Saturday 30 April 2011

More with the handknits.




Mila finally fits into my 2nd and 3rd trimesters labor of love (remember this from the 1st tri?). Oh sure, along the way there were a few hats and a pair of booties done, but this took up most of my knitting time. This is from the book Baby Knits: 20 Handknit Designs for Babies 0-24 Months. It was my first time doing anything with sleeves or neckline or such and was actually not too bad. Marmousch helped with the tough parts and I finished it just a few days before the babe was welcomed into this great big world.

Since it did take nearly 6 months to complete, you can bet that Wugs will be wearing this. A lot. Expect to be seeing it skin-tight on her 15-month old self, big diaper butt and all.


Wednesday 27 April 2011

Her Easter Sunday best

Oh Woogus Mae Woo, this is what you wore your first Easter. A dress that I had worn when I was your age (or maybe a little older, it seems you got your Papa's height). I knitted with love the cream-colored shrug. It took me a little longer than planned but you should be able to get a few months' wear out of it at least. And on your feet--you can't tell in the photo but you had a pair of adorable knee-high cream socks crocheted by your Nonna. They weren't too good about staying on -- more than once I realized you were barefoot in church (enjoy it now). Of course I probably could have put a paper bag on you and people still would have been exclaiming, cooing, and smiling at the gorgeous baby in my lucky arms.

Tuesday 26 April 2011

Wugs, meet Easter Bunny


Easter Bunny, meet Wugs.

Easter picnic

Some photos of our Easter picnic that we went on after church on Sunday. We went to Mt. Tamalpais, a place we had been to many times before when we lived here last time (but of course never with a Wugs). We hiked up a little hill and past a small clearing of trees that looked out onto the ocean and to the west was that gorgeous view of San Francisco. It was a stunning setting, one that Steve and I will always remember.





I made marmalade cake (I had completely forgotten that I had made it for Easter last year too! Silly mama brain.) and we brought pate from La Bedaine, smoked salmon, Cowgirl Creamery Mt. Tam cheese (very fitting), bread, hardboiled eggs, and lemonade. Mila nibbled on cantaloupe, carrots, the cheese, and a whole-wheat bagel. She was right at home. As we were packing up to go Steve said he could see something different in Mila--a new twinkle in her eye, sparked by this adventure. Who knows, but at any rate it's nice to think that the experiences she's having will help shape the wonderful woman she will become. Happy 1st Easter Baby Girl.

More Easter pictures to come. xo

Saturday 23 April 2011

Happy Easter!

To think that a year ago, I was getting my belly painted. And now, she is here on the outside. Still perfect. God is so good. Have a wonderful Easter!

Friday 22 April 2011

I love

I love when Mila crawls up to me and I pretend to not see her, then turn around and act all surprised and excited. She goes wild for those shenanigans.

I love that I am that mom having a running dialogue with my baby in the office supplies aisle at Target. The 25 year-old me would have made fun but I could care less.

 I love everything I've ever eaten at La Bedaine. Today I found a new favorite, ratatouille with pan-seared polenta.

I love that I have been able to spend all this time with my daughter during her first year of life. I am so blessed and grateful for this (and will never forget it).

I love that if we wanted to, we could go to a different farmer's market every day of the week here.

I love that my sister and her husby are going to be with my parents for Easter. Holidays without family are rough but it's so much nicer knowing your loved ones are taking care of each other.

I love that part of our bedtime routine now involves Mila and I taking a bath together (bubbles often included). 

I love that Mila's interest in trying whatever WE are eating is making me re-examine our food choices.

I love that even the smallest homes here have gorgeous, lush landscaping. If it can be grown, it can be grown in California.

I love that our neighbors here don't have a firepit or play horseshoes on Sundays. Or any day.

I love Parenthood and will miss it on Tuesday nights this summer.

I love that Steve is such a hands-on papa. And that includes taking over at 4 am sometimes without my even asking. Thank you for that.

I love having someone little to make an Easter basket for.

I love having someone little to dress up for church on Easter Sunday.

I love that Steve's work schedule is about to change and hopefully that will mean more evenings together.

I love this song and think it was made to run to. Which I do.

I love that Steve has come to all of Wugs' music classes with us. Like I said, hands-on.

I love libraries more than ever now that I have a child. Children's books get expensive quickly and there are so many great ones out there.

I love The Office but especially these last couple episodes since Will Ferrell joined in. But will miss Steve Carell. 


I love the summer that is in store for us.


