party planning preparations

My son turns 1 in a week!

Party planning and preparations are in full swing.

The theme (why not have a theme?) is Robots and all space related manner.

So I've been cutting up cardboard boxes & painting up the wazoo.

Robots and spacecrafts and rockets oh my! So fun!

Here's a sneak peek at the props for the photo booth.

Rue had to get in on the action!

There definitely will be a reflective & sappy 'my-baby-turned-one!' post soon, but I can't stop this run-away train just yet! There are stars & galaxies to be cut, pom-poms to be made, menu's to be planned, and cakes to be bought. I think all of the 'stuff' I am doing is helping distract me from the bittersweetness of saying goodbye to the baby and hello to the toddler. Mama's just not ready yet. Maybe some libations will help. [I can serve Mojitos at a kid birthday, right?]

Not quite used to life flying by me like this.

xo.

Circus of Love

My super talented friend/brother-from-another-mother Benjamin Dunn is an amazing musician and he recently released his latest album. Along with my husband our closest friends, I had the privilege to participate in his first official music video. It was so fun! You can see me standing behind the drummer. Chris described me as 'as the girl doing high-claps'.

Also, his website and his album is available for sale on iTunes.

cheers!

Y.

Mr. Moo-moo & the sled brigade

We [finally!] had our first snow day of the year!

A little powder, a new fuzzy hat and a brand new sled from the G-P's made this fun afternoon possible.

Mr. Moo-moo L-O-V-E-D his first sledding experience and we loved being the reindeer that pulled him around. Isn't that a funny thing about being a parent? You actually don't need to have fun yourself, but when your kid has fun, you do too!?

Donned in a super dense 3-6 month bear cub sleeper [you think I should update my kids' winter wardrobe?] little man could hardly move but that did not keep him from having a blast! Kicking his feet, giggling, and flashing us his 2 pearly whites. Oh, be still my heart!

Road Warriors/Having too much fun to take pictures

A candid thanksgiving [in so many ways]

Looking glam at Dave & Jo's wedding [in my mom's Diane Von Furstenberg dress]

'reading' Dr. Seuss

Mah lil turkey

The littlest brink, the biggest road warrior of us all

new highchair!

hanging with Great Grandpa Frank

'Having too much fun to take pictures.'

That's what I realized when I looked through my small photo album from last week. Too much fun to remember photos. We drove and drove and drove [which was surprisingly fun] and made lots of pit stops at Ikea and Anthropologie and our friend Matt & Cassie's house. We drank lots of coffee, and sang silly rhyming songs to keep our little beeber entertained for 27 hours of travel in 4 days. YES FOLKS. 27 HOURS. After an overnighter in CT we eventually made it to Maine; [but not without a pit stop to the NH tax free liquor store] only to wake up and drive back down to NH for Thanksgiving day's festivities. We hugged the family, chatted it up, drank some drink, had inappropriate table talk, ate just enough to feel icky, and watched Rue shine as the star of the show. He was loving the attention.

It was a grand, lovely, simple, joyful day.

We returned home saturday [with another stop at the NH liquor store.....gotta stock up for the holidays!] just in time for our friend David and Johannah's wedding. Most of the photos that my husband took of me were while I was dancing after I had a few drinks. OH, so not flattering.

Hope you had a lovely holiday!!

holiday road trip

Tonight at 5:30 our little family will be hopping in a car and driving to New England for Thanksgiving! Road Trip!!!

A lot of my husbands' family hasn't met Mr. Baby yet, so we are excited to spend this holiday with them and have them meet the first grand baby of the family! [shhh...don't tell, but next year there will be a cousin to join Rue's crew...as there is a bebe baking in the oven right now...and no, I'm not pregnant ;) but someone in the family is!

Armed with organic puffs, a front facing car seat, a crinkly book and silly faces, this mama is prepared to entertain baby Rue for 20+ hours in 4 days. Wish us luck!

In case I don't get to post again before the holiday, I want to wish everyone a very very happy thanksgiving. I hope you get to share the special day with loved ones and delicious food.

xx, Y

teeth & fallish things

happyyyyy fall friends!!

we had a delicious and eventful weekend at the Brink Haus! I loooooove weekends oh so much.

hightlights :

we went to a pumpkin patch with some of our favorite friends

we ate fresh molasses cookies.

we got lost in a corn maze, a first for Rue!

we saw goats, pigs, chicken and cows.

Rue ate some hay [ and choked on an apple. I debated on wether or not to include this detail... Major Mom Fail.]

we picked out the perfect little pumpkins.

we bought a beautiful red mum for the porch.

we watched movies.

we did a family photo shoot with Claire Pelella Photography

we drank spiked hot chocolate.

we snuggled on the couch.

it was a good as it sounds...until....1:30 AM when screams and tears poured from Rue's room. Approximately 3 hours later, one miserable little boy cut not one, but two teeth! Thank God! These teeth have been a long time coming! He's been teething for months, and so you can imagine how happy he was the following day! I called him the angel-saint baby.

It was a truly great weekend that I wished would never end!! I HEART FALL!

we've been busy.

lots of rolling.

lots of drooling.

teething.

better naps.

sleeping through the night.

a few stuffy noses.

some coughing.

lots of smiling.

trying to sit up.

lots of spit up.

lots of mirror time.

We've been so busy lately. With the funeral, two trips to Maine in a week, friends, bbq's, throwing a baby shower, cat sitting, parties, pool days, & taking care of a sick baby while being sick myself, we have been BUSY. When I get busy, the first thing that goes to the crapper is my blog, and then the laundry. We've been wearing dirty clothes. When my husband told me that he was out of underwear, I almost suggested turning them inside out. I didn't. With much effort, the laundry is all done.

Just in time to pack....for VACATION!

In less than two weeks I am flying to LA for my best friend's wedding. I am so excited to share in her and Joe's 30's themed vintage wedding. Chris will be coming to the wedding as well and from there, we are flying to HAWAII! My parents have a condo on Molokai for a month and we will be joining them for a week! I can't wait.

Baby's first trip to the beach will be Hawaii?? Spoiled! [never mind the fact that my first trip as a baby was to South Africa at 6 months.]

Salty air...white sand...crystal water...

I'm coming to you, pasty skin an' all!

oh california

Last December [yeah yeah, I'm just now posting the pictures. Don't hate.] Chris and I took a pre-baby-moon-vacation to San Francisco, California. It was an amazing trip.

There were SO many photos to choose from, but here are a few of my favorites.

Fun rental:

sun kissed self portraits

Beautiful scenery

hot tubs

the breathtaking SF

the highway 1 coastline

admiring great views

sweet and fattening breakfasts on the deck

sunsets

babymoooon

gorgeous redwood trees

fires

lovers

twin peaks

coast

pebbles

more trees

our rental house

beach wandering

snuggling

touristy things

incredible crepes

the golden gate in her glory

the whole reason we took this trip:

the belly

flashlight & fire art

our friend mike invited us to go 'light tagging' with him under a bridge in downtown.
thanks to a slow shutter, we captured these. who knew flashlights and flaming steel wool could be so awesome?

chris kissing my baby belly:

my Chihuly inspired piece:

here's where we got competitive. May I introduce Darth Vadar:

Pac-man:

And my MJ 'thriller' pose:

tulips: