nathan james: 11 months

Someone is 11 months and 11 days old, and I still am very much in disbelief that he is almost one!  It also makes me chuckle a bit at how long it has taken me to finally take his 11 month pictures.  We were a bit more successful and he decided to hold still for a bit long while mom looked like a mad woman shouting "boo" from behind the camera.  I remember one day this past month when I picked him up from his crib and thought, "you look like a little boy, where's my baby?".  

Nathan's personality just makes my heart melt.  I absolutely love seeing all of the new little things he notices.  Long gone are the days when ceiling fans were the jam.  Now he is so inquisitive as he looks closely at little specks on the floor and takes after his mama...he loves a good dance party.  This morning I was playing some music and "All About the Bass" came on.  The next thing I know, Nathan is standing up next to the couch bouncing away and dancing with me in the living room.  It was hilariously sweet, and I just can't fathom how much fun we are going to have in the years ahead.  

Growing// Nathan is a whopping 25 lbs. 1 oz.  He has been sick on and off for the last three weeks, and after his cough came back I decided it was time to finally take him into the pediatrician.  Turns out the poor little guy has a sinus and ear infection.  However, you wouldn't know by his pleasant disposition.  He is still the happiest baby making plenty of friends wherever we go.  Anyways, I can definitely feel how heavy he is and wearing him in the Ergo for longer than 20 minutes is starting to become a bit painful.  I need to master the art of wearing him on my back because that feels so much better on my back.  He is becoming one speedy crawler and cruzes around all of our furniture, but I don't see him walking anytime soon.  I think it's going to take him a bit to move those chunky thighs of his.  

Nathan is also babbling up a storm and is beginning to say some words!  He says "mama" and "dada" and we are pretty sure we heard him say "doggy" at my parents house on Thanksgiving.  He also is starting to notice the littlest things outside.  We point to the moon each day when I pick him up from daycare and he is starting to point to the trees on our runs.  I die over his little chubby finger pointing away! 

Eating & Sleeping// I knew it was too good to be true, the sleeping through the night adventures quickly came to an end right about the time we traveled to Arizona.  We've gone from him waking up 1-2 times a night to waking up at 5:30am and refusing to go back to sleep.  Going to sleep has been a bit easier, but I would definitely love him to sleep those full 12 hours at night uninterrupted.  Along with his spunky personality came a bit of a picky eater who enjoys throwing his food on the floor.  I find it a bit ironic because I always thought to myself pre-baby, "oh, my baby will never throw his food on the floor and I'll nip that right in the bud".  I just have to laugh at all of the things I thought I'd do before I had a baby.  Lately, he refuses to eat anything off of a spoon and would much rather feed himself.  He LOVES Skinnytaste's Cheesy Turkey Taco Chili Mac.  His favorite foods are still avocado and sweet potato.  Basically, any fruit and veggie he will gobble down, along with cheese.  Meats and carbs are still up for discussion.  

Loving// Nathan loves books!  It is the cutest thing to look over and see.  He has a huge pile of books in front of him and he is babbling away as he flips through the pages and lifts the flaps (flap-books and touch & feel books are his absolute favorite).  The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Curios George Christmas are his two favorite books right now.  Nathan continues to love bath time and playing peek-a-boo with Mommy and Daddy.  

Loathing//  Who would've thought that getting your diaper changed would be the end of the world?!? Nathan absolutely hates being on his changing table.  He also greatly dislikes when he gets ahold of something he can't have and we take it away from him.  Oddly enough, car washes are terrible and he has screamed both times I've tried to take the car through.  

I just can't get over his infectious personality.  His laugh fills up the entire house and echoes deep down into my soul.  Goodness, I never imagined loving someone so much before! 

feeling like one hot mess

Motherhood.  I feel like someone needs to tell you that you will continually feel like you're going crazy once you enter motherhood.  Now that I've been in this stage for almost a year (?!?!?!?!?!?!?! I'm already crying) I feel like I should have my act together, be able to show up to places on time, know why my baby is crying, and feel altogether synced.  Well, lately I've just been feeling like one hot mess. 

