Dr. Weisbluth says that at 9 months a baby will not get up to eat in the night and will start to take longer naps in the day. I swear, Jack must have gotten ahold of the book and realized it was time to sleep. Friday night he was still 8 months. He got up twice. Saturday night and last night he slept 11 hours straight through without eating. And he took great naps yesterday and today.

So it only took 9 months, but I now officially have a baby who sleeps through the night. Unfortunately I don’t sleep the same as I used to and I’m up every few hours. It’s time to baby train me – maybe Joe will have to let me cry it out a few times and see if that works.

Other developments are afoot for the small guy. Yesterday he went to the car wash and I sat him down on a bench. He no longer automatically tries to crawl over the edge – he’s starting to learn about falling. (Don’t worry, I don’t leave him alone on high places or anything.)

Here he is watching the cars:



He’s also transitioning from baby food to finger food. This is significantly messier, but it’s funny to watch him pick stuff up and inspect it before he puts it in his mouth. Today was peaches and bananas:





After breakfast we were off to the allergist. Since Jack had such a violent allergic reaction when we were in Denver, they recommended we have him tested. Here he practiced his chair sitting a little more:







Everyone remarked at what a happy baby he is. He really does have a good temperament. I hope this continues through toddlerhood.

They did a scratch test on his back for various food allergies. Here is what it looks like:



The worst reaction was to eggs. I checked the label for what he ate in Denver and there wasn’t egg in it, so I still don’t know what caused that reaction. But the doctor says he cannot have anything with egg in it probably until he is five. We can retest him at age three and see if it has gone down any. He also is mildly allergic to milk and wheat. I’ve been giving him wheat already and he doesn’t seem to have a problem with it, but we knew dairy was going to be an issue.

We have a busy week ahead of us and we’ll try to take lots of pictures. On Thursday we’re going to have lunch with Elissa and Baby Jake who is just a month old. Hopefully we can get some good shots of him because I’m sure he’s changed a lot.

Jack is nine months old today. He is quite a different baby from the one we brought home from the hospital, and needless to say we are quite different parents as well. We’ve all learned a lot so far. I would venture to guess that learning will continue.

Earlier this week we went to lunch at Delux. Jack is starting to become quite a wiggly lunch companion, and staying seated in his highchair is not his idea of a good meal. Here he is sitting with my dad:



As you can guess from his mouth shape, he is being loud. Very loud. So loud I was even starting to wish that lady would take her crazy baby out of the restaurant. Oh, wait. That’s my baby.

Yesterday we had lunch with Mac, Julie and my mom. He was a little quieter this time. Both boys are eating O cereal like there’s no tomorrow:



It’s really funny to see them interact. Here I think Jack was trying to tell Mac something, like maybe “Pssst. Pass me an O.”



But Mac is all about the camera. Even when Jack is trying to point out the cute girls behind him, Mac has to have one more picture taken before his attention can be averted.



Today Jack is out with Grandma Gloria and Grandpa Tom. Gloria has been cleared to drive again by her surgeon, so she was taking him to Price Club. He loves to shop so I’m quite certain fun will be had by all.

It's been a rough week. Jack is officially weaned to a bottle. This has been surprisingly
difficult (emotionally) and painful (physically) for me and I haven't felt like doing much of anything. Of course except going to the dog hospital twice. Once because Lucca sprained her ankle and the second time because she ate my old prenatal vitamins. Does anyone want a pair of dogs?

Today was much better though. Jack and I headed down to Chandler for lunch with Julie, Mac and my mom. Then we went over to Kiddie Kandids to have Jack's 9 month shots taken. I could not resist this "Jack Soup" picture:



There are more pictures from the session if you click here.

I have other pictures in my camera but I won't have those ready until the little busybody goes to bed.

Jack spent some time on Saturday with Grandma Gloria and Grandpa Tom. Gloria is feeling much better and she was even able to put the little guy down for a nap. Of course he enjoyed his pool as well:


He loves his top step because he can be in the pool but still explore.











He can also just sit there and hang out:














Of course, the fountain is always a hit:
















And afterwards he relaxes in his chair. This is how we found him when we arrived:

















On Sunday he had breakfast with Grandma Sandee and Grandpa Vince. Before his highchair arrived he hung out in the booth with Joe, looking like a little man:



And today he spent some time with them so I could do a little bit of work. They found a new way to entertain the ever-curious babe:



We don't have snow in Arizona, but Jack can still go sledding.

Tomorrow we go to the doctor for his nine month check up and a follow-up from his trip to Urgent Care last week. It's hard to believe he's almost nine months old - it really does seem like he just got here. And now he's almost walking and talking like a real boy.

It has been a quiet week. Jack and I spent a lot of quality time together at various shopping venues, and he crawled over every possible surface in the house. After spending time in Denver with a house full of people, he is suddenly the most talkative baby on the block. It sounds like he’s speaking a foreign language because there are sounds put together in what could be words, they just aren’t. Although I swear he said “Hi Beagle” tonight when Guido was hanging around waiting for him to drop a rice crisp.

We went to the mall today with Julie and Mac. I’m hoping she posts the picture of the two boys because I didn’t take one. Instead I have Jack chewing on his foot in the food court:



and then contemplating chewing his foot:



It was good to hang out with Julie. She lent me some baby food when I left Jack’s diaper bag in the car. She listened to me whine about still being fat. She shopped and walked the mall, fending off the men who wanted us to try lotion or buy an airbrushed hat from them. A good time was had by all.

Tomorrow we’re going to visit Grandma Gloria and Grandpa Tom. They haven’t seen little Jack in two weeks, and I bet they are going to think he looks different.

