HANDMADE LOVELIES

The other day I got a package in the mail and was so excited to see what it contained:

How adorable are these?! They are from my sister's friend, Laura, and I was smitten especially when I learned that she knit these herself. The hat is a strawberry!

I love the detailing on the collar of the sweater...I would totally wear a grownup version of this!

The hat is too big for her now, but it'll be perfect for this upcoming winter. The sweater fits her perfectly right now so I made sure to take a gazillion photos on my phone:

Thanks Laura!

TO THE MARKET

On Saturday, K., Rusty, Sloane and I packed ourselves into the car and ventured out to the farmer's market.
The excursion ended up being more stressful than it needed to be - because of Rusty, not because of Sloane - but I'm still glad we made it out. Next time, we vowed, we'd leave Rusty at home. Which is a shame because the South of the James farmer's market is where dogs of all shapes and sizes come with their owners to see, be seen, and mingle. but it's also gotten so much bigger and more crowded, which means Rusty can't contain himself he's so excited. I don't blame him, bigger means there are more vendors and I myself can hardly contain myself from wanting to buy up all the fresh produce, flowers, cheese and other nifty things they have out. I am realizing that I'm a sucker for nifty things sold at a stand, outdoors. Especially in farmer's market format.

Pictured above is the glorious Bagel With the Works from the Crossroads vendor at the market: onion bagel with herb cream cheese, tomatoes, capers, red onions and microgreens.I had to wait almost 30 minutes in line for this but it was deelicious.

MEETING BABY SLOANE

Tomorrow it will be one month since we first met our baby girl. One month! As a huzzah and for posterity, here is a video montage of all our months leading up to this kind of crazy but superbly awesome month.

PRETTY THINGS... FOR FALL

Some pretty things that I'm eyeballing for the upcoming fall:

mini fall festival necklace 

silk graph paper boyshirt

rib and hull heirloom tote

polka dot jeans 

river island wool effect chelsea boots

2 WEEKS AND 3 WEEKS

S. is actually 3 weeks today, but this picture is from when she is 2 weeks old.

At 2 weeks, 

she makes sounds like a baby dinosaur when she wakes up and

 forms her mouth like a baby bird when she is hungry.

Her eyes are liquid black and she stares into faces and cranes her neck

 to catch glimpses of we're not sure what. 

She has a yawn the size of a hippo's!

She has long toes and fingers and the chub cheeks that are perfect for hundreds of kisses

She is an efficient eater (so says the pediatrician), she doesn't cry for long, and she is already strong.

At 3 weeks, 

her voice is a little stronger, her coos are expressive, and she swivels her head from side to side.

Her little hands have started to clutch to things like people's shirts, and she seems more aware of sounds.

She is easily consoled. She is warm and sweet when I wake her, 

and she stretches her arms and arches her back while she is waking up. 

It's my favorite thing right now.

I love her to pieces.

SAID I WOULD

Currently listening to:

FAMILY

My parents are in town for the week, and this past weekend, my sisters came into town as well, so that we could all be together and celebrate Sloane. It is a big deal when my family can get together because my parents have to trek their way from S. Korea to be here, and my sisters have to come in from their respective east coast cities, despite busy schedules and travel issues.  It made my heart so so glad to have them all here this past weekend. I can't think of anything better than having my family meet and love on Sloane, and I only wish we all had more time together!

my parents: they are the cutest

sloane with her grandpa

with grandma

lots of cuddles

yes, that's a teeny tutu

sharon!

i love these dahlias

with husband + sloane

eunice and val

aunt eunice! 

pass the baby

my sisters

sloane taking in aunt sharon

loved.

LIFE LATELY

I now live my life lately in 3 hour increments (sometimes 2...or 1). It's a totally new way of being. Most of the time, it's do-able, and I'm all, wow I'm doing it! At this stage, her needs are basic and she is pretty clear cut and up front about what she needs. She's a good baby. Yes, BF (breastfeeding) is taking over my life, it's both awesome and exhausting, but more on that later. Other times, I'm like, wait is this what my life is going to be like forever? 'Cause sometimes, you feel like a baby-caring machine, not really like a mom yet, and you miss sleeping like a normal person and living life without breast milk leaking all over your clothes. And since I'm being real here, there is a little bit of feeling like you are prisoner...to your body, to the house, to the feed/poop/sleep cycle... It's hard because it's different, because you have to turn off all your selfish inclinations in order to serve and take care of another being that is wholly dependent on you, and because you see how altered your life will be.

But for right now, I am trading in my tired moments for the minutes where I can watch her sleep, so perfect and peaceful, for the chance to notice how she changes slightly each day, for all the different faces that she makes which crack me up, her wide-eyed stares, to watch K. give her kisses and baths, and for her sweet newborn baby smell. I am keeping in mind that my job right now is not only to take care of her but to enjoy her, to bond, and to delight in her together with K. And that's amazing.

ROALD DAHL'S COOKBOOK

This definitely looks like it's worth a gander.

WHOLE WHEAT CARROT AND APPLE MUFFINS

When you just had a baby, fiber is your friend. Trust me on this one. So when a friend brought over these whole wheat carrot and apple muffins, I hailed her as a Godsend. Not only are these muffins crazy good and good for you, but they are packed with fiber (whole wheat flour! flax seed! apples!). I immediately asked her for the recipe and made some tweaks of my own. These are also great for a quick way to get energy in the middle of the night when you are up breastfeeding and realize you are feeling ravenous.

1. Mix together dry ingredients. 

2. Mix together wet ingredients + apples and carrots.

3. Pour into pan.

4. Consume.

• WHOLE WHEAT CARROT AND APPLE MUFFINS
• 
  
• 3 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup of flax seed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 cup of applesauce
• 1 cup of grated carrot
• 1 cup of grated apple
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, flax seed, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine oil, eggs, water, carrot, apple. applesauce and lemon juice. Mix wet ingredients into dry, fold in. Bake in muffin pans, sprayed with nonstick spray, for 40 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.

SWEETNESS

Sloane is nine days old and she is the sweetness.

She is healthy and strong. She also gets cuter every day.

She cries, eats, poops, like a baby should, and when she’s awake she stares at everything with her eyes that are pools of black. I don’t know how much she sees but she’s a really good at staring. I’m getting really good at staring, too. She is a miracle and we can't believe she's ours.

ADORBS

French Blossom

SOME NOTES IN THE AFTERMATH

photo by laura

i'm still trying to organize all my thoughts
but
here i am jotting down a few,
so i don't forget.

things that i've realized/pleasantly surprised by/grateful for:
- this baby is healthy
- people are seriously super genuinely happy for us
- staying at the hospital wasn't as scary as i thought it would be
- i was right to be worried about all the difficulties of labor and recovery and breastfeeding. it's crazy. BUT, it's do-able. and most amazingly, i'm doing it.
- it was nice to get people i love visit me at the hospital
- having my mother-in-law here is great
- people are bringing us meals, and that's awesome
- my sister makes a really good mi-yuk (seaweed) soup
- the lack of sleep that you practice during pregnancy really DOES prepare you for these first few weeks.
- i don't get tired of staring at baby
- i don't get tired of watching husband with baby
- i love baby more each day.

SLOANE VALERIE LU

She's here..!

 

 

...and I'm totally in love.

I'M CONSTANTLY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN IN MY LIFE: