Oh that stinkin' pincer grasp

I never knew this until we had a baby, but somewhere around 9 months or so, babies learn to grasp things with their thumb and forefinger. It's called the "pincer grasp" and Jacob hasn't quite "grasped" the concept.

So, everyday, we practice with little cereal stars. He loves these little things and his frustration in getting them to his mouth is just heart-breaking (yet comical).

Here are 2 videos documenting our progress.
(pay close attention to the palm of his left hand)

I know I'm his momma, but this just cracks me UP!

Attempt #1: Not quite there yet

Attempt #2: Success!

Milton

"If evolution really works, how come mothers only have 2 hands?"
~Milton Berle

I imagine I will ask myself this question at least a few thousand times in my lifetime. It's a brilliant one.

One babysitter down

Babysitting is the best birth control. Ever.

Mark's best friend, Jim Clark, is getting married this weekend so yesterday was full of pre-wedding festivities including a Cubs game on the rooftop (see above) and the rehearsal dinner last night. Since our regular babysitters already had plans for the weekend, we asked a new girl, a recent NU grad, to sit for Jacob from about noon - 7 pm yesterday. Mark and I had to come home during that time to change for the rehearsal dinner and then we were heading out again so she was staying until Eric came over to sit for the rest of the night.

I want to back up for a minute. For the past week, Jacob has been in rare form. Refusing to nap, screaming inconsolably at times, and just plain irritable. This behavior has been so far from the norm that we took him to the doctor on Wednesday convinced he had an ear infection. Nope. Ears were as clean as a whistle. I hate to say this, but I was hoping it was an ear infection because at least that would explain his mood. I'm a problem solver. Problem = ear infection. Solution = medical attention. While I don't want my baby to be sick and in pain, I also don't want him to be crying inconsolably for no good reason (I want to fix the problem!) Alas, the doctor chalked it up to his 2 top teeth coming in. Really? That's what's causing all of this?

So, I regress. The babysitter came over and Jacob was just coming off of a long nap and had a full belly. Surely a recipe for a successful day. Mmmm, not so much.

By the time we arrived home at 5 pm, we walked in and I could immediately tell by the look on this poor girl's face that the last few hours had added a few years onto her life. Her hair was disheveled, her eyes a bit withdrawn, I think I even saw a wrinkle appear (mind you, she's 22 years old. Hey, it can happen.) We learned that he refused to nap and hadn't slept in 5 hours. For those of you with babies, you know that 5 hours not sleeping to a 7 1/2 month old is an eternity and then some. I immediately whisked him into his room and blasted that hair dryer until he was out like a light (the hair dryer is mommy and daddy's best friend in this house).

We left for the rehearsal dinner and Jacob was down for the night. Eric came over around 7:30 to relieve our sitter. When I came home later that evening, I asked Eric how it went and how the sitter seemed when he arrived. Apparently, she wasn't excited about conversing and fled the scene as fast as possible. She ran out the door as fast as Seabiscuit.

I'm quite confident she will never speak to us again. Oh well, at least we still have our regular sitters. That is, of course, as of today. Courtney will be sitting for us tonight while we are at the wedding so we may be down to 1 regular sitter by tomorrow. I'll keep you posted...

Thank goodness for sure things

If all else fails, feed baby. Makes him happy every time.

self-feeding baby + teething biscuit = MESS

I just had to snap a photo after I let Jacob go to town on a teething biscuit. I usually feed small pieces to him but he is becoming increasingly curious about feeding himself -- grabbing the spoon, biscuit, bread off my plate, food in my mouth, you get the idea. :)

Baby Bookends

I don't know why this picture cracks me up so much, but this was taken yesterday at my Mom's group. We did our very favorite thing -- lined the kids up on the couch and started snapping away. Jacob is on one end and Kevin on the other. Kevin was born 10 lb. 1 oz. and is 2 months younger than Jacob.

The 2 of them on the end look like Baby Bookends.

LOVE IT.

Don't laugh at my baby

Jacob and I joined Katie and Luke for our weekly stroll to the Farmer's Market yesterday. While perusing the butternut squashes, a 60-something man approaches me. Our exchange went like this:

(60-something man staring at my son): "Linebacker for the Bears?"

(me - forced laugh): "My husband would like to think so"

(60-something man giggling): "How big is HE?"

(me-knowing exactly where this is going): "He's 7 months and about 24 pounds"

(60-something man proceeds to start hysterically laughing...I instantly get defensive):
"Are you laughing at my BABY? You're LAUGHING at my baby! Don't LAUGH at my baby! He's very sensitive!"

(60-something man looks worried and scared at the same time): "NO, no, he's adorable! I just can't believe how BIG he is!"

And there you have it, I made a new friend at the farmer's market.

Just another day in Jacob and momma's life. Really. I wish I could say this encounter was something new, but in reality, we have conversations like this everyday. Just don't ask me "WHAT are you FEEDING that kid?" That really gets me going. Like I'm forcing steak and mashed potatoes down his throat. Come ON.

He's big and he's beautiful. And he's got the most adorable, squeezable cheeks I've ever seen in my life. Just wait, you too will want to nibble on them when you see him in person. ;)