Just Another Baby with a Blog

Studying for pre-kindergarten

2011-12-19T10:16:00.001-05:00

Christmass treeeeee!

2011-12-10T18:26:00.002-05:00

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"Christmas treeeeee!"

Brooklyn Carousel

2011-12-04T16:09:00.000-05:00

Clearly a prodigy

2011-11-12T19:26:00.000-05:00

The little buddies two years ago..

2011-11-08T10:49:00.002-05:00

Trick or Treat from Lincoln Place

2011-11-01T11:12:00.000-04:00

Besties!

2011-10-20T19:51:00.001-04:00

Circus Training

2011-10-16T17:27:00.000-04:00

Breakfast with ponies from auntie a- lo

2011-10-13T12:54:00.000-04:00

When she's happy she's REALLY happy

2011-10-12T09:39:00.000-04:00

Goodbye Summer, and Thank you

2011-09-26T22:12:00.000-04:00

Hello, Beth here. So Susannah had a rock'n'roll summer. She went to Chattanooga, Florida, Maine, Cape Cod and Quebec. She had visits from Papa, Moonpie and Anne Louise. She learned to ride a tricycle with Buzzy and Shay Shay and she picked blueberries with Jill. She went to the Bronx Zoo, the Natural History Museum, the Prospect Park Carousel, and playgrounds all up and down this fair city, from the Upper East Side to the South Street Seaport. Girlfriend got around.

Her allergist said she was still allergic to a bunch of things, but she eats butter by the forkful. Her kidney doctor said her kidneys looked better than ever. Hurrah! She turned three. She started potty training. She knows all the words to Chattanooga Choo-Choo. She now throws things on the ground (or at the person next to her) whenever she doesn't get her way. Girlfriend got feisty.

She gained four pounds in four months. There's a friendly dragon that lives in her room, and a worm and caterpillar and sometimes a snake, and they must all be removed before she can go to sleep. She told someone on the elevator in our building that she had a baby sister and the baby sister's name was "Emma the Cat." Folks, you can't make this stuff up.

benjaminaplin shared an Instagram photo with you

2011-09-21T20:46:00.002-04:00

Susannah Takes Canada by Storm

2011-09-18T22:24:00.002-04:00

The Aplins made it out of the country as a family for the first time, barely. After being reassured by Delta that we could get our child out of the country with only a birth certificate and not a passport, we were stopped at JFK on 9/11 and told that everyone needs a passport to travel to Canada. By air, that is. So we rerouted through Burlington, VT, rented a car and easily passed through the border to the land of maple leaves. We didn't get to visit Montreal as we had planned, but we did get to check out Burlington - quite nice - and enjoy a pleasant, quick and easy road trip up to North Hatley, Quebec, where Papa and Jill awaited. Toddler shenanigans ensued. Below, S struts her stuff in the garden of the house that Papa and Jill rented for the week.

In front of the house, next to Lake Massawippi

Joking around with Papa

Committed to the playground, no matter where we go.

Paddlin around with Dad.

In front of the "Blue House" with Papa and Jill.

The part of her favorite dance where she orders everyone to "go crazy! go crazy!"

Last picnic night of the summer, she decides clothes are optional

2011-09-08T14:49:00.000-04:00

Forced Family Fun - Maine and Cape Cod

2011-08-01T22:44:00.005-04:00

Dad and Zannah on Tripp Pond in Maine

Reluctantly Kayaking with Dad

On the trampoline

City girl on the trail

Zanimal kicking at the camera

Zannah and her buddy Orrin

Chattin it up with the Jones'

In deep thought as usual

Sunset on Tripp Pond

In front of our Cape Cottage with uncle Ronnie and Aunt Lauren

Beach!

The 350 Lincoln Gang

2011-07-28T10:53:00.001-04:00

At the Brooklyn Botanic Garden members' picnic night with our BFFs from 350 Lincoln Place...

Quick hello from Maine/Cape Cod!!

2011-07-18T21:30:00.000-04:00

A quick hello from vacay land. We just finished up a great long weekend with a bunch of good buds and now we're on cape cod with the Rahas. From the lake (photo below) to the beach summer vacation rules!!!

Tricycle!

2011-07-06T21:11:00.001-04:00

Next stop, Harley Davidson

2011-07-01T11:27:00.000-04:00

The Bronx Zoo, Underhill Playground Summer, the High Line and Graduation from pre-pre-school

2011-06-26T22:35:00.007-04:00

Today we took the Zanimal the Bronx Zoo. Not sure which was more of an animal in this photo:

The happy family before melt-down hour. Giraffes in the back ground.

