good news from the middle east

With all of the violence in Israel and Lebanon, it was nice to get some good news out of Tel Aviv today. This morning we learned that Overboard's cousin Avner and his wife Daniela welcomed into the world TWINS! Yes, little Renee and Matan Raphael arrived several weeks early, but are doing well. We're very excited for them and hope that Mom and her little girl and boy get to go home as quickly as possible.

We also love the name "Matan Raphael," as Kenny's Hebrew name is "Yitzhak Matan" (which translates to "Gift of Laughter").

Here's hoping we get to see the new family unit soon!

and they said it couldn't be done!

For going on three generations now, if you were born a Rolnick, you were born a boy. My grandfather had two sons, who each had two sons. Two of those grandchildren each have a son. You sense the pattern here? Well, in some sort of freak miracle of science that has my mother ready to burst at the seams with excitement, Kenny's cousin Adam is about to have a baby sister. That's right, I said "sister."

Cousin Mitch had the best reaction when he heard of the news, inquiring, "Interesting. So, who's the father?"

Kenny's Aunt Carol is feeling pretty proud to have brought the streak to an end, but a bit saddened by her refusal to bet my father or grandfather, who were giving heavy odds on the future Rolnick being a boy. I guess the little girl's college fund will have to be augmented in some other manner. A long weekend in Vegas, perhaps?

In the meantime, Kenny now has but one male cousin, and three females (with one on the way). Personally, I wonder how my brother will adapt to a little girl, while Overboard thinks this new baby will have it made -- seeing as her father is probably already wrapped around her tiny little finger as it develops in the womb...

kenny at nine weeks old

Overboard took Kenny to the doctor this past week for a checkup, and we're pleased to announce that not only is he doing well, but he's growing like a weed! Our boy is now measuring 22.5 inches and weighs 10 lbs 14 oz. Chunkin' up indeed.

We had a feeling he was going through a growth spurt the other week when he was sleeping more, eating a touch more, and his schedule was all over the place.

Kenny's neck is getting stronger and stronger, and he loves to look around new locations (restaurants, buildings, offices, whatever) to see what's what. He's also taken a liking to sitting in my lap, with my knees up to brace his head and back. This is known as "the Daddy Chair" and makes for some great interaction (and as the previous film clip showed, good comedy).

kenny tells a joke

the kid's got a future in comedy...

overboard should get a job on tin pan alley

Overboard wanted to write a song to sing to Kenny, so she got to work coming up with lyrics. The original version was unfortunately changed due to the people over at standards and practices, but it went something like this:

(to the tune of "Rosie O'Grady"...yeah, no one else who wasn't born in the '30s knows this one either, except my wife)
Sweet Kenny Rolnick, the apple of my eye
You are so delicious, yes, you're such a cutie pie
You eat just like a champ, and burp just like a trucker
Oh, Kenny Rolnick, you're one bad ass &*(^%$#@!&%$

The revised version now goes:
Sweet Kenny Rolnick, the apple of my eye
You are so delicious, yes, you're such a cutie pie
I'm wrapped around your finger, for you I am a sucker
You eat just like a champ, and burp just like a trucker.

Word on the streets is that the censored version can be found online somewhere. Crazy kids and their internets...

what if they threw a birthday party and no one took any pictures?

My birthday was on Wednesday, and we decided to celebrate yesterday with the first annual Professor Evenkeel Beach Volleyball Invitational. With sand volleyball courts located just a few doors up the street in the park, it was an easy set up. We would play volleyball starting at 4pm, then go back to the house for "punch and pie" (as any good South Park aficionado will tell you, "more people will come if they think we have punch and pie"). The plan was all well and good, but when the thermometer on the back porch began reading 110 degrees on Saturday around 2pm, I decided maybe we would cancel the outdoor portion of the day's festivities. Besides, I think I saw the thermometer start to sweat, and you know that's not a good sign.

