Playing at the Park

There are some nice parks in our area and we tried to soak in the great weather while we could this fall. Brooklyn sitting on a log "by herself."

Swinging!

It's Fall!

So I know that since I'm posting these pictures so late, they may not have quite the same effect for those of you who have seen Brooklyn recently (so big and getting ready to crawl) but for those of you who haven't seen her since her birth practically, enjoy the evolution of Brooklyn! It's crazy for me to see these pictures and videos because she looks so small, delicate, and unstable back when these were taken (Sept. 2009). She's growing up so fast! This is a good view from our porch (you can kind-of see what our apt. complex looks like).

Cutie Brooklyn is helping me put my autumn wreath together. You can see Nate's wakeboard bench out there on our porch! That thing has come in very handy for extra seating.

Put up Your Dukes!

It was so funny--one day Brooklyn was in her swing, pumping her fists like she was in a boxing match. She lowered her hands when Nate and I started laughing but would put them up again when we'd say, "Put up yer dukes!" Sooo funny!

I had to post these pictures because they crack me up. After the doctor gave me the go-ahead to exercise again, I was eager to get moving. I must say that the running stroller is one of the world's best inventions--I LOVE ours!! Brooklyn and I went running most every day this fall until the weather got too cold. I didn't want Brooklyn's head bobbing around as I ran so I packed her in with a multitude of blankets...as you can see. Don't worry--despite how it may look in the pictures, I kept her well shaded from the sun and exercised caution at all times :) She was my best little running buddy!

Cute video of her laughing with daddy Nate.

September in Philly

Okay so I must confess. Up until this very blog post, Nate has been the only one keeping our blog up. It's true. I haven't even posted a single picture or entry. Poor man. Here he is busy in dental school and he's also trying to keep our families and friends informed of our lives here by being the sole family blog poster. We literally have periodically set aside our Friday night date night as "update our blog" night in attempts to get the ball rolling. The night always turns into me doing something else while Nate does all the work. Tonight Nate finally put his foot down, "Why am I always the one doing this?" and insisted that it was my turn. Okay. Fine. I will be good like every other wife and post some pictures. I can't promise that there will be lots of long and eloquent captions but pictures say a thousand words anyways right? Here goes. Enjoy! Here are a few fun pictures of our first autumn in Philadelphia.

I'm a real mom!
Okay so it's kind of crazy to me that I do "real mom" stuff now, like going to play group. Obviously it's not so much for Brooklyn's sake as it is for mine (it's not like Brooklyn really "plays" with the other kids...but hey isn't play group largely for moms sakes anyways?) but it has proved to be one of the best ways to get to know other moms, explore the city, and learn about my surroundings. And it is fantastic for networking, support, and learning valuable information! Seriously I have learned all SORTS of great tips for breastfeeding, naps, general child development, and even great places for Nate to study. I tell Nate, "I know you think I just play all day but I'm actually WORKING."

The above picture was taken at a place here called Valley Green. It is one of the most FANTASTIC things about where we live. I literally run out my door, down half a block, and turn down this 1/2 mile road that leads to this awesome running trail along side a river. The "running trail" actually used to be the major highway in this area during the horse and buggy days but after they built the modern day roads, they closed the old highway off to cars and it now is designated strictly for recreational use: walkers/runners, mountain bikers, horseback riders, fishers, duck feeding etc. It's just crazy because we live right in the middle of Philadelphia, a big bustling city, and within minutes I can walk from my front door into a whole different world that feels like you are miles away in the country. It's beautiful! Here is Brooklyn studying with Nate!