Crazy Beautiful Life

lately

2012-01-26T08:41:00.001-06:00

January is proving to be busier than I remember in the past. And if the next few weeks are any indication, it's not slowing down anytime soon. I'm feeling a little stretched. But really, isn't everybody?! I know everything will get checked off my long to do list, it always does.

This monkey is turning 2 in a couple of weeks. It may take a while for me to get used to saying that...I have a 2 year old. A healthy, beautiful 2 year old. I repeat that often because the moments of his misbehaving are becoming more frequent. I know it's the age and it too will pass but I'm learning they don't call them the terrible two's for nothing. But there are moments in between his wildness and fit throwing where he is so sweet and so funny and so darn cute that it takes all I have not to squeeze his guts out and smother him with kisses. Which is, usually, precisely what I do.

Gram-a-lam (one of his many nicknames) is so sweet. And he is getting heavy. I would know because it is rare for him to be anywhere other than my arms when we are together. But I love it and trust me, there are no objections from him. I'm not even sure I would know what to do with 2 free hands between the hours of 4pm-8:30pm. Lucky for me, I have a constant reminder of how quickly he will turn into a rambunctous, independant little boy. So, I'm taking all the cuddles I can get!

My most favorite Christmas gift. Because it is stamped with the hands and feet of my most favorite little boys.

Keith is out of town, he'll be back tomorrow...and I will be out of town for 2 nights next week. Solo parenting is never easy. But oddly enough, it also leaves me feeling very capable as a mommy. This will be my first time away since having Graham. I am already homesick and Keith is already terrified. Ha!

1st bath together...

2012-01-24T09:40:00.009-06:00

We don't bathe them together every night but a couple weeks ago I was bathing Graham and Sawyer was trying to climb in the tub so I put him in.

Sweet Graham...he was pretty happy go lucky.

Sawyer being silly. I couldn't get a good picture of just him - he wouldn't take the duck out of his mouth. He thought it was pretty neat taking a bath with brother. It works great until we are all finished. Sawyer insists on being carried to his room after bath and it's hard to carry 2 at once. But Keith, being the great daddy he is, comes to the rescue. Which suits Sawyer since he wants Daddy to do everything now.

Graham || 5 months

2012-01-23T08:38:00.002-06:00

Dear Graham,

You are 5 months old -- that no longer sounds like a brand new baby to me...but yet you still feel like my "little" baby. I'm in no hurry for you to grow up and get bigger. You are such a sweet, happy little guy!

You are really starting to interact and "play" more. You will reach for toys and hold them and chew on them. You are starting to try and sit up but are still pretty wobbly. You still like your swing and nap in it still. You also really like the bumbo and your jumper. But, honestly you spend most of your time in my arms -- I just can't help myself. You are also starting to jibber jabber more and more.

Still only breastmilk for you. You nurse 4 times a day and take 2 bottles at daycare - usually around 6 oz. each. Schedule goes like this: nurse in the morning around 6:45, bottles around 10 and 2 at daycare, nurse around 5:30 and then before bed around 8:30. You go to bed around 8:30-9 and wake up to nurse around 4am and then go right back to sleep until I wake you up to get ready for daycare. It's not bad and I know we are really close to going all night - you've already done it a few times. You are a much better sleeper than your brother was at this age.

You are wearing 3-6 months clothes and size 2 diapers. You weigh around 16 1/2 lbs and around 26.5 inches long. It seems like you are literally growing right before my eyes.

You take a paci some but you definitely aren't attached. If you spit it out you just start sucking on your middle two fingers. It's pretty funny. And you usually don't fall asleep with it at night.

You are so smiley and you brighten up our lives. We are so thankful for every ounce of you!

I love you little brother!

Here are some pictures of you at 5 months:

Nonnie & Popsy visit

2012-01-17T08:20:00.002-06:00

Finally some pictures of Nonnie and Popsy's visit.

They came to visit after New Year's and we had a fantastic time. The boys loved all the extra attention and I know Nonnie & Popsy enjoyed it too.

They brought more gifts with them. We can feel the love...even from 600 miles away. Our families are awesome!

This truck has been a hit!

We got lucky and the weather was really nice!

We were all sad to see them go but know they will be back very soon!

feeling better...

2012-01-16T09:25:00.002-06:00

I'm happy to report that we are on the mend. Graham is doing a lot better. He slept really good the past couple of nights and is getting back to his smiley, happy self. Praise God! I missed my happy guy. And so far Sawyer hasn't caught his bug so I'm hopeful he will avoid it.

We had a nice weekend of recuperating. And I didn't pick up my camera at all....except to take some pictures of Sawyer for his birthday invitations. We are in full on birthday planning mode because according to the calendar I'm about to have a 2 year old! I would argue that but the amount of destruction he creates also agrees with the calendar. In a 30 minute span yesterday morning, he tore the door off of my jewelry armoire, knocked over and broke a lamp and tore up 2 books. Right before the lamp came crashing down I was literally observing the war zone that was the living room - thinking wow - this was created by 1 little boy and we have another one right behind him. Can only imagine the damage 2 of them will do. But I wouldn't trade it for a second. God Bless our mess and the boys who create it!

A few pictures from the weekend that I snapped with my phone.

sick little monkey

2012-01-12T11:25:00.000-06:00

I've been meaning to post - I have lots to share but, we've been busy...with the sickies. And getting very little sleep. Graham has RSV and a double ear infection....it's pitiful. Cooper has a bladder infection, Saw's been biting, blah, blah, blah. Just life!

So far, we've made 2 trips to the Dr and will be doing breathing treatments for the next 24 hours and then we'll go back to Dr. tomorrow for another re-check. We'll be okay, but if you don't mind, say a prayer for my little buddy.

And of course, you all know I believe in documenting it all - the good, the bad and the sick so here are a couple of pictures.

He may be sick but he's as cute as ever!!

Hopefully, the fog will lift soon.

Stepping into a new year.

2012-01-06T08:55:00.016-06:00

I'm not big on resolutions but as I've been reflecting on the past year, I've also been thinking about what I want for 2012. I saw a good idea somewhere to choose a word for the New Year instead of a resolution.

I like that idea.

I've been thinking and can't narrow it down to one.

Here are my words for 2012.

Things I'll be working on and how I want to live this year.

*Present*

*Patient*

*Blessing*

*Fun*

Daddy & Graham

This was Sawyer and Daddy. Hard to believe it was taken almost 2 years ago.

Adios 2011

2011-12-31T07:56:00.002-06:00

I really like New Year's. I like new beginnings...a fresh start...endless possibilities in a new year. But I'm also sad to see 2011 end. It was another big year for our family. We've experienced births the last 2 years...and I'm pretty sure we won't be experiencing that in 2012. In fact, Keith says he can guarantee it. Ha! I told him there are no guarantees in life. ;)

But as the year closes I can't help but reflect back on how awesome 2011 was.

A few of my favorites memories include:

Watching Auburn win a National Championship.

Celebrating Sawyer turning 1.

Announcing Sawyer was going to be a big brother.

And finding out we were having a BOY!

Keith turned the big 30 and I threw him a surprise party.

We went camping for Mother's Day.

Sawyer took his first trip to the beach.

Checking off our summer list.

Our sweet Graham was born.

Halloween with our two boys.

Our 1st hospital visit. (okay, this wasn't a favorite but a big event, none the less)

Giving Thanks.

Christmas and more Christmas.

We were blessed with an amazing year.

I know 2012 will be fantastic too! Already lots of exciting things in store. 2 trips home, someone turns 2 and a wedding ~ and that's just the first 4 months. I'm looking forward to watching my boys grow and creating more memories with them. So bring it on 2012!

Thought I would close out the year with some phone pics from the last month or so...

last week with our visitors

2011-12-31T06:53:00.000-06:00

We had an awesome time last week with BeLLa, Kakai, Shan, Harp & Hen. It was so nice to spend time with them and I am so thankful they made the drive out. I told them that they spoiled us and now they have to come back every year right after Christmas.

More gifts to open after they arrived!

These two little girls love their cousins. They are so sweet ~ they mostly refer to them as their baby brothers instead of cousins. Graham was like their real life baby doll.

Harp and I always make a cake when we are together. This time we made cupcakes, cookies and brownies. Got some use out of my new mixer.

I did have to go into work for a couple of hours and so Graham got a bottle. Group effort.

He survived. Ha.

The weather was really nice so we spent some time outside playing.

These girls love swinging!

Kakai still has it. Have you tried to go across monkey bars lately?

Well, it's really hard!

Sweet, precious babies!

We went bowling. Hilarious!

Just hanging out, watching.

All Sawyer really cared about was watching the balls be returned.

It never got old!

And it was awesome getting to ring in the new year with some of my favorite people ever!

The best we could do....

Me and my boys.

Shan and her girls.

Funny firework story.

I thought it would be nice to shoot some fireworks so Keith picked us up some. So, I round everybody up outside (Cooper included) and decide to shoot off a roman candle. Big Mistake! Cooper got so spooked he ran straight into the glass door (yes, I know dogs HATE fireworks....apparently I've completely lost my mind). Sawyer started screaming and jumped in Shan's lap. Harper and Henley didn't know what to do. My mom was holding Graham in the sun room and he started screaming too. Just go ahead and award me with Mom of the Year.

So, it was only sparklers from there on out.

And you can tell from Sawyer's face that he wasn't too sure about that either.

I got the best New Year's kisses from these 2.

Lots of fun in the bath tub all week long. Baths are more fun with cousins.

A toast - sparkling grape juice, of course.

Some real bubbly for the big kids.

And some scratch offs...just for fun.

It was really a wonderful week. I can't wait to see them all again when we go home in Feb. for Saw's birthday.

Christmas pics ~ part 2

2011-12-29T09:14:00.001-06:00

Christmas morning.

Santa came.

We found the proof.

Footprints.

And half eaten cookies.

(no Santa doesn't wear lipstick, but he has cherry red lips that leave kisses on cheeks and lip prints on cups)

and letters.

and toys.

New toy from BeLLa and GrandBob

And a tee ball set from The Bolands.

Santa must have forgotten one of his reindeers!

Christmas kisses!

And of course, the real reason we celebrate!

No room at the inn...a baby born...placed in a manger in swaddling clothes...a little tiny baby...a Savior...my Savior...our Savior.
Thank you God for the ultimate gift!

Christmas is good as a kid....but it doesn't compare to Christmas as a parent. There is nothing better than enjoying all the magic through your child's eyes. Thank you God for blessing me with these two babies!

We are still in full on celebration mode around our house. I can't wait to share more pictures. 4 little people are having the time of their life (and some big people are having a pretty good time too). Seeing them all together is seriously the best.

Christmas Pics ~ part 1

2011-12-28T09:11:00.001-06:00

Here are pictures from Christmas Eve Eve and Christmas Eve.

Opening the gifts sent from Momo, Pop and Jane. There were lots of little goodies in here. And Sawyer loved discovering them all. I'm especially fond of the adorable (non breakable) ornaments.

Saw's favorite was a little wind up dog that does flips. He thought it was hilarious.

Thanks Momo, Pop and Jane. We really appreciate the gifts and money!

Friday night, we headed to look at a big local Christmas light display. It was freezing so the visit was brief. And it was followed with our usual Friday night Mexican dinner.

Just checking it out.

Sawyer loved looking at all the lights.

They are pretty awesome. There are tons of them and they are coordinated with music.

Yummy Christmas Eve breakfast.

We are so blessed with a wonderful family. And we were showered with gifts and we are so thankful. We were also able to skype with all the grandparents. Isn't technology great!

Then is was gift time. We opened from Grandmama and Granddaddy and Uncle Brian, Aunt Candy and Colton and Cason.

Just playing....

My sweet, precious boys!

Making cookies for Santa. Someone was a little upset because all he wanted to do was eat m&ms.

And our yummy Christmas Eve dinner.

Time for more gifts.

Opening from Aunt Shan, Uncle Blake, Harper & Henley

Saw lucked out this year. He got to open all of little brothers presents too. And opening was almost as much fun as the gift itself.

Clothes from the Bolands.

Catching a cat nap among the chaos.

baby feet...ah, make me so happy!

So do chubby toddler feet!

I wanted to get a picture of Saw in front of the tree actually standing still. I told him to go look at the ball ornament. He did and I got my pic.

But then this happened. Oh well.

Putting out the cookies for Santa.

And eating some too.

Okay, I'll be back with the rest tomorrow. I figured that was enough for one day.

best present this Christmas!

2011-12-27T07:06:00.000-06:00

We had a wonderful Christmas! I'm sure it's no surprise, but I took a lot of pictures. And I'll be sharing them over the next couple of days. But I couldn't wait any longer to share these.

Christmas is all about spending time with people you love. And while we missed our families greatly, we enjoyed celebrating Christmas at home. It was slow and relaxing and cozy.

*Okay, I wrote all the above yesterday to share....and literally as I was typing my mom, aunt, sister and sweet nieces walked through my door. Biggest surprise ever. So, so happy!*

Now I'll have even more pictures to share. So looking forward to being with them the next few days. Sawyer is already in heaven running around playing with his cousins.

And, how cute is my little Grahamy?!

4 months!

2011-12-23T10:05:00.001-06:00

Dear Graham,

You are 4 months old. You have become such a great baby. You are very laid back and so content. And have the easiest, sweetest, cutest little grin I've ever seen.

You have adjusted pretty good to daycare. And we all are falling into our new routine. You take 2 bottles at daycare, usually around 6 oz each. You nurse in the morning before daycare, in the evening, before bed and once during the night. You are great eater.

You go to bed around 9 or 9:30 and I usually have to feed you between 2-3 am. You usually wake up around 6. I'm looking forward to a full nights sleep, but I know we'll get there. I'm just thankful you are a healthy, happy baby.

You did have your first fever/cold about a week ago and were so pitiful. It was heartbreaking and exhausting because you didn't really sleep for a couple of nights. We had you all checked out at the Dr. and they couldn't find anything wrong so we are guessing it was just something viral and it passed in about 48 hours.

You are wearing size 2 diapers. And 3-6 month clothes. You weigh around 15 1/2 lbs. and are around 25 inches long. We go for your 4 month check up next week so we'll get your official stats then.

