Welcome Caylee!!

Here she is ... Miss ...Los Angeles? She is a beautiful baby, just like her sisters. Jane and I went out a few days early, to be supportive, even if Andrea wasn't sure when our little angel would decide to arrive. It's always fun to be around the girls, even if they aren't entirely sure who we are at first.

The pier with the merry-go-round was a hit, and dinner was Italian with the whole clan. Paul let me borrow his Porsche again, so I felt very LA while we were there.

The big day came and Andrea went in early, while Jane and I found ways to turn a 20 minute trip to the hospital into an hour and a half adventure. Did find Rodeo Drive though.

Another beautiful baby, and a happy crowd all around. Here are a few pics, first day and beyond.

first picture and one of Grrpa and Caylee:

Jane was kind enough to agree to fix dinner the night before we left--I'm not sure exactly how that came about, but I seem to recall it was a bet or a challenge from Paul. Whatever. But she did her usual superb job, even with minimal time and a strange kitchen. All I did was buy everything (especially the wine and beer--imagine my surprise that I ended up drinking most of it). I wonder if there is something about Jewish tradition I don't understand...I thought there was a close tie between Judaism and wine. I seem to have all Jewish friends who don't like wine, or else I don't understand the procedure (or the proper type). Whatever...more for me!

Well, we'll look forward to seeing little Caylee again, in person and in pictures.



And now, your moment of zen...my favorite picture of the 3 cousins (so far)

Kids at the Beach

First week in April, we were blessed by a visit from Tracy and the "little ones." What amazing little gentlemen they were too. Pierce and I played much (way too much) Lego Star Wars, until we wore out two remotes. Then I showed him the various sword games in Wii Sports Resort, and he was entertained the rest of the visit. He wore out the other two remotes....What frosts me, though, is that he beat me one-on-one on the big tower!

There was also beach time, with Tracy trying to get a unique tan using silly string as a pattern. Later it was baseball time--what a slugger Pierce has become! If only I had friends who could field....There were some jigsaw puzzles with which Pierce could uphold the family honor, and he did so admirably. Iron Man was a gas! Hope the $ Store has some new ones in for the next visit!

Bryce was also amazing, not so much for what he did, but what he didn't do. I can count on one hand the times he was the slightest bit fussy, and then with good cause. In all my years of staring at babies--a recent development, to be sure, as before that it was babes--I have never seen a baby who will make and maintain eye contact as much as Bryce. Not sure what it means, but it's insane to lose a stare-down with a 6 month old! And he has no fear of strangers--we passed him around like...oh, well, nevermind, too much nostalgia...and he didn't bat an eye (literally). He just seems happy, no matter what. Let's hope that continues.

I tried out my new small HD video cam, so let's see if it worked. It's about the size of a PDA, and takes huge files. But very sharp. (It takes an eon to upload though.) Most of what I took is too big to post, but I will try to cut it back and add it in later when I get a chance, if I can find the software. I got some great shots of Bryce splashing in the tub, which are appealing if you're fascinated by infant genitalia (which, for the record, I am not). For the sake of posterity, I won't post those. You can thank me later, Bryce.

And the return of the long missing
Bumper Sticker of the Week/Month!
(In honor of the kids' visit, this one is dedicated to mothers everywhere.)

I'm not tense, just terribly, terribly alert.