Halloween!

All Hail the New Crib Tent

About a week before Josie was born, Ben learned how to climb out of his crib. Ben's crib is the kind that turns into a toddler bed, so we converted it just a day or so before Josie arrived.

. . . which meant that not only has Ben been dealing with the emotional backlash of a new sibling, but he's been severely sleep deprived--climbing out of bed is SO much more fun than taking a nap. After a month of doing all the things one is supposed to do to teach them to stay in bed, I had just one (or 21) too many days of being woken up by a very-proud-of-himself toddler at 5 AM.

I put that crib right back together and got a crib tent -- and we prepared ourselves for the worst: kicking, screaming, tantrums, hitting the tent, anything, as soon as he realized he was going to be locked in.

Of course, nothing of the kind happened. When he saw the crib was back together he went up to it like an old friend. It was almost like he'd been waiting to have it back. When he saw the tent, he thought it was the best toy ever, demanded that we zip him in there and then bid us "Away!" with a summary wave of his hand. He slept incredibly soundly that night.

(Ok, he DID cry when he woke up and realized he was stuck . . . but that only lasted a day or two, and the whole household is now back to sleeping in until at least 7, and life is much much better.)

Ben in the Finger Lakes

We went up to New York last week for a full family vacation. . . The bug got immense amounts of attention, which made him blissfully happy -- but better yet, he relentlessly followed his cousins Thomas and Juliette around for a full week, and they were nice enough to actually let him.

Ben's Birthday

For Ben's second birthday we celebrated with the full cadre of nannies and their charges whom Ben plays with on a regular basis (he has this whole social life that his parents know nothing about...) He wasn't sure quite what to make of the party itself, but he seems to have gotten the concept down since. I catch him singing to himself: "Happy buhday you! Happy buhday you! Happy buhday you!" Pause. "Whoo hoo!!!"

 

Orange

A picture of the Bug in a new outfit his grandmother bought him. . . we now know that orange is clearly his color. . . (And yes, we seem to have a theme of baby pictures with his mouth wide open. Apparently he's a happy kid.)

We spent a lovely weekend in West Virginia with some friends at their beautiful farm. The Bug got lots of ourdoor time, and also got practice "playing nicely" with their son Nicholas.

Bug Pool Party

Ben had a fantastic time playing in the water for his first birthday party (which was really just an excuse for us to have all our friends over to swim and eat yummy bbq. . . ) Here he is swimming with his grandfather and aunt, and playing more patty cake with his grandmother.

Party Tricks: Patty Cake, Patty Cake. . .

One of the things Ben learned to do while we were on vacation is throw up his hands at the "Baby and Me!" section of Patty Cake. . . this never ever seems to get old for him.

France, Part 2

We just couldn't be any further behind in updating this blog. . . so here are tons of new (well, new to you . . . ) photos! These are some more from our trip to France when the Bug was 11 months old.

France, Part I

For the first part of our glorious vacation, we were in St. Tropez. The Bug got to live outdoors for a week, which made him pretty happy. It made his parents pretty happy too. . .





























. . . the Bug also helped celebrate his grandfather's birthday on the Fourth of July. . .

. . .and he discovered these fabulous French cookies that kept him entertained for hours on end and made him so content that he even fell asleep eating one.

Party Tricks: Fish Face!

We are just back from a glorious, two-week trip to France, and I will put up more photos soon. Besides eating just a whole bunch of bread, bread, and more bread, the Bug learned a lot of new tricks this trip. Here's his fish face!

Separation

I was away last week for my cousin's wedding and I left The Bug home. I think it was harder on me than it was on Ben. Not only did he get extra special Dad time, but he got lots of grandma time.

Second Baseball Game

Here's Ben and his Grandma B. at his second baseball game. You remember the first, right? The baby was hot, tired, and yet remarkably well-behaved. (And the Nats, unfortunately, lost.)

Happy Mother's Day!

The Bug on Mother's Day. (Which also happened to be the day before Steve's and my one-year anniversary. Shocking.)

