Hercules in New York

Daddy always travels.

He goes to interesting-sounding places like Houston, TX, Boston, MA, RockSprings, WY, Dickenson, ND, Washington D.C., Denver, CO, and New York, NY. Every time he leaves, he tells me how much he is going to miss me…so, I always tell him to just take me along!

I want to see these far-off places. Remember, I got such cabin fever in the womb that I forced my way into in the world 3 months ahead of schedule…I am not one for hanging out at home.

Every time he leaves, I tell daddy to take me along, and every time he smiles and says, “I promise that I will take you everywhere.”  Then he leaves without me….

Last week was no different; Daddy left on Tuesday to give a lecture at some place called Harvard.  As a result, Tuesday and Wednesday were pretty typical. I spent the days playing with toys, hanging out with my nanny Heather, and loving Mama when she got home from work….but Thursday was different.

Mama got home from work at the normal time, but instead of playing with me as usual, she loaded me and bunch of stuff in her car. Then, she told me that we were on our way to New York City to see Daddy!

I pride myself on keeping my cool; Daddy always says that every hand’s a winner and every hand’s looser. But, this news was just too exciting for even me to play it cool…I was going to the Big Apple!

We got to San Francisco Airport at about 8:00 pm for our “Red-eye” flight. Not surprisingly, Mama had planned ahead; she had all my stuff and her stuff packed in just one suitcase! And, she expertly took me through security. When the TSA agents questioned me, I told them who I was…they didn’t seem impressed, which is bizarre – don’t you think?

My first time on an airplane was awesome!

We were in economy class – which Mama calls “cattle car.” I don’t quite understand why she calls it that because I only saw humans in the cabin. But, I sure enjoyed riding like the cattle that Mama thought would be there. I got to curl up in Mama’s lab for 5 straight hours!!!! It was awesome. I did not cry at all; I was too happy!

When we arrived in the Big Apple, Mama showed me how it’s done. She got our luggage, hailed a cab, and even fed me in the back seat of the taxi as we drove from JFK to the hotel that Daddy was staying at. When we got the hotel, the hotel staff rolled out the red carpet…they knew who I was.

We rested in the room at bit, and in the afternoon, we went out into the city to find Daddy. 

It turns out that Daddy had spent that day at a conference put on by Reservoir Capital, one of his investors. Mama and I met Daddy at the conference’s cocktail reception at the Pierre Hotel, which is very fancy. All the important looking people were drinking important looking drinks and talking about important sounding things, but I when I got there, I stole the show! The people love me…they really love me!

I got to meet Nora and Brian and Greg and Craig and Jenna and Eric and Dan and on and on! The Reservoir Capital people were very nice, and they showered me with well-deserved, but very sweet, compliments!

After the reception, things got especially interesting.

Mama, Daddy, and I went out to dinner with Brian and Eric from Reservoir Capital. Brian & Eric brought their significant others, Kat & Alex, respectively. The seven of us went to an uber-fancy restaurant called Wallse. That restaurant had 2 Michelin stars, which brought my lifetime total of unique Michelin stars to 5…I am hoping to keep my ratio of unique Michelin stars to adjusted months of life at 1.

The dinner at Wallse was extraordinary. I had my standard milk, but the adults had the 6 course “chef’s tasting menu.” Judging by the hyperbolic expressions of glee, I think the adults got the better meal that night. They also drank copious amount of not inexpensive wine…Daddy sure does have some cool investors!

The group ate, drank, and talked until well past 2 AM! And I loved it all. Sure I slept in my stroller next the table most of the whole night, but just being with Mama and Daddy out late was special. It was neat to wake up temporarily and hear the joy in their voices. They had a rough year last year; so it makes me very happy to see them happy.

After a long and worthwhile rest, we woke up to a beautiful day in NYC. We met Serena Wong, Mama’s dear friend from medical school for lunch,// and then we went the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see the special exhibit on the Stein family and their art collection. The exhibit was very well done; it reminded me that Matisse and Cezanne are, while impressive, quite derivative. That is a too say there is a near continuous path from Delacroix, Manet, and Pissarro to Cezanne, and, similarly, there is an obvious evolution from Russel, Gauguin, and Signac to Matisse….the two really were followers. 

But, Picasso is something else. No other figure in art changed its trajectory more dramatically than Picasso. And as such, I have limited time for the others.

