Snow Bound

We decided to make the most of our unexpected weekend in Brooklyn by going for some snowy expeditions, sledding in the park with friends, and sharing hot chocolate with Kavi and his parents. Marli came over, too, and helped Jacob work out how to use his new sippy cup that Brian and Lindsay sent him for Christmas! Despite our sadness at not being in Washington this weekend, it was kind of nice to have a whole weekend without any plans.

Today is West Coast Adventure, Take Two. Wish us luck!

Progressive Baby

Jacob is not content to scoot backwards or in circles, oh no, not this baby. It's forward all the way!

Not 12 hours after watching his grown-up 10-month-old friends crawling around at the holiday party, Jacob worked out how to propel himself in a forward direction to the object(s) of his desire. I swear, he is such a copycat! This video shows the early moments of his forward movement, but he is already picking up speed after a weekend of practice, and no remote control, cell phone, or electrical wire is safe.

We are, by the way, NOT on the West Coast. Due to circumstances too stressful and complicated to relate, we have been stuck in snowy Brooklyn all weekend. We are terribly sad to have missed out on a weekend of grandparently delights, but have extended our trip a few days longer to make up the time next week. But tomorrow we will (knock on wood, toss salt, etc.) be flying to Oregon, so let the great experiment begin!

Brooklyn Christmas

We leave for our big West Coast holiday trip early tomorrow morning, but we got started celebrating Jacob's first Christmas a little early here in Brooklyn. All we needed was a cute elf hat, courtesy of our wonderful babysitter, Margot! We all think that it makes Jacob look like a Who from Whoville.

Yesterday we ventured to Macy's to meet Santa - It was a delightful trip through Holiday Lane, but actually meeting the Big Guy himself brought Jacob to immediate tears. Somehow in the last week he has developed stranger anxiety - perfect timing for our big West Coast trip!

Today we went to our play-group's holiday party, hosted by Erica and Charlotte.

We had a wonderful time rolling around with all the babies, but this was as close as we could get to a group picture (we shouldn't have waited until the end of the party, I think!):

Before bed tonight we celebrated our own small Christmas by opening some gifts that were too big to bring West with us. As you can see, Jacob is primed for the big day next week!

This whole year is rushing by so fast, and this week especially we are trying to slow down and enjoy the beautiful small moments that are creating such special memories as fast as we can live them. Jacob is an absolute joy and every minute with him is one that we cherish. These holiday minutes are particularly wonderful, though, I have to say.

6 - 7 Months

Sorry it's been such a long time between posts... things have gotten crazy around here with the holidays and what not, but we definitely wanted to post some pictures before we leave for the West Coast. Also, today, Jacob is seven months old!!! Hard to believe how fast all of this is going...

Some accomplishments of Months 6 and 7:

• Jacob started eating solid foods and LOVES them! He started out with some oatmeal, and has moved on to a variety of fruits and vegetables. Favorites: Avocado, Butternut Squash, Sweet Potatoes, and Pears. Least Favorites: Acorn Squash, some kinds of Apples, Carrots. But he eats 3 squares a day on top of all his normal breast feeding, so he's growing pretty quickly.
• Jacob is sitting up all by himself these days - no more resting him in a pillow or propping him up or anything. He'll sit there and play with toys and entertain himself for minutes and minutes.
• Jacob is scooting - at this point, he can only move backwards and in circles, but he can get going pretty well. He really wants to be able to crawl and move forward, but just hasn't put that together yet.
• He has a couple of teeth that have been movin on up, but nothing has really broken through the surface yet, so we're anxiously awaiting their arrival.
• Jacob loved his first Thanksgiving, which was spent at home with his mommy and daddy. He also loved going to see Prababcia and Pradziadek (Great-grandma and great-grandpa in Polish) and getting to spend some time in the snow!
• Jacob talks of little else than how excited he is to go see Nana and Papa, Grandma and Grandpa, and all his aunts, uncles and cousins. We leave on Saturday the 19th for 10 days in the Northwest.

