lingering daydreams

{dear grayson} you are 9 months old

by Lila on September 10, 2014

Dear Grayson,

You have turned into a big boy in front of my eyes. Your top two teeth came in, changing your smile. Your eyes glisten with curiosity. You pull away from me and reach for the ground. But once your feet hit you still call out, reaching for the safety of my arms and I happily sweep you back up.

Last month you pulled up to standing and now you are letting go. You pull yourself up, look around, release your grip, and let out a squeal of excitement and nerves. It happened first at Gigi and Gogo’s house. Now it happens constantly and the nerves are fading into confidence.

You listen to stories now. Your favorite is Little Owl Lost. We sit in the green chair, your head against my chest and body relaxed, my legs propped up on the red pouf and arms wrapped around you. These are some of my favorite moments.

You also feed yourself. It started with fistfuls of Cheerios and now you pinch each bite and stick it into your mouth before the last one has been swallowed. You have a passion for cheese. We went to lunch with Gigi and you ran out of snacks. You clearly wanted more and Gigi did not hesitate to get you the very fancy and very delicious cheese plate. There was doubt that you would like the pungent, rich morsels. The first one surprised you, but after that you quickly consumed every last bite.

Your love of music grows stronger and stronger with the passage of time. At the park, I beat on the red merry-go-round like a drum and you laugh, throwing your head back with delight. Your dada plays the uke and you traverse our home to find him and strum the strings.

You wave now, your little hand hinged at the wrist. Your love of water remains. Your thumb is a serious source of comfort. We have begun sleep training again. It is hard, but seems important.

I love you more than words can say.

Love,

Your Mama

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36/52

by Lila on September 8, 2014

“A portrait of my baby boy, once a week, every week, in 2014.”

September 5, 2014: This little one is full of life. Sitting on a blanket in Nonni’s backyard he saw his first bubbles. He laughed as they floated through the air, he couldn’t take his off of his Nonni has she created such magic. Sweet moments.

Linking up with Jodi’s 52 Project

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{backyard movie night} menu

by Lila on September 5, 2014

[Spicy Peach Lemonade from Heather Christo]

Food has been on my mind, especially in thinking about the menu for our upcoming movie night. Awhile back, while wandering the Ferry Building Farmers Market, I noticed a booth dedicated to sauerkraut. Since then I have wanted to do a menu featuring a gourmet hot dog bar. Well it’s happening folks, gourmet hot dogs will be served.

You might also notice that I am on a bit of a spicy/sweet kick. Pretty much all the time. As a result I cannot pass up Spicy Peach Lemonade. I’m also dying to try Sweet & Spicy Curry Cracker Jacks. I have a feeling they will become a new addiction.

As it is a movie party, we will also be rocking some sort of candy adventure. Red vines in apothecary jars? M&Ms mixed with popcorn? Frozen Junior Mints? Something adorable and delicious to snack on while watching the feature presentation.

[Ginger Caipirinhas from Martha Stewart]

[Sweet & Spicy Curry Cracker Jacks from Snixy Kitchen]

[German Style Potato Salad with Dill from Bon Appétit]

[Coleslaw from NPR]

[Hot Dogs from Taste]

Don’t miss all the delicious recipes I find when I fall down the rabbit hole of the internet! You can check them out on my pinterest board. Follow along and join in on the fun!

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35/52

by Lila on August 31, 2014

“A portrait of my baby boy, once a week, every week, in 2014.”

August 26, 2014: My sweet boy, a knowingness now in his eyes, exploring the world.

Linking up with Jodi’s 52 Project

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{backyard movie night} printable invite

by Lila on August 29, 2014

Put together triangles and monochromatic colors and you have a invitation I’m going to love. When I sat down to design this invite I wasn’t sure what I was going to end up with. I had had this idea for a rip-off rsvp/voting card that wasn’t going to work, partly because I’m not getting my invites in the mail early enough to have a snail-mail response card and partly because I couldn’t figure out how to make the rip off portion postcard sized. So I sat down and started playing with my favorite colors and shapes and came up with this lovely little printable. I was pretty pumped about how it turned out.

I used the “do” portion of the invite to prompt my guests to vote when they called or emailed to rsvp. I also recommended everyone bring a blanket or lawn chair to cozy down in our outdoor cinema.

Deets:

Font: Steelfish and Print Clearly
Paper: Printed on Cover Weight paper in Superfine Soft White
Envelope: A6 Envelopes in Papaya
Printable Invite
Printable Insert

Throwing your own backyard movie party? I would love to hear about the details! Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and Pinterest to see as the details of this event come together!

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34/52

by Lila on August 26, 2014

“A portrait of my baby boy, once a week, every week, in 2014.”

August 24, 2014: This kid is all smiles at the Bay Area Discovery Museum. I love it here. I can sit back a little and let him explore. Sharp corners are padded, electrical outlets are baby proofed, there is a baby sized stream they can splash in. Need I say more. It is a happy place for this little guy. If you look closely you can see his bottom two teeth. They have arrived. The top two are coming in and being significantly more trouble than their predecessors. When did my baby turn into such a big boy?

