The Powells: Jack - 14 months

**I wrote this at the beginning of July and thankfully, this phase has finally passed. He now has 3 or 4 molars and is a much happier child. Whew! I'll go ahead and post it anyway and then do another update at 15 months. Maybe I can actually get that one done on time.

This has been the toughest month yet for my sweet little Jack. We've officially entered the phase of tantrums and he's replaced words/signs in favor of screaming/shrieking. Eeeks! He's also getting molars and is very, very attached to mama right now. Praise God that he continues to sleep wonderfully. Otherwise, I don't think I would be a functioning adult right now. Three and a half years is a piece of cake in comparison :) He also is very content to ride in the stroller.

In June, we spent 2 weeks in Texas visiting family and friends. It was a wonderful trip! The kids had a great time with their grandparents and we got to celebrate Jack's birthday and take Elise to Sea World. The kids were SO great while we were there. We were there for 15 nights and Jack slept 12-13 straight hours every single night except one (when he had an unexplained fever). I was really amazed that he did so well in the pack and play. Woo hoo! He started his fussy/clingy stage while we were there, but since there were always extra people around to hold him and play with him, it wasn't a big deal :)

Stats: Jack is about 22 lbs and 31 inches. He's wearing size 3 diapers, but I think we might switch to 4's pretty soon. He wears mostly 12-18 month clothes with some 18-24 month onesies and pjs. He outgrew his first pair of shoes and now wears size 5 pediped sandals. I'm not actually sure how many teeth he has because his poor gums are so swollen on the top and the bottom. His molars are causing his gums to look blistered and swollen like the ones in his 11 month pictures. Poor baby!

Sleeping: As previously mentioned, he's been sleeping great even though he's fussy quite a bit during the day. He's pretty much dropped his morning nap. I occasionally put him down for one, but he usually just plays in his crib. He sleeps from 7 pm - 7:00/7:30 am and takes a nap from about 12:00/12:30-3:00. He goes down very easily and is quite content to play independently in his crib upon waking. He still sucks his thumb when he is going to sleep and it is quite cute.

Eating: He's been picky off and on this month, but I think it has more to do with getting molars than anything else. His favorite foods are black beans, yogurt, dry cereal, most meat, blueberries, sweet potatoes, bananas. We are still nursing 3 times a day but I'm getting ready to drop the pre-nap feeding.

Playing: Jack's favorite toys are balls and anything that plays music. He loves to carry around the Fridge Farm, the drum, the Baby Einstein takealong tunes, and anything else that he can repeatedly turn on. He started walking 100% of the time on June 20 (meaning that he would stand himself up as soon as he fell down instead of crawling somewhere to pull up) and loves to carry toys around and explore. He can make the playroom look as if a tornado hit it in just a few short minutes.

Learning/Communicating: As mentioned above, this month has been extremely frustrating because he is fussing/shrieking/screaming instead of using words or signs. Hopefully this passes quickly! His receptive language is very good. He can follow 1 and 2 step instructions and understands quite a bit. He is also very affectionate right now. He loves to climb in someone's lap and give a quick hug/lay his head down for a few seconds and then continue playing.

Here are some pictures from his birthday party in June. We couldn't have done it without our parents... they were such a big help! Mike's sister, Jennifer, was the creative inspiration around all of this and made the adorable cupcakes. Thanks, J!

First up, a little swimming and splashing...