Ho Ho Home For the Holidays

Christmas brought a new house, lots of family, and a new mode of locomotion. Lucia walked all over the new home in the 'burbs just in time for the Seattle Leary contingent to arrive. They were very impressed by the arms-up balancing technique. Christmas also brought lots of new outfits for Lucy to wear, that were only outnumbered by gifts from LL Bean. Got fleece? ...'cause Mimi can get you some. Lucia's favorite gifts included a sleigh for sitting in (she didn't quite understand why we had to take it outside) and a toy house from Uncle Sean and Auntie Julie. There was a even a short trip to Portland to see Nonne,Papa and the cousins, eat an eggroll, and rock an accordian jam. Christmas even brought Lucia new foods, all of which she liked (of course). Auntie Julie made Lucy her first cookie, complete with holiday peppermint bark. Uncle Sean made a pitcher full of gravy because gravy boats are for suckers. And the appetizer fest on Christmas Eve was indescribable, you'll just have to come next year.
This post was brought to you by the letter B ... Uncle B that is.

So Long, Farewell...

Auf Wiedersehen, good night. Thought we'd squeeze in one last post from JP, the eve before our move to the 'burbs. While we've made great progress on the packing front, we're still down to the wire (yet here I sit, typing... typical). Anyway, this photo was taken during our newest tradition - Friday Night Pizza Party! It comes with its own theme song and dance moves, but we're still perfecting our moves, so the video will have to wait. Luce is a big fan of Fridays, and so are we.

You may not hear from us for a bit, but we'll try and get some new home posts-in. Right now, the sun has gone to bed... and I'm not even CLOSE to being done. Ack!

3 Things I Learned During the Past 7 Days...

1) Our new town (Brookline) has wild fowl running amuck. I snapped this shot on my cell phone as I was exiting the Starbucks on a very, very busy main road (like, where the Green Line passes by). Click to enlarge if you can't see anything odd...

2) One can never have enough newspaper, boxes, bubble wrap or TIME when packing.

3) Lucia can take independent steps (but still prefers to hold on to things), wave and say bye, and drink whole milk without putting up much of a fight.

I'm sure I learned more, but those are the things that stuck. Speaking of stuck, I had better get back to packing. We're doing the final walk through today and are set to close tomorrow morning (fingers crossed).

It's Turkey Lurkey Time...

Pop quiz: which weighed more this Thanksgiving - the turkey or Lucia? Close call, but Lucia won by a pound or two. We had a great time at Nonne and Papa's surrounded by family and chaos, the perfect way to spend a holiday. Although it was a brief visit, Lucia was able to cram a lot in - - she enjoyed going up and down the stairs (at all hours mind you), reading books (you can see where she gets her flair for the dramatic) and playing the piano (an original Lucia Leary Infantine composition). On the back end of the weekend, Paige and Paul stopped by Boston to pick up a landfill's worth of baby gear. That's one more load of crap we don't have to move to Brookline -thanks guys! Hope all the Mothers Goose blog readers out there had a great T-day. We sure did.

To Everything Turn, Turn, Turn...

On Saturday, Lucia Leary Infantine celebrated 363 days on the planet (her official birthday is Nov. 19). It was a lovely affair attended by members of the LLI Fan Club with various pals stopping by throughout the day to wish Luce a happy b-day. As you may know, it was an eggroll and meatball party (Lucia's favorite foods) so needless to say she was in seventh heaven... what could be better you ask? Well, all that followed by cupcakes of course! Lucia's head nearly exploded. Glad it didn't, it was a messy enough meal. I've been trying to upload videos of the day for you, but Google seems to be having server issues. I'll keep trying, because Lucia's cuteness is best observed in motion. Until then, you may enjoy her in still form here.
In other momentous news (slight hyperbole) my football team was victorious in the playoff game I missed in order to attend my daughter's first birthday party! (talk about Sophie's Choice, huh? Ok, not really... again with the hyperbole). Today the Violent Femmes (my team) took on the undefeated amazons of Foul Play. While initially we put up a good fight, in the end we were summarily trounced. Good thing we still have the Patriot's stellar season to watch. Although, tonight I'm feeling my motherhood and age and am not sure I can stay up for the game. Sad, sad, sad.

