Piano Man Chase!

We found out one of Chase's cool new tricks - playing the piano! Check him out!

November?!?

How the heck did it get to be November?! Is there really less than 50 days until Christmas? I feel like life has flown these past few months....actually, these past 7.5 months to be specific. I feel like time is getting away from me. I've always heard the saying "Time flies when you are having fun" and never really understood the concept until having a baby. Don't get me wrong, this is definitely the most challenging thing I've ever done, but Chase is so much fun that it makes it all worth it!

I've been torn over wanting him to "grow up" from little dependent baby to one that moves around and holds his own bottle. He is slowly beginning to crawl and I feel an inner pull to yell "stop, don't grow up" every time I cheer him on. I think that babies get more fun with each month as a way to help the parents cope with their little babies growing so quickly! We are really having a good time, too. Chase is so amused by pretty much everything. All we have to do is walk by and it is apparently the most comical thing to have ever happened. Throw a walk by or lick from the dog into the mix and it's flat out hilarious.

I posted on Facebook the other night that I got choked up while reading the book "How Do I Love You" to Chase the other night before bed. I've always been a bit of a sap behind my tough front, but having a baby has shed that tougher layer away and exposed my true inner being and my heart is now completely out on my sleeve. It's amazing how one look, smile, eye contact, etc with this baby can continually make my heart skip a beat and everything inside of me just swells with this overwhelming love, pride and happiness. Having a baby really does change everything, and I'd have a million more if they all brought the same amount of joy to the world as Chase does.

So now we start switching gears from Halloween & Fall and begin heading into the winter time. Daylight Savings is over, it's dark out again at night and that means that Christmas is not too far away. While Chase will have absolutely no idea that Christmas is different than any other day, I am over the moon excited for it. I can't wait to see my bright eyed sweet baby Chase ripping into paper, giggling and shrieking with all the people who love him most in this world. If only I could figure out a way to make Maine & Pennsylvania closer together, we could have our other favorite people in the world with us as well.

Well...off to attempt to get ready for bed before I get sidetracked doing something else. Days go by so quickly. Sometimes to just slow the day down, I will go stand in Chase's room while he is sleeping and watch my beautiful baby just snore away in such a blissful state. I was born to love this baby...what a perfect purpose in life!

A scary dose of reality

Today Matt & I experienced one of our first truly scary moments as parents. Chase fell off of our bed.

Matt was upstairs getting ready for work and I was downstairs before I got ready and so Chase was up with him. Matt needed to iron his pants and placed Chase in the middle of the bed for a moment while he ironed. He turned around for one brief second, and in that second, the now fully mobile baby made his way to the edge of the bed and toppled the several feet down.

I heard a loud crash followed by a heart wrenching scream and I ran up the stairs faster than I have ever moved in my life. Matt was already to Chase and holding him as the reality of what had happened unfolded in my mind. Chase was screaming and crying in a way I have never heard him scream and in that moment I felt like a helpless being, unable to do something immediate other than hold him, that would make him feel better.

We are extremely fortunate that he was not hurt. While I tried to calm him down, Matt called the doctors office to find out what we should do to make sure he was ok. He passed all the "tests" the nurse gave us to see if anything might be wrong and they told us to monitor him and call if anything was wrong.

I think in addition to having my heart break over seeing my baby in a potentially dangerous situation, it also broke my heart to see the instant feeling of guilt that came across Matt's face. I've said before that Matt is the most amazing dad I've ever met, and not surprisingly, he placed immediate blame for this accident on himself and it pained me to see how racked with pain he was.

Of course, it wasn't his fault but he couldn't see that. It could have easily happened to either of us. It's one of those things that makes you realize how quickly babies grow and change. It wasn't that long ago that Chase was a little lump that was swaddled and unable to move. Now he is near crawling and knows how to roll around.

