15 months old!

At 15 months, Jack...

...gives hugs and blows kisses, both of which are pretty amazing. There is really nothing better, you guys.
...is expanding his vocabulary. It still feels slow, but his word count is growing each week. He uses the following words with regularity: Mama, Dada, ball, book, baby, milk, more, bear, & "batketball" (It's crazy to me that both of my boys had "basketball" as one of their first words.) Additionally, his two most favorite things in life have been combined into one word that he says a million times a day, "book-a-ball". He still signs frequently, most commonly using "please" and "thank you".
...is obsessed with balls and books. His very first word every single day is "ball". I walk into his room in the morning with a nice "Good morning, sweet boy" and he immediately points to the door and says "Ball!" He likes to hold them and throw them, but he especially likes to kick them. And he's a pretty darn good kicker, too! His other obsession is books. The book-reading requests are constant from this one. He will go get a book, hand it to you, then immediately turn around and start backing into your lap. Then, when that one is finished, he pops right up to go get another one, repeating "a-book-a-book-a-book-a-book" the whole way.

...follows commands quite well for his age. He now retrieves his own diapers or shoes when needed (and sometimes when they're not needed). He puts his balls in the bin where they go and his shoes in his shoe cubby. If you ask him to take something to someone, he goes off to find them. He listens when you tell him "no"...sometimes (the little stinker is already starting to push the boundaries!) In other words, he's just really smart ;)
...can tell you what sounds a duck, dog, and car make. He consistently makes some weird sounds when you ask him about other animals, so I know he understands it and is just trying to form the sounds.
...got his first official haircut this month! He handled it quite well, didn't shed a single tear. He kept turning his head all around to see what was happening around him, making it a challenge for his stylist. In the end, he looked exactly the same (Daddy couldn't even tell we went.)

...can identify his eyes, ears, teeth, nose, hair, & belly. While he doesn't quite get "foot" yet, he knows where socks and shoes go.
...is up to 10 teeth, thanks to 2 pesky top molars that popped through alongside some incredible crabbiness. I'm gearing up for round 2 of the misery because the bottom gums are bulging and the other 2 molars should be making an appearance pretty soon. At least that means more teeth for him to happily brush at night!
...still loves to eat! He has mastered the fork and is getting pretty good with a spoon. I've just started putting his food on a plate vs. his high chair tray, and he resists the urge to dump it most of the time. He eats really fast, making it almost impossible to keep up with if I'm trying to eat at the same time. It doesn't help that he shoves 12 bites in his mouth at once, a habit that is already getting annoying for Mom and Dad. He either loves to eat that much or he's afraid one of his siblings will steal his food! Some of his favorites at the moment include popsicles, graham crackers, pineapple, berries, & bagels. He tolerates veggies pretty well, though he doesn't eat them with the same zeal his sister used to/still does.

...insists on having snacks/desserts with his siblings. I totally attribute this to his Third Child status and his refusal to be left out of anything. Most of the time, his treat is something much healthier than the big kids'.
...still has that darn goopy eye. We made an appointment with a pediatric ophthalmologist next month to finally have it checked out. He'll have a complete eye exam when we go for the consultation, something I can only imagine is pure hell with a baby (reeeeally looking forward to it...) It's more than likely that he'll need surgery to open up what we assume is a blocked tear duct, something I'm very much dreading.
...is growing attached to his "bear-bear" in his bed, which is absolutely precious. He immediately gives it a hug when he picks it up. Thanks to that, his pacifier, and his seahorse, bedtime for that boy is a dream. You literally put the child in bed and he doesn't make a peep. He SLEEPS THROUGH THE NIGHT every night, something the big kids didn't start doing until they were 3. So yeah, a dream. (Brooke & Joe were at a sleepover with their cousins last night, so it was just Jack & me here at the house - we slept until 9am! Absolutely amazing not to be woken up at 7:15!)

