It's been a while since I added photos...

Four generations of Abrahams/Fradis/Levinson/Cepler ladies in Avon:



Belle (3 months) with her first cousin Noah (five months) and second cousin Owen (seven months) at cousin Aron and Sheyl's rehearsal dinner:



A family photo at Hannukah:

Reflux is the enemy of sleep

I vaguely recall what it feels like to be rested.  I enjoyed a taste of this on Thursday after Belle spent Wednesday night in her car seat (ie, upright). She woke up only once between 10pm and 6:20am.  What luck!  Did Craig and I discover the secret to controlling Belle's reflux?  Indeed, one night does not a solution prove. Last night, Belle was up every few hours.  She was uncomfortable in her bassinet with blankets under the bassinet mattress to keep her upper body propped.  She arched her back when I tried to put her in the car seat; she arched so much she nearly arched herself out of the car seat.  I didn't even try the crib in which she would be flat on her back.  Once soothed in my arms, I literally could not put her down for more than a few minutes before she screamed in discomfort.  At my wits end at 3am, I gave Belle two drops of some homeopathic gripe water that claimed to settle infant tummies.  It did little, but I felt better having tried something. So, I spent most of the night in the living room moving from the couch to the rocking chair to just walking or standing with Belle as upright as possible.  I soothed her every so often when a fit of discomfort hit and she squealed and tensed up and cried.  Did I sleep?  I must have, as there are blocks of time that I don't recall.  Did Belle?  When she wasn't screaming, she was snoozing adorably.  The salvation for this sleep-deprived mommy is that when Belle is not screaming, she is smiling and cooing and proving that she is a happy baby plagued by tummy troubles.  But it's not about me and my lack of sleep.  I'm concerned for Belle and her discomfort.  The goal is to avoid the ER during this holiday weekend, and then I will take Belle to the doctor early next week.  I thought we could hold out until our scheduled well visit the first week in January, but it's not fair to Belle to make her scream and arch and cry any longer than she already has. Oh, reflux, you pain-inducer and sleep-stealer...how I loathe thee.

Must be the hat

One of our wonderful cousins from Toronto generously gave Belle an adorable winter hat. It is pink and fuzzy and ties under her chin. Across her forehead, it says "Snug as a Bug" (which happens to be the name of the design of her bedding). Anyway, I put her in this hat, her winter jacket, which is also pink and fuzzy,and bundle her in the stroller sleeping bag-like snuggie when we are out and about on the Upper West Side.
Belle and I were running errands the other day and four different women of varying ages and backgrounds stopped me to tell me how adorable my baby is. It must be the way the Canadian hat frames her tiny face. Or maybe it is that Belle is a cutie pie :)

Ralph Waldo Emerson

"There never was a Child so lovely but his Mother was glad to see him asleep."

I am cry-lingual!

From a Huggies ad: "The tired cry.  The hungry cry.  The diva cry.  Hey, you're cry-lingual!"

"Belle's Mom"

Today Belle and I tried Mommy and Me Yoga.  I was extremely skeptical about the whole experience.  First of all, I am allergic to yoga.  I tried it once with my mother in Farmington, CT and developed a fever within hours of the yoga class.  The fever lasted three days so I deduced that the yoga was responsible for the illness.  That was the last time I did yoga for years...well, until Israel.  As part of my Pardes experience, I participated in an introductory Torah Yoga class.  It was strange and hokey and not my cup of tea, though I was glad I'd tried it (I'll try anything once!).  Friday, Augsut 27, 2010 I tried my first prenatal yoga class.  Within hours, I was in labor and I do not think this was a coincidence: every woman in the prenatal class who was on her second or third pregnancy reported delivery before her due date with her previous pregnancies.  I suspect something about how we moved our bodies during the class actually could have induced labor. Anyway, at Craig's (annoyingly persistent) urging, I bundled Belle on the coldest day of the winter so far and trekked down to 72nd Street to try a Mommy and Me Yoga class.  It seemed crazy, but, as I say, I'll try anything.  Was the class a bit hokey for me with the 'Oooommms' and the funky breathing?  Yes.  Was my daughter happier than I'd ever seen her in her three and a half months of life?  You'd better believe it!  Belle smiled excitedly at the other mommies and at the instructor.  She cooed and squealed with happiness at the songs we sang as part of the class.  She was practically flirting with the other babies in the class (I realized that she really hadn't spent much time with other babies, and boy did she delight in the company of her peers).  Most importantly, Belle smiled and giggled with me when we engaged in the yoga moves together: she really loved the yoga!  When the class was over and I had the choice to pay for the one class or buy an eight-class pass, I didn't really feel that there was any choice to make: Belle loved the Mommy and Me Yoga so much that I felt I owed it to her to commit to seven more classes. At the start of the class, we eight woman introduced ourselves and our babies.  From then on, we adults were referred to as the mommy of our child.  I must admit that, next to seeing Belle in ecstasy, being referred to as "Belle's mom" was a highlight of the class for me. Belle and I will be at Mommy and Me Yoga next Tuesday for sure : )

