Album Update (and other life happenings).

Hi there, blog world! I am feeling a little sheepish to show up here again after so (SO) many months of silence. Seriously, since having a child, my days seem to fly by at warp speed. I wasn't feeling too badly about myself and my lack of writing because didn't I just write one a couple of months ago? Right before Christmas? Umm no, apparently. Not at all. June 17th! Wow.

So to catch you up on the happenings since then, I'll briefly(ish) recap the last 7 months:

~Early June we found out that the owners of house we were renting from here in Orlando wanted to sell. Which meant that after only one year of living there we were getting the boot. This might surprise you since I've moved so much, but I *hate* moving! It is exhausting and I end up losing stuff for months and months, only to find it weeks before we move again. Ugh. We decided we didn't want to risk getting kicked out of another rental, and since we were liking Orlando pretty okay at that point and didn't have any plans to relocate, we decided to buy a house! Whoa. It wasn't Dan's first time buying a home, but it was for me. I was a little giddy about the whole thing :) We stayed in the same neighborhood which made things easier. But a move is still a move and man, I hate moving. I had recovered pretty well from the last move just in time to do it again, and so my brain fatigue was triggered once again. This time, however, it's been a much more mild case, thankfully. And it was all worth it to finally have...our very own backyard! Miles spends as much time as possible out there and it feels good to finally have space to let him (safely) run around.

{Some shots of our backyard on a very rainy afternoon}

{I kinda love having a detached garage. Feels old fashioned. And with that ivy growing up the side? Love.}

~In the midst of moving madness, in fact only one day before our scheduled move date, my papa passed away on August 11th. He lived a full and happy 96 years and I was so fortunate to live close to him the last year of his life. I knew that time was precious and fleeting, but the loss still hit our family hard. He was sick for 2 weeks leading up to his death and so there was a lot of sweet family time and opportunities to say goodbye. He passed peacefully in his home, with my mom and my aunt by his side. The afternoon my mom called to say he was gone, I sat on the couch next to Dan in our nearly empty home, boxes stacked around us, and cried. Miles saw me, and without a word, climbed the stairs to his bedroom to retrieve his beloved giraffe (his lovey), brought it to me and said, "it's okay mommy," and climbed into my lap (ahh, that kid).  Having to move while grieving is the worst. When you lose someone, all you want is comfort. And comfort for me is, of course, my family, but also home...a familiar place with all your stuff. Your own private place to just be and grieve. But we moved the day after he died. So there was no space or time. The viewing was the day after we moved and then the funeral the day after that. I didn't know where anything was and I felt so out of sorts. It was just a surreal, sad, sad week. But I am thankful for all the visits I had with him leading up to his death. How special to get to live close to him and see him interact with his great-grandson. He loved Miles so much and told people that he felt that Miles was going to grow up to be somebody special.

{love this pic}

~Miles turned 3(!) on September 1st. The Terrible 3's started right on cue, fierce and storm-like. But poor kid, he'd been through so much transition it would have been shocking to NOT see the effects of that. I am happy to report that things have calmed down quite a bit (knock on wood!!). And he.is.hilarious. I am telling you, life with a 3 year old is FUN. The things that come out of his mouth...constant entertainment. He also started pre-school a couple of mornings a week and is thriving there.

{first day of day}

{third birthday}

~we made it back to NYC right before Christmas and it was the best. Miles was a rockstar traveler and couldn't get enough of the subway, taxis and buses. The kids loves his vehicles. It snowed the first night we were there which was maybe Miles' favorite part. And mine :) Running through the snow under the Brooklyn Bridge is a moment I will never forget. So beautiful and dreamy. We did airbnb and stayed in Dumbo which was SO GREAT. I've always loved that 'hood (see previous post) and so it was fun to get to experience 'living' there (albeit for only 3 short days). And then, of course, there were all the friends we saw and the Christmas magic we soaked in. A good, good trip. And this will shock you, I know, but I miss it.

