Our Last Week.

He's gone crazy. We're having so much fun!

Last week I was bummed - Noah was fussy and sad and had an ugly virus - and this made me sad.

Enter Sunday - POOF - we have our sweet, happy, content baby back. Thank goodness.

Starting Sunday we introduced some solid foods into our little man's world. And he has taken to it like CRAZY. We started with just plain rice cereal with some breastmilk. Then Sunday evening we started with bananas. The first day he made this face...I have a picture. It was pretty cute. Like he wasn't sure what the heck we were doing here. But by today he is ROCKING it out. Flies himself right through his food. He currently LOVES his high chair. As soon as you put him in it he starts lifting his arms up and down with a big smile and then he sits so still when you feed him. It's awesome. I realize that this won't always be the case but we sure are enjoying it while it lasts. But score one for the bananas because he loved it.

Also this week he decided he wanted to start trying to crawl. He actually got up on his hands and knees. He's goes back down before he moves..but oh my goodness he's almost there. CRAZY. I don't quite know how to handle a crawling, eating baby. I see now what people mean when they say "it goes so fast." They aren't kidding.

Here are some pictures! And videos if they'll load.

These three have nothing to do with the food..but the other day I put Noah in the laundry basket to pull him around the room in it. He was sitting in the front and loving it. But then he stood up...
And this happened. Which looked a little more like a face plant from which he looked up with this smile! (I actually have an action shot of the fall because my hand was on the button as I tried to save him from the crash-how thankful I was for this smile)
So we tried again..this time in the back of the basket, sitting. He was happy as a clam. Practicing in his big highchair. We have tried that sippy cup with some water...it isn't happening. It's a bit difficult..so we'll put that one away until he's a smidge older. But he's cute when he puts it in his mouth and gums at it.


Noah's first morning of cereal. This is the face that was cracking us up. He doesn't really make it anymore...he gets really excited when he knows food is coming.
I set him up to get pictures of his little onesie..but this picture happened and I LOVE it.
Waiting patiently for daddy to give him his first taste of bananas
They love each other.
And videos..he really does like this now..you can't tell from the videos. :)

First feeding:


First Bananas:


Here he is on the move:

Pinterest. Yes please.

So Pinterest.

Oh dear pinterest. I tried hard not to fall to it. But I love it. Now I say this...but I only allow myself onto that website just a little bit because clearly it could become addictive. That and I can't seem to figure it out as well as I would like to. But either way..I love it!

So this week some ladies had a Pinterest Party. We were told to come with supplies to make a bracelet (from pinterest of course) and to bring an appetizer or dessert from pinterest to share. It was so much fun!

I made cake batter blondies from pinterest...and they were delish (or at least I think so)! I also made two bracelets! See below. :) So much fun!




Funny story though..I find that when I concentrate I don't talk much. Strange for me. I'm sitting in this room full of awesome ladies and I'm just so focused on my little flower I was making that I didn't really talk all that much. (Don't you worry...my version of not much is about the normal amount for everyone else.) Anyways...so I'm sitting there working on my little flower and allowing my mind to just wander. It was awesome. I think I should do that more often.

So I really hope we make these a regular thing. I have some other pinterest projects I'd like to try.

Have a great week! We had a pretty awesome weekend. Noah changes so much every day that we have our video camera and the regular camera going at all times it feels like. Today we did cereal and bananas for the first time. He actually ate them like a champ! :) Still fighting that silly virus so we don't want to try anything else. But I'm comfortable with the bananas and cereal. I have videos and pictures so I'm sure I'll put those up soon for the family! :)

The Giggle.

Oh he giggles. It's funny.

.

We took him to the doctor yesterday. His big ol' rash and bad GI things were all from a nasty virus apparently. Mean little virus. Has done terrible things to our little man's skin. The doctor kept saying "oh my goodness poor little guy." (P.S. That will seriously make you feel like a bad mom) What happened to nursing kiddos being immune? I realize they will get sick..and Noah totally isn't even aware that his skin looks like a quilt of dry skin and his poor tummy is all sorts of a mess.

Another video you ask? Sure..here is a video of him scooting his way to Brad's phone. Clearly his daddy's boy. Likes him some technology.



