ebb/flow

Pirate Che on his unmade bed/turbulent sea attended his second party of the week which confirms that he's got a better social life than his parents.

Poet has just become a bit of a chatterbox. If she's not sucking on her hands, she's gesticulating wildly and squawking like the morning birds (at sunrise!). There's a rooster across the road too so clearly she's just joining in on the morning chorus.

3.5 months is when everything shifts. It still amazes me, on this second round of motherhood, that the bond between mother and baby is so very strong. I'm still so connected to her. The cord was cut but we still flow with the same rhythm. And just this past week, as she has opened those big eyes a little wider, found her sing-song voice and discovered her own strength, I felt the last of those pregnancy hormones vanish - hence I was tired, headachy and generally a little blah. The ebb and the flow of it. I have managed to pick myself up - I'm eating with more awareness, drinking plenty of water, getting into bed early and slowing down just a bit.

I was feeling really good this morning. And then I dropped Che at Montessori. One of the dad's was walking towards me, he knows our family, met Poet only last week, and he pointed at (and touched!) my post-baby belly and exclaimed: "Oh, you've got another one on the way!"

Did anyone say BIGGEST FAUX PAS EVER!

I just keep telling myself what I tell every single one of my pre-natal students: "It takes you a year to conceive, grow and birth your baby. It will take a year for your body to return to (a semblance of) its former self."

My mantra for the day - perhaps for the week.

fancy dress parties are the bestest

Today we partied little kid style and Che took on the persona of a pirate. I searched out dress-ups and found Wovenplay, a NY based clothing company who create to-die-for dress-ups - the kind that I would request in adults sizes. I thought about purchasing the $250 pirate costume for about 3 seconds and then resorted to the wardrobe. The wardrobe that already contained everything he ended up wearing (I only had to buy the skull scarf which was $10 a Big W). The best costumes should be the ones that cost next to nothing. The ones that get worn as every day wear.

It was pretty special to watch him today in all his cuteness - eating fairy bread and jumping on the blow-up castle. He was so patient as he lined up to get his face painted and watching him sit there so still and quiet I got a little gushy. He giggled as the paintbrush touched his skin because it tickled and when he saw his face in the mirror he was a little overwhelmed. Before long he had a balloon sword and piece of birthday cake and the tears of a tired pirate who missed his afternoon nap.

My little pirate...may there be many more opportunities to dress-up and be silly. We had fun today, the 3 of us. So much fun.

come, let's dress-up and play

He's pretty determined which means when he doesn't get his way the elephant tears start flowing. I'm learning (slowly) how to quickly resolve the situation. I was wearing this scarf for a few minutes before he pulled it off and tried it on. And yes, I know that second-to-last shot is blurry but how could I resist? That face - priceless. And yes you guessed right again - I'm pretty annoyed I didn't capture it at the right moment. Next time. Hopefully.