Happy 1st Birthday, John Ross!

What a fun and eventful year John Ross has had! We celebrated his first birthday in style. On his actual birthday of September 26th, Mommy and Daddy gave him his gifts, which included a wagon. Later that afternoon, he and his daycare friends enjoyed a caterpillar made of cupcakes. On Saturday, September 29th, all of John Ross' aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents came to Iowa to celebrate at the Malter "Birthday Barn" for an E-I-E-I-O themed party. We had baby chickens and all! What a wonderful time we had (see photos). We ended the weekend by attending the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. One of Daddy's friends is the vet for the circus, and she was kind enough to give us a few tickets to enjoy. Of all the animals, John Ross enjoyed the little dogs the most.

John Ross is busy moving about. He's still not walking, but he's so close! He's growing so fast and has already had 4 haircuts. We are so blessed to have a healthy one-year-old.

9-Month Update

John Ross now has 7 teeth and is crawling all over the place. Crawling has turned Mommy and Daddy into the “fun police”. Baby-proof door locks and gates just get in the way of a good time! (Check out his teeth in the photo taken on Independence Day)

We’ve had a busy, but fun summer so far. Just recently Cortney’s brother, Brandon, got married. John Ross was a ring bearer in the big event. He looked adorable in his tuxedo, but slept through the entire ceremony. We are now anxiously awaiting the arrival of Cousin Best (Daphne and Tyler’s baby). Should be any day now! Meanwhile, John Ross is spending time splashing in the baby pool and pestering his 4-legged siblings.

8-Month Update

We can't believe John Ross is already 8 months old! He has changed so much in recent weeks. He is sitting on his own and pulling himself up on his crib rail. He is busy getting into anything he can get his hands on. He can get up on all fours, but is not quite crawling. He gets around by rolling or scooting. He now has four teeth... you can see in his photo he looks like a baby vampire. Our pediatrician assures us that this is normal. John Ross has been a social butterfly during the past two months attending bridal showers, baby showers, graduation parties and his first two sporting events - a Stars hockey game and an I-Cubs baseball game. To our surprise, he enjoyed both. We're extremely excited about the upcoming summer and spending more time with him outdoors.

6-Month Update

Last week was quite eventful! John Ross turned 6 months, got his first tooth and is sitting up on his own. We spent his 6 month birthday visiting his pediatrician, having portraits made and even made time to visit the Easter Bunny. He now weighs 22 lbs. 8 oz. - he's officially off the charts, but healthy! We spent the past weekend at the Lake of the Ozarks with family when he (true to his exhibitionist style) cut his first tooth! Aunt Bec was the first to spot it. He tolerated the "event" quite well. I think the drive was harder on him than anything. Although he is now in his bigger carseat, which we refer to as the "Lazy Boy", he is ready to get out and move after a few hours of being in it. Thankfully Daisy kept him entertained for most of the drive. He loves grabbing and cooing at his big sisters!

John Ross' 1st Flight

Saturday, March 17th, was an eventful day for the Malters. John Ross took his first flight! We took a short trip around the Des Moines area to prepare for longer future flights. John Ross is a born flyer. He enjoyed looking out the window and once we ascended, he took a nap. Of course, Kyle already has big plans for John Ross becoming his co-pilot. Maybe once he can reach the pedals, we'll think about it.

5-Month Update

John Ross is getting bigger every day. He is now eating baby food and although he is not a picky eater he prefers sweet potatoes and squash to everything else. Evening feedings definitely require a bath, which is his favorite event of the day. John Ross continues to get stronger and is trying to sit on his own. We think it's just a matter of time before he'll accomplish that skill. He is still tons of fun and has a charming personality. He keeps the pew behind us at church fully entertained!

Baptism

We recently held a baptism for John Ross. Since he enjoys his baths so much, the baptism was a cakewalk! His godparents, Matt and Chris Mahn, flew in from Boston for the event. Even part of the Missouri clan drove in for the occasion. Don't let the innocence of the white outfit fool you - he's all "pistol". His personality is on display in the picture with his godfather, Matt.