You are starting to like your paci a little more but you chew on your hands most of the time. You love to sit in the bumbo or sit up with our help so you can look around and take it all in. You spend a lot of time watching your wild brother.

I can't imagine our little family without you. Everyday you bring us so much joy. I love you more than you will ever know!

Mommy

Here are some pictures of you at 4 months:

a visit with Santa and Christmas greetings

2011-12-21T07:41:00.003-06:00

We ventured out last weekend to see Santa.

Off topic, but I think Graham and Saw look a lot a like in this picture.

He likes Santa from a distance and kept saying "ho, ho, ho" but he wasn't really a fan of Santa trying to talk to him.

Little brother was a little unsure too...

But there weren't any tears so I would consider that a success!

And I finally got all our Christmas cards sent out.

Love this picture. And considering it was taken with a remote in our front yard makes me love it even more. It's already framed big in our den.

December fun

2011-12-20T08:47:00.008-06:00

I can't believe it's already the week of Christmas. The days are flying by. And starting back to work at the busiest time of year didn't help!

We aren't going home for Christmas this year. I have mixed feelings about it. It will be the first time in my 28 years that I won't be with my family on Christmas. I'm a little worried that it won't feel like Christmas without being with them, and rushing around like crazy to finish up everything and get off to the next family event.

But, Keith and I decided in the best interest of our little family we needed to stay put. It's time to start our own traditions. And I'm excited thinking about a lazy Christmas Eve and Christmas day. I'm hoping to keep a fire roaring, Christmas movies playing and just snuggling my babies! We are making plans for a yummy Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas morning brunch.

I can't wait to see the excitement on Sawyer's face as he opens gifts and sees what Santa brought.

I can't wait to see my sweet Graham smile at us when we open and show him his gifts.

But before all that here is some recent fun we've been having...

Theo has been popping up in some funny places...

sweet brothers giving some loving

looking at a new book

Opening an early present from BeLLa

She made the precious hats that you saw here and here. They turned out so cute and we got so many compliments on them!

afternoon snack

I went to get Saw up the other morning. It's rare I have to wake him up and this is how I found him. It was so sweet I had to run and get the camera. He went to bed with socks on but must have pulled them off.

One of the activities on our advent calendar was hang an ornament on your tree. Well, it worked out great that Nonnie sent ornaments to Sawyer and Graham. Graham was snoozing so Saw opened his up for him.

Candy for daycare teachers, neighbors and ourselves. Letting an almost 2 year old help with sprinkles created a little anxiety. But the floors can be swept, right?! At least that was what I kept telling Keith.

presents for daycare teachers...

Almost done with our to-do list. Just a few more things to wrap and that's it!

our decked halls

2011-12-19T07:49:00.001-06:00

We decorated right after Thanksgiving and I've been meaning to share pictures ever since.

It's been interesting this year. Sawyer loves the "tree" and the "lights". He also loves pulling off the ornaments...thank God for super glue. We've only broken 3 so far...and if you knew what we were dealing with every day then you would know that's pretty good.

This tree is in our dining room.

Ornament garland inspired by pinterest.

stocking holders also inspired from pinterest.

Our main tree in our den. We went with colored lights last year and I love them just as much this year. So fun.

And the outside...

It looks great and I can't take any credit for it...the outside was all Keith.

All aboard...

2011-12-16T09:05:00.002-06:00

We went last weekend to ride the Christmas Train. We were really excited because Sawyer loves trains. And his excitement didn't disappoint. He said "choo choo" about two hundred times. But the train ride itself was different than what I expected. The message was the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of our savior Jesus, which was awesome. But the way they told it and images they used were only okay. Sawyer and Graham both actually slept through most of the actual ride. But it was way past bedtime at this point.

But the atmosphere was really neat. It was like a little village all decked out with lights, campfires, shops, food and music. Very Christmasy.

Trying fudge for the first time. Of course, he loved it.

Wordless Wednesday {Little elf}

2011-12-14T07:57:00.002-06:00

22 months.

2011-12-11T11:55:00.006-06:00

Dear Sawyer,

You are 22 months old. I can't believe "2" is right around the corner. And you are seeming more like a 2 year old boy every.single.day. You are adventurous, energetic, sweet and stubborn all rolled in to one. You are my best little buddy and you make life so much fun!

You weigh around 28 lbs. and are around 33 inches tall. You are still wearing size 4 diapers and size 6 shoe. You wear mostly 24 month clothes. A couple of 18 month pants still fit.

You are talking so much now. Only one word at a time but I'm amazed everyday at all you know. And you repeat everything we say. Your little voice is so sweet and I love hearing you talk to us.

You are still on the same sleep schedule. You go to bed around 8:30 and get up around 7am. You take 1 long nap after lunch, usually around 2.5 - 3 hours.

Current loves: Mickey Mouse, buses, cows, jumping, chips, doughnuts, trucks, outside, cheese dip, milk, reading books, boxes, testing the limits, stickers, choo choos, balls, cushion flipping, giving kisses, pots and pans and you still love your paci and blankie.

You are so independent and insist on doing everything all by yourself. You can throw a fit with the best of them. But you are so sweet after you get in trouble, telling us your sorry and giving kisses. You pretty much have us wrapped around your little finger.

There is never a dull moment with you. And we are so thankful for you and all the joy you bring us. You have blessed us more than you will ever know.

I love you big time!

Mommy

Here are some pictures you at 22 months:

Our Northpole breakfast

2011-12-08T08:39:00.001-06:00

Only 17 days until Christmas~ I'm excited and slightly panicked. Still so much to do! And my job is sucking up all my time. Ugh. Why can't I get paid to be a professional mommy, crafter, photographer, blogger, etc.?!

I totally stole this idea off of Pinterest.

Our elf, Theo, showed up last weekend and we had a Northpole breakfast to celebrate. Obviously, the boys are too young to understand any of it but you know I'm all about some traditions. Now we have another one started. And we all know Sawyer is a fan of doughnuts so he was pretty happy!

Counting down the days...

2011-12-06T07:34:00.002-06:00

We are officially counting down....

Most of them are activities for us to do together as a family...and of course a couple of little gifts to open.

Saw giving brother his new bath toy.

a new Christmas plate and cup for Saw.

Graham wasn't very interested. Ha.

I'm sure I'll be sharing more of these.....

O Christmas Tree

2011-12-02T09:42:00.012-06:00

We went last weekend and got our Christmas tree. I'm going to be honest...it didn't go exactly like I had planned in my head. You would think I would know by now not to set expectations. I mean, after all, I'm dealing with 2 babies under 2. I was just seeing all the great pictures we would get and that we would all be laughing and smiling as we picked out the perfect tree for us. Not quite. It was freezing cold, the wind was blowing about 30 mph, there were some tears shed and some voices raised...but we survived and we did get a tree.

We started with doughnuts for breakfast. A family favorite.

This little guy is so sweet.

And this one is too...he's a mess but the cutest one I've ever seen.

They had a train inside that Sawyer loved. He could have watched this all day.

We ran outside to pick out our tree. It went something like this.

Keith - See any good ones you like?

Me - I don't care. Graham's freezing. Just get the kind with the strongest limbs.

Keith - What about this one? It looks good.

Me - Seriously, I don't care. Just pick one. Let me take a picture. I'm going back inside.

