First of all, last night was the best nights sleep I’ve had since we brought Jack home all those four months ago. I think I went to sleep around 10 and the little guy woke up at midnight to eat. He went right back down and didn’t get up again until five, and then went BACK to sleep. He slept until after eight! This is simply unheard of in Jackland. I woke up on my own before he did, I felt rested and clearheaded. It was blissful.

The “No-cry Sleep” book I have does warn against getting too excited, however. It could be a fluke. It could be due to the shots he got yesterday. It could be he will only sleep like that when the planets are perfectly aligned. Whatever the reason, I feel like I have been given a wonderful gift. As we speak it is 9:30 p.m. and I don’t feel like I’ve been run over by a truck.

Yesterday was full of excitement. We started at the doctor’s office where Jack got his four month checkup and shots (!). Here he is with his papa in the waiting room:



He is certainly thriving well – he’s 26 ½ inches long and 16 pounds 4 ounces. Those veteran parents out there will recognize the importance of that ½ inch. He has outgrown his car carrier and graduated to the full fledged car seat. This baffles me, since I often see babies carried around in these seats when they are eight and 10 months old, yet here we are at four months and unable to use the carrier. We bought the Britax Marathon yesterday afternoon (no surprise, we were not prepared for this new development and I had to run out to USA Baby on the way home from our play date). Jack fits in it much more comfortably – when he falls asleep his head doesn’t flop over at all. Here he his on the way to my mom’s house this morning:



After the doctor we headed over to Julie’s house for some quiche and play time with Mac and Harrison. I love watching these guys interact. Jack is just fascinated by other babies, and I don’t think Mac was very pleased with all the grabbing:



Here I think he’s saying “MOM! He’s hurting me!”


Jack even took a short nap so I could knit a very small amount:



We would have gone home to rest, but we had to do our taxes last night. Our little deduction came along since our accountant also happens to be his Great Aunt Cissy and she was very happy to see him. He even helped her work out some of the numbers:



Later, Cissy tried to explain to him how he was going to have to curb his spending so his mom could afford more yarn. He listened intently:



And after all that he slept as peacefully as the little angel he is. Let’s hope for another night of it tonight.

I am not usually a fan of TV, and I certainly don’t plan to plop Jack in front of the magic box on a regular basis, but boy can I see the draw. He is fascinated by television, and more importantly by his Baby Einstein DVDs. In a day when I feel like all I do is try to entertain the little angel, it is quite a relief to have 15 minutes of complete silence while he stares at the screen captivated by nothing more than toys and classical music.

We’re off to the pediatrician this morning for four month checkup and shots. Of course his face looks better than ever, so the doctor is going to think I’m exaggerating when I tell him about the rash. Maybe I should take a picture with me.

Here’s another shot from Easter in Jack’s new favorite pose – fingers in mouth:



Oh! And my cousin Stephanie had her baby. Quincy Samuel Howard. In this picture he has the same expression Jack did in the hospital:



See, here’s Jack when he was first born:

I was just telling Joe how tired I feel, and he reminded me that I got up at 5:15 with no nap. Oh yeah, I forgot that small bit of info. Needless to say, I am exhausted.

Jack had a big day. First sunrise church with my parents and breakfast at their house. He had a very cute new outfit from Old Navy, as you can see in the picture. (It may look like I’m holding him up, but I’m not. My hands are in my lap.)



Here you can see the sweater a bit better:



He was very tired from the activities, and Grandma magically put him to sleep:



He slept the whole way home, and another hour in the crib when we got back! What a miracle.

After napping and relaxing at home, we headed over to Great Grandma Connie’s house where Jack watched a basketball game:



and hung out with Philip:



and Michael, who will be his Godfather:



We just love the new sling, and here is why:



Jack cannot resist the sling – he falls asleep every time. It’s a wondrous invention.’

I am off to bed myself, even though it’s only 8 p.m.

First off, Jack is slowly improving in the sleep category, although last night was a bit challenging. The book we bought “The No-Cry Sleep Solution” is extremely helpful. The problem last night was scooting – the little guy scoots until his head his the side of the crib, and then keeps scooting so his head keeps hitting. We don’t have bumper pads because the SIDS people make you think they cause all infants to die, but right now I think they might be a good investment.

