Logan's Bar Mitzvah

Ночью Гаврик спал плохо, утром во время прогулки тоже так себе. Потом покакал - и наконец заснул крепким сном. Таким крепким, что до сих пор спит, хотя покакал примерно в час (сейчас почти половина четвертого). По какой-то причине его аппетит несколько снизился, что хорошо. Не потому что Кате не хватает молока (слава Богу, его достаточно). Но оттого, что все же съедать по 1, 2 литра в день для...

Happy Day!

У Захарки после садика было отличное настроение. А это, как я уже отмечала, волшебно преображает и самого малыша, и мир вокруг него (буквально весь мир, включая нас, взрослых). Когда у Захара хорошее настроение, он ни за что не ударит Гаврюшу. Напротив, подходит к нему и нежно, аккуратно целует в ногу (или что там ему попадается поближе). В хорошем настроении он охотно во все играет и весело смеется....

Irma the Hurricane Is Coming

Тужиться и карячиться он продолжил и сегодня. Дома утром никак не мог уснуть. Пока не пошел обещанный дождь, поехали с ним на прогулку в коляске. Катались, катались, но глубоко заснуть карапуз так и не смог. Кряхтел, покрикивал и карячился. Дома покакал много-много, и наконец, кажется, заснул на диване. Не знаю, насколько основательно. Увидим. Майк сказал, что небывало сильный в американской...

Zachary Is Back to School

Our mini-vacation is over, and Zachary is back to school today! This academic year, he was transferred from his original group to the next "grade." He used to be in Ms. Claudia's 1-2 y.o. class, and now he is in Ms. Vicki's 2-3 y.o. group. During the whole month of August, he was transitioning: Every day, he spent more and more time in Ms. Vicki's classroom, participating in all activities. Today,...

Alley Pond Park: Part Two

Today was the last day off for Zac. Happy Labor Day! Because the actual holiday is today, and not on Saturday or Sunday, and because the weather is so, so nice (bright sun, not too hot and pleasantly breezy), the park was unrecognizable. It was no longer that romantic and mysterious, as it was filled with people. Outdoor grilles were smoking, the paths were packed with children running and scooter/bike...

Alley Pond Park: Part One

Zachary woke up very early today, at 6:30AM. I have a feeling he got cold. He sleeps in summer pajamas, and he unwraps from his blanket at night. I decided to change his morning routine, hoping that it will help his morning whining. before, if he woke up as early as today, and we did not need to rush, we would take him to our bed and let him watch videos while we caught another 20 minutes of "sleep."...

First Family Dinner & Crocheron Park

Yesterday, we all went to Applebee's (me and Mike, my mom, Zac and Gabi). Gabriel slept through the whole dinner in his stroller. Zachary was participating in dinner. He sat in a high chair and played with all offered entertainment, which included dishes and two crayons. He tried drawing with the crayons and tried eating them. They tasted petty bad, unlike French fries and fried fish that he ate...

Adam's Birthday

Today is the first day of the long Labor Day weekend. It means, Zachary has a day off, and he is staying home all the way until Monday. On the 30th, Adam, Michelle's son, turned 10. They came over yesterday, all of them, except for Alon, for pizza and cake (how healthy, haha). All three boys are so grown up! David and Jacob are turning 13 in March. They are great with Zachary. They play with him...

Another Sleepless Night

Every day is different, and so is every night. Yesterday, Gabi was sleeping all day long. Literally. As soon as he started to eat, he fell asleep: With his hands in a starfish position, mouth open, eyes shot closed... and there is no way to wake him up. But, unfortunately, at night, he woke up and was awake all night long. Once again, I did not get to sleep... oh well.  Because he ate so...

Gabriel's Doctor Appointment

Yesterday, Gabriel had his doctor's appointment. Wow! He weights... 9 lb, he is 21 in in length, and his head in 2 cm larger! It looks like he grows 0.5cm a week, gains a pound a week, and his head grows 1 cm a week. He caught up in weight, a little behind in height, and everything else seems to be well. What a strong kid! We are so proud of him.  Doctor gave him his first baby shots. Gabi...

'Arbuz!'

Luckily, Gabriel slept well last night. Perhaps, it is true that his sleepless behavior was caused by the change of weather, but in the end, because he barely slept all day, he finally was tired enough to go to sleep. Who knows?  It looks like Zachary finally started sleeping through the nigh without waking up once. This time for real, not temporary. I still cannot say for sure. I will be...

Gabi Update

It looks like Gabi is undergoing another period of growth and development. He continued to fuss during morning feedings, morning exercises on a play mat and during morning walk in a stroller. It is 3PM right now. He is sleeping in front of me on his belly, on the changing table. He has just calm down. Perhaps, it has something to do with the weather? I noticed that last time it rained, he, too,...

Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park & Coe Hall Historic House Museum

It's Gabriel's due date! If he followed the doctor's orders, he would have been born today. In honor of such a big day, I took some pretty pictures with him. It is amazing to see how big our "newborn" is now. I can't stop thinking, how wonderful it is that he is already born! So many tough events are already behind: Feeling nervous, pain, labor, Bris, adjustment of our schedule... And it is so impressive...

Change of Plans

On weekends, I try to plan fun outings. My mom, the boys (Zac and Gabi) and I drive somewhere pretty or fun. We all like this idea as new impressions, new knowledge and new possibilities is good for both adults and children. Unfortunately, as of today, we cannot drive all together, and Mike stays home with Ralphie. It is not very convenient taking two cars, plus, in certain locations, dogs are not...

