It's a Jungle Out There...

Today Maeve and I went on a little adventure to Burlington to see where Auntie Lee makes her living and to steal her away for lunch. Before I continue with my story of our outing, I should interject and mention that for the last 2-3 years, I've been nagging Chris to take me to Disney World. Yes, I've been wanting to go long before Maeve came around and yes, I've been 3 times previously. I don't know where the desire to return is stemming from, I just feel like I need to answer the call. Anyway, back to the story...We made our way next door to the Mall and once inside, entered The Rainforest Cafe. Maeve was hooked from the moment we stepped foot into the gift shop (which is strategically placed at the entrance/exit so you have to walk by the merchandise twice). For those of you who have never been, The Cafe is full of (just-about) lifesize creatures of the rainforest: from elephants to alligators, tropical birds, to gorillas. There is even a waterfall and we were seated right beside it. Maeve pointed to the waterfall several times throughout her lunch as she tore into chicken tidbits and corn niblets. They even stage a thunderstorm ever half hour or so complete with lightning! Overhead? The Brazilian night sky, complete with shooting stars. OK, so it was slightly Mohegan Sun-ish, but it satisfied my yearning for Orlando, at least for a little while, which will please Chris to no end I'm sure, and watching Maeve point to each plant and creature whith her rousing "da" gave me a glimpse of the future and how many things there are for Maeve to discover. So, thanks Auntie Lee for a memorable afternoon (and a surprise treat to lunch). We'll meet you back there tomorrow, same time?

A Budding Artist?

With such a talented Dad like Chris, is it any wonder Maeve is keen on re-organizing his flat file in the studio and doing some coloring while she waits for her order at Chili's? Discover for yourself, the raw, artistic edge of Maeve...

A Flapjack Ripsnorter

Last weekend, Chris decided to whip up some pancakes for the troops. Maeve was thrilled as he began to load up her tray with one corn-meal pancake after another. In all, she enjoyed 3 pancakes. I attempted to skillfully throw pieces of mango into her open mouth as she was bringing the next piece of pancake toward her gaping jaws. It was sort of like throwing a head of cabbage into the open mouth of a hippoptamus (to satisfy anyone's curiosity, I've never actually fed a hippo before). Bon Appetit!

And now presenting...Kathleen Marie Ladino

On February 22, 2007, Nana Moore, Maeve and I had the extraordinary pleasure of meeting little Kathleen Ladino, Maeve's newest second cousin and daughter of Colleen (my cousin) and Jeff Ladino! Yes, little Brian is now a BIG BROTHER! The thought of that is almost mind-blowing! She is beautiful, which is a no-brainer considering her genes, and of course, my cousin Colleen, having just given birth 2 weeks prior, looks FANTASTIC! The perfect picture of a new (again) Mom! We are so happy for their family and their newest addition. Here are a couple of shots of the little cherub for you to delight in...

Cafe Au Lait?

My knowledge of the French language is atrocious so my apologies if the title of this blog is misspelled, incorrectly capitalized, etc. Anyhow, there have been a handful of Sundays over the last few months that Chris and Maeve and I have gone to Sunday mass and then headed over to Jaec's, a local coffee spot in Attleboro center (very close to the hospital where Maeve was born and the MBTA) to indulge in a little coffee and pastry. Last Sunday, I decided to bring our camera to capture Maeve enjoying herself. Of course, you could stick Maeve smack dab in the middle of a school of blood-hungry sharks and throw a blueberry muffin in front of her and voila! A good time would be had by Maeve. There was a very interesting character sitting sort of behind Maeve over by the couch and chair (you might be able to spot him in one of these pics) who made our stay at the cafe much more interesting. He spent most of his time on his cell phone (I'm not sure there was anyone on the other end of the line listening to him) and he found it very difficult to sit still as he spoke of the movies being nominated for Best Picture at this year's Oscars, but once I pulled out my digital camera, boy did he get bent out of shape! He practically folded himself in half so as not to be captured in any of my footage and I swear I wasn't trying to fit him into the frame, but alas, there he is. So he will now forever be etched into our memories as: The Academy Awards Enthusiast Jacked Up On Joe.

