Santas Helper

Although Jack hasn't been to Santa's workshop, Aunt E turned him into an elf. A dancing elf, nontheless! He had some great moves, which I'll take the blame for =)!

Over the river and through the woods...

My what a month we have had! Jack took his first tumble, football season ended while basketball began, we had an ultrasound and MRI, and we celebrated out first Thanksgiving! We certainly have so much to be thankful for!
Sweet Miss Madison!

Big Cousin Jack holding Little Avery's hand! Katie and I were comparing their size...Jack is only 3 weeks older!

Playing on Pooh!

Although Jack's MRI results were somewhat inconclusive, we were told by our friends and Doctor's, the Cripe's, that Jack is "fine". He had an ultrasound at 2 weeks and 3 months to rule out a tethered spinal cord because he has a sacral dimple (aka butt dimple or "poop catcher"). His second ultrasound was inconclusive so we were advised to get a MRI done. And even though the MRI results weren't 100% either way, the neurology dept said that if his cord is tethered, its very minimal and he might never have any problems. And, Mrs. Cripe assured me that if it were her son, she'd be fine with these results and play the "wait and see" game. So, that is just what we'll do...wait and see.

Jack is turning into quite a ham! Its become quite easy to get smiles out of him and we still have to work for the giggles. He does occasionally start giggling for no reason at all and we have to hold in our giggles or he'll stop.He loves to be changed! Bizarre, I know! I think I'm going to have a naked little boy on my hands someday soon! He loves playing in his activity gym and is constantly reaching for the animals hanging above his head. And, he loves to stand! He is not a fan of his carseat anymore...he wants to sit up more than it allows so we've been using the Baby Bjorn at the grocery and if its not too windy he gets to sit up like a boy boy in his stroller too!

We had his 4 month appointment today! He's weighing in at 17 pounds 12 ounces and measuring 27" tall! Dr. Fix gave us the "go-ahead" to start solids! But, because we've already tried cereal and know it binds him up she told us to try mixing the rice cereal with juice or use oatmeal. Well, we'll finish the box of rice cereal in the cupboard before moving on to oatmeal! Yummy!

Superman?

Jack has quite the imagination already! He thinks he has super powers and can fly. He attempted to take flight off of our bed this weekend. He flew right into my nightstand and cut his little head. Mark was watching him when the tumble occurred. I was almost out the door when I heard a thud and then heard the screams of my baby. When I got to the top of the stairs there was blood dripping down Jack's face. I grabbed a towel to wipe it up and try to see how deep the gash was. Once Jack finally calmed down and I realized we probably didn't need to rush to the emergency room, I did put in a call to the Drs office. The Dr on call assured us that Jack would be fine - he cried immediately, didn't throw up, was moving his arms and legs normally, and was eventually smiling at his Daddy. We applied some neosporin and after reassurance from Mark, I went to dinner with the girls.

The Sweetest Sound

Jack is giggling! Hooray! Mark can really get him going...I'm not sure if its his ticklish spots or the noises and faces he makes. But regardless of the cause, it is the sweetest sound I've ever heard!

3 months old!

Holy cow, Jack is 3 months old! His personality is really starting to develop and he's becoming so much fun! He's talking, smiling, and giggling! He's eating much better at Eva's and at night we're doing less rocking, bouncing, and patting to get him to go to sleep. Some nights he falls asleep with his bottle in his mouth, and other nights we just put him in his crib and he might fuss for 10 minutes before falling asleep. We're still not sleeping through the night, but he'll sleep for 5 hour stretches (on a good night)!

Daddy turned 30 this month! We're celebrating with Nana, Gramps, Aunt Katie, Uncle Hube, Maddie, and Avery!

After a busy day at Miss Eva's

Jackaroo in the Jumperoo! Its so fun!

Mom and Dad put together my Excersaucer together! There is so much to do!

Learning how to play Xbox (Mommy is less than pleased)

Picking Pumpkins! (Mommy loves this picture!)

Jackaroo with Mom & Dad!

Hmm...

Grrrr...

Now I really am Mommy's little bear!

Roll over, roll over...

And thankfully none fell out!

