nine months old ?!?!?

How can this be happening? Jake is already nine months old. Which means that he now doubled his age....if you count nine months gestating, then nine months out here meeting the world. He now weighs 20 lbs 15 ounces (oooooo so close to 21 lbs) and is 30 inches long. It's insane how long he is. I wonder if some day Jake might actually be taller than his 6 ' 4" tall Dad. It's too hard to imagine.

Jake is still not crawling, though he is quite mobile with his series of rolls and squirmies to get around.  The solid food eating is getting to the stage where he will eat some finger foods, and is now enjoying some of our dinners simply chopped up for him.  Well at least he is exploring some of our dinners.  A recent hit was pizza:

Jake has a set routine for sleeping and eating, and while he is close to sleeping through the night, it yet still evades us.  He wakes up once, around 4 a.m., to have a feed and usually goes back to sleep until about 5:30 or 6:00 a.m.  Breakfast of cereal with some fruit, right now pears from the garden, is at 7.  There is some playtime, jolly jumping, and then a nap for 45 min to 2 hours at 8:30 a.m.  Mid-morning snack might include buttered toast, rice crisps and fruit.  In the morning we might head out to Mother Goose song group, the library story time, go to the pool or visit Cathryn, Zeke and Sable.  Lunch is at noon, and is usually leftover dinner from the night before.  Another nap, usually only 45 minutes, happens at 12:30.  Afternoons likely have a walk or some shopping.  Don't forget another snack in the mid-afternoon.  Dinner is at 5:00 and his favorite meal is spaghetti and meat sauce.  After dinner is a good time to read books.  Bath time starts at 6:00 and its one of Jake's favorite things.  He loves to splash and roll around in the tub.  Bath is followed by a bedtime story and some milk, then to bed and asleep by 6:30 p.m.

What's new at the nine month mark?

• first tooth has appeared, photo still not available
• eating all sorts of finger foods
• exhibiting distinct preferences for activities, toys, foods
• clapping and 'high-fiving' when asked
• imitating more complex noises, like clicking his tongue on the roof of his mouth
• he understands "no no" and "bye bye" and "ta"
• he will offer a toy (if he's in the mood) but can't figure out yet how to let go
• loves playing peek-a-boo
• when you hide something he watches where it went and can find it
• he has figured that things are connected, for instance when he turns the wheel on the outside of the block, the animal on the inside goes around and around

in our neighbourhood

Dad made an excellent discovery on a recent walk to downtown from our house.  About three blocks away there is a ravine that runs from Departure Bay Road to the ocean.  There is a lovely path, with boardwalk and stairs when required.  The ravine is still a lush forest, with old (ish) trees and ferns, and there a lovely waterfalls along the way.  There is even a waterfall, over a natural grotto.  Unbelievable that this beauty is so close to us.  When you enter the ravine, you are down below any of the city noise, and you feel as if you are exploring far away from home.

We all enjoyed a walk along the beach, then picked the trail up near the ferry terminal and headed up to Departure Bay Road.  Jake had a great time in his backpack, and his sunglasses.  

And of course pointy, gnome-like hood to keep warm.  

He drank it all in, refusing to be distracted by Mom or Dad.  Too much looking to do!  It was a great family walk.

We had such a great walk, the next day Dad and Jake shared it with Rob and Zoe.

I'm sure that it will be a walk that we enjoy again and again.  And its in our neighbourhood!

extra! extra!

Read all about the big news!  Jake got his first tooth.  You will have to take my word for it, since it has proven very difficult to photograph, as this photo will attest.  It it his tooth on the bottom, left of his mouth.  There was no big fuss leading up to the popping through.  Jake wasn't irritable, drooling or loosing sleep.  It just appeared.  Jake was sitting on Mom's lap, he smiled and there it was.  I thought that I would find it hard to accept that Jake was getting to be a big baby, soon to be a toddler, soon to be a boy.....  So I dreaded his first tooth, since it would signal the threshold into bye-bye baby.  But I was wrong.  I don't feel unhappy about the tooth at all.  In fact, I feel the opposite.  I think that it is the cutest thing that I've seen in awhile; it's tiny, brand-new-white and perfect.   

happy thanksgiving

We have so much to be thankful for.  This year we were blessed with the best baby we could ever hope to meet; he is a wonderful person.  We are thankful that we have got to each spend so much time this first year together, getting to know him and each other better.  We are lucky to have a house to call our own home, and to be able to live in a lifestyle that we consciously select.  And very importantly, we are so thankful to have such good friends in our lives that we can share a special day of thanks and celebration with.  Happy Thanksgiving.

We had Cathryn, Scott, Sable, Zeke, Andy, Patricia, Rob and Zoe over for a full turkey feast.   The next day we were included in the McFarlane family turkey dinner.  So much delicious foods to eat.  Jake gobbled about 2 cups worth of mashed potatoes with roasted garlic and parsley, along with turkey meat and gravy.  He seemed to quickly grasp what Thanksgiving was all about.  His belly was very rotund that night.  Happy Thanksgiving.

mom and dad's day off

Unbelievable, that Mom and Dad might need a break from the Best Baby Ever, but well it's true.  And get a break they did!  Nanna Ann came over to babysit for a full morning and lunch break.  She reported back that Jake was a dream baby to babysit.  He woke up from his nap, was quite happy to get into the toys.  Later they stroller up to the stores for some shopping, with a snack along the way.  Jake ate his full lunch for Ann and without much fuss, went down for his afternoon nap.

Meanwhile, Mom and Dad were hiking the cable bay trail, enjoying the great weather, getting some invigorating exercise, seeing the sights and having some great conservations about current events.  

It was easy not worry or wonder about Jake, knowing that he was in such good hands.  It was almost as if you could bury your head in the sand (stone) and not have a care in the world.  

And of course, feeling justified after a 2 hour hike-fest, a hot-buttered rum and Guinness aided lunch at the Crow and Gate pub was warranted.  Finished off nicely with a bread pudding with brandy sauce for Mom and a smooth Scotch for Dad.

Rejuvenating day off, with a happy return to a happy baby (albeit perhaps a baby who was mystified that Mom and Dad would need a break off.  "Break off?  From this?").  

Thanks Ann.

mister applies for a passport

Mr. Jake is getting quite grown up.  Applying for his own passport and everything.  We are hoping that in the New Year, we will be able to go on a vacation to Hawaii.  The actual Hawaii, that is the Big Island named Hawaii.  We want to rent a VW camper van and camp around the volcano parks for a couple of weeks.  Soak up some sun, snorkel, eat pineapples, drink Kona coffee and general relaxing.  It will be so nice to get out of the BC rainy winter if we can, and get somewhere sunny and warm.  So in preparation we are all making sure that our passports are in order, which means that Little Dude requires his first one.  So off to the photography store to get our photos done.  Which for a passport means sit up straight, look at the camera, no moving, don't blink and don't smile.  Tough work for a baby, but Little Dude is serious about travelling so he pulled it off nicely.