dear jack, our "spirited" one,

as soon as you began your entry into the world on october 28th, we knew you'd be calling the shots and have your own ideas about how things were supposed to go.  you scared us so much as your heart rate dropped over and over again during labor until the doctor decided to take you out via c-section.  fearful that you may not be doing well, you surprised us all by screaming with the loudest little voice and strongest lungs and by being ultra attentive with your bright blue eyes open wide taking it all in.  you even made the doctor declare how much of a fireball you were!  and, you are the only baby i have ever heard of getting "kicked out" of the nursery when mommy and daddy sent you on your second night with failed hopes of getting an hour or two of sleep!  daddy and i like to joke that you are spirited- an active baby who is full of life and determined to live life by your own rules! at five weeks old, your spirited nature is shining brilliantly.  each day is predictably unpredictable.  like yesterday, when you surprised us with hardly any peeps during the whole day only to greet our night with the loudest wails imaginable!  and, it's your spirited nature, that fills us with so much joy and makes our days with you so much fun.

this week was very busy...we cheered on daddy as he qualified for the boston marathon at the atlanta marathon on thanksgiving morning, mommy went our for the first time without you to do some christmas shopping with nonna and to have dinner with some friends, we went on our first outing as a family to georgia tech to see aunt laura's design project and to target (you slept the entire time!), you had your one month wellness visit where we learned that you have gained nearly two pounds in four weeks (you now weigh eight pounds, three ounces!- still tiny-you are in the tenth percentile- but growing well), we learned that you hate napping in your crib but love to sleep in it at night, you love your stroller and being "on the go" (like your pajamas say!) and i think that our daily walk is one of the favorite times of both of our days, and mommy discovered how much you love to dance with her as we crank up the christmas music and sing and dance in the living room!  you are already loving your barnyard activity quilt- spending minutes lying on your back and gazing at all the animals.  its activities like these that let us know that you are a very interested and curious baby...and interested babies make for interesting babies.

i am certain that you will continue to take daddy and i on a wild and bumpy ride and i am equally certain that we will love every moment of it.

xxoxo,

mommy