An epic fall, so far

Really, life is simply never boring. Even with all the seemingly mundane routines of cooking, cleaning the kitchen, cleaning the kids, doing the laundry (I actually had a friend mention her laundry being done...I had no idea what she meant), picking up toys, there's really never a dull moment.

For example, my background noise while tidying up the lunch dishes was Parrot Sofia flying around the house and cawing, and Nico doing some quite experimental dance moves in the middle of the kitchen. Earlier today, while Sofia was in school, I took Nico to Cafe Au Play. In his first exploratory mission away from the play area, I found him by the water bubbler, holding the tap open and pouring water everywhere. Recently, I found him crawling along the keys of our piano. I'm still really not even sure how he got up there, as the bench was pulled several feet away from the piano. I've found him in cupboards, in toilets, under furniture, in the recycling bin...generally any place that isn't intended for children.

Oh, so back to our Epic Fall. It's been GORGEOUS. Sun and rain, brilliantly colored leaves, crisp temperatures, pumpkins on our porch, long cooked-from-scratch soups and breads -- yep, it's pretty cozy around here these days. This being, technically, only my third real full fall season, I'm still drinking it all in. Bring on the hay rides and pumpkin patches!

We were super lucky this year to get to take Jess, Cody, Bradyn, Aiden AND Crystal with us on Sofia's pumpkin patch field trip. They came down for a whirlwind visit, and boy did we pack it full of good stuff -- Voodoo Doughnuts, downtown food carts, trampoline, carving pumpkins, roasting pumpkin seeds, etc. It was great. Sofia was beyond thrilled to have her cousins sleep on her bedroom floor.

Of course our most epic fall event (and yes, I did cruelly bury this -- how else can I ensure people continue to read my full posts?) is finding out that Baby Caselli #3 is on its way, due May 20! Frankly, it was one big shock, something we weren't quite geared up for at this particular moment. God can be pretty funny, but as one friend put it while gesturing to another friend's set of newborn (and unplanned) twins, he could be funnier! Our excitement is growing every day, and how can it not? Sofia's joy at having another baby is indescribable. She's already planning what books to read to her (she has already decided it's a girl, Mary), and has the ultrasound picture hanging right by her bed.

So on we go. Only a couple more weeks to go before the second trimester, when I'll hopefully hit that magic "eye of the storm" phase of pregnancy. Now all I have to do in the next seven months is teach Nico to talk, get him potty trained, and teach Sofia how to cook and we'll be all set!

And now, your totally random, incomplete photo blitz update:

Hammock time!

Headed to the farmer's market:

Last playdate with Miles before he moved :(

Fresh blackberry milkshake!

Fueling up for a swim:

 Our summer swimming hole:

Hiking with Nico while Sof is in school:

First attempt at spongey curlers (didn't last):

With our resident snake, Slither:

Cousins at the pumpkin patch:

Crystal, Sof and baby cow:

Nico also loved snuggling the baby cow:

Yay, Voodoo Doughnuts!

Post doughnut "coffee":

At the Duck Store:

This is what happens when you put a hairdresser in the backseat:

Jammy time:

Enjoying the Arch Bridge before it opened to traffic:

One of our numerous sunny hikes with friends:

Beaches, boxes and a new abode

I always have very good excuses for not updating my blog regularly, right? This one's pretty good, too -- we bought a house and moved into it about two weeks ago! Yay, us!

As one might expect, househunting, buying one house, then packing up another with two little ones underfoot is quite an undertaking, so it's taken up a great deal of time this summer. But we've also been doing our best to squeeze in some fun stuff amongst all the labor.

The highlight thus far was a visit from Grandma and Grandpa O. right before we moved. After an extremely loud July 4 on Mt. Tabor, we hit the road. We rented a sweet little house in Manzanita for three days, and were even able to bring the dogs to the beach for the first time. We walked, Nico rode Ergo-style, Sofia Skuuted, the dogs ran their hearts out, we drank wine, ate chocolate, hit the farmer's market, experimented with zucchini blossoms (yum!), hung out at the Oswald West beach, and just *barely* managed to enjoy ourselves. 

So, yada yada yada, we are now living in our fabulous new home out in Oregon City. I promise to post pictures when we get some of the empty boxes cleared out. But in the meantime, I will say that we LOVE living here. We have frogs, butterflies, a view, a playhouse, a princess tower and (my favorite) a glorious hammock. We all have our priorities...

Kiddo update time! Nico began taking steps on his own this week, and today he took three steps in a row by himself! Even though the advent of walking is pretty darn cool, I think what's even better is the instant transformation. With this little bit of gained independence, Nico's little personality shines through even more, and he's becoming even more of a BOY. He has started pointing at things he finds cool (pretty much anything that makes a loud noise), is waving/saying bye-bye and he kind of says "hiiiii." My absolute favorite current Nico behavior is his kiss, which I must get on video. When you kiss him on his lips, he makes a little "O" with his mouth, raises his eyebrows and leans in repeatedly for more kisses. To die for. He also loves to style his hair with food products.

Sofia, sweet Sofia. Sometimes I forget she's only four years old, the things that come out of her mouth. Right now she loves telling us "whispers," her version of secrets. Usually they entail asking for some sort of treat or to do something fun, like have an otter pop or go swimming. She adores getting together with her girly friends, and when she's on her own, is always "talking" with her animals or taking care of her dolls. She's a very good mommy. When I packed up a box of stuffed animals, I had to give her a moment to softly and tenderly stroke all their heads and tell them goodbye, and that everything was going to be all right. We have moments like this every day! Of course the best ones are when she strokes MY head and tells me in an almost pained voice how much she loves me. She also loves bugs, frogs, princesses, gardening, magical glittery unicorns, dinosaurs, Godzilla, Ultra Man, butterflies, moths, bumblebees, anything pink, books, drawing, painting, dancing, maps, lists, and so much more. She already finishes my sentences for me. Thank goodness, I need all the help I can get!

Otherwise, us four humans and two dogs are settling into our new casa quite well. Come visit soon!

Happy birthday, Little Dude!

Dear Nico, my little dude,
You turned one year old just two days ago. I can't believe a year has gone by since you swam on into this world! Since then, you've completely charmed me with your squishy fat rolls, your amazing belly laugh and your completely disarming, full-face smile.

You're crawling like a maniac, chasing your sister and begging her to chase you. You get into every single thing that you're not supposed to, and have a thing for dog food. You can be entertained for minutes on end by balloons, the washer and dryer, and the vacuum cleaner. You're turning quickly into a rambunctious little boy, and I love it!

When we're out and about you never fail to pick up a new girlfriend. All you have to do is flash that smile, and you're melting hearts left and right.

Time is flying by so quickly, I don't want to forget these little things about you. Like the little curls on the back of your head. That super-duper soft, warm, kissable spot on your neck just behind your ears. How you are the most unbelievably soft, squishy baby to squeeze. And the way you love your sister blows me away. She, out of anyone, can always make you smile and laugh. You love it when she wrestles with you, runs circles around you, even when she puts blue tutus on you...I think that you'll do anything for her, and vice versa.

Yesterday you rode in the grocery cart for the first time instead of in the Ergo, all cuddled up to my belly. While my shoulders were happy, I sure missed my little buddy. As you get older, I'll probably drive you nuts trying to get some snuggle time, so I'm trying to soak it all up now while I can!

Keep on smiling, little dude! I love you so much. Happy birthday!