We’ve been fortunate over the years to have had some truly amazing adventures, both before kids and after (see this blog post from our two week trip in Northern Ireland & Normandy last year with both kiddos!). Once we went “live” as a waiting family during our first adoption process, Matt and I were thinking of taking a babymoon to Kauai, but we were matched SO quickly with Felix’s birth mama that we (joyfully!) never had the chance to travel! I never felt like we’d missed out since we had so many amazing trips together over the years of waiting, but there *was* something really sweet about having the chance to see Kauai a couple years later WITH Felix in tow :).

After 2021’s travels to Disney (twice!), Spain, and Hawaii, I didn’t feel like we *needed* to get away before our family grew again with Teddy, and we’ve been able to travel enough to sate our wanderlust with both boys that there was never any regrets about wishing we’d done more or seen more.

But I will admit, there’s something a little different about having a more predictable timeline of ~40 weeks that made it easier to say “yes” to getting away before Baby Spring arrives. With adoption, you never quite know *when* things will change. So every getaway could be your last as a family of (however many). This time around, though, I had a hard stop on travel dates, and assuming everything turns out smoothly, we have a solid idea of when our family’s world is going to get bananas [again].

So all that being said, taking a babymoon this time around felt like an easy yes, esPECIALLY when the opportunity was presented to head down to Hill Cottage in OBX!

Our former landlords-turned-brand-clients-turned-real-estate-agents-turned-friends are co-founders of Property Collective, a boutique real estate brokerage here in Northern Virginia, and they have *exquisite* taste in both properties and design. I’ve photographed enough of their flips to see their relaxed, earthy vibe (in part due to PCo’s co-founder, Lauren Liess, interior design master) that I knew a beach house would instantly evoke the same aesthetic of theirs that I’ve come to love. And Hill Cottage did NOT disappoint!

I told Matt even before we pulled in that I’d need him to hang out in the driveway for a few minutes with the boys while I raced through the house and took photos, because I knew once kiddos & luggage crossed the threshold, it would never look the same.

As soon as we let the kids in they went straight for the “bumper beds” room (as Felix called it)- he was so excited about this sleeping arrangement that he asked to go to bed early on the first night. Win!

This was so kind- we were running a little later than I’d planned and ended up getting into the house right around dinnertime, with two kids who’d been cooped up in the car for a 7-hour trip. So when I opened the fridge and found a charcuterie box from Riggs & Brie waiting for us, I almost cried- we nommed on this for dinner instead, and the boys were ready for bed soon after! So grateful for this sweet little touch, Maura & Daan!

It was on the cooler side during our visit, the highs were only supposed to reach the mid-50’s, but it felt warm enough with the sunshine that walking on the beach to look for seashells was really pleasant!

I freaking love being a boy mom.

I brought my tripod + shutter remote with me because I knew I’d want to take a self-portrait at some point. I woke up early on our second day in order to 1) capture the morning light coming through the east-facing windows! and 2) have a shot without the boys running through. I had another photo WITH them in it in mind, but I really wanted at least one image of just me! Felix came upstairs right as I was taking this shot, so I finished in the nick of time!

Books, books, and more books. Grateful for my bibliophile boys.

Felix thinks the idea of using the camera remote is HILARIOUS. We were set up with watercolors and I let him fire the shutter for a few, and he asked me if one day, I’d let him set up and take his own photos with the trigger.

Heck yes, kiddo.

One last tripod photo before we headed home, and the only image of the four [five!] of us all together!

Oh, and a few iPhone photos, because I didn’t *quite* carry my camera everywhere!

Corolla’s Kind Cup Coffee & Art– it’s an ADORABLE coffee shop in Historic Corolla that also doubles as an art shop! And they had such a fun selection of creative espresso drinks.

And the Island Bookstore! I don’t know how I’ve never been over to the Historic Corolla Village before, I grew up coming to Corolla every summer. The whole area was so cute and perfect for folks traveling with kids.

V pumped that the pool was heated. It felt so nice to sit with feet dangling over the edge!

So, so grateful for this chance to get away as a family for a few quiet days. And as much as I love the beach in the summer, I think this trip might have convinced me that OBX in the off-season is the way to go- I’ve never experienced it being *crowded* in the summer because there’s SO much beach to be had, but the lack of traffic and how quiet it was? It was so peaceful.

We’ll see you next time, Hill Cottage!