Along with just being a fun way to share [...]]]> The “This is ________” series of books by Miroslav Sasek are sweet reminders of how beautiful and truly precious a simple children’s book can be! Many of the books in the series have been reissued in the past few years by popular demand as well!

Along with just being a fun way to share the world with little ones, these would also make fabulous souvenirs from travels at home and abroad!

This is Paris (1959, 2004)	This is New York (1960, 2003)	This is London (1959, 2004)
This is Rome (1960, 2007)	This is Edinburgh (1961, 2006)	This is Munich (1961)
This is Venice (1961, 2005)	This is San Francisco (1962, 2003)	This is Israel (1962, reissued 2008)
This is The Way to the Moon(1963, reissued 2009) – (First published as This is Cape Canaveral)	This is Ireland (1964, reissued 2005)	This is Hong Kong (1965, reissued 2007)
This is Greece (1966, reissued 2009)	This is Texas (1967, reissued 2006)	This is the United Nations (1968)
This is Washington, D.C. (1969, reissued in 2011)	This is Australia (1970, reissued 2009)	This is Britain (1974, reissued 2008)

People are always shocked to [...]]]> On Friday night, I spent my first day/night away from Miss L since she was born. On Saturday, it was my second day/night away. And on Sunday night, I returned home to a sleeping baby and Mr. M happily relaxing with some video games and a Morimoto Soba Ale.

People are always shocked to hear the length of time that usually passes between birth and the “first visit away” from their child. I guess I’m less shocked now, because unless a specific circumstance presents itself, you usually just don’t spend the night away from your kid. This circumstance was a conference for work just as Mr. M has spent nights away for out-of-town work. Maybe a trip away (like a no-kids wedding) or a girl’s/boy’s weekend would create that circumstance, but mostly those are the exceptions rather than the rule to what moms and dads do.

So how did I cope with the situation? I ate… and ate… and ate some more…

No seriously! I concentrated on the work I had to do, and around that I made lots of reservations and looked forward to each meal instead of letting my mind wander to what I was missing at home. Luckily the photos and text messages that were sent throughout the weekend helped as well… but never underestimate the value of a full tummy!

I had originally thought it would be fun for Mr. M and Miss L to accompany me on the business trip and explore New Orleans along with me when I wasn’t doing work. But after the trip, I realize just how much more enjoyable it was for them to stay at home. No hassle with multiple airplane trips, the humidity, and the humanity, and trying to make things work for her in a short period of time in a new location. Instead, they got to picnic at the lake, visit Apple Hill, stroll around downtown and head to the museum for lunch, and just relax on a nice weekend. And I think I can cope with missing them a bit easier knowing how much fun they had.

And just for proof… here’s how I added a few pounds to my frame this weekend:

Friday
Dinner at Domenica: spicy lamb pizza, veal & banana zuppa inglese

Saturday
Breakfast at Zoe: (they were out of bananas for the bananas foster waffles) oatmeal & coffee

Lunch at Luke: gumbo and pork cheeks/greens/biscuit

Dinner at Louisiana Bistro: crawfish beignets, blackened trout with garlic mashed potatoes, buffalo short-ribs with sweet potatoes and sausage

Sunday
Breakfast at Café Beignet: beignets and iced coffee

Lunch: Vietnamese egg rolls from NOLA (at the French Quarter Festival)

Now here’s the irony of my first trip away… it will be followed up by yet another trip away this weekend. And upon my return, I’m sure I’ll be ready to play with Miss L for hours on end and eat all of the Cheerios that she tries to feed me.

What do we have here??? New books on my bookshelf?

Let’s see if we can fold them… yup!

And shake them? And eat them? Yes???

What kind of books are these???

Those would be the awesome Indestructible books that we got from

What do we have here??? New books on my bookshelf?

Let’s see if we can fold them… yup!

And shake them? And eat them? Yes???

What kind of books are these???

Those would be the awesome Indestructible books that we got from UncommonGoods.com! (yes yes…. my favorite Internet gift store) Even though the product description promised that they were chew-proof, drool-proof, rip-proof and washable, I really wasn’t sure if they were “Miss L” proofed. I mean, this girl can leave teeth marks in just about everything (including our fingers).

But they turned out to be exactly as promised, and are fun books to read as well!!! I know that babies and toddlers use their mouth to discover and explore new things, so it’s a double edged sword when you say “No” to biting books… but sometimes you just want to make sure your $15 investment makes it until tomorrow. I’m happy that she can play with these books as we read them without a care in the world about if they’ll survive!

Let’s go find some tasty book pages to nom nom…. these just aren’t doing the trick!

The Decorations

We may not have had roast pork… but we did have lots of aloha spirit and luau decorations in the house for Miss L’s first birthday party!

“Hau’oli la hanau” Happy birthday! (And yes… both of those [...]]]> The Invitations

The Decorations

We may not have had roast pork… but we did have lots of aloha spirit and luau decorations in the house for Miss L’s first birthday party!

“Hau’oli la hanau” Happy birthday! (And yes… both of those tiki’s are normal décor in our house)

Miss L’s 3 layer paradise cake w/whipped cream frosting!

