Oh Happy Day!

Jack is such a happy little guy. He spends the majority of his day smiling and laughing. We have been spending lots of time with Great Grandma Thompson over the last few weeks. She likes to tell Jack what a beautiful boy he is. He loves hearing all the compliments. So, it works out very well for the both of them!

Germ Fighter

Cassady brought home a lovely respiratory infection and shared it with the family. Luckily, Jack's immune system seems to be in fine working order because he just has a little bit of a runny nose. Despite feeling slightly under the weather, he is still a very cheerful boy. He is also napping more than usual - and without his usual resistance to falling asleep. There's always a silver lining!

Cheese!

Although we are sad that Grammie & Aunt Janet are leaving already, it was very fun to have them visit! We are looking forward to visiting them in California in June. Cassady is anxiously awaiting her last day of 4th grade. (May 21st - hooray!) We have lots of fun things planned for the summer - going to the pool, the zoo, Disneyland...lots of new experiences for Jack.

It will also make for more interesting daily pictures and commentary here :)

Impressive Vertical Action!

Hooray - we got to visit with Grammie and Aunt Janet today! They fought over who got to hold Jack first (for the record, Grammie won) and took Cassady out for dinner & shopping. Grammie gave Jack and Cassady a bubble blowing machine (hence the blog title, in case you were wondering). Jack is mesmerized by the bubbles. He loves watching them, but hates when they pop on his head!

Male Bonding

We are getting ready for a visit from Grammie and Aunt Janet. They will arrive tomorrow and we are so excited to see them! Jack took a quick play break with Daddy on his activity mat, enjoying the hanging toys and light up sun. Jack was well rested because he slept in two long blocks today, rather than his usual catnaps. Here's to hoping he keeps that up!

Abandonment Issues

Poor Jack. Since Bill got a job (two, actually), he has been stuck at home with Cassady and me. Jack has spent the day playing forlornly with his toys, waiting for Daddy to get home. I guess we are not as fun to play with - although I should at least be on the good list since I feed him!

Mirror, Mirror on the Floor

Jack hasn't really gotten into the whole looking at himself in the mirror thing. He prefers to look at all the pictures of himself stored on my laptop...there at least a few to keep him occupied. (Who am I kidding - I have thousands!) Since getting the bumbo I have tried putting him in front of the mirror, but he still has no interest in his reflection. Maybe we need a bigger mirror? Or one that lights up? Or, better yet, one that lights up AND he can chew on... bet that would get his attention!

Baby's 2nd Bear

On the day we went for the gender ultrasound, we took Cassady to Build a Bear to make her new brother a stuffed animal. She named it Brother Bear, since we didn't have a name for the baby yet. Then Jack received this "Baby's 1st Bear" for Christmas. Not wanting to be inaccurate, we decided to refer to this new stuffed friend as "Baby's 2nd Bear". Hopefully this will not cause any rivalries between the two animals. Perhaps we should switch one to "Bear A" and the other can be "Bear 1"?!?

A Day in the Life

Jack is finally settling in to a schedule - he goes to bed by 10 pm and generally wakes up around 5 am. He then eats and takes his first morning nap until 7:30 or so. (He pretty much gets up to refuel!) During the day, he has playtime, frequent snacking sessions, and a series of catnaps. It's a very nice schedule - now we just have to work on getting him to sleep in his crib. He prefers to either co-sleep or be in his swing all night. One of these days, he may actually use the crib...that will be our goal for May!

Who's A Big Boy?

Jack had his official 4 month checkup with his pediatrician today.

His stats: weight - 16 lbs 14 oz (85th percentile) and height - 25 and 3/4 inches (75th percentile). He didn't mind being measured - in fact, he flirted shamelessly with the nurse the whole time. However, the two shots did not go over well at all. He refused to even look at the nurse afterwards, despite the snazzy bandaids she gave him. His affections can't be bought that easily! (The trick is to feed him...shhhh!!)

