Santa Claus is coming to town

We are woefully overdue for some updates, and rest assured that the photos are piling up. We'll do a post-holiday wrap-up album that will go back to Thanksgiving.

We are in the middle of our annual Christmas sojourn to Ohio. This adventure starts in the Cleveland Metro area with Jen's family before heading down the road to Dayton late on Christmas Eve.

The roadtrip here was blessedly uneventful. We made use of a DVD player for the first time and this bit of technology helped to hypnotize our almost-18-month-old little guy for some of the ride. As parents, we felt a little guilty resorting to this trick, but as adults who needed to survive a 400-mile drive to northern Ohio, with plenty more miles ahead of us, we aren't going to be too hard on ourselves.

Today, in what can now be called an "annual tradition," Jen's mom, Debbie, took Jack to the Mall to see Santa. Jack was in pretty good spirits and, with a little coaxing from his mother, cracked a hint of a smile on Santa's lap.

From Building Blocks

Last year, I wrote about Jack's visit to Santa and that first picture. Be sure to click the link too see what a difference a year makes. It's fun to see our baby turn into a little boy. And, as a bonus, Santa was the same as last year! Do you think he was the real deal? Ho! Ho! Ho!

A good little monkey and always very curious

From Halloween and Election 08

Jen decided months ago that Jack would be Curious George this Halloween. Jack is a big fan of his Curious George stories, so this choice made a lot of sense. I was thinking a shark costume would have been more true to form since Jack has been an unpredictable biter (although he seems to be easing up on the biting.)

We weren't sure if Jack would wear his costume for the big Del Ray Halloween parade. (Click here for last year's pics.) Jen had tried the monkey headpiece on several times in the weeks leading up to the parade, and Jack would pull it off his head immediately. But it turns out Jack just wasn't willing to wear it until he had his full ensemble. Enjoy the pics in this monster album (pun intended) to see Jack and friends in their cute outfits.

Halloween and Election 08

The weekend of the parade coincided with a visit from my parents, and they didn't waste any time getting to work. Prior to their arrival, Jen and I had done some work to swap Jack out of the nursery and into a bigger bedroom with some floorspace to play. My mom and dad helped finish the job with new closet doors and baseboards in that room and other parts of the house. It was a great upgrade, and Jack seems to really enjoy his new digs.

From Halloween and Election 08

Jen and I don't get a lot of nights out together, so it's been really nice when our parents have been in town and we get to head out on the town. This particular weekend, we were thrilled to spend time with our newly-married friends, Chris and Shamila. We went to their beautiful wedding in August (courtesy babysitting from Aunt Niki) and got to catch up with them for a great night of food, drink and conversation. Of course, we were completely zonked by 9 o'clock (so pathetic!) but it was still a lot of fun.

After the parade weekend, Halloween night brought a nice procession of trick-or-treaters and an impromptu gathering of neighbors on the front stoop passing out candy. Jack was enjoying the proceedings until darkness set in, and then he got a little nervous as packs of kids in masks ran up to him and the candy bowl, so we went inside and mom fed him some dinner.

From Halloween and Election 08

In the album, there are also some fun pics from a visit to Aunt Lynne's house where her dogs, Gerdy and Tilly, are chasing (or being chased) by Jack. And, of course, we snapped a couple of moments where Jack is wearing his Baby Obama gear and then, after the election, reading the Washington Post. Enjoy!

From Halloween and Election 08

There Goes Speed Racer

I have a big album of pictures from a couple of weeks ago, including all kinds of fun shots from the Halloween Parade in Del Ray, my parents' visit and more. I'll put those up tomorrow. In the meantime, enjoy this short video of our guy, who is acting more like a little boy and less like a baby every day.

It's the time of the season for toddlers

From The Return of Mr. October

We're in the final week of October and, looking back on some of the pictures we took, I realize that this was a very active month for Jack. I was putting together a big album for this post and watching the last final innings of the Phillies winning the World Series when I realized I already had "Mr. October" album from last year. That was a "whoa" moment for me. Time sure does fly. Here's a couple of shots of Jack and his buddy, Alex, then and now.

