Snips, snails, and puppy dog tails?

The old saying says that is what little boys are made of. You are officially a year and a half old today. 18 months have flown by and crawled all at the same time. You are learning new words and phrases every single day. My favorite so far is this past week when I got you to say, "You got it dude" which of course sounds unbearably cute coming from your mouth, "Got it doo." Everyday my heart seems to burst at the seams and I just don't know how but I manage to love you more and more each passing moment. But I have to tell you that the saying is not true- you are not made of those things up above.

You are created by God the most high and He loves that you cherish His creation. You love to be outside and whether we are playing ball, planting, or just walking around the yard- you are one happy guy. It probably doesn't hurt that you get to check out planes that fly over and trucks that drive by.

You love to read your books and even when it isn't bed time- you love to pull out your books and "read" them. I love the moments where I catch you in your room playing with your books. I pray that never changes because books will take you places your feet never will. They will water your imagination so that it can bloom into something beautiful.

You have the most infectious smile I have ever seen and you share it with anyone. You love people and love making people smile and laugh. Strangers will be a hard concept to teach you when you get bigger, but that is something I am thankful for. It is so heart warming to see the connections and relationships you have built with the people in your life.

You love taking selfies and I find that hilarious and scary at the same time. You have even started taking "pictures" with your play phone. I guess that goes to show how much I take pictures of you with my phone but please know it is because I don't want to miss a beat. I don't want to miss the silly moments or the serious ones. I want to look back and know you weren't always embarrassed by me!

You make friends easily and play with friends well. You go with the flow and have fun with just about everything. You light up when I drop you off at daycare in the morning and your two buddies come running to greet you. I am delighted that you have such good friends to play with during the day and at church. It is wonderful to see that they enjoy your company as much as you enjoy theirs.

You are a great helper! You love to clean. You love helping move the laundry over. You love to help close the dishwasher. You love to help clean up your toys. You even to love to get the swiffer broom and run it over the floor. I love that you love those things because I know one day they will be chores and will be no fun- but you will still help! Don't say that you weren't warned! ;)

You love to build and play ball. You are very focused when building and it is one of the few things you will be still for. You love to play ball and even watch ball on TV. I imagine you will love sports and I imagine I will be one of those crazy moms trying to balance normal life and your ball schedule. I look forward to those days with fear and anticipation. As long as you go pro and make a lot of money...;) Just kidding- as my dad would say rule #1 is to have fun! Your first sentence was "I wan ball." I think you will fit in with our family just fine with this passion of yours dear boy!

You are growing up right before my eyes and even my sister commented how much more you look like a little boy with your big boy haircut and your thinning face. You have brought me so much joy and laughter and I thank God that I have been given the beautiful blessing of being your mom! I know the next 6 months will fly by and you will grow even more and learn all kinds of new things. Just remember my sweet boy, I love you more than you could ever imagine and I am your number one fan but you are not made of silly things like snails and puppy dog tails. You are made of love and laughter and crafted by the Heavenly Father whose love for you far exceeds my own. I pray for you daily to grow and understand that love so that you will one day allow that love to take over your life! Happy 1.5 years baby boy. I didn't make you a cake but we will get a special treat this weekend! I love you!

Sand and Sunshine

So, last week our entire family made the trip to the gulf coast of Florida for some time in the sunshine and the sand. I was particularly excited anxious to see how Ian would do. I was that neurotic mother looking online about what everyone said about taking toddlers to the beach. I read all about the magical powers of baby powder and stocked up. I read about how some parents took little pools for their tots to play in since they did not like the sand or ocean. I was prepared, I had a little inflatable bath tub to take...no problem! I stocked up on sunscreen and knew I was going to come home with my baby boy as pale as he came! I was bound and determined that it was going to be AWESOME despite reading horror stories. There is one thing you learn quickly as a parent...things never go the way you think they will. Good thing for me that I have also learned not to freak out and just take things as they go.

I just knew my brave and adventurous boy who loves to swim in the pool was totally going to LOVE the beach. Instead, I put him down in the sand and he just looked at me like I had placed him on a foreign planet and was leaving him to be eaten by monsters who were sure to emerge from those tiny grains of sand any second. So all my anticipated pictures of my sweet boy playing in the sand with his cousins...yea- those do not exist! This is about all I have. Sticking him in the sand and hurrying to take a picture before he attempted to crawl in my lap.

