naptime.

naptime is one of my favorite times of day.

don't get me wrong, i love spending time with our little boy. nowadays all he wants to do is walk around, but he cannot actually walk by himself yet, so he ropes me into helping him walk around the house.

we stop to play with bags, and shoes, and cords, and toys. we go after bexley's water bowl, and food bowl, and the dog himself. this morning he was enthralled with the unburned wick of a candle on the coffee table.

so when he takes a nap i get to stop, and breathe, and reflect. he gets solid rest, and so do i.

for the last couple of days i've been sipping on my pumpkin spice infused coffee, and willing the temperatures outside to drop, drop, drop. i've oscillated between coaxing fall to arrive in all its glory, and pushing back against the calendar since the heart of fall brings the little man's first birthday with it - and that i simply cannot believe!

despite my disbelief it is exciting, though bittersweet, to watch him grow and change and become more and more autonomous.

and we all know how much i love fall, so my push back against the calendar is not only futile, but half-hearted.

i've already started planning keane's first birthday party, am in the midst of his first year scrapbook [which is going to be HUGE. typical first child parenting syndrome...], am primed to break out his #43 polamalu jersey for sunday [along with my #7], and am ready to bake pumpkin EVERYTHING - with a side of fire-pit-roasted marshmallows on s'mores. not to mention some buffalo chicken dip for football watching...

i always feel like fall gives me time to breathe. the heat and pace of summer tend to be oppressive for me, and fall brings a breath of fresh air, both literally and figuratively.

naptime is that short little burst of time for me on a daily basis. time to reset, reflect, and breathe. time to be thankful for what we have, and look forward to what comes next.

happy wednesday.

xo