words words words

I find this video from NPR/Radiolab completely relevant, as we are emerging into the realm of words with Jack. We are becoming very aware of what we say and how we say it.

For a few months now, Jack has been an excellent mimic of syllables and tone. We will be outside, and Blitz will be dragging his paws, trying to be outside longer. I'll say, "Blitz! Come. HERE!" Then Jack will say, "Ba! Ba. Ba!" He points at Blitz as he commands him to come here. I can't help but laugh.

His little language of jibberish is fleshing out into repeated words that are close to the real thing and repeated enough that we know what he's telling us. And Jack is even using a few real words now too, which is so exciting! In addition to 'dada' and 'mama' we've got a string of b-words: bird, ball, bowl, Blitz (more like Bit), and Bill. He also tries to say "tickle tickle" when he tickles you, but it adorably sounds like "tucka tucka."

The most exciting development in the word arena happened when we all were in the kitchen. When Jack is trying to tell us something and the process of elimination falls short, he gets frustrated. And rightly so. Who doesn't get frustrated when they aren't able to communicate clearly? I got down to his level and said, "Jack, I know you're frustrated because you want something. Could you try and use a word and tell us what you want instead of crying?" (I knew this was a total longshot, I mean I was speaking with a 15-month-old baby! Before I stood up, in an immediate response Jack, clear as a bell, said, "Water." We bursted with laughter and Dan said, "Oh! You want some water in a cup, buddy?" Jack, with a huge smile, nodded YES!

I just find language development so interesting! Before we moved to SF, I had started my Master's program in literacy and language development. It's so exciting to watch words connect with the things that surround kids every day, and for them to surprise us with how much they already know and understand.

I think you should watch this. I love homonyms.

fall making way for winter

Yesterday was the first day that felt like fall was coming to an end. It was gray and chilly, and Dan swears he saw a flake of snow. Funny thing is, we're totally okay with that! It's been so long since we've been part of the winter season. I know I'll be singing a different tune in February, but I am seriously excited for the snow! I'm honestly more excited for Jack's first winter. Bundling up for sledding and snowmen, and warm hot cocoa when we come in from the cold. Catching snowflakes on our tongues and the crunch of fresh snow under your boots. Seeing your breath in the air and writing on the windows of the car. Winter from a kid's perspective is pretty amazing and I'm so excited to see it with fresh eyes.

Jack's first fall in Michigan was truly amazing! I imagine bounding through piles of snow will be just as fun as those leaves!

worth the wait!

Which is worse - sending out CUTE invites a month after a party OR sending out mediocre invites in a timely manner? I'm going with the former, of course!

I wanted to send out simple notes of thanks for Jack's birthday party. (Of course they had to match the color scheme from his party.) I wanted to put my own spin on it, so I got to work in Photoshop!

I set out with a plan to make Jack his own stationary with a little 'J' on the top of the thank you card...but then I created a little cartoon graphic of my little man! Things started moving fast from there! Next came the words, and then I realized I had to go with the literal meaning on "a little thank you" put this on tiny little cards for a true little thank you.


I wasn't sure exactly how I was going to put my design on the cards. After a little googling, I decided to get a stamp made! I went with RubberStampChamp.com. I am not getting anything from them by any means, but their site was super easy to navigate, so I recommend going with them.


I opened the package and got to work. I suggest practicing with a new stamp, and playing around with colors. This stamp got a million times cuter when I stamped in black ink! (Oh, and I made a stamp for Dan too, as you can see with the orange "1977 mopeds" stamp.)


Now I just have to fill out the notes...


I am excited to have made it a stamp that we can use over and over again! I am making more now!

come together, right now!

Slowly, but surely, things are coming together. Everything - daily routines, house stuff, re-acclimating to Michigan-living - it's all coming together.

As far as house stuff goes, I feel like most of my energy goes into Jack's room. Having never decorated a kid's room before, I've been having so much fun. While I was very excited when the shower curtains came in the mail, I find myself very excited finding things for Jack's room. I found a ceramic semi-truck planter that I fell in love with. I smiled the whole way home after having successfully bartered with the woman at the antique shop.

