Nordic Daddy-Baby Cuteness

As seen today on Face Hunter.  Lovin' the matching blanket and booties.

Bid on Fun Stuff for a Great Cause

As the big event nears, more opportunities are arising to participate in the fun while helping a very worthwhile cause.  

One of the most exciting developments is the opening of Our Time's Online Auction Fundraiser.  You have to jump over to the auction to see for yourself what amazing items are up for grabs!  But I can't resist mentioning the trip to Paris (current bid only $800!), the poster and DVD of The Devil Wears Prada (both signed by Meryl Streep!), and the four VIP tickets to The Daily Show With Jon Stewart.

Now go see what other marvelousness awaits you, and get to bidding! How many chances do you have in life to get great stuff while collecting good Karma too?

Andrew Goldman's Response

Note: After I posted my thoughts on the New York Magazine article profiling Cara Muhlhahn, I received the following correspondence from the reporter who wrote the story, Andrew Goldman. I am sharing it here at his request.

Hi Leigh,

I checked out your blog because it recently popped up in a Google alert, and I discovered your post about your disappointment in my story. I'm sorry you didn't like it. I wrote it and I'm comfortable defending every word of what appeared on the pages of the magazine. I think your comments regarding the tenor of our conversation is inaccurate though, and even though it's not something I've ever done before, I'd be happy to meet with you and share both my reasons for asking you ever question I asked, and to demonstrate to you with the recording of our conversation that the interview was indeed about Cara and homebirth midwifery and your thoughts and feelings about it. As I'm sure you realize, 99% of what a writer hears in an interview ends up on the cutting room floor; your critique of my interview is a bit like a critic coming into your studio and reviewing your scrap metal, but my reputation is important to me,
and despite what you seem to think, I went into my own birth experience both open to the idea of home birth and impressed both by Cara Muhlhahn and argument that BOBB presented for HB. So, up to you.

Yours truly,
Andrew Goldman

Starstruck Kiddo

Over the weekend, we were thrilled to attend a production of Annie, starring the Kiddo's very own amazing cousin, Isabelle Moon in the title role.  To fully convey to you the level of excitement that this event inspired in the Kiddo, I will have to give you a little background:

I spent the ages of four through six living and breathing everything Annie.  I saw the 1982 movie version in the theater, and I owned the original cast recording on vinyl, which I think I listened to approximately four million times while creating my own choreography to go along with it in the middle of the living room.  Last year I stumbled upon the 25th anniversary special edition DVD of the movie and decided to snap it up for old times sake, and the thought also occurred to me that the Kiddo might enjoy watching it.  

Well, did he ever.  I guess the Annie obsession is genetic, because at the Kiddo's request we have watched that DVD about four million times in the last year.  We also downloaded the soundtrack from iTunes and we have to listen to it at least once a day.

So, imagine our mutual fever pitch excitement and anticipation when we learned that our beloved Isabelle would be starring in a community theatre version of the musical.  We have been looking sooooo forward to it, and yesterday was the big day!  And we had the best time.  Isabelle's performance was phenomenal, the entire production was entertaining, fun, and touching, and the Kiddo was glued to his seat, eyes fixated on the stage, the entire time.  Here he is cheering for his beloved cousin/favorite fictional character (thanks to Riki for the photos):

And here is the leading lady herself, post show, as she greets her adoring fans:

Here we have her numero uno biggest fan ever, so thrilled to be meeting his icon:

And here we have the Kiddo being carried around by Isabelle while she continues to greet her fans.  Note the look of serious devotion emanating from his eyes, coupled with the death grip on her shoulder.  The one time that Isabelle passed him back to me so that she could give someone else a hug and accept another bouquet, the Kiddo met me with sudden, violent, and tearful shrieks of "BELLE!!!!" while he attempted to leap from my grasp, back into Isabelle's arms:

And here we have one of the more adorable photos ever, taken at the after party, at Isabelle's house when all her siblings and friends were piled in the bed watching cartoons.  Note the devoted Kiddo cuddled to Isabelle's side in the middle of the bed.  Heart-melting cuteness!

It was a wonderful day -- one for the ages, and we are so proud of our Isabelle Moon!

I have to take this opportunity to share the exciting news that Isabelle will soon be making her film debut, with a role in the upcoming Away We Go, written by Dave Eggers and Directed by Sam Mendes.  Have you seen the trailer yet?  It looks like such a wonderful movie, and of course everyone in the family is bursting with excitement and pride for Isabelle.  Here's the preview:

The Belly, Week 17

I decided to celebrate my new bargain boots by letting them guest star in this week's belly shot.  (For those who asked in the comments section, I purchased them at David Z on 7th Avenue, between 54th and 55th.  But they were the next-to-last pair).

Turns out, they look kinda cute with my old floppy thrift store hat ;)

The exposure in this photo is totally off, but it was my favorite anyway.  I kind of like how the washed out golden color adds a retro vibe to the image.

The first time I felt the baby move was a couple of weeks ago, but it was really soft and hard to discern.  This week it has been moving a lot, strong movements that are very easy for me to feel.

Yay for the belly!

We Have a Winner!!!

Congratulations, Anabella!  You are the lucky winner of the Yumalum Bundle of Goodies. Please contact me with your email address ASAP to claim your prize and coordinate shipping. 

Thank you to everyone for participating in this giveaway, and a HUGE thank you to Mark at Yumalum for contributing such a delightful package!

Photo via Weheartit.

The Trailer is Here!

Oooh, this looks so good!  I've always loved this song from Arcade Fire, so that's kind of the icing on the cake.  The Kiddo made me play this clip about ten times in a row, so maybe we'll have to check the movie out together after all...

My Thoughts on the New York Magazine Article Profiling Cara Muhlhahn

I have been stewing ever since I read the story, and I have held off posting my thoughts while I calmed down and got my thoughts together. Here are some of my impressions:

First, I totally resent the title of the article: "Extreme Birth."

As my friend (who also had a home birth) quipped with me, "what, are they talking about giving birth on the side of a cliff or something?" Kidding aside, how backwards is it that people (like Cara Muhlhahn) who believe in and support the process of physiologically normal birth are the ones who's work is branded "extreme." Meanwhile, Doctors are currently seeing to it that one in three American women are cut open to have their babies extracted via cesarean section.

To me, the great tragedy here is that something as physically radical (and truly extreme) for mother and baby as cesarean section has become incredibly routine. Why don't more people in the mainstream media/medical establishment look at c-section (not to mention the myriad of typical medical protocol and hospital interventions that interrupt the natural process and often result in c-sections) as "extreme"? Why is the burden of proof of safety usually placed so heavily on the process that nature intended and designed over the course of millennia as opposed to the relatively recent modern inventions, drugs, and technology that interrupt that process? Anyway, that's a whole other soapbox I could go off on.

Now I would like to talk a little bit about my experience of being interviewed by Andrew Goldman for this article, because I think it sheds a bit of light on what I believe to be his true bias against home birth.

A couple of months ago, I had a phone conversation with Mr. Goldman that lasted for over an hour. Throughout the interview I thought it was incredibly obvious that Mr. Goldman had an agenda that sought to establish me and other people who have home births as stereotypically hippie-dippy, anti-establishment, Birkenstock-wearing flakes. Here are some of the questions that he asked me:

Are you a vegetarian?

Do you only buy organic food?

Is your child being vaccinated?

I have tried without success to imagine how any of these questions relate to the stated topic of our conversation, home birth, and specifically my relationship with Cara Muhlhahn. At at the time they left me feeling baffled, and since then my emotions have grown into feeling downright offended. One of the most upsetting points in the interview was after I went to great lengths to tell Mr. Goldman about my personal experience with home birth, which gets into my family history and the fact that both my mother and mother-in law had home births. My mother's influence on my choice of where to give birth has been enormous. She gave birth to me (her first child) in a hospital with all the technological bells and whistles of the day -- She was laying down and hooked up to all the requisite monitors, I was pulled out with forceps, she was immediately separated from me, and hours later when a nurse returned with a baby...it was not me! The whole experience was downright traumatic for both of us and it began the journey that led my mom to stay at home and use a midwife by the time my sister (her third child) was born nine years later.

