perfunctory feel good family photo for the holidays

we wish you and yours a marvelous holiday season...
and Max says "drrrr ga duuudette...CAR grrr!"

3 weeks later

he talked in his sleep last week- i couldn't believe it. He was so clearly asleep and yet saying something very specific
"peee"
*pause*
*sigh*
'biaaa"

it could be that he just wet himself and then fondly recalled that morning's bialy.

He does look out the window at our coffee shop and say "bia bia bia!" which I take to mean bialy- a delectable alternative to the bagel which he loves devouring at above mentioned coffee shop

and now for your shot of the day, here's max enjoying a cappucino- just the foam- really!

the watermark rises - 17 months!

bok bok!

Max's first Halloween parade! Cobble Hill is serious about all hallows eve. All the parents and kids gather in the little neighborhood park (next to clinton cafe-free mimosas with brunch! steak night!)--the costumes were great and Dan Zanes (big time celebrity troubador to the tots)and his cohorts led the parade then played in the park surrounded by bobbing and wailing tots. What an experience...when that broke up the masses took to the streets, going stoop to stoop begging for baby crack (oh, I mean candy)

Max had a great time but got a wee bit overwhelmed in the teeming park. Once we parked ourselves on aunt julie and tio miguel's stoop the evening calmed a bit. Big fun! Funny side note, in our lead up to halloween, we practiced putting on the chicken head and saying "bok bok" - it got to where everytime we put it on, Max automatically started clucking. BUT of course on the actual evening the "bok bok" was repalced with a searching glazed look.

So he was not the pope or winston churchill or gay baby but he was a chicken with a costume found in a most resourceful manner. Here's a game, guess what is very special and different about this particular chicken costume!

16 months old - my first job

Is 16 months too young to be a soda jerk? Is it too young to command the power of levitation (check out those maraccas!)

This month Max walked some more, ran, started really climbing and added "nononononono" to his vocabulary. He has also started using "mama" as a substitue for "I want something, now!"

He went to Branson, Missouri and Copperas Cove and Austin, TX (all separate trips) and astounded his many extended relatives with his charm and charisma! In Texas, Max ate much guac. and queso (claro que si!) but no margaritas or Shiner Bock (gotta save something for the 2nd birthday.)
In Copperas Cove Max enjoyed many great things: the joy of herding chickens on a motorized chair with only a water hose, the joy of climbing a very high water slide then going down (with help), the joy of swinging on the porch in the shade.
In Branson Max demanded to be introduced to the culinary delights of swine and fowl. We sated his curiosity but did not go overboard, thank heavens. My great fear is that once he tastes bacon he'll never eat anything else again, ever. OK, except maybe cheese, potatoes and bread. When that day comes we'll have sure proof of which parent he truly takes after.

15 months today

an abbreviated review of the summer...by no means comprehensive

does anybody remember summer?

no fear!
(I should take a picture of him looking over his shoulder while peeing on a chevy logo)

14 mo. old loves him some smoothie

14 months old!
walking and drinking at the same time!!! staying upright!

The numerous things that are all beginning right now:

climbing: onto rolling things, off the bed, onto step stool to "brush" teeth, up into high chair, up stairs, down stairs (with help), up the crazy net ladder at the playground (with help - don't tell max)

mouth tricks: while trying to blow bubbles discovered whistling, now makes little "o" shape with the mouth and breaths in and out til funny noise then cracks up, blowing bubbles (while alternately trying to eat somethin off of bubble wand), blowing when I say the food is hot (not every time)

water tricks and feats of strength: tries to swim on his own by pushing forcible at mama in the neighborhood pool, puts his face in the water and often spits a little spout of water out when he comes up (just like a fish! someone said at the pool) dunks mama at the pool (soo strong), topples mama over at home when we are sitting on the floor by giving a little shove on my shoulders then I fall over and say "oh so strong!"

mind powers!: (smaats) um sometimes says something that sounds just like a real word, (i.e. thanks!, umbrella, water) then never says it again - he knows what he did, you think he needs to prove somethin!?, makes jokes like hiding his food on the other side of the bowl then throwing his hands up in the HUH? gesture then recovers the item with flourish and "DA!" as in ta-da!, vigorously nodding "no" when I nod "yes" then cracking up, running in silly baby steps and looking behind like a blonde in a horror movie while we chase him and say "i'm gonna get you" then he waits with his back to you til you catch him and ....cracks up!, likes to play his piano (a musical genius!)

there's more but I think you've got a snapshot here...

