"The best _____ I've ever had."

"And now...I will be a flamingo!"

If I could remember one thing about Henry right now, about to turn three at the end of November, it would be his infectious enthusiasm for everything. My Mom and Dad (and sister, and Hank...) often tease me because when I'm enjoying something, be it a book, movie, food, whatever, I almost always count it as "the best I've ever had." It's to the point where the other day Hank joked that my headstone will read "the best life I ever had!" I don't consciously do it, and usually only recognize I am until I'm in the middle of saying it. But I don't think it's a bad way to be at all. I love that I love things so much, that whatever it is I'm loving is the best thing I've ever loved up until that moment. And it seems that Henry has inherited this same penchant for really, really loving things.

There's been so many instances lately where he's been eating a meal, and stopped and said "MOMMY. This is the very best sandwich (or cereal or cup of orange juice, or more recently, a single olive) I've EVER had. Ever!" Or he'll be watching a movie and exclaim, "oh, I LOVE this part! I just LOVE it!" Hank and I find ourselves laughing every day over how happy such simple things make him. Last week we took a little roadtrip up to Flagstaff, and while visiting the train station Henry said, "Oh I LOVE how many freight cars are on that train! This is really the best train EVER!"

I am constantly inspired by Henry's zest for life and count myself as very, very lucky to be able to spend my days with such a special little soul. It seriously makes me want to cry thinking about what a sweet heart he has, and how much joy he carries with him. One of my biggest jobs as a Mom will be to preserve that excitement as he grows and experiences more of life, and one of my greatest hopes for him is that this enthusiasm stays with him forever.

Weekend Links

Before I get into the links: if you're interested in working with me on Sometimes Sweet in October (the best month ever), check out my advertising page then contact me to receive my current ad sheet. I'd love to have you on board next month.

And now, links! So many good ones this week.

How to make your own hot apple cider. I definitely want to do this this fall!


I sure love me some Real Housewives, but this is just gross. And sad.

So many cute things for little ones!

A new Mommy blog to follow, about a darling girl named Lemon.

Have you seen Ergobaby's new swaddler?

The definitive guide to homemade hummus. We are big hummus makers (and eaters, of course) around here, and this gave me some new ideas.

Some "Currently" posts around the web: Liz and Steven.

My Charlie Lion needs a Charles the Lion of his own!

Check out my dear friend Alex and Kim's new podcast. So good.

To Dream a Little Dream.

Banana Walnut Granola. Or how about Pumpkin Twinkies?

A great read over on Elizabeth's blog.

Like coffee? This is the stuff Hank gets every month- he loves it!

New US law lets minors delete online history. Interesting.

George H.W. Bush, surprising me.

Tips for decorating your holiday mantle, over on Rachel's blog.

Love these DIY party hats on Kelli's blog.

How true is this?

Honey Balsamic Chicken Tenders. These look easy to make- and delicious too.

"Insane Restaurant Shitshow Stories." Awesome!

TAKE ME HERE. (all caps is necessary)

A good read about Ashlee's fears about having two kids.

Sunset at one of my favorite places on Earth, over on my talented Uncle's blog.

And finally, a links post in a links post. So many good things over there to check out once you're done over here!

Henry's Big Kid Bed- Making the Transition

You know that saying- "if it ain't broke, don't fix it?" Well that exactly how I felt about the whole "big boy bed" situation. Although I felt size-wise he was absolutely ready to make the transition, he had never really climbed out of his crib or even attempted to do so. He seemed perfectly content, and I was perfectly content to have him contained in his crib.

But with Charlie on the way and Henry getting potty-trained, I felt like this was a big, important step in finishing up the leap into the world of being a big boy. We'd been talking about what being a "big boy" meant for awhile as far as potty training and responsibilities around the house (big boys do this, boys act like this, and so on), and Henry was very into the whole idea...while I of course, held back tears thinking of my boy growing any farther away from that baby self.

Although Henry's bed transitioned to a toddler bed, I didn't want to even deal with another move when we eventually switched to a twin bed, so we decided to just go directly from crib to twin. Hank and I talked about our bed, the "big bed," and asked him if he would like his own in his room, and we asked if he would like to pick out his own sheets, blankets, etc. The answer, of course, was "YES!" That weekend we headed down and picked up this bed from IKEA. We chose this particular frame primarily because it's a modern design we love without breaking the bank. Every other bed I gravitated towards was no less than $400 at best, and that was just not going to fly. I happened upon this IKEA frame while looking on Pinterest one night and fell in love. It fit into our aesthetic and was a cool $99. Awesome. I also knew that I wanted a bed close to the ground. One HUGE minus to this frame though, are the very angular and sharp corners. Henry sometimes forgets that the bed sits on and inside the frame, and we've had a few instances where he's went to run and jump onto his bed and rammed his shins. Other than that though, we love it.

