...and then there were four

And so, it turns out out that I'm a terrible Santa

2011-12-15T00:34:00.000-05:00

Ezra has (had) a very specific item on his Christmas list this year. This is the first year I took him to see Santa, but you would have never been able to tell. He confidently and efficiently told the Santa at Brooks Brothers, even before he had a chance to climb on his lap, "I want train tracks that I can build on the floor all by myself!" (This is in contrast to the train table that he got last year where everything is screwed down.)

Well, it turns out that Cousins Max and Luke had a whole box of said track that they had outgrown. Last week I hopped in the van with Aunt Becky and we drove a couple of hours up to their storage and brought back a box of all the track a little boy could ever hope for. Santa had it made. The perfect gift, and it was free!

Turns out that Santa needs to do a better job of hiding gifts.

I put the box in my closet and had been very careful not to open it when Ezra was near. I was quite certain it was safe because little boy has never gotten in my closet...until today, when I suddenly heard, "Mama! What is this? It's track! It's track!" And so, Christmas came early to the Caceres' apartment. It was a fun afternoon- four straight hours of creating different winding, wooden configurations to frequent, oh so cute, exclamations from a two-year-old of, "Wow! That looks amazing!" and "This is wonderful!"

I don't mind that Santa's gift to Ezra turned into Max and Luke's gift to Ezra. But now, what is Santa going to bring Ezra on Christmas Eve? Not much. At least Santa can thank me for lightening his load.

A Little Bit O' Country

2011-10-22T00:24:00.000-04:00

For the past several Octobers, we've had the little tradition of squishing in the Gilmore van and taking a short drive upstate to pick ourselves some pumpkins. It's always fun-crisp air, a hay ride, apple cider, homemade doughnuts, and a real country experience. Or as close as you can get to a country experience an hour and half from they city.

This is what our real country pumpkin patch looked like. The pumpkins grow nestled in a green, grassy field. No dirt, no vines.

I kind of like it because Lucia could crawl around without getting too dirty and the orange on green sure made for a pretty picture.

Our real country experience also included a decent crowd of people and even someone directing parking. Ha, ha! Look at Lucia's face in this picture.


Fun on the hayride.

And for even more fun, pictures from one of our first pumpkin picking adventures. My how things have changed. Look how little Ruby was!

And pumpkins used to be exciting enough to draw Luke out of the van. To be fair, it was much colder this year.

Hurricane Weekend in Vermont

2011-08-29T23:34:00.000-04:00

We decided to escape Hurricane Irene by spending the weekend in Vermont with the Gilmores. We left Friday night and had a wonderful day on Saturday doing Vermont-y things.

Picnicking, cheese sampling, farm visiting....

Oh, the novelty of grass for a city baby!

We went to a petting barn and the highlights for the kids were the baby chicks and an old silo that was filled with feed corn for playing in.

I love these pictures of Ezra. He easily spent a very focused hour in the silo. Note that this is how little kids play in the corn.

And now for big kid play.

And then, it got a bit out of control. Somehow, Max convinced Ruby that she wanted to be buried in the corn, even after Luke's turn had just ended in tears.

This is a photo of Ruby, her presence carefully camouflaged by strategically placed tractors and buckets. Ruby's face is under the bowl on the left side of the pictures.

Ruby's face after the bowl was removed. Not suprisingly, she cried too.

Saturday night we stayed in a cute little cottage and while we heard rain all night long, it wasn't until we got on the road in the morning that we began to realize that we did anything but escape the storm. I've seen flooding many times before, but nothing like the flash floods that ravished little Vermont. The expected three hour drive home turned into an 11 hour maze of a drive as we were forced to turn around again and again because of washed out roads and flooded bridges. While I was tempted to feel sorry for myself because I was stuck in a car with a crying baby, our discomfort was nothing compared to the loss that we saw that day. My heart goes out to all the people who were impacted by the terrible flooding!

One Bedroom Apartment

2011-07-23T22:47:00.004-04:00

It's hot outside and so I am sitting and enjoying the only room in our house with a good AC. The only room that has been livable the last few days-our bedroom. When I say "our bedroom," I really mean "the bedroom".

It may seem crazy, even by New York standards, that we all sleep here. I realize that it's a pretty un-American sleeping arrangement. What about teaching our kids independence? What about personal space? But the truth is, I love it. I may not love it forever. I probably won't even love it for another few months. But right now, it is heavenly. Martin and Ezra have fallen asleep next to a pile of books. Ezra is gently snoring. (He is so beautiful!) Lucia is sprawled out on her stomach in her pack'n'play. My little family, all here, so close.

How does it work, with different schedules, with a teething baby? Magically, night after night, it just does. Lucia cries, and Ezra may stir but immediately drifts back to sleep. Martin knows how to slip in and out silently in the morning as he readies for work. Somehow Ezra and Lucia always seem to magically wake up at the same time and love to spend the first few minutes of their day rolling around together on the bed, Ezra telling Lucia that he loves her in a voice that is much too loud.

But loud voices are a morning thing, right now I just hear a chorus of quiet breathing.

And if you still think I'm crazy, it may make you feel better knowing that our bedroom is quite large... by New York standards.