6 Month Stats:
19lb 3oz. (80th Percentile)
27" (75th Percentile)

I had kinda hoped that his weight would be up more...I always worry he's not getting enough milk. Crazy. I know. Boy has some serious rolls. But anyways..he is incredibly active (read BUSY) now..so that is probably the reason for that. The height thing...He dropped 20% on the chart..but let's be honest..with us for parents..height probably isn't going to be his strong point. :)

In other news:
This week I have a pinterest party that I'm going to. Can I get a HECK YES! So pumped about this. I love that the invitation said you must have an addiction to pinterest. I mean..I'm just getting into it..but it's most DEFINITELY growing on me. All sorts of fun things on there. Tomorrow I am making dessert I found on there.

To follow up my EXTREMELY girly pinterest party...I've joined a fantasy football league with Brad and his grad school friends (and their wives) this year. I am so pumped for this! Love all the people we're doing it with, and it will be fun for the wives to have a chance to take those dudes down! Draft on Saturday night..and seirously...I'm excited. :)

I bought baby food and cereal today. Shout out to you Amy Bean for suggesting not to make the food until we get through these first tries and making sure we don't have any allergies. Thank you! No need to waste. So I dove in and bought a few today. We'll be starting hopefully later this week as soon as the little GI bug clears up.

TOTALLY forgot to mention that our dear friends Ryan and Jess and their precious baby Audrey Claire a month ago! We are so excited for them! We can't wait to meet that beautiful baby girl soon!!

And El and Ryan have baby Austin on the way in just over a month! So excited to see that sweet boy too!

That's it for tonight! Have a great night!

6 Months Already! Time FLIES!

Oh my goodness - today is the day we mark half a year with our little man already. I am having such a hard time believing that. I mean seriously. It absolutely feels like yesterday that we were in the hospital anxious waiting for him..and now 6 months. Wow.

This month - BY FAR my favorite. In the past two weeks he has just gone crazy with some development. It amazes me. So awesome!

Here's what he's doing!
Giggling. FINALLY. I'm so in love. It's hilarious. Sometimes he all out giggles. Then sometimes you find him on his tummy looking at something just hahaha.....hahahaha....hahaha. (That's my impression of intermittent giggling of his) It's pretty funny. Just in the last two weeks has he really taken off on this.

He likes peek-a-boo now. Before he really didn't care. But now he loves when we play that.

He moves everywhere..and is getting faster by the day. He giggles the whole time too. That is awesome. Today when I put him on the bed for his 6 month picture he about scooted himself off the bed before I grabbed him..and I was right next to him looking at the camera. FAST boy.

He has a seriously liking for anything he shouldn't be trying to go for. If there is an option between a cord or a toy - he almost 100% picks the cord. Have to watch him closely.

He recognizes his family in pictures. At least I think so. Brad, me, and all his grandparents. Even Aunt Sarah and Uncle Luke got a big smile out of him.

Remember when I talked about how chill he was. Wow. That has changed. He remains chill at some times..like when other kiddos are around. He's content to take that all in. But if it's just us, or we're eating dinner, or on an airplane, or BEDTIME - boy is CRAZY!!! He seriously goes nuts.

He is much more purposeful with his movements. He grabs things with such an effort and is so determined to get anything he sets his mind to.

Continues to be a happy baby. QUITE the ham. On the flights to Denver and back this week..he found anyone who was looking at him and gave them a huge grin and a jabber.

Loves to talk. Jabber Jabber Jabber. Makes more consonant sounds now.

Continues to watch us so intensely when we are eating next to him. If we're being honest...I've given him a taste of a few things. He hasn't quite figured out what to do with a spoon, but he sure is interested.

Graduated to a high chair while we were on vacation. We didn't have an infant car seat...so high chair it was...although I was the bad parent who didn't have a cover. Oops.

He will be graduating soon to a bigger car seat. He is SOOO heavy for me to carry around in his infant seat, and the limit is 22 pounds..so I'm pretty sure that's happening soon.

That's about it for today. He's sleeping currently then we have to run to the grocery and to his doctor appointment. Sadly...our little guy broke out in a HUGE rash while we were in Colorado. We're not sure what caused it...think it might have been a combination of the colder, dry air and the detergents for the sheets at the hotels. It made us sooo sad though. Between that and some belly issues I asked if we could get his appointment moved up and they were able to squeeze us in today. I'm excited to see how big he's grown.

