When did Jack grow up?

Birthday party pictures

Jack is one YEAR old!

Happy Birthday, Dude!

My Best Sweater

I finished knitting a cardigan and I couldn't be more pleased with it.

It's "Coraline" by Ysolda.  The sweater has so many lovely details that make it a high quality hand knit.

I love the provisional cast-on, leading to a double hem, the three slipped stitches on the edge, rolling into an i-cord bind-off, the kitchener stitch finishing, and of course the interesting smocked yoke.  

This is my second big piece knit with small gauge yarn (DK Swish from Knitpicks).  I started in January, with many long breaks to work on other projects.  I learned many new techniques that I can work into other sweater patterns.  But right now I want to make another Coraline! Maybe I can do some of the body work on Mom's knitting machine.  It can get tiresome. 

(Note to self: you should only buy fig newton-proof yarns for the next four years.)

(Put down the alpaca.)

(Note to Jack: I hope you get some clothes for your birthday.  You're growing like a bean; that's supposed to be a long sleeved shirt with long pants!)

Jack says his first word

I think it's official - Jack's first word is "dog."

We noticed during the last week that he's been saying "dadadadada" and "duhduhduhduh" when he sees Jem.  Yesterday and today he's been working hard on it, saying "dddddddddddduh" with a strained look on his face.  Actually making his hypochondriac parents wonder if he has a stutter.  But I think he was just concentrating on the sounds.*

I wasn't sure when a parent should declare a first word, since it's kind of a work in progress for so long.  He's been saying mamama and dadada for a long time, though not exclusively about us.  In fact, Dad usually gets a "Hi-yeum!" and I get "Hi!" when I come home.  Ben thinks he even said "nana" when offered a banana yesterday. 

But today with prodding from me he definitely said "dog."  He even said it at the grocery store to a guide dog.  Ben says he heard Jack duhduh to Molly once, and I saw him saying it to a monkey puppet.  It's a non-specific term, but I'm still going with FIRST WORD TODAY!

And lucky you, I have video!  I threw in his attempt to blow a kiss.  Another brand new skill. 



*Miranda, if you would be so kind as to review the short dddehdeh he does in the beginning - an abbreviated version of the strained d sound he was doing all day, and assure us that our 11 month old doesn't have a stutter, we would very much appreciate it. We know we are overly worried idiot parents, but we still want to know.

Jack on the town

What up, homies?

Welcome to the produce section, says Jack.

He climb stairs now.  Well, stair.  Singular.

And we kick it at the Cherry Creek Mall.

(Yeah, they changed the breakfast food play area to this WB/Colorado themed set.  I was set to be huffy about it but every kid was having a riot.  More is better I suppose.)

Mastered the crawl.  Trying to stand now.

And he's been doing this a lot:

It cracks us up to no end.