Remember I told you about my new crocs? Aren’t they cute?
Today I gave them their first workout. I took Jakob to the park while wearing them, and MAN are they comfy! Now I really wish I’d bought them earlier in the season, ‘cus I can see myself wanting to wear them all the time.

Today (Monday) Jakob is officially 4 months old.

According to What to Expect the First Year:

By four months, your baby

…should be able to:
-on stomach, lift head up to 90 degrees CHECK
-laugh out loud CHECK
-follow an object held about 6 inches above baby’s face and moved 180 degrees-from one side to the other, with baby watching all the way CHECK
-on stomach, raise chest, supported by arms CHECK
-grasp a rattle held to backs or tips of fingers CHECK
-pay attention to an object as small as a raisin CHECK
-reach for an object CHECK
-squeal in delight CHECK

…will probably be able to:
-hold head steady when upright CHECK
-on stomach, raise chest, supported by arms CHECK
-grasp a rattle held to backs or tips of fingers CHECK
-pay attention to an object as small as a raisin CHECK
-reach for an object CHECK
-squeal in delight CHECK

…may possibly be able to:
-keep head level with body when pulled to sitting CHECK
-roll over (one way) CHECK
-turn in the direction of a voice, particularily mommy’s CHECK
-say “ah-goo” or similar vowel-consonant combination CHECK
-razz (make a wet razzing sound) CHECK

…may even be able to:
-bear some weight on legs when held upright CHECK he loves it!
-sit without support NO-only when leaning against something
-object if you try to take a toy away NO
-turn in the direction of a voice CHECK

This next photo is for Robyn- I can’t take a decent mirror photo like you do! If I use the flash they come out sharp but with the bright white spot. If I don’t use the flash they are always blurry.
Still…it’s a cute photo. I strapped Jakob into the Snugli and took him for a walk to the park.

We played in the swings again and he had fun, laughing and talking to me. There was a gorgeous breeze blowing and it was really nice to be outside.

It was also really nice to be home, when I saw these packages waiting for me:

Since the first anniversary gift is “paper”, Yannick and I exchanged paper gifts. I gave him gift certificates for Home Depot, and he gave me certificates for Chapters, our local book store. (Paper books- get it?) I’ve been slowly placing orders for the books I want, and they are slowly arriving. Yannick promised to dedicate each one to me so I’ll remember what occassion they were for.

The only thing that sucks is that Chapters doesn’t have some of the books I’d wanted, knitting ones by Elizabeth Zimmermann or Barbara Walker, to complete my collections. However, his parents gave me some money for my birthday, so I was able to order the remaining books from Amazon.com and Amazon.ca (big price difference sometimes making it worth the exchange). I’m waiting until all the packages arrive before I open any! After these purchases I’ll just be missing the First, Second and Third Barbara Walker treasuries, and will have all of EZ’s books! I can’t wait!

Oh, before I forget- I did knit! Yannick and I went for groceries late so I taped all the shows I’d wanted to watch. Once we got home and put Jakob to bed I didn’t feel like stopping the VCR so I let it keep taping and climbed into bed with my knitting and some podcasts on my ipod. I got in about an hour while listening to Quirky Nomads.

Would you believe it- after staying up all night to send in my Knitty submissions I get an email the next morning- the deadline was pushed back by 2 days! Aaarrghh…. Oh well, at least they were in!

In the morning Maaike and I went to Effiloche, as I mentioned before. They didn’t have any sari silk in, which was the reason for our visit, nor did they have in any patterns so I could buy enough Baby Ull, nor did they have any Fleece Artist Sea Silk (‘cus I was thinking of restarting my Montego Bay scarf)…so in the end Maaike picked up a few things but I walked out empty handed. There was a colorway of Colinette Jitterbug that I loved but I knew that Robyn carried that yarn so I figured if I was to buy it, I’d buy it from her.

I got home to a rough scene. Yannick was babysitting Jakob and for the first time ever Jakob refused to drink from a bottle. He’s resisted in the past but always wound up drinking it…this time was a no-go. He even cried so hard that he fell asleep from the effort. It was really tough but we didn’t give in and feed him. Instead we vowed to try and give him one bottle per day to get him used to taking them again.

