The poor kid was so confused by our empty house and the strange men carrying boxes. Fortunately, he slept for at least part of the 90-minute drive to our new home. But when I tried to put him in the pack n play to finish his nap, he looked at me like I was crazy. No time to sleep. It was time to explore!

The movers arrived with a truck full of our belongings about two hours later. And I think they considered turning around when they saw our driveway.

The next 24 hours involved shuffling and unpacking boxes; attempting to locate important items like bed sheets, shampoo, and diapers; setting up the kitchen; and painting.

And Nick put our second major home purchase to good use. (The first was a Dyson vacuum — we’re so domestic.) I do believe it was the best workout he’s had in at least three months.

Did I mention that Sammy is now mobile? He is also pulling himself up onto boxes and tearing tape. Quite the little helper.

And he loves our new backyard. Actually, we all do.

We were so fortunate to have Nick’s parents with us this past week — to entertain Sammy and run errands and assist with random tasks. We miss you already, Oma and Opa!

Meals have gotten interesting as we attempt to clean out our refrigerator. Our favorite so far: a big ‘ole frittata.

I took a solo road trip on Friday morning. It was … rejuvenating.

Our big eater had his first taste of blackberries on Saturday. He loved them, but his white t-shirt and our laminate floor did not.

And, finally, I had the most lovely Mother’s Day weekend. A trip to State College for apricot wheat beer and coconut chip ice cream. A Sunday brunch of crepes with nutella and bananas. A new silver latte spoon and a set of cobalt blue chewbeads. And a hike to Chimney Rocks Park for a final view of the town we’ve called home for the past two years. I love my little family, and I’m looking forward to the adventures ahead!

And, sweet Samuel, I thank you today and every day for making me a mother. My heart is bigger and my life is fuller because of you.

Thank you to my mother-in-law for bringing my dear husband into this world. For raising him to be gentle and generous — qualities I hope to inspire in our son.

And to our grandmothers, aunts, sisters, and friends — thank you for helping to guide me through my first eight months of motherhood. Wishing every mother out there the happiest of days!

So for the next six days we plan to dine out and eat cereal and delivery pizza. Which means no new recipes until we are moved and settled into our new home. Which means I’ll share Sammy stories instead!

This video was taken almost two months ago, but Nick still sings this song every night during bath time. And, if anything, Sam’s smiles have only gotten bigger when he hears Daddy’s voice.

And so is this.

Needless to say, we have a busy week ahead of us. Ten days to moving day!

1. Chilaquiles with Poached Eggs
2. Guacamole
3. Corn, Tomatoes, and Black Bean Salad
4. Tequila Lime Chicken
5. Sangria
6. Key Lime Cupcakes

Want to know how confident I was that Nick would get into CMU? I baked this decadent and celebration-worthy dessert before he received confirmation of his acceptance.

Thankfully, he got the good news at 3:30pm, just as I finished spreading peanut butter frosting onto these fudgy homemade brownies. Because Nick loves brownies, but this occasion called for something a bit more special than a boxed recipe. And what’s more special than melted chocolate, three types of sugar, and creamy peanut butter?

Congratulations, Nick! Thanks, as always, for giving us a reason to indulge.

Since Nick will be attending classes in Pittsburgh twice each week beginning this fall, we made the decision months ago that we would like to be closer to the city. So guess what.

We bought a house!

(Yes, that’s Nick carrying Sam up the driveway that he can’t wait to shovel this winter. And the front lawn? He’ll certainly get a workout pushing the mower up and down that hill.)

We looked at almost a dozen houses and fell in love with the one on the cul de sac. The one with a spacious kitchen and a gorgeous master suite. The one with the backyard that’s big enough for a garden and a swing set and a little boy to chase his puppy.

We put an offer on it just hours after seeing it, and it was accepted the next morning. When you know, you know, right?

We’ve spent the past few weeks shuffling, signing, and faxing paperwork to make this happen. Fast. As in we close on May 17th, and the movers arrive on May 18th.

I see lots of boxes in our future. Bubble wrap and packing tape. Followed by paint chips and furniture shopping and cocktails on the patio. Our patio. Let the fun begin!