T is for teething

With a capital T. Our darling son is waiting for something to happen with his gums, but if he's anything like his sister, it could be a long wait. (Greta's first pearly white didn't show up until 15 months!) But we're pretty sure something's happening, even if it's at a geological pace. As you can see, his cheeks blossom every night and last night he exhibited the textbook symptom of "extreme wakefulness" from 2-4 a.m. Just wide awake and gurgling at the ceiling.

Lincoln obeys

This is for the grandparents, so they can brag about what a great grandson they have.



Rob didn't think this video was blog-worthy because it's so long and over-narrated. Truth be told, it was the nicest 3:00 of my time with Lincoln today.

Bestest sticker ever

That's what Greta called the snail on her chest. She got it at the pediatrician's office Tuesday, when her brother was getting his flu shot. She remembered she got a sticker the last time she was there. So she told the nurse Lincoln was too little for a sticker, and the nurse thought that was funny rather than rude, so she gave her the shiny gastropod you see here. Greta slapped it on her shirt and loudly declared, "this is the bestest sticker ever!"

Heavy is the head...

Greta got a few crowns for Christmas, but her favorite is definitely the pink and sparkly Dora edition. It has these nifty combs on the side to pull back her hair, but she refuses to use them. Instead, she pulls the crown down over her eyes, peering out through the plastic at us, her minions.

Tale of the (ticker) tape

Sorry for missing a day of posting. I was delirious in the wake of the Giants victory and I had to spend most of today running up and down Broadway giving high fives to millions of fans. Who, by the way, seemed to have only one thing in common: They hate Boston sports teams. Best sign? 19-Ooops. Worst sentiment? "Let them have the World Series, we got the Super Bowl!"

Anywho, the other tape concerns young Mr. Lincoln, who had his final flu shot today. It wasn't a full milestone check-up, but he did get weighed. 15 lbs, 5 1/2 oz. He seems heavier than that to me. Must be the round Merrill face.

Photo du jour -- just a cute one I found on my Treo of Greta holding Lincoln's hand. He loves it when she pays attention to him, which isn't very often.

Holy $&?!

All hail the innocent children who obviously knew something their Daddy didn't! It's a small measure of redemption for the 2004 ALCS. Carey implores me to add that she, Greta and Lincoln all wore red, white and blue today. Amazing.

An hour later...

Super Bowl Sunday

I'm pretty sure the Pats will more than cover the 12-point spread, but Greta and Lincoln believe that the hometown Giants have a shot, and that's all that matters!

Heath Ledger, 1979-2008

Carey says this photo is a shot of Lincoln enjoying carrots while sitting in his first restaurant high chair. I say it's a tribute to late actor Ledger, set to star this summer as The Joker in the Batman movie, "The Dark Knight."

Lincoln invades the nest

Truth be told, he was invited. And he was very grateful for the invitation, as you can see.

"Aunt Kath"

Greta likes to shorten the names of things she likes. Perhaps she picked it up after hearing me call her "Gretz." In any case, dragon=drags, Marianna=Marian, Diego=Diegs, Lincoln=Linc, etc. Well, add to the list "Aunt Kath." We had a lovely four-day visit. Greta showed her the local zoo, most of the playgrounds, all of the coffee shops... and she scored her first tricycle as a gift -- the Schwinn 12" Roadster.

Applesauce with tryptophan

We've started to spike Lincoln's solids with a little amino acid that's guaranteed to make him sleepy.

Progress!

Lincoln's mastered all the Stage 1 veggies and has moved on to fruits with great gusto. As you can see, his favorite snack of tasty fingers no longer hinders our meals.

A retiree's first snow sculpture

I'm sure my Dad will blast e-mail lots of photos when he gets back, but I just checked out the Breckenridge community Web site and got my first look at this year's sculpture. It didn't win, place or show, but as Dad told me on the phone: "It turned out just the way I saw it in my head, so I'm happy." He also told me something about Lithuanians and underwear, but that's another story.

You can check out the rest of the sculptures, including the prize-winners, here.

Double PJs

I don't know if Greta heard Carey and me talking about "Momwear" or if she just decided two is always better than one, but she's taken to requesting layers at bedtime. Usually fleece as the base layer, then a nightgown over the top. Thing is, no matter what she wears she's the cutest girl in the whole wide world.

