video tuesday: lil and the spoon

I know you were hoping for a Christmas morning video of Lil attacking some wrapping paper, or playing with a box instead of her new shiny toys. Well... we have some breaking news: Lil can feed herself with a spoon!!! That's right– the spoon goes straight from the dish to the mouth, delivering a bite-size portion of food into Lil's mouth. She still needs some help getting the payload onto the spoon, but other than that, feeding time is now a mostly solo operation– with utensils. Pretty impressive.

Gratuitous Christmas footage still to come...

the first noel

ode to joy!

Lil spent her first Christmas at her grandparents' house in Princeton. Needless to say Lil was not the most excited person in the house. Mostly she had no clue as to what was happening, but she did notice the very very very big tree, and picked up on grandma's frenetic energy. Things were definitely abuzz on Linden Lane. No detail was missed in preparing for the big day. Lil even had two special pairs of pajamas waiting for her to wear on Christmas morning. How many babies get wardrobe changes before all the presents are even opened?

Lil says "daw" for the first time

Once we arrived on the morning of the 24th, the first order of business was to introduce Lil to Sidney, the esteemed family dog. Lil hasn't had much face time with doggies, and Sidney hasn't had much face time with babies. All things considered, they got off to a smashing start. No tails or ears were pulled, and no fingers went missing. Sidney even snuck into our family bed Christmas Eve and kindled some warmth and good will. Lil made her appearance in a special outfit from BabyGap– a pair of tights with shorts sewn on (or shorts with tights sewn on), with a ruffled "body double" top, which is like a onesie with a shirt that goes over the waistband of your bottoms. I like it, especially for winter. You don't want any kind of chilly drafts going up her shirt. And since Princeton was freezing (and just because they're cute), I added a pair of limited edition BabyLegs that I scored off of babysteals.com.

Lil swings (foreground), Sidney poops (rear-ground, off to the right).

After that, we all got bundled up and went for a short walk to a playground so that Lil could swing and Sidney could poop. Everyone was happy, until none of us could feel our noses, so we headed back to the house, which was just around the corner. Lil was stunned that a playground could exist so close to a residence! Back home in Brooklyn, only the 1% are allowed to live near parks with playgrounds (unless you are the opposite 1%, and reside in public housing).

f-f-f-freezing

The question of "naughty, or nice?" may have been weighing heavily on a lot of young minds this Christmas morning, but not Lil's. It's not that there was no doubt in her mind about her niceness, it's just that it had not yet occurred to her to ponder such a thing. No matter how many times I sang "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," she just didn't get it. You wouldn't know that from watching her on Christmas morning, though. Happiness danced on that cherubic little face of hers from the time she spilled her stocking, through the waffle intermission, until the last bit of wrapping paper was pried from her jaws.

so very, very nice

Although she was mostly oblivious to what it all meant, there was something pretty special about watching Lil soak it all in.  I am somewhat worried about what she'll think on her next visit to Princeton, when there's no tree, no special pajamas, and no mountain of presents.

"When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer..."

with Papa, in her new knit hooded cardigan

the "morning after," Boxing Day, sporting her new Patagonia snowsuit

oshkosh ohmigosh

oh, is it Christmas already?

Recently I decided that every baby must have a pair of Oshkosh B'Gosh overalls. What I didn't realize is that Oshkosh does so much more than plain old overalls, especially when it comes to girls. My favorite item in Lil's 12-month stash has got to be this corduroy jumper. It's playful, it's festive... it's just about the cutest thing that's covered her butt in a minute. And look-a here, it even looks a lot like a Christmas outfit! How perfect is that?

cuteness abounds with folksy footwear

Even though today was the shortest day of the year, we managed to get the perfect amount of sunlight in the living room. Just enough to get that extra bit of sparkle from those baby blues. Golly gosh, isn't she something?

like a baby one minute...

....and a little girl the next

a new thrill

Lil has been an adventurous eater for a while now. She is always eager to explore new foods, both with her tastebuds and her hands. This week we are witnessing a rejuvenation in her excitement for food, possibly due to the fact she can actually taste what she's eating again. That, or because Mama finally got some energy and cooked for a change (jar food is so freaking bland. No wonder most babies just spit out what you feed them). Just check out that expression of utter joy and anticipation! Those must be some good eats Lil's about to get. Yum, yum.

