Our Favorite Books

Lance Julian and I have become avid readers.  He loves turning the pages of board books and I love the post-bath time jubilee on our big bed.  As an English teacher and a critic, I feel the need to share our favorite stories.  

The baby book market is saturated with really crappy stuff ("Emma, this is the kind of emotional language that I spoke of in our meeting.  It is unhelpful and unprofessional.  Next time, try to use language that clearly labels the problem."--Ken, Emma's crappy boss).

Now, where was I?  Oh yeah, the good baby books.  Here's our Top Ten.  I suggest you literally go out and order all of these.  It gets old reading all the same old stuff, and you will be reading a lot...

1.  Barack Obama, Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters.

     The illustrations are great, especially the last page that illustrates America, "made up of people of every kind".  The story will make you cry (and vote for Obama 2014!)

2.  Bill Martin Jr., and Eric Carle, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?    (Slide and Find)

     This isn't the regular board book version!  Each page has a little slider that Lance LOVES sliding to the side to view the next animal that Brown Bear sees.  We spend hours enjoying this book while developing fine motor skills.  It provides significantly longer entertainment than any other book we own.  Thank you Bob and Joanne!

3.  Calef Brown, Polka-Bats and Octopus Slacks, 14 Stories.  

     These wonderfully illustrated poems remind me of Where the Sidewalk Ends.  They are funny and clever to both adults and children.  And the rhymes are so much fun to read.  Thanks Cha Cha!

4.  Shaggy Parrot and the Reggae Band.  Reggae Pickney: www.reggaepickney.com

     It was really hard to find children's books about Jamaican children in Jamaica.  Finding this one was a major success.  The included audio CD has music by Shaggy that goes along with each page of the story and a narrator with a beautiful Jamaican accent (comes in handy if you're interested in practicing your Jamaican Patois).  

5.  Bright Baby Touch and Feel--box set of four animal books.

     Cousin Michelle gave us this entertaining set of books.  Each page features a 4 line poem about an animal with a touchable texture--lion hair, lizard scales, panda ears and so on.  Unlike some other touch and feel books, this one is actually fun to read.  They are small books which makes them easy to travel with and you won't get bored reading them hundreds of times on the plane!

6.  Lisa Wheeler and R. Gregory Christie, Jazz Baby.

     Another Charity discovery, this book is full of musical sounds.  You can't help but bounce the baby while you sing out as "busy-dizzy baby goes round and round"!  

7.  Addie Boswell, The Rain Stomper.

      Not only was this book written by a friend, but it's one of the few books with a female character who isn't beautiful or a princess or getting married or...you get the point.  Jasmin leads her brownstone neighborhood out into the rain to play.  This is another book full of fun sounds that moms and dads can read dramatically.

8.  Eric Carle, Mister Seahorse.

     How appropriate that this book was given to me by the biology teacher I worked with at Mandela for 5 years.  Mr. Seahorse, who carries the babies for his absentee wife, drifts gently through the sea coming upon other upstanding sea-dwelling fathers who care for their young--Mr. Stickleback, Mr. Tilapia, etc.  But what is even cooler then the story is that he swims through seaweed and coral which are painted on clear cellophane panes that turn to expose the hidden fish behind.  Lance loves turning the pages, I love learning about sea-creatures.

9.  Jan Pienkowski, Dinner Time.

     I find this book delightfully un-American.  Warning:  there is no happy ending.  The temporal animals are one by one consumed by successively larger carnivorous animals. And as you turn each page, paper engineered mouths jumped out at you menacingly.  Leighton thinks it's sick.  I love it.

10.  Ruth Bornstein, Little Gorilla. 

       This very large board book is the latest addition to our library thanks to Froy and Shen.  It's the story of Lance Julian's life.  I love it.  

     

And now for pictures of our amazing vacation!  For more details, check out Big Lance's website: www.accidentalcruiser.com 

Enjoying the Antiguan beach.

Both Lances love Queen Emma

It turns out the deck was a perfect playpen because everyone was in there with Lance!

Lance enjoyed scattering his stuff around the cabin too.

Wadadli, Antiguan Beer.

Hike to Fort Berkeley.

Our layover in Brooklyn on the way home visiting Aimee and the twins.

Phoenix, Canon and Lance

Lance and Canon dig for toys.

Who loves bath time?  Phoenix does!