So We've Been A Little Busy Over Here...

Since last we posted, we had a lovely visit from Aunt Alison and Uncle Brendan; we attended our dear friend Paige's baby shower in Hoboken; and we purchased a house. On top of all that I've been a living out of a suitcase due to business trips and am finally recovering from the plague. Whew. Busy, busy, busy. Aunt Alison and Uncle B came during the height of my illness, so I'm pretty sure I gave it to them (sharing is caring)... nevertheless they had a nice visit with the Goose and even attended Mama Fran's football game! The following weekend we were off to the birthplace of Old Blue Eyes to revel in Paige's glowing pregnant glory. Honestly, she doesn't even look all that pregnant given her January due date! It was a quick trip due to Lucia's intolerance of the car seat during daylight hours (we drove down during her bedtime), but it's always great to catch up with Paige, her husband Paul and their respective parents. And finally, yes, we bought a house. We have been casually looking for a while now and decided to pull the trigger on a place in Brookline, MA. It's a standard issue 1950s Colonial that could use some updating, but we think it has a lot of potential and we're very excited about the possibilities. It is going to be a quick move since we're looking to get in there before Christmas, so if you don't hear from us again in a bit it's because we're in the midst of packing madness!

A Mother and Her Goose...

You wouldn't believe how hard it is to find a goose costume. Actually, it's impossible. Lucia's first Halloween costume started as a chicken, but thanks to the thread pulling skills of Ellen, she was transformed into a golden goose (Ellen removed the red chicken comb on the hood - - ta da!). Lucia attended a Halloween party at Ellen's house where Ellen hosted a gathering of current day care attendees and alumni(us?ae?). It was great fun, but also very very warm under all those feathers, so the goose costume didn't last long. We also walked down the the Pond to see the lantern parade. Goose wasn't sure about being in the stroller after dark, and squawked with protest.

In sad news this week, we lost a dear member of our family... Meredith's Uncle Paul (a.k.a Boobie) passed away after a long and valiant fight with leukemia. He was a wonderfully kind man with smiling eyes and was one of the first in line to hold Lucia. One of my favorite Boobie quotes, after taking a look at Lucia's ample thighs during a visit: "Well, we know she'll never be a can can girl!" Those one liners will truly be missed.

Fall Classic Indeed...

Now that it is finally starting to feel like fall (is anyone else besides us and Al Gore worried about this global warming thing???), we decided to introduce Lucia to all sorts of autumnal delights. Thus far she has discovered apples (which she clearly loves), pumpkins (she wasn't so sure about those) and the joy and agony of watching the Red Sox in October. Of course, Luce doesn't see what all the fuss is about since all she knows are undefeated Pats and the Sox in the series... but she's young, she'll learn.

Sisters, Sisters - Never Were There Such Devoted Sisters...

In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue and Fran made a big splash too! That was the inscription on my 4th grade birthday cake... no joke. So yes, for my birthday this year I did not receive a poetic piece of confection, but got something just as sweet in the form of a visit from my sisters. Maria and Johanna (née Jodie) came to Boston to take me out to dinner and fawn over Lucia. It was a great weekend and Lucia is clearly smitten with both of them, as you can see (yes, in background of the video you can hear Aunt Jo Jo requesting eggrolls from Syl). In other cute video news, check out our daughter's reaction to the stern disciplinary stylings of Mama Mer. We're in trouble aren't we??

We're Back BABY!

So sorry for the prolonged Lucia-out (like a brown out, but cuter). Our computer is back at home and we have a lot of ground to cover. Starting with the mysterious Ellen videos and why they aren't posting correctly. I don't have the answer yet, but I can give you some cute Lucia pics like this one taken during a recent trip to the Children's Museum. Note the massive drool puddle on her shirt -- she's up to about 9 teeth now and we think we see molars poking through! Also, since you've gone so long without a video - here's what happens when Mama Fran gets creative in choosing toys for Luce to play with (who says it's not a toy?!?!).

