Happy Birthday, Owen!

One Giant Cupcake

It's Owen's first birthday! Hooray!

Due to some fortuitous class cancellations, I do not have my evening seminar tonight, so Owen, Dave and I are going out to dinner with Myah and mom Dina at a restaurant that brings cake and singing waitstaff. We have to get it in before he becomes too cool for such things.

This first birthday is as much a celebration of Owen as it is a celebration of parenthood. Last night in class I received a text message from Dave that said, "Happy Waterbreaking Anniversary!" It was so funny to receive at that moment, because that's exactly what I had been thinking myself!

Then after we ate a late dinner, I looked at the clock again and thought, We were just checking into the hospital, and the staff asked, 'Where have you been? We've been expecting you!' but how could I tell them that I had been cuddling with my cat and eating macaroni-and-cheese?

And then we crawled into bed and I looked at the clock and remembered, "A year ago today, my mom was driving through a snowstorm in Oregon to get on a red-eye so that she could be here for Owen's birth."

Thanks to everyone who's sent good wishes to us. Our little "April Fool" has been an awesome addition to our family.

Purim Fun

I've added two photographs taken Monday night at our synagogue. We were celebrating the holiday Purim: Owen is a gorilla, and Dave and I are adults dressed up funny.

The Purim carnival was held during Owen's nap time, so he wound up sleeping through most of the event and dinner. As I was awkwardly holding him and eating dinner with my left hand, a woman came up to me and said, "Oh, I thought you'd brought your dog." She thought Owen was a dog cradled in my arms, rather than a child. I guess that's what happens when you dress a baby as a gorilla and let him take a nap.

A New Year and a New House!

Owen Paints a Picture

Happy New Year! We have been busy, busy, busy, and our lack of posting only reflects our crazy life, not our relationship with you readers. We bought a house! We moved 6 blocks from our apartment to a new house up the hill. Dave's parents were kind enough to help us with our move, and now we are slowly, painstakingly unpacking boxes and boxes and boxes of law books. Ugh. One thing missing? The cord that sends our digital camera's pictures to the computer, so rather than a picture of our house and Owen, you get a picture of Owen painting.

A week after closing on our home, we flew to Oregon for the holidays with my parents, and returned after the New Year to a house full of boxes. (We thought they might magically unpack themselves, but alas...no luck). The cats are adjusting to all the new space (and TWO fun staircases to run up and down ad nauseum) and Owen is a bit confused by his new room and jet lag, but last night he finally returned to a normal sleep schedule. Whew.

I start my last semester of law school next Monday, then Dave begins student teaching after MLK Day. Owen is at day care full-time, and seems to be doing ok so far. So that's our lengthy update and an explanation of our lack of blog posting. Hope everyone is enjoying a healthy, safe New Year. Hooray for 2009!

What an Infant Gives His Dad for His Birthday

Now aren't you glad this isn't a picture of projectile vomit?

Friday was Dave's birthday, so I thought I'd let Dave sleep late and keep Owen out of our bedroom during the morning hours. But Owen had other plans, including wanting to give Dave his present early in the morning. So as Owen and I walked from the bedroom into the kitchen, Owen projectile vomited all over me, himself, the floor, and the cat food dishes. Dave wound up getting out of bed and cleaning the floor and food dishes while Owen and I stripped down and cleaned up. It was the first time Owen has ever projectile vomited (and of course, he only eats milk, so it's not that gross), but we are convinced that Owen saved it up just for Dave's birthday. Happy Birthday, Dave!

Happy Father's Day!

The Modern American Dad

So yesterday we attended the Jewish Music and Culture Festival in downtown Syracuse. Upon arriving, a woman handed Dave a button to wear that said, "Shalom! I'm a Dad!" which made Dave all mushy inside because (1) he is a dad and now gets to wear a button proclaiming so, and (2) the woman didn't have to ask him if he was a dad or not because she took one look at him pushing the stroller and knew. And that made Dave proud.

Another good part of the day, according to Dave, was running into a number of people we knew and being greeted with, "Happy Father's Day!" He said it's one thing when your family sends greetings for Father's Day, but a totally different thing when it's people in your community. Especially when two fathers greet each other. Suddenly this bond is created and an identity shared, even with people you don't know that well. It's like when you find someone who shares your birthday or an anniversary - you think, "Wow! We both have the exact same feelings every year at this time." And that's what Dave felt yesterday.

Happy First Anniversary!

Dave and Owen in Oswego, NY

Last year, on the Sunday of Memorial Day, Dave and I got married in Oswego, NY. For our first anniversary, we decided to return to Oswego and spend the day- we revisited the wedding site (where another couple was preparing to tie the knot, so we walked over to the water and tried not to stare at the men in their cumberbunds smoking behind the building), walked over to Breitbeck Park where our BBQ was held, and had dinner at the same restaurant as our rehearsal dinner. Of course, we did all of this with Owen in tow, which meant that rather than joining in the frisbee game in Breitbeck Park, I sat on a bench and nursed. A very elderly couple approached, cooing, wanting to see the baby, and we had to explain that my nipple was in Owen's mouth, and perhaps now wasn't the best time to visit.

Although the traditional gift for the first anniversary is Paper, Dave and I gave each other the gift of sleep. I didn't wake him up in the night and tended to Owen all by myself, and then in the morning Dave took happy, playful Owen from the bedroom and let me sleep in solitude for three more hours. Aah... how exciting! What a great anniversary!!!