I Say: Exercise is Fun

It didn't take Mom and Dad long to realize that I don't like staying still. When I get fussy they can usually soothe me by walking around with me. I'm not expert on these things, but it seems like that was pretty predictable considering how active Mom was while she was pregnant with me. She'd run and swim all the time. (Not fast like before I was there, but she was still moving.) She'd ride a stationary bike. Then sometimes she'd do some less conventional things. There was the time she and I used a hula hoop. (I include myself because I think I helped her hold it up.)

Three weeks before I was born, Mom was doing headstands with me. Apparently that's not typical of women who are 7.5 months pregnant.

Mom at Lake Placid, October 2011

So is it any wonder that I like movement now? At times, Mom and Dad love that. Yesterday Mom went running in Van Cortlandt Park and Dad took me for a walk all over the park. I loved it, he loved it, everyone was happy. I like the fresh air and I tend to be very peaceful and calm when I'm moving. The problem comes when the movement stops. I'm not shy about sharing my displeasure when this happens. At times, Mom has had to resort to some unconventional methods to keep me calm while getting her exercise.

And just so Dad doesn't feel left out, here he is using a more standard means of rocking me to sleep. As you can see, it's not as creative, but it did the trick.

I Say: Happy Birthday Mom

Saturday was Mom's 40th birthday. Even though that's supposed to be a big deal, Mom didn't want to have a big celebration. Instead she wanted to spend the day with me. I liked that idea.

We started the day with a visit from my new friend Corinna and her moms, Heather and Margaret. We had breakfast together and read stories. Corinna was so nice that I can't wait to see her again.

Corinna is so smart that she could have helped with the big words. 

Despite the look on my face, I loved meeting Corinna.

After breakfast the three of us went up to Van Cortlandt Park. Mom and Dad took turns walking with me while the other one ran. I like walking around and I like being outside, so this was a lot of fun. Plus I got to see Nate and Glo again too. Mom got a carrot cake. Mom loves carrot cake almost as much as she loves me. And that's a lot. 

We followed our trip to the park with a "team nap" together. I like sleeping in the bed with Mom and Dad and lately they've seemed a little tired, so it worked out well for everyone.

Nap time for the men of the house.

Later on we went to visit Mom's family out in New Jersey. I saw Auntie Kay and lots of new people too. Everyone fussed over me, which was quite flattering. Recently I haven't been enjoying the nights so much. When I don't feel great my only way to tell Mom and Dad about it is to cry, and that's exactly what I did. A lot. Luckily Auntie Kay lent a helping hand, and so did a nice lady named Ashlie. She works with kids so she helped calm me down and gave Mom and Dad a little breather. Thankfully, I've been feeling better these last few nights, so hopefully the nights will be a little calmer around here. 

There were no big parties for Mom's birthday, but I hope she knows how much Dad and I love her. Happy Birthday Mom. 

I Say: I Love All These Visitors

I'm sorry that I've fallen so far behind in blogging about my social life. It's not that it's not important to me. Quite the contrary. The problem is that most of my day is spent greeting guests or sleeping. Or at times both. Anyway, Dad says that I'd better get caught up on things before I hit puberty and nobody recognizes me, so here's an update on some of my recent visitors.

A while back I met my new friend Ali over at JackRabbit. She doesn't work there, but she got word that I was visiting and she dropped everything to come over and see me. I appreciated that. I made such a good impression on her that she came to visit me at home and brought her boyfriend Brian. I approved of him and made my feelings known by spending most of the afternoon sleeping on his chest while Dad spent most of the afternoon eating muffins that Ali cooked. (How is it that I'm the cute one who lures the guests, but Dad's the one who gets snacks? That hardly seems fair.)

Brian, me (center) and Ali

Gloria and Nate came by with their nephew Oliver. He's a big kid. (Dad says Nate's a big kid too.) And Glo was really fun too. They were unanimous in their opinion that I'm cute. I hope to get to play with all three of them when I get a little older.

Then Mom and Dad's friend Kwok-Ming visited. I'm told that has been asking about me from way before my arrival, and was always concerned and supportive.

Everybody knows Ming

I really enjoy all these visitors. Later in the week I'll tell you about some of the other nice folks who have been stopping by.

I Say: Friday Wasn't Bad After All

My mom is a school teacher. She works with big kids in High School. Right now she's on maternity leave so she can stay home and take care of me, but on Friday she had to go into work for a day. Though she didn't like to admit it, I think she was a little nervous because she had to leave me with Dad. Coincidentally, Dad didn't want to admit it, but I think he was a little nervous too. Thankfully - and mostly because I was so cooperative - everything went perfectly.

The day started when Mom and I woke up a little after 6. That's not so unusual for us, but from what I'm told, Dad isn't used to being up so early. When Mom woke up she left me with Dad. I was wide awake, so Dad was too. Mom went off to school and Dad and I stayed home for a few hours. We took a little nap, but mostly just hung around the house. Around 10 he fed me and got me cleaned up and dressed. Then we got on a subway and a bus to go visit Mom at school. As usual I liked the public transportation, so that went smoothly. We got to school and Mom was in conferences. I saw her but stayed calm and quiet because I know that's what you're supposed to do in a school. (Plus Dad told me that I need to make a good impression on the Admissions Committee.)

Dad feeding me. 

Dad left me at school with Mom for a while and I got to visit with all Mom's co-workers and friends. Her friend Lauren even came by with her son Ryder and baby daughter Mia. It was great to see all these people. Then Dad came back and watched me for a couple more hours while Mom went back to work. By the end of the day Mom and I were pooped. We came home and took what Mom calls a "big fat nap".

All in all it was a great day. I think Dad enjoyed spending time with just the two of us, and I think Mom was a little relieved that it went so well. I know she misses me when she's not around me - and I certainly can't blame her for that - but at least now she realizes that Dad and I are OK without her for a little while. Just don't go too far away mom.

I Say: I'm a Party Animal

Saturday was all kinds of awesome. So awesome that it will take more than one blog entry to fill you in on the day's activities. I'll start with the evening. Mom and Dad and I went to two parties. That's right - two!

The first party was the Photo Party at Francis' house. Apparently he has an annual tradition of having a holiday party and taking portraits of all the guests. I was a little sleepy for my pictures, but Francis was nice enough to supply the biggest dog ever to keep us company.

Not only did I get to meet Francis and his giant dogs, but I met Kenley, Alisa, Kevin, Maria, Steven and Steven, and a bunch more really fun people. The party was full of dogs, nice people, and other kids and babies. (Dad says I'm the only one who's still under warranty, which I think means that I was the youngest.) We couldn't stay too long at the Photo Party because we had to go to our next stop, which was the JackRabbit Holiday Party.

I was worried that I'd be disappointed by the JackRabbit party since the first party was so much fun, but this one was just as good. I saw lots of Mom and Dad's friends, and everyone said how cute I am. I got a little cranky for a few minutes, but for the most part I tried to be on my best behavior. I know that Mom and Dad like to show me off to their friends because they love me so much, so I figured I'd be good. Plus their friends are really nice, so it was easy to play along. I saw some old friends like Bridget, Johanna, Molly and Becca, plus I got to meet a lot of new people.

Overall I have to say that parties seem like a lot of fun so far. I can't wait to go to some more.

I Say: I Met Big Kids

Sorry that I've fallen behind on my blogging. Dad has been hogging the computer with his "work" and I've been a little cranky lately, so it's been hard to keep up. Not to worry about the crankiness - the doctor says it's just a phase, and it's only for a couple of hours each day. Overall I'm still in very good spirits and bringing my parents lots of happiness.

Anyway, the fun continues around here. Though I failed to mention it at the time, I had a couple of really fun visits from big kids and their parents last weekend. First, Mom and Dad's friends D-Ferg (whose name is rapidly moving up in my ranking of favorites) and Erik brought by their son Henry. He's 10-weeks old, and we got along great.

Erik and D-Ferg holding us. I'm the little guy. 

While Henry and I were playing, Dad took some pictures of us. Everyone says we look like old men. At first I objected, but then Erik showed us these two photos side-by-side. In case you can't tell, Henry and I are in the photo on the right.

That same weekend, I got a visit from another awesome boy. His name is Javier and his moms are Wendy and Ines. Javi is a big boy and was very nice and gentle with me. He lives in the same building as we do, so I hope to get to see him a lot.

Thanks Javi

Finally, I met Dad's friends Soley and Danny, and their sons Lucas and......wait for it......Dylan. They were visiting New York and wanted to meet me, and I know that Mom and Dad wanted to see them too. We all went for lunch and had a great time.

That's Mom holding me and sitting with Dylan

I really enjoying being around all these people. Mom and Dad say it's good for me to get socialized. I say it's fun.

