A couple weeks ago ... a day at the fair

A day at the fair with our good friends. For once, I was actually the prepared parent (note - this will be the one and only time I am more prepared then my friend ... that is why I have to remember this day with all it's glory here) - I had sunscreen, hats, snacks, and changes of clothes. Funny enough, I also got a fabulous sunscreen. And Seth slept a lot. A fun day.

A Souper Adventure

I love the fall for many reasons. Apple picking. Pumpkins and squash. The cool weather. The changing leaves. Soup.

This time soup was the downfall. See, they finally are starting to have soup sales and soup coupons. Yeah! And Andrew loves soup. He found some sale on Progresso, so we bought him some yummy chicken soup. This morning, he just had to have a bowl for breakfast (it's one of his favorite foods, up there with rice). I opened up the pop up lid ... and it practically flew off, taking some of my little finger with it.

There was quite a bit of blood and quite a bit of pain, but really - how bad can that be? And I had a tetanus shot shortly after Andrew was born, so I'm up to date. I figured only a slight modification of plans was necessary. Instead of walking the mile and a half to the firestation, we drove instead.

So, Andrew had a delightful tour of the firestation. I forgot my camera, but hopefully my friend will send us pics soon. My hand still hurt quite a bit, especially after I hit it on the car door. But that's fine. A little playing at the park and it's off to belated birthday lunch for me (a treat from one of my good friends here ... aren't they great!).

Lunch at Palm Palace was delicious! I got my favorite stuffed grape leaves - SO delicious. Service was horrible. Our meals came at different times, half the order was incorrect, the waiter forget everything, they billed us wrong, and the meal took like 1.5 hours with 5 little kids having to wait the whole time! Yikes! And my hand still hurt ...

So, my friend took a look at it in the parking lot, at which point it started bleeding quite a bit. Like dripping down onto the parking lot. We determined that yes it probably did need stitches. Meanwhile, a van pulled over and asked if they could interview one of us (for TV I think) about what we think about Michigan Stadium no longer allowing diaper bags. My friend obliged, we roughly bandaged my finger, called Katsu, and were off.

We figured we would stop at the ER. Bad idea - it was PACKED. We waited an hour while I was worried the whole time the boys would catch something horrible. After anticipating at least a 2 hour more wait just to go through Triage, we left. We went to the University Health Service - usually a horrible wait. Today - totally awesome! They took us back without even getting our folder first. And my hand was cleaned up, stitched, and bandaged, all before the 30 minutes on our parking meter had expired. So, all in all - my first set of stitches (I don't count L&D ones) wasn't too bad at all.

Instead of pictures of my finger (which would be boring), enjoy ones of something even better than soup injuries - APPLE PICKING.

Seth is 3 months old

This may be a little short, because I injured my finger today (stitches and all!) and can't type as well as usual.

Seth is still cuter than ever and definitely getting chubby. I guess I just make chubby boys! He has the biggest widest grin and loves to flash it. He is so exited to see us when he wakes up and just smiles and coos. He has long conversations mostly consisting of "Ah goo" and just LOVES to talk to us. He also has started giggling which is so cute. He gets really excited from seeing people and especially looking at his swing mobile and the little mirror on it. He has started to get a little leary of Andrew (I think the honeymoon period is over, folks) who likes to roar at him, "hurt him just a little bit" (as Andrew would say), and, on the other hand, give his super big kisses and hugs. He is definitely a mommy's boy, right now, but gives big smiles to Daddy, too.

Seth is not enjoying tummy time so much, but he raises his head up 90 deg for most of the time and today even looked like he might try to roll over. Occasionally, he still falls asleep during tummy time, but it looks to me like his days of cat naps anywhere will soon be coming to an end. Seth is still super fascinated with looking at pictures ... he also seems interested in TV screens and computer screens (we'll have to be more careful than that). He also has been interested in looking through books a couple times. We'll keep trying on that.

Seth is still a good sleeper. He wakes up at night only about half the time. The other nights he'll sleep a whole 10-12 hours without waking, which is awesome in my book. He falls asleep pretty easily during the day, but I think I need to stop just shlepping him around everywhere and actually pay a bit of attention to nap times and the like now. A little more difficult with two ...

Seth is such a joy around our house. And I am enjoying being a mom of a baby so much more this time. You know how people say "I just hate watching them grow up; I want them to stay little" or "I just love the way a baby smells" or "I just want to hold them" - I get it now. Which is fun. We love our little Seth.

NYC: Day Four (Tuesday)

We got all packed up and then took the subway with Caroline, E. and C. to Central Park near Columbus Circle and played at the park. The playground was huge and lots of kids were there. The kids had lots of fun running around, especially once the water turned on. Andrew and Katsu also rode the Carousel, which was beautiful and lots of fun.







We took a subway down to Madison Square Park, by where David works, and we met up with David and went to lunch at a great Indian restaurant. Then, we took the subway back to the apartment and grabbed our bags and a cab back to LaGuardia. Seth cried hysterically almost the whole cab ride (our poor cabbie), but was pretty good on the flight. Andrew, on the other hand, whined half the plane ride about having to wear a seat belt, and I had to hold it on. He also said repeatedly and very loudly " I am not happy". We were very glad when that flight was over and we were home. But overall, we had a great trip!

NYC: Day Three (Monday)

All of us (4 adults + 4 kids + another Garcia visitor, Mark) headed off for some touring. We took the subway down to South Ferry and then ran to catch the Staten Island Ferry just before it departed. We got great views of the Statue of Liberty on the way there and of Manhattan on the way back. Andrew loved it! Seth was not so sure about all the wind. Plus, it was free, and no waiting - way better than the usual Statue of Liberty visit.







We went on a walking tour pretty similar to what we did with Arpan. We saw the Bull on Wall Street, Trinity Church, then back to Little Italy, where we had a delicious pasta lunch. We went to China Town and had some yummy desserts (ice cream mochi, milk shakes, and smoothies) while Katsu bought some steamed buns and also some chopsticks.






Mark took off to his hotel, while the rest of us headed to Times Square on the subway. We looked around and then dropped into Toys R Us. Unfortunately, the Ferris Wheel wasn't working, but Andrew loved the Jurassic Park display and Thomas the Tank play table. We met up with Mark again and then walked to the Rockefeller Center and back to 5th Avenue and back to FAO while David and Caroline looked for a scooter. We cabbed it back to the apartment.







We were pretty tired, so the girls and kids stayed in. The boys went out and played some football and then went out to eat at a steakhouse. A nice end to a beautiful Labor Day.

NYC: Day Two (Sunday)

We all slept in a bit. Seth actually did really well sleeping in a car seat and a couple of the nights only woke up once! The rest of us shared a bed in the room the E. gave up for us. It was very comfortable and nice - a much larger apartment than I expected for NYC (not to mention the $1k we saved on hotels - thanks, guys!). We got ready for church and then took the subway to an English speaking ward (David and Caroline attend a Spanish speaking one). Andrew was not terribly cooperative because he was pretty tired from the late night before. Seth had a lovely blow-out. So, sacrament meeting was an adventure. We had planned on staying for Sunday School, but decided that was a bit much. We decided to walk to the East Village, where we were meeting up with Katsu's freshman roommate Arpan.

We stopped for a bit in Union Square and had some pastries from Whole Foods. Andrew was napping, so we decided to take some pictures of Seth who is getting to be the cutest baby ever (and so happy!).




We met up with Arpan and saw his very spacious apartment. We had brunch nearby at this restaurant specializing in local foods. I had an omelet which was great, with a side of greens. The greens looked pretty ordinary, but they were amazing - completely indescribable. The best salad ever. Andrew slept like a rock through the whole thing, even though we had to ditch the stroller, and Katsu held him the whole time. We woke up just in time to eat a bit of my toast and some of Katsu's brunch.

Then, we went on another extensive walking tour. We walked into some festival of some kind in Tompkins Park and watched Japanese drummers. We walked down to Little Italy, where of course we had to try the "World's Best Cannoli". I admit it was very good (makes me really miss the North End & Mike's Pastries).




