... ellen and i got married.
happy anniversary baby.
the wedding was a celebration not soon forgotten which is not to say that the celebrating hasn't continued, most recently with the 5 month birthday (is that even a thing?) of our latest, one miss zoila mckenzie havlan.
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| likes: putting her fist in her mouth "standing" on daddy looking around (in that order) |
trying to narrow down the
highlights of the last 4 months is like trying to pick a favorite beatles song
– it’s not easy is what i’m saying.
but here’s a good start…
the whole family on the beach
in pacifica, ca, during a visit to uncle glenn, aunt lizz and cousin
reuben. yes, baby Z slept through
the excitement but trust me when I tell you she’s far more likely these
days to be awake and smiling…
and maybe wearing some patriotic headgear depending mainly on whether or not it's july 4th.
as you can plainly see the evolution of our little lady's personality is well under way. she is happy and delightful and strong and playful and most of all she is loved. she also happens to have the neck muscles of an ox... a beautiful ox. (again, is that a thing?)
settling on a name continues to confound us mainly because we genuinely like all the options, but for now both ellen and i are pretty much going with “Z”. whether that turns into “Zoila” “Zoe” or “mckenZie” might just be up to her, but the common thread is the “Z”. oh, and parker calls her "baby sister", which... is... a… dorable!
settling on a name continues to confound us mainly because we genuinely like all the options, but for now both ellen and i are pretty much going with “Z”. whether that turns into “Zoila” “Zoe” or “mckenZie” might just be up to her, but the common thread is the “Z”. oh, and parker calls her "baby sister", which... is... a… dorable!
of course, the previously mentioned west coast
trip also meant a visit with the west coast thomases which included parker’s
first sailing experience.
mental note: clear a place on the mantle for the inevitable appearance of the america’s cup. watch your ass, golden gate yacht
club! these kid-sailors are serious!
ellen also gathered the
troops for their first visit to daddy’s work at the daily show and that meant
Z’s first brush with fame…
either that’s her with
television’s jon stewart or the backdrops at olin mills have gotten amazing.
then it was time for a
visit in daddy’s office.
fun fact: that weird,
colorful piece of “art” behind us is actually a piece from the original set of
the daily show. i’ve been dragging
it around with me for over 16 years now.
true story.
also, the name plate glued
to the top of my computer screen says “Gloria Delgado, Librarian” - a memento of the grandma who would have
loved these two kids with all her gigantic heart. and the same, i'm sure, would have gone for bob and carol and speed.
VERY FORTUNATELY, we are blessed with what the southerners call "kin".
soon after Z was born we were once again privileged beyond all privilege to get a life-saving multi-week stay from the irreplaceable aunt pam.
soon after Z was born we were once again privileged beyond all privilege to get a life-saving multi-week stay from the irreplaceable aunt pam.
pam's patience and love
and attention to all four of us was like manna from wherever it is you get the
best manna these days.
and while we’re on the
topic of loving super-aunts…
here's our little gal on the
beach at fire island with the immeasurably
helpful and patient and generous and energetic and always stupendorifous auntie sus.
i am eternally grateful to
have these lovely ladies in my life.
and that goes for uncle alan as well who is a constant example of how true success is measured in how much you share it - even if it means having 4 boisterous kids stomping around your "vacation" home for weeks at a time.
the fantastic four enjoying the ferry ride from fire island back to
(un)civilization. hopefully they will all one day look back on this moment with the fondness that i have for it today.
now then, let’s move on
for a bit to the man in my life…
no.
the other one.
that’s the one!
though if it’s a future
heartthrob you’re looking for, look no further…
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| with cousin emeline in boston |
somebody warn the cops because these two are going to steal a record number of hearts!
thankfully, the movie star qualities don't keep the little man from helping out in the garden...
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| our oasis on 53rd street |
and yes, the baby-like
object “relaxing” on the couch in the background is actually our baby.
and yes, there's a good chance she's currently making some "fertilizer".
and yes, there's a good chance she's currently making some "fertilizer".
daddy also reconfigured
the terrace, installed some padding, and created a self-contained play area
especially for the…
(http://bit.ly/PKIYBk)
and now it’s time for… parker highlights!
- he can jump* now!
(* “jump” = both feet
coming any distance off the ground at
the same time.)
- he loves going to the
playground and hanging from anything he can get his hands on.
- he says “look!” all the
time and points sort of randomly making it hard to tell what he wants you to
look at. we’re also getting a lot
of “why?” and “what’s that?”
standard answers: “because” and “ask your mother.”
- unlike last summer it’s
nearly impossible these days to keep him out of the water. his favorite game seems to be “try to
drown daddy”.
oh, and there’s also...
(http://bit.ly/OeAN0B)
also...
- potty training is
happening albeit with slightly mixed results, though it’s amazing what a two-and-a-half year old will do
if he knows an M&M is his prize.
- he watched his first
movie! “how to train your
dragon”. it was out at fire island
with hana and kobi. this is
confirmed documentation…
ever since that night,
parker has made a habit of telling ellen and me to “be careful of
toothless”. it’s the kind of stuff
the word “cute” was created for.
and speaking of mommy and
daddy, it’s time for…
what’s going on with mommy and daddy!?
 |
| courtesy our lovely friend sara mayti a true professional |
despite our new
even-busier family life schedule we are both making a fine habit of getting out
of the house on a regular basis thanks to each other’s help along with an army
of fantastic baby sitters.
we have nice dinners
together. we go to plays with
friends – the latest was "venus in fur” with mark and shannon. front row center! it was great. and since we’re on the topic of mark and shannon, may as
well include that they took us to a shooting range in new jersey…
 |
| with M&S - armed but not dangerous |
it was my first time ever
shooting a gun.
was it kind of fun? yes.
did it make me want to run
out and join an unnamed but nationally recognized rifle-based association? no.
also...
daddy's diving mouth first back in to stand-up comedy (by popular demand of course). mommy was the head chef at the kushi institute's summer conference for the 4th year in a row and knocked it out of the park as usual. daddy still plays poker with his "poker buddies" (almost) every monday night - thank you mommy! mommy already lost all of her baby weight, looks amazing, and is training for a possible shot at this year's nyc marathon. daddy's golf game is... not discussed in public. mommy continues to show amazing patience and stamina and imagination in the extra time she spends with the little ones. and finally, daddy found out last
week that his boss has signed yet another contract through june 2015 which is
good because i love my job and i'm forever grateful that it allows my family to
have a comfortable, fulfilling life in this amazing city.
time for a song, wouldn't you agree?
there's only one choice for this entry especially since i skipped the song for Z's original entry:
"isn't she lovely" by the one and only stevie wonder.
dig it...
isn't she lovely
isn't she wonderful
isn't she precious
less than one minute old
i never thought through love we'd be
making one as lovely as she
but isn't she lovely made from love
signed,
lucky daddy
time for a song, wouldn't you agree?
there's only one choice for this entry especially since i skipped the song for Z's original entry:
"isn't she lovely" by the one and only stevie wonder.
dig it...
isn't she lovely
isn't she wonderful
isn't she precious
less than one minute old
i never thought through love we'd be
making one as lovely as she
but isn't she lovely made from love
signed,
lucky daddy
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