Jack’s first real trip is over and done with, and I think we have both returned to normal. It was quite a journey and one thing I learned is that he is bar none the most pleasant human being I have ever met.

The worst of it involved a trip to Urgent Care on Sunday afternoon. Initially we thought it was due to tomatoes he ate for lunch, but upon further research it is more likely something environmental. We will have to wait to meet with the allergist to find out for certain. For now he’s on antihistamines and a steroid that he needed in order to bring down the swelling.

I have never been so scared in my entire life. I felt like the world was moving underneath me and it was all I could do to not fall on the floor. As we were driving to the doctor I was desperately trying to figure out if his breathing was impaired and wondering if he was going to die right there in the car with me. He was holding my hand, and with the other hand holding his rattle. At one point I tickled him a little. He smiled and shook his rattle once as if to tell me he was still okay.

I debated about putting this picture up because it’s so awful it just brings tears to my eyes. But one of the purposes of this blog is to have something to look back on and remember how it was when he was a baby. I would kick myself later if I didn’t at least put up something to show how he looked. So here it is:



Looking at him today you would never know anything was ever wrong with him. Here he was this morning sitting pleasantly in his bouncy chair while I cleaned up the kitchen:



He’s become obsessed with his hands – clapping them, grabbing them, shoving them in his mouth. Here you can see:



It is such a relief to have him back to normal. We have been taking it easy since we got home trying to get him back on his schedule. Even though it is a lot of work to travel with a baby, he was so pleasant and enjoyable the entire time I can’t believe how lucky I am to have such a great little guy.

We arrived safely after a long and arduous journey. Much has happened since my last post. Suffice it to say Jack and I are trying to recover and I will post more later. Until then, a few Jack pictures:

We arrived safely in Denver today. Jack enjoyed the trip for the most part and I survived, which was my big worry. Here he is checking out the overhead lights:














And then looking out the window:















And checking the seatbelt for safety














It was the middle of his naptime, and he was not going to go down without a fight. He cried and fussed for a few minutes, but finally Grandma convinced him to sleep:




















The good news is he slept for almost an hour. The bad news is, my poor mother had to hold him the entire time.

We had a wonderful day with the cousins. Madeline picked out a new hat for Jack and he wore it around the grocery store.


































Then he came home and played video games














And spent some time posing on the couch.















It is beautiful here in Colorado. I am already feeling chilly. Hopefully the cold front will come in overnight and we can all put on our jeans and sweaters.

In order to remove the “Journey to Ernie” song from my head, I had to sit down at the computer with real people music on in the background while I prepare the pictures for Jack’s blog. I should be packing and folding laundry. I should be checking and rechecking my list so I don’t forget anything. Instead I am eating a frozen pizza, drinking a glass of wine, and listening to Savage Garden.

Why am I packing? Tomorrow Jack and I get on a plane with my parents to go visit my brother in Denver. I have never been on a plane with a baby. I have never really traveled with a baby. Given that I used to pack a tote bag and drive to Vegas for the weekend with nothing more than some good lipstick and a change of clothes, this is a new adventure for me.

It is almost 10 an I’m not near ready. Jack is ready – clothes and food packed, he is resting comfortably and dreaming of balloons and ceiling fans. I have not packed one single item for myself, nor have I showered. I’m only just now eating. It’s a stressful night, to say the least.

But let us return to what is truly important – pictures of the beloved angel.

We begin at lunch on Sunday. I love eating out with my parents because my mom feeds Jack and I actually get to consume some of my meal. Here I think she is attempting to convince him that semi-frozen squash is yummy to eat:



Home again, Jack cooks up some mischief while he twirls these little wooden beads:



And later, he’s backed into a corner, and must admit that it was indeed his spoonful of yams that fell on the pinscher. (He did apologize, so all is well.)



Then he decided it was time to get online and chat with his cousins:



This, of course, made him undeniably happy



And to top it off, we headed over to Julie and Mac’s house for a swim date. Here the boys are playing with the Leap Start Learning Table. Whoever invented this toy is truly tapped into the infant mind, because these boys cannot get enough of the thing.



Mac knows the camera and will do anything to get you to take his picture. Check out this diva-in-training



Jack is always seduced by the power of a rolling object, however, and he left Mac to go chase this toy:



Then it was time for swimming. The boys donned their oh-so-manly swim diapers and were raring to go



Never satisfied, they demanded I take an art shot of their little naked selves.



Ah, what a week. I must go pack now. I will try to post from Denver so you can see what Jack looks like wearing a sweatshirt. Wish me luck!

Jack has learned to clap. He has always been fascinated with other people clapping, and he could bang his hands on the table in front of him, but when he tried to clap he always made fists. Suddenly this weekend as he was sitting on Joe's lap he started clapping. I don't know why this small development made me so happy. He just sat at the breakfast table clapping away and it made me so proud to watch him.

On Saturday Jack went to visit Grandma Gloria and Grandpa Tom. Gloria's shoulder is still hurting her and she has to go back to school this week, poor thing. She hates not being able to pick up Jack. But Tom took over and here are some shots of him in the pool.

I just love his little hat on him.















Who knows what he's looking at, but at least Grandpa Tom is smiling at the camera












He's floating over to his favorite part of the pool - the waterfall.

















Jack loves running water of all kinds, but this waterfall beats the band.












Right before Gloria's accident she had Jack for the day and they went to visit Aunt Cissy at work. He loves the fountain outside her office.















He also got to spend some time with Great Grandma that day
















Today Jack and I are going to visit Julie and Mac. We were supposed to have a swim date but it looks like it's going to rain all day, so we may just have a play inside date.