From Mr. October

From The Return of Mr. October

At this point, Jack has advanced from walking to a funny little run. This causes some moments of mom and dad holding their breath because, inevitably, the boy trips. But he's getting better about catching himself and popping back up. The boy just doesn't want to slow down! I already miss the early days of walking where he held his arms up in the air for balance.

We're always amazed at how much Jack understands in his books and conversation. He points out all kinds of things he recognizes and is making new connections. He also takes direction (when it suits his mood.) It's a lot of fun to watch him develop.

The album below covers a lot of ground. There's photos from Sonja's 1-year birthday, which spanned our backyard as well as Danna and Sanjay's. We had a lot of little ones out on a beautiful day early in the month. Then there are a few pics from a Block Party we had to celebrate our neighbors from three doors down getting their citizenship (as well as have an early send-off for Julie and her family as the prepare for her foreign service tour.) Finally, there are pictures from Cox Farms, where Jack and Alex romped around in a pumpkin patch. Coming up in the next post-- Halloween pics!

The Return of Mr. October

Small, but mighty

A couple of weekends ago, we had a fun little breakfast outing with Josh and Jenn, and their awesomely fun son, Austin. Jack and Austin are old friends (if one can use that expression with a 15-month old) and now that they are both on their feet and moving around, the playground is the place to be.

From The Blue Park

The big discovery at the playground that day was a small car that a little kid in a Spider-Man costume brought but abandoned while he was on the equipment. Jack grabbed the car and had it for about 30 minutes (I gratefully thanked Spider-Man's dad for the loaner.) Our industrious son spent that time pushing the car around. I'm not sure why it didn't occur to him to get in the car, but hey, he was having fun. Austin enjoyed it, too.


Click the album for more pics from the park.

The Blue Park

Reading is FUNdamental

Jen insisted I title this post as you see above because she remembered an "ad campaign from the 80s to make kids want to read." Kind of nerdy, but it turns out the program is still around! Pretty funny.

If you know Jack, you know how essential reading is to his day. From first thing in the morning to his tuck-in at night, Jack wants his books! It's a great way to spend time with the boy, and he's extremely attentive to his stories. He examines the pages left-to-right and turns them one at a time. He's been turning the pages for practically as long as we've been reading to him.

Jack has a small bookcase that stores most of his books, and he fetches the ones he wants you to read and brings them over to you. Sometimes-- like this morning-- he gets a book and hunts you down (I was in the kitchen) and basically insists that it is time to read.

Jack also will pull out a book on his own. Enjoy the video below to see our little guy in action.



UPDATE: For some reason, this video isn't loading correctly. You can click here to view it in another window until Google gets their act together. (Yes, I just blamed Google. How could it be my fault?)

15 months!

Jack turned 15 months old today. We decided he officially became a little boy last weekend when we visited Jen's family in Ohio and Jack got his first official haircut.

From First Haircut and Lake Erie

What a little champ! Jen, Grandma Debbie and Steve all took Jack to see Joe at the barber shop in Vermilion shortly after our arrival. Jack had a great time and didn't fuss our try to jump down off the booster seat. With his wispy hair trimmed up, he graduated from babyhood to boyhood.

Another part of becoming a little boy is falling down once in a while and learning to get back up again. Jack took a little spill on our front stoop the day before we left for Ohio. He bit his lip and scraped his chin on the brick. This happened on Dad's watch and I was pretty upset about it. After a bit of crying, Jack contentedly sucked on a piece of ice wrapped in a paper towel and calmed down. Before long, he was ready to play again. Jack gives us so many reasons to be proud of him.

First Haircut and Lake Erie

So many steps!

Where have we been? Many apologies for how long it's taken to update the site with the latest and greatest from Jack's world. Now that he's walking, it's a whole new ballgame. It takes a lot of energy to chase your little boy around!

From Summah Fun

This summer was a blast. We spent a lot of time on the playground, in the backyard with our little inflatable swimming pool, and playing with the neighbor kids. Jack has a great disposition and really enjoyed all the activity that comes with sunny days and blue skies.

We had one hiccup this summer. Jack got a pretty nasty cold that lasted-- as promised by the doc-- 10 days before it finally cleared up. The poor kid was miserable with congestion and lost his appetite. Mom and dad were frantic keeping him hydrated and attempting to interest him in food. The one bright spot was that he managed to sleep through every night-- even on nights when he woke up briefly with coughing or sneezing fits. Such a little champ!

