First Family Vacation - Part 1

I'm finally getting the chance to catch up with our vacation experience. It's a good thing I took notes because it already seems like a long time ago. I'm making this a two parter - so this covers the first half of our trip, which we spent in the Savannah area.

We got a late start leaving Washington because, even though I negotiated for a larger vehicle, it wasn't large enough and we couldn't fit everything in the car with us. Well, I got it to fit, but it wouldn't have been a pleasant way to drive to Georgia. So we made a short detour to our self-storage locker and divested ourselves of "non-essentials". It's really tough to pack 6 weeks worth of clothing for three people into one suitcase, but we did it. Maybe the experience will result in enhanced packing techniques for future trips.

Anyway, we hit the road and really had no problems all the way to Georgia. We split the trip over two days, which was much more manageable. We found a place in Tybee Island to use as a base for our sightseeing in the Savannah area. It was a nice little condo with convenient access to the beach, and not so convenient wifi access, which was only available by the outdoor pool (not so nice in the rain). Speaking of rain, the weather was decidedly cool and drizzly when we arrived, so we mostly took it easy. We did go to a place called the Crab Shack for dinner, where the live alligators entertained us for at least some of the 40 minutes it took for them to seat us (estimate was 15-20 min).

By the time we sat down and got our food, Aiden was getting tired so we had to take it to go. Since one of the purposes of the trip was to help us prepare for travel with a child, it was a good teaching moment.

The next morning, the weather had returned to the warmth and sun we became accustomed to during the great warm winter in Washington. We headed in to Savannah and just worked on getting the lay of the land, and discovering the yummy treats available in the candy shops. We walked around, taking in the sights, and exploring the cemetery-turned park in the historic district.

One big disappointment was the dearth of traditional Southern Cuisine in Savannah's historic district. There was plenty of Thai and Japanese, but very few down home or even BBQ places. We even found the menu at Paula Deen's restaurant lacking anything that stood out. We finally settled on a BBQ place just outside of town, but when we got there, it turned out to be a fast food chain. Luckily, there was a more respectable choice next door, but that night I spent a good deal of time out by the pool, looking up better options for the rest of our trip.

The second day was a wash, so we used it to drive around to sample some treats that were a little out of the way. At Byrd's Cookies, they had a huge variety of flavors packed into tiny cookies that we bought by the ounce. The peach cookies were particularly good. We also stopped by Rum Runners for some rum cake. The other task of the day was for me to get a haircut, but apparently nobody cuts hair in Savannah on Monday. I did finally manage to find a place that was open, but it was a lot of work. Back at the condo, Aiden suddenly decided he knew how to crawl and pull himself up on furniture, which added a whole new element to our fun.

The weather cleared by the next morning and we got to take advantage of our proximity to the beach. We enjoyed our walk so much that we made sure to go out every morning and every day at sunset, weather permitting. Aiden really enjoyed walking on the beach and along the water's edge. Stephanie gathered an impressive collection of seashells, and I snapped some fantastic photos of the sunsets.

Later that day, we headed into Savannah and decided to go to Mrs. Wilkes for lunch. Our Ambassador in Dushanbe personally recommended it to me and I'm glad he did. We were scared off by the line at first, but then some locals mentioned they had never seen the line so short, so we decided to suck it up and go for it. Time in the line went quickly, especially since Aiden decided to entertain everyone around us by being extra adorable. He's such a ham. Before we knew it we were seated with about 10 people who were in line with us, gorging on fried chicken and over 20 side dishes. It was amazing. Needless to say, we had plenty to walk off after lunch.

In Savannah, we really just enjoyed walking around, seeing all of the beautiful public squares and the old architecture. I'll just put a few examples here, but will include a link to the full album at the bottom.

We walked all the way down to Forsyth Park, which was incredibly beautiful. Only Stephanie was disappointed that the fountain wasn't turned on.

I forgot to mention the other discovery we made on the beach - noseeums. I thought they were gnats until they started biting. Then, I got these huge itchy welts on my arms and legs. It kept me awake at night and nothing would stop it - benadryl, cortizone, calamine... nothing. I was unpleasantly reminded of my unpleasant chigger infestation that kept me out of work for a week before our wedding because I couldn't bear to wear pants. Fortunately, by the time we got to South Carolina, I discovered a cure - make sure to write this down. You turn the sink on as hot as it will go - almost scalding. Then hold the bite under the water briefly. It will itch worse than ever for a second, and then it just feels like it's burning - that's when it's done. No more itching for hours. Glorious. And it works on mosquito bites.

