Play Time at the Park

Jack and I went to the park the other day for the first time for Jack to actually play instead of just watching other kids play...he's getting so big! Keeping Jack couped up in our condo all day makes both of us go a little bit nutty since he wants more space to move, and I spend my day keeping him safe from himself. Sometimes I get distracted by my to-do list around the house, but I knew I had to let the little man loose :).

The park in our neighborhood has about 4 different sections that get more and more advanced, so it's a great place for all ages. The smallest park area is probably best suited for new walkers, but Jack is old enough and has the abilities to play on some of the equipment. In the background of the first picture, you'll see some stairs that Jack was able to climb with a little assistance, and came down the slide on the other side holding my hands.
Jack was immediately drawn to the sandy area:

The desire to climb is definitely there. He already climbs everything he possibly can at home, and he made a few unsuccessful attempts at pulling himself up this:

Lately, Jack has been mimicking a lot of the stuff that we do and say. The other day Jonathan opened and closed his fist, and Jack did it right after him. I'll sing la-la-la-la to him, and he'll try to sing something similar back to me. So, while we were at the park, I was burying his feet in the sand. He would kick his feet out, and then he would bury his feet in the sand himself.

I've always loved spending time with Jack, but it gets more fun each day to do activities with him. He's such a funny and social baby, and it's great getting to know his personality better each day. I'm sure this was just the first of many days that I'll take him to the park to try to wear his little booty out.

Grandma and Grandpa Came to California

As I mentioned before, my parents came out to visit about 2 weeks ago. Last time they were out here Jack couldn't quite roll over yet, so it was a big developmental change. The week prior to their visit my dad went down to Greenville, SC on a business trip, and he stopped by Clemson to revisit old memories of my time there. While there, he picked up a few Clemson shirts for Jack. Here's Jack and Grandpa in matching Clemson gear.

Jack got a chance to get some snuggles in with Grandpa after a long day of activities.

I got a little break from the day-to-day responsibilities such as feeding Jack, because Grandma was on it :).

We of course had to hit up the beach while they were in town. Jack loves watching the waves and putting his feet in the water.

And of course Jack had to get some snuggles in with Grandma too!

We are thankful for several new two-piece pajama sets that are super cute from Grandma and Grandpa. I'm sure you'll be seeing a few pictures on the blog in the future of him in his jammies. It was a great trip, and we hope to see them out here again in November.

Little Helper

Jack turned 10 months old on Wednesday, and I can't believe how fast the time went. He is turning into such a toddler instead of an infant. I am so tired at the end of the day now with all the energy that comes out of this small person. I pretty much eat breakfast and lunch while following him around our place, because he doesn't like to sit in one spot. Instead, he likes to push and walk behind anything he can get his hands on (his walker, toy bin, high chair, desk chair, ironing board, etc.), climb the stairs, destroy toilet paper in the bathroom...you get the picture :).
I swear he can hear the dishwasher opening from a mile away and rushes over to help. I was letting him play with the dishwasher while I cooked, but the other day I left the door down for him. When I turned around from the stove he was standing on top of the door trying to pull up onto the counter top...so dangerous! (That's my mom in the picture...post to come about their visit).

As an infant, Jack didn't really like the vacuum cleaner. Things have changed, and now he loves to chase it. He was my little road block the other day while I was trying to vacuum the rug in the living room.

Due to this new level of busy-ness, we decided it was time to get serious on the baby proofing. Jack was of course there to help his dad put the locks on the cabinets and hand him tools.

Jack is very interested in walking now, and he wants you to hold his hands to help him walk everywhere. The other day I let go, and he stood there by himself for about 5 seconds before making a controlled fall onto his butt and crying. He did that twice, so I think the concept of standing by himself scared him a little bit.

Here he is walking in a shopping center courtyard:

After exerting a lot of energy, he passed out on a bike ride with Jonathan.

He recently got a new life vest from Jonathan's mom, and he finally let us put it on him. He was a little hesitant at first, but he had fun floating.

Enjoying the pool with his dad:

We've gotten Jack a few pairs of shoes recently since he's more interested in practicing walking holding onto us and various other things while we're out. When we first put this new pair on in the car, he liked playing with them like little toys.

Another fun gift is his new Jellycat Aardvark from my parents. We went out to get breakfast on a rainy day, and Jack stayed in his pjs with his stuffed animal on our outing.

Jack is much more involved in everything we do. No longer just a bystander in his baby carrier or stroller. He dipped his feet in the chilly waters, and he loves the waves!

One last thing I wanted to share...You may remember Jack's weiner lamp in his bedroom from nursery pictures before he was born.

Jonathan carried on the theme by painting Jack a weiner picture. He used a weiner dog stencil made from a picture on the internet to put together this cute little creation:

My parents came to visit us for a week recently, and I am going to do a post for that soon. Right now, there's a baby crying to get out of his crib :).