Dancing Queen

A video of Sam dancing in his new swing (to ABBA)

Great Falls, Paterson, New Jersey

Sam's first time seeing a waterfall.


Studying the inner workings of 19th-century steam engines.

First Thanksgiving

Sam wanted some Turkey too but instead got some rice cereal. He just started eating solid foods from a spoon a couple of days ago, and so far his only non-milk food is rice cereal.

We spent Thanksgiving with our family, Julia, Jake, Nikki, Galina, Vera and Yuri (as well as Vic, Elena and Sam)

My first red shiny sports convertible!

Sam: "I wonder how fast I can go from zero to sixty?"


Winter bear.

Hairy Situation

Sam is thinking about changing his hair style.

Should it be punk?


Or spikes?


Or retro?

Friends Snooks come for a visit

This is Nathan and Noa Snook, together with Vic and Sam.

Yoga child

Sam is now able to suck on his toes.


Yum!!!!!

New York Acquarium

Something's fishy...


We watched a show with trained sea lions.


With the penguins.

Booo! Baby's first Halloween

Sam: "Bummer. All this candy, and I can't eat any of it yet! I will have to wait till next year."

Find 10 differences...

This is Elena when she was about 5 months old, held by her mom.


This is Sam at about about 5 months, held by his mom.

Library book

Recently we went to check out the local library. Sam was there too, and the librarian suggested that he get a library card too, because as she said, "it's never to early to get them started"! He has some kiddie books of his own but he was more interested in reading some of his parent's books. Or, more like, licking them and crumbling the pages.


Sam: "Wow, that mystery novel had a completely unexpected twist to it!"


That book had a happy ending!

Kicking back

This is a video of Sam kicking in the bath tub. He just figured out how to splash with his legs and is having fun doing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQqN-FPl7Dc

Sam goes for a hike

Stopping to smell the roses

There was a little zoo in the park - Sam enjoyed the feeding of the turtles in the acquarium.

Hiker-in-training

Hiking is hard work! Sam is resting after doing all the trails in the park.

Booooooooooo! Getting ready for Sam's first Halloween

Sam sat up today by himself for the firs time. That stroller handle seems to be really tasty. Yum!


Grandma Galina is starting Sam on piano lessons. He already knows how to play the easy stuff, like Mozart sonatas.

Sam is getting some "air"

Dining outdoors in Jersey City on a warm October evening.

Liberty Science Center Museum in New Jersey

Looking down into the microscope.


Sam is deciding who to vote for.


Getting a head start on studying nuclear physics and molecular biology.


"Who is this baby looking at me?"

Sweet dreams...

Zzz....zzz...ZZZZZZ...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

ZZZZZZ....zzzzzzzzzz....ZZZZZZZZ

ZZZZZZ....zzzzzzzzzz....ZZZZZZZZ

ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz.....

Turning over

Sam is now flipping over to his stomach all the time.


Saturday-morning walk with mom.


Taking a rest after all that activity!

Sam is concerned with the crisis in the financial markets

Sam is really concerned about the turmoil in the financial markets this week, especially the fall of Lehman and AIG. He keeps on top of his Wall Street Journal readings and doesn't approve of the goernment's bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. He is working on forming some trade ideas (perhaps buying some mortgage-backed securities on the cheap?)


When he's not busy following the Dow, he unwinds from all the stresses of the current events in the markets by sucking on his fist. He gets really frustrated when it doesn't fit into his mouth.


He loves to go for "walks" in the stroller but, hehe, at 4 months, he doesn't really fit into it anymore (see above :) ).


Instead, he loves being held by all the relatives and looking around.




This is us on the deck by the pool at our apartment building.







Sam learned how to flip from back to front (but is still working on the front to back).