Monday 18 April 2011

Codornices Park

A papa and his Mila
looks innocent enough, right?
Another gem of a park. This one is more like a community park, but it has one huge thing going for it-- a concrete slide. I adore any and all concrete slides, but have to say these are the best ones yet. Better than the one in Golden Gate Park and even the Seward slides in San Francisco, because this one is steep. It's built into the side of a little hill in Codornices Park. Steve and I went down it (we didn't dare take Mila because DCFS would have swooped down and taken her away from us--and rightly so, it is that steep!) and both nearly flew off the thing.

Other things we love about Codornices Park: there's a gated toddler play area separate from the bigger kiddos (with bucket swings for the Wugs). It's below Euclid Avenue--you have to go down the stairs and through a tunnel to get to it, so it feels 'hidden' --plus there's lots of cozy picnicking areas further above the slides. And it's right across the street from the Berkeley Rose Garden, which is worth a visit all by itself. We'll be back.

Chubby fingers clutching the seat! I love this girl.

Saturday 16 April 2011

Firsts this week

First redwood
First nanner
First mango
First walk on a college campus (UC Berkeley)
First hummus

Friday 15 April 2011

Peep Roast 2011

Last Sunday after Woogwamicus was safely tucked in her beddy-bye we held our 1st annual Peep Roast. All day long I had been running up to Steve and into his ear obnoxiously screaming PEEP ROAST 2011! It was quite delicious--the peeps' sugar coating caramelizes so it tastes like a junk food version of creme brulee. The only drawback is hearing the chicks' screams as they burn alive. Poor little peeps.


Thursday 14 April 2011

Music Class



No Mila, you may NOT pull on her lip.
Steve coined a saying awhile back, music soothes the savage Wugs. So partly because of her fascination and budding interest...and partly out of my desperation to meet some other mamas out here--I signed us up for a babies' music class.

Well. Baby girl definitely has Steve's social tendencies. I spend half the time peeling her off the other babies. The rest of the time we sing, we dance, we hum, we bounce...Mila gets a kick out of the part where we dance around her with scarves to music. So far her favorite song is Biddy Biddy Bum which sounds like something straight out of Fiddler on the Roof. And I'm getting lots of ideas for incorporating music into our daily routine at home. Time and money well spent.

Wednesday 13 April 2011

7 months (now 7 1/2)

Between Marm's visit and I realize I forgot to post her 7 month picture.



I'll write more at 8 months but did I mention we have an ARMY CRAWLER on our hands now?! Her personality is coming out in full force...she is so many things and already larger than life. I love her entirely.

Tuesday 12 April 2011

Tilden Park

Last weekend we went back to Tilden Park again. I love it there. Between the animal farm, carousel, miles and miles of hiking trails, tons of picnicking nooks, botanical gardens, and the steam trains--it makes East Bay a good, good place to be.
at the animal farm last month

carouseling

My new favorite hat, crocheted by Marmousch



Wugs and mama on the train


just a girl, in her cowboy dress. Thank you Suebear!

Reason #837 why being a parent is so awesome: we finally get to join in on all the goofy kid stuff (riding carousels! kiddie steam trains! and soon Easter egg hunts!) without looking creepy and/or weird.

Monday 11 April 2011

Marmousch was here

I'm not sure if I dreamed it all up or not, but I think Marmousch spent last week with us. Wait--there's homemade pesto sauce, strawberry jam, banana bread, and chocolate chip cookies in our kitchen now, and I certainly didn't put them there. So I guess it wasn't a dream. She was here.



foraging for fennel

Her hat. I know. There are no words.
It's no secret that Mila and Marmousch are thick as thieves.  Marmousch gets her and loves her--I mean loves her, the way Steve and I do. The two of them adore one another--when they see each other their eyes light up and one of them kicks her legs wildly (guess who).

Just having her here was such a tremendous recharge for me as well. Not just physically (although I did take  naps and slept in) but it was wonderful laughing, talking, and taking care of Mila together. I feel like I got a fresh breath of air. Where Marmee is, sunshine follows. A few of the random things that went down:

-Marmousch pointed out edible, wild fennel along our walking trail and made fennel omelets and crepes out of it. Delicious. So if I'm at a loss on what to make for dinner I can just go for a walk.
-We got lost looking for taco trucks in Oakland but Mila ended up discovering flags and her life is forever changed because of it.
-We visited a beautiful chapel in the most bucolic setting. Mila loved the stained glass.
-We saw some lady walking through the Target parking lot with her tight tight jeans halfway down her behind (we were dying). 
-The next day we saw a lady much too old to be wearing a tennis skirt if you get my drift.

See? Random. I miss her so much. 

Sunday 3 April 2011

This week

M + M back in February



Marmouschisheremarmouschisheremarmouschishere aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!