Scenes from the Week

Beginning of week.  Charlie only calm when in sling.  Note, unmade bed.

Made a serious effort to not order dinners this week.  I'm not sure if you can call making a salad, "cooking," but if you can, I did!

Dance party USA!  Charlie loves to dance.

Lyss and I went out to dinner to celebrate her new job.  She is much happier about it than she looks.

Charlie's Converse socks courtesy of my cousins.

We finally got new sheets.  And I washed them.  Aaaand I put them on the bed. La di da.

This week has been a week of ups and downs.  Charlie started out the week very fussily but made a recovery at some point yesterday and gave mommy some smiles and fun dance moves.  Charlie loves to dance to random songs on my ipod and it is the cutest thing ever! Ever. Breastfeeding as usual has its good and bad points.  While it is a "sure thing" soother, I've realized Charlie has a VERY difficult time stopping eating.  He doesn't want to stop.  And then when he does stop, he is calm for a only a few minutes before he is frantically searching around for the next snack.  I was all like "WHAT is wrong with this kid?," until I realized I am the same way. Once I start eating I don't want to stop either which is why it is so difficult being home.  I have a sandwich for lunch and then I am all up in the pita chips 20 minutes later.  Always the pita chips.  This weekend, I very cleverly volunteered to do the grocery shopping and purposely did NOT buy pita chips.  And then the mister went out for a little bit later in the day and came home with a new bag. "Surprise, you forgot the pita chips!" Anyway, I think Charlie and I are both our own worst enemy.  Or maybe I'm both of our worst enemy.  Or something.  All I know is without the boob factor, my motherhood experience would have been completely different so far. It will be very interesting to see how he does in daycare.  I really think he'll do well not having my breasts to distract him all day long.  Me and my breasts will have to go and be distracting somewhere else.  
Today was the definite high of the week so far.  I washed the sheets AND I made dinner.  I just might finally be getting my homemaker shit together right as this maternity leave is winding down.  There will be not sheet washing once I'm back at work, no sirree.
xo,
C

Weekend Wanderings

Hey Cuties,
The weekend goes by too fast!  Actually, the days are going by too fast!  Three weeks left until I go back to work, plus we are "easing" Charlie into daycare, so our mommy/Charlie days are really numbered.  Saturday turned out to be a great day.  The weather held out and the mister really wanted to bring Charlie into the city in his baby carrier.  This seemed like a dangerous idea to me, considering that the only thing less predictable than Charlie's day to day behavior is the weekend subway schedule.  But maybe I need to have a little more faith because everything was fine.  We grabbed a quick empanada lunch and then checked out a few stores with Alyssa in an attempt to dress the new post-baby me.  Once we made it back to Brooklyn we took a walk and sat outside for an early dinner.  Days like Saturday make me think we can handle anything, that we can still maintain some semblance of our former lives even with a baby.  
Days like Sunday, not so much.  It was rainy here and Charlie woke up super fussy, a mood that he stubbornly held onto for the entire day.  We took a drive to visit some friends and then picked up Alyssa for Sunday dinner, with nary a smile but plenty of wails from the little one.  The good news is I think that we are adjusting to the fussiness.  It is less crushing than it once was, as long as we can get a smile or two thrown in the mix.  And today, spirits are up again.  
This week, the plan is to soak up as much baby time as I can.  And... to really start getting serious about getting this body back into shape.  
xo,
C

Getting Baby's Attention

Hi Cuties,
How cute are these little finger puppets that our friends Susie and John brought us when they came to visit last weekend?  (although I'll admit the mouse fell out onto the couch when I picked up the baby's blanket the other night and I almost had a heart attack.) The mister and I were especially excited because we are constantly on the lookout for cute and fun ways to entertain a BABY. I'll clue you in on a little secret.  Babies are hard to entertain, at least ours is.  Charlie can get pretty fussy (unless we have company, then he is on his best behavior:) and when he's not crying it can be challenging to engage his attention.  He seems much more content to stare at the pictures on the wall or suck on his hands.  This has led to Erik and I coming up with fun names, accents, and complicated back stories for all of Charlie's stuffed animals in a desperate attempt to entertain him and ourselves.  You know when an actor is given just one line and tries to really understand the complexity of their "character" and it is kind of sad to watch?  That is Erik and I with our new "friends" around the apartment, including a deranged stuffed chick (actually one of those blanket/stuffed animals that only a baby could love) we've named Mr. Chickers.  Funny?  Yes.  Funny to anyone but us? no.  Entertaining to Charlie?  Not quite yet. (also see Charlie's twitter account, @littlemrcharlie with its vast following.)


