New word!  We're pretty sure Jackson is saying "bah" for "ball" ... he's said it several times over the last few days when he grabs a ball.  So we have dada and ball officially confirmed so far. 

Other things this week:  he's had some cold symptoms, but nothing too bad.  Also, he had his worst bump/bruise yet ... he fell such that he hit his forehead on an edge of the coffee table, and it was pretty hurtful / distressing.  It became swollen and bruised quickly, and I had to work hard to get him to let me keep ice on it, but finally it subsided, and didn't look too bad.  By the next day it was hardly visible!

Here's some other stuff...

Jackson gets in these hysterical laughing moods, often close to bed time :)

Making music with the pan lid and spoon

Riding in his new wagon -- he loved going fast!

Playing at the fire hydrant in our front yard

A new favorite is hanging upside down and doing flips :)

Mischievous Jackson   
Lately, Jackson seems most interested in getting into trouble :)  He's very interested in anything off-limits!  Maybe he just likes us saying "no" all the time.

The other day, he decided to eat a chunk of dirt out of a potted plant.  Another day, he ate a leaf, and threw up breakfast.

Blinds & curtains are another favorite...

He's always excited to sneak into the laundry room when I have the door open.  He loves sticking his head in the washer...and he's also thrown his sock in there, so I think he's starting to get the idea ....  In this picture, we see his ultimate favorite, which is pressing buttons.  He is constantly turning the TV on, searching for the remote, telephone, and anything else that has buttons.  

The trash can is also a new favorite ... he can pull up to stand on it, he can bang it, and sometimes, the lid pops open.  So now, we've taped the tab/button down so he can't open it....only a matter of time before he figures out how to pull the whole lid off, or just knock it over.

Some other mischievous things --- getting into Mocha's water and food bowl.  I finally gave up and move the water bowl up when he's prowling the kitchen. 

Play Time
Jackson had some play time with Caleb yesterday; they are actually starting to somewhat acknowledge each other now!  (well, if by acknowledge, I mean Jackson stealing every book Caleb tried to read). 

Up next week --- blah, back to work for the parents... so we will miss our extra time with Jackson!  But sometime fun is also coming up... we start another session of Music Together; this time, we're doing Saturdays, so Josh will get to go as well.

Big Baths!
Jackson has officially graduated to the big bath tub; we have packed away the infant/toddler tub (well, Amy has it to use with Baby Nate).  We did put down a cushy bath mat to ease our fall-fears (and the spout was already covered with a cushioned thermometer).  Well, actually the first time was an impromptu decision, and we had to "make" our own bath mat out of shelf liner...not really an effective hack considering that it floats! He did fall backwards once (I think he was used to having a back-rest), but he caught himself and only ended up in a "floating" position, and he looked a little confused, but didn't get upset.  Since then, he's done great!  I think he really enjoys all the extra space for toys.

Teeth
Still teething a lot!!  The top two center ones are fully through/visible, and the ones on either side are barely through the gums.  They sure are some big chompers!  Will have to get a pic soon.

Here's some other random stuff from last week:

Jackson's newest tricks with the office gate -- standing on the bottom pole, making goofy faces in the netting, and throwing toys on the other side of it.

Climbing on boxes is fun...

...as well as pushing the high chair all the way across the kitchen!

We really enjoyed all of the festivities last week, with getting to celebrate Jackson's first Christmas!  We also loved having more time with him (and less time working!).  This coming week is going to be great on that front as well --- we're planning to do some story time, music class, playing outside, and other stuff! 

Our holiday celebrations began the weekend before Christmas with some of Josh's family.  He enjoyed all the attention, and was really worn out at the end of both occasions. :)

Opening his first gift

Me with a very sleepy boy who finally just gave in!

Then, on Christmas Eve, we celebrated with my family, at our house.  He did better this time, but probably because it was later in the afternoon, and he was already well-rested from normal naps.  He had lots of fun playing with Nathan, his 2 year old cousin, and, as always, soaked up all the attention! 

Sporting his monster sweater

Reading a new book

Nathan & Jackson playing with the house

On Christmas morning, we enjoyed some "us" time as a family -- we had breakfast and exchanged gifts, including checking out what Santa brought.

 
Jackson got a wagon from Santa!

Trying to figure out what the ball popper toy is all about :)

Then (after a failed attempt at a morning nap), we headed over to Josh's parents' house to celebrate with some of his family.

In his Christmas outfit

Being silly with Stephanie

 
Being silly with Alan

Thanks to everyone who made Jackson's first Christmas a great one!    

The theme of "better late than never" continues!  I just can't stay caught up!

Playing with his current favorite toy:

Jackson's getting close to standing alone ... often I can see him using 1 hand for balance only (no weight against it), and occasionally he'll let go and stand on his own for a couple of seconds.

He had his 9 month checkup (well, it got postponed so he was officially 10 months).  We thought he wouldn't need any shots, but turns out they recommend 2 flu shots the first year, so he got a 2nd dose of the flu vaccine.  Everything looks good!  Dr. said we don't need to do anything about the bruises on his knees (from all  the vigorous crawling), and she confirmed that we can introduce egg whites, so there's a whole new load of things he can eat now.  And at this point, it's pretty much just staying away from peanuts, shellfish...and I think that's it!  Of course, he won't be starting whole milk (as a drink; it's ok as a minor ingredient in food) until about 12 months old.

We also had two Christmas celebrations with Josh's family, so Jackson had his first holiday experiences.  I'll post lots of pictures and videos soon.

