a week's worth of odds + ends
^ helping mama re-decorate after halloween ^
^ made applesauce for birdie from 20 pounds of apples ^
^ we got birdie a down blanket now that it gets cold at night & she is in love ^
Last time I did one of these it was the middle of september and instead of a newborn I had a "baby bump." The fact that I'm doing one of these again makes me ever so happy because it means two things: 1) we survived the first month 2) we have a routine again as a family. I remember with Birdie the first month felt like a hundred years "will we ever get more than an hour of sleep?!!" or "will she ever not cry so much" were the kind of thoughts that constantly cycled through our minds. This time around we know better and instead of being stuck in the "when" mentality we know that we will sleep again (perhaps not "soon" but "someday" and that's ok) and we know that the crying does taper off right around now. We also know that there is so much from this first month that we will miss and we try to be intentional about cherishing and enjoying all those wonderful things that come with having a newborn - the smell, the little grunts, those crazy arms of theirs, their practically weightless bodies (especially when compared to a hefty toddler) and just how darn cuddly they are.
But it's not all roses, obviously, and since time is of the essence these days I thought I'd make it a little easier on myself this week but filling out one of these lists again. And you KNOW how I love my lists so!!
Making: applesauce. actually anything with apples. Oh, and banana nut bread!!
Cooking: see above. clearly crafts are not happening around here these days...
Drinking: tea, lots and lots of tea but my favorite is to wind down with a cup of sleepy time with honey
Reading: everything I can get my hands on about acid reflux in infants
Wanting: to visit the northeast, autumn inevitably makes me miss places like DC and New York
Looking: at tutorials on how to refinish a table, I decided I hate the stain on our Ikea one
Playing: make believe tea party with Birdie. It's something I dreamed of doing with my daughter one day for years and it makes my heart skip a beat that we've finally "arrived" at that moment. It's even more magical than I dreamed it would be
Wasting: paper? Between how much we order out and how many diapers we go through these days I'm pretty sure we're solely responsible for the destruction of the planet at this point...
Sewing: a button back on a flannel shirt that I got out of my "fall" box of clothes. I only discovered it had fallen off when I was already out in public. Perfect.
Wishing: I was on vacation some place tropical with warm sun, sand and watermelon, lots and lots of watermelon. And french fries, for good measure.
Enjoying: watching the relationship between my two babies blossom, it's incredible
Waiting: for the holidays to really get into full swing (hint: when I can officially listen to nothing but christmas music, papa bear holds that decision in his hands as he does not share my affinity/obsession with christmas)
Liking: halloween costumes on Instagram. I don't know that I've ever had more fun than last Friday when I literally spent hours marveling at people's creativity with costumes!
Wondering: what kind of personality Teddy will have. I'm so eager to find out!!
Loving: this season of life. I could never really explain why even though it's exceedingly difficult it's also so, so good. It's messy and crazy and unpredictable and exhausting but also absolutely marvelous and beautiful and magical and just plain perfect.
Hoping: for a good amount of snow this winter. And by good I mean like a foot and I'll be happy. No more and hoping not too much less.
Marveling: at this sweet boy of mine. His patience and his kind and peaceful spirit.
Needing: an initial necklace for Teddy to match the one I have for Birdie (suggestions appreciated!)
Smelling: Teddy's head. I'm going to enjoy as much of his newborn smell as I can before it's gone.
Wearing: honestly? Pajama pants like every day. It's still difficult to find a pair of pants that don't somehow irritate my incision so I end up living in one pair of pj's that are actually comfortable.
Following: the lives of my fellow mamas with new babies. It's always reassuring to feel like you're not in this alone.
Noticing: the passage of time much more acutely this time around.
Knowing: that this is exactly where I'm supposed to be right now - loving on and taking care of my people.
Thinking: about better ways to organize my days with these two kids.
Feeling: tired, happy, grateful, frustrated, relieved, confused and tired. And some more tired.
Bookmarking: birthday and christmas presents for my favorite people
Opening: SO MUCH MAIL. Why????
Giggling:
with a very, very silly toddler.