Happy 1st Birthday, Baby Girl!

Woohooo! You turned one today, Miss Koala. A year ago, you were a little more than two hours old and I have no idea what I was doing. I don't think we'd gone to bed yet...we were probably calling people with our excellent news.

This is how we celebrated your big day. You got up around 5:30, got bday hugs and kisses, went downstairs with your pops to have some milk and Cheerios. When your big sis got up around 30 mins later, she pointed out the Happy Birthday banner, noticed the presents, and the excellent balloon on your high chair. Actually, I think you noticed the balloon on your own. The Bean got Belle and Snow White figures for being such a good big sis for a whole year. You got a new baby doll (because we don't have enough already) and band in a box so you can form a band now that you're the big 0-1!

After that it was bagels with cream cheese for breakfast!

I am so happy your sis had school this morning. She was a bit of a nutter. When she left, you went down for a good long nap. When you got up, we took you to look at this house we think maybe we should buy. Then we got your sister and had a picnic with some friends at the playground.

The sun finally shone for the first time in a week!

You ate a whole cupcake although I think a lot of the icing ended up on your jeans.

You wore your super cute 1 shirt.

Everyone got tired so we came home and had overlapping naps!

You were cranky when you woke so we gave you milk in a bottle, which is your most favorite thing ever.

When your sister got up we played outside. You went off a tear pushing the little red wagon all over the yard. Dinner was early and pretty good. You were able to eat spinach, which made me happy because I think maybe you don't get enough leafy greens. You loved eating tomatoes, too. You also had chicken and yam. And some more fruit salad (strawberries!) because you only turn one once.

After dinner you played a bit, had a bath, got goofy on your bottle and went to bed. All in all a pretty good day.

You are very mobile now. I find you sitting or standing or lying on your belly in the big kid crib. You talk a lot! You smile a lot! You are still pulling on your ears a lot even though last week Dr. Doug said your ears looked good. I can't believe you got another cold , but I'm hoping it's not that bad. We'll see how you're doing at your well-baby on Monday.

I think you're doing fantastic! You are the most amazing, sweetest, most edible, happy, wonderful baby in all the land.

I feel so lucky to have had you. I can't wait for next year's adventures! Happy Birthday, my little love!
Love,
Mama

Actually, Today is My Birthday

Yeah. I'm 35 with 2 kids and a minivan. All we need is a morgage and a dog.

Actually it was a pretty great bday. N and I went out for a fancy adult dinner last night and this morning when I got up (at 7!) my girlies were wearing Dora party hats and sitting in a big stroller in the kitchen.

It took me a second to register that the stroller was a brand new BOB stroller---the creme de la creme of strollers. It's got shocks y'all. N was super awesome and bought it for me even though we have about 7099 strollers already. Apparently he and The Bean chased down the UPS man yesterday afternoon and he somehow managed to fit it in his tiny car.

I had an excellent massage at 8 this morning and then we took the girls to the Bouncy House iand then for a minorly disastorous pizza lunch in Hanover. No one napped this afternoon, which was a bummer, but N got a whole bunch of fire wood from a neighbor who's moving and made a fire and we took a walk with the new stroller and then came home with a super grouchy Bean who got super happy when we had a little party with a little cake. At the party were me, of course, N, The Bean, Miss Koala and several of The Bean's lovies: Pink, Fire Bear, Baby G----, and Baby Jesus.

Dora party hats were worn by all except by Baby Jesus and Baby G--- who come with their own hats.

Dinner was chili and salad and an early bed for a super tired Bean.

35 was a good year: an excellent new baby, three new strollers (one of which was just passed along to another family), a new mini van, goodbye cable, hello Apple TV, a super verbal super awesome toddler, a super N, a winning lottery ticket, and lots of fun. 36 is a lucky number for us Jew Jew Bees so let's just do it.

Happy Second Birthday, Big Girl!

Today Miss Bean is 2! Can you believe it? Seems like just yesterday we were telling you she was in fact a baby, not a bean. Remember? Now she's a talking, running, playing, eating machine. Yesterday we had a smallish family party, which, in addition to the new doll family she got from her grandparents, she found a bit overwhelming and as such as spent today overtired from not going to bed till late and getting up much too early this morning. We're kind of pretending this is just a regular day since we're (insanely) having a pizza and cupcake party with a bunch of kids tomorrow.

Miss Bean is an awesome little kid. She's obviously cute, but she's also really smart and funny and, most of the time, sweet. She has an incredible memory, which is wonderful and a little scary as she won't forget things for months. She loves books and can play by herself, putting her babies and doggies to bed or organizing things, for long periods. Now she's starting to sort of learn of her numbers and ABC's. Her granny says she even smarter than her own two kids were at 2. But she might be a little biased and a little forgetful. But now that she's 2 though things are going to change. We're going to start making sure her teeth get brushed with toothpaste twice a day. Hopefully in a few weeks she'll be able to spit the toothpaste water out of her mouth instead of a.) pouring it down the drain or b.) drinking it. The other thing we're going to work on is having her pick up her toys before she goes to bed. I know this is probably futile, but you know, we've got an actual baby round these parts now so Miss Bean has to start earning her keep.