For lunch, Lil was dressed so nicely in her puff-sleeve tunic dress and a pair of lavender cable-knit tights. Who doesn't just love baby tights? The only problem with them is that Lil slipped twice on the hardwood floor. These just didn't have enough grippy stuff on the soles. That just means she needs more shoes!

However, dinner is a more serious matter. Attire is as informal as possible, because on bath nights, we let Lil go hog wild (literally). If she wants to feed herself, she's may. If she wants to sit there and mush broccolini into her bellybutton, she can do that too. Just as long as she doesn't throw her food at Mama, or on the floor. The baby gets cleaned regularly. Mama and the floor- not so much.

fingerling potatoes smashed with multi-color baby carrots steamed in orange juice, and baby yams.

video Tuesday: lil loves her papa

Poor Papa. He's feeling lousy, overworked, over-tired, and just plain sick. He's coughing, runny, drippy, and rundown. And if you weren't feeling enough pity for him yet, you should know it's his birthday. Yup. What did the man do to deserve this?! 

There was, however, one bright spot in this sore, sorry story. His little bird swooped in and saved the day with hugs, smiles, and laughter. Such a sunny, silly girl. I think he was beginning to perk up just a little after her pre-bedtime visit.

She's just so darling when she's not wearing pants, isn't she?

another One

party baby... but where's the birthday girl?

boogie babies Evelyn, Ariel, and Ethan (front to back)

Tis the season for baby birthdays! This month Lil has celebrated firsts with several friends, and we've had plenty of fun and good food. And there will be more birthdays in the coming weeks. There's even one tomorrow, but with Lil under the weather, it may have to be her first "will not attend."

Today is Sully's 1st birthday!

§  §  §  §  §  §  §  §

Poor Lil! A week-long cold and fever festered into an ear infection. It's been a lot like having a tiny baby again. She just wants to sleep, be held, and drink as much milk as possible. I just wish she could still fit in those sweet little sleep n' play outfits that she used to look so snuggly in. One of my favorites easily converted to a gown just by snapping it differently. It was pink with little gray princess crowns, and it was made of a fleece-lined cotton knit and felt so nice against her skin. Now though, she'd just assume undo all those snaps and run around naked. She's much slower with a fever and infection- closer to "sleep" than "play." Reminds me of the old days...

just 2 weeks old.

bonus: cat's in the cradle close-up.

one is too young to share, the other too proud to beg

Here are some stills from today's taping of "Lil and Kitty Talk Footwear" in Lil's Crib. I wonder who she'll interview next? Seahorsey, perhaps, on how he's dealing after suffering abuse at the paws of The Cat. Or maybe Woofie, on what it's like representing an endangered species. It might be Pink Bear (aka, Mr. Pink), talking about the relationship between color and gender identity ("Do the other animals accept you for being both male and pink? Have you ever thought of giving up the bow tie?"). 

I just hope I'm there to capture it on camera.

finally found common ground

as usual, Lil keeps the goods just out of reach

video tuesday: the cat's in the cradle

Actually, Kitty got in Lil's crib and the two of them had a mostly gentle pow-wow regarding a gold sandal. Part of me believes that Lil was really trying to convince Kitty to try them on.

Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to sell footwear... trust me.

a room of her own

boundaries are just out of reach

After 10 months, 3 weeks, and 4 days, Lil finally has her own room... more or less. Instead of sharing with Mama and Papa, she now rooms with Papa's computer, record collection, and some books. But she has enough space to sleep, get dressed, read a story, and crawl around. Mama and Papa stood by as Lil explored her new space, and we held our breath waiting for Lil to break something, or possibly herself. There's still a few less-than-safe areas (under the desk), but for now they're simply blockaded with a box and a chair. 

I hope there's enough room left to work in the "office."

Lil's layered look was inspired by the brisk chill that's finally graced our fair city. Her fall dress is beefed up with an organic cotton onesie, and the ruffled argyle BabyLegs are covering a pair of knit tights. Since there's no sign of snow (yet), Lil is still able to sport a pair of Fancy Nancy MaryJanes from Cousin Jos. We are still looking for some good first-walker snow boots. I still have no idea how one learns to walk on icy sidewalks. Anyone know if they make baby-sized crampons?

family tree branch.

Here are some of Lil's blood relatives from Mama's side. Have fun searching for resemblances and stuff. Please note: the one relative whose picture is missing is GranMary. I look for a resemblance there almost daily. Trust me, it does exist.

