Saturday Brunch

Jack and I spent this Saturday afternoon at brunch with Katie Furr (Jack will call her "Aunt Awesome"). Apart from being a great afternoon at a great new brunch location (Calle Ocho...the sangria bar is totally worth it), Katie took this adorable photo of Jack that I just had to share. Seriously...he is beyond cute in this photo!

saying goodnight

just a few photo favorites...

I actually struggle to take photos of Jack. Everyday photos are easy, but "photo shoot" quality type photos are really hard for me. When I'm photographing someone else's child, my mind is free to think about what I want to do or how I want the shot to look. But with Jack, I'm thinking what if he cries or doesn't like what we're doing. I also don't always have someone there to hold him, so we're rather limited when it's just me around. Anyways...a real 3 month photo shoot is going to happen soon, but for now here's a few favorite photos from us just hanging out...

Happy 3 Month Birthday Jack!

Jack is 3 months old today! I realize I've said this on all 3 of his month birthdays, but I can hardly believe it's true! He's changed so much this last month and seems to be changing everyday. I feel like 3 months is a pretty big milestone, for me especially. I realize it's a gift to have as much time with him as I do and up until this point, I truly haven't wanted to be separated from him. That's not to say I want to be the one holding/caring for him the entire time, but I have genuinely wanted to be near him during this time. While my daily life will still be filled with Jack, I am finding that I am now ready and wanting time to myself. This was most apparent to me during my last photo shoot. I was sitting in Central Park waiting on my shoot to get there and I realized just how free and available I felt in that moment without Jack...and I liked it. I also really loved the feeling of "coming home." Separation is an important thing (I know this), I'm just so thankful to have been the one to decide that I was ready to separate.

Other 3 months thoughts...
*We're working on our 10 minutes a day of tummy time and Jack's getting pretty good at it. You could even say he likes it some of the time. He'll hold his head up and look all around, smile when he sees your face, then as soon as he's finished he'll face plant into the ground and start to cry. Next step...rolling over.
*I read a lot during pregnancy, but truthfully I haven't really touched any parenting books at this point. I'll look up specific things I'm interested in and maybe check in on the monthly progress checklists you can find online, but even that is rather sporadic. As I was thinking about my lack of reading recently, I asked Alan if I was a "bad parent for not reading parenting books?" His response was "yes." Can you believe it? (He did also say that we both should be reading books and trying to be more "in the know", but his first word of response was "yes.") I went to Barnes 'N Noble that night.
*Jack is still a little night owl. Maybe if I read more parenting books I would know how to fix this:). His late night tendencies only make mine worse. In needing more time to myself, I'm finding that I get the most "me time" between the hours of midnight and 2am after he and Alan both go to sleep. I suppose that will have to be the first thing to go if I'm wanting to start rotating his schedule a bit.
*We love to hear Jack coo! It really is the sweetest little noise you've ever heard. Sometimes he talks to us as loud as he can and sometimes it's more like a whisper. Regardless of the volume, we encourage every minute of it. It's typically accompanied with a whole lot of smiles, so talking with Jack is one of the best parts of anyones day.
*We started to learn this around 2 months, but it's even more true now. Jack needs a little time on his own throughout the day. There are times where he's just a little fussy at a time when you know he should be happy and then you put him on the floor and he starts smiling and talking and kicking his legs. He just needs time to stretch and move around on the floor, so we work really hard to give it to him. Sometimes this stretching is done on a table at the restaurant we're at, or in the park, or on his playgym at home. It doesn't really matter where he gets it, he's just happy to be "free."
*So many smiles...we really can't get enough!
*He definitely recognizes faces now. Not to break Alan's heart, but he does know mine the best. He'll follow you around the room and when you lock eyes with him, he'll just light up!
*He loves his hands! Most of the day you'll find him holding them together. Sometimes he's just happy to be holding them there, other times he's shoved them in his mouth..he just loves his hands.
*The boy loves to kick. This is part of that "need to be free" and put down. His little legs will kick as hard as they can, especially if there's something in front of them to kick on. We'll put our arms, our bodies, or toys in front of those little feet just to see how hard and fast he'll move them.
*Jack does have an opinion about things he doesn't like too. Here are just a few...
- He hates it when you wipe off his spit up or drool (really...he starts to cry).
- He cannot stand the second strap of the car seat. You put the first one and he's fine, but as soon as the second one gets placed over his other arm he starts to squirm and get upset.
- This might be the wierdest thing, but he will only take a pacifier from me (Jenny). I can get him to take the pacifier at any moment of the day, but if someone else offers it it honestly makes him angry. This is something we're working on because it really does pacify him instantly with me, so we'd love to have that be an option for other people holding him to use too (like Alan for instance).
*Jack is not terribly into toys at this moment (not that we put a ton in front of him at this point), but he does have one favorite...his cow. On his little playgym are different barnyard animals, and the cow definitely has won his heart. He'll stare and talk to it more than any other toy and I swear sometimes get a little bashful look when he sees it too:)

