Royally Waiting Link Up #18

I'm ashamed to say that it has been quite some time since I've joined the Royally Waiting Link-up. Life just gets so busy, and while I am not blogging consistently these days, I find that I become even more infrequent during these super busy seasons. It's good to be back.

Enjoying...

School is out for the summer! Praise Jesus! It has been a long and difficult school year and I am so grateful for the break. It allows me to spend a little extra time with my littles as well as catch up on big things around the house...such as the spring cleaning I never got around to. We've been enjoying a lot of activities so far and the memories we are making are precious.

Planning...

My son's 2nd birthday is in about 2 weeks (queue the waterworks.) Just yesterday I was throwing together his 1st birthday. How is it that another year has gone by so quickly! We'll be having the party at our current (rental) house and space is a bit limited so we'll be primarily hosting outside. Prayers for good weather are appreciated.

His first birthday!

Reading...

I'm super late to the Emily Giffin game, but better late than never. I just read my first book by her and I am smitten! I love the way she writes and weaves such emotion into her characters. I just picked up another book by her at the library and I can't wait to begin!

I just finished this book...so good! You can read my review next month. (For past book reviews, go here.)

Getting back to...

I'm getting back to my low carb way of eating and I am adding in exercise. This time last year I was almost 25lbs down and feeling so good! October's accident really put me in a downward spiral and I've been feeling pretty miserable and my self-esteem is no where near where it should be. I'm out to change this. I am making goals and a plan and prayerfully I'll see good things happening. I hope to be posting about this more in detail soon.

::via::

Making progress on...

We've got some exciting things coming up in regards to our new house. My husband and father-in-law cleared the area where we'll be building. The loan company is supposed to be coming out by the end of this week or sometime next week to complete the assessment. Hopefully that goes well and then the paperwork will be sent to the underwriters. We're in a distinct period of waiting right now, but I know that good things are coming. God has blessed every part of this journey so far and I expect nothing less as it all comes together. My hope is to be in before Christmas...fingers crossed!

Our 8th Wedding Anniversary

October 25, 2008.

This date holds a place in my heart like no other. It was the day I married my best friend. I vowed to love and cherish him until death do us part. I placed my heart in his hands in hope of a beautiful future.

When we said our vows 8 years ago, we knew we were bound to face hard times. We had no idea that infertility would become a part of our story. We never would have guessed that God would alter our lives in a way that will require an unmeasurable amount of time to heal. Our vows have been tested. Our love for one another has been forged in the fire.

And through it all, we’ve overcome.

The last 8 years have also brought us so much joy. We are working towards building our “grow old” home. We are soaking up every possible second with our two beautiful children. We have seen each other through new jobs and ministries. We have danced in the rain. We have sat quietly, just enjoying being in one another’s presence. We have seen dreams, our dreams, come true.

I will forever be grateful for the man I get to call my husband. He is proof that while we think we know what we want, God truly knows what we need. He is more than I could have asked for. He is the spiritual leader of our home. My man loves Jesus! He raises his family in this way and loves me as Christ loves the church. I cannot imagine myself with anyone else. I look forward to prayerfully growing old with this man of mine.

So here’s to many more years with this love of mine…

Kids Behind the Blog: August 2016

So...it has officially happened. My little gal has become a preschooler. I'm still kind of in shock. She has loved her first week and cannot wait to go back on Monday. She is soaking up everything!

I loved Amanda's post that included questions posed to the littles in our lives and I just had to join up for Kids Behind the Blog.

I asked G this month's questions and clarified as needed in parentheses. She makes my heart so happy.

1. What was your favorite thing you did over the summer?

Swimming in the big pool (on vacation).

2. What’s your favorite thing to learn about at school?

Singing "God our Father" for our food and snack

3. Who is your best friend from school?

Tessa and Callie

4. What do you want be when you grow up?

"Do fire" (be a firefighter)

5. What is your least favorite thing about school?

I like everything!

Her first week at school was nothing short of amazing. Her lead teacher is phenomenal both in the classroom and with communication. I get a report of how G's day was everyday and I love the little notes about things that she is learning and what seemed to really interest her. She is making new friends while rediscovering some of her old buddies from her previous sitter. We have truly been blessed by this placement.

A Dino-mite First Birthday

Well, it has happened. Our bouncing baby boy is now ONE!

As most of you know, or at least now you will, I love birthdays. Next to Christmas, they are my favorite celebrations. I've had a blast planning an executing birthday parties for my daughter, and of course, I had to do the same for my sweet boy.

I went back and forth with themes and upon sifting through some ideas with my daughter, I was finally able to settle on one. In truth, she insisted that he have an orange dinosaur cake...so, dinosaurs it was.

Here is a look at his big day!

The Attire

July is hot. I wanted something cute and comfortable. I ran across this adorable outfit and knew it was the one.

::via::

This boy is dino-mite!

The Food

I had a blast pulling the food together for his party. I also had some amazing helpers. My mom, mother-in-law and good friend all pitched in to help make the food amazing. Keep in mind, I am all about keeping our celebrations inexpensive and simple. No sense in breaking the bank.

First off, lets talk about the cake. G insisted he have an orange dinosaur cake. This momma tried to deliver. I created a little dino from fondant and plopped him on top of a chocolate iced cake. I used gummy fruit wedges that my hubby helped trim into spikes for the bottom of the cake. This was actually N's smash cake and an overall success. The cupcakes were just simply iced and topped with additional gummy fruit wedges.

My amazing friend, Charity, made this AWESOME watermelon dinosaur head. I had really hoped to do it myself, but time was not on my side. She is such an amazing person and willingly offered to carve this masterpiece. Everyone loved it!

In keeping things simple, I scored these dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets and paired them along side some pizza rolls. My mother-in-law contributed her oh-so-delicious meatballs.

The Décor

Balloons! I have become a huge fan of them. They add wonderful color and always add a festive touch. I used them as some basic decorations on the tables and cake tables. I was able to score some adorable dinosaur masks that I scattered on the tables for the kids' enjoyment. Simple. Cheap. Oh, so cute.

I also set up a book for people to sign on the gift table. I've done this for my daughter as well. It is such a sweet keepsake as people write down thoughtful birthday wishes. I also included a slideshow of pictures of N's first year. ::mommytears::

Overall, I am thrilled with how his party turned out. We had so much fun in coming together to celebrate his precious little life. I am so thankful for everyone that came to share his birthday celebration with us. We are truly blessed.

Linking up for Mommy Moments

Our Baby Boy is One!

I am typing this in a public coffee shop in hope that I will not bawl like a baby.

Our sweet boy is now officially ONE!

I've embraced every milestone up to this point, but this one has been very difficult. In speaking with other moms, they agree that they have mourned the milestones more so with their second than with their first. For some it is because the second child may be their last and for some it is because they are fully aware of how quickly the time is actually passing.

So...as I sit here typing these words, finalizing my party plans list, double check my shopping list, and plan the most productive route, I find it hard to concentrate because I keep coming back to thoughts of my sweet boy.

We struggled to conceive this little miracle and my heart is so full as I think about how he came into our lives. He was so wanted. He was faithfully prayed for.

He is a dream come true.

Newborn perfection

One year old awesomeness

Weight: 23lbs

Height: 31 inches

Clothes: 9-12 months

Eat: You are eating so many new foods these days. One of your favorites has become spaghetti. You are warming up to peas but you would still prefer not to eat them. You are eating much more of what we are eating and slowly, but surely, you are moving away from baby food. You are now drinking whole milk. You have approximately 18-22 ounces a day. We'll soon be weaning you off of your morning bottle since you have transitioned off of your night bottle nicely. You are doing much better with your cup and we can count on you to now drink water throughout the day.

Sleep: You are still a great sleeper. You are going down for your naps in your crib now, instead of your swing, and you are sleeping better. You nap for about 30-40 minutes in the morning and then for about 1-1.5 hours in the afternoon.

Play: You are moving everywhere! You are constantly pulling up on things and trying to walk along the edge. You have mastered this pretty well in your crib and along the bottom stair. You love things that roll, whether it be cars or balls. You also love books. You cannot get enough of playing in the water. Bath time is truly your favorite.

You are a major fan of peek-a-boo. We get serious giggles when we play this game.

Music still makes you dance and you love to interact with your sister. She has a way about her that captivates you and we continue to pray that you two remain close.

You are making a lot of strides. You babble all of the time. While your vocabulary is still quite small, you are very serious when you "talk" to us. You say "mama", "dada", "di-di" (bye-bye), and "uh-oh". You clap when you are excited and when you get really pumped up, you shake your fists and make a really funny face. You are learning to share with your sister. You both have a bit of a temper, which comes with the red hair, and you are learning that things will not always go your way.

You are learning about the word "no". I get the biggest kick out of your response. When told "no", you poke out that bottom lip and bring on the crocodile tears. Sometimes you'll even lay yourself on the floor and cry. You are far more dramatic than your sister ever was.

