8 months

My baby boy turned 8 months old yesterday!

You welcomed eight months with two shiny bottom teeth, a belly laugh that can make everyone smile, a big appetite, a sweet backwards crawl/scoot that takes you places quickly and a whole lotta chatter... Mama, Dadda, baa-baa, oh's & ah's.

Lucca is your favorite person on the planet. You like watching her every move, and if I say "Where's Lucca?" you will turn your head all around looking for her. Too cute.

Tubby time is your favorite, followed by (not-surprisingly) mealtime. We haven't found a food you dislike, but we have noticed you get most excited about bananas, carrots and sweet potatoes.

You are a cool dude, stopped everywhere we go by women who want to discuss your insane eyelashes. And then you smile at them and they can't stand it and next thing you know we are having a full on conversation about what a stud you are.

Amazing. We are thankful for these 8 months of getting to know you, our strong, healthy, happy boy. We have so much love for you, sweet Jackson Stone.

XO,
Mommy

Milestones

Although the blog has been less of a priority around here lately (slightly busy!), I do want to write down a few very important milestones from the past week so I don't forget them!

Seven months old has been pretty wild...

Your 1st (and 2nd) tooth popped through, ON THANKSGIVING, just in time for turkey and sweet potato souffle. Impeccable timing.

You are standing! You aren't crawling yet, but love to stand, barely holding onto a pinky and sometimes even letting go! You are proud of yourself and have a huge grin every time you let go. And then you start dancing.

"Mama!!!" finally! You've been saying Dada for quite some time, but just yesterday you said MAMA and melted my big ol heart <3

Waving! Mimi taught you how to wave over Thanksgiving. Today I saw you do the backwards wave, at yourself, for the first time. Cuuute.

Jackson, you are the happiest dude. These milestones have been awesome and we are celebrating with you every step of the way. You make us so proud, so happy, so very very thankful.

SLEEP

Jackson's life so far in a nutshell:

First 2 months, slept so much it freaked us out and we used to WAKE HIM UP to feed him. We were worried about how long he would sleep without eating. Funny right? Have you seen the size of this dude? We clearly had nothing to worry about.

Months 3-6...I'm not sure we slept for longer than 3 hours at any given time without Jackson waking up. Maybe a few times we would get 4 hours out of him. We kept thinking/hoping/praying he would figure it out and that a full night's sleep would be around the corner.

Finally last week, we decided to give sleep training a go. And THANK GOD WE DID. (We were scarred from Lucca's sleep training days and were hesitant to go there with Jackson). But after a night of rocking and rocking Jackson and having him wake up each time we set him down, we were willing to let him cry. Fifteen minutes in the middle of the night was all it took for this guy to cry before realizing we weren't coming back in to rock him to sleep. He hasn't cried like that since, not even for 5 minutes actually. And he's SLEEPING!!! He's been waking up once each night for a feeding and going right back to sleep, no problem.

We are thankful. So very, very thankful. Anyone who knows us knows we like our sleep around here :)

Tubby time

Once upon a time, I had the cutest (& chubbiest) baby boy on the planet.

Jackson Stone - 7 months

Happy 7 Months to our dude...Jackson Stone. The joy (and sleepless nights) you have added to our lives is endless. You are seriously the happiest guy. You smile at everyone -- making people's days left and right. You laugh at almost anything. We were used to our chick, Lucca, who made us work for her smiles...but not you. You will flash a smile at the drop of a hat, including in the middle of the night when you are SUPPOSED TO BE SLEEPING. But actually, the past few nights, we think we have turned the corner with you. We are heading for the straight and narrow and getting your sleep issues tackled. You've been sleeping SO MUCH BETTER, just had to let you cry it out a bit. Ugh -- mama does not like that.

You are a stud and you are HANDSOME. Truth be told, I get stopped all day long by people telling me how beautiful you are. Happened again today. And this proud mama just soaks it up, agreeing how cute you are.

A day doesn't go by when I don't thank God for my sweet boy. My buddy. LC's best friend and Daddy's BIG DUDE.

Seven months means...

No teeth yet, but working on it.

Eating solids twice a day and still nursing.

You are strong and push yourself up when on your tummy and scoot a bit, but mostly you just roll back over when it's supposed to be tummy time.

