Growing up

Change isn't something that usually happens overnight, instead it tiptoes in slowly, quietly leaving its mark on your life. I realized that this morning as I chased my ten month old around the house, playfully dashing after him while he crawled at light speed. "Where has my little newborn gone?" I stopped and thought to myself while catching my breath. The chubby little rolly polly who couldn't even sit up on his own and nursed what seemed like every hour? It seems as though it was just yesterday. At times the days and weeks seemed to drag on, while other days flew by. In a few weeks my little baby will be eleven months old and no sooner will I blink and he'll be a year. They say the days are long but the years are short and well, they couldn't be more right. 

{Newborn Bubby...one of my all time favorite pics of him snoozing so peacefully. ♥}

Its a beautiful yet incredibly bittersweet feeling to watch your children grow up. I have good days and bad days as a stay at home mom, but always try my best to soak it all in. To cherish the days filled with more kisses than I can count, to capture the moments when he does something new for the first time, and to just remember him how he is now, at this very moment. ♥ I know he will continue to change and grow, and I am so grateful for the chance to witness it. 

   

{Dancing on his changing pad. For some reason it was always his happy place♥}

These days he is curious, stubborn, playful and sweet. I am constantly amazed by how fast he learns new things. Recently he started calling me "Mama" and I can't deny it melts my heart every time he says it. :) 

{Getting him dressed is definitely a challenge now that he can move so fast!}

I'm so lucky to have such a smart and smiley little boy. His favorite time of the day is bath time! He loves splashing and playing with his bath toys, along with eating the bubbles every now and then. ;)

{Bathroom selfies! So fresh & clean after his bath.}

He is learning everyday and has recently started snuggling anything and everything he can. Every time he does this, I die a little, simply because its so damn cute. ;) I can actually tell him to go snuggle Elmo and he will go find him, pick him up and snuggle him!! ;') 

{Elmo & Bubby snuggles♥}

He's also a fan of his monkey. ;) These two are the things he loves to snuggle most, other than me! 

{Sorry its blurry, but this little guy moves fast!}

 Recently we took Bubby to a park near our house and he got to go on the swings for the first time. Seeing the smile on his face as the wind rushed past him was a memory I will cherish forever. 

{Weeeeeee!}

We're also trying to start good habits by brushing his four little teeth everyday which proves to be quite the challenge. This little guy sure gives me a run for my money when it comes to this! ;) 

{Toothbrush shenanigans...}

Things are changing each day around here, and its a beautiful thing.♥

What's changed in your life recently? 

8 months

I don't know how it happened, but somehow this day came out of nowhere. Today you are 8 months. 

As I sit here typing this out & looking back on our time together I am amazed at how quickly you have grown up. It seems like only days ago I held you for the first time, and was amazed at how much love I felt for you. I feel like I'm going to blink and we'll be sitting here celebrating your first birthday.

These last eight months have been beautiful, trying, lovely, stressful, joyous, challenging and in a word a gift.

Motherhood has changed me in ways I never could have imagined. 

{This face! ^^ How could I not love you?}

Even though there are days when I am exhausted & I feel like a complete failure at this motherhood thing, I am trying my hardest to cherish each day. To snuggle with you while I still can, to kiss you a million and one times, to breathe in the sweet smell of your baby shampooed hair and to hold your hand and catch you when you fall.

I know there will come a day when you no longer need me as much, & although I love seeing you grow up there's just something about it that's so very bittersweet. I am so lucky to be your mama....I love you sweet boy. ♥

Dear Son,

"A mothers love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity. It dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path." -Agatha Christie

I had often heard people talk about the love they have for their children and thought that I grasped the concept. I even thought I understood while I was carrying you in my womb, but to be honest I had no idea. The love I immediately felt for you the first time we met, and each day I've spent with you since continues to amaze me.

You are the biggest and most beautiful blessing in my life. I will love you each and every day until my very last breath. Happy 7&1/2 beautiful months little man! You are my sun and stars. ♥

Flashback Friday: Newborn

Today's flashback Friday is all about Jeremiah when he was a newborn. 

Aahhhh....I just can't stand the cuteness. ♥

I love how small he was back then and still remember how special it was holding him for the first time and kissing his sweet face. I can't believe my baby boy is almost four months already. 

Time sure does fly.

 For all the mamas out there, what special moments do you remember from your baby's newborn days?  

