top ten things Cade says to procrastinate going to sleep

1. I want mulk. (milk). 
2. I want water.
3. Sing a song (Yellow Submarine or "Jackson & Cade" song)
4. Wrap me up.
5. Find binky. 
6. No, find big binky. (the one on a string). 
7. Dada rock me. 
8. Find Dada. 
9. Turn night-light on.
10. Lie me down. (only says with Jon).

and recently added to the list:

    11. Wrap polar bear up (sometimes gets confused and calls him panda bear).
    12. Wrap Peter Rabbit up. 

(This picture of him sleeping is from earlier this summer, when we went to the beach, and they both fell asleep in the car on the way back. It's one of the few times Cade actually stayed sleeping after we carried him inside). 

lists, 10 things

Cade,

I love your:

1. slate blue eyes
2. great big smile first thing in the morning
3. your one-arm salute in the middle of a deep sleep
4. the way your little feet still fit together
5. your snuggly-nestly little move when you are getting hungry
6. your curled up teeny tiny hands
7. your fluttery long eyelashes
8. your deep sigh when you are content
9. the way you say "mmhh-mmhhnn" when you get your binky
10. your soft, soft, baby soft skin

new mom

Wondering what to do for a new mom? I love this list here. It's perfect.

1. Buy us toilet paper, milk and beautiful whole grain bread.

2. Buy us a new garbage can with a swing top lid and 6 pairs of black cotton underpants (women's size____).

3. Make us a big supper salad with feta cheese, black Kalamata olives, toasted almonds, organic green crispy things and a nice homemade dressing on the side. Drop it off and leave right away. Or, buy us frozen lasagna, garlic bread, a bag of salad, a big jug of juice, and maybe some cookies to have for dessert. Drop it off and leave right away.

4. Come over at about two in the afternoon, hold the baby while I have a hot shower, put me to bed with the baby and then fold all the piles of laundry that have been dumped on the couch, on beds or in the room corners. If there's no laundry to fold yet, do some.

5. Come over at l0 AM, and make me eggs, toast and a 1/2 grapefruit. Clean my fridge and throw out everything you are in doubt about. Don't ask me about anything; just use your best judgment.

6. Put a sign on my door saying "Dear Friends and Family, Mom and baby need extra rest right now. Please come back in 7 days but phone first. All donations of casserole dinners would be most welcome. Thank you for caring about this family."

7. Come over in your work clothes and vacuum and dust my house and then leave quietly. It's tiring for me to chat and have tea with visitors but it will renew my soul to get some rest knowing I will wake up to clean, organized space.

8. Take my older kids for a really fun-filled afternoon to a park, zoo or Science World and feed them healthy food.

9. Come over and give my husband a two-hour break so he can go to a coffee shop, pub, hockey rink or some other R&R that will delight him. Fold more laundry.

10. Make me a giant pot of vegetable soup and clean the kitchen completely afterwards. Take a big garbage bag and empty every trash basket in the house and reline with fresh bags.

{Card from Elevated Press. }

lists, a few of my favorite things

1. When you put your hand up to my mouth and tap it, which I finally figured out means, please sing to me.

2. This morning when you gave Dada a hug goodbye, then Mama a hug, then back to Dada, then said "Mama" cause you wanted a group hug, totally your own idea.

3. When I sing Froggy Went a Courtin', and you sing the mmm-hhhmm part with me.

4. When you know you're doing something bad and you say "No no!" to yourself.

5. The way you call Mimi or Dada to come get you in the morning.

6. The way you say Ma-ma sometimes, with the accent on the second syllable, like a little French boy.

top ten days of 2008

(not in any particular order)

1. celebrating your 1st birthday with family and friends in Brooklyn
2. watching the squirrels and birds while eating breakfast at the rental house, upstate New York
3. apple picking in Warwick, New York
4. when Uncle Michael was bouncing you on the big blue bouncy ball at Mimi and Nonno's
5. winning Skip Hop's Cutest Baby contest
6. playing on the beach in Rhode Island with cousin Sammy
7. every weekend that you get to play with Daddy
8. friday night pizza parties with Brett, Hayden and Gael (or any playdate with them, really)
9. watching you play in the kiddie pool on Kate's deck on a hot July day
10. the big hug you gave Daddy when he got back from two weeks in Amsterdam
11. Christmas and New Years with family in Connecticut and Florida, where Daddy got to spend 10 straight days with you!
    

the list

Last year, when I had to go back to work after being on maternity leave, I was a little sad. So I started keeping a list - of things that made me happy during the day, or things I was thankful for. One night I went to write something down and saw that Jon had added:

6. Jackson's hair is awesome.

list, things I love about you

1. your smile when you are in your carseat & I open the back door & you first see me
2. the way you curl your toes when you crawl
3. your monkey hug when you first wake up and I pick you up
4. your big blue eyes and long eyelashes
5. the way you fake laugh when you are tired or cracking yourself up
6. your old-man-underbite-where-are-my-dentures face
7. when you talk to yourself after we put you to bed
8. when I think you're not looking at me then I turn back and you are just staring up at me and smiling, that's the best
9. your little beer-belly
10. when you give me unsolicited smooches, now that's the best!

lists, movies

Movies we can't wait to see with you (in no particular order):

1. The Muppet Movies
2. Star Wars
3. E.T.
4. Toy Story
5. Finding Nemo
6. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
7. The Black Stallion
8. Peter Pan
9. The Princess Bride
10. Goonies

lists, books

Books we can't wait to read to you (in no particular order):

1. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
2. Watership Down by Richard Adams
3. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
4. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
5. Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl
6. Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl
7. Hobbit and Lord of the Rings Series by J. R. R. Tolkien
8. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle
9. The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
10. The Harry Potter Series by J. Rowling
    

lists, 10 things I can't wait to do with you

Ten things I can't wait to do with you:

1. Make paper-mache sculptures
2. Build a fort with sofa cushions and blankets
3. Go sledding
4. Go to the zoo
5. Bake Christmas cookies
6. Build a sandcastle
7. Have a watermelon seed-spitting contest
8. Throw you up in the air and into the waves in the ocean
9. Sing songs together
10. Make a gingerbread house