And lots of paradise “shaved ice” cupcakes to go with them! (thanks to JustJennRecipes for the amazing idea!)

The menu was all island inspired favorites: terriyaki beef, huli huli chicken, macademia nut hummus, pineapple stir fry and coconut rice with fruit salad.

And no Hawaiian party is complete without a selection of Hawaiian Sun beverages (one of my favorite island indulgences). We also had rum punch prepared with one of Mr. M’s favorite recipes from the islands and lots of Kona Brewing Company beer (Wailua Wheat for the win!) on hand as well. And the bunting? It was everywhere! (Thank you HawaiianFabricShop.com for being oh so wonderful!)

It was hanging in front of the house to greet everyone (and make sure they had come to the right place!)

And it was draped on the stairway…

… and pretty much every single place I could plop of string of it up! And there’s still more triangles that could be transformed, but I just ran out of places to hang them!

And, as for that question you’re all asking? What did that cake look like on the inside? Well, three awesome layers of guava, passion fruit/orange and lime chiffon cake! And it was soooooo good, in both the cake and the cupcakes!

“Happy Birthday to you!!!”

We all sang happy birthday and then presented Miss L with her giant 3 layer paradise cake. Since this was her first cake EVER we had no idea what she’d do. And I’m certain this was the most food she’s ever had in front of her at one time!

So….

She went for the one finger approach!

Dad tried to coax her on to take bigger bites…

… but she just wasn’t in a CAKE SMASH kind of mood I guess!

Nope… just one finger is good enough for her!

At that point, we passed out the cupcakes to everyone!

Unfortunately, we didn’t post a disclaimer NOT to use the straw AS a straw.

By this point, someone hit overload with still that one finger… and moved on to the playing part!

The hit of the party with the little ones was the brand new Cozy Coupe.

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There was lots of teamwork going on as “assisted” rides were being given all day long by the bigger kids.

And of course there was time to play with lots of blocks too!

Ah… blocks and bows! These things are the best!

The Photobooth!

For Miss L’s party, I decided to drag out my uber geeky craftroom creation: my homemade photobooth! I’ll post a little later about it (and how you can easily make one yourself!), but for now… here are some of the fun photos from the party! (Everyone got to take home a printed 4×6 copy as their favor)

I’m going to present to you a scenario… and I’d like to see what your reaction/response is… because it’s a moral dilemma that occupies too much of heart some days.

This is a crude diagram of the daycare center’s parking lot:

The three spots labeled with the BLUE H’s are handicapped spots.

Today, Nordstrom launched it’s collaboration with Disney inspired by “it’s a small world” and Mary Blair’s amazing art! The first collection, ‘Japanese Spring’ is in stores and online today, followed by ‘Indian Summer’ in June, ‘Scottish Fall’ for September, and ‘Russian Holiday’ in November. Each collection includes items priced from $18 [...]]]>

Today, Nordstrom launched it’s collaboration with Disney inspired by “it’s a small world” and Mary Blair’s amazing art! The first collection, ‘Japanese Spring’ is in stores and online today, followed by ‘Indian Summer’ in June, ‘Scottish Fall’ for September, and ‘Russian Holiday’ in November. Each collection includes items priced from $18 to $169 from collaborators such as Petunia Pickle Bottom, TOMS Shoes, FEED, Trumpette, Baby Nay and Mighty Fine. 

Miss L got the cute little reversible pinafore dress above, along with a wonderful FEED bib that supports UNICEF. And the best part… you get a beautiful Mary Blair lithograph to go along with each purchase!

There’s pretty much nothing in this collection that isn’t drop-dead adorable! And I can’t wait to see what is in store next for the line!

I’m really not quite sure you ever fit in your dad’s arms like this. It seems like I just dreamed it… and a year ago was just a memory of fantasy. You’ve been a wonderful baby, and we’ve loved to see you grow through all of each of your stages with amazement.

So I [...]]]> I sat down to write a list at 3 months of what baby gear had been working for us, and then I abruptly stopped. If I wasn’t sleeping in more than 4 hour intervals, I definitely couldn’t tell you what was working for us let alone advise you to go and get it!

So I thought 6 months would work… and it still didn’t feel right. But now as Baby M approaches the toddler distinction, I think it’s ok to write about all of her baby stuff with honesty and openness. And in no short order, here’s what we have and what we needed to survive.

All-Star List:

Graco Sweet Slumber Sound Machine ($35)

This white noise machine is utter magic and brings calm and peace to Baby M during her naps at home and every night when she falls asleep. We discovered the magic effect white noise had on her thanks to the iPhone app, and we honestly just left our phones in her room nightly. But that white noise is a bit harsh (like annoying static), so we bought this machine as a more permanent solution. It also has a spot for an mp3 player so it’s use is good beyond the baby years in her room.

The Miracle Blanket ($30)

This is Mr. M’s top product ever. We refer to it as a baby straight jacket, which you’ll understand when you see it being applied. Now let me be honest, this is not an easy product to use the first time, especially if your baby is crying while you’re putting her in it. But soon you realize that you’re making them calm and warm and happy and cozy, and that if they had a wish in the world it would be to be placed in this awesome swaddle. Baby M would bust out of every swaddle we put her in but this one… well, until she got older and we couldn’t swaddle her anymore.

Diaper Genie II elite ($35)

This is one of those things that people tell you is a waste to purchase.

“Just buy a garbage can.” “You’ll take out the diapers daily anyway.”

Folks, let me be straight with you: for us, it’s absolutely amazing. During the weekdays, we usually only change a morning diaper and an evening diaper. And the nursery is on the 2nd floor and our garbage cans are through the garage and out on the side of the house. Would it be impossible for us to walk these diapers down daily? Nope. But realistically, why chance having your house smell like poop? This thing eliminates all the smell and makes the task of taking down diapers easy compared to any other way. I could see this costing a lot of money for SAHMs because you’d be using up the refills very often, but we probably only use one every 6-8 weeks.

Uppababy Vista Stroller – 2010 version ($650)

This super stroller works for us and has been nothing but wonderful! The bassinet feature had us strolling around the neighborhood when Baby M was days old, and it let her take long naps as she grew up. The ability for her to face front or back has been wonderful, and the reclining features make it a very comfy place for an afternoon snooze. It folds and unfolds like a breeze, carries tons of things in the bottom of it, and easily survived a trip to and from and all around Disney World ! And it’s by far the best stroller for us tall people! I don’t have to lean down too far to get Baby M, and the adjustable handle makes it so easy to push! It has served every need of ours and then some, and Baby M adores the sunshade as well!

The Happiest Baby on the Block DVD ($18 or free rental with NetFlix)

We rented this DVD from Netflix before Baby M arrived. Mr. M thought I was crazy and laughed at me, but about 2 weeks into our new sleep deprived life, we popped in the DVD to see what all the fuss was about. I’m going to write something now that I believe whole heartedly and every English teacher will cringe at: DO NOT BUY THE BOOK – ONLY WATCH THE DVD. You wouldn’t believe that this [UCLA] doctor is anything but a crazy quack if you didn’t see the 5 S’s in action, on real babies with real parents there in the room. And once they work for you, you feel so much more powerful as a parent in the situation! Baby M didn’t have colic, but she definitely got upset every now and then where all 5 techniques were employed. (Mr M liked the football hold the best). This really really helped us get through that difficult 4th trimester where communication is tested and tried again and again.

So that’s the Top 5 list thus far… I’ll share a list of the other things we have and comment on them as well. But for now, this is my dream list that I’d pass on
to any other expecting mom!

I wish [...]]]> Someone asked for a list of things I wish I knew before Baby M ever came around, or things I wish someone had told me. Here’s my thinking list… (disclosure: this is my personal list of wishes… and totally not applicable to everyone or maybe anyone but me… but here it is…)

Pregnancy:

I wish I knew I’d be back at my starting point 12 months later so I wouldn’t freak out and cry about the fear of keeping on the weight. And that the incessant hunger would go away.

I wish someone had told me that I didn’t need to worry about lotion and stretch marks. I soon began to loathe the smell of cocoa butter and every day I forgot to apply it I felt like I was dooming myself for no good reason.

I wish I knew to keep track of my time monthly instead of weekly. Time moves so slow past week 30… I wish I had just kept to months, just like we currently track babies and their progress and growth.

Birth:

I wish someone had told me that having your water break wasn’t as glamorous as it is in the movies. And that it can mean very little other than, “you’re stuck with us in the hospital now.”

I wish someone had told me that getting an epidural wasn’t a painful process. I was so scared thinking that it would hurt so badly or that I would mess it up that I waited a long time for it. I could have saved Mr. M some seriously traumatic memories of that day if I knew that.

0-12 months:

I wish someone had told me that I really did need those newborn sized outfits. I resisted and then had to run and get some a few days later at the mall, because it’s the one size Target definitely does not sell.

I wish I knew how much I currently treasure our newborn photos of Baby M, so I didn’t waffle so long and almost miss out on a chance to have them taken. I’ll never believe she was really that small.

I wish someone had told me that life with a baby resembles life before a baby, with the exception that one of you is housebound after 7pm each night. Otherwise, not much is different in night life.

I wish I had the perfect “this is what a baby can eat” plan mapped out… because there’s so much conflicting info and foods and possibilities out there. Someone hurry up and write that perfect book, please?

I wish someone had told me not to invest in clothes once Baby M reaches the “caterpillar room” (hello Toy Story 3) stage at daycare.

I wish I could have taken a video of the future of Baby M with Mr. M, so I could show it to him after certain people said certain things about dads and daughters during Week 2. All fears and worries would have been wiped instantly away.

I wish I knew that my internal mom switch would make sure I do anything that Baby M needs, like getting up 20 times in the middle of the night when she’s sick. I worried so much about if I could do it… and I don’t think there’s even a genetic option in me not to do it.

I’m sure there’s a ton more stocked up somewhere… but the funny thing is that most of what has transpired is what I’ve heard from someone somewhere somehow. I think people like to block out memories of certain things, but not too much has been an utter surprise. Well… that whole sleeping through the night thing is… but that’s another story for another post…