The Mighty Jacob

Running Circles

2010-09-20T12:46:00.001-04:00

In this video, Jacob is running around in circles with his friend, Sophie. That's Sophie's mom in the middle. We're at Rosh Hashanah Under the Stars at Oregon Ridge Park.

Wow, he did what???

2010-09-09T08:39:00.003-04:00

The list of firsts for Jacob just keeps growing and growing. Everyday we are amazed by something Jacob has done. Caroline and I have stepped up our efforts to get Jacob potty-trained and it's working! Yesterday, Jacob put a Number 2 in the potty! It was an amazing effort on Caroline's part, because Jacob was very scared of the idea of pooping in his potty, but when he was done, he was very proud of himself.

Jacob is also making progress learning his letters and counting. Bubbe sent him flashcard books and he loves them. He wants to count all the time.

My favorite new thing that Jacob is doing is singing. He sings songs to himself like "Thomas the Tank Engine." He also sings Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and the Itsy Bitsy Spider. It's so cute!

Here's a picture from Jacob's first day of school. He has a new Cars backpack and he loves it!

First Letter

2010-08-19T19:26:00.001-04:00

Yesterday Jacob wrote his first letter -- the letter C !! Hooray! Now he can count to 11, and identify most letters, and write one.

What's Up With Jacob

2010-06-11T14:52:00.003-04:00

This week was Jacob's last week of school as a toddler. When he starts camp in a couple of weeks, he moves to his new classroom - the Twos. Is every mother this emotional? Well, we are so happy with the Baltimore Hebrew Day School family. They are really warm and wonderful and we feel really good about the experience he's having there twice a week.

The pool opened Memorial Day weekend and we are all so HAPPY about it! This morning, Jacob convinced Caroline to take him to the car when he woke up and he climbed into his car seat and directed Caroline to drive him to the pool. He loves it there. We will be spending a lot of time there this summer! Yay, pool!

Last week we took a whirlwind trip to New York City. We stayed with Caroline's cousin again. It was 48-hours of constant moving! We spent some time with Jacob's dad, Jack. We also got to see my aunt, who I haven't seen in many years.

We spent some time at our favorite park, and the fountains were on! Here's a picture:

The summer promises to be as busy as the spring. I hope we can keep up!

How About a Video?

2010-05-19T14:24:00.002-04:00

I hope you view these videos from my phone:

A better update

2010-05-19T14:03:00.001-04:00

In my haste to make sure everyone is up-to-date with cute Jacob pictures, I haven't been able to fill you in on all the neat changes going on with him this year. So here is my attempt to do just that.

As I've mentioned in previous posts, Jacob is growing and changing all the time! It is a very fun time with him nowadays. His current likes are cars, trucks, trains, and airplanes. He's really been enjoying matchbox cars recently. As a matter of fact, yesterday as I was folding laundry, Jacob happily played with his cars and trucks by himself for at least a half hour. This was big (and happy) news for me. Who knew such an inexpensive toy ($.96 @ Target) could make a boy so happy. We take them everywhere with us to provide Jacob with something to do while doing the mundane activities in life, like errands and waiting for dinner to arrive. He also loves to point out big trucks and buses to us while we're driving somewhere. It's as if motorized vehicles are in a boy's DNA.

Besides trucks, Jacob still loves books (especially books about trucks). One of his current favorites is "A Truck Goes Rattley-Bumpa" by Jonathan London. We discovered it at Mother Goose on the Loose (the story time at Enoch Pratt Library) and borrowed it from the library, but he likes it so much, I think we'll be getting our own copy soon. He also loves books with animals and he's good at identifying the animals too!

We try to be outdoors a lot now that the weather is nicer. We go to the Maryland Zoo almost weekly. The weekend before last we ventured back to the Waverly Farmers Market, and the Baltimore Flower Mart.

Jacob is talking a lot and communicating his needs more with language (thank goodness). He can say sentences like "I want a drink Mommy" or "All done with this." He's learning to say "Yes, please" and "thank you." He's still pretty shy, but he warms up, especially to people his age (or height). He's very social and sensitive to other kids feelings. We still struggle with the "learning to share" and "taking turns" concepts but at times, he's very good with it.

Another fun thing Jacob started doing is singing. He's always liked music but now he sings along to CDs when we're driving and when we sing together at home. One of his favorite songs is "Old MacDonald" and he likes it sung in all kinds of styles.

Aidan is still his best buddy, but a few weeks ago we met neighbors on our street with a 2 & 1/2 year-old girl named Sofie. Jacob and Sofie have become fast friends and it's great to have someone his age so close by that we can just stop in for an impromptu play-date.

On the medical side, Jacob nose is constantly running. We thought it was allergies, but learned he was prone to viruses due to his unusually large adenoids. The doctor told us to pretty much expect Jacob's nose to run all the time. When he's three, we can take him to an Ear, Nose & Throat doctor who will probably remove his adenoids at that time. (Oh joy.) So for now, we have to live with the chronic coughing and runny nose. It's not so bad for Jacob - he doesn't seem to care that much except that he gets tired of getting his nose wiped all the time. It's harder for Caroline and I who just want to see him healthy and comfortable. As a result though, Jacob is learning how to blow his nose, reducing our need to for the aspirator (aka, snot-sucker).

Well, of course, I have some more cute pictures for you to enjoy.

He still looks angelic while sleeping.

Jacob & his new friend Sofie.

Jacob & Aidan at Herring Run throwing rocks in the water.

Life with a Toddler is Busy!

2010-04-20T14:44:00.000-04:00

This is long overdue, but like the title says, Life with a Toddler is Busy! Now that Jacob is two, we've been on the move, going here, there and everywhere. After the worst winter I've ever experienced, we've been taking every opportunity to hang out outside. We go to the zoo at least once a week (thanks to a great family membership). There's also lots of playgrounds around that we like to visit. One of Jacob's favorite things to do is go down to the Herring Run stream behind our house and throw rocks in the water. He says they go "splash!" He's a very chatty boy and talking more and more all the time. Here's some pictures from our recent adventures:

On a spring day, we tried to get some family pictures at a local park, but Jacob was stingy with his smile.

