Can you find a better toy than a diaper box?
Me, circa 1979
Jax, December 6., 2009
Everyone’s favorite toy
7
Category Archives: Baby
First Snow
It snowed last night for the first time this year, so this morning we put on snow pants and headed out to play in what was left of the accumulation.
Reading Books
My favorite is when he says “fish.”
13.5-Month Stats
Our toddler is growing and growing! We couldn’t get a proper 1-year doctor’s appointment (our new pediatrician is crazy booked), but we were able to get him in yesterday for a check-up. Here are the stats:
Weight: 22 lb 12 oz (55th percentile)
Height: 31 inches, or 1 inch short of half my height! (75th percentile)
So this explains why his 12-month sized separates still fit, but any one-piece article of clothing has to be at least size 18 months. He’s tall and skinny.
I’m getting back to my chapter now (chapter 2 revisions, and I’ve also finished about 25 pages of chapter 3!), but can’t sign off yet without a few snaps of our favorite 59-week-old! Photos from a recent walk:
This is the talking face: “baaaaaaaall” “dooooooog” Other words he can say (in order of appearance): turtle, sock, shoe, blue, please
First Haircut
Well, last night we finally decided to cut Jax’s hair. I have very mixed feelings about it, but the poor kid constantly had hair in his face and was such a good sport about the nightly de-tangling, we thought we’d give him a break. It’s still kind of long and it’s still curly {yay}, but it is definitely a different look! It’ll just take some getting used to, and perhaps we’ll go with a professional next time and avoid the Audrey Tautou look, but in all, we are pleased with the result.
The photo record of baby’s first haircut:
Red Balloon Birthday Party
Happy First Birthday to Jacob DeWitt!
Invitations
The dining room setup: even the high chair was put to use.
The den is just to the right of the living room and on the way outside. We had The Red Balloon movie looped and playing in here (at my desk) to set the scene. Because there is very little dialogue in the movie, it served as background music as well. Balloon garland and paper lanterns from Pearl River.
These “red balloon” mini sandwiches were an idea I got from the wonderful Party Perfect blog, the readers of which helped me brainstorm. These photos show the toddler-friendly cream cheese version. Paris plates from Marshall’s.
I also had an adult version: ham and swiss cheese with French mustard on pain au levain (French sourdough bread we are lucky to find at our farmer’s market, along with those olives in the foreground).
The inside menu: cupcakes, mini “red balloon” sandwiches, the all-important fromage plate, salad, and sangria.
I made the pennant bunting myself out of heavy scrapbook paper and embroidery floss. It was easy to divide the 12×12″ pieces into triangles, dividing in half lengthwise and in thirds crosswise and drawing long diagonal lines from top to bottom (does that make sense?), resulting in 10 triangles per sheet. The whole bundle of paper, cutouts, labels, stickers, and punch-outs were in vintage 50s prints. I used less than a quarter of the stack and created a whole party from it:Â liners for the invitation envelopes (above), the “Happy Birthday” garland hanging from the window in the center, and photo “frames” for baby photos adorning the wall.
The paper straws and wooden disposable utensils are from Can Do Chefs.
The birthday boy, greeting guests by the door.
Outside we had the non-alcoholic drinks: lemonade served in a this dispenser, Orangina, Perrier, apple juice boxes, milk boxes, and sippy cups for the little ones. Our wonderful next-door neighbor Jane let us borrow the beautiful folding bamboo chairs. She even had a 1-year-old-sized version. {I didn’t take any photos during the party, so I’ll post more outside pictures when I get them! Edit: See below!}
The red balloons were a huge hit with all the toddlers.
{Hint: when mylar balloons are popped, they don’t become choking hazards as the rubber ones do.}
Update: Some more photos from Grandma & Grandpa Weintraub show the scene outdoors!
Toddler sized French bistrot chair
One of the most fun activities for the little ones was to smash those balloons!
They played in a band, too
A lone balloon at the end of the driveway let arriving guests know they were in the right place.
We all love you, Jax!
One Year!
1 minute old.
1 month old.
2 months old.
3 months old.
4 months old.
5 months old.
6 months old.
7 months old.
8 months old.
9 months old.
10 months old.
11 months old.
And now, 1 year:
Paris
These are some highlights of our Paris trip. The food was excellent, the city beautiful, but the best part was hanging out with some of our best friends in the whole wide world!
Chez Pralus, on rue Rambuteau, is the new Paris location of this famous Roannais pâtisserie. Known for their delicious praluline, but their chocolate is to die for.
Place des Vosges
We’re going to have to import one of these if they don’t get here soon enough.
Picnic on the Seine, best Paris activity in the summer.
Hanging with Leslie…
…and Knox.
Dinner with Julie and grass place mats.
Meeting Cécilia and Hippolyte for the first time!
Coolest high-chair in the world.
Playing with Corry, Mahmoud, and light.
Waiting in the lounge for the Eurostar to go back to London and catch our plane back home.
London – Part 2
With barely two days in London, we weren’t able to do much, although we did enjoy napping in Hyde Park on multiple occasions. The evening of the first day in London was our only night spent there, so after work, we headed over to our favorite footbridge and then to our favorite chain restaurant in the UK: Wagamama. On our second day, we met Seth for lunch at a delicious natural foods place (I had a sweet potato portabello burger – portabello mushrooms surrounding a sweet potato pattie, in a bun. delicious!). That evening it was off to Paris on the Eurostar!
London, Day 1
Seth had some work to do in London, so Jax and I got to spend two days hanging around our old neighborhood. First, we took a nap and a stroll in Hyde Park by the fountains.
Then we walked down Oxford Street to do a little shopping. I picked up these shoes for myself…
and some shoes for Jax that say “little explorer” on them.
This sweatshirt was appropriate â?? and also on sale â?? so we picked it up, too.
And I couldn’t go to Marks & Spencer without picking up these blueberry and oat cookies I discovered last summer:
Here’s the view from our hotel room in Paddington Station.