Welcome Autumn

Fall has arrived and I'm in love all over again. There is a special kind of magic that happens in the fall. It's the start of the holiday season and all the nostalgia wrapped up in a warm sweater! I always find myself a little more excited to be a homemaker this time of year. Baking, cleaning, taking care of my kiddos... it all seems a little more exciting in the fall.

Isla and I have spent A LOT of time baking. We make sourdough bread every 2-4 days usually and then some yummy, autumn-inspired baked goods in between. In the Montessori lifestyle, every day activities are considered to be a source of great education. I can see why. We touch on math with our measurements and sequencing, language development through our use of new words and communication, literature with reading a recipe, and a whole broader set of skills like problem-solving, cause and effect, following directions, and patience. Isla does such a great job with anything in the kitchen.

And even with all these baked goods, Isla has yet to have refined sugar! We do a lot of Paleo recipes that daddy doesn't care for so that Isla and mommy get to eat more! ;)

Besides baking, we've created somewhat of a consistent schedule now that Ewan is a month old and settling into our family. We spend time in the morning digging through our morning basket and doing all sorts of fall activities!

We spend a great deal of time outside, trying to soak up the last of good weather. I truly believe sunshine and fresh air helps all sorts of things- sleep, attitudes, mood, etc.

The most exciting thing we've done lately was berry picking! We found this little farm that grows aronia berries. This was something I'd never heard of. A little reading later and we found they are an amazing superfood full of antioxidants and all sorts of good things for your heart, brain, and immunity. So we headed to the farm and picked a gallon of berries. We were the only people there among acres of berries (so, no contact with others!). It was a covid-safe activity that Isla LOVED. We may even go back again to get another bag for the freezer. The berries have a very dry taste with a juicy finish. We brought them home and made a syrup that Isla takes a shot of every day. I plan on making some bars and muffins too.

We had to tell Isla to stop eating anymore berries for fear that she'd turn purple! She ate more than she picked.

And this little man turned a month old. He is sleeping 3 hour stretches (he would go longer, but I wake him up to feed). We still don't have our results from Mayo clinic, so it's important that he is eating often and never goes into "fasting mode", which can happen really quick for babies. I think he would be a good sleeper, but I feel like I'm training him to wake up often. We should be hearing from Mayo any day now. Ewan sleeps a lot and it worries me, but he's gaining weight like a champ so the doctor is not concerned. He is now 10.5 pounds (that's 3 pounds gained in a month!). He is completely done with all his newborn clothing. He has the stinkiest toots and I think he actually smiled for real the other day.

We love him so much and can't believe how big he's getting!