Christmas Morning

Biet slept in on her first Christmas morning until - get ready for it - 11 o' clock!  Of course that meant that we all slept in, which was the best Christmas gift we could have asked for from our dear daughter (or so we thought). Although we had planned to be up and out of the house much earlier (baby girl's 8am alarm clock skills had never failed us before!), we decided that since we were already running a bit behind schedule, why not enjoy it?  So before heading out to volunteer and celebrate in the city, we leisurely showered & had coffees & lounged around in our pajamas for a bit.  We snuggled on the bed and I gave Biet her sole gift from her Mama. I thought carefully about my gift to my daughter, and chose to give her, on her first Christmas, a poem. Sarah Kay, a student of our friend Sacha, wrote this beautiful poem. I was enamored and deeply moved when I first heard it, and thrilled when I heard she was turning it into an illustrated book. Appropriately for little Biet, the poem is titled "B." I read it to Biet later that evening, and plan on reading it to her many, many more times.  Just when we thought the morning couldn't get any better, Biet looked up from her seated spot on the bed, turned to Gaby, and said, clear as day, "Papá." I gasped, unsure of what I had just heard. I almost brushed it off as a fluke, until Gaby turned the corner to leave the room and she called after him "Papá, Papá!" He came back and she smiled, looked him in the eye, and calmly thanked him for returning with a cheerful "Papá." She speaks. And, so far, she speaks {her single word} with a perfect spanish accent.  What a Christmas surprise! 

California part Seven: Family Portrait

{from when Emmy was still pregnant!}

These Days...

These days, our life looks a lot like this..

Bundled Baby Girl

One of the newest challenges in my life these days involves two tiny arms, two tiny legs, one chubby face, and multiple layers of knitwear.  That's right, with the arrival of winter, I have become acquainted with the art of baby-bundling. Let me tell you, it's not easy keeping a squishy 20 lb human warm in the chilly winter months. Thanks to hand-me-downs, though, we've ended up with a small collection of baby snow suits. So our daily dressing ritual this time of year goes a little something like this: cloth diaper, long-sleeved onesie, baby sweatpants (or leggings + leg warmers), sweater or hoodie, tiny socks and tiny snow boots, then a snowsuit on top of that, a mini knitted hat, & baby mittens.  We go through this routine every time we need to run to the market or take Nico out for a walk.  Each time I dress her up, I think of that scene from "A Christmas Story" where the mom bundles up her son so ridiculously that he literally can't move. I am totally going to be one of those Moms. I am not satisfied until my daughter resembles a giant marshmallow (a toasty warm marshmallow!). Lucky for me, little Biet isn't old enough to protest yet.  Miraculously, she doesn't yet seem to mind the relentless layering. So bring it on, winter snowstorms- I've got this baby-bundling thing down.

A Winter Portrait

The other afternoon, our little family of four strolled over to Prospect Park for our annual Holiday Photo. Let me just say that handling a baby, a dog, a tripod, and a self-timer makes for some pretty comical outtakes. We did eventually get some good shots, though, and here are our favorites. Here is our family: Me, Gaby (the love of my life), Nico (the best, most affectionate and charismatic dog in the world), & Biet (my first born, my pearl, my soulful baby girl).

Happy Everything!

We sent this card

to family and friends

to celebrate this winter season;

& to wish everyone

a Happy Christmas,

a Happy Chanukah,

...a Happy Everything!

California part Six: Grandfather + Granddaughter

Of all of the photos of our trip out West, these are by far my favorite. This is my Dad. This is Biet's Grandfather. This is a great man. As I watched him and Biet together, I couldn't help but envision him holding me as a tiny baby girl, not so many years ago. After these moments on the porch, my Dad proceeded to sing Biet to sleep in his arms, with the same song he used to sing to me. Good old Willie Nelson: "An' with no place to hide, I looked in your eyes, An' I found myself in you.."

Update! {Dashiell is beautiful!}

Its funny how being a Mother has completely changed my reaction to babies. They were always cute, precious, beautiful, amazing.. but now, you can call me baby-crazed.  Squishy-faced red plump little newborns positively make me swoon. After going through pregnancy and giving birth, witnessing another woman + child experiencing their first moments together brings me to an emotional place of remembrance and longing.  It must be that maternal instinct. This darling brand new nephew of mine has just been making my day. My baby girl looked like that not so long ago! Little Dashiell is a beauty!

Update! {Little Dashiell is Born}

Dashiell Auden was born on December 21st

He weighs 7 lbs 14 oz

and is 20 inches long

and is perfect.

You did it Emmy (you amazing Mama, you);

You are a mother of two!

California part five: Pumpkin Carving & Sunsets

With Christmas and New Year's just around the corner, this memory of carving pumpkins with my sisters at Halloween feels like ages ago. I love these photos though, and wanted to post them before the end of the year. We forgot to snap a shot of the finished pumpkins, so I'll just say that my pumpkin may or may not have ended up with a mustache, a hat, and black-rimmed eyeglasses. I named him Little Gaby. Later that evening, my cousin Kallie stopped by with her parents (bearing gifts!) to meet Biet.  I used to take care of Kallie when she was Biet's age (she's almost 18 now!), and I can't believe how she's grown up! I must give Kallie (and the many hours I spent babysitting her in her infancy) some of the credit for honing my amazing baby-wrangling skills.

These last photos are from one particularly beautiful sunset on the beach (California seems to have quite a lot of those). It's funny how, growing up, I took those sunsets for granted. I used to loll in that golden glow each and every evening, watching the sky turn from blue to purple to red. The skies out East glow in a different kind of way; the sun settles beyond a skyline of concrete and brick instead of sand and water. Still, I wouldn't trade New York City for the world. I am glad, though, that Biet will visit the West often. She will bask in the glow of both coasts.

Tomorrow! Tomorrow! He's coming tomorrow!

My sister Emmy is having her (2nd) baby boy tomorrow!  A Christmas baby!  I can't wait to see his little newborn face! I think Beckett got enough "Big Brother" practice with Biet {see above}, and is ready for the real thing now...

**Here's to a healthy baby and Mama and a speedy recovery, Emmy. We love you!**

California part four: Our time with Lala + Ice-Cream for breakfast

While we were in California, we stayed at Lisa's house. She lives in a perfectly decorated little bungalow cottage just a couple blocks from the beach. She put us up in her room, gave us her bed, and hosted our little family for the week we were in town. I loved staying there, with her. It's so different now than it used to be, back in the days of us single girls hopping on a plane to visit one another, running around all day, going out all night, and sharing a bed. Now, with a family, arrangements must be made, time must be a bit more scheduled, and baby girl's needs must come first. I am so grateful to have a sister who embraces these changes, and so happy that she and Gaby get along so well (really, they get along in a "call and chat with each other while I'm at work" kind of way). Our time with her was peaceful & fun & wonderful. She is such a giving person, and, truly, one classy lady. So THANK YOU Lisa {Auntie Lala}, for everything.

Here are a couple shots from our first day with Lisa walking around the neighborhood, and from one of our last days with her, eating ice cream, on the beach, FOR BREAKFAST! We had gone a little crazy at the supermarket the night before, and bought a couple pints too many of Ben & Jerry's. Upon waking, I realized that such a thing as too much Ben & Jerry's simply did not exist, and decided to go out on the beach, and put that ice cream to good use. Lisa and Gaby and Biet joined me. We were on vacation after all. That's one thing I especially love about Lisa: she joins me on my spontaneous indulgent adventures. She is, and has always been, one of my best partners in crime.