Baby Jon, who is now much more like Little Boy Jon, is 9 months old today. The kiddo is a lot of fun, and keeps me on my toes. He is now 29 inches tall and 23 pounds, both of which are the 75th percentile for his age. Most people who interact with Jon say that he is very big for a 9-month-old, but good grief, a quarter of babies his age are bigger than he is! His head, bless his heart, is in the 97th percentile. Maybe that's why people think he's older than he is. Sorry, little dude, you have a big noggin! He's doing everything a little 9-month-old should do, except for clapping. The nurse who checked him out seemed concerned about that, but the pediatrician didn't freak out, so I'm trying not to. Although in the past couple of days, I have been clapping at everything and showing him how to do it. He still expresses zero interest in clapping. He does express a lot of interest in climbing, standing up, cruising, and eating : ) He puts everything in his mouth except for food. Stuff I find on the floor? Mmm...good eatin'! Bananas and puffs? Nope, I think I'll just squish those around in my fist and throw them on the floor.
I spent the first 8 years of my life in New England, and most of my extended relatives still live in the northeast. Jon and I took a trip out to Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York to visit relatives who had not met him yet. He was able to meet his three great-grandparents on my side of the family as well as my mom's siblings, one of my dad's uncles, and one of my dad's cousins. I also tagged along with my parents as they attended their 35th reunion at Gordon College. Here are a few pictures from our trip:
Meeting Great Uncle Kent & Great Aunt Sally
My mom pointing to a dorm window at Gordon College. When she was a student (1970-1975), there were bars on the ground floor windows of the girls' dorms.Keeping the girls in or the boys out?
Watching the Homecoming soccer game.
Back at Uncle Kent and Aunt Sally's house, we took a walk through a beautiful park in Wellesley. Pictured here are my dad, mom, me with Jon, and Aunt Sally.
Sitting with Great-Gran.
Sitting with Great-Grandfather.
Swinging at the park.
Yes, it was cold enough to wear a hat! Note the changing leaves in the background.
Talking to Aunt Sue and Uncle Earl via Skype. Jon is sitting with Craig and Jenny - Craig is my dad's cousin. They have four boys around my age, so they enjoyed hanging out with an 8 month old boy for a while!
Playing in Gran and Grandfather's kitchen.
End of a great visit!
Meeting Great Aunt Debi and Tickle Me Elmo.
Meeting Great Uncle Ivan. As Uncle Ivan was whipping Jon around, my grandmother very sternly told him to stop that!
My mom standing Jon on his head.Now what would Great Grandma Fox have to say about that?
The day after we returned from our trip, my friend Kara died unexpectedly. Kara was the first friend I made at Rhodes College, we went on to be roommates, and she was one of the few people I stayed in touch with after college. I can't say enough about how much Kara meant to me, and last Friday was one of the most difficult days of my life. Thankfully four of my other friends from Rhodes also made the trip to Kansas for her funeral, and we all comforted one another and shared memories. The last time I saw Kara was in April when she came to Memphis to visit and meet Jon. All that comforts me through her loss is that Kara lived life to the fullest, and God had her live every day and every moment that she was meant to. I know that sounds trite, but that is the best way I can put it. I miss her terribly, and I am glad for the time I had with her.
