Jack and his friend James

So, one Friday night we went to the Smith's house for dinner and so Jack and James could play.  They were so fun to watch.  For almost the whole night, they both played in the same area but didn't even know that the other one was there.  Jack was actually more excited about Sophie, the dog in the backyard.

Then after dinner, about 15 minutes before we left, both the boys started to notice each other.  It was hilarious.  Jack was in this phase of touching peoples eyelashes and hair.  So I had to keep pulling his hand back because he just wanted to "poke" James in the eye...really he was just wanting to examine his eyelashes.

Here is their interaction in pictures.  Jack is on the left in green and James is on the right in blue/green and white.

9 Months old....Wow!

Many exciting things happened this month! A lot of them toward the very end of the month.

But first some numbers:

Height: 28.5 inches, 75th percentile
Weight: 20 pounds 8 ounces, 75th percentile
Head: 90th percentile

First, I wanted to post this video of Jack and Reveille...he loves him!  This was actually taken at the end of December but I never posted it.

This month we took apart his green excersaucer that Uncle Danny and Jacquelynn gave him...on to stage 3 of this awesome toy.  (I don't have a picture of it yet as stage 3..guess that will be next month.)  Here is Jack in the green excersaucer right before we changed it.  As you'll see he was ready for it to transition to a walk around toy.

Jack's first word is Dad-da.  He has been saying it for a long time now.  I tried to get him to say Mama but he always returns with "dad-da".  Jack also loves bath time so we took this video showing both.

These photos were taken this past weekend.  Jack splashes so hard in the water I have to use a towel to shield myself from getting soaked.  He has also learned to lay on his tummy and move his arms and legs like he is "doggy paddling".  Don't worry, we never leave his side and usually both Ben and I are in the bathroom while Jack is taking a bath. 

The blue mat with ocean animals is so Jack won't slip.

"Mom!! I can't believe you are taking my picture! Geeze" 

Jack was trying to pull up the mat so Daddy was putting it back in place.

Playing with foam letters

Swimming in the tub

We hosted a Super Bowl party and Jack had some friends come and play in our new playroom.  It was sooo loud in that room! Nevertheless, it was exciting to watch all of the kids having fun.

From left to right McKinley, James and Jack

From left to right: Jack, McKinley, and James

I guess Jack isn't the only baby who loves to put things in his mouth.

The racetrack was a hit that night, and one of the toys that caused the most noise.

This is Jack after he learned how to put the cars in himself.

Ben's birthday (he turned 29, one more year till the big 3-0) was this month so the morning of his big day we went to the park and took a walk on the trail. We walked 1.5 miles.

Looking at the ducks in the pond...actually I think he is looking at the big waterfall

Moving along...drinking his sippy cup, still looking at the pond

Father and son...like the Christmas Eve candles?  
I guess I need to invest in some birthday candles before Jack turns one.

Jack's Valentine cookie that his cousins made.
This is after church where he has so much fun playing.... he misses his morning nap, so he is a little sleepy.

Later that day, we went to Grandpa and Sherry's house.  Grandpa taught Jack how to do "high five" and Jack still does it today!

Jack's First Valentines

His shirt says "#1 with the ladies"

One weekend, the weather was gorgeous!  We decided to wash our cars so we put Jack in his jumperoo outside while we washed Ben's car.

After washing the cars, Jack and Daddy chilled in the rocking chair.  Jack is eating his lil' crunchies which he loves.

The day before he turned 9 months, Jack started crawling forward.  He had been scooting backward and could crawl in a circle but never forward.  He would just lay on his belly and wave his arms and legs.  I thought I'd get his glow worm and see if he would crawl to it and he did!

Other big things that happened this month:

• Jack got his first teeth...the bottom right front tooth came in and then two days later the bottom left tooth started to come in.
• Jack was moved from the newborn room at church to the crawlers room...even though he couldn't crawl yet.  They said he was bored in the baby room and had more fun playing in the other room.  I think he was bored in the newborn room at 4 months...he definitely has to be doing something, he doesn't like to sit still.

4 Snow Days!!

First off I have to post this picture...I stole it from the many people who had it on facebook.

If you can't read the captions I'll type them out because they are so true:

Day 1:Snow!! No work! No School! Sleds! Snowball fights! Take pictures! Omg! Omg!

Day 2: Another snow day? That's cool, I guess...I wish I could get out of my driveway.

Day 3: Where does it keep coming from? Why doesn't it melt? Why are my thoughts so LOUD!?! Has my house always made all this NOISE!?!

Day 4: ..............................

So Day 1 - I was a little bummed because I had a big project at work that was supposed to take place.  We were going to film a cool video of the staff at FBCA, but that is going to be rescheduled.  So... I couldn't even tell you exactly what we did, but it was the first time since Jack was born that I was home with him ALL day long without a break or us getting out of the house.  

We played a lot and read books and the main thing that we did was clean out a room and made it into a play room.  

Jack sitting in his chair at his new Mavs table

You can see some of the snow/ice on the ground in the background

Towards the end of the day near bedtime we would all start to get ancey so we put together Jack's new umbrella stroller and strolled him around the house each night before he went to bed.  He loved just sitting and chewing on whatever toy he had at the moment.

Thursday morning, Day 3 of the snowmageddon, Jack and I ventured out into the cold and traveled to the mall.  The roads weren't too bad but you definitely had to follow the tracks left by other cars. Changing lanes were a little scary.  We met a few others before the mall opened to walk the mall.  It was nice to get out.  Little did we know that the next day would be even worse....

Day 4 - Friday, Jack looking at the snow fall out the window after his breakfast.  This started at 3 am and then continued to snow until early afternoon.  Daddy was still sleeping so we waited to get all bundled up to go outside for pictures.

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Our new front door!

  

So in the end it was nice to get to spend some quality time with Jack and Ben.  But it was also nice to get out Saturday after everything melted.  We went as a family to Mardels to get a book and then to Walmart.  That was the first time we had seen the sun since Monday.

Jack's First Christmas Morning

Finally...I was waiting for a video off of Ben's I-phone to finish this blog post.  

Santa Came!! 

Stockings and farm for Jack

I like my centerpiece

NOEL

My favorite place mats! Kitchen table 

Jack was playing upstairs in his room with his tool bench that Grandpa and Sherry gave him the night before. 

Jack heading downstairs to see what Santa brought him

He sees his farm!

Time to open stockings

Sippy cup with his name on it

a new wubanub and sun glasses to wear on his strolls

Puffs to snack on and pacifier wipes

After we opened stockings, we had breakfast...sausage, egg, cheese casserole and sausage patties.  Yum.  It was Jack's nap time so it was perfect timing....we ate while he slept.

This is the video of Jack opening his present from Uncle Danny and Jacquelynn:

Jack and Mimi

Steve got Jeans from Danny

Thanks Mary, Randy and Sarah

After Christmas at home, we went over to KK and Papa's to have Christmas with Ben's family.  Jack took a nap on KK during most of the present opening.

Merry Christmas 2 months late!