Anyway, getting ahead of myself. Back to Savannah. We went back in for another beautiful day and tried to go to Walls BBQ - a hole in the wall famous for it's quality, but there was a closed sign on the window. We asked around and were told that they cook all night and then, when the food runs out the next day, the close down. It was only 1pm when we got there, but we vowed to do better the next time. (As it turns out, we got there shortly after 11am the next time and they were still closed). So we went to Tubby's on the waterfront and that's where we fell in love with shrimp 'n grits. They were simply amazing and we sampled them almost everywhere we went from then on. I had a crab cake because I had it on good authority that they serve the best in Savannah. Well, the best in Savannah's got nothing on the worst in Cambridge, so I won't do that again. Luckily, Stephanie couldn't finish her grits, so I got to make up for it.

The next day, we planned to visit some sites outside of Savannah, starting with the Wormsloe Historic site - location of one of the first plantations in Georgia. The website was a little misleading because the original plantation house/fort is in ruins and the existing one is private and can't even be seen from the road. The best part of the trip was the driveway, lined with ancient live oaks (you may see a theme in my pictures favoring such views because they are simply amazing).

Still we had a nice walk through the woods until Aiden decided he wasn't in the mood for tourism that day. Rather than push on, we went back to the condo for a quiet afternoon and pushed Bonaventure Cemetery to the next day. We did keep our plan to ride out to Bluff Drive on the Isle of Hope. It's a beautiful little street with huge old oaks and amazing old houses along the waterfront. We liked it so much, we had to drive it twice before heading back to the condo.

Since we had to cut the previous day short, we split the next with some sightseeing in Savannah before heading to the cemetery. We got to visit the beautiful cathedral -

- and take another quick tour around some of the beautiful squares before heading down to Bonaventure.

Bonaventure is a beautiful cemetery that was built on the grounds of an old plantation that was destroyed by fire. When we first got there, we thought it was another case of misleading advertisement - it didn't really look that spectacular. But when we got to the older parts, it was well worth the trip. Beautifully carved headstones and huge live oaks create a very unique atmosphere.

We walked for a couple of hours, just exploring the place before heading out for a scenic drive on Tybee Island -

- and a last sunset walk on the beach.

On our last day in Georgia, we managed to enjoy one more meal of shrimp 'n grits at Tubbys and then did some quick last minute sightseeing before the rain started. We made it to the car just before it really started coming down, which was good because it poured all the way until we got to Charleston, which takes us to the second half of our trip...

Here's the full photo album for those who want to see them.

Savannah 2012 JPGs

Transitioning to the Next Phase of Our Nomad Lifestyle

So time got away from me and I have a lot to cover, but I think I can do it fairly succinctly...

Aiden's recovery from surgery went better than expected and within two weeks he was completely back to normal. Well, not completely because he started doing a lot of new things. He quickly started babbling much more than he had before the surgery and has picked up a few new skills like clapping his hands, walking while we hold his hands, and is working on standing up on his own. He's also becoming much more mobile, which can be scary. He doesn't exactly crawl, so it's hard to explain how he gets from point A to point B - sort of like a crippled crab. The biggest improvement, however, has been Aiden's ability to eat solid food. One day he just went from not wanting the smallest bite to eating half a jar of baby food at a sitting - or more.

The main event since the last post is that we had Aiden baptized in February. It was short notice, so we kept it small, but it was a very nice ceremony. Aiden looked very grown up in his suit and took the wetting down with good grace.

I've finished my training and am now prepared to apply U.S. immigration law, assist Americans overseas, and protect our nation's borders. We said goodbye to Washington with lunch at Ray's Hellburger and a trip to the Smithsonian Natural History Museum with Aiden's Godparents. Since it was a holiday weekend, the museum was packed so we didn't stay long - but at least we got to see the elephant in the rotunda.

I'll miss the waffles at the hotel, and my scenic runs along the Potomac, which were made extra nice by the fact that the unseasonably warm weather caused the spring flowers to come up early. Still, that wasn't what made leaving difficult.

