4 Months

Each month that passes with Noah is a little bittersweet. I know we'll never have another baby like Noah & I'm just trying to soak in my time with him while he's little. I've developed such a soft spot in my heart for little boys & have loved having one. There's just something special about little boys. At 4 months Noah is obsessed with his hands - eating them, staring at them, & trying to grab things. He's always laughing & smiling & still thinks his sister sets the sun. He's happy & calm & cuddly & I thank my lucky stars that he's ours. Happy 4 months baby boy!

 

 

 

 



Goodbye 2013

Happy New Year! I always love a new year & the chance it gives me to start fresh. I’m a goal setter by nature & so I love setting new goals & reflecting on the previous year. 2013 was a great year for our family & the major highlights for me were celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary, Tyler graduating with his MBA, Ruby turning 2, & I still can hardly believe that it was the year we became a family of 4. Noah has definitely been the best part of our 2013. I know I’ve said it before, but that little boy of ours is just the perfect addition to our family. I remember the year we adopted Ruby & I just felt like the luckiest girl alive & I’ve felt the same way since adopting Noah. Each time we’ve been able to add a baby to our family I just feel so incredibly grateful. Grateful for our beautiful birth mothers & grateful for a God that loves me & is mindful of me always. 2013 has also been a year where I’ve spent a lot of time on my knees in prayer, asking for direction & guidance. I’ve learned a lot & made a lot of mistakes & through it all I’ve developed an intimacy with God that has brought a greater depth of understanding for which I’m grateful. So 2014, I’m ready for you!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Christmas 2013

I never have much to show for Christmas in the way of pictures, but this year was a great one. This was the first year that Ruby really understood what was going on & was really excited about it. All month we've talked about baby Jesus & why we celebrate Christmas & of course there's been plenty of talk about Santa as well. Ruby was over the moon when my mom brought her a little nativity & Christmas tree for her bedside table & she's spent all month playing with them both. I've loved hearing her point out who each person is in the nativity & how she gasped when she opened her dollhouse Christmas morning. Everyone needs a toddler at Christmas because it just makes it the best. Noah was just happy to be there & stayed calm throughout the chaos - oh, how I love that little boy & his calm nature. Next year will be even more fun when he'll be a little older & able to join in on the fun. I love Christmas more than the average girl, but man, this year I was okay to see it go. I felt like I could hardly catch my breath all month & there just weren't enough hours in the day to get it all done. But despite all the craziness, I felt awfully grateful to be able to spend so much time with family & reflect on what matters most. And getting to play Santa has got to be pretty high on my list of reasons why being a parent is awesome.

 

 

 

 



Scenes From Our House Lately

 

 

 

 

 

 

I really, really love these two kids of mine. Having two kids is definitely twice as much work & my back aches most days from always carrying someone around. But having two kids is also twice as much fun and has certainly doubled my joy. Lately we've been putting Noah's baby tub in the bath with Ruby so we only have to do bath time once. Noah kicks like a maniac & splashes water everywhere while Ruby plays with all of her bath toys & talks incessantly. And then every so often their eyes meet & they both start smiling or giggling at each other & my heart feels like it could just burst. Those are the moments that make parenting so, so worth it. I'm exhausted by the end of the day but in a satisfying way because I like working hard for this family of mine. I'm convinced it's the best work there is.



These Two

 One of my favorite parts of the day is when Noah wakes up. As soon as Ruby hears him she runs into his room & climbs up on the side of his crib & says, "Hi sweet boy, you're so handsome. Hi smiley boy." or something along those lines. And then Noah beams & his eyes follow her every move. These two love each other in a way I never could have expected. They were meant to be together. And I feel like one lucky girl that I get to be their mama. 

Family Pictures 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



3 Months

This last month has flown by & I've realized that time goes by way faster with your second baby. Each month just gets better with Noah & we are all loving seeing him develop & grow. He loves to stand while we hold him, he seems to be thinking about rolling over, he's officially sleeping through the night (Hallelujah!) & he's just as sweet as he looks. I had no idea just how much I would love having a little boy. Happy 3 months sweet Noah!