Hello, Spring!

Spring has finally arrived. By this, I mean that we have had two warm days in a row. I am trying to get started on the spring cleaning, but Jack can be very distracting. He still is not on any sort of schedule, so one of our April goals is to establish a regular bedtime. Perhaps he will even start sleeping in his crib....ha ha ha.

Super Swing

Jack got another upgrade today. We bought a new swing that plugs into the wall. This thing is crazy deluxe. It glides, swings, plays soothing tunes, and (best of all) doesn't use batteries!! So far, he loves it. Which is good, because now I can get more stuff done around the house. Like, maybe I can finally put the laundry away... it's currently all over the floor, as illustrated in this photo. Or nap, since Jack has decided that staying awake til 3 am is fun. We'll just see where the day takes us.

Update: laundry has been put away. Hooray for the swing!!!

Say Cheese!

Today we learned that Jack is not a fan of professional pictures. He was very cheerful on the way there and while waiting our turn. After that, well, not so much. Cassady tried to show him the ropes by smiling and posing perfectly. He ignored her entirely and went his own direction with the photo session.



We did end up with some great pictures - enough for Daddy to tell me that I bought too many. Seriously, though. Can you have too many baby pictures?

Oh Boy!

We hit the mall today in search of boy wear. There are a gazillion racks of girl clothes. Cute, frilly, seasonally appropriate...anything you could want. The boy "section", however, is a dark void. Want an Easter outfit for your son? Well, unless he fancies dresses or insipid looking sweater vests...you will be out of luck. Sigh.


My positive spin on the situation? I have saved SO much money on clothes by having a boy!

Four Generations

Tonight Jack met his Grandpa & Great Grandpa Holcombe for the first time. We had lots of fun seeing everyone. Jack was very cooperative and did all his baby tricks. He pulled out all the stops, flashing smiles, cooing and giggling. He was also quite the ladies' man. His second cousins were quite taken with him. Of course, it's pretty easy to see where he got all his charm. It's all in the genes!

Blankie Boy

Since discovering his hands a few days ago, Jack is very much into holding onto things. Especially blankies. He likes to get a big handful of blankie and gnaw on it. Another favorite game: being wrapped up in a blankie (or a towel after a bath), and squirming out of it. He will do this over and over. It's quite entertaining - and suspenseful. Will he make it out? You just never know!

A Grand Day Out?

We took Jack on his first outing to the neighborhood park. He enjoyed the stroller ride for about 2 minutes, then switched to "extreme dislike" mode. Even with a snack, he was not happy to be there. After a few minutes, we headed for home.






And, predictably, that's when he fell fast asleep.

Patience

Even when hungry, Jack still manages to maintain a positive disposition. He will fold his hands and politely talk to me until I feed him. Sometimes he will throw in a few "cuteness" moves, such as sticking out his tongue, or even flashing a giant toothless grin. He knows I am a sucker - I fall for it every time.

All In A Day's Work

Since having Jack, I started using a slightly different scale to measure success. For example, today Jack laughed, pooped without leaking all over his clothes, and has taken a very long afternoon nap. Perhaps not the most exciting of days overall, but to us...this is pure awesome. Tomorrow, I hope to add in getting to bed before 3 am. Not to be picky, Jack, but it would be nice...

It's All A Blur...

I think Jack is starting to recognize and remember my camera. Whenever he starts doing something cute (99.9% of the time, naturally), I grab my camera and start snapping away. As soon as he sees me documenting his cuteness, he stops what he is doing and will just stare at the camera. Or, like in today's photo, he will move at the last second as the picture is being taken. He likes to make things difficult. I *know* he gets that from me!

Rock Around the Clock

Jack has this new thing where he basically refuses to nap for most of the day. During the day, he is all about play time interspersed with quick cat naps here & there. At night however, he will power sleep for 10-12 hours straight. He generally retires for the evening around 11, although he has been known to stay up until 1 am, or even 4. It makes for some truly special baby and mama bonding time.

SuperJack

Narrator: Faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Able to fill entire diapers with a single grunt.
Man 1: Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird.
Woman: It’s a plane
Man 2: It’s SuperJack!
Narrator: Yes, it’s SuperJack, born with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. SuperJack, who can change the course of a day's plans, and hold a rattle in his bare hands. And who, disguised as Jack Holcombe, mild-mannered son of two great parents, fights a never ending battle to be fed, held, and get his own way. And now another exciting episode in the adventures of SuperJack...

What a Day!

Jack laughed for the first time today! We have been trying for a long time to make him really laugh, rather than this strange pterodactyl noise he would make when amused. What brought out this laughter, you ask? "Mamamamamamamama", repeated over and over. You don't even know how funny that is. To Jack, anyway!


Oh yeah. He also rolled over. Twice.

