11 Months

In just one month, my baby boy is going to be one year old!  One year young?
The past 31 days have been the best yet- something I'm sure to say every month until...well, a long time.  We've finally got naps down to schedule (two a day, each about 1.5-2 hours long), he's eating great, and he sleeps at night without waking us up.  Someone pinch me.
August continues to be a pretty happy kid, and I just love getting to spend my days with him.  We have a wonderful group of mama and baby friends, some older and some younger, and we have play dates nearly every week day.  Although he's not really playing with other kids yet, he likes being in a group of babies and is pretty well-behaved with them.  Playgrounds have become a favorite, and he really enjoys climbing up and down the stairs, and pulling himself up on the bottom of slides.

There have been a few instances when August has stood up and stayed up for a minute or two, but he doesn't seem really steady yet and gets weirdly fussy after this show of independence.  I'm not sure if he's confused about his balance or thinks we should still be holding him 24/7, but it's very cool to see him discover a new vantage point.
We're still nursing a bit, but it's really declining.  I'll spend this month weaning him, and my goal is to have him on cow's or soy milk by his birthday.  You've got a dedicated post on breastfeeding coming up in the next month or two, where I'll wrap up my experience and lessons learned.  It's been great, but I'm really looking forward to having my body back!

On the food front, August gets puree food pouches when we're out and about (they're just so easy to throw in our diaper bag!), and regular foods when we're at home.  If JP and I are having sweet potatoes, rise, and chicken sausage for dinner, August is having a baby portion of it, too!  There isn't much he won't eat, and his appetite is pretty voracious.  Maybe that explains why he's sleeping 10-11 hours at night.
I can't believe that I've been August's mama for almost one year!  I'm soaking up this baby period while I still can.  Can you blame me?

Our Week in Photos

If the babies are happy, we're all happy.

Lately, when August is having a meltdown, just taking him into our backyard and letting him put his little toes in the dirt seems to calm him right down.  I think he's going to be our outdoorsman.

On Saturday, we took August up to DC to visit some friends and our old stomping grounds. While we waited for our flight, August tried to talk JP into giving up a bit of his cheese danish.

While at the National Zoo, he was more entertained by pie crust from Pie Sisters than by the beavers we sat next to.  Tough kid to impress.

Katrina trekked all in the way to the Zoo to meet us and August!  And she brought my favorite pie!  Friends are the best.

We stayed with our friends who had an 8-month old, and it was so surreal to watch the men pushing strollers.  There was a time when we spent our mornings at leisurely two-hour brunches, sipping mimosas and discussing the late-night movies we'd seen recently.  Now, we're talking about nap times and Netflix!

 August's latest thing is crawling up plastic slides, which results in a treadmill effect for him.  Whatever wears him out.

We got to catch up with Aunt SJ!  She is so patient with the little man, and he loved her tickles.

 On Monday morning, we walked into Georgetown for Baked and Wired and a picnic on the waterfront.
Don't worry- August's espresso cup is empty.

I call this one, "Papa y los patos."

Buttermilk Bourbon Ice Cream

I recently had some leftover buttermilk from a waffle recipe and, honestly, there aren't a ton of healthy things to do with it.  My favorite buttermilk recipes are to be paired with maple syrup (waffles or pancakes) or cheese (biscuits).  Now, I have one more option for leftovers: ice cream.  Last week I made this buttermilk and bourbon ice cream recipe, topping the final product with honey and almond biscotti.  Oh man...talk about decadent and perfect for summer.  This ice cream has more of a soft serve texture with a tart aftertaste; the bourbon does not hurt either characteristic.  I would love to try it topped with grilled peaches or roasted strawberries- guess I'll have to pick up some more buttermilk.

Our Week in Photos

 The little man's plight: which toy to play with first?

 He's always first in my book!

 There is a great playground nearby with this wheel that August loves.  Such a little car dude.

 Taking a quick nap on his papa before playtime.
The tenderness here just kills me.

 Could August look more grown-up here?!  We had lunch with his abuelos at a nice restaurant, and he was on his best behavior.

 My diaper bag is a wreck.

 On Mother's Day, we all got waffles!  The grown-ups did use utensils, though.

Papa needs supervision in the yard, apparently.

Waiting for Dogot, Part 4

Could this dog be any more patient?  She is approaching sainthood.

One More Thing

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You might know BJ Novak from his many roles in movies and TV shows we love to watch (The Office, Saving Mr. Banks, Inglorious Basterds), and now you can have his book sitting on your own bookshelf!  

One More Thing is a collection of short stories (some very short, just a few lines) that you will just totally breeze through.  There's the guy who wears the same red shirt every day so that he's easy to pick out in the 'Missed Connections' section of the newspaper, the girl who gives great advice, a child who wins a cereal competition which unravels his life.  One of my favorites is about a woman on a blind date with a great guy except that he's a warlord.  (This American Life did a radio show of this story, which starts 7 minutes in here.)  

You'll love it for a beach day, as it's easy to find stopping points, or for a day of travel on a flight with a child. I totally enjoyed it.