Enjoy the collection of pics from the album below.

Summah Fun

Steps

For a while now, Jack has been cruising around holding onto to adult hands, chairs, walls and, of course, his little walking lion. He's been reluctant to strike out on his own, though, which in some ways has been a blessing. Sure, he's a quick crawler, but we know that walking turns into running and then we'll really be chasing him around.

This weekend, Jack seemed more interested in striking out on his own and, with Aunt Niki's assistance, we captured a very special moment.



We continue to snap pictures and promise to post more soon.

Back in Dayton, Ohio

We need to catch up on posts, especially with news on how Jack is developing. Jen is keeping a mental list of the "words" that Jack is babbling, so we'll get into that soon. He's also cruising around while holding onto things, although he's not quite ready to walk on his own.

After our vacation at the beginning of July, the rest of the month got pretty wild. Jen traveled to the west coast for a conference-- 4 nights! It was her longest trip away from Jack. So father-and-son decided to snap up an e-fare to Ohio and spend a few days with Nonnie and Grandpa.

We arrived on Saturday and were joined by Karin, Dave, Ethan and Michael. Young Michael is getting so big! And Ethan is a model big-brother. He was terrific playing with Jack, and I know he's going to do enjoy when Michael gets mobile.

Jen being away for four nights was tough, but it helped being with family. Jack enjoyed all the attention and Grandpa even bought the walking lion he has at home. Jack did more laps around that house than we could count, and he was so proud of his new skill.

After three nights in Dayton, we headed back home. It was Tuesday, and Jen wasn't returning until Wednesday evening. We walked into the house, and Jack's head spun around on a swivel. Now back on his home turf, I could tell he expected to see mommy. So sad! He survived another night with just-dad. On Wednesday, Jen's return from the west coast was nearly washed out by thunderstorms. After 16 hours of travel and delays, she made it back, but Jack was already asleep. He woke up Thursday morning and firmly latched onto his mother for the rest of the day.

We'll put more pictures up from the rest of July in the next post. In the meantime, enjoy these shots from Dayton.

July Retreat to Dayton

The Family Vacation

Jen's mom, Debbie, and husband, Steve, celebrated their 10-year anniversary on the 4th of July. The kids and grandkids gathered in the White Mountains of New Hampshire for an old-time family vacation.

Lincoln and the surrounding mountains offered a lot of great distractions. Our first venture into the wilds was a walk through Franconia Notch State Park. We had a long hike up to see the flume gorge and Jack was on Cloud Nine for the whole walk. Be sure to check out the album for a slideshow of some great photos and check out the short videos below from the park. Unfortunately, the camera battery died toward the end of the week, so I missed a couple of really fun photo opportunities.

The real adventure for us wasn't the flight to Boston or drive to Lincoln-- it was sleeping in the same room with Jack for a week. He's been a reliable sleeper in his room for a while, and we were pretty nervous about having him in a pack-n-play crib, possibly awakening when we came to bed at night. Turns out, the boy is very adaptable (although he was an early riser-- a problem that we probably contributed to when he heard us stirring in the morning.) All in all, great job by young Jack!

We had a few misadventures (including some nasty insect bites), but Jack loved the constant activity and wasn't hurting for attention from his doting grandmother.  He got in his first full-size swimming pool and splashed around with the big kids, he rode two trains and even got on a boat to tour beautiful Lake Winnipesaukee. 

Like all vacations, this one came to an end and we all returned home with a lot of fun memories. Someday, we'll remind Jack about the bears he met in the mountains of New Hampshire!

July Vacation in NH

One Year

One year ago, our baby boy joined the family. We've come a long way, but the journey still lies ahead of us.

As of today, Jack is a fast crawler, stair climber, incessant talker (babbling, of course) and shameless flirt. He pulls himself up to a standing position all the time and walks around things while holding onto them. He's not quite ready to walk without some help, but it won't be long.

We love our little boy. Enjoy this big album of pictures from throughout the month of June, and be sure to click the "Slideshow" button to watch them full-screen.