Spoons and cupcakes

Carey took a nice video of this, too, but for now, just a cute image of Lincoln enjoying his spoon.

Also at this meal, Greta was treated to a cupcake for being, as her mother told me, "such a good shopper." Despite the excitement evident in this photo, she didn't like it and barely had a nibble. So for $.79, Carey guaranteed perfect behavior at the supermarket.

Strollin'

I think this was Gardner's idea, but Jay liked it and so did Lincoln.

Greta humored the boys for awhile, then informed them that it was "naked baby's" stroller and not Lincoln's, so they better stop. Now.

Telephone chats

This happened in the last few weeks, but Greta now talks to me on the phone when I'm at work. I usually check in around dinner time, nostalgic for Hot Dogs and Mac & Cheese or maybe just some quality family time. I get the scoop from Carey first -- who slept when, the daily litany of bowel movements -- then she hands the phone to Greta. Here's a snippet from today:

Did you have a good day, honey?

I did.

What did you do?

We're making macaroni jewelry.

You are?

Yes.

Are you making me something?

No. We're not making you anything.

Are you making bracelets or necklaces?
I'm making a braclet. I'm not making you anything.

Tasteful bath photo

Just another in the series we're calling "Images to Display at the Marriage of Greta & Jay."

Princesses

You already know Greta is enamored of them, but this weekend demonstrated that anyone who enters the house gets sucked into the dress-up vortex.

Reunion

Greta's soulmate Jay Leonard Humphreys visited us this weekend, the first time the birthday twins have seen each other outside D.C. since we pulled up stakes from Washington in August. It only took them about 30 minutes to get comfortable and they've been cooperatively playing ever since. They helped bake my birthday cake on Saturday and braved the cold together during a brisk walk to the playground (and a local bakery/coffee shop) today. The girls are now breaking out a Diego card game. Jay will have to choose his allegiance -- the New England Patriots or the girl with the pigtails.

Momwear

More than four months into this lifestyle change for Carey and a trend has definitely emerged. Layering. A t-shirt over a long-sleeve shirt. She bought half a dozen long-sleeve cotton shirts that she accents with a tee, often color-coded to her mood. Mellow yellow. Excited red. That kind of thing. Here are a couple photos of my lovely wife modeling what I've taken to calling "momwear." She says the style makes sense for 3 reasons: 1) If Lincoln spits up on her in public, she can just strip a layer; 2) Our 70-year-old house is drafty so it keeps her warm; and 3) It keeps her dry skin covered during these arid winter months.

Anyway, the trend seems to be spreading. We noticed Melissa Haley rocking a two-tone outfit when she took her newborn daughter Sylvia out for a day in Boston. And this morning I decided to see what all the fuss was about. Now I'm going to invite Life is good to sponsor the family.

Art show

As the days get colder, the kids spend more time inside and for Greta that means lots of games and art. We're quite impressed by her recent work and know that her artist grandfather will be, too. She named the compositions herself.

Furry friend

We waited two years and eight months for these shots. Like a paparazzo, I was staked out in the corner of Greta's room every night, hidden under blankets with just my telephoto lens peering out. We took a chance with the flash and managed to avoid waking anybody up.

 

No snow

Local meteorologists predicted 6-12" of the white stuff Sunday night, forecasting a cataclysmic commute and sparking the inevitable stampede to the supermarket.

So what happened? A few flakes fell between 2-3 a.m., but then it warmed up and the rain washed it all away.

Naturally, Carey told Greta Sunday night at bedtime that the morning was likely to provide the "big surprise." Fast forward to morning: Greta rushes to the baby gate immediately after waking up and shouts, "Mommy, did it snow?" "No, honey, it turned to rain."

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!! (Greta collapses in a heap, crocodile tears pouring out her eyes.)  

But here's why my wife continues to earn the approbation Greatest Mom Ever. She buys a bag of 100 cotton swabs, cuts up some pipe cleaners, breaks out the glitter glue, and voila!, instant Snowman.

Cousins

Just another photo from Sunday, as Max checked out Lincoln's excer-saucer. I got there a little late for the photo, but it's obvious that Max had just passed on some sort of secret.