I'm rambling and jumping around a bit in sharing this story. The emotions I felt this morning were similar - all over the place. I've known the protective instinct toward this child that took over my body the moment I found out I was expecting him - but there was never really a moment to this point that put it to a real true test. It also showed me that I can't protect Chase from every form of potential danger in this world. What happened today was an accident, plain & simple. Perhaps an avoidable accident, but we are human and parenthood didn't come with a handbook. We go with our gut instinct every day and hope that it will be enough. I also realize how different a person I am today than in the past. My pain is no longer derived from only within myself, but also from the pain that both Matt & Chase experience. When they hurt, I hurt.

At the end of the day, we are all ok. It probably isn't, in the grand scheme, as big of a deal as it felt to us this morning. Chase will never remember falling off the bed, though it is something that Matt & I will carry with us forever as one of our stumbles in parenthood. The point I suppose is, that we are all human. Mistakes happen. All we can do is love each other and hold on tight. Doesn't make parenthood any easier though, and I can tell you for certain that we will think twice next time before setting Chase down.

Where did the last month go??

How has it been almost a month since my last post??? I feel like I was just sitting down & typing about getting ready to pack for our trip to Maine and suddenly it is a month later!

So, to back it up a bit. We had a FANTASTIC visit to New England. It was all the relaxation we needed and the one on one time with Chase was priceless. It is so much fun for me to get to see my grandparents spend the time with their great grandson. My relationship with my grandparents was an integral part of my upbringing, and my hope for Chase is that he gets that with his grandparents and great grandparents. We also enjoyed showing Chase some of our favorite Maine things - the beach, the coast, LL Bean & Freeport shopping, the Samoset resort (where we got engaged!)...it was just a really wonderful week. I hope Chase grows up to love his time in Maine as much as I do.

We haven't had too many other eventful things aside from our trip in the last month though it seems that life is on full throttle and not showing promises of slowing down - I came down with a horrible cold after getting back home and have been fighting getting my energy back since then.

Chase is growing so fast that I feel like I am trying to capitalize on every second we have with him - every day brings so many new exciting things. From how he moves, to the way he watches us, to his vocal/verbal communication advances. He just amazes me and I have been really emotionally overwhelmed by my ever growing love for him lately. Every laugh and smile makes my heart swell even more than the last and somedays I feel like my insides are just going to burst I am so full of love for this child.

Vacation!

The last few weeks have been crazy! Staci got married and now we are getting ready to head to my most favorite place on earth - Maine! I am so excited to introduce Chase to New England and our family up there that hasn't met him yet. I'll be sure to blog more while I am there since I will have a whole week of relaxation :)

5 months & a special anniversary!

Sweet baby Chase turned 5 months old today! Pictures will follow later this weekend when I get around to uploading them, but had to mark this monumental occasion :)

I can't believe it has been five months since I first met my beautiful baby boy. As I reflect back over the last five months of my life, my heart is taken back to one year ago today. On August 27, 2009 we had our pregnancy confirmed at 6 weeks by ultrasound and I heard the heartbeat of our growing baby for the very first time. I remember the rush of love, anxiety & emotion I felt at that moment and now one year later I have this growing little boy who has brought such joy to my life. It's amazing how full circle this life has become - what an amazing ride!

Tomorrow we are taking full advantage of the warm weather & a clear schedule and doing some fun things with Chase. I live for the weekends these days, and this one is gearing up to be a fantastic one.

xo,
Lindsay

Crazy couple of weeks!

We've had a crazy couple of weeks! Last time I posted, Matt had been away for a few days for work and it seems like since he returned home, we've not stopped! On August 16th, we celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary. It was so special this year because since our last anniversary when I was pregnant, our family has grown into a beautiful family of 3 and I feel so blessed over the last year of our married life together.

We also have been completely consumed by the planning & execution of the 2nd Annual Jessica Drew Memorial Golf Outing. It was this past Saturday, 8/21, and it was an even bigger success than I could have ever dreamed of. We had over 140 people in attendance and raised nearly $30,000!!! What a tribute and testament to the incredible life my sister led. It was a lot of work, but was so worth it when we realized what amazing good we were able to do!

