Jack's in Birmingham visiting Grandma Gert and Jelly Bean Grandpa

On the way to the homefront, I stopped by the Publix to pick up supplies for dinner. While we were shopping, I realized Jack was hungry. Happily, Publix had samples throughout the store.

I was so excited to introduce Jack to the joys of fried chicken tenders. I pulled them apart and fed him little bits of tender chicken as we moved through the store. I also tucked in a few grapes along the way. Jack seemed very happy with this new delicacy.

On the way home from the store, Jack decided it was time to reintroduce the chicken tenders back to me. . . one little upchuck at a time. We are lucky that Jack is not really bothered by throwing up!

More later....

What a noble dog!

Jake was nestled on some drying clothes and looking incredibly noble.

A great moment in Jack's Culinary history...

This is the exact moment during which we introduced Jack to the unbridled joy of peanut butter and saltine crackers.

As a child, there were certain comfort foods that could triumph over any adversity. Cream of tomato soup with a big dollop of velveeta, pancakes and sausages, and peanut butter and saltines.

It was something about the mix of the rich sweet nature of the peanut butter juxtaposed against the dry, saltiness of the unleavened cracker that just made my mouth happy.

As you can see from the photos, Jack is now privy to the divine nature of peanut butter.

This is the most beautiful sweater...and it was handmade for Jack by Sweet Rebecca

This sweater was made by hand by a big admirer of Jack's, Ms. Rebecca. She will be part of the gang pushing for a real pony by the time Jack is 4. The picture doesn't do the colors justice, but Jack was having a blast with all of his lady bugs!

Children's toys look amazingly similar to dog toys...

....or so we've learned over and over and over and over.

I guess having 2 dogs that were bred to destroy small rodents should have been a slight clue for us. For awhile, we were losing a toy a day to the dogs. Of course, those of you with small children know how easy it is to ensure that all the small toys are picked up and put away at all times when Baby isn't playing with them.

The nice thing is that the dogs have trained us well.

We can now scan an entire floor of our house in 7 seconds to identify likely victims.

Unfortunately, the dogs are pretty clever and are adapting to our efforts to prevent them from scratching their genetic itch to kill, kill, kill little squeaky toys!

Tucker's latest victim, Mama Duck. RIP.

Birthday Celebration - Part 3

Jack eating a Saltine with Miss Verbena's pimento cheese dip. (It is important for Jack to experience his Southern roots, even if through food. And DAYUM, Miss Verbena's Pimento Cheese is good eating. (See Frank Stitt's Southern Table cookbook from Highland Bar and Grill).

At this moment, the crowd burst into Happy Birthday, which initially freaked Jack out a little. He buried his head into Jeff's neck, but quickly recovered.

Part of the decorations included Uncle Greg's dumptruck unloading loads of ham and turkey biscuits.

May I help you?

Birthday Celebration - Part 2...the Chocolate Cake series

Was that fire, Daddy?

Ummmm, chocolate!

Grandma Gert (with an assist from Aunt Jenny) made him the Monkey Onesie about 7 months ago and it still fits! I picked it out for his birthday so she would know how much she is loved by her 13th grandchild....

Clean up time!

Birthday Celebration - Part 1

In honor of Jack's first year, we threw a small little party for the Man. It was great fun. Here are some random shots....

This is Luke, who is always in motion. He is a sweetheart and one of our inspirations. Dan and Barry adopted Luke from China. At Luke's first party, Jeff could not put him down.

This is Jack tasting his first birthday cake. He gingerly stuck his index finger in ever so slightly and then tasted the dark and dreamy deliciousness of chocolate. After deciding it was to his liking, he went back for more, but again, only using the index finger.

Some wag at the party remarked that Jack ate like his daddy Jeff NOT like his daddy Mark. Undeniably true, but did it really need to be pointed out?

This is Aurie. Jeff and I are godparents to Aurie and Marcy's eldest boy, Ellis. Jack is very much at home in her arms.
Margarita and Aunt Jenny are holding forth with Jack. Note the delicious pastele in Margarita's hand. She is feeding Jack one of the hundred she made for the party. Margarita has been on a mission to demonstrate how Salvadoran food is so much better than the other Central American cuisines. She went a long way towards making her point with the pasteles/empanadas!

This is Abby. She is enjoying the empanadas also, but is working her way over towards the M&Ms. (Abby's moms, Heather and Laura, are an absolute hoot. Abby has a little brother, John Stonewall, who is Jack's age. We are looking forward to many play dates with them in the future.

What's shakin' Baby?

Should we call him Air Jackson?

Jack is motoring around the house these days. We think he's probably only a couple of weeks from walking.

As you can see from the photos, when he's working, he hangs his tongue out. Looks like Michael Jordan driving the lane for a lay up.

We are more than just a little nervous about Jack being able to walk! Yes, I know it is all part of that evolutionary chain and that it will improve his employment opportunities down the road if he can actually walk into the interview as opposed to crawling or pushing one of those Playskool plastic toys, but it still seems fraught with peril!

yumm, 2 Amys Pizza!

Jack and I went to lunch with Uncle Fred last week. As usual, Jack flirted with the wait staff. He also enjoyed some proscuitto, ricotta, pizza dough, and marinara. We had a great time. I love how the front window sign frames Jack's head. Like a pizza halo!

Move Over, Mr. Pollock. There's a new Jackson in town!

The self-satisfaction that you are witnessing is that of an artist who has just completed his first work of art. When asked to comment about his inspiration, the artist declined to comment (but did seek more avocado pieces and a little cheese).

Sophisticated connisseurs will note that although it is, in essence, a subdued and abstract work, it maintains a starkly vibrant point of view. We believe it evokes the longing for freedom (perhaps from the high chair) and yet also captures the frenetic pace of the quotidian life of an Everyman.

The medium: Washable Crayola Markers and copier paper.
The inspiration: Developing fine motor skills (thanks for the idea Aunt Mary Ann).

As you can see, the artist believes in getting up close and personal with his art. Luckily, with a little soap and water and all evidence is gone.

This is the first piece of his first gallery showing. It is untitled. Due to the request of the artist, this item will not be for sale.

Lasagna and Language

Today Jack insisted on having some of the leftover lasagne (turkey lasagne with roasted red peppers, portabellos). He's a big fan of the pasta and even enjoyed the red pepper. I decided to hold off on the portabello for now.

Although he's been giving us "da da da da da da" for awhile, we are starting to discern his attempts at real words. Grandma Ruth discovered his ability to imitate the quacking sound of a duck while we were out in Santa Fe. This morning, I am 97 percent sure he was saying "Tucker".

This is amusing because in the dog's mind it will only solidify his view that he is the center of the universe and the rest of us were put here to entertain him, feed him, and move over when he wants to sit on the leather chair.

Happy New Year!

Jeff and I had four friends over for dinner for New Year's Eve. It was fantastic; escargot, Beef Bourguignon (by the Barefoot Contessa), roasted broccolini, scalloped potatoes and for dessert, Jeff made the most amazing chocolate cake with a blood orange sauce. We finished up around 10:45. Jeff went upstairs to check on Jack. At midnight, Jeff brought Jack down to ring in the New Year.

Thank you all for the support during this the best year of our lives.

Jack is a Dragon!

Aunt Mary Ann and Uncle Dave got Jack a Dragon hat! He is as partial to it as he is to any hat but we think that it is hilarious.