Here are the happenings, the likes and dislikes, the can-do's and can't-do's, and all the other stuff we want you to know about Jacer Man.

Food. He LOVES it. I don't think we've met a food yet that this big boy doesn't like. He especially loves sharing Honey Nut Cheerios and Brown Sugar Poptarts with Mommy in the morning. He'll kneel up right onto my lap, mouth wide open like a little bird, waiting for the next tasty morsel of food to be dropped into his mouth. He loves to sit up to the table, in his highchair, when we're all eating dinner and eat bits and pieces off of our plates. He thinks he's three already.

Sleep Habits. We went through a bit of a rough patch there for awhile, okay, really since he was born:) But honestly, this poor guy has been sick as much as he's been healthy, and therefore I attribute his lack of steady nighttime sleep to this. But, as of late, he's been going down at 7:30 each night and sleeping until 5:30. Daddy gets up with him to feed him a bottle at 5:30 and then he usually goes back down for two more hours. He takes an hour nap in the morning and a two hour nap in the afternoons. Ya. I know. I'm pretty darn lucky. But only as of late....

Health News. I'm really not exaggerating when I say that Jace has been sick as often as he's been healthy. First off, when he was born, his APGAR was only a 2. He wasn't breathing on his own. He spent his hospital stay connected to machines to help his little body fight to survive. Upon coming home, he spent his first week with us strapped to a Billiruben Bed. At 28 days, he was admitted in Primary Children's Hospital with very high fevers. Diagnosis: Parainfluenza. At six months we were back up at Primarys' with RSV. Late night suctions, breathing treatments, and coming home connected to an oxygen machine for another week, ended this bout of sickness. But, not for long. Two months later, the family got hit HARD with the stomach flu. Jace quickly became dehydrated to the point where he was so lethargic and fatigued that he couldn't even stay awake. And you guessed it...back up to Primary Children's. IV fluids, blood tests, etc, and we were back home the next day. It took us a solid week to build Jace's appetite back up to where it should be. Done yet? Not quite. Two weeks ago we took a family trip to St. George. Jace had a cough. It got worse. Scott ended up taking him to the IHC hospital in St. George where he was diagnosed with an URI (Upper Respiratory Infection) and Croup. More suctioning for the entire trip, a high dose of steroid medication, and lots of hot baths, finally helped to move the mucous out of his lungs. So as of right now, we're two weeks in the clear with Jace's health. I'm not holding my breath.

Playtime. Jace loves to play anything with Isabelle. He LOVES her so much! And she is the BEST big sister. She dotes on him all day. Not only that, but she can get him laughing like no one else. They have a special bond. He loves exploring, putting everything into his mouth, tub time, playing 'Who's Rockin The Boat', and when Daddy throws him up in the air.

Toys. Jacer doesn't have a 'favorite' toy right now. But, he loves to read books with Mommy. He likes his animal train and toys. And, he does not sleep well without his Sleep Sheep noise maker.

Anxiety. Entering separation anxiety age. He knows when I leave the room, and he doesn't like it. But, as long as I'm in his site, he'll stray as far as possible.

Temperament. Jace has gone from a quite needy, crabby baby, to a typically content and happy boy. He doesn't like having his face cleaned off. He hates when I try to clean out his eye gunk. Suctioning his nose is a wail fest. But, other than that, he's pretty easy going.

Updates. Jacer has five teeth. Two bottom teeth came in at 8 1/2 months. THREE top teeth came in all together at nine months. The fourth, a bulging front tooth pocket, is bound to burst through any day. Jacer man has had three hair cuts. We spike his hair, so it's important not to let it grow too long. Also, after crawling backward for nearly a month, Jace has finally put the car in drive and now zooms around everywhere on all fours. We attribute his late crawling to the extra girth he has to lug around! He's already pulling up on things and loving to stand, so I'm sure we'll have a walker before we know it. And, Jace has mastered the concept of picking up food off of the tray and putting it into his mouth. It's so fun to watch is concentration as he works so hard to accomplish such a small task. Lastly, Jace is rarely quiet these days. He has a lot to say. Dadadadadada was his first and favorite word to shout out. He also has Mamamamama and Nanananana under his belt too. We're not sure if he gets who Dada and Mama are, but we sure love it when he uses the words!