Moonpie has been indefatigable as usual. Here we are at the Underhill Playground swings. You may remember this scene from a blog post in 2009!! Paige, Susannah's good buddy, is on the left. Her mom Liz pushing swings with Moonpie.

One more of the million things she can do by herself.

Now we're headed to the Highline, a cool elevated park in west Manhattan.

Can you feel the love? Married six years now!!

Part of the Highline. For some reason it's so relaxing to watch Manhattan traffic buzz below...

Paige, BFF4Ev.

Here we are at pre-pre-school graduation. Graduating without student debt!!

Bluebells at BBG (see old blog post for "wow time flies/they grow up so fast" moment). I think this was May...

Sus shows her appreciation by making him work

2011-06-19T18:56:00.000-04:00

Waiting for the "chocamole" and chips to arrive on Sunday

2011-06-13T13:18:00.000-04:00

Part of the "do it myself!" mandate

2011-06-06T11:09:00.000-04:00

A Few Shots from Susannah's 3rd Birthday!

2011-05-31T15:21:00.004-04:00

Anna, Judah, Zannah and Saida

Zannah and Solee

Hilina, Zanimal, Solee

Solee and Hilina

This is how Susannah said good bye to me this morning...

2011-05-16T08:44:00.001-04:00

At noodle pudding, fave bkln heights restaurant

2011-05-07T18:07:00.000-04:00

She refused to let me take her picture under the trees so we settled for the bench instead

2011-05-01T22:22:00.001-04:00

Thursday afternoon

2011-05-01T22:19:00.000-04:00

Another one from Saturday

2011-05-01T22:17:00.000-04:00

Saturday at the cherry blossom festival

2011-05-01T22:15:00.000-04:00

More blooms at the garden

2011-04-27T18:35:00.000-04:00

Cherry blossoms at Brooklyn Botanic Garden!

2011-04-27T18:34:00.000-04:00

What I woke up to this morning

2011-04-25T08:47:00.000-04:00

Shots from a rainy Saturday

2011-04-18T21:12:00.000-04:00

Shots from a rainy Saturday

2011-04-18T21:11:00.000-04:00

Shots from a rainy Saturday

2011-04-18T21:10:00.000-04:00

First Sunny Day at the Garden

2011-04-17T13:29:00.003-04:00

Finally a sunny, if cool and windy, day. Normally on Sundays, Dad and the Zanimal head over to the BBG, which for the last months has mostly been a cold and icy place, but this time we got some sun on our face along with turtles, fishies and ducks...

Also, they officially opened the outdoor grill, so we can have our hotdog and lemonade (aka "hotdog n' lllemon") outside, rather than in the downstairs atrium, where they had set up shop for the winter.

The Mother’s Prayer for Its Daughter: Hilarious excerpt from Tina Fey's book Bossy Pants

2011-04-15T13:38:00.002-04:00

First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.

May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.

When the Crystal Meth is offered, May she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half And stick with Beer.

Guide her, protect her
When crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.

Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels.

What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, Youdammit.

May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.

Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen. Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, For childhood is short – a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day – And adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.

O Lord, break the Internet forever, That she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers And the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.

And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it.

And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back.

“My mother did this for me once,” she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.

Amen.

At the sushi bar with dad

2011-04-10T00:35:00.000-04:00

Sometimes when we say "cheese" she gets a crazy look in her eyes

2011-03-26T21:12:00.003-04:00

Ben took this photo at the Garden a few weeks ago, that one day when it was above 45 degrees....

Daddy come baaaaack

2011-03-13T13:39:00.000-04:00

Dad's been gone since Friday and here's what Susannah had to say about
it this morning:

Takin care of her babies

2011-03-11T10:02:00.000-05:00

Ready a gooooo!

2011-03-05T12:28:00.000-05:00

Susannah's pre-bedtime shenanigans

2011-02-26T23:12:00.002-05:00

A few of Susannah's favorite hyper activities before it's time to go night-night: jumping on the bed, along with five little monkeys, then a few more of her favorites including twinkle twinkle, apple tree, "rocka baby," "mcdonald farm," and "itsy spider." And then of course the hide-and-seek. All while stealing a few glances at herself in the mirror. Enjoy!

First meal of mama's birthday weekend

2011-02-26T12:33:00.000-05:00

ABC kitchen. Yum!

