Jack goes apple picking...and promptly takes a nap!

Jack had his first apple picking excursion while Uncle Toph was out visiting. Jack got so excited that he promptly passed out in his sling and slept through the whole picking. We picked a nice big bag of apples and then I made an apple pie for the boys. We also enjoyed hot apple cider and hot cider doughnuts that were home-made! We can't wait to bring Jack back when he is a bit older as they have a petting zoo, bouncy house, and an area where kids can ride bikes that are shaped like tractors!

Jack meets Uncle Toph!

Jack met his Uncle Chris a couple of weeks ago and the two had tons of fun getting to know each other. Jack still enjoys playing with his new frog toy and the book Jack got is also a big hit! Jack says, "I miss you Toph and come back soon!"

Hard to imagine

Jack changes so much from day to day that its pretty hard to imagine that almost 10 weeks ago he looked and acted totally different. He now has a schedule and definite likes and dislikes. He can locate his fists and jam then quite contentedly into his mouth. He can smile, giggle, and kick his chubby thighs. He recognizes Mom and Dad and he tracks people as they move around. He is learning that when he kicks during bath time he can splash and this has resulted in some pretty wild bath times! The wonderous part of being a parent though is that everyday is a new adventure. Every day we learn more about one another. I love the days where I discover something else that amuses him. I love when he smiles up at me because he has determined another word I say strikes his fancy. Today that word is kitty cat. Who knew that kitty cat was such a funny word?

But I don't want to!

With the cooler days upon us I tried testing out Jack's latest yard sale score; a cute new reindeer hat with matching mittens! While at first he was tolerant of my attempts to dress him up he quickly became bored of the game and told me in no uncertain terms that he didn't want to wear his hat!
(and don't ask me why the pics are sideways I can't seem to fix them?!)

Some good cuddling

In need of some good cuddling? You need look no further than Jack in his fuzzy blankie with his pacifier firmly in place. Jack has decided this is the only way to nap and I can't blame him! All wrapped up with something comforting in these cooler fall days! And the results of the good cuddles and nice naps? A smiling baby!

New friends!

We have had a productive week and have made a new friend. On Monday I was taking Jack in from the car when a passing car waved at us. I assumed the driver thought we were someone else but then several hours later I saw the same car pull into our parking lot. A woman got out and waved up at me (Jack and I were sitting in front of the glass sliding door.) Turns out she has a 6 week old baby and has seen me walking around the complex with Jack. We met up and went for a nice long walk and then sat on the grassy area by the tennis courts for an hour or two! It was great and Jack met his new friend Nia who has so much more hair than Jack that its hilarious!

Jack is now way into his fists. He delights in trying to shove both fists into his mouth at the same time. He is now slurping on them which is really quite amusing. The other night he got a little too into his fists and chomped on them a little harder than he expected and started to cry! Poor surprised baby!

Mom and Dad's little Jack O'Lantern!

Fall is coming and Jack is ready with his pumpkin!

What a weekend!

Well Jack has had a busy weekend going to yard sales, seeing his Aunt's art show, and going clothes shopping with mom and dad. We scored a new playmat for Jack at the family yard sale and he is enjoying playing with it in front of his favorite window. He is particularly taken with a colorful octopus that hangs from the top and he gets really excited when he sees that he is batting at it.
We also got a very cute hat with matching mittens. Before you know it we will be putting those new items into use because the weather is getting cooler and the leaves are already changing.

Jack got two packages last week including a nice book from his Grandmother filled with different games we can play together. His other package was a gift from his little friend in Australia! I met a woman on my web forum for mothers and she had her son a week before Jack was born. We check in most days on the web forum and she commonly uses the term, "cheeky monkey" when referring to her son's antics. I was always so amused with the phrase so she sent us this bib with a monkey on it with that saying. Jack and I plan to send her a bib back but we just have to pick it out.

Jack is discovering his fists in a serious way. This morning while I was getting dressed he munched on both hands on the bed and then continued to munch on them while I was changing him. He then continued to munch on them while he was on his playmat so it looked like he was getting ready to box his octopus!

Cars, Daycare, and Static Oh My!

Well I finally have a mode of transportation after four mind numbing days of solitude that resulted in me having conversations with all manner of inanimate objects. I am now cruising around in a Toyota Highlander with Jack and I am loving it! Jack and I went to visit his day care today and get to know Phyllis more. It was a great meeting and she was so thrilled to see Jack and meet him for the first time. She marveled at how cute and well behaved he was which are nice things for a mother to hear.

On our way back from Phyllis's Jack started to get a little fussy in the car and to my horror I realized that I couldn't reach into the back seat and put his pacifier in because the Highlander is so big! I remembered a suggestion I had once gotten from another mother who said that if you kid gets fussy tune to static and crank it up. Wouldn't you know who piped right back down until he got home?! Thats right it worked! When he got fussy ten minutes ago and wouldn't go down for his nap I tried the same trick and literally within 30 seconds his eyes were rolled back in his head and he is now sleeping in his crib.

Jack simply does not sleep in his crib in the day time (well who are we kidding he doesn't sleep in it at all right now!) so I am particularly pleased that he is down for a nap in the crib! Go static! While it does sound like we are under the ocean it is a small price to pay for naps.

Jack is growing up!

We survived our shots!

Jack has made it through to the other side of his first round of immunizations. He took the actual shots like a champ and while he cried he was easily consoled shortly after. It wasn't until later in the day that he started to show signs of coming un-glued. He was fussy and then had periods where he would just wail. Poor little man! We gave him Tylenol every four hours and this seemed to help. He then slept without a hitch and woke up at his normal feeding times 1 and 4am. He is back to his happy old self and is cooing in front of the window.

Brian's car is yet again needing a repair and I find myself on day 4 without a way to really get out of the house. At this point someone might just find me talking to a house plant. Jack and I are going to spend the day gathering fire wood to build an enormous pyre to float Brian's car down the Ganges. We will wave as it floats off to its watery fiery death. I think at this point Brian has had to with the car as well and he is ready to ram it into a tree!

It's shot day....

From Floor Jack

The day I have been dreading is here and Jack gets his two month shots today. Hopefully he will brave them and come out unscathed. We have his 2 month appointment at 11:45 and I am curious to see how much weight he will have gained in the 2 months. When he was born he was 7 pounds 4.2 ounces and at his last appointment he was up to 8 pounds. Brian and I both are guessing that he is definitely in the double digits and he has definitely grown taller.

We have our mommies group later in the day so depending on Jack's demeanor following his shots we plan on attending. The weather here is getting cooler by the day and Jack and I are in pants, long sleeves and socks! The air has that distinct crisp quality to it and fall is on its way. Brian and I can't wait to take Jack apple picking at the local apple orchard. We both love the process of apple picking (mostly I think because of the food involved!) We get to eat not only the crunchy sweet apples but the orchard usually has freshly made hot cider doughnuts and hot apple cider. I tend to make a lot of apple pies in the fall as well and nothing is better than using fresh apples picked locally.

Wish us luck today!

Let the Blogging begin!

It is with great pleasure that I start blogging about the Kelley family adventures! Hopefully this will be a nice place for family and friends to come and get the latest and greatest updates on our little man Jack. Jack has his first round of shots tomorrow and this makes me insanely nervous. At his last appointment he got only one shot and I cried harder than he did I think. Brian is taking the day off of work so that he can be there for Jack's appointment as well.

Jack enjoyed visiting with his Great Grandmother for the first time on Sunday and Monday! He must be exhausted from all the fun because he has been sleeping most of today either in my arms or in his swing. This kid just loves to rock so hopefully his swing can last through all of the endless hours of use.