I received an email today with the following attachment and while I don’t usually partake in sending around these kinds of things, this is definitely advice worth sharing.  Several of my friends have shared it as well but for anyone who has not seen it, it’s worth a quick read.

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.”

Wishing everyone a very happy and healthy new year from our home to yours.  It is hard to believe that a decade has gone by since we all rang in the millennium.  Ten years ago I was immersed in the Y2K craze that gripped the world.  I was working the command center at Morgan Stanley at the time and it was an experience.  We had state of the art monitoring systems, round the clock check-ins and global conference calls every few hours.  We prepared for months leading up to the event and were on call day and night for two weeks prior to the new year.  Being in the heart of Times Square it was no surprise that we had front row viewing for the ‘ball drop’ in all the timezones around the world.  I remember vividly walking outside as the first timezone rang in the year 2000 followed by Australia and then Japan.  At that point the crowds were building and we were back inside manning our post.  By nightfall, we were all out the area as required by security and I headed to a party with friends.  Flash forward ten years and everyone who was at that party has embarked on new phases in their lives.  Most of us are now married, have families and have moved out of the city.  Some changed careers, some changed companies and some stopped working altogether.  Regardless, of what direction life has taken us, one thing has stayed the same…we are all still friends and that is really special.  We have been through many ups and downs together these past 10 years but our bond has remained strong.   As we all embark on yet another new decade, we want to wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.  May all your dreams come true.

I was so disappointed to wake up this morning to find out that Tavern on the Green in Central Park is closing on December 31st.  I always considered that place a New York classic that would always be there.  I loved the look of the restaurant in the winter, all covered in snow while driving through Central Park on the way to work every morning.  About six years ago, I took my niece Abby there for the very first time and we enjoyed it so much.  Abby and I had a holiday tradition of her spending time in the city during Christmas break doing whatever her heart desired.  On the day we were going to see The Nutcracker, I treated her to a special lunch at Tavern on the Green.  She was five at the time.  I will always remember her little eyes opening so wide when we walked inside and saw all the holiday decorations.  She (and I) were thrilled that we were seated right next to the giant Christmas tree that was decorated with hundreds of beautiful and unique ornaments.  She stared at that tree for a long time taking it all in.  We also had a fabulous view of the ice sculptures out on the patio.  A couple of years later when my other niece Isabel was old enough, I took both girls there and to see their little faces light up is the best memory in the world.   While the food wasn’t anything special, it was the experience and I will remember my experiences at the restaurant for a lifetime.  Too bad we won’t be able to give David the same experience now that the restaurant is closing its doors.   How disappointing!

According to the iReport on CNN’s website:

Report —

“Tavern on the Green, one of the most famous sites in New York City and once one of the nation’s top grossing restaurants, will close its doors on December 31, 2009.  Located in Central Park and 67th Street, it was originally a sheephold for the nearby Sheep Meadow.  Converted to a restaurant in the 1930’s. it gained international fame with its 1976 re-opening at one point becoming the second highest grossing restaurant in the U.S.Since then it’s been the scene of Broadway opening parties, movie premieres and has been featured in films like “Wall Street” and “Ghostbusters” among others.  The City of New York declined to renew its operating license in August 2009 and shortly after Tavern filed for Chapter 11 protection. Besides its glass framed dining and function rooms, the Tavern is well known for its outdoor space with horticultural figures and its entrance lined with yellow cabs and horse-drawn carriages.”

Saturday night was the start of the major ‘blizzard’.  Well…. for us in Westchester it was a lot of buzz about nothing.  We did get some snow but certainly not the one to two feet as predicted.  Mom and Dad were so excited for a big snowfall so I could crawl and flop in the white powdery stuff once daylight approached.  When it was all said and done, there was enough snow though for me to put on my new snowsuit, hat and gloves and check out the six inches of white powdery stuff that was on the lawn.  After being bundled up so snuggly, Dad sat me on a pile of snow.  I didn’t really know what to make of it.  I just sat there and sat there….and…sat there.  I couldn’t move.  I felt the cool wet snow beneath me but I didn’t know how to get up.  I didn’t even try to roll over or do much of anything.  I was actually quite stunned.  I was also extremely mystified by the whole situation but thought it was interesting.  I just looked all over and had a little smile on my face.  I was thinking…this is different.  I might actually like this!   And it’s a good thing I seemed to enjoy the cold air and the snow because I am venturing on my first trip to Vermont next month.  It should be pretty interesting to say the least but what a better place than Manchester to get the real feel of winter.  I am still a couple of years away from skiing, much to Daddy’s chagrin, but I can roll around in the white fluffy stuff and go sledding which looks like lots and lots of fun.  I’m too young for hot chocolate but I am sure Mommy will have two warm cups ready for her and Daddy when we all come back inside.  Let the winter begin….

Yesterday, I had my very first haircut.  I am attending Daddy’s office family holiday party on Thursday so after lunch and a nap, Mom and I headed over to Snip Its in Scarsdale to be sure I will be looking my very best for the party.  Considering this was my first experience, I have to admit it wasn’t that bad.  Snip Its is dedicated to servicing kids so they knew just what they were getting when we came in.  Fortunately I didn’t have to wait and the lady took me right away.  I sat on a big chair, watched videos and played with toys while she wet my hair and started cutting.  I had a pretty serious face on at the beginning but midway through my cut I was curious as to what was going on around me so I started checking out the place.  This of course made things a little more challenging for the hairdresser but she went with the flow.  I was actually kind of enjoying the experience until the very end.  After 20 minutes or so, I wanted out of the chair and didn’t want the buzz cutter around my ears and neck.  I made that portion very challenging to say the least and that is when I started to cry.  But other than that it went very well.  When it was all over, I got a little prize and a certificate commemorating my first haircut along with a portion of my hair for mom to save.   All in all, I don’t think I’ll mind when I have to get another cut.

Well, it is December and I realize I haven’t been writing much lately so I’m going to try to do a better job.  My little life has been quite hectic lately and I’ve been on the move so much I haven’t had any time to sit down and write.  But it is a dreary afternoon so I figured now would be a great time to pull out the laptop and start filling in my loyal readers on ‘life in David land’.  All has been going well since my birthday.  I’ve been playing with oodles of new toys and dressing in the hottest of fashions thanks to all of mom and dad’s fabulous friends and our family.  I am definitely a candidate for ‘best dressed’ in school.  I also have started standing and pulling myself up on everything and anything but I am very cautious and must make sure the surface is stable enough to hold me.  I usually give it a few pats with my hand and make my assessment off of that.  If I think its good, up I go and I will stand there for quite awhile.  I am also getting so comfortable that I’m climbing onto the fireplace and even attempting to open the doors and go inside.  That is not making my mom happy in the slightest and she keeps pulling me off.  One of these days she is going to turn her head and I’m going to win.  Either that or when daddy is around, I’ll outsmart him and he’ll find me sitting there with my gummy grin.

Aside from learning to stand, I’m climbing on stairs as well.  I am having so much fun going up the three little steps between our living room and dining room.  Trouble is, I don’t know how to get down so poor mom is always tagging right behind me.  Yesterday, I got so adventurous that I climbed up half the stairs from our main level to the bedroom level.  I was breathing pretty hard but was determined to make it as far as I could.  Daddy couldn’t believe this amazing feat of mine so he made me show him when he came home from work.  I think my little legs and stamina blew him away.

One other new detail in my life is I finally got a tooth on the top.  Nearly two months ago, my bottom two teeth came in and it has been silent ever since.  I’m guessing my other front tooth should appear in the next week or two.  This is all so exciting.  Now, maybe I will be interested in trying some new food although, meatballs seem to be my favorite so far.  I definitely get that from mommy!

It has been almost three weeks since I transitioned from formula to milk and it has been quite an interesting ride.  Mom was worried that I would have trouble giving up my formula and bottle in exchange for milk in a sippy cup but I love it!  In fact, I think I love milk more than my formula.  Surprising since Daddy is lactose intolerant and mom doesn’t like milk except for her coffee and cereal.   The reality is if I could, I would drink milk all day long.  Forget food, forget water, I want milk.  And that is just what has happened over the last couple of weeks.  I want my milk and I’m screaming loud and long until someone gives in to my habit.  I’ve given up real meals and will nosh only on occasion (not that I was ever a stellar eater). I will do whatever it takes to get my milk even if it means having a tantrum, throwing food on the floor (and at mom) and swinging wildly til the food on the spoon splatters me, my high chair or the floor.  Mom has been getting utterly frustrated and I detected a few tears in her eyes the last couple of days.  I overheard her talking to Grandma saying I’m becoming abusive and combative when I eat.  I don’t know what that means but I think it is a bad thing.

By the middle of last week Mom finally caught on that I’m not going to give up my milk but yesterday I think she had enough and both Mom & Dad started to plot against me.  They seem to be practicing some tough love to make me kick my milk habit and return it to healthy levels.  Yesterday I was only allowed to have milk twice, once in the morning and once at night.  I screamed bloody murder for 20 minutes but no milk appeared so I finally gave up.  I guess there is some method to their madness (but don’t tell them that) because my belly has been hungry and I’m starting to open my mouth for some food since there is no milk in sight.  I think they think they can beat me at my own game but we’ll see.  I’m still testing this whole thing out.  Stay tuned to see how this all unfolds….