You love your mommy. I understand the mama's boy thing now...boy's just have it for their mommies. I walk into the room and you giggle. I walk out of the room and you cry.

You are huge -- wearing mostly 12 months clothes now. We just ordered your next carseat because your shoulders are so broad you barely fit in your infant carrier anymore.

You are "talking" a ton, and your voice is low. I LOVE IT.

You ADORE Lucca. If you cry, I have her sing you a song. You stop crying immediately. If she is in the room when you are eating solids, you won't eat. You just stare and smile at sis. You laugh at everything she does. You think she is the coolest. If you wake up from a nap before Lucca wakes up, you look all around for her. It's so obvious that you wonder where she is. And then when she does wake up, we go into her room and you get soo excited you practially jump out of my arms.

You spend most mornings with Daddy. This is my favorite. When you wake up early, Daddy scoops you up and takes you downstairs to the playroom. I am supposed to be getting my extra half hour of sleep, but sometimes I just lay in my bed listening to you guys having fun -- talking and laughing. Melts my big ol' heart.

We love you buddy. So, so thankful you are ours.

Bones

Jackson's Halloween costume was kind of ironic considering we dressed him as a skeleton and the dude is anything but skin & bones... However, baby skeleton's became a 1st Halloween tradition around here. So "Bones" he was.

He was a trooper as we hit up every event in town for Halloween weekend... Trick or treating in downtown Novato, at Town Center in Corte Madera and of course the Sausalito Halloween Parade, another sweet Chao family tradition.

Can hardly wait to start planning costumes for next year.

Beach Day

Who needs naps?

Not me!

Ahh, so peaceful.

Chewing on ice, watching the golfers, listening to birds and smiling :)

These are the fun things we get to do when sissy takes her nap.

Playtime

6 months, 2 days old

Big boy!

A day shy of 6 months old. Your outfit that you barely fit in? All 6-12 months. BRUISER.

Mom wins.

Your sweet sister has now added cilantro to the things I've had to pull out of your mouth. She was feeding her dinosaur some "plants" and decided to give some to her baby brother too. So far, Coco has given you muffins, raisins and coins...to name a few. Never a dull moment in Casa de Chaos.

5 months

We've had a busy month around here, but even though this poor blog has been neglected, there is no shortage of baby Jackson photos. You are such a little lover, your eyes light up when people look at you and you just melt when people smile at you. Especially your mama. It's true what they say about baby boys and their mommies. You love mommy.

You are one happy dude (in daylight hours)

You like to swing, especially next to sissy

And you LOVE to eat, obviously. Grammie fed you over the weekend and she got to see how you visibly shake in anticipation of the (solid) food about to enter your mouth.

You still love those feet!

And that little thumb keeps finding it's way to your mouth this week! I pull it out, but I think you are teething and you use your thumb to bite on and to press those gums.

Sissy got a new toy (which you had your eyes glued to) and as soon as she went down for nap, that thing was yours!

We are working on sleep, but other than that...you are a JOY to our family. Such a cool little dude you are. Our big boy. Our precious Stone.

SLEEP

Dear Jackson,

You love your mommy. You love your daddy. You love your sissy.

You love pretty much anyone and anything. Except sleep.

So tonight was our first experience with trying to sleep train you. Sleep training = my least favorite part of parenting so far. Intentionally letting you cry without immediately scooping you up for cuddles is not a part of my being. Hearing you crying upstairs rips my heart right out. Thankfully, your dad is stronger and we are doing this together. Otherwise, I'd be on the floor in tears, or failing miserably by sleeping in my bed with you right next to me.

You are now sleeping. Whew. Night 1 bedtime - over. Bring on Night 2.

Come on little buddy, you can do this.

Peas Please

Today you are getting your first taste of peas, big boy. I am steaming them now and can hardly wait until you wake up so you can try them. I think I'm excited because if this is anything like your sister's first time eating peas, I will be wearing them shortly. Good thing my hair is already in a bun and you've already spit up on me once today. But your daddy says you'll love them and I don't doubt it. So far you've had avocado, sweet potatoes, carrots and a pear, and have taken them all down like a champ. You are one hungry dude.

