Jenny and Jon

Thomas tent and pretzels

2012-01-19T13:47:00.005-07:00

We got Jack a Thomas tent; he and the cats both love it!

He likes to dismantle the humidifier...

and Charlie likes to drink from it.

His first pretzel sticks.

Snow Day

2012-01-11T20:29:00.002-07:00

It was in the 50's yesterday, and today we woke up to this.

I'm trying to over-winter our thyme and oregano.

Jack still refuses hats and mittens.

Icicles hanging from our front window.

Making some calls in his snowsuit.

Puddle-jumping at the park

2012-01-11T20:24:00.001-07:00

Yesterday afternoon

Denver Zoo

2012-01-09T20:37:00.000-07:00

Our first trip to the Zoo, using our annual zoo pass.

Jack LOVED the cheetah. It was a little sad actually: the cheetah pacing between his 2 inside areas, clearly antsy to get outdoors, and the toddler laughing hysterically at him.

Zebras in the big city.

Jack in the open space

2012-01-05T17:00:00.001-07:00

We took a walk over to the open space by our house this afternoon.

Last week in pictures, part 5 (the snow edition)

2011-12-09T11:24:00.001-07:00

charlie in the christmas tree

This week in pictures, part 4

2011-12-09T11:14:00.000-07:00

Last week in pictures, part 3

2011-12-09T11:08:00.000-07:00

Last week in pictures, part 2

2011-12-09T11:04:00.000-07:00

Last week in pictures, part 1

2011-12-09T10:59:00.000-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T14:05:00.002-07:00

The turkey is now in the oven, for our fashionably late Thanksgiving dinner. I'm taking a quick break between pie and side dish prep. We're having a low-key family dinner at 6pm here, just the 3 of us. Jon's work has been crazy until a couple of days ago, so it's nice just to relax together. And we're having fabulous weather (mid 60's and sunny), so we're getting in lots of outside time too.

The first 2 pics are from a few days ago - Jack too busy playing with my cell phone to ham it up for the camera. He knows how to open the box and help himself to a cereal snack.

Thanksgiving morning - I thought maybe he would help me tear bread for stuffing, since he loves to shred toilet paper and paper towels.

He decided to eat the bread instead, preferably by cramming an entire slice into his mouth at once.

It was also convenient to eat right from the bowl.

Okay, I need to get back to the prep! We're having: roast turkey, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce with ginger and pear (new recipe), twice-baked potato casserole, souflled sweet potatoes (new recipe), creamed pearl onions (new recipe - I have always wanted to try this!), brussels sprouts (new recipe) and green salad with almonds and craisins. Dessert will be pumpkin pie (from one of our Halloween pumpkins), and chocolate pie.

I hope everyone else is having a great day of family, friends, and food too! (And football of course. We'll be cheering on the Aggies this evening. Whoop!)

Post-Halloween

2011-11-13T10:00:00.002-07:00

Jack didn't like his jack-o-lantern on Halloween, but over the past week he has taken to carrying it around and taking things out of it.

His post-dinner, pre-bedtime, crazy time!

Sunday afternoon

2011-11-06T20:36:00.002-07:00

Snowsuit

2011-11-03T21:36:00.002-06:00

Jack's first time trying out his snowsuit, boots, and mittens. Our backyard deck

Not loving the snow or the ensemble.

Hey! I found my hand under this annoying mitten!

Halloween part 2

2011-11-01T20:49:00.003-06:00

Jack's 2nd Halloween - last year he was a pumpkin; his year he was a puppy dog. His current favorite toy (a pull dragon) - thanks Jane!

Charlie was a little freaked out about Halloween - the doorbell rang entirely too many times for his liking.

Playing with a pixi stick; Ernie lounging.

Trying to stick the pixi stick into an outlet (it's a safety outlet so no risk) - it would have probably been a good fit! And yeah, I took pictures rather than dissuading him!

Halloween Part 1

2011-11-01T20:44:00.002-06:00

Jack wasn't having a great evening last night; he was pretty clingy when we tried to visit some of our neighbors' houses. He didn't like the hood on his costume.

But he was happy once he was given a snack of blueberries - one of his current favorite foods!

Our week of weather

2011-10-27T22:47:00.002-06:00

Monday it was 80 degrees. Wednesday it barely hit 30, and we got about 6 inches of snow.

These 2 pics are from this morning (Thurs), when the snow finally stopped.

Our snow casualty. Unfortunately the branch is still attached (this pic was taken from the upstairs window), so we're going to have to get a really tall ladder to finish the job.

By this afternoon most of the snow had melted - that's how it goes in Denver, where we have more sunny days than Miami!

October Snow

2011-10-08T21:55:00.002-06:00

These pictures were from yesterday, when Jack and I drove up to Georgetown with my mom. But we also got snow (1st of the season!) at our house this morning. About an inch, but it was enough that Jon collected all the remaining peppers, tomatoes, tomatillos, and herbs from our plants. Sadly, we haven't even had any tomatillos or bell peppers ripen all the way yet! For some reason, our plants seem to grow very slowly, and our growing season is short.

We saw 2 deer having a late lunch in someone's backyard.

Jack having fun with Grammie.

Tomorrow, Jack, Mom and I are flying to Virginia to visit my grandma. So we'll be back in a couple of weeks with some new pictures!

This is why we live in Colorado

2011-10-01T10:45:00.003-06:00

There is a commercial that is aired here that shows the ski slopes and says "this is why you live in Colorado". Well, I don't ski. A short-lived class at A&M, in which we skied down a wet, soapy, white astroturf into a chain-link fence, pretty much ruined me for that.

But, I love the fall foliage here. We have the famous Aspens, but we also have maples and many others whose names I don't know in our neighborhood. It's still a bit early in our area, but here are some shots from our walk this morning.

The park near our house - it has an amazing mountain view, and always seems to be 5-10 degrees cooler than the rest of the neighborhood.

The elementary school in our neighborhood.

Our front yard. Our tree is a red maple, and won't change colors for another few weeks, but our neighbor's tree is already losing its yellow leaves.

Note the long-sleeved shirt; unfortunately we'll need to change it soon because it's supposed to hit 90 today. And yes, I know that those of you in Houston or College Station probably think 90 and low humidity sounds dreamy, but if I'm going to be shoveling snow in April, then I expect October 1st to have autumnal temperatures!

