Jack's first Christmas continued

Although there was a mountain of gifts for Jack from loved ones near and far, Jack neither seemed interested in tearing open the paper nor playing with new toys. I wondered at one point if with all the commotion he kept going back to his old toys because they were familiar? 

The other thing that Jack was very excited about was the cardboard box that a couple of gifts from Gramps came in. 

Jack's first Christmas

Jack was pretty excited about his stocking that Grandma made for him. He liked swinging it around, but wasn't too interested in opening the presents inside. In fact, he didn't really get the opening presents concept at all, except when we pulled a present out of the stocking for him and he chewed it open. Once he found the socks inside, of course, he lost interest.

Where are all the pictures?

Oh so I meant to tell you that it's getting more difficult to take pictures of Jack because the minute he sees the camera, he starts trying to grab it which is frustrating for him, because he can't have it, but it also makes it hard to get a good picture.

The other cool thing is that Jack has begun pointing to things that he wants. 

And I found another daily intake form in the pile of papers on the desk:

December 8, 2008

Jack bounced up and down to the music Olu and me made with the toy piano (he does this at home to the music from the hippo piano that Nana got him as well). He smiled, giggled and clapped as I said "Dance! Dance!"

Daily Intake Notes

When Sean went to pick up Jack at daycare on Friday, he did not want to leave. One of the student teachers, Shelby, was on top of the climbing structure reading stories and he did not want to go!

December 10, 2008

Jack was turning the pages of a book and he would start to read then he began to put it on his head.

December 12, 2008

Jack loves pushing around the wagon outside. Whenever he fell over, he got right back up and tried again and again. He also practiced coloring with chalk outside.

Cheerio fanatic

At daycare they call Jack a Cheerio fiend, because for a little while it's all he wanted to eat. Here is evidence of the fact that you become what you eat.

Playgroup

The woman playing guitar in the picture is Margaret, possibly the nicest human being who ever walked the earth. Jack is fascinated by the guitar. Normally, he rushes up to her and tries to pluck at the strings, but this time he sat and watched her play and then when she put the guitar down and told him (and the other kids) they could play with it, he came over and started fiddling with it.

Jack at the doctor

Last week Jack's eyes were a little red so they were worried at daycare that he might have pink eye. He was due for a regular check up this week anyway so I brought him in. We had to wait a little while for the doctor, so Jack amused himself playing in the sink, talking to himself in the mirror and making faces through the blue clipboard...

Jack found his tongue

Now he likes to stick his tounge out, grab it, watch for my tongue to come out, grab my tongue, hold onto his tongue while fishing around in my mouth for my tongue, put his fingers in his mouth and fish around until he finds his tongue, and on and on. It's hilarious.

He also has no interest in other people feeding him anymore, which is very messy, but he sets about the task in a very serious way.

From this week's Intake:

12/1/2008:

Jack was so excited all day today! He was playing with Anna and reading books with her and Adriana. He also helped Shelby push the hammock for Jazlyn to sleep.

12/3/2008

Today Jack enjoyed turning the pages of books and looking at the different pictures.

12/5/2008

Today Jack had a great day he was very happy to see his friend Jazlyn today he wanted to give her a kiss and hug. He also enjoyed playing with Jack R. They also were rolling cars down the inner tube.

The egg trick

Thanksgiving dinner: Jack shows his rattle egg to audience right and left, makes it disappear, then miraculously makes it reappear!!!

Thanksgiving in Little Rock

Jack had a very good time meeting his cousins and playing in the leaves in Little Rock. He's had a cold for weeks now, and he was a little overwhelmed with all the new faces and new local, but the day we left the airport he fell in love with Nana and didn't want to let go. Annie and Charlie did a great job childproofing the house for Jack and pulling out toys that he could play with. But I think the leaves were his favorite thing.

there has been an incident

The other day at daycare, Jack was reaching for the table to stand up and he missed, hitting the right side of his face against the corner of the table. He had a pretty good cut above his eye and the school called me to come and take him to the doctor. The doctor checked him out, saw that there was no eye damage or concussion and glued the wound shut which took about 3 seconds to do.

Jack is recovering just fine. 