After the MET, we went back to our hotel where, to my delight Gran Twiga (aka my Grandmother), was waiting for us! Could this weekend get any better?

That night Mama and Daddy went out to another fancy restaurant, while I got to hang out Eloise-style in a stylish Manhattan hotel. Gran Twiga ate room service while I drank my milk, and for the rest of the night, we sat on the couch looking out the window on marvelous Manhattan. As we looked at the lights, she explained New York’s importance…everything from the price of copper to the latest fashion is decided daily on that small island…I am going to lobby Mama and Daddy for a weekend place there.

Meanwhile, Mama and Daddy enjoyed a night on the town. They went to Jean Georges, a 3 Michelin star restaurant, with their friend Serena, and from what I understand, the night was magical. They had four courses of modern French cuisine paired with perfectly selected wine….my parents are a bit absurd at times.

On Sunday, the weather in NYC was even better! We walked up and down 5^th avenue so that Mama could gaze in all the windows….she sure likes some guy named Harry Winston.  When we got to midtown, we all went to the top of Rockefeller Center. It was a perfect day to gaze around at the greater New York area. Daddy pointed out the 5 boroughs, and he showed me 3 different states!

Back on ground level, we continued our stroll along the avenue, when my eyes popped! There was a statue of Atlas holding up the world; that is very personal to me because, as you all know, my 9^th labor involves temporarily holding up the world for Atlas. I had to have a photo of me with this statue!

As day turned to dusk, we headed back to our hotel where Gran Twiga and I were going to have another fun night of play in the hotel, while Mama and Daddy went to the Broadway musical called “The Book of Mormon.” Mama and Daddy had another marvelous night on the town. They saw the performance with Serena, and afterward they ate a late night sushi dinner with Mark and Jess. Mark and Jess are two of Daddy and Mama’s dearest friends, and they live in NYC. It was very special for them to be able to spend time with Mark and Jess who are doing remarkably well in their professions.

When they got back to the hotel room, Mama and Daddy were effusive about the musical. Indeed, Daddy said that it is the best stage performance that he has ever seen by a large margin, and Mama kept singing this sultry sounding song called “Baptize me.” Even as we went to bed, I could hear Mama sing,

Never known a boy to be gentle,
One like him is hard to find.
A special kind.
Who makes my heart kind of flutter,
Like a moth in a cocoon.
I hope he gets to baptizing me soon!

Monday turned out to be our last day in the Big City. We all stopped by Daddy’s investor’s office to say hi, and then we headed to the airport.

The flight left on time, but unlike the flight to New York, we were not in what Mama calls “Cattle Car.” We were in “Business Class,” and boy what a difference! Apparently all that traveling that Daddy does pays off in the form of Elite Status at United Airlines….and with this Elite Status comes the keys to the kingdom. The three of us got upgraded at no charge, and enjoyed big comfy seats all the way to the City by the Bay.

On our flight home, I had a lot of time to reflect. New York is a great city. It is a place where people from all over the world gather to do business, to discuss world affairs, to play, and to be entertained. It is a special place. But, more than that, this trip taught me that the whole world is there for me; it is in my grasp. Living in Napa, CA, does not make me a citizen of Napa; I am a citizen of the world, and I plan to never stop exploring my vast home.

Peace at Last!

This week was momentous in many ways.

First, I got to spend a whole 10 days with my Gran.  She is pretty cool and tells me that she's going to take me to Africa soon.  I see all the giraffes "Twigas" in my room, but she assures me that the real-life twigas are even bigger...even taller than Daddy!  I find that hard to believe, but that's pretty cool if true.  Gran played a lot with me and helped Mama and Daddy so they got TWO date nights in this week.

Mama, Gran & Me in my collared dress shirt

Daddy, Gran & me

Gran Twiga and me riding my stuffed twiga

We all went for a hike to Skyline Park in Napa, and I got to ride in my Bob Revolution jogging stroller for the first time.  We had been waiting to use it until my head strength was good enough to hold my big strong brain up with the bumping over gravel.  Today was the big day!  Daddy was so excited to be able to take me out with him.  I had to be extra bundled up because it was 34 degrees out this morning...not ideal weather for your first jogging experience, but I'm a tough kid...I'm Hercules, after all!  So, with my hat, coat, and blankets, I set out with Daddy up to the peak of the hills overlooking Napa Valley. Mama and Gran took a nice walk and we met up with them a few times.