Rocks with PePaw

2011-06-03T23:22:00.005-04:00

I haven't posted anything for months and so here I am playing catch up. I ran across these photos that I took in the late afternoon on a gorgeous, April day. I love how the low sun makes long shadows in the grass and how the silhouetted figures show Ezra and his Grandpa engaged in one of Ezra's favorite activities in the whole world--throwing rocks in the creek. A warm sun, a crisp breeze, and a bubbling, singing creek. It was one of those afternoons when the world truly seemed carefree and perfect. (Especially since Ezra didn't take an unintentional swim, like he had the day before.)

Not So Very Long Ago

2011-04-04T15:30:00.007-04:00

I don't really have any nice newborn pictures of Ezra. I discovered with him, too late, that you only have a few days, a couple weeks at most, when they actually look like newborns (before the bald spots and baby acne). So when Lucia was born, I knew that I had to act fast. I asked my neighbor to takes a few photos for me and she happily obliged. Thank you, Jamie!

Look how teenie-tiny beautiful she was!

And now, she looks like this:

Last week, a little girl at church was sitting next to me as a took off Lucia's jacket. She said, with amazement, "Wow! She has big muscles."

Just think how impressed she would have been if she had seen her legs.

Also, as proof of her growing self, Lucia learned two new tricks last week- rolling over and thumb sucking. She can't seem to get enough of either one.

sweet as can be

2011-02-25T14:20:00.007-05:00

Little Lucia,

You are such a marvelous addition to our family. It's been three months since you were born, and already I pull out the little clothes that drowned you when you were first born and can't believe that you were ever that small. You've got a healthy appetite and a belly and cheeks to match. Oh, how I love your cheeks! You've really figured out the smiling thing the last couple of weeks and that joyous, open-mouthed grin was well worth the two and a half month wait.

You are such a patient little girl. You put up with your Papa's kisses, although you do so with a look of displeasure on you face. At times you even seem to enjoy the overdoses of love that Ezra sends your way. The other day Ezra wanted to look into your eyes and decided the best way to do it was to plop his 27 pound body right on top of your tininess. When I turned around to find you squished under your brother, you had a huge grin on your face. Thank you so much for your example of patience, especially during a period when Ezra hasn't the slightest idea what that might be.

What more can I say of your 3 month old self? You're a very grunty-snorty baby, which is actually quite endearing. You spit up ALL the time which is quite the opposite of endearing and keeps the two of us perpetually smelling of sour milk. I find your body shape amusing. You are a big round belly with short, little fat-petite legs sticking out. I know that's a lot of adjectives stuck together to describe you legs, but I don't know how else to describe them. Tiny and petite, yet fat at the same time. Simply put, your thighs are adorable.

Simply put, you are adorable. I love you!

routinely happy

2011-02-13T20:58:00.005-05:00

I feel like I don't have anything exciting to blog about and haven't for some time. We've settled into a winter schedule that gets us out of the house a few times a week for playgroup and music class, but mostly we just stay inside our apartment, sheltered from the cold. And while the world may not want to hear about how today Ezra ate oatmeal for breakfast or that we read "The Little Engine that Could" 8 times, I am truly happy. We are holed up in our little one bedroom with smiles on our faces. Smiles that get even bigger with dreams of the spring.

Lucia Wakes Up

2011-01-19T22:28:00.002-05:00

After almost two months, Lucia is finally putting in some good awake time. It is so much fun to see her eyes and to watch her little body kick around. I love her more and more everyday.

Cheese Smile

2011-01-13T21:28:00.003-05:00

Recently Ezra learned that you are supposed to say "cheese" when you see a camera. I'm not sure where he picked this up, but I am sure that his cheesy smile is one of the cutest things I've ever seen.

He Loves Her

2010-12-26T22:46:00.003-05:00

For those of you who have been around Ezra recently, you know that no one touches his trains.

So when he carefully placed Percy at her side saying, "Here. Baby Lucia. Here," I knew it was love.

Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T20:36:00.005-04:00

We had a wonderfully warm October this year and one beautiful afternoon we went on our traditional upstate pumpkin picking outing with the Gilmores. The pumpkin patch was closed, so it ended up not being so traditional after all. Luckily, we were able to find a pumpkin lot, and while it didn't include a hay ride and the pumpkins were already picked, Ezra had a good time wandering around, playing with his cousins, checking out the pumpkins, and taste testing a rock or two.

Our ward (we're now in the Spanish ward) combined with the Harlem 1st Ward for a fun Halloween get together. And while we really enjoyed the warm weather on our pumpkin adventure, it didn't agree with Ezra's fleece lobster costume. He was not a happy camper, even after we stripped him down to just a diaper underneath. So the costume only lasted a few minutes, but it was long enough to snap a few pictures. I love how Max and Ezra's costumes worked so well together.

Martin and I (and Lucia) dressed up as pumpkin pie. I'm pretty sure this was Martin's first Halloween costume and it was a challenge to get Martin to even wear this basic of a costume but I think that in the end, he ended up enjoying it. Next year I'll see if we can move beyond a piece of paper on a string.

To: Papa in the Big City

2010-10-14T20:19:00.009-04:00

Dearest Martin,

Here are the pictures I promised you. We miss you so much, but I would be lying if I said that we weren't having a great time. I haven't been home for autumn in 11 years and I had forgotten how stunning it is. Ezra is happy spending time with the Grandparents and Uncle Adam. Amid all the fun he's having, he hasn't forgotten about his Papa. He asks for you more times a day than I can count. I think about you just as often. We can't wait to see you in a few days.

