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

happily Everett after

It is definitely November.  Leaves are down, wind is whippy, and scarves are wrapped around necks. That doesn't mean we are finished with late afternoons in McCarren park though. We layered up and headed out, strolled down the Ave in the sun. The combination of brisk, fresh air and warm sunlight lulled Lil to sleep, so I kept walking. We arrived at the park with the time to spare before our playdate, so I took the opportunity to capture a few priceless sleeping baby photos.

That gorgeous hat was crocheted by our friend Melanie at Crayon Jungle. She helped us choose a beautiful cotton yarn, and Lil now has a one-of-a-kind creation! Thank you so much, Melanie!!

sampling a homemade shaker

When our friends Kelley and Everett arrived, we took to the grass and let the babes have at it.  We first met Everett when he was just a wee thing, and now he's such a little man!  This afternoon he was looking quite lovable with a fuzzy monkey hat and a chunky zip-up sweater. Perfect combination of little man and cuddly baby.

Everett tastes nature

With her batteries recharged, Lil set to work exploring Everett's toys, while Everett was off exploring dead leaves (with his mouth). The babes did come face to face at some point, but were most interested in the world around them. No matter. The longer Lil shows no interest in boys, the happier her papa will be.

what have you got there, little Lil?

After a little while, some more friends showed up, and soon we had a baby pile-up on our hands. Little Sully was very fond of Lil's hat, and Lil was very fond of crawling away as fast as she could! Poor little Lil ended up in tears –a little too cold, a little bumped, and plenty worn out. We strolled home as the sun began to set over Williamsburg, a little chilly, but thankful we found such a great group of mamas and babes in our 'hood.

right here in Brooklyn, the place where we dwell

knit wit

I can't knit. I can't sew. I can barely iron. But I really love it when people who can do these things gift us their creations. This little sweater was made by Papa's aunt on the west coast. The berry colors are like opening a bag of Skittles, and the yarn is beautifully dyed with subtle variations in each fiber. Lil's grand-tante also made her a matching hat, and although I mentioned Lil hates hats, she loves this one!  It must feel good to have something made especially for you squeezing your ears.  As her mama, I just love that someone paid special attention to even the smallest detail just for my l'il Lil.

Lil paired her hand knit sweater with her favorite baggy baby jeans, a kelly green onesie, and her sheepskin mocs (the final look at our favorite footwear!). Spring has finally arrived in Brooklyn, and this sweater is perfect for keeping that last hint of cold air away from Lil's sensitive skin.  While we waited for Papa to get home, Lil entertained herself in her swing- which she's also outgrowing!

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