Breaking News...Part Two!!

There are 440 pictures I have taken over the last month with full intention to post - and I will get to that this week, I promise - but today I have exciting news.

Mr. Jack Ellis Holcombe has spoken his first word.

What did he choose, you ask?

He said...

Hi!

Mama's Boy

Funny Farm

I know these posts have become somewhat of a photo bomb lately...it's just that Jack is so super cute these days & I have a tough time choosing just one picture to share. Also I might be trying to make up for the month of March when I missed pretty much every day. Hmmm. Either way, enjoy these lovely photos of Jack in his jammies :)

The Balancing Act

As Jack gets older, more of his personality is emerging. So far, we've seen that he has a bit of a temper - he currently throws temper tantrums that include him throwing his head back and spinning in circles, followed by a dramatic fall to the ground and rolling around. It's hard not to laugh when he's mid-tantrum, although we try not to, since we don't want to reinforce the behavior. Another thing we've noticed is that he has quite the sense of humor. He will do silly things to get our attention - such as putting a bowl on his head (see how I tied that in to today's pictures?). He has also been experimenting with making different sounds. Still no talking yet, and he is sneaky about his "talking" because he will only practice in his crib when he thinks we aren't paying attention - but one of these days I think we are going to be surprised with an actual word. Maybe.

Top Chef

Jack is very helpful in the kitchen. He helps unload the dishwasher, as well as all the cupboards and drawers. He has a few favorite items - the ones he usually steals (and carries off to hide around the house) are: the giant spatula, a red cooking spoon, a small frying pan & lid and his multicolored baby spoons. After a busy morning of cooking, he was quite worn out. He snuggled with his favorite stuffed animal (he loves Baby Tad - best Craigslist find ever!) and quickly fell asleep. perhaps he is dreaming of the next meal he will help prepare...or the next item he will swipe from the kitchen!

Friday Fun

After a week full of work, school and being busy...Jack just needs some time to unwind. He spent the evening eating pizza, playing with Daddy, hiding my iPod (I still can't find it...even after searching for almost an hour), annoying Cassady and her friend, jumping in his Johnny Jump Up, dancing (until I got out the camera - so I have yet to capture his cool moves), , destroying the living room/getting all his toys out, and trying to steal my camera. He also practiced being as cute as possible - so that all the not-so-fun things listed didn't really matter one bit! (except the missing iPod - I'd really like to find that!!)

The Many Faces of Morning

PS: yes, that is yesterday's outfit. last night Jack fell asleep in his Johnny Jump Up & we didn't get him changed into jammies :)

Game Boy

The controller returns! Over the last few months, Jack has been distracted by other electronics and toys. Tonight however, he needed to get in on the gaming action - he wanted to help Cassady! Apparently, today he also figured out how to turn on the TV and start a Netflix movie. Another round of babyproofing will be taking place at our house over the weekend!

Oh Jammie Boy*

For the first few weeks I worked, Jack was sleeping the majority of the time I was gone, so it didn't bother me as much to leave him. Now, though, since I miss out on playing with him all day...it's really hard to leave him every day! Some days he cries when I walk out the door, so I've quickly learned to slip out as unobtrusively as possible. This may work to trick him - but I'm still sad!!


*Possible failure at play on words :)

Drumroll, Please

After months of intense practice, Jack is ready to debut his newest skill.

We'll need a volunteer from the audience to assist.

Your line: "How Big Is Jack?"

His (non-verbal) response: "SO Big!"

Self Feeding: Spaghetti

Shortly after these pictures were taken, little Mr. Messy had a bath.

Then it was dinner time & we started the process all over again :)

Snack Time

Apparently, we are past the point where I can leave a box of crackers on the counter. I walked out of the kitchen to find a certain little someone snacking away on his favorite treat. Since he usually gets a small handful of bunnies (or goldfish or chickadees - depending on where we shopped for the week!) in his snack cup, access to the whole box must have felt like Christmas all over again for him!

Playing Catch Up...

Whew! It's been awhile, hasn't it?! I started working full time back on February 18 - who knew working would interfere so much with my blogging schedule!! After spending the last month working a crazy schedule (4pm - 2am), I am starting in a new position with new hours on Monday. (8:30-5, like a normal person!) I will try to resume normal picture posting again - I know how you've missed your Jack updates :)

So what have we been up to lately? Well...we've done some shopping....some hanging out on the car in our manly flannel shirts....

and we've spent time riding in the car,being super cute....

