Fall in the City

 

It felt like fall in the city for the first time this weekend.  This meant Zoe and I got to pull out our fall wardrobe- Zoe in outfits for the first time ever (and her hand knit hat from Karen!), and for me the first time my fall clothes fit in over a year, so that was exciting for me.  I think that fall is my favorite season in New York (I hesitate only because as much as I love it, the fact that it comes means winter is coming, which is a drawback I can't avoid).

Mom made me take off my dress for this meal!

 Zoe is starting to eat solid food....slowly.  She is not a fan of much except apple sauce and sweet potato so far.  She is a fan of covering her hands and face in whatever we are trying...and then burying her face in the chair so that we are sure to get crusty food there for later.

 Aaron's sister Stephanie and her boyfriend Rishi came to visit this weekend and we had perfect cool weather for walking around the city.  Zoe took them to her garden to see the familiar sights.

 (Aaron got me this dress as a "just because" present-- I wore it into the store he bought it from today and the lady there couldn't believe he picked it out on his own.  Good job, Aaron!)

 Zoe seems to be noticing more and more these days.  She laughs at dogs, pictures of babies, and her face in the mirror.  We are so lucky to have such amazing places to take her on walks and to visit on a regular basis.

 Steph and Rishi went to see the Michigan game at a bar in DUMBO (don't worry, Dad, Zoe didn't wear blue) and we went for a walk in the ever growing Brooklyn Bridge park.  Zoe and I checked out the newly renovated carousel that I'm sure she'll get to enjoy soon. 

 

We then went into Manhattan and went for a walk on the highline...a place I discovered late, but don't worry, if you visit me in the next year it will be where we go together!!  Plus a stop afterwards at Chelsea market for some yummy food or Jacques Torres chocolate chip cookies!!

I have been working hard lately, and lots of confusion comes with the long hours for me, which I will save for discussion for another time.  But in my downtime with my family I try to make up for it, and this weekend I think we did a good job.   Come and visit us and we'll take fun pictures with you, too!

I can totally stand on my own, see!

Gettin' Around (soon)

Trying to Crawl

Zoe is 6 months old, and the days of leaving her on the couch cushion are officially over!  I have a feeling she'll be moving around with intention soon-- for now, she does a combination of rolling and scooting on her back to get herself off of the play mat or wedged into the corner of her crib.  Sometimes she rolls a little further than expected!

Aaron takes Zoe around pretty often in the stroller, decked out as you see below.   Apparently she gets noticed on the street on a regular basis. Her sock toys are a hit with the neighbors.

Fun Socks!

 As for sitting up, she can do it with some help, but since her above all favorite toy is still her foot she generally reaches for them and topples immediately after sitting.  I try to explain to her that people don't shove their feet in their mouth but she thinks I am mistaken.

Pre-topple

I have been working a whole lot lately, so my time with Zoe has been limited.  However, I've learned that Zoe is easy as can be to travel around with right now, and I have a feeling that won't be the case for long.  So, I snap her in the ergo and off we go-- to the laundromat or the farmers' market, the park or the garden, whenever I can.  She can eat, sleep and snuggle in there, so it is my favorite way to get around.

Sleeping Soundly

And for those of you that worry about Zoe being too much of a city girl, rest assured that she spends more time in the grass than I would assume most babies do!  She may have grass stains soon, as she gets more mobile, but her outdoor time is frequent!

Laying on Daddy

Super-Zoe

No Place Like Home...

We just returned from a whirlwind two weeks in Michigan. This two week summer trip is my favorite of the year, and this year's was even more special since I got to have uninterrupted time with Zoe while introducing her to all of our extended family and friends. It is so fun to think of this as the first of many trips home, the first time playing with her cousins, swimming in her grandparent's pool, touching Lake Michigan with her toes...so many fun times- this trip was just the starting point!

Zoe's changed so much over the past few weeks, and even in the past few days. She can now roll over and reach for a toy, which she does while grunting like a weight lifter. I guess I didn't realize what a strenuous task being a baby is sometimes. And in the past day or two she learned to giggle like crazy. My friend Gretchen started her on it, and true to my word I copied exactly what she did the moment she left and it worked for me too!

Here is a series of "firsts" for Zoe:

Meeting aunts, uncles, and family friends for the first time at her Great Grandmother Jeanne's 90th birthday party.

Celebrating the 4th of July at the East Grand Rapids annual parade, and going for a swim. (She doesn't look like it hear, but Zoe really did love the pool!)

Getting to know Grandpa Garth and Aunt Stephanie.

And Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Lange....

Playing next to her cousin Connor, who she's sure to be running around after in future years.

And being held and looked after by her big cousins Marah and Liam...

Family style dinners (can't have a table like that in NYC!)...

Going to her first outdoor music concert...

Participating (sort of!) in her first game of mini-golf!

And getting a view of Lake Michigan from right outside the cottage in the Upper Peninsula.

These firsts, and so many more, made for such a wonderful two weeks at home. It was so great to share our home, our favorite places, and our favorite people for the first time.

And in future years, she can join us...

For a bonfire and s'mores on the beach...

For day trips with Granddaddy and Grandma....

And for Grandpa Garth's fireworks!

I hope you are enjoying your summer as much as we are! All the best!

Our Weekend

A Picture Walk Through Our Weekend:

A little play time before bed when Mama gets home from work




Family breakfast on Saturday morning

Shopping at the Farmers' Market

Food and Friends



And Friends and Food

A Day Trip to Warwick Winery

(some great pics, thanks to Mark!)



Happy Father's Day, Aaron!





P.S.- Check our our friend Kim's blog, Design Thoughts. We are featured in her June 20th post!

Does everyone have a blog these days? :)

Zoe in action

For those of you who love video....

You may not have realized how tricky getting your hand to your mouth can be-- our little Zoe has had many mistaken hits to the head in her life so far! But I'm happy to say that since this video was taken a week or so ago she has made vast improvements, and now sometimes even successfully gets her thumb in her mouth. :)

Working Mother

I've made it through two weeks of being a working mother. Two weeks of varied nighttime wake ups and 5:30 am mornings and pumping at work and trying to rush home atthe end of the day to get some quality time in before bedtime.

I am realizing that I will need more than two weeks to understand what being a working mother really means, that I'll need to give myself time to learn to do a job that I've loved and done wholeheartedly in a new way. I'll need to teach myself how to multitask-- which will involve writing myself far more "to do lists" than ever before, as baby-brain has made me more forgetful than I imagined it would. I'll need to find a way to leave work at work at the end of the day and go home to Zoe, giving her one hundred percent, and turning work back on after she's in bed on the days that it is needed.

Eventually, I have to believe, this will just become life and I'll do it as well as I can. Eventually, I may even allow someone else to hold her after I get home at 5:30....I may even make a plan that doesn't include her on a weekend day. Eventually, I might not feel a pit in my stomach on the nights of work events, or view after school commitments as baby-time-thievery. Eventually.

For now, I'll try to let myself be okay with feeling like life is an all day juggling act. For now, I'll remind myself that I'm allowed to make mistakes, big ones-- and I have a little more time where I can still blame the back to work adjustment and be forgiven! For now, I'll either learn to cut my own hair or ignore the split ends because I'm not about to give up my baby time to go for a hair cut and what was I thinking not taking care of that during maternity leave? For now, I'll let the working mothers I know out there know that I had no idea, all this time, what they were grappling with or how impressive they truly are.

Loving my Sunday with Zoe!