Exploring the World!

      As Rod and I have been exploring here in Seattle, our little Jace has been busy exploring and discovering the world too. The other day, Jace and I went to the aquarium, and Jace loved to watch the fish swim around. He is learning to stand and will stand on anything that holds still long enough, which makes our role as parents change into more of a spotter role.

Jace wanting to be held

Jace discovered stairs at church and is now eager to try his hand at any set of stairs he sees. Fortunately, there aren't many around where we live! Jace discovered asphalt the other day, and has little scrapes on his lip to show for it as he dove headfirst off the sidewalk. He is also beginning to communicate with us with body language. If he comes up to us and sits back on his knees with his arms reaching up to us, we know he wants to be picked up. He reaches for things or people he wants.
        He is also learning the cadence of language. If you talk to him, he will talk back at appropriate pauses in conversation, and he even makes inflections in his voice that are similar to common phrases we say. The other day, as we were out on a hike, I was talking to Jace saying, "your mommy is so nice. You are so thankful she does nice things for you like that, aren't you?" He responded with something that sounded very much like "Thank you!" Rod and I cracked up at this! This morning as we were getting ready for the day, I stuck my tongue out at Jace and he made a sound much like "Oh my gosh!" and promptly turned around and showed me his butt... I guess I was a little too insulting. :)
      He's also trying lots of new foods. We've finally introduced him to meat, and he's liking it. Fortunately, so is his waistline. He finally seems to be gaining and maintaining a good weight. We went out for a walk yesterday and the black berries are just coming into season. The roads here are lined with blackberry bushes; it's so prevalent it's a weed. So I picked some that were just ripe. Admittedly, since they're just coming into season, some of these were a little under ripe, not quite fall off the bush ripe. Rod and I enjoyed eating some, even despite a little bit of tartness. Jace, seeing we were eating without him, really wanted some. So I gave him one. He bit in eagerly then stopped. "eugh," he said making a really funny face. He finished it, looking doubtfully at Rod and I as I laughed at his face. We decided not to give him another because we didn't want to give him what he didn't like, but he insisted he needed another because we were eating them. So I gave him a second one. He bit into it then made a shuddering laugh. Also too tart. He wasn't so sure if he trusted Mom anymore. Later I offered him a third one. He opened his mouth just the littlest bit to take it, then first took a bite to taste it while it was still on his lip, grimaced, and took it out, giving it back to me. Admittedly, that one was REALLY tart. Strike three, I had lost his trust for blackberries.... Until Rod and I gathered another handful. These ones must have been better, because even though he occasionally puckered his face, he kept eating and asking for more. He decided he loved the tart blackberries. He ate until they were all gone and he sadly searched around for more.

Practicing riding with Daddy!

Playing with his all-time favorite blankie