5 on Friday

O N E
Ugh, ear infections.  I posted a couple months ago about CK having some ear trouble again (she had tubes put in at 13 months).  Well, we've been battling an ear infection for three weeks now, and it just won't hit the road.  So today we were back at the ENT, where they did a full ear exam, hearing/pressure tests, and even took an x-ray of her noggin'.  Survey says:  a second round of tubes along with removing adenoids may be in her near future.  We go back in a month for one final exam and to make a decision.  I know in the grand scheme of kiddo-sicknesses this is pretty mild, but the thought of putting my girl under anesthesia again makes me want to throw up.  So, any good thoughts/prayers/vibes that things look all clear when we go back in April would be appreciated!

T W O
I signed up to run my first post-baby race!  It's just a 10k (the Peachtree 10k in Atlanta), but I'm a little nervous because my pelvis still feels kinda broken when I run.  And right now I'm doing pretty good about running most days, but only about 3 miles.  Since I usually run with either the Bob/Double Bob, I'm hoping that while it's only 3 miles, it'll help me prepare for 6-miles sans jogging stroller.  Also, I'll be running with my sister-in-law, who is pretty much a fitness rockstar.  Take it easy on me, Beth!

T H R E E
Speaking of running, I have what I think is an awful case of runner's knee.  I wear a patella band when I run, and have been trying to do some strength exercises via Jillian Michaels on my off days.  But I can hardly go up and down the stairs, it hurts so bad.  Any suggestions?  Suggestions that don't involve "stop running"?  Because y'all know I need to run like I need to breathe.

F O U R
CK is on this kick where she is obsessed with drawing pictures, putting them in "enbelopes," and sending people "post" (thanks Peppa Pig).  Everyday she wants more paper and crayons and stickers and enbelopes, and she's very adamant about making me put a stamp on it and taking the "post" to the mailbox.  We recently sent a letter in the mail to her best friend Allie from preschool because she's been sick with the flu, and also a picture to her daddy at work.  I think it's such an adorable phase, and I'm so proud of her giving, kind, caring heart.  But I'm gonna have to start including a place for stamps in our monthly budget!

F I V E
Well, I won't be back around these parts for awhile because on Sunday, I'm loading up both kids and heading out of town for a week!  T is headed to Dallas on Saturday for a work conference, so I'm braving a trip solo.  (And all you crazies out there, someone will be at the house to help care for our dog, so don't get any ideas.)  First stop is Bammy and Digby's house, where we even have a little Monday rendezvous scheduled with all the cousins!  Then Tuesday our week o' travels continues as we head to NC to stay with my best friend and her sweet little family for a couple days.  Hopefully I'll get to see as many of my NC friends as possible!  And the last stop on our tour de Carolinas is my in-laws' house for Easter weekend, where T will finally join us!  Yes, I feel a little crazy to take on all this traveling, and a little nervous about being on the road all week long with both kids and without T, but I am so excited to spend the week with so many dear family members and friends.  I'll be back post-trip with a summary of our travels, which hopefully go smoothly and safely!

Have a great weekend!!

HE FOUND HIS FEET!

"She rolled over!"

"She ate baby food for the first time!"

"He grabbed a rattle!"

"She got up on all fours!"

"HE FOUND HIS FEET!"

These are posts I used to see on social media before I had kids, and I'd think, "What the heck?  Your kid found his feet?  Did he lose them?  I'm confused.  Why does this matter?"

And now I'm all HE FOUND HIS FEET right along with them.

Because, you guys?  He really did, find his feet.  And it was the cutest thing.

We were lying on the floor, just playing and laughing and practicing holding rattles.  And he lifted his little tootsies up into the air and spotted them and his eyes got big and his uncoordinated hands went up and grabbed onto his toes and he looked over at me like OMIGAH MOM, WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME I HAD THESE THINGS?!

And I almost wanted to run to Facebook and post a picture of him with his feet in his hands and let everyone know that E had discovered his toes, and it made me giggle... because I remember pre-kid days when I would've seen such a post and been confused.

But y'all, being a mom is the coolest thing ever.  Mostly because you get to watch life through the eyes of your child... you have the privilege of watching your baby spot his hands for the first time, find his feet, learn how to roll over/crawl/walk/run.  It's incredible, really, to see all of these firsts, to watch an innocent, chubby body discover the world wide-eyed and curious.  So yes, to us mamas, a baby realizing he has hands/feet/a tongue/etc. is remarkable.  And exciting.  And worthy of documenting.

