Stamford Museum and Nature Center

Lots of trails, a lake, working farm, animals(even river otters!), awesome old mansion, picnic places and perhaps the best playground ever. If you are local, you most definitely should GO!

SMNC pt two

Alive.

Yes, we are indeed alive. And doing well, but the computer is in our room next to Liam's napping spot, so it just doesn't get turned on much.

I have some recent pics from our trip to the shore to share....

but first, updates.

Liam is doing great... sitting up,and just yesterday pulled himself forward onto his knees to reach a toy.... which means this weekend we'll be making the living room a bit more active-baby friendly just in case he decides to make a run (crawl) for it soon. He's started solids... and really loves avocado, banana and potato, but is also very stubborn and wants to do it all himself ;)

Aurora's doing great as well... happy, cheerful and sprightly as ever. Spending lots of time creating, both with paper and paints as well as whole imaginary worlds full of characters and friends. She's been playing 'school' a lot recently with her as the teacher. Fun for me to watch as this was one of my favorite games as a young child.

I've got a lot of knitting to share... eventually. And, 6months later, am starting to finally feel I've got a handle on what it means to have 2 children and all that that entails. Pete's doing well also. Spending lots of time in the lab (as he should be, I suppose) but really wonderful quality time with us when he's not :)

Okay... some pics!

And more at Flickr

{This Moment}

we're participating in SouleMama's {this moment} series...

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Spring has arrived!

And we are jumping for joy...

bare feet and all!

Updates on us to come soon... we are all doing okay... just still trying to learn what it means to have two, and especially one who's currently dealing with Reflux and seems to think two a.m. is absolutely the best time of day to be wide awake...

One Month Old Today

Time sure is flying. Liam is already one month old. On the one hand, it feels like he was born yesterday... on the other hand, hasn't he been part of our family forever?

Liam's starting to settle in more and more... he certainly recognizes his sister's voice... he perks right up when he hears her nearby. His favorite place to be is in the sling right against mama's heart, so that's where he is much of the time. That's where he is now. He sleeps like a newborn... which of course means we don't much at all. He has the cutest little smile which, I swear, is intended at least part of the time. And he also has this amazing sad little pout, with bottom lip quivering, that I know he'll use to his advantage as he gets older ;) We're overcoming a bout with thrush which, as any breastfeeding mama who's had it before knows, has been quite painful for me. Luckily we seem to be on the mend. From the very beginning Liam's also had very noisy/raspy/wheezy breathing at times, along with some gagging... this has been quite frightening for us and brought us into the doctors a couple of times. Turns out, its reflux. Rory had this too, but it presented quite differently. He's on medicine now, which seems to be helping some. He's more comfortable and while his breathing is still somewhat loud, its gotten better. We were at the doctors a week ago for the thrush and he weighed 10lbs 7oz!!! The reflux has not affected his appetite!!

Yesterday, we had an early taste of spring, so we headed out for a short walk together as a family. It ended up being a very short walk, as there was quite a bit of wind, but it was wonderful to be out all together.

Snow Day!!!

Finally, some more snow has come to Connecticut!!! Despite very cold temps, we haven't had any snow since around the beginning of January... and my little one LOVES the snow. So here's to a very happy snow day!



I stayed inside with the babe, so these pictures were taken through the living room window... not the best, but they'll do.

Most of our snow accumulation forecast is still yet to come... we're hoping for about a foot or so... yay!

For the birds

Our Martinmas Lanterns

Aurora enjoyed this so much! Martinmas will now have a permanent place on our holiday calendar, I believe. And it has inspired me to to take a closer look at some of the lesser known/celebrated holidays and festivals- next up would be Santa Lucia in December.

working on her lantern (she loved the gluestick!)

a very, very happy girl

out for our lantern walk

back home, the lantern aglow on our Nature Table

St. Martin was a noble military officer who sliced his cloak in half and gave one half to a freezing beggar. He later dreamed that the beggar had been Christ, or a messenger of Christ, and was moved to give up his Military career for a life of peace and service, in God's name.

Next year, I plan to have Aurora help me gather up her warm winter clothes that she's outgrown and help me deliver them to shelter or donation center. Another way people celebrate is by having a meal in which each person has a roll or muffin that they then slice in half and offer half to the person sitting next to them.... we'll plan to do this, too.

@ the pumpkin patch

We had absolutely beautiful fall weather for our trip to the pumpkin patch last weekend! Aurora was just getting over being sick and cooped up for several days and was so, so happy to finally be outside again. Oh, that's a ladybug on her finger in the last pic- possibly the highlight of the trip for her.

Late Night WIP Wednesday Update...

It's all done!

The Shore in October

The NJ Shore becomes a very different place in October than when we are there in July. The crowds have mostly gone, and nature returns to reclaim her throne. The colors and light change, the water is still warm- but the air quite cool, and the sights that are somewhat rare in July- live horseshoe crabs, flocks of sandpipers- become common. It's a wonderful treat for all the senses.

then there was this crazy thing/person flying around. He didn't really seem to have great control of it, either, so it was kinda scary. The shore in October also means that the beach patrols are gone, so anything goes, there were a few people driving on the beach too.... annoying.

chalk....

These are from a while ago... when I was taking a break from the blog, but I wanted to get them up here still, so I'd be sure to have captured the memory of them.

For about two weeks late in the summer, Aurora was all about the sidewalk chalk. She spent hours with it... It was quite the sidewalk, lol. What started out as just scribbles, soon turned into a closed circle shape- a big step in itself. Then one day she ran over exuberantly proclaiming that she "made a people like me! It has eyes!!!" I followed her over to where she was working to find this:

her very first person pictograph

While expressing my amazement, she set to work on another:
Then, a few days later started asking us to write the words for things she had drawn. As well as her name, again and again. One day, after Pete had written her name for her, she picked up the chalk and ...
The letter A's and people drawings have popped up elsewhere in her artwork, but never as many as those two weeks where her whole life was about the chalk.

I just love watching her developing art!