~I decided in November that my artist soul felt like it was dying and so, even though I knew it was going to be crazy-busy, I decided to start making things and filling up my Etsy store for the holidays. I had a decent amount of orders that made for a pretty busy month but it felt so good to be back to art-making again. I did a custom collage piece for a customer and I loved how it turned out. I'd love to do more like it, so if you know anyone looking for a unique, custom gift for Valentines Day, graduation, anniversary, etc...let me know! :) 

~and now for the big news. MY ALBUM! It is DONE and for sale! They arrived right before Christmas I couldn't be happier to finally have this out in the world. Dan did the cover design for me, using the photos that were taken by the incredibly talented Bliss Katherine who was a dream to work with. I am so happy with how it all turned out. You can purchase the album through iTunes, CD Baby or my website. And be sure to visit and like my Facebook page. Okay, that's enough plugging for one day, I think :)

Oh, except I will leave you with this; a little taste of the album:
 Enjoy. :) 

Two months!

 Look who turned 2 months on the 1st! He was much easier to photograph with his little scottie dog this time around (hooray for neck support!). He's getting so big. And sooo cute. Which is why I couldn't pick just one photo to share :)

he discovered the dog's ear and decided to take a bite.

{one month photos}

*magic*

i know, i know....where have i BEEN? how awkward to leave us hanging on that Xanadu post for so many weeks, eh?

i keep starting entries...and then i'm like {{snore}} who cares?!? meaning, there hasn't been much to report.

until NOW that is.......!!!

so you know how sometimes i like to write (complain) about my inability to spot celebrities in this city that is literally crawling with movie stars and A-listers?

(let's recap. i have seen: a) Celia Weston two (2) times, once in the crosswalk of 3rd Avenue and 85th and then again at Filene's Basement, b) Diane Sawyer one (1) time on Waverly Place in the Village, c) Dave Chapelle one (1) time at the Fifth Avenue Apple store, and d) Star Jones two (2) times in the elevator of my office building.)

ladies and gents...we can now add to that list {{drum roll please}}....NATALIE PORTMAN!!

this is, i feel, my biggest and most significant sighting yet. not only is Natalie (we're on a first name basis now) one of my favorite actresses, but i spotted her all by myself (which is unusual for me, the Oblivious New Yorker) and it was a very "normal" everyday kind of moment, which made it all the more surreal. she was standing literally about 1 foot behind my beau in the middle of Starbucks, by herself, fishing something out of her bag. right there!! right in front of me!! i knew it was her within 2 seconds, stopped talking mid-sentence (my mouth was probably hanging open) and then proceeded to squeeze the life out of my beau's leg in attempt to clue him into the fact that there was a mega-star standing RIGHT BEHIND HIM. and the coolest part was, no one even noticed! she was just a normal person in a Starbucks on a Saturday afternoon. no big deal. i loved it! she then left the Starbucks, met up with some (unrecognizable) guy on the sidewalk in front of our window, put on jumbo movie-star sunglasses and strolled down Lexington Avenue without turning ONE head. she was just like any other New Yorker. blendin' in with the masses. strollin' along.

a few things to note about Natalie: she is VERY small. she was not glammed up at all, looked pretty natural and average, and yet is still strikingly beautiful in person. she is VERY small.

my beau and i then went to see The Other Boleyn Girl this afternoon and it was all just quite surreal. there she was, my new friend, up on the big screen.

maybe i shouldn't spend so much time and energy blogging about such "trivial" things. but the truth is, it *really* brightened my day! b/c maybe i'm tired of feeling like a jaded New Yorker lately (i haven't been here long enough to be jaded!!). but between all the political drama, tragedies and just the everyday little annoyances, it's hard NOT to feel jaded sometimes. and Lord knows i'm beyond tired of the endless gray winter days (February and March are the toughest months to get through, in my opinion). so maybe i just need a little reminder every now and again that i DO love this city. that i AM incredibly lucky to get to experience life here. because i do. and i am. but sometimes i get tired. and sometimes i forget. so throwing a Natalie Portman my way every once in awhile doesn't hurt as a reminder to my city-wearied bones that I GET TO LIVE IN NEW YORK!! where, yes, the frustrations and stress freely flow on a daily basis, but so does the *magic*....and if you know me at all, you know that i l-o-v-e magic. so i don't necessarily look at this as trivial, but more like a little gift of New York magic....something to give me that extra boost in these final, dragging days of winter until (glorious!) spring arrives. actually, i got quite a few "boosts" this weekend: sunshine and mild temperatures, a romantic stroll through the Village, lots of movie rentals & relaxation and, overall, just another dreamy NY weekend with my beau (who makes everything feel a little more *magical*).

ah yes....i am ready. ready to face another Monday. ready to dive into a new work week. ready for the Day Job. ready to face New York, in all its glory and severity....let's DO this.

Randomness on a Friday.

First: I love this post (#thewearyourjoyproject), started by an artist I've been following for years, Kelly Rae Roberts. Her 'Wear your Joy' project has inspired me to reclaim my identity through style, something I was always big on in the past but has been hard to keep up with post-baby, post-brain tumor (both big-time pj wearing times in my life). And I live in Florida now (oh YEAH, isn't that weird?!) so I’ve gotten especially lazy in my style with all the sandal wearing and shorts/tees combos. And don't even get me started on my crazy Florida hair, thank you, humidity. So let’s just say that the inner, creative me that likes to be expressed outwardly on occasion has been pretty quiet lately, taking a back seat to convenience and comfort. Which doesn't always make me feel very pretty. Or productive, even. And brings me back to Kelly's post…her words really resonated with me and I think I am ready to reclaim my style and wear my joy. Because it really does make me feel better when I dress in a way that invites inspiration and confidence, like I am making the statement first thing in the morning that it *will* be a good day. Not sure I am brave enough to post daily pictures like others participating in the project, but I am going to try my best to start living it out (starting today -- here I sit in my stripey, long skirt and chunky bracelet. And my scarf has zebras on it. Zebras! :)

(hello zebras)

Second: Have I mentioned that we went New York weeks ago and that it was an awesome trip?? No? Man, so much catching up to do! It was a great, great trip for so many reasons. First, it was crisp and sunny, my favorite kind of New York weather. And then there was a whole pile of good news that we received from my doctors (the reason for the trip in the first place) and I feel so much better about things. a) the scan that I had while there showed great results again, stability and no growth, woohoo! b) all three doctors explained to me WHY I've been feeling the way that I have over the last 2 months, and reassured me that it is nothing to worry about. Whew. I learned that after you have brain surgery (or go through any type of brain injury at all) you have a much lower tolerance for stress and chaos than before (moving = stress/chaos, as does living with a two year old, FYI). So no more beating myself up about not being able to keep up at times and needing (what feels like) an excessive amount of rest sometimes. I just need a hefty dose of down time and sleep to recalibrate. Doctors’ orders. It was nice to hear, actually…to get “permission” from the professionals to be patient with myself and really, truly rest. You know, that is an incredibly hard to do thing. I realize now what a fast-paced life I’d been used to living for so many years. You don’t realize how fast you’re going until you slow down a little (or are forced to slow down). That’s the New York life though…fast, fast, fast, doing this, doing that, dodging people, running for trains…that city energy coursing through the veins. But I digress. The trip! It was dreamy and Dan and I agreed that, despite the busyness, it was a pretty perfect trip. There was time with friends, walks through Central Park, yummy dinners out. And after the good news from the doctors, we celebrated with beers at a pub in the Village (I had not had beer in over a year!). The pub was decorated for Halloween and so cozy and reminded me of the old days when Dan and I were dating...carefree, traipsing about the city, happily oblivious to the hard stuff waiting for us just down the road of life. Yes, it was a good trip indeed. That’s all.

