Little Mo' Millstein

Round 4?...5?

2012-02-06T19:32:00.000-08:00

Viruses: infinity. Us: zero. Yesterday Isaac became ill, with congestion and shallow breathing. He barely let us put him down all night, so Dev and I had to take turns not sleeping. A visit to the doctor taught us that this is a common cold going out that when inflicting infants makes it hard for them to breath. Although his breathing is labored, his lungs sound alright overall, and we just have to wait it out. The doctor warned it could be two weeks. Meanwhile, Isaac looks like he feels miserable. The doctor teasingly scolded us for having a child, a younger sibling no less, in the wintertime.

In positive news, our move to abandon trying to have Rani nap at preschool has proven a good one. He just wasn't doing it, and with enough sleep Rani is quite a fun and pleasant person. (This is in contrast to last Friday, when after 2 hours of a temper tantrum from 7:30-9:30am, we had to give up on the idea of him going to school.) Tonight at dinner he actually said, "This pasta is yummy. Thanks for making dinner, Mommy."

Kicking our butts

2012-02-01T20:19:00.000-08:00

Illness this winter has really kicked our butts. A couple of weeks ago Rani had a fever for 6 days. Up in the mountains, Isaac and I got sick with some unspecified virus (Isaac later tested negative for the ones they test for), and I have a cough that is lingering like an unloved guest. Last weekend Rani and I both got a fever - mine for just 1 or 2 days, Rani's a little more - and he was diagnosed with pink eye, but that was later amended to an ear infection. Sick times come again no more.

The pediatrician for both our boys asked Rani how the baby was doing. Rani replied: "He's good. Sometimes he cries. Sometimes he laughs. Sometimes he says 'A-gooo.' " We could not have said it better ourselves.

Times that makes Isaac happy

2012-01-28T09:52:00.000-08:00

Story time

Bath time (the thing on his belly is a tattoo - guess whose idea that was?)

And the best time of all, Big Brother time

SNOW

2012-01-23T20:41:00.000-08:00

We went to the Sierras this weekend to locate snow. We found some.

The cabin was great, the company even better (we went with Sara, Neil, and the twins), but both my and Isaac's health worsened on Saturday. I'm glad we gave it a shot, but I don't think we'll be taking a newborn up the mountains again anytime soon. We all enjoyed the sledding - perhaps the adults more than the kids. Dev built a couple of snow ramps, one off the roof of our car. Thanks to Tia Sara for unknowingly sharing photos of the weekend.

Mo-mo-nster

2012-01-18T14:25:00.000-08:00

Second child syndrome

2012-01-17T14:08:00.000-08:00

When I wrote the last post, I failed to mention that last week started out as rough because Isaac had his 2 month check-up on Monday. He received 6 vaccines from 4 shots, and that was understandably hard on him. So, Monday and Tuesday he was mildly sick and fussy. He had just gotten back to normal when Rani's illness hit. Poor second kid, his details are already lost in the shuffle. Here's the punchline from the visit - Isaac is doing great. He weighs a little over 12 pounds and is near 50th percentile for all his measurements. He's pretty quick to smile and has even started giggling. I think he's going to be a happy kid.

A rough week

2012-01-16T20:21:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday night, Rani woke up screaming with a high fever. Nearly a week later, it's still here. He doesn't get sick very often (we are thankful of that, believe me), and this flu or cold is a doozy. The fever is really wiping him out. He's so un-busy, he just lays on the ground, he refuses ice cream. In other words, he's just not himself. Luckily, Isaac hasn't gotten sick, beyond the congestion that he's had pretty much since Christmas. But, in horrible timing, did decide last week to go from a pretty regular 2 times a night waking to every 2 hours. The last couple of nights have been a little better, so hopefully that "sleep regression" was an aberration and we are going back to longer stretches at night. And hopefully his older brother will fight off this virus soon! Meanwhile, we get more snuggles than we imagined possible.

Weekend

2012-01-10T12:36:00.000-08:00

Rani invites Isaac into his crib after naptime and proceeds to line up his favorite toys.

Does Daddy look happy to be home with his family, or what?

"Give me a moment while I ponder that..."

Kids say the ... things

2012-01-04T11:01:00.000-08:00

Our camera broke, so until we replace it, I'll post some verbal and activity-based updates on the boys.

Isaac continues to grow like a weed in the Bay Area winter. He's more and more alert, focuses his eyes on people and even offers some smiles. His cooes are sweet and he definitely likes being amidst the crowd. He usually wakes up a couple of times at night to feed, but for the most part goes right back to sleep. He has mastered using his lower lip to look pitiful and adorable. Something about the way he cries makes you want to say, "It's hard to be a baby."

Here are some good Rani quotes made recently.

Me: Do you want to make the waffles from scratch?

Rani: No, I want to make them from soft.

Dev is out of town, and Rani overhears me telling Dev on Skype that I'm still a little scared in the new house without him around. Rani says, "But I'm here with you, Mommy."

At one of the songs sung at preschool, we say hello to the Biblical character Rachel. Rani insists, "And Daddy, too!"

Rani cries out one night, and Dev offers to sit next to his crib until he calms down. After a little while, Rani sniffles, "When this is done, I want a hug."

Tia Sara: When we get to Jeff's studio, It'll be time to go potty.

Rani: OK.

Rani: What's a studio?

