Yesterday we took Jack's first birthday photos. How did a year pass already? I've only seen a preview photo so far, but I love it. Look at that smile - he lights up everything around him! I can't wait to see the rest.

August has been a busy month! Lots of updates to look forward to - the state fair, our cousin Val's wedding, and soon to come...first birthday party!

But for right now, we will leave you will this piece of news....
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OUR BABY IS OFFICIALLY A TODDLER.

Jack has been working on his first steps for awhile. He really mastered his push toy:

Click for the video!

We've seen him take a few hesitant steps, and we've done a lot of walking while holding hands:

Click for the video!

And then tonight, out of the blue, Jack just walked across the room. Like he's been doing it all along.

Click for the video!

Our baby is a toddler.

Our little stair master!

Who needs a fancy push toy to learn how to walk when you've got boxes at home?

Jack had a surprise for me when I picked him up from school yesterday:

 

See anything different? No? Look closer......

That's right! Jack's first tooth peeked through his gumline yesterday! (Yes, it is really hard to see  basically invisible in that picture, but I promise you it is there.) We didn't even know he was teething, which just reinforces my belief that he is the easiest baby ever.

Also - how much does our baby look like his daddy?

Bryan and his Mini Me

It's like Bryan's DNA cloned itself in the womb, instead of merging with mine. My baby inherited none of my genetic material. I have approximately 1 million photos of Bryan looking EXACTLY like Jack in that picture. I just haven't posted any of them in a public place, so this is the best I could find on Facebook on short notice.

This weekend we drove up to Lake Geneva for a work retreat that Bryan's company hosts every year. It was Jack's first stay in a hotel! Fortunately the weather was nice and we got out onto the grounds for a few walks.

Jack has also been working hard on pulling up on to furniture, and a hotel room is nothing if not a great place to explore (empty) drawers and cabinets. We particularly had fun doing Jane Fonda style squats at the edge of the ottoman. Exploring hotel rooms is fun!

But the best part? The hotel had a pool! Jack was a little hesitant about his first pool outing - he clung to us like a monkey baby for the most part - but he enjoyed splashing the water and floating around a little after he got used to it. It wasn't warm enough to stay in for long, but we had a great time for our first pool visit.

Jack's newest tricks:

Sitting all by himself!

 

Standing all by himself! 

 

And on the moving - rocking back & forth on his knees. He scoots all over the floor, too - we're going to have a crawler in no time!