The last birthday we count in months

... or maybe we will go right on counting 13, 14, after the year mark, who knows. But it does seem less likely that we will pay quite as much attention to each monthly birthday once he's a year old. Eleven months, Jack! How did that happen? Look at what a big boy you are now!



(no, he's not actually walking yet, though this photo is deceptive. He does like to walk with things he can push along with him, but definitely still needs two hands and a certain amount of focus while he's doing it. I love the nonchalantness of the pose he's striking here, but he paid for it, falling down the moment after I took this.)

Jack spent his eleven month birthday doing nothing terribly special. I didn't even get to spend much of the day with him, since I had a big day full of meetings and teaching prep for the last lesson I was responsible for designing this semester, and then Danny and I had theater tickets in the evening. Poor Jack! Getting left with one babysitter after another as though this day were no different than any other. We promise we'll do better next month. We have to, because you only get one first birthday!

I did have a few precious moments with my little boy at the park before I dropped him with the undergrad who would take him to Tuesday Mom later in the day. We swung on a swing at a park near campus, where everyone seemed to be walking by on their way to work, and I swear, the stoniest faces melted into smiles when they saw this sweet little guy, clapping his feet together in the joy and exuberance of swinging. This is the effect you have on people, Jack.



Happy t-minus 1 month to blast off, Jack!