We have a tooth!

As of about one week ago, Reid "cut" his first tooth. It is still growing, but (if you look really closely) you can catch a glimpse of it in this picture that was taken on Monday right after I picked him up from school. Have I mentioned that picking him up from school is the highlight of my (work)day? It is!

Happy Birthday to Aunt Dom!

Reid wanted to publicly send happy birthday wishes (5/23) to his very loved Aunt Dom! <3

Move over peas!

BBL has a new favorite- blueberries! Blueberries and yogurt, to be exact. I wonder if he will enjoy frozen yogurt and blueberries as much as his grandpa when he gets older... :)

Birthday Celebrations!

Overall, we had a very nice weekend celebrating Andy's 30th! On Friday morning, we kicked off Andy's birthday weekend with breakfast at Croissant Gourmet. After work, we picked up BBL and headed to Armando's in College Park for a quick drink before dinner with some friends (also at Armando's).  Dinner was delicious and the company was great- our only complaint is that the air conditioner was broken and it was toasty in our corner of the restaurant.  Anyway, after a nice Friday night, we woke up on Saturday and went on a long walk with BBL and Finn before meeting family at the Ravenous Pig for lunch (thanks for treating us, Grandpa/Apa L!). Afterwards, the Beaman/Clark/Rios faction joined the party at our house, and we enjoyed a fun afternoon of pie, slip-n-slide, and again, great company! Later that evening, Andy and I joined some of my co-workers at Escapology where we broke into Fidel Castro's office and found KGB papers as members of the FBI- AND successfully escaped Castro's office before he returned from his afternoon errands. Next, we drove to Dom and Aaron's abode where we enjoyed vino and grub and played a raucous game of Cards against Humanity with Dom, Aaron, and Scotty. To wrap up the birthday weekend, we spent some time with Nee Nee, Apa, Scotty, Gage, Aaron, and Dom at our house and at Dartmouth Park on Sunday morning. On Sunday afternoon, we fit in a quick trip to Costco, Whole Foods, and Grandma and Grandpa Beaman's house before binge watching The Americans and closing the door on a successful birthday weekend. Although we had very little sleep and poor Reid spiked a fever on Saturday night that we spent the next 48 + hours worrying about, I loved the quality time we were able to spend with family and friends . . . not a bad start to 30 for Andy!

Reid enjoying happy hour at Armando's

Cousins playing with cars at Ravenous Pig

Daddy and his boy at Ravenous Pig

Our attempt at a family cake picture

Sweet baby Charlie joined the party

The Layden Trio on Saturday night

Scotty, Gage, and Reid playing on Sunday morning

Happy Birthday to Dad!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Andy a.k.a "Dada."* BBL doesn't know it yet, but he is so fortunate to be able to call Andy "Dadadada," or whatever variant of "Dad" sticks in our household. What an awesome dad you have, Mr. Reid, and what a great husband I have! The past month has been one of the more difficult months in our little world, and the below picture is one example of the many times that "Dada" stayed up throughout the early morning hours rocking Reid so that he was able to breathe deeply enough to sleep in the midst of a horrible cold and double ear infection. All without complaints or hesitation. Although it reminds me of a difficult night/morning, it always makes my heart happy to see what an amazing father Andy is to our baby boy (which I see on a daily basis). On a lighter note, the second picture below was taken this morning when we went to Croissant Gourmet before work to start off Andy's birthday celebration...I think it was a nice introduction to Andy's 30's. <3 WELCOME TO YOUR 30's, ANDY!

 



* Sidenote: Reid is capable of saying "Dadadada" and has been for a few weeks, although he does not yet say it to any particular person or thing. He can also say "mamamama" and "babababa."

Perception

A pile of laundry that needs to be folded OR a rocket ship for BBL?

"People who love to eat are always the best people!"

While I cannot take credit for the quote in the blog title (credit goes to Julia Child), I completely agree with the sentiment. So far, it looks like Reid will be among "the best people" since he really loves his food (of the liquid and solid variety). We introduced Reid to solids one month ago, and he hasn't met a food foe yet.  His favorites are carrots and peas, but he has also tried avocado (least favorite), apples, sweet potato, and banana. Below are some pictures of Reid's first foodie adventures...

Let the blogging commence! First, why the blog title?

"Find your beach" is a common adage in the Layden household.   This simple phrase reminds us to appreciate the smaller things in life and find joy in the chaos. The biggest joy in our lives right now is our little man, Reid. Yes, our life is chaotic, messy, and stressful at times...but it is also so, so joyful.  We want to remember this precious time in our lives, so this blog is our effort to memorialize life with BBL- and any future babes that may come our way.  Please join us on our blogging adventure.*


*Caveat: Life is not always sunshine and rainbows (with a smattering of magical unicorns and trees made of money that grow in abundance). Our blog posts may not always make you smile or help you "find your beach," but we invite you along for the ride anyway!

Ashley and Andy