34 Weeks

Jackson was 34 weeks old on Monday. He had quite the week! Not only did he go on his first plane ride to see Daddy, but he also stayed in his first hotel! He was such a great little traveler. Made Mommy's life so much easier. He truly is my little bundle of joy. There is nothing that his smile can't make better. Well, maybe "better" isn't the right word. He doesn't fix the problem, but he does make me feel like the problem isn't the end of the world. On his weekly birthday we were traveling home from Columbus, GA. We woke up bright and early, but luckily, Jack is a morning baby. He is always so smiley in the morning. We arrived at our gate and he loved playing with his toys and sitting like a big boy in the chairs.

 The hotels we stayed in didn't have cribs available. Good thing Jack is used to co-sleeping with Mommy! While it does make me nervous now that he can roll and crawl, I just put pillows beside him and scootch him towards the middle of the bed and next to me. He is such a funny sleeper sometimes. He rarely stays on his back when he's sleeping. He rolls onto his side generally. It was so funny how he snuggles up against the pillows. He knows what's comfortable! I am still trying to get him used to his crib when we are home, but he usually gives a shrill cry during the night and won't settle down until I snuggle him next to me. It's generally not when he's hungry. It seems more like he's terrified- it's a very different cry than when he's hungry or merely unhappy.

This week he figured out crawling in earnest. He had been able to move both of his knees once before he plopped down onto his tummy before this, but when we were in the hotel Mommy set down her fast food drink on the floor and before we knew it, he was across the floor with his hand on the top! Thankfully, Daddy was right there to catch it before he spilled it all over the floor. And, we're very happy that Daddy was able to see this for the first time. He can pull himself up onto his knees against chairs etc., but he hasn't figured out how to pull up to standing yet. He does enjoy walking while holding onto people's hands though. He's not too floppy, but he isn't close to balancing yet.

I am so thankful for baby food pouches. So convenient. Plus, Jack is now eating a full pouch in one sitting so I don't have to heat it up for a second feeding. I would run it under warm water until it felt like it was fairly warm all the way through. Now I can just attach the spoon and we're good to go. I want to continue using the spoons instead of him just sucking it out. I want to encourage the use of utensils. There are so many yummy flavors. He doesn't seem to like peas, but all other fruits and veggies we've tried he's liked. He tries mixes with sweet potatoes, mango, apple, zucchini, green beans, corn, carrots, and more. He is such a good little eater. He'll eat 1-2 pouches a day, depending on what else is on the schedule for that day. Other than that, he is still nursing.




We used disposable diapers while we were traveling and once again it confirmed how much I dislike them. I am so thankful we are home again and can use his cloth diapers. They really aren't that different (as far as changing) than disposable and they are so much softer for his bottom. Every time we use disposables for more than a few hours (like in church nursery) Jack gets a nasty diaper rash. This time it was a small rash, but  it was bad enough that Jack cried each time I changed his diaper. He would even begin crying right after he went potty- which he normally does not do. When we got home I immediately switched to cloth and used his lotion at each change. After two diaper changes his rash was significantly better and he no longer cried at changes. I attribute this to his diapers and the lotion, Say Yes to Baby Carrots. I use this baby wash and lotion and it is incredible. It clears up any form of irritation he may have and makes his skin so soft.

We are so looking forward to spending the holiday with Daddy! It will be Jack's first Thanksgiving. It is so much fun to celebrate holidays with a baby. I am so excited to start traditions with him for each holiday and to teach him about them as he grows. Most important, I will teach him about the love of Christ and how thankful we should be for this each and every day- not just during the holidays.