Chase also threw a wrench in the mix of the last few week's craziness by going through the 4 month "wakeful period". This is where his cognitive development really kicked it up a notch and the world around him was so interesting that sleep was the bottom of his priority totem pole. He has averaged only about 3 hours of sleep a night the last couple of weeks and it sure added to our exhaustion level! The only benefit to all of it, is that even with little sleep, he is still such a well behaved happy baby that at 3am when he was wide awake he didn't cry, but was just a giggly smiley little boy. I've fallen more in love with him than even before (I didn't know that was possible?!). I love watching him take in the world around him, and see the light he brings to the faces of everyone who looks at him. He was such a trooper the entire day at the golf outing, and after being passed around to tons of people and completely thrown off any form of schedule he had, he stayed so joyful the entire day.

Things are settling a bit now. As I am typing this, Matt is upstairs packing for another overnight trip for work. As much as we miss him and it makes me appreciate our parenting partnership, I do enjoy the one on one time with Chase. Our bond as mommy & baby is so intense - its the most incredible thing I've ever experienced in my life. He is growing so quickly, and now when I look back on the pictures from when he was first born, it makes me realize how much he has grown and changed in just five months.

I am really looking forward to the month of September! First up, we have my best friend Staci's wedding, which is sure to be a magnificent day and then a week later we pack up the car and head to New England for a long awaited vacation! Our first stop will be in Massachusetts for a couple of days to spend some time with Nana & Bub. Then on Sunday we head to Maine for a week of total relaxation. My Nana & Papa's house has always been my place of refuge from the world, and I am so excited to introduce Chase to my favorite place on earth! We are even sneaking in a little family getaway while we are there and heading to the Samoset Resort to spend the night where we got engaged three years ago. It's so amazing what has happened and changed in the last three years - I've had the biggest heartaches and best moments of my life and I'm a much different person today than I was back then. Being a wife & mommy has changed my life for nothing but the better. I can't wait to make memories in my favorite state with my favorite husband, baby & grandparents. What a semi-charmed kind of life we lead :)

For now..here's a picture to show my favorite time of day that Matt caught on film. These moments don't get to happen nearly as often as I would like..but they sure are memorable and I think Chase enjoys them just as much as I do!

We don't like when Daddy is away!

Miss you daddy! Matt is away for work for a couple of days, and we made this as a surprise for him :)

Just can't have a bad day..

We had a busy weekend that went by way too fast, so it was really hard to go back to work today and be away from my little sweetie. My mom said that Chase only napped about 2 hours all day, which is far too little for our liking! Matt got home about an hour and a half before I did and said that Chase was restless, wasn't smiling like usual and just kept fussing. He was so overtired but just wouldn't go down to sleep. I came in the door from work and that was all it took for my sweet baby to burst into a smile! To make it even better, as soon as I took him and started singing my usual songs to him he quickly calmed down, laid his head on my chest and was out like a light. It is moments like these that fill my heart with such unspeakable joy. I was sitting on the couch holding this little angel and my eyes just welled up with tears of sheer joy and love at the miracle that was in my arms. I'm convinced that there is no such thing as a bad day with Chase in the world.

For another little treat, Chase decided to start trying to really hold his own bottle this morning - cutest thing! Enjoy the pictures!

Sometimes a baby just needs his mommy...


Big bottle holding baby!



I'm not sure if I shared this picture already or not, but Matt took this candid shot the other morning. Just another beautiful example of unspeakable joy.

Chase's Big Day!

Today was a big day for the Coulter family! Chase had his 4 month check up, complete with shots, and did great! I was able to sneak away from work to go with my mom & Chase to the appointment. Our little heavyweight is tipping the scales at 16lbs, 15 oz and is 26 1/2 inches long!! He is in the 81% for weight and 90% for height! He also received three shots and an oral vaccination. He screamed his cute little head off while the needles where in his leg, but once I picked him and gave him some mommy love, he was good to go!