After this appointment we're going to start some solids. I'm so excited about this. I need to make some food this week, I plan to make the majority of his food. We'll see how I do.

Here's some pictures from his pictures today. It's getting harder and harder to do these because he's so wiggly...and getting so big. A fun challenge though..

Just because.

I'm going a little blog crazy. Simply because I don't have to work on the apartment, and we don't fly out until tonight.

It's beautiful.

So Noah is napping. First time all week he really went without a struggle. So I'm going to post pictures for our family back home.

LOOK at what we've started doing! He has been kinda sitting here and there, but then he would fall and topple over. But each day he gets more sturdy. How is it possible that he is already big enough to do this? He's so proud of himself!

Hanging out on Mama and Dada's bed.

LOVE that sweet smile!
Funny kiddo.
The definition of cool. Right there.
Story behind this...while I think Noah doesn't notice that I'm gone on the days I work..I think at the end of the day he does. He smiles at me when I come in the door, but the last few shifts when I'm in the shower he has started getting fussy. (Can't touch him until I shower when I get home because who knows what nastiness I've brought home with me - hardest thing ever!) But anyways..last week after I showered I took him while he was fussy and he scooted right up on me until his face was literally on top of mine and then closed his eyes and slept. Not soundly...but it may have been the most precious part of my day. Oh my goodness. The picture doesn't quite do it justice..but we were at a weird angle so Brad was doing his best. :)
That's it for the day! Need to get ready while sweet little man sleeps! Have a great weekend!!

Yay!

Apartment is organized!

S-WEEEEEEET!!!

This is the first time since the house was on the market that we're just living and relaxing. So stinking pumped to just be able to have a home for a few months!

Sweet story from today...
I held a picture from our wedding day up in front of Noah. I pointed to Brad and Noah got so excited and started smiling and bouncing in his little exersaucer. Best response ever.

I then left for a second so that I could make our bed and I hear him giggling..he was looking at the picture and giggling. Oh love.

He also has decided that napping for me is unacceptable. Auntie Shauna watched him last Friday and boy slept wonderfully. However...if I'm here..and I lay him down in the crib. He cries. This is not so much a bedtime thing - tonight it was but very shortly- but a nap thing. So today I went back in and gave him a paci...he dropped it when I left and cried some more. I think I went back in three times then decided to pick him up. He INSTANTLY closed his eyes. 5 minutes later I put him down and out he was. However...since he's been doing this he hasn't been napping for very long. We've definitely gotten out of any sort of routine in the last few weeks between moving and a crazy schedule. So I think maybe this is where it's showing up. I'm thankful that other than naps and really then only at the beginning of his naps..he's a very content and easy baby. But I sure do hope he starts napping a little easier soon. Poor little guy.

He sleeps fine at night, and wakes up in the morning smiling so I guess it's not that bad.

That's about all for tonight. Probably should get some rest before we leave tomorrow. Yay!

So So So Excited!

We're going on a vacation. Mini. But it's a vacation!

I CAN'T WAIT!!!

Brad left for Colorado this morning, and Noah and I will be joining him there on Thursday.

I am seriously beyond words excited!

I'm most excited to have the opportunity to take our sweet boy out into the sunshine when we don't have to fear for his little health. Seriously. I feel like we have been caged in our apartment for the past few weeks. I think we hit like 50something days of weather over 100 degrees this year so far. There doesn't appear to be an end in sight. When Noah was first born we went on walks every day..until the doctor told me we better stop because of the smoke in the air. We took a week break then started again.

But this horrible heat..you know the kind where you literally drip sweat just walking to your car...I feel horrible making Noah go out in that. The only time of day it feels nice is like 9pm, and sweet boy is down for the count by that time.

Anyways..no reason to complain about the weather. This crazy summer will end soon and we will be back to the beautiful Austin weather we're used to...I just know it! Then our little man can be out all day if he wants enjoying that sunshine!

All that to say...I am beyond pumped! It's a short trip, we get back Sunday, but it's going to be awesome! Brad sent pictures today as he landed in Denver and I was so jealous that he's already there!

In other news...sweet Noah really seems to notice this time that his daddy isn't here. While it makes me sad for him..I also LOVE it that he knows and loves Brad so much. I'm not sure that's the situation, but I'm choosing to believe it. Our little guy did NOT want to go down for the night tonight. I think he knew Brad was missing because fussiness at bedtime is not in our norm. (Not sleeping for me at nap time - that's TOTALLY his norm though.) We can't wait to be back with him on Thursday.