We're so lucky

We are so lucky that Belle is such a happy baby.  I adore her smiles and I appreciate how easily it is to elicit one.  It's also wonderful that she is such a people person.  She just loves to look and smile at people's faces!  What a joy Belle is.

A well-coiffed baby

After everyone from her great-grandfather to her cousin-in-law made comments about Belle's eccentric pixie hair-do, I finally took a comb to her delicate head.  It's incredible what a stroke of a plastic comb can do: Belle's hair looks sort of tamed! Also, Craig gave me the DVD of Annie right after Belle was born.  Belle and I are nearly finished with our first viewing of it.  I forgot what a great cast the flick has: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083564/

Dad's so cute

Belle fell asleep in the swing this evening so Craig carried Belle, asleep, from the swing to her bassinet.  I don't know which was cuter: sleeping Belle or gentle, doting Daddy carrying Belle to bed.

Bye Bye, Bassinet!

Belle has officially outgrown the bassinet of the stroller (see pictures of her growth here). She is simply too tall. She has moved onto the seat of her stroller. We are so proud that she is growing so well!

Date night

Craig and I enjoyed a top-notch, delicious date night at Le Bernadin on West 51st Street. What a treat to enjoy a quiet night out with each other. What a thrill to be wined and dined and treated like royalty at this top notch restaurant. :)
Thanks to Zinafish for babysitting!

To be sure, I am still married

Perhaps it's the cold weather which causes joints to contract. Or maybe it's the fact that my pregnancy is now three and a half months behind me. Whatever the reason, my wedding bands fits again as of today! When my whole body expanded during the ends of my pregnancy during the hot summer months, I stopped wearing my rings for fear that they would have to be plied from my hand during delivery. About once a week since Belle arrived, I have tried on my rings to no avail: they would not slip past my left ring finger's large knuckle. Well, today, just in time for my big date with my husband, my rings slid on as they used to. Hoorray! Big date with Craig? Yes, Craig is taking me to Le Bernadin for dinner tonight to celebrate Hannukah and, well, one another. I can't wait! Our good friend Rachel will play with Belle while we're out. Oh, and about Belle being a party girl: she was so tuckered out from her big party night last night that she fell asleep on her play mat while playing this morning. Isn't that the equivalent of someone falling asleep at her desk sat work the day after a big night out? It was both hilarious and adorable! She has been resting today to recuperate from the grand socializing.

Party girl

Belle loves parties!  Last night, Craig and I took Belle to our friend Evan's place for a Hannkuah party.  Yes, it was a Tuesday evening.  Yes, she was the only baby there.  Yes, we are crazy parents.  But she was the life of the party so the adventure was a success! She fell asleep on the walk to Evan's apartment and continued sleeping for a few minutes after we arrived at the soiree.  When she woke up, though, she didn't cry or scream or even seem hungry, though we knew she was due to eat and brought a bottle for her.  Instead, she sat up on Craig's lap and smiled at all of the people around her.  When some of Evan's friend's couldn't take just looking at her and asked to hold her, Belle delightfully went from stranger to stranger and just smiled and acted cute.  Belle has been around groups of people all of her life because her parents are people people, so I suppose she is used to funny faces and different voices and such.  I hope she remains a social butterfly as she grows up.

Belle poops

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P7t1q-hQ3U It's funny because as soon as the video starts and I see Belle's face, I know what she's working on.  Too bad I wasn't there to warn Uncle JoJo, as well as Grammy, Grampy, Aunt Carla and Great-Grandma Maxine about the ensuing poop.  Be sure to play the video with audio!

