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Gymboree

We went to a Gymboree class with Ada and Arthur today. We met Charlie and Paul and had a good time singing and playing with paint brushes. Alex decided he wanted to eat during parachute time. Charlie's mom was nice enough to say that Charlie ate through most of his first class, so we weren't too embarassed. We will probably go to a few more classes. It's fun to learn new songs!

It's a Boy!

I can't let two full months go by without mentioning that we were, in fact, a little surprised that Alex was a he and not a she. For the first two or three days after he was born, I kept looking at his boy parts whenever I changed him and saying to myself, yep, I guess he really is a boy!

I've also gotten around to doing the other thing I've been meaning to do -- posting his weekly pix on the main page of the baby website. Ideally, you should set that page as your bookmark so you can watch him grow.

Finally, as you may have noticed, I don't always post entries in order, or when they happened -- with an infant, it isn't always easy to get to the computer long enough to post contemporaneously! I prefer to back date at times, so that the entries are on the right calendar day, even if I posted it several days later. If you would like to be notified whenever a new entry is posted -- since the newest entry won't always be the top entry -- let me know by posting a comment to this entry (and make sure you include your e-mail address). I think I have the hang of Moveable type enough to send out notifications.

Growing!

I weighed Alex at our breastfeeding class today. He already weighs over ten pounds!

What goes through their little heads?

Arthur: So, play here often?
Alex: Yeah, this is one of my favorite spots.
Arthur: I have a gym just like this. I like your octopus, though. I think I need to get my Mommy to get me one of those!
Alex: Yeah, I like it. And the spikey ball, too. I have a lot of neat toys. But you have more grown up looking clothes.
Arthur: Well, I am not only older, I am also bigger.
Alex: Maybe I'll be as big as you someday!
Arthur: Enjoy it while you're young, kid. In the meantime, let's go get some booby.
Alex: Great idea. Wah!

* * *

Bright and Early

How does a child with two dirty-stay-up parents come into this world as a morning person? That's what I'd like to know. He is so alert and happy when he awakens from a long sleep! Now if we can just get that to happen at 7:30 am instead of 5:30 am, we'd be golden.

Center of Attention

Bailey and Amanda were kind enough to bring us dinner tonight and meet the babe. I have since carried through on my threat to send this picture to Bailey's newly on-line Mom, which is a sure-fire way to start the chorus of "we want grandchildren!"

And no, we didn't name our child after your bird, Señor.

Music to My Ears

In the past two days or so, Alex has become a very vocal baby. Aside from crying, he also coos and grunts. Particularly when he wakes up in the morning.

Six Weeks

Six weeks must be a magic milestone for little ones. All of a sudden, I can better predeict when he needs to really eat, and when other things will quiet and occupy him. He is still not napping regularly, but he is napping more often. We both know each other better! He's also getting cuter by the day!

Aunt Katie

Aunt Katie came to visit this past weekend. Talk about true love! We had a lovely time. On Saturday, we went to the National Zoo. On Sunday, my cousins the Endreys came to visit and we had a nice barbecue.

At the Zoo

Someone told me it's all happening at the Zoo.
--Paul Simon

Well, it may well be all happening at the Zoo, but Alex slept through most of it. Mom, Dad and Aunt Katie, however, had a good time. He awoke briefly because he was hungry, at which point I was very glad to have the sling. I was able to get him in it and feed him while continuing to walk around. That was great!

We also went to a party at Kellie's, which he also slept through except for one brief meal break (Mommy managed to continue playing the party game even with Alex feeding!). So of course, everyone thought he was an angel.

Backfill

Over the next few days, I will be posting entries to catch up on July. So read backwards. They are all written, but we wouldn't want you starving people to get sick from gobbling up too much Alex news at once!

More New People

We went back into Manhattan today to see Ron and Lori and their 8 day old daughter, Danielle. The baby is beautiful, and the experience brought home to Mike and I just how far we have come in four short weeks. Mike was able to show Ron how to put together the Pack-n-Play, and I was able to impart some breastfeeding tips. We ended up heading home for a barbecue and dinner with Uncle Denny and Aunt CJ. Great Aunt Margo also stopped by to meet Alex. A lovely evening was had by all.

Connecticut

Daddy and Mommy and Alex headed out to Connecticut to visit John and Pam Wasylik and their family. What a lovely trip! We did a big circle – on the way out, we took the Orient Point ferry, and so drove through Long Island wine country. We stopped at a winery to pick up a little gift for the Wasyliks, and Alex was so wide eyed in there! The ferry ride was lovely, and I was told I was very brave for being out and about with a one month old like that. John and Pam were wonderfully welcoming, and Amanda was just great with her little cousin (is it third cousin, or first cousin twice removed? Who knows at this point. They are both Wasyliks). We had a wonderful dinner (including Pam’s fabulous blueberry pie). We drove through Connecticut and New York for the trip home, and Alex miraculously slept all the way to Nassau. Since Mike was driving, I was able to just crawl in the back seat and soothe him until we got home.

