bubbles

Who doesn't like bubbles?

the other baby

Almost every day since we have been back, somebody has peed on the floor when we get home. And i'm pretty sure it wasn't Liz or me. Or Schuyler for that matter. I think somebody feels a little neglected. I think somebody felt the need to appropriate the boppy feeding pillow. So I think somebody should get their own post so maybe when Magic is checking out the block at home during the day he will know that we still dig his furry self but the police get involved if we neglect the little human so he's gotta take a little bit of back seat for the time being. When Schuyler starts feeding herself, my furry friend, then you will reap the rewards as you are showered with food scraps.

sunday driver

dog fight

Schuyler takes care of her dirty dog by gumming him into submission.

Schuyler and Jackson's Second Date

Schuyler and Jackson's second date didn't go as well as the first. Daina and Clive brought their fine young son 'round to spend some quality time with his future wife* but unfortunately, Schuyler has the above effect on most men her age. Time to start looking for an older man?

* offers are still being accepted up until age 21

look ma! no hands.

Schuyler seems to be learning new tricks by the minute... today she finally (and with great effort) pulled herself to a standing position by climbing her supine father. It was like watching a primate finally go biped - i swear i heard carmina burana.

Schuyler goes commando

Liz and i were reading "What To Expect The First Year" and reading up on what Schuyler is supposed to be doing so we can begin the process of measuring her against other people's standards and then judging her and ourselves on that basis so that eventually we break her spirit completely and cause ourselves to drink heavily (we really have to stop reading the 'Milestones' section of that book - it is no good for us or her).

Anyway, it said that she should be able to crawl by now and, despite Grampa Flip's classes on the 'commando crawl' ("keep your butt down, this is live ammo!"), Schuyler's attempts at crawling were non-starters - just kicking frantically against nothing. I told Schuyler "you got two days, kid!" and she took it to heart. On New Year's Eve, she finally crawled - commando style, just like Flip taught her. This is mainly an upper body activity for her as she drags her sizeable mass around but she can move!



In case that thrilling video was not enough for you, here is another brief video of her crawling to and subsequently demolishing a toy tower.

the rustico of montpelier

On our last full day in Montpelier, we decided to test everyone's mettle and have lunch in town at a real, live restaurant (an eating venue which is becoming an extremely exotic and magical concept for Schuyler's mom and dad). Well, it turns out that eating in front of the ravenous baby beast now has consequences. Only a couple of months ago, she would have played quietly and/or slept the whole time. This time... the beast was alive... and hungry. So she started fussing and saying things like "Na na na ma na ga ga joo" which i believe is a Star Wars language and loosely translated means "where the heck is MY food!?" So her dad took her across the street to the supermarket where we bought a single jar of green beans (mmm mmm good). I must have looked like a really bad kidnapper with a kid in my arms buying one jar of baby food. Anyway, she ate them voraciously with a vigour which made me question her parentage (liz and i are not fans of the green bean - although Marietta swears she could turn me to the green side). The bear was satisfied. And then we had a Code Brown. Which is exactly what you want in a semi-crowded place where people are trying to eat. But she was great afterward and people watched with Nan before we headed out. p.s. if you are in Montpelier, try the pizza roma at Sarduccis. Mmm mmm good (but not as good for you as green beans).

boxing day

Annie and Flip through a great boxing day party which consisted of a convivial group from the neighbourhood and beyond drinking Dark and Stormies and asking "what's boxing day". We gave a variety of answers... well, actually the one who is a native Bermudian gave a variety of answers while Annie and Liz stuck to researched facts. In any case, i managed to get through the whole party without taking a single picture of an adult (they are less photogenic and less willing subjects than the humans under three feet tall). I love these pictures not only because my mum (granny kim) gave the outfit to Schuyler and i was missing my family a little at Christmas (who were Down Under) but also because there is a picture of me at almost exactly the same age in a similar red tartan outfit and it made me see the little roots growing from the family tree.

flip and his girls and his girls' girl and boy