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The past year...a babe, an audition, and a race

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It has nearly been a year since Owen was born. And over a year since I wrote here. It is true, the days are long but the years are short. Having 2 kids is…well, harder. There just isn’t time for what you used to be able to get done with one. Cluster feeding with a 3-year-old grabbing at you for attention is beyond frustrating. Little to no sleep is a whole new experience when sleeping in isn’t an option. That 3-year-old is getting up at 6AM whether the baby is or not. But we are past those first few months and Owen is such a joy. His personality is starting to come through and Miles is THE best big brother. He is so helpful and loving with Owen. Thank goodness!                                               Our experience for my pregnancy and delivery at Sisters of Charity Hospital was absolutely amazing. The staff there is wonderful AND you get your own room after the baby is born. One of the coolest experiences of my life was having an external cephalic version with Owen.
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Screen time

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Chef Miles in the new place About a month ago, right around the time we moved into our new home, Rob and I decided to make a big change. We were going to try to be screen free. Miles was spending about 4-6 hours a day in front of either the TV, my phone, or the IPAD. I work from home and when we were living in a small,upper level apartment it was difficult to keep him occupied while I worked. Excuses excuses:) There were times he would happily play with his toys while the TV was in the background but it was clear the screens were making him different somehow. He still had a great imagination and love of music but he was kind of a jerk. His crankiness levels were sky high and when we would try to take the screen away he would throw a tantrum. Even his energy levels were effected. You could just tell he was wound up and exhausted all at once.  I spoke with my mom, older sister, and some friends before reading up on the effects of too much screen time. Some of the articles we
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The few, the proud, the baristas

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Have you ever walked into a coffee shop and thought "why am I getting such tude from these people"?  When did working at the nearby, organic, homeopathic, locally grown coffee joint become a status thing? I can only assume it is a requirement to have countless tattoos, piercings, filthy hair/pink or another dumb color, and a constant expression of utter disgust at all times. Do NOT get me wrong, I have worked as a server before and have many friends and family in the service industry. My husband runs a freaking restaurant! So I am in no way belittling the amount of work these coffee makers end up doing in a shift.  I am fully aware it isn't just a cup of coffee anymore. My brain would explode if order after order was something like this: Guest - sounds like Cher from Clueless : Oh, uuuuumm I think I'll just have a skim, vanilla, latte. No wait, make that a skim, caramel cappuccino. Ugh no, I'm not in the mood for that. Make me a skim, extra shot, mocha, lat
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Leo Cooper Knecht-Van Saders

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During my pregnancy I did a load of research on how to introduce your dog to a new baby. The countless articles and videos I watched all said the same thing. It is very important that you a:) continue to show your dog love and affection and b:) if he reacts negatively toward the baby, do not yell at him, instead distract him with a toy or lead him to another area of the house. Associating any negativity with the baby can be detrimental. We arrived home 4 days after Miles was born and Leo could have cared less about him. He like napping on my belly:) He was so ecstatic to see me. After a couple hours I allowed him to jump on the couch while I fed Miles. Imagine my surprise when Leo just plopped down next to us after taking a couple sniffs of Miles feet. The next time he wanted to join us on the couch did not go as well. He jumped up, sniffed Miles, and gave a little growl. All my research and preparing was out the window in an instant. Without even blinking, I punched L
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Just you, me, and Banh Mi

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  Enjoying some craft brews at Resurgence  People told us when Miles was born to go out as much as possible because as soon as he's walking, the luxury of dining out will be a thing of the past. I've taken their advice! Here are some fun shots of our adventures together trying delicious cuisine and tasty beverages in the new home town.  Molly and Miles at the food trucks Miles did not end up eating the whole slice!  He thoroughly enjoyed the Crab Mac&Cheese, but couldn't wrap his head around the Banh Mi.                                                                   We visit dad at work a lot! We absolutely love the Tomato Bisque at The Lodge. Miles recently discovered rack of lamb with Papa.  Blue Monk is always a fun time Van Saders and Knechts at Mothers in Allentown So far my little man has tried pate, lamb, crab, fried goat cheese, countless soups, lobster, many different fishes, tofu, and much more. He honestly has loved
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I am a SAHM who WFH

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What does "working from home" mean to you? Many times when a friend or co-worker would tell me they planned on working from home I would think to myself "lucky duck, you don't have to do any real work today". I'd imagine them sitting on their couch eating bon bons, wearing sweatpants, and drinking Four Loko. They would play video games and catch up on Grey's Anatomy , stopping around lunch time to check their emails and reply with a generic response: "I will be out of the office all day and available by phone or email - between the hours of 12:30pm and 1:00pm. " I left my job of nearly 13 years about 6 months ago because we relocated to Buffalo. I worked on my feet all day and interacted with over 30 employees a day and assisted 50+ guests a day. I loved it! I absolutely adored my bosses and created a lot of lasting friendships throughout the years. Going for the occasional after work happy hour or bringing pot luck lunches to share in
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Delivery Day

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40 weeks Miles was in breech position for my entire third trimester. When he was born his right arm went straight above his head while eating, sleeping, or just hanging out. I finally understood why it felt like he was punching me in the ribs all day long for three months. My doctor offered to perform a version in the hopes that Miles would turn and be in the right position for a natural birth. I decided against it because I was afraid of the pain and the possibility he would go right back to hanging out in my ribs. I don’t want to use the word “regret” but I can’t think of another to describe my regret in not going through with the version. I very much wanted to have a natural birth and still wish I had experienced it. We were given the option to schedule a C-section on October 31 st or November 4 th . We chose November 4 th because it was actually Miles due date but also because I did not want a Halloween baby. I woke up to use the bathroom for the thirtieth time the night
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