My best friend is having a girl!!! We were all shocked, mainly since we are surrounded by baby boys, but I'm so happy that Jocie was able to break the trend. We are all so excited to meet the sweet baby girl and I can't wait to see my friend as a mom. After the past year of learning that intense kind of love, I can't help but feel so much joy in knowing that she will feel that overwhelming love so soon. She will be an amazing mom. A loving, understanding, and tender mom. Baby C is so lucky!!

I wanted a very natural, earthy theme for the shower. Since Jocie loves succulents, I thought we could have some fun with the decorations. They are such beautiful plants and I love how everything turned out. 

Katie's sister in law was so sweet to make some homemade jam for the shower. We played baby bingo, and the first three winners got their own jar to take home! We also served the same flavors with mini biscuits for the brunch. They were all awesome but, the fig & vanilla bean, was my favorite.

The cake was made by my cousin, like most parties at my house.

She is so talented and they always taste incredible!

A certain little boy had to crash the girls party since daddy was out of town!

Thankfully, no one seemed to mind ;)

I'm so thankful for my best friends, and I'm very, very thankful for all our babies!

God is so sweet and I can't wait to see what He does in their lives.

weekly three.

Peter has been traveling for work this week and I've missed him so much. He hasn't traveled all summer long and things are so different now. When Solomon was smaller in the winter/spring, it kind of made things easier when he was traveling. I still missed him, of course, but I didn't have to think about making dinner and my time wasn't split in wife/momma mode. Our little man would just lay around all day and night and I got to play with him while he didn't move around that much. Now, things are very different. I have to think about my food and his, I'm constantly chasing that little monkey around, and we miss daddy terribly! FaceTime chats just aren't the same. I'm blessed to have a husband that is also my partner in parenting & so I've missed that partner. Can't wait to see you, babe!!!! 

Wearing my Lagunitas Brewery shirt and remembering how much fun we had on our Honeymoon in California. I'm dying to go back with Peter!

Finally getting some more grapefruit La Croix in this house. I've been dying without it, I'm a little bit obsessed. I also love to kick it up a notch with some ice and a wedge of lime!

So many hugs and kisses lately from my boy! Of course I couldn't catch any with the self timer on my phone, because he thought that was way too interesting, but I still loved this shot!

morning walks.

It's funny to me that this time last year, I was spending my time walking up and down our street to get Solomon to come out, now I'm pushing him in a stroller. And he is almost one. This morning was the first cool morning in August and it was so wonderful to take an early morning walk. It was a nice break from being cooped up inside the house like we normally are. I'm not a fan of summer heat, and Solomon isn't a fan of staying inside. Poor thing, since I'm the mom, I win and we stay inside way too much. I'm so looking forward to the cooler months ahead so we can spend a lot of time outside! 

It was so bright and sunny, but the perfect cool breeze blowing. I love when I find a great sun flare in the trees! After our walk we went to check on the chickens and fill up their water, Solomon gets so excited to see them and they love the company, too.

that cute little face he's been making with his lip KILLS me. Goodness, this boy!

I'm going to try my best to not be a blubbering mess for the next month, but I can't believe he is almost one. I've been working on his special one year post and crying already. 

Time please slow down....

happies, 2016 // part 1.

My third year now of listing out 100 days of happiness.

One of my favorite things to do now. 

Last year & two years ago are a ton of fun to look back on, 

so I'm excited to see what makes up the list of 100 this year. 

Here are 1-16!!

1 // coffee in the morning

2 // his love of grapes

3 // avocado toast & addressing envelopes

4 // ice cream at my momma's house

5 // cousin fun at the museum

6 // wedding celebrations

7 // games with family

8 // sweet little feet crossed while napping

9 // oatmeal and bananas for little man

10 // play time with little friends

11 // enchilada night

12 // sweaty curls during a nap

13 // the best face cream

14 // hot tea & dark chocolate mango

15 // wine corks for toys

16 // clean sheets and a made-ish bed

weekly three.

Everyday this week felt like it should have been Friday, and then Solomon decided he wanted to boycott good sleep for some reason? Starting on Wednesday night, I felt like I have a newborn again, just wanting to sit up and talk instead of screaming and crying. It's really weird. And annoying. But, I was out running some errands yesterday and someone reminded me that this season is like a blink of an eye, so I'm trying my best to suck it up and love these moments. Even if it is 5am right now while I'm typing this. TGIF, right?!?

Seriously though, this smile makes me heart almost explode!

The need for exploring and adventure is starting to become a necessity around here. 

Finding some Christmas stockings while shopping with Gigi! I've never been this excited about the holidays. This year is going to be so fun!!!

Solomon // eleven months.

7/20/16

Last night you slept for the longest hunk of time in your crib, a whopping 4 hours! Ha!! Tonight I can tell you are going to cling to me as long as possible. It makes me smile to hold you against my chest and feel your breath on my neck. Kissing you on your chubby sweet cheeks and wishing you would stay this small forever. But also wishing you would finally sleep through the night!! A mom can dream.....