 

Lil and Mama

Cousin Liam and Uncle Jeremy (Mama's brother)

Cousin Josie

Cousin Liam and Aunt Sarah (Uncle Jeremy's wife)

Lil with Princess Cousin Josie

Cousin Princess Josie, Lil, and Granpa Gary (Mama's papa)

Mama and Cousin Josie (Mama's niece)

Lil and Cousin Liam

...and Lil and Papa (Lil's other branch)

caLiLfornia, continued...

It is so easy to get distracted at this time of year. Lil has reached the point where she is ready for her own room, and there's holiday preparations, a birthday party to plan, and the everyday happenings like work, outings, errands, etc. And this little blog. I hate neglecting it. This will serve as Lil's baby book, and I plan on having it printed out for her first birthday. It doesn't seem right that I gleaned over her first big trip, and an exciting visit to the coolest place ever, the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Lil's not going to remember any of it, so this blog will have to serve as her reminder.

tulle trim bow dress from babygap, perfect seaside attire.

Lil didn't experience things the same way older children did, but she was still fascinated, and pointed at lots of things and even called the sea turtle "kitteh." She wanted to touch the urchins and anemones, tried scratching at the little camouflaged flounders and gobies, and was mesmerized by the Jelly exhibit. Actually, everyone was mesmerized by the Jelly exhibit.

earth alien

But the best part for Lil was the gigantic 90-foot Open Ocean tank. It had stadium seating, so we headed to the upper deck and waited in vain for the big mean sunfish to make an appearance. No sunfish, but Lil was lulled to sleep by the Green Sea turtle doing laps along the top. Right before we left, a couple Yellow Fin tuna started racing around the place. Crazy that those things only cost, what, seventy-nine cents a can? Seems like it should be an impossible catch...

On the way home, Papa and I discussed when Lil might be ready to don some snorkel gear and hop a plane to Hawaii (not in that order).  Before I let Lil near the real deal, I think she's got to be able to swim first. Yeah, at least.

Lil, this is as close as you're gonna get to the fishies for quite a while.

miss mess

Some days are just ugly days. I don't care who you are, there is a morning you wake up and your face is puffy, or blemished, or uneven, your hair is off, and you're walking askew. It happens to everyone at some point. Even babies. But for Lil, it's not so much an ugly day as it was a messy day. Things started out good enough, then after nap she clearly got up on the wrong side of the crib. Lunch didn't improve things much, so she just spit everything out all over her Nature Baby merino wool thermal, and mushed food into her face.

whatever makes her happy

Now that is an ugly baby day.

all that mush just makes her sweeter

video tuesday: how to cook humpback whale

In preparing for our visit to Monterey Bay Aquarium, Josie figured it was a good idea to show Lil how to cook up some delicious humpback whale. It's no easy task for a baby Lil's size, so Josie handled the big whales, and left the little ones to Lil. 

My favorite part (right before Josie's priceless startled expression) "you CRACK them and then they squirt in to the bucket!" And something about the fish guts coming out. So lovely, Josie.

caLILfornia, part 3: bundled at the beach

the west coast

 The day after Thanksgiving was the lowest tide of the year. We headed down to this beach just passed Davenport, Scotts Creek. Funny it's called Scotts Creek. I think it could be compared to the cliffs of Dover, but that's not Scottish. Scotts Creek probably got its name from the founder of Bonny Doon, a Scotsman by the name of John Burns. You can just imagine him coming down the hill after a long day of logging to sit on the beach, smoke a joint, and bathe in the frigid water. We just went down to check out some tide pools, breathe in the ocean breeze (wind), and drink in the scenery.

my beautiful niece mixes animal motifs

hand knit and snug as a bug

Lil and I did not ford the creek to the tide pools. The water was a little fast, and Mama was wearing her new boots from Snipe, which the salesman said were waterproof (twice... but they're not). Regardless, I wasn't willing to risk it. They're made with naturally dyed leather, and who knows what would happen to that juicy ruby red. Instead we just twirled around on the beach, ran up to the water, then away from the surf, watched Grandpa Gary fly his kite, and waved at strangers.

twirling girls

From time to time, I looked out at the horizon, and admired the sea cliffs in a haze of ocean spray, or just watched my family enjoy the chilly beach afternoon. I couldn't help but think that GranMary must've visited this same beach with Josie as a baby, maybe Lil's age, maybe a bit older. And I felt grateful knowing the same piece of paradise, the same slice of heaven, there with Lil.

And to be sure, GranMary knew we were there, too.