Strawberry Fields

...forever.

{I couldn't resist.}

A few weekends back, Uncle Corey came to visit and we headed out to pick strawberries with Nana.

Let's get to work, y'all.

Mama! Berry! 

Hmm, this looks pretty good...

Oh, I get it! This is the point of all this work.

From that point on, someone was more interested in eating everything that came into her basket than hauling it out of there. Before long, those precious baby cheeks were stained with strawberry juice.

Why wait?

Meanwhile, in the rest of the field...

After requesting a little help from Momma...

That short toddler attention span kicked in, and we were about ready to go.

Just one more bite.

All in all, a pretty great day.

Evelyn Rae is 22 months old, Liam is 3 months old

...and kids are fun. Happy Friday!

Holiday Weeks

Does anyone else ever feel like you are just doomed to accomplish nothing on a week that has been shortened by a holiday?

I do.

I had such an impressive to do list first thing this morning.

Now, in order to cross anything off of it, I pretty much need to add these things to it:

• Nurse incessantly hungry and growing baby
• Watch a few episodes of "The Mindy Project"
• Eat cheese and crackers for lunch while standing at counter
• Play a few killer games of Dots and Letterpress while nursing baby/ holding the hand of the formerly most independent toddler in existence who now refuses to go to sleep without you holding her hand
• Stare longingly at the outside world while continuing to rotate between soothing children when they each decide that the noises from said cell phone games are too distracting to sleep and/or eat
• Dress in workout gear
• Do not actually work out

Evelyn Rae is 22 months old, Liam is 3 months old

...and...sigh 

At least tomorrow is Friday?

Wawa

Today, according to Miss Evelyn, there is all sorts of "Wawa".

"Look! Momma! Wawa! Sky!"

In toddler speak, that means,

"Mother dearest, I don't know if you have taken a look outside, but it seems there is some sort of precipitation that will keep us inside today."

Now usually on rainy days, I bemoan our inability to go anywhere, or do anything outside and boo hoo all about it.

But, lately I have been marinating in a few thoughts - mainly this one.

This little thought, simple as it may be, has spun my whole Type A personality around and around as I have considered it. 

Doesn't it make you feel less stressed just reading it? No? 

Try it again. 

Once more, with feeling.

So, today I will choose my attitude.

I will embrace this day of snuggles and coos, of some sort of awful kid show that my daughter will inevitably love, of banging on the piano, of reading the same books over and over and lounging in jammies for a bit longer than normal. 

{Snuggles and affection abound in this house lately, as Miss Evelyn is going through a very loving phase. While writing this post she has run up to me no less than 4 times bestowing a big hug, kiss and "Love You!"}

Maybe I will also take the opportunity to complete some project while the kids are asleep without the constant pull to enjoy the gift of the nice weather outside, and paint my baby girls toenails for the first time.

The house will probably get messier, because we will be living in it, but once bed time comes around it can all be easily cleaned and put away. And I will remember that as I look around at the mess we are making fun we are having.

I am off to enjoy my babies' faces, snuggles and the joy that comes from those very first rare and few baby giggles from my son.

Evelyn Rae is 22 months old, Liam is 3 months old

...and this, so much this.

{via}

A Puppy Turns Six

Our previously top of the food chain puppy, who has now -sadly- been bumped right on down the line thanks to our precious children - who he looooves -turned six a few weeks ago!

Unlike last year, I did not take the time to make him a homemade cake, but I did by him some super cool frozen yogurt treats.

You know it's cool, because it is European. Or something. 

LOOK THERE'S AN ACCENT.

In any case, since Mr. Bingley is Evelyn's absolute favorite person - er, dog - and she can do more than just sit there like she did last year, I let her give Bings his birthday treat.

She also loves ALL THE BIRTHDAY THINGS lately (she refers to presents, cake, candles and the birthday song all as "Happys"), so we sang the Birthday song for the pup together, and then released the hound.

"Go, go!"

"How is it puppy?"

"I think you should wear the lid like a hat."

"Momma! He let me do it! It's almost as if he 

could care about nothing else while there is food in front of him!"

"Oh, wait, it's upside down. We don't want you to look SILLY!"

"Welp, my work here is done."

When it was all said and done, we had one happy pup.

Happy Birthday, Buddy. We still love you oh, so much.

Thanks for being our very first snuggly, albeit furry, child.



{Oh, and if you haven't clicked over to the post from last year yet, even though I have linked it multiple times, please do now. You won't be sad. I promise.}



Evelyn Rae is 22 months old, Liam is 3 months old

...and Evelyn was super sad to see the puppy make his escape back to his favorite kiddo free nap spot after the goodies were gone.

