Jackson Ellis Lassiter safely arrived on June 10th at 11:35 am. Largely due to big brother's influence, he has affectionately become known around here as "Baby Jack". The primary reason for a delay in blogging, Jack's arrival, set me back just a bit in more ways than one. Rather than jumping in documenting the craziness of his birthday and the events that followed, I want to introduce him as Jack, the sweet boy that he is.
I often wondered how I would feel about my second child when he arrived. I knew I would love him, obviously, but I couldn't fathom having the capacity to love another as much as I love Mason. Jack was born by scheduled c-section and the 30 minutes it took for him to be born were filled with excitement and anxiety. As soon as I heard his (loud) cry and then felt his soft warm little cheek against mine, it was love. Just like my love for Mason, it grows deeper every day.
From his first days of life, he has been very alert and strong and could pick his head up all by himself. He has also been trying to stand since the first couple of weeks and it sometimes takes an effort to get him to bend his legs into the sitting position. In the picture above, he is in his car seat for the first time all ready to go home! Notice his super long feet! His footprints filled up and went over the lines of the box on his birth certificate.
After he spent the majority of his first five days under the bili lights for jaundice, we kept him in the sunlight (indirect) as much as possible during our first weekend at home. The following Monday we took him in for a check up and received the wonderful news that his jaundice was no more! Having to keep him under the lights in the hospital killed me and I was so relieved that we did not have to go back!
I am sure that Jack was just as happy to be out from under all of those lights as we were to have him in our arms! By the time we got to bring him home, no one had really gotten the chance to hold him except for a few minutes. He only came out from under the lights to eat and then we had to put him right back under them.
The day after we arrived home from the hospital, I got sick. Except, I didn't know I was sick. I thought I was just tired and that the symptoms I was experiencing were from hormones, recovering from surgery, lack of sleep, etc. So, I spent the next 3 weeks laying around, primarily in the bed, and they are sort of blurry, as my mind was not quite all there. However, Jack and I got some quality bonding time since all I could literally do was feed him and hold him and change his diapers. For that, I am thankful. I am thankful that I was able to take care of him even though I couldn't do anything else.
Jack's first sponge bath! He was not a huge fan. I really was not used to having a vocal baby, but he really lets you know when he has a problem with something! His little personality was his very own from the beginning. He is very sensitive and likes to have things done just so. It took me a little while to learn all of his preferences, but I think we have them down pat now. For example, he HATES being the slightest bit wet or dirty and he smiles immediately when his soiled diaper is removed. He is very dramatic and cries like you are killing him (high pitch squeals) if he thinks you are about to do one thing (feed him) and then do another (lay him down so you can do x,y,z).
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| One Month Old |
He is a smiley little man, too, and I love that about him! He smiled at me for the first time at 5 weeks and I was thrilled. After weeks of sacrifice and sleeplessness are met with blank stares and loud cries, it is the best feeling in the world when your child finally looks at you and smiles.
This little guy has my heart and that is for sure. He is a momma's boy and I am going to enjoy it while I can! No doubt once he reaches about 6 months of age he will be all about Daddy, and Mommy will be but a distant memory. Ok, not a distant memory, but much less exciting.
Please observe the big feet and the E.T. toes.
This picture unexpectedly captured his first coos!
Here he is after his first real bath! Although he was unsure at first, he really seemed to enjoy the water. The drying off part, he hated.
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| 6 Weeks Old |
At six weeks old he took his first road trip to Andalusia, AL. We went there to spend the weekend with some friends at the lake and Jack did pretty well. Jack's first six weeks were clouded with reflux and probably a bit of colic, which was not fun at all. While I could soothe him after a few minutes of crying, he seemed to cry often and it was difficult for other people to hold him without him getting upset. After a couple of weeks on the right medication he became a much happier baby.
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| 8 Weeks Old |
Then he refused to take a bottle. However, that has since been remedied, praise the Lord! Although he doesn't LIKE the bottle, he will agree to drink from it when necessary.
This is one of his first times in his bumbo and he loved being a part of the family activities.
Jack makes this face every time he hears a funny noise like when you make a motorboat sound. His eyes get so big and it cracks me up every time.
For his first 8 weeks he slept in a bassinet that has been used for every child on my mom's side of the family for the last 56 years. It has even served, though not deliberately, as the birth place for a litter of kittens.
He did well in his bassinet, but preferred and slept better in his swing. He has since transferred, pretty seamlessly, to his crib and sleeps all night long because he is a sweet angel who loves his mommy.
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| 2 Months Old |
We moved the chair from Mason's room into Jack's nursery and I love that I get to use it for his monthly photographs as well. That chair was one of the best baby investments that we ever made! Yes, it is massive.
Every week that passes is more fun with this little guy. I just love that little bald head! A lot of people think that Jack looks like me. I have to agree that he does look a lot like me in my baby pictures. I was bald too, for like a year. Jack is starting to get a little bit of light brown hair and I can't wait to see what it will look like!
Sucking on his fist is a relatively new thing that he likes to do and though he is not a huge fan of the pacifier, he will take one when he is going to sleep.
This past week he started grabbing at his toys and he loves playing on his little play mat. I love watching him studying his little animals and hitting at them.
Jack sure does love his big brother who is a huge help! Sometimes I think Jack is like, "Oh no! Here he comes again!" but a lot of times he smiles really big when he sees Mason. Mason is crazy about him, sharing all of his toys and trying to comfort him when he cries (as pictured above). I know that they will be big buddies.
The day that Jack was born, through my morphine induced cloud of fog, and the days that followed, I just kept thanking God over and over for all that He had done. I am so very blessed.
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