Lately

We have spent the week recovering from our AR trip (another post on that with more photos coming just as soon as I have a moment with Stuart's phone!).  We've tried to play outside most days, because James is just a happier boy when we do, and we didn't at all while we were in AR.  The weather has been chilly, but mostly dry, which makes it possible!

James received this Cozy Coupe for Christmas and he LOVES it.  Above, he is trying to put grass into the gas spot.  Working on vocabulary...

He has wanted to wear sunglasses everywhere we go this past week.  Here we are headed to storytime...



Ms. Patty leads music class at the library, which is James' favorite.  It's like storytime, without the stories.  Just lots of dancing and music and (usually) bubbles and shakers.





I received a JAWBONE for Christmas, and I love it!  Two things I've learned about myself:

1) I don't get as much sleep as I thought I did (average 7.5 hours per night... I've been a 9 hour girl my whole life, just ask my mama), which explains why, even though I mostly feel like we have found our happy new normal with two kids, I still feel weary and exhausted when I wake up most mornings.  So, a new goal for myself is to make it to bed by 10pm.  Not heading upstairs at 10, but actually laying in bed, turning out the light at 10pm.  (Also, that orange space around 5am is Samuel's new habit of waking since our AR trip.  Hoping that doesn't last much longer...)

2) On days that we don't leave the house (for any reason - for fun or just to run errands), I don't come anywhere close to 10,000 steps.  But if we get out of the house, I hit 10,000 no problem.  Also, interesting that a day working as a nurse at the hospital looks similar to a day at home with the boys with one outing.  Did you know that on programs like Weight Watchers, nurses get extra points because they have a "more active" lifestyle by occupation?  It seems like moms deserve extra, too!  And to throw breast feeding in on top of that...!



Samuel has been inducted into the atopic club in our family, which already includes his daddy and older brother.  We battled some severe eczema for about 48 hours, and it finally died down after several rounds of hydrocortisone ointment.  Poor little dude.





Below, just a photo of James snuggling with his mama, no big deal.  (Actually, this is very rare these days, so this photo melts my heart.)



Brothers and morning snuggles



Bedhead



Lunch date at Panera - I can't believe I haven't thought about this option until this week - it's a great one!  They have whole grain bagels, and James loves cream cheese.  And apples!  And the play place at the mall is right next door.  Perfect rainy day outing.



Samuel snoozing in the Ergo at Panera (my current favorite carrier - with James, I easily carried him in the wrap until he was 8 or 9 months old because he was so small.  Not so with this big boy!  Since about 2 months, he has preferred the Ergo!).



What has everyone been up to this first week of 2015?