Good Morning, Gavin

Sorry, Ashok. There's a new monkey boy in town.

Translocated

We did it. Put simply, we left NYC this morning and, on one-way tickets, arrived in Colorado this morning (thanks to the miracle of time zones). In slightly more detail: we closed on the sale of our apartment, got rid of our car, and got our junk carted from NY to CO.

I plan on going back and rehashing events, cover the final thoughts as we left, and talk about our first day here.

For now, enjoy this picture of Gavin deciding that hanging upside-down was incredibly fun while riding an airplane at 40,000 feet.

Moving Day 2: The Actual Move

As predicted, the stress was gone this morning. Mostly because Gavin decided to be ahead of schedule and woke up at quarter to six. I have never been one to want to crawl back into bed, but lately it seems it is all I'd rather be doing. Since our coffee got packed along with the honey (we didn't specifically say don't pack any food you come across), I figured Gavin and I could just go to the coffee shop. The baristas remarked at how awake he was, putting all us early-rising veterans to shame.

After Gavin set the early tone, the movers arrived fifteen minutes ahead of schedule. Following a quick tour of items to be packed, they went to work hauling boxes downstairs and wrapping up the furniture. I was excited to watch everything leave, except for when a few boxes fell off the cart -- at least it appeared to be boxes without breakable stuff. Still, knowing that we were getting one step closer to the moment when we step over the threshold of our new home became a satisfied relief -- transformed from yesterday's near nervous breakdown.

The activity of moving was not as intense or hectic as the packing, but Grammy gladly took her grandson out for yet another local adventure to help him avoid the crankies. Gavin made his second appearance of the day in one of the three neighborhood Starbucks. This time, however, he slept in the Shrine of Caffeine. Once he finished his nap, somehow he coerced Grammy into buying him yet another book. You might think to yourself "Wow, what a bookworm!", but in reality, these are just pretty chew toys to Gavin.

Before the wandering duo returned, I got a call I had been waiting for all morning from the driver responsible for carting our belongings across the country. We had several items in a self-storage facility and I had to let them in. It was good to meet the driver in person -- I feel better knowing he can put a face to all those items he is truckin' cross-country, even if it makes no difference to him. We chatted about our hometowns, his being in the Denver area and mine, as the driver put it, in "The Queens". I got a real kick out of calling home, "The Queens". His question was phrased something like this, "So, Jeff...are there any good neighborhoods in The Queens? I had a job once in a bombed-out neighborhood and had to pull a Rule 14-111." Note, I am pretty sure I am making up the rule he quoted, but you get the idea.

So today is over, our stuff is gone, and we are feeling that Rocky Mountain High. It is a complete 180 from how yesterday's emotions ran. Now we are looking forward to wrapping up all the last minute items, sealing the deal at the closing, and making our exit from NYC next week.

Good Morning, Gavin

Many photo applications have a red-eye removal tool. What us shutter-happy parents need, though, is a drool removal tool!

Moving Day 1: Packing

Today was Day 1 of the move. We have anticipated it for weeks, planned the items which we would need to keep, and discovered we had accumulated a lot of stuff that was not worth moving. In the final preparation last night, I cooked the last meal that I will ever prepare in our Queens apartment -- since my knives and our pots would soon be boxed for Colorado (leave comments if you want the recipe).

We hired the moving company to do a full pack. So far, it seems to have been worth it. The entire apartment was wrapped and boxed in under three hours. I don't think we expected the whirlwind performance of the crew, which consisted of a person for each room. There was barely any room to walk through the apartment for about an hour.

How do you manage a baby in such a ruckus? Trick question, you don't. The solution is to hand the kid to Grammy and let her take him on a long walk through the neighborhood. Maybe stop in a shop or two and buy him some nice outfits and books. By the time they returned from their local tour, the most intense period of the packing was finished.

The walls are bare, the office shelves have been cleared, and the kitchen cabinets are empty. I freaked out when all those things I take for granted being there were suddenly gone. The fact that our home of ten years is going to hold that title for only a few more days is sinking in a bit more each day. I think I'll feel better, even think more clearly tomorrow after the movers remove the boxes and furniture. The apartment will be back in its empty state, almost as it was back when Kiersten and I first moved in together. I'd like to think we are passing on something special to the new owners -- that they will have as interesting and as memorable a journey as we have had living here.

Gavin is a Squeak Toy

Leave to Grammy to elicit joyful laughter from her grandchild! Applying a little-known, secret technique, Gavin is under Grammy's spell and breaks into laughs and squeaks. I don't know how amusing you will find this, but it sent me into giggles the eighteen times I've watched it.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Good Morning, Gavin

Gavin was born with a disapproving look to let you know when he is unhappy...and he hasn't forgotten how to use it.

Good Morning, Gavin

Gavin discovers his foot.

Good Morning, Gavin

A well-rested baby is a happy baby!

Home Sweet Home (at least for the next few weeks)

I returned home tonight from the Colorado recon trip despite airplane equipment problems. When the pilot announced they had a system fault, all I could think of was the Star Trek computer (pick an episode) saying "Unable to comply". Unfortunately, it meant we had to stay on the plane for two hours while they worked on the problem.

The trip was completely successful. We have an apartment and a crib. Now, we just need to make it through the next two weeks and the packing process.

In my absence, Gavin seems to have become a different baby. His babbling has increased and he is beginning to keep his tongue in his mouth -- so that opens a whole new world of sounds he can make. I have been told he his laughing and possibly squealing, too. I cannot wait for him to wake up tomorrow, say hello, and give him his souvenir from Boulder (a onesie that says "Hiker in training").

Colorado Recon Mission

* DISCLAIMER: Post is not baby-related. There are no cute pictures included. *

The reason baby posts have been non-existent this past week is Operation Rocky Mountain High has been initiated.

The mission:

• Primary objective: Secure an apartment.
• Secondary objective: Order a crib.
• Targets of opportunity: Find a dealership to purchase a car and visit friends.

As of yesterday afternoon, I completed the primary objective. Our new hometown will be in Superior, CO. By NYC standards, the apartment complex is sick. There are many amenities that we will most likely never use, but it is close enough to the Front Range to let us see everyday why we chose to pick-up and move across the country.

Since we hope that the lure of the mountains will also draw some visitors out to us, we asked premiere vacation home designer, CindyB, to work on a furniture layout that would allow us to be like a small hostel. I think you will find the sleeping arrangements for eleven guests cozy, as well as ample space for both conversation and boisterous family-style meals.


Now that the new apartment is finally a known part of the equation of the relocation, I can leisurely tackle some of the other move-related tasks (finding a crib and buying a new vehicle) and visiting friends that live here.

New Faces and Emotions Emerge

Three month old Gavin had two emotions: happy and upset. Happy meant he was full and well-rested while upset meant just the opposite as well as having a wet diaper.

Four month old Gavin (he is just about there) is developing a wider, subtler range of emotions: excited, content, lonely, mildly annoyed, beside-himself upset complete with tears, and fear. Today's picture is what we are calling "scared" Gavin. He was in a video conference when something caught him off-guard. The Papa-razzi (or Papa-razzo if you are picky) was able to capture this singular moment in time.

The elusive treasure, the Gavin Laugh, has made several more appearances when least expected. Rest assured that I am vigilant and will share that special moment when the stars and camera align.