Food Matters

This is the last of our salad challenge. Coming up: protein challenge. I'm determined to master cooking meats!

Caprese Salad with White Wine Vinaigrette Dressing

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Psalm 139

This was part of the abbreviated morning prayer today!

"O Lord, you search me and you know me,
You know my resting and my rising,
You discern my purpose from afar.
You mark when I walk or lie down,
All my ways lie open to you.




My little buddy LOVES the Expedition!

 "Before ever a word is on my tongue you know it ... Too wonderful for me, this knowledge, too high, beyond my reach..."

We've been doing a bit of jogging, walking, and reflecting these days. The fresh air has been so good for me!

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Shenandoah Hike

We enjoyed a beautiful fall Sunday afternoon on Skyline Drive. After an "easy" two mile hike toward the visitors center (four miles away), we decided to turn around. The leaves were at peak color. They reminded us of driving through the White Mountain range during our honeymoon. Everywhere we walked there was a gorgeous canopy of gold. It's hard to capture on camera, but this will give you an idea. I've been on Skyline dozens of times, but it's so much nicer in the fall!

On the way back, Rich spotted a walking stick. (Talk about finding a needle in a haystack!) See if you can identify it in the first photo. At first I just thought it was a piece of brush. Though they are known to live in southeastern US, it's hard to identify them because of their outstanding camouflage!

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Sunday Mornings

These are by far my favorite times of the week! All three of us are together. We are relaxed. We take turns with the baby and housework. And we often go out to discover new sites together. Lately, we've been seeing some pretty beautiful sunrises, too, as you can tell from the photo below. We often go to the Saturday vigil Mass because it's the best way to be sure we get there given Isaac's unpredictable schedule. Yesterday he slept through most of the Mass. We were able to focus on the readings and homily and even had a good discussion about it afterward.

This morning we tried a new coffee crumb cake from Trader Joe's. Rich added his perfect breakfast food: sausage. We are headed to the mountains for a beautiful day!

And what fresh coffee cake would be complete without the sausage?

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A Week's Discoveries

The most helpful thing I discovered this week was some advice from two pediatricians in their book, Heading Home with Your Newborn (endorsed by the AAP). In a section entitled "The Secret to a Smarter Baby," they suggest that instead of brain-stimulating toys, CDs, DVDs, and iPod playlists (though they have their place), the real secret to a smarter baby "is ... the loving interactions that you share with [him]." They suggest talking, walking, singing, and reading books to newborns as great ways to assist brain development.

That was a relief. It's been a bit overwhelming trying to discern the good parenting essentials from the fire hydrant of advice on the subject. This week, we spent lots of quality time together doing things that fall into this "loving interactions" category. Both Rich and I sing to him. One time I even calmed him throughout most of his fussy time by simply singing to him. It's amazing how much he likes this, especially considering my vocal limitations!

Nutella crepe!

We discovered Nutella crepes again on Friday during a long afternoon walk. Isaac was fascinated by the leaves and trees, sunlight, and wind. He often gasps in excitement, opens his eyes widely, and turns his head rapidly to see all of the new things outdoors. He is a really great walking buddy!


In the Ergo - his favorite place.



Bath time - a great time to discover the eyes, ears, nose, fingers, and toes! He's not afraid of the water getting on his face or eyelids and generally likes being clean. He has another set of leg creases to clean this week as he continues to put on weight! :)

Last Saturday he smiled for the first time. Though we haven't been able to capture the full smile on camera yet, this is the build up. He's very happy here because his tummy is full. And he just burped. That almost always makes him smile.

Getting tired. Mommy keeps him on the go.

And in the middle of a good nap here. We love this outfit on him because he like a little boy (thanks, Aunt Jan & Uncle Joe)! There's a little train on the left shoulder. He really likes wearing it. It's perfectly warm for this changing weather.

Notice the feet hanging over the edge ... someone is getting bigger!!

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In His Happy Place

We had a special visit from Aunt Roxane this week. Isaac loved her. He smiled three times for her and cooed and did all sorts of cute things practically on command. He especially loved dozing while being held. Aunt Roxane held him through his fussy time (when I'm making dinner).

He also got a few extra walks (or carries as it applies to him) in this week, including local tours and a visit to our favorite bar.

We had a really nice time and are looking forward to visiting family again for the holidays!

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First Anniversary!

