Zoom Zoom!

I went to happy hour with my girlfriends yesterday and returned home to two very proud boys - Corey because he'd helped teach Jackson a new trick, and J because he'd learned a new trick.

The second I walked in the door, Corey grabbed J's activity walker and told me to stand back and watch.  He got J all set up and J literally came running at me behind the walker with the biggest smile on his face.  He was SO proud of himself and it was absolutely adorable.

Take a look.

One Big Kiss

Every year, my favorite radio station (KISS 106.1) does a Children's Hospital One Big Kiss radioathon to help raise money for the hospital (uncompensated care, Greatest Needs Fund, etc).  And every year, they play touching interviews with kids who have been patients at Children's and families who have had kids at Children's during the radioathon to help drive donations.  Those who know me well know that, while I can be emotional in my every day personal life, when it comes to touching stories, movies, TV, books, etc, I rarely let my emotions get the best of me.  The radioathon is the one thing that brings me to tears year after year and I literally bawl all the way to and from work, while listening to both the happy and the heartbreaking stories.

Last year's radioathon was especially rough for me for a few reasons - I was eight months pregnant and highly emotional, but I also kept thinking how, with a baby on the way, you just never know if you're going to need to rely on Children's during your child's life.  I ended up donating money to the radioathon for the first time last year.  While we are so lucky that Jackson hasn't needed to go there for anything too serious (his hip ultrasound and his dermoid cyst), he's been a patient there and both times we've been there, we've experienced firsthand how great it is.

Jackson's CT scan for his cyst takes place at Children's next week and the surgery to remove it will occur there sometime after that and we know we'll be in the good hands of great doctors. It truly is a wonderful hospital and we are so lucky that we live so close by -- there are many families that do not have this luxury and are constantly traveling between the hospital and home. 

Last year, KISS helped raise over a million dollars and are looking to do so again during this year's radioathon this week (February 29-March 1).  We look forward to donating this year, and, in case you'd like to donate as well, here's the link with more details.

Who AM I?

I originally thought we'd call him Jack, but Jackson doesn't yet seem like a 'Jack' to me.  Maybe when he's a little older, 'Jack' will fit better.  But rest assured, Jackson still has plenty of nicknames, which I never really realized until the other day. 

Here are just a few of the nicknames I call him:

• J
• JJ
• Baby J
• Bubs
• Bubbers
• Bud
• Buddy
• Munchkin
• Munchkin Man
• Munchies 
• Baby Cakes
• Babes
• Kid
• Kiddo

At what point do you think I'll confuse him by giving him too many names?

10 Months

J is TEN months old.  How did this happen?  Not sure, but one thing is for sure --- I love that kid more every single day.

I can't get enough of his gummy smiles, his waves, his chubby cheeks and thighs, his cute little butt, and his slobbery kisses.

At 10 months, J:

• Waves 'hi' much more consistently.
• Went on his first tropical vacation, plane ride and swing
• Gives sloppy kisses (aka bite/slick your cheek)
• Can turn the pages of the books I read him before bed
• Says what sounds like 'all done' (more like 'ah da') while pushing away the bottle when, he literally is all done. (He just started this week, and has only done it a few times so far.)
• Says 'ma ma ma' when crawling to me or when reaching up for me to pick him up. (Only noticed this for the first time tonight, but he did it four times in a row, all at appropriate times!)
• Spits out "yucky" food
• Slobbers a lot more than he has in the past few months (since his first two teeth appeared), so I'm assuming he's working on some more teeth
• Appears to have a ticklish tummy and feet
• Makes a HUGE mess when feeding himself solids (thus the nightly baths)
• Requires puff bribes to sit still long enough for his monthly photo
• Gives high fives
• Can cross his arms and look like he's pouting when he's upset/not getting his way
• Can spot and pick up puffs when mixed with other "yucky" food on his tray

At ten months, J still does not/cannot:

• Have more than two teeth
• Drink out of a sippy cup
• Hold/drink a bottle entirely on his own
• Walk on his own

At 10 months, J loves:

• Puffs, Cheerios, Mum Mums, bread, tofu (covered in Cheerios), mozzarella string cheese, oatmeal, applesauce, yogurt with fruit puree, and bananas (still)
• Bath time
• Taking his socks off and chewing on them in the car
• Putting anything and everything he comes across into his mouth
• Playing with Roxy's crate
• Trying to turn the knobs on the DVR, turn on the Xbox (had to unplug it), chew/tear magazines, get ahold of Roxy's toys, put his hands in Roxy's water, pull down towels from the oven handle, open drawers
• Drinking water out of a glass (with help, of course)
• Trying to figure out how things work (i.e. open and close, etc)
• Hitting the elevator buttons
• "Helping" me empty the dishwasher
• Watching the washer and dryer when I'm doing laundry
• Having his teeth brushed (most of the time)
• Going out to dinner
• Roxy

