Grinding

With only four teeth (2 top and 2 bottom), Jonah has already figured out how to grind them! He manages to make quite a horrible sound rubbing them together. Maybe it's just because the teeth are new and feel funny. I remember running my tongue over the spot anytime I lost a tooth, braces changed, etc. Or maybe it's because I complain they are too sharp and he is kind enough to smooth them for me. Whatever the cause, I sure hope it doesn't become a habit!

Father's Day

After 26hrs of travel and a 13hr time change, Daddy was still a little jet lagged, so we were very low key.  Saturday was full of napping club (even Daddy slept!) and today was pretty much the same.  We made a quick visit to see Pop-pop and Great Grampy and spent the rest of the day enjoying family time on the couch.  :-)

Mortal Enemies

We went to my company summer picnic and had a lovely time showing off our walking.  Jonah climbed the deck steps (much to Mommy's surprise!) and followed the other kids right to the pool edge, where Mommy intervened and spoiled his fun.
One might think Jonah is too young to make mortal enemies, but here it is:  Dana held Jonah for a short while to give me a break, but we didn't immediately notice her 2-yr-old son, Theo, silently watching.  When Theo noticed this injustice, he broke into a screaming fit.  As soon as his Mommy picked him up, Theo calmed and stared Jonah down with the evil eye!  Jonah, on the other hand, smiled and waved back, happy to have his own Mommy and completely oblivious.  But from Theo's perspective, they will never be friends!

Pull-Up!

For the first time (that I saw) Jonah pulled all the way up to a stand!  He used his favorite apparatus - the full laundry basket!  Way to go, Jonah!

Teasing Mommy

At dinner, Jonah made a "joke" by teasing Mommy.  He held out a piece of noodle for Mommy.  Usually I lean over to pretend to nibble it and we both laugh.  But this time, just as I leaned over to nibble at it, he pulled it away with a big laugh!  He did this a couple times, enjoying his joke.

As Jonah finishes eating, he becomes less concentrated about maneuvering food into his mouth and starts slapping the tray. He also does a very effective windshield wiper motion with both hands, so that the remaining food flies everywhere.  So I move the tray to the footrest to catch the spilled remnants wiped from Jonah's lap.  Well, Jonah got all excited to see a whole "new" batch of noodles and veggies appear on his tray.  He leaned all the way forward to reach down and start eating the discarded food!  He must have forgotten that he was already full.

Splash Pool!

Every baby needs his own pool, right?  After watching Timmy open his birthday presents, I literally ran straight out to get one for Jonah.  We found this great little (but not too tiny!) inflatable pool big enough for Jonah to splash around (a little bigger than the tub) with wide tubes that he can climb/pull up on without letting all the water out, and an inflatable bottom for cushiony comfort.

I set it up during morning nap and let the water warm in the sun.  When Grandmama took Jonah outside in the afternoon, he was immediately interested.  He leaned to splash his hands and struggled to climb right in.  Naturally, he ended up soaked so we just took off his wet stuff and let him go to town!  The air had grown quite a bit cooler, but it felt like bathwater, so Jonah didn't mind.  He splashed with great enthusiasm as if to share the joy of being wet with Mommy and Grandmama.  Perhaps next year (next week?) we can try the slide and sprayer features, too!

This week, the role of single-Mom will be played by...

In the wee hours of the morning, Daddy hopped a flight to Japan, leaving Jonah and I to fend for ourselves for a whole week!  I do not envy single Moms... the thought of getting through just 7 days without Daddy is a bit frightening!

We're off to a good start - it was cousin Timmy's 1st birthday, so we spent the afternoon with extended family.  Aunt Cheryl was very thoughtful and held Jonah so that he couldn't see me (the only way he can enjoy being anywhere but Mommy's arms, so it seems!) and I could get a break to eat my lunch.  She also scooped up all the misc. items we left behind and ran them down to the car just before we drove away!  What would I do without someone looking after us?

Standing!

