Grandma + Grandma

In honor of Millie's great-grandma Juanita, we did some bubbles today for the first time!  She liked looking at the wand, not really following the bubbles yet, but it was fun. I told her all about cheese curls, lemon cookies with tea, bubbles on the back deck, white and pink mints in the kitchen, chocolate stashed in the produce drawer of the fridge, and much much more.  I told her that one day HER grandma will hang up her artwork in the kitchen and visit us for Easter and keep a tin of crayons for coloring and smell like old-lady powder and hug her with beautifully wrinkled hands. Then Millie got hungry so we stopped talking :)

Here is my sweet lamb with her own Grandma a few weeks ago (that last one is going in a frame for sure!)

To my Grandma: Thanks for watching over my little baby girl. I love you and miss you so much. I hope you read blogs.
Love,
Helen Jane

Gabbin' with Ma

Here's a video of Millie's vocal excursions with Mama--photos from Grandma's visit forthcoming!

To Market to Market

Millie and I have been preparing for a visit from Grandma, who arrives tonight!  This week we've made pesto using basil from the garden, and also some delicious granola using a recipe from Victoria (our Doula). Yesterday we went on an outing to the Farmers Market in Croton to pick up more delicious goodies.  It was much too hot for babywearing, but once the weather cools down I'm sure the market will be one of her favorite places to look around.  We recently bought a chocolate-colored Moby by using some gift cards from Mary LoCasio (thanks Mary!). It's super easy to put on and Millie loves it, but we might need Teta and Sotir to show us how to nurse in it.


Ok, back to the food! The market was full of seriously delicious-looking things. Below is a photo of our haul, followed by the menu options for Grandma's visit.

celery
rainbow carrots
parsley
sweet onions
yellow + white peaches
blueberries, strawberries
mozzarella
handmade pasta
peasant bread
Romano cheese loaf
chocolate sugar cookies, biscotti
flowers
dog treats




Breakfast:
- greek yogurt w/ pecan-almond granola and fresh fruit
- chocolate-almond nut butter on peasant bread
- everything bagels w/ cream cheese
- egg breakfast burritos 
Lunch + Dinner:
- pesto pasta w/ black olives
- gazpacho
- fake BLTs w/ avocado
- rainbow carrot farmer's salad
- Romano cheese bread pizzas w/ fresh mozzarella + garden peppers
Desserts + Extras:
- fresh fruit
- cookies + biscotti
- organic pink lemonade
- iced coffee w/ almond milk (yum!)


We can't wait to see Grandma!

Favorite Faces

Here is a round-up of Millie's expressions that we've caught on camera!*

milk drunk ~ 2 weeks

"ohhhh" ~ 6 weeks (started from day one!)

grumpy bee ~ 5.5 weeks

tubby face ~ 6.5 weeks

talking to a picture ~ 7 weeks

daydreaming ~ 6.5 weeks

smiling ~ 6 weeks

laughing (and wiggling!) ~ 8 weeks

Bonus photo ~ Here is Sneaky Pete doing his best "it's so hot and I'm so bored and no one will take me for a walk and that crying creature is still in the house making me nervous" face:

*Please Note: out of respect for a girl's privacy, not pictured are "sad baby" and "fury". 

Sleeping Beauty

The last two days have been glorious, as the bunny child has been sleeping all night! Wednesday night we slept 11-7:30 and last night 10-7:30. She usually stirs and roots about twice during that stretch, and we've been able to nurse together without waking up. Once she's latched on she pushes her belly into mine, stretches her pigs out on my upper legs, and we hold hands while she nurses. Absolute heaven I tell you! Oh, and when she's done she rolls back and sighs. Have I mentioned that I love this girl?

With all this rest, she and I have been very productive.  Yesterday, after finding a simple dress tutorial online, we took a trip to the fabric store.  Nana and I went there for the first time last fall when we were planning Millie's baby quilt. It's a small shop, but luckily they have a great selection. I bought material for two dresses (the other one is strawberries!) and finished one today.  It still need buttons, but safety pins work for now.  :)

This is Millie's "look" when she knows I'm going to bend down and kiss her face!

After the kiss: a wet cheek and a smile :)

front   *    back

For the next dress I'm going to try making ties at the shoulders instead of buttons, so it will be reversible. The pattern said 6-12 months but I adjusted it slightly, and it can be a tunic/top after she outgrows it as a dress.  I would really love to learn how to knit so I can make her some wool vests for the fall and winter. Maybe if she keeps sleeping...  

PS: You can click the photos to view them larger.

2 Months and Counting...

Last Wednesday we celebrated Millie's 2 month mark! On May 27th we took her "1 month photo", and on June 27th her 2 month.  Pictured with Millie is the beautiful blue bunny that my friend Diana crocheted for her. She made it before she even knew we were calling her "bunny".  In utero we called her "little goat" for a while and "rotten ralph" briefly.  Since birth Millie has accumulated more nicknames:
Millie-Bea
Bunny (sometimes prefaced by Sweet or Soft)
Bumble Bee
Mill Bug
Boo-Boo
Piglet
Pigger
A Bigger-Pigger

One Month:

Two Months: