Saturday Shoes: Run run run

As you read this, I am packing up our bags and saying so long to Florida.  The hardest part of packing for me is finding room for my sneakers.  Confession: I have big feet.  But these little duds would not only be pretty, but also super light weight for my travels.  Yes please!

Nike Free Run +2

What are your favorite pair of running shoes?

Scary Grass

Yes, I wrote scary. You see, Behr has a bit of an aversion to the feel of grass. He doesn't seem to mind concrete, sand, or carpet. {I keep reminding myself, at least he likes sand, at least he likes sand. Otherwise, this little Florida vacation we are on would be brutal.} But grass makes him cry. every. single. time.  Strangely enough that is how I reacted to grass when I was his age.

That is me in the upper left.  Apparently my mom had a higher tolerance for screaming in the grass thank I do.   At least this picture is reassurance that I am not the only one who takes pictures of crying babies.  Just because they are crying doesn't mean it isn't cute.

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Behr sure does look cute, doesn't he?  Well that's why I am linking up to Small Style.

Outfit:

Kelly Green Striped Shirt - H&M

Jean Overall Shorts - OldNavy

Barefoot

Oh Eames, how I love thee...

I have been lusting over the super sleek lines of Eames rocking chairs.  There is no space in our apartment for another chair, but a girl can look right?

retro green

bright blue

or maybe even a pair!

And then my swooning got even worse after seeing how Making it Lovely documented the milestones of her babe in this fabulous piece of art.  Everything gets cuter with a baby right?

pins: 1/2/3/4

Father Son Time

We are on vacation, have you heard?  The sun, sand, ocean, pool, dining out, books to {try to} read, and a slower pace are all gladly welcomed.  But my absolute favorite part of vacation is having a week full of quality time.  A whole lot of this:

Mark and Behr are sitting on the porch overlooking the dunes in search for turtles.  I am about to go join them... see you later.

Sunny with a side of bright

Are the color palates that draw you in?  Bright and cheery have the ticket for me.  So here are a few spaces I could look at all day {and confession: might repost on during the dreary soggy winter} but now why would I go and talk about a thing like that?  Heres to dreaming of some sunshine all year round!

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I could totally get ready in front of this dresser...

...after stepping out of that tub...

...before hosting dinner here...

...prepared in this kitchen...

...oh, and the invitations for my guests would have been hand written at this desk...

Yes, please.

1/2/3/4/5

Saturday Shoes...or not.

We are off to Florida.  Yes, we are the crazies that go South when it is already sweltering.  But guess what?  We love it anyway.  Alright, enough blabbing...this is how my feet hope to be for most of the next week:

{photo taken two weeks ago when I went kayaking on the Connecticut River}

barefoot

and I wouldn't mind a little sand between my toes

Heart thoughts on rest...

pin

It has been months since I first realized I was in a bit of an identity crisis.  How do you fill the many roles?  I promised to blog about it, but couldn't find the right words.  Then Sunday at church, a guest pastor struck a cord and my hand couldn't stop moving.

What does rest look like in your life?  Is reading blogs, catching up on twitter, or perusing pinterest "restful" or is there a sense of busyness about that?  I am goal oriented and often set quotas for myself {yes, even my down time} defeating the purpose of rest.

Can you find rest amidst the busyness?  I am not sure that I can truly rest living in a city.  Living here, I am now certain that I wouldn't choose another city for a vacation.  The hustle and bustle is now where I unwind.

I pack and schedule and fill my moments of quiet perhaps because I have a fear of stillness that true rest might bring.  A fear of wasting time that has proven even more precious and recently also quite scarce.  My thoughts often start with a twinge of worry. But what about... What will happen if... How can I rest when...

And then flip the coin.  Am I able to find rest or joy in the things that fill my day?  Do I find cooking for my family, playing with my son, walking to church times of joy or a responsibility/chore/task to which I begrudgingly oblige?  Perhaps if I took the time to truly rest then I would be able to find deeper joy in my many blessings.  I have a family to cook for, a son to play with, and legs to carry me through this incredible city, a place I get to call home.

That is where my heart has been recently.

"We need Jesus to give us a spiritual assessment of whether we rest with soul rest.  Or whether we're still on the treadmill of trying to prove our very existence."   -- Rev. John Hutchinson  

First Foods

Behr started eating solid food last week.

We are making our own baby food from our CSA farm share.

Most of the food is organic and we are skipping grains. 

...in other words rice cereal and cheerios are on hold for now

Check out Nina Planck for our reasoning.

We puree some food and serve others whole.

