Nursery Rhymes
Last night Jake asked us to read him “Mugger Goose! Mugger Goose!”
You know… nursery rhymes like Mary Had A Little Habit, Georgie Forgie, The House That Jack Tagged, and Little Ho Peep. The classics.
Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow
When Jake was born, one of the details I remember is the nurse saying that the baby didn’t have any hair. Little did she know that he had quite a bit of hair… in comparison to the next two years.
He was born with straight brown hair that proceeded to fall out into the style best known for its monkish roots, the “Friar Tuck.” He was then bald as a cue ball. And people loved to touch his head. One time at Whole Foods this man listening to an iPod came up to Jake, rubbed his head, and walked away without a word. Our little Baby Buddha must bring good luck.
I’m told the bald baby genes come from the Terra side of the family. Jake’s spherical noggin and current sparse curls are just like his dad’s at the same age. At 22 months, I gave Jacob his first haircut. Literally three snips– one over each ear and a bit of bang straightening. Saying he resisted is a bit of an understatement.
Last Friday, just after his second birthday and just in time for his monkey birthday party, he got his first real big boy haircut. His mod barber chair highchair was ideal for Toni who cuts kids’ hair at your house (www.kidscutsatyourhome.com). She gave him her squirt bottle which completely negated the need for a special showing of Handy Manny.
He found great joy in squirting me right in the face.
Jake’s Hair: A Photo Montage
Cue Ball
The Friar Tuck
22 Months: First Hair Cut
Curls
2 Years: Squirt Bottle
The Next Bubble
There was the Dutch Tulip Bubble, the Dot Com Bubble, the Housing Market Bubble. Potentially not as well recognized, but I think there has definitely been a Starbucks Bubble… quick tangent: James ruined a perfectly good evening for me by announcing that Starbucks is thinking of buying Peet’s. One of the key attributes of our house is that I can walk to Peet’s… I sure hope this trips some sort of antitrust triggers that kill it quickly and permanently.
OK, back to bubbles. So, I’m predicting, with little fanfare, the next great bubble to burst. Remember, you read it here first… www.fucillofamily.com: Known for its cutting-edge journalism and for out-scooping the competition. So without further ado, the next great bubble to burst will be…
Frozen Yogurt Shops
Whoa! I know. Mind-blowing, huh? Perhaps you have or have not noticed the insane number of fro yo shops popping up everywhere. They offer the new “plain” frozen yogurt which is slightly tangy and comes with numerous topping options. It began with places like Pinkberry and Red Mango and has gone completely buck wild. I’ve also noticed a similar phenomenon in the yogurt isle at Whole Foods. Several years ago there was just Fage Greek yogurt. Now there are prime time commercials for some brand called Chobani. I saw at least 10-15 brands of Greek yogurt just last week. I think this related yogurt market is right on the heels of tangy frozen treats.
So, get your money out of Tutti Frutti, Orange Leaf, and Yumi Yogurt before it’s too late! The more fro yo we buy, the stronger the case for a tax payer bail-out of an industry that is beginning to employ too many Americans.
Baby Nake
As many folks have noticed, Jake is a chatterbox. I’d say at two years old he spontaneously produces at least 250 words and phrases, possibly 300.
Some of my more recent favorites include, “No like it!” Although this one is usually accompanied by tears and/or struggling. I was also quite impressed when we drove by the weird statue at the Egyptian mummy museum and he yelled out, “hippopotamus!” His pronoun confusion on “my, I and you” is also pretty cute, “my drive it” (regarding our car), and “hold you” which means “hold me.”
For quite some time now he’ll pronounce certain words correctly, and then change them up. Most notable is the G and D switcharoo such as grandma to dam-ma and doggie to goggie. There is also the exchange of T with C and K changing kisses to tisses, Covin to Tovin, hot coffee to hot toffee, and cup to tup.
Thus, the latest addition to our family, “Baby Nake.” We hear a lot of “Baby Nake toughing (coughing)” and “Bless you Baby Nake!”
So, until and unless I’m struck with some stroke of blog titling genius, I’ve updated our blog to “Jake & Nake: A Mom’s Opinion.” It sort of has a nice ring to it…
New Roommate
Sleeps like a baby.
Drinks like a fish.
Screams like a little girl.
Burps like a man.
Hap Birday Tooooo Youuuuu
Yesterday was Jake’s second birthday. Finally, when asked how old he is, his favorite answer, “Two!” will be right.
We went on a special just Mommy-Daddy-Jakey date for dinner and dessert. Baby Nate spent the entire evening sleeping in the company of Dam-ma who caught-up on her Japanese natural and man-made disaster news. I predict nightmares.