Love,

Britney

Ezra loves being in Virginia. As soon as he wakes up the morning he asks to go outside. Actually, the first thing he asks for is "bee" (Cheerios), and then after he's taken care of his desperate need for nourishment he begs for the outdoors.

One of the highlights from this trip included visiting a real farm. He found that real horses are much larger than they are in books. This was a bit intimidating.

He watched some tractors in action and got to check out the hay bails they made.

He gathered eggs from the chicken coop and caringly threw them in the basket. There was surprisingly only one egg casualty.

He loved the chickens and ducks and was able to perfect his "cock a doodle doo" using some real roosters as a reference.

Other country activities enjoyed included stuffing acorns in the woodpile, picking pears, playing the sand and water at the lake beach, and throwing lots and lots of rocks.

One of the best parts of being out in the sticks is that you don't have to wear clothes. I did try dressing our child but he would go through 3 or 4 outfits a day because he kept on getting wet, muddy, or both. Skin is much easier to clean than cloth.

2010-08-17T23:02:00.004-04:00

Martin says funny things sometimes. Like today during my sonogram upon seeing the baby's profile. "Wow! It doesn't have much of a chin, does it? Definitely a girl. Or a very girly boy." Apparently, fetal chin shape can be a pretty accurate indicator of gender.

We're pretty excited.

LOVE

2010-08-09T11:31:00.003-04:00

Lucy Godfrey Freeman McBride, 1917-2010

Grams,

In our last conversation, you only said one thing to me. You emphasized it's importance by repeating it over and over. "I love you so much."

It's all that needed be said.

Country Roads

2010-07-14T18:31:00.008-04:00

Hearing John Denver sing the song always reminds me of my home. Yes, I know that West Virginia and western Virginia are not the same place, but it's close enough. I still grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains and there are plenty of windy, scenic roads in and around my hometown. In June, Ezra and I had the pleasure of spending a couple of weeks at the Freeman homestead. While the first week was a bit difficult...Ezra had a hard time adjusting to a new place and new people (and grumpy kid=flustered mom), the second weeks wasn't far from idyllic. Ezra learned to love his "Am-pa"and "Am-ma" and found that they were very easy to lead around wherever he wanted. Most of the time that meant outside to throw rocks. I think Ezra's a country boy at heart.

Run, Eppie, Run

2010-06-24T21:11:00.003-04:00

Tuesday morning we said goodbye to our dear family member of 15 years. It would have been hard to receive a phone call saying that Eppie had passed on, but being there and seeing the pain in her eyes and the way that she couldn't lift her head, her labored breathing and the spasms in her chest was nearly unbearable. As we sat by her and patted her head, she seemed comforted and would close her eyes.

Saying goodbye brought back memories of the previous years. Sticks and rocks and evening runs. Eppie never did anything bad. Loving people was her only fault as she would disappear down to the park during the summer to hang out with campers who entertained her with an endless supply of objects to fetch and, of course, the occasional hot dog or two.

The last several years she slowed down, but not by choice. When I'd turn down the road to go on a run she would look on with longing eyes and sometimes even make an effort to get her aching joints to move. She never made it past the end of the driveway. Now she was going somewhere way beyond the driveway. Before she left, as I said my final goodbye, I found a thought that brought me comfort and I shared it with her, "Eppie, you're going to be able to run again. Run fast. Run. Run. Run."

Thanks for all the wonderful memories. We miss you!

Hidden Treasure

2010-06-07T12:20:00.004-04:00

Martin never uses his camera. Last night he asked me download the pictures off of his camera so that he could delete them from the memory card. It was almost like the olden days when you got to develop a roll of film that you had forgotten about for a couple of years. I had so much fun rediscovering photos of my Baby Z. I cant' believe that once upon a time he looked like this...

and like this...

I can't believe it so much that I even had to wipe away a few tears.

Not a Baby Anymore

2010-05-20T19:01:00.008-04:00

I don't know exactly when Ezra crossed the line from baby to little boy, all I know is that it happened. He just seems so grown up, sure of himself. Ever since he learned to walk, I would say that his contentment for life easily doubled. He never stops moving and always seems to be intently working on some project.

He talks, and talks, and talks. One of his favorite activities is to approach adults at playgrounds and just tell them all that they're willing to hear. Although we can't understand what he's saying, he obviously knows exactly what all that babbling means and he emphasizes it with his little pointer finger wagging all around in the air.

Ezra has always been a cuddly little bear and luckily he still finds time out of his busy schedule to come over and lay his head in my lap or on my shoulder. He's taken up the practice of saying, "Ahhh..," while doing so and it melts my heart.

He loves his Daddy immensely. He cries when he goes to work in the morning. The rest of the day, whenever he hears someone in the hall, he will go to the door hoping it's Papa getting home from work. If the door doesn't open, he'll plop down and shed a few tears in mourning. He loves moving the chess pieces because Papa loves chess. He moves his toothbrush around REALLY fast when he brushes he teeth because that's how Papa does it. Sometimes we catch him trying on Martin's shoes.

