Perfecting a New Smile for the New Year

So during the Holiday break, Jack found his "cheesy" grin. Now it's hard to get him to smile normally. I guess he just wants to show off all those new pearly whites. Whatever the reason, I've found that it is impossible for strangers to ignore him these days. If they try, he just stares them down and shoots them one of these grins and they can't help but smile back... even the tough business men on planes who just want to be left alone.

Happy New Year from Jack, Nathan and Mommy!

Christmas In Missouri

So, on Christmas Day we hopped a plane from Pittsburgh to Missouri and made it to my house in time for supper and presents.

Jack with Mom and Dad by the tree. He was so excited to open presents again!

Jack with a cool puzzle from his Aunt Lainee.

These last three pictures are of Jack modeling his cool new Peyton Manning jersey from his Great Uncle, Dick.

Christmas In Pittsburgh: Part II

A few more Pittsburgh favorites...

Jack and his Uncle Nick

Jack and Nana

Jack opening presents...he loved his Sesame Street friends until the "Animal Train" arrived.

This lasted on his head for approximately 3 seconds...just enough time for Mom to take a picture

Getting ready to take off for Missouri on Christmas Day.

Christmas In Pittsburgh: Part I

Because Nathan and I both had several weeks off for Christmas break, we closed up the apartment and headed to see our relatives in Missouri and Pittsburgh. It was a LOT of traveling and Jack did get an ear infection, new tooth, and a cold during all of it, but we still managed to have a good time. And Jack's extended family was pretty forgiving of his long loud nights during the worst of the ear pain.

Here are some highlights from Pittsburgh:

Jack catching up on some birthday presents from Nana & Papaw.

Matching day with Uncle Mike.

(Don't worry...it wasn't planned...we're not THAT kind of family.)

Bundling up in our hat and winter coat to face the cold (although it was mild weather for Pittsburgh, it was freezing to us!).

A bathtub just Jack's size (seriously).

Jack loved hanging out with the boys.

Jack's First Birthday Party

So, Jack turned the big "1" yesterday. We had a fun day together...minus the visit to the Doctor and four immunizations. He was able to go to school for a couple hours and even had a little party there. Then we went to lunch at Chik-fil-a (he loves the chicken) and watched the older kids play in their indoor play area. Then to the doctor for a quick wellness exam. Jack currently weighs 25 lbs 6 oz (85th percentile), is 33 inches long (still off the charts) and has a 97th percentile noggin. While he was getting weighed at the office, he started dancing along with a singing snowman they had positioned near the scale to keep the kids from wandering off while they are trying to weigh them. His nurse was so entertained by Jack's cool moves that she went to get a couple of the other nurses and Jack's doctor to come and watch him. This kid loves to dance.

Then it was time for the BIG Birthday bash!! We had about 12 people over and Jack opened presents and had cake and ice cream (which is a big deal...because usually mom says "no sweets"). He wasn't great at the present opening thing because he was quickly distracted by what was inside each package and then wasn't really interested in opening the next one. We made it through them, though, and he came out with some really fun stuff.

Anyway, here's a quick update on what Jack is doing now that he's 1 year old. He's cruising everywhere...but still not walking...although he has taken a few steps. He chatters all the time and there are now several words that we can actually make out. He loves words that start with a "B" such as "ball", "book", and "bubble". He also says "cup" but it sounds like "bup". And then of course he can say "mama" and "dada" and "ba-bye". Speaking of cup, we've been completely bottle free for 5 days now! It actually was a pretty smooth transition once we made it through the first few days. He's drinking real cow's milk now, too (he was on soy formula)...and we've found that his tummy is doing remarkably well. His diapers are a little smellier these days...but I guess that's just party of growing up and eating real foods. He loves to make music with any thing that could possibly become an instrument. And he's learned how to climb up and slide down the cool castle slide at his preschool this week. He's such a busy boy! So, here's to Jack and his 1 year birthday! Thanks for helping us survive this first year. It has been so fun!

 

So Close

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So, Jack has started taking a few steps on his own these days. While we haven't caught those on camera, we did manage to catch him having some fun with his "walking" toy. (Sorry for the poor lighting. If you'll notice in the first video clip, he takes a quick "dance break" after walking across the floor and discovering his musical school bus.)

Dancing Machine

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So, it seems our little man has found his groove. He loves to dance. His best move is the "one-finger-pointed-in-the-air" boogie. So, don't be misled...in this footage the camera isn't shaking...it's just our son moving with the beat. (I think he gets his moves from his old man.)