27 June 2009

HUCK IS 6 MONTHS OLD!

well, technically he is now 6 months and 12 days old, but what's a few days between friends, right? the important thing to acknowledge here is that he's getting to be a really big boy. he even got his first tooth 10 days ago!

oh, and today i saw him lying on his belly and before i knew it he had pushed himself up onto all fours as if he was ready to scoot forward and crawl. luckily he plopped back down because -- sheesh -- this mom can only handle so much growing up at one time.

although, these pictures reveal that he's already practicing how to sing lead vocals in a band and how to drive a race car. or a tractor. maybe he's driving a tractor. a bright green john deere tractor. yes, that would be nice.

either way, happy 1/2 birthday little huckleberry. your dad and i are having the best time with you around. xo.



(bottom photo by grandma b)

ONLY 27 MORE DAYS

until vovo, pop-pop, and aunt tricia visit us from way over here.


not that we're excited or anything, we just like counting. and calendars. and maps.

26 June 2009

THE BEST BABY BUM SPRAY EVER


this stuff is truly amazing. huck's aunt tami made about 16 ounces of it for me back in february and for one thing, huck has not had one diaper rash. not one. for another, i am still using the original batch -- it lasts forever!

here's what's in it:
1 to 1 1/2 cups distilled water
1/4 cup aloe vera gel (tami used aloe vera juice)
1 tbs calendula oil
2 tsp baby shampoo
2-3 drops tea tree oil
2-3 drops lavender oil (or the essential oil of your choice. tami used orange oil in my batch. yum yum.)

it was so easy. she just mixed it all together, poured some in a spray bottle, and i've been keeping the rest in the fridge in a mason jar. tami also said that if huckleberry does ever get a diaper rash, i can add 1 tbs of vinegar to discourage yeast. voila! it's genious!

each time i change huck's diaper, i spray some of it on his you-know-what and all over his you-know-where. not only does the gentle mist smell great, it also aids in the wiping process (either in place of or in addition to regular baby wipes), soothes his skin, and gives him a little spritz, which he loves.

are you sold? not yet? ok, how about this . . . tami's tushy tonic. it's antiseptic, antiviral, and antibacterial. it's healing, homemade, and hardly any money. bare your baby's bottom and say bye bye to diaper rash forever. tami's tushy tonic: a soft, soothing skin spray for your petite's precious parts.

oh, one more thing. if you don't have diapers to change, don't fret. you can keep the spray in the fridge and use it as a cooling face and body spray or on insect bites to calm redness and itching. see, i told you. it's amazing.

23 June 2009

HAPPY B-DAY, AUNT TAUNIA!

we hope you had a lovely birthday today: one that was filled with good food, good friends, and good wishes that will certainly come true. we love you, xo.

22 June 2009

21 June 2009

HAPPY 1ST FATHER'S DAY, DADDY.

i hope you like the presents i got you.
xo, huckleberry.


HUCKLEBEAR, HE HAS A NEW LAIR


p.s. huck's t-shirt reads "eu amo papai" which means "i love daddy" in portuguese. he has another one that says "eu amo brasil" which means -- as you can probably guess -- "i love brazil" but he chose this one for today. you know, it being father's day and all.

HUCK AND (FOUR OF) HIS (TEN) COUSINS





20 June 2009

BABY JAYDE IS IN TOWN!

huck's cousin jayde is in town with her mom all weekend and so our baby gets to love on that baby for two days straight. so far they seem to like each other quite well: smiling at each other, grabbing one another's faces, taking naps side by side, and even sharing jammies (and, apparently, binkies).

tonight we were at grandma b's house and uncle tj taught both babies how to fly like airplanes. first alone . . .

and then together.

oh, and at one point, todd and i looked over and aunt taylor, uncle travis, and uncle tj were tossing the two babies to each other in a round! it's a good thing huck is so sturdy 'cause it seems like he's in for some raucous and rollicky roughhousing in this family!


MMM, MILK

19 June 2009

FINDING HIS VOICE

FINDING HIS HIGH VOICE


p.s. i swear, at 0:29 seconds into this video, huck says "papa" as clear as day. don't you think?

oh no. don't tell todd, but it actually sounds like he could be saying "pop-pop."

I CAN SIT UP NOW!