Life at Ellen's House...

So while our computer is being fixed (new power source installed, hopefully no data lost) I'm attempting to upload some videos from Lucia's daycare, a.k.a. Ellen's house. Thus far, things are going pretty well. Luce still has a tough time saying goodbye to moms in the morning, but she usually doesn't cry for long before she's off having a blast. We cannot say enough good things about Ellen and her house. She sends us video clips, pictures and detailed write-ups at the end of each day. Because Lucia is the youngest child, and consequently the most needy, she gets a disproportionate amount of copy... and Ellen is nothing if not honest. For example, one day's summary began with: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" and then proceeded to outline how tough Luce had it that day. Even though it's hard to read those, Mer and I know that once she settles into a routine, Lucia will love Ellen's house. Oh, and they're not just confined to the house... Ellen takes them to the zoo, to the park, out for walks, etc. Again, she's awesome and we are so very lucky. The video clip you see here was taken in Ellen's backyard (yes, she has a giant, spinning teacup back there) and the kids had just come from playing in buckets of water - which explains Lucia's unfortunate hairdo.

That's the Night That the Lights Went Out in JP

So this was a tough weekend in the Leary Infantine household. Lucia came down with a cold (it's amazing how much snot the little creature can produce)so she didn't sleep very well. Mama Fran pulled her calf muscle during Sunday's game (yes, we won), Sadie threw up in a laundry basket full of clean clothes and our computer died. Like dead dead - won't turn on dead. Not good. Once we figure out the computer mess, we'll return to our regularly scheduled posts. Thank you for your patience, your readership is very important to us.

Are You Ready For Some Football????

Lucia sure is! Today marked the first day of football season (both for the Patriots as well as Mama Fran's flag football league). It was a good day since both of Lucia's teams won! After the Violent Femmes (yes, that's the name of my team) tidy victory, we headed over to Cathy, Kelby and Owen's house to watch the Pats. Lucia and Tom Brady were both in fine form. Owen wasn't sure about Lucia's enthusiasm, but he's only 6 months... he'll learn. This weekend also brought another milestone for Lucia - her first quasi haircut. As you may know, Luce has been rockin' an awesome tail/mullet for the past 9 months and when Mama Mer got her haircut on Saturday, so did Lucia. It was quick and painless with almost no tears (I got a little misty). Mama Mer wanted Luce to look her best for the first day of daycare and I have to say, she's never looked cuter... just see for yourself!

Who's The Pretty Girl in the Mirror There?

What mirror where? (let me know if that is now stuck in your head too). As the dog days of summer came to a close, Lucia spent her Labor Day weekend back at the Children's Museum with her buddy Owen. She loved admiring herself in the mirror and exploring the crawling room. Lucia's moms and Owen's folks (Cathy and Kelby) took advantage of the nice weather and dined al fresco while the little ones slept in their strollers. A few bloody Mary's later, and with the tots more or less rested we were ready to report to DSS... I mean, head home. Sorry I've been off the update wagon with the blog - August just seemed to slip away. I'll get better I promise. Lucia heads into the great day care experiement next week, so I'll be sure to keep you posted on her progress. One final note... ever wonder what the Leary Infantines would look like in Simpson form? Well wonder no more! (I know, I have waaaaay too much free time today).

Maine: The Way Life Should Be

Ok, so I'm quoting a highway sign, but it is no less appropriate! The Mothers Goose have returned from a glorious 7 days at our Maine "camp." For those not in the know, camp is where we've rented a lakehouse for the past few years. Needless to say, it was a bit different this time having a 9 month old scurrying around the place but Lucia only enhanced the experience. We were lucky enough to have Aunt Alison and Uncle Brendan along for the ride, as well as a revolving door of family and friends. Lucia did very well for being in a new environment and sleeping in a closet (hey, camp is not that big). She didn't nap all that much, but I think she was too excited to sleep - and who can blame her? What with all the food, games and fun around it's a wonder any of us slept! Well, we didn't really either... but that's beside the point. We tried to take lots of pictures and videos, so feel free to take an hour out of your day and watch the slideshow. I know I sound like a broken record, but pictures don't do camp justice - there's something about being on Upper Range Pond (pronouced Rang - Maine, go figure) that just soothes the soul. God, I've turned into Chicken Noodle Soup for the Fran. Enough outta me, go look at my daughter.

Where It's Fun To Find Out...

Last Sunday Lucia had a big day out with Uncle Tony, Aunt Tammie and cousins Anthony and Brianna. The Maine Infantines came down and we all headed out to the Boston Children's Museum on the waterfront. It was our first visit to the newly remodled space and wow, what a place! Lucia was a little overwhelmed at first, but we soon found an area designated "for crawlers only" which she LOVED. Lots of padding, mirrors and new toys on which to slobber. We didn't even see the entire museum (have to save something for the next visit!) when we left for a walk down to the Aquarium. We watched the seals play outside (read: free!) and snapped a few pictures. This is my favorite because Anthony's hair is perfectly shapped like a seal's tail - how funny is that?!? So the Mothers Goose will be off on vacation next week and the packing has yet to start. Naturally, updating the blog was a top priority. Please keep your fingers crossed for nice Maine weather!!

Don't Think Me Unkind. Words Are Hard To Find...

It has now been 7 days since the concert of the century, and I feel like I'm finally in a good place to sit back, reflect and share the experience. In case you've been living under a rock (or just haven't spoken to me in awhile), I went to see The Police play at Fenway Park with a motley crew of friends and family. Chez Leary Infantine hosted a pre-concert BBQ which proved to be an excellent launching pad for all night revelry. With guests spanning the globe (Canada, LA, Maine, Rhode Island, etc.) we enjoyed a great afternoon of food, drink(sssss) and music. Portland High School was well represented with 6 graduates (Tony did graduate, right?) in attendance, ranging from the class of '84 to '91. It was just silly how much fun was had reliving our youth. Lucia certainly enjoyed herself as you can see in the pictures. Yes, that is an unopened can, and the cold felt good against her teeth - please don't report us. In fact, due to her early exposure to The Police, Lucia has starting saying "da da da da." I'm working on the "di do do do" part, but she hasn't quite gotten that yet. Perhaps Uncle Tony and his friend Mike can help her? Um, on second thought maybe not.

Yeah, I'm Wearing Legwarmers - Jealous?!

Quick blog post today as I'm still recovering from last night's concert of the century (more on that later). Anyway, with all of Lucia's moving and shaking these lil legwarmer things come in very handy (thanks Eleni!). They also help fuel my Flashdance obsession and since I can't pull off the legwarmer look Lucy will have to do it for me. Speaking of my youth, my sisters requested photos of the pillows they had made for Lucy's room - so here you go, sorry it's taken me so long! These were truly a labor of love in that the orange pillow was a batik that I (or perhaps Tony) made when we were kids. My Aunt Joyce had saved it all these years and gave it to Maria to do something with... hence the custom made pillows. Of course, they both match the nursery perfectly. Ok, I need to go put my head down now.

Sunday In the Park With George

Today was the kind of day that makes you want to burst into song. OK, so I often do that regardless of the weather, but today was an exceptionally nice day - the perfect day for a family picnic at the Pond. Maybe it's the Mainer in me, or perhaps the Mainer mom (egads) in me, but I've determined that picnics are an entirely underrated form of entertainment. A couple of PB&Js for moms + yogurt and rice cakes for Luce = good times. I tried to capture the day in a few pictures, but again a song would do a much better job. Pity I can't figure out how to include sound clips (or maybe you should consider yourselves lucky). All in all, I think this video clip sums up the happy happy joy joy of our picnic quite nicely.

Yeah, I'd Make That Face Too Lucia...