You would think that after almost a year of living like nomads, we'd be pretty good at packing up and going, but not this time. I thought I'd worked everything out. I picked up our rental car the day before we left - I even negotiated for an upgrade to a larger size vehicle. We went through our things and decided what we could do without and I packed a car load of stuff to put into temporary storage. We packed our bags before bed so we'd be ready to go in the morning...

In the morning I was finally defeated when trying to pack the car. There was just too much stuff. Technically, I was able to get everything in, but there was no way we could drive all the way to Georgia without being able to see out of the rear windshield or the passenger side mirror. So we made a stop at the storage facility and got rid of one entire suitcase, a bunch of Aiden's toys, and some other odds and ends.

Finally we were ready to go, 2 hours later than planned, and with quite a few frayed nerves. I guess this is what vacation is like with a baby. Still, once we were in the car, we put our frustration behind us and it's been smooth sailing since then. Of course, the only reason I have time to write this is because it's raining cats and dogs today - but more on that when I write about our trip.

Christmastime in the City...And Beyond

A lot has happened since Aiden's first Thanksgiving, most of it pertaining to his first Christmas. We really enjoyed being in New York City for the holiday season and made sure to take Aiden around to see the decorations and the main attractions. We even managed to make a gingerbread creation. Since we didn't have much of a kitchen and no baking supplies, we decided it would be excusable to use a pre-baked kit, so long as we used it in a creative way. Hence, our gingerbread village:

Of course, we took Aiden to see the tree at Rockefeller Center -

- he was suitably impressed for a 7 month old. We also found a great Santa Clause at the ABC department store. He looked very authentic and best of all, there was a very short line and no one tried to con us into buying overpriced photos.

Aiden wasn't particularly impressed with St. Nick, but he didn't cry either, so I guess that counts as a win.

Work at the UN was busy for me right up to the end and suddenly it was time to leave. We took a break from our packing to have our own little family Christmas (even though it was only the day before Christmas Eve) and even had a special Christmas Dinner of Lobster, Shrimp, Korean Fried Chicken (amazing), and french fries. It was wonderful. Then we had to hunker down and finish packing.

When we drove up to New York, the van was completely packed. Then we got a crib, the exersaucer, more clothes, more toys, etc... Stephanie's parents were nice enough to take some of our things for us when they left after Thanksgiving, but I still had major doubts as to whether it would all fit. Luckily, my car-packing skills were intact after 4 months of disuse and I got it done, although the crib was between Stephanie and Aiden in the back and he didn't particularly like that. Nonetheless, we rolled out before 8 am, leaving the city we love and the only place we've lived continuously for more than a few weeks since the end of May.

The trip down itself was a breeze, no traffic all the way to Washington. That isn't to say it was uneventful or straightforward. We had to stop in Washington to put our things in storage and pick-up a different rental car. My training didn't start for two weeks and there was no way we were going to drive that packed van around for all that time. Anyway, we were making such good time that we called the car rental place to see if we could pick up our next rental earlier and get to Maryland that much sooner. The guy on the phone told us that we better get there fast or they would run out of cars because Avis had not delivered the ones they needed! He told us we should try to switch rental locations, so we called the main line for Avis, where we got no help at all. The representative was very rude and told us that if we changed locations it would cost a lot more because its short notice. Stephanie pointed out that the problem was due to Avis, not us, and asked to speak to a manager, but was left on hold until she was disconnected.

Now we were worried that we wouldn't be able to get to Maryland at all. We called the place where we had our reservation and got a different story, they said they would have a car but not until later. Better, but not great. So we continued on to the self storage location. We called ahead to give an ETA, but when we arrived no one was there or answered the phone. After sitting in the car for about 30 minutes, someone opened the door. When I complained about waiting, I got a shrug and was informed that I had to provide my own lock (info not on the website or in the confirmation e-mail). There were no stores nearby, but lucky me, I could buy one for $16!

So we got everything in storage and called the car rental place one more time. This time they told us to come on over, so at least that worked out. We only hit a little traffic on the way out of DC and it was smooth sailing from there.

Aiden got to celebrate Christmas three more times during our vacation, at my parents, Stephanie's brother's, and Stephanie's parents. It was great for him to spend time with so much of his family, and while he didn't really get the idea of presents, he liked playing with the paper and boxes.

It was a lot of moving around for those few days, but it was fun. Stephanie's dad even made Aiden a special 8-month birthday pancake.

