Happy Birthday Principessa

What a rough way to leave this page hanging ... a long memoir falsely accusing Autumn of being (for a time) a crying mess. Casual readers of Autumn's Crib must now have some lasting impression of a whiny baby of legendary proportions. To set the record straight, not two weeks after I finished the last post, Autumn grew up. Her disposition has more much Ernie than Burt. She moved from her needy/unaware phase and forgot all about being upset about nothing. For the benefit of those who have yet to experience parenthood, I began searching for a lame metaphor. Autumn had morphed from caterpillar to something wholly different, and in the process assumed her pleasant, capable, and free demeanor.

With that, I wish to take advantage of Autumn's first birthday as a means of recollecting a random scatter of memories from these last six months.

On Autumn's first birthday, I will remember (in no particular order):

1) Autumn's early efforts to understand her world were a bit like the story of the blind men groping about to categorize an elephant. She gradually learned to master her surroundings. She began to taste, be it a Blackberry, or her first handful of backyard dirt. From barely making eye contact to wildly expressive facial interactions demanding a banana being brought to within her reach. In six months she moved from the achievement of rolling over to having the fearless confidence to scale any obstacle.

2) finding myself researching the details of administering CPR to a baby - only after watching her scarf down a whole string cheese in several massive bites - using only her two teeth. The power of the gnaw.

3) her first jam session - a four keyed piano emerged as a favorite banging toy for an afternoon. Stranger more that she chose the piano over her usual preferred big kid toys - the TV remotes.

4) the waiting game that is her first legitimate steps ... she's been capable for the last 3 months, but is contented to drop to the floor and race over to the open refrigerator door to climb in. All that is needed is a destination.

5) the capacity to make a stranger's day. She earned the nickname, icebreaker. Even the steeliest hardcore-cold NYer would quickly melt in to putty to smile and wave at the stroller strapped, stylish outfit wearin', baby girl.

6) in a similar vein to #5, lets not forget the gay vote ... when out shopping with Mom in SoHo and the Village, it is simply one word: accessories. Often received an A for effort by the flamboyant natives. Totally unrelated, but if the Obama campaign wanted to ensure victory, they should buy bumper sticker space on her stroller. (note, most definitely NOT an endorsement in any capacity).

7) power cord tug of wars.

8) motorboating to mimic humming sounds.

9) a righteous fear of green grass. particularly, lawns. If one were to place Autumn on a blanket in the middle of a summer field, it might as well have been a tiny island in the south pacific. She aint going nowhere. Terrified.

10) the fourth of july and her first (three) hotdogs. Ketchup became the preferred condiment. Doritos were also received favorably. The diapers for the next two days, were not.

11) long, half-hearted moans when she began to get tired. That, and after our move to Larchmont, she would simply climb the stairs to her bedroom - a clear request for a nap.

12) the never ending amazement generated by the constant breeze blown from an air conditioning unit when one's face is pressed up against the screen.

13) her waiving goodbye in the morning as I leave for the train - or charging toward the door when I arrive home in the evening. Its as if we have a small beagle.

14) "arms up" getting the appropriate response when she decides to to help put on her own clothing.

15) organizing the magazine and newspaper racks to her liking.

16) her first taste of red wine. Blue label too.

17) a disastrous run-in with an open jar of Vaseline left too close to the crib during nap time.

18) a preference for daddy's shoulders when confronted with a new and unfamiliar place ... adding some height for perspective while surveying the land.

19) who needs a complete weather station when you've got an Autumn - she acts as a fool-proof barometer and is capable of predicting a storm.

20) her unabashed love of her parents. the first time she gave us each our own genuine hug was topped only by her learning of the phrase, "kiss-kiss" and the slobbery smooches that followed. There's no doubt, she is now "Daddy's little girl".

Now that we are in the first day of her second year, it's remarkable how much cognitive ability that elephant groping has provided her. I can only excitedly await the experiences that will follow over the next 365 days, and then some. Congratulations and Happy Birthday to our little Autumn, we love you forever.

Cryin It Out

Just about every baby book advocates letting an infant cry it out, and in doing so, the mother inevitably becomes emotionally distraught ("what do you mean I can't help my screaming infant!?!")... as is often the case, these writings are on target.

Around the 4 or 5 month mark, there was a time where Autumn was sleeping better, but began to wake up routinely around the 3AM hour. Having become accustomed to regimented feedings, her biological clock was just doing it's thing - what it was programmed to do. Much to Mom's chagrin, it was time for a reprograming, and no matter how long Autumn cried, entry to her room was a no-no. Was it tough on those nights where she went a solid hour? Sure, but we've both heard stories of worse experiences from other parents.

What was compelling about actually listening to Autumn cry was how the tone of her voice came in patterns, along with different pitches and volumes. In listening to her cry, it quickly became clear what type of cry it was - hunger, dirty, and the best, crying just for the sake of making some noise because she was lonely. That last one was the toughest to ignore, by far. There's a strange feeling of satisfaction when you realize you've figured out a part of your kid's communication set, and learning when Autumn was "just faking it" with her cries made for a lot of self confidence in sticking to the cry-it out practice.

