ittikid: cuteness

Have you seen Ittikid? Chock full of really cute baby and kid clothes from Scandinavia, these prints aren't too babyish or precious. They're called "gender-neutral" (debatable, perhaps), but I am loving their bold, graphic prints. So cute.

Monkey Nursery

Ok, I promise I don't work for Pottery Barn (seems I've been posting a lot about them lately), but it's hard not to rave about it these days when they just have so much good-looking stuff! I've been on the search for baby bedding for my mom -- she wants a couple of bumpers for the cribs at her house for the grandbabies. Anyway, I ran across this one, and I just love it. I'm not normally a monkey fan at all, but the color and mishmash of patterns is just so fun and non-babyish. And check out that Hollywood Regency-inspired quilt! I will say, I don't like the sheets at all; I would probably do a pink oxford stripe, or maybe an orange oxford.

Emmy Nursery Bedding at Pottery Barn Kids

Getting Away: Dallas Weekend

Sometimes you've just got to get out of town. And for us Oklahomans, there's not much that's easier than hopping in the car and driving south to Dallas. For as long as I can remember, we've taken occasional weekend jaunts to the Big D. I have early memories of staying at the Marriott Quorum, and wandering through the Galleria where I would beg my parents to let me go ice skating on their beautiful rink. I had great designs on being a figure skater back then. :)

Anyway, we love to make the 3 hour drive, and enjoy all the great restaurants and shopping. It's an easy way to come back refreshed and ready for the week ahead. On Friday evening after work, we loaded up the car with all our goods (so much more stuff than we used to travel with - thank you, Jude) as well as my parents and all of their stuff, and we headed on down I-35. We seem to have settled into a fairly predictable pattern: we drive down after work, and upon arrival into D, head straight to the Grand Lux Cafe and have a sizeable dinner, and then go straight to the hotel and hop into bed. And this trip was no exception. Except now we have to wait to get a crib sent up to our room before we hop into bed, and this makes for a fussy and tired enfant.
Really, for us, it's all about the food and the shopping. I don't know what else to do there but that. That's sad to say, I guess. I have no doubt there are a myriad of other fabulous cultural activities we could be participating in. But some people go to places just to golf, you know? So I guess going somewhere just to shop or eat can't be all bad.

Every Saturday morning, we get up and go to Chick-Fil-A for a chicken biscuit. Ok, I know we have these at home, but it just feels like such a treat. I mean, what is better than a delicious buttery biscuit with delicious Chick-Fil-A chicken on it, and a large unsweet iced tea with lemon? I don't know!
Here's Jude at Chick-Fil-A, enjoying some Cheerios furnished by the establishment.  How thoughtful!

Saturday afternoon was spent exploring the delightful Northpark Mall. When it's 100 degrees outside, it is entirely necessary to be indoors. We enjoyed checking out the different stores, and seeing new things. However. It is with great sadness that I announce that Jude's beloved Sophie the Giraffe is now living at Northpark. Somewhere in between J.Crew and Neiman Marcus, Sophie was lost to us. I hope she has found a happy new home. 

Here's Sophie with Jude, in happier times. :(  Jude hopes she's ok.

If you're ever in Dallas, you must eat at the Taco Diner. A fun modern interior with a great, light Mexican menu -  you just can't go wrong. Also try Mi Cocina, a part of the same restaurant group. It has a slightly more complex menu, but it is so good.

Last year at this time (actually, right at our anniversary), we enjoyed a weekend in Dallas, and celebrated our 2nd anni with a Sprinkles cupcake. And, come to think of it, we enjoyed a Sprinkles cupcake in Beverly Hills on our 1st anni in 2006. So we had to complete the tradition by having another Sprinkles so close to our 3rd. Plus, it's right across the way from the Taco Diner, so of course we had to go. Mom and Dad tried coconut and dark chocolate, and Simon and I split a red velvet and a dark chocolate marshmallow. Mom is vouching for the coconut being the best. I think I'm voting for red velvet. It's that darn cream cheese frosting, I tell you!

We also made a trip to the Williams-Sonoma Home. If you ever should get a chance to visit one, do take the opportunity. It's just a great visual experience. They have some really luxurious fabrics, and if you can hit a good sale, all the better. Their linens, in particular, go on excellent sales.