Mommy, Jacob, & Mama

We've been going to the zoo a lot. Here we are feeding a giraffe.

Jacob takes a ride on a banana-plane.

Smelling the flowers at Sherwood Gardens.

Hanging out with his buddy Aidan at a PJ Shabbat at the Baltimore Hebrew Congregation...

And for old time's sake, here's a picture of the boys from about 2 years ago:

The Video I Promised

2010-02-25T14:34:00.002-05:00

This is the video I wanted to show you last month.

Two!

2010-02-25T14:24:00.001-05:00

In the midst of all the snow that fell on us, Jacob turned two years old! Grampa came to town and we celebrated with cupcakes. Jacob's birthday party is postponed until we can see our street again. (Actually most of the snow has melted, so we're in good shape provided we don't have any more blizzards.)

Caroline created a great word and skill chart that marks when Jacob said which words and did which big skill over the last two years. Jacob has around 90 words in his vocabulary! And the list keeps growing and growing. Today he said "song" to me for the first time! He loves music and loves listening to his Putumayo CDs.

Here's some recent pictures:

Listening to "Happy Birthday"

Eating cake (one of his new favorite words).

Riding his fire truck.

Exploring the fish in the Children's Area of the Enoch Pratt Library main branch (with buddy Aidan).

Supporting the Wishes for Fishes fund.

Jacob is getting ready for some new adventures. He'll be taking a tumbling class this spring and we're eagerly awaiting summer for fun at the pool.

Snowman!

2010-02-05T13:42:00.000-05:00

Goodness, all we're getting here in Baltimore is snow, snow, and more snow. We're expecting another 15" - 22" inches tonight. Jacob and I went out to build snowmen from the snow leftover from last weekend. He had a blast once he realized that the mittens kept his hands warm while touching the snow. Hee hee.

Yay for snow!

Hello 2010!

2010-01-21T10:34:00.002-05:00

Hello 2010! Sorry for the long overdue post! The last couple of months of 2009 were really busy in the Harmon-Darrow household. I was working on my Master's thesis, which is finally done. Then we had Thanksgiving at our house and a week later, we flew off to California for 10 days. When we got back, we were welcomed with the Blizzard of 2009 and 20 inches of snow!

2010 hasn't slowed us down at all, either. Jacob returned to school and Caroline and I returned to work, but we're all doing really great! We're looking forward to Jacob's birthday party next month. Can you believe that Jacob is going to be 2???? Me neither.

Jacob is growing in leaps and bounds. He's talking a lot, some words I understand, most I don't. He's also saying small sentences. He loves to talk on the phone. And his newest fascination is Elmo. He loves Elmo and talks about him all the time.

He continues to love books, but now he's expanding his skills to cooking. Caroline cooks with him nearly everyday. He's pretty good at it. He likes it so much that it's one of the first things he says when he wakes up in the morning. "Cook!"

Here are some pictures from our recent adventures.

Thanksgiving dinner with Uncle Adam, Renee, Bubby, and Uncle Stuart.

Mommy & Jacob celebrating the completion of Mommy's thesis in California.

Gramma, Jacob, Grampa & Mama at the Spanish Village in Balboa Park.

Mommy & Jacob baking Hannukah and Christmas cookies. He loves to sprinkle the sugar.

Jacob at the Children's Museum in San Diego. He's an artful character.

Jacob explores the snow in the Blizzard of 2009.

Jacob with the Danna Clan, (L-R) Aunt Joan, Pop-pop (Jack Sr.), Aunt Janet, Aunt Joyce, and Mom-mom (Helen).

Christmas morning with Mama & Mommy.

Playdate with his buddy, Aidan!

A kiss for his Pappa!

That's it for now. I have a video that I want to share, but I can't figure out how. When I do, I'll post it.

Halloween!

2009-11-06T14:44:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post to share our Halloween pictures!

Pumpkin Carving!

Working on the design.

These pumpkins are scary!

Little Bumble bee.

Ready to go!

Trick or treat!

The day after - "I love to carry my basket all around!"

Pumpkins

2009-10-23T15:01:00.000-04:00

Wow, two posts in one month! Today, my friend Steffie and I took our boys to Weber's Farm for some outdoor fun. They have all sorts of stuff for kids to do. We took pictures with the pumpkins, went on a hay ride, visited a huge turkey, and slid down a huge hill on a burlap bag. The boys had a blast. Here's some pictures.

Standing about 2 & 1/2 feet tall.

Traveling, Growing, Changing

2009-10-22T22:00:00.000-04:00

So much to catch up on this month! This has been a month of explosive growth and big changes for Jacob. We went up to New York City at the end of September and had a great time there. We went to the Central Park Zoo and to the Children's Museum of Manhattan. We had a great time at both.

Jacob's biggest change started a couple of weeks ago. He started going to nursery school two days a week at Baltimore Hebrew Day School. He is still adjusting to this, but I think it's going well. Caroline got an opportunity to take a part-time job that was just perfect for her. And coincidently, we got to visit the school when picking up Jacob's buddy, Aidan, who goes there too. It seemed like a great school, and Jacob and Aidan get to be together. There are still some tears from Jacob when he gets dropped off, but when I call during the day to see how he's doing, the teacher reports that he's having a great time playing with the other kids. I think it's giving him a great opportunity for socialization.

I'm pretty sure Jacob is going through or has recently completed a growth spurt. He just gets bigger and bigger. His 2-year molars are coming in now which has led to some wakeful nights. But overall, Jacob is doing great and having fun. He has a pretty good list of words now that includes (but is not limited to) water, woof woof (for dog), up, down, stinky, eggs, juice, and of course, his all time favorite "kitty cat."