The exciting day didn't stop there! The doctor gave us the go ahead to try rice cereal with him now that his weight is so high and he is eating so much. I went to target after work and got him some organic brown rice cereal (I know, I know) and tonight we mixed a little bit with breastmilk and the video & photos below are the end result. Of course, our little grabber had to make things even more exciting by grabbing the bowl and spilling it EVERYWHERE! Never a dull moment in our house, but certainly a bunch of proud ones :)

Fell asleep from excitement while mommy & daddy ate dinner!


First bite of cereal!


Big boy at the doctors office!



Family photo:



Proud mommy!


In action with dumping the bowl!

Rolling over!!

Today was another Monday, which we aren't too fond of in the Coulter household after we spend fun weekends together. However, Chase gave us a great surprise today and when we put him in his crib for a nap after dinner he surprised us and rolled over! We grabbed the video camera to get it for the second time on tape - enjoy!!

Splish Splash!

Check out Chase learning to kick and splash in the tub - he's such a happy baby...we are just the luckiest parents in the whole world. I can't get enough of this sweet little boy!

The video had to be posted in two parts, so view this top one first!

Weekends go too quickly!

Well, I survived my first week back to work and was greatly looking forward to the weekend! I have to say that I don't think I have ever enjoyed a weekend as much as this one, for the sole purpose of complete uninterrupted time with my little buddy Chase. We woke up on Saturday morning and Matt headed over to the Harrisburg house to get a bunch of things done so we can get it on the market. While he did that I picked up the house and ran what felt like a bizillion errands with Nana Krn. It was about 105 degrees here on Saturday with the heat index, so just walking into a store was enough to be exhausting! We went and signed up for our new library cards at the Hershey Library and browsed around the children's section. It makes me so excited for the future and all the fun things that Chase will get to learn, explore & imagine by reading. Then we did a run to Sam's Club and the grocery store. We ended the day with a "Southpoint" get together. Southpoint is the development we live in and we had Staci & Jordan, Eric & Jess and their beautiful kids Bronx & Brody over. The only thing missing was their cute little girl Pixx. We had thai food takeout and spent the warm evening on the deck having a great time. This move was the best thing ever!

This morning we made breakfast and headed out to meet up with Jordan's sister Jess to do some shopping for Staci's bridal shower that is on August 7th, grabbed some lunch and headed home. Nana Krn stopped by to see Chase for about an hour while Matt & I raced around to clean the entire house from top to bottom while we had a quick babysitter! Chase is going to sleep now after a cute bath (I'll post the video from that next!) and I find myself sitting here feeling sadder tonight than I did last Sunday because after being away from him all week and then getting the weekend with him, I am missing him already and can't wait until next weekend.

One big accomplishment this week was Chase sat in his highchair for the very first time! Here are some cute pictures - he's growing so quickly!

we've created a monster

Chase has learned to copycat us...we found this out when I was trying to make him smile the other morning as we were getting ready from work. We tried to get a re-enactment later that evening when I got home from work - enjoy!

Jumping bean!

I've been really slacking in posting since the chaos of moving & going back to work...but I caught this on video tonight and had to share. Our little baby is getting soo big! He brings us so much joy & laughter :)

Moved!

Yesterday was moving day, and all in all, things went rather smooth. It has been a long week since I last posted! Matt was away at Kate & Alex's wedding last weekend and I was on my own with Chase. Then on Sunday we went non-stop getting ready for Monday morning.

We are about 80% unpacked at this point, with a lot of things yet to hang on the wall. We are also going to paint Chase's room by the end of the weekend. So much to do, but so worth it! We feel very at home already and are enjoying getting comfortable in the house we will raise our family in :)

I return to work tomorrow for several hours to get reacquainted and caught up on things before my full time return to work on Monday. I never thought I would be so torn about going back to work. I have loved every single moment of maternity leave with Chase and wish that it could go on forever. It has truly been the most rewarding & difficult 16 weeks of my life. I hope that I find a good balance quickly as I get used to only spending time with Chase after 6pm. Unfortunately he has started going to bed earlier & earlier! Wish me luck!