Christmas 2011

2012-01-01T09:51:00.000-08:00

My immediate family was kind and traveled to us this year, so we didn't have to fly with a 6 week old baby Isaac. It was a great holiday! Lots of fun activities, cousin playtime, and nice time together (including sharing colds). Here are some highlights.

A pre-Christmas craft session: gingerbread houses and paper chains while listening to carols and drinking creme de vie.

Christmas Fantasy at the Merry-Go-Round in Tilden Park.

Christmas Eve - John, Skye, and James arrive!

Christmas Day.

Boxing Day: siblings and spouses night out at the SF vegetarian restaurant Greens.

Cousin trip to the Zoo.

Carmen

2011-12-22T20:15:00.001-08:00

Today was the last day of Rani's nanny share. We joined the share when Rani was 8 months old, and the situation really worked out. The share was at the other family's house, which was a quick 5 minute walk from our old apartment. The family was great to be in a share with: they were nice, easy to work out logistics with, and always provided lots of great toys and play space for the kids. Most importantly, we'll really miss Carmen. She was warm, provided a fun and creative environment for the kids, was never frazzled, followed our lead in terms of routines, and was very generous (she threw a party for Rani's birthday that was more elaborate than our own). When trying to remember if we had any issues with her over the nearly 2 years of working with her, I came up with very little: I think she could have been a little more firm in her rebukes of Rani's biting other kids. That, and she bought him treats every day at a nearby bakery. But we knew about it and never asked her not too, and that's one of the those "flaws" akin to "I work too hard" when asked for a personal weakness at a job interview. One time, Dev and I found her playing in the backyard with the kids when we came to get Rani at the end of the day. She had accidentally locked herself out of the house, so Dev volunteered to climb in through the open bathroom window. He was pretty clumsy at it, legs and feet flailing. Carmen and I were both laughing, I perhaps more hysterically than her, because she mumbled something about not laughing so much at my husband, and that made me laugh ever harder. The other day, we were talking about Carmen on the drive over to the share, and Rani said, "We've gotten pretty close." We will all miss her greatly.

Starting in January, Rani will be in preschool five days a week: the drive to the old neighborhood for the share is just too long and trafficy to continue doing. We hope to continue to see her for after school playdates.

Abi and Grandpa

2011-12-22T11:15:00.001-08:00

Abi and Grandpa arrived on Tuesday and spent the day with us yesterday. I really put them to work, between child care and household chores. Grandpa even tried to teach Rani how to do a sit up, but Rani always rolled to his side to get up to touch his toes.

Hanukah 2011

2011-12-19T20:44:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Hanukah in Davis on Sunday (even though the Festival of Lights doesn't officially start until Tuesday night). Here are all the kids - minus Isaac - waiting patiently at the table for the singing to begin and the apple cider to be poured. When the celebration finally began, Rani got to show off all the songs he learned in preschool.

Rani and Julia "dance the hora" after dinner.

And for the first time in Rani's short life, he fell asleep in the car ride home and stayed asleep for the transfer to his crib. (Worth mentioning is that Mommy fell asleep during the car ride before Rani did.)

Empathy

2011-12-19T20:40:00.001-08:00

We are starting to have Rani nap at this preschool, and for the first couple of days of this Rani has yet to fall asleep. He lays on his mat and is a little sad, we learn. His teacher Elaine sits next to him to offer some comfort. Often, when Isaac starts to fuss, Rani will run and just sit next to him, saying "I'm sitting next to you, Momo. Don't cry." Sometimes, it actually works!

Saturday in the City

2011-12-19T20:37:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning we took BART into SF with some friends to see all the holiday decorations in Union Square.

It was a good day

2011-12-10T19:42:00.000-08:00

This morning we went on a walk to explore Albany Hill, a small hill nearby where the top is undeveloped and full of trees. When we reached the top, we were thrilled to find a rope swing.

On the way home, we stopped at new brew pub in our neighborhood, and the food and beers were excellent. Isaac cooperated and slept soundly in the sling for the entire expedition.

When we got home, Rani went down easily for a nap, and slept for 2 hours! Meanwhile, our friends Jessica and Dan came over, and when he woke up, Rani had remembered them and played with them very nicely. We all went to the park and played until dinner.

I'd have to say it was a darn good day. Let's hope for a good night!

One month old

2011-12-08T09:20:00.000-08:00

Daddy returned

2011-12-06T11:41:00.001-08:00

Daddy returned late Wednesday night, and on Thursday morning when Dev went to collect Rani from his room, I hear, "You came back from your trip! I missed you."

"At my window sad and lonely"

2011-11-30T15:28:00.003-08:00

Rani is really feeling his Daddy's absence. This morning he wanted to look out the window to make sure his dad wasn't there.

A rare moment

2011-11-30T15:25:00.001-08:00

Isaac is awake and not fussing, Rani is playing by himself.

Daddy is out of town

2011-11-29T10:25:00.000-08:00

Here's a transcript of Rani's end of the phone conversation with his Daddy:

"Hello?

Hello Daddy.

Good, I'm good.

I miss you.

Come back too soon.

Tomorrow."