I hope everyone else has a good fall weekend; we're planning to buy mums and maybe head to the mountains to check out the Aspens (they're peaking at higher elevations). Happy Autumn!

Galveston

2011-09-22T22:21:00.003-06:00

We're in Houston for an extended weekend, full of family, friends, and my 5 year vet school reunion. Hamming it up on the drive down to Galveston.

Jack's 1st time on a beach.

We got there pretty late, so just a quick visit. We may try to go back Sunday if we have time. He really liked the water and wanted to go in, but it was too late for a swim.

Gig 'Em Aggies!

2011-09-08T21:16:00.002-06:00

We watched the first A&M football game over the weekend. Jack watched off and on.

Wearing some of his Aggie gear (thanks Amy and Joe!).

He really likes the camera.

Talking with Charlie about the game.

We moved his highchair down to the family room so that we could all have dinner while watching. =)

Welcoming Autumn

2011-09-04T23:40:00.003-06:00

Jack loves climbing on the back of the couch to look out the windows.

Enjoying the fall weather that arrived yesterday - it was in the high 50's when we went out yesterday morning!

Trying on his Halloween costume. Emma thought it was real!

18 months

2011-08-18T21:37:00.004-06:00

Jack is officially walking today! For the past couple of weeks he's been taking a couple of steps here and there, but today he started doing 15-20 steps at a time, and by the time Jon got home, he was walking all over the place! Until he giggles and falls down, that is. =) Jack is loving all the fruit we're getting from the farmer's market this summer; some weeks I have to go twice to keep up with his consumption.

He's a climber for sure. This past week he has mastered climbing from the floor to the back of the couch all by himself.

He likes to sit with Charlie and watch out the window for squirrels...and occasionally lick the window. (Why? I have no idea. But now I'm afraid to windex, in case he ingests some of it. I've heard of people cleaning windows with vinegar...I guess I'm going to have to try it.)

18 months yesterday! Enjoying a banana pudding cake.

Within minutes, he reduced it to crumbs. But we didn't get any pictures of the aftermath!

Jack walking!

Walking with his Spidey Car

2011-08-13T09:22:00.000-06:00

July Highlights

2011-08-07T18:42:00.002-06:00

We're a little behind, but here is what Jack was up to in July:
-enjoying his new (to us - thanks Kristin and Kelly!) backyard swing
-starting to stand on his own for a few seconds (the first time was on June 30th)
-took his first 2 steps (July 4th) - none since
-walking with assistance (holding on to one or 2 of our fingers) - he's fast!
-moving into size 24 mth clothing
-enjoying a variety of foods, including olive (esp kalamata), cheese, pasta, broccoli, carrots, raw spinach, romaine lettuce, spicy Chinese food, eggplant parm, pancakes, fried okra, kohlrabi, and all fruit except grapes
-spending time with both sets of grandparents
-playing with cat food (when we're not paying close enough attention), and dunking his magnetic alphabet into the cat's water
-turning on the tv (there's a button in the front that he knows how to operate)
-climbing onto the back of the sofa to play with the windows
-and we think he's teething again, even though the ped says it's too early

Almost walking and a grandparent visit

2011-07-22T15:10:00.002-06:00

Jack's new trick is to hold one of our fingers with each hand, and take off walking. He loves it!

Last night, Grandma and Grandpa Tremblay drove up for a visit. We're all enjoying having them here! Jack loves the extra entertainment. =)

Fruit Monster

2011-07-12T12:51:00.002-06:00

Jack goes through about 3 cups of fruit a day. He loves berries and melons especially.

16 months

2011-06-23T16:06:00.002-06:00

Sorry for the lapse in posting! Jack turned 16 months last week, and he is quickly becoming a toddler. He cruises around the coffee table, up and down the sofa, and along his pack n play. He's a fast crawler, and is pretty quick going up stairs too. He hasn't really figured out going down stairs yet though, he can go down one step, and then his inclination is to lean backwards and fall. Crazy hair - it dried this way after I washed the tomato sauce out of it from dinner. He's doing great feeding himself - not with a spoon yet, just his hands. He really likes ethnic foods - curry, black beans from Chipotle, pickled okra and crab cakes (I guess Southern isn't really ethnic!), Cajun jambalaya and spiced rice, and teriyaki salmon. He also loves kalamata olives, pasta with marinara sauce, and most fruits.
Enjoying the nice weather we had last week.

He really enjoys playing in the dirt, and right after this picture he ate some before we could stop him. Yuck. We're looking at getting him a baby pool - but there are hundreds to pick from! Inflatable or molded plastic? Any suggestions? It can't be too big - I think it will need to stay on the deck so we don't kill part of the lawn.

1 year adjusted

2011-05-15T21:13:00.002-06:00

A year ago today was Jack's due date, so developmentally he is a year old. In celebration, we let him have a second run with some cake. Ignore the pink tint - it's strawberry (I finally found a yummy recipe!). =)

Jack had fun playing with it, and ate several bites that Daddy fed him. He doesn't feed himself yet - we're working on that still. Other yummy things he enjoyed today included hot and sour soup and a bit of cheese from the pizza party we went to this afternoon. =)

NICU Reunion

2011-05-14T21:04:00.002-06:00

Today was the NICU Reunion at the Denver Zoo. The hospital puts this on every other year, and it was impressive! They covered all admission costs, plus had a buffet lunch, a photographer, hats and binoculars for the kids, and they gave us coupons for free cotton candy. =) This was Jack's first time at the zoo. It barely got up to 50 degrees, but we still had a blast! He really liked the peacocks that wander around the pathways.

Steph, one of Jack's former nurses.

Jackie, another former nurse. It was great getting to see so many people - we saw some of his former roommates and their families, nurses, his developmental therapist, and his 2 main NICU doctors.

I was telling another mom yesterday at our Mommy and Me class about it, and I think you have to have gone through the NICU experience to understand why we'd all want to get together again. The doctors, therapists, and especially the nurses were who I spent most of my time with, every day, (and Jon too, on the weekends) for the 3 months Jack was in the hospital. It was strange to suddenly not see them every day, so it's nice to be able to keep up with them. And of course, to show off how great Jack is doing!

Jack's Crawling!

2011-03-31T21:21:00.002-06:00

He crawled forward for the first time tonight! We got it on video - Jon will probably upload part of it to Picassa. Jack is also good at opening the drawers on our coffee table.

