FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD!
I have taken some big steps in the nutrition department over the past few months. While breast milk is yummy, healthy and convenient I really began to feel left out at mealtime. My parents would sit down to plates full of food (my mother requests no comments on the fact that perhaps the plates should not be so full) as I sat in my bouncy seat sucking on my fingers or the Cow Book. I made my interest in joining my parents at the “big table” clear by grabbing for their utensils, making big mouth bass gestures with my mouth and generally being a pest in the dining room. My parents caught on pretty quick and started me on rice cereal in no time.

Simple spoon-fed rice cereal is a distant memory now. I have expanded my fare to include the following: spinach, beets, chard, carrots, squash, sweet potato, barley, oatmeal, apple, pear, banana, yogurt, cottage cheese, lime, lemon, wheat germ, pickles (thanks for sneaking those in Grammy!) avocado, corn, peas, and green beans. Mommy started me on purees, always sizzing in a spice or two into each batch. Living was pretty easy back then. Mommy or Daddy would mix up a bowl of puree for me and plate of food for them and the three of us would sit down as a family for a meal. I would relax and open my mouth any time a spoon approached my mouth. (see above picture)

At some point a decision was made that I needed to learn something called “self-feeding” and suddenly Cheerios appeared on my high chair tray. “Self-feeding” was a fun and fairly clean game. I would flail my hands randomly at the tray, occasionally get a Cheerio stuck to my hand and even less occasionally get said Cheerio into my mouth. All the while this game was going on though, my parents kept the various purees coming so I was getting pretty full fast.

At a second point another decision was made to move beyond Cheerios and require me to actually get substantial amounts of food from tray to mouth. Now cubes of various foodstuffs appeared on my tray. The game got more serious (since I was now responsible in part for receiving sustenance from this food) and substantially messier. The picture to the right illustrates this.

While I do like to reminisce back to my simple gastronomical life of purees, I have to say I appreciate my new-found independence that came along with the food cubes. I am now free to pick up the pieces that look most tasty, I can now squeeze, mush and mash the pieces into the consistency I desire and I can now feed whichever pieces do not appeal to me to my dog Rufus (he now joins us at dinner time…interestingly sitting right underneath my chair) I also have something to look forward to…I have heard talk that fish and chicken will be appearing on my tray this week.

THE BROOK
I recently made my first trip to my Grammy and Andy’s place in the Adirondacks. On the ride up there was big talk about the fun to be had in the brook that runs in front of the house. My parents had me sold; I really was quite excited about the prospect of splashing in the pools and scooting down the flumes. What my parents failed to mention is the fact that the brook is apparently fed by an arctic glacier and is colder than a (insert your appropriate regional phrase that infers reaaalllly cold)! What the heck were they thinking subjecting the fruit of their loins to such horror? See photo for my reaction and note that neither of said parents have joined me in the brook. After much discussion, all parties involved agreed that a plastic wading pool installed next to the brook would be much more enjoyable. See photo for image of happy wet baby.

TEETH
OK folks I now have five, count ‘em, five teeth! 3 upper, 2 lower. Pretty proud of myself. I have been working my butt off pushing these guys out through my tender gums. Most of you probably don’t remember the pain associated with this process, but believe me it ain’t easy. Now that they are here, what do you think I get from my parents? Praise for my hard work and perseverance, possibly my first taste of candy as reward? No I get big grins, guffaws and “Awww…look sweetie now he looks like a big ol bunny! No, no, no honey he looks like a beaver!” Being compared to two different species of rodents doesn’t exactly inspire me to keep working on the rest of these teeth. I really get the distinct feeling that I am being laughed at and not with. I suppose I will have the last laugh several years from now when the topic of orthodontia comes up.

CRAWLING
So two days before my 7 month birthday I decided to give the crawling thing a shot. I had been rocking up on my knees and scooting for a while, but neither was really efficient enough for getting the things done that I need to get done. Some of these things are patting Rufus’s tummy, squeezing Rufus’s nose, pulling Rufus’s eyelids, splashing in Rufus’s water bowl and chasing Rufus when he tries to get away from me.

Let me tell you crawling opens up a whole new world to you. I now zip all around the house, though the stairs are strangely off limits to me. Places that I have not found too interesting since crawling– the three filled toy boxes set up for me on each floor of house. Really they are just too predictable and pedestrian for me. Places I have found very interesting since crawling – the aforementioned off-limits stairs, bookshelves (particularly those laden with heavy books for me to pull off), any electrical cords, trash cans and corners with dust bunnies. By the way…my mom needs a maid!