We finally made it back to DC, where we had several appointments to prepare for Aiden's cleft palate repair. We used some down time to take Aiden down to the National Mall for the first time. We went to see the incredible displays and train garden at the National Botanical Garden -

- and then walked down the Mall to see the National Christmas tree. Aiden's stroller was in storage, so we had to take turns carrying him - almost 18 pounds is no joke to lug all over the nation's capital.

The moment we'd been dreading finally arrived and we had to take Aiden in for his surgery. It was very hard to let the anesthesiologist take him away and we couldn't wait to get back to him. The surgery was a big success but Aiden woke up earlier than expected and they weren't ready with his pain medication. It was heartbreaking to see him uncomfortable, but once they gave him the medicine, he quieted down and only needed one more dose after that before he was fine with just Tylenol.

Aiden recovered so well that they released him the next morning instead of the next afternoon, as usual. With some help from Aiden's godfather, I got all of our things out of storage and into our hotel room - I wasn't going to give that place any more business than I had to. It took Stephanie and I the rest of the weekend to figure out where to stash everything.

Aiden's doing well - eating better than ever, actually - and the splints on his arms don't seem to bother him much.

The other day we took advantage of unseasonably warm weather and went on a walk to Theodore Roosevelt Island. It was supposed to be a quick walk so we didn't bring much, but when we tried to leave, we found the only bridge off the island was blocked. There were a lot of fire trucks and police cars across the Potomac, so I asked the police officer who was blocking the bridge for an estimate on how long we'd be stuck since we didn't have any food for Aiden. The answer: "Not all night, but longer than 5 minutes." We eventually learned that it was a bomb threat, and were released after about 45 minutes. At least it forced me to stick around long enough to snap a great shot of the still Potomac.

Today the doctor said that he is healing so well that we don't need to bring him in for another follow up and can resume our normal routine next week.

I've started my training and am devoting most of my free time to getting all of our logistics in order for our move to Moscow. I have a feeling it will be here before we know it...

A lot to be Thankful for...

Aiden turns 7 months old today and we officially have less than a month left in New York. He's achieved a number of firsts, including his first Halloween (he went trick-or-treating in our building as a caterpillar)...

...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.

Another Month Goes By In a New York Minute

The past month has been full of excitement both professionally, personally, and gastronomically. At work, things have really picked up as I'm covering the 2nd Committee, which deals with macroeconomic and sustainable development issues. I've also been tasked with working on the negotiations of several resolutions and while I know I am always representing the United States in my work, I'll admit that it's fun to do it formally. Some of my work also involves some interaction with the Tajik Mission to the UN, which I thoroughly enjoy since we can chat about life in Tajikistan (and I get to practice my Russian). The diplomats from Tajikistan are great to work with and I even got to go to lunch with them to a Tajik restaurant in Brooklyn last week - complete with sambusas, mantu, shashlik, and plov. It really brought back memories.

In the (seemlingly few) hours that I spend outside of work, Stephanie, Aiden and I continue to make the most of New York City. For our anniversary, we decided to have a few of our favorite things at home. Those things included a nice selection of cheeses from the cheese shop, strawberries. olives, red wine, scallops wrapped in bacon, an artichoke, and steamed shrimp.

For dessert, we had a selection of delicious cupcakes from Crumbs:

Having Aiden with us made it extra special. We've also been out and about, going to a Renaissance Fair at Fort Tryon Park...


Times Square at night where we also had Junior's Cheesecake...

Stephanie took Aiden to the Columbus Day Parade. (I had to work because it isn't a UN holiday)...

We also went with some of Stephanie's family to see the World Trade Center Memorial. It was really nicely done, a very peaceful place that didn't feel too sad. I haven't seen it during the day, but some people have said it's best at night, and I can see why.

Last weekend, we took a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge with great views of the skyline...

And on the other side we had some great ice cream from the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory.

As Fall comes to New York, the weather is crisp and clear and the fall foliage was on display as we walked along the lower west side this weekend...

Aiden continues to enjoy himself and is growing a lot. We've already had to boost his exersaucer to the second level and he's working on sitting up. We've also started introducing solid food, but he still seems unsure of what to do with it. He's tried apples, pears, peaches, sweet potatoes, avocados, and peas, but nothing has really clicked yet. Lentils and carrots are up next. He also seems to really love his excursions. Sometimes in the morning he gets fussy and only calms down if we let him look out the window or take him out in the stroller. As much as we enjoy being out and about with him, we hope he doesn't demand long walks in December!

