Fall fun at the Pumpkin Patch

Yesterday we took Jeremiah to the pumpkin patch for the first time. It was a crisp, beautiful autumn day and it couldn't have been nicer out. The weather has been cooling down some this week and it finally feels like fall. ♥ We had so much fun searching for the perfect pumpkin and Jeremiah definitely loved all the sights and his very first wagon ride at the pumpkin patch. Here's our day in photographs. :) 

Happy Fall!

Home Sweet Home

Well lovely readers, our pcs is finally over and now we are in the wonderful phase of unpacking and trying to make our new house feel like a home. This time was easier and harder than our first pcs, if that makes any sense. It was easier because I had done it once before, but harder because this time I was doing it with an 8 month old! Boy was that an experience. Even though we had our hearts set on going back to the West Coast and being closer to both our families, I am actually thankful we didn't have to do a cross country trip with an infant. The drive to Florida took us two days and really wasn't too bad at all! Of course in true pcs fashion I got lost a few times the first day we got here and that was super stressful and scary but thankfully my gps saved the day. ;)

The last few weeks have been spent unpacking and fixing up our new house. It hadn't been occupied in quite some time so it definitely needed a little tlc. I am really loving how its coming along though! The outside is looking better all the time, thanks to all my hubby's hard work. We just got a great bbq on sale too since we FINALLY have a backyard of our own! We were also lucky enough to receive a new lawn mower from my in laws and it was such a thoughtful housewarming gift. I am definitely feeling very blessed. ♥

We added a few plants and flowers to the front of the house to give it a more homey feel. I am loving all these gorgeous fall colors!

The inside of our home still needs some major decorating so unfortunately I won't have any photos until thats finished. But we are loving our new house and all the space we have! It's literally three times the size of our tiny apartment back in Virginia Beach. So far Florida has been a great place to live and I'm looking forward to all our adventures here over the next few years. I think it will be perfect for our little family. ♥ 

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. ♥

It's getting real

Today the estimator (I guess that's what they're called?) from the moving company came by the house to take a look at all our belongings. Maybe since we've been waiting for this move to happen for so long now, it hasn't really felt real. That is until today, when a stranger was poking around my house, scribbling down notes (or rather typing them out on his ipad...) and asking me about the stuff we have packed away in storage.

Then I looked at the calendar and realized that next Thursday the packers are coming to pack our entire lives. This is GETTING REAL.

I'm still in disbelief that it's almost here & am experiencing a flurry of emotions. I couldn't be happier that we are starting a new adventure and chapter in our lives, but I am also a bit afraid of the unkown.

 I'm remembering how I felt before/during my first pcs and some of those same feelings are resurfacing. I'm sad about leaving some great friends behind, nervous about making new ones & learning my way around a new base & city. Above all I'm hoping we will like our new home & will have lots of good times there. ♥

This month is flying by & moving day will be here before I know it! :)

Adventures on the road

We returned home Saturday night after a full week on the road during our house hunting and although I wouldn't say going on a road trip with an infant is "fun" I definitely enjoyed some aspects of it. This was my first time driving through South Carolina and Georgia so I was pretty excited about that. I wish we could have stopped in Savannah for the night and spent some time there the next day. It's definitely on my list of things to do while we live in Florida.

We made it to Jacksonville after 12 hours (counting stops to eat, get gas and feed and change Jeremiah) so we were exhausted the next day but still went out and looked for houses. We spent the next five days in Jax and finally got a house on Wednesday! We actually ended up staying an extra day because it took so long to get a house. Thursday morning we checked out of our hotel and got back on the road again. We planned on staying the night in South Carolina and stopped off at Myrtle Beach for the night. We got a bit of a late start Thursday since Husband had to go visit his new command, so by the time we got there it was almost dark.

It was so beautiful there! I can't tell you how happy it made me to see palm trees everywhere. ♥ The beach was gorgeous and there was just something so peaceful about it. We had only booked our hotel for that one night and were so sad that we got there too late to do anything. Husband convinced me we should stay an extra day and I am so glad we did! :)

Friday we took Jeremiah for a walk along the boardwalk and enjoyed the sights. I loved this ferris wheel and how blue the sky was that day.

We stopped along the boardwalk to grab some lunch and everyone who met Jeremiah told us how adorable he was, which of course made me smile. :) What Mom doesn't love hearing that her baby is cute? Ok, I'm done bragging, I promise!

After our walk we did some shopping and I was so excited to find something with all of our names on it! We all have pretty unusual names, (well mine's not unusual but the spelling is...) so I was very happy. I also got a picture frame to put in our new house. I can't wait to decorate once we get there. ♥

After we were done shopping we headed back to the hotel and changed into our bathing suits. We decided to visit the pool which Jeremiah absolutely loved. He is such a little water baby! :) It was one of those salt water pools that gradually gets deeper so we took him in and let him crawl around and play.

It was just such a nice, relaxing family day after a long stressful week. The perfect mini vacation was just what we needed to de-stress and unwind.

Saturday came and I did not want to leave, but unfortunately we had to. We have already decided that we will definitely be going back to visit soon! ♥ I absolutely loved South Carolina. Where have you vacationed this summer?

House Hunting

We finally returned home from a week spent on the road and I couldn't be happier to sleep in my own bed again. I love a good road trip every now and then, but traveling with an infant is not the easiest thing to do. Husband's house hunting leave was approved and we had a very short window of time before his next underway, so we decided to head down to Florida and search for a house. I thought we were prepared but boy was I wrong!

I had compiled a list of "favorite" houses in the Jacksonville area and the day after we arrived we began our search. Immediately I realized we were going to have to keep looking. Almost all the houses/neighborhoods we looked at were scary, and just not for us. Obviously having a baby we need to be in a safe place. So it was back to square one. We spent the next few days searching the internet, scouring neighborhoods looking for "for rent," signs and calling realtors. Just when I was getting really discouraged we finally had one lady call us back and show us the inside of some houses.

There were two that we really liked but one was a little over budget and much bigger than we really needed, so we went with the smaller of the two. I was so glad I stuck to my instinct and stayed on track with the budget. Husband wanted to get the more expensive house but I wasn't too sure. I really want us to be able to get some debt paid off this next year, and the last thing we need is to be "house poor." I am really happy with the house we rented anyways. :) I am absolutely ecstatic about having more space.

We have been cramped in this tiny 600 sq feet apartment for the last two and a half years and it has started to drive me a little crazy! Things were cramped when it was just me, then husband came home from deployment and it got even more tight...then we added a baby to the mix and now there is barely room for anything in this place! We will now have 1800 sq feet, (three times what we have now) and I don't think I'm even going to know what to do with all of it. I am so excited at the thought of Jeremiah having room to crawl and play without being so cramped, not to mention our own back yard to have bbq's and hang out together as a family. :) I am also thrilled that I will finally get to decorate his nursery!

I feel like after waiting, and waiting and waiting some more things are finally starting to look up for our family. We have been stuck in Virginia six months longer than we were supposed to, and I've been struggling with Husband being gone a lot this year when he should have already been on shore duty and home with Jeremiah and I. It makes me happy to know after a tough four years of sea duty that he will finally be home more. For the first time in a long time, I am really looking forward to our future. I hope there are many happy days to come in our new home. ♥

Toes in the grass

Today was an absolutely gorgeous day...the type of day you just can't help but go outside. Jeremiah and I headed to Mt. Trashmore Park to enjoy the lovely weather with a few friends. ♥

We took a walk and afterwards settled under a nice shady tree for the kids to play. Jeremiah had a wonderful time crawling around in the grass and trying to pick up the leaves.

 He's such a boy and I love it. ♥ There is something beautiful about watching him experience new things and learning each day.

Oh how I love those eyes and that sweet smile. :) Melts my heart every time. I am sure going to miss this place when we move. ♥

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. ♥

Hello again

Well, I did it again. I fell off the face of the earth as far as my blog is concerned. I have no idea if there is anyone still even following my blog, with how little I've written over the past year. I miss it so much. Sometimes before bed I have so many thoughts running through my mind that I think to myself, "I should write this down..." but most nights I'm just too exhausted to, so instead I say my prayers, count my blessings and snuggle with my beautiful baby boy.

 So much has happened the last few months and I can't even believe it but somehow my son is already seven months old. And did I mention he is crawling already? Yes....oh how fun that has been! It has been so exciting seeing him learn new things each day and watching his little personality develop. He makes me smile and laugh more than I ever thought possible, but he also tests my patience and pushes me to be a better mama each day we spend together. I know I don't always tell my husband this, but I'm extremely grateful for the chance to stay home with him and witness all his firsts. It's something my mom never got to do with me or my sisters so I don't take it lightly.

Other than staying home and taking care of my little man I have also been trying to find us a house. We are getting ready to pcs here in October and are moving down to Jacksonville Florida! I am very excited for the change but also sad to be leaving so many wonderful friends behind. The military lifestyle is very bittersweet sometimes...

We really wanted to do base housing but only had two months notice for these orders. The wait for housing is 6-9 months so it looks like we will have to rent a place out in town. I am amazed at how much house you can get for your money out there though. You can rent a three bedroom house for the same amount or less than what we pay here in Virginia Beach for a one bedroom apartment! It's pretty crazy, but I am so looking forward to getting out of this cramped apartment and getting us into a nice house.

Husband's house hunting leave just got approved so we are going to drive down to Florida next weekend and look at a few places. I really hope we find something nice in our price range not too far from the base. Wish us luck! Well that's all for now but I will try to be better about keeping my blog updated. I really miss writing everyday. Hope everyone has a great weekend. :)

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