The Perfect Day

Sometimes it takes a visitor to help you really explore your city...and there is no better person to help me with the task than Elizabeth. She came to visit and establish her "auntie status" with my little man. Of course he took right to her, gazing into her eyes, giving her smiles and giggles and generally melting her heart. He has a way with the pretty girls! We took long walks all around Providence, and I discovered these amazing little stores that I have passed by a million times without ever stopping. Isn't it funny... I thought having a baby would mean never again having these moment, and yet here I am, with wonderful free time on my hands and a baby who loves sleeping in his stroller. Amazing.We made quite a stylish pair, strolling around town...me with my striped socks and boots, and Elizabeth with her gorgeous knits.
And to top it off, the shops had their holiday decorations on display...lending a festive feel to the afternoon. All in all...the perfect day.

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Lazy Mornings

I hope everyone in the States had a wonderful holiday weekend. We stayed put this year and our family came to Providence, which was such a treat!
You're going to think I'm completely crazy, but my favorite meal was not our Thanksgiving feast...it was Sunday morning breakfast. There is something so luxurious about Sunday morning breakfast when you don't have to make it.
My mom and dad ran out to Seven Stars Bakery and picked up bags of baked goods, which we cut in halves (so that we could sample more than one!) and served with piping hot coffee, yogurt, fresh fruit and grapefruit juice. It was such a relaxing morning and the perfect way to enjoy each others company before saying goodbye.
And of course there was a backgammon game or two thrown in for good measure (competition runs strong in our blood!).

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Happy Thanksgiving

It is easy to feel blessed today.... we have so very much to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving from our little Indian!

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Swaddled

If you've followed my blog for any length of time, you know that I am a total textile and fabric junkie. Whenever I travel, I almost always bring back textile souvenirs. I have no more room in my house for pillows or blankets, and my fabric stash is overflowing, so when I found out I was pregnant, I felt like a whole new textile opportunity was presenting itself. Since most of my fabric stash was made up of pink, girly fabrics, I had the perfect excuse to buy some new fabric for the many projects I had in mind. I thought I would put together a little round-up of some of the blankets that I made, specifically, the ones that I have found to be most useful. I now realize that with a newborn, the more blankets the better. There are nights where, between leaky diapers and throw-up, we go through six blankets. So whether you are expecting, or need a baby shower gift, may I recommend the following:

Quilted playmat: I used Nani Iro fabric for the front, and an organic solid cotton for the back.

Swaddling blanket: You simply have to use double gauze for the front and flannel for the back...it makes the coziest blanket ever. This is the blanket that we used in the hospital and even the nurses commented on how great it was!

Quilt: Great for bundling up baby in the stroller on long walks.

Muslin swaddling blankets: I didn't make ours, but you easily could. These are by far the best for tight, secure swaddling.

That's my short list...do you have anything to add?

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Newport: The First Overnight

I'm excited to report that our first overnight was a success. The little man was on his very best behavior for our weekend getaway in Newport, Rhode Island. We were there to cheer on my husband, who was playing in a squash tournament (he won...had to take a moment to brag!), but we managed to take in the sights between games.
We stayed in a gorgeous hotel overlooking the coast. They were pretty posh digs, and we were definitely the only guests with children, let alone a one-month old infant, but he didn't make a single peep as we dined in the elegant dining room for both dinner and brunch.
In fact...I am starting to think that these first months are the very best months for travel and dining out. He just sleeps...no running around or throwing food. As long as I can find a place to comfortably nurse, we are good to go!
He didn't seem to notice the change in scenery...he was just happy as a little clam to be a part of the action!

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Making Room for Baby

A recent discovery: it's super easy to let your home become overrun with baby stuff. We are, however, doing our best to keep things simple. Once the little man is sleeping through the night, he will move into his nursery, but for now...he is bunking with us. There are a few things that I have found to be essential... a Moses basket with organic bedding and a rocking stand, something with which to play music and a mobile. That's it...that is all that you need for a nice sleeping space. Speaking of music, we are loving lullabies by Jewel and Linda Ronstadt. Gentle enough for a baby, but enjoyable for adults too!You may also find it necessary to display absurdly cute pictures of your baby around the room too...but then again, that might just be me!
We are off on our first overnight adventure to Newport this weekend and I am trying my best not to pack the entire house!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

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Sleepy Success

Thank you for all of your support and advice. I am happy to report that the pumping went well, and he took right to the bottle. I was able to give a night feeding to dad, which made all the difference in the world for me! Honestly, I cannot tell you how much brighter the world looks after six consecutive hours of sleep.