Jack has taken to putting things together that fit. He likes putting lids on containers and then taking them off again, and putting things inside of other things and then taking them out. He gets very frustrated when he can't get them back out. 

Jack's teacher gave the parents a monthly newsletter from the classroom. I won't type out the whole thing, but she writes that the children have formed friendships, that Jack and his friend Olu are master crawlers and that the kids show tenderness and care for one another. And quote, "Olu also looks for any opportunity to hold Jack S. and kiss him."

how sweet is that?

From Wednesday's daily intake:

Jack really enjoyed going outside today, he also loved playing in the sandbox. He was also tempted to put the sand in his mouth.

Monday we leave for a week in Little Rock, Arkansas. I have been telling Jack that he is going to meet his cousins for the first time, although he has not fully grasped what this means, I'm sure he is excited.

more of Jack's picks

Jack moves non-stop nowadays, taking in information, learning balance, it's amazing to watch. He really likes going to the park to swing on the swings and especially playing in the sand. The other day at playgroup he started taking things away from other kids, wanting the shovel that the other kid had instead of the one he had. These are the beginning stages of the long struggle to understand ownership. 

Jack really likes any kind of door opening and shutting, and he also loves playing peek-a-boo or playing looking games through pieces of clear or colored plastic. Today on the changing table he was holding his book "Barnyard Dance" which is one of his favorites and has a hole in the front cover. He had it over his face and was looking at me through the hole. I didn't notice because I was trying to get his diapers changed as fast as I could before he flips himself over and stands up, so Jack said, "hey!" and when I looked at him he started laughing. We played peek-a-boo through the hole in the book for a while which he enjoyed immensely.

It's been a race against time to babyproof the house one step ahead of Jack. His favorite things in the kitchen are the oven broiler and the compost bucket (we need a gate). 

In the bedroom he likes the upright steam heater and the diaper pail. In the office he likes to pull himself up using a lamp plug in an electrical socket.

From daily intake at daycare:

11/12/08

Today Jack got lots of kisses from his friend Soloman and enjoyed playing with Tim (student teacher) in the tunnel while holding a maraca.

11/14/08

Jack enjoyed going outside and crawling around the yard.

Jack's picks

Jack explores his world

Jack is into everything now and daily finds things that we can't let him have without running the risk of having someone call the agency for child protection on us. 

He has this really great trick. He crawls up to you and raises his arms for you to lift him while smiling at you with those big blue eyes and seven little teeth. Then once he's up he immediately starts his 360 degree scan to see what he can lunge for.

He also says what I think is "hi" to people on the bus to get their attention, sometimes while reaching out a hand and staring at them. He's also started pointing to things that he wants and continues to use his hands to gesture (sometimes wildly) while talking. He hasn't mastered any of these things yet, but they pop up every once in a while, along with waving bye bye.

from daily intake today:

Jack Simon had a great day today. Lots of energy. He began multi-tasking. He had silver napkin rings in his hand while pulling on the rope that is on the riser. He also was crawling in and out of the tunnel.

Friday November 7th

Jack's daily intake form:

Jack had a great day today, he was extremely happy. He was playing with a pan and putting it to his face and on top of his head.

Sean noticed recently that Jack is now able to carry things with him while he moves around. Sometimes in his hand, sometimes in his mouth. He also really enjoys yelling into bowls and containers and listening to his voice resonate.

Jack's interests

Jack is a toasted O's fiend! I think he would eat nothing else all day if we let him. He eats them individually, he eats them on a fork, he eats them by the handful. Apparently they have a lot of iron, which helps babies bodies expel any lead they may have taken in from soil or what have you. Calcium does the same thing. 

Jack has a new found interested in hinges and things that open and close. He likes doors quite a bit, and he also likes the arm that lays across his lap on the bike seat. He works very diligently opening and closing it.

Jack and I took a bike ride through the park today. I think Jack had a pretty good time, he laughed a fair amount, and every once in a while when I'd cough or say something he'd look up at me like he was shocked to see me there.

We're all still fighting colds, but Jack never seems phased by being sick, just a little more clutchy.

from daily intake November 5, 2008

Jack played with the xylophone today and loved all the music notes it played

and there's been an incident:

(10/27) another child was really excited to see Jack and greeted him with a kiss but also bit down. Jack didn't cry but I gave him an icy anyway 

learn my lesson

The other night after my boys were asleep I got so busy doing work that I didn't go to sleep until 1:30 am. I knew Jack would be up between 5:30 and 6 but I figured I could nap with him in the morning. Not only did he manage to avoiding sleeping completely, it was also the day that he discovered for the first time the compost bucket, the power strips and cords below the computer, the guitars stacked against the wall, the magazine rack in the bathroom, and the garbage pail in his room where we keep his dirty diapers. I feel like I spent all day saying "no Jack". But then I took him out for a walk, he slept, I ate a taco and we went to the park where he got to ride in a swing while I pushed and also play in the sand.

Never count on naps.

today's reasons for why I love Jack's daycare

Outside Jack's classroom on Friday I noticed a sign that talked about how all the kids in Jack's classroom really enjoy playing musical instruments. There were pictures of each of the kids. Here's pictures of Jack and also his friend O--- playing drums.  I'm so warmed by the fact that there is so much love at Jack's daycare. The place is awesome.

and here's notes from the Daily Intake forms

Friday:

Jack was getting lots of kisses from O--- today! He also played lots of peek-a-boo. He also kept talking and we think he was saying "hi".

Monday:

Jack loves hanging out by the back door. He pulls himself up and watches the children outside while laughing and babbling.

I mean really, how great is that?

Jack has also taken to playing the toilet seat at home like a drum as well.

Jack's days

It seems like Jack turns more into a little boy every time I turn my back. I went to pick him up at daycare and I could hear him babbling really loud when I walked in the door, but when I saw the little boy at the table from behind, waving his hands around in the air and drinking out of a sippy cup, I almost didn't recognize him. It's amazing.

We got Jack a bike seat for my bike so I can pedal around with him, of course now the seasonal rains have started, but I know we'll get some nice days and I'll be able to zip him through Golden Gate Park. Grandma got him a bike helmet while she was here so we're all ready to go!

Jack seems to really love daycare. Even if he's been chatting up a storm on the bus he gets quiet when we walk down the hallway to his classroom and looks around like he recognizes the place. On Friday he saw his teacher Nenna through the door and gave her a big smile. He started to fuss a bit when I told him I was going to leave, but then his teacher Nahid said, "sweet Jack, come here" and he smiled and held out his arms for Nahid to take him. We adore Nahid. At school they call her "the baby whisperer". 

I love that Jack enjoys himself so much at daycare. I love that he gets the chance to play with other kids his age and learn new things from them like waving bye bye and clapping (he's still working on both of those). 

Jack had his last day of swimming for a while at the Janet Pommeroy center, they're going to be doing renovations until the end of January. I'm going to try to find a class for him to get into at one of the other pools in town, but we're pretty spoiled. The center is one of the nicest pools I've ever been in, especially for kids. It's really warm so it's easy to get in and there are wide, long steps that start really shallow and go about 12 feet in, so there's a good height for almost every kid to stand or sit in the water.

from his daily intake form on October 29th:

Jack had a great day. we went outside and he was touching the leaves and feeling the texture of the leaves. He also was pushing his friend Jazlyn in the wagon outside.

Infant Daily Intake Monday October 27

Jack was extremely happy today he was playing on the slide with his friend Jazlyn. He also was attempting to clap his hands :) while looking at myself (possibly Adriana, student teacher) and Shelby.

Have I mentioned that I LOVE Jack's daycare? I actually feel more relaxed when I'm there.

Oh yea! I almost forgot

Jack officially outgrew his co-sleeper while I was away. Or rather, he's just too mobile for us to safely leave him in it unattended. Now he's sleeping in his crib every night! For the time being, we're sleeping in the room with him, until he's totally adjusted and I get over my fear of not hearing him when he wakes in the middle of the night.

Pumpkin season 2008

I've been out of town for a week, attending the wedding of my dear friend Colleen and Vivek. It was really hard to leave Jack behind, but as I was the matron of honor, I knew I couldn't fulfill my duties if I had Jack with me. Check out the hat Grandma made for him while I was away!

