Cat Sitter Available

Experienced catsitter available for upcoming holiday season.  References provided upon request; rates are irrational and will work for food (specifically mother's milk?)  If interested, please leave comment on blog as well as dates needed.  

Bye Bye Grandpa!

An uneasy calm moments before George realized that Grandpa was returning to Wisconsin .... Don't worry, George.  Grandpa will come back soon!  George took a very long nap today, so it will take a long story to put him to sleep.  Kirsten already read him the book of colors and the book of trucks. My planned story, Tale of the Headless Horseman, will not be read not because of the content but because it was donated in the most recent purge.  Oh well, Washington Irving will have to wait for another time ....

Repeed Offender

Some family photos with the boy who loves to pee on walls.  For those of you who think he's crying, think again.  He's only yawning because he's bored, reminding me that children hate family photo time.  Whenever my own father prompted me to dress up on a Saturday morning triggered the dread of driving to Oliver Mills in Kidder Street Plaza on the outskirts of Wilkes-Barre.  The backgrounds -- one could choose fake library or fake woods -- would quickly retract like window blinds as our photographer tried to capture our family in our natural setting.

The whole process felt like eternity times two.  Earlier this evening, our friend, Kristen, reminded me it is only 36 days to Christmas.  Children throughout the country are already counting down the days, hunting for hidden presents, unable to wait for the big day.  (One of the awful dilemmas I experienced as a child was if I should or shouldn't peek at a present.  Of course I did.  What was worse was my constant returning to my parents' closet to make certain MY gifts still remained, even tearing at the corner to confirm the present I wanted most remained in their closet and wasn' returned.)  When you're a kid; time works against you.  Well, George Allen, you're 4 weeks this Friday, an entire month.  I promise to not drag you off to a photo studio for photos, but I cannot promise grandparents won't do it either.

The Big Sleep (vs. the little sleep)

Spotted in the wee hours in Red Hook Brooklyn:
A wee little one sleeps on his napping pops. 
You know what they say, the family that snores together cares together.
xoxo...

DanceHall

All went well at the doctor as the little boy only required some eye drops for his gooey, green eye.  The little boy isn't so little anymore!  He has gained one pound since his birth!  He now weighs nearly 9 lbs!  George knows how to eat (and all the plumbing associated with such actions!)







Baby Jig.  Yr doin it right.  All the leprechauns are jealous of his fast feet.

Dave has landed!

Those of you clamoring for a resolution from the last nail-biting, cliffhanging, car-rolling, mountain-exploding, sky-diving, bunjee-jumping, hydrocraft roaring extravaganza (Grandpa's arrival), George vocalizes accordingly.

Already George very much enjoys falling asleep on Dave, who tirelessly paces up and down our short, living room floor to quiet the  wee one.  George Allen has begun fairly early in giving his parents new wrinkles.  He decided to elevate his temperature and make his eyes gooey.  Fear not, his temperature never climbed into dangerous territory and we'll make a special visit to the pediatrician this afternoon.  (The visit is designed to calm new parents rather than the patient, who is at the moment snoozing very peacefully.) 

Kirsten expects George to wake in the next little bit, so dad better hop in the shower while the hopping is good!

Who Dat Dave?

George's questioning look will be answered tomorrow as we await the arrival of Grandpa!  Yep, that's right, you happy beneficiaries of many fine cookies, Wisconsin cheddar (yellow and white), and bratwursts, are hearing it here first that Dave has almost arrived.  We pick him up tomorrow morning at JFK, and George is going to show off his backseat driving skills for Grandpa. 

Sweet pee...

Kirsten tried to get a photo of George in his ultra cute "stud muffin" onesie today, but he had other plans.  George managed to pee all over the onesie and the changing table and ended up being a "tough cookie" for the afternoon.  This inspired Kirsten to go out and buy not one but two different types of cookies to snack on.  She's got to get those extra breastfeeding calories somewhere...

Swinging in the rain...

or should I say tears.  George's cries are now accompanied not only by screams, but also by mini baby tears.  We have no doubt that he will soon master the art of being a crybaby.  We don't mind, as long as he looks cute while he wails away...

Mums the word

Today was George's first day home alone with mom. Highlights included sleeping in until 10 am, lunching with Gossip Girl, and singing a duet with Mom while she showered.  Mom really didn't like his singing and thinks it still sounds like screaming.  It's tough facing critics at such a young age....

Spoils of the Weekend

Grandchild being spoiled spotted this past weekend at the Babcock-Olson residence!  Ma Babcock rode into Brooklyn Saturday afternoon to meet her latest grandchild, and she totally loves him as evidenced in the photos below.  The wee one slept nicely in her arms and only started to cry once passed to Dad.  Four brave souls and one wee soldier survived a rite of passage (brunch), which ended in tears.  Thankfully, the wee one waited until the bill had been paid.  (Thanks, grandma!)

Feet and Fingers Audit

As promised in a post earlier this week, we have finally initiated our annual audit for George's feet and fingers.  Our survey spot-checked available inventory and then compared the recorded numbers to those held on file.  Since the initial check was flawless, we found little reason to continue the audit further.  However, Kirsten insisted that we complete the task we set out to do.  I hotly contested that the intention of the audit is to not comprehensively review all stock, but only a portion.  In this first step, we only go further when we have discovered a discrepancy.  Kirsten did not relent, and ten seconds later, we confirmed (and then reconfirmed) George indeed possessed ten sweet little fingers and ten sweet little toes.  (Note to IRS: hands off.)  Please see the fruit of our labors below:

Less Cranky, More Sleep

I had 4 naps last night, which totals near 10 hours of sleep.  Kirsten is jealous.  George is a little less cranky.  The family took a walk to the nearby nursery (for plants) around 3 pm.  George napped the entire time.  We also discovered the tranquil effects of the swinging bassinet.  It was a fairly quiet day, thankfully, and we look forward to a similar day tomorrow.

Having a Wail of a Time

Young George embarked on his very first real bath (sponge baths were advised until his umbilical stump fell off and his belly button healed, which it has, thank you very much.) We were equally excited because we've been itching to use the lovely whale tub Jessica has so thoughtfully provided. However, young George cared neither for the whale tub or the bath. He registered his discontent in a rather undemocratic, but dramatic, fashion by giving us a liquid rainbow at the end of the bathtub. Though, we were pleased there was no pot of gold at the end of this rainbow.

Weigh In!

Sorry, this should have been posted yesterday, but George decided it was time to demonstrate his ability to remain fussy for a marathon long 5 hours. The pediatrician was very pleased with his progress as he gained a 1/2 pound since his visit last week. He now weighs 8 lbs, 1 oz. His reward? Not another doctor's appointment for three whole weeks. Plus, he peed on the doctor again. I detect a pattern here ....

Napper's Ahoy!

After a couple of late nights cruising Manhattan and Brooklyn, the boys find themselves pretty exhausted and taking a 2 hour extravaganza in the living room!  When asked if they would repeat their late night hijinks, the guy with the funny hair said that the little one will determine if he needs another midnight romp to settle him into a nice sleep. Please note the cat typically sleeps on his perch pretty much all day; he doesn't leave the house .... If any one can help me upload sound files to the blog, I will start including recordings of his cries, his baby mutters, and other George-created sounds .... I promise to dedicate a blog posting to his fingers and toes soon .....