Miles tried the ball pit for the very first time and he had the funniest reaction! He wiggled himself until he was comfortably propped up and reclined, and just chilled there while watching the bigger kids go down the slide. Later, he kept going to the coziest nook to lounge around! His other favorite was the wooden kitchen (first birthday gift idea, perhaps?).
With each passing month of growth I'm left utterly astonished. Saying, "my son" still gets me every time and the bigger he gets, the more our life together expands to make room for more fun, more learning, and more adventure. I know most children love music, buuut...Miles really loves music and has shown a fond appreciation for it. He even has a way he communicates to us throughout the day about what kind of tunes he wants to hear. Most recently, my husband did all the wiring so that we can play audio over surround sound in our house! A few weeks after moving in we discovered speakers in the ceilings on our first floor. We had no idea they were even there! So now, we really jam out together. This Mornings with Mozart event at Nook was perfect for Miles and we had a great time. He played and played and saw these beautiful instruments up close. Afterwards, me and Max devoured a butternut squash pizza while baby snoozed in the stroller. How that worked out so perfectly was pure luck, and I'll take it!
Let's chat style for just a sec. What the heck do you wear when you're playing with your baby for 2 hours and then having a rare day-date lunch with your hubs? Well, whatever you want! But in my experience some things work out better than others in terms of getting that comfort and cuteness. On this day I wore leggings and a stretch fabric, sleeveless knit top that completely covered my chest. (I find it way easier to manage leaning/bending/lifting constantly.) The leather jacket served as the perfect layer to add style and personality. I don't always care or get the chance to think about what my outfits look like but when I do, I find it feels so good to express myself as a mother and individual through some statement pieces. So, the outfit was perfect for playing around and then grabbing a bite. You get super warm keeping up with a mobile baby so the whole sleeveless thing came in handy.
Fun fact: if you remember to wear deodorant and don't find yourself using a baby wipe on your armpits, you are better than I! :D We really can't have it all as moms! If we get into a cute outfit something else has got to give, I swear. With only so much attention and energy to spare, we are only human. And not letting some sweaty armpits get in the way of fun is really the way to go. One of my biggest takeaways in life since becoming a mom is to not take myself too seriously.
Things to Know
You have to sign up in advance on the Nook website. There's plenty of parking in the parking garage nearby. And my favorite part about the Merrifield location is that there is so much to do right near Nook! We could run an errand at Target, shop at Anthro (maybe next time...), and grab a bite. My personal favorite is True Food Kitchen. More specifically: Medicine Man tea with the butternut squash pizza I mentioned. Ah, amazing!! (That's almond ricotta on top!)
wishing you joy on your journey,
kristen
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