Thanksgiving

2011-11-28T12:25:00.000-08:00

We have much to be thankful for, but beside the 10 minutes before the feast on Thursday when we all shared why we are grateful, the holiday weekend was a blur of cousins, eating, and activities. This is the only picture we took: Kieran and Rani wading in the creek at the Oakland Zoo on Saturday morning. Both of Dev's brothers and their families and Sara and her family converged on Meema and Papa's for the Thanksgiving Feast on Thursday; the food was delicious and the time together appreciated.

Pig Sooie

2011-11-28T12:19:00.000-08:00

I don't know how this cute onesie didn't help the Arkansas Razorbacks defeat LSU last Friday, but regardless, Isaac and I had a great time snuggling during the game.

A very sweet big brother

2011-11-28T12:16:00.001-08:00

Rani holds Isaac's hand and sings him a song one morning after Isaac fusses at breakfast.

Spelling out a word does not equal dessert

2011-11-26T15:44:00.000-08:00

Me, to Dev, while driving home late one night: Are we going to skip b-a-t-h tonight?

Rani: What's t-h? (no response from the front seat.) What's t-h? (Still not response.) WHAT'S T-H?!

Dev: What do you think it is?

Rani, whispering: piiiiiiie

2 week check up

2011-11-24T03:52:00.000-08:00

Isaac had not only regained his birthweight but had also nearly gained a pound: he now weighs 8 lb 5 oz. He is very kind to his parents, not making them worry about whether he's getting enough to eat.

Some light reading

2011-11-21T17:59:00.001-08:00

" 'Goodnight Train' is cool and all, but I'm finding that Roth really speaks to me in a deeper way."

(For anyone who has read the book Rani is reading, this picture is particularly disturbing; this is my book gang selection this month).

Isaac's first bath

2011-11-20T21:21:00.000-08:00

We interpret not screaming as a sign he liked it.

Open eyes

2011-11-17T12:54:00.000-08:00

Isaac is starting to spend some of the day awake. He will turn his head toward the light or music source (but his eyes clearly do not focus yet).

Some great comments

2011-11-15T21:08:00.000-08:00

--While Rani plays with the kitchen faucet, I ask: is the water too hot? Rani says, "It's not hot, it's not cold, it's room temperature."

--While cousin Darcy takes grapes from a fruit bowl for dessert, Rani yells, "Pass it around!"

--Upon drinking carrot juice for the first time, "This tastes like carrots."

--Nearly home, and Isaac starts to cry. Rani reassures him, "Just a few more blocks, Momo."

--Singing "Little baby, mix it up" to the tune of Bob Marley's Stir It Up.

Some adjustments

2011-11-15T09:56:00.000-08:00

Not a big shocker, but we are dealing with some hiccups with Rani's transition to having a little sibling in the house. Luckily, Rani could not be more sweet to Isaac himself: he runs to see Isaac the minute he comes in the door, he brings Isaac toys, he says "You're OK" when Isaac cries. Then, he acts out in other ways. Today there was a total meltdown getting out to door. He wanted a different pair of underwear, he wanted to put on his clothes himself, he wanted to keep his boots on while getting dressed; after not actually making any movements to do any of this himself, Dev and I had to force the issue, and a real tantrum ensued. It was the first time - of many, we know - when both the kids were screaming. When we were forcing him into his carseat, he cried that he wanted to stay home with Mommy, since he has figured out that Mommy is staying home with Isaac during the days. It about broke my heart.

Thankfully, there are some sweet moments, too. Rani's bedtime routine had gotten out of control, where Dev - and it had to be Dev - was in his room for an hour to cajole him to sleep. We are trying out a new routine to great success so far, and last night I was sitting in his room with him for 10 minutes before leaving. Right before the 10 minutes of "quiet time" was up, he asks, "Mommy?" as if to say, are you still here? I say, "Hi sweetie, I'm here." Then he says, "Mommy, I love you." I'm going to hold on to that for a long time.

Abi's here

2011-11-15T09:51:00.000-08:00

Abi is back in town: even with a dislocated shoulder, she's managed to help care for the twins while their Dad is away for a conference and stock our freezer as Dev and I begin to make the transition to life with two kids. Unsurprisingly, Isaac has taken quite quickly to his Abi.

Asleep is how I spend most of my days

2011-11-14T09:54:00.000-08:00

Its pretty impressive, given that he has an older brother like Rani and with thus never know what a quiet and mellow home is like.

Lots of good snuggles from big brother

2011-11-10T10:08:00.001-08:00

Introducing Isaac

2011-11-08T14:33:00.000-08:00

Meet Isaac Josiah Millstein.

We came home from the hospital this afternoon, and so far Isaac doesn't seem to be interested in doing anything but sleeping.

We thought of lots of difference nicknames. Zak, Jozy, iJo. So far he gets called Momo and Isaac in equal measure.

Why yes, Tio Neil, we have heard of skin-to-skin

2011-11-08T11:55:00.000-08:00

Even a little MO' Millstein

2011-11-07T21:28:00.000-08:00

"Adams male" was born Monday, November 7, around 2:30pm. He weighed in at 7 lb, 7 oz, and he's 20 inches long. We are all doing well and will settle on a name soon, we promise. For now, he still responds to Momo.

Halloween Day

2011-10-31T20:36:00.000-07:00

We had a great first Halloween in our new neighborhood. First, we took Rani trick-or-treating to a couple of houses on our block, and even in that short run he filled his bucket.

