7 months old!

On the 22nd, Jack turned 7 months old, so it was time for the monthly photo shoot. Here is my favorite pic. He is starting to sit up, but is still struggling with his balance. Once he has had enough, he just falls over. What a trusting little boy.

I always get compliments on his cute pics and although I would love to say my son is just extremely photogenic, I should be honest and say it takes hundreds of less than flattering pictures to get the few really good ones. Our poor baby is likely being blinded by all the camera flashes. (Well, let's be honest, he is my son and wasn't likely to have great eye sight anyway.) I thought I would take a minute and post some of the challenging shots that led to the really beautiful one.

Well, to be honest, I love these as much as the perfect one because they reflect his personality. He looks very much like he belongs in a Calvin and Hobbes comic strip!

Jack's First Easter

Jack's first Easter was wonderful and busy. Saturday was crazy as we went to a going away party for some friends of ours who are moving to Norway. I am so sad to see Thomas, Silvia, and baby Sophia go. Here is a picture of Jack and Sophia. I don't think Jack liked the idea of her playing with his toy. Hope this isn't a sign of things to come...

We then went to my Grandmother's house for our annual Easter picnic. It was great to spend time with everyone and get to see family outside of the blogging world. Unfortunately, after taking too many pics at the going away party, our battery died in the camera and we didn't get to take any pics at Jack's Great Grandma's house. If you would like to see some, check out Sheri or Becca's blogs (also a great excuse to see cute shots of their kids!)

Jack did get his first Easter basket on Sunday and he was a little nervous when first confronted with it, probably because it was as big as he is. Once he realized there were stuffed animals he could chew on, he changed his mind.

OK, Stuart is calling from the bedroom to tell me Jack is fussy so that's it for now (I guess he wants reinforcements to help with the baby!)

Hungry, Hungry Baby

Jack has many toys to keep him entertained. Stuart and I were lucky enough to have some very generous folks who threw us 3 baby showers before he was born. A very wonderful Dr. Seuss shower thrown by my sister Charlotte, a nice couples shower for the 2 of us thrown by George and Cinda, and a generous shower thrown by my team at work. In addition, Stuart and I have bought this kid many stuffed animals. And, let's not forget all of you who spoiled him rotten at Christmas time! My point is, he has tons of toys, but is at the point that he is content with anything he can bite. He loves to eat the sleeves on my robe, his socks, his own feet, or your nose if you get too close. He is only interested in how he can tear things apart and get them into his mouth. He recently figured out how to pull down the toys on the mobile above his swing. He also can take his cute little floor mats and tear them apart so he can get the individual pieces in his mouth. If his walker is in range of the clothes hamper, he will chew on dirty laundry (really gross, I know.) He has these great Dr. Seuss finger puppets that he goes all cannibalistic on, chewing on their little heads or their feet. This poor little sneetch never stood a chance...

So, why bother with toys anymore?

Stuart's Birthday

Happy Birthday Baby! In honor of your birthday, I thought I would post some of my favorite pics of you from previous years.

It takes a lot to love this man some times...

Jack just adores his dad...

He is such a great dad.

Looking very cute in Maui.

Halloween 2006

Taking a break while climbing the Great Wall in China.

Taking a break while exploring Chichen Itza in Mexico (notice a trend here?)

He wears this dorky hat on every outdoor adventure, but I love him anyway.

What a year!

Today is our 1 year wedding anniversary. What a crazy year it has been.

We recently found out that our Chinese zodiac signs are considered to be the least compatible. I am year of the dog and Stuart is year of the dragon, and apparently a six year age difference is not a good thing! We are described as having intense attraction, marked by friction. Well, all I can say is there isn't anyone else I would rather love or fight! I am so blessed to have met Stuart and to get to spend the rest of my life with my best friend. We have so much fun together and that is what matters in the end. Laughter and love, who could ask for a better combination?

I look forward to our years to come.

Reading with Dad

Just a quick picture of Jack reading with his Dad. Earlier in the day, Stuart was showing him my Victoria's Secret catalog and asking Jack to pick out his favorite girls....geesh!

Big Sisters

The girls were here for the last week and a half for spring break. I know Jack loved having his sisters here! Stuart is taking them to the airport this morning. It is very quiet now. It's just not the same when the whole family isn't here.

I'm exhausted. Stuart tries so hard to take advantage of every second he has with the girls when they are here, so I try to compensate by taking on most of Jack's needs so he can do that without interruption. As a result, I am about ready to crash at this point.

Luckily, Jack is taking his morning nap. I think he will be very sad when he wakes to find his sisters gone.

Memories Captured in My Heart

Recently I went to Target to buy some new jammies for Jack. It appears he just jumped right past the 9 month size clothing, going straight from 6 mo to 12 mo. I am looking for little footed sleepers and can't really find any in his new size. They are all little boy pajamas with tops and bottoms, no feet. Gone are the cute little baby themes, replaced with super heros. I just wanted to cry. How did he get so big so fast? He is only 6 months old. It all happened so quick. I am hitting full on panic mode about his growing up. I had visions when he was born of creating scrap books of every milestone. Not just with pictures, but with stories I'd write describing all of the precious moments we have experienced. I haven't done any of that! I know it is more important to capture these moments in my heart than on paper, but I can't help but feel like I should be documenting everything. Our precious little baby boy...I hope he will understand one day.

Ladies Man

Yesterday, my girlfriend Sarah came by to do some scrap booking. Since neither of us has done any since our kids were born last year, we were long overdue. We had to get some pics of the kids together. Her little girl is so cute and very active (note, it is time for me to baby proof the house!) Savannah is 11 months old, while Jack is just over 6 months old. He is a big kid by comparison.

Look at how he is already irresistible to the ladies!

Growling Baby

I keep hearing about how babies at this age should be babbling. Well, Jack doesn't really babble, he growls. That is his way of communicating...the little freak!