The service at Pizza Antica was the best we’ve ever had and the birthday boy ate several pieces of Margherita. He had a ball opening his Curious George tin tea set and serving us “hot tea” before dinner. And then downed his peanut butter frosted chocolate cupcake after playing in the fountain at Santana Row and throwing rocks, despite the “Please do NOT throw rocks” sign.
It appeared to be the the perfect birthday night out. I thought so, two.
Meet Baby Nate
We are super excited to let everyone know…
Baby Nathaniel James (Nate) is finally here!
Yes, he arrived 5 days late, but squeaked in fast and furious at 11:45pm on March 1st. As is typically reported, he was 7 lbs. 13 oz. and 20 inches long. His big brother Jake is acting a bit different now that we’re all home, but seems pretty taken with his “Baby Nake.”
I’ll be sure to get back to the blogosphere shortly… believe me, I’m collecting all sorts of new material.
Love,
Jaimie, James & Big Brother Jakey
That James
A few weeks ago James says something along the lines of… if this baby is late, it’s definitely a Purnell. My surname’s reputation for timeliness was irreparably damaged when my closest relations missed our pre-wedding photography… NINE years ago. As my mom would say, “That James!”
I just rolled my eyes.
Speaking of rolling, so last night I roll my 40 weeks plus 3 days small pumpkin self into bed for another fitful night’s sleep. James is reading a magazine. I’m starting to doze off when I ask James, “Were you born early, on your due date, or late?”
It’s kind of quiet for too long… I open my eyes. He has a sheepish look on his face and mumbles something that sounds suspiciously like, “I was two weeks late and so was my brother.”
Ummm, what did you just say? I couldn’t possibly have heard you right. Suddenly I don’t feel so sleepy.
“Two weeks late.”
Perhaps I uttered some sort of profanity… who can really remember. The more important question: “When were you going to tell me this?! Were you keeping this a secret?”
“Well, you never asked me directly.”
“So you were keeping this a secret. You know this is going straight into the blog.”
“Yeah, yeah. You’re always tattling on me in the blog.”
Today I confirmed the dreadful truth, straight from Nonna. James was due June 7th and was born June 25th… that’s 18 days late. Brett was born th… th… three weeks late (yes, I’m choking).
You’d think after 15 years I’d know everything there is to know. Although a few years ago I did discover that James plugs his ears by putting his fingers in his ears whereas I was taught to push on my tragus (thanks Google for being able to find anatomical ear vocabulary in less than 3 seconds).
Perhaps Baby Cillo will in fact clear my family’s good name… That James.
40 Weeks: Small Pumpkin
So, it’s February 24th… D-day. I mean B-day! Supposedly.
I guess we’ll see soon enough. They assure me that you can’t stay pregnant forever. So say the “experts.”
BabyCenter.com abandons produce metaphors next week… probably because there seems to be almost no end to how big a pumpkin can get… not really a comforting thought. Pretend I didn’t write that.
Fingers crossed that my next baby blog features an actual baby.
XOXO
In high school, my friend Alesia and I spent a summer in Mexico living with host families and practicing our Spanish. One conversation I’ll never forget was with our dear friend Yayo. Yayo had a new girlfriend who had signed a note to him, “xoxo.”
“What does “soak-so” mean?” he asked us in Spanish.
“Soak-so?” We were perplexed.
“Oh! XOXO? Hugs and kisses!”
Fast forward more years than I care to count. “Hugs, Mama, hugs. Teeses.” I have to say, Jakey has turned into a truly talented hug and teese giver. At school, Miss Dulce is always commenting on how friendly and sociable our little Romeo is. “He’s been giving hugs and kisses to everyone.” I just can’t understand why I’ve been sick off and on since October…
And just recently, he finally warmed-up to Miss Leti.
Miss Leti seems to be the only person Jake has ever encountered that he didn’t immediately take to. Every morning she would greet him and he would cry and cling and refuse to go to her. I’ve personally had my own challenges with a Leti who stalked and bullied me for weeks in eighth grade… so really, I can’t blame him. But then, a week or two ago, Miss Leti told James that Jakey is the best kisser… he really knows how to give a good smacker.
I too have noticed considerable improvement in his embraces and smooches. His hugs incorporate that all important, genuine squeeze. And whereas his first kisses basically involved him opening his mouth and putting it on your face, or sometimes over your nose, leaving you wet and slobbery– his more evolved pecks do not leave you reaching for your shirt sleeve.
Some mornings when he’s woken-up at 5am and he’s made his way from his crib, into his favorite place with his head in the crook of my neck and his feet kicking his Dad in the back, he’s sometimes overcome with affection. I’ve had a handful of morning wake-ups with almost a dozen kisses planted on my cheeks and forehead. And then mouth-to-mouth whispering, “Mama, baba, Mama.” It’s the sweetest thing.