2009_01_31 Saturday

We spent the day down south for Ryan's birthday party. They had it at an ocean-themed indoor playground. It was awesome. We got there a bit late b/c my front tire seems to be deflating rather quickly. But, once we were there, it was great. Very safe play environment, and the hostess engaged the kids in a couple of games. They had pizza and cupcakes before we headed over to Grandma Cathy and Grandpa Bob's house. We ended up there until about 8. Had a nice, casual dinner. Dave ended up on the phone for most of it b/c of some work crisis, so that was unfortunate. Once we got home, he had to work for many more hours. poor guy.

2009_01_30 Friday

Jonathan got up around 9:30 today, so that was nice. He did ok with breakfast although certainly nothing like he used to. And, then I packed him in the car, and we went to the local library for a sing-along by my friend Erin. It was great and really crowded. Jonathan was being weird, though, and wouldn't let go of me. I guess he's in a clingy stage.

Then we headed to the Livingston Mall for some retail therapy. I bought a SIZE 4 jean!! That's right, size 4. I've never worn a size 4, and for a time I think a size 4 may have fit on one leg. wowser!!! Man, did that make me feel gooooood. Then we played around on the indoor playground at the mall. Jonathan really liked the tunnel there, and it seems like he forgot how to use the slide. silly boy. He's down for a nap now. will upload pix shortly.

Happy Birthday Grandpa Bob!!

2009_01_29 Thursday

Well, since Jonathan woke up late, we missed story time at the Barnes & Noble at the mall. I've been meaning to try it out, but I guess we'll try for next week.

I've been really frustrated with Jonathan's eating habits lately. He's barely eating anything. I'm sure he's still hydrated; he asks for juice and milk. But, all the normal foods, he tends to play more than he eats. He does ask for crackers (the Ritz and cheese ones), but I don't want to give that to him as his dinner. Not sure what's going on, but it's insanely frustrating for me. Not only because he won't eat what he typically likes, but that I have to throw it out and that his not eating really upsets me. So, I had a little meltdown tonight. Felt better after I got it all out...shopping tomorrow will seal the deal....

2009_01_28 Wednesday

Good morning! Jonathan woke up around 7am today, but I didn't get him this time, and he settled back down. Now, that it's nearly 10, he's not awake yet. So, he woke up at about 10:30, and his eating habits are getting really frustrating. He's hardly eating at all and will only do it himself (which would be fine with me if he actually ate rather than played with it). Toward the end of breakfast, he actually threw up everything he had because he was so upset about me wanting him to eat. fabulous.

We got about 2-3 inches of snow overnight. So, that sort of messes up our plans for today. But, we do have a playdate with Erin/Jake and Tracey/Kyle this afternoon that I think is still on.

2009_01_27 Tuesday

Yikes, Jonathan woke up at 7:30 today for no good reason. So, I snuggled with him for about an hour before he was done being a momma's boy. We had a busy day today. First, he was super picky eating breakfast. That's not going to work for me. I let him pick like a bird, assuming he'll be more hungry later.
Off we went to Jazzberries, a music/dance studio, for a free class. The lady was 30 mins late, so all of us were stranded outside in the freezing cold. But, once we got inside and settled, it was fun. Amazing that you can make money doing that kind of thing. It's just fun chaos with music. Anyway, Jonathan marched around and shook a maraca. wahooo. When we got home, we had lunch, another picky meal. ugh. that's got to stop.
Then it was nap time, which lasted for about 3 hrs.
When he woke up, we picked up a free mini-fridge. That will help with my playroom plans for the basement. I'm super excited about that.
And, then we went to visit Leena/Evan for a playgroup. We were there for nearly 2.5 hrs. I didn't realize how long our visit was. Hope that wasn't too imposing. It was fun to play with them. Then, we timed it perfectly to pick Dave up at the train station on our way home. Jonathan hardly ate anything for dinner...again. ugh!!!!! And, Wanderly and Chess came by for some final decision-making on the flooring. Sounds like it will be 4 weeks total. wahoo. just need to get started now!

2009_01_25 Sunday

We had an amazing, quick visit to DC. So good to see everyone. Spent Sunday with the Hardwicks. It made me sad again to leave. I really do miss it there.
Jonathan was not particularly helpful in the car; he was wide awake, watching for and calling out "car" "truck" and "bus" at every opportunity. egads!

