The Jordan Harold Update
Fall 1995
801 “D” Street Apartment # 21, Davis California -95616-

We are back in Davis town now and, for the most part, settled. There are a few boxes still lurking in the corners but they’ll get put away as time-and Jordan-allow. The house has had a good dusting and seems no worse for the summer with out us.

The growth curve starts flattening out at this age but his learning speeds up. He understands a few simple requests-”bring the frisbee to me”, “put the block away please” and that sort of thing. And he makes requests of his own-to be picked up, to play with one toy or another, to “talk” on the phone. When we take our walks, he says “da-DAT?” and points at things, asking what something is. Someone we meet on the street understood him and answered “I’m Scott”. Jordan was thrilled! He is more and more a small person instead of an infant. A small person-weighing in at 25 pounds-with a mouth full of eight teeth!

Jordan is also learning to play catch. Mostly he hands the ball to me or tries to throw it in my general direction and I roll it back to him. He has the idea just not the technical know-how. He tries this game with Bozo cat but she will not play. The last few weeks has seen him learning his own games-making them up and playing them with out anyone “showing him how”; I love watching his imagination and creativity.

Jordan has begun to understand books are books, not teethers or food. He brings them to me, for me to “read” them to him. Truthfully, they are board books and chubby books with not much in the way of plot or character development but we make do and try to bring them alive. He points at things on the pages and looks up at me with the question “what?” always in his eyes and it is my job to answer. He also brings them to me to read for him, all on his own. Once or twice I have found him sitting by himself with a book open, turning pages and making noises to the book-his way of reading to himself.

Louis has had a similar sort of delight to mine at Jordan’s attempt to understand books-Jordan has, at last, figured to exhale on a recorder to make it play. He has spent many months very confused by the way the recorder makes sounds for Lou and not for him. He got grabby about the instrument when Lou played so we got him a six dollar model for himself that he could bang around the house with-he was under the delusion that recorder is a percussion instrument. But now he can make it make a whistle sound and is very pleased with himself!

Jordan is finding his walking legs. After cruising around, holding on to the furniture for a month or so he is walking by himself now. Little by little he gains skill and balance. He is trying to run but mostly that leads to him going plop onto the ground.

Louis had a very heavy work load ahead of him this year but is more excited about it than anything else - so I’m exited with him and will try to provide the best suport I can. Jordan and I play and larn, go wisit with the other little people and their parents, walk a lot, and have begun working at the co-op helping to take care of their gardens. I hope to get back to flute lessons if Jordan’s and Loius’ schedule will allow.

There are a lot of things that will be missed about Portland but I think we’re all glad for the end of summer weather and to be home.