Aiden has also gotten to meet more playmates of his own age as we've been able to get together with good friends up here who have young children. He seems to be very interested in other babies and has a lot of fun when they are here.

Overdue

Well, I've clearly underestimated how difficult it would be to keep up with the blog and work full time and be a good father and husband. But since being a good father and husband is my top priority, and working is necessarily my second, the blog must come further down the list. Nonetheless, I'm going to try to keep up with it albeit less frequently.

I got back from Tajikistan on Friday afternoon, which gave us exactly a week to take care of our many doctors appointments and gather our belongings for the move to New York. Aiden grew so much in the few weeks that I was in Dushanbe, I felt like I had to get to know him all over again. Now he's laughing and babbling and playing all the time. I don't think he forgot me because he smiled when he saw me.

Another milestone was giving him his first non-formula meal. We got some baby cereal, mixed it with his formula, and went to town. It wasn't a total failure because I'm sure he actually ate some, but a lot came out his nose or got sneezed all over me and Stephanie. Nonetheless, we had fun. Before we left for New York, Aiden got to meet his new 2nd cousin, Olivia. She's only a few months younger than him, so it will be nice that he has someone his age in the family.

For my assignment in New York, no funding was provided for Stephanie and Aiden's travel, or to move our belongings. So we decided to rent a van. Getting all of Aiden's things plus everything Stephanie and I need for four months into one van was no small task, but the months we spent moving around every couple of weeks gave me some formidable packing skills and I made it happen. I could even see out of the side view mirrors.

Our trip up was blessedly uneventful - no traffic at all until we hit the Lincoln Tunnel. And then, there we were, back in Manhattan! It was a wonderful feeling. Our apartment is a rather spacious one bedroom with an embarrassment of closet space by New York standards. We have a very nice view of the Queensborough Bridge, which allows us to appreciate both sunrises and moonrises.

The location in mid-town couldn't be better. There's a grocery store a couple of blocks away, and a cheese store with every type of cheese you can imagine just around the corner from us. There's no shortage of restaurants either, so we have plenty to keep us busy - there's even a Japanese restaurant across the street that does all-you-can-eat sushi for $25! Oh how we've missed New York. Aiden loves the city and enjoys going for walks in his stroller. He gets lots of attention when we go out - people literally stop and ooh and ahh over him - and that's really unusual in New York. (Not that we're surprised).

Aiden gets a lot of attention in restaurants too - we've had at least two experiences where waiters wanted to take Aiden back to the kitchen. Once, a guy actually took him from Stephanie to play with him - that was a little unnerving, but the guy meant well. Aiden got to go on his first subway ride when we went down to the San Genaro festival in Little Italy - he seemed to enjoy it.

While we were downtown, we had donuts from the Doughnut Plant - which were amazing. I could write an entire other blog about the things we eat, but I'll move on.

My office is almost directly across the street from the UN, and only about a 10 minute walk from home, so that's been nice. I couldn't ask for a better commute. Aiden and Stephanie even walk me to work sometimes.

The work is challenging and the hours can be long, but I enjoy it. Part of my job was to report on the speeches given as part of the general debate in the General Assembly (every country and some observers give a speech - almost 200 in total). Luckily I didn't have to cover them all, but it was interesting to hear what countries from all over the world have to say. The speeches are a matter of public record, but I won't comment on them too much. But there were some interesting times when the U.S. was getting bashed pretty harshly and it was odd sitting at the United States' table during those.

We had a nice surprise at work shortly after we arrived. Secretary Clinton and President Obama came to the building for a 'meet n greet' where they each gave speeches about the importance of the work we do. It was a really neat experience. Even better, I was able to get Stephanie and Aiden in too. At the end, President Obama was shaking hands with the children but we weren't that close to the front. Just as he turned away, I held Aiden out and said "Sir, how about a footshake?" That seemed to get his attention because he smiled, reached out, grabbed Aiden's foot, and gave it a little shake. It was a great moment. Unfortunately, Stephanie wasn't in a good spot to take a picture, but it will be a fun story to share with Aiden when he gets older.

That's it for now - more has actually happened, but I don't have the pictures ready to go along with the story, so it will have to wait.