I Say: Thanksgiving Rocked

Having heard all the hullabaloo about Thanksgiving, I was worried that I'd be disappointed. After all, what were the odds that the day would live up to its advance billing? Well guess what? It did.

Mom, Dad and I made the voyage to Bridewater, NJ where we spent the holiday with Grandma Aunt Carole and her family.

Our hosts were Stacy and Jeff, and their kids Jacob, Abby and Sadie. Then there were Jen and Jon and their kids Madeline and Julia. (I call them Maddy and Juju.) They were all really nice to me. They took care of me, held me, and gave me my pacifier when I got a little cranky. Dad is a worrier, but he was really impressed with how kind and gentle the kids all were with me.

Hi Juju

Maddie was fun

That's Jen & Jon

Our hosts were Stacey & Jeff

Jacob took care of me

Sadie was really fun

Sorry about that little accident Abby

And let's not forget that Grandma Aunt Carole and Auntie Rachel both spent plenty of time with me, and are as much fun as I remembered.

Then, as if this wasn't enough excitement, we did a Face Time call with Dad's family in Arizona. I got to see his uncles Aboo and Dan, along with Aunt Lola, Lisa, Craig, Tevie, Mark and Sam. I've heard all about all these people, but I haven't met them yet. I really want to see them in person, but the video call was a good replacement for now.

That's Dan and Aboo on the computer. I can't wait to meet them. 

Aside from mass quantities of turkey and stuffing, along with good company, Dad has one other tradition on Thanksgiving. Ping pong. Some thought that his new role as a responsible, protective parent would get in the way of this practice, but they should know that Dad is not easily deterred. 

I may be young, but I'm a quick learner, and I already figured out that Thanksgiving is awesome. The really cool part about yesterday was that so many people were nice to me and made me happy, and I think I made them happy too. Happy Holiday everyone. 

I Say: I Am Thankful

This is my first Thanksgiving, and I've only been around for 3+ weeks, but I already have a lot of reasons to be thankful. Here are just a few.

• People love babies. Mom and Dad told me to expect our family and friends to be great, but even they were surprised at how wonderful strangers are with me. I hear that New York is a crazy, fast paced, impersonal place, but I have found it to be very warm and friendly. Old, young, black, white, male, female - people are all so nice when I'm around. When I take the subway with Mom and Dad, or when we walk down the street, people are constantly slowing to congratulate them or say how beautiful I am. On Monday, Dad was walking down the street and a homeless man simply said "congratulations". Dad said that normally his interaction with that man might have been very different, so I'm glad that my presence made it nicer.
• My family. I can already tell that I'm part of an amazing family. All my aunties, uncles and cousins are so kind to me. I've met some already, and I can't wait to meet the rest. Today I even Skyped with Grammie in Jamaica. 
• My friends. Mom and Dad think those people are their friends, but they just hang around to be closer to me. They visit me, hold me, feed mom and dad, bring me presents, and are just generally kind. 
• Mom is feeling better. As I mentioned in previous posts, my arrival was not only early, but it was hard on Mom. Thankfully, her doctor says she's going to be fine, and she's doing much better already. She takes very good care of me and never complains even when she's really tired (which is pretty much all the time), so I want to make sure that she's doing OK. 
• I'm named for my grandfather. I never met my grandfather, but Dad tells me that he was a great guy and that he would have loved me. His name was Sy, and my parents named me Simon because of him. I know that means a lot to Dad. 
• Carrot cake. Don't get me wrong, I'm not ready for the stuff yet, but from what I can see, it's Mom's main fuel supply. And since she's my main fuel supply, I want Mom to be well taken care of. 

Most of all, I'm excited to go to my first Thanksgiving dinner. I get to see Auntie Rachel and Grandma Aunt Carole again, and I get to meet a bunch more friends and family that I've been hearing about. Originally Mom and Dad didn't expect to be able to go to Thanksgiving this year because I was due to arrive this week, bur now we're all able to go. That's just one more reason to be thankful. 

I Say: I Love Meeting New People

Sorry that I've fallen behind on my updates, but with all the excitement around I've been struggling to find time to write. But I've been meeting so many cool people that I can't wait any longer. Here's just a sampling of my social calendar from last week.

First Mom's college friend Mark came to visit. He lives in Seattle and has a baby boy named Theo. You could tell that he didn't like being away from his baby for even a day. Still, he was very kind to me.