Well, everyone was pretty relieved at not having to play out in the heat, so we ended up having a nice relaxing party at the house, where the main action consisted of everyone sitting around kibbitzing while Overboard fed Kenny. Yes, excitement comes so effortlessly when you hit 33...

It was nice, though, having a bunch of friends over, and Overboard and I made a tasty breakfast out of leftover pie this morning.

Next year I'll have to either shoot for something indoors or rent a giant slip 'n' slide. That could be fun.

return of the weekend blogger...

Sorry for the radio silence this past week. It amazes me how difficult it can be sometimes to find time to update the ol' blog. Anyways, here are some things to tide you over for now!

sometimes a chair is more than just a chair

Especially if it's a motorized bouncy seat or swing.

Overboard and I finally got some batteries for our arsenal of baby seats and decided to run a "taste test" for the boy. We started with the bouncy seat, which, when turned on, vibrates like one of those leather massage loungers in the front of the Sharper Image store. Kenny was a bit taken aback at first, but then got a gleam in his eye (which quickly changed to a quasi-stoned mellow smile). The seat definitely calms him down when he's perturbed, and if it's rattling his brain, it's apparently not in a bad way.



We tested out the swing seat next, with its dangling fish, flashing lights, and odd musical selection. While he smiled at first, that faded quickly to a pissy look, followed by much wailing. Since he was out of the seat so quickly, we didn't get a shot of him in it! I think it might have been sensory overload, and the little guy is much more simplified in his tastes.


A return trip to the bouncy seat proved most enjoyable, and he even made another visit after his bath. Freshly cleaned and attired for bed, Kenny vibrated happily, then dozed off to sleep. I can only wonder what he was dreaming about.

hamburger mary makes one mean burger

We met up with Cousin Mitch yesterday for burgers at a new place in our old 'hood, Hamburger Mary's in Andersonville. The burgers were HUGE and damn tasty. Unfortunately, we weren't clever enough to take pictures of them, but we did get these shots of the exterior, Mitch and I, and one happily sleeping baby boy, whose own hamburger eating adventures are still a ways away.

As for me, I kept showing my pop culture obsession by repeatedly channeling Samuel L. Jackson and announcing, "Now that's a tasty burger!"

awimbewe...awimbewe...awimbewe...awimbewe...

Kenny gets up close and personal with his stuffed lion. A Dr. Doolittle in the works, perhaps? Of course, when you're talking with a lion, you can never expect to get a straight answer (ba-dump-cha!).

i know you can't help staring at my tuchus

even more tummy time adventures

Today I raise my head, tomorrow I take over the world! Well, as long as I factor in some time for a nap...

it's all in the diaphragm...

Kenny smiles for a job well done.

Burping is an integral part of the eating process when you're a baby. Every ounce to two ounces, we have to stop feeding the little guy and try to get a burp (or two) out of him. While this runs the ever-fun risk of spitting up, as opposed to belching, there are many techniques one can employ for maximum effectiveness.

While many go for the over the shoulder angle, I tend to prefer the one hand under the chin and armpit technique. Although Kenny sometimes kvetches something fierce about being bent forward, I find it to be the most satisfying way to go. It's pretty amazing the sounds that a guy so small can emanate when he's got a bit of gas built up.

kenny enjoys his meal with a view

Grandma and Grandpa took the whole family out to dinner at the super-shmancy Metropolitan Club while they were in town. The social/dining club is located on the 67th floor of the Sears Tower and offers excellent service, sumptuous dining, and of course, a marvelous view. Kenny was very well behaved, and even had a meal of his own while we were there. According to published reports, the formula was "superb."

grandpa alan bonds with "mr. k"

Grandma Jackie and Grandpa Alan came into town the other weekend to spend some quality time with the boy (and give Overboard and Evenkeel a chance to catch up on some sleep and take a night out on the town to celebrate their anniversary). The grandparents had a great time trying to get as many smiles as possible out of "Mr. K."

overboard vs. kenny's nails: the battle rages on

My son's hands are quite small. Which is fine, since he's pretty small himself for now. That being said, his fingernails are even tinier. And sharp. Did I mention that baby fingernails are sharp? Well they are. And how. We're talking, "What a cute boy! Look at how he's trying to grasp onto my neck! Look at how cute this...OWMOTHEROFGODWHATISHEDOINGTOME?" kind of sharp.

