Ten Months November 18, 2006

At 10 months, Jack is meeting almost all of the 10 month milestones, as well as several of the 11 month milestones in What to Expect the First Year. One of the neatest to watch is Jack practicing his fine motor skills. He can pick up very tiny objects with any combination of thumb and fingers. This means that he cleans our carpets for us. Fortunately, he’s getting better about obeying the command, “Not in the mouth.”
The most amazing event that happened this month? Jack crawls! We even have the movie to prove it. We believe the first sight of this crawling was on November 6. It’s a funny kind of crawl in which he tucks one leg under the other and kind of tries to get up off the ground. Jack is standing while holding onto objects and is starting to cruise. He can stand by himself for very short periods of time. Usually, by the time he figures out he’s standing, he falls. However, when he holds onto pieces of furniture, he does squats to see how far he can get to the ground without falling. Sassy is getting used to this mobile Jack, and will generally move at the last possible moment before Jack can get to her. However, Jack does appear to be learning patience in dealing with Sassy. He will now just look at her instead of always grabbing.

Jack loves to topple towers, especially of the nesting blocks that Michael F. gave him. We play zoo with the stuffed animals, and he knows that Simba goes “wiggle wiggle wiggle pounce!”. His favorite book is currently Amazing Baby, I Love You, given to us by Melissa G. Jack can turn the pages himself!

We’re also getting naps under control! Many thanks to the book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. Jack is a much happier human being when he gets enough sleep.

Jack had a cold (his second, for the record) on Halloween, so he only went trick or treating at our next door neighbors’ house. We ended up getting the cold too, thus illustrating our need for a baby-sitter. Any volunteers? Suggestions?

Jack has been making a very funny face for the past month or so, which can be seen on his official ten month photo. He likes to scrunch up his face and show his teeth, kind of like a shrew. Mimicking is also big with him, like shaking his head when Mommy shakes her head. We think he understands the word “no” he just doesn’t obey it. Stop! works much better.

His culinary horizons have been broadened with the introduction of chicken and sweet potato dinner and Cheerios. He’s eating more solids each day and is just now beginning to prefer them over formula, it seems.

Jack still has two words: Hi and Daddy. He loves to babble, and sometimes you’d swear he was really saying real sentences. Like, “Not that” for example. We’re still signing certain words to him in the hopes that he’ll pick it up. He’s waved twice, kind of by accident, but we think he’s almost there. He does get that waving means something, and will usually say “Hi” to us when we wave.

Nine Months October 27, 2006

At 9 months, Jack is meeting pretty much all of the milestones listed in What to Expect the First Year. He’s figured out the “If I drop it, it still

exists and Mommy and Daddy will pick it up for me” game. He does not crawl, but he does creep, schooch, and roll himself all over the place. Thanks to Auntie Trisha, he now walks when he stands holding on to someone’s fingers. While we were in NH, he finally learned how to sit up from a lying down position. This has brought his schooching to a

whole new level. Now, all he wants to do is stand! Holding onto us, holding onto a table or chair, holding onto the crib rail.
Most importantly, Jack has TWO words: “Hi” and “Daddy.” “Hi” definitely means “Hi” but “Daddy” may mean “Mommy” and “Daddy” as he often says it to Mommy. The cutest behavior is watching him

saying “Hi” to himself in a mirror. For the record, he first said, “Hi” on October 2, and “Daddy” on October 13.
Jack will often respond to his own name, but he usually responds to “Jackson” better than to “Jack” or “Jack-Jack”.
At his 9 month check up, Jack was 20 pounds and 26 and 3/4 inches.

He is 50th percentile for weight and is finally on the chart, length-wise, in the 5th-10th percentile. His head circumference is in the 90th percentile.
His two bottom teeth are in, and his two top ones are still growing. He loves to bite and chew on anything he can grab. Yes, we have teether toys, but items that he’s not supposed to chew are so much tastier,

including human fingers. As for food, Jack does like yogurt (Yo-Baby), and combinations of cereal and fruit from the jar, in addition to his orange foods.
Jack’s favorite toys are blocks. He now has a few different sets, and he loves them all. He loves knocking towers down, and banging blocks t

ogether. He has also learned how to drum on empty containers and tables.
We were in New Hampshire for 18 days this month, and we were happy to see a lot of our friends. Jack didn’t take too well to the time change, so spent the first week being cranky and not sleeping well at all. The

second week, he was great, but because we lost the first week, we didn’t have a chance to connect with everyone we wanted to see. On October 8, we had a small dedication ceremony for Jack, at which his godparents and parents promised to look after him in all ways, including spiritually. As we are not members of a church, this occurred at his godparents’ home. His godparents are Marc & Joanne Gamache, of

