Blog a la Cart

Smiley, happy babies make for one smiley, happy Mama.

My belly filled with beignets and cafe au lait certainly doesn’t hurt either.

Addison is a professional newborn handler.

She’s been so eager to meet Baby Brie, and yesterday was her time to shine. She said very little, but just smiled and glowed with contentment as she watched Gabrielle slumber in her arms.

Yesterday evening, as we went around the table and talked about our days, I asked Sunny what the best part of her day was.

Without hesitation, she responded, Meeting Gabrielle.

Indeed, it was the best.

This weekend we will somehow move all of our material possessions to the farm with this motorized babe and busy preschooler in our midst.

Wish us luck. Or send rum. Preferably Goslings.

Today, between this and this, THIS happened:

That would be the newest member of the Cart family.

A home. Complete with barn. And babbling brook. And kitchen garden beds. And breakfast nook. And prospects of chicken ownership. And swing set. And mountain views. And dirt roads. And everything James and I ever dreamed could be ours. And now is.

This is where our girls will grow up. And I cannot wait to share her with you.

We are officially Vermonters.

And it feels pretty awesome.

I know that I said that this was to be The Year of NO BIG LIFE ALTERING EVENTS, but isn’t that always when opportunity strikes? Like the year I declared I would be single and boy-free and then met a one James Whaley Cart the next day at his 20th birthday party. Sometimes declarations like this allow for the impossible to suddenly become possible.

I didn’t want to share what has been three months in the making until it was really real. But today, the keys were handed over. And we celebrated over champagne and pizza on the empty floors of our new home.

More soon. Now I must sleep and recover from this most splendid day.

This weather is freaking me out. It’s unnerving. This kind of heat. In March. Bare trees and 80 degrees? That shit ain’t right.

Doesn’t mean that we’re not milking it for all it’s worth.

All three of my pale family members are coated in SPF 60. At this rate, we should really invest in the sunscreen industry.

We spent our weekend surrounded by these faces.

And it was grand.

Despite another round of diarrhea infiltrating the household.

WHAT?! I couldn’t resist the mention of poop.

Who’s blog do you think this is?

Precisely.

Courtland’s seventh month birthday letter is on hold as we have the following happening in our abode this weekend…

I know. It makes you nauseous it’s so adorable, right? That chubby cheeked baby with the perfectly spherical head and Gerber looks is the daughter of my childhood bestie, Lydia. Alison was born just 6 weeks after Courtland. It’s amazing how two blonde, blue-eyed Caucasian babies born so closely together could be so dramatically different. Alison is the most easy going baby on the Planet Earth, whereas Kaki wails in distress anytime anyone tries to hold her besides mom or dad.

Le Sigh.

Also, I am going to eat Alison’s delectably plump little thighs for breakfast tomorrow, if Kaki doesn’t get to them first. (I swear Courtland could devour Alison whole if she tried. She seems like a monster next to that little monkey). I realize I shall never know the joys of having a chubby baby. And this makes me quite envious of Lyd. I just… the chub! I love it so.

This weekend warms my heart as it marks the continuation of a long line of Guild/Ulmer female friendships. Lydia’s little sister and Kimmy, in fact, are currently on vacation together in SF and then Florida. The love runs deep!

Also? Apparently Kaki stuck her finger in a light socket last night because, WOW!

Photos: Courtesy of Ashley Weeks Cart

Alright! Enough whining and woe-is-meing! The covered in lies posts shall cease and desist. For now, at least.

I realize that what I’m going through is manageable. Overwhelming that so many of these things are happening in tandem. But again, manageable.

I needed a couple of days to wallow in my own self pity before I could sufficiently pull my head out of my ass and focus on the fact that it wasn’t diarrhea doing the forcing. Ayo! to my own personal wellness.

And now, I will take a bit of advice from my yoga baby, and get zen and centered. Ain’t nothing a little Child’s Pose can’t ameliorate.

Also? This face is way better than Prozac. And nearly crawling.

I realize that some of these are blurry – but they were too priceless not to share in full!

Photos: Courtesy of Ashley Weeks Cart

Last week I had work meetings in Saratoga Springs, NY. I, of course, had my whole entourage in tow. Such is the current state of affairs due to one very dependent, bottle-refusing nursling.

Fortunately, James came upon an amazing children’s museum that kept the girls happy and entertained while I was working.

The entourage joined our group for lunch, and lucky for us, it was at a local restaurant, owned by a fellow Eph, called ‘Circus.’ Talk about a kid’s dream. After a playful meal under colorful chandeliers and circus-themed walls, the waiter emerged with two huge platters stacked with strawberry cotton candy.

All the adults at the table immediately turned their gaze to the preschooler. We awaited her reaction to the heaping pile of pink fluff.

Sunny’s eyes grew as big as saucers and she whispered in awe, “It’s my birthday!”

Probably the sweetest, most amazing reaction ever.

The mound was bigger than her. And we finished it all. Leaving James with one sugar high 2 year old as I disappeared into more meetings.

I think he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize.

Photos: Courtesy of James W. Cart

Yesterday we drove an hour to the Yankee Candle Flagship store, i.e. compound, to meet The Man in Red. Sunny was super excited about the day’s adventure, until we arrived at the store and she began expressing reservations.

You see, she’s scared of Santa’s hat.

Also, ‘Rational’ is her middle name. Much like her Mama.

Fortunately, this Santa was sans chapeau! Crisis averted! Thank you, Yankee Candle, for predicting my toddler’s Santa Hat phobia and proactively avoiding a meltdown.

There were no tears, and Sunny very enthusiastically shared with Santa that she would like a grocery cart for Christmas, a thank you very much.

She takes her surname very seriously. And now James and I have our work cut out for us to make this dream come true. Chances that our Food Co-op will let us purchase one of their kid’s carts that inspired this gift request in the first place? We shall see. But I’m planning on making a midnight trip to our local golf course, because we totally need one of those “Park Your Carts Here” signs to compliment the gift slash be all sorts of predictably punny.

I jest. James wants to avoid his wife landing in jail mere days before return to work, so he’s already purchased this one.

Courtland, despite her unpredictable, explosion nature, was very intrigued my Santa’s bristly beard and refrained from causing a scene.

All in all, a successful visit!

You can see the 2010 Santa Experience and the 2009 Santa Experience.