We walked through the very crowded Chinatown, by the Brooklyn Bridge, down through Tribeca, by Ground Zero, and down to Wall Street and the Bull. It was a long walk and tiring, but Arpan kept Andrew entertained and it was great to see all of the sites. One funny thing - by Ground Zero, a police car showed up and all of the vendors took up all their wares and ran away as fast as they could, glancing behind them. Stolen good perhaps?




We took the subway back just in time for David's birthday party. This was totally crazy. At least 41 people in a 1200 sq. ft apartment!!! Can you imagine? It was great to catch up with our old friends the Hamiltons and meet some new people, though most of them spoke just Spanish. Andrew had fun running around with all the kids. Seth was a bit overwhelmed, so we spent a bit of time walking the halls of the building which were a little quieter. I think we finally got to bed and the party ended around 10 or 11 ... So fun.

NYC: Day One (Sat)

We spent Labor Day Weekend with our friends, David and Caroline and their kids E & C and also met up with Katsu's freshman roommate Arpan. A quick (?) story of our trip, so I remember. Others can enjoy as desired.

We left Saturday morning. Bright and early. Woke up at 4:15 and left by 5:00 for a 7ish flight. Andrew did not go back to sleep in the car ... Flight was uneventful, taxi ride was quick and we were on our friends' doorstep by 9:30, a little earlier than expected. Katsu & Andrew took a quick walk while we waited for our friends. After dropping off our bags and a quick nurse, we were off to explore the city ...

We walked with all of us (David, Caroline, E, C, and us) down to the Natural History Museum. We say the dinosaur exhibit on the 4th floor, which Andrew loved. The kids were getting a little crazy, so we decided to end it there and go out to Central Park for some snacks.




David and E. went home, while the rest of took the trek from Central Park to MOMA (Museum of Modern Art). Caroline and C. went home at this point, while the rest of us enjoyed the art museum. This was the only place I HAD to see while in NY and I LOVED IT. First, Andrew slept through the 5th floor (the oldest stuff) and some of the 4th floor (the newer, crazier stuff), so we could enjoy it. Seth LOVED looking at the paintings - he is such an observer and boy was there a lot to observe. I loved the museum because having such a large collection of classic art made it much easier to appreciate how the art gradually changes over time and how revolutionary it was. And it made me love Picasso even more - I really really love his art. He is simply amazing. I enjoyed it way more than the Pompidou, but I think the older, classic stuff was closed while we were there, so go figure. And I liked the modern art we saw in Spain a lot too. Anyways, here are some pictures (they didn't really turn out). Katsu and Andrew enjoyed the gardens while I nursed Seth (which was an adventure ... right next to the automatic hand dryer which totally freaked him out).





We walked down 5th Avenue and grabbed a hot dog for Andrew. We stopped at the Disney store and at FAO. Andrew and Katsu tried out the "Big" Piano (remember the movie "Big" - Katsu had NO idea what I was walking about when I told him it was in a movie; he is like "what? Big? What are you talking about). Andrew really loved it. We also bought some treats and had fond memories for Boston days when we used to buy treats at FAO and sit and eat them at the Public Gardens and talk. Then, it was time to take the long trek back through Central Park; a wrong turn and we ended up hiking through the Ramble, and finally made it back to the apartment completely exhausted (probably at least 6 miles walking ... yikes!).





After a brief bit of relaxing, we left Andrew, E. and C. with a babysitter, so we could have a night on the town. We went to a Cuban restaurant, which had great food and great music (a little too loud for Seth). I got to experience the great fun of nursing Seth while sitting on the toilet in an itsy bitsy dirty Manhattan bathroom (a joy to be repeated on this trip). Then, we went to High Line, a new park elevated where a train line used to be. We checked out where David works and got some delicious desserts (cakes, cupcakes, shaved ice with ice cream) at a yummy dessert place. Seth slept most of the time, as he did most of the trip, so that was nice. Amazingly enough, Andrew was STILL awake when we got back at 11 pm (after having woken up at 4 am, though a nap was in there). Sleepy boy. It was a fun and exhausting day!