I think I've said this before, but if not it should come as no surprise - 8 months into this whole parenting endeavor I'm finally beginning to understand my role as co-parent - which is resident clown. I've accepted my role, and embraced it in fact because as every parent knows, there is no shame when it comes to pleasing your child. None. See? Ok, I'm done embarrassing myself (for now). On to Lucia's latest achievements. At 8 months and 1 day old, Lucia is on the verge of crawling. She can get up on all fours and do the rocking/shimmy thing, but hasn't quite figured out how to coordinate those movements for forward progress. She does well in reverse though. Here she is with her babysitter du jour Aunt Ashlee. I believe Ashlee was talking to me on the phone during this recording, or she was just an enthusiastic narrator. Either way, she managed to capture Lucia in motion. This afternoon Mama Mer and I have to head to Home Depot for baby proofing stuff, because it won't be long before Lucia is mobile for good!

I'm A Yankee Doodle Girl...

I'm sure there will come a day when we stop purchasing holiday themed clothing for our child, but we're not quite there yet. Lucia spent her first 4th "up country" in Mama Mer's old stomping ground - Lake Winnipesaukee. Lucy had a great visit with Uncle Boobie and loved riding in the car with Mimi in the backseat. There was no shortage of big toothy grins all day (for everyone really). On the way home, Mama Fran couldn't resist stopping at a renowned local institution to pick up a little something for Lucia. Let it be known however, that this is as close as we'd like her to get to a hog.

It's Sad to Leave Family Reunion, Isn't It?

The Mothers Goose had such an eventful week I hardly know where to begin! We spent the past two weekends in Maine at the bicentennial celebration of the Amarel Family Reunion. Lucia loved spending time with her extended family and was in a great mood overall (the above picture being an exception, but to be fair Mama Fran was a little late with her bottle). Perhaps the highlight of the reunion for Lucia was her introduction to both an Infantine mainstay and an Amarel family tradition - and yep, you guessed it, they both involve food. Here's a picture of Lucia needing both hands to handle a famous Mrs. Bogolawski egg roll (fyi, Mrs. Bogolawski is an Infantine family friend and makes the best Viatnamese egg rolls in Maine and perhaps the entire country). In this video clip, you'll witness Lucia diving into her very first meatball, courtesy of Uncle Gerry. Of course, I wish I had taken more pictures but you can scroll through the rest of the web album to see the few photos and video clips I managed to take. In the end though there's no way a photograph could possibly capture the chaos, merriment and general goofy familial fun that happens at a large gathering of Italians. For those of you who haven't witnessed an Amarel family reunion, it really is a sight to behold. OK, I'm off to detox... ciao for now!

Well Hello Dr. Ferber! Wait, Weren't You Just Here?

Ok, so our fantastic trip to Seattle last week was not without collateral damage. First of all, we all got sick (thanks Aunt Alison!). Second, Lucia's body clock was all out of whack which meant erratic naps and frequent night wakings. Drat. That's ok, after a week of letting her night nurse (she was sick and we're softies) Dr. Ferber came back for the weekend and now all is right again. Since I have failed to upload the video from Alison's graduation, you'll have to settle for some Lucy cuteness instead. Sorry Al. Also, if you can't make it out in the picture, Lucy's t-shirt says "If I'm Not Happy, Nobody's Happy" which couldn't be more true.

A PhD, a JD and Boatload of Expectation...

Just kidding Lucia. You can be whatever you want to be... so long as you promise to take care of your moms in our dotage. Enough about me, this post is all about Aunt Alison's amazing accomplishment! This weekend brought us to Seattle once again - this time to celebrate the culmination of Alison's 43 years of post-grad study. On Saturday she was awarded her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Washington with a specialty in something to do with kids and stuff (guess who does not have her PhD?). Lucia was an absolute rock star throughout the entire 2+ hour ceremony and didn't cry once - not even a peep! I suppose that makes up for her lousy flight out to Seattle (Mama Mer flew with her solo, so I guess that means Lucy missed me??). Anyway, we had great visit - albeit a short one - and Lucia just loved spending time with Aunt Alison, Uncle Brendan, Aunt Julie and Uncle Sean. Once I figure out how to upload Alison's speech from our video camera, I'll be sure to post it so you can all marvel at what a poised, whip-smart, funny and over all wonderful person our lil Alison has become. Jeez, I sound like I've hit my dotage now.