We keep some of his clothes, blankets, extra wipes, etc in there.

Emma looking on.

And leaving. The cats aren't thrilled that he's mobile now. =)

Weekend update

2011-03-28T21:33:00.002-06:00

Thursday night Jack didn't want to take his bottle, and he did it again Friday afternoon. He also seemed a little fussier than usual, so we took him in to the ped Saturday morning. (I love that they're open on Saturdays!) He has an ear infection again - right ear for sure, the dr couldn't see in the left ear because of wax buildup. So he's on amoxicillin again. We're hoping that he'll be feeling better soon, because I was planning to leave Friday for Dallas.

He loves standing up against the sofa back and looking over, especially if the windows are open or if there are kitties down below.

He's moved into 18 month sized clothes already! And we started him back on the Zantac. We had taken him off a week or so ago when he ran out (per dr orders), but he was spitting up through his nose every other day. So when we went in on Saturday he gave us a new script, and he hasn't spit up since then.

He does have a runny nose though - we're not sure if it's just because of the ear infection or if he has a little cold. So we've been taking it easy and having lots of reading and cuddling time to try and make him feel better.

Jack's First Driving Lesson

2011-03-19T17:38:00.000-06:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T16:44:00.003-06:00

Jack is 13 months old today! And very excited about his Irish heritage. =)

What happens when I give him the container of puffs to play with.

Recent Jack Pics

2011-03-10T14:49:00.000-07:00

Fingerpainting

2011-03-06T21:06:00.000-07:00

The aftermath of Jack's first fingerpainting session.

Recent Jack Pics

2011-03-01T23:09:00.002-07:00

I think I forgot to mention that Jack had his 1 year checkup on his birthday. (I know - shots on your birthday stink!) He had 3, plus a TB skin test, and they drew blood to be sure he's not anemic (he's not).
He's 29 1/8 inches long (35%ile), 22lbs, 7oz (47%ile), and his head circumference is 18 1/2 inches (73%ile). They're pleased with how he's doing. =)

New Shoes

2011-02-26T14:21:00.001-07:00

Jack's First Year

2011-02-26T12:18:00.009-07:00

Feb 17th, 2010

March 17th, 2010

April 17th, 2010

May 17th, 2010

June 17th, 2010

July 17th, 2010

August 17th, 2010

September 17th, 2010

October 17th, 2010

November 17th, 2010

December 17th, 2010

January 17th, 2011

February 17th, 2011

Happy Birthday Jack!

2011-02-17T22:44:00.002-07:00

He didn't really know what to do with the cake, so Daddy helped him out and gave him a few bites. He didn't seem to have inherited my sweet tooth, or maybe it doesn't come out until later. =)

Jack is going to have a storebought cake

2011-02-16T22:53:00.002-07:00

Why did the cake stick to the pans, even though I greased and floured them first?
Why do the high-altitude directions have you add 1/2 cup of flour, if the cake is then going to taste too flour-y?
Why did the powdered sugar that I had stored in a canister have all the moisture sucked out of it, and become a rock sugar cylinder?
Why did the frosting not seem to get any darker from the 6th to the 16th drop of blue food coloring?
Should my baby even have food coloring?
And why is it sooo hard to frost a cake, when the frosting seems to simply pull off cake molecules, rather than sticking to the cake as a whole?
These are the questions I'm pondering as I go google our local grocery store's bakery hours to see how early I can call and order a cake tomorrow morning.

Pre-birthday update

2011-02-16T13:00:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update for the day before our kiddo turns 1! (Insert cliche here about how I can't believe how quickly the last year has gone.)

Last Tuesday we drove downtown to P/SL to visit one of Jack's roomies from the NICU. The snow kept his other roomie home that day, but we got to see Aidan, as well as one of Jack's former nurses, Julie. We found out the date for the former NICU babies reunion - every other year they rent out a pavilion at the zoo so that everyone can get together and catch up. We've marked our calendar! Wednesday, Jack had an eye recheck appt. They said he's a little far-sighted, which is normal for this age, and that everything still looks great. We're to watch for any signs of eye-crossing, but otherwise they don't want him back for 2 years.

He's added peaches, butternut squash, turkey, and blueberries to his repetoire. The turkey was in jarred form, mixed with sweet potato and apple, so he liked that. The other 3 we made and he liked them as is. We need to try some more green veggies - so far he only eats green beans and peas. He has started on the chunkier stage 3 foods and is gumming them fine.

He's grown some more hair, but just in the center. He likes the puffs finger-food, although he won't actually feed himself - we have to put one in his mouth and then he crunches it with his front teeth. He loves the tv, and spins his head around to look at it when he hears the remote turn it on. He will take a few "steps" if you hold him upright and move him forward.

The 3 molars that were giving him trouble around New Year's still haven't broken though - they seem to bother him off and on. He's not exactly crawling, but he scoots backward and then pivots around to get to what he wants. What he wants is often the dvd and vcr players - one time he opened the dvd player. He also turned the audio system to AM radio somehow. He's pretty quick with his scooting.

He loves banging on the keyboard - after having to restart my laptop several times post-Jack, we pulled out an old keyboard that's not attached to anything for him to play with. He likes to drop/throw things and have us pick them up for him. He's quickly outgrowing his baby bathtub, but he still seems too little to me for the normal tub. He enjoys napping on our bed, with a down pillow and a blanket.

(And it was in the 60s today when the snow pics were taken - in case anyone was wondering where is jacket is.)

Naptime issues

2011-02-04T16:56:00.002-07:00

So I mentioned that Jack is rolling over in his crib sometimes and getting stuck - he did it for every nap time today! And then screams until you rescue him. Which means the only place he will take a nap is on our bed with me laying next time - after he wears himself out from crying. Any tips?

That's how he rolls

2011-02-02T23:36:00.000-07:00

Jack rolls over now. As in - that is All. He. Does. You can put him down on his back, turn around for 5 seconds, and he's on his stomach. He's not so good at rolling from stomach to back though - which have given us a few issues with naptimes when he gets "stuck" on his stomach. He seems really close to crawling though - he can pivot and kind of scooch a bit on his stomach, but still picks up his legs rather than using them to push off of. We need to get in gear with our babyproofing though!

