HOT part 2

We had to go out today.  This was Lil's last day of Starfish level swimming classes.  She wore a new swimsuit, which seemed to spark some Esther Williams quality in Lil.  Our bathing beauty was calm and graceful in the pool, even taking a couple of big solo swims.

princess mermaid

The afternoon became "clothing optional."  Instead of covering the baby, we covered the living room in sheets. It seemed to work for Lil.

blending in with her surroundings

do the locomotion

Sunday was your typical weekend day.  Lounging around in our skivvies, watching Iron Man competitions on the tv, chewing on the good 'ol music cube.

And then this happened:

Baby gates will be installed the day after tomorrow.

gone swimmin'

I never can figure out how to dress Lil for swim class.  She can't wear her swim dipe to the pool, it would defeat the purpose.  Plus it's early in the morning and a tad chilly, but warm by the time we head home.  This morning I just grabbed whatever was closest- her lipstick pink modal cotton hoodie, a leopard print diaper, and a pair of argyle Babylegs.  One of the mamas at swim class complemented her look and said, "you've got to get a picture of that one!"

Ohhh, if she only knew.

ready for the pool?

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.

papa's little fish

Lil's first swim class featured some classic faux pas, namely don't leak pee in your new swim diaper! Not five minutes after she had on her Imse Vimse swim diaper in pink and red polka dots, Lil let loose in her papa's arms.  Oops.

Smart Mama packed a back-up though.  We used the pocket portion of a Bum Genius 4.0 artist series as a swim suit, and Lil kept it all in during swim time.

Swimming was great.  The pool was located in this really nice condo building not far from home.  It looked kind of like a cave, very dark, very warm, damp, and kinda cozy.  Our pics didn't come out so well, but you get the gist.

Lil was plum tuckered by the end.  She even fell asleep in the pool!  We happened to spend the rest of the rainy afternoon in bed. Yay.

it's... super mega naked baby

super mega naked baby scales walls...

Lil was in a serious funk today.  Not surprising, since it was a perfectly gorgeous day for a walk.  There was definitely something toothy going on, so we laid low.  So low, in fact, that clothes became optional.  I did manage to get some super girl Babylegs on her, so when she stretched out and rolled around it was if she took flight... sort of!  

... and soars through the clouds...

... with her sidekick, little fish...

and watches over all those earthbound souls.

A little whining and a few tears hardly even penetrated the sweetness of Lil.

the land of the brave (and bold)

hello, summertime.

Memorial Day was a quiet day for Lil.  No parades, no beaches, just Mama and Papa and a lone auntie to keep Lil entertained all day.  No matter, it was at least 90 degrees and sweltering!  Spending the day in air conditioning wasn't a terrible idea.  Before bedtime, Mama and Papa took Lil up to the roof to watch her first sunset.  It was a beautiful ending to Lil's first Memorial Day.

Lil went for a patriotic look today.  I like to think these bold patterns honor the bravery of America's servicemen and women, metaphorically anyway.  In addition to the prints themselves being bold, Lil shows a lot of courage by mixing the block print blue-and-white dress with her red-and-white graphic print BumGenius diaper.  Maybe that makes her some kind of tiny American fashion hero.  Her red and blue Trumpette socks, while not necessarily practical on a hot day, are an homage to every soldier who ever fought in the trenches.  To the combat veteran, good socks are nearly as important as one's rifle.  Lil has no room for a rifle in her toy box, though, so socks will have to do.  It's Lil's way of saying "thank you" to the men and women overseas, especially the mamas and papas who can't be with their li'l ones.

in the land of the free, this babe can be brave.

thank you!!!

tooty fruity

I love cloth diapers.  I love that someone out there has put thought and care into what covers my baby's bottom and what takes care of her... errrm... business.  Lately it seems that the trend in cloth is all about style and sustainability.  In all the shopping I've done and all the different types and brands I've looked at, I have found nothing cuter (not to mention affordable, soft, and top-notch) than Little Owls diapers from The Littlest Forest.  Made from 100% organic cotton and lined with super-soft and absorbent bamboo fleece, these diapers are crafted with care.  They fit Lil nice and snug even on those skinny legs of hers, and in too-sweet prints like whales, citrus fruits (pictured here), and a really cool brown geometric pattern, they look as good as they perform.  Pair these fitted diapers with one of the Little Owls organic merino covers (arriving to you pre-lanolized, thankyouverymuch), and you've got an all-natural leak-proof diaper.

