Happy Anniversary!

I still feel like we're newlyweds most of the time, so to say it's been so long seems crazy... but today officially marks 3 years of sharing a last name and more than 5½ of being best friends.

Here's a shout out to us.

Together we have made some great things happen.. College graduations, moving apartments and then buying the perfect house, awesome vacations in Europe and Mexico as well as a few here in the US, and welcoming a beautiful baby into our family.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to share this life together.

But for reals. I get a little emotional when it comes to my family and thinking about how lucky we are to get to enjoy being together forever.

I feel like I do a lot for our family yet you do even more. Thank you for working so hard each day to provide for our family. You are an amazing example to me of loyalty and unconditional love. Sometimes I think I take you for granted but I promise I try to show you each day that I appreciate you. Thank you for being the classy one in our relationship. And the logical one. The one who sets goals and has the discipline to stick with it. The one who is truly kind and sincere. Seriously, how'd I get so lucky to end up with an amazing guy like you?!

I love you M.

Here's to a million more days together!

See that silly grin? My boys are so good at making me smile like a crazy fool.

Baby A at 5 Months

This cute boy has been growing up like crazy this past month! He was so little when he was born that I haven't been sad as he's gotten bigger because I was too busy being happy he was healthy. But this past month, I swear he's growing like a weed plus making so many developmental advances that it's making me a little sad because he doesn't seem like my itty bitty baby anymore!

These are his stats right now:

• Weight: 14.8 lbs.
• Height: 26.5 inches
• Diaper Size: He wears Size 1 but we'll be upgrading to Size 2 once we use up the package of 1s.
• Clothing Size: He still wears 0-3 Months but it's on my to-do list this week to pack those up and bust out the 3-6 Months.
• Likes: Rolling from his back to his tummy {but not his tummy to his back!}, fake coughing, high-pitched squealing, giggling and smiling, cuddling with his blankey.
• Dislikes: Being left to play by himself, feeling hungry for more than 0.2 seconds.

He is getting harder to take places because he loves the world so much that he looks at everything and can't fall asleep. So when we are out past a naptime, he gets overtired rather than falling asleep in the carseat or stroller like he used to. But his excitement to see the world is a lot of fun when we go anywhere in his stroller.

We got a jogging stroller this past week and Baby A loves going running or even just for walks. He absolutely loves being outside and now that he can sit up in a stroller and see the outside world while we go on walks makes him so happy!

Sometimes when he gets fussy, we go into the backyard to look at the trees and hear the birds to help him cheer up. He particularly loves the windchimes that we have and gets so excited that he flails his arms and legs about in excitement when he sees it.

He rolls like a champion but doesn't use rolling as a method to move around yet. He started rolling tummy to back first, but now he prefers back to tummy.

Lately, his tongue seems to be his favorite fashion accessory and it's always poking out and wiggling all over the place.

He also loves using his hands for everything! While eating, they are constantly moving and scratching my arms and poking me in the face. He likes playing with things like my hair and luckily he doesn't pull—he just likes feeling it run through his fingers and giggles.

We've been feeding him oatmeal cereal at night the past couple of weeks. At first he hated using a spoon, but now he's starting to get the hang of it... even though he still always ends up making a total mess! That's why eating always happens right before bathtime.

We haven't started feeding him any other solid foods besides cereal yet because we wanted to establish his familiarity with the spoon first, but we had watermelon on Memorial Day weekend and couldn't resist letting him have a little lick... which turned into a full-on attack and he got mad if we tried taking it away. With a mom and dad who both love sweets, we shouldn't be surprised that he does too!

We got a jumper and an exersaucer for him because A loves to be standing so much of the time. Apparently it's a lot more fun to stand with his parents' help rather than to have to stand on his own.

But luckily, he'll enjoy playing in the toys as long as he still gets our attention!

We feel so fortunate to have such a happy baby!  He loves his mom and dad and smiles, giggles, and squeals for us almost all the time. He is rarely grumpy and, even when he is, it consists of him making some whiney-sounding noises and trying not to smile when we smile at him. It's actually quite funny in these moments to watch him not know whether to be happy or sad. We think he's the best baby in the world and we are so glad to be his parents!

Auntie Amy's Graduation!

This week, Baby A and I took a trip to Idaho to celebrate Auntie Amy's high school graduation.

M had work obligations and couldn't get away to come with us, so it was quite the adventure to drive several hours just me and the little man. Thank goodness his stuffed animals entertained him for portions of the drive or we both would have gone crazy because he hated staring at the back seat for hours on end {whoever though rear-facing carseats were a good idea should come talk to me!} and would just whine until I'd pull over and sit in the backseat to play with him.

But thanks to toys like his trusty roaring dinosaur, we made it!

True to family tradition, we started the celebration off with dinner at Johnny Carino's. Poor Auntie Amy didn't get much of a choice because as the fifth kid in the family after the other four all had their dinner celebration at the same restaurant, she was stuck with the tradition factor.

