lately...

:: its halloween costume time!


:: amanda and logan (and the little giraffe in utero!) came up for a visit. we had our traditional pregnant leatherby's lunch! with sundaes for dessert, of course.

:: baby boy is digging his play mat and is starting to bat and grab at toys!

:: the sisters and tommy came up for saturday visit!. we ate at the cheesecake factory and then cruised the mall. it was awesome.


:: finn is spending more time in his crib. but he thinks it is for playtime, instead of naptime. any tips for the big transition mamas?

:: cousin brenna is engaged! her fiance is teddy and together, they are too cute for words. the party was at don giovanni and it was delicious, fun, and beautiful. finn wore his first oxford shirt for the occasion. and he sure loves his uncle pat! (and sticking his hand down my dress)

:: i am in loooooove with my new battery operated candles. did you know they have timers to turn on every night when it gets dark and flicker away for four hours? genius.

:: mimi came to babysit while katie took me out for a lunch date! lucky finn and lucky me.

:: the mom of one of ryan's friend made finn this outfit and i just had to take a picture of him in it for her. when i looked at the picture, i shrieked - my baby is a ginger! so pops appropriately named him "gingersnap" - my favorite nickname for the little guy yet.

:: sara mary's birthday is coming! so we gathered at tracey's for an indian summer fiesta! i can't tell you how tasty that skinny girl margarita tasted after a looooooooong summer without my favorite cocktail.

:: tracey's house was so spooky...poor little finn looks freaked out!


:: and here is our boy...he may look melancholy, but i assure you, he is quite excited for his first halloween.

finn goes to the park

we love this place. especially around 6 pm. the light is intoxicating.

you see, each day i watch darkness slowly creep over our backyard and i feel a momentary twinge of sadness. another day, another sweet day is gone. finn is one day older.

and then i quickly remember my ace in the hole. as the sunlight escapes the rest of the neighborhood, we head to the park and find it still ablaze in the most glorious of light. its like finding three more m&m's tucked in the corner of the bag just when you thought they were all gone.

and it makes these precious baby days last just a little bit longer.

those toes are like candy to me. each one like a delicious little jelly bean.


and this boy, all awash in this golden light, this angel of a boy....well, he is my heaven.

the pumpkin patch

if i said i hadn't dreamt of taking my first born to the pumpkin patch for years....i would be lying. the pumpkin patch is among my favorite of all adventures. so much that i went each year, well before mr. finn came along.

so this trip to the patch was extra special. what i did not anticipate is that it would be nearly 90 degrees with no shade in sight...and this lady is not a fan of that kind of heat, both for herself, and for her fair skinned boys. our stay was short, but oh the fun we had.

finn's first hayride!

daddy and finn in search of the perfect pumpkin. i like the white pumpkins best. daddy likes the big orange ones.

finn really loved the patch. so much that not one little whimper escaped from those little lips of his. not even when mama made him sit in the prickly hay for a little photo. i just couldn't resist.

we left the patch with more pumpkins than we planned on, a bit of sweat on our brows and a little boy who can't wait for next year when he can pick out his very own perfect pumpkin (despite the blase expression on his face in the above picture :).

twelve hours...

...at casa de awesome.

1. finn has breakfast. 2. finn and mama lounge in bed chatting with tante rach.

3. sister makes pancakes. mama has breakfast.

4. finn has a sad moment. 5. followed by a moment of elation.

6. papa gives finn a nice place for a little morning nap. 7. oma gives finn his first jack-o-lantern.

8. the headley's come to visit! 9. kelsey gives finn a nice place for a litte afternoon nap.

10. tante emily holds finn as we take an evening stroll. finn decides to nap.

11. rach and mama bear looking as cute as ever. 12. daddy shows us his new trick.

13. oma and papa talk to finn about....who knows what. maybe about fruit trees? or labradors?

14. daddy fries up some chicken. and we all eat it. 15. night falls over casa de awesome.

triple date {at home}

now that we have babies and dogs who are quite attached to their mamas and papas, date nights at home are much more practical for the time being.


turns out, they are much more fun too.


so we gathered at charlie and christy's with trela and enjoyed a night on the veranda with food, vino for the girls, beer for the boys...and of course, our baby boys.


getting to know you, getting to know all about you...


i know, i know. apparently my poor baby looks like freddy krueger in this outfit.



my favorite part was watching our babies, who were completely unfazed by our rambunctious laughter and adult talk, while sitting at a table littered with a delightful array of wine glasses, pacifiers, bottles, burp cloths and brownies....



happy night.

two months

:: finn finally smiles! and NOTHING has ever made me happier. it is so completely adorable and oh so addictive.

:: he is one hungry boy. and prefers that his meals be served quick, warm and every two hours.

:: this babe is still a good nighttime sleeper (knock on wood) and wakes up once or twice for a midnight (or 4 a.m.) snack.

:: he really only cries when he is hungry, bored or stuck in the carseat for too long. and he usually gives a little whimper or shriek before he begins wailing. i like to think of it as finn's warning cry-he gives me a chance to respond before really losing it. i think that's so thoughtful of him.

:: his favorite thing is to lay on his back. he kicks his legs, jerks his arms around and takes in the sights. this is when we get the most smiles and coos out of him.

:: finn takes one long morning nap and just moved on from sleeping in the swing to the crib yesterday. what a big boy! that is about it on the nap front, unless he falls asleep while being held, or in the car. but its ok-at least mama can count on a shower every morning. woo hoo!

:: this boy is wearing either 3-6 months or plain old 6 month sized clothes...it blows my mind how quickly he grows. i am pretty much packing away clothes every week! (tear)

:: every morning i wake up excited for my day with finn. and contrary to what i thought, some of my favorite days are the ones where we have nowhere to go and nothing to do and i can spend every moment just soaking him up. we truly love him more each day and wonder what we did for fun before he arrived...it's just that good.

*finn absolutely refused to look at me so this was the best shot we got. the picture i took right after this one shows a very unhappy baby. but isn't his outfit cute? does it look familiar to anyone?

things i am loving right now...

that rain on asphalt smell. one of my top ten favorite scents for sure.

the changing light.


adding orange to my black and white kitchen.

and creepy skulls to my living room.

the first pot roast of fall. and family to share it with.


three generations of kelly boys.


the return of the psl.


leaves in the gutter.

old, yet cherished uggs on my feet.


and socks on baby feet.


a busy squirrel at the park...


...a frightened squirrel gets outta dodge...


...and finn looks on in shock at the whole fiasco.


watching these three simple ingredients...


...turn into this. the best red sauce i have ever had. not kidding. or exaggerating.


the way finn sticks his tongue out when we come in for a kiss.

finding a box on my doorstep that contained this little gem...


the baby swing. need i say more?

the moby wrap. 'nuff said.

flashback

daddy's hand and finn's feet. august 15th and october 1st

spontaneous smiles on daddy's chest. september 30th and august 24th

finn and ever. some three and a half years apart. same outfit. same pacifier. and somehow, same darling little noses.

does anyone know how i can freeze time and make my baby stop growing for just a month or so?

apple hill