But he picked a good one.

I needed this reminder...

Back inside where it was nice and warm!

And more "choo choo" watching.

A family picture on the way to the car...

Time to go...

But once we were home, everyone was happy. We had a fire going, Christmas music playing and we were enjoying each other and decorating.

Sawyer loves daddy. It's so cute to watch. He wants to do everything Keith does. Keith was cutting the plastic off our tree and Sawyer wanted to help so he grabbed his hammer and started "helping".

Just hanging out...

Saw even helped Daddy decorate the outside.

He spent a good amount of time just picking up the ornament boxes.

I have to say that even though it didn't go as planned., it was still worth it. It is always worth it. It may be hard to see that in the moment, when you are frazzled, freezing and losing your patience, but it's always clear looking back. It would have been way easier to send Keith down to Home Depot to pick up a tree. Or heck, put up the fake one in the attic. But we are making memories and creating traditions. And that is what it is all about. Our hands are full now but I honestly hope over the next several years they get even more full. And I know "one day" doing things like going to the tree farm will be easy ~ it won't require packing paci's, changing diapers and wearing babies. But I'm not guaranteed "one day".

But I have right now and I am drinking it up!

Wordless Wednesday {Newest Tiger Cub}

2011-11-30T08:31:00.000-06:00

full belly, full heart...Thanksgiving.

2011-11-29T10:32:00.001-06:00

So, yesterday was the first day of our new normal. Back to work for me and daycare for Graham and Sawyer back full time. I thought it would be easier leaving Graham and going back to work since I've done it before. I thought wrong. It was tough. I honestly think it is one of those things that never really gets easier. Just the thought of leaving Graham in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people about breaks my heart. And I love their daycare and his teachers but it's still tough. And it was like deja vu with Sawyer. He wouldn't take a bottle. And so I left work at lunch because even though his teacher said he wasn't crying or fussing I couldn't stand for him to go another minute without eating. I know it will get easier...for all of us. It will just take some time.

But, lets skip ahead (or back) to some happy times. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. It was nice to be home all together for a few days with nothing much to do.

We had our traditional breakfast of pigs in a blanket and pioneer woman's homemade cinnamon rolls.

breakfast with my boys...

we did a little paper reading

and parade watching

and baby snuggling!

And picture taking...tripod and remote style...Cooper even made this one.

little turkey

You may be seeing more and more pictures of Graham and less and less of Sawyer. He won't stand still so all I can get are action shots. He's busy.

This baby was so good I think we are going to fry another one this weekend.

Even Coopie got a special Thanksgiving treat.

Snuggling with my babies as we continued our tradition of watching Christmas Vacation on Thanksgiving night.

We got all of our decorating done.

I had two little hands that were very helpful. He pulled off every ornament I put on and it took twice as long to get stuff done but I wouldn't have it any other way. I won't always have such helping hands!

And hearing Sawyer say "tree" every time he sees it makes my heart smile.

We were all geared up for the Iron Bowl. We didn't get the outcome we wanted...

But there's always next year.

Sunday we headed to the tree farm to get our main tree. Fun times...I'll be back with those pictures soon.

Happy Thanksgiving.

2011-11-24T08:31:00.000-06:00

I love Thanksgiving...nothing better than a special day to make you stop and remember all you've been blessed with. I have been given more than I ever deserve and I am so grateful!

We are staying put this year and enjoying a thanksgiving with just our little family. I am really looking forward to the next couple of days. I plan on soaking up every single second with the people I love most in the entire world!

wordless wednesday {phone pictures}

2011-11-23T08:11:00.006-06:00

random pictures taken with my phone from the last 3 months!

3 months!

2011-11-22T08:53:00.001-06:00

Dear Graham,

You are 3 months old. It really feels like yesterday we were anticipating your arrival. Then I blinked and here it is time for me to head back to work and you to head to daycare. The 3 month mark is hard for me for that reason alone! But I love the little personality you are getting and how smiley you are now!

You really are a great baby. We hit a rough patch for a couple of weeks (around 6 weeks or so) but the last month you have seemed to relax and are really go with the flow. You usually only cry at night when you are tired and fighting sleep. You are pretty content most of the time. Still aren't really taking a paci. We even tried a different kind but that didn't seem to matter.

You love your swing...you pretty much have from the beginning. You love to watch the mobile on it spin around. You also enjoy just laying on your back and squirming around. You smile a lot and carry on with us cooing. It's adorable!!

You are nursing every 3-4 hours. You are a great eater. You got your first bottle a couple of weeks ago. It took you a few times to get the hang of it and you still prefer mommy but you are doing okay with the bottle. You take around 6 oz. when we give you a bottle. This seems like a lot (but since I've been nursing there is no way to know how much you are taking and the dr. assured me it was fine and you were in fact probably getting that much or more nursing)...you are a little piggy.

You weigh around 13 1/2 lbs and are around 23 inches long. Growing like a weed. You are mostly wearing size 3-6 month clothes and are in size 2 diapers.

You started sleeping in your room last week and so far so good. You seem to like having more room to move around - you were quickly outgrowing the bassinet. And I think we are turning a corner on sleeping. We put you down between 9-10 and I usually only have to go up once to feed you between 2-3 and then you sleep until around 7. I can handle this.

You bring us so much joy and you are such a blessing to us!

You are my sweet little buddy and I love you with my whole heart!
Mommy

Some pictures of you at 3 months:

And those are about the only 3 I got of you because you have a big brother who didn't like the fact that he wasn't in the pictures.

But you didn't mind...you love your big brother!

recently...

2011-11-21T07:57:00.004-06:00

Buddies all snugly on the couch a couple of Sundays ago.

a little tummy time

daddy and saw go get doughnuts pretty much every weekend together...it's kind of their thing. Well, one morning we let daddy sleep in and I took him. The boy loves his doughnuts (he gets it honest...my dad took us for doughnuts our whole life...Krispy Kreme...late at night...it was kind of our thing with him). He gets his own bag of doughnut holes and this particular morning set a new record by eating all 12 in the bag!

Graham got his first bottle last week....

it didn't go so good. But he's had 2 more since then and done much better...trying to get prepared for next week when I go back to work and he starts daycare. But I can't talk about that yet...sooo sad!

Sawyer loves watching the school bus and waving at it and the kids.

Sweet baby sacked out...

Croup = ER visit, ambulance ride and a hospital stay

2011-11-18T08:03:00.007-06:00

Well, we've had an eventful last couple of days. Here's the run down of what happened and how it went down.

Saw had a snotty nose for a few day but nothing major. Just your typical start of winter, I'm in daycare snotty nose. Well, Wednesday morning he seemed a little more congested but nothing too bad and he was acting normal so Keith took him to daycare around 8. I was hoping for a lazy day because Gra had spent his first night upstairs in his room and I was up with him 5 times so I was pretty tired. As I'm settling on the couch my phone rings and it's the daycare telling me Saw sounded really wheezy and gaspy. So, I load up and go get him. After getting him I decided he did sound a little worse and was developing that barking cough so I called the Dr. and made an appt for 11:15.