We're really happy about learning this early on, because it continues to pay dividends these several months later.

As we enetered the teething cycle, we found ourselves again being woken around the 4AM hour. The cry was an unfamiliar cry of discomfort and grouch... thankfully, this mouth pain was so noticably different that we discovered early on the benefits of the (occasional) use of Children's Ambisol and Baby Motrin. After holding firm and only rescueing her from the pain on the worst of nights, the result? One sunshiney baby Autumn every morning, and a now well rested Mom and Dad too.

Mastery of Physics 101: Intro to Gravitation

From Wikipedia: "Physics is the science of matter and its motion, as well as space and time. It is the science that deals with concepts such as force, energy, mass, and charge. Physics is an experimental science;it is the general analysis of nature. Its purpose is to understand how the universe behaves."

WOW! Talk about a constant source of intrigue?!? When I first got wind of this stuff, my head was spinning... Literally. I was siting on the floor playing a game of ring toss, when, WHAM!, I lost my balance and fell head first into the coffee table. Shaking off the stars (and the crocodile tears), swiftly, Mommy came to rescue me. It was then that I finally began to understand all those TV specials on Newtonian Mechanics that I've been forced to watch recently.

That part on Angular Velocity? Crystal clear now. err... at least I think so.

Deciding to leave the college level math aside for a few decades, I instead sought out to master and understand the domain that is my own little physical world... First up - my bottle and the study of gravitation.

Around the 6-month point (after my appetite crossed the 32 oz. a day threshold), I was introduced to the bottle. No, not the kind that daddy drinks out of on weekends, the one with the formula on it! Well, I took to it like a duck to water, and have been chuggin' ever since. Problem though, I was lazy.

Almost immediately, I would take my two grubby little hands and hold the bottle all by myself. This was great - Dad and Mom (well, mostly Mom) finally had a chance to put me down and let me do my thing. This was like an extra three hours being added to the day! My laziness quickly took over though, as I would relax my hands for a second and thus drop my bottle. Or, I'd manage to keep a grip, but would start to rest it on my chest. In both these cases, no matter how many times I took a deep drag from the tip of that bottle nip, nothing would come out. Then, the light bulb sprung to life. It was gravity working against me!

Understanding those basic tenants, which was followed by practice (along with some extra muscle mass being added to my frame), the problem was solved, and I learned to prop up my bottle. The sweet ambrosia of formula was now free to flow effortlessly downhill into my gullet. Very ladylike description, no? Believe me, there's nothing ladylike about my eating habits as a result.

This, what goes up must come down, perspective was just lovely, and with it's comprehension came the ability to feed myself all the liquids I need daily. (Working on the straw and sippy cups right now). Phew though, I'm bushed-tired yet again, because with those aforementioned "extra three hours" afforded Mom, she's begun taking me on wild adventures in the city. Spring has arrived, and like the prettiest peony, I'm starting to bloom!

Atop The Throne

"remember when I barely filled the inner lining of this chair?"yes, the head accessory theme continues"
Focusing On The Task At Hand
"that'll do it for me, lights out"

Hard At Work

Proving my freshly discovered manual dexterity, here's my latest attempt at typing (I'm getting tired of having Dad take dictation). I asked Mom to show me a few other weblinks in which I might be interested during my spare time. Here's a few shots of me surfing the web.

Doin' the drywall in Las Colinas

Hey All - With President's Day came my emergence as a fully functional little person - and in the period since, Wow, there's just been far too much to catch up on... but I'll try. Give me a break though, as the long-winded day-to-day recap format (of old) will most definitely be a thing of the past - instead, count on some candid reflection of life's little events - that'll do, and is probably the best format for this venue going forward.

Anyway - the aforementioned holiday saw my first transcontinental flight - no sweat ... slept for a total of 11.5 hours on the plane and made not a sound. The 50-some-odd pair of industrial strength earplugs Mom and Dad brought in case of problems werent necessary, as I didn't get in anyone's way. I was a bit apprehensive of my first weekend in California ... I mean, imagine my chagrin after hearing Dad's tales of the dangerous seismic faults lining the west coast of the US ... sure, the area provides some solid President's day weekend fun - activities like hikes to the top of half-dome, Palm Springs road trips, a weekend in Tijuana, catching my first wave, and bike rides on the shore all sound great - but come on, seriously, who would want to be exposed to the chance of shark attacks, and surely my first earthquake at such a young age!

My time there was great - got to meet so many of Mommy's family and friends, along with those who are bound to be my impromptu partners-in-crime on future family vacations. Highlights included brunches, lunches, driving, Uncle Jay's engagement, waiting in traffic, restaurant participation in my carseat, and generally just a whale-ton of smiles and giggles for all the new faces who came to meet me!