That's Mark and me

My next visitor was Jessica, but I call her JZ. She was also super nice to me even though she had other things on her mind. After she visited me she was flying to Arizona to do an Ironman triathlon (which I'm told is some nonsense that requires that you stay awake for more than two hours at a time, so you can count me out), but she found the time to come see me. She loves beagles, but I think I heard her say that I'm even cuter. I appreciate such compliments. Plus, she's a regular blog reader, and you know how much I love blog readers.

JZ and me

My next guest was Johanna. (The J is silent. I pronounce that part well.) She has a son named Seb who is 2-years old and is almost full grown. Mom and Dad say he's an awesome kid, so I hope to meet him soon.   And BTW, even though I'm tiny compared to Seb (but then again, who isn't?), the doctor says I'm growing at an impressive rate.

Johanna and me

It's great feeling so loved and popular. I had lots more visitors last week and I'll tell you about them soon. For now it's nap time. 

I Say: Today Was My Due Date

As you may know, I made my appearance exactly three weeks earlier than expected, on October 31st. In fact I wasn't due until today. The night before I was born Mom and Dad were visiting their friends Lisa and Andy and their three kids Sophia, Luca and Blake. They all had a lot of fun, and Dad joked that I heard all the laughter and wanted to see what was going on out there. Personally, I like to think that I came early because it turned out that Mom was sick and her doctor said it would have been dangerous for her if she didn't have me when she did. Considering how much she looks out for me, it seems only fair that I did the same for her.

Whatever the reason was for my early arrival, Mom and Dad keep telling me how happy they are that I'm here. I appreciate that and I even forgive them for not having my room ready for me. (I hope they'll remember that a few years from now when they tell me to clean my room.) It's funny because even though I wasn't supposed to be here until today, they say they can't imagine being without me. That doesn't really make any sense, but it's nice to know how much they love me. Personally, I'm liking it here because I've gotten to meet so many great friends and family already.

All in all my first three weeks have been pretty great. My parents love me more than they can explain, and we're all grateful for the help and support we've gotten. I haven't known Mom and Dad for long, but they say they've never been happier than since I arrived. I'm glad I could help.

I Say: Onesie World Is Enough

Dad tells me that that old guy Sting was once in a band called the Police. They did a song called One World. I think he was actually singing Onesie World. Anyway, after I told you about my Jewmaican onesie last week, I figured that every once in a while I'd show you some more highlights. Here are a couple that I'm looking forward to sporting in the near future.

Mom and Dad's friend Robin just sent this Bob Dylan onesie. It's special to me because my middle name is Dylan, and my parents love playing Bob Dylan music for me. If Robin likes me this much now, imagine what it will be like once she actually meets me.

Before my arrival, Mom and Dad used to call me Honey Badger. (That referred to some crazy video that said that the honey badger is cool and fearless just like me.) So at mom's baby shower, Johanna (more about her in a future post) got me this one.

I'll show you some more of my extensive wardrobe next week. And in case you're wondering why people are so darn nice to me, I think it's 'cause I'm cute. You can tell my mom thinks so.

I Say: I'm Better than Fresh Direct

Since my arrival, things have been a little hectic here at home. Apparently I have disrupted Mom and Dad's routine a little bit, hence the pile of laundry which is now the highest peak in New York State. In addition, they haven't been making their weekly trips to Fairway like they used to. But don't worry - they're not going hungry. First they've been taking full advantage of Fresh Direct, which seems like a pretty good deal. They also have a service that's even better. Me.

My fan club is constantly coming by with food. Hot food, cold food. Jewish food, Jamaican food. Prepared food, homemade food. At present we have a supply of smoked salmon that would make Zabar's jealous.

This is mostly awesome because it helps out Mom and Dad while they have their hands full with me. The only drawback to the constant supply of food is that since I've also cut into Dad's gym time, he's currently farther over his pre-pregnancy weight than mom is.

Dad's rapidly growing waistline notwithstanding, we all really appreciate the snacks (and the presents) that my visitors keep bringing. Mom and Dad and I just want people to come see me and meet me, but I know that all the food and gifts really mean a lot to Mom and Dad. They're pretty lucky to benefit from all this, considering that I'm the main attraction. After all, I am quite cute.

I Say: My Dad is Mature

Dad promises me that he'll always take care of me and protect me. And I know that he loves me because he always tells me so. But sometimes I have to wonder what he's thinking. I mean after all, did he really think it was a good idea for us to have matching hairdos?

Can you tell how much I'm loving my fauxhawk?

This man is my role model. Uh oh. 