Also. I don't cook when Brad's gone. I don't see the point. So today I had chick-fil-a for breakfast (justification: I felt that after getting up at 3:15 to take Brad to the airport, then getting back up at 6:30 chick-fil-a was a needed thing.) Then I basically skipped lunch, for a mid-afternoon snack/early-bird dinner I had a little quesadilla and a leftover taco. Then when I realized that probably wouldn't suffice for the whole night I had a peach, some soup, and leftover couscous.

And lots of water. That's right - I drank WATER! :)

But seriously. That's a random day.

Also. I am STARVING all the time. ALWAYS. For sweets. Last night I asked Brad to bring home eggs and ice cream. Eggs for brownies of course. Weird.

That's it. All I have for the night. Off to do some laundry and head to bed. Have a great week!

Parenting Fail.

Last night.

I took Noah to a baseball game with friends while Brad had a meeting for church.

(Sidenote: Before we moved I was drinking water like CRAZY! I mean I was drinking more water than I ever have in my life. LOVED it. Then we moved and the water in our apartment is not tasty. So neither is the ice.)

So I may have had a Diet Coke, Diet Dr. Pepper, and then last night at the game a diet pepsi. Please don't judge me. I had apple juice and milk too. I just was craving pop yesterday. Or more honestly something that was ice cold..and our water isn't. Even though we bought an Ozarka 2 gallon container.

Anyways..we got home and Noah was crashed out. But he still needed to eat and get changed into his jammies. Well I woke him to do those things and then Brad was in the parking lot so I wanted Noah to be able to see him before he went to bed.

Well..Noah LOVES him some Brad. Once Brad's home we're not restful anymore. His buddy is here and he's ready to play. So by this time it's like 10:30 we put him down around 10:45.

Well then Brad hopped into the shower and I had to go back in twice to Noah's room because he was up with his face in the corner of the crib and lost his paci. So I would move him, give him his paci so he'll let himself sleep and off I went.

Well Brad got out of the shower and I told Brad to maybe bring Noah in because I figured we missed his window where he would put himself to sleep. At this point he was super happy just to play.

So Brad brought him in and Noah just went crazy. Happy, smiling, talking, cooing. Scooting all over the bed. Then he laid next to me facing the bathroom while Brad was brushing his teeth. Brad was playing peek-a-boo with Noah behind the wall. Every time Brad would go away after popping out Noah got soo excited he would giggle and then scoot a little closer on the bed to his daddy. Oh my goodness how it warms my heart the way he loves his daddy.

Anyways...so we decided we were helping him stay up too much, so we turned out the lights and I fed Noah again to help him calm down and then Brad took him in and laid him down again. Too which he immediately started jabbering and playing and moving all over the crib AGAIN. It's midnight at this point. I told Brad we would be up all night.

Then Brad came in and says "Where's his other paci?" OH NO. No way that's the reason right? See I had switched his paci's because everyone always tells me they look too small for his face, and Brad thinks they're too "feminine." So I switched him to a bigger paci that we had, one with a handle. BAM. Brad put the old paci in his mouth. The one with no handle and he INSTANTLY (no joke) went to sleep. Hilarious. All this play and craziness because of a paci. Really?

Caffeine and a paci. Parenting fail.

But boy was he happy. Adorable.

Also. He has mastered the scoot. Boy gets everywhere he wants to be, and gets quicker by the day. How is it possible that he is old enough to scoot where he wants to go? I call it scooting because it's not a crawl..though he sure tries...and it's not an army crawl because he uses his legs more than he pulls with his arms. But he sees something he wants and off he goes. I'm in love. Seriously. Yesterday I left him in the middle of the living room, and found him when I finished brushing my teeth up against the couch stuck because he hasn't quite realized that he can't go through solid things. He's funny this kid.

Anyways that's my story.
Have a great week!

He's still working on me.

So lately..now that the house is sold, and we moved into the apartment, and we realize the next step for us is definitely Taylor - I have been struggling with my selfish heart. We had a message this week about money at church, about having a generous heart, and looking at everything we have as a gift from God, and while I really always felt like that was something I did..I have found there are areas of this that I struggle with. Like the idea of buying a home that is different than where I saw myself in life. I mean...if we're being honest I never saw Taylor in our future when we moved to Austin 4 years ago. I mean..I didn't even know what Taylor was.