Then came the main event. Her 4-part singing group, Chanteuse, was asked to sing the national anthem at the beginning of the graduation ceremony. Her choir, Bonnevaires, was also asked to perform. I loved the opportunity to hear her sing because I miss her other performances due to the fact that we live in different states. She has an amazing voice!

The graduation was held outdoors but it was chilly and windy. Baby A doesn't handle wind well so he simply looks like a massive bundle of blankets in all the photos!

We are so proud of Auntie Amy for graduating and excited for her college adventures to begin in the fall. She adores Baby A and is an amazing friend to me. We love her like crazy!

The next day, Baby A got to spend lots of playtime with Meema and Papa. It's funny to watch two grownups turn to mush in adoration while playing with Baby A. It was fun to show them his latest developments and see them get to spend time with him.

One other thing that cracked me up about our trip was introducing A to his first cat. My family's cat, Dude {yes, that's really his name!} is a huge ball of fluff, very mellow and just loves to snuggle, so he was fun for A to play with. Baby A kept giggling and running his fingers through the fluff. It was adorable!

My First Mother's Day

I love being a mom. I have the cutest baby in the world and I am so grateful to him for officially introducing me to the world of mommyhood.

I love this munchkin and feel so lucky for the opportunity I have to be his mommy.

It was fun having a day to be pampered for being a mom but I couldn't help but feel that I'm so new to all this! And that the day shouldn't be for me but rather just for the well-practiced mothers who have been wonderful examples to me throughout my life.

Particularly my own momma.

I love my mom so much and hope that I can even a portion of as great of a mom for Baby A as she has been for me and my siblings. Her whole world has revolved around her five kids since the day they came into the world. She is so unselfish and caring. She is an amazing example of quiet service to all those around her in need. She has a million friends and everyone loves her because she is so kind and a true friend. She is my hero and I hope I can be a mom like her!

Today also made me extremely grateful for the daddy and baby who complete me being a mommy! My boys were so sweet to me. M brought me breakfast in bed {which was adorable because I don't really like breakfast but he managed to make a tray of food that I would enjoy!} and gifts. He also teamed up with Baby A to give me the cutest massive card ever.

Gosh, I love my boys!

I know that this is a holiday that is heart-wrenching for so many women who would love the opportunity to be a mom but have not been able to due to a spectrum of reasons. I truly believe it takes a village to raise a child and I am so grateful for all the women who love my baby and nurture him and me as if we were part of their own family.

Wow, this is a holiday that makes me really, really grateful.

Baby A at 4 Months

This kid gets more and more fun each day!

He had his checkup {and shots which made him horribly miserable, but that's another story for another day} and these are his current stats:

• Weight: 13.1 lbs.
• Height: 25 inches
• Diaper Size: He is still wearing Size 1.
• Clothing Size: He is still wearing 0-3 Months.
• Likes: When dad comes home from work, when mom sings to him, standing or sitting up, laughing and being tickled.
• Dislikes: Being sick, nursing instead of getting a bottle, being held horizontally rather than getting to sit up, loud noises and big groups of people around him.

I love that he is chunking up a bit and has made it to the thirtieth percentile in weight! As his doctor said, that's a big step up since his birth weight was the third percentile! I love my Chunky Monkey!

His personality is adorable and he definitely already has some quirks. One of our favorites is that, because he sneezes all the time, he's figured out the sensation and knows its coming and so sometimes he does a fake sneeze that sounds like he's yelling "Huh!" right before the real sneeze comes. It cracks us up every time.

Another quirk is that he does a little shiver when he pees. We first discovered this because he pees every time we put him in the bathtub. Then we started noticing he randomly shivers the same way throughout the day... and then suddenly the wetness indicator on his diaper turns blue. It's hilarious!

He still cuddles with me {which makes me a very happy momma!} but he is starting to be so distracted by everything in the world around him. He's enjoying tummy time more now that he is strong enough to hold his head up high and realizes it allows him to see all around him. He started rolling from his tummy to his back about two weeks ago but is still a bit uncertain about the fact that he is making it happen and not just falling over.

We got him a chair similar to a Bumbo and he loves sitting in it! He doesn't like to lay on his back hardly at all anymore and always wants to be standing or at least sitting.

TV fascinates him and although I swore I would never be the kind of mom that would just plop my kid in front of a show to keep him entertained, but while he was sick from his shots I lowered my elitest standards for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Henry Hugglemonster. He loves it! And the distraction really helped take his mind off how much his cute little body was hurting.

He has become very attached to his blanket {but truthfully, it's not a particular blanket but rather just any that are soft and fuzzy} and has to have it next to his face when he falls asleep.

By next to his face, I mean that is how we try to position it... but he likes to pull it up to his face. And a lot of times he pulls it completely over his head while he is soothing himself to sleep.