2009_01_23 Friday

So, there was a massive mix-up with the carpet. The one we selected had been discontinued but no one told us until they were supposed to be at the house! ugh. Our salesguy came back out last night and gave us an upgrade. And, the installers are here right now putting it in. I'm so excited to see how it looks. I'll try to drag the sofa and ottoman in there tonight. Now, I've got to figure out what to do with the old padding and wood parts because I doubt that I can just throw that away.

I got the cat sitter squared away. Got Ryan's birthday present for next week. Got the ok to delay our cat licenses to participate in the city's free rabies shots a week afterward. Got the recycling outside before the guys came by. Oh, and Jonathan is still asleep -- at 10:08! love it. After he got up and ate, we walked into town to pick up Dave's pants and find a gift for Abby. Still need cards, though.

I had a 1:30 meeting for a possible new freelance gig based off one I had already been doing. Kinda excited about it. Sounds like they want lots of articles on parenthood. I can do that.

He's back down for a nap now.

Check out new pix!

2009_01_22 Thursday

This morning, the anticipation of the day was so exciting; we were supposed to get the carpet installed in the den! But, alas, I got a call at 9 saying that our carpet has been discontinued. How annoying! They actually waited until the day of to call to tell me that! So, now the guy is coming back here tonight with new options. Contractor is coming too, along with the floor guy. Of course, at the exact same time. wahoo.

Instead of moaping around inside, Jonathan and I headed to the Liberty Science Center. It's awesome. We got in free b/c of our Newark Museum membership, although reciprocity ends in Feb. There were a ton of school trips there, but we managed to scoot around them. Jonathan had a BLAST at the rice table. It was about 10 feet long and 3 feet wide with a layer of rice along with cups, bowls, funnels, and scoopers. He could have stayed there the entire day! But, we did venture to the other 3 touch-me floors (one of which was animals!), and we had lunch there too. It was really neat; probably designed for a bit older than he is, but on a coldish day, it was nice to roam around.

He conked out on the ride home -- he didn't even wake up when I got him out of his car seat! -- and will likely be out for awhile.

2009_01_21 Wednesday

I woke up to a comfortably warm room this morning. wahoooo!!! Dave is awesome! I think I can pack away the space heater and the rediculous number of layers we've been using. Jonathan is still asleep...at 10am.

We've got a playdate with Aylin today @ 3. Iris, has to bail out because she didn't have the car. And Sharon came as we were leaving. We hightailed it home at 3:45.

Cathy came here tonight to watch Jonathan while Dave and I had a nice dinner in the city with one of his co-workers. I ran Cathy through the house and had to bolt to the train. Poor Jonathan wailed when he saw me leave, but he apparently settled down pretty quickly. It's Restaurant Week, so we're getting a deal at a steak house near Dave's office. I got a whole new outfit -- black/white/gray dress, black cardigan, silver bracelets, and killer red shoes. I was so stylin'! Especially since I have my fashionable gray coat too. I took the train in, then walked a couple of blocks (past the famous Macy's) to Dave's office. I actually passed the restaurant. Dinner was really nice. I had the house salad, salmon with mushroom sauce, and choco 'mousse' (which was really cake). Dave had (what's the raw meat appetizer called?), ribs, and the Key lime pie (I sampled it). Sean and Rachel were really nice; they're from Michigan! It was nice to go out and have a relaxed, grown-up conversation. We made it back to the train station with about 10 minutes to spare. The night at home seemed to go really well.

2009_01_20 Inauguration Tuesday

Gosh, It sure has been awhile since I last wrote. I'll go back and update the past 'few' days. Today we got a new president. I was actually on the road during the actual inauguration, but I made it home just in time to see his speech.

Today we have two guys here working on the den's baseboards. They were scheduled to arrive at 8 but showed up at 10. Of course, they decided that it was a harder job than they had anticipated. I'm beginning to think that's what every project here will be. alas. Jonathan's down for his second nap today (after asking for a paci, he must have been tired!). But, we ran a few errands this morning: Home Depot for a new thermostat (I feel like I should have a mailbox there by now), deposit $, got a cashier's check for the carpet installers on Thursday, mailed our Blockbuster movies, tried to get a present for Ms Abby to no avail.

Each time I've gone to the bathroom (is that TMI??), I put Jonathan on his as well. He really seems to like to sit on it. And, we wash our hands when we're done. I've been using the sign for toilet for some time now when I change his diaper. I also try to ask if he's dirty, but he gives me completely random yes/no answers.

