#SelahShalom Turns FIVE! Happy Birthday, Selah!

A Little Life Overview

YEAR 5, 2015-2016 Diverging from brother, becoming her own girl, mac n cheese, roast chicken and broccoli, Ha'Penny Montessori School, pool time with neighbors, Addison, after school trips to the park, cheered while watching mommy graduate fro Georgetown, back to Pittsburgh, bunk beds becoming ships and forts, room sharing with Brother, dinosaur obsessed, fishing, camping, trips to the Strip District for Pho, Pre-school at Nana's, books and movies, not my little girl- boy clothes please!, friends with everyone, ponytails, Sundays with MiMi and Pap, happy with a bit of temper. 2016: A Year In Review

YEAR 4, 2014-2015 How To Train Your Dragon, dinosaurs, riding bikes, that hilarious helmet, singing - aways singing in the back of the car, Pittsburgh to Maryland to Virginia, Jewish preschool, Ha'penney Montessori School, swimming, first metro, time in DC, camping, first movie theater experiences, catfish, let's play dinosaurs, let's play i'm a kitty, friends: Annabel, Kaitlin, Addie, NICO, Caleb, Nadia. Landon at Nana's. kitties, fishing, "nico nico nico" 2015: A Year In Review

YEAR 3, 2013-2014 Octonauts, BUNNY, long blonde curly hair, carbs, first music interests (drums and guitar - I WANNA BE A ROCK STAR), dinosaurs, first ice-skate, first move into a new place, spring/summer part-time daycare, winter McDonalds Tuesdays, Friends: Miles, Julia, "G", Piper, "Potato," Riley, Mitchell, Landon, LuLu, Brady, Lucy, cousin-friends, brother - friend, Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord, Kids Club, first Christmas concert, first week away with Grandma and PaPa in Lancaster, Candyland, first camping experience, Miss Kayla, How To Train Your Dragon, potty trained, summer swimming (and jumping in with or without floaties), Natural History Museum, 2013 Family Fun, Uncle David and Meatball, twirling to Game of Thrones theme song, first trip to the beach, FROZEN!

YEAR 2, 2012-2013: the bunny - as a nickname and a sleep aid, Thomas the Train, Tuesday park or McDonalds, tortured/roughed up/pushed along by Beast of Burden Brother, the BOB stroller, first Cucumber Falls, trains in West Park, the ducks, Friends: Miles, Julia, Piper, LuLu, "G," cousin-friends, first train ride, numbers over letters, balls and trucks, first hikes with Pap, Play Space

YEAR 1, 2011-2012: breastfed and swaddled for seven months, bottle-struggles at first until MISS KAYLA, walked before 1, Zoo Booh, grew a bottle and cow milk addiction, carbs over veggies, black beans, Super Why, Play Space, Best Friends: "G" & LuLu, sound machine, led worship with mommy (in carrier), music calmed, dada - first word, the swaddle - oh god where's the swaddle!?, most kissable face ever

BIRTH: September 26, 2011: two weeks post due, hours before induction. 9:17AM, 9 pounds, 21&3/4 inches long, perfectly pink, terrific nurser, swaddle-necessary, flower and butterfly themed nursery, born at Mercy Hospital, Midwives: Emily/Kathy via a perfect, medication-free VBAC. More here on The birth story

#NicodemusAlexander Turns 7!! - Happy Birthday, Nico!

A Little Life Overview

YEAR 7, 2016-2017 six pack, soccer boy, piano lessons, Kindergarten at Bon Meade - Moon Tigers, reading, wrestling, Pokemon and tablet obsessed, cousin time, sleep overs, hater of hot dogs, fully swimming, pull ups, push ups, bunk beds, trips to Grandma's and PaPa's, cousin friends, summer fun at Daddy's, pool time, dishwasher emptier, logical and argumentative (in the best way), tubing, sledding, so much self-confidence, MiMi & PapPap Sunday dinners, walks on the Montour Trail, camping with "the guys" and cousins, catching crayfish, New friends, all of Kindergarten - Mitchell still wins the BFF card, 2016 - A Year in Review

YEAR 6, 2015-2016 sushi eel and shrimp, site words, Pre-K at Ha'Penny Montessori School, first lost baby tooth, after school trips to the park, back to Pittsburgh, bunk beds becoming ships and forts, room sharing with Sissy, dinosaur obsessed (still), fishing, camping, trips to the Strip District for Pho, new friends: Mitchell and Gideon, 2015 - a flicker overview.