Mama Time

We miss Grandpa!

My mac, once so young and sexy, has become old and clunky.  Wow, in just a few years.  The world is moving quickly.  Once a young gal, always out on the town, now the mother of a 13 year old.  Words cannot express.  My life isn't my own anymore.  I love my boys, all three of them, but mama needs some time to herself!  And I'm taking it.  I'm off to Antigua and New York for 2 weeks in May with the 10 month old.  This presents some particular challenges going by myself on a red eye, alone, to NYC and then a second 4 hour flight to Antigua.  Let's all pray that what I hear time and time again is really true: "He's such a happy baby!".

Lance attacks Aakash.

A friend asked if motherhood is all that I thought it would be.  It's not.  I never thought I'd be so amazed, humbled, fearful and anxious all at once.  I never thought I'd say it, but Sarah Palin was right.  I feel like a Mama Grizzly.  If it comes down to my son and you, he wins.  Period.

Naima will not allow LJ to have daddy's lap solo.  

Jamaican Feast by Honorary Jamaican Emma

I find myself fantasizing more and more about the commitment ceremony coming up in Jamaica.  I really want to make it happen, people.  I really do.  I don't know if its being a mom or going through all these changes with my incredible partner, but I feel the urge to share our love and families for a long weekend in Jamaica.  Stay tuned for more details.

Lunch with Grandma Carol.

Lance babbles all the time.  He says word-like sounds, "dadaddadadada", "juh-juh-juh", "mamamama".  Personally, I don't call those words.  He doesn't seem to attach any meaning to them, he's just getting ready to be an English speaker.  But on Sunday after reading some stories before bedtime, he was leaned up against me on my bed and saw DJ run upstairs and stand in my doorway.  He exclaimed with a grin, "Dee-Jay.  Dee-Jay".  It was precise, thoughtful and salutory.  His first real words!  I am totally "mom" about it--delighted, impressed and amazed.  DJ is more calm about it.  In his words, "I mean it's cool, but I don't need to tell everyone about it like Emma".

Cruisin'

Lance is "cruising" (cruisin' in our case), giving high fives (Charity taught him that one), slurping noodles, practicing his consonants, splashing in the tub and playing with his penis.  Growing right up!  He's pretty much the most amazing person I've ever met, besides his father of course.  I almost wrote something cliche like, 'not in my wildest dreams did I imagine this life', but that'd be a lie.  In my childhood journal, I have the names of my 11 children (that was the plan!) and my ten-years-older step son.  I guess I always thought this was how it would be.

Check out more videos on my YouTube channel:  MamaBBFord.  Including Lance's first day crawling and kicking Froy in the nuts!

Lance Julian is a cousin!

Generation II 

I am over the moon.  My amazing sister-in-law, Yuki, delivered my niece, Aya, on Friday, February 17th at 8:52pm.  She is a big Batten baby, weighing in at 8 pounds, 5 ounces.  One of the best parts of having Aya is that Obaachan Mineko was in town!  We miss her now that she's back in Japan.

Proud Mama 

DJ, Yuki, Aya

Baby Karl at the hospital.  Resemblance?

They labored at home through the night and it served as a good little reminder for me.  LJ has been enchanting me with his cuteness; I had completely forgotten about the horrors of labor and was actually considering having another one.  Now I remember.  I'm not doing that again for a long long time.

The Lances are so excited!

It is also so exciting that my big brother is finally a dad.  He's already gotten to practice quite a bit with his nephew, but now he'll be the one sleep deprived!  Muahhahahahahaha!  But seriously, he has always been a wonderful big brother, he has been a great uncle and now he gets to be a fabulous daddy.  Aya is one lucky girl.  We are all so lucky.  I can't wait for Lance Julian to be a big brother-cousin.  It's about time he have to share the spotlight around here!

Introduction.

Deceptively cute.

Lance Julian is exploring the word of solid food and the verdict?  Meh.  Cough cough.  Choke.  He enjoys feeding himself, but it's hard when you only have two bottom teeth.  We're all learning about what makes him gag--everything--and what makes him happy--everything.  I guess that makes it simple. Some of the crowd favorites are rice, the pictures say it all.

"Cool. This food sticks!"

Those aren't teeth.

Yay!  Banana!