I went into great detail sharing this personal background and carefully setting up the premise that it was her negative firsthand experience with the medical establishment that led my mom to discover the alternative path of home birth, which she pursued only after yet another negative hospital experience (with the birth of my brother) and much research, reading, and education on the issue. The midwife-assisted home birth proved to be a far more positive and healthy experience for the entire family. Mr. Goldman seemed to be listening intently, but when I reached the end of the story, he simply asked, "and would you say that your parents were hippies?"

Even if that question was remotely relevant, my parents most definitely were not hippies. And while I have nothing against hippies, I deeply resent the implication of his question and all of Andrew Goldman's overriding attempts to pigeonhole me and my family into an easily discounted stereotypical, "fringe" minority.

As for the article's s attacks on the character, credibility, and professionalism of Cara Muhlhahn, I can only express my profound outrage. My personal experience with Cara was good, I trusted her ability and expertise a hundred percent, and I have the utmost respect for her and her work. She is incredibly well respected in her field and I think she adeptly provides a much-needed service to pregnant women who have precious few options in our confoundedly broken-down health care system. Andrew Goldman's story was one-sided and unfair because it put sensationalism above the facts.

Note: I would encourage you to check out the interesting conversation and debate that is unfolding over on the article's comment thread. It sheds some light on aspects of the story that were glossed over or not covered at all.

Cara Muhlhahn Profiled in New York Magazine

On newsstands and online today, check out the provocative feature article in New York Magazine about home birth midwife Cara Mulhahn.  I was a client of Cara's during my first pregnancy and I am quoted (and pictured in labor) in the article.  Reported by Andrew Goldman, the lengthy story takes a look at the woman who has risen to the forefront of the newest wave of home birth activism, having been featured in 2007 film, The Business of Being Born, and recently releasing her own juicy memoir, Labor Of Love, about life in the midwifery trenches.  

The photo above is by my friend Liz Rubincam and is featured in the article along with several more of her amazing shots.

Read the story here and leave a comment on this post letting me know what you think.

Saturday At Our Time

The Kiddo loves accompanying his dad to the weekly Our Time workshops every weekend, and I can't say I blame him.  He gets to run around all day and play theatre games with a bunch of fun kids who lavish him with attention and affection!  Usually T and the Kiddo leave together around 10 am, work with the company for a couple of hours, and then I come pick the Kiddo up for lunch.  Yesterday, as we were finishing up our meal at Whole Foods, the Kiddo started saying "Our Time!" (which actually sounds more like "Ahh TIM!").  He was so eager to go back to the workshop that I happily obliged, and we returned, ultimately spending the rest of the day there.  Of course, by the time we got back to the rehearsal space, the Kiddo was getting drowsy from all that playing and eating, and this is how he spent the next couple of hours, sprawled out on the floor on the makeshift bed of my coat:

So, it was a marvelous day (I happily read while he slumbered away to the rowdy background sounds of singing, dancing and improv-ing teens).  

I just have to add a giddy little note here, calling your attention to the boots appearing in the top right corner of the above photo.  Those are my new boots.  I snagged them yesterday on our way back from lunch.  Possibly the greatest steal this bargain-hunter has ever lassoed, these Jeffrey Campbell over-the-knee babies originally retailed for $210, but were on sale for $29.99.  Eighty-five percent off, people.  That was a total wear-it-out-of-the-store-beaming-with-shopper's-high kind of moment.  I don't care if it's officially Spring now and I should be shopping for sandals!  Next photo, a detail (because I'm still so darn excited!!!):

   

Marvelous Giveaway: A Yumalum Bundle of Goodies!

