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Monday, January 30, 2012

little moments like this

Houston turned 5 months old yesterday {and I JUST did his 4 month post 2 days prior… don’t you love my punctuality?} In a continued effort to preserve the memories and snapshots we’ve been making the last few months while I’ve been decidedly absent from blogging, here’s a recap of some of my favorite photos and moments for my own keepsake – but hoping you enjoy them as well ;)

 

We can never take enough pictures of our peanut on his activity mat – he loves it, we love him.

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12.06.11

 

I lovelovelove this picture from Christmas eve. It melts my heart every time I look at it. It is on it’s way to a frame on my night stand VERY soon♥

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12.24.11

 

Goofy little fam on our first Christmas with the boy.

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12.25.11

 

New Year’s Eve with a naked baby who got too hot partying to wear his sweater anymore… I keep hearing Nelly in my head, “It’s gettin’ hot in herrrrre…”

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12.31.11

 

LOVE my boy. love him to itty bitty pieces.

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01.24.12

 

Our first baby still claims his place in his parents’ bed.

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12.09.11

 

A version of sitting on his own!

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01.26.12

 

Too exhausted after a day of attempting “Cry It Out”  to even wake up for a 2 a.m. clothing change. Preciously pitiful.

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01.27.12

 

In a house full of men, only ONE is willing to indulge me with some much needed girl time.

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01.29.12

 

One of the many mornings I’ve been late to work {woops!} because the adorableness overpowers me…

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12.09.12

 

Strolling about on an unseasonably warm December day… Daddy and I decided baby’s ears might be cold – Mommy’s scarf to the resuce!

{How come this wasn’t mentioned as one of the ways to style a scarf yesterday??? :)}

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12.11.11

 

Asleep on the changing table?! A strange sight for a boy who only falls asleep in our arms or in the car.

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12.20.11

 

♥?!!??!?!?!

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12.28.11

 

“I’m ready for my portrait.”

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12.29.11

 

Visiting Daddy at work for the first time.

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11.16.11

 

With Momma at her old(!) job.

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12.30.11

 

The first time I ever dressed him in his snuggly winter bear suit for the trip to the sitter’s… later that morning she calls and tells me he’s running a fever - a little side effect from the 4 month immunizations the day before. Of course I would decide to bundle him up extra on the day he has a fever :/

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01.05.12

 

Those yummy little fingers hardly leave his mouth♥

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01.09.12

Sunday, January 29, 2012

25 ways to wear a scarf!

Y’all are probably already scarf tying pros and are not amazed by youtube videos of some cute girl tying a scarf around her neck in 25 different ways in only 4.5 minutes.

I, however, am a true scarf wearing amateur.

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Love my similar scarves tied with the same ho-hum knot?

Yeah, me neither. I need a scarfervention.

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Should there be any other scarf ignorant peeps out their in need of some enlightenment, enjoy this awe inspiring video. I think I shall refer to it daily.

 

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Just found this cute one too! I love how you can wear a plain t-shirt and jeans and go from drab to fab with the right accessories… i.e. SCARVES!

 

 

Momma needs to step her style up. Plus, what better way to hide that spit-up on your shoulder or wipe the drool of your babe’s face then a nice scarf!

{Well maybe not your nicest scarf… looks like silk is out of the question until the teething phase closes its doors.}

 

*******

On a much less vain and more serious note, we are unbelievably joyous today over a cherished, long time family friend who has put on our Lord in baptism today. God has answered many, MANY people’s prayers over the last few decades for this kind soul. Our hearts are SO HAPPY, tears of joy were never so sweet!♥

Friday, January 27, 2012

bringing you up to speed…

 

It’s funny that this time last year my blog went eerily silent as well.

I was pregnant, wanted to talk about it but wasn’t ready to announce it yet AND the first trimester blahs had me exhausted and too tired to get creative and write about anything else.

Is it also weird that this January, one year from the date we saw Houston for the first time on ultrasound, I was again lying on an exam table, watching the ultrasound image on the screen again, experiencing C.R.A.Z.Y. déjà vu?

But before you jump to any conclusions about the amazing parallels of my life in January 2011 to January 2012, know this.

That ultrasound showed an empty womb.

{Except for the fun cyst we’re keeping an eye on. YAY.}

AND I made the ultrasound tech search and prove there were DEFINITELY no babies hiding in there ;)

{Don’t get me wrong, I want more babies if I should be so blessed… just not today.}

{…or this year}

It seems the exhaustion this January is due to the baby on the outside of my belly! That and the whirlwind of the holidays, changing jobs and only the winter blahs this year – NOT the pregnancy blahs.