Belle Sings

Enjoy the duet with Dad.

Rock(ing chair) star

Now that Belle is cooing and on the verge of laughing, she makes a great audience for my one-woman singing concerts! I especially enjoy singing to her my version of the Ben Harper version of the John Lennon song "Bountiful Boy." When I sing it, though, it's called "Beautiful Belle." I also enjoy :Something Good" from "The Sound of Music." I also modify the lyrics a bit when I sing it to Belle, but I keep the gist of the song (I am so lucky to have this beautiful love in my life, and what did I do to deserve this wonderfulness). I love singing to her the silly songs that make her smile, like "A Bushel and A Peck" from "Guys and Dolls" and "Surrey with a Fringe on Top" from "Oklahoma." As long as Belle keeps smiling and cooing and nearly laughing while I sing, I'll continue to serenade her. Maybe she'll start singing along soon! My mother used to make up tunes and lyrics when she rocked and sang to my brother and me when we were babies. She referred to her rock(ing) concerts as "Mommy's Greatest Hits." Maybe one day we'll take it on the road: two generations of rock(ing chair) stars.

An Explanation for the Fussiness

Belle is a happy baby, thank goodness.  She smiles and coos and is on the verge of laughing.  But she has these fits of fussiness when she straightens her legs and arches her back and writhes and screams.  Well, those little fits aren't a result of gas bubbles in her tummy or generally crankiness as I'd thought.  I called the pediatrician this week and learned that those symptoms, as well as her burping, hiccuping and spit-up, are the tell-tell signs of reflux.  While I'm happy to have a diagnosis, it's frustrating that I can't do anything buy hold her upright, wipe away her spit-up, and try to soothe her when she has her fits. Poor Belle.  It's unpleasant to see her in discomfort, but it should pass as she grows.

It doesn't get any more 'stay at home mom' than this

I clipped coupons while Belle napped.  Such a cliche...

A morning person...er...baby

Are all babies as happy in the morning as Belle?  I suspect all babies enjoy mornings, as most wake up before I prefer to be awake (especially after late-night feedings).  Anyway, when I hear Belle and go to her bassinet at 6am or 6:30am or whatever early time, she sees my face and smiles as if I had a bright shiny new pacifier for her and coos in joy.  It certainly is a bright, smiley start to my day.  I hope she always like mornings.  I also hope she continues to look at the world with the wonder with which she looks at the world now every time her eyes are open.

Belle in November

Belle turned three months old and she's really enjoying life. She smiles and sings along with Mommy and Daddy. Yesterday was Peter, Paul & Mary night. In November, Belle made her first trips to Jericho and Avon to see her grandparents' houses. She celebrated her first Thanksgiving and Uncle Jeff's and (Great-)Grandpa Leon's birthdays. Belle also was introduced to the arts. She attended the WPHS production of Much Ado About Nothing and an a capella concert and watched Pirates of Penzance with Dad.

Rolling rolling rolling

At seven and a half weeks, Belle rolled from her belly to her back during tummy time, the video of which is available on this blog. At about ten or eleven weeks, she stopped rolling onto her back because tummy often digresses into hand sucking time (she lowers her hand to take a break from the stretching and find her hand, which she immediately puts into her mouth). Play mat time has progressed and she can now touch and sort of play with the toys dangling above her. She has started rolling from her back to her side en route to her belly. She hasn't made it all the way onto her belly yet, but she is doing some great half-rolls. In addition to rolling, she can maneuver her body around such that if I lay her down with her toward toward one end of the play mat, she can rotate herself to have her head at the other end. She is making great use of her play mat and rolling and turning and playing and smiling and cooing. Belle's progress is a joy to watch.

Belle quotes Shakespeare

Between enjoying (a few scenes of) a live performance of "Much Ado About Nothing" and this onesie (a gift from a fellow WPHS English teacher), Belle is nearly a Shakespeare buff at the ripe old age of 3 months :)

Belle's growing, but still small...

While examining 'older' pictures of Belle, Craig and I noticed how her tall she's grown and how long her hair is now. But, she's still a tiny person. One of my fun activities is singing to Belle while we look at each other and ourselves in a mirror. Belle smiles and coos as if to try to sing along. I noticed today that, when we are eye to eye, her whole face fits between my eyes and the bottom of my nose; so cute and tiny.

