Maybe it's the Long Hair?

I don't know what it is lately, but these are three conversations

 that have occurred just in the last few weeks alone:

Waitress at dinner handing me a wine menu (then abruptly taking it back):

"Um, are you even 21?"

Midwife at follow up appointment:

"You look like a senior in high school, not a mother of two..."

and my personal favorite

20 something guy knocking on doors selling newspaper subscriptions:

 "Are your parents home?"

really? I'm going to be 28 next month. I guess I will just take all this as a compliment?!

(also, I promise I don't wear this shirt everyday, it's just a coincidence that I have been wearing it in

pretty much every picture taken of me lately... Oh, you hadn't noticed? Glad I brought it up then.)

Motherboy.

Three Months Old

Dear Oren,

You are three months old today. Three months is said to be the magical age where newborns finally begin to adjust to life on the outside (the 4th trimester if you will) and the age I have been longing for since your nightly fits of colic first began. But you know what?... despite all the crying and fussiness, it still came too fast. As happy as I am that you are finally settling into your new life out here in the big bright world, I wish I could keep you my little baby forever. I love that when I pick you up after a long nap you still tuck your legs up to your chest and curl into a sleepy little ball. I love the smell of your skin and your sweet milky breath hot on my neck while you sleep, deep and sweaty on my skin. I love how soft your hair still is and how the bottom of your feet are still smooth and untouched. I love all the new things you're doing, like starting to roll over (you're this close!) and reaching out and trying to hold things. But every time you do something new my heart breaks a little too. You are changing too fast, growing like a weed and before I even know it you will be running around just like your brother, busy and curious and ready to take on the world.

***

At night I put you to bed in your bassinet right beside me. But most nights, after you wake for your first feeding I can't resist the urge to rest your head on my pillow and lay there with you, nose to nose. Your little hands exploring my face, listening to your soft coos and the happy noises you make as I whisper to you in the dark. And after awhile you finally begin to tire, your little legs stop kicking and your eyelids start to close. I curl my body up around your tiny one and hold on to you for dear life. I watch you dream and smile in your sleep and I soak in every minute I have with you small and sweet and all mine.

***

These last three months have been heaven sent. No matter how much crying you have done or how much rocking, bouncing or walking laps around the house I have done, I wouldn't take back a second of it. Every day I wake up with you there beside me feels like Christmas morning. Sometimes I think I must be the luckiest girl in the world and even winning the lottery wouldn't make me feel the way I felt the day I got you. Three months are already gone and my stomach twists a little and the lump in my throat grows bigger just thinking about how fleeting time is. I just want you to know how much I treasure you and I look forward to all the life we still have ahead of us to share.

I love you with all my heart,

Mommy



Meet Me at the Ritz

To celebrate Patty's birthday we got the girls together and spent the afternoon having tea at the Ritz. This is the third time we've been and it just keeps getting better and better. I can't think of a lovelier way to spend a Sunday. The music was delightful, the scones were to die for, and the company was even better.

No Ordinary Love

Saturday night I had the absolute pleasure of seeing Sade live for the first time in 10 agonizingly long years. I can't even begin to tell you how amazing it was. I love that woman. I'm 27 years old and I think I've had a girl crush on her for about 26 of those years. Actually, a crush is probably too casual a term. I would say it's definitely more of a long term monogamous relationship and I'm currently considering having her babies and planning for our retirement.

It could not have been a better night. I got to spend it with Josh, my dad and my stepmom Patty. A fantastic dinner on the patio at Zinc before the show, and one of the most mesmerizing bands I have ever had the privilege of seeing live. This band is incredible --- so unbelievably talented at their craft. Their 20+ years experience was more than evident. Stuart Matthewman practically made love to his saxophone and the backup singer played guitar and the flute. The freaking backup singer! The production was outstanding, the video and lighting were spot on and did I mention we had floor seats? The entire band changed costumes four times. Who does that?! And of course there was Sade herself. She was flawless, she was beautiful, she was just...Sade. What can I say? She's the standard by which I compare every other singer to. And no one has yet to come close. I will happily wait another ten years for a shot at one more night like this. Perfection.

Guess What...

We Found a Babysitter!!!We Found a Babysitter!!!We Found a Babysitter!!!We Found a Babysitter!!!We Found a Babysitter!!!We Found a Babysitter!!!We Found a Babysitter!!!We Found a Babysitter!!!

We Found a Babysitter!!!We Found a Babysitter!!!We Found a Babysitter!!!We Found a Babysitter!!!We Found a Babysitter!!!We Found a Babysitter!!!We Found a Babysitter!!!We Found a Babysitter!!!

We Found a Babysitter!!!We Found a Babysitter!!!We Found a Babysitter!!!We Found a Babysitter!!!We Found a Babysitter!!!We Found a Babysitter!!!We Found a Babysitter!!!We Found a Babysitter!!!

We Found a Babysitter!!!We Found a Babysitter!!!We Found a Babysitter!!!We Found a Babysitter!!!We Found a Babysitter!!!We Found a Babysitter!!!We Found a Babysitter!!!We Found a Babysitter!!!

Her name is Lori and I think I love her already.

RELIEF.

It's a 4th of July Picture Bonanza!

First of all, our day started with this...

so, we knew it was going to be good

(homemade banana bread french toast)

Then there was the neighborhood kid's parade

(in case you were wondering, wes did not win for

 best decorated bike or trike. next year it's so on)

Then a little swimming

A cookout/eat in

(my grandma lillian's potato salad recipe. I miss her so!)

(I sent ben a text earlier asking him to bring two liters --- as in soda.

sufficed to say, he read it wrong)

(then we sang happy birthday to america and ate the delicious cake abby made)

And of course, fireworks (and fireflies)

(special thanks to marisa, victor and jessica for the fantastic photos!)