Did you catch that little part about changing jobs? Ahhh yes… it seems my prayers have been answered. As always, God’s perfect timing, his perfect plan, has shown itself and made me completely ashamed in my doubting and fretting over things that are now a distant memory. Next week, I will be going BACK to CVS and working the 30 hour week I had always hoped to cut back to once that baby was on the outside of my belly ;) Less weekends, MUCH shorter days away from the babe, even closer to home and more opportunities to get in those church doors with this new schedule. I couldn’t ask for more!

 

As for that sweet child of ours… poor thing needs an update on this blog! He was 2 months old last time I gave some decent detail on his development. That makes my heart sad :( Last time I showed you a monthly pic he looked like this:

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Seriously?! Head all adrift, legs wobbly… who IS that boy I don’t even remember anymore? Because for month 4, I bring you THIS little gem:

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and this one…

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and how could I leave out this one??

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My precious baby boy is growing bigger, stronger, and more intelligent before my very eyes. From week to week it is now a battle for me to try and grasp what is happening here. A little {or a LOT b/c I’m way behind and needing to catch up} about Houston right now:

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  • He is SWEET. I mean this with every fiber of my being. He smiles 99% of the time, which makes for some great pictures ;) He wakes up smiling and makes it much easier for this sleep deprived momma to get her morning going with that precious face. He doesn’t know a stranger, he recognizes everyone close to him but he won’t shy away from anyone else either.
  • You can see from the pictures, boy just wants to STAND these days. He will wiggle all around and throw tiny tantrums for you to stand him up N.O.W. He’s starting to throw in a few bounces and steps these days too.
  • As for rolling, he still does it only within the confines of his play-mat or crib, but doesn’t do it to get anywhere yet. He doesn’t sit up entirely on his own, but he’s getting close – able to at least lean his tummy forward on his chubby thighs and stay upright for a little bit that way. I have yet to see him on all fours, but I have a feeling that he’s working more towards walking and is much less concerned with crawling. ‘Skip to the good stuff!’, he says.
  • Baby boy drools and drools these days though there are no teeth in site just yet. He reaches and pulls everything towards his mouth, including sinking his razor sharp nails into my neck or cheeks to pull me towards his open drooling mouth. It’s quite painful – but I laugh at the funny face he’s making every single time. He also has been CHOWING DOWN on his hands and fingers for months now.
  • He took his first bites of oatmeal this week and we started letting him “cry it out” in our own way last night {ugh}. More on both of those at another time.
  • Still in some 0-3 months clothing, mostly 3-6 months, and moved up to size 2 diapers at about 4 months old. Still eating every 2.5 – 3 hours during the day and we are currently {and by “we”, I mean “I”} attempting to wean him from middle of the night feedings. He was 14 pounds and 26 inches at his 4 month appointment. 25th percentile for weight and 75th for length – long and skinny boy!
  • He spends play time on his back on the activity mat, in the exersaucer or in the doorway jumper – both of the latter we have to pad around him with a blanket to help hold his little body steady in the middle. His favorite toys have either mirrors {he loves looking at his own handsome face} or flashing lights. For this reason {the lights} I have yet to take down his mini Christmas tree in his room yet. I’m considering making it a year round tree with decor for every occasion – we shall see!

 

Since we all together skipped the 3 month post – here’s one for the books!

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I’m planning a “picture catch-up” post too if not just for my memory’s sake – I figured this one was already long enough ;)

Have a great weekend! Tootles poodles!

Thursday, January 05, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year/Birthday…

Where, oh where, is the time going?

2011 was without a doubt, my best year yet. The arrival of this little munchkin was the biggest blessing of my entire 27 years and ringing in the new year with his smiling face smushed between kisses from his momma and daddy tell me 2012 will most likely blow the last year out of the water!

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This sweet baby boy turned 4 months old on December 29th and I have yet to document him even turning 3 months old, let alone his first Thanksgiving, his momma returning to work, his first Christmas or…. hello????his BIRTH story!

I WILL play catch-up even if y’all roll your eyes at my insanity :) I want to remember every.single.moment. of this little guy’s life:

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Could you not just eat him up?!

 

{Now to the main reason I’m posting today!}

The love of my life, my favorite person in the world, my love, my baby-daddy, my husband and prince charming is turning 28 years old today! This man blesses my life with his mere presence each and every day. He caters to my every request, he treats me like a princess, loves me through my every mood and manages to look like the man of my dreams through it all. Most of all, this year he celebrates his first birthday as the most amazing father I could ask for my child. He deserves the world and I will love him till my last breath.

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Happy Birthday, sweetest! Houston and I love you more with each passing day♥