Happy Friday everyone! 

xoxo 

Getting ready for baby

The last few days have been so busy around here & I've finally been able to get some important things done. Last week I ordered the invitations for our couples baby shower next month & I am so excited with how they turned out! I custom designed them on storkie & they are so adorable! :-) 

Although I'm excited for the shower it's also a little bittersweet because I'm so far from home & don't have that many friends out here in Virginia. I do have a few great friends here & my coworkers from the bank but I am really sad that none of my family will be able to come. I have really been missing my mom & sisters a lot during my pregnancy, even more so lately. 

 

I am just hoping the few friends I do have here are able to come. It was a little tricky choosing a date to have the shower since my husband will be going underway a few times next month & the thanksgiving holiday is coming up. We are doing a couples shower so people can bring their so's and also because I always hated the traditional baby shower. 

 

I was never a fan of passing around the diaper with a melted candy bar inside it and trying to guess what kind of candy it was. Or the oh so fun "who can drink from a bottle the fastest" game. No thank you. ;) I just want to hang out, eat some good food & celebrate the blessing of our baby boy with good friends. I still have quite a bit of planning to do with our lovely hostess Megan, and it should be fun to put the shower together. :-)

I also had the pleasure of taking the dreaded glucose test last week & throwing the whole thing up right in front of my doctor. Fun times...

At least I was able to keep it down for 45 minutes & they still took my blood for the test. Next week I am getting my tdap shot so that should be fun as well.

I also scheduled our 3d/4d ultrasound for next month & I am so excited to finally see some more pictures of our little boy. We haven't had an ultrasound since I was 19 weeks and that was already 10 weeks ago! This one should be interesting as well since we will be able to get a better look at Baby Taylor & hopefully see some of his facial features. ♥ 

Along with the ultrasound I also scheduled our lamaze classes & am anxious to attend them with my husband. Being that this is my first baby, I am really nervous about the whole labor/delivery part & would love to get some tips & information so I can at least feel a little more prepared.

We still have a lot to do in preparation for Baby Taylor but I am beginning to feel a little better since I'm making progress on my to-do list. He's not even here yet & I am already realizing that being a mom is a lot of work but the best job in the world. ♥

Inspiration

For so long I felt uninspired, it was like my brain had bloggers block. I prayed God would send me some wisdom and a dash of creativity to launch my blog in a new direction, because the truth is I love writing. It gives me a way to release emotions that otherwise have no place to go. I can't stress enough how much I missed it since Isaiah came home from deployment number one. During that first deployment I wasn't working and had time every single day to write my blog, as well as reading other blogs & building relationships with my fellow bloggers.

Since moving to Virginia and starting work right away, my free time was basically next to none. Spending time with my husband in the rare moments when we both weren't working took priority. I am glad it did because he was only home for a few months and in February 2011 he deployed for the second time and was gone for an excruciatingly long eleven months. The day he left marked the beginning of the hardest year of both of our lives. Even though I had more free time with my husband deployed, I just couldn't seem to find the words.

My faith and our marriage were both tested and there were so many times when I felt like giving up entirely. There was such an utter sense of hopelessness and my heart ached only for us to finally have some time together. When it was finally time for him to come home, it didn't even feel real. I couldn't actually grasp the fact until I was driving to Naval Station Norfolk to pick him up. Our first two weeks together were perfect and after that reintegration really began.

Sometimes when I think back on it all, it seems like a bad dream, a blip in time. Although while going through it, it felt like the longest eleven months of my life. I am so thankful to God for getting us both through it and bringing him back to me safely. You know the funny thing about love is, you think you love someone more than anything and yet somehow as you go though life and endure it's hardships that love grows even deeper. You realize you love that person even more than you thought possible, and this realization makes you thankful for that love. I look at my husband now and can't believe how far we've come. I wonder how I got so lucky. What did I do to deserve a love like ours?

I still don't know, and perhaps I never will but I am blessed and thankful for it. Sure we have our spats and plenty of obstacles have shown up in our path, but somehow God has gotten us through it all. After the hardest year of our lives he has blessed us with a beautiful little boy growing inside me. Every day is one day closer to meeting our son and our dream of finally having a family will soon be coming true. With every kick and movement I feel so lucky for all that the Lord has given us.

It is because of this gift that I choose to share our story with you all, the story of our love and our lives. As we embark on our newest adventure into parenthood, I want to remind myself to live in the moment. To soak in everything around me, embrace the changes, and enjoy the little things. Welcome to my new blog and I hope you all enjoy reading about the next part of our journey!

