Two years old. Or "two old" as the boy refers to himself. Two years and 6 days. Grandma left this afternoon after spending a week with us. After we dropped her off at the airport and went to Kroger to buy "Big Boy Diapers" (more about that in a minute) Jacob kept singing "I love Grandma! I love you Grandma! I love Grandma!" I think he enjoyed her visit immensely.
Had his well-child 2 year visit today. He is progressing perfectly - only semi-negative is that his eardrums look a little "dull" but I guess that is to be expected after all the ear infections he had this fall (or was that one stubborn continuous ear infection?). He is in the 99th percentile for head circ., 98th for height, and 63rd for weight. As usual, he charmed the socks off of everyone he encountered there.
So the big boy diapers... Cheryl showed us Davis's potties last time we were at their house, and Jacob seemed really interested. So ever since then we've been really talking about what happens in toilets (3 years ago, would I have dreamed I would be talking about this? Never.) Monday we took him out to look for a Big Boy Potty and found a little kid-sized seat you set on/in the regular grown-up toilet. This one had Blues Clues dogs all over it, so it was a big hit. Tuesday we had several close calls - he'd grab his diaper and tell us he had to go to the "bafroom" to poop, only to find that he had already gone in his diaper. But Wednesday he spent the day with Nanie and was able to get to the toilet in time for the big event. He was quite proud. Today he made it on the toilet in time to pee. Very encouraging!!

Jacob thoroughly enjoyed his 2nd birthday. He started off with his favorite b'fast: Cheerios and berries, while he opened his first presents - a Gymboree drum head thingy, some movement scarves, a construction helmet, and a Bob The Builder doll. (We have a little call and response down - me: can he fix it? Jacob: YES HE CAN!) Then we headed off to the JCC to have a little party and cake with his day care friends. Jacob totally dug being sung to...and being the center of attention. My mom and I were encouraged to stay for the Shabbat festivities after the party, which was tons of fun. Jacob's teacher Dee Dee bought him the sweetest presents - a little stuffed dog and two very Jacob-like outfits. I think he/we are really going to miss her when he moves up to older toddler room in the spring.

After Jacob's nap, we had cake and more presents with Daddy and Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle Robbie, then headed back out, this time to B&N ("Bobble Nobble") and Whole Foods ("Cheese House!") for more fun, but not before we hit the car wash. Good times! Dinner was pizza from Pizza House. Then more presents, including the coveted Thomas train house. Then time for a bath and off to dreamland. All in all, a very satisfying birthday.

Saturday morning Jacob and his grandparents accompanied me to a WEMU fundraiser at the Northside grill. I was roped into getting coffee and water for people and clearing empty dishes, while The Boy and his grandparents ate a delicious breakfast. Jacob was amazingly good, and apparently very hungry. He must be going through a growth spurt, as this kid is packing it away like nobody's business lately.

I headed off to do my radio show and Jacob headed down for a nap. After my show, I picked him up to meet Janis at The Manhattan Transfer soundcheck at the Power Center, but there was some kind of communication breakdown and most of the group (including Janis) was MIA. We wandered around listening to the Basie band until we ran into Jon Hendricks, who was (of course) smitten with Jacob and invited us in to his dressing room. When he heard that the Alphabet song was one of Jacob's faves, he serenaded him with the Lambert Hendricks and Ross version of The New ABCs, including a fab scat solo. Then he sang him "We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder". They shook hands as they parted, and Jacob seemed to take the whole thing very seriously. Someday I hope he realizes just how cool that whole interaction was.

We figured out what happened with the Manhattan Transfer, or rather figured out what hadn't happened - no one had been dispatched from the University to pick them up, so Jacob and I headed over to Plymouth road to get them. The Boy seemed a little intimidated by the whole thing, and had no memory of playing house with Janis this summer. But after we got back to the Power Center and they started singing, he seemed to get into it, and even clapped enthusiastically for Blee Blop Blues.

