{this moment}

With a nod to Amanda, I'm beginning a tradition of sharing a photograph each Friday. 

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

happening

this week, finn...

tried chicken tortilla soup - and LOVED it, cilantro, chiles, and all - obviously my kid.
tried bittersweet chocolate pudding from "Desserted", the new cookbook from Kate Schaeffer of Black Dinah Chocolates. I was expecting fireworks - and if he could have, I think he would have said, "meh" - obviously not my kid.
perfected his "push up", precursor to what I'm afraid might become a full-fledged CRAWL in the near future. Gulp.

this week, i...
learned that i need to let go of control a bit more - like when i look through the photos and realize there are very few of me and finn because i've always got to have photos just so...but there's something really lovely about pictures that AREN'T perfect.
thanks, babe :)

these days.

It's been unseasonably warm here in Maine for the past week or so (I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this before, but this weather is worth mentioning).
Taking advantage of these unheard-of temps, we've flung open all the windows and doors, begun a massive spring clean, and - of course - been spending lots of time outside.

We've got a big, beautiful blanket on which to perch, but of course, the blanket is less than interesting to a little one who's never explored (read: tasted) the likes of sticks, leaves, and grass.

During these moments of bliss outside, I'm trying to soak up Finn in this moment, too. From what I hear, I'll be yearning for these days once they're over - once he's mobile, for one (still just sitting in one spot, much to my pleasure), once he's a "big boy", once he's in school, leaving home, etc. etc. etc.


It's hard, though - I won't deny it, and I won't apologize. But amidst the tough stuff, there are moments of this...........which I wouldn't give away for the world.                    While I'm practicing being here, in this moment, I'm also looking forward to finding out who this pensive, funny, willful little man is going to be, and feel quite blessed to be his mama...and to spend these days with him.

my view today

This weather is insane - at the same time that it's terrifying me, I'm soaking up the 60 degree March-in-Maine weather...and so is Finn!

And yes, I did drop everything to paint my toenails this morning. Sandal season has arrived!

sensory exploration

There is nothing more amazing than watching a babe explore his world.............with all his senses.

How's that leaf taste, Finn?

and away we go.

This kid.

I do believe Mr. Finn may have just had his official first tantrum.  Full-fledged screaming/crying/ hysteria.
Want to know why?

Because we ran out of broccoli.

This kid.

one of those days

There are some days when I'm not sure I'm doing this parenting thing "right" at all.But yesterday was not that kind of day.

Good company

Great views

....and a sure sign of spring!
(not to mention hot cocoa!)


Man, I wonder sometimes how I lived without this little man in my life. He's pretty much the best person I ever met.

B

I love...B
Baby laughs - the way they take him completely by surprise and get caught up in his throat. How they seem to simply spill out of him as his whole body spasms.


Bliss - succumbing to the drowsiness for just a minute

...and belly rolls before bathtime

come right in!

Welcome to Finn's room! 

This is a post I've been meaning to write for a while, but just hadn't gotten around to, and hadn't taken the "right" pictures of yet, though I'd tried a few times. Yesterday, though, I got inspired to get the photos up (you'll see why in a minute). For now, let's take the tour!

 This is the view from Finn's crib of his door, bedecked with a beautiful name rug made my a dear friend of ours. It's the first part of his bedtime ritual with his Dad, where they say goodnight to everything in his room, starting with his rug. Very sweet, let me tell you.  The print on the wall is tough to see, but it's a gem that I bought several years ago, just knowing that it would fit perfectly in with whatever nursery we wound up with and has been on the wall since long before Finn was born. The curtain on the far left is one I whipped up in a fit of sewing madness to cover up the mess that is the inside of his closet. It's the latest "under the sea"-themed things in his room. I wasn't going for a "theme", but we seem to sort of have one anyway. Such is my life.

Here we are with more underwater action (taking photos of windows is hard!).  My aunt makes really beautiful netted bags and created this mobile as a special request from me. It wound up being a bit too long for the ceilings in his room, so now it hangs in the window, which I quite like anyway. And it matches the curtain I made for him perfectly :)  The curtain fabric is also what will be on his bumpers when his mattress is low enough for them to fit! Ah, the benefits of having a stationary child. 

 Just below the mobile is this former bait box, now toy box painted by our friend, who is the Art teacher on the island - without seeing Finn's room, she just happened to paint it in the exact same colors as his wall and floor. It was meant to be. 

Finn's outrageously awesome lamp was a gift from his grandparents, created by a local artist and destined to be a part of his world for a long time. He's an absolutely perfect addition to his space (just love the nonplussed expression on him). You can't see it now, but the rug on the floor in front of the box is yet another underwater image of a whale.

This is probably one of my favorite details in Finn's room: a toolbox that my great-grandfather (Maddox), and my grandfather (Crossman) used when they were in business together. It's been repurposed as a toy shelf, and I LOVE it's beaten up "distressed finish". I found it in my Dad's shop in a pile of stuff he was going to bring to the dump, and knew it had to be mine.

Ah, and here we are at the piece de resistance...the crib. It was created as a labor of love by Finn's grandfather and daddy and is absolutely stunning in birch. It converts from a crib to a toddler bed to a full-sized bed, so the time and energy that was put into it will be with him for a looong time. Which is good, considering that we spent WAY more for the wood than we would have if we had simply purchased a crib in the first place. Ah well, live and learn. I love it just the same.



There are totally sweet creatures atop his crib watching over him - a stegosaurus made by a super crafty friend, and owl made by another out of recycled sweaters.
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oh, and I made the sheet.  Feeling pretty bad ass about that.  And it was this small fact upon which this entire post was based.
I just really, really, really love that so many of the things in his room were made for him or are reminders of very important people in his life (and there are so many that didn't make it into these photos! - Meg, you're getting your own post :)  And I'm glad that I can be part of that crafty little world that he gets to live in.
There. Thanks for indulging me :)