The next weekend we went as a family to our local mattress store and let Henry try out all the mattresses and "choose" one to bring home (although we had already chosen the twin one he'd be getting). This was a really fun experience for him and gave him some ownership over his new bed. After the mattress store we headed to Target and he got to pick out some sheets, which only added to the excitement.

We got home before naptime, so Hank put the bare mattress on the ground in Henry's room and let him nap on it as a test. At this point we still had the crib up in his room, and although we didn't preface the nap on the mattress too much, we did tell him that if he didn't behave like a big boy (again, that term!), then he would have to make the move back to his crib. The nap went well and he didn't get up off of the mattress once. Once he woke up later, we put together the IKEA frame and we all made the bed and got it ready for his first night in it (again, still leaving the crib up and reminding him he could easily go back). Henry was so excited, and again, rather than make a huge deal about getting out, we just told him how proud we were, and reminded him once that if he got out of bed the crib would be waiting for him, and did our normal bedtime routine.

the 1st night in his new bed
 

I think because we never made a huge deal about staying in bed, and just left the crib in his room for a week as a gentle reminder, he hasn't had too many problems staying in it. One evening about a month after the switch he was extra-excited about life and couldn't bear to stay in one place (let alone a bed!) but I just said "hey, the crib can totally come back if you'd rather sleep in there," and within a minute he was ready to calm down. Ha! Honestly though, he's so into his bed and being this big kid now, that the last thing he'd want to do is go back to his crib.

I wasn't too sure what to expect because hey, we've never done this before, but both Hank and I were pleasantly surprised by the outcome. And now, we have our big boy loving his big boy bed, and sleeping even better than he was before with all of his comfy pillows and blankets. It's been almost two months now, and it's definitely been a success.

 yesterday at naptime

Do you have any tips or tricks you'd add? I'm sure readers would love to read about your experience too, so feel free to chime in below!

Having It All.

source

Sometimes I'll read something and my mind will say "YES OH GOD YES! That's it exactly," my head nodding in agreement, face smiling, the works. It doesn't happen often but when it does, my bookworm soul just squeals with delight. There are few things I love more in this life than feeling a connection with a book, an article, a blog post, a motivational quote (if I'm being honest). And why? Because when we read these things and the author somehow knows exactly what has been buried in our minds that we haven't had the opportunity (or courage, or how-to) to pull out of ourselves, and when this complete stranger does it without even knowing us, it's brilliant.

I have a short list of books and posts and things like that that I keep tucked away in the back of my mind, for weird days when I don't want to feel so alone in my thoughts. I add to the list sometimes, if I find something really good, but like all really amazing, brilliant things, it doesn't happen too much. Just enough to be special. But just the other day I came across this article and fell in love.

In it, the author Delia Ephron talks about the idea of having it all, and how that idea is constantly changing, and really, never satisfied; it's always expanding and shrinking. She says, "to me, having it all- if one wants to define it at all- is the magical time when what you want and what you have match up," and goes on to describe it as little bits of time (fleeting moments as she calls them) when everything is just so. And just right.

The article was short- a quick two page read- but I've been thinking about it for days, and what the idea of "having it all" means to me. When I was in high school, I was certain that having it all meant dating the cutest boy and spending time with my friends every weekend. Back then if you would have asked me what it meant to be my current age and to have it all, I'm sure I would have said something about living in a big city, going out all the time, and not settling down until much later. But of course we grow up. We change. And like Ephron mentions in her writing, the idea shrinks and expands in accordance with our reality.

And right here, right now, having it all to me is like she describes- I don't think it's possible to "have it all" forever and always feel satisfied, but I do think it's attainable in these little moments and pieces of life.

To me, it's about family and friends. And it's about feeling like where I am is right where I'm supposed to be. It's when Hank and I are sitting on the couch at night, both boys asleep, and in the quiet of the house I know that my family is safe and sound and warm and fed. It's when I'm out with my oldest and dearest girlfriends, and I can look around and know that these girls really get me. After all these years and all this growing up, they're here. That's having it all. It's that feeling I had when I walked across the stage to receive my Master's degree, and it's that feeling I had when I walked into my classroom on the first day of teaching high school English. It's working towards something and getting there. And it's conversely the way I felt driving away from that school for the last time, 9 months pregnant, knowing that I was leaving one thing to begin another. It's when everything clicks into place, and even for just an instant, life makes perfect sense.

