This Baby Goes Up to 11

In honor of my eleven-month birthday, today I learned to play the kazoo. (You know how to kazoo, don't you? You just put your lips together and...oh, nevermind.) Who do you think you are, Lauren Bacall?


Playing that kazoo is excellent practice for your candle next month. Happy birthday, baby Daria!

It's a Gymbor-three

This weekend we continued the celebration of my birthday with a gym party for my family and a few friends. Our family is a little uneven, so you picked the right spot for a portrait.


I learned a new trick on the bars...which you did over, and over, and over again. Fortunately daddy captured all my flips on video. No, fortunately mommy decided to include only one video here, lest our fans get bored.


You and Daisy sure were up to some monkey business.


The party ended with pizza followed by not one, not two, but THREE cupcakes.
Q: How many cupcakes do I get for my 11 month birthday?
A: 0.916 cupcakes.


I know that good things come in threes, but I'm so happy the four of us could celebrate together!

Teething is Funda-dental

While you've been busy saying farewell to your two's, I have been welcoming a too-th of my own.


Can you see her if I zoom in? I like to refer to her as lower left and soon I'm going to need to start flossing.

Happy Birthday Two Three

Happy Birthday three you,
Happy Birthday three you,
Happy Birthday dearest Liana,
Happy Birthday, I love you.

I turned three today and was so lucky to have not one, but two celebrations. First at school (with decorate-your-own cupcakes and chocolate-covered strawberries)...


...which my friends seemed to enjoy...


...and I was delighted to be a part of.


And then at Mema and Grandpa's (with ice cream cake)!


As a little girl in a big city, it's important to make one's presence known at least once a year.


Daddy started a tradition last year of taking my photo on the bike rack outside our apartment. My how I've grown (and now I have a baby - not the one in the photo, silly)!


And no birthday post would be complete without your 10:07 photo. Somehow it isn't quite as adorable as they were my first year, is it?

Funny, You Don't Look Two-ish

I hope one day you'll teach me how to twirl like a two-year-old ballerina. You betcha - if I can remember how once I turn three tomorrow!

Aircraft Carrier, I Hardly Know Her

Today BoMa and BoPa took us aboard the USS Intrepid. It was fun to see all the planes on the ship - and looking at our navals sure beats looking at our navels.


There was also a band, playing wonderful patriotic music (and featuring lots of instruments we recognized) on deck.


The carrier was incredibly tall.


Speaking of carry-her, it's taller than I am on mommy's shoulders...


...and even on daddy's I can't reach the top.


All that sea air really wore us out. Fortunately BoMa and BoPa helped us home.


When I finally woke up, I got to open my first birthday present: a cash register. Thank you, BoMa and BoPa - I can't wait to check you out!

Songs and Daughters

The "key" to being a great artiste is not looking at the ebony and ivory while you play.


How does one get to Carnegie Hall? I'd take the M57, but it looks like you've opted to start practicing really early.


Silly Liana, that's a "rest" not a 'stache!


Check out my equilateral chime! You mean your triangle? Yeah, whatever.


Accordion to mommy and daddy, most of the people who play this instrument are old Italian and Polish men.

I Love Zoo So Much

In the past two weeks, we've spent a lot of time monkeying around at the zoo. First we hopped over to the Central Park Zoo with Brielle and her parents.


Look what I caught in my web! A lot more successful than the last time I tried...


Thanks for encouraging me to come out of my shell. Sometimes you just need to stick your neck out.


Let's pause to put our paws together. If we were chicken cousins, this would have been a high 4!


Then today we went with Matthew and his parents to the Bronx Zoo. I'm not in this one (and neither are the zebras I was hoping to capture behind you) because I was behind the camera. Apparently this is the only shooting permitted here.

100 Bottles of Milk on the Floor, 100 Bottles of Milk

Which one of us do you think has the more serious drinking problem? (Please leave your comment below.)