merry christmas to all

(an iphone photo of an actual photo isn't the best quality but you get the idea.)

stieg larsson

so, i mentioned in a much earlier post that i had started reading the first novel in stieg larsson's trilogy.  well, i'm closing in on the final novel and, if anyone is looking for a great read, look no further.

yes, each one is nearly 600 pages, but don't let that discourage you.  the writing is perfection all in all and i promise you won't be able to put it down.  as soon as you get about 100 pages into the first novel, i guarantee you'll be in line at the bookstore buying the next two novels.

alberto burri

love, love, love alberto burri's cretto bianco series.  have for quite a while.  off the charts.  just thought i'd share it with you in case you hadn't seen his work before.

one week...

...until christmas eve.  i can't believe it...and neither can holden.  if he could talk, i think he'd say something along the lines of, "what!  what's that you say?  wait, what IS christmas, who IS jesus, and why does a bearded man come down the chimney?"

you know that's got to be confusing.

little update

well, after having been stuck in chi town due to snowy weather (i know...poor, poor me), i finally got home to see my little family.  despite the fact that our flight left chicago at 6am, i was so, so ready to get home (maybe not "6am flight" ready but ready nonetheless).  the weekend trip was so much fun and a good time was certainly had by all.  the snow was so beautiful and the windy city just wouldn't be the same without some nippy temperatures and white flurries.

in other news, holden got tubes in his ears this morning.  we had to report to the surgery center at 6am (another early morning this week).  he pulled through like a champ and even posed for some photos in his newest chicago purchase: a north face vest.  i hope this means no more ear infections for this little guy.  and so, it's with this precious image that i leave you.  you'd never know he had surgery this morning, would you?

off to chi town

the highs may be in the twenties while we're there but i cannot wait.  bring on the frigid temperatures in the windy city.  it just wouldn't be right any other way.

the holidays are rapidly approaching...

...so while i certainly have lots of christmas shopping to do, i decided that it can wait until after i finish decorating the new casa for the holidays.  here's a small, small sampling.  i think it encompasses our new family lifestyle...everything with a hint of baby gear thrown in for good measure (and functionality).

six month photos

holden had his six month photos taken a couple weeks back and they turned out adorable...as expected.  here are just a few of the lovely shots.

do note the little red remnant of his first battle scar.  the other day, while i was busy cleaning our old home to show on the market, i had holden playing pleasantly on a thick, plush blanket to pad for his unpredictable back and side spills while sitting up.  i didn't think he might actually fall forward.  so, of course, he fell to the only unpadded place in front of him and scratched his little cheek on one of the blocks he was playing with.  just goes to show you that you can only prepare for what you believe the possible outcomes may be and, then, the number of possible outcomes increases by one.  that's sort of how it always seems to go in parenthood thus far.  i'm sure it won't be the only shiner he gets in his life.  (click to enlarge)

we've landed!

things are still in boxes and nothing is how it will end up being but we're settled enough for now.  there's lots to report but i'll leave you with this handsome looker in his big boy high chair.  i actually had to convert it from the infant setup to the new setup for our little eater.  also, do note the lovely little blue sweater that i actually knit myself.  while it's adorable and i'd love holden's wardrobe to consist of lots of precious little sweaters such as this, i doubt i'll have time (at least not for a while) to add any more.  so, revel in this one because it may be the only one he'll ever have.

we're moving...

and it's kept me pretty busy.  be back soon.

just sitting here...

that's right...holden is sitting up pretty darn well.  i can't say that, in a fleeting moment of distraction, he doesn't fall slowly to one side but, all in all, he's pretty much sitting up.  just don't test him on a hard, lethal surface just yet.  before we know it, he'll be driving a car and voting.  my, how time flies.

mmm...

if i were a culinary goddess, i'd try my hand at these.  how delicious do these look?

sea legs

here's a little taste of what holden is up to these days.  this was his first attempt at the johnny jump up, the much-praised contraption from mommies the world over.  i've been told i can get some serious time out of this thing so here's to hoping he comes to love it.

also, you will see, holden is a bit of a night owl and has no less energy at 10pm than right smack dab in the middle of the day.  he is screeching until he goes down for the night, which you may think would be obnoxious, but it never. gets. old...ever.  it's truly the best sound in the world and you just can't help but smile.  i wish adults made such joyous, delightful sounds as well...which reminds me, please excuse my annoying voice...i had to mask it with a great coldplay song about a swing.

