On the move

He loves getting around town in the backpack carrier:

Watering plants with Grandpa Bob

Pots and Pans and a Rock & Roll Band

Pots, pans, mixing bowls, tupperware, strainers, and wooden spoons are just about the best toys ever. They make great sounds!

Hugging the cat

I'm not sure what Reinhardt thinks of this, but the kidlet loves cuddling with the cat. He'll crawl up to the cat and lie down with his cheek against her flank. Sometimes she'll wriggle a few paces away, and then he'll follow her and repeat the cuddle hug. Her soft fur must feel good.

Big fruit

This kid is serious about his fruit. He likes to eat it by himself, without our help. Now that he has six teeth he prefers the whole big piece of fruit over the little bites we so carefully prepare. Here he is with my apple (it's more appealing if I want to eat it), and a big strawberry. This morning it was a big wedge of watermelon and a whole banana, but no one was around to photograph that one, sadly. I love the intense face when he bites in.

Met museum visit

We went to the Met last weekend, and explored the visible storage (while the American Wing is getting renovated).  We happened upon a family member, painted by another ancestor: 

Ernesta with Nurse

by Cecilia Beaux

1894

oil on canvas

Ernesta is our little guy's grandmother's great aunt (Grandma Ellen knew Ernesta well as a feisty old lady), so that makes the artist his grandmother's great great aunt.  Ernesta was about 2 years old in this painting, so we'll have to bring him back in another year when they'll be closer to the same age.  He was already interested in looking at her face, though!

Move-in

Helping with boxes and putting together the bed frame:

New home

Baby's #1 criteria in selecting an apartment: does it have a ceiling fan?

"Yes! Loooook, Mama and Daddy, a ceiling fan!"
(a most beloved object for the majority of his life)

Also in its favor: a 2 minute walk from Grandma Ellen and Grandpa Bob, a 10 minute walk from work, and around the corner from the farmers' market and park with playground

Baby art critic at D.C. Moore gallery

We went to the opening, then returned to the gallery a couple more times to see it all again. The little one has definite opinions and preferences already, and really enjoys looking at Grandpa Bob's paintings!

Play group

Now that he's old enough to enjoy interacting with other little ones, we're having baby playgroups with some of his buddies from swim class.

Boxed lunch

Being slid around the floor in a box is fun! Being fed by Daddy is fun! Put the two together, and what do you get? Box-car lunch:

Shiny!

admiring the reflections and sparklies at Mariebelle:

Bathtime

Ready to take a bath! (He loooooves splashing around in the water.)

Helping in the kitchen

I needed to make dinner on kind of a tight schedule, with no one else home, and my little sous chef was very eager to be in the kitchen with me (rather than, say, take an afternoon nap). Here he is playing with the roasting pan and spaghetti squash skin after I scraped out the good stuff.

"Reading" to himself

Playing

stuffed parrot, meet rainbow soccer ball:

I especially wanted to post this picture for the friend who made the textile that's hanging directly behind him (which also hung on the wall as a focal point during childbirth).

5 teeth

I finally got a picture of some more teeth. All at once around Valentine's day he got three more coming in: on the bottom to the right of the original two, and the two top middle teeth.

Family dinner with Uncle Mylo

Grandma Ellen!

Independently on the move

He has been cruising along adjacent furniture (from couch to desk to low table to rocking chair . . .) as well as walking with the assistance of a chair that he can push around.