When I got back Jack had FOUR TEETH coming in on the top! He looked so much more grown up in just one week, it's utterly amazing. He crawls around like crazy now and he's getting better and better at holding onto things and standing up. Jack also seems totally acclimated to daycare now. When I came in to pick him up on Friday, he was sitting at the table with the other Jack and Edward, and was drinking out of a sippy cup and talking really loud. Jack loves eating Cheerios and talking. He's also started a little waving bye-bye. He continues to intake lots of information with his hands and turn things over and over, studying them. He has a big plush fish with huge lips that my friend Steve got for him and he kisses the lips when I hold it up and say "glub glub".

here's what we missed (from Jack's daycare sheets):

10/12/08

For the first time, Jack went inside the tunnel while he was holding a rattle in his hand.

10/15/08

Jack was so talkative today. This morning he got a book and he was turning pages & reading it loudly

10/17/08

Jack had a great day today he enjoyed turning the pages of books and also enjoyed playing in the kitchen area

10/2o/08

Today Jack enjoyed crawling back and forth from the door to the loft and also was laughing and talking to his friend Olufemi

10/22/08

While outside with his friends, Jack enjoyed playing in the sandbox. He also crawled around and took time to explore what ever object or toy was in his path!

10/24/08

Jack was extremely active and happy all day

From Jack's daycare sheet

10/10/2008

Jack was trying hard to climb on the steps today! 

Jack loved warm mashed banana mixed with cereal & water!

Bad Mama

So as a rule, we don't let Jack watch TV. Not only because of the trash and violence, but because I've read in several places that it can mess up a kid's brain and visual development if you let them watch it in their first year. 

However, we did make an exception for the Democratic National Convention. In part because it was on at a time that Jack is normally going to bed, but not asleep and neither Sean nor I wanted to miss any of it. Also we figured, he wouldn't be too interested, which was an accurate assessment. He played in the room, but didn't pay much attention.

I had missed Michelle Obama's speech so a few days later I decided it was okay to have it on in the room while Jack and I played. Jack sat on my lap as I cued it up on youtube. Then I noticed a link for the new Britney Spears video with Beyonce and Pink, singing "We Will Rock You".

Now, not only do I have a secret guilty pleasure of most things involving pop culture, but also I've been fascinated by how lame Britney Spears is ever since I saw her sing "I Love Rock and Roll" in the movie Crossroads (I was on a plane back when movies were free!)

So the video starts up, and Jack, who has been bouncing on my legs, grabbing my face, yelling "BA BA BA!" is suddenly motionless, staring at the screen and a minute into the video he looks at me with his eyes bugged out and says "WHOA!!"

Wednesday, October 8

Jack finally got over being sick. He seemed mostly unphased by the experience, but it was hard on all of us. Vomiting, diarrhea and a rash. I can't believe how much laundry we had to do, because he'd throw up all over his bed in the morning. It was just awful. He missed two days at daycare, and developed a case of clutchiness. He didn't want to be put down to play, and would send out a distress call whenever I'd leave the room. It was tough getting back into the swing of daycare, but he seems pretty adjusted to it again now and well on his way to being the little "people person" that we're used to. He likes to catch people's eye on the bus and play with their iPods, cellphones, backpacks, whatever. Once they look at him and smile, though, he usually buries his head in my arms.

Jack has pretty much gotten the crawling thing down, but hasn't started the racing around that some kids do. The funny part is how he juts one arm out in front of the other, with all the smoothness of the animation in Year Without a Santa Claus

Now he's dying to stand up.

He's also getting better at going to sleep. He makes all kinds of noises, and rubs his blanket on his head.

from Jack's daycare sheet on Monday:

Jack was trying to crawl inside the tunnel. 

and today:

Jack was trying to pull himself up over and over today

movin' and shakin'

In the last two days Jack has twice brought himself up to a seated position in his crib, opened up a cupboard door latch, crawled backwards a few paces and crawled forward one "step". The crawling backward is really funny because he looked like he was moonwalking.

The real Jack

Jack is a man of many moods, but this is how I see him most of the time. On this day he was scraping a little rubber hollow dome against the floor, and (I think) experiencing the sound of it.

The other picture is from the park today while we were waiting for Papa to meet us. Jack often turns things around in his hands very thoughtfully, like he's doing a little job.

OK, can I just vent?