I've been trying to do some freelance work today, but I have been discouraged. The one that I really thought was going to take off turns out to want positive articles on what I can only describe as pyramid schemes. hard to be very positive about them. I gave up one gig because their writing style was just plain bizzare and not worth my time/effort. And, I think I got scammed out of payment for another gig I already did. The two that I have really enjoyed don't seem to be moving forward for some reason. It's depressing and discouraging.

My incredible husband brought home Chinese food for dinner to give me a little break. THEN, he figured out what the plumber guys and Tino couldn't: how to connect the thermostat and get the den and master bedroom warm again. He also had to cut off two small pipes that were sticking out of the ground that the plumbers left in for some reason. Dave is so amazing.

2009_01_19 Monday

We had a wicked snow storm today. Of course, that didn't stop me and Jonathan from venturing out to pick up his very first potty!! I was too excited not to go...and afraid that I'd lose it if I didn't go! Dave sat him on it for the first time just before his bath. He seems to really like having a chair to sit on; not sure if he understands what it's really for, though. I also put away his high chair today, in favor of a booster seat. Right now we only have the travel one, but it seems to work just fine. That change doesn't seem to have phased him at all. It was a big day for him!

2009_01_18 Sunday

We all got up (the NJ Hardwicks were the last, of course) and walked into town to the diner...to see Ms Donna and Ms Betty. Jonathan was thrilled. We had a great breakfast, but then had to walk all the way home again! The MD Hardwicks packed it up, after learning another storm was heading our way. It took awhile to get packed, but it sure was nice to have them here.

Then, I headed back to my favorite store -- Home Depot -- for more insulation. Dave has done a fantastic job in getting the house insulated, and he's finally done! I really think (and hope!) we'll see a major change in our gas/elec bill.

2009_01_17 Saturday

I ran around in anticipation of some of the MD Hardwicks coming to visit. I found a mom who offered to loan me an aerobed, so I picked it up from her.

PopPop, Vicki, and Samantha went straight to the NY Hardwicks. Samantha was invited to Catherine's birthday party at an ice cream parlor. Sounded like fun. So, we headed up to their house after Jonathan woke up (circa 3). And, we spend the better part of the evening with them. Turned out that Grandma Cathy, Grandpa Bob, Jen, Chad, Cory, and Ryan were also there, along with one of Vicky's sisters and hubby and Djuka (Vicky's mom). Steve made a firehouse-sized (ie enormous!) dinner of chicken breasts, pasta, and salad for us all. Then, the MD Hardwicks followed (or at least they tried) us home. Good thing they had a GPS!!

Happy 6th Birthday Catherine!

2009_01_16 Friday

What an incredible day!! We had a lunch date with my college friend and roommate, Ashley, who was in town from San Fransisco. Jonathan and I walked to the train station and got tickets. Turned out the train was 45 minutes late!! But, we finally managed to get onboard. Then, we took the subway (E train) and walked a couple of blocks to the Waldorf. What a hotel! I have definitely been there before, but I'm not sure why. We found Ash and asked the concierge for a family-friendly recommendation for lunch. He sent us to a hoity-toity French restaurant, but we decided to give it a try since it was way too cold to be outside. Jonathan was simply amazing. There were business meetings going on all around us, and lots of snears initially. But, I'm not sure anyone knew he was actually there. He barely made a peep for 1.5 hrs! Once he finally did get restless, we packed ourselves up, walked back to the Waldorf, got Ash's bags, and jumped into a cab. It was only about 3 blocks for us, but it was nice to be warm! Then, we took the E train back to Penn Station and the train back home. And, still, Jonathan was absolutely perfect even though we were well beyond his nap time. I was so proud of him.

2009_01_15 Thursday

Today was another feel-good mom day. I took Jonathan to Nana's Playgroup, which is at an elderly retirement community in town. The kids basically play in a circle "doing arts and crafts" while the residents sit around them. One of the moms reads a story, everyone gets cookies and juice, and the event is over. It sure does feel good, though, to see the residents light up around the babies.

In the afternoon, we went to Cheryl and Gavin's for a playdate.

2009_01_14 Wednesday

Today, we had a playdate with Aylin and Alayna. Fun as always!!

2009_01_13 Tuesday

Oh boy did today start early! I met our contractor at Home Depot at 8:30! Poor Jonathan was stirred from his slumber. But, long story (took nearly the entire day to install) short: we have a beautiful new back door that is Energy Star and doesn't leak like a faucet! I love it. Plus, without the two cabinets, the room looks so much bigger already! I did see more wall paper (a new pattern!!) inside the soffit, if you can believe!!!

