bean & bug

One of Simon's nicknames is Bean. He is kind of shaped like a bean (especially when he is curled up asleep) and his spindly legs kind of add to the illusion. So how appropriate that Jake was gifted this great outfit. Bean & Bean hanging out being casual cats.

Add to this Simon's alternate nickname, Bug. When Simon first moved in Lucy was not very welcoming to the idea of a second cat. Simon had been exploring in the dusty basement and came upstairs with large clumps of dust on the ends of his whiskers over top of his eyes. Kind of like a disguise, so that Lucy wouldn't think he was a cat. Neil commented "Nice bug costume Simon" and the nickname stuck. Bug & Bug trying to give Lucy the slip.

five months old

Geesh as each month passes, I can't get over how quickly it goes. And if it's possible the time keeps getting better and better. Each stage is precious and each stage is full of new adventures and discoveries.  Jake now weighs 16 lbs 13 oz and is 26 3/4 inches long.

Some things that Jake can do at five months are:

• moves head and eyes eagerly
• uses his whole hand to grasp objects and passes them from one hand to another
  
• turn immediately to Mom or Dad's voices
  
• reaches out and grabs things
  
• puts everything into his mouth
  

His big milestone for this month is the ability to completely roll over all by himself from his back to his front and back again. He lands on his tummy with his head held high and his arms ready for crawling. And he is now getting very interested in eating solid food. He watches us eating intently and he will grab a cup of water that Dad offers and stick his tongue in it. Soon Little Dude, very soon.

we wash an awful lot of diapers

We have been using cloth diapers for Jake and they have been great. They were an extravagant present from Nan, but well worth the small fortune that they cost. Over the long run they end up being cheaper than purchasing disposables. The pee ones go into a dry pail, the poo ones get scraped off into toilet with a diaper brush and they soak in a vinegar solution until wash time. The weather has not been fantastic, but when it is warm and sunny it only takes an afternoon for the diapers to dry on the line. The great part of these cloth diapers is that we can resell them when we are done and that we are keeping approximately 3/4 tonne of garbage out of the landfill by not using disposable. And let me tell you, these cloth diapers are easy to use so there really is no excuse not to use them.

i wish i could go outside

Jake likes to stand on his diaper change table and look outside at the grass, the flowers, the trees and sometimes the cats. Just you wait Little Dude, the weather will get better and we'll be able to play outside in the backyard up close and personal to the grass, the flowers, the trees and sometimes the cats.

the return of nan

Nan made the long journey back out west to see her darling grandson. It was great to see her, and she and Jake enjoyed each other. They spent the whole time giggling and cooing at each other. Besides helping out with dish washing, folding laundry and general tidying up, Nan spent lots of time with Jake. She changed diapers, she pushed him in the stroller

she hung out with him in bed in the early mornings, while Dad made breakfasts and Mom slept in

she went swimming with Jake
she helped bath Jake
she played with him in the sun room, watching the outside world
and she held him all that she could.

As a special treat for Mom and Dad, she looked after Jake while they went out to a movie one night; and they went for lunch at a nearby pub (delicious beer). All of us enjoyed a gourmet dinner at the Mahle house with some adventure dining where you don't know what the chef will prepare for you.

All in all it was a great visit. Jake loves his Nan.

another day at the office

Zoe lent Jake this foamy chair (Bumbo chair) for him to use. It is a chair that assists him in sitting upright, and helps to strengthen his core muscles so that he will be able to sit on his own some day. The only drawback is that he is usually up too high to be able to reach his toys. So Mom built him a little table using an old hockey stick for legs and special old fashion milk paint that is non-toxic. Voila, easy access to toys. Jake uses it for his 'laptop' which is this board of random toys that move around and do stuff. Nothing like having an office with a view from which to enjoy a cuppa jo and some pounding on the laptop.

its coming

Slowly but surely, Jake's hair is growing back in. His hair is an often topic for questions and discussion. "Is his hair red?" "Do you think it will grow in red?" "I think that I see a reddish tinge to it, maybe it'll be auburn." Well Jake was born with darkish hair, and it fell out by the time he was about a month. Since then he has been bald except for a fringe of hair at the back. But it has begun to grow back in, and is visible as a soft, downy fuzz. As for the colour....we'll keep you posted.

rubber duckie

Rubber duckie you're the one,
You make bath time so much fun.
Rubber duckie I'm awfully fond of you.

