huck blog

still a baby

January 29, 2006, 4:16 pm

Huck's almost one. Huck's almost one?! I can't get over it. When people ask me his age nowadays I've been scaring them by exclaiming wildly, "He's going to one on MARCH SEVENTH! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE IT!" One year olds are no longer babies. They're called Toddlers.

But really he's just a ten and a half month old baby.

Here's what's happening in little Huck's life as a ten and a half month old. He's getting very good at finding little pieces of crud all over our apartment. You know you live in squalor when your baby makes a game out of handing you gross things so that you can throw them in the trashcan.

Yesterday he went to his first ever birthday party for his two year old friend and neighbor Aeneas! Huck got to bring home two balloons and he loves them.

He also plays the recorder now.

And he had his first ever non-family photo shoot last week! He was quite a professional little supermodel, safe in the arms of his mama.

He also had a flu shot last week and didn't cry. He was given a Super Kid sticker for his bravery. I don't have a picture of it.

He loves Cheerios passionately. And smoothies and avocados and rice and squash and peas and refried beans. And he really lets you know it if you aren't feeding him fast enough, which is what's happening in this picture. He's saying, "Why, I oughta ..."

So there you go. A hodge podge of Huck, who is ALMOST one, News.

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very obedient

January 24, 2006, 2:31 pm

I asked Huck to give Aunt Jeni a sweet birthday smile and this is what I got.

Happy Birthday, Sissy!!!

[ 10 comments ] ( 67 views )

like looking at a big picture book

January 21, 2006, 12:04 pm

Huck went to his first art show yesterday. He is a fancy New Yorker now who eats meat and goes to art shows. His good friend Michael (a favorite here on the blog known as "Michael") has some of his wonderful drawings up in the huge windows of Lord and Taylor on Fifth Avenue.

Huck was especially excited to pose with the famous artist.

And to touch his nose. Get used to it, Michael. That's what people do to famous artists.

[ 3 comments ] ( 41 views )

huck says duck and eats chicken

January 17, 2006, 5:55 pm

When you have a baby there is a lot of pressure to figure out exactly when they do things. Do you count scooting around awkwardly as crawling? Do you wait until the baby is crawling like an expert? Do you count DA DA as a first word or is it more like a first sound? And what about MA MA? Huck says MA MA when he's sad and vulnerable and it's always aimed at me, but we're not convinced that he's actually saying my name or merely cussing me out. It's very confusing.

Recently Huck added BOP to his repertoire, but that's not really a word. And speaking of non-words, he carries on very interesting conversations daily. At the grocery store recently I was looking for black eyed peas and I asked him where he thought they were. He got very serious and gave me some suggestions as he pointed to various canned goods. We eventually found them. And much to Aunt Tina's delight he has begun to sort of throw a ball. I really want to stress the sort of. He gets the ball in his hands and then moves his arms like a spaz. The ball flies around and then Huck goes into a hilarious routine of speaking aggressive nonsense and spitting. In other genius news, when asked, "Where's Mama's Nose?" he aggressively grabs mine. And he's starting to use the "eat" sign, but we think he means "drink." And when I growl at Huck like a lion, he growls back. I know, I know. We ought to get him enrolled in Harvard IMMEDIATELY.

And as if all of this isn't impressive and exciting enough, we think his official first word may be DUCK. He has about ten rubber duckies in the tub, and since every single children's book seems to have ducks in it he hears the word a lot. Last night Troy drew a duck on a piece of paper and Huck attacked it by screaming, "DUH-CKHRR!" We were so proud. Incidentally, we have a brilliant scientist friend named Brian (he's the brand new daddy of Kadin) and his first word was also "Duck."

I should probably call MIT first thing in the morning.

(An interesting side note: Huck has a grandpa named Buck and a good friend named Chuck. All sorts of good things rhyme with Huck! Someone write a poem!)

Now about that chicken. Huck has been a vegetarian right along side me for all of his life, but the time finally came for all that to change. Last Friday we were at a Wendy's across the street from the hospital and while our brilliant minister friend Tiffany was literally giving birth to Kadin, happy Daddy fed Huck a few tiny pieces of chicken (with my sad blessing). Now I live with three crazed male carnivores.

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faces o'huck (welcome to the world, baby kadin!)

January 13, 2006, 8:21 pm

here's just a few faces captured within a few seconds today in our living room...

huck keeps us guessin' as to what wonderful new look he's going to come up with next. today did seem a little extra special, though. we think huck knew that his new next door neighbor and best friend was going to show up today! and he was right --baby kadin was born today!
congratulations, tiffany and brian! welcome, little kadin, to this crazy old world!

[ 16 comments ] ( 48 views )

where is the time going, people?

January 7, 2006, 6:44 pm

Today Huck turned ten months old! That is craziness. Wasn't he just born? Weren't we just figuring out how to swaddle him? How to make the little diapers fit? How to bathe him without breaking him? Oh, how time flies! I'm sounding very cliche these days. I can't help it.

Here's a ten month birthday update. Huck's an expert at standing and, thankfully, not at all an expert at taking little steps. He's very awkward with his walking moves, which gives us hope. I think it'll be fun to have him walking and running around, but I also think it might be SLIGHTLY exhausting, so I'm in no hurry for that little miracle.

Now that Huck is practically a little boy, he loves Daddy's fresh made smoothies. Here is an example of how he looks in between drinking this delight.

Huck's seventh tooth just broke the surface, for all of you interested in such a thing. His mouth is becoming a regular tooth show.

My favorite new talent of Huck's is his nerdy laugh. He wrinkles up his nose and opens his mouth wide and shouts "NANANANANA!" excitedly. I feel like he's imitating how he thinks laughter should sound, but the result is a very forced, hysterical fakey laugh. I, however, cannot get enough of it.

And as anyone who saw Huck in Kansas over Christmas can tell you, the way to his heart is through Peek-A-Boo. As I write this here blog I am playing a lazy version of the game. Troy is doing all the work, carrying Huck around and every few minutes popping into this room. I then look up and say "Boo" and Huck screams in delight. Not too difficult to entertain, this one.

[ 7 comments ] ( 69 views )