Sidney: No Man Is An Island

Sidney means island, south of the water. Despite the confusion that "south of the water" poses, his Aunt Ilyse reminded us that no man in an island. As the poet John Donne wrote

No man is an island entire of itself; every man 

is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; 

So here is the proof that Sidney is a piece of the continent, the Braunohler/Hanson/Barbaria/King/Bay Area to Nantucket continent:

 

Baby Sidney

Welcome, Sidney King Hanson!

Our third son was born Tuesday, January 19th at 9 a.m. during a strong rainstorm. It was a magical morning, with the world laboring alongside us. Sidney is a thriving little guy with a huge appetite. He seems to nurse as often as most infants sleep. His brothers and grandparents are also in love. 

Sidney was Chris's dad's eldest brother (1910s-1970). The oldest of the 15 Hanson children, he was born and raised in Montana and moved to California as a young man. He enticed his younger brother, Carl (Chris's dad), to join him in California. Sidney later moved back to Montana with his wife and daughter. He worked as a rancher and in a grainery.

Herbert George King was Christine's maternal grandfather who lived from 1908-1981. Known as Paddy, he was British but raised in Egypt and Germany. He lived an adventurous life as a journalist across Europe. He was fluent in 8 languages. After WWII, Paddy moved to the U.S., married, and had one daughter, Vivian King (Christine's mom). He was known for being irreverent, charming, and passionate. He met infant Christine before he died.

Avery's 5th Birthday!

Avery turns 5 on Tuesday, January 12. Today we celebrated with family friends and school friends. Because of my imminent labor, we decided to hire a puppeteer to entertain the kids for half of the 2-hour party. It was a big success and a move we now recommend to all parental birthday party throwers. 

I like Zeal's look of disbelief (or near-sightedness)

Cupcakes served on a picnic blanket inside.  Chris's healthy icing idea: cream cheese and fruit-sweetened jam.

Chris singing "The Monkey and the Engineer"

Avery's first friend, Savannah

T-Rex pinata, manipulated by party helpers Astrid and William

Our favorite line from Astrid to Zeal was "Every hit helps, Zeal, no matter how small!"

A precious moment captured. Zeal does not give it out for free.

Some zip-lining and then it was time to go home.

Avery's and Christine's Penguin take on Marcel the Shell. 

Yes, it was a quiet day. Zeal was napping. Chris was napping. And we're just waiting for that baby to come...