Now on to the pictures!

In NYC, Jacob became friendly with a kitten and chased it all around.

Breakfast at Big Daddy's NYC.

At the Central Park Zoo with Mama and her friend, Caroline.

Enjoying musical instruments at the Children's Museum of Manhattan.

Jacob and Aidan. Aren't they the cutest? I can't believe how fast they're growing.

Jacob's favorite new toy is a toy stroller we found for him at a yard sale. He loves pushing it around.

Jacob sporting his new raincoat.

Checking out the baby elephant at the Maryland Zoo. He had a great time running around and seeing the animals.

Running all over the Maryland Zoo.

Of course he had to pet the goats. He loves livestock.

Fast asleep after a morning at the Maryland Zoo.

Jacob on his first day of school.

Caroline is a nanny for a 6-month old baby 2 days a week (also named Caroline). Jacob loves her.

Jacob cuddling baby Caroline.

Well, that's all for now!

L'shanah Tovah

2009-09-19T14:04:00.000-04:00

Happy New Year! I hope you're enjoying some apples and honey. I have more for you to enjoy!

Jacob is growing fast! He'll be 19 months old in two days. I can't believe it. He's grown from a baby to a little boy. It's been such a joy. There are new words and games and funny things every day. He's graduated from physical therapy. He's a full fledged walking toddler with gross motor skills right on target. He's been exploring his surroundings and Caroline and I are busy trying to find new things for him to do. He's been to a music class and an art class and he goes to sing-a-longs and Mother Goose on the Loose.

Jacob loves books and loves to be read to. He also loves to play with cars, trucks and anything else with wheels. Here are some recent photos. (mostly taken with my phone so they aren't the best)

Getting ready to stroll through the farmer's market.

In his Superman pjs running around in the yard.

"Petting" the cat.

His first car. At the Rodger's Forge Tot Lot.

Watching Sesame Street with Mama.

His first train ride at the B&O Railroad Museum. He loved it!

Reading Pigeon Wants a Puppy - one of his favorite books.

Helping Uncle Rob "fix" the garbage disposal!

At the Stadium Place playground.

At Rosh Hashanah Under the Stars with a strawberry in his mouth. In the distance, Governor O'Malley is chatting it up with some constituents.

Mama, Mommy, and Jacob at Rosh Hashanah Under the Stars.

L'shanah Tovah!

The Pictures I Promised

2009-08-12T17:20:00.005-04:00

Looking out the balcony of Tradewinds. We had a great view!

A paddle boat ride at Tradewinds brought swans for a visit.

Eating ice cream after our exhausting paddle boat ride!

Happy vacationing Jacob!

(l -r) Uncle Sy, Mommy, Jacob, Aunt Ninette, Bubbie

At the Lowry Park Zoo, in the bird house with dozens of parakeets and other birds.

Petting goats at the petting zoo at Lowry Park.

Feeding the goats at the petting zoo.

(l -r) Mama, Jacob, Mommy, Bubbie with the kangaroos.

Hanging around at Clearwater Beach, FL.

Jacob loved playing with his shovel and pail on the beach.

Walking with Bubbie at the playground.

We had a lovely vacation with lots of swimming, family and fun!

Florida was Hot!

2009-08-09T19:14:00.003-04:00

Just a quick update. Pictures will soon follow. We just returned from Florida where we were visiting Bubbie. Jacob had a great time. We swam daily, sometimes in the pool and sometimes at the beach. Most days we did some of each!

Jacob is walking around all the time now. Of course he's still a little wobbly, but he's enjoying his new skill and the freedom it gives him.

We visited the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, which is really a great zoo. It has a really large children's zoo that Jacob really enjoyed. There were lots of animals to pet and interact with.

When I get a little more time, I'll post some pictures of our vacation. For now, I'll just leave you with one.

First steps (caught on video)!

2009-07-19T12:50:00.003-04:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, Jacob has been experimenting with walking. It's been challenging to catch it on video, since he is, at times, reluctant to perform. But I finally managed it. Here it is:

In this video, Grandpa is sending Jacob over to his Mama. Jacob is getting really good with these steps. I'm not sure what will motivate him to walk on his own, but at least I know that when he wants to, he'll be able to.

Traveling Fool

2009-07-19T12:22:00.002-04:00

Well, Jacob has kept a busy calendar for the month of July. The first week of July was spent in Cumberland, Maryland where I was working. Caroline and Jacob explored Western Maryland and really had a good time (pictures forthcoming).

Then last week, Grandpa came to town and we promptly headed to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Here's a picture of Jacob and Grandpa at the beach.

Jacob's favorite summertime activity has been swimming. We go to the pool almost daily. And when we're not at the pool, we've taken him to the lake or beach.

Jacob enjoying a dip with Mama in the kiddie pool.

Jacob and Grandpa snacking poolside.

Unfortunately, our Rehoboth trip was cut short when Jacob came down with a mad fever. We have just discovered that Jacob was suffering from Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease. It was at its worst on the day we took Jacob to visit Mom-mom and Pop-pop (Jack's parents). He was quite sick, but it was good to see them. We will surely visit when Jacob isn't suffering from a fever.

I'm saving a juicy video of walking for my next post.

"Hi Kitty Cat!"

2009-07-02T14:25:00.012-04:00

Jacob said his first full sentence today, "Hi Kitty Cat!" It was so cute. Jacob was climbing the stairs to the kitchen and Jack (the cat) was waiting for us. Jacob is growing fast! We are proud to announce that Jacob took his first solo steps on Tuesday. He still prefers crawling when he's doing it on his own, but at least he's working on the walking. Unfortunately, he refuses to cooperate when I'm taking a video of this remarkable feat, so that will have to wait. I do have some fun videos and pictures for today. The quality isn't great because they are from my phone, but still enjoyable.

You've seen him eat avocado, but have you seen him eat it with a fork?

At our favorite playground, climbing around.