Speaking of soothing himself, he also likes to sing himself to sleep. But in actuality, this singing sounds more like a cross between moaning and humming. And it tends to get louder and louder until he finally falls asleep.

His motor skills are continuing to develop and he has become very adept with his little hands. He grabs at everything and immediately puts whatever he has found into his mouth. He is getting quite fond of pulling his mom's hair...

He is funny around people. He does well in one-on-one time with new people and, like his dad, has a special fondness for blonde girls. It takes a little bit of time for him to warm up to girls with darker hair because they don't look like his mom. He hasn't really met any blonde guys so I'm not sure if he'd be hesitant around guys that don't look like his dad too. And he really doesn't like large group settings and people talking loudly. He does fine at a restaurant or somewhere that the noise stays at a steady roar... but when we have company at our house and individual people are speaking loudly, he gets upset.

I love that he has such a strong personality and has definite preferences and dislikes. He's so much fun!

Baby A's First Soccer Game

Anyone who knows M already knows the fact that he LOVES soccer {or football as he calls it in his cute British accent}. So it won't come as a surprise to anyone that he is secretly plotting how he can guarantee that his son shares the same passion for the game.

And one of the first steps to guaranteeing this is to surround him with soccer. So we took A to his very first live game!

Happy Birthday M!

Today was this cute guy's 28th birthday!

We think he is the best daddy ever. Baby A's smile is solid proof of how much he loves his dad!

For M's birthday celebrations, we had a party with M's family the night before and then spent the day together just the three of us. We thought about taking A to the zoo or aquarium but wondered how much he'd enjoy it... so we just went to the local pet store instead.

He loved the little animals but was especially fascinated by the fishies!

We also went to a park because both M and Baby A love being outside! It was fun just kicking a ball around and enjoying the sunshine.

Hopefully M had a fantastic birthday because we had a great time sharing the day with him!

And I just want to say that I am so thankful I was blessed to find and marry this man. He makes me so happy. He is even better than I imagined in a husband and father. I love his kind, giving heart and contagious smile. I'm such a lucky girl to have the two greatest boys in the world!

The Best Thing in Our Life

Ready for an extremely sappy post?

I found this picture in my album {an album of 1600 photos from his first 3 months of life... yes, we're a bit obsessed!} and it made me a little teary-eyed.

The whole teary-eyed phenomenon tends to happen fairly often these days. Which is so strange to me because I've never been one to be overly emotional.

And now I cry at the simplest things.

Like two days ago when we were listening to Pandora's Disney station and the Tarzan song "You'll Be In My Heart" came on. I was singing it to A with tears rolling down my cheeks {and he looked at me with a mix of concern and an expression like his mom is crazy...}.

But he really is in my heart. He has filled my heart with so much happiness. This picture encapsulates the feelings of pure fascination and adoration we feel for him. A has enriched our lives in a way I never thought was possible. Before he came along, I really thought our lives were happy and complete. I had no idea how much he would add to our world. His smile and little giggle makes even the worst days melt away. He is absolutely the best thing in life and we love him so much!

I Love Pictures

I have the cutest sister in the world and she came to stay with us for the weekend. And, because she's amazing and kind and generous, her fancy schmancy camera came with her to take family photos for us! I absolutely love how they turned out.

A Phantastic Photoshoot

See what I did there? Yeah, I spelled fantastic with a ph. Just trying to be clever. Being a new mom and running on little sleep, that whole "being clever" thing is tough to do sometimes so please cut me some slack!

Now where was I going with that... oh yes, we had a photoshoot. I have a darling family friend from back in Idaho who happens to be an amazing photographer with just the bright, clean style I love for photos. You may remember the great job she did with our wedding...

Well, fate must love me because she recently moved to Utah and only about 15 minutes away from our new house! So, of course, I wanted her to do some baby photos of A. The photoshoot was tons of fun and the photos turned out adorable. Here's a sneak peak of some of my faves:

I love his eyes! They are the coolest blueish-gray I have ever seen!

I'm pretty sure he's the cutest baby that has ever existed {slightly biased mom speaking...}!

His legs rarely ever stop moving. His dad is thrilled because he may or may not be already planning Baby A's future soccer career...

Speaking of those future plans, I had the brilliant thought of "his dad likes soccer so I bet if I take a little soccer ball, we can get a really cute photo for his daddy!" Um, he obviously despised that idea.

I love this one because I feel like it pretty much sums up what we do all day: pull faces and make silly sounds at each other.

I have no idea what face he's trying to pull here but I like to tell myself he was just trying to do kisses back to his mommy...

And it looks like he's practicing for his future modeling career in this one. Blue Steel, anyone?

The giant bear tried to be pals with A... but he seemed a bit uncertain what to make of this big furry friend...

He was so adorable for pretty much the entire shoot! Dang, how did I get so lucky to have such a cute little boy?!