Drumming at the park

The new park at 16th and P, open since January, has been a wonderful thing for us all. I can look out my office window and see the kids playing there, and occasionally I look out and Gabriel's there. Here he plays the drums.

At the Sculpture Garden

A very composed Gabriel strikes a pose at the Sculpture Garden on the Mall. We haven't yet taken him inside any of the museums-- have chosen so far to show him the outdoor sights.

Like so many of the places DC has to offer, the sculpture garden will be a wonderful place to take the Goose once he's able to appreciate things a bit more. It's a wonderful city in which to be (and to raise) a child.

A Builder, or a Destroyer?

Early evidence points to "destroyer." Gabriel has developed a tendency of systematically dismantling things. Here he takes apart, one piece at a time, a stack of, well, stackable toys. His general approach upon discovering that his dad (or his grandma, whose handiwork is being taken apart in this picture) has built a stack is to start from the top, patiently tossing each piece over his shoulder using his left hand. He seems incapable of sitting in a room with a peacefully built stack-- feels compelled to disassemble it. I feel equally compelled to re-assemble. The battle of wits is ongoing.

Gabriel's 11 month birthday

We celebrated Gabriel's 11 month birthday with a trip to the Mall on a lovely April day-- walked down from our temporary 13th street digs. Gabriel went on the merry go round with Alison, who seemed much more into the whole thing than he did. Alison and Gabriel shared a bench with another parent and child. This was a difficult thing to photograph without blurriness, so you'll have to take my word that they actually got on the thing.

Climbing the Stairs

A new development since we've moved into our temporary 13th Street abode: Gabriel is climbing stairs. Frequently.

This started in early March, at the age of 10 months, with slow, deliberate, supported climbing up the carpeted steps of our apartment. He quickly became better at it, and now scoots up without even pausing, at least when he's had a good nap. Even after a few consecutive trips up the stairs, he's still ready for more. Here he poses mid-ascent.

Bath time

A couple of people have remarked that Gabriel looks more like a little person than a baby now. Here he stares down the camera mid-bath. Photo courtesy of Uncle Kurt from NYC.

Paparazzi Shot

These damn photographers! During a quick visit this weekend from NYC, Uncle Kurt snapped this one of Gabriel immediately post-bath. Is there no privacy anymore?