Belle's growth

Since I am rarely more than five feet away from Belle every second of every minute of every hour of everyday, it is difficult for me to notice growth. Craig pointed out the other day how much space Belle now occupies in the stroller bassinet. The day of her naming, when she was four days old, Belle was swaddled in the bassinet. Then she looked like a gold fish in swimming pool. Now, at a whopping 2 feet tall and three months old, she looks nearly squished in the bassinet! See you yourself:

Belle 9/2/10



Belle 11/28/10:


Belle 11/29/10:

Belle is three months old

Home with Belle all year!

It's official: I extended my maternity leave and will be home with Belle through the summer. Let the good times roll! Update: Belle just pooped to celebrate the good news. She must be so happy to spend 9 more months with me!

The only real full-time job

On the drive back to NYC after Thanksgiving, we saw a great bumper sticker: "Motherhood: the only real full-time job." SO true....so true...

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Tri-Ceps enjoyed Thanksgiving in Avon, Connecticut with Grammy Hilary, Grampy Elcon, Uncle Joe, Aunt Carla, and Gaga (Great-grandma Maxine)! We saw friends, sipped apple cider, giggled and enjoyed spending time with family. Also, we paid our respects to Belle's namesake. It was a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!

What I'm thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving from Avon.

Mommy's afternoon off

Craig made lentil soup from scratch and homemade chili then played with Belle while I enjoyed my first manicure and pedicure in months (since my mother was here during Craig's first week back at work after Belle's arrival).  What a relaxing and indulgent treat!  To come home to a delicious meal and a cuddly baby made the excursion all the more delightful.  Thanks, Craig, for being husband and daddy and chef extraordinaire! :)

The Happy TriCeps

Mommy catches up on sleep

Thanks, Daddy, for letting Mommy sleep a bit!

Sometimes the box is more interesting than its contents

Though in this case the contents are pretty adorable...

Belle contemplates a career in law like her Daddy

A most surprising and generous gift

Craig, Belle and I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of our friends and family in welcoming Belle to the world. So, remember our Korean dry cleaners and how I have become friendly with the Korean couple who run the establishment? Well, our last batch of dry cleaning came back to our building with a gift from the dry cleaners to baby Belle. The card is appropriately written all in Korean wishing Belle health and happiness and an appreciation of Korean culture:)

Two more firsts for Belle

Belle tackled the MTA on Friday! Strapped to Mommy in a baby carrier, she took the 1 train southbound to the crosstown bus and then the 6 train uptown to another crosstown bus. She seemed to enjoy the adventure and spent both rides looking all around at the excitement. It is quite funny that Belle rode an airplane halfway across the US before she rode the New York City subway downtown. It's similarly hilarious that Belle stayed in two hotel rooms in Texas before she spent a night at either of her grandparents' homes. ANYWAY, Belle also attended her first concert today! The JCC has great family-friendly programming ever Shabbat afternoon in the winter. We took her there this afternoon to hear a Stonybrook University coed a capella group sing in the lobby of the JCC. She sat attentively on her daddy's lap and smiled and cooed to the music. She is a real music lover at only twelve weeks old! There are many exciting 'firsts' when you're not quite three months old :)

Belle's first play

Belle and I went to White Plains High School on Thursday, November 18 to see my friend and colleague Doug Cronk direct students in a production of "Much Ado About Nothing." She slept through most of the production's first act and then ate just before intermission. She was awake, alert and an angel during the second act. She watched intently and quietly (and adorably, I might add). Belle's namesake (my grandfather Bill Fradis) would have been delighted that Belle's first theatre experience was a Shakespeare comedy, and he would have been proud by her behavior during the show, as if she was really enjoying the Shakespeare. And since she's my daughter, it was the first of many plays Belle will enjoy. Belle is quite cultured for an eleven-week old!

Eureka

My golly. Her thumb, Belle has found it.

Pictures will be forthcoming.

Mommy Sleeps

This is the article that Seren referenced:

No matter whether moms breast-fed, formula-fed or did a combination of both, they got the same amount of sleep and considered themselves equally exhausted. Score one for the breast-feeding advocates, who hope this study gives women on the fence another reason to commit to breastfeeding, which conveys well-documented health benefits for baby — and mother. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends babies be exclusively breast-fed for six months and continue to receive breast milk for at least a year. (More on Time.com: Breast-Feeding: Not Just for Women?)