R U ready 2 RAWK?

naked baby alert

max made a new friend stream-side at a Catskills retreat during a marvelous wilderness love bash (congratulations Maya & Adam!)

thirteen months

Max is thirteen months old today...I am officially entering the realm of those parents who totally confuse the rest of the non-child rearing world with the month count. He's a year old plus some. We newbie parents just obsess over every little bit of aging, progress, distance form the beginning, I guess. Does my saying "he's thirteen months old" remind me that I had 7 months of spotty sleep or six months of "sleeping" through the night? I think maybe for me its the desire to sing happy birthday with great frequency.

He has been looking at the picture of his dad on the fridge during mealtimes and saying "Da Da" Sometimes just pointing and smiling or (like today) pointing and cocking the head quizzically with a "Da Da?" like...Where the hell is that joker and when is he coming home? I quickly distract him with the picture of the BABY (himself of course) which always makes him laugh. "Nana" is still serving as banana when inflected with a note of desperation and all other beloved fruits when repeated in a rocking incantorial fashion. I think "maalm" is trying to integrate itself into the vocabulary. He used it for mango but also for the morning smoothie so maybe its just another kind of yummy. There is an occasional Ma MA but all other words are pretty much variations on "Ba." Which works well because most of the things he really enjoys start with Ba. Ball BALL BALLLL (he says without the "LL" while pounding his fist on the giant ball and bouncing up and down. Balloons also inspire a pretty lively "BA BAAAA." However, the most wonderful use of his favorite sylable is the peekaboo game. He basically stands in the general vicinity of something he could hide behind then bend his knees, pops up and says "BA" which I take to be Boo. Then I act really startled and he laughs his pants off. Often leaning on a nearby object for support while he cracks up.

BAAAAA just like my old uncle Cooksie.


ps i just made a blog for work just a little placeholder until we get real pro-specional (as Fluff might say)...bye

Number one!

watermelon, max, mommie's crazy orange shoes, our friend jackson, jim's legs, our bridge....
a wonderful day

la mapa

saturday 6/17 11am-2ish...we will be at the park celebrating max's 1st birthday we'll have watermelon and such
look for us by the playground or over in empire fulton ferry state park at the pcinic tables. There will be balloons

hope you can come!

birthday man

so max's first birthday is coming up soooooooooooo soon
flag day motha scrathers!
and we will celebrate by convening with snacks for all and something like a cake at the park under the manahttan bridge
in brooklyn (dumbo to be exact)
on the water
by bubby's
a block or three from the water taxi stand
not far from the f train and also not too far from the a train
we want you to come
we are planning to start at 11 or so on saturday the 17th of june
three short days into his life as a one year old

there is a playground with a tall ship in it
check us out running around and falling down on the little hill behind that

11 months old

so, 1 day after mother's day and two days after his 11 month birthday he decided he was ready to go free solo. I saw mahhoney & mahhoneychild at our friendly neighborhood coffeee shop as I was heading home from the train. I pop in to surprise them and Max just toddles over to me, ALL BY HIMSELF! laughing and smiling and flopping into me at the end of his long journey. it was so moving and I, being the mother that I am, was certainly onion eyed. He is ready to run peeps, watch out!

short film in the works to be posted shortly

i like to swing-ah

10 months old

Max is 10 months old today and many exctitng advances have occured in the last several weeks...well 3 I guess.
He waved to me when I was sitting across from him on the subway - he was with his dad- he just opened up his hand and waved as if he'd been doing it for ages. Of course it made me weepy. Almost on the same day, he finally remembered how to clap and now he just spontaneously does it quite frequently. I'd sorta given up prompting him to do it because he had seemed so uninterested but now he's big clapping champ. He even seems to clap to cheer himself up sometimes, like when he is forced to lie on his back for the oh so humiliating diaper change...he used to love it but now any backward motion is accompanied by a little whimper and sometimes hollering.

