18 Months

Isabella is 18 months now - a milestone that always seemed so, so far away whenever I looked at her 18-month clothing stash (half of which she's still too small for now that she's reached it). In these posts I find myself holding back that tendency every parent has to make sentences beginning with "my baby can do this....and my baby can do that...and my baby is the bestest and smartest baby in the whole wide world because she can do whathaveyou..." But I have to tell you about this thing she started this week that just blows my mind! She can now PUT HER SHOES ON!!! Isn't that crazy? She can put her shoes on by herself, not just her slip on boots but her little loafers, and I'm still baffled by how she is able to do it because it isn't exactly easy. She can also put a skirt or overalls on, provided they are bottom loaded. Her new morning routine is to don shoes then come running to me in the kitchen verbally demanding and signing "Play, Play, PLAY!!!!" Which basically means, "Take me outside immediately!" If not obeyed, this routine is followed by a fit of apocalyptic proportions - and this is where the bragging stops. It's probably hard to imagine this cute, sweet little girl in the photos having such a meltdown, but believe me, it happens several times a day and it ain't pretty.

the daily strawberry forage

We are planning our next trip already. Pedro is going to Naples again in less than two weeks and we already have our tickets. I'm getting a little nervous because Jessi hasn't had her baby yet and I plan on being there (her little girl's due the 24th!!!). But, I'm looking forward to eating pizza every day in the place where it was fabulously invented.

the tomatoes she calls "nummy, nummy, nummy"

Shortly after this "work" trip, we are planning a long family vacation in the US and Puerto Rico. It's been a whole year since my mom and the rest of my family saw Isabella. If we can swing it, we'll be taking a short trip to New York to see some friends on the first couple days of the trip. My passport is chock-a-block full of stamps, but I've never actually set foot in Manhattan. These plans, in fact, are hinging on whether or not I can get more pages in my passport in time for my visa renewal. The British consulate won't renew it without a blank page, and much to my surprise, there isn't one.

the tomato thief - I wish I had caught the shot before that other tomato came off the vine

SO. In the meantime, I will be trying not to think too much on all of the flights that will take us where we want to go because after all this travel I've done, I have developed a very real fear of flying. My palms are sweating even now as I write this. I remember enjoying flying, but after a series of bad landings, terrible turbulence, and the bad news in the news (not to mention that horrible show Air Crash Investigation on Discovery), I have joined the ranks of my family who never visit because they're afraid of flying. Any advice or tips to help counter this irrational thinking are very much welcome.


In closing, I would like to share a laugh with you regarding the weird photo you see below. Isabella loves baby dolls - this one is a creepy-cool thrift store find that I hope to make clothes for at some point. Anyway. I found Isabella carrying the doll around the house yesterday and giving it some kind of crazy tongue-kiss that made me do a double take. Of course, she had fed it a raisin (as you see in the pic) then changed her mind a wanted it back. I guess tongue sucking it out was the best option - albeit unsuccessful.

Who is Benjamin? And More of Summer...

this butterfly was persistent

Isabella has entered the world of triple syllables. She keeps talking about this Benjamin character we have yet to meet (in fact, the only Ben we know lives all the way in Tucson and Isabella has yet to make his acquaintance). She continues to babble, gesticulate and sign but still no clue as to who or what this Benjamin is.

another farmer's market weekend - berries for the voracious berry eater

In other news, Pedro is home from his trip to Italy. We decided to sit this one out because Pedro is expected to make another trip over there before the end of the year. After hearing about the hot weather in Naples I was a teeny bit sorry we didn't go with him.

dirt mustaches are how we roll around here - I have one too

This past weekend we had great weather again and celebrated our bit of summer with a dinner party with seven people. I made a full Italian meal with lots of appetizers, a huge salmon, farro salad, lasagna, and panna cotta with market berries for dessert. We had a blast and I'm resolved to do it more often.