Gran, Daddy & me on my first jog

Check out Daddy's "invisible shoes".  Mama says he's crazy for jogging in them, and I tend to agree!

All bundled up for my jog.  I loved every minute of it!

                                       I careened down the mountain....Hercules is fearless!

As if those things weren't big enough, I also got to move into my very own room about a week ago.  I have been sleeping in Mama and Daddy's room in a bassinet since I came home from the hospital.  This made sense for a lot of reasons.  First, I needed to eat a lot in the middle of the night.  Second, my nursery is on the second floor, but Mama and Daddy's room is on the first floor.  And, Third, because of my feeding difficulties, my parents were a little nervous that I might throw up if I was alone.   Though not verbally admitted, there actually was a fourth reason...Mama wants me to want to be near her!

I officially became too tall for my bassinet, I am sleeping well through the night (and have been for almost 3 months), I have recovered from my gtube surgery...so it was time to move into my own digs upstairs.  Mama and Daddy were a bit excited to have their own room back, but I think they were mostly a bit sad that I was moving out.  But, they hooked up the Hercules monitor, sucked it up, and let me go upstairs.  Mama thought I might have trouble adapting...actually, she wanted me to have trouble adapting to prove how much I need her!  But, starting the first night, I slept better than ever before, and have now slept 12 hours a night for the past week. I am an independent little dude who needs his privacy.  Though I was polite enough not to say, "Hey Mama, don't let the door hit you on your way out!",  I certainly have behaved as if moving into my own room was an idea whose time was long overdue!   I love my room so much that I have even agreed to sleep there for my 2-3 naps a day without a fuss.

sleeping in my own room...all strapped into my Tucker Sling that helps me with my reflux

Also this week, I figured out that I have legs and feet that actually do things!  I have historically refused to put pressure on my legs when upright, but I've always liked kicking them when I'm on my back.  I skipped the training on this one, and a few days ago when Mama was holding me in a seated position, I just stood up!  I was so proud of myself.  Now, every time Mama or Daddy pulls me to a standing position, I bear all of my own weight and always have the biggest grin on my face.  Watch out world...Declan Hercules will be walking in no time! 

I now prefer my bumbo chair to my boppy pillow...growing up so fast!

Getting close to sitting up all by myself...just need a bit of support still.

I love standing!

Check out the video of me standing.....I'm so proud of myself!

A beer for my successes this week!  (just kidding...I don't even like milk yet...)

Rock & Roll

This was a HUGE week for me. 

Last Sunday morning, Daddy and I were playing in the living room, while Mama was getting a bit of extra sleep.  As usual, Daddy put me on my mat for "tummy time".  I do tend to like tummy time more than many babies, but even so, I have been known to lay my head on the ground and whimper until someone picks me up.  I totally know how to play Mama & Daddy! 

This time, however, was different.  As soon as Daddy put me down, I decided that I would fix the situation myself.  So, after about two minutes trying to get some traction with my feet, I flipped from my tummy onto my back!  It was as if I'd been rolling over my whole life...and I smiled my big toothless grin to say, "See, I knew how to do this a long time ago...I was just hiding it from you guys!" Daddy was so shocked and excited that he started yelling and completely woke up Mama.  But, she didn't mind at all! 

Though I think it was the right call to finally show them my new trick, it did backfire a bit.  Now, Mama & Daddy keep putting me on my tummy to watch me roll over and over and over again.  It's getting tiresome for a little dude like me! 

                                                        Check out my new skill!

                                                   Abdominal exercises are very important...

OK - a weird photo. But I have a thing for holding onto fabric, like my blankets or my burp clothes.  My fingers and hands have become so much more dexterous recently, and I'm reveling in my new-found talent.  Opposable thumbs are awesome!  It just happened that I was next to the laundry pile when daddy picked me up for my bath, and I grabbed Mama's bra and wouldn't let go! 

A reminder of what I used to look like - this was my very first tub bath - August 2, 2011 - 3 pounds, 10 ounces

Another bath on August 15th, 5 pounds

No, I don't actually get my baths in the pink tub anymore, but this is what I look like at 17.5 pounds!

Daddy, Gran Aunt Mimi, Uncle Hans, and Cousin Sophie all had dinner in DC - a complete fluke that they all ended up there at the same time!

The Northern California Circuit

Sorry it's taken me so long to get last weekend's blog post up...Mama was busy at work this week and my fingers aren't quite dexterous enough to type yet.  Just wait until I can write my own blog posts!

