What I'm Reading...

My sis-in-law (who is imminently due with a new baby and thus faces the challenge of a newborn + toddler...she is a stronger woman than I) recommended a new book for me to read.
It is called "Bringing up Bebe" by Pamela Druckerman (see below).

In short, it is the telling of an American journalist's perspective on French child rearing.
Also, it is awesome. Seriously.
It reminds me a lot of another one of my favorite books "A Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy." The book is an honest look at another culture's child-rearing attitudes and where it gets them. I think I like books like these because they are both informational and informative. Sort of like "babywise" meets "happiest baby on the block" meets your best friend.
As K gets older, I find parenting to be changing (no surprise) and it is becoming less about making sure she doesn't eat dog poop to more about teaching her to be a part of our family. I am constantly surprised by both what she does (and doesn't do). She is a tidy little lady who doesn't seem to mind picking up, but I am not as successful at teaching her good table skills.
One of the big things that Druckerman seems to emphasize about the difference between American and French parenting is the absence, and presence, respectively of "Waiting." I found this especially poignant as I am often responding to K whenever asked; the French, however, seem to have a big role for teaching their kids to "wait," even just for a response from Mom. Whether the "wait" is because mom is talking, eating, going the bathroom, whatever, the point is to try to teach the kiddos that although they are important, they may have to wait in line if other things are going on that are important to Mom.
Now this isn't an end-all be-all guide to parenting, I think it is a valuable perspective to add especially as K becomes older and interrupts our meals by pointing to my armpit hair and asking "What's that???"
Awesome. The joys of motherhood.
Let me know what you all think...

Shameless cuteness.

This past weekend we did K's two year photo shoot.
I am going to make it a tradition, and since this is the second year I have done it, I'd say we are well on our way.
Our friend from church Michael Friberg shot about an hour both at our house and Liberty Park and I was SO impressed. Now admittedly, he normally shoots important things like the cover for the NY Times, but he was willing to spend a bit of time with us (not quite front page news, but you know).
K loved the camera for about the first 45 minutes and kept posing-it was so funny because I have never seen her do this before!!! And then, at the end, she had had enough and just laid down on the sidewalk. So we called it a wrap.
I will try not to put too many pics, but it was just so fun and everyday I look at this little blonde pixie and wonder what on earth we did to deserve such a sweet little girl :-)
Happy almost 2 years old Baby K!!!

We love you and think you are the cutest little person around....