Rubber duckie joy of joys,
When I squeeze you, you make noise.
Rubber duckie I'm awfully fond of you.

Every night as a have a bath in my tubby,
I find a little fellow, who's cute and yellow, and chubby.
Rubba-dub-dubby.

Rubber duckie you're so fine,
And I'm lucky that your mine.
Rubber duckie I'm awfully fond of you.

happy fathers' day

Happy first Fathers' Day Neil. You are a fantastic Dad, caring and giving. Jake loves you very much. You can tell by the way his face lights up with delight when he sees you. And one of Jake's favorite activities is the Hop on Pop portion of the day when he gets to hang out in bed with you. When I asked Neil what he wanted to do for Fathers' Day he replied that each day with Jake was special and it would be pretty hard to top them. Jake is one lucky little boy to have such a great Father who loves him so much.

i'm a starfish

Jake is taking swimming lessons. Okay, Jake's mom and dad signed up for organized 'Swim With Your Baby' time, also called swimming lessons for infants. It's the starfish level. I wonder if Jake has to pass a test to get a starfish badge. If he does get a badge, I'm totally sewing it onto his bathing suit....also called his swimming costume. When babies turn 4 months old their inner ears are developed enough to be able to go swimming. So we all headed to the pool the day that Jake turned 4 months.

Its fun to be a family and use the family change room. Jake wears a special swimming diaper, which admittedly doesn't catch the urine...but it does catch the poo. His special zip up swim suit keeps him warm. It would be nice to get one in Steve Zizou blue, perhaps when he joins the fanclub.

The swimming lessons introduces the babies to counting to three to jump into the water, blowing bubbles, getting their ears underwater and getting dunked. So far Jake likes to stare at the lights in the aquatic center most of all. We also sing songs in a circle with the other babies, one song includes selected a fish and singing Jake's turn using that fish. So far Jake has been a lingcod, a halibut, a hake (Jake the Hake) and a dogfish. All species that mom studies. Next week will be a shark or a skate. Can't decide.

Jake's favorite part of the pool visits are his Hop on Pop times, either standing on his dad's stomach or chest. Lot's of hopping up and down and giggling.

For years prior to Jake's arrival, Mom and Dad used to enjoy going to the aquatic center together. They would race each other down the water slides. They would play volleyball in the wave pool and float in the waves too. They would play tag in the river and then lounge in the hot tub. It was a great way to get out into a busy part of the community and feel like you were a part of a larger group. One day we noticed that we were the only adults there who were without children, there were plenty of adults but we were likely the only ones having a blast as if we were the kids. So now its so exciting to have a kid to share all of the fun times with. Here's to lots of fun time at the pool together as a family.

happy birthday uncle rob

Let's make cheeseburgers! Vanessa made special birthday cheeseburgers....with the cheese on the inside. Crazy! And talk about a crazy train, Rob's favorite meal became his birthday cake. Golden cake bun, with a chocolate burger rolled in chocolate icing and oreo crumbs, mustard pudding, jubejube relish and icing cheese. Sugary-delicious.

Rob celebrated his birthday with the three of us, his sister-in-law Caroline, and his friends Brian, Karen, Aldon and Elwin. As a birthday pressie, he got to spend some weekend time on his own doing stuff that we wanted to do, so he chopped wood (oh, and went dirt bike riding and kayaking). Happy Birthday Rob!

grabbing toes

Jake likes to help out when he is having his diaper changed. He will lift his legs to better expose his bottom, make it more easily accessible. And hey, while lifting your legs why not also grab your toes? It makes keeping your legs lifted easier. And hey, while grabbing your toes, why not also suck on them? It keeps them clean and helps to pass the time while getting your diapers changed. Ah, the flexibility of a baby.