The funny part of today, though, was when Jonathan called Wanderly Raj. Ha, Wanderly is Brazilian/Portuguese, so he's darker complected. I had to keep it together.

I thought I'd be a planner and ordered take-out pizza from our local pizzaria and Dave's train is running late. ugh.

2009_01_12 Monday

Jonathan had his 18-month check up this morning. He did great at the beginning. But, as soon as I undressed him, he figured out what was going on. He didn't even appreciate the nurse taking his stats (which are: height: 33.5", weight: 25lbs 12 oz, head circumference: 48.5). So you can imagine when we had to hold him down for two shots (Hep A and flu). It wasn't pretty. But, he soon recovered, and I took him for an eye exam. We actually sat in a dark room; the technician pointed a gun-like device at us, and that was it. He's got 20/20 vision. Not sure how it works, but that was the test.

2009_01_10 Saturday

Happy 18 month birthday to Jonathan!!! Wow, did we celebrate wildly today! Dave found a guy to buy our beautiful, new refrigerator from us. It was just too deep for the space we have. So, he came up with a couple of guys to take it away. I was very sad to see it go. We also had a second plumber come check out the den, so we should have a good idea of options and $ to finish up that room. Then, Dave spent a good amount of time insulating the attic above Jonathan's room and the bathroom. We can feel a difference, so that's hugely encouraging for our gas bill. Then, once Jonathan went to bed, Dave and I had a movie marathon.

I took a bunch of photos. My favorite is of Jonathan blowing a kiss and winking. haha. You can see some others in our photo album. I also sent out a "Jonathan is 18 month" update to family. Here's the body of that note:

I thought it was high time to drop you a note to catch you up on what Jonathan is doing these days. He is 18 months old today! He has, without a doubt, turned into a little toddler boy, leaving babyhood behind for good.

He is pretty solid on his feet. He has started running, which is a milestone. He still does have the occasional fall, but it's mostly when he's not paying full attention to what he's doing. When I have extra time on my hands, I'll often let him walk (rather than use the stroller) when we go into town or to run errands. And, he's walked the whole way to pick up Dave from the train station a couple of times. He loves climbing up and down the stairs, sometimes the right way and sometimes not. He's great at kicking balls around; it's too bad it's so darn cold outside now! While playing in his room, we flip on the radio and he dances away to anything that's on. One of his jobs
is to help feed the cats, so he grabs a spoon and a can and runs into the cats'
area to help Dave.

He has mastered object permanence. He knows that objects don't disappear when they are out of sight, and he'll go searching for things immediately. Peek-a-boo is huge right now, and he'll play by covering his eyes. In fact, he'll often remember where things are long after we've played with them. This is pretty neat because he can put things away and still find them.

He is a chatterbox! While "no" is a favorite, I'm not convinced he knows what it actually means. It's just an easy word to yell out and it gets our attention. So, we typically counter with an emphatic "yes!" He yells out "Hi!!" and "Bye!" and waves and often blows kisses; that really gets the ladies. He knows the sounds of many animals. He can identify trucks (especially garbage trucks and "Steve's truck" (ie fire truck)), buses, cars, trains, and airplanes. He'll often point them out on
roadtrips, and if we're too slow in acknowledging him, he'll reply with "all
gone." A clever little guy. He knows his spoon, fork, cup, bowl, and plate. He
can say and point to slippers, shoes, socks, pants, and shirt and is eager to
put them all into his hamper before bedtime. I often find that he's unzipped his
pjs when he gets up in the morning. He's got a good number of his family by
name (EDITOR'S NOTE: Uncle Steve is just "uncle," even though fire trucks are "Steve's trucks." He continues to ask for Opa, Oma, and Raj (along with Tino, the contractor who finished work over a week ago!). But he also cycles through his cousins pretty well.), and he can point to himself when we ask where he is. The cats are Beegees (Biggles) and 'tafa (Mustafa). We're starting to work on numbers, and he's really good with 2 and 3 so far. He also loves "The Wheels on the Bus" and "The Itsy, Bitsy Spider" and will sing them tirelessly. If we don't understand him or he doesn't know the right word, he points to things. We've also taught him to sign for help, all done, more, milk, eat, and toilet. So far, no word pairs or basic sentences yet.

He loves puzzles, shape sorters, books, balls, and all things wheels. So, it's not hard to keep him busy. I'm setting up some regular playdates so that he gets socialized with kids his age or older, and we go to the library's weekly story time as often as we can.

