Poor Martin's Almanac: Jack at 18 months!

This summer was a whirlwind, and not just cause Jack started running circles around us. There was JD's new job, the never-ending bathroom remodeling project, a trip to Albany for the twins' birthday, lots of trips around town, lots of company, that weekend with the rooftop pool, the Inman Park Festival, a couple parties for flavah, and, thankfully, lots of time to hang out and enjoy being a 'lil family.

But enough of that. This is a post about Jack.

For those keeping score at home, the 'lil sir weighed in on his 18 month-iversary at a whopping 27.6 pounds (70+ percentile) and a enormous 3 feet tall (99 percentile). So based on his current sustained rate of growth, if Jack continues to gain nine pounds every six months, and to add better than a foot of height every year and half, than by 18 he'll weight 333 pounds and stand approximately 20 feet tall. Hello, fat NBA money...

But in all seriousness, the little man has grown by leaps and bounds since his first birthday. Thinking back on that cake- and wrapping-paper-strewn day, it's hard to remember Jack before he could run, eat restaurant food, play ball, or ride a slide. Harder still to remember his primitive vocabulary. This kid can talk your ears off, now.

So, without further ado, the fan favorite: Jack's list of first over the last six months (it'll seem doubly impressive cause we waited so long to post about them):

His first steps. This kid can walk, run, dance, spin—lateral mobility has been conquered.
His first girlfriend: Emma, at school. They hug, knock each other over, and scream. And he says her name incessantly, even now that they're not in the same class anymore. Good times.
His first (second, third, fourth...) toy ball: Another favorite word to yell, "BAAAAAAAALL!"
His first chair: Pottery Barn Kids' Anywhere Chair. It doubles as a slide and trampoline.
His first Facebook message, to Chris.
His first climb up the stairs.
His first (of many) hilarious belly-slides down them.
His first (and second) trip to a museum, to see the terracotta warriors and King Tut.
His first bath in a bathtub—he'd been in the sink for better than a year.
His first climb up onto the couch, coffee table, rocking chair, cooler, subwoofer...
His first crayon masterpiece.
His first tickle (of mommy).
His first kids meal (Buffalo Wild Wings).
His first change of the channel (and volume, and parental settings) with the remote.

His love of books has also grown. As has his love of destroying them. And as his vocabulary has grown, so too has his appetite. Jack, like all proper Jordans and Kitchens before him, is a meat and potatoes kinda kid. He likes nothing more than to stuff his face with bread, french fries, and hamburger meat. Oh, the lifetime of meals we shall devour together!

The last second six months have been eventful, to say the least. And somewhere between those first shuffling, lunging steps and running down the dog, Jack became a little boy—a perpetually happy and utterly delightful kid who has exceeded all our expectations. And we're a better little family for it.

Keep up the good work, 'lil sir.

Enjoy some pics from the last six:

Jack in his notoriously awesome hat