A Carving Moment

Just a moment from our week we'd like to share...a moment to savor and enjoy always...an annual tradition!

At the Farm

It's been a busy few weeks at the farm!  We really love it and are glad we decided to do it!!  

We've hung out with the pigs, or as Patrick likes to call them - lawnmowers.  

We've taken hikes.  

We've gone on scavenger hunts. 

We've visited T-Bone, the cow.

On the Other Side of the Lens

For those of you who know me well, you know that I love my camera.  No, I'm not a professional, but over the years I've taken thousands of pictures of my children.  I put together a yearly book of them for the inlaws and ourselves.  I documented our NICU journey through photographs.  Of course, I also document everything else as well.  

But if you pan through my flickr gallery, you'll find one thing missing....

ME!  

So I've asked Joe to get behind the camera once in a while so that some day, when my children are grown, they don't turn around and ask me, Mama? Where were you?  

Most of those pictures don't get posted here...they don't even make it to Facebook.  I grimace when I see myself, but someday, they'll have these pictures to remember me, just as I remember my own mother through photographs.  

But the sun was just right this weekend...the foliage was out...and I was in front of the camera, if only for a fleeting glimpse...and I love these pictures more than anything.  I feel so alive in them.  I look happy...and maybe because I am.  I'm finding myself in a place I like a lot right now.  I hope Patrick (and Maura too!) can cherish them when he grows up too!! 

At the Farm

So many things happening at the farm as we gently shift into Autumn.  

Last week...

We learned about seeds.  

The ground was still wet from rain the night before.

We put the beds in the garden to sleep by growing rye seeds for the winter.

The chickens were wandering.

The pumpkins were picked.

The sky was overcast, but it was humid!

Looking forward to a cooler day at the farm today.  Patrick is excited too!

More Nuby Fun!

We got a new package from Nuby the other day!  We were quite excited that a new cup was inside!  It's a Softflex Natural Nurser.  The whole concept of it was intriguing to me.  It's designed to make breastfeeding and bottle feeding work better together.  While we are skipping the bottle all together with Maura, we thought their line of Natural Nursers would help us transition to cup a little easier.  The regular nipple it comes with mimics the breast.  The shape seems very natural when Maura holds it.

It also came with the No-Spill Spout.  This spout is already a hit with our Infa-feeder, so I really like that we've got two cups with it.  Maura really just takes naturally to the spout of it.  It's perfect for breastfed babies!

There are few other benefits of this cup I'd like to share.  First, it's parts are all interchangeable with the Natural Touch product line - meaning I can put this top on the Infa-feeder and vice versa.  The handle also comes off and can be used on both, and the nipples are all interchangeable as well.  It's nice to see a product out there that will actually transition with your little one rather than becoming obsolete so quickly!

You can find the SoftFlex Natural Nurser at the following retailers:

More from the Farm

I'd like to start doing some regular farm posts about Patrick's class.  It was a lot of fun and we really look forward to going weekly.  Last week, Joe had off from school, so he came with us.

The day couldn't have been more beautiful!  The topic?  Color...and how perfect to find such amazing colors on the farm that day!

I keep seeing my friends posting beautiful pictures of the northeast and the foliage, and while things aren't quite popping here just yet, I'll continue to savor the last moments of what is left of summer.