Outer Banks, NC.

After our stop in Norfolk, we continued south for two nights in the Outer Banks. For many summers growing up my family rented a house for the week in the Outer Banks, and it was such a treat to get to experience it for a couple of days with Aaron and Hazel. While it wasn't lay-on-the-beach weather, we made the most of our time by stopping into some of my favorite restaurants (hello Black Pelican!) and trekking the massive sand dunes at Jockeys Ridge State Park. The sand dunes are almost other worldly, and it was a definite highlight finally getting to show Aaron what they are all about. We stayed at the fabulous Sanderling Resort in Duck, and it was a wonderful kick off to a life of travels for little Hazel - she did so great!

Norfolk, VA.

When Aaron and I started dating he was an officer in the Navy and stationed in Norfolk, VA. I knew nothing about the city at the time, but I fell in love with it just about as quickly as I fell in love with Aaron (QUICK, for those who don't know ;). Because we were dating long distance I spent many a weekend visiting him, and it set the stage for some of our favorite dating memories. He lived in Ghent, which is kind of like the "Brooklyn" of Norfolk - charming streets, craft beer for days, and just enough hipsters to make you forget you were in a Navy town. Something about those Norfolk days were so carefree and fun, we were young and in love with very little responsibilities outside of our jobs. It's a time we often look back on, and it was so much fun to go back for a quick visit over Veteran's Day weekend. Also fitting to be in the place where Aaron spent his time serving!

Our 2016 Christmas Card Photoshoot.

The tradition continues! We got together with Jess and Sam for our annual Christmas card photoshoot this weekend, and Sam is always so kind to return the favor and take some of us. I always joke that I'm the Boro family life photographer and he's so graciously stepped into the role for us. I always felt a little silly sending out a picture of just Aaron and I, but not anymore! Now that little Hazel is apart of our crew I feel a bit less ridiculous. I will say, I'm so glad to look back on the pictures from years past and you can take a look at them all here if you'd like... 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. So many years! See if you can spot some repeat locations and stay tuned for the photo that was the winner ;)

Thanksgiving 2016.

I say it every year, but I am always so grateful for the tradition of our Thanksgiving gathering. So many families have to split time for holidays or switch off every year, but we're fortunate to have families that all live nearby and really enjoy time together - it makes it so easy for my sister and I to not have to choose between our parents and in-laws. As an added bonus, Adam and Brittany joined us this year instead of going to Indiana so it was finally a complete Harmon / Wishart / Boro Thanksgiving! Another fun part was that last year Betsy was the only baby and this year there were three more babies added to the mix. It's crazy what a difference a year can make! See our gatherings from years past here, here, and here.

2 months of Hazel!

Everything they say is true, it all goes so fast! As I scroll back through the (probably thousands) pictures I've taken since she was born I can't believe how much we've accomplished the past two months (aside from the hours and hours of cuddling we've done). For one, I birthed a whole human and have made a full recovery from the wonderful and traumatic experience it was. We've gone on two trips as a family, attended two weddings (one where I was a bridesmaid), seen lots of friends and family, ventured out of the house for at least one adventure a day, and are now gearing up for the holiday fun to come. Hazel had her two month check-up today so it seemed fitting to share an update here.

First of all, we love her so much! I know it seems silly, but the love I feel for her has taken me by surprise. I could never understand when moms would talk about missing their babies once they put them to sleep, but it turns out that's actually a thing! Something else I didn't expect was how sweet it would be to see her fall in love with ME. I guess I just always assumed the love would be one-sided (you know, kids...), but she actually sighs out with love and adoration when I approach her, and she just stares at me with such love eyes. We've established such a sweet bond and I'm already getting sad about going back to work. Thankfully, we have about a month left together before that has to happen!

Here's a little breakdown of our little Hazel Belle at 2 months old . . .

Development/Milestones: She's one smiley and chatty babe! She started smiling a few weeks ago, and just last week we started getting some quality coos. It really seems like she's found her voice, and it's one of the sweetest things to witness.

Eating: She eats about every 3-4 hours, except through the night (see below). I'm exclusively breastfeeding for the time-being, and I'm grateful that hasn't been a challenge. She and I have both taken to it naturally, and it's such a sweet thing. She's in the 80th percentile for weight (12 lbs!) and we have a love / hate relationship with seeing her grow! 

Sleeping: A little over three weeks ago she started sleeping 8 hours a night!! I don't attribute this to anything other than being SUPER lucky, but we are oh so grateful. Once she was about a month old, we let her start sleeping in her crib (mostly for our sanity), and it seemed like she slept even better there than in our room. While I'd love to say this love I have for her is completely unconditional, I would be lying if I said her sleeping habits had nothing to do with it. I know it would be so much harder to enjoy these sweet days if we were sleep deprived.

Likes and Demeanor: She is a happy little clam and really only cries when we're in the car, and then she cries A LOT. I'm not sure if it's because she knows we're up front and she's not with us, but these are definitely some of the more stressful moments for us. Outside of the car, she's content to just be with us and will happily be cuddled by just about anyone. We prayed for a cuddly babe, and a cuddly babe we got!

Our House Tour - Before and After!

I've been meaning to take pictures of our sweet little home for a while now, but it wasn't until we finally hung the living room gallery wall that the house has felt complete. I'm usually the type to move in and get everything set up right away, but something about nailing holes into the walls we just paid to have painted felt like a big commitment. Once you put those things off it's easy to get used to a house with blank walls, and when you add a newborn into the mix, the projects never get done. However, this weekend we finally tackled the gallery wall and kept asking ourselves what took so long - it was easy and made a huge difference in the main living space.

Before sharing the pictures, I wanted to give a bit of background on the house. It's a small three bedroom, one bath house with an attic and additional outside storage in a shed. Thankfully, coming from New York City we didn't have a huge need for storage, but those two areas have been a huge help as we accumulate more things that come with home ownership. I was also over the moon to finally have a laundry room, coat closet, and linen closet - these are things that you learn to live without when in New York and they are really helpful in terms of organization and not having towels stuffed in random places. The main selling points of the house were the updated kitchen (it's exactly what I would have done myself), close proximity to the metro, located in a great neighborhood, and all of the natural light (even on a very cloudy day).

Prior to moving, we had new hardwood floors put in as I didn't love the parquet flooring (although it was hardwood, too). We also had the entire interior painted and spruced up the bathroom with beautiful marble tiling and a new vanity. I wasn't able to get any good pictures of the bathroom this time around, but hope to share those eventually. The guest room / study is also not pictured for now as we just had a guest leave when I took these pictures and I hadn't yet tidied the room :) Enjoy the before and afters!

The Living Room Before:

After:


The Kitchen / Dining Area Before:


After:


The Master Bedroom Before:


After:


The Nursery Before:


After: