growing up June 11, 2013

I loved M’s high chair (and hated big C’s high chair). However, we sold it when we were done having kids a few years ago (ha, ha) at what turns out to be well under market value for the Stokke Tripp Trapp chair. Those suckers go for top dollar on Craig’s List. For some reason, things I was willing to lay out big bucks for with M I now hesitate with for little C (actually, can’t think of another example besides the high chair, but I am sure there is one…) Enter a slightly more affordable wooden chair, snagged for a good price on zulily.

 

She likes it! Although perhaps puts her too much in M’s reach? Now she can hang with us when M and I are baking cookies (our “special activity” last weekend when big C was camping with the Brownies and G was working).

Once she was in the chair, little C could also hang with us at mealtimes, instead of either being held in a lap while she tried to knock things off the table, or relegated to the swing off to the side. And once she was at the table, it wasn’t long before I was inspired to cook some butternut squash and this happened:

She liked it! At least the first time, the second day seemed uninterested. I was going to hold off until 6 months (which is just two weeks away) but more recent recommendations are back to starting solids any time after 4 months and she seemed intrigued by what was going on at the table, so there you go. An eating baby.

Didn’t you use to make stuff? June 2, 2013

Right. I do still make stuff. Really.

Pink sweater with kitty buttons. Put on several times but never makes it past breakfast, has never actually been worn to school. The blue sweater from the same pattern I think has not even been put on. Sigh.

Rainbow polkadot Ayashe blouse. With the perfect skirt from Land’s End! This has been worn a few times. Unfortunately the neck is quite tight (there are no fastenings, just that opening slit) and the way it is constructed you can’t find that out about the neck until it is too late to fix without literally ripping apart the entire blouse. The bottom of the slit popped a few stitches on first wearing but I think will make it through after I put some reinforcing stitching on there. I made this blouse after making a larger one for C in a gorgeous floral fabric; sadly, it was too small (although too large for M) but has been passed along to a neighbor.

Tiny tea leaves cardigan. Has never been worn outside of the house. Took forever, mostly because the sleeves were too short and I had to unpick all the garter stitch cuff and reknit the sleeves longer. I think the impasse here is with the wide neck. It was meant to go with C’s cardigan from the same pattern, which doesn’t seem to have as wide of a neck, but which also has gotten a bit small for C.

Plus, why would you be wearing sweaters when you could be wearing this?

 

(She is “walking like an Egyptian” here.)

C is finally able to wear a blouse and pants I made her ages ago; she is quite skinny so ill fitting waists are a problem.

They are supposed to be cropped pants, although perhaps not quite that cropped. This outfit has been worn a few times.

I used to take pictures too. I wandered the yard today with my macro lens on….

Got totally distracted by those strawberries though as I hadn’t realized we had a harvest already. The slugs realized obviously.

That was the biggest one…didn’t measure (and five girls in the yard made short work of that harvest) but maybe 2.5” across? It was a monster berry!

We left two peaches and two plums on the fruit trees (otherwise pinched back to encourage growth this year) and they seem to be doing well.

Well, back to the trenches. G has been out of town for 4 days and still a few more to go. I had a long list of projects that I thought I would get accomplished in his absence, a bit over ambitious. Where by “a bit” I mean completely insane.

5 months. Ho hum. May 24, 2013

Little C turned 5 months old today but there wasn’t much celebrating. It was day 1 of a two day neighborhood garage sale so she pretty much chilled with me in the garage for 7 hours. A baby neither nurses nor naps well in a chilly garage with nosy people poking around at stuff all day. Plus, she was slightly offended that not more people wanted to buy her (very cheaply priced I think) 0-3 month and 3-6 month sized clothes. Another 7 hours tomorrow and we will count our measly take and celebrate properly.

At least the sun stayed out for some afternoon photos.

I can see sitting in her future now, although rolling over still isn’t happening. Her hand control is getting pretty spot on and she intentionally and successfully grabs toys to give them a good thrashing and then (literal) tongue lashing. She is a happy little girl who gives out those big smiles to her sisters, daddy, and random strangers trolling our garage and trying to buy a $2 CD for $1.

Putting Down Roots May 12, 2013

As long as we have been together, G and I have never lived in one apartment/condo/house for more than 4 years. And we recently passed 3 years in this house. But I am hoping we are going to be here a long, long time. Because I hate moving. And, we have great neighbors, are near to good schools, can easily access a fantastic biking and running path, are seeing interesting new construction starting (welcome to Bothell, McMenamins!), and did I mention I hate moving?

So, with a plan to stay in one place, we are embarking on a grand plan to put down some literal roots. After consulting with a food forest designer, ordering a bunch of trees, and pricing out deck supplies, G is committed to many hours in the backyard (I have mentioned my seasonal allergies right? and needing to keep the baby alive? I did do some weeding today though…) and in the next few years we should be awash in rotting fruit organic produce.

