Monday, September 17, 2012

The Difference a Year Makes

We took a picture of my cousin's son Landyn holding Noah when he was about five weeks old. Then took another picture of them at Noah's birthday party almost a year later. It's amazing to see the difference a year makes. 




Sunday, September 16, 2012

Noah's 1st Birthday Party


Noah's 1st birthday party was a hit. We had lots of family and friends that were able to be here to celebrate with us, and Noah got to play with cousins he doesn't see very often. His cake was adorable, as were the monkey suckers we had for people to take home (thanks to my Mom for both of those).  Noah got some new clothes and lots of new toys to play with. He was worn out by the end, but I think he had a good time.




Friday, September 14, 2012

Pop-up Playtime


I pulled out this pop-up tent today for Noah to play with. I figured something new might keep him entertained for a while. He had no interest in it at all....until I crawled inside. Crawling inside was tricky. The tent is very small and I am very big. But shortly after that, Noah crawled himself through the tunnel into the tent with me. Then he crawled back out and came back with a book. After crawling through the flaps in the openings a few times and even crashing the tent over, he seemed to like it a little more. It may not become a favorite toy, but perhaps it will provide the occasional escape from the ordinary.


Sunday, September 9, 2012

House Project: Photo Wall

We are finally starting to put things on the wall in our house and decided it would be nice to have photos on the wall going up the stairs. I bought frames, traced them out on paper, and used that to plan out where they would go on the wall. Then we just had to choose pictures to go in them, get them printed, and voila. New photo wall complete.




A New Tradition



Taylor decided this morning that he should start a new tradition:  Daddy and Noah breakfast on Noah's birthday. So they got dressed and headed for IHOP. Noah enjoyed a free birthday breakfast and they got to spend some time together. I think I like this new tradition.

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Happy Birthday Noah

"Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart."
-Winnie the Pooh

It turns out that this silly old bear was very wise, despite having a head full of stuffing. One year ago the doctors handed us a tiny baby boy that filled a space in our hearts that we didn't even know was there. I thought I knew what it meant to love before that day. But the love you have for your child is different, as is the love they have for you. He can melt my heart in an instant and has shown me what it means to be truly blessed.

It has been a year of learning and development for Noah, and for us as parents. I don't mind admitting that I was scared to death when we brought him home. I've never really been around babies and was convinced that I was going to completely mess everything up. I have prayed daily for patience, both with Noah and myself, as I figure out what it means to be a mother. Luckily, Noah was a great baby and didn't make things too hard on us. We have both learned so much in the last year. When you have someone who is completely dependent on you for survival, you learn quickly.

We have watched Noah change so much and so quickly over the past year. We watched him learn to roll over, how to crawl, and then how to walk. We watched him become more aware of us and his surroundings. We loved seeing his first smile, and our hearts grew four sizes when we heard his first laugh.We cheered when he learned to clap his hands, and how to eat solid foods. We listen daily as he tries out his voice, without any volume control, and await the day that he starts to talk.

At one, Noah is very curious. Wherever you are, that's where he wants to be. He wants to open doors and drawers to see what's behind them. He is energetic. He is so silly. He likes to be tickled and his laugh has changed into a real little boy laugh that makes you smile no matter what kind of day you've had. He has three teeth, with a fourth one working its way onto the scene. He has already had his first haircut, and now needs a second. He also recently enjoyed his first trip to the beach.

He loves to be outside, and enjoys trying to chase our neighbor's cat. He likes to pick up leaves...not the big green ones, but the tiny brown ones. He likes to stand in Daddy's lap and drive his car around the cul-de-sac. He loves cheerios and music. He's recently started dancing a little more when he hears music. He loves to pull his books off the shelf, and sometimes hides small toys behind them. He is fascinated by all the remotes in the house and will sometimes hide those, too.

When we brought Noah home, we both came to the startling realization that it would never again just be the two of us. Now, a year later, we can't imagine life without him. We are a family now. I never dreamed that this tiny person could change my life so completely. He is such a blessings, and I thank God for sending him to us. This first year has been amazing, and I can't wait to see what happens next. 

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Noah Goes to the Beach

For Labor Day weekend, we decided to go to Pensacola, along with the rest of Taylor's family. We had been excited about this trip for quite a while because it would be Noah's first trip to the beach. He loves to play in water at home, but the ocean is something entirely different. It's enormous and intimidating. And sand can be hot and irritating. We were curious to see what the little man would think about it.

He made himself right at home. He plopped right down in the sand and played. His Nana bought him a cute little bucket and shovel, but he's still a little young to know what to do with it. He pretty much just banged on things, myself included, with the shovel. His $2 truck was a big hit, as was his rubber hippo. The only issue was sticking the sand-covered hippo, and his sand-covered hands, in his mouth. He did eat a little sand, but we I think we were able to keep it to a minimum.

He was, of course, fascinated by the birds on the beach. He was quick to point them out and wanted to chase them. He also seemed to enjoy being in the water, even though it was a little cold.

We tried to stay in the shade as much as possible to avoid getting any sunburn. We were joined for a while by cousin Emsley. He seemed a little curious about her and didn't quite know what she was doing there. But he just watched her calmly for a while and then went back to playing in the sand. We only had a couple of days there, but he really seemed to enjoy it. I would call our first trip to the beach a complete success.


Outside


If there is one thing I know for sure, it's that Noah loves to be outside. As soon as Taylor comes downstairs in the mornings, Noah goes to him and points to the door. When Taylor gets home in the evening, again we point to the door. He loves to walk around pointing at everything. He moves select pieces of pine straw from one place to another. He picks up rocks. He also tries to put them in his mouth, but we're working on that. And he's mysteriously drawn to the man hole cover in the middle of the cul-de-sac. He gets an added bonus on the days the neighbors' cat is outside. He likes to chase the cat.

Now that he's mastered walking barefoot, it's time to learn to walk with shoes. I thought he might be a bit wobbly with them, but they don't really seem to bother him at all. He just takes off like usual. Apparently he thinks is really fun to walk down the little slope at the end of the driveway. If that's all it takes to make him smile, we'll go outside every day.