Month Three

It is  simply amazing to watch this little man grow. Every day is a new adventure! I am in awe of the life that we have created and how perfect he is.

November brought us:

Normalcy - to some extent. The little guy and I have settled into a routine that works for both of us. Some days are better than others, but for the most part we've got it down. This stability helps him almost as much as it helps me. With at least some normalcy back in my life I am able to feel like a human most days.   

Snuggles - Part of this routine includes our mid-morning nap. After he eats his second breakfast of the day, him and I are usually able to catch some ZZZs on the couch. I love snuggle time with this bundle. It warms my soul.

A New Rattle - These little hands are loosening their tightly gripped fists and grabbing onto anything that comes within reach. We decided the step in the direction of motor control warranted a new toy...the ever popular rattle! This one lets him wind his fingers through the ends for easy grabbing and shaking.

The Library - The last time I went to the library was in Grad School. After moving back to my hometown and becoming a stay-at-home mom (at least temporarily), I decided it was time to head to the local library and get myself a card. We made it a family trip, hopefully the first of many. When the boy gets a little older we can take him for story time and to pick out new books to read. The Mister and I love reading and love buying books, we always have. I am hoping the library will be a good way for us to try out new books (especially for the little one) before we buy them.

Thanksgiving - This was the first year in a decade that neither myself nor the Mister had to work. My entire little family got to spend four whole days together for the holiday! I have always loved gathering at my Grandmother's for the feast and this year was the first in many that we have been able to attend, so my heart was happy. I got to work and crafted my little guy an adorable vest. Obviously I forgot to take any good pictures of it, so this one from my phone will have to suffice. But trust me, he was a dapper little baby!

On the plus side, I managed to snag this picture of me with my little man and my dad. Pictures of my dad are almost as hard to get as pictures of my husband!

To top it all off, the following conversation took place between my grandmother and cousin before we all ate dinner...  

G "We're going to be a little cramped" 

J "That just means our family is growing" 

G "Well the rest of you girls better take your pills!" 

My grandma has never been one mince her words!

and finally...

Teeth?!? - I thought we had a few more months before his little chompers started coming in...but it seems I might have been mistaken. He is exhibiting some tell-tale signs of teething. Hopefully we will know soon if that is whats really going on

 

Happy Halloween

As I am sure I have mentioned a number of times, we love Halloween in this house! I decorate the inside, the Mister decorates the outside, and we both decorate ourselves. This year we got to add a baby to the mix! And let me tell you...dressing up a little one is amazing! I loved every minute of planning and crafting. 

The Mister and I like to think of the perfect costumes throughout the year, modifying and changing our ideas right up until craft time. This year we cheated a little and reused our pirate costumes. But can you blame us? Having a two month old doesn't allow for a lot of time at the sewing machine

On Halloween, we all answered the door together. Because aside from dressing my own family, I love seeing all the little ghouls and goblins that venture out. Living in this small town, we don't get nearly as many as we did in the city, but they are adorable just the same. I love listening to moms as they explain the steps to newbie trick-or-treaters and hearing the little ones mumble our "trick-or-treat" as they hold out their little pumpkin buckets.

However you spent your Halloween, I hope you had as much fun as we did! Now it's time for this family to eat too much candy as we start planning next year's costumes and decorations =)

 

Is that not the cutest little tail feather you've ever seen?

Month Two

This big guy weighed in at 12 pounds 11 ounces, and 22.5 inches at his nine week check up, double what he weighed when we brought him home. That makes for one happy momma!

October brought us:

• Smiles - We got to see the first of many little baby smiles. And we learned that our handsome guy has his Daddy's little smirk.

• Friends and Family - We got a visit from Grandma Deb, lots of video chats with Nan and Aunt O, and one whole evening spent with Gramma Lisa while Mommy went to dinner with friends for some much needed adult time. And baby's new smiling skill was shared with all of his grandmas, much to their delight. We also visited Mommy's cousin and friend and their kiddos. This community is the main reason we moved back home this summer. I can't imagine this little man growing up without these great people in his life! 

• Fingers - Little man has started to figure out how to get his fingers to his mouth for some soothing sucking. It's not 100 percent, and his thumb is still evading him, but when his fist finds his mouth he seems like one satisfied baby. All the drool and sucking noises just add to the cuteness.

• HAIR! - He was born with a little bit of hair, most of which fell out in the first couple of weeks. While it's difficult to make out in pictures, this month we noticed the growth of new hair. Fine, fuzzy, lovely little hair. It seems to be filling in by the day. I am enjoying petting this soft little baby fuzz while it lasts

and last, but certainly not least...

• Halloween - Mommy and Daddy's favorite holiday! I couldn't wait to start planning and crafting a costume for this little guy. The mister and I talked about it long before the baby was even born. We were able to reuse our costumes from years past and add a new, baby twist! You can expect a post on that in the next few days.

A is for Apple Picking

Yesterday was the first day of fall and my first in the beautiful foliage of Northern New York in ten years. This time around I have a wonderful husband and beautiful baby boy to enjoy it with.

The little man will be a month old in two days. He and I have been more or less cooped up for the last four weeks. Apple picking was our first family adventure. We grabbed grandma and went to a little orchard nearby. This was also our first use of the Moby...it was a little confusing at first, but worked out well for our wandering. The mister and my mom were able to get some good pictures in the lovely fall sunshine as well as a couple pecks of apples to turn into delicious baked goods. The weather was amazing, it was warm and sunny, with exceptional blue skies. It was a wonderful day spent with my perfect little family. 

Tree to Table

When I was younger my mom and I used to make a three hour drive south every fall to gather apples for the holiday baking season. When the Mister and I moved back to NY last summer I was disappointed to learn that due to the early thaw followed by a cold spell, there were fewer apples available and no local orchards were letting people pick their own. Luckily, this summer was better for apples and all the orchards were back open for picking! So, off we went.

We came home with an entire bushel of apples, close to 30 pounds, which looks like a lot more in my pantry than it did when we were standing in the middle of the orchard.

For my first apple dish I went with the ever popular apple pie. I love making it and the Mister loves eating it!

Next up is a nod to my German heritage with some apfelpfannkuchen, followed eventually by some baked apple oatmeal, and then probably another pie. Not to mention the apple a day that each of us are eating. I'm thinking that 30 pounds may have been too many apples for two people...anyone interested in some delicious baked goods?

As an aside, I'll share this photo to hopefully put a smile on your face. A while back someone that lives in this house and is not me got in a small fight with the container and then put it back in the drawer like nothing happened. Each time I grab for the cling wrap I have to giggle just a little as I imagine how the box came to look this way. Enjoy =)

Return of the Scarf

I've been playing with this purple yarn, on and off, for a few years now. I've started at least three different scarves, only to decide I didn't like them and take the stitches out again. I finally settled on a pattern that I was pleased with. I had intended for this to be an extra wide scarf, but at the last minute I changed my mind again and decided to try it as a cowl instead. Finally, the piece is finished, just in time for the return of colder weather and scarf season!