SITTING UP, AND THEN DOWN

BOUNCY BOUNCY BOUNCY

16 June 2009

PLEASE EXCUSE THE INTERRUPTION IN SERVICE

ok. so there has been a small blog hiatus over here at 'i heart huckleberry'. i know. you might say it was an inadvertent springtime respite. a blog posting spring break of sorts. it was a slight lull, a short recess, a brief intermission.

i could take some time to explain this wee gap in posts -- caring for a 6-month old, working part-time, revisiting house projects, the string of warm and sunny days, and dealing with a computer trojan/worm thingy that rendered the laptop very, but hopefully not irrevocably, busted -- but i suggest we just regroup, refocus, and move on. don't you?

because the last time i posted anything was forever ago, it took a little reconnaissance to figure out what we've been up to for the last month. by triangulating the scribbles in my 5-year diary, the photos on my digital camera, and the videos on the flip mino, however, i've managed to piece together a pretty good picture the goings-on. i almost went as far as checking my bank statement for clues, but figured that a few cute pictures of huckleberry were all i needed to remedy the situation.

now let's begin.

:: may 16th was my birthday and todd, huck, and i had a lovely weekend lolling about. first we opened presents and drank mimosas.

:: then we went to the arleta library cafe, which is owned by our dear friends, nick and sarah (and which was recently featured on the food network's diners, drive-ins, and dives). if you haven't been here yet, you absolutely must go. it is amazing. we got the famous corned beef hash and the pork belly special. enough said.

:: as a total coincidence, todd's sister, taunia, and her friend were dining there too.

:: then we went to see sarah and coco at the arleta neighborhood triangle intersection intervention where they were weeding and doing work. as another total coincidence, todd and sarah were wearing the same outfit.

:: later that evening, todd and i were joined by seven of his family members at nel centro, the restaurant where todd tends bar. we ordered almost everything on the dinner menu and absolutely everything on the dessert menu. it was unanimous. all of it was deeelicious.

:: after dinner we hung out in the the hotel modera lobby for a while and todd took artsy photos while no one was looking (i wonder if he had a little too much wine, because there was even a photo that was taken while the camera was resting in his lap and pointing straight up. straight up his nose).

:: although this is a little embarrassing to admit, todd and i actually went back to nel centro for lunch the next day. it was a special tasting for employees to give the kitchen staff feedback on the daytime menu, but still. it was a little indulgent, don't you think?

:: after lunch we went to sellwood park where todd studied his flashcards of new drinks and huckleberry rolled around in the grass.

:: this was huck's lucky day because he got to do three of his most favorite things all at once: be naked, lay in the grass, and play with spike. spike had only learned to ride his bike about a week before and huck was mesmerized as spike rode around and around and around the baseball field.

:: todd has made some yummy dinners in the last month. here are some shots of two of them. one is a salad with peaches and roasted pumpkin seeds accompanied by pork chops with rhubarb sauce, and one is fried fish tacos with guacamole and lemon garlic aioli. i wish i had a picture of tonight's dinner to go along with these. tonight we had a salad with roasted tomatoes and goat cheese crostini, roasted patty pan squash, and walnut crusted pork loin. oh, and chocolate coconut bliss ice cream cones for dessert. seriously. can you believe my good fortune, people?

:: over the last month we enjoyed some simple moments of snuggly goodness

:: we took naps in the hammock

:: we watched todd's brother, travis, play in a soccer game

:: oh, and on one of those really hot days we had uncle tj over for a barbecue, which included moving the johnny jump up outside and adding a water feature . . .

:: swaying in the breeze with mommy . . .

:: and eating a feast on a retrofitted telephone cable spool.

:: as i was cleaning up from the day i noticed this scene in the refrigerator, where each of the boys has his favorite drink.

:: we've also been going to the king neighborhood farmer's market on sundays since we can walk to it and it opens at 10:00 (a very civilized hour, don't you think?)

:: our routine has been as follows: purchase breakfast burritos from todd's friend mike, get our vegetables at groundworks, pick up our gallon of apple cider, grab a pastry from the random order cart, and sit on the grassy hill and stuff ourselves with strawberries and our other goodies. have you tried the chocolate/cardamom brownie with pistachios and sea salt, by the way? or the rhubarb hand pies, for that matter? oh my. they are out of this world.

:: huck loves the grassy knoll and we usually spend about an hour just sitting and nursing and eating and watching other people do the same thing.

:: back at home, we've been using this great chair called the bumbo baby seat that allows babies to sit straight up even if they can't do it on their own. i'm sure you've seen them around.

:: it seems that we got the chair a couple of months too late, though, because about two weeks later -- shazam! -- huck started sitting up on his very own! our litte boy is getting so big.

:: so big, in fact, that he already got his first black eye. well, it was really more like a bruise near his eye, but even so. he looks pretty rough and tumble, doesn't he?

:: luckily he's not so big that he doesn't still get tuckered out and fall asleep on his dad's chest in an instant. even if it is in the bath.

:: so there you have it. i think you're pretty much caught up on the happenings, except for the kombucha that we're brewing and the lists that we're making. but truth be told, those are relatively constant around here.

:: ok then. from now on we promise to post more frequently. thank you for bearing with us and we now return you to your regularly scheduled programming, whatever that may be. xo.