7/23/16

Your eyes, the one thing that everyone always comments about when they see you, the second is always your lips.... It  makes me think about what I want your eyes to see and your lips to speak. I pray constantly that you will see Jesus in our home. I pray that God will give me the words to say, and that my actions will match those words. I want you to know who He is because of how we live as a family! I dream about your future and the choices you will make & I pray that God is at the center of those choices.... Your friends, what school you will go to, what job you will work for, the wife you will pursue and love, all of those big choices in life; I pray they are soaked in His goodness and you listen for His will. Sweet boy, your eyes and lips are beautiful, but they will be even more beautiful when they see & speak His truth one day! 

8/1/16
Sweet boy, I love you so much. You are changing and growing so quickly and I love watching you explore. You are talking so much and trying to repeat so many words!! Some of the things you have said lately are, book (your new favorite thing!), thank you, good job, and auntie. Of course they aren't clear but when you repeat it after us, it is pretty adorable. I think you'll be a big talker, which doesn't surprise anyone! You are getting so big, so fast!! I wish time would slow down some but I know it won't, so I just try and soak in every moment. Taking too many pictures and a ton of videos, so one day we can show you just how adorable you were!

8/13/16

Tomorrow you are 11 months old. One last month before you are one. I'm feeling so many emotions about this time with you. Trying to plan your party makes me nastalgic. Looking at all the pictures from your life so far, remembering all the stages of your growth, then thinking & praying about your future. I hope you do BIG things!!! I can't imagine you not being my little boy but I know your life is going to flash before our eyes. I can only pray for that life to be beneficial for the Kingdom, then I will know I have done my job. Being your mother is the best job God has given me, and I truly hope that your life will be alive in Him. He wants your heart, He is all you need in this life, and I hope I'm doing everything I can to teach you that! Your daddy and I love you so much, but His love is so much bigger. 

One last month before you are one!!! I can't believe it, we are so thankful for all that you have taught us so far.... patience, rest, love, selflessness, hard work, but most of all, you have taught us about God's provision. We are so thankful for you!!!

stats // 22.9 pounds & 30 inches

eating // anything we are eating is so much easier. He likes to see things come from my plate to his, if we are feeding him something different (like at restaurants) it has become a lot harder to make him eat. We try and sit outside so he will stay occupied, this makes me super excited for Fall since we will enjoy eating outside more!
Some of his favorites right now are baked potatoes cut into cubes, mushrooms, any kind of fruit and yogurt. He is also loving water and drinks it from a straw like a big boy! Loving his warm oatmeal before bed, too!!

sleeping // he has started sleeping so much better recently. He takes two really good naps, most of the time two hours. Then at night he is going to sleep around 10 and put in his crib, then he sleeps 3-4 hours before waking up, thanks to the oatmeal I think!
I know that sounds hilarious for "really good sleep" for those of you who have babes that sleep all night, but for our 1-2 hour only sleeper, we are happy! We still put him in our bed after that first chunk of sleep and he sleeps while nursing off and on during the night. We get up between 7-9 depending on the day.

wearing // all 12 months, 9 month is officially too small!

favorite things // giving kisses and blowing kisses, kills me! Looking at books. Playing with his friends or cousins. Climbing stairs! Singing Hallelujah, so cute!!!

PAST UPDATES
1st Month // 2nd Month
3rd Month // 4th Month

5th Month // 6th Month

7th Month // 8th Month

9th Month // 10th Month

weekly three.

It's been a busy week around here but in a good way! A lot of time spent with family, both Peter's family before they left to go home to NJ, and my family in town, so it has been a good one! We are so excited to have a very easy weekend with hardly any plans. That doesn't happen often, so we are going to soak it in!!! 

Cousin time before everyone left to go home. The past week was so fun and I'm super excited for the family vacation in September!!

Watching Solomon play with a doll house and Barbies during a play date, so funny! 

Hot tea and football.... I'm just pretending that the crisp fall air is blowing leaves around outside, ha!

a baby and football.

This is probably a really weird post but I love football! One of the best things about the fall is that wonderful sport. Once I started dating Peter, that love of football definitely grew. He loves it too, and we would spend our weekends watching games together, enjoying brunch at The Green Room while sipping on a bloody mary, and cheering on the Jets. Things have changed a lot... instead of a bar stool, we now have a comfy couch! 

Thinking back about last year, I remember having so much anticipation about the football season coming up, because I knew I would be holding a brand new baby while watching the games. All the pre-season talk and excitement held such a fun and sweet suspense type of feeling, thanks to all the unknown ahead of us. When would he come, what would be the first game we watched with him, I know that sounds incredibly silly, but I was excited! 

The first game, Peter dressed Solomon in his Jets gear! I could have died when he came downstairs with him. They both were so cute!!

Now, football season gives me this bittersweet feeling. My tiny baby will be crawling (and eventually) walking around during this football season. It amazes me how much has changed in one year. I don't think a football season will ever arrive where I won't feel a little tug on my heart.

Remembering the first weeks of his life when I held his tiny sleeping body, rocking back and forth in that blue chair. The only chair I could easily sit in and get up from without help. Cluster feeding, cheering on the Jets, and soaking in the newness of motherhood. See what I mean, football is even more special to me now. 

So today I'm celebrating the kickoff of the football season, and remembering how tiny my little boy was last year. Who knew football could make me cry?? HA! 

Motherhood... and foootball. Two very good things, & also, go Jets!!!