It was so gracious of Mom and Dad to offer to keep Jude on Saturday evening so Simon and I could have a night out. Jude had a little crib in our room that rolled on wheels, so we put him in it and rolled him down the hallway next door to their room along with some of his things. He looked like he was on a magic carpet or something. He thought it was just the funniest thing ever. He looked pretty cute, too!

Here's Simon rolling him away. Here I go!

Simon and I had THE best dinner in a long time at Taverna Pizzeria & Risotteria. Really, anything dubbed a risotteria has to be fantastic. Close to the Knox-Henderson neighborhood, we had tried to eat there last year for our anniversary, but we couldn't ever get a parking space (a good sign, I guess, of a good restaurant?). This year, we were lucky and so we figured that we might as well hang around and wait for a table since we scored a parking space. And what else did we have to do? Besides, every plate that passed by us looked incredible, not to mention smelled amazing. It was entirely worth the wait. We started with parmesan-dusted shrimp on polenta, with a fresh caprese salad including yellow cherry tomatoes (i'm sure there's a technical term for that, foodies). Simon had the mahi with whipped white polenta and asparagus; I enjoyed the pesto risotto with fried zucchini strips and scampi. To. die. for. Everything on the menu was well-priced as well as diverse. I would love to go back and try a myriad of items. It seemed everyone ordered the chef's special flatbread.
When we got back, it was late, but we heard Jude in my parents' room, so we rescued them. It was around 11 o'clock, and Jude had just woken up. Unfortunately, he didn't go back to sleep until 1am! It was a really late night, but we slept in to make up for it. Breakfast was at La Madeleine at the Galleria. We enjoyed wandering around, checking out all the shops. Mom and Dad just spoil Jude (and us!) rotten: Jude got some fantastic new clothes as well as some cute blankets. We are so thankful for all they do for us; they really keep us outfitted cute.

Can I just say that the sales were rocking this weekend? Ugh, it may be a recession, but that means that all the stuff is going on mad sales! We all scored big time in the shopping department. I came away with an obscenely-discounted Diane von Furstenberg. I'll have to take a picture of it to post, because it is just too cute. 

It was such a great weekend. We always have such fun with my parents. They have a fun sense of humor, and we always enjoy swapping funny stories with them. Jude was an excellent little traveler and even though we lost Sophie (tear!), he was a good little trooper.

Cheese! I'm 9 months old!

Look at this cheeseball face - here's Mr. Big Man, eating cheese for the first time, and this was the look of sheer enthusiasm. Ahh, yes, Jude - this is just the beginning of what will hopefully be a lifetime love affair with that most wondrous of substances: cheese.

Tonight was a night for all different kinds of new things because Jude is 9 months old, and he got the go-ahead from the pediatrician today for various things, such as eggs and cheese. So tonight, I gave him a bit of shredded mozzarella cheese while I was making a breakfast-for-dinner of waffles and scrambled eggs. The waffles were a HUGE hit, and he was very content to nibble away on one. 

Speaking of the pediatrician, we went this morning at 10:30 for his 9 month check up. We are proud to announce that Jude is a whopping (for him) 18 lbs 2 oz, and 28 inches long. This makes us finally higher on the percentile charts -- the 40th percentile for height, and the 15th percentile for weight. Slowly but surely catching up! I am so proud of him!

There has been a recent rebellion, though, against the baby food. I don't know what the deal is; he's been eating it just fine and liking nearly everything that I've given him. And then all of a sudden, it's like he just decided that he was not going to have it. I've even started putting the baby food into real bowls, so he feels like a big boy. :)  That worked for awhile.

This past week, we took care of my nephews' dog, Sparky. He is such a sweet dog, and we were so happy to have him. He is probably the best dog with kids that I have ever seen. Sparky looooved to lick Jude from head to toe. It got to the point where if Jude saw Sparky from across the room, he would automatically squinch up his face in anticipation of a good licking. However, as I was shooting the photo above, I looked into the screen and thought, What is that in Jude's mouth???  Oh yeah - it was a furrball. Yummmm. Another joy of crawling! I have pulled sooo many things out of his mouth.
All in all, we are so very proud of our boy. He is constantly such a joy to be around. We are always especially glad to get a good report at the pediatricians'. We praise God that Jude has been so healthy during his 9 months of life thus far. 

