Kimbro Visit

We had a great time with the Kimbro family yesterday and today. There certainly is a lot more activity with three kids than there used to be when there was only one! But it was really fun to watch all the kids interact!

Eleanor was very helpful pushing Carter in his swing last night

This afternoon, we went to the Prospect Park Zoo where we fed the ducks. We also wanted to take a ride on the carousel, but we got there too early! So we went to the zoo, which was lovely. Eleanor and (big) Thomas turned into turtles at the zoo...

And the Kimbros turned us on to some good kids TV shows, for which we are very grateful!

You can see more pics of the visit on their website - A Little R and R (accessible under Links).

The Boys

We are having a very nice time with the Kimbro family this weekend. We'll post more about our time together later, but here are a few pictures of Carter and Thomas playing together. They seem to share many of the same interests....

Pushing buttons on the receiver

Playing music (en Espanol)

Reorganizing the DVDs and videos

Looking at books

Name That Dead Plant, Part III

First of all, I just wanted to let you know that we're still here. It's been a very busy, yet uneventful week. Thus, no posts.

The weather has been really lovely this week, and green stuff is starting to sprout in our garden, so it is time for the final round of Name That Dead Plant. There are two for your guessing pleasure.

First, a ground cover:Next, a tree:

Update

Carter is doing much better today. Thankfully, his fever was finally gone this morning, so he was able to go to school. He also had a small rash yesterday (due to the antibiotics, we think) but that seems to have mostly disappeared as well. AND here's the really exciting thing: tonight, he had a big sneeze and nothing came out!

Just in time for Easter

A homemade bunny ear hat from Mandi!

Thanks, Mandi! It is so cute - and incredibly well made!

Update

Carter is still feverish today, and a week on antibiotics has only healed the infection in one ear, so the doctor put him on stronger antibiotics today. We hope these will do the trick. I continue to be amazed by how good-natured he is, even when he is feeling bad!

Ailing

Carter is not feeling well. He had a fever this afternoon, and we aren't sure if the antibiotics are working on his ear infection (we are taking him back to the doctor tomorrow afternoon, so we'll keep you posted), but he has still had a grand time with Mama Helen and Mimi. And doesn't he look ready for spring in his khaki pants and polo shirt? You can really see his top two teeth in the picture!

Mama Helen and Mimi are here!

Mom and Mimi were able to get their tickets transferred after last weekend's ice storm. They got here late last night and are here through Friday morning. Thomas and I have to work, but they don't seem to mind having Carter to themselves all day!

A Boy and his Toys

It's been a while since I posted a video, so I thought I'd share this little one that I took yesterday. It really shows off what a little boy Carter is becoming!

Happy Saint Paddy's Day

Patrick and Kirstin spent the day with us today. There was some horsing around;
there was some "Irish Potato" making; and there was some green beer-drinking!
At the end of the evening, Thomas made it home safely from Phoenix (where they had weather slightly warmer than we've had here).

What a Week.

It was a long week, culminating in a bad day. I'm far to tired to do this all justice, so here's the short version:

• I have had a very busy week at work, and thanks to today's events, I'll be working during found time (read: nap time) this weekend.


• Thomas has had the flu (or something like it) combined with a nasty cold for most of the week. He was basically in bed for a full day and a half, but finally felt well enough to leave on his business trip to Phoenix yesterday morning (though he very nearly missed his flight).


• Carter has an ear infection. It was in one ear on Monday and had spread to both ears by today (when the pediatrician gave us antibiotics).


• My mom and Mimi were supposed to come spend the weekend with us, but their flight was cancelled and they couldn't get another one, so they aren't coming.


• There has been ice falling from the sky since early this morning.


