Jack-Jack.

At 13 months (plus a week), our big Jack...

...has 8 teeth. Numbers 5-7 popped through while we were in Florida, then #8 made an appearance last week.
...loves his Daddy. He spends 30% of his day looking for Dada. If he hears a loud noise, his eyes get big and he looks all around, whispering "Dada! Dada!"
...finally says "Mama" with intention. About damn time.

...slowly but surely is starting to put sounds together to make words. "Mama" & "Dada" are the only 2 that come out clear, but he's pretty close with "ball" and "milk". And he can tell you what a dog says with a very breathy "woof!" His signing is awesome - makes it so much easier to communicate with him. He can sign please, thank you, more, milk, water, ball, & fish. Plus, he does a lot of pointing which further helps us understand what he wants.
...knows where his teeth are, but that's the only body part he can identify. Might have something to do with the fact that he loves brushing his teeth - he giggles every time we brush that gummy smile!

...isn't allergic to nuts!! Hooray! Allergy testing just before his birthday revealed that he's only allergic to eggs. An egg allergy is a piece of cake to deal with compared to the severe nut allergies the other 2 kids have. Our allergist encouraged us to give him peanut butter several times a week to help keep him tolerant of it, which is somewhat challenging with the big kids' allergies (If we don't get him clean enough after eating it, he could touch them and cause them to have a reaction.) But we'll do whatever it takes to have one child without a serious nut allergy!
...loves to eat so very, very much. Favorites: anything the big kids have, but more specifically, ice cream & berries & grilled cheese & pancakes & bananas & French fries (parents of the year, over here.) Least favorites: nothing. Seriously, kid won't turn away a morsel.

...could take or leave his own toys. He's a pretty big fan of his brother & sister's, though. Especially their crayons, which he enjoys eating when he can find them. He also likes to make giant messes. He loves digging in the pantry, throwing applesauce cups around and pulling Ziploc baggies out of their boxes. Or pulling anything and everything out of the kitchen cabinets. So much fun for Mom.

...impresses me daily with what he can do physically. So much climbing and near-running and freakish strength. He's thisclose to getting off the ground when he tries to jump. He can kick a ball really well, much better than I remember the other two doing at this age. And his dancing is getting more and more hilarious every day.
...is just the most loving, adorable, precious thing and I seriously cannot get enough of him. While I do miss having a baby around, I absolutely love my big boy and all his new independence!

His independence doesn't always love him :)