My little boys loves music...he dances and sings and even finagles maracas out of bands in the park and performs for the tourists. (And then stops by the money bucket to try to fish out his share of the winnings.) He still has an affinity for "The Wiggles" and the smile that they put on his face magically makes them tolerable if not enjoyable. He suddenly started to pick up actions to the various children's songs and he's really good at quacking like a duck, climbing like Itsy Bitsy the spider, and patting a cake. I know all little ones learn this, but since he's my little boy, I find it to be absolutely delightful. Everything he does is delightful.

Oh, how I love him! And oh, how he loves chocolate cake. Happy Birthday Ezra!

2010-04-25T19:01:00.016-04:00

Itinerary for almost one- year- old on a warm, Spring Saturday in the city: wake up, eat, put up a resistance while getting dressed, out to the neighborhood playground, watch Papa play soccer with his friends, home for lunch and nap, train down to 59th,

a stop at the ice cream truck,

enter Central Park and walk to the playground, work on some climbing and descending skills,

meet some other almost one- year- olds, spend some time yanking toys out of their hands and then toddle away while giving them a "well, maybe you should learn how to walk too" look, fall down a few times, swing, get in the sandbox just long enough to fill shoes and ears with sand, leave the playground, intently watch some musicians perform a couple of songs,

put the same item in and out of the diaper bag about 100 times while Mom and Papa chill on a blanket, flirt with the woman sitting nearby, pretend to talk on the phone,

watch a pick-up game of soccer with Papa,

fall asleep in the stroller while being pushed up Central Park West, wake up just in time for a first hamburger* tasting,

efficiently ask for more burger with a little pointing finger, walk through a street fair, buy a hat,

ride train home, bathe, resist the pajamas, exhibit some crazy, "I'm overtired" behavior, sleep, sleep, sleep.

*Is it fair that his baseline burger, by which he will have to compare all others, is a Shack Burger? Or maybe I should say, is this fair to all other burgers?

Dear Little Plane,

2010-04-10T00:31:00.005-04:00

Thank you for getting my parents here safely. Thank you for turning a 9 1/2 hour drive into a 3 hour flight. Thanks for making my dad say that he never disliked New York, he just wasn't fond of the drive. Thank you for a wonderful weekend.

~Britney

Just for fun...

Below is a picture of Ezra's first outing to

the Brooklyn Bridge (2 days before he was born).

I can't believe this was less than a year ago!

she's here!

2010-03-25T14:34:00.002-04:00

flowers,

playgrounds,

stick eating

spring's officially arrived.

(and what a grand entrance it was on a sunny, 75 degree saturday.)

we've loved every moment since.

Does this count?

2010-03-16T02:18:00.006-04:00

I never know what date to put on the blank lines next to the list of "firsts" in Ezra's baby book. They want you to put a single date but it's all very ambiguous and confusing to me. Just as with all things "parenting," nothing's as black and white as I thought it would be. Okay. I guess rolling over was pretty easy to peg and I can get the teeth within a couple of days. But other than that....

Does this count for walking? Can I put a date on it yet?

2010-02-27T17:42:00.004-05:00

Curiosity survives but a few short minutes when it's cold outside...just long enough to snap a few pictures. And then it gets carried home whimpering.

Laughter

2010-02-15T11:16:00.002-05:00

Do you ever listen to a recording of yourself and think..."Do I really sound like that?" Ignore my goofy chatter in the background and enjoy my happy little boy release all the energy he built up at church yesterday.

Thanks Pa

2010-02-12T16:29:00.010-05:00

Yesterday Ezra got a Valentine card in the mail.

Today he got a Valentine package.

Two pieces of real mail in two days!

Lucky boy.

And so I say thank you for

thinking of my little Z....

Dear Pa,

Thanks for the hat that you made for Ezra. It does a much better job at keeping his head warm than his wispy hair.

Dear Mom and Dad,

Thanks for sending the card. Ezra loved the accordion fold and opened and closed it over and over again.

Love,

Brit

For Grandpa and Grandma

2010-01-22T12:19:00.005-05:00

Dear Grandpa and Grandma,

I know that my mom has been a bit negligent when it comes to posting pictures of me. She said that she talked to you on the phone the other day and it was mentioned that Uncle Jeff and Aunt Elise have more recent pictures of me on their blog than she, my own mom, has on hers. A sad situation indeed. And so, I've convinced her to let me sit down and give you an Ezra update. Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Scott, this is for you.

I'm mobile now. Two weeks ago, I learned how to crawl. With my new mobility came the irrepresible desire to explore everything around the apartment. One of my favorite activities is to crawl around the perimeter of the living room and pull down everything I can get my little hands on. I especially love the magazines, CDs, and of course, the blue watering can that makes a great clunking sound when I hit it on the floor. I'm also becoming quite expert at pulling myself up onto my feet with the aid of a chair, the wall, or loving hands. Mom says that I'm becoming more stable with each passing day.

This new talent made it necessary for Dad to move my crib mattress down to it's lowest setting. I enjoy pulling myself up, holding onto crib bars, and bouncing up and down on my mattress. However, there are times when I find myself hanging onto those same bars, squeezing tears of anger and frustration out of my eyes. When I wake in the middle of the night and stand up, I now can see Mom and Dad are right there, so close to me. The crib bumper no longer obstructs my view. How dare they not come to my immediate rescue when they are just a few feet away in their bed. Yes, with age comes new perspective.

