Resisting Arrest

There's a new game in town and I'm losing. As anyone who has tried to put the Bub in a stroller knows, he is fiercely strong and it takes a lot of effort to wrestle him in and buckle him down. But he always loses eventually because he's still the little guy. So he has a new strategy: go totally limp and How You Like Me Now, Sucka? Try putting on clothes or shoes or picking him up or putting him in the bath-- forget it. Totally impossible to maneuver a 23-pound slippery sack of potatoes.

What's all this white stuff?

A few pictures of Sasha having his first real encounter with snow.

Mittens. I hate mittens.

Hey check it out, stuff is falling from the sky!

Wow.

Wait, I seriously can't move in all these clothes.

OK, that's enough! Which way to the hot chocolate?

Happy Chanukah!

Last year we let the holiday pass without anything for the little one but this year we began the tradition of Chanukah with Nana and Zayde.

We all got together and lit the menorah (thanks for the polishing Wisco) and ate fabulous latkes (thank you Zayde) with homemade applesauce (thank you Nana). Because we wanted Nana and Zayde to see our reactions to the presents, we let the Bub open all of his gifts on one night. I think we enjoyed the opening more than he did! Then, to top it all off, Aunt Margot skyped in to watch Sasha open her gift and then Aunt Alice & Maya skyped in to join the party.

Sasha had a great time playing with his new train set and running around the living room waving his new pajamas in the air. However, I think the most exciting item of the evening was the dreidel. The Bub was captivated by the spinning top and attempted to turn it numerous times.

After the excitement of candles, latkes, and presents was over the Bub fell into a great sleep which allowed the adults to laugh and chat over coffee and hot chocolate. What a difference a year makes!

Nana!

Some of you readers may know that every Monday Nana drives to Brooklyn from the Bronx to babysit Sasha and to give me some Sasha-free time. I love it-- a few hours every week all to myself. It's also really good for Sasha. He loves hanging out with Nana and because he sees her every week, he's always comfortable with her. Lately, he doesn't even notice me leave. Or rather, he notices, he just doesn't care because hey, Nana's here so don't let the door hit you on your way out.

Yesterday, however, was a milestone. As I do every Monday, I tell him a little before she gets here that "Nana's coming!" so he's prepared and knows that I'll be leaving soon. Usually that gets no identifiable response. But yesterday when I told him, he whipped his head around and said, "NANA!" Then he said again, "Nana," and ran for the door. I'm still amazed. He really is developing at such a fast pace.

So now he has a two-word vocabulary: Mama and Nana. And Moo if you count animal sounds. I suppose he'll learn my name when he's old enough to say "chopped liver." Seriously, though, when he says "Mama" it's unclear if he's referring to me or Nerdy or both of us interchangeably; it's the subject of some debate.

One thing's for sure: Nana = fun. Here are some pictures to show the love.