17 months

the inseparable duo

While the rest of the world seems to be suffering under intense heat waves, we in England have been perfectly cool. Though, to be honest, I would love a good heat wave right now - in fact, this very moment I am fighting the urge to put on a sweater on the principle that it's not fall yet, even though it feels like we are already in the downward slope toward winter. The sun has been going down earlier and coming up later - in stark contrast to our extremely long days (sun down around 11pm) and very early mornings (up by 4am). The early sunrises won't be all that missed because Isabella tends to rise with the sun, and that's fun for no one.

so many stunning flowers out back

We had an absolutely wonderful weekend. The weather held out and we got to put in some much needed outdoor time, washing cars, going to the park, and going on a beautiful country hike. In fact, on Saturday, we had a power outage around dusk that lasted long into the night. There was no television, no computer, no noise for miles around. I took the dogs on an extra long walk and left Pedro reading by candlelight. When I got back, the sun was just setting on the horizon and we could see the beautiful colors from our back garden. We actually got to just sit and chat over some crisp, summery Pinot Grigio as it got darker and darker. Once the lights came back on around 11pm, we sighed then turned the t.v. on as if electricity had come back in to spoil the fun. Strange how we condition ourselves to modern life, huh?

yes, weeding on on today's agenda

Today I plan on spending lots of time outside once Isabella wakes from her nap because it looks like it's going to be another lovely day for playing with the dirt.

Six Weeks? Already?

the doll quilt for my niece Paloma

The abuelos are spending their last weekend of this trip with us before they head out on Tuesday. They have been SO much help (have you noticed the increased frequency of blog posts, for one?). I seriously don't know how I am going to manage without all the freedom and extra time I have had during the day to get things done. From righting car problems without a squirmy toddler in tow, to sewing projects and date nights, we have been so spoiled and blessed by their being here these last six weeks. Let me say it loudly now because I am absolutely THANKFUL! And let me say this too - Doña Aida's dinner tonight could easily be my last meal it was so delicious..

the Portabello Pixie dress

So I wanted to show off a couple of my many sewing projects I finished while they kept Isabella entertained.

isa swing woodnewton park 16 mos

Grown-ups? Where?

These are more photos from the 4th of July at our village park. The zip wire is fabulous - you should come visit us just so you can try it for yourself!

Happy Birthday, Pedro!

Pedro turned 34 this weekend and to celebrate, we all packed ourselves into the car for a road trip to possibly the last Roman ruin we hadn't seen in Britain. We went to Verulamium in the London 'burb of St. Albans. It was spectacular.

Then we got back into the car and had dinner at Pedro's favorite sushi restaurant in Cambridge. The restaurant was thankfully packed with loud people, so no one could hear Isabella's tired shouts for freedom.


All in all, we had a really nice time and wrapped up the night with my homemade chocolate birthday cake.

In other news, Isabella is officially potty training. This is not at my behest, but at her own free will. At 16 months she tells me in advance when she has to go potty, then she sits on her potty patiently...and goes. I had heard cloth diapers might encourage things along, but I didn't expect it so soon. She has been able to do this hit and miss (EC style) since infancy, but nothing I've put much effort into. But unlike Kate from the now defunct Jon & Kate plus 8, I won't be posting photos of that!

Video Backlog

I am finally getting around to uploading some videos, so hopefully in the next few days there will be more posted. The problem is that my computer's hard disk is almost full so doing anything like this takes an incredibly long time to do. Keep checking back!

Happy Fourth!

in the kiddie pool - hot weather here!

Isabella and "Abi" - enjoying blueberries, apple, and hummus

sharing her apple

I LOVE this photo

Here are some of this week's photos, taken with my new camera. I got it the same week that my old one had a final meltdown. Happy fourth of July everyone!

Madrid

We're back and due to massive public outcry I will add photos from Madrid. Pedro's mom and dad arrived here two weeks ago, and one week later we were in Spain. So it has been a busy month for us. We've really been racking up the frequent flyer miles, but I have to say that I'm not looking forward to flying anytime soon. We had a terrible flight into Madrid, with the worst turbulence I can remember and I almost lost my lunch - though I've never even come close to having air sickness. Needless to say, we arrived safely there and came safely home.

a bizarre yet highly entertaining street show

The trip itself was fabulous - Spain is my absolute favorite country to visit. The food...the wine...the SUN. We ate rich food for absolutely every meal - manchego, jamón bellota, patatas bravas, olives, and Rioja with everything - red and white. Now that we're back, it's muesli and oatmeal until the cravings come back.

