The Kitchen Table

Almost a Month Ago

I know, a few of you have seen these photos already, and you'll recognize some of Mister's pithy captions, but I couldn't help but (finally) give Rabbit his birthday celebration its due.  A few photos to show his beautiful smile, the introduction of chocolate, because cake and ice cream aren't enough, it must be chocolate (from the World According to Mister). Vanilla, I asked? No, chocolate. REally? I asked, being a vanilla lover and not so much the chocolate ice cream aficionado. NOpe, chocolate. The world likes more than just chocolate ice cream, you know.

Incomprehension.

 

Suiting up. Belting in. Happy, so happy, doesn't even know what's coming. 

A crown! I am king? What, what?

The cake. One of my two favorites. It is chocolate AND vegan. Go figure.

Sister and baker. She did all the mixing.

Whoa. Whoa, what is that? Oh, my mouth is alive!

Can't get it in fast enough!

Um, what is this? It's cold. I don't like it. Stop, take it away!!

Hello. Today, I am a man.

 

The crown will take some growing into. Check out his ears in this shot!

A month later, and teeth numbers 3 and 4, his vampire teeth, are coming in, followed by 5, 6 and maybe a couple of molars. If he's lucky, he'll have Mister's mighty teeth and all of them except the wisdom teeth which I don't have (never did). But, holy cow, our kids have teeth that are as lazy about coming in as they were about being born. He's getting up the circular staircase, which, if you've seen it, know it's a death-trap. He says ball, papa, mama, dog, baby, car, and a few other things. He does some approximate signing for all done, more, change (diaper), water, banana, and milk. He understands several more including bath, potty, and milk. We're not as structured with the signing as we were with Bama, though she's a big help because she likes to sign, too.

Blink

This time last year, my mom and stepfather were in town to help with Juniper while Mister and I set off for NYU to have number two. A baby about which I knew little except that it liked to kick a lot, wiggle like mad, stretch obscenely given the small space. 

I had in my head it might be a girl because we had a girl and two would be cute, right?

Out popped Rabbit. Light-haired like his sister, and like his sister, I had to adjust to something I wasn't sure of. 

I thought he might bring frankincense. 

Family portrait, the C-section way. 

Sweet. He had a good cry (I verified with Mister), big hands, a funny nose. I worried his belly button would be weird (it isn't) because drying umbilical cords are like shriveled alien connectors.

Already perfect. Health check with Papa in the next room. I could see them through the glass.

So big. 8 lbs., 13 oz.

We inked him twice. 

It's hard work, being a baby.

Bama holding Rabbit, a very important role for her: Chief Rabbit-holder.

This will be easy!
A visit with Grandmother.
Sister protector.

Clean. He is hilarious in the bath. He tries to climb in. He leaps around. He splashes. He is amphibian, I'm sure.

Cool kid on the swing.
Same kid eating dirt.
Look at the size of those hands. Seriously. Where did they come from? Mister and I have the same size hand (my palm is larger, his fingers are longer; perhaps Rabbit inherited the biggest from each of us.)

Cuddles at music in the park.

Music Together last summer. The music box is one of his favorite places to explore. He even cracks the rhythm sticks with rhythm. They also taste good.
One of his favorite places to be is on Papa's shoulders. Usually, he gives Mister a lick of appreciation.

Oh yes, pears are good. Two teeth is all you need!

Drumming!

Rocking horse fantasy at the library. He's quite good. 

Hi!

We were working on stairs. And then the ball just seemed more fun.

Cheeky bugger.

Rabbit's an incredible light in my life. He has a fast smile for people, a lovely sweet snuggle for us. He pats me on the back the way I do him when he needs comforting. Somehow, he knows when Mama needs a little love of her own. He is insatiably curious in a very different way from Bama. For one thing, this child needs to lick everything in his path. Ladders at the park, tables, sand, whatever. It's horrifying and funny. Mostly horrifying. I keep saying it's all about the anti-bodies.

Where Bama would study people, he will lick them. He is open in a way that is foreign to Mister but I recognize. I think he's a bit like my dad, the guy who will talk to anyone, anywhere. Bama does it now, and I think he'll be even chattier. Oh my.

I love watching him explore the boxes and cubbies of toys. He's deliberate. He'll take out a block, lick it, carry it around, take out some more, put the first one back. Maybe he's like a kid you know, but this kind of search, seek, wonder is new to me. 

He's not saying much beyond Mama and sometimes Papa, but he can sign for milks, water, more, and all done. He understands change (for diaper) and potty, stars, moon, cow, and a bunch of other animals. He, like Bama, loves books. He helps choose what we read (we offer two, he deliberates, then selects), and picks up books when he's playing, too. New fun, blowing kisses, touching noses, and waving.