At 10 months, J dislikes:

• Chicken, broccoli, garbanzo beans, black beans
• Getting out of the tub
• Being forced to lay down for a diaper/clothes change
• When there are no more puffs on his tray at dinner
• Being left at daycare or with anyone other than Mommy and Daddy (though he usually forgets about us a few minutes after we leave him)
• Too much heat/sun
• Being put into his stroller or car seat (arching his back ensues)
• Basically, J dislikes whenever he doesn't get his way

At 10 months, J makes everything:

• Louder
• Messier
• Much more fun

Man I love this kid!

Jackson in Action

It's been awhile since I've posted some videos of our little busy body.  Here's J in action, having all kinds of fun.

Life Lately

Here's what going on in our world, according to the photos on my phone.

Clockwise from top left: (1) tulips awaiting our return from Hawaii from Joan, (2) J enjoying his new Crocs, (3) playtime in Hawaii, (4) J's dinner of champions (i.e. his favorite eats when we go out to dinner) - tofu, bread and puffs, (5) family golf cart riding in Hawaii, (6) J's newest hobby is removing his socks every time he's in the carseat (but never outside of it), (7) my favorite kitchen helper.

Top row: J playing (and drooling) in his room.  More teeth have got to be on the way, but then again he drooled like crazy for 6 months before his first two teeth appeared.
Bottom row: One of J's favorite pasttimes --- playing with Roxy's crate. 

R&R Recap

We got back last night from a great six-day vacation to Hualalai on the Big Island.  We had an amazing time and thoroughly enjoyed being in the heat and sun for a few days after so much gloom, rain and cold in Seattle these past few months.

While we were a bit nervous about J and his first plane ride, he greatly surpassed our expectations.  He did so well that even the flight attendants and people sitting around us commented on his great behavior.  He even made friends with those around us and spent time waving (he started really waving and doing it more consistently), smiling, grabbing their hands, and trying to climb over the seats to see them.  Both ways, he hardly made a peep and stayed entertained playing with toys, eating snacks, squirming, and making the above mentioned friends.  On the way there, he took two one-hour naps (one at takeoff and one at landing) and on the way back, he slept for two hours at takeoff!  Next time though, with all his squirming and how big and heavy he is (with how big he is, people were always shocked he was only nine months old), we'll probably go with getting him his own seat, vs. having him on our laps.

We stayed in an amazing condo at the Hualalai Resort and had access to both a neighborhood pool (which was essentially our own private pool given that we only ever saw one other person there), as well as various pools and restaurants at the nearby Four Seasons.  Our condo came with a golf cart to make getting around quick and easy.  So fun!

We spent our days at the pool (J loved swimming in a floatie my parents picked up for him, drinking pool water, touching the waterfall in one of the pools, and being thrown in the air in the water), relaxing at the condo while J napped, playing with new toys, going on coffee runs and to the playground in the golf cart, eating (here, here and here - twice), spotting J as he crawled up the stairs, walking around Kona, snacking on ice cream and shave ice, and whale watching (we saw tons!).  And as much as J liked being in the water, he didn't enjoy the hot weather so much - he kind of turned into a blob when we were out in it.

J especially liked our dinner at Bubba Gumps - we sat out on a patio over the water and between the view and the birds he attracted by dropping bits and pieces of his dinner on the ground, there was a lot to look at.  He had so much fun he was literally cackling while he ate, causing him to choke on a Cheerio - after smacking his back a few times, it flew across the table and he went right on to pick up and eat another one without missing a beat. 

Throughout the trip, my parents were so great and let us have some extra pool time and a nice Valentine's dinner out alone while they stayed at the condo with a sleeping J. 

While this vacation was very different from our other tropical getaways given J's nap schedule and early bedtime, and we came back much less tan that previous trips, it was so much fun to see him experience all that Hawaii has to offer and can't wait to go back when he's a little older.

Crawling up stairs is FUN!

The blob that resulted from the heat and sun.

J loved relaxing in the water in his sunnies and hat.

Something about chunky monkey thighs and baby Crocs gets me every time.

Having fun in the sandy kids' pool.

J loved the feel of the water pouring down on his hands.

J also loved the swing at the playground.

We saw so many whales and they were so close to our boat during our whale watching trip.

J enjoying pool time with daddy.

