8 Months

Dear Jack,

You, my sweet boy, are in quite a hurry to grow up. You're sort of like a bull in a china closet when you work on developing a new skill. Unfortunately, you tend to skip several developmental steps and like to jump ahead to the finished product. Does this say something about your future personality? Hmm...

Your first milestone this last month was being able to pull yourself from a sitting position forward onto your tummy. You'd say, "Great...now what?" You still don't roll over (have mercy!!!) and don't know how to crawl. You absolutely LOVE to walk around and around the house holding on to our hands and have even started cruising a little bit on the furniture. Sometimes, you even let go and try and stand on your own only to realize that....hark, you have no balance. You fall down and act as if the world is coming to an end rather than have the skills to just get back up again. You aren't very bendy. I often put you on your knees and try and teach you how to stand up from there but you look like a board and get so mad.

This last month you added "Da da" to your vocabulary. You have no idea that Da da is a person but you sure like saying it. You became a pro at your left hand pincer grip and love to eat blueberries one at a time. On March 22nd, you officially rolled over TWICE unprompted on Mama and Daddy's bed. Happy day, it finally happened. Has it happened since then....well, no. :)

One of the biggest changes this month is your sleeping. Every time I've listened to the parenting books even a little bit and tried to control your sleeping patterns, I instantly regret it and we have major set backs. Instead, I've adopted the parenting philosophy to pay really close attention to you and let you set the pace with naps and bed. This month, you (all on your own) dropped your third nap of the day and started sleeping a bit longer at night. Your new schedule looks like this:

(all times need the suffix -ish added to them. We are flexible)

7:00am Wake up and play

7:40 Breakfast (toast, peaches, banana)

PJ's back on and more play time

9:00am 1st nursing of the day and a nap

11:00 am up from your nap (did you see that...yeah, that's TWO hours!!)

get dressed for the day

run errands

12:00 pm back from errands, 2nd nursing

play time

2:30pm 2nd nap

3:30 pm up from nap (ONE whole hour)

play time

4:00pm 3rd nursing

4:30pm We meet our friend Asa and his mom, Aimee and go for a run. Our route is about 4 miles but we only run a little less then 3 miles.

6:00pm Dinner (pureed veggies, zucchini, sweet potatoes, quesadilla, strawberries)

6:30pm Get into your PJs for bed

Play time

7:10 pm You nurse to sleep

11:30pm Up for a quick nursing

6:00 am Barely awake for a quick nursing but fall back asleep for another hour

And then, my friend, we do it all over again.

This month also marked your first Easter (Mama's very favorite holiday) but you didn't get to celebrate at all because Mama and Daddy were super duper sick with food poisoning. Mama had the best Easter outfit for you and you didn't even get to wear it. Alas.

It's Springtime, my dear boy, and you are growing so fast. Only a few more months and Daddy will be done with medical school. Our friends will begin moving away and we will begin a new adventure down here in California. We're starting to admit that we actually live here (only took us 4 years) and that you are a California boy. Did you know you'll be turning 5 by the time we move?

We're just nuts about you, kid,

Your crazy parents,

Mama and Daddy

You love:

Pesto Chicken Sausage from Trader Joes (I believe the word obsessed is in order)

Walking, walking, walking

Touching everything naughty (computers, cords, plastic bags, the vertical blinds, etc.)

Taking baths in the big bath tub

You hate:

Being told "no"

Being cradle held

When the chicken sausage is gone

Look Ma, only one hand

We celebrated Daddy's Match Day, March 16th with a picnic

You slept in the carrier.

Good morning world!

Some may think this picture is inappropriate.

It might be.

Until you realize that Jack is on the floor next to a bed.

Not just any bed.

John Wayne's bed.

On John Wayne's personal yacht.

My family, who loves potty humor and John Wayne equally, will love it! :)

I love to eat

Check out my technique.

I call it, the bend and smash.

Hey, come back here hand.

Toys are interesting.

Some toys you think your baby has no interest in and then the next day they are obsessed with it.

This is Sophie the giraffe.

She was a gift from Uncle John (Mark)

Jack loved her initially and then lost interest.

Lately, he's discovered that he can cause the squeaking sound to happen.

Jack doesn't do anything half way.

If he's going to squeak that toy, then boy howdy, he's gonna squeak it for real!