JAB blab

Not as terrible a mom as I thought I was, I found the birthday photos. So here is March. Trying out new way to share photos…

March photos for web

Abby came into this world with very little fuss. Her temperament was calm and she proved resourceful from the get go–no problems nursing, no problems sleeping; she was content to join our family, accepting her place as daughter and little sister. Though prepared for newborn “battle,”  we found the first few weeks with this little girl practically a vacation.

I can’t believe it has been a year. Much like my pregnancy, Abby’s first year has been a whirlwind. Throughout my pregnancy with Jack and for practically his entire first year, I wasn’t working and, of course as the first child, he did not have a pesky sibling with whom he had to vie for attention. For better or for worse, he got my undivided attention for a solid two and a half years. And for better or for worse, Abby is left with my attempts at undivided attention, attempts that are so often interrupted with the rest of life.

And yet, in many ways I am much more aware of every stage of her development because I know just how fleeting the moments are….In spite of my will to slow it all down, she weaned herself, she rolled over, she crawled across the floor, pulled herself up, took her first steps, and hasn’t stopped walking since. Throughout it all, she has cooed, smiled, laughed, and now babbles with a twinkle in her eye.

She adores her brother and seems fairly keen on her parents. I know this won’t last forever, so I’ll drink in the adoration now. She is a social butterfly with a smile and “hi” for anyone and everyone she passes. With all that said, she is no push over. She has joined the chaos of our lives and is a full fledged contributing member.

Her first birthday came and went. We celebrated, but it was a low key affair with what appears to be relatively little documentation. This blog, of course, continues to fall by the wayside. It would seem technology doesn’t make up for the second child getting the shaft in the baby book department, even if it is virtual. Today is Easter…much later this year, as I distinctly remember celebrating with Jack the day after we returned home from the hospital with Abby. I was once again struck by how fleeting time is and how much happens in this first year. And so…

Abby’s First Year from Tiffany Cothran on Vimeo.

One of my favorite parenting bloggers, always posts such thoughtful Mother’s Day wishes.

Yesterday was also my birthday so I experienced a double whammy. Jack woke me up with a “Happy Birthday Mama” and some presents. Then he and K went out for a frolic at the Children’s Museum in Sausalito. This awesome hands-on toddler museum located practically at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge has become a family fave. Having celebrated my birthday in adult style the evening before (K and I had dinner at a yummy newish restaurant downtown called Flora sans kiddies!), Jack and K left Abby and I to our own devices which turned into a very lazy morning eating truffles (birthday present) and watching the first season of Ugly Betty on DVD. Later in the day, the family went for ice cream at Fentons (another fave). Aside from Jack boycotting his afternoon nap (hence the trip to Fentons), it was a relaxing day overall. Thanks for all the phone calls and emails from well wishers! I’m endeavoring a response to all.

A YEAR?!?! Has it really been a year? That seems impossible. A friend of ours recently commented that the first year goes by quickly, although the individual days go by slowly. I can second that. However, with the advent of sleeping through the night (GO JACK!) and actual naps (WHOO HOO!) the days are remarkabley easier.

We’ve been celebrating Jack’s birthday going on two weeks now, and this morning was no exception with the opening of gifts that have recently arrived in the mail. Jack was an eager participant in the paper tearing.

Although too early to really get the birthday concept, he seems to have grasped the idea of presents. I believe Jack has adopted the UPS man as his new best friend. Too many primo gifts to comment on in this space, but we’ll be in touch with you to offer our individual thanks soon!

However, I must report this: As a combination birthday/early Christmas present Jack is now the proud owner of a three month passport to our new favorite place Studio Grow! We went there yesterday to check it out and brought his nanny share friend, Max, with us today.

Studio Grow is one of many indoor play centers opening up here in the Bay Area. It’s a hot new trend with slight variations…some host adult and kid friendly cafes with better than your average indoor play area while others, like Studio Grow, are more of a large indoor playground with bonuses.

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I like this place so much, that I must now offer you my unsolicited testimonial (feel free to skip if you dan’t care about such matters):

Studio Grow doesn’t have a cafe, but they do have a room where you can eat if your bring your lunch AND they have ample play space because they are housed in a big warehouse so even on icky weather days like today we didn’t feel cramped or overstimulated. (Notice the “we” which really means me. Jack is usually fine.) This is just ONE of the rooms:

They have spaces for non-crawlers but the bulk of their stuff is geared towards crawlers through around age 6. The space is well thought out and promotes both cognitive and physical development with areas for imaginative play, physical rompiness as well as nooks for reading, art, geeky math like conceptualizing games (bias noted), and plain old fun with water.
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All in all, it rocks. Man, it’s ridiculous what excites me these days. Anyhow, like I said, Jack has a pass which means he can get three buddies in FREE! So, if you live in the area and want a play date, we are always up for it.

And, yes, Jack fell down and scraped off almost all of the skin on his wee little button nose. The fall was actually last Friday. It’s really looking much better.

Friday:

Yesterday:

Hmmmm. Don’t know if you can tell that it’s any better. You’ll just have to trust me.

And, yes, new photos are up! Addicts…the whole lot of you! Geeze!

This past Sunday we had Jack “dedicated” at our church. We are members of the First Unitarian Church of Oakland and the dedication ceremony is basically an introduction/welcoming of members’ children. It also serves as a time for family, friends, and members of the congregation to symbolically commit to helping to raise the children being dedicated. It takes a village!

The children are blessed with all of the elements: water, fire (by candle),

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earth (a smudge of dirt on the bottom of their shoe), and air (soft blowing of the breath), as well as beauty (symbolized by a flower selected by the family). This is what we put in the program:

Jackson Paul Cothran
Parents: Tiffany Cothran & Kieran Ringgenberg
Godparents: Cassie Beck & Kent Nicholson
Acknowledgements: A special thanks to all of our friends here today for their constant support and love.

Jack loves his “kikis” (kitties), his walker, yogurt, and all things electronic. He has a winning smile and a groovy little dance. Like his daddy, he enjoys nature. His sense of drama is from his mama. Though sometimes shy with strangers, he can be quite the little charmer. He is happiest when he, Mama and Daddy are all playing together.

Some of our closest local friends were in attendance to celebrate with us and since it was so close to his upcoming birthday, we decided to roll it all into one with a small party following the service.

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Jack was in great spirits all day and had a fantastic time! Pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting were a hit. Other than missing some of our closest friends and family, it was the perfect way to celebrate the year of the Jackalope. 

Jack loves the walkers that our nanny share family has so we went in search of a special walker for his first birthday present…one that was small, easy to handle, sturdy and would serve other purposes even after he was walking. It arrived the other day and I couldn’t resist giving it to him. (He doesn’t know when his birthday is after all!)

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I don’t know if you can tell from the picture but there is a little storage area behind that blue seat. He can load up toys, remotes, cats, whatever! And the blue seat is a great spot for resting or for mini-rides. Actually, we had a play group here last Friday and the kids were giving each other rides in it already. Fun times! (Added bonus: the big plastic walker can go back to the second hand store where I bought it! Yay!)