J always looked very nervous when riding in the golf cart, but once parked, it wasn't quite so scary, especially with his silly grandparents.

Family shot on our last night.

J loved (playing with and chewing on) the Crocs my parents bought him early in the trip.

Family pool time.

Having so much fun at Bubba Gumps.

My Cute Valentines

This year, I had the pleasure of spending Valentine's Day with TWO cute boys and my parents...in Hawaii!  I'm definitely a lucky lady. 

We spent much of the day soaking up sun, reading and relaxing and Corey and I ended it with cocktails and a yummy dinner at The Beach Tree at Four Seasons in Hualalai on the Big Island while my parents stayed behind with a sleeping J.  Thanks again, Mom and Dad!  (More to come on our trip soon.)

While I've always loved Corey, I love him even more as a dad --- he's such a great daddy to Jackson and I know how much he loves our son and that he'd do anything for him. Being a parent is the hardest thing I've ever done, but it's also the most fun and rewarding, and I couldn't ask for a better partner in crime.  And as for J - while I may be a bit biased, he's the cutest, most adorable baby ever and I love him to pieces.  He makes me smile and laugh a million times a day and, while I love truly love this age and will be sad to see the baby phase go, I can't wait to see him grow up.

I thank my lucky stars every day for such a great husband, baby and family.  I'm truly so very lucky!

My cute Valentines.  And, as you can see, J has the whole relaxation on vacation thing figured out.

Love Birds

My bestie Kelsey got engaged to her bf Mark late last year and a few weekends ago, a few of us (Gina, Sara and Tara) hosted a Phinney Ridge engagement pub crawl to celebrate the happy couple.

We kicked the night off at Naked City and everyone was given a button to wear --- one of their friends drew a bunch of designs that had to do with funny events that happened over the course of their time together, which we turned into buttons.  After a few drinks there, we rounded up the pack of 15-20 friends and headed to 74th Street Ale House, which was the home of their first date.  Given the significance in their relationship, we coordinated a champagne toast for the group there, and Gina presented them with a scrapbook of photos from their five years together. 

Post-toast, we tried to hit up Oliver's Twist for a yummy dessert, but it was far too crowded for the bunch of us, so we moved on to the next location on the list - Kort Haus.  I think this place is the diviest bar I've ever been to, complete with lawn chairs and burgers made of any kind of meat you can think of (i.e. python, kangaroo, and wild boar).  Throw in pool tables, pin ball and a jukebox and you've got yourself a good time.

From there is was onto Sully's for another drink and their famous corn dogs.  Corey and I called it a night at this point since we're old and tired.  The rest of the crew enjoyed their fried food and ended the night at Park Pub, one of Kels and Mark's favorite bars. (Don't worry - we didn't miss out on the fried food action.  We hit up Jack in the Box on our way home.)

The happy couple enjoyed their night on the town (as did we!) and we are so looking forward to their summer 2013 wedding!

Chow Down

Our boy has suddenly started enjoying many more solid foods, especially those he can pick up himself - yay!  Leading up to his 9-month check-up, he really only liked to pick up puffs, Mum Mums and Cheerios, and there were very few pureed veggies that we could feed him.  Apparently he is a fruit and carb kid. 

In the last week though, per his doctor's suggestion, we've started having more fun with finger foods.  I've really just started giving him anything I can think of that seems easy for him to pick up and eat.  I usually put a number of different foods on his highchair tray and let him go to town.  I used to be more concerned about waiting three days between new foods which made it hard to get very many new foods in front of him each month; however, since he hasn't had any bad allergic reactions, his doctor thought it was okay to try new things more frequently.  I still keep track of them and watch for big reactions, but unless we're giving him a ton of new things every day, we should be able to pretty quickly tie a reaction back to a new food.

All that said, over the last week, he's tried (and liked): tofu dusted with Cheerios (easier to pick up and gives it more flavor), boiled apples with cinnamon, lentils, mozzarella string cheese, whole wheat bread, and cottage cheese.  He also seems to enjoy pureed peas and brown rice much more than he used to - he was opening for more faster than I could get the spoon back into the bowl.  I love watching him eat on his own and I really enjoy not having to try so hard to get a few bites of veggies down. 

In addition to eating a wider variety of solids, he's eating more --- he continues to have a full banana at daycare every day plus at least one jar of food or yogurt with fruit and Cheerios, and at dinner he will sit and eat most of what we put in front of him for about 30 minutes.  For instance, tonight he enjoyed half of an avocado, a few Jackson-sized handfuls of apples, puffs and tofu.

Here's to hoping J continues to be a big, adventurous eater!