Jack - month 10

Merry Christmas from the Phillips!

My little 10 month old.

We have experienced a lot of changes this month. Jack has definitely moved from a baby to a more vocal, mobile, and expressive BOY! He has always been a grunter but now its on a whole new level. He is into everything. He loves his mom and dad very much. We are moving into a little clingy phase right now that I hope comes and goes very fast! His hair is awesome! He is going to have really thick hair just like his mom and dad. Christopher has been working with Jack on matching pitches...he seems to be doing well with it. We have another musical genius coming down the pike! :) Jack did a wonderful job on the road trip to and from Georgia. He loved visiting with his aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and great-grandparents.

First time in the Publix cart...getting food for our road trip to GA!

Georgia, where else do you just gnaw on a piece of corn (thats a toy)

He opened at least one Christmas present every day while visiting Nonna and Papa!

Presents!

The Thanksgiving public service announcement - "Gobble til you wobble"

Great-grandaddy getting on the floor with Jack and the grands! 

Jack Loved spending time with his grandparents and great-grandparents in GA

Friends....Jack, Jude, and Josiah!

It gets harder and harder to take pictures with Jack's friends...they are busy, busy.

I thought it would be fun each year for Jack to have his own tree.

Nonna and Papa came to visit Jack and us for the Christmas concerts

Dinner at Saffire in Franklin.

What you do when you are waiting in line to see Santa...

Cheekwood

Jack met Danny Murray who directs the Voices of Lee (the group his dad use to be in)

Loving the ornaments on the tree...

how is it possible we have had him this long? Crazy!

The coolest house decorated for Christmas.

Quote for the month:

"Patience is not the ability to wait but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting" -Joyce Meyer

Blog post of the month:
My friend Jessica sent this my way. Its hilarious "A ten month olds letter to Santa"(how appropriate)!! 

Ok so onto the details of #bigboyjack this month!

• Highlight of the month: He is dancing, waving, and clapping hands! Yeah all new and very exciting
• New things: He has started calling me "mum" which is just amazing. 
• Moving: His main method of moving is still rolling, however we have moved into quite a bit of army crawling which still isn't real crawling. He does get up on his hands and knees and rock...any day now...he will be full on crawling!
• Sleep: Same for this month 8:30pm-7:00am! 2 naps a day (9-11, 1:30-3:30) and most days he has decided not to to take the catnap.
• Schedule: Same schedule since 6 month old. Going great.
• Clothes: He is in 6-12 months and 12 months. He is wearing a size 3 and some 4 shoes.
• Diapers: Size 3 still. 5-6 a day! Hashtag Pampers for Life!
• Food: Still nursing 5xs a day (7, 11, 3:30, 6:30, 9:30). This has been the hardest thing about this month for sure. He has stressed mama out on this front many times. Which I guess I have heard happens in the 9 to 10 month transition but that doesn't make it easier. He started biting a lot at the beginning of the month and then he would just stop nursing after 3 or 4 minutes which was stressful because he would not latch back on which would then make me have to pump after nursing and it caused a few mama meltdowns. I think we are on the other side of that issue.
  The food items he has tried so far are - sweet potatoes, butternut squash, acorn squash, carrots, green beans, green peas, avocados, broccoli, black beans, apples, bananas, prunes, and mama's oatmeal.  He is now doing quite a few finger foods too: raisins, cheerios, small veggies cut up, and little baby crackers. 
• Drink: Still not into sippy cups of water. We use a straw and bird-feed him water. Unbelievable what a parent does to get liquid into this kid
• Bad "Not-so-Good" things: I alluded to the biting earlier. Enough said about that. That might be the worst thing in the books . As well, he got shots and the flu vaccine last week and for the 5-7 days after that vaccine/flu shots he threw up almost every day one huge meal. It was bad. REAL bad! Details would be to much for the internet, but know it was awful. We are two days - sans throw-up! So thats good. 
• Well Visit 9 month stats - 20.7 lbs (50%) and  29 inches long (75%)

Jack - month 9

9 months!

9 months of pure love and energy!

Jack Amadeus. He is something else. This month has been lots of changes. He is known at the YMCA as the "rolling kid". He knows how to get where he wants to go. :) He is a very happy baby and has lately become very expressive. He "talks" a lot and is starting to get into things. Gone are the days where you could just lay a quilt down and he would stay on there and play with his toys. It's almost as if the quilt is the last place he wants to be. He wants to be under the piano bench eating the piano pedals or messing with the coffee table or chairs. He thinks Lucy's toys are just as fun as his own...gross! :)  

I am going to be sad to see nursing go soon. I don't know when it will end, but it probably will be in the next 3 years ;) kidding. I love the little noises he makes when he nurses. He may be getting older and more mobile but his nursing noises remind me that he is still a sweet little baby. As soon as he is done nursing he goes back to being a big boy and sticking out his tongue and talking and being busy. I dont want to forget those moments. 

I don't think he can get any cuter!

Sweet boy!

Jack's pumpkin won most creative at the pumpkin carving party! :)

Handsome little guy! 

Halloween with friends

Jack's first lemon experience! :)

You can no longer say he looks just like Christopher! :)

Autumn in TN. He is so stinkin cute!

This is an action shot of Jack taking care of business!

Those eyes... 

He is quite the charmer!  

Sleeping baby...he is such a good sleeper!

Quote for the month:
My sister posted this on her Facebook this month and I resonated so much with it...I want to frame it! "Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can." 