(CP)

(zebras again! and Dan)

Third: Speaking of Halloween (sort of) Miles was the cutest little pirate in all of Florida. Here…proof:

Yup.

And finally: Life here is pretty good at the moment. And it feels good to say that. Yes, I still miss aspects of New York (of course), but the more we get connected here, the better it gets. Miles is happy here and is very much enjoying all of the outside time. We don't live downtown, but live in a community that is city-like and walkable which we purposely planned so as to avoid culture shock as best we could. Even so, there's plenty of nature for my little nature boy, and Miles is always collecting rocks or sticks or acorns and stuffing them into his push cart or pockets as we stroll down the sidewalk. Ha :) And I must admit that the sunshine feels wonderful, especially now that the really intense heat has died down, and I'm sure I will be all the more thankful for that sun come January/February. And the vegetation here! Ohh the vegetation. I swoon for all the palmettos and huge oak trees draped in spanish moss. Remember my Ode to Charleston post? Yes, I'm a sucker for spanish moss, indeed. And now a collection of Life Lately photos:

*

A quick(ish) hello.

Hi, it's Katie. After 10 days at the hospital, I am finally back home with my boys, trying to recuperate as best I can. Which involves a lot of sleep and rest...followed by more rest and then some more sleep. Brain surgery is a pretty exhausting experience, it turns out. 

But just wanted to quickly check in since all of this craziness began 24 days ago. 24 days. When everything was "normal" and I was blissfully unaware. sigh. All things considered, we are doing well and spirits are mildly high...somehow...most days. That's partly do to with two positive doctor appointments we had last week, which leads to the next reason for this post: an update on the plan and next steps!

We met with two different neuro-oncologists, both of whom were excellent and had the same opinion. Turns out I have a lot of positives in my favor (if you'd like to know what those things are, here you go: I'm under 40, my tumor was under 6cm, I had one single symptom that showed itself, and lastly there is some genetic marker called an IDH mutation that is apparently a good thing to have when it comes to brain tumors. 4 1/2 out of 5 stars one doctor said (I can't remember what the half star is)). Plus the tumor is a Grade 2, which is good, and rare with my type of tumor, apparently. All of that indicates something not very aggressive. So the recommended course of action is a watch and wait approach (MRI's every 2-3 months) as opposed to any sort of treatment at this time. So thankful for this! I also asked the very scary question: do you ever have patients with tumors like mine who do fairly well for a long, long time, with not much change? The answer was just what I needed to hear. Yes, 20+ years sometimes. Not that anyone can guarantee me that, but still...felt good to hear. And put the hope (and the fight) back in my heart. In fact, let's make it 50 years, okay? Okay. They also both commented on what an amazing job my surgeon did at removing nearly all of the tumor...something, apparently, that was not easy to do. So thankful that the ambulance took me to Roosevelt Hospital where Dr. Mandigo, one of the best, happened to be on call. Quite providential. 

All the same, my faith and life have never been so tested. I absolutely believe that God is with me and strongly believe in the power of prayer. I don't know who reads this blog, have no idea how many, but I would so appreciate your prayers throughout this journey. And prayers for my little family. 

And speaking of family, I feel the need to shout from the rooftops just how amazing mine is. My husband, Dan....oh boy. How do I even begin to talk about what a rock/gift/angel he's been? And all that he's done for me and how much he's supported me? This post would turn into a lengthy novel if I attempted to write it all down. This trial has strengthened and deepened our bond in ways I didn't know were possible and I've been repeatedly blown away by his heart, character and strength throughout all of this. And my sweet baby boy who is absolutely exploding developmentally lately and has turned into the funniest kiddo ever. Joy just spills out of him and he makes me laugh every single day. And my mom and George and my dad and Dan's mom, all of whom dropped everything at a moment's notice to drive and fly in to be by my side and help out with Miles and run our household...sleeping on our couch and air mattresses (not ideal or all that comfortable)...cooking and doing dishes and cleaning and going grocery shopping and going to doctor's appointments with us and the list goes on. These people are the salt of the earth and Dan and I couldn't have gotten through this without them. And all of our other family members who have supported us and prayed and loved us from afar. And our wonderful friends who have brought food and presents and cards and flowers and hugs and funny stories. And even strangers, friends of friends, who have reached out to us! I am absolutely blown away by the support. And if this thing -- this random sucky thing that has happened to me -- has shown and taught me anything, it's that I am one very blessed and well-loved girl.  

