a saturday filled with suprises..

i have finally decided, and it has only taken me 2 months, that my new years resolution will be to diligently post something every day, even it is only a small update. i need to post the happenings in little's life, as they are so quickly passing us by. in less than 3 weeks he will be turning one. i still cannot believe how fast this year has come and gone.

he has started walking, well...little steps....baby steps :) and nothing is sacred on our end tables. which it took us a long time to "learn". and is still a work in progress, as this morning while i was savoring my last sip of coffee i noticed a suprise in the bottom of my cup....i'm not sure it belongs there.



you be the judge!!

a day in the life of a suprised, but smiling mama

its just about midnight and im waiting on brandon to get out of work, babys sleeping, and im getting a chance to get the blog caught up. as i mentioned earlier some of the things we have done this summer i left out some pretty big milestones in the littles life.

first and most important, he started crawling. it was the last week of his fourth month. he just started scooting everywhere. it started with his toes pushing himself around, which evolved into getting up on his knees and rocking back and forth and then nose diving forward, and has culminated into this half crawl half bear-walk {no knees involved, on all fours, just those fours include the feet and hands...wierd}






and due to the ever-present acid reflux we started little on gerber 1st foods. he has been taking rice in his bottle for moths now, however the whole "spoon" thing was new to him. at first we tried something sweet, like peaches {beacuse he is our little georgia peach} and he refused it and made some rather unruly faces, so we tried something salty, grean beans...no deal. he has decided though, that he prefers just plain oatmeal. so until he has mastered the spoon {which, at this rate, appears to be late 2010} we will stick to the plain ole oatmeal. and just for your viewing pleasure (and because i know youre curious)heres little peak into what it looks like...






and finally a new friend. elliotts first best friend, for the moment we will ignore the fact that he resembles ronald mcdonald and that a million other kids think he is only theirs, and that he isnt an actual friend personified. it started on a trip to look a homes that suddenly took a turn for the worst when little started screaming in the back seat. we were 30 miles from any life form (we were way out between frankenmuth and vassar???) and as we came upon a town {if we could call it that} that only consisted of a gas station with a mcdonalds attached. i ordered my usual, a hamburger happy meal and much to my suprise the people at mickey ds finally formulated a toy for babies (okay maybe not really marketed for babies) a little stuffed ronald mcdonald. remember the child in the back seat? who is screaming his head off? (which really is nothing. he has screamed for 4 hours straight so 30 minutes is something i have mastered tuning out...please dont tell child protective services) well i handed him the toy and never heard another peep out of him. this little, foreign made, horrendously constructed toy has been a sanity-saver (and THAT is how they should have marketed it) fast forward 2 weeks, we are at the grand opening of my husbands sonic in birch run and liz from human resources walks up to our table where elliott is sitting and picks up the ronald and states "oh im so glad you got one of our toys, ive wanted to see what we are putting in the kids meals" turing red i scramble to grab it from her exclaiming that it is not one of sonics toys but rather a competing companys toy {insert emarrassment} :(
























>

and yes, i understand that this post contained many, many photos of little and his friend but i want you to understand, this is just how serious their relationship is. and one final photo because who in their sleep isnt reaching for ronald mcdonald?

time to think outside of the box

day 63 of living-outta-the-box{es}...

as most know we have moved back to michigan from the ever-missed georgia {insert sad face}. we felt like god called our new little family back to michigan where elliott hugh could grow up around cousins, aunts & uncles, grandmas and grandpas. so in two weeks time we were packed up and ready for the adventure ahead. we joke about how in the next three years there is no telling where we will be....we are a family that likes a change of scenery :)

god works in funny ways, im not sure why he called us back, and while i know the reason isnt to live with and stress out my inlaws, that is exactly where we are. i am trying to be encouraged knowing that this is all a part of his plan and that he is holding out the best house for us, because we deserve it? no, but because that is how amazing his love is. so while i contend for the shower, washing machine, and the one toilet in the house, i shall fill you in on all the "happenings" of living outta-the-box (or in my case, suitcases).

while it sounds like all we have been doing this summer is house-hunting, i impart to you that there have been sunny days and we have tried to show elliott everything living in the midwest is about......

like hanging out on the lake. on fathers day we spent the afternoon with my dad and mom. and although they have been divorced for 15 years they get along like old friends (this includes step-parents, which in some families this situation can be awkward) after the cookout dinner, papa took everyone out on a boat ride, which was elliotts first time :) he watched the cousins jump off the boat a hundred times anxiously waiting for the day he can do it...




















