Baby food

Now that Toby is eight months old, he has been eating more solid foods. We've given him pretty basic foods so far (carrots, bananas), and I'm not loving the baby-food jars. Then yesterday I flipped through this inspiring book, which encouraged a surprisingly wide range of real foods for young babies, including pork chops to teeth on and egg yolks with salt.

Fellow mamas, I'd love to ask you: What did you feed your babies? I would be so grateful for tips!

(Clip-on high chair by Phil & Teds; kerchief bib from Bink & Boo)

Opus baby clothes

How cute are these baby clothes? (I love how baby feet are always perpendicular!)

(Via Unruly Little Things)

Babies in Paris

My darlings, my mom also sent us some photos of our family in Paris, right after my sister and I were born. I totally adore this breastfeeding photo, it looks so tender and made me a little teary.
And I'm also amazed that her clothes look so current!
You can see Versailles in the background...
My mom delivered us by C-section at the American Hospital of Paris and stayed for a whopping ten days afterwards to rest. My mom also said the hospital food was amazing, including slices of Camembert.
The view from the Eiffel Tower...
I really loved looking through these; thank you so much, Mama! It was the best birthday present.

Pregnant in Paris

This weekend, my mom dug out a bunch of old photos from when she was pregnant with Lucy and me. They were so much fun to see. My parents had just moved from the U.S. to France, and they thought they were having just one baby (they didn't expect twins!). My mom described what the experience was like...

"When we moved to Paris, I was already pregnant and very excited," my mom told me. "We went to French restaurants every night and explored Paris and surrounding towns on the weekends. During the day while Dad worked, I would walk through Le Vésinet, a beautiful residential district, to St. Germain en Laye, where I would have tea and a croissant and write letters home. Some days I would go swimming at a public indoor pool on the way back. I had a fitted black maternity suit--very sexy and French! Once on the way home, I was craving a hamburger, so I stopped for lunch. It was delicious. As I left the cafe, I saw a poster with an outline of a horse, saying that the special of the day was hamburger a la cheval!"

"During my pregnancy, Daddy and I called the baby 'Freddie' and whenever we visited a gorgeous French cathedral--Notre Dame, Chartres--we would always light a candle for 'Freddie.' "

"In early January, I was eight months pregnant. My belly was quite big, and my doctor was worried that something might be wrong. Dad was on a business trip, so I went alone to the Hôpital Américain de Paris for a sonogram...

"I was lying on my back with the cold jelly on my belly and the technician said, 'Je vois un bébé.' I smiled, and he kept working. Then he said, 'Ooh la la! Je vois deux bébés.' I was stunned! Twins! He kept working and then he exclaimed, 'Mon dieu, je vois trois bébés!' Triplets! He was a bit flustered and wanted a second opinion so said he was going to get a doctor and left the room. I lay there thinking, 'Hmm. I only have two arms, but I am going to have three babies!' When the two doctors came back, they took another look and finally said, 'Madame, you are definitely having two babies only!' I thought, 'Only two! That'll be a cinch!' Later I wondered if they had worked some clever psychology on me..."

"When I left the hospital that afternoon, I was so excited. I passed a little shop and spotted this cute mouse doll with two mouse babies! I bought it, and when I met Dad at the airport the next day, I gave it to him. He was perplexed and just looked at it (Why was I giving him a stuffed mouse?). Then it dawned on him, 'Oh my gosh! Are you serious?' He was shocked but thrilled. The next week we lit candles at a church for 'the Freddies!' "

(Next I'd love to share a few from after we were born, if you'd like to see...:)

Photos of Toby

Just 'cause. :) He's almost eight months old, I can't believe it!