The biggest news of the trip was, you guessed it, Uncle Jay's proposal ... Unfortunately, Mom and Dad failed to invite me to the big proposal event, so I wouldnt know. ... I was told it was beautiful (on the beach, candlelight in a private cove, sunset, flowers, the works), but since I wasnt there, ho-hum.

Thanks to everyone for making me feel so welcomed and loved - especially Jake and Shana who graciously let me crash at their pad for the long-weekend. (Don't tell them about the spitup on the rug!)

About that spitup ... gotta do my shirt-laundry. Talk to ya soon.

Shana Showing Me Around

Clover, Jett, Gracie and Hudson... Watching The Big Dogs

Clover Filling In For Mommy Temporarily

Lindsay, That's More A Look Of Terror Than Joy

Jay Debating Internally About How Long Until I Get A Cousin?!?! (I'm just sayin ...)

For The First Time On The Links, It's Hard To Top Torrey Pines in Pre-US Open Condition (Prediction: Tiger by 6)
This Picture Belongs On The Cover of San Diego's Tourism Brochure (Seriously though, CONGRATS Uncle Jay & Aunt Michelle!)

Mmm... I LOVE Bagels!

Daddy, Can We Move Here? I Like These Houses Better!!

Small Consolation Prize For Missing The Engagement: A First Class Seat Home to JFK

Picture Binge

KFC - Eat Your Heart Out

Not long ago I mentioned the passing of a wondrous life event - the discovery of my own fingers. These appendages are truly remarkable, and now that I've got the art of "grasping" down, the world is my oyster. So great are my fingers, that they are now my favorite mouth accessory.

Everything I've got goes into my mouth... a blanket, a wet bathtime washcloth, the remote control, flower petals, corks, small plastic choking hazards, you name it. My tongue has gotta taste 'em!

Mom is about ready to introduce solid foods (rice cereal doesnt sound too appealing to me, but I'll try anything), and I cant wait to get the show on the road. One week rice cereal, the next - one of those meat-frenzied Brazilian Churrascaria joints I've heard so much about. Though, I'd need that lambshank pureed please.

Bring on the grub (Finger Lickin' Good)!

I really prefer the ambience and bustling enthusiasm provided when enjoying a meal at a casual dining establishment.

"It's a simple question really, would you eat the Moon if it were made of BBQ spare ribs? I know I would!"

I intend to wear them all the way down to the nub.

(Note - took Dad a good 10 minutes of thinking to finally understand the meaning of my t-shirt "If it's so good, YOU EAT IT" ... old people)

Actually Honey, "binky" is the preferred nomenclature

This home is overrun with binkies (and all other forms of child paraphernalia). The parents are pulling binkies out of the sofa, out from under pillows, behind the changing table, basically anywhere I can throw (err, hide) them! On top of keeping track of the dozen or so binks floating around this joint, Mom and Dad are also busy losing my micro-sized nail clippers, are burdened by countless blankets/burp towels and having to deal with my increasingly erratic sleeping patterns.

Sounds like chaos, no?

Thankfully - I've got my constant to hang on too ... that being, my epically expansive (and wickedly fashionable) wardrobe.

I am outfitted with enough winter garb to last me through the season... and according to Dad's meterological hat, it looks like we've got one or two more winter blasts to deal with, and then the spring collection will make an appearance.

Groundhog Day!

One of Daddy's favorite movies is "Groundhog Day" and as the winter days counted down towards February 2nd, I was eagerly anticipating catching my first take on the movie (on TBS, since Noppinger stole Dad's DVD copy). Dad has seen it literally hundreds of times - in fact - watching the movie was once so high on his preferred list of entertainment activities that he and a college roommate, Howard, took the time to note the events of the 42 different days lived by Phil Conners in Punxatawny - before the curse was broken (i.e., he lived the 6 more weeks of winter, and they counted to make sure of it). That's your movie factoid for the day - you're welcome.

The film while repetitive (which is inevitable due to its plot), manages to stay fresh throughout. Each new (old) day brings new light to what that day could’ve been. As dark as the film could have been, it wasn’t due to Bill Murray’s great sense of humor. It is a very enjoyable, uplifting film that really makes you believe that every day should be lived as if it were your last.

Beyond that, my favorite wakeup time, 6AM, is prominently featured over the course of the whole move.

I'd recommend it for all ages - and I'll probably recommend it to Carolyn at our next Baby-Book of the Month Club meeting. Anyway - below are some of my own efforts to behave like a groundhog - or generally diggin' on learning to climb over stuff.

See you soon!

"Then Put Your Little Hand In Mine, There Aint No Hill Or Mountain We Cant Climb!"

Nancy, Lincoln, Walsh

This is one time where television really fails to capture the true excitement of a large squirrel predicting the weather...

" I think people place too much emphasis on their careers, Gosh I wish we could all live in the mountains .. at high altitudes ... thats where I see myself in five years."

What would you do, if you were stuck in one place, and every day was exactly the same, and if nothing you did that day mattered? ... ... that about sums it up for me!