All bundled up to go out for his Synegis shots today - it's been in the negative degrees since Monday evening. We used his new Bundle Me fleece thing for the first time today - and I managed to mangle the zipper somehow. Grr... But it seemed to keep him warm anyways. He weighed in at 21lbs, 15.8 oz. We're 3 weeks late with the shots due to insurance issues. But luckily he didn't get sick while we were waiting.

In other news, he has tried chicken (likes it if jarred and mixed with other stuff), baby yogurt (likes it), and those cheerio-like puffs (iffy - started out having to have them forced on him, now will open his mouth for them but acts like he wants to spit them out - I think the texture is so different that he's still getting used to it).

Ready to crawl. =)

What we've been up to this week

2011-01-21T19:53:00.003-07:00

Jack turned 11 months on Monday.He's enjoying his new Aggie gear from Christmas, and he is showing off his clapping skills here. He's also doing a lot of repitiion - if Jon claps, then Jack will start clapping too.
Another thing he likes to repeat is saying "ahhhhhh" really loudly. He likes one of us to say it, then he says it, the we say it again; our first "conversation".

We got about 3-4 inches of snow Wednesday. Momma kitty seems to be alive and well based on the pawprints in the snow.

Christmas Pictures

2011-01-21T11:30:00.002-07:00

2 of my favorite pictures from our Christmas in Denver.

We're Back

2011-01-17T20:30:00.002-07:00

Jack and I are back from our road trip to Dallas. It was originally our Christmas trip, but got delayed due to illnesses (Jon's and mine). We didn't want to be away from our ped in case Jack got sick, so we waited several days after we were sick to be sure he wasn't going to get it. Unfortunately that meant Jon couldn't go with us, because he couldn't reschedule his vacation at work.

The day before we left, Jack refused a couple of bottles, which was very unusual for him. I spoon-fed him one of his meals, but it took almost an hour. We figured it was just a fluke though...unfortunately not. During the 2 day road trip to Dallas, Jack refused most of his bottles. We took him to an urgent care pediatric place there and discovered that he had a double ear infection, plus 3 molars coming in! Poor guy! So we ended up staying in Dallas 2 weeks so he could recover. We got back Friday evening, and spent the weekend catching up on groceries, laundry, etc.

Jack is getting a lot better at standing supported, and Saturday he stood holding onto his activity center, without any support, for 60 seconds. He also enjoys banging on the laptop keyboard - his favorites are the function keys - he brings up all kinds of random stuff!

Shots and envelope destruction

2010-12-15T23:22:00.002-07:00

Jack had his second round of Synegis shots today. He's up to 20lbs, 10oz. He hated the shots of course. Jon took him in, and did a good job of consoling him afterwards (flying was involved).
No pics from today - but here's one from a few days ago. This is what happens if you hand Jack an envelope and then walk away for 60 seconds (envelope bits everywhere - and a few moist with saliva).

And a shot from our front door a couple of afternoons ago.

We grow momma cats here

2010-12-13T20:10:00.000-07:00

Carrots and squash

2010-12-12T13:10:00.002-07:00

Jack had bananas last week - he loved them. He tried acorn squash next - definitely not a favorite.

Most recently, he tried carrots. He LOVES them! So if his face looks a little orange over the holidays, you'll know why. =)

And I finally finished hanging the last of the ornaments. Now we just need to finish the outdoor lights, you know, before Christmas sometime. =)

Other Jack news - he laughs when you say the words "wow", "beep beep", and "peekaboo", as long as you're very expressive and enunciate well. He sits up completely on his own - he's done that for a while now. He's learning how to pet the cats, and grabbing the occasional ear or handful of fur. And bathtime now requres both of us (one to minimize the splashing) and still results in lakes all around our kitchen floor. I think we're going to have to move to the real tub soon. He likes to "thump" by slamming both of his feet down when he's laying on his back. Jon can hear it from the basement.

Christmas tree

2010-12-04T21:44:00.005-07:00

How is that we've had this camera for almost a year, and I still don't really know how to use it? I tried to use the manual setting tonight, but it was a no-go. Now we just need to find the manual and dvd that came with it...

Update: Jack got his 8th tooth in today (lower right 2nd incisor); we're all having a rough evening.

More from Thanksgiving

2010-11-30T10:04:00.002-07:00

My parents came in town for Thanksgiving - we had a great time! Jack loved having his grandparents around. =) Momma cat - our "outdoor cat". She's the one who gave birth to 2 litters of kittens under our deck last year. We kept feeding her, and she seems to have adopted us. We're not sure if she has a real home or not, but she's hanging out in our yard probably half the time.

After repeatedly crying whenever we put him in his activity center, Sunday Jack decided it was the best toy ever!

He's figuring out how to spin around and play with everything.

Other updates: Jack started saying "dadada" (not specifically to Jon, it just seems to be a new syllable that he's working on) on 11/20, he had rice cereal for the first time on 11/21 (loves it!), and plums on 11/25 (iffy - I think they're a little tart).

Thanksgiving pics

2010-11-29T14:44:00.003-07:00

Ready for Thanksgiving

Jack's first taste of plums - not his favorite. (Thanksgiving day)

Playing with a silver spoon.

Sweet Potatoes and Shots

2010-11-18T09:50:00.002-07:00

Jack had his 9 month checkup on Tuesday (16th). He weighs 19lbs, 11oz, and is in the 35%ile. He's 27 1/4 inches long/tall, and in the 15 %ile for that. He received 2 shots, which he did not appreciate. The doctor says he's right on track with everything, which is great for a 27-weeker. Trying out Dad's Guiness hat.

Jack had his 2nd solid food yesterday - sweet potaroes. After the first couple of bites he seemed to enjoy them, but he's still much more interested in the toys on his tray.

9 month monkey picture.

Yesterday Jack had his first round of Synegis (sp?). It's a dose of the medication they use to treat RSV. Preemies are at a much higher risk for it, so he'll be getting these shots every 4 weeks through February.

We had to go to the hospital (thru the ER enterance) to have it done. They have a Synegis clinic 2 Wednesdays a month, and each baby has a specific time to be there. It's very efficient: we got checked in, they went over the medication info, Jack got his shots (2 done simultaneously by 2 NICU nurses), we chatted with the receptionist while waiting our 10 minutes, one of the nurses checked his legs for any reactions, and we were back at the car in less than 30 minutes.

I'm happy the insurance approved him; the shots are supposedly $5k apiece, and we didn't find out until the day before that he would be receiving them.

