TGIF!

Strader's LOVE the weekends!  With cold weather fast approaching, we've been trying to get out and enjoy Brooklyn while it's still so beautiful outside.  A few weeks ago we walked to Gowanus to get ice cream at the new Ample Hills, then over to Carroll Gardens to see an art exhibit (which her art was made from security envelopes!  Tim used security envelopes to make his zombie greeting cards some years back, so we both found this both fun and fascinating) and then we made our way back home through Prospect Park.  Here are some pics from our Sunday excursion:

Weekends are also about R&R, especially as a family.  One of mine and Tim's favorite things is to go cuddle with Eben as soon as he wakes up from his nap.  Since his naps are taken in our bed, there's plenty of room for us all to snuggle together...

Happy Friday!

Catchin' up with Eben

Here are some pics from September and the first few weeks of October caught on an iPhone...

What up ladies?

 Eben learned to sit on his own last month!

And he's wearing 12 month onesies these days.

Eben is loving to mimick us.  Here he's mimicking us blowing raspberries!

His first time on the swing!

 Eben finally met Uncle Christopher!  This was a very sweet visit for them both.

And this was taken today.  My sweet little laundry helper.

I can't believe how quickly babies really grow and learn.  Just in the past six weeks or so Eben has learned to roll over and sit up!  He is also cutting teeth (he has his bottom two teeth now and the top two are currently cutting in).  He's also interacting more and more and becoming more curious of his surroundings by the day. Tim and I have said to each other over and over these past few days that we are blessed with such a sweet little boy.  We're really loving enjoying being parents to this little guy!

September!

Life is really happening...and it really is hard to keep up these days.  Here are some pictures of Eben taken either in September, maybe early October.  (So that would make him around 4.5, maybe 5 months in these pics.) This is a favorite spot of ours, the Audubon Center, or also called 'The Boat House' in Prospect Park.

a trip to the garden

One of our favorite spots here in Brooklyn is the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens.  Living just a short walk away, we frequent it often.  We spent most of our time in the wilderness preserve and the Bonsai exhibit on this particular Sunday.

baby got skillz

I recently brought home some books from the library for Eben.  I never thought of checking out books for a baby...but he is so loving it!  Such a great idea.

He's also getting super strong these days. (and killin us with his looks!)

Tim likes to play a little game called 'strong man' with Eben.  Most of the time it ends with Eben gnawing on Tim's hand...

and just a few more cute shots from this month...