Another Tooth and a Visit from Grandpa

November continues to be a big month for Jacob, who is 9 months old today! Earlier this week Jacob sprouted another tooth. This one is next to the first two he's got. Teething is causing some discomfort and I think that it's really the culprit behind his erratic sleep patterns.

Grandpa came for a visit this week as well. Jacob had a great time. There was the party in honor of his adoption, trips to Red Canoe and a beautiful walk in Herring Run Park. Also Grandpa bought him some new shoes!

It's Official!

On Saturday, Caroline officially adopted Jacob as her son. We were a part of the many families participating in National Adoption Day. Click here and you can see a news story from WBAL. Don't blink and you can see Caroline holding Jacob.

It was a very nice day for the hearing. The combination of many people and unseasonably warm weather made for a very hot courtroom. The story you won't read about is that at least half the parents adopting that day were lesbians adopting their own children (and one gay male couple). Not that I think we shouldn't have a story about children being adopted out of the foster care system, but clearly there are so many gay adoptions, someone should take notice.

The judges were great and it was clear that they do truly approve of our families and were equally happy for us. It only took 30 seconds, but I was very happy to have our family legally recognized in that moment.

9-Month Check Up

Today, Jacob had his 9-month check up. It went really well! Here's the stats: 20 pounds and 28.5 inches tall! He's grown almost a foot since he was born. He's in the 50th percentile for both weight and height. As for his head, it seems a little small. It's only in the 5th percentile. The good thing is that it's growing normally so there's nothing to worry about.

We are somewhat concerned about Jacob's slow motor development. My personal doctor recommended getting an assessment of his motor development by the Baltimore Infant and Toddlers Program. They do free assessments and if it's determined that he needs some physical therapy, that's free too. It's a federally funded program. Both Caroline and I really don't want to be those parents that worry about every little thing. I'm sure in good time, Jacob will do everything from rolling around to walking, but I just wanted to see what this was about and if it could help. His doctor says give him more tummy time and let him cry a little longer. Easier said than done. Interestingly enough, Jacob got some tummy time when we got home and spent a good long time entertaining himself without tears. Who knows?

Here's a little video of Jacob in the bath. He's been enjoying bath time and learning how to play in the water.

BIG NEWS ALERT: Our adoption hearing is this Saturday, National Adoption Day, at the Clarence Mitchell Courthouse! We're really excited to finally be "official" in the eyes of the State of Maryland. We are actually quite lucky that Maryland allows second-parent adoption for gay families. There are many states that don't. We're looking forward to our day in court!

I Heart New York

You're gonna have to tilt your head to the left. I'm no good at editing but you get the gist of it. Jacob's on the swing for the first time. We're in Jefferson Park in Harlem across the street from Jack's apartment. Jacob had a great time!

We drove up to Brooklyn to Caroline B.'s place Saturday morning. The trip went pretty smoothly, but Jacob got lonely in the back seat so I had to hop back there to keep him company. He loved Aunt Caroline! We spent the afternoon at her apartment because of the never-ending rain. That evening Jack came by and we all went out to dinner.

The next morning we had bagels and headed to Jack's for the day. Jacob spent time with Jack (aka Pappa) and Ramsey. He had a great time hanging out in their cute studio apartment. We took a walk over to the park and played on the playground. Jacob had a blast.

The car ride home was less than fun. I think Jacob just had enough of his car seat and was inconsolable for a while. He finally fell asleep for the Maryland leg of the trip. When we arrived home, he transitioned to his crib smoothly. He woke up around midnight for pjs, a diaper, and a snack and then slept the rest of the night through. It was a whirlwind weekend for this little jet setter!

Random News

Well, we're off for our first road trip tomorrow. We're headed to Brooklyn/Manhattan to visit Jacob's pappa, Jack. We will also visit NYCaroline, aka, Caroline B. who is going to be our gracious host. It's a quick up and back because our schedules are all kind of crazy. It's going to be fun.

He's also going to be sporting his homemade, hand-knitted wardrobe. The flap-cap is Caroline's creation. You can't quite tell, but it has eagles on the ear flaps. He loves this hat. He chews and sucks on the long ties. And they keep him occupied in the car seat. The sweater is my creation. The pattern is called the Tiny Top Down because it's all one piece when you knit it. It's a tad big which is good. It should last him all winter.

Jacob has graduated to three meals a day. Here's a sample menu:

Breakfast, porridge of-

• grains (rice, barley, millet, Bulgar, or kasha)
• orange veggie such as carrot, sweet potato or squash
• green veggie such as peas or asparagus
• protein such as egg yolk or ground pumpkin seeds

Lunch

• yogurt (Stonyfield Farm Yo Baby Simply Plain)
• fruit such as apple, pear, banana, peach, kiwi, mango

Dinner is another porridge similar to breakfast and maybe a teething biscuit. Also, if Caroline and I are eating some of the veggies Jacob has eaten like carrots or sweet potatoes, I'll smash it a bit and give it to him as finger food. He's not quite into the finger food yet, so it's mainly just practice. We've also included ground flax, tahini and kelp into his diet, as instructed by the Super Baby Food book. He loves eating. Right now, he eats pretty much anything we offer him and he's working really hard on holding the sippy cup to drink water. If he does it himself, most of the water ends up on his shirt, but he's getting there.

Anyway, that's really all the news I have for now. Jacob's next doctor appointment is Tuesday. I'm looking forward to learning how tall he is and how much he weighs, though I know he weighs about 20 pounds. We're also going to ask the doctor about Jacob's development. He seems behind most of the milestones which is probably because he was a preemie, but I just want to be sure we have nothing to worry about. Jacob is moving along. He moves himself more and is definitely showing progress, which I think is the important thing.

It's an unseasonably warm day in Baltimore again. We're going to the tot lot this afternoon for playtime!

Yes We Can!

Play Date

Yesterday Jacob had a play date with Aidan and Norah. They all played "together" for an hour or so. It was fun to see the babies interact with each other. Jacob and Norah swapped toys again and again.

Well, I can hear Jacob waking up now....