The birthday feeding

Izzy is Number One!

Izzy's first birthday party was truly a success. The birthday boy played with friends and family, enjoyed eating off everyone's plates, and got at least as far as the birthday cake part before needing a nap. We didn't open presents until later in the week (and even then, only one or two at a time!), but Izzy was so excited to see everyone and party. Enjoy this video short of the birthday song.

Izzy Talks "Pop" Culture with Daddy and Yafeh

At the Zoo

Mommy and Izzy in front of the sea lions at the Denver Zoo. It was Free Day, so it was hard to tell whether we should be looking at the animals in the cages, or the animals walking around outside. Luckily, Izzy seemed unperturbed by the teeming throngs of weirdos and generally unsavory characters, and we had a really fun day as a family. Izzy really enjoyed the giraffes and monkeys.

I can't put my arms down!

Thanks, Grandma Leffler! I can go out in the snow and play in my new snowsuit! If only I could walk instead of crawl...

Izzy is the Happiest Baby Around

I have no idea what is so funny, but this was one of those cool moments where Izzy was just being himself: happy and laughing and active.

Granpa and boy

A few weeks ago our family had the pleasure of attending the wedding of a close friend, Lila Vernikoff. Here is a picture of mom and Izzy. Also we have another nice shot of two moms and two babies: Izzy, mom, Sarah and Aliyah.

Hello from Breck!

What're you lookin' at?

Hello from Breck!

Morning walk with Izzy

This past week we were in Breckenridge, CO. Izzy and I had a few morning walks this past week along the same trail, but today we were given a nice exposure to some real wildlife. I'm not talking about the guy to the left either....

In case you missed it, here is a close up...

Mommy makes me laugh....

....but I'm also very serious

blthtttt

Possessed Izzy

Even Yafeh is a little freaked out...

Now that Izzy is sitting up by himself, he loves to play with his stackable donuts and kiss all the babies in his cloth Baby Faces book. But sometimes this face happens when he gets just a little too excited.

Who could resist

Swimming

Izzy is the "Frog Prince," just like we tell him. He loves the water! On July 30, Izzy finished taking swim lessons through Denver Parks and Rec; he learned how to jump (from a seated position on the wall) into the water by himself, go underwater, and kick, kick, kick! Everyone was so impressed with his ability in the water, since he was the littlest kid in his class.

Now, if only Mommy could swim, we would be in business.

Tickled toes

Ok, so I am a horrible blogger. Between trying to do the mountains of laundry that pile up in our house, and spend time with the family (not to mention work), I find little time to update the blog. Here is the Reader's Digest version of things...
Izzy is growing so much. He is already six (and an half!) months old. Yowser! You can see in this video (and other blog photos), he is sitting up, eating solid foods and cracking himself--and everyone else--up. He is such a joyful little person almost always. Some of Izzy's other favorite pastimes: the Exersaucer (thanks, Derek and Augustin!), petting the animals, bath time, and taking long walks in the park through the daisies. Well, maybe NOT the daisies...
Last week, he impressed us with his first two little teeth. They are the two bottom middle ones (that's typical, right?), and razor-sharp. So far, he has only hurt my thumb. :)
For the 4th of July holiday, we had a couple of firsts: Izzy's first hotel stay (for a bar mitzvah across town), and his first boat ride (at Chatfield, with some of Mommy's co-workers). The hotel was great, but the boat ride, well...not so much. We'll hold off getting Izzy on a boat again until he is big enough to fill out a life vest a little better.
This week, we will try swimming for the first time. We are so excited!

My first meal

Decision 2009

This should help you with the poll.

Ah, video time....

Who could be sweeter than this boy?

Yes...it is still snowing here!

more pics

have I been drinking?

A good article....

I know this is our family blog, but I felt this article should be shard since it won't get covered by any of the mainstream media outlets.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1237392665709&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Another picture of Zach

Akita for adoption

I know everyone loves Tokui, but we are not adopting her out. However, we are aware of another 4 yr. old boy Akita who needs a home. He was/is show material and originally sold for $1200 as a show prospect and he was shown several times as a puppy, but not since. He can be seen here as a puppy:

http://pets.webshots.com/album/357913998AvjZWI?vhost=pets

Here is is from one year ago. He is a happy, smart, enthusiastic male who needs to have a home that will provide obedience training, quiet calm leadership & stability.

If you know anyone who might be interested, let us know. Thanks.

Shots!

Poor Izzy had to have his first round of immunizations yesterday afternoon, along with his (belated) two-month well-baby exam.
Great news is that our boy is growing perfectly: he is 11 lbs., 5 oz. (in the 50th percentile for weight), and is now 23.75" long (in the 85th percentile for height). The doctor commented on his beautiful skin, and good head of hair, and let me know that--overall--he is a very healthy normal baby.
I can't believe how big he is getting already. It is hard to think that he is already 11 weeks old, and in a little more than a month, will start on baby cereal! Yikes!
After his great well-baby visit, the little man had to have shots...in both legs. He actually handled it pretty well, and only cried for a few minutes until I got him dressed again and played the "tongue game" (I stick out my tongue, and you stick out yours. Then I'll stick mine back out, and you stick yours out again, too...).
Unfortunately, he was terribly cranky for the remainder of the night, and his two week sleeping-through-the-night streak was broken when he woke, first, at 12:20 am, and again at 2:40 am, and a third time at 4:40 am! I felt so bad because he woke up screaming each time. The first time, i fed him to comfort him, and at 2:40, I just pulled him into bed with me. We finally just got up for good at 4:40. I am looking forward to the return of my sweet boy who sleeps like a champ...