Jonah has always enjoyed a good stand, but today he has been doing an exceptional job of standing on his own (holding on) today!  I've placed him beside the couch or ottamon before, but both are up around his shoulders.  Yesterday he grabbed onto the side of the full laundry basket, about waist height, and stayed there for quite some time!  Today we went to play group and found some toys that were sized for standing, so he could hold on with one hand and play with the moving parts and buttons with the other hand!  He was so proud and excited to be able to do big-boy standing play.  He kept busy for a good half hour with very little intervention except when he got over-excited and let go.  :-)

Jonah's still working on pulling himself up.  He can get to sitting if the right object is beside him (Mommy's legs work well), but it is only a short time before he gets himself to his feet!

Picking up Jonah from School

I don't usually pick Jonah up from school, since I have the longer commute.  Daddy is only 3 miles away, so he gets both pick-up and drop-off duties.  Still, there are occasions that require me to get Jonah and I enjoy seeing his classroom and teachers.
On some of the early pick-ups, when Jonah was only 4mo. old, I had this irrational fear that I would step into the room and wouldn't be able to pick out my own baby!  Surely if he changed outfits during the day, I would be at a total loss.  (I swear I have a mild case of congenital prosopagnosia.)  Fortunately, there always came some moment of recognition on both out sides, which helped confirm that it was Jonah.
Now that Jonah is a little older, I find him far more distinguished than as a newborn, so I can walk in with more confidence.  He also gets very excited and will come crawling across the room and over obstacles (tumbling wave mats) to get to me.  My favorite is when I held him on my hip and he raised one arm to wave to his classmates with a huge smile, as if to say, "Later, I'm out!"
Today, I wasn't feeling so hot in the morning, so Daddy took Jonah to school and I stayed home to rest.  I decided to pick Jonah up in the mid afternoon and drove over to school.  When I arrived, I found that Daddy hadn't left the carseat!  So here's the dilemma, do I a.) go visit my son but leave him, or b.) run away as if I was never there?  I decided on choice c.) peek in the door to see what he was up to.  He spotted me immediately - probably before I saw him! - and the gig was up.  I went inside and held him and apologized to him and the teachers that I couldn't bring him home right now.  He was very upset when I walked out the door without him!  I nearly cried as I sped to Daddy's office to retrieve the seat from his car.  (The correct answer was b.)

Harvard Reunion

Some of Daddy's friends came to stay with us during the Harvard 10-year reunion this weekend so Jonah got to have a sleepover with Craig and Zach the last couple nights.  Today Jonah came to campus for the mid-day family clam-bake so Daddy could show off his offspring to his other classmates.  :-)  As Pop-pop would say, now he can say he "went to Harvard!"

Jonah hasn't tried shellfish yet, but the sweet potato and chicken are among his favorite.  I did contemplate that if he were to have an allergic reaction, amidst a field of doctors and parents (possibly with an epi-pen) was not a bad place to try!  Nevertheless, we didn't want to risk it quite yet and possibly spoil Daddy's fun.

Jonah had a great time dancing to Michael Jackson, Bon Jovi and Rihanna.  He probably would have had a blast in the wading pools of oatmeal and bubble if we let him, but we didn't know any other kids there.  So we did adult things instead...

We did what any good parents would do with an 8-month-old... we took him on a brewery tour at Sam Adams!  Well, in our defense it was out of the hot weather and sun.  There were big shiny things to look at, so Jonah was all set.  All the Harvard crew had a nice beer tasting while Mommy tasted a root beer and Jonah Cheerios.  I think out of the whole room of tasters, Jonah liked his best!

Jonah spent the evening with his Uncle Kevin and Lindsay while Daddy and Mommy attended the class of '03 soiree.  I expected dancing, but the dance floor was inconveniently located inside a dorm common room, while the bar and DJ (thus all the guests) were outside on the quad.  It cooled down and turned into a pleasant event, despite the detestable lack of chairs.  We plotted a new fungible chair business around a cramped cocktail table and wrestled extra chairs away from reluctant volunteers.  The most entertaining part was the extremely varied interpretation of "creative black tie" which ranged from a tank top and bootie shorts to a leather tailcoat.