We have some decent photos from last weekend's Kennedy Street Block Party-- a joint birthday celebration for Jack and our neighbors' daughter, Erica. All the neighbors pitched in to make sure there was plenty of food, drink, music and fun. Tonight, on Jack's actual birthday, Jen bought a box of cupcakes from a local bakery and the neighbor kids helped him get in the celebratory spirit. Happy birthday, son!

June Baby

Mayhem's End

And now, an overdue post for our final visitors in the 3-weekend parade of grandparents in May (a.k.a. "Mayhem.) Grandpa Bill and Alice came to visit us on Kennedy Street and see young Jack.

We covered a lot of ground in a short weekend. On Saturday, Bill and I went out for a round of golf, joined by my friends, Matt and Ben. Because the three of us don't really play golf (I get out about twice a year), we played a best-ball challenge against Bill. We had a great time and even had a few moments of glory to punctuate the slew of mediocre-to-lousy shots. Halfway through the 18th hole, the heavens opened up and we hustled into the clubhouse to seek cover. Bill bought a round of drinks as we waited for the storm to pass.

Back in Alexandria, meanwhile, Jen, Niki, Alice and Jack were walking down the Avenue in Del Ray when I called and notified them of our storm-delayed return. The ladies ended up taking shelter in a shop until, eventually, Jen braved the rain to retrieve a car from home to shuttle everyone back to safety. The summer storms around here have been dramatic this year.

Enjoy some more pics in the album below.

Mayhem Finale

How to beat the heat

We just broke out of an extraordinary heat wave and today's upper-80s seemed downright pleasant. Today, I got home and saw that our neighbors had filled their kiddie pool in the front yard, so I swooped Jack up and got put him in the pool, where he was soon joined by Sonja.

Jack has been really enjoying bath-time lately, but being outside in the pool takes it to a whole new level. It must be the sun and all the neighbor kids running around that get him charged up. In the video below, notice how patient Sonja is with Jack, who can't contain himself.

GOAL!!!!!

This summer, we look forward to watching Jack go from crawling to walking. Anticipating this event, I constructed a pair of goals for street soccer. After all, playing soccer is the next logical thing for Jack to do once he's on his feet.

Jack loves to play around with the kids on Kennedy Street. I made sure the neighbor boys were involved in this project from the start. First, they drew up the design with dimensions, and then helped measure and cut the PVC. The netting came courtesy of my dad who hung onto a full-size net purchased back when I was a youngster. The neighbor kids are having fun playing around with the goals and I take an occasional shot, too. Before we know it, Jack will be putting the ball in the back of the net!

The second wave

The parade continued Memorial Day weekend when Debbie & Steve made the drive out to see us. (As usual, I'm a week behind on posts.) Jack has a strong magnetic pull!

As is always the case whenever any of our handy parents come to town, there was a fairly substantial list of household projects to accomplish. We are always grateful for the big steps our little fixer-upper takes on these occasions, but Debbie & Steve really out-did themselves by giving us our first opportunity for a night away together since Jack came on the scene 11 months ago.

Jen and I went out for a date-night on Sunday in Old Town Alexandria-- just a couple miles down the road from home. Debbie & Steve took on full-fledged babysitting duties starting at 4 o'clock. It's a lot of work-- feeding him dinner, giving him a bath, final bottle of the night and then reading all his favorite books. Fortunately, Jack has been sleeping soundly at night ever since he got with the program after 8 months of regular awakenings. Our good little boy had a wonderful time with his Grandma and Poppy.

Mayhem Continues

I love a parade

Last weekend, we kicked off a string of visitors coming to town to see the young whipper-snapper. First up, Nonnie & Grandpa.

The festivities started with Friday's convocation ceremony at George Mason University. I wrapped up the MBA program and was glad to have family there to commemorate the event. The final two semesters were taxing, especially when Jack wasn't sleeping through the night. Jen bore the brunt of my absence-- basically being a single-mom for two nights a week-- and I am very grateful to her for the effort. It's great to have school completely knocked out before Jack really became aware of my absence. Although on a few occassions, when I fetched him from his crib in the morning, he would give a "Who the heck are you? I want mommy!" type of cry, which is probably par for the course, but still was tough on dad.