I love solid foods. I'm a great eater (probably no surprise for you there). The baby food they sell in the store is okay, but I'm not really interested. It's quite bland...why would I waste my time with that stuff when I know that Mom and Dad are obviously eating something better? Last night Mom pureed some Thai Green Curry and mixed a bit of rice into it. Mmmmm...now that's what I'm talking about.

In the communication department, I've moved beyond the basics of crying and smiling. I have started to make the typical monosyllabic baby babble sounds like ba ba ba and ma ma ma. The ba ba bas are usually used when I'm bouncing on my knees and the ma ma mas are used when I'm upset, hungry, or just in a whiney mood. At other times, I tend to be very masculine in my vocalizations. I have a Tarzan-like yell that I employ when I feel strong, and well...manly. For example, I use this long, loud undulating call when I pull down a pile of books from the shelf and they come crashing to the ground. And sometimes I use it just to see how loud I can be, like I did the other day when we were at that restaurant. I also frequently am heard using an equally masculine guttural growl. I use this sound when I am working hard to accomplish something, like attempting to pull down the stack of aforementioned books.

While it seems like I may have changed a lot since you saw me at Christmas, many things are still the same. I still only have a few wisps of hair on my nice round head and only one snaggle tooth graces my mouth. Grandpa, I'm still your "Construction Joe" and rarely is there a bolt, screw, or electronic device that I do not thoroughly investigate. I still make my scrunch face, love reading books, won't hold still for a diaper change (it takes them longer than ever!), and am mesmerized by "The Wiggles." Oh, and I still love you! Please come and visit me soon. Grandpa, it's as good of an excuse as any to fly that snazzy little plane of yours.

Love,

Ezra (8 months)

The Scrunch Face

The One-tooth Grin

Self-feeding

Big in the Crib

Pain

2009-12-17T11:00:00.003-05:00

With strong little hands

and a new little tooth,

he's become extremely efficient at

frequently eliciting an

OUCH! from the parents

Snowflakes on noses

2009-11-24T21:53:00.009-05:00

A few of my favorite things from the past several weeks...

my sweet nephew, Reid

Aunt Ann's humor

Ezra's first snow

this moment between Ezra and Grams

rosy cheeks

four generation pictures

and cardboard boxes

Boo Hoo

2009-11-02T12:20:00.005-05:00

We ended up going camping for Halloween, so we didn't do anything especially Halloweeny this year except to tell scary stories in the woods. What to do with the costumes, yes, costumes in the plural, that we had for Ezra? We had the short-lived thought of making him wear one of them around as we hiked and camped, but after the costume photo shoot we realized that it would be best to just spare him the discomfort and total misery that wearing a costume seems to cause the Ezra child.

Pleasant.

Curious.

Impartial.

Reconsidering.

Angry.

Angrier.

Defeated.

A few hours later....

Dear Chicken Costume, Don't take it personally.

A Happy, Rainy Fall Day

2009-10-27T15:09:00.004-04:00

Today we woke up to a dark and rainy day, so in an effort to get out the apartment, I decided to take Ezra to the Museum of Natural History. I wasn't sure if he would appreciate it yet, but his vocalizations, arm flailing, and wide open eyes quickly did away with any doubts that I had. He absolutely loved it. He especially loved the room with the giant whale where he was talking/squealing up a storm.

I didn't get any museum pictures, but I did snap a few on our walk home. The rain let up long enough for us to enjoy the leaves in the park. Despite initial appearances, it turned out to be an amazing and happy day.

5 Months

2009-10-25T23:03:00.003-04:00

I figured I should post a few pictures of Ezra at his 5 months mark. Perhaps for myself more than anyone else. I love looking back and seeing how much he's grown.

Below is Ezra attempting to assume a stable sitting position. He'll get there soon.

What Babies Do

2009-10-17T18:17:00.005-04:00

This week, Ezra...

hung out on the floor,

took it easy in the tub,

chowed down on some oatmeal,

helped me babysit,

went to the park,

and escaped from his Boppy chair

(numerous times).

The Tie

2009-10-12T17:43:00.005-04:00

Secret: If you want your baby boy to get lots of attention, put a tie on him. People were pulling out their cell phones at church to get pictures of this handsome little guy.

As we were getting ready for church, Martin insisted that it was a form of infant torture when I put the tie on Ezra . Ezra didn't seem to mind at all. As a matter of fact, he seemed quite pleased that he had a chew toy tied around his neck.

My Sleeping Angel

2009-10-10T19:43:00.004-04:00

Today we went out for a bit to enjoy this amazing fall weather. We hit a street fair and then the playground. On the way home, Ezra fell asleep and I couldn't resist taking a few pictures. I think that he is so beautiful when he's asleep. I mean, check out those eyelashes!

Here's one of Ezra goofing off about 2 minutes before he zonked out.

And here are the photos of my beautiful sleeping angel.

Little Planes

2009-10-05T19:52:00.000-04:00

This posting is a bit late, but I really need to say congratulations to my dad for his first flight of the the airplane he built. It seemed, at times, that the day would never come when all of those parts in the garage would somehow come together into something that would actually carry people through the air. Well, the day finally came and Dad, I am so proud of you. Your plane is beautiful. Ezra wore his little planes shirt in honor of your little plane. He's proud of you too and can't wait for his turn to fly.

It's All About the Feet

2009-10-04T21:55:00.006-04:00

Ezra is in LOVE with his feet. Yesterday he finally figured out how to get his foot all the way to his mouth, which is something he has been working at for some time. They do a much better job of entertaining him than any of his toys. If I need a few minutes, all I have to do is wave his feet in front of his face to remind him that they are there and he is totally content for quite some time. Ah, the simple joys of life!

Feet are sweet, but when it really comes down to it, Ezra's thing right now is putting everything and anything into his mouth. Feet just happen to fall into that broad category of "everything and anything." One of his favorite things is chillin' in the swing while chewing on his hands. We usually make it to a playground twice a day to hit the baby swings...a very integral part of our daily routine. Ezra's been a swinging baby for a bit over a month now. I don't know the appropriate age to put babies in swings, but I think many playground mothers and nannies think I am pushing it. I always get asked how old Ezra is and then often my response is followed by a disapproving look. Oh, how I love the playground culture of this city! Here is a video of Ezra swinging away. If you watch closely you may see one of his trademark ribbons of drool being carried on the breeze.

(video coming soon!)

Only 17.5 lbs!?

2009-09-19T00:10:00.005-04:00

Today Ezra turned 4 months old and to celebrate we went to the doctor for his well visit. I was shocked when he ONLY weighed 17 and a half pounds. I was sure he would be over 20. The nurse was surely confused when I said, "That's all?" since that weight put him in the 91st percentile. Everything's relative.

I felt so bad because my little Ez was very happy during the whole visit...smiling when he was getting weighed and measured, talking to the doctor when she was using her stethoscope, and reaching for the animal wallpaper with such enthusiasm. When the doctor was filling up the syringes for his vaccinations he was waving his arms around excitedly while leaning towards the little tray that held the instruments of pain. When I saw his huge grin I felt so guilty...he had no idea what was coming. Ezra's got some powerful lungs and a low tolerance for pain. Broke my heart.

As you can see the pain was only temporary. Below is Ezra showing off his Band Aid-clad, chunker thighs. I thought he looked funny with his socks pulled up and dressed him like this to get a reaction from Martin when he got home. Martin's response? "Sweet! He looks like a soccer player."

This is Ezra when I told him to tell Dad about our trip to the doctor. The memory was obviously difficult to bear and Ezra momentarily became sullen and withdrawn.

But that's one thing that I love about my son, he forgives freely and rebounds quickly.

Maclarens on Mulberry

2009-09-18T23:36:00.005-04:00

I don't know why it has taken me so long, but I've finally realized that life is much better when I get out of Harlem every now and then. Ezra and I had a great week and found ourselves out and about much more than usual. One of the highlights of the week was when we ventured down to Little Italy with some other Harlem moms to enjoy the San Gennarro Festival. We formed quite the posse with our 4 strollers, 3 Bjorns, and 6 1/2 children. We worked our Maclarens through the crowd with New York finesse while oohing and awing at the cannoli and sausage.

One of my favorite parts was when we got to eat. The pizza at Lombardi's was pretty darn good. The best part was the thin, crunchy crust. Since living in New York I've come to the realization that when it comes to pizza, less is more. Mozzarella and fresh basil...yum!

28

2009-09-01T00:01:00.005-04:00

My dad wrote to little bro' Adam on his mission and said how crazy it is that I just turned 29 and how next year I'll be 30. When I read this, I actually had to do some quick math in my mind to make sure that he wasn't correct. I am happy to be able to write the following with confidence: Dear Dad, I am actually only 28. Hopefully this piece of knowledge will have the same affect on you as it does on me and make you feel a bit younger. Love, Britney

For my 28th birthday celebration Martin's cousins came over with some delicious chocolate cake. Martin followed tradition by getting me an extravagant and visually stunning flower arrangement. I only say extravagant because I don't even want to think about how much flowers like those cost in New York, but Martin says he has to get "beautiful flowers for a beautiful wife." I admit that even though I always tell him that he could have just gotten me daisies, I actually love it that he spoils me and he knows it. He also got me some new running clothes ,which is what I asked for. Really, I couldn't be happier.

The Wiggles

2009-08-31T23:16:00.007-04:00

So, I recently discovered that my son is capable of sitting independently for a short amount of time. The secret is to sit him in front of the magical device know as the t.v! But, of course, not just any t.v. show will do. It has to be colorful, loud, and annoyingly upbeat. "The Wiggles!" I had no idea this show existed as of 3 weeks ago, but thanks to Netflix Instant Watch and the lovely invention of the Roku player I can now entertain my son long enough for me to get dressed, run a brush through my hair, and put on mascara. Being the good mother that I am, naturally I limit his viewing time to only a few songs at a time. Here is a short video clip of him watching "The Wiggles." You will notice that my highly advanced 3 month old actually has his own dance move that he performs periodically while watching. It is the side twitch...watch closely and you will see him move his body in a delicate arch to his right while simultaneously raising his arms. It's really quite brilliant (read with an Australian accent)!

