Month: July 2011

Mylostone – WALKING!

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Shame on me for not finding the time to post my son Mylo’s most important Mylostone yet… walking.

On a Saturday afternoon in July, while Jason and I were both at home, Mylo took his first few steps, and then fell. It just so happened to be his 11 month birthday. It was a moment of great joy and immense pride and one that I won’t soon forget. And because we knew it was going to happen any day (he had been taking a step or two towards stationary objects for a couple of weeks), I was most elated that it happened when both his mommy AND daddy were home to witness it, and praise him.

Walking – week 1

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Walking – week 2

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Mylostone – First Beach & First Trip to Montauk

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MyMy playing in the sand with baby James.

For two self-proclaimed beach bums, Jason and I sure took our sweet time introducing our son to the beach.

For the fifth consecutive year, we took our summer vacation in Montauk, a rugged and dreamy beach town on the eastern most tip of Long Island. It was a wonderful vacation and Mylo did surprisingly well sleeping almost-through-the-night in a hotel room in which his crib nearly touched the foot of our bed.

Hackin’ around with the hotel ice bucket.

Each year we make the trip out east with the same group of friends. My best friend’s boyfriend, Jack, came along this year and I was grateful for that. Not just because I like to see how happy he makes my dear friend, but because ever since Mylo was a newborn, Jack has had an amazingly pacifying affect on him.

Jack with Mylo at 2 weeks.

Jack with Mylo at 11 months.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My favorite part of the trip was taking Mylo to Ditch Plains – the beach where we did our maternity photo shoot last year.

I will never forget this time in our lives…

Mylo was 8 months grown in my belly on the very same day last year that he was about to turn 11 months old this year.

…but this has been even more memorable.

A great Mylostone indeed… cannot wait until next year!

Mylostone – First Farm

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This Mylostone is a particularly personal one for me. As a vegetarian, it meant a lot to me to be able to introduce my son Mylo to farm animals. I apologize ahead of time if what I’m about to write offends you, but since becoming a vegetarian, I’ve always wondered how parents take their children to farms to feed and admire the cows, chickens and goats to then turn around and feed those same animals to them for dinner. My own folks included.

I’ve always intended to write in more detail about our decision to raise our children vegetarian but have sadly not gotten around to that post, (and others for that matter). My husband Jason is only vegetarian 75% of the time, but I am immensely grateful that I have his full support in bringing up Mylo as one. As he said to my parents when we explained to them of our wishes, “How can you really argue with a lifestyle that is healthy, environmentally responsible and compassionate.”

So you could imagine my delight at seeing my son hand-feed this bully billy goat a carrot in my hometown of Northport, NY — at the same farm I grew up visiting no less!

Injured Pup from ACC

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One June 14th I pulled a dog off of the euthanasia list at Manhattan Animal Care & Control who had a bum leg. She wasn’t going down for kennel cough (as most are), she was going to be killed for having a bum leg. She had $750 dollars in pledge money and a foster/possible forever home with a family in Connecticut.

Mary scared at the shelter.

She was A# (animal #) 899911. ‘The 911 was fitting,’ I thought. The dog, named Mary, generated by the shelter’s antiquated computer software, was transported to an emergency vet hospital in Connecticut. X-rays showed that her left front leg was broken and they referred her to a specialist.

When I heard the news, my heart sank. It immediately made me anxious because all I could see were all the dollars signs that my bare bones rescue group does not have, and at the same time it touched a soft spot in me reminding me of my own dog and what we had been through with her broken legs.

I was fortunate to be able to send the dog to Animal Medical Center in Yonkers where she underwent surgery to repair her humeral fracture. I was even more fortunate to piggyback off of a bigger, more powerful NYC rescue organization’s 50% discount. A surgery that normally costs $4,500 cost us half that.

Mary, now called Angel, is recovering well at her new home and has grown particularly close to the family’s three teenage children. She sleeps with the youngest under a pink blanket every night.

Angel safe and loved.

A ChipIn for Angel has been set up as we are still more than $500 away from being able to pay off her surgery bill. If you are able to ChipIn to help Mary, please click here.

Mylostone – Waving

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Of all the milestones, or Mylostones, that my son Mylo has had in his short 11 months on this planet, this is perhaps my favorite. A couple of days ago I was waiting at the light with one of our foster dogs as my husband Jason was standing across the street holding Mylo. Jason began waving hello to me and pointing to Mylo that I was across the street, and then his hand went up. He waved. That was the first time.

And now I tell him “bye-bye” all the time even if I’m not in fact leaving just so I can watch him wave. It is adoringly communicative and it cuts right to my heart.

Turns out it’s not so easy to snap a photo of him in the act with my iPhone, but I swear he is waving good-bye to me here.  And unfortunately, in this photo, I was leaving 🙁

Waving bye-bye with Sidi!