How did we get here? How did I so quickly go from cuddling my tiny angel boy, sniffing his sweet head (wait, I still do that), savoring how his soft little body fit perfectly onto my chest to snuggle; and now I have a toddler?! That soft, sweet, yummy baby is now a full-fledged little boy. A boy who is always running, says "Momma" a million times a day (sweet music!), gets mad when we don't let him watch movies 24/7, and lights up a whole room with his smile.
I love that I can see his little personality developing more every day. I love that as he gets better at communicating his wants and needs, he is visibly proud that we understand. I love that he is OCD about things being "just so". I love that something as simple as submitting to his request for crackers gets a "yay!" and a little dance. I love that he is so appreciative of gifts and nice gestures, and nearly always says thank you whether I ask him to or not (and gifts get an adorable "oh wow!" too). I love that when we sit down to eat, we say "let's pray", and he bows his little head and starts mumbling, then finishes with "A-men!". I love that he still lets me snuggle him before he goes to bed. I could go on and on.
I know that 2 will be hard. Discipline, tantrums, attitude are all hard already. I dread potty training and getting rid of his beloved paci. But nobody promised me it would be easy. Just that it would be the best time of our life. Happy Birthday to the most amazing, precious gift we have ever received! We love you so much sweet boy!
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Feast of Casseroles
The first event we got to host our new home was the annual Feast of Casseroles. Several years ago, our group of friends decided to start the tradition of having our own pre-Thanksgiving dinner together. We decided on a menu, with everyone's traditional holiday favorites. We realized the majority of the menu was a casserole of some sort, and thus the name. This was our 4th year, and we had about 50 guests. We deep fry turkeys and everyone brings a dish to share. It was the best feeling to look around our house and realize there were so many people there, and comfortably. It made the headaches of construction all worth it. We are certainly blessed to be a part of such a wonderful group of friends!
We moved the furniture around to make room for enough eating tables
Of the 50 people, about 15-20 were kids under the age of 6!
We moved the furniture around to make room for enough eating tables
Of the 50 people, about 15-20 were kids under the age of 6!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Year in Review
Since it's been a year since I updated this here blog, I thought I would just bring it up to speed in one fell swoop. So, get ready for what is certain to be the lengthiest post this blog has ever seen. (Or maybe not, we all know my memory is pitiful) But I promise pictures (!) and a slide show (!) to break up the boring.
January:
Andrew got tubes, turned into a totally different child once his ears weren't a nightmare.
Andrew pulls up on the furniture.
Bought land next to some friends to build a house.
February:
Put our house on the market
March:
Andrew turned 1! Had a big party with friends, family, chocolate cake, and lots of presents.
Andrew started walking toward the end of the month. He is 30.5 inches tall, and weighs about 24 pounds.
Andrew's friend Caroline turned 1.
Grieved with our dear friends the loss of their precious baby girl Jillian.
It was so hard to have so much of the happy and the devastating all at one time. Quite an emotional month.
April:
Accepted an offer on our house, begin packing. Still tweaking plans for our home to be built.
May:
Moving day comes at the end of the month. It was kind of hard to leave our house, though we were both ready for more space for us and more room for Andrew to play. This was our first home together, where we brought Andrew home from the hospital. A little bittersweet. We moved to a duplex to save money (ha!) while our house is being built.
June:
Break ground on the house.
July:
I traveled to San Jose CA for work, leaving Andrew at home with Chad for 5 days. HARD to say the least, but we all survived.
August:
We are becoming weary of apartment living.
Andrew is growing and talking a LOT.
September:
House is almost finished!
Hmmm. I'm sure something else happened this month.
October:
MOVING!!! Spent this month getting settled in our new home.
Andrew is now 18 months old, weighs 28 pounds, and is 34.5 inches tall. He loves his new house, and is enjoying all the room to play.
November:
Celebrated Thanksgiving with my family at Mom and Dad's.
December:
Chistmas at home! Both families came to our house to celebrate. It was so nice to have plenty of room for everyone! Celebrated New Year's with a quiet night at home. May 2011 be so much better than 2010. This was a very hard year, for so many reasons, most of which I don't feel I should put on the blog. But we had babies born, strengthened relationships, happy times, and a sweet boy to celebrate too.
January:
Andrew got tubes, turned into a totally different child once his ears weren't a nightmare.
Andrew pulls up on the furniture.
Bought land next to some friends to build a house.
February:
Put our house on the market
March:
Andrew turned 1! Had a big party with friends, family, chocolate cake, and lots of presents.
Andrew started walking toward the end of the month. He is 30.5 inches tall, and weighs about 24 pounds.
Andrew's friend Caroline turned 1.
Grieved with our dear friends the loss of their precious baby girl Jillian.
It was so hard to have so much of the happy and the devastating all at one time. Quite an emotional month.
April:
Accepted an offer on our house, begin packing. Still tweaking plans for our home to be built.
May:
Moving day comes at the end of the month. It was kind of hard to leave our house, though we were both ready for more space for us and more room for Andrew to play. This was our first home together, where we brought Andrew home from the hospital. A little bittersweet. We moved to a duplex to save money (ha!) while our house is being built.
June:
Break ground on the house.
July:
I traveled to San Jose CA for work, leaving Andrew at home with Chad for 5 days. HARD to say the least, but we all survived.
August:
We are becoming weary of apartment living.
Andrew is growing and talking a LOT.
September:
House is almost finished!
Hmmm. I'm sure something else happened this month.
October:
MOVING!!! Spent this month getting settled in our new home.
Andrew is now 18 months old, weighs 28 pounds, and is 34.5 inches tall. He loves his new house, and is enjoying all the room to play.
November:
Celebrated Thanksgiving with my family at Mom and Dad's.