i should also point out that i took this video yesterday.  as i mentioned in an earlier post, he has had a little runny nose and a mild-but-lingering cough for a few weeks.  so, i called the good doctor who asked that i bring him in just to make sure it's nothing but the typical cold.  this morning i scooted on in thinking that we'd be in and out and this was just one of the 12 colds he's supposed to get in the first year.  the nurse first took his temperature with an ear thermometer and, strangely, he started really getting worked up over it.  this is a little out-of-the-ordinary for holden since, at this age, he doesn't ever really expect to know what's going on so he's very much a go-with-the-flow kind of baby.  then, the doctor came in to look at his ears and had to clean some of the little earwax out of the depths of his ear canal.  so, after she takes a peak her words are, "that ear is awful."  my first thought was, "oh dear, how embarrassing.  the doctor is commenting on how dirty i've let my baby's ears get."  no, she was actually talking about his massive ear infection.

to sum it all up, holden had not one single symptom of an ear infection and he ends up having what even the pediatrician calls an "awful" ear infection.  this baby has quite a pain tolerance.  his other ear was also really bad and, on a chart of the progression of ear infections, she pointed to the image directly before "rupture" when describing the severity of his infection.

so, while i feel like mother of the year for letting it get to this point (to be fair, not a single fuss or ear touching to signal ear pain), i have to say i greatly admire holden's ability to "rise above" his pain and really take the johnny jump up by storm...with or without the shooting pains in the sides of his head.

and that's about all we have going on here.  i'll keep you posted on little holden's ear trials and tribulations but here is some visual candy of the little man in the mean time.

paul smith for the rug company

if you miss domino magazine as much as i do, then dart over to lonnymag.com if you haven't already.  it's wonderful and the newest issue (1st anniversary issue) just arrived.  in it, lulu dk shows off her inspiring home and, most importantly, her sons' nursery.  i love this wall hanging by paul smith for the rug company.  i might even have to investigate a bit to see what that lovely puppy would run as it would be perfect in another little boy's room that i know.

a little father & son time

lucky for holden & me, jim came home a little early today.  so, while this mama went for a run, holden had some quality daddy time.  i will tell you, this little boy gets sweeter and sweeter every day.  and, just when you think he can't get any more precious...he does.  somehow.  some way.  holden really is a daily (if not hourly) reminder that God has blessed our little family and while no display of gratitude could be sufficient, i just know that i have to keep trying to properly thank Him.

as for what else is new on the thomas homefront, i'm currently in search of the perfect bib.  i know that might sound simple but, alas, it is not.  i even tried my hand at sewing one today but that didn't exactly turn out quite as planned.  i can't seem to find the perfect combination of oilcloth for easy wiping of fruits & veggies, cotton for drool or spit up, and just plain attractiveness.  you would think that the perfect bib might reside somewhere in the bowels of the internet but i have yet to find it and i consider myself one of the most proficient online shoppers around.  i'll keep you posted.

a new task to take on this year...holden's first christmas.  i have my ideas and i think a first christmas deserves ample thought and planning.  that's why i'm starting now.  you might think two months is a little overzealous but, no.  this has got to be the christmas to beat all christmases.  so, if you're wondering what i'm up to, i'm probably browsing martha stewart online for holiday ideas.  i guess this is what your life turns into when you have a little guy who's in bed by 9pm and a husband who is indulging in a rare boys' night out.

the weekend has arrived!  we're all pretty stoked about it over here.

5 months

not a lot to report from here.  we are still working on getting over our little cold.  i'm actually thinking this may be a combination of the first and the second cold...back to back.  poor little guy hasn't had a clear nose in a couple weeks now.  as for food, we are still working our way through lots of different fruits and veggies and, so far, no allergies.  always a good thing.  

here are some shots of holden playing on his belly.  he's not a huge fan of tummy time but the first few minutes (captured here) are always a good time.  give it 10 minutes and it's another story.

our first cold

yep, we have our first official cold.  the past few days, holden has sounded a little congested and now he has a full-blown runny nose.  while he's had his moments of fussiness (can you blame him?), i'm thinking he may be on the up and up.  his nose is runnier than ever but he acts like he's starting to feel better.  hopefully, this nasty little cold is on it's way out on the first train.  good riddance.

sweet peas for the sweet boy.

