Hot Crossed Buns

Oh it is so hot! It was not this hot last year this time. I need a margarita. I need a parasol. I need a pool in my backyard. It is even hotter when you are lugging around a sweaty baby. Why did both Scott and I have the same misconception that babies didn’t sweat a lot? Ours is quite steamy and drippy and wilty. Here is the only solution:

Sadly, it works only for cooling Tillie. Her parents languish still.

Baby Gangsta Behind Bars

New sunglasses make me too cool to be in focus.

What's up with the baby gang sign?

Drool Air

Traveling with a baby wasn’t as bad as I thought. Sure she cried for a bit, which is an irritation for a few rows of people, but it wasn’t for very long. And it was for good reason. I never fully understood how uncomfortable a flight is for a baby. Not only is there the ear popping thing, which I hear is quite painful on little baby ear canals, but it is also very loud, there is very little kicking room, food does not come quickly enough, and Mom’s lap is just not nearly as comfortable as one’s own crib. So, only 20 or 30 min of crying on a 4-hour flight sandwiched by 2 hours of airport and car-seat bustle—she practically won a baby congeniality contest in my book! On the way back she didn’t even cry longer than 5 minutes. (I had figured out a few tricks.) My general conclusions:
1. My baby is extremely easy compared to others.
2. People who complain too much about babies on planes are big babies.

The trip to Seattle was great fun! Tillie got to meet her cousin Maddy, who is the most precious little thing. So tiny, so quiet, so smiley and blinky and thoughtful—I forgot that little babies can be so sweet. Lil’ Miss Tills has gotten a little more rambunctious in her old age. Scroll down and admire!

The Cousins Chilax

Tia Chovy and La Petite Princesse

Cuz Cuties

Walkies with Unka Tom

Cute in Movie Form

Learning to Play the Fingermaphone:


Drumming and then Cranking Out in True Punk Style (sorry, have to look sideways on this one):


Rockin' the Exersaucer:

Star Wars

Learning to eat finger food is a surprisingly difficult task. These little puffed star baby snacks are fun and tasty. They evaporate in your mouth almost instantly, but they also kind of stick to you if you are moist, like Tillie often is.

Practice moving those pincers!

If you shove a handful in, at least one or two will make it.

The raking it into your mouth method also works.

The stars won this battle, but not necessarily the war.

Someone enjoys cleaning up afterward.

Brilliance

Sorry to brag, but I reverse engineered this star wars baby sling for my husband using a store-bought sling that a friend gave us, and I feel it is my most brilliant feat of thread of late. Not only does it have Princess Leia on it, but it fits both Scott and I and is fully reversible for when we're not feeling so nerdy-fan-boy in our parenting.

Mutter's Day

Tillie with her grandma:

My first mother's day felt pretty special. Tillie's not old enough to do anything for me, but her daddy made me breakfast and let me sleep in. Now that is a treat! I tried to put together something smashing for my own mom. However, it was a typical mother's-day-gift semi-fiasco saved by mom herself in that I had elaborate plans to spoil her with wow-mom iced cupcakes but then had to call her for help at the last minute when I messed up the icing recipe and needed her to bring more sugar. Has anything changed?!

Also, I really wanted to do the Texas tradition of taking pictures of your kid in a field of bluebonnets, the Texas state flower. Somehow, I managed to miss bluebonnet season. Usually it is pretty apparent, but I guess I hadn't been driving on any highways lately so the nice lady at the wild flower center had to break it to me that they were all gone. Well, not ALL of them! I managed to find ONE, sad little half-alive bluebonnet a few blocks from my house. Here're Tillie's first bluebonnet pictures:

Well, at least we had a lovely day with my sister and her family.

Tillie's first couple of swings:

Tillie's first swim:

Role Models

Food Expressionism

An Evening Out