Jacob wishes all of you Merry Christmas (as that is what we celebrate, but surely he would wish you a holiday nicety of your particular choosing were he able to form words) and Happy New Year. We'll try to post a little while we're away, but will surely update with a very thorough documentation of all the Christmas festivities when we return.

On to the pictures!!!

Tonight's Dinner Brought to You by the Letter "B"

...and avocado and carrots...

How did you get so messy, Jacob?

Oh, that's how. "Bbbbbb!!!!" My baby looks like a Jackson Pollack painting in orange and green. The best part is the evil glint in his eye.

I'm too big, Mommy!

May 2009:

December 2009:

This was taken after he ripped the toy bar off for the third time in a row.

To all the future parents out there: Don't spend a lot of money on accessories for your baby. They last but a precious few months. I think it's time to upgrade this one to an exersaucer or something.

Thanksgiving 2009

Thanksgiving was very special this year - we stayed home and had a quiet day just the three

of us. We made a killer turkey, and plenty of other dairy/soy-free delights! The pumpkin pie was my grand finale (grapeseed oil crust and coconut milk in the filling). Jacob loved having Daddy and Mommy home all day long and didn't quite understand why he wasn't allowed to pull on the tablecloth but was a good sport nonetheless.

We made a list of things that Jacob is thankful for:

• Orange Horse (favorite toy)
• that Stella doesn't get upset when he pulls her ears
• babies in the mirrors
• not bing in the hospital anymore
• not having to drive anywhere for the holiday (the car seat is not his friend at the moment)
• a Mommy and Daddy who love him

Balloons!

Jacob and I went to go see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons being blown up on Wednesday night. I have always wanted to go to the parade but it just is a little too crazy on Thanksgiving morning, so we compromised and went the night before. The balloons were awesome and Jacob was properly entranced. Although, to be fair, he was just as interested in the regular sized balloons being held by the woman standing in front of us as he was by the 5-story Dora the Explorer.

IT HAS HAPPENED!

I have a mobile baby!!!! I knew this was going to happen! Adam was over yesterday and was rolling and scooting all over and Jacob was watching him with complete fascination. Sure enough... not 24 hours later, Jacob has figured out the backward scoot!!!!

I think I need to childproof my house now...

Sending messages

Sometimes Jacob sends IM messages to daddy at work. He is good at helping Mommy to type:

hi daddy

we

are goign to do another nap now

a belly full of carrots aNDafv

o

cad

o

and oappoesaude

nm

djFG.

so r

so there.

Sent at 1:49 PM on Tuesday

Who is that boy sitting up on his own?

IT'S JACOB!!!!!!!!

Jumping Jacob

Aunt Carolyn knows just what a kicky little baby needs! This showed up in the mail the other day and is rocking our world. Jacob hasn't quite worked out the full jumping possibilities yet, but he is THRILLED to be able to stand up like a big boy!

Working it out

Almost overnight, Jacob's voice got turned on like a switch. He is babbling and sputtering up a storm. It is amazing to watch him, actively figuring out how to make new noises. Every minute is a new exploration.

Cute

A message from Hank and Stella:

Jacob is NOT the only cute creature around Team Jost HQ and nor is he the only one who needs naps and cuddles.

Thank you very much.

3 videos from today

Mr. Kicky McKickerson, moments before falling dead asleep in the middle of a meal.

I will eat you. I will eat your face.

Jacob has, out of nowhere, started growling like a bear. Not sure if it's mucus or just a fun sound, but he does it all the time. The doc says he isn't stuffed up or congested at all, so we choose to just make fun of him and call him our Growly Bear. You can hear a little of it in the first few seconds of this video.

And that was our day.

Storytime

I've been invited a couple times to do a storytime at a Barnes and Nobel through my company, The New Victory Theater. It's really a wonderful opportunity to hone my storytelling skills outside the classroom. The most amazing and fun part is, of course, the chance to have my own little bean in the audience. What a privilege!

Fall Fun

It is clear that Jacob is quickly approaching his 6-month mark. He is growing by leaps and bounds, constantly making discoveries about his body and the world around him. He is wanting to stand and sit (with help, of course). No more baby-cradling for this young man! The feet are ALWAYS in the mouth, and if they aren't, about three toys are. He always wants to be on move and seems to realize that there IS such a thing as mobility and is kind of frustrated that he can't achieve it just yet. He's started occasionally flipping over from his back to stomach, but not with any predictability. And he can't seem to remember that he can go from front-to-back and back-to-front at the same time, so the log-rolling is still an elusive goal.

Jacob is so very, very incredibly social. He loves being around friends and having visitors - he rarely will fuss if there is a new fun person there to play with. He's a very laid back and quiet baby, but he is not shy and will shower friends and strangers alike with endless smiles. He is absolutely over the moon about other babies, whether it's the baby in the bathroom mirror or his play-date friends. I really need to spend more time getting him to social baby events on a regular basis. Yesterday he hung out with his older friends Adam and Quinn for about 15 minutes (wise elders of almost 8 months old!) and within minutes his sitting skills and vocalization shot through the roof. It's as if he were inspired by them!

Every day is a joy and delight. I am exhausted and exhilarated every evening. I can't believe what a big and strong little man he is turning into!

Spooooooky...

Jacob's first Halloween was a week-long affair. There was, first, the trip to the Botanic Gardens, which we had pictures up of last week. Then, on Friday, our dear friends Victoria and Adam hosted a party for our play-group. The mommies sipped cider and ate candy corn, and the babies tumbled all over each other in their adorable costumes. The attempts to capture all 9 kids in one picture was...interesting...given that half of them can't sit up yet and Jacob got a little freaked by all the big kids rolling around him, but cute nonetheless.

Then Jacob and I went to the lake with Brad and Michelle and enjoyed a relaxing weekend of hanging out in a moose suit while Daddy had to stay home and work. We missed him terribly, but not so much that we couldn't have a little bit of fun.

The Trials of Hank

If only Zach hadn't been too distracted to come to his aid...sigh...Hank has to do everything himself these days.

Catching Up

Tara visits and brings Jacob's soon-to-be friend, Tara Junior, with her.

Nana and Papa want to make sure that Jacob is a true NW baby in his REI fleece.

Stella actually seems to like being kicked by the baby. Which explains a lot about her relationship with Hank.

Jacob is a tummy champ! It is no longer torture, in fact sometimes preferred. He can roll from his front to his back, and from his back to his side. It is very very soon that I will have a full log-rolling baby on my hands.

HULK SMASH!

Whitney, Elliott and Eleanor introduced us to Babysmash.com, which is an application you can put on your computer that locks out all the dangerous keys and brings up fun sounds and images when the baby, well, smashes the keyboard. There have been some reported casualties (Whitney's old keyboard was destroyed and is now Eleanor's new tummy-time-toy), but our first session went very well. Jacob was DELIGHTED. It is amazing to see how excited he was to discover that he could actually make the sounds appear. Cause and effect, baby, cause and effect. What a big boy!

Fun in the Backyard

Sadly, there is a very short window of time when our backyard is truly enjoyable. In the hot summer months, the bugs are too oppressive, and in the winter everything is dead, dead, dead. But in the fall and the spring, it is a true joy and haven. Below, Jacob enjoying his first day in his Osh Kosh(b'gosh) overalls:

And, a view of the terrifying beasts that one might encounter in the backyard.

The Baby in the Bathroom

Jacob is getting REALLY GOOD at high-fiving his new friend. He's also been terrorist-fist-jabbing the baby in the hallway.

Links

You'll notice that on the right hand side of the Blog, we've added in two frequently requested links. One is a direct link to all our online photo albums. Another is for Jacob's Christmas Wish List. This is not any sort of hint that we are expecting you to get our most spoiled little child anything at all, it is simply a resource for those aunties, uncles, and grandparents (you know who you are) who want to make sure that his every desire is met. Right now he's pretty indiscriminate about his desires - my shoulder or a good couch pillow work just as well as a teething toy - but I've done my best to try and guess what he might want a couple months from now.

