Parents of Jack

It's hard to believe we're only about a month away from hitting the completion of Year One.

The time that seemed to eek by in the form of sleepless nights and groggy days seems long ago. Now, Jack's changes seem more visible, vibrant, and rapid as he shows his personality more and more each day. Here are some tidbits of life with Jack:

I'm not a morning person, but it truly warms my heart to hear his jabbering in the morning. When I say 'good morning' and he turns to see me, he has a huge smile and lately, starts clapping. Usually, this good mood only surfaces after 7 am, and I'm ready to start clapping too that he's slept that long and is in good spirits. He is his happiest in the mornings.

Jack is leading his own boycott against baby spoons. Anything off of a baby spoon he will not eat, but instead turn his head and put his hand to his mouth to refuse it. In moments when I am more persistent, he'll give a little yell and complete the look with a grimace on his face. I usually eat my sorry excuse for a dinner sitting right beside him at the table. If I try to feel him whatever he's eating off of my fork, the morsel amazingly becomes appealing and he can't gobble it up fast enough.

Jack is starting to eat bits of food with his fingers and he does enjoy feeding himself. When he doesn't want to feed himself, he enjoys throwing it on the floor. When Jack's finished drinking or eating whatever, the sippy cup or whatever goes straight to the floor. If he doesn't want something, he does a roundhouse on his high chair and it all goes on the floor.

In a similar fashion, items on Jack's changing table seem to offend him. It's hard to get through one diaper change without at least the tub of wipes going to the floor. Usually the hand sanitizer and maybe the diaper I'm trying to put on him goes too. After he's accomplished squirming and making sure everything is off the table, I'm generally holding him down for a diaper change. Lately, he's enjoyed crawling to the edge to poke his head and shoulders off the table and gaze at whatever he's knocked off.

Our next challenge at our house is to install baby gates. He's a lot like a puppy in that he gnaws on table legs, our legs, and whatever might be within reach. He's discovered he can pull himself up on the staircase. Anything that's on a shelf within reaching distance offends him and must be knocked off. When it's in the floor, Jack does enjoy banging the objects together and chanting "la-la-ba-dah-la!" or some combination. He's making his own music.

And Music, he loves. When music comes on, he starts squirming or bobbing his head. Lately when I've tried working out at home to DVDs, he bops to the music before thoroughly taking in whatever I'm doing. He'll try to pull himself up on my leg, or crawl under my squats, anything to follow me around while I'm doing sets to the music. So far, I've only tripped on him once, and he let me know it.

My addiction to party blogs is being ratcheted up as I plan Jack's one year party. It will be simple, fun and offer plenty of opportunity to get crafty. I figure I only have a few chances to design a party for him before he gets old enough to want a sports or action figure themed party or party at a hockey rink or pool....one that becomes completely boring and uncreative.

I was going to post come cute pictures to this, but I figure I better post while I can.