push-ups

HEY, THIS IS PRETTY COOL

I'M EXHAUSTED!

Grandma Barber sent this nifty toy with a mirror (above) that Finn can look at when he does his tummy time/push-ups (he's getting better every day!) No sign of any turning over yet, though. After approx. 3 minutes of exercise he flops down and gets back to the all-important business of hand-eating.

brrrrrr!

Yesterday, we woke up to this!

... so I was really glad that Finn had a fleece hat WITH EARS all ready to wear! 

(thanks again, Marna!)

Granddad visits!

My dad was here from Nebraska this weekend to meet Finn and discover the joys of Connecticut, and we had a great time! (As is witnessed by Finn's big smile). We went to some great restaurants and did a little bit of shopping but mostly just hung out, which was awesome. Thanks for visiting, Granddad - we are looking forward to seeing you this spring in the Midwest!

more on the nap front.

Finn and I did a lot of running around today ... took a walk and got coffee with Marna (he napped) and then ran to several stores to do some holiday shopping -- during which Finn drank a bottle in the parking lot of a store called Vinny's Garden Center and Holiday Wonderland, which is certainly not the type of establishment we typically patronize. We also went to Target, which Finn knows so well by now, he probably thinks it's our weekend home. 

(He also napped on the ride home! And he's napping now! 3 wee naps in 1 day, after he slept from 8 pm to 7 am this morning. I think that's good.)

Now that we're not getting as much Vitamin D as we did a few weeks ago, we're supposed to give Finn a vitamin supplement. So I bought the stuff at CVS and intended to give his first dose today, until I opened the bottle and smelled the stuff. It looks like a tonic that would have been applied to a wound in the 1940s. I took a small taste and it was totally disgusting. How on earth is one supposed to get babies to swallow this stuff? Or is this bottle from a bad batch? The expiration date is "MARCH10" but maybe that means "March 1910", or "March 10, 1990". If anyone knows about baby vitamins and has advice, I welcome your thoughts.

Meanwhile, this is a photo of Finn from last week after his walk with Grandma, as we've just been too darn busy getting ready for Christmas to take any new photos this week! For shame, I know. Especially since that getting ready for Christmas part is a lie. My dad arrives from Nebraska tomorrow so we'll have some good photo ops this weekend. 

finn and uncle chuck

They say that Andrew bears some resemblance to his Uncle Chuck, so it's hardly any surprise that Finn looks related too, no? Chuck seemed to have the magic touch last week when he stopped by and rocked Finn to sleep ... as you know, that doesn't happen very often during the day!

movin' to the left

Finn is about to roll over, which is pretty exciting! He's not quite there, but he frequently lifts his legs in the air and rolls to the left. (And only the left.) He is basically providing us with about a half hour of entertainment every morning as we watch him roll to the left and back.

working out

We missed our yoga class yesterday but this is a photo I took of Finn last week on his yoga mat. He really gets into the songs we sing in class ... I'm sort of sad that next week is our last one!

He woke up at 4 AM and has been up most of the day until now (sigh) -- we just got him to sleep in his infant carrier. Here's hoping for a nice loooooong nap so that I can figure out how to use our new camcorder as he snoozes!

turkey time

Yesterday we drove up to Andrew's parents' house for the week and Finn is so happy to be here -- he has even more attention than normal! He was a champ in the 5 1/2 hour car ride here, sleeping or eating or looking at the scenery most of the way. We'll be here until next weekend, so I should have lots of time to post photos in the next few days. 

Here's a little video of me trying to make him laugh last night. His laugh makes my day! 

little fisherman

Finn is fortunate to have many lovely sweaters in his wardrobe, including the beautiful cashmere striped cardigan made by Grandma Barber and his light-blue "finn" sweater. To add to those, he has finally grown into his Irish fishermans' sweater knitted by Auntie Ann. Bring on the cameras, please! He is ready for his close-up.

fun with google chat

Sara (above, top right corner) and I have been chatting sporadically using Gmail VIDEO chat - it's so much fun. A little crazy actually, but fun. So if any of you have cameras on your computer and Gmail accounts, you too have the ability to chat with Finn, as Sara did this morning! He seems to enjoy it - although I'd rather him not get addicted to the computer just yet. (My instant messenger name is nicowags, fyi).

more fun visitors!

HAVE I MENTIONED? I LOVE MY HAND.