Currently I'm pumping while scouring the cabinets for fenugreek and slathering on fennel essential oil like it's nobody's business because I'm not producing much milk these days.  I panic and struggle between blaming the fact that Nathan's been fussier or waking up more on the fact that he's probably not getting enough to eat and accepting the fact that it just may be time to wean.  I'm also currently googling a typical feeding schedule for 11 month olds because I'm worried he's not getting enough milk on top of his solids, hoping that this will make him sleep through the night.  I definitely remember doing all of these things, googling when I didn't know what was going on, and then coming to terms with the fact that this will always be "new" and I'll continue to learn the ropes as we go.  

And then there was yesterday....Nathan wasn't feeling well, I wasn't feeling well, and we ended up being one hot mess.  We had our annual Christmas concert.  I long for this day all year.  The concert started at 4 but I had to be there at 2:30 to help with kids' check-in.  At the last minute I realize that Nathan has no clean pants so I throw a load into the wash thinking surely there will be enough time to dry them.  Oh, and the Mr. works on Sundays so it was a solo-mama day.  I try to make myself presentable (why didn't I do that earlier?!?!) and let Nathan play in our room/bathroom.  Noticing he's been quiet for some time, I look over only to find his hand in. the. toilet.  Yes.  I freaked out, immediately washed his hands, and we continued on with our hot mess of a day. 

His clothes didn't have enough time to dry, so I pull out the closest pair of pants and decide not to put them on him so they can continue to dry in the car.  We get downtown and successfully park, I put Nathan in the Ergo only to noticed that both eyes are all goopy and gross.  Deciding that he should be fine, I put him in the nursery while I serve and check in kids.  And then it happened.  Right when I thought "we've got this" and was about to enjoy the concert, I was informed Nathan couldn't stay in the nursery because his eyes weren't clearing up and I immediately felt all the shame.  I was "that mom" with "that baby" with "those eyes".  Why did I even put him there in the first place?!?!  Mind you, these aren't truths one bit, but it is exactly where my mind went.  

So I picked him up, strapped him on, oh...and still pantless because they were still damp, and proceeded to the concert.  Well, wearing a 24+ pounder along with a diaper bag and purse definitely starts to take a toll on the body.  Standing in the back of the auditorium I felt like all was lost.  This would have been so much easier if I wasn't by myself doing it alone.  But then I remember that there will always be these challenges with or without the Mr. by my side.  I walked to the car with a dead phone, a sick baby, and aching shoulders and back wishing it had all gone so differently.  And then we got home, Nathan went to bed beautifully, and this morning it all just makes me chuckle.  Of course this will happen again.  He will be sick, I will forget to wash his clothes, he'll have a blowout.  But I really need to remember not to let my mind get sucked into the "shame game" telling myself that I'm a hot mess.  

a mixed bag

I feel very much like a mixed bag lately.  Everything will be going fine, and as I'm driving singing along to Taylor Swift I start balling like a baby.  I think I cried three separate times the other day, and I couldn't even tell you what prompted my tear-filled mess.  Basically, my emotions are an this amazing roller coaster of a ride and I need to accept it at this point. 

I came to a realization the other day which was a bit scary but also quite endearing.  Teaching is become less fulfilling.  I've always wanted to be a teacher, and seeing the drive and passion and spark inside of me slowly dwindle has been a bit hard to swallow.  There's days when I see the light go off in my students' minds that get me, that remind me how enjoyable and fulfilling this job is.  But then there are others where I wonder if I'm even making a different.  