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2010/11/08/breast-feed-or-formula-feed-in-terms-of-sleep-its-a-wash/

Will I ever sleep again?

I am sure many new mothers wonder if they will ever sleep again. I began this journey confident that I will, of course, someday sleep again. I mean, I was an infant once and now I am capable of sleeping through the night. However, recently (very recently...last night, in fact), I started to give up hope that Belle will actually ever sleep through the night. She is just over 11 weeks old and her sleeping pattern has grown shorter and not longer this week. She wouldn't fall to sleep until nearly 10pm last night, and then she was hungry at 12:30am. We were up again at 3:30am, 5:15am and 6:30am. Craig read somewhere that new mothers get an average of 7 hours of sleep a night. I have yet to meet, or even hear of, an actual real life mother who sleeps that much. Still, I was content when I was getting 6 hours or so. This waking up 3 times a night is tough and it is making me lose faith that Belle will ever actually sleep more than two hours straight. It has therefore occurred to me may never ever sleep again.

My last sleep (8/30/10) before I returned home with Belle.

Another perspective on "Sorry-Grateful"

Another (less-poetic) way of examining our Sorry-Grateful perspective on kids (the lyrics are to a song from Sondheim's "Company" examining marriage) is this Slate article. In essence, married people are happier than unmarried people, but married people with kids are less happy than kid-less adults. That's right: parents are less happy than kid-free couples. Kids cause stress and sleep deprivation. Kids costs money and strain relationships. Kids requires sacrifices and are a 24/7/365 responsibility.
So why do we have kids? Because we're suckers for the cuter, gentler moments, like this:

Yup, that's basically what it comes down to: we're suckers.

"Mothers are all slightly insane"

I first read J. D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye when I was a freshman in high school. Holden notes that "mothers are all slightly insane." I totally get it. It's not that all women are insane, or even that all women who choose to experience the roller-coaster of pregnancy and the trauma of labor and delivery are insane. Rather motherhood tugs at a woman's sanity. I can't remember the last time I slept through the night. Between runs to the bathroom during pregnancy and late-night/early-morning feedings, it feels like the last time I slept more than three hours straight was years ago. And the things I say and do to get my cutie-pie Belle to smile sound sort of nuts, and certainly would be cause to have me committed if taken out of context. For instance, Belle was being a tad fussy and it was time for our walk anyway, so I bounced her around while I prepared us both to go outside and sang, "We're going to take a walkity-walk. Yes, we're going to take a walkity-walk. Oh, we're going to take a walkity-walk. A walkity-what? A walkity walk!" So, yes, I agree that "mothers are all slightly insane" and I totally admit to my insanity being a bit more than than slight...

A face only a mother can love? I don't think so!

Is Belle the most beautiful baby girl in the universe? Of course! But I'll admit to being a tad biased being that I am her mother. But does she have a face only her mother can appreciate? Nope! We proved that last week. Belle and I were running errands when Belle got a tad fussy. I picked her up and was walking home holding her in one arm and pushing the empty stroller with my other hand. Not one but TWO women of different ages stopped me to tell me what a beautiful daughter I have. One was impressed by how alert she looked, holding her head up well and looking around at the world as we walked down West 86th Street. Another commented on how her face was not a baby face and how she appeared more mature than the average two-month-old. I am very proud of (and enamored by) our beautiful Belle : )

Sleeping

It's happening.  Belle is developing a sleep pattern.  When we put her down between 6-8pm, she'll stay mostly sleeping until long after we go to sleep.  This has happened for the past week or so.  Hopefully, it'll segue into one wake up per night and then sleeping through the night.  We're also learning that when Belle's sleeping, let her sleep.  Don't pick her up or mess with her.  It's good for us to have this pattern.

While she has yet to outgrow her bassinet, she is getting to the point where she sleeps with her arms out such that she's touching both sides.  She's not necessarily at the stage where we have to put in the crib, but she's getting there.  Now, we just have to find a time to give the bassinet back to cousin Diana.

