The Adventures of Baby Arthur

by Lincoln



Last night, Arthur sat down and without warning, swiftly and suddenly hammered out this entire animal puzzle. At first, I was blankly watching him put all the pieces in.. not thinking much of it. But suddenly, like a rushing wave, it hit me! This was the first time he actually DID the puzzle (that we know of), as opposed to just gawking at the animals and tossing them aside! I excitedly yelled out to Liz for her to come into the room to witness the spectacle.

Of course, Arthur refused to do the puzzle again (He likes to hold out on us).

We've had this puzzle for quite some time. Like many of his toys, it was a gift. I'd say the majority of his toys are gifts actually.. and our apartment is overrun with them! It sure is nice to receive gifts and we appreciate all them. We are lucky to have such great friends and family.

But of course, there's always the gift or two that just sticks out.



Now what little boy doesn't love his play car? Especially one that honks and makes all kinds of noises. But man, look at that color! And not that there's anything wrong with Winnie the Pooh.. but I'm going to have to look into trading up for Optimus Prime when the time is right, lest we allow Arthur to be stricken with an identity crisis!



Get the kid a piggy bank. Teach him the value of money. I'm on board with that! But this special piggy bank is made of glass and it came with a set of permanent markers so the child could make his own design. Well this didn't work out so well for Arthur. OK fine, we could have stashed this one away until he was older, but what fun would that be??



Ah.. and the gifts of clothes. Nothing makes a lady gush more than a cute little baby outfit. By now, Arthur has more clothes than me and that is not an exaggeration. Really, we both appreciate all the clothes very much. But check out those bright fluorescent colored astronaut pants! They are so bulky, I think Arthur could cross the Arctic with those on! We also have another one that's bright orange, in case Arthur ever wants to direct traffic. And while those genuine lederhosen are of top quality (real leather and knitting!), I'm just not sure when we'd ever dress him in that, except for Halloween! And last but not least.. yet another bright, effeminate orange colored overall with the cute little animals.. this outfit may have to accidentally disappear!



Some of the gifts are big hits for both me and Arthur! Like the measuring board that I finally got around to mounting on the wall. Now we can mark on Arthur's growth and take the board to with us when we move instead of ripping out the piece of drywall! OK, maybe Arthur doesn't care all that much about this one.

However, the remote controlled dog is plenty of fun. It barks, it walks, it's just like the real thing! He's like Arthur's best friend.. And Arthur even tries to feed him.

Aren't gifts great!

Labels: arthur

by Lincoln

Happy New Year Everyone!

I'd like to report that Arthur has crossed another level of cuteness. For the past week he's been charming everyone in sight, saying more words, interacting with anyone around him, laughing at everything and eating like a bottom-less pit. He even charmed the unflappable Dr. Frenchy today. While Dr. Frenchy was applying the stethoscope, Arthur was fascinated with instrument, grabbing at it the entire time. When the exam was done and the stethoscope was hanging from Dr. Frenchy's neck, he continued to grab for it, placing it back on his chest. Lollipop? No thanks.. Stethoscope please! Dr. Frenchy was so enchanted he said, "Wow! Isn't that amazing?", followed by a kiss on the head. Then he quickly applied his shots and looked at the ceiling as if nothing was going on. Not a single sob was wailed from Arthur's mouth. Two amazing events in the span of 2 minutes! I'm just glad Arthur is braver than me when it comes to needles!

Arthur has been in quite an unusually good mood lately. It's almost as if he's extra happy.. like the kind of happiness you feel when you've been given perspective. Maybe it is, because the last three weeks has not been rosy.

The week before Christmas Day, Arthur came down with something.. and it was no normal cold. The first night, he vomited unexpectedly several times. We checked his temperature and sure enough, there was a slight fever. For the next two days, Arthur seemed a bit uncomfortable, but he was still acting normally for the most part. The fever on the other hand, seemed to go up and down with nap-time. We kept up with Motrin and he seemed to get passed whatever had.

But the vomiting returned and Arthur's mood worsened. He had trouble keeping his food down and whatever he did manage to eat seemed to irritate his tongue and throat. To make matters worse, a strange milky-like patch appeared on his gums. We never did figure out what it was, but I suspect it may have been thrush. (Though this could not be confirmed at Dr. Frenchy's office) Our visit to Dr. Frenchy's office (We didn't get to see him personally) was not too comforting either. Their advice was to keep a look out in case the fever returned. Otherwise, Arthur would have to just ride it out. The onset of a second fever they said, may indicate an escalation of the sickness. (Like pneumonia)

We all tried to do whatever we could to help Arthur eat. I tried making him some Banana Yogurt shakes (recommended treatment if he did have thrush), but he only ate it once. A steady diet of Congee was not too appetizing to him either. None of his favorite foods would do the trick. He barely drank any water, though he did accept milk. We thought he may have been dehydrated and he developed diarrhea as well. We tried giving him a mixture of ginger ale and water or Gatorade as recommended to restore his minerals, but he didn't seem to enjoy that much either.

The sniffles, cough and phlegm inevitably followed and our poor boy was just miserable. He just couldn't be put down and essentially had to be carried at all times. We limited his bath time to every other day to try to keep him comfortable (he did NOT want to be in the bath at all), but when we did bathe him, he had visibly lost weight. He was always pale and he wasn't sleeping well through the night either (and neither were we). This all went on for a week, it was just a terrible.

Christmas Day came along and Arthur still was not feeling very well, but we decided to attend my family function anyway. Arthur never left Liz's side and he wasn't sociable like he normally is. Clearly, he was not 100%. But the worst part was the endless stream of judgemental, huffy advice that poor Liz had to endure from my family. Like a pack of wolves, they pounced. How could we not be giving Arthur medicine? We MUST change doctors! Dr. Frenchy is no good! Blah blah blah.

I was spared the wrath of the wolf pack but Liz's confidence was shaken. Nevertheless, we agreed that we would stay the course and that we both believe in Dr. Frenchy. I just told Liz to ignore those animals! I'm no doctor and I don't know if one has to do with another, but the children of one of those mothers (my cousins) suffer from terrible allergies. Did too much medicine at a young age make a difference? Maybe they were shielded from germs too much? I don't know.. but I am 100% in agreement with Dr. Frenchy's methods and as far as I'm concerned, Arthur's present health is his vindication!

The next day at Liz's family gathering was a bit better. Arthur was not recovered, but his spirits were slightly improved. From then on, he showed improvement everyday moving forward and by the time the New Year's Day came, Arthur was back!

Everyone was relieved and his recovery brought upon a voracious appetite the likes of which no one has ever seen! Arthur was grabbing his bowl, shovelling his macaroni down, and asking for seconds. He's been consuming whole buns of bread, raisins, cherrios, bowls of rice and coming back 5 minutes later to ask for more! He's making up for 2 weeks of not eating!

As for Liz, with relief came the crash.. on the Saturday morning following New Year's Day:

Liz (trying to take a nap with Arthur): shh-shh
Arthur: aaahhhhh
Liz: shhhhhhhhh
Arthur: aaaaahhhhhhh!!!!
Liz: Go to daddy.

(silence)

aahhhhh!!!

(silence)

aaaaaaaaahhhhh!!!

After the second aaaaahhh, I went to investigate. Liz had locked Arthur out of the bedroom! I guess she needed some well-deserved sleep!



By the time Great-Grandma's 90th came along, mischief was back in style!

Labels: arthur, parenting

Wrong. There's actually plenty to do for Halloween for kids! Here's what I saw:


2. Block Parties: Various single blocks around the island were closed off and the local residents and homeowners decorated the street, setup tables, had food and made it fun for everyone.






Arthur was not digging the outfit but he was definitely really cute! It was reported to me that he was completely awestruck by the life sized T-Rex skeleton and stopped in his tracks for several minutes. He had an awesome time.

Labels: arthur, miscellaneous, nyc

by Lincoln

Personally, I like the mad scientist look! But we did eventually need to take Arthur for a haircut and we did so last week. This haircut was not Arthur's first. I bravely attempted to give Arthur his first haircut myself, which quickly turned into fiasco. Not only was I extremely nervous about accidental impalement, my hands were not quick enough, steady enough or straight enough for a delicate little head that wouldn't keep still! Within minutes, the barber's apron was on the floor, baby hair was all over the place and what we ended up with was a head that resembled a poorly mowed lawn. My only saving grace is that we don't have any pictures that accurately depict the disaster!


This time, Liz took Arthur to a professional - Doodle Doo's Children's Hair Salon in the West Village.



They know what they're doing at Doodle Doo's. That's a wooden boat that Arthur is sitting in! Blowing bubbles and books for fun and a TV to mesmerize him enough to keep him still. Genius!! Add a swift professional pair of hands and you end up with a handsome haircut for a handsome little boy! Doodle Doo's also features a store where you could buy toys, books or other children's paraphernalia.


Cost: $35.


Now I've never spent $35 on a haircut in my entire life, but, at least Arthur looks good! I'm guessing we'll be taking him back for his next cut too.

Labels: arthur, nyc

by Lincoln

Arthur
born: 6/24/2008
weight: 7lbs 7oz
length: 21 in.

Wylie
born: 5/9/2008
weight: 7lbs 14oz
length: 21 in.

Who here is keeping score anyway?! Cousins Arthur and Wylie may only be apart by 1.5 months, but Wylie has thus far proven to be the "advanced model."

At a mere 5 months, Wylie was crawling all over the place. By 9 months, he was walking. Soon after, he was taunting everyone around him by walking circles and drinking from his sippy cup hands-free!

Arthur has taken his time so far with such things. Perhaps it's my obsession with sports and statistics that causes me to keep score in the back of mind. I can't help it! I don't think I'm alone as a parent that anxiously waits and looks out for developmental milestones, such as speech and walking. I am also well aware that all kids go at their own pace too!

I guess always thought that "first word" and "started walking" were fixed and unambiguous events before Arthur came along and I didn't realize that there were gray areas of what counts and what doesn't count. Starting at about 5 months or so, Arthur started babbling "dadadada" and "mamama." Yes, in that order! I figured that the first word would only count if Arthur spoke the word on command or answered a question, so I didn't take those encouraging noises to heart.

By 8 months or so, there was more or less the same babbling going on with no clear signs of a first word. We try to read to Arthur as much as we can to help with his development, so we had been anxiously awaiting for some results! At about that time, my good friend and mother of two, Dina, came to visit me from the West Coast. As we discussed the first words dilemma, she informed me that her children took quite a bit of time before they would speak a word on demand and that Arthur's babbling words should count if he looked like he was trying to communicate. Just a few moments later, Arthur enthusiastically looked up at me, reached up and exclaimed "Da!". Dina, an authority on kids, counted the word.

I WIN! HE SAID DADA FIRST! And by 8 months too, not bad! :-D

By now Arthur has definitely said Mama and Dada. I swear he even said milk once as he pointed for his bottle! We've also made out a some Chinese words here and there (thanks to Grandma). This weekend has also brought even more excitement as Arthur has unquestionably taken his first steps. He stood up from a sitting position with nothing to hold on to and took 2 or 3 steps all by himself before sitting back down.

I couldn't be prouder, and it isn't because I'm unconsciously keeping score!