Especially when you thought you'd never get to experience said firsts again.

With CK, I definitely soaked in all of her discoveries and milestones, but I naively thought I'd get to experience it all a second and probably a third time.  Little did I know having another baby would almost not happen.

So with E, I feel like I truly am taking in every breath... every smile, every giggle, every snuggle, every discovery.  I don't want to miss a second of him.  Because, barring any other miracles, he is most likely our last baby.  And I want his childhood to play out in slow motion.  I want to remember how he feels in my arms, the silly sound he makes when he sneezes, how his eyes look when the sun hits them just so, the chubby little creases in his thighs, how he looks up at me and smiles mid-nursing as if to say, "Thank you, mama."  I want to remember how he surprises himself when a giggle erupts from his belly, his old man hair, how he looks at his big sister, the way he drools when he's sleepy, how he kicks his right leg when he gets excited...

And what his face looked like when he realized he had feet.

So bear with me as I continue to stay wrapped up in this mama gig, getting lost in my kids as I try not to let the little moments pass me by.  Because what I realize now is that those little moments... those hand-spotting, feet-finding moments... they're actually the big moments, and what matter most.

Me: A to Z!

Starting Monday off with a pretty narcissistic post... But I'm unmotivated to do anything productive around the house today during the kids' naps.  So I've taken a cue from my sister and friend, and am writing a few fun facts about me, from A to Z!

A - Age - 31... almost 32!

B - Bed Size - Queen.  My hub wants a king, but I tell him then he won't be forced to snuggle with me.  

C - Chore you hate - Dusting the blinds.  It drives me crazy!  I clean our house pretty thoroughly once a week, and absolutely loathe trying to dust the blinds.  Any tricks or tools I'm unaware of that'll make this task less tedious?!

D - Dogs - We have one dog, a miniature weenie dog, Bailey.  She thinks she's human.

E - Essential to Start Your Day - Before I was breastfeeding, running was my favorite way to start my day.  Now it's pretty much impossible to be able to run first thing in the morning until I've nursed E a few times (if ya know what I mean)... so now, I guess coffee?  I'm not a huge coffee drinker, but really need a cup in the morning to get my day going.  I have a Keurig, and right now I'm obsessed with cappuccino k-cups!

F - Favorite Color - Yellow, and also navy blue. 

G - Gold or Silver - Gold.  Used to be silver all the way, but recently I've gone back to loving gold.

H - Height - 5'8"

I - Instruments You Play - None. I am so awful at all things musical.

J - Job Title - Stay-at-home mama and I am so, so thankful.  Also, an Executive Consultant for Rodan + Fields.

K - Kids - Two... my little sidekick and favorite threenager, Cameron Kate.  And our four-month-old miracle Everette, who pretty much has me wrapped around his finger.

L - Live - In Carrollton, Georgia.  Born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina, from birth to senior year of high school (minus a few years I lived in Toronto, Canada)... Clemson University for college... followed a boy (who I ended up marrying!) to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and lived there/taught school for ten years... and then we moved to Carrollton last year.  Though I still feel intimidated in this small, close-knit town, I really do love it here.

M - Movie - Oh, this question always stumps me.  I used to love Now and Then.  I'm also a sucker for The Notebook.

N - Nickname - Jess, Jesseeca

O - Overnight Hospital Stays - I was hospitalized with a rough case of mono when I was in middle school.  Other than that, just when I had my babies.

P - Pet Peeve - When the volume on a tv is really loud.  Drives me crazy!

Q - Quote - I have two:  "Don't let your worries for tomorrow rob your joys of today." and "When life give you rain... put on your raincoat, jump in the puddles, and quack like a duck."

R - Righty or Lefty - Lefty!

S - Siblings - 3.5 and 2. Clear as mud?  I have three biological siblings (an older brother, older sister, and younger sister). We are extremely close. <3 I also have an older half-sister who is no longer in touch with myself nor my siblings. And I have a step-brother who is my age and a younger step-sister, who have been a close part of my family since my mama married their daddy over 13 years ago. 

T - Time You Wake Up - Usually anytime between 6:30am and 7:15am, depending on the kiddos.

U - University You Attended - Clemson. Go Tigers!

V - Vegetable You Dislike - Hmmm... I guess brussel sprouts?  Though I really think I've just never had them cooked correctly.  I pretty much love all vegetables and could probably be a vegetarian.  Well, other than seafood.  I have to have seafood.

W - What Makes You Late - My threenager.

