The Crocket Family Blog: August 2014

Sunday, August 31, 2014

Adventure Weekend

We're going on an adventure today. We are meeting up with some of my online mom group friends, who live in San Diego, Orange County and Los Angeles, about an hour south of here for a pot luck breakfast brunch pic nic. I've met one of them already, we actually went to dinner with her and her husband on Friday night. So at least there will be one other couple there that we know, but after months of chatting about our newborns (all of us had babies in January, 2014) I am certain we will be fast friend irl (in real life).

This weekend is a busy one for us! James and I went on an amazing date at my favorite restaurant in the world, Scarpetta, where we got to sit at the chef's table in the kitchen and have an 8 course meal. Amazing. Becky was kind enough to watch the girls that night.

Last night we went out for Becky's birthday. Brittany, our nanny, watched the girls to make up for having Monday off. So it works out well for everyone. Last night was really fun - we went to a sausage restaurant with the best french fries I have had in Los Angeles. Then we went to a video game bar - these are a new phenomenon in Los Angeles and have vintage arcade games lined up for people to play, and an amazing fully stocked bar with artisan cocktails. Kind of like a dream come true for anyone into video games when they were 14. (Its not quite like Dave & Busters, which has modern games, bright lights and chain food).

On top of our adventure today, tomorrow we will be bringing the girls to a friend's pool party. If all goes great today, which I have no reason to believe that it wont, that should be no problem. Seriously, my only concern for tomorrow is that I don't really want to get into a bathing suit in front of anyone else. Especially after this food heavy weekend!!

All of that said, this is a lot more relaxed than our life before the girls, where one day would have been pic nic, then pool party, then dinner and drinking out with friends. So, this should be a cake walk.

Saturday, August 30, 2014

34

This past week I read some articles about child safety and preventative measures, which whipped me into a frenzy of shopping for child proofing gear. I was worried about the vertical blind chords, furniture being unsecured and cabinets being opened, even though we have put all of our cleaning products into the laundry room and on a high shelf. But you read one parent's nightmare account and that's it - the toilet seat lock company knows it can charge whatever it wants for that thing, you will buy it!

The reason for all of the safety concern is Josie's new mobility. She is full on crawling and she loves to investigate everything, and to climb over everything. I watched her go right over kicky piano. She face plants over and over but whatever, she just keeps going. I suddenly am realizing that yes, we HAVE TO anchor all of the furniture and tether the TVs.

I remember a few months back, when the girls were itty bitty - maybe 2.5 months old since I was still on maternity leave - I told my sister that 'geez, every time I look down I have Josie in my arms.' Even before she could hardly communicate she had figured out how to get what she loves, which is to be carried around. I would make a conscious effort to give Alex some carry around attention but it seemed that no matter what I did, I ended up with Josie in my arms.

Now that she is crawling, I kind of get it - she really does want to be carried constantly. She crawls up on to our laps and tries to get into a standing position over our shoulders. She doesn't care whose lap it is, she wants to be in your arms. Though the second you are holding her, she's craning her neck to see what's going on around her, and what toys she might want to play with. Anyway, its blowing my mind that this personality started so early.

Alexandra is being crazy adorable as usual. This week she figured out a few new sounds, one of them is to vibrate her bottom lip at top speed. Its pretty impressive and I will have to get video of it. She is also doing the "crawl rock" so look out, we might have two mobile babies very soon. She loves to just sit and play and doesn't need constant attention, and as Jamey has kind of figured out, she doesn't like to be touched. Though I have noticed lately that she will "hug you" when you pick her up, which is very sweet.

The girls have been waking up a bit earlier than "wake up time" lately, but they aren't fussy, they just talk in their cribs and usually fall back to sleep before we wake them up at 7:45. I peeked in on them this morning and they are so cute to see - Josie sitting in her crib playing with the plush blanket "lovee" she sleeps with, and Alex sticking her feet out of the crib and chatting away. Such fun, good, happy, lovable girls and its such a joy to be their mom. I am really looking forward to a long weekend with them.