...he sat in a booster seat at dinner for the first time, stuck his foot in his mouth (literally) for the first time), and ate meat for the first time (turkey), at his first Thanksgiving. He even helped to decorate his first Christmas tree!
And while Aiden has been growing faster than I thought possible, work has been busier than I thought possible. As the meetings I was covering have been winding down, I was able to take on some actual negotiations, meaning I got to sit with diplomats from other countries and negotiate the text of various resolutions, making sure that U.S. priorities are met. It's far more interesting than reporting, but can also be very exhausting. Despite being tired most of the time (as much because Aiden has decided the day begins at 5:30am as anything else), I'm really enjoying the work and the unique experience I'm getting. I even got a nice preview of Moscow when I went to a reception at the Russian mission. If the food in Moscow is anything like the food at the reception, I'm already hungry.
Outside of work, Stephanie and I continue to enjoy New York City, going for long walks to enjoy the scenery, and for long meals to enjoy the food. Some of the fall foliage has been particularly nice this year.
We found a deal on Groupon for a portrait session with a professional photographer and were supposed to have our pictures taken over Halloween weekend, but were snowed out by the great Halloween Blizzard of 2011. We wanted to get them taken in our favorite spot in the park, but by the time we rescheduled in November, we were afraid all the leaves would be gone. Luckily there were a few bright spots yet. We're still waiting for the final images, but got this one great preview so far.
We also had some nice visits with several friends, my family, and Stephanie's family coming to visit during November. When my family was here, I was able to use my badge to get onto the floor of the main hall of the General Assembly.
Stephanie's family joined us for her birthday as well as Thanksgiving, so Aiden was able to celebrate his first turkey day with his extended family. On Thanksgiving morning, we took Aiden to see the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade from Central Park. We didn't even have to squish into the crowds to see balloon characters like Snoopy, Mickey Mouse, Spongebob, Buzz Light Year, Kung Fu Panda, the Pillsbury Doughboy, and Ronald McDonald floating by...
To be honest, Aiden was much more interested in a little girl with a pink bow in her hair than he was in the balloon. But it was a beautiful Thanksgiving day and we all enjoyed ourselves. When we got home, Stephanie made a Thanksgiving dinner despite our tiny kitchen and the fact that only half the stove worked. We gave Aiden his first meat ever, some mashed turkey, and he did ok with it. He still hasn't taken much to solid food at all, so the fact that he ate any is a good sign.
New York has wasted no time getting into the Christmas spirit, and we've been taking Aiden around to see the decorations. Of course, the fact that we don't have our own decorations with us hasn't stopped us either and we got a little tree and some ornaments for our apartment. Aiden even helped us decorate.
Stephanie is taking Aiden to Texas this week to finalize the adoption and then we'll spend the next few weeks soaking up all the Christmas cheer that New York has to offer. There's still a lot to do between now and our move back to D.C.
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