But then we met these sweet friends of ours the Campise fam. Guess who lives in Taylor. That's right..those sweet Campises that we love. They are awesome and would makes trips to Round Rock all the time from Taylor. I still didn't see it in our future.

Then of course there are the Mullins. They were the very first sweet couple we met here in Austin. They brought us to the Stone. We bought a home in their neighborhood when we bought our first home. Obviously, they are another fam we love and we got REALLY used to them being right there all the time, for real I LOVED it!

So rewind to about a year ago. Brad and I are praying and talking and know we need to refinance/sell our house. The problem - we just didn't know where we were supposed to move. So I started looking in Round Rock, Georgetown (north of Round Rock), and Austin. I found nothing. Then a few months later the Mullins begin talking about moving to Taylor. Brad and I talked..I thought Taylor was where we were supposed to be...he didn't. So I kept looking everywhere but there..but secretly I would scout out the Taylor real estate. But found nothing.

Around Thanksgiving time we decided that once Noah was born, we would get the house on the market sometime in the spring. As time went on we decided by May (or I decided). It didn't quite happen by May..but June 3rd or something it was on the market. Ready to go.

All this time we continued to check out websites and found nothing anywhere. Except in Taylor...I found a couple I thought could be interesting but we just weren't sure.

Well then the Mullins moved. The night they moved we left their house and the Campises were still sitting on the couch..and I realized we had a 30ish minute drive home and I lost it. Started crying right there in the driveway. Part of this could have been the hormones of just having a baby..but really that was the day I knew we were moving to Taylor.

After this we have gotten to know the Benaglio's better, another family moving to Taylor, and have decided more and more that this is just where God is leading us.

Time went by..and Brad one day said..."so I think we're moving to Taylor." Or something along those lines. I was so so so excited!

So we started looking. Our sweet realtor took us to Taylor multiple times..and we just couldn't find anything. I would find one then Brad would..they never really matched up. (Except one..which we put an offer in on..but we couldn't match up with the seller)

Anyways..so here we are. Our house sold. We haven't found a house yet. But we know where we're headed. But I'm struggling with a selfish heart..and apparently I'm a little more worldly than I ever want to admit. Because I look at some of the houses and I think "Nope, no way, nope. Too much of a project. It's not level. We'd have to re-do the kitchen." Blah blah blah. Then I see some of the beautiful already redone homes and I think..I could totally live here. Conveniently those aren't in our price range.

But I need to get over that.

See moving to Taylor is about more than being with our friends. We feel called there. The people who live there - we're doing life with them. They are actively loving on babies in the foster system..and that is something we have a heart for. We actively feel that we are called to be a support team for these people and those precious babies, and then to hopefully at some point be loving on foster kiddos in our own home. It's also about financial freedom. We are choosing to move there because we can definitely spend less on a home there. I won't have to work full time. It won't be like Round Rock. It's not that kind of town. It's going to be a different life. It's definitely not suburban. But we want to be in Taylor, loving on the people of Taylor.

But if we're being honest. I'm struggling a bit with what that will look like for us. Apparently I am extremely attached to our old home. Or more to what that home was.

So anyways. All that to say. The Lord is working in my heart. Hard. He is changing me and growing me. I'm thankful but I think I'm fighting it. I'm praying for peace for the next few months while we take a break from looking at homes, and for guidance when we start looking again. That Brad and I would be able to find a compromise for what we have to have vs what we can do ourselves in a home. That we will faithfully pursue where we're feeling led. That we won't worry about all the selfish worldly things we could be worried about (and sometimes do). That we will pursue WITH JOY where God is leading us, despite not always understanding. That I will give up some of these things that I think are important..and remember that EVERYTHING we have is His first. He blessed us so we can bless others.

That's my story.
Long winded. But where we're at.
Of course I'll keep you updated. :)

Have a great week!

P.S. On a lighter note..our adorable little guy now scoots wherever he wants to go. Puts his head down, his bum in the air, and pushes himself wherever he wants to be. AWESOME! :) I'll update on him in the next post. He's rocking our socks. Just one awesome little guy!