Boys with Books

Physical accomplishments aside, Leo also wishes his public to know that he enjoys a quiet read every now and then, too. Just like his parents (although ironically they have been enjoying that pleasure somewhat less frequently in recent months...). His favorite book is Little Lost Duck, a gift from great-aunt Josephine. A poignant "quest" tome in the tradition of the Odyssey and Lord of the Rings, in which the little lost duck looks for the other little ducks, and -- not to spoil it for you -- finds them.

The Seat of His Pants...

...is starting to get some wear. Yup, our little Leo is starting to plump down on his tush, though still steadying himself with one or two hands, in a variation of crawling mode, for the most part. It's a whole new view on the world. But his accomplishment hasn't gone to his head (probably because now he knows what it feels like to keel over and bump his head from a higher height--ouch!). Here he is caught in his new act by my mother.

Happy Mother's Day!

What a difference a year makes. Happy Mother's Day Noemi! This time last year we celebrated the little Leo lurking in your tummy (although at the time he was operating under his codename, "the kumquat"). Now he is out and nibbling on our slippers. Here's a little summary of the great escape.

I'm a very lucky husband and daddy. Also a lucky son. And son-in-law. And sibling. And so on. In short, I'm feeling lucky.

Looking forward to next year, and all the years after!

Caught in the Act

The scope for getting into mischief has widened, now that Leo can shimmy toward the things he wants to grab and put in his mouth, and doesn't have to wait for them to show up in his vicinity. One of his top fave activities: sneaking up to Daddy's shoelaces, untying them, and chewing. Yum.

Not Quite Crawling

I'm on all fours. I'm moving my legs... how come I'm not going forward? Unh! Unh! Well at least I made it off that mat... oooh, a table leg! Edible? I intend to find out.

Step by (not-quite) step, Leo is learning to crawl. We only showed him a little how to do it. Mostly he is figuring it out on his own. It helps that with the warmer weather he can be barefoot now (better traction). Possibly he was inspired by the visit of elder cousin Danny this past weekend, who demonstrated the joys of running and jumping. In any case, once again, he seems to have become even more of a little boy and less of a big baby.

Plates. Yum.

Our boy sure loves plates. Here he is munching away on a couple that survived his two uncles and me--but may not survive the Leo onslaught. Good thing we're not too sentimental about them. See a complete gallery of the evening's amusements here.

More Fun

Leo got to participate in my parents' morning exercises. He loved having all the grownups on the floor with him. Maybe the good example will teach him how to get up on his hands and knees?

Laughing Leo

I have only one real memory of my grandfather Chaim Hersz, apart from a face like sandpaper. His laugh. Leo likes it when we imitate its wheeziness. What fun :)

Half-year hanniversary. Huzzah!

Hard to believe that we have had Leo with us for a whole six months now, but it's true. He's always had a presence, but every day he is becoming more a little boy. He laughs when we make funny noises. He reaches for objects hidden to the side and in back of him. He likes being part of the gang. He touches everything, and tries to put it in his mouth (we have figured out that his current religion is Chewish). He kicks up a storm in the bath. He giggles and squeals. He has an independent streak that is quite impressive in such a helpless little creature. In terms of locomotion, he can twist from his front to his back, and in circles clockwise and counterclockwise. Otherwise he just squirms a lot and whines for us to move him (which works, so, you could call it effective). In sum he is a joy. Hooray!

hanging with the papi

The boys hanging out together. Just chillin' on the couch. All that's missing is some beer...


Photo by Annie.