Jack on the Run

(Title sung to the tune of "Band on the Run" by Wings.)

Jack's longest naps take place in the blissful, gently-rocking world of his stroller. The weather shield keeps the cold air off his face and is properly vented. Under this protective canopy, he is properly bundled for cold weather. Thanks to the cozy confines and steady motion, he settles in for as long as I'm willing to stay out there.

Unfortunately, my running really fell off the map last year. The longest run I did was a 10K, and I wouldn't exactly call it a record pace.

Jack is my motivation to run this year, although I know it will be a challenge. In addition to work, I am in my final semester of classes for my MBA. Busy times.

Still, between Jack's happy naps and my need to get in some semblance of shape, I see a nice ramp-up in mileage this summer. Who knows-- with Jack's help, I might be ready for the Parks Half Marathon. And then in 2009... my 2nd full marathon? You've gotta have goals!

7 months old

It's tough getting older, and Jack has been a bit grumpy about it lately. He's been suffering through his first ear infection. Although Jack is still a happy camper for the balance of the day, nighttime is a bit harder for the little guy. We will nurse him through this and get ourselves through more sleep-challenged nights.

I've got some photos to toss into an album later, but in the meantime, enjoy this short video from this evening. It features Jack's favorite new thing to do-- blow raspberries!

Hippos Go Berserk!

Jen and I both had a 3-day weekend thanks to the MLK holiday. I wish I could say we enjoyed it a little more. Our young prince had been making great progress on his nighttime sleep-- with at least a half-dozen nights of 8-9 hours in the sack-- but the past few nights have felt like Jack is a newborn all over again.

We consulted with friends and family who say all the right things, (e.g. "You're not bad parents," or "Don't jump off a cliff,") but we know that ultimately we have to just work hard to help our little guy establish good sleep habits. It's tough now because Jack entered the teething stage. Or at least the crazy-drooling stage.

On a happier topic, Jack's favorite book-- and I can't emphasize favorite enough-- is "Hippos Go Berserk!" Jack smiles at the mere recitation of it (you don't even need the book in hand) and often will give a funny little chuckle upon hearing the final line of the story.

What's especially funny about this is that when he hears the hippo story, he kind of hates other books. You can't go from the hippos to Dr. Seuss or he flips out. Maybe you can transition to something like "Good Night Moon," but don't launch into "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" when the boy is yelling for his hippos!

Cupie Doll, Corkscrew and Mister Man

At some point, I expect we will finally accept Jack's constant state of change as the simple reality of life, but in the meantime, we are regularly surprised and impressed by our little guy. As you know, Jen's "Cupie," as she endearingly refers to Jack, turned on the social charm just in time for Christmas. Lately, he's been working on bursts of babbling. This is entertaining stuff, especially when he slows down long enough to throw a "Ma Ma" out there with just enough of a pause to melt Jen's heart.

My "Corkscrew" has always preferred facing out when he is carried, but now that he's becoming aware of his limbs, he actively pushes and twists his way around rather than simply fussing about being held inward.

This past Sunday was a social day for "Mister Man" (another popular nickname). Josh and Jenn brought Austin in for breakfast down at Mancini's-- a lovely walk to and fro and great grub. Austin and Jack hadn't seen each other since December, but they picked it up just like old times. You know, old times-- like when they were 5 months old.

That same evening, neighbors Jeff & Kathleen brought Ellie over for dinner. Another 6 month old, Ellie is already very athletic and is rocking back-and-forth on her hands and knees. Meanwhile, Jack showed off his block-building skills. (Dad helped a little.)

We're lucky to have so many friends with young ones. It gives us the chance to commisserate about the challenges of parenthood and celebrate the small triumphs that, quite frankly, would bore the socks off anybody who wasn't in "new parent" mode.