Little Owls for my Little Peach

It's amazing that a diaper can inspire today's look, isn't it?  I found this lace-trimmed shirt in a soft lemony yellow at a children's consignment shop in Williamsburg called The Flying Squirrel.  And how could I pass up a chance for Lil to wear her orange slice knee-highs, especially with a butt as perfect as this one!

She's got BabyLegs, and she knows how to use them

Lil's world of citrus tones

Lil hadn't played with her music cube in a while, and since it coordinated so nicely, I thought a few rounds of Twinkle, Twinkle were in order.

a miracle

 Before you think I'm going to get all mushy about what a wonderful thing babies are, let me stop you.  Today was anything but wonderful.  The eruption of Lil's first tooth was accompanied by an eruption of cries and bona fide baby tears.  Such emotions from this wee person made it very difficult to get -and stay- dressed for the day.  In the end I went back to the basics and pulled out something called the Miracle Blanket which is basically a straight jacket for babies, but without all the straps and buckles.  And just like the criminally insane, small babies love to be wrapped tightly.  Lil hadn't been swaddled in a while, so I wasn't sure it'd work, but sure enough, she managed to produce a smile.

comforted... or crazy?

Once Lil had perked up, we moved on to the look of the day.  I found this Fair Isle sweater "dress" that was actually part of a set which included little knitted britches and a matching hat.  The bottoms are too big for Lil, plus she's more mod than that. I found argyle BabyLegs in complimentary colors, and a diaper cover from Best Bottom diapers in strawberry shortcake. 

miss mod

I really love baby clothes that have real pockets.  I'm sure any day now Lil's going to find them useful.

Lil contemplates mixing patterns

a strife aquatic

diaper from green sprout baby. crib sandals from robeez.

It seems as though we are at a stage in Lil's development when she starts experiencing major changes. Sleeping habits, eating habits, digestive upsets... teething.  Yes.  There's a very good chance Lil  is sprouting a tooth somewhere in that fleshy pink mouth of hers.  All these things add up to make for a very quick photo session.  Don't be surprised if tomorrow's edition features sleepwear. 

this giraffe was made for chewin'

This outfit is all about the diaper.  Papa has a thing for cephalopods, so anything with jellyfish or octopi (and especially cuttlefish, those are his favorite) is a must-have for Lil.  The jellyfish diaper is made of organic cotton knit with a bamboo velour interior.  The adjustable sizing justifies this luxurious little bum cover.  Unfortunately, all that heavenly fuzz didn't have the soothing effect I hope for.

the calm before the storm

tangled up in blue

Gorgeous day for Lil & Mama to take a stroll!  We headed to a new natural baby store in the area called Caribou Baby, which was a good half-hour walk from home.  It's amazing that this is the only natural-minded baby store in New York.  There are plenty of trendy designer baby stores in the city, but heaven forbid you want a baby carrier that actually works, or organic cloth diapers, or all-natural baby products. You had no choice but the internet, just like people who didn't live in what's supposed

to be the city that has it all.

blue traveler

 I'm feeling pretty lucky to have Caribou Baby in the neighborhood.  We went in today looking for a new baby carrier so I can wear Lil around the house without a lot of buckles and straps and things.  They have beautiful wraps and slings, and it turns out that the owner, Adriane, is an expert babywearer.  She not only helped me pick out a beautiful wrap from Ellaroo, she also gave me a crash course in babywearing (there's more to it that you'd think). The wrap I picked out is easy and lightweight, comfy for around the house and quick errands.  I chose a beautiful turquoise striped fabric to compliment Lil's eyes.  She loved it and was lost in sleep soon after I tied her in.

She looks great wrapped up in this

We were very lucky to have the company of our good friend Jessica, who little Lil is quite fond of.  It's so nice to have back-up, especially out in public.  Later when we got home, there was a package from our favorite discount online retailer, Zulilly!  This gorgeous organic cotton wrap sweater was in there, along with a couple other Lil goodies. 

teeny houdini

Today's look was inspired by our new Ellaroo Wrap.  I took her new wrap sweater and added her favorite "Jolly Jack" Baby Legs, and one of Bum Genius' artist print cloth diapers.  I'm so glad blue isn't just for boys.

