We love Halloween!

I am sitting here eating my kid's candy and I feel so happy. It is such a blessing to relive the greatest moments of childhood through my girls. Olivia had a lot of fun with her cousins and daddy tonight trick or treating. She is getting a hang of how things work in the world and it is such a blast to see. Mila just walked and looked around in my arms with her sweet bunny ears and pink tutu. I am just so excited for all the Halloweens we have to look forward to!

Hope yours was a blast as well! Enjoy our crappy iPhone flash photos xo!

Yes, we're here!

I guess there is a trend with me being a bad blogger in the month of October. I did it last year, too!

October is a busy month.

This year in October we had our one year wedding anniversary, we went to SF and saw PORTISHEAD, Olivia turned two, and tomorrow is our first Halloween with our two girls :) BUSY.

Happy anniversary to us.

Happy birthday sweet girl.

I saw one of my favorite bands live in one of my favorite cities.

I promise I will be back with a fun post full of pictures. In the meantime, come check out our guest post over at a blog I am all about- Milk-Friendly!

San Francisco

I baked for my birthday girl

Headed to the Halloween carnival at the school daddy and grandma went to!

Libre.

The weeks are flying. I mean, tomorrow it's Monday and I will wake up to Friday. Perhaps that is the way it goes when there is so much going, going, going. One thing that is for certain about motherhood is that you are so immersed into another being that is growing like a weed, you start to realize your own age is incrementing just as quickly.

I have made a conscious choice to savor every moment we spend doing not much of anything. I have this fire burning inside me to create-explore-become but really I need to extinguish it with the reality that right now I am every bit a mother. I smell Olivia's hair every single time she will sit in my lap for more than a second, I relish in Mila tiny hands cupping her mama milk cup, and I try to plan fun adventures for us that will bring that light into O's eyes. Tall trees, play structures, animals, wide open spaces where she can run. I can wait for me.

Last night we had a "family" dinner at our close friend's house and after Mila was set down to sleep Olivia was still up and hanging out with all the adults. She is so aware of the surroundings. Dancing, singing, laughing, a mini sous-chef for the guys preparing our yummy meal. Our blondie is so much fun and I cannot wait keep exploring the world the way she sees it. So large, exciting, lacking constraints. She is so free.


Coronado, CA 10/11

Let's talk food.

The husband and I have an unspoken agreement on who does what around here. It's not set in stone or anything but with our juggle of duties it's really nice that we're all hands on deck. This semester Todd literally has one day off a week, and that day off is crammed with family fun time, his studying, running errands, shopping, and recently to my dismay: football.

This new jam-packed schedule has put me in quite the predicament. I have to do the cooking. Some days, it's all three meals. You may be shocked, but no, I do not enjoy cooking. I love good food, I just do not get all stoked on slaving away in the kitchen. Baking, sure. Cooking every meal Olivia and I eat- blah. Todd wears the chef hat around here and he wears it well.



So, the issue here is a mama who isn't a kitchen whiz like my own mama is and a toddler with a discerning palate. She squeals in delight over sushi, broccoli, and gouda but turns her nose at chicken nuggets and any other food that isn't colorful. She's bored with my easy, safe dishes and I need some ideas.



In other words- SHARE YOUR TODDLER FRIENDLY RECIPES PLEASE. What do you make for your kids?

Mila- 3.5 months

Mila honey is growing too quickly and I am just so against that. Every morning we lay in bed while she nurses and I really savor those moments. Todd takes Olivia into the living room when she wakes up and they get to hang out and watch Sesame Street while I get to spend some quality time with my sweet girl. We cosleep but I feel this morning session we have is really the only time of day Mila gets me to herself. Our days center around getting Olivia out and about. She's so high energy and easily bored that Mila is no stranger to toddler playmates, dozens of parks in San Diego, and mama cafes.



She's so alert and inquisitive. Her gaze is penetrating and her eyes are just stunning. I look back on posts I wrote to her when I was still pregnant and it is surprising how similar her spirit is to what I pictured. Calm and easy going. But, when she gets upset the only person who can calm her is me. This is hard seeing how I have Olivia to tend to also but I'll hold on to this fleeting phase of me being all she needs.


Eat: Still nursing quite frequently... Every 1-3 hours but only once during the night since she was only about six weeks old. Goes down easy, nurses to sleep around 8:30pm, eats around 4-5am and would sleep in a good while if only her sister would let us. I rarely pump and she hates the bottle so straight from the tap it is. Still slowly weaving off the shield but the LC I speak to weekly says we are doing great so I'm not stressing.

Size: 3-6 month clothing... 3 month width and 6 month size length. She is long and lean but has the cutest pudge in her cheeks, legs, and elbows. Weighs around 12.10-13lbs (7.10 at birth).

Skills: Hates tummy time. Lots of smiling. Cooing and vocalizing a lot. I'm still waiting for a belly laugh.



Favorite things: Eating, ceiling fans, sister's crazy antics, people talking to her and saying her name, the colors of the TV.

Hates: Car seat, bottles, strangers holding her.

I cannot believe that at this time last year she was but a cluster of cells I didn't even know about.

Optimistic.

One may think that a mother of two (still under two) should have plenty of blog writing material. I mean, there's those milestones and late nights up, sleep patterns and word counts. These posts are absent around these parts because the days are too short. Too quick. The day begins and I am trying to savor my cup of coffee while Olivia declares her state of independence in a language I can only sort of decipher. Mila coos and smiles, her eyes get larger daily. Whirlwinds.

My blog lacks daily posts and fluidity. I am all over the place. Every single morning I consciously lay in the first couple of minutes upon waking, while scooting Mila closer for her morning feeding, and I plan our day. The day is planned depending on the weather, my mood, and the day of the week. Playdates, activities, park days abound but it seems trivial to post photos of Olivia on yet another swing. Do you really care how many times little M wakes per night?

Life has kicked me square in the ass and I took the hint. I am aware that my plate is full and I fill it more. I've chosen to surround my girls and me with everything our city has to give. The brilliant sun that never seems to falter, endless parks to discover, and good music. Creativity gets us through the day to day and inspires us. Others inspire me and I inspire them. I hope.