Meeting Santa

Dylan met Santa.

Happy Half! {18 Months}

You are 18 months old little guy!

A year and a half - WOW! We celebrated with your first ice cream cone in the tub. You thought it was so cool to have your own cone.

You are such a big boy! You weigh 25 pounds and fit into 18-24 and some 2t clothes.

You wear a size 7 shoe.

You have 16 teeth!

You are non stop on the go, and have a ton of personality.

Dancing and music clearly go hand in hand! You have a few signature moves, and I die laughing every time. The three of us love our mini dance parties, and you even break it down when Daddy & I sing.Your favorite song right now is "If You're Happy & You Know It."

The squeals you let out when Daddy gets home are priceless. You are so excited to see him and play. He carries you around all night long, and you love when he takes you in the kitchen to watch me cook dinner. You two are darling together.

Routine is a must with you. If I try and stray from our daily routines you get quite upset! In the morning we go to the kitchen together and you always open the drawer and get on your tip toes to reach for a spoon - no matter what we are eating. We share a bowl of cereal together.

The toilet amazes you, and you love to flush it often. You will grab a handful of tp, lift the lid, throw it in and shut the lid, flush, then lift the lid real quickly to watch it swirl down. We wave goodbye to the toilet paper.

You are still a crazy picky eater.

You live on: Grilled cheese, grapes, apples, rice cakes, dried fruit, & crackers

You have a kitchen utensil obsession. Our utensil drawer is now easily in your long reach, and throughout the day you get spoons, spatulas, and tongs out. They are all over our house, and a staple toy in the bath tub.

Chloe is your bestie. You two chase each other all over the house - her barks and your laughter are deafening and hilarious!

I sit in the backseat with you. We don't think its weird, and we have so much fun! On night car rides you have started reaching for me and trying to tell me something. I finally figured out you want to hold my hand. We hold hands now on every night time car ride - yeah, I love it a LOT.

You pretty much wave goodbye to anything that is going away. I think it is so cute! Wave bye bye to Daddy in the morning and at bed time, bye bye to trash before you put it in the can, bye bye to the last bite of cereal before you eat it.

We are still working on new textures and getting dirty! You have come leaps and bounds from where you were, but still prefer your hands to be clean. You like to have your own napkin when you eat, and wipe your hands often.

 

You are so good at cleaning up after yourself. Any tiny bit of trash that you see, you run it to the kitchen trash can and throw it away - always clapping for yourself after you do your good deed. If anything spills on the floor, you go get the hand towel hanging from the oven and put it over the mess.

You make gorilla noises when I say the word umbrella. They do sound a little alike!

Any time I kiss you, you wipe it off and scrunch your nose at me. BUT every now and then you will run over to me and plant one on my lips when I least expect it. My favorite is when we are snuggling in the morning and my eyes are shut, and you give me a big smooch to wake me up. Kisses are extra special now that they are so rare.

We love you critter!

 

Happy 18 months Dylan!

The Sickies

'Tis the season of colds, flu, and sicknesses all the same. My family has been sick for nearly a month! I have somehow managed to stay well and keep my sanity. Poor D & Ryan are fed up with feeling crummy, but I am so happy to say they are finally getting well!!

While I was thinking my job was full time before, I was reminded of the 24/7 roll a Mommy plays when her baby is sick. Baby boy has been fighting fever and a terrible cough at night, so I have opted to sleep with him and keep him close. My sweet husband has been so patient and understanding.

 Looking forward to getting into the swing of this wonderful holiday season. Tonight I am thankful for the prayers!

Jacksons First Birthday {Goodnight Moon}

Jackson is ONE!

Our sweet little friend, Jackson Felix, turned one on November 10th! His Momma & Dad threw the most darling party to celebrate. The house was brimming with family and friends of all sizes there to have fun with Jackson on his big day.
It seems like just a blink ago we were pining over you in your tiny little swaddle at the hospital. My how quickly you have grown!

Goodnight Moon was the theme of his party, and a touch of the childhood favorite book was everywhere you looked. The hard work was evident in the sweet details. The main food table was dressed up to look like a bed, complete with sheets, blankets, and a pillow. Baby bunny was all tucked in - so cute! Grandma's balls of yarn and knitting needles were even there!

Chris and April were so proud of their sweet little bunny on his birthday.