• Just as we were about to walk out the door this afternoon, I walked in the room to find blood pouring down Carter's chin. He must have fallen and caught his lip. Luckily, we were on the way to the pediatrician for the aforementioned ear infection, so she was able to tell me that he ripped the thingy that attaches the upper lip to your gums. Apparently it is not uncommon, and it heals just fine. But it bleeds - A LOT. The bleeding had stopped when we were at the pediatrician, but the poor boy bled from the mouth most of the way home on the incredibly overcrowded, hour-long, rush-hour, snow-day subway ride home from the doctor. He didn't really mind the bleeding - he just wanted to chew on something, but that, of course, made the bleeding worse. So I wouldn't let him chew. So he, in turn, told the whole subway car how much he disagreed with that decision (I'm sure I looked like the mother of the year with my bleeding, crying baby).
• The UPS guy got me to sign for a package today that I assumed was for one of our new neighbors, but I now realize that we don't have a neighbor by that name.


• We are out of wine or stiff-drink fixins', and I can't go get more because the baby is sleeping. So I am going to bed.

On a happy note, we now have a working dishwasher!

Lest you be worried, Carter bounced right back as soon as we got home and I got him in the bath. I'm sure that he will be feeling much better tomorrow. Here's a sweet picture of him from the other day.

Why I Love NYC

There are several reasons why I love NYC (and several more why I don't), but today I love NYC because when I left essential parts of my breast pump at home this morning, I purchased new parts and had them delivered (for free) to my office door by 1pm. You just can't get that kind of service most places.

9-Month Check-Up

Carter had his 9 month check up today (a couple of weeks late because his doctor was away). He grows steadily in his string bean form. He is 20lbs 11oz and a lengthy 30.75 inches long. As usual, his doctor thought that the nurse got the measurement wrong. This time she said, "30 and three-quarters? That seems a bit ridiculous, doesn't it?" The first visit or two we let her re-measure him. Now we just assure her that the nurse got it right.

Name That Dead Plant, Part II

Thanks to everyone who identified the first dead plant as hydrangea. I google-imaged it, and it looks right! (Here's what a real, live hydrangea looks like for those of you who don't know).

Let's do another. How about this one?

Go on ahead and use words like "pruning" in your responses. But it isn't going to mean anything to me until someone comes up here and shows me exactly where you are supposed to snip!

Name That Dead Plant

It felt like spring this weekend, so I started taking a close look at our garden. Taking a look, of course, did me very little good because I am no gardener. My level of gardening ability is so low that what I am really going to require is on-site tutorials from those of you who will be visiting in the coming weeks and months. But in honor of daylight savings time, I'd like to start learning now. I figure before I start figuring out what to do with the plants, I should probably figure out what they are.

Below, I've posted pictures of one of the the plants in my yard (a long shot and a blurry close up). The plants are kind of hard to make out because they are brown, and are viewed against the dead leaves the previous tenants left for us to clean up. Can you help me identify this dead plant (I do realize that it isn't technically "dead")? Your help is much appreciated.

Our Day

Despite a few electrical glitches today (Thomas said mercury must be in retrograde, but apparently it just came out), we had a lovely day. After a morning at home (two electrical devices broken), we had delicious brunch with our friend Amy, and then Joo came over to visit (one electrical device miraculously fixed by Carter). Joo, Carter and I took a long walk through Prospect Park (two more electrical devices broken back at home).

Here's a picture of Carter and I in the park:

During his dinner, Carter gave Joo a run for her money (note three spoons in action!). It was probably the most fun Carter has ever had during dinner time!

Clever Carter

He has figured out how to disassemble his mat. Now it's puzzle time! (Actually, right now, it is puzzle eating time, but putting the pieces together will come.)

Exploring

Carter has started to explore the living room, beyond his toy area.

Looks like our neatly alphabetized book arrangements may be a thing of the past...

New Bath Time

The easiest way to bathe the baby we have found so far...

just throw him in with the laundry!

Baby Blues

The picture is a bit blurry, but check out those blue eyes!

If We Lived in Seattle...

...maybe Carter could go to daycare here: (he's a Moonbeam at his daycare now!)