We had a very busy weekend indeed!  Though we were still all getting over our first colds of the (fake) Winter Season, we decided to stick to our long-scheduled plans to visit several friends.  On Friday, we packed into George (Mama's car) and headed to San Francisco for a night in the city with our friends Bill and Cara.  I love staying at their place...I think I've stayed there at least 3 times already.  It's super cozy and within walking distance of so many amazing restaurants and parks.  I'm still surprised by how steep the streets are since I initially thought all streets were flat!  The five of us went to dinner at Baker and Banker...kind of funny since the wife's last name is Baker and she is indeed the pastry baker at the restaurant.  My milk was yummy and I was, yet again, on my best restaurant behavior.  I know I have to behave myself for Mama and Daddy to keep taking me out to restaurants!   Listening to Mama, Daddy, and Bill & Cara made me laugh out loud.  You have no idea how ridiculous they sound when they are critiquing food.  While the general consensus was that the food was good, my foodie companions general deemed that the food wasn't quite good enough for them to go back!  Phrases like "I could cook that" and "I don't think the duck was free-range" or "The foie gras was good, but really, how can anyone mess up foie gras?" or "The fennel crusting on the ahi was an interesting idea, but they should have incorporated some braised fennel or leeks for moisture" really had me rolling my eyes. 

After listening to that for too long, I finally took a nap!  Then back to Bill and Cara's for slumberland, and for special cinnamon rolls the next day.  These are the same cinnamon rolls that Bill brought to Mama and Daddy in the hospital about 8 hours after I was born...yummy! 

 

Relaxing after a long evening listening to the boring grown-up conversation. 

 

Listen to me talk!

Then we packed up our "dog and pony show" as Mama likes to call it, and headed down to Half Moon Bay to meet our friends Jen & Austin.  I'm 16.5 pounds now, but Mama says that if you weighed all my paraphernalia, it would probably weigh 100 pounds! Anyway, Jen and Austin were great...Jen is a professor at Stanford and a member of Daddy's Science Advisory Board, and Austin was a Tall Ship Captain for many years and is now finishing his PhD at Stanford.   They choose to live in Half Moon Bay over Palo Alto despite the commute because...well, wouldn't you?  It was beautiful!  I saw the ocean for the first time, and was lulled into a bit of a trance by the rhythmic waves.  We didn't get to go into the water because it was really cold, but Mama tells me that the ocean is warmer in Hawaii and that I can swim there when we go in April. 

Mama with Austin & Jen getting the gin & tonics ready

Pretty picture of Mama

The whole family...check out my sunglasses!

Jen is super cool!

Finally a group shot courtesy of some nice passers-by...a little dark, but the sunset was beautiful!

Maxi-me and Mini-me with their matching stripes

After our walk on the beach, Austin & Jen served us an amazing dinner of locally caught fish and locally grown produce.  Mama and Daddy think it was better than the restaurant the night before!  I was on my best behavior all weekend, showing off all my cuteness to Jen and Austin.   I am babbling quite a bit now, and I have a killer toothless smile! 

Brunch the next morning was overlooking the water, and then Mama and I headed to Morago for our friend Rocio's baby shower for a few hours while Daddy watched the superbowl with Dave, Ernst and a few other friends in Berkeley.  I was a bit too young to play with the other kids at the shower, but I still had a good time.  I can't wait for Rocio to give me a new play buddy (she's having a boy!) in just a few short weeks!  

Finally, exhausted, we headed for home, getting takeout for dinner.  We fell into a deep slumber almost immediately, not quite ready for the week to begin. 

On the medical front...I started a new medication, Reglan, to try to help the milk get through my belly faster so I don't spit up quite as much.  We're not sure if it's working yet, but we sure hope it does soon.  I've been working every week with my Swallow Therapist, Teacher Anne, on new techniques to help me learn to suck and swallow again.  It's such a complicated task, but I'm slowly improving.  The bottle no longer scares me, and I'm learning to even put it in my own mouth.  I don't suck on it too well, but I do like to chew on it.  I still prefer sucking on my own fingers, but I'm trying to give the bottle a chance! I'm getting stronger every day, lifting my head off the ground to do frequent sit ups, and learning to put some pressure on my legs to stand up a bit. 

