New York, part I

Dear friends, as some of you may know, Matthew and I recently returned from a trip to New York. We saved our pennies for close to a year to travel to the big city and visit my dear friend Sam. Sam used to live in Bellingham, but moved away one year ago to be a big-shot television producer. 

I'd like to share our trip in a series of posts. I'm pretty rusty with the blogging so bear with me. 

I wish I could caption this photo with the "Chariots of Fire" theme music

Ceci did not sleep a wink on the redeye to JFK. We endured six hours of whining, giggling, and being kicked in the stomach. Nightmare. I gave her so many bottles in a desperate attempt to make her sleep that we were changing diapers nonstop. And yes, I still give my almost-two-year -old a bottle. She has a drinking problem and I'm an enabler.  

We were zombies that first day. We literally had no sleep till Brooklyn. Here we are at Dumbo park, between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. It's a beautiful place. Lots of boats and people to stare at. It was hotter than Hades all day and into the evening. Above you will see authentic New York Pizza. Delicious. 

Here is Sam, Ceci, and Sam's niece Adeline. 

Exhausted family photo. Ceci looks stunned. When I look at this picture I realize I inherited my face and the tendency to either blink or squint in every photo from my Mom. 

to be continued...

Hilton Head Island

Hi Ya'll. We went to Hilton Head, South Carolina for a week and got a little sun. Matthew's parents have a place there along with the rest of the population of Ohio. In case you can't tell us apart, Ceci is in the black and white polka dots. I'm in the blue and white, and my niece is the rebel in the stripes. 

Doesn't this picture remind you of the poster for "10" with Bo Derek? Or am I the only one old enough to remember that craptastic movie? Of course, Ceci is a thousand times more beautiful than Bo Derek and she would never do white girl cornrows. Over my dead body.

Here's a picture of the most delicious lunch I've had on Hilton Head. A Buffalo shrimp Po'boy with sweet potato fries and coleslaw from Roastfish and Cornbread. Go there as quickly as possible. 

I bet you thought I wasn't smart enough to upload a video. You bet wrong bitches. 

Making Merry

Happy Holidays everyone. We are feeling merry today. It's a rainy, windy Christmas in Bellingham and we're drinking lots of coffee and opening presents.

Ceci was just a wee nugget at this time last year.

Writer's Block

Sorry guys, I don't know what's wrong with me. Every time I think about posting I draw a blank. I guess I'm in a slump. I'm so blocked I'm even having trouble talking about being blocked. Anyhow, here's a pictorial update of our lives- 

Family portrait commissioned by the talented Karie Jane. 

Family portrait in Yellow Springs, Ohio. 

Healthful eating in Springfield, Ohio.

Ceci bathing in her Grandma's old fashioned porcelain baby tub. 

Ceci 12 months ago today! I couldn't resist. 

Birthday Girl

Aloha from Ohio! We're here visiting family and I am finally getting around to posting pictures from Ceci's birthday party. I'm sorry they are so tardy and I'm sorry for my long absence. Unless no one noticed, in that case I'm not sorry. I toyed with the idea of stopping the blog. But that leaves me no outlet for my verbal diarrhea. So here I am. Behold the birthday party!

Guests came over.

Some of them followed my precise instructions "Costumes are encouraged but not necessary". Others ignored these instructions. Some will be punished for their lack of flare. 

The clown pinata I acquired at the Mexican supermarket! 

Ceci's birthday cake!

This was my favorite part of the party. 

The pinata was ugly enough to make children cry. 

Ceci got an obscene amount of gifts. 

Happy family. 

Places To Go, People To See.

Here's a few of my favorite pictures from our trip to California last week. We had a rocking good time visiting with family and friends and eating tacos and more tacos. I also succeeded in forcing Matthew and Ceci to relive my childhood with me at Tilden Park and Children's Fairyland. Neither are grand as I remembered, but it was fun nonetheless. 

