My Local Extended Family (pt. 2)

For the past 6 weeks all sorts of friends and family have visited and brought their well-wishes, their homemade dinners, and their fun gifts. Here are a few more pictures of my local extended family.

Product Review: My Moby Wrap

OK, I admit, when Dad first strapped himself into my Moby Wrap several weeks ago I had a hard time deciding whether he looked more like the Iron Chef: Sushi or a Tom Cruise wannabe from that terrible movie The Last Samurai. But now that I'm gaining some head control, I must say: it's great! It puts me in the driver's seat and, while that peapod is great and all, this allows me to navigate and see what's going on. (BTW, we live near a LAKE?!)Plus, it's so COMFORTABLE! Even for Mom and Dad.

Thanks Dar, Anissa, and Max!

Fashion/Endorsements

This is my latest look: a little bit stylish, a little bit hipster. My cousin-once-removed Beth sent me this cool sweater from New York this week. If I roll up the sleeves just a little it fits great and it really dresses up my favorite carpenter pants.
Oh, and here are the remainder of my endorsements for the more interesting items on the CA ballot:

1C - Yes
85 - No
86 - Yes
87 - Yes
90 - NO!!!
O - Yes!
Oakland City Council D2 - Pat Kernighan
Oakland City Auditor - Courtney Ruby

Papa's Gotta New Job!!

Dad got a new job this week, HOORAY!!! After five years with the San Francisco Board of Supervisors' Office of the Legislative Analyst, as of November 13th, he'll be doing long-range capital planning for that big city across the bay.

Now, if anyone has any great ideas on where we can find $15.7 BILLION over the next ten years...

The 48 Hrs of My Girl Friends

The last two days have been all about my girl friends. Yesterday I spent some quality time "parallel playing" with my good friend Maisy and got a message all the way from France from my friend Lea Bordier in wine country near Bordeaux. Then, this morning, Mom took me to my first Mom's group meeting where I met 12 other newborns. I wonder if any of them will become one of my peeps?

Finally, this afternoon, we had short visits with Violet P and Bahia in Rockridge before my new friend Zoe came over for dinner. Zoe's two months older and currently dwarfs me but I'm gaining on her everyday.

Happy Halloween!

I'm a very stealthy tiger... Thank you Nancy, Gene and Kim for my cozy costume this year!

My Nickname: "Bug"

Mom & Dad call me "Bug." Not because I've shown any particular early interest in bugs: but because, sometimes, I just wriggle around and look like one, especially after I eat or when I'm waking up:

G'ma Debbie & Great G'pa's Cradle

Grandma Debbie was here this weekend for a long weekend to check up on my rapid development. She was excited by my lack of umbilical cord, my cooing and 'talking', my increased awareness, and my first smile. Next time I see her at Christmas I wonder what new skills I'll have to show off!

After we dropped her off at the airport this morning, I went to my friend Zoe's "Bek-il". She's 1/4 Korean and therefore, by tradition, celebrated the end of the difficult first 100 days. Who said difficult? I still have 62 days left!

Exhausted by the thought, when I got home I took a nap in the cradle that my great Grandpa Bernie first made (yes, turned the posts on a lathe and everything) for my Mom back in 1973 and has since been handed down through the family. I have so many beautiful handmade gifts that I even kept snugly with a blanket our family friend Clare Baldwin knit for me.

Pat for D2, My Costume, & a SMILE!

Today I tabled for Pat Kernighan for City Council District 2 in my adorable pumpkin Halloween costume and gave out literature to fellow Farmer's-Market-goers. Pat's been an active member of my neighborhood for over 25 years and deserves credit for passing Measure DD to improve Lake Merritt, creating Splash Pad Park, establishing the Farmer's Market every Saturday just down the street from home, and, just this past Thursday, successfully amending the terms of the lease to bring Trader Joe's to the vacated Albertson's site on Lakeshore. Basically, she's played a major role in making my neighborhood as great as it is today. Giving her my enthusiastic endorsement makes me smile.
SMILE! My first photographed smile!

I Survived the Berkeley Bowl!

I narrowly survived my first trip to the Berkeley Bowl today. It's a great grocery store and all (possibly the best there is) but you definitely have to be in the mood for it as it's frequently overcrowded. As you can see I wasn't exactly "feeling it" in the bulk aisle so had to cool down with Mom and Grandma Debbie in the flower section.

The Family Bassinet

As I briefly mentioned, I've officially been added to the long list of Van de Waters who've used the family bassinet, which dates back to 1937. Now it's immortalized in ink. That's me right there on the bottom, 24th overall and 14 after my Dad! I'm relaxed about the whole thing, but it's cool.

The 24 Hrs of Momma

Dad has been sick all day so can't touch me for fear of getting me sick. That leaves Mom to do all the "change-the-baby,-feed-the-baby,-let-the-baby-sleep-on-you" work today.

The Finger.

In my world, "giving me the finger" is a good thing. I'd happily suck your pinkie half the day if you'd let me. Calms me and gives me a chance to exercise my sucking muscles. I can make your finger tingle if you let me have it long enough. I'm not such a fan of the pacifier: too big, too plastic, falls out when I fall asleep. I'm a connoissuer of the flesh, no artificial ingredients on my palate. Just pure, organic, 100% fresh pinkie. Suck, suck, suck...

Back To Work

Dad went back to work today. Bummer.

Product Review: My Sling

Hands down, my favorite vehicle is the sling. I feel like a little white peapod, snuggled up against Dad or Mom's belly. I can go for miles comfortably asleep like this. The so-called experts say this reproduces "womb-like" sensations during my "fourth trimester" but I like to think of it as a hammock on the go. With the weather the way it has been, it's like swinging between two palm trees in the tropics while someone else does the walking. Much more relaxing than the car-seat-torture-chamber or the still-awkwardly-bouncy-Baby-Bjorn. I even occasionally run in to friends like Frannie and Sadie Lahey-Teare, here in Splashpad Park.