What’s Hot
Walking
Sippy cups
Saying “Thank you” and “Good girl” and “Whoa Whoa Whoa!”
Baby yoga
Ladybug PJs
What’s Not
Crawling
Bottles
Saying “Dada” indiscriminately
Tummy time
Getting dressed at all
Last year we were blessed with this little one.
And today she’s all grown up - she’s tripled her weight, cut six teeth, started walking and talking.
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Jake’s sister is a mosaic maven and she made this for Indira. I know, awesome, right? I can’t imagine trying to make the cursive script out of glass! Check out her other work on her Ring Mosaics site.
…meanwhile, Indira realized she can do two things…climb on the ottoman and body surf like Gidget.
And she’s not just playing with the purse I gave her to put her toys in and take them out again, she’s trying to PUT IT ON. Around her neck. I’m done with cupcakes for today…
I used to fancy myself as someone who was a pretty good baker (except for the unfortunate cheesecake fire of 1998, ehem). My mom taught me to make drop cookies, priest hats, pizzelles and press cookies. In high school I worked in a bed and breakfast, learning to make scones, muffins and cookies from a professional chef, in between cleaning rooms. (Readers, they had a serious hand-washing policy, not to worry).
Not my actual cupcakes
But recently, after two failed baking attempts, one in which a very simple coffee cake tasted bitter (for which I blame a typo regarding baking powder in the recipe), I decided to regroup. After longing for the professional mega-mixer I decided a hand mixer would be (i.e., fit) better in my kitchen. For now. But not having used a mixer in years (yup I like my mashy taters lumpy AND with skins on them), I forgot what a bleeping mess it can be using the electric mixer. Cake mix flew everywhere. But hand-made icing…so worth it.
I could be writing a year in review for 2008 but due to the fog of post-pregnancy I’m unable to recall much beyond feeding, changing and entertaining (and being entertained by) the baby. So let’s look forward–to her first birthday. I’m thinking cupcakes. They’re small. She’s small. I can make a variety.
So far I’m thinking carrot with cream cheese icing for baby (she LOVES her carrots), chocolate Guinness cupcakes with cream cheese icing for Jake and vanilla with chocolate icing. I was thinking about red velvet too but I realized the red is made with the Red No. 5 dye and it doesn’t have a flavor and maybe it has some kind of weird effects on some kids, so that’s out. If you have any fab recipes, send ‘em my way!