A Sucky Battle

Babies have a natural sucking reflex; it's how they calm themselves down.  Only a few minutes after Belle was born, she had her fingers in her mouth: adorable.  However, we're happier when Belle pacifies herself with, well, a pacifier. A pacifier can be temporary because a pacifier can be taken away. My parents tell me that my older brother enjoyed his "babba" until they told him that big boys don't need babbas. With that, the pacifier was gone from baby JoJo's life. I found my fingers early...and often: I sucked my fingers through elementary school. Still, Belle tries to put her fist in her mouth and we worry that it is only a matter of time before she opens that fist and finds her fingers. In the meantime, every time she goes to suck on something, her parents aim to be there to offer her a pacifier. This battle sucks...

Another good line from Prime Time

"Letting morality get in the way of making money...I may as well go and be a teacher."
From the November 11 episode of "30 Rock"

Great quote from "Glee"

"All of us are scarred by high school. Next to our parents, nothing screws a person up more. And people like us, we're stupid enough to come back here and relive that pain everyday."
From the November 10, 2010 episode of "Glee"

Aunt Julie Comes Over

Aunt Julie made a quick visit. She gets to be on the blog. I hope
she made it to her book club.

The Hunt for the Thumb

We've been using a pacifier since Belle was 10 days old. She was cranky, and we thought the pacifier would help. It did and has worked wonders for the last two months. The pacifier sometimes falls out. Most of the time, this is when Belle laughs or cries or simply when she falls asleep. When it happens, she starts trying to put her whole hand in to replace the pacifier. She's getting her hand to her mouth, but she has yet to figure out that her hand is too big for her mouth. We know soon though she's going to figure that her thumb fits into her mouth and that it's good for sucking. We have to stop that. The battle for sucking supremacy is being waged and we want the pacifier to win.

Belle's morning smile= the BEST start to the day

I heard Belle in the bassinet awake and itching to move. I walked over to her and peered in to see Belle. When she caught my eye, she smiled up at me recognizing that Mommy was there. Belle's smiles light up my world.

Belle - Month 2

Click here to view these pictures larger

Belle visits Austin, Texas

Belle's first night sleeping outside our home was on October 28 when we visited Austin, Texas (congrats to Jason and Brandy Schall on their marriage!). Belle was a champ in the flight to and from Austin (thank you, Jet Blue, for giving her a seat!).


We celebrated her second month milestone in Austin (the photo in which she is "holding" her sign was taken in front of the famous University of Texas clock tower).

While waiting for the bats to emerge from beneath the Congress Avenue Bridge, we took a family photo.

It was a wonderful weekend in Texas and Belle proved to be an expert traveler.

Belle's two-month check up

Belle had a pediatrician appointment today. She is in great health and is growing well! Belle is in the ninetieth (90) percentile in height and forty-eighth (48) percentile in weight. In other words, she is long and lean, just like her namesake (and not like either of her parents).
Belle smiled for the doctor on the examination table and even handled her vaccinations like a champ. We are so proud of our growing baby Belle Shoshanna!

hand-knit goodies

Belle is so lucky to have such talented admirers.
The top picture if of Belle in a warm sweater knit by our Australian friend Ros Rogers.
The one below it is Belle in her purple hat knit by Becky Cooke.
Thank you for sharing your talents with our daughter!

Belle and Great-Grandma Ann

A real Halloween treat!

Belle and her play mat: an evolution

Belle received a wonderful gift of a play mat when she was just a few weeks old. We immediately put her on it on her back to 'play.' Well, tiny baby Belle didn't do much playing. She mostly lay there as if she were in her bassinet. Then we started doing 'tummy time' on the play mat. It's been a joy watching her muscles strengthen and grow. Now, at two months old, she is able to hold herself up and even roll over from her belly to her back! Once on her back on the play mat, she has started to actually PLAY! What a pleasure to listen to her babel while she admires herself in the little mirror, and nothing is so wonderful as listening to Belle squeal as she wiggles her arms and legs while lying on the mat. We can't wait for her to begin acknowledging and playing with the stuffed animals dangling above her while she lies on the mat.
Belle has definitely grown from a newborn to a baby. A cuddly, smiley, babbling baby with a mommy and daddy who are madly in love with her.

Happy two month birthday

Just celebrating two months Austin-style. Time to check out the university.