So, we get to the Dr. and just from listening to him as he was being weighed (27.9 lbs) the nurse decided to check his oxygen stats. It registered at 95, normally it should register around 98. So, the Dr comes in and listens to him and hears him cough and confirms immediately that he has croup, but a very severe case. She had us do an albuteral treatment to see if it would help. Well, he screamed during the whole thing and the treatment didn't help any. After he finally calmed down he sounded worse. Like he was literally gasping to breathe. The nurse came in to re-test his levels and I told her I was worried because he sounded worse. His levels were now at 94. After getting all worked up, he finally fell asleep in my arms. Our pedi (who I love) tells me that she has to send us to the hospital. That he is working a lot harder to breathe than she feels comfortable with and there is no way she can send us home. Then the waterworks started. I couldn't help myself. I was so scared and felt so helpless for my pitiful baby. My heart was breaking! So, I immediately call Keith and tell him to meet us at the Children's Hospital. In the mean time the Dr. ask me if I'm okay to drive. I tell her yes, and I was, but after bringing another Dr. in to listen to him they decided we needed to go by ambulance. She said I may have to follow behind since I had Graham with me. Ha, over my dead body was my scared 21 month old riding in an ambulance alone while I followed behind! She said she would go call and make sure I could take Graham in the ambulance. Well, when she returned she told me that the ambulance was going to take an hour to pick us up so we needed to head over to the ER in Owasso, which is attached to Dr. office, to get Sawyer stabilized (scary word!). So, I call Keith and fill him in. So the nurse wheels me and and Sawyer over to the ER in a wheelchair because he is still asleep in my arms. And our pedi pushes Graham over in the stroller, who has been sleeping soundly during all of this.

Our pedi had called ahead to tell them we were coming so we went straight to a room in the ER. Keith walked in after that. He must have been flying because he made it from his office in Tulsa to Owasso in about 1/3 of the time it normally takes. Our pedi talks to the Dr. and they immediately do an epinephrine breathing treatment. Which is basically straight adrenaline and they can only do these treatments in the hospital. And then they give him an oral steroid. He sounds better almost immediately. But he was still really puny and really tired and dozing off and on. Even though he started sounding better they wanted to observe him and still had us go to the Children's Hospital via ambulance.

The ambulance gets there to pick us up and we were able to put Saw's car seat on the stretcher and he could sit in his car seat. He was pretty scared at this point. The only saving grace on the ride there was Sesame Street youtube videos. But he only likes 1 video so we watched it about 36 times! Our pedi had called ahead and had us a room waiting at Children's. So, we get there and go straight to our room. We see the dr there and he tells us they will administer more steroids but basically just be monitoring his oxygen levels. We got in our room around 2:30 and I got them to bring Saw some chicken nuggets and mac and cheese because he hadn't eaten lunch. He ate a good bit and drank some milk and then we got him to lay down. His breathing was sounding a little labored again so the nurse ordered another epi breathing treatment.

Keith and I decided that we would all stay the night together. There was no way I was leaving Sawyer and Keith didn't really want to either. Keith could have gone home with Graham and given him bottles but it's just easier to nurse him (he doesn't take a bottle too well...more on that later) so we'll just tough it out together. Because we are a family and that's what families do! And it was quite the adventure!

Keith headed home around 4:30 to let poor Coopie out, get us some clothes and bring back dinner. We spent most of the night entertaining Sawyer who was pretty jacked up after his nightly steroid. And the night was pretty rough. Sawyer didn't really get a nap so he was over tired. He was fighting sleep like it was his job and crying the whole time. He was up and down all night, tossing and turning and crying. Keith and I took turns trying to rock him, walk around the room with him and laying with him. And Graham got up a couple of times to nurse. So needless to say we were pretty worn out.

But when we got up yesterday morning everyone was in good spirits, despite only getting a couple of hours of sleep. Sawyer was doing much better. Sounded so much better and was finally acting more like himself. Playing and getting into everything. He must have called the nurses 10 times by hitting the button. Ha!

The Dr. finally came by and checked Saw out and said we were good to go home. Saw's oxygen levels had been around 98 since his second breathing treatment. He discharged us and prescribed a couple days worth of steroids. We were finally able to leave around 11am and we couldn't get to the car fast enough!

This all came on so fast it was scary! But he got better very quickly. He still has some lingering coughing and congestion but we've definitely turned the corner. We follow up with our Dr. on Monday.

I'm thankful for a daycare and teachers who are watching my child closely enough to notice him breathing harder than normal. I'm thankful for our pediatrician, Dr. Harp-Weitz (she even called our room to check on us), the guys in the ambulance and all the dr's and nurses that we saw. Everyone was so sweet! I'm thankful for modern medicine. It's amazing. I'm thankful for my family and everyone who was praying for us and especially Sawyer. And I'm most thankful to God for answering those prayers and taking care of my baby.

I'm not sure there is much worse in life than seeing your child sick and in the hospital. And honestly our little visit wasn't even that bad. It could have been much worse, it always could. I knew that Sawyer was going to get better and we were all going to go home together. Not everyone is that lucky. I can't imagine.

And of course I took pictures to document Sawyer's first (and hopefully only) hospital stay. All with my phone so the quality isn't good.

Asleep in daddy's arm in the ER.

Riding in the ambulance. Keith and Graham followed behind.

In our room at Children's.

Getting his second breathing treatment. He was considered contagious so everyone that came in our room wore a gown and mask.

Snuggling.

He pretty much had his appetite back by dinner. Pizza, carrots and green beans.

Not even sure you can see this one because it's so dark but it's Graham sleeping. He slept in the stoller. The seats recline back all the way and make a little bucket. He actually slept really good. Keith and I rotated between the bed with Sawyer, the couch and the recliner.

Morning cartoons.

Little brother was such a trooper!

This window provided lots of entertainment. I'm sure it's frowned upon to let your child stand in it but we were getting desperate. You'll do just about anything to cheer up your sick kid...including buy extremely overpriced toys in the gift shop!

Again, desperate to keep him entertained...

Wordless Wednesday {my little loves}

2011-11-16T06:33:00.000-06:00

making memories

2011-11-11T07:08:00.000-06:00

It all started with making cookies. Sawyer is just at an age where he is starting to be helpful and enjoy doing things like this. If nothing else, I knew he would enjoy eating the m&m's. And I was right about that. But he also helped.

It is much more messy making cookies with a 20 month old. But also much more fun.

Here is the part where I would love to show you the finished cookies and us eating them smiling and talking about how delicious they are. But about 3 minutes into cooking, the kitchen started filling with smoke. Who knew that wax paper is not in fact the same as parchment paper (maybe everyone but me knew this?). And despite what the box says you can not put wax paper in the oven. The box says great for baking...what it should say is great for baking if completely covered with batter. So, after a brief temper tantrum (by me, not Sawyer, he was just as happy eating the batter and m&m's) I got over it.

And realized it wasn't about making cookies, it was about making memories and I wasn't going to let the burning wax paper steal my joy. It also gave Keith and I a good laugh.

Lesson learned...about wax paper and memories.

Christmas showered.

2011-11-09T07:50:00.005-06:00

My brother and Sarah are getting married in April. And we kicked off the parties while I was at home. We hosted a Christmas shower for them. It was so much fun and they got lots of really cute decorations!

So excited for the two of them. Can't wait for more parties and then the big wedding!!!