Let's Hear it for the Toy!

Jack is officially a Bumbo fan. He loves to sit in it and just look around. I am not sure how long he will be able to use it, since his little thighs are pretty chunky. After discussing this physical attribute with various family members, it has been universally decided that he comes by those thighs honestly :)

He's Not Too Spoiled...Right?

In an effort to prevent poor little Jack from being too deprived, we found a few more toys for him. For those of you keeping track, this brings him up to six different entertainment options. He immediately fell in love with both the bumbo and the Johnny Jump Up. Although, to be honest, he did a bit more wiggling and gnawing instead of jumping. I also feel that I must tell you that his "outfit" today was all me. He started out with just the onesie, then got cold and I added the first items I could grab quickly. So yes, those are Christmas socks paired with giraffe Baby Legs. I think he pulls off the look rather well!

Capture the Frog

Of all the toys on his jumperoo, Jack focuses most on the frog. There are daily staredowns between the two of them. He is determined to get it into his mouth. Unfortunately for him, it is attached very securely, and he can't quite stretch far enough. Victory will be his...he will soon relish the sweet (or plastic?) taste of success!

Daddy's Boy

Jack loves to play with his Daddy. He really likes it when Daddy sings to him. Bill doesn't know many lyrics, so he will make up his own songs. Some recent ditties include "You're a Baby" and "Baby Jack". Jack finds this quite entertaining, despite the simplicity. He is easily amused for now, but Bill may want to work on improving his songwriting skills. Soon it will be time to move on to more complex topics, such as "You Really CAN Sleep in Your Crib, it's Not Just a Storage Container for Clothes" and "Fingernail Trimming is Not the end of the World". Catchy, eh?

Fashionista Friday

Scorning the idea of a more traditional cap, Jack is taking a bold fashion risk today. Interestingly enough, he seems to prefer the casual brown pant to any of the hats he has tried previously. Notice how he carefully coordinated the brown football with his new head wear...what a trendsetter!

Muy Macho

Jack has developed quite an attachment to Sophie. As long as he has a blanket and his favorite little giraffe, he is a happy camper. His preference for living simply would have been nice to know about ahead of time, seeing as how we have basically replaced our living room furniture with baby accessories. As a guest in our home, you can choose between one of two baby swings, a play mat, a jumperoo, or a bouncy seat. Who really uses a couch anyway, right?

Today's title refers to Jack's onesie, which reads (you guessed it!) "Muy Macho".

Model Citizen

Jack has a new hobby: modeling. Here he is sporting Cassady's Super Mario Brothers hat. He put up with the headwear just long enough to snap this photo. We will have to work on building his photo op endurance. I don't know if you have noticed, but I rather enjoy taking pictures of him :)

Jumperoo Jack

Jack really enjoys playing in his Jumperoo. His little feet actually reach the floor now without the pillow, and he seems to like "standing". He can even make the music play by himself now - he will hit the keys on the piano to select his favorite classical tunes. He also really likes to have staring contests with the frog toy, although I think that's because he is trying to figure out how to get it into his mouth. Everything goes in his mouth now - he is in full teething mode. Nothing has broken through yet, but we can feel the little teeth nubs when he chews on our fingers. Oh, and that outfit he's wearing today? It's sized for 9 months. Our little baby is getting so big!

Thompson Twins

Jack and I have been spending our days with Great Grandma Thompson. We have so much fun visiting with her, and she loves to see Jack. Apparently being sociable can be a little tiring, though. Today after a full morning of chatting and playing together, the two fell fast asleep for an afternoon nap. Aren't they cute?

Jack, In the Box

A little Sunday humor :)








Happy 1/3 Birthday, Jack!!

You Can't Handle the Cuteness!