Me in my new giraffe "Twiga" hat that Gran sent from Tanzania

My cousin and the snow

My weeks just keep getting better and better!

This week, my Uncle Chris (daddy's brother) and Cousin Laura came to visit all the way from State College, PA.  I've never been to this place called Pennsylvania, but Laura tells me that it's a pretty cool place.  Gran lives there too, along with Ada, Uncle Mike, and Aunt Chloe and my other cousin Harper.  I can't wait to visit them when I'm allowed to fly.  My darn preemie status has me avoiding airplanes until the Spring!  So, anyway, I had a great time with Laura while Uncle Chris attended a conference at UC Davis for a few days.  We played together with my nanny Heather on Monday and Tuesday while Mama and Daddy worked.    I'm pretty much recovered from my g-tube surgery at this point, and am cooing and babbling all over the place.  I really loved being held by my cousin.


Woe is me...!


Cousin Laura and me

After a few days in Napa, we packed up and went up to Tahoe.  I've been to Tahoe three times now, and I'm a pro!  I sleep the entire way up in the car to let Mama and Daddy have a chance to catch up on their week, and then I love playing on the rug by the fireplace.  This time, I wasn't feeling too hot (I got a bit of a cold), but thankfully Grammie & Grandpa were there to help cuddle me so Mama and Daddy could get some extra sleep.  This week was the first time that anyone from Daddy's side of the family saw our Tahoe Cabin.  It was fun to show it off, and I can't wait for the rest of Daddy's family to see it someday.


Daddy and Laura on the gondola


Grammie and Grandpa playing with me and Freddie the Firefly


Grandpa trying to rock me to sleep with my silly cold


Finally passed out...


Mama and Daddy in the jacuzzi with Uncle Chris and Laura - I can't believe they wouldn't let me in this time!  Something about the 104 degree water that is bad for me...but I can totally handle it!



Daddy and Uncle Chris sharing a glass of scotch

Tahoe had snow this time!  Mama and Daddy have told me a lot about snow the past two times we went up, but it was hard to imagine what it would really look like.  It's super white...so much so that I wouldn't open my eyes anytime I went outside.  And it's cold!  Mama put me in a sled and boy was that fun!  It freaked me out a bit, but once I got the hang of it, it was pretty cool.



The sun was so bright that I wouldn't open my eyes.  Everyone who did must have been blinded!




Mama and Me on my new sled


Grammie having me feel my first snowball!


Grandpa, mama, and me!


Sledding is fun!

After three days in Tahoe, we sadly dropped Chris & Laura at the airport.  I saw my pediatrician, who comforted my overly protected and worried parents that I did not, in fact, have a crazy flesh-eating-bacteria or the swine flu, and that I rather had a run-of-the-mill cold.  You would think that since Mama is a physician, and Daddy is a PhD, that they would know these sorts of things, but apparently you over-react when you have babies of your own!  I slept a lot on Friday and Saturday, and then was magically raring to go for the rest of the weekend.

We had a lovely dinner with our friends Jon, Christy, Justin & Sara and three very cool little people on Saturday night.  It was Mama and Daddy's first dinner party where everyone had kids!  And it was fun!  I was on my best behavior and loved being pampered by everyone who was there, including Justin's mom...who played Grandma to everyone!  I experienced my first night with the ladies that night...as a handsome dude, this may get to be a problem someday, but I handled it pretty well on Saturday!




Olive, Rose (Boo), and me...I could totally get used to this treatment!

On Sunday, we went to Grammie and Grandpa's to have our pre-Hawaii planning session with Uncles Ben, Chris, and Tomo and Aunts Kelly, Aubree, and Ladonna.  We had a great time figuring out what we're going to do for the week in April when we all get to be together.  Grammie and Grandpa are so generous to provide us all with this amazing trip!  All the grownups got matching reunion t-shirts, and I even got a matching onesie and bathing suit!  Unfortunately we had to leave early since Mama is an important surgeon and she had to operate at the hospital, but I had a great time with all my aunts and uncles - it was the first time we have all been together since I was born!  I love being the star of the show!

Top row:  Daddy, Auntie Kelly holding me, Mama, Grammie, Grandpa, Uncle Chris

Bottom row:  Aunt Ladonna, Uncle Tomo, Uncle Ben, and Aunt Aubree

Just a funny aside...here's what I did to Cousin Laura...she was a trooper...

Until next time...more adventures await me next week...I get to see the beach for the first time!