Oh, and by the way, they didn't have to shave my head. Not even a little bit. Isn't that amazing? 

^ moments before surgery 

^ 3 weeks post surgery. see? all my hair! 

just a 10+ inch well-hidden scar.

and the cutest boys ever.

Maybe next post I can muster up the physical strength to write out the whole story...what happened and led me to the hospital in the first place, etc. Would probably be therapeutic for me. But for now, signing off...

p.s. it took me days to finish this post! the smallest things now take the greatest effort. sigh. thinking about signing up for a twitter account so i can blast out little snippets more quickly. not that i know anything about twitter. but will keep you posted. 

Life/Health Update

*Originally posted on Facebook*

Hi everyone! I have butterflies about posting this, but here we go...I have an update on my health and this seemed like the easiest way to fill everyone in. I will cut to the chase here and then give the back story below if you care to read on. Ok {deep breath}. So I have to have my second brain surgery this week (on 11/14). It’s a long story, so here are the details…

{But to recap briefly: I was diagnosed with a grade 2 astrocytoma (a low grade brain tumor) in 2012 when Miles was 1. I had surgery to remove it and was put on a ‘watch and wait’ protocol, which I’ve been on ever since. That meant getting MRIs every 3 to 6 months. In all those years, I had one good report after another, which I was thrilled about. Also during those 6 years, I turned my life upside down when it came to nutrition and wellness, putting myself on a journey to get as healthy and strong as possible: clean eating, cutting out toxic products, participating in as many healing practices as possible from yoga to acupuncture, etc.}