Still eating soap

2011-02-23T12:14:00.000-05:00

She said she wanted to be wrapped up like a baby!

2011-02-20T20:41:00.000-05:00

In the big city with Moonpie

2011-02-13T17:53:00.000-05:00

Invitation to view Benjamin's Picasa Web Album - West Virginia with the Chandlers 2011

2011-02-06T22:53:00.000-05:00

You are invited to view Benjamin's photo album: West Virginia with the Chandlers 2011

West Virginia with the Chandlers 2011

Berkeley springs, West Virginia -

Jan 15, 2011
by Benjamin

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Winter at the playground I

2011-01-21T11:41:00.001-05:00

Winter at the playground III

2011-01-21T11:40:00.001-05:00

Winter at the playground II

2011-01-21T11:40:00.000-05:00

Picker in training

2011-01-10T22:05:00.000-05:00

Chattanooga Christmas part one

2010-12-21T22:49:00.004-05:00

Merry merry from Lookout Mountain, our first stop on our 2010 Tennessee Christmas tour. Below S reading some favs with Great Aunt Tin (or, "Great," or "Tin").

Ben, Matt and S took a tour through Rock City. S kept asking "where the play ground?" Other than that she cracked up during Fat Man Squeeze and was slightly creeped-out during the "enchanted caverns," or whatever that is... At the place where we were supposed to see seven states, she was asking if we could "go in the car," and asked again where the playground was.

She did think Fat Man Squeeze was hilarious...

S, dad, and "O' Matt" (Uncle Matt) in front of "Lover's Leap."

Swing Along Bridge!!

feel the magic!!

Bundled up for stroll to school yesterday

2010-12-09T13:11:00.001-05:00

Subway

2010-12-02T22:34:00.002-05:00

Some of Susannah's favorite songs

2010-11-20T15:50:00.001-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwK9byw6tE4

She reads a book - sort of

2010-11-07T20:43:00.001-05:00

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uo-k5fVbGFA&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Treeeaat!!!!!

2010-10-31T19:31:00.006-04:00

I woke from a nap to Beth saying something like, "come on, daddy's coming too. forced family fun." Then Susannah in her costume, also not too sure about the game plan.

Mama. Really?

But then Susannah was at the door, "come dadda, come! I readyyyy!" So we went out and S was all cute like Super Girl .

Just when she was getting into the flying gag, we realized it was cold out so she had to sport the coat and hat, which made her look more like a J Crew Stuffed Bear with a sparkly cape sticking out from behind her pea coat.

It took her a short moment to get into the trick-or-treat thing, but then she found no problem asking people for "treeaaaat!" She was generally pretty enthusiastic, until she ran into the gags that gave her pause, such as some creepy star-wars villains, or the mechanized talking jack-o-lantern. Of course, mom and dad pocketed all the peanut (mom) and chocolate candy, which S is allergic to. The only thing she actually ate was some sort of gummy, sugar-coated thing, most of which stuck to her face and actually did leave small welts around her mouth for half an hour (god knows what she's allergic to in the world of manufactured gummy treats). Nonetheless, she really liked carrying around a pumpkin full of brightly-colored wrapped objects. She also of course loved all the dogs that she met along the way, some of them were actually in costume, one as a carrot.

Back at the building with her best bud Adele singing a little row-row-your-boat. A successful Halloween. How many years before she wears a costume involving fake blood?

Drawing lessons with dada

2010-10-24T19:24:00.001-04:00

Hopping, counting, singing and poop with auntie AL

2010-10-13T11:05:00.000-04:00

Monkey feeling better

2010-10-10T14:52:00.000-04:00

In Prospect Park feelin better!

Back in the twilight zone

2010-10-07T13:07:00.001-04:00

Hi all. We're back at Bkln hospital with asthma and maybe/probably a
bit of pneumonia. We got here around midnight after rapid breathing
and a fever lasted two days in spite of lots of prednisone/albuterol/
etc. She looks a lot better now (as usual, a lot better than her
parents). We will be here tonight and possibly tomorrow night too.

Good news is she's way better than last year. We even got to see last
year's x-Ray next to yesterday's and there was a huge difference.

Beth just tagged out and went home. Ben manning the fort here in the
hospital. She really is looking a lot better. Thanks for all your
texts & calls.

Looks like a bloody nose but it's only a scab!

