3 months old!

We took this picture last night. It's hard to believe where the last three months have gone. Jasper is really getting to be a little boy instead of an infant. We think he's probably about 16 lbs and around 24-25" long. I took him for a walk in the baby bjorn this afternoon, and his legs hung down far enough that his feet rubbed on my thighs as I walked. It was interesting. :)

Remember, this is what he looked like one month ago.

Utah Ski Trip

What a view, huh? Our ski-in/ski-out condo had a gorgeous west-facing view of Little Cottonwood Canyon, overlooking Snowbird ski resort. During the day it was unbelievably bright and really got warm from the afternoon sun - but then sunsets were beautiful, too.

This photo has nothing to do with Jasper, except I'll mention that he slept like a champ! So, even when Stacy, Joel, Sarah and Drew were playing doubles tennis on Wii Jasper slept through all the activity in the next room.

I mentioned previously that Jasper seemed to like the travel swing we bought for him. Turns out as he sat in it more he realized that he didn't like it. The big swing allows him to sit with a flat back, and the travel swing cradles him more. Consequently, he doesn't sleep in it - so we didn't bring it. We just brough the car seat and his bouncy seat. That thing compresses down to a super small profile when disassembled, and he sure can sit in it for hours. He napped in either that or .... surprisingly his car seat in the afternoons. Jasper has gotten much better in his car seat. All our work to take him out on errands day after day seems to have paid off. Either that, or he's just getting old enough to realize that it's not the end of the world to be in the car seat.

Jasper loved Stacy's voice. She was telling me a long story on Sunday evening, and he just locked in on her voice and loved listening to her.

Sarah and Stacy loved hanging out with Jasper in the evenings and were a big help to play with him while Drew and I frantically tried to get ready to catch our flight yesterday morning.

Drew and I took Jasper out on Sunday afternoon to experience the snow. It was a very bright and sunny day. Jasper doesn't like the sun, and he was a little tired, so this experience wasn't a highlight for him - but we had fun exposing him to something that was a staple of our childhoods.

After his snow exposure, we decided to expose him to the hustle and bustle of Snowbird. This is the terrace where you can pick up the tram, get food or just ski in and hang out. There is music playing and lots of ski stories get swapped her. Jasper slept through it all. :) On Sunday the temp was in the upper 30's - it was beautiful!

We have no photos from the flights, but I'll report that Jasper is a good traveler. Our flight out on Friday (direct from Austin to Salt Lake City) was a breeze. He was unaffected by the pressure, and he slept a good portion of the trip and never cried. He did have two messy diapers that Drew changed in the tiny airplane bathroom that - to our shock - has no fold down table for changing diapers. It was an event, but Drew did a great job. (He even had to change his outfit on the second diaper change.) He got kudos from a woman sitting across the aisle, when he got up to change the second diaper. She leaned over and said, "He's a really good dad." I agree!

Yesterday, the flight wasn't as smooth. I boarded the plane carrying an overly tired, hungry and crying baby. I got the looks of annoyance from the first class passengers, and I made it to our seats as quickly as possible, and I fed him on the plane as soon as Drew made it to his seat next to me to help me create a little privacy. I held off feeding him again until we actually took off - and he did well and stopped crying. The only problem is that he didn't sleep right away - so he got fussy later and cried some more. The lady sitting behind us intervened to talk to him while we were trying to get him to calm down. He thought she was funny, so that worked. Eventually he did fall asleep and slept through the descent into Austin. That trip gave us a little run for our money, but we made it. Of course he had another messy diaper, and Drew again changed him (and his outfit, again) in the ill-equipped bathroom. Less than 20 seconds after he returned to his seat w/ Jasper, the flight attendant stopped and said "if your little guy needs a diaper change, we have a slick set-up in the front of the airplane." What are the odds!

Hairdo

Drew says he didn't fix Jasper's hair to be in a mohawk ... but I'm not so sure. :) And if you're wondering if Jasper is really that big ... he is! He's a chunk. This weekend, while I was changing his diaper in the Salt Lake City airport, multiple ladies were talking to him and asking me about him. I said he was 3 months, and one lady said, "3 months! How big was he when he was born?!"

Developmental Progress

Jasper's made some big developmental steps in the past couple of weeks. He no longer hates having his clothes changed - even when we have to pull a tight shirt over his head. At first he just hated being on his changing table for anything. Then diaper changes were ok - but changing his clothes was no good. Now, he puts up with just about anything. He's even taken to his lotion rub-down after his bath at night. He used to cry when we did this, but now he just looks at us and sometimes even laughs. Such progress!

Jasper also does not hate his car seat so much anymore. He doesn't love it, and we can't use it as a sure-fire way to get him to fall asleep ... but this is progress, too. (More on that later.)

A really big step is in his visual acquity. He can see things (toys, us, etc.) and specifically reach out to grab them. His depth perception seems to be pretty good, too. It is neat to watch him reach for various things. He has his very favorite toys (mr. monkey and mr. giraffee - yet unnamed) that he reaches for often when he is on his activity mat. Zelda is the zeebra shown below. He likes her, too. We've noticed that he sees our rings and will follow them with his eyes when we have our hands close to his face. He particularly likes my shiny diamond ring, and he sometimes tries to grab our hands so he can lock in on our rings better.

