Jax is Getting Big and Strong!

A few weeks ago Michael looked at me and exclaimed, "Mom, Jax is getting big and strong!" This week she showed us just how true the statement was by starting to walk! She began her attempts last Tuesday when, as she was cruising along some chairs, she looked at me with a mischievous grin, raised both arms in the air triumphantly, turned toward the center of the room and... fell straight into the floor. A few days later she added one step, then two, then three, then four. One day she walked a few steps and even stopped to "dance" to the music we had playing (she bounces up and down to the beat) before continuing a few more steps. And, today while I was filming, proved that she is indeed a child of this generation by demonstrating one of her most successful walks yet - with cellphone in hand:



Jax loves to greet people with a big, energetic wave, which is adorable. A bit of a side-note: Sometimes, through the course of events at home, Michael and I both leave Jax behind (usually I leave the room "temporarily" only to find that Michael has followed with some emergency requiring immediate attention). I feel terrible when I realize what has happened and hear her padding along toward us. So I decided to greet her with a big hoorah - I'd throw my hands into the air and cry, "Jax!" as she entered the room, which she just loved. However, it became a problem when she tried to copy my greeting. One hand was on the ground for support (she still crawls long-distance, after all) and the other one didn't quite make it above her head - resulting in a distinct, "Heil Hitler!" (I now follow her preferred way of greeting and wave furiously when she enters the room instead).

She also plays peek-a-boo as often and as long as she has an audience. I can't believe the little girl who was a newborn "just yesterday" is getting so big!



ADDENDUM: So, I have been "tagged" by some fellow bloggers for an on-line game:

1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next five sentences.
5. Tag five people.

First, some explanation for my book: I've been scouring some of my management and group dynamics books because recently I attended a (nonwork) meeting and it was decidedly odd and it drove me to my "library." Second, a confession: this was not (even close to) the first book I picked up - most of the texts had such jargon that explaining the lingo alone would have taken more space than the actual five sentences. I picked instead a fun little book about something most people have heard about:

"The Color Code: A New Way to See Yourself, Your Relationships, and Life" by Taylor Hartman, PhD:

"When their idle chatter is combined with rude and loud behavior, Yellows are considered obnoxious. This label always offends them because they can't comprehend why anyone wouldn't find them as delightful and entertaining as they find themselves. One distressed mother feared she would gag her four-year-old child if something didn't change soon. She was so tired of nonstop conversation that she admittedly stopped listening simply to save her own sanity. (Personally, I think she was also concerned for the child's physical well-being.)"

Sorry to all the Yellows out there... Anyway, it's a great little book that definitely oversimplifies people but is awfully fun as a conversation-starter. And, for anyone who wonders, I believe I was a "Blue" when I took the test ten years ago (all test questions are included in the book, so if I were really so inclined I could take it again, I guess).

And now, the winners (or losers, depending on how you think of it) who get to continue this game of tag are: Amy & Rich, Christine, Cari, and Scott, . And, if you were wondering, you were selected SPECIFICALLY because your blogs are woefully out of date for those of us who want to know about your every waking move!