Plaza Mayor with baby Marilyn

Pedro had to work for half of the trip, and while he was busy doing his thing, the abuelos and I explored. We ate lots of ice cream, walked around in the dusty construction obstructed streets (horrible!), spent half a day in the Parque del Buen Retiro (amazing), and visited a photography exhibit called Años 70 - some really awesome photos from the 70's. We also saw all the major museums in the city (the Prado, Reina Sophia, and Thyssen-Bornemisza), though we didn't exactly plan the trip around museums, it just sort of happened that way. Isabella had at least one major freak out in each museum - the Prado being the worst. Her shrieks were emphasized by the cavernous marble interior - I was that person everyone looks on with pity. She wanted to run free, but I drew the line when an old man tripped on her, causing her to fall and almost falling himself. At least she was mostly fine in the airplane.

the Parque where we had a Buen Retiro

Our last two nights there were date nights - the first since Isabella was born. The abuelos watched Isabella while we went out until late. The first night was just dinner, and the second night we went to a flamenco show. I told Pedro I could live in the bottom of a glass of Rioja if set on a table in a flamenco tablao - what trumps Spanish guitar and emotional dancing?

Que Bella

Late Spring Bliss

Since Isabella was about 4 months old she has LOVED to have a sheet, towel, or any type of fabric tickling her face. As you can see, she hasn't changed much.

These photos were taken this weekend. We had a great Memorial Day and spent the time mostly outside - filled up the kiddie pool and Pedro and Isabella got to swim in the warm weather. Our fun was punctuated by Isabella's bouts with diarrhea. Over the last few days it has gotten worse and the poor thing was a mess a few nights ago. I took her to the doctor yesterday and got a prescription for some electrolyte syrup and she seems to be recovering. But other than that one grizzly night, she has been been acting totally normal and happy throughout.

I'm in the process of getting a new camera as my current one is slowly going kaput. I'm hoping to trade up from my KodakEasyShare point-and-shoot to some sort of fancy Nikon SLR - so when that happens, stay tuned for better shots!

Washington D.C.

at the Museum of Natural History - a place where hordes of children run free and happy

Jefferson Memorial - she loves wide open marbled spaces

taken as the wind carried her buggy down the steps,
to the horror of onlookers who thought a baby was inside

being a good girl at the mall

running around the Smithsonian

We're home from DC, and I have to say that the trip was worth the hassle. Armed with canisters of WetOnes and sanitizing gel to disinfect every surface possible, we boarded the flight to DC and landed back in the US over 8 hours later. The flight was uneventful if you don't count the chaos of the first hour. Isabella's disposable diaper leaked horribly on my lap (her cloth diapers have never been so unpredictable as that) and she and I got to spend the rest of the flight covered in pee because I didn't have extra clothes in my carry-on (she had extra tops, of course, but I forgot the pants - classic!) . Almost immediately afterward, Pedro spilled his coke on himself. Isabella wasn't a happy camper that first hour, but once it was over, she was fine for the rest of the flight. The return flight home was okay too, but next time I will seriously consider getting her a seat of her own because she's a very big girl to hold in a prone sleeping position for 6 hours.

While in DC we stayed at a nice hotel with a pool. The hotel was directly connected to a mall. After living in the UK for three years, I start to forget the magnitude of American malls. How ever do you cope with so much choice? Other than shopping, we swam, we toured the Smithsonian, visited some excellent monuments, and ate the gamut of culinary cuisine from Lebanese to Japanese. This week I'm putting us back on a reasonable diet of normal calorie intake. An interesting an unexpected result of having a jet lagged baby is that Isabella is sleeping more than ever - she slept for a record 14 hours yesterday and 13 last night, plus she's still having two naps. I'm hoping it sticks through the long weekend! More photos to follow in the sidebar.