And I love that. I love that a little two-page article had me thinking for days, I love that it got me taking stock of my own life, got me talking to friends about their idea of having it all. I'm so thankful that there will always be writers out there who inspire me to see the little beauties around me, the articles and books and even blog posts that have me nodding in agreeance, and feeling like this huge world isn't really so big after all. Grateful for those "YES OH GOD YES! That's it exactly" moments, and to know that other people are out there too, smiling at the pages or the screen as they read the same exact words that I am.

xoxo

Feeling Like An Adult & Disasters In Coffee Shops

This weekend Hank, the boys and I were walking downtown to dinner when we passed a group of giggling teenagers. As we walked by, one of the girls squealed something like "oh my god, that family is soo cute!" And there was this weird moment, where I felt this divide. There they are, these young kids, not a care really in the world, and then there was us. Grown-ups. Honest to goodness grown-ups. And I don't know if it's the norm, but if I'm not thinking about it I still think of myself as one of those teenagers. Well maybe not a teenager per say, but it's still hard for me to wrap my brain around the fact that I am 31, a wife and mother of two. I still feel like I'm in the "them" camp, and all those adults over there are in their own. Half the time I feel like I'm just masquerading as an grown-up, anyway. I pay bills and I still giggle to myself thinking, "this is so adult." I get both boys ready and get out the door on time and I think "oh my god, these are my two kids! Crazy!" When I was a teacher I had this feeling a lot less, and never at school, because being surrounded by teenagers all day I was fully aware of the THEM and ME (impossible not to be). But now, I am feeling those "whoa" moments again. I think this may be kind of weird (do chime in if you can relate!), and I'm not sure if this is something that a lot of twenty-something, early-thirties people experience, but then again, maybe it is? Through all of it though, there are moments like the squealing teenagers where I'm snapped back to reality from the little bubble I live in, and I am hyper aware of how it really is.

The point of this whole post though, was to write about our weekend, and as soon as I started to I got on that tangent. So let's focus. This weekend was a GOOD one. So good, because Hank had off Thursday and Friday, so we got to enjoy a rare four day weekend. And oh, was it enjoyable. How I wish we could both be at home, everyday. And like clockwork, at the end of the weekend, Hank said (like he always does after a few days at home), "I don't know how you do it! Your job is HARD." And then (like clockwork), I smiled to myself and said something back like "oh, it's not so bad." Even though I'm always secretly pleased because I feel like on occasion I feel like people think being a full-time Mom isn't hard at all. And truth be told, it is.

We did a few different things this weekend, between spending time in Flagstaff (see our previous Flag trips here), and spending time adventuring around our own town, and by the end of Sunday evening we were all exhausted and ready for an early bedtime. I think any weekend that includes good food, time spent outdoors AND the first day of a new season is a good one...so by definition, this one was amazing. Sunday was the first day of Fall, my favorite season, and I got to spend it with the three people I love the most.

This bit below though, makes me laugh because you'd NEVER know it from the photos (and isn't that the funny part about blogging?):

Our first stop when we got to Flagstaff was Macy's, our favorite coffee shop that we go to every time we're in town. It's always such a fun time, between their delicious vegan treats and great people watching. Silly us, we assumed it would be just as fun this time, but we kiiiind of forgot we'd have two kids with us. I knew right away it would be a slight disaster when there wasn't any room to maneuver the stroller, resulting in Hank getting stuck between some chairs and kind of causing a scene. Then we ordered our food and Hank's coffee (I didn't get his in a to-go cup, a move I now know is imperative when dining with two little ones at a place like this), and the only table we could find was smack dab in the middle of the place, with little to no room for the carseat, let alone the stroller, let alone two children and two adults. This is where I usually start getting really hot and sweaty- I overheat in situations like this- anyone else? So I'm overheating, Henry starts to have a serious meltdown over his lemon tart getting all over his hands (his only freakout of the day, so I have to give our sweet boy some credit), and of course...Charlie wakes up and starts to cry. A total (excuse my language) clusterfuck. We hightailed it out of there, Hank chugging his coffee, me inhaling my eggs, and as we pushed the stroller as fast as we could from Macy's Hank and I just started laughing. Hard. THAT was a moment we probably won't forget for awhile- our first attempt at navigating a very child-unfriendly place with both of the boys quite unsuccessfully. Check that one off the list, although I'm sure it won't be the last time.

And now, some photos! I hope your weekend was just as fun and eventful...although I'm hoping you managed to avoid any coffee shop disasters yourself!

xoxo

Weekend Links

Happy weekend! We're currently in the middle of a four day weekend (!!!), as Hank had off yesterday and today. I'm loving it. I'll be back Monday with a rundown of our weekend, but in the meantime you can follow along here and check out the links below!

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Love Ashley, and love her video blogs. Check it out!


What is ruining our kids?

His and her camo. So cute- I love Mara and her blog.

Brown Butter Salted Caramel Snickerdoodles. As unhealthy as it sounds. And as delicious as they sound, I'm sure.