I don’t remember what we did for the rest of the afternoon, I think we played video games. I’ve been hooked on watching Yannick play “God of War II” on PS2 and we’ve been taking turns playing “Pitfall Harry” on GameCube. I like when Yannick plays because I give him tips on the mental puzzles or ideas when he’s stuck so I feel like I’m contributing but I get to knit at the same time.

That evening we wondered if Jakob was big enough yet to play in his Jolly Jumper version of an Exersaucer. Sure enough:
Here he’s just concentrating, but you should have seen the grin on his face! He hasn’t figured out that he can jump, instead he’s more focused on how to get the monkey (the hanging yellow thing) into his mouth.

Friday was hectic! I didn’t go out all day because I was working on my submissions. They were due Saturday and I wanted to have them sent off before then. I even refused to go to the park with Maaike and Erika because I was working so hard to get them done.

Because I spent most of the day on the computer, I had to get creative in finding places for Jakob to play. I brought his play mat upstairs so we’d have that, and at times I put him on the bed behind me. I sit so close to the bed that the back of my chair touches it, so I was able to sit sideways and watch him while I worked. I was also close enough to swoop down for cuddles and kisses whenever I wanted too!

I love this peaceful look! He has completely discovered his hands and feet and will sometimes spend a few moments just staring at them, watching them work. Of course, two moments after taking this photo he was sucking on his toes and drooling. 🙂

We went to my parents’ house again, this time for leftovers. We only stayed until 10pm then came home to feed Jakob and put him to bed.

I can’t believe it…I had so much work still left to do for my submissions that I stayed up until 2:00am! I really wanted to get to bed earlier since Maaike and I were going to Effiloche in the morning and I knew I had to get up early, but I had no choice if I wanted to get my submissions in before the deadline expired.

I DID get a few rows knit on the Montego Bay scarf, however.

Sorry for the catch-up posts, last week was crazy hectic. I decided to go for it and submit 3 (!) patterns to Knitty for the Winter issue. The deadline was Saturday the 15th, and for one pattern I had to choose the photos I wanted to use, for another I had to find where I’d written the pattern down, actually type it up and choose the photos, and for a third I had to calculate the different sizes, type it up and choose the photos. Plus as I typed I found other stuff I had to do, like sketches and illustrations. It was a loooong week.

That night was the first supper for Rosh Hashana, and we met at my parents’ house. I decided to try Jakob in a high chair for the first time, so that if he was able to sit in it, he could sit at the table with us, instead of on the floor in a bouncer. I thought he’d prefer to be able to see everyone, and I was right!

I didn’t get to knit on Wed, it was too distracting keeping an eye on Jakob or making sure no one went in to disturb him once I put him to bed for the night.

Happy Rosh Hashana to all who celebrate.

A quick primer, for those who don’t:
Rosh Hashanah occurs on the first and second days of Tishri. In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means, literally, “head of the year” or “first of the year.” Rosh Hashanah is commonly known as the Jewish New Year. This name is somewhat deceptive, because there is little similarity between Rosh Hashanah, one of the holiest days of the year, and the American midnight drinking bash and daytime football game.

There is, however, one important similarity between the Jewish New Year and the American one: Many Americans use the New Year as a time to plan a better life, making “resolutions.” Likewise, the Jewish New Year is a time to begin introspection, looking back at the mistakes of the past year and planning the changes to make in the new year.

The common greeting at this time is L’shanah tovah (“for a good year”). This is a shortening of “L’shanah tovah tikatev v’taihatem” (or to women, “L’shanah tovah tikatevi v’taihatemi”), which means “May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year.” The common greeting at this time is L’shanah tovah (“for a good year”). This is a shortening of “L’shanah tovah tikatev v’taihatem” (or to women, “L’shanah tovah tikatevi v’taihatemi”), which means “May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year.”

The name “Rosh Hashanah” is not used in the Bible to discuss this holiday. The Bible refers to the holiday as Yom Ha-Zikkaron (the day of remembrance) or Yom Teruah (the day of the sounding of the shofar). The holiday is instituted in Leviticus 23:24-25.