After peas, I think we are going bananas. Which is certainly nothing new around here.

Feeding Jackson solids this week has been a walk in the park. He's 5 months old and his first food (minus the ice cream and muffin Lucca has fed him previously..) was avocado. I made a little bowl for him, had Daddy on standby ready to film it, and was prepared for some awesome faces and a big mess. But Jackson, our child who we swear has been here before, ate that first bite of solids like he had done it 100 times before. No funny face, no spitting it out. Ate it and opened his mouth for more.

Today we moved on to sweet potatoes and he laughed after every bite. It was like he was trying to say thank you for the deliciousness. He LOVED it.

He was so ready for solids. The Academy of Pediatrics is currently recommending you hold off until 6 months before introducing solids. I considered waiting another month to follow this guideline, but we mama's know our babies. My dude showed all the signs he was ready & able to eat food, and boy Oh boy was he ever.

We are officially buying groceries for a family of four now. Whoa. Expensive.

Jackson eats!

The best traveler

Not quite 5 months old with two cross country trips under his belt...Jackson wins Best Baby Traveler award. You were an All Star bud. So chill, so happy, so easy.

My kid drools better than your kid.

Here you are, 4.5 months old, sound asleep at your first concert...even though our seats on the grass were right in front of the speakers! What did we learn from this? Maybe we need to BLAST music next to your bed every night for you to sleep solid. Tempting...

stats!

Hey Bruiser,

You are bigger than 90% of babies at 4 months. At least I think that's what the growth charts mean. You are in the 90th percentile for height and weight, which means we expect nothing short of a full ride athletic scholarship in the sport of your choice at any D1 university.

4 month stats

Height: 26.5 inches

Weight: 17 POUNDS!!

You did great at the doctor. Smiled and talked to Dr. Brock the whole visit. And the shot? What shot? You didn't even notice a teeny tiny needle poking that thigh. So awesome.

We love you. Every single roll on your little body.

4 months

4 Months means...

You are smiling and laughing a lot

You like listening to your voice as you learn how to make different sounds

You roll over

You can finally ride in the car without FREAKING out every single time

You have thick skin from Lucca poking and prodding you all day long

You have taken your first flight, it was cross country and you slept the whole way

Your legs are super strong and you can stand up without holding on (even though I always at least hold a finger)

You don't take your eyes off Mommy if I am in the room

You face outward in the Baby Bjorn

Your favorite activity is eating

Your least favorite activity is sleeping through the night

Happy four months, little bruiser.

happiest baby on the block

It didn't take reading the book or watching the DVD -- you are just the Happiest Baby on the Block. Also? The most beautiful baby on the block.

We love you baby Jackson Stone.

those eyes.

You are looking at the sweetest little guy on the planet. I now know why everyone says baby boys will melt a mama's heart, because it is happening. Every single day. This boy LOVES his mommy, and what's not to love really? ;)

Peekaboo

Jackson loves being in the Baby Bjorn. Good thing because he lives in it when we are out and about. We went all fancy and bought the Ergo baby carrier for him, but he's a simple man and prefers Lucca's hand-me-down Bjorn so far. And what's hotter than a daddy wearing his baby boy? Not much.

What kind of horrible mother allows her infant's fingernails to get so long they can do something like this? Yikes. Pull it together, mama, or people might start to wonder..

THREE MONTHS

Little Buddy,

You are THREE MONTHS old. I am trying to soak in all the precious moments of your teeny tiny life, but no matter how much I try to preserve this time, you just keep growing, dang it. Your "newbornness" is over. Long gone is your rad jet black newborn hair. Long gone are your days of sleeping hours and hours and hours on end. Long gone are the days of you chillin out on my forearm while I did household chores (this was your favorite spot to be, both with me and your dad!). You don't fit there anymore. You are so big already!!

Goodbye newborn babe. Enter: 3-6 months clothes, lots of drool, personality, rolling over, tickle spots, laughing, and stopping everyone in their tracks to adore you.

XOXO my dear son,

mama

Best Night yet!

I am most certainly not the mom who is able to loudly boast that my baby has slept through the night since 6 weeks old. No way. Not even close. But last night? We made progress. Only one wake-up...and it was at 3:15! Good job, buddy! We are getting there. I am convinced you will sleep longer when you are able to roll over and can sleep on your tummy. For all your naps we place you on your stomach and you sleep for hours. But at night, we obey, and swaddle you up and lay you on your back.

My theory? It's probably the ugly babies who sleep great. You can't have it all.

;)

Letter to Buddy

Sweet Baby Jackson,

Thank you for being the sweetest little guy on the planet. Life is rough when you are the second baby. Naps are few and far between, you have to go with the hustle & bustle of our busy schedule, you spend a lot of time in the Baby Bjorn, and you get smothered 95 times a day by your big sister. I keep telling you only a couple more years until you will be able to hold your own against our little blonde terror. She just loves you so, so much.

Mommy & Daddy left you overnight for the first time and you did great. Probably because you were in great hands. You drank from the bottle like a champ (not that I had any doubts!) and slept just as good as you know how to do at this point :)

You are about the cutest babe I've ever seen. Your cheeks are outrageous and your long, dark eyelashes make women all over Marin green with envy. You lost a lot of your hair, but have kept that rad mohawk on top and the mullet in the back. Hipster baby. You have started to giggle and you chatter to your toys, mostly the ones with eyeballs. You even rolled over this week and I was so excited I almost tweeted about it. But don't worry, I didn't.

I love to hold you. I wish I could do it all day. But we all know Lucca won't allow that. Thanks for being a mostly chill dude, we sure do appreciate it around here.

To the moon.

Dear Jackson,

Your sister sure does love you. So much so, that she gave you her most prized possession - her balloon! This day, she was determined you would hold it. She wrapped your little 9 week old hand around the string and clenched your little fist until you held it tightly. It was the sweetest thing. You did hold on to it for a long time, staring at the big, yellow ball floating in the air. Lucca was so excited while she watched you hold it and kept saying "Brother is holding my balloon!"

You have stolen all our hearts. Sweet as can be, full of personality already. You love to be rocked to sleep. You love to be held. You love the baby bjorn and prefer it to riding in your stroller. You love to sleep in our bed. You have started giggling in your sleep (heart-melting). You are happy and you talk, talk, talk when on your playmat. Sir Prance-a-lot is your favorite toy to talk to. I have learned your cries - the tired cry, the hungry cry, the mad cry, the bored cry (this is more of a gripe), the I-can't-believe-you-just-let-the-nurse-stick-needles-in-my-leg cry...

You mostly go with the flow - you have to being baby #2 in this family. Naps are constantly disturbed - by your sister and by our schedule. You are an easy going guy, but you have some feist. I like this. You let us know about it when things aren't up to par. I do, however, wish that you would chill out in the car. We have yet to go on a peaceful car ride with you -- and you get so loud and angry that sometimes your sister cries. Having two crying babies in the back seat is not awesome. Please, please chill out in the car.

We love you to the moon. And by the way, there is a lot of you to love. At your 2 month appointment last week, you weighed in at almost 13 lbs!!!! This is crazy. You are going to be a big dude. You were 12 lbs 15 oz and 23 inches long, 75th percentile for both weight and height. I feel sorry for the mama carrying around the 75-95th percentile babies. You are healthy as can be - just start sleeping a little more for us would ya?

Love,

Mom

MAY 2011 - hello & goodbye!

I'm still trying to figure out where May went and how it's already June 5? Looking back on the month in photos, I realized it went by in a flash because it was jam packed with fun. Good thing we took (lots and lots of) photos that hold the memories. Here's a little glimpse of how we spent our May days..

A lot of this...

Playing at the park

Cousin Lincoln meets Jackson

Cousin Lila meets Jackson

Playing at Grammie & Pops house

Baths in Grammie's sink

Swinging

Running in races...and getting 5th place!

Reminding Uncle B how cool it is to hold a new babe

Swimming!

Running naked

Being the most adorable baby on the planet

Meeting mommy's friend Matt

And Hannah!

From Kindergarten to our own kids!

Aunt Ashley, Uncle Brad & Connor meet Jackson!

OH YEAH, AND I TURNED 30!!!

How did this happen? Goodbye 20's...you were fun. 30's will only be better.

At least I keep telling myself that :)

Spent most of my birthday cuddling this dude. No better gift.