H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y I A N ! ! ! ! !

Yesterday we celebrated a first birthday! Little brother Ian, my sweet baby is one! I can't even believe an entire year has passed since our little guy was born. What a blessing this year has been for our family, watching a sweet, cuddly, easy newborn grow into a happy, joyful, easy baby.

This little guy is such a ray of sunshine. He is happy and full of personality! I'd say that overall, his emotions run very close to the surface, because if he's mad, everyone knows about it! Luckily, he rarely gets upset about things. Most recently, he has gotten some pretty significant control over his eyebrows. It's the funniest!! He's gotten really good at throwing out mean looks, sometimes just to be a little manipulator. It makes me laugh every time, which usually makes him giggle and laugh also. What can I say? He's Mr. Personality.

Ian continues to be a fantastic eater. He eats anything that the rest of the family eats, usually faster and with more excitement than anyone else at the table. It's good for my mommy heart! He successfully breastfed for an entire year, but the last week was spent weaning and now he is completely transitioned to sippy cups of whole milk. It was totally seamless. No fussing from Ian, no engorgement for me. We had some issues with supply for the last few months, so I couldn't be happier that I was able to nurse him up until his birthday. Truly, I am so blessed.

He hasn't taken his first few steps yet, but I feel like it should happen any day now. He is great at cruising and has started standing without support. He is clapping, waving, pointing, and I'm teaching him how to give high fives. He's saying "Mama," "Dada," "Ball," "Uh-Oh," and I've occasionally heard "night-night" and "Mauve." I saw the tiny corners of a MOLAR (what?!) this morning with 2 additional bottom teeth on the way in. Those would be numbers 9, 10, and 11.

Despite keeping up with brother's growth for most part, he's a little smaller at a year old, but not by much. At yesterday's appointment, he was 24 pounds 7 ounces and 29 3/4 inches long. He's wearing size 12-18 months, size 4 diapers and size 4 or 5 in shoes... 4's are a little small and 5's are a little large. He could be happy in a 4.5 if his cheapskate mom would buy him a half-sized pair of shoes. Haha! Overall, he's super healthy, right on the mark developmentally, and I couldn't be more blessed.

Ian Michael, I hope that on your first birthday that you know a few important things. First, that your mom and dad love you so very much. We love every little hair on your head and every sassy little part of your personality. Secondly, I hope you can always find the joy in every situation. That life is pretty fun and that laughter is good for you. Don't take yourself too seriously. Last, I hope you know that our home is full of grace and forgiveness. Your mom will fail you. I already have in many ways and in many situations. But I pray you grow to understand the grace and forgiveness that comes with knowing Jesus as Lord. You are so important, so valued, and so loved. Happy birthday sweet boy!

Ian's 10 & 11 month update!

Ian says, "I can't believe my mommy didn't post a 10 month update." #secondkid

Yes old friends, It's now been 2 months since our previous kid update. For posterity's sake (mostly because I did take the time to capture a picture last month) here's Ian at 10 months:

...and at 11 months!

Luckily, nothing much has changed in the last 2 months with Ian. Mostly, I'm just shocked that in one short month, I will have a 1 year old! I can't believe Ian's birthday is right around the corner. Have I even started planning? mmmmmmmmmnope. Poor second kid. 

This Superboy continues to be the same happy, active boy that I've known from the very beginning. He is always smiling, always laughing, and always moving. He loves people and is very charming... a trait I remember noticing about him when he was just a tiny 4 weeks old. I'm sure everyone would agree that Ian is a Mama's boy. He will follow me around all day long and is happiest when perched on my hip. This is awesome for sweet cuddles, but it's also hard to do anything else!

This big kid is wearing 18m clothes (rarely a 12m outfit, it's definitely brand dependent) and size 4 diapers. He will eat anything and everything. The only thing I ever see him leave behind on his plate is diced red pepper, which is a veggie that big brother Isaac loves to eat. I'd tell you what Ian's favorite foods are, but he literally gobbles down everything. We call him our little turkey. He's still working with 8 teeth, and I don't see anymore coming in anytime soon. He is a pro with a sippy cup and recently started drinking from a straw also. In the next few weeks, I'll start incorporating whole milk into his bottles to get him ready for the switch from breast milk to cow's milk. I don't plan to breastfeed him longer than 12 months, so I'm excitedly counting down these last few nursing sessions!