Baby Steps

Friends, I have fallen out of the blogging habit.

It seems to be going around.

But, I still find myself wanting this outlet. I think to myself, "Man, that will make a great blog post when I can get to my computer later!"

Most days it just seems that I look up and it is 10:30 or so by the time I even get to pull my computer off the new high shelf that is its home (thanks to grabby toddler hands).

Come ON, Momma!

But I am bound and determined to get back to life. I have been hibernating, and as I mentioned a while back - we finally managed to settle into a routine. I finally managed to carve out alone time with Mommy for each member of this family, which has helped everyone settle down a bit more.

Since then I have been here, just sticking to it lest the whole thing come crumbling down.

{Ugh, I am so not a schedule person.}

I have begun venturing back out in public again (GASP!) and seeing some friends on a (semi) regular basis. Thank goodness.

I MISS MY PEOPLE.

So here we go again.

Now that we have a routine,  I feel confident that we can afford to be a bit more flexible and roll with it, as is my preferred parenting and life style.

Baby steps, friends, baby steps.

...

Oh, and here are some fun photos of my alone time with my increasingly wild, but sweet as ever, baby girl.

She is demanding a whole lot of front porch sitting these days.

Which is fine by me.

Evelyn Rae is 22 months old, Liam is 3 months old

...and do you remember when your mom used to put yarn like that in your hair?! Rocking it old school.

Three Months

My wee Little Man,

Happy three months! You continue to be such a happy baby and I can barely believe that you are already three months old. THREE months! That seems like a legitimate number and soon enough you will be off on your own and doing all the crazy wonderful things that older babies do and you won't be content to snuggle with me anymore.

But, for now you are still such a snuggly baby. Much more so than your sister was at this age for sure! You are a bit of a Momma's Boy still, which I not-so-secretly love. You are starting to hold yourself up a whole bunch better and not be such a floppy baby, as your Daddy says. In fact this month I started being able to hold you on my hip with one hand, which is a huge milestone in the life of a Mom with two babies. Or, really just a Mom who wants to accomplish anything with the other hand.

Much like your sister (I apologize for all the comparisons - such is the life of a second child, I fear), you have started having your hands in your mouth all.the.time this month. Which could mean that teeth will show up any day, or it could mean that those first little pearly whites are months away yet (my money's on that) since...that is what your sister did. Sorry, buddy!

This month you and Momma took a trip all by ourselves to go visit your very first friend Levi in Boston and my friend, his Mommy, Aunt Jessica. (You actually also happened to witness your first "Mom is a news junkie" moment this month with the Boston Bombings. A tragic event which I am sure you will hear about at sometime in your life, but we don't need to chat about now, persay.)

We were accompanied by all of the fun OSL ladies that you will definitely know over your lifetime and we had such fun. You got toted all over the city in the Ergo, and you joined us for pedicures, dinner, lots of wine and even more laughs. You got your wings from Jet Blue on our flight, which I will, of course, keep for you. Such a little traveler you are!

While in the city you gave me your first "Mom Scare" when you woke up making gagging and choking noises in the middle of the night. I think you equally scared Aunt Lisa who was about a second away from calling 911, but we worked it out and you went back to sleep beautifully after you revved my adrenaline through the roof. Your pediatrician and I chatted about it when we came home and she seemed to think it was just one of those things that happens with babies sometimes. Still, it rattled Mommy a bit more than I would care to admit, so don't let it happen again, young man.

You are a growing boy as well, this month I put you in pajamas that your sister wore at 7 months. You are such a long and skinny little thing, any sleepers with feet on them are going to be outgrown before you can wear them twice at this rate.

Even though you refuse to smile for these monthly pictures so far, I feel that I really must tell you what an overall happy baby you are. I know that I have already said it in the last monthly letter, but son, the most frequent comment that I get from your surrounding family members is always what a happy baby you are! And it's true. You love to smile and interact with us, and are becoming such an expressive and babbly little thing.

I love your big gummy smiles and they simply make your Daddy and I swoon. Likewise your sister is falling more and more in love with you as you can smile and giggle at her antics. She loves bringing you toys and helping Mommy help you do whatever is needed. She hasn't started speaking for you yet, but I am sure that it will start anytime.

I love you to the moon and back, my big blue eyed baby.

All my love,

Momma

Evelyn Rae is twenty one months old, Liam is three months old

...and these little boy clothes are killin' me. KILLIN' ME.