Ok, where to even begin…I guess the springtime, because that’s when changes occurred and this story begins. I was doing well and hated being on seizure meds (I’ve been on some form of seizure medication ever since my surgery) so my doctor felt it was okay to try to wean me to a lower dose. I was good for about a month. And then suddenly my body decided it did NOT like this new situation anymore and freaked out. I began having new types of seizures that I didn’t like (nothing that impaired me, but freaked me out nonetheless). Back on the meds I went. But after that, it was difficult to get me stabilized. On June 6th I had my first and only grand mal type seizure after going for a run and getting overheated. It was one of the scariest experiences of my life (and now I can’t drive until December - state laws). A lot of you know that part already BUT…the story continues. Fast forward to late July when we moved to the Raleigh area. Seizures symptoms in some form continued despite my climbing dose. My doctor in FL referred me to a neuro-oncologist at Duke who we met with in late August. I had yet another scan and then a follow-up appt with her. I expected to focus on my seizures and why my medication didn’t seem to be working anymore. What I didn't expect were the words that actually came out of her mouth. She asked what my doctors in Florida were saying about my tumor, to which I replied: stable, no change (and what I was thinking in my head was, umm there is no tumor, lady). That’s when she turned our world upside down and said that the tumor had been slowly growing back over time, and that it is the main cause of the uptick in seizures. When I hear bad news my body goes cold. I went stone cold in that moment. Dan and I could not have been more shocked. From there it was a whirlwind of trying to figure what in the world was happening…lots of phone calls, reaching out to all my practitioners, etc. She talked clinical trials and treatment in that initial appt, but I couldn’t even begin to process it all. So we decided to make a follow up appointment after we had time to digest it all. After all, I’d been living this healthy lifestyle for six years, hearing ‘no change, no change’ over and over again. How could this happen? It was such a 180. We immediately made an appt with my old doctor in NYC to get his opinion, and also went back to Duke again for a second appt, this time for proof. I wasn’t convinced that they were right because it was so unbelievable to me…I wanted to walk through the progression of the so-called growth. And so we did. I should note that despite this terrible news she gave me, I really, really like this doctor. She’s wonderful. She spent two hours with us walking through scan after scan. After that I was more convinced – I saw the progression with my own eyes. Apparently my type of tumor grows so slowly that it’s not visible from scan to scan. You need to go back a year or so to see the difference, which I guess wasn’t being done in Florida. So at this point I knew that I needed to start thinking about what to do, but I didn’t like my options. Most of them involved surgery and I did NOT want to have surgery again. We flew to New York on Sept. 11 and met with my original doctor for a second opinion. Long story short, he agreed with Duke. Yes, there really IS a tumor there (because seriously which way is up, we didn't even know anymore) and surgery IS needed at some point, but it wasn’t an emergency. He actually bolstered my spirits quite a bit by pointing out that yes, as unfortunate as it is to have this type of tumor that tends to grow back (I was convinced that I had beaten those odds though), it is STILL not aggressive at all and I am one of the lucky ones b/c I have an IDH1 mutation. That is something they figured out in the last few years is a VERY good thing to have and there are new treatments being developed utilizing that mutation. One of those treatments is a trial that was recommended to me at Duke, and is a form of immunotherapy. It uses your own immune system to go after to those mutated cells and the theory and hope (and it’s been successful so far) is that it would prevent the tumor from growing back in the future, long-term! I liked the idea of that but since it involved having surgery, I was still on fence. I spent most of September stressed out and undecided about what to do (I should clarify: there were other trials available and proposed, along with standard treatment options, and my own research into natural therapies like cannabis oil or frankincense – that is what I was weighing against this immunotherapy trial, hence my confusion of what to do). Back to Duke we went at the end of September to ask more questions. That’s when we found out that there were only 2 spots left in the vaccine (immunotherapy) trial, which made me realize that I would be very disappointed if I lost that opportunity. Because this has the potential for long-term success and the fact that people fly in from all over for this trial that is being done right in my backyard is pretty amazing! Imagine if I had known this (the growth) was happening in Florida 2 or 3 years ago. First of all, it would have been a dark cloud hanging over my head, probably preventing me from living my life fully and care-freely, doing fun things like theater. Plus I wouldn’t have had access to this level of care. AND this treatment didn't exist back then. Duke is arguably one of the best hospitals in the country for cutting edge brain tumor research and treatment. That's my silver lining in all this. We were meant to move here and find out now, when I can do actually something about it that holds a lot of promise. So I said yes to the trial – then another whirlwind began with a barrage of appointments. It’s a very precise schedule that needs to be followed – tons of pre-trial tests and scans, a set number of rounds of the vaccine, and then surgery. I have had two vaccines so far, and my surgery is scheduled for November 14th…which is looming large in my mind and getting closer and closer. The first two vaccines were not too bad, just some discomfort with the shots. My biggest hurdle has been psychological – sitting at the Duke Cancer Center in waiting rooms with very sick-looking people. I don't feel sick at all. I feel strong in fact. How can I be here and what is happening?? My life has done a 180 in every way possible since moving here which has been very hard and disorienting. Some days it’s easy to spin out and get negative. But I am trying to acknowledge my feelings, trust God in all this and stay positive. It is remarkable that I got the second to last spot in a trial that's been going on for two years (the last spot was recently filled too) and that the surgeon who will be operating on me is one of the most sought after, famous neuro-surgeons out there. I mean, this all sucks A LOT, but I have to remind myself of the small miracles happening behind the scenes.

