I Say: I Like Cats Too

I know I talk a lot about dogs. I love dogs. Big dogs, little dogs, young dogs, old dogs, you get the idea. But they're not the only animals that I love.

There are cats that live in the alley behind daycare. Every morning I make Dad stop and we talk to the cats. Then at night when we're leaving, I call out "kitty cats, where are you?", and we stand on the other side of the fence and look at them. Sometimes my friend Christian and his Mom keep us company. The cats are really fun, but they're shy and don't let me pet them. (Dad says that's for the best.)

There's a pet store around the corner from daycare. The other day Mom brought me in there, and I actually got to pet a kitty cat. I hung out on the floor with him and talked to him. I'll be sure to remind Mom and Dad that that's a good place to visit.

Me, Kitty, and Mom's thumb

I Say: Woof

We were back at my new favorite playground again today. Mom picked me up early from daycare and ran over there with me since it was such a beautiful day, and she says I need to "blow off some steam" so I'll sleep at night. I ran and jumped and swung. But mostly I played with dogs. 

When I see the dogs I tell mom I "want to be nice" and pet them. Even though I don't have my own dog, people are so nice to me and let me play with theirs. And the dogs like it almost as much as I do.

I Say: I Like Dogs

I love Yoki and Anna and Islandy at daycare. They take good care of me, feed me, and teach me. And I get to play with my friends there. But as much fun as I have, I love it when Mom comes to get me and takes me to the park. Today we met a puppy. He is only two months old. He and I got to know each other, and I got lots of doggy kisses. I really love dogs, and Mom is so nice that she stops every time we see a dog. 

I Say: I Love Aunt Rachel & Uncle Tony

This weekend Mom and Dad took me to visit Aunt Rachel and Uncle Tony. We went to the park, played with dogs, ate all sorts of good food, and played a lot. Aunt Rachel calls me her "boo bear", and that makes me happy. Dad drove for four hours to get us home. I spent most of the time sleeping or asking for Rachel, Tony, and their cats. I especially liked TJ. He was a little shy, but I liked him anyway.

I wish they lived closer, but I get to talk to them on the phone, and Dad talks to me about them all the time.

I Say: I Like Monkeys

One of my favorite songs to sing with Mom and Dad is Five Little Monkeys. Sometimes I ask Dad to show me pictures of monkeys on the iPad. Mom got me a stuffed monkey at the Bronx Zoo. Cole sings about monkeys. Monkeys, monkeys, monkeys.

Today Mom and I had a discussion about my future:

Mom: what do you want to be when you grow up?
Me: A doctor
Mom: That's great. What kind of doctor?
Me: A doctor of monkeys!

I Say: Yoga is Fun

Mom and Dad do this stuff called yoga. Dad used to stay yoga is for "tree hugging, whale licking, granola crunching hippies", but now he takes classes all the time at a school near our house. Every day when Dad and I get off the train I ask to go and say hi to the nice ladies who work there. They're always very nice to me, and I never leave before giving hugs and kisses. I haven't taken a class there, but I see what Mom and Dad do, and I practice it at home. I like to show off and let them see how good I am at it. So far I can do a 3-legged dog, cobra, and downward facing dog. I keep trying to jump into a handstand, and I think I'll be able to do it before Dad is.

I Say: Auntie Rachel Made a Video

I love my Auntie Rachel. She makes me feel special every time I see her. And when she visits, she usually takes lots of videos of me. Today she sent over one that she made from a visit a few months ago. I keep making Dad play it over and over and over and over. Unlike when we watch Wheels on the Bus over and over and over and over, Dad doesn't seem to mind. Actually, when he thought I wasn't looking, I saw him just playing the last few seconds over and over and over and over. I think that's his favorite part.

Anyway, here's the video. You'll get to see me, plus as a bonus you get to see Tata. For some reason everyone else insists on calling her Lete, but she's my Tata.

I Say: I Had Fun In Palm Springs

My Cousin Craig made a great video when I visited Palm Springs back in March. I was little back then. We're going back to see everyone in two weeks. I wonder if they've grown as much as me. I can't wait to see them. In the meantime, this video will remind me how lucky I am.

I Say: I Am Darth Vader

I know it's been a while since I have written here. It's mostly because I've been having so much fun, but I'll try to make up for it by posting a lot and getting you all caught up. Since my last post, a lot has changed. I won't tell you about all of it yet, but you will be happy to hear that my voice has gotten much deeper. Here's an example.

Lots more to come - I promise. 

I Say: I'm One!

