Vacation!
The weekend of Halloween we went to Baltimore for a family trip, and had a great time. We stayed at the amazing Hotel Monaco (formerly the B&O Railroad building) and the architecture was incredible. Picture a two-story lobby with double marble staircases, a stained glass ceiling (with backlighting), 12-foot ceilings in the rooms, incredible tile-work in the bathroom... everything was just amazing.
We got in late on Friday night, and Colin woke himself up to look blearily around the room when he saw... a goldfish on the table. I thought the kid was going to have a heart attack. He literally gasped and then started to squeal with delight, jumping up and down and running in place. "A FISH! A FISH! Mommy, LOOK! A-fish-a-fish-a-FISH!"
He somehow eventually got over the excitement, and then walked up to Hari and began demanding pizza. It took me a few minutes but then I figured it out... the only other time Colin was in a hotel was when we visited friends and family in Cleveland. When we arrived at the hotel it was late and we had been driving non-stop (yes, we skipped dinner) so we grabbed a pizza en route and had a bite to eat when we arrived. Apparently Colin remembered and figured we were in a hotel so he should have pizza!
The weekend in general was great. On Saturday morning we caught up with our friends Lynn and John, had a nice breakfast in the hotel, and then headed over to the National Aquarium. Colin liked it at first, but decided he was a little scared by some of the giant sharks so we kept moving. There were various and sundry fish, animals, and even jellyfish! Poor Colin eventually got so tired he gave up and fell asleep in Lynn's arms... shortly before the dolphin show! We filed in, found seats,and Colin (and Hari... and John!) all took a brief nap before the show began. I waited as long as possible, then tried to wake Colin up - it wasn't easy (the kid was pooped) but I knew he would really enjoy the show. Which he did!
After the show we headed back to the hotel and Lynn and I headed up to the room for a quick change (for the kids), Colin said another hello to the fish (no touching!) then we went back and met the big boys for a quick drink at the hotel lounge. Dinner that night was pizza (Colin was thrilled) after which we headed back to the room and tried to get some sleep.
The next morning Ryan and I bundled up and went down to meet Lynn and her friend for a trip to the farmer's market. It was a short drive, after which the ladies and I grabbed a nice steaming cup of coffee from their "usual" vendor (Lynn and Debbie go every week, and know everyone there!). The man was so nice he was offering Ryan a cookie (not understanding that the little guy isn't quite up to eating a cookie just yet!). I declined but Lynn mentioned that Ryan's older brother would love the cookie, so I ended up with it anyway. I decided to treat myself to a scone (butter pecan... YUM!) and we continued our stroll around the market.
As we were leaving we passed a table where a gentleman had plates with beautifully displayed slices of many types of apples. Lynn and Debbie took a few tastes, and I asked which one was not too sweet. The guy told me, and I took a slice - with intent.
Instead of taking a bite I put it up to Ryan's lips to see what he would do. At first he ignored it, then suddenly his eyes lit up and I swear his tongue was hanging out of his mouth like a cartoon character, frantically licking all over the apple. I could almost read his mind, "What IS this incredible deliciousness?!?!?!" I laughed, showed Lynn, and took the apple away from him intending to take a bite myself. Ryan wasn't having it. He reached out, grabbed my hand and pulled it back as he literally lunged forward with his tongue out! It was the most deliberate movement he has made, and I was shocked. The kid had my hand in a tiny white-knuckle grip and resumed his frantic licking. I then felt obligated to buy a few of Ryan's beloved apples, so I got a couple of pounds and we headed back.
Once back in the room I gave Colin his cookie. It looked like an explosion in a color factor... picture a sugar cookie with probably about a quarter cup of food coloring. It was bright yellow, with concentric rings of insane colors... red, blue, green. I was horrified, so I knew he'd love it - and he did. He excitedly jumped up and down, then sat in the window munching contentedly on his confectionery nightmare while looking down on the cars below.
Since we've been back Ryan has been showing a lot of interest in food. A lot. I've shared another apple with him, he accidentally licked some sweet potato butter off his father's thumb (like apple butter, but made from sweet potatoes), and nearly had a bite of bread the other night! The way he's going there is simply no way we're going to keep this kid food-free for much longer. We're getting close to the 6-month mark (our target), and while our original plan was to give Ryan his first solids at Thanksgiving, based on his recent behavior I don't think I'm going to wait another 2½ weeks. Instead we'll give it a go this Friday... which should be a memorable date: 11/11/11!
Now I need to develop a food plan (new food every 3-4 days, alternating fruits, veggies, grains) so I can get him a well-rounded diet as he starts his culinary adventures. I think I'm going to start Ryan the same way we did Colin, with a dollop of mashed sweet potatoes. They're nutritious, tasty but not too sweet, and are pretty easy to make (cook and mash). I'll post a note (and probably a messy photo or two!) later this week.