It appears Lance may skip crawling altogether.  He is "cruising", walking along while holding onto any low surface including a hunched over parent or grandparent.  He loves it.  He is quite proud of himself.  His personality is really blossoming too.  I don't know if it is comparing him to a newborn or what, but suddenly he is no longer a baby.  He is so interactive-- he fake cries, flirts, whines, has legit likes and dislikes and as grandma says, he is showing more respect for books (i.e. not eating them)--it's incredible.  I'm enjoying the show.  

Just doesn't seem like a baby anymore.

See, we do look alike!

As LJ grows up, he and Naima have even more in common.

In his Caribbean outfit.

Leighton and Mineko make soba noodles!

Aya likes music too.

First Swing!

The boys hanging out--LJ, Teddy, Enzo.

Lancito got his first trip to Chamakome.  Leighton and I hadn't been to the ranch since the wedding and it sure looked snazzy!  The weather couldn't have been better.  We only forgot a few things--a crib, a baby carrier and any warm weather clothes.  But we managed.  Leighton created a fort out of cushions and Eleanor stuffed Lance into her backpack.  Literally.  The highlight was mushroom hunting with Sam.  Even DJ enjoyed it!

Homemade baby carrier.

Leighton found the first mushroom (besides Sam of course)

Don't forget to check out Youtube for all the latest movies.  This one is hilarious mostly thanks to the commentary:

3 boys and a Mama

Cousins bonding (JoYi, TaiGa, Lance Julian)

DJ, Leighton and Froy off for a big bike ride.

I think it's important to not be out numbered, but I totally am!  I now manage a small army of boys.  I spent weeks getting DJ enrolled in Berkeley Unified, getting him a doctor, dentist, therapist, transition services and finally getting into the habit of a much more serious school environment.  It has been a very stressful couple of weeks.  Suddenly raising a 13 year old makes a new baby look like a cinch.

Jonna, Grace and DJ play with his new nerf guns.

Brothers.

We get more visitors now that we have a baby.  What's up with that??

My Prince Julian continues to change exponentially.  He popped out 2 teeth simultaneously.  He's majorly into eating solid foods.  He has full hand and body control, including sitting up on his own, rolling all over the place, and getting on his hands and knees.  He still only scooches backwards, but it's movement!  I've uploaded tons of really cute videos of all his new tricks on my youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/MamaBBFord?feature=mhee

He has also become very verbal.  He's working on his consonants--"dada" "tata" "jaja"--and he does lots of grunts, screams and this sucking-air-in guttural noise that he is quite fond of (check out the video of his conversation with Bianca).  I don't think we can count "dadadadada" as his first word because he doesn't actually know what it means at all.

Most exciting is we are now sleeping through the night.  Thanks to Leighton's stone cold heart, we ignored LJ's pleadings for a night and now bedtime is between 7-9pm and he wakes up between 6-7am. It's pretty glorious.  And so funny that Karl and Yuki are about to be the ones sleep deprived!  Muahhahahahahahaa!

Maria holds LJ between games.

January 5th marked the first women's volleyball tournament post-baby.  Three women on my team have babies and we brought them all.  It was a sight to see.  We only had one sub and that lucky lady was in charge of a toddler and two breast feeding infants.  There were multiple instances of one mom breast feeding while walking around corralling Naima, who only wanted to find her mama mid-play.  At one point my team had to call a time out so that I could finish feeding Lance, then run on the court clipping my bra back together.  The real testament to our mothering and volleyball skills--we won the whole tournament!

Tracie reffing with her son Liam in the Bjorn. 

We had a huge party for Yuki and Karl's baby Genmai and to celebrate DJ's birthday as well as his joining our family.  As always, our community came out in force showing some major culinary love.  I'm always so floored by the wonderful people in our lives-- the generosity, the friendliness, the diversity.  I think I throw so many parties just to be reminded that there are so many good people in the world and they like good food, good music and good conversation.  I can't thank you enough for coming and being a part of my life.  This time, instead of being crowded with pregnant women, we were crowded with the cutest babies ever!  Generation II in full effect!

Lance Julian and Asher

Aunt Olive's favorite baby.

Sheila's new baby Judah!

Teddy and LJ are suddenly closer in age!

Baby time!  LJ, Teddy, Enzo and the girls.

Joe, aka number one fan.

The cousins admire their newest cuz.

Great aunt Kook gets some love.

Aunty Rebekka

Neha and her new cutie Aakash.