eight months

e i g h t   m o n t h s   o l d

stats

..................

about 21 pounds

 about 27 inches long

loves

...............

pulling my hair.

chewing on blankets.

bath time.

CONSTANTLY walking.
talking, smiling, and giggling

stroller rides.
eating puffs!

toys.

scratching the carpet.
Rue.

dislikes

...................

getting his nose or face wiped.

sitting still and not being able to move on his own.
getting his diaper changed.

My little Liam,

 You are such a happy little guy! Everyone who meets you tells me that too. Boy you have a temper though when things are going your way! haha You LOVE walking. Especially when someone is looking at you, you little show off. Crawling? Who does that! You are able to get up on your hands and knees and rock from here to tomorrow but still haven't quite figured out the arm movement yet. In fact, you don't typically get up on your hands and knees unless you have a blanket to chew on that is underneath you or you are on a mission to get a toy. You are fantastic at laying on your stomach and scooting forward with your left foot to reach a toy we have carefully placed just out of your reach to try and encourage you to crawl. You'll also roll over on a dime and scoot backwards using both feet on your back. We have had many laughs over that! I have finally got you on a nap schedule where you sleep 1-2 hours in the morning at 9 and 2 hours in the afternoon at 1. As much as we have tried to push back your bedtime to 8, you'd rather go to bed at 7 which is fine with me  because you sleep right through the night most nights. Eating is your second favorite pass time next to walking. Still anything with bananas, especially your new favorite puffs as we try and transition into some non-pureed foods. The last month or so you have been sticking your arms and legs out of the bars in your crib so we got breathable mesh bumpers to protect you from getting your limbs caught all the time. You have started to love me reading to you so we made our first trip to the library together this last week. You'd still sit in front of Rue's cage all day long if I let you, even if it is a love-hate relationship on her end. Sorry bud! You've grown to only tolerate your bouncer for about 5 minutes at a time these days because it is so stationary to you now. You have graduated from the baby seat in the bath tub and sit up all on your own now. Your favorite part is when the water is still turned on and running out of the faucet. You dunk your hands and your forehead underneath it the whole time. We love you to the moon and back!

Love, Momma

Happy First Father's Day!

No one makes him giggle the way you do. I'm so glad you're his dad and I hope he grows up to be just like you someday. We sure adore you!!!

four years

Cue the sappiest love songs you've ever heard, or in my case, our two wedding songs {I Believe in You and Me and More Than Anyone}  ...

Two weeks ago, Nic and I celebrated our fourth anniversary! With every year that goes by, I'm even more certain marrying him was the best decision I've ever made. Over the years, I've had several people ask me how I knew he was the one for me and I've realized it is because of these two reasons ... the first is the hardest to explain and that is, I JUST knew. It was a feeling that was deep within my soul, a love for someone that is beyond anything you could ever know until you have experienced it for yourself. The second, I asked myself if I could ever live without him, that if one of us were to walk away, if I would be able to move on. It didn't take either of us long to answer that question. We've spent almost every single day together since the day we met apart from the summer we worked in different cities and Nic traveled to see me on the weekends. The even more magical thing about marriage is, that love only grows stronger every single day.

This year, there weren't two hearts, but three. Adding Liam to our family has been like having a special little piece of heaven with us every day. I remember telling Nic the other day that this point in my life RIGHT NOW is exactly the stage I looked forward to the most in my life. So with that said, I'm living and enjoying every moment to the fullest with my two boys! There is nothing more fulfilling for me than being a wife and a mother. I thank God every day he gave me these two. They are the bees knees. My bees knees! 

Happy Anniversary handsome! Love you!! XO

one year |  two years | three years

seven months

s e v e n   m o n t h s   o l d

stats

..................

about 19 pounds

 about 26 inches long

loves

...............

his bouncer.

constantly standing, jumping, or moving.
talking and squealing.
smiling and giggling.

stroller rides.
sweet potatoes and bananas!

riding on a swing.
toys.

having momma home.
scratching everything.
pulling on my hair.
Rue.

dislikes

...................

getting his nose or face wiped.

sitting still and not being able to move on his own.

My little Liam,

The day you turned 7 months old was quite the special day because it was the last day of the school year which meant I would be able to start staying home with you. It has been heaven for the both of us so far! You definitely are a little busy body and keep me on my toes all day long wanting to walk everywhere. Rue has officially become your best friend. You B-line straight for her cage any chance you can get and all you want to to do is sit there and stare at her with your chubby little fingers gripping the bars tightly. Right now she loves the company but I'm sure she is going to be thinking very differently when you can chase her everywhere! You have 2 little toofs now and that smile of yours has never looked cuter! They were miserable for the both of us while they were coming in. You were just finally starting to sleep through the night until they came and you were in too much pain. It threw off your whole schedule. I felt terrible that there was very little I could do to comfort you besides motrin and nursing. Surprisingly enough, you even wanted to suck on a binkie after many of months of hating it. It just so happened to be my last ditch effort after trying teething tablets, teething rings, etc. and none of them proved to be helping. You still smile and giggle all the time. You learned how to get up on your knees and rock back in forth. While you don't do it very often, you get better and better at it each time you try so I don't think crawling is too far in your future. We've both had a cold the last couple of weeks and mine has caused me to cough. You began mimicking me and now fake cough all the time. haha It is hysterical! You have gotten quite a bit better at sitting up on your own so we graduated you from the car seat to sitting up in the shopping cart. I personally did not think there were enough baby wipes in the world to make the shopping cart sanitary but your germ-a-phobic mother made it through and then proceeded to buy a cover the very next day! You also started riding facing forward in the stroller this month. Toys are your favorite but you are happy grabbing anything and everything in sight, including most of all my hair! So many changes. Every single day is an adventure with you and I couldn't be happier that I don't have to miss any more now that I get to be home with you. Love you!  