I'm not too disappointed that Ian hasn't started walking yet. He stays busy enough crawling back and forth to all of the things he isn't supposed to touch. He's also a pro at cruising around. I've caught him standing unsupported once or twice, but it hasn't caught on yet. He's clapping and will occasionally wave. He can shake his head yes/no and sometimes responds appropriately to questions. I want to teach him the sign for "more", but that also hasn't caught on yet.

Ian! You are a sweet little piece of sunshine. Your laughter is contagious! I love you so much and am so thankful for you! God was certainly gracious to us! I can't wait to celebrate your first birthday!

Isaac is THREE!

I just can't even believe this. My baby... the child who made me a parent... the one who changed my heart for good... is now three years old.

Isaac is growing up faster than my little mom heart can take it. This past sunday (10/25... his actual birthday), he moved up to the older kids nursery room and the 3 year old Sunday school class, which he immediately loved. It's just going by so quickly. I look at Ian and see Isaac, as if he should still be 9 months old. Oh, sweet boy! Stop growing so fast!

He's the funniest boy I know and makes me laugh all the time. In new situations, he can be very reserved, but when he's comfortable with someone, he will talk your ear off. He loves to run circles around anything, but you may never pass him or win. He can be quite bossy, but I think a kinder interpretation of that is that he is a natural leader. He is incredibly smart and surprises me daily with the things he knows. Under all of that is this tender little heart. At the center of Isaac is a sweet, loving, kind boy. He surprises me every day.

I asked Isaac the same set of questions on his birthday that I asked him at 2 and a half. Then I tried twice to create a cute little graphic with his answers... and my computer froze up both times. Bummer. Here's the list & answers in a much less cute and graphic presentation:

• What's your name? Isaac
• How old are you? Three!
• What's your favorite color? Blue
• What's your favorite toy? Gator
• What food do you like to eat most? Spaghetti
• Who is your best friend? Daddy!
• What is your favorite thing to watch? My new movie (Aladdin)
• What is your favorite book? Snuggle Puppy

Some other specifics about my favorite 3 year old boy. He's wearing 4T/5T and sometimes kids XS. He's wearing a size 10 shoe. I'll find out how tall he is and how much he weighs at his checkup next week. Every morning on waking up, he wants a cup of milk, his gummy vitamins, and a small cup of pretzel goldfish. He loves sharing a bowl of cereal with mom and staying up late watching movies and eating popcorn. We watch a lot of Minions, Toy Story, Paw Patrol, Curious George, and just about anything on Disney Junior... Jake & the Pirates, Miles, Handy Manny, PJ Masks, Little Einsteins, etc. He's a great eater, just like he's always been. We've been working on memorizing scripture and he has several verses that he loves to recite. I've also enjoyed teaching him the basics of prayer. Such joy!!

I love this boy two pieces!

Ian's 9 month update

Ian Michael! You're 9 months old! We are getting closer and closer to 1 year old and you are getting bigger every day.

This month has been a treat. After a couple of fussier months, the last few weeks were a reprieve. At the risk of having to eat my words later, I will say that this month has been uneventful, easy, and full of joy with you sweet boy. You've been really happy and you NEVER STOP MOVING. Now that you're a master of crawling, you are always going somewhere --quickly. You're also getting much better at pulling yourself up on anything you can get two hands on. I had to lower your crib a few days ago. You're just getting so tall! 

You're eating everything. Gone are the days of pureed baby food, because you flat out refuse it these days. It's all about the table food. I've given you almost anything we eat (within reason) and there's nothing you won't gobble down. This month you really jumped forward with the proteins: chicken, beef, egg, fish. 

Mostly, you're just a happy kid whose occasionally crummy moods can be turned around with those magical ritz crackers. You're a big talker, but it's still mostly grunts, squeals, and the occasional "mama" and "dada."

You're wearing 12-18+ month clothes and a size 4 diaper. I'm pretty confident you're bigger than Isaac was at the same age, but we'll get your official weight and length at your 9 month check up in a couple of weeks. You're wearing a size 4 shoe (when you actually wear shoes). You're nursing 4 times per day and eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I'd love to drop a feeding soon, but you really love to eat!! You nap once in the morning and once in the afternoon and then sleep at night from 7pm until 7am. 

