One year

Today we celebrated your first birthday with a few of our closet friends and family. It was a cozy little party and you enjoyed every minute of the attention. Daddy and I still can't believe you are one! Here are some pictures from your first birthday party.

Thanks Mimi for the awesome giraffe cake. It was yummy!

Birthday kisses from Head

Your Lifetime Sportsman's License . . . just like daddy's!

A soft and fuzzy blanket from Aunt Carrie and Uncle Scott! Love you guys!

Cozy Coupe!

This sums up how much fun you had!

Your one year picture

You are walking, saying a few words (ight, shoes, home, uh-oh), you still love to read, especially touch and feel books, you love pots and pans, spoons, tupperware containers, blocks, your new car, and helping with laundry. You are wearing size 12-18 month clothes and size 4 shoes. You love bath time, brushing your teeth, climbing the stairs, turning lights on and off, riding in the shopping cart, going for rides in the stroller and wrestling with daddy. You are slowly getting away from two naps a day opting for a longer morning nap instead. You still love your bottle but we're getting ready to slowly try to kick that habit soon. You are happy 99% of the time and have more personality than anyone I've ever known. You light up a room for sure!

Happy First Birthday to our sweet Webster!

Happy Thanksgiving!

This year we count our blessings for all we have and for our family and friends. We especially remember this year those who've gone before us- Pawpaw and Grandmother H. May they rest in peace.

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours . . .

Shoes and Santa

Yes, yes, I did. I did, go ahead and laugh. I documented Webb's first shoe shopping experience- not to be his last no doubt since mommy has a true shoe problem. :)

Here you are a few weeks ago with the sweet lady at Darr's. She fixed you right up and now you always look so spiffy in your new shoes!

She thought you were precious.

And you thought her toys were the best thing ever.

A win/win for everyone!

Today we went to our town's uptown Christmas Open House. It was so nice to get out and see friends and see so many people out shopping locally! It definitely put us all in the Christmas spirit- I'm ready to get my tree up soon! You were so good and even did well visiting the man in red!

Teething baby . . .

AND I just have to mention that someone is turning ONE on Friday! Party preparations are in full swing! I can't believe it.

Talking and Walking!

Lately my flash drive on my camera hasn't been cooperative so I don't have any pictures to share. But there have been some exciting things going on with Little Punker that I didn't want to forget. Time is going by so quickly and with each passing day, he is becoming more and more independent.

Walking- yes, walking. Any chance he gets, he's walking. Crawling too but walking more and more each day. Which brings me to shoes (which he can say and point to!) . . . Once he started walking more, I decided it was time to get the boy some real shoes. So we did and the lady in the store about ate his face off. He is now the proud owner of walking shoes- similar to the ones daddy and I had when we were little!

Talking- So far he can say dada, shoes, home, uh-oh, and "ight" for light. He loves to turn lights on and off.

Tonight as I was trying to nestle him close to feed him, he grabbed the bottle from my hands and insisted on feeding himself. When I would try to help hold it, he'd kind of jerk and not let go. Boy, you are going to be something else! And I can't wait to watch every minute of it!

Reflection

Finally a day at home . . . no work, no plans, no where we have to be. Just what I needed. A day to be a mommy and a wife. As I sit here watching my baby nap, listening to live streaming of WDAV, drinking coffee, and watching the leaves blow about outside, I wanted to take a minute to reflect upon things I often take for granted. Taken for granted not because I don't care but because I rarely find the time to slow down and reflect. Today I am thankful for

A dear, precious, and sweet husband. He pulls more than his weight around here. Thank you, Chris for folding laundry, cooking breaokfast, helping me clean, and take care of our Little. I love you so much. And thanks for drawing me the candle lit bubble bath the other night. You are a saint.

A job. Yes, I complain about being a working mom, but that's going to stop. A lot of people would kill to have a job with benefits and decent pay. I am thankful for a job that allows days off like today. No more complaining . . .

My family. My mom, my sister, my husband, my son, my in-laws. The glue of my life. Thank you.

My friends. The other glue of my life. Coffee breaks, dinners out, text messages about teething babies. Friends who take care of my child and treat him as their own. Thank you for holding me together. I love you all. Shanna, I miss you.

Sweet Webb. A perfect mixture of daddy and me. The light of our lives. Thank you for filling our home with laughter.

Memories. The memories I have of my daddy. Memories etched so deeply in my heart that hurt sometimes and fulfill me all at the same time. Last night, as the sun was setting, the ducks flew overhead and I knew it was you, dad. You are soaring above me and taking pride in me. I know you are because you always told me how proud you were of me. I miss you. I miss your smile, I miss your hilarious stories and bad language, I miss you telling me to be careful driving down that road I live on. You will forever live in my heart.