Charlotte’s Shore Weekend, Part II
I was showing off an impressive spit-up stain (Charlotte’s, not mine), trying to determine how many ounces had soaked through my last clean shirt…
Archive for August, 2008
Charlotte’s Shore Weekend, Part I
Charlotte needed some rest and relaxation. Here’s what that looked like:
Online Baby Pool Winner
Remember our online baby pool? I’ve neglected to report on the winner. Ellen’s cousin Brian skillfully predicted Charlotte’s gender, while coming close on her birthdate, height and weight. (See how you did.)
Charlotte was not impressed.
Bailey, however, wanted to spend some quality time with the winner.
Why Can’t We Be Friends?
Despite not being thrilled with Charlotte’s recent bouts of inconsolable crying, Bailey still agreed to lend a hand during bathtime. She played the role of home healthcare worker while I played the role of photojournalist. With her frantic drinking of the bathwater, she also plays the role of the drain.
We’re down the shore and had a hell of a time getting here. We arrived at 3am. Pictures to follow of the jagged rock that became lodged in our now-flat tire on the Garden State Parkway.
One Happy Baby
Last week, Charlotte turned one (month). To celebrate, she started smiling regularly. And she’s been a much more enthusiastic sleeper, which has Ellen and me smiling regularly again, too. A few more photos like this—taken earlier tonight with Grandma English—and she’ll put me on the baby photography map.
Keep reading for more pics…
Shots from the Shore: Vol. II
A few more photos from our long weekend at Ellen’s parents’ place down the Jersey Shore…
Shots from the Shore: Volume I
We haven’t made it to the beach yet, but Charlotte has been enjoying herself so far…
…posing for pictures…
…and imitating famous Edvard Munch paintings.
With this look, she indicated that the photoshoot was over.
And unlike last time we were down here, Bailey and I were not attacked on our morning walk.
Off to the beach!
Way Too Many Baby Pics
Last Friday, Uncle Brett Savage met us at Loantaka Park in Morris Township.
It was good to see him, and good to get out of the house.
Don’t let the sweet photos fool you—Charlotte is not always a happy baby.
We need to make a flip-book. Keep reading for more…
Coming Soon: More Photos!
The whole back-to-work thing really cut into my personal blog time. But we’ve got a Fotomat of pictures to post later tonight. Promise!
Bath Time!
Now that Charlotte has a normal-person belly button, she’s been cleared for baths.
I fully expected this would be a disastrous exercise, but Ellen did an excellent job handling washing chores.
Not wanting to get the camera wet, I was mostly unhelpful.
Charlie seemed to enjoy herself.
(Well, most of the time.)
Wednesday in Pictures
It’s week 3 of paternity leave. If Charlotte would just sleep through the night, I could get used to this.
Dried-up formula is an acquired taste.
It’s safe to say Bailey has now acquired it.
Charlotte Potpourri
We had an action-packed Sunday, starting with a visit from my sister Karen and her fiancé Keith.
By not screaming her head off, Baby Charlie demonstrated how much she enjoyed Aunt Karen and Uncle Keith’s company.
Bailey Turns 21
If you subscribe to the old one-human-year-equals-seven-dog-years formula, today is Bailey’s 21st birthday. She celebrated with one of her favorite guests, Aunt Alissa, and stuffed herself on treats.
At the last second, Bailey snuck into the frame.
Charlotte did some b-day lounging. Keep reading for more pics…
Charlotte Turns Two (Weeks)
This is what it looks like when Charlotte begins her nap.
Somehow, she keeps ending up in this position. We need a video camera trained on her at all times. Also on the to-do list: swapping in a clean ’sheet saver’ (the green thing with all the spit-up on it). Maybe that’s why she’s so mobile.
When I Was 28, It Was A Very Good Year
Wednesday was my 29th birthday. Highlights included shish-kabobing and the acquisition of a Wii Fit. Twenty-eight will be tough to top, especially on so much less sleep. Here are some of the things that happened since the last anniversary of my birth.
1. I Became The Next Food Network Star
After years of charring hamburgers and serving potentially lethal chicken, I’m coming into my own behind the grill. My culinary point of view is “using random ingredients you didn’t realize you had (as long as they’re not spoiled).” Expect my first cookbook in ‘09.
Super Sweet Potatoes.
1. Cut three sweet potatoes into quarter-inch wedges and set aside in a bowl.
2. Pour 1 cup of orange-pineapple-banana juice and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon onto sweet potatoes. Let those ingredients work their magic for 15 minutes.
3. Grill using indirect heat for 20 minutes.
4. Remove from grill. Pour a splash of orange-pineapple-banana juice over cooked sweet potatoes. Serve warm.
You might not believe this, but I have no culinary training.
2. The Giants Won the Super Bowl
An unexpected treat. I need to pick up the highlight DVD to show Charlotte what she missed.
3. My First Fantasy Football Title
As much as the Lombardi Trophy meant to Eli, the check from fellow Duke ATO alum Eric Weinberger meant more to me. I can’t decide whether fatherhood will hurt or help my chances in ‘09. I am watching a lot of Sportscenter these days (well, more like these nights).
4. Good Times at mental_floss
A few days after my 28th birthday, I signed on to mental_floss full-time. A series of arbitrary title changes later, I’m now the Managing Editor of mentalfloss.com. I could not have designed a better position. The work is great, the people are fabulous, and we’ve also had a lot of success—in May, the site welcomed 2.7 million visitors, accounting for 10.5 million pageviews. Let’s aim for 15 million pageviews by my 30th b-day. Your gift to me can be taking every quiz every day. Twice if you don’t score well.
5. Family Expansion
Charlotte is a relatively new addition to our lives, but she’ll probably have a bigger impact than even the Giants’ historic Super Bowl run. (Or at least equal.)
Also receiving consideration: 1. My sister getting engaged (and getting a dog)—I left this off because the wedding will end up near the top of next year’s list. 2. Bailey not destroying anything of value. 3. Charlotte not crying the entire time I was writing this post. Even though that was technically after my birthday, it was still pretty remarkable.
We’ll get back to posting baby photos later today.