Eco-Friendly: the top is bottoms and the bottoms are tops

 Eco-friendly. Sustainable. Environmentally Conscious: all labels that as a mama I feel compelled to look for when choosing Lil's gear.  It's hard- not only finding sustainable items that we like, but also ones that are affordable.  Cloth diapers were an easy choice for us because they contribute far less waste to landfills, but there are downsides.  Many contain synthetic fibers and chemicals that are necessary to make waterproof and absorbent layers.  Finding baby clothing made of sustainable fibers like soy and bamboo is not only difficult, it's expensive! And honestly, it's not always cute.  So I end up with a mix, like most families, of eco-friendly, and sweat-shop made. Alas, Made in China is already part of Lil's life.

the best is on her bottom, the worst is on her top.

Today Lil wore a brand new t-shirt that I bought off Zulilly. It's a website that sells baby and kids' stuff, but they only run daily sales (up to 80% off) of designer items in limited quantities.  The merchandise has a boutique-y feel, and you rarely see the same thing twice.  This raspberry houndstooth tee is from a company called Degree Six.  Apparently their version of sustainable is actually chintzy organic cotton with poorly stitched, non-sweatshop seams.  This size 6 months barely fits Lil at 2 months (hello, baby midriff!), so we know this won't be in rotation very long. 

On the other end, Lil is wearing a wool diaper wrap made by our friend Jessica at The Littlest Forest.  This cover is awesome, and I'm not just saying that because Jess and Lil share the same birthday.  It's made from 100% re-purposed wool, and came to us pre-lanolized and ready for wear.  Not only is this diaper cover environmentally sound, it's also good looking and fits really well. Charcoal gray mohair with a raspberry lining is girly without screaming pink and daisies.  Best of all, it's trim enough and fits under her clothes.  You can learn more about the amazing properties of wool here, and check out what else The Littlest Forest is up to on Etsy.

Although Lil put on her sparkly ruffled bolero wrap, we decided to stay in today.  I wouldn't be surprised if The Cat and his lounging had some influence on us.

doctor, my baby's covered in spots...

Big day for Lil, as we got all dressed up for her 2-month well check. And fret not, she is indeed quite well. She grew 1 1/2 inches in 5 weeks, and packed on another pound. She's now measuring 24 inches from head to toe, and weighing in at a slim but solid 11 pounds, 6 ounces.  The doctor gave her a little slap on the behind because he was so impressed with her infant physique!  Must be all the time she spent around doctors in her early days prepared her for all sorts of bedside manners. 

Behold her physical prowess!

For her pre-outing outfit, I pulled out this super adorable polka-dot top with a fuchsia rosette detail, a matching pocket diaper from FuzziBunz, and these awesome cowprint Baby Legs. You may be noticing a theme here- cute top, cloth diaper, baby legwarmers.  We've found what works, and we're going to work it till the end... or at least until Lil outgrows it.

This baby knows how to accessorize.  Our awesome neighbor (not the techno-blasters that live downstairs) gave us a beautiful gift basket of handmade goodies from Borealis Babies.  And wouldn't you know it,  Lil just happens to look good spitting up on that burp cloth!  

If you can't carry a handbag, why not match your music cube?

winter white cures our winter blues

I've always loved the look of natural shades from head to toe, but it never looked quite right on me.  I guess I'm just too pale.  Maybe if I had that baby pink tone that Lil has, it would look as good on me as it does on her!  

 

Today Lil sported a polka-dotted velour bubble dress and some spring-striped Baby Legs.  I added her puppy booties because despite how spring-time Lil may look, the temps still say winter.  Sadly, her little dogs are too big for those puppy socks, so they'll be laundered and shipped out to her new cousin.  The jasmine-filled nights in the hills above Santa Cruz still call for cozy footwear, so I'm glad they'll live to bark another day.

Little pups for my pup. Enjoy, Cousin Liam!

baby has the winter blues...

When you become desperate for spring- and you grow over an inch each month- you're allowed to break all the fashion rules.  We're not waiting for Memorial Day to don summer hues!

a star is born

Lil and I are awaiting the arrival of our good friend Beth Anne Pilger, owner of Pilger Designs in Charlotte, NC. When a fashion designer comes calling, Lil needs to be looking- and smelling- her best.  So our day started out with a bath in the kitchen sink.  Today Lil was pleased with her bath, and didn't shed any tears.  I think she actually liked the pitcher of water I dumped on her.

But on to the good part! A little star-covered blouse- which used fit like a tunic on her- and a matching cloth diaper cover are all this girl needs to be a super star.  The Baby Legs legwarmers are function and fashion rolled into one.  Lil's accessory of choice today, though, is a muslin swaddling blanket from Aden and Anais.  I'm sure their muslin blankets and sleepwear will be great for this summer.