He is a sweet and funny monkey, Rabbit is. I cannot claim any ownership to his generosity of spirit, his curiousity, his love, but I hope to nurture all the bits of him that will help him continue to be the lovely person he is.

The Boy

Were you wondering about poor unphotographed Rabbit? He's quick, that one, and usually in the Ergo, so he does get left out of the picture party sometimes.

But not really. 

Here he is, modeling my slouch hat and showing the full force of his personality. 

We took both of them to the UWS to a Music Together concert. What you aren't seeing is Bama in tears, FREAKING out at the crowd and the noise. Rabbit played it cool, if you call dancing like a maniac on your papa's lap cool. (Bama and I headed to the back where she settled in, dancing and jumping around. Eventually, we were in the front in what Mister referred to as the Baby Mosh Pit at the stage. It was awesome.)

I've tried to explain to people how, from day one, Rabbit has been sweet as pie, just like his sister, but they are sweet goofballs in such different ways. He is so easy to smile and a ham in more of a slapstick kind of way than the girl. I don't remember what he and Mister were looking at, but I do know that whenever he's on Mister's shoulders, there's a lot of head-licking involved. I think it's funnier than Mister does.

yoga, rawr

There's a lot of drool in my world these days. No teeth, but a lot of drool. 

And smiles.

Moving into Pigeon.

Cobra pose. Notice, drool and lower lip in same stage of bliss through-out sequence.

Amber necklace from Riga. Does it work? Don't know. But it looks good. Onesie from Bama's stash (abe jones).

 

Happy Feet

If you looked closely at Rabbit's feet in the swing photos, you might have caught a glimpse of these cuties.

I ordered them from tiny happy, an etsy shop out of New Zealand. (I also ordered a bag/purse.) They are reversible, and give coverage without turning Rabbit's feet into swamps. 

When I bought them, he wasn't scooting around yet, but I was planning ahead. I thought he'd need coverage when those days arrived.

 

Which they have. (I'd show you the video, but Typepad and Flickr hate each other.)

Not Enough Water in the World

We headed to Battery Park City to beat the recent 100+ weather. It was genius, because Nelson A. Rockefeller Park has big lawns, lots of trees for shade, and a great park with water, water, water. I wanted the grass for Rabbit. Poor guy, there aren't always good opportunities for him to get on the ground and roll around, scoot, or hop in the city parks. He needs grass. I do put him down, but he really likes to to put his face in the sand or lick the rubber mats. His immune system is hearty, people, hearty.

After lackluster interest in the weekly BPC art project, we headed for the grass and trees with Bird and Aunty N. (At some point, you all become and aunty or uncle in our world.) On the menu: ball tossing, rolling around, grass tasting. 

Then, water. Sand? Who cares. Swings? Whatever. We need sprinklers in our everyday lives. Big, little, fountain, whatever. As long as water is flowing, we're good.

 

Rabbit thinks he can take Bird's bucket. Not just yet!

 

Rabbit got to enjoy this part of the park. Face-plants in sand are fun, but face-plants in water = awesome! He's fearless, this boy is. 

Hella (Heart) This Boy

Bama's always been one for the swings. It seems Rabbit loves them just as much.

Happy boy, happy swings! 

Same day, swinging side by side at Vesuvio.

Up top, we gave Oakland a shout out (onesie from Aunty Natalia, making its second showing), here, at Bleecker Playground, we give props to NYC with his onesie from Upendra and Sharla. Pants, Bama's. Shoes, tiny happy.

 

At the Big Table!

Rabbit's been eyeing our food for weeks, taking swipes at spoons of peas and forks of noodles. Not for you, yet!

He's five months and four weeks (six months for you smart alecks), so let the food games begin!

We started with a new Tripp Trapp. Bama gets the new one, and he's in the one we had because it has the baby rail and padding we need to keep him in place.

Hello!

Sweet potatoes? Yes! I'll try those!

Oh, Mama, this must be magic!

Um, no. Why do you people keep giving me this orange stuff. No boobies, no milks. Feh!

This week, trying rice cereal. I have to pick up a new grinder to make my own. (The one we had ejected bits of plastic from the inside. Didn't seem a good thing to keep using.)

Log Cabin. Ka-bam!

It's hard to understand how something uncomplicated could take more than a month to finish, but here it is: Pickle's own blanket (with a drool-spot of approval in the top dark blue strip). I'm pleased with the result. Colorful, just enough baby to keep it baby, and just enough sass to keep it interesting. 

It's about 26" x 26", not terribly big, but a good size for strollers and naps. Plus, it's cotton (Blue Sky Alpaca Dyed Cotton), so guaranteed to stretch out a bit. It's nice and spongy. Great for my boy who's sucking on anything within reach and rolling around the floor like he's a Rumba.

My Afternoon

I don't advise this as a regular napping strategy, but on the occasion I hold my baby while he sleeps, delicious.