X - X-Rays - Oh man, I've had a lot.  Honestly, I can't even count - ankles, hands, arms, etc.

Y - Yummy Food - Any kind of seafood.  Cupcakes.  Chips and dips.  Chef salads.  Double Stuffed Oreos.  Holiday-shaped Reese cups.  Fun-sized Milky Ways.  Peanut M&Ms.  Pizza.  Turkey sandwiches.  Yeah, I pretty much just love anything edible.

Z  -  Zoo Animal - Giraffes I guess?  I've always thought they were so interesting!

There ya have it!  Fascinating, I know.

Happy Monday!

TeeBall!

So, we all know by now I had dreams of ballet shoes, tulle, tutus, rhinestones, and 8-counts.

My little girl had other plans, though.  And asked if she could play tee ball instead.

So last weekend, we bought all her gear, and tried to teach her the basics.  And this past Monday, she had her first practice.

And y'all... I know I can be all dramatic, but it was seriously one of the cutest things I have ever seen.

Poor girl is the least experienced on the team (and that's putting it nicely), but she had an absolute blast...

All ready for her first practice!

The first time she'd ever worn a glove.  And the first time she got the ball, she put it in the glove and tried to throw it from her glove.  Ha!

She would just sit there and watch the ball roll by...

Love her dainty little non-gloved hand.

She's ready and waiting for a ball to be hit to left field...

And waiting...

And got tired of waiting.  Poor girl has her dad's attention span.  So she sat her little tush down and kept herself entertained while picking grass.

Running the bases!

Getting ready for her turn to hit!

On deck...

Learning how to hold a bat.  They get to try to hit three thrown pitches before they put the ball on the tee.

Hi mom!

Like this?

And some videos for your viewing pleasure:

And a video of her first time up to bat!  I got so excited when she hit the ball I accidentally stopped recording.  But I picked right back up, thank goodness, so you can see her attempt to run to first base!

She practically skipped to the car after practice, telling me how much she loves tee ball and asking when she would get to play again and would Coach Vince be there on Saturday.  And on the way home, I asked her to tell me her favorite part of tee ball practice.  Her answer?  "My cool water bottle.  And that I scored a goal!"

Who needs ballet shoes when you get to be a part of this awesomeness?!

Annnnnnndddddd.....

 GO TEAM!

Friday Favorites!

After an overwhelming response to my last favorites post, I decided to do another one!  I'm not sure I'll do one of these each Friday, but maybe every now and then.  I've been inspired by my friend and fellow blogger, Amanda!  I always enjoy her favorites on Friday, and I especially loved when she included some from her family members.  Maybe I'll eventually post some of CK's and T's...  For now, here are some more of my Friday Favorites!

*This Vtech Activity Cube.  My parents give this to E for Christmas, and I've had it put away until recently.  I figured he was way too young for it, but now that he's sitting up with assistance and in his Bumbo, I've pulled out his "sit-up" toys.  He loves this thing, and it's even been awesome for tummy time (which he normally hates).  I'll put him on his tummy propped up on his Boppy in front of it, and he is content for quite awhile.  And also?  CK even loves it and it's kept her busy for extended periods of time!  A toy that is appealing to a four-month-old and a three-year-old?  That's a huge win in my book.

*Cupcake Vineyards wine.  I've had multiple types of this brand of wine, and they're all delicious!  I always buy it on sale and never for more than $10 a bottle.  My current fave is the Red Velvet!

*Pampers diapers.  THE best.  CK was also a Pampers baby after I tried pretty much every brand with her... so when I was pregnant again, I knew I'd stick to Pampers.  However, the other day I was waiting for my next shipment of Pampers, so I picked up a generic package of Kroger diapers.  Big mistake.  HUGE.  I witnessed the worst blowout of all time.  If you saw my Facebook post, you know this blowout resulted in an outfit in the trash, the disassembly of the swing, a load of laundry, and baths for all parties involved.  Lesson learned.

*This parenting book.  My older sister recommended it, and I am loving it.  I am not finished yet, but it is really teaching me a lot about looking at parenting from a different perspective.

*ChickFilA!  Y'all, this is such a silly and kind of lame ritual, but for years now T and I always eat ChickFilA on Friday nights.  You see, Sunday-Thursday nights I cook and we eat dinner as a family.  On Friday and Saturday nights, we put CK and E to bed a little earlier so we can eat alone, usually catching up on our DVR'd shows.  I always look forward to Fridays and our little ChickFilA couch dates!