We both do like a lot of color in the yard. No sparse, organized gardeners we.

 

OK, none of those are food but we do have that as well.

(Blueberries, strawberries, chives. Other food is planted, just not very photo worthy right now.)

It did break my heart though to prune one of our new peach trees. I know that you are supposed to remove all the fruit the first year and I did (well, saved one)….long term thinking, long term thinking.

 

(Before, and after.)

G worked a lot on the front of the house flower boxes this weekend as well. I need to get some pictures of those soon! We definitely have the most colorful flowers in the neighborhood!

Mother’s Day

We are going on week two of at least someone in the house being sick. M finally, finally, seems healed (missed 4 days of school and had a 104.2 fever), but big and little C and I were all sick today. I thought perhaps I was feeling OKish but a 2 hour nap on Friday and a 3 hour nap yesterday said differently. And I have managed to overlap the start of allergy season with my cold, so yay for me!

G, the sole healthy holdout, isn’t really a go-all-out for Mother’s Day type. So he slept in while I got up with the kids, and only M had anything for me (some very cute pictures and a handprint they did at school). We did all go out for brunch though. And, um…I cooked dinner but he did clear the table and washed a pan.

(In his defense though, G did spend most of yesterday and today working on our backyard, which is hard for me to do what with seasonal allergies + baby to keep alive.)

So no big fancy gifts, no elaborate surprises, but I do have 3 wonderful girls and that is what matters.

 

I had to include that picture of Little C’s butt ruffle. At dinner it caused M to say “She is so pretty, she could capture a prince’s heart.” (Here’s hoping Prince Harry doesn’t see these pictures!)

Oh, and updates on little C. She weighed in a measly 16 lbs. 4 oz. at the pediatrician (95%) and a whopping 26.5” (>95%). Whatever her head was was over 95th percentile as well. These are 6-9 month size clothes in the picture (well, except for the dress, but we had to get that one on for Mother’s Day!) and none too soon I say. Her neck rash also turned out to be mild eczema, so we have gone from rare baths to nightly baths + a full rubdown with Aquaphor. She is the slipperiest little sucker when all greased up! On the other hand, my dry hands are basically cured. She is definitely the most washed person in the house.

8 months of shopping days left until Christmas! April 24, 2013

Since Baby C was born on Christmas Eve I think I will constantly be aware of how long until Christmas this year. Today she turned 4 months old! No stats yet (we visit the pediatrician on Monday in concert with M’s 5 year appointment) but this baby is S.O.L.I.D.

So far so good with the 3-6 months clothes but I am certainly not buying any more, and I had to get a new round of bigger cloth diapers due to a small case of plumber’s crack.

This month baby C has made good friends with her hands (so fascinating!), some chewable toys (or even handy clean kid underwear if one were to, say, prop her up on clean laundry while folding…), her tongue, and in the last few days her adorable feet!

She also had her first big tub bath (um, with “help” from two sisters who are convinced that the baby wants lots of toys and noise at all times) and turns out to be one slippery kid! She does like standing with lots of support and seems to be getting good head control, but rolling over—either way—is far from her mind.

Days are spent trying to distract her during tummy time…

sacking out in the swing…

(first picture there is some vigorous thumb sucking, but I could not catch it on camera well) and going for walks.

(It was almost 70 today and during the actual walk there was a blanket on her, so no worries about cold feet please.)

Finally got her in a sweater that I 95% made last summer, finally crocheted internal ties on this winter, and sewed the one button on last week. Just in time too.

Some struggles on the photo shoots today as she just wanted to be chewing on her hands, toys, or failing those, her dress.

Then there is always the problem of not being able to actually sit up yet.

And the risk of hat malfunction.

Or just plain crankiness.

But I think we got some good ones.

This is one (mostly) happy, easy going baby. Goes to bed pretty easily and sleeps a long time (knock on wood), tolerates her sisters, gets dragged to every lesson and put in and out of the car, stroller, baby carrier, whatever multiple times with nary a complaint. She might have, and we don’t like to mention it, a bit of a drooling problem. Which causes a neck rash problem. But overall, we lucked out with this baby and just snuggle her up every chance we get!

Worth the traffic. I think.

The Skagit County Tulip Festival was in fine form this past weekend—the rain even let up for a day or so. Well, an afternoon at least. Last year was our first attempt at the festival and we went on a weekday. This year, a weekend. With 7 of us in the (old model) Highlander. And a baby who can indeed scream, destroying the initial “is this baby the best baby ever or what?” impression she had given to her visiting grandparents. Let’s just say the road in and out of Mount Vernon was quite backed up and might not hold any fond memories for any of us.

However.

The tulips were beautiful.

The frolicking was free.

The girls love their grandpa!

And each other!

The baby is willing to be in the baby carrier.

And four of us got new hats at the street fair.

Which is good, because some of us can really carry off a hat.