we celebrated birthdays on the beach. my nephew kaden matthew turned two and we spent the day at bluebell beach. elliott got to sport his new swim outfit, and spent hours entertained by watching uncle kollin and aunt keeley splash, swim, jump around, argue with each other,
and smash a "cars" themed pinata.















we welcomed a new little into our family. on july 30th, 2009 at 2:13pm my sister jenna (and her husband scott) gave birth to a sweet little girl, madelyn margaret weighing in at 7 pounds 2 ounces, she is now the baby of the family. we love you little maddie mae and look forward to watching you blossom into a beautiful little girl.










we learned to drive. okay, it was more like riding but whose telling the story here? uncle kollin was sweet enough to drive elliott and kaden around the front yard, which both enjoyed...






until the ride was over and we had to go in...





there are so many other things i need to update you on, but it will have to wait until later. at 5:30 i have cheerleading practice, which i enrolled my 6 year old sister in and volunteered to coach...so its off to practice i go, with elliott in tow.

just another day in the life of a "wish-i-had-a-house-to-blog-about" mama

heads up.

i know he is my child, and every parent thinks their children are thee greatest, but for real...mine is! he has been mastering holding his head up. to be frank he's been doing it since birth but now he controls it. and to top it off...he's trying to crawl. since this is our first child i'm not sure how soon they should be up and going but i'm sure it isn't 8 weeks.

so today, i laid him on his blanket in the living room, and propped him up on his boppy, only to come into the room moments later and find that he has taken his little toes, pushed off the ground, crawled up and over the boppy, and continued pushing {insert rug burn forehead} he makes me smile {a million times a day}.

this week has been fairly laid back, lying around the house, blogging, cleaning, and watching the little accomplish so much. i did take the time this morning to finish filling in the first month in his baby book [for awhile i was feeling like the worst mom], now if i could only get his first month pages of his photo book done. i am currently working on the "meeting his family" page...and there is alot to say {and scrap}. and thanks to the other "baby" in our family, i just want to capture everyday of his life and all the details.

i have found some amazing blogs and inspirations for decorating, and creating....check them out in my sidebar. love 'em. and one in particular makes me want to invest in a sewing machine and make all kinds of beautifuls. there are just so many adorable things you can make for children. like these. and these. oh, and these. but until then i'll just have to head over to etsy and order them.

well dinner should be ready soon. and i am trying out this new mexican chicken dish, so i shall finish this blog later. and i'll let you know how the meal turns out.

a day in the lazy-but-loving-it life

sshhh...

i have found a moment to blog!! and to fill you in, i am sitting at my kitchen table with my coffe and a NEW laptop...love it. i actually forgot how fast the internet is {without all the million things i've downloaded slowing it down}. well, baby is asleep, which he does most of the day, however usually i am playing catch up...catch up on the laundry, catch up on the dishes, catch up on my reading, catch up with old friends, catch up with the family, and catching some zzz's. catching up blogging is passed to the way side.

so as to not keep you waiting lets start with easter, it was little's 1st and we spent it at home. we put him in his uber-cute outfit and took too many pictures. i know that he is too little for candy, but how could i resist a hollow chocolate peter rabbit {it's ok, it wasn't wasted: i ate it!} he does enjoy the animal bath squirters though, as much as we do? not so sure. and so begins the years of easter baskets and sunday best's.

and out of the tumultous basket of goodies......came his 1st toy {at least the 1st one he's taken an interest in} which i'm not sure consitutes as a toy considering its a blue plastic ring that attaches the real toy to the activity play mat, at this stage we'll take what we can get :) and if it entertains him for longer that 2 minutes, i'll call it anything.

the past month {april} also marked the milestone of elliott's 1st trip :) we drove all the way to michigan, and back, in 2 days. he was the best little one a mama could ask for, he slept all 13 hours both ways, waking only to eat and be changed. which, for those of you who are familiar with the little you know that he HATES his car seat, and hes a bit COLICKY. make no mistake i didnt capitalize that to down play it. he truly will scream for hours on end.

so from 1st trips to 1st toys...and so many, many more 1st's to come...here's to looking @ you kid

whew...

i cant believe how fast time goes by. and fly by it has. we are still spending every day in amazement over our new "little". its crazy to think that this week he is 8 weeks old. elliott hugh has brought so much joy into our household. i have said it before but i need to say it again...i dont remember life before he came into ours. what an awesome god we serve!

so from naptime...

to bathtime...

and all the times in between...

a day in the "wish-it-would-slow-down" life

rub-a-dub-dub

...elliott's in the tub.

after two weeks, we were given the go ahead to give the lovie a bath, which was short lived. i fed him beforehand in hopes that it would keep him lethargic, no such luck!



but after the bath, dressed in his froggie towel, he was oh so happy...