This past month has consisted of some big things. You had an eye appointment at the beginning of the month. About a month ago you were displaying some abnormal eye movements and the pediatrician was concerned. We attempted to identify the cause but your eyes are perfect. The movements have since drastically decreased. We just keep a close watch on you these days.

You had your first experience at VBS. You were only there one night because the program runs so late. You did pretty well, but definitely made it known that we had passed your bedtime.

We celebrated Father's Day with your daddy. He is truly the best and I am so grateful that he is here to show you how to grow into a Godly man. You're a blessed little boy.

We had a play date with some other families up at the church. It was a blast and you did really well.

Your birthday party will be this coming weekend. Your sister insists that you need an orange dinosaur cake...so that is what you will have. You'll have a dinosaur birthday (which I'll post about soon). We love you so much!

A prayer for our son:

Dear Jesus,

We thank you for gracing us with his conception and full term pregnancy. He may have been born 11 days early by the calendar, but born on the day You ordained in Heaven for him. We thank You for this past year. It has come with many trials as we've learned to adapt to his personality, needs and wants. We thank You for the calm, sweet spirit that You have instilled in him. We thank You for the fire that he shows from time to time. I thank You for Your provision and guidance as we raise this child that You have gifted to us.

We pray for the closeness among our family. We pray the relationships that continue to form are binding, strong, and stable. We pray that as he grows, You will help us lead him in a way that will result in a Godly young man of God. We pray that he will one day come to know You as his Savior. We pray for patience and guidance as we continue to raise him to love and serve You. We pray that you begin preparing his heart for the day that He will accept You and learn about what it is You want for his life. We know he was brought into this world for an amazing purpose and we pray that we will help instill the character traits, confidence, and motivation that he will need to pursue what it is You have for him.

We pray a fortress of protection around his life. We pray that you guard his heart, mind, body, and soul as he grows. We know he will face opposition and we want to help ensure that he is confident in all that You have made him so that he can stay strong. We are so in love with this little boy and we can't thank You enough for Your gift. We know that He is yours and we are humbled by the task before us, and committed to parenting this amazing child. Thank you, sweet Jesus, for this precious life. We look forward to another year of amazing firsts.

Amen.

His first year of life...

Linking up for a Mommy Moments

Baby N: 11 Months

I would cry, but I am afraid that if I start, I will not stop. You are growing too fast! In one month you will be a year old!

Weight: 21+ lbs

Height: ~30 inches

Clothes: 9-12 months

Eat: You are making me eat my words from last month. You are now willingly feeding yourself finger foods and drinking your bottle without hesitation. You are still a little unsure about your sippy cup but you are getting there. You are a pretty good eater. You love fruits and macaroni and cheese. You have been eating 6-8 ounces every 4 hours and manage to eat 3 meals a day with a snack or two.

Sleep: We are still considering ourselves blessed with your sleeping. You go down around 7p.m. and wake around 5-5:30a.m. Lately you've had some allergy issues and your coughing wakes you/us up a couple times a night. Fortunately, you tend to fall back asleep without any intervention. You are not much of a nap taker these days. You usually have a couple cat naps in the morning and then, if we're lucky, you nap for an hour or so in the afternoon. Your sister has always  been (and still is) a big time nap taker...so...feel free to jump on the wagon little guy.

Play: Your days of play are changing drastically. You are now crawling...and I don't mean just inching. You are all over the place! You love balls...well, you love anything that rolls or moves in a way that you can go after it. Oranges are a huge hit with you.

You love spending warm afternoons outside. Now that you are moving around more, you've learned there is so much to discover. You will be keeping up with your sister in no time.

We've added a few more fire trucks to your toy collection and you are a big fan. While I don't wish you into that profession, I would not be surprised if you develop a love for it like your daddy.

Odds and Ends: YOU ARE CRAWLING!

We dedicated you to the Lord (well, long before your conception in all honesty) on Mother's Day.

You gave us quite a scare earlier in the month. We were concerned that you may be experiencing seizures, but our pediatrician believes it is an eye issue. You will see a specialist on the 7th. Prayerfully all will be well.

Hanging out at the doctor's office

You keep us laughing with your facial expressions, giggles and smiles. You do a great job waving and often get it in context. You are also trying to mimic some words such as "uh-oh". We can't get enough of you.

We could not be more in love with you, Bugaboo. You fill our lives with so much joy. Happy 11 months!

Linking up for Waiting on Wednesday