Baby/kid things are cute, bright and adorable. I really don't think things like a painted alphabet or adorable wooden trucks would be appropriate decor for the living room or the bathroom. That being said, I've had certain things in mind that I've wanted (this goes for the whole house, not just Jack's room!). I spend an embarassing amount of time in the late hours of the evening perusing Etsy and other design blogs and sites for things like beautiful screen printed aplhabets, cute framed sayings like "Let's be adventurers" and kid-friendly wallpaper. Seriously. Hours of clicking through framed alphabets, just not wanting to fork over $50 for the perfect one.

Since I knew what I wanted, I figured I should just make my own. After spending time actually thinking about the design of his room, I decided on a more subtle theme - a nod to Jack's place of birth that will certainly turn into bragging rights on the playground some day. "I used to live in San Francisco, California!" then a few years later he'll be claiming, "I grew up in San Francisco," which will inevitably grow into "Oh yeah, I used to play on the Golden Gate bridge every day."

Here is a sneak peek into his room. The walls have yet to be painted the chosen color of the San Francisco fog, but I am excited about the new art on the walls.

Good Morning, Golden Gate Bridge!


and now I know my A-B-C's




To be continued...hopefully sooner than later!

a day in the life

Coffee and internetting during Jack's morning nap is one of my favorite times of the day. Finding solo time is quite important and necessary.


Between naps we do things like:

head over to the Nature center


eat Popsicles


hang out at the library


Then we eat dinner, often outside on the deck


Once the little dude is asleep, I work on things. I drew up an alphabet chart and I'm painting it on canvas for Jack's room.


I have nothing to complain about.

*Of course, my day also consists of changing diapers, consoling a fussy little dude on occasion, cleaning toilets, laundry, dishes, etc. I just thought I'd share photos of the highlights. Who wants to see a dirty diaper, even if it is captured on a cool iPhone camera app? Not me!

...it's been a year!

On Saturday Jackson Wyatt Kastner turned one!

He helped decorate for his big party. He was quite particular where the balloons went...




I decided to keep the decorations simple and the menu fitting for a summer birthday - a red, black and white BBQ! I had so much fun making all of the decorations, and Jack's grandmas helped out with the food!

Jack's hand-embroidered "I'm 1" onesie


the birthday banner


The cupcakes! I even designed the little labels!




I didn't take many pictures throughout the party, but here are Dianne and Diego - they came to celebrate with "The Sheriff" all the way from Spain!


Ask Jack to smile, and you get something like this (photo from Simon)


Jack was quite the social butterfly, mingling with all of his party guests. It was actually so entertaining to watch, seeing how little ones are quite unpredictable. I did get some snuggling in with the birthday boy though!



I can't say enough how much fun we had celebrating an amazing year with many of our closest friends and family! Everyone lives scattered all over the world, and it just felt so good to be back in our home, with so many people that we love in one place! We wish all of our west coast friends could have been here too!

And what's a 1-year-old's birthday party without seriously enjoying some cake??? (photo from Dianne)


What an amazing year! Hoping time slows down a bit, and the next year doesn't happen so fast...

SHARK WEEK BABY!

I love sharks. I always have been so fascinated by birds and sharks. (hence the bloggity blog title!) Jack's 1st birthday is just a few days away! It is right and just and perfect that Jack was born during Shark Week. (You do know what Shark Week is, right???) Too bad they don't have this in his size! haha

Here's our little shark, fresh out of the tub...


HAPPY SHARK WEEK!

trial and error

Baby Mouth Experiment # 56: Sand at the beach

incredible fake edibles

I've said it before, and I'll say it again...I. LOVE. BIRTHDAYS. Not just my own, I love them all! Now as we approach Jack's 1st birthday, I am having a hard time not buying him a million things. The thing is, I don't want him to have "a million things", drowning in a sea of toys. I want things to be special and have meaning. Especially those plastic toys that make crazy noises and are simply buttons to mindlessly push over. and over. and over.

