Simple Joys of the Week, February 17th Edition

These weeks--they just keep coming and going, don't they? My biggest piece of news to report this week is that I think we are really and truly [ s l o w l y ] coming out of the 4-month sleep regression, which has lasted over 2 months now (I'll post about everything we did/have done *very soon* for those just entering this stage...).

Getting a bit more sleep this week has been pretty incredible; I've found myself bursting with new ideas, new energy, and a new zest for life ;) 

That being said, I also had my mom in town for an entire week so had a lot of extra help over the past 7 days and that definitely made me feel more caught up as well. Help is a beautiful thing, isn't it? 

So, besides getting more sleep and having help with the babe, here are some other simple, sensory joys that I've appreciated over the past week...

HEAR: Baby giggles
Oh you guys, I can't even with these giggles. They KILL me! We've discovered a few ways to get Charlie Mae to giggle on command, and it's simply priceless. I don't want to wear her out, but man, her giggles are cute! I could listen to them all day on repeat and never get sick of hearing them. 

SEE: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
I know I already mentioned this book in my recent Winter Reading List, but I have to give it another shout-out here because it was that good. I finished it this week and cannot believe how well-written, gut-wrenching, and moving this book was. If you have not read it yet, you should read it ASAP.

TASTE: "The Caper" Sandwich at Cafe Chew
Cafe Chew is one of my favorite lunch places on Cape Cod. Every time that I have guests come visit I take them here for lunch and they're never disappointed. My mom, Charlie Mae, and I went on Valentine's Day and I got my ushe, "The Caper" Chicken Salad Sandwich, and it was incredible. Highly recommend if you're local! 

SMELL: Cara Cara Oranges
Have you ever had these oranges before? If not, give them a try! I think they're the best oranges out there. They're pinkish inside (think grapefruit) and are incredibly sweet and juicy. We've been buying + eating them lately and they are a real treat. I always forget how much I love citrus fruits until we have them around!

TOUCH: "Couples" Massage
No, Ben and I didn't get a real couples massage recently, but on Valentine's Day we didn't have time to do anything special to celebrate, so at the end of the day we spent a little time giving each other massages. We were both exhausted and Ben got kind of lazy at times while giving me mine (don't worry, I gave him a hard time and we laughed about it), but it still felt amazing. It also made me realize that I need to get a real massage sometime soon--my body is SO sore these days! Wow, motherhood breaks you down physically.

And there you have it. I hope you can find some time to reflect on your simple joys of the week today, too. 

Have a lovely weekend!