Festive

We went to the Botanic Gardens for their costume festival today. We were joined by Adam and his lovely parents, and it was an unexpectedly beautiful and fun afternoon. The boys were ADORABLE in their costumes, and we had a great time walking around, catching up, and generally enjoying the Park-Slopiness of it all.

Jacob is the cutest little moose on the loose you could ever find. His eyes have gone back to looking a brilliant blue in the fall light we caught for these pictures. He is such an agreeable and game little guy - he absolutely loves going out for walks and even when he gets sleepy is totally happy to cuddle up in his stroller and take a snooze instead of grousing at us. How long can the perfection last? Seems like it could be indefinite!

Hmmm...

The cats are usually pretty good about keeping their paws off of Jacob's toys, even the rattly ones. But his activity mat...that is a hotly contested item. I wouldn't mind the occasional cat nap if they didn't leave all sorts of fuzz and dirt in their wake. But, as Stella's glare suggests, they haven't been taking my hints about moving on and finding a better napping spot.

5 months old!

Jacob, believe it or not, is 5 months old! Here are some of his favorite things:

• He loves to sit and stand with a little support from Mommy and Daddy.
• He is no longer angered by tummy-time, in fact he kinda likes it!
• He is now eating cereal twice a day, and in a couple weeks will start on pureed fruits.
• Naps in the stroller are a thing of the past - this kid wants to see everything!
• Jacob's mouth is his primary investigatory tool. Everything within reach goes straight into his mouth, which is frequently gushing drool.
• Stella! But he knows enough to stay away from Hank.
• Daddy is always good for endless giggles. Always.
• Blowing bubbles is the highest form of art-making, and Mommy's fake sneezes are the funniest jokes in the world.

Some accomplishments that make Mommy and Daddy very happy and proud:

• His tummy-troubles seem to have eased up for the time being. I still don't eat dairy or soy, but the constipation and resulting colicky moodiness have disappeared.
• Jacob has finally established a nice sleep routine which have let him start falling asleep for naps and at bedtime without crying and needing to be rocked. We did some sleep-training that involved a lot of routine-building and a little fussing-it-out, and after a couple days of wondering if we would ever have peace again, he suddenly started going down without a fuss. FOR NOW. For we have learned, painfully, that all phases are temporary, even the good ones. This week we are working on sleeping through the night - he's done very well the last couple nights and we (so-far) haven't had any of the horrifying scenes that one hears about.
• Jacob is still on the low end of the growth charts for his age, but his rate of growth is perfect, so his doctors are well-pleased. He is a perfectly happy, healthy and growing little boy.
• Miles of smiles, morning noon and night. Frequently I go in to get him at the end of a nap and am greeted with smiles and bubbles.
• Jacob is a very quiet young man. He giggles and grouses, but not a lot in between. But for someone so quiet, he is very, very social. He has smiles and cuddles for everyone!
• His eyes are starting to change colors - they are still blue, but much more toward the gray end of the scale, more than even two weeks ago. I predict they will either be green like Mommy's or gray like Grandma's.
• Jacob loves books. We read several times a day and he loves to help turn the pages.
• He is just flat-out beautiful.

Here are some pictures from his 5-month birthday:

Play Date

We hosted our first play-date for our neighborhood friends the other day. Claire, Liam, Adam, and Quinn came over to play! Jacob is the youngest of the group by a couple months, so he was pretty much enthralled by the bigger kids but not really able to keep up with them...or escape from them when they rolled/crawled/scrunched their way over to him to grab a toy or his eyes. These are a lot of the moms I went to prenatal yoga with and it is so much fun to now all have babies that are rolly-polly puddles of fun.

