Well, At Least it Will Be Easy to Pick Out Christmas Gifts For Her

Everyone knows the old adage about kids liking packaging more than the actual gifts they receive, yadda yadda yadda. I have always just kind of thought it was a silly/cute thing people say but the other night I saw the idea in action and it truly is a wonder. *Anything* can be a toy. Case in point: Isota got into Joe's laundry and bonded with a particular pair of (clean) underwear. She spent at least twenty minutes with this pair of shorts, just walking all over the house putting them on her head and then taking them off. Fitting her head through the leg holes. Walking around with them covering her face. Laughing her underwear-covered-head off. Etc. It was a little bit weird but a lot bit funny.

Green Day

Isota partied hard for St. Pat's Day. Did you?

I Simply Cannot Get Anything Done Before My Morning Caffeine Fix

Happiness is Living Close to a Good Park

The insanely beautiful weather yesterday necessitated a walk down to the park for us. And now that Isota is a card-carrying member of the Walking Upright Society, she has waaaaay more fun at the park than she ever did before. Mastering her balance on the sand, following other kids around, picking up little bits of nature (and sometimes trash, ick) off the ground: it all has become a very big deal. She beams with happiness. Which means we do, too.

Moving, Walking, Settling In

So, obviously, a lot has been going on at Baby Finlaw HQ but I haven't found a lot of time to properly document it all. I do believe a few posts back I said I would report on the difficulty of a move with a newborn vs. a one year old...and I am going to officially say it is harder with a one year old. For the simple fact that one year olds MOVE. We were lucky enough to have friends and family pitching in a lot to help us out - and my parents watched Isota a lot as well - so the actual physical part of moving tons of boxes from one city to another was smoother this time, actually. After all, we are sort of becoming pros at this move-every-year thing (unfortunately) so we can get it down to a science. The hard part came after all the boxes were in, everything waiting to be unpacked, everything stacked weirdly and perched precariously on top of each other, everything threatening to be a danger to a toddler on the move. And as anyone with a one year old can attest to - it is very difficult to get anything productive done while they are awake. Slowly but surely it is all shaping up to look like a home, though. We will get there.

But! Amidst all the hubbub of moving, Isota managed to hit a huge milestone: she started walking. Literally, like, the day after we moved in, she just kind of walked off away from me across the room like it was no big deal. Up to that point she had been doing little steps here and there, maybe three at a time, but that day was it. And ever since she just keeps practicing and getting better and seems to love being so mobile. The crawl has been left in the dust, friends. And it's insanely cute to see the stumbly little walk in action. I could watch it forever.

Unfortunately I didn't really get any good walking pictures yet (took some video but it's sideways so I don't think you want to tilt your head and watch it that way) so you just get some recent random stuff. Settling in. Happy times.






...except for the colds we caught...

A Question

So Sody, what do you think of our new neighborhood so far?



Yep, that about sums it up.

Happy Anniversary, Doo

This post is dedicated to my spectacular husband on our 2nd wedding anniversary. One these years, Joe, we won't move anywhere near March 1 and thus have the energy to celebrate. Next year, maybe?

Happy Valentine's Day

A day late and a dollar short, as they say...but if you saw the state of my house right now you would commend me for blogging at all. The dismantling and packing up of our abode continues: a flurry of boxes and tape and a little one who tries to unpack the boxes as soon as you fill them. I wonder what she thinks is happening right now. Her toys and clothes are slowly disappearing into big brown boxes and each day there is increasingly less space to play in here. We forge on; she is a great sport about it.

We had a sweet Valentine's Day. The Friday before we went out to a fancy dinner with my parents and Isota behaved perfectly. It helped that there happened to be live music that night so no one would care if a small child decided to, say, sing "Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!" over and over at a louder-than-normal volume. And then yesterday there were lovely gifts from Dad and a lunch date/last hurrah at our favorite pizza joint here. Now I am going to go water my roses and enjoy these last few moments of naptime with a delicious piece of chocolate. Or three.

