Planning a First Birthday party

First of all, I know it seems like something every parent says and that makes it lose its meaning sometimes but I can't believe how quickly my baby has grown. I feel like I haven't even had time to write in his baby book about one milestone before many more have come and gone. Now I find myself with just two months to plan his very first birthday.

I've wanted to start writing letters to Noah for a while and it is something that I had done while I was pregnant as a way to connect with him and ease my mind. Before I find myself visiting preschools, I am going to start his letters and hope that someday they will make a sweet gift for him.

April 5, 2012

Today was a busy one and you seemed to love the hike, playing with the dogs, seeing your Aunt Jenny and Nana, and trying to eat with a spoon. You amaze me in so many ways every day, sometimes with nothing more than your smile. You have this way of smiling so hard that your nose crinkles up and you look like you're growling a little. It makes me happy every time I see it especially because I know it's one of those things that you won't do forever, like the little horse-sounding noise you used to make that we don't hear anymore.

It took a long time for you to go down for a nap today and I had to rock you in my arms for so long that they were burning! As I rocked you back and forth and walked around your room I took pictures in my mind of all of the sweet things you see from your bed. The soft white bunny that sits on your top shelf, the baseball Daddy put on the shelf before you were born, the mobile with all of the animals that you love to see spin, and the chair that we spend so much time in.

I know it's not long before I won't need to rock you in your chair and I'm thankful for every minute of every day that I watch you grow and change. I hope that as you do, your eyes stay full of wonder and your heart is as golden as it is today.

First Real Snow

We finally got enough snow to play outside in! Here is Scout catching a snowball for the camera.

Top Five Favorites at Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's is coming! Well, at least it's coming to a city less than an hour from here. This is the best news I've heard in a while. I have missed shopping at TJ's since moving back to NY in 2010. We used to bring a cooler and make the drive from Jacksonville, to the Chapel Hill store when we lived in NC. Before that, we lived within walking distance to a store in Oceanside, CA. Note: living close enough to walk to a store that sold wine for $2 per bottle got interesting more than a few times!

Anyway, in honor of the upcoming store opening, here are my top five Trader Joe's favorites:

1. Blueberry Green Tea- I was never a huge tea drinker and prefer coffee but there is something about this tea, the fragrance almost as much as the flavor, that makes it a must buy every time and just might turn you into a tea drinker.

2. Very Berry Clusters Cereal- By far my favorite cereal! I could eat it for every meal. It has a mildly sweet berry taste to it, not at all sugary or overpowering. I have not been able to find anything that comes close to its taste.

3. Fruit Leather- Maybe it has something to do with how much I used to love fruit roll ups or maybe because they are the perfect snack! I recently found one in a jacket pocket and contemplated eating it even though I knew it must have been in there for a couple of years. As much as I'm into foods that can be eaten with one hand while holding a baby in the other, it's surprising that I was able to resist. And no, I will not eat them in the shower.

4. Kettle Corn- This is very addicting and I can eat a whole bag. Such a yummy treat!

5. Joe Joe's- These are cookies with a name that's just fun to say. I used to buy the kind that are most like an oreo style cookie but there are different varieties of these cookies.

There are so many other items that I love at Trader Joe's. They make a great sparkling soda that saved my sister's lake house vacation when she was pregnant and we were all enjoying cocktails. Their many interesting flavors began my hummus habit. I'm glad that if my favorites list has to be a majority of snacks, they are at least a balance between sweets/ snacks and healthy snacks.

Maybe now that I am a parent and by the time the store opens will be buying food that our boy can eat, I might lean toward healthier items, but knowing my sweet tooth, the Joe Joe's and kettle corn will end up in the cart no matter what. All I can say is I can't wait!

Happy Shopping

Goodbye 2011

It's never been harder to say goodbye to a year! I always have a tough time taking down all of the decorations, seeing the Christmas trees out on the curb, and going back to work/school after vacation. I've been known to leave a Christmas tree up until the end of January. But for me, seeing the year my sweet boy was born end made it even harder! 2011 was the year our great life changed for the better and it would have been fine with me if it never ended. I have a feeling that I might feel that way more each year as they pass by way too fast, filled with firsts and memories.