sleepy sunshine

We're not in Hawaii, but I feel like saying Aloha. This morning, our little man was up with the birds, so we popped him in the baby jogger and took a walk down the beach. The sun was just coming up over the palm trees, the water was calm, and the beach was nearly deserted. It reminded us so much of Maui... besides the fact that this time around, we've got a chubby, bubbly baby in tow.

{Charlie has decided that, instead of sleeping through the night, he'll be waking up every two hours or so, thank you very much. I'd moan about it... except I can't think of a better place than the beach for taking mid-afternoon naps!}

gone fishin'

I'm taking a bit of a hiatus from the blog world for my family's much-anticipated annual vacation to the Sunshine State. {You can check out last year's trip here and here.}

I've checked out my usual 18 books from the library in anticipation of catching up on some much-needed book lovin'... but this is also the first year that Mr. Charlie is coming along with, and I have a feeling the trip will be a bit different with a 3 month old in tow. Just a bit...

We leave in the morning. Did I mention we're driving? With a 3 month old? I'll let you know how that goes... {Although I'm no stranger to car rides with little babies. Did I ever tell you about the time my 8-month-old sister puked into my other sibling's mouth in the backseat of the van, while we were driving down the highway? No joke: I've never heard anyone scream so loud in my entire life.}

Wish us luck! {Or at least a puke-free drive...}

: Chris and Katie :

Tonight, it took us an hour to get Charlie to sleep. That baby was a serious ball of overstimulated, overtired, over-everything nerves. After lots of tears, rocking, and baby puke all over my shirt, our little man is finally in bed. Finally.

I needed a bit of escape before my own bedtime... an escape back to clinking glasses, a glowing bride, and lots of happy little kiddos running everywhere. Why? Because tinkling crystal and beautiful dresses remind me that this baby-spit-up-stage doesn't last forever... and because watching little kids toddling everywhere reminds me that, all too soon, my own little guy will be toddling right along with them, and I'll be missing the days when he'd cuddle in my arms as I rocked, and rocked, and rocked...

...sans baby puke, of course.

***

Here are photos that I should have posted forever ago! They were all taken by my studly second shooter {didn't he do a fabulous job?!}. Katie and Chris had a beautiful wedding reception, and wow, take a look at that last picture--how cute are those kids?!

my first mother's day

We celebrated a la vanilla lattes and apple fritters, tulips, hydrangeas, a giant handmade poster, and a nice snooze... I'm hoping to finish off the day with a good run, followed by a good snuggle with my little man and his daddy. {There'll be diapers, a runny nose to reckon with, and more than a few tears before bedtime as well... but I wouldn't be celebrating today if those things didn't exist, now would I?}

Here's to my beautiful mom, my mother-in-law, and the many other amazing moms that I know. I wouldn't know how to do this if it wasn't for you :)

{video archives} one-month checkup

Here's another video; this one is {unbelievably} from two months ago:

birthday boy

Happy, happy birthday to Marty...



...husband extraordinairre, amazing daddy, and my absolute bestest friend, forever and ever :)

little ladies

I shot these photos late last summer, but -- due to a bit o' home renovation craziness -- just got around to posting them now. Aren't these two little cuties adorable? :)