Since he's got no teeth with which to chew his nails (and his mother would generally discourage such behavior), it's up to us to trim them for him. This, like many precarious things, is best done when Kenny is asleep. Now, when he's asleep, he's often in a dark room, thus making a difficult job damn near impossible. Never one to back down from a challenge, Overboard got creative the other week and simply acquired the proper set of tools.

Looking like a safecracker, Overboard held a tiny flashlight between her teeth, while using one hand to hold Kenny's fingers, and the other to snip away with the fingernail clippers. Me? I was in charge of holding the spud and making sure he remained comatose during the whole endeavor.

Like all baby care activities, we're learning on the fly and trying our best not to damage the child. Overboard's pretty good at the clipping, but unfortunately, Kenny is better at the growing. It's an ongoing battle, and one my slightly scarred neck and shoulders (and Kenny's occasionally self-scraped face) hope we can win...

as mr. rourke would say, "smiles, everyone, smiles!"

Kenny is now at a fun stage where we think he's just in between gas smiles and the real thing. He actually appears to react to certain stimuli (funny faces, zerberts, tickling, political satire) with a smile, or possibly, a guffaw. I never realized why this was such a big deal until I had a kid of my own.

The funny thing about infants is that they seem so serious all of the time. When they're not looking serious, they're looking peeved, so a smile is a welcome break. Nothing humanizes a little spud like a good smile and giggle.

All of this means that we're now trying to figure out how to elicit those elusive grins and discover what method works best. Overboard's stand-up routines are still a bit dry for Kenny's tastes, but he does seem to react well to physical humor. Consequently, we're working out a new routine full of pratfalls, spit-takes and Three Stooges-esque slapping and eye gouging. This kid's gonna start laughing or one of us is going to the hospital...

kenny likes to sleep on his stomach (and yours)

New parents are repeatedly admonished to NEVER put the baby down to sleep on its stomach. Instead, babies should always sleep on their backs to prevent SIDS and other horrible things. Now, not so long ago, they told parents to put babies to sleep on their stomachs and not their backs to prevent against choking, etc. Seeing as how many generations have survived the stomach method, one would be tempted to let the baby sleep any which way makes them happy. We, however, will stick to the prevailing thoughts of the time and adhere to the "on their backs" sleep campaign.

The exception to this rule is when Kenny falls asleep on one of us. This, of course, is his preferred sleep position, and honestly, ours too. Let's face it, nothing is quite as wonderful or snuggly as your baby sawing toothpicks on your stomach, his tiny little head giving off "new baby smell" and his hands occasionally grasping at your shirt.

The tricky part is when he still wants to sleep, and you need to get up. This involves a delicate dance, which generally ends with him being put (on his back) in his pack 'n' play. Invariably, he then snortles himself awake shortly thereafter, wondering how the hell he ended up here, and not back on mommy or daddy...

kenny at six weeks old*

When I took Kenny in to the doctor for his six week checkup, we were shocked to find that we had greatly underestimated his weight. Overboard and I figured he was up to 7.5 lbs, 8 tops...turns out he weighed in at 9 lbs, 3.5 oz! Yeah, baby, we're bulking up! Our boy is starting to get folds on top of his folds, and slowly losing (for good, I hope) the chicken legs that so easily distinguish his father and Uncle Mike.

*Yes, I realize that this post is being written when Kenny is actually seven weeks old, but I'm trying to catch up! Thank you for your understanding and I hope this limits the amount of "Can't you even keep track of how old your child really is?" to a minimum.

bjorn free!