What has become more and more fulfilling is motherhood.  This, naturally, is a beautiful thing.  But I'm an achiever.  My job gives me clear ways to see my achievements, and motherhood doesn't provide this as tangibly.  That's not to say that I don't see progress in motherhood, but it just looks a bit different.  The other achiever part of me has always loved working, and has seen myself working even when my littles are still little.  Now it has become a daily struggle to get out of the house to work. 

Yesterday I was able to tour a school that I had applied at this past year.  It's a new and extremely innovative school, and it was amazing to see their vision in action right before my eyes.  Teachers were excited, students were engaging, and I cried a bit inside.  The achiever in me felt less-than that I didn't get the job, told me that I would never work there or even be that great of a teacher.  But I left with a little pep in my step being surrounded by such engaging professionals that I was immediately drawn to.  That is where my spark is, working with others collaboratively in order to help students to learn.  Seeing what could've been was hard, I won't lie.  But at the end of the day I recount these miraculous blessings over and over in my head. 

For my husband.

For my adorable son who makes me smile all the time.

For a job in a field that I am passionate about. 

  

nathan james: 10 months

How?  Someone please tell me how?!?  How is it that we are two short months away from this little one's first birthday?  Inside I'm crying like a baby and I keep looking back on pictures of his when he was just born, which is not doing me any favors.  It goes without saying, but each month just brings more and more joy.  I love being his mama, and seeing all of his personality shine brightly.  PS: Can we talk about that belly up there?!?  

Growing// Little man is 24 lbs 2 oz.  Sadly, we know this because of a recent doctor's visit this week confirming he had hand, foot, and mouth disease.  He's also cutting his top two teeth, so his little body is just a hot mess.  He recently went through a huge growth spurt and officially is wearing 18 month clothes.  I looked at him one day last week and officially saw a little boy, not a baby.  It amazes me how much they change overnight! He's pulling himself up to standing very easily and is "cruising" around our coffee table and couch.  Lately he's been holding on with just one hand and I feel like he's going to just let go and take off walking.  

Eating & Sleeping// I'm almost afraid to put this into writing because I'm sure it will come back to curse me, but Nathan is finally sleeping through the night consistently.  It's a bit surreal, but I'm going to keep praying it lasts.  He's also starting to fall asleep on his own a bit easier, although nap times are still very much a struggle.  I think at this point I'll take a good night's sleep over a great nap during the day.  

Nathan is gobbling up everything!  He is eating table food now, and occasionally has purees from a pouch for convenience when we are out and about.  Sweet potatoes and avocados are still his favorites, and recently he has taken a liking to chicken and cheese.  He is the most talkative when he eats, it's almost as if he is singing a love song to his delicious food.  We've officially entered the stage of "food throwing", so I have to pay attention to when he is done so that he doesn't begin to play with his food.  He is still nursing or taking a bottle 4 times a day, and breastfeeding is still going well.  I've been thinking a lot lately about when we will wean, and I'm not sure if I'll wait for him to show me signs or if we will find a time that best fits.  I will admit that I'm looking forward to the day that I no longer have to pump at work (or in the car driving home).  

Loving// Nathan loves to get into everything...drawers, cabinets, baskets of clothes.  He's quite the handful these days but I love how much he is exploring.  He loves pulling himself up onto anything at his reach and bouncing up and down.  His new move is dancing.  When he pulls himself up he sways back and forth, and in the mornings I know he's awake by the squeaking of the crib springs from him dancing away.  He also started putting his fingers together and rocking his hand up and down when we sing songs.  I die!  He loves everything other than his toys, especially shoes.  He loves when daddy throws him high into the sky, plops him onto the bed, or chases him around the house.  His laugh is infectious, and daddy always gets him to laugh much harder than I can. 

Loathing// Diaper changes are becoming more and more challenging, and I've found that Nathan needs something to play with in order to get the job done.  He also greatly dislikes car washes.  Poor guy screams his head off when we drive through one.  He has also become a bit more attached to me than normal, and is not a fan when he can't see me as I'm trying to do things around the house.  

body after baby

I find it rather funny how nieve I was about my body after having a baby.  There's a million lies that we as a culture flood our minds with.  "It takes 9 months to put it on, so it will take 9 months to take it off" is just one of them.  Then we have the mindset that as a mom we have completely lost our bodies so there's no use in trying.  When I was pregnant I worked so hard to maintain my fitness level.  I continued to exercise 4-5 times a week, ran up until 32 weeks, and modified exercises.  Honestly, I think this made my delivery go so smoothly.  And I would constantly think how quickly I'd gain my body back after having a baby because I'd have all this time to exercise.  Boy was I wrong.

Now that it's been 10 months since having Nathan, I think I'm a bit ready to share what "body after baby" has looked like for me. 

I went from being home to working part-time to being home again to working full-time.  Within all of that I've tried sticking with workout schedules/routines, online fitness programs, tracking calories...and then I would get so tired.  There has always been this constant pull between fitting in time to exercise while also loving on Nathan and Daniel when I'm not at work.  Exercise makes me feel so good but it also has been something that stresses me out.  I also realized I was comparing myself to these fitness bloggers where it was their job to work out, to show off their postpartum body.  So I came back to reality and had a little heart to heart with myself to frame what was realistic for me in my schedule.  That means working out 2-3 times a week, and eating healthy.  

And before we start thinking that I'm the healthiest eater ever, let me just say that chocolate has been my new best friend (oh how I love thee) especially in the stress of it all.  I know, that the best habit to make one bit, but a girl needs a bit of grace. 

Our bodies are miraculous.  Even though I wasn't able to work out as often or as long as I used to, and my eating habits weren't always on point, the weight still came off.  It seemed that as soon as I put my focus and attention on just loving on this sweet little baby and having fun with him, the stress of body issues seemed to melt away.  Throughout my pregnancy I didn't weigh myself but I knew roughly where I started at.  What boggles my mind is that I may weigh a bit less now than before I got pregnant, but by no means am I as strong or toned.  And that's okay for me right now.  There will come a day when I'll be able to put more focus on working out more.  But for right now it is about finding balance. 

When we stop scrutinizing our bodies for a while, inspecting it in the mirror in the morning, and listing all the things we wish were different about it, we all of the sudden have more time to love on others in our lives and find true joy.  My biggest take away in this journey to love myself so that I can love others has been to daily find the successes on how I treated my body and keep a balanced mindset.  

The last thing you'll see here are before/after pictures, because come on...when I see those I just want to cry.  But I do want to actively share healthy tips in this busy life we live.  So love on your body today instead of tearing it down! 

dear lil' rooster

Dear Nathan, 

It's official, holidays are that much sweeter with you around.  Even though you were a bit too young to go trick or treating, we still soaked up some of the festivities.  This basically meant that we dressed you up in your costume as much as possible.  Grammy took you to her work, and you were smothered with women dying to get their hands on you.  Over and over again people say how much they want to eat up your thighs.  

For your first Halloween we dressed you up as a rooster.  There's a few reasons for this:

a. Costco costumes are amazingly inexpensive and adorable at the same time

b. I originally thought it was a chicken costume and it reminded me of your fascination with "Ol' McDonald"

c. Daddy quickly pointed out that it was, in fact, a rooster costume.  There is a serious family joke involving roosters that haunts us every Christmas.  Next year you'll be able to understand it a bit more.  But I'm going to apologize in advance if your uncles find you the most hideous looking rooster for Christmas this year

We decided that you looked too cute in your costume, so we documented it with a little photo session.  Goodness gracious, you love the camera.  I don't know how you instinctually know to smile the happiest smile when someone tries to take your picture, but your smile lights up the entire room.  People often say they can see ones smile in their eyes.  This is so true for you.  Your smile spreads across your whole body, it is as if are you beaming with the happiest of feelings every single day.  I pray this smile and this insane amount of joy you have never fades away.  And I pray that one day you know the impact your smile has on me every single day.  In the business of life it is so easy to forget to smile, to lose sight of the joy that is around us, and to get bogged down with the overwhelming unbalance of life.  When I come home every day and say your name, you immediately know who it is and turn quickly to find me.  Oh, what love.  My heart explodes day after day with this special bond we have with one another.  And you save me, each day, and remind me to smile and seek after that joy in order to live a more filling and purposeful life.  

