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This post is a special long-distance hug to Nana, whose sickness this week has prevented her from coming to Raleigh this week like she planned. I realize how difficult life can be for grandparents when illness gets in the way of time with a grandbaby.
Katie and understand that Nana must be really ill; it probably took a lot of self-control and a CDC injunction to keep her off of I-85 North. Maybe the pictures below can be some sort of consolation in lieu of quality Jackie time.
Get well soon Nana!
Jackie loves the song "French Navy" by Camera Obscura.
Green beans? Yecch.
Green beans = nasty
Strawberry mustache? I know...it's kinda weird.
Jackie with Mom in the pool -- the baby is doing her best Dick Jones imitation.
Jackie and Dad tasting pool toys
Jackie and Dad lounging
Over the past couple of weeks, Katie has convinced me that Jackie is ready for a little variety in her diet. The nursing and bottles of breast milk are still going very well (from this spectator’s perspective), but Jackie seems to want a little more to eat than her five feedings a day can provide. On top of that, she is mesmerized when she watches Katie and me eat or drink.
Her interest and growing hunger prompted us to try giving her rice cereal mixed with milk. The verdict is still out, but I’m pretty sure she won’t list rice cereal as her favorite food in the official Carolina Women’s Soccer media guide 18 years from now.
Here’s some video evidence that what goes down sometimes comes up (director’s note: the point of highest drama occurs at the very end).
I’ve added some pictures we took while Katie’s grandmother, mother, and sister were in Raleigh.
Katie’s grandmother, mother, and sister visited us in April, and I think the baby was held and adored continuously, every hour of every day, until they left Raleigh. This kind of doting is not uncommon when Nana Burns is on premises, but to see the four generations of Burns/Jeffcoats women oohing and aahing in unison was something to behold.
At one point, Katie, Mawmaw, Holly and Janet had a conversation that lasted several minutes, but they never once made eye contact with each other. Each woman’s gaze converged at the same focal point — their eyes were fixated on Jackie the entire time they were talking.
Holly and Mawmaw drove all the way from Louisiana to spend time with us. Judging by her interaction with Jackie, it’s obvious that Holly will make a great mother herself one of these days. As for Mawmaw, we knew she would be able to make the long trip from Simsboro, but we didn’t expect her to be so spry when climbing up and down the 18 steps in our staircase.
She didn’t come out and say it (or anything else for that matter), but I know that Jackie loved meeting her great grandmother and her aunt. Thanks for making the trip!
Katie’s father also drove to Raleigh, and we enjoyed our time with him. He earned a gold star and a steak dinner for removing ivy from the sides of our house on the day after his birthday. Thanks Ben!
A lot has happened in the last few weeks — a wonderful weekend with Nana, a trip to Boone, Katie’s birthday, new music (albums from Neko Case & DOOM, select tracks from new Junior Boys and Dan Deacon), and hectic work days/nights — but nothing has been a bigger deal in little Jackie’s world than spending her first weeks with Ms. Rose.
When Katie and I go to work every day, Jackie goes to stay with Ms. Rose. I don’t know what Jackie does while she’s there, but I know she always smiles at Ms. Rose when I drop her off, and she’s always exhausted when Katie picks her up. Perhaps the two other children under Ms. Rose’s care, who are both around 13 months old, are putting innocent pressure on the little one to keep up. Regardless, we get the sense that Ms. Rose is a very positive influence…so far, so good.
Here’s some assorted video that covers the following topics:
- Mom’s last day at home before returning to work
- A taste test gone wrong
- Straight rollin’ — to the left, to the left, to the right, to the right
- The first of many, many Daddy-Daughter Days
I never knew that a big human could love a little human so daggone much.
The little one is doing very well at the three-month mark. She weighs about 14-and-a-half pounds now and we can fill a large box with the baby clothes she’s already outgrown. She has begun to roll over on her play mat, where she enjoys grabbing anything she can wrap those long fingers around. She continues to coo, squeal, and mimic her parents’ words. Oh, and she and I had a delightful Saturday-morning dance party yesterday.
I often wonder how it feels to be a baby. Even though she is often smiley and seemingly happy, I get the sense that all this growing is fairly painful. All the movement and cause-and-effect knowledge we take for granted as adults must be difficult learning experiences for an infant. On the other hand, I bet Jackie gets a lot of joy and satisfaction from the discoveries she makes as she gains control of her body.
We’ve had a wonderful weekend (basketball and otherwise) that included a visit from Steve Saville (more on that later). The Jones family here realizes that we have to cherish today, tomorrow and the rest of next week because things are about to change.
