Annie, Meet Alex

Alex's excellent Thanksgiving adventures continued in Leesburg, FL. Not only did he charm the pants off of Terri's office mates (while mom and dad got to play golf), but he also had his first encounter of the dog kind. Luckily, little Annie was a very agreeable playmate!

Stand Up, Stand Up

It may have been the sight of a Thanksgiving feast. Or, perhaps the warm, sunny weather. Whatever was in the water in Florida gave Alex the inspiration to stand up! Melissa went to get Alex in his crib after a nap and found him standing. Ever since then, we can't keep the little guy down.

He's Crawling...

The cutest, most enthusiatic crawler you've ever seen (not that we are biased)! Check out the video...

Hot, Hot, Hot!

Our spicy chili was the cutest thing around the U Street corridor. We took Alex to a small costume party in the courtyard across the street. And, our hunch that the neighborhood was in the midst of a baby boom was confirmed. Many, many cute young babies and kids with their parents. Here are more pictures of Alex in his halloween costume.

The spitter now sitter

Long known for his spitting up, our Alex should now be lauded for his sitting up. We returned from our friend Alissa's wedding in NJ this afternoon and plopped an energetic (and frustrated from the long car ride) Alex on the floor. He immediately jumped to his knees, rolled back onto his butt and sat there calmly chewing his rattle. He must have been thinking it through on the car ride!

Here's the little guy in his first sit.

Oh ye doubters

I hear that some relegate our reports of Alex's crawling to first parents's exaggeration. Luckily we are children of the digital revolution.

Go Alex, go!

Baptism Weekend (part II)

We took an urban hike to the farmers' market on Saturday morning. And, here's the whole family after the big event. (Alex was sound asleep after all of the excitement.)

Baptism Weekend (part I)

Alex got to show off his new ride to Aunt Krista when family and friends came together for his baptism this weekend. Earlier, he received his first lesson on sharing toys with his cousin James.

Alex jump up!

Our little athlete has found a new playground: the Johnny Jump-Up. Alex loves it. But I must admit, he's showing more of his mother's ballet talent than his father's football prowress...

Nanny's in charge

We're really lucky to have Dorothy Arache watching Alex while Bill and I are at work. She was a teacher in the Dominican Republic before coming to the U.S. and has 5 children of her own (mostly grown). I found her through the World Bank network -- she worked for a WB family for 6 years until they transferred to Sri Lanka this summer.

Best of all, Alex loves her.

First Solid Food!

A week of firsts! Here's a short video of Alex eating his first solid food (well, somewhat solid -- rice cereal)!

First Airplane Ride!

Here are Alex and Melissa chillin' in the Tulsa airport. Alex was a champ on the flights to Tulsa (even on the long hop via Denver)! We had a wonderful time in Tulsa for the mini-reunion with Lee, Lauren, Taylor, and Alex's cousins Katie, Lindsay, and James.

Mom's Here Too

It's true. While I've had the keys to the blog on paternity leave the posts have focused on Alex and me. But, that's not to say that Melissa has not been nurturing Alex along the way. Here's a short video clip of them reading from the Washington DC version of the classic Goodnight Moon series.

Leesburg Bonds

I'm about ten days behind on posts, so I'll try to do some catching up this week. The previous weekend Alex welcomed his grandparents from Leesburg. They had not seen him since he was two weeks old, so they really got to see an entirely different baby. Not only did they bond, but they were kind enough to do it while sending Melissa and me off to play nine holes of golf! Love this grandfather/grandson pic.

Alex vs. T. Rex

Before this week I'd say he didn't have a chance. But, given his newly discovered mobility, perhaps he could get away from T. Rex (especially since T's not really mobile these days either). Alex can now "scoot" -- propel himself with his legs backward (while on his back).

This picture is from the Museum of Natural History. Probably a much better museum for when he's older. He just didn't appreciate the fossils. But, there was a wonderful exhibit with the national wildlife photography winners. It was much more crowded than the National Gallery (modern wing). Here's where my son has taste. As we wandered through the contemporary art (think Jasper Johns), he let loose a number of his high-pitched squeals of delight!

Culture and More

For the past few days I've been trying to give you some insight into life around the "manhold" (i.e., with me on paternity leave with my son, it's no longer a household--but a manhold). I'll usually wait for Alex to finish his morning nap and feeding, then we'll do the day's outing. Today we took the Metro to the National Museum of the American Indian. Alex sacked out, but I toured really interesting exhibits on Native design and "Our Lives: Contemporary Life and Identities." Then, we'll usually goof around in the afternoon on his activity mat. Here's young Alex in his "Let's Party" onesie, after he somehow worked his burp cloth into a bandanna.