P.S. Do you know how to keep a lawyer from talking? Lucy does :-)

For Lucia, Dinner is a Contact Sport...

In order to truly appreciate the beauty(?) of this photo, click on it to enlarge the image and see if you can guess what Lucia had for dinner tonight. If you said Cheerios, a teething biscuit, sweet potatoes and a piece of Mama Mer's burnt hot dog bun, give yourself a high-five champ! Not to sound like a broken record, but this girl loves her food. I mean, realllllly loves her food. Even the non-edible monkey variety.

We're gearing up for another cross-country trip to Seattle at the end of the week, so here's hoping she stays this cheerful out there. Hm, what are the chances??

Scarface and The Perp...

Lucia received an unpleasant lesson in physics on Friday. For those of you who can't recall your high school science, Newton's third law of motion states: "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." Well, Lucy found out that by grabbing a cat's fur, yes, the cat will in fact grab back... or in this case swat. Where was Mama Fran you may ask? She was watching with amusement as her daughter explored the world around her. Clearly, when Lucy got to the cat my reaction time was a bit off. From the other room Meredith heard, "Oh no" then a Lucy whimper, then a Lucy scream. I tried to get a picture of the aftermath, but it didn't photograph well (which is good, since it's only a tiny surface scratch). At any rate, I thought this pic of her looked menacing - "Yeah, I have a scratch on my face. Whatcha lookin' at??"

The name of the perpetrator will remain out of the press for now... but here's an anonymous head shot of the perp in question.

BBQs and Buddies - The Essence of Memorial Day Weekend

Lucia had a very full dance card during her first Memorial Day weekend. On Saturday she went to Connecticut to meet her friend Annie (seen here in matching outfits) who is the daughter of our dear friend Jessica (aka Schindler). Annie is only 10 days older than Lucia, yet as you can see by the photos - if these two were boxers, Lucia would be fighting in the heavyweight division... not that there's anything wrong with that honey. Schindler's parents hosted an amazing BBQ complete with lobster, steak and key lime pie. It was the perfect way to kick off a 3-day weekend. Then on Sunday Lucia was kind enough to let her moms socialize at another BBQ with some local pals - a rare and wonderful occurrence. And on Monday, Lucia played host to her own BBQ with her friend Miles coming to pay a visit.

All in all it was a fantastic weekend. Lucia was in a GREAT mood and loved being out and about. She is turning into quite the social butterfly. If I do nothing else right as a parent, and let's face it - it's entirely possible... I hope to teach Lucia that the company of good friends and grilled meat are two of the greatest gifts on earth.

What, Me Worry?

Of course not. The only thing Lucia has to worry about is which adoring grandparent will spoil her more. In the grand scheme of things, not a bad problem to have. Today's video clips feature Lucia's grandmothers (Nonne and Mimi respectively) teaching her about the finer things in life - music and food. Who is luckier than this kid??

They Laugh Alike, They Walk Alike...

Is there anything better than cousins? Something closer than a friend, but not as close (and therefore not as pesky) as a sibling. Lucia is very fortunate to have two wonderful cousins - Anthony (2 yrs.) and Brianna (5 months) - with whom she will no doubt conspire to torture her parents. For now though, they are all sweet and innocent and helpful. Watch how Anthony graciously offers to teach Lucia and Brianna the ABCs (more or less).

Finally, the Cheerio Video!

Ok, it's Friday morning, I have the day off on a holiday weekend, it's already 75 degrees outside and I'm inside updating this blog. See how much I love you people?

Finally figured out how to show you this dang video. Of course, now that I've built up your expectations you'll probably be dissapointed. On second thought, no you won't.

We have a lot more content to add before taking off for the weekend, so check back later today for updates!