7 Teeth and Dallas pics

2010-11-16T09:47:00.002-07:00

Yup, Jack has 7 teeth now! I haven't been able to get a good picture yet. He got his 6th one on Nov 11th (upper right 2nd incisor), and his 7th on Nov 13th (lower left 2nd incisor).

Some of my fave pictures from our recent Dallas trip:

Spiky Hair

2010-11-13T14:04:00.000-07:00

Jack post-bath.

Applesauce

2010-11-13T13:54:00.002-07:00

Jack had his first "solid" food today: homemade applesauce. He did pretty well, and actually ate some of it.

He wanted to hold a spoon too.

Done!

Aggie Baby

2010-11-09T17:41:00.002-07:00

Excited about Saturday's win! (Thanks Amy and Joe for the pjs!)

Jack is doing great. We're both recovered from our trip to Dallas (finally finished unpacking and caught up with laundry a few days ago!). He actually did great traveling; I'll try to post pics from our trip soon.

His new trick is his "fake cough" - it sounds like a kid trying to get out of school. It seems to be a type of laugh for him, and it amuses us. He talks to his toys a lot - he seems to have entire monologues. He improves daily with his sitting; he still will topple to the side when he gets distracted by a toy though. He really likes his blue bucket stacking toy (thanks Grammy!), and the orange moose with blue striped socks that we got from Ikea.

He is reaching for all kinds of things, and transfering toys from one hand to the other (that's pretty new - in the last week). He holds his feet and plays with them a lot - he's been doing this for a while. Still no rolling over or crawling though, and tummy time is still a chore. We're looking forward to starting him on solid foods in a week or so, once he hits 6 months adjusted age.

Charlie and the French Fry

2010-11-09T17:38:00.000-07:00

Sticky Chicken!

2010-11-03T22:01:00.004-06:00

"Sticky chicken!" is Jack's current favorite word/phrase of the day. (It's the name of a new recipe I'm trying this week.) He finds it hilarious (see below); which makes getting cute pictures a little easier. Other perennial faves include "moo", "boo", and "greasy". Jack has 5 teeth now! He got his 3rd (upper left central incisor) in Dallas last week, his 4th (upper right central incisor) on Halloween, and his 5th (upper left 2nd incisor) on Monday, Nov 1st. Minimal fussing with all 3.

3rd Tooth

2010-10-28T22:17:00.002-06:00

Jack got his third tooth today. It's the upper left central incisor. It looks like the right one will be joining the party soon too. No pictures because we're in Dallas visiting my parents; I'll upload some when we get home in a few days.

Jack is also sitting up mostly on his own, is really getting interested in his toys, and is showing some interest in our food too. We're planning to start him on solids around his 6 month adjusted age - so just a couple of weeks to go!

8 months old

2010-10-17T20:47:00.001-06:00

Chilling on the deck Flying up to the tree in our backyard

8 month monkey picture

Autumn Leaves

2010-10-16T20:35:00.000-06:00

We took Jack to look at leaves around our neighborhood:

This last tree is in our front yard - it's just about reached its peak.

Canadian Thanksgiving

2010-10-14T10:09:00.003-06:00

...was Monday. But I'm just now downloading the pictures from the camera. Jack probably won't fit into his Tday pjs by November, so he wore them for Canada's celebration instead.

"little turkey"

Recent Pics

2010-10-13T09:43:00.001-06:00

Cheesecake

2010-10-09T21:42:00.003-06:00

I had some cream cheese to use up, so I tried a new recipe for Cheesecake Pops (they were supposed to have lollipop sticks in them, but I didn't do that part!). They are cheesecake, rolled in graham cracker crumbs, then dipped in melted chocolate (I did half white and half semisweet). They are definitely tasty, but the magazine picture ones were prettier! =P

Milk Coma

2010-10-03T10:09:00.001-06:00

Neighborhood Park

2010-10-03T10:04:00.002-06:00

We stopped at one of our neighborhood parks last night on the way home from the foothills.

Jack's new trick is grabbing my hair and pulling.

Aspens

2010-10-02T21:37:00.002-06:00

We took Jack into the foothills to look for Aspen color today. We're a little late (they peaked a week or 2 ago), but we found a few. And we had fun, so that's really all that matters! We ate lunch at a biker bar in Sedalia. =)

Enjoying the cool weather (high of 70 today).

Flying in the National Forest.

South Platte River.

Yellow aspens - Jack was asleep in his carseat.

Bibs

2010-10-01T21:46:00.000-06:00

Happy October!! (Jack loves the word "Boo!" right now; also Moo! - as in Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type - his current fave book.)

Future Former Student (with Jon's floating hand doing Gig 'Em).

Highchair

2010-09-30T11:47:00.002-06:00

We started putting Jack in his highchair last week. We're not feeding him in it yet, just getting him used to it. It's also a great way for him to practice reaching for toys from a sitting position (as recommended by his developmental therapist).

Keys are a current fave toy, as well as the always-popular dinosaur.

Charlie enjoys the highchair too.

Mirror, mirror

2010-09-22T11:07:00.002-06:00

Jack loves the new mirror I bought! He grabbed at his feet for the first time this morning. Sitting on his own!

Talking to the cute baby in the mirror.

Colorado Baby

2010-09-21T22:02:00.004-06:00

Jack had his developmental evaluation appointment yesterday. It was a lot of fun! We met with the developmental therapist who saw him in the NICU - it was fun to see her again. She spent about an hour and a half evaluating his progress in fine motor skills, gross motor skills, verbal/social interaction, and others.

She had him play with toys, practice rolling over (she thinks he's really close!), and evaluated his sitting, among other things. She also had him look at himself in a mirror; for the first time he actually looked at himself rather than me. He talked and giggled at himself for a long time - she said it's the most engaged she's seen a baby with the mirror in while. She also was impressed with his trunk muscles, considering that he hates tummy time (and therefore I don't subject him to much of it!).

After the appt, we went to the 7th floor to visit the NICU. Unfortunately, most of his regular nurses weren't working that day, but we did get to see one who worked closely with hiim, as well as one of his primary doctors. And several other nurses stopped by to see him, having remembered his name. He was talking and giggling the entire time - he had everyone oohhing and aahhing over him. He's at such a social age, compared to the average NICU preemie. They reminded us about the NICU patient reunion next summer. It's at the Denver Zoo, and they rent out a pavilion for previous patients, nurses, and doctors to get together. We'll definitely be there!