He continues to be an amazing eater. He'll eat just about anything we give
him...with a vengence. He loves blueberries and popcorn (which Dave often brings
home from the train station). We try to serve his meal in a big-boy plate, but
he tends to dump it pretty quickly. He's getting much better with using his
spoon and fork, but his hands are much faster.

He's got his 18-month doctor's appointment on Monday morning, so I'll have his official stats then. We're also doing a vision screening. Will update my blog (address below) with all of that. I'll also get some photos up in our album (address below)
tonight as well. But, I hope this gives a bit of a peek into the fun we're
having watching Jonathan grow up.

And, last but not least: Happy Birthday to Cousin Ryan!!!

2009_01_09 Friday

Yeah, it's Friday!!! Jonathan is still asleep (at 9:50). I had time to take a nice, long shower, get dressed (up, actually!), and even dabble with some make-up! Nothing special, just had the time and energy to spend on myself this morning. Now, what to do today!?!?!? We are going to pick up some Freecycle stuff and visit Omaha Steaks for sure.

I've got to duke it out with our gas/elect company over our rediculously high bill; this means I have to figure out where the gas line is and send them an 'official' reading, since they've been estimating our usage for as long as I know. I'm hoping that will make a serious impact in our bills.

I've also gotten two more plumbers on the horn to give us estimates on the den and to fix the radiators. One's en route now; the other should be by tomorrow AM. Picked up Dave's drycleaning (had to swing by the bank for that too), scored at Omaha Steaks, Freecycled, and cleaned out the entryway to the kitchen so that Wanderly can demo it and install a new back door on Tuesday. yeah. Jonathan ate and then napped; I like that better than the other way around. He woke up at about 5:30, so I bundled him up and we picked up Dave from the train station. It's a nice, brisk walk; good to get some fresh air.

2009_01_08 Thursday

We are definitely back on track with Jonathan's sleeping. He got up around 9:15 today. After a nice hearty breakfast of strawberries, blueberries, bananas, grapes, and cereal, we got on our way to the Newark Museum. It was a Christmas gift from my Uncle Ed and family, so we thought we'd try it out today! It's great, although parking is $7. ugh. We got there a few minutes before they opened, and Jonathan entertained all the docents with his waving and "hi!" They have a cute little zoo and an Explore Earth center that Jonathan really got a kick out of. We strolled through some of the more traditional museum stuff: ancient artifacts from Africa and Native Indians, portrait gallery, nature paintings, none of which was nearly as exciting for him. We even had a snack in their cafe, which is closed temporarily. We'll definitely go back on cold and/or rainy days; there's plenty more to see/do.

I knew we were done when Jonathan started asking for his paci! So, we hightailed it home, and he's down for a long nap. I've been doing some household chores. I ran out of chores before he woke up, so I even got some vegging time at the TV for once!!! He finally woke up just before 5, and he had lunch. I'm thinking I need to flip lunch and nap so that he's eating lunch at a more normal time. We goofed around for a little bit, and then rushed to get dressed for the cold to get Dave. I pulled out the wagon, and Jonathan freaked out in joy!! He loves that wagon. I strapped him in, covered his legs with a blanket, wrapped his face with my scarf, and off we went. He loved it. Now, the boys are playing with toys in his room while I wrack my brain for dinner ideas.

2009_01_07 Wednesday

So far, so good! I think we are back to our regular routine! Jonathan is just now waking up; it's 9:23. wahooo.

It's a crappy, rainy day. Finn and Alanya came for our first weekly playdate around 3:30 today. Jonathan woke up after everyone arrived, so his lunch was more a snack of fruit. We had a blast. The whole first floor was covered in toys; that's a sign of a gooood time!! The kids ran around like crazy, and we moms got some adult, human interaction. wonderful! Jonathan ate a more reasonable lunch around 5, so we couldn't pick up Dave, and the two guys are playing and getting some excess energy out.

2009_01_06 Tuesday

Oh boy is Mom unhappy. Jonathan was up from about 3:30 on this morning, and so was mommy. Luckily, he would fall back asleep on occassion, but I sure did not. Dave and I just about high-fived when he got up as I was getting back in bed to let Jonathan cry it out for the remainder of the morning. I fear today.