Big Boy Jack rolled over last night! He was in his crib taking a nap while I was attempting to clean the house. When I was putting cleaning supplies into the hall closet I peeked into his room and saw the blanket against the rail. Upon further inspection, it was Jack's little tooshie...because he rolled over! (An incomplete roll due to the rail, but a roll nonetheless! From belly to back...)
No more loose blankets for him! And the breathable bumper, that'll be purchased this coming weekend! We gotta keep those little hands and arms inside the crib at all times since he's also learned to scoot!

Let the games begin!!!

Sneezes, Snot, and Cuddles

Poor Jackaroo has his first cold =(.

A week ago we thought he was starting to come down with something, as he was sneezing frequently. And then by the time Saturday rolled around, he stopped smiling at his friends in his bouncer and became extremely cuddly. And sure enough, the snot started rolling. The aspirator that once made him smile when the air was sucked out of him is now making him cry in discomfort and I like to believe the cool mist humidifier and baby vapor-rub are helping him breathe while he's sleeping. I wish there was more that I could do to make him feel better...

Back to Work

Well, my 9 weeks of maternity leave has come to an end and I am back to work and Jack is being left with a stranger every day. Monday, as expected was a hard day. I didn't want Jack to leave and I spent much of the day staring at his picture on my desk. When the work whistle did FINALLY ring, I drove like a crazy person to pick him up! Each day has gotten easier. I still find myself ready to leave by 2:00 but thankfully I'm only working Monday-Thursday. Oh how I miss his morning smiles =)!

Mark has been taking him in the mornings which has proved to be extremely helpful. Not only am I able to crawl back in bed for a few minutes but I'm able to get ready and out the door without interruptions! I'm even able to wash a few bottles! I'm hoping to someday soon have the energy to lace up my running shoes and head out for a jog, but for now, the bed is calling my name!

Jack does seem to be doing fairly well at Eva's. I have found myself pleasantly surprised that he isn't fussy when we get home, and generally will take a little nap. Some days we go for a stroll, however the past week its been dependent upon the weather. And some nights he's asleep in my arms, with a bottle in his mouth by 9:00! However, somehow, Eva is unable to get him to eat more than 2 oz at a time. This is proving to be very bad habit, as over the weekend he did the same fuss/cry fiasco for me. He knows my rules...we take full feedings! None of this snacking nonsense! It took me 3 days to break this cycle and yesterday he started the same thing again. Sigh! Hopefully it gets figured out because we really would like to establish a schedule!

2 months old

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from this past month! Jack is growing a ton! He's measuring in at 25" and weighs 14.6 lbs! I've just recently changed over his wardrobe from 3 month to 6 month sizes...not only because they were getting snug but because I was tired of looking at him in the same clothes! We had his 2 month check up today and Dr. Fix says he looks perfect! She covered her ears when I told her when we were putting him on his belly to sleep but was also disappointed when she found out how long his sleeping stretches tend be at one time. He handled his vaccinations like a champ, although we did shed a few tears together.

Go Redskins!

So content after a bath!

Naptime with Daddy

Monday Night Football Siesta

Lunch at school with Daddy!

(We had to take him his Friday sandwich from Servati's...football coaches aren't superticious at all!)

Elmo is SO BIG!

Loving the Rainforest

Precious little sleeper

Looking at Daddy

Not so sure about the Bumbo chair

Getting Big!

Jack sure has made quite a few changes this month! He has started talking and smiling a ton! I still have yet to capture many of these heart melting smiles on film but hopefully soon enough he'll be holding them a bit longer! He is in constant motion! His legs are constantly kicking and he is able to make his bouncer bounce on his own and he enjoys watching the hippo, lion, and monkey move back and forth! And, if he's not in motion he wants someone else to be in motion. He no longer settles down by being rocked but would rather be bounced and swayed! Mark and I are so thankful for the swing because that seems to work wonders as well! Jack is also mesmerized by lights! He discovered his nightlight the other night and I find myself walking into the hallway and other bedrooms hoping he'll fall back asleep a bit more quickly!

The joys of the swing!

Kicking and Bouncing!

