{birthday wardrobe...some shopping required}

as any mother would be, i'm starting to plan out 

the very important parts of vivienne's first birthday party...

her outfit.

 

i'm thinking she will wear either her fur or leather fringe vest with a pair of pink or chartreuse neon leggings. but where i'm stumped is the shoes. i reeeeally want a pair of freshly picked moccassins for her. i've been a wee bit obssessed with them since i first saw them on little mason disick a few years back. 

seriously, so cute

{via}

the practical side of me has a very hard time spending a whopping $60 on a pair of shoes for my babe who doesn't even walk yet. although, now that she's getting very very close to being upwardly mobile, it's seeming a bit easier to justify to myself mr. w.

{via}

my main apprehension is whether or not they hold up well for a walking tot if there is no real sole on the bottom? any moms out there know from experience how they do? if they would hold up on the streets of nyc i feel they might be the perfect shoe for her early stages of walking this spring/summer rather than a sandal which i think would be much easier to trip in. 

ok, moms...

help a girl out, what have been your thoughts on the cutest moccasins known to mankind?

thanks!!

xoxo

Magical Tent

i dream of the day we add a tent to vivienne's room. 

bedtime stories would seem magical in here.

{via}

this will be happening once she's old enough.

xoxo

{Christmas Amazingness}

this is long overdue..

i've finally gotten around to downloading all the christmas pictures. 

our christmas season..condensed down to 14 pictures...

{fueling up on some cheerios before the madness begins}

{is it pressie time yet mom?}

{playing with her new cell phone, she'll have to get your digits..}

{mr. w's dad and susan came out to visit the week before christmas.
it was wonderful to see them!}

{is this how i do it?}

{zingers all for me??}

{roxy wanted to help}

{roxy is begging for attention..}

{mr. w is the bestest ever and surprised us with rockette's tickets!}

{terrible shot, but you have to see them all lined up}

{rockefeller tree}

christmas with a child is the best thing ever..

xx

{orajel and ice cream}

it's 11pm and i'm finally making it around to the computer to check in with you guys. 

my hands smell like orajel and i'm eating some ben and jerry's...

ya, it's been one of those kinna days..

the babes is actively cutting her top two teeth thru and has had the hardest time going to sleep. it makes my heart heavy knowing my innocent little one is experiencing pain. i only wish there was a way i could take it for her. tonight was definitely a night to break all the rules and simply love on her, however she needed it. we stayed up two hours past her bedtime snuggling on the sofa with anything and everything that felt good to gnaw on, then bundled up in our fur hat and big blankey to go pick out the ben and jerry's that is now in my hands. she has always loved getting some fresh air anytime she's not felt well.

 i finally orajeled her up and geared myself up for another attempt to go to sleep. as i stood in her room, cuddled up with my sweet little one singing every disney princess song i could think of, i was feeling simply thankful...there's nothing like knowing there is a tiny little person that needs and trusts me so much, that when she feels bad and is in pain, all she wants is to be with me..to have me hold her..to sing to her as she mimics the tunes i'm making, holding my face as she slowly starts to drift off and i lay her down to peaceful sleep..

xoxo

{and then she met santa}

today we finally ventured out to meet santa. now that we are parents, i have the best excuse for fulfilling all my crazy holiday agendas by pretending that viv would feel like she has missed out on something if she didn't participate in all the traditional holiday festivities. like she would somehow know at her nine months of life that she didn't experience going to see santa for her first christmas. honestly it was just a great reason for mr. w and i to venture to a different neighborhood all bundled up in the bitter cold and wind to do something new. 

{waiting patiently in line}

we woke up early to get our cold little tushies down to abc home, hoping to beat the crowds...we weren't so lucky with that, however, having a nice hot starbucks helped fight off the cold winds as we anxiously (ok ok, as i anxiously) awaited our first visit with santa! once inside, you felt like you were in a magical land filled with all things aesthetically pleasing, and the most jolly looking santa i've ever seen! we got viv out of all her winter gear and ready for her first meeting with the man dressed in red...i wasn't sure how she'd do..she's never once acted scared or nervous when someone knew was around, however, i didn't want this to be the moment for firsts...

{the chaos of parents and crying and/or excited kids}

{this dude was legit}

{saying hello}

{posing for the paparazzi aka: daddy}

{proud mama}

as usual, she was her angel self, sat right on his lap, smiled big, and took the handmade lollipop he has for her as if she knew it was just what she was supposed to do! we'll see if it goes over so well next year when she's a bit more leery of strangers, and funny looking men dressed in long red robes!

{showing daddy her lollipop}

{flying..}

{checking out the pretty tree}

{only flying once is unacceptable,
 must fly several times a day}

after our santa photo-op success, we meandered the store that has easily become by favorite store for anything design related. it's the most beautiful store i've ever been in. everything from the big chandeliers overhead way down to the tiny little trinkets this store is filled to the brim with amazing treasures waiting to find a home.

we stopped in abc kitchen for a little brunch before mr. w headed off to work and viv and i finished up getting our last gift for the mr. as i walked with my babe strapped to me, quietly singing her sweet christmas songs while she nodded off into naptime bliss, a few random snowflakes began to fall.