*I know I've mentioned this before, but I am obsessed with our Dyson.  In lieu of gifts for each other for Christmas, T and I bought a Dyson.  We found a great sale and used tons of Best Buy gift cards and purchased the DC65 MultiFloor; however, for some reason they sent us the DC65 Animal Complete (shhhhhh....).  So we ended up with an even nicer vacuum than we intended to buy.  It is the best and I seriously love seeing how much it cleans!

*Athleta workout gear.  I got a Gap gift card for Christmas, but am not ready to purchase actual clothes for myself yet (see:  BABY WEIGHT).  I won't let myself buy clothes until these last 5 pounds get the heck outta here, unless they're workout clothes.  (Because we all know new workout clothes make you burn more calories!)  I've heard great things about Athleta's gear, and decided to give a go - which is risk-free, since their policy is buy it, try it, and if it doesn't work for you during your workouts, send it back!  It's a little pricey, but I've learned through trial and error that buying quality workout gear is worth it.  I only bought a top and a pair of running tights, but I am obsessed.  Their tops are designed to not ride up, which is key because BOOBS, and their running tights/capris won't fall down.  I am dying to get more of their gear!

*Speaking of working out, one of my favorite baby products I've ever owned is our Bob jogging stroller.  It has seen many, many, many miles and was well worth the investment.  When I was pregnant with E, I knew I'd want to continue to be able to run with the kids in tow, and my mother-in-law gifted us with a double Bob (Thanks Bonnie!).  They're quite pricey, but we found a used one in great condition.  It has already seen many neighborhood runs, and I know it will get used for years to come!

*Diet Mountain Dew.  I have one cup of coffee in the morning, and one caffeinated drink at lunchtime.  When we were going through our fertility treatments, all doctors advised me to cut out all "fake" sugar, telling me that drinking a regular Coke was much better for me than drinking diet.  So that's what I did.  After E was born, I continued drinking regular soda (just one a day!); however, as I'm trying to get rid of this dang pudge, I decided I probably need to go back to diet (nevermind the Reese eggs and double-stuffed Oreos).  But BLEH!  Now diet soda tastes awful to me!  Diet Mountain Dew is the only one I like, and now crave, each afternoon.

*Two words:  Open Gym.  Our county rec gym here in Carrollton hosts an open gym every once in awhile, where you pay $3 and your kid basically gets to run around wild as a banshee and play on gymnastics equipment, trampolines, and blow-up houses while us mamas sit in the bleachers and actually have conversations that we can finish.  We went this morning, which was perfectly timed on a dreary, rainy day.  It is the best $3 I've ever spent!

*And I saved the most important Friday Favorite(s) for last:

These three!  My people.  My whole world.  Love them, and so excited to spend a no-plans weekend with them.

Happy Friday!

Letting Her Be Who She Is

"I'm going to sign you up to take dance classes!"

"I DON'T WANNA TAKE DANCE CLASSES."

"But you love to dance!  It will be so fun.  They'll play music and you get to dance and laugh with your friends."

"I DON'T WANNA TAKE DANCE CLASSES."

"You get to wear a tutu, and special shoes, and Daddy and I will come watch you!"

"MOMMMMY, I SAID I DON'T WANNA TAKE DANCE CLASSES."

I think my heart sank a little bit after this conversation with CK.  I started taking ballet when I was four, and ended up dancing competitively for nine years.  The minute I heard the words, "It's a girl!" I had visions of tutus and dance classes and recitals and gluing rhinestones on costumes into the wee hours of the night.  So the fact that my very stubborn, very I-know-what-I-want three-year-old was telling me NO DANCE was like SHATTERING MY DREAMS.

Ok, maybe that's a little dramatic.

But still.  I already had the online registration pulled up and was about to submit my payment when little miss threenager informed me that it would be a waste of my money, because I DON'T WANNA TAKE DANCE CLASSES.

"Well, what do you want to do?"

"I want to do 'banastics' and I want to play tee-ball."

So that's what we signed up for -- "banastics" and tee-ball -- and I tucked away my dreams of sitting at her dance recital... for now at least.

I think any mama will agree that the moment you find out you're pregnant, you immediately envision what having a son/daughter will entail; however, what I envisioned didn't take into consideration that my son/daughter would actually have an opinion, and a strong one, about what she wears/does/plays/eats/likes/dislikes.

We all know I'm the mama of a very opinionated, very headstrong threenager.  And yes, as her parent, I can have an impact on what she wears/does/plays/eats/likes/dislikes, but she also is who she is.  And what's been hard for me is letting her be who she is.