We learned that ours was a busy street for kids, so I ran to the store to increase our supplies. We felt pretty good about our 75 candy stockpile. We sat down to eat some dinner but soon just brought our home-made burritos to the front porch because of the constant run of kids. Besides being terrified by a full gorilla costume, Rani did a spectacular job giving away all the candy in the house, even the bucket-full he had got trick-or-treating himself.

We quickly ran out of candy. Dev got reinforcements from our neighborhoods, but by 7:15 we had run out that, too. So, we turned off the lights and went for a walk along what turned out to be a hit spot for trick-or-treating, our very own street. A little later, Papa (Dev's dad) came by to replenish our supply AGAIN, and within 10 minutes that was gone. We figured we gave out about 200 pieces of candy tonight. We're happy we live on such a festive street, and next year we will be more prepared!

An appropriate costume

2011-10-30T19:59:00.000-07:00

Today Rani was unabashedly a "busy bee."

An image that warmed my heart

2011-10-24T11:54:00.000-07:00

Really?

2011-10-15T15:24:00.001-07:00

Mom and Dad were off to a slow start this morning and content to just be at the house. This was fine for a while, but around mid-morning Rani got hyper, screeching and running around like mad. We decided he needed to get outside to let out some steam. Amid our scramble to get ready to leave the house, we notice it had become quiet: we find Rani reading quietly to himself in our bed. Huh?

Housewarming

2011-10-15T15:16:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful housewarming party last weekend. Not because the house is ready, but because we had to have the party before Momo arrives. It was a blast, most especially for Rani who could not have been more excited to have cousins from both sides of the family in one spot (he had a meltdown when it was time for them to leave). For a while, he and Julia utilized the Rock Band guitars to start a punk band. Their interpretation of the ABCs has quite an edge.

Trains everywhere

2011-10-15T15:05:00.000-07:00

We finally made it to one of cousin Sean and Darcy's favorite playgrounds - Aquatic Park in Berkeley. It is indeed a good play structure: large, lots of places to explore, lots of different kinds of slides and swings, and situated right next to the train tracks. Upon loading up in the car to leave, I noticed that Rani's pants were all wet from the dew-covered slides and started to change them. Right then, Rani heard a train heading our way and just had to check it out. Hence, pictures of Rani on the back of our car in his underwear, jumping up and down in excitement. Notice the train in his front, and his behind.

Name that mathematical property

2011-10-13T13:17:00.000-07:00

Rani and I made pumpkin chocolate-chip cake before dinner yesterday, and I must have made a comment about what a good help he was being. At the end of the dinner, Rani declares, "Daddy is not a big boy. He did not help Mommy make a cake."

Ch-ch-ch-changes

2011-09-26T10:46:00.000-07:00

We have been remiss in noting all the changes in our lives, so here's my attempt at a catch-up.

Moving to the new house -

Because we were having work done on the new house before we moved in, there was a period where we had the "old house" and the "new house." I think that helped Rani with the idea of moving house: he made sure we were moving all his prized items and he quickly learned which room in the new was was his, Momo's (Baby #2's uterine name), and Mommy and Daddy's. When people come over now, he is quick to show them his new room. He's sometimes waking up in the middle of the night and needing some consolation in his new environs, but overall the move has gone pretty smoothly. This past weekend he even cooperated and let his parents get a lot of work done around the house. What, you mean all 2 year olds don't get to play with saws?

Starting school -

With the move, we had to have a change in child care. We decided to enroll Rani in preschool a little earlier in his life than we had planned. So, now Rani goes 2 or 3 mornings a week to the two-year old class at the same Nursery School that Dev attended, after which Meema (Dev's mom) watches him in the afternoon. Despite my apprehension, Rani has taken to it amazingly well and seems to love all the activities and being around all the other kids. And then he still gets to see Carmen and Beatrice twice a week at the share in the old neighborhood.

New sibling -

Pretty early on, Rani seemed to get the concept that Mommy had a baby in her belly. As you may recall, he somehow knew the progression of events: Mommy gets fat, baby comes out. Now that the baby belly is quite prominent on Mommy, Rani talks about Momo a bunch, and its all very sweet. Last night at a restaurant for dinner, he pointed out that the fourth, empty seat at the table was for Momo; later on he asked me to open my mouth so he could look for Momo down my throat. At bedtime, he asks Daddy for the story of when Momo comes "AGAIN!" and demonstrates on his own feet how he's going to kiss Momo's toes. He also kisses my belly a bunch. (Its all so nice, we'll just have to see what happens when Momo actually comes and takes Mommy and Daddy's attention. Luckily, pronouns are still a little tricky for Rani, so Momo gets called Momo exclusively, not he or she. But Dev and I, based on a hunch, call Momo a 'he'.)

New style

2011-09-19T10:18:00.000-07:00

We finally moved into our new house! We are mostly settled, but in the meanwhile, we had a pizza dinner with Tia, Tio, Sean, Darcy, and friend Casey. Its too bad Rani is cut out from this picture on the left - he's ominously holding up a fork. But I'll include a picture of Rani's new haircut. After it got really long, I decided to just chop it all off. Its short, for sure, but the new cut makes him look more like his cousin James, we think - lucky us since James is such handsome kid!