Happy Birthday, Miss Bean! We're so lucky to have you! This past year has been incredible and we look forward to all the great things your third year will bring.
Love,
Mama

HAPPY BIRTHDAY J-DOG!

It's a wintry day in NH. I have no idea what it's like in NYC, but I hope it's spectacular for one Mr. Unkie Speklunky Brobly!
Happy 41, Little Bro!

Although we are sort of trapped here because of the storm, today is a much better day than yesterday. At 5:30 yesterday morning, N said he needed me to help getting Miss Bean. I was a bit snippy since I was trying to ignore her and go back to sleep. Then N explained that he'd been up since 3AM vomiting, etc. I felt bad for him and got up, got Miss Bean changed and went downstairs to get her some water. I was thinking about N being sick, which made me think about last night's dinner when WHAM. I puked too.

At first I thought I had just puked because I can be sensitive to suggestion, but as the day wore on it was clear that I too had "The Bug." Since N was run over by a truck and I was merely run over by a Vespa I was in charge of the kid. I took Miss Bean with me to school because I wanted to be there to answer my students research paper questions. I probably should have just cancelled the class because less than half of them were there. I guess it was good for The Bean to get out and I was able to help N by moving his students photos out of his office.

N was a sickly shade of geen-gray when we returned. My issue was I'd vomit, feel great for about 30 minutes, and then get a slightly annoying stomach ache for 1-2 hours before it'd come to a head and I'd vomit again. Fun times.

Figures that Miss Bean would only nap 45 minutes on the day I needed a 2 hour miracle.

Although I was able to drive, I figured I shouldn't risk it so we spent hours in the house. I don't know what we did but at one point I had to hide this children's cook book that she likes (what could be better than pictures of babies and food!) because I just couldn't look at it without gagging and by the end of the day our carpet was covered in a 3-inch layer of crackers. Around 3:30 she started to get a little nutty so I took her to the daycare at the gym while I went and closed my eyes in the car. It was a good move, for her at least, because she was much cheerier when I picked her up an hour later.

So we made it through. She was in bed by 6:20 and I passed out from 6:30-7:00, but after that I gathered the strength to eat some Saltines with N and watch some TV. N and I have never been sick at the same time, but at least it was a quick bug and I was able to parent.

Being sick does make you appreciate being healthy. Hope you're all feeling well these days. Except for J-dog. He should be good and drunk by noon.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BROBLY!

30 years ago today life as I knew it came to a screeching, 7lb, halt.
My brother Jacob Nunu Vasqensalez Dakini Thurston Moore Wunsch aka BROBLY was born. My reign was over. What did I do? I coughed my three year old germs right in his face the minute my folks brought him home. It's been all good since then.

I wish I was back in NYC to cough some b-day wishes his face right now, but instead I'll have to send him to cooties via the web.

Happy Birthday, little brother. Here's to a great decade, you old man!
xo, sissy

3! Months! And Counting!

Do you believe it? The Bean is 3 months today! Yay Bean!

You rock on with your crazy growing self!

To celebrate N. and I bought cupcakes. Mmmmm...mom loves cupcakes. I told The Bean she'd get actual cake in 9 months.

To celebrate her 3 monthness The Bean spent last night in her crib. NOT in her bassinet. She was a big fish in a little bed in the bassinet, but she's totally minnowed in the crib. She was having issues staying put. N. and I found her in a variety of crazy positions including a total 180! Hopefully, this will improve. But if she wants to be the kind of kid who sleeps with her feet on the pillow we're not going to knock it.

Also, to celebrate her first trimester out of the womb, I heard but didn't witness, The Bean flipped over from her tummy to her back this morning. N. says it was accidental, but still it counts as something.

What else, you ask.

The Bean is "talking." She says hi and variety of other things including "geek" when she looked at N. the other day. She's no dummy our little Bean.

Have I mentioned that The Bean is HUGE! She eats other babies her age for breakfast! But she is generally sleeping in longer stretches and becoming more efficient at eating.

Now that she's so old, for the first time, she's going to go for 1 hour (hopefully) of babysitting at the daycare at Mom's gym on Monday. And on Tuesday, she's going to vote for Obama. She thinks you you should too! Especially if you're at least 17 years and 9 months older. The Bean thinks it will be a great 3 month bday present if Obama wins on Tuesday. How can you let her down? She's just a baby!

When I'm 64...

My totally groovy dad will be 96!
For now, let's have him relish in his 64edness.
Congrats, dad. You've made it to the Beatles song!
That must make you feel kind of old considering they weren't even 30(!) when they wrote it.
Anyway, happy May Day everyone and happy birthday to my good "old" dad!