Jack's One-Year Photoshoot

On April 26, Ann and I reconnected with Alisha Robertson so that Jack could have a professional one-year photoshoot. We were thrilled with the outcome of our six-month shoot with the lil sir, so this followup was a no brainer. Alisha was great with Jack the first time and she was fantastic with him again this time.

To mix things up from out first shoot, we headed into Historic Roswell and shot Jack at Barrington Hall, an 1840s plantation home with gorgeous grounds just south of Roswell square.

What really struck me as different about this shoot was Jack's level of involvement. The difference six months makes! Compared to last October, Jack was so much more involved and aware of what we were doing, if a little unsure of how to take art direction. Once he got used to the setting and Alisha, he was a happy subject, comfortable sitting alone against a column or playing on my shoulders. He was especially fun in the Radio Flyer—turns out, like all good boys, the kiddo loves a red wagon!

Check out Alisha Robertson's posting about her shoot with Jack...

And, of course, enjoy some pics from the shoot.

Jack's First Birthday Party

Yesterday, we celebrated Jack's first birthday with a small group of family and close friends. And, true to form, Jack behaved himself magnificently for several hours while people, cake, beer, presents, other kids, and Sparky whirled around him.

The only problem going into the party was Jack's apparent egg allergy. A few weeks ago we noticed his bad reaction to egg yolks and our pediatrician recommended we keep the kid off eggs for another whole year. But thankfully Ann and JJ found a recipe for "depression cake," also known as "Whacky Vegan Chocolate Cake." So while the guests enjoyed JJ's fantastic Weary Willy cake, Jack dug into his own delicious egg-free dessert. Sparky got his fair share of both.

Ann and I want to thank our family and friends who came to help us celebrate Jack's first birthday. Jack wants to thank you, too, for his mountain of presents!

Enjoy a few pictures!

Ann getting the 'lil sir ready for his partay!


Ann and Jack open presents—Sparky helped


Jack making a move for Meme's purse
while everyone is distracted by toys


Ann and JD present the birthday boy with his cake
Note to other parents: place plastic sheeting
or a hungry dog beneath the baby at this time


Jack is initially unsure about this "cake"
everyone seems so excited about


Jack finally digs in and gets his cake on!

The First Jackiversary!

Happy Jackiversary! Just 365 days ago, at 6.37pm on March 31, 2008, we met Jack for the first time—a few of us in person, a great many more online. It's hard to believe it's been a whole year! As a couple long known for discomfort around children of all ages, we're happy to say that the past year has been a blast and that—poop-related incidents aside—it's been better than either of us could've imagined.

As the absence of updates for the last few months should suggest, the kid and company have been busy. There was the pilgrimage to Athens for JD's birthday, some early springtime trips to Riverside park (with the necessary rolling around on the grass, swinging, and wide-mouthed staring), a trip to the High, and Noah's baptism. But the biggest events of the last three months, were, hands down, Jack's first steps with a walker and his first haircut.

In just the last week, Jack went from ignoring his walker, which sat idle by his crib for months, to strutting his stuff around the downstairs hardwoods, controlling his speed, turning on the go, laughing uncontrollably, and cruising for girlies. We're thrilled and impressed by his rapid progress behind the walker! Our only fear is that he'll soon realize that he doesn't need his walker and that he'll take off at a full run before we've had a chance to warm up.

Over the course of the past year, we've seen Jack's head of hair transform from a newborn tangle, to a killer mohawk, to a notorious Trumpesque combover. Then the weather changed, the humidity rose, and that sandy blond mop of his got curly and out of control! The time had come for a haircut. And the kid was fantastic—he sat happily on his booster seat, flirting with all the ladies in the salon, and let Ann's stylist Lynn work her magic. So next time you see the 'lil sir, be sure to tell him how great his first do looks.

But it hasn't all been trips, infant mobility, and visits to the salon. Jack's had a bunch of other firsts to round out his first year:

• A bunch of new words (in order of appearance): all done, banana, uh-oh, hi, hi dog, eye rub, no, and—starting today—"wuv wu"
• Creepy, open-mouthed kisses
• He started day care at Children Today Montessori
  
• Pulling up on furniture, people, and walls
  
• Cruising along furniture, people, and walls
• Walking with his baby walker into furniture, people, and walls
• Free standing (ever so briefly) near furniture, people, and walls
• Self feeding (cheerios, banana, veggies, and the occasional french fry bits slipped to him by JD at restaurants)
• Lots of new foods
• An allergic reaction (egg yolk)
• His first trip to Athens (for JD's birthday)
  
• His first Facebook posting (to Chris)
• His first IM (to Ann)
  
• His first trip to a museum (the High, to see the terracotta warriors)
• His first ride in a swing
  
• His first Chuck Taylor converse sneakers
  
• His first haircut
• His first repeat game (mama, dada, all done, eye rub)
• His first peekaboo game
• His first trip to ToysRUs
  
• His first ride in a forward facing car seat

And for those of you keeping score at home, as of his 12-month checkup, the 'lil sir weighs in at 23lb 2oz (54%) and measures 31.75in (93%). And that big old brain of his? Well, his head circumference came in at 19in (92%). So he's long and lean and shaped like a lollipop.