Labels: arthur, fatherhood

by Lincoln

I've been stricken with a 101-degree fever for the last 3-days. But that isn't even the worst part. The worst part has been having to avoid Arthur as much as possible. For the last three days, Arthur has been clamoring for my attention, trying to get into my room, reaching out for me when I am around and wanting to play with me. It definitely feels good. Because, there's no greater gift than a child's laughter! (*snicker*)

It feels good because it wasn't always this way! When Arthur was born, I had grand plans about being an involved father in every way. That plan basically went out the window once Arthur figured out how to distinguish between Mom and Dad. It went further out the window once Arthur figured out who his Grandmas are! By six-months it was damned near embarrassing:

1: Arthur crying
2: Dad picks up Arthur to calm him
3: Arthur cries even harder
4: Mom / Grandma takes Arthur away from Dad
5. Arthur is happy

At our routine pediatrician's visit that month, after all of our questions had been answered, Liz looked at me and said, "Do you want to ask? About Ineffective Dad?". I shrugged my shoulders and just as I was saying "Ah don't worry about it," Dr. Frenchy put his hand on my shoulder and with his best French accent said: "Oh don't worry. Your time in the sun will come. I used to be pissed when I came home and my kids would run away from me!".

Actually, that did make me feel better. I had been talking with other parents, reading books and all the regular parental research so my mind knew this phase would probably end. It just didn't make it much easier! Ok, sometimes it did: "LIZ! ARTHUR NEEDS YOU!! NA-NA-NA-NA-NA, I'LL JUST KEEP WATCHING TV."

As Arthur closed in on 12-months and beyond, I gradually and noticeably started moving up the hierarchy. He began taking notice whenever I came and went. He started following me around the apartment. A few days ago, he reached for me while he was being held by Grandma! (MIRACLE!). And even more recently, he reached for me while he was being held by Liz (ACT OF GOD!).

I've come to enjoy my ascent in the pecking order of Arthur's affection and I hope this fever doesn't lead to my demotion!

Labels: arthur, fatherhood

by Lincoln

Labels: arthur, family

So how did Arthur handle life after vacation? Liz and I were a bit worried about how he would react to the sleeping arrangements at a hotel . We did not bring Arthur's playpen/portable crib, so that night was the first time we had ever all shared the same bed. After a substantial and often painful commitment to sleep training Arthur (in bed by 9:30pm for the entire night), we did not want to undo all the hard work.

We also knew that Arthur would be experiencing more than his normal amount of stimulation from all of the activities. How would he react in the days following?

Well the sleeping didn't end up being an issue at all. He was so tired the Sunday night we got back (as were we!), he simply passed out and that was it. On Monday night, he went to bed on schedule.

However, after spending nearly the entire weekend by Liz's side, Arthur developed quite a case of separation anxiety from her. The separation anxiety reached a point to where he seemed to forget who I was! No smiles, no seeking attention, no crawling to my office, nothing! The day after we returned, we were told by Liz's Mom that Arthur had been quite cranky the entire day. You could say I was a little disappointed that he was still being a Mama's Boy when I got back from work.

Finally, on Tuesday morning, Arthur was back. He was his old happy self and Dad became relevant again. That's ok, I think he just needed a vacation from the vacation just like any of us adults would need!

Labels: arthur, parenting

by Lincoln

Day 2 was off to an early start as we all arose by 7am. The fact I hadn't been asleep at 9:30pm since, 1991 or so, may have had something to do with it!

We started off with a quick breakfast at Irving Farm, where the coffee is locally roasted and all pastries are baked on the premises. It didn't disappoint. This place also appeared to be the only breakfast gig in town as it was pretty busy for an early Sunday morning!

Then we were off to another day at the countryside, visiting farms, looking for farm fresh food and farm animals for Arthur to gawk at! Along with a couple of friends who joined us, we made stops at Dykeman Farm for some produce, Barton Orchards for some cider donuts and fruit and Sprout Creek Farm for the cheese.

These farms may have been only 20 or so miles south of where we were on Day 1, but the area had a far more suburban feel. I also couldn't help but feel that we were a month or two too early since the farms seemed a bit under supplied. The cider donuts didn't appear to be in season at Barton Orchards! (It seemed like they had just renovated and we were told that their bakery wasn't operating yet. Too bad they failed to mention that on their website!) Nevertheless, the weather was perfect and the country air made it worthwhile. Sprout Creek also had a nice looking cottage for rent, so that may be an opportunity for another time!