Another thing the SIDS people warn against is having any type of stuffed creature in bed with the child. But the No Cry people suggest introducing a “lovey” (their word, not mind) so the child has something to hang onto while he sleeps. Then when he wakes in the night he will see the thing and feel more comfortable. Here is Jack holding a sleep-frog:



Although we had a tough night, Joe took the little guy this morning and I got a very long nap. It was wonderful. I feel like I’m sleep-obsessed, always wishing for an un-interrupted nap. Really, if you offered me diamonds, new cars, new houses, fancy vacations versus one ten-hour stretch in a dark cool room by myself with a big soft bed, I’d have to take the sleep option.

I can’t complain too much though – both our parents would be willing to take the little guy over night. I’m just not ready for that yet. I have decided to spend the night away from him on May 21st, and although I know this is almost 2 months away it does give me something to prepare for I suppose.




Not much else is going on here. Joe and Lucca were hanging out watching a documentary about Jesus on A&E. I only saw parts of it in between Jack’s napping, but it was pretty fascinating. They are speculating about Jesus going to Asia since his teachings and those of Buddha are so similar. I think at one point in the show they also suggested he went to England and converted the Druids.

All I know is that it has always frustrated me that the bible goes from birth to age 34. Shouldn’t we get to know what happened in between?

For an interesting Easter posting, check out this blog.

Happy Easter Vigil everyone. Pictures tomorrow of Jack in his cute new Easter clothes visiting all the family members.

Jack has been busy the past two day hanging out at Grandma’s house. Wednesday we went up there so I could get a little work done, and Jack had a good ol’ time walking around the house with Grandma. He even got to play in the Exersaucer:



Here is how he felt on the way home:



When he sleeps in the car it is the most peaceful time of my day. I also got a nap on Wednesday afternoon, so we were feeling pretty good.

Yesterday we went back up to decorate cookies and eggs for Easter. Jack is a little young for the whole decorating business, but he and his friend Angus got to hang out on the blanket for a while:



It’s funny to see them interact. At one point Jack had his fingers in Angus’s mouth. I didn’t get a good shot, but here they are looking like they are about to wrestle one another:



I think Gemma is cheering them on. Today we are going to lay low – we may run by Baby Gap to get an outfit for Easter, but no big plans. The weekend will be full of activity with all the holiday festivities, so Jack is resting up.

Remember how I mentioned Jack went to visit the ducks? These are the same ducks that traumatized his father as a child. Joe still talks about being afraid of those ducks. Jack was less affected. In fact, he slept through the entire ordeal, but Gloria got a good picture anyway:



Yesterday Jack and I had a pretty mellow day. I tried out his new sling made by my mother. (If you want a Maya sling, they are really easy to make, and considering they cost $50 it was great to have her make one for me.) It’s never easy to take pictures of the two of us together, but we do have a full length mirror, so here we are:



I know it’s a little blurry, but so what? It’s still cute. He fell asleep of course, and I set him down in the crib:



Yes, he is wearing camouflaged pants in honor of his Uncle Greg the hunter.

Later we had lunch with Grandma and Grandpa at Matador downtown. Jack likes Grandma because she always picks him up so he can see better:



We finally got our book from Amazon – The No Cry Sleep Solution. For me it’s not just the lack of sleep, it’s the screaming fits in between that are really wearing me out. Allegedly this book is going to help with that. I’m cataloging his napping, bedtime routine, and night waking to see exactly where the problem lies. I am fully expecting the problem to be “oh, your baby just doesn’t like to sleep much”. But it can’t hurt to try, can it?



Today we met Julie, Mac, Lauren and Harrison at Chandler Mall to have pictures with the Easter Bunny. Can you believe they don’t HAVE and Easter Bunny at the mall? What’s up with that? So I am going to Kierland on Thursday where I know they have a bunny, and I will have his pictures taken then. Since we couldn’t get a bunny, we lined the strollers up for a shot of the boys:



Mac is the oldest, and therefore the one holding court in the center. Harrison has a habit of slumping to the side, and so you can’t see him so well. And Jack is napping. But as always it was good to get out with some other moms and talk about the challenges of mothering an infant.

Tomorrow I’m heading up to my mom’s so hopefully I can get some work done and maybe take a nap.

Jack had quite a weekend. It all started Friday night about 3 a.m. with a screaming fit that brought us to our knees. Joe even woke up, which is not the norm, and took the poor screeching baby from me. He was grabbing at his face and ears and sounded like he was being stuck with a hot poker. We decided he must have an ear infection and called the doctor in the morning (luckily our doctor has Saturday hours) for a 9:30 appointment.

Nothing was wrong, thank goodness. Who knows why he woke up in such a state – she even said he’s not teething. (I’m not sure what explains him drooling constantly and biting at everything in sight, but that’s another story.)

For his rash she suggested bathing him in tepid water once a day and slathering him in cream afterwards to lock in the moisture. He’s getting more used to the bath these days, and even seemed to be posing for the camera here:



Our friend Kim got him a dragon towel and he really likes it:



After quite a busy morning, we headed down to Chandler so Jack could visit Grandma and Grandpa Adams. They took him to McDuffy’s to learn about off-track betting:



I think he won and was telling Grandpa all about it. Then he made a friend with Dillon, who is also right around 4 months old:



It’s funny to see babies regarding one another. They always look slightly confused. Is it a mirror? Is it an alien?

Afterwards Jack went for a visit with Great Grandma, who has a magic touch and can get him to sleep. We should bring her over at night!



When he woke up it was time to play with the Easter Bunny:



and his new fancy toy:



(Notice the phone book under his feet. No surprise, he can’t quite touch the ground. I still sit in chairs sometimes where my feet don’t touch, so I imagine this may be a life-long issue for him.)

He really liked the toy. He’s starting to grab at things and notice his surroundings a lot more. He could even move the pieces back and forth:



After a day with the family, Jack was pretty tired. He came home, ate some dinner and fell promptly to sleep! No crying, no fussing, nothing. Joe said to me “I think this is the first time I can remember having a quiet dinner in a long time.” It was wonderful.

I’ve gotten a few emails and comments about the whole sleeping thing. Many mothers have chimed in to tell me that I will never get a full night’s sleep again. And I know that is true to a degree, but I also know it’s not normal for him to wake up every 1 or 2 hours even when he’s not hungry. I don’t need ten hours of sleep like Kim gets, but I know I can eventually at least get 4 at a time.

My sister-in-law Anne, the supreme goddess of motherhood, did have some very sage advice to share, however.

“Jack is not a sleepy guy. I don't think he will ever sleep as long and as often as all your friend's kids. Sorry. I want to save you the frustration of trying so hard. It is a journey, not a race.”

It is a journey, and quite an interesting one at that. Thanks Anne. It helps to hear from people who have been there and know there is life on the other side.

This morning we hopped out of bed and drove up to Scottsdale to see Grandma Sandee. It’s Palm Sunday, so we took the little guy to church. Grandma held him while she sang:



He liked the first half with all the music people to look at, but when it got to the readings he started to fuss. I took him into the crying room and as soon as the minister started his sermon, Jack promptly fell sound asleep.

After another big day of visiting, he came back home, ate some dinner, and yes, fell back asleep. I am hoping for another good night. On that note, I will leave you with one last picture:

I just can’t get over how peaceful Jack looks sleeping on his tummy. I have to trust my instincts and just know he’s going to be okay. He’s figured out how to suck his fingers and sleep:



Black and white photos make him look less red and yucky in the face. His rash is getting better, but I am constantly putting Aquafor on him so he either looks red and blotchy or he looks like a big greaseball. Here he is celebrating St Patrick’s Day yesterday:



Today he and I went down to Chandler for some daytime knitting. This time we brought along my mom so I actually got some knitting done. He was extremely tired, but of course in usual Jack fashion, he refused to go to sleep. Grandma tried to comfort him:



No big weekend plans in place – just some hanging around and maybe going to the Encanto/Palmcroft home tour. Joe thinks he might be getting sick so we’re going to take it easy.

We don’t have any plans today, other than dropping off the dry cleaning and running by Hi Health to get more teething tablets, so I think this may turn into a pajama day. Jack woke up too early from his nap and it took me forever to get him back down, so I’m hoping this time it sticks and I can get a few things done around the house. Thanks to my mom all the laundry is done, folded and put away (I didn’t realize you could do that all in such a short time. Maybe I should try it sometime), so I just need to straighten up for the maids coming tomorrow.