Tiny, Cute Things

Some things are just better when they're smaller, you know?

Yesterday, I saw these Tiny Toms (above) at a local boutique, and thought that they were just too cute. I'm not loving the adult styles, but the baby and kid ones are just right.

This precious little dress caught my eye at Old Navy; I wish it came in adult sizes! I'm loving the unusual color combination of the pink and olive. So cute! Speaking of Old Navy, they're really coming out with some cool stuff lately - above and beyond their usual so-so fare. Rumor has it that Todd Oldham is their new creative director, so I'm expecting great things for fall.

I can't get enough of Splendid Littles (below) lately. Super-soft and easy to wear, Splendid's baby and toddler line is my go-to for cute basics with a twist. I have this camo-print romper in blue and red for Jude, and he looks sooo cute in it. I love the women's tops as well. Everything is just so darn soft!

C&C California (below) is another one of my favorites, and it's all the better when it's tiny! I love that they have great colors and basic styles with a good fit. Sometimes baby tees are so boxy.

Big Milestones

Man oh man... times, they are a-changing here at the Shingletons. It seems like within a matter of two or three weeks, Jude has made some major milestones. As of tonight, we now have a crawler on our hands. He's been up on all fours for over a week, but tonight, he really got moving. I nearly cried, I just can't believe it. He just seems so... big.
Plus, he's sitting up so well these days. Granted, he can't quite pull himself all the way up, but if I sit him up, he'll stay that way for awhile. He likes to lay on his side, so George Hamilton chic, as if he were lounging on a bearskin rug and he needs me to bring him a refreshing beverage. He waves his hand around like, "Yes, my minions...."

Today, he distinctly said, "Mama." I don't think he had the slightest clue what he was saying or what it meant, but he said it!
And, as evidenced by my earlier post today about the high chair, he's doing so well with eating. I started giving him Puffs, these little dissolvable cracker things (that are actually pretty yum), and he has now figured out how to carefully pick them up one by one and place them in his mouth. Now if we could only get the sippy cup thing down, we'd be good to go!
So now we have entered an all new era of mobility. I have a feeling the crib mattress will need to be lowered very, very soon. And I'm also going to be in the market for childproofing items and baby gates for the stairs (!!!!). A whole bunch of new things for Momma to worry about!
Every day is a new day, with new things to see and learn. Tipping over his toy bucket today was a source of great glee, as he just laughed and laughed, like it was just the funniest thing ever to dump out all your toys. But it was more a laugh like, Wow, look what I did! 

What a joy and a privilege to be with him every day. I couldn't be more thankful that I get to stay home with him and see every exciting little thing.

Product Rave: Boon Flair Highchair

I've been holding out as long as possible on the whole high chair thing. For one thing, nearly every high chair I have ever seen is just flat-out ugly. Plus, they all seem to come with some mega-frou-frou plush padding that just seems like a sticky food mess-magnet. And after spending yesterday morning cleaning (ahem) poop out of a carseat, which is pretty low on the frilly scale, I want low-maintenance when it comes to cleaning.
Hence, our new highchair, the Boon Flair Pedestal with pneumatic lift. Boon is a fantastic company when it comes to kid stuff. With a variety of products, they've pretty much cornered the market on cool. Some friends of ours gave us several of the bath products, including the super-cute Frog Pod.
We've been using the Bumbo seat up until now, and as of the past couple of weeks, it just wasn't cutting it anymore. Jude's starting to climb out of it now, and as it doesn't have any straps, it's pretty easy for him to get in and out. Plus, the thing's getting pretty nasty now, and I clean it all. the. time. So I'm pretty excited about this -- Jude is completely strapped in, and he can sit up high so he can watch me while I work in the kitchen or wherever. With the Bumbo, he was pretty much restricted to the floor. 

Such glee as he sits in the Flair!

I'm also super-stoked that it goes up and down so easily, and it rolls so smoothly. Can I gush anymore? Oh yes I can -- because I got it on eBay for a great deal, and that makes me (and Simon) happy!

