the young boy in Jack

with increasing frequency Jack looks like a little boy to us and not a baby. it's amazing and has made me feel like I've been given an entirely new little creature. 

His two little teeth are clearly visible and (ouch!) touchable now (still working on a picture of those). Jack babbles with deep sincerity while looking at us straight in the eye. He's not really interested in any of his toys now, he just wants whatever we have in our hands. He REALLY wants our cell phones, but fortunately he's enough of a baby still that a paper bag will keep his interest, especially if it's new and crunchy and makes lots of noise. 

On the train he wants to crawl all over everything. He's also started beatboxing a few days ago, which one of the other moms at swim class told me is a teething thing. It's pretty darn funny whatever its about. He still smiles and laughs at the shower curtain, but certain songs make him laugh and you can see him kind of anticipate the funny parts. He's eating three solid meals a day-one cereal and two vegetable. we're still working on peas and beans, but we're going to add carrots when the peas and beans jar runs out.

Jack LOVES lying in the grass, feeling it with his hands and putting leaves in his mouth. Another sign that he's turning into a little kid: he comes home dirty.

He's pretty camera shy, so it's hard to get pictures of him, but I'll see what I can come up with. Sorry it's been a while, our computer was really slow for a couple days, but it seems good now.

gulp

We are VERY fortunate that Jack has been accepted to San Francisco State University's childcare program. It's really awesome and affordable, and as our friend Sharon puts it, "once you visit the facility you don't want to send your kid anywhere else". 

When I got the acceptance email, I went cross-eyed reading it because I was so excited.

So initially Jack was accepted for two full days per week, which would allow me to continue at the Labor Archives, have a day to work on my thesis but still give me time with Jack to go to swimming lessons and the park.

Then they called back and offered us our original choice of THREE days per week. Not wanting to pass it up (once you agree to a schedule, it's pretty much set for the duration that your child is in care), I agreed. After I got off the phone I started to panic. Somehow three days per week seemed like so much more than two-irrational perhaps, I know. But I called Sean and of course, being the solid voice of reason that he always is for me, made me realize it was okay.

In the long run, I think it will be good for Jack, and for mom and dad too. I couldn't do it if I didn't believe that the facility is really great and that Jack is going to benefit from going there. It will mean that I will keep taking at least one class per semester at State, which is good because there were some great courses that I couldn't take because I ran out of time and it should allow me to work more.

these days

no earth shattering events this week

Jack giggles when I roll him over and he loves playing in the grass.

We started him on green beans but we think they're too fiberous. He doesn't spit them out but he doesn't swallow either-he just sits there with them on his tongue and gives me a tortured look.

He's also reaching out for more things and picking between objects. His favorites this week are any metal cups, his bunny with the bells inside, his texture pillow that Grandma made and of course, his feet. 

These couple of pictures are from a recent visit with my dear friend Eileen at a park in Los Gatos.

Jack appears fairly comfortable in the water

Grandma took this picture on her recent visit. Jack is very good at floating on his back and kicking (although not on demand), holding onto the side of the pool and playing Humpty Dumpty (where he sits on the side of the pool and then "jumps" into my arms.

oh and yesterday!

Jack got his first library card!

Papa's observation

Jack has a fabric cube that his Grandma made him-it has different textures on each of the sides. For a little while he was waving it around and bopping himself in the face but when he exhausted of that he just laid on his back rubbing his hand against the little bumps on the side of the cube. He's clearly gathering information with his hands, so not everything has to go in his mouth.

growing

Jack is getting long enough now that I can't very smoothly move him from my lap to his bed because I can no longer hold his top and bottom half without him bending in the middle-it's so exciting to feel him grow like this.