It's only grass kiddo! We're gonna have to work on those jungle instincts.

So off we went South back towards home with only one more stop to go.

Blue Hill / Stone Barns Center

About 50 miles south from Dutchess County and a mere 20 or so miles from home is the Blue Hill Restaurant and Stone Barns Center. The Blue Hill seemed to be a natural culmination to the trip as it not only stayed faithful to our theme of eating at restaurants featuring local ingredients, it is located on an operating farm. (Yet ANOTHER one!) We actually discovered this place while watching Top Chef and Blue Hill was to be the most reputable and vaunted stop on this trip. So we made a lunch reservation for eight (6 of our friends joined) TWO months in advance and eagerly awaited our visit!

Perhaps the most interesting part of the $68/pp prix-fixe lunch was that it did not feature a menu, but rather a list of seasonal ingredients. Apprise the wait staff of your dietary restrictions and off you go at the mercy of the chef! The food didn't disappoint in presentation or taste and I did enjoy being surprised (even though they served chicken!). The service was even better as plates were served in what appeared to be a carefully choreographed and coordinated movement (they wouldn't say if they practiced).

At the end of the day, I'd have to say that Red Devon won this Iron Chef competition.

Kid Friendly?: At least they try. They did have high chairs available but the environment was anything but kid friendly. Blue Hill strives to provide an elegant experience and let's face it, crying kids are NOT elegant. Liz and I took turns taking Arthur out for walks to keep him calm during what ended being a 3 hour lunch. We didn't want to be "those" parents with a crying baby! Maybe Arthur was extra hyped to be sitting at a table of 8, but I think he just already had as much vacation as a 1-year old could take! Save this place for the adults.

After a walk through the Stone Barns Center to look at yet more animals, it was time to go home!

Two days on the road and all I get is this stupid duck!

Resources
Hammertown
About Town
Dutchess County Tourism

Labels: arthur, parenting, travel

by Lincoln

Now that Arthur is just over 1 year old, we decided that a short yet local weekend getaway would be a good idea. Not only was it also Liz's birthday weekend, we thought a weekend of firsts for Arthur would do wonders for this bourgeoning curiosity. We are not one of those bold parents who dare to take their young children on plane rides and we've also tried our best to not be one of "those" parents. You know what I mean by "those", the ones with the crying baby! With this in mind, we came up with the following requirements:

1- Must have something for everyone: Arthur, Liz and I.
2- No planes or public transport. So only we'd suffer a cranky crying baby.
3- Only 1 night away from home. Short and sweet.

Since Liz and I both love eating great food, breathing fresh air and the fact that site of any animal (Even rats with wings, a.k.a. an NYC pigeon) makes Arthur go berserk with excitement, our decided destination was Dutchess County. Dutchess County is a mere 75 miles or so from Manhattan and is what I like to call a "Napa Valley on a much smaller scale".

After a bit of research and reservation making, off we went on a Saturday morning.

Wild Hive Farm

















An Anxious Arrival!

After reading a positive review about this place on Hammertown I thought this was a worthy spot to have some breakfast. Local ingredients and freshly baked goods. The egg sandwich was well made and the brioche bun was fresh and soft with a unique earthy flavor. Along with fresh toast topped with a habanero jelly that was hot enough to wake up the dead, this breakfast was a good start even if it did take forever to get it! Well, we were on vacation, who cares?

Kid Friendly?: Yes. high chair available and a steady stream of families with children of all ages going in and out.


















I'm gonna club someone with this garlic if I don't get my food soon!!

Dog Show Hosted by Ledgewood Kennels




















It took me a couple of days to find something specifically animal oriented aside from looking at livestock from behind a fence, but eventually I got lucky finding this event when I chanced on the Amenia Chamber of Commerce's Website. This was strictly a local affair with a focus on community participation. It wasn't a Westminster Dog Show, but it did the trick as the up close and personal interactions with the dogs was far more effective at piquing the interests of a 1-year old! And yes, Arthur was going berserk almost the entire time.