The First Hair Cut

So, I finally agreed to let Steve let Micki cut the Bug's hair, but I made the mistake of letting them go off alone on the big adventure. Steve came home really excited about how well Ben had behaved, how happy he'd been sitting in his green Bumbo chair, chewing on a bottle top while Micki's scissors flashed around his head.

Steve came home excited; I practically cried.

I mean, they cut off all his hair!! I was totally unprepared. I figured a little trim to let his ears show. . . but no. All hair, gone.

Steve keeps trying to point out to me that it will grow back, but my heart is still broken.

But I guess the Bug is still kinda cute. And now that he has gotten his hair cut by his dad's stylist and they have the exact same do, they look totally identical, which is kinda cute too. . .

>

Teeth

 

Look, a tooth! (If you click on the photo to enlarge it and then look very very closely. . . )

His favorite thing to do with it is bite on furniture.

Today's Cute Photo . . .

. . . and, yes, I promise to cut his hair soon.

Grandparent Photos

Grandma Beeson and the Bug

The Bug with his Grandfather Fox

California!

We went to California in March to visit Rebecka, Todd and Annika, and Tyler and Nathalie. It was a 4-day trip which accomplished several crucial goals:

-- We emptied the storage bin that Steve has had in San Francisco since 2001. We steeled ourselves for a day of misery, unloading the bin, packing up post office boxes, sending the stuff home . . . and then it only took 2 hours start to finish. Steve had the happiest look on his face when seven years of worrying about it was over!

--We initiated our plan of doing U.S., 3-day weekend travel while the baby is young, since it's a good opportunity to take shorter trips and really explore locally. (Ok, California isn't exactly local, but the rest applies. . . )

--We spent really wonderful time with friends, eating good food, drinking good wine and generally enjoying ourselves. Even the bug got in on the action, as you can see here!

(Somehow, tragically, there are no photos of us with Rebecka, Todd, or Annika, which is a shame since Annika was incredibly sweet with Ben, holding his hand in the car when they were both in car seats and singing songs to him. . . )

Here are photos of Tyler and Nathalie with Ben, and a pic of Steve and the Bug, with Scott and Calista. Calista had learned to walk just a few days earlier and you can see Ben, below, worshipping at the older woman's feet. . .

Eating!

Today the Bug tried solids for the very first time (not counting the various tickets, immigration documents, and napkins he gnawed on while on the plane). We mixed rice cereal with some milk, put it into a Petit Prince bowl, and served it up with bright red, baby-sized spoons.

He got the idea that there was food on the spoon pretty quickly; he was not as quick to catch on that -- unlike a bottle -- it wouldn't keep providing him with nourishment no matter how ferociously he slurped at it.

The only way to work it was to use two spoons. He'd grab at one, stick it in his mouth and suck away. But he wouldn't let it go -- and he's surprisingly strong. So I'd scoop up another bite with the other spoon, and like a dog with a bone who sees another bone, he'd throw his spoon to the floor and grab for the new one. We did this over and over and over . . . until he'd eaten like two whole teaspoons.

This is clearly going to be a slow process. . .



(Photo: Note sushi bib. Also -- this is the first pic I've seen where I have to admit I can't blame those people who think he's a girl.)

The Bug Hits the Slopes

We just got back from a week in France. . . so there are many, many firsts to record.

1) He flew on a really long flight (Ok, so he's been on a plane before, but an hour and a half compared to 8 hours is nothing.)

2) It was his first time in Europe. (Which, as Dad pointed out, is interesting in a generational trends sort of way. My grandfather went to Europe for the first time when he was 42. My dad was 14. I was 2. The Bug was six months.)

3) It was his first time in snow. Frankly, he didn't really seem to notice it much. Even when we did things like sit him down in it and try to make him slide down the hill. He was, apparently, too busy thinking about how good he looked in his new snow suits.

4)This isn't really a "first" but he has started to associate all long, skinny containers with bottles -- thus he did a lot of grabbing for champagne flutes while there.