Bedford, NH. Jack was a big hit at the Swonger household, where our flower girls, Jenn and Katie, clamored for his attention. They spent lots of time constructing elaborate towers and then letting Jack destroy them.
He still sleeps well at night, going to bed between 7 and 8pm and waking

up between 5:30 and 7am. Naps continue to be a challenge. So what else is new?

Eight Months September 18, 2006

At 8 months, Jack is meeting most of the milestones listed in What to Expect the First Year. He loves to stand up, usually holding onto our hands or fingers, but in the last few days, he’s also been standing holding onto our legs, the stair rail (don’t worry, we measured and his head can’t get through), and his crib. When we try to sit him down on the floor, he first stands, bearing his weight for as long as we’ll let him. He’s getting more and more stable. If the timetable for him sitting applies, then he should be standing on his own at about 9 months.
Jack loves to grab and pick up anything he can find, then usually puts it in his mouth. He will try to get what he wants, even if it’s far away. Indeed, he will sometime push or throw toys away just to try and get them. He will not crawl, though he can and does roll onto his tummy and lifts himself up. Of course, once he sees us watching, he rolls back over onto his side. I should add that he does “schooch” – moves his body and leg and turns around, and he also does the “roll and schooch” – gets himself facing in the proper direction, then rolls over to whatever he wants. Ingenious!
He has also become fascinated with Mommy’s earrings. One day, he was on my hip and turned to look over my shoulder. He then did a doubletake, and craned his neck to stare at my earrings. They still surprise him, and every day he must look at them and feel them. Also, Mommy’s ever-present ponytail now serves as a way for Jack to hold on to keep standing. And if the ponytail isn’t there?!?!? Yay! Fun with Mommy’s hair time. Daddy has the same issues with his glasses.
Jack does not yet respond to his name, but does respond to new voices and looks for mommy or daddy when he hears our voices specifically. Jack has recently discovered separation anxiety, so the sling he hated as a newborn he enjoys as a very heavy 8 month old.
On August 6, Mommy peered into his mouth and saw: TEETH! Two pearly whites sticking out of his little red puffy gums. They continue to grow. On September 16, the upper left front tooth started popping out. Jack is now an official drool bucket, and chews on anything he can. At this point, he enjoys our fingers encased in clean socks as well as any type of cloth. Jack is beginning to like “solid” food. He currently enjoys carrots, sweet potatoes, winter squash, apples, and pears. The jury is still out on peaches and yogurt. His dislike of peas may be genetic. He also enjoys eating paper, which, while we don’t particularly mind this, it can get very messy, so we try to keep it away. We are also trying to tell him that books are not for eating.

Having sat by himself for the first time on July 3, and mastering it by July 10, Jack is still working on his ab crunches, trying to get up to sitting from lying down. He has amazing abdominal muscles already!
Sassy and Jack have an odd relationship. Jack will follow Sassy with his eyes, leaning or peeking over our shoulders if necessary. As long as we help him pet her, they are usually fine together. Sassy will even come up to Jack sometimes, or purposefully come to the side of me that has Jack to look at him. She has purred once or twice while he’s petting her. However, if left to his own devices for even a moment, Jack will try to grab and pull Sassy’s fur, tail, or ears. We then separate Jack from Sassy. Grandma & Grandpa bought him a book, Tails Are Not For Pulling, which we read to Jack on a regular basis. We prefer that neither small mammal get bitten.
He still sleeps well at night, going to bed between 8 and 9pm and waking up between 5:30 and 7am. Naps continue to be a challenge. We thought we had him on a schedule, then the teething pain came. Then, we thought we had another schedule, but we covered three time zones in five days. We’re still working on those naps!
Jack’s adoption was finalized on August 25, 2006, in Kansas City, MO. The following day, we went to Pittsburgh, PA to see Grandma and meet Grandpa. Great-Grandma was there, and Great Aunt Pam, as well as the entire neighborhood, past and present, Max’s former Scout Master and his wife, and two sets of college friends of ours. It was an amazing open house, and Jack entertained us all day, without much protest. He impressed us all!