One week from tomorrow, Katie will return to work and Jackie will start spending her days under the care of Ms. Rose. This reality is beginning to set in for Katie, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy for her to drive away from that baby when the time comes. Ms. Rose is very well-qualified, and her references (we spoke to seven), gave her child care services rave reviews. Leaving Jackie will be hard…I just hope Katie can find comfort in leaving our daughter in such good hands.
Here’s some video Katie took last week.
This post is really going to disappoint the grandparents, but sometimes a man has to give some credit to the lowest-on-the-totem-pole members of his family. The dogs have earned the recognition — especially Robah.
One drizzly day last week, the three of us were strolling down White Oak Road when a lab-like dog that was about Robah’s size sprinted toward us. I had my ear buds in and my rain jacket hood on, so I didn’t realize the dog was approaching so quickly until he was ten feet from us. Robah, who always walks on my right side (Baxter always holds down our left flank), was ready and waiting. I looked to my right just in time to see Robah lunge, teeth showing and spine hair raised, and attack the dog that seemed to be attacking us. The aggressive assailant pooch was instantly reduced to a defeated, whimpering stray.
Moments after Robah came down on his head and snapped at his neck, the stray dog ran back from whence he came. Before we continued down the street, I looked at Baxter. He seemed just as surprised as me that sweet, easy-going Robah had earned a badge of honor in such intimidating fashion.
About a week ago, I recorded and edited a frisbee session. I know the grandparents (except possibly my Dad) will find this dull, but worry not — I’ll get back to baby footage soon.
Notes:
1. The video looks much better if you press play and then click the HQ button in the YouTube control bar. This action displays the high quality version.
2. The soundtrack consists of songs by The Field and Guided by Voices.
Jackie is approaching three months, and one of the latest developments is her new-found fondness for chewing. I can’t wait to leave indie rock, electro, Russian classical, non-gangster hip-hop, jazz, slowcore, post-punk, or shoegaze credits under her pillow on behalf of the Tooth/Tune Fairy. Here’s a video of her teething a little, playing a little, and being her adorable little self.
Jackie had her two-month check up with her pediatrician the other day, which can easily be described in two parts.
The first part was the good part. They weighed and measured her while Katie and I looked on, eager to hear the results. We realize that these numbers are simply a snapshot of her as an infant, and not any kind of indication of future growth, but it’s always fun to quantify her development. Here are some stats and their parenthetical percentile rankings:
Weight: 12.75 lb. (90th)
Height: 24.75 in. (98th)
Noggin circumference: 16.8 in. (99th)
Of course, no one at this house is “keeping score” or “comparing babies” or even “emphasizing baby benchmarks”, but Katie and I were pleased with the doctor’s evaluation. It means that she’s eating and growing well. And, she has a big head like her old man.
The bad part of the doctor’s appointment involved her two-month vaccination. Three needle stabs, several baby screams, and one distraught mommy later, we headed for home.
Finally, here is some assorted video footage that shows off her newly-extended vocal range:
I’ve got to admit it’s getting better. It’s getting better all the time.
Five years ago today I married my true boo and I’m happier than ever to be Katie’s husband. Thank you Katie. I love you.
I know what you're thinking, but it isn't cheesy if you really mean it.
Baxter, Robah, and I had an epic frisbee session today. No records were broken, but that’s primarily because I didn’t push them too hard. Their individual and combined records are detailed below:
Consecutive catches by Baxter: 11
September 25, 2007
Avon Drive, Raleigh, NC
Consecutive catches by Robah: 6
December 6, 2008
White Oak Road, Raleigh, NC
Consecutive alternating catches by Robah and Baxter: 10
October 10, 2008
White Oak Road, Raleigh, NC
If you’re not impressed with these numbers, keep in mind that a single frisbee route is in the range between 70 and 90 feet. In a single session, Baxter will run around 50 routes, and Robah around 30 routes. That’s the equivalent of Baxter sprinting a mile-and-a-half. Robah runs close to a mile during a session. Our poor grass.
Here’s a diagram that illustrates our playing field:
I did, however, have to pull Robah aside today and talk to him about never taking a play (or throw) off. It’s not that he has a bad attitude or the kind of prima donna approach to the game that seems so common among today’s elite receivers. But, there are times when he doesn’t finish a route and he’s been known to take his disc to his favorite patch of grass and rest for awhile in the middle of a session. His brother Baxter, aka Psycho B, is a frisbee-chasing machine; his motor never stops. I wonder how Roy Williams handles it when Hansbrough is running circles around a teammate in practice.
I haven’t set up the camera to record Bax and Robah snagging frisbees, but Katie did capture Baxter’s weird sleeping position a couple of weeks ago:
I think I spent the dog food money 