Maya's Many Faces

Well, Maya still seems to be feeling under the weather, despite a very calm morning. Tonight we had dinner with friends, and Maya was not having it. Poor little thing. My mom insists she's teething, but I can't figure it out. She's very congested, coughing, crying, etc. All I know, is that she's not a happy camper... I'm itching for a better day tomorrow. I hate to think that a cold or teething is ruining her fun vacation.


"This is just plain old Maya face."


"I like to call this 'squishy face.'"


"This is called 'piggy nose.'"


"I think I will call this one 'sleepy eyes.'"

Maya's First Thanksgiving

First of all, I'm so sorry that we have been slacker bloggers. We travelled to Connecticut on Wednesday morning, and after a very very long day, arrived at my parents house at about 7:30pm. Maya seems to have a cold (again), which is making her a bit of a fussy little monkey. She had a really rough Thanksgiving, complete with lots of sleep, several long crying jags, and a very sniffly nose. Today she seems to be feeling better, but I was really bummed that she wasn't at her best for Thanksgiving. I was all prepared to feed her a full turkey din din, but she had no interest in solid food. She's back in action today though, so I'm very relieved.


"I'm leaving on a jet plane. I'll be back next Sunday."


"Don't try to feed me turkey, or I might sneeze on you."


"Mommy, I feel yucky."


"Please let me take this Tylenol."

Hittin' the Road

We've been feverishly packing today, as we are leaving for Connecticut bright and early tomorrow morning. I will try to blog while we are gone, but please forgive me if I'm not at bloggity as I usually am. Here are a few photos from today... Just FYI - I'm starting to get seriously frustrated with Maya's hair. I can barely see her these days!

The Monday Blahs

"No, this is not an optical illusion - I'm actually standing on my own! Not gonna lie though - it was only for a second."

We had a great weekend. On Friday night we went to "Free Fridays" at the Magic House, which is a children's museum right near our house. It was our first time, and we loved it. Honestly, it's the museum of my childhood dreams. They have a play grocery store, bank, electric company, pizza place, news station, library, and house, where the kids can go and play pretend librarian, pizza guy, grocery store clerk, etc. When I was a kid, I would dream of being able to help run the cash register, or the scanner to help check out books, or to be a waitress taking orders from customers. I'm so jealous of these little 8 year old girls who get to actually go to a fake ATM that actually dispenses fake money! What a dream come true! I feel sad that Maya will never be old enough to enjoy it while we're still in St. Lou.

"Just chillin' in my new winter coat..."

"Keira, it's almost my bedtime, how about you?"

"No, seriously, Mommy - it's time for me to hit the sack."

Anyway, on Saturday, we had brunch at our house, and then we met our friend, Beth, for some chat time. It was a really nice weekend. Yesterday we laid low and Kevin reformatted our pokey computer. It was an eventful, yet relaxing weekend. We'll be travelling to Connecticut on Wednesday morning. I can't wait!


"Thank you for putting me to bed, Mommy. Now that it's morning, let's get our brunch on!"


Oh, and here's a shout out to cousin Jacob, who is getting his tonsils out this morning. We're rooting for you, Jacob! Can't wait to see a tonsil-less Jacob and have some ice cream together!

"Phooey on those tonsils, Jacob! We love you!"

I Heart Memory Cards!

"Mommy uploaded her phone photos!"

Post-Brunch Sleepies

"I'm NOT tired!!!"


"I'm yawning."


"I'm really yawning."


"I'm tired, Mommy."

Maya does Brunch.

Truth be told, we don't typically entertain at our house. It's very small, and not particularly "company friendly." It's definitely a bummer, because we enjoy having people over... we just feel like there is never enough space. Anyway, yesterday we decided that enough was enough, and it was time to make a brunch for our friends. So Kevin and I cleaned and cooked, and we had 3 couples and their kids over to our house this morning. There were 7 adults and 6 babies/toddlers, so it was tight, but we had a great time. I'm so glad we decided to get over our lack of space - it really turned out fine. Maya and friends were very sleepy by the time noon rolled around though. Maya is currently snug as a bug in a rug (and by rug, I mean crib).


"I'm ready for brunch!"


"Alex, come here and play with me!"


"I'm very interested in playing with my bottle."


"Hey Nash? Tell Margot to wake up and come play with us!"


"Mommy, look at all my friends!"


"Nashy, watch what you're doing with that hammer!"

Barnes and Nibbles

Since we spent the morning at home today, we decided to go out for a post-nap playdate with Alex and Brie. We met at the new Barnes and Noble at the mall for fun times at the train table. Maya played with books, while Alex played with the toy trains and the fun chairs. We walked around for a while when the kiddos got restless, and the we ventured home at dinnertime. Maya capped off the day with a dinner of tofu, corn, and sweet pots, followed by one last mini-nap. All in all, it was a perfectly peaceful day

"I've never had pork before, but this little piggy tastes gooooood."

"Hey Alex, whatcha doin' over there?"

