beware of the belly button

Will this be rookie mom mistake number 7?

I was faced with a dirty belly button. Bath time. Perfect.

Stripped down to the buff and held snugly in her father's arms I went in for the attack armed with two dampened cotton swabs.

That guck was stuck in there.

Dare to challenge me!

I went in closer, used both hands gently squeezing. Yes, I got it!

And then it happened.

A warm golden stream hit against my cheeks just missing my open mouth,

reaching my shirt and eventually my lap!

I laughed until I cried.

I learned two things from this incident:

One. Even girls can projectile pee.

Two. Make sure your baby is wearing a diaper when you try to clean their belly button.

rookie

I've made my share of new mom mistakes. I forgot to pack a change of clothes in my carry-on bag on our first flight together at three months which resulted in a blow out of the smelly kind, a onesie that had to be peeled off and thrown in the trash and a baby wearing only bloomers and a zip up hoody.  I've gone off to meet a friend for lunch and forgotten to pack a bottle resulting in me scarfing down half of a sandwich and racing home. I learn from my mistakes; there is an extra onesie in my bag at all times and I never leave home without my little cooler packed with a bottle and a teething treat.

Yesterday, after music class which ends at noon, we decided to go out for lunch. We being my husband, who was the only dad at class, and my friend and her daughter who is ten days younger than Clementine. The adults sat in the booth and two high chairs were placed at the end of the table. This sounds risky but it actually was fine. Both girls sat like little eight-month-old-ladies throwing one toy on the ground after another (why don't those high chairs have a built in net under them to catch everything?) and watched us eat.

Clementine is at a stage where she stares at us and our food and gives us looks like "Hey, I love steak. What's up with all of these pureed fruits and vegetables? Have you tasted this rice cereal?" There happened to be two thick round carrot slices on my plate next to my panini. Oh, a little color on the plate, I thought to myself, how healthy.

Why not? She can gum the carrot and feel like she's eating with us. It will be fine.

Happily, she took the carrot and started sucking. I was listening to my friend's story intently when my husband interrupted to ask what was wrong with Clementine. I looked over at her and her face was bright red and her eyes were all watery as she kept right on licking that carrot. What's going on?! Is she allergic to carrots? No, she eats them all of the time! What is it?! My husband picked up the other carrot on my plate and took a bite.

It just so happened that it was a pickled spicy carrot.

Oops.

She had a little water and forgot all about it. That's the best part about babies. They still love their parents even after they do something stupid.

As for me, add it to my list of rookie mom mistakes. Taste food before giving it to your baby. Noted.

smile.

Yes, it's Monday and we're all smiling. Even Weezie.

When you take your first and only child to her six month check up and the doctor tells you that she's very bright and astute and to keep up the good work it really can put a smile on your face. A nice pat on the back for two parents who have no idea what they're doing and really just wing it.

That makes for a happy Monday.

But what really makes it a happy Monday is that it brings us one day closer to Tuesday and the ever anticipated last season of Lost. I think the mister and I will have ourselves a Lost party. Mango, papaya, fish, and most certainly cake. A Dharma cake. I have a plan...

flat parsley

My husband made us dinner last night from the Anthony BourdainLes Halles cookbook he received as a Christmas present. He went to the market to get all of his ingredients and  enthusiastically pursued his 'in another life' dream of being a chef. I glanced at the recipe and saw that it called for one sprig of flat parsley yet there was a bunch of curly parsley sitting on the counter. When I asked him about it he pointed to the pie serving knife and said, in all seriousness, "I know. I tried flattening it out the best I could."

He realized after I burst out laughing that maybe there was really such a thing as flat parsley. The kind that came already flattened straight from the fields. Why a pie server as a flattening tool? He said he looked, but couldn't find a mallet.

Real life in the kitchen makes me smile. And dinner was delicious.

miss you my darling...

Thinking of my grandfather this Veterans Day.

When I was younger I was going through my grandparent's records and came across a 45 in a simple kraft cover. It was a record that my grandfather had made for my grandmother while he was away. "My darling, I miss you...and your sparkling green eyes...", that's what I remember from it. Really, that's all I needed to hear. I was the age where that made me giggle and tease my grandfather.  "Oh, I miss your sparkling green eyes, my darling," I would coo at the two of them. They would just smile, my grandfather blushing slightly.

I loved to listen to that 45 and imagine the soldiers waiting in line to record loving messages for their sweethearts at home. And the girls listening to  them over and over just to hear that voice and be comforted. I imagine the excitement, the butterflies, and the angst of missing someone so much.

Whatever happened to "my darling"? It seems to be a sentimental phrase from the past. I close my eyes and can only hear it in black and white. "My darling, I miss you...and your sparkling green eyes..."

So romantic and true.

lickin' for love

Some of you know this story, but today seems like a good day to tell it again.

A long time ago in a land far away (Spring 2003, NYC)

I gave my love a giant gobstopper.

"When I get to the center of this giant gobstopper," he said,

"I will ask you to marry me."

Oh my! I thought. Please start licking!

At first he licked a little each night. It was so exciting to see the colors change with each layer.

However, I began to realize it would take many nights of intensive licking to get to the center of that giant gobstopper.

Should I secretly boil it down in a pot of water?

Surely he would notice.

I would just have to wait. And wait. And wait.

As dust started to collect upon its candy shell I gave up hope.

Our love was true...

It would happen when it was supposed to happen.

Even though I saw him pick it up from time to time and lick, straight through the dust,

I decided to forget about it.

Years passed.

One day we went for a long hike up a mountainside to a beautiful lake. We had a picnic lunch and gazed upon the wild vista.

My love then placed something in my hand.

What was this faded, broken thing?

It was the giant gobstopper, except it was giant no more.

He had licked all the way down to the final layer and the gummy center.

We were married two months later on the happiest, rainiest Saturday I have ever seen.

That was four years ago today.

Happy Anniversary, my love!

It was only appropriate we used giant gobstoppers as a wedding favor...

As for that original one, licked all the way down to the center, it sits in a frame forever protected from dust and always a reminder of how many licks were made for love.

why i haven't posted anything new...

cryin-clementine

Oh my darlin' cryin' clementine.

This little bundle has been keeping me from my crafty baking self which makes it hard to post new things.

Feeding a baby and enjoying all of her funny faces trumps blogging.

Now that the weather has cooled off I will be giving Clementine her first lessons in baking from her vibrating bouncy seat.

This picture was taken on her first road trip to Mt. St. Helens. She didn't really enjoy the view considering she can only focus on objects that are close by but she loved the car ride!