friday cute shot

eleven months

Dear Lucy,

Today you are eleven months old.

Also today you are starting your first day of daycare, a half day to ease you in after a series of playdates, and while I'm not as distraught as I thought I might be I still cannot stop thinking about you. I kissed you and left quickly after drop-off, possibly too quickly to hear you cry at my departure or possibly you've grown up in a millisecond and didn't cry at all. In either case, I hope you didn't cry long.

I dressed you this morning in a turquoise shirt and foldover pants that bring out the blue in your eyes and hopefully the pink in your cheeks. I've read that beautiful babies get more attention from caretakers, including their parents, so I figured it couldn't hurt to make you look your best. When we walked in your teacher said, "Hello eyelashes!", so I think that's a good sign.

Yesterday you and I spent the day together while daddy had his first day at school. We retrenched into daily life, remembered rain, and got accustomed to Pacific Time. We giggled and snuggled on the couch. You walked more yesterday than all your other days of walking combined, and your steps were bigger and more confident. You had a big proud smile on your face.

Have I mentioned that I love your face? Your Aunt Wendell said that you reminded her of your cousin Jordan because both of you have smiles that completely transform your face, and it's so fun to see that it makes a person want to do anything they can just to make you smile.

I like the idea of everyone wanting to make you smile.

You are the bestest best.

Love,
Your mama

next year we will buy him a tie

Father's Day 2010 from Amber Broughton on Vimeo.

we saw dolphins.

Dolphins. Twenty feet from where we were swimming, fins arched in the air. The day before we saw them swimming out by my father in law and were torn as to whether they were dolphins or sharks, but the curving jumping bodies sealed the dolphin fate. And today! Arching through the water so close to where we were in the choppy waves. Can you imagine?

And to top it off, I got totally stellar footage of Lucy walking. The elusive steps. A month of tentative walking and it's still tentative, but oh so adorable. Lucy, love, don't be afraid to fail! Walking will come. You're already a champ.

Walking and Laughing from Amber Broughton on Vimeo.

And for the truly committed, here is a video of Lucy's first encounter with the warm Atlantic. Totally exuberant, totally fearless.

First Dip in a Warm Ocean from Amber Broughton on Vimeo.

shaggy at the wedding

 

Before we ended up here at the beach we were in Boston for our friend Natty's wedding. Shaggy was a groomsman, looking good in a morning suit, and Natty was by far the happiest we have ever seen him.

Which, if you've met Thaya, is no wonder.

Shaggy was a groomsman, rocking an ascot, morning jacket, vest, and pinstriped pants.

Lucy was a good sport for all the celebrating, though she found the music was a little loud, and she was a particular hit with all the ladies at the rehearsal dinner.

 Peekaboo with Rob

Congratulations Brian and Thaya!

literally

"Someday, Lucy, you'll be eating those up figuratively as well."

by the pool

The house where we're staying has a small pool to keep cool and refreshed in between dips in the ocean. Lucy and I took a little dip in with her cousin Emma (who Lu is absolutely smitten with!) in the middle of the afternoon.

Lucy loves the cancer-fighting properties of sunscreen!

Mostly.

You wouldn't know from these pictures, but the wiggly thing actually had a pretty good time. I have to get us into some swimming lessons when we get back home!

Lucy "Wiggles" Magoo

north carolina or bust

Everytime we go on vacation we end up remembering how much we love living in Portland, but I have to say, if Oregon had beaches that you could swim in, it would really be perfect.

Fearless Lu, Queen of the Breakers

The weather is hot and humid, but the ocean is clear and salty, and the breeze on the porch is perfect.

 I cannot get enough of this polka dotted bathing suit.

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bequeath the jubilee

Congratulations to Lance and Sarah!

by this time tomorrow . . .

. . . my little brother will be a dad! You guys are going to be awesome.

this week

This week Lucy learned to walk a few steps on her own, climb stairs, and clap. She also cut through her tenth and eleventh teeth (both mind-bogglingly gigantic back molars) and expanded her culinary horizons to include Asian style pork shoulder, cheerios, pizza crust, chana masala, and chicken vindahloo.

Shaggy and I did not master any new physical feats this week (though Shaggy did practice running for hood to coast, twice!), but we did branch out of our neighborhood for date-night and expanded our culinary horizons to include brandy-soaked prunes with foie gras, chicken liver terrine, salt-cod fritters, and salbitxada sauce. Yum.

Not chana masala

friday cute shot