Behr loves gnawing on a cool cuke.  

It might have something to do with teething.

We have received grief for some of these decisions, but we are sticking to our guns.

That is, unless Behr shows us otherwise.

Clearly he is enjoying his first taste:

What is on the list for our next foods?  

Why, I am so glad you asked:

Gear for Baby: Nursing

Great nursing bra:  After trying what felt like hundreds, my favorite came from A Pea in the Pod.   Although it was a splurge, but literally the only way I made it out of the house.

Sturdy bottle brush: This tool gets a lot of use in our household, and the Skip Hop Bottle Brush stands up to the challenge

Basic burp cloths: Hands down the most used gift we received was a 12 pack of Gerber prefolds.  These absorb everything, and are nothing fancy, so you don't mind the inevitable baby stains.  Let's face it, breastfeeding is messy business in the beginning.  I recommend having at least one of these near by at all times.

Washable nursing pads: Again, I tried many different kinds, but these were my favorite.

Disposable nursing pads: A worthy investment for the leaky days, as they are much more discrete for leaving the house.  The most absorbent brand I found were Lansinoh.

Basic bra: The classic Gap racerback bra was my go-to for the evenings.  They wash well, are relatively affordable, and useful both before and after baby.  Best of all, they are easy to yank up or down for nighttime feedings.

Bottles: My advice is figure out what works and stick with one brand.  No need to worry about interchangeable parts, finding the right pieces, etc. We chose the Dr. Brown wide neck as they are said to reduce nipple confusion when you need to introduce a bottle early.  I went back to work after three months, so we introduced one bottle a day early to ease the transition.

Electric double pump (not pictured): Because I was going back to work - translation: needing to pump 3-4x/day - we knew we needed a power horse.  I opted for the Medela Pump In Style and couldn't be happier.

Nursing cover: Behr and I both struggled with nursing covers until we tried a basic swaddle blanket.  The fabric is lightweight and breathable so he didn't get overheated and it was plenty big enough to keep us modest.

Milk saver: If you are blessed with an abundance of milk, this little accessory will be your friend.  It cleverly collects leaking/letdown from one side while you nurse on the other.  I highly recommend the milk saver.

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Do you have any questions?  I would love to answer them.  

Quite a few friends have been asking me about nursing recently, so I am working on a post to cover more of the unknowns about this rite of passage that so many women struggle through {myself included}.  

Drop me a line so I can be sure to include your questions!

CSA Inspired: Great-Grandmother's Blueberry Cake

We look forward to blueberry season in our home.  This year, we were up to our knees so I sought the guidance of my southern friend and excellent baker Beth.  Here is a recipe from her friend's great-grandmother.  When a recipe has been passed around for that long, you know it is good!

cream together 1.5 cups sugar and 1 cup shortening (or half butter half lard). 
mix together 4 cups flour, 3 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt
beat 1 egg together with 1 1/3 cups milk
alternate adding flour mixture and milk mixture to the sugar
mix in 1 qt blueberries
bake in a 9x13 pan for 50 min in 350 oven

 It is super easy and I promise, it taste even better than it looks!  

And this little guy "helped me bake" by having a blast in his chair.  

Life of Behr: 25 Weeks

Well, it is high time we learned that not everything in life goes as planned.  Life isn't perfect.  We skipped a few weekly pictures.  But the good news is we are finally catching up on this little craft inspired by fellow bloggers.  Here are a few weeks and the top highlight.

18 Weeks: Behr began holding his bottle...and grabbing at everything!

19 Weeks: First Plane Ride, a trip to New Orleans with plenty of pictures to cover.

20 Weeks: Visiting lots and lots of family

Began blowing drool bubbles

Rolled over from stomach to back for the first time

21 Weeks: Behr attended his first wedding.  Congratulations Shawn and Lauren!!!

22 Weeks: Stopped pooping and worried Mom and Dad

Began chewing on hands and toes

The drool continues to drip constantly

23 Weeks: First Beach Trip.  Do you see the tan?  You better not!  That must be the lighting.  Mom slathered lots of sun screen and got me UV protective clothing and even a UV tent/bed/playpen.

24 Weeks: First 4th of July and Fireworks 

{which fell during bed time, so they weren't actually seen!}

Began sitting up all by himself!

Grew out of the swing.

25 Weeks: Began clicking his tongue and gurgling

Other highlights:

the talking just keeps getting louder

we started our first solid food, carrots, and seem to love them 

{video coming soon}

practicing giving a high five - sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't

learned to throw things and laugh...hmmm...

getting very mobile

chews on everything, including mom's chin

loves to swim in the pool

6 months ago...