Today, we went to the Maryland Science Center. They have a huge Kids Room, and Jacob had a blast. Here's a video:

There was a fun water-play area in the Kids Room that Jacob adored. It was all we could do to pull him away.

More adventures ahead!

"Hi!"

2009-06-28T13:15:00.004-04:00

Jacob's vocabulary has grown by leaps and bounds this week! He's extended his first word, "cat" into "kitty-cat" which he says all the time. He loves chasing our cats around the house and he loves to pet them too. He's also added "up" and "kiss" and his newest favorite, "hi" to his vocabulary. After saying "hi" to him twenty times a day since the day he was born, he's started saying it back. Now he says it whenever I come into his room at night. It melts my heart. Here's a picture of us at the Baltimore Pride Parade.

Jacob continues to make progress with walking. He actually loves to walk all over, but still insists on holding on to something or someone. We're hoping he'll soon get tired of needing us to get from here to there and will just take some steps on his own. Here's a couple of videos:

More Adventures in Feeding Myself

2009-06-14T20:12:00.003-04:00

The stats are as follows from Jacob's 15 month check up - 30.5 inches tall, 23 lbs and 2 oz. (I could have sworn he was at least 25 lbs!) He's only gained about a pound since his birthday, but he's grown about 3 inches if my memory serves me right.

Okay, today's pictures are going to be backwards, but they are all from the last couple of weeks, so no big deal. The warm spring days have given us a lot of opportunity to play outside. We've been spending a lot of time at our favorite playground. Today we went to Honfest. Jacob really enjoyed himself and even wore Caroline's Orioles cap for a while. It got him a lot of looks.

Jacob's fork and spoon skills are getting really good. Unfortunately, he's still not great with feeding himself yogurt and things like that. This leads to often frustrating mealtimes with foods that still have to be fed to him. Sometimes we abandon it and go for the finger foods he feeds himself. The result can be seen below. That's Jake after a half of avocado, self-fed.

Our flowers are blooming on the front lawn. This was just a perfect picture of playtime in the late afternoon.

Caroline is back at Community Mediation one day a week and we couldn't stay away. We went to visit Mama last Friday and Jacob was fascinated with the view.

Here we are at our favorite playground. Here's Mama and Jacob on the see-saw...

... and me and Jacob going down the slide.

Recently, we had an opportunity to visit North Point Park with our friends Amy and Scott. It was a very lovely park and we had a great time. Scott carried Jacob all around and gave Caroline and I a much needed break. Jacob really enjoyed himself and so did we!

Well, that's all for now. Sorry I haven't been able to keep up with the blog. I will definitely make it once a month but still try for once a week. Last bit of news, Jacob is teething again! This time it's his canines. I hope they go better than his molars!

Sunny Days?

2009-05-29T13:30:00.004-04:00

We have been craving some sunny days here in Baltimore. Lots of rain has kept us indoors but Jacob is ready for fun in the sun. Check out this picture of him in his mama's sunglasses. We had a bite to eat at Denny's on Memorial Day.

Passed out after swim class.

Jacob is getting ready to walk any day now. He loves moving himself around on this own two feet. He's cruising around all the furniture. When he's on all fours, it's tough keeping up with him. He's always looking for stairs to climb. That's his best event right now!

In a bit over a week, he'll go back to the doctor for his 15 month check-up (15 months!!!!). I'll let you know his stats then. What I can tell you now is that this guy loves to eat all kinds of things. He's off baby food and on table food. Sometimes we fix him a special meal, but he's happiest when he's eating what we're eating. Some of his favorite foods include spinach, mushrooms, asparagus, scrambled eggs, avocados, pizza, and pasta. He's recently started eating strawberries and clementines. We're happy that he's fond of vegetables. Hopefully he'll keep up the trend.

Another fun development for Jacob is that he's playing with other children more. Before, he played in the same area as other children. Now he wants to interact with them. It's great to watch him grow and develop.

Well, the sun unexpectedly came out today so after his nap and lunch, we're heading for the playground!

Connoisseur of Playgrounds

2009-05-13T12:00:00.006-04:00

We were in New York City last weekend for a fun Mother's Day trip and a visit to Pappa. Most of the weekend was spent sampling the many playgrounds the city has to offer. Here's a few pictures from our trip:

Along the East River at Carl Schurz Park.

Tasting his roots, aka, eating a bagel. He loved it.

Crawling around the Met.

Swinging in Central Park. (across the street from the Met.)

Climbing in Carl Schurz Park.

Sliding with Mama. He would try to climb back up the slide every time.

We had a great visit. We spent time with friends and met new friends. I highly recommend Two Little Red Hens. It's a great bakery that Jack recommended. I had the best scone I've ever eaten - an almond cherry scone. Yum! And we indulged in a red velvet cupcake that was also the best I've ever eaten. Totally worth the trip from any part of the city. Luckily we could walk there from our hotel. We met a great local couple who told us about Carl Schurz park, which was our favorite of the trip.

Now that Jacob is crawling, his days of sitting still are over. It's so much fun to watch him explore everything he can get into. He's cruising around and walking while holding the furniture, etc. He'll be walking soon enough! It's a good thing because he's getting big!

Busy, busy, busy!

2009-05-01T12:11:00.013-04:00

Sorry for the lapse in posts! We've been really busy getting the house in shape for spring. I'll make up for it with tons of pictures from this past month!

A visit from pappa!

Spring weather allowed more exploring in the grass!

Thank goodness for warm, sunny days.

Wow, this grass is cool!

Playing at our new favorite playground! He loves to swing and could do it all day!

Exploring mulch. He tried to eat it too.

Visiting an old friend from elementary school! Hi Katina!

He now pulls himself up on everything! He's also walking around (with assistance).

A haircut!

Another view of his haircut. He cried and cried, but his hair looks good!

Today, a playdate with Aidan! They had tons of fun!

TTFN! Ta Ta For Now!