One move, two careers, and a baby later we are celebrating our first exciting year of marriage! If anything has been surprising to me it's how easy it has been to live with DH. We've had a lot of challenges and stresses throughout the year, but have always come home to a haven of love and encouragement. We know that God's hand was in our reuniting, dating, and marriage - and are so grateful for each other. People often comment that we're a "good fit." Praise God! DH was definitely worth the wait.

In celebration, I talked DH into doing something that we wouldn't normally do. He gave me a budget. I gave him five fine-dining options. He selected Gadsby's Tavern, a true gem of Old Town Alexandria. The tavern has been in operation since 1770 and was frequented by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison, and James Monroe. Waiters dressed in colonial attire. All of the settings and furniture were from the colonial period. We were even visited by a gentleman in costume, who visited all of the guests that night.

Perhaps the best part of the night (besides the chance to visit with my husband uninterrupted) was the outstanding food that we enjoyed. It began with fresh sweet bread, baked that day. I knew we had a winner when DH enthusiastically complimented the first bite of food he had. We ordered things we wouldn't normally get like filet mignon and boneless pork chop, which were grilled to the exact tenderness we requested. The filet was dry-aged and rivaled Capital Grille's.

The ambiance made us feel part of colonial America. Coincidentally, the couple at the table over were also there for their first anniversary, which is also today. We thought it was a great choice for the occasion. Here's to fifty years more!

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From the Mouths of Sprouts

"Anne Marie and I were talking in the car. We get to keep Isaac if you and Uncle Rich die." -Lucia

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Discovering the Appendages

According to BabyCenter.com, Isaac should be building his hand-eye coordination now. Check this out:

Next stop: First smile.

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So Much To See

Our little man is very inquisitive and serious from what we can tell so far. He often looks around with a furrowed brow trying to make out his surroundings. He's currently really into our living room mirror and lamps. Here he is looking at the trees and outdoor lights at our home. This is such a great age!

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New Beginnings

After many considerations and preparations, I have resigned from my job of three years to be a stay-at-home-mom. For the first time last week, I wrote "mom" next to "occupation" on a registration form. That was a big change! So far, I am thoroughly enjoying being a mom and quite grateful for the opportunity. I've been trying to keep myself on a schedule as much as possible, as though I were reporting to a boss every day. Isaac has been pretty helpful in the last couple of days - sleeping as many as 4.5 hours at a time during the night. Rich keeps telling me, "you must have the best job in the world." I think that's about right. Here are a few highlights from my day so far:

Little toes on our couch.

Fall flowers on our table.

Many, many books on my checklist.

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One Month Old!

Things I've done/learned:

• Gained two pounds
• Filled out my newborn onesies
• Laughed in my sleep
• Talked to mommy (sounds like crying)
• Lifted and turned my head while on my tummy
• Wiggled along the floor using my legs
• Rolled from my back to my side

Aren't you proud of me? Mommy sure is!

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Let the Children Come to Me

Our little man was baptized on Saturday, October 1st. It was such a special occasion for us! Isaac joined three other little babies - all girls - and many doting family members and friends. He was silent for the entire ceremony.

Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” After he placed his hands on them, he went away. -Matt. 19:13-15

Here Isaac is with Grandpa Richard & Grandma Helen, who came all the way from Michigan for the occasion. We were so happy to have several family members from out of town present. My sister and her husband were the godparents. 

Photo Courtesy of Grandpa Richard & Grandma Helen. :)

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Four Weeks Old!

I love his little sounds! This afternoon he laughed for the first time. It was in his sleep. I'm not sure he knew what he was doing. But it sure was cute! He also has a few cute coos that he pulls out occasionally. Besides those, he does a lot of grunting, squealing, and crying. But mostly he sleeps. Here's a snippet of when he is awake:

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Mother's Helpers

There's nothing like a few people helping you after you have a baby! We've been so grateful for the many meals we've received, the visitors who came to the hospital, and our families who've visited. More photos are coming from the baptism weekend, but here are a few from the last week:

Grandma & Isaac.

Aunt Julie gets some good burps.

Anne Marie loves holding her little cousin. She always asks if she can hold him and normally says "I washed my hands" first. (I'm kind of demanding!)

Preparing the boy for many, many photos. He looks as excited as his dad about this activity. ;)

Our little genius boy - thinking already.

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