{naptime on mommy}

 i couldn't help but to feel so blessed in moments like these. they are simple times, not consisting of anything extravagant or extraordinary on their own, however, when strung together they make up the days that bring magic to not only the christmas season, but also to the amazing adventure we call parenthood. i couldn't be more thankful for my little family, living in this wonderful city full of endless opportunities, getting the joy of doing life together...

 
xx

**excuse the plethora of photos, editing down is not my forte'...believe it or not, i actually did cut out several, it was tough, but i did it..

Swings, Squirrels, and Purple PJ's

check out this deliciousness...

xoxo

{Bits of my Week}

{surprise flowers from mr. w}

{this weather calls for homemade pot pie}

{love a dark colored manicure}

{swinging...}

{...and wiped out}

{brightened my morning as i was up at 5am for work}

{love the doors on the UWS}

{gettin' our tree..}

{..which led to this}

{which taught her how to do this..}

{..preciousness}

{finally getting back into my workout groove}

hope you've enjoyed your weekend!

xoxo

Vivienne is 8 months old!

Viv turned eight months a bit over a week ago, however, I'm shockingly terrible about recording her monthly info and keeping track of all the sweet things she does. I can't imagine ever forgetting but know its bound to happen over time.
I thought if I check in monthly here, it will help keep me accountable.

Stats:
I'm not sure her weight, as she doesn't go to the Dr till next month, but at 7 1/2 months she was 16 3/4lbs.

Teeth:
Still just her darling two bottom teeth that show when she smiles.

Activity:
She's not crawling yet but has perfected the art of planking! She'll have her swim suit body soon if she keeps it up! Even tho she isn't crawling, she still manages to get all over the place! I am already finding I turn my head away for a second and she's hitting buttons on the DVD player or stuck under the couch with just her head peeking out. Rolling everywhere, scooting, streeeetching and grunting to barely get to the toy she really wants to play with. It's the cutest thing to watch her try with all her might to get to that desired toy..and even just to know she has a specific desired toy is so cute.
She also is the best at self entertaining. she loves to sit and play with her toys for hours on end. 

Cute sayings:
 she has yet to say 'real' words but is trying with all her might. She'll babble baby talk getting so so close to saying mama and dadda that every time by breathe catches in my chest as I ask myself, 'was that it??!' It's seriously so close that I have to wonder if she's really already said it and I've somehow missed it. She'll hold our mouths while we talk, inspecting what's happening, trying with furrowed brow to figure out how she can mimic what we're doing with our mouths.

Favorite foods:
my Viv has loved eating her homemade baby food so much! She'll eat an entire bowl (about 6.5 oz) of food as well as nurse before about three times a day. Some of her favie foods lately are butternut squash with turkey, zucchini and pears (she had that over thanksgiving); pumpkin mixed with yogurt and a tiny dash of cinnamon (her new favorite brekky). Her other feedings are just nursing. I love that time. If I were an actress and had to cry for a role, I would simply think about when I have to stop breastfeeding. I love that time with her..I love that she needs me..I love how she holds my face when she nurses and plays with my hair..ok, change of subject before I start tearing up.
Last weekend she enjoyed her first baby cookie! It was the stickiest, gummiest, bestest thing ever! She made a mess feeding herself, getting it all in her hair, stuck all over her clothes, and pretty much everywhere in the two foot vicinity..it was the best thing ever! And of course warranted a much needed bath!

Some of my favorite things from this month:

My darling Vivienne,

I love how you love to bounce up and down when you're happy. You'll be sitting playing with your toys and just bouncing away. I adore how you will cock your head to the side all coy and smile so big when you see us or we talk to you or you just want to play. It's like you're saying, 'hi mom!' When your face lights up and you thump your feet on your bed in the morning when I come in to get you it melts my heart. I love how you find your sister Roxy so amusing. you think she is just too funny. you giggle like crazy when you watch her play with her toys. I love your busyness. You are always wiggling, just like the whole time when I was pregnant. One of my favorite things you've just started to do is when you get tired at night you get slap happy. You love to play with me and grab my face in your hands and fake eat my nose...and you think its just so hilarious, you can't stop laughing! As for now, this is something you only do with me and I love that its our special thing. I don't even care that I'm covered in slobber when we're done playing...
You are a pure delight to me and daddy. Your joyful happy spirit motivates me to have the same. your smile already lights up the entire room (or bus or train, wherever we are people just love how happy you are) You bring joy to so many people's day that you don't even know with that smile.
I love you more than I imagined possible. I can't wait to watch you continue to grow and develop...

xoxo