Wyatt Parties and then is Pooped!

Wyatt and his lovely Tia Lorena

Father and Son konk out!

Not only is Lauren Wood is a really good friend, but she's one of the coolest chicks we know. So when she told us she would be having a party on Saturday to celebrate her birthday, we knew we wouldn't miss it. Wyatt was excited, too because his mom (that's me) had made him a very special shirt that he was pretty sure would bring a shining smile to his Tia Lorena's face. And sure enough, when he wriggled out of his furry blue bear jacket (thanks Aunt Marianne!) to reveal his shirt that said "I heart Lauren" in blue felt letters, she smiled and laughed a hearty laugh. Many photos were then taken and mommy and daddy sipped adult beverages. We all had a good time, stayed out late (well for us anyway) and came home a tired little family.

Baby Culture

A garden of babies

Hey, give me my leg back!

Wyatt and his friend Varik soak up the tunes.

Sometimes it's not easy having a baby in New York City. Everyone lives in small spaces and on top of each other, and in our case, it takes four flights of stairs to get there. Getting on the subway is a constant test of the kindness of others. Will they or won't they grab one end of the stroller and hike it up to the platform with me? Good news, most people are happy to help. Things are expensive here and winters are coooold, at least to these transplanted Texans. But with all that is difficult about having a baby here, sometimes there are shining glimmers of light that make it not just bearable, but downright sublime. I experienced one of those glimmers last Wednesday.

I recently joined a group of very cool moms called Bowery Babes. The group consists of a singer, a photographer, a couple stylists (including myself), a clothing designer, a yoga instructor, a web designer, a doctor, a nutritionist, a couple of photo editors, a theatrical stage manager, a lawyer...you get the picture. In other words, a pretty normal cross section of women living in downtown Manhattan. We email each other with our concerns, ideas, and experiences and try to think of fun things to do with our babies. So far Wyatt and I have been to two Baby Story Times at the Mulberry Street Library (more cuteness than you can shake a stick at). And Wednesday Wyatt went to his first concert. Maybe not as well attended as the recent Led Zepplin Concert in London, but the crowd was enthusiastic, none-the-less.About 15 pairs of moms and babies piled into the apartment of Mr. and Mrs. Errico, a large, well appointed but homey residence in Soho. Mr. Errico is an accomplished concert pianist and his daughter, Melissa, is in our group and had organized this concert for newborns. As her father began tickling the ivory, Melissa suggested that us moms gather our babies under and around the piano (they had laid down soft sheepskin rugs for this purpose) so they could really feel the music. One by one, babies gathered under the piano and soon it looked like a garden of wiggling newborns. The babies were transfixed by the music and with each other. Wyatt wound up being plopped down next to a little baby girl who couldn't get enough of him. As they laid there on the rug, she wrapped her arm around his leg. It was a magical half hour of music. Perhaps it was too short, as most of the babies began piping up with skwacks and tears as the twinkling melodies evaporated from the room.

A friend sent me this video clip (mostly of her daughter) check it out with the volume turned up for maximum effect. Click here:

http://www.intermogul.com/movies/MVI_2052.mp4

Me and My Monkey

Wyatt got this adorable plush monkey from his Aunt Marianne. He especially delights in it when it goes "ooh ooh wah ah ah ah ah" again and again.

Lazy Days

Honestly, this posting finds us in our most natural habitat. It seems like we spend about 50% of our lives in bed these days. William (and Wyatt) sleep late since William's work schedule is still very late night. Sure, Wyatt wakes up a couple times a night to eat, but he's really good at going right back to sleep, which means we can all get a lot of shut eye and sleep in on these cold winter mornings. (Not sure how long that's going to last). Usually, I wake up first and try to get a little work done while William and Wyatt snuggle. Usually the sight of them doing this is so cute I can't resist this photo op. I now have tons of pictures in this snuggle position. The one above is one of my favorites.

City Stroll

Wyatt and Stephanie wait as William orders a coffee at the walk up window at one of our favorite local cafes.

Pass it along

One never knows what or who you will encounter upon walking out of your apartment door into New York City. I took our laundry to the neighborhood drop an fold and on my return i bumped into skateboard legend and well known artist Mark Gonzales doing some stroller time. The Gonz, as he is know, is a neighbor and the proud father of William (a cute little guy a few months ahead of Wyatt) with the super cute and nice girlfriend Heather Mary. I asked if Mark had any Krooked (his skateboard company) kids stuff and he and Heather Mary happily hooked me up with some cute onesies. Heather Mary also was kind enough to invite me up to their apartment and then sent me on my way with a bag of great baby clothes that William (Mini Gonz) had outgrown. The Black Flag onesie she said came straight from the source Glen Freidman.. so it is muey appreciated. So big thanks to Heather Mary, Mark and William ...now if we could get the Gonz to paint our stroller...don't think that is gonna happen...

That is the best thing about baby clothes is that everyone is so willing to pass along the coolest stuff. We are getting ready as Wyatt hits the 3mos stage to give a big bundle to our friends Carolina and Laurent for their newborn River. Keep the cycle going....