Ten things about Jack that you probably don’t know.

1. Jack now is the proud owner of 7 teeth.
2. He has figured out how to turn up the volume on the record player. I was making dinner in the kitchen when he crawled away, about 2 seconds later our house was shaking with thunderously loud music. I ran in the living room worried that he would be scared, that our house suddenly sounded like the inside of a mosh pit (if Linda Ronstadt were played in mosh pits.) I found him unfazed working on his dance moves.
3. Jack has dance moves. He bobs up and down when music he likes comes on. Lately he has been rocking out to the Graceland album by Paul Simon, and apparently he is a huge Linda Ronstadt fan.
4. His double chin is so adorable that it has actual magical properties. If I am feeling particularly frustrated with him, I can look at his little wobble and feel immediately calmer and more enamored.
5. Jack has developed a sense of possession. He now understands when something is his, or if he is using something. When you take it from him, HE DOES NOT LIKE IT. He will in fact, protest fiercely if it is taken (usually for safety.) By fiercely I mean that he will bite you. And if you are not in range of his mighty choppers, he will crawl after you, until you are in range and then bite you.
6. The other day Jack was playing with a friend, who as friends will do, took a toy from him. Jack grabbed for the friend and bit down with all his might. In his fit of revenge his aim was off and he accidentally bit his own hand. His first lesson in instant karma.
7.  Jack has a tiny problem…. with biting.
8. He is really sweet about wanting to share food with us when he is eating. He will hold out the skankiest, most manhandled  morsel of food in his chubby hand while grinning and beaming at me. Then I have to eat the proffered skanky piece of food and say thank you. I would not want to be rude.
9. He is becoming more and more social. When he is crabby or sensitive my instinct is to keep him close to home and un-stimulated, walking, playing, reading and nursing  so he stays settled. However I am discovering that Jack does not respond well to his tactic. When he is a crab, it seems to help to get him out and around other people.  On Sunday I almost canceled a Fathers day brunch with another family, because Jack had been fussing all morning at home; throwing food, slapping the dog in the face,  biting me and screaming when I removed him from said dog. I was nervous about the havoc he could unleash in a restaurant but decided to risk it.  As I was warning our brunch companions about the possible anarchy in the works, Jack was smiling radiantly at the entire restaurant and demurely eating scrambled eggs. Clearly delighting in being around new people. And clearly making me look like the Mama who cried wolf, AKA crazy.
10. He lights up when he sees me. A specific for Mama smile. It is the most incredible thing. It feels like falling in love and it happens multiple times a day.