More details to come, but my little guy is growing up!
We got in late on Friday night, and Colin woke himself up to look blearily around the room when he saw... a goldfish on the table. I thought the kid was going to have a heart attack. He literally gasped and then started to squeal with delight, jumping up and down and running in place. "A FISH! A FISH! Mommy, LOOK! A-fish-a-fish-a-FISH!"
He somehow eventually got over the excitement, and then walked up to Hari and began demanding pizza. It took me a few minutes but then I figured it out... the only other time Colin was in a hotel was when we visited friends and family in Cleveland. When we arrived at the hotel it was late and we had been driving non-stop (yes, we skipped dinner) so we grabbed a pizza en route and had a bite to eat when we arrived. Apparently Colin remembered and figured we were in a hotel so he should have pizza!
The weekend in general was great. On Saturday morning we caught up with our friends Lynn and John, had a nice breakfast in the hotel, and then headed over to the National Aquarium. Colin liked it at first, but decided he was a little scared by some of the giant sharks so we kept moving. There were various and sundry fish, animals, and even jellyfish! Poor Colin eventually got so tired he gave up and fell asleep in Lynn's arms... shortly before the dolphin show! We filed in, found seats,and Colin (and Hari... and John!) all took a brief nap before the show began. I waited as long as possible, then tried to wake Colin up - it wasn't easy (the kid was pooped) but I knew he would really enjoy the show. Which he did!
After the show we headed back to the hotel and Lynn and I headed up to the room for a quick change (for the kids), Colin said another hello to the fish (no touching!) then we went back and met the big boys for a quick drink at the hotel lounge. Dinner that night was pizza (Colin was thrilled) after which we headed back to the room and tried to get some sleep.
The next morning Ryan and I bundled up and went down to meet Lynn and her friend for a trip to the farmer's market. It was a short drive, after which the ladies and I grabbed a nice steaming cup of coffee from their "usual" vendor (Lynn and Debbie go every week, and know everyone there!). The man was so nice he was offering Ryan a cookie (not understanding that the little guy isn't quite up to eating a cookie just yet!). I declined but Lynn mentioned that Ryan's older brother would love the cookie, so I ended up with it anyway. I decided to treat myself to a scone (butter pecan... YUM!) and we continued our stroll around the market.
As we were leaving we passed a table where a gentleman had plates with beautifully displayed slices of many types of apples. Lynn and Debbie took a few tastes, and I asked which one was not too sweet. The guy told me, and I took a slice - with intent.
Instead of taking a bite I put it up to Ryan's lips to see what he would do. At first he ignored it, then suddenly his eyes lit up and I swear his tongue was hanging out of his mouth like a cartoon character, frantically licking all over the apple. I could almost read his mind, "What IS this incredible deliciousness?!?!?!" I laughed, showed Lynn, and took the apple away from him intending to take a bite myself. Ryan wasn't having it. He reached out, grabbed my hand and pulled it back as he literally lunged forward with his tongue out! It was the most deliberate movement he has made, and I was shocked. The kid had my hand in a tiny white-knuckle grip and resumed his frantic licking. I then felt obligated to buy a few of Ryan's beloved apples, so I got a couple of pounds and we headed back.
Once back in the room I gave Colin his cookie. It looked like an explosion in a color factor... picture a sugar cookie with probably about a quarter cup of food coloring. It was bright yellow, with concentric rings of insane colors... red, blue, green. I was horrified, so I knew he'd love it - and he did. He excitedly jumped up and down, then sat in the window munching contentedly on his confectionery nightmare while looking down on the cars below.
Since we've been back Ryan has been showing a lot of interest in food. A lot. I've shared another apple with him, he accidentally licked some sweet potato butter off his father's thumb (like apple butter, but made from sweet potatoes), and nearly had a bite of bread the other night! The way he's going there is simply no way we're going to keep this kid food-free for much longer. We're getting close to the 6-month mark (our target), and while our original plan was to give Ryan his first solids at Thanksgiving, based on his recent behavior I don't think I'm going to wait another 2½ weeks. Instead we'll give it a go this Friday... which should be a memorable date: 11/11/11!
Now I need to develop a food plan (new food every 3-4 days, alternating fruits, veggies, grains) so I can get him a well-rounded diet as he starts his culinary adventures. I think I'm going to start Ryan the same way we did Colin, with a dollop of mashed sweet potatoes. They're nutritious, tasty but not too sweet, and are pretty easy to make (cook and mash). I'll post a note (and probably a messy photo or two!) later this week.
More details to come, but my little guy is growing up!
Comments