New Year, Old Recipe

New Years Eve? Maybe even our baby brother's birthday (maybe not?)... but let's celebrate with Mama Zoya's Daddy-ized celebratory blintz'. Yum! Mama had every intention of taking a picture of the actual blintz, but they were so tasty, there was no time...

Chef-in-training Alexander, of course, assisted Daddy... when not showing off Big Liam's hand-me-down wardrobe & special rocks. Production was also paused, briefly when the boy busted out a dream he had about his baby brother last night. Cuteness!

And after we ate the last blintz, it was time for kisses & games on daddy's phone... oh, daddy's phone...

And more rocks...

Here we go Burghday, here we go!

OK, it's a little late, but Alexander finally got a proper birthday cake last weekend (during the Steelers half time show, of course).


Unfortunately, Papa was stuck in Wild & Wonderful West Virginia and missed the cake, ice cream & Sarah's show...


It's difficult to see the progress we made prepping Jenn's house for "the market," but believe me, it looks good!


My house, on the otherhand, regressed!

Tympanostomy Tube Time

Well, our Little Ear Infection has seen his last fevered, fluid-filled infection; Dr. Jeremy Tiu did a little nip/tuck, and five minutes later, the boy was healed!

The pre-game wasn't so bad. The babe looked cute in his little polyester gown. He wasn't too upset about the lack of breakfast, but he was begging for his "cup" very early in our OR wait.

Luckily, the cage-like bed kept him busy in his panda gown for a little bit. And then the nurses turned cartoons on for the little guy!

Grandma & Aunt Jenn sent a box of goodies, including a box of crayons & newsprint.... and a toy hoopdie truck that plays loud rap music. Shortly after we arrived on the OR floor, an orderly walked by & told the little guy that he had a truck in the back, just like Alexanders, and that he liked to run it up & down the halls, just like our boy.

Shortly before 8am, Mandy came in & gave the kiddo some Valium. Interesting. About 10 minutes later, the boy could barely keep his mouth closed or his head up.

While good & high on the bubble gum flavored medicine, the boy started saying "cat, cat," & pointing at a frail looking, white-headed lady laying in a bed nearby. As loopy as the kiddo may have been, she really did look like a cat!

Unfortunately, we were made to wait in the out patient waiting room, miles away from our boy. We saw the doctor walking down the hall shortly after Papa made himself a cup of coffee; all went well & he said the nurses would come for us shortly...

Because the boy was so friendly early-on, I suspect, the nurses didn't think it so important to get us back to the boy's bedside before he woke... so they didn't. When they finally called for us, it was too late. The boy was awake (barely) & not happy. Screaming mad, actually.

By the time we got there, he was inconsolable. He was kicking me away, but he wanted held. Papa got him some water, which he wanted, but threw across the room. Everyone in the very long recovery room was staring at us. It was awful. There was nothing we could do to calm him.

About an hour of screaming finally wore the kid out & he passed out. Then, they let us go.

Our big guy was clingy, but easily amused most of the morning. He finished most of the cookies that Aunt Jenn sent to Maia. Yum.

And Ms. Amber & baby Ella (with some of Ms. Tammy's special Pesto) made us a delicious pasta for dinner. Double yum. I've never seen the boy eat so much. After dinner I had to make him a second plate to satisfy his demand for another, "bite, bite."

Shortly after we arrived home, the babe demanded a "bubble." I felt so bad when I saw all the marks left on his poor little chest!

And now, every one's sleeping soundly. Thank God for the easy outcome, and thank God for all of the wonderful prayers that so many of our friends & family sent up for us this week! XOXO.

New York, New York

Alexander's first day showing the Goodneighbors & the Ronnies around New York, New York was X-iting!

After snoozing 1.13 miles over the Brooklyn'd Bridge, the little guy was ready for some excitement. And how we ended up in a graveyard during the "time for excitement," I am not sure... Well, the dead need some excitement too... right?

The 18th Century Saint Paul's Chapel, across from the World Trade Center work site was our first stop. The chapel, which welcomed so many post-9/11, was an interesting place to begin the boy's history lesson. Rather than revere the site, the little guy joyfully played between the headstones. Giggled & explored. That was much more pleasant than our first visit...

In search of a better view of the work site, Brad led us into the fantabulous World Financial Center Building.

The Ronnie's loved the Godiva Chocolate store best... but the little man, he fell in love with the escalator!

Next stop, Little Italy... OK, way of the financial district...

We were SO hungry, and when Papa suggested lunch in Little Italy, Mama got a little confused, ie. annoyed. I had no idea Little Italy was right there in the mix with Chinatown. So 4 train stops later & we found ourselves at Sal's, right on the edge of Little Italy.

The babe still wasn't in the mood for chill, so his spent the meal refusing to enjoy a slice of Sal's Little Italy, but enjoying his water & milk (and his mess) completely!

We also enjoyed the heavy traffic(??) and crazy limos...

After our late lunch, the Ronnie's split to explore a little more of Italy, while Papa took the Goodneighbor's uptown for a little American Girl/FAO via Grand Central.

I will not mention the craziness that was American Girl. Just know that I will have my eye out for any and all American Girl (cha-ching) crap I can find at yard sales from now on!

We arrived at FAO Swartz about 10 minutes before closing, and just in time for the last "Big Piano" show. Good times.

Did I mention my aching feet? Well, my aching feet!

But we couldn't pass up the opportunity, so we hoofed up past Trump Tower, through Central Park, and then on to Times Square.

As you could imagine, the little poopsic can't sleep in a nice, quiet, dark bed in the apartment, but the bright lights and taxi horns that are Times Square on a holiday weekend, now that makes for some good Zzzzz's.

Seriously, the boy slept the whole way back to Booklyn'd. But that was where he drew the line...

(Im not sure what picture, but I just deleted one here... stupid Blogger editing...)

Alexander slept the whole way back to Brighton Beach. And what, you might ask, happened when we got back to BB? Well, Mama and her trash digging ways turned up a fantabulous Graco Stroller, barely used, in our Pack-in-play fabric. In the trash.

Turns out, according to Uncle Afanasi, that when I spotted the stroller, there were 3 Russian Girls scoping it out. When they say us, they backed away... they didn't want to look... like... trash diggers... And when I scooped it up, Uncle Afanasi told them, something along the lines of, "Crazy Russians..." But I'm too tired to verify sources...