He really seems to be growing too - most of the time when I burp him over my shoulder he's standing on my lap! He does a much better job "entertaining" himself but is still a little snuggle bear. I'm beginning to break my own rules about putting him down when he's asleep to hold him a little longer as I've been advised by a few that they grow so fast and soon enough he'll want nothing to do with his Momma. I have another week at home with him so I'm trying to soak up all the baby lovin' I can!

Last weekend we went to Columbus for the Anderson/DeSales game and I left Jack for the first time. It was with Lolly so I didn't call every quarter, although I did check my phone!

Playing the piano with Poppy! (Lolly and I joked that soon enough we'll be telling him not to pound on the piano!)

Lolly sure is funny!

Meeting Aunt E!

Aunt E finally got to meet her nephew! We had lots of fun...she got lots of practice for her own little bear! And, Lolly & Poppy came over too!

Labor Day

Jack celebrated his first Labor Day with the UD Crew! Matt, Michele, and Izzie came down from Chicago and Dan, Amy, and Olivia came down from Wadsworth! It was a different Labor Day celebration than we've had in years past. Instead of high bar tabs and hangovers we had stroller walks and nap time!

1 month old

Wow! It really is hard to believe Jack is a month old. I am so in love with the little man I could stare at him for hours in awe!

We went for his 1 month check up today! We knew he'd gotten bigger! He's weighing in at 11 lbs 10 oz and is 23" long! He's in the 90th percentile! I can't imagine what our grocery bills will be like if he keeps this up! He is getting stronger every day and is ready to be snuggled in Daddy's arms when he walks in the door! (Or maybe I'm just imaging that!) He still loves to be held, although we're trying to break him of that by actually letting him fuss some. And, we're starting to get on a routine. I thought we were doing really well for a few days last week when Donna was down, but somehow we get off kilter and hopefully are starting to get back on.

We've had a busy couple of weeks! We made our first overnight trip to Coldwater to meet the newest member of the Bruns Family, Avery! She seems so small and fragile compared to Jack! Maybe we were more gentle because she's a girl, and she's not ours!

And, football season has begun and we ventured out to our first football game. Jack found it very exiting - getting some love from the other wives, taking a cat nap, and then drinking a bottle!

Jack is 3 weeks old today! He is getting bigger - I can't wait until his Drs appointment to find out how much he weighs. Mark and I have both commented that he seems MUCH heavier. I've given up nursing and Jack and I both seem to be a bit happier. I have a bit more freedom (and someone else can feed him), and Jack is definitely getting a full belly so the time in between feedings is stretching itself out on its own. And, we've gone on a few outings now. Plus, with bottle feeding him I feel like I have the freedom to be able to leave the house without worrying about having to rush home because he's hungry!

Getting big and strong! Daddy's going to start a workout regimine soon!

suns out guns out

(you'd think these boys don't have any shirts)

It's been two weeks since Jack arrived and we've definitely been in survival mode. I've only left the house a few times and am still wondering if I'll ever be able to leave for more than an hour again! I've been feeding every 2 hours and it has been quite exhausting. (I'm starting to try to stretch feedings as I type.) We are still doing a lot of learning and figuring things out. Jack is a bit stubborn when it comes to eating he tends to put up a bit of a fight. I'm wondering if he's going to be a boxer instead of a football player! He still likes to be curled in a ball and his best naps are taken either in his carseat or on Mark's chest. And at night we swaddle him tight in a SwaddleMe. We've been initiated into parenthood by being peed on, spit up on, and pooped on. Infact, Mark jumped the gun changing a poopy diaper yesterday and ended up catching it his hand. I still giggle when I think about it!

Both Grandma's have been down for a few days to help which has been great. Our deep freezer is full and I haven't had to clean a bathroom in a couple of weeks! (I can certainly get used to having a cleaning lady, although, being my Father's Daughter, I'm pretty sure I don't want to pay for one!)

Hopefully week 3 gets easier! I keep hearing it will...

Jack Chapter 1:1 First Week Home

1st Car Ride

1st Nap in Cradle

Meeting Uncle Hube, Aunt Katie, and Cousin Maddie

1st Pedatrician Appointment with Dr. Fix

1st Bath (Mommy & Daddy need to get a whole lot better at this bath thing =)!)