...loves himself some Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. And it warms my heart to have another TV lover. (Judge away, people. An occasional 22 minutes of focused attention that doesn't involve me being needed/touched is the only reason I have any sanity left.) 
...isn't the friendliest child in public. If he doesn't know you well, you often get a blank stare or a furrowed brow from him. In fact, there's probably a list of less than 20 people that get warm greetings from Jack; everybody else gets his "why are you talking to me?" look. He is a little more willing to wave goodbye to strangers, probably just because he knows that means we're about to walk away from them :) 
...loves to be silly and has killer dance moves & a precious giggle. He loves his siblings fiercely and looks for them when they're not around. And he basically has Mommy & Daddy wrapped around his chubby little finger. We love this big boy to pieces!

Here are a few more recent pictures of our boy! Can you tell he loves adventure & being outside?

Dad's Day 2015.

These kids of mine? They adore this man. To them, he is a superhero. The strongest person they've ever met. The best toy fixer. The guy with all the answers. He can not sit down on the couch or the floor without a child or three climbing on top of him within 14 seconds. They charge at him when they hear him walk in the door after work. He is, for sure, the most popular person in the house.

Brooke, Joe, Jack, & I are pretty darn blessed to have this man as our protector & provider. Happy Father's Day to my teammate in this crazy thing called parenthood. We've kept them alive, so I'd say we're doing a pretty decent job with our zone defense. Love you!




A few thoughts on these:
a) She is soooo old, you guys.
b) Why are they incapable of sitting still?
c) Love that both answers to "what does Daddy do at work?" is "Make money." And, according to the 5 year old, he works at a US Mint now.
d) Of course he had to squeeze the word "butt" in there. Of course.
e) "He's really good at hugs." Melting.

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 :)

Happy 1st Birthday, Jack!

Dear Jack,

Happy birthday, kiddo! We are in complete disbelief that we have spent 12 full months as a family of 5. It really feels like you've always lived here, like you were always meant to be here. You are adorable, hilarious, cuddly, mega-smart, and just a little bit mischievous. You are certainly our calm child; you go with the flow and are quiet & observant. You are such a big boy now! You never crawl anymore, so it helps that you are much less wobbly on your feet. You're running - yes, running - all over the place. You love to shake your hips and dance, bouncing up & down to a fast tune. You babble all the time (you still only say "Dada" with intention) and love to make silly noises with your mouth. You learned to sign "ball" and "please" this month, the latter of which is often done feverishly when you're begging for a snack :) Here are a few of your favorite and not-so-favorite things these days:

Favorites
Spoons - You have a strange fascination with spoons. You can often be found walking around the house holding a play spoon. And if Mommy gives you your spoon to hold after feeding you yogurt, it keeps you entertained for a solid 10 minutes. Pretty soon you'll be ready to learn how to use one to feed yourself!
Snack Time - This is still your favorite time of day! You are always trying to steal snacks from the big kids. While Cheerios and puffs are still pretty common snacks for you, you also like to eat Baby Goldfish and chew on pretzel rods.
Crayons - Your brother & sister don't always remember to pick up their crayons, & you are like a moth to a flame when it comes to finding them. They must taste good, because you are constantly eating them (yuck!) It's only a matter of time before you start leaving your very colorful mark all over our walls/furniture!
Being outside - You love love love being outdoors! Your favorite thing to do is swing on our playground, but you're slowly starting to enjoy just running in the grass. We can't let the big kids go outside to play unless we're prepared to take you out as well or else you get so mad!
Balloons - You are a big fan of balloons! Like most kids, your eyes get huge when you look up at a balloon floating in the sky. And you love banging them. You even try to say the word, which comes out "boo!"
Mommy - You are such a Mama's boy! You are very comfortable with Daddy and think your siblings are the bees' knees and you're even pretty comfortable with our extended family and friends. But nobody has your heart quite like Mommy. You are intensely shy, burying your face in Mommy's shoulder when we're in public as if you're looking to me for protection. We're still working through some separation anxiety, too. Mommy often has to hide from you when you're in the arms of someone else or you instantly start reaching/crying for me. While we know you'll get over that part of it, Mommy sincerely hopes you are a Mama's boy your whole life!