Jack is at a magical age where he is curious about everything and everyone and now has the locomotion to check things out. His crawling has sped up dramatically and he pulls himself up well to a proud standing position. Naturally, he is a babbling brook, practicing all kinds of sounds. We're especially impressed at how well he rolls his R's and think we should get him started on Spanish before he loses that skill.

My parents worked double-time while they were here because we hosted a graduation party in the newly renovated backyard. Dad was stuck on the grill for what seemed like all of Saturday afternoon while Mom, Jen and Aunt Niki were up in the kitchen keeping everything moving. Neighbors, friends and fellow graduates turned out and the weather cooperated nicely. I wish we had more pictures from the party (and the weekend, in general,) but everybody was so busy that the camera didn't get pulled out enough.

Mayhem Begins

On Monday morning, Nonnie & Grandpa enjoyed a few quiet moments with their grandson before the taxi arrived to spirit them away.



This video is fun for a lot of reasons. First, my mom wasn't wearing her reading glasses, so you can hear some surprise in her voice as she works her way through Dr. Seuss. Second, my dad picked up on the "new fish" line--Jen and I always read that line to Jack and told him he was a "new fish." Finally, how fun is it that my mom admonished my dad not to the turn the page because Jack will do the page-turning, thank you very much!

Attitude

A little over a week ago, we saw Matt, Mae and Alex. Jack and Alex are a hoot together. Alex is three months younger than Jack, so he's not motoring around yet. Meanwhile, Jack is grappling with everyone he encounters and apparently picking up on some questionable hand gestures.

Super Parents and their Super Kids

Shannon & Steve, our friends with the 18-month-old twins, Willem & Fiona, are key players in our parenting lives. They are far enough ahead of us on the curve to have gone through everything that we'll face, and they graciously share their experiences directly with us and through their website (permanently linked on the left). Occasionally, the advice doesn't pan out. Jen and I distinctly remember asking them something during our very sleep-deprived period-- somewhere around 6 months-- and Shannon couldn't recall anything to help us out. We were astonished that anyone could forget the circumstances in which we found ourselves (again, we were manic from sleep-deprivation). Of course, 4 months later... well, now I can't even remember what it was that Jen and I were so stunned when Shannon couldn't remember.

And this is how you start thinking, "Hey, we could have another one!" You just forget the stuff that made you crazy.

But it's good to forget because then you get to enjoy terrific moments like this weekend when Shannon & Steve brought the twins over for brunch and a visit with Jack. What a blast to play host to an instant romper room. We somehow managed to carry on adult conversation while supervising the youngsters and devouring Jen's frittata and Shannon's blueberry buckle. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!

Shannon & Steve got to see Jack all the way back when he was just a little peanut and fresh from the hospital. On this weekend, our little guy got to show his latest moves-- speedier crawling and some pretty good footwork pulling himself up to a standing position-- to the big kids. Wil and Fi were great with Jack and had fun playing with him and his toys.

Enjoy the slideshow. There is a really great treat in the middle that I didn't write about because it's just more fun to watch it unfold in pictures.

Wil & Fi Visit

A Jack For All Seasons

Springtime is really agreeing with Jack. Our little neighborhood of rowhouses comes alive with activity as the weather warms and the trees fill out their leaves. It seems like any given night you'll find Jack and the neighbors out front on the stoop.

We've learned a couple of new things about Jack. First, he is very social and loves to play with kids of all ages. No matter how big or small, he will grab onto you with both hands and maybe even try to bite you with his four very sharp teeth. Watch out! Second, he loves meatballs. This is a revelation because he's always been a bit of a bird when it comes to eating. Jack will pick up a meatball and bite into it like an apple.

Here's a short album of new photos-- fairly random, but always fun.

Spring Fling

In memoriam Hannah-Cat

I drafted this post some time ago but am just now posting it today, May 11.

We had a very sad week. Everyone's favorite orange cat, Hannah, died on Tuesday the 22nd. On Sunday and Monday, she was lethargic, but not alarmingly so. On Tuesday night, she was suffering badly and clearly having serious problems. Upon returning from class, I took Hannah to the hospital where she had an extremely high temperature reading of 109. With the prognosis grim, we made the decision to give our faithful companion a peaceful departure.

