fall shoes

Today the temperature was only in the high 50s so I decided it was time to buy Finn some real shoes, even though he's not exactly in desperate need of them just yet. We know that soon he will be walking around like crazy without holding someone's hand, even if that's a few weeks away. Anyway, we went to Urban Baby and found these very adorable navy blue and orange shoes. They look quite orthopedic in the photo but in person, I swear they are cute. He seems to enjoy practicing his walks in them, especially while holding the largest sweet potato he can find. And Grandma's hand.

Gap casting, just for kicks

So every year, Gap has an online "casting call" for the kids to photograph for their ads. And every year they choose adorable multi-cultural-looking kids, but I figured what the heck, so I entered Finn anyway. If you'd like to see his entry and vote for him as a "fan favorite", whatever that means, click here! Thanks!

FIRST STEPS!!

Today before music class, Finn was taking more steps than usual - lots, in fact! And fortunately, Val was there with her camera to catch the moment. In addition, most of his girlfriends and their moms were there to cheer him on. What fun! Wooo!!

sunday at edgerton park

Fascinated by the miniature pony.

You know what's also fun? Sheep.

It's possible that Finn likes fire trucks better from a distance.

Looking at flowers with Grandma.

Yesterday we went to a nearby park for their annual festival, which featured a petting zoo, a fire truck, italian ice, and a bunch of other stuff that we were too tired (or small) to contemplate. It was a really beautiful day, though and we were happy to spend it outdoors. We've been having the best sunny days lately and are trying to take advantage of them all!!

finn in the box

Aunt Katy sent Finn a new Okiedog Fropper for his birthday. It's still a little bit big for him to ride, but the box is JUST RIGHT!

Finn is so glad that Grandma Barber is here to enjoy these beautiful fall days with us. The nights are a little bit chilly, which is why Finn is wearing fleece pj's, but the days have been great. Today we went for a long walk (two of them, actually) and he is eating way better than usual, too. We're having lots of fun!

boots, made for walkin'

We are so happy that Finn's Grandma is here visiting for a little while to spend some time with us. The other day she showed Finn how to walk in his cowboy boots. Although they're still a couple of sizes too big, he really enjoyed clomping around the wood floors making some serious little boy noise. And don't they look great with his plaid shorts and polo shirt??

He's still hanging on with one or both hands when he walks, but his confidence level is increasing and I'm convinced it's just a matter of days before he lets go and takes off on his own.

the gym

Finn on the giant swing.

We went to a little baby gym this week to try out their class, and it's really too bad that it falls right at the time when Finn is usually taking his morning nap because it's such a cute little spot. Strangely, all of the classes for kids his age are smack in the middle of nap time, so we'll try again once he transitions to one nap, although that might be a while. Thankfully it's still nice enough most days to spend time outside, so we're trying to get to the park as often as possible while we can!

whirlwind weekend

We got home at 1:00 this morning from a fun and busy weekend in Miami. We celebrated my dad's 70th birthday with our family and then on Sunday morning, baptized Finn and his cousin Baby Enzo at a really lovely ceremony at the church where Katy and Dario were married. This is a short post with a lot of photos because it's almost 8 pm and I have to go to bed.

Finn is thinking, "surely you are joking if you think
I'm sleeping in this crib while you're both over there in that fluffy king-sized bed."

Katy, me and Baby Enzo (clearly thrilled to meet me)

Finn's pre-baptism bath in the hotel sink

At the ceremony (better photos to come)

Finn is wearing a beautiful linen outfit that Grandma Barber sewed for him.
Auntie Ann stitched a Celtic cross on the front. We'll have it for generations!

Dad with his six grandchildren

(Massi, Finn, Enzo, Audrey, Olivia and Claire on the floor).

I love this pic of Massi with Finn, Dad, Enzo and Claire!

standing up!

pulling himself up (while holding toothbrush)

hee!

