Thursday, December 29, 2011

Three Months Old

To say we are all really enjoying our Jack-boy around here would be an understatement! 


At three months old, Jack:
  • weighs a bit over 12 lbs. (we do not have an exact measurement for this month - no well-check this month).
  • smiles ALL the time.
  • is finding his voice in the family.  He is starting to coo but he is still mostly an observer.
  • is an extremely tolerant kid.  He pretty much just goes with the flow.  Aaron and I are wondering when this will change!  We suspect it may disappear as he becomes more self-aware.
  • sleeps from his twilight feeding around 10/11 pm until about 7 am.
  • gets more hugs and kisses in one day than is probably legal. :)
  • is a great night sleeper.  Once he is asleep, he doesn't make a peep until he's hungry in the morning.  This is quite different from his brothers who used to wake a few times a night for a pacifier replacement, or other various reasons (and still do on occasion). 
  • puckers his lips, breathes quickly, and kicks one or both legs when he sees something he really likes.
  • loves Mickey Mouse and does his previously mentioned excited dance when he sees Mickey (okay, this was technically discovered a few days after he passed his 3 month birth date).
  • thinks Owen and Mason are fascinating, and Owen and Mason love him to pieces.
  • went on a month-long nursing strike.
  • still enjoys being swaddled at night.  Not sure what we are going to do when he out-grows his velcro swaddler thingy.  I hope they make bigger sizes!
  • loves to kick and flail his arms with a big grin on his face during diaper changes, especially if he is only in a diaper.
  • thinks his crib mobile is amazing.
  • is getting close to rolling from back to tummy, and still consistently rolls tummy to back, proving to mom it wasn't a fluke at 7 weeks old.
  • loves baths.
  • enjoys standing on laps.  He will usually do a little dance by stomping just one foot in excitement.  His brothers think this is hilarious.
  • has elicited not an ounce of jealousy from his big brothers.
  • really loves his pacifier - gumdrop pacifiers to be exact.
  • loves his head/face covered when he wants to sleep.  He will almost immediately pass out as soon as you cover him up.  Of course we only do this while we are holding him (and constantly checking that he has room to breathe)!
  • loves to clutch blankets and pull them close to his face - specifically his bamboo blankets.
  • still loves his swing.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Owen In a Nutshell

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Counting in Spanish!

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Two Months Old



At two months old, Jack
  • weighs 10 lbs, 14 oz - a gain of 4 lbs, 8 oz since birth (25th percentile)
  • is 21.75 inches tall - a growth of 3.25 inches since birth
  • Is transitioning from being a newborn to a baby
  • Loves to look around and discover the world
  • Concentrates hard and tries to copy when you stick your your tongue out
  • Loves lights and the stripes of the light coming through the closed blinds
  • Started smiling at seven weeks
  • Rolls from his tummy to his back (although he needs to be propped up on his arms)
  • Has slept for 8 or 9 hours a few times
  • Still drinks breast milk
  • Is pretty easy going
  • Loves his swing 
  • Is a perfect little boy, according to his doctor


Wednesday, November 2, 2011

New House

We FINALLY closed on our new house!  We had lived with my parents since the beginning of July, Jack was born in September, and we were finally able to gain some more space for our family of 5!  It was extremely helpful living with them though!  They would run the kids to and from school for me so I could stay home with Jack and keep him on schedule.  (The school was a good 30 minutes away from them since we picked one near our future home).  They also helped with rearing Owen and Mason both before and after Jack's arrival, and they babysat while I went 45 minutes one way to my many late-pregnancy OB appointments.  And I'm pretty sure I only went to the grocery store twice in 4 months!  My dad LOVES the grocery store and would do our shopping along with his.  I should also mention we were able to do this (and save some moolah) because Aaron's parents offered to keep our animals for us!  I'm pretty sure Jaxson and Bear (their dog) marked every square inch of their carpet.  So we are extremely thankful to both of our families for all the help!!

First family pic on our first day at our new home! (O, M)


A house fit for a family of five! (O, M)

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

It's Good to be Owen and Mason!

The fun hasn't stopped for Owen and Mason since Jack has arrived.  These silly, energetic, playful, funny, carefree boys are still enjoying being 4 year olds!  It's definitely good to be Owen and Mason!

