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.

The jumperoo has not lost its luster. Thank goodness. If Bryan or I need five minutes to pack a diaper bag, this is where Jack hangs out to wait for us. And he LOVES it. Look at him go!

Our baby is a MOVER. If Jack is sitting still, he is ready for bed, or he's sick.

On my birthday, I found out Jack could stand up. On his own! What a cool birthday present for mommy! So I of course spent the entire evening trying to get him to re-create this display, and after about 15 attempts with the iphone camera, here is what we've got::

I think Jack is going to be walking before we know it. I'm taking bets - on what date will Jack start walking? I'm betting on his 10 month birthday, plus or minus a week. (I know, I know, two weeks seems like a lot of wiggle room, but we're talking about baby milestones here, people. It's better than a doctor's estimate of "sometime between 9-15 months.") He likes to meet new milestones very near his birthdays, so this seems like a safe time frame. Check back soon to see if I'm right!

Jack has been enjoying some super awesome weather lately. Mommy has been enjoying dressing him in teeny tiny shorts and rompers :)

We spent the past weekend in Iowa to visit Bryan's family and go to our cousin Val's bridal shower. Jack went over to his cousins' house afterward for a bbq and some playtime, and he enjoyed two firsts: the swing and the water table! Both were a hit, as you can see below.

Jack's first time in a swing

 

Splashing in the cousins' water table

He had so much fun with his cousins. They are a hard group to wrangle - they are always on the move! - but we managed to get a couple shots of them together.

Cousin Will, Cousin Matt, Grandma Ruth, Cousin Lauren, Jack, Bryan, and "Baby" Emily

Reading with Cousin Lauren

So much has happened since I last updated the blog!

Big big milestone – on the day before he turned 7 months, Jack learned to crawl! He reminds me of a little hermit crab scooting around our house. He’s still a bit of a slow mover, but seems so excited just to be exploring.

He also had his first (and God willing last) trip the hospital. He had pneumonia and had to stay in the pediatric unit for four long days, but even as sick as he was, he was the sweetest baby in the world while he was there.
 

Hangin' in the hospital bed on Day 4, before being discharged.

All in all, we’ve spent approximately 24 of the last 30 days sick with a cold, then pneumonia, then a stomach flu (which daddy unfortunately caught, too), then a flat tire on the way to the doctor – wait, that isn’t an illness. But it was the last in a string of unfortunate events at the McCoy house, so we’re hoping May brings us more than flowers. Like good luck and good health!

Jack is feeling better now, and he seems to want to tell us about it. We heard his very first da this weekend! Quickly followed by na, la, ja and the old standbys eee, aaa and ooo. It was also sunny and warm enough to take him outside to play, so Jack spent his first afternoon on our roof deck. I’ll leave you with some happy videos of a weekend of sunshine, rattles and books, with commentary by Jack himself.

Jack's first Easter.
He's a boy after my own heart - went straight for the Reese's peanut butter eggs :)