burger up

i'm not sure i've ever recommended a restaurant before but this one deserves a mention.  to put it simply...it rocks...all of it.  the atmosphere, the food, the cool factor.  it's pretty darn perfect.  check it out if you're ever in the 12th south area.  you won't be disappointed.

cooking for baby

 

last thursday we were cleared to try some different solids not of the rice cereal variety.  the time had finally come to bring out my babycook machine and get to steaming.  this machine is amazing if you've ever been interested in making your baby's food.

this weekend, at my usual grocery run, i snagged some organic fruits and vegetables: pears, apples, carrots, bananas, sweet peas, and sweet potatoes.  after i read through the instructions about three times, i felt ready to take on this challenge.  it was actually really fun and i feel so much better about putting these little mashes into holden's body because i know it doesn't get any healthier.  plus, have you ever seen how expensive the little jars of organic baby food are?

so, here are a few images of my little process and a shot of my freezer.  after you freeze the individual portions (note the orange and green trays), you can just stick them in a labeled freezer bag (seen here next to the thin mints, mind you) with the date you made them and they're good for three months.  the beauty of that is it actually takes very little time to have three months' worth of baby food stock...even i don't think that's too much work.  later, i'll post a photo of our sloppy little eater.

 

4 1/2 months

i can't believe it's been a month since i last updated my blog.  pathetic...however, such little blog time means lots of crazy happenings going on.  we've been to the beach, seen the chihuly exhibit at cheekwood, attended an extraordinary sip and see, discovered that there are dogs outside and the fascination just doesn't stop, are in the throws of our first cold, started making our own baby food, and began introducing the fruit and veggie goodies a little bit at a time.

holden is a little on the fence about carrots but the bananas, apples, and sweet potatoes have been more successful.  it seems our little guy already has a sweet tooth...sounds a lot like his mama.  lots more to come...details, details, details.  so, while i whittle away at our new adventures, here's a photo from this morning to tie you over.

cricket ♥ james nares

pretty cool...a big brush and a harness.

{james nares}

someone's rockin' a mohawk...

...and stripes!

15 weeks

so.  stinkin'.  cute.

waylande gregory

i know i say i love a lot of things but these pieces by waylande gregory are gorgeous.  my favorite is this one:

but these are a pretty close second.

{waylande gregory}

butter london

i had read about this brand of nail polish a couple of times and decided to give it a go.  i bought it in "pink ribbon" (a soft pinky-peach) along with the basecoat.  i had the rare opportunity last night to actually paint my nails and i'm so in love.  i was told that it would chip less so i'll be even more impressed if that's true (my fingernails barely make it a day without getting chipped).  this line is free of any formaldehyde, toluene, or DBP which can't be a bad thing with a tiny little man around the house.

les livres

tory burch has a great post on her blog that centers around books and has input from lots of tastemakers and other interesting people.  i just started reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (the first novel in larsson's trilogy) so i was excited to see that she's enjoyed them as well.

check it out.

smiles

tory burch

i love just about everything tory burch creates.  so, i thought i'd share my two newest tory love affairs.  meet the dayton messenger and the limited edition kara ross for tory burch resin evil eye cuff.  sigh.

{shop tory burch}

12 weeks

holden is now 3 months old (as of yesterday) and he just gets more and more adorable the more he shows us his wonderful little personality.  one of the most popular baby books talks about babies having a "fourth trimester."  basically, he believes that, unlike other animals that come out of the womb walking, human babies would prefer to stay inside another trimester but, due to nature and the impossibility of actually getting out after another trimester inside, can't.

so, this doctor believes that it takes a newborn about three months before they can really start to develop their personality and interact with the world around them.  this has been very true of holden.  it seems like overnight he became a happy go lucky baby who smiles at everyone (his toys included) and only cries with a purpose: he's hungry, sleepy, has some gas pains, etc.  needless to say, it's been a wonderful change and one that brings new and precious moments every day.

we are so blessed to have this little guy in our lives!  Here are some photos of him last week when he was 12 weeks old.

splish splash

airedelsur delight

i love, love, love airedelsur's silver and horn pieces but they cost a fortune.  so, i'm always really excited when one king's lane has them on sale.  it actually makes them somewhat affordable.  what's better is that today's sale includes ceramic versions of their traditional pieces with a much more delightful price point.

sweet mobiles

i've loved bla bla's sweet little knit items for a long time and was super stoked to see that they've added some new mobiles to their offerings.  how precious.  the little horse would fit perfectly in holden's nursery.