One week to go!

The countdown is on! We have one week until moving day! We got a lot of packing done today including the whole attic. All we have left is our bedroom and some odds & ends in the other rooms. I can't believe that one week from today we will be sitting in our new house!

This week is going to fly by as well. I'm going to have Monica, who I used to nanny when she was 5 for several years, is going to be my helper this week to hang out with Chase & I at home while I get the rest of the packing done. It is supposed to be 100 degrees here all week too, so we may ditch some packing and head to the pool!

Matt is headed to Long Island in NY this weekend for the wedding of his best friend from college. Alex was a groomsmen in our wedding as well & he is marrying his college sweetheart Kate. I wish I was able to join them, but having a 3 month old and my parents out of the country cramps our style a little bit :) So we will be dropping the dog off at the kennel on Friday morning for the weekend while we finish packing and because with Matt gone from Friday AM - late Saturday, it will be lot easier for me to handle on my own with Chase. With our entire house in boxes, I will probably take Chase to my parents house to sleep.

Chase is changing so much - I have to share these pics of him in his Bumbo seat & Jumperoo. It is amazing what a couple of weeks does to his ability to enjoy these things more. Wonder how quickly he will grow out of them!

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July!!

We had a fantastic weekend celebrating the 4th of July with friends and enjoying our little family! On Saturday I left Daddy at home with Chase for some much needed & deserved one-on-one time and went out for a couple of hours to have lunch with Staci & Sara to celebrate Sara's birthday. In the evening we went over to Staci & Jordan's house for a hot dog cookout and to relax on their patios. This time next week, we will be in walking distance to their home from our new one and so this weekend we practiced our "BFF BBQ's" that we are sure to be having all summer long!

Sunday morning we got up, ready & packed up for a long but fun day! We started out at Matt's grandparents house for a rib cookout and some swimming then headed over to Staci's parents house for a full afternoon & evening of swimming & food. Jordan's sister and her children joined us as well and it was a really good time. Jess & Eric's youngest son, Bronx, was born only 1 week before Chase so it was fun to see the similarities and differences between the two boys. Bronx is one of the calmest, most chill babies I've ever met. Chase is a pretty relaxed, rarely fussy baby, and Bronx still topped him for the ultimate chill factor.

In the evening when it got dark, we had a great surprise with fireworks from the neighbors. They apparently hire a professional and obtain a permit to come put on a real fireworks display for the neighborhood. Chase was so enthralled with the bright colors and didn't mind the loud noise at all! It's so much fun getting to experience all of the "firsts" in his life! Enjoy a few photos from our great weekend!

Chase & Bronx getting in a nap:



Watching his first fireworks :



Happy baby at the pool :



My little surfer dude:



Patriotic Chase! I love his expression in this picture!

Happiness is...

Happiness is having your baby asleep on your chest.

Chase has been super sleepy this evening, which isn't very common for him, but I am not one to pass up the snuggle time. Matt & I are watching a movie and relaxing before we dive back into packing again tomorrow and Chase decided to get comfy as well.

Being a mommy just moves me sometimes, in the most simple & pure of ways. To look down and see this innocent, perfect child laying on you who knows nothing else in the world other than that you love him is one of the most real and defining things I have ever experienced. I feel like my blog has become somewhat sappy since I became a mom, but I think that is because so many parts of me have changed so much. I see the world in a different color now than I did before. I have a different purpose and meaning to everything I do. I am more cautious, more forgiving, more patient. I think before I speak more, I take time to look at the little things. This little baby is changing every day right before my eyes and I am trying so hard to take it all in, to make each moment a photograph in my memory. I take so many pictures these days, probably because some day when I am old I will look back on them as many people do and reminisce that these were some of the happiest days of my life.

Life is so beautiful. I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I do - they are simple and perhaps boring to anyone other than me, but for me they speak volumes and capture the perfectness that is Chase Gregory Coulter


Sweet sleeping baby:



Mommy+Baby+snuggle time = perfect love


I loved this shot with his big hand and sleeping face in the background:

Pool Day!

