Moments: 21 Months

Little Man,

Today you are officially 21 months.

Another month added to the best years of my life. 

At 21 months, I think the hardest thing for me to accept is that
although you are still very much my little baby-
you are slowly starting to change and grow into my little boy. 

Your little personality is SO big
that sometimes I can't even believe it. 
My whole world continues to light up every time you flash that BIG smile of yours
and the amount of "just because" hugs and kisses I get, grows by the day.
You are so silly, and now you will do things just to make us laugh.
Simply put- you are the sweetest most handsome boy I've ever laid my eyes on.

At 21 months
you want mommy and daddy to go everywhere with you. 
You take our hand in yours, 
and will drag us around the house to wherever it is you want to be.
Then, no questions, we must sit and play! 

You absolutely love "helping" us cook,
and in the mornings when we wake up before Daddy leaves for work-
helping Daddy make his lunch is one of your favorite things to do.

This past month, you've grown so attached to Daddy, 
and you ask for him all the time when he is gone at work. 
It breaks my heart that you don't fully understand why Daddy leaves everyday,
and that you don't get to spend more time with him.

You love forts, playing outside, and blowing bubbles.

You love going to the library, helping mommy water the plants outside,
and you love looking for snacks in the pantry. :) 

You love to color- however it's more like you love watching us color for you.

You love anything cars, trains, trucks, and planes.
And if the TV is on, most likely we have Thomas the Train or "choo-choos" on.

You love your babies (stuffed animals)
and love wrapping them up, rocking them, "feeding them" and 
and taking them for a walk in the stroller aka shopping cart. 

Your favorite meals consist of macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese,

and spaghettios.

A well balanced diet for sure. :)

You still love helping with the dishwasher, and always tell me when things are "dirty."

You also love telling Mommy and Daddy when things are "hot" and "cold."

You love reading, "helping" mommy on the laptop, 

and taking pictures with Mommy's camera. 

You love looking at yourself in the mirror, and making silly faces.

(You are your father's son, for sure!)

We are not pushing the potty training issue, 

but we do have an adorable Mickey potty in your bathroom that you

use at least once a day. 

My attempt is to slowly warm you up to the idea,

and then like magic one day- you will just want to use it all the time.

:) 

You can say about half the letters of the alphabet, 

and your vocabulary is growing by the day.

You love playing in your playroom,

and building "block roads" for your cars to drive on. 

Obviously I'd be writing for days if I put on here each and every little thing that makes my heart soar with you at this age.

And as expected, along with all the great moments, come more and more challenges.

The past couple months you have really been learning how to test my patience, 

but at the same time teach me patience.

(Like fighting me on diaper changes, and learning the art of stalling at bedtime!)

And because you are at an age where we don't always understand each other

 feelings of frustration creep up on the both of us quickly.

But I truly try to remember to take a deep breath, and take it all in.

Yes, even those not so great moments.

I try to remember

 that as much as I don't understand what it is you are wanting or needing sometimes, 

I know there are also many times you are not understanding 

what I am trying to communicate to you as well. 

I know know day, I will look back, and will want to give anything to be here

in this moment with you all over again. The good and the bad. 

So here we are just three more months until you are 

officially two years old.

You fill my days with more fun, 

and my heart with more love than I ever thought was possible.

As sad as I am to see this time passing-
I look at whats ahead, and can't wait for another holiday filled season with you,
with so many new moments to love and share with you
and so many new memories that we will create together.

Bubba, always keep that bright smile shining.
I love you with all my heart, forever and ever,
Mommy

20 Months

Dear Jackson,

This weekend you turned 20 months. 

I'm not sure why, but I've had a really hard time with this one.

I'm not sure if it's the "2" now instead of a "1"

but 20 months just sounds so big.

And it doesn't help that 

in just four short, short months you will be two years old.

I can't grasp just how fast time is going.

Multiple times this past week, as I was rocking you to sleep

tears fell from my eyes.

You truly amaze me each and every day.

You are growing so big, and so smart right before my eyes.

I wish I could freeze these moments

and always remember them with such strong detail

so that years from now when you are big and grown

I can look back and remember them

as if they were happening for the very first time. 

How sweet it sounds when you say "yeah", "no" and "more"

How my heart feels like it's going to burst when you 

wrap your little arms around me and squeeze so tight.

The way you always want to be right by daddy and me. 

Your sweet little kisses,

Your big bright eyes,

and the most contagious laugh I've ever heard.

.

The adorable way you say "done" and "hot"

and how cute you get when you know you are doing something

you are not supposed to. 

The heartmelting way you want to help with 

literally everything.

The heartbreaking way I look at you each day, 

just a little bigger and older than the last.

Your love for the kitties and the dishwasher.

The way you have to bring your "buddies" to your bedroom at night

(aka your cars)

and put them on the dresser so you see them first thing in the morning.

The way you pretend to hurt yourself, 
and then say "ut-oh"
while walking towards us, so we can give you a kiss.
And the way you pretend to fall,
then laugh so hard.

The way I still get to hold you tight,

and rock you to sleep each and every night. 

The way you feel laying on me, sleeping so sound.

How you will just lay next to us and snuggle up close,

especially when reading books. (Lots of books!)

The stories Daddy tells me after he's taken you 

for a boy's night to a baseball game.

The biggest smiles you get when Daddy comes home from work.

The way you don't want to leave his side

once he is home.

The way you mimic everything and every sound we make,

and all the new words you try to say that just come out

like your own foreign language.

You say them over and over again, 

like we are the silly ones for not understanding. 

How you can now walk with us places, 

while holding our hands so tight.

I always catch you looking up at me, 

with a big smile, 

and inside I know you are feeling like such a big boy.

The sound of "mama" no less than a hundred times a day.

The way you look at me, with a big smile and love in your eyes

a million times a day.

There are so many more moments I just never want to forget, 

and that is still one of the biggest fears I struggle with.

I take time to enjoy every moment, 

but they are just passing too quickly. 

I love you Bubba Bear. 

I pray you continue to enjoy each and every day,

and each and every little moment.

I love you with all I have,

Mommy

19 Months

Jackson, I can't believe it was 19 months ago
that we brought you home from the hospital

and I rocked you to sleep for the very first time. 

Little did I know that even once you outgrew my lap and the rocking chair-
 we would still find a way to to make it work.
And I would be rocking you to sleep every night 

for the next 19 months... and counting. 

I got so emotional the other night- while rocking you to sleep, 

knowing that nights like this won't last forever. 

That you are growing bigger by the day- 

and that all too soon, you won't need me, and will be going to bed on your own.

Well... 
I'm assuming one day you will be going to bed all on your own. :) 

It makes my heart ache in so many ways

to think of you growing up into a little man. 

As I was rocking you to sleep the other night 
you looked at me with those big bright eyes. 
The same eyes I looked into when you were just days, weeks old. 

So many memories flooded my mind of nights with you
short, long, easy, hard,
and it made me tear up. 

It made me appreciate those nights, 
each and every one.
Just you and me.
I have cherished each and every minuet-
just holding you close, watching you fall asleep so peacefully. 

I guess my whole point to this post is I had no idea
what kind of Mamma I was going to be. 
I had thoughts in my mind about how everything would go.
My baby would be perfect, never be crabby, and sleep like a champ. 

Although perfect,
I soon realized how unpredictable our little ones could be.
From day one. 

And that 
never. changes.

It makes me so thankful that I took advice from others
but at the end of the day, did things the way I felt most comfortable. 

I quickly grew more and more confident in the decisions 
Daddy and I have made
when it comes to how we chose to raise you.

Not to say we have made all the "right" ones,
but the ones we have made have been right for our family. 

You may be 19 months- and just now starting to sleep 8+ hours, 
but I wouldn't have had it any other way. 

My advice to the new Mommy's out there-
listen, read, take advice,
but always go with your instincts. 
You will truly know what is best for you
and your little family. 

And yes, sometimes that means rocking a 19 month old to sleep. :)

Print Via Etsy: BirchTreeDesign

Patience

Of all the lessons I hope to teach my little man, 

he is teaching me one of the most valuable lessons of MY lifetime. 

Patience. 

To help you understand, my husband always said, 

"You would never make a good doctor, because you don't have any patients." 

Like patience. Get it?! :) 

I'm not so sure that helps you understand... but it's the best I could do! 

It's not that I was always in a hurry- it's just that if I had something to do, 

that was not fun- I just wanted to get it done. 

I didn't want to take my time doing chores, or running errands.

Before Jackson, I never knew it could take twenty minutes to vacuum our kitchen floor. 

Normally taking me about three minutes. 

(He absolutely loves the vacuum.)

He holds on and doesn't let go until we are done. 

Periodically looking back at me, thinking that it is one of the coolest things he's ever done 

in his short 18 months of life. 

Don't even ask how long it takes him to help me vacuum the living room. :) 

Before Jackson, I never thought I would take my time putting the dishes away. 

Normally I just wanted it done- 

Grabbing as many things as I could to speed up the process. 