Touching, Unguarded Portraits of Sleeping Parents-to-Be.

Say hi to: Julie, Samantha, and all of the wonderful contributors over at Lydia Mag.

How Desirable Is Unavailable? A 'Bachelorette's' Human Experiment.

How Not To Write Something. 

So the other day on Twitter, this company offered to send us some of their snacks. They did...and we are OBSESSED. Seriously, check them out- best pretzels I've ever had. I'm especially loving the buffalo and the garlic/parmesan flavors.

Happy birthday, Small Fry blog! 

20 gorgeous 2014 calendars.

I want EVERYTHING from this site for Henry and Charlie. So great.

Happy birthday, Rowan! Her party looks like it was amazing.

All about the new iPhone.

Marry your best friend.

Etsy wishlist: this pillow, this dress, and this print.

My new favorite blog. 

And finally, if Cher from Clueless had Instagram.  

Charlie, One Month Old

One month. Yes, it's true. I mean really, look how different he already looks from four short weeks ago! We were on a family walk the other night and Hank and I decided that this past month was officially the fastest month of our lives. I seriously feel like I just got home from the hospital with our new little bundle of joy, and here he is already so different and so much bigger. I feel equal parts excited about what's coming up next, and sad that as always, time is going by way too quickly.

This first month has been so wonderful. Totally trying and overwhelming at times too, of course, but more than anything it's been the best adventure in the world. Two kiddos is such a new thing, and although some days are so hard, it's all worth it and at the end of any day, good or bad. Charlie is a very calm, sweet baby and has totally surprised us with his laid back personality. He's a good sleeper, as good of a sleeper as a one month old can be, and graces me with little three and four hour chunks of sleep at a time. And oh, how wonderful those little chunks of sleep are! At around 2.5 weeks he was over being swaddled, and now sleeps in a wearable blanket in the co-sleeper right between his Daddy and me, and is as happy as a clam. Charlie loves to eat, of course, and like Henry did he sure loves to nurse. He's a snuggly little love, and is happiest nestled up under my or Hank's chin. And gosh, there are so many things I always want to remember about this time: the way his cries sound like a baby lion (leading us to nickname him Charlie Lion, of course). Those little feet. And hands. The sounds he makes as he wakes up from his naps. Nursing him to sleep at night, just the two of us. Those big blue eyes, the dark hair that is in that adorable bald-on-top newborn phase. His perfectly pouted lips, and even the face he makes just as he's about to cry. It's heart-melting. I never want to forget that newborn smell that's already disappearing, and if I could save one thing in a safe place forever, it would be way he looks at Henry.

Charlie's something special, for sure. From tiny newborn to a baby that gets a little chubbier everyday, I can't wait to see him grow and grow. Happy 1 month Charlie boy, we love you.

Details: Onesie via The Gap

              Pants c/o Tea

              Crib sheet c/o IvieBaby

              White chair via Amazon

              Pillow via The Modern Baby

Fox doll via Blabla Kids

CLOSED // A Sweet Giveaway: Win A Beautiful Mess Photo Idea Book

CLOSED 

Winner: Vannesa! 

Congratulations Vanessa, I'll be emailing you in a bit.

xo

I'm so excited about today's giveaway! This past month I had the opportunity to check out my sweet friends' new project, A Beautiful Mess Photo Idea Book, and I fell in total love. I've always enjoyed taking photos, but like anything, it's easy to get stuck in a rut. This book was exactly what I needed to feel not only inspired about photography, but inspired about living a life full of fun adventures too.

If you read Elsie and Emma's blog, you'll have an idea what to expect in the book, but that's not all you'll get. Every page is chock full of beautiful images, and as you go through the book chapter by chapter, you'll find not only photo ideas, but photography knowledge and tips that are useful for anyone. As I was reading I felt so inspired with every turn of the page, and I spent an entire night marking sections of the book I wanted to focus on over the next few weeks in my own photography. I'm feeling beyond excited to bring their ideas to life.

There were so many parts of the book I loved, but I thought I'd start with their section on taking macro photos, because I find myself loving all of the little details in Charlie's world and wanting to photograph them on the daily. Between his adorable baby toes to the new hair on his head, I loved reading the girls' tips on how to best capture them. Here's a photo I took after being inspired by this section, and I am looking forward to working my way through the book and broadening my photo-taking horizons!

And today, Elsie and Emma are giving away one of their books to one of YOU!

To enter:

Simply leave a comment below with your name and email address, and what you're most excited to photograph!

For up to two additional entries:

Share the tweet below, then leave a second comment letting me know you did so, along with your name and email.