Yesterday we met my parents at the Vintage Market at the Biltmore Fashion Park for lunch. I love this little weird restaurant – the food is good and the service is just strange. But we sat outside and enjoyed the weather while we can. Here is Jack hanging out with Grandma:



Joe ordered me a book from Amazon called the No Cry Sleep Solution. We’ll see if it works. He also ordered four baby food books since Jack has about 2 months left before he starts solid food. Apparently there is a lot of importance placed on what foods are introduced when, and for how long. I’m glad Joe is the chef in the family so I don’t have to worry so much about it.

It’s supposed to rain again this weekend. I’m glad to see that because I’m not ready for summer again. I’d like to hang on to my flannel pajamas a little longer, thank you very much.

Jack is a tummy sleeper. The transition has been a little tough, and more than a little scary, but here he is napping this morning:



You just can’t argue with that, can you? I’m not sure what we would do if we decided he absolutely cannot sleep on his tummy. Joe suggested duct tape, but I think the residue on his arms and legs would be tough to remove. So we will continue to allow him to sleep this way, and I will continue to go in and obsessively check to be sure he’s still breathing.

Jack spent the day yesterday with Grandma Gloria and Grandpa Tom, giving me a much needed day of rest. I don’t have pictures yet because Gloria left her camera at her mom’s, but I’ll post them when she gets them back. Julie and I went out to lunch and did a little yarn shopping and then I came home and NAPPED. It was lovely. I slept for 2 hours, and for once the dogs cooperated and let me sleep.

We were set to get the little guy at 7, and Joe called me around 6 to see if I wanted to go have a glass of wine. It was a real date! On a Tuesday night! We scooted over to Cheuvront’s and had a wine and cheese – yummy. What a perfect end to my day.

Today we’re going up to Kierland to have lunch with Grandma Sandee and walk around – the weather is supposed to be perfect and it will be a good way to get out of the house. Jack is such a social guy, if I don’t take him somewhere every day he gets mad at me. I don’t know where he gets it because both Joe and I would probably be hermits if given our choice.

So my latest theory about why Jack won’t sleep is that he’s really a tummy sleeper being forced to sleep on his back all these long months. He just learned how to roll from his back to his belly, and I think eventually he will sleep like that all the time. Right now he’s getting a little confused, and sometimes sleeps on his side. Look how cute he is:



Last night he fell asleep on his stomach around 2:30 in the morning. Both Joe and I were panicked and didn’t sleep well at all. When the baby cried around 4 or so, Joe was in the nursery ahead of me to see what was going on. He never wakes up when the baby cries, so I know he was on edge about the tummy sleeping thing as well. All the doctors and experts have us convinced that putting a child on his stomach equals certain death. But of course my mother will tell you both Greg and I slept on our stomachs, and we’re still alive.

I am hopeful that this new development will eventually let us all get a better nights sleep.

This weekend we had a family reunion at the Adams house. All of Grandpa Tom’s siblings were in town for the first time in a long time. Jack was very popular hanging out by the pool:









Tomorrow Jack is going to spend the day with Grandma Gloria. She has spring break this week so she is going to take Jack to the park to see the ducks. These are the very same ducks that terrified Joe as a child, but I think that was because he tried to chase them.

It seems we’re over the worst of the sleeping issues. Jack has gone two nights in a row with four hours between waking, which compared to every hour and a half is wonderful. Greg (my brother) thinks he may have been growing. I guess Mary had trouble sleeping when she was growing, and I do think he was having a growth spurt because of his eating patterns as well. His new favorite napping place is on our bed – nothing wakes him up, not even a dog walking over the top of him.



The outfit he’s wearing is a gift from our friend Meghan. It’s warmed up quite a bit out here, so this little romper is perfect right now. Here he is on his tummy:



and you can see the back has a giant crab:



and one more, just because I think he’s so cute:



We didn’t go for pictures yesterday, instead we spent some time at Fashion Square and visited our friend Elissa and her new beautiful house. Jack enjoyed her dogs – one is a Great Dane named Maui and I think Jack was surprised to see a dog so big. He’s used to our little guys and I’m sure Maui looks like a horse to him. It was funny to see his face when she licked him on the back of the head – Lucca does this all the time but with a significantly smaller tongue!

Maybe today we’ll get down to Chandler for some pictures. Or maybe we’ll just go for a walk somewhere.