the well-accessorized tot

Bitty is a bit bigger since my last post, but pretty much just as bald. She's showing quite a knack for accessorizing, all of her own accord. While she is fully capable of building a Duplo tower, she prefers to pop the panes out of the windows and wear them as bangles. Clever, yes, and far safer than wrapping things around her neck and pretending they're scarves.

a very scary giraffe

scarrrry giraffampire!

Lil's first Halloween costume revealed: A baby giraffampire! That would be half giraffe, half vampire (the Mama half being giraffe, the Papa half being vampire). Now, if you're wondering where the inspiration for such a get-up came from, you only have to look back a few weeks to when Lil's fangs appeared. She was looking more creature-ish at that point, and her giraffe costume was in doubt. But then her parents got the idea to make her a vampire giraffe, complete with fangs, a cape, and even a victim! But how does a giraffampire come into existence (and a baby one at that)? Enter Mama and Papa. Obviously the giraffampire's parentage is the missing piece of the puzzle.

mama giraffe and her baby giraffampire

the giraffampire family

Lil managed to get quite a bit of use from her giraffampire ensemble. Sunday, our friends Lindsay and Rafi hosted the first ever fall-winter-2010/2011 Baby Halloween Party! Oh. My. Goodness. Cuteness abounded! Imagine a room full of 6-12 month-olds all dressed up in the most adorable and clever Halloween costumes ever. There was Benjamin as the strong man, Leo as Curious George, Georgia as the pumpkin, twins Oscar and Lionel as aliens, Evelyn the egg, as well as several ladybugs, a bumble bee, and an astronaut. There were a bunch more, all cute (Agnes as baby Yoda), and well worth the trouble to wrestle Lil into the giraffe suit, apply my own make-up, and convince Papa to put product in his hair. I think next year we might try something simpler. Like a kitten costume. Or maybe more complicated, like a wolf pack. Who knows!

this was my buddy, but I ate him

i waaaant to drink your miiiiillllk

On Hallows Eve, we went to hang out with our Brooklyn-based cousins for a little trick-or-treating. Carrol Gardens is a great area to trick-or-treat. Everyone hangs out on their stoops and hands out candy, and most of it is pretty good too. I think Lil's cousin got a few full-sized bags of m&m's, chips, pretzels, lots of chocolate, and (mama's favorite) at least a dozen rolls of smarties. Lil is too young for all that candy, but I am certain it went to a good home. Afterward, we relaxed with some soup and conversation and allowed the sugar rush to come to a crashing end. Lil giraffampire arrived home late in the evening, all tuckered out and ready for a long snooze.

lil with her cousin, maddie the murdered

a giraffampire cuddle

I think Lil had a good time, although I wonder whether or not she knew she was in costume.

grin and bear it

Cooler weather is all about layers, especially for a baby who can overheat just by getting too excited watching The Cat.  For little girls it's easy– just add a pair of tights or leggings under a dress, and over a nice looking diaper cover.  Then if the backs of your knees begin to sweat you don't end up all cranky. These pink knit tights came from cousin Josie, although they were  originally a present from Mama for Josie's first Christmas.  I just couldn't resist the little bear knitted on the butt, though on Lil it kind of loses it's charm.  I see her "bear" butt all the time.

Still, a baby girl in ruffles and pink bows can always be cuter.  So we'll keep the bear-butt tights (the droopier, the better), thanks.

capturing Lil

Lil, in captivity

Oh Lil watchers, you have been very patient.  We promise this post is well worth the wait! This weekend was full of ups and downs, mostly ups for Lil, and downs for Mama.  (Don't worry, just a little under the weather, that's all.)  Mama had a mission to get some good pics of Lil's remarkable new teeth- the vampire fangs she's apparently sprouted in time for Halloween.  It was quite a challenge getting the right smile at the right angle with enough lighting.  Any wildlife photographer will tell you all the perseverance pays off when you get that one shot at the end.  Once she was in her leopard print romper (with kitten-eared hood) Lil bared her fangs for the camera.  Mama was very still, so as not to spook the critter, and just as the sun peeked through the clouds, Lil's lips parted and the shutter clicked at the right moment! 

All of the photos that led up to that perfect shot should not be overlooked.  So here is the collection of the weekend's best Lil pics.  Check out the captions to see what she was up to at the time.

morning nap. She fell asleep while trying to escape

wakey wakey, Lil! saturday morning means cartoons!

• • •

getting ready for swim class on a bright sunday morning

practicing her wave with a sweet smile

• • •

the elusive baby leopard approaches her mother...

Lil carnivore!

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...

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.

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

sweet stuff

After all the excitement of our travels, I was longing for a simple Lil.  A crisp cotton dress and her pink damask all-in-one diaper from esbaby helped capture the look I was going for.  Lil received a lovely gift from Philip's grandma Lucy on our Upstate tour- three hand crocheted headbands.  Mama loves them, and Lil thinks they're look great, but taste even better.

tie-dye friday

Lil met up with her buddies before leaving town for the holiday weekend.  It was great to see the gang.  It's always exciting to see how much everyone has grown.  Now there are smiles all around, and tummy time has been mastered by all.  Lil always tries to be comfortable, fresh, and casual for these meet-ups, so today she wore a tie-dye tank top and her denim capris.  To avoid looking too plain, Lil added a sweet butterfly headband we scored from Etsy.  Just a little something to complement that smile.

There were lots of smiley babies, so mama snapped some pics of them, too...

Everett

Ethan

Sebastian

We also saw Georgia and Agnes, and some new faces, too!  But some babies are much too busy for pictures.  Maybe next time!

raspberry tart

Lil's big day in required something she could move in.  Now that she is officially a pre-crawler (aka, scootcher), bodysuits must be stretchier, sleeves must be shorter, and a little grip on the toes doesn't hurt.  Lil made her way around the living room floor stylishly in a raspberry flutter-sleeve body suit and some little socks...

crazy for accessories

Little yummy socks, apparently.

Hair!

Something new for Lil that money can't buy- a new 'do! Lil's finally got enough hair that it needs a little styling.  No barrettes for this little trendsetter.  We went with a spikey little mohawk.  Product-free, of course.

Lil's 'do, detail

weekend update #2

Admittedly, this comes a little late.  I feel like I'm showing up to class without my homework.  There's no excuse, but you should know the TONY's were on last night, and I always loved Doogie Howser.  Now, on to Lil.

toque-r face

Perhaps making a cobbler with farm fresh strawberries was the inspiration for Saturday's ensemble.  I didn't do much cooking when I was pregnant with Lil, so being back in the kitchen was kinda nice.  And the strawberry cobbler was pretty good, too.

This skirted onesie was another zulilly score.  The company is called Mad Sky Kids, and this look is part of their Barn Organics line.  Made from 100% organic cotton, their baby clothes feel just as good as they look.  I think the "muffin hat" looks more like a chef's toque, but that's fine now that Mama's cooking again! Sadly though, this outfit- size 9 months- is almost too small for Lil Beanpole.  It just takes one growth spurt to ruin an entire wardrobe...

loose-y in the sky

Sundays are usually about things like pancakes, newspapers, and no pants.  But Lil has had quite a few no pants days recently.  She needed an excuse to put on a nice blouse and a pair of ballet flats.  So we eventually headed over to our favorite neighborhood spot, Tuffet, where we met another mama and baby around Lil's age.  Miss Adaline was at Tuffet with her mama and papa and their poetry workshop.  How cool is that? Wine and beer and meat and cheese and poetry and babies!  Sounds like a perfect Sunday... until Lil is big enough to enjoy pancakes and the funny section.

ruffles and roses

Once in awhile we find a really cute outfit that includes matching accessories, like hats, bibs, and socks.  Typically this is not Lil's style, but every so often we go with the head-to-toe baby ensemble.  This one is  all about the booty, baby.  With rows of pink ruffles peeking out from beneath a bow-studded trapeze top, the leopard and rosebud print seems... subtle.  Throw in the ruffled brim on the matching cloche, and Lil's suddenly part flower face, part wildcat!

bird's eye view

you think I look silly?

 really?

bib n' ribbon

Lil is learning about accessories.  Before stopping by Mama's favorite jewelry store, we went shopping for some shoes to go with her fancy little dresses, and while we were there, we found some lovely little headbands.  Personally, the froof is a bit much for me, but that sweet round face was made for big bows.  The shoes were a tough call, and we're saving them for tomorrow- no sneak peeks!

erp... 'cuse me.

I am always searching for the perfect bib for this stage in Lil's life.  She drools, she spits up, and I am tired of jumping for a burp cloth and fretting over stains on her lovely organic cotton tops (organic cotton seems to hold the stains more that processed cotton).  This funny little bandana style bib from a  New Zealand-based company called Mum 2 Mum is made of a soft squishy velour and lined with a water resistant nylon, so Lil can dribble away!  Best of all, they are available in a whole bunch of fashionable colors, and with an adjustable snap closure, it will fit that neck for the long haul. Sadly, I didn't get one to match tomorrow's lovely outfit.  Since Mama will be busy graduatin', Lil will be on the bottle, and probably experiencing some big 'ol burps.

ohai there.