Now that Kenny is bigger, we can finally utilize the wonder of the Baby Bjorn. Yes, it's amazing what you can do when you've got your hands free! Of course, it also makes for some wonderfully incriminating photographs. C'est la vie.

once more to the pool, dear friends!

This time, I got to go too and we checked out the other gi-normous Glenview park district pool.

everybody loves kenny

kenny's first dinner out on the town!

We all went up to "the Glen" for dinner on Friday night. Kenny was a champ, eating his own dinner at the table and simply relaxing the rest of the time. Adam was very good as well, repeatedly explaining to the nice waiter that he would like some, "Mac 'n' Cheese, please!"



Adam the dino!

aunt overboard takes everyone to the pool!

While I was toiling away at work (okay, "toiling" may be a bit of a stretch), Overboard took everyone to one of the neighborhood pools. Adam isn't that big on swimming just yet, but he does like to wade in the water and play in a fountain or two...


Now THAT'S what I call a pool!

kissin' cousins

adam gives sadie a taste of her own medicine

"So, how does that taste? Is it good? You gonna share? Hmmm?"

the wonders of the childrens museum

The Kohl Childrens Museum in Glenview is an amazing place. Everything in the building is interactive and each room is more interesting than the next. While Kenny slept his way through, Adam was in awe and had a great time.


The first room you see when you walk in is the racetrack room. It took us at least a half an hour to convince Adam there was more to see and do...





This was how Kenny viewed the museum. The impressive thing is that it was utter chaos in there, with kids everywhere, screaming, but he never flinched. Takes after his daddy, I guess, and sleeps through anything.

adam checks out the playground up the street

While Kenny is still too young to take advantage of the playground, Adam was all over it...


Adam instructs Carol on how to properly ride "shotgun" in a motorcycle sidecar.


Carol is proud of her excellent "shotgun" skills.


Adam the farmer?

the annual 4th of july visit from uncle mike, aunt carol and cousin adam!

Every year, Carol's clan gathers in Door County in Wisconsin around the 4th of July. The upside for us is that they always fly through Chicago on their way up there, so we get an annual early July visit.

The big news this year was printed on the shirt Adam wore when they arrived at our place.



Here's a closeup of the front of the shirt.


Yes, Kenny will soon have a new cousin, and Adam a younger brother or sister! Well, this kid will be a Rolnick, so it's almost safe just to say "brother." Of course, in a few weeks we'll know for sure, but "boys" and "Rolnick" go together like "franks n' beans," "death and taxes," and "Superman and the Daily Planet." It took me a minute to get Adam to stand still long enough to read the shirt and figure out what was going on, but we're all very excited. Mike & Carol 2.0 is due around Christmas, so this could be quite the year for Grandma Jackie and Grandpa Alan! Plus, Kenny will have another cousin close in age to play with.


Adam meets his cousin Kenny


Adam wonders why this kid is such a crybaby.

glenview's fantastical 4th of july parade

Every year for the 4th of July, Glenview holds a big parade that makes its way right up the street outside our new home. With the festivities really getting underway around 10:45am, the sidewalks, lawns and driveways begin filling up as early as 8am. The majority of people turn up around 10am, and if I hadn't been tipped off by our stellar neighbors, the Burdas, I might have gotten boxed out of my own driveway. Instead, I put out a bunch of chairs around 9:30am, which were used over the course of the morning/afternoon by Overboard, myself, AJ and Ava, and our soon to be daycare specialist, Jackie, and her husband and two boys.

The whole shebang-bang kicked off with a kid's bike parade, where more youngsters than I thought were humanly possible, rode their bikes, big wheels, scooters, and even Radio Flyers, while a parent (or two) ran, rode or hustled alongside them. Every time I thought the bike parade was petering out, a new wave came around the corner. Most of the kids had decorated their vehicles, as well as themselves, in red, white and blue, and looked to be having a great time. Jack and Ed Burda joined the procession, as Jack pedaled and Ed jogged right behind him.

