12 Months

We made it a full year. There were times that I doubted we were ever going to reach this milestone but looking back it seemed to take hardly any time. It is crazy how that works. At one Jack is taking lots of steps but can get places faster by crawling. He will put his head down and crawl faster. It looks like he is powering up but this can lead to crawling into things. He is very friendly but does prefer me or Tim. Most of the time Jack dislikes fruit. He does enjoy vegetables, meat and cheese. He is pretty efficient at feeding himself with his fingers and is typically a big mess at the end of every meal. Jack is very healthy and weighs in at 22 lbs and his head is in the 95th percentile. Shirts are always a struggle to putt on because his head is so big. 

 This little monster got weaned at 11 1/2 months! After biting me multiple times I was done. Jack was pretty upset about it for a few days but was eventually able to get over it and now drinks milk from a sippy cup. Since cutting him off completely he has started sleeping better at night. I think he was confused by when he was supposed to be eating so he was just waking up and eating because I wasn't putting my foot down. He now goes to bed between 7:30-8:00 and wakes up between 6:00-7:00. I always wish it was close to 7 but I am not complaining because I am getting uninterrupted sleep and Tim is an early riser so he usually wakes up with Jack.
He loves to play with balls and is starting to really play with us. He loves peek-a-boo and will chase you around the island. He thinks "This little Piggy" is hilarious and anticipates the end by pulling away his toes. I love making him laugh until he can't breathe. 

 One of Jack's favourite places to play is on the couch. He is finally figuring out gravity and is able to get off all by himself. 

Eating a strawberry off the floor just like a dog. He really has mad love for dogs. 

We have to keep the bathroom door on the main floor closed because Jack is so fast and it is his favourite past time to put Wrigley's food in the water. 

I went to the optometrist and Jack just sat on the couch eating a cheese string. I was overwhelmed by how big my baby is. 

 Jack is obsessed with Tim's earplugs. We try to have him "snuggle" us in our bed but he is so busy that it only lasts for a brief second. 

Jack is a pretty good laundry helper. We don't spend a lot of time in the basement so he is happy to explore and take the clothes out of the basket. I put the clean clothes on the couch so can't get into them. 

 Jack has 2 bottom teeth and one top tooth. The other top one is poking through and I will really miss his snaggle tooth. I love that snaggle tooth smile. 

 After naps we usually read books. Wrigley likes to get in on the action and Jack doesn't mind. 

This is what I learned in the first year of Jack's life:

-Breastfeeding is one of the hardest things I have ever done. In the beginning it was hard to get the hang of it and then I couldn't figure out how to wean him. I did enjoy the time with him because in the end it was the only time he sat still with me. 

-Sleep training is no joke! Jack has a crazy amount of stamina and determination. This personality worries me because in the future I just want him to do what I say! But honestly sleep training was the one thing I really wanted to do and Jack full on resisted. I am grateful for a fabulous rocking chair and an iphone that got me through many a long nights. 

-The health nurse is always crazy.

-Feeding a baby is hard work. Jack never wanted purees and hates fruit. If he doesn't like it he will just open his mouth and let it fall out. It was hard not to break down and just feed him candy because I really wanted him to eat anything! I am happy because we now have food fairly figured out and Jack has become a pretty good eater. 

-The milestones are exciting and hard to wait for. It seems like everybody's kid on facebook is so much more advanced than mine. 

All of these points came with a few (or a lot) of tears but what I learned is that it is ok. Jack is a little human with a strong will and lots of spunk. I feel pretty lucky to be his mimm. It was a fabulous year and I feel so blessed to have maternity leave so that I could spend it all with Jack. It was so awesome to be able to go anywhere and do anything at any time that I wanted. Jack is my little buddy and it was so fun to have him. So much growth has occurred over this year. Seeing Tim as a dad is one of my favourite things. Jack just adores him. It is hard to remember a time with out Jack. I do miss the sleep ins and absolute freedom but life has changed into a long term fun. I continue to look forward to every milestone and the changes that happen in all of us. Life really great.