Xavi is 10 months today

He is going really well and getting more active. Crawling everywhere and climbs the stairs and obviously wants to start walking. At last Pediatrician visit, weighed 8.5 kg and is on 90th percentile for height/HC but only 15 percentile for weight. so he is a bit of string bean at present but very healthy. Eats a whole Weetbix plus some Vegemite toast for breakfast, and a main + yogurt for lunch and dinner. Going down at 7.30pm and we are actively weaning him off night time feeds and trying to get him to sleep through.

Jenny & Stephen back in NYC

Great to have Jenny & Stephen back in NYC (see blog #1 in Jan 2009. Anyone who enjoys following the blog should thank Jenny for motivating us to get it going). Weather much kinder this time: sunny every day and 15-20 deg C. Did the obligatory "friends in town" trip to the High Line, including the view of Pier 54 (picture number 2 below), where the Titanic was supposed to berth 100 years ago this Sunday. Thoughts of the Titanic fresh in our minds, we still took the East River Ferry on Sunday (Stephen looking like an Underbelly extra). While doing the High Line tour on Saturday, we also to called in to Washington Square. Not only were there bluegrass buskers that Xavi enjoyed, but it was also the NYC venue for World Pillow Fight Day (?) which apparently also occurred in Sydney

Xavi at Gym class today

Xavi went to his first gym class today, for 6-24 month old babies. His part-time Austrian nanny Christina who is also a Developmental Psychology student took him - it is an active adult participation class and a parent or caregiver must be present with each participating child. It costs $40 a session but we signed up for the semester as Christina reported it has really good equipment and is very professionally run. "Enthusiastic, nurturing and well trained instructors engage students in innovative and developmentally appropriate exercises utilizing incline/decline mats, balance beam, rings, trampoline, sports skills stations, puppets and props", Christina said. She also told us the instructors informed her most kids don't like going in the tunnels, but Xavi loved it.

Early start to Spring in NYC

When we arrived back in NYC last weekend, we learnt that record highs the previous week had fooled Mother Nature. It looked more like May than March, with all the trees, shrubs and flowers in bloom. But the NY Times weather page on March 24th sounded a sombre note: "Spring started unseasonably warm throughout the Northeast and Great Lakes, but a blast of cold air from Canada will return freezing temperatures to these regions early next week. While such temperatures typically do not cause problems in late March, tender vegetation that bloomed early could be damaged..." With this ominous warning in mind, we headed over to Central Park with the camera in case the weather wrecked the incredible display of cherry blossoms, other fruit trees, magnolias, azaleas and forsythia, not to mention the tulips, daffodils and other flowers - as well as lots of the squirrels, ducks and robins out and about.

Xavi's christening on March 18th, same day he turned 9 months

The Christening was a simple affair at Our Lady of Fatima at Peakhurst followed by brunch at the Porters, who were also the godparents. Good on ya Gen & Bill! BTW we knew Fr Thu Nguyen when he was a deacon at St Michael's Lane Cove back in the day, so that was nice. Xavi was the oldest of the 4 kids done on the day and was very well behaved and didn't cry. he is very alert, has started crawling (physio worked!), and weighs 17 lb (8 kg). eats a full weetbix a day now, so our current supply will run out in September rather than October!

Xavi Downunder 2

We were in Australia for 2 weeks in early March. Monica and Xavi were there for a month. It was a bit of an Indian summer, so lots of opportunities for the little American tourist (still waiting on his ciitzenship papers to come through) to enjoy the great Aussie outdoors as well as for him to hang out with Max (& Katie)

boogie boarding with uncle Gerard in the pool at Terrigal

Bronte beach

swinging at Centennial Park

hanging out at home with Maxi

his first Baby-chino. More like Roosters latte set than Rabbitohs fans!