When the parade itself got rolling, I was again impressed with the amount of floats and even the fly-over by a trio of USAF cargo jets. A big theme appeared to be candy, as every other float/politician/kid with a half-decent throwing arm, chucked candy at the kids (and adults) along the route. I decided to be benevolent, and passed along my stash of collected Jolly Ranchers and Sweettarts to Jackie's boys. However, I did hang onto a few knick-knacks and promo items to give to Adam when he arrived after the parade.

Sadie only lasted about ten minutes before I realized that she was gonna go ballistic with all of the kids, dogs, candy and loud noises. Consequently, the pooch was resigned to watching the parade from the living room window. She wasn't alone, however, as we moved Kenny inside once we realized that the event kicked off with the ear-splitting wail of cop squad cars and a fire truck siren.

The entire thing lasted just over two hours, and was pretty entertaining. But I'll stop rambling on and get to the pictures and their running commentary. Next year, I'm stocking up on water balloons and maybe investing in a lemonade stand to make some extra cash...


Kenny gets patriotic while he waits for things to get underway.


Since he can't have any apple pie just yet, Kenny decides he'll just stick with "mom."


"Did somebody ask for mom?"


The infamous kids bike parade.


Jack and Ed make their way past the homestead.


The excitement of the parade really energized young Mr. Kenny.


AJ and Ava come rolling up to enjoy the parade.


Father and daughter marvel at the wonders of free candy and parade floats sponsored by landscaping companies.


I love the fact that a 4th of July parade needs a "theme." I ask you, isn't the theme sort of implied?


Nothing says "4th of July" like bagpipers.


Well, okay, I stand corrected.


The Jesse White Tumblers were pretty impressive flying through the air. However, after watching some of the tumblers fly through the air off a trampoline, one spectator was overheard asking, "Is that all you've got?" Rough crowd in Glenview.


They weren't the best singers, but it was a nice touch.


Love the car.


Each year, Ed and the Boy Scouts wage water warfare. He spent a few hours the night before filling up close to 200 water balloons. Once the scouts rounded the corner, it was on...






Glenbrook South is the high school Kenny will one day attend, and they were the proud winners of the state hockey championship this past season. As they closed in, I yelled for them to "hoist the cup!" Could be Kenny one day, right?




Okay, okay, forgot EVERYTHING I said before...this truly sums up the state our country is currently in.

Happy 4th!

happy birthday, grandpa!

Yesterday was Grandpa Alan's 66th birthday, and Kenny (or, "Mr. K," as his grandpa likes to call him) sent him a photo card...

kenny quirk: the sandman serenade

Just before he's about to really fall asleep, Kenny will open his eyes and begin to wail like a man posessed. This usually lasts for a few seconds, and then he closes his eyes and passes out. We're not 100% sure just what that's all about, but we think it might be that he's pissed about losing his battle to sleep, and wants his feelings known.

the silly side of sadie time

Ms. Sadie was very curious to get her nose into Kenny's tummy time action, so I couldn't resist snapping some pix...

the serious side of tummy time

I know there's something interesting to look at up there, I just wish it wasn't so much damn work to pick my head up.


Aw, $!%# it, I'm going back to bed.

kenny gets a visit from uncle "dr. professor silverman"

The last time Adam was in town, he met Kenny face to tummy. This time around, he got to hang out with the spud in the real world, and even took over a feeding (with positive results - meaning, no spitting up and a few healthy burps).

Yes, Adam and Amy are in town again for some more music teaching and performing. Unfortunately, due to her busy schedule, we didn't get to see Ms. Amy this time, but Adam got to come over for several hours. He was also kind enough to bring me my favorite - Chipotle burritos - for lunch. To reciprocate, I took him on a tour of the suburban Glenview shopping scene, with stops at Best Buy (where we bought a new web cam, courtesy of my folks) and over to Costco to stock up on baby wipes and Gatorade (just the necessities, of course). Actually, Adam couldn't resist the savings at Costco, and bought a bottle of scotch for himself (Kenny is still a formula and breast milk guy for now).

