Moving Again!

I am pretty sure I had a post titled "moving again" last year at about the exactly the same time. I also think I was exactly the same amount of pregnant. Funny how our move always happens around the third trimester, and that is no fun for mommy!

Either way, I wanted to let everyone know that we are doing quite well and looking forward to our move. We have fabric swatches picked out, painting estimates coming in, and movers arriving within the next few days. We can't wait to set up everything in our new home (rented, but still) and start settling in for a few years. After so much moving (my entire life, really) I am feeling really blessed to be in the same spot for awhile.

Hubby forwarded me another great kids discount deal-of-the-day site and I thought I would pass it along to my other mommy friends:

http://Kids.woot.com/

I also like:

http://www.zulily.com/

If you sign up for zulily, say I referred you :)

I am sure we will have a good belly shot for you all soon, and oh what a belly it is... I certainly feel ten weeks ahead of where I was last time, which is consistent with a second timer.

Steve is looking through his many law firm offers and trying to decide which firm is the right fit for him. It is a big decision as some firms are more "family-oriented" than others. It is really important for us to be able to spend time together at night. We often don't go out or do anything, especially during the week. We just sit and play with little Dalia (and her growing number of toys).

Speaking of toys, Dalia is quite obsessed with her Thomas and Hank trains. She loves to read books, play with anything that resembles a small person or animal, and use her magnadoodle. Play-Doh and crayons are also high up on her list.

She is still not too aware of what baby in the belly means, and we anticipate mixed feelings in October when her little sibling (we didn't find out if it is a boy or girl!!!!) arrives healthily and happily. We can't wait to have our birth experience again using the same amazing doula. The addition of Hillary Keiser, CNM, from Gentle Birth Care is also very exciting for us. We know that the birth experience we want is a valuable goal and that for us at least, changed the entire experience of caring for a newborn. It will be even better this time around, we are sure.

So that is my update. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for photos of our new place coming together through the rest of summer!

Annnnnnd We're Having....

We don't know!

It will be a surprise!

So few in life, why not enjoy this one?!

Because Licking the Bowl is Classy

She just can't get enough: brown rice with Indian-spiced spinach and lentils.

She has to lick the freaking bowl!!

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18 Months of Nursing Milestone!

I am so excited to write that we have made it to the 18 month milestone of nursing.

I am so proud knowing that I have given Dalia the very best for so long. Breastfeeding was a goal of mine, and then making it to 6 months, and then 1 year. My main support has been my own tenacity and empowerment through knowledge and research. Being educated is a girl's best weapon! I also don't care what other people think about it, and that always helps!

Dalia only really nurses in the mornings now, but she loves starting her day with a snuggle in mommy's bed. And some people might think this is odd, but in fact my mom's group has several mothers (pregnant and not) who are currently nursing--it isn't a "weird" momma group either. We were brought together by zip code through an organization called Moms Club. Oh, and everyone in my group has a 18 month old. Oh, and there are former lawyers, yoga instructors, health professionls... you get my drift, right?

18 months have gone by so incredibly fast. And though she may look and act like a big girl, she is still a little one in my eyes!

New Home

After a whirlwind trip to Chicago, we finally picked our next home:

We couldn't be happier with our decision, though it was a difficult one. Chicago has so many lovely homes and areas. One of our main concerns was proximity to public transportation (.5 mile walk--Steve currently walks .7). The area we chose is known for being close to the lake, having great schools, being Jewish-friendly, being very family friendly, and having a lot of unique, older homes.

The trip itself was obviously stressful (flying, getting a rental car, getting to the hotel, realizing the hotel doesn't have a pac and play....) and mommy and Dalia spent plenty of quality time together. I managed to feed her every meal in between appointments. She even got to check out a few local parks, lucky girl!

I can't say bye bye to DC just yet... we still have another couple of months, but those months are much easier knowing that we have a place to live and a place to call home.

Moving... AGAIN!

As many of you know, Steve was offered a Supreme Court Clerkship this year with Justice Kennedy. With an offer as amazing as that (really, like no one gets that), we both knew we had to uproot and move to the Washington, DC area. Needless to say, the transition was difficult for me, especially as a new mommy who had just bonded with so many other women who had recently become mommies themselves.

All through this year we thought about where we might move to next. With the average townhouse in our area costing over $500,000, and the general "culture" of the city being pretty, well, not present, it was clear pretty fast that we didn't really belong in the DC area. There is the other places we have lived (Boston and Philadelphia) and of course, one of our favorite places, Chicago. Boston was hardly a competitor--for more reasons than I can count--and Philadelphia firms aren't as ready to fork over a signing bonus. And this isn't the easy way out. We have both spent our lives studying, researching, and working our way through this year by year--each step leading to the next step, everything and every job for a reason... everything in our lives leads up to this point, and it isn't luck, it is hard work and serious planning.

