Yesterday Jack and I trekked down to the edges of the earth to visit Julie and Mac. Julie just built a new pool that is absolutely gorgeous – you should go to her blog to see pictures of it. Of course I didn’t have my camera outside because I am still terrified having Jack around water, so I clung to him like a leech. (or he clung to me like a leech, it’s hard to tell.)

I did get pictures of Mac and Jack hanging out together. When we got there I sat them down next to one another and Jack threw his arms around Mac. I didn’t get a good picture of the bear hug, but here you can see how Mac felt about the whole thing:



Jack backed off, but looks a little forlorn about it:



and then Mac got up and walked away:



After some quality time in the pool, along with time trying to eat my lunch, Jack got to play with the big kids.



He had so much fun, I can’t even begin to describe it. Every time he would look over at me he would smile and laugh. Of course he was exhausted. I put him in the car and he was asleep before I walked around to my side. But it was a great day. Thanks to Julie for having us over.

Today was our first low-key day in a while. We went to lunch with our friend Elissa who is going to have a baby in four weeks. She looks FANTASTIC. I’m telling you, I wish I looked that good pregnant. I am beside myself with excitement about her baby. It’s funny how different it is now that I have a kid. If she would have had this baby a few years ago I would have sent the obligatory baby gift and forgotten all about it until the kid went off to college. Now it’s a whole different ball of yarn. I can’t wait for the babe to arrive.

Jack was a complete angel at lunch. He played with his toys, ate his pears, hung out, and was basically a perfect baby. I credit it all to him getting more sleep. He is a much easier baby during the day now that his nights are better organized. Plus I think he knew it would freak Elissa out to have a crazy baby around this close to her birthing one of the monsters, so he obliged.

Since he just turned seven months old, I thought I should document all the things he can do for posterity’s sake:

1. Sit up from his belly (he still can’t sit up from lying on his back.)
2. Pull himself up to stand and stand holding something with one hand.
3. Walk if someone holds his hands.
4. Crawl, as long as he’s allowed to have one foot on the ground.
5. Say BA and GA. Loudly.
6. Scream. A lot.
7. Kick his feet in the pool.
8. Hold his breath and shut his eyes when I put him under water.
9. Recognize his grandparents.
10. Eat the following foods: Apples, pears, rice and oat cereal, peas, yellow and green summer squash (although it appears he hates both), yams (his favorite), bananas and carrots. This week he’s going to try zucchini and peaches.
11. Laugh and laugh and laugh. He’s very ticklish and thinks it’s funny if you walk out of the room and peek back at him.
12. His favorite song is “If you’re happy and you know it.”
13. He can sleep through the night, thank heaven and earth.

I’m sure there is more, so I’ll add anything as I think of it.

And to answer Richard, yes, we always need a babysitter. I also need someone to come swimming with me – our next door neighbor has kindly given me a key to her gate so we can use the pool, but it’s SUCH an ordeal to get over there. So if anyone wants to come swimming let me know.