Almost time!

Well, it's been an entire week since the moving company came and packed our household goods and we've basically been living like hobos ever since. I am so ready for tomorrow to get here so we can pack up the cars and hit the road! We originally weren't supposed to be leaving until Wednesday but we got a call from the moving company saying they needed to deliver a day early, which means a slight shift in our plans. So now we are leaving a day early and going to split the trip up into two days. We should be in Biloxi by Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning we sign the lease for our new house and get our stuff delivered that same day! It's going to be an exciting/stressful day but I will be so glad to have our belongings again.

This past week has been a challenge when it comes to entertaining our toddler and I'll admit I'm so grateful we still have wifi so he can watch netflix on our laptop. We also got him a coloring book and some markers so we could draw together and keep him occupied. Yesterday we spent the afternoon at the base pool and splash pad which was really nice and a perfect way to beat the heat! I'm so disapoointed that we just now made it there because they don't even charge admission and Jeremiah loved it so much! I'm very excited about the fact that our new housing community also has a pool and that we will be able to take him there often before the end of summer. He is definitely a water baby! :)

Other than that I've been trying to get our house cleaned up a little each day so we are ready for inspection before we leave on Tuesday. I've also been working on teaching Jeremiah some new words and I'm excited at how many new words he has learned this month. Some are only ones I can understand because I hear him say them enough but it makes me happy none the less! I'm hoping once we can communicate better there will be less frustrations for both of us. We got him a vtech learning book that says the names of objects when you touch them and he really seems to like it so far. I'm hoping it will help with learning some new words too. ♥

I hope you all have a Happy Monday and enjoy these pictures of my little guy playing in Mommy's suitcase. Here he is saying the newest word he learned..."Cheese!"

I love his little cheese face! Have a great week everyone! ♥

The perfect name

When you find out you're expecting, choosing the perfect name can feel like a monumental task. I wanted a name that was beautiful and sophisticated that could grow with our baby girl as she got older. A name that sounds adorable as an infant, but also respectable as an adult. When I was pregnant with my son, we were able to choose his first name the very same day we found out he was a boy. This time around it took us a little longer, ok actually a lot longer, to agree and find a name we both loved.

 I scoured baby name sites and tried to seek inspiration from family and friends but one name just kept coming back to me and I knew it was the one. My husband on the other hand needed a little more convincing, so I kept giving him other options. After about a week or two of this he said, "You know what, I actually think I like this name best..." and I was so happy because I absolutely love the name we chose. We have yet to decide on her middle name, but our baby girl's first name will be Addison. I am in love with her name and can't wait to meet our sweet girl. How did you choose your baby's name?

Gender Reveal!

Hey everyone! Two posts in one week, I must be on a roll right? ;) For those of you who already follow me on pinterest, twitter or are a facebook friend then you already know this, but if you're new around here I figured I'd share. When I was pregnant with Jeremiah and we found out we were having a boy there was no containing our excitement. We announced it right away and didn't bother with a gender reveal photo shoot. That was before it was a "big thing," I guess, but I have always regretted the way we told people. This time around I knew I wanted to do a gender reveal shoot, and with the help of my husband and son I think they turned out pretty great. ♥ I hope you love them as much as I do! We are beyond thrilled to be welcomg a baby girl into our family this December. ♥ I always said I wanted my children to be two years apart like my sisters and I and it looks like I got my wish. ;)

Next on the blog I'll be talking about our baby's name and how hard it was to choose! I hope you're all having a Happy Monday!

Moments

Last night I was looking at random photos on my computer, mostly from my instagram account when I realized how quickly time has passed over the last year. Going through old photos of Jeremiah makes my heart ache something fierce. Childhood is so fleeting and there's nothing more bittersweet than watching your children grow up. It's a privilege that tugs on your heartstrings and makes you remember to revel in each moment, because one day those moments will be gone. One day they won't be so little and you'll look back on those memories and cherish them. 

Jeremiah turns 15 months old today and I can hardly belive that as I type it out. There are days when motherhood tests my patience, my spirit and my sanity. Moments that make me want to cry as I lay in bed after a hard and frustrating day. And then there are the moments that make up for it all. Seeing him smile and splash in the bathtub, watching him dance to Frozen...The enormous smile when he wakes up in the morning, his excited little dance as he throws his arms in the air and reaches for me to pick him up, and the feel of his soft chubby cheeks as I kiss him good morning 100 times. These are the moments I live for, the moments that make everything worth it. And I'm so lucky I get to have them. ♥ 

New Look & Catching Up

I've been missing writing my blog lately, (as weird as that sounnds) and was thinking it was about time for a change. So this is it, The new me. If I have any readers left after my horrible lack of blogging over the last two months I'd be amazed...I guess thats what happens when you work 40 hours a week and have a toddler and husband to care for. ;) 

I'll be the first one to admit I was pretty unprepared for it all. I'm still getting into a routine and trying to juggle everything, which seems impossible most days. Let's just say I have a new found respect for all you working moms out there and especially my mama who worked and raised four children. Despite that, overall life has been pretty good. Things aren't quite what I was hoping for with this new job but then again they usually aren't. I'm praying things get easier as time goes on. 