I haven't shared pictures of Ian's special space, his nursery, on the blog yet. Considering I've already had to lower his crib mattress, I figured it was time to document his room! Check it out!

My sweet son, you are such a joy in my life. You're full of smiles and spunk and remind me every day that God has been so good to us. I love you dearly!

Ian is 8 months old!

Another month has come and gone, and once again I am baffled at how quickly time passes. One minute, this sweet boy is a cuddly, squishy, lump of newborn baby... then suddenly, I look again and he's got long legs and big feet and is SO big:

Look at you, sweet Ian Michael! You're eight whole months old! That's 2/3 of a full year! This month has brought a lot of sweet and funny moments, but I'm not going to lie, it's also been one of your fussier months so far. 

Which you'd never guess looking at this face:

You cut another 2 teeth this month, putting your total tooth count up to SEVEN teeth. You have 4 on top and 3 on the bottom. I think a large amount of your fussing over the past month was due to the fact that you cut 5 teeth in 4 weeks. Isaac also cut his teeth fast and early, which is an awesome alternative to slow and steady. Get 'em in. Get 'em done.

You've put those new teeth to good use by eating anything I'll offer you. I think hunger was the other fussiness culprit. We added another solid feeding around lunch time and you've been much less fussy throughout the day. That means you're eating 3 solid meals and nursing 4 times each day. That feels excessive, but you're definitely starting to wean off of your mid-morning feeding. It wouldn't surprise me if by your next monthly update, you would be down to 3 nursing sessions/day.

I haven't done a great job keeping track of the new foods we introduced this month, mostly because you're eating anything I can mush up or grab and gnaw on. You've had avocado, peanut butter, rice, chicken, noodles, potato, yogurt, cheese, pears, oatmeal, ...and there may have been a few desperate mommy moments where you got french fries and pizza crust. Haha! We introduced a sippy cup of water this month as well.

Check out ^this^ sweet brother moment. Isaac is giving Ian a drink of water. Apparently, in the nursery, Isaac transforms from the big brother who steals toys into the great protector. Yesterday, I overheard him say,  "No Chase! Don't run over Ian!! That's MY Ian!" Maybe they do love each other just a little bit.

And speaking of sweet moments, it's rare that I ever get a sleeping baby on my chest anymore-- especially in the middle of the day, so this selfie was obviously warranted:

Ian, you've grown leaps and bounds in the mobility department this month! Just as predicted during your 7 month blog report, you are officially crawling! You can also push yourself up to a sitting position when you're laying on your tummy, AND pull yourself up to standing. You have always been a very active baby, but now you're really moving. You are not content to sit in one place... which is why those cuddly moments are few and far between. 

You're wearing size 3 diapers and mostly 12m clothes or bigger. We don't have an updated weight or length this month, but I assume you're floating around the 21 pound mark. On the rare occasion that you wear shoes, I'll put a size 4 on. There's still very little hair on the top of your head (your brother was bald way past his first birthday) and your eyes are ridiculously blue.

Even though this month had its ups and lots of downs, my love for you, sweet boy, is and will always be unwavering. You are such a joy and a blessing to me! I pray you will grow into a great man of God, full of courage and wisdom. I love you dearly.

7 Months Old!

Ian, you're 7 months old! What a month you've had!! Seven months ago, you were a brand-new squishy, cuddly, sleep-all-day baby... and now you're a happy, wiggly, babbling little guy, who also still happens to be squishy and cuddly.

This past month was a big one for you. We took our first road trip as a family of 4 to Augusta, which I should blog an entirely separate post for. It was a beast of a drive (It's about 16 hours from Rockport to Evans), but the time with family was really nice. Be on the lookout for more details and pics from our trip. 

The Rolls! They kill me!

As you become more and more aware of the world around you, I can tell you are desperate to move and explore. You're doing a great job sitting and can get yourself onto your hands and knees, but we haven't seen you move forward quite yet. Even though I'm wishing you'd take your sweet time figuring out how to crawl, I would bet that you're mobile by our next monthly update.

I'm happy to say that your demeanor continues to be happy and content. Also, you are a pretty self-sufficient sleeper. There are days and moments where you fuss and fight, but I'd say overall, you're about the easiest kid I know. I'm not sure how I got so lucky as to have not one but TWO easy babies. I'm certain a third would be the end of that streak. (that is NOT a pregnancy announcement.)

mmmmmmmm. Spinach.