I didn't say anything to anyone for a long time because at first I thought it was all a mistake. I had to at least wait until after New York to start talking about it. And then I had to make a decision about what to do. By that point I was exhausted and couldn’t bring myself make any more phone calls. And putting a “hey everyone, I’m having brain surgery again” post on Facebook seemed wrong without the back- story. After all, I am the “wellness girl” – it’s been difficult to know how to share this. I am grateful for the last six years of building myself up with nutrition and all the healing work I’ve done. It’s only made me stronger going into this second surgery which I pray will make for a MUCH easier recovery this time (PLEASE GOD because last time was terrible!!).

Anyway. That's my story. Thank you for reading. I always like to share the hard things in life too because it helps me feel not so alone in it. I so strongly believe in the power of prayer and the ability to lift each up, even from afar. Last time I went through this, I remember feeling people’s love and support in such a tangible and powerful way, from all over the world…it was amazing. So I would love your prayers again, friends…for a successful surgery, easy recovery, no major problems, long-term success, health, etc. Oh and peace. I am a little scared about this surgery – okay A LOT SCARED. So much more than last time (I was in such a daze the first time around. And now I know what to except, eek). My prayer on repeat for now is that the morning of the 14th the fear will be gone, I will be totally relaxed and full of inexplicable peace (Phil 4:6-7).

Some News...

a magical, nooky street*
So. I have some mighty big news to share...news that I've been putting off sharing on here because we wanted to make for sure for sure it was all really happening...and also because it's hard for me to grasp & fathom & say out loud sometimes! But...here goes: we are moving to Boston!

My incredibly amazing husband & his very big brains have gotten accepted to a Harvard grad program* that starts July 21, 2010. So...what that means in a nutshell: we are leaving our beloved New York in just 34 short days and embarking on a whole new Big City adventure.

There are, as you can imagine, lots of emotions flying around these parts lately. Lots of excitement, some tears, some fear. But mostly we just feel a lot peace and readiness. I haven't talked much about it here, but over the last several months we have both been feeling a bit antsy and ready for a change. I've been in New York almost 5 years now, and though I love it with all my heart, even I was sensing it was maybe time for a change. We were both very open and actively seeking various opportunities and ideas, some in New York, some outside of New York. In the end, this is the door that opened for us, and so we are walking through it, ready for a new city and a new life adventure together.

So far things are falling into place quite nicely. We were up there last weekend looking for a place to live, and successfully settled on an adorable 2 bedroom apartment in Cambridge that we call the Friends apartment (b/c the brightly painted walls & super-cute, cheery kitchen reminds us of Monica's amazing apartment :). It is located on a sweet, tree-lined street just minutes from Harvard Square, a part of Cambridge we immediately fell in love with.

It may not be New York, but Cambridge/Boston just drips with charm and magic (2 of my favorite things) and my hope is that I will fall in love with my new city the way I fell in love with New York. I do plan to keep up with this blog, so perhaps you'll join me on this new adventure and we can all fall in love together?! What do you say? (please say yes -- I will need some friends & support along the way :)

There are lots of things to do and see in the next 34 days, and I plan to live my NY life to the fullest right up to the end! So tune back in for lots of photos and updates.

xo

*surprise -- that picture up there is BOSTON, not New York!! hehe...see how charming it is? I think we will all have a perfectly lovely time exploring Boston together :)

**a random side-note: the program Dan is doing is the same one that Ashley Judd is currently enrolled in. Kind of fun, right? Maybe she'll be my friend :)

8 Months.

Hard to believe, but Miles turned the big 8 Months on the first of May! This has been the most fun month yet (and most challenging "photo shoot" so far -- he is always, always, on the move these days!). 

 This was a big month for our little man...two (2!) teeth popped up giving him an even more adorable grin. And crawling! He is seriously on the move now, scooting and crawling all over the place, getting into everything. Which means gone are the days of just laying him on the floor to coo and quietly play with toys. Nope. Can't take your eyes off of him because if you're not looking, he may just eat a kleenex. Hypothetically. Or not (ahem)(he's okay). 