Other Pics:

Coming up this week:  more Christmas celebrations and enjoying some extended family time together while we're on vacation from work!

A few months ago, Jackson participated in a photo shoot at Chez Ami for their upcoming spring line (thanks to Hannah, our inside connect!).  The catalogs are now out, and Jackson is on page 30.  Turned out pretty good considering he was I-don't-need-no-sleep Mr. Fussy Pants at the shoot :)

Jackson is 10 months old (as of Wed)!  Official doctor office measurements bring him in at 21 lbs, 9 oz, and 29.75 in.  Here’s a comparison:

8 months old  22 lbs (90%)  29.75 in (97%)
10 months old   21 lbs, 9 oz (71%) 29.75 in (86%)

He is slimming up and looking more and more tall and lean like his dad!

Growth Charts: 

Current Developmental Milestones:

• Still very little stranger anxiety
• Parental preferences --- often wants me in the mornings, and can get especially cranky on work mornings when I'm getting things ready to leave b/c he wants me to pay more attention to him (although he doesn't cry or fuss when we leave).  Usually prefers Josh when we pick him up after work. 
• Talking a lot more.  We are counting official first word as "dada," since he seems to use it to reference Josh.  Also says "mahmah," "bahbah," "haazahhhh" (we always joke like we're at the Renaissance Festival when he says that one) and other variations of those syllables.  Starting to babble talk mimicking real conversation.
• Crawling all over the place!  Moving on all fours at all times when crawling now.  Always has bruises on his knees from crawling.  And can crawl really fast!
• LOVES to walk and stand, holding our hands, with the wagon, or leaning against couch/door/table.  Starting to get better with balance at standing holding on with one hand only, or bending down with one hand. 
• Pulling up on everything!  New things are the trash can, toys... and still the crib, which now has teething marks all over it.
• Drinking all 4 servings of formula per day, as well as water/juice, from the cup, so we are officially bottle-free! 
• Eating / self-feeding on just about everything!  We now feed him mostly from the table at dinner, and he "eats" with us when we dine out.  We confirmed with the dr. that egg whites are ok now, so he will get some new foods (waffles, baked goods, etc).  We've also put cheese / yogurt back in his diet. 
• Very rare spitting up now.  Acid reflux no longer an issue; stopped taking Prevacid. 
• A new medical issue to control is eczema.  It's under control with daily moisturizing, Aquaphor as needed, and occasional hydrocortisone cream.  Also stopped using baby bath wash and switched to one free of dyes/perfumes.  And had a "cradle cap" (which I didn't think happened after the newborn-phase) incident that required some extra care and products with hair/scalp washing for a couple of weeks.
• Teething – two bottom teeth up; Top 2 center ones broken through gums; 2 more upper ones soon to break through.
• STILL Loves to explore the house -- opening cabinets, checking out things up on higher surfaces, like tables, playing with door stoppers, etc.  Usually falls a few times a day, and has had some pinched fingers in cabinets.
• Loves "reading" books, now that he can turn pages on board books.
• Favorite toy right now is the Fisher Price Laugh & Learn house (courtesy of a craigslist deal) ....it comes in at a close tie with the kitchen cabinets.
• Wearing size 12 or 18 mos clothes, and now in size 4 diapers

There are a myriad of reasons I could list as to why I am so delinquent in posting these pictures, but since I am not a fan of excuses, I will simply leave it at -- I forgot!

Here are pictures from Jackson's 8 month photo shoot (click the picture to see more from the session) --

Jackson is 10 months old today!  But I've got no stats....and no time to do a proper monthly update.  So much going on around our house / family /work right now! 

He has a regular checkup on Friday, so I'll wait for their official measurements, and then will do a proper 10 month update then.  Till then, here's a cute picture of Jackson from last week --

Jackson's hair started getting pretty "scraggly" recently. 

He had a head of hair when he was born, and it has only grown in more and more since!  Here's Jackson only a few days old:

I always thought the first hair cut would come some time after his first birthday, but I just didn't want to wait any longer.  Hair was sticking out over his ears, starting to curl up in the back (not a fan of the boy curls), so we decided it was time for a cut!  I did some research, and decided to take him to Pigtails & Crewcuts, a salon dedicated to serving kids.  This place was fabulous!!  Tons of distractions for the children, designated play areas for waiting, TVs playing a movie.... and they had a "first haircut" package where they keep a piece of hair and take a picture for you (the first picture above).

Jackson did extraordinarily well, especially considering he never took an afternoon nap (his choice, not my plans of course!).  And, there was a toddler there getting his hair cut that had to be held down by both parents and screamed the entire time, which made me afraid that Jackson would get anxious just from the screaming.  But he was so distracted by the cool airplane seat, that he never really protested to getting his hair cut.  He didn't exactly sit still, but that would have required sedation even in general circumstances, so all things considered, he was great. :)  The stylist even used the clippers on the edge, and, although curious, he didn't protest or cry!  Much better than the Santa experience ;)

Here's a video of the beginning of his hair cut:

BEFORE:

Playing in the  mirror before the hair cut

AFTER:

Here are some other pictures from our hair cute adventure:

Waiting in the play room before the hair cut

   
The airplane seat  and steering wheel kept him occupied the entire time!

Cutting time!

He is definitely starting to look like a toddler now, with his new hair cut.  But even big boys will fall asleep in the car after a day without enough naps!
 

We are hoping that since he has had an early, positive experience with getting his hair cut, that combined with a regular routine of visiting the salon, he won't become scared of it....crossing my fingers, because I DO NOT want to be like the aforementioned hold-the-screaming-toddler-down mom....