Kid Friendly?: It doesn't get much more kid friendly than this!



So after a quick stop at McEnroe Organic Farm to pick up some fresh produce and groceries to take back home, it was time to check-in to our lodging so Baby Arthur could have his nap time. This plan was enthusiastically sponsored by Arthur with piercing shrieks.



The Interlaken Inn

So after deliberating on the lodging for a bit, we settled on the Interlaken Inn. While we originally were planning to stay at a nice bed and breakfast ("b&b"), that idea was nixed because:

1- Many b&b's are not kid friendly. They even specifically put an age limit on their website. I guess it's to be expected since you're basically staying at someone's house.
2- We needed a bathtub. Not a given at a b&b.
3- Most of the b&b's wanted a 2 night minimum. (So did the Interlaken but they had a loophole if you booked online!)
4- I hoped to have a pool for Arthur's first swim! Not a given at a b&b.




















While the Interlaken Inn served its purpose, I was not completely satisfied. We paid $300 for our one night and it wasn't the Mandalay Bay. I'll tell you that the place looks a lot bigger on their website! The place is a bit dated and could use a renovation. It was clean, but as clean as an old hotel could be. Here are the TripAdvisor reviews. They're mixed, so you be the judge. It wasn't all bad. The pool was heated and the staff was courteous. We were in & out so it wasn't a big deal. But, that price tag was too hefty for what we got in my opinion.

Kid Friendly?: Definitely. They not only encourage kids, they encourage whole families including pets. There were many other familes at the place. It's also a wedding friendly hotel. The place may be more worth the price in the townhouses.

Red Devon Restaurant



















Red Devon was the highlight of our trip. Simply put, it's an awesome restaurant and the food is just exquisite. The restaurant was recently renovated with a focus on green guidelines and sustainability as the building itself has many green innovations. With reviews like these from About Town, and Hammertown, its focus on local ingredients and its green focus (I'm an engineer remember?) we just had to give it a try. They offer a nightly chef's menu and we ordered the grilled sea bass with potatoes and the pork belly with chanterelle mushrooms and red chard over risotto as our entrees. Both were cooked to perfection. The sea bass was served whole, was crispy and salted on the outside and incredibly soft and moist on the inside. All that we left behind was a pile of bones. As a pork belly fanatic, there's almost no way I wouldn't enjoy it. But the combination of the tender pork belly, crunchy red chard and base of risotto made each bite a harmonious melody. We'll be going back.

Kid Friendly?: Yes. They offer booster chairs (really fancy ones!) and the environment is sophisticated yet laid back. We did make a reservation for the earliest time possible to avoid a crowd, but as dinner went on, other families with small children came in. The staff was friendly and helpful with everything.
























Sorry Officer, I've Been Drinking!

Well that was the end of Day 1 and it was definitely a good one!

Labels: arthur, parenting, travel

by Lincoln

Even before Baby Arthur was born, Liz had this idea of taking pictures of the baby. At first I thought she meant going to Walmart and sitting for a portrait. "Cheesy, but ok" I thought. No, she wanted to hire a professional photographer. Even worse, she wanted said photographer to come to our apartment and take pictures of us acting naturally!

I was totally against this idea! I'm not crazy about being in pictures to begin with and having a strange man in our home was just beyond my threshold. This ain't no reality show we're hosting over here!

Of course Liz got her way.

But look what we ended up with! These are two of my favorite pictures we have.

Included was a fancy picture book. I took some shots of what the book looks like with my camera:



















Every pro has got to get their artsy fartsy ones in!





































There's no way I would have ever been able to take pictures like that. We were given prints, the picture book and a DVD. The final product is absolutely priceless. Liz, you were right and I was wrong!

I have no idea where the photographer got this book done, but I would think Shutterflyor Picaboo could pull it off.

Labels: arthur, infant, memories, parenting