For his birthday, JD was going to take the kid out for a bike ride in his new trailer or to the golf tourney up the street. Sadly, the weather didn't cooperate with that plan. So, instead, Jack, JJ and JD went to Phipps (where Jack flirted with some lovely ladies at Tiffany's and Frontgate) and ToysRUs (where the kid cleaned up with 1-year-old toys). Now we've just got to get ready for a proper First Jackiversary shindig this weekend.

Til then, enjoy a whole mess of pics from the last three months.

JD and Jack at Riverside Park in February


Jack taking a break from some intense rolling around on the grass


Ann and Jack at Riverside Park


Jack's first turn in a swing!


Wearing the world's most accurate tee-shirt


Jack, dressed and ready for St. Patrick's day
He ate Cheerios off the bar top and woo'd the ladies with his rockin' cap


Playing under his highchair
Look closely and you'll see evidence of how much Jack LOVES his dinosaur book


Takin' a bath in the kitchen sink
Don't look!


Jack, in his natural yelling state


Jack, making a ton of noise with the broiler pan
Since it's the only unsecured drawer in the kitchen, it must have the best unsecured toys!


Jack steering JD after Noah's baptism


Uncle Fleming and the 'lil sir stylin' it up


Ann and Jack distracted by something shiny


JD and Jack at Mellow Mushroom, celebrating Noah's baptism


Ann, Jack, and Sparky at Riverside Park


Jack at his first haircut
...wearing the world's longest cape


The kid cleans up good!

J.D. Presents a Selection of Classical Islamic Poems at the Gate City Lodge

This past Tuesday, February 24, I was thrilled to have opportunity to, once again, give my presentation about Classical Islamic Poetry. Beaux Pettys, a fellow member of the Burns Club of Atlanta, saw my presentation back in August and invited me to speak on the same subject in front of the Gate City II masonic lodge in downtown Atlanta.

A detailed description of the program can be found at the Gate City II blog

As at the Burns Club, my program looked at the classical period of Islamic poetry, using a small handful of notable Arab and Persian poets to explore the most common themes of the genre: from uniquely Middle Eastern devotional works to familiar romantic styles, tavern poems, and satires. This program aimed to demystify an often-adversarial culture through verse, the most celebrated art form in the Islamic world, and provide historical perspective, demonstrate Islam's impact on Western literature, and illustrate the shared human issues poets of both the Middle East and West addressed.

I got interested in the genre while studying Arabic at UGA while working on my MA in history. But rather than deliver an academic lecture, this presentation is meant to be light, focusing on the poetry rather than the sometimes-touchy issues associated with Islam and the current conflict with the West. But it is my hope that the poetry of the classical period can serve as a good backdoor to help humanize and understand Islamic culture.

All that said, what would a good post about poetry be without a poem or two.

One of my favorites, yet one I did not find space for in the presentation, is a poem of Rumi's that I feel is very germaine to the masonic perspective on God and religion. In the 13th century AD, he wrote:

I searched for God among the Christians and on the Cross and therein I found Him not.
I went into the ancient temples of idolatry; no trace of Him was there.
I entered the mountain cave of Hira and then went as far as Qandhar but God I found not.
…
Then I directed my search to the Kaaba, the resort of old and young; God was not there even.
Turning to philosophy I inquired about him from ibn Sina but found Him not within his range.
I fared then to the scene of the Prophet's experience of a great divine manifestation only a 'two bow-lengths' distance from him' but God was not there even in that exalted court.
Finally, I looked into my own heart and there I saw Him; He was nowhere else.
-Rumi

But as I often prefer to wax comedic, I am drawn to the more humorous or bawdy poems of the period. Some of these I've quoted before. But the following poem, by a caliph no less, always seems to surprise folks with it unapologetic, risque tone.