Spring!

2009-04-10T18:38:00.006-04:00

Just a quick update and some pictures. We're waiting for spring to really take hold. Every time the weather gets nice, mother nature takes it back and makes it cold again. Today was warm and the rain that was supposed to arrive didn't so we decided to sit on the grass awhile. Jacob didn't realize right away that he could crawl on the grass like he could the floor, but once he saw something he wanted, he remembered.

Jacob has been teething. Two pre-molars are coming up on the bottom and they've given him (and us) a really hard time. Lots of random crying and night-waking. One has already cut, but the other is still working its way up. Hopefully, we'll have some relief soon.

Jacob's pappa was in town for a short trip this week. Jacob really enjoys his visits with pappa. It's fun to watch the two of them together.

Pappa & Jacob

Playing on the grass.

"Gimme that camera!"

Pondering his next move.

Favorite Game

2009-04-01T12:11:00.003-04:00

Here's a video of one of Jacob's favorite games: knock the blocks down, aka, Demolition Man! We use this game to keep him moving around the family room. (Gotta tire this guy out somehow!) Along with this game, Jacob loves to play hide and seek. It's so fun to see the grin that comes across his face!

The weather here has been pretty disappointing. We're itching to go outside and swing or hike, but it's still cold and rainy. Jacob is still working on two new teeth which is making him a bit cranky. This weekend we have Aidan's birthday party. We're looking forward to it.

Florida Fun

2009-03-25T12:45:00.008-04:00

We had a great time in Florida last weekend. The weather was great, except for Monday. Jacob got in lots of swimming between family events. We learned that Jake isn't up for Shabbos services yet, but luckily, Bubby's synagogue has a great playground, complete with infant swings. Jacob would have loved to spend all afternoon swinging! Jacob also had his first potato pancake at TooJay's and he loved it!

Crawling around before synagogue.

L-R Mama, Jacob, Mommy, Uncle Adam, Bubby on our way to synagogue.

Swinging!

Gotta have shades.

Swimming!

I'm crawling, I'm crawling!

2009-03-18T13:26:00.006-04:00

We've been waiting for this moment for a long time! The physical therapist said he could skip it, but we really wanted to see him crawl and he's finally obliged us. He's also pulling up to kneel! Here's some video:

We're heading to Florida on Friday for my cousin's Bat Mitzvah. We're looking forward to seeing family and getting some swimming in. Jacob's got some more teeth coming in - pre-molars. This guy's got a mouth full of teeth!

Hey Ma, Watch me swim!

2009-02-28T12:52:00.005-05:00

Jacob started swimming lessons with Caroline a few weeks ago. He loves it! He's going to be just like his Pappa Jack who swam in college.

Swimming lessons focus on propulsion (kicking) as pictured in the first video, buoyancy (floating on his back) as pictured in the second video, and breath control (blowing bubbles and holding his breath). Jacob seemed to enjoy all of it, but sometimes he wasn't into going under water. I think mostly it was due to wanting a nap (see video 2). The pool is a heated saltwater pool. There were four other babies taking lessons too! He should be swimming in no time.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-02-28T12:31:00.008-05:00

Wow, Jacob is one year old! I can't believe it. Bubby, Grandma, Grandpa, Pappa, Mom-mom, and Pop-pop all came in for the party.

Pappa, Mama, Jacob, Mommy

At his party he discovered his love of balloons.

All of Jacob's grandmothers - Grandma, Bubby, & Mom-mom.

Blowing out the candles. Not so sure about all the fire!

"So many toys, where do I get started?" (w/Aunt Marisa)

It was a great party. We're very grateful to our friends and family and everyone's generosity. Jacob is very loved and I'm sure he knows it too. Now we're bracing for toddlerhood!

Just Before I'm One

2009-02-13T14:14:00.005-05:00

Well, this is the last week of Jacob's infancy. I can't believe a whole year has gone by.

This week Jacob started swimming lessons with Caroline. He had a blast! (I missed it but I hope to see it sometime.) He put his head underwater 5 times and didn't cry once! I think this is going to become a permanent activity.

Jacob continues his feeding endeavors. He is especially motivated by his mommies jumping up and down and clapping. We do that whenever he puts the spoon in his mouth. It's pretty funny.

We're looking forward to all the family arrivals coming up for his birthday party. We'll be sure to post lots of pictures. Here's a couple to tide you over.

Eating egg/spinach souffle. He loves it! He cleans his plate.

Just chillin'.

Me, Feeding Myself

2009-02-07T16:37:00.003-05:00

Me, Feeding Myself

Hanging out in my pack 'n' play.

Jacob is two weeks from his first birthday. He's looking forward to his birthday party. I hope he doesn't sleep through it. Besides his ongoing quest to feed himself with a spoon (see above), not much is new in our world. We're getting a little cabin fever because the groundhog saw his shadow on Monday, guaranteeing 6 more weeks of winter. Here's picture:

Master of the Spoon

2009-01-28T16:52:00.002-05:00

Jacob is feeding himself with a spoon! And I caught it on video! Recently, mealtime has been a struggle because Jacob wants to feed himself everything, even yogurt. Of course, he starts with putting his whole hand in the bowl which usually leads to some interesting food art on his table ... and on his shirt ... and on the floor ... and on his face. Caroline and I hold our tongues because it's all part of the learning process, but it's hard! So now he's got his own dishes and spoons which are designed to help him learn how to eat with utensils. When he's motivated, he can get a good four or five spoonfuls in his mouth. And in between his own bites, he takes some of ours.

In other news, Jacob is mastering his floor skills, rolling all around, getting up, laying down and crawling ... backwards anyway. We're in his last month of infancy. Next month - toddlerhood.

Hello! Good-bye!

