Week 18 - Anniversaries

This weekend we recognized several anniversaries.  It was Memorial Day weekend 7 years ago that I arrived in Chicago with my dad.  And also that weekend Longjohn and Fontaine got married.  Not to each other of course (although Longjohn was mistaken for a homosexual groom (or bride) before my wedding but that's another story).  To their respective fiancees in their respective home towns and there in lay the problem.  I flew to MD for Fontaine's and missed John's in OKC.  And then flew back on Monday (Memorial Day) to start my new job at RTKL on Tuesday.   


What does this have to do with Nanner?  Nothing.  Except that we hung out together this weekend.  And she was cute.  

so cute she's stolen my heart

Aimee implored me to include more of the day to day shots of the Nanner - playing with her new toys, hanging with Gma at the conservatory and the forest preserve, etc. and maybe not just ones of the two of us out drinking.  Fair enough.  I'll have a separate post for that, thinking of even making a blog called "Drinking with Daddy" about all of the baby friendly bars that we've been to (6 so far) in the Roscoe Village area.  

Instagram does it again.  I'm not sure how it's worth a billion (with a 'b') dollars but Aimee sure does post some cute photos on their site.  That's got to be worth a couple hundred G's.

yep.  doing yoga and loving it.

In all fairness, this post is more about Nanner's development and less about Drinking with Daddy.  Although it's sure to be included in a DwD post too.  Anna, barely four months old, developed the the eye-hand-coordination to hold her own bottle and the presence of mind to first put this talent on exhibit when I needed her most.  

bottles for everyone!

Week 17 - Milk-a-holic Nanner

Such a good Nanner this week.  She's been on lots of walks with Mama and Grandma and Daddy - out to lunch, to get icecream, and yes - to another bar too.  Our little adventurer has seen her fair share of wildlife this week.

And that's when I first saw the bear

He was a Kodiak lookin' fella 'bout nineteen feet tall

He rambled up over the hill

expectin' me to do one of two things,

Flip or fly, I didn't do either one

It hung him up

Mr. Bear...(sir)..I love every hair on your twenty-seven acre body...

I can't think of any clever poetry that involves a moose...
(Nanner at Will's Northwoods)

Week 16 - Mother's Day

Every day is Nanner's Day so thank goodness once a year mama gets to celebrate Mother's Day.

Anna helped me cook breakfast and then we went on a nice walk to the park and had a photoshoot:

Anna's gift to mama - her first steps!  "4-month old becomes the youngest infant to walk" was the headline in the Sunday Tribune.

clearly advanced

Week 15 - Roscoe Village Nanner

Almost a local.
Yesterday, our landlord Carey and I agreed to terms for the sale of our 3-flat apartment building.  Paul and I have been working tirelessly calculating numbers, doing research, and managing negotiations with Carey.  The last week of negotiations consisted of slipping hand-written offers and counter offers under each other's doors.  We like to think that Anna's cuteness came into play at some point and helped us close the deal.
We will officially close on the place July 3rd.

well worth the price!

Switching gears.  The famed Magic Sleepsuit continues to work its...magic.  A general contractor I worked with in DC knew we had Anna and suggested this - his sister in law invented it and is selling it online.  

http://www.magicsleepsuit.com/ 

Officially "Baby Merlin's Magic Sleepsuit", I think it should be called "Ralphie's Little Brother's Magic Snowsuit".  It's still a bit big for her but it works...she sleeps in her crib like Jesus laid out on the cross - arms spread and motionless for hours.  

Week 14 - Nanner Toys

Preface - I updated the post from last week and added a picture of the Nanner and Gma Rita. 


We tried a few new things this week.  Grandma has Anna napping in her crib during the day so we've started putting her down in her crib at night.  She inevitably ends up with us to eat and then for the rest of the night but she's a good sleeper for hours at a time.  

For the record, her onesie says "I love Daddy"

Toy number 1 is a video baby monitor which my friend Cuppy gave to us - it is very helpful and addicting.  Toy 2 is called "Merlin's Magic Sleepsuit" and will be featured in next week's post, and Toy number 3 is below.  It keeps her occupied for hours on end.  It's so amusing to her that we can give it to her and we don't even need to keep an eye on her.

I can't believe they don't sell this at Toys R Us.

Week 13 - Gma's Nanner

Grandma Barker came to stay with us this week.  She's in for the long haul - 6 months or so.  She is a saint.  Also, Aimee returned to work this week.  

The Nanner holding a gift from Great Gma Barker - hand made giraffe.

I was holding off on posting for this (last) week because I wanted to get a picture of her and Grandma, but it didn't work out.  Maybe for the next post.


(Here we go...)

This is straight up Grandma magic

Week 12 - Travelin' Nanner

We were unsure about how Anna would handle the drive to Bay City this weekend (with a slight detour to Detroit along the way), but she was a champ.  We only stopped once for dinner (although I give Aimee credit for her creative nursing technique as we drove through Kalamazoo).  
We drove back to Detroit on Sunday for cousin Rosie's baptism.  Anna and I hung out in the lobby with the rest of the riffraff during mass (the unwed mother and son, mother with the cute biracial daughter, and a group of Guatemalans who watched through the glass window).

taken in church, right after she spit up all over her pretty dress...

Apologies if these next photos have been circulated already but they're too damn cute not to include in the Nanner of the Week.  I read in Forbes that it was because of these two pictures that Aimee took and posted to Instagram, that the company sold to Google for a billion (with a 'b') dollars.  

asian nanner, why is kevin gregg in the game nanner, 7th inning nap nanner,
blue steel nanner, gerber baby nanner, big fart nanner,
holding in a puke, are we done yet?, and pushing out a poop nanner.