Little Cereal, Big Entertainment

Apologies for the delay in the updates (to all 2 of you out there reading this)... as you know last week was a big week in our household. Moms back at work, Lucia spending her days without them, moms being too lazy to update blogs, etc.

Anyway, we're back on the case and have been trying to upload the latest video staring Lucia and her sidekick Cheerio. Unfortunately, we're having technical difficulties and until we can figure it all out, you'll have to make due with this picture.

Thank God She's Back...

Well, the girls all survived Mama Mer's first day back at work. Lucia and I did some singing, shopping, napping and hobo sitting while Sadie slept all day - so basically we stuck with what we know. Needless to say, we were all thrilled when Mama Mer came home. I've said it before and I'll say it again... being a stay at home mom is HARD work. God bless all you out there giving it a go. Seriously, I'm spent.

You've Come a Long Way Baby...

 

What a difference 5 years can make, eh? So today was Mer's first day back at work after 6+ months at home. As you can see, she was none to happy to go. Contrast that with the other pic from her very first day at Mintz (2002)... she was so bright eyed and bushy haired. Don't kill me honey - the people will love this.

I promised Mer I'd update the blog as often as possible so she wouldn't miss Lucy too much. So here's a little video we took yesterday to help get you through the ups and downs of your day. Hope you took your dramamine.

Wait, Isn't Every Day Mother's Day?

Well, it should be. Today we spent a beautiful afternoon with Mimi smelling lilacs at the Arboretum and grilling on the porch. Lucia had a tough time napping through all the excitement and was little on edge all day - probably because she forgot to send us flowers... oh well, maybe next year.

We concluded our first Mother's Day by reading selected works of Ovid to Lucia (in Latin of course). Evidently our sophisticated daughter loves the classics.

It's True. We do.

Just a quick note to say Happy Mother's Day to all the moms in our lives. You know who you are.

I'll post some more pics later from our visit to the Arboretum with Mimi!

Lucia Settles Into Solid Foods...

I suppose it's not that far of a leap from rice cereal to sweet potatoes to giraffe... it all winds up in the same place, right? Today's photo was taken during a lunch outing with our friend Cathy and her son Owen (refer to previous posts for pics). Apparently Lucia decided that giraffe was on the menu today. Yum. As if that weren't enough, dinner time consisted of oatmeal and corn with a side of duck for dessert. Is our kid the next Padma Lakshmi or what?!?

More Lucy Cuteness...

So this whole sleep thing is going very well. Now that she's sleeping through the night (more or less) Lucia's mood has improved ten-fold and she is quite possibly the happiest baby on Earth - as evidenced by this picture. Meredith snapped this while Lucy was just doing some alone play time on the floor of her nursery. If only adults could get such joy out of simple plastic cups.

Apparently, Lucy's cute factor once again increased exponentionally yesterday when whilst at the JP Tot Lot (our neighborhood playground) Meredith put her in an infant swing where Lucy then decided to take a nap - IN MID SWING! Who is this child? I'm not sure, but I'm keepin' her.

My Sleeping Beauties...

Meredith has always said she needs two things to keep her happy: sleep and structure. Needless to say, she's had neither of those over the past few months. Luckily, she has me to keep her entertained (and take photos of her when she's not looking). This picture is amusing for several reasons: 1) Meredith was asleep and couldn't protest, 2) It proves that even at rest, her Research is In Motion and 3) It's the perfect set up for today's video clip.

Today, Meredith wasn't the only female in the house who decided sleep was a good idea. Take a look at this video and tell me it's not the cutest thing you've ever seen. AFV, here we come!

Sleep Begets Happiness Begets Glee...

Night #5 of Dr. Ferber's visit was an overall success. Lucia slept unswaddled until 3:00am, then cried a bit, but went back to sleep until 5:00am. At which point, she started to cry and escalate until Meredith nursed her from bed at around 5:40am. Luckily for me, she then put Lucy right back in her crib where she slept until 8:15. Hooray!