Homecoming Happenings

As my husband's homecoming gets closer and closer it's the little things that have finally made it start to feel real for me. Last night I finished the amazing homecoming sign I made for him, (with the help of the always lovely Brittany, my bloggy & real life friend & her AWESOME cricut) and I am so proud of how it turned out. I hope he loves it and it makes him smile. :) I would post a photo but my dear husband actually reads my blog so I'll have to keep you in suspense until the official homecoming post, sorry to be a tease! ;)

I also got an email last night from our FRG about the end of deployment party and I am so excited. This deployment has seriously felt NEVER-ENDING and so the fact that it is finally almost over is a little hard for my brain to process. I attended a homecoming readiness and reintegration meeting through the fleet and family center and it was actually really great to talk about the feelings this event brings out in all of us wives waiting eagerly for our husbands' returns. The excitements, fears, worries, things we plan to do etc. 

We actually wrote them all out on some posters and the women from fleet & family took them to the ships and had the same meeting with the sailors on board my husbands ship. I got to send along with them a card to be hand delivered and I loved hearing from my husband how much he loved it. Today they had the meeting and he said it was actually helpful and made him feel like it was finally real as well. He also informed me of a few sweet things he has planned for me the day after he gets home. ♥ 

 Although my husband is far from perfect, (as am I) he is the one person on this planet that really gets me. He knows me inside & out and I am always amazed at how hard he tries to show me his love. Sure we've had more than our fair share of disagreements over the last 11 months but any couple who says they "never fought" during deployment or that they have a "perfect marriage" is full of crap. (Excuse my french).

Marriage is hard. You have  to consistently try to be a kind and loving spouse, to make time for one another, to make each other feel loved & valued and all that is hard enough without throwing the military & never-ending deployments into it. The navy has thrown a wrench in our marriage several times and there were a few I'll admit I wasn't sure we'd make it through, but somehow we have.

Were there times we both wanted to call it quits? Sure. Giving up is always easier than trying. But I am so proud of us both because neither one of us did. I love my husband 100 times more today than I did two years ago when we said "I do." We've been through hell and back but it's all part of our journey. The love we share isn't perfect, but it is real. And for me that is more than enough. ♥

I love you like a love song baby

So remember a few days ago when I mentioned my hubby was up for Blue Jacket of the Year for his ship?? Well, HE WON!!!! 

I am so incredibly proud of my husband for all his hard work and dedication this past year and for the simple fact that he has made a positive outcome from this deployment. Congrats Baby!

To celebrate I thought I'd dedicate my song this week to my hubby. Today is Thursday and that means it's time to link up with Goodnight Moon and share the song that moves you this week. :) This is mine, cause I can't get it out of my head...Enjoy! ♥

.

Feeling Accomplished

Happy Tuesday Everyone! Today I'm feeling really good and have already done so much and it's barely 1:00 pm! I had physical therapy again this morning and got a hot wax treatment on my hand. It felt AMAZING! With the help of my exercises and therapy I have gained 20 degrees more flexibilty when letting my hand hang down and 10 degrees more flexibility when holding it with my palm facing up. 

My pain threshold still varies from day to day but always feels better when I give it some rest on my days off from work. I have a doctors appt this weekend with my primary to check in and see how things are going so far. I am feeling good and hopeful that my hand will be able to completely heal with therapy and exercise rather than needing surgery. Say a prayer for me that it all works out! :-) 

I am happy that I was able to meet two of the three goals my physical therapist set for me within the first two weeks and hopefully it will only get better from here! As for everything else I have been having a hard time with this deployment lately. I thought it would get easier once October got here, but with the holidays fast approaching it is becoming clear to me that the last few months are going to be the hardest. 

My hubby took his Blue Jacket of the Year test today and we are keeping our fingers crossed today that he wins so he can get capped at the end of this year! That would really help us out financially and would reward him for all of his hard work. However it pans out, I can say that I am extremely proud of my husband for all he has sacrificed these last two years and especially this year. The navy is no joke and they are getting their money's worth out of my husband..that's for sure!

I love you baby and I'm so proud of you! 

On another note, since we are close to being in the double digits soon, homecoming has been on my mind a lot lately. I need to start planning and getting ready for it, because although it's still a few months away I know it will be here faster than I think. 

This time around we want to go on a "stay-cation" and just stay in Virginia. We definitely want to get a nice hotel somewhere for a few days and just relax, have some date nights and pamper ourselves...Lord knows after an 11 month deployment we are both going to need it!

What are some fun "stay-cation" activities you've done?

Home

"Another summer day has come and gone away, in Paris and Rome...but I wanna go home. May be surrounded by a million people, I still feel all alone. Just wanna go home, oh I miss you, you know."