I am all about wooden toys and handcrafted treasures that stimulate the imagination. I just saw on ohdeedoh IKEA's latest addition to their fast growing kids' collection. Plush Play Food!!!!







My personal dilemma is that I've been eyeing such things on Etsy, which have been loving handcrafted by individuals, but they are so expensive there! *Sigh* These are simply amazing, and Jack doesn't know it, but they've been added to his birthday wish list!

the world gets bigger every day

With it being the end of the school year, we are moving across the country in two weeks, I am trying to figure out my job situation for the next year, etc., we find ourselves so busy these days. I love in the midst of such chaos, we suddenly find ourselves in the middle of moments that make us want to figure out how to slow down time.

For the first time, once being put in the grass, Jack crawled around and loved it. It took us rolling around and rubbing our hands in it to convince him. Once we did that, he rubbed his hands in it and started laughing. Like ridiculously adorable laughter that made people stop on the sidewalk and watch this baby discover warm grass for the first time. It just melted my heart. I truly love being this little guy's mom.

Jack in the grass


Dan in the grass




He's amazing us every single day. He's 9.5 months and crawling like crazy. Crazy speed crawling. It's fun to watch. He insists on feeding himself and LOVES to eat just about anything - hummus on toast and cheesy baby raviolis are his faves. He climbs on anything and everything. He loves seeing himself in the mirror. He loves jumping (bouncing, really) in his crib. He cruises as he stands, bracing himself on the couch or the entertainment stand. He plays with his trucks and trains, using them as skates for his hands as he crawls around super fast. He loves being outside, especially when it's sunny and the wind blows his hair back. He's just starting to wave to other people, he's been waving at himself in the mirror for awhile now. He loves bath time so much. When the water is running he stands outside the tub, holding the edge, standing and bouncing in anticipation. Oh, and the clapping. Everything I've listed thus far is punctuated with clapping. All clapping, all the time.

AND!!! Today he said his first word!!! Da-da! We were so excited! I was nursing him before bed, he suddenly grabbed my leg and stood up and started waving toward the door. He was babbling along, and I thought I heard Da-da somewhere in there. He said it again, and again. Then Dan came in, and Jack was clapping and bouncing all over the place. Dan got in the bed and Jack basically tackled him. It was as if he was celebrating that Daddy heard him call. He just kept saying it over and over. Da-da! Da-da! He was already up past his usual bedtime, and the boy could not fall asleep. He wanted to celebrate, I think.

We celebrate new things every day around here. I love it.

oh yeah, this one is getting cuter

I know we all thought it was not possible for Jack Jack to get cuter. But it's happening every day.



lots of crawling


lots of exploring


followed by lots of chillin'


I've tried to get him to slow down in the growing department, but it's a no go. He plans on growing up too fast.

St. Patrick's Day

Every time St. Patrick's Day comes around I think of my Grandpa and Grandma Hallman. I really can't believe it's been 13 years since my grandpa passed away, and 10 since Grandma lost her own battle with cancer. I miss both of them so much. They were such amazing people and I really would have loved to get for them to get to know me as an adult, meet Dan, and Jack too of course.

I have this picture in our living room, and I simply love the way my grandpa is looking at my grandma. Such a beautiful picture of two very beautiful people.


Check out the cutest leprechaun in the world!

7 months old...

Our little man is seven months old. Wow. You hear it time and time again that "kids grow up so fast," but watching it unfold right in front of my eyes makes it so real, and so completely true. February, while it was a short month, was a big one for JackJack, as we lovingly call him these days. It's hard to wrap my brain around the fact that he's already seven months old. After watching the Olympics we're trying to figure out what event to devote Jack's life to, seeing how we have to start very young for him to get an early edge on the competition. Skeleton, bobsled, and luge are out. Too scary. We're thinking hockey, nordic combined, or snowboarding. Hockey is really gaining momentum in popularity, nordic combined involves shooting (and he seems like he'd be a good shot), and snowboarding would really help his popularity among peers. It's hard to choose, but we'll keep you all updated as we weigh out the pros and cons for our top 3 picks.

