to my daughter on her second birthday

Happy Birthday Sweet Scarlett!!

Dear Scarlett -

What?! You’re two already?! This year went faster than the first! It’s been amazing to watch you grow and develop this past year. You went from crawling to walking to running in a few months’ span. Now you can march and jump and stand on one foot and spin around. Incredible! You went from signing and saying only a few words to speaking two and three word sentences and even knowing some spanish words, not to mention repeating every word you hear and learning new words by the minute. I love your sweet voice. And when you said “i wuv you, mamma” to me the first time, which happened to be mother’s day, my heart melted completely. best.feeling.ever! It’s hard to believe, but I fall more and more in love with you everyday.


Everyday is a new adventure and you continue to surprise and amaze me your emerging personality. You’re pretty funny, Scarlett! Your laughter and giggles are contagious, even when none of us know what you’re laughing at. At the young age of two you know exactly what you want and will not settle for anything else. You love your doggies and shoes and boxes and puzzles and markers. You are pretty picky about food, and prefer cheese and crackers to anything else, but I can’t blame you for that. (Girl after my own heart!) There are some things you started this year that I don’t know where you learned them. For example, when you are talking and singing to yourself in your room way past your bedtime and then I come walking in quietly to check on you, you immediately stop singing, flop down and pretend to be sleeping!! Where did you learn that? I didn’t perfect that skill until junior high sleep-over parties. Like I said sweet girl, you amaze me and make me laugh!

There were a lot of changes in this second year of life, Scarlett. We left the only home you ever knew in San Francisco and moved cross-country to Austin, TX. When our apartment was empty and everything was packed away, you laid down in the middle of floor with arms and legs stretched out and cried. Not a screaming cry; a “where is all my stuff” worrisome cry. When we arrived in our new apartment, you inspected every corner before giving your non-verbal approval of sitting down to play in your new room. Besides moving to a new state, you also became a big sister this year! I was worried about your reaction to the baby’s arrival, but you instantly loved him. And since the day he arrived, you have been a sweet and protective older sister. Every morning when you wake up you ask, “baby? baby?” until you see the baby and then say, “Oooohhhh, baby!” You also love to hold your little brother and show him your toys. Those are some big changes in one year for a little girl, but you’ve handled it like a champ!

Things have been good in Texas for you so far. You get to see your NanaSue and Pop all the time and have fun at their ranch with their doggies! You and I have gone to ballet classes and music classes and lots of story times together. You love playing in the pool and going down the slide and playing catch and dancing. You also started spanish pre-school, which took a little bit of time to get used to, but now you have a lot of fun there. This next year we will be able to settle in to our new house and neighborhood with our growing family.

No matter where we are in the world, I love reading stories to you and singing lullabies before you go to sleep. Just a few weeks ago, after almost two years of singing “twinkle, twinkle” and “you are my sunshine” to you every night before bed, you finally sang the songs with me. I was so amazed! You went from never singing a single word to singing the entire song! Even though sometimes I can’t believe how big you are getting, I am always reminded that you are my sweet baby when you lay your head on my shoulder to snuggle before sleep. Those are the best moments that I will continue to cherish everyday and will remember forever.

Though there have been some challenging moments this year as a mother, like your first tantrums and your refusal to hold my hand when we cross the street, I love you unconditionally and more than you will ever know. I hope I grow as a mother as you grow as a child, and I provide the parenting that is best for you to develop. My goal is to allow your creativity, learning and independence to shine, while also keeping you safe and teaching you to treat others with respect. I promise you I will try everyday to do just that.

Scarlett, you’ve got spark in your eyes and some spunk in your step. Your smiles and slobbery snotty kisses and running-towards-me-with-open-arms hugs and everything else are the best in the world. I love you so much! I love you so much! I love you so much! I just looooove you sooooo much!! Happy birthday my favorite girl in the world!

All the love in my heart,

Mamma

Recent Scarlett

All by myself!

Two days ago Scarlett wouldn't budge an inch off the top of the slide unless I was holding on to her for dear life. Today, without any warning, she started zooming down all by herself. She was laughing and giggling with each slide, and then immediately back up the stairs for another ride. Scarlett was so proud of herself and thrilled with excitement. I loved it!

