"I Am Changing" (imagine Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls)

I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of the changes I have seen in Jack this past week. They may not seem like much to most people, but I feel as though my baby is disappearing and growing up too fast!

I never thought I would say that. In the first couple of months of his life I was longing for when he could feed himself, entertain himself, and transport himself. Now I want him to stay as cute as he is forever!

No growing up Jack. It’s not allowed!

What are these drastic changes I’m so worked up about? Here they are – in no particular order.

1 – He can sit up (which is super cute)

2 – He can roll over (do these two sound familiar? I wrote about them before)

3 – Jack is officially teething. I can see the bumps under his gums. Soon his toothless grin will have teeth! This one actually has me the most misty-eyed. I named my blog “The Toothless Grin” for a reason. It’s one of my favorite things about my baby and soon it’ll be gone.

4 – He plays. Jack has always been fine if I left him alone with a toy to chew on, but he actually looked like he was intentionally “playing catch” with his ball the other day. I already posted a video… I couldn’t stop watching him. It was fascinating to see him so focused and moving the ball where he wanted to!

5 – He can feed himself cheerios. Well… sort-of. They often get stuck to the palm of his hand and he can’t find them after that. But he has gotten a few in his mouth on his own.

6 – Jack bounces. This isn’t typically mentioned in developmental books and charts, but it seems like a big deal to me! When he’s in his bouncy seat he bounces! When he’s lying on his back, when he sits on our laps, when I’m feeding him… he bounces! He even did it as he was falling asleep last night. Crazy kid.

7 – He lunges after things that he wants and he gets them. Such as his hair brush on the changing table. It rests on the ledge behind him and Jack lunges backwards to reach the brush. It’s amusing and is a sign that soon he’s going to be getting into everything. Lunging combined with bouncing also makes putting on a diaper rather difficult.

So that’s what’s happening. Most of these things are new in the last 10 days. I find myself wanting my camera by my side constantly in order to document every change. These changes have also inspired us to make our home more child friendly. So, if you’re invited over, be prepared to climb over gates, use our cheap dishes, and see toys everywhere!