Fantastic Fourth

Patriotic Cousins! Note Jude clutching the flag.

I hope this weekend found everybody enjoying friends, family, freedom, and lots of fireworks. Add food to that, too, and that's a pretty potent combination. Simon and I both commented to each other that we thought this was quite possibly the best Fourth of July ever. It was particularly nice that it fell on a Friday so we could enjoy a three-day weekend. Three cheers for that!

Our long weekend began Thursday night with a campout of sorts. For whatever reason, Jude decided to be particularly fussy and woke up numerous times Thursday night. At some point after midnight, I had nearly decided it must be the inevitable first tooth, since he was so so so sad, and wouldn't let me feel around in his mouth. This teething business is fishy - every time he's uncharacteristically unhappy or a fuss-face, we attribute it to teeth. And as of yet, there are zero teeth. So, Jude and I camped out in the spare bedroom where we got very little sleep. However, he was Mr. Perky at 8 a.m., which bode well for us since we were going to meet my sister and nephews at 9 a.m. for their local neighborhood parade.

The parade was a huge success and so much fun. The neighborhood puts it on every year because families wanted something to go do on the 4th of July: the kids decorate their bikes, there's a parade of cool old cars, and there's one dude who brings out his gigantic snake (think the snake that Britney Spears shimmied around with) that all the kids pat as it slithers around in the grass. Jude was thrilled with all of it. He just kicked his feet and squealed. 

The snake! I love the colors of his skin - the yellow and gray is so chic right now! :)

Kennedy for President: Best for Oklahoma

Rachel and Jude in front of the firetruck.

Great vintage cars. Wouldn't it be fun to buzz around town in one of these?

Really, everything is just so much more fun with kids. Maybe it's just that I really liked being a kid and still like doing kid things, so now it's just a great excuse to be a participant again! My nephews also have a new trampoline, so we enjoyed jumping on the trampoline. Simon can do four flips in a row. I really need to get a picture of that, because it is something to see -- all six feet four inches of him flipping in the air!

The afternoon was spent lounging at my parents' house, who are out of town on an Alaskan cruise. We slathered on the sunscreen and baked all. day. long. There is no better way to spend a summer day than in the pool.  We also ate more junk than I care to admit. So much for my resolution of taking good care of myself by eating good things and exercising. :-\

Ugh, speaking of the pool, Jude thoroughly christened it. I was holding him, he was gleefully frolicking, and all of a sudden, there was, um, debris floating in the pool, despite his swim diaper. We all squealed, promptly removed Jude from the pool, and stripped him down in the grass, where we then hosed him down(!) to get all the poo(!) off of him. Sounds harsh, but he thought it was great fun and the water wasn't too cold. 

Maui Babe Suntan lotion and Biotherm sunscreen. 

We unearthed the Maui Babe browning lotion from somewhere in our bathroom. Despite the fact that we bought it on our honeymoon in Maui nearly three years ago, we think it's still good! Either way, we are all sunburn-free, and slightly glowing from our tans. 

We enjoyed dinner at Simon's parents' house, and then packed up in the car to go look at fireworks. Fireworks are always my favorite part (once again, it must be my inner child or something). Is there anything better than listening to the oohs and aahs of the little kids as they stare up into the sky? Jude was sound asleep, but quickly woke up, and was slack-jawed as he stared at the firecrackers bursting. I'm kicking myself that I let the battery get down on the camera, because I think I could've gotten some really great night shots. It was just all so magical, all of us there, and I do mean all of us, which is great. I think the last time I saw fireworks with my entire family was when I was 7 or 8, in Colorado Springs. It just felt like we really celebrated this year. It was just so great, everyone sitting out on a blanket, and cheering. It would have only been made complete by the presence of my parents, but I'm glad that they're enjoying a great vacation.

Saturday, Simon worked really hard to get all of the stuff that had been sitting in the garage appropriated to its final resting spot. I'm glad he felt the urge to do this as I have been seriously unmotivated to even touch anything in the garage. 

We enjoyed a yummy lunch at the Iguana Cafe, a cool new spot in downtown OKC. Once again, we consumed a ridiculous amount of food, and then hurried out to Mom and Dad's for more sunning and swimming. Check out that 7-layer dip that came out in an Oklahoma-shaped platter. Delicioso!

