Hudson Four Months

Life lately...linking up with Blair.

// I first started this post on August 2nd in anticipation of posting it for the following life lately. That clearly didn't happen.
// My goal this year was to take August off from blogging, and then I was having a lot of fun this summer and didn't want to miss recording August. Here we are in the later half of the month, I haven't posted since the first. I should have taken August off.
// We've been on two family vacations and I unexpectedly had my wisdom teeth removed. I really should have taken August off.
// But all of this time not blogging, I am ready to go for August Book Club next Tuesday (8/27). I loved reading Carry On, Warriors by Glennon. And I am even more excited for your feedback. 
// Now, back to Hudson's update...clearly he is the second child. Sorry dude.

Hudson's 4 month check up was supposed to be when we were in Florida. Clearly we opted for vacation over the doctor's office and shots. So the details of his stats will just have to be updated in an untimely fashion at a later date. Regardless of when the appointment is, we know Hudson is packing on the pounds. He is also downing some major bottles!

This past month was a huge shift. I didn't realize or remember how in a few short weeks babies loose their infant pudge, develop a stronger core, and any resemblance of newborn disappears over night and you wake up wondering where the time has gone. Hudson, I will say this a thousand times, but baby, you are growing up way to fast!

Hudson is working hard at rolling over, he just isn't quite there yet. But at the rate he lifts his legs to his head, he might master the backward roll first. He tugs his pacifier in and out of his mouth, and waves it around just to get my attention some times. Once he does, the smile on his face could light an entire city. He is so expressive, it blows me away some days. I catch myself thinking, "Really, for me? That smile is for me?"

Along with his smile, Hudson keeps on giggling. He is contagiously happy most of the time.

Hudson is also teething. Not a single tooth has broken through the surface yet, but he spends most days trying to gnaw on something, and if all else fails, will chew his knuckles until they are bright cherry red. He has a constant stream of spit and drool streaming from his mouth and often surprises himself with an extra large spit bubble making a splash in his face.

Hudson 

One Month

Two Months

Three Months

Life Lately on Rest

This post was written Sunday afternoon with both children making a ruckus in the next room.

photos are from "nap" time.

I took a nap today. Well, Behr took a nap while Hudson and I snuggled and smiled and cooed and nursed until that boy finally fell asleep. Just a short bit later, Behr woke up and decided to announce his status with a startling roar.

But basically, I took a nap. The best attempt at a nap in months. Literally.

I am a doer, not a napper. My biggest challenge with naps is my ever constant mental to do list streaming across the underside of my eye lids. If I think about lying down I get twitchy with the inactivity. But lately? I have needed naps. I haven't had the chance to take them, but goodness gracious, I need them. These two boys, the city, the heat. I am exhausted when I wake back up in the morning. Even my favorite iced coffee concoction isn't helping.

The minutes I was able to steal away today were well worth it. Even the minutes that I wasn't sleeping, but was at least laying down, in relative quiet. So worth it. While I didn't feel rested, my mind felt clear again. So much had been bouncing around that I couldn't even really think straight. I was distracted at church this morning, confused by details of our coming week this afternoon. But the nap helped. I need to do a better job listening to my body and rest when the opportunity presents itself.

Do you nap or rest? How do you clear your head and feel rejuvenated?

So often I twiddle away time on my phone or standing in front of the fridge thinking about what to eat or make for dinner (sometimes even wondering what would make me feel better). I have so much to do, I get scattered and become less efficient, and for me that leads to frustration.

I don't just need rest. I need to be rejuvenated. While eight hours of sleep would be nice, what I really need is life giving rest. I need to sleep when my body says sleep, and read God's word when I start to get that jittery twitch. I need to start my days in the word, not with a shrill cry. Just a few minutes in scripture help me tremendously, even when I don't think I have the time. As we approach August, I want to be in God's word more consistently. Please ask me how it is going. Keep me accountable. Leave a comment or send a tweet. I am going to go set my alarm - once for when I should be heading to bed tonight, and another time for when I should be getting up (fingers crossed before the kids) tomorrow.

How do you make time for scripture and prayer?

p.s. while Mark cooked dinner tonight, I was also able to read a few passages of Ephesians. I love jumping back to old #SheReadsTruth studies and re-reading them. 


I am linking up with Blair for Life Lately.
If you are looking to connect with other bloggers and be encouraged, I would highly recommend this link up. Some fabulous ladies are participating and it is an honor to join them. I hope you will too!

Life Lately: Summer Heat

1. I am excited to announce that I am one of the first Umbassadors, leading the way to promote sustainable handmade businesses. Umba is a curated selection of hand made artists, so when you shop through them, you know you are getting the real deal, not factory made knock offs. Even better, Umba is a platform for artists stories to be shared. If you are interested in seeing more (or shopping!) take a look here. I hosted my first party Friday night, and it was a great time with friends. I look forward to helping promote these artists and their stories even more!

2. It is hot in DC. We have been spending morning, evening, and even nights at Yards Park. It is by far our favorite way to stay cool in the city. p.s. I am also more grateful for my waterproof iphone case every time we go!

3. My mom spent last week with us because she had meetings in the city. When she stays, we get our fill! Behr wakes Yia-yia up first thing in the morning and we keep her running until we all crash in the evening. I am always so thankful for all that she does, even when running low on energy. The extra set of hands and the solid encouragement are both tremendous support.

4. These cute little faces. When you see them on instagram, its all smiles. But I am still struggling with getting too easily frustrated and yelling. I know my triggers (time and noise) but haven't quite figured out alternatives that work well for us. For know, Behr and I are both encouraging each other to, "keep cool."

5. We put our abundance of veggies from our CSA to use with fish tacos - the ultimate throw whatever you have in there meal. If you are looking for a good recipe, I loosely used this one and made PW's mango salsa without the pineapple, because we didn't have any. Like I said, whatever you have.

6. Hudson is three months old, and I am definitely feeling the 4th trimester shift. He no longer feels so little, my hormones are shifting, we are falling into a routine that gets better each week, and my body is getting back to normal, but I still feel off. I am definitely emotionally out of sorts with it all. The feelings and emotions are swinging pretty wildly, but I am hoping to get it written down. I am just not sure what "it" is yet. I don't remember experiencing this with Behr, so I am not really sure what to make of it.

I am linking up with Blair for Life Lately.

Disclaimer: compensated affiliate links may be used in this post.

Vacationing Slow / Boston 2013, part 1

Mark and I went to college, met, dated and lived as newly-weds on the North Shore of Boston. It is a familiar place that we still think of as home and visit several times a year. We typically roll into town on a whirlwind of activity with an agenda so full we barely have a chance to squeeze in the inevitable scenic drive that I should have learned I simply need to schedule, every single trip. We bounce from families to group of friends to coaches and mentors, As an extrovert, these trips make me giddy. I get to see everyone!

But the past few visits have left me feeling at a loss. By cramming everyone in, I spend very little quality time with anyone. So when we decided to make the North Shore our family vacation this year, we set very clear boundaries. We picked our dearest to commit to spend time with, the friends we stayed with, my best friend from high school and her husband, Bridget and Steve, our friends Greg and Maggie who are about to have a sweet baby girl (literally any day now), and my best friend from college, Sara. Turns out, Bridget was off filming #AmericanBlogger and galavanting in Vail and Sara was in Maine. With some serious discipline, we let those plans go and didn't back fill the time.

You guys, having full days free to relax is amazing!

I know, this isn't new news, but it also isn't something I do very often. Granted, it wasn't completely relaxing with two kids. But all in all, our beach vacation went well. We ate lots of ice cream, visited our favorite beaches, and I almost read an entire book. We miss the friends we didn't see, but we are so incredibly thankful for the family time we had, it affirmed the decision. Until next time Boston. (but don't you all worry, there will be plenty more beach pictures coming later this week!)

I am linking up with Blair for Life Lately.

The Support of Family

Lately our lives have been full of family. Weekends are packed with visits and visitors. Hudson is content to be held all day. Behr has thoroughly enjoyed the attention. He is hamming it up. He is also taking it all in, sport lessons included. Soccer, golf, baseball and basketball all have found new homes in my son's heart. But family still comes first. The best outcome of these visits is the love that has overwhelmed Behr. He asks and prays for (in one long sentence) Momma, Dad, Hudson, Grandmom, Grandpop, Uncle Ben, Uncle Mike, Yia-yia and Popouli, Brookie, Julia, and cousin Sam and the firetrucks.  Behr loves to pray for our family and the firetrucks, but that is a story for another day.

We moved from Boston to DC six years ago to be closer to family. The past eleven weeks have reaffirmed that move. Now if only I could figure out how to put our family right next door so that when Behr wakes up at 5:30 in the morning he can knock on their door. just like he did to my parents each morning this past weekend. I am so thankful. So very thankful for the support of family.

I am linking up with Blair from Wild and Precious for Life Lately.

Our Life Lately, and questions for you!

Sometimes I get bogged down with what to blog about because there is so much I want to share and so few coherent thoughts. This is one of the million reasons I love Blair from Wild and Precious. Guys, "Life Lately" might be my most favorite blog link up ever.

Here is what has been going on in our house.

This Space
I am getting back into blogging again and realizing how much I missed connecting with all of you. One of my main goals is to get the #bloggerbookclub going again. Here is my plan for the next few months. Will you join me?

pssst. CSA season started and I have a bunch of new recipes to share over the next few weeks AND a seasonal eating shopping list coming to my etsy shop soon. I can't wait to show you!

I yell. 
A lot. At my kids. Even Hudson.
This post is convicting and reminding me that I need to find alternative outlets. I can already see how my yelling at Behr is changing him, and it has only been three weeks since he finished daycare and started spending the full day with me.

Parks
We have been spending most of our days at parks recently. The sea-saw or teeter totter (what is it actually called anyway?) is our favorite, but climbing obstacles are a close second. Everything is higher and faster for Behr these days.

I never imagined how many lessons there would be on playground equipment. We are all learning together as a family from how to share and take turns, to why some parks have completely different demographics at different times of the week. Mostly we are learning how to love and care for our friends, even new ones. I am learning how to have meaningful conversations with other moms and nannies, a huge challenge for me that I never anticipated. And we are learning the times of days that are best for playing and best for sleeping. Because going all day surely leads to meltdowns for all of us.

We are not sleeping.
Hudson is a champ. I won't say any more for fear that his sleep will change. But Behr is a never tiring ball of energy. We literally crash hard mid-afternoon which results in a harried evening. How do you handle nap time with a child who has abundant energy? I am at a loss and desperately seeking a schedule that serves us all better.

Little Days
This is a Thursday link up that I have been hosting. The goal was to pick up where Morgan was with Small Style - a weekly sharing of our kids. I also wanted a regular outlet to talk about the simple and sweet moments of my week that aren't always "blog-worthy" but that I know I want captured for our family to remember. Give me feedback. I would love to know your thoughts on this...should I drop it? will you join me? should I bring in co-hosts? what do you think about link ups? comment away!

Do you know me?
I have quite a few readers {dare I say lurkers} who I don't really know. Do you feel like you know me? Is there more you want to see or have me share? What do you want to know?