Celebrating Baby America

Well, we officially have a one-year-old in the house!

To celebrate the milestone birthday, girlfriend got to have cupcakes, balloons, and a trip to the local indoor play place. I love a good party theme, and landed on "Fabulous First Ladies" since she was born out here and was days old during THAT election, and I needed to make some sense of it still, even a year later. So, we raise our glasses to raising strong girls and celebrating American women of the future, past, and present (and even a pretty great fictional heroine too)!

Just like her brother, she loves chocolate. A midday bath was definitely required.

The leaves are changing and it's oh so glorious. This time last year I was adjusting to the extreme change in temperature and having a newborn and didn't get out much to enjoy the splendor in those pivotal days when the trees are just showing off. I'm trying to embed it deep in my mental archives so as never to forget the beauty of this time of year out here. And backup, I have these photos and blog, so yay for plan b.

This week in addition to Jo's first birthday, we celebrated another friend's special day with a pizza making party at California Pizza Kitchen (and a former Fullertonian as well, so the destination was on point), and ventured out to the Freer+Sackler Galleries and the National Museum of African Art (both of which had the NICEST docents, staff, and security guards that I've encountered at any of the Smithsonians in the last year. The woman at the information desk even left her post to take us down to this awesome kids learning room that we had to ourselves.) While I love taking the kids, Henry specifically, to these museums, I really can't wait to go back solo to really read everything and take a slower pace to enjoy myself.

This week, the temperatures have dropped into the 40s and we broke out a baby item called a "bundle me", something that would have never crossed my radar in southern California as an essential winter baby item. It's basically a sleeping bag for car seats and strollers, that sits on top the seat and allows for the straps to come through, still securing the child, but keeping them warm while getting around the city. They are cozy, blankets aren't tossed out of the stroller or dragged underneath the tires. Genius.