Good morning from Austin

Belle and I are watching the sunrise and mom is sleeping a little more. Today, we plan on seeing downtown. Yesterday, we saw wildflowers.

Another Austin shot

Enjoy.

1.21 Gigawatts!!

Or Great Scott!! We don't know where the curly hair came from. It was right after bath time.

And no, that is not a toupee.

Belle Rolls Over

Seren has been telling me for a few days that Belle has been rolling over during tummy time, from front to back. By the time I get home from work, Belle is much too tired for tummy time and for rolling over. But tonight, with Kylie and Sam visiting, Belle put on a rolling show.

Enjoy.

Belle's Sukkot

The Jewish holiday of Sukkot started last Wednesday night. One of the practices of this holiday is to "dwell" in the sukkah, which includes eating in it. At night, the weather can be too cold for a newborn baby, but during the day, especially this past week, the weather was perfect for dining in the sukkah. Further, Belle is nice and quiet during the day and much more predictable during the day rather than at night. Therefore, we had lunch Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the sukkah. The first three days there was a synagogue-catered lunch and a couple of tables set aside for bring-your-own lunch. Today (Sunday), there was a birthday party taking place in the sukkah, as well as the same tables set up for the community to come in. There were a few couples who were in the sukkah each day as we were and we soon became friendly. They were impressed that we brought Belle to the sukkah. They reminisced about their kids in NYC. Rabbi Levine, who presided over Belle's naming, came over to say hi and his wife (the Rebbitzin) and Seren discussed motherhood. It was nice for all.

Belle put her best foot forward for the community by never fussing in the sukkah. She really enjoyed herself and impressed our fellow diners. In fact, here are some pictures that we took on Sunday in our return visit.

Sorry- Grateful

Seren and I have enjoyed the lyrics to the song "Sorry-Grateful" from Company by Stephen Sondheim. Now that we have a daughter it has taken on a whole new meaning.

You're always sorry
You're always grateful
You're always wondering what might have been
Then she walks in

And still you're sorry
And still you're grateful
And still you wonder
And still you doubt
And she goes out

Everything's different
Nothing's changed
Only maybe slightly rearranged

You're sorry-grateful
Regretful-happy
Why look for answers
Where none occur?

You always are
What you always were
Which has nothing to do with
All to do with her

You're always sorry
You're always grateful
You hold her thinking
I'm not alone
You're still alone

You don't live for her
You do live with her
You're scared she's starting
To drift away
And scared she'll stay

Good things get better
Bad get worse
Wait, I think I meant that in reverse

You're sorry-grateful
Regretful-happy
Why look for answers
Where none occur
You'll always be
What you always were
Which has nothing to do with
All to do with her

Nothing to do with
All to do with her

Do babies get any cuter?

After a bath...

Seren's Strategy

It has failed. Seren has gotten poo'ed on frequently. I stand by my strategy - I open up the diaper and cover for 10 seconds. Then I proceed. It's worked. Seren's rushing strategy ends with poo on her hands.

Seren's Strategy

"The key is to move quickly because then you don't get shat on." I give her 2 days before it happens.

Respecting the Superman

My friends had warned me of projectile poo. But I have a little angel. She sleeps; she eats; she pees; she's quiet. Her biggest concern is whether her feet are covered. But yesterday, she picked a fight with me.

Belle and I were getting ready for a walk to let Mom sleep for a little. She was all set in her stroller when I heard her poo. Ok, I'm a solid Dad, I brought her onto the changing pad and got ready. I opened the diaper and examined to see if it was sufficiently "scrambled eggs." "Seren, take a look" and phlotz... She pooed. On me. On my clothes. On my Superman t-shirt. She did not respect the Superman. She should have. I still love her. How can I be upset at someone so beautiful and innocent? She broke my trust. I'll be on guard again. But it's going to be tough getting back on that bicycle of changing poo diapers. But again, look at this face.



Today, she again challenged me. I changed her diaper and decided that she would be comfortable laying on her stomach. So I put her on her stomach on my lap as I watched tv. I felt my legs get warm, but I figured it was her body heat on my body. When I stood up, I had a wet spot on my shorts. I'll learn soon.

CepStar Has A Name

This morning we named our beautiful daughter.  Her name is Belle Shoshanna Cepler (her Hebrew name, Shaina Shoshanna).  She was named after Seren's grandfather, William (Bill) Fradis who passed away in 2003.

