Home sweet home! She ran directly to her lounge chair. #roadtrip (Taken with Instagram)
Headed to Chicago. Follow along on instagram, #littleprettyx
Mom purse. #kidforks #coupons #lacekeeper (Taken with Instagram)
Baby & chicks (Taken with Instagram)
She refuses to nap, but laying in a pile of patio cushions is totally ok. #weirdo (Taken with Instagram)
So that shower I talked about yesterday was actually today. I realized this after driving 40 minutes to the party location and wondering why in the world I was the only car in the parking lot.
But, we went back today and it was a wonderful afternoon and Clara made friends with all the girls.
Today Clara and I are headed over to a baby shower for my girlfriend Lisa. She is expecting her first and has more will power than I do — hasn’t found out what she’s got cookin’ in there.
I am basically the worst present-giver. Ask Ashley. I’ve never given her one. I hate shopping registries (though I love when others shop mine, winkwink) and I like the gift to be memorable, also practical, also something I wouldn’t mind owning.
Some of the best gifts I received from my bridal and baby showers were things that I didn’t specifically register for but needed. Like pretty serving pieces from my aunt that are likely from a gift shop by the beach (rather than the run-of-the-mill Crate & Barrel pieces). Also the big and super-soft hooded towel and divided plate from another aunt — both things that I probably registered for, just not the better quality Pottery Barn versions.
So, here it is. I put together a little gift bag of my favorite things.
1. Plain white onesies (I also picked up a new pack for CB in 12m, tear). Clara wears one of these to bed every night (we don’t have AC) and in the colder months they’re nice for layering.
2. On the Night You Were Born We got our copy from my good friend Laura and read it to CB every night before bed. She even knows when to wiggle her silly toes. I melt. I got Lisa the board version to avoid page crinkling.
3. Gingham Hooded Towel Pottery Barn isn’t particularly my style but I have fallen in love with their bath & feeding things. Clara’s beach towel is PBK and it is my #1 favorite. We use it for bathtime.
4. Geo Print Bib You may remember my complaining that I got about 47 bibs at my baby shower and every one was about the size of a postage stamp. So frustrating. This one is big and wipe-able and has a pocket. It has all the things.
5. Divided Plate Clearly I went nuts at the PB but I have 2 of these plates and I love love love them. I tried to mentally justify purchasing a 3rd for CB while I was there but restrained myself. It’s melanine, the dividers are good sizes, and the designs are adorable.
What are your gift-giving strategies? Do you like to give the same gift a lot (I have an aunt who I swear always gives the cutting board. Also, I have a lot of aunts). Do you go more for sentiment or practicality? How do you feel about shopping the registry?

You can’t tell so good there, but she’s toddling! We spent the extended-weekend up in Vermont for a lot of beer-related things and Clara got in a lot of miles on her birthday shoes. Granted, Tiny Toms aren’t exactly the most supportive footwear, but she held our hands and walked and walked.
When we finally got home I laced up her Stride Rite hand-me-downs and she took off. Now she’s even voluntarily using her feet rather than her knees to get from point a to a not-too-far-away point b.
You should see her now. She thinks she can run marathons.
Probably about time I take the birthday decorations down. (Taken with Instagram)
Welcome back!
That was a frustrating week or so, which you probably didn’t notice, but my domain (woahbabyblog.com) first stopped redirecting then I had to transfer it and that took forever then I had to redirect it again from tumblr and it was just a nightmare and dumb.
But! It’s fixed. So hello again. Here are some pictures from this afternoon. CB loves the water. Loves loves loves it. 4e.














