Amelia Jane: 11 Weeks Old

It's hard to believe our little lady just keeps growing, not yet three months but barely fitting into her three month clothes. I try to take a picture (or several) of her every day. Sometimes it turns into a full on photo session, wherein I try to snap as many pictures as possible, hoping one will turn out. Because man, babies are wiggly. Suddenly holidays are more exciting. Especially when it involves turning a tiny human into a tortured artist. Or imagining what it would be like to dress her up like a turkey. Too much? Our days are filled with mostly the mundane still, but Amelia is as animated as ever and loves story time, cooing, walking to Trader Joe's and bath time. She impresses her parents daily. The other night I had a dream that she said her first word. But instead of a word, she said Yeah, that sounds great! And it is great. Being a mama to this munchkin is pretty great.

New(ish) Songs to Fill Your Ears With

It seems like forever since I last put together a Music Monday post. Let's imagine for a minute that I'm working on a mixed tape. You know the kind—handwritten playlists that come in surprise snail mail packages. Here are a few songs I would work into the mix. I won't wax on about them, instead I'll just let you have a listen. Hopefully something will settle into your soul.

An Autumn Outing

Ken and I fondly refer to autumn as our season, since that is when we met. Besides recounting sappy dating memories, we always make it a point to go on a couple drives during this time of year. Through the years I've loved the Rocky Mountain foliage of my youth, the rolling Shenandoah hills from my East Coast time, and now the unassuming display of Midwestern leaves. Somehow, no matter how many times I experience this seasonal burst of color, autumn still intoxicates me.

Remember when we discovered Pere Marquette State Park when we moved to Missouri two years ago? Over the weekend we crossed rivers and roads to show Amelia what fun it was to rendezvous, play in the leaves, and collect driftwood. All in all it was a lovely outing.

Currently | 10.2.2014

READING: I just finished reading a lovely compilation of essays by Shauna Niequist. Her love letter to life around the table resonated with me on many levels. However the chapter that satisfied me most was about all the tastes; where she discusses exploring the world through different culinary dishes. Thereby coming to understand that people are nourished in different ways no matter where they live. Specifically she spoke of wanting to teach her children to appreciate different dishes in various native lands and I thought Yes. YES! That's what I want! Besides being an enjoyable read, the recipes are approachable and perfect for creating a simple or elaborate shared meal.

Also, have you read this article about being a stay-at-home-parent? Yeah.

WATCHING: So I finally got on the Parks and Recreation bandwagon and now I literally have an internal debate about which character is my favorite. Literally. I know, important stuff, right?

EATING: After Amelia was born one of our church friends brought us this vegan salad and I haven't stopped thinking about it since. It's basically like all the tastes of summer crammed into one bursting bite. Also, pumpkin. I dig it. I think a pumpkin tiramisu might be in order.

MAKING: The other day I was having one of those overwhelmed new parent moments and I realized that I hadn't been making time for me. Namely I had not made something in far too long. And I missed that. So last night I broke out the brads, paper, scissors, and string and made a festive little banner. Boom. Instantly I felt better.

EXCITED FOR: Concocting two-month-old Halloween costume ideas.

Image by me; taken at the Missouri Botanical Garden.