Seb | 3rd Birthday: The party

I love how a party for a 3-year-old can be the simplest thing in the world, and at the same time, be a wild success. Cody's mom and dad set up chairs, a pool, tetherball, and a table for pizza in the backyard while Sebastian, Bruno, and yes... mama, napped.

It was way fun. Thanks, Mamaw and Pawpaw!

P.S. This is a darn good icing recipe, and what we did earlier in the day.

Seb | 3rd birthday at the Cincinnati Zoo

Sebastian's 3rd birthday couldn't have been more wonderful. We started the day with homemade waffles on Mamaw and Pawpaw's screened in porch, and then gathered our things to head out to the zoo.

Once Cody and I decided that we would be spending the summer in Ohio, we knew we wanted to include a trip to the zoo in our plans. Sebastian had never been, but we knew that he was at an age that he would really appreciate seeing the animals in person. So what better day to make a trip than on Sebastian's birthday?

Lucky duck Bruno got to experience the zoo at just 11 months, but the wonder of it wasn't lost on him. This little mister crawled with the goats like it was the most natural thing in the world. I didn't look around, but I'm sure there were a number of adults looking on with horrified expressions as we let our baby crawl where goats had been, but he didn't pick up anything a little soap and water couldn't fix.

In addition to the petting zoo, we saw the elephants, giraffes, and gorillas, upon Sebastian's request, and then a number of exhibits between those places. The highlight for him, of course, was riding the train with Daddy and Pawpaw.

As we left, Sebastian said with a contented sigh, "That was fun."

It sure was, my dear. 

I can't sufficiently describe how this little one lights up our lives. His natural inquisitiveness and focus come straight from his Daddy, and I like to say that the only sign that he's mine is his complete love for chocolate. But there's a whole lot of him that's just him, and as the details and intricacies that our purely Seb come to the surface, we are incapable of anything but wonder. As the days and years pass, those labor pains I endured 3 years ago now seem so inconsequential in comparison with the gift that they enabled me to receive in the form of this precious boy.

N & G's | The first week

I can't believe that it's only been 1 week since we drove away from our home in Durham. It seems like a million things have happened and a lifetime passed since walking those wooden floors. There are a multitude of challenges still before us, like learning to live well in another's home, which is extremely humbling, and although we are absolutely loving being with our families right now, I long to be in our own place where I can find our things that are now stubbornly hidden in the recesses of scuffed up boxes and bins. It seems that no matter how well I think I've packed, it wasn't good enough—if my goal was to be able to locate those things later, that is. I've done many a deep search for maple syrup, diapers, and Seb's toothbrush and toothpaste, which all seem to be pretty essential in my mind. But at the end of the day, somehow, we've remained fed, clothed (and diapered), and with the assistance of the local walmart: cavity-free.

We are so grateful for those who have been selflessly loving us while we relearn so much about life.

P.S. Sebastian specifically designed that Mr. Potato Head to look like his mama.... please tell me that this is only accurate in the Picasso interpretation of things!

Home | An evening with Lucy

LJD made us supper, Cody is in Chicago for a Patristics conference, Sebastian went out with his grandparents for my sister’s soccer banquet, and Bruno went to sleep at 6:30 p.m. This means JCD and I spent the evening in the only reasonable manner—watching I Love Lucy (she has the entire series).  We started with Lucy’s Summer Vacation, which contains a long and hilarious scene surrounding coffee and donuts. By the end of it, Jo and and I were craving some, so we went to the kitchen and concocted some treats to enjoy and made some coffee, of course, which I’m certain will fuel a few more hours of Lucy. Oh, and we worked on our best Lucy expressions... we need some work.

P.S. If you're weirded out by Joanna's mug, my family has dairy cows, so yea...

N & G's | What breakfast looks like here

We eat oatmeal for breakfast at home, but at Noni and Grandpa's, "Marshma'ow stars" is a big treat. Obviously...

We just completed phase I of our move—getting from Durham to Ohio—and to my parent's house specifically. We are renting a storage unit for a month, will move to Cody's parent's house for a few weeks, and then will come back to my parent's and will move into their barn apartment. I feel a bit like we stepped out of the whirlwind of moving into a different kind of whirlwind. We're taking it one day at a time, and enjoying spending this time with family. Mostly it feels like we're simply visiting our families like we often do, but then there is that recollection of what our apartment looked like as we left—empty, clean, bare. The home I remember isn't there anymore, and that's hard. But then, you know what? It is there. I can't help but think of our friends and neighbors who live below and above that now-empty apartment and still think of it as home sweet home. Thank you to all our friends for making Durham a place that we love.

Mama | I love my birthday way too much

It's gotten me in trouble many times, but I love my birthday a lot. I love everything about it. This means that I often have unrealistic expectations for how great it is going to be, and have to fight off disappointment at some point during the day. I recognize that this makes me a complete brat, but there you have it. It gets better every year, though, and this birthday was the best yet. Duh, the more my attitude surrounding my birthday matures, the better my birthday actually is... duh. duh. duh.

Anyway... my wonderful friend AEH, whom I haven't seen since August, arrived at our place on the 17th, so we brought my birthday in the right way and stayed up until 4 a.m. Later that morning we went to Monuts Donuts with her and the incredible, fabulous MMC and her trusty sidekick FFC. The donuts were great and the company was even better. I love these people. 

And can I just say that a husband who does positively everything for me, loves my birthday nearly as much as I do, and puts up with my ever-teetering emotions, has got to be the best.