The Frueh Family: Autumn in North Carolina

I don't know if motherhood has just given me a sunnier view of the world, but autumn in North Carolina seems more beautiful this year than it ever has before. The leaves are more brilliant, the smells are richer, the sun feels warmer and the moon has such a beautiful glow. I love walking outside with Molly and letting her feel the crisp breeze on her cheeks and smell the leaves. I wonder what she thinks about this beautiful world. She is experiencing all these changes for the very first time and it almost makes me feel like I'm seeing them for the first time as well...through new eyes.

We had a great opportunity to experience the beauty of a North Carolina fall in the mountains of western NC. Our friends, Jeremy and Julie, have a family cabin in the mountains in the quaint town of Little Switzerland, right on the Blue Ridge Parkway. They invited us to spend the weekend there at the end of October. Their daughter, Katie, is only 2 days older than Molly. It was a great opportunity to hike through the mountains, take in some great views from the Parkway, and eat some fresh-picked apples. It was also wonderful to talk to another couple about the joys and challenges of parenting, as

they're having a lot of the same struggles that we are. We could laugh together about the mistakes we've made and share tricks we've learned to be more successful at feeding, napping, and diapering. We did a surprising amount of hiking, sight-seeing, and relaxing for vacationing with two infants on two very different napping and eating schedules. It seemed that Katie was awake whenever Molly was sleeping and vice versa. They did get a chance to "play together" and get acquainted on the very last day just a few hours before we were going to leave. It was one of the first times that they were both awake at the

same time and neither of them was eating, getting changed, or crying.

Molly's been quite the little social butterfly lately. On Halloween, she got to meet another new friend (a brand-spankin'-new friend). Baby Aubrey is the daughter of some friends of ours. She's only 2 weeks old and oh-so-tiny! She's almost exactly half the size of Molly. I hadn't realized how much Molly has grown since birth until I saw her next to newborn little Aubrey. As I was holding Aubrey, part of me missed that newborn stage. But I'm also excited to see all of the new things Molly has learned as she's growing up. I love seeing her smile and listening to her "talk" to us. I enjoy watching her gain control of her hands and legs and head as she grows into her little body. It's an amazing experience to watch a person grow up as you watch.