sweater weather

We have had a relatively busy week so I apologize for the scarcity of posts! Finn's costume is primed and ready to go so I'll be sure to upload many photos tomorrow ... in the meantime, here's Finn in his new baby cashmere sweater and hat made by Grandma (she and Grandpa are visiting until tomorrow -- it's so great to have them here!)

we tried to go to the pumpkin patch

On Sunday, we had Finn all dressed up like a baby pumpkin and were heading out to a farm in Shelton ... as soon as he was strapped in the car seat, he decided that he wasn't having it. (He's so cute even when he cries.) So instead, we went on a walk around the neighborhood and looked at the leaves. It's really beautiful here right now and there are lots of leaves to look at so I'm trying to take advantage of them before they are gone!

more weekend fun

Here is a happy Finn in his baseball onesie. It sort of looks like he's cheering for the Phillies but in reality, we haven't watched any of the World Series yet ... because of his early bedtime, rather than a complete and utter lack of interest. Yep. That's right. Countdown to college basketball season begins soon - I had better start looking for a Blue Devils onesie!

fall in east rock

We had such a good time with Brent and Ben and their kids Graham, Parker and Sidney (the new arrival) today that I uploaded a bunch of photos to Picasa. Click here to see!

p.s. the first few are of Finn sitting up by himself for the first time!

hmm ... curious

Last night, Andrew introduced Finn to the joys of Curious George. Although we think that his favorite book is still "The Little Engine That Could", George is a strong new contender. (He's just starting to get to the point where he's sort of paying attention to the pictures.) So sweet!

field trip

"Actually, I'd have been happy to stay home with my blanket."

Yesterday we decided that it was high time to head to Westfarms Mall in West Hartford, which is now on my top 10 favorite places in Connecticut. Finn was a little bit unhappy in the car, but once we arrived he slept for 2 straight hours. That was cool because although nothing I tried on happened to fit, I was able to focus on my purchase of several new pairs of socks.

To grandma and other visitors: if you are in the mood for a Nordstrom outing next time you visit, I have an idea.

visiting the office, part 2

Yesterday Finn and I went to see Andrew and take their office photo. He was happy to see his Uncle Brian and assist me with the photo-taking. He was just so cute that I had to post all of these pics for your enjoyment. [as an side, I meant to take photos of the steaks that Andrew and I ate for our anniversary take-out dinner (it was great). Tonight we're going to have leftovers and bust out the anniversary cake that we were too tired to eat last night.]

Today we had a major milestone - we went to Stop and Shop! It was amazing. First we met Val and Marna for breakfast and they encouraged me that I COULD DO IT ALONE. And they were RIGHT. Finn was great - he slept the entire time. Now I'm going to go shopping every day!

playing dress up

Finn already has both his "day" and "evening" Halloween costumes ready to go, but I still thought it would be fun to try some alternate ideas. (We had a little time to kill today).

He wasn't crazy about the concept of dressing as a Kabbalist.

The south-of-the-border/Chi-Chi's waiter get-up that Ollie and Leslie bought Finn from Mexico is, sadly, still too big. Maybe next year!

He liked his final option, the rapper outfit, so much we decided to leave it on for the rest of the day.

You only have to wait 2 more weeks to see Finn in his halloween glory. I hope that East Rock residents are handing out a lot of candy corn this year.

finn barber talks to animals

Inspired by the funniest non-tina-fey SNL skit in recent memory, here is a video of Finn talking to his bunny today.

"Hey bunny! Nice fur. I like that. You're from Ikea? That's cool. I'm 10 weeks old. I have perfect alabaster skin. Nice talking to ya, bunny."

two month checkup

We took Finn to the doctor today for his checkup (and first shots!)

He weighs 11 lbs 13.5 oz ... I was guessing 12 lbs so, pretty close. He's in the 50th percentile for weight and the 75th percentile for length at 23.5 inches. Almost two feet long!

We are spreading out his shots a bit but he still had to have one, and although the initial needle prick was a little uncomfortable he handled it like a pro. Andrew said he must get that from his side of the family, as needles aren't my strong suit - although, after giving birth I doubt that a little blood will faze me as much as it used to.

It is a beautiful fall week in New Haven so we're going to get out for a walk this afternoon. Here's a photo of Finn telling me a joke last night.

big boy bath

Well, it's official. Finn has outgrown the sink. Although it's bittersweet to know that he's growing so fast that he can no longer take his bath in the comfort of his first informal bathtub, his first time in the REAL bathtub was pretty damn cute. Don't you agree?

ps. Check out his little waving hand.