I know I've always wanted a friend

2011-09-08T20:55:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I tried to get Rani excited about a trip to Ikea by saying it was a palace and we were going to find Corduroy. For those who need a refresher on this children's book, Corduroy is a toy bear who lives in a big department store; one night Corduroy goes looking for his lost button and ends up on the floor with all the beds and furniture. He thinks it's a palace and hides in a bed from a night watchman. Well, Rani really look to this story line, and the whole trip around Ikea he kept asking where were Corduroy and the night watchman. In the children's area, I surreptitiously hid a toy dog - no bear to be had at Ikea - in one of the kids beds so Rani could find it. He's been attached to "Corduroy" ever since.

It's hot in Davis

2011-08-29T20:47:00.000-07:00

I visited friends in sunny Laguna Beach, CA, this weekend, and Dev took Rani on the train to visit the Davis Millsteins. All had a great time in the backyard swimming pool.

Sleepover with Julia

2011-08-12T20:21:00.000-07:00

Cousin Julia is staying with Mima and Papa for the month of August while she goes to summer camp in Berkeley, and one night she joined us at our house. Rani loved the sleepover, finally falling asleep much after his older cousin. Meanwhile, we were exhausted and getting a little nervous about having two kids.

Non-skinny pants

2011-08-12T20:05:00.001-07:00

On Tia Sara and Tio Jeff's last night in the Bay Area, we met up with the family for dinner in the Mission neighborhood of SF. Rani took to the scene immediately and loved walking up and down Valencia. It made us think that we could have stayed in the Mission after all, instead of moving to family-friendly Berkeley. That lasted about a second, before we remembered, among other things, that we were walking three blocks back to where we found a parking spot. Thanks to Dara for the pics!

Mountain Beach Week

2011-08-12T19:56:00.001-07:00

Things have been bizz-y. I'll try to do some catch up.

Abi and Grandpa were out here for 2 whole weeks, and we, again, put them to serious work. When they were not doing demolition and remodeling of our first home (details soon!), they were chasing their grandkids and cooking us food. We did manage to get away to a cabin near Big Trees State Park for a long weekend with (mommy's) Tia Sara (aka Tita Lala) and her family, who converged on California from Alaska, Florida, and Argentina. As always, our photographic documentation of our time together is scant - so thanks for Grandpa for supplementing.

What time is it, Rani?

2011-07-20T20:17:00.000-07:00

Time for another bite of your burrito.

Family Camp at UC Santa Barbara

2011-07-13T20:10:00.000-07:00

The Millstein Family is back again this year for another week at UCSB's Family Camp. As always, the air temperature is *not* warm, but that doesn't keep up from having a nice time at the beach.

Like last year, Rani hates Small World, the child care that comes with the camp for some part of every day. Sigh. Maybe next year. When we drop him off, his mantra is "I tired." I'm not sure why he thinks that is going to cause a change of plans. When we try to talk about it later in the day, he says stuff like, "At Group, I cry." His voice is so sweet when he says it, at least that brings a smile to his parents' faces.

Going parking

2011-07-08T07:20:00.000-07:00

It was recently Rani's birthday, and he is flush with new toys. I did some straightening up last night, and this morning I hear, "Look, Mommy. Two trucks. Snuggling."

Weeeeeeee

2011-07-04T21:51:00.001-07:00

Dev took Rani to the park today and was surprised when Rani knew how to play on the arm-slide.

(Maybe he had been checking out his cousins' blog!)

Some fun Rani behavior

2011-07-04T21:39:00.000-07:00

Any time we get in the car, Rani requests a "big pile of books" to keep him entertained. Sometimes we are lucky and he actually reads them to himself. Other times he throws them aside and then demands we return them to his pile.

We took a train whistle that Dev's Aunt Rima had given Rani to ride the Little Train this weekend. He is still really into trains, and the whistle was a fun addition.

Rani models his Dad's earlier behavior and relaxes on the couch.

Wearing his cousin James' baseball hat, he looks so Southern to me.

Hard shoes to fill

2011-07-04T16:36:00.000-07:00

Abi (Rachel's mother) was here for nearly two weeks to help get us through a busy time: the kids' birthday party, Dev out of town for a conference, and finally Dev's little brother's wedding. We did a poor job at photographing the visit, but here is Rani showing Abi he stole her sandals.

Birthday Party 2.5

2011-06-21T22:21:00.000-07:00

Rani's nanny Carmen (in top picture, along with the other child in the share) threw him what looks like an amazing birthday party at the park. Check out that homemade cake! And the Thomas pinata! Rani is one lucky kid to have such a loving nanny and to be part of such a giving community, that is for sure.

Rani turns 2

2011-06-20T20:53:00.000-07:00

Rani shared a birthday, themed the Three Amigos, with his cousins Sean and Darcy. Adults and kids had a wonderful time, with a pinata, cupcakes, and sunshine.

Speaking of babies...

2011-06-16T19:56:00.000-07:00

...there's going to be one around here before too long.

Rani's little brother or sister is due November 5. Like Rani, we are not finding out the gender beforehand. And because we are bringing even a little mo' Millstein into the world, this one's nickname is MoMo. Rani knows to say "Mommy get fat, baby come out," but he doesn't know what's coming!

Baby burrito

2011-06-16T18:57:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite routines right now is "baby burrito." After bath, we wrap Rani up in a towel (which, incidentally, makes brushing teeth a whole lot easier), and then Dev throws the burrito on the bed for some playtime before we read stories.

