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."

Snow Day!

Maybe it's the teacher in me (or possibly even the student), but I love a good snow day. This past Wednesday was my birthday, and it also happened to be the day we got 10 inches of snow. That left us stuck inside almost all day, though we did end up going out for dinner in the evening, when the snow settled. Anyway, I had a great day, thanks to Kevin and Maya. Maya gave me a beautiful Dartmouth sweatshirt for my birthday, and Kevin gave me a really pretty bouquet of flowers, and a laptop! The laptop is still on its way, but I'm really excited about it. The best part of my birthday, was that Kevin and Maya let me bake all day. It was so relaxing. In the morning, I made hazelnut chocolate thumbprint cookies, and in the afternoon I made more chocolate filled buns. All three of us liked the cookies and the buns, which is always nice. Anyway, we had a great birthday dinner at Molly's, so I have no complaints about my birthday, at all! I'm so grateful for my wonderful family!

"This is the newest addition to our family. It was a birthday/Hanukkah gift from Grammy and Grampy. Mommy loves it to pieces."

"Daddy tried to take me out sledding on Wednesday, but the snow was too deep. I wasn't happy, but we made a snowman instead. He didn't come out that great, but I had fun anyway."

"Hi! This is a fun snow day!"

"When Mommy says 'Smile, Maya!' this is the toothy grin I give."

"Only moments after this picture was taken, I found a purple permanent marker, and ruined this dress. Sorry, Mommy. I know you love this one, but I'm only a little girl, and I don't know any better."

"I loved these chocolate hazelnut cookies. Mommy had to cover them up, so I wouldn't eat too many."

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."

A Messy Video

Lately, Maya always wants more food. At dinnertime, we load up her plate with veggies, some kind of meat or bean, and pasta or some other grainy food. It always seems like a lot of food, but she enjoys it when we put more on her plate, even if she isn't finished yet. Most of the time, she finishes her meal with a handful of raisins. She adores the sweetness of raisins, and is constantly whining for more, so we taught her how to sign "more," instead of whining and squealing when she's ready for a refill. Please note that this is at the end of a meal, so she's kind of a mess, and we were just trying to keep her entertained while we cleaned the kitchen. Our little "raspberry fight" is probably not particularly good table manners, but sometimes I can't help myself!

Just me and my Fries!

Apparently Red Robin is a great place to relax with a basket of steak fries... Right?

I'm not sure what to do here...

How will Maya react to this giant red birdie?

A Giant Red Robin

Well, first of all, I apologize for our absence. Maya and I have been spending the week with Grammy and Grampy, and it's been very difficult to blog with them here. I admit, it's definitely my fault, but we were having so much fun, there really wasn't time to download photos. Anyway, we alternated between Red Robin and Sweet Tomatoes this week for dinner, and it was such a treat! Maya loves Sweet Tomatoes, but she doesn't seem too sure about Red Robin. She enjoyed the fries though. While we were there, the big Red Robin mascot was walking around. Maya did fine with the Disney Characters while we were in Florida, but she was a little scared of the big bird. Stay tuned for some videos of her reaction.
"Grammy and Grampy bought me this beautiful dress, but we had to return it, because we think it'll be too small in the summer. Boo. I'm growing way too fast, you know?"

"I'm double fisting the french fries. Did you know they give a bottomless bowl of fries at Red Robin? Score!"

"That bird is so creepy. I'm fine with looking at it, but I won't be touching it any time soon..."

"You know, fried and burgers are good, but there will always be a special place in my heart for peas."

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!"

Seriously. I Like Food.

I don't have any photos today. I just don't. Maya is getting tougher and tougher to photograph these days, since she's always on the go. I guess there are plusses and minuses to her being able to run away from me! Anyway, today we decided to accompany Brooke, Nash, and Margot on an adventure to St. Charles. Did I mention it seemed to be about 65 degrees outside? Yeah, it was a perfect day. We walked up and down the main drag of historic St. Charles, stopping in a quilting shop with gorgeous fabrics (I only bought a yard, I swear), and at a really fun baby store. It was a really nice morning, and now Maya is fitfully napping, which seems odd, since she is probably sleepy from all that fresh air. Oh well. Anyway, I decided to post a video of Maya at breakfast-time, because she surely loves her yogurt every morning. She's not much for variety in the morning.

I Can do it Myself!