Sunday was party day. First came church and bagels, then picking up our second huge Zingerman's cake, then naptime, as Mommy, Daddy, and Grandma frantically cleaned, burned party favor CDs, and stuffed party favor bags full of bubble stuff and matchbox cars. Miraculously we got it all done in time, woke The Boy up, and got him dressed and ready before the first guest arrived. Cheryl and Davis, Steve, Kate and Devon, Kathie (across the street), Danny, Carol, Marielle, Jenna and Alejandro (next door), Linda, Gary and Silvia, Emily, Bob, Patti and Sam, Jeff and Jenna, and Uncle Robbie all came and paid their respects, and Jacob had a blast!
Then later that day Nanie and Papa came and presented Jacob with his very own train table. Blew his mind. There really isn't any room to keep it in our living room, but try to tell him that!

More on the great gifts when it's not 12:15am.

Came home from work yesterday to find The Boy and his dad dancing to Japanese pop group Puffy Ami Yumi. Jacob's idea of dancing is to spin in one direction with your arms out until you fall down, then pick yourself up and spin in the other direction. We showed him how to bounce up and down to the music, so now he can dance like a proper frat boy. Seriously, though, music seems to make this kid very happy, and there's no telling what will set him off. On the way home from Tim's softball game, I was scanning through radio stations. When I landed on WRIF playing Nirvana's "No Apologies" Jacob started grinning and yelling at the top of his lungs. We took turns yelling until the song ended. I tried to find another song that would get him going, but the rest of the tunes I found seemed to bore him.

We spent the Fourth of July long weekend at Star Lake with my parents. Once he got used to the feeling of sand between his toes, and to the idea of being able to wade into the lake, Jacob had a ball! His two favorite activities: sitting in the wet sand with his toes in the lake, shoveling the wet sand onto his legs (and splattering his face, hair, and clothing); and running into and out of the screen tent while giggling hysterically, zipping and unzipping with wild abandon.

He loves his belly button - it seems to offer him a sense of security, especially when strange people try to talk to him. He also loves it when other people offer up their belly buttons for tickling. He loves tickling people and dogs (his favorite word/phrase is "tickletickletickle) and even resorts to tickling himself when no one is near.

What a sense of humor. And what a budding imagination. Today The Boy had grabbed a pot from the cupboard, dragged it into the living room, and pretended to eat from it with a spoon. Occasionally he would offer a bite to his dad, and even offered me a taste. Then he'd go back to stirring his imaginary soup. It was very cool.


It was a beautiful sunny morning, so Jacob and I spent a good bit of time walking around in the front yard. Of course he was most drawn to the areas I was trying to keep him away from, namely the street and the neighbors' freshly Chemlawned yard. We got his Boy-sized gardening tools out, and he and I went to town on the lavender. At one point he seemed to be trying to clear the lawn of those little helicopter seeds one at a time. He'd crouch down, pick one up, turn around, and give me an earnest look as he handed it to me, nodding seriously like this was very important business.

Eventually the front yard lost its charm, so we packed up and went to Gymboree for open play time at noon. Ann Arbor schools are on break this week, so there was almost no one there, but Jacob had a ball following some 2 1/2 year -old twin girls around the place. He seemed quite smitten with Kennedi and Payton.
Jacob's usually pretty beat after Gymboree, but today it only seemed to add to his energy level and there seemed to be no way I was going to get him down for a nap. So I called in the cavalry, and Tim got him down in seconds flat.


Later on, once The Boy got up from his nap, we took Ellie over to visit with Jacob's friend and our across-the-street neighbor Cathy. She's a kindergarten teacher with a magic touch - Jacob adores her. Ellie's in love with her dog (named Jake!) so it's a love fest every time we go over there.
Then Jacob's friend Devon made a stop here on his way home from daycare, so we all took the boys down to the park to play and swing. Since Kate hadn't brought Devon's stroller, we piled both boys into the wagon. This was Devon's first Radio Flyer experience...he seemed relatively unimpressed. He kept leaning back into Jacob's lap, trying to snag Jacob's sippy cup. Eventually The Boy got wise and stuck his arms out to prop Devon up.