5) He turned six months old!

Bedouin Baby

Doesn't this kind of look like that beautiful National Geographic photo of the veiled woman with the haunting blue eyes? I mean, not to brag about my husband's photo talent or my baby's eyes, but I just have to call 'em like I see 'em.
The Bug is wearing a hat that his Aunt Jen knitted for me.

Santa Baby

I'm finally managing to put some holiday photos up. . . Here's a picture of Benjamin Chalkley on Christmas day with his Grandma and Grandpa Beeson.

Party Tricks: Bottle-holding

I know it doesn't look like much -- but this is the first time the Bug held his own bottle to feed himself. He still can't quite pull off holding those awfully heavy 8-ounce bottles, but the 4-ouncers he has down!
(He's sitting on his Aunt Jen's lap. . . )

Unplanned Themes 2

With his elephant and donkey close at hand, Ben is ready for the campaign season.

Bugbear

Today's cute photo. . .

Straight Hair

Tyler had the patience to keep brushing Ben's just-washed hair down until it finally dried straight. This is what The Bug looks like, preppy-style.

Separated at Birth: The Bug and the Heat Miser

Unplanned Themes

Here is a picture of Ben on his Winnie the Pooh sheets, in a Tigger onesie, sucking on his Eeyore. I swear I didn't plan this . . . .

More Thanksgiving Photos

The Bug with Grandma Beeson.








The Bug with Uncle Doug.














The baby zonked out on triptophane-filled milk in his super-duper pack 'n' play.

First Thanksgiving!

All dressed up for Thanksgiving. . . cute outfit courtesy of his Great-Uncle Steven. Look! His hair is kind of staying down. I am embarrassed to say that this is partly because I actually spit on my fingers and smoothed it down for the occasion. Apparently, I am officially a Mom.

Important Dates

Many years ago, in a different life, when I was a dating columnist for AOL, I answered a question from a girl (as in "young", not "female") who had asked what present to give her boyfriend on their one month anniversary. I, being the sanctimonious Latin scholar that I am, published an answer on how "anniversary" came from "annum" and you could not, by definition, have a one-month anniversary, and it was absolutely ridiculous to consider celebrating such an event.

So, um, here is a picture of my husband from November 12, which is, um, our six-month anniversary. And -- while no gifts were exchanged -- this is just a note to say that I can't believe we've been married that long, I can't believe that the Bug is already three months old, and most importantly that I love my boys in blue. How cute are they?

Things in Our Future #4

This is two-year-old Will, learning the difference between "my nose" and "your nose." (Also, Ben is wearing one of Will's hand-me-downs, given to us in a crunch when Ben managed to destroy his current outfit in what we affectionately refer to as a "nuclear diaper explosion" -- an event which is definitely still in our Present.)

He's Growing Old So Fast. . .

. . . he's already looking at pictures of girls. . .

Rock and Roll Hipster Child

Here's Ben in his spanking new Ramones onesie. And, no, there is still no product in his hair.

Today's Ben picture

More Cousin Photos

This is another one from Iowa -- Ben with his first cousin twice removed, Ted. (That makes Ted my mom's first cousin if you're counting. . . )

In Iowa I obsessively mapped the lineage every time I introduced Ben to someone: "This is your second cousin, this is your great uncle, this is your third cousin twice removed. . . " Well, I can't tell you how many removed Ben is from his cousin Assaf shown here, because we've never quite been able to figure it out. My grandmother Lenore was related to his grandmother Genya, I believe through my grandmother's father Joseph. Joseph came to the U.S., and Genya's family moved to Israel. Regardless, Assaf came to visit us from Tel Aviv last night since he was in New York on business. And, again, I say, it makes me feel very warm and fuzzy that Ben has so much family all over the world. . .

First Halloween!