2010-10-03T16:59:00.001-04:00

Good thing she's tough

2010-10-03T16:57:00.001-04:00

Bye bye baby!

2010-09-24T08:44:00.001-04:00

Well friends, I am sitting by myself at the La Guardia airport,
getting ready to embark on 48 hours of fun and relaxation sans my dear
husband and darling daughter. It's my first little trip by myself
since Susannah was born.

Where am I going? You'll never guess. Chattanooga! I'm going to a
lakeside bachelorette party and since it's such a short trip I won't
be going up any mountains to visit family. Sorry mom! Sorry dad! I
know it's not a major infraction since I don't have the Suz with me.
I'll be alternating between my bathing suit and my sweatpants for the
next two days.

It was difficult to leave the kiddo, no surprise there. She's had a
real hard week which kicked off Monday at 5 am with an asthma episode
and fever. As usual that's a scary, sleep depriving experience for
us all but we had all the meds and in time she got better. She looked
great this morning so that was a big relief.

Boarding now, time to say adios! I hope ben and sus get a lot of good
ninja training in while I'm gone!!

With Auntie Anne Louise at Franklin Park

2010-09-19T17:36:00.001-04:00

Visit from Pappa

2010-09-14T11:44:00.000-04:00

Pappa spent a little time with the little monkey drawing turtles, frogs, fish and monkeys.

What dad taught her to do while I was at school

2010-09-09T09:53:00.000-04:00

Waiting on mom and dad in Fort Greene

2010-09-08T21:43:00.001-04:00

Enjoying a deserted Manhattan during Labor Day Weekend

2010-09-08T21:40:00.001-04:00

Susannah's first bike ride

2010-09-05T19:12:00.000-04:00

She loved being on a bike, even though she did fall asleep about 5
minutes after I took this video. We were a bit nervous but Beth did a
great job!!

Ice-Cream Face

2010-09-01T10:43:00.000-04:00

In DUMBO after getting wired on Rasberry Sorbet from Jacques Torres.

Looking very grown up! Yikes!

2010-08-31T20:35:00.001-04:00

S at Blue Marble

2010-08-29T18:25:00.001-04:00

Susannah-speak

2010-08-23T12:05:00.000-04:00

One week in a toddler bed

2010-08-16T17:11:00.000-04:00

You may not have heard much from the Aplins this past week because we
are all a little sleep deprived. Susannah started climbing out of the
pack n play on vacation and the trend continued when we got home and
put her back in her crib. It is pretty strange to wake up and hear "
mama!" and then open the door to your toddler standing in the middle
of her room like some kind of magician.

The toddler bed is cute and somewhat of a pain because she can get in
and out of it at any hour of her choosing. (hence the lack of sleep,
especially at nap time.). I think she's getting used to it though and
even likes it.

She's growing up! It's a transistion for us all.

Makin some calls at LGA

2010-08-15T20:20:00.001-04:00

Exciting!

2010-08-11T16:20:00.000-04:00

Dear family and friends,

An online magazine called The Morning News has published a personal essay of mine! Please check it out at www.themorningnews.org

The profanity decreases dramatically after the first line.

Thanks for your support!

Beth

We Love Maine. We Love the Chandlers. We Love Rhino.

2010-08-04T22:10:00.020-04:00

Summer in Maine is bliss. On Friday, we left the humid smog of the city behind with a quick flight to Portland and a short drive north to Carly and Richard's place in Poland - clean blue lake, green trees and fresh air. Susannah couldn't get enough of the place, especially their dog Quinn and her fellow toddler Orrin.

I have noticed considerable changes in Susannah over the last weeks. Perhaps this is because I haven't spent as much time with her lately, working a lot and being gone to Africa for two weeks. In Maine, and as we moved from Poland to Portland and then further south along the coast to Kennebunkport, I witnessed growth mainly in two areas - speech and defiance. She is putting together more short phrases ("dadda drives" "I need mama" "I need help" "more hot-dog please"...). She has also looks me in the eye while repeatedly disobeying me (e.g. "Susannah don't touch the ants, just watch..," after which she puts both hands on pile of ants and scatters them all over - "bye-bye ants!!". I secretly wished they had bitten her, but for some reason they were merciful).

Regardless, it has been a fantastic trip with amazing weather - cool, blue skies - and we still have a few more days left here in Kennebunkport with its gorgeous coastline (even if it is the home of the progenitor of our late jack-ass-in-chief. Today we drove past the compound, busy with gawking tourists in pastel polos, security cameras and black town cars).