Sick Days

August has been sick for the past few days (since Thursday, when he registered a 102.1 fever), so we've been taking it easy around the Diego house.  Nothing too serious; our doctor just thinks he has a baby version of a sinus infection, and his fever is gone as of this morning.  There is a lot of coughing and nose stuff happening, though, so most of my attention has gone to the little man.
What to do with a little man who is under the weather?  Our play dates were canceled, dinners with adults were rain checked, and we've hunkered down inside the house.  I've got a few tricks up my sleeve, though!
-Bubbles!  We've got tubes of them around the house (near the high chair, living room play area, upstairs nursery, diaper bag), and they are perfect for distracting a fussy kid.  I can usually get at least 15 minutes to contented play out of them.
-Outdoor time.  I've got two picnic blankets (one in the car, one near our backyard door), so we can head outside to listen to the birds, watch Mia sniff around, touch all the leaves near the stairs, and swing!  We can be outside for up to 30 minutes without complaint.
-Baby gym. More than anything, August just wants to be mobile these days.  With adult supervision and guidance, he loves crawling/walking up our stairs as many times as our legs allow it.  He also loves to scurry over pillows I lay on the living room floor, pull himself up and 'cruise' along a furniture 'obstacle course,' and find me as I hide behind corners in the house.  The more active he is between naps, the longer he sleeps!
-Story time.  August absolutely adores books, and we have piles of them around the house for his perusal.  We do a few 10-minute story times, including a couple of songs, throughout the day.
-Drive-through outings.  Sometimes, I just have to leave the house, if only for a drive around.  August and I like hitting up the Starbucks and enjoying a treat at a park, or sharing some frozen yogurt in the back seat when I park.  He really doesn't mind his car seat, so we can be out for 30 minute increments.
-Mama workouts.  As much as I love going to classes at our YMCA, I can't leave August in their daycare while he's sick like this.  When his fever is down, though, I love taking him for runs in the stroller around our neighborhood.  He likes getting out and checking out the scenery, and I love that I don't feel like a bum sitting around the house all day.  We're usually out for about an hour this way.  Mia usually joins us, which keeps August extra entertained!
-Lots of snuggles.  Need I say more?

Lemon Braised Chicken with Beans and Pesto

This recipe for lemon braised chicken is going to change your life during the summer; not only can you make it in a crockpot, it can also be served cold in its leftover life.  Brilliant!
I tweaked a few little things: soaked my navy beans overnight in the crockpot (thus didn't have to dirty another bowl), added more boiling water than recommended because I wanted it a bit soupy, and used a store-bought basil pesto.  I'm sure the mint is absolutely delicious, though, so certainly make it if you've got the time!  It's great served over white rice.

Met Gala 2014

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Are you guys spending your morning drooling over the gorgeous gowns from last night's Met Gala?  My favorites are Hailee Steinfeld's custom black and white dress, and Suki Waterhouse's stunning blush tiered gown (which kind of reminds me of a certain wedding dress...in the slightest way)

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Vogue, of course, has lots of great coverage of the fashions from last night; what was your favorite look?

Tattoos vs. Kids

This article truly made me laugh out loud.  I love you, Ugly Volvo writer.

Our Week in Photos

 What a busy week we just finished!  Last Friday, August entertained himself with our Apple TV remote while I worked out and tidied up the house for Aunt Haley's visit.  She was our babysitter and general sanity-minder while my sister-in-law Ana got married (!!) on Saturday.

 Before the wedding, though, we had a friend's baptism (he's the baby furthest on the right) at the same church just 2 hours pre-ceremony!  We're so lucky to have found great parent friends here in Atlanta.

 Auntie Haley helped August have his own little Graduate moment at All-Saints.
We are very amused by his movie references.

 Then, thanks to a lot of patience from his godmother, August took a nap during the ceremony.  Such a sleepy boy and such a wonderful aunt for holding him for so long!

 Ana is now a wife!!  Seriously, she was a stunning bride, and Adam looked so darn handsome I could hardly stand it.  I'm so glad to have another wonderful brother-in-law!  Congratulations to the happy couple!  Now, when are you giving August a cousin?

 Supermodel boy and his sidekick, Mia the Wonderdog.

 August has recently discovered a deep love for our dishwasher, which is kind of cute at first, then a huge pain because it's impossible to unload it with him underfoot.  Thankfully, he seems content to also open random kitchen cabinets and bang on plastic strainers.

 There is an absolutely awesome playground/park a quick drive from our house, and we met up with JP for lunch on Thursday.  The adults enjoyed some Publix subs then helped August crawl around the tunnels and stairs.

 I think this is my new favorite picture of him and his squishy little face.  Christmas card!

I used this gorgeous morning as an excuse to take the kids for a hike around Leita Thompson, and was greeted with this view through an opening in the trees.  There are a lot of things I miss about DC still, but moments like this are a good reminder of why we moved here. 

This wiggly, quick, smiley, entertaining boy.  He is my favorite little man.

Tiny Strawberry Scones

On April 2, August woke up at 4:45am and decided he was awake for the day.  I nursed him and then thought, "...what do I do from now until the time when the rest of the world (including the sun) wakes up?"  Lucky for me, Joy the Baker had posted this delicious recipe for tiny, delicious strawberry scones.  They're easy to whip up with a crawling baby around the kitchen, and will make your husband very happy to come downstairs for breakfast.  Win-win!

Waiting for Dogot, Part 3

Because he is the sweetest little man and love to chew on everything, sometimes we give August a mini almond biscotti from Trader Joe's to munch on.  As you can see in the above video, Mia keeps a very close eye on him during these episodes.  She is our little vacuum cleaner.