gray like the sky

dressed in gray, to match the weather

Lil is no Irene, but in her own way she is a tiny hurricane.  When let loose, she demolishes everything in her way.  She sends animals scattering before her.  She occasionally lets out an eerie howl, and there is always some sort of aftermath to clean up.  

the calm before the storm

At least Lil isn't too terribly windy.

shoes ahoy!

those navy slippers are a just little bland...

Lil loves shoes.  She loves the way they look, she likes how they feel, and she loves how they bounce when she throws them across the room.  Mama's just happy she's got good taste in footwear.  (Sorry, couldn't resist...)

Captain Adorable's First Mate

Lil has been seen in this top before, but Mama finally pulled out a needle and thread and did a quick (but messy) alteration on the matching bloomers.  Lil's first baby sailor outfit was made complete with her gold gladiators, which although not the most ship-worthy footwear, certainly are the most fashionable.  Summer can now come to a close with all of Lil's fashion milestones accomplished.  Fall will bring a lot more firsts for Lil.  We are pretty excited about her first jacket, her first pair of corduroy pants, her first boots, and a lot more big, comfy knits!

orange you glad to see me?

all juiced and ready to go

Lil and Mama rolled out to see our friends at a nearby pub.  While the babies squealed and wriggled around, clearly unphased by the scent of stale beer, the mamas grabbed a cold one and chatted about teeth, purees, and everyone's favorite topic, sleep patterns.  Now that Lil and most of her friends are around 7 months, there's no rest for the wicked.  But don't tell that to a wee 4 month-old named Grayson. He seemed to have that sleep thing down cold.

chatting with her baby buds

After skipping her afternoon nap, Lil required something vibrant to match her high voltage energy level.  Mama pulled out her juiciest top and Lil's favorite OJ colored bag shorts.  And even though Lil was not allowed anywhere near the floor of this fine establishment, she still needed her knee pads, just in case she tried to go for a crawl across the table.  Lil was gracious enough to let Mama finish her beverage without starting any shenanigans.  This time.

maybe next time, Lil...

mum mum yum yum

Mama and Lil went for a stroll on what was the most gorgeous August day EVER.  But where to go, and what to do plagued Mama to no end.  The park is far, and Lil's not quite big enough for playground fun.  So Tuffet ended up as the destination, but first Lil grabbed a few Baby Mum Mums to snack on.  Mama had never seen such a thing- they're like a little surf boards made of puffed rice.  Lil loved her first hand-held, DIY snack food.  Mama loved her chorizo and cheddar sandwich, and pint of Six-Point lager.

Now that Lil's wardrobe has been sorted into "play" and "outing" categories, we usually reserve the little dresses and coordinates for going out.  But today, Lil went out in her casual playwear.  No biggie, these items she inherited from her fashion icons Lia and Cousin Josie were perfectly matched for a quick and easy walk around the neighborhood.  Really, don't we all venture out in yoga pants  every now and then?

weekend update #8- papa's lil darling

There's not much time for this post.  Mama got busy in the kitchen this weekend with all the farm-fresh fruits and veggies, and spent the morning cleaning up.  Now Lil's morning nap is coming to an end.  So here is our wonderful weekend rundown, complete with perfect end-of-summer apparel.

After spending last weekend on the road, and with a pending road trip this weekend as well, Lil was happy to stay close to home with Mama and Papa.  Lil needed some good Papa time, especially after missing him while on her mission to heal GranMary.  Lil and Papa, played and played, and cuddled and laughed so much that it was hard to get any pictures at all.  Lil did manage to get some playclothes put on for a Saturday stroll that kept her looking cool, comfortable, and ready for anything.  "Anything" included a visit to Tuffet, and a long stroller nap for Lil Miss.  In her denim petal pushers and embroidered owl tank (both from Baby Gap), Lil woke up all ready for the next destination.  The next destination for Lil, though, was the bath tub.

Sunday brought Lil's swim class, and after an hour in the pool, she was good and tuckered out.  Later in the afternoon, she awoke bright-eyed and spikey-headed, and slipped on a seersucker shift dress with grosgrain and rosette details.  This frock was a cousin Josie hand-me-down that Mama just adores.  What's not to love? As soon as it's slipped over her head, Lil Flower-face appears.

no more miss pretty pants

pose n' play

Lil has come to the point where play clothes reign supreme.  The little princess that would don a pretty frock and sit for a pic no longer exists.  Today Mama dressed Lil in a fuchsia bubble tunic with crocheted flowers, a pair of coordinating BabyLegs, and real leather Mary Janes.  Lil looked like a perfect doll- for all of ten seconds.  Then she was off across the floor, chasing The Cat, and searching for random scraps of paper or toys to chew on.  When Mama finally caught up to Lil, she was covered in lint and cat hair, her tunic was bunched up around her waist, and the Mary Janes were long gone.

Mama, can't you see I'm busy?

Exasperated, Mama slipped the tunic over Lil's head, grabbed a baby tee, and let her have at it.  Hopefully the tunic will fit Lil when she starts to care about dresses, in about oh, thirteen years.

always a lil pretty

play hard, nap hard

Lil got some fancy new knee accessories from Papa.  I guess he was worried about Lil getting all bumped and bruised so early in life.  He ordered these cute knee pads from The Spoon Sisters.  The store is kind of half novelty, half practical, and completely cute.