December:
Chistmas at home! Both families came to our house to celebrate. It was so nice to have plenty of room for everyone! Celebrated New Year's with a quiet night at home. May 2011 be so much better than 2010. This was a very hard year, for so many reasons, most of which I don't feel I should put on the blog. But we had babies born, strengthened relationships, happy times, and a sweet boy to celebrate too.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Playing Catch Up
Um, hi. I guess it's been a little while since I've been on here. Where do I start? I guess the easiest way to get caught up on the past 8 months is a slide show (or twenty). This has been one of the most emotionally exhausting years I have ever experienced. Up and down, happy and sad, grieving and rejoicing. I am worn out. First step, make blog pretty and festive. Check. Hopefully, the second step will be complete before too long. My goal is to have an actual post up here before the one year mark rolls around. Wish me luck!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
This and That
We have been so super busy since since Christmas! Speaking of Christmas, Andrew's first was so special and so much fun. He finally got the hang of opening the gifts, though he did need to taste each "flavor" of wrapping paper before he would move on to the next. We are definitely set on toys and clothes for a while now! Chad and I were both off for 2 weeks, and we spent most of that time hanging out at home as a family. I told him it's funny how A has changed us. Before him, if we had a week straight together, I would be begging for some space, or leaving the house a lot just to have time to myself. Now I am perfectly content to just be here, and I miss him more when he's gone.
Andrew is still having trouble with ear infections, so this Friday he will get tubes. I'm a little surprised at how calm I am about it, but I'll do anything to make him feel better and rest better. I'm thankful every day for how healthy he is; if this is all I have to worry about, I'm certainly not complaining.
Today Andrew is 10 months old. I can't believe it's already time to start thinking about his first birthday party! (I said thinking, not accepting). New Year's Eve, he started crawling, and then pulling up, and even cruising a bit. All at once I have this mobile child! We've already taken some tumbles, and had some bumps and bruises. I told him to get used to it, this is the way he'll look for the next 18 years!
We have a busy year ahead of us. At work, we moved into a new building and will open up there on Sunday. I can actually see more than just a brick wall and the dumpster from my office window now. My dept has been in the same space for more than 50 years! Chad and I are in the process of buying a piece of land to build a house on, so that means trying to sell ours, moving, building, then moving again. Whew!
For several people near and dear to us, 2010 will be the hardest year they have faced. I am so thankful for my sweet healthy boy. As I looked around at dinner Sunday night, though, I was also thankful for the many friends we have as part of our family, and the fact that we all help to hold one another up when we may not feel like we have the strength to stand. Thank God for the blessing of friendship!
Andrew is still having trouble with ear infections, so this Friday he will get tubes. I'm a little surprised at how calm I am about it, but I'll do anything to make him feel better and rest better. I'm thankful every day for how healthy he is; if this is all I have to worry about, I'm certainly not complaining.
Today Andrew is 10 months old. I can't believe it's already time to start thinking about his first birthday party! (I said thinking, not accepting). New Year's Eve, he started crawling, and then pulling up, and even cruising a bit. All at once I have this mobile child! We've already taken some tumbles, and had some bumps and bruises. I told him to get used to it, this is the way he'll look for the next 18 years!
We have a busy year ahead of us. At work, we moved into a new building and will open up there on Sunday. I can actually see more than just a brick wall and the dumpster from my office window now. My dept has been in the same space for more than 50 years! Chad and I are in the process of buying a piece of land to build a house on, so that means trying to sell ours, moving, building, then moving again. Whew!
For several people near and dear to us, 2010 will be the hardest year they have faced. I am so thankful for my sweet healthy boy. As I looked around at dinner Sunday night, though, I was also thankful for the many friends we have as part of our family, and the fact that we all help to hold one another up when we may not feel like we have the strength to stand. Thank God for the blessing of friendship!
Saturday, November 21, 2009
My Hope
There is a song that is played on KLOVE that really struck a chord in my heart when I took the time to listen to the words. I don't remember artist's names that well, so I'm not sure who sings it, but the chorus is simply beautiful. If I could make a list of the most important things I want Andrew to know, this would be the list.
"Be strong in the Lord, never give up hope. You're going to do great things, I already know. God's got His hand on you, so don't live life in fear. Forgive and forget, and don't forget why you're here. Take your time and pray, thank God for each day."
It's still so overwhelming to think of the awesome responsibility given to us, but when I see it like this, it really seems so simple. My hope for Andrew summed up in these words; to live a life pleasing to God, to always be thankful of the things we have, and mindful of those who don't, to have faith in God and believe in the plan He has in store for him. What a blessing!
"Be strong in the Lord, never give up hope. You're going to do great things, I already know. God's got His hand on you, so don't live life in fear. Forgive and forget, and don't forget why you're here. Take your time and pray, thank God for each day."
It's still so overwhelming to think of the awesome responsibility given to us, but when I see it like this, it really seems so simple. My hope for Andrew summed up in these words; to live a life pleasing to God, to always be thankful of the things we have, and mindful of those who don't, to have faith in God and believe in the plan He has in store for him. What a blessing!
Give Thanks
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever. (I Chron. 16:34)
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. (Psalms 100:4)
Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. (Psalm 95:2)
This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for: Chad and Andrew, our family, my friend family, a good job, a home, health, and our church, just to name a few.
I have so many things to be thankful for this year, but most of all, I am thankful for my sweet sweet boy. I could never have imagined how much our life would change, but I wouldn't trade it for anything!
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. (Psalms 100:4)
Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. (Psalm 95:2)
This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for: Chad and Andrew, our family, my friend family, a good job, a home, health, and our church, just to name a few.
I have so many things to be thankful for this year, but most of all, I am thankful for my sweet sweet boy. I could never have imagined how much our life would change, but I wouldn't trade it for anything!
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