My parents left today for their Mediterranean cruise and they will be gone for what feels like FOREVER! I was so sad for them to go - I have come to rely on my mom so much during the day for company, advice, etc.

So...to cheer up after they headed out, I spent the day with Staci & her mom also known as Grammy Lu to Chase :) We had a great time hanging out in the pool, enjoying the sun, wine, Chase & good friendship! I love that after nearly 15 years of friendship, Staci & I are closer than we ever have been, only now in a much more mature way than when we were younger. We are so fortunate to have our friendship, and our relationships with each other's moms. Life is good :)

Three Months Old!

Chase turned 3 months old on Sunday - where has the time gone?! He has changed so much in three months, and I am finding that as each day goes by we have more & more fun with him!

Here are some fun pictures - took us awhile to get the pictures we wanted due to sleep, spit up & a little bit of grumpiness :)

Packing..Packing..Packing

We are just over two weeks away from our move to the new house! We have spent the last few days assembling boxes, getting moving company estimates and emptying cabinets. I am happy to report that I have stayed in my new "less is more" frame of mind and was able to get rid of a lot of unnecessary things in the house! My mom helped the last couple of days and we got the entire kitchen packed with the exception of a few random things that we will need over the next two weeks. I've moved a ridiculous amount of times over the last 10 years, and thought I had become quite the pro at packing. Turns out that having a baby & packing is MUCH HARDER than without...we get settled into a packing groove and that is about when Chase decides he would like my undivided attention.

Today we do the dining room & living room and Matt will work on the basement & attic. It is amazing how much more stuff we have now then when we moved in several years ago. It's also amazing to see where life has taken us during that time - we've had wedding showers, wedding, baby showers & Chase...no wonder we have so much more!

I am really excited to get into the new house and start the next chapter of our lives as a family, but I will always hold a special place for this house in my heart. It was the house that we mourned the loss of Jessie in by filling it with friends & family for weeks on end to comfort us, it was the flip cup party house, the wedding prep house with all of our wedding stuff laid out across the dining room, it was the house I spent my pregnancy in and the house we brought our baby home from the hospital in. We said goodbye to an old friend when we lost our dog Jake here, and we raised a new one by having Archie grow up here (and have the chewed edges to fix to prove it!). While the neighborhood around this house has changed and no longer fits our lives, the inside has always remained the same and it holds many wonderful memories of several of the best years of my life. I feel like moving out of here is a graduation of sorts...and now we are on to bigger & better things.

Most of all..I will miss the gorgeous blue hydrangea bush that blooms every June to let me know that summer has arrived.

Now, enough procrastinating. Off to pack!! Happy Saturday!

Happy Father's Day!

This past weekend we celebrated Matt's first Father's Day, and I don't think there has ever been a more deserving new daddy!

The weekend started with the fulfillment of a long standing wish of Matt's - a Dairy Queen ice cream cake with TRIPLE the normal amount of fudge & chocolate crunchies in the middle of the cake! He was in heaven!

On Saturday, we had tickets to go to the Phillies game that Kayla gave to Matt for Father's Day, so Chase & I gave Matt Phillies related new gifts. He got a new yard flag & grill cover for our new house along with a stuffed Phanatic mascot (really for Chase!) and Phillies cups that we used for tailgating. We left Chase for the longest we ever have - 10 hours! - and had a great time at the game. It was nice to do something as grown ups for the day, but we were so excited to get home to our favorite little guy!


On Sunday morning we went to Event's Etc for brunch, which is where my baby shower was held. Matt LOVES their breakfast food there, so it was a special treat for him. We also gave him the rest of his gifts:

From me - cufflinks with his initials engraved in them. I had given Matt these exact same ones for our wedding, but somehow he had lost them. So now he has them as a reminder of his first Father's Day!

From Chase - a picture frame that said "Best Buddies, Daddy & Chase" with a cute pic of the two of them. They really are best buddies!


