Life Is Sweet!

From chocolate pudding and brownies to cupcakes and cookies... nothing is as sweet as my adorable baby boy! This Halloween has been so much fun. He loves helping me make things in the kitchen. This is the first time he ever got to experience "licking the spoon". It was hilarious!

Being Silly

Nolan got a special treat from his teachers at daycare the other day... Chocolate Ice Cream! I thought it was so sweet and well calculated that they waited and sent the kids home with the ice cream rather than having them eat it BEFORE they left. LOL It was so funny to turn around and see this little chocolate face smiling back at me. Everyday my sweet baby boy brings so much joy to all our lives. I love him so much!

Getting Ready For Baby Emi

 We have been busy preparing for a very special event coming up... the arrival of our sweet baby girl, Emi. I am now 34 weeks pregnant and honestly just getting in the swing of things. Despite having felt really tested emotionally, spiritually and physically over the past year I can say without any reservation that God has blessed our family so much. Our entire family is so excited to have a baby girl coming into this world to join us. Pinks and frills are going to be a part of our everyday lives and I could not be happier.

Nolan enjoying spending time in Emi's room and playing with her things - afterall everything is Nolan's too (atleast in his mind at this point). The amazing mirror in the back was found by me and Mom (actually everything was found by me and Mom).  

 
 A special thanks goes to my Mom who really helped me to get excited about this and become comfortable with decorating and buying girly things. The past year has held challenges that have tested me but my Mom has been there supporting me and holding me every step of the way feeling and experiencing everything right there with me. It's only now that I am a Mother that I truly know how much a child's pain can be felt by a parent. God has blessed me and my children with a wonderful Mother and Grandmother!

 What girl doesn't need a blingy piggy bank?

 Makoto has been amazing! He has taken on this project and really owned it - I love that he can be my motivator at times when I need it the most. He wanted eveything to be perfect and it is - I had a vision and he has really worked to bring it to life.

 Something fun and girly for decoration.

 Makoto detailing his work.

 Assembling the swing and bouncy seat again was fun and a reminder of how much my little boy has grown!

 Loved the frilly pillow - every girl should have one!

 The mirror we found was beautiful but I envisioned it in white so that was another thing "Daddy" aka Makoto had to make happen and he did a great job.

Picture frames still need to be hung, bedding and lighting still to be ordered but we are almost there! I can see the finish line and I know I will love the results.

 

Can't wait to rock with my little princess in her nursery!

Like Mother Like Son

Fighting Sleep

Every kid grows up with one or two stories that they hear about themselves over and over again. The story that is brought up at every family gathering and discussed in detail. The one that you could recite word for word as it has become so repetative and sure to provide laughs for any occassion.

One such story has followed me throughout my life and it has to do with my disdain for going to sleep as a child. I HATED bedtime, naptime, any time that really meant that I would "miss" something or not be front and center - needless to say sleep was my enemy and I attempted to avoid it and when faced with it I FOUGHT! Here is where the punchline comes in - I fought sleep so much that more often than not I became known, in my family, for falling asleep in my food (literally). Face down in the green beans, forehead in the mashed potatoes - that was me. Yeah it's funny but for me I was always wondering WHY my Mom didn't just catch me or put me down before this happened as she always knew that it would.

Fast forward 30+ years later and I got my answer. My beautiful son is the whole world to me and has been blessed with a wonderful family, smarts from Mom (and Dad), curiousity from his Dad, a loud mouth from his Mom and apparently my same bout with sleep. Nolan HATES to go to sleep - he avoids it, he even compromises (at the ripe old age of 2) and finally he fights it - JUST LIKE HIS MOMMY used to. The funny thing now is that I LOVE to go to sleep - it is one of my favorite times of the day - I wish parents got naptime. But back to my initial question and answer..... My Mom never stopped it for the same reason I didn't stop it recently when Nolan began to fall alseep at dinner. He was just too cute!!! I was transfixed on his beautiful little face as it made its way around so many expressions trying to eat and fill his hunger while avoiding the fact that he was exhausted. It burned a memory that will forever be in my heart and I admit I can't wait until it happens again!

So, Nolan is doomed to forever hear that he hated sleep and fought it valiantly only to finally surrender face first in his food! LOL See the evidence below.

Summer Fun Time!

Spring Time!