Finn's not walking yet, but the balance is improving. The walking is probably a few weeks away but he gets really excited when standing up and not holding on!!

Happy Bday Granddad!

Hi, there. Hi. Hi!

I'm not exaggerating when I write that our apartment is so freezing on SEPTEMBER 1ST that it's difficult to get my fingers moving in order to write this post. And that's not due to any full-blast air conditioning either. No, it's chilly outside. More chilly inside. It's insane. We had two weeks of summer, for cryin' out loud. Burr!

So it's a pretty happy circumstance that we are heading to Miami on Friday for a weekend with my family to celebrate my dad's 70th Birthday. Dad, sorry I didn't get it together to also make you a cool video, but since you'll get to see Finn in person pretty soon, that's even better. Hope you have a great bday and we can't wait to see you (all of you!)

Oh, a few more words on Finn. After much cajoling from his grandmothers, I relented and found this super-awesome 1960s playpen on craigslist. Unlike the pack and plays that he despises, this is really cool because it's big and wood and he doesn't feel like he's in baby jail because he's able to see everything that's going on. I'm now able to do things like make lunch and use the restroom without worrying about Finn scurrying over to pull the baseboard heating off of the wall! It's great!

last weekend - NYC

Last weekend on our way to the shore, we stopped in Brooklyn for a few days to see friends and meet some of their new babies (or new to us anyway). It was so much fun I wanted to post these pics even though they're a few days late.

Steve & Ginny's Baby Simon, at 7 months, has already
surpassed Finn in weight by a pound (22!)

He's beyond cute.

Lil, who belongs to Kate & Scott,
co-opted Finn's puffs - and she was so adorable he didn't even care.

Dad time

Ado, Kim and Baby Mason, who is just the sweetest little guy.

My former roommate Brooke with her little guy, Iggy -

he's about a month older than Finn and soooo cuddly.

Finn loves Siobhan.

finn and the sea

We are visiting our friends Brian and Regina and their family at the Jersey shore this week and this video sums up Andrew's attempt at showing Finn the beauty of the waves.



So, Finn's first experience with getting his feet wet in the ocean was in effect, mildly traumatizing. For the past two nights he has screamed bloody murder whenever we try to put him in the bath, and I really hope from the bottom of my heart that there is no correlation.

The upside to the ocean breeze and soothing wave sounds is this idyllic image [taken 2 mins. after wave debacle].


Ahh, the beach! Now it's back to New Haven and the waning days of summer tomorrow morning...

Quinn's bday

Yesterday was Finn's friend Quinn's first birthday so we went over to celebrate with them for a while. First birthdays are so exhausting! Man. All of that cake-eating and playing is some serious work. I was unable to get a photo of them looking at the camera together (yet again). This one does however capture how intrigued Finn is with all of Quinn's toys and books. It also must have been taken right before Quinn the Climber tried to launch herself up onto her activity table.

We're off to Brooklyn this afternoon and then to the NJ shore tomorrow so I'll try to post from there.

another important day!

day at the museum

It's certainly feeling like August in New Haven this week, and we are busy scouting for places to go on days when even the pool is too hot! Since our days of whiling away the afternoon at outdoor bars are over for a few more years, today we decided to venture down to the Peabody Museum, where it's blissfully air conditioned and full of dinosaur exhibits. Finn was super intrigued with all of the dinos and old-timey diorama exhibits featuring many of the animals such as deer and bunnies and ducks that he's already familiar with. New words this week, fyi: balloon, ball, monkey (he's trying, anyway) and BYE!

it's hot, but this chair helps

"All I need is this chair, and this camera case."

"It says my name, you see. It's mine."

Learning to climb on and off.

Finn and I have a deal on these hot days where he gets to hang out in the apartment in his diaper as long as he takes two naps a day. Well, that was the deal today, anyway. SO HOT. Thankfully we got out to the pool for a nice long baby-swim, and while we were home, Finn was really getting psyched about his new chair from G&G. I'll say "F-I-N-N FINN!" and he points to his name and smiles. I swear, he knows he's one lucky kid.