He has now slept through the night many times in a row-going to bed at 7 pm and waking up at 5 or 6 (today was 6am and I like that so much better) - when he does wake in the night it has been only once an evening and around 3am for a quick snack then right back to sleep.)

Finally he is the cruising/sidewalking king of the big apple. He scootches around "en-garde" style with one hand on any nearby available steadying element. When he gets to the end of said element he slaps the leading foot out toward his desired direction and glances around as if to say "hey lady! hey human coffee table! git over her and get me to that open dresser drawer, pronto! What's especially cute are the little squatting breaks he takes to rest and occasionally scoop up some toy (his or the cat's) off the floor and into his nouth as he motors along...often providing his own soundtrack. He likes to make motorboat and fart noises ALOT (with his mouth!) and they do seem to inspire his progress throughout the apartment.

Our little genius!

please enjoy the highly esteemed and diverse talents of...

my good friend the jellybean...

she is a mighty fine photographer

someone oughta pay her

milestones

as implied by the last picture, max has been spending a lot of time studying his crib and how to use the bars to achieve his nefarious ends. the day we have long anticipated and somewhat dreaded has arrived.

Tonite he was carrying on quite dramatically after I laid him in his crib to go to sleep. Generally I top off the tank (max's lil pre-sleep nightcap) then lay him in the crib where he kind of curls on his side, finds the thumb and heads to dreamland. Occasionally there is a mild protest which ceases within a few seconds -rarely more than 3 minutes. Tonite, however he went on and on with the screaming kind of cries that sound like some little tiny part of his vocal cord is busting out OR his heart and spirit have irrevocably broken due to our uncaring neglect. Needless to say we didn't last that long, not being a full on sleep trained CIO (cry it out,baby) family. I went in after the first 12 minutes and started the whole bedtime ritual over, topped the tank and laid him down to sleep. After about 3 minutes of silence the whole she-bang started up again , growing worse and worse. We waited and waited and tried to eat our tacos and waited and after 16 whole minutes (it honestly feels like an eternity - especially since it is so rare) the hubby broke down and went to check on him and BANG! MILESTONE!!!!!!!

Max was standing up in his crib at the part closest to the door to his room and seemed unsure how to get down. He can now pull him self up to standing. In his crib. Now we have to lower the sleeping platform AGAIN so he doesn't somehow figure out how to nosedive over the top of the rails. But it was pretty exciting to see him standing there blinking and screaming at us now that the translation had dawned on us.
I'M STANDING UP! I DID IT ALL BY MYSELF! CHECK ME OUT SUCKAS! GIT YOUR BUTTS IN HERE NOW!!! CRAP I CAN'T GET BACK DOWN! I'M FREAKING OUT!!! ITS MAKING ME TIRED, GEEZ! I'M SO TIRED! SOMEBODY HELP ME! and so on

how did it all end,you ask? Did max ever find the secret to knee bending and safely lowering himself to a seated position then rolling gently onto his side and snuggle up for sleep. Heck no. His pops laid him down and calmed him then left him to fall asleep. There were a few mild peeps then radio silence. Back to normal except for he major milestone my genius baby hurdled today.

so many firsts

Over the holiday break we had so many firsts, First mushy food in December - which caused an allover bodily quake as if the kid was shaking off a stiff drink. We tried again in early January and it took. Success came as Max had his first high chair sit and was pulled up to the dinner table with the rest of us. He took a bite of mushy carrots and then opened his little mouth for more.

He swam in the ocean and played with sand. He wore sunscreen and got a swimsuit. He napped under a palapa, swam on his own and did not float out to sea (pictures are so misleading)

Now a days he's standing by holding on to stuff and springing up and down, pretending to walk a little. He's scooching and spinning on the slick wood floors, using his hands like little suction cups and dragging himself forward or inchworming backwards in a contract and expand type motion. He is trying desperately to pull up in his crib - yes we lowered the bed down to avoid a spill. For fun we sometimes stand him up in the crib and let him try to work his way around. Yesterday he atually clapped, twice. Then it was back to random arm flailing. He has also taken to blowing raspberries on my face and arms and chewing on daddy's nose and my chin or cheeks (lots to work with there.) He still smells amazing. As my friend says "he hasn't started rotting from the inside out yet." Beautiful image.

Thats the news, now the weather ....
Sunny!

2006