things I love about Jake Aug 2009

• He is a chatterbox! He talks all day long even when all the babies in daycare are crying around him.
• The way he scooches (is that a word?) backwards on his bottom to sit up from crawling.
• His combat crawl is awesome - he's so fast and deliberate when he moves.
• His laugh- baby giggles are the best!
• His new bunny puppet. He reaches out and hugs it and talks in a really funny voice - it's like he is talking with a very sore throat but he isn't.
• He plays peek-a-boo. Once daycare told me they just say the word peek-a-boo and he will start covering his eyes.
• He opens his mouth and says Ah when we brush his teeth (his papa taught him to do it). And he is actually not bad at brushing his teeth by himself - after getting a thorough cleaning from mama or papa, of course.
• The way his face looks when he sleeps. He sticks his chin up and his mouth forms into a frown.
• That I can nibble on his toes when he sleeps.
• He 'wais' for his bottle. Well - kind of - he claps his hands together anyway. Kind of reminds me of the way that Thai people train their dogs to wai.
• When he wakes up smiling.
• When he strokes my hair. He does often pull it, but actually does so gently.

Food wars

Jake is 11 months old soon and last week started refusing baby food. As soon as he sees it he grimaces and as you bring the spoon towards him he shakes his head and if you persist to put the spoon in his mouth he screams.

At daycare, they tried giving him freshly cooked green beans today and reported that he first mashed the beans with his hands, then fed it to himself. Essentially, it ended up exactly like the baby food they tried to feed him so I guess it's not the food that he is protesting but the idignity of being spoon fed by someone!

On a better note, daycare said Jake was helping teacher take care of a younger baby. He brought a toy ball over and offered to the baby. What a nice boy!