Yum

I've set a new breakfast record: four minutes to eat a cube of pureed bananas mixed with baby yogurt. Saturday it took me six minutes for breakfast, but Monday I had it down to a science. I yell and fuss if you take a break to scratch your nose. I'm a growing baby, and I need my food! I also turn my head and try to eat what you're scraping off my face, as you're scraping. I just can't get enough to eat! It's not just breakfast that I love; Mommy makes really yummy combinations for lunch and dinner too. My favorites so far are peachy chicken and sweet potato-y hamburger. But the best thing ever has to be...bath water! Yup, that's right. I don't know if it's the special bedtime bubble bath, or the baby shampoo, or my pee, but whatever it is, it tastes so good! I scooch my little butt down so my body is completely submersed, and then when Mommy's not looking, I turn my head, open my mouth, and drink the water! And when Mommy sits me back up, I do the same thing! Over and over again. Bubbles aren't very fun to drink though; they're better to eat. So I dip my rubber ducky into the bubbles and then stick the whole mess in my mouth. I see them as being kind of like frosting. Mommy and Daddy just shake their heads and sigh.

Expressions

Now that I'm rollier and more curious about getting into everything around me, I need to be contained. Mommy bought me an Exersaucer, and I LOVE it. It makes fun (annoying) "Boing-boing-boing" sounds when I bounce on it. It has cool toys for me to spin and push and hold on to. And, most importantly, it has a tray for my Cheerios.

I'm having some problems with my Cheerios. I love them and can't get enough - which is the problem. I can pick them up, and I can put them in my mouth, but I can't seem to let go of them so they STAY in my mouth. So, I just throw them down and try again with different ones. The cats love having me around since they get to eat all those that I've dropped on the floor. Once (if) I get the Cheerio in my mouth, I'm not sure what to do with it. I gum it until it dissolves, all the while making a face as if it's the yuckiest thing ever. But then after it's gone, I'll immediately try to eat another one.

I've outgrown several of my baby reflexes - I no longer turn my head towards you if you rub my cheek, and I don't flail my arms when you pick me up or set me down. But I have a new one: whenever I see someone about to take a picture of me, I close my eyes! Mommy usually has to take about five or six pictures to get one good one of me. Mommy wanted to get a picture of me wrestling with a toy Daddy wrapped around my neck, and it took a good couple minutes of her clicking the button while saying, "Smile for Mommy, Jax! Look at the camera!" It's a good thing we have a digital camera!

PETA

Well, I'm no longer a vegan. Mommy gave me chicken this week, and I LOVE it. She's mixed it in with some of my favorite foods - apples, peaches, broccoli and pears - and I've devoured it so fast I've almost eaten the spoon too. I'm getting pasta this week too. We know that technically you're supposed to wait anywhere from 2-7 days between new foods, but I haven't had any reactions yet so we're trying new stuff left and right. I'm trying to get the hang of Cheerios and Puffs. I can pick them up and put them in my mouth, but I'm not sure about how to let go of them. And once they do eventually get where they're supposed to be, I'm not sure what to do with them. I still don't have any teeth (although one has been lurking beneath my gums for about 3 weeks now, and it's just making me fussier and fussier with each passing day), so all I can do is gum the little things while waiting for them to dissolve. But I'm learning!

Guinea pig

Yesterday Mommy and I went to lunch with her friends Ivana and Eboni, and Eboni's five-month-old baby Jackie. Ivana is just finishing her first year of med school at UNC, and she likes to practice what she's learning. Right now she's finishing microbiology, so on the way to lunch she told Mommy all about the fun infections I could have. I got a little worried, but Mommy later explained to me that there's really no chance of me having Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, a tapeworm, or Lyme disease. After lunch, back at our house, Ivana gave me a checkup. Kind of. I delighted her by rolling over. And over. And over. In return, she checked my feet to make sure I hadn't had a stroke (good news - I hadn't!). She offered to take me to Boston with her for the summer, but then decided she doesn't even really take care of her cat, so a baby would probably be too much, especially one who takes his socks off as much as I do.

Anne Geddes, eat your heart out!

***Disclaimer: Anne Geddes is a scary person who should not be allowed near children.***

I've outgrown hooded baby towels (months ago). I've outgrown the baby towels sold at Babies 'R Us. So now, I'm in toddler/school-age children towels. This one reminds Daddy of Mario. I am not amused by the comparison.

(Mommy's shirt says,
"Haikus are easy
But sometimes they don't make sense
Refrigerator"
Mommy loves haikus,
Especially on her clothes.
Even the bad ones.)

Stupid internet games

So, I've been tagged by Tiffany, Rosco's mommy, to say 7 random things about myself. Seeing as how I'm only six months old, this should be interesting.