Love, Momma

first swing ride

Even though I mentioned Liam rode a swing for the first time on Mother's Day, I felt like from the amount of picture and video overload I wanted to share, that it deserved its very own post. At first he didn't know what to think...

 But, it didn't take long for him to figure out that he LOVED it! I think he really appreciated that he had someone on one side pushing him while he got to smile and giggle at the one in front of him. It is so much fun seeing him take in the world. Everything is new for him every day and I'm glad I get to be along for the ride. 

      It was also the last time he wore my favorite little yellow hoodie with the bear ears. So sad it is  too small now! :( 

My First Mother's Day {2015]

From the way he gazes up at me with smiling eyes as he drifts off to sleep in my arms, to the fits of giggles he bursts into whenever I make silly noises into his neck or tummy, to the fake cough he over exaggerates whenever he gets really excited, to the joy that he brings and the love that fills my heart whenever I look at him ... I can't think of anything I love more than being his mom. I live for these moments.

My first Mother's Day began like this ...

It couldn't have been a more prefect morning. After Liam woke up from his early morning feeding I brought him in to snuggle with daddy while I got ready for church. These two surprised me with a beautiful bouquet of one of my favorite flowers, tulips, and the sweetest card I've ever been given! 

My only hope/expectation on Mother's Day was spending the whole day with my two favorite boys and I got to do just that. We had a picnic lunch at the park. Of course it included chocolate covered strawberries. Chocolate covered anything is my love language. We also took Liam for his first swing ride which he absolutely loved! I see a lot more of that in our future this summer and I can't wait! 

We played with toys all afternoon together. Some of his favorites are that elephant and a rattle ball.

I ended the day with one of my favorite things to do whenever I get some "me" time, which isn't very often these days ... taking a bath. Nic also got me some bath salts that have essential oils and they were heaven! I haven't felt that relaxed in a long time.

Even though this day was special. I feel like every day is Mother's Day. Not from the pampered aspect and expectation that Mother's Day typically holds but from the celebrate the fact that I have a beautiful child who I love and who loves me right back unconditionally type of way. It is an absolute blessing. He is my blessing! I love this darling boy of mine, he is outta this world!

six months

s i x   m o n t h s   o l d
{in April}

stats

..................

18 pounds, 10 ounces

25 inches long

loves

...............

his bouncer.

chewing and sucking on his fingers, especially the pointer.
constantly standing, jumping, or walking.
smiling and giggling.

whale blankie.
all fruits, especially BANANAS!

dislikes

...................

sitting still and not being able to move.
being put in his car seat.

green vegetables.

My little Liam,

Happy Half Birthday! I can't believe we are already here, just 6 months shy of celebrating your first year with us. We don't know what we ever did without you! Your sweet little personality is SO much fun. Who would have thought you were ever a stingy smiler and giggler because now it doesn't take much but a silly belly laugh from mom or dad to get you into fits of giggles. I think you might be working on getting your first 2 bottom teeth in. We can see the outline of them through your gums but no white showing yet. To be totally honest, I was hoping you would hold  off just a few more weeks until summer so I can be home with you while you are in pain and have to go through that. :( I still hate leaving you but that will never change. 3rd round of shots this month and they still don't get any easier but boy do you look tough sporting a band aid on each thigh. Dr. Burton got you an outfit while he was in Hawaii because he missed the opportunity to deliver you and it finally fit so you wore it to your appointment. It made me want to hop on a plane right then and there to some place tropical with you. You are at such a fun stage right now! You have started to sit up on your own but get distracted really easily and topple right over. haha One of the cutest things you've learned is that you started reaching out for our hands whenever we stretch them towards you. It is your own way of saying "momma or dada UP!" I'm not sure there is anything you adore more than walking everywhere you go! While in the same place you learn all your new tricks, your crib, you finally discovered how to roll back over from your tummy to your back. HOWEVER, that does not mean you still don't get super mad and act like you are stuck on your tummy. I am convinced that you don't love being a baby and would much rather be a mobile toddler who can move all on your own. I don't blame you but like any mom, I wish you would stay little forever. We love you!

Love, Momma

The little Hawaiin outfit from Dr. B!