ONE YEAR

So at one year you are 21 lbs.  23.5 inches.  You grew quite a bit this year buddy!  You have 4 teeth, two on top with a cute gap between them and two on bottom.  You can eat chicken fingers, veggies and fruits but you would eat cereal all day if you could.  You LOVE when dad chases you around the house.  You love wrestling dad, you don't like it when i try to just hold and cuddle you but that i what i miss most.  I wish you would stay at an age when you wanted me to hold you.  That is why when you do fall asleep in my arms I refuse to let someone else hold you or put you down until my arms are completely asleep to the point of it being a safety hazard i just want to cherish the time with you my love. 
You still crawl, YOU CAN walk but you choose not to.  When we try to get you to walk between us you take one step and then lean toward us with your arms out knowing we will catch you.  You walk around all the furniture, you get into ALL of the cupboards, you climb the stairs but cannot come down but your favorite thing to get into is the bathroom, the toilet paper especially.  You will TEAR it up (the toilet paper). 
You chit chat a lot, you said "byebyeJack" once but we haven't heard it since.  You say "hidad" and dadada for everything.  you say mamamama when it is just me in the room and you want me.  You still thunder slap, you bite everything now, you shake your head yes and no but don't use it properly yet. 
Basically you have mom and dad wrapped around your tiny little fingers... We love you so very much Jack and are so sad this year went by so fast.  We are so proud of you already and know that feeling will only mature.  I can't wait for our adventure!  I love you bubba.

FOOD!

We FINALLY ran out of Gerber food the neighbor gave us.  I made 4 new recipes today and it was SO fun.  I made some "Apple pie" Apples, raisins, oatmeal and cinnamon.  Green smoothie: Broccoli, peas, pears.  Moroccan chicken: apricots, dates, chicken, carrots, leek, onion, ginger, cinnamon.  Chicken Casserole: Chicken, peas, carrots, onion, leek, apricot, stock, rice.  Hope you like them!

Anyone have any great baby food recipe they want to share?

11 months

Well Jack, this is your last month of being my "infant".  In four weeks you will be ONE!  AHH!  It makes me so sad to think about it.  I ask people politely to refrain from talking about it.  I cannot believe how big you are.  You are our little man.  You have 4 teeth fully in, working on 4 in the back.  You walk holding onto things, crawl everywhere, you don't want us to hold you anymore.  You pull up to a stand on anything, you wave, give high fives, and head hugs (what we say when you throw your forehead into our neck).  You stand by yourself for a few seconds at a time now.  You are just growing up so fast!

I am SO very thankful that i was given the privilege of being there when you have done all of your firsts.  Your first smile, your first laugh, your first crawl, your first stand, your first mumbles, i love watching you grow, i just wish it wouldn't go so fast.  I love you Jack and cannot wait to see what God has in store for your life.

10 months

Baby Baby not so baby boy.
This was a big month for you!  You started crawling and crawling FAST.  You didn't even allow me anytime to prepare... you headed straight for the light socket and started trying to put your finger in the hole.  Yes European outlets are holes... not great when baby fingers fit perfectly!  You got your top tooth in and are working on the second one.  You now pull yourself up to a stand and can go from your belly to a seated position.  You crawl over and try to sit in my lap... you haven't quite mastered that yet but you are cute enough when you try that i help you the rest of the way.  You reach up at my knee and if i don't pick you up right away you scratch my knee.  You say dada and momma and i am pretty sure you know it means us know.  You SNORT, oh i love it!  haha.  When you are fake whining you put your head down and snort!  I love you my little man, but i want you to stay my little man... please don't get bigger than me!  Okay well i don't want you to be incredibly short either so... just slow down okay?  Let me enjoy your adolescence!

9 months

I think your biggest milestone this month was reaching.  You TOTALLY reach for us.  You lean in with your butt in the air and reach out with both hands.  Then you sit on our laps totally satisfied with yourself.  It is the best thing.  I love that you want us.
I thought i would share a few fun quotes that we have heard about you...
The doctor at the ER said that your dad and i should "keep having babies because not having more would be a disservice to the planet, you are the cutest baby she has ever seen."
A lady at the grocery store said to the cashier "he really is so cute, babies don't come out that cute."
and a coworker of dad's said "he doesn't know how pimp he looks right now rockin' those nice clothes."  :)
There you have it, you are our suave handsome little man, i love every minute with you.

BABY FOOD

So at the moment i have a DRAWER FULL of baby food from the neighbor

my cheap self wants to use that food before i start making more...

BUT my cooking/craft loving self is DYING to make more

so while i suffer at the thought of feeding baby Jack plain ol' Gerber bananas and carrots i will entertain myself with the wild combinations i will make when i am finally set free from the chains of boredom.

enter exhibit A:

Ella's Kitchen

Link to Recipes

I loved these when we were in the states.  

I made baby food a few times but it just makes such LARGE quantities and i didn't have my freezer jars so it went bad quick.  Plus Jack wasn't too fond of eating beets for a week at a time.  He DID enjoy the applesauce, go figure.

8 months

Little Man!

Stop it, stop it, stop it.  You brought me to tears this month when you sat in a shopping cart for the first time, took a few steps while i held your hands, started trying to crawl, reaching for things, and got your first two teeth. 

You make me so proud but i like that we are buddies.  I like that you light up when i smile at you or that i can make you giggle by "eating you like corn on the cob", or kissing you.  I know that this time is fleeting.  Before i know it you won't want me to kiss you.  You will wipe a kiss off of your forehead and say "Mo-om".  I don't want that.  I want to play with you and take you with me everywhere forever.  You are my precious little man.


If i feed you cookies will you stay small?
I love you bugsy.