I am so excited to announce the latest Marvelous Giveaway!  I'm sure you remember these super rad prints that I posted about earlier in the week.  Well, they are now available at the Yumalum shop on Etsy and the artist, Mark, has been kind enough to offer my readers their choice of any print from his shop!  Not only will the winner be lucky enough to receive their favorite Yumalum print, but Mark is also going to throw in two greeting cards as well (two "Biglove" or two "Blooming Gorgeous" or one of each).  How fabulous is that!?!  

All you have to do to enter is visit the Yumalum shop and leave a comment on this post specifying your favorite print.  The deadline for entries is midnight PST March 26.  I will choose a winner at random and contact the winner one week from today.  Good luck, and happy commenting!

This Is Not What I Had In Mind For the First Day of Spring...

So much for those sandals!  Photo found here.

Follow Marvelous Kiddo on Facebook

I just signed Marvelous Kiddo up as a Networked Blog on Facebook and I want to invite you to become a fan there!  Just click here.  Thanks!  Photo found here.

Sandals!

I think it's because I just got a pedicure for the first time in six months last week and I'm ready to let my toes out into the world for a breath of fresh air, but I can't stop thinking about how I want and need a pair of sandals for Spring (it's officially here tomorrow!!!) 

Here are a couple of styles (both under $100) I have my eye on:

Top:  Banglez by Steve Madden

Bottom:  Crosby by Marais USA

Print Love

Available soon from Obsessilicious.  I want one!

Where The Wild Things Are: First Promo Poster Revealed

Here's a look at the first promo poster released for the upcoming feature film of Where The Wild Things Are, directed by Spike Jonze.  What do you think of it?  I think it looks kinda awesome and I'm very excited to see the movie when it comes out in October, but the image gives me pause about taking the Kiddo to see the movie too...will it be too weird and scary for him?  Poster via PopWatch.

BTW, I have my dear cousin Laurel to thank for this sudden afternoon blogging bonanza!  She is in central park with the Kiddo, giving me an afternoon to myself.  Good times.

Unintentional Home Birth Story

You must jump over here to hear Marc Tremitiere tell the surprising and beautiful story of how his second child, Niko, was born at home -- unintentionally!  The photos (by Todd Heisler) are gorgeous and Mr. Tremitiere's telling of the experience is quite moving and wonderful.  Via Smitten.

Celebrity Babywearers of the Day

I couldn't resist posting this cute shot of Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves with their baby Levi cuddled in a carrier on the beach.  Via Celebrity Baby Blog.

Introducing: The Belly

I am 16 weeks now, and have finally decided that it's time to get crankin' on the belly shots.  As you can see, not only is the belly starting to really do its thing, but my bellybutton has popped with a vengeance.  As in, you can see it from across the room and through a layer of clothing.  Ah, motherhood!

Zonked

Just thought I'd share the best Kiddo photo-op of the last week.  This nap happened today at Whole Foods, where the Kiddo likes to eat lunch on Saturdays.  He was actually really hungry, and from his perch in the front of the shopping cart he had pointed out a plethora of things that he wanted to add to our salad bowl (his favorite thing right now is the bowtie pasta with tuna, which he can eat in ungodly amounts).  As we were standing in the snaking checkout line, he started to nod off, and I was trying my darnedest to talk to him and entertain him into alertness.  Needless to say, my efforts were in vain, because as soon as my attention was directed towards the cashier and I was paying for our food he bit the dust.  When I turned around he was arrayed thusly (notice the limp hand still clutching the side of the cart):

It was hilarious looking, but clearly he was comfortable and completely relaxed, because he didn't budge for the better part of an hour, snoozing away even when I propped his face up with the makeshift pillow that was my scarf (which you see in the top photo).  

People were smiling and giggling and commenting the whole time I ate my lunch -- the sleeping Kiddo was quite the attraction!  Finally, after a rather lonely meal all to myself I decided to extract him from the cart and carry him out of the store in the Ergo.  Even then, he didn't flinch, and continued his peaceful snooze until we were well on our way and on to other errands.

Just Like That

What a difference five days make.

On Monday we're witnessing quite the blizzard,

and on Saturday I'm running around the apartment flinging all the windows open

and breathing in Spring.

