Late July life

It's full-blown summer here, evidenced by the forecast. We've had some very hot days, along with more mild days (my personal favorite), like today. Each week seems to bring a bit more routine and familiarity. And by that, I mean Cooper is constantly growing and changing, but I do feel a little more at-ease in my role as a mama, day-by-day. I love our days together! And I find myself enjoying both the quiet days with just us two, and really enjoying the weekends and evenings with daddy.

All that said, here is a little of what life looks like right now:

Watching: knitting podcasts while I'm nursing and Parks and Recreation in the evenings after we put Cooper to bed. Watching our little boy practice his head control and take in the whole world around him. (what a joy to get to see this firsthand).

Listening to: the new Jonas Brothers album, Nickel Creek's A Dotted Line, and Make Room by Community Music, and (shhhh) a tiny bit of Christmas music (Ingrid Michaelson's Songs for the Season)

Baking: zucchini bread and superhero muffins

Cooking: pulled pork in the IP, sauted collard greens

Visiting: Great Grandpa DeVries and more family at the farm to introduce them to Cooper. We drove there in the pouring rain and had coffee and treats and a really wonderful time. The local farmers market, I brought home the aforementioned collard greens and zucchini. And yesterday, we went to church, for the first time as a family of three.

Snacking on: DeVries blueberries*, nectarines, cheerios, white cheddar puffs from Aldi, and whatever baked goods I made that week.

Drinking: water and lime bubly

Fika-ing: coffee with oat milk. We've figured out that Cooper is not sensitive to dairy, but I'm really enjoying the taste of oat milk + coffee. I make an aeropress for myself on weekdays and I make French press on the weekends.

Memorizing: the little facial expressions of Cooper. We are well-acquainted with worried, grumpy, curious, smiley, and relaxed sleeping.

Wearing: a different wardrobe than my usual summer go-to, dresses. I find myself reaching for shorts and easy-fitting sleeveless tops (more convenient for nursing) and slip on sandals. Two exceptions are nursing-friendly dresses from Nicholas and my sister in law! :) And I'm sure I'll get the hang of it more and feel more flexible in what I can wear.

Moving: with a (nearly) daily walk around our neighborhood or from a friend's home to coffee and our downtown

Annoyed by: washing colanders and muffin tins (am I the only one? ;)

Finishing: a pair of purple socks (fondly named my "waiting for baby socks") and a gold, cabled hat (more details and photos to come in a dedicated creativity post!)

Relishing: evenings with Nicholas, after we put Cooper to bed. Morning snuggles in bed with Cooper or anytime of the day when he needs time with his mama.

Thankful for: friends from Minnesota who recently had babies/are pregnant and our new habit of monthly group video chats. New motherhood is so much better in community. A lazy, cozy Saturday morning on the couch with Cooper and Nicholas. Breakfast eaten on the floor, next to our little boy in the bouncer. A dad and husband who makes it known how he adores his family.

Feeling loved by: receiving a beautiful, crocheted baby blanket for Cooper from his Great Aunt Brenda. A sister-in-law who comes to visit us and Cooper for baby snuggles and bring us these lattes (they are so so good). Being only eleven minutes from my in-laws, and visiting them with Cooper. Texts from my parents asking about our little family and the back and forth of Cooper pictures. <3

Feeling encouraged by: so many wonderful mama friends, an incredibly supportive husband who works so hard to provide for us.

Savoring: how green everything is around us, how adorable our little boy looks in his cloth diapers (I fully admit my bias ;)

Dreaming of: cooler temps in the morning and evenings

Looking forward to: our 6th wedding anniversary next month!

*You may have seen a blueberry sign in our home—it's from when his grandparents grew and sold blueberries. This week, we had some blueberries from those plants, and let me tell you, they are so yummy.

With all of daily life in mind, I cannot believe how wonderful it is that I get to spend my days with this little boy. <3