FINN-Y-C

Phew! Who knew that we would be away from home for eight days?! It's probably a good thing we didn't know ahead of time how long we'd be gone, as we'd have just packed more and our car would not have held one more weather-inappropriate sweater. So anyway, after leaving Waverly on Saturday we headed to New York City to say goodbye to our friends Kelley and Adam, who are soon moving to Portland. Although it is sad to see them go, we are happy to have another reason to visit Oregon in 2009! (Mmm, pinot.)

On Saturday evening, we met up with some friends at the Gate ... although it was weird to be "those people bringing their baby to the bar", I have to say that Finn was a very good sport. He managed to entertain the crowd for a spell before napping and presumably trying to forget where he was.

Our next and final stop was to Bussaco, a new restaurant where Kelley helps with PR (she's awesome). It was delicious ... but Finn didn't care. He was DONE and let us know as soon as the appetizers arrived. No matter - we were tired anyway and can't keep up like we used to. Finn was entertained by Brooklyn but we could tell that he was ready for his own crib. Or maybe I'm just projecting. We miss our friends soooo much but it is always nice to come home...

Siobhan, Tanya (who unfortunately is hidden from view!) and Kim
explain to Finn the importance of delicious brunch. Although he eyed our eggs with interest, he ended up sticking with milk.

We went to a coffee shop in Park Slope this morning.
Finn tried to help Andrew with his spreadsheet, but he was sooo sleepy.

This is Finn at the Gate with Karen and Demetri.
It just so happens that Karen introduced Andrew & Nico at this VERY BAR in 2006.
Andrew has been known to frequent the Gate.

fall color

Finn met his Great, Great Aunt Ruth yesterday for the first time! She was impressed with his joie de vivre and overall beauty ... Hopefully someday soon, Finn will have the chance to meet his Great, Great Aunt Cathlyn in Illinois. Two GGA's - he's a lucky guy!

Truth be told, we think that he's teething and therefore isn't as upbeat as usual ... 9 weeks sounds pretty early to us, but Andrew's baby book revealed that he had his first tooth at 4 months old. Jeepers.

And yes, the other photo is of the Barber Pond during the day to show you all how pretty the trees are right now ... and yes, that's Andrew wearing his robe and carrying a beer and a gun. His props are mostly for effect, I like to believe.

more from waverly

We decided to stay an extra day at Chez Barber so that Andrew could do more early-morning work (and Finn could have more quality time with grammy and grandpa). With a view like this, can you blame us??

Yesterday Finn met his Great Uncle Jim and Great Aunt Shirley for the first time, and then his Great Aunt Susan came over with Andrew's cousin Bridget and her daughter newly-2-yr-old Ella, who was impressed that "Baby Finn" was waving at her ... he just can't get enough of his hands now that he's figured out that they are attached to him. Anyway, this is a photo of Ella, Susan and a very relaxed Finn Man.

at Grandma and Grandpa's house

We are in Waverly visiting Andrew's family for a few days, and Finn loves chatting with his grandparents. We took him to our favorite local restaurant last night, and hopefully he'll meet several of his great aunts and uncles today and tomorrow. He's starting to try REALLY hard to say a few words and is also starting to have better control over his hands. Sooner than later he's going to be grabbing anything in sight...!

kate's wedding

We took our first trip with Finn this weekend, to Princeton, NJ for the wedding of Andrew's cousin Kate to her awesome now-husband Chris. It was so beautiful! The bride, the ceremony and the weather were all gorgeous. (I was also happy for a reason to wear a dress and put on makeup.) Thankfully Finn slept for most of the car ride from New Haven and most of the wedding. On Sunday we drove to Waverly, NY to Grandma and Grandpa's house, and he slept for most of that trip too. Looks like we may have a good traveler on our hands, as long as he's fed to the gills ahead of time...

walk in the park

This morning we met our friends Val and Carson in East Rock Park for breakfast (mmm croissants. and so nice to get outside.) It really feels like fall here now ... breezy and brisk! Finn seemed to enjoy his time in the sling for the first time - probably because he has "filled out" enough so that he doesn't sink to the bottom anymore. That's what happens when one eats 8-10 hours a day! ha.

Finn is getting excited for the debate tonight, although we'll have to DVR it for him since it's past his bedtime.

Check this out!

Andrew is quoted in the NYT today ... Slightly cooler than my article in last month's Connecticut Planning magazine ...