In between was a brutal round of teething

(fevers, sleepless nights, cranky days, lots of Netflix, and seemingly round-the-clock breastfeeding...hence no blogging!)

Today, the Kiddo has already taken off with his dad for his new favorite activity of the week, attending the Saturday Our Time workshop.  Later his grandmother (T's mom) will be picking him up for lunch and a frolic in Central Park.

As soon as I take advantage of this blissful alone time to take a relaxing shower (you know, one that lasts for maybe longer than five minutes and involves actually shaving my legs and washing my hair!) I plan to take nature's cue and get outside, sit on a park bench in the sun for a while, and perhaps stop by the corner store on the way home to get some flowers for the apartment.

I hope that you have a beautiful, fun, and restorative weekend.  What are your plans?  I'd love to know :)

Photo via Absolutely Beautiful Things.

Happy Feet

He was tapping in the ice and snow.

Snow Day

My Photo on sfgirlbybay Today!

A huge "thank you" to one of my favorite bloggers, Victoria (of sfgirlbybay), for including a photo of mine in the first installment of a new feature on her site, Sunday in Your City.  Click here to see the lovely post, in its entirety.  Go here to see the Marvelous Kiddo post showing the above photo (of the bridle path in Central Park) in its original context -- a little photo diary of a winter stroll.  Cheers!

April 13. Be There or Be Square.

I have been dying to share the news about a very exciting upcoming event, so here goes! 

As many of you are aware, my marvelous hubby, T, is the Founder and Artistic Director of an amazing non-profit organization, Our Time Theatre Company, an artistic home for young people who stutter.  Well, every Spring we hold a big fancy gala to celebrate the company's wonderful work, raise funds for the upcoming year, and pay tribute to an inspirational individual.  It is always a fun and moving night with enough glitz and glam to sparkle us right through to the next one.  (Click here to see my post about last year's gala with lots of entertaining photos).   

I am thrilled to announce that this year's event will be our most fun, exciting and sparkly one yet.  Our Honoree is world renowned photographer (and person who stutters) Howard L. Bingham.  Mr. Bingham's distinguished career highlights include documenting the career of his best friend Muhammad Ali through more than a million photographs.  He also has worked closely with Bill Cosby over the years, developing a close friendship with the Cosby family and becoming the family's photographer.

So, here are some of the people we have assembled to fete this outstandingly accomplished man on April 13, 2009...

Honorary Chairs:

Muhammad and Lonnie Ali

Bill Cosby and Camille Cosby

Carly Simon

Co-Chairs:

Scott M. Delman

Fred Nelson

Kathleen A. and Dr. Joseph F. Popovich

Liz Tuccillo

Participating Artists:

Lauren Ambrose, Talia Balsam, David Alan Basche, Tevin Campbell, Michael Cerveris, Maddie Corman, Nadia Dajani, Ned Eisenberg, Dominic Fumusa, Lauren Graham, Kate Jennings Grant, Kathryn Grody, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Peter Hermann, Gregory Allen Howard, Adriane Lenox, Ilana Levine, Tiffany McElroy, Mathew Modine, Kelli O'Hara, John Oliver, Rosie Perez, Alysia Reiner, Ron Rifkin, Alice Ripley, Ken Roberson, Ramon Rodriguez, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Amy Ryan, Peter Sarsgaard, Ed Sherin, John Slattery, Fisher Stevens, Mary Testa, Callie Thorne, Bill Withers, Jeffrey Wright, cast members from Spring Awakening, and the youth of Our Time.

What a fun bunch, right?  I mean, one of my breatfeeding-celebrity heroines, Maggie Gyllenhaal will be there, people!  I'm already obsessing over what I should wear (will it be possible to find a nursing-friendly, belly-accentuating maternity cocktail dress?  Four months pregnant, will I be capable of slinging the Kiddo while rocking high heels?  I'm hopeful...)

If you're planning on being in NYC on April 13, this event is not to be missed!  We hope you can join us.  Click here for more information or here to purchase tickets.