Belle can't wait to meet all of her family and friends. 

Love,
Seren, Craig & Belle

On Mon, Aug 30, 2010 at 1:55 AM, Craig Cepler <XXXXXXXX@gmail.com> wrote:

We are very ecstatic and joyful to announce the birth of a beautiful baby girl Cepler on August 29, 2010 at 11:28 pm.  She's a gorgeous little lady who weighed in at 7 lbs, 4 oz.  Height is not yet determined.  Mom and baby are doing absolutely perfectly.  They have a beaming father/husband.  Mom absolutely dominated labor. 

Information about a name will come later.  In the meantime, we're all going to recover.

Love,
Seren, Craig & Baby Girl Cepler

A CepStar is Born

We are very ecstatic and joyful to announce the birth of a beautiful baby girl Cepler on August 29, 2010 at 11:28 pm.  She's a gorgeous little lady who weighed in at 7 lbs, 4 oz.  Height is not yet determined.  Mom and baby are doing absolutely perfectly.  They have a beaming father/husband.  Mom absolutely dominated labor. 

Information about a name will come later.  In the meantime, we're all going to recover.

Love,
Seren, Craig & Baby Girl Cepler

The Best 30th Birthday EVER!

Well, I've reached a milestone- I turned the big 3-0 on Friday, April 9, 2010. Thanks to my wonderful husband, my birthday celebration extended about five days.

It really began on Thursday, April 8 when my parents came to town en route to Asia. They were to fly from JFK to Hong Kong early Friday, so they slept over in our apartment on our incredibly comfortable Aerobed on Thursday night. What a treat to have my parents hand-deliver my father's home-made birthday card!

My actual bday was a rainy but fun day. At school, I helped chaperone a chorus trip, and my colleague invited the chorus to sing happy birthday to me. It was the most beautiful rendition of the tune I'd ever heard, harmonies and all! Those high school singers are talented :) Thanks to Facebook, and the fact that I'm 'friends' with many of my colleagues on Facebook, a number of teachers knew it was a my special day and wished me a happy birthday in the hallways. A few students overheard and so my two afternoon classes sang to me at the start of class. It was very cute. Play rehearsal was just fine, and then Craig and I went home and I opened my birthday cards from my in-laws and from my grandma and checked my voicemail and my Facebook page. How well-loved I felt listening to and reading kind birthday messages from friends near and far! For dinner, Craig made the most delicious baked ziti with whole wheat pasta- I mean, this was one delicious dish! Dessert? An ice cream pie he had made with two of my favorite ice cream flavors (with crunched Oreos between the layers of ice cream).

It was a lovely 30th birthday, and the celebrating continued...

Saturday night, Craig took me out for a surprise birthday dinner. He told me that he'd be wearing a suit and that I should dress accordingly (this proved a bit of a challenge with my new shape, but I found a nice ensemble). I didn't know where we'd be dining that night until we walked into the Four Seasons Hotel on 57th Street: Craig surprised me with dinner at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, a gorgeous French restaurant. Not only was the food magnificent (as attractive on the plate as it was delicious to the taste), but it was such a treat to be treated to such impeccable service. We knew were were someplace special when we overhead a gentleman at a table nearby announce to his dining guests that was the newest and youngest member of the Board of Trustees of the Rhodes Scholarship Foundation (or something like that). The birthday dinner was truly a special treat!

Sunday, April 11, after celebrating our friend's engagement at a low-key party nearby, we invited friends over for ice cream sundaes! How fun to celebrate my birthday with yummy sundaes and good friends :) But wait, there's more... Craig further surprised me (sort of) with tickets to see Ben Folds in concert at NYC's Town Hall on Tuesday, April 13. What an incredibly talented performer Folds is!

And did I mention the beautiful blue Sapphire necklace Craig bought me for my birthday? I wore it all weekend- I'm wearing it now as I write about the fun birthday I celebrated with my wonderful, loving, generous husband.

30 sure is off to a pretty fantastic start!

The Next Step

The blog has been down, but now it's coming back to life because WE'RE HAVING A BABY!!  Due September 4.  Maybe we'll be good about updating the blog.  I hope.

Love,
Craig