Now Jackson hears the dishwasher open, and RUNS over. 

He stands there and hands me one spoon at a time, then one fork at a time, until we are done. Big smiles on his face the whole time. 

Before Jackson, I never knew it would take me two hours to grocery shop, 

or that I would talk to so many random people while grocery shopping. 

Going up and down the aisle, if he isn't trying to help, he's smiling and waving at everyone. 

Literally everyone. 

I can't tell you how many times he will smile at an older couple, and they stop to talk to him.

I used to get to the store, focused on what I needed to get, 

not paying attention to anyone around me, let alone talking to anyone. 

Seriously. someone could have been standing in the same aisle as me, 

trying to hand me $100- and I never would have noticed. 

Not intentionally- I just wanted to get in and out.  

Now I cherish the moments, and all the new people I meet, even for a brief moment. 

Some people have said the nicest things to me about cherishing my time with Jackson

or just about how happy (and cute) he is. 

There is something so heartwarming about someone you don't know, 

taking the time to say some kinds words to you. 

But back to my big helper at the grocery store... 

His favorite is when we pick out apples. 

He can't wait to grab an apple, and put it in the bag for me. 

One by one, focusing on getting it in the bag- taking twice as long. 
And I don't mind at. all. 

I used to rush through things, to get them done before Jackson had a chance 

to come and be my "big helper". 

I knew if I didn't, I would be doing a small minimal task for much, much longer. 

But that was short lived, and I quickly learned to embrace it. 

Jackson will never be this age ever again (nor this eager to help me out!) 

and I want to take in each and every little moment. 

He wants to help. He wants be by me.

And I want him to have the experience, no matter how silly of an experience it may be. 

Because to him-  right now, everything is a fun, new, exciting experience. 

I'm sure as he gets older, my lessons in patience will change-

 from being patient with small things- to being patient with much bigger things. 

But I hope I can always take a step back- and always enjoy the experience of this journey.

Plus, how can I say, 

"Mommy doesn't need your help right now" to this sweet face?!

Simple Things Sunday #009

Yesterday we celebrated my son's 2nd Easter.

What a difference from last year! 

This year he ran to his Easter basket, and started taking things out one by one. 

And although we had to help him on his Easter egg hunt, he eventually found 

all of the eggs that that Easter bunny "hid" in our back yard. 

Our Easter was filled with family, tradition, amazing new memories, and the best food! 

16 Months

I can't believe my little man is 16 months today.

I'd say I wish time would slow down, but we all know that isn't going to happen.

16 months is a crazy age. 

Jackson is getting too big for a lot of the toys and things he was into, 

but he is still too small for almost everything else. 

His attention span for coloring is on the level of baby ADD, 

but we can sit and read books for hours. And hours.

He's also mastering the art of throwing tantrums. 

However, he is the sweetest, most loving little man I have ever known.

This past week he has grown super attached to his baby Jeffrey, 

and we spend a good part of our day wrapping him up like a baby and carrying him around. 

He is becoming more independent little by little,
and now only wants to eat if he's feeding himself with a fork. 

He also likes to brush his teeth, and his hair.
His little legs run everywhere. His little fingers leave prints everywhere.

A clean room is overtaken with toys in seconds as I navigate around
trying not to break an ankle stepping on one.

But his hugs are bigger and stronger every day.
His eyes bigger and brighter, learning more and more.
His smiles can still light up a room, and his giggles... priceless.

Instead of getting so sad about how fast he is growing,
I'm trying to just sit back, enjoy, and take it all in.

He is ONLY 16 months old, he is still my baby.

Simple Things Sunday #008

A day late, because my little man has been sick. 

This week, he grew very attached to his baby giraffe, Jeffrey. 

He loves wrapping him up like a baby, and carrying him around everywhere. 

Jeffrey also likes to read him bedtime stories. 

It makes my heart melt to see him so loving to his best buddy. :) 

A mother's take on lack of sleep.

someecards.com

Since Jackson was born, I, myself, have gotten three nights where I got to 
sleep through the night. 

Three. 

He is 15 months old. 

And sleeping through the night means 6-8 hours where I didn't wake up once. 
And no, I am not exaggerating. 

Three. Nights.

Those three nights were sleepovers at Grandma and Grandpa's and I am forever grateful for them. 

 So, my husband and were talking the other day about one of our favorite topics- 
how Jackson still doesn't sleep through the night, or nap much for that matter. 
We've always joke that he doesn't want to miss out on anything. 
So, then I jokingly said, It's okay since he doesn't sleep or nap much, 
that just means I get to spend so much extra time with him. 