So many wizards

2011-06-12T20:53:00.000-07:00

Today we went to my commencement ceremony from Stanford. Initially I wasn't even going to attend the thing, but it ended up being quite fun. Rani was a little unsure of the whole experience. From his perspective, we were having a nice picnic of burritos with Uncle Brenden and Aunt Amanda, and mommy runs off. When we go to find her, she's all dressed up in something funny and doesn't seem that interested in playing with me. Walking around before the ceremony, he commented to Aunt Amanda, "Sooooo many wizards."

Luckily I was seated at the end of a row during the ceremony, and Rani could come find me for some reassurance.

After I received my diploma, he came to ask me where HIS prize was.

On the drive home, after a full and tiring day, Rani concluded, "I'm tired and I want to eat uvas." It was a good day.

Imaginative play

2011-06-12T20:43:00.000-07:00

While reading a firehouse book, Rani decided to dress the part. He's getting more and more into pretending scenes and characters when he plays.

Outdoor bath

2011-06-10T20:06:00.000-07:00

I was out of town this week for a work conference (I loved the 100 degree, stifling hot weather in Austin, reminded me of my summers growing up in Arkansas), so I got to play with Rani all day today. After nap time, we went to Tia's house and joined Sean, Darcy, and Gladys in the backyard. For these kids, 70 degrees is hot enough for some water play. They were lucky to have 2 pools - one with bubbles, and one without.

Keep parents on their toes

2011-06-05T20:53:00.000-07:00

Today at lunch, Rani stuffed an entire muffin into his mouth. His cheeks were absolutely engorged, and the whole scene was hilarious. Dev and I hid our laughter (me behind my hands, Dev behind a jacket) because we didn't want him to think he had stumbled upon a fun game. Instead, Rani thought we were making fun of him or being mean, or something. Because he then just shut down, stared straight ahead blankly, and tears welled in his eyes. We really had to talk him into our good graces again. That's an emotional response we had never seen before.

Little Farm(er)

2011-06-01T20:10:00.001-07:00

Rani was afraid of the cows because of their deep moo, and he was just building up the courage to feed one celery when it moo-ed again. This farmer is sticking to the sheep and fowl.

This train is going to...

2011-05-27T19:41:00.000-07:00

But in positive news, Rani's love of trains continues. He has taken to lining up all sitting devices, even footstools, he can get his hands on. Then he tells Mom and Dad where to sit and sings all the train songs he knows.

I wanna waste soap

2011-05-27T19:36:00.000-07:00

Not pictured is an example of Rani's increasingly difficult behavior. He's developing strong desires and a short fuse, not a great combination. Today he was playing with the soap dispenser in the bathroom. I said that we don't play with the soap and moved it away. Apparently, it was still in his reach, because a minute later I came back and he again was trying to pour out the soap. I said we were not going to waste the soap and moved it completely. Total meltdown ensued. Amidst the stomping, screaming, and sobs, we could make out "I wanna waste soooooap."

The Big Train

2011-05-14T20:15:00.000-07:00

In contrast to the Little Train in Tilden Park, the Amtrak train to Davis is a big train. This weekend, we decided to splurge and take the train to Davis (the train being - frustratingly - much more expensive than driving). As expected, Rani loved it, and we had a great time visiting Uncle Aram, Aunt Christa, and cousins Julia, Kieran, and Maggie.

Saturday morning we went to the famous Davis Farmer's Market, where we had three aborted missions before Rani finally felt comfortable riding the carousel.

Daddy birds removing the pits from cherries before feeding their little ones.

p.s. Dev is back to "Daddy," but the admonition of "no hugging" has persisted.

First-name basis

2011-05-11T20:22:00.000-07:00

Tonight Rani started calling Dev "Dev" instead of "Daddy." We have no idea where this came from. At one point he proceeded to admonish "Dev" for hugging Mama. "Deeeev, no hugging."

Grocery list

2011-05-10T19:17:00.000-07:00

Tonight I was reading out loud a grocery list to see if Dev had any items to add, and Rani piped in instead: apples, uvas, oranges, and mango. Dude likes fruit.

Point Reyes National Seashore

2011-05-09T19:31:00.000-07:00

Our friend Will celebrated his birthday by renting a house near Point Reyes and having friends up for the weekend. Mostly sticking around the house, we got out for one outing to the beach and then a short hike (where we put our fancy jogging stroller to the test, and it passed with flying colors: Rani even fell asleep for his nap in it!). We all had a great weekend.

Will and his adorable - and well impersonated - 5-month old baby girl, Ada.

Aly generously agrees to push Rani because Rani insists on holding both Daddy and Mama's hands.

Now what?

2011-05-07T08:48:00.001-07:00

Getting ready for a trip this weekend, some of Rani's supplies were laying around. Rani was very clever to get himself strapped into his seat but then was stuck on what to do next.

Our little Californian

2011-05-07T08:45:00.000-07:00

He wears sunglasses while eating his burritos.

Nature scenes

2011-04-26T20:52:00.001-07:00

At what point do you not let your kid run around in public naked?

