One Year Old

Jalen is one year old! And this big boy couldn't be busier. Creeping, crawling, dancing, singing, laughing, slapping, clapping, screeching, making general mayhem, and shouting 'NA!' when he doesn't want something are now his daily agenda. At 32 inches, he is still in the 97th percentile for height, and 23 lbs, 11 oz, he's only in the 50th percentile for weight... don't let that fool you though, he's growing (and moving) as fast as ever!

Dallas, Baby

Our little traveler yet again took to the friendly skies, this time to visit 'Aunt Becky' and 'Uncle John' in Dallas, Texas. He treated us all to some fine dining on our first night, but seemed to better enjoy devouring Uncle John's homemade pumpkin waffles the next morning. After a dreary New York winter, he was eager to enjoy the playground, as well as to participate in his first cattle drive (albeit one made of bronze). But mostly he was happy to just take in the sights and hang out with two of his favorite people.

11 Months Old

The days seem to be getting shorter and shorter, as Jalen is eagerly exploring his environment at faster and faster speeds. His favorite new discoveries include Poika's water bowl and toy box. Putting his mouth on everything that Poika does is prime entertainment for this monkey-see-monkey-do... and why not? With three little teeth, he's ready to chew!

Beach Baby

At just 10 months old, this lucky little boy got to enjoy his first Caribbean vacation. The water - both beach and pool - was a big hit; the sand took a bit of getting used to. Overall, Jalen (and Mommy and Daddy) were able to find plenty of time for relaxation and peaceful reflection.

Funny Tub Time

We seem to post a lot of bath videos! Jalen threw his toy out of the sink at me (along with a handful of water), and was quite bemused when I jumped out of the way. Apparently it continues to be hysterically funny, no matter how many times he does it...

10 Months Old

10 months has been a big milestone for Jalen! He's learned to sit up from lying down, he's said "Mama" and "Dada", and he's starting to crawl and pull himself up on things. He also apparently no longer wants to smile for his monthly photo shoot- sitting still no longer fits into his busy schedule.

First Words

Uncle Jesse confirmed that 'uh-oh' does indeed count as a first word (and even speculated as to its correlation with his presidential capabilities). He might not be quite yet ready to take on that role, as these days he's totally engrossed in his new hobby - throwing things on the floor.

First Christmas

Jalen really seemed to enjoy his first Christmas. Santa had stuffed his stocking full of blocks, and he was very excited to empty it, one by one. He also had lots of toys under the tree (mostly thanks to his nanny, Emma). After opening presents, he headed to Nana and Vaari's house to spend the rest of the holiday with them, as well as Auntie Erica, Uncle Ayman, and cousins Ella and Maddy, where he was again spoiled with gifts.

9 Months Old

Our big boy now weighs 22 lb, 10 oz, and is 31 inches long, again putting him in the 75th percentile for this weight and off the charts for his height. This has been a big month for the little man. After overcoming his first attempts, he now eats finger foods happily. However, he insists of being fed the finger foods directly - any placed on his tray or in his hands quickly becomes a Poika snack. We're seeing a lot of signs of increased mobility, but no crawling... yet! He can get into crawling position, but flops back down to his belly and ends up moving backwards, instead (and usually ends up wedging himself under a couch, chair or bed in the process). In general, he's turned into a very squirmy, wriggly, wiggly little boy.

He's also gotten to host his first Hanukkah party, and loves to play with his dreidels and watch the candles on the menorah. The lights on his very first Christmas tree is also a source of fascination, and we all can't wait for his first Christmas morning!

8 Months Old

First Finger Foods

Our little boy is growing, and is finally ready for finger foods (or so we thought)! After this first attempt, Jalen now refuses to open his mouth. For now, he's happy with his purees.

Bath Time Splash

Tubby time is one of Jalen's favorite moments of the day. His days of relaxing in a baby tub are over, and splashing has become serious business. He still takes the time to give Mommy big smiles, though!

Seven Months Old

This month has been so busy for Jalen, he's barely had time to update his blog!
He isn't yet crawling, but easily gets himself into crawling position - he now loves to sleep with his knees tucked under him and his bum in the air.


He's also become more aware of his body , and loves to look at himself and play in front of the mirror.
"Hello, handsome!"

He's found the time to pursue many autumn activities, including apple picking and trick-or-treating. He seems to have enjoyed the holiday more than the skunk did!

Six Months Old

Jalen is so excited to be a half a year old! At 19 lb, 11 oz, he is in the 75th percentile for weight, and at 28 1/4 inches, this tall guy is in the 90th percentile. He is sitting up on his own now, and has learned lots of other new tricks, too -- he loves to reach into his toy box and pull out toys on his own, turn on his crib aquarium by himself (sometimes with his head in the middle of the night) and pull -- hair, ears, necklaces, whatever he can get his hands on. His other interests are jumping in his jumperoo, watching Nana chase Poika (especially when Jalen gets to go along for the ride) and splashing wildly in the tub. What a multifaceted boy he has become!

Becoming a Boy

Jalen's development has taken off in the last couple weeks. He is finding that there are many benefits to growing up, including getting to go to his first Mets game. Unfortunately it is not a memorable year for the Mets and Jalen showed his displeasure by falling asleep. The good news is that this lucky charm helped bring a rare Mets win.

There are also signs of being able to sit up on his own, which meant that Jalen was able to get his first ride on the playground swings in Union Square.

Five Months Old

The little man is now officially five months old, and as you can see, is always on the go - he didn't even want to sit still for his monthly photo shoot. While he can't yet crawl, he sure is ready to! This month has also brought his first taste of real food (rice cereal), and he's anxious to broaden his diet even further in the next month. Weighing in at 17 lbs, 11 oz, Jalen is now 'only' in the 75th percentile.

Pool Party

After getting his toes wet a couple weeks prior, Jalen jumped right into the pool last weekend. Sporting a lovely blue one-piece, he was excited to splash around for a little while before lying back and relaxing. It seems as if we have a water lover on our hands.

Four Months Old

On July 15th Jalen officially turned four months old and at his check-up this week he clocked in at 17lbs, 3oz, good for the 90th percentile. And his height was up to 27.25 inches, which was literally "off the charts" according to the doctor, so we will call that the 101st percentile. While he has shown more and more signs of being aware of his surroundings, in the recent weeks Jalen has also learned how to roll onto his side from his back. He has yet to master the full rollover, thus keeping Poika ahead of him in motor skills. His sounds have expanded to include razzing, which he proceeded to do for the first 24 hours straight after he learned how to do it. He is quite the smiley baby these days.

Man of Many Homes

In a very busy couple of weeks, Jalen has spent a lot of time in the car. 100 miles on either the New York State Thruway or the Long Island Expressway takes him to his second and third homes in Woodstock and Amagansett. In Woodstock, while visiting his Mima's house in Dad's hometown, Jalen went on his first hike up Overlook Mountain. In Amagansett he visited his Great-Grandmother Cindy and his Great-Aunt Stephanie, while taking the time to throw on his bathing suit to dip his feet in the pool and the sand.

Nana Time

Jalen was very lucky to get a visit from his Nana, who came from Massachusetts to visit him in New York.
He loves to dance with her and cannot wait to see her again in August.