Jasper plays with this bath toy with both his hands and his feet. When we put it within range, he grabs for it.

His neck strength has really increased as well. Drew adjusted how we do tummy time so that we now prop Jasper up on a small pillow to give him a little lift. He likes the position better and still works to lift his head higher and from side to side. He stays in tummy time much longer in this position.

We can put him in his Bumbo seat and he'll be able to support himself pretty well. He doesn't have complete control over his very large head yet, but he's getting better all the time, and we can see marked improvement from last month.

Oh, Canada!

A couple weekends ago we had a group of friends over for dinner. It was a lovely evening, and Jasper got to show off a special outfit. Before he was born, and before anyone even knew his name, his Auntie Lindsay and Uncle Chris bought him a very cute t-shirt on a trip to Jasper National Park in Alberta Canada. All our friends thought this shirt was custom made for Jasper.

Drew and I honeymooned in both Banff and Jasper National Parks, and we just loved it. In addition, for those of you who are unaware, Jasper is my maiden name ... so we think it's pretty cool to find something with Jasper on it. Thankfully there is a cool and beautiful place to inspire people to put Jasper on t-shirts, hats, etc.

Droolman

Jasper has become a fountain of drool. He likes to squirt it out his mouth. It doesn't have projectile quality, but it doesn't just sneak out on its own. Nope - he actively expels it. Consequently, he has to wear bibs and we have to wipe up his face on a regular basis. Drew read that the signs of teething can proceed the actual event by many months. This sounds like we're in for drool for quite a while!

Cuddler

Despite how big he's getting (and he's getting B-I-G!), Jasper is still a cuddler.

Wah-Wah

One of Drew's favorite places to visit in Kalamazoo is the Water Street Coffee Joint. We used to go there when we were dating, and now he likes to return there when he is back in Kalamazoo for business. Last fall Drew picked up a cute 6M onesie from there - thinking Jasper would fit into it this summer. However, a week and a half ago Jasper donned it for a walk outside. We had particularly lovely weather for a few days straight, so he and I took advantage of the warmth and sunshine. He fills it out pretty well, don't you think?


In anticipation of our trip to Utah, and with the hope that Jasper would sleep well both during the day and at night, we started prepping for this trip a couple weeks in advance. We can't load the Weaver's swing onto the plane for the trip, so we bought a travel swing for Jasper's naps. He seems to think it's ok. ...

Holding His Own

This photo is 2 wks old, but we like it b/c it shows how well Jasper can hold his head and what a big boy he's getting to be. We're sure he's over 15lbs at this point, but we're not sure how much bigger he is.

Birthday Surprise

On my birthday, Jasper surprised us by sleeping for 3 hours in his car seat. This is a feat unmatched by others. Unlike other kids, he doesn't like his car seat and generally is unhappy in it. Unless we can distract him to fall asleep in the car, he'll often cry the entire trip. However, just for mommy, he slept from the time we left church on the 18th, through our leisurely lunch at Panera, through a circuitous route to USA Baby (we had a hard time finding it w/o the map - it's in an odd spot in town) and all the way home. It was heavenly. We continue to pray that he'll be less "high maintenance" when we go out so he and I can be less home-bound.

That afternoon, after his nap, the three of us headed out into the neighborhood for a walk. It was a lovely afternoon, and Jasper did well in his sling with daddy.

Video before his Bath

Here is a video clip of Jasper before his bath.

Valentine's Day

Here is Jasper's Valentine's day gift from Auntie Lindsay and Uncle Chris: the I love Mommy onesie. He's pretty cute! He was doing a great job playing with his monkey and giraffe yesterday. When he was looking at the toy, he could grab for it and hold on to it quite deliberately. I was proud of him.



Starting last Friday, Jasper's been sleeping 8 hours (+/-) each night with a long morning and usually at least one long afternoon nap. It's been a total treat, and we're trying not to get too attached to it since it'll probably disappear again and he'll be back to middle of the night feedings.

Yesterday (Valentine's day) he got on a completely different schedule. After his morning nap, he didn't sleep more than 30 or 40 minutes at a time, and he was eating every 2 hours. This is completely abnormal for him. Not even when he was new born did he eat that frequently. Thank goodness, b/c by the end of the day I was exhausted! I don't know how some moms are able to feed that frequently. Drew's standard comment "he's growing!" is probably applicable here - in that he's probably trying to boost my milk supply for his next growth spurt. Or maybe he was just a little off kilter yesterday. Who knows! Today he is back to his more normal schedule of longer naps. It's always a guessing game as to what the day will hold .... I just hang out and wait to see what happens. Since he doesn't like going out on errands, I don't want to force it if I can't predict when he'll be hungry again. Maybe we'll head out again tomorrow.

