As Absent As An Ant At A Plastic Picnic.

Okay weird title, right? Well, that's just how I have been feeling as of late. Absent and weird. Not weird in a bad way necessarily, just weird as in a weird way. But as for absent . . . today marks the one week anniversary of our arrival home from our month long voyage to the land of cold, cotton and fried chicken. North Carolina was packed full of family--lots and lots of family--and eating and sitting and visiting and eating and sitting and visiting and eating and sitting and, well, you get the picture. Don't get me wrong, we loved, really truly loved, spending that much time with doting family members and we even managed to frolic outside maybe three or four times in all. But, come on folks, we venture out into the great expanse of SoCal's sunny 70's at least three to four times a day. You can call it cabin fever or southern cuisine overdose, but whatever it was it had me feeling down right lethargic and all nappy by noon.

The holidays were glorious and Noah's first birthday was a blast. Flying was challenging seeing that he is now intent on crawling and walking into every nook and cranny that appears the filthiest and most difficult to shimmy into. He is now talking more than ever. Not recognizable words (unless you count "mama", "dada" and his all time favorite for the last three months--"ball") but not baby talk either. He's got something to say and it sounds a flair Icelandic when it all comes out garbled and inflected--think Sigur Ros on helium. He's thinking and doing and playing with real purpose now--real intent and concentration and method. It is amazing to watch him amass more and more skills with each passing day. It seems that he can observe something only once before he has it nearly mastered.

So, we are home sweet home now--still unpacking suitcases and pounds around the middle that unfortunately managed to sneak their way through the airport security check. As we get back into the rhythm of our daily lives here in Los Angeles--breakfast and walks with daddy in the a.m. and lunch, playdates and dinner with mama in the p.m.--I realize something that I am truly excited to come home to--other than our abandoned cats and piles of bills--the mama and baby friends that we have made over the last year. These connections and bonds made with women struggling through the hardest year of their life together with me as I struggle alongside of them have been life changing and simply heart warming. I cannot wait to see how much each baby and mama have grown and changed as they all enter into this second year together with me and Noah Finn.

It's so nice to have family and friends to come home to--even if they reside at homes upon opposite shores.

P.S. Pictures from the trip are coming soon.