Holiday Cheer

Happy holidays!

It's really starting to feel like Christmas around here:). Though I couldn't get a decent photo of our tree, here are a few photos of our home, dressed for the holidays. 

I don't go overboard with Christmas decorations, but having a few splashes of red and dashes of glitter here and there really makes me happy.

(plus, with the 24/7 Christmas music that started in late October, we really don't need to go too crazy with the decorations, do we? It already feels like we have elves in the house:))

I do want to add some greenery to the railing in our living room (above). I'll post some photos of the tree as soon as I can get some decent photos of it, as I have some very special ornaments that I'd like to share with you:).

And this is the best snapshot I was able to take of our 2011 Christmas card. This photo was taken while we were at Cape Cod in September. I liked it so much that I decided to use it as our holiday card:).  I also fell in love with the vintage-y floral card design that I found on Shutterfly.

This weekend we're going to a local tree lighting and doing some last-minute outdoor prep for the winter. It's finally starting to feel like winter around here.... we may have a white Christmas after all... :). You?

Enjoy the weekend:)

xox

Thankful

I'm thankful for so many things.

B had his one-year birthday on November 22nd. I cannot believe how quickly this past year has gone by. My baby turned into a little boy, with just the blink of an eye. We had a quiet celebration for him, in which we remembered every detail about the day he was born. We celebrated with pink champagne and toasted to the year, and all of the joy and love that this little being has brought to us. Cheers to another year, a lifetime of love.

B & grandma blowing out a birthday candle

Two days later, we had a full house of twenty-three for a Thanksgiving feast. In all of the craziness and chaos of the holidays, I feel so very grounded and fortunate to see familiar & loving faces and to be surrounded by people I love. 

One of our two Thanksgiving tables- a house full of love and good food:)

We went to Matt's high school reunion last weekend. It's so remarkable to me to see a side of him that I never knew. He's my husband, my best friend, yet I'm privileged to learn something new about him every now and then. 

We also got our Christmas tree last weekend, just in time to welcome December. I like to get my tree as early as I can and leave it up for as long as I can (without being too offensive;)). Our house smells of pine and the tree is adorned with twinkle lights and little ornaments, all of which have their own special associations. And by the way, B loves to look at the ornaments. His favorite two seem to be the wooden train (pronounced 'tuh') and the red bicycle. :)

We get our tree from a very sweet, family-owned & run, local tree farm. It's a five-minute drive from our home, the daughters bake chocolate chip cookies and offer us hot chocolate, the chickens taunt Luna from their coop, the mother dotes on Ben, and the whole family is just cute-to-boot. We plan to support them for years and years to come. 

Here's Matt cutting down the tree.... not sure what Ben is doing in the background:).

Happy December to you & yours. 

xox

dreaming of a white christmas

or maybe I don't have to dream...

It's snowing here in Massachusetts.

And there's absolutely nowhere I have to be

but home,

homemade cocoa... see the cinnamon stick? :)

 with Matt upstairs and my little bunny by the tree.

Is it snowing where you are?

xoxo

Sunday naps and Christmas card photos

earlier in the day- activity time with dad & Luna

Happy Sunday. It's cold, rainy and dark here today. I'm sitting here with my sleeping baby on my chest, my sleeping hubby on the couch next to me and a sleeping pup on her blanket by the fire. There is no place I'd rather be:).

We finally ordered our Christmas cards. Usually, I shoot for perfection (or as close to it as I can get). Matt humors me as we take 200 (yes, 200!!;)) photos until Matt, Luna and I are all looking at the camera with happy, Christmassy expressions. 


Take #1

 This year, with my new-found style of breast milk and spit-up-stained clothing, unwashed hair and yesterday's lunch crumbs still hanging out on the coffee table, perfection is not the goal.


Take #2

 So, after three takes, we got a shot. Not perfect, but we captured a real moment, so that, in and of itself, makes it perfect.
 

Take #3


(thank you, also, for editing software;))

Have a lovely week:)

xoxo

settling in

Hello, December.

Thank you all for your well wishes and sweet comments on the arrival of Benjamin:). We're settling in with him, just in time for the cold front. The fireplace insert is running 24/7 and it's requiring a lot of extra work (and wood) to keep the house warm. But warm & toasty it is for the little guy, who, I have to say, all biases aside, is really a sweet & good little boy :).

We came home from the hospital in time for Thanksgiving. We had a quiet meal, which was a drastic change from our usual hosting of 25 family members:). This year, it was just the four of us, sitting by the fire, eating a (delicious!) pre-cooked turkey dinner from our local grocery store. It was relaxing and just what we needed after the hospital blur (but we do look forward to our tradition of football games and 25 stuffed bellies again next year...wait, make that 26 bellies).

Since Thanksgiving, we've been spending our time with Benjamin, staring at him, learning him and watching him take in this whole new world around him. I find myself often apologizing to him, ie. when it takes 20 minutes just to change his onesie 'honey, mama is new at this', or when I take his diaper off and forget to cover the stream of pee that soaks his chest 'mama's learning too, sweetie'. But all in all, it does seem that the past two weeks have made me a progressively better mama and he seems to be getting more patient and comfortable with both his mom & dad.

And seeing his dad with him just melts my heart. He gets this proud look. And this whole fatherhood thing seems to come quite easily for him. Another asset to add to the list of the reasons why I love him;).

And then there's the fourth (well, she would say she's the third). She has adjusted amazingly well. No adjustment at all, really. She seems to think that she is B's mama. I often spy her monitoring him while he naps. She sleeps near his moses basket, barks a bit sooner and louder when she hears outside noises. She protects him. It's really sweet. (But who am I kidding- this is no surprise;)).

So, happy December. I'm very much looking forward to my first real December in blogland:). I hope you are all enjoying this magical (and maybe a bit crazy;)) month. I look forward to basking in it all here with you:).

Thanks for stopping by.

xoxo

Welcome Benjamin Charles:)

Hello friends!

I just wanted to post an update that sweet Benjamin Charles came into the world yesterday, 11/22/2010, at 7:57 pm, weighing 9 pounds! He's healthy and we're all doing well, getting as much sleep in the hospital as we can. We'll be home just in time for a cozy Thanksgiving dinner and we have a lot to be thankful for.

I hope you all have a lovely holiday. I'll post pictures of the little guy soon:).

xoxo