Stefanie and I met when we were in Nursery School - and today her son Jake (27 months) and Seth (21 months) had a playdate. My Mom just kept saying she couldn't believe we were all old enough for this!
It was really great having them over. Watching them tear apart the house and enjoying lunch together. Thanks for coming of Stef and Jake!!!
After a wild night at Foxwoods with his two brothers, Jerald took the train down to New York to be with us. Clearly we both needed some more sleep.
Seth was still having a ball at "Ra" and "Pa's" house - so much so, that he decided to start earning his keep!
Today was a great day! First, my grandparents (Seth's great grandparents) flew in from florida for the holiday. It has been way too long since we have seen them!
Who is this foreign exchange student, you might ask? His name is Seth. In recent weeks, Seth has gone through a language explosion. He is constantly talking. He likes to identify things and people. He repeats words he hears or things he wants. It is all really fun and exciting. The problem happens when we don't know what he is saying. Sometimes he has just made up his own word for something, but has neglected to tell us. Other times he is pronouncing something in a way we cannot identify it. So the game becomes, trying to figure out what he is saying.
The other day, Seth turns to me and says "gablablapa." Or something like that. I, not know quite what that means, say, "garbage?" Seth looks directly at me and very slowly says, "No, gablablapa." He said it so slowly and with such care, it almost seemed he was thinking "No, stupid, I didn't say garbage I said gablablapa. How can you not know what that means!" Hence, I feel like we are living with a foreign exchange student and we are constantly working on creating a common language.
So I finally did it! I have been wanting to donate my hair for a long time. It was out of control long and annoying - so yesterday was the day. Above is my ponytail ready to be shipped off for donation. It is a little shorter than I would like - but I wanted to make sure there was enough to donate. I think I will be very happy with it in a month or two.
Much more fun on the beach today with Grandma and Grandpa. Seth even got his toes wet! 
Then it was time for Grandpa to take a bus and a train back to NYC so he could go to work. We miss you already Grandpa!!!
Jerald stayed in with Seth and let my Mom and I go out for dinner. It was really special to spend quality time together. We couldn't remember the last time we had dinner just the two of us - if ever. It was really wonderful!
He had his second haircut. To make him sit still I fed him 5 animal crackers! 
We did some other errands and had lunch at the Cheesecake Factory where we split a grilled cheese sandwich and french fries. How cute does his new haircut look?
Then we drove over to Harvard Square to meet up with my friend Ivy who is in town staffing a teen tour. It was wonderful getting to spend some time with her! 
We were lucky to help celebrate the wedding of our good friends Erica and Mike. The happy couple lucked out with amazing weather. Erica and Mike were beaming the entire day. It was wonderful to watch!
We had a fun night celebrating. Thanks to Nana for babysitting. 
Seth has never been a cuddler - but last night at dinner he kept snuggling into my arm. He would pull away and then grab back on - hug my arm and lay his head down. It was the cutest thing!
For those who don't know, Lauren deserves all of the credit for this amazing blog, and for constantly keeping it up-to-date - but Seth and I are taking over for today to wish her a Happy Mother's Day.
As you've all seen Seth grow, and smile, and laugh and learn over the last year, it's in large part due to Lauren's love and attention! It's been amazing watching her with Seth all year - her patience, her warmth and her mom-ness. Happy Mother's Day!
From Lauren:
I really cannot believe how fast this year has gone by. This year has just been incredible. It has been so amazing watching Seth grow for such a tiny little baby to this little boy. Seth is such a source of joy in my life. I really feel blessed to be his Mom and I am thankful for every day that I get to spend with him. Seth has made me appreciate my family even more than before. It has been such a gift to be surrounded by so much love and support from family and friends over this past year. THANK YOU!
From Jerald:
In looking at Seth today, it's almost hard to remember back to those first few months when he would just lay peacefully in our arms (and never his crib). It has been remarkable, awe-inspiring, and a lot of fun watching him learn, grow, and develop his own unique personality. I'm looking forward to seeing how this adventure continues to play, and thank you all for being a part of it.
Seth and Lauren stayed inside most of today to avoid the horrible weather. We had to be creative to keep both of us occupied by we ended up having a fun day.
At 6:45, a couple of minutes before Jerald walked in the door, Seth leaned over and gave me a real hug. It was a real hug because he wasn't falling or trying to lick my shoulder - he just put his arms around me, hugged me, and then let go to keep playing with some toy. What an amazing feeling!
From Lauren:
After Seth's morning nap, we went out for a walk. We walked through Harvard Yard and Seth started saying "Da, Da, Da..." So I said, "Yes this is where Dad went to college." This got me thinking back to my college days at the University of Rochester. I looked at some of the undergrads that passed us in the Yard and I wondered whether they were really appreciating the moments and time they were having in college. Did I appreciate the time I had in college?
We then passed a bulletin board posting about a NFTY reunion. I thought back to high school and the time I spent in this Jewish youth group. Did I appreciate the time I had back then?
My thoughts then went to Seth. He is almost a year old! The time has gone by so fast. When he does something so "grown up" I often say to him "where is my baby, you are such a big boy!" And it is true, he isn't a "baby" anymore.
So often we all get caught up in looking to our next step. In high school you look to college. In college you look to graduate school and beyond. We do the same thing with children. When you are pregnant you look to the birth. When the baby is born you look straight towards the next milestone... rolling over, sitting up, crawling, walking, talking... All of these things are important to look towards but I want to make sure I am enjoying and remembering each individual moment instead of getting caught up in what is coming next.
So, for at least today, I am happy with where we are all today...and I am enjoying and trying to remember this moment.
Thanks for reading my ramblings...