Quality Control

The weather is teasing us - today it was gorgeous, tomorrow...snow. Good thing we got out today! Funny, even as I type this inane anecdote, Jack is trying his hardest to stop me from boring you with it. He keeps hitting the mouse pad on my laptop, causing my cursor to move and odd words to form. Perhaps I should let HIM write the blog every day!

Wearin O' the Green

Jack loved every minute that he got to wear the giant leprechaun hat. Really, he did.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The Cereal Life

We have been toying with the idea of giving Jack cereal for a few weeks now. He eats almost constantly these days, and never really seems full. Since he has never had a bottle, I went ahead and put a tiny bit on a baby spoon for him. He enjoyed the first bite. I think we are going to try a plain (breastmilk) bottle first, then add in the cereal. We have plenty of time to get him eating real food - college is still 18 years away!

Photography today by Cassady :)

Homework Helper

Jack decided to help Cassady with her schoolwork. They worked on spelling and math. Clearly, he is a genius.



He gets that from me.

Short and Sweet

Today Jack's shirt reads: The World Is A Better Place With Me Here

I think that says it all :)

Sir Grumps-A-Lot

Another stay at home day, although we did spend it making preparations for our June Vacation. I think Jack is teething already - he is pretty fussy (which is unusual for him), plus he really likes gnawing on his hands and even his pacifier (also unusual for him). He also has decided that 20 minute cat naps here & there are the way to go. He still sleeps 8-9 hours at night, though, so I will deal with the cat naps!

Daddy Kisses

Jack & I have been staying at home this week, so we decided to get out today. He enjoys riding in the car - unlike everyone else in Omaha, he likes hitting the potholes. Even if he is screaming mad (not that he ever does that), he will quiet down if we go over a speed bump or through a pothole. He is all about the jostle.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes!!

For some reason, Jack really likes to be on his changing pad. He has finally come to terms with the fact that he must have his diaper changed. He even enjoys being unclothed. (We have come a long way in three months!)

Eated!

Jack is developing more of a personality lately. His interests so far seem to be pictures of babies, being bounced up and down, eating, some tummy time, and being held and played with. He is a little bit ticklish and will sometimes smile - but not quite laugh - when his cheeks are nibbled on. His favorite song is "If You're Happy and You Know It", although we are still working on the choreography.

Baby Legs

On Sunday, we visited Aunt Jill at her store in Fremont. We found some fun items that made their way home with us, including these argyle Baby Legs. Jack has not worn a real pair of pants since we bought them. He is so stylish!

Playtime!

Jack is really starting to enjoy playtime. He likes to grab at the hanging toys and watch the colored lights flash. His attention span for these activities is still rather goldfish-esque - I think he gets that from his Daddy :)

Upgrade

We decided to get Jack a new exersaucer. He now can play with toys, a piano, bounce and more. So far he seems overwhelmed by his new toy. He likes it for a few minutes (as long as he is on a pillow so he can touch the "ground") then is eager to escape. Even with all the fancy accessories, he still prefers being held. It's nice that he is still easy to impress.

Party All Night

Yesterday Jack napped most of the afternoon and evening, which meant that he woke up around midnight all ready to play. We decided to try out the exersaucer, since he is starting to have better neck muscle control. He had a lot of fun for about 3 minutes. He finally went back to sleep around 4 am. We really need to get on a sleep schedule!

Toe-tally Sweet

Have I mentioned what a lifesaver the swing has been? He loves it - especially when we give it a little extra push. He prefers to be swinging so fast that the stand leaves the ground a bit. Right now, though, he is napping (not pictured again so as not to inundate you with those shots!). His little toes are all curled up and he is smiling and talking in his sleep. Wonder what he's dreaming about?

Mad for Plaid

The weather is (finally) improving and we have been taking advantage of it by getting out more. Jack got to pick out a few toys at Babies R Us - he favors bright colors. He chose a photo album, and we filled it with pictures of him. He loves to look at himself. Can't say I blame him - he's adorable!

Not In Season

Poor Jack. He left the house today feeling dapper and sophisticated. Sporting an orange plaid shirt, brown cargo pants, and coordinating orange socks, he was prepared to greet the world with smiles and coos. Alas, that was not to be. All day, our favorite little guy was assailed with snarky sartorial comments. Jack didn't know until it was too late that orange is reserved strictly for Halloween. Better luck next time...

Sleepy Time

For the past few days, Jack has elected to spend his evening hours screaming. Tonight he decided to give us a break from his vocal demonstrations and snooze the evening away. Hopefully this will not interfere with his sleep tonight, or his cheerfulness in the morning...we shall see!

Welcome, March

Jack got a new hat from our mall trip. As you can see, he was a little hesitant to accept it at first. He also has clearly outgrown his first pair of overalls. Good thing we stocked up on those in every size!

Note: Here's one of Jack and me. Take that "anonymous"!!