cherry blossoms.

we saw them! we made the trip to the tidal basin last Friday before all the cherry blossoms fell. this was a huge step for us, since i am normally so addicted to keeping henry on his nap/bedtime schedule. and although we had some tears, we had some of the biggest smiles and laughs we've ever seen out of our little guy. he loves being outside and loves being part of a big crowd (just like his papa mickey. ahem shopping on black friday). i just love the flowering trees of DC.

henry laughs.

laura + babies come to town.

a few weeks ago, my sister laura came to visit us from minnesota and she brought her funny and adorable babies, elijah and evie. they are such a cute duo, and we wish they lived closer to us! she came down to throw a double baby shower for my sisters, due in june and july - both with little boys! i just love talking about all things baby with all my sisters and watch them dote on henry, and see them prepare to bring their own little baby boys into the world. i know henry will make an excellent rabble rouser and gang leader. or at least he will be able to plot a curve of how to have fun for the other boys (nerd joke - my sisters tease me that henry will be a smartie pants boy, i don't know where they get that idea...).

a nice day for a swiss wedding.

i want to share this beautiful wedding video with you. our great friend, josh brown, has made quite a name for himself on the wedding photography/videographer circuit, and with videos as stunning as this, it's no wonder. personally, i think the best video and photos he's taken was at our wedding (obvious bias), but this one comes in close second! i can't get over her amazing dress and that bouquet. feathers and diamonds? sign me up.

meal planning. and other adult stuff.

i'm realizing that my "fly by the seat of my pants" attitude previously utilized for getting through the work week just isn't working anymore.
if we don't have anything in the fridge, i end up eating 1 of 3 things:
1. fried egg with salsa
2. handful of cashews and other randoms
3. PB&J

no good for a nursing mama and definitely no good for a growing boy (Mark).

so i'm getting serious about meal planning. i've found, at least for me, it's nearly impossible to make it to the grocery store during the week, so i need to shop for everything on saturday and if i don't plan well, i just end up with expensive items thrown in the cart last minute and that don't really make a meal, i.e. a jar of preserved lemons and store-made sushi.

inspired by Elle, I've created the following meal plan. I hope the structure won't bore me, but instead provide me with guidelines and answers for those nights when you ask yourself what to make for dinner.

Monday: Pasta with veggies/salad (linguine w/ b sprouts, spaghetti w/ asparagus, shrooms, roasted broccoli with penne + pinenuts)
Tuesday: Taco Tuesday (fish tacos or black bean and corn tacos or breakfast burritos)
Wednesday: Stirfry/noodles
Thursday: Grain + roasted veggies, i.e. couscous with roasted sweet potatoes, cauliflower and onions or quinoa with brussel sprouts and carrots
Friday: Eat out!
Saturday: Grab bag*
Sunday: Fish and veg or egg dish like Frittata

*Grab bag: recipes I've been wanting to try out via Pinterest

4 months.

4 months with the Henry. Please indulge me while I do some self-reflecting.

I never understood what it meant to be a mother. I truly was dumb about how much WORK it takes to raise a baby. everyone says it's so rewarding and to "enjoy every day" because it passes so quickly. while that may be true i have to admit, during the first few months, i did not enjoy every day. i felt really guilty about it every time someone would ask me, how's it going? i was just thinking - oh, i am drowning. how are you? some days were just really hard and when you are so completely exhausted, it feels like it will never change and now you are a mom with a crying baby and forget about your former life of quiet contemplation, stress-free days and nights, and when your biggest worry was should i have pizza or thai for dinner. i'm half joking, but you know what i mean?

but then...something magical happens. things start falling into place. the baby starts sleeping longer. the smiles come. the recognition that i'm his mom. the kicking legs and wide-open mouth every time he sees me after a nap. mama and daddy are sleeping better. i've always loved Henry since I first laid eyes on him, and heck even before when he was growing in my belly, but this past month must be what the Renaissance felt like. LIFE! LOVE! PURSUIT OF BABY HAPPINESS!


i didn't think motherhood would come to me naturally. the first 3 months were hard, and made me doubt myself and my ability to take care of this little guy. but now i finally feel like things are clicking into place. i just love every single second spent with him. and i miss newborn Henry. i really didn't know how FAST babies grow or i would have appreciated that first month so much more! it makes me want another little baby in my arms right now. so so precious.

so what's henry up to at his 4 month mark?
Henry, you are a complete gem. At 16 lbs 11 oz, you are a lot of baby. We love our chubby little guy. Everyone who sees you always says one of two things: "those cheeks!" and "what a serious face!". whatever we're doing, we can guarantee that you are into it and you are focused.
Every day you have a little conversation with us. In the mornings, we hear you playing in your crib with your ooohhohhh ooooo's and little squeals, and as soon as you see me, you get this huge smile on your face and open your mouth so wide! such a happy baby! you love to play with mama or daddy in the mornings. we read books, play with toys, play with your baby gym. you love the airplane game, and so far it's one of the only ways we can get you to laugh.
sometimes you laugh when i sing silly songs. that makes me so happy.
you chew on your fingers nonstop. dad thinks your going to be a thumbsucker and i say better a thumbsucker than a pacifier baby! at least you can never lose that thumb in the middle of the night. we've had a few encounters with pacifiers falling out at night. no fun for anyone! :)
you have started to really check us out while we're eating. you stare at the food...watch it go into our mouths...and stare back at the plate. i have a feeling as soon as you can start grabbing, you're going to start wanting some adult food. yikes, i'm not ready for that!
we've started going for walks around our new neighborhood, with you facing out in the baby bjorn. dad and me think you believe you are walking by yourself and that's why you like it so much. as soon as we turn you around to face us, you protest! you are so independent already, little man. it's so fun to watch you look at a cat or stare at a squirrel.
you are starting to sleep much better. between 10-11 hours at night, you'll usually wake up once and we give you a little hug and you'll go back to sleep.
we love you ridiculous amounts, mr. henry. happy 4 months, indeed.

new house.

i love our house.
i love our street.
i love the dog that barks at me from our kitchen window (hi doggie!)
i love the babys crib.
i love our windows.


i am tired every single day, but it's a tired that feels gratified whenever i hold this chubby little baby of mine. and it's kind of nice to be tired in this comfortable house. it's peaceful here.

i made this for lunch this week. it's so good and good for my body that needs strength! comes together very quickly and keeps in the fridge for a few days.

heavy heart.

getting ready for his big day with nanny. in a rare sleeping moment.

every morning we bundle up mr. henry for his short little trip to the nanny. and every morning he is SO CUTE it hurts to drop him off. he just stares at us with his charming smile and pretty blue eyes, like "aww, cmon guys, dontcha wanna spend all day with me again??" heart. breaks.
we had a crazy day/night yesterday due to the time change. someone didn't want to nap all day, and woke up all night last night. (we are reading books on sleep training and plan to start in a couple of weeks once we have our plan written out.) so dropping baby off at the nanny this morning was extra hard because i knew he was tired, and i was tired, and he had a little tear just hanging out in his eye, waiting to pour down his face.
and i gave him a kiss, waved goodbye, and got back to the car and just started crying. today was really hard.
so i take breaks every 15 minutes to look at pictures or videos of henry. it's the only thing that gets me through the day. this video of henry watching his cousin, jake (only 6 weeks younger than hen!) was taken on sunday morning. isn't jake the cutest?? henry thinks so.

here i am.

finishing off my first full week of work feels like a true accomplishment. i only cried once and only thought about never going back to work a handful of times. maybe this week was made better by:
1. fancy no-holds-barred lunch date at Againn with TH! we ordered 2 different kinds of brussel sprouts and a banoffee pie just to name a few things. indulgent.
2. two 70 degree days this week.
3. friends visited and brought us yummy dinner
4. jimmy johns is now located across the street from my office!

but the tough things of this week were pretty seriously tough:
1. i have 4 cavities. darn pregnancy weakening my teeth.
2. i got a pancake flat tire last night that made me late to pick up Henry and i cried so hard about it. not because of the flat, but because i was afraid Henry would think i forgot about him. I didn't forget! I didn't forget, baby!
3. TH went to NYC without me. Raincheck for next time, please!

And now we have arrived to the weekend. We're planning on a brunch date to celebrate our 2 year anniversary and maybe check out some furniture shops around town. It's plum time to get our house in order. Hope you enjoy the weekend!