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One-third of the way through his first year, Jake is growing and changing and babying right on schedule. At least I assume he is right on schedule, I try to avoid all "Your baby should be..." literature just so I don't freak out if Jake isn't doing something that he should be. He'll get it eventually. After all, I don't know any adults who haven't figured out head control or rolling over, or have never stuck their toes in their mouth or stopped poking themselves in the eye.
That said, here is a run down from head to toe with what Jake can do today...

As you saw last week, his baby hair is still intact, although becoming sparse and replaced with his boy hair. I don't think there is a chance at this kid being blonde, but his hair is definitely lighter than the jet black crop he was born with. He loves to twist his hair in his fingers while he is falling asleep or listening to a story and he has thankfully learned that if it hurts, just let go. Jake's eyes seem to have settled on a dark hazel brown, with a touch of yellow in there. Dave's eyes are almost black, and mine are hazel green, brown, and yellow, with a tiny streak of turquoise in each one. I also have freckles on my iris and can do that crazy thing with my left eye, both which Jake has inherited.

Daycare is building this kid's vocabulary exponentially. When he is excited, he makes a screechy sound reminiscent of those old metal New Years Eve noisemakers that you spin at midnight. We still get an occasional "ah-loo" and hear many "who-whooo"s. Cranky time brings some "aack"s, and his crinkly book and caterpillar elicit a "eye-eyye". I can get him to coo and laugh, Dave can get a big long giggle. Smiles come a dime a dozen, and would be a bargain at twice the price.

Head control is on point until Jake gets sleepy, and it is especially good if he is watching television. I try to point him away from the tube, but he contorts his entire body so he can get a glimpse. I don't mind a little bit especially since he sits up straight and is very alert when it is on, but he isn't allowed to watch as much as he would like.

We are working on unassisted sitting. If Jake is wide awake, he can sit with very little help, sometimes just a good grasp on his shirt is all he needs. Because he is uber-obsessed with his toes he tends to fall forward easily when he checks them out. Jake can roll over from his back to his right side, and sometimes make it all the way around to his stomach where he gets stuck and panics. I have never seen a baby hate being on its belly so much, making tummy time nearly impossible. He is getting a little bit better at it, slowly but surely.

All signs point to Jake being a hand talker. He flails his arms all over the place and babbles at anything that appears to be listening. I'm impressed by his hand-eye coordination, he can usually grab things on the first try and has no trouble turning toys around and upside-down. For fun, Jake chews on his tongue just like his father does, and if I say "where did you get the gummMMMmmmmm?" Jake sticks his tongue out and sometimes rolls it up- he also inherited my wacky tongue. He sucks on his hands and toys, and has two bottom teeth and two top teeth right at the surface of his gums, which are resistant to let them through despite the chewing and rubbing they endure. If you stick your finger in there, Jake clamps down hard, looks at you with his big eyes, and gives you a huge smile. Sadistic little brat.

I'll have Jake weighed and measured officially tomorrow at the doctor's, but I think he is about 25 inches long and 13 or 14 pounds. He drinks 6 or 7 ounces every four hours or so, and sleeps soundly from 10pm until 5am. He can drink out of a (non-sports capped) water bottle and has demonstrated some skills with his bathwater and the cup that I use to rinse him off in there (incidentally, my tommee tippee) so starting today we will be practicing with Jake's very own big-boy sippy cup that I bought him for his birthday.

I have no intentions of starting Jake on baby food for another month or two although I have a box of cereal, an arsenal of vegetables, and a dozen jars of fruit in Jake's cupboard. I have put a few drops of milk on his spoon to get him used to the feel of that in his mouth, and he seems to be okay with it. Unlike some moms, I am not looking forward to feeding this child. With it comes a lot of trial and error, watching for food allergies, being patient during feedings, and dealing with dirtier diapers and a plethora of digestion issues. I prefer to wait until Jake can sit by himself before I start ramming peas and carrots down his hole. It makes it much easier to have that free hand, and his swallowing reflex and digestive system will be more developed then. Some people do feed their babies at four months, but it is more for parental entertainment than child nourishment. All the stuff he needs to grow is in the milk.

To get him used to different things, I make Jake smell everything that I eat, and he sniffs it like a dog. His nose wrinkles at onions and tuna, smells that make me want to barf. But that's nothing- Jake is such a victim when it comes to bad smells. I put my face right near his in the morning and he has no choice but to inhale dragon breath and when he gets tired he likes to ram his face into my armpits, which are pretty ripe by the day's end this time of year. I also take him for walks through the Italian Market and Chinatown, and both have have quite the palate for the schnoz.

I think that about covers it. Plus, I have to get some real work done, seeing as this was written between tasks on company time. I have secured a new position, and will post about it later this week when I have officially given notice to all involved at the office. Okay- work. Here I go. Right after I do a spell check.