With so much love for you my man cub, 

Mama 

a little life update

Happy Monday!  Oh goodness, this blog of mine needs some cobwebs dusted off of it.  Every night I hope to crack open my laptop and get some words down because my soul misses it, and every night I'm barely alive enough to brush my teeth and crawl into bed.  We are very much still figuring out our rhythm, and just when I think we've got it, it falls to pieces.  This month has flown by.  How?  Someone please tell me which button to push in order to stop time for a bit!  And if I had another wish, it would be that every weekend would last three days.  Thanks in advance. 

We've been a busy bunch, and I can't say enough how much I love doing life with my sweet little family.  Nathan is a blast, so observant, and simultaneously unaware of what is going on around him. Last weekend we took him to the pumpkin patch with all of Daniel's family.  Seeing him with his cousins is the sweetest gift ever, they dote on him like he's a little doll and he soaks all of the attention up.  This weekend we went to my school's Fall Carnival.  Again, he was completely unaware of what was going on but we loved just experiencing it with him!  We dressed him up as a rooster (which is an inside family joke), his shoes and hate refused to stay on, and he was as cute as could be.  My mom also took him to get his pictures taken in his costume, and he was a ham for the camera.  Yesterday was filled with church, a birthday brunch, errand running, lots of playing, and falling asleep while in. his. high. chair.  I don't understand!  He fights going to bed at night with everything he's got, but fell right asleep while eating dinner.  

I'm still in udder disbelief that the end of October is fast approaching, signaling the start of the holiday season.  But having Nathan to do all of these fun adventures with makes life that much better.  This week Daniel's work schedule is a bit crazy, but we plan on carving pumpkins as a family and with our life group, visiting another Fall Festival, and going to our first recipe club!  

happy weekend!

I'll admit that Fridays don't quite feel the same as they did awhile ago.  The arrival of the weekend feels more like getting my gear on to tackle everything home related, but I dearly love getting some quality time with my family and staying in stretchy pants for as long as possible.  Saturdays are our only "family" days as that is when Daniel is home, so we try to squeeze in as much as possible.  

I can't wait for tomorrow to come!  Our church is putting on a fabulous women's event that I've been counting down the days to.  It fills my cup up and feeds my soul with warm fuzzies.  Then we are heading up to Ramona to celebrate my brother and father-in-law's birthdays.  Nathan will be visiting his first pumpkin patch and I can't wait to get some cute pictures of him and all of his cousins.  Now I just need to remember the memory card and battery for the camera so I can actually get some good shots.  Our apple picking adventure pics were cut short due to me forgetting the memory card, and I vow to never let that happen again!  I'm trying to soak in all of these "firsts" with Nathan, and love that the holidays are upon us to make these memories with him.  

Happy Friday Friends! 

we take our Sundays slow

Our bodies have a keen way of telling us we need to rest, and this morning my body was loudly exclaiming it was time to take it slow when it pulled the pillow over my head as Nathan's cry signaled it was time to get up.  A sick husband and baby meant this week was trying, and Nathan woke up was that cold that refuses to leave our house, so we ditched church to rejuvenate our souls.  A morning run in the fog always makes me giddy with delight, add in lots of playtime, "Martha Stewart" moments in kitchen, and teaching Nathan the beauty that is pumpkin pancakes, and our day was set to be amazingly blissful.  Everything was so good up until a little someone protested an afternoon for a whole three hours.  Luckily time ticks on, and so does letting go of our expectations for baby nap times and checking chores off of our lists.  Memories were made today that melted my mommy heart. 

nathan james: nine months

Well, folks, things just got real!  The above picture basically exemplifies life with Nathan lately.  He is one busy body, getting into everything, moving non-stop, drooling like crazy.  Let's just say that trying to take his monthly pictures poses as one very hard challenge by myself.  While holding him with one hand I snapped with the other, leaving me with a million pictures where only 5 were useable.  Don't forget about the fact that he started eating his monthly sticker while trying to take pictures as well.  