He is just so full of energy and personality. We see this more and more every day. Over the past month he's been sprouting his first tooth (bottom front right), which as of today is being joined by its neighbor. This past week he's been fighting off his first cold, which has been a battle for him. We've felt so terrible as he's terribly coughing and looking at us as if wondering, "Is this how life is going to be now??" Watching him experience everything for the first time makes one really appreciate life and truly see it with fresh eyes.


Check out those pearly whites poking through

He has quickly become a very mobile baby. He's got his army crawl down, so he can efficiently get across the room to whatever it is he probably shouldn't get into...shoes and steps are ever-so appealing for the little one. What really gets him moving is if he sees anything with a screen (i.e. laptops, iPhones, etc.) or a remote. We now have an old remote for him to enjoy, which he does very much. His favorite thing is to stand and bounce. It shocks people to see him do this...apparently a baby his age isn't normally doing this. He will crawl up to us on the couch, grab us, and stand up all by himself (while holding onto us, of course!). Dan loves to make obstacle courses of pillows and blankets for him to climb over, I think in an effort to slow Jack down...but that doesn't work.


Standing


obstacle course
His first month of solid foods has been a lot of fun. The boy loves his veggies, but fruit isn't too exciting yet. Pureed apples and bananas make him gag...hopefully that's not the case forever because he'll never be able to sing "I love to eat, eat eat apples and bananas" with a smile on his face. :)

I could really go on and on, we just love our little baby so much!

projects...

I have a million unfinished craft projects right now. Between home and school I haven't much time to even think about them...laundry is piling up again, and I am getting behind in grading stuff...AGAIN! Ugh, don't even want to think about that on this nice and cozy Friday night as I am nestled in my favorite corner of the couch with a happily sleeping baby in his crib, husband rubbing my feet, and drinking a Blue Moon.

What I do want to think about are the creative things that are patiently waiting for me on my quaint crafting shelves..,and the projects that have just piqued my interest.

Very excited to replicate these pillows to add to our cozy couch.




And I have so much spare fabric that I am always wondering just what to do with. A project like this would be a perfect use for that fabric, and an adorable addition for Jack's room. (That is when we have a place where he has his own room...) So easy, just cut the fabric, spray mount, and frame!

nasty cold and a new friend

Jack's newest friend. Meet Nutty Buddy. They became fast friends, are nap companions, exersaucer pals, and all-around chums. Nutty Buddy came at a time of need for Jack, as he met his newest enemy as well. The cold. There is nothing sadder than this little man's coughs and runny nose. He's got no clue what's hit him, he probably thinks this is how life is going to be now. Restless sleep, constant fussiness, and a cough that rattles his baby bones. Wish there was something I could do to really make it all go away, but this is just the first in a lifetime of colds. He remains a very happy camper between coughs and fits of sleep-deprived teething sniffly sadness.




you see that little tooth??

yum yum, eat it up

So Jack is about three weeks into the world of solid foods. I've really been loving making the baby food. The benefits are endless...Not only is it a lot of fun and a sense of accomplishment, it's also so much cheaper than buying baby food in jars. I know what exactly is going into everything, and preparing fresh vegetables and fruit is so healthy for this little human being. If you're on your way to such endeavors, I suggest a helpful website: Wholesome Baby Food A great step-by-step manual, easy to navigate and seek answers to questions you may have.

I've been keeping a "Baby Food Diary" recording the "recipes" I've been using, when he was first introduced to the food, and his like/dislike. (So far, he likes everything!) I find it so useful, as you're supposed to wait 3-5 days to introduce new foods to see if there is any allergic reaction. I am packing my brain full these days, and I can't imagine just trying to remember when he's been introduced to what...


This dude loves to eat...