She rose to meet me with a kiss and embraced me
her limbs full, her mouth fragrant like musk.
“Come in, no one will know,
I am your ransom against suffering.”
And so we lay that night, sleepless on our beds,
in the heat of passion she clasped me and I clasped her,
until the two threads appeared and I said to her,
“It is time to part,” and grief almost overcame her.
Then I left her and no one knew of us.
May God reward her for her good deed.
-Al-Walid II

And, as before, my favorite of the series:
Lord, of your grace all that I hope is this–
keep the realm of my pleasure prosperous
avert me from the calamity of chastity
and keep far from me the doom of repentance.
-Ubayd-i Zakani

Nothing Better than Jack at the Holidays

The holiday season was a busy one for us – as evidenced by our almost total lack of updates between our beach trip and now. But we had a great time both with Jack and with the extended family. Ann and I were lucky to get her whole family up from Florida for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. And we were lucky that, once again, Jack puts up with crowds, staying up late, and busy family holidays better than either of us.

We spent quite some time getting Jack ready for Thanksgiving. Under JJ's guidance, we added new foods to his diet, one week at a time, in such a way that by Thanksgiving night almost everything the adults had to sample on the table existed in a pureed form for Jack to eat. Everything but the sweet sweet cranberry sauce. But I'm committed to remedying that for next year.

For Christmas, we all piled our presents under JJ's Christmas tree and then watched as a mountain of presents for the lil' sir reached first for the ceiling and then toppled, crashing over us like some sort of glittering red and green tidal wave. It took the combined efforts of Ann, Ed, and me to sort through Jack's loot and find presents for everyone else and then turn our attention to helping Jack open all his gifts. I like to think that Jack knew this wasn't an ordinary day – and he seemed to. Better yet, he seemed to know that it was all for him. So maybe it was just like any other day.

This Christmas, our main gift to the family were photo books chronicling the professional and informal shoots Jack had over the course of his first six months. Though the books came late, Blurb did a great job with the final production of the 80-page collection. Included within the book was the following introduction:

Over the course of Jack's first six months, we've been blessed with a lot of help, a lot of support, good health, good fortune, and great pictures. During these first six months, Jack has been the subject of two professional photo shoots and innumerable candid captures by his parents and grandparents. The best of these pictures – professional and casual – are collected here. That so many of them came out so well will help us remember Jack's first few months – and someday share these rare moments with him. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the 'lil sir has been adorable since day one or that he's been showered with enough love to keep that fantastic smile on his face.

In both the cases of Thanksgiving and Christmas, Ann and I were thankful both for Jack, brightening every room and every moment of the holidays, as well as for the rest of the family who eagerly jumped at the chance to hold him, feed him, and otherwise let us pass out on the couch.

As always, Jack accomplished a number of firsts over the course of the holiday season, including:

• He started crawling
• Then he started crawling fast
• He started pulling himself up to his knees
• Then he started standing on his knees
  
• He added "mama" and "hey" to his vocabulary – three-fold growth!
• He appears to understand the meaning of "Jack," "no," and "dada"
• He started waving hello and good-bye
• He got his first pair of shoes – massive size 4s for his massive baby feet
• He learned to squeeze his eyes shut to avoid the flash whenever someone points a camera at him, thus creating hundreds of photographs in which he appears to be pooping
  
• He started feeding himself from his sippy cup
• He spent his first evening with a non-relative baby sitter – thank you, Pam and Patrick!
• He went to his first, then second, adult Christmas parties
• He got his first portrait with Santa
• He got his first two teeth
• He outgrew his Bumbo
• He started chasing Sparky around the house – he has yet to stop
  

And, for those keeping score at home, at the end of the year and his nine month birthday, Jack weighed in at approximately 21 pounds, 31 inches long. If he could only stand up, he'd be more than half his grandma JJ's height. Ha!

And now, for the pictures. Enjoy!

---

Jack and Noah chillin' during the UGA v. Auburn halftime


Jack absolutely loves his exersaucer – and we absolutely love the ear splitting noise it makes as he bounces it across the kitchen, bouncing it off the hardwoods like some kind of infantile pile driver.


Jack was not a fan of the Thanksgiving turkey and sides. Or, at least he didn't like us all watching and making a fuss about it.


The mohawk is back. Jack has some killer bedhead!


As long as we can remember, Jack has loved his reflection. Though he still can't figure out how to get around the reflection's blocking hand.


Jack crashed out in his great grandmother's arms


A Jack in the box! (You knew we'd have to do it eventually)


Jack has this fantastic Santa hat that blinked whenever he moved. Or whenever you moved anywhere near him. Or whenever you breathed.


Jack loves milk bones. Not socks. One of them has to go.


Ann didn't like it that I took so many pictures of her son suckin' on a dog bone. Me? I love that he crawled around with it hanging out of his mouth like a stogie.


Jack loves waiting at the downstairs gate in my folks' house for his great grandmother to come down the stairs. I love that he's almost standing, here.