Elevator Talk

2009-08-05T21:08:00.003-04:00

Whenever I get stuck in the elevator with other people, they always feel that it's necessary to comment on the little guy in the stroller. Usually people say, "Oh, he looks like a doll," or "My, look at the big guy," or often it's the more creative, "He's cute!" As a doting mother, I certainly appreciate the kind comments. Well, today this woman in the few moments it took to get from the 3rd floor to the 1st floor tried to convince me that I'm overfeeding my son. Since I was stuck in a little moving box with this stranger and had nowhere to go, I quickly said something along the lines of that I did not feed him too much, but rather he just was storing up everything he eats for some future growth spurt. I said it in a playful way, but really inside I was thinking, "The nerve! " I think Ezra is beautiful and just the right size. Elevator chit chat will never make me think otherwise! Included are some photos that are proof of his cuteness.

Sir Ezra the Cute

Do these arms look overfed?

Taking it easy with Dad

Out for an evening stroll in the park

Beach Baby

2009-08-05T21:00:00.003-04:00

Last week we went to Jone's Beach on Long Island with Martin's cousins. I enjoyed the big waves while Martin and Little Z were keeping it cool under the umbrella.

I'm a Big Boy!

2009-07-29T15:41:00.005-04:00

The older Ezra gets, the more people say that he looks like his Daddy. Well, one thing that Ezra and Martin have always had in common are their big heads. Yesterday Ezra visited the doctor and it turns out that my 14 pound 12 once boy is right around the 90th percentile for weight and head circumference and the 80th percentile for length. He's quite proud of himself and is rightly so!

When Enough is Enough!

2009-07-29T15:26:00.008-04:00

As first time parents, of course we have overdone it in the photo department. Especially with the advent of the digital camera, this is very easy to do. We must take at least 20 pictures every time we decide to get out the camera. Usually it starts out with Ezra being cool about it...

and then it turns to something like, "Are you really making me sit here for all these pictures? Can't you see I'm tired?" And finally...

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

Then, I change him into his pajamas and since he looks so cute and the camera is easily accessible.... Thanks Ezra for being such a good sport!

TWO MONTHS OLD!

2009-07-18T22:54:00.004-04:00

I can't believe that it's only been two months since we welcomed this beautiful child into our lives. Martin and I always comment on how we just love him more and more everyday. Heavenly Father truly has blessed us by sending us our little Ezra.

Today Ezra and I spent some great time together. He must have known that it was a special day because he was very happy. Nothing is better than seeing you child smile.

There's a First Time for Everything

2009-07-17T19:22:00.013-04:00

The last couple of weeks have been full of new adventures for our Ezra Bean. Below are just a few of them.

It was Ezra's first major holiday on the 4th and he attended his first barbecue.

Sunday July 5th was Ezra's first (and only) blessing day. Daddy did a great job of giving Ezra a beautiful blessing. Also in attendance...Grandpa and Grandma from Virginia.

And then it was off to Virginia....

It was Ezra's first road trip (He managed to only log about 10 minutes of crying in 10 hours).

In Virginia, Grandma took Ezra for his first wheelbarrow ride. While it may look bizarre or perhaps a bit cruel...

...he actually enjoyed it quite a bit and slept for several hours comfortably after the walk while Grandma worked in the garden.

Ezra also got to help Grandpa with the airplane. Our friend Kevin was convinced that this scene could have been featured in a Norman Rockwell painting-very Americana.

Paw gave Ezra his first (gentle) bounce on the trampoline.

It helped to calm down our grumpy boy.

Because of fortunate timing of our trip, Ezra got to witness his first missionary homecoming. Welcome home Scottie!

The pictures below were included because I just think my baby looks so adorable in them that I had to include them. I guess to keep with the theme at hand, we could say that this is the first time that he wore Madras plaid.

And finally, Ezra enjoyed his first cultural event in the park this week. He made it through most of the playing by the NY Philharmonic in relative happiness. The encore was too much though.

Expression

2009-06-24T22:50:00.010-04:00

I am convinced that our little guy is quite advanced and expressive for his meager 5 weeks of age. Perhaps I enjoy this video a lot because I'm his mother, but seriously, aren't all of his different faces hilarious? I love how he can run through almost the whole gamut of emotions in about 30 seconds.

While I'm waiting for the video to download...check out my creative husband's new use for ski goggles. Tear free onion chopping!

And while I'm still waiting for the video to download, I suppose that I'll just stick some more photos of Ezra on here.

Run in the Park

2009-06-24T22:37:00.003-04:00

Today Ezra had his first run in Central Park. It was also mommy's first run in months. We survived 5 miles. As you can see Ezra looked pretty chill by the time we got home. I, on the other hand, was a bit red in the face and very sweaty.

The Beautiful Weed

2009-06-23T22:49:00.002-04:00

5 WEEKS. As in he's "growing like a weed." They say that they grow quickly, but I never really understood just how quickly until now. It's weird because I have such mixed feeling about it. One part of me can't wait until he gets a little older and can interact a bit more and another part of me looks at pictures of him when he was just a few days old and wishes that he could have stayed so small and delicate for a bit longer. But most of me loves Ezra the way he is right now! He seems so much older than he did even just one week ago...better adjusted to his new life. He is more aware of what is going on around him and does a great job of following the sound of our voices with his eyes. He can lift his head off of our chest and sustain it upright for several seconds. Best of all he is smiling more and more...his smile melts my heart. And check out the cheeks! I think that he's beautiful.