I can't imagine that these photos are making Mom feel great about leaving my with Dad all day once she goes back to work, but she still has ten more weeks to train him.

Luckily, Mom and Dad have a lot of good, stable friends who will be a good influence on me. One such friend is Alexandra. We call her Nim. Along with Yom and Buzu, that's one of my three favorite names so far. Anyway, Nim came to visit yesterday. She got me a couple of really fun books that Mom and Dad will read to me soon. And she held me a lot. I like that because it makes me feel safe and let's me see how many people care about me. I don't know why people complain about Mondays - I really enjoyed mine.

And since I'm two weeks old now, I think I'll share an extra picture or two.

I Say: I Met Auntie Rachel (and a Lot More)

This was a busy weekend with a lot of visitors, but the highlight was meeting Dad's sister Rachel. She drove all the way from Boston to see me. (She was sick last week, otherwise she would have visited sooner.) She had gifts for me including some really soft bamboo clothes that Dad says I can wear for Occupy Preschool. She also brought a lot of food for everyone. (Apparently both the Jewish and Jamaican sides of my family are big on food.) I'm not ready for the bagels and lox just yet, but I was just happy to meet her. I'll see her again on Thanksgiving, so that'll be awesome. I hope to meet Uncle Tony soon too since I hear he's a fun guy and can teach me to speak with a British accent, which Dad says will help on my school interviews.

That's my Auntie Rachel

For most babies, that would be enough excitement for a weekend, but I'm not most babies. I also got to meet Luna and her parents Fabian and Helena. Luna is an "older woman" and is very so-phis-to-ca-ted. 

Fabian, Mom, Helena and Luna.

Luna is a little older and a little bigger than I am. 

Fabian is a chef and he brought food for everyone, and they got me some clothes too. How great are they?

I also got visits from Susan, Guy, and Peter who got me fun books and toys and spent time with me. Then Bridget came by again. She couldn't stay for long, but that didn't stop her from saying how cute I am. Plus - in keeping with the theme for the weekend, she brought some homemade food for Mom and Dad. What exactly did Mom and Dad do for food before all these visitors?

We definitely love and appreciate how nice our friends and family are, but want folks to know that I am well stocked and they should just come over. Mom and Dad are actually bragging how they have a social life now that I am here.

The consensus among the visitors was that I'm still really cute. If you doubt their judgment, here is some supporting evidence.

I Say: I'm a Jewmaican

So it turns out that because Dad's Jewish and Mom's Jamaican Chinese, I'm what they call "multicultural". In honor of my heritage Mom and Dad's friend Lesley got me a onesie (and matching bib) that said Jewmaican. I think that's awesome and I will wear it with pride.

I'm a proud Jewmaican

Then on Thursday it got even better because Lesley came to visit me. She got me more great gifts and spent a lot of time holding me, which was a lot of fun for both of us.

Mom and Lesley had fun without me...

...but we all know who the star of the show is

 It turns out that Lesley was here with Mom the day that I decided to make my escape, so I was glad to make her acquaintance in person. She lives far away, but I hope she visits whenever she's in New York. 

I Say: I Have Fast Friends

On Sunday Mom watched the NYC Marathon on TV. She told me that her friend Buzu was running and that I should watch. I decided to take a nap when the race started, so that I'd be awake at the finish. Much to my surprise, when I woke up 2.5 hours later, Buzu was finished. I mean, who runs 26.2 miles in 2:23? Apparently Buzu does. I was happy that she came in second place, but sad that I missed seeing her. Luckily, she and her husband Worku came to visit me Thursday, and that made up for it.

Buzu is nice and fast

I told Buzu and Worku that I don't want to run 26.2 miles, but I really like those mylar space blankets that they get after the race. So they dressed me up in tin foil to make me feel better. I think I looked more like a baked potato, but I appreciate the effort.

Buzu and Worku got me a really nice present and spent time playing with me and holding me. Then Emily came by to visit too. Dad calls her Killer. He says that's ironic. I think it's just silly. Anyway, Emily gave me an awesome book which Dad says I'm really gonna love soon. And she liked the way I smell. Then Hillary came to visit and she brought Ethiopian food. I was a little confused because even though Buzu and Worku are from Ethiopia, Hillary is from upstate New York, but I'm guessing that the native cuisine of Cazenovia, NY isn't so yummy.

With Hillary, Serka, Emily, Buzu and Work. I've never felt so big

I like my new friends.

My confusion notwithstanding, it was a really great day. I have lots more visitors to tell you about, but it's nap time for now.