Happy birthday!

Happy birthday, Carter! We hope you know just how much we love you! Brandon, Berkley, Nan and I think you are the tops. May this next year bring you much happiness and laughter. Love you, C

For Nancy

Nancy Skinner Lintner was born on December 2, 1932.  She was my dad's mother.  She was a beautiful woman with olive skin who played the piano and drank instant ice tea.  I never knew her because she passed away from cancer when my dad was just a teenager.  I was born on December 2, 1982 and named Christa Bowman Lintner.  Since I was born on what would have been my grandmother's 50th birthday - my parents said they thought of calling me Nancy.  I was actually named for a family friend from Germany - Christa Bookjans.  (Sweetly, Christa named her son, Patrick, after my dad.)  Brandon and I always said that if we had a baby girl we would name her Nancy... Nancy Elizabeth Santos arrived on December 2, 2011.  She was born on my 29th birthday.  My Nan is 16 weeks on Friday.  Below are a few pictures from yesterday of her sitting up for the first time.

Beautiful Day at 4500

Construction Zone

Brandon went to Atlantic City with friends for the weekend.  Berks, Nan and I trekked to Mt. Sidney.  Loved seeing my parents and their construction progress.  My dad and I loaded 300+ pounds of siding and construction waste to the dump.  I felt like I was back in high school riding with my dad in the old truck and talking about life and happiness and....  It sounds silly, but I cherish those trips.

Helping Popi watch basketball

Morning yoga with Popi

Berks loves playing piano.  

And singing

I though I'd surprise him with an Easter bunny after his nap.  He ate two bites and said, "I'm done."  What two year old doesn't like chocolate?!?!

Three Musketeers

I am using this blog as a sort of "baby book" for our kiddos.  One day, I hope they'll like seeing all these pictures and reading about how they gave my life great purpose and joy.  

 Berkley loves to dig in the sand.  He makes his own sand castles now.  Sometimes I leave him in the back yard alone while I prepare dinner.... I always keep an eye on him, but he likes to feel independent.  Every few minutes he will come up to the back door and yell, "I"m OK, mom!"

 Nan is probably the easiest and sweetest baby alive.  She smiles, laughs, cuddles, nurses, naps... and then we repeat the cycle.  She almost never needs a pacifier and is easily soothed.  She is very different than her brother as a baby.  Berkley likes to tell Sissy that she is "funny" and make her laugh.

 Art is still one of our mainstays.  

This bird has laid eggs outside our kitchen window.  Berkley loves to watch her.  He makes me repeat the story of her laying eggs and keeping her babies warm and cozy - over and over.  Berks loves a good story.  His Nana started telling him stories when he was little.... really they were just tales about Berkley and what he did during the day.  Often Berks will say to me, "Mama, tell me our story."  And I'll start, "Once there was a little boy named Berkley and he loved to play.  One day he and his mama walked to school and at school his teachers were waiting for him...."

Patrick Berkley is much better in the car these days!  Now we just have to work on his Sissy.

"I'm Hungy"

 We are learning to ride our bike!

I swear Berkley is going through a growth spurt.  Last night for dinner he ate one piece of bbq chicken pizza, half a bag of edamame, two cups of strawberries and raspberries, one blueberry scone, two glasses of whole milk, one cut up banana, and two popsicles.  He is a growing boy that is for sure!  I've been spending the last two days reading a book recommended by a friend called Bringing up Bebe (Druckerman) - and it is pretty awesome.  It sets out to explain the difference between Parisian and American children... why do French children sit at restaurants and not complain?  Why do French babies sleep through the night (on the whole) at around two months?  There are some Parisian things I think I should adopt - like regular meal times where the child sits at an actual table and eats.  And get this - if they are hungry in between meals - they wait until the next meal.  I have become a mom who brings snacks with me everywhere and then when dinner comes - Berks isn't hungry.... shocker.  I am implementing (starting yesterday) - set meals: breakfast, lunch, snack after nap, and dinner.  The protesting has already begun.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Be still my heart

Spring has sprung in Richmond.  Our side porch door is open as I type.... and it is so nice.  We lost an hour this weekend, but happy the long days of summer are beginning.  I feel like things are finally starting to settle down after the birth of Nan.  Berks is back to his old self.... the nut that he is.  Planning to enjoy all these moments of spring to the fullest and promise myself to really 'live in the moment.'  I know I am posting a ton of pictures from the last few days, but the days have been beautiful and I've been wanting to shoot my babies in the natural light. xo