Ouch!

Poor Baby Jack got his 2 month shots today. It was so sad because he was smiling and cooing at the nurse, and then she pricked him. I'm pretty sure she won't fool him the next time! Dr. Bigham said that he is extremely happy with Jack's progress. He told me that Jack is one of those babies that he doesn't have to worry about because he is obviously doing well. Jack weighs 12 pounds 7 ounces now and is 23 inches long. He took a long time to settle down when we got home, but for now he is resting in his crib. Hopefully he won't have any reactions to the vaccines. 

Grandpa and Grandma Visited

Grandpa and Grandma Seaton came to visit this evening. It is so cute to watch Jack with them. He is especially fond of his grandfather right now. He stares at him, smiles, and coos. It's pretty heartwarming to watch. He's a lucky little boy to have grandparents who live close enough to hop in the car to spend a couple of hours with him. 

Center Hill

We took Jack on his first overnight trip. Our friends, Matt and Shannon, invited us to spend the weekend with them at a lakehouse on Center Hill Lake. We had a blast. Their kids, Olivia and Turner, entertained Jack while John and I had some time for adult interaction. John even got to ride his mountain bike for the first time since Jack was born. He must be a little rusty because he took a spill, leaving a scratch on his forehead that he'll have to explain at work tomorrow. 

I was a little concerned about taking Jack on an overnight trip. Would he sleep? Would he cry the whole time? But, he was a trooper. Erin loaned me her pack and play. It worked like a charm. He slept as well there as he does at home. Those pack and plays are tricky though. I had to ask Shannon, a more experienced mom, to put it up for me. Then, John disappeared this afternoon. When I went to look for him thirty minutes later, he had just finally gotten the pack and play packed back up. 

We had a great time and look forward to more vacations soon. Now that I'm not working, I feel like we'll be able to get away a lot more often. Eventually we may even figure out how that pack and play works!

What a Difference a Month Makes

                      2 months                                               1 month

Jack is two months old today. It amazes me to see how quickly he is changing. His little cheeks have gotten very chubby and kissable. When I took him to the doctor last week, he weighed 11 pounds 6 ounces. You have to love a chunky baby with little fat rolls on his legs and a double chin. 

Jack's personality is really developing. I am lucky that he is so laid back and rarely cries unless he is hungry. He smiles frequently at people he recognizes, but is a little less certain of unfamiliar faces. When I talk to him, he answers with a coo. When he really likes what I have to say, he squeals in excitement. Jack's interest in toys is growing. He absolutely loves his playmat where he gets to look up at his octopus and study himself in a mirror. A friend gave him a duck that quacks and a bird that tweets for Easter. He is pretty excited about his little bird friends. 

I am trying to talk John into a video camera so I can post videos on the blog too. I know some of you would love to hear Jack "talk" to him mommy. I will pass on any comments regarding video cameras to John:)

When Daddy Gets Home

Bumbo Seat

When my sister, Kathy, came to visit, she was amazed by how much baby stuff Jack has. I admit the child is a little bit spoiled. That's what happens when you wait until you're 30 to have your first child. The Bumbo Seat is something I have been just waiting to get out. A baby's head has to be quite steady before he can sit in it. Today I finally decided that Jack is strong enough to give it a try. Jack was a little unsure of his seat. He kept trying to lay back, and he grew quite tired after only a couple of minutes, but you could tell he thought he was pretty cool stuff. 

I also got out all of Jack's toys today and washed them so he could try them out. He wasn't very interested in them yet, but he will be soon enough. I have been just amazed by how quickly Jack is changing. He is definitely not the little newborn we brought home from the hospital anymore. 

Busy Weekend

I am glad Monday has finally arrived. I need to rest. I was on the move all weekend. On Saturday night, I went to Erin's house to watch Twilight. I have read the first three books of the series because my nieces were reading them and liked them, so I decided to read them too. I was a bit disappointed in the movie, although it is rare for a movie to live up to the imagery in a book. Jack stayed home with his daddy while I went to movie night. They had a good time together, and John was able to keep Jack on his sleep schedule. Great job, Daddy!

On Sunday, we woke up and went to church. Then we went over to Grandpa and Grandma Seaton's house. Grandma Jane was able to spend some time with Jack while he was actually awake. He coos now and does a sweet baby squeal when he gets really excited. After a couple of hours at the Seaton's house, John dropped me off to meet friends at the musical Jersey Boys. I really enjoyed it, but by the time I got home I was exhausted and ready for a snooze. So, I talked John and Jack into a little nap. What a way to cap off the weekend!

 

Photo Session

Today I realized that it has been too long since the last time I got out my camera. I think Jack has changed quite a bit since the last time I took a lot of pictures. What do you think? I know it was much easier to get some decent shots today because he looks at me when I talk to him. He is still camera shy with that smile though. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day

This morning I was remembering my own childhood. Mrs. Gordan was my beloved kindergarten teacher. This was back when there was time to play in kindergarten. She had a cool kitchen set, blocks, and countless other wonderful toys. Having those things made Mrs. Gordan even more magical in my eyes. I truly loved Mrs. Gordan. 

My favorite memory of kindergarten took place on St. Patrick's Day in 1985. When I walked into the classroom that morning, it was apparent that we had visitors during the night. There were tiny, green footprints all over our desks. As if that wasn't exciting enough, there were chocolate gold coins hidden inside of our desks! The leprechauns had visited! I think every kid in that classroom believed Mrs. Gordan when she told us what had happened. 