1-yr checkup

Modeling his christening outfit mock-up (thanks, Grandma!)
plus two favorite new toys!

I'm sort of cheating today by linking to our friend Carson's blog for some cute pics and video from Finn's birthday party. Thanks to Val for posting!

Finn and I just returned from his one-year well baby visit. He is looking great on all fronts, and kudos to us both for keeping it together through his one toe-prick and two shots (ouch!) It seems that his stats have leveled out a bit since his last weigh-in in June:
Height: 29.25" (25th)
Weight: 20 lbs, 4 oz (15th)
Head: 45 cm (75th)
The percentiles are the same since that last appointment, that is.

He's now napping like a champ, which he's been doing lately ... all of this learning to cruise and pull himself up has certainly resulted in long and regular naps, which I love!

turning one is so much fun!

Chocolate-covered bliss.

This photo really sums up how much fun we had this weekend (as well as how much Finn enjoyed his cake, courtesy of baker extraordinaire, Aunt Heather). We have so many fun photos to post that I uploaded them to Picasa, so click here for the full album.

Some brief background: on Friday - his actual birthday - we went with Andrew's parents and my mom to dinner at Park Central Tavern (yum) then on Saturday we celebrated with a few other babies at Annie, Jim and Emilia's house. Emilia turned 1 yesterday so it was really nice to have a joint party with our yoga baby friends + some other New Haven pals. Yesterday we rested and recovered and today are feeling back to normal, i.e., getting back on the regular nap schedule - yes!

Thanks to everyone for helping to make Finn's birthday so special. We are truly blessed!!

ONE!!

WOW! How quickly it goes by. Remember this little peanut?

And NOW look at him...

Happy Birthday, Finn! We love you very much ... and so does everyone you meet!

i've got my own place now

My mother is convinced that now that Finn is starting to move around, he needs a playpen. However, it's really hard to find a playpen in this day and age that either 1) isn't a pack and play or 2) isn't a million dollars, so I'm pretty resistant to the idea. I'm also fairly certain that he would loudly protest being put into a playpen for more than 30 seconds. In any case, we went to Ikea today and spotted this tent that Finn's cousin Massi has--and is obsessed with. It was an instant hit.

new car

It always amazes me how the most inexpensive toys are sometimes the most entertaining. Take for example, the $6 secondhand toy car that we bought over the weekend. Finn simply does not want to get off of it. Fine with me as it seems to be helping his balance immensely. He is also really enjoying his new helium balloon from Stop & Shop. He is always desperate for a balloon and we relented this time, what with it being his birth-week and all ... (that's an Aunt Sue thing :)

casting call

The line of strollers outside the studio door.

The line inside.

Finn looking introspective right before his photo.

Thank goodness my mom is here visiting otherwise we probably wouldn't have had this adventure, as there's no way I'd have gone alone! On Thursday I received an email from a talent manager asking if we could go to a casting call for Babies R Us in NJ on Friday. Sure! Why not? So we woke up the next morning and packed up the car for an epic journey that should have been two hours each way ... more on that later. Anyway, I was just excited to see what these things are like, and the crowd did not disappoint (although Theresa from the Real Housewives was unfortunately not present). There were dozens of cute babies and I felt sorry for the parents of the children who screamed from start to finish; thankfully, Finn was not one of them. Basically the casting people just weighed and measured him--29" and 20 lbs, fyi--and then took his photo in a diaper--very cute. Wish I had a copy. Anyway, who knows what they are looking for ... presumably we'll find out this week if he's selected for a photo shoot in the next 10 days.

Friday happened to be the day that a line of tornadoes swept across the Merritt Parkway so it took us four hours to get home, which sort of took away from the experience. But that's ok. It was fun and I've always wanted to see what one of these was like.

Now Finn's birthweek begins!