Jack David - 9 months

These monthly updates seem to be the only thing that I can get written.  I have a couple other posts that I've started, but just haven't found the time to finish them.  One day maybe I'll find the time.

Weight: 17 pounds, 5 ounces (20th%)  

Length: 27 inches (6th%)  Sorry buddy, you don't come from tall people. 

Head: 17 7/8 inches (62nd%, down from 80% at 4 months)

Sleeping: Jack's sleeping habits have drastically improved within the last month.  During the day he takes two naps that vary in length (30 minutes to 3 hours).  He goes to bed for the night around 8:30 and will sleep until 1 or 1:30.  He nurses and then goes right back to sleep.  He'll usually wake up at least one more time.  As long as he finds Mr. Jumpers, he typically goes back to sleep on his own.  

Eating: Jack has really started to like table food.  In fact, he prefers it to purees.  He has tried all kinds of new things this month.   Chicken, green beans, apricots, mac and cheese, pears, broccoli, smoothies, pizza, mashed potatoes (He is my only kid who likes them.), bananas, bread, cheese.  He still nurses about every four hours during the day and once at night.

Clothing:  6-9 months

Diapers:  Size 3

Eyes:    Brown

Hair: Blonde and still rocking the mohawk 

Teeth: None

Milestones:  Jack is into everything!  He has been army crawling for over a month, but finally started crawling on all four a couple days before his nine month birthday.  This month he also learned how to sit up on his own and pull up onto his knees.  He is "talking" more and has said "mama" and "dada." 

Likes:  Jack loves people!  He loves it when people talk or smile at him.  He loves being on the floor and having the freedom to explore the house.  He likes baths, being outside, eating and playing with toys.

Dislikes: There's not much that he doesn't like.  His biggest dislikes are being hungry or tired.  He's still not crazy about the vacuum, but he no longer cries when its on.  He also doesn't like to be confined (ie: stuck in his high chair or barricaded in the living room.

Sisters: They're still just as crazy.  They are always messing with him.  Trying to hold him, setting him up, giving him toys, getting in his face.  He has started letting them know when he doesn't want them to mess with him.  They like that he is mobile, but not that he can get into their stuff.

Jack David - 8 months

Weight: ~17.5 pounds.  He weighed 17 pounds, 1 ounce at the beginning of February when he had the flu.  I think he's still under 18 pounds.

Sleeping: Up until the last couple weeks, Jack's sleeping habits were still pretty bad.  He was waking 3-4 times a night and needed me to comfort him each time.  I really wanted to start letting him fuss longer during the night to see if he could self soothe.  Then our whole house got the flu and that all went out the window.  I just couldn't let him cry when I knew he didn't feel well.  Once he recovered from the flu (thankfully he had a mild case), I started waiting about ten minutes before getting up.  This time it worked!  He still wants to eat once during the night, usually around 1:30 or 2, but that is sooo much better than 3-4 times.  
During the Jack takes three naps that vary in length.  His morning nap is usually the longest and I can typically get him to take a nap during daycare naptime.   He almost always needs and evening nap in order to make it until his normal bedtime.

Eating: Jack nurses about every three to four hours during the day and once during the night.  He gets some kind of solid food in the evening.  Sometimes it's a puree and sometimes it's some of our dinner.  He slightly prefers non-purees, but isn't a huge fan of either one.  Neither of the girls were big eaters at this age, so I'm not too surprised.  

Clothing:  He moved up a size.  Jack now wears 6-9 and 6-12 month clothes.

Diapers:  Size 3

Eyes:    Brown

Hair: His hair still sticks up in the back and he is rocking a pretty cute mohawk.  

Teeth: None

Milestones:  He is acting more and more like a little boy and less like a baby. I love watching his little personality blossom.  He is now completely mobile and gets into everything including Molly's food and water.  He started army crawling a couple weeks ago and just a couple days later he was up on all four.  He has perfected his army crawl (he's fast), but hasn't quite figured out how to crawl yet.

Likes:  Jack loves his mommy!  He loves daddy and his sisters too, but he's totally a mama's boy.   He loves being mobile and enjoys getting things that he knows that he's not supposed to have. (Dog toys and shoes are his current favorite.)  He loves playing/rolling all over the floor, his exersaucer, giving and receiving raspberries, and being sang or talked to.  We started using a bath seat instead of his baby bathtub and is back to loving bath time.  He always tries to get in the tub when he hears the water running.

Dislikes: There's not much that he doesn't like.  His biggest dislikes are being hungry or tired.  He's still not crazy about the vacuum, but he no longer cries when its on.  

