One year ago...

It was my first day of maternity leave and also M's due date. I was preparing to go to my final doctor's appointment. And by preparing, I mean probably lying on the couch watching tv. Not, unfortunately, doing something useful like having breakfast. Something I regretted five hours later. Instead of spending my first day of maternity leave having breakfast at my favorite diner, getting a pedicure and doing a bit of last minute shopping, I ended up being sent to the hospital by my doctor because my BP was high. I spent the morning hooked up to machines, starving. I was so grateful at 1pm when the nurse told me I was being induced and let me sneak out and get food at the hospital Au Bon Pain.

It was my first lesson of motherhood - always have breakfast, because kids are unpredictable!

Bathroom Excitement

Ok, perhaps that's not the best post title.

Anyway, two weeks ago I went to the basement in out laundry room and discovered water seeping down the ceiling. Not fun. We called our plumber and it turned out to be a leak in our second floor bathroom sink. Even less fun. And, to access the leak the bathroom floor would have to come up. Yep, that just sucks.

Before

The skeleton of our house. Pretty creepy.

Our new PVC pipes

On Monday, our contractor arrived to remove the floor. Wednesday the plumber fixed the pipes. Now, I'm waiting for the contractor to come back and put everything together. Hopefully I'll have "after" pictures soon!

M's Fall Wardrobe

Inspired by Walt, I've been planning M's fall wardrobe on Polyvore. It's pretty dorky how much fun I'm having with it. Now that he's walking, he needs clothes he can move in, and shoes. (Ok, it's a little freaky that my tiny baby needs shoes!) I'm really over onesies and he's so adorable in big boy clothes, but I want to make sure he's always comfy. They try to take the kids outside as much as possible, so he'll need lots of layers.

I want to keep his wardrobe as simple as possible - everything should match - and keep to a reasonable budget. Gotta love a sale rack. In addition to shoes, this year he'll need things he's never needed before, like a rain jacket and a belt. He has a winter coat, which should fit by the time he needs it, but he'll need a lighter jacket as well as mittens and a winter hat. I love the Hanna Andersson pilot caps, and since the poor boy is too small to argue I get at least one more winter of them.

It's just a start, but it's been fun!

M's Fall Wardrobe by linseyclair on Polyvore.com

Fabric Store!!

I've lived in NJ for seven years and my poor husband has had to listen to me moan about the lack of a good fabric store ever since we moved here. My local stores are pretty terrible, mostly directed at boring home dec fabrics. A couple of years ago I discovered Fabric Warehouse Direct - it has a ton of very inexpensive stuff, but it's hit or miss and usually pretty generic.

I wanted yummy, fun, exciting options - Amy Butler, Anna Maria Horner, Heather Bailey, Cloud 9 - but honestly, I would have been thrilled with a Jo-Ann's.

And yes, I admit that my complaints are pretty pathetic considering I'm only 35 minutes from NYC, but I'm lazy and I've always found the garment district a bit overwhelming.

Last week, while searching for directions on how to make a pennant/banner for M's birthday party. I discovered Rock Paper Scissors in Montclair. So close and so wonderful! I went for the first time yesterday morning and it was pure crafty heaven. I found just the fabric for our new bathroom curtains and a cute little owl print for a pair of pants for M. Such fun!!

This Moment

This Moment - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. A beautiful idea from soulemama.

Mini Reunion

Last weekend M and I had a wonderful visit with three of my friends from high school and their little ones. Walt, my very best friend and roommate from George School lives a little over an hour away from my mother-in-law's house on the Cape. (Walt is not her first name, but it seemed like everyone in our class was an Emily or a Sarah, so we called her by her last name. And I still tend to call her by the shortened version.) I haven't seen her in ages - she stopped by when M was brand new.

Walt and her darling little boy

It turns out that two of our classmates, twins Emily and Bonnie, have been vacationing in the same town with their family for years! It was such a strange coincidence. We've probably been in the same town many times over the last 10 years I've been visiting J's family.

Emily and her daughter Willa Rose - Bonnie and her son Joe

We went to Skaket beach. I'd never been before, J's family goes to Nauset, but it was a really neat beach for kids. At low tide you can walk really far out and there are shallow tidal pools that M loved playing in. My boy is fearless when it comes to water. He is in complete denial that he still needs to hold my hand. We really need to take swimming lessons soon!

It was such fun, if a little strange, seeing M play with the children of my high school friends. Honestly, in my mind they should still be 18. They are all such wonderful mamas.

This was the first time M and LP met. LP was so sweet about sharing his trains with M.

The boys played very well together!

A life lesson from Mama...

Darling, if you're going to pretend to read make sure the book is the right-way-round...Just sayin...

Looking back

Playing, originally uploaded by linseyclair.

M at four weeks playing on his mat for the first time. He still has a bit of the awful impetigo, which covered his face in a rash during weeks three through five. This was the first day he showed an interest in toys, so I put him on the mat and he batted it around a bit. For such a little thing, it was so exciting. (Not as exciting as having my cute baby reemerge from the gross rash, but still pretty nice.)

Blankie Love

M never used a pacifier and hasn't developed a particular attachment to a stuffed animal, but he does love his Blankie. It's a Carters Super Cozy blanket my mom brought with her when she came to help us when M was first born. She arrived the day we came home from the hospital and was so wonderful. She knew just how to comfort me when I started started sobbing after M's first sponge bath (I was SO overwhelmed by that tiny, screaming little human person!) She brought me yummy snacks to help me keep my energy up during middle of the night breastfeeding marathons. And, she conquered the poor neglected jungle of our garden!