Today was much more low-key. Jack and ran a couple of errands, and I got a flu shot. (Flu season is coming up soon, and we're trying to do all we can to prevent Jack from getting a cold/flu/or the dreaded RSV.) We took Jack for a walk to see the sunset over the mountains. He really enjoys the Baby Bjorn.

Baby Bjorn

2010-09-15T16:16:00.003-06:00

Trying out the Baby Bjorn for the first time. Jack liked it for a few minutes but then started fussing (I think he was tired). It was more complicated to get him in there than I expected though!

Teeth

2010-09-10T23:02:00.004-06:00

Jack got his first 2 teeth today! The lower middle ones - right side first. We hadn't really even realized he was teething, although he has been drooling copious amounts recently. And he always wants his hands in his mouth - or his burp cloth, or a second choice of our hands. I guess the signs were there!

Goodbye swaddle

2010-09-10T14:43:00.002-06:00

Yesterday morning, I went into Jack's room to find him completely out of his Swaddle-Me - it was bunched up next to him. Time to move on...now he sleeps in a sleep sack! (And did great with the change.) The only problem is that his hands are cold in the morning - I'm not sure what to do about that, since he also sucks his hands ALL THE TIME now. So I don't really want to put mittens on, because they'll just be wet and cold then. Any ideas?

Jack's First Road Trip

2010-09-09T23:50:00.004-06:00

Last week, my parents drove up to visit us. On their way back, I went halfway with them. We stayed a couple of nights in Dalhart at Christine and Jerry's house. It's normally about a 5.5 - 6 hour drive. Jack overall did very well - on the way down the last 2 hours weren't great. But he didn't cry at all on the way back. I'm so glad we did it. Jack got to meet Christine and Jerry, and it was a good first time away from home. Jack's now been to 3 states (CO, NM, TX).

one of his many happy faces =)

Dinosaur friend

2010-08-28T11:47:00.002-06:00

Jack's New Trick

2010-08-28T11:35:00.003-06:00

Jack has a new trick: He's been standing while supported, for about a minute at a time, for the past week. He loves it!

Hanging out in his swing on the deck. We had an evening last week in the mid-70's, so we ate dinner outside.

Suffering through tummy time.

Hanging out in the recliner like a big kid. =)

Jack has a couple of other new tricks - he splashes in the bathtub (I taught him to splash with his hands, and he figured out to use his feet too) since about 8/13. He also shrieks now (for about the past week). It's very sudden, and usually when he's right near your ear.

He enjoys "flying" - being held up in the air. And he clasps his hands together (starting the day after the doctor asked of course!). Recently he's showing more interest in his toys too - specifically his dinosaur and elephant that are hanging on his playmat. We've had to take dinosaur with us in the carseat on the past 2 outings.

Squash

2010-08-21T13:11:00.004-06:00

We've been gifted with several squashes from a coworker of Jon's who brought in a bunch for whoever wanted them. (Yup, it's August again.)

The 3 round yellow ones below are sunburst squash (apparantly related to scallop squash), and I guess the long yellow one is some sort of summer squash? You can't tell in this picture (bad lighting in the kitchen!), but it's got lots of little bumpies on it, and the sunbursts are over 2lbs apiece. The white scallop squash actually came from our own garden. I don't want this to sound like I'm not thrilled to have fresh, local produce; I'm just not really sure what to do with these varieties.

There was a 4th sunburst squash and a zucchini that I've already cooked. Any suggestions with what to do with the rest? (Aside from eating it every night for the next 2 weeks that is.) I made zucchini bread already - maybe I could make sunburst squash bread? I've also frozen shredded squash in the past to use for future recipes, so maybe I'll do that with some of it. Our squash benefactor said that they have grilled the squash. Is anyone else having an abundance of squashes right now? Or has the Texas heat killed off everything? =)

And, in case you just dropped by to see Jack, rather than hear my squash dissertation, here he is. This was taken on his 6 month birthday - the now-traditional monkey picture. (And yes, that's my current favorite Jack outfit, in case you've noticed it a lot in pictures.)

Jack rolled over once a couple of days ago (belly to back), but hasn't repeated it. Last night, he started holding and playing with his rattle. And he likes to stand (and support most of his weight) on a lap.

Happy 6 month birthday Jack!

2010-08-17T23:57:00.002-06:00

Jack is 6 months old today! I baked a cookie cake (for the first time) to celebrate. Jack will just be having the milk though - no cookie for him.

He's certainly come a long way since he was born - he's over 5 times his birth weight, and 9 inches longer. He can sit with some support and mostly holds his head up. He detests tummy time now, and hasn't rolled over again since the first (unintentional) time a few weeks ago.

He laughs and smiles a lot. He has expanded his vowel sounds to include "b" and "g" sounds, as well as the occasional high-pitched shriek (usually unexpected and right near your ear). He grabs onto the ring toy on his playmat, as well as any kind of cloth (shirts, blankets, burp cloths). He is eating about 6 ounces 5 times a day, and he usually sleeps 9-10 hours at night as long as he is swaddled.

We're loving being his parents, and are looking forward to all the next milestones!

Joe and Amy

2010-08-17T17:53:00.003-06:00

Jack got to meet his Uncle Joe and Aunt Amy this past weekend. They flew up for a few days to visit and to hike in RMNP. Jack enjoyed having visitors. =) Joe took a turn driving the Willys.

And Amy went for a ride in it as well.

We loved seeing you guys - thanks so much for visiting!

Shots

2010-08-12T22:51:00.003-06:00

Jack had his 6 month ped appt today. He's up to 24 3/4 inches in length (10%), 15lbs 4oz (17%), and head circumference of 16 3/4 inches (25%). He's actually on the growth chart for everything now!
He got vaccines today - 4 more pokes in the thigh and an oral vaccine. He also had to have blood drawn to recheck his iron levels since he was so anemic in the hospital - they drew it from his big toe. He was definitely not a fan, and ended up with 3 bandaids (which he's sporting in this picture). It's hard to watch him be in pain and so unhappy - I'm glad we won't have to do this again for a few months! He's back to his normal happy self this evening though. =)

Bumbo Baby

2010-08-09T14:43:00.004-06:00

We figured that Jack had developed enough head control (still wobbly, but much improved) to try out his nifty Bumbo chair. He seems to like it (although we realized that he was cheating by resting his head on the recliner behind him!). Getting comfy =)

Oxygen Test

2010-08-07T00:59:00.003-06:00

Jack had an eventful week. He practiced holding his own bottle, with Charlie watching. He had his pulse ox test for 24 hours. We disconnected the oxygen supplement, and hooked him up to a pulse ox to measure oxygen saturation of his blood. He did great - he stayed above 90 pretty much the whole time - or at least when the machine was reading accurately. It did think that the pack n play had a heart rate of 206 but only a pulse ox of 62%.

