Babies are Sweet...

We had our first playdate with Amelia and Lucas yesterday. Maya was very interested in the baby... until I held him, and then she got jealous and went a little nuts. I expected this though, and I think it's good for her to see me with other babies (for obvious reasons). Anyway, she got over it pretty quickly, and ate cookies and peas while she played with us. Today, Kevin was home after being on call last night, so Maya cuddled with him on the couch while she watched a little Sesame. She was missing his attention, but it was sweet to see her loving him and giving him kisses while he napped.

"Daddy, I love you, so please wake up and play with me."

"Daddy, are you faking?"

"At first I hated the baby, but now I like him. He's a cutie. I hope our new baby is this sweet."

"Mommy made these yummy chocolate crinkle cookies for our playdate. Thanks, Mom! You know how I love cookies. I even kissed the oven while I watched them baking."

It's Official.

We have begun the "weaning" process. Sigh. My baby is growing up! She tried whole milk for the first time yesterday. I'm not entirely ready to give up nursing yet, so we're going to go very slowly. This week, we are giving her a bottle at night, with a mixture of breast milk and whole milk. I'm not sure how long we'll continue this routine, before we switch to a bottle of all whole milk. I'm so surprised at how attached I've become, to my little nursing sessions with Maya. I'm going to wait until she's 1, to really wean her.


Anyway, last night we had an unexpected house guest. Our old friend, Mitch, was in town for a workshop at the hospital, and his flight was cancelled, due to the storms on the East coast. Funny, because he's from North Carolina, and they didn't even get snow. Anyway, he came to stay with us, and we met some other friends for dinner at Sweet Tomatoes. Maya and Alex were so cute, feasting on peas and corn and various other yummies. Maya loves Sweet Tomatoes for their abundance of shredded cheese. She eats giant mountains of it, every time we go there. Brie always says that Alex eats a lot, but I think Maya could give him a run for his money! Alex, would you care to engage in an eating contest?

"Alex and I are sharing. Can you believe we both like the same food???"

"Mom, what's that thing Alex is using to scoop up his food? I want one!"

"Mommy says I always need a post-Sweet Tomatoes tubby. She thinks I get messy. She's smart."

Kangaroo Kids (and Babies)

So, Kangaroo Kids has a new location. For those of you who aren't familiar with Kangaroo Kids, it's a La Leche League sponsored consignment shop and "meeting place." So basically, most of the people who work there are lactation consultants, and they sell secondhand baby/kid gear, nursing supplies, and they also hold support groups, have a play area, and sell coffee and treats. Now that I look at the list, it seems like they do kind of a lot. Anyway, the point is, they recently moved to a new location, and we went to check it out last week. The previous location was... well... how can I put this? Okay... dirty. Once, Brook let James crawl around on the floor, and he came back with pants that had basically turned black. The new location seems much cleaner, although I think they have some work to do on their housekeeping skills (namely: sweeping and mopping). Anyway, the kids played so nicely, and I'm looking forward to going back. It's a great meeting place for our curious little monkeys.

"This magnetic sand table looks super cool, but I'm too small to play with it. Maybe next time."

"Mommy, I'm playing. Stop it with the photos. Seriously."

"James, you are so good to me. I like playing with you."

"Mom, do you think James and I can both fit through here?"

"Mommy made me this yummy lunch when we got home from Kangaroo Kids. It's whole wheat couscous, peas, and pinto beans. Mommy, you're the best cook!"

Maya Mc-Drool-ins

I think another tooth is on its way. You might notice giant ring of drool on Maya's chin and clothes, the likes of which we haven't seen since Maya was 6 months old. While I wish she wasn't so drooly and putting everything in her mouth, I am excited for her bottom row to have some friends on top. I'll keep you posted.

Anyway, yesterday was beautiful. It was 60 degrees here, so we met Nash, Margot, and Brooke at Starbucks for a morning of patio fun. It was so nice out, that when it was time to leave, Brooke and I stood at our cars chatting for a long time before we actually got inside, because neither of us wanted to get in the car and out of the sun. It was a fairly low key day though, and Maya slept a lot, drooled a lot, and played with her new favorite friend - the dishwasher. For some reason, she is positively enamoured with it. As a new venture, she is working on actually climbing onto the dishwasher door while it's open. I'm guessing this is not safe for either the baby or the dishwasher. So far, she hasn't been successful. I guess it's a good thing we don't have stairs in our house...

"Mommy, I'm heading to the dishwasher."

"I love this thing! It's endless enjoyment for me!"

"Look at my tongue. Oh, and also, look at my lovely wet shirt."

"Mommy, when we put our house on the market, don't forget to mention our awesome dishwasher."

"Brooke, you're always fun at Starbucks. Thanks for making me laugh!"

Happy James Day!

"Nice decor, Brook!"

"What's up, birthday boy?"

We spent this morning at James's second birthday party! I can't believe he's already 2! In just a few days, it'll be Maya's birth month, which is just absolutely unreal. Anyway, we had a great time playing with James and Keira's toys, because toys that belong to someone else are always better than our own, right? Right. Brook and Ben had done a great job decorating their house for the party, and they served giant cupcakes and yummy fruit as a morning snack. Maya really wore herself out, and couldn't even stay awake for the 5 minute ride home from their house. You always know it was a good party, when the guests fall asleep right after it's over! Happy birthday, James!
"Mommy, can I have a cupcake? Please? Okay, well, I'll just settle for a pille of corn then."

"Go James, go!"

"Keira, you and your daddy are so sweet together!"

"See Keira? We both love our daddies!"

"I'm so tired..."