It hasn't taken too much time for us to realize that Chicago is the best choice for so many reasons. And with Steve's academic career really taking off these days (did I mention is newest article is going to be published in University of Chicago's Law Review? As in, one of the top five academic placements in legal academia?) we can't imagine a better place to be. So we are thrilled with our decision.

Now is the time where we search for homes. And there are two lovely, lovely beauties that we have our eyes on. Both are in Evanston, IL, an amazing town (home to Northwestern University) and part of Chicago's "north shore". Both are walking distance to the lake, walking distance to whole foods and yummy eateries, and of course, lots of coffee shops. The decision is difficult as one is on a tree-lined street with gas street lamps and unique homes all well-kept and maintained. The other is more "city-like", though with a beautiful fenced in back yard. It is .1 miles to the metra and within walking distance to everything, including streets of beautiful homes, with much less charm than our other choice (a 100 year old dutch colonial revival).

Either way, stay tuned as we reveal which place we select for the next two to three year stretch of our lives. We aren't settling yet and planting roots--that will come when Steve takes on his academic job, which I know he can't WAIT to do :) Congrats, honey, I am so proud of you!

So that is that. That is what is up with us :) And update on the pregnancy may be next...

And You Just Can't Hide This

So what do you do when you aren't telling people you are pregnant (hmmm did we wait until like 23 weeks to announce on facebook the first time LOL) but your belly begs the question:

"oh my, when are you due?!"

You realize that your belly does the announcing for you!

Walking Videos!

With apologies for not having the videos uploaded directly to the blog, click HERE to see the very first steps of a little girl named Dalia! It only took 16.5 months! But, our Dalia is not a risk taker. She waits until she has it mastered!

My favorite part is the point at which she starts screaming, "walk walk walk walk," and a close second is the part where she says, "dada dada."

Enjoy!!

Stay Tuned...

Blogging will resume shortly.

Annnnnnnnd, you will get to see a little video of Dalia walking for the first time!

Reliving a Beautiful Photo

Thanks again to DC area children's photographer, Lily B photography, for taking such beautiful photos of Dalia. This photo is on our entertainment console and I just looked up today and remembered how much I love her in this little hat!

This isn't the famed photo of our little girl that helped her win the photo contest,

but it is surely one of my favorites! If you are in the area, hire her!

Birthday!

Happy Birthday to you, sweet husband.

I can't believe I am celebrating 9 birthdays as your one and only. Here is a list of things that I love/think about you:

brilliant

handsome

giving

caring

compassionate

easily persuaded at times

fabulous daddy

wonderful labor coach

hilarious

super successful

kind

honest

Honestly, the list could go on for a life time, just like our love. Have a wonderful, beautiful, and momentous year. I can't wait to see what this next year holds for us.

Love,

Me

p.s. i will forever hear Brobee's birthday song in my head now that we have a little one :)

Short and Very Sweet

and this, my friends, is a short and very sweet post

ciao!

Spinach, leek, and jicama quinoa porridge

Healthy eating habits are something you can instill in your child from an early age. As parents, we have the ability to shape our child's palate. We have the power to help them make good eating choices by offering healthy and flavorful food from an early age. We try to keep the sweet and salty items to a minimum in our house anyways, but it is especially good to go easy on them when you have an impressionable little one around (side note, not all sodium is created equal).

Have I told you all the story of Papa (grandpa) giving Dalia Lays potato chips at a mere 12 months? It didn't go over well (for me, not her, she obviously liked the chip she was able to swallow before I freaked), but I had to give a little laugh thinking about how "crazy" I must have seemed. Even so, I don't regret seeming like a crazy mommy because I think all of this food stuff is a pretty serious deal. Eventually she will probably have a lot of sweet/salty things, just not yet. And to this date, she hasn't had any meat, either.

Anyhoo-This is a video of Dalia eating a delicious, off the cuff meal created by yours truly: spinach, leek, and jicama quinoa porridge. (Check out her sweet spoon skills!)

Quinoa is a super, protein-packed grain with a nutty flavor--delicious hot or cold! You can mix anything with quinoa for a delicious side dish or entrée. Try cooking it in low sodium vegetable broth and then add some diced dried apricots, cilantro, and a yummy orange vinaigrette.

I didn't use a recipe, but I can give you a general idea of how to make this.

1. cut leeks, place leeks in a bowl of cold water for 20 minutes to remove debris, remove and set aside

2. peel jicama, dice, and set aside

3. saute leeks, jicama, and spinach in some garlic-infused olive oil (fats help with baby's brain development, which is why pedis never say go easy easy on fats early on)

4. let cool and puree, set aside

Helpful Tip: We fill ice cube trays with "green veggie cubes", freeze them, and add them to everything we make. We always have some form of these on hand. For more info, Ruth Yaron's "Super Food" is a fabulous book. I blogged about it here.