Get that smirk off your face

2011-04-18T21:08:00.001-07:00

This morning when Dev dropped Rani off at the nanny share, Beatrice, the little girl in the share, was showing off a new addition to the toy department - a play stroller for dolls. Rani wanted to give it a whirl, but Beatrice was playing with it so Rani was told he would have to wait. Well, Rani had other plans. He went over to Beatrice's highchair and started gesturing like it was time to eat. Beatrice was on board this plan, and she ran to the highchair to get some grub. With her post abandoned, Rani nabbed the new toy and starting running around the room. Dev said he had a very smug look on his face.

Passing fears

2011-04-18T20:52:00.000-07:00

For a couple of months, Rani was scared of riding little trains - this came up at the zoo and the little steam train in Tilden Park. Then, a couple of weeks ago, Abi and Tia convinced him to ride the little train at the zoo. We weren't sure if that was a one-off or he had overcome his fears, so we took him back to the little train in Tilden. After some tentative excitement (where he repeated "stand here", a good 20 feet back from the tracks), when the train stopped to let riders off and take on new ones, Rani ran to get on. We took him back last weekend to solidify his newfound confidence, and this time the whole Millstein fam was there to watch. He shouted "All 'board", "choo choo", and "tuuunnnnnnel" like he was an old hand at this train business.

Beyond his years

2011-04-18T20:49:00.000-07:00

Sometimes Rani walks around with his hands in his pockets, and he can look so grown-up when he does.

Double-fisted

2011-04-07T12:36:00.000-07:00

Lauren came over last night with burritos from our favorite taqueria in SF and some sake. Not to be left out, Rani also wanted to drink out of a little cup (ie. a shotglass), so he got his own mini-stein filled with agua. Then Rani proceeded to eat nearly half of a Papalote burrito! He comes by that ability honestly. Perhaps he ate enough of them in utero.

Thanks to Lauren for the pictures, the company, and the yummy meal!

ps. Rani is still calling out for Abiiiiiii when his parents are slow to respond in the morning.

Abiiiiiiiiii

2011-04-04T19:57:00.000-07:00

We got Abi for an extra couple of days, due to Southwest's troubles. On Saturday we were actually on the way to the airport when we heard news, so we took a detour to Colby Park. Southwest got Abi home, two days later than originally planned. It was nice to have her around for the extra time - things were finally settling down around here after Dev's surgery.

We will all miss Abi. Perhaps most especially Rani in those early morning hours: a quick call out to Mama and Daddy, then Abiiiiiiiii...Abiiiiiiii.

Dev has surgery, Abi comes to the rescue

2011-03-24T19:30:00.000-07:00

A while back Dev tore his ACL playing soccer, and yesterday he had surgery to repair it. And in what is impeccable timing, Rani's nanny Carmen is taking a well-earned vacation week to be with her own granddaughter. So, my mom, whose grandmother moniker is Abi, has come into town to get us through this demanding time.

Rani adores Abi, in a way best described in pictures. Moving ones, too.

Before the hectic times began, we had bought a tub to make an earthquake kit. Apparently "earthquake preparedness" to Rani entails himself and some books.

Lulu the owl

2011-03-20T21:47:00.000-07:00

Our friends Will & Melissa gave Rani an owl puppet, and although he played it cool when they gave it to him ("oh sweet, tissue paper and a bag"), he has quickly become attached. Lulu (Rani came up with the name) is now a must have at bedtime, and some potty roll-playing with Lulu has been helpful in the toilet training process.

Forts

2011-03-14T20:09:00.000-07:00

Rani just loves making forts with his cousins.

Unfortunately Rani is going through a bit of a phase right now of biting. He bites us (his parents) when he's really excited, and he bites the other child in the nanny share for what seems like a variety of reasons. Today I picked Rani up at the share, and the other child's mom was quick to show me a welt on her little girl's arms. We are trying to get Rani through this phase with some stern rebukes and instruction on how to use words to express his emotions.

Does this make me look girly?

2011-03-04T21:02:00.000-08:00

Mom's random-accessory drawer in the bathroom is a big hit with Rani - and his parents when he ends up looking like that!

Party like I'm 29

2011-02-27T21:46:00.000-08:00

What a weekend! Friday night Dev and I went to a Warriors basketball game - my first NBA game - with friends Rhys and Aly. Tia Sara was babysitting, and Rani loved it. As Tia walks in, she calls out, "where is the Ranster?" and we turn the kitchen corner to see Rani in his high chair, pointing at his chest with both pointer fingers and looking with great anticipation in Tia's direction. As I was gathering my things to go, Rani says happily, "Mama bye bye!" Then in the morning, he seemed a little bit miffed that it was Mama getting him from his crib and not Tia.

On Saturday morning, I was trying to do a little home exercise video, and Rani decided to join in.

We had a lot of fun with Rani in his dad's fleece jacket, calling out repeatedly "Thou shall not pass!" from Lord of the Rings. But with those soft curly locks and round face, let's just say Rani lacks a certain gravitas that Sir Ian McKellen as Lord Gandalf really pulls off.

On Saturday night, we celebrated my 30th birthday, with a great feast for the young and old at a Chinese restaurant, and then drinks at a local pub for the older set.

Today we spent a raucous day in Davis celebrating cousin Julia's 5th birthday at an indoor gym, where Rani really took to the trampoline. We are all worn out from such a fun weekend. I hope to take it easy tomorrow before I start my new job - a post-doctoral research position at Berkeley - on Tuesday.

Snow in Berkeley?!