But, Charlie turned a whopping two months old this week and the two month mark has brought some exciting new milestones.  He is much more focused on mommy's face and has started initiating little conversations throughout the day.  He seems as happy to talk to his mobile as me but I think our conversations are more intellectually stimulating for him.  Slightly.  An example of a Charlie conversation goes something like this:  
Mommy:  What does Charlie have to say today?? (in extremely exaggerated baby voice)  
Charlie:  gaaah  
Mommy:  Really?  Is that right Charlie? Is that right?  
Charlie:   gaaaah, grunt, hint of smile.
I can't tell you how thrilling these conversations are for me and I'm not even being sarcastic.  I can tell he is really into them too.  He seems so pleased with himself when he gets something out.  And if he gets too overexcited he opens his mouth so wide and you can just tell he is trying to "squeal in delight" at any moment and I LOVE it.  


Now, I'm not going to lie, the first two months have brought a lot of challenges, usually accompanied by tears all around, but as of yesterday's  2 month doctor's appointment, the mister and I have decided to take back the night.  We are attempting to limit any nighttime feedings to one in the early morning.  The doctor told us Charlie can go 8 hours without eating at night, and we could really, really use the sleep.  Until now we have been "spoiling the baby" as the books say, but I'm ready to take back a little control.  Charlie doesn't seem particularly happy being spoiled anyway and I think a little bit of structure is just what the doctor ordered.  


Lots of luck to us!


xo,
C

Daycare Blues

Today has been kind of killer, I'm not going to lie.  Charlie hasn't exactly mastered the art of sleeping, so please consider that a heavy veil of exhaustion hangs over all the little tests we face throughout the day.  Today we went to look at the daycare where we are leaving Charlie when I get back to work.  We hadn't been since I was pregnant so went in to sign the contract and introduce the daycare providers to Charlie.  Erik could only stay for a few minutes so he left while I was reviewing paperwork with the woman who runs the daycare, Celina.  Charlie started fussing in his stroller and Celina picked him up and next thing you know he had pooped all over her.  Now, we've had a few accidents here, within the confines of our apartment, but nothing major, and this was MAJOR.  There was poop everywhere, all over him and definitely all over her.  It was like he wasn't even wearing a diaper.  Now I know that you are supposed to carry a change of clothes in the diaper bag and I have been, at first.  But somehow we must have gotten a bit lazy about it (maybe it's one of those things that you really need to be burned by to adopt whole-heartedly.)  So, of course, I didn't have a change of clothes for him.  While Celina went to change her outfit, I tried to change Charlie who let out the biggest (and today's only) smile when I set him down on the changing table.  Once I started trying to navigate his squirmy body out of a poop covered onesie that smile quickly disappeared.  Since I couldn't bring him home naked, we had to borrow some clothes from the daycare.  So there's that.  That little gem of an experience, just a lowlight in a day of lowlights, let me assure you.  The good news is everyone at the daycare reacted quite well and even better thought it was kind of funny.  Thank god, or we would be back to square one.  Even still, I am dreading the day when I have to leave my little baby, and am terrified of trying to balance work and being a mom.  I know, I know that millions of women do it everyday, but when I think back to what our jobs were like before Charlie, it still feels like it will be very challenging. Here's to making it work, and with smiles on both of our faces...
xo,
C

