Jack, 8 Months

I know I say this every single month, but I can't believe Jack is EIGHT months old! I've seen such a change in him this past month. He is doing so many new things...

He LOVES ,LOVES, LOVES to run (of course we have to hold his hands). He goes just as fast as his little legs will take him and he squeals with delight and has his wide open-mouthed grin on the entire time.

Speaking of squealing, Jack loves too. That's basically how he'll carry on a conversation with you. It sounds a bit like a cross between a squeal and clearing your throat. It honestly sounds like he's being strangled when he does it, but he thinks he's so funny.

He LOVES to make that squeal-choking noise, at the top of his lungs, in public. People in grocery stores literally whip their heads around to see who is dying. "Hi concerned shopper, it's just us. We're okay. I promise I'm not killing my kid.".... awkward. When they see that Jack is really just having the time of his life they usually just shake their heads and smile, occasionally a brave one will venture over to meet my wild one.

Jack is not a sit-still kind of guy. Even when he's being held, he'll try to stand on your tummy and bounce up and down. He is now, officially a scooter. Little-boy can cover some distance. It's so fun to watch him inch-worm himself around (he's not an army crawler, by the way). He likes to crawl under things, and I often find him in this position...

Jack is enjoying his foray into the world of solid foods. His favorite foods are still rice cereal and peas. He absolutely loves drinking water (still hates juice). Every time we introduce him to a new food, even if it's sweet, he puckers his face up like we fed him a lemon. So funny. Here he is enjoying an Oreo for the first time.

Jack recently discovered his pointer finger. He is constantly sticking that little chubba-nub up in the air. It looks like he's always saying "I'm number ONE!" or "Hey! I've got a good idea!". Because he is constantly in pointer-mode he ends up in some interesting situations (i.e. he discovered that his pointer finger fits perfectly in his nostrils, then that little finger naturally slides into his mouth. Gross, but funny).

Jack has started to say some things. Of course he has not attached any meaning to the words, but he says "momom", "dadad", and a noise that sounds like an attempt at the letter "B". So fun to hear his little voice make word-like sounds.

Jack LOVES baseball caps. His grandpa bought two baseball caps for him and Jack adores them. He wears them every day, and I have yet to see him remove it from his head himself.

We can now lay Jack down and he will put himself to sleep. IF he cries it usually lasts less than 7 minutes. Yes, I know down to the minute. When you have to listen to your baby cry, every minute feels like an eternity. BUT this is a huge accomplishment for him and I am so proud of him for learning this new skill. Gramma hates it.

Jack still doesn't have any teeth. Remember when I thought he was teething like four months ago because the pediatrician said he was...? WRONG-O. He wasn't. Wishful thinking + an exam from a pediatrician = a recipe for anit-teething. Oh well, he'll get teeth one day.

Jack really is thriving. Today marks two months since his surgery. The only evidence that remains are his teensy scars on his chest. They actually look more like a cat scratch than a surgical scar. His incision is healing so nicely. Red areas are even starting to fade to a light pink in some areas on his incision. Before his surgery, I used to think that every time I looked at his scars it would make me so sad. Sad, for all he had to endure, sad that he was born with a seriously heart defect. Once again, I couldn't have been more wrong. I am filled with such happiness and love for him, for my family, and for my God when I see Jack's scars. It is a reminder to me that we are so, so very blessed in this simple life we share together. It reminds me that I can face challenges with a smile on my face, just as Jack did and still does. He is my joy, my little miracle baby, my hero. We are so incredibly lucky to have him in our family.

p.s. It was incredibly hard to take pictures of Jack this today. He is SUCH a squirmer now AND he was now having the happiest of days. PLUS I accidentally took his pictures with his giraffe instead of his Jack-a-lope like all the other months. Oh well, no one is perfect I guess. haha