The shofar is a ram’s horn which is blown somewhat like a trumpet. One of the most important observances of this holiday is hearing the sounding of the shofar in the synagogue. A total of 100 notes are sounded each day. The Bible gives no specific reason for this practice. One that has been suggested is that the shofar’s sound is a call to repentance. The shofar is not blown if the holiday falls on Shabbat.

No work is permitted on Rosh Hashanah. Much of the day is spent in synagogue, where the regular daily liturgy is somewhat expanded. In fact, there is a special prayerbook called the machzor used for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur because of the extensive liturgical changes for these holidays.

Another popular observance during this holiday is eating apples dipped in honey, a symbol of our wish for a sweet new year. We also dip bread in honey (instead of the usual practice of sprinkling salt on it) at this time of year for the same reason.

Another popular practice of the holiday is Tashlikh (“casting off”). We walk to flowing water, such as a creek or river, on the afternoon of the first day and empty our pockets into the river, symbolically casting off our sins. Small pieces of bread are commonly put in the pocket to cast off. This practice is not discussed in the Bible, but is a long-standing custom. Tashlikh is normally observed on the afternoon of the first day, before afternoon services. When the first day occurs on Shabbat, many synagogues observe Tashlikh on Sunday afternoon, to avoid carrying (the bread) on Shabbat.

(from http://www.jewfaq.org)

Happy Rosh Hashana to all who celebrate.

A quick primer, for those who don’t:
Rosh Hashanah occurs on the first and second days of Tishri. In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means, literally, “head of the year” or “first of the year.” Rosh Hashanah is commonly known as the Jewish New Year. This name is somewhat deceptive, because there is little similarity between Rosh Hashanah, one of the holiest days of the year, and the American midnight drinking bash and daytime football game.

There is, however, one important similarity between the Jewish New Year and the American one: Many Americans use the New Year as a time to plan a better life, making “resolutions.” Likewise, the Jewish New Year is a time to begin introspection, looking back at the mistakes of the past year and planning the changes to make in the new year.

The common greeting at this time is L’shanah tovah (“for a good year”). This is a shortening of “L’shanah tovah tikatev v’taihatem” (or to women, “L’shanah tovah tikatevi v’taihatemi”), which means “May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year.” The common greeting at this time is L’shanah tovah (“for a good year”). This is a shortening of “L’shanah tovah tikatev v’taihatem” (or to women, “L’shanah tovah tikatevi v’taihatemi”), which means “May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year.”

The name “Rosh Hashanah” is not used in the Bible to discuss this holiday. The Bible refers to the holiday as Yom Ha-Zikkaron (the day of remembrance) or Yom Teruah (the day of the sounding of the shofar). The holiday is instituted in Leviticus 23:24-25.

The shofar is a ram’s horn which is blown somewhat like a trumpet. One of the most important observances of this holiday is hearing the sounding of the shofar in the synagogue. A total of 100 notes are sounded each day. The Bible gives no specific reason for this practice. One that has been suggested is that the shofar’s sound is a call to repentance. The shofar is not blown if the holiday falls on Shabbat.

No work is permitted on Rosh Hashanah. Much of the day is spent in synagogue, where the regular daily liturgy is somewhat expanded. In fact, there is a special prayerbook called the machzor used for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur because of the extensive liturgical changes for these holidays.

Another popular observance during this holiday is eating apples dipped in honey, a symbol of our wish for a sweet new year. We also dip bread in honey (instead of the usual practice of sprinkling salt on it) at this time of year for the same reason.

Another popular practice of the holiday is Tashlikh (“casting off”). We walk to flowing water, such as a creek or river, on the afternoon of the first day and empty our pockets into the river, symbolically casting off our sins. Small pieces of bread are commonly put in the pocket to cast off. This practice is not discussed in the Bible, but is a long-standing custom. Tashlikh is normally observed on the afternoon of the first day, before afternoon services. When the first day occurs on Shabbat, many synagogues observe Tashlikh on Sunday afternoon, to avoid carrying (the bread) on Shabbat.