Jude and Simon, eating their hands, being silly.

Food for thought

Dear Receptionist at Church Down the Street who Hosts Acclaimed Mother's-Day-Out,

I just wanted to let you know that when I called today to get information about your MDO program, the frustrated and surly reply of "Well, whaddya wanna know?" was not the correct response. This does not instill confidence in me nor in your ability to keep my precious little one for a few hours once a week. 

Thanks so much,

Now-Disgruntled Momma

Six months Old!

Our first family photo, four days after Jude was born.

I know I keep saying it, but I really am incredulous that six months have flown by so quickly. It was six months ago yesterday that Jude Simon came into our lives 7 weeks early, totally taking us by surprise and beginning the greatest love affair that Simon and I have ever known. October 29, 2007, I was one sick cookie! I had to deliver early due to crazy gnarly pre-eclampsia, and so at 5:35pm, Jude came into the world. I remember the doctors holding Jude up, screaming, and one foot smacked into the plastic window that was between me and them (I had a c-section). I thought immediately that he had Simon's hands and feet. He was long and lean, but oh-so-tiny. He was only 3 lbs, 13 oz!
He was in the NICU at Baptist for three weeks, and it was definitely a rollercoaster ride. Jude was such a little feisty fighter, though. I remember at one point, one of the nurses told me that Jude and I needed to have a little talk about feedings because when he could finally take a bottle for 24 hours straight, he would get to go home. Up until this point, he still had the gavage feeding tube in (see the photo above). I held Jude and teased him, telling him that we needed to get on the same page about this milk business.  Wouldn't you know it, the next time I came into the NICU, the nurse said, "Well, your son must have listened to you, because he ripped his own tube out."   Well, ok! When he finally got to come home, he was barely 4 pounds, and we were terrified. We were up every three hours, following the same schedule as the NICU: change diaper, take temperature, feed 1 oz. It took a good hour to get an ounce of milk down him, and we were scared to over-tire him as it would cause him to burn more calories and wear him out. I'm amazed when I think that he can now down a 6-oz bottle in 5 minutes flat. God is so good, and He was (and is) ultimately in control. Thanks to the love and care of our families, we made it through those first hard weeks. 
Every single day with Jude is such a joy, and I consider it such an honor and privilege to be his mom.  I was looking through his box of preemie things today, stuff that I've kept to remind me of where we've been and what we've come through. Check out the photo above -- the diaper on the left was one of his preemie diapers. It was too big for him when he was first born. I can't even imagine it now!

We also have an infant scale that was Jude's Christmas present from the Grandparents Poppa (my parents). In the NICU, he was weighed every single night, and so we really liked having some idea of progress in terms of his growth. Jude thoroughly hates the scale, for some reason, though. He screams every time I put him on it. Today was no different, but I am proud to announce that he weighs a whopping 14 lbs 9 oz! Go Jude Go!

The first time he ever rode in his swing. (3 weeks old)

Jude today (April 30, 2008)

So today, we have a spirit of joy and thankfulness for all our God has done for us. Jude is the biggest gift we could have ever received, and I cannot imagine my life without him. I am thoroughly, 125%, madly in love, obsessed with my kid. Thank you, Jesus, for what you have done here. We will never stop praising you for Jude.

Finally! Cool Boys' Clothing!

Ok, let's just face it: the world of fashion, regardless of age, is hopelessly skewed to the female demographic. As a mother to a boy, it's hard to find boy clothes that aren't scattered with trucks, sports, or obnoxious phrases. So it was with great delight that I found Ochanga via Cool Mom Picks this morning. It's a great resource for cool boys' clothes, in a variety of sizes. I'm particularly loving this striped romper pictured above. Granted, I'm a sucker for stripes, and poor Jude will probably look back on his childhood and wonder what the deal was. :)

Pilot Jude

Pilot Jude
Originally uploaded by maliburachel

A personal fave of mine is Jude, in his jumper, wearing his pilot cap from Hanna Andersson . He is SO adorable. Plus, it just brings a smile to everybody's face when they see him in it.