On November 5th, I celebrated my first birthday and with that milestone, came my 12 month checkup to see how I’m progressing.  According to the doctor, I’m a long, lean, fighting machine.  Weighing in at a light 20 lbs, 1 oz and 30 1/4 inches long, I may be small but I’ve got power.  For a little guy, I impressed the doctor with my strength when I fought back as he tried to look in my throat.  I didn’t mind the exam but when he wanted to look in my mouth  I had enough.  After checking me over, the doctor said I was doing just fine.  I may not be walking yet but I’ve got the power in my legs and by the time I go back for my next check up in February I should be taking my first few steps.  Mom should thank me for this late milestone as she won’t have to chase after me just yet.  I’m still not the best eater but I love my milk and water.  Mom was so worried about my transition from formula to milk but I didn’t blink an eye when she switched it on me.  I’ve even given up my bottle in favor of the sippy cup so as of last week our house has been pacifier, formula and bottle free.   Just wait til I have a sibling one day, I bet he or she will cling to those things and not give them up so easily.  Anyway, things are going along great for me and over the next few months, I’ll have more teeth and start talking.  I’ve been quite the chatter box for months now but I think it’s just about time for some real words other than “mamma’ and ‘dada’ and my occasional ‘car’ and ‘baby’.  Until then……

Friday night we tucked David into his crib and Darren sat down to finish up some things from work while I curled up under the covers to read the December issue of Parents magazine that arrived earlier in the week.  I am a big fan of the magazine and love their articles.  This month’s issue had an article on “Fever Fears” addressing concerns when fever strikes and providing advice on what to do other than panic.  I read the article knowing that the winter months are coming and it is inevitable that David would eventually catch something.  No sooner than I finished the article, we started hearing David cry from his crib.  This is highly unusual for him as he is a wonderful sleeper.  We went in and the little guy was burning up.  His face was flushed, his body extra warm.  I quickly pulled out the thermometer to see what was going on.  I prefer the rectal thermometer because it is a much more accurate reading and with a little guy, knowing just what your dealing with is most important to us as parents.  Less than 10 seconds later, there it was, a fever of 102 staring us in the face and a sad, unhappy, and glum little patient.  We took turns cuddling him on the rocker throughout the night providing as much comfort as we could until the tylenol worked its magic.  Darren and I each reread the article from earlier to be sure we were doing everything we could since it was the middle of the night.  By morning however, David’s fever was back up and we whisked him to the doctor.  Thank goodness for weekend hours!  After an hour of examination – ears, throat, nose, and urine, everything were ruled out and the doctor diagnosed him with a viral infection that needed to burn itself out.   She recommended alternating doses of infant Tylenol and Motrin to bring down his temperature which spiked to 104.5 at one point.  That number certainly rattled me and Darren but David was a real trooper and took it all like a little champ.  By the time bedtime approached his fever was at a more comfortable level (for us anyway) and he went to sleep.  This morning things were much better and he seems to be on the mend.

Fever rattles all parents so if you are first time parents like we are, you would find this article helpful and comforting.   I tried to find the link online but haven’t been able to locate it.  But I’ve summarized some highlights from Leslie Gross Klaff’s article for anyone that is interested:

• First response based on age:  call the doctor for anything above 100.4 for a child less than 3 months old.  Between 3 and 6 months, call the doctor for a fever of 101 or higher.  And if your child is older than 6 months you can safely wait until fever reaches 103.  If you are like me though, that was too high to wait for and we called sooner.
• Fever is a sign that something is wrong.  The body is fighting off an infection whether it is bacterial or viral.  Low grad fever with sneezing or coughing is generally a common cold where higher fever can mean the flu or H1N1.  Flu often strikes out of the blue and hits you like a ton of bricks.
• All children who have fever should be fever free for 24 hours without using fever reducing medicine or else they should stay home.   In my opinion, too many parents do not do this and it is very frustrating for those of us trying to keep our kids healthy.
• A fever with pain associated such as a sore throat, ear or difficulty urinating should also warrant an immediate call to the doctor.  Antibiotics might be required.
• Rush to the ER if your child experiences shortness of breath, cries inconsolably has difficulty walking or develops a rash.
• Call 911 if your child is blue or has a stiff neck or severe abdominal pain.
• Tips for cooling your child off:  a luke warm bath, cool compress and Tylenol or Motrin (if your child is old enough).
• Keep your child hydrated – water, ice pops, jell-o, pedialyte.