From both of us - a new firepit for the patio at the new house! It was an IOU since the last thing I wanted in the house was one more thing to pack, but Matt is so excited to have it when we move.

It was a really great weekend spent celebrating the best daddy in the whole entire world! A little boy has never been so lucky! I am so in love with my two favorite guys - Life is so good!




Can't forget a special shout out to Grampy for his first Father's Day as a grandfather!

Jumperoo!

We got Chase a Jumperoo this week because he has been really into standing up & bouncing around...he wasn't too sure what to think at first, but loves smiling & talking to the rainforest animals attached to the top while he learns to bounce around. We had to prop his feet underneath because he is a little short for it yet, but I think it will be a favorite toy in no time...

Bathtime Fun

I've been having problems with uploading videos on here, and I'm not sure why so it may take awhile to get some of the cute new videos we have taken loaded! For now, I will share some still pictures of our growing boy!

Here is a picture of Chase from bathtime the other night - we are so blessed that he rarely has long periods of crying & general grumpiness. Don't get me wrong - sometimes, he is just a grump, but when we end the day with smiles and happy bathtime, it makes me feel like we must be doing at least something right!

Semi-Charmed Kind of Life

I've been slacking with my blogging...so let me start off with apologies for that! It seems like life is racing by. I'm going to try and catch up with a few posts tonight!

To cap off the beach trip, here are a few pictures that we took our last night at the beach. I love these pictures because I feel they really capture the sentiment of my life right now - especially the one of just me & Chase. It is so incredible to be at a place in life where you really have a hard time coming up with many complaints - we are healthy & happy, are moving into a beautiful home, have a fantastic family & group of friends, a great marriage, stable & good jobs, and most importantly, we have a little baby who seems to brighten the day of every person he comes in contact with. It gives me such joy to see the smiles on other peoples faces when they interact with my little boy...I hope he is always able to spread such infectious light & happiness on others.

Today was a perfect summer day, complete with chicken on the grill, corn on the cob and lemonade while watching the Phillies game on tv - I don't think it gets much better than this <3

A lot of firsts this week!

Our vacation to Stone Harbor contained a lot of "firsts" for Chase - his first time at the beach, crossing state lines, hotel stay, etc, but it also included a "first" for Matt & I! For the first time since last July we went out to a bar and also had a date night without the baby!

We went out on Sunday night with Chip & Ally to Fred's Tavern and another bar in Stone Harbor and had a great time. Once I was out, my anxiety level was manageable and we were able to enjoy 2 hours out having a good time without the baby! Then on Thursday night, Matt & I had a date night and we went out to dinner & ice cream. It was great to spend the time just the two of us without baby talk! Thanks to Nana Krn for watching him both times - though he slept the ENTIRE time we were gone!

Stone Harbor!

We arrived in Stone Harbor yesterday for Chase's first vacation! He is having a great time and is being showered with attention from his Nana, Great Nana & Bub, Aunt Kayla, Megan, Uncle Chip, Cousin Nancy & of course mommy & daddy!

Two Months Old Today!

Chase turned 2 months today! Can you believe it?? He had a doctors appointment and got his first shots - but he did great with it! I was so proud of him! He weighs 13lb 10oz (86th percentile) and is 21 1/4 inches long (61st percentile). He has been a bit fussy this afternoon as a result of the shots, but his fussy is another baby's good day so we are really lucky! As I write this, Chase & his daddy are falling asleep on the couch - they are so cute together!

We are headed to Stone Harbor, NJ on vacation in less than 48 hours and we are so excited for so many reasons. Matt is really looking forward to the uninterrupted time with us (I think we are looking forward to it more though!), and Chase also gets to meet his Great Nana & Bub for the first time, which we are REALLY excited about.

It's still amazing to me that we have been a family for two months now - what an amazing ride it has been so far. I wake up every morning even more amazing at how blessed we are - I really couldn't ask for any more. What a beautiful life we have.

Not so happy about the pics...



Ok..this is better..



Mr. Serious!



Ready to be a beach bum!



Happy boy at the doctors office!