Post Backlog #1: E-Friends and Meeting Melanie

CRAP! how has it been a WEEK since my last post? Time flew away from me! I had three photo shoots this week, substitute taught for four days, and hosted my brother and sister-in-law for the weekend... Hmm... I guess THAT'S how.

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So for tonight's post, I want to talk about two friends... Melanie and Stefanie. This is a long-overdue post, with photos dating back to May and June, hence the title "Post Backlog". (Sadly, there are SEVERAL unwritten yet meaningful-to-me posts in my head from the last few months... So I will be doing this "backlog" thing here and there to catch up...)
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Melanie and Stefanie and I met though the mom-information-and-networking-site Babycenter. All of our baby boys were born in the same month, so we had that to link us together. We became friends through our blogs, a little, but really connected as a fluke when both Melanie and Stefanie emailed me regarding one of your many mutual baby issues. since both girls had the same question, I sent my response back to both of them at the same time instead of separately, and VOILA! An email friendship was born. Since that first set of emails so many months ago, we have really seen our friendships deepen and grow to a level none of us could have imagined. We have spoken on the phone, we text message, we send flowers (thanks, Stef!!)... {remember these flowers? With the lemons in the bottom? Such a wonderful surprise pick-me up!!}
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We send "happy mail" (thanks Mel!)...

{care package from Melanie: so many fun treats and doodads. made my entire week!}

{turtle "taggie" blanket I made for Stefanie's son Max}
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...And we have grown as mothers as a result of our e-adventures. All of us feel so lucky to have "found" each other, and joke about the day we'll be united together in person for the first time fifty years down the road on Oprah. It'd make a great story!

Well, while I have not yet met Stefanie (and we'll remedy that someday, Stef!), I DID get the delightful opportunity to meet up with Melanie and her husband Ben and their November baby Nolan while Joe, Noah and I were on our long, infamous road trip out West in June. Both of our little families met up for dinner and photos, and enjoyed an all-too-brief visit together. (Even the hubbies, who got dragged along, enjoyed the get-together!)

{Noah exploring his new friend}

{Nolan getting a CLOSER look}

{all of our boys}
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The babies were, of course, ADORABLE. Nolan had the enviable skill of clapping on demand, something even two months later Noah has not even attempted to do. Nolan has the most amazing blue eyes and a cute lil' round head capped with RED(!) hair. So ridiculously cute. And of course, we all know how stinkin' cute Noah is... Watching them interact was so much fun!

{Noah seems REALLY fascinated by Nolan's existence}

{this one is more like, "Hey, Nolan- check this out!"}

{Here, Nolan goes for the FULL COURT PRESS}

{...which Noah isn't too thrilled about. But Nolan seems pretty self-satisfied.}

{But when Noah tries to get back at Nolan, down he goes! (I especially like the finger hooked in Nolan's mouth. Wow!)}

{and one more cute one...(Melanie made the onsies, by the way. SO clever!)}
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And meeting Melanie? Well, by the time we said goodbye, it felt like we had know each other for years.


So thank you, Mel. And thank you Stef. I can't wait to keep watching our babies grow up together. I cherish your friendships and the confidence you help me feel in being a new mama.
You both amaze me and make me smile.
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...And one last photo, perhaps my favorite:

{Psst, Mel: you two make the cutest team.}