Ezra Scott Caceres

2009-05-23T20:00:00.005-04:00

OUR NEW FAMILY PORTRAIT Little Ezra decided to join us a few days early, which was a pleasant and very welcome surprise. He arrived on Monday, May 18th at 10:03 in the morning. He's a long and skinny little cutie~weighing in at 6 lbs 13 oz and measuring 20 3/4 inches long. We think he's pretty cute.

FRIENDS AND FAMILY here in the city have been amazing! We have received such an outpouring of love and support. The Gilmore family were Ezra's first official visitors. Ruby, Max, and Luke are going to be amazing cousins.

A lot of us got NEW TITLES on Monday... mother, father, uncle, grandma, and grandpa. Grandma Kathy was on the road within an hour of finding out that Ezra was born. We won't tell you how long it took her to drive here because we want you to think that she is a good, law-abiding grandma. The important thing is that she made it in time to visit us in the hospital on day one. Look at her smile!

Our little Ezra-bean got to come HOME with us on the 20th. We've had a great time just having family time and getting to know each other. As Martin said while rocking Ezra our first day home, "This is the life!"

Last Trip as Non-Parents

2009-05-06T14:00:00.005-04:00

A couple of weeks ago Martin and I took our last trip as non-parents. It was a last minute thing. We decided on a Wednesday night that we would leave the next day for a little weekend jaunt around D.C. (Thank you Chinatown Bus for making the trip between New York and D.C. so affordable and convenient for those of us without cars!) Martin hadn't been since middle school, so it was pretty much a whole new experience for him. The weather was perfect and we were able to do and see a lot in our short time there. Below are

pictures of a few of our trip highlights.

We visited the National Zoo. This is Martin being a good sport when I insisted on taking this picture because of his uncanny resemblance to the panda statue.

This is a picture of Martin's favorite thing at the zoo--watching the construction of the new elephant habitat. Who wants to watch animals when you have the option of watching big machines push dirt around?

We visited many a museum. Museum highlights include seeing the Star-Spangled Banner at the Museum of American History (I had no idea it was so big!), the new Wright Brothers exhibit at the Air and Space Museum, and our visit to the Museum of the American Indian, which I had never been to before.

And this is me being a good sport when Martin insisted on taking this picture because of my uncanny resemblance to this statue in the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden. (Yes, I know...the purple shirt is not flattering at all. I haven't worn it since I saw these pictures. Sometimes it's just to late to go back and change things.)

Overall, it was a good trip...as you can tell from our happy smiling faces. My only complaint is that pregnant feet don't like to be walked on for 10 hours a day. As I told my parents on the phone, it was "really good to get out of the city for a few days." I quickly realized what I had just said and wondered at what point does Washington D.C. stop qualifying as a city in one's mind? Oh the things that living in New York can do to a person perspective!

Rainy Days Have Their Advantages

2009-05-04T19:15:00.000-04:00

Once I motivated myself to go out into the rain today, I realized that rainy days in New York are really among the best days to go to the park. It was empty and I was able to enjoy a walk around the Conservatory Garden and Harlem Meer in solitude. It was beautiful and peaceful. I'm grateful for today's rain.

Not the Cute Little Belly I Was Hoping For

2009-05-04T18:29:00.000-04:00

One month to go. Actually, let's not add any unnecessary days to the countdown...25 days to go. It's not easy being HUGE. This picture actually is flattering because I'm pretty sure I appear larger in real life. I have dreams at least weekly in which I am running and I feel so light and fast. I will get there again! I already have the jogging stroller all set up and ready to go.

I never knew that days could go by so slowly! We are so ready for our little guy to come and the anticipation is killing me. He seems very active and healthy. Martin is convinced that all of the kicking is an effort to escape from the confines of my belly, but I told him that baby obviously has plenty of room based on the size of my abdomen and that he shouldn't worry.

All Belly in Harlem

2009-03-20T16:14:00.000-04:00

Being pregnant walking around in Harlem is quite the experience- it is impossible to escape unsolicited comments. It is interesting to see how many people correctly guess the sex of the baby based on how I am carrying. Actually, no one who has made a prediction has been wrong. Apparently, it is obviously a boy because I'm "all belly." Wednesday a man I was passing said, "Oh, that's a boy!" I told him he was correct and then he told me three times, "Name it Jose. Name the kid Jose. You should name him Jose." He was pretty insistent about the name, but I think I'll pass.

Becoming a Blogger

2009-03-20T15:22:00.000-04:00

This has been my first work free week and already I'm inspired to start a blog. For some reason this pregnant belly I'm carrying around doesn't do a lot in the department of motivating me to get out and move around much and for some reason whenever I do "get out" I end up spending money. Spending money in New York-imagine that! So far this week I've picked up knitting, washed every possible item in our apartment in our new washer/dryer, played some Tetris, indulged in too many episodes of Law and Order on Netflix, and engaged in some general thumb-twiddling. And so, I enter the world of the family blog...from what I can gather it's just a natural step to take at this stage in life and honestly, after the last five days of searching for ways to pass the time, I gladly welcome it.