Jude is One!!!

A year has come and gone, which doesn't seem at all possible.  How is it that one year has passed since bringing this little bundle home from the hospital?  So many milestones, so many memories, so much to be thankful for.  

This little guy has reminded me that my plans are not always God's plans!

Jude is cruising, crawling and climbing all over the place.  Daily I save his life from some catastrophic event like falling from a set of stairs, ingesting God only knows what from off the floor, choking on rocks, headlocks from Owen, and the list goes on.  I have to admit that I am probably too cavalier about some things, like splashing in the toilet for example.  Sometimes I am just far too busy and he is far to engaged for me to stop it.

Jude is a happy little boy.  He is pretty laid back.  He adjusts pretty well to all sorts of schedule changes.  I have plenty of help with Jude.  There is always a pair of hands offering to hold him, feed him, play with him, pick up after him, bathe him, fetch something that I need for him...the only thing I haven't been successful at getting them to do is change diapers.  They love their little brother so much and he loves them too.

Jude is on a consistent schedule (well, as consistent as it gets with four kids).  It looks like this:

7:30 wake up, have a bottle, get ready for the day, eat breakfast and play

9:45 morning nap (hopefully lasting at least an hour)

12:00 lunch

2:30 afternoon nap (usually lasting about an hour and a half)

5:00 dinner

6:00 bathtime and bedtime routine

7:00 bottle, book and bed

Any free time mostly consists of following me around destroying anything in his path...he has discovered that cabinets and drawers open and there is a lot of destruction that needs seeing too within.

We recently switched Jude from formula to whole milk and he didn't seem to notice any difference.  He attempts to use sippy cups but is much more interested in soaking himself with the contents.  He finger feeds himself at most meals whatever it is that we are eating.  His favorite foods are blueberries, grapes and cheese. For snacks Jude likes graham crackers and pretzel rods.  

Jude plays well by himself.  He likes to play with balls, light up toys and toys that make noise.  He is becoming more interested in books.  His favorite thing to do is play chase. He thinks it is so funny.  He enjoys interacting with people more than anything else.  Bath time is a favorite time of day for Jude.  He will play in the bath until the water gets cold and then beyond if allowed.  

Jude has five teeth that are fully in (two top and three bottom) and one bottom tooth that is just breaking through.  

Jude's First Year Slideshow

s

1st Easter Egg Hunt

Jude's first Easter egg hunt was an extremely cold and slightly torturous one.  The temperature was 19 degrees and quite unpleasant but since this is an event the kids look forward to each year we bundled up and headed out. Jude's age division was the first to go and he seemed to enjoy it although had no idea what he was doing.  He was all smiles crawling around amidst the colorful eggs.  He didn't stick around to watch the other kids hunt during their age division.  He headed inside with daddy to warm up.

11 Months Old

Oh boy!  This little one is growing up so so much.  

The biggest change physically this month has been his hair.  He's beginning to show signs of some curl and it is adorable! I am already getting pressure to cut it.  I will go down kicking and screaming before cutting it (just like I did with Owen's).  He has also gotten some new teeth on top.  One is completely through and visible and the other is just coming in.  I love his big top tooth that shows when he shoots us his big wide-mouthed grin.  It's his signature smile.  He'll drive girls crazy with that smile someday.  All of the kids inherited their dad's big happy smile!  Jude is comfortably wearing 12 month clothes but I am still squeezing him into some of my nine month favorites and pulling out some 18 month stuff as well.  I love the merry-go-round closet...revisiting old clothes worn by Owen (and others).  I especially love the old clothes that have been worn by all three of the kids.  

Jude is learning lots of new skills and making a place for himself among his big brother and sisters during play time.  The girls love including him as their little doll, caring for him and teaching him new things.  Just yesterday Annie took him for a stroll around the cul de sac in the wagon and he loved it.  Millie loves to carry him around the house.  Owen desperately wants him to be bigger and more sturdy than he actually is.  Jude is going to be one tough kid after surviving Owen and I know they will eventually love playing rough together.  

Jude isn't yet walking but is cruising around pretty steadily.  He crawls very quickly from place to place; over, around and through anything in his way.  He loves looking out the windows, especially the front door.  He pulls up on anything to stand.  One of his favorite hang outs is at the dishwasher when it is being loaded or unloaded.  For this reason we've snatched many sharp objects out of his hands causing terrible rage in him.  Jude also loves the vacuum.  Sometimes I sweep just to distract him from crying.  Toilets and trash cans seem to be a source of entertainment as well.

Naps are not Jude's strong suit, but that doesn't stop me from trying each day to get him to take two naps.  Usually he will sleep a combined two hours between them.  He is sleeping through the night consistently, going to bed at 7:30 and waking up around 7.   

Some of his favorite foods are blueberries, yogurt, cheese, grapes, teething biscuits (is that a food?), pretzels and macaroni.  He isn't very patient at mealtime.  He doesn't sit for long periods in his high chair and he doesn't enjoy being fed.  He grabs the spoon to feed himself, usually making a mess of everything within two feet.  He still takes a bottle about four or five times a day.  He hasn't figured out sippy cups yet.  He just is frustrated by them, despite knowing that they are supposed to do something.  

Jeremy and I finally feel like we can breath a bit now that we are out of the newborn/infant stage of patenting.  Now we are so busy keeping Jude safe from himself and the gang that I don't know which stage is more exhausting.  I guess its a different kind of exhausting.  I am enjoying watching Jude's personality take shape and seeing him find his place in all this craziness.  We are blessed beyond measure to be the parents of such amazing kids.

This picture cracks me up

Favorite 10 Month Pictures

Crazy Hair Day

Here I come mom!

Millie's birthday

Daddy's birthday

Bros

Big Bad Bounce 

Alone playtime at Boonshoft with mom-no bothersome brother and sisters

First "sink" bath 

Favorite 9 Month Pictures

10 Months Old

This month has been characterized by crashes and falls.  Jude has discovered that he can get around, pull up to stand, crawl under, over and through just about anything.  He has taken a lot of trauma to the head this month.  He has also tempted fate by attempting to ingest anything he finds lying around.
Jude has become much more interested in toys.  He loves balls and just about anything that he can chew on.  One of his favorite times of day is bath time.  He's chewed most of his bath toys to pieces.  He still has just three bottom teeth, all of which are completely in and have been for a while.  We did notice that his top right tooth is nearly pushing through, so that might explain the infatuation with chewing.
Jude is a very smiley kid. His smile lights up his face. All you have to do is look at him and he smiles.  He loves being sung to, read to, held and tickled.  He's not a big eater but some of his favorite foods are blueberries, cheese, graham crackers, grapes, pretzel rods and yogurt melts.  He dislikes all veggies.
His favorite pastime is getting into the garbage cans.  I have to empty them on a daily basis for fear that he will eat something dangerous like a diaper or paper with a staple in it.  He seems to love paper.  He tears up every magazine or kid's coloring page within his reach.  Although the kids love him more than anything, he's becoming a bit of a nuisance to them.  They ask me frequently, "can you put Jude to bed? He's wrecking our stuff."
Jude sleeps through the night inconsistently.  When he wakes up he is nearly impossible to get back to sleep without a bottle.  He goes to bed pretty easy around 7 and wakes up for the day around 7.  He is put down for two naps a day.  Somedays I am lucky and he will sleep for two hours at least once, other days he wakes up twenty minutes into his nap and won't go back down.  He's certainly not our best napper.  Its the inconsistency that drives me crazy.
Jude's a special little guy, with a personality all his own and it is fun to watch it take shape as he gets older.  We're pretty lucky.