As my faithful readers know, my birthday was on Wednesday, October 31. A lot of other kids dressed up in crazy costumes that day. It was awesome. Then, a few days later, we had a big party. Lete brought a cake from Magnolia Bakery. I had never had cake before. At first I wasn't quite sure what to make of it, but I must say it was pretty yummy.

My cake

I really loved the cake. And I really love Lete for getting it for me. She is always so kind to me. Mom and Dad say she is like family, and I agree.

Lete holding me as I taste the cake

I was also excited because so many of my friends were here for the party. Luna, Ogden, Luca, Sofia, Blake, Julia, Maddy, Abby, Sadie and Javier all came to see me and brought their parents too. 

I think Mom and Dad were even more excited than I was, but that's OK. We all wore funny hats, ate cake and played. That's a pretty awesome day if you ask me. 

I Say: I Visited Palm Springs

A few months back I visited Florida so I could meet Mom's parents, sisters, and the rest of her family. I loved them so much. Then in March, we traveled to Palm Springs, California to visit Dad's side of the family. Believe it or not, that was just as much fun as the Florida visit. Everyone was so happy to meet me. We played, smiled and laughed the whole time. (At least between naps.) Aunt Rachel and Uncle Tony came to visit. I met Mark, Gail, Steve, Sandy, Lisa, Craig, Sam, Kelly, and even Uncle Dan. I was sad that Uncle Al and Aunt Lola couldn't make it, but I got to meet them after. (Stay tuned for an update about that wonderful visit.)

I loved being in the desert. I loved the warm weather. I got to go in a swimming pool. I got to ride a mountain bike simulator. (That was sitting on Tony's lap.) I got to drive a fancy sports car simulator. (That was on Mark's lap.) But the best part of all was the love I got from the family. It made me feel really special.

Aunt Rachel made a video of the trip. Dad said it made him smile from ear-to-ear the whole time. Just like the trip.



Uncle Craig took a bunch of pictures. Here's a small sample.

I Say: I'm a Bad Blogger but a Healthy Baby

I know that I have been a little lazy with my blogging, but things have been great around here. I'll get you all caught up shortly, but for now I want to tell you about what happened yesterday. Dad took me to the doctor for my 6-month checkup. Even though she gave me shots (again!), she's a really nice lady. Dad said that he didn't want to brag about me, but then he proceeded to tell her all the things I can do. She was really impressed that I'm crawling, and amazed that I can get myself into a sitting position. I just started doing that, and I guess I'm a little wobbly, but it gets easier every day.  I just lay on my belly, roll over, and sit up. Boom!

No - my hand is not touching the floor.

More importantly, the doctor says I'm doing great. I'm growing "like a weed". I'm up to 74th percentile in height and 63rd in weight. That makes me "long and lean". No baby fat on me!

My attempts at eating cereal have been a little less successful. I mostly spit out the cereal and chew on that neat, green spoon that Dad uses. But we'll keep working on it.

I still have to update you on my visits to California (it's beautiful there and I love my family), Arizona (mom raced really fast and I met the rest of my wonderful family) and Boston (I got to see my Aunt and Uncle, and I already dislike the Red Sox). But for now I just wanted to check in and tell you all that I'm doing great.

I Say: Be Brave Daddy

Mom, Dad and I spent the last ten days in Palm Springs, California. I got to meet Dad’s side of the family, and had a wonderful time. I’ll tell you all about that real soon because I want you to read about all the fun and new things I got to do. But today I feel bad for Dad. He had to go home a day early for work, so this is his first night away from me. I know he’s a big boy, but he seemed really sad when he left. Before he went to the airport he told me how much he loves me and that he can’t wait to see me tomorrow night when Mom and I get back. He kept saying that he was worried about me because I have a little cold, but trust me - it’s really no big deal. Mom’s here to take care of me, and I’m not letting anything get in the way of my last day of fun here.

Anyway, I’ll be back in New York soon, so I’ll write more and tell you about the adventures I had here in the desert, and everything else that’s been going on. In the meantime, here’s a video of Dad giving me kisses. See you tomorrow Dad. 

I Say: I'm a Smiley Baby

It's hard to believe that just 5-6 weeks ago Mom and Dad were feverishly trying to get me to smile. I was plenty happy and responsive, but I just wasn't giving out smiles yet. Now there's no stopping me. I wake up smiling, I smile when Mom and dad smile at me or give me kisses, I smile when I'm playing, I smile all the time. When things are going really well, sometimes I laugh, giggle, yell and express my happiness in various other ways. One way or another, you can rest assured that I'm a happy young man. I know that people around me love me.

