9 Months

Our little monkey man is 9 months today! It's crazy to think that he has been in our lives as long as I was pregnant! In either situation, time flies. Jack had his check up yesterday and his stats were: 16 lbs 2 oz (3%-yes, he is a SHRIMP but the doctor was not worried at all…small but might!), height-27 1/4 in (25%), and head-17 in (50%).

What he lacks in size, he more than makes up in gross motor skills. He has been pulling himself up and walking around objects or with a walker since 6 1/2 months and in the past few weeks he is beginning to let go of whatever is holding him up so that he can stand completely on his own. Granted it only its only for 5 or so seconds nonetheless exciting! He is also learning to maneuver between objects, say the coffee table and couch. And much to my surprise, Jack has mastered going up AND down the stairs! To say that the little man NEVER stops moving (unless he is sleeping) would be an understatement.



Speaking of sleeping, things are going great in this department. He is teetering somewhere between one and two naps a day. Bedtime is after dinner sometime between 6 and 7 and then (for the most part) he has been up at 5 am to nurse and then back to sleep until around 7 am. In the Voigts house, I totally qualify this "sleeping through the night." Considering what his first 4-5 months of nighttime habits were like, this I can handle!



His little personality is really starting to shine too. He LOVES other babies and kids! He is very social and we are still trying to figure out where this trait came from because neither J nor I are particularly outgoing. Jack is very good at what I call "independent play". I have different stations of toys set up around the family room and kitchen and he is perfectly content moving around and playing by himself. His favorite activity lately has been his walker. He has learned that when he runs out of space he can simply walk around to the other side of the walker and go back the way he came….it's so funny to watch him do laps back and forth across the kitchen :)



Jack loves Stella. Maybe because she is more his size but he loves to crawl over and lay on her or be near her. We are currently working on "gentle", sometimes he gets a little too excited! He has also started to do some sign language. I have been working with him daily for about 2 months on basic signs (like more, eat, drink, stop, fan, gentle) and he has finally signed eat, more, drink and fan back to me and J…very cool to see!!!



He is also proving to be a good listener…so far ;). When he gets into something he shouldn't be playing with, I do the firm mommy voice and say/sign Stop! He will turn to look at me, give an adorable little smile and laugh (it's so hard not to laugh back with him!) and after a few "stops" he will crawl away and move on to a new activity. Amazing! But I don't anticipate this lasting forever :(.

On a note so happy note, Jack now has 4 teeth which has been a not so pleasant experience for mama…ouch!

Overall, he is just the light of our lives and I couldn't be any more pleased with what a sweet, independent little boy he is becoming. I love you Jack-a-doodle, monkey man, senor stinky pants or…just Jack!

Happy Thanksgiving

Today was our first Thanksgiving as a family of three and it was fantastic! We spent the holiday at our home and my in laws joined us. It was a very low key day with a few funny moments that made it a memorable day.

Jack had turkey (or meat in general) for the first time today and he seemed to enjoy it thoroughly. Now that his top two teeth have come through and his cold/flu are behind us, his eating habit have remarkably improved. Getting him to eat is no longer a battle and he is finally wanting to eat three meals a day in addition to snacks. So we are very thankful for this!!!

Justin and I are constantly reminding each other that we have SO much good fortune and so many things to be thankful for and today is a good day to stop and bring our gratitude to the forefront. We are very much "instant gratification" people…we want it all and we want it now! But we also have to remind each other that in this moment we have everything we could ever ask for. For me, this year, there is one thing that I am above and beyond thankful for….my HEALTHY baby boy.




From my family to yours, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Lindsey

I have been a bad mommy blogger over the past few months :(. So here's a quick catch up of life in the Voigts' home.

The developmental changes in a child during this first year of life continue to amaze me. For my record keeping purposes here is a list of Jack's accomplishments over the past few months:

* At 5 1/2 months Jack started to crawl (army crawl).
* 6 months- he crawled over to me and pulled himself up to a standing position, much to my surprise.
* October 4- discovered Jack was cutting his first teeth. A week later the bottom 2 teeth had popped up. The top 2 are a day away from coming through also.
* October 5- learned how to crawl on hands and knees.
* 7 months- can go from a crawling position to a sitting position without assistance, likes to kneel while playing, and pulled himself into a standing position in crib. Also, we have started to have 3 meals a day and just started to try out finger food (cereal).
*November 1 (a week shy of 8 months) with the assistance of the walker, Jack took off on his feet! I think he really might be on track to walk before Christmas!!!



We went on vacation to Florida during the second week of October and Jack experienced so many firsts…sunset, swimming, sand! He was an EXCELLENT traveler and with the exception of one night he was a great sleeper too. We took walks on the beach every morning and evening while J carried Jack in the carrier. We also learned that we need to change our expectations of vacations now that we are a family. It was wonderful to watch Jack take in all of these new experiences but vacationing with a baby isn't necessarily as relaxing as a vacation without your child ;). That being said, I look forward to many (many) more family vacations!








We have been trying to keep busy as the weather get cooler by taking classes and having play dates. Jack and I are participating in our second Kindermusik class and also Signing Smart (sign language). I absolutely LOVE watching his interact with the other children and parents. I like to say that Jack has never met a stranger because he will just crawl over and hop in another mother's lap.