When he's teething he likes to chew on Blankie. Thankfully, Blankie doesn't seem to mind.

At first it was just an ordinary blanket. We used it a bit, but it was a little too warm for walks last September, so Blankie spent the first few months folded up on the blanket chest in his room. When M started napping regularly in his swing in mid-winter I started tucking it around him. When he was about five months old I realized that he would get excited whenever he saw his Blankie and want to snuggle with it. Then, miracle of miracles he started letting me put him down for a nap awake as long as he had Blankie. That's when the beautiful, long and best of all - consistent - naps started.

Blankie + swing = sane parents.

Once we realized the secret to daytime sleep J had a brilliant idea and bought not one, but four more Blankies (they were on sale) and thankfully, so far, M loves each and every one. I love that M has a blankie. Apparently, J had one when he was little. Pretty cute. So, thank you Gramsie, and thank you Carters, for M's beloved Blankie!

M nuzzling with Blankie.

Happy Birthday GramAnna!

Today is my wonderful, beautiful Gram's 92nd birthday. Gram has inspired me in so many ways with her energy, creativity and her positive outlook on life. I have so many happy memories of spending time with her during our summer trips to Maine. I think my favorite memories are the small ones – helping her dry dishes after meals, walks down Pott’s Point, the grown ups having drinks on the porch while I explored the chest of family memories, picking blueberries for buckle (best dessert ever!)

She always let me have free run of her fabric stash – a true gift to a budding little sewer! And her stories, I love her stories. About fifteen years ago she started writing down stories, vignettes from her life and sending copies to the family. It has been such a wonderful gift for us and for future generations. I cherish each and every one, rereading them often. From the everyday to the momentous, I love having a chance to know so much about her life.

Gram wearing a suit she made.

I was so glad to have her meet M, the newest little branch on our family tree, in May. M is a carbon copy of my husband – we joke about needing a “maternity test” – but every so often I see a little glimpse of Gram in him. Something about the way he looks at you and the set of his nose. And it always makes me smile.

So, happy, happy birthday Gram! I hope you have a wonderful day!

Gram with her four daughters.

Baby vs. Hummus (the video!)

Note to self: buy more hummus...

(Note how M offers me a taste at the end. Sweet, but kinda gross.)

Walking

About two seconds before he was kicking the ball across the room, but I missed the shot!

Weekending

This weekend my brother came to visit from SF. It was such fun to see him. He hasn't seen M in about five months, and he is much more interesting now. (And by "he" I mean M, my brother has always been interesting!)

Sunday was another hot day in NJ, but threatened rain, so instead of the town pool we filled up the kiddy pool and splashed about. Lots of fun!

Sunday night, M had mango with dinner. He didn't let me finish peeling before he attacked it. Apparently, he likes mango as much as hummus.

Baby vs. Hummus

I gave M hummus on toast and, to put it lightly, he liked it...

(When he was done licking the hummus off the toast he put it on his head. Silly, sweet little boy.)

I think he would have preferred it if I gave it to him with a spoon!

Challenges of Childrearing

This morning at breakfast I gave M slices toast with jam, strips of chicken sausage and fruit. A yummy little breakfast for a growing boy. And a bit of a treat, because I don't usually give him such salty food. He took one look at it and then systematically dropped each piece over the edge of his highchair tray and onto the floor. For some reason I found it absolutely hilarious. Something about his serious expression or perhaps it was because it was 6am and my sweet boy woke me up at 4am... It was so hard not to laugh, but I was afraid if I laughed, he would know I was laughing at his actions and then dropping food would become even more of a game. I know he's just exploring, but I would rather this not become an every meal occurrence. I've learned my lesson, he gets annoyed if we don't play "so big" at the start of every meal. It was cute at first, but it can get a wee bit tiresome. *grin* So, I bit my lip, laughed in my head and gave M extra kisses for his cuteness after I wiped him down.

I love being this little boy's mama!

No pictures from this morning (did I mention he woke me up at 4am?) but this is a picture from the first time he had solid food.

Weekending

We had a quiet weekend. I had to work on Friday and Saturday night, so we stayed close to home. Lots of swimming and trips to the park. And lots of chores completed! J replaced our grungy old basement sink and I conquered Mount Laundry. M spent lots of time looking cute. He's very good at it.

M's latest favorite toy is the baby gate at the foot of the stairs. He absolutely loves opening and closing any door, but the gate is at just the right height for him.

"Will you open the gate Mama? Please?"

(this picture makes me want to wake him up for a cuddle. So tragic!)

Wanna swing?

While swinging he was making a "lalalalala" sound with his tongue (I can't describe it, but I remember doing it when I was little. It was pretty cute.)

I love this picture because he looks less like a baby and more like a little boy. (Also the reason I hate this picture...)

And, I love this one, because he's still my baby, and oh boy does he love his blankie.

I had a twinge of "my baby's growing up," when we went to the local playground on Sunday. It was the first time I let him out of the stroller to play. We ran into one of our neighbors and his three-year-old daughter. M had such fun following her around the playground and trying to do everything she did. It was so sweet. But a little sad. My teeny, tiny baby wears shoes and plays with other kids at the playground!