I'm a new mom and sometimes I get excited about buying cute or fun clothes for my little boy. So I'll look at websites, catalogs or at a store in the mawl for a little something for Jack.

First of all, over half the store is girl's clothes. Really fun girl's clothes with appliques and prints, cool cuts and rows of decorative buttons. Boys clothes on the other hand, pretty much amount to long-sleeved (or short sleeved) T-shirts and khaki pants of one variety or another. BOR-ING!

 Then the themes: boys clothes are made to look like 1) sports uniforms or 2) military wear. OK, the whole political and gender identity things aside---from a design standpoint it's just hideous.

And the other day I noticed something else---the girls in the ads are generally standing around in front of a mirror or having slumber parties, the boys are outside playing games or doing other sorts of outdoor activities. But saddest of all: the girls hold hands, from the time they're babies through adolescence. The boys never hold hands.

It does not take a rocket scientist nor a social anthropologist to figure out what the messages are here.

The tirade will most certainly continue. 

But thank goodness once again for Angela! (You may recall she is the one who encouraged me to start a blog in the first place) For she has shown me these super cool Japanese sewing patterns where the boys get to wear clothes that are as cool as the girls and I'll be damned if I don't put an applique octopus on Jack's first shirt!

All New! Daycare log!

Jack isn't feeling too well. Apparently he has a virus that he has to work through. Starts off with a cold, moves through diarrhea and vomiting, ends with a rash. He got the rash so we thought he was on the way out of the woods, but he threw up again tonight. Funny thing is though, he seems pretty much unphased. He hasn't slowed down much and projectile vomiting only dazes him for a couple minutes, then he's smiling again. So he won't be going to daycare tomorrow and I hope he hasn't already gotten any of the other kids sick.

We went to a members preview of the Academy of Sciences today (Grandma got us a membership!) Jack seemed more interested in playing with my braid, but did notice the fish swimming in the tanks around him. 

Every day at daycare, they fill out a sheet that tells you how much he ate, when he had his diaper changed, etc. etc. The sheet also includes comments by the primary caregiver that day. So I decided to start adding the comments to the blog, to better round out the picture.

Daycare log 9/22/08:

Jack had fun today with Tim (student teacher). He tryed (sic) crawling a little bit and enjoyed making noises with his hands

Jack continues making efforts to communicate verbally with us.  He has all but abandoned his rasberry-esque beat-boxing and now tries to make a meaningful connection using African Click! language.  With eyes fixed on ours, Jack works his tongue against his upper gums Clicking! patiently in the hopes of finding intelligent life.  I appreciate that Jack's given us the benefit of the doubt; that although we aren't cool enough to speak the language of the street, we may just be interesting enough to be conversant in one of the several remaining Click! dialects.

Also, Jack is often found contemplating his hands as they open and shut before is eyes.  I suspect this is early evidence of Jack realizing his individuality and presence in the world, which should certainly be celebrated.

Jack's life

Here's a picture Jack's teacher took at daycare of Jack and his giggling friend Christopher. I've noticed that Jack is more interested in slightly more complicated toys. And Papa took him for a ride on the swing last weekend which Jack enjoyed immeasurably.

Congestion

Jack didn't go to swimming this week because he has a small cold.

He's trying so hard to crawl or walk or move SOMEHOW. I think it drives him crazy to see the other kids at daycare crawling over to things they want and picking them up.

It's awesome to come into daycare and see three or four kids, younger than one year old, playing together. Jack had a plastic spatula in his hand today. He was babbling on and on about it while he waved it around in the area and banged it on the floor. Three little kids were sitting watching him (and listening to him?) It was hilarious. I kept thinking about that baby band they used to have on The Muppet Show. Just in that babies are really funny.

cooked carrots

Jack's teacher at school told us it would be a good idea to give Jack pieces of food that he could eat himself so we started him out on cooked carrots.

Sean suggested and I agreed that Jack should have them in a bowl and even though he would probably make a mess out of it, it was good to show him that food is served in a bowl.

The first time I tried this Jack spent the entire time holding his bowl with one hand and eating carrots with the other.

Jack loves touching running water

About Jack

Jack giggles when I clean his ears.

He quiets down instantly when I sing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"

He laughs uproariously when I sing "I'm being swallowed by a boa constrictor" and grab his knees.