I took my all weather blanket from Initials Inc because it is great for not collecting sand but still gives you a great spot to sit and relax. I tried letting my little love sit on this blanket with a snack. That was fine...as long as I was within arms reach. Whenever I tried to go to the water or actually enjoy the beach. He would just stand at the edge of the blanket and hold his arms out to come get him. Crazy boy! For the record, he was not that far away. And while it was nice to not have to worry about him making a dash for the water or through the sand- it made our stays down at the beach short.

I eventually decided it was time to try out the whole bath tub idea. So glad I brought it...just in case! I pulled it out of my bag from its folded and crumpled state and prepared to blow it up...only to discover I had brought the wrong thing. (Heart breaking here) You see he has a little sitting pool float that is mostly yellow in color, which JUST so happens to be the same color as the inflatable bath I THOUGHT I had packed. So who knows if that would have worked or not. I have a sneaking suspicion that it would have. Anyhow, I decided I would just hold him and carry him out to the water. He was wary of the waves but doing pretty good- that is until I wasn't paying close enough attention and we both got slammed by a wave. Yea, he was done after that...I have no idea why?!?!?!

I don't know if I have ever mentioned that Ian loves hats. When I say he loves hats, I mean he loves to play with them. He loves to take them on and off and throw them around. He refuses to allow a hat to be worn for more than five seconds on his head. So all those mommy bloggers that tell you to sunscreen them, put a shirt on them, and put a hat on their head...I got two out of three! Needless to say even with reapplication my baby didn't stay pale for long.

Now, with him having a little bit of ginger in him from his dad, he gets rosy when he is outside for a little while anyways but a little more so at the beach. None the less, he had a lot of fun playing with his big cousins and swimming- in the pool of course! It was a good trip and even though we didn't spend the majority of our time on the beach. We did relax and spend a lot of time together and that is the very definition of vacation in my mind! Hoping the next time our feet touches sand that there will be a deeper sense of appreciation from my boy! :)

So Fun!

This past weekend was so fun and enjoyable, mainly because it was spent with family enjoying the weather. Saturday we got to enjoy dinner with my brother and sister-in-law who are expecting their first little one any day now and our first girl!! So excited- come on Emma!! Anyhow, we ate dinner, checked out their new house they will soon move into, and consumed desserts of course. It was a great time had by all.

Sunday we went to church and enjoyed worshipping and celebrating Godly women everywhere, not just mommies. After church we headed home so Ian could eat a quick lunch and nap. Mom and I set about prepping for dinner, while dad went and got some last minute grocery needs and our gourmet lunch of Arby's! Yes, folks- we do Mother's Day lunch in style!

Right about the time my sister and her family arrived, Ian woke up from his nap- perfect timing. His cousins were so excited to go swimming with him since last summer he didn't do much in the pool. I had to inform them that we were still working on getting him used to the water and he wasn't the biggest fan yet. They agreed to take it easy. :) Sweet boys! We enjoyed an afternoon of swimming, which Ian did better with the water and getting wet as the afternoon went on. After I was confident that Ian and I had done enough swimming- we opted to go put on our regular clothes and just enjoy watching the big boys for a little while.

He was pretty content with that if you can't tell. We played outside while Pop finished burgers and hotdogs and ate dinner out on the deck. All in all, we spent about five hours outside and it was glorious! This kid loves being outside and even after all that he still didn't want to go inside after his cousins left. I try to let him enjoy outside as much as I can. He played with his golf set for a while yesterday when we got home.

Two clubs is still way better than just one!! When it was time to go inside and eat dinner, he pitched a royal fit. He apparently was not done playing. Well, it was tough cookies for him! I am glad that he loves being outside so much. It gives me hope that when he is older maybe he won't just want to sit in front of the tv all afternoon. Love this little guy so and I am so glad to have him in my life.

Making Monday Marvelous

I try to do my best to kick start my weekdays with positive thoughts rather than the typical I hate Monday saga. I mean really- it doesn't keep Mondays from coming...so might as well make the best of them. I re-started my jogging efforts this morning. I am hoping to make it stick this time. I have registered for my first 5k in late August with my dad and sister. I am hoping this will keep me accountable in making me get up early and get it done!