I entered to win A Beautiful Mess Photo Idea Book via @danihampton, Elsie and Emma. Get inspired and enter too! http://tinyurl.com/ohp3wyz

And for a third entry, head on over to Sometimes Sweet's Facebook page and share my post about this giveaway with your friends, using the share button. Then come back here and leave one last comment letting me know you did so, along with your name and email once again.

So that's up to THREE entries. I'll randomly select a winner one week from today. This giveaway is open to US shipping addresses only. Good luck!

3 Things

1. So for years I've thought about getting a Polar heart rate monitor. My sister has had one for the longest time but for some reason I always thought it was a waste of money. Over the past few weeks though, I've gotten so excited about getting back into the swing of things fitness wise post-baby, and one night while up a little late, and after tweeting about it with friends I ordered one off of Amazon. I got this one on sale for a great price (it's still on sale now for 40% off). To be honest though, when I opened the box and saw that you had to wear a chest strap with the small heart rate monitor attached I was a little turned off. I didn't realize that was part of it and I wasn't too sure about wearing something under my gym clothes (would it bother me? would it be annoying while running?), but my sister assured me that it was no big deal and you can't feel it once it's in place. She was right, and I recently used it for the first time and loved it. It was super motivating to see when I was in my target heart rate, and I enjoyed that I could track my entire workout, weights and everything. It's a new purchase for me but so far so good, and I highly recommend it!

2. This baby of ours. Oh gosh I can't even explain the amount of joy this sweet boy brings to our lives. I have Charlie's one-month update coming this week, but I have to just share for a minute what a sweetheart he is. It's weird to think he was just growing inside of my body a short four weeks ago too...pregnancy and child birth is so crazy. I'm trying to take a lot more photos of the two of us (and the three/four of us) because with Henry, I was so silly and felt like I wasn't back to my "normal self" (or size) for a couple of months so I avoided being in pictures and was behind the camera most of the time. Luckily I do have some really special photos of just Henry and me during those fleeting baby days, but I wish I had a million more. You live and you learn, and I learned not to be so ridiculous, for sure. I wrote about it more here, if you're interested.

3. You know how people say that after having a baby, your first child will suddenly seem so big in comparison? Well, it's true! Henry is already a big kid, but now he seems like a teenager to me. As soon as Charlie arrived everything on him seemed bigger- his hands seemed like adult hands, and those legs and feet! So huge. Still, it's really, really hard to believe he will be 3 at the end of November. I really feel like the time has gone by way too quickly for that to even be true. But he's loving being a big brother and takes it very seriously, and it's been such a joy to watch him relish in his new role. But get a load of that big kid up there! I snapped that while food shopping yesterday and I've looked at it a couple times thinking "how did this happen?!"

Heading out with the kiddos to pick up some Fall arts and crafts for Henry, but I'll be back tonight with an awesome giveaway of a very special book.

xo

Our New Normal (Right Now At Least).

Right now it's this:

I wake up around 7am, to some sort of yelling-trying-to-be-a-whisper on the other side of our bedroom door "Daddy, are Mommy and Charlie awake yet? Hi, Mommy? MOMMY? Mommy, are you in there?" And then Henry comes bounding in, and jumps into bed with Charlie and me. Hank gets up around 6:15am to shower, and then when Henry wakes up around 6:30 they hang out for awhile before I get my "wakeup call."

I usually feed Charlie right there in bed, then 15 minutes later or so the two of us come out to the living room and hang out with Hank and Henry before Hank leaves for work. Usually Henry is in the middle of breakfast, or if he wasn't in the mood to eat yet I will put Charlie in his little rocker, make breakfast for Henry and myself, and get together snacks/lunch for Hank to take to work. Then he's off, and it's just the boys and me.

It's a juggling act really, the rest of the day. We may go grocery shopping, take a walk, or meet up with friends, but whatever we do I have to send a silent wish into the universe to please, please let it all go somewhat smoothly. And maybe other veteran Moms of two are smiling at this thinking, "oh girl, you're so new," but seriously, it's a gamble whether or not it will go well.

For instance today I decided to go to Target with the two kiddos. It's funny to me, first of all, that whatever we decide to do kind of becomes our entire morning. If we all wake up between 6:30 and 7, it takes until at least 8 to get all three of us ready, then getting all of us into the car, then getting us into wherever we're going, and back again by 11 for lunch and Henry's nap at noon...you get the point. It's not like before where Henry and I would go to a million places to run a million errands- now I have to be choosy and very deliberate with our time. Maybe it won't be like this forever, but right now, in month one, it all takes lots of planning. But anyway. Target.