2009-01-12T09:05:00.007-05:00

Jacob's pappa Jack and his partner Ramsey visited this past weekend. Jacob had a blast. He loves his pappa. Jack's parents joined us on Friday afternoon. Jacob really enjoyed spending time with them. I can also see where Jacob's smile comes from - his Grandpa Jack! They really do look alike. Jacob can't wait until next month when he sees them all again.

Jack and Jacob both overjoyed.

Just a cute picture of the sleepy guy.

What's this stubbly stuff, Pappa? Jacob loves to play with his pappa's face.

Jack's parents (Pop-pop & mom-mom) came to visit. L-R Ramsey, Jack, Jacob, Jack Sr., Helen. This picture is suffering from too many picture takers.

L-R Ramsey, Jack, Jacob, Caroline, Helen, Aimee

Skills update - Jacob is feeding himself very well now-a-days so we're trying all sorts of new finger foods. Avocado toast is still a favorite. He's also waving hello/good-bye. It's so cute. Every time he learns something new, he wakes up doing it. I found him waving hello when I got him from his room this morning. So fun!

Happy New Year! Part II

2009-01-10T06:47:00.012-05:00

Jacob's second week in California was full of sun and fun! Here are some pictures:

Caroline and Jacob at the entrance to the San Diego Zoo! It was a beautiful day!

Jacob visits with a bunny at the petting zoo.

Jacob really honed his eating skills while in California. Here he's eating toast with avocado. He loves it! He feeds himself very well now and almost insists on doing it all the time.

At Balboa Park we had a picnic...

...swung on the swings...

... played in the sandbox...

...and rolled around on the grass.

Jacob is also a budding musician.

It was a great trip for Jacob. Coming soon ... pictures from Pappa's visit!

Happy New Year! Part I

2009-01-04T11:34:00.014-05:00

Jacob finished the last two weeks of 2008 in California visiting the Harmon family. It was a busy two weeks!

First we went to Palm Desert where Jacob's Grandpa Steve lives. Jacob's godmother came down from Oakland to spend the day with us and we celebrated Hanukkah. We spent 5 days out there enjoying the sun and palm trees and took a dip in the hot tub. Jacob had a blast.

Then on Christmas Eve we headed back to San Diego where Jacob's Grandma Alice, Uncle David and Aunt Katherine live. We visited many many folks in both places. Jacob even experienced some milestones along the way. Jacob's eighth tooth came in while we were there. Also, Jacob honed his skills preparing to crawl. And Jacob now feeds himself! Here are some pictures:

Jacob's first trip to the beach. He was asleep.

Jacob went to the light show at the Living Desert. Here he is entranced by the fire pit. His godmother, Tyra, joined us.

Showing off his Caroline's Alma Mater.

Swimming with mommies and Grandpa Steve.

At the Mission Cafe on Christmas Eve. We got to spend some time with dear friends, Chris and Thomas.

Surrounded by presents Christmas morning.

Week two of our trip will be in an upcoming post!

Tooth Explosion!

2008-12-18T14:00:00.002-05:00

This has been an incredibly challenging week for Jacob. He has 5 or 6 teeth coming in at one time. I say 5 or 6 because I can see 5 for sure and given which teeth they are I know there's one more on the way. As you can imagine, this has been causing Jacob a lot of pain. We thought he might have an ear infection because he was getting over a cold a week ago and the doctor suggested it might happen. We took him to the doctor on Monday and his ears are fine. I was pretty happy about it but that also meant that his weekend of screaming and refusing to nurse was solely due to his teething. He's been on an on-and-off nursing strike for a few days and it's been awful. Tomorrow we're on our way to California which is a six-hour flight. Good luck innocent passengers!

Remember When...

2008-12-12T16:43:00.005-05:00

...I barely fit in this chair? Look at me now! I own this chair.

Well, life has been challenging this week as Jacob's two top teeth are coming in. They are giving him a very hard time. Otherwise, he's doing great. He's getting ready for his big trip to the west coast to visit the Harmon family, Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Katherine, Uncle David and Aunt Holly. Hopefully he will see Aunt Tyra too, his godmother.

Time for dinner!

Banana Eating

2008-12-05T13:30:00.001-05:00

Hey, I Love Legos Too

2008-12-05T13:00:00.006-05:00

Jacob had his first taste of turkey this Thanksgiving. Caroline ground up a bit and mixed it with his porridge. He seemed to like it a lot. Thanksgiving was a fun and relaxed day. Bubbie was up from Florida and Jacob got to meet his Uncle Stuart. That's when we discovered that Jacob was a fan of Legos - Stuart's favorite activity.

Jacob has been feeling a bit under the weather. He had a cold for most of Bubbie's visit, making his nighttimes a bit rocky. Fortunately, he's feeling better and sleeping better. Tummy time is full of rolling from side to side and creeping around the floor. He's enjoying it more especially since (re)discovering his favorite toy, the ball. Here's some updated pictures.

Enjoying legos with Uncle Stu.

Tummy time with his ball.

Bubbie, Mommy, Jacob, Uncle Stuart and Uncle Adam after Thanksgiving dinner.

I forgot to add that he's now feeding himself banana or avocado. I'll have to post a picture of that soon, but basically, if we place a chunk of banana on his tray, he will pick it up and hold it himself and eat it with his little teeth. It's so cute. He does the same with avocado, but that's a little too slippery at times.

Another Tooth and a Visit from Grandpa

2008-11-21T10:36:00.003-05:00

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!

2008-11-17T08:27:00.004-05:00

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

2008-11-11T16:12:00.004-05:00

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

2008-11-10T16:51:00.005-05:00

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

2008-11-07T11:15:00.006-05:00

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!

2008-11-04T14:08:00.001-05:00

Play Date

2008-11-01T07:35:00.002-04:00

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....

Where's That Darn Pumpkin Patch?

2008-10-27T10:17:00.010-04:00

Yesterday was an adventurous day! We were in search of a pumpkin patch and drove all over Baltimore County looking for one.

