We have no bananas today.

We are now into the new year in earnest. 2009 will be the year of Ezra's first steps ... his first word ... perhaps his first swim and his first song. 

It is also the year of his first "solid" food. At our doctor's visit last week, he once again allayed our concerns about Ezra's weight. Mostly. It would be nice if the kid bulked up a bit, but he swears it's nothing to worry about. He did, though, suggest starting Ez on solids, recommending banana. 

Having just finally assembled the high chair that had become a piece of furniture in our bedroom for the last 6 months, we strapped the little guy in and attempted to shovel some chow in his mouth. Actually, it was a banana-breast milk smoothie (soon to be all the rage at Baby Jamba Juice). Let's just say it was a fun game. I'm not sure there was all that much nourishment involved ... or any, actually. We've been at it for about 4 days now, with little change. But it appears as if most human babies do eventually learn to eat, so we are optimistic he'll get the hang of it at some point. In the meantime, his parents are happy to eat the leftovers (without the dairy additive, that is). 

Last week we began our semi-permanent arrangement: I (dad) went back to work full time, Ash continued on her 3-day schedule, and Ezra has begun spending those days with his new "nanny," Najiba. I am still trying to think of something better to call her -- "nanny" sounds so yuppie. Babysitter? Caregiver? Infant custodian? We're working on it. 

Najiba's best quality is that she has inexhaustible supplies of patience. That is pretty crucial for looking after Ez, because he is one beautiful, charming, lovable pain in the ass. They seem to be getting on quite well. Leaving him there is not easy for us, but it hasn't been traumatic. It definitely helps that we know he's getting plenty of one-on-one attention. 

And no improvement thus far on the sleep, I'm afraid. We were all set to do some sleep training ... but have chickened out until we can get him eating a little better. At this point, it's a contest between our anxiety over his weight, and our frustration about his sleep. Anxiety vs Frustration -- the parenting smackdown. We'll let you know who wins. 

Very much love, 

Gabe, Ash and Ez