So we arrive right after they open, and I have a plan in mind, since I have to return a rather large lamp somehow too. I decide I'm going to park by the carts, bring one over to the car, put Charlie in the wrap, then get Henry in the cart, put the rather large lamp in the cart, then get us all inside. But then, because it's so early, all of the carts are still inside the store except for one lone red one, way out at the end of the lot. I have no choice though, so we park all the way in the middle of nowhere and make do. Cart. Kids. Lamp. Walking all the way across the parking lot into the store. But this is what I mean. This is our new normal, the planning, the thinking about everything before I do it. And then so much more too. Henry is the sweetest boy in the world but also very smart and very...spirited. So sometimes I'm in for a trying time if my dear wild man decides to be extra wild.

I laugh a little to myself though as I type this, because it is getting easier by the day. A lot easier. And I know that we're only four weeks into this new world, and in a few months all of this will seem so distant, and it will all become so everyday. But right now this is our new normal- planning and adapting and hoping for the best. And it's funny to me because even when I think it will be a disaster, I'm most often surprised by its smoothness. And of course when I anticipate the best, sometimes I have to steady myself as things get a little crazy. Life.

So. Here's to growing into this new role as a mama of two- lots of learning and falling and getting up again as I figure it all out...and I'm grateful to have you all along for the ride.

Weekend Links

Heey, weekend! So many good things to share this time around, so I'll get right to it.

First of all, my friend Nikki (who has done my makeup for every major event in the past few years, including my sister's wedding- LOVE her) is now video-blogging, and I'm so excited. Check her out, and stop by and say hello! Isn't she gorgeous?


Did any of you watch Sons of Anarchy's season premiere? SO CRAZY. I recapped the finale from last season here before I watched as a little refresher.

Dirty Laundry or Highlight Reel? Great post.

I can't even believe this. New Jersey, I love you.

Summer's End- a fun playlist by the wonderful Kelly Ann.

The best baby shower gift- one of these!

Why Generation Y Yuppies Are Unhappy.

Pop over and say hi to the lovely Katie on her brand new blog (she's an old student of mine!).

Slow cooker garlic honey chicken.

Obsessed with this coat! So pretty.

Great feature on a chef who "didn't listen to no."

Always enjoy checking out National Geographic's Photo of the Day.

U.S. Measles cases in 2013 may be most in 17 years...scary.

Etsy wishlist: this calendar,  this paper doll set, and anything from this shop.

My new favorite Tumblr. Seriously, if you love the outdoors (or just pretty photos), go look.

Find the restaurants you see on TV. So cool! This was made for Hank, my sister, Abe and me! Perfect for our next family trip.

Other Say It Best. Love a good quote.

Lemon meringue pie fudge.

Crazy! People who look like each other...but are actually unrelated.

23 thing every woman should stop doing. Agree with any of these?

Adore Camber's Autumn checklist. So fun.

Loving: for me, for Henry, for Charlie.

Read this: You Can't Have it All, but You Can Have Cake. I really, really enjoyed this piece.

And finally, if you've reached the end of my list and want more awesome links, go here.

Happy weekend!

Snapshots

How I wish I could freeze time at this very moment, just so I could figure out a way to bottle it up and keep it safe forever. It's such a sweet season of our lives right now- one baby is turning three come Fall, and another baby has just arrived. Our days are full, in every sense of the word- full of so much emotion, full of so many ups and downs, and full of this overarching feeling that this is the good stuff, the stuff I'll miss one day. In my mind I've always thought about parenthood like that; even in the middle of the night when I'm dead tired and can't bear to wake up one more time to feed and rock and change diapers, I know that this is it. I'll only have so long to feed and rock and change diapers, so even when I'm feeling my very worst I couldn't love it more. And when Henry is being difficult, and I'm at the very end of my patience, and I am counting down the hours, minutes, seconds until Hank gets home from work...I know still, that this is it. Charlie's baby smell is already fading, the first rolls on his thighs are beginning to appear, and the newborn days are making way for the baby days. Henry is of course changing so much too- conversating like an adult, getting taller by the week, and growing into a little person with his own thoughts, feelings, and opinions. Time is marching on. So like I do whenever I recognize I'm in the middle of something, a special moment or season of life, this is me stopping for a moment to take it all and jot it all down. Because like I said above, this is it.

Currently.

 a sweet moment with H & C

Reading: I have a ton of samples on my Kindle but haven't gotten into anything good lately. Anyone have a great recommendation?

Eating: the most delicious salad my friend Layla brought over today. Seriously, the best gift you can bring a new mother is food! Layla dropped by this morning and brought with her a ton of food for us- homemade pan-fried mung bean, broccoli and tempeh salad (so good!), a freshly baked mixed-berry pie, coconut milk ice cream, juicy watermelon and pineapple, and lemonade. What a gal. Sometimes I get so stuck on the same food day after day that it's incredibly inspiring to be reminded that there are a million and one other foods out there to try and cook. I mean hello, what the heck is a mung bean?

