Meera Grace 6 Months Old

The day after Thanksgiving Meera turned 6 months old! It is hard to believe she's already 1/2 a year old. Every day Braydon and I wish that we could freeze time and keep her our tiny baby forever and ever and ever. She is such a sweet, happy, cuddly, fun baby to be with. She is so mellow. She is so easy going. She is so happy-go-lucky. She makes it easy to love on her and bring her along for the ride. Meera Grace has truly graced us with her presence in our lives, and we could not be more full of love for this baby girl. During her sixth month Meera spent a lot of time in the backpack (which she loves); she took her third air-travel trip and her first big vacation; she got two teeth (her bottom two); she continued to dabble in eating solid foods (rice cereal and green beans are her favorites, we still can't get her to eat applesauce); and she continued her love-affair with our cat Cooper. Meera is an easily adaptable baby who is happy to glide along with whatever may come her way (whereas K & O have always been Spirited, Meera's a textbook Angel Baby). She, for example, has no problem with getting her diaper changed on the seat of a car (even a rental car) -- which she's endured many times this past month happily and without complaint. She goes with the flow, whatever and wherever the flow may be. She does prefer, however, to sleep in her crib (and boy does she still love to sleep!). Generally the only time she cries is when she's tired and wants to be put in her crib. Meera still has not rolled over or sat up on her own... but she's working on it daily! Meera is a very social outgoing baby... smiling at strangers when they approach her and happy to be held by most anyone most any time. Most of all though, this month, we've seen huge development in Meera's relationships with her brothers. She's always loved them, but this month she has taken it to a new level. They are becoming more interactive all the time (there is reciprocity now between them --give and take), and an intense mutual adoration is growing stronger by the week. Meera lights up when she sees her brothers. And she often squeals with delight when they do the funny things they do. Oh, and she does love her Mama and her Papi too. ;)

Thanksgiving Week

My parents arrived the day after we got home from vacation and stayed for the week of Thanksgiving. My sister (Auntie Stina!) and my niece (Cousin Sadie!) were also with us from Wednesday-Saturday. The boys were wound up -- very, very wound -- with all the excitement; quite a few time-outs were given and received. And Meera was still in her post-vacation-recovery period (!!!); quite a few nights of every-two-hour-feedings. But nonetheless, a good time was had by all. (Thank goodness gracious our kids all go to bed by 7:00 so the adults can all unwind for a good long stretch each eve because without that I don't know what we'd do). Thanksgiving Day and Dinner was, of course, a highlight (my mom knows how to do a Thanksgiving Dinner). And I still don't know which I like more -- the actual dinner, or the turkey sandwiches later that night. Other highlights were New Hope brunch and ducks; a special gift for K & O from MorMor -- lego sea planes; Kyle's trip to the Phildadelphia airport with MorFar; season premiere/tv-movie of 24; good wine and good coffee from Braydon; Sadie, K, and O playing peacefully together for some good long stretches of time; puppy Neptune!!!!!!; the kids really able (and into) cracking shelled nuts this year; Ringing Rocks; Chipotle; Peace Valley; Tabora Farm; crab legs; K, O, and Sadie jumping on the trampoline; Meera's first Thanksgiving. Snapshots from Thanksgiving Week are below!

On a different note, we spent a lot of time during Thanksgiving Week thinking about my cousins who both left this world this past summer/fall within six weeks of each other. Watching our kids (K, O, M, Sadie) all be together as only cousins can be was bitter sweet for me. I remember so many holidays with Karen and Eric; to know they are not with us is a strange surreal reality. Thanksgiving also kicks off a season of thinking about past, present, and future in such profound ways... and this year will be particularly profound for our family because of all that we have gained and all that we have lost this past year. Braydon and I continue to be focused, very heavily focused, on our gratitude for each and every moment of all of our days. So, we exit the Thanksgiving season and enter the Christmas season truly giving thanks and looking forward to all that is to come.

Singer Island, Florida

I think this has been the longest blog break I've taken in our two years of blogging. Lots and lots to catch up on! We spent November 13-20 on vacation in Singer Island, Florida. This was our first real, big vaca as a family of five. The trip was GREAT, even despite major flight problems (we got stranded overnight in hotel airports with no luggage going and coming back!!!!!!!!!!! we almost lost our minds and many people were witness to some of our all-time lowest of parenting lows in the Atlanta airport). Don't get me wrong--- travelling with two four year olds and a five month old is no easy task, and there is no real rest for the weary... but... there truly is nothing like a vaca for family bonding. Turns out that, just like her brothers, Meera is a travelling champ (although it took her a solid week to recover after coming home, and her sleeping is still a bit disrupted). And K & O are always always always completely into travelling-- every single bit of every single part of it all-- and so much fun to be with as it really seems that they love life even more intensely while on vacation. Highlights of this trip were Meera loving the pool almost as much as her brothers; walking on the beach every early morning and late afternoon with the boys in heaven and Meera in the backpack; ice cream sandwiches (K & O) and bloody marys (H & B) by the pool; a great suite/villa set up with a full kitchen which allowed us to feed the kids and get them to bed early (and then get great fresh fish take-out for us later); golfing (B, K, O) at two different driving ranges on two different days; sleeping all five of us together in one room; the boys new-found love of finding coconuts and building intricate sandcastles and chasing crabs; an overturned boat down the beach a bit which K & O spent many many hours watching and playing on; shuffleboard; collecting shells to bring home to K & O's friends at school; the gigantic hot tub! (K & O love hot tubs!); time together; precious, precious time together. We are a family who loves to go places together and experience adventure. We always come home from the trip dreaming and scheming together about the next one. Lots of photos posted below.

Singer Island Photos I

Singer Island Photos II

Singer Island Photos III