She's a little girl who likes long-sleeves, no matter how hot it is.  A little girl who is obsessed with Peppa Pig.  A little girl who needs to sleep with eight specific stuffed animals in her bed, who truly believes bandaids have magical healing powers, who refused a princess souvenir from Disney World, and begged for the Big Hero 6 stuffed animal instead.  A little girl who prefers tomatoes over chips.  A little girl who thinks you're supposed to wear the same color from head-to-toe.  A little girl who needs her Ellie to feel brave, who likes to ride roller-coasters, who is terrified of people dressed in costume.  She's equal parts girly and tomboy, and a little girl who always needs time to warm up to new people and new situations.

She's a little girl with an incredibly kind heart, a little girl who hates disappointing her parents and absolutely adores her little brother.  She's a little girl who is observant, shy, silly, smart, talkative, friendly, and loving.  She's my little girl, and I am already so proud of who she has become, and look forward to watching her grow up into exactly who she's supposed to be.

So for now, instead of a dance mom, I guess I'm going to be a tee-ball mom.  And this Saturday, instead of shopping for a tutu and some pink ballet shoes, we're headed to the sporting goods store for a batting helmet, a glove, and some cleats.  

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things!

Got that song stuck in your head now?

You're welcome.

I thought I'd do a light-hearted, end-of-the-week post and share some things I'm loving these days!  So, here are some Favorites on Friday:

*I know I've mentioned this before, but I am so obsessed with the Ugg Slippers my sister-in-law (Hi Beth!) got me for Christmas.  I got them in the sand color, and I wear them pretty much every second I'm at home.

*One word:  Ebates.  Do you ever shop online?  If so, do you use Ebates?  If not, you're CRAZY.  Anytime you shop online, if you go to Ebates first, and click on whatever website you're wanting to shop from, you will make money.  Seriously, it's that easy.  I've gotten many, many checks in the mail from Ebates so I can assure you it's legit.  And there are no strings attached.  So it totally helps me justify my online shopping addiction.

*These Vitamin D drops for babies!!  Because E is breastfed, we have to give him supplemental Vitamin D.  We assumed he'd do just fine with D-Vi-Sol, because CK loved it!  But he kept gagging and literally throwing it up.  So our pediatrician recommended the Carlson D drops, which are awesome.  It has a lot less added sugar and junk in it, and you literally drop one droplet onto your finger and let the baby suck it off.  The little jar contains a year's worth of drops, too.  So great!

*Frozen Reese hearts.  Pregnancy weight shmegnancy weight.  Put a Reese's heart (or tree or egg or whatever seasonal shape you can find) into the freezer, and pair it with a glass of red wine, and it's pretty much like heaven.

*Zulu Running Socks.  I bought these when I trained for and ran a half marathon a few years ago, and love them.  They never rub you or cause blisters and have the perfect amount of cushion.

*The miracle blanket.  CK never liked to be swaddled, but E loves it.  This blanket was a game-changer for helping him sleep, and as soon as I start wrapping him up in it, you can tell he just settles in and gets in sleep-mode.  Unfortunately, after using it day and night for four months, my big, butterball of a boy has just about outgrown it now and is too strong to stay swaddled.  But if you are pregnant or a mama to a new baby, I strongly recommend the miracle blanket!

*About 7:45pm.  Yep, that's my favorite time of day right now.  It's when I'm in E's room, nursing him one last time for the day and it's completely quiet, with one lamp lit.  It's like the whole world stands still.  It's always when I talked to God and thank him for my healthy babies, and also when I wonder how I ever got so lucky to be a mama, to be their mama.  Most of the time I don't let E nurse to sleep, because we always want to put him down awake.  But sometimes... sometimes I let him fade into his dreams, and I sit there and sip wine and peruse Instagram and stare at my little miracle.

*Cappuccino K-cups.  I have a Keurig like most of the world, and recently got some free samples of cappuccino k-cups.  Why have I never had these?!  They are soooo delicious!

*My Rodan + Fields Amp Needle Roller.  Y'all... I know I work for the company, so this sounds like a shameless plug.  But I recently got this tool for myself, and I am obsessed.  It's been all over magazines and Ellen and The Today Show, and our advertising budget is $0.  Which means we don't pay people to highlight our products... so if you see them, it means it's an actual positive review and the company wasn't paid to feature our stuff.  Anyway, this little tool takes 60 seconds to use, and literally erases fine lines and wrinkles... AND stretch marks!!!  I didn't get any stretch marks with CK, but my big ol' boy gave me a few lovely little lines on my tummy.  And while I'm proud of them and what they represent, I'm happy to bid them adieu!

