Baby Gallory

"Tomorrow I will by able to sit in this thing without my head bobbing all around, I think..." "Whatever it was - I didn't do it..." "Yep... It is safe to say these wigglers down there are mine... I think... Maybe... Are they?" "Wanna play with Freddie?" "Waaaalk like a maaan, as faaaast as I caaan..." Love - Julian

Dad had finally persuaded Jules to take the bottle. It is quite a relief for me to know, that I am no longer the only source of nourishment for our son. A miracle!!! Practicing the new skill Few days ago, Julian was sitting on my lap before he drifted off to sleep like he often does. He was putting his hand into his mouth, and then taking it out. His movements were slow, deliberate, and precise. He must have repeated this motion ten times or so. I was quite humbled by this display of mindful perseverance. He was clearly not after being comforted by sucking on his hand; it was a pursuit of excellence. I couldn't remember when was the last time I attempted to learn a new skill with such calm determination... Julian gets very amused when he manages to roll over to his side Also, Julian figured out how to roll on his side recently. It is quite a feat! He knows now, that he must grunt and lift both legs, swing them to one side while tucking in his arms for balance... Slowly and surely,...

In Poland, whenever you invite someone to come over to your home, you use a phrase, an idiom - "come over for tea"... I guess this is how I became a tea drinker. Tea = good times in good company. While Julian slept, we stuffed our faces (in fact, my mouth is full on the picture... ) Knowing Mom's love of tea, Paul, Amber, Leanne, and Dad conspired to surprise me with a Tea Party. With help of our friends in High Places (Lina and Darin, our Zingerman's connection), the table was set with 3 different kinds of finger sandwiches, various scones, coffee cake, Leanne's Special Brownies, and, of course, TEA. Instead of a birthday cake, Dad picked up a log of chocolate-covered marzipan (Mom's favorite confection, bar none), and carefully drilled holes in it for the candles... We all had a great time, and I was very grateful to our friends for coming up with such a wonderfully creative way to celebrate in style - yet without leaving the house. The initial Tea location...

Ever so often I catch Jules staring into space or onto the ceiling, reaching out with his hands as if trying to catch or touch something, and laughing out loud. Instead of wondering whether our son might be one taco short of a combination plate, we accepted the obvious. Tomato plays with the Little Fat People!!! The ones with wings and accordeons...

Guys LOVE wheels. Somehow the joy felt by that first guy who used the first wheel to bowl over 10 clubs balanced on end has been genetically ingrained into every guy ever born (woman actually invented the wheel and was using it for something "useful" while this was happening...). It just so happens that a baby is a great excuse for guys to research, test, and eventually get a new set of wheels. Well, a stroller to be more specific. Let's face it. The kid doesn't care what he's going for a walk in, but any self respecting dad has to get his son off on the right foot or wheel... I began with some test drives of show floor stroller at the regular stores: Babies R Us, Toys R Us, etc... The problem is these models are just too wimpy. Nothing but plastic cup holders, plastic wheels, vinyl hoods, teddy bear prints, wimpy pastels, and shoddy design. The next move was to start asking some experienced dads in the hood. Joe recommended getting something with big wheels to na...