A few weeks ago I traveled to my sister's neck of the woods and had Ian's pictures taken by a dear friend of my sister who I now claim as my own friend! I have only seen a few previews but every time I look at them- I am overwhelmed with how blessed I am and can't wait to see the rest. Here are my previews thus far, courtesy of MB Shaw Photography!

Now tell me that sweetness doesn't make your Monday better?!?! P.S.- If you do tell me it doesn't make it better I will openly call you a liar! ;)

Risen Indeed!

Had an absolutely wonderful Easter Sunday worshiping with my church family and eating lunch with my family afterwards. It was a gorgeous day here and I pray that you were able to enjoy it as well. I have not had time to get my pictures from my mini vacation uploaded yet so here are some from Easter morning instead!

Just going for a Sunday afternoon cruise with big cousin Jack. I love watching my sweet nephews love on my little boy. It just makes my heart soar. He has such great examples!

Getting ready to hunt eggs for the first time. This is his second Easter but seeing as how last Easter he was all of two weeks old...egg hunting was a first this year. I also use the term egg hunting loosely. I should really say egg picking up! ;)

He liked carrying his basket until he realized he needed his hands to pick up the eggs, then it was time for Mom to hold it.

It was a wonderful afternoon. I was a little worried that we would have a melt down because he only slept 20 minutes or so in the nursery through out the services on Easter. But being outside was enough to keep him happy until after egg hunting. Then he took a well deserved nap while the rest of the cousins swam in the pool that the grandparents heated for them. I am sure if he had known what was going on outside while he napped- he might have fought it a little more, but when I laid him down- he didn't even budge. He snuggled his blanket and probably thought, "Finally!"

The 'egg'citement has not worn off yet. Yesterday he got his basket, got his eggs out, and was just as happy as could be playing with his eggs. He would take them apart and clap them together. I think this is the first holiday I have really seen him participate and enjoy. Maybe it will be his favorite, which is fine with me- as long as when he gets a little older he understands it has very little to do with a bunny rabbit and eggs. Hope everyone had a blessed Easter!

Letter to my one year old

My Dearest Ian,
Monday was your last day as an eleven month old. It was your last day as a baby really. You went to bed a baby...

...and woke up as a one year old!

You have grown and changed so much in the last year! It is true that time has flown. I remember that day in the hospital like it was yesterday. I remember not being able to control the happy tears that came to my eyes when I held you for the first time and knew that life would never be the same.

I am so glad that the Lord has blessed me with this time with you. I pray everyday He reminds me that you are His and gives me the strength and wisdom I need to be the godly mother that you need. I pray that you will always see the love of the Lord in me and my life.

Spending your birthday with you was so much fun. I could have stood for a little warmer weather but maybe next year! I hope and pray that I get many birthdays with you to take you out to explore the world and see God's creation. You are such an easy going little guy and I am so grateful. You go with the flow and everybody loves you! I pray that you keep that quality because it makes being your mommy not only easy but just plain fun!

I love that you enjoy being outside. I think you would stay outside all day if I let you. I am looking forward to warmer weather and more time to play outside. It is so much fun to watch you explore and test things out.

Now that you are walking really well on your own- I have no doubt that soon I will be chasing you all over the yard. But as long as you are smiling, that is fine with me. Your smile warms my heart more than you will ever know. I cherish the moments that you look at me and smile real big. Never stop smiling son, even when life is screaming at you to do otherwise.

Always enjoy your life. Each moment, whether good or bad will bring about a teachable moment. Take it, learn from it, and grow from it. You will have moments where it seems like the whole world is against you- but God is on your side and He is all you need. He loves you far more than I do, which is hard to imagine. He is your rock and even though I will do whatever I can for you- He will be there when I can't be there. So I pray you learn to look to him, not me.

I am excited to see what the next year holds for us. I know there will be challenges as you begin to learn right from wrong. Please know that it is because I love that I will punish you. It is because I love you that I will tell you no when you need to hear it. It is because I love you that I will give you rules and structure in your life. It is because I love you that I will always give you more kisses than you want, hug you longer than you want, read you a story before bed, stare at every little feature about your sweet face, and play with you often!