Our friends Sara, David, Audrey and Nate stopped by today on their way back to New York. It was great that they were able to meet Finn, even though he wasn't at his most social... he gave us a few solid minutes of cuteness before it was time for him to eat. Audrey (5) and Nate (3) provided our afternoon entertainment with a few song and dance numbers before they had to leave -- it was so much fun to see them!

It's super-gray out today in New Haven and starting to look like winter now that the leaves are disappearing ... so sad! Clearly it's time to book our plane tickets to Miami.

big shot

Ohhhhh, there are so few things in my life that are less pleasant than watching Finn get vaccinated. Today he had 2 more shots and he was very brave - only crying for about a minute before Andrew put him back in his stroller and he fell asleep the whole walk home. This afternoon he's convalescing in his pj's and doing his favorite thing aside from eating, which is eating his hand as demonstrated in the photo above. Mmm, delicious hand. 

By the way, we put him on the scale and he weighs 14 pounds! (This is apparently somewhere between the 50th and 75th percentiles.) The doctor said he might sleep all afternoon, but she doesn't know Finn that well. He's definitely not going to sleep for 5 minutes, let alone all afternoon!

tummy time ... maybe another time

If Finn could talk, I'm quite certain that he'd have been telling me that he wasn't so much in the mood for tummy time today. Not that he ever likes it, but today was a little different in that he wasn't even protesting, but he laid on his stomach almost amused! As if to say, keep watching lady. Someday I'll try and roll over but it won't be this day. (We'll keep trying.)

Spotted this afternoon: Finn. Sleeping. In his crib. When? Right about the time that we are supposed to go to Target. I'm actually only leaving the house due to an emergency need for french onion chip dip. I know - gross.

The good news: he's 2 for 3 as far as napping this week. Progress!

Siobhan and Tanya come to New Haven

Finn's new pals Siobhan (left) and Tanya. Look how big he's getting!

Ooooh! Visitors! We love them so much. Especially when they are fun and give us an excuse to eat pizza and drink wine (not that we need an excuse, of course). Anyway, Finn was delighted to have two more pretty friends to fawn over him - now that he's really starting to recognize people and laugh more often he is SO MUCH fun. On Saturday night we went to BAR but decided that the two hour wait was a bit much, so we just brought pizza home instead. Today was such a beautiful day that we took a little walk to Romeo and Cesare's - as you can see in the bottom photo, Finn slept while we scarfed. 

Between their visit and our little happy hour at home on Friday, we had a great weekend! These are probably the last days to really enjoy our rapidly blowing-away leaves...

3 months!

YES WE CAN!

Somewhat surprisingly, I am able to post this morning because Finn is napping! I put him in his crib to watch his mobile as I usually do before my shower, and 20 minute later he was asleep. I've read that the morning nap for many babies begins to develop between 3-4 months of age and seeing as how today he is EXACTLY 3 months old, well. Let's just say that it would be pretty nice if that morning nap were to develop. Although I'm always so happy to see his little face when naptime is over. (By the way - where did that three months go?!)

I wasn't on the ball in time to find a "My Mama is for Obama" onesie so instead Finn is wearing this adorable turtle top that showcases his outstanding cheeks and chins. For my birthday yesterday, Finn slept until 7:30 with only one minor interruption, which was a pretty great present. Last night the three of us we went to Archie Moore's for pub food and beer, which was just right.

Happy Day!

This photo was actually taken a couple of weeks ago but at Val's request - and because it's a pretty good reflection of our moods today - I'm posting it anyway. Hope you're all having a wonderful 5th of November!!!!

finn & quinn

Today we went to visit my friend Robin and her baby girl, Quinn, who was born 2 weeks after Finn. We had a little photo shoot, which was totally adorable.

Finn seems to be back to his almost-normal self after a rough few days of not-such-great sleeping and a LOT of eating. I think he gained a whole pound last week and am guessing that he's up to 14 lbs. We have another dr's appointment next week so I'll be curious to see how much he's grown this month.

For more photos of these two, click here!

finn-o-ween

Oh my, have we had a couple of long days. We are attributing Finn's fussiness to a growth spurt, as he seems to only be happy when eating at home  - not that I can blame him, but still. It makes getting out of the house even more of a challenge...

We took him to Andrew's office on Friday for a little fashion show and then went out trick-or-treating for a very brief period last night with some friends - including Kim, who was visiting from nyc. I'm actually borrowing a friend's photo because she successfully captured our little penguin without his scrunched-up expression that he's been wearing since Wednesday (thanks, Marna!) It was really fun to get him dressed up and to walk around the neighborhood, which was full of cute trick-or-treaters.

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 ...