Play Date with Cole

Rob and Laura and little Cole Manfredo came over for a play date on this cold winter Saturday. Cole is about 5 months younger than Nate. Rob and Laura needed lots of fertility help to get pregnant too, and there was this moment where Rob and I were standing in the kitchen watching the boys crawl around and make lots of noise and throw things and I said to Rob, "How the hell did this happen my man?" pointing to Nate and Cole, a joke meant to suggest that our fatherhood was like many others, an odd trick of fate, a door we accidentally opened and that which quickly locked behind us. But that was idiotic given our circumstances. These sweet little boys were no accidents.

The adults ate bagels at the apartment, while Nate and Cole, among other things, checked out the freezer,

had a moment or two where they acknowledged each other,

and generally got along pretty well. Nate and Cole were a good match actually. Cole was quiet and confident and calculating (like Fredo?) and Nate was chatty and boisterous and goofy (like Shana?). After, we headed to the Play Center for some indoor toddler fun.

Nate and Cole seemed to enjoy themselves.

Mostly.

Williamsburg, Toddlertown

Shana and I were interviewed by The New York Sunday Times Real Estate Section, a story about how young families are raising kids in Williamsburg (surprise!). The piece ran on my birthday (42 wtf) and for a few days, we felt like celebs. As it happened, Shana and I were in Turks & Caicos on a short vacation, the perfect place to escape the glare of the press. Just to be sure, we donned baseball caps and sunglasses. It worked, no one bothered us.

Here's the Sunday Times article: Williamsburg, Toddlertown

Here's the slide show from the online version: Slide Show.

The photographer made available his pics, where we can order prints. Here's that link to the gallery set up by the photographer, Roberg Caplin.

We got snarked on by the blogs but that's part of the fun. (Here's Curbed's take: What's the Hottest Trend in Williamsburg: Babies!) As I remarked to the journalist who wrote the story, it's difficult to talk about why you prefer your hood, or don't like another, without sounding like an asshole. Anyway, Nate looked cute and that's all that matters. Uh, not.

BONUS LINK! Our 2007 interview in The New York Post's Real Estate Section on Wiliamsburg's new construction condo boom and the young folks choosing to live there. What Will Be... With Thousands of New Homes on the Way, Williamsburg Grows Up.

Post Haircut

Nate post haircut looks more like a little boy, less like a baby. He's still scooting around, saying "hi" and "bye". After our most recent doctor's visit, we were told it was OK to give Nate milk in a bottle, so we do in the mornings and evenings. It makes him happy.

Hairgate

Shana wrote a terrific and funny piece for Brooklyn Based on Hairgate, a bizarre story that features Lucas the kid-hair stylist, my song mocking this lunatic mom (Gretta!) who lost it when Lucas was late to her bratty kid's haircut appointment, and Nate finally getting his haircut (from Lucas).