The results won't be official until his pediatrician appt next week, but we went ahead and took him off the oxygen. He's thrilled!

He's growing out of his 0-3 month sized outfits and is close to being out of his 3 month ones as well. (Modeling some Osh Kosh overalls courtesy of Grammy.)

He's also figured out how to suck his thumb; he was working intently on it for the past 3 days or so. He still needs to perfect his technique, but he's gotten pretty good at it.

Outlet Shopping

2010-08-02T20:34:00.004-06:00

Jack and I went shopping at the outlet mall today. We visited Carter's, Osh Kosh B'Gosh, and The Children's Place. All 3 were having sales - and TCP was having a huge semi-annual one (wth lots of clothes at 1.99, 2.99, and 3.99). Woohoo! =) I spent $101, and got 30 articles of clothing - some for late summer/early fall (pictured above) in 6 month size.

more 6 month stuff

some 9 month stuff for later fall/winter (I love fall colors, and polo shirt onesies are too cute!)

12 and 18 month sizes of summer clearance items for next year (I'm totally guessing on sizes - but figure that spring/summer/early fall is pretty flexible up here).

As you can see, Jack is thrilled with his first outlet mall experience. (He got to ride in the stroller in and out of the stores - it's an outdoor mall.) He's also working on head control - it seems to require concentration (or he's just tired of having the camera in his face all the time - who can say?).

Farmer's Market

2010-08-01T17:00:00.001-06:00

Jack and I visited the farmer's market this morning. He slept through it all, but got compliments on how cute he is from one of our favorite vendors. =) I bought corn, carrots, tomatoes (from 2 different vendors - I try to purchase something from all our faves), green onions, a cantaloupe (super yummy - we've already eaten half!), peaches, plums, and apricots. And those 2 green things with tentacles in the top right corner are kohlrabi. One of the vendors recommended it last year, and Jon loves it (me, not so much). It's kind of like a cross between a turnip and radish.

I've started thinking about making babyfood for Jack (we're still a few months away I know). For anyone who has done this and frozen it, how long does the quality stay good when frozen? Right now, and for the next probably 3 months, we will have lots of yummy local produce, but Jack will be 6 months adjusted (and starting to eat fruits/veggies) in mid-November, when gardens and farms will be frozen here and stay dormant until May/June. I'd like him to get to try the yummy flavors of in-season produce, rather than mealy January peaches. Anyone have experience with freezing baby food? I'm thinking of doing it in October, when the last of the produce is available, so that it will have the shortest possible freezer time.

In other news, Jack is "helping" to hold his bottle. Often this consists of him inadvertently pushing the bottle out of his mouth, but it's still very cute.

He's also laughing and smiling a lot - especially if you make silly faces or repeat his breathy "ahhs and ooohs" back to him.

Milestones

2010-07-25T01:04:00.000-06:00

Jack laughed for the first time yesterday! Jon tickled him and blew raspberries on his tummy - this elicited giggles almost every time. We got some on video (I'll have to figure out how to post that - or better yet, have Jon do it for me.) The giggles are continuing today. He's also starting to "talk" - or at least work on breathy vowel sounds. He really likes it if you "talk" back to him, saying the same sounds he is. =)

Then today, Jack rolled over for the first time! He definitely didn't intend to, and we don't think he realized that he did it. He was having tummy time and started spitting up through his nose. It freaked him out so much that he rolled right over to his back. Jon and I both got to see it, which was fun. (Well, except for the screaming and pain associated with the reflux in his nose.) We're thinking it will be a while before he does it again - since he seemed to just be trying to get away from the spitting up. But it was a big weekend for him! =)

Target toy clearance

2010-07-23T13:46:00.003-06:00

Target is having their toy clearance, so I bought some things for Jack for Christmas and/or his birthday. $22 for all of it - woohoo! They had lots of stuff from 30-75% off, so if you've got kids on your shopping list, you should check it out. (I just realized when I took the picture that 3 of the 5 toys that I bought require batteries. I'm a little concerned for our future sanity.)

Wakeup call

2010-07-22T13:55:00.000-06:00

He makes waking up at 7am not so bad. =)

Graduating to the big crib

2010-07-21T00:43:00.002-06:00

Jack slept in his crib in his room last night for the first time! Prior to that, he's been sleeping in the pack n play in the family room (just a routine we got into). He slept about 6.5 hours, which was great! I was worried that he might be nervous in the different setting, but he settled down pretty well.
Now if I could just get my own schedule back to normal...I got used to staying up until 230 or so with him, and now I have trouble falling asleep before then.

5 months old

2010-07-17T22:09:00.003-06:00

hanging out on the blanket Christine made him - so soft! thanks - he loves it! =)

It's hard to believe, but Jack's 5 months old today! He's doing great, and we're loving being his parents. =)

He's still on a very low amount of oxygen, but otherwise seems like a normal baby to us. He smiles all the time - mostly at us, but sometimes at Charlie (one of the cats), or at random things on the wall. He eats really well - about 5-6 ounces 5-6 times a day. And he sleeps great too! He's sleeping in his pack and play exclusively now, which means I'm getting to sleep in my bed again. And he goes anywhere from 6-11 hours between his last evening feeding (around midnight to 2am) to his first morning feeding. Which means that sometimes I get 8 or even 9 hours of sleep in a row! Amazing, considering that he's only 9 weeks adjusted. I'm almost afraid to put this out into the blogosphere - did I just jinx myself?? But we're just amazed by our little guy - pretty much always happy, and such a good baby. (As if there were such a thing as a "bad" baby!) He also naps pretty well too - several times a day for 30 minutes to an hour and a half.

I know all this might change as he gets a little older and realizes that it's more fun to stay awake, but we're definitely enjoying how easy he is right now. =)

Hail damage

2010-07-15T13:56:00.003-06:00

Pictures of the hail that we had over July 4th weekend. It decimated our plants - especially the tomatoes, squash, and impatiens.