Andrew is 28 months old!

Andrew's Favorites according to Andrew (and me):

Food - Pasta, (also, Rice, Japanese Noodles, Plain yogurt with blueberries and strawberries, corn on the cob, graham crackers, hot dogs, chocolate, cake)

Books - Andrew couldn't decide "I have all these books" (Curious George, Richard Scarry books (Esp. the car one), Mo Willems' Piggie and Elephant series, anything about dinosaurs)

Friend - Jonas

Thing to Do - Play with Jonas and his toys

Toys - Cars, of course, and don't you dare touch them. He loves his new "potato man" (Mr. Potato Head) and his Little People and all of Seth's toys.

Place - Jonas' house (hmmm ... seems to be a theme here)

This has been another fun and busy month with Andrew. We spent most of the month going to the park (try to go 3 or 4 times a week), playing with cars at home, and reading books. We did some fun things - a local festival in Dexter (where we saw a clown!), the Saline fair, lots of picnics, lots of going out to eat for my birthday (can't skip the free stuff), and of course, a trip to NYC. Andrew is such a cheerful guy who has fun wherever he goes. He loves everything and laughs heartily to it all.

Andrew is still "2" and has been spending a lot of time in Time Out, mostly for being too rough with Seth or throwing, kicking, disobeying, jumping off the furniture, and most recently excessive whining. The whining is now in full swing ... I don't even remember him doing it before this month. I still think "1-2-3 Magic" is the best discipline method I have seen and I think it works really well. The hardest part of discipline for me is what to do when I can't do something right away, like when I'm nursing, or on a plane, etc. He doesn't really understand loss of privelege yet, though we do put his toys in time out very often when they are used improperly.

Andrew continues to absorb new things like a sponge. He is starting to pick up more shapes and seems like he might be getting the color "red". His talking continually improves. I am thinking of starting letters with him, since he now loves to sing the ABC song, though he mixes up half the letters. But for the most part, my rule of thumb is play, play, play. Plenty of time for active learning later.

Andrew has started to sing. Kind of a late start on that. He knows a couple songs partially and also likes to make up melodies with no or made up words. He likes to do "dance parties", which mostly consist of him jumping up and down.

Speaking of which, Andrew LOVES to jump. In place. Off the furniture (especially). Over us if we are laying down. And climb. He climbs everything. And throw. He loves to throw balls and rocks. Everyone. Today, he threw a rock into the stroller at Seth ... hmmmm.

But really, Andrew loves being a brother and is so gentle with Seth. He tells Seth that he loves him and will say "Sweet boy, it's okay" or similar things when he cries. He always loves to say that they are brothers. He's a little rough, as expected for a 2 yr old.

Andrew is great at playing with himself, still, except at church. I'm not sure why. He plays quietly at home, but whenever I am trying to put Seth to sleep or we are at church or the plane, etc. he uses the LOUDEST voice ever. We work on quiet and medium and loud voices, but it is slow going.

Andrew was obsessed with my birthday and even now still tells me Happy Birthday. He said often how he was going to eat my whole birthday cake. He also said that he was going to eat our friend's cake completely. I think he was too busy running around at that party to even get a piece though.

I decided that Andrew's motivation for dressing or undressing himself was never going to come, so we started teaching him to put on a shirt. He does pretty well and is also learning to put dirty clothes in his own laundry basket. Now, if only he could do his own laundry (and mine, too!) ...

Andrew's favorite new thing to say - "I am not happy", from Elephant and Piggie books. Interesting when repeated in a loud voice over and over in the airplane ... He is starting to learn to express his emotions. I am working on getting him to say "I am frustrated, please help me", since that seems to happen frequently. We are still working on that one.

His imagination continues to shine. His new love - dinosaurs. Lucky boy was able to see TWO natural history museums this month! Ann Arbor's U of M one and the one in NYC. He loved seeing the dinosaur bones and would tell you that all of the dinosaurs have died.

We love Andrew! Time is just flying.