A little out of order, but.....

life can be hectic with two little ones. Wonderful! Spontaneous! Delightful! But crazy!!! So, I promised more birthday pictures of James and I intend to follow through on that but first a quick post about my sweet B, my cuddles, my booper looper, my baby, my Brendan.

When I eventually print this blog as a book to serve as a keepsake it is going to be a little out of order and there might also be some repeats, but I think (***hope***) it will show my boys that I tried to document the big things for them, and some of the little things as well. I think it will be a nice addition to their scrapbooks and photobooks. So here are some pictures of Brendan at 4.5 months. I need to come back and post his 3 month pictures and his stats from his well baby visit.

At 4.5 months old Brendan's favorite thing is......drumroll please.........ME! What a momma's boy I've got and I am LOVING every single minute of it. He is PURE JOY! What a good-natured baby! Daniel and I swear that in his whole life he has not cried for more than 10 minutes all together. Seriously! How wonderful is that!?! Pretty darn wonderful I am here to tell you! Brendan enjoys cuddling and just sort of melts into you and is so comfortable. He seems so light to me, but that could just be in comparison to James' 30 lbs. His personality is so calm and so curiously sweet. I think these pictures from Nell at Cowtown Camera Girl just capture him perfecly. He is a complete doll!

James and the Cozy Coupe, one of his favorite birthday presents!

Hard to believe the Cozy Coupe has been around for 30 years! I never had one and wanted to make sure our boys did. Nana and Granddaddy gave James this for his birthday. Daniel put it together so it was waiting for him when he woke up, hence the pjs and crazy Jamer hair! To say he loves it in an understatement. The ones with the hat crack me up. Daniel always wears his Auburn hat in the car. So, I guess James thought he needed one on too! More birthday pics coming soon....

Happy Birthday Dear Jamer, Happy Birthday to You!

Jamer is two! Well, he will be soon. How can this be possible? How can that little bundle we brought home really be turning two? It seems impossible. But, yes, this loving, giving, hilarious, stubborn, feisty ball of energy is about to be two years old!

We celebrated his birthday yesterday with a party at Build-A-Bear. James got a kick out of the whole thing (except the singing to him part! A little overwhelmed I guess!) and it seemed to big a big hit with the other kiddos as well. We would highly recommend a Build-A-Bear party. The guy who led ours did a good job entertaining all the kids and by the time they left, each child had a bear (or monkey, or frog, or bunny!) to take home with them. James picked out a horse. We named him Mr. Ed. Super creative, huh?!

Our friends are good sports for braving the mall during the Christmas season! It was a little crazy at times, but when is it not when toddlers are involved! Daniel and I had a blast watching James enjoy himself. He really got into it. And Brendan is the world's best little brother! He didn't make a peep during the whole party.

Short on time, so just posting a few pictures of James from the party. More pictures to come soon!

9 Things for Which I am Thankful - Thanksgiving '09

No. 1
My toddler's tantrums, because that means that I know the joy of having watched a child grow to feel independent.

No. 2
My baby's diapers that need changing, because that means I know he has enough to eat.

No. 3
My mortgage, because that means I have a roof over my head and a place to call home.

No. 4
The full hamper in my closet, because it means we have clothes to put on our backs.

No. 5
The medical bills we have, because that means there was a doctor there to treat us when we were sick.

No. 6
The never-ending to-do list, because it means I have a full life and am needed by the people who love me.

No. 7
The alarm clock ringing early, because it means I have a job to get to.

No. 8
The pair of tennis shoes abandoned where they don't belong, because it reminds me that I share my home with my best friend.

No. 9
Starbucks, because it reminds me that if I were less tired, I wouldn't be living life as much as I am!





Change the way you look at things and you can change your world!

Marked as One of Christ's Own Forever

I love this line that is a standard at the end of baptisms in the Episcopal church. I am a little behind in posting this, but Brendan was baptized on November 1st which is All Saint's Day. We had many family and friends in attendance and I was overjoyed to share the special day in the spiritual life our of son with those we love. Our priest, Father Crary, mentioned Brendan several times during the homily, which focused on how we can all be saints in our daily lives. We are all familiar with "the big saints" but he reminded all of us that there are millions of saints who were just ordinary people who lived simple, good and Godly lives. We sang the same hymn that was sung at my own baptism, "I Sing a Song of the Saints of God". It is one of my favorite hymns ever. It is written for children and I just love singing it. When the priest was pouring the water over Brendan's head I got teary and just felt so overwhelmed by God's love and grace. I got goosebumps thinking about what was happening at that very moment. Brendan's godparents were chosen because we knew that these people love us and love him deeply and will help us raise him to know God. We chose my cousins Donna and Jamie Sharp and two of our closest friends, Kelli Merrill and George Flint. After the ceremony, we celebrated the occasion with a very casual BBQ lunch at our house complete with a cake, beer and a little college football. Our family, friends and neighbors presented Brendan with beautiful and thoughtful gifts including books, picture frames and crosses for his room. Overall, I would say it was a wonderful morning!


The proud Godparents and the newly baptized baby Brendan!



A family shot, sans James, who just couldn't cooperate enough for a family photo. Gotta love toddlers!



Nana and Granddaddy with Brendan. I like how Brendan is giving a little wink here! He is saying "Thank you Nana and Granddaddy for buying me this beautiful heirloom baptismal outfit that I can pass down to my sons!".



The cute and tasty cake we chowed down on after the yummiest BBQ.