Sending internet messages already, LOL. Let's see....Jack's newest skill acquistions include, saying "dog, woof woof", holding up one finger and replying "one" in answer to "how old are you?", recognizing objects, for example, being able to pick out a block from a pile of other toys, being able to feed his baby doll with a spoon, he adores tooth brushing suddenly (thanks to the new blinking toothbrush!), he can climb onto the furniture, he is walking about 25% of the time, he has figured out what a handrail is for, and best of all, he gives kisses!
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Making a personal call to Elmo. Jack can now sing the Elmo song "la la la, Elmo's world." So damn cute!
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Jack loves his big Santa present, his very own kitchen!
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The truck was a big hit too!
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The living room tree is the feather tree this year. It is screwed onto a table to prevent knocking over by cat or kid! I love how it turned out with the old glass garlands, better than evah!
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A budding musician? Jack loved great-grandma's piano!
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Drum roll please....he walks!!!!!! He started on Tuesday, happy anniversary mommy and daddy!
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This pretty much sums up how Jack feels about snow. And here I was thinking it was a lovely gift for our second wedding anniversary. Pooh. LOL.
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So, Jack was extra crabby today. I gave him some old mardi gras beads as a special treat. Before I could blink he actually had them on! (and off, and on, and off, and on. LOL) He also seems to think that the big cube is a walking toy these days, and spends many an hour pushing it around the playroom.
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Jack meets the alpacas at Santas Petting zoo. He thought their teeth were pretty funny.
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Jack, being simply adorable! in his cute hat and with his favorite blankie, on the way to Santas Magical Kingdom. We saw two million tiny twinkling lights Ellen! (And santa and his elves too!)
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Jack practices a favorite pasttime, pressing all the television buttons! Complete with Charlie Brown, because pressing buttons is hard work!
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Jack practices walking along the hearth. He has taken up to 3 steps on his own, but still not quite there. (But mommy thinks this only because when he realizes what he is doing he freaks out and sits right down!)
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Ok, so it has been awhile, a long while, since I put up new photos. I have been working like a dog making Daddy an anniversary present, decorating for the holidays, making thanksgiving meals, AND trying to keep Jack in his clothes. Notice that he has already lost his pants in this photo and he is 50%% of the way to having that very expensive Pampers Cruiser removed also. LOL So much for the fancy diapers. What you cannot see in a photo is how much he is talking right now. And in sentences!!! His repetoire includes "up cat!", "what's that?", "wassup?", "I'm done", "daddy home", "my mommy", and so much more. (Including a few words that are not nice to say on one's baby blog. LOL) I couldn't be more proud of the newest development.
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Listen here couch, I WILL bite you! Don't make me tell you twice. Oppps, too late, I am biting you after all.
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Looking oh so cute in his thanksgiving finest.
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Jack got a balloon at Oberweiss while getting his milk. I think he likes it!
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Whew! I finally have a computer again! We spent a few days turning half of the basement into a huge baby safe playroom for Jack. We even have room to set up his IKEA igloo. He had a great time chasing the cats in and out of the tent!
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Jack and I spent almost an hour playing in the fallen leaves from the big oak tree. Leaves are too much fun for a year old boy!
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Jack is a messy eater these days, and he refuses to keep a bib on, so, he eats in the nude!
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Trick or Treat! Jack the spider. We took him up and down our street (in the cold, pouring rain), and he was a very good sport about things. As a morning after bonus, he was stuck in his pajamas this morning with a very, very poopy diaper. I nearly had to take the scissors to the silly things to get them off him.
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Mom's polka dot pumkpin was a hit with the kids. (As was Dad's nosey pumpkin!)
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So, I took Jack back to the pumpkin patch because he was sick the first time. THIS is my happy baby! He loved it! He was laughing at the snorting pig in the petting zoo, crawling all over the pumpkins, eating the straw (of course), dancing to the music in the displays. I am so glad we went back!
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More birthday photos than you ever...

...wanted to see can be found here:

http://www.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=30858362/t_=21763159

Jack was pretty sick still on the day of the party, so he is looking VERY unhappy in most of those. (Wouldn't ya know it? All that work and planning and I end up with a sick baby! LOL)

We went to the zoo on his *real* birthday, and he is much happier in that set of photos. It was still a great party, but I wish that *I* had the chance to take more pictures. I was way too busy to stop and use the camera!

I have yet to have a free moment to caption them, you are on your own for now!

Obligatory baby with birthday cake shot. Jack says "hey ma! How can I eat with this thing on my head?"
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We took Jack to the zoo for his birthday. He REALLY liked the new penguin exhibit!
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Jack enters the world, 1 year ago today.
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Happy Birthday to you

My dearest Jack,
It's your birthday today! The big number one. I can hardly believe that one year ago we were sitting in the hospital (boy was I hungry!) eagerly awaiting your appearance.

I couldn't have known then just how much you would change me, and 365 days later I can say without a doubt that you are by far the most amazing thing I have ever made! (I still marvel at the fact that I actually grew you inside me all those months ago.)

