Our First Christmas

Here are a few pictures from our first Christmas as a family. They are in reverse order so you may want to scroll to the bottom and work your way back up.

Well I'm a-gonna raise a fuss an' I'm a-gonna raise a holler...

Hello, friends. As Chelsea's last entry so pertinently pointed out, this has indeed become more of a media sharing site re: Jack than any kind of blog. I think it's time that changed as well, so let me tell you a few of the things we've been experiencing and THEN you can watch the video that's linked at the bottom of this log.

Jack has been evincing many of the signs of teething without too much to show for it. He got his two bottom teeth within about two weeks of each other, and nothing since then. HOWEVER, he has been drooling pools, fussing and crying (hence the 50s song title) and waking up three times a night without any other obvious reason. I'm hoping that means he's going to sprout some Bugs Bunny-esque incisors before terribly long, but maybe he's just trying to keep us on our toes.

He has also decisively identified us with our appellations; namely (ha!) he knows that if he wants our attention, to call "Mom" or "Dad" as loud as he can. We, of course, always respond; I mean, it could be URGENT! There are two funny examples here.

One: He had finished his dinner and was sitting in the high chair while Chelsea and I got lost in a discussion while doing some housework. He bubbled along by himself for a few minutes until he realized that we weren't paying attention to him, so he looked across the room and screamed, "DAD!" Chelsea and I both stopped dead, realizing this was a conscious act by him and not just babbling. Crazy.

Secondly--and more sweetly--Jack wakes up in the morning desperate for a bottle; he doesn't even know you're there until after he's had one. So I picked him up one morning at around 5:30 and gave it to him; he inhaled the entire thing in less than 2 minutes. I put him on the floor to monkey around while I tried to close my eyes for a second. When placed on the floor, he turned around, pulled himself to a standing position with the couch, and put his hand on my leg until I looked at him. He looked in my eyes, smiled, and said, "Dad." That's the best good-morning I've gotten for a while.

The video below contains quite a few cute pictures that include all the lovely folks at Memommy's party. Hope you enjoy it. Note on the song: it doesn't have anything to do with family or Christmas, but sounds lovely and I'm rereading Moby-Dick right now so a sea-shanty seemed appropriate.

Click HERE to watch the video.

8 Months

Well it seems that this blog has turned more into a picture/video book than a true blog. Sorry about that for any of you that enjoy reading more about his activities than viewing pictures. I for one always like looking at pictures more so I guess that is why I do not type much. ANYWAYS!

I am amazed at this little boy of ours, he is doing different things everyday and will be 8 months tomorrow already. I have a hard time keeping track of everything. He was crawling around the floor and pulled himself up to me on the couch just to stand there and smile at me. It just about melted me to the floor, then he tried to grab the computer and I realized his true motivation was the computer not me. teehee! He does have two teeth now and it seems like he is working on some more by the amount of drool that is dripping onto our rugs. He also is self feeding anything you give him, so far he loves Puffs, scrambled eggs, baby mum-mum crackers, and tofu. He will bang on the highchair until you give him something that he can feed himself while he eats the rest of his normal meal. This whole routine is funny to me to watch happen at least 3 times a day but he gets rather serious about it if I am not fast enough for his liking.
I am currently working a lot due to the holiday and Jack is faring well with having what almost seems like single parenting. He gets super excited if we are all on the rug together or go for a trip, it is like he cannot believe that he is so lucky to have to grown up toys that amuse him and bend to his every need. This was very evident when the cashier at walmart made the comment " I would pass out too after 2 bottles"- Jack had just polished off the 2nd a few moment prior.
This year the holidays seem extra special even with the crazy schedules and not being able to travel because it marks the first time I get to share all the experiences with him. I am sure we will take more pictures than necessary in the next month but this will be our way of sending all the fun here in Baltimore out to anyone who checks this blog. I will write more soon but probably after another milestone or two! XO!!!

But Those People Keep A-Movin'...

So...Jack is now crawling. He kind of figured it out on a Monday and by the following Friday he was screaming across the carpet getting into EVERYTHING. He loves being able to move; it's practically balancing out how much he hates having new teeth coming in. Very busy week for this guy.

Click HERE to see Jack in action!

October 2010

Hello, friends! It seems like fall has come and gone already, my favorite morbid holiday and the sharp tang of autumn leaves already departing on a too-brisk wind. Work, life, and play have been parading by in cycles, and our young man has been busier than all of us trying to squeeze the most out of every moment. Jack is so...involved that it's hard to realize he's not even a year old yet. It's hard to remember life before this guy.

Uncle Ted visited, we visited the clan in North Carolina, good times were had. Enjoy the video.

Click Here to watch!

Delicious Baby!

Jack tastes so darn good, I just can't help it. His laugh doesn't hurt either.

