Fussy baby

Miriam just turned two months old and here is her two month picture. We've seen a lot of changes, most notably, the addition of "fussy baby." Yes, after five weeks of a relatively calm and cooperative baby, Miriam got her cry on. Maybe she just remembered her roots as the baby of the crash. For those of you who don't know the story, Erica was in a serious car crash in Mississippi when she was less than one month pregnant. Itty-bitty Miriam (and her mama, of course) somehow managed to survive not just the impact but the months of painful recovery. Too bad she has turned her toughness against her parents!

Overall, Miri is a pretty happy baby, just not between 6 and 11PM (and sometimes in the morning and in the afternoon). So, to cope with this new development we have come up with several strategies. Miriam loves motion, so we walk and dance with her constantly -- she particularly loves the monkey song (thanks for the CD, Michelle!). When all else fails, Chris pulls out the secret weapon--the sling. This fabulous accessory not only looks stylish, but riding in it seems to knock Miri OUT! Chris takes long walks outside with her and she comes back sacked out. Some have suggested that this is just a technique to freeze her into submission (the high today was twenty), but we do it out of love (promise!). Plus, her crying sounds softer outside. The doctor assures us that this, too, shall pass. But, for now we see a lot of faces like the one above right!



Of course, it's not all cries and whines -- we've had plenty of fun as well. Chris and Miri like to play with Mama's heart by doing "balancing baby" -- check out Miri balancing on her feet (left). She also joined the crowds downtown for her first march on Martin Luther King Day (right).

Miss Miri Goes to Washington

No, she didn't become a senator, visit the historic sites, or fillibuster on the floor of Congress, but Miriam's trip to DC was pretty special nonetheless. First, Miriam took her maiden voyage on an airplane. Truth be told, mom was a little bit worried (okay, terrified) about how the flight would go. When we saw that there were four infants on the 7AM flight on New Year's Day, we knew we were in for a treat! Despite mom's worries, Miriam slept and ate like a champ on both flights. That's good, because she's in for a lot more flights in her lifetime...

Once we hit DC, it was party time! Grandma Margery hosted a wonderful welcoming shindig, and Miriam was thrilled to meet her Uncle Rob, Aunt Vida, Cousin Pearce, and the whole Gruen clan. Cocoa, the neighborhood rock star (left), welcomed her with open paws and escorted her on walks among his fans. Another highlight was watching the Iowa caucus returns at the Ross' house (on their new huuuuuuuge television). Miriam is in that ever popular "undecided" category. Like many young voters, she can't help but be inspired by the exciting Sen. Obama, but she also would love to see a female president, especially one who supports her daddy's Public Service Academy. Either way, she wants history to be made come November!

The partying continued all weekend long as Miriam's buddy Zinnia Specter Estes came by for a visit (along with her folks, Carol and Steve). Zinnia's a cutie and showed li'l Miri how to take on a playground. Later that evening, Miriam joined us for a mitzvah -- we rejoiced with our friends, Noah and Lauren, as they got married at Beth T'filoth near Baltimore. It was a beautiful ceremony, and Miriam even hit the dance floor, with the help of her daddy's sling. You know it don't mean a thing, if you ain't got that sling...