Jack 6 Month Update

06/11/2010

I blinked. I shouldn’t have, but I did. I blinked and all of a sudden, my precious little newborn became 6 months old and acquired a lovely personality.
Our Jack
His Stats From the Doctor
Weight: 15 lbs. 11.7 oz. (19%)
Length: 26.2″ (42%)
Head: 16.9″ (27%)
He got 3 shots and an oral vaccine while there. He literally cried for 15 seconds and then stopped, and resumed his normal smiling, kicking, and cooing. Caleb used to cry for like an hour afterwards. You’d calm him down only to have him “remember” and start up again. The thing I love about Jack is that I’m always prepared for a “what Caleb was like” response and I get all geared up, only to have him give a “what Jack is like” response. Which is pretty much like, “Ah! Oh, hey mom. I’m cool.” *looks around calmly* What is there not to love about that personality? I am abundantly thankful for the peace that this child brings into our home. And I am in awe at how he continues to define his own personhood, one day at a time.
(Compare his stats to Caleb if you wish.)
What He Does Now
Jack eats a lot. He nurses frequently during the day and several times during the night, and is eating solids three times a day. He must have the world’s most amazing metabolism because he’s still so small despite all the eating. I have introduced him to baby cereals, yellow and green fruits and vegetables, pureed chicken, and yogurt so far. If we eat without him, he screams and hits himself in the face. So, I put him up in his high chair, include him in on the magic, and he’s just a happy camper then.
He can roll front-to-back and back-to-front, but is generally content wherever you put him. He loves to grab things that are dangled over him and he loves to bang on things. He especially loves banging on the baby xylophone and the tambourine. He also enjoys blanket time when we are outside and he gets to observe nature.
Jack said his first word, Mama (sounds like “Maho-ma”) a week ago. He was in his car seat at Culver’s (after the Blue Angels Air Show in Eau Claire, WI with the Lewis clan). I said, “Oh, Hi! It’s Mama! Can you say Mama?” And he said it, clear as day, while grinning and kicking. Josh insists on hearing it earlier in the week, but I chalked those up to your standard infant babble. He has repeated it several times since, always to my delight. I think he’s working on “Ella” next since he’s been doing the “L” sound around her a lot.
He LOVES his Ella dog.
Jack and Ella
He LOVES swimming and anything to do with water. Kicking water. Splashing water. Destroying the water. You get the idea. We had a blast swimming with him at Breezy Point Resort a couple of weeks ago.
Jack and Mama Swimming
He LOVES his Mama and Daddy. And he LOVES his grandparents (man, I don’t have a “with grandparents” picture. how lame am I at documenting this stuff?).
Jack and Daddy
And he really really LOVES that weird kid who lives with us. You know him. The guy.
Jack and That Weird Kid
Jack watches Caleb more than anybody or anything else. And when he nurses, he holds hands with Caleb (I know, isn’t that adorable?). Caleb refers to him as “MY Jack.” We haven’t corrected him because, he is his Jack just as much as he’s my Jack or Josh’s Jack or whatever. Caleb is always looking out for him. When Jack cries, Caleb will say, “It’s okay, baby Jack. Your Caleb is here. And I think you can be happy.” Caleb gives him toys and books to play with and always includes him. There has been little, if any, rivalry between the two (but I suppose we’ll wait until Jack starts crawling before I finish that sentiment). When I put Caleb to bed he says, “Please, can my Jack stay with me?” The bond. The bond is growing stronger with each passing day. I only hope and pray that they continue to love and support each other all the days they walk this earth. Have peace. Insist upon peace, my boys.