Soon, I am going to have to invite the leprechauns to our house so Jack can experience that kind of excitement. I don't think he would understand this year, but what fun there is in store for us in the years to come!

Generous With the Smiles

Baby Jack is becoming more generous with his smiles. Yesterday after John got home from work, I watched him interacting with Jack. They sat together on the couch, and John made funny noises that made Jack smile and coo. He is such a happy baby. Sometimes I hear him giggle in his sleep from the baby monitor. It is such a sweet sound that I eagerly look forward to hearing all the time in a couple of months. 

We finally put away the newborn clothes, and for the most part Jack is able to wear his 0-3 month clothing now. It tugged at my heartstrings to put away those clothes. Seeing him growing up is bittersweet, and at times I wish I could keep Baby Jack a tiny, cuddly baby. But then I'd miss all the adventures to come!  

Sharing Mom's Lap

Poor Baby Jack has to share his mommy's lap as he is rocked to sleep. 

Undercover

Lucy has decided that she likes to sleep under the covers.

Smiles Can't Hide From a Camera Wielding Momma For Long!

Smiling

All last week I told John that I thought Jack was actually smiling; and not just the gassy-baby kind of smiles, but honest-to-goodness I-love-life kinds of smiles. After church yesterday we spent time at Grandpa and Grandma Seaton's house, and Jack finally showed his dad and everyone else those smiles. So of course I have spent all morning doing stupid human tricks in an effort to get Jack to smile for the camera because I wanted to share it with you. He is a stubborn little fella (must take after his dad- certainly not me!). He will smile big toothless grins at me, but as soon as I lift the camera his grins disappear. This picture is the best I could do, and it doesn't do justice to the beauty of his happy baby smiles. We'll try again this afternoon.

State Champ

Congratulations to my nephew, David Thorn. He won the Minnesota State Wrestling Championship this weekend. David, a four-time state champion, will continue his wrestling career by joining his brother at the University of Minnesota.

Mike and David Thorn

Sunny Day

The sunny weather made it easy to get out and be active today. John began the day by riding his bike with his father and some colleagues from work. It's so nice that he shares that hobby with his dad. I think they enjoy the father and son time. John has mentioned many times how much he is looking forward to Jack being able to ride with them. I think he has already picked out Jack's first bike!

When John got home, we took Jack for a walk on the Greenway. Lucy and Winston went as well. Our graduate, Lucy, tried to keep Winston in line, but he was a lost cause. Jack slept through our two mile walk, but woke up ravenous as if he had been running along beside us. It's hard to believe that before too long, we'll be the ones running to keep up.

Play Date

Jack and I went to Erin's for a play date this morning. Erin's son, Ross, is six months old. Another friend from work, Sarah, had her four month old daughter, Brylie, there as well. It was pretty cute watching the older kids interact with each other. Ross is a screamer, and it was adorable to watch Brylie's eyes get big every time he let loose with his vocal cords. Pretty soon Sarah will have a screamer on her hands too if Ross has anything to say about it. Jack hasn't figured out that he is supposed to play at a play date. He just sleeps. I feel really lucky to have good friends who stay at home too. It gives us the opportunity to get together frequently for mommy time. 

Could You Move Mount Rainier Fifty Miles East Please?

I don't know how moms can go back to work after six weeks. Yesterday I went to school to be a reader for the Dr. Seuss celebration. I didn't have to be there until 8:00. That's two hours after I would have been there for work before Jack was born. It felt like someone asked me to move Mount Rainier instead of simply being at the school by 8:00. My alarm went off at 5:15, but of course I was too tired from my night with Jack to actually get up then. So, I reset the alarm for 6:00. Plenty of time, right? Nope. I had to race the rest of the morning to make up for that 45 minute snooze. Then right when I was ready to head out the door to drop Jack off at Erin's, he decided it was time for his breakfast. I know he wasn't very happy with me when I gave him just enough to make it to Erin's instead of his usual breakfast in bed (er... the rocking chair). The worst part was that the entire time I was at school I wanted to grab my cell phone and make sure Jack was being good for Erin. 

Instead I waited until I was done reading and did indeed pick up my cell phone, but it was to make a different call. I left a message on John's voice mail thanking him for all he does that makes it possible for me to spend a year or two at home. I have been blessed. 

Jack's First Snow

Throughout the night as John and I woke up with Jack, we saw the snow falling. By the time we woke up this morning, there was a fair amount of snow on the ground. We couldn't wait to show Jack his first snow, but he seemed less than impressed. He just squinted his eyes against the bright whiteness. What would his cousins in Minnesota think?

On the other hand, Winston and Lucy had a great time. They chased each other and had a blast with the tennis balls that I threw out in the yard for them. It seems to me that Winston was asking John if he was up to coming out to play in this photograph. 

After the snow melted, we decided to run some errands. The wind was blowing pretty hard, so to fight against the chill we wrapped Jack in this nifty thing called a Bug in a Rug. My Aunt Janice sent it as a gift. Jack stayed cozy all afternoon as John and I took care of the errands. 

Tomorrow it's back to work for John. I know he misses us while he's gone. I am actually going to school tomorrow too. It is Read Across America Day, and I am taking a book in to read to my classes. I am sure they will be quite disappointed that Jack isn't going, but he hasn't had his shots yet. So, Jack will spend a couple of hours playing with his friend Ross.