My Friend, Delilah

On Saturday, Chris kept Noelle so that Delilah and I could go out by ourselves and have a special day together.  It was an absolutely perfect day.  The weather was beautiful and we had so much fun going all over the upper east side.  Our first stop was Gymboree for a shopping spree subsidized by Grammy Di (thank you, Grammy Di).  Delilah wanted to buy the whole store and was surprisingly into accessories for the first time.  She was also on the lookout for Noelle and kept bringing me clothes that she thought her little sister would look especially cute in.   Then we went for a hair cut (just Delilah, not me), where Red received her first blow-out...it was the first time I've seen her with straight hair!  Then it was on to a pizza lunch followed by a stop at gourmet bakery for the perfect pink cupcake.  The coup de grace came at the end:  a stop at Capezio for Delilah's first pair of ballet shoes!!!  She was so excited and did not want to leave the store.  To top it off, we took a cab ride for the 7 blocks home b/c Delilah loves taxis so much.  Chris said when we walked in he couldn't tell who was glowing more.  And at prayers that night, Delilah said, "Dear God, thank you for mommy/daughter time.  I love it".  

So I titled this post "My Friend, Delilah" because I don't think I could have had a better time with a friend of my own age.  She was my buddy and it brought back so many memories of similar days I spent with my own mom before she passed away.  I love this little girl with all my heart.

15 Months Old!

Oh, Ellie Bug, you are officially a walking, talking toddler now!  Doctor's visit is next week, so we'll have physical stats then;  for now, we'll just discuss everthing else about precious you! 
Right now:
--you can walk and kind of run so you have started to detest the stroller.  Which is unfortunate b/c you can't be trusted on the streets of NYC quite yet.
--you can say a few words: mama, dada, ball, duck, and uh-oh.  When you say uh-oh it's just about the cutest thing ever.  You can also make some animal sounds for the appropriate animal:  bock bock for chicken and moo for a cow. 
--you seem to be fluent in a language that you created.  We have no idea what you're saying, but you say it with just the right intonations and pauses that normal sentence structure would have. 
--you love to manipulate things with your hands.  Your mechanical sense is way advanced for your age. 
--you are just starting to like books and you have two favorites.  One is an animal book and the other is Where is Baby's Belly Button.  That one is your very, very, very favorite.  Your daddy, your sister, and I will take turns reading it to you and after all 3 of us are so sick of it we can't see straight, you still want it one more time.
--we haven't really done much baby signing with you, but somehow you picked up the sign for "more".
--pretty sure you learned 'more' so that you could make sure you get enough food.  You eat more than seems humanly possible.  Your tummy gets so round we think it's going to pop.
--you have this way of tilting your head that we call "the patented Ellie Bug head tilt".  You look at someone, smile, shake your head back & forth real fast, then tilt your head toward your right shoulder and look up as though you're flirting.  It is beyond precious and I hate that I can not capture it on camera for the life of me!
--when we tell you 'no' your face crumples into a million pieces and you cry like you just lost your best friend.
--you sleep from 7:30pm to 7am and usually nap once a day for a couple hours, but sometimes you take two smaller naps
--you love to drag your blanket around with you, so we often call you Linus.
--you have the ability to hum in tune.  We hear you humming your ABC's all the time...it's kind of amazing. 
--you and your sister are becoming partners in crime.  You both go into one of your bedrooms, shut the door behind you, and giggle for twenty to thirty minutes at a time.
--baths are your favorite time of day.  You and Delilah will stay in the bath playing together until you are both blue from the cold.  Your dad & I leave the door cracked so that y'all think you're playing alone but we can see you the whole time & keep you safe.
--you love Patty Cake, the ABC's, and being flipped upside down. 
--you fill my heart.

Feeling the tiger's whiskers

Flipping through your second-favorite book

Laughing with sis

I asked Delilah to entertain you for five minutes when you woke up from your nap.  This is the carnage that ensued.  But I have no doubt she entertained you.

Red loves to fill your crib with books and read to you.  Half the time you are into it and half the time you are trying to escape...this is an escape moment.

Look at that joy-filled face.  You are such a precious little being.

Oh, Noelle, watching you grow up and take on the world is one of the biggest joys in my life.  We love you, little girl!!!

Wordless Wednesdays: Daily Sister Tickle Time

Children's Museum of the Arts

Saturday was so much fun!!!  We were getting restless, but it was freezing outside so we loaded up the kids and headed downtown to the Children's Museum of the Arts in the south village.  Took 45 minutes, a bus ride, and a subway ride, but so very worth it.  It's a hands-on museum dedicated to getting kids excited about art.  They even have a media room where kids can make 5 minute clay-mation movies...but you have to be 5 years old, so it will be about a year and a half before Delilah can officially become an auteur.
We knew Red would be in heaven, but it was so fantastic seeing how much fun Noelle had, too!

"Seriously, Mom & Dad?  It can't be that cold!" (It was)

All bundled up

At one of the museum's craft tables.  This was the very first time that Noelle has drawn with a marker instead of putting it in her mouth. :)

I am in LOVE with any image of our girls playing together

Noelle helping to clean up before the drum circle

Happily drumming with Daddy

Sisters working on a tile mosaic

Delilah bellying up to the 'clay bar'

Hard at work learning the fundamentals of architecture

Chris & I love this pic so much.  You know how some pics just capture the essence of a person...this is one of those pics

Noelle surprised us by playing with these blocks forever.  She's not very verbal but she is extremely dexterous

Sisters playing with flubber

When we finally left after several hours, Delilah was so sad.  She kept saying she didn't want to leave...which would be normal except she was still saying it hours later after we were already home...and she said it again this morning after breakfast.  "Mommy & Daddy, I didn't want to leave!! How many hours until I can go back?"

Soon, sweet girl, very soon.

Wordless Wednesdays: Oreos Make Everything (Even Double Eye Infections) Better

Ice Skating!

Yesterday was unseasonably warm, so we decided to take Delilah ice skating for the first time. There is a rink a few blocks away at the north end of Central Park, so we figured Chris & Red would skate while Noelle & I played in the park. Delilah was so excited and kept saying, "I'm going to skate on ice! I'm going to skate on ice!"  I was just happy to get out of the house b/c Noelle has had a double eye infection and this was the first day we could escape our quarantine!


Walking to the ice skating rink



Flock of geese and a playground (in the background)

Still can't believe we live here

Delilah LOVED the geese and wanted to show them to Noelle

Playing at the playground

Our girls

Delilah trying new things with Daddy

"I can do it myself!"  So brave.

Cutie Pie

Oh, I'm sorry...you were expecting more ice in the ice skating pics?  Turns out that half of NYC was also inspired by the warm weather to go skating, and there was a huge line to get in the rink.   Delilah doesn't like crowds and Noelle doesn't like waiting, so...geese and playgrounds for us!  Such a fun day!