Do you see how much you have changed already? More changes are on the way and I promise to try to keep it together as you grow more independent and want to do things on your own. I promise I will try not to cry when those moments come- but no guarantees! You are such a sweet boy and I am so thankful for all the wonderful people we have in our life that have helped raised you so far. It is true that it takes a village son, and we got a great one! I love you and pray for you! Enjoy this next year of your life and just ignore that tear rolling down your mom's cheek as you continue to become the boy God has called you to be.
Love Always,
Mom

Partying Hard

We had so much fun Saturday celebrating my little man turning one and I am so incredibly thankful for all the wonderful friends and family that came to love on him! It was a beautiful day and one I thoroughly enjoyed!

Big cousins Sam and Jack pushing Ian around in the car that used to be Jack's when he was a baby. I love that my little man has things that used to belong to his big cousins!

Sweet friends getting some grub. It was just wonderful to be surrounded by people that I love who had shown Ian and me love and support!

This was the only time he really got into it. Other than this, he was trying to use the spoon and was mainly interested in the sprinkles. Haha.

Singing Happy Birthday. Jack was saying "cha, cha, cha" and Sam didn't want him too. Haha. Made for an interesting version! They helped Ian blow out the candle.

Soaking up the sunshine on a gorgeous day in the back of Mr Pete's truck.

Wonderful friends and family celebrating this sweet one year old!

Opening presents was not quite as exciting since we were nearing the normal nap time hour but he didn't fuss and was intrigued by most of it so a win overall!

Not sure what all these people are fussing about. Just give me my milk and rocking chair- I will be a happy guy!

Crayon Out Loud!

Well the party went great and we had a fun time! It was a beautiful day and I could not have asked for anything better! I do not have a whole lot of time so I am only leaving you with the decorations pictures and the cake I made! Pretty proud of that!

Half a Year

Half a year...6 months...26 weeks...184 days...that is how long I have been on this journey of motherhood. It is true what they say, you can never imagine what it will be like. You can never imagine how even though you have lived all these years...it is hard to remember life before you. Then again, it becomes harder to remember things in general! ;) I never could have imagined how overwhelming it was to hold you for the first time.

I never could have anticipated the feeling of terror and panic when I couldn't get you to quit crying for the first time. The utter feeling of helplessness as I was well aware that I am in charge of this little being and you were letting me know I was clearly not doing something right. I never could have anticipated the elated joy that would come when I learned what each little cry means and how to soothe you.

I never could have imagined how tired I would be those first few weeks when you didn't want to sleep anywhere but my arms. I never could have known that while I longed to sleep in my bed just me, that I also didn't want to let go of this little person who so longed to feel the warmth of my embrace.

I guess I could have imagined how much you would hate baths as a newborn because I have certainly heard stories of how I did not like baths when I was that little. I have heard how people thought my mom was torturing me the way I screamed when she gave me a bath. Although, I don't think I would have imagined that weeks later, baths would be something you love and enjoy. Now, when I give you a bath you love it. In fact I am wondering if I should just wear my bathing suit from now on because as much as you splash I don't stay very dry!

I did always hope that when I had kids someday that I would have a boy first. Honestly, I was terrified at the thought of having a girl. I was pretty much a tomboy myself growing up and I am not all too sure that I would know what to do with a girl who would no doubt my a girly girl! So I have to agree that boys are awesome! I have no idea what I will do when you are all the over place and running wild except to stand nearby ready with kisses and band-aids.

I never could have imagined how my heart would melt like chocolate in 90 degree weather when you look at me and smile so big that it takes up your whole face. I still love getting you up in the morning and seeing that big grin come across your face when you make eye contact with me. I never could have imagined how great it would feel to pick you up in the afternoon and see the smile spread across your face when you recognize that I am there to pick you up.

I never could have hoped or imagined that the Lord would bless me with such a blessing as you! You bring happiness to everyone around you. You are such a great baby and I love seeing your personality coming out more and more everyday. 

I never could have imagined how much delight you have brought me by giving me the title mommy. I look forward to discovering more about this adventure. I have no doubt that I will have more slip ups and mishaps along the way. Be patient with your mommy as she learns things as she goes! I love you sweet boy!!