baby's first duck confit

january marked m's first trip to paris, where it was confirmed that just like her mama, she could live on baguette and duck confit. and just like her papa, she's a BIG fan of léon de bruxelles. she's also totally game to just wander around town, stopping in here and there for a coffee or plate of frites. such a good sport, this one. she was also happy to just hang out at the apartment, which we rented in our old hood, and look out the windows. it doesn't surprise me, i guess, that KP and i would produce such a good traveler... but it does amaze me just how easy it was.

the 14th

le jardin de luxembourg

no moules this time, but plenty of frites. and baguette, of course.

more baguette...

and more...

and more!

couldn't go to paris and not take her to chez gladines, where she had duck and baguette! 

 

  

 

marvellous, magnificent

m has a board book called "hoo, who are you?" - i think it may have been the first book i bought her (once i knew i was pregnant - i bought a whole stack of books for her in paris when she was still just a twinkle). anyway, it's a series of animals presenting themselves in alliteration or rhyme ("i'm a pretty, prancing pony," "i'm a playing, spraying elephant"). on the last page the owl asks, "hoo, who are you?" and I always respond for her: "i'm marvelous, magnificent maxine."

oh, but she's so much more.

a few days

one month

 two months

 three months

 four months

five months

six months

 seven months

 eight months

 nine months

 ten months

eleven months

twelve months

one year.

still lots to catch up on (paris, japan, general 'round the house fun), but i couldn't keep you waiting for the first birthday party!!

 

to celebrate, we hosted a morning tea (which is verrrry australian of us) for about 30 people, including all of M's buddies from my mothers' group. lb promises NEVER to throw a party again since her control issues make it impossible to outsource the labor and her perfectionism, freakish eye for detail, and tendency to stress makes the lead-up generally pretty miserable. this time i did 3 dozen mini quiches in filo dough (note to self: no more filo dough!), 2 dozen cupcakes, 2 dozen chocolate chip cookies, and a smash cake for baby... to which she preferred the bowl of apples... which, of course, no one else ate!

fortunately, there was also plenty of champagne.

happy birthday to you! she seemed perplexed by all the singing and staring...

so now what?

  

       i thought she was going to go for it there for a second...

but then she saw the bowl of apples...

...and that was that. fortunately banana cake with cream cheese frosting freezes beautifully!

M and her buddies... 

opening gifts later that day

then on sunday we took advantage of the still ridiculously warm temps here in canberra to snap a few birthday shots on the front deck. i can't get her to sit still and look at me unless she's sucking her finger. i think that's just how it's going to be for the next few years...

a cozy spot

i spent an hour and half today trying to get m to nap in her new room. i should have taken the opportunity to add to our series of nap time shots. she's right around 6 months in these...