You really got into solid foods this month, and just like your brother, you are a very happy eater. There's nothing I've offered that you haven't eaten! I've made most of your food, which is what seems most convenient for our family. So far you've had sweet potato, spinach, peas, carrots, squash, black beans, banana, applesauce, prunes, and a few random assorted fruit/veggie pouches during our time away from home. I'm also doing a few self-fed foods here and there: green beans, cantaloupe, corn on the cob, and watermelon. I'm pretty sure Grammy snuck in some macaroni and cheese one day. Ha!

Little thumb sucker.

Since you're now eating food like a big boy, I guess you decided that you needed the teeth to go along with it and cut THREE more teeth this month (2 in one day and the third a few days later)-- all on the top. This takes your total tooth count up to 5; three on top and two on the bottom. Breastfeeding just got a lot more scary. And as evidenced by the photo above, you haven't given up on the thumb sucking. I'm sure your ability to self-soothe has a lot to do with your easy sleep times, and you just look heartbreakingly sweet when you're sucking your thumb and laying in the crook of my neck. Sigh.

You were extra late getting in for you 6 month check up, so even though it looks like you've now outgrown your brother's 6 month stats, you were really almost 7 months when you were weighed and measured. You're now TWENTY pounds, 4 ounces and 27" long. I was pretty sure you were hovering around the 18lb mark, so boy was I surprised when you tipped the scales and kept on going. You're wearing 9-12 month sizes, with a few 6-12 month items thrown in. You wear a size 3 diaper and mostly go barefoot or with socks, so I'm not sure if you're even in a shoe size yet. Your hair is still sparse but light and your eyes are shockingly blue. I think you're probably the cutest baby ever.

Ian Michael, you are such a gift. Mom and Dad love you so very much and pray that you will grow in wisdom and grace. Our lives are richer because you're here and I'm so incredibly thankful to be your momma.

Sunshine VoxBox Review

So I've gotten a few boxes from @Influenster since I signed up a while back. Some of the boxes have been nice (a free bag of hershey kisses in one and several facial mask samples in another), and others have been a miss (pantyliners.). I thought after the pantyliner box that I was doing something wrong, I mean, a friend of mine got a KEURIG from Influenster to try and review. A KEURIG. And I got pantyliners.

Anyway, I've been totally redeemed by the most recent VoxBox... the Sunshine box!!! This box was inspired by the summer and is full of awesome goodies. These are all products to keep you in tip top shape through these hot HOT summer days. Snacks, Hair, Nails, Skin: It's all covered! Check it out:

BarkThins Dark Chocolate Almond Snacking Chocolate (#breakupwithboring). @BlueDiamond Bold Sriracha Flavored Almonds. #SinfulColors Nail Polish. @Infusium23 Moisture Replenisher Leave In Smoothing Creme. #VaselineSprays Intensive Care Moisturizer. @DickinsonBrands Original Witch Hazel Cleansing Cloths.

What a fun box!! Couple little details: The chocolate bag in the picture is empty, because it took Jordan and I one afternoon to finish it off. DE-LISH. I would buy these again in a quick heartbeat. Just thinking about them makes me hungry. I am a sucker for dark chocolate and almonds. 

Haven't tried the almonds yet, but I also like sriracha, and we've already established I like almonds, so I expect this to be another win. 

The nail polish was surprisingly great. I typically gravitate towards OPI and Essie, but the Sinful Colors polish was opaque in 1 quick coat... a must for nap time manicures. 

The Vaseline spray moisture is a lotion that I can actually see myself using. It smells nice, absorbs quickly, and is the easiest, most convenient application of lotion ever.

The Infusium23 leave in Creme seems nice. I've used it a couple of times and it's not too heavy.

I'm a sucker for facial cleansing cloths. The Dickinson's Cloths are one of 3 types I have hanging out in my bathroom drawer. I was pretty stoked about these until I actually opened the package. You see, witch hazel has a pretty distinct odor. The same odor as the Tuck's Pads I just used 6 months ago for my childbirth-related maladies. So I open the package and immediately remember the less-than-awesome parts about giving birth. It's hard not to think I'm wiping my face with Tuck's Pads. Also, these wipes aren't awesome for getting makeup off, especially waterproof mascara. 

This was a really fun box to receive! I received the box for free in return for a review. I can't wait for my next Influenster campaign!