Our First Family Photo
my favorite

Dear Behr,

You entered our lives as a bundle of joy and immediately made us love deeper.  You are now 6 months old.  Half a year!  We can hardly believe how fast the time has flown.

Before your arrival, I wrote about looking forward to the firsts.  They have been wonderful so far, and are excited for more.  You make us laugh every day, and sometimes cry.  But have no doubt, the joy you bring bowled us over from day one.  You are such a happy baby.  You giggle spontaneously.  Thank you for helping us slow down and laugh when we need it most.  Dad and I have a lot on our plates, frequently running in different directions.  You have been great at going with the flow and encouraging us to put one foot in front of the next.  

If we have learned anything in the past 6 months, it is to take time to savor our moments with you.  We love relaxing on our balcony, dancing together, and mornings when the three of us snuggle in bed.  You haven't quite learned that mornings are for sleeping in and the bed is for quiet time, but that's okay.  We can't help but smile when you start yapping in the mornings.  

Behr, I have been trying to capture everything, but inevitably time slipped by without a few of your weekly photos, nights have passed without me writing to you, but that's okay.  You have taught me that.  Thank you.

Love,

your momma

p.s. lots more pictures of you coming soon

p.p.s. plus a pretty cool story written by your dad

Door Decor

Help a sister out!

These are the three door decoration that represent us throughout the year.  It is about this time, after the Fourth of July festivities, that my door feels stale and lonely.  We live in an apartment building at the moment, so live door hangings don't work.  However, I am desperate for something to fill the gaps:

December-the month of Easter 

and again from Easter-4th of July/Summer 

oh yeah and labor day-Novemebr could use some help too!

We are not huge fans of overly theme-y holiday oriented stuff.  But want classics that welcome us home from the other end of the hall.  Please send me links, suggestions, pictures, even people to follow on pinterest.  I need to find something.  The idea well is running dry.  

Saturday Shoes: Help!

I get to break my shoe fast for one very important occasion, my best friend's wedding!  We are wearing navy cocktail length sweetheart neck dresses and gold shoes.

Bill Levkoff

I need a pair of gold heals.  I have been out of the shoe shopping world!  The pressure is on.  I need your help.  Send suggestions please!

Picnic at Panera

Last week my dear friend Diane and I headed out to suburbia for a mega warehouse baby sale.  The sale started at 7, but to beat rush hour we packed our little ones and hit the road before rush hour.  What do you do in an unfamiliar suburban town on a blazing hot day {hint: parks were out of the question due to the heat}?  Well, you have a picnic at Panera!  What else?

We ordered food, found a nice spot in front of the fireplace, laid out a big blanket, kicked off our shoes and let the babes crawl, or in Behr's case sit, and enjoy some wiggle time.  It was a great way to pass the time and we hardly got any weird looks.  I highly recommend having a Panera picnic if you haven't done so already.

Oh and before I forget, here are the goods I got for Behr this winter and next spring:

3 footed sleepers, a brand new fleece, two pairs of robeez hardly worn, a knit romper, 2 pairs of jeans, great quality navy sweat pants, brand new polo, tee, and navy henley and last but not least the blue striped outfit, nearly identical to the one he wears weekly right now.  We have loved the current version {seen here} so much, I couldn't pass up the chance to have one for next summer too!

All for $62.54

While that seems like a lot of money, it works out to less than $4 per item!  Wahoo!!

{especially since some items were probably originally prices much closer to the 62 dollar mark}

The cost above includes an outfit for our friend, Isaiah, who lends Behr all of his hand-me-downs.  So now we pass a few items up when we get a great steal knowing it might make it around the corner and back to us some day:

Swings!

Two weekends back we were inspired by Wimbledon and ventured to some nearby tennis courts.  Behr was not in the mood for us to play tennis.  He wanted to be part of all the action.  Only a few sets in, we threw in the towel due to Mr. Fussy Pants.  {I have been calling Behr that recently.  Bad mother, no?  Must stop before he can remember this loving name...} Fortunately, the tennis courts are near the only baby swings in DC.  Remember when I said there were no swings?  Well, the real truth is that they just aren't super convenient for me.

But apparently we will have to make the effort more often.  Behr loved the swings!

Yes, these pictures are from June.  I meant to post this last week to link up with Small Style on Mama Loves Papa but I missed it.  So here we go this week:

Behr's outfit:

Navy Cargo Pocket Polo: babyGap

Plaid Crab Shorts: Gymboree

No Shoes - the best way to spend summer!