Tooth Explosion!

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...

...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

Hey, I Love Legos Too

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

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!