Take Your Baby to Work Day

Well, not really. But I did stop all productivity at Education Sector when I took Alex for a quick office visit today.

I Want...To Pump You Up!

It's not all art museums and warm milk for Baby Alex. I'm making sure that he gets in a daily workout:

Our Future Botanist?

An absolutely stunning day in DC. Storms cleared out the humidity and we've been left with a crystal blue sky, mid 80s temperatures, and a cool breeze. Alex and I took advantage of the day to trek down to the US Botanical Garden. It's still very sunny, so we stayed inside the conservatory to give Alex some shade. It is spectacular. They've re-created numerous plant habitats, including a jungle with mist and tropical rains. The jungle, along with a vine covered pathway, were his favorites.

Dad Takes Over!

On Monday, I started my five week paternity leave and assumed the role of "primary care giver." I'm really lucky to be able to spend this time with Alex. So far, we've had a wonderful time -- National Portrait Gallery (pictured) yesterday and the National Gallery of Art today. Alex is a huge fan of the Portrait Gallery, especially the newly renovated building (the stained glass ceiling is a big winner). Surprisingly, he didn't much respond the the impressionists at the National Gallery (he was dozing off). But, the Rodin sculptures were a big hit. More on the "museum a day" paternity leave tomorrow...

A retrospective on the twilight of my maternity leave

On my last day of maternity leave, I would like to thank a few of the people who have helped make it a wondrous, joyful and highly educational 3 months:

First came Dee Dee, who turned on a dime to arrive 18 hours after Alex's birth and did yeoman's duty for the first two weeks of his life. Here he is showing this grandmother of two girls how little boys are different.

Then came Senior and GrandTerr, who welcomed their first grandbaby with great food and lots of cuddles.

Then Aunt Lauren provided excellent parenting tips (and even a playmate for Alex!)

And, of course, highest kudos to Bill. He has been an ideal spouse and dad -- sharing the entire journey with me...even taking over when I most needed help.

There have been many more: friends arriving with food, colleagues sending warm notes and relatives from across the country sending very generous gifts. Thanks to you all from the bottom of my heart.

Ocala Babysits

Caught in a grandparent bonding moment...

Vikas' Wedding

We had a wonderful time in North Carolina for the wedding of Vikas and Neha. It was the first time we've been out for an entire weekend as my parents came to watch Alex during the festivities.

Hail to the fathers

We celebrated Fathers' Day in full force this weekend. My dad, visiting from Michigan, treated us to a night out with our favorite minor league team -- the Bowie Baysox. Then Alex gave his parents the best treat a 10-week old can give: sleep! Alex slept until 6:00 Sunday morning (perhaps still in shock from the fireworks after the game??) and then napped with his daddy until a civilized 8am.

Mr. Personality

We've started calling Alex "Mr. Personality" because he is so interactive now. He smiles, laughs, coos and sticks his tongue out at anyone or anything that catches his fancy, including his mobile and the living room coffee table.

This smile was for his mommy (or the camera...hard to tell which...)

He's Got Range

From rockin' out at the Wright's wedding reception to hiking in the North Carolina mountains, our little guy has range. (His mom looks pretty damn good too!)

Wanted!

Father/son duo wanted for disturbing the peace. Reported late night carousing and gaseous emissions in two states and the District of Columbia in the last week alone. Known to travel together under the name "Tucker."

Going to Carolina...

We had a great cuz' reunion in North Carolina this week. I see lots of good times ahead!

Ocala Visits DC

We finally made it to DC to see our precious new grandbaby Alex. He is absolutely adorable and the best baby ever! The only time he has cried, if you can call it cry, is to let us know that he has to burp. Other than that he has been a perfect baby; it's no wonder with his parents. Speaking of his parents...they are great parents and love their new addition. What a delightful family.

Posted by his loving grandparents Mack and Ana while in DC.

We have proof

Some of you might have heard that the little guy has acid reflux. We've luckily diagnosed and are treating the problem, but that treatment only takes away the pain...not the reflux! We do a lot of laundry.

Look closely at his mouth in this picture.

1-month check-up

We have a healthy baby boy! So says Dr. Balfour, who has seen enough babies in his 40-year career and enough of Alex (8 visits to date) to know.

Alex is 10 lbs. 2 ounces and 23 inches now. That places him in the 50th and 90th percentile, respectively, for each category. His lungs are also strong -- as demonstrated after getting his hepatitis vaccine.

Here is a picture from this morning.

My Team

Melissa and I like to joke about our team. Here they are...