My sister Elizabeth returned for Memorial Day weekend and Max’s one month birthday.
Elizabeth stayed with us and in the mornings she would come and get Max so Brad and I could have an extra hour of sleep.
We also hung out with Ruth and Paul at their house and introduced Max to a few of our friends. His first real big social outing. So far, everyone who’s met him, thinks he’s really cute!
Sometime during week 3, Max’s umbilical cord stump fell off, so we were able to give him a proper bath. No more sponge bathing. He wasn’t impressed with the whole situation.
We also kept little mitts on his hands because he was still scratching his face. Baby nails are so sharp!
At 2 weeks, we were still trying to manage. Sleep wasn’t a priority. Getting Max to put on weight was. He lost quite a bit of weight, and was quite jaundiced. The pediatrician was concerned and had us take him out into the sun a lot. It look a while for him to lose the yellow, but he eventually did.
Excuse how I look, but here is a shot of how small he was. Just under 7 lbs. (Below his birth weight of 7 lbs. 5 oz.)
Little angel.
So we’ve been pretty lame about posting updates on Max. Here are a few shots of him at 1 week.
Looking back, he was so skinny and tiny. It’s amazing that he’s already 7 weeks and a lot chubbier.
Here’s a comparison picture with Max and Tank.
Born April 26 2009. 7lbs. 5oz. 20 inches.
Brad, Max and I are adjusting to the new life and enjoying every minute of it. We’ll post more soon.
About a month ago, my friend and photographer Kevin took some pictures of me and my belly. He’s an awesome photographer and is building his portfolio. He does mostly portraits and he’s also photographed special events. Here are a few selects from my shoot.
A few weekends ago, my friends Alix and Lisa threw an amazing baby shower for me at their beautiful home.
Alix cooked all my favorite things (crab cakes, devilled eggs, tea sandwiches amongst other things) and the only thing that was store bought were the red velvet Sprinkles cupcakes. My older sister Elizabeth made quiches and Linzer cookies as well.
Alix and Lisa had a few areas set up where my friends could paint on onesies. Here are the finished pieces with credits!
Everyone had a really amazing time and I feel very fortunate to have friends and family who care deeply for me, Brad and our baby.
Continuing on my quest to find the perfect chocolate croissant, I stopped at Amandine this morning on my way to work. O. M. G. Look at this beauty:
At first glance, this croissant had the same shape as Belwood and Le Pain Quotidien, but it was much larger. Although it was larger, it’s wasn’t heavy. I took my first bite and it was flaky flaky flaky! Super light but buttery, all at the same time. And look at the underside!
The chocolate ran through the center from end to end and had a dark sweet flavor. This by far out ranked all the others I’ve tried so far. I think it might even be unfair to compare it to Starbucks and Le Pain Quotidien. I definitely recomend this bakery! They had a bunch of other pastries and cakes in their display which I’ll have to go back and try - including a slice of orange loaf.
Every Friday for the past 4 weeks, I’ve treated myself to a chocolate croissant. The first week was merely a craving and the subsequent weeks just felt like a fun way to start the weekend.
Week one, I stopped at Belwood Bakery in Brentwood. Their chocolate croissant (1 - see below) is the usual rectangular shape and their chocolate ran wide and through the center. It was flaky, the chocolate was delicious and I was very pleased.
Week two, I stopped at Bristol Farms in El Segundo. Their chocolate croissant (2) was on the large side and was a straightened crescent shape. Delicious dark chocolate ran through the center and the top had a glaze and a drizzle of chocolate all over it.
Week three, I encountered a few obstacles. The first 3 places I stopped at had all run out. When I got to work, I decided that I was OK without having one, but then I kept thinking about it… I called 4 places - all sold out! So I tried my luck with Starbucks. Lucky for me the lady I spoke to put one aside and I went to pick it up. The shape was odd - more like a danish (3). A square with two of the four opposite corners folded in. Chocolate ran through the center and I was surprised by the taste. It was light and pleasant.
This morning I went to Le Pain Quotidien. Like the Belwood Bakery, it was the normal rectangular chocolate croissant shape (4). It reminded me of the ones I used to have when I was a kid with thin chocolate peeking out on one side of the croissant. Although flaky and light, I got halfway through and there was no more chocolate! Did they forget to fill it, or is this just normal for them? I was quite disappointed. Although, at the end of my treat, there was a little chocolate on the other side making up for the empty center.
So far, the front runner is Bristol Farms. Belwood, Starbucks and then Le Pain Quotidien in last place. There are a few places I still want to try including Amadine on Wilshire. Anyone know of a good place to get a chocolate croissant?
After a year of hanging onto the documents, I finally completed AND mailed my application to become a citizen. It went out today via Certified Mail.
I’m not sure how long the process takes, but I’ve been told I could be a citizen before 2010. Now I have to brush up on my American history. One thing I will never forget is: Who was the first president of the United States? George Washington - he has the same first name as me! EASY!
