outdoors addiction

L has recently been on this kick where he is only happy when we are outside. If we're inside, he's ticked and crying constantly. Okay ... not ALL the time, but it sure feels like it! I'm grateful that we've been able to have some fun outside lately ...

Apparently this grass was a little more prickly and rough ... this is how L learned how to crawl like a monkey - and he loves to do it now.

following in daddy's footsteps

mother's day is coming soon ...

These are on Heather's wish list for May.  Thoughts?

a few thoughts

This picture hangs just to the right of L's crib and it might be one of my favorites. My mom took it right when we brought him home from the hospital. 

The other night, L woke up after just an hour of going to the sleep and he was screaming pretty hard. Since this is so unusual for him, I went upstairs, gave him his bear and pacifier, and picked him up to help calm him down. Immediately he wrapped his arms around my neck, laid his head on my shoulder, and fell asleep. It was so instant and precious - and completely took me off guard. I glanced up at this picture, and then down again at this little toddler I was holding. A thousand thoughts and memories ran through my head, and a few tears fell down my cheek as I realized just how fast the time goes by. 

I have struggled a bit lately with feeling like I don't have direction in my life. I have had some challenges out here in Ohio that I never expected to have, and it's hard that after two years I still have not quite overcome them. Sometimes I feel like I am just another person in the crowd without anything really meaningful to add to my surroundings. My life feels like a pendulum where I swing from being incredibly busy to completely burnt out and bored - all the while feeling as if it is out of my control. 

An old friend of mine started a blog she calls "Life on Purpose." I found it a couple days ago and have really thought about that phrase - Life on Purpose. Living intentionally. That means having a reason, a motive, an ultimate destination in mind that directs every action you take. There are times when I feel that my purpose is clear and I know exactly where I am going and how I'm going to get there; other times when I feel the destination is known but the how is uncertain; and yet other times when I feel darkened toward both. 

Holding L the other night and looking back over the past year and all that has happened helped me recognize - yet again - my need to live on purpose. I am far from perfect, and am still learning every step of the way; but I am grateful for those small moments that help me realize how precious and sacred life truly is. Moments that help me realize I am the one in control of my life and that I can live it on purpose. One of my favorite quotes from my college years hangs on the wall next to my desk:

"A Master at the Art of Living makes no distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his education and his recreation, his love and his religion.  He hardly knows which is which.  He simply pursues with excellence what he is about and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing.  He, himself, always knows he is doing both."  - Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone  July 1995

I know that I still need to work on the Art of Living.  But I feel good about one thing:  I held L a little longer than I normally do the other night ... and it was on purpose. 

a tribute

Oh how we enjoyed the ride. Thank you, faithful car seat. Our hearts are full.

boys rule

On Saturday we celebrated L's 1st birthday with some friends. The weather would have been *perfect* had the wind not been there ... but that's a lot to expect for Ohio. We had a great time in spite of the blustery day and our friends were awesome to stick it out with us! I thought of a fun idea to pattern at least the early birthdays after a children's book ... and for L's 1st birthday I choose:

When I was little (younger than 5), my family lived in Virginia at the end of a cul-de-sac. My memory might be wrong here (give me a break though, I was really young!), but I remember an older lady who lived in a white house who would read books to us young kids. Now I am not sure if she did this, or if it was my mom, or some other friend, but I somehow came to own a copy of this book along with a plush caterpillar that looked just like the very hungry caterpillar. You could even turn this caterpillar inside out to resemble a cocoon, and then you could pull out a butterfly from the inside of the caterpillar's head while inside the cocoon. It was basically amazing. I found it upon visiting my family over Christmas break, and I couldn't wait to give it to L! I figured this would be the best time! So that was my inspiration, and this is what I did with it:

{This is me right after a shower still getting ready. Cynthia - I stuck this one in for you since you wanted a picture of the red wall with frames up. :) Hope you enjoy.}

Very Hungry Caterpillar cake, and individual dirt cakes with gummy worms. We also had other gummy worms & ants (aka: raisins) to eat, along with Bug juice (aka: green koolaid - that actually tasted gross ... I am sorry to whoever drank it. One of those things that I should've tasted myself before offering it to other people!). I had so much fun doing all of this!! 

Here's me and the birthday boy. Yes, he is wearing pajamas and it is noon on a Saturday. We figured his sleeper would be the easiest thing to wear for the cake-eating-occasion so we could unzip him in one easy motion and get rid of the mess. However, due to the chilling wind, we decided to not have him eat the cake. So we played in our pajamas a little longer. :)

I had fun trying to take pictures of all the little kids playing on the playground ... here's a random collection: 

And last, but not least, the birthday boy himself. Still in pajamas. This might have been the only smile I got from him the entire time. Have I mentioned that new situations make him a little timid and nonsocial? Oh well ... I still love him!! 

Thanks to all of you for helping it be such a fun birthday for L!! Especially Ryan - he helped out a TON as I was working on the cake. Thanks love!!

12 months

Recent Statistics: 

Weight: 23 lbs. 1 oz. -- 50 percentile

Height: 30 1/2" -- 75 percentile

Head circ.: 18 3/4" -- 75 percentile

****Side note: A friend of mine was once describing her husband and expressing that sometimes it's a little hard to show everyone how incredibly amazing her husband is. Whether it's the goofy side that he only shows at home or in front of really close friends; the quiet side he shows when he might be out of his comfort zone; or all the hard work he puts into his responsibilities behind the scenes. When you only see someone in one setting, it's hard to get a whole-pictured look at the guy - and when it's someone you love and care about as much as your husband (in my case, husband and kid!), you really want to show off all the AMAZING qualities he (or they) possess. I feel the EXACT same way about Ry and L (for the purpose of this post, however, I will focus on L ... Ry's turn will come soon!).  Being with L all day every day allows me to see every side of his personality and I LOVE it! However, when he's infront of people, he hides it very well! I guess I've got one modest baby on my hands. I'm glad that I've been documenting these monthly birthdays so that I can remember all the fun/challenging/rewarding/humorous/sweet moments that I have with him on an every-day basis -- especially those that others outside of our home would not see. I love him so much and am grateful for the chance to know and experience all of his little {I mean BIG} personality.   

Recent favorites:

Standing and balancing for a long time!

Taking a few steps by himself before falling forward (about 10-12 steps in a row!)

Finding creative ways to make his own push-toy to walk with (chairs, swinging doors, coffee table, laundry baskets, etc)

Snuggling still with Momma

NEEDING his bear to fall asleep (learned this the hard way from having it in the dryer at bedtime)

Laughing at other babies and toddlers (not in a rude way of course, they always laugh back!)

Obsessed with tackling other kids to give them hugs and poking their eyes out to say hi. I think we need to work on our people skills.

Talking to himself all day long. This kid has a lot of his mind!

Taking only one good nap a day, with a little cat-nap in the late afternoon.

Going running outside with mommy in the new jogging stroller!

Loves the stairs and would climb up them all day long ... still teaching him how to come down.

Feeding the giraffes at the zoo

Wearing girl tennis shoes while in Colorado ... we forgot his.

Having major separation anxiety after coming home from Colorado - he has to be held at all times.

Becoming super cuddly with Daddy! Hugs all the time in Colorado.

Teething is the pitts.

Such a busy baby - constantly moving, changing directions, looking for new adventures.

Loves books, but doesn't really like to sit still while reading them.

Determined to destroy any order that there is to the house. Loves to make messes!!

Playing games building towers of any kind and knocking them down. He is all boy!!

Wanting to climb already ... tries to find any way possible to get to what is out of reach. He was climbing up the slides at the play place, the chairs on the airplane, the banister next to our stairs, and using books to stand on to get taller. At this rate, baby proofing means emptying out our house! 

His shoulders shake when he laughs hard. I love it. :)

Hated bathtime in Colorado, but is back to loving it here at home.

Turns his hands inward when he crawls - we've started a new nickname: Monkey.

Loves to scrunch up his nose when he laughs or growls. 

****Editorial comment: While taking these monthly pictures has been fun - and I've loved seeing the results - I think both L and I will enjoy not having to endure this process one more time. He just does NOT want to sit still EVER and I feel like I have to make him miserable in order to get just one decent picture. Here's what I mean:

time just flies by

April 6th was L's 1st birthday! Sadly, he's a little sick and incredibly grumpy, so we're celebrating on a different day. Plus, this will give him time to recover from the early cake he had a melt down over at Nonnie's house. Hopefully by this Saturday when we celebrate again he'll be ready to dig in and maybe actually eat some of it! I have a few things planned for later posts, but for now, enjoy a year through pictures - boy has he grown!

home again home again

I think the biggest reminder that I was no longer on vacation was when I went to use the restroom and had to use the big pile of toilet paper on the counter that L had rolled off the roll and I had forgotten to clean up before we left. Back to the daily grind, huh?

Well, after a week in Colorado visiting with Ry's family for Spring Break, we are getting settled back into our normal lives. Brand new cousin, hospital visits, sick family members, a one-night get away just the two of us (Thank you Mom!!), trip to the zoo, celebrating two birthdays, lots of extended family visiting, seeing old friends, and a couple of snow days made for an eventful week!! But we LOVED seeing family, laughing and talking, taking pictures, teaching L how to walk, grandparents and family willing to watch L for us while we went on our own mini-vacation, playing with all the little kids, and eating good food. It was SO fun to have Ryan all to ourselves all day every day - L and I enjoyed it way too much! He is such a great dad and husband and I am grateful for all that he does for us! 

Here's some of my favorite pictures from the week

Ryan in Rocky Mountain National Forest

Me in Rocky Mountain National Forest with a frozen lake behind me

Ry and I in Estes Park, Colorado

L playing with Daddy at the Mall Playplace

Feeding the Giraffes at the Zoo

L trying it out

Dad and L looking at animals