That was a few days ago and although I was joking, it made me stop and think. 
It's true. 
Even when he was weeks old, he was never a napper, and never slept through the night. 
(Or those six hour stretches I heard so much about.)

 I kept waiting for it to happen, and then I kept waiting some more. 
So, instead of being in his nursery in dreamland for hours, I always had him next to me. 

I'll never forget those early days, the days of him just laying next to me, 
eyes big and bright, just looking around, taking everything in. 
All those extra hours I had with him, I am now so thankful for. 

All those extra hours today, I am even more thankful for. 
Time is no joke. It goes fast. And then faster and faster.

Sure, it's frustrating. 
But I know I'm not the only Mommy who has an overactive baby 
who would rather do anything and everything but sleep. 

I'm here to tell you, it's not that bad. 

One day, our little ones will be teenagers, and we won't be able to get them out of bed 
no matter how hard we try. 
I know I am going to be so grateful for all those extra moments I got with Jackson. 
All those times he woke up after only a couple hours of sleep- 
All those extra snuggles I got.

I will carry them in my heart, and cherish them forever. 

Good Morning

Last night was a productive one. 
(In my opinion at least!)

I made dinner, participated in Simple As That's first live facebook chat, as well as made two new birth announcements for Simply Sweet Prints.

Cottage (5x7)

Burlap (5x7)

The weather has been beautiful here in sunny AZ, so we are trying to enjoy it as much as we can before we are locked up in the summer months!

However, I am excited to announce that I will soon be adding banners to the Simply Sweet Shop! Make sure to follow Simply Sweet Moments and like my Facebook page so you don't miss out! 

Isn't She Lovely.

It's Saturday! 

I could not be more thankful for the weekend! The weekend means I have a second set of eyes and hands to help out with my little man. 14 months is such an amazing age, but he can't be left alone for a second! That allows for little to no time for myself, but I promise I am not complaining! 

As I type this, my big helper (aka my husband) is asleep on the couch. He is obviously excited for the weekend as well, but for different reasons! :)

Anyways, we spent this past week moving, and packing and unpacking, along with a lot of cleaning. I can not express how excited I am to be in a (rental) home. No more apartments. No more three flights of stairs. Hello front door and garage. HELLO BACKYARD! 

The other night I got on my laptop for the first time in a week, since everything was packed, and the internet was down. The break from technology was definitely refreshing! 

However, I was missing Simply Sweet Prints and itching to share some new creations! 

Last night I created a new baby girl announcement. (Please excuse my adorable son's picture!)

 I could not, for the life of me, decide which I liked more, so I am offering both versions of my new announcement, Lovely. 

Lovely- Vertical (5x7)

Lovely- Horizontal (5x7)

Which style do you prefer?!

Two New Additionsl

I know I said I probably wouldn't have any new additions to Simply Sweet Prints for a couple weeks, but sometimes you just need a break from packing, and creating new announcements is a nice way for me to relax and do just that!

So, today I've added a new birth announcement, and a new maternity announcement. 

Birth Announcement- God's Grace (5x7)

This is only the second maternity announcement I've added, but I was melting over this quote.

If I would have seen it before I had my son, I probably would have sent out the announcement below, myself! 

Maternity Announcement- Grand Adventure (6x6)

I've had a lot of new followers the past few days, and I couldn't be more excited! Thanks so much for stopping by! Don't forget to sign up for updates via email (to the right!) so you don't miss out on any new additions! 

And as always, stop by and say Hi on Etsy! 

Simply Sweet Prints

Happy Monday!

This week is going to be filled with packing & moving!

But, before I get my week started, I wanted to share one new addition to the shop!

This is one of my personal favorites so far, I am loving the lace!

Most likely, there will be no new additions for the next couple weeks... but then again you never know! 

Don't forget to check out Simply Sweet Prints on Etsy!

Hanging In There

via pinterest

In just 11 days, my little man will be 11 months. One month away from his very first birthday. 

Late at night, when I open my laptop in attempt to get some work done, I more and more often find myself opening the "Jackson" folder, and then the "0 Month" folder. 

I not only have my photos and videos organized by month, but by day as well. I'm so thankful for my extreme craziness of not letting one day go by without capturing the little moments of the day- which have (quickly) accumulated to thousands and thousands of pictures. 

I am struggling so, so much with accepting just how fast Jackson is growing up. 

I want time to stop, but I'd happily settle for it slowing down. 

I know one day, I will get to the point where I will look at pictures from when he was born, without a tear in my eye. Actually... maybe I won't... but I can't let it get in the way of cherishing all the new moments and memories to come.