on the back

Snapped before heading out this morning...

this stuff is delicious

Post dinner
I was solo with the boy
Making a quinoa salad for moon
The boy wanted up
So he was in my arms
Wanted to help stir
Then use spoon to taste quinoa
He's had it before
But this time he was into it
So we sat there making a mess
Stirring
And eating
So here's to a healthy new food love!

The Sunday edition

Some days

Some days I feel tired.
I drink coffee in the morning.
And afternoon.
I try to lay on the couch while Eli plays. Until he comes to his mama, the "human trampoline", and his sweet, delighted expression and laughter make me indulge him until I remind him he has to be "gentle with mama" and thus ceases my moment of rest.
Some days it's more about arriving at bedtime than much else.
Some days lead to frequent night waking.
Some days I have plans for all the tricky parenting stuff like sleep issues. And then some days I just do the very things I said I'd stop because it's hard, or I don't want to fight my baby, or...

Some days I just need to stop, scoop that little boy into my lap, grab a book, and savor. Because when I look down I see tiny feet with squirmy toes. And it's like I can watch them growing right before me. But they are still cute and little. And they are part of my precious little guy. I am blessed.
And how I hope to be mindful of this all my days.

sous chef

naked baby

I do love letting the boy run around naked.
Mostly because he loves it.
He dances. And skips. And sometimes squeals.
But today as I was changing his very soaked and messy post-snack attire, he was down to a diaper. I turned my back, saw remnants of a shed (and soaked) diaper on the floor and heard baby feet pattering off in a run around the corner. Then I discovered a reading, naked baby. And unlike some of his other naked excursions, no puddles!

Jewish community center

It's open to all and I had it on a good tip from a fellow downtown mama that it's a great drop in gym. Off we went and oh my did the boy have fun. And completely worn out!

The skip and hop in his run (almost a dance) along with the occasional squeal of delight get lots of sweet smiles from other parents.

sunday

Oh happy weekend

Daddy. Home. Yay!!

Eat.

Please my little man. Just eat it. Yes, water is fun to trace your finger in. Yes, it's called gravity and it's fascinating and it will take your food to the floor. Now can we eat some of it?

The post nap snack/meal in all it's five minute duration is, well, a mess usually.

But hummus in the hair is temporary, or so I pray! And each day I witness his graduation from babyhood. So I'll handle the food reality of one year olds because everything else is sooo much fun!

a trip to the zoo

discount day at the zoo. and eli is free! 

so off we went. 

first time for us. 

i figured if we could make it an hour it would be worth it. 

and we were there an hour and a half! 

highlights were petting goats. the brand new baby elephant!! so sweet. and the polar bear that played right in front of us! eli loves his own bear here at home and to watch a bear playing with a ball... two of his favorite things. he was pretty excited. 

petting goats. so soft. 

mama and baby. brand new elephant! 

look! real, live sophies! 

playing on a tractor by the petting zoo

mama and baby boy

polar bear playing right under eli! 

this bear knocked the ball against the window right next to eli. he loved it! 

mom this is overrated. where are the lions?

Grandma visits!

She was here last week.

We already miss her!

(bonus pic of the fam. yes, i chopped my hair off.)

around here

The boy and I are about to have a car again! Though it's been good and surprisingly easy to go without one while moon commuted for a rotation, we will look forward to some play gym options and just getting out more with the car back. In the meantime, playing with mama indoors and climbing on nearby park chairs have occupied us.