Mike and I ordered a new mattress because ours was old and it was time. We ordered it from Amazon and in two days, a brown cardboard box the size of a a washing machine showed up on our doorstep. We unrolled the mattress and plopped it on the bed. Then we had the real treasure in front of us. This was the PERFECT opportunity to introduce Caroline to all the fun that can be had with a brown cardboard…
Happy 11 months, Caroline, and Happy (first) Valentine’s Day! Caroline is now officially one month away from being a TODDLER. I can hardly believe it, except for the fact that she is clearly demonstrating just the right amount of stubbornness and sass that (I’m told) comes with toddler-hood. She will shove her baby hands in my face, make raspberries with her mouth full, and throw her sippy cup on the ground repeatedly, all while giving a look that says, yeah…I…
So three days shy of 11 months old, Caroline headed off to her first day of daycare at a center in our neighborhood. Mike and I toured this center when I was 4 months pregnant and we handed in our waitlist deposit check before we even left that day back in October 2016–that was how much we liked this center. The staff, the mission, the setup, the teachers, the orderliness, the fun the kids seemed to have. I knew it…
Patriots v. Eagles. This was the big showdown for the 2018 Super Bowl and we decided to fly Mike’s dad down from Lowell to NoVA so these two Patriots fans could watch the game together. To be honest, even though it would have been amazing to watch the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Super Bowl, I was really glad that Mike and his dad could share the experience. During last year’s Super Bowl, I know Mike was missing him when it…
So February 2 is an important day in my larger extended family–we have two beautiful family members who share this birthday. Both of these lovely people also happened to pass away in the summer of 2017, which left the question…what do we do on February 2? How can we honor them in a positive way, while also being conscientious and respectful that celebrating them in no way trivializes the very real loss we still feel by their absences? I took…
Kay Kay and Pa came to visit for a week. They were surprised by how much Caroline had changed since Christmastime. She was more vocal, active, sturdy, and engaging…even compared to just a few weeks prior. She was pulling up on furniture more and more and getting more confident and stronger by the day. It didn’t hurt that Kay Kay kept her super busy! When Kay Kay comes to visit, you get to stay in your pajamas as long as…
Where do you go when you have a few hours in the afternoon of a delightful day in late January, when you just want to be outside, take a stroll, not spend a ton of money, and have a group of people (including two babies and two dogs) you are trying to accommodate? If you live in the DC area, Teddy Roosevelt Island! This lovely hidden gem along the GW Parkway is a great option for such an event. There’s…
While Kay Kay and Pa were here, we were looking for something fun to do. Criteria: Caroline had to come too, it had to be indoors, free/cheap is always a bonus, and it had to be fun for adults, too. We tried a handful of ideas and finally landed on the American History Museum because it had an exhibit on Sesame Street and promised a free children’s play area. We headed out on a gray, drizzling day with fairly low…
We have made some wonderful baby acquaintances since our very own arrived last March, and Mike and I made a New Year’s resolution to have more people over to our house for fun events–especially those who have little ones. So fast forward to a chilly day in mid-January when we invited a small group of friends (all of whom have had babies in 2017) to join us for some old fashioned baby camaraderie, brunch foods, and (of course) champagne. We…
So this weekend, we took Caroline out to the little park in our neighborhood that’s designed for little ones ages 2-5. She loves the swings there and the Baby Benz. I plop her on top and lean in behind her, snuggling her close…and then I sprint as fast as I can around the path! The faster I go, the more she laughs. It’s the best sound even and makes it totally worth it to run wind sprints. She loves the…