"Can I have a hug, Alex?"

"Please deliver that book, directly into my mouth, Alex."

"Or... yeah... I could just eat your finger."

Maya's First Babysitting Gig

This morning, Christina had an important appointment, so she asked Maya to look after Charlie for a couple of hours. We had a blast. Charlie is almost 11 weeks old, and he's a great baby. He ate, he slept, he smiled, he hung out in the swing and the bouncer, and he swatted at everything we held over his head. Maya also took a nap while he was here, and she woke up refreshed and extremely curious. At one point, Maya was in the Jumperoo, and Charlie was right next to her in the bouncer, and she just stared at him and smiled. It was actually a really fun time, and when Christina came back, she visited with us for a while. She even brought us yummy bagels. I hope we get a chance to do it again. I think Maya likes having friends over - she'll be a great little hostess one day.


"Mommy, I can't wait to babysit little Charlie!"


"That baby is a lot smaller than me..."


"... but he's so cute!"


"Charlire, wait 'til you're big enough for the Jumperoo. You'll love it!"


"Mom, that was fun, but babysitting is exhausting!"

Now you can become a groupie!

Look at our list of groupies, on the right! I don't know what's so great about becoming a blog follower, but look - everybody's doing it!!!


"I'm playing a drumroll for our new groupies, Mommy!"

It's supposed to be 55 degrees today.

Is that a good excuse for the fact that I left Maya asleep in the car, with the windows and the door open? I didn't want to wake her...

"I'm not cold, Mommy. I'm just sleepy..."

Good Times.

We've been laying low lately, due to Maya's runny nose, but I think we're ready to break out into the world again. Finally! We spent a lot of time at home yesterday, but we still had good times...


"I went to my favorite store yesterday. Can you guess where I am?"


"You like my furry slippers?"


"Hi, we're home."


"We're having fun at home!"

The First Supper.

So, last night I decided it was time for the 3 of us to actually eat the same meal. What a novel and interesting concept. So I was thinking about what we could eat that we would all like. Kevin doesn't eat cheese, or most dairy products, so that excludes a lot of things. Maya doesn't eat meat yet, so that knocks several things out of the running... and me? Well, with all the things that were out of the running, I could probably eat almost anything that was left. So I scoured the pantry and cabinets, until I realized I could probably put together a nice lentil and whole wheat couscous soup, with butternut squash and sweet potatoes. Well, not to toot my own horn, but... TOOT TOOT! Maya loved it, I loved it, and even Kevin loved it! Not only that, but we all sat around the kitchen table, and ate our lentil soup at the same time! What?!? Usually Maya eats first, and then Kevin and I sort of throw things together and eat on the couch. I have to admit, dinner last night, although nice, was extremely chaotic, and full of a very screamy, fussy Maya. She had just woken up, and still wasn't feeling that well from her cold. However, I think family dinner will get better. Now I just have to think of what else we can all eat together. Any suggestions?


"I'm just hanging out in the doorway, waiting for dinner, and watching Mommy cook."


"Wait, we're eating the same food? Wahoo!!! But Mom? I still want what's in your bowl... even though it's the same thing."


"That was soooo good, and I'm sooooo full."

More New Tricks.

We had a fairly uneventful weekend, which ended with a newly healthy Maya, and a newly sick Mommy and Daddy. Kevin and I both have the sniffles today, but Maya can breathe easy again. I'm so glad she can breathe, because I know it makes it much easier for her to sleep, and she's been much happier during the day.

Anyway, did I mention that Maya has learned how to wave? Yes, she now routinely waves to Kevin and me. It's so cute. She'll be playing with her toys, and when she looks up at us, she waves and smiles. It's too adorable for words. She has also learned to take off her bib when she's finished eating. She'll eat until she's full, and then she'll just go ahead and take off her bib. It's like she's telling me that she's done. Hmmmm... What else?? Oh, she's working really hard to get up on all fours, but hasn't quite mastered it yet. I'll keep you posted. I can't wait!


"Good morning! I feel better today!"


"That baby doesn't look sick at all!"


"You like my ponytail? Mommy thinks it's silly, but at least I can see!"

Who is that Baby, and What's with her Runny Nose?

Maya has a cold this weekend. Yup, her very first runny nose. Unfortunately, it's taken a toll on her good sleeping habits. On Friday night, she was awake for almost 4 hours in the middle of the night. No fun. No fun at all. She was kind of a bummer yesterday, so we had a very boring and low key day at home. I think she started to feel a little better at night though, because we took her to Sweet Tomatoes, and she ate like a champ, and behaved like a little lady. She slept a little better last night, and seems in better spirits today, but her sweet little nose is still running like a faucet. Oh well.

Anyway, Maya has recently taken an interest in the baby in the mirror. She smiles at her, touches her, and laughs with her. It's awfully cute, and provides many minutes of enjoyment and laughter every day. Today, Maya especially liked that the baby was wearing pigtails.