Butterfly Sparks Designs

Thursday, March 27, 2008

go here

you should click on this link and see something really, really sweet.
my baby had her pictures made--thanks anna!--and these are the previews! (she's march 24th, on her blog)

Saturday, March 22, 2008

more scenes from the life of the happiest 1 yr old!

did i mention she makes the best faces? keep scrolling after this post to check out more of my one year old.





the sweetest surprise

a year (and, er, um, several weeks) ago, we received the sweetest little surprise. in our arms, that is. we first found out about our miracle surprise when "bubba" was the wee age of 5 months old. the emotional transition we experienced at the time was expansive. no, expansive is not the word i am looking for. i'm just trying to say we felt A LOT of things. of course, we were unsure of what all of "this" would be...i mean, a "more than one child-really close in age" family and all. you know, two sets of, well, everything. except diapers :) don't laugh at my girl for wearing the same size diaper as my boy. she's a growing little stud-ette, you know. it takes a lot of food to try to chase after a brother who has the advantage of using his feet FLAT on a floor (we're not quite walking just yet). and the boy eats a lot but his weight gain is much more steady these days.
anyway, like i was saying...we were unsure...

but then the surprise came in the gift of this beautiful baby girl. and the surprise was not just her existence, but also her extreme joyfulness, her ability to passionately love, even at a tiny age, her unstoppable smile, her silliness (how do you spell silliness? sillyness?) and the joy she brings out in the people she encounters.
she is radiant and so huggable and i am SO THANKFUL for the Lord's all-knowing wisdom in giving her to us when He did. true, parts of "this" life make up some of the hardest times i've ever experienced. how much more worth it, then, does it feel on this end of the surprise.


look at my beautiful newborn


and now, she's 1! and as joyfully-silly as you can imagine.



Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Monumental stuff

two years is a really long time. can you imagine getting something for two years?? like two years of free gasoline or two years of free haircuts, or free meals, or free pedicures...facials...spa treatments... oh, excuse me. ahem, two years.
or worse, what if you had the flu for two years? that would really stink and would really feel like a drag.

so when i think back to where i was two years ago (okay, two years and two months...i'm behind-what's new?), i just can't believe we're here already. REALLY, all of a sudden we have a very "grown up" two year old boy. where on earth did he come from?! (from where on earth did he come...i know i know. why can't i just write on this blog without that pesky english teacher popping in my head? seriously.)

see, he started out like this. this tiny, precious package that my favorite doctor in the world delivered and handed to my husband and me.




we made it through the first year...you're a champion, Nolan!


and celebrated this adorable personality that grew from the original tiny package.

2 years

And now--he calls me mom. "What's dat, mom?" "Where daddy, Mom?" "You der (there) Mom?" (He goes around knocking on doors, windows saying, "You der?"

MOM? Ummm, last time I checked, I was "Mommy" and sometimes a sweet little "Mama" but now, MOM? I'm not ready to be "MOM."
He walks, he runs, he eats by himself (unless he's in a mood), he has preferences
and expresses them well, he counts, he sings, he plays on the computer, he loves (and beats, simultaneously) his sister, brushes his teeth, takes off his clothes, and does not stop talking. I mean, I know it's basic stuff, but where did he learn all of this? When did we get here?!

And would you believe that in two days my daughter will be one? more on her later.

With awe, I wish you a happy birthday, Nolie (that's what he calls himself). Man, I love this boy.

speaking of preferences, his would be suckers. at all times. so he got one for breakfast on his birthday. and he was happy.


and then he got his first pair of boots and a belt buckle because no self-respecting south texan can go without such things. did you know?

he loved having his family visit.

he loved the "ooh, fire mom!, fire! so hot, mom, so hot."

and this celebration would not have been the same without those crazy balloons!