Jacob and Adam dog-pile on the floor.
Claire, Liam, and Adam:
Pandemonium:
Having the older babies in the apartment with us really made me realize that the mobile days are very quickly approaching, and we need to start baby-proofing the house. Things are about to get crazy...

Unbearable

Why does Lauren have a stuffed animal in her carrier?IT'S JACOB!!!!
WARNING - women can spontaneously become pregnant just by looking at this picture:
It's cute, it keeps him toasty warm, and it attracts all sorts of comments on the subway.

The Beginning of Autumn

Autumn has arrived in Brooklyn. With it has arrived a whole new world of fun with Jacob.

Special story-times with Michelle...
Afternoon snoozes after being bundled up warmly...

Jacob is COMPLETELY in love with Daddy and smiles every time he walks in the room (they both do, actually)...

We went to dinner at John and Sarah's and made Jacob a little bitty Bean nest for him to sleep on in their room...

Long walks in the park...free of humidity and bugs...

We're finally settling into a nice routine with Mommy's work and our babysitter, Margot, coming twice a week. There is time for work, but plenty of time for fun.

What a change...

Afternoon Light

Inspired by a happy baby and beautiful evening light, we had a little photo shoot the other day. I was trying to capture the absolute deliciousness of his expressions - from boredom to delight to disbelief, to comfort. He is turning into such a little person who is all himself! I feel in some ways that I have known him forever, even though I also get to know him better and better every day.

First Solids

Jacob's gastrointerologist (yes, he IS a fancy little boy) said that he could start some yummy oatmeal goodness mixed with breastmilk as soon as he hit five months. So first thing this morning we mixed up some yummy-tummy cereal and rubber-covered spoons and proceeded to paint the baby with it. He didn't seem to LOVE it, but he ate a couple teaspoons worth and was DEFINITELY into the spoon. I can't believe I have a little boy who is eating food with a spoon! He's getting so big so fast.

The Day of Bubbles!

Jacob has been working on his bubble-blowing skills lately, frequently pushing out strings of bubbles with his tongue. I've been blowing my tongue at him and making raspberry noises, which he was fascinated by, and yesterday he FINALLY mastered the raspberry! Once he got it, he got it and spent the entire day blowing bubbles.

Fun in the Capitol

While in DC, we had brunch with friends, hung out with Grandpa, and went to the Zoo! Jacob is a very good traveler and was very amenable about napping, eating, and playing on the go. He's a New Yorker, so he does prefer walking in the sling to the car seat or even the stroller. Highlights to look for in these pictures:

• The eyes! In most lights they are a bluish gray, but in some lights they are just blue, blue, blue!
• The chub! Do you see those cheeks? They are decidedly edible.
• The oral fixation! He wants, at all times, to have something in his mouth for sucking on. Toys, hands, the front of his carrier. Whatever.

Also, I just want to point out the light, joy, and amazingness that is Jacob's smile. His whole face transforms into complete delight. He is perfect!

AIDS Walk 2009

Jacob walked (in the sling) to help raise money for AIDS prevention/services/education this weekend in Washington DC. He raised $130 and helped our team raise over $34,000 total for Whitman Walker Clinic! It was certainly a fun event and everyone agreed that Jacob was by far the cutest walker.

Cute Boy

Those eyes! He is getting more expressive and bright every day. Jacob has had some tummy troubles the last couple weeks and it's made it difficult for him to sleep, so we've had to adjust to a baby who actually fusses every now and then. But that chubby little smile more than makes up for any griping!

These pictures sums up why I decided to become a parent

It can not possibly get any better than this.

Team Jost On-The-GO

Just uploaded my iPhone pictures, which I haven't done since June. So here are three months worth of cute little Jacob and cat pictures as-yet-unseen by many of you. Enjoy!

Sleep Deprivation

While Jacob is, on the whole, a fantastic sleeper, he sometimes has trouble staying asleep in the afternoon. This frequently results in a baby who has had just enough sleep to be awake and alert and active, but is still tired enough that he is easily upset. In the evenings he'll go from smiling to crying in a matter of seconds, and is suddenly startled by loud sounds. I captured this sweet little moment that starts with almost-smiles and ends with a very alarmed little boy.

