Tiger Cub's Best Easter Yet

Last year I was Facebook shamed for not getting my 5-week-old an Easter basket.  So this Easter, since we have a walking babbling little boy, we figured it was time to do it right and even had an Easter egg hunt in our living room.  Redeemed!  Actually this year I was Facebook shamed for not posting an Easter portrait.  But this is still major progress.

Tiger Cub played in his room with Dad while I set things up.  I hid eggs in hard to find places like on top of the couch.  A week later he still hasn't found the pink egg on the window sill!

Plastic eggs were a huge hit.

This one has a teddy graham inside.  Score!!!

Tiger Cub's Easter basket contained fun Easter-y stuff that Grandma sent and a few things we were going to give him anyway like a reusable swim diaper and bubble bath.  That Easter Bunny is super creative and also practical.

One of the more exciting parts was TC getting his very own flip phone.  I know, flip phones are sooo before his lifetime.  But we're vintage like that and also believe a child should at least start elementary school before getting a *droid.  Maybe, just maybe, he'll lay off ours a little!

*We don't do iphones.

P.S.  I totally saw a woman using a flip phone yesterday.

Day at the Zoo

Back in March we took a family trip to the Central Park Zoo when Tiger Cub's grandparents visited.  Thanks to our friend Lacy for the free tickets!  We lucked out with one of the nicest days of the month.

The sea lion pond held both boys in awe.

Official family zoo portrait.

The petting zoo was the biggest hit.  It's not every day this city boy gets to touch a goat.

After the zoo, we enjoyed sunny Central Park.

I mean how cute is this?

And then some down time on the couch with grandpa.

Weekend in Wilmington

In celebration of the landmark event of Randy having a Saturday AND Sunday off together in the same weekend we took a short trip to Wilmington, DE.  We had never been there before but it's the farthest south we can get in roughly two hours.

As true supporters of Delta and Amtrak, this was our first overnight trip out of NYC by car in the 6 1/2 years we've lived here! 
We used to take last minute weekend trips to Budapest and now we take last minute trips to Delaware.  True story.  No less ambitious, however, when this is in the backseat of the rental car:

We spent an afternoon at the local zoo.  Tiger Cub meets a real tiger!

But really, why go anywhere when the hotel room is this much fun?

Per his usual shenanigans, Tiger Cub was not up to the task of eating.  Other than an assortment of snack foods (mostly goldfish and puffs), TC ate exactly this all weekend:  a few bites of pizza, 2 french fries, and a piece of cinnamon roll.  I'm mortified.

Mmmm...coffee shop cinnamon roll!

Out with the Snow, in with Flowers, Picnics, and Sunshine Please!

Happy Spring!

I can hear much of the country breathing a collective sigh of holy-smokes-that-winter-was-bad-and-i'm-so-glad-its-over.  For perspective, I now think 35 degrees is a flippin' awesome day!

Tiger Cub himself found little use for perma-snow.  What's with sitting me down in the cold stuff mom?

New York winters are bad news for a kiddo who hates to wear a hat/hood.  And don't even think about trying to get mittens on him!

Even pushing our rockstar stroller over mounds of crusty snow is no longer entertaining.

One day the boys were so desperate for recreation outside our living room that this happened...

Yes, that would be the communal laundry room of our building.  Thank goodness for floors that slope toward a drain.

small apartment + small child + 16-ish snowstorms = creative (if questionable) parenting

Walking around on a recent warm day (as in a high of like 40 degrees) gave us hope that we will not be confined to our top floor abode forever.  Oh spring, you're not a moment too soon.

Tiger Cub Turns One!

Tiger Cub celebrated his first birthday Georgia-style at his Grandma and Grandpa's house.  It was pretty much the best weekend ever and not just because there was impending toddlerhood to celebrate.  In just a few days we saw about 75% of the people we love and care about.  

Happy 1st Birthday to our little man!

We had no theme or consistent color scheme, but lots of Mexican food and cake.

Lots of intensity here from all three of us here.  What's he going to do?  Everybody is watching. Go ahead, touch the cake Tiger Cub!

And he goes for it!

We've been very conservative about giving TC sweets for the past year so this was his first taste of sugar!  Chocolate icing is a great way to start out a sweets career, no?

All cleaned up and ready for more pictures.

  TC powing around with his canine sidekick, Jack.  They're about at the same eye level.

The R side of the family was nice enough to join us from the northern and southern corners of GA in which they reside.  While the grandparents were posing, TC was busy being a little pick-pocket.  Missing any pens Pop Doc?

Gotta love a Georgia winter...Green grass!  No coats!

We were lucky enough to see pops three days in a row!  If you want to know how to jolly up a toddler for picture-taking, check out the goofballs in the mirror.

Thanks to my parents for hosting and both of our families for coming!  Great fun was had by all!

5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Couch

How we spend our weekends...

A photo shoot attempt quickly turns chaotic...

Hanging artwork is nearly sacrificed for the cause...

Waiting them out/wearing them down...

And finally...iPad magic!

Anatomy of a Baby Walk

1.  Wide base stance.

I'm coming after you 15-month-old with a giant soccer ball!

2.  Arms out-stretched.

All the better for balancing.  Just ask a tightrope walker!

3.   The look of determination. 

Let's do this!

4.  Downward glances.

My legs are moving under me.  This is amazing!

As he neared 11 months, Tiger Cub started showing quite a bit of aptitude for embracing the two-legged lifestyle.  For the record books, I consider his official walk date 11 months + 2 days (or January 23rd).  Tiger Dad will likely argue that it happened much earlier, but it wasn't until after the 11 month mark that he truly started going places.

Now that he's been on his feet for a few weeks, Tiger Cub can do advanced activities.  Like this good time called, "I must keep shaking this box no matter what!"