Salon Services

Jasper's cradle cap is finally getting a lot better. We're still massaging him with baby oil and using a toothbrush to "comb" his scalp almost every night. But twice a week we have to be a little more aggressive. We use Selsun blue after the baby oil treatment. He doesn't mind it actually and really likes getting rinsed with the kitchen faucet. (Tonight's a Selsun blue night, by the way.)

Hanging out with Mommy and Daddy

Last weekend we went to Panera for lunch. (Surprise, surprise.) Drew whipped out his Axim (on loan from his boss) to check out the free wi-fi. Jasper was content to just hang out with his daddy. He was great for us during lunch. I had just nursed him in the car, so he was docile and a little sleepy. He fell asleep a short while after we left Panera.

On Sunday I told Jasper about Sunday afternoon naps, and he agreed we should take one. After he was done nursing, he crashed with me on the couch.

Blue Eyes

Drew's been trying for weeks to get photos of Jasper's eyes to show what color they are. The funny thing about blue eyes is that they turn red when photographed ... and yes, if we had time we'd make the digital correction and get them all pretty. But I don't have time for that. However, he's taken a couple lately that don't make Jasper (or me) look possessed.

Big Boy

Time flies when you're having fun, and Jasper certainly is a fun little - or rather big - boy. He's getting big and heavy, and he continues to surprise us with what he likes and doesn't like. Turns out, he's a homebody and doesn't really like going out in his car seat or sometimes even on walks in his stroller. We've been taking him on many errands lately to try to get him used to being out and about before we head to Utah (March 2-5). So far, he still doesn't like it.

Jasper at 9weeks.

Here is his outfit for his first trip to church. We just went to the worship service on Feb 3rd, but he was a trooper and did well even though he was awake the whole time. This past Sunday we went to both the worship service and Sunday school. He was awake for the service and slept right through Sunday school. He was a good boy!

Jasper is big. His belly is round, and he loves to kick his legs. He wakes up in the morning in his crib and hangs out for a while just kicking his legs like crazy. :)

Jasper at 10weeks. This is Jasper's favorite position when he gets on his changing table. I don't know why ... but it makes it easy for us to do bicycles, which he also enjoys.

Out and About

Yesterday, fresh off his first round of vaccinations, we took Jasper to M3 to meet Drew's coworkers. They've been wondering when he'd make an appearance, and they gave him a warm welcome. Debbie, the office manager and receptionist, was the first person we met, and she just about ate him up. She loves kids and is the resident baby caretaker when there are business functions to which family members are invited. It's good if the little kids can be comfortable with her, since they'll be spending guaranteed time with her. :) Jasper got to meet Terry & Joan, Rob, Casey, Melissa, Paul and Jen Kramer, Paul Parks, Ron, Russel, Walt, Kim, Steve, David and of course Mike Hankins. He had a good time and even stayed awake through it all. Considering he was still recovering from his shots, he did really well! Here he is sitting at daddy's desk.

This morning, Drew took Jasper and headed to the kitchen to make breakfast so I could get a little more sleep. Just when it was time for me to pull myself out of bed, Drew got a text message to meet some guys at Rudy's and I encouraged him to go. I ate the super waffles he had made, and Jasper slept in his bouncy seat. I don't know how he's comfortable in this position, but somehow he was ... for about 10-15min.

We love to read Big Red Barn. It isn't always a sure bet to calm him down, but I think the lyrical text is really appealing to him. It's one of my favorites to read. Perhaps my mother's love of farms imprinted itself on my DNA too. :)

Giggleman

Jasper is starting to smile and coo more and more. We can't quite seem to catch his vocalization on a video very much. I suppose it's because most of the time it happens during the day when I am home alone with him and not always johnny on the spot with the camera. However .... here are some photos of him smiling that are pretty cute. Enjoy.

2 months!

Jasper is growing strong and big. We've had to move the straps up on his car seat, and this allowed for more room for strap covers and new friends Gio Giraffe and Larry Lion. (Gio is short for Giovanni.)

We took this photo (above) after our visit to the doctor's office this morning. As indicated previously, we thought his weight was around 14lbs. Our home scale as an accuracy of +/- 0.5lbs, but today we got the official weigh-in at his 2-month appointment.

Jasper now:

• weighs 14lbs, 10oz ... 97th percentile.


• is 23.5" long ... 75th percentile. (his girth outstrips his height - but that's ok for now.)


• has a head circumference of 42.4cm ... 95th percentile.

If you recall photos of him sitting in the corner of the couch from the beginning of January (with the football), we took a photo of him tonight (teddy bear outfit) ... Look how he's changed.

For one, he is much more alert these days. He has more control over his arm and leg movements, too. The teddy bear outfit he has on tonight is actually a 6mo outfit. He's fitting into it now with little room to spare. His torso especially is quite long. We don't really have any clothes that are baggy on him anymore. He's keeping me guessing with what still fits him. :)

We rounded out the doctor visit this morning with three vaccine shots. He really didn't like them, but he recovered faster than I expected. Daddy held him tightly and calmed him down pretty quickly. He hasn't shown any signs of fever since the shots, so that's good news! Our next round of shots will be in 2 more months. For now, we'll start heading out into public a little more and hope he doesn't get sick.