Thinking about: First, watch this video-

So what did you think? Hank and I watched it the other night and got into this whole conversation about the implications of living the way we ("we" as a collective) do. It's like everyone's new normal includes so, so much technology and media that yes, of course it's changing everything, including the makeup of how we deal with each other, like the video gets into. I mean it's changing the way we get married, the way people date, and these are just the super obvious, already-know-that things. It's really crazy to think about how our kids and kids' kids will be affected; what technology will be like for them, and even how it will all shift as our generation gets older. A conversation most of us have already had, but still something that's always interesting to me. And of course, during those conversations I always bring up this little daydream I have about totally disconnecting from every social media outlet and just living without any audience at all (because really, engaging on IG, FB, Twitter, etc, is living with an audience, either in mind consciously or subconsciously). Then I think how weird it is that that seems so crazy and alternately, so scary, and that sparks a whole different branch of discussion. Never-ending!

Listening to: Modern Life is War's new album, Fever Hunting and a lot of Henry's current favorite, Macklemore. haha.

Enjoying: I'm really enjoying being the mama of two. We're still adjusting of course, and some days are really difficult, but there's something really sweet about being able to say "my boys," and have a whole group of them to refer to. Love that. It's pretty awesome to have wanted something, to have had this idea in my mind, and then to just be here. It's only the beginning right now, and it's pretty exciting to think about all the fun to come. I can't wait to see Charlie's personality start to come out, for his tiny newborn legs to turn into chunky baby legs, and to watch the boys play together for the first time. I feel lucky to have so much good on the horizon and I'm just really enjoying this beautiful season of our lives.

Watching: Thanks to my parents we are the proud new users of HBO GO and I feel like a whole new world has opened up. There are so many shows I've never watched because we never wanted to pay the extra million dollars to add on the premium channels to our cable package. So instead I found bad-quality rips of some of my favorite shows (Girls and Curb), or bought them off of iTunes (which incidentally, was just as expensive as subscribing to the premium channels). But now we have so many shows and movies at our disposal. I just got into watching Entourage and absolutely love it. I love all of the guys but I think my favorite characters would have to be Turtle and Lloyd. I'm on Season 3A, so I am hoping Lloyd sticks around! Have you watched Entourage? What do you think? Or do you have any other HBO shows you'd recommend?

Loving: that Autumn is right around the corner, Pink Lady apples and nectarines, my sister (just feeling so grateful for her lately- more than ever), Hank coming home for lunch, finishing up Henry and Charlie's rooms, the next three weekends, and getting in touch with old friends.

So, how about you? What are you up to today? Feel free to do your own "currently" post on your blog and link back in the comments for everyone to check out. And thanks again to my dear friend Megan for providing the original inspiration for these posts.

Weekend Links

Happy weekend! Today Charlie is officially 3 weeks old. Time is flying! I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend.

Link time! First up, be sure to head over to my pal Allison's blog to check out an amazing giveaway from the fabulous shop Block & Battaglia. Seriously, go look at her Etsy shop- SO GOOD. I'm dying over all of the items. All you have to do is follow @allisonpants and @chrissybchrissy on Instagram, then repost the photo from their feed (see below and get it on either of their IGs) on your own page with the hashtag #BBGiveMeMexico. And if you don't win this particular bag, be sure to still pop over and see all of the other bags she makes- there are a ton of really cute options.

So my friend Jenny does hair tutorials on her YouTube page and I am DYING over this one she did with her daughter Magnolia. I love Jenny's videos, and this one is particularly adorable. A must-watch.



Etsy love: this bracelet, this shop, and this pillow too! And I can't forget the best caramels in the world. THE BEST.

Psst, don't forget to check out this post to see if you won the Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bag giveaway.

Neko Case can do no wrong.

30 signs you're almost 30. Can anyone relate?

A neat article about the Girl Scouts. I was a Daisy and a Brownie, and loved it.

Last weekend we had a huge Crossfit event up here at our gym. I was home with the boys, but Hank and our friends worked out/attended.

10 beauty tips for fall.

Sugar-free Apple Pie Chia Seed Jam + Breakfast Parfait.

Wishlist: for me, for Hank, for Henry, and for Charlie.

Salted almond butter chocolate chip cookies. So easy to make!

The longest canyon on Earth, just found under Greenland's ice sheet.

A little girl named Lemon...how adorable is she?

This article is titled "Ten Ways That Men Text Women," but I thought either sex could relate. Funny stuff!

Some "vintage" Sometimes Sweet: Our Story (how Hank and I met) and How I Became an English Teacher.

On being married to your business partner.

17 personal essays that will change your life. 

And finally, The World of Lisa Frank: A Short Film.