Christmas Village 2011

2011-11-08T07:18:00.000-06:00

I took a short 3 day trip home the end of last week. It was a whirlwind. I don't think I sat down the entire 3 days except in the car, to sleep and to eat -- and even some of my meals I ate standing up. But it was a blast. One of the reasons for the trip was our annual Christmas Village excurtion. You know I won't miss it -- You can read about previous trips here and here.

This year didn't disappoint. We were all laughing at the fact that last year I came home with Sawyer who was nine months old and this year I came home with Graham. A lot can happen in 1 year!

We were there a looong time. We got in a hour early this year because we scored vendor passes. So we got there at 8:30 and didn't leave until 7:00.

Here a few pictures - mostly taken with my phone.

The group in our matching shirts. This years shirt was screen printed - an ornament with our initial and "Merry Everything, Happy Always" written around the ornament. Graham had one to match but we left off the writing, just the ornament for him.

Graham did great all day. He was a little trooper. But he had a lot of arms who didn't mind holding him.

But 14 hours later and he was done! I think we all were.

We ended a great day with a mexican dinner and then topped it off with Blue Bell Pumpkin Pecan Spice ice cream. This stuff is amazing!!! I'm serious - maybe the best ice cream I've ever had! Try it, please!

This day is one I always look forward too. One of my favorite days of the year. Love this time with my favorite girls! And little buddy!

Halloween pictures

2011-11-02T08:59:00.001-05:00

Here are some more pictures from Halloween and the couple of days before.

Saw had a Halloween party at school on Friday so we made goodies Thursday night.

little helper

who was way more interested in licking the chocolate than helping. Don't worry I didn't let him touch any of the goodies after he licked all over his fingers.

our finished spider and mummy cookies.

some decorations

I know my pumpkin wreath should be a lot higher but I was too lazy to move the hook. Ha.

Carving our pumpkin

Man, I love this kid!

Our finished pumpkin

I attempted to take some pictures of the boys together. This is the best I got so you can imagine how good the others were. I put Graham in the bumbo and Sawyer threw a fit -- he thinks that is his seat and doesn't like to share. We are working on that. Should be really interesting when we start getting out the jumper, walker, etc.

brother was getting a little tired so he isn't holding his head up as good as he can.

sweet baby!!

getting in "his seat"

Orange pumpkin pancakes for breakfast on Halloween...I need to invest in some better food coloring.

and mummy dogs and bloody fingers for dinner

my little fisherman

and his cute little fishy!

All my boys! (minus Coopy)

With my babies...

this is more typical. Saw "honking" brothers nose!

On our way to trunk or treat. He wasn't letting go of his candy bucket.

brothers!

He finally got the hang of it and started really liking the fact that he could just walk up and people would give him candy.

This fishy slept most of the time.

Family picture. Totally out of focus but the only one of all 4 of us. What do you expect with the camera sitting on the hood of the car and a self timer.

We had a great Halloween. This whole time of year is so much fun and I'm so excited about the next couple of months.

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T07:28:00.001-05:00

from our little pumpkin!

the rest of the pictures from our trip home.

2011-10-28T08:03:00.000-05:00

We went to my moms on Saturday to watch the Auburn/LSU game. Although it wasn't much of a game. We still had a great time hanging out with family. And my aunt, uncle, Granddad and Mary were able to see Sawyer and meet Graham.

My little family.

He definitely has my eyes!

Twins in their matching shirts.

Playing blocsk with Aunt Sarah

My Aunt with the kiddos - minus Henley

G.G. loving on his newest great grandbaby.

G.G. and Mary

Saw and Uncle Jon Jon

He is so adorable. I can't believe how big he is getting.

4 generations.

family shot

and a funny one...we are begging my mom for this to be her Christmas card! What I love best about it is Shannon sitting there smiling.

We really had the best time at home. It was totally worth the 12 hour drive home! Which included 4 stops, 7 diaper changes, 1 outfit change, lots of turning around to put the paci in, hand out snacks and drinks, crying by some and wanting to by others - ha. Totally, totally worth it!

Pictures from our trip home...the pumpkin patch.

2011-10-27T08:28:00.001-05:00

Friday we went to the pumpkin patch with my Dad and Kathy. It was a beautiful day and we had a great time. Afterwards we went for pizza and played in the arcade at the restaurant. I'm pretty sure it was the best day of Sawyer's life. All his favorite things...outside, pizza and an arcade. Ha.

Our trip home...part 1

2011-10-26T07:40:00.002-05:00

We had a wonderful week at home. It was busy but we were able to spend time with so many people that we love. And introduce Graham to those people too. Lots of sweet memories made and of course I had my camera out to capture them. I took way too many pictures so it is going to take a couple of posts to share them all. Below are some from the first part of the week.

Me and my boys!

Graham was able to meet his Uncle Brian, Aunt Candy and cousins Colton and Cason. Aunt Candy and Cason were already gone when I pulled my camera out so I don't have any pictures of them. =(

giving Colton a high five....with his tongue out!

two peas in a pod...

my Momo in heaven, loving on graham.

We stayed at my sisters for a few nights and we felt so loved!

These two kiddos were a mess! Sawyer is apparently a biter and he got Henley good on the arm. Bless her heart! Her and Harper just want to love on him and he just wants to push them and bite. Made for a long week of referring...but there were some really sweet moments too, I promise!

My Aunt Jane and Graham

My Pops entertaining the kids...

These girls are so sweet and precious to me! Harper was my buddy all week and I loved it!

Trying our best for a picture of all the cousins...

And one with BeLLa

My little helper and me giving Gra a bath.

Tuesday we went over to my friend Whitney's. I was finally able to meet her newest little guy, Finn and see Fearing and their new house. We had a great time. It was a little chaotic with 5 kids 2 and under but I was so glad to be able to see them all!

Finn and Graham. 5 months apart.

Fearing and Sawyer. 6 months apart.

Us with our boys.

Whit and I have been friends for a long time and it is so neat now with us both having 2 boys so close together. I know they will all be best buddies too. I wish we got to hang out with them more!

I was also able to see another great friend, Brandy. She came over to my sisters to visit for a while and meet Graham. It was so good catching up with her. She is going to welcome her first baby in February. I'm so excited for her and know she will be an awesome mom! I can't wait for Greyson to be here!!

And last but certainly not least, Amanda came to visit and eat dinner with us. I loved seeing her and catching up. I'm also so glad she got to meet Graham and see Sawyer for a while. I'm hoping that holding baby Graham helped kick in her baby fever! Because her and Mitch sure will make some pretty babies!!

love you buddy!

Shan was feeling crafty Tuesday night so talked us into making a burlap turkey wreath. I was feeling tired. Ha! We decided around midnight that this was a 2 night project.

Shan and Saw having a good time playing together.

All enjoying some yogurt. And Hen sneaking in a hug.

this little guy was spoiled rotten all week. I don't think he was sat down longer than 5 minutes...which suited him just fine.

And when he was sat down his cousins made sure he had some company.

Saw was invited to his first tea party....

Ms. E and Mr. Joe came to visit and had a blast playing with the kids and holding Graham.

Hen was pretty fascinated with Graham. She loved holding him and talking to him and giving him kisses. It was so sweet.

Wednesday night we stayed up until 2:45 to finish our turkeys. But we were fueled with fries and milkshakes that Eron brought us.

But I think it was worth it. They turned out great and it was so fun.

We got lots of smiles out of this guy. I think he liked all the attention.

Keith's parents came to visit again Thursday afternoon.

Sawyer and Granddaddy playing cars.

And Grandmama holding Graham.

Morgan and her cute little family came by to hang out for a while.

I spent a lot time doing this at Shan's. Saw loved riding in this car.

Man, that was a long one....I'll be back tomorrow with pictures from our last weekend at home.

2 months!

2011-10-24T15:01:00.002-05:00

Dear Graham,

You are 2 months old. I can hardly believe it! You are a sweet, sweet, baby. And I am soaking up all the sweet little baby moments...because they are going by fast!

You are starting to smile more and more. You are also starting to coo and you laughed for the first time last week (at your Aunt Shan). Your smiles melt my heart!

You are not the same quiet baby I wrote about last month. You have become really noisy. Especially when you nurse. You grunt and squeak and carry on whenever you are awake. It's pretty funny.

And you are staying awake more and more. You are very alert and are really strong.

You still nurse every 3-4 hours. But the last few nights you've gone 5 hours at night and it's been wonderful. I think we've both needed the sleep after our busy week at home last week.

You took your first plane ride last week to Birmingham and you did awesome. I wore you in the sling and you slept pretty much the entire time.

You are in size 1 diapers and wearing 0-3 month clothes.

We had your 2 month check up today and you did awesome. Of course, the shots are so sad but you quit crying as soon as I scooped you up. You are perfectly healthy and I thank God for that daily!

Your official stats:

weight - 12.12 - 75% percentile (and also exactly what your big brother weighed at 2 months)

height - 22 in - 17% percentile

head circ - 15.23 - 26% percentile

You are growing so fast and changing everyday. You are my sweet little baby and are so precious to me.

I love you more than you can ever imagine!

Mommy

Here are some pictures of you at 2 months:

Your adorable little grin!

Me and my Grahamy!

2011-10-21T07:49:00.000-05:00

No words needed. I love this sweet boy!

little feet

2011-10-19T08:01:00.000-05:00

"Little hands and little feet, Little toothless grins so sweet, Little eyes that shine so bright, Little arms to hug you tight - Everythings little except your joy when you have 2 precious baby boys"

A trip to the fair.

2011-10-14T08:57:00.001-05:00

We headed to the state fair last week and had the best time!

I wanted to take a picture of all my guys before we left. But someone didn't want to cooperate.

We hit up the petting zoo first. Saw loves animals so this was a big hit.

He didn't really want to pet them but he waved at them like crazy!

And pointed them all out to us.

There was a birthing center and it was so neat. It had all kinds of mama's and new babies. This piggy mommy had 15 babies two days earlier. They were so cute!

Gra (pronounced like Gray for those wondering...a nickname he's picked up) just snoozing away.

Then we headed to the cattle barn.

We hung out here for a while and watched the cattle being shown.

Then it was time for dinner. My favorite thing about the fair is all the food. Delicious!

And then a little dessert.

Somebody sure enjoyed it!

And no trip to the fair is complete without a funnel cake. I ate 3/4 of this and about made my self sick but it was so good I couldn't quit.

We only spent a couple of hours there but could have stayed all day. There was so much to see and do. We all really enjoyed it and will definitely be heading back next year.

Wordless Wednesday : {Officially Announced}

2011-10-12T08:10:00.000-05:00

20 months.

2011-10-10T08:32:00.000-05:00

Dear Sawyer,

You are 20 months old. I can't believe you are so close to 2 years old. I keep saying every age is my favorite but I'm really loving this stage right now. Temper tantrums and all. Because you are so much fun, so funny and entertaining and really becoming a little boy. We can't get enough of you!

You are growing too. You weigh 26 lbs and are 31.5 inches tall. You are wearing 18-24 month clothes and size 6 shoes. Still in size 4 diapers.

You are just taking 1 nap a day. You go down after lunch and usually nap for around 3 hours. You still wake up between 7-7:30 every morning and you go to bed between 8-8:30. You are back to being a great sleeper. There were a couple of weeks right after brother was born that you were getting up throughout the night. Thankfully, that has passed. And you still love for me to rock you for a few minutes before bed and sing a couple of songs. I'm doing this for as long as you'll let me. Hopefully another 10 years or so. Ha!

You still aren't talking a whole lot but are learning more words everyday. And you know what the duck, dog, train, car, baby, cow, monkey and lots of other stuff says. And you know all your basic body parts and will point them out on yourself and others. We can also ask you where certain items are in your picture book and you can point them out. Probably because we look at the book 100 times a day. You love doing that.

Some of your current loves include:
outside (if it was up to you then you would never come inside), "baby" brother, milk, oatmeal creme pies, suckers, gardening tools, books, puzzles, bats and balls, pasta, outside, doing the laundry, swiffering the floors, throwing things in the trash, going for walks, animals, airplanes, putting on shoes and socks, bath time, waving, high fiving and giving knuckles. And did I mention outside.

You constantly keep me laughing and occasionally pulling my hair out but I wouldn't trade one second. Everyday is an adventure because of you!

I love you bunches!
Mommy

Here are some pictures of you at 20 months:

And in true 20 month old boy fashion...

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-07T08:03:00.005-05:00

We made a trip to the pumpkin patch and had a great time. Sawyer especially loved it. He loves anything outside and I think if it was up to him we would have come home with every pumpkin there.

He started out after the big ones...

Then he discovered the little ones were perfect for him.

This picture is so overexposed but I love it.

I think we came home with about 14 little pumpkins. Sawyer just kept throwing them in the wagon.

and a few gourds too.

It was a great day.

Loving this time of year and all the traditions and memories we are creating!

This and that...

2011-10-05T13:48:00.000-05:00

Hard to believe October is in full swing...where did September go? But we are welcoming fall with open arms. This is my absolute favorite time of year. We are enjoying cooler temperatures, pumpkin flavored everything, college football and the anticipation of all the upcoming holidays. Such an exciting season that is so beautifully coinciding with my maternity leave. I am soaking it up.

Graham is doing great. Still eating every 3 hours or so...which makes for a tired mommy but I'll manage because I know it won't last forever.

And just for my memory for the next baby (because I would have sworn Sawyer was going longer than 3 hours at this point but after looking back he wasn't) our nights go a little something like this:

Gra starts stirring and grunting

I lift him out of his bassinet

Start the feeding process

nurse on one side, burp, change diaper, nurse on other side, burp, hold and pat his back until he falls back asleep. This process takes anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour.

Lay him down

Get back settled in bed and fall asleep

Repeat in 2 hours

All of this done illuminated by the video monitor so I can see my other baby. And occasionally my cell phone...nothing like the internet to keep you company during those middle of the night feedings.

He's started smiling more and more. I haven't caught a good on camera but I'm trying. But it is so adorable!!

Sawyer is great too. A wild man but the sweetest wild man I know.

He loves giving high fives!

and wearing his rain boots.

We had a little glow stick fun in the bath tub. Thanks to an idea I saw on Pinterest -- don't you just love that website!