(from http://www.jewfaq.org)

We did some more tummy time with our little squirt…
…then came home to cut our wedding cake and see how well it held up after being in the freezer for a year. (Luckily we’d remembered to thaw it earlier!) It was very good, but it was Kirsch-flavored, and after a year of sitting…the alcohol taste was very strong. Too strong for me. But the buttercream icing was yummy!

Happy Birthday Yannick!

We took another family walk when we got home then gave Jakob a nice bath before bed. I have to start remembering to put on a shlumpy shirt before his bath so I don’t mind getting splashed when he kicks!

Early Tuesday morning I heard Jakob fussing as if something was wrong, but it stopped after a few moments. When I went to check on him this was what I found- he’d rolled onto his tummy but fell back asleep! This is officially the first time he has slept on his stomach. I didn’t know what to do, since he was still swaddled and didn’t have his hands free to push himself up, so I turned him back over onto his back for the rest of the night. I know that once he can turn over by himself it is ok for him to be on his tummy, but I don’t think he can turn over without his hands.

Once we’d woken up for the day I took him to the Wool Shop to buy some yarn for the second item I’m considering submitting to Knitty. I had sketched the item last year but if I didn’t submit it now I would have to wait until next year (because of the season). I spent the afternoon knitting and unpacking some boxes, and did the same through the night because bowling started again so Yannick wasn’t home until late.

On Saturday Yannick went to do some work at his sister’s new house, so after a late lunch together he took off and Jakob and I hung out around the house.

Even though everyone tells me he’s too young, I KNOW Jakob is teething, and I gave him a teething ring for the first time this week to give him something besides his fingers to chew on. He loved it! It’s a bit too big for him though since he can’t get it into his mouth.

I did some knitting during the day but I can’t show it because it was a swatch with oversized acrylic yarn, just to test out some shaping ideas. I’ve since ripped it back and had forgotten to photograph it.

That night we went for an early supper with our friends Jackie and Kevin, and their son Bradley. It’s fun going out with other friends who have kids- I don’t feel guilty for going home early so I can put Jakob to bed on time, since they have to do the same. It was a bit odd going for supper at 5:45 though, but by the time we were eating I guess it was closer to 6:30, which is around the same time we eat at home.

After supper Yannick and I checked out the video game store next door to the restaurant. They have a huge used section and we always look for new (to us) games to buy. We have 3 video game systems so we have a lot of options to choose from! The only system we don’t have that I would want would be the Nintendo Wii ‘cus I hear that playing the games are good exercise, plus they have “brain” games which I like. But for now we haven’t even finished remodeling our den, so we don’t need to start adding new game systems! We did find 2 games to buy. We went to a 24-hr grocery store to do a much-needed order, then came home.

After I fed and put Jakob to bed, we sat down to relax. Yannick played his new video games and I did some more swatching. One of the games didn’t turn out to be any good but the other is a sequel to a game we both loved (and Yannick conquered last year), and it is a blast! (The games are God of War I and II, if any gamers read this blog). I don’t usually play the action games ‘cus I get dizzy when I can’t make the figure on screen do what I think my hands are trying to make him do, but I love to watch and offer advice. I also love it when Yannick is stuck at the puzzle areas and I’ll make a suggestion that turns out to be correct, like “what if you made the pendulum swing” or something.

On Sunday Yannick had to finish up his work so I vegged with Jakob again.

Yannick got home in time for a late supper with us, and as soon as I’d finished eating and put Jakob down for his last nap before bed, I left to go to the pharmacy. Monday the 3rd is Yannick’s birthday AND our first wedding anniversary, and while I had his gifts, I’d forgotten to stop and buy cards. I remembered to look at the teething rings, and found 2 small ones that Jakob could fit into his mouth, plus they can go in the fridge to get cold, so I bought those, and I also picked up a birthday card to Daddy from Jakob, and cards for my brother and 3 best friends, all of whose birthdays are in September. (Combine the birthdays with the Jewish High Holidays and it’s a crazy month! Thank Gd I don’t have to worry about Back-to-School yet!) When I got home I fed Jakob for the last time before bed, put him down to sleep and Yannick and I caught up on another chapter of Harry Potter #7.