Miller's World

While searching for the text for this post, I found another Christopher Morley poem that is so appropriate to our understanding of Miller's reality. It is entitled "Six Weeks Old".

"Six Weeks Old"
Christoper Morley

He is so small he does not know
The summer sun, the winter snow;
The spring that ebbs and comes again,
All this is far beyond his ken.

A little world he feels and sees:
His mother's arms, his mother's knees;
He hides his face against her breast,
And does not care to learn the rest

These beautiful photos come from the incredibly talented Brittany DeFrehn of Sweet Bee Photography. We are so lucky to count Brittany and her husband Sean as friends and hope that she'll continue to so artistically capture our family for years to come.

Miller Turns Two (Months)

It's been an exciting week at the Badanes home in Arlington. Miller turned two months on Tuesday (the 18th) and we had his two month check-up on Wednesday. The little guy is long and lean, measuring in at 24 inches and 12 pounds.

We love the idea of tracking his growth with monthly photos. So far, we are planning two sets of prints - one with the same elephant chair and the other surrounded by stuffed animals (representing the number of months he is old). Here's this month's set:

Does anyone have any other cool ideas for tracking monthly photos? Would love to hear it in the comments.

Miller and Daddy Time

As some of you may have heard, I'm taking an increased role in taking care of Miller during the busy period of Ginny's work. I can't wait to tell Miller when he's older all about this wonderful time we shared. I'm doing my best to record all of my thoughts for him, and sharing some with all of you on our blog.

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For now, I'm going to share the Christopher Morley poem "Secret Laughter" that both my Dad and Grandfather mailed to me upon Miller's arrival:

There is a secret laughter
That often comes to me,
And though I go about my work
As humble as can be,
There is no prince or prelate
I envy--no, not one.
No evil can befall me--
By God, I have a son!

Abby's Birthday at Perry's

For my sister Abby's 24th birthday, we went to Perry's in Adams Morgan for sushi. Miller's at the perfect age for taking him out to restaurants and dinners with friends, as he seems to love the steady noise of crowded restaurants.

My Dog Winston

Miller and Winston. Winston's been known to relieve himself on pumpkins, so we have to be careful when Miller dons this cap.

Third Trimester Athletics

I know that I'm late to the post on this one, but did you all hear the story of the mother who ran the Chicago Marathon at 39 weeks? Before the expectant mothers over at pregnancy.com lose their minds, it is important to note that Amber Miller had the complete support of her doctor and her husband. As the author notes, this "was neither her first pregnancy, her first marathon, nor her first pregnant marathon". I applaud her determination, both to complete the race and to oppose the collective wisdom of the crowd.

Cincinnati Weekend

The whole family traveled to Cincinnati for the first weekend in October. We had a full agenda that included introducing Miller to our Cincinnati friends and family and attending the Mariemont and Miami football games. It was extremely important for us to share Miller with his living great-grandparents, all of whom live in Southwestern Ohio. Included in this four generation picture are my Mom and Dad, my Mom's parents, and my Dad's mother.

The weekend started with Miller's first flight, a quick 55 minute jaunt across a beautiful September morning. Miller was the perfect traveler; our only hiccup was when we were worried his diaper would be flagged as a dirty bomb. The captain and flight attendants presented Miller with a certificate of first flight which we promptly added to his baby book.

Miller also met some of his parents' and grandparents' closest friends at an afternoon tea, the Mariemont Homecoming parade and a Miami University tailgate. His Dad is just getting the hang of compensating for the extra weight in the Baby Bjorn when playing cornhole.

All in all, it was a wonderful first trip to Cincinnati - the first of many, to be sure.