Lil was let loose to roam freely around the apartment, and after all that play time she needed a break.  The Cat was there to lend a paw, and with a swish of a tail, he led her off to dream land.  When they woke up, Lil was nice enough to share a toy or two with the fur ball.  Poor Tiki Monkey.  Mama forgot to clip The Cat's claws.

Fortunately, his wounds are not life threatening.

7 months of lil love

wonder-full

Mama's about to cry.  Everyday we see li'l Lil grow bigger and become more amazing, and everyday we think "this is the most amazing day of Lil's life!" and the next day, something more amazing happens.  Soon enough there will be far less Firsts, and the daily happenings of Lil will become far more routine.  Somehow I doubt this child will ever have a mundane existence.  In the humdrum world around us, Lil will always be a fire-starter.  Please don't take that literally.  Please.

On her 7-month birthday, Lil dressed in this litter Mediterranean-inspired shift dress from Baby Gap. Like the ancient Greeks, my little Persephone didn't care too much for footwear.  She said it tastes better than it looks.

every shoe obsession's gotta start somewhere

the prints and princess

Lil can rock an animal print like no other baby on the planet.  This fall is all about giraffe, so today we  broke it out with a new, super-sized and super-bold bodysuit and some chocolaty BabyLegs.  Lil's going to hit this trend hard and fast, and Halloween could even feature a giraffe coup de grâce.  By then Mama could possibly get the giraffe obsession out of her system by Lil's first birthday.

a swing and a lil miss

Since GranMary is being treated with chemotherapy, we have to take extra precautions so that Lil isn't exposed to any dangerous chemicals.  Luckily, GranMary's particular treatment only barred Lil from the hospital for one day, so we got in some outdoor playtime. We stayed at Miss Mary's house, and in her backyard there is a very special swing.  Lil got to experience her very first ride on a swing, and Mama was quick enough to capture it on video! It's pretty sweet, check it out...

an additional GranMary update:

We stayed in town until Saturday, but when we left GranMary was still in the hospital.  The good news is that the medicines she's on for breathing are helping a lot! Also, her appetite is making a come back, her mac & cheese was heartily consumed.  Even Mama said it tasted good!  The above mentioned chemotherapy was very easily tolerated, and her next dose will be in a couple weeks.  With all the love and prayers and positive energy, Lil will have a healthy GranMary in her life for a long time to come.

a stolen moment, and lil the exilir

Lil is not afraid to admit that she stole this look from cousin Josie.  We were looking at an old Facebook album of Josie's baby pictures, and found one of her in this sweatshirt.  Lil said, "Let's remake this photo, Mama."  Well darling babe, we don't have an ocean, or a breeze, and we are stuck inside a hospital with no real camera, but okay, we can do that.

So we did.

Lil's been away this week taking care of her Grandmary who is sick in the hospital.  While we are dosing Grandmary with her daily Lil Pill, please send a little positive energy and a few prayers to us!  We have a fight ahead of us, but a little adversity never scared Grandmary, or Mama.  And it will never even phase my Lil Brave One.

weekend update #7

Lil took a shopping trip with Papa over the weekend.  Their destination? A sweet little toy store in Manhattan called Kidding Around.  Lil secured herself a new set of HABA blocks, so now stacking, destroying, and throwing things have been added to her résumé. 

Lil got dressed in a set of plump plaid overalls and a flutter-sleeve bodysuit.  Just like a little rainbow after a rainstorm, Lil provided a shot of color to an otherwise overly gray day.

it tastes as good as it looks

kitty wonders if it's really that tasty

Lil loves accessories.  Not only do they often complete a look, they can provide her with endless entertainment.  Lately though, she's been using everything from shoes to hats for teething relief.  This hand-knit headband was no different.  Mama's been trying to get Lil to eat her greens, but she was thinking more along the lines of broccoli.

even chewed, hand knits still look good

wardrobe malfunction

Poor Lil!  She was supposed to have little ruffled bloomers that matched this top, but they don't stay up on her tiny waist.  Once again, she was left bottomless, with nothing more than a diaper to keep those buns covered.  It never seems to matter much to Lil.  She has a take-'em-or-leave-'em attitude toward pants of all kinds.  But it makes Mama wonder if there is a market for baby suspenders.

Shoes, however, are another story.  Lil has made it quite clear that even for a pre-walker, shoes have a place in her everyday wardrobe.  Even if they're not made for walking, they're certainly made for teething.

riding in style

look what she can do

Lil took a little ride in her new Triumph from Maclaren.  It's so lightweight that we can take it on the subway, so we ventured over to Bushwick to visit our friends (and our great source for inspiration), Lia and her Mama.  Lil inherited a new dress, and was enthralled by big-girl play.  If she spends more time with Lia, all that running and jumping- and a love for Dora- could rub off on Lil.  For now though, she's content to sit and watch from her comfy new recliner stroller.

no rush, lil

electro-cute and cuddly

shockingly adorable

There are lots of cat references on Everyday Lil.  We even have a tag "furry friends" that will pull up all the cat-related entries.  But there has been little in the way of cat prints lately.  Sure, there was that sweet leopard print romper from our early days, but now we've passed mid-summer and not a lick from the big cats.  Finally, Lil has grown into this gray and white leopard print dress her GranMary sent back at Easter time (size 9-months).  While Lil usually stays away from electrocuted colors,  The chartreuse trim adds a jolt perfect for these hot, lazy days.

and you wondered how she gets her hair to stick up like that

ready for a cat nap

It's just the perfect look for when Lil's feeling.... kittenish.