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Hanging On

I have learned that three weeks is the maximum that I can go with very little sleep before breaking down. Good to know, I suppose.

See...here's the thing: I love the daytime. We wile away the hours snuggling, going for long walks, and napping together between feedings. But the nights are so tough. I guess it's knowing that when my head hits the pillow, I have less than three hours until I will need to feed and change him again that really gets to me.

So today, I am breaking out the breast pump and hoping that by tonight, I can hand off a feeding to my patient, loving and completely supportive husband...who wants to help. I am hanging on to this hope...wish me luck!

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Falling for Fall

It is absolutely gorgeous here today, so we are heading out for a long walk. I am loving fall this year, everything about it... the crisp air, the turning leaves, the thought of pumpkin chocolate chip muffins at our local bakery. Speaking of pumpkins...we wanted to model our pumpkin hat for you! It helps keep us very cozy on our long walks!
We hope you have a moment this weekend to bask in the loveliness of fall!

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Cloth: The Journey Begins

I am striving to raise our little guy in the greenest, most budget-conscience environment possible. For our family, this includes the two biggies: breastfeeding and cloth diapering. When Vijay was born, he weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces. He lost some weight...as newborns do, but quickly gained it back and at our two week check-up on Monday, he weighed in at 8 pounds 10 ounces. What does this mean?He is now big enough to start using the small g-diapers. So we are off on our cloth diaper adventure. We started yesterday, and so-far-so-good. A few leaks here and there, but I am getting the hang of the fit and we are, as of this moment, accident-free today. I feel really great about our decision to use cloth diapers. Just seeing the waste from disposable diapers over the last two weeks made me feel completely ill. I know this is something I will need to remind myself of when I am grumbling over doing yet another load of laundry!Anyway...I wanted to know if there are any cloth diaper (especially g-diaper) users out there. Do you have any tips, tricks or words of encouragement to share? Any and all help would be appreciated as we begin down this road!

***Just to clarify- We are using g-diapers with the cloth inserts, not the disposable inserts! Click here for details on cloth diapering with g-diapers.***

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Bits and Pieces

Quick...the little guy is sleeping in Grandma's arms...so let me take this rare free moment to share a few exciting newsy bits with you...starting with the arrival of the amazing Holiday with Matthew Mead magazine, which contains a feature on our home. Here is a little sneak peek of our piece...In other news, Ashley of Small Measure wrote a wonderful piece on Community Supported Fiber over at Design*Sponge, inspired by my Country Living article. She put together a great resource guide if you are interested in finding a fiber farm near you...so be sure to check it out.For all of you Rhode Islanders...be sure to pick up a copy of this months RI Monthly. You might see a familiar chicken lady!
Finally, a huge honor was bestowed on The Journal, Volume One, a publication of Squam Art Workshops... it has won the 2010 AWARD of EXCELLENCE in the category of ART BOOKS. This designation has been given to our publisher, Penmor Lithographers, by PINE (Printing Industries of New England). I am so proud to have been a part of the team that brought this beautiful publication into being. Have you ordered your copy yet?
from the journal’s GRATITUDE section photo by Denise Andrade.

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On Being Gentle

I have quickly learned that motherhood is all about being gentle with yourself, and adjusting your expectations. I have always been a productive person, moving quickly and efficiently from one project to another. Yesterday, it took us an hour and a half to get out of the house, just to visit my husband at work, a mere five minutes from our home. We stayed for 15 minutes and when we returned home, we were both so exhausted that it was time for a nap, and yet... I am okay with this.
Motherhood is also about being able to ask for help. My amazing mom is staying with us for two weeks, and she has been an absolute saving grace. She is handling the cooking and laundry, the cleaning and the daily runs to the drugstore (who knew such a little guy would have so many needs- more wipes, ointment, cotton balls). She is there to talk me through my worry and help me wrap my mind around the awesome responsibility of caring for a new life. She is an extra set of hands during bath time, and the gentle voice that sings to my boy while I try to shower and change my clothes (a big accomplishment).
I am now in awe of all mothers, and I am in awe of the amount of joy that I have experienced in the past week. Every little face he makes seems photo worthy...so will you indulge me as I go a little baby crazy!?

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