We started out at Weber's Farm. I thought they would have a pumpkin patch because they sold pumpkins and had lots of family activities. No such luck. They had lots of pumpkins, but no pumpkin patch. So we got some pictures of the goats and the tractor and jumped in the car in search of a real pumpkin patch. (We also bought a yummy Caramel walnut apple pie!)

Caroline remembered the name of a farm she wanted to visit and after placing a few calls to Directory Assistance, we got directions to Huber Family Farm. They did have a pumpkin patch. And we learned a valuable lesson. If you want a pumpkin patch, you have to go to a Pick-Your-Own farm. That was the difference between Weber's farm and Huber Family Farm. So here are the pumpkin patch pictures. Jacob finds dirt very fascinating so he had a good time rolling around in the pumpkins.

Remember our trip to Larriland Farm? Jacob fell asleep just as we got to the pumpkin patch, so we skipped it. Well, he did the same this time around too, but we were determined to get our picture. When he woke up in the pumpkin patch, he was excited the adventure was still in full swing.

Finally, we ended our day at Aunt Steffie's where we had a Halloween themed play date with Aidan and our new friend Dillon. We met Dillon's dads through Families With Pride, a GLBT parents group in Baltimore. Dillon is a couple of weeks older than Jacob. Look, they are both lions! Aidan is that cute pumpkin in the middle.

So, all in all, it was a busy day. Jacob had a lot of fun playing with his friends and going on our adventure. When we got home, he ate and went fast asleep. Sweet dreams.

Quickie

2008-10-17T10:59:00.004-04:00

Well, there's not much new to report today. Jacob is napping now so I thought I'd post some pictures and give a quick update.

New foods to add to his growing list of yummies: broccoli, kiwi, and butternut squash. We're glad to be expanding into some vitamin C foods since the flu and cold season are starting up. Poor Caroline has a cold again, but so far Jacob and I have managed not to catch it.

Jacob loves sitting up on his own. He can't get himself into the position, but once in it, he sits on his own for quite a while now.

He's also finally grown more interested in his feet. And one of his new favorite toys is the good, old-fashioned ball!

Well, that's all for now. We hope to get to a pumpkin patch soon and get some pictures. This weekend we're going to hang out with some friends and watch the Ravens. Hopefully Jacob in his gameday outfit will be the luck we need to get a win!

Pick Your Own

2008-10-13T08:02:00.011-04:00

No, not your nose. It's Pick Your Own fruits and veggies and it's how we spent the day yesterday! We went to Larriland Farm in Howard County. First we picnicked with friends and their babies, all of which are around the same age as Jacob.

Jacob is getting stronger and stronger on his belly. He manages to find some interesting things when it's tummy time.

Then we went on a hayride, which he enjoyed very much on Caroline's lap. Caroline poured hay over him and he thought it was very funny. He laughed and giggled the whole way.

Then we went apple picking. That was great. We got a bunch of fresh apples that I can't wait to dig into.

All in all, it was a great day. We tried to make it to the pumpkin patch for a picture, but as we were driving back to it, Jacob passed out from his big adventure so we just went on home. He had a great time and we plan on going back in the spring for berry picking.

Giggle Fits and such

2008-10-09T11:41:00.002-04:00

Today's feature is Giggle Fits by Jacob Irving Harmon-Darrow. He finds life very amusing right now. It's such a pleasure. Please enjoy.

What's new? Well, we are transitioning Jacob into his own crib. He's been sleeping in a co-sleeper since we brought him home and we think the time has come for him to sleep in his own room. He's been sleeping through the night for months (with the exception of this week) so it's not as important to have him at arm's reach. Even though he's been waking up at the 3 a.m. hour this week for no apparent reason, I'm hoping the transition to his crib will actually help him to sleep through the night again. Caroline has blocked his windows with dark coverings to keep the room nice and dark for him. It's been helping his napping a lot. He's had a few nice long naps in his crib this week. Wish us luck with our new sleeping arrangements!

Here's the most recent list of foods Jacob eats: tofu, mango, millet, barley, brown rice, sweet potato, carrots, apples, pears, nectarines, peaches, peas, asparagus, avocado, egg (yolk), and yogurt. I may be forgetting something, but that's a pretty full list.

This weekend we're heading out to Larriland Farm to pick our own yummies and have a hayride. Aidan and Steffie will be joining us. Fun!

Rosh Hashanah

2008-10-03T09:05:00.010-04:00

Jacob had his first trip to Florida this week to celebrate Rosh Hashanah with Bubbie and the rest of my family. It was great! Jacob was really good on the plane. The only tears were due to an overdue nap. He loved going to the airport and looking around at all the goings-ons.

In Florida, he spent a lot of time on his Bubbie's lap. He loved Bubbie!

Unfortunately, he didn't love the pool.

Or the beach...

But we had lots of fun at Aunt Ninette's and Uncle Sy's house.

And he was a big hit at synagogue with his cute yarmulke.

Overall, it was a great trip. Jacob had lots of fun with my aunt and uncle and cousins. He can't wait to go back. He also tried his first mango and he things it was really yummy.

First Teeth, First Cold

2008-09-19T10:03:00.002-04:00

What a week for Jacob! On Monday, Jacob's first teeth cut through the gums. The two bottom center teeth are coming in. Now he's learning what he can do with them ... like bite. No worries. He's pretty well behaved while nursing.

His other first of the week is not as fun - his first cold. Jacob has been pretty congested for the last 24 hours. Last night offered very little sleep for me and Caroline as we took turns holding him upright so he could fall asleep and drain his sinuses. Caroline made a MacGyver-like adjustment to his bassinet so he could be propped up while sleeping. It was great and helped Jacob sleep really well.

Last but not least, Jacob is working really hard on sitting up on his own (see picture to the right)! He can stay up for at least 30 to 60 seconds before tumbling over.

Well, the peanut has finally awoken from his extended sleep. That means it's time for his second breakfast. Here I come Jake!

