OK, so it’s not the best “hello” she’s said yet - often she actually manages to do the full “h” sound, and doesn’t go up at the end, so you can really hear it enunciated properly (like mother, like daughter); but we thought it was great to finally get something on video - and it’s in context, so you know it’s real, people! Click to play.
It’s official. Sid’s first word is “hello.” With the “h,” even. We’ve been hearing attempts at it for a while now, (grrlah!) but she’s finally got it down, and has said it 3 times in the last 12 hours. And in context (mostly to inanimate objects, but at least on their arrival). Now we just have to catch it on camera….
Disclaimer: she also does say “ma!” for just about everything, and “dadadadada” sometimes when I repeat “daddy” to her often often enough, but they’re kind more all-purpose, and not said correctly, so we’re sticking with hello.
See pics from Sid’s first St Patty’s - the parade in Dublin, no less! - here.
“I looked so cute in my green outfit that even strangers took photos of me.”
The better to bite you with.
Oh, and I kind of like granny apples a little bit.
So so sorry for the lack of contact lately, oh, all my wonderful fans. You see, besides from my (and my two chief administrators, Professor Mommy and 3-years-til-Dr. Daddy) being horribly jet-lagged (even still) and slightly sick for a time, we’ve just been desperate to get in some reading and writing.
would you like me to read to you, mommy? (mom&dad might’ve helped)
The trips to NYC and Florida (thank you to granny and grandpa, and ouma and oupa, respectively) were simply divine. Aunt Sam and Uncle Emy get madd shout-outs too. You can see many-a-photo of good times on flickr. No time to surf? Here’re a few highlights Prof. Mom insisted on:
new year’s and grandpa’s birthday (he’s OLD!)
play dates with tylor and aunt samantha / uncle emy
girrrrrrl power!
and… starving myself before christmas dinner
And, coming up, thanks to the extremely generous Ouma Harriet, I am going to experience my first two weeks of summer, EVER. We leave for South Africa on Monday - art for us!
After a wonderful few days with my parents and their friends, then with our “other” family for Christmas, Sidonie is feeling a bit mis with a bronchial infection 
We’ll have to take it easy with my sister and Aunt (and their spice - plural of spouse) in Florida, hoping that some of Sid’s shining dispostioin will shine through her illness… There are over 20 new pix of the angel up on flickr. Check them out.
See more pix on flickr.
Click here. I swear you will not regret it. Sid had an amazing first Christmas Eve with our “other” (Italian) family. Pix forthcoming.
i’m too cute for this shirt (although i do appreciate it, Linda)
In the words of Chrisopher Robin, aka Alan Alexander Milne:
When I was One,
I had just begun.
When I was Two,
I was nearly new.
When I was Three
I was hardly me.
When I was Four,
I was not much more.
When I was Five, I was just alive.
But now I am Six, I’m as clever as clever,
So I think I’ll be six now for ever and ever.
Mommy and Daddy got me building blocks and other li’l toys to celebrate on my 6-months birthday, which is also my first Thanksgiving! And oh, there is so much to be thankful for.
57 morehampton road - in front of the tree - and Donnybrook Village (our ‘hood)
the dodder river and seagulls in the city! - both within 8 mins walk from our place
ballsbridge village - 10 mins away - and Irish overcast days!
daddy, make it talk! and who can resist a face like this?
dolphin! and pretty in pink!
do you think the red or the yellow tastes better? and i come gifting bears
(me likey the presents)
i’m a big girl - first time at the table for dinner in my own seat!, and
Not sure there’s enough food here for me. What are you guys having and where’s the Turkey?
Thanksgiving Dinner!
The countdown begins: 3 weeks and 2 days til I see Granny and Gramps, 4 weeks and 3 days til Ouma, Oupa, Auntie Sam and Uncle Emy. CAN’T WAIT! (And, I won’t complain about more presents, I think…)
We slowly are getting settled into our place.
photos: “sitting sid, in the dublish living room” and “my bedroom, my bed, my sleep. go away.”
And I’m learning the finer points of high living.
photos: “feeling so high in my chair (well, not really mine, but for now)” and “my rightful place in the world!”
Not really used to the food or eating habits of these strange peoples just yet.
photos: “you can shove as much as that stuff as you want in my mouth, i know it’s not boob.” and “the aftermath”
But the scene is hot.
photos: “sidonie in autumn” and “too much apple juice!”
And, two more photos for good measure.
photos: “baby soup” and “my first art fair”
Dia dhuit (not that we know how that is pronounced)!
Our introduction to Dublin was a day of uncharacteristic rain - in that it spit all day, not just for part of it. We think the isle was just trying to “help” us get acclimated. Sid was none too pleased.
last days in South Africa - Sid with her daddy’s old friend Jill, visiting from NYC
We tried the hop-on / hop-off bus, to learn our way around, but finding a flat proved as difficult as everyone promised, and having planned our hunting and orientation around what we did not know was a bank holiday was not as conducive to learning the lay of the land as we had hoped.
