Counting Down the Days 'til Christmas

First Bee Sting

Jack got stung by a bee this morning while I was letting the dogs out. He didn't cry to indicate that he was hurt, but Rachel and Charlie saw it happen so I took him inside and had to take this out of his cheek.

His poor little cheek turned red immediately, so I put a baking soda and water paste on it.

A lot of the redness went away quickly, but you can still see his sting in the next photo.

Poor little guy.

I'm Santa's Favorite...

... and Mommy's too!

Christmas traditions are fun for the most part. I say for the most part because the Thorn family had one of the worst traditions when I was a kid. Every Christmas Eve, we had to eat oyster stew, which is perhaps the most disgusting thing I've ever tasted. Bleh! On to happier topics...

Since this is Jack's first Christmas, this is when all the Seaton family traditions will be established. John and I have one tradition that we started when we got married that we will continue. We take the cut off part of the trunk from the Christmas tree and write what big events have happened in our lives that year. Then I display them in a basket as a reminder of all the blessings we've had throughout our marriage.

Now that we have a baby, we want to add a few more traditions. My sister, Kathy, started getting her kids an ornament each year many years ago. That will be a tradition that we steal. Each year when we put up the tree, Jack will get to open his ornament and add it to the tree. As for the tree, now that we live in what we hope is our forever house, we are going to buy a small live tree each year that we will plant after Christmas. Jack is going to get to open a present on Christmas Eve. The gift will always be a pair of pajamas to wear on Christmas Eve as he waits for Santa's arrival. Another Christmas tradition we're going to have at our house is that Jack is always going to receive a Christmas themed book as a gift on Christmas Day that we can share as a family. Jack will definitely write a letter to Santa each year, and his elf on the shelf will be helping Santa make sure that Jack is a good little boy. Does anyone have any other traditions that you used with your kids or that you remember from when you were a child? I'd love to steal some good ideas!

Look Who's Ten Months Old!

Jack is ten months old today! We're cruising through this first year at an alarming rate. Mom wants to put the brakes on! Here are some quick notes about Jack now. There's no time for big long narratives any longer. Jack is too busy!

• This month Jack moved from taking three naps a day to taking two naps. His bedtime is 7:30, and he generally sleeps through the night though we've had a few exceptions this month. He wakes up around 6:00, but I can usually get him to lay in bed with Mom and Dad until 7:00. He loves snuggle time.
• Jack still uses his Army crawl to get around, but this month he started pulling up on anything that stands still long enough for him to get a grip. He'll let go of one stationary object to reach for another, but will not take any steps in between until he's got ahold of the next object. He's "cruising", which means that while he's holding on to something, he'll move all around it. All this movement has caused Jack to slim down. Pants that fit him a month ago are loose at the waist now. He's still wearing mostly 6-12 month clothing, but he's about ready for the 12-18 month stuff. 
• Jack loves to play. His favorite toy this month is probably his Fisher Price stacking cars. It's so cute because whenever he picks one up, he makes a car noise similar to Mom's. When toys are stacked, Jack tries to carefully remove the top toy instead of making them all tumble. 
• One of Jack's favorite things is to be read to. Jack's favorite books are That's Not My Penguin by Fiona Watt (We LOVE this series!) and Peekaboo Morning by Rachel Isadora. 
• We have a verbal baby on our hands. We think he says "hi" when he waves. He babbles all day long, and when I sing so does he. 
• Jack loves our dogs and is extremely interested in Grandma and Grandpa's cat, but he is afraid of unfamiliar dogs. 
• There's still no evidence that Jack will struggle with stranger anxiety this coming month, but he does keep one eye on what Mom is doing at all times. Sometimes he chooses to cry when I leave the room, but most of the time he just continues to play. 
• Our little man HATES having his diaper changed or getting dressed, but it's all worth it if bathtime is to follow. 
• We're working on finger foods, but I think most of the work is on Mom's ended. Finger foods sort of stump me. What can he handle? What's easy? Is that too slippery? Too big? I've had lots of anxiety about finger foods. 
• All in all, we have a happy baby on our hands who is growing up all too fast. 

Mommy's Rambling

Our little man is growing up. It's amazing how it seems to happen overnight. He's pulling up on everything, moving around the house at breakneck speed, letting go of one piece of furniture to move to another, and yesterday he climbed his grandparents' stairs like he'd been doing it forever. All the while, he's jabbering away as if I understand his every word. When asked how big he is, he only raises one hand instead of the customary two, so John and I have decided that Jack believes he is only kind of big. A fake cough is still Jack's way of getting attention. It cracks me up. He has also developed a fake smile that he uses when the camera comes out, so I'm beginning to favor the photos in which he is not smiling.