Here is the Bug dressed up as a pea pod. We took him to a Halloween parade on Sunday. Which -- as Steve and I compromised our own Mobster and Gun Moll costumes to carry a baby, all while oohing and aahing over all the cute kids and thinking up how we would celebrate Halloween NEXT year -- made me realize that I have made the transition to Mom with a capital "M."

Which is appropriate, I suppose, since Monday marked the two-year anniversary of when I met Steve. Who knew how much could change in two years?

Except that I did still show up at the High Heel Race
dressed as a drag queen as I did two years ago. I have never once succeeded in convincing anyone that I am really a man dressed as a woman, but I think I would have nailed it this year since, in addition to my sequined, black dress, I wore a wig to cover my hair, a boa to cover my "adam's apple", boots to cover my calves, and gloves to cover my hands. I'm sure it would have worked this year -- if it weren't for the Bug sitting in a bright-blue sling wrapped around my chest. . .

The Bug is 12 Weeks Old

He's not quite three months old yet, but he's getting OLD. And big. Just a reminder of what he looked like 12 weeks ago -- here's a picture of a day-old Chalkley with his Grandpa Beeson.

Four Generations #2

At last, here is the second four-generation photo from our Iowa trip. In chronological order: Ednabelle Smith, Patricia Smith Melton, Karen Fox, Benjamin Beeson.

Cute Boy

I still have a bunch of pics to put up from Iowa from the visit to my grandmother's, but in the meantime here's a cute one from this Sunday. He's turned into a very alert kid -- which means he smiles more and laughs a lot . . . and that he cries more.

Emotions are good and all, but must the bad ones come with the good? What I need is some great Victorian era parenting book on how to teach children they are only ever allowed to show nice emotions in public. All hail suppression!

Four Generations

In chronological order: Torges Halsne, Luana Beeson, Steve Beeson, and Benjamin Beeson (wearing a bee onesie -- get it?)

Ben Meets His Second Cousins

From the left: Regan (Steve's cousin Kent's daughter), Ava and Lauren (Steve's cousin Susan's daughters), and Ben.
It makes me feel very warm and fuzzy that Ben already has all this family.

First Airplane Ride!

Ben on his father's lap, with my Mom watching, on the Bug's first plane ride. We went to Iowa last weekend so he could meet his great-grandmother (my grandmother) and his great-grandfather (Steve's grandfather) who live 45 minutes away from each other in central Iowa. Ben was amazingly good on the plane both going out and coming back, which kind of made up for the fact that -- after having his sleep schedule totally disrupted by the trip -- he cried inconsolably for hours and hours the night before we left for home. But, I have to say, he's even cute when he screams. . .

New Clothes

When he was born, I stuffed a lot of clothes that were too big for The Bug in the back of his closet. Now that he's weighing in at a whopping 12 lbs 6 oz and is almost 10 weeks old, I went through everything we had and have added the 3-month-old clothes to his layette. I also rediscovered the wonderful clothes he received as gifts and inherited as hand-me-downs -- and, wow, are there some cute ones. We have a jean jacket! We have a overalls! We have a kimono! We have a brown vest suit!

All of which is to say that -- contrary to appearances -- this is actually a photo of his incredibly sharp blue sailor suit, not the fact that his hair is now three inches long and still sticks straight up into the air.

Columbus Day Picnic

Auntie Jen shows Chalkley off at a picnic. . . (It's the most au courant accessory. Everybody's wearing one these days.)

Baby's First Ninja Outfit

This is the first time that the baby has worn pants. Woo hoo!

Like Father, Like Son

How endearing is this? They even bend their arm underneath them the same way. (This is slightly better than the other "like father, like son" trick they have of burping at the same time. Though actually, I have to say, that's kind of endearing too. . . )

The Cat

This is pretty much the only way we got the cat to accept the new member of the family. . . give her the bouncy chair.

Bug Bunny

Another bath for Baby Beeson, with his bunny ears from Grandmaman on.

I Didn't Do It

Ben wide awake in the morning . . .

. . . with his mom, who's not.

Benjamin Bug at Three Weeks

Ben's first baseball game

Ben's first bath