Still, we finally found a place to live in the great green city. OK, so, the bathroom is a little ratty (and no bathtub for us or Sid - got her a portable Pooh bath) and it gets a bit cold (so the heating will be pricey), but the place is a lot bigger than we thought we’d find in our price range, and in one of the most wonderful areas. Within 5-10 minute’s walk, there’s a beautiful green park with a pond and ducks and geese, a children’s play-set, an area full of restaurants (indian, italian, even a wine-tasting place - not that we can afford any of this anymore), a starbucks in the other direction (hee), and quite a few hotels and lodges for when friends want to visit. And yes, we actually have floor space for friends on a tighter budget. And, like almost everywhere in the city, we are within spitting distance of water, on several bus routes, and are just 10 mins on a bus to the vibey city center - nathaniel is already on the lookout for a used bicycle, cuz hey, it’s that kind of city (yay!). Less than one block away is our local coffee shop (free wireless!), a bookstore, and a fancy schmancy delicatessen, for when we want to treat ourselves (tho for most groceries we will go the 15 minute walk to the cheaper ‘tesco’).
Sidonie in her pooh-bear bathtub, and with her daddy in fron of their dublin flat
Our li’l brick building has a lot of “character” (real estate speak for old and decrepit), but we like it nonetheless. It’s not quite done with the minor touch-ups we insisted on - they are still painting and fixing a few things, and they should have cable-based internet installed next week some time (there’s no phone jack or anything!) - but we are already camping out in the bedroom and we daresay it’s starting to feel a bit like a home.
Guinness does indeed taste MUCH better in dublin (apparently, it’s not pasteurized here, and the factory offers “lessons” on the best ways to maintain pipes and serve the Brown Gold), and we’re also v. into smithwick’s (pronounced smithicks) and killkenny. (Read: nathaniel is into these, really, while nicole tastes and tries to pretend it’s from the Stellenbosch region.) We’ve been past the famous brewery’s main building, but not yet inside - haven’t had much of a chance to see the sites - but we have heard some of the stories. For example, did you know Guinness had 21 kids, eleven of which survived? Apparently, his wife was a little deaf, and at nighttime he would often ask her, “So you want to go to sleep, or what?” Her hearing-impaired response was usually, “What?” Altho we’ve not seen the attractions, we have been to Talbott street’s “cheap and cheerful” shops - “fully furnished” is not quite fully furnished, if you know what we mean….
Sid really likes people-watching in and around the city, but not being brought up within one means that she doesn’t really “get” stroller / pram culture, and insists on being carried EVERYWHERE. Not fun for our backs, even when we have her sling. We must find a way to get her into “buggy etiquette.” Tips, anyone? For those who have not heard, her first tooth erupted around the time of our arrival, and the second is already sprouting - none too comfortable for Nicole, if you get our meaning. Sid has been charming citywalkers and bus commuters all over ireland, and we expect her baby-modeling career to get its jumpstart any day now - altho, her awkward hair growth on top and not on the sides might restrict her to punk rock commercials….
This is the view just after entering Trinity College campus from the bustling street, 5 mins from the city centre. Trail along the path to the upper right of the image, hang a left through a small arch, then a right along the side of Aras An Phiarsaigh til you reach its entrance. Nathaniel’s office is on the second floor, which would be the third floor in America… We love that it’s this huge, old, beautiful campus - like Cornell, only actually old as opposed to faux old - but in the middle of a city - like Columbia, but BIG.
Nathaniel does’t spend much time in the office just yet (still setting up), and the phone is not even on, but when it is, the number will be +353 1 608 2253. He shares with three other postgrads (including Ralph), has super speed internet of ridiculous proportions (tho bittorrent is sadly blocked…), and all kinds of little geek toys he wants to sift through sit on his shelves. They gave him a good PC with a nice screen, so he’s thinking of going cross-platform with all his stuff, soon. Linda Doyle, his supervisor, is even more rad and sweet and supportive than he remembered when choosing this department. It’s going to be great working with her.
We’ve decided on not getting a landline at home, and are instead going with an internet phone. For geeks, our skype handle is nathanielstern (Hilary, this means you can call us for free from Trudy and Dan’s!), and messaging us will “call” our new skype phone once we are online. For non-geeks, all this means is that we will actually have an AMERICAN telephone number you can call - local rates for our US friends, and cheaper calls from SA! Other contact details below. We’ll give out that number to interested parties via email, once we have it.
nathaniel’s email remains the same
nicole’s email: first name dot last name at gmail
nicole mobile number: forthcoming
skype/land line: forthcoming number, handle is nathanielstern
nathaniel mobile: +353 87 913 9885
address:
Nathaniel, Nicole and Sidonie
Middle Flat
57B Morehampton Road
Donnybrook Dublin 4
Ireland
PS and FYI: We do daylight savings in Ireland; right now, we are 5 hours ahead of new york and 2 hours behind South Africa
better living through chemicals!!!
No, it’s not the baby who is the helper, but the pills in her hand! Of course, the cool thing is that Sid has learned to hold and shake things. Next up, um, everything she can get her hands on?
I turned 4 months this week, and mommy turned [censored]. Here’s some pics of daddy’s favorite girls.
image: 'sidonie' by nathaniel stern
