Day at the Zoo

On our way home from CT, we stopped at the Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford - cute little zoo! Great black bears, elephants and buffalo! Isabelle loved riding the train, and waving to everyone. "Hi, people! Hi, people!"

At dinner at Cucina sul Mare (again, the best meatballs EVER!) she broke out a new phrase: "Thank you, much!"

Happy Birthday, Anika

Dennis and Isabelle met me at the airport, and we headed straight to CT for Anika's second birthday party, singing Happy Birthday the whole way.

It was a combo hat and ladybug party (selected by the birthday girl herself!) and we opted for a Turkish theme--Isabelle as the TurkCell character, Dennis as Sultan and me in an itchy whirling dervish hat. We have to admit, we were quite surprised to walk in and see no one wearing a hat! Could it be because we were hours late? But Diana and Charlie didn't have any trouble getting back into the spirit of things!

The mini lemon cupcakes had fresh flowers, and it was great that all of Anika's grandparents were here (Mary and Tom making the trip from Florida!) When Anika was opening her presents, I shared some additional gifts from Afghanistan - and Elli was resplendent in the traditional (and jingly!) handmade dress, pants and headscarf.

Around 9pm, everyone was fading fast (Anika still fighting some pink eye). Isabelle and I fell asleep in about five minutes (after a quick--and requested--story about the doggy who took a plane to Paris). At 1am, though, I was wide awake, and there's really no future sleep in sight! The next morning Isabelle pointed to the bathroom window (where she had waved goodbye to Bonnie the night before), and said, "More Bonnie! More Bonnie!" More Bonnie, indeed! Auntie Bonnie made quite an impression last weekend letting Isabelle pop bubblegum bubbles and telling stories about a beautiful princess named Isabelle.


Cousin RJ tries (unsuccessfully) to keep little fingers out of the frosting!



Throughout the party Ethan would take my dervish hat and exclaim, "I'm pretending to be Auntie Beth!" I could never capture a picture of it, though.

Weekend with Nana, Grami and Grampis

Dennis is in Vegas defending his Beer Pong World Championship title, so Little Sweetie is sans Mommy AND Daddy. And this after Dennis taught her to say, “Isabelle and Daddy are a team!” I know she’s having a fantastic weekend--Friday night with Nana and Grampi in Falmouth, last night in CT with Grami and Grampi, and today she's visiting Auntie Bonnie and Uncle Michael and seeing her cousins RJ, Lexi and Ethan—and later today she's heading back to the Cape.

Month by Month

For the first time since Isabelle was born, one of her monthly “birthdays” has passed without any fanfare. In fact, March 22nd came and went without so much as a mention of it being her 19 month birthday, and it wasn’t until three days later—when someone asked me how old she was—that I even realized. There are so many things in life that you always do… and then, one day, you never do them anymore. When was the last night Isabelle slept in her bassinet? When was the last time we used her little plastic bathtub? When was her last swing in the baby swing? Most of the time, the “last time” comes and goes, and you don’t even realize. I understant that it happens, but it feels like a loss. I loved celebrating her monthly birthdays.

Isabelle Updates in Afghanistan

I love getting my "Isabelle happenings" fix from Dennis while here in Kabul. After a full week of being together all the time, Isabelle is showing a big spike in her verbal skills. Apparently, she's telling everyone, "Mommy's in Afghanistan," and (becuase of the 8.5 hour time difference) "Mommy sleeps during the day." Another one of my favorites: Isabelle walked out of the bathroom and then poked her little head back in and said to Dennis, "I'll be right back." Too cute. I miss you, Baby Cakes!

A Poem From Turkey

More Apple Tea

When you are traveling
You drink apple tea
Chase Istanbul pigeons
And face the Marmara Sea

On Grand Bazaar children
You lavish hugs and kisses
"Teh-ka" is your thank you
For Turkish delights so delicious

You are the dervish
Whose whirls capture our hearts
"Shhh... Baby sleeping in the bed"
Just as the Sufi music starts

Asking "Where'd kitty go?"
Over the Bosphorous you ride
From Europe to Asia
Eating cimiks on the deck outside

With almost nine little fingers
And ten little toes
Strawberry hands at Sultanahmet Mosque
Attract a carriage horse's nose

"Look! Barbie on holiday!"
We hear walking down the street
As you wave to every tram
And find clementines to eat

But nothing is sweeter
Than your plea for more apple tea
"More please, more please
And Cheers - Mommy, Daddy!"

Isabelle and Daddy’s big day of travel

Unfortunately the Istanbul trip has to end… and even more unfortunately, the 21 hour trip back won’t include Mommy, as she has to leave from Istanbul for Kabul. So it is just Isabelle and Daddy making the big trip. It starts with an 11 hour flight (did I mention the hour+ delay on the tarmac?)

Beth saw us off to the airport, and even waited in line at Passport Control with us. We briefly thought she would be able to enter the terminal with Isabelle and me, but at the last second she was denied. So it was a sudden good-bye...

Isabelle is, for every flight she has taken or will take until she is two, a “Lap Baby”. This means her flight is free (domestic flights) or close to free (we pay taxes only for international flights), but we are taking a gamble on getting a seat. Fortunately, for this long flight direct from Istanbul to JFK, the gamble pays off – the seat next to me is open! Isabelle gets her own seat! Unfortunately Delta doesn’t give “Lap Babies” a meal… so Daddy sacrifices his meal for the greater good.

The entire flight is during the day – we leave at 11am local time, arrive at 5PM local time. Isabelle seems to realize it is an extended day, and takes full advantage of it by not sleeping! She has plenty of friends to play with on the flight – the row ahead of us has a 22 month old baby, and Isabelle actually spends some time on that mother’s lap reading books. The row behind us has a 3 month old, Daniel, and Isabelle repeatedly looks back, points to each of them, with a knowing, “Daniel! Daniel’s Mommy! Daniel’s Daddy!”. Two rows back of that, another father traveling alone with his 2 year old. Here I was thinking I was up for daddy of the year…

At JFK we go through Passport Control. Isabelle is wired! She keeps saying "I walk! I walk!". The stroller might as well not exist. So I put her down... and she immediately takes off in a full sprint - right through Passport Control to the other side! I of course have not yet been stamped (nor has she). Fortunately the people working there were great, and didn't give me a hard time when I (repeatedly) had to go get her!

At JFK we transfer to a shuttle flight to Boston. As for all our flights, for some reason we are the last ones to get on the plane. This is not on purpose... it just seems to work out that way! There is no empty seat next to us. The flight attendant finds an empty row in the back of the plane, and offers it up to us, but I just look at her, exhausted, and say thanks, I think we are OK. I simply didn't have the energy to move. The two of us finally get a little sleep during the short (35 min) flight back to Boston. Isabelle fell asleep before we took off, and stayed asleep until after landing.

We thought we were so cool with our parking! We parked in Terminal E’s quick lot – steps from Customs Control! So leaving, even with a sleepy baby and way to many bags, should be a breeze, right? OOPS – we flew in from JFK on Delta, so we arrive at Terminal A. Fortunately there is a walkway between the two terminals. As a kicker, I lost my parking stub. I guess they see this happen regularly, as it didn’t faze the attendant at all.