2 Weeks

So it's been a little over two weeks since Charlie made his way into the world and it feels like time has gone by so, so quickly but at the same time, in a weird way, it feels like it's ticking by slowly in our little cocoon at home. The little guy is so sweet; from the get go he's been really relaxed and mellow, hardly crying and really enjoying his sleep. It's hard to even know where to begin when trying to cover the past couple of weeks, so I'll start in the hospital and catch up from there.

Like I said in Charlie's birth story (thank you so much, by the way, for all of the congrats and kind words), the c-section and those first days of recovery went really well. I did have one complication though, and that came the day after surgery. I started to have a strange pain in my right shoulder, which I originally thought was from breastfeeding with my arm in a weird position the night before, but the pain got worse and worse as the day progressed. I asked the nurse on duty what it was- I was seriously worried I was having heart trouble since the pain was on one side/arm- and she just said I was probably just sore from surgery. But the next nurse on duty knew what it was right away, and thank goodness, because the pain was SO bad when I moved in the slightest, or even breathed and I was getting kind of nervous about it. Apparently when you have abdominal surgery air can become trapped in your body and you will feel it in your shoulders; a sort of displaced gas pain. And oh my god was it PAINFUL. It's so ironic to me that my c-section was no biggie, but that was the big problem. It did go away in about 24 hours though, but when the pain peaked for a good 4 or 5 hours it was really terrible.

But other than that it was smooth sailing. I loved my nurses and we were able to go home on Sunday afternoon after having the surgery on Friday morning. My family was waiting at home with Henry, and when we pulled up he came running out, so, so excited. He had already met Charlie at the hospital but now being at home his excitement was through the roof. Henry "helped" Hank carry the carseat in, then showed us the drawings he had made for C. So, so sweet.



The rest of that first day was spent saying "oh my gosh, I can't believe we have two kids" a million times, and just settling back in. My Mom had prepared a bunch of healthy food for us and stocked the fridge, and that was really helpful. Everyone went home around 4, and then it was just Hank, the boys and me, for the first time.

Hank took off that first week, and then my Mom came back Thursday and Friday, so it was nice having someone there every minute. From the get-go Charlie took right to nursing and slept in little 2-3 hour blocks so it wasn't that bad, even at night. On my second day home I had a pretty hard day emotionally, and cried at anything and everything. But just like with Henry, that surge of hormones passed and besides the normal ups and downs, I haven't had a day as tough as that one since.

I think one of the huge things we realized after making it through those first few weeks with Henry was that it's imperative to figure out what works as soon as possible, if you can. With Henry I feel like we were trying everything we could think of to get him to stay asleep comfortably, stop crying, etc. and it wasn't until a couple weeks in that it all clicked. With Charlie we were lucky enough to figure him out almost right away, and now almost 3 weeks later it's been (dare I say) a much easier time. And interestingly enough we had this particular velcro swaddler in a drawer the entire time Henry was an infant and never used it. I don't even remember if we knew we had it. Instead, we struggled through swaddling him with regular blankets, only to have him pop out minutes later. Had we used this swaddler, it may have been a whole different ballgame! So with Charlie we just swaddle him up in the velcro swaddler, put him in the co-sleeper and he's out. That blanket is a serious game changer. He wakes up every 2-3 hours to eat, but at night I'll just feed him and put him back down, and for the most part it's no problem.

I've been on my own for over a week now and it's a HUGE adjustment, but we're doing it! I managed to go to Trader Joe's on my own last week and I swear, I felt like I just won the lottery when the three of us got home with no issue. The next day I had to take both boys to my 2-week checkup and it was a little more difficult because Henry wasn't in the most cooperative of moods, but I did that too, and afterward I thought to myself, "okay, that wasn't too bad." I'm starting to realize that yes, it will get easier and easier...it's just all about getting out there and getting over my anxiety that things won't go exactly as planned. Because guess what? They won't. Some days like today I feel like a bad parent because Charlie was a little fussy and I wasn't sure how to keep Henry entertained while I fed C all morning, resulting in three hours of PBS...but I keep reminding myself to cut myself some slack during these first weeks. It's hard though, when I feel like Henry's bored or isn't getting to do the normal, fun stuff we always do. He's been so patient and sweet, but I'm sure you know how it goes with the Mom guilt. Ugh! So to counteract all of that I've planned a couple of fun activities we can all do outside tomorrow (my Solly Wrap has been a lifesaver- C loves it), and I know I'll feel like it's a more successful day.

Most of all it's still so crazy to me to look at our Charlie and know that he was just inside of my body. That I grew him for almost a year, and now he's just out, growing more everyday. I can't even explain what a joy this sweet baby is; I wasn't sure what it would feel like to love someone just as much as I love Henry, or to feel my heart double in size, but it feels better than I could have ever imagined.

Here's to the next two weeks, and figuring it all out day by day!