Sisters: They're still just as crazy.  They are always messing with him.  Trying to hold him, setting him up, giving him toys, getting in his face.  The majority of the time he is okay with it, but sometimes it’s too much.

Christmas 2017

Was Christmas really a month ago?  Not that I'm complaining that January is almost over (cold weather sucks), but really how was it that long ago.  Anyway, I really want to document our first Christmas as a family of five. 

Warning: This is a picture heavy post.

Our first celebration was at Nana and Papa Ted's house in Oklahoma the weekend before Christmas. The weather was perfect and the kids were incredibly spoiled. 

Our second celebration was on Christmas Eve with David's extended family.

Christmases 3, 4 and 5 all took place on Christmas Day.

Milk and cookies for Santa.  Carrots for the reindeer

Christmas #3

Home

Before and after

 Kaitlyn was super excited about her art sets.

Madi loves her Calico Critters.

Christmas # 4

 Gram and Papa Chuck's House

I forgot to take my camera to my mom's house and was too busy to use my phone.  Thanks to my sister, we have pictures from this celebration.

Christmas #5 

Grandma Kathy and Papa Dave's House

I was a slacker and didn't take any pictures of the kids opening their gifts.

And in case you're wondering, this is what three Christmases in one day looks like. We were all spoiled.

It was so nice to get to celebrate with all of our family.  We truly had a wonderful Christmas.

Jack David - 7 Months

This was a big month for Jack!  

Weight: 17 pounds

Sleeping: For the past two weeks, I have been semi trying to sleep train Jack.  I've been using eat, play, sleep, a zipadee zip and a sound machine. It seems to be working during the week.  However, it’s a little more difficult on the weekends when everyone is home.  He usually naps for an 1-2 hours in the morning and afternoon and then about 30 minutes in the evening.  He’s ready for bed between 7 and 8, but usually has to wait until after I finally get his sisters to bed (usually around 8:30).  I know that I should be laying him down awake in the evening, but we just aren't there yet.  So, we nurse and rock for about 30 minutes and then he’s out for a few hours.  Jack still wakes up at least once, but usually twice during the night.  His wake up time varies depending on how many times he got up during the night.  

Eating: Jack nurses about every three to four hours during the day and at least once (if I'm lucky it's only once) during the night.  He took a little step back with solid food this month.  I stopped giving him rice cereal because it gave him really bad gas and things are getting back on track.   We're using a combination of baby lead weaning and purees.  
Giving him chunks food makes me a little nervous, but he really seems to enjoy it.  So far he's tried apples, carrots, eggs, and a bread stick and liked all of them.  In the puree form he's had sweet potatoes, peas, squash, apple sauce, and carrots.  He is not a fan of squash.

Clothing:  3-6 months   

Diapers:  As soon as we run out of size 2 he will switch to size 3.

Eyes:    Brown

Hair: His hair is really starting to grow.  It's fairly thick in the middle and sticks up in the back.  I'm seriously going to be sad when it finally lays down. 

Teeth: He doesn't have any teeth yet and I don't expect that to change until closer to his first birthday.   Neither one of the girls had teeth until at least 11 months.  

Milestones:  This past month Jack celebrated Christmas four times and New Year's Eve.  He can now sit unassisted and is extremely mobile.  I see baby gates in the near future.   He is finally too big for the swing so we replace it with the exersaucer and he loves it.  Last weekend Jack spent the evening with his grandparents while we went out with friends.   He drank his bottles like a champ and went to bed for the first time without nursing.  He also sat in a restaurant high chair for the first time. 

Merry Christmas as home

New Year's Eve

First restaurant high chair

Likes:  Jack loves his mommy!  He loves daddy and his sisters too, but mommy is the best.  He can be having a meltdown while someone else holds him, but as soon as I take him he gives the biggest smile.  It's almost like he's saying "ha, ha I got what I want."  He still loves nursing and is starting to enjoy solid food.  He loves playing/rolling all over the floor, his exersaucer, giving and receiving raspberries, and being sang or talked to.  Overall, he is the most relaxed, go with the flow baby around.  He is almost always happy and only cries real tears when he thinks he’s starving or tired.

Dislikes: Jack had recently starting hating baths. As soon as he sees me filling his tub he grabs on tight and starts crying almost immediately after he’s in it.  Hopefully, he goes back to enjoying baths again really soon.  He also does not like dirty diapers, wet clothes, being hungry, tired, or being left alone.  He is terrified of the vacuum.

Sisters: They're still just as crazy.  They are always messing with him.  Trying to hold him, setting him up, giving him toys, getting in his face.  The majority of the time he is okay with it, but sometimes it’s too much.

Happy 7 Months, Jack David!!  We love you!