Here is the end of summer & fall in photographs…



We spent Labor Day in Vail.



Opa came to visit.


Jack got his first cold ;(



Mommy's little helper!


Grandma Harris came to visit.


Happy Halloween!


Stella joined the family.


Gigi visited.


Jack just being awesome ;)



Family.

Lindsey

25 Things You Didn't Know...

….About Me!


1. I find the Weather Channel very soothing and I NEED to know what the weather is going to be everyday.
2. I still cut the crust off of my sandwiches.
3. I love a good book, I obsess about it until I am done and when I finish the last page I feel a bit sad like I've just ended a relationship….it takes me a while until I am ready for a new "relationship".
4. If my house was on fire and I could only save one thing (besides my family and pets), it would be my photographs.
5. I always wished I had a sibling.
6. I'm kind of obsessive with Chapstick and hand sanitizer.
7. I have two amazing parents, a wonderful husband, and a spectacular son…everyday I am thankful for my life.
8. I've always wondered what I would look like without freckles.
9. Music by Dave Matthews will always hold a special place in my heart for so many reasons.
10. I hate the feeling I get after I drop someone off at the airport.
11. I recently discovered that I really enjoy cooking, much to my surprise!
12. I love HBO.
13. I have been doing my own laundry since I was 8 and I have hated every minute of it.
14. I love airports and traveling but I absolutely hate flying.
15. I have a severe and uncontrollable fear of needles.
16. I am left handed.
17. I don't mind or feel weird about going to the movies alone.
18. Becoming a mother has changed me in more ways than I ever thought possible.
19. I have learned to keep my opinions to myself during conversations about politics, religion, and childrearing.
20. The one thing I miss the most about living in IL is the thunderstorms.
21. My 7th grade basketball coach introduced me to my husband…the coach is now my father in law.
22. I got my first grey hair when I was 17.
23. I cannot leave the house without my sunglasses.
24. I hate black licorice more than anything.
25. I was born 28 years ago today. Monday, October 3, 1983 at 8:14 am, weighing it in 7 lbs 13 oz.

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

When Jack was only weeks old, we discovered by some random chance that "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" by Gordon Lightfoot was like a sedative to him. Turn it on and he would almost immediately stop crying and start listening intently. Like most things, it's effectiveness faded over time but it seems………..GORDON IS BACK!!!

Justin gave Mr. Lightfoot another chance a few night back and it's been working like a charm. Tonight I was on my own for bedtime and as usually as soon as you put Jack down in his crib he is not happy and will cry until you go up to sooth him down for the night. After about 15 minutes of crying I pulled up Gordon on the iPad, crawled into Jack's room (yes, I said crawl), and started playing "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald". BANG! Silence. Didn't make another peep. 3 minutes into the song he was out. I played it again just to be safe and baby boy has been out like a light. Bless you Gordon.


Here's Jack and Gordon a few month ago...

For those of you who don't know who or what I am talking about….here he is for your listening pleasure. Happy Saturday Night!



Lindsey

Pizza, Pickle, Pumpernickel

We learned this little ditty in Kindermusik…

Right Here, Right Now

Never in my life have I been so in the moment. There is nowhere I would rather be and nothing I would rather be doing….and that's a first. I occasionally reminisce about days gone by but I am no longer itching for tomorrow. I am so aware that I will NEVER be able to get these days back so I literally want to soak up every moment. It's a strange but great feeling to be so fulfilled with life…right here, right now.



Jack hit 5 months yesterday and the changes in his personality and motor skills amaze me every day. It's crazy to see how much they develop in the first months of life. He breaks out in fits of laughter (which brings tears to my eyes) and he is grabbing EVERYTHING! He is showing early signs of wanting to crawl by getting his legs tucked up under his body and scooting towards toys out of his reach (god help me!) and he is sitting up while assisted.



Also in his 5th month of life, it has become apparent that Jack is "all boy". I have had several friends say to me "You're going to have your hand full with him!"….the same thought has crossed my mind a few times. He is constantly on the move! He wants to touch everything and he likes to have his freedom to move and discover. I wouldn't classify Jack as a snuggler (which makes me just a bit sad) but I love that he is the most active out of his "friends". Our little boy is going to keep me on my toes and running for years to come and I am totally up for the challenge!





We have discovered that Jack LOVES music. By the end of the day he is starting to get fussy so we have been strapping him into the Beco (our baby carrier) and turning on the tunes and….POOF, calm baby! We also started Kindermusik last Friday (basically it's a Mommy and Me class where we dance and sing) and he seemed to really enjoy it. I don't have a lick of musical talent and my voice is horrendous but I do enjoy having an excuse to turn on some Dave to end our day.



He totally recognizes Mama and Dada and when Daddy walks in at the end of the day he gets so excited. I have enjoyed watching J grow into his new title, Dad. I think the first few months of a child's life are for the mother and once they become a little less dependent on Mom and their little personalities starts to emerge that is when the bonding with Dad really begins. It's a bummer that J's weekday time with Jack is pretty limited but I love that they have their time together during bath, books, and bed. And during the weekends we have gotten good at tag teaming so each of us can get a nap in during the day! I don't say it enough but, J, I think that you are an amazing dad…Jack's face lights up every time you walk into the room and being an outside observer to the bond you two have makes me love and respect you more than I ever thought possible.



Lindsey