Jacob is really walking well now, and is incredibly fast. The house has never felt so small. He loves to climb on things, and seems to have no fear. Wednesday Tim had Jacob at Vet's park, and Jacob scraped his face up while climbing up the bleachers. Has that made him more cautious? Not the slightest bit. I feel like I shouldn't take my eyes off him for even a second.


Fave foods: crackers, pear juice, milk, asparagus, cheese, bread.
Words: mommy, daddy, squirrel, cracker, bottle, baby, ball, ellie, bye bye, hello.
He knows his nose, his hair, his mouth, his belly button, his socks, his feet, his diaper.
He loves to try to make me and Tim kiss each other.
He falls asleep every night to the continuing saga of the Magic Frog, as told by his Daddy.
His favorite song is Old MacDonald.
He walks around singing this 2 or 3 note phrase all day.
When he's feeling particularly generous, he gives us big wet kisses.

We sure are in love with him!

13 months, 3 weeks. The Boy is so mobile now! He did his first serious walking on his first birthday, and has been confident ever since. It's getting harder and harder to keep up with him in this little house. I can't let him out of my sight, for fear that he'll pull a chest of drawers over on himself (almost did that last week) or yank a plant down (did that Friday) or throw a cell phone in the toilet (did that last month). Oh how I wish we had a bigger house, or at least a lot less stuff for him to get into!!!!!!!!

Today we had a freak snowstorm, so Jacob and I were stuck in the house all day. Normally on Mondays we head over to Gymboree for a little open play time with all the stay-at-home moms and their kids, but the roads were too treacherous. So I blocked off the exit from the living room and got out the blocks and the legos and the board books and Baby Doolittle DVDs and did my best to entertain The Boy. We had a ball, although I definitely got the feeling that he would have been happier yanking books and CDs off the shelves in the guest room.

A year old! How the time flies. The Boy is getting bigger and faster and stronger and smarter and funnier and more lovable every day.

This morning, his first birthday morning, he woke up at 6am and joined us in bed. He never really fell soundly asleep again, despite all of our best efforts (hey - we wanted to sleep too!) so after playing for a little while on the bed, we all got up at around 8. Jacob had some bagel and whole (cow's) milk for breakfast, then we packed him and a cake I had baked the night before all up in the minivan and headed off to "school". Arrived in time for snacktime. Everyone sang happy birthday, and then dove into the cake. The first piece Jacob got ended up on the floor pretty quickly (maybe he thinks the JCC has a dog?) so I gave him my piece. That piece must have seemed more appetizing, for it ended up mulched all over his face and hands, and quite a bit of it ended up in his mouth.

We played for a couple of hours with the toddlers until Jacob seemed too tired, then headed back home for a little nap. Daddy came home in time for lunch (goldfish, pears, and fruity crackers) and then we played. We had fun in the basement with the new tent his grandma and grandpa bought him, practiced throwing a ball (Daddy kept trying to put the ball in his left hand -- he want him to have a long MLB career), pulled him around in his amazing (and amazingly huge) Radio Flyer red wagon.

Uncle Robert came over for dinner and cake. Jacob couldn't believe his luck. He's quite smitten with his uncle. After Robert left to catch a plane to go see Grandma and Grandpa, we all sat down to open the presents we bought The Boy. He got a book, a ball, and bear, and a puzzle. He seemed to really enjoy them all. He seems to have figured out the whole present thing (at Christmas he found the process entirely overwhelming) and enjoys it enormously.

Sunday the birthday continues with a few baby friends (Devon, Jack, and maybe Maxine) and some grown ups. Then in the evening we get to celebrate with Grammy, Papa, Jeff and Jenna. Yay!

Nine months and five days old. Jacob has spent nearly as much time out here with the rest of us as he did getting ready to come out and meet the world. It feels like we've known him forever. He's such a goofy, wonderful, loving, curious, energetic little boy with an amazing sense of humor.