5. cook quinoa in low sodium vegetable stock, fluff, and transfer to serving dish

6. mix in your puree (you can do a lighter puree if you want more texture), add as much of the green mixture as you like. Less=drier texture/More=more porridgey texture

7. add whatever salt/pepper you desire!

And it is clearly good. You saw how Dalia ate it up!

Up Down and Potty Party!

Some people might think potty training a 1 year old is totally nuts, but in many parts of the world, early potty training, or a similar concept, elimination communication, is pretty much standard practice (though ERers don't like the word "train"). And while we aren't die hard ECers who started at birth, we are introducing Dalia to the potty and letting her use it when we think she needs to. She is an active participant in this process, saying "pee" when she successfully went in the little potty today (for the third time this week). This is not rocket science, people. Sure it takes a long time, but, what else do I have to do? It is like learning how to breast feed, learning how to eat, crawl and walk.

TMI?

I guess some may think so, but this is a place where we shares the trials and tribulations of being new-ish parents. So if you aren't interested fast forward! But I have to warn ya, the first photo is a good one, if you can recognize the main event.

Now, of course we took privacy into account. I bet Dalia is going to LOVE this one day:

We are also going to invest in the snap on toilet. Anyone know of an elmo one? Oh and we spared most viewers the actual potty photo, but some chosen

unlucky family members were not spared.

So for those of you who are interested in trying this or just plain confused/shocked/perplexed here are some helpful websites, interesting stuff

Some EC links:

EC community

Nappy Free video

Helpful tidbits

EC clothing/potty pants

In action #1

In action #2

If my mom didn't already think I was an insane hippy-leaning weirdo, she certainly does now :) We will obviously still be using our amazing stash of cloth diapers for some time, but we are still moving toward a diaper free Dalia.

I thought I would also share a couple of cute Dalia playing photos:

Kuddos to Grandma for picking out this sweet riding toy. Dalia loves it!

Dalia is a ball of fun these days and she loves to play. She LOVES to play "up down" at all hours, including dinner time (and at three am).

Check out this video of Dalia playing "up down" with daddy:

Oh and that frame on the wall that still has the original packaging?

Yep, that is major class right there.

Ciao!

Welcome

Hey there! Welcome to the new design. I was seriously sick of looking at the old one,

weren't you? Don't worry, I won't be sad if you say yes.

Sometimes it is just, well, time. You know?

And with Dalia's recent haircut (yes, first haircut happened yesteryday) I am seriously remembering her in her earliest days (hence the nostalgic photo above, which I totally love for her quirky look--even then her personality shined through).

Here are some other (read: MANY) delicious baby photos (beware: unbelievably tired, super annoying mommy posting a zillion photos... yes I realize no one wants a full review of her life thus far, especially out of order, but humor me and look at them) and a few goin' on 4 years old wedding photos, just cuz':

mohawk gerber baby

a long time fav

bliss for both parties
fun times with Eilee
an obvious choice
could these pigglywigglies (dalia's new phrase for feet) be any sweeter?

first sushi

Happy Birthday, Dalia Liat
she's intellectual, and super stylish with her amber
first shabbat
3 days post partum, looking decent, i'd say

Chunky monkey

Fun

She's polish, a polish Jew, and for the record, she LOVES pierogi

quite possibly my favorite baby shirt. ever.

and look at those jellies!

still her favorite place to cuddle

look how small!

eating snow for the first time

she loves a ball

when she used to wear hair accessories

the dress looks like a picnic table, but c'mon

you know it's still cute

when she was our Del Ray duck
first vacay to florida-flew at 10 weeks
don't copy this or you will get in trouble cuz' it is copyrighted

hire this dc area photographer
i think this was her first daddy smile

that's our girl... what a smile, deux par deux and an old shoe

standing with aba

(aka daddy, breadwinner, lawyer, smarty pants...)

finally, seasonally appropriate

wishing those misha lulu pants still fit, thanks Juanita and Sandy!

another oldie but goodie

look at the light shine in on her

and ALL TIME favorite... she was in LOVE with the animals

she inherited silly face syndrome from mommy

classic

the days of the bjorn were short lived

:)

This is from one of my favorite blog posts

(don't remember? new? click on the link above)

um, not ready to sit, obviously

weird face syndrome #2

deliciously chunky #2

and there were oh so many pumpkins

for the record, i don't love the side position, do you?
it started with one blabla and ended with wink and

boogaloos and a backpack, an addiction?
this one makes me happy (it's cute) and sad (ugh, DC)
finale

spit happens

random wedding photos:

Have you recovered from the chaos?

Fast forward to today... my toolbar says that Dalia has been nursing for 1 year 1 month 2 weeks and 2 days. Woohoo!

Anyhoo, enjoy the new look and stay tuned for hair cut photos. Dalia's hair is no longer a wild untamed beast. We have taken control of her hair. Oh, and hair is one of her new favorite words/things. We say hair and she touches her hair (and the same with nose, mouth, eyes, and, well, pretty much most things these days).

Ciao!