Click HERE to go to the video!

The Copying Game

Jack showing off his various skills in imitating and/or making his own sounds. It's amazing, a lot of the noises he makes are ones he can't do anymore. Shows how much societal conditioning can limit our abilities. Anyway, cute baby.

Click HERE to go to the video!

Tyrannosaurus Jack

Jack discovered his shadow the same week that we tried out the Johnny Jumper. I don't know if he's roaring just to amuse himself or if it's actually at the shadow, but it's pretty hilarious to watch. He was really enjoying himself.

Click HERE to go to the video!

And I Like You

So, it finally worked! The link below should lead you to Vimeo, a video hosting site that provides MUCH better quality for our slideshows than the native feature on blogger. So open the link below and push Play to enjoy the newest pictures of Jack, even at full-screen!


http://vimeo.com/14971708

The Bug Returns

So I know it's been a while; sorry, there's been a lot going on! But finally I have found the time (right before school kicks back in, no less) to put together a new slideshow for your Jack fix. If you want any of the pictures individually, I might start posting albums on Facebook as well; let me know and I can start posting them. Until then, here you go. If you dig the tunes, it's Bobby Darin; and if you're wondering about the title of this post, Jack's nickname is "Bug" or "Buggy." Enjoy.

Do you have anything besides Mexican food?

So, Jack has reached two big steps this week: he slept all the way through the night, AND he began eating real food! On Wednesday we had him try rice cereal with a little milk mixed in, and after about three bites he totally had it. As you'll see in the video below, he turns into a lizard at meal time now; with all that tongue-flicking, I wouldn't be surprised if his pediatrician found a Jacobsen's organ in his head somewhere.

J3

Jack in June & July!

The slide show below includes some pictures from the past 2 months. It includes many "first times" and his love of taste testing items. Jack experienced a pool, fireworks and a park walk in the baby carrier in these 2 months. He was unsure about the pool, dazzled by the fireworks and loved the park walk. The trees were his favorite it seemed as he did not stop looking at them the whole time we were wandering. This little guy also has figured out rolling over, if you have not viewed the video just look down the blog. Now every time it is floor time he goes for a record of how many times he can do this new trick. The only problem is he cannot get back over but I do not think it will be too much longer until he gets that too. We will be moving in 2 weeks so I will post some new nursery pictures as soon as it is set up. Jack will be getting his own whole room, no more splitting it with mom!

Like...well, like a rolling stone.

So, through some serendipitous happenstance of circumstantiality, I was actually present, aware, and with my camera-phone the very first time Jack ever rolled over all by himself. Mommy was at work, I was doing dishes and watching Futurama, and Jack was amusing himself on his butterfly mat. He'd been working himself into a sweat for days trying to do it, and I looked over and just somehow knew this was the time. I hit "Record," and sure enough there he went. Enjoy.

This is the first draft of his speech.

So Jack is absolutely determined to make himself understood. He is such a verbal baby, and some days are just crazy as he talks to get attention, makes noises to let us know if he's happy or need something, or just engages in conversation with his doting parents. On the 5th of July we went over to Aunt Lynn's and Uncle Paul's house for a party, and I've never heard Jack talking so much. It continued later that day, as we went home and he blabbed at Mom for half an hour. Below is the video we nabbed.

A few choice moments.

I made a quick slide show with some of the fun moments we had in New York with Dad, Mom, Matthew, Jazz, Sally, and Mary Grace. We had a nice, long break and Jack has been crabby since we got home because he doesn't have as many friends to play with! So for those of you who were around--know that you are certainly loved!

Everybody's Talkin' At Me

Jack is trying SO HARD to talk. He stares intently at your mouth as you form words, waits until you're done, and then either imitates you or tries out some of his own words. The funniest part about it is that he apparently hasn't separated talking and body motion, because whenever he's "having a conversation" his arms and legs are motoring like he's about to lift off. Below are a few examples. Sorry about the camera angle on the close ones; I forget which corner of my phone has the camera lens on it. Enjoy!

We Are Swingers, Eh?

Hey, everybody! It's been a while since we posted so here's something to tide you over. There will be more extensive postings in the near future--especially as we get ready to visit our family in New York--but for now, enjoy: Jack swinging and playing with his new favorite toys, his hands; Jack being cute; and Jack enjoying Uncle Matt and Aunt Isabel's attention. Yay!

The Copying Game

Jack has discovered a new game. He found out that he can stick his tongue out, just like Mom or Dad, when they do it first. He thinks this is a lot of fun and has been playing it for a couple of days now. He alternates between this and the "how do you make a smile?" game (he's still figuring that one out). We think it's pretty funny. Enjoy.