It also takes about 10 minutes and a team of professionals to change his diaper now. He hates to lie still on his back when he could be doing something more interesting like flipping over, getting into his bin of (clean) diapers, sitting up, turning, shimmying...you name it.

He is now starting to get humor and jokes and will predictably laugh at certain silly things I say or do (his laugh is my most favorite sound in the world). He loves peek-a-boo, especially when you pop around a corner, and also loves story time, actually giggling and making his little excited noises (which include major spit bubbles) when we pull out certain books he likes. It is so fun to watch him react and engage in the world now.

He still loves solids and is a champion eater. Our favorite is when we don't get the spoon to his mouth fast enough and he sits there with his mouth wide open, like a little baby bird.

He is really into the swings these days and loves watching other kids, so we frequent the playgrounds at Riverside and Central Park most days. Overall he has become much more social and outgoing around other people when we are out and about, which I am glad for (as a former painfully shy child, I wouldn't wish that for him. not fun.)

an example of his 'moves' :) this all happened in the span of about a minute

Some days I feel as if my heart will explode for this little guy. He seriously brings me so much joy. Dan and I sometimes (okay, almost every night) sneak into his room to watch him sleep. Brings tears to our eyes. So blessed. 

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Life lately.

There is so much to catch up on! My last blog entry was a New Years post and now it's April somehow. Oops. The last two months have been a wonderful whir of music and motherhood, palm trees (yay for Florida in the winter!) and travels.

I wrapped up two weeks in the studio in March and it was even better than what I could have imagined. I loved every minute of it. To sing again, play, collaborate, write parts....ahhh I loved it all! And the most encouraging part about it -- my brain held up! No major hang-ups or problems with pesky brain fatigue or speech issues. I felt energized by the process and felt like me again. It felt really good (and important) to tap into that part of myself again...the musical, creative me which had been buried for the last 2+ years under new motherhood and medical drama.  

The producer I worked with was amazingly talented and really helped me polish and refine the pile of songs I brought to him. I've been playing these songs solo, just me and my guitar, for so many years and so it was awesome to hear them come alive with drums, bass, strings, organ, piano, etc., etc.!! For those of you who know my music, I am especially excited about Edges of my Heart, Cry and October Drive. I love them all, really, but those few...woohoo can't wait to share with you! Right now everything is being mixed, so it is looking like late May(?) is probably a realistic time frame for release. 

In the meantime, I am thinking about/working on things like album artwork and a website, etc. I had the opportunity to do a photo shoot with the ahhhmazing Bliss Katherine, who is like this ridiculously talented, rock star photographer. And SO sweet and wonderful to work with. The guys at the studio connected me to her and I felt like such a lucky duck to do a shoot with her. I get a little shy and self-conscious in front of the camera but she put me right at ease. She sent me a batch of photos this week and oh man...she is so good! Here are a few shots: 

I had so much fun doing this shoot! And she even captured some candid, family moments when Dan and Miles came by the studio:  

(look at those eyes!! my baby)

In other news, after the recording finished up, we headed west to spend some time with my dad in Santa Fe. It was so wonderful to be back in that magical place. Coming from our new home here in Florida with it's humid climate and palm trees, Santa Fe's crisp weather and mountainous landscape was a drastic, welcome change. We hiked, skied, watched way too many movies and ate way too much yummy food (the food scene in Santa Fe is pretty fantastic, fyi). The week passed too quickly. 

(Dan and I climbed that mountain!)

(see? :))

And now here we are, back in Orlando, settling back in life here. Miles is talking up a storm, and you guys, he is a pretty hilarious kid. And he has more energy than I know what to do with! Our days lately are filled with playgrounds, tantrums (the reality of toddlerhood), rocks, dirt, trains, trucks, princesses and songs from Frozen on repeat. :) We just signed him up for a 2-day a week school which he will start mid-August and I can barely wrap my brain around the fact that our baby will be THREE in the Fall! How does this happen?! 

And that's life in a nutshell! The End. :)