"shear" neurosis

Lately, at least 10 times a day, I think about cutting Jacob's hair. Not cutting it myself (don't worry, I know better,) but I do think about taking him to one of those cute little kids hair cutting places and getting his first "do". I don't know if it's really necessary but his hair keeps creeping over his ears and the back of his head is getting a little squirrely. There are curls coming out in every direction.

Here's my thing. I've had bad haircuts in my life. You know the kind...where you fight back tears when you're sitting in the chair because you don't want to insult the stylist. Why I ever cared if I insulted the stylist is beyond me because I've had some serious butchers go to town on my head and I just sat there at the end touching my hairless head barely getting out the words "no really, it looks fine" (as tears were welling up in my eyes.)

So, I'm afraid that my adorable little boy will look different after getting his first haircut and I just don't know how I will deal with that. If they chop his sweet little locks, will he still look like my baby? Or will he look like a grown up old man? Ugh, I just can't stand it. And now I've built it up in my head. The anticipation of it is driving me mad. God forbid they do a bad job and then I really have something to stress over.

I need to just bite the bullet and go. OR, I need to go get a job so I will quit being so neurotic about my child so I can concentrate on something other than baby teeth, baby hair, baby proofing, baby sleep and baby POOP.

I will say one thing. If I do take him in to the kids hair cutting place to do the ceremonious "first haircut" ritual, I will NOT be keeping a lock of his hair. Seriously. That creeps me out.

He's on the move

Jacob started climbing stairs recently -- we can't take our eyes off of him! Here's a quick video of him on the move. What cracks me up most about this clip is that Mark used his wallet to motivate Jacob to climb. Ha. He is SO like his momma.

"All I want for Christmas...

...is my 2 front teeth!"

This was going to be our Christmas card this year until we realistically thought about what Jake would do to us in 20 years as repayment for his humiliation.

But it's cute, right?

Little Indian

Not quite proficient yet, but we have the makings of a little Indian on our hands!

Possessed toy

Jacob went to bed at about 6:45 tonight and I was watching TV upstairs when I kept hearing the faint tune to "Mary had a little lamb." I thought I was imagining it (I hear enough baby songs throughout the day that they inevitably occupy my brain during my "off" hours -- without my blessing.) So, I'm sitting here swearing that I hear "Mary had a little lamb" over and over again. Finally, I muted the TV and turned up the monitor in Jake's room. Sure enough, I hear it loud and clear.

The whole time I'm thinking...Where is it coming from? Is it in his room? Which toy plays "Mary had a little lamb?" Oh no...I'm going to have to crawl in his room on my hands and knees in the dark and find this darn thing that has somehow gotten switched on permanently. And why didn't I hear it when I was putting him to bed?

Oh no, ladies and gentlemen. I walk downstairs and this one toy (that remains to be nameless) is sitting by itself on the floor in the living room playing "Mary had a little lamb" over and over again. Nothing is touching it people. It's just GOING. And I'm looking at it like it's possessed by the devil. I pick it up and it immediately stops (like "oh no! She caught me!") So, I place it in the closet of our guest bedroom (as gingerly as possible) and pray that the music doesn't start again. Because seriously, at this point, I'm scared. I'm Poltergeist scared. And Mark left for San Francisco tonight. I think that toy is going to meet Mr. Dumpster tomorrow.

Imitation is the highest form of flattery

Jacob has suddenly taken up imitating mom and dad. The first time we noticed it was when he picked up my brush and started whacking it at the side of his head. At first I wondered what the heck he was doing, but then realized he was trying to brush his own hair (after he had seen me brushing and drying my own.)

Then, for the past couple of weeks, he kept putting the palm of his hand up to his ear. Thinking this was related to his ear infection, we overlooked it. But then one day he picked up Mark's cell phone after Mark was talking on it and put it right up to his ear, listening to the silence intently. Now, we entertain ourselves by saying "Hello?" all day long and watching Jacob pick up the cell phone and put it up to his ear (as if he's answering the thing). I'm telling you, it is just too cute.

So, this is a critical time my friends. We have to watch every move we make around him so that he doesn't start imitating the wrong things. We can't have our kid walking around scratching his bottom, picking his nose and liberally (and loudly) passing gas. (These are all things he'd get from his daddy, of course. He can imitate me all day without learning any bad habits. HA.)

I guess we just have to accept and embrace the fact that we are forming his mind every single day. Good thing he has good genes. At least he has his looks going for him. :)