Birthday Shenanigans!

whew!  the last few weeks have been a great whirlwind of birthday fun  :)

On Nolan's actual birthday, we just kept it low key - opening gifts from grandma, grandpa, aunties and uncles.  It was a nice, simple day of just remembering this time last year.

The following weekend we had friends over for a baby birthday party!  It was a mix of grown up friends and baby friends and was such a great time.  Thank you SO much to those of you who came to celebrate Nolan's special day with us!!  Unfortunately, Nolan woke up that morning with his first winter cold  :(  so he was pretty snotty and red-nosed through the party, but that didn't stop him from having fun!  Here are some pictures from the day.

The theme was The Very Hungry Caterpillar - thanks Uncle Kev, Autumn and Logan for the book and stuffed caterpillar!  The foods served were all from the book and I made cute little tags for them.

I made a little caterpillar banner with my favorite pictures of Nolan newborn-12 months

This is Nolan's very best buddy, Owen.  Owen's mom, Angela is one of my best buddies.  We met in mom's group when the boys were just a few weeks old.  Oh and Nolan is WAY into hugging other little kids now (not so much mommy and daddy) but he LOVES hugging other kids! 

This is another one of Nolan's best buddies, Tabitha.  Tabitha is a friend of mine and she watches Nolan 2 mornings a week while I teach.

 mmmm, cake!!!  Unfortunately this is about as much cake as he would eat.  He did not like it!  Shocking!!  Is he not his mother's child??!  Guess we should have practiced for the big cake-smashing day...

the bows and ribbons on the other hand were a big hit!

here mommy, you try it!

hugging his big boy friend Marshall

more hugs for baby friend Nathan!  (though Nathan isn't too sure about all this hugging)

a boy and his balloons

Then this past weekend we hosted a big birthday celebration for all of the babies in our mom's group.  All of the babies are right around the same age.  

Playing peek-a-boo with Owen under the table

we did a book exchange so all of the babies got to open a gift

 whew!  getting the hat on for 20 seconds to take this picture was a big deal!

 he ate some cupcake!  

and finally here is a youtube video of us singing Happy Birthday to the babies.  I did not take it so it kind of focuses on one of the other babies, but still cute nonetheless.  Enjoy!

365 days - Nolan Lee

Dear Nolan,

Today you will turn one year old.  365 days.  Both a life time and a blink of an eye.

These days I look at you and see such a little boy, so full of joy, so feisty, so brave yet so careful to make sure mom or dad are close by.  What happened to my tiny, fragile little baby??  I almost have to close my eyes to see you that way but the memories are right there.  I have done my best this year to hold on to every moment with you.  The good, the great, and the not-so-great too.

I remember the first time I ever really saw of you - on that ultra sound - and I remember how your daddy and I held our breath then sighed and shed tears of relief to know that it was really true.  We really would become parents.  We prayed for you, planned for you and dreamed about you.

Then I remember yesterday last year.  Oh I was so uncomfortable in my pregnancy and we had just seen the midwife in the morning who told us it was highly unlikely we'd be hearing from you any time soon.  Imagine our surprise when that night I awoke to my water breaking and the realization that we would be meeting you a full month earlier than we had planned.  I remember that day so well and I remember you so tiny, so fragile, your sweet little coos and milky breath.

Slowly you grew and at every stage of the way you have filled us with so much joy.  Seeing you smile for the first time, kick your little feet for the first time, cheering you on to roll over for the first time.  I remember your first laughs.  They were at daddy just making silly daddy sounds.  Then suddenly you were rolling around the whole room, then sitting up.  Then sitting up in your crib.  Do you know that every night for the last 365 days I have gone into your room after you have fallen asleep to kiss you, tell you I love you and just stare at the awesomeness that is you?  I cried when we had to lower your crib mattress because I couldn't reach to lean into the crib and kiss you laying down anymore.  You were just so big.  Then you started to crawl (like a wounded soldier!).  Oh man, that's when I knew you would keep me busy.

And now you are crawling around up on your knees as fast as can be and pulling up and walking along all the furniture and you are all into everything:  kitchen cupboards, pulling clothes in and out of the dryer and washing machine, trying to climb into the dishwasher if I'm not fast enough... the list goes on!  You are just such a little boy.  A little blonde boy, which still blows my mind.

And I love absolutely everything about you.

I love your soft, pale, doughy baby skin.

I love that when you laugh you wrinkle your nose up and show off your teeth.

I love that when you hear mommy and daddy laugh, you start laughing too just to join in on the "conversation".

I love that you love to snort like a piggy.

I love that you lay your head on my shoulder and wrap your arms around my neck so tight when you are tired or just need love.