[Enjoying some snuggle time with Grandma in St. Augustine]

My son is growing like a little weed and it seems as though he's doing something new everyday. He makes me smile and helps me forget even the most awful of days. I really wish I could slow down these sweet moments just a bit so I can enjoy them a little longer. In January we celebrated Bubby's first birthday and really enjoyed our visit with his Grandma. She loves him so much and we had a great time visiting St. Augustine and getting everything ready for Bubby's first birthday party. I was a little sad that the rest of our family couldn't be here with us, but so thankful we were able to share it with my mother in law. 

[The Birthday Boy, One Year Old!]

[La la la la...it's birthday time!]

[Finger Lickin' Good...]

Since then we spent the entire month of February and March being sick one time after another, (thanks grubby little daycare kids...) and Bubby ended up with a bad cold that turned into a double ear infection. We thought he had gotten better when another ear infection came on and he had to get more antibiotics. Not two days after he was done with his second round he caught another cold and he is still fighting it. We've been told by his doctor along with everyone and their mother that it's normal for kids to catch 7-8 colds their first year in daycare and I can't even think about how we are going to get through the next nine months of this!

 Every time he gets sick he passes it along to my husband and I which makes for an unusually cranky household. My job doesn't pay sick time until you've accumulated so many hours over the year so it has been extremely difficult to schedule doctors appointments and take trips to the er when I technically can't leave work and not get paid for it. I could care less about losing out on the money when it comes to making sure my child is healthy but it really frustrates me how behind the times America is when it comes to this sort of stuff. As a parent when your child is sick it's stressful enough without having to worry about being fired if you leave work because they need to see a doctor. Since we are a miliatry family and we recently pcs'd here we don't know too many people or have any family close by that could help out during these times. Sometimes I really wish we lived closer to home! 

Anyway, there have been lots of exciting things going on along with all the crappy stuff. Bubby started walking last month and I still can't get over how adorable he is walking all over the house. ♥

[Walking around with his basketball♥]

 I also found out that my husband was planning to surprise me with a visit from my mom who I've been missing so much lately. She'll be here in a little less than two weeks and I absolutely can't wait! I'm still going to be working of course but we will have the weekends together and will get to celebrate Easter and my birthday while she's here with us. :) I can't wait to take lots of pictures and do some sightseeing around Florida and hopefully Georgia. I'm so ready for what this month has in store for me and am thankful for all my blessings. If you stuck around and made it through this neverending post then God Bless You! Lol ;) Until next time...XOXO. 

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? 

Finding a balance

Motherhood is like a balancing act, we have to juggle so much and at times it can be a bit overwhelming. Sooner or later you end up dropping something. Before I was a mom I never understood how parents could put their children above everything else, including their marriage. I used to read marriage blogs and take the advice to heart and really think about the scriptures they included. Looking back I now realize that it was so easy for me to misunderstand this phenomenon, because I simply wasn't a parent yet. Oh how naive I was...

The moment I became a mom everything changed, my whole mindset shifted. I was now responsible for this tiny human being who literally depended on me for everything.

{Meeting my son for the first time after a c-section and 12 hours apart. Sweetest moment of my life.♥}

 Although I don't want to make my husband feel left out or neglected, I had to put my babies needs above his and ten months later, still do. I'm not sure at what point this will change, or rather if it will just become less prominent in our lives. The love I feel for my son is greater than I ever imagined possible. Only now that I am a mother do I realize how easy it is to place everything else on the backburner, (including oneself) once you have a child. Of course I love my husband, its just a different type of love than what I feel for my son. I know its extremely important to continue working on our marriage so we don't drift apart, but right now I am really struggling with this.

{Our last trip sans children. Wilmington, NC April 2012}

We recently moved and our bills have increased, while my husband's paycheck hasn't. I can't even remember the last time we went on an actual date. It's hard because we're trying to be thrifty but we desperately need some adult time to ourselves, just to reconnect and take a break from it all. I know it has been hard on my husband and I am trying to remind myself of the idea that God should come first, my husband second and my child third. It's just so difficult for me! Have any of you ever struggled with this? I feel like I can't be the only one.