After breakfast of blueberry pancakes, yogurt, and an orange, we headed out to the local zoo. It's chilly out but not uncomfortable. We were the only guests at the zoo! we had the whole place to ourselves. He had a great time wandering in the reptile house, watching the frogs, snakes, and turtles. Many of the animals were inside, but we still saw elk, wolf, bison, the entire farm, llamas, sea otters, ducks and geese, and some birds of prey. Good enough for me. Jonathan actually walked/ran 90% of the zoo himself. So, as soon as we got home, he was off to a nice, long nap.

I managed to take down our Christmas tree...well, at least the ornaments. The ornaments are even stored in labeled boxes in the basement! The tree is now wrapped in a huge bag and ready to be lugged outside.

Jonathan had a fantastic linner: chicken nuggets, fish sticks, sausages, strawberries, teriaky veggies, and milk. what a champion. Then we played with the new shape sorter and the new truck puzzle. They are both proving to be good purchases (or gifts from Julia); they've kept his attention for a loooong time!

We got packed up in a new snowsuit (thanks to Bobby), wrapped in mommy's scarf, seatbelted in the wagon (thanks to Grandma Cathy) with a cozy blanket, and by the time we got 1/3 of the way to pick up Dave, it started raining/hailing, so we had to turn around. what a letdown!!! Dave's home safe and sound after twisting his ankle, trying to catch the train.

2009_01_05 Monday

Gesh, where does the time go? I've really slacked off in 2009!!!

Our guests are all gone now, Dave's back at work, and Jonathan and I are back to our regular routine again. He's still constantly asking for his buddies: Opa, Oma, Raj, and Tino.

We spent all of 1/4 with the NY Hardwicks. Jonathan chased Catherine and Bobby around. Boy was he tired that night!!! whew.

I don't even remember what we did the previous days! Dave was great about doing home reno work; he spend many hours under the den stapling up insulation and banging away at the radiators to figure out why some turn off when others turn on. what a headache!!!

Today, Jonathan woke up early: 8:15am! I had just climbed out of the shower to hear him cycling through all his words. Gesh, I thought I'd have another 45 mins to do some freelance work and sip my coffee. no such luck. We motored off to Toys R Us to trade in a great gift from Julia (that we already had). Now he's got a new truck puzzle and a shape sorter. We also swung by Home Depot to return some things. He's napping now. We'll do lunch when he wakes up. Today was the last day for Tino. I paid him almost everything, but wanted to have Dave sign off as well, so he'll need to stop by again for the remainder. It was actually sad to see him go; he's been here for so long, he's become part of my daily routine and human interaction! The first floor looks awesome, though. He did a great, albeit slow, job. Now it's on to the kitchen...................

2009_01_02 Friday

Oh boy, I hope last night is not an indication of how this year is going to go. Jonathan hardly slept a wink...and that means me too. He woke up around midnight and basically didn't go back to sleep for the night. He'd sleep on my just fine, but as soon as I put him into his bed, he's start wailing. So, around 2:30am, I decided that we'd both sleep in the guest room (ie Oma/Opa's room or Willy/Silvana's room). That was better, but he still woke up a ton and tossed and turned, and I didn't sleep well b/c I was afraid he'd roll off the bed. Then, he was up for the day at 8. Tino is here, working on the foyer, so that's good. But, I sure feel like I pulled an allnighter.

2009_01_01 Thursday

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Our friends Willy and Silvana came up to visit us overnight. They arrived around 2 and we got to chat for the better part of the day. They actually venture to Times' Square to see the ball drop! We, on the other hand, watched it from the comfort of our home. I don't know exactly when they rolled home, but they said despite the cold, it was fun.

Jonathan slept until about 10, which was a good treat for W/S if they were at all hungover. Once we all got up and ready, we took them to the diner (circa 11). Both Donna and Betty were there, so Jonathan was in heaven. I suppose that's a good way to ring in the new year. The walk there and back was still pretty bitter. The local bank read 30F.

Jonathan went down for a nap. Dave's pounding away at the 4 radiators, based on what two plumbers have suggested. I'm really hoping that the new air valves will do the trick. So far, two of the radiators (both in the foyer) have turned on hot! Yippee!!! Of course, those are the two that could cause a problem if Jonathan is toddling around. No response from the other two, yet. When Dave pounds on a pipe, Jonathan The Helper does the same thing. It's pretty funny to watch. I applied for a couple of freelance gigs, so we'll see if anything pans out. I guess it's about lunch time! Jonathan has figured out who he is and can point to himself when we call out his name (he also points to mommy and daddy correctly, but that's old news).

He is still calling out for Opa, Oma, Raj, and Tino (sorry Shannon!) on a regular basis!