Not-so-favorites
Preschool drop-off - Your love for your siblings runs deep (to be honest, it's mostly Brooke.) It is most evident in the drop-off circle at preschool. You hate it when the kids leave you to go to school! The moment you hear their seat belts unclick, you go into hysterics. We now wait until the last possible second in the drop-off line to unbuckle to avoid some of your drama, but you are in tears every single day when we drive away.
Riding in the car - The beginning of this month was tough in the car with you. Out of nowhere, you suddenly hated being in the car, screaming whenever we strapped you in until we took you out. No amount of bribes (we even tried your first lollipop!) or friends sitting in the back with you worked. When you finally got quiet, Mommy would immediately stop talking because the second you heard my voice you'd start screaming again. The most bizarre part was that you'd scream the loudest when we stopped the car and opened the doors to get out, like you thought we were going to leave you in the car while we did something fun without you. We're happy to report that you're quickly getting out of that very loud phase; you still whine on occasion and always cry at preschool drop-off, but otherwise you're a pretty mild boy in the car.
Raw tomatoes - This is seriously the only food you have turned down. Tomatoes are not your thing, but apparently everything else is (including asparagus, couscous, pulled pork, & cauliflower - some things your Mommy didn't eat until adulthood.)

You've ended your first year a whole lot bigger than you started. You went from 10 lbs 4 oz up to 27 lbs 4 oz and from 21.5 inches to 32.5 inches. You're off the charts for height & head size and right at the top of the weight chart. You're wearing size 4 diapers, size 18M clothes, and size 5 shoes. You sleep like a champ, sleeping 11-12 hours at night with 2 naps during the day. And you go right to bed without a single fuss, sometimes even playing in your bed before finally drifting off. You will eat anything and everything, and you have pretty good table manners for a 1-year-old (we haven't entered the drop-everything-on-the-floor and smush-bananas-in-my-hair phases yet.) Between the amazing eating and sleeping habits, you're making our job very easy, buddy!

This has been the greatest year of our lives, Jack! Being your Mom & Dad has brought us immense joy. We are so excited to see where this next year takes you, as well as the many, many years after that. Thank you for being the sweet, lovable boy that you are. Thank you for choosing us to be your parents! We love you to the moon & back!

Love,
Mommy & Daddy

Lately, via Instagram.

Life has been crazytown around here. Busy busy busy, and it's not going to slow down anytime soon. Blogging is just not something I have enough time for these days, but I'm still throwing out quick glimpses of our life on Instagram. This has been our life over the last few months.

 

He's saving those for later. #cheerioseverywhere

 He doesn't seem to care that it's Monday. #lovehim

 And for my next trick, I shall entertain a baby while I make his siblings' breakfast.

 Two-thirds of the tiny humans have 101 degree fevers. This one has enough energy for all 3 of them.

 Bronchiolitis. Ear infection. World's saddest cough. Rough week around here for this guy. #3sickkids #imexhausted

Finally pulling his weight around here. #startemyoung #9months

 Started off the day with my favorite #ValentinesDay tradition - a festive breakfast, complete with candy hearts. #lovethem

 "Um, a little help here, Mom?" #babyjail

 How he felt yesterday when the big kids played out in the snow without him is exactly how I feel today waking up to more snow & another day of cancelled preschool. #whoiscomingtoentertainthesekids

 School's cancelled? I'm putting you to work. #howtosurviveasnowday

I'm not sure what this stuff is or why it's so cold, but I don't hate it! #snowbaby

 This guy & his "hockey-talkie" have everything under control on this chilly Monday morning. #preschoolisopenagain #hallelujah

He's been desperate to come outside for months. Greatest. Day. Ever.

Me: I gave you a banana since it's your favorite fruit.

J: No, cookies & brownies are.

#youandmebothkid

 Snack time. #theanklecross #icanthandleit

 Starting off the season in the Diamond Club pretty much ensures all future games will be a slight let-down. #tinyredsfan

 Always choose snuggling over cleaning.

 She made me "grilled chicken with white cheddar & an avocado mousse, with sautéed mushrooms & peas on the side." Too much Food Network for this one.

 Spring, we officially love you. #andthenhelickedthechalk

 Fridays are for letting your baby smear yogurt everywhere. Because #yolo.