Aloha and Goodbye

We are getting out of this hellhole for warmer climes tomorrow! Hurrah! I've dealt with Hawaii brain for weeks now. It's bad. I'm no longer able to think critically or communicate. All I do is dream of digging my toes into the warm, warm sand. I've gone through the baby's clothes fondling swimwear and sun hats countless times.
All this woolgathering makes it difficult to work, or run errands, or do anything really. I don't think I've had a real vacation since my honeymoon almost two years ago. I was foolish enough to think my maternity leave would be vacation-esque. Ha! It's amazing how naive a first time Mother can be. I guess maternity leave would be a fun vacation for a masochist who hates sleep, enjoys perineal pain, and gets a thrill from sudden mood swings. I myself think it makes more sense to take a maternity leave when the baby is older, sleeps more, and the body feels less like it was run over by a threshing machine.
But I digress.
HAWAII!!!
Matthew, Ceci and I are flying to Oahu tomorrow for five days with my parents, and then we will spend the weekend on the Big Island with some friends who live outside Kona. Of course I'm worried about flying with baby. If she screams the entire time it will be thrilling for me and all the lucky people around us.
Pray for us.
I might post some pictures while we're there. Until next time, aloha friends!

Our backyard two weeks ago. Spring is bullshit.

Our honeymoon on Kauai! Matthew knows he can only get a bikini photo when I'm at least a half mile away. It's too far to throw a rock.

On The Stroll

Salud friends. I'm sorry that I've been a bit slack on blogging. I have writers block coupled with a blog identity crisis. I'm working on it. If you know what this blog is about, will you tell me? Originally I thought it would be about food, vintage shopping, and my slow transformation into Martha Stewart but as it turns out, it's just about me, my baby, and my stupid feelings. Hook me up if you have any suggestions as to how I can keep this blog interesting.
Anyway, the day has come that I no longer feel comfortable with Ceci in the Bjorn. She's just too heavy, so today I took her out in the stroller. This was a huge leap for me, because when we got the stroller I secretly thought to myself that I would never use it. Why not, you say? Well friends, it's because Mommies and their strollers drive me batshit crazy everywhere I go. Mommies parking their stroller across the aisles at the grocery store, clogging up the lanes at the farmers market, and marching three strollers wide on the trail I like to run. The Mommies in this town have poor stroller etiquette. They drive their strollers like Hummers.
Regardless, I broke down and took the critter out in her stroller and man oh man, it was luxurious. I don't think I will ever pick up the Bjorn again. The sun on my face, the cool breeze, the baby chattering, it was a revelation. I loved it.
Here's some pictures from our stroll.

I had to hold Ceci and drag the stroller down the steps. Not graceful.

Jealous of our flamingos? I thought these would be stolen when we got them. Apparently our neighbors aren't the thieving type.

Look! A sunny day in Bellingham!*

We strolled to the Temple Bar to meet Chef Husband. We had some wine and celebrated the five year anniversary of our first date.  Thanks for asking me out Matthew! I never would have gotten the balls to ask YOU out, and where would we be now? I'd be on the stroll in a bad way, and he'd be married to some other gal, but dreaming about Ceci and I every night. Seriously, it scares me to think how easily we could have been two ships passing in the night. Do you ever think "what if"?

It was beautiful to live 

when you lived!

The world is bluer and of the earth

at night, when I sleep

enormous, within your small hands.

Pablo Neruda

*We take what we can get.

** Also, please send a happy thought to my friend Megan, who is six days overdue and needs to push out a baby. Go Megan go!

This Moment

This moment. A Friday ritual. A single photo- no words- capturing a moment from the week. A single, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor, and remember. Inspired by Soule Mama.

Bookworm

My parents drove up from California with a whole slew of children's books for Ceci that have been mouldering in their garage. The publishing dates range from the 1940s to the 1970s and again I am amazed at all the stuff my Mom has held onto from my (and her own) childhood. 

I haven't actually read any of them to Ceci yet, but this morning I started flipping through them. 

So far I'm more excited about the ones from my childhood, although frankly I don't remember reading them. But some have amazing illustrations- 

Like this one from "The Secret of Beaver Valley".

And this one from a "Little Golden" book. I like the illustrations so much I'm tempted to tear some out and frame them. 

The jury is still out on the books from my Mom's childhood. 

Some of them are kind of neat in a chirpy, sing-songy way.

But some of them are poorly disguised Jesus propaganda!

And some of them appear to be erotic fiction. Which I can get into, but it's hardly appropriate for a 11- week old baby.