And, I know she's my progeny and all, but, c'mon, look at that amazing happy face! Isn't it just the best?!

baby mullet be gone!

some kids Scarlett's age have full on french braid pony tails to their mid-backs. Scarlett, unfortch, has a baby mullet. gathering it in a tiny pony doesn't really work. it either looks like a rat tail or she pulls it out instantaneously. luckily though, her baby mullet is not as bad as or intentional like these. still, it needed to be fixed.

i tried to remedy this situation with scissors before by myself, but now the baby mullet has grown back with some extra spunk due to my lacking skills. the poor thing. since i failed last time, i decided i would take a trip to the experts.

 the baby mullet: before pics
preparing for the chop at the Hair's Lair

(the fact that she was dressed in a jean jacket today was purely coincidental, but also quite fitting)

i searched the yelp reviews and found that The Hair's Lair seemed the best. bonus that it was closest to our place. it's a tiny salon run by stylist/owner, Margo (love the name!) with lots of toys and a friendly atmosphere. she was quick and obviously experienced with many pictures from happy clients decorating the wall. she definitely called me out on my prev attempt at fixing the baby mullet and instructed me not to do that again! (which i did not take offense to, it was a necessary reprimand)

Margo cut Scarlett's hair so fast I could barely get a picture of her in action, but here you can see the baby mullet has magically disappeared! the cut was a little expensive at 25 dollars, cash or check only, but i'm happy with the experience and the results. we'll be going back!

this pic doesn't really do the new 'do proper service, but it is much improved and now Scarlett has a style plan with Margo! We will keep trimming the baby mullet until her hair grows in thicker, and eventually she'll have a cute lil bob! yay! updates to follow, of course. 

and for your information: 

The Hair's Lair

1206 W 38th (and Lamar)

512-374-1700

to my daughter on her first birthday

dear Scarlett -

i love you! i love you! i love you!

you are the most amazing person in my life. every day i love you more and more. it has been my greatest joy watching you change and grow every day for the past 365 days. i have not had a better year in my entire life! and this is just the beginning...

your smile melts my heart and your laughter brings more happiness to me than you can imagine. when i met you i felt a never before felt connection and thought to myself, "you are my favorite person in the whole world!" and next i thought, "wow, i am meeting my best friend right now who i know everything about, but also have the world to learn from at the same time." my heart keeps surprising my mind with how much it can grow with love for you. every day has been a new adventure and i am thrilled for the many adventures to come.

it's very common to hear people say, "i cannot believe it's been a year!" or "i cannot believe how fast the first year went by!" when their baby turns one years old. i am happy to say that i do not feel like this year went by in a flash. instead, i feel like we savored and experienced the most of it. we have done so much in your first year!

you have traveled the country coast to coast and met so many important family members and friends along the way. you have flown to europe and have three stamps on your passport and have taken an overnight train through the alps. you have gone swimming in lakes and pools and swinging in swings at many great parks. we have gone on long walks all over san francisco. you have gone on a boat ride with your cousins in wisconsin. you have met two sets of great-grandparents! we have had so many wonderful moments snuggling right after you wake up in the morning. you have laughed and smiled and heard me sing "the wheels on the bus" countless times. and so much more! hopefully i have recorded a glimpse of for us to look back on one day.

what i truly cannot believe, however, is all the growing and changing you have done in this single timeframe. it is incredible; you are truly a miracle! you have more than doubled in size! you have learned to roll over, sit, crawl, stand, dance, clap your hands, wave hello, and much more. you have six teeth! you have learned to say mama, dada, uh-oh, and baba. you can stack one block on top of the other! incredible, i say!

i have tried to cherish and hold dear every moment that we've spent together from your early morning feedings to reading our favorite stories at night. for sure, there were tough times where your dad and i were just learning how to be parents to you and tired times from balancing work and family; these will always be challenges. but there were infinitely more joyous times than not. the most wonderful moments were watching your expressions of amazement at discovering new things about the world, peeking in to see you sleeping perfectly and peacefully, hearing you giggle the purest giggles of excitement and happiness, and having family hugs and dance parties. i am so blessed and fortunate to be your mamma and to have witnessed your special life the past year.

i will never forget this first year. these memories are branded on my heart for ever and ever with overwhelming pride. i can only hope that i've been the best mamma to you and given you the best first year that you deserve. i hope i created a foundation for years and years of wonderful living, experiencing and learning for you to come.

you are my sunshine, my light, my heart, my life. you are the greatest blessing one could ever receive.

happy first birthday sweet baby Scarlett!

all the love and best wishes in my heart,

mamma

cause and effect

Scarlett has learned how to put one thing (a block) into another thing (a bowl) and then dump it out! still working on all the finer intricacies of it, but this is a huge milestone: learning cause and effect.

i don't know about you, but i am totally impressed!

scarlett, you are learning new things everyday. it is so exciting and fun to watch. i want to be inside your brain (using scary monster voice with modified jazz fingers wiggling toward head) so i can see it all take place.

and yes, those are the kinds of things i say to her when we play

as well as....

i love you like ccrrrrrrraaaaaay-zzzzeeeeee!

(because, obviously, i do)

genius baby!

daddydave, baby S and i were hanging out (with auntie K too) as daddydave was about to go out of town for work. Scarlett was making super cute giggles so daddydave wanted a video for his travels. then Scarlett started showing off all her new tricks. what a genius!

it's incredible to me how much she understands slash recognizes the things we say and the songs we sing. what else can she understand? probably everything; she's jut a sponge soaking it all in. amazing!

oh, i love her so much! such a proud mamma moment!

scarlett stats

Scarlett stats at 9 months:

16 pounds 2 ounces

27 inches long

crawls on hands and knees

pulls self up to stand

gets down from standing now!

claps when you say "clap"

waves hi

(mostly to strangers at whole foods)

dances to her favorite songs

(primarily, wheels on the bus)

sleeps through the night

eats some finger foods and teething crackers

understands object permanence

(no more fooling her with hiding what she wants)

loves mamma's iphone, keys and sunglasses

usually has her tongue sticking out

has two bottom teeth and one top tooth

(with another top tooth coming in)

finally fits into some 6 month old sizes!

is kind of a midge, but still super active

loves the swings and...

is the sweetest ever!

Scarlett's got skillz

i know it's cliche to say, but Scarlett really has gotten so much bigger and changed so fast this last month. she seems like a for-real kid now, not an itty bitty anymore. she sits up on her own, spots a toy across the room and army crawls towards it, pulls herself to standing (though doesn't know how to get down just yet), blows bubbles, interacts and plays with her toys instead of just trying to eat them, squeals with laughter from belly raspberries and peek-a-boo games and can do lots more super cool tricks. it is amazing watching her develop new skills and discover new things each and every day.

it is almost incomprehensible how fascinating babies are! who couldn't stare at a baby for hours? the things they learn sound so mundane, like clapping their hands, but it appears incredible and magical when a baby who has only been in this world for 7 months does it for the first time...you may not be in complete awe from this video of Scarlett "clapping," but I was sure one excited mamma when she did it!  

sweet pea and the triple b

i went to the triple b today and purchased a cuisinart immersion blender {with the 20% off coupon, obvs}. i'd wanted one of these for a long time and finally bought one under the guise of its necessity in making homemade baby food. i immediately went home and {unnecessarily} used every single attachment piece to make organic sweet peas {and a mess} for sweet Scarlett. 

{recipe plus great info about introducing slash making baby food in this cookbook}

 {thanks for the great present aunt christine!}

as expected, the first veggie trial did not go so well.

Scarlett wailed in her outside voice, "dubs-t is this mamma?" don't think she made one swallow. the eating of the first vegetable trial was over pretty quickly. 

later on though i struck a genius cord and remembered the cookbook suggested mixing it with a little rice cereal. i added some pumped ta-ta mums to thin it out and create the illusion of familiarity. perfect solution. she ate it all up! yay for veggies!

and yay for mamma's new toy! totes love it. more recipes, stories and pictures about homemade baby food to come. i'm so excited!

What foods has your baby loved? How did you make it? Any fave recipes or suggestions?

look who has a tooth!

someone must be teething

constantly a finger on the gums and its drool city over here.

little feet

little hands

my. heart. melts.

weigh in

Scarlett is still a skinny mini baby. she'll be four months next week and had a doc appt today. she's 24 inches long, 50th percentile, but weighs 11lbs 2oz, 12th percentile. my little long and lean string bean

photos by my new mom friend, Brooke, who happens to be an amazing profesh photog. more on her later for sure.