Curious Bird

:these days:

Phew. That was a long blogging break. I think it might be the longest I have ever taken. Regardless, I'm still here. Doing pretty well most days. Of course some days are just hard, and sadly, those are the days that tend to stick out in my mind, but I'm working on that. Having two littles is not for the faint of heart. I am currently trying to figure out how to grow a third arm. Having just one more arm would come in so handy. Truly.  

Lately, Felix *really* wants me to help him build caves in the living room so we can escape from "nice dinosaurs and dragons". Building caves and forts while nursing a baby is not easy. Telling Felix to wait is also not easy. See, I told you a third arm would be extremely helpful. 

Roman is two months old. He's growing and changing every day and I'm doing my best to press pause on each moment. Still haven't mastered the elusive pause, but I continue to try. Damn, I love a chunky, cheeky baby. And his gummy smile nearly knocks me down sometimes. He is definitely quicker to smile than Felix was. 

Right now Roman is a great sleeper at night. Things in the sleep department started out rough (don't they always?) but now we're sailing along and I'm able to get 5 or 6 hours in a row (if I make the right decision to go to bed by 10pm). Getting more sleep is such a trade-off when it comes to nursing, though. Engorgement is not fun. Hopefully my body will figure things out soon. Oh, and by no means am I getting attached to the sleep thing right now, just enjoying it and being grateful for it while it lasts. If I learned one thing the first time around it was NEVER GET ATTACHED. Things always change and this certainly goes for how much a baby sleeps. At least for my babies. 

We've had some lovely visitors lately. D's mom was here. She's a huge help and a tremendous fort buider. Also, my best lady came down to escape her cold and dark apartment post-Sandy. We made caramel apples and watched way too many eposides of Friday Night Lights. It was awesome. Besides hosting visitors and playing in the living room, our family has taken a fair amount of hikes -- good thing because time outdoors is so good for all of us. That we know for sure.  

Here are a few favorite shots from the last couple of weeks. 

Have fun out there, and if I don't say hello before Thursday, Happy Thanksgiving. 

L.  

 

:good fun:

Felix hasn't stopped talking about his new friend Oscar since we returned home from our trip a couple of weeks ago. This morning he asked to look at the photos I took during our visit and he often requests to watch the one video Dustin shot as the boys jumped around in their rain boots and orbited each other in the cutest way. Felix isn't the only one that had a great time and is missing our Asheville buddies. Looking forward to seeing this sweet family again sometime this fall. 

Thank you kooky internet/blog world for allowing me to get to know Heather. What a treat. 

:some favorites from our trip:

 

Home sweet home. Such a great trip. 

Back with more words when I catch my breath. 

xo, 
Leya  

:back to nature:

We're leaving town in a few hours to make our way west for a little mountain vacation (babymoon!), our last as a family of three. Oh my!

We're very much looking forward to hanging with friends. Get this: we're meeting and staying with a wonderful blog friend I've emailed with a thousand times, but have never actually met in person. It's a blog friend blind date!  

We also can't wait to get out in some of the natural beauty that surrounds Asheville and spend one of our nighs away in a comfy hotel suite where we plan to splash around with Felix in the hotel pool. It's also Dustin's 37th birthday weekend! A doozy, right?  

Okay, see you on the other side. Have a great weekend. 

L. 

p.s. Here are a few more shots from our family day at the Eno River last weekend. Such a lovely day. 

:snaps from the weekend:

there was...

a wonderful, drenching thunderstorm
a significant amount of wildcaught salmon bought and prepped for future meals
a trip to the farmers market for fruit, veggies and the tastiest eclair I have ever eaten
some quiet play with beads and laces
a nice hike and swim in the river with my boys
a black snack spotted on a log...leading to a case of the heebie jeebies for me
quiet time with his current favorite books
some delicious and simple summer meals

and
a couple of nice days with my people. the best. 

hope you had a sweet weekend. 

xo, 
leya

 

a morning hike

A chilly walk with my boys next to the Eno River. Morning hikes are the best -- something I hope to do more of in 2012.

 

an afternoon at the arboretum

we've been trying to take in some of the best things about Philadelphia before we hit the road in, um, just under three weeks. we had a great time exploring the grounds and introducing our little guy to some mighty fine trees. I was in such a terrible mood before going. luckily, the whole scene helped me move into a much better space...at least for the afternoon. ugh...being a grump is no fun.
anyway, if you live nearby, please go visit sometime soon. there is plenty of shade to be had.

hope you had a nice weekend in your neck of the woods.

xo,
leya

 

We're back from the beach. Felix approved, well, mostly. He didn't love it when wet sand stuck to his hands, but that's pretty understandable. I'm not a fan of that either. We had a great time introducing him to the sea.

Off to get my week started.

Have a great day,
L.

p.s. Thanks to my friend Stephanie for the great photos she snapped.

snaps from the weekend

I had a wonderful Mother's Day with my two favorite boys. They treated me to breakfast and a trip out of the city to one of my favorite spots -- Terrain. We also made a trip to a local orchard for a picnic and some petting zoo fun for Felix. He wasn't sure about the ostriches and the billy goats, but he seemed very keen on all the hens, ducks, sweet little lambs, and last but not least, the pigs. That boy has farming in his blood.

In addition to all the fun out and about, I was also able to do a bit of gardening. Several of my succulents were repotted and given fresh soil. Our radishes are coming right along out there too -- looking forward to slicing one up and sprinkling it with a little sea salt sometime soon.

I hope your weekend was a good time.

{this moment}

A Friday ritual started by SouleMama. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Have a wonderful weekend!