YEAR 5, 2014-2015 lean and lanky, riding bikes, beach trips and sandcastles, dinosaur obsessed and Superhero's still. FISHING, Pennsylvania to Maryland then Virginia, first time in DC, metro riding, Jewish school, Ha'Penny Montessori School, new friends: Tejas, Michael, Benjamin, Bradly, Addison. First movie in the theater: Jurassic World, camping trip, catfish, stink bate, writing and building and creating at school. Science- prehistoric summer camp, swimming without floaties, lake trips and family fun.

YEAR 4, 2013-2014 lean and lanky and "healfy and strong," Octonauts, Superhero's, shrimp, first music interest (drums - thanks to Uncle David, the rockstar), DINOSAURS, first ice-skate, first move into a new place, winter McDonalds Tuesdays, Friends: Miles, Julia, "G", Piper, Mitchell, LuLu, Brady, Lucy, Caleb, Gavin, all the other "cousin-friends," swords, "Sissy" AKA: Selah - his friend and nemesis, Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord, Kids Club, first Christmas concert, first family "performance," first week away with Grandma and PaPa in Lancaster, Candyland, spring/summer part-time daycare, first camping experience - "alone in my own tent," Miss Kayla, summer swimming, National History Museum, 2013 Family Fun - a year in review, FROZEN!

YEAR 3, 2012-2013: developing "the core," Thomas the Train, potty trained, Tuesday park or McDonalds, "I'm going to marry Meatball" AKA: Anneleise, Beast of Burden Brother, first time in a wedding, first Cucumber Falls, shoelace obsessions, trains in West Park, the ducks, Friends: Miles, Julia, Piper, LuLu, "G," cousin-friends, first train ride, Pledge of Allegiance, Miss Kayla, dump trucks, dirt piles, first hikes with Pap, Nico the Farmer, began sharing a room with Sissy, Dr. Seuss

YEAR 2, 2011-2012: at 13 months, "I'm a big brother!"  kale and beans, letters learned, Zoo Booh, eating mulch, playing Risk with daddy and a sippy cup, cow milk addictions, Super Why, Play Space, Friends: Luke, Miles, Harlow, Michael, Julia, Keely, "G," MISS KAYLA, Moms Club,  car and truck "lined ups"

YEAR 1, 2010-2011: first beach - outer banks, NC, christmas wrapping paper garbage, crawling, babbling, black beans and cheerios, breast milk but mostly formula, projectile vomiting, target diapers discovered, Ren fest, Bumbo chair, Moms Club, Mr. Brown Can Moo, Dedication at Allegheny Center Alliance Church, little pumpkin

BIRTH: August 7, 2010: 8:12AM, 8 pounds, 4 ounces, 21 inches long, perfectly round head, lazy nurser, fidgeting sleep and hilarious noises, Dr. Seuss themed nursery, born at Mercy Hospital, Midwives: Kara/Anne via cesarean section. More here on The birth story

Randoms (15) It's Been Too Long

Okay, I cannot believe it's been three months since I last posted. It's always when things are the craziest that I forget to update and then WHAM, there's just too much to write.

Here goes my attempt at the Randoms, part 15.