A dozen.

I've officially been with this guy for a dozen years. Considering we've been together for our entire adulthood, it really does feel like forever.

We were just babies when it all began; now, we've got 3 kids & a mortgage that prove we're bona-fide grown-ups. We're deep in the woods of parenting, but we're hanging onto each other for survival. Our relationship has evolved, & I think he'd agree with me that it's better than ever.

This beautiful life I'm living is a direct result of that first date 12 years ago. I feel so blessed to be living it with him.

Eleven.

Dear Jack,

What a grown-up month this has been for you, Jack-Jack! You are a full-blown walking toddler!! In about a week's time, you went from taking a few nervous steps to walking across the room. It's so fun to watch! Your transformation into toddlerhood is evident in so many  ways now. Your 4th tooth came in, giving you this big boy smile that completely melts Mommy's heart. Those big teeth are helping you chomp your way through so much table food, with baby food seriously on its way out (we give you maybe 3-4 jars a week.) You still LOVE to eat & would eat all day if we'd let you. While you have an incredibly healthy appetite, we've introduced a few sweets to you this month (including your first ice cream cone!) much to your delight. You certainly have your Mama's sweet tooth! You learned to sign "milk", "fish", and are just learning "please". You babble all the time with lots of consonant sounds, though you're still not really using any words. You clap and wave on command, both of which are super adorable. Here are some of the things that have excited you (and some you're not so fond of) this month:

Favorites
Reading books - Last month you were only interested in playing with your books; now, you love to read them! You are constantly digging through your book bins looking for the right one, then sitting on the floor flipping pages. You especially enjoy the touch-&-feel books, and you know exactly what parts to feel on each page. Your face lights up when we tell you to go get a book for us to read - you never pass up the chance to be read to.
Playing ball - Your love for playing ball is growing each day! You can chase a ball around the house for quite a long time without getting bored. You are getting better at "throwing" it - you excitedly wave it up and down until it slips out of yours hands.
Walking - You choose to walk instead of crawl 90% of the time. You seem to really appreciate how easy it is to carry something when you walk versus crawling. You're getting faster every day, though you still plop down on your bottom all the time.
Going outside - You are still a huge fan of the outdoors! If any member of the family heads outside without you, you get very vocal. Walking in the grass is a little difficult with your unsteady feet, but you'll be running around out there in no time!
The Laundry Room - We think you know you're not supposed to go into the laundry room and that's why you love it so much - like the forbidden fruit, if you will. You make a mad dash for it anytime we leave the doors open. You spend most of your time in there playing with Daddy's Powerades on the floor or emptying the pantry.

Not-so-favorites
Shoes - Now that you're walking, we trying to remember to put shoes on you when we leave the house. You are not a big fan of wearing shoes, though you are slowly getting used to them. Most of the time, you refuse to walk when you're wearing them (although it might have something to do with being around strangers - you're still pretty bashful!)
The Baby Gate - Because your favorite activity is to climb stairs but you haven't yet mastered how to get back down (you took your first tumble down this week), the baby gate has become a necessity. You don't like being restricted, especially when we hop over the gate to go upstairs without you. Get used to the gate, Buddy; it's not going anywhere for a while.
TV - You are completely disinterested in TV, leaving us completely baffled. TV is kinda our thing, Jack. We're not movie or music people or heavy readers or artists - we love TV. All of us. When the kids are watching a show, it doesn't capture your attention at all. Mommy thought it might be that the content was too mature for you, so we tried Elmo. You couldn't care less about that furry red monster that used to captivate your siblings. This is uncharted territory for us.

Jack, you are the happiest little guy all of the time. It's so hard to come up with things you don't like because everything in life excites you. You are not much of a cuddler these days - you're too busy for that - but you do give us the most amazing hugs! You wrap those arms around our neck and squeeze. And if you see us hugging each other or one of your siblings, you don't like to be left out of the action. You crawl right on over with a giant smile, eager to get some love too :)

We love you, kiddo! One month to go until the big birthday!!

Love,
Mommy & Daddy