Nap Time Post Script

2008-09-12T15:02:00.001-04:00

Ahhh... finally. It's been 1.5 hours.

Nap time ... I wish

2008-09-12T12:46:00.000-04:00

Today's blog is being co-authored by Jacob, himself. The photo is courtesy of the web cam that Grandpa bought us. Pretty cool, huh?

So recently, Jacob has shrugged off his nap time. At best we get a 45 minute nap once or twice a day. I'm not sure what has brought about this change, but I hope it's only temporary.

Jacob has started moving himself around more intentionally. He's getting really good at sitting on his own and now he's starting to reach for toys that are just beyond his grasp. This is a precursor to crawling, though I think we're a long way from that. As long as he's on the path, we're happy.

He's added some more foods to his diet this week. He loved carrots, which we started last week. We also added asparagus and barley. He's taken right to the barley. He's so-so about asparagus. Sometimes he eats it right up and other times he says he can do without it. Today we're also adding pears.

Well, Jacob's giving me the signal that it's time for lunch so we'll sign off for now.

Avocado!

2008-09-05T09:23:00.000-04:00

Jacob started solid foods about a month ago. His discovery of eating is so much fun! Initially, he didn't know what to make of the rice cereal we were feeding him and the spoon we were using. Now he eagerly opens his mouth for a spoonful of something.

Caroline makes all of his food at home using recipes from various resources. Of course, being from California, she was very invested in his affection for avocado. At first, he rejected the green fruit. But after several tries, we added a bit of breast milk to it and he enjoyed it very much! We had the same experience with bananas. He rejected it over and over, so we took a break. Then recently Caroline tried again by mixing it with yogurt and he loved it. Today, I fed him straight banana ... okay, there was a hint of breast milk in it.

Currently, his solid food diet consists of apples, bananas, rice cereal, yogurt, and avocado when it's available. We will be adding carrots this week.

Three more weeks until our trip to Bubbie!

6 Months!

2008-08-24T18:12:00.000-04:00

Well, keeping up with this blog is not easy! It's been an amazing 6 months. Jacob is such a happy baby and we are enjoying him so much.

Here's some pictures from over the last 6 months. He's really grown!

First born...

Our sleeping angel, 2 months...

First laughs, 3 months...

Our happy boy! 4 months...

He already knows more than the president, 5 months...

Always smiling! 6 months...

So there you are. Jacob truly is a happy boy. He wakes up laughing! I can only imagine what he dreams about.

We've started him on solids. Caroline is a super mom, making all his baby food from scratch using fresh, organic fruits and veggies. Check out Super Baby Food if you want to know more.

Well, I'll try to keep up at least once a week! Maybe once a month???

Welcome!

2008-06-19T08:11:00.000-04:00

Hi all! I started this blog to keep our friends and family up-to-date on all the goings-ons of Jacob's world. It's hard to know where to start or what's interesting enough to write about. I find every day with Jacob to be an amazing day filled with new things. Caroline will be contributing to the blog too (I hope!) when she doesn't have her hands full of two babies.

Let me just start off by answering the question, "Why the Mighty Jacob?" Well, as you know, he only weighed 4.5 pounds when he was born. I think he's mighty because he's worked so hard to grow so big and fast! Now he's 14 pounds and 24 inches long! That's mighty to me.

Today is Caroline's first day with both Aidan and Jacob. Aidan is our friend, Steffie's, baby. he's a bit over 2 months old. Caroline will be his nanny. When I left for work, they were both content. Jacob was awake and Aidan was just waking. Jacob was very interested in the new baby in the house. We actually got them together last weekend. When we put them face to face, they were captivated by one another! There were lots of smiles between the two of them. It was so cute!

So, just to catch up on the mighty Jacob, he's 4 months old. Everyday he tries new sounds with which to express himself. He's very talkative and loves to converse with us. He's not quite rolling over yet, though he's done it several times, but he's very close. I actually think he'll be doing a back-to-front rollover soon. He's taken to arching his back while lying down and it looks like it will turn into a rollover.

He loves his mobile and likes to have a burp cloth to cling to at all times. He's drooling like crazy ... teeth are on their way. He smiles a lot when he's awake! He seems like a very happy baby. We've started playing games to get him to sit up on his own. He can't do it yet, but he loves the game in which I pull him into a sitting position with his hands. As soon as he gets to the sitting position, he grins a big toothless Cheshire cat grin.

It has been a joy since the day he was born. Our family is very happy.

We're planning on going to the Baltimore Gay Pride festival this Sunday to show him off. He'll be wearing his "I Love My Moms" outfit. See you there!

The Mighty Jacob

Running Circles

Wow, he did what???

First Letter

What's Up With Jacob

More Fun-time Videos

How About a Video?

A better update

Life with a Toddler is Busy!

The Video I Promised

Two!

Snowman!

Hello 2010!

Halloween!

Pumpkins

Traveling, Growing, Changing

L'shanah Tovah

The Pictures I Promised

Florida was Hot!

First steps (caught on video)!

Traveling Fool

"Hi Kitty Cat!"

"Hi!"

More Adventures in Feeding Myself

Sunny Days?

Connoisseur of Playgrounds

Busy, busy, busy!

Spring!

Favorite Game

Florida Fun

I'm crawling, I'm crawling!

Hey Ma, Watch me swim!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Just Before I'm One

Me, Feeding Myself

Master of the Spoon

Hello! Good-bye!

Happy New Year! Part II

Happy New Year! Part I

Tooth Explosion!

Remember When...

Banana Eating

Hey, I Love Legos Too

Another Tooth and a Visit from Grandpa

It's Official!

9-Month Check Up

I Heart New York

Random News

Yes We Can!

Play Date

Where's That Darn Pumpkin Patch?

Quickie

Pick Your Own

Giggle Fits and such

Rosh Hashanah

First Teeth, First Cold

Nap Time Post Script

Nap time ... I wish

Avocado!

6 Months!

Welcome!