Yesterday we spent the day at Great Grandma Thompson's house, followed by a talent show at Cassady's school. Elementary school talent shows can be quite entertaining! Jack had fun seeing the performers, but did not like the applause afterwards. Since we stayed pretty busy yesterday, we are having a quiet day. So far, Jack has enjoyed his jumperoo, a few snacks, and play time on his play mat. He decided to kick the cuteness up a few notches this morning during this last activity. View at your own risk :)

Today's Guest Photographer: Daddy

Hungry Man

Lately Jack has been very interested in real food. He will watch very intently while we eat, even if he is also being fed at the same time. We have tried rice cereal a few times, but he really didn't like it too much. I think maybe he senses that we aren't eating that, so he doesn't want it either. I can't say I blame him. Chicken & Dumplings (what we had tonight) is way better!

Day Trippin'

We decided to celebrate spring today by going on an adventure. We drove for a few hours and ended up in Iowa at Viking National Park. Jack enjoyed the swings, saw some geese, went on a hike, and had a picnic lunch. He did not have much interest in anything other than the swing and his lunch. He also enjoyed chewing on his blankie while on the nature walk. So, blankie - 1, nature - 0.

Fun Fun Fun!

Jack is finally starting to enjoy playtime on his activity mat. He will actually keep himself entertained for up to 45 minutes at a time! Some favorite activities include: watching the sun (on the mat) light up & play music, watching the hanging toys and then grabbing them, putting his blankie in his face and biting it, and lifting up his head & feet at the same time (while lying on his back, so it looks like a sit up). He cycles through these activities several times, then gets bored. We are still in the "attention span of a goldfish" phase!

Bathing Beauty

Bathtime is normally an evening affair for Jack, but today a morning wash was a necessity. We had our second major blowout (aren't you glad I tell you these things?) and it was pretty ugly. Not a single body part went unscathed. On the bright side, there were no bath tears today, and he even looked like he was having fun. Which is good, because we are getting closer to warmer weather & pool season. Yay!!

PS: Jack was not offended by my use of "beauty" in reference to his masculine self. I checked.

Bonjour, Sophie!

Jack's new toy came in the mail today. I have heard nothing but good things about a certain little giraffe, and ordered one for him last week. First, Sophie is adorable, and she has the cutest little squeak. Oh, and the box she comes in is all in French. So cute! Jack (or should I say Jacques?) is entranced by her. I foresee many contented hours of nibbling and gnawing ahead!

Bunny Sunday

Jack celebrated his first Easter today with a basket of treats and an egg
hunt. He received some new books and a few toys. He didn't seem as interested in the egg hunt as Daddy and Cassady, although he did like watching them battle to find all the hidden eggs. (He was safely ensconced in his swing to avoid getting trampled!) We are heading to Easter lunch at Cousin Alicia's house, where we will see Great Grandma Thompson. We then plan to visit Great Grandma Ruthie. This will be a full, but super fun, day!!

Egg-Stravaganza

We are getting our Easter on today. We colored eggs, we got the baskets ready, and made cookies. Well, okay. They were those Pilsbury kind that have the holiday shapes. Perhaps not the most labor intensive treats ever, but they were yummy! Jack & Cassady had bunny ears to wear, but after the photo op, Jack's got snagged by Daddy. Luckily, Jack didn't seem to mind one bit.

Coffee Talk

Blog readers, meet Marcy - our super awesome barista friend. Everytime anything newsworthy happens in our lives, we always end up at Barnes & Noble to tell Marcy about it. Why? Well, mostly because Marcy is fabulous. She has been among the first to know of Bill & I dating, then our engagement, then the wedding date...and of course we scurried to the mall to announce the pregnancy too. Everyone needs a barista friend!

Orange You Glad It's April?

Hooray for fabulous weather! We went to the neighborhood park, where Jack had his first swing on the playground. He *loved* it. We had a few blankies behind him to make it more comfortable. He dozed off a few times while enjoying the sun and light breeze. What he didn't like was laying on a blanket on the grass. We quickly abandoned that plan, as he much preferred to be rocked in his carseat. Daddy says Jack inherited his dislike of nature from me. (Naturally, I disagree...it was naptime!)