Jack still shows no sign of stranger anxiety. I love watching people's reactions to a smiling baby. I took Jack in to get a flu shot last week. There was a sulky teenager sitting across the waiting room. In no time at all, Jack had her playing peekaboo and laughing. It was absolutely heart warming. In Dillards not too long ago, an aging salesman came toddling out of the shoe department to chat it up with Jack. My favorite story happened while I was in the grocery store earlier this week. There was a young man, probably 22 or so, who we met in every aisle. The first couple of aisles, he pretty much ignored Jack even though Jack was grinning and squealing every time he saw the stranger. By the third aisle, the guy was chatting with Jack, and throughout the rest of our shopping he waved and laughed every time he saw our smiley guy. Everyone seems to love a happy baby, but most certainly this mommy loves her baby.

Jack's Work

Fall's Bounty

Leaves. Jack played in them while John and I blew them into the hugest leaf pile you've ever seen. We blew leaves for FIVE HOURS today and still have at least that much more to do before our big house warming party on Saturday. The work is worth it to be able to gather our friends and family to celebrate our move.

Mommy's New Toy

Letting the dogs out is not as easy as just opening the back door like it was at the old house. We don't have a fence and really have no intention of ever getting a fence, so they have to be watched. Luckily, it's like being on a hike every time you step outdoors here, so this chore isn't really a chore! Up until today, I carried Jack on my chest in his Baby Bjorn, but the 23 pound stinker has gotten so heavy that I was going to bed with a backache. So, I bought a baby carrier on Ebay that is definitely my new favorite toy.

A rare mommy shot... and yes, that is our new house in the background.

And, if this face is any indication, I think Jack likes this new toy too! Look at that dimple. I don't capture that in very many of the photographs I take. Score!

Turkey Days

Turkey days are coming. The Thanksgiving turkey day as well as the hunting turkey day are both just around the corner. Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. When I was younger, I loved the holiday because my family came together for two of my favorite things: turkey and stuffing. It's become so much more important as I've grown older to actually take time to reflect on how thankful I am for all I have and who I am. This year I am ever so thankful for the health and happiness of this little man.

I am also fortunate that I have this man in my life (the taller one).

I knew that John would make an awesome father one day when I married him, but he has exceeded my every expectation. I find myself taking him for granted too often as married people often do, but on this Thanksgiving I will be counting my blessings that I am married to you, John.

Alright, alright... on to the other turkey day I mentioned. This year John will be participating in his first ever turkey hunt. John and his dad have bought licenses as well as a blind and hope to shoot three turkeys each for us to enjoy this winter. But the bigger blessing in all of this is seeing John and his dad enjoy time together. It is my hope that one day Jack will enjoy keeping his father's company as much as John enjoys keeping his father's.

I would be remiss if I did not thank Gigi Merc for making Jack another special shirt. The turkey one in the first picture is definitely one of my favorites in Jack's closet right now. Thanks, Merc!

I know that each of you who reads my blog is special to me, and on this upcoming turkey day, I will be counting you as one of the blessings in my life.

Peekaboo... I See Jack Reading!

We Take Eating Cheerios Seriously Around Here

Standing Tall

I've been worried because everything I've read indicates that Jack should have been able to pull himself up to a standing position about a month ago. On Wednesday, Erin suggested that I take off Jack's shoes and lo and behold, that very same day I walked into the kitchen and came back to this! Now why didn't I think of that?

Wordless Wednesday

Helping Mom in the Kitchen

Jack has become quite the helper in the kitchen. He has figured out how drawers work and thinks they are pretty magical. He has yet to pinch his fingers, but I know it is coming. Putting child safety locks on the cabinets and drawers is on John's To Do List.

This evening I stripped Jack down to his diaper because I am trying to help him learn how to stand up by pulling himself up on the furniture and his sweatpants make him slip. The little booger took off across the living room, crawling on his knees! It surprised me because he has been doing the Army crawl for so long that I never expected him to do the traditional crawl. I guess that is a disadvantage of trying to learn how to crawl in sweatpants weather versus shorts weather. We'll have to crank up the heat periodically and let Jack explore. Jack and I have to finish cooking dinner. We'll see you next time.