Mason and Owen enjoying bath

Owen playing vet, complete with headlamp

Dr. Mason

This is how Owen wrote his name for his homework, complete with 3 exclamation points!!!





Making some treats (O, M)

 No idea, really.  Buckets, a vet costume, bar stools, and some tv watching. (M, O)

M and O with their guitar hooked up to the iPad

Volleyball with Daddy

It started misting so under strict orders, Daddy had to join them under the tiniest tree to stay dry.
(M, O)

Big brothers at the park (O, M)

Monkeys (M, O)


Mason 

Mason

Cutie Owen

This was just about the funniest thing I have seen Mason do.  It was right after Jack had started smiling.  Mason was trying to imitate the way Jack looks when he does his wide-mouth smiles...no teeth (hence the funny lips) and mouth in a "D" shape (top lip straight across, bottom lip curved).  It was absolutely hilarious seeing him try to figure out how to make his face into what he thinks looks like Jack's cute little smile.

Now they are just in a silly mood!

Mason being a toot!

Mason and Owen

Owen and Mason were "serving" us drinks - diet coke, bottled water, juice boxes... 

And then Mason heard a big noise from Jack's little bottom...
 

Owen offered Granna a Tecate!
 


Mason thinks Owen his hilarious!!  His laugh is contagious!

Mason and Daddy

Owen and Daddy

Mason being a goof!


Owen

Hanging with Daddy after some yummy pancakes! (O, M)

The boys loaded up some small cooler bags and headed out for a picnic of beverages. (O, M)

Just in case he needs to rest his head. (O)


Mason helping Daddy build the trampoline in the new backyard.


Owen holding some pieces together.


Owen inventing new ways to wear his cape.

As you can see, these boys are nothing but goofballs!  They love life and love having fun!!

Monday, October 31, 2011

Pumpkin Carving and Sweet Berry Farms - Jack Weeks 6 and 7

Owen and Mason were excited to get together with some neighborhood kids for a pumpkin carving party.  Mommy and Daddy did most of the carving, but the boys designed how they wanted their pumpkins to look.

Daddy helping Mason scoop the goop!

Finished products (O, M) - they look....exactly the same!  Imagine that! :)

Granna & Jack (6 wks) with Owen and Mason after one last swim of the year.  Yes, it is October 23!

Mason at his school Halloween party.

Owen decorating his rice krispie treat.

We continued our Houston (and sometimes Lubbock) fall tradition of visiting a pumpkin patch even though we had moved to Austin. We found the local "place to go" called Sweet Berry Farm. Jack was just along for the ride, and Owen and Mason had fun exploring a new pumpkin patch. It was a nice outdoor break for Mommy and Jack since we were still holding out on taking Jack to indoor places...like Target! Gasp! I had decided that outdoor outings would be okay since there would be plenty of fresh air! Of course, the weather could have been a little more fall-like, but then again, that wouldn't be in keeping with pumpkin patch tradition.

Mason the pumpkin.


Mason and Owen in the back of a really cool old truck filled with pumpkins.

Attempt at a fall sibling shot with a floppy 7 week old off the back of a truck. 
What?  Normal people don't try this? (M, O)

Not quite sure how a clown relates to fall, but Owen sure makes a cute one!

Pumpkin painting was much more their style than fishing out pumpkin goop. (O, M)

Mason's pumpkin.

Granna, Jack, Mason, and Owen getting some shade from a vine of gourds.

Baby duty while the big boys rode the barrel train.

Mason

Owen

This picture will always crack me up! 
A very jolly, waving, Native American driving a really old tractor.  Random.

See what happens when you let 4 year olds lead the way in a corn maze?  You find the dead ends!

YAY!!  Halloween!!!
The kids had the BEST Halloween yet I think!  A fun trick-or-treat hayride through my parents very hilly neighborhood with a bunch of kids they know.  We couldn't keep up with them!  The hayride would stop and they'd LEAP off and run off with the other kids hunting for more doors to knock on! 

Back at home, Mommy captured Finn McMissle (Owen) for a picture.

Matching Finn dudes, Mason already into his candy!

Mommy and Mason

Okay, Mom!  I really want to eat these Skittles!  No more pictures please! (M)


Off to bed!  We've got a new house to close on in the morning!!!