When London was a baby, she loved getting her hair washed. I used to say she was going to the salon when I put her in the bath. Last Saturday she had her first real salon experience when she got her first haircut. She wasn't scared at all and didn't cry! Maybe that had something to do with the barber chair designed like a car and the Dora video sedation:
Here is the "before" picture. Pretty shaggy!
On Saturday my friend, Nicole, and I both had absent husbands so we thought we'd hang out with our kids and do something fun. We drove over to the Berkeley's Tilden Park where there is a deluxe mini steam train to ride and an animal farm. Aside from getting lost multiple times and several toddler meltdowns, it was a success! The train ride is so great--it's at least 10 minutes long, has two tunnels, a cute old man engineer that blows the whistle and says "all aboard!" and it's only $2!! That is a bargain, considering the one in San Mateo's central park is $1.50 and goes around the puny lawn only once!
In this picture London is looking at chickens, but it also shows her squatting prowess. 
London also participated in the Nordstrom spring fashion show on Saturday. Her friends, Lucy and Ella, were also in the show. Ella wore the same dress, so she and London walked down the catwalk together. I had to restrain myself from buying the ensemble because it's just so adorable! You can get a good look of London's new and improved hairstyle after her salon makeover:
Monday, March 10, 2008
Saturday Fun
Monday, March 3, 2008
Picture People Shoot
Today we were at the mall running some errands when a nice lady from the Picture People approached me and offered me a free 10x13. She said they were really slow and were looking for customers. What mother can pass up a free enlargement of her adorable child? The only problem was London was not wearing a very cute outfit, so I ducked into Gymboree real quick to see if I could find something better. I found a cute red shirt on clearance that matched mine, so I thought it might be cute to have our pictures taken together. These are from the email they sent me, so they have that annoying watermark on them, but hey--they're free! This is the one i got: (good thing I had a pedi on Saturday!)
London wasn't wanting to stay put on the set, so I let her wear my shoes to slow her down--kinda cute though! Plus, they match better than her pink crocs.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Aunt Kierstin to the Rescue!!
Thank you all for your supportive comments! I am so fortunate to have friends like you to boost my morale and tell me how it will be on the other side of all this chaos! Thankfully, my angel sister came across the country from Connecticut to help me out this week. As a veteran mother of 3 kids, she knew exactly what to do. While she took care of the girls and other household chores...
Here is what I was doing!
I got to take advantage of the spa gift certificate Tim gave me for Valentine's Day! It was also great fun having Kier here to watch American Idol and Lost with at night. She also stayed home one night while Tim and I went shopping for a new mattress (to replace the one we got for $100 at DI when we were first married). We got a great deal that Sleep Train matched from an online sale. The sales associate was visibly disturbed she had to honor it. I even got her to throw in $200 sheets because I overheard her give them to the couple ahead of us. How great is it when you make a large purchase and when you leave it's the sales person who feels like she got taken rather than you?! So here is our new king bed in all its glory, along with a new comforter & shams:
Thank you a thousand times over, Kier!
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Friday
It's 6:20am Sunday morning and I've been awake since 5:38. Eden needed some soothing back to sleep and I couldn't get back to sleep after that, so I'm going to post about what I've been thinking about. Now, all you moms of 2+ kids reading this are probably going to nod your heads with a smirk of a smile and think, "Honey, you ain't seen nothin' yet!" as you reflect on your own trials by fire. No doubt you have a higher capacity for catastrophe than I do, but I'm going to tell you about my Friday anyway in hopes that you'll be understanding.
Friday morning I decided to attempt going to my strollerobics class. I debated with myself on whether or not to do so, since Eden was actually sound asleep in her bassinet and it's always a risk to wake a sleeping baby. I got her back to sleep in the car, but she woke up again when I packed the girls in the Phil & Ted's. Class started, and I hoped that the movement of the stroller will lull her back to sleep. Not so lucky. I spent most of the class holding her while London was getting anxious herself being in the stroller. This confirmed my decision that I need to join a gym with childcare.
There is a park at the rec center where the class is held, so I thought I'd take London over there so she could run around and burn some of her pent-up energy. As I nursed Eden on the park bench, another mom of two with her newborn nursed next to me. We chit-chatted and she told me she's going back to work next month and asked me if I stay home with my kids. I told her yes, and she said, "I don't know you ladies do it." "Do what?" I asked. "Stay with your kids all day," she replied. Normally I'd think to myself, "I don't know how you don't!" but considering my woes of the past 2 months, I said, "Sometimes I think going to work would be easier." "It is definitely easier," she informed me. "I mean, it's hectic getting them ready and out the door in the morning, but then you sort of forget about them."
I've been thinking a lot about that comment. I think she's right, that it is easier to go to work. I think about Tim, who when he leaves in the morning he leaves all of the chaos and kid concerns behind. Being a nursing mother, I can never leave those concerns behind, even if I do manage to get away by myself for an hour or two. Moving on to the rest of the day...
After naps I decided to go buy a vibrating bouncy seat at the recommendation of my friend whose baby had colic (thanks, Ambyr). A repeat of the morning saga began. Eden was pleasantly asleep in her carseat when I started out, but it didn't last long. She was crying and London was trying to escape the cart. I managed to get the seat and get to the checkout line when the crying escalated to full-on screaming. We left the store and I walked with London over to the fountain at the shopping center. Eden managed to fall asleep in my arms. London was entertained for a few minutes, but then she kept trying to let her stuffed kitty go for a swim. After warning her stop--she didn't--I had to stick to my guns and leave. Fast forward an hour...
London is sitting at the table refusing to eat her dinner and I'm trying to assemble the bouncy seat. Eden starts crying, so I abort the project and decide it's time for a bath for both of them. I put Eden's little tub inside the big tub and get both girls in. Eden calms down for 30 seconds then begins screaming as if in pain. I wondered if the water was too hot and got her out. Just then London poops in the tub and starts freaking out herself. So I put Eden down on her towel and deal with the poop . I get London wiped and out of the tub, and start nursing Eden. London was happily playing with her blocks ( still naked) and Eden was happily nursing and I was trying to have a moment of peace when London pees on the floor and again freaks out. Pee was running down her leg and I couldn't stand it so I cleaned it up while still nursing. After I finished nursing, Eden was calm and I knew I had only a small window of time before she started crying again to get the tub cleaned and give London a proper bath. Tim called at this point to tell me it would be a late night. Whew! When I finally got both girls to bed--and asleep (there's a difference)--I barely had the energy to make myself a sandwich and sit on the couch.
Sometimes I think about my life and remember a time when I felt smart and accomplished. Now my brain is utilized to solve such problems as how to get a baby and a toddler into a shopping cart and I feel accomplished if I can get my newborn to sleep in her bassinet. I look at Tim and he seems to be getting smarter and smarter as the years go on and I feel like I'm getting dumber: after a dinner break I got back to my assembly work, only to find I forgot to buy the dang battery for the bouncy seat.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Eden's Blessing and First Smiles!
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Finally, a new post!
Don't you love baby feet?
Here's our chubby one-month-old!
It's tiring, all of this eating, sleeping, and growing!
London loves her sister!
Hamming it up for the camera. While we were at the Palace of Fine Arts, London was accosted by a paparazzi of Asian tourists who wanted to take pictures with her. Do you think she has a future as a celeb?
Trying to show London how to feed the ducks. She would hold out the food, but lacked the release.
Me and my girls in their Christmas PJ's
London's new car was a hit on Christmas morning. Not bad for $7 on craigs list!
London eating Santa's See's chocolates. The girl has taste.