This picture is so random but I wanted to remember that right now every.single.time. we go upstairs Sawyer has to turn this light on and off and adjust the dimmer about 3 times before he'll keep climbing.

And finally some brother love. So sweet. Saw has just gotten where he really wants to hold "baby" -- only for about 2 seconds but it's the sweetest 2 seconds ever.

This was the most random post ever. I'm blaming it on the lack of sleep.

Graham's newborn pictures

2011-10-03T12:04:00.001-05:00

I'm way behind on sharing Graham's newborn pics but I love them! We took them when he was 1 week old and he's 6 weeks today. Hard to believe! He has already changed so much.

These are some of my favorites...

Big thanks to my mom for crocheting this super cute newsboy hat and diaper cover!

Man, that's a good looking baby! ;)

Sweet little Graham

2011-09-29T08:04:00.000-05:00

Tough stuff

2011-09-27T12:59:00.000-05:00

Being a mom is a hard job. But it's all about perspective really. If I was writing this post 24 hours ago it would be completely different. Yesterday was one of those days. The kind were you are weary and going on no sleep from a newborn who won't go longer than 3 hours without nursing and then doesn't want to go back to sleep. The kind where you pick your toddler up from daycare to find out he has bitten 5 other kids. The kind where you burn dinner, clean up mess after mess and go from one crying baby to the other.

Finally about 7:00pm last night I loaded both babies in the stroller and went walking while listening to praise and worship music. We all needed some fresh air. And it helped instantly. All I needed was a few minutes of quiet to remind myself that this is just a season. And one I know that will pass too quickly because time is fleeting.

These two precious, healthy babies are my whole life. And sometimes it is easy to lose sight of that. But I am determined to keep my perspective. Because that makes all the difference.

Our little tiger...

Touchdown Auburn

And this little nugget is the sweetest thing. And I've been doing a lot of baby wearing because he's a pretty big fan of being held. I need an extra set of hands.

This smile is a result of figuring out how to escape.

Waving at Cooper...his little chubby hand waving gets me every time!

So does him blowing kisses.

But actually getting kisses is my absolute favorite thing in the world.

So, like I said, being a mom is a hard job. But it is also the most rewarding, the most fulfilling and what truly makes me happiest. Times like this I'm especially thankful for all the pictures I take. Because these sweet moments are the ones I want to remember

"Push" present

2011-09-26T09:06:00.000-05:00

I have to take a minute to brag on my awesome husband. Keith is so thoughtful and does so much for me! So, although I certainly didn't expect any type of gift when Graham was born, I wasn't completely shocked because that is just how Keith is. So sweet!

But, this gift blew me away. As did the ring he gave me when Sawyer was born. And a huge thanks to my buddy, Ashley, who hooked him up. Actually, she's given my whole family great deals on some awesome jewelry.

Aquamarine studs with a diamond jacket.

BEAUTIFUL

The best part is the jacket is removable so I can wear it with my diamond studs that he gave me when we got married.

These pictures don't really do them justice!

Both of the gifts he's given me when the boys have been born mean so much! I love being reminded of my precious babies and their special days every time I wear them!

I'm in love with them and my husband!!

Summer List 2011

2011-09-23T10:05:00.000-05:00

Summer is officially over. And we had a great one and completed almost everything on our summer list. We didn't make it to a Drillers game, although Keith did, and we didn't feed the ducks, although we tried several times. But we had a blast doing everything on our list and pretty much all of it was documented along the way on this blog. This will definitely be a yearly tradition!

Sawyer tried to destroy our list which is why you see all the tape!

1 month old.

2011-09-22T21:05:00.001-05:00

Dear Graham,

You are 1 month old. I can hardly believe it. But in some ways it feels like you have been a part of our family forever. You are the perfect little addition.

You are a great baby. You are really quiet and rarely cry. Usually only when you are hungry, cold or have a tummy ache. You are constantly being loved on and you never seem to mind. Even when you get hugs from your big brother which unfortunately right now is more of a head butt. You are going to be tough, that's for sure!

You are a great eater. You nurse every 3 hours -- sometimes you'll go 4, but it's rare. Although two nights ago you went 5 hours which meant I got 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep, I felt like a new woman! But most nights you are like a little alarm clock...every 3 hours. And you are really growing. You weigh around 9 pounds and are around 21 inches long. You were so tiny when you were born but you didn't stay that way for long. But I'm very thankful that you nurse so well and that you have such a great appetite.

You are still wearing newborn clothes and newborn diapers. But they are both getting snug. We will be moving up to size 1 diapers in the next day or so.

Whenever you are mad and crying you grab your hair and pull it and then cry even harder because it hurts. I'm trying to teach you not to do that. I also don't want you pulling all your pretty, dark hair out.

You are starting to stay awake a little more. Usually for an hour or so after you eat and then you go back to sleep. But at night you usually go back to sleep pretty quickly.

You aren't crazy about the paci, yet. I think you would be if you could figure out how to keep it in your mouth. But you are learning. You are strong and can hold your head up pretty good. You also prefer sleeping on your tummy.

You have filled us with so much joy this past month. I am so looking forward to watching you grow. God surely blessed us when he gave us you.

I love you buddy!
Mommy

Here are some pictures of you at 1 month:

Just some recent pictures...

2011-09-20T12:56:00.000-05:00

Goodbye's stink!

2011-09-19T13:53:00.001-05:00

BeLLa headed back home this morning and we were all SO sad to say goodbye to her. We knew this day would come and I remember how hard it was when she left after I had Sawyer. You can read about it here if you missed it. Well, it wasn't any easier this time. And it felt like it came way too fast. I can't believe it's been 4 weeks since Graham was born.

There is just something about your mom! There is no one I trust more, no one more comforting to me and no one else who gets me quite like my mom. But this time it wasn't just about me. There are two little boys who loved every second they got to spend with their BeLLa, Sawyer especially. I think this whole transition for Sawyer was easier because my mom was here to help. And I am so grateful for this past month with her, all of her help and all of the sweet memories we all made together during this special time.

Mom, I can never thank you enough for all you did. Please come back very soon!

Okay, now for some pictures. Bob came to visit this weekend and it was really good to see him.

We had a great couple of days - minus our AU loss.

Perfect breakfast to me -- doughnuts and a pumpkin spice latte.

These two sweet boy have my heart!

And I'm pretty sure hers too.

Saw got to shoot some pool with Daddy. He loved it!

Preparing some game day snacks.

Yesterday afternoon, we went to the park to enjoy the nice weather. Saw loved it. But he didn't want any help doing anything. The boy is stubborn!

And adorable!

Graham's 1st bath

2011-09-14T09:39:00.000-05:00

Graham's cord fell off last Monday at exactly 2 weeks. He got a real bath the following day. He wasn't too sure what to think but it sure beat the sponge baths he was getting! He is starting to enjoy them more and more.

I'm pretty sure my favorite smell ever is a clean baby!

I just can't help myself...

2011-09-09T09:01:00.000-05:00

We had professional newborn pictures made (and I'm anxiously awaiting them) but you all know I love to take pictures (obviously!) so my Mom and I played around and took a few creative pictures ourselves. I know I'm partial but they are precious!

I love how tiny he looks here!

Perfection!

My mom crocheted this little cocoon. Love it and that little boy snuggled up in it!