Growing// Our little man is 22lbs 2.7oz, and 27.5 inches tall.  His weight hasn't increased greatly, but that is mostly due to his activity level.  Poor guy is quite the shorty though.  Each night we highly encourage his legs to grow and take his pot belly with them.  He is growing like a weed in his gross motor development.  This month he has mastered this crawling and is rolling much more less.  He's also able to sit up on his own, and this weekend he showed us his latest trick...pulling himself up onto his feet!  Oh my goodness, we are in trouble!  He is moving all over the house and we've already rearranged quite a few things, but definitely need to baby proof a few areas he is highly intent on getting into.  Right now toys are far less interesting than everything else in the house.  Currently he prefers chewing on whatever shoes he can find lying around, eating Daddy's belts, and getting into the book shelf.  Daniel and I are still a bit dazed and confused on how quickly he became mobile.  

Eating & Sleeping// Nathan is now eating "table foods" like a champ.  Some new things introduced this month were yogurt, quinoa, peas, strawberries, chicken, and salmon.  We also started giving his oatmeal again in the mornings.  I know there are so many things he is able to have, but want to also be very mindful of feeding him whole foods from real ingredients.  His pincer grip is quite sophisticated, and he loves feeding himself veggie puffs anytime of the day.  The one item that is completely not allowed is eggs.  We tried scrambled egg yolk, and the poor babe's face turned very red.  

Sleeping is slowly starting to get better.  We went through a rough spout where he would scream at the top of his lungs when getting transferred to the crib.  He also continues to fight going to sleep so badly.  We are at the point where he has to go to bed by 6:30pm or he gets way too over tired and screams.  He is napping twice a day.  His morning nap is only 30-45 minutes long and his afternoon nap ranges from 1-3 hours.  We would love for him to get a bit more sleep during the day so going down at night is easier, but the question is how do we get him to actually go to sleep?!?!  He sleeps 12 hours at night, waking up once for a feeding.  I'm still nursing him at night, and very much enjoy that time with him, but also worry greatly that I'm creating a bad habit.  

Loving// Nathan loves to be active!  He loves climbing up mommy and daddy when they are sitting on the floor, trying to find new places in the house to get into, and testing his limits.  Bath time is the bomb dot com and his baby laughs just melt me.  When getting his diaper changed he has started covering his face with his pants and initiating "peek-a-boy".  It's basically the cutest thing in the whole wide world.  He loves clapping his hands together, singing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider", and his legs are always in motion.  

Loathing// Other than falling asleep, there's not much he doesn't like.  Car rides that are past his bed time are the worst, so we have to be very mindful of his schedule.  He also does not like to be left alone for a split second while I change over the laundry.  

one word check-in

It is a common practice in my life groups to do a "one word check-in" before we get going.  We go around and give a word to describe what we are coming with, or how our week is going so far.  I know it's coming all week long, and when it's time to actually give my word I'm always at a loss for words because there are numerous appropriate words in my head.  Well, this morning I planned to write a little update on how our life is going but one word just wouldn't get out of my head:

tired

I. am. so. tired. 

This new rhythm of life has been taking a while to adjust to.  Working along with being a wife and mom has been truly draining these last two weeks, and my emotions are all over the place.  But at this point I think that I'm so tired that my emotions are numbed out.  Yesterday as I was driving home I thought to myself, "If I could close my eyes right now I may never wake up".  Good thing that didn't happen!  And then I remembered the good ol' college days where I wondered how my body would ever get used to 5 hours of sleep while juggling classes, working, and life.  Miraculously, it did and I got through it.  When Nathan was an infant I remembered being so shocked at how quickly my body adapted to all of the interrupted sleep at night with his feedings.  I know that I'll adjust, we will adjust, and that I won't feel so incredibly tired one day.  That day might be when our kids are grown and off at college.  But I guess the beautiful thing in life is that it's worth being tired for.  This little family of mine, and memories we are making, and the love I have for them-it's worth it.  

However, the struggle is real.  It's a daily struggle between cleaning/cooking/chores and relaxing for a bit at night.  My husband must've known I so desperately needed him this week because he ended up having a random weekday off, sent Nathan to daycare for a bit, and cleaned the whole house.  

On Sunday Nathan's nap was a bit rough, and he ended up sleeping on me for an hour.  The internal struggle between putting him back in his crib so I could clean and plopping on the couch with him and watching an episode of Parenthood was so hard.  Fortunately, I chose the latter.  And look, the work still got done!  Nathan rarely sleeps on me, so I know that I have to savor those moments when they do happen.  I feel as though I have to base my self-worth on how clean and organized my house is, if my laundry is done, how healthy I'm cooking, or how many times I'm working out (more to come on that).  Daily I have to remind myself that these things do not state who I am as a person.  But it is a daily reminder I have to keep telling myself.  

I share this not to whine or complain because there are so many moms out there doing the exact same thing with more on their plate, more mouths to feed, more mess to pick up.  I share because this mama community has gotten me through life so far, and I want to add a little nugget of vulnerability and truth to where life is at.  I'm forever thankful for my "Mama Tribe" of moms, working or not, who are my backbone to finding balance in life, bring peace to chaos, and understanding in all these new baby unknowns.  

our first taste of fall

 It still may be in the nineties here, but fall officially arrived for our little fam this past weekend.  It's a transition for my dear friend Colleen and I to go apple picking.  After doing this for a couple of years we thought we finally had it figured out and all set to go.  Our first year we went too late in the season and basically picked apples off the ground.  Last year we nailed it by going during the right time and we also found a pear orchard along the way.  So this year we quickly put the date on our calendars, and I was counting down the days. 

Or course things have to go a bit off-course, though!  I had heard earlier that day that this season the crops were so low that apple picking was over.  What?!?!  I panicked, and then did everything I could to figure out which one orchard in all of Julian was still open.  Let me just say that orchards are very hard to get ahold of during apple picking season!  

We decided to make the trek up to Julian, head to the orchard we thought would be open, and if all else failed we would go to the winery that was right next to it.  Fortunately everything worked out amazingly.  The orchard we had went to last year was open to the public, their was a faint crispness in the air, and Nathan was happy as a clam once we arrived (let's not mentioned the fact that he screamed the last ten minutes of the car ride).  

I gave Nathan his first raw apple for him to teeth away on.  That apple was his best friend the entire day.  Anywhere he went, the apple came too, and he was very good at switching hands holding while getting strapped in and out of the stroller.  As soon as he was asleep, I quickly snuck that apple away from him because it was collecting all sorts of yucky goodies.  

Colleen and I had so much fun strolling along the orchard, finding the perfect apples, and collectively agreeing how good it felt.  It felt like fall had finally arrived and my heart was overflowing with joy over the fact that Nathan is here to enjoy all of these little festivities with us.  Our next adventure will be the pumpkin patch!  Although, I'm sure next year will be that much better as he walks and runs all over the place.  This year I imagine him trying to either eat a pumpkin or climb on top of it.  

Oh, and I fully planned on taking some adorable pictures of Nathan at the orchard with our camera only to realize that I forgot the memory card!!  Totally mom fail...thank goodness for camera phones and terrible lighting!