1. I hate Scientologists. All of them. Every single one of them. Famous ones, unknown ones, dead ones (especially L. Ron Hubbard), crazy ones. Hatred of them is a family trait.
2. I spit up on Mommy's roses while smelling them one day. It didn't make them grow any faster or bigger, but it didn't kill them either. Maybe I'll try it again someday.
3. I have a little stuffed lizard (Mr. Lizard) whose eyes glow in the dark. I chew on them.
4. I sleep best when lying on my belly with my butt up in the air, snuggled up with my stuffed elephant (Mr. Elephant).
5. I wrestled Cthulhu and I won. Unfortunately, no one seems to know who Cthulhu is.
   
6. Mommy and Daddy are both Francophiles, so it looks like I will be too (another family trait). They try to go every couple years so their French doesn't get too rusty, and there are plans to go next summer for the 50th anniversary of the school Mommy went to over there. I'll get to go too! They'd like to stick me in a French language immersion school when I'm a couple years older, but the only one in the Triangle is in Chapel Hill and is run by the Montessoris, whom Daddy is convinced are vampires. So Mommy's anticipating getting a call one day saying, "Ma'am, your son was chasing other kids with a stake, sprinkling water on them, yelling, 'the power of Christ compels you!' And he reeks of garlic. Do you even wash your son?"
7. The first sounds I heard as I entered this world were the dulcet tones of the Democrats taking it all back. I was born on Election Day, and between contractions Mommy and Daddy were watching the results on TV and discussing politics with the doctor and nurse.
   
   

What's in a name...

I'm a ham; I'll admit it. I hone in on people and turn on the charm. As I smile and flirt, people will ask the typical baby questions: "How old is he?" "What's his name?" And after this second question comes a blank look and a big, "Huh?" Or, if the person is polite, "That's an interesting name." And Mommy or Daddy will have to explain why I'm named Jax. So, for all you who've wandered in off the internet and don't know:

• No, I'm not named after the big angry black guy on Mortal Kombat.
• No, I'm not named after the character on General Hospital.
• No, I'm not named after an airport (and by the way, it's LAX, not Jax. Sheesh.)
• No, it's not short for Jackson.
• Jax is a nickname, short for James Alexander. Kinda like how Nabisco is an abbreviated form of National Biscuit Company. Daddy was Jamie when he was a kid, is James now, is called Uncle Jack by his niece and nephews, and dislikes the nicknames Jim or Jimmy. I was almost an Alex, but Mommy and Daddy decided on Jax because of its uniqueness.

Busy, busy week

A lot happened last week...
Daddy and I went to the doctor on Monday for my six month checkup. It's hard to believe I'm that old already, isn't it? The doctor said I was doing really well. I'm in the 95th percentile for head size, 75th for length (27 inches), and 25-50th for weight (15 lbs 11 oz). Basically, I'm a beanpole with a big fat head. That also explains why I have to take breaks when playing on my tummy so I can rest my head - it's huge! I made a new friend! Sappho, one of our cats, really likes me. Or at least tolerates me. She comes up next to me and lets me pet her, and doesn't even mind that I'm a bit rough! Monday night, I rolled over to play with her. Mommy was watching very carefully to make sure Sappho didn't hurt me. Now, if I can just win over the other three cats. Grandpa came for a visit! He was here Monday night through early Saturday morning. He drove down from Illinois and helped Mommy and Daddy build a new screened in deck. It'll be really nice when it's all done. Grandpa usually helps with some sort of home improvement project while he's here. Maybe I'll be big enough to help next time. I'm rolling. A lot. Mommy and Daddy have to be really careful about where they leave me, because I'll get into anything and everything. Sunday night I rolled around and fell out of the swing! Fortunately Mommy was sitting right next to me and caught me before I hit the ground. Looks like that was my last time in the swing!
Saturday afternoon, Daddy and I watched Superman Returns. Mommy is concerned because I'll stop playing with my toys so I can watch TV.
And finally, yesterday was Mother's Day. I made Mommy a card and flower at daycare. She had no idea I was so talented! For her Mother's Day present, Daddy took care of me when I woke up and let Mommy sleep in. She said it was exactly what she wanted!

27

Twenty-seven is roughly the number of times this weekend that I took off my socks. I also spit not only applesauce but also carrots in Mommy's face. I helped change my diaper by undoing one of the tabs and by sticking my hand in my poop (I'm not sure how that helepd, but it was fun!). I also managed to roll around and chew on the power cord of Mommy's space heater. I'm not even crawling yet, and I'm already so much fun!

Slimy frog guts

Guess what I had for dinner tonight!

Although tasty, it was much more fun to let it ooze down my chin while I yelled at Mommy for more, more, more!
Give up? No, not slimy frog guts, although it does look like that, doesn't it? I ate peas! So far, I'm eating bananas, pears and applesauce (spiked with rice cereal), carrots, sweet potatoes, and peas. Tomorrow I get to try green beans, then on to avocados and squash next week.

In addition to eating and yelling, I'm spending a lot of my time trying to crawl. I've figured out how to wiggle my arms and twitch my legs, but so far I can't put it together and move. I practice every chance I get though! I'm able to move right now by rolling around. Here's me on Sunday. I wanted to play with Daddy, but he was taking a nap, so I rolled over to him to try to wake him up. That didn't work, so I started crying and yelling. Worked like a charm!