Blog post of the month:
I came across a blog post this month that I wanted to share. Click Here: Tell a Friend: You are a Good Mama Its a great blog to challenge me to not compare but to encourage other moms. 

Thought for the month:

Ok so onto the details of #babyjack or now #bigboyjack this month!

• Highlight of the month - He goes back and forth this month from saying - "Mama", "Dada", "ssssss...", and a click noise "ts..ts...ts..." He wont do all of them really in the same day/week...but he will mix it up each week. Its hilarious. He keeps us on our toes.
• Another new thing is he started sticking his tongue out. Its cute...for now.
• Sleep: Same for this month 8:30pm-7:00am! 2 naps a day (9-11, 1:30-3:30) and most days he has decided not to to take the catnap.
• Schedule: Same schedule since 6 month old. Going great.
• Clothes: He is in 6-9 and 12 months now. He is wearing a size 3 shoe (which is the only way to keep socks on this kid) :)
• Diapers: Size 3 still. 5-6 a day! Side note - I fibbed about the Costco diapers...no good...going back to Pampers swaddlers.
• Food: Still nursing 5xs a day (7, 11, 3:30, 6:30, 9:30). Not near as long as he use to. He eats two solid food meals a day. The items he has tried so far are - sweet potatoes, butternut squash, acorn squash, carrots, green beans, green peas, avocados, broccoli, black beans, apples, bananas, and prunes. He eats oatmeal now too. Oh and he is now doing raisins and little baby crackers. 
• Funny thing about food- he does not like anything on his highchair tray while he is eating. If there is even a crumb of something...he is distracted until its removed. I think we might have a little OCD on our hands :)
• Drink: Still not into sippy cups of water. Any tips are appreciated.
• New things: He has almost started crawling - he has kind of beeing army-crawling-creeping the past 3 or 4 days.
• Bad Not so Good things: He enjoys his food a lot...however he moves really quick and sometimes he sticks his fingers in his food bowl if you have it on his highchair tray and holds on for dear life. It drives us a little bonkers. He is also a distracted eater. If he hears something...he will move his head right when you are about to put a spoonful of mush into his mouth (cue the food going all over his bib and face). 

Jack - month 8

My little 8 month old!

Our little Jack has been pure delight this month. Each stage of his development has been completely fascinating to me. Today, I looked back at all of his "sticker" month pictures and cannot believe the difference one month makes between these photos. When do they stop changing so much each month? Cliche's are no longer cliches ...they are realities. "Time flies", "Enjoy each moment", "They grow up so fast", etc. It seems that those lines were not real thoughts to me before having Jack. Now, they are realities that ring so true each day. 

Time flies!

Jack - you are one cute kid in your PJs. Side note - zip pjs are a must once they come out of the swaddle! WOW...great invention!

We were at a restaurant and Christopher and I both were talking about Jack's Fred Flinstone feet...I had to snap this moment. His feet are thick! :)

This one is for the wedding slide show one day! 

Each little roll on him is so delicious. 

Very serious with his toys!

At Cheekwood with our friends, Shannon and Dustin and Creed.

Jack and Creed

Fall is here to stay. Love baby hats! Its a problem...I think we have 6!

Jack and Ruby..."sitting in a...swing"

Jack and Paxton - birth-day buds!

Jack and Uncle Phillip when he came to visit for fall break.

Jack and Lucy! She has finally given in to his ways!

Jack went to his first college football game this month! (Side note about the other love of my life in this photo - he is one amazing husband and father. I dont know how I would do life without him. He lights up my life and Jack's life so much.) 

We cheered hard...but the Bulldogs lost.

I am a blessed little lady! 

**Story of the month**

I think my story of the month is more a daily occurrence that I have just loved. I usually feed him at least one of his baby food meals a day and its so awesome to see him maturing and moving to this stage in his life. He is like a little birdy with his mouth open wanting more and more "yum yums". I think sometimes how did he go from not even know what baby food was a few weeks ok to wanting this baby food! Which leads me to think... how did he not sit up a few months ago but now does it totally fine all the time. Or its crazy to remember those days where he use to not smile and now he "smiling is his favorite"! :) 

It is true...its the small things that are the best! 

Ok so onto the details of #babyjack or now #bigboyjack this month!

• Highlight of the month - Jack says "mama" now! Be still my heart. Its so sweet. It doesn't necessarily mean he is asking for me...but he is saying the words.
• Sleep: 8:30pm-7:00am! 2 naps a day (9-11, 1:30-3:30) and most days he does an evening catnap around 5:45 for 45 minutes.
• Schedule: Same schedule since 6 month old. Going great. It is the one thing that definitely I am thankful I started early on. 
• Clothes: He is in 6-9 months mostly now. Loving the sweaters and hats we have started having to wear. 
• Diapers: Size 3 still! 5-6 a day! Side note - got the Costco brand this month and they are great! Way cheaper than Pampers too. 
• Food: Still nursing. Going ok. He eats two solid food meals a day. The items he loves - sweet potatoes, butternut squash, acorn squash, green beans, avocados, apples, bananas, and prunes. The one item he has tried that he does not like is brown rice cereal. Other than that he is loving his homemade baby food. 
• Drink: Still not into sippy cups of water. We have tried 3 kinds and he does more slurping and spewing than swallowing. :)
• New things: rolling from one side of the room to the next is his new thing. He loves to roll.  We have started putting Jack in a sleep sack and PJs now that its getting colder. Its like a sleeping bag that you wear. Its awesome! 
• Bad things: His play mat is close to our fireplace and he has started messing with the grates at the bottom. Not safe buddy. :(