Linking up with Jodi’s 52 Project

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{write it out} a precise moment

by Lila on August 22, 2014

I’ve always considered myself a storyteller. Maybe because my dad was a storyteller. Maybe because I love being read to before I go to sleep, even now. Maybe because when I tell the story of a moment it is easier to lock it into my memory. Maybe because of the laughter that ensues after a well told punchline. Many times I have thought about how to hone that part of me, how to share it on this blog. Storytelling is something I keep closer to my heart than other things, more guarded. When my dear friend brought my attention to the Write it Out series I saw an opportunity. Here is my first story, hopefully of many. The prompt for this writing was: Describe what you are thinking or feeling (physically, mentally, emotionally) in this precise moment. Join in on the fun here! _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

My weight shifted from one foot to the other. The hospital gown wafted against my leg. My forehead rested squarely on Jeff’s chest.

We swayed.

Side to side.

Dancing.

Thoughts raced through my mind like flashes on a movie screen, none staying long enough to imprint on the moment. Jeff spoke softly, did he sing? I remembered the other times we had danced. At our wedding. In the kitchen. After a fight, his hand outstretched, a half smile asking that we move foreword.

My eyes squeezed shut and my nose wrinkled. A torrent of pain pulses through my body, but the swaying remains. Calm, constant, comforting. The waves keep coming. I remember that it is the baby and keep that thought in the forefront of my mind as long as I can until another contraction wipes it away.

We rock. I focus on the spot where my feet touch the floor. How it feels as they press into the linoleum. I focused on the point where my forehead meets Jeff’s chest, the constant warmth. I run my fingers along the edge of his hair. I feel the strength of his hands on my back.

My eyes squeezed shut again. It’s the baby.

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33/52

by Lila on August 18, 2014

“A portrait of my baby boy, once a week, every week, in 2014.”

August 15, 2014: This little one is pulling up to standing every chance he gets. He’d rather stand at the coffee table searching with his hand for coasters than crawl across the room. The recent milestones feel like big boy stuff, standing, crawling, eating pieces of food instead of puree. I can’t believe how quickly one year is approaching and I’m not sure I’m ready for it. I’m struck by what a brief moment in history this will be ten years from now. I want to wrap these moments in a jar that I can open years from now and remember exactly how it felt to have his body’s weight against my shoulder as I rocked him to sleep singing Summertime, to see his face light up during a rousing game of peek-a-boo. What I know is that each adventure as he grows will hold precious moments that I can add to that jar. Maybe that is what these photos are. Each a moment to be wrapped away and pulled out later, to remember this. The here and the now that will be tomorrow’s history.

Linking up with Jodi’s 52 Project

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{backyard movie night} inspiration

by Lila on August 15, 2014

[1, 2, 3, 4]

For our fifth wedding anniversary I took Jeff on a little scavenger hunt around Santa Cruz. After going out to lunch, stopping at his favorite bookstore, and getting a massage, we wound our way back to where we were staying. There he found a giant present wrapped in the trunk of the car, a portable movie screen. We set it up outside and watched a movie, sitting together on a wicker couch, the stars above us.

Ever since then we have been itching to have a movie party in our backyard and now we are! There are a couple ideas that have been circling my mind for awhile now…

1. Paper bags to fill with yummies. This is a great tutorial on how to print them yourself. Not sure if they will be for popcorn or candy, but a person has to have a bag full of goodies to munch on while enjoying a movie. Right?

2. Giant screen + comfy seating. We have the screen, now I just have to figure out the seating. I’m thinking quilts and blankets galore, we are in San Francisco, cold is a real possibility. And pillows of course.

3. Mason jar cocktails. Yum. I love this idea for multiple reasons: I can make them in advance, I have a large collection of mason jars, and they are adorable. Crowd pleasers.

4. I. Love. Popcorn. It is delicious and fun to eat. You can flavor it in a thousand ways. There will be a popcorn stand at this shindig. Guaranteed.

To see more party ideas, check out my pinterest boards!

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{dear grayson} you are 8 months old

by Lila on August 14, 2014

Dear Grayson,

There is a new look in your eyes, a new awareness of the world. You’re growing in leaps and bounds.

You swung from your first swing this month in a park by Aunt Tete’s house. You smiled and laughed and even shifted your weight back and forth, projecting yourself even higher into the sky. I have a sneaking suspicion you are going to love the park.

Food is your favorite thing. You’ve gone from eating two ounces at a meal to eating between six and eight ounces. You know how to get down on some Cheerios. You will still eat anything, even the tofu/beet/spinach puree I made for you. You are like a baby bird, mouth open, chirping for more. Sometimes you cry between bites, frustrated I can’t feed you faster.

You are making more and more noises, each one cuter than the last. One of them sounds an awful lot like a string of, “dadadada.” Your papa has been trying to get you to stop at two.

One Saturday morning, while I was making breakfast and you sat on the floor playing with daddy, you decided to pop-up to your knees and crawl across the kitchen. Once you started you didn’t stop. Grandma was here and you two were in the living room. She called to me and I came in to see you pulling yourself up to standing on the yellow chair. I was also just in time to catch you as you pitched backward. Army crawling is a thing of the past, you have your sights set on walking.

Toward the end of the month you were a little quieter than usual, a little slower to smile. I wondered what it could be and then saw it! Your first tooth, proudly sitting on the lower left side of your mouth.

All these milestones are making me cling to you a little tighter, hold you a little longer. My heart melts when you crawl across the room to yank on the leg of my pants.

Sleep is still hard, you love to such your thumb, you are determined to stand and reach for whatever you can.

I love you to the Milky Way and back.

Love,

Your Mama

You can read Grayson’s 1 month letter here, his 2 month here, his three month here, his four month here, his five month here, his six month here, and his seven month here.