Baby's First Thanksgiving

We don't often get a chance to have a family photo taken, but being surrounded by loving family members is a great way to make that happen.



This year we went to Joc and Kevin's place and had a most delicious meal. That man can cook. I thought I took small-ish portions of each item, but my plate was still quite full of Thanksgiving yumminess. I ate and enjoyed every bite. yum! I somehow managed to make my traditional pumpkin cheesecake; quite a feat with a newborn in the house and it tasted just as good as I remember it... sinful. mmm, mmm, good.

Here we are about to enjoy our first course - the best pumpkin soup I've ever tasted!



Durkin looks like he has secret knowledge. I wonder what kind of wisdom he'll impart on us when he's finally able to speak.


Aaron gave Durkin a little mohawk while he was sleeping. Totally zonked and he didn't even have turkey.


I love this photo. It looks like he's making an effort to sleep, as if he's trying really, really hard.

Random Kindness

This morning I ventured out to a nearby drive-thru Starbucks and got the most amazing gift. The woman in front of me paid for my order. And, as luck would have it, I had ordered a half pound of coffee beans too. I was moved to tears to be treated so kindly by a generous stranger.

Isn't it amazing what a little kindness can do for a person? I always say you never know how you're going to affect a person, so you should try to be nice as often as you can.

When I lived in San Francisco I would sometimes pay the bridge toll of the car behind me. It gave me a huge lift to do something small and nice for someone I didn't know with no expectations for any kind of thank you or return gift. I loved it.

About the time I was in the habit of paying strangers' tolls there was a saying that was going around, "Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty." I love that creed.

No one had ever paid my bridge toll, not that I expected it, but I feel like today's coffee outing was a full-circle moment for those years in the Bay Area.

Thank you, stranger!

Birthday Celebration

This weekend we were honored to attend a birthday-cake-and-ice-cream party for 2 terrific young lads. Happy birthday, boys!


Also yesterday the little man turned 5 weeks old! Here I am with 2 of my aunties:




I love how he often folds his hands together. It makes my heart smile. =)

5 week walk

Today little Durkin is 5 weeks old. I can hardly believe it's been 5 weeks since we had that amazing and transforming experience.

I got a little nap this morning and then took him out for a walk, which he loved even though it was a little cold.

1 month old today

Today we celebrated our one month milestone by hanging out at home, taking an afternoon walk, and going to the pediatrician.

Durkin is now 8 lbs, 11 oz! He's almost looking chunky for the first time, which I think he wears well. He's 21 1/4 inches, so he's getting longer too. We had a shot today, which luckily he weathered pretty well, but it still completely sucks to watch a trusting little baby's face change to shocked horror after being stuck with a needle. I do not look forward to the next shots. :(

Here are some photos I took today. Enjoy!

A mother's love

To quote Holly Hunter in Raising Arizona, "I loooove him sooo much."

A visit from Ethan

On Sunday our good friends Chiko and Shawn brought Ethan over to visit Durkin - our first play date! Ethan was born just 5 short days after Durkin.

Chiko and I had a great time being pregnant together, sharing stories and wondering what it was all going to be like. It was fun to go through that together and now it's fun to be parents together too.

Thanks for coming to visit. I know Ethan and Durkin will be great friends.