In the Garden

Well, Mother's Day came and went on Sunday, May 9th, 2010, and schedules and things conspired to make it...not that special. But this could not stand! It was Chelsea's first Mother's Day as a mom! So on Wednesday May 12, I took the day off work and we went up to Brookside Gardens in Silver Springs, Maryland. It's listed as one of the 15 most beautiful sites in Maryland, and man does it deserve it. Acres of gorgeous foliage, founded over 30 years ago. It was bliss. We brought picnic lunches and just took our time; cute little Jack was wide-awake for most of it, looking around at all the color and light.
Sorry about the lower quality of the pix, but Blogger only allows 100mb uploads. It seemed to come through all right anyway.
We hope you enjoy this slide show of our trek through this Eden. We hope you can visit it with us some day.

That Zebra is lookin at me!

Fun video from today's floor time! Jack decided to involuntarily beat upon the poor red bird. Then the zebra seemed to have it out for Jack based on the looks Jack was giving back to the zebra.

Jack of Hearts

Okay below you will find a very large amount of Jack photos! The thing about these Iphones is that they can take pictures really fast, hence how many different pictures there are, tee hee! I hope you enjoy all the looks he gives the camera. I figured I should share the obsession I have with this little guy's funny faces. By the way his nickname currently is "Mr. Wiggles" due to the amount of arm flinging he does! This can be seen in a few of the pictures. Xo!

Jack O' Lantern Is Getting Bigger...

Hi, everyone! For you today: a cornucopia of new moving images of this guy. Two things to note: first, an apology--the two videos are very cute, but for some reason got flipped in the transfer, so feel free to watch them and enjoy but you may have to turn either your head or your computer monitor to get the full effect. Secondly, the main thing to notice right now is that Jack-Jack is filling out! He's getting the chubby baby cheeks, the Michelin man arms and legs--in other words, weeks of refusing to walk and drinking nothing but milk is starting to show. Let's hope he eventually converts it to muscle so he can be a star football player like his dad. Enjoy.

Butterfly and Me

Here is a cute video of Jack having some morning time on his butterfly mat! Prior to me remembering that we had a video camera he stared at the red bird for a long time! I think he was studying the bird and trying to decide if it was real or perhaps going to peck at him. But this all could be in my head! Either way it was really cute and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Semi-Aware at Target

Just a little post to please you trackers! This was the first time Jack has actually been awake during a Target shopping trip. He didn't seem too impressed, but I'm sure he'll come to appreciate the intricacies of this fine shopping experience.

The Main Event!

Okay, I am finally going to post since Jack has arrived!For the many of you that have asked about the overall experience of labor I shall share a bit.

It all began by my water breaking around 5:30 a.m. on Sunday the 21st. It was interesting that Jack decided that this was the best timing because it was actually the first night that John decided to sleep on the couch because I wouldn't stop moving around. John made it through the whole 9 months with my tossing, so I think that Jack just wanted the bed to himself! I was hesitant at first to wake John up just in case I was wrong about what was happening because there were no contractions, just mild cramps. I finally woke him up about 10 minutes later and told him it was time for Jack. He looked sleepily at me then it must have registered what I said because then he woke up faster then I have ever seen a Fehskens awake! John quickly started gathering all the hospital items, fed the cat and looked up directions for mom, who was coming from VA. I called mom to let her know what was happening and she was on the road with John's directions within about 20 minutes of me calling her. After all of this preparation it dawned on me that I had not called the Dr.'s office (even though John kept asking me to) so I called the answering service and the Dr. called back about 5 mins later. She asked a bunch of questions then instructed us to go to the hospital.
Upon arrival at the hospital I still felt fine, no contractions. They checked us in then sent me back to a room for confirmation that I was starting labor. I had a really great nurse, Heather, who was joking with me because they had taken bets when we first walked in that I wasn't in labor becuase my hair was up and my makeup was on. *As a side note I have to admit I was wasting time by putting makeup on while I was waiting for the laundry to be done before we left. There was a pair of yoga pants that I wanted to bring with us. Tee hee. Anyways the nurses lost the bet among each other because the doctor on call confirmed that my water had broke and I was already 6cm dilated! All of this and I still felt great.
Around 630 they sent me and John upstairs to the birthing suite, which no lie looked like a nice hotel room! We got settled, hooked up to a monitor and they gave me sugar fluids due to the fact that I had been a dumb bunny and not eaten before we left! oops! During this time John started calling the family, then church because he was supposed to play with the worship band for the first time that morning!
Mom arrived around 10 I think and was so excited to be there while we waited, by this time I was 7 almost 8 cm, with contractions every 3 mins. We thought it was moving quickly but then Jack decided to just hang out for a bit. We went through the ups and downs of some contractions but then they started to space out about 5-6 mins. After a few hours they changed again and they started to spike! Ouch! Mom moved to the waiting room and about 2 hours of more intense contractions began. John's poor hand became my focal point instead of this cute little duck named "dinky". But I can't stress enough what an amazing job he did at keeping me calm and focused. About the time that the contractions became unbearable Dr. London let me know I could start pushing! Finally! While this part was rough with no drugs it wasn't so awful that I would say I would need drugs the next time around.
Jack was born at 3:09 pm sunny side up (facing up instead of down) happy and healthy. John was able to cut the cord while Jack was on my chest through his tears of joy. He was then a dad right away and followed Jack to the baby table where Jack was cleaned up and checked out. Holding Jack for the first time was incredible and unbelievable. I think I was still in shock that something so sweet had just arrived.
We spent an hour together as a family before mom was introduced as grandma and we were moved to a different room, that was equally as nice. We spent the first few hours just amazed at the whole event! Everything else for the next 48 hours went well, and we were released from the hospital on Tuesday morning.
We arrived home for the first time at 1030 am to an apartment that Grandma had decorated with flowers, baby decorations and lots of food for the next few days. It was a huge relief to be home with the little guy that we had been waiting for. I then crashed on the couch with Jack in my arms while John watched us and a movie.
Overall the experience was amazing and marks the beginning of a whole new chapter in our lives!

Amber Alert!

Thought you might like a glimpse of Jack in the "active alert" mood (can you tell I've been reading baby books?). He had a pretty rough night but this morning at 9:00 he was wide awake and very interested in, well, everything. It's worth it just for the baby noises. Enjoy.

Live and In Person!

So, as most of you know, Jack was born on Sunday, March 21st at 3:09 p.m. It was the day of the Spring Equinox--yet another reason for us to think of our son as extra special! He was born 12 days early at 7 pounds 6 ounces and 20 inches long, with blonde hair. We got to come home on Tuesday at 10 in the morning, and this was our first opportunity to film this little booger. He was pretty awake at the time, after having slept through two movies with his mom. As dad, I've realized I'm more or less the "pit crew"--I rush in and do whatever's necessary the second I'm needed! Look forward to many more entries as we go. The time has come, he's here, and there's a whole life to look forward to.

Our last trip alone?

Find below our first trip to D.C! There are more pics on Facebook but here are a few that involve the baby. The first pic is actually an infrared camera that highlights Jack pretty well as the yellowish green blob on/ in me. It is very cool but made me wonder if I didn't know I was pregnant what a way this would be to find out! I half expected him to be waving at the camera as if to say "yes, I'm here... let me out!" This pic by the way was at the National Air and Space Museum. The following two pictures are Kermit, who had an audience but eventually got to meet Jack and us two in front of the White House.
The White House was just one stop on a very long, snowy, slippery trek to see the sights of D.C. We walked (while holding onto John the whole time) from the hotel to the National Monument, Lincoln Memorial, The Vietnam Wall, The White House and back towards the Hotel to the Natural History Museum and American History Museum to end the day inside where it was warm. Overall I think we might have walked 5 miles in one day, it was a great time! We crashed back at the hotel and got some very overpriced Pizza Hut delivered to the room but it was worth not having to put my shoes back because it would have also included getting off the bed!
Sunday we got up and did more walking, but not nearly as much and spent the day in the National Air and Space Museum and visited the Holocaust Museum before heading home.
This was such a great trip that John was so excited to receive as a birthday gift and enjoyed completely! His only wish is that we can do it all again when Jack is out on his own!

John's Birthday

I thought I would add a new picture along with a few from John's Birthday celebrations. He has had the good luck of having school closed all week so far and was just notified that tomorrow schools are closed as well! AHHHH, talk about an unplanned vacation. The plans were to have a birthday dinner and cake but it turned into a lunch and cake because who wants to wait when you are home in a blizzard? It has also occurred to me that I may one day have to make 2 batman cakes a year if this baby is going to be anything like his dad. Ha, that would be funny!

The lunch was delicious and Jack is now enjoying it as well, as he kicks around in joy. The picture is from this morning so that puts Jack at 32 weeks and 5 days. He is doing great, measuring perfectly and on "schedule". We have doctor appointments every two weeks now and will soon be going down to once a week at the beginning of March. So far so good!

Week 30 !

There is just one thing missing...

I think we are ready, at least the crib and all is ready even if we aren't. The giraffe was Jack's Christmas present and has found himself a nice location "neck" to the changing table and crib so he can keep on eye out at all times. He is the watch giraffe! This little baby nook is located in half of my studio room but there is still plenty of room for everything necessary. Except for the addition of Jack in 10 weeks this room is ready to go!

Mr. Builder!

Here is John building some very small scale furniture for the boy who is on his way! He completed this task over two days listening to a variety of music. I can say that I did not help at all with the assembly, but enjoyed watching the boxes come in from UPS then entering the room a little while later to a completely finished product! More to come soon!