Just the right size...

I came home from work one night to find little Maeve nestled in her Dad's guitar case. I remember being quite interested in my Dad's guitar case and all of the little accessories to be found inside (picks, capos, strings, etc.) so it's no wonder Maeve has also discovered the same special spot. Plus, anything lined with faux fur can't be bad...

Hasty Hair

I love doing hair. Pony tails, pig tails, doo-dads (Moore girls know what these are), piggy-back pony tails, french braids, inverted french braids, side braids, etc. You name it, I like to do it which is probably why I had really scary, narly, way-longer-than-it-needed-to-be hair for far too long. So of course, one of the first musings I had when I realized that my first baby was a girl was, Yipee! Hair accessory aisle at CVS, here we come!!! Sadly, I would liken Maeve's hair growth to watching grass grow, despite people telling me that it looks longer each time they see her:



And then, I remembered a Halloween prop we had laying around to perhaps satisfy my fantasy of long, thick tresses for my little girl, if only for a moment:



Ultimately I realized, with the aid of my husband's disturbed reaction to the above picture, that for now, Mother Nature will be Maeve's rightful stylist until further notice. Sigh...

A Slice of Down Under by Way of the Bayou

I realize how cryptic the title of this entry is. Often times I need to employ the more creative area of my brain in order to withstand some of the repetitious moments of Maeve enjoying one of her many toys that "talks back" to you. For example, Maeve has this stuffed teddy bear (a slightly, scary, slightly depressed looking Precious Moments character complemented by a voice triggered by forcefully jabbing its belly) with an accent I've never laid ears on before. The only way to describe the voice for me, would be to say that it is an Aussie who has relocated and lived the second half of his life in Louisiana. I realize I've probably thought about this in excess, but when this bear's voice elicits such delight in a small little person like Maeve, you can't help but subject yourself over and over to the curious intonations of: Scary Precious Moments Bear. See for yourself:

Peek-A-Boo

For the past few months, Maeve has become very adept at pulling herself up to just about any piece of furniture. I think our coffee table in the living room is her favorite place to perfect this skill because of the advantageous
handles fashioned at either end by Maeve's Dad. In the zenith of Maeve doing her "pull-ups" one day, I decided to snap a few photos each time her noggin emerged from over the lip of the table and here are some of the results...

Like Father, Like Daughter

OK, so pretty much since Maeve was born, all I keep hearing about is how much she looks like Chris. But each time I have a photo like this developed, I'm almost convinced that everyone is right...

Good for Baby and Good for Mama...

What is more satisfying than cleaning your kid and your kid loving every minute of it? Bathtime (for us, at least) is a no-brainer...

Please Don't Stroke the Brie...

OK, so the title of this post is sort of an inside joke so anyone who wasn't at Joanna and Dave's tonight won't be able to appreciate it. Nevertheless, I couldn't resist...

Tonight was a big night out for the McNamaras as we headed out to the home of our good friends, Joanna and Dave and their son, Patrick in Providence. We had a yummy chicken parm dinner, piping hot, and chased it with some (un)necessary cheesecake. Of course, Joanna and Dave being majorly on top of things, despite the fact that little Patrick had just undergone surgery as Hasbro Childrens Hospital on Wednesday, handed Maeve a Christmas gift, her first piggy bank. Here are some shots of the unveiling:



And then we have Patrick acquainting Maeve with his Thomas the Train gigantic, mega, larger than life train set:




And of course, I had to get one last picture of the two of them BEFORE the potentially messy spaghetti dinner...





This last short movie is Patrick and his Daddy doing the "pretend" tickle versus the "real" tickle routine. Due to my inadequate filming skills, I've only captured for you the "real" tickle part, but it is, in my opinion, the most important. For what is more infectious than the raw, innocuous laughter of a child as cute as Patrick spending time with his Dad? See for yourself...