Fall Retreat

Greg took Nathan camping on Saturday night at Cane Creek Park. Nanny came up to play with baby Mark and relieve me while the "big boys" were away. I was able to take care of some shopping Saturday night, and then had a nice long run and some time by myself on Sunday morning. When Greg and Nathan got home, she sent us away for lunch on our own. THANK YOU, MAMA! I needed that more than I even knew. I feel so refreshed and relaxed, and ready for this week.

We played outside Sunday afternoon and captured some sweet smiles.

Clap Your Hands

15 minutes in the pack n' play

After nearly a year of having Mark in the family, the value of the pack n' play has finally become apparent to me. He only tolerated it for about 15 minutes yesterday, but still...


Nathan asked to get in, too. He actually liked playing in there long after Mark was out and crawling around the house.

Blanket time & early morning playing

Here's a little taste of how quickly things move around here. It started like this, with both boys lying side by side on the cozy blanket.


Two seconds later, this was happening:


Mark was after something that moves...


And Nathan was after something that connects...


This morning, Mark tackled the truck.


Doesn't he look excited? I just realized the photo is blurry. He's too active to get a clear shot these days! He likes turning it on its side and checking out the wheels, etc. when he's not climbing on it or pushing it around the house.

Another long night

We thought everything was going to be peaceful as both children went to bed without as much as a peep. However, around 12:30, the fun began. N cried out, then back to sleep until 2:30, when he cried out again. Finally, around 4, I got up to see what was the matter. We rocked for a few minutes. As soon as I climbed back into bed, he started screaming again. It was Daddy's turn. I heard them discussing a booger in N"s nose as part of the problem. A tummy ache was also mentioned. G laid down the law and tried to silence him till morn, but it didn't "take."

I ended up going back to him again, changing a poopy diaper, and rocking him until he got good and tired. I am not entirely convinced that an upset tummy was really the problem, since all he could talk about as I laid him back in his bed was going to Nanny and PopPop's house tomorrow (today). Hhmmm...

M, on the other hand, had a very quiet night. He is cutting another tooth and is a cranky drool machine during the day. I guess he wore himself out yesterday because he slept hard all night long. Here he is in his favorite "naughty spot."


He loves to crawl under the desk anytime I am near the computer, and even when I'm not. I guess he likes his little nook.


See the drool coming down?

Updated photos from mountains & this morning

Playing in the gazebo at Lake Tomahawk

A chilly walk around the lake


Having fun in the stroller


Peek-a-boo
Just wait until I get my hands on the real thing

Why I've put off blogging...

It's kind of a reflection of my stage of life, I think. The camera batteries have been losing their charge in about a day's time. And right now, the camera is upstairs in the bonus room instead of in it's normal spot on the bookshelf. For some reason, the distance between the den and the bonus room is about as far as from here to China, and I often feel like I need a battery boost by mid-afternoon!

Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that we have two boys walking around the house these days. Yep, baby M is walking!!! He took his first step to me on Sunday afternoon. He's really into climbing onto furniture and toys, too. He takes a tumble really well and loves to "rough-house," even with me.

M is completely weaned as of about two weeks ago. He initiated, and the whole process was pretty quick and easy. We are both enjoying the new freedom that comes with whole milk in a cup. I think N has sensed the change. We've had some nights where he wakes up crying to be rocked, or for a bear that's fallen out of his bed. We are working through it, though, and I am making an effort to spend some time rocking him before bed. I knew there was a reason we kept that extra glider in his room.

I took both boys to a birthday party at Monkey Joe's on Saturday. It was a great illustration of the uniqueness of their personalities, as M dove literally headfirst onto the inflatables, while big brother cautiously considered and then joined in the fun. I was so proud of N when he climbed up a steep set of stairs and got ready to slide down. Turns out he needed me to go down with him, so I obliged. I agreed with him - it was a long way down from up there!


He loved the birthday cake.


I think he's pretty excited about his upcoming celebration. Where there is cake and the birthday song, my boy is happy. The little one, too, of course. I know it is cheesy, but I can't help but call them my "happy pumpkins." I love that they were born in the fall - such an invigorating and beautiful time of year. We took them to Black Mountain and the Blue Ridge Parkway a few weekends ago. There are pictures, and I will post them once I have a minute to download them.