Jackson and Dylan had a ball together. In a moment of adorableness they were caught teaching each other how to smoosh their little faces on the front door. They learned from one another and had so much fun doing it. 

There was a BIG red balloon right out front that kept them gazing out the window together. 

Auntie April was kind enough to send the giant balloon home for Dylan to play with!

Every corner was swathed with a dash of color, complete with handmade buntings. The guest/memory book table was set up as baby bunny's nightstand. Timing was perfect for thrift store greatness, as April asked if I saw anything at Goodwill that she could paint to look like the blue lamp with yellow lamp shade. Hello blue vase and yellow checkered shade! 

There were loads of cuties at the party, and a group shot was a must. Pictures like these always make me laugh - they are classic! ONE kid actually looked at the camera. 

Jackson was on cloud nine as he ripped apart his presents with Mom.

She even gave him a throne on wheels to sit on while he opened!

Our gift, the corn popper, created mass havoc. That is success in my book! Jackson ripped off the red wrapping paper, and a crowd of little people arrived to join in on the fun. They were all none to pleased to share that fun with each other. 

Poor Jackson got his brand new toy taken away so quickly! Another classic :)

Birthday boy cheesed it up with the sweet hand painted yellow frames used as photo props. Everyone had so much fun posing with them! Cute Goodnight Moon blocks dotted the house, even spelling out his name on the table. 

Jackson's smash cake was the moon, handmade by Momma.

Dylan insisted on sitting in Jackson's cute wooden highchair. He hammed it up, smiling for pictures and pretending he was the main attraction for a bit. It was so fun to get the boys together again and let them play! Auntie April and D bonded over the most adorable game of peek-a-boo.

Loads of happy!

We had SO much fun!

April planned such a darling party for her sweet little one year old. The details were darling and so thoughtful. I know he had a marvelous day, as did all of the critters. 

Happy Birthday J, we are so happy we got to be with you to celebrate your FIRST birthday. 

Love you little guy!

Wordless Wednesday {tuckered}

Fall Back {Bidding the Season Adieu}

"Fall Back" Daylight Savings happened over the weekend, and the sky looked like it had been lit on fire. We enjoyed every last second of sunlight that night, staying out until the moon came out.

Dylan laughed and laughed as Daddy repetitiously helped him up the slide 

so he could zoom back down.

Then he took a break to build marvelous imaginary things with his tools.

The blazing sky melted purple, pink, and yellow into a beautiful backdrop for our playtime. 

Dylan wanted to see how much we could fit into his little cottage. Daddy, D, Chloe, & a lawnmower was just about perfect! He was insistent that Daddy wear his hardhat just in case.

 It was a such a fun, sweet night!

While I simply adore the wonders of fall, and the change is only an hour, I still always get a little bummed around this time of the year. But soaking up the splendor of this evening helped ward off the Daylight Savings blues. I will miss the long lazy evenings in the backyard after dinner, but I welcome the season change and all the new activities it will bring. 

Friday Phone Dump

Rewarded!

I had to share it...it made me belly laugh and Ryan laughed until he snorted.
When it fits, it fits! This pretty much sums up my week. May it be tummy aches, nightmares, teething or just wanting to cuddle, all I know is that I have slept more hours with Dylan this week than with Ryan. I am in the cycle of being too tired to get up and nurse him back to sleep, so Ryan brings him to our bed, I groggily nurse Dylan what feels like all night long, and then we do it all over again the next night. My through the night sleeper has regressed! Oh me oh my. Think of me and send your good juju's my way. Thank you!!

Be Thankful

Today is the first day of November, and Thanksgiving is right around the corner! While the summer months felt like they were never ending, it seems like I blinked and the days of splash pads, slushies, and endless hours of sunshine went by in a hurry. Time passes by while you are busy living the good life, but sometimes I need to remind myself to slow down and pay attention to the little moments instead of worrying about the future. It is easy to ask prayers of need every night, but as I slow myself down I want to focus on what I am most thankful for...both grand and simple.

I am thankful for:

My husband and his ridiculously corny humor. He is always there to give me a belly laugh when I need it most.

The layer of red and orange crunchy leaves we tromp through on our morning walks.

Sweet drool filled kisses from Dylan when I least expect it.

Parents, both blood, married and figurative. The generation that has been through so much and is there to see my family through anything.

Caterpillars and other crawly creatures that Dylan finds while exploring. They give us the opportunity to talk about the beauty of nature.

