Introducing Archer Sophia Vota
Hanalei’s little sister has arrived! Please welcome Archer Sophia Vota, the newest edition to the Vota family. She came into this world this evening as her mom was laughing, and now she can’t stop crying. Yet her parents and her family are overjoyed by this new bundle of love. Archer…
Read MoreDriving 35 Hours with 1 Year Old Hanalei
Which way to go?
Just think about this for a minute – driving 35 hours with a 1 year old daughter. Any parent starts to cringe, preparing for a tale of crying, seat-kicking, marriage-ending woe. You’ll read about that in some other place, for here, I have only happiness to report.
Amy, Hanalei, Dog Taxi and I – that’s 2 parents, 1 child and 1 dog, drove from Washington DC to Atlanta, to Vero Beach and back to Washington DC over Christmas without a single scream, tantrum, or pork rind. Yeah, I’m in shock too.
Read MoreRunning Past My First Father’s Day
Best use of a bike lane
Today is the first of what I hope to be many happy Father’s Days. And even though she is too young to tell me what she’d do for this special day, I knew what would make both of us happy: a long run through Petworth.
No, Hanalei isn’t running yet – she gets the easy ride in a baby jogger. Better yet, in the car seat, in the baby jogger, protected and after the first few blocks, asleep. Then its up to daddy to keep the speed, so she can have a cool breeze while she sleeps.
Read MoreNew Yorkers Love Hanalei Stockard Vota
Making friends at Starbucks
I’m not sure when I realized that New Yorkers love my daughter, Hanalei. Maybe it was the cab drivers, always willing to wait while I buckled in her car seat. Maybe it was the waitress who made space for her stroller at the table. Or maybe it was when the cute college girls stopped everything and played with Hanalei at Starbucks.
Yeah, that was it. When I could get random women to put away their iPhones and boyfriends to babysit my daughter in a busy Starbucks, I knew she’d won the hearts and minds of the Big Apple.
Read MoreHanalei Speaks Her First Words!
Listen to me already!
Its with great joy and surprise that I’m proud to announce that Hanalei Stockard Vota is now talking. Yes, she is speaking at 3 months old – a record for any of our families. While she’s not quite saying whole sentences, if you listen to her on this video, you can tell she’s making sense.
As her father, I’m so proud that she’s talking, its kinda hard for me to admit that I don’t always agree with what she says.
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