Today was a fun day with The Boy. He became quite enamored of the plastic alligator I brought home from New Orleans a few years ago. Crawled all over the place with it clenched in his fist or in his mouth. He must have enjoyed the way the gator's rough spiky exterior felt on his gums. He's got one whole tooth, about 3/4 of one right next to it, and on the top he's got one 1/2 tooth and one 1/4 tooth. Last week he discovered that he could make some seriously disturbing noises by rubbing (grinding) the teeth together. Luckily for us, he seems to have moved on from that pastime.

His vocab these days - lots of yelling at the dog...sounds like of like "Hey!" He says "mamamama" and "dadadada" or "daddy". Hard to tell if he's actually talking about one of us. Still lots of consonants...he's been experimenting a lot with the letter T lately. He laughs with great abandon.

He's gotten a lot better about playing by himself. He needs to know we're nearby, but he is often happy sitting in his pack and play playing with his toys. Very encouraging.

Music - Jacob LOVES doo-wop, and will bounce/dance to it in his crib. He loves pounding on drums. We have congas downstairs and he loves it when I hold him up so he can hit them. We brought a bongo drum upstairs for him to mess around on, and last week he finally stopped chewing on it, turned it around and starting pounding on the drum head. Yay!
We recently brought out my old Yamaha keyboard for him to mess around with. He loves hitting the keys, making funny noises by sitting on it, and playing with the pitch bender. It's so fun to watch him explore!

I seem to have caught Jacob's most recent cold (Tim already has it), so I'm off to bed.

Until next time....

A tooth! A tooth! Today he finally cut a tooth. We were playing around in the morning, and he started biting my nose (as he often does). This time it felt a little different, so I went exploring. Sure enough! A tooth on the left side of the bottom, just poking through. We can no longer call him the Toothless Wonder.

It has been awhile since I have updated The Boy's web log. Much of the delay is owing to his latest accomplishments. Now that he is crawling like a pro and pulling himself up, you can't turn your back on him!

More soon!

Late night for The Boy tonight. Went to the Detroit Jazz Festival to see Mavis Staples. Jacob seemed to love the music -- he was on his best behavior all night. We saw Mavis before and after the show. She and Jacob were totally smitten with each other. She kept grabbing him out of my arms, and he certainly didn't mind. He was quite fascinated with her hair and face. He also loved her sister Yvonne and had a long baby talk conversation with her.

Jacob's 6 month appointment was one week ago. He is just shy of 20 pounds, and 29 inches. The doctor says that puts him about 3 months ahead in terms of physical development. Yay Jacob!

He has figured out how to get into sitting position on his own. He first tried it in his crib at around midnight on Tuesday night. We have since lowered the crib mattress. Crawling should be coming very soon.

In the bad news department...Daddy went to the emergency room today so the doctors could look at the hand he hurt playing softball last week. They told him he has a spiral fracture in his hand and they put him in a cast. They told Daddy it has to stay on for a month, but we're hoping it can come off sooner.

Six months and one week old.
Back from a weekend of family fun. We were in Toronto to celebrate his (great-) Opa's 80th birthday. The Boy finally got to meet Uncle Andrew and Auntie Michele, and Uncle John and Samantha. All involved seemed suitably impressed, though 8 1/2 year-old Samantha was most interested in bringing her friends in during a diaper change to see The Boy's "private parts."
Our home PC has crashed, so no photo updates to the website for awhile. Sigh.

New accomplishment -- Jacob is a PRO at sitting up. He first started the last weekend in August, and has really gotten more stable in the past week. Still no crawling, but he does get up on his hands and knees and rock back and forth. It's just a matter of time...

New sounds -- last week it was all r's. When he's really focused on something, it sounds like he's revving his engines. The last couple of days we have caught him trying out "s" sounds. It's really fascinating.

Took Jacob to the doctor today -- his head cold seemed to have moved into his chest. False alarm. But we did learn that he is now 20 lbs. Grow, Jacob, grow!

2 weeks ago we took Jacob to his first major league baseball game -- he saw the Tigers lose to the Anaheim Angels. We went with Chip and Mary Rose - both of whom also seemed suitably impressed by The Boy. We think they'd make excellent parents and hope that they will soon produce someone for Jacob to play baseball with.