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The baby smile. Enough to make us all soft and mushy inside. Juniper is smiling much more now, especially with two grandmas loving over her every minute of the day. She can also hold up her head for longer periods of time - she works so hard at it.
Yesterday, grandmas, Charlie, and I took June for a walk over at the park in Del Mar right near the ocean. She was a little sweetie, dozing while we watched the surfers and sea lions, hoping for whales.
Look what I can do:
I have made many different kinds of chocolate chip cookies - thin, crispy, chunky, chewy, cakey, nutty. I am always struck by what buttery little devils they are. And the sugar - large quantities of thigh-building sugar. Which is why I usually fall back on my conviction that anything is made healthy with the addition of oatmeal. A whole-grain cookie is practically diet food in my mind. Oatmeal also helps in the crunchy department, since my preferred cookie incarnation is crispy and shattery. Add heart-healthy pecans to the party and the things might practially cure disease.
Continue reading "the lies we tell ourselves or oats, nuts, and chocolate" »
Juniper is much more active and alert these days. She loves to stare at her bee mobile while it spins and plays music. She also loves to gaze into our eyes, sometimes right before degenerating into frowny, fussy faces. We also get little glimpses of genuine baby smiles here and there. We have been toting her around to different places in her carrier when the weather permits. She sleeps snuzzled up on my chest for most of those outings.
Our little June Bug is one month old today!
I can't believe a whole month has gone by already. She is no longer that squirmy little newborn that we brought home from the hospital (and then the NICU). She stares at anything and everything in her vicinity, soaking it all in. She is learning how to control those twitchy little arms of hers. She is learning to be a good sleeper, though there are still a few bouts of fussy. She loves tummy time and napping with Daddy. She has a whole reportoire of cute, silly, strange noises that she makes. She loves bathtime but hates post-bathtime.
Thanks to my family and their knitting skills, she has the cutest hats:
Juniper had her one month pediatric well visit today. She now weighs nine pounds, fourteen ounces, and is twenty-two inches long. Her doc said that everything looks great. She was particularly impressed with those irresistible cheeks.
Juni in her heirloom bassinet from Grandma G:
Fluffy butt:
Charlie is back to work full time now, so Juniper and I spend the day eating and sleeping and watching The Food Network in high-definition. She has certainly found her "voice" in the past week and we are subject to little bouts of screaming while we scramble to figure out what she needs. She often sleeps through the night, waking only for feedings; however, there are those few dreaded nights when she doesn't sleep at all and instead wants to be bounced around the house in someone's arms continuously. We have become good bouncers.
Playtime with Daddy (that gorgeous playmat is from Etsy seller lovenatalie):
We're having a great time getting to know her though, and she surprises us every day. For the first time in my life, I find myself wanting to stop time, wanting to fully appreciate every minute, every moment, because I know she's going to grow up in a flash. She is already very different from that first day we brought her home. I've gone through the motions before of trying to be mindful of each day and appreciative of the moment, but nothing drives that point home like having this incredible little person in your arms that is changing and growing all the time.
Snug as a (June) bug in her Moby Wrap. Hmm, this is a familiar shape for me....
Babies are such a nice way to start people. -Don Herold
...a girl needs her chocolate and bourbon. Specifically, chocolate bourbon cake. This recipe ran in The New York Times on December 3rd and has been featured on several blogs since then (in its far, far prettier incarnation as a fancy Bundt cake rather than my, shall we say, rustic loaf cakes). This is a nice, moist, fine-crumb, boozed up cake that makes a great late-night snack. I am in need of late-night snacks these days, since Juni seems to be confused about daytime and nightime. She is out like a light when the sun shining but is wide awake in those wee hours of the morning when her silly mama wants to get some sleep. Thus the 4 am chocolate binging.
But back to the cake. This cake has a full cup of bourbon. And a quarter of a cup of instant espresso. This is not a demure cake. This is an up-all-night-slamming-shots-of-Maker's-Mark kind of cake. This cake is that fancy dinner party guest who has had far too much to drink and is now telling dirty jokes and speaking way too loudly. You get the picture. It's fun. Make it. I opted not to sprinkle the bourbon over the cake after baking, since I didn't want to get all carried away with the booziness. But be my guest.
This past year has been so very full of living, growth, change, love, dreams realized, visions fulfilled, and best of all - a brand new life! Already, 2009 promises to be another year full of so many more exciting adventures - a growing little June Bug, a new city, a new home, a new job. Stay tuned and happy new year to all!
Juniper says, "Peace out, 2008!":