finn goes on vacation.

all i wanted for my birthday was a little family escape. our first family weekend trip. to the beach.

of course.

it's no secret that i love a good road trip. and it was nothing short of awesome having our little stowaway, finn, in the backseat.

we stopped for some diner food. at fremont diner. oh. my. word. and another stop at lagunitas.

naturally.

and then we arrived.


i used to daydream about bringing my baby to the coast for the first time. i couldn't believe it was really happening! and just as we predicted...he loved it.

mr. kelly got us a room with a view! fancy!

and a heated pool!

finn came prepared with swim attire.

i can't tell you how obsessed with these pictures we are. it is close to dangerous. but i mean, c'mon - don't the glasses just send you over the edge? what is it about a baby in sunglasses? it gets me every time.

finn wasn't so sure about being in a large body of water for the first time. but he slowly came around when daddy started blowing bubbles.

finally, we hit the sand. it was gorgeous and i couldn't believe that it had been almost a year since my last visit.

seaside nursing session. perhaps a bit silly, but it was a pretty special moment for me. just about as spiritual as this girl gets.

and our baby. his first beach picture.

it was kinda windy and neither finn or i are big fans of the wind, so our stay was short...

but pretty memorable.

mr. kelly couldn't leave without finding a few shells to take home. i love his silhouette.

we ended our adventure with sunset at bodega head trail...

and then, pizza and cookies in our hotel room. and we were all asleep by eight thirty.

perfect.

seven months

it's been a big month for you, finn!

and it is your first monthday picture SITTING!

........................

* you have two bottom teeth! they are so adorable and so white!

* you are a great eater, and the only thing that you are not too fond of is avocado, which really surprises us considering that your daddy and i are obsessed with them.

* you still put everything in your mouth. as evidenced below.

* not sure what happened, but you started waking up several times during the night in the last month. not quite sure what to do about it, but we need to figure it out soon.

* you would nurse all day if you could. and all night. everytime i hold you, you rotate your body sideways, pull my shirt down, and bury your head in my chest. everyone gets a kick out of it and sometimes it makes me blush.

* you only laugh when something is really funny to you - no courtesy laughs here. but when you do let loose, it is the best sound in the whole wide world.

* your hair is finally growing in on your bald spots...and it is pretty blond!

*your favorite things are outside, daddy, your fresh food mesh feeder, and still, anything that makes a plastic, crinkly noise.

* you have become much more independent in your seventh month: and it has made for a much more productive mama.

*daddy's favorite thing this month is your excited, screaming smiley face and my favorite thing is the way you hold something and rotate your wrist back and forth, examining the object from all sides. it is adorbs.

finn, you are like the eighth wonder of the world to us. everything about you is just incredible and utterly mesmerizing.

especially those little toes.

finn sits!

about two weeks ago, finn started sitting up. this really feels like the biggest milestone so far. clearly, he is really enjoying his new found perspective and seems to be in wonder of the world around him-almost as if his view makes everything new again! it is so sweet to watch.

doesn't he just look so proud of himself?!

we certainly are proud of you, finner. so very, very proud.

insta dump (i.e. the longest post ever)

:: finn can read!
:: finn and grandma great

:: finn and his fresh food mesh feeder. obsession.

:: six month well baby check.

:: finally! diapers can dry in the sun again.

:: finn and his two blonde grandmas. he likes blondes and he looooves these two.

:: i painted finn's new high chair! he digs it.

:: he is so discreet in when he is naked and there is a camera around.
:: we met (and fell in love with) em and tommy's new puppy: oakley!

:: uncle trev came for a visit...
:: and he brought bubbles!

:: my baby sits in a cart.

:: hard to wake up on the wrong side of the bed when this face greets you.

:: finn met katie! and he decided that he loves her.

:: family dessert date.
:: beer week in sacramento!

:: tante r.

:: bfd. (breakfast for dinner)

:: three sisters

:: wassup

baby in brown

i always say that i love a baby in white.

and now, i can confidently say that a baby boy in brown is equally delicious.

that's all.

playdate at the park

last saturday it felt like it was summer. well kinda. but it definitely felt like spring!! short-sleeves-hang-out-at-the-park with friends kinda weather.

so i packed a blanket and some fancy cheese. christy smuggled in some champagne and oj. and we both brought our baby boys.

we joked that it felt like we were packing for a romantic date at the park :)

while there was no romance in the air, there was ALL kinds of fun. we sat on that blanket for almost two hours. chatting, corralling scooters and rollers, sipping, giggling. we even got to see tracey! a dreamy afternoon....

nothing like a park date and a blanket, to make me really feel like a mom.

i couldn't love it it anymore.

i can't pick my favorite, so here are eight very similar photos of my babe.