Of course being a military family as well we also face unique challenges. Living far away from family or friends I trust to watch my son makes it harder for my husband and I to have a simple date night. I know this is just a transitional period and it won't be this way forever, but it doesn't make me feel any better about where we are. I love my husband and my son, I just wish I could figure out a way to make them both feel loved and valued. For now all I can do is trust in God and keep putting one foot in front of the other. ♥

Learning the hard way

When you have a baby, you know that sooner or later they will get hurt. No matter how hard you try to shelter your little one and keep them out of harm's way sometimes it still happens. As a mama experiencing motherhood for the first time, this was not something I wanted to think about or believe for that matter. Unfortunately it turns out to be true.

My son is ten months old and has been crawling for a few months now. He is as all babies are: curious, playful and most of the time a bit mischievous. If there is something he shouldn't be getting into, he will. If it's dangerous he will plow ahead fearlessly, unaware of the danger and mini heart attack it causes his mama and daddy. I am learning all too quickly that little boys DO get hurt.

A few days ago I was cooking dinner and my husband was watching my son, (or supposed to be). He crawled into the kitchen while I was cooking and got into one of the cabinets. I called for my husband to come remove my son as some of our child locks on the cabinets don't work well and its dangerous for him to be underfoot. Right as he was coming to get him, my son pulled a pyrex dish from the cabinet and it landed right on his hand.

It all happened so fast. I didn't even realize he was strong enough to grab something that heavy! My heart raced as I heard the crash and looked down to see the glass dish on top of his chubby little fingers. I instantly felt like THE WORST MOTHER IN THE WORLD. Why hadn't I gotten to him sooner? Why wasn't I paying better attention? And why (for the love of God) can't my husband watch him and keep him out of trouble while I'm cooking?! I manage to watch him all day without him getting hurt, so 30 minutes to an hour out of the day should be easy peezy, right?

After all these thoughts rush through my head I realize my son could really be hurt. He is a tough little guy but was crying pretty hard. He did calm down and go to bed after I gave him some tylenol and kissed his boo boo, but he kept waking up all night and I just knew he was in pain. We ended up having our very first trip to the er that night around 1:30 am. His poor little finger was swollen and bruised and again, my heart ached that my baby was hurting. The er doc basically did nothing, except provide a prescription for some motrin and tylenol. We headed home with the knowledge that there was not much we could do.

 At my son's follow up appointment yesterday his pediatrician ordered an xray and we found out my son actually had a fracture. Thankfully he will not need surgery since it's not on his growth plate and it should heal on its own in a few weeks. However, that still doesn't change the fact that this all could have been prevented. I try really hard to be a good mother to my son but on that day his dad and I both let him down. As parents we try to do the best we can and take care of our babies to the best of our abilities. We are still human however, and we too make mistakes. On this journey of parenthood I am so thankful for God's grace and forgiveness when I fail, and now more than ever I appreciate my mother and understand parenting is the hardest job there is!

I am taking this incident as a hard learned lesson and making sure to watch my son much more carefully. In the day to day of things its so easy to get distracted and not pay enough attention to our little ones. Unfortunately at this stage its so easy for him to get hurt and he wants to discover and touch anything he can get his chubby little hands on. It's my job as his mama to kiss his boo boo's and make them all better, but it's also my job to make sure he gets as few of them as possible. Today I am trying to forgive myself and focus on the things I AM doing right as a mother, including loving my sweet boy with all my heart. ♥

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 

Enjoy it

Can you believe it's May already? Where has this year gone??? I feel like I was just hugely pregnant and waiting for my son to arrive and now we are already five months into the year. It seems like every year time speeds up a little more...slow down time! 

One thing I am trying to do this year is to "live in the moment," hence the name of my blog. I feel like the last few years of my life I've spent too much time wishing things would hurry up, (that's often the case when you're a mil spouse) but now I am realizing how important it is to enjoy the here and now. 

Each day is filled with trials but there is also beauty among the hardships. I get to watch my son grow and learn new things all the time and it amazes me how much he continues to surprise and delight me. 

So today I am thankful that we have this time together and I have a feeling May is going to be a great month. :) The pool is opening this month and I can't wait to take Jeremiah and see how he likes it. I am also just plain ecstatic about the thought of warmer weather and  hitting the beach as a family. 

Well lovely readers, I've got a pile of dishes and laundry that awaits me, and lots of snuggle time with my little guy on this gloomy day, but I will post again later. I have a few more California posts to share with you and lots of photos from our vacation so I've been working on that this week. Can't wait to share them with you all! 

Happy Wednesday! :) 

xoxo