Jack and Riley

Riley is growing evermore fond of Jack these days. I think he's finally figured out that Jack is more of a person rather than just some thing we hold all the time. Now, when we get on the floor to play with Jack, Riley runs over to "play" too. His version of playing includes a whole lot of licking of Jack...his face, mouth, hands, feet, whatever he can lick until we tell him it's enough. It's really pretty sweet to watch. And don't worry either, Riley is very gentle too. Jack just takes it all in as if he's always been used to a dog licking him all over. I think they're going to be the best of friends:)

Another First

Jack is growing more curious about things around him. He loves to stare and talk at his playgym friends (especially the cow) and we're working at grabbing and holding onto toys. Today was the first day that he really held on though! I may have helped him grab the rattle, but he held on for a little while. I'm sure this won't seem like such a cool trick very soon when he's grabbing any and everything close to him (toys, earrings, Riley...who knows what else?), but for now I'm pretty excited.

Babies in NY

Jack is a city kid, which means he's always on the go making the whole city his playground. Sometimes the playground is the dinner table, so I just thought we should share this photo (from a recent dinner party celebrating Leighanne's graduation) to show you what I mean (please excuse Alan's bushy hair)...

See what I mean? Babies on a table!! Oh, and Happy Graduation Leighanne!

it's starting to feel like summer...

Summer in NY to me means lots of events happening outside. Tonight was one of the "first of the season" as we celebrated Dan Henkel's birthday. It was a cookout with friends and family in Metro's courtyard...the first of many more to come this summer I'm sure.

A Harbor Cruise

Thanks to Jerry and Mindy, we have discovered another great NYC activity...a Harbor Cruise. On a beautiful day like today, this was the perfect afternoon outing. We headed down to Pier 17 and South Street area and boarded our sail boat. It was a real sailboat too. There was no "tour", it was just a an afternoon sail with friends. Thanks Jerry for setting it up!

Happy Mother's Day!

My first Mother's Day! Such a fun time to have Mom and Dad here for a visit. After a great morning at Metro, we went to brunch and then a walk through Times Square. Then, as my Mother's Day gift, Alan and I went out to dinner...without Jack! Grams and Grandpa were the first babysitters. They were the perfect ones to put me at ease too. It's just too bad they don't leave nearby so that I could make them my permanent babysitters:)

The Met and Le Pain

One of my favorite outings in NY...a trip to the Met and then tea at Le Pain Quotidien (you'll start to recognize these string of photos I'm sure). Dad was in his element in the Met. While he was showing off different exhibits to us, he decided Jack needed to have physical contact with ancient history. So, Jack had his first experience of getting in trouble when Dad put his little hand on an ancient statue. Met security was on it and called him out immediately:) Poor Jack...2 months old and already getting in trouble in the museum.

Right before Dad took him and got him in trouble...

The Statue of Liberty

Jack's very first tourist destination...the Statue of Liberty! Dad had an agenda when he came to NY and the Statue of Liberty was at the top of the list. We loved it! It really is a great way to spend your day. You get a little time next to the water (something I always need), it's really inexpensive to go (just $12), and it's just one huge park once you get there...relaxing actually.

You can't go to the Statue and not get this hat...

I'm not sure how much Jack really loved the whole experience:)

a walk through the city

We're just hanging out around the city today. We headed off to Metro to meet Alan and to give Dad the grand tour while Mom showed off her skills as the "urban grandmother" carrying Jack around in the ergo carrier.

After lunch we headed off to Central Park (sadly without Alan). Jack had some pretty great tummy time in the park too. I think it had something to do with being in the park and also being on his changing mat. There's just something about his changing mat (and changing table) that he just loves. It's sort of an instant happy spot for him. Now, I've put it to more use for outdoor tummy time.