His Father is an Artist

His father paints with light, apertures and shutter speeds.
Ethan paints with brushes, strokes and colors.

His father mixes talent and hard work to make his masterpieces.
Ethan mixes glue and sparkles and paper scraps to make his.

His father examines his surroundings, searching for beauty.
Ethan examines a beautiful girl as he paints his face.

His father looks at the world, and makes it more spectacular.
Ethan looks at his Pa-Pa, and makes him more handsome.

His father is an artist. And Ethan is, too.

Ahhh, California, How I Love Thee.

I feel so lucky to live a state with such a diverse and beautiful landscape. It's honestly one of the things I love the most about the Bay Area. Drive in any direction for a few hours and you'll find cliff-lined beaches, bone-dry deserts, snow-capped mountains, and sky-scraping redwoods.

We took advantage of being so close to one of the most incredible National Parks and recently set out on a road trip to Yosemite. Ethan was practically perfect on our journey. He didn't nap much, but was happy and calm, fascinated by the sights. We heard quite a few "Ooooooohs" coming from the back seat as we travelled along, both due to the beautiful landscapes and the big trucks that would pass us on the freeway. Turns out Ethan has a thing for vehicles - the bigger and noisier, the better.

Not daring enough to attempt tent camping with the E man, we rented a little cabin at a campground right outside of the park. It had a petting zoo and playground to keep Ethan entertained, though he was just as happy playing in the dirt. When Ethan was sleeping, Ryan and I would play nerdy board games outside by the light of our lantern. We held a rousing spades tournament. We grilled dinner over a fire. We unplugged and unwound. Okay, we didn't really unplug... the campground had WiFi. But close enough.

If you haven't been to Yosemite, I highly recommend it. The landscape is so impressive, and (WiFi access aside) it elicits a sense of peaceful isolation. Being a newly proficient walker, Ethan shunned his stroller and wanted to discover the park on his own. This was only a problem when we were on the edges of cliffs - which counted for about 85% of the vistas we explored. Thankfully Ryan had a no-fail trick up his sleeve to keep Ethan happy while being carried: the Daddy Shoulder Ride. Worked like a charm, every time.
*For a closer view of the beauty of Yosemite, click on the image to display it in a larger size!*

Baby Mystic Tan?

We finally took Ethan swimming - or floating and bobbing, to be more accurate - for the first time a few days ago. He spent some time in his raft, and did a great job of kicking his legs and splashing his parents. When he got tired of that, we took him out and he zoomed around in Mama's arms and on Daddy's shoulders.


With the way I slathered him with SPF 475 sunscreen, Ethan will surely stay that lovely shade of pasty white all through the summer. Could somebody find out how old a baby has to be to get a spray tan? I'm sure Britney Spears would have the answer.


Now that I look at this picture, perhaps we should investigate 2-for-1 discounts on Mommy/Baby tanning sessions. I could use a bit of color, myself!

The pool experience was yet another confirmation that Ethan lives up to his California Baby image. Our blond-haired, blue-eyed boy is super mellow, loves the beach and pool, and eats organic. He's an animal lover, nature lover, and social butterfly. He has the spirit of a pioneer, always exploring new territory.

Now if we could only get him that beautiful bronze glow...

To the Beach, Okay?

Can anyone besides Ryan identify that quote? Anyone?

My King Prawn Muppet-adoring husband (Google it, people!) suggested we escape the heat wave by venturing out to Baker Beach on Sunday. For the very first time, Ethan watched the waves crash on the shore, smelled the salty air, and ate the felt the sand between his fingers. He seemed fascinated with the new sights and sounds, and squealed with delight when the water washed over his feet.







The sun, surf, and sand made for one super spectacular day!

Laughing and Sledding

Ryan took some cute videos while we were at the cabin over New Year's. This one is of Ethan's first sledding experience. Before you get worried, Sarah tested the "hill" (more of a speed bump, really) sans baby prior to going with Ethan. She did not, however, practice getting up from the sled with a baby in her arms, as you'll see in the video. Another thing you'll notice is that for all of our preparations (buying a saucer, building a little snow hill, and conducting several test runs), Ethan is not really into sledding. Oh well, it was lots of fun for Mommy, Daddy, and Max!



The next video is of Ethan cracking up during a game of peek-a-boo. He was having a great time with his daddy for a few minutes before we grabbed the camera. Max moonlights as the "dog-that-is-sooooo-not-amused-by-this-whole-baby-thing" (as you'll see by his icy stare at the end of the video).



Despite his apparent contempt for the uninvited house guest who refuses to leave, Max and Ethan are really becoming great friends. They play together a lot now and Ethan thinks Max is super funny. Max will hop into Ethan's playpen, Ethan will pull on Max's ears and try to shove them in his mouth... Max is a baby's best friend!

A Tribute to Dr. Kaplan

Sarah had her last post-baby checkup appointment today with the most amazing OB in the world, Dr. Alan Kaplan. At the end of the appointment she shared pictures of Ethan and taught Dr. Kaplan all about baby blogging. Feeling a bit remiss for not having more classic Kaplan anecdotes in our blog postings, Sarah promised to write a proper tribute to our favorite doctor.

Dr. Kaplan put us at ease from the moment we walked into his office. Being that this was our first pregnancy, we were a bit nervous and neurotic (and let's face it... by we, we really mean Sarah). Dr. Kaplan not only took all of our questions in stride, but also put a spin of humor on everything. His laid-back attitude and East Coast sarcastic personality made each of our visits entertaining as well as informative and reassuring, a combination that is very rare to find in a physician. He always listened to all of our concerns and questions, and never made us feel rushed or as though we were wasting his time. In fact, we quite often spent a few minutes after each appointment chatting about Ryan's photography or Dr. Kaplan's fishing vacation. For all of the fun we had at our appointments, it was never at the expense of top-rate care. We trusted him implicitly, and from our scare with placenta previa to Ethan's eventful delivery, we knew we were always in the very best hands. Thanks, Dr. Kaplan, for bringing our beautiful baby boy into this world safe and sound (and keeping us sane through the entire experience)!