Jack has also grown more teeth, learned some super cool dance moves (I will be getting video of that as soon as possible), taken everything out of the cupboards & drawers approximately 96 times (per day) and has added to his repertoire of noises/words. That's right - he's now saying "mama", "baba" and something that sounds pretty close to "hi", but he hasn't quite mastered the "h" yet. Stay tuned.

A Lovey For Jack

Jack has found a new favorite toy. Sorry, game controller, but Baby Tad is the top dog...err frog..now. Tad is quite gifted - he sings songs and has buttons that light up. He also requires frequent battery changes, or his normally friendly voice takes on a rather sinister tone. That doesn't seem to bother Jack much - he loves this stuffed frog!


PS: Tooth update. Jack grew 5 teeth in the last week. Yes, You read that correctly. FIVE.

Jumping Jack*

Jack has figured out the mini trampoline. He thinks climbing on it is pretty fun. Once on top of the trampoline, he will stand and survey the room with a very proud look. He then bounces up & down for a few minutes, still sporting the very self-satisfied expression. He hasn't quite gotten the hang of getting down yet - he stands on the trampoline and yells loudly until he receives assistance. And then, 9 times out of 10, he climbs right back on and begins the process all over again.

* You knew that title had to happen someday!!

Wordless Wednesday: Kickin' Back

(Remote) Control Issues

I picked up this snazzy remote control car (found it on the clearance rack - yay!) a few days ago. He understands the basic concept: hit the button and the car goes. He's also figured out that it's really fun to pull JoJo (the blue bunny) out of the car. Cassady, however, enjoys the fact that if you drive the car into the wall enough times, the bunny is ejected from the vehicle and says "ouch!". She is teaching him lots of bad driving habits!

A Puzzling Situation

We've been on a "quiet toys" kick lately. First there was the shape sorter, then the ball pit (he can be noisy while using it, but it doesn't technically play music/make noise...so it counts, right?) and now we have a puzzle. He understands the basic concept: remove the pieces and then replace them. He has a bit of trouble putting the pieces back in the right spot - he likes to just set (okay...throw) them on top of the puzzle. I'm not too worried about that - it is an ages 2 and up puzzle, after all!

Team Edward?

Twilight fever has hit our house. Hard. I do want to point out, however, that it is mostly Cassady who is affected by this obsession. Jack seems to be rather unimpressed with the sparkly vampire. Perhaps he's more of a Jacob fan?

Can't Fence Me In

Oh wait....turns out I can fence him in! We decided to purchase a few new items for Jack today: a play yard/baby cage and a blue pool, which I filled with (200) balls. Jack really liked being in his new play area for about 5 minutes. After he realized that he could not get out, he became rather agitated. Ball pit to the rescue - he was quickly distracted by the new toys and was happy for at least another 5 minutes. This new set up may take a little getting used to!

Tell Us How You Really Feel...

We did a little shopping today for Cassady's upcoming birthday. Jack is a real trooper when it comes to shopping trips, but as you can see, he is not shy about letting us know how he feels about being confined in the cart!

Out Like A Light

Looks like all the climbing and running is wearing him out. Seriously...climbing. He figured out how to get up on top of a file box and was standing, proud smile firmly in place, just waiting for us to notice. We noticed all right...and immediately Jack-proofed the room (again). I relish his naps - if he's sleeping he's not being naughty!

Sharing The Love

Winter Walk

We celebrated an amazing 64 degree day with a trip to the park. The sun was shining, melting all the snow (note the bottom of my jeans: Jack and I got stuck in a muddy lagoon/sidewalk) and it was great to be outside. We are eagerly anticipating spring....we're almost there!


Today's photography provided by Cassady, which is why she's not in the picture with us. Next time we will ask a fellow park-goer to snap a family picture for us :)

Splish Splash

Jack reached a very important milestone today. He figured out how to splash! As you can see, he took to it very quickly. So quickly, in fact, that I was soaking wet by the end of his bath. The entire bathroom was too, thanks to the fact that he discovered how to use his toys to splash the water even harder. He had so much fun - which is good, since he's a bit under the weather today and had been a little grumpy. Splashing perked him right up again!

It's a Firetruck!

Jack is an artist. His medium for today: crayons. For a first timer, he did quite well at not eating the crayons. He did sample a small portion of the green crayon, but quickly spit it out. After that, he was more into throwing the crayons. He also enjoyed coloring on the high chair tray more than the paper I'd provided. (Hooray for washable & nontoxic Crayola products!) No matter. After a 5 minute coloring session, we are the proud owners of limited edition original artwork. Price available on request :)