in that aspect. The rest of his day is still spent playing and hanging out. The worst part was for me. Trying to sleep during the day while Jack was at home or having to take him to our parents and then come home to sleep it just killed me. Its amazing the amount of guilt you can feel being away from your child. That stress was compounded by my body trying to readjust its feeding schedule and trying to pump enough milk so we did not have to supplement with formula. After many sleepless nights and days  Eventually we got back on track and Jack is once again thriving and I am learning to give myself a break and not feel so guilty. But, like I said I don't think Jack noticed much. He is as happy, smiley, and playful as ever! He still has a bit of a bug that has just lingered around but we all are dealing with it much better now.

 

At 4 months Jack is:

13 lbs 3 0z

24.5 inches long

 

using size 1 diapers

wearing 0-3 and some 3 month clothes

sleeps from 7pm-7am with at least 2 wake ups to eat

fighting naps big time but will take multiple 15-45 min catnaps a day

rolling all over the place

primarily sleeping on his stomach

laughing and giggling and really starting to interact and play

entertains himself for short periods of time

breastfeeding or takes a bottle every 2-3 hours

mimicking noises and faces we make

blowing bubbles and making funny sounds with his mouth

grasping at objects at toys (and moms hair) and putting everything in his mouth

recognizes mom and dads face and voice

drooling everywhere

starting to teethe

still loving bath time

 

Each and every month more and more of Jack's personality emerges and it is so much fun to watch. I adore how interactive he is becoming and that I am beginning to understand his wants and needs a little more now. Being able to decipher his cries makes life much easier and happier for everyone involved. Jack truly is a sweet and joyful baby and his laugh and smile can brighten any ones day. The best part of my day is when he wakes up in the morning and I go get him from his crib and he recognizes me and smiles. Seriously this kids smile absolutely kills me.  

 

Also jack's lil body is still not tolerating his shots very well. He was sick for a few days after this round. Poor kiddo. At least his still adorable even while he is miserable.

3 months...

Jack's 3rd month was a little bit rougher than the first two. Poor guy caught his first cold at the beginning of August and it was a doozy (for all of us)! The bug came on fast and furious and hit him first with the nasal congestion and slight fever and then worked his way down into a chest cold and cough. Of course the timing was right when we were planning a trip to the lake, and right before I went out of town, but we made it work and best of all, we survived!

The good news, after a doctor visit for the cough we got some height and weight stats we wouldn't have had normally at the the 3 month mark.

At 3 months Jack is:

12 lbs 12 oz (9%)

23 1/4 inches (8%)

using size 1 diapers

wearing a few newborn clothes but mostly 0-3 month clothing

consistently sleeping 5-6 hrs at night

going to bed between 8-10pm and getting up between 5-7am with 1-2 feedings in between

takes 1-2 naps a day

sleeping in his crib at night

rolled over for the first time (August 13th) 

cooing and babbling all the time

Little laughs and giggles to himself and others 

outgrown his colic (fingers crossed!)

breastfeeding and taking breast milk from the bottle

laying on his activity mat and really starting to grab and play

likes when we kick his legs for him

still loving his bath time

loves going on jogs in the stroller with daddy

had his first diaper blow out

  Even with a cold Jack was such a trooper this month. He really is such a sweet little man who loves to "talk" and play and smile all day. And now that he has outgrown the colic he seems to be a pretty chill lil dude. As long as he is moving and well fed, he is happy!

It has been so fun to see Jack grow and learn and develop. It really is amazing what can change literally over night. My favorite part is watching his personality emerge bit by bit, little by little, every single day. It's fun to see parts of Jim and myself come out in him and to guess where he gets other traits. Jack is the best parts of both of us. A little bit me, a little bit a lot Jim, and a whole lot of perfection. I just can't get enough. My heart actually leaps with love at the thought of him and when he smiles...forget it, it's all over. 

I'm in serious trouble when he gets older. 

2 months...

 

 

Jack had his two month appointment on July 10th and he did great!

 

 At two months (and 5 days) Jack is:

11 lbs 6 oz (22%)

 22 inches long (8%)

 

using size 1 diapers

still primarily in newborn sizes but a few 0-3 month clothes
breastfeeding and taking breast milk from a bottle at least once a day

slept 9 hours straight through the night for the first (and only) time!

he sleeps through the night here and there

consistently sleeping 4-5 hours at night

taking several naps (ranging from 45 min-3 hrs) throughout the day

starting to interact, coo and babble a little bit more every day

still loving his bath time

 

don't let the happy smiley pictures fool you though, the doctor confirmed he has colic-We are hoping he grows out of it soon!

his personality is starting to show a bit more and I think he may have inherited a stubborn streak...I will let you guess which parent that came from :)

The poor guy really did not tolerate his 2 month shots well at all. He spiked a fever and had diarrhea for daaaaaays after. Its safe to say Jack was not a fan :(

 even when he's crying he's still pretty darn cute



He is still a tiny little guy but starting to get a little bit squishier :)

 

Its crazy to think its been two months already. Everyone always tells you it goes fast but, wow, I never thought it would go so quickly.  I vividly remember doing everything I could to induce labor and meet this guy but at the same time everything since has been somewhat of a blur. It's a bit of a dichotomy I gues, it seems like just yesterday that he was born but at the same time I don't remember life without him. I am consciously trying to stop and take everything in while I can. I want to enjoy this time with Jack and Jim. I want Jack to get to know me and feel safe and secure and happy and all of those things, before I have to go back to work.  Never again will we get the chance to spend the summer all together like this so I am really wanting to make it as memorable as possible.  I am doing my best to take pictures and document our daily lives, the monotonous and the milestones. I don't want to miss a thing! Even with a crying, colicky baby Jack is the best thing that ever happened to me, and us. I can be utterly exhausted and at my wits end and all he has to do is smile or sigh and its all over. I would do absolutely anything for our little bubba and every time I think I can not love him more I look at him and know that I do.

 



One month...

At one month old Jack is really starting to smile when people interact with him.

He is sleeping in his own room, in his rock n' play, at night

He is sleeping for two hour stretches pretty much all day long. At night we can sometimes squeeze a 3 or 3 1/2 hr stretch in if we are lucky.

He is NOT happy from about 4-8pm. I am crossing my fingers it is not colic, but I fear the worst.

We are breastfeeding and he can not get enough. I swear this kid would live on the boob if I let him.

 Jack is still using newborn diapers and wearing newborn clothes (which are still big on him)

He LOVES laying on moms chest to fall asleep and he loves to be burped and have his back rubbed.

He also loves when Dad carries him like a football and swings him around. When he is screaming this is the best way to get him to sleep.

Baths are one of Jack's favorite things. And mom and dads too. They make the crying stop for the few minutes he is in the water. Maybe we will have the next Michael Phelps on our hands ;)

 

on 5/22/13 Jack was:

19.8 inches long (10%)

8 lbs (33%)

15 inch head circumfrence (92%)

Jack has had lots and lots of visitors and he loves them all! We are blessed to have so many kind, generous, thoughtful and loving friends and family who have helped us with food and clothes and lots and lots of cuddles :) I think Jack will be quite the social butterfly when he grows up...just like his parents.

 

such a flirty flirt with his blue steel look

 

 look at those skinny little legs

 

the smile that makes it all worth it!

 

Even though he cries (A lot) and sleeps very little we are so in love with this little guy. He truly is our little miracle and a special gift from God. We prayed and prayed and tried and tried to get pregnant so even when we are walking around like zombies we know there is nothing better than having Jack here with us. He is definitely worth the wait and the answer to all of our prayers.