DeKalb Market

On Sunday, we had friends in town so we decided to check out the new Dekalb Market in Fort Greene.  It was really cool, a totally different vibe than the Brooklyn Flea, maybe because the masses have yet to discover it.  Their was a great assortment of vendors (many of them Etsy vendors) selling really cute stuff.  I'm not particularly into the standard flea market. I think I've mentioned before but it just feels like shopping in the basement and my fear of becoming a hoarder takes over any desire to shop.  Dekalb market had a dj and tons of good food and adult beverages, plus lots of seating, and their vendors seemed to be very carefully selected (quality over quantity).  Hoping to head back this weekend with Lyss to spend a little more time there.
xo,
C

the shops are made of old shipping crates.  so clever!

plenty of stroller room

cutest bathing suit shop EVER.  thinking about getting this suit as a little motivation for the summer.

Brooklyn Wanderings

Hi Cuties,
The three of us enjoyed a lovely weekend at home.  We checked out a few flea markets, visited with friends, and even went out to dinner on Saturday night with the babe!  Unfortunately, today, Charlie has been extremely fussy all day and we can't figure out why to save our lives.  We got no sleep last night and it's shaping up to be another long night.  I know we are approaching sleep training time, but truthfully, we don't even know where to start.  Hoping to get some good advice at Charlie's two month checkup this week.  I want my baby smiles!
xo,
C

look who fits into his hat! 

hot dogs!

the mister surprised me with a new iphone case!

Scenes from the Day

Charlie and I walked over to the park for lunch. 

too tired for tummy time today.

oops, and then he spit up all over himself and the blanket.  that's why it's called supervised tummy time.

mesmerized by the gorgeous views out the window.

gorgeous

we bought some flowers on the way home.

lots of cozy naps today.  who knows what tonight will bring.

Hi Cuties,
The days around here are flying by.  I can't believe it is already Friday.  This weekend the mister and I are interviewing a potential nanny and getting lunch with some friends that are visiting Brooklyn.  Charlie does something new every day and we love showing him off.  Evening is his fussy time though, so I can barely string a sentence together at the moment.  Hope you all enjoy the weekend.
xo,
C

Losing Baby Weight

As is Easter tradition, Lyss and I took advantage of the sunshine for a little photo shoot.  Hard to believe how much has changed since last year.  I thought I looked pretty cute until I revisited last year's photos.  Boo, having a baby takes its toll.  I'm feeling relatively inspired to get back into pre-baby shape over here.  My mind wants me to really make a go of it right now but being home all day isn't very conducive to non-eating plus nursing has made me RAVENOUS while providing an excuse to eat anything and everything in sight.  Not a good combination.  The only solution that is helping is to not have anything in sight at all which makes me pretty cranky and provokes me to do things like scavenge through the bottom of my suitcase for old jelly beans.  I thought nursing was supposed to burn thousands of extra calories a day.  Hmm, if that's happening I am in big trouble when I stop.  Anyway, maybe I should try to make myself accountable some way, like on the blog, or I don't know, blah who cares, I just want to stop wearing leggings.
xo,
C

Easter Feaster 2012

Hi Cuties,
We had the most delightful Easter weekend, hope you all did as well.   Charlie has been struggling with his cold for two weeks and it seems like a dose of Grandpop was all he needed to put him on the mend.  This kid was an absolute angel the whole weekend.  Smiling, cooing, staring wide-eyed at everyone, not crying, it was a real treat!  He sure knows how to turn on the charm for company.  The mister and I had a great time hanging out with my family and it was great to get some help.  We also put together a killer Easter basket for Charlie with lots of toys that only a two month old could love.  We may have gone just a little crazy in Target but, aagh, it was his first Easter, so exciting!  
Missing the weekend already and wish we could spend more time with our family.  I wish we could have six people to help with Charlie all the time.  It takes a village, people.  
xo,
C

aunt lyss got to spend a lot of quality time with Charlie and even took care of him one night so we could get some rest! 

Grandpop bought Charlie a new bouncy seat, with a ton of flashing lights and music. Charlie was up in 'da club all weekend and LOVED it.  He is missing that monkey seat big time. 

This little lamb reminds me of my little lamb, I'm not sure why.  But every time I look at it my heart melts.