Happy Mother's Day

The day started at about 6:30a.m. when Isabella rose to holler at the morning. The sun was already bright in the sky and Pedro brought her to our bed where she stayed until she could no longer resist the call to play. I got to spend two more glorious hours sleeping in (it's hard to remember the day when sleeping in till 9a.m. wasn't a thing to be happy about). From there, Pedro cooked me breakfast (a Spanish bocadillo with great coffee), he mowed the lawn, and he cleaned the kitchen. We had lunch at the King's Arms pub in Polebrook, then we visited some of our friends who live near that village. It was a really nice, relaxing day. I love being a mom.



I hope all of the wonderful mom's in our life had as good a mother's day as me. Happy Mother's Day to you all. XOXO

(new photos have been added to the album on the left - just click on the image to get a slideshow)


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May Madness

Isabella is almost 15 months now (next week). The list of things she is learning to do is getting ever longer. We are about to make a short trip to Washington D.C. to accompany Pedro on a 5-day business trip (we all have tickets, but the swine flu is making us reconsider...). Anyway, Pedro was remarking on how this is going to be her first trip as a really conscious little person who can communicate beyond a cry and can physically do more that sit unaided. It’s going to be interesting.

Today, Isabella spent the morning whining and driving Pedro crazy as he attempted to entertain her before work, while letting me get a few more minutes of sleep. When I ended up putting her down for a nap earlier than usual, she immediately fell asleep on my shoulder while I sang (it has been a while since she has done this). Then, as I was leaving the room, she woke up one more time to pucker her lips and demand a kiss, “Mmmmm!” Speaking of kisses, her latest passion is the butterfly kiss and she has been known to unexpectedly mash her lips into my eye. She is such a cuddly, affectionate, arm rubbing, leg hugging little bitty!

The weather in England has gotten absolutely beautiful. I got my organic veggie box today and it looked so pretty I thought I would include it in this post, since I don’t have any new photos of Isabella. I'm thinking rhubarb crisp tonight. I'm looking forward to summer more than ever!

One Day, She'll Hate Me for This....

14 Months

stunning, sunny day today!

independent woman

loving her Easter basket

and carrying it everywhere

Isabella turned 14 months old last week. Every day she becomes less and less babyish and more and more like a proper little girl. Each day is filled with such a growing list of accomplishments that it would be silly to list them all now. In the car this afternoon, just as we were about to pull out of the driveway, I turned around and looked at Isabella. She looked right back at me with such a sense of self that it awed me as much as took me aback - she's getting so big! Dare I say, growing up?

Our new backyard is perfect for her to run around freely in, and today we spent almost three hours playing outside in the beautiful weather. Inevitably, as we get back into the house, she turns to her next favorite thing: books. I'm at the point where I have them all memorized and can recite them to her when we're in the car and she starts fussing. I picked up a few new ones from the charity shop today and am looking forward to mixing things up. I welcome any title suggestions of books that might appeal to both toddler and adult!

Home Sweet Home

We're back online, and as I type this I'm sitting on the floor getting a backache while I hunch over my laptop. So it is with moving. But our new joint has tons more space and is almost palacial compared to our old cottage/townhouse/terracehouse/apartment. Our move was a mere seven miles but the perks are fabulous - we've lost the pig smell from the farm two doors down and I still get my organic vegbox delivered on the same day as before.

A quick update: We had a great Easter with Jessi and her family. Isabella has six teeth now! She also now says "thirsty" and "thank you" - though I think I'm the only one who can decipher the words. The dogs are happier than ever. And we've been working hard every day and night to make this house look like we live here. We've made astounding progress and are almost ready for a housewarming party.

As always, pics to follow soon.

New home

We moved into our new house last week! I didn't want to say too much leading up to the move because it seemed like every time talked about big plans, they didn't seem to happen (i.e. Italy!). We don't have our internet set up because there have been many problems with our old router - it may be another week before we are online. I'll post Easter pics as soon as we're back on!