Maya has decided that she wants to feed herself. Apparently I can put whatever I want on her plate, and she'll eat it as long as she can pick it up herself. Also, check out Maya's new Stride Right walking shoes. Ooo la la! She was so excited about them, that she tried to walk along the coffee table, but fell, hitting her head on the corner. She is proudly boasting a new black and blue mark on her forehead. Oh well. Lastly, I am trying to teach Maya how to do a fist pat. She doesn't get it yet, but she finds it very silly.

Pass the Sushi, Please!

Maya loves her new snack - edamame. I bought a giant bag of 100 calorie packs at Costco a couple of weeks ago... but I bought them for me! I decided to share a pack with Maya a couple of weeks ago, and apparently, these are a new favorite. They are fairly labor intensive, as they need to be shelled, and then I peel them each individually and break them in half. It's worth it though, since it's a very healthy snack, and it's so cute to see Maya loving her food. The funny thing about it, is that she especially enjoys eating them off of chopsticks! We have a couple of pairs of chopsticks for little ones, which are attached at the top (see photos below), so they are sort of spring loaded and easy to use. I think Maya is ready for a seaweed salad and a California roll, don't you?

"Whatcha got there, Mom?"

"Okay, I'll try it. Can I eat the chopsticks, too?"

"Um, this might be my favorite snack ever!"

"Bravo, Mommy! This was worth the shelling, peeling and splitting! Especially since I wasn't the one who had to do it!"

"Wait, that's it? I could really eat more..."

Best. Meal. Ever.

I've always made Maya's baby food (except for a few random jars of food when we've travelled), and it's been really fun for me to buy it, steam it, and blend it for her. She loves food, so I get a lot of satisfaction out of feeding her. Anyway, she has recently moved on to table food, and tonight I think I hit the jackpot. I made a giant pot of lentils today, and tonight I stirred in a batch of quinoa, with some steamed corn and peas. Maya loved it, and she even had seconds! She must take after her mommy, loving grainy vegetarian food. I'm glad she liked it. I seriously made enough for 14 meals! My freezer is packed!
"Ready for dinner, Mommy!"

"Lentils, quinoa, corn, and peas - all my favorites in one teensy bowl!"

"I'm ready! Feed me!"

"I'm thirsty now."

"Bravo, Mommy! I loved every bite!"

The Lone Cheerio

What's with babies eating anything and everything they find on the floor?

$4.50??? Wait, having a kid is pricey?

So, yesterday we met Brooke, Nash, and Margot at Whole Foods for a quick hello. I decided to get some lunch for Maya, since she had just taken a long nap and was asking for food. I got the smallest cup of soup, and put a little chicken noodle, some minestrone, and a couple of tofu cubes inside. When it rang up as $4.50, I shrugged it off, assuming it would last 3 or more meals... guess what? She ate the whole thing! Well, she ate out all the chunkiness, leaving a meager bowl of broth. Hmph. I guess this is about the time that feeding a child becomes expensive! Good to know...
"Whole Foods is the best, Mommy!"

"What can I play with?"

"Wait! I see a cup on the floor!"

"Gimme!"

"Thank you. I can now play drums with this cup."

"More soup, please."

"I ate the whole bowl!"

"Wait, Aunt Deb! My mouth is full of noodles!"

Why is this Cute?

I have no idea why I think this is cute, but I do. Please ignore Grammy's conversation in the background. She was obviously on the phone (or she was talking to herself, because no one seems to be talking back). Anyway, we took Maya to Target the other day (one of her top 5 favorite stores, by the way), and apparently she was hungry. I was feeding her from this baggie I had in my purse - it was like a mix of cheese curls, Gerber Puffs, and Cheerios - and she was loving it. I am very proud of her pincer grasp, by the way. She takes one at a time, like a little lady. I think she wishes she could eat more though, because when I hold out a handful of Cheerios, she always goes for the ones that are really two Cheerios stuck together. Sneaky, don't you think?

My Little Sweet Tomato

In honor of Grammy's visit, Maya had her first dish of ice cream... well, frozen yogurt. We were at Sweet Tomatoes, which is apparently Maya's favorite dive. Anyway, I've tried to avoid giving her sweets, but this is just irresistible. Note: Very soon after this video was taken, I put the kabosh on the rest of the bowl of ice cream. After all, she'd already eaten veggies, mac and cheese, a potato, and some black bean soup. I guess she is her mommy's daughter...

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!"