Happy Weekend AND MORE...

What are your plans for this weekend? I can't wait for Saturday to hit Monkey's Uncle and checkout the fall collection. Enjoy and be safe.  Here are some internet sites that are sure to please.

I wish I had gotten this hammock for my newborn.  I plan to use it for my next child.

Looking for a simple, Euro-inspired, post Labor Day outfit? Check out  how this J. Crew ensemble.

A cool way to look into the past.

Indestructibles is the latest idea in book publishing for babies. I plan to get them for Emilu.

These eco-friendly bags are so hip.

Great tutorial on how to make a french pouf from a t-shirt.

Kitchen dilemma:  Retro or Sleek?

Happy Four months!

Our dear Emilu is four months today!  She's a happy, healthy baby and we are so blessed to have her. It's amazing how long we've come since the early days of postpartum.  I can finally say I love being a mom and now that I'm not working, I can plan and dream our days to come as a family with joy and anticipation. The mother and child bond is so strong  and yet so delicate at this age, that part of the reason  I quit my job was to be there for her these first months of her tender life.

At four months, we love to watch her do the following:

-Laughing without any sound (her signature "laugh") while shaking her whole body.
-Grabbing and pulling out my hair when she's being held.
-Studying very intently my earrings and necklaces and inspecting them with her fingers.
-Waking up from naps cheerfully and merrily.
-Sleep with both her arms tucked inside her body (she is a tummy sleeper).
-Talking  her signature talk "ahhh, ehhh",she's vowelizing, so adorable. She also makes 'pigeon' sounds
-Gigling loudly more and more.
-Seeing her finally grabbing and sucking her bath duckie.
-Watching how she can spot me from a distance and moving her head in the direction of my voice, if I'm not visible enough.
-Watching her stay longer in her crib, playing with her toys.
-Witnessing her preservation instinct kick in when she sees strangers (she cries).
-Screaming her tiny lungs off when she's not the center of attention.

 Happy  Four Months Emilu, we love you with all our hearts and can't wait for more discoveries as we watch you grow.

-

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So long Summer!

I can't believe, Summer, the season of cookouts, pool lounging, flip-flop wearing, beach relaxing and sorbet sipping is almost over.  I'm not looking forward to the Winter.  For the first time since moving to a colder region, I really am not prepared to deal with the annoying layering, the windy cold  rain, the salt, the day-old snow, the static buildup, the high cost of heating, you get the picture. Oh well, it's life.  Like mother would say, "time is inexorable."

Via Shoprush.blogspot

Via Ada & Darcy Flickr

 
Farewell Summer, thanks for stopping by.  Soon it will be Oceania's turn for sun-dial activities. And it's only fair.

Sitting

In these pictures we are practicing sitting in the couch while mommy folds the laundry or attempts to check her email.  It's fun, harmless and she laughs her signature mute laugh whenever she loses balance.  Life is grand!

Crib Bilingual

According to Jared Diamond's The Benefits of Multilingualism, children raised bilingually develop a specific type of cognitive benefit during infancy, and that bilingualism offers some protection against symptoms of Alzheimer's dementia in old people.

 Since her first days at home, Emilu has heard two languages at home.  Spanish from me, and English from her dad.  We have done this naturally and without rehearsal.  At first, I wanted her ears and brain to "hear" only Spanish.  A sign that read "Solamente Espanol"  was going to help me achieve it.  However, this was not practical, as my husband's default and nurtured language is English, albeit being Latino. 

But, it turns out that speaking two languages at home might be more advantageous for a kid's ability to adapt and break down processes in the brain.  A recent study says it, according to this Bilingual Babies have an Early Edge article, and I sigh in relief because, although I always knew bilingual households are a good thing for kids, I naively thought that introducing one language first was best, in order to avoid developmental and speech delays. 

I recently spoke to an ethnomusicologist at work, who says the trick is to consistently speak the two languages at home, preferably having one parent speak one, and the other parent speak the other.  She sees it often in her circle of friends, bilingual households where babies grow up speaking both languages perfectly.

In my last day at work when Emilu heard me speak English her eyes opened widely and she stared me down, thinking for a second her mommy must have been switched.  To think this tiny little person already knows the difference, and was appropriately surprised to hear one parent had switched.  Now that's an early edge!

Labor Day Weekend

Image via Make Merry!

What are your plans for Labor Day weekend?  Checkout this blog for easy and affordable shopping ideas to create your own End of Summer Bash celebration.

Emilu comes to work

I quit my job this week.I want to be a stay-at home mom for a little while.  The decision wasn't easy because we always need the money.  I worked as a fellowship coordinator at the library of congress. My boss wasn't too pleased but as a mother herself she knows where I'm coming from.

Today is my last day and I was allowed to bring Emilu along with me.  She's behaving wonderfully so far and seems to like being in the office.  Here are some shots of our adventures in the office.

 Starting Monday my only office is where Emilu is at, and I have the feeling it will be very busy all the time.  Did you quit your job or took time off to be with any of your children?  I would love to hear your stories.