Charlie enjoyed watching it though.

13lbs

2010-07-13T20:31:00.001-06:00

Jack had his 5 month pediatrician appt today. He's up to 13lbs, 1.5oz. The nurse and doctor were surprised by how much he has grown! We will be re-testing his pulse ox with a room air challenge in 3-4 weeks. I'm hoping we can ditch the oxygen before Jack learns to roll over - I don't want to be worrying about him strangling himself with the tubing!

Cousins

2010-07-12T13:42:00.000-06:00

Last week, Jack's Aunt Alicia and cousin Aidan came to visit us for a few days from Houston. Aidan is the first cousin that Jack has met! Highlights of their trip included a trip to Celestial Seasonings up in Boulder, lots of video games, making mozzarella with Jon, taking Jack up to Jon's work to meet his coworkers, and lots of rain and cooler temps. I think Jack enjoyed the extra attention! (And that first picture is just a tribute to Jon's birthplace and relatives - he's still totally an Aggie baby!)

Wide awake

2010-07-06T01:19:00.002-06:00

So I'm sitting here at 115am, with Jack wide awake on my lap, happy and cooing at life in general. He's turned into quite a little night owl - it's like living with a college student! Complete with demands for bottles (of milk, not beer), and the occasional puking.

I can't complain though - I've always preferred to stay up late too. And he's such a happy guy! At 4 1/2 months (7 weeks adjusted), he's starting to give us a glimpse into what his personality might become. His likes include (not necessarily in order) - the treadmill, mommy and daddy, milk, car rides, baths (after the initial shock), the bears in his mobile, tummy time, and being held. His dislikes include not being fed the second he becomes hungry (he generally goes from sleeping to starving), his oxygen tubing, reflux, and having his outfit changed.

He's working on head control, and it seems like he's always moving his arms and legs - practicing to crawl I guess! He rolled over while on Jon's chest, but I don't think that counts since he was on an inclne. Mostly we're just enjoying him the way he is now, because he already seems to be growing up quickly!

Jack's first dinner out

2010-07-02T01:07:00.004-06:00

Jack's had a busy week (well, for an infant). He's been to Target twice (his first times - soon he'll be hooked just like mommy!), to Petco today (cats gotta eat), the pharmacy to pick up his Zantac refill, and out to dinner with mom and dad for the first time. We went to Qdoba for dinner this evening after our Target run (10cent corn and new sheets for the sleeper sofa - paid for with a 35$ visa card I got from couponing - woohoo!). Jack slept through it. =) Oh, and for anyone that has Qdoba - the pulled pork quesadilla is messy, but tasty. (Is Qdoba in Texas? I can't remember. If not - it's like Chipotle.)

I keep hearing that we should take advantage now, while he's easily portable in his carseat and falls asleep with movement. So we're starting to do that...on off hours of course. I had been pretty hesitant to take him out, because his immune system is still very fragile as a preemie. But, it's summer (not cold/flu season), and we've gotta start sometime! I'm also a little nervous about what to do if he starts crying and I can't get him to stop. Do we leave the cart of groceries? Or are we "those people" who have the screaming kid? Or is it different with an infant? Hopefully it won't be too much of an issue - right now Jack mostly just cries if he is hungry, has reflux, needs a clean diaper, or sometimes if he's overly tired. I think I can avoid most of those (or fix them on the fly). Here's hoping! Because our house just isn't big enough to entertain me all summer!

Smiles!

2010-06-28T16:49:00.003-06:00

Jack is 18.5 weeks (6 weeks adjusted age) as of Saturday. He smiles at Jon and me all the time now - a new development over the past week or so. He also smiles at some of his toys - especially the bears on his pack n play mobile. It definitely makes him seem more like a little person! He's mostly a really happy little guy - only crying when he's hungry or has reflux. We seem to have lucked out with avoiding colic, thankfully!

Jack's going 6 to 7 hours between feedings at night...but as of last night he has pushed his last "evening" feeding to 215am. So our schedule's a little off, but at least we're getting some sleep.

He's out of newborn clothes now and wearing the 0-3 month size. I'm glad he's growing so well, but a little sad to put away so many cute outfits.

excited to wear the next size up!

hanging with Charlie on a quilt from when I was a baby (Grandma made it)

Jack loves how soft the blanket is that his grandma (my mom) made him!

Father's Day

2010-06-20T21:46:00.000-06:00

4 month shots

2010-06-15T22:48:00.003-06:00

Jack had another pediatrician appt today. He weighed in at 10lbs, 8.5 oz, and was 21 1/8 inches long. Both of those numbers aren't even on the growth chart for a 4 month old (not surprising, since he's only 1 month adjusted age!). However, his head circumference (15 3/4 inches) is in the 10th percentile for a 4 month old! He had his 4 month vaccines today - 4 shots in the thighs, and one oral vaccine. He hated it, but recovered pretty quickly with his pacifier. He did seem a little fussier than usual this afternoon though, and I felt badly for him with his bugs bunny bandaids! So we spent the rest of the afternoon on the couch snuggling.

Yesterday Jack had a repeat swallow study (video xray with contrast), to see if we could stop adding thickener to his milk. He did great! He now no longer has to have the thickener or the higher calorie formula fortifier. Down to just milk, daily vitamins, and Zantac every 8 hours. And the oxygen. I went downtown last week and checked out a pulse oximeter from the oxygen company. We turned off Jack's oxygen and hooked him up to the pulse ox so we could monitor how he did on his own. He did well for the first 2 1/2 hours, then started trending downwards, so he'll be staying on the O's for at least another 3- 4 weeks.

The swallow study was performed at the same hospital downtown where Jack spent his first 3 months. We dropped by the NICU to visit with the nurses. It was fun to see people who were so involved in our lives during that time, but a little strange to no longer be a NICU parent.

My mom left town today. She spent 2 1/2 weeks here helping me out and making sure I got some sleep. Thank you so much!! =) We will definitely miss you, but it's time for me to start figuring out a routine on my own. I'll let you know how that goes. =) The good news is that he is going 4-5 hours (and did 6 hours last night!) between night feedings. The bad news is that he only does that if he's being held while he sleeps. Otherwise he seems to startle himself awake much more easily (even if he's swaddled). But it's working for us for now.