Jack is 9 months old and with that comes the realization that I am three quarters of the way done nursing. My mother nursed each of us 5 kids for a year and I am determined to do the same (that is, everything but the 5 kids part:-). Other than my addiction to nasal spray, I was a pretty healthy kid and so were my siblings. I still remember getting the 100% attendance certificate at the end of the year in elementary school. We just never got sick. I've seen the same pattern in Sadie and I like to believe it's because of all the antibodies she got for 15 months. I do however agree with most of the world that nursing is a constant battle. It starts out as aggressively painful and then annoying when your kid decides to play with the curtains behind you instead of latching on.
Jack is VERY mobile these days and sitting down to eat has become a serious challenge. I'm also not one of those women who gets thinner and thinner when they nurse. In fact, I think I get bigger. I am hungrier and feel I need to eat more. It wasn't until I stopped nursing Sadie that I finally dropped the last ten pounds my body was so desperately holding on to. I'm excited to fit comfortably back in to my old jeans but I stand firm in my resolve to reach at least a year knowing that I did all I could to keep him as healthy as possible.
He really doesn't get a whole lot of calories from me. The bulk of his food definitely comes from solids. Lately he's been eating oatmeal with a scoop of formula, and kale in the morning. For lunch he's gets some yogurt with flax seeds, and dinner consists of a variety of whatever we can find in the refrigerator. He loves avocado blended with a banana and I can usually take a jar of Earth's Best "dinner" jars and mix it with some tofu and cottage cheese. I'm having a lot of fun feeding him because he'll pretty much eat anything. It was difficult to get Sadie to even open her mouth. I remember watching Tanner Swenson once while Angela had an appointment and was shocked that he would just open his mouth and eat!! I didn't think it was possible and now I have my own Tanner!! I think I deserve one after all Sadie and I put up with.
Jack is into EVERYTHING and now that he's climbing stairs I really have my hands full. He will climb a few and then sit down while plummeting to the ground. He's still hasn't figured out gravity just yet. I have a drawer of tissue paper and wrapping supplies that have pretty much been destroyed. His favorite thing to do is empty my ribbon and paper drawers.
Jack has many unique qualities and quirks that we just adore. We love it how he has a constant snort. I don't know if he has congestion problems like his mom but he snorts constantly. He also chews on his little index finger and uses the same finger to examine everything. I love watching him poke and prod his food, toys and people's eyes with his little stub of a finger. I failed to mention that last month he actually said both "mama" and "dada." He's much better with the "dada" but it usually comes out in a faint whisper and we just can't get enough of it.
Probably my favorite thing about Jack is that he will cuddle with me. Most kids at his age are way too rambunctious to sit still for a second but when I put him down for a nap we usually have a quiet little minute or so of him laying his little head on my shoulder as we drink in the precious moment of quiet (Sadie is usually downstairs or anxiously waiting outside Jack's door:-). I find it strange that he goes down to sleep so easily. All I do it lay him down, give him a billion kisses and then walk out. It's even more peculiar that when he wakes up it's as if the world has ended. He'll throw his head back in the most dramatic fashion and just wail. I wish he would wake up happy too, but I can't ask for too much because then, he would be too perfect.
Our biggest milestone yet is him standing up whenever he can and walking along the tables and reaching for chairs to walk a little more. He also got his first tooth and it's too cute. He has yet to bite me while nursing which I'm hoping will never happen. His favorite little snack these days is Veggie Booty and because it's bigger than a tiny little cheerio, he can actually eat them all by himself. Cheerios are possible too, but just more of a challenge. He really is a fun kid. He never makes a peep when we drive around in the car. He enjoys hanging out in his car seat during church and will fall asleep during Sunday school. He's a little sweet heart and I love him to pieces. I feel so blessed to have two wonderful little kids.
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