Whenever he picks up something he turns it over and over in his hands, generally he seems to be looking for the best part to chew on.

He is more likely to eat his baby food happily if someone else is eating at the same time. 

He's more likely to begin eating his cereal in the morning if I sing the opening line to "Folsom Prison Blues" and bring the spoon in from an angle like the train is "coming 'round the bend"

This morning he sat up on his own in bed, (he was lying on a pillow)

He likes to rub foreheads with himself in the mirror.

He loves to watch running or spraying water

Seven months two weeks

In the last few days Jack has started grabbing for EVERYTHING and also revving his engine to either walk or crawl, we don't know which. But it's like trying to contain a monkey in a gyroscope.

Growing up

So we were only back for two days when Jack started daycare at San Francisco State University. He'll be going three days per week. Wednesday I dropped him off and had to leave him crying while Nahid, his amazing teacher, tried to get him down for his nap.

I cried like a baby.

Apparently Jack had a rough morning, he wouldn't eat and wouldn't sleep. I had planned to stop in on my lunch break, but Nahid called and asked me to come in around 11:00. I hung out for a while and apparently had a fun time playing with toys in the afternoon.

Sean dropped Jack off on Friday morning and I cried like a baby but Jack had a good time in spite of not getting enough sleep.

The flight home

OK, so let me just say once again, that at least on this trip, Midwest Airlines was awesome, and it's not just because they give you warm chocolate chip cookies, although I love that part. Everyone was incredibly helpful and made it so easy for me. From Kansas City to San Francisco, a stewardess moved me so that Jack and I had an entire row to ourselves, explaining that she has a three year old and understands you need to have an entire row. They helped me carry Jack's carseat onto the plan, let me board first...and on and on. It was amazing. Jack had a good time on the flight home, especially playing with his seatbelt and we were both thrilled to see Papa waiting for us when we got into SFO.

Recapping the Visit part 4

I drove the stretch from Elizabeth's house to Delia's alone with Jack (about 3 hours). After an initial freak out in the first twenty minutes, Jack slept the entire way! He woke up as we pulled into Delia and Mark's driveway. Jack seemed very relaxed at Delia and Mark's, taking long daytime naps and seemed quite comfortable with their new little baby, Enzo. Delia had an old blue rotary phone that Jack was crazy for. He'd turn the receiver over and over in his hands, chew on the cord, trial to dial the numbers. Every morning Mark would come out and say, "Jack! are you on the phone again?!" and Jack would smile

Delia and I took the boys down to the river to go swimming one day, and it was too low for us to do much swimming, but Jack had a ball sitting on the river's edge and digging in the sand. I think he ate about 6 tons of sand, and was covered in it by the end of the day. I felt like it made up for all the sitting in the carseat that I'd been making him do and still had left to do. My mom came down and helped me drive back to Wisconsin. About 2000 miles total. 

Recapping the Visit part 3

My friend Elizabeth flew up with her little boy, Ivan and we set out on a road trip. When I told my neice Jenny this over the phone she whispered softly, "you're crazy..." but all in all it went well. We drove for three days, usually only about 6 to 8 hours each day, except the second day when we took time to visit the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville and go swimming at the hotel pool in Lexington as well as join my newly wedded friend Alice for dinner. I think watching Ivan affected Jack, it was on this part of the trip that I really noticed him acting differently, a little older. On our trip to the grocery store before we left Jack had his first ride sitting up in a shopping cart and seemed delighted. The hardest part in the car was getting one boy to be quiet while the other one was sleeping. We also learned an important lesson about changing diapers EVERY TIME YOU STOP, whether you think they need it or not. Hanging out at Elizabeth's place once we got there was great---very relaxing and her neighbors are some of the nicest people on earth. 

Recapping the Visit part 2

By the way, that picture of Jack reclining in the waiting area in Kansas City was not posed in any way-once again, just Sean's amazing photography skills at work.

So Jack really grew up on this trip. He's already been a lot stronger when he sits up, but he's reaching out for all kinds of things and at one point in the trip he started playing peek-a-boo with me! He just seems more like a little boy every day.

Jack had a good time meeting his relatives, baths in the sink and took a special liking to Uncle John.