*The Timehop App.  I LOVE when I get to pull up this app each day and see what I was up to one, two, three, four years ago.  It makes me so nostalgic!

*The Skimm.  I saw this advertised on Facebook one day, and decided to give it a try.  It's awesome!  I always want to know what's going on in the world, and often feel so ignorant when I hear people having conversations about current events.  But I rarely catch more than five minutes of the news, and who has time to read a newspaper?  Enter The Skimm.  You get an email in the morning, Monday-Friday.  The email is like the Cliff's notes version of what's going on around the world and in the news, and it's in layman's terms (and is often funny!).  I love it and feel like now I have a much better grasp of what is actually going on outside of the little town of Carrollton, Georgia.

*The Ergo!!  CK never liked to be worn in any sort of carrier.  Having two kids makes baby-wearing a MUST, especially when we run errands of any sort.  Last week I grocery-shopped while CK was at preschool, so it was just me and E, which basically felt like a vacation.  I sipped Starbucks, wore E in the Ergo while he snoozed, and bought groceries in peace!

*I know I've blogged about this before, but it was a long time ago.  Have y'all heard of Thred Up?  It's a website where you send clothes you don't want anymore (and you can send kids' clothes, too) and you get paid for them!  They send you a bag, you fill it up, send it back (NO CHARGE for the bag or shipping!) and then they inventory your clothes and pay you for them.  I just sent my third bag of clothes in and can't wait to get my check!

*This and This.  We all know I'm pretty much allergic to cooking, so it took years for me to even consider buying anything from Pampered Chef.  However, I'm now realizing that their stuff really does making life in the kitchen so much easier, especially if you pretty much only make tacos and spaghetti, like me.  The food chopper will dice up food in like a second... I never have to dice things by hand anymore.  And the salad choppers?  Obsessed.  They will shred any and everything, which will be especially helpful when E starts to eat food and I want to make bite-sized pieces for him.

*Cameron Kate.  Yes, despite my jokes about her being a threenager and wanting to sell her on Ebay, I still cannot get enough of her.  Because as trying and exhausting and HARD as it is to mother a strong-willed, emotionally-driven, stubborn three-year-old, she is equally adorable and loving and hilarious.  And don't even get me started about how amazing she is as a big sister.  And no matter how frustrating she can be, right when I'm about to lose it, she'll completely make me burst into laughter... or completely melt my heart.  Like the other day, when, out of nowhere, she came up and gave me the biggest hug and kiss and said, "Mommy... I just want to say, thank you for having a baby for us."  <3

*And, of course, my FOUR-MONTH-OLD Everette!  How has it already been 4 months?  I've said it before and I'll say it again, he truly is such a joy.  My smiley, happy, chatty, drooling, giggly miracle of a butterball.  It's been such a great month for our E, who continues to grow and thrive and make us so proud.  He loves to hear his own voice, and I can already tell he's going to have such a sweet nature and a silly personality.  His giggles just about make my heart explode.  He loves staring at ceiling fans and "talking" to them, and is getting really good at using his hands, grabbing toys, and putting any and everything in his mouth.  He loves to suck two fingers on his right hand!  His little neck is so strong, and while he still doesn't love tummy time, he's a pro at lying there and holding his head up.  And he loves looking at himself in the mirror!  Such a ham.  He's been trying to imitate us blowing raspberries, which is adorable.  We've started putting him in his Bumbo, exersaucer, and jumper, and I think he loves having new places to sit and explore.  He is still in awe of his big sister, and will not stop staring at her when she is in his gaze.  T, CK, and I are all pretty much obsessed with our sweet E, and we thank God everyday for choosing us to be his. 

TGIF, and have a great weekend!!

One Year Ago Today...

You were a word that gave us so much hope... a word that made my heart skip a beat... a word I never thought I'd see again... a word that made me equal parts terrified and thrilled... a word that promised a life I had dreamed of for so long... a word I showed to your daddy over the top of the shower curtain, which caused him to jump out of the shower naked as a jaybird and soak me from head to toe as he wrapped me up in his arms.

And this morning, a year later, you slept in my arms in our quiet house, and my heart was so full and I just kept telling God - thank you, thank you, thank you, for this sweet, perfect, incredible baby boy... <3