boston, you've been my home.

A smattering of places I will miss. I will mostly miss the people, but I have to say, New England has some truly amazing places to see and visit.

air travel advice pleeeeease!

Ok, blogging mamas, I need your advice. We are flying cross country on Sunday. I'm scared. It's a 6 hour direct flight. We land 11:30pm our time (8:30 local) so hopefully she'll sleep for the last few hours, but the first few hours are cause for concern. So I need two things from you:

1) We bought Meredith her own seat. Should we bring her car seat on the plane or not? I think yes, because if she sleeps she won't be in my arms causing me back & arm pain. She also might contentedly watch her videos from her seat. I think no, because if she doesn't sleep and is fussy that car seat will be taking up precious room for stretching out and playing. What would you do??

2) Activity ideas! We are bringing some of her favorite books, videos, snacks and drinks. What else? This is our first time flying with a walking, talking toddler!

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checking in.

Hi friends! I just wanted to check in. In all honesty, I have no coherent thoughts for you. We are vagabonds moving from friends' house to friends' house, soaking up our final days in Boston. The weather is gloomy and rainy today and I'm writing this form my best friend's couch. There have been so many moments this week that I've wondered why on earth we are doing this. Why are we leaving a place with the most beautiful fall season one could ever imagine? Why are we leaving a place with playgrounds Meredith and I love? Why are we leaving a place with friends we are so comfortable with that we lounge on their couch in PJs and no makeup? Why are we taking Meredith away from her grandparents? Why are we leaving a place that we know like the back of our hands? We are about to get lost a lot. We are about to find new parks. We are about to find new friends. We are about to get to know a whole new weather system. And while this is exciting on the one hand, it is overwhelming on the other.

Don't get me wrong, I do not regret our decision, but as the reality of this move starts to sink in, it really feels intense. I'm ready to leave. I'm ready for life to be out of this limbo. I'm not ready for goodbyes. My stomach clenches just thinking about it, but I am ready to start to get settled in our new home.

Thanks for stopping by today friends :) Thanks for your patience in my moving rambles. Things will hopefully get back to normal in a couple of weeks.

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Moving on.

Yesterday we said goodbye to our home. I felt much more emotional leaving it than I had expected. My sadness mostly stems from the fact that this home is where we became parents. It's the place we brought Meredith home from the hospital. These past 16 months have been amazing. The memories we've made are countless. As we packed up our home, I had visions of myself bouncing my newborn to sleep in her darkened nursery. I remembered back to the long, cold winter when we played on the living room rug and built forts. I remembered watching her crawl for the first time. I remembered giving her solids for the first time. I remembered watching her play with tupperware in the kitchen and climbing into the cabinets as I packed. I remembered the progression of bath time- from lazing in the bath sling to splashing wildly in the tub. So so many memories in that little blue house. As we drove away last night, tears streaming down my face, I tried to remind myself that the wonderful thing about memories is they come with you.

Packing up & a guest post!

Our weekend will be looking at lot like this. When my heart stops beating so fast I think I'll have a heart attack, I'll be back here with some more coherent thoughts. In the meantime, you can find me over at Lovely Little Things with some wedding advice. Happy Wedding weekend, Michelle!

lately.

Preparing for a move is stressful & tiring. There's always so much to do that it can be hard to calm your mind. Having Meredith has helped, though. She has forced us to stop, read a book, blow raspberries on her belly, dance, cuddle while watching tv. Basically, she has forced some semblance of normalcy. So, here is our normal lately.

Orchard House

On our way out to Honey Pot Hill a couple of weeks ago, I saw a sign for Orchard House and was reminded of my hope to visit there someday. When Bridget mentioned it in her post earlier this week I took it as a sign that it was high time I go... especially since my chances to go are rapidly dwindling.
 

The drive was fairly short for me, but oh, so beautiful. As I walked up to the house I was flashed back to the opening scene of Little Women and I was a happy girl.


Weird story: As the tour was starting, a woman motioned to me to come into the next room. Having no idea who she was, I resisited, but she persisted. When I walked over, I realized she volunteered at the house and was "offering" to take me on a private tour. When I saw offering, she was really requiring it of me. Why? Because of Meredith. While she didn't come right out and say it, it was clear that was why. It really rubbed me the wrong way. I didn't like being singled out because I had a toddler with me. In some cases, the chance to have a private tour would be welcomed, but it just felt so strange in this one. What do you think? Was I being too sensitive? Or would you have felt funny too?
 

After the tour, Meredith explored the grounds, while I breathed in deeply the crisp, fall air and enjoyed the bright yellows decorating the trees.

Steppin' Out: Wedding Style!

Yesterday was the wedding of some of our good friends. It was a perfect fall day and the bride and groom were beaming with joy. The ceremony took place in one of the most beautiful venues I've ever seen. We had a great time getting dressed up and having a baby-free day. It was also amazing to have my mom in town for the weekend.

 

Dress: Macy's // Tights: Target // Earrings: Macy's // Shoes: Filene's (from my BFF's 21st Bday. Oldies!)

 

ps. Thanks for all your advice on this post. I chose #2 :) Except I was in the comfy ones by the reception. I'm weak when it comes to heels.