I hope that every day of your life is filled with as much love and joy as it is right now.

All my love,
Mom

A little birthday party tease. My monkey cake. I think he is fabulous! We are exhausted, and I have to get the photos from other peoples cameras, since I didnt have a minute to use my own. But, I promise, a monkey party album is soon to come!
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Jack enjoys a sit down among the pumpkins. He has been sick for a week, so smiles were non-existent. No problem though, that means another excuse for a second trip to the pumpkin patch!
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Yea, we're just lounging around, eating Mum Mums. Jack says about 5 words right now, Mom, Dad, Bye Bye, Hi, and Mum Mum!!! We won't tell him that the grocer told mommy that we cannot buy anymore Mum Mums in STL because of some complicated grocery politics, and that the grocers in AZ told both Grandma and Auntie Kristen that they can't buy Mum Mums there either. How hard is it to say Quaker Rice Cakes anyway? :-)
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Playing with an alphabet link-a-doo chain. I cleaned out the toy boxes yesterday, and almost packed these away, thinking Jack had outgrown them. I am glad I didn't!
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I bought this really fun quilt yesterday at the flea market for $15!!!! And it is handmade. Woohooo. I think I am going to repair the places where the seams are coming apart and use it for Jack's bed when he moves to a big boy bed. I think the polka dot motif is awesome!
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Jack is really starting to gain confidence about this standing up thing. (Note the Charlie Brown tongue!) Yesterday, I caught him climbing up on top of a toy, using it as a step stool to grab something off an end table. Worse yet, he was on top of the toy on his TIP TOES! I am in big trouble. LOL
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Hmmmmmm, what are we all looking at? Our cat is still larger than our kid!
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Jack and I weeded the side garden this afternoon. In only 20 minutes I managed to acquire 25+ mosquito bites. I didn't put any bug cream on Jack before we went out, so I am hoping they were biting me instead of him. (Although, I did have to shoo at least 4 of them off of him.) What is it with the mosquitos around here??? Every year it is wicked bad at our house.
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My project for yesterday, a giant monkey for birthday games. Pin the banana on the monkey! I think he is rather cute.
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My $8 highchair gets a $3 make-over. The pad was getting so incredibly gross I couldn't stand it anymore. Fruit flies were starting to congregrate in the cracks in the vinyl that I could not get clean for the life of me. I tried taping the cracks closed, and Jack ate the tape! So, one Target vinyl halloween tablecloth and about an hour later, we have a new (halloween!) highchair. I happen to think it is way cool now, but maybe I am biased.
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Jack sports another of his punk rock hairdos in his new cowboy jammies. Thank you friends of gymboree coupons and the clearance rack!
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Jack is 11 months old today. I actually shed a little tear this morning, as this is the last monthly birthday before he is ONE YEAR old. I have no idea how my little baby got so close to one year old already. To get him to sit still long enough to take this photo, I had to bribe him with the playstation controller.
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Jack is really starting to enjoy the rocking horse. He used to act like he was going to fall off and be crushed, but now that he has much better balance, he thinks the thing is real kick!
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And, the sweeter side of Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hyde. I cannot believe what a big boy he is!
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Jack has really become proficient at standing up. Here, he stands up to chew on the edge of the playpen. (Still no more teeth yet!) I can't decide between this photo and a sweeter one. So, I will post both!
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The monkeys in our house. From Left to right: My first traditional sock monkey, a bit on the too skinny side; a too cute argyle monkey, made with socks from Old Navy, still in need of a face; a smaller striped monkey, also from Old Navy socks and also in need of his face; and a flea market find vintage sock monkey, he only has one eyebrow left and is filled with REAL cotton stuffing, too cool. Because of the spandex in the Old Navy socks, those monkeys are infinitely easier to sew, more fun for Jack and hold up much better.
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Even though Jack was awake from 12:30 to 2:30 am, he still has the energy this morning to be curious about the computer. Really he just wants to eat the wires, do not be fooled by his sweet half grin!
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Jack masters waving bye-bye! However, I STILL cannot get him to do the headstand long enough for me to take a photo.
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Having a little pre-Halloween fun with our Jack-o-lantern.
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Jack used to be such a willing participant in Mom's photo taking madness. These days, he is like a crazed celebrity, "Gimme that camera! Gimme that camera!" We also have lots of drool and old man lip sucking going on. Perhaps we are on the way to upper teeth??
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Jack is crazy about that laughing baby on the Teletubbies.
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My craft for the weekend (it has been a long time since I made anything actually), a button wreath. I saw this idea on Country Style, and finally found enough white buttons to make it happen. Not too shabby (chic!) for 3 dollars, eh?
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Jack continues on the path to being a big boy. He has mastered the fine art of opening the lid, digging in the basket, and removing every single toy at once! Sometimes he hardly seems like a baby at all anymore.
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Jack enjoys his last bit of spinach from a baby food jar before the great spit-a-thon began. He hasn't eaten anything but finger food since. How can a kid who loves food THIS much want to suddenly spit it all out? Baffling, really.
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