It's Thursday lovelies, and you know what that means. Head on over to Goodnight Moon and link up with whatever song moves you this week.

Lately I've been listening to my Michael Buble station on pandora before I go to sleep each night. I can never get tired of his silky smooth voice and sexy smile... ;) This song makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside and makes me miss my husband even more than I already do, if that's even possible.

The words seem kind or eerily perfect for our situation right now. He has had the opportunity to visit amazing places and see beautiful things, but all he wants to do is come home to me. And that's all I can dream about. Until we meet again my love, know I'll be seeing you in my dreams each night.

"Another winter day has come and gone away in either Paris and Rome...and I wanna go home, let me go home. And I'm surrounded by a million people, I still feel alone. let me go home, oh I miss you, you know."

"Let me go home...I've had my run, baby I'm done...I gotta go home. Let me go home, it'll all be alright, I'll be home tonight, I'm coming back home."

Lucky Girl

Remember this post where I said I was dreaming of a certain Coach bag? Well, lets just say that I have THE BEST HUSBAND in the world and he let me get it as a late anniversary present. Eeeeeekk!!

I'm in LOVE!!! Thank you baby!!! ♥

Life keeps going

The last few weeks have been so busy I've hardly known what to do with myself. Between the hurricane, working so much and trying to survive this deployment, its been a tad difficult to keep my sanity in tact. With all that excitement we passed the half way mark, and although it still feels like forever until I'll see my hubby again I'm praying the days, weeks, and months pass quickly.

This deployment has really been a tremendous struggle for my husband and I. We have both been missing each other so much and get easily frustrated with this lifestyle and spending two years back to back on deployments and not being able to enjoy any of our newlywed lives together. We just had our two year wedding anniversary last week and I'll admit it was extremely hard facing that day alone.

My hubby was really sweet though and called me the night before (since he is on a different time zone) to wish me a happy anniversary. He also let me get my "upgrade" from my old wedding ring. And I must say, I'm in love!! ♥ It's exactly my vintage style and is soooo beautiful. :) Thank you baby, you are the best and always know how to spoil me!

We ordered him a cruise jacket for him to have and I worked really hard on his anniversary care package. I thought I mailed it too late, but as fate would have it, the package arrived just in time ON our actual anniversary! (It was probably the one and only thing that made me smile that day.) He loved it and enjoyed the cake in a jar I made for him so that made me feel pretty good. (here's a snap shot of his package)

This was probably my favorite thing about this package...decorating is always a lot of fun. ♥

I actually took the time to write out ten things I love most about my husband. I hope he knows I meant every word.

The last few weeks have been a challenge for us and we've had our share of ups and downs. I am really trying my hardest to be a good wife to him and not make this deployment any harder than it has to be. I can't even put into words how challenging it has been for us both, and at this point I am just relying on the lord to help us through it. Without him it just won't be possible. Please say a prayer for us both to be strong and that the lord would strengthen our marriage and allow us to lean on each other instead of fighting or pushing each other away. We could really use the prayers!

Time

Time is something you can't see, but you can definitely feel it. 

This week marks three months since my husband and I said, "Be seeing you," and kissed each other for the last time in a long time. I can certainly feel the heart ache of missing my husband but I'm encouraged by how quickly the days are passing. 

Although I still have my break downs and days when I feel like the world is crashing in all around me, just hearing his voice or reading a sweet email or fb post from my hubby can make my day so much brighter.

I realize now more than ever how lucky I am to have found a love other's spend a lifetime searching for. I've found my other half and I plan on holding onto the love we share. ♥ 

No matter how hard the navy makes our lives, he always tells me this is just a stepping stone and we have to take it one day at a time. 

So that's what I'm gonna do...just keep going. Just keep getting up out of bed everyday and breathing in and out. 

Keep smiling, keep trying and keep loving the wonderful husband God blessed me with...because at the end of the day if we don't have each other what do we have?

I'll love you forever Isaiah Taylor! You're my everything. ♥

Whats My Song? Everything

Today I am feeling Happy Go Lucky so I thought I'd choose a song that best describes how good I'm feeling. ♥ Those of you who've been following me for awhile probably know about my love affair with Michael Buble...and for those of you who didn't know, well now you do!

I mean who could resist this face? Throw in his voice and this girl's in L-O-V-E!

I dedicate this song to my sweet cheeks who is thousands of miles away, sailing around the ocean. ♥ 

 "And through this crazy life, and through these crazy times, it's you..it's you. You make me sing, you're every line, you're every word, you're everything."

 "Whatever comes our way, we'll see it through...And you know that's what our love can do."