Our cozy home and the memories we have made in it over the past six years.

Parents as Teachers and the most awesome opportunity we have been introduced to.

Grandparents, mine and Dylan's. There is a bond between grand parents & children that is so distinct and unique. The sweet never failing love.

A warm meal in our bellies every night.

Our faith and the prayers that keep us close to God as we figure out our future.

The struggles of early breastfeeding that have turned into an amazing, unexplainable bond between my sweet toddler and I. The support from other breastfeeding mothers has kept us going strong.

The warmth of the sunshine on our faces on chilly fall days.

For our health and my smooth recovery.

Simple acts of kindness from strangers - they have no idea how much their moments of time help me.

Our safe neighborhood, sweet neighbors and a quiet, friendly place to take our daily walks.

The babies of our families that keep our get together fun and young, and my cousin's little one on the way.

My family that lifts me up when I am having hard times, shares my excitement when new things happen, and keeps me going strong.

Thank you Heather for the inspiration!

Happy Halloween!

Dear Dylan,

Halloween was so much fun!

We were a family of skeletons this year. The original plan was that you were going to be a hamburger, Chloe a hot dog, and Daddy and I were going to be ketchup and mustard. You were not having it. So we switched things up a bit, and this outfit made you much happier. I whipped up mine and Daddy's outfits the night before the big Halloween parade so we could match you!

Friday we took you to your beloved pumpkin patch one last time before the season ended. You went to a total of five pumpkin patches this year - we just couldn't get enough! Grandma took you almost every Wednesday she had with you, and we took you to say goodbye until next year. It was so much fun letting you run free through the field of pumpkins, watching you play with the little houses they had set up. Grandpa and Grandma came over that night and brought you the neatest slide! You played until your heart's content.

Saturday was a full day! We dressed up and went to the annual Boo Ha Ha parade. There was so much to see and take in. Kids and parents were dressed to the nine in their fun costumes, lined up along the street to watch the fun and gather candy. A sweet little boy kept bringing you candy, and I gave his Momma a smile of thanks - what good manners. You gobbled up the sweet tarts in a hurry, this was a rare treat! Daddy was by your side to keep you calm through the loud scary horns and honking. 

After the parade was over we took you to GreeGree's house and met Auntie Meggan over there! They thought you were a darling little bag of bones, and really liked us all dressed up. We talked all about the Parents as Teachers program and what a smart little kid you are. You went from room to room, showing Daddy how we play over there every Thursday. Auntie Meggan was so happy to see you! Her little one had hiccups while we were together. It'll be so fun to meet her little nugget in January!!

 Today was your second Halloween! You and I put on our costumes and went to surprise Daddy and Grandpa at work. They were so happy to see us! You loved checking out their offices. We stole Daddy and went to eat dinner together at Chick-Fil-A. You wanted nothing to do with the food as usual, but you tried apple juice for the very first time and loved it! After we ate, you had a blast playing on all of the toys.

 

You took a nice long nap on the car ride home, but I woke you up to play when we got home. There were tears involved, as you were none too pleased about being woken. You cheered up quickly once we started playing in the back yard. Chloe was a good sport about her costume, and you thought it was funny to see her in a shirt.  We played with Sugar Booger, the new puppy next door. She has dug two holes under the fence and loves to stick her head through to say hello. I always know when she is over because you squeal with glee when you see her. 

Before it got too dark we went on a nice long (not too) spooky wagon ride. It was fun to see the early trick or treaters out dressed to the nines. The neighborhood was all decorated with orange twinkle lights and flickering jack o' lanterns. A car stopped just to tell us how darling our family of skeletons looked. A sweet little lady out with her granddaughter adored you and insisted we trick or treat at her house where her husband was waiting with a big bucket of candy. You hid in the wagon while I got you some treats.

We headed back to the house and you, Chloe and Daddy ran around the living room blowing bubbles and banging on pots and pans while I passed out candy. It was so much fun waiting for the door bell to ring! The little kids were so adorable in the costumes, and loved it when you and Chloe would run to help me. One little boy asked if you could come trick or treating with them! 

It was such a wonderful Halloween! Dressing up was a hoot, and I am already looking forward to next year. I am so happy you had such a fun time!

You are darling as a button in a costume. Remember last year?? I can't stand the cuteness! 

 I might be just a little bit biased :)

Love you munchkin.

Hope you all had a Happy Halloween!