R.I.P. Cooperella Play Area

So, as I mentioned, we met Brook, James, and Keira at Cooperella for a quick drink and playdate this afternoon. It was a really nice way to break up the day, especially since Kevin won't be home tonight (he's on call). Anyway, there was a big sign on the wall, saying that Cooperella, a coffee house which normally has a separate room with a play area for kids, is under new ownership, and will soon change the play area into an art gallery. I am really bummed about this, since it is a really popular place for kids, and it attracts a ton of mommies and babies. Oh well. We'll have to scope out other kid friendly hotspots... Let me know if you know of any (um, don't forget that we live in St. Louis).
"This is what Mommy calls 'sharing.'"

"There are a lot of toys here. I'm sort of mesmerized."

"James is more coordinated than me - I admit it. He's almost 2 though, so he's got a few months on me."

"Mommy, why did you put strawberries on the table, and then leave Keira and me to stare at them? Please put them in my mouth. Now."

"Hi."

Taking a Walk(er).

Well, Brooke has recently been encouraging me to try letting Maya walk with a walker (a toy with a handle and wheels, so the baby can hold on and push). I assumed she was too young for this, since the one we have has wheels, and I think if she pushes it, it'll go so fast, she'll immediately fall on her face. This afternoon, I was at Cooperella Cafe with Brook, James, and Keira, and I decided to let Maya take a stab at using the walker. I held onto it, so it didn't go too fast. For a first timer, I think she did pretty well!

Happy Nash Day!

"Nash, don't let your mom blow out your candles! Hurry up and blow!"

"Where is Margot's cupcake?"

Tomorrow is Nash's second birthday! This morning we went to his house for a birthday celebration of cupcakes and playtime. Brooke had made dinosaur shaped Rice Krispy treats, a make-your-own-cupcake spread, and lots of fun snacks for the kids. Maya is a new lover of dried cranberries, so she was thrilled about the buffet! Actually, I should mention that Maya was not in a particularly playful mood this morning. She might have been overwhelmed, but she was very quiet and observant, as opposed to her typical outgoing self. After eating a bunch of treats, she loosened up a bit, and managed to squeeze out some playtime. Anyway, the important thing is, Nash had a fun time, and enjoyed his cake and cupcakes like a champ. I can't believe he is 2! It almost seems like he's an adult now! What's next? His Bar Mitzvah?

"Am I holding this microphone the right way? It's not working..."

"I can't believe we are having all these snacks, and it's not even lunchtime yet! I got to have a cupcake, peas, chicken, and dried cranberries! What a spread!"

"I like your party hat, James!"

"Keira, I know you think that's a guitar, but it's really a pan. Whatever. You have a big imagination, right?"

"I'm happy and I know it, so I'm clapping my hands - just like the song!"

A Valentine's Day Playdate.

This morning we went to our district early childhood center for a Valentine's Day celebration. There were a lot of kids there - probably about 50. There were all different tables, organized for little activities, like V-Day card making, place mat making, sensory activities, decorating graham crackers, matching and sorting games, and a little baby area for the wee ones. Maya spent most of her time on the mats, playing with the other babies, but she also made a card for Daddy. We had a great time. One of the best parts was our first ride in the new, big girl car seat! Maya seems really comfy in her new seat, and I think it'll be much easier than lugging that giant pumpkin seat in and out of the car. I will miss being able to take her in and out as one big package though. Oh well. I guess it all comes with growing up!

"My new friend, Sebastian, and I are playing on the mats. He's cute, huh?"

"What's in here?"

"Look at this Valentine's Day card! Isn't it silly?"

"Like my new car seat?"

"Daddy got these roses for Mommy. They accidentally came 4 days before Valentine's Day, but I can tell Mommy doesn't mind."

Hump Day!

Maya and I have had a relatively busy week so far. On Monday we went to visit Kevin at work in the morning, and then we babysat for Charlie in the afternoon. We had a great time playing with Charlie. He is getting so big - he weighs as much as Maya, but he is half her age! On Tuesday, we went to the zoo with Brie and Alex. It was supposed to be 70 degrees yesterday, but that didn't happen until the afternoon. The morning was quite brisk, but we had a great time anyway, and it was so nice to be outside. Kevin got home early, so we got to take a nice, sunny walk. It feels like spring these days! Sadly, it's going to drop into the 40's again for the weekend, just in time for Grammy and Grampy to visit. Boo on winter!

"It's just like spring outside! Let's go play!"

"I'm delighted. Can you tell?"

"Let's hold hands, Charlie. Am I touching you inappropriately? I didn't mean to..."

"Alex and I are snacking at the zoo. You can't really tell, but there are giraffes behind us. Alex likes the animals, but I'm too young to care. Maybe next time. I'm more interested in Alex."

"Peas - the snack of champions."

Play Town

I forgot to mention that Maya played at the play area in the mall, for the first time this week. She's a little too small for the climbing, but she enjoyed exploring. As you can see on this video, she was a little overwhelmed, and didn't know exactly what to do, besides look around. I have to admit, I was a little hesitant about letting her crawl around with all the big kids with their yucky winter germs, but I'm trying to let it go. I think we might even go back there someday!

Packing Up...

We are leaving Connecticut tomorrow, after a very successful and productive trip. Maya will be sad to leave, but is very excited to be back to her old room, bed, and friends. I'm glad we got to spend so much time here though. I feel like Maya really warmed up to her grandparents and cousins. She's been such a cuddle bug and a sweetheart. Here are the highlights from yesterday's outings.


"Hey, what's up?"


"Gasp! I'm shocked!"


"Grampy, you are downright hilarious."


"Iliana and I are going to slide down the couch. Ready?"


"Nice! That was good times."