So THAT'S why we've been so busy

I was sent this article today and now I know why the past 9 months have felt like the most glorious and frenzied of my life.
And why I've made almost so few personal calls.

If you don't have microvision, you can read it here.
The two photos below are what Yarden looks like eating a piece of cake. And what she looks like getting caught eating a piece of cake. * Thanks to Linday Kugler for the beautiful images.

And here are a few other images that I've been dying to post.
They were taken by a professional photographer who we met at a party.
The photographer creeped Seamus out, but I liked the idea of taking Yarden to a photo shoot in a studio.
The photos weird us both out.

Yarden's Tupac Tribute.

I actually like this one. Yarden looks like she's in space throwing gang signs.

Yarden at Nine Months

Here's some things I want to remember later:
1) This week Dr. Shaheedy said that you are almost 20 lbs., 28 inches, and you have an ear infection.
2) You have 7 teeth so far. I turn up the radio when you grind them.
3) I cried during the movie "27 Dresses" because I realized someday you will love someone more than you love me right now.
4) My heart melts every time you tuck your chin in and smile at me. It is so hard to leave you at daycare every day.
5) I may have had the best night of my life this past Sunday night: You fell asleep in my arms, we watched the Oscars, and your mother and I drank a bottle of Coppola Claret 2005.
6) That's a Cheerio on your lip in the picture above. Right now the only time you don't scream when I, your mother, or Oso leave the room is when you have a small mountain of Cheerios in front of you in your Ikea high-chair. This also makes Oso happy: he gets about 50% of the mountain.
7) I cried when Dustin Lance Black won the WGA Best Screenplay award for "Milk." You deserve to live in a better world; I will do what I can.

Photo Shoot With Mommy

Is someone having a party without me?

Sunday afternoon Yarden and I had a couple of hours alone with a gorgeous sunset and a dress she's about to outgrow, so we had an impromptu photo shoot. The Martinez family was having a party next door and Yarden was distracted by the Spanish karaoke and the irresistible draw of the crowd, but we still got some great shots before she crawled up onto my lap and made me take her next door for roast pork, fried Yucca and lots of attention.

The full shoot can be viewed at: http://aliyahandseamus.smugmug.com/gallery/7156371_FBYnN/1/459229628_YyYGF

If I'm good - will you take me to the party?

Oooh - dirt!

What's that I hear?
Mommy - we are done! Carry me to that party!

Grandparents In Residence - An entry by Grammy as dictated by Yarden

Less than a week after the Laks/Silversteins vacate the “storage shed” (as the guest accommodations have come to be named) on Sycamore, the Hurleys arrive for 10 days of fun in the sun. We did lots of fun things with The Girl, most of which are captured in the photos below, with her comments.
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The Skirball Museum (skirball.org) in Pasadena has an enormous hands-on Noah's Ark exhibit with animals made from recycled materials. I made friends with the gorillas,
and then sat down to listen to a story by one of the docents.
I know you think I’m too young but look how attentive I am. We stopped for lunch and I slurped up some udon noodles.
No chopsticks necessary.
We visited part of the Hurley clan in Laguna Beach, Da's cousins Brian and David, and Brian's lovely wife Candace.
We had a snack at their house before a late lunch at a great restaurant overlooking the ocean. They knew I liked fruit so Grammy said I could help myself.
And their dog thought I was cute. On the night before my mom (and dad) had to go back to work, we had a belated gift exchange.

Grammy gave me this bunny and everyone told me I could play with it when I was 21. "21 what?" I asked. "Months? Surely you can't mean years!"
It's made from a mink stole that belonged to Grammy's mother.
It even has her initials on the bunny's bow - EMH (Elizabeth M. Hanley).
Dad asked what the M stood for, and since it was Margaret, we decided to name her Margaret Bunny. Most mornings I go out to the “storage shed” and hang out with Grammy & Da for a while.

(I do the same thing when Bubbe and Grandpa are here. Do they live together? Do they all sleep in the same bed?)
We bounce around and this time they gave me an empty box to play with.
It tried to swallow me.

One day Gram and Da took me to the Farmer's Market.
We had lunch at a French restaurant. I was still hungry when I got home, so Grammy gave me a banana.
Sometimes they put me in my play corral, but I get bored and try to sneak out to where the real action is.

And Da is so nice - he takes me for walks in my stroller.
I know he's trying to get me to nap, and it usually works.

Mom had to work for the WHOLE day and night (I think she's going to be doing that a lot), so Grammy decided to dress me in pink (not Mom's favorite color on me) while Mom wasn't around. I really wish Mom would reconsider - look how cute I am!
And speaking of wardrobe, Mom arranged for me to pose in a photo shoot for a kid's catalog. Me and some other kids (kinda cute, especially that little hunk Luciano) were all modeling clothes for kickypants.com, and boy did I have to work my butt off! They dressed me in this sleeper - cute enough, but get this - size 0-3 months! Something about wanting the stretchy fabric to appear smooth on camera. Grammy kept muttering something about stuffing a sausage while she was dressing me. And they even put the mittens over my hands - how babyish! But I sucked it up and smiled - even shared the camera with a few of the other kids. I think you'll be able to see it all on the kickypants website - Mom will let you know.

On Saturdays I have swimming lessons and the YMCA. We splash and blow bubbles and kick kick kick. Grammy got in the water with me, and I know Bubbe and Grandpa were here too. Do they all share the swimming pool too? My favorite thing is to "body board" on Mom's body.



On Sundays a bunch of friends come over to my house and we do "Outside the Box" (OTB), a very creative one hour playgroup.Last week we played with beads, lots and lots of beads.
I won.
And Mom took me to an extra OTB session so Grammy could see first hand how well I can finger paint.
Someone else wrote my name for me.
One morning Da and Grammy took me to UCLA's Museum of Natural History.
They have a Discovery Center full of all kinds of stuff (stuffed stuff, actually).
Some real stuff too, like this king snake that this guy was playing with. Yuk!
Mom and Dad tell me that Uncle Liam played drums here last year at a Josh Ritter gig.
Go, Liam!

On the last weekend Da and Grammy were here, we had a few friends over for dinner. (I even shared my toys with James and Jocelyn).

And Mom and Dad went on a date night while Da and Gram took care of me.
I know this seems to be all about me, but then again, it is.

Fingerpainting

Today we got MESSY.

Very few words are necessary.

Contemplating the blank canvas.

Carefully selecting colors.

The view from above.

Do you think anyone will notice if I eat this paper?

Busted.

Yarden's friend Lennon looking way too cute.

More photos of the event are here.