pediatric update

a quick pediatric update from a dual jack&annie checkup.

jack was due for his 3.5 year check up, and annie her 10 month check up. so, in the interests of efficiency, we booked a joint appointment.

of course, with two kids at the doctor, we didn't have the energy or wits to also document it on film or video ... so this will be the text-only version.

they both received their h1n1 boosters ... and annie also received the booster for seasonal flu, since infant vaccine comes in two doses.

jack was concerned for the entire appointment with whether he was going to get a shot. and while he was not happy about it, he was brave in the end ... and very proud of his "tweety" bandaid.

they were both pronounced happy, healthy kids. and we were reminded yet again just how thankful we should have been (and were) on thursday past.

the stats:

jack, 3.5 years old

height = 39"(+1 inch)
weight = 32.5 lbs (+1 lb.)

that puts him at about the 50th percentile for height and 25th for weight ... on the new growth chart -- he moved up from the infant to child chart!

annie, 10 months old

height = 29"(+ 1/2 inch)
weight = 19 lbs, 15 oz. (+1 lb., 5 oz.)
head = 46 cm (+1 cm)

that puts her at 75th percentile for height, 50th for weight and who knows for head ... speaking of heads ... she still doesn't have a single tooth in hers. she is, however, starting to stand and balance for several seconds before sitting down in a (mostly) controlled way ... prompting mamaxana to make the apt observation that she will walk before she has a tooth. but, the doctor did not seem worried about either prospect -- neither walking soon nor not having teeth.

they do grow up like weeds. and what weeds our children are! cute, cute weeds ...

the story of thanksgiving

as told by jack mershon (with some noisy off-camera help from his sister)

thankful

holiday portrait, failed attempt #1

over the past few years, mommy has elected to send pictures of jack as our family's christmas card. there is no happier way (and no more profound) to mark the passage of time than by the growth of a child.

this year, we're hoping to have a picture of jack and annie to send out.

so, in the service of this lofty goal, we used the beautiful weather and nice light on sunday to try some portaits in the park near church ... in the shadow of the white house.

it went, um, less than swimmingly ... judge for yourselves:

ain't she sweet?

oh ain't she sweet?
see her walking down that street
and i ask you very confidentially:

ain't she sweet?

oh i repeat

don't you think she's kind of neat?

yes i ask you very confidentially:

ain't she sweet?

weekend update, november edition

we can't let november escape without a single post ... and if it's a new post ... it must be a weekend update.

mommy returned from her trip to asia in one piece (mostly). to give daddy a break from his more than week-long single parent duty, mommy and kids left him in peace to do work around the house and watch the ohio state game, and headed off for some errands.

one of which, was getting jack's hair cut. his previous cut had been really more of a -- how to say? -- butchering. so, this time we waited for "the good guy." we don't know his name, but you recognize him by his shirts.

this was only jack's second haircut in the chair by himself rather than seated on mommy's lap, and he has become absolutely intrepid. and, he looked so cute by the end, that the mother of the boy in the chair next to him said of jack, "make him look like that little boy."

unbeknownst to her, her son was in the butcher's chair. ah, well ... she'll learn. we all do.

after that highly successful outing, we continued on to the shoe store to buy jack some new shoes. he was mostly cooperative, but the interesting thing is that we've played out the scene in our imaginative play since -- with jack as the shoe store employee and mommy as the customer.

we followed up with lunch at mcdonald's and a visit to the toy store. for the longest time ... pretty much since he could speak words ... jack has referred to the golden arches as "hot donald's." well, no more. he has informed his mother that it is called mcdonald's and he doesn't want to call it hot donald's any more. although he was convinced to do it just a few more times ... for mommy.

at the toy store, jack looked around at all the toys that he might ask santa for. he was, shockingly, particularly drawn to the fire fighting-related toys. in fact, when nana came to babysit him later that night, and she had the audacity to suggest that he might ask santa for some more books in the series from which they were reading, he responded, "oh, no, i’m asking santa for the firetruck and the fire station and the fire mans. i can get the books at the library.” apparently he decided he was not going to waste his “santa asks” on books!

meanwhile, as jack schemes and no doubt plots his strategy for world domination, annie plays happily with toys. she has gotten very mobile and is unstoppable these days. and she has the bruises to prove it. in fact, the baby gates have all come back out -- including one at the top of the stairs which someone broke last year by swinging on it (hint: it was not the cat) and which daddy fixed while left in peace.

sunday found a return of our family to church. after many recent weekends spent working, it was nice to take a break from the hustle-bustle of life and slow down and reflect for an hour. the fact that it was a pleasant day didn't hurt either ...

we wrapped up the day with what may in fact be our first-ever true family dinner. everyone, even annie, ate together and ate the same food. in fact, annie may have eaten more than jack -- nearly an entire drumstick worth of chicken and egg noodles, too! it was a busy weekend but nice to be all back together again.

Our Guy

One of the fathers at Jack's preschool is a terrific photographer. As a contribution to the school auction, he takes 'action shots' of all the kids. This year's version is here.