Big Steps Forward

Oh boy, Gabriel sleeps MUCH less! He now easily stays awake for 1.5 to 2.5 hours. What does he do while awake? Sometimes, he lays quietly and looking around. During those moment, he looks like he is in his own rich inner world: His eyes are wide open; his cheeks are hanging; he looks very concentrated... In other times, he makes these baby noises, trying to either burp, or fart, or poop. When he...

The Bigger the Better

Humidity is finally gone, and now it is finally so, so pleasant to be outdoors. It is dry, worm and breezy. We noticed that now Zachary, when requests to turn on his cartoon, is looking at the TV rather than at the phone, where Mike has already turned it on for him (we are not into Dave and Ava, and Chu Chu TV, LOL). Meanwhile, very recently, he almost did not react to cartoons playing on the big...

Zachary Speaks

Happy day! Zac once again slept all night without waking up once. And another joyful update: After he woke up, he drank 5oz of my breast milk. I like to think that this is his vitamin boost that stimulates his immune system. Why not?In the morning, for the first time, Zac was speaking sentences. After breakfast, he decided to play with Ralphie. He grabbed the dog's toy and said, "Schaschee, nah!"...

Solar Eclipse 2017: NYC

Today, we all experienced a solar eclipse. In NY, we did not have the "full version" of it, like in many other states, however, we still got to experience it. Here, the Moon covered approximately 70% of the Sun. We all tried to see what it looks like (yes, yes, without the special glasses), however, the Sun is not something you can look at easily, even if it is 70% covered. So, no one could see anything...

Gabriel's First BBQ

After the morning bath, I decided not to put Aquaphor on Gabi's face. It is supposed to moisten skin, and it does, but it clogs pores. If it is as humid and hot outside as it is now, clogged pores create a noticeable discomfort. It is, of course, hard to say if such a young baby as Gabi feels the discomfort, but it seems like his skin looked much better today than yesterday. Red spots appeared less,...

Queens Botanical Garden: More Pretty Views

As the forecast predicted, after the rain, the weather was gorgeous.  Today is Saturday, and we decided to look for a new place to go for a walk. This time, we drove to Queens Botanical Garden. It is not too far from our house, but we still had to drive to get there.  The Botanical Garden turned out to be more a place where you would go for a walk or jog, rather than a collection of botanical...

You Can Leave Your Hat On

Hooray, Zachary slept through the night again, without waking up once! My mom and Gabriel continue their long walks. He now wears short sleeves, as he is big enough for us to be comfortable undressing him. We are expecting a very stormy weather tonight. Neither of my boys sleep well when it rains. Ugh!..&nbs...

Zachary's Big Achievement

Today, we had a very big day: last night, for the very first time, Zachary slept through the night without waking up a single time! He slept from 8 pm until 8 am, 12 hours straight! We were thrilled; however, I did need to pour out the breast milk that was waiting for him on a nightstand all night long. Five oz down the drain. But it was worth it! Gabriel continues sleeping on his belly. Zachary...

The Big Explosion!

Today was a regular day, and this is why we all quite enjoyed it. The baby eats more and more, and after he eats, he fusses and pushes for a long time, trying to squeeze out poop and gas. We put him on his back and bring his knees towards his chest, rotating it clockwise. These movements help him release gas faster. My mom experienced an explosion today! She was changing his diaper, and while she...

Gabriel Is One Month Old!

I cannot believe, today, Gabriel is one month old! Traditionally, I posted an update on social media, and here it is: Gabriel is one month old today! He weighs 7.1lb, and he is 19.5in long. He spends his days eating, sleeping and riding in a stroller. He spends his nights eating and looking around, with an occasional short nap. Oh well, a new Zachary is here. Today, he officially graduated from...

Gabi's Growth Update

Today marks a week since Gabrie's Bris, so we were able to finally bath him. He wasn't sure how he felt about it, and wasn't too thrilled about me rubbing him with a sponge. But after he was washes and scrubbed, he felt if not pleasure, satisfaction for sure. I could read it on him cute little face. Also, today, we went had his Dr. appointment. Great news yet again! His weight is 3220 grams (more...

Long Island City: Views, Views, Views...

Today, Zachary came down stairs ALMOST all by himself. He didn't go down backwards (the easier way), but the 'adult' way, step by step, one hand holding the railing, the other one holding balance. Perhaps, if both of his hands could reach the railings, he would go down all by himself; but the width of his arms is not yet big enough. That's why towards the end of the stars, he had to hold on to my...

Inside Zachary's Mind

I wonder why Zachary whines. Or, why he starts screaming when there is no apparent reason. I am not talking about times when he is tired, or not feeling well. I am talking about 'incidents' in the middle of the walk, or in the middle of the game. It is easy to suggest that he doesn't like when his plans get interrupted. For example, he decided to push the stroller, here, right now, for a long time....

How Gabriel Grows

I think we figured out when Gabriel is growing! Here, he is laying down, and then, suddenly, he as if gets a chill. Then, he slowly stretches and I think he becomes just a little big bigger! He pretty much can hold his head since birth. This is so strange: He is such a tiny little dude, but he already is so strong. His head is so heavy, leaning left and right... but he lifts it over his head, or...

Children Are Growing!

The day was pleasantly hot and very beautiful. The days like today only happen in Summer: Blue sky, gentle sun, an ocean of greens and crispy fresh wind. My mom and Gabriel went for a walk three times. Today was the second day in his life when he went for a long walk. It seems like he really enjoys this new way of learning about the world (riding in the stroller, that is). He right away falls asleep...