February - March - April
Greetings. Sorry to have delayed so long in writing – I’ve been really preoccupied with seeing and learning lots of new things. In February I visited my Grammie and Granny; in March I saw my grandpa Coop star in an Agatha Christie play. April has been a fun twist because Dad took the month off from work and has been taking care of me during the day (heh).

February
In February I took my first plane ride to Florida to visit my Grammie and Andy. I also went swimming for the first time. To be honest, I wasn’t that impressed with swimming…FYI to younger readers – it is essentially a bath taken in a really oversized tub with your clothes on (unnecessary in my mind). The water temp is not nearly as well regulated as a bath (read: much colder), but it is pretty neat to bathe outside.

During February I also experienced some hair loss. Actually a lot of hair loss. I hesitated to bring it up here, but since there’s so much photographic evidence, I feel it is better to discuss it out in the open. The good news is that it has grown back for the most part.

April
So I’m five months old now, and obviously I’ve got lots of questions about the way this world works. One of those questions might be: Uhmm…why did all of my hair just fall out? Born with hair. Now, at five months, hair’s back. Why did it fall out? I have overheard several versions of a single explanation, and it makes no sense to me. “It’s baby hair. All babies lose their hair.” Au contraire, mein Freund. First, I know babies that did not, in fact, lose their hair in the first year. Second, ‘baby hair’…what’s that? Is that like starter hair? Baby teeth fall out; I get it. There’s a space issue. But baby hair? I’m missing something. And I’m not complaining merely out of vanity. It was cold in February…hair would’ve been helpful to keep my head warm.

Saturday, January 21, 2006
Circumcisions cost $99…
My folks just got the hospital bill for my birth, and I overheard Dad say that my circumcision was $99. Now that’s interesting…

Honestly, I would have thought it would be much more. It wasn’t a long procedure but it was performed by an MD with I assume some pretty extensive training. I don’t really understand the economics of things like this, but I guess I’d find it a little more comforting to hear it was, say, $500 or $1000. I’d like to ask my folks if there were different pricing options for the circumcision. Was there a ‘premium circumcision package’ or maybe a ‘gold’ option to have the operation performed by a ‘top’ surgeon? Is it possible they opted for the ‘basic’ or ‘economy’ circumcision? I’m a little concerned about the fact that it was listed as $99…is the hospital trying to make it seem less expensive? Did $100 appear to be too much? Was there some sort of holiday sale or special ‘limited time only’ pricing? I wish I could’ve discussed the whole affair with my folks before the procedure…if they had told me cost was a concern I would’ve suggested we maybe don’t even have the circumcision.

The hands now work for me…
Thank God. That’s all I can say. If you’re a regular reader you already know what a hassle the hands have been. They wake me up, hit me, scratch me, and for the most part I haven’t been able to do much of anything about it. Until recently, that is…

I’m proud to announce that they now (for the most part) work for me. I can now manipulate them with a skill and dexterity similar to…a backhoe operator in training. But that’s ok. Any control over the hands is much better than getting smacked around. I now spend a considerable amount of my day swatting at the inflatable plastic ball hanging from my play mat, and let me tell you…it is a BLAST. It may be the most fun thing to do ever.

It’s only a matter of days before I will actually be able to use the hands to grab things, but I’m already considering how I will wield my ever-growing powers – should I wield them justly and judiciously or harshly and mercilessly? Will I use them to further noble ends or devious schemes? Feel free to give me your thoughts/advice on the subject…

My folks are soooo funny…
I’ve only been able to smile and laugh for a few weeks now, but I can’t tell you how funny my folks are. They really crack me up big time. During the day I’m usually in a good mood because my mom sings Kenny Rogers tunes to me or one of 384 official variations on the ‘Henry song’. So when they start in with making the goofy faces and sounds, it’s really too much to take. When mom’s not around dad tries to sell me on different schemes and pranks to play on her (pee during the diaper change, etc.). Those usually make me laugh but I don’t ever really do them…I think dad’s pushing his luck with mom and doesn't realize it.

Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Musical help needed!
After four weeks of life it has become apparent to me that my mom only knows the words to a very limited selection of songs to sing me to sleep with. And by limited I mean “Happy Birthday” and Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler”. At one month, I swear I do know when to hold ‘em, when to fold ‘em, when to walk away and when to run! For the love of god someone please send my mom the lyrics to something not by a bushy-bearded, cotton candy country singer from the eighties.

Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Well, I recently went to my first (and second) movie with my mom and dad. We saw the film version of Rent and the new Sarah Silverman flick, Jesus is Magic.

Rent
I understand that this was a popular broadway musical, but to be perfectly honest, I thought this was a real snoozer. It opened with the main characters on stage singing "five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes..." That's all I remember. I slept from this point on. Hard.

