One month and then some.

It's so hard to believe that our little son has been with us for almost 5 weeks.  The days really do fly by.  We had a very busy month in 'baby land'.  All you mama and papas know the time warp new babies bring.  So here is a small fraction of the footage of the past month or so with our sweet little man, Eben Freeman:

My mom came to visit for a few weeks...what a wonderful help she was!  She surely adores her first grandchild.

One week old.  My first Mother's Day.

Tim's parents came to visit a few weeks in...lots of snuggling in this week.

Three generations of Straders.

Eben's first bath with us.

Picnic in Prospect Park to celebrate Eben's One Month!

Matching collared button up shirts...had to be like his Papa...

My little Brooklynite.

Eben fell asleep with his clothes on...too much like his Papa!

It's incredible how much changes in just one month.  Eben has already grown 5 pounds and over 2 1/2 inches!  I already find myself teary eyed seeing how much he's already grown and changed.  Tim and I are holding and cuddling him every chance we get, knowing this baby season will fly by so quickly.

Soon!

So yes, there is a baby in my belly.  Almost a fully cooked baby, who is welcome to come anytime he wants (though mama hopes sooner than later).  I've slowed down quite a bit.  I went making dinners in double batches to freeze for later, to now it's lucky if I'm even cooking these days (eggs and avocados every night is ok, right?...).  Tim has been AMAZING taking care of me and pulling the weight that I'm lacking for us.  From making dinners to initiating foot massages to planning picnic dinners in the park (yay spring!),  'A finer husband I do not know!'  I love that man.  And I look forward to falling head over heels for him again and again each time I see him hold our little son.  Soon Strader's will go from 2 to 3.

...spring fever...

...spring is almost here!  Can you feel it?

the shortest month

The first Sunday in February:

Tim and I celebrated our third wedding anniversary!  It was a fun weekend staying in Lower Manhattan, spending time together at our favorite places (a great coffee shop, a contemporary art museum, popping into an old cathedral...), going back in time at The Fraunces Tavern and seeing a really great Broadway show.  It was really great just spending time together with no distractions.

(This was fun and fairly easy to make!  I used this tutorial: LINK.)

It may have been the week after I anniversary when I walked a half mile in this one morning.  I had to stop half way through...definitely a 'I'm so done with snow/New York/winter moment.

But I made it!  And I'm still  here.  And my legs may be a bit stronger because of it.  And because the numerous amounts of 'Polar Vortex', 35 degrees now feels like summer.   February was a great month, always filled with so much celebration, adoration and love.  But Tim & I are both thankful it's now March.  And spring is just around the corner.

twenty eight weeks

Tim and I are already head over heels for this little boy.  Every kick, wave and wiggle that I feel is so special.  And I get even more excited when Tim gets to feel them too.  We are in one incredible season...and the home stretch.

January Snow

   

This winter has been so different from last year, one being that we actually see the snow falling from the sky.  Last winter, we awoke to snow already lying peacefully on the ground. This year, we can actually say 'look!  it's snowing!'  We've had a good amount of beautiful 'day time snow' here in the North East, and already so much more of it than last winter.  Tim and I bundled up last Friday and took a hike in Prospect Park.  (I think it was 19 degrees...or maybe 9. The frequent freezing temps are meshing together for me.)  We were amazed at the number of paths that had been cleared for residents to walk on.  It's nice to see how much NYC cares for their parks!  But there is surely something about snow that is so whimsical.  Everyone seems to get so excited, and no matter how cold it is, people are out playing in it, both young and old.

the last of 2013

2013 has been a very joyous year!  (Hence, this little one growing so rapidly inside of me!)  Here are some of my favorite photos that didn't quite make it to our blog towards the end of 2013 :

My mom came to visit in August.  I really liked these photos Tim had taken one Sunday evening:

I surprised Tim with the sweet news of our little one with this poster taped on our window:

This photo was taken just a few days after finding out the news of our babe growing inside of me:

Tim and I had fun doing our own photo session in the Park one day in November.  I was 15 weeks pregnant in these photos:

Christopher came to visit for a weekend in December.  Tim and I were not in Texas for Christmas this year, and well, Christopher was.  So we had a mini-Christmas, as well as a mini-birthday celebration for Tim and Christopher here in Brooklyn.

Christmas 2013 was spent in Louisville.  It was a very quick trip, but we tried to soak up as much love and squeezes from family and friends in just the few days we were there:

(I was 21 weeks pregnant in these photos)

Tim and I look forward to sharing more photos and news come 2014.  Happy New Year!