32 Weeks

Another week gone. Baby is now 32 Weeks. Next Monday he will be 33 Weeks (duh). And next Tuesday we will be flying to Fort Jackson to see his Daddy!

Baby has had quite the exciting week. Three of his cousins spent the night over the weekend so he got lots of play time with them. He mainly sat around and watched the older kids playing. They were a little louder than he is accustomed to, but he stayed on schedule fairly well. Having cousins around is definitely one of the best things about being in Michigan. We're loving dressing for the cooler weather too, but walks have been few and far between with the cold breezes. Jack got a wind rash from the breeze one day and that made bath time and lotioning his face a real treat. But it healed up real quick so now we are just being more careful about our outside time. I don't think baby would like a winter mask too much!

Of course, this week was Halloween! Jack was an Ewok- he was going to be Wicket, but his outfit was a little off color for Wicket. So he may be Wicket's little cousin, etc. I came up with the idea for Jack being an ewok while I was still pregnant. I bought a simple bear costume and made the hood for Jack. So stinkin adorable! Just goes to show the dorkiness of his parents. We didn't go trick or treating since Jack doesn't do well with the cold weather, but we did dress up for fun!

Baby loves to stand up against things. He doesn't enjoy "walking" yet, but I'm certainly in no hurry for that! He isn't quite able to pull himself up from sitting to standing yet, but if I stand him up against the coffee table, couch, or chair he loves to stand and "pound" against it. He's pretty good at catching himself if he loses his balance. If he does plop down he's able to plop on his bottom and usually doesn't topple over. He is also able to go from sitting onto his hands and knees. He rocks back and forth and is able to inch-worm backwards and every once in awhile forward. He goes from hands and knees to his belly then when he goes back up to his hands and knees he has inched forward slightly. His primary mode of transportation is rolling. He can roll both directions and can continue rolling until he reaches his desired destination.

Jackson is doing better at sleeping in his crib. He always starts in his crib and he has been sleeping longer most nights. He does still wake up for feedings, but I can usually get in at least a 6 hour stretch. I don't mind the night time feedings. I like the time with my son and I know it will be all too soon before he is no longer nursing and is sleeping in his own room. I love that his crib is in my room. Another benefit of being at "home" with my parents. If we were still in VA Jack would probably be in his own room by now. I have been trying a variety of blankies and stuffed animals for his to sleep with. Nothing has stuck yet. We bought him two tagged blankies (one for play and one for night time) so we'll see how that works. The bedtime one has a lion head on one end so it's like a blankie and stuffed animal in one. This week he did go down for a nap on his own for the first time. Every other time he's napped or gone to bed he's fallen asleep with someone holding him. I put him in his crib with the white noise maker on and his blankie and after a couple turns he fell asleep! Proud momma, right here. 

We've been integrating baby food more often into his diet. He generally eats baby food 1-2 times a day. He eats 1/4-1/2 of a jar of food at each sitting (stage 2). He has tried sweet potatoes, squash, and peas. He didn't care much for peas. We also tried baby food pouches. I figured that would be easiest with our travel arrangements next week. It only took two feedings for Jack to figure out how to suck out the food. So convenient! He eats one pouch in 2-3 sittings, depending on how hungry he is. I bought Plum Organics brand and I love how they mix veggies and fruits together! I try some of each of the baby food he tries and Plum Organics is by far the yummiest! Jack is also able to pick up puffs on his own and get them to his mouth. If it begins to fall out of his mouth he pushes it back in. He definitely has good fine motor skills so far. I still have been cutting up the puffs in half to make sure he doesn't have a problem swallowing them. I have been working on signing "more" and "please" with Jack at meal times. He hasn't signed them himself yet, but we're working on it.

With more baby food comes more... poopy diapers! Sometimes the poopy looks just like the baby food. No digestion etc. Strange- but that makes for easy cleanup. Of course, there is a lot more poo in the diapers than before! ... and it is a lot smellier than before. Sigh. Gone are the days of breastmilk poos. Jack still nurses regularly. I tried a bottle the other day and he just would not have it! Oh well, I don't mind. I can't imagine a time when he's away from me longer than one feeding anyways. 

Jack and I spend our days playing with toys in front of the fire (after living with my parents' fireplace, I may NEED one in all future lodgings! We may need to buy a faux fireplace for our future living rooms if not built in), bouncy time in the jumperoo while Mommy reads, watching Criminal Minds, reading story books, Story time with Daddy on the computer, shopping with Grammy, and our most recent activity- Little People Nativity! Jack loves the characters and we're getting in some good holiday meanings!

Practicing standing.

Peek-a-boo!

Happy Halloween!

Jack all bundled up for a car ride. Nice new snuggly hat and mittens that are Michigan colors!

We went to Golden Wok for dinner (Momma's fave) and a little friend was at the next table! This is Theo and he is 6 months old.

Halloween jammies from Grammie I. It says "Mommy's Little Boo" on the side.

Snuggly blankie. Hopefully this helps him stay in his crib longer.

Hey! Where'd all my toys go? He loves to pull out his toys on his own now.

Loving baby food pouches!

All 6 of the Bonnell-side cousins.

Momma and Jack on Halloween.

My 32 Week old baby! Momma made this onesie for Jack at her Lynchburg baby shower.

One more week, baby, and we get to see your Daddy!

[edit]

I forgot to mention: Jack got the second round of his flu shot this morning. He did so great! While we waited we looked at the fish tank. He loved the giant fish swimming around and the bubbles. When we went back for the shot he didn't cry at all. He just watched the nurse the whole time. When she was done she said, "Well, you can just come back any time! I wasn't expecting that!" Yup, that's my boy! So far, no side effects at home either.