• We moved, again. To recap, we moved to Robison/Moon in March after selling our North Side, Pittsburgh house. We moved to Wheaton, Maryland - near DC - for Michael's new job in October and we bought a wonderful house in northern, Virginia in December. (that's four places that we lived in one year) Honestly, I'm unable to see boxes, packing tape or anything move related without getting sick to my stomach. I mean, WHO moves that many times in a year? (point thumbs toward myself, THIS GUY!) You can read more about that transition here.
• We live in Ashburn, VA - horse and wine country - a wonderful school district in a neighborhood full of children. We have a pool, a park, shops, doctors, sushi, everything we need within walking distance. The downside being, it's a 1.5 hour commute ONE WAY to the District. And that sucks. I remember the days Michael would leave for work at 8:30 and be home by 5:15 (just in time for Chloe and I to hit up Kaya for Happy Hour, AKA Mommy sanity). Now it's a much longer day and I usually start cocktailing around 4pm so I don't go totally insane. (I don't want concerned emails so please know that was a joke. sort of) 
• Turns out grad school at Georgetown is a lot harder than my bachelors degree from Geneva. I'm talking, WTF?!!? harder. I started early January and am still learning my way around. I get lost on my way every. single. time. (not surprising to many of you who are aware of my directional impairment), the commute is 1.5 hours one way, I double stack my classes which means I leave at 3pm and get home at midnight on Mondays, academic writing is a lot different than the style I've been blogging in since college (I know you're all shocked!) and things like Blackboard and this crazy RefWorks library are just a few of the things I'm adjusting to. Help me, Jesus!
• The children LOVE their new pre-school. It's Montessori, full of unique and extremely liberating ways of teaching and learning. I'm rather impressed, though we do miss Jewish school. Nico is writing letters and words and learning his addition and subtraction. Selah focuses her attention toward painting and music and measuring...is anyone surprised? We will keep them in this environment until 1st grade and since we plan to hold both back a year (late summer/fall babies), it will be a long-term relationship.
• The house is almost complete, decoration-wise. It's a brand-new townhouse condo so there really wasn't much to do except decorate. And I had an amazing time doing so. I decided on a different feel from my previous houses. Mainly a lighter and tighter theme, incorporating grays, purples, yellows and blues along with my standard red accents. I know how important it is for you to know this, especially since y'all are going to visit anyway, right!? right?!! Just in case you're interested, here's some photos to keep the TMI alive! *DISCLAIMER, I AM NOT A PHOTOGRAPHER, OVBI.

^A few pics of the dining room. We love that chandelier 

^ A pic of the kitchen. Well, really only half of it but I can't figure out how to capture all of it.

^ The living room/game table area. This is really just one huge open room.

 ^ This is the master bedroom. 

^ These are the children's bedrooms. 

Nico's dinosaur theme up top and Selah's Cat in the Hat meets Elsa theme.

Moving on to the more personal...

• I cannot believe how hard life is without people to laugh with, complain to, mommy with, drink and distract and divulge the good and the bad alongside every day, if needed. It amazes me how people function in this world all alone. 
• The thing about having no friends is that I'm forced to spend a ton of time with my husband. I'm not going to lie, I wanted to kill him for a few months. It was like we were in detox to all the distractions of relationships and forgot how to just BE with each other. I'm by no means saying I don't still want to kill him at times (haha), but it is getting a little easier and more comfortable. I'm also getting better at being alone. 
• Last weekend we were in Miami, as I'm sure you saw splattered on all my other social media sites. One of the many perks of Michael's job is his random, usually warm-weathered conferences that welcomes me to tag along!
  
   While he was in his meetings, I spent some wonderful time by myself. I went to a museum, had lunch, walked around, took UBER, read, ordered cocktails and was simply at peace with myself, by myself.
  
  This may sound weird but I could never have done that two years ago and certainly not in Pittsburgh. I'm telling you, there is something seriously life-changing about moving away from the hometown, especially when the hometown is such a small-town city. (Pittsburgh = 2 degrees of separation) 
• I do miss Pittsburgh though. I'm wondering when I'll start answering "northern Virginia" when asked where I am from. It's been sort of funny. Michael promptly says Virginia and I say Pittsburgh when we're both asked. The person asking the question is obviously rather confused.   Sometimes we don't even bother to clarify. 
• I have always been rather confused by the concept, "when do you get to call yourself..." - a builder, a blogger, a musician, a mechanic, a local, etc. I tend to shy on the side of conservative, lest I seem braggy or egotistical. I mean, there is nothing I dislike more than people who claim things that aren't true about themselves. "I'm a photographer," when they just take pictures of their children. "I'm a musician," when they just strum a few songs on the guitar. "I'm a singer," when they just sing in their church choir. "I'm a local," when they just moved to the area. All this to say, I'm not a Virginian. Or a Pittsburgher anymore. I feel a little homeless still and I'm not sure when that will go away but I do know...I am exactly where I need to be, for now. And for now, that's enough. 

Signing off. Thanks for following my randoms. I'll try to update before June! :)
(and btw, this is for you two, Nikki & Amanda, cuz you asked.)