Vacation photos: Palm Springs

On our Christmas vacation, after spending the four days in L.A., we headed to Palm Springs to meet Alex's mom and sister. We all stayed together at this rental house. The house was totally tricked out--with a huge pool, a waterfall, a hammock, a fireplace, and toilet seats that automatically opened when you walked into the bathroom (seriously, they had sensors!). Bonus: Crazily enough, it was actually cheaper per person than a budget motel.
We took Toby swimming for the first time. He sort of loved it for a few minutes...and then decided he hated it. :)
One morning, I took a quick shower and came outside to find Toby and Alex playing "helicopter."
I have to say, it made my heart swell a little bit :)
Here's the Toby-eye-view!
Toby loved chilling with his grandma. And check out the mountain views! The desert is so gorgeous. (We heard a freaky story about a now-infamous tourist couple who took the tram up the mountain and then decided to stroll back into town. "It's just a short walk," they figured. "Doesn't our hotel look close from up here?" All they had was a pack of chewing gum, and no maps or hiking gear. Five days later, they were rescued.)
Right before Christmas, we thought it would be cool to take a family photo, inspired by these old shadow shots. It didn't really work, but we tried!
Another morning, we went to Ruby's Diner, and Toby tried mashed banana for the first time.
Despite a valiant attempt...
...he was not impressed. (His expression cracks me up.)
Another afternoon, Alex, Toby and I snuck off for a couple hours and went to the Ace Hotel & Swim Club, which has a rad pool and is amazingly family- and dog-friendly.
Alex immediately got a beer and parked himself by the hot tub.
Toby and I hung out on deck chairs...
...and dipped our feet into the gorgeous pool. Everyone there was really friendly and chatty; it felt like being at a party. :)
And on the walk home, Toby fell asleep in the stroller...
...and since he'd wake up if we stopped moving, we had to keep going...
...so we walked in circles around a cul-de-sac...
...over and over...
...for a half hour...
...ahhh, vacations with a baby! :) It was a wonderful, restorative trip and made us much more confident about family travel and, honestly, parenting in general. Sometimes it takes a break in your routine to show you what you can do. Thanks so much for reading! Have you been to Palm Springs?

A couple other favorite things: Renting fat-tired bikes, everything on the lunch menu at Cheeky's, and the local speciality: delicious date milkshakes. Any other tips, my lovelies?

Vacation photos: Los Angeles

My darlings, I'd love to share a couple photos from our Christmas vacation. California was a great place to travel as a family. As a new-ish mom, I was a little nervous about such a big trip with the baby, but the warm weather made things soooo easy and fun; Toby loved all the action (and avocados), and we could take walks on the beach while he napped in the stroller.
One afternoon, we went out onto the Venice pier. I was impressed that the surfers were going strong in December--the water was freezing that day!
It was really nice to be out and about with nothing to do.
Guess what Toby got for Christmas? His two front teeth!
After a while, we stopped so I could nurse Toby next to a bunch of guys playing basketball. Of course, he wanted to watch the game afterwards. :)
Whenever we're in L.A., Alex always wants to stop by Stronghold, an hipper-than-hip store with selvedge jeans, Filson bags and friendly salespeople. Toby loved rolling around on the rug and trying on the hats. (He looked awesome in a fedora:)
Bonus: They have free whiskey, so you can pour yourself a drink!
Late that afternoon, we met up with our friends Michael and Caroline at the restaurant Gjelina. We sat in the back garden and got pizzas and salads.
I love this photo of Toby. Doesn't he look like such a player? :) He's like, "Yeah, I'm chilling in the arms of an older woman, no big deal."
Now we're secretly fantasizing about moving to L.A. :) It's such a fun place, and we can't wait to go back!

A few of our favorite places in west Los Angeles, which we've been to over the years:
* Huckleberry Cafe for lunch. (The yummiest salads and sandwiches and desserts. I could eat here everyday.)
* Blue Plate Oysterette for lunch. (Fish tacos in a breezy little nautical restaurant across from the beach.)
* Tavern. (Big, beautiful, understated room with trees indoors. We think we spotted David Hockney at the next table. Their adjoining bakery sells delicious desserts, including chocolate-chip cookies made two ways: crispy and chewy. Genius!)
* Gjelina. (Dark, bustling, sceney. Fun vibe; sexy lighting. A fire pit in the back garden.)
* The Tasting Kitchen. (We had such a romantic date here. Dark, lovely. Don't miss the bread pudding.)

Have you ever been to L.A., or do you live there? Any favorite restaurants or tips? I'd love to hear. xoxo

Next up: Palm Springs...

(Photos taken with the Hipstamatic App on the iPhone)