And I, I Will Survive

Sheesh, what a week. So after Sody was sick the rest of us all fell like dominos: me then Joe then Grandpa. Somehow Grandma mostly managed to avoid The Illness (stomach bug, virus, who knows what it was? I will spare you the gory details) and I think the worst is all behind us now. Whew. Beyond feeling icky, the big news in these parts is that we are moving! Again! Yes, folks, it's time to once again make room for yet another entry in your address books for us. (Perhaps you should start writing those in pencil...) Destination: back to our beloved East Bay. When: two weeks. Question to ponder: what's worse - moving with a one year old in tow, or with a newborn like we did last year? I'm going to vote one year old, but time will be telling very shortly. Will report back with the results. Over and out.


i love this chair because i can get in it all by myself


gettin' bored


"stop taking my picture, mama!"

Buggy

Sody caught a bug so we are taking a sick day today: staying in our jammies, downing the Pedialyte and setting up shop in the living room with about a thousand blankies and pillows. There is a lot of cuddling going on today. Here is what it looks like:

Monkey

Isota has really started climbing up on things as of last week. I am not sure if it is the recent Gymboree classes (thanks Beth!) that have inspired the acrobatics, or if it is just her age...but it was kind of shocking the first time I left her contentedly playing on the floor and then turned around - literally, five seconds later - to find her sitting in the big green chair. Whaaa?? When did you learn to climb up in the chair?? And the couch? And the ottoman? She does look rather adorable, like a miniature grown-up chilling in the chair and kicking back with the tv after a long day of work/play/mastering the art of drinking from a cup. The best part about it, though, is the look of satisfaction that comes across her face when she gets herself up there. It's this smile she smiles just at herself and you can just tell how proud she is. Hang onto that feeling, Sody-boo. Always be proud of your accomplishments, no matter the size.

Hi Dad

Kissing is Fun

They Say It's Your Birthday...Yes, Again.

If anyone is keeping score, Isota had three First Birthday celebrations this year. #1 was the East Coast party with family and where Sody got her first-ever taste of delicious sugar and fat laden supermarket bakery cake (my personal favorite naughty food). She ate a whole piece and yes, loved it. Duh. The second celebration was her actual birthday here, in which we went to the Old Spaghetti Factory with my parents and the waiters brought out a scoop of vanilla ice cream with a candle in it. Sody looked SO confused about why these people were singing to her. She kept trying to pick up the whole ice cream scoop with her hands and shove it in her mouth. Pretty priceless.

The third and final celebration was this past weekend: her first Real Birthday Party. The kind where you invite over kids and friends and get everyone hopped up on sugary treats and the birthday girl gets to rip open presents. In all honesty I have been thinking about and planning her First Birthday for weeks and weeks – ok, more like months and months, you got me. It is just such a milestone and even though she is too young to remember and really get it, the birthday thing is a big deal. Maybe more of a big deal for us right now, but still a big deal. Plus, party planning and thinking up menus and spending days baking up goodies is all so far, far up my alley…this is truly my idea of a good time. You should have seen the semi-elaborate themed dinner parties I would have in college – Indian Dinner Feast where I made people wear bindis, or Fifties Housewife Night with pot roast while wearing heels and pearls. Etc. What can I say, it’s a sickness. Sody is staring down a future childhood of weird birthday parties, I am afraid.

Anyway, the birthday party was a definite success. The food worked, I think everyone had fun, I made too much candy but that always happens. The party was small enough that we got to hang out with everyone but big enough that it felt festive. Sody got to eat more cake and play with some bigger kids (her favorite thing) and get more practice opening packages. The highlight was the rainbow layered birthday cake – six thin crazy bright layers of cake separated by buttercream frosting. I literally jumped up and down when I cut into it and realized it turned out. Thank you to everyone for your presence and for the presents and for your love in celebrating our baby.

Happy Birthday, Darling Girl. Party season is finally, officially OVER!