Hannah and her sister, Emma, were rescued from a farm in Vermilion township, Ohio, almost 10 years ago. Jen had graduated from U of Toledo and was preparing to move to DC to begin her program at American University. Jen had always wanted an orange cat, and step-dad, Steve, found one amongst two litters of cats born on a farm near his and Debbie's home in Vermilion. One of the momma-cats had died in an road accident, so the two litters of kittens were all struggling to survive with only one momma cat to look after them. Of all the cats, Hannah was easily the healthiest and Jen joked that she did the rest of the kittens a favor by taking her. The original plan was take only one cat, but Hannah and Emma were inseparable playmates, so they both made the trip to DC.

As a young cat, Hannah was a true athlete. She enjoyed playing fetch and would launch herself off the arm of a chair to catch thrown balls mid-air. Hannah stayed constantly by Jen's side or perched in her lap. Hannah was well-known for her social disposition, approaching anyone who came to visit with trust and a simple demand for attention.

During the summer of cicadas in DC, Hannah wandered the deck, maiming and eating the heads off slow-moving Brood X insects. Sometimes she would bring her still-struggling prey into the apartment to proudly show Jen, who was toiling away on her dissertation.

Hannah's charms were legendary. Even people who claimed not to like cats always found Hannah the exception to the rule. Hannah insisted that weekend visitors stay longer by laying on their suitcases to prevent them from packing.

Most recently, Hannah taught young Jack how to crawl. Because she was a social creature, she was always hanging out with us and Jack became increasingly curious about her. When Hannah strayed too close, Jack would grab a fistful of fur-- an abuse Hannah suffered without retaliation. Our big orange monster enjoyed being nearby.

Always a good cat and dependable companion, Hannah is irreplaceable.

Cherry Blossoms

You may have noticed the website trails real-life by about a week. Last weekend, we were hanging around the house on Saturday morning, waffling on whether or not we would take advantage of the surprisingly good weather and go into DC to see the cherry blossom trees around the Tidal Basin.

For those who haven't been to DC, this is one of those tourist moments that can actually live up to the hype. Everything looks beautiful when the cherry blossoms are out. The problem is, they peak fairly early in spring and the weather can be dicey. After a couple of rainfalls and windy days, the blossoms are history. Not exactly the kind of thing you can book airfare around.

Jen got us off the fence and declared that Jack should get to see the cherry blossoms during his first year, so we grabbed the camera and braved the crowds. It was definitely worth the trip.

Cherry Blossoms

Motivation

Our cats have been pretty desperate for attention over the past 9+ months since Jack arrived on the scene. They hang around despite the noise and commotion Jack causes and hope for an ear-scratch or maybe even a lap to sit in for a few precious minutes. Those opportunities are rare since we're pretty occupied with Jack.

I guess we always knew what would finally motivate Jack to start crawling-- his desire to catch a kitty. This video was shot on April 4th. He hasn't slowed down since.

Meeting Michael Jerome

Our family delayed Easter a week (don't tell the Pope) to gather in Columbus at my sister's place and visit with two-week-old Michael Jerome. Jack took his first airplane flight on March 29 to get there.

Jack took to the sky with ease and was greeted in Ohio by Karin, Dave, Ethan and young Michael.

The album below has a bunch of great shots of the family. We were missing my cousin, Kevin, because he was on the road for work. Although it was a whirlwind of a trip, we enjoyed a delicious brunch, helped Ethan hunt for Easter eggs and celebrated Karin's birthday.

Easter in Ohio

This picture (also in the album) is a favorite of mine. My sister makes a great mom.

How we treat guests

Last weekend, we enjoyed a visit from Jen's family. Below, you'll find an album of pics from the weekend. Very quickly, you'll see pictoral evidence of the fact that "Grandma Boop" (a.k.a. Debbie) got to snuggle with her very snuggly grandson all weekend.

Steve, on the other hand, worked all weekend. Three years ago, we built a 10x12 foot deck to get the patio furniture out of the mud pit of a backyard we inherited with our lovely fixer-upper home. Imagine Steve's dismay when I asked if he'd kindly help me reconfigure and reposition that same deck. Result: not so many pictures of Steve (or me for that matter) as the weekend was filled with laboring. Oh Steve!

Very few family members get to visit here and avoid work altogether. We are very lucky to have so many handy people in our lives.

Debbie & Steve Visit