Mom says there are important social messages in the movie and some great music. I can appreciate that. Unfortunately, the movie really starts slow. They really just needed to pick up the pace from the very first shot and engage the audience.

Jesus is Magic
This might have been a good movie, but I have to confess I got distracted about five minutes into the film. I was suddenly starving...so mom took me out of the theater and fed me. After about half an hour we returned to the theater...but at this point I was kind of full and not really in the mood to watch a movie, so I just slept. Hard.

Thursday, December 8, 2005

Sleeping through the night
Let's just say I am considering it

Rufus
Just wanted to give a quick shout out to my main dawg Rufus. We are on are the way to being fast friends. Right now it is a bit of a one-sided relationship...he licks me and my particularly juicy b urp cloths and I just squirm away from that big wet tongue and close my eyes tight. Still, I know that I will adore this big goof of a dog in about 5 years or so. Letting him lick me occasionally is the least I can do since my arrival has seriously encroached on his romps in Congressional Cemetery and trips to Lincoln Park.

Thursday, December 8, 2005
Free at last
So my mommy and daddy watched some DVD that gave them the bright idea that swaddling me will keep me happy and content. I beg to differ…I may seem happy and content, but inside I am itching to wriggle free and express myself with my flailing arms (which I have just spent the past couple of days trying to gain control over).

The “expert’s” opinion prevailed and now my parents are constantly wrapping me (and rewrapping me) up burrito-style. I am on to them and have developed Houdini-like skills to free myself of this unjust imprisonment. It is a constant struggle though as the attached photo illustrates. I won this time, but only after an exhaustive battle with one of my nemesis blankies.

Monday, December 5, 2005
Chicks dig me...
...because I rarely wear underwear, and when I do, it's usually something unusual. Well, I count diapers as pretty unusual. These Winnie the Pooh graphics are a well-meaning but inevitably unappreciated feature because I can't see them and I'm ususally wearing clothes anyway. Also, considering all the 'advanced' elastic engineering, you'd think I'd be hermetically sealed in these things. Pardon my frankness...but I must offer that that has not been my experience. Chicks do dig me (check out the comments), but the diapers honestly aren't helping things.

I did score a minor victory in the ongoing battle with my hands today (see below). While I was considering some of the more interesting colors and shapes of my crib-mounted mobile, the hands suddenly appeared and socked me twice, disappearing just as fast. When they reappeared I managed to get my mouth on one, and attempted to suck the unruly thing into submission. Unfortunately, after a few moments I fell asleep and don't think I delivered any lasting damage.

Friday, December 2, 2005
Welcome home Henry
I was born on Friday, Nov. 18, 2005, weighed 9lb, 7oz and measured 22 inches. That's pretty big huh?! My mom and pop were pretty surprised. I was so eager to arrive I couldn't wait for my mom to start that full dilation and pushing thing. Instead I opted for the c-section. My mom was a little nervous, but did great through the whole surgery. She even traded Russian greetings with the ob-gyn and anesthesiologist. Dad held her hand the entire time and gave her a blow-by-blow (appropriately edited) of what was happening behind the curtain the doctors had between her and me.

Now I'm home and getting settled into my new space and working out my routine. Although to describe it it may not sound like I do much (eat, sleep); however, I've got a lot of learning to do and it's not easy. Right now I'm trying to get a handle on my neck muscles, but it's tricky, especially considering my head makes up a third of my body mass. Also, it doesn't help that I spend most of my waking moments dodging (unsuccessfully) my own hands. As soon as I get control of my head, the hands are definitely the next thing I'll work on.

When I came home I met Rufus the dog. He's very curious about me but my folks keep him away because he is a little obsessive about licking. I'm pretty sure we'll be good friends eventually. If not, Dad says Rufus will go live with a 'farm family'. Does Dad really know farm families?

I celebrated Thanksgiving with mom, dad, and my grandfolks. Although my diet is still restricted to breastmilk I enjoyed the time with family. Mom was fairly unimpressed overall with the meal, which my folks ordered pre-cooked from Whole Foods. Dad didn't really comment much - he's less particular about food.

SOME BACKGROUND
I was born on November 18, 2005 to two awesome (so far at least; I withhold official designation as “awesome” until I am a teenager and the issue of curfew comes up) parents. Here the are at their wedding.

My mom is supercool. She loves to make up funny songs for me, sings terribly, cooks yummy meals for me and my dad, and is trying to return to the elite athlete that she thinks she once was by training for a half marathon. My dad is also supercool. He makes me laugh with funny muppet songs, tickles me with his beard, and is teaching me how to grow tomatoes.