Dress up

We spent a lazy Sunday morning/afternoon with my sister and her brood. Greta and Esme, just a few months apart in age, are now old enough for cooperative play. And what do 2 1/2 year olds play? Dress up, of course! Esme fetched a rainbow ribbon tutu, scored as a party favor, and after 10 minutes of dancing around in it, actually shared it with Greta. Tugged it off her legs and dropped it at Greta's feet. She then went upstairs to grab a dress, which she demanded Uncle Rob pull over her existing clothes.

Well, a dress trumps a tutu, so Greta needed a dress, too. She got to pick it out of Esme's drawer and so she chose this slinky number. Sorta Jane Fonda-ish, I think.

Style maven

As Fashion Rio wraps up and New York Fashion Week looms in February (don't you just love my new job?), it seems only fitting that Greta model two coats, both gifts of her stylish Aunt Kathy. She gets compliments on them all the time at the coffee shops and playgrounds of South Orange and we like the fact that she's not sporting the same Old Navy coat all the other kids are wearing. So thanks, AK!

Snip! Snip!

Oh how Daddy waited for this day! The end of barrettes! Bye-bye bangs!

Here's what Greta's hair looked like on Thursday morning.

Our brave little girl climbed directly into the Barbie Jeep, requested the Dora DVD and chattered throughout the cut. They took about 3 inches off the back, but didn't touch the top or bangs. I'm told it helps to eliminate dead ends and promote "healthier" hair.

This is the final product. I'm biased, but she'd be beautiful even bald.

Zoo in January

Gotta love 60 degree temps on Jan. 9! Al Gore deserves every bit of that Nobel Peace Prize. 

Here's Greta at the nest playground, which has taken on new fascination since our last visit. And here's Lincoln enjoying the Bjorn view in his very French ensemble.

Waiting for Dixville Notch

My friend Gardner, who doesn't have a blog, admitted last week that he and his wife Allison got a babysitter so they could go to a bar and watch the Iowa Caucus returns. While the confession prompted a little nostalgia on my part for D.C., here's how politics works these days in our household. True story.

Fade up on Carey at the breakfast table, reading the front page, clenching her jaw.

"This is crazy. It's the media that makes it a story. 'Hillary Clinton has no chance to be president if she doesn't win New Hampshire.' Who says? She could win 'em all on Super Tuesday."

"Mommy, what's a president?"

"Well... in this country, we have leaders. People who make decisions about stuff and how we work with the rest of the world. We call that person a president. We don't have a king like the mermaids."

"I want another bite."

Greta grabs three-inch French Toast stick and shoves entire syrupy mess into her mouth.

Nesting, continued

We're done pretending to live in a nest. It's time to observe the real thing. So we hung up the bird house Greta got from Grandpa Larry and Grandma Vickie. No evidence of use so far, but I expect I'll be cleaning the crap off the patio quite soon.

Nesting

Devoted readers (that really means all of you) will recall the nesting game that Greta and Mommy played this autumn in the leaves. Well, it's now too chilly outside and the leaves are gone, but the game endures. This is our bed most every morning after breakfast.

That's every pillow we own, stacked and shaped to form a nest. Greta sits in it and narrates a story about birds. She's the Baby Bird most of the time, requiring various things from Mommy and Daddy Bird. Fly here, fly there, deliver that flashlight to the nest, protect Baby Bird from eagles.

Wednesday morning I added a new wrinkle, asking Baby Bird if she was hungry. She said she was and I asked her what birds eat. Worms!

So this is Daddy Bird, playing Mommy Bird, feeding Baby Bird a worm that tastes like string cheese.

Not to be outdone, Greta added a storyline of her own. Carey bought me this oddly shaped alarm clock for Christmas.

It's like a metallic Weeble Wobble. Conveniently shaped like an egg.

So now my alarm clock is buried in the middle of the nest so Greta can play Mommy Bird and chant, "Hatch, Baby Bird, hatch!"

Hungry man

Lincoln savored his first flavored solid food on Christmas day, and clearly liked it. See you later, bland rice cereal, this guy wants the good stuff!

Happy New Year!

I worked a day shift on Monday and was home by 6. Carey took the kids to the South Orange/Maplewood First Night celebration at the local high school. Face painting, necklace making, a circus (think jugglers and magicians, not animals) and fireworks at 6:30. Thanks to 40+ degree temps, we stood outside on the community green and watched the 15-minute show. Topped it off with pizza and the household was asleep by 10:30.