Favorite Thing: Chewies

Chewies have quickly become a way of life. Jack will--as the name implies--chew on them and snuggle with them when he's tired or cranky. When in a playful mood, he likes to put them on top of his head. I also like to put them on top of his head.

While in reality a chewie is just a cloth diaper, it holds a lot of significance for me. At the baby shower that Jack's Auntie Tara and Auntie Andrea held for us, they had everyone decorate a cloth diaper with fabric markers. Everyone had a unique design and each one is special to us.

Favorite Thing: Books

Jack has been flipping through his own board books for quite a few months now. Now that he's muy, muy mobile, he's starting to flip through my books, too (and is right now as I type). He's very gentle with them, and except for the occasional gnawing (see a gummy The Autobiography of my Mother in the first picture), I don't worry about him and the books.

Crap. Just had to take a pic and upload it. He's definitely not stuck in functional fixedness. He's found that Bastard out of Carolina and Woman Warrior make a good step stools!

Jack's Favorite Things

To help count down to Jack's first birthday, I'd like to reminisce about some of Jack's favorite things from this past year.

Jack loves Elmo. For his first Christmas Grandma Anne and Aunt Crystal got Jack a little talking Elmo, which has quickly become a 'lovey'. While he likes chewies when he's tired (post forthcoming), Jack loves Elmo most all of the time. He knows what Elmo is going to say and will sometimes mimmick Elmo when Elmo is talking.

Sometimes I'll forget that Elmo is in the backseat and about 10 minutes into a car ride will almost careen off the road when Elmo pipes up: "Yippee Ki Yi....Yay!"

An Afternoon at the Park

Jamie has been playing softball in the church league for the last few months. A few weeks ago the weather was finally cool enough for Jack and me to go watch. He watched everything, but the game, but we still had fun! I chose the picture below because he looks soooo much like Jamie in this one...but don't let that innocent face fool you; he's as headstrong as I am.

First Hair Cut

Last month Jack got his first hair cut. I had wanted to give it to him sooner, but Jamie hemmed and hawed over it. Finally on night I fluffed out all of his hair and forced Jamie to admit that he was due.

Jack took it well. I sat him in his highchair and gave him his favorite strawberry puffs. While he munched, I quickly sheared the ends about 1-1.5 inches.

We love the first pic. It's like one of those makeover shows where the makeoveree's 'before' pic looks like death warmed. I considered giving him the "Aunt Dayna Special", but just couldn't put him through that.