Happy Birthday, sweet crazy man!!

Happy Happy Man with his first cupcake!!! 

I cannot believe he's 1!  

It's bittersweet because it's probably our last little one, but I did spend a good part of the last year waiting for this day!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE babies...they are so sweet and tiny.  AND helpless.  and draining...BUT SO SO rewarding, and fun and adorable and huggable and just little balls of joy!!  Don't get me wrong, I really love every minute of my kids.  But I can't help but LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE (that was one extra LOVE) the age/stage between 9 months and 2 yrs).  It's just SO fun to start really seeing their personality and all the milestones!  Watching a baby learn to crawl is fun, but watching a baby learn to walk is SPECTACULAR (in my eyes)!  I LOVE IT.  And then learning to clap, wave, say "hi," and eventually learn more and more words and start forming sentences and expressing themselves!  NOTHING beats it!  (well, I kinda love the whole labor/delivery part too...it's quite possibly my favorite - really.)  Ok, I don't know...I love it all.  Every time I type a favorite, I think of one more that I may like more...or maybe I like another one more, or....the list goes on!!  My babies, any mothers babies, are such a delight, a blessing and a miracle.

We love you more than we can ever show you, little man!  You are such a joy to watch!  Such a joy to love!  I cannot get enough of you!!

Bath time fun

Each night there reaches a point where Justin and I are tired and the kids are cranky and the only thing left to do is take a bath!  Thankfully, this point is easily detectable and happens around 7-7:30 each night.  And most thankfully it usually ends up with bath time fun!  I love this time because they both are typically happy, entertain each other, and it's all in one small confine space!  It usually works out well...until recently when Beckett has started throwing all toys out of the bath tub.  This is fun for him...throwing things and getting into what he shouldn't are his 2 favorite activities.  This makes for a very messy and wet bathroom!  and what I've learned with all of this... no matter what the environment, "Boys will be boys!"

Isn't she lovely...

I took a photography class a few weeks ago and have been playing with my camera....

LOVE THIS LITTLE GIRL!!!! 

AND I realized I haven't blogged about my sweet RB in FOREVER!!!  She's a few months shy of 3 and I'm not sure I've really given an update!  So, here it goes!!!

Ruby Belle is the sweetest big sister...but does fight over toys.  AND Beckett puts up a pretty darn good fight!  She also is turning out to be a good little swimmer...well, progressing (and something tells me that one day she'll be a little fishy - maybe it's in the genes?!)  She's got sass that can out sass a tween and looks that could kill.  She is SO strong-willed and tests her limits and us daily!  BUT we LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE our little girl!!!  She is so fun and loves to play.  I can really see her imagination starting to blossom (she has imaginary friends I think, and she often plays in bed at night, talking away to her stuffed animals and baby dolls.)  She can be SO serious though!!!  She's my silly ball of seriousness!!!

Beckett - 11 months!!!

Here we are...Tminus 1 month until the big 1st birthday!!  Can you believe it?!  I can't!!  He's all over the place now since he's walking!!!  Here's the updates:

• He is SUCH a boy!!!  into everything (all cabinets are now on kiddie lock down - and he just hangs on them...banging them back and forth.  One day he'll be successful, I'm sure of it!  That boy is strong!)
• speaking of strong, I caught him trying to put his leg over the edge of his crib to break out!!!  really?!  already?  Thankfully, he's not tall enough, but I never thought Ruby Belle was tall enough and she sure surprised us on this day.
• Has gotten a lot better at walking and sometimes can't get where he's going fast enough! He gets SO excited about some things!  He LOVES a few of the really soft stuffed animals he has, but especially the large dog!  loves to lay on that thing and just look up and smile!  It's too hilarious and cute! 
• He makes some of the funniest faces!  My favorite - He scrunches his nose and eyes up and kinda sounds like he may snort (but he doesn't).  You kinda have to see it...
• Starting to babble a lot more and make more sounds.  Loves to blow bubbles/raspberries! 
• was sleeping through the night then he got sick again...and now we're back to waking up once a night. Gotta fix that soon!  Momma needs her sleep!
• eating some finger foods and I'm still making most of the baby foods.  He eats WAY better at day care than at home (same with Ruby Belle...I can't even beg her to eat a hamburger at home, but she supposedly eats everything at school!!).  He does love oatmeal mixed w/vanilla Greek yogurt!!  Not that great at actually sitting in the high chair very long...we're working on this one.
• Puts everything in his mouth - dirt, rocks, grass, anything off the floor, etc
• Loves to pick up things and throw them
• drinking 5 bottles a day...some in the sippy cup
• Officially done w/breastmilk a few days after the 11 month mark!!!  (started sneaking in a little cow's milk...I know, don't tell my pediatrician!)
• Still has 8 teeth but 1-2 more are starting to look like they may make the cut soon.  Oh, and I am pretty sure that one of his bottom teeth is chipped...not sure how, but looks like it to me! 
• Still wearing 12-18 month clothes and #4 diapers 

at first, this was about as good as I could get...(and I could only find 1 "e" so we had to improvise!)

then I squeezed in this one...

and this one.
All action shots...because this boy is constantly on the move!!!

I cannot say how blessed we are with this little man!!  I just can't get enough of him!!!  

Officially a walker!!!

Well, this is a little late, but we officially have a walker!!  and since this post is 2-3 weeks late, we have a pretty good walker now!!  

He's ON THE MOVE, KIDS!!!

Beckett just playin' with his sis prepping for his big walking pictorial...

Poised and ready for action!!!

and he's off!!

and running (well, not quite yet) 

AND the celebration ensues!!!

Beckett - 10 months

So, I think this is the time that I'm supposed to be planning a big 1st birthday celebration and seeing what fun party ideas I can make happen.  But that's not what's going on right now.  Mostly, I'm just in awe that my sweet boy is SO close to turning 1 that I can't believe it!  He is SO SO SO much fun!  More fun than I ever thought a little boy would be!  I've always heard that "little boys love their mommies,"  and now I believe it!  dont' get me wrong...he LOVES his daddy, too!  really, he loves just about any one, but I like to think I'm special as he's crawling up my legs while I'm typing...and just about anytime I'm doing anything.  Ahhhh!  Sweet baby love!

10 month stats:

Wt: 21lbs 14oz (75th percentile)

Ht: 29 1/4 in (75th percentile)

*still bear crawling all over
*standing on his own - can stand straight up from sitting without assistance
*I feel like he may be walking any day now...
*SO SO happy
*loves to play with his sister and she loves to play with him/drag him around!
*babbling all the time (ma-ma-ma-ma, da-da-da-da)
*blowing raspberries, and sticking tongue out to make noises a lot
*but getting a little clingy to mommy!
*still has mostly blue eyes...maybe some hazel seeping through?
*sleeping through the night most of the time
*eating the same - 5-6 bottles a day about 5oz each, and pureed homeade (mostly) food and baby cereal about 3 times a day
*eating some finger foods - bananas, cheerios, gold fish
*still has 8 teeth (they look a little crazy because they are spaced pretty far apart! HA!)
*wearing 12-18month clothes
*wearing size 4 diapers (and still some cloth diapers)

I really really really love this little man!!!  he's SO cuddly and his smile is infectious!
I just can't get enough of him!!!

just a little picture takin'

I know, doesn't she look cute!?  So does that POISON sign on the bucket she's sitting on!   We were at the pool and found this cute little seat ;-)