I love that these days one of your favorite signs is "baby" and that you squeeze and love on a funny looking naked little baby doll.

I love the way you say "mama" with your small, high-pitched, but incredibly big-boy sounding voice.

I love that your first spoken word was "moo" of all things!  And that you are obsessed with animals in books that are (or at least you think are) cows.

I love that you inspire family dance parties in the living room.

I love that you sleep with your blanket tucked beneath you and your little butt up in the air.

I love the small baby you were and the beautiful big boy you are becoming. 

Because of you our lives are richer than we could have ever imagined.  Sweet Nolan, there are no words in the world that could possibly explain the deep love your father and I have for you.  Thank you for the most blessed, full year of our lives.  We love you and can't wait for the years to come.

-mommy & daddy

here is a video tribute to Nolan's first year.  It's 8 minutes long, just a warning.  Get your popcorn ready, ha ha!  (tip: if it's too slow, press pause to let the video load fully.  Wait a few minutes, you'll see the gray bar getting longer, then play or click the grey circle once the video is fully loaded.)

11 months

It's true!  Nolan is 11 months old now.  He's doing all sort of fun new things.  He's signing quite a bit.  His recent favorite signs are "lights" and "fan".  Whenever we walk into a store he looks up to see if there is a fan to tell us about!  All together, he is signing:  "more, dog, fan, light, ball, please" today he imitated "all done" and I think "mama".  It's super fun to connect with him this way and know what's on his little mind!  He is imitating sounds more often too and when you ask him what a cow says, he will tell you (in his way) "moo"!  Pretty darn cute.  He loves peek-a-boo and has started pulling blankets up over his own head when you ask "Where's Nolan?"  He's waving "hi" and "bye".  He's also getting closer to walking, pushing his little walking toy around the house.  But I still think it will be awhile before he walks on his own.  Thank goodness!  I can hardly keep up with him as is!  Here is his 11 months old picture.

Schabow's visit the Pumpkin Patch!

We took Nolan for his first visit to a Pumpkin Patch and had a great time!  He was a little tentative in the new environment, Mr. Serious face, but I think he enjoyed it.  He got to play in the pumpkins, see horses, bunnies, goats and baby cows and he got to "pet" a baby chick.  It was a really neat place, complete with hay rides, pony rides, and train rides for the littles and they had cider, roasted corn, homemade pumpkin spice doughnuts and more!   We had a really great, memorable time and of course we took TONS of pictures.  Here are a few for your viewing pleasure  ;)

ooh!  a little pumpkin just my size!!

 hmm, let me touch it... I like it!!

I think I will eat it...

I am not sure I like to eat this pumpkin.... tastes distinctly like dirt...

I will just hold it and love it instead!!

August/September

Nolan was 9 months old in August and 10 months old in the middle of September.

It's really starting to sink in that we have an almost 1 year old little boy!  He is no longer "army" crawling and is crawling around like a big boy. He is pulling up on everything and cruising around furniture like a champ.  He loves for mommy and daddy to hold his hands to help him walk around.  He just started signing MORE and DOG consistently.  He is doing all sorts of baby talk - babbling to himself in his own language.  He loves to test out his vocal cords with shrieks and snorts - usually when we are in a restaurant or someplace where he should be quiet.  He is just so funny!  But he's a really cautious and serious little guy too.  Whenever we go out strangers are always coming up to us and making sweet faces asking him "can you give me a smile?" and what not, but he just looks at them with the most serious look because he doesn't know them!  What a goof.  He is STILL a really big boy for his age and strangers are always bringing this to my attention as well  ;)  At 9 months the Dr. said he was the size of an 1.5 yr old - oy.  Waiters are always trying to give him crayons.  Ha ha! 

We have had such a wonderful, quick summer!  In my last post I wrote about our awesome trip to Wisconsin in July.  In August, my mom and dad came for a visit and in September Aunt Ashley came for a visit.  We've been so lucky to spend so much time with family this summer!  Here are some photo highlights from our August and September.

hiking backpack - not just for hiking!  great for washing dishes, vacuuming and more!  ;)

checking out the flowers with grandma

 Nolan loves to go to the park now

look at that hair, ha ha!

with auntie Ashley

snuggles with mama

checking out the fish at the zoo with auntie

When Ash was in town we went for an awesome hike in the gorge.  It took us about 3 hours and we saw three sets of stunning waterfalls.  I don't know how Steve managed to carry Nolan on his back that whole time, but he did!  It was great!!

 

Nolan also had several opportunities to splash in the water this summer! He loves splashing and walking through the water with daddy!