In my next post I'll tell you more about some of those people. But for now I'll leave you with a few happy photos.

I Say: Mom's Back At Work

Last week was a big one for me. Mom went back to work on Monday. She was really brave and didn't cry in front of me, but I know that it was hard for her to leave me. She and I had never been apart for more than a few hours, so it has been a bit of an adjustment for both of us, but we're doing OK. Sometimes I'm a little fussy in the morning when Mom leaves, but once I realize that Dad won't mess things up too bad, I calm down. We actually have a pretty fun time here even without Mom, but I get really excited when she comes home. Mom's pretty excited too.

Dad says that staying home and taking care of me is "challenging". Based on how much he's sleeping, I think that word means "tiring".  But he also says that he's lucky to have a great kid like me, and to be able to stay home with me during the days.

Every night before bed, Mom gives me a bath. I like that little ritual, and I really like the water too. Plus I get to wear my nifty shark bathrobe.

And in case you're worrying about these changes messing up my social schedule - don't. We went out to play with my friends Tessa and Luca yesterday, and I even dressed up for a fancy dinner with my friend Ian last week. (The grownups had fondue. I stuck with dairy products.)

I Say: Florida Was Amazing

As I mentioned last time, Mom, Dad and I went to Florida for the new year. I got to meet a whole bunch of wonderful Aunties. (Mom has a lot of sisters and a lot of cousins). They spoiled me rotten and I loved it. They fought over who got to hold me, and took such good care of me. I was excited to meet them, and I think Mom and Dad really appreciated getting a little break. There were eleven of us in one house and no one seemed to mind because everyone had so much fun with me. (My previous accommodations were pretty cozy too, so it was fine with me.) 

That's a lot of Aunties, plus Mom, Grammy and Grandpa

As much as meeting my aunties was wonderful, the highlight of the trip was meeting my Grammy. I had spoken to her on the phone and even seen her on Skype, but this was the first time we met in person. Mom kept telling me that Grammy was excited to meet me and how much I was going to love her. I'm her sixth grandchild, but the first in 15 years. I must say that meeting her was as great as Mom and Dad said it would be. I miss her already.

I love my Grammy

We were in Florida for ten days. It's warm there so I get to spend some quality time outside. The warm weather did wonders for my skin too. Mom and Dad took me to the pool a couple of times, but most days I stayed back at the house with my Aunties when they went to swim. I got a nice bath every day, so I still got some time in the water. I think that arrangement worked well for everyone.  

When we flew back to New York I was very well behaved on the plane again. That's more than I can say for some of the other kids. That's also more than I can say for by behavior back at home, but I came through when it mattered. 

In March Mom and Dad are taking me to California to meet Dad's family. Meeting Mom's family was pretty special and I know that Dad is really excited for me to get to know his cousins and aunts and uncles. 

I Say: Happy New Year

Last night I took my first plane ride. Mom and Dad were very nervous because they thought that I might make a big fuss. They worried that my ears would hurt and I'd be uncomfortable, and they worried that the other passengers would be mad at me. They had nothing to worry about. In fact - unlike some of the rowdy babies and children on the plane - I slept for most of the 2.5 hour flight to Florida. I used a pacifier for takeoff and then fed off of mom for landing, so my ears really didn't bother me. The other passengers said that I was the best baby ever just because I was so quiet. They don't even know my other qualities. We were on the plane at midnight, and everyone wished one another a happy new year. Everything is new to me, but 2012 is looking pretty promising.

When we landed, Dad got this really sweet minivan and we drove to Auntie Yan's house in Coral Springs. We didn't arrive until 2:30 in the morning, but I knew that Dad was tired, so I stayed calm for the drive. Even though it was late, I got to meet Aunties Yan, Denise and Annette, and I saw Auntie Dianne again. As soon as I woke up this morning everyone was holding me and playing with me. It made me feel very special. But I also understand that everyone is being strategic. They know that Grammy is coming.

Allow me to explain. Ever since I was born, Mom's mom has been calling every day. Sometimes we Skype, and sometimes she just talks to me on the phone. Ever since we made the plans to meet her here she has been counting down the days because she's so excited to meet me. Everyone else knows that once she arrives, they'll have precious little time with me. And that's fine with me. I'm super excited to meet Grammy and Grandpa. I'll let you know how it goes, but I'm sure I'm going to love them.

And I'm sure they're going to love me, but I'm going to wear my chicken towel. Not every guy can look cute in a chicken towel, but I think I pull it off.

Happy New Year to all my friends and family, and everyone who was so nice to me in 2011. I can't wait to see what 2012 brings.

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.