Okay so there are words involved with this week’s this moment but Ellie’s monthly photo falls on a Friday this month so I had to include both!
{this moment} “A single photo. No words. Capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.” -joining Soulemama!
Happy Friday! Have a fantastic weekend!
It’s so neat watching Ellie play. She’s really starting to explore toys and materials around her and now that she can scoot around, she’s moving her body in new ways and using her hands to really manipulate things around her. While I was going through some things in the guest room (catch-all room/ hopefully one day my craft room), I noticed how involved she was with a caterpillar toy she had gotten at a birthday party. I had to capture her exploration on film, it was just so neat watching her. She moved around the room for over fifteen minutes working on grasping and exploring and handling that string on the toy. (And yes, I know, her outfit is a bit pippi longstocking/punky brewsterish/smee from peter panish, but I found that cute little hat while organizing, and putting pants on the girl is like wrestling a pig these days).
It’s spring time and I find myself constantly looking at corners of my home, wanting to spruce them up, change out pictures, clean up areas and bring a more “springy” look to them. Here is one corner I spruced up a bit recently. Taking away some of the autumn colors and adding a bit of green here and there. Some of our broccoli in the garden began to flower and so in the vase it goes. I think it’s rather lovely. Don’t you?
*The beautiful watercolor painting is by this lovely lady (who happens to be my grand mother).
Since it’s April and April is National Poetry Month and these “Just Write’s” are to get me writing freely, regularly, and to give me practice, I thought I’d write this week’s prose in poetry form.
Happy Morning
I lay beside her.
Her little tummy goes up and down with her breath.
I watch her eyes flutter under her eye lids.
She awakens slightly to find my breast.
She nurses quickly, then falls back into a peaceful slumber.
Her warm little body snuggles me close.
I open my eyes.
Sun is streaming in through the windows.
She smiles at me on all fours, scooting around the bed.
I kiss her head.
We get up.
Leave a snoring Daddy behind.
I pat the furry head sleeping downstairs.
We turn the t.v on. Find out what’s happening in the world.
The sun is rising higher now. It fills the room with quiet light.
I open the shades and let more in.
We settle on the rug.
My coffee mug in hand.
The one he bought me from Seattle.
Dadadadada she repeats, rolling the sounds around in her mouth.
She scoots around on the rug, crawling over my knees, trying to get at my mug.
I smile at her as I sip my tea and crunch my granola.
Al Roker starts singing a silly song.
She turns toward the t.v. and stares.
Smiles.
She looks back at me and goes for my tea mug again.
I put the mug down, pick her up and give her a cuddle.
She chews on my face.
Her teeth are still not coming in, but her gums certainly are sore.
I kiss her and start to sing the good morning song.
We hear Daddy come down the stairs all sleepy eyed.
The little dog follows him, sleepy eyed too.
She sees him and smiles big.
She waves her hands excitedly.
He smiles real big and picks her up out of my arms and kisses her on the head.
He asks for tea.
I get him his mug.
The one I got him for Christmas.
It says Daddy.
We watch the news together on the rug.
She crawls on top of us trying to get our mugs.
We kiss each other.
We smile.
This is happiness.
-joining Heather for Just Write.
As you can see from all the photos, we had a very busy but very fun weekend! Friday we said goodbye to Jeff’s parents as they headed back across the country to Boston. Saturday we spent the day in Los Angeles at a very special first birthday party. Ellie got to meet her two Great Uncles, cousins she had never met and a slew of other family. It was a really lovely day! (That kitty was the handmade softie I made for the birthday girl). Sunday was Ellie’s first Easter and we had Easter dinner at our house. First we made a pit stop at the Antique market before we got a rained out and headed back home to prepare for Easter dinner. Then we enjoyed good food, family, friends, and lots of tulips and candy. It was such an exciting day, Ellie ended up falling asleep right after dinner and then waking up just in time for bedtime. It was a long, busy, lovely Easter weekend. How was yours?
*linking up with Amanda.
13/52
eloise: you are all of a sudden moving! Scooting and kind of crawling and just getting places. You haven’t quite mastered the art of synchronizing those hands and knees to get a real crawl going, but boy that scoot and drag you have going on is certainly getting you places. You resemble an inch worm, inching along at a pretty good pace. We are definitely putting baby gates in the budget for next month.
*joining Jodi for the lovely 52 project!
My favorites from last week are blue eyed Jessica, the fact that there are new babies being born throughout this project and how can you resist a child and their books.
“A single photo. No words. Capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.” -joining soulemama. Happy Friday!
I couldn’t help myself. I had more chenille and more fabric I was dying to dip into. So I made another Easter animal. This time, an Easter Bear. I could have given this one away but I fell in love with it. So, I’m keeping it for Ellie. I fear by the time I am done, she will have a whole zoo of softie animals.
Besides making softie animals, I’ve been walking a lot. The weather has been beautiful and we are trying to take advantage. Ellie and I took a walk around the neighborhood today and I’m so glad I brought my camera because the flowers were out in full bloom.
The bees were buzzing, the birds were chirping. The colors of the flowers all around us throughout the neighborhood were mesmerizing. It truly feels like spring is here. And I’m loving it! I think I’ll go make another spring time softie…
So baby food. Just when I was feeling like I was mastering the whole breast-feeding thing, Ellie starts reaching for food, sitting up unassisted and losing that tongue thrust. All tell-tale signs she’s probably ready for solids. We are starting a bit later than others but I wanted to follow her lead and make sure I wasn’t pushing anything on her that she, or I wasn’t ready for. But, let me tell you. Making baby food is a daunting task. I wanted to do more of a baby-led weaning approach, but I am not so confident or comfortable with giving her chunks of food just yet, so I’m opting to begin with some purees and then go from there. I’ve been pretty much grinding food that Jeff and I are having for breakfast, lunch and dinner in a food mill and offering that to her a couple times a day in between nursing sessions. She’s had sweet potato, bananas, squash, applesauce, broccoli, pears, peas, avocado and carrots. She’s surprisingly a bigger fan of the veggies. This weekend I boiled yellow and pink beets and then pureed them in the food processor. She really enjoyed the beets!
* the deliciously adorable bib is courtesy of this lovely lady! Find her darling hand-made’s here!
I can’t help myself. I know it’s not Easter yet but I just had to share what I made for Ellie. We didn’t quite budget enough for the bunny I had my eyes on for Ellie’s first Easter basket (we realized Easter landed in March this year a little too late). I started pouting and throwing an “I hate budgets” tantrum when I came across another bunny I adored on Etsy. This time though, I thought I could probably make it myself. So I found some leftover chenille from Jeff’s quilt and some spring-timeish fabric and whipped up Ellie’s very own completely hand sewn Easter bunny. Another product of those long nursing sessions and napping in my arms that’s been happening lately. I was so impressed with myself I forgot all about wanting to buy her a bunny. I’m itchin’ to make more- so I’ve already started a new little softie with the rest of the chenille… who knows, maybe I’ll be selling on Etsy someday soon.
summerplayshouse 