Any-who, back to Poland - below Susannah continues to resist the love of water, which we know she eventually will overcome....

S on the dock with dadda and Scratch Dent.

A popsicle on the dock with mama

Remember a similar shot several years ago? She is slowly liking kayaks more - one stroke at a time.

Chillin on the boat with bff Lauren Hansen!

Driving the boat with Carly - a huge highlight, especially for a girl who is on the fence about boats. Susannah LOVES Carly.

Below: Orrin, Richard and Rhino, the latter an extremely important member of the Chandler family (FYI, Rhino doesn't float).

Orrin and Susannah - bf4ev.

Susannah, Orrin, Carly and Maisy - shhh...night-night.

Mainer!!

2010-08-01T11:39:00.000-04:00

Suzy Snoozy on the train back to NY

2010-07-26T13:05:00.000-04:00

Another new best friend

2010-07-25T20:40:00.001-04:00

New best friend

2010-07-19T16:17:00.001-04:00

Cousins in the backyard

2010-07-19T16:15:00.001-04:00

Song with cookies and milk.

2010-07-13T14:42:00.001-04:00

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWMD4a4dht8&feature=youtube_gdata

Stair climbing before swim class

2010-07-08T21:37:00.002-04:00

Chillin on the 4th of July, potato chips for dinner

2010-07-04T19:26:00.000-04:00

Father's day brunch in Tribeca

2010-06-20T12:40:00.000-04:00

Getting help with the waterfountain in prospect park

2010-06-19T12:02:00.001-04:00

Last day at the beach, Risky Business style

2010-06-01T15:51:00.001-04:00

Two years old!!

2010-05-28T10:11:00.001-04:00

Susannah meets the Big piano

2010-05-27T22:25:00.000-04:00

Bluebells in bloom

2010-05-11T11:28:00.000-04:00

Good morning Brooklyn

2010-05-06T16:03:00.001-04:00

Happy Day

2010-05-04T21:20:00.002-04:00

A year ago today Susannah was in surgery, having her ureters reattached to her bladder. The months and days leading up to May 4, 2009 were filled with a lot of anticipation and fear. What if the surgery was canceled and we had to wait even longer; what if something went wrong during the procedure; what if it did not produce the outcomes we so desperately needed? It makes me a little sick to remember it all, even a year later.

But all I have to do to feel better is look at her now. She is so healthy, so happy and so mischievous. It's a privilege to be with her every day and watch her thrive. It's also getting harder and harder to take photos of her because she is always in motion!

We saw the urologist last week and everything -- sonograms, bloodwork, etc., looks great. We don't have to go back to see him for six months! We saw the lung doctor recently too and he said it was time to wean Susannah off of the inhaler she's been on since January. And I haven't called our pediatrician in so long that I've forgotten her phone number. (It is stored in my phone but I used to have it memorized.) Man, what a difference a year makes.

Bailez! Bailez!

2010-05-01T15:52:00.001-04:00

Susannah Dance Party Montage

2010-04-26T20:55:00.005-04:00

Susannah and Spring

2010-04-16T22:56:00.005-04:00

Guess who cannot figure out how to upload the photos from her fancy phone onto this blog? Sigh. Until Ben gets home I will use what I have.

In addition to technical challenges and school, my excuses for not blogging now extend to awesome weather. We kicked off spring in mid-March down in Chattanooga. A one-week stay extended to two so we could attend the funeral and celebrate the life of Carol Aplin, Susannah's great-grandmother. I did not know Carol very well, but I sure am grateful to her. I now have so many wonderful people in my life because of the family she and her husband started many decades ago.

Here's Susannah in a pretty dress the day of the funeral, and chowing down on the porch afterward. She was happy all the time she was in Chattanooga, and one of her favorite places at Papa (formerly Grandpa Paintbrush) and Jill's was the front door. She'd put her hands and face on the glass and watch the birds and the squirrels while trying to pet Alice. The tutu was optional.

Since we got back we've been going to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden a couple of times a week. Something new is blooming all the time. First the magnolia trees and now the cherry blossoms and lilacs, and soon to follow will be azaleas and wistera and bluebells and roses and other things that I don't know the names of, so get ready for the requisite photos.

Susannah loves the fish and the ducks in the pond. Here's a sample from Saturday.

Here fishy fishy

Making a duck face

Mommy gets a kiss

Headed for some spaghetti!

New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx

2010-04-11T12:46:00.001-04:00