Thursday, January 26, 2012

It's Good to be Owen and Mason (link)


Go back to Fall and view the full post.  Click the pic!

Numna's 89th Birthday (link)

Just a reminder of why I am doing this silly link thing!  I am so far behind on blogging but I would still like the posts to show up in chronological order.  So, I'm back-dating the actual posts so they get put in the month they really occurred in, and am putting a link to it on a post dated today.  That way, the people (mostly family, I'm guessing) that care to see the new stuff will know when I post something since it won't be showing up at the "top" of the blog. 

Anyway, the picture is the link back to September:



A Special Gift for Jack (link)


Click the pic to view the full post from September!



Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Jumping Jack or Jumping Jacks?






Playing Games and LOLing

Jack is a funny guy and getting quite playful!  He initiated his first "game" last week.  I was lying on the bed nursing Jack like I typically do.  Aaron was over on his side of the bed and he had to cough.  It kind of startled Jack so he turned over to see what it was.  Aaron said "hi Jack!  Whatcha doing?"  Jack smiled and turned back to me.  I thought he was going to continue nursing.  Instead, he "faked" latching and then turned back to Aaron and gave a huge grin.  Aaron talked a bit to him and then Jack turned back to me, fake-latched again and turned back to see Daddy.  Jack played this "roll over and smile at Daddy" game about 10 times in a row.  It was too funny.  (Then, a few nights later at about 2 am, Jack remembered this game and tried to initiate it with a sleeping Daddy.)

Jack has been really working on laughing out loud lately.  At first, he'd only give a little grunt laugh when tickled around his collar bone.  (In fact, I wasn't even sure it was a laugh the first few times I heard it.  I thought it was more of a sound of discomfort and pleasure mixed together).  Anyway, when you were lucky enough to get the laugh, he only had a few to give.  Over the next couple of weeks it became easier to solicit a laugh with a tickle - now his underarms were a tickle spot as well.  But still no laughing without being tickled. 
Until last week.  I was sitting on the couch with him just talking to him with him really concentrating on what I was saying.  Of course he was smiling and cooing, which made me smile and chuckle back.  Then all of a sudden he gave me a little laugh at some stupid mommy noise I was making.  I continued to talk to him with a laugh in my voice to see if he'd mimic it.  Sure enough, he was laughing right along with me.  It was the most adorable thing to-date!! 
These days, he has more laughs to give when getting tickled - and they sound more like laughs instead of cute grunts.  He even has some force behind it now which gives him a bit of a chuckle.  I got a precious video today of him laughing:


The laughing when NOT being tickled is still more infrequent which makes it even more fun to hear it when he decides something is funny.  He REALLY loves being raised/lowered above your head and is brought just to the very edge of laughing every time but he never quite gets it going.  Just a HUGE smile and some cute little coos. 
Today Aaron was making his puppy give him kisses and apparently Jack thought it was hilarious!  So there it was - the elusive non-tickle laugh!  It's just adorable to watch him start expressing himself more and more.

 


Another thing to note is that Jack has really been talking lately.  He has mastered the "ahhh" sound and loves to show it off.  It's funny because he either doesn't do it, or does it a bunch of times in a row when looking at someone or something.



Friday, January 20, 2012

A Visit From Mimi and Papi - 2 Weeks Old (link)

Click the picture to link back to September.

Jack Meets Numna and Bee (link)

Here is the link to the September post Jack Meets Numna and Bee.

And here's a picture so this post isn't so boring to look at:

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Jack's Newborn Pictures (link)

So again, in order to keep my blog chronological, I back-dated the actual post. 

Here's the link back to September to Jack's Newborn Pictures.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Jack's First Weeks Home (link)

Well, since I'm playing MAJOR blog catch-up, things are a bit out of order.  It wouldn't necessarily matter, except that I use this blog as sort of an electronic baby book of sorts.  So, in an effort to keep my blog mostly chronological, I will be back-dating some entries that happened several months ago.  That means these new posts won't show up at the "top" of the blog and interested readers (read: grandparents) may not know they're there.  So grandparents, here's a link to a new, but back-dated post about Jack's First Weeks Home

There are some pretty cute videos and lots of great pictures in there...

Friday, January 13, 2012

Jack's First Christmas

We all had a wonderful holiday being with so much of our family!  The only person missing was Numna, but she was right where she needed to be - in Houston meeting her new great-granddaughter (she now has 4 greats!)!  Our little family is so blessed that we have so many people who love our kids and want to spend time with us!  We broke in our new house by having everyone over for Christmas Eve and Christmas day.  Jack was adorable in his Christmas jammies that matched his big brothers (they also matched Owen and Mason's 1st Christmas pjs too)!  Owen and Mason really enjoyed showing Jack all of the things Santa and the rest of the family gave him. 

Here's how Jack spent his first Christmas:


Snoozing with Great-Great Aunt Bee.

Christmas Eve Dinner: lasagna made by my hubby. It sure was tasty!  Then we took a group picture...but the silly faces version was more fun to post! 

Jack and Great Grandma Mary having a talk.

Watching a Disney Christmas sing-along.

Granna and her boys (O, M)

My three precious gifts! (O, M)

Aunt Lindsay getting some silly kisses!

Our family of five on Christmas Eve. (M, O)

Granna, Granddaddy, Mason, Owen, and Jack on Chrismas Eve.

Mimi, Papi, and G-gma Mary with our family (O, M)

Baking peppermint chocolate chip cookies for Santa. (O, M)

 Christmas jammies on and back to frost the cookies (M, O)

 Setting out carrots for the reindeer.

 Owen wrapping Mason's present.

To Mason, From Owen (SO sweet!!)

 Now it's Mason's turn to wrap Owen's gift.

 To Owen, From Mason
 Jack was in a great mood and enjoyed watching all the activity from his swing.

My three boys in their Christmas jammies and heading for bed. (O, M)

 Santa came!

Christmas morning - Mimi and Jack

Mason and Owen checking out their goodies.

 Making sure Jack wasn't left out, Owen and Mason took time to show him what Santa brought.

 Helping Jack unwrap his present.

Mason showing Jack what he got for him.

Owen telling Jack about the gift he picked out for him.

 Too much Christmas excitement for one day!

Awake again and enjoying the handmade blankie from Great Grandma Mary.

Jack's First Christmas train bank - just like the ones Owen and Mason got on their first Christmas.

 Enjoying their cool gift from Granna and Granddaddy! (O, M)

Gotta obey the traffic laws!

 New, BIGGER, bikes!  Here's Mason.

 Owen on his big new bike.

Christmas Day cuteness (O, M)

 Reading Jack his new book (O, M)

 Daddy getting some snuggles from Jack.

 Happy boy on his new blankie.

 Laughing with Granna.

Jack and Mommy on Christmas Day.

Mommy and Daddy with Jack on his first Christmas.

Mason, Owen, and Jack with Granna and Granddaddy on Christmas Day.

Our family on Christmas Day (M, O)

 Lindsay and Brandon

Granna giving Jack his special blankie.

 Jack's first stocking.

Cuddling with his new puppy.

A cute Chip and Dale ornament for Jack's first Christmas from Mommy and Daddy.

 Lindsay, Mason, and Owen playing Magic Kingdom Candy Land.

 Pooped out after a great first Christmas!