4 Months Old!

At four months old, Jacob is twice as big as he was when he was born! He is rolling over, chewing on EVERYTHING IN REACH and giving us days full of giggles and nights full of sleep. It is amazing. It is official - we no longer have a newborn. We have a happy bouncing baby, learning new things every day and filling our lives with absolute joy. Some highlights from the last couple weeks:

• Grandma came and visited and babysat while Mommy had back-to-work fall training. Days full of cuddles, walks, baking, and books!
• Uncle Steven and Aunt Ashley also visited from Seattle and took Jacob shopping in Soho!
• A big family reunion at Aunt Monika's (and a slightly disastrous car ride)
• Some tummy troubles that disturbed our sleep for a few days but seem (knock on wood) to have resolved themselves. Seems like the Bean's dairy/soy issues persist, even though Mommy can't figure out what it was, exactly, that set off the troubles.
• A big BBQ at home for the Kellys and Nortons.
• A trip with Grandma and Mommy to the Guggenheim to see the Kandinsky exhibit.
• Several days with Margot, our new babysitter, who will be with us on Tuesdays and Thursdays while Mommy goes out to teach.

Look at the cheeks on this boy! He finally has some chunk! We've figured that he's in the 25-50th percentiles for length and head circumference, which is great, but still below the 5th for weight. This means A) our baby is shaped like a lollipop, and B) even though he's still on the small side, his development is right on target, so Mommy can stop obsessing that he's not getting enough to eat. We are just enjoying every minute.

The Last Couple Weeks

Here are some pictures floating around from the last couple weeks - Jacob's first train ride, a trip out to the Hamptons, and fun smiles from around the house.

My new favorite picture

Observe the toungue, the desperate need to shove something in his mouth...is someone teething?

Giggles

The Tiniest Walker

Friends of Jacob, Zach and I have, for several years, been a part of AIDS Walk NYC and helped raise thousands of dollars for AIDS research and patient support. Since Jacob was born ON the day of the walk this year, we are going to AIDS Walk DC instead! We each have our own fund-raising campaign, but I thought it would be fun to let Jacob in on the action and start his philanthropic work as soon as possible. Since Jacob has only been around for 4 months, his social network is pretty limited, so I thought I'd hit y'all up in addition to his family members :)

He has set the goal of raising $100 for AIDS Walk DC by October 3rd. These funds go to direct services for AIDS/HIV patients through the Whitman Walker Clinic in DC. Washington DC has an AIDS epidemic rate comparable with most of sub-saharan Africa - one in twenty adults in DC are HIV positive.

Please consider sponsoring Jacob's walk (okay, more like a stroller-ride) against AIDS by donating $5, $10, $25...whatever you are able! Help him reach his goal of $100! You can click HERE to get to his fund-raising page. Thanks so much!

The Beach

This weekend we went out to Aunt Pat's and Uncle Jim's beach house in Cutchogue, on the North Fork of Long Island. It was perfect - warm, breezy, and relaxing. Jacob loved it!

15 weeks

Last night Daddy said "This baby is cuter than any two cute babies put together." Couldn't agree more.

Here are some beguiling pictures from Jacob's fifteenth week on this big blue marble. We walked the Brooklyn Bridge, took some excellent naps (with a great deal of coaxing) and Jacob finally outgrew his newborn clothes! I have packed them away and brought out all the 0-3's!



This week he also rolled over, became a champion Tummy-Timer, has worked on perfecting his ability to put toys in his mouth and drool all over them, and gone the longest amount of time yet between poos. He went to a wedding and was complimented by everyone present on his cuteness and mild-manners. He's started watching me eat with great interest, and licks his lips when I put things in my mouth. I can't believe how soon he'll be starting to eat real food - November seems suddenly right around the corner!

It's astounding how much we love this little man.