Aunt Eva

Alex was a little angel for the trip into Manhattan to meet his great, great Aunt Eva (is that the right term for Nana’s aunt, Mommy’s great aunt??). Eva was totally enamored with the little boy. Once again, Alex ate while Mommy did (I am getting quite good at feeding him subtly) and was alert and wonderful over dessert. We then went back to Aunt Eva’s apartment for a photo shoot. We had to stop once on the way home, but all in all, it was a great trip. And that night, Daddy and Pop Pop arrived safe and sound in New York!

Tootsie Nani

Alex met his great grandmother today. It was love at first sight. We also did some outlet store shopping. This kid is going to be very well dressed! Finally, we had our first restaurant outing. Mommy had been craving sushi, so sushi it was! Alex ate most of the time, and so was very quiet throughout the meal. Over dessert, Nana burped him, and the other patrons oohed and ahhed over how cute he is.

To the Hospital

No, nothing wrong. Nana just forgot her lunch, and Alex swept to the rescue. And also got to show himself off to Nana’s co-workers. He was quite a hit! We also stopped at the book store on the way home.

Home Alone

Nana had to work today, so Alex and Mommy enjoyed their first day home all alone. Given the events of the past week, we mostly just rested! Uncle Denny was kind enough to bring his big sis some Chinese food for dinner, and met the little man. They did a little flying. Alex seemd to enjoy it.

Road Trip

Alex was a trooper for his first big road trip. Nana and I packed the car and headed out to New York with Alex in tow. We weren’t even yet around the beltway when he woke up screaming, so we stopped in Bethesda for food (McDonalds for the adults, booby for Alex) and a change. He slept again until another rest stop in early Maryland. Our next stop was a Dunkin’ Donuts in New Jersey, and no wonder – he had the blowout diaper from hell! The only thing that saved the car seat was the fortunate accident that Nana had left a spit cloth under Alex when she last put him in the seat. Then we made it all the way to Brooklyn before he awoke again. He was screaming like a banshee at that point, though, and we had to pull over in not-the-best-spot. Still, we made it to Nana’s house in one piece. Probably the best you could ask of one month old.

Annapolis

Another action-packed day. We took Alex up to Annapolis to meet Granny Orr,
Ann, and Janie and to hang out again with Granny Hurdle, Allison, and his future girlfriend, Ellen.
Alex didn’t make it into the water this time, but he did enjoy watching his daddy swim and Aunt Hurdle windsurf. Or more accurately, he enjoyed eating away in Mommy’s lap while Mommy watched Daddy and everyone else swim. A good time was had by all.

That evening, Aunt Jen Guy brought the little one his first FSU gear – a onsie with the logo just the right size to fit him during football season. She also brought ice cream for Mom and Dad. Even better, Pop Pop arrived while we were all hanging out, and busted out his guitar.

Independence Day

Alex had an action-packed Fourth of July. First, he and Nana and I ran some errands to the sewing store to get thread to make a sling for me to carry him in. After the sewing project was complete, the whole fam-damily (even Tucker) headed out to Maryland to enjoy a wonderful barbecue with the Genhacks, Medley, NowThis, and a few other non-web folks. The grill was literally a work of art, and the food was yummy, yummy, yummy. It was fun to see the two ten month olds wander around and realize that Alex will be doing that very soon. After the barbecue, we stopped in at another party briefly to see the FSU crowd. Then, it was off to a top-secret location in Virginia to see the fireworks. We’re not telling where it was – it was too good of a view, and there was even easy free parking!! Alex either slept through or fed through the entire thing. But Mom and Dad and Nana really enjoyed our great view of the fireworks. Tucker just rested in Alex’s carriage.

More Visitors

Today, Ryan and Joe came to meet Alex. Another good thing about having a summer baby – it’s very easy to just say “come over, we’ll throw something on the grill!” I don’t think I could handle the parade of visitors if I didn’t have that easy out to feed them.

Visitors

Aunt Hurdle and Ellen and Granny Hurdle came to the house to have lunch with Alex today. Granny Hurdle brought Alex some cute onesies. Ellen played with one of Alex’s big baby toys, and got pretty good at scootching around after it. She’ll be crawling in no time! Then, we had the Tyrell’s over for dinner. They brought the meat – homemade sausage, compliments of Susanne’s dad – and Nana and I threw together a salad, candied carrots, and jello for dessert. Sophia and Lucy both loved the carrots! And the adults loved the sausage – we ended up lucking out that it rained, because we did the sausage on the Foreman grill instead of outside as planned. All the juices in the little catch pan were real meaty juices, not fat, so Nana had the brilliant idea of making a gravy out of it. Probably the best gravy any of us had ever tasted!

Alex and Mommy on his 3 week birthday.

Walkin'

On Sunday, Nani and I took Alex for his first walk sans stroller (actually, Nani pushed the stroller the whole time just in case he got too heavy for me, but he never did). Alex liked the Baby Bjorn carrier, and his cute hat.