Grateful for

My camera.

Which allows me to capture beautiful and treasured images, even though I'm a crap-tastic photographer with no clue what I'm doing. 

I took these shots:

 

 

 

for my son's birth announcements, and I absolutely adore them.

 

Granted, we moved like three days after I received the finished announcements, so I never sent out 75% of them...

 

...but that's neither here nor there.

 

I think they're a little bit awesome.  Just imagine what would happen if I actually knew what I was doing!

 

Elephants, dry panties and a pajama run

Grateful for:

 

 

 

- Early mornings at home -

 

 

 

 

- Trips to the zoo -

 

- A little girl who kept her panties dry all day and earned... -

 

- a pajama run! -

What did Logan do during all this excitement?

 

 

That's a good day. 

 

Grateful for

I'm grateful there are NO similarities between my kids.

 

LJS, two and a half months old, Nov. 2012

 

LMS, two and a half months old 2010

 

Oh... wait....

 

LMS, three months old 2010

LJS, two and a half months Nov. 2012

 

Nevermind. 

Grateful for

The night I went into labor, I was beyond excited.  I felt good, I had time to take a shower, I was preparing myself mentally for what was about to happen. 

I was calm.  Cool.  Collected.

Except for one thing. 

When I watched my beautiful little girl sleep, I was overcome with tears.  As much as we had looked forward to and prayed for a sibling, I had immense guilt in that moment that she would no longer be my only baby.  The single center point of her Mommy's world. 

I didn't want to wake her, but I also didn't want to leave without saying goodbye.

So I laid in bed with her, cradled that two-and-a-half year old body and told her how much I loved her.  How lucky I was that God selected me to be her mommy.  How much I'd treasured our time together.  I hugged her and smelled her hair and held her precious little hands in my own, and tears just streamed down my face.

She never fully woke. 

But I can't ever forget: I asked her if she was excited to have a baby brother, and the sweet thing smiled, nodded and muttered, "mmm-hmmm."  Then she turned and snuggled into me. 

There is something special about being the first, an she will forever be mine.  I couldn't be more grateful for the incredible little person she is.

Grateful for

Baby giggles.

How easily I've forgotten that beautiful little sound.  Like hope and promise bubbling up and brimming over. 

The love it awakens, those sweet peals of tiny person joy. 

I love, love, love that boy. 

Grateful for

 

The love these two share. 

The smiles our girl can get from her baby brother, who absolutely adores her.

 

 

How gentle she is, and how much fun I have being their mom.

 

Oh, how I hope those two will be friends for life.

Doubled? Check, and check.

I've been in awe at how BIG my little guy is getting.

I know that sounds like one of those "oooh my baby is growing up too fast," Mommy's-all-nostalgic things to say. 

But seriously. 

I can't keep this kid in clothes.  He seems to get bigger literally every time I see him.  I swear I can actually see him growing between the time he goes to bed and when he wakes up. 

We went to his two month appointment today, and aside from the fact that everything is healthy and on-track, I was most pleased to have a little validation.

I'm not crazy - he really is growing like a weed. 

They're supposed to double their weight at six months.  This child of mine has accomplished that in two (okay, full disclosure: 2 months and a week).

Height: 23 inches (20 at birth) - 52%.
Weight: 14.6 lbs (7.5 at birth) - 90th%!
Head: 16 1/2 (can't remember at birth... normal sized) 98th%

Oki doki.

 

Turns out, I'm totally okay with having a little more to love.