Cave Tubing

 Clement.

Hike to the cave entrance.

 Entrance to the cave.  We could have hung out here all day.

 Frog. In case that wasn't clear.

 Bat.  Likewise.

My first time flying a plane

There aren't too many photos, since I was trying to concentrate on the piloting part.  

This is the tiny plane we flew.  And that's Mike, who kept me from crashing to my fiery death. 

Ain't the Long Island Sound gorgeous?

Coming in for a landing.  I decided to let Mike take this one.  

Happy birthday to me!

Hannah got me a flying lesson (yes, in a plane)!  So I'm about to drive out to Long Island and will soon be soaring over the LI Sound.  Not sure if photos will be possible, but if they are you'll see them here eventually....

Photo Booth

Haven't had a chance to get to the other Belize photos, so I'll toss you this one for amusement.

I know this photo was taken sometime early in Elliot's life.  How do I know?

1) He's massively chunky.  Yes, he currently remains somewhat chunky, but not like in this photo.
2) My hair is long.
3) Hannah and I don't yet have the bags under our eyes that we will later acquire.

Go back to my March 1 post for more info on this series.

Belize

I guess I shouldn't post these photos here, since officially this is a blog about Elliot and, um. . . we didn't take him along.

But I don't have an "Our Awesome Vacations" blog, so this will have to be it.

Here's the sweet treehouse we stayed in when we first arrived:

It's called Parrot Nest, and it's in the Cayo District, in a town called Bullet Tree Falls (yeah, I had the same reaction at first).

Here's the lovely porch upon which we relaxed:

Me on the porch (with river barely visible in the distance):

Big palms in the area.  Big.

Back!

Just flew in from Belize...and at 2:30am I'm headed to D.C. for a press conference on the steps of the Supreme Court.

Mainly I'm white coat eye candy for the reporters, but I'll also be giving a short speech about a patient whose life has been substantially improved by the ACA.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, try here.  Or just turn on any cable news channel today.

Belize photos soon!

Off to Belize!  Back in a week

First Carousel Ride

Last weekend Aaron and Daria came up from D.C.  We had a great brunch at Bubby's (where we've been before), and then headed over to Jane's Carousel , where Elliot rode the Merry-Go-Round for the first time.

Elliot, like most of us, gets sleepy after a big brunch.  Fifteen minutes after this video was taken he passed out, which explains why he's so sedate.

Keep an eye out for a quick glimpse of the Manhattan Bridge:

Other stuff from Codman Farm

Here are a few great photos Carole took that I forgot to post:

And later that night she managed to capture the legendary "O-face" (which I have blogged about but never manged to capture on camera myself):

More eating

Let's be honest...the only time I can really film him is when he's stuck in the high chair.... 

More babbling

The talking keeps coming...

Mexicali Blues

Brunch with Nico

This took place a while ago....mid-Feb?  During our trip to Lexington. 

Lovebirds

Babbling

He's really starting to get real talky.  This is a long video from about a month ago, I'll post it in chunks....

Vacation!

For those who don't know, Hannah and I are taking a much needed vacation at the end of March.  We're headed to Belize!

What's in Belize?  Well, this:

It was formed when an underground cave broke through the sea floor.  It's 1,000 feet across and 400 feet deep.

Here's a cooler view:

In addition to one of the most impressive coral reefs in the world, Belize also features some amazing Mayan ruins.

We learned about this by watching The Bachelor:

We're going to split our time between jungle and beach, and come back rested and deeply sunburned.  Aren't you jealous?

Photo booth!

Some of you know about a tradition that Hannah and I started (and finished) during Elliot's first year.  Every month, on his birthday, we took him to a photo booth and had a strip of photos taken.  Yes, this was often in a bar, we don't deny it.  That's where they have photo booths!

Okay, it often wasn't on his ACTUAL birthday.  The life of a pre-1 year-old is too complex for such precision.  And sure, we missed a month.  But only one, as far as I can tell.

Those photo strips were of varying quality, partially because of the technology (one thing we learned in this experience was that "real" (i.e. non-digital) photo booths are disappearing in New York) and partly because Elliot was in a bad mood, or I was.  Hannah, of course, is never in a bad mood.

A few weeks ago I was taking a break from writing and decided to bring all the photo strips down to our local rip-you-off-for-postal-services shop.  They scanned the photo strips, and I will present them here at highly irregular intervals.

Let's call it a "feature" on the blog, shall we?

I'll start with the first strip I have, from either September or October 2010.  This was after we came back from California but before the little man was born:

Our Community

Last month there was a reunion of sorts.  All of us initially met in a child birth education class, when our children were 7 months in utero.  A lot has changed since then.

 This is June.   She was host of the party, along with her parents Susan and Elliot.

Sofia and her dad Matt.

 Ogden.  He was the first to walk, around 8 months.

William.

Liam with his dad Michael hiding his face from the camera. 

Christina and her son William.

That's Ogden's father Tom on the left.

Sofia's mom Dina.  

Clyde and Ogden.

 Clyde's dad Rob on the left.

 Of course.

We’ve been taking Elliot to this daycare in Gowanus for the past few months.  It takes two different trains to get there (long story, involving the sprinkler system at the daycare we used to take him to, three blocks from our house).

Anyway, these days Hannah has been taking Elliot to daycare in the morning, while I pick him up at night.  She has a much harder job.

On this particular night, I get to the daycare a few minutes before 6 and pack him in his little green front pack.  I say good bye to Kiara and Anna, step out in the chilly air, and walk beneath the blinking lightbulbs of Oxaca Tacqueria toward the subway.

Elliot is often quiet on the subway.  He likes to look at people.  Sometimes he pokes at the fuzzy lining of the hood of a lady’s parka.  Other times he stares at people intently, refusing to react when they coo and smile at him. 

But he rarely speaks.  He sees subway time as a chance to soak it all in.  He is constantly whipping his head left and right, not wanting to miss anything.

Until, that is, we reach the corner of Franklin and Lincoln.  With the precision of an atomic clock, Elliot’s mouth comes alive when we make the turn onto our home street.   He recognizes that we are nearly back, and he starts talking.

“Mama.” 

“Mama.”

He says it over and over.  Not anxiously, or impatiently.  But without much excitement, either.  He just says it.

“Mama.” 

“Mama.”

Over and over.  Calmly, gently.  He stares me in the face as he speaks.  He’s not asking me if she’ll be there.  He’s telling me.  Reminding me, in case I had forgotten. 

“Mama.”

“Mama.”

And normally these words make me smile.  “Yes,”  I’ll say.  “We’re going to see mama.”

But tonight I don’t say this.  “No.”

“Mama.”

“No.”

“Mama.”

“Mama won’t be there.  You won’t see her tonight.”

Mama is getting a haircut, and she won’t be home until after Elliot is asleep in bed.

He seems to register what I’m saying.  He pauses and for a moment does not answer.

“Mama.”

“Mama.”

He only stops when I creak open the metal gate, slide my key into the lock, heave open the heavy door, climb the stairs, click on the light, and flop us down onto the couch. 

And even then, the only reason he stops talking is so he can go toddle about the apartment to look for her.