New Skills: Walking When He Wants and Using a Fork

Faithful readers, I am way behind in posts.  My sincere apologies!

Now, you may think that walking is WAY more important than using a fork (agreed) but Daniel is still in walking denial so it's been hard to get a good video.  As soon as he realizes he's walking he stops and either cries or sits down and lifts his hand for our hand.  So, I'll work on the walking video... it's coming (slowly, but surely).  The important thing is that he's officially walking (even agreed to by my husband) and he looks like a little duckling waddling around.  Adorable.

Daniel is 14 months old and he is a budding toddler and I can't wait to do a proper update as soon as I have more than 45 minutes at night.  However, this is one video that just had to be posted:



As cute as it looks, Daniel's fork maneuvering also means that he pretty much refuses being spoon-fed which, quite frankly, can be a cute pain in the ass.  Alas, I'm proud of my little guy for picking up this new skill and think that whipping up a nice roux might be the next step!

A Worthy Message

We're in Atlanta for about 10 days celebrating the Jewish holidays.  Being home is always a treat for me and I cherish the extended visits where I get to pretend that I live here.

My family has always taken Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur seriously and I hope that Daniel can grow up to do the same.  I use the time in synagogue to reflect on the past year and focus on what I'd like to accomplish during the next.  I think about things I've done that could have been done better, ways I've acted that don't make me proud and things I've gotten upset about that I should have just let roll off my back.  It's peaceful and easy for me to sit in a sanctuary and listen to familiar songs, prayers and voices and I really am so thankful that I am able to spend this time where I grew up.

Matt and I took Daniel to the "Family Service" this year so that we could experience synagogue together.  I've always wondered what these services were like and we all absolutely loved it!  Not only was it a bit chaotic, which is a good thing considering the fact that Daniel can't sit still for more than 10 seconds these days, but it broke the meaning of Rosh Hashanah down into the basics:  be happy and healthy in the new year, love and respect each other and don't take life for granted. 

What a beautiful message.  Especially as I write this post on 9/11.

I decided to take a video while the Shofar was being sounded and while it's fun to watch Daniel in his grandfather's arms, I really like listening to what the Rabbi has to say.

I wish for a very sweet, very happy and very healthy New Year.  I wish for my son to continue to be full of love, spirit and curiosity and I wish for myself to be more patient and understanding.  I am blessed and I wish to never take that for granted.

An End to a Hair Era

While Christine did a fabulous job with Daniel's first haircut, his hair grows about as fast as mine and it was time for a full-blown, sit-in-a-chair-with-a-cape-on, haircut.

Here's my british rockstar son before:

During his cut at Doodle Doo's in Manhattan:

And here's my not-totally-clean-cut-but-at-least-I-can-see-his-face son after:

I still get to rub my face in his hair and his curls still come out when it's wet or humid, so not everything has changed!  That being said, I think I want to grow it back out now.

A Few Steps

Daniel FINALLY took a few steps on his own today.  Wish I had this one video, but I'll get it soon.

As we all know, Daniel has been walking while holding on to one single finger for at least a couple of months.  When he first started doing this people told me that he would walk "any day now".... 2+ months later I'm still walking around with my pinky in his hand.

I'm sure that in a few months I'm going to wish that he was still trying to take my finger, but seeing his first little steps today made me scream out loud and watching him go from me to Matt tonight was simply perfect!

Like Mother, Like Son

For those of you who know me well, this photo needs no explanation... and maybe we should just leave it at that.

Looks as though my son is continuing the tradition of sleeping with a blanket (or, in this case, many blankets, a lion and a duck).

No Daddy, Day 2

Matt is in Montreal partying like a rockstar at Mike D's bachelor party and I'm at home being a full time single mom until I go to the shore later this afternoon.

I have to say that while we both miss Matt a ton, I have not only had so much fun over the last two days but I honestly think I've been more productive than I have since Daniel was born.  No joke.  I've gotten through so much on my to-do list that it's a little sick.  Daniel, luckily, is the best kid in the world so he's actually been chilling out much of the time that I've been organizing, cleaning, etc.  Mealtimes have also been pretty fun and quite successful!

We were even lucky enough to be doing an errand in Hoboken yesterday afternoon when my friends, the Giacopellis, invited us out for dinner with them and Daniel's friend, Ryan.  What a dinner it was!  It was a gorgeous night, we sat outside and, amazing, both kids ate dinner (not always guaranteed these days) AND they let us eat our dinners and drink our wine.  I can't believe this happened!  Mind you, this was the first time Daniel ate french fries and buttery delicious grilled cheese - but he devoured it all.

To say thanks, we gave the little guys ice cream for dessert - which neither of us has ever done.  Quite the evening!

We're now off to the shore where we will be meeting up with Jody, Joy and all 5 of their kids for the week.  Definitely will be posting about this - especially since they're driving up here in THIS.... should be interesting, indeed!

And he spoke (an actual word)

Daniel talks all day long.  In fact, I have a hilarious video of his "dinner conversations" but it's 7 minutes long and I just have to edit it before I post.

That being said, we have not yet been able to identify a legitimate word.  He does say "mamamama" when he needs something or seems a little frustrated, but he never directs it at me.  He also says "ba?" but we don't know what he's referring to (it's nothing that starts with a 'b'... maybe he's saying "that"?)  Anyhow, all of that changed today!  I can't believe that I was lucky enough to actually be filming when this happened:



For now, Matt scores a point for the first word being Daddy on 7/31/2010!  Next, I'd like to hear, "I love you, Mama".