Open Thread: Sunday Baby Blogging

by Eric Martin

He's all smiles because he thinks he looks pretty snazzy in his Winter Olympics watching gear.

 
 
 
He likes the speed skating, but I'm partial to the curling. 

Comments

[hairshirthedonist]

I like curling, too. It's great for the biceps.

[hairshirthedonist]

Cute kid, btw, if that even needs to be said. I'm going to dedicate this day to stating the obvious.

[Eric Martin]

Thanks HSH. He is a cuteness tyrant.

[Linkmeister]

In that pose he looks like a potential luge racer. By the time he's qualified the track speed may exceed 120mph.

[Eric Martin]

Really though. The speeds they're hitting on the two man sled and luge are sick. Can't wait to see the full sled.

[dr ngo]

Do you realize that if you were on a luge and hit a low-lying obstacle at top speed and were flung forward, head over heels, and landed face first on another luge someone had carelessly left around, you would have invented the "skeleton"?

There's no other sensible explanation for it.

[debbie]

Good to see his hair's more horizontal.

[Bernard Yomtov]

Since it's an open thread, what about some travel advice?

I'll be in Amsterdam for 3 days in May (counting the dreaded 8 AM arrival day). First visit. Hotel/restaurant advice? Non-obvious things to see? Thanks.

[Brett Bellmore]

What the heck, why not: Victor Gabriel Bellmore, age 16 months, and along with his mother, my chief motivation for living:

[gwangung]

Have mercy! Not sure my system can take so much cuteness!

[JanieM]

Brett and Eric -- great pics! Brett in particular -- it's nice to see you smiling, even without the hair. Hope you're doing okay.

[Brett Bellmore]

Doing pretty good; This cycle of chemo hasn't hit me as hard as the previous. I find this hopeful: The tumor is located between my lungs, nestled over my heart, and according to the oncologist it's the tumor releasing toxic substances into that space in response to the chemo that's caused me most of my distress, and that would diminish as it shrank. As well, I can swallow easily now, another positive indication: The tumor isn't compressing my esophagus anymore.

And I always smile around Victor, except when he's peeling keys off the laptop. :O

[russell]

Victor Gabriel and his moms look like excellent reasons for living to me.

And I think the horizontal hair on Eric's boy is an optical illusion. That boy's hair is heading straight for the stratosphere.

Baby fever, y'all!

Bernie, my wife says the Van Gogh museum is the thing not to be missed in Amsterdam. Have fun!

[hairshirthedonist]

If I were going to be in Amsterdam, I'd be smoking something, but that's me. It's not the most universally applicable advice. And, since I've never actually been to Amsterdam and have only heard what almost anyone who has ever discussed going to Amsterdam with another person, my advice isn't, well... special. But you could always smoke something and THEN go to the Van Gogh museum. (That would be truly righteous.)

Brett, cute kid and wife. Live long and prosper. I'm glad to see you posting and looking happy.

[hairshirthedonist]

Please throw a "has" in that last comment where there should be one. Thanks.

[JanieM]

Bernie -- I was in Amsterdam for a couple of days as a side trip when I went to Brussels. I stayed http://www.dtfh.nl/en/index.htm>here and it was comfortable, moderately priced at the time, and within walking distance of the obvious things (Van Gogh museum, Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank House). It's also surrounded by blocks and blocks of restaurants from every tradition I could think of. I ate breakfasts in a little fast-food Middle Eastern place. Very nice, and cheap. The only bad thing was that I signed up for 3 hours of internet access (hoping to ration myself and save money at the same time), and not having read the fine print (if there was any), I didn't realize that every time I logged on, ten minutes went off my three hours. For only a bit more money I probably could have had 24 hours and logged on as often as I wanted.

The only thing I did besides walk around and eat and enjoy the ambience (people, sky, water) was go to the Van Gogh. It was wonderful -- I second Russell's wife on that -- which leads to my only bit of non-obvious advice, which is that if you can possibly help it, don't go on a rainy Sunday afternoon. :)

Well, also: if you're going to the Anne Frank house, book a ticket online or go very very early. I wanted to go, but the line was around the block and I had a train to catch.

[von]

He likes the speed skating, but I'm partial to the curling.

May I raise a point of order and not be judged too harshly? Some of the lay-deez of curling are, shall we say, pretty damn attractive. Which posed a moral/social dilemma: I don't understand and I don't care about the sport, and yet I kept watching for a good twenty minutes. Wrong? Or all too right?

[Chuchundra]

Something about posting baby pics brings out my competitive spirit.

[JanieM]

Another Amsterdam note -- I'm in China right now, where my son is teaching English. One of his colleagues is from Amsterdam, and he suggested the walking tour that leaves from Dam Square at about 11:00 a.m. He says it's several hours long but a good way to get a feel for the city. He has done it himself, even though he lives there.

[TeeJay]

I'm jealous Eric, he's too cute for words.

[Slartibartfast]

Brett, your wife and child are both adorable. I hope things continue to improve for you.

[Eric Martin]

Debbie,

Alas, it was only cooperative for a short while.

Brett,

Motivation indeed! Just look at those cheeks

Chuchundra,

Almost too cute! Am I wrong to want to squeeze that little button nose?

[Mike McLaren]

He's all smiles 'cause he knows he's cute!

[Jacob Davies]

Very cute, all.

Victor Gabriel looks like he has either just been tickled or fears imminent tickling. Good times.

Here's some finger-eating madness:

and some hoverbaby:

[Eric Martin]

Yeah, Eric pretty much devours all five fingers these days.

[The Editors]

Babies are the new kittens.

[Jacob Davies]

Trolling the internet for cute photos of other people's kittens and posting them on your blog: sweet.

Trolling the internet for cute photos of other people's babies and posting them on your blog: kinda weird.

[Eric Martin]

Babies and Koalas.

[Brett Bellmore]

So, that's what Curley looked like when he was younger...

[Eric Martin]

ha