The life and times of Oscar Marcos Perez-Cytron. Born Thanksgiving Day 11/22/01.
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
If you want to add something to Oscar's baby-blog, send an email to megan@alpha60.com and we can set it up so you can post...
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Wednesday, June 19, 2002
6:46 PM posted by Oscar
We´re sitting in a smoky internet cafe in Llanes in Asturias. ).  So far, our vacation has been incredible--really the most relaxing and enjoyable vacation I've ever taken (and dios knows we needed it). Yesterday, we went to the most beautiful and interesting place that I´ve ever seen and it was just a short walk from the house we're renting. It is a beach called Cuevas del Mar. In this spot, there's a creek running into a the ocean in between huge cliffs and a sandy beach. There are caves in the cliffs that are revealed as the (very drastic) tide comes in and out and there are huge mountains (picos)just behind you. There are cows making music with clanking cowbells just a few steps away, countless wildflowers, and a bar where you can get fresh seafood. I just can´t describe what a beautiful, perfect place it is. The beaches in Asturias are tucked into small sandy coves in between huge cliffs with emerald colored water. Even though the season is starting up, there were only a few other people there.
 People in Spain love children and Oscar has gotten so much attention! He's been held by more people since we've been here than he has so far in his short life! We had a really nice time in Madrid with David, Santi, Luisma, and Penelope. We hung out until 3:00 am with Oscar in a bar and no one even thought it was strange. Everyone just brings their kids with them when they go out. He´s ´such a good traveller, he's been really happy and engaged by everything. In fact, Christian and I were saying that it is actually more fun to travel with him, because he opens up a new world to us and we have a good excuse to talk to and meet people. 
Yesterday in the town we´re staying in (Nueva) we met a real live gaitero asturiano! We´ve eaten potatoes and setas with cabrales, navajas (razor clams¿?), and lots of things cooked in sidra. I can hear Christian and Oscar sounding off in the cafe part of this internet cafe--it sounds like they are having fun!
  
Tuesday, June 11, 2002
5:20 AM posted by Oscar
I'm usually terrified to fly and now I don't even care, because I just can't wait to get out of the city for a while. It's just really tense here again, almost every night I have a dream with some apocalyptic plot, then I turn on the news and it's even worse than what my subconscious conjured up. The phrase of today is "dirty bomb"--something none of us knew we were supposed to be worried about.
Oscar had a good day today. We had lunch at Mixtec and went to Kalorama park for a while. He napped on my lap on a park bench and watched dogs. When we got home we put him down on a blanket and he almost crawled. He's just so close--and he knows it--he looks pretty satisfied with himself these days!
Tomorrow we're off, I probably won't have time to write--hopefully we can check in while we're in Spain...
Monday, June 10, 2002
7:42 AM posted by Oscar
Today we went over to Damon and Elizabeth's for lunch and took a whole bunch of photos of Oscar with the new digital camera we just bought. I probably took more photos of Oscar today than my parents did during my entire childhood! I guess the novelty really wears off by the third child. I hope Oscar doesn't develop and inordinately large ego because of all of the love, wonder, and attention we lavish on him...
While we were riding in the car today (which we almost never do, because Oscar hates his carseat) Oscar started touching each different part of my face. At one point he got really interested in my eyelashes and very gently ran his fingers along them. Then he violently grabbed my nose.
Yesterday we went on a really nice long walk Rock Creek Park with Harry. We put Oscar in the backpack for the first time and he loved it. He just shrieked and squealed for over an hour. When I carry him, he yanks my hair incredibly hard. I think he really enjoys seeing the world from a different vantage point and being free to move around without our interference. We walked up to Cleveland park and had coffee on the patio at Firehook. I was holding Oscar on my lap and took my eyes off him for a split second and he spilled my entire iced coffee all over the place. Of course, he started screaming. Then we changed his diaper right at our table, because there was no where else to do it. We've really become those crazy parents who cause a ruckus and make a mess and then leave...
There's actually a movement right now to have restaurants and other public places that are mandatory kid-free zones. Apparently some people without kids feel pretty put upon by the existence of other people's children and feel they have the right to create a world where kids are not allowed. We're probably doing our part to help to further this movement! But, really, it's a challenge to find places in the city where we feel comfortable with Oscar.
We're leaving on our trip the day after tomorrow. Of course we still haven't done laundry or packed and the house is a complete wreck (Champ is house-sitting while we're gone). But somehow we'll pull it all off--and all of the frenzy and anxiety of leaving will just make us appreciate our vacation that much more.
Saturday, June 08, 2002
4:05 AM posted by Oscar
Today was another marathon adventure with Oscar. Christian had a meeting at Dragonwell in Arlington, so we all went, had lunch at Nam Viet with the Dragonwell folks (Damon, Jason, Chris and his guy Nathan), and walked around Clarendon all afternoon.
Oscar is going through a phase where he shrieks--sometimes with delight, other times in horror. It's getting pretty embarrassing to take him places in public, because he seems to really turn it on at the times when we most desperately want him to be quiet. Sometimes we go to drastic lengths to distract him and other times we just let him go with it. Either way, he just does his own thing--he's definitely still a wild, undomesticated animal--at this point it's pretty ridiculous to attempt to control him in any way! You just have to admire his total disregard for our expectations and social conventions.
Going out with Oscar has completely changed our way of doing things. We usually try to do one or two small things and then spend the rest of the time walking, feeding Oscar in random public places (he breastfed in five different public places today), feeding ourselves, changing Oscar, etc. It's really helped me to be less ambitious and to enjoy smaller moments. I've also become much better acquainted with park benches, outdoor cafes (shrieks aren't quite as piercing outside), and public restrooms. The only problem is that my caffeine intake has skyrocketed, because anytime Oscar gets overwrought, we stop to have coffee (three times today!). Hmm, now that I think about it, maybe the coffee is part of the reason he gets so worked up in the first place...
Friday, June 07, 2002
4:18 AM posted by Oscar
I decided to take the day off today, since I was in dire need of an attitude adjustment (see preceding blog entry). We went to Pentagon City, which reminded me of my MCI days--which, in turn, reminded me of Monica's final meeting with Linda Tripp. It's hard to turn around in this town without stepping into some muck. Who knows, maybe L and M were sitting next to me that fateful day in the food court... I do remember spending quite a few hours reading the Starr report when I had that job.
Going shopping with Oscar is like taking an older kid to Disney World. He just goes crazy with all of the stimulation. I've also noticed that some of the best moments are in unexpected places--like the bathroom at Hudson Trail Outfitters. Let's just put it this way, he has good comedic timing.
So life is better now, I just need to get more sleep. Oscar and Christian fell asleep immediately after we got home--I really seem to spend a lot of time watching/listening to those boys sleep.
Thursday, June 06, 2002
5:46 AM posted by Oscar
Christian and I have really been exhausted the past few days. I've been trying to finish up the last bit of my work before leaving on our trip and it really seems as if Oscar does not want me to work. The past few days, he's been going through some exquisite angst known only to him. It may just be that he realizes that we are too tired to put our heart into taking care of him and--even though all his basic needs are being met--there definitely haven't been many long walks or adventures. I guess we're deferring all of that for the trip, not to mention that it has been disgustingly hot all week. Okay, this is turning into a pretty negative bloglet...I need a nap!
|
|
| |
|
|
|