2011-02-27T21:33:00.000-08:00

Despite all the hype, San Francisco and Berkeley did not get snow this weekend. However, a week ago we took Rani up into the hills, to ride the Little Train in Tilden Park. We were surprised to see snow on the ground, although Rani did not seem that impressed. Despite enjoying the train last time we took him, this time he refused to get near the thing, even pleading with Dev ("No daddy, no daddy") to get off.

Call us crazy

2011-02-19T19:18:00.000-08:00

We have started the process of toilet training, and it is not starting off so well. But if we are at a low point, there's only one way - up - to go, right? Right?! In all honesty, we are optimistic.

Rani and Dad took this opportunity of underwear time to draw some colorful tattoos. This picture is from a couple of days ago - unfortunately today Rani was a bit under the weather (104 fever), but with it all this rain we didn't want to go outside anyway, so there.

Before, during, and after

2011-02-05T11:59:00.000-08:00

Rani got his first haircut this week. I'm glad to have it out of his eyes, but I must admit I don't love the new do. Just like at home when we are trying to cut fingernails, Rani was placated during the process by a Elmo video.

Sky Ride at the Zoo

2011-01-23T20:16:00.000-08:00

After what feels like dozens of trips to the Oakland Zoo with the Sky Ride not in operation, Rani finally got to go for a ride (safely strapped in a baby carrier). We saw overhead views of the tigers, giraffes, lions, camels, and elephants, and even passed over a paddock for bison and elk, which are otherwise hidden from zoo-goers.

(not bad for a self-portrait, I think)

In the end, I think I had more fun than Rani, and that may explain why he later refused to go on the miniature train at the zoo. I had to ask him, Really? He was keen to go on a sky ride but not a steam train? Perhaps "heights" don't mean anything to him yet.

Milk is for drinking?

2011-01-23T20:05:00.000-08:00

Rani asked for more milk at dinner, which made us suspicious since he doesn't really enjoy milk. I asked him if he was going to drink it, and he said no. So I asked him what he was going to do with it, and without shame he just pointed at the little pouch in his bib. True to his promise, Rani took his refilled cup (with very little milk, his parent's are no dummies) and dumped it in his bib. For some reason, it gave me and Dev such a chuckle.

Welcome Maggie Fae

2011-01-16T20:32:00.000-08:00

Rani welcomed the birth of his cousin on Thursday, Jan 13: Margaret Fae Millstein, Aram and Christa's 3rd child. Unlike her siblings, Maggie has dark hair. Everyone is doing well, and in case you were wondering which one is Maggie, Rani is pointing her out.

Smooth Criminal

2011-01-15T22:01:00.000-08:00

Some of you may know that even from a young age Rani has had some sweet dance moves. Even still, listening to MJ this morning, he seemed particularly inspired. (I had been cooking before the dance party, hence the apron.)

The Usual Suspects

2011-01-11T19:44:00.000-08:00

And, with his hands in his pockets, Rani as a Gap ad.

Soccer

2011-01-09T22:55:00.000-08:00

Dev's soccer game this morning was a little colder for us on the sidelines than the players. Rani spent the entire first half calling out for "Daddy" and wondering why Daddy was running around a field with those guys and not him. Luckily, I had to chase after him running onto the field only once.

Christmas in Arkansas

2011-01-01T19:05:00.000-08:00

Christmas this year was action-packed as always. Along with immediate family, extended family joined in the celebration, and Rani loved being around his primos, tias, and tios. We had ourselves a good time: went to the zoo, got a personal tour of a fire-station, rang around the rosey, and of course ate like kings (Rani likes ribs - guess he comes by that honestly).

Dr. Mama!!

2010-12-13T19:18:00.000-08:00

Congratulations Dr. Rachel Adams!!!

Last week Rachel defended her dissertation work at Stanford. A big crowd showed up, she rocked the ecological house, and Rani and Dada wish Dr. Mom congratulations!

Here's Rachel in action.

"Let me break it down for you..."

No

2010-12-10T19:30:00.001-08:00

Rani has taken to replying "No," regardless of the question.

Dada (after Rani nods his head vigorously): Do you think you could say the word "yes"?

Rani: NO

Grandpa (when he greeted Rani this morning): Are you in a better mood this morning, Rani?

Rani: NO

Mama (to Rani in the bath): Could you be any cuter?

Rani: NO

Mama: Do you want some fruit, Rani?

Rani: NO

For that last answer, he recanted.

No shiners

2010-11-29T20:57:00.000-08:00

Rani's eyes are free of black-eyes but luckily not the glitter of a fun weekend. Here he is at dinner tonight doing his favorite thing on the planet: stuffing his face with fruit. Also, he now does this ridiculous pose when I pull out the camera involving squinting his eyes and scrunching his nose. Could that really be instinctual behavior? Otherwise, what cruel person taught that to my son?

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-28T20:49:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving weekend was wonderful, filled with lots of delicious food and playtime with the cousins. We went to parks and the Oakland Zoo. Mom even got to sneak in watching a football game (Pig Sooie!). Rani had such a rambunctious time, he might come out of this weekend with not one but two black eyes (he's fine, but had some accidents while playing).

Smorgasbord

2010-11-24T11:24:00.000-08:00

For a baby shower we attended, we dressed Rani up like the mojito he is. His quarter-Cuban heritage really came out.

A somewhat rare snuggle.

Rani loved the zoo. In fact, the whole family had a great time.