It was around the time of this purchase that he gave me the world's greatest slogan for the northern part of Glenview, right near the Costco, known as "The Glen." Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the new slogan, as concocted by Dr. Professor Silverman: "The Glen. Live it." Think of the sponsorship opportunities!

This is turning into quite the week for visitors: Ben & Carrie, Adam, and tomorrow, Uncle Mike, Aunt Carol and cousin Adam arrive for a 4 day stay!

overboard and evenkeel get a night out in the 'burbs

These are the faces of a couple who has finally been given the opportunity to get out of the house.

As previously mentioned, our friends JP and Jennifer got married this past Saturday, and as a result, we had our first night away from the house and Kenny. Our incredibly wonderful neighbor, Tresa, came over and babysat for us, so we could get "dolled up" and celebrate the nuptials. I was quite impressed with both of us, really, for remaining remarkably calm and collected about the whole affair.

While I did place a call or two back to the house to see how everything was going, there was no paranoia or terrified panic attacks. It helps a great deal that we trust Tresa implicitly, and see what a great job she and her husband have done so far with their two boys (ages 6 and 2), who both came over to check out Mr. Kenny during the evening.

Due to our time constraints, we missed the actual ceremony, but did show up at the Hinsdale Golf Club for the reception. The room, bride, and setting were all beautiful, and we had a lot of fun catching up with our friends -- some of whom we haven't seen since Kenny was born. I still tend to do a double-take when people see me and say, "Hey, Daddy" or "Big Papi," until I realize that, "Oh yeah, I have a kid." Surreal.

Overboard had her first glass of champagne in quite some time at the wedding reception, and gave me a, "Wow, you know, I kind of miss this stuff" look which was pretty priceless. Even better, our awesome friends all began offering their own babysitting services, and even some promises to come visit Overboard at home during the week to help alleviate a bit of the loneliness that comes with being cooped up in the house all the time. Don't get us wrong, Kenny is the best to hang out with, but for now, he's not really the best conversationalist.

Check out some fun pix from the evening:


The happy couple, JP & Jennifer


Ben & Carrie (aka, Uncle Sol & Aunt Ida) in their best wedding attire. Ben was a groomsman, and a damn good one too.


Reggie & Sarah, in a rare, "Reggie isn't studying for the bar, he's bellying up to it" moment.


Kerry & Vince were at our table and Vince entertained us by running lines for his new play (for which he's the lead!) with Dina.


Dina & Eric graciously offered to take care of both of our children, as they are already big fans (and fantastic babysitters) of Ms. Sadie.


Overboard's Northwestern crew can never resist a chance to do the Electric Slide, so long as it isn't the actual Electric Slide song playing at the time...

look, kenny, it's uncle sol & aunt ida!

As the next post will show, last night was the wedding of our friends JP and Jennifer here in Chicago (well, Hinsdale, to be specific). Earlier in the day, we got an awesome visit from Carrie and Ben, who are in town from NY for the wedding. Due to an infamous video greeting from our wedding, Ben will forever be known as "Uncle Sol," and seltzer will always be known as "delicious." It's too much to explain, so just know that it makes Overboard and I crack up without fail to this day. Hell, sometimes we look at each other, kiss Kenny, then announce that the boy is, "delicous...delicious."

Having good friends scattered around the country is a part of growing up, but it's very frustrasting sometimes. When you do get time for visits you realize how much you miss having them around. I wonder if there's any way to con, I mean, convince, our friends to all move to Glenview? Well, a family can dream, right?

our man in la meets our boy in glenview

We were thrilled to have a special visit to the homestead from Our Man In LA, Chris Wieland. Chris was in town for business and got to come out for dinner, catching up, funny stories (his specialty) and, of course, a tete a tete with Kenny. After spending many years in Chicago, the Wielands became Our Man (and Woman) In LA a few years back. Lucky for us, Chris' new job will have him out in Chicago once a month. If you haven't already, make sure to visit his blog for hysterical musings on life on the left coast.