Little Man

For those of you who have been visiting our blog regularly, or who have visited in person with us in the last couple of weeks, you may notice that Izzy is becoming a real little man. He got his first pair of shoes last week (a stylish pair of navy, velcro-strap tennies) so he could keep his socks on and wear something other than pajamas when he goes out to day care everyday. Aunt Irene helped us pick them out on our weekly visit to Babies 'R' Us. Also, Izzy has developed a lot of personality: he loves Grand Funk Railroad (because he's "Some kind of Wonderful") and Rufus ("Tell me something good...tell me that you love me, yeah"), his new play gym, and zerberts. He also thinks it is really cool to blow spit bubbles, and to pet Toku; Yafeh still isn't 100% up to having the baby pet her.

We will try to post more photos this week of Izzy doing grown-up stuff like working out, dancing, and walking the dog. :)

Back to Work

This week I returned to work, and--although I was glad to be back in the world of work, adults and productivity--I found it more difficult than I expected to hand Izzy over to our sitter. I have known since I became pregnant with Izzy that I would be returning to work relatively soon after he was born, and I have had his day care situation arranged with a wonderful woman for some time, /even still, actually buckling him into someone else's car and saying good-bye to him for the day was possibly the hardest thing I have had to do since he was born. I think I would have an easier time of it if he could talk--not because I am concerned that something is happening to him at the sitter's, but because I just want to hear from him that everything is all right and he has had a good time while he was away. It is day three of saying good-bye to him in the morning, and it is getting easier, but I still kind-of wish I could stay at home with him for awhile longer--despite my complaints of being the human feed-trough.
Ironically, I even felt sad about leaving him yesterday; he stayed home with Daddy for the day, as Bar-El was working from home so the Maytag repairman could come to fix our fridge. Working from home with a baby in the house seemed a near impossibility to my thinking, but Bar-El insisted, so I left them in the morning as I headed off to work myself. My efforts as a mother were rewarded when I returned home in the afternoon, however, as Bar-El reported that he found it virtually impossible to work while watching Izzy, and had "new respect" for the housework and other tasks I was able to accomplish in my time at home with the baby. It was almost like getting a Mother-of-the-Year award.

Sorry we have not updated recently, but truthfully not much has happened. We are enjoying our time with Izzy. He is growing a lot now and showing more facial expressions. Here are some recent pics of him.

Some new pics....

"What are you looking at, huh?"

For those of you who think cute little Izzy is nothing but cuteness and good times, here is evidence of the contrary(this was not photoshopped).










Fly fishing or Flemenco?

You asked for it, you got it...

Hello again, from La Casa Leffler!

Things are finally settling down around here, with Izzy becoming a master nurser and getting (somewhat) on a schedule; mommy feeling better about Izzy's weight gain; the bathroom remodel (yes, there is still construction in our house) almost complete; and all of us taking some sleep wherever we can get it. The last few weeks have been a very difficult adjustment, but I think we have made it over the hump, and things will start to progress in a more positive manner from here.

This week, I am going to begin light training for the 4th Annual Run the Republic stair climb race in downtown Denver. Lots of walking, lunges and squats, and some easy jogging when the urge moves me. I will definitely not be the lithe specimen in the photo this year, but by next year, I plan to be racing in the "elite" category again, and make it to the top in under 9 minutes.

Many of you have asked when you can visit young Isadore. We are generally home all day and in the evenings during the week; although this week, we are going to a baby shower/party at Daddy's office in Louisville on Wednesday afternoon, and Thursday afternoon, we are going to visit Mrs. Kimmie who will be taking care of Baby Izzy when Mommy goes back to work in February. Just shoot us an e-mail or call to let us know you are thinking of stopping by. We love to have company!

Also, I have had several people ask what we need, in the way of baby items. We are really trying to avoid disposable diapers by going with cloth diapers, like the BumGenius and HappyHeinys one size diapers. If you check out the links to these two products, you can tell right away that these aren't your mom's cloth diapers (with the pins and the folding, etc). They're as easy to use as disposables, but easier on the garbage can and landfill. However, to go cloth, you need a bunch of diapers, so this is something we could really use (if you are shopping on Diapers.com, enter the promo code PTGFEB08 to save 10% and get free shipping). We are also registered at Babies R Us. One thing Izzy definitely doesn't need is clothes...he is the best outfitted kid in the neighborhood, thanks to the gifts he already recieved from a few folks. We probably will have a baby shower, for those of you party people out there, but need to get organized on our end.

More photos of Baby Izzy are on the way. Check back soon!

more pics...