My latest composition...

...with just a little bit of help.

The greatest music mash-up ever.

Sufjan Stevens and Christina Aguilera. (There's also a Sufjan and Kayne West one out there, but I think the Aguilera works better.)

Also, the first song has been released from what will be the best album of 2006.

Our little future scientist

We affectionately refer to this toy as "the molecule." (It was a Christmas gift from Uncle Dave -- the MIT engineer -- so I wonder if the resemblance to a molecule was intentional.) Benji loves to grab it, eat it, and throw it. It also makes a really pretty sound when shaken and has great bungee properties. So many possible reasons Benji likes this toy.

People do not make the sense.

So I am in the car with Benji at a stop light on a four-lane road. (In case you are curious, I am driving, not Benji.) A car pulls up next to me at the red light, and its radio -- playing hip-hop beats, of course -- is far, far louder in my own car than is my XM. Out of curiousity, I turn to look at the car, and...THE DRIVER IS ON HIS CELLPHONE! Someone, please explain.

Mmmm... Fingers... Yummy!

Just before Christmas Benjamin discovered his fingers in a big way. Now we can hear him on the baby monitor just sucking away at his hand. Or he'll grab one hand with the other and shove it in his mouth. Sometimes he'll just hold his hand out in front of his face, rotating it slowly, and staring at it intently. And he even grabs one hand with the other and tries to pull the grabbed hand away. Too bad he has such a strong grip so the "captured" hand can't get away.









These next couple aren't terribly recent (both from Benji's first month), but they matched the theme too well to pass up. I especially love how he managed to get his fingers out of his swaddle in order to suck on them.

Then and now

Same outfit. Same baby. What a difference three months makes.

About one and a half weeks old (notice the umbilical stump is still there and how big the newborn size diaper looks).


About three months old (notice how "in charge" he looks; normally he stretches out more, but I think he discovered his knees earlier that week).

What Annie does, I shall do also.

I do not listen to as much music as Beth-Annie. But I have opinions too. Dumb opinions. Predictable opinions. But I will share my favorite 10 songs of 2005 anyway. (Note: All songs from Sufjan Stevens' Illinois are counted as only one because otherwise they would, like, take up half the list.)

Aloha, "I Don't Know What Else to Do"
Death Cab for Cutie, "Brothers on a Hotel Bed"
Fiona Apple, "Extraordinary Machine"
Greater California, "Missing Summer"
Gorillaz, "Feel Good Inc."
Marty Stuart, "Trip to Little Big Horn"
Sigur Rós, "Sé Lest"
Sufjan Stevens, "What Goes On" (cover from a Beatles tribute album; 17x better than the original)
The White Stripes, "The Denial Twist"

Yawn, another non-Benji post.

I had another handbell piece accepted for publication this afternoon. (Or, more accurately, it was accepted a couple days ago, but I received word from my mailman this afternoon.)

The magic changing table

I've heard many babies hate having their diapers changed and scream on the changing table. Not our Benjamin. Observe the typical course of action:

Start with angry baby. Place on changing table.


You might even have residual tears.


Benji realizes where he is.


Life is getting better.

Now it's happy time!

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