Big Brother

With a new baby comes new roles for us all -- Léo is Big Brother now!

Thanks to mamie for capturing the moment of pride and joy!

Posh photos of Hélène

One of the nice services provided by the hospital was to send a professional photographer to take portraits of Hélène (and us) while we were there. Have a look!

I'm a Robot

'nuff said.

Welcome Hélène!

Pop!  Hello Hélène Rose!  Born in the early hours this morning.  7 pounds 7 ounces (3.4 kg), 21 inches (54cm).  Mother and daughter sleeping like logs.  Leo living it up at Mamie+Papi's, all meeting up later today.  Yay!

Noemi, spreading the good news:

Jet (back)pack

End of summer, getting ready to go to school, you say?

No no. Just tying on the jet pack he made himself!

Mainely Vacation

It was getting hot in New Jersey, so we decided to migrate North to New Hampshire and Maine for some vacation. Quick update: Leo is 4 and 3/4 now, and as the first photo makes clear, he is a powerhouse. Oh, and I am pregnant -- expecting a baby in the second half of October. 

Showing off our ability to withstand frigid water at Diana's Baths. Also, did I mention I'm pregnant?

There's an incredible model train club in North Conway, NH. Here, Leo watches a model railroadman make some fixes on the track as Thomas speeds by.

Even better: outside, there was the real thing!

Some people get to live in cabooses! (Cabeese?)

The style of the station house puzzled us. It turned out that some rich Dad let his son design it as a graduation present, and the son decided to do it Russian-style. Everything train-related should be designed by enthusiastic sons.

Can we take it home?

In Maine -- hoping for a dip in Lake Sebago -- we miscalculated and came to the area that warned against "bodily contact" with the water to the tune of a $2,500 fine (it's Portland's drinking water). So we looked but did NOT touch.

We made up for it at the Touch Tank in the Portland Children's Museum.

As a bonus, the museum also had a space shuttle to fly.

And a fishing boat to steer.

And a fire engine to drive.

Portland Children's Museum ROCKS.

Along the way ever further North, we dropped in to see my friend Erica's Co-Efficiency Farm.

Their dog and ducks have an Understanding.

The outhouse appealed to the engineer in Leo.

Then on to the coast of Maine. We arrived into Castine on a misty evening, and spotted this seahorse wind-vane.

The next day was lovely and sunny.  Paul grumbled a little.

Leo leaped into action, hording seashells and rocks. Heavy ones.

Thank goodness some were buried, pirate style. Look for the X!

Snake in the Grass

When we went to uncover the rhubarb that we'd covered with leaves and sticks over the winter, we found that someone had moved in to the house we'd so thoughtfully built:

It was a good thing we were moving the leaves with a stick! But it was almost certainly not a dangerous snake. I can't really tell what kind it was from this online field guide. Maybe a Northern Brown snake, although it didn't seem to have a yellow belly.

Happy Spring!