Lucia also had great naps today, which we have found improves her overall mood. This picture was taken during one of her favorite hobbies - sitting on the front porch/lawn watching all the folks go by. We call it hobo sitting. Hey, when you live in the city, that's what you do... and as you can imagine, Lucia is very popular and a great way to meet the people in your neighborhood.

Right now, Lucia is in her crib and quiet (after a brief crying spell). We keep trying to get a picture of "the face plant" but she thwarts us at every turn. That girl is crafty.

We Discovered a New Type of Flora...

Faceous Plantorum (a.k.a. the face plant).

So here we are on day #4 of Dr. Ferber's visit. Lucy did not have a repeat performance of Saturday night's magic, but really that was her mom's fault(s). We noticed she was face down (still swaddled), head buried in the mattress - we panicked. Naturally, we turned her over to her back which of course woke her up. Oops. The next few hours were spent rolling over our daughter who kept returning to the obviously comfortable, but potentially hazardous face plant position. Even though her moms are worry warts and want her to sleep on her back, Lucia is a bit strong willed and prefers to do things her way - wonder where she gets that? To quote Paula Abdul, "...two steps forward, two steps back."

Luckily, Meredith was able to do some retail therapy today to calm her weary nerves. We'll see how tonight goes. It's currently 8:45pm, Lucia is asleep in her crib (unswaddled Nonne) and of course face down *sigh*.

SLEEP AT LAST, SLEEP AT LAST, THANK GOD ALMIGHTY, SLEEP AT LAST!

See that pink thing flying over your head? Yep, that was a pig. Is that snowball down in Hades still frozen? You betcha. Did the Red Sox really win the World Series? Sure did. All this is a long way of saying - LUCIA FINALLY SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT! We really didn't think it was ever going to happen, but sure enough on night #3 of Dr. Ferber's visit Lucia slept from 7:15pm straight through until 5:00am. Ok, so she was up for the day at 5:00am, but STILL. We_will_take it.

Perhaps part of her success can be attributed to the excitement of her first suitor paying her a visit last night. Our good friends Kelby and Cathy dropped off lil Owen (6 weeks old) so they could go have a grown up dinner alone. Lucia was very interested in Owen (as you can see in the video), but Owen wasn't too sure about Lucia. Boys are so fickle.

Dr. Ferber Pays a Visit...

Well, today was the second morning after Dr. Ferber came to visit Lucia. For those of you unfamiliar with "Ferberizing" count yourself lucky.

Although truth be told, it is going MUCH better than we expected. The first night after going to bed at around 8:15pm, she woke up around 1:40am and cried until 3:40am. Meredith and I took turns going to comfort her every 15 minutes or so until she eventually fell back asleep. Of course, by that point my nerves were shot and I wound up watching some late night/early morning TV (thank goodness for Rosanne re-runs). Last night (night #2), Lucy went down at 8:00pm and didn't wake up until 2am but didn't cry long enough for us to go comfort her! She woke up a few more times, each lasting no more than 10 minutes or so. By George I think she's got it (well, we'll see).

So today is Cinco de Mayo and to celebrate Lucia's sleep progress (and yes, it IS progress!) her moms are going to find a nice Mexican restaurant, have a margarita or 2 and toast in her honor. I mean, sleep issues aside, she really is the cutest thing ever.

One Potato, Two Potato, Sweet Potato More

Lucia has ventured into the realm of solid foods, and as you can see, is very enthusiastic about the whole thing. On today's menu was rice cereal and sweet potatoes. Mama Fran could not move fast enough. Yum!

Lucia Dances With Nonne on Adoption Day

Although it is nothing more than a legal formality (and entirely besides the point at this juncture), Lucia went to court today to be adopted by her parents. Check out pics (and the video below) of the happy day!

Lucia Eats A Teething Biscuit, With Her Typical Response

As everyone knows, two of Lucia's favorite activities are eating and vomiting. Here is a creative take on the two.

Lucia's Giggle Captured On Video

Lucia Sits In Her Bumbo Seat

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