The Night Watches

In just a few short months, Tyler has grown significantly! Yesterday, I went to the hospital to visit with Megan and their new baby. We put Tyler next to his new cousin and the difference was amazing. It is hard to believe that just a few short months ago he was around the same weight and length. He looked like a big boy next to her! He has gone from this.... so small he could fit in one arm! To this..... so tiny in his daddy's hands To this.... my big boy!!! It just amazes me how fast they grow. People always tell you to savor these moments, because they grow up so fast.... man is that true! 

Introducing the newest member of the family! Tyler's new cousin is a baby girl, yet to be named (I will let you know if it is baby Kate or baby Julia when they decide!), is finally here!!!! This new bundle of joy was born today, April 24 at 3:56 pm. She weighed 8 lbs and 3 oz and was 20.5 inches long! She was over a week late, so we are glad she wasnt much bigger! Everyone thinks she looks a lot like her older sister! She is a cutie! The happy parents! Welcome to the family! Ty can't wait to meet you and play with you!!!

I don't have much to say... just had a great picture of my little one. He is about to get a bath in this picture... wearing the bathrobe his great-grandma gave him. Isn't he just so precious? He just melts my heart more and more everyday! What a cutie!

This past Saturday, we were invited by our friends/family who won a luxury box at an Orioles game to enjoy the box with them! We were super excited! I even had a Orioles outfit for Tyler to wear, so he could support the team. The luxury box was incredible. It was catered, with food and drinks for 14 people, had an air-conditioned private room, private bathroom, and a great view of the field from the first base line. Although Tyler slep the first half of the game, we all had a blast together, making the frist of many fun memories to come.

It has happened!!! We cannot believe it!! Our boy has become a thumb sucker..... see the evidence below! I wonder what he thinks when I pull his hand out of his mouth and say, "No sucking your thumb!!" I usually follow this by putting his pacifier in his mouth... but as you can see, I am not very successful at stopping this new development!  

Tyler is learning and growing so fast! His days are pretty routine, but as he grows and develops his motor skills, his awake time becomes something that we both enjoy. The other day, I placed a softbook in front of him, and to my surprise, he grabbed the pages and began to look at it intently. I think he was reading and that we have a genius baby... others would say he was just enjoying the colors. Never the less, he has learned to control his hands a bit more! Ty has also begun to grab onto rattles and jam them into his mouth! Well, he might be trying to get to his hands, and the rattle happens to be in the way!  

Funny and gross moment of the day... Tyler has been a little constipated the past few days, and I have been trying to figure out what I ate that might have triggered this (as he is a very "regular" baby). He was starting to get a little fussy, so I knew I needed to help if I could! Upon the advice of several moms, the remedy to help baby get things moving is to put the rectal thermometer in the little guys hiney. What they didn't tell me is how quickly, or effectively this method would work. As yucky as this sounds, I knew it was time to try something. Well, being a new mom, I didn't know what to expect, let alone if I was even doing this horrible duty correctly. It didn't take long for me to realize, in fact, yes, I was doing a highly effective job at helping my son to poop. As you can imagine, I squealed as a stream of poop covered not only the changing table, but the wall and the carpet. I didn't expect that one! Poor baby is just looking at me with a look ...

I love these guys. I just adore them both. There are just so many things that I love about them, and I know I could bore you by writing them all out here for you to read... but I will not do that. Instead, I will tell you a few ways how they have changed my life and how God is using them in serious ways to make me more like his son. Here is a little tribute to my two favorite guys. Being a wife has helped me to see what it means to be a servant. Daily I have the choice to serve me or others. I have the privilege and high calling to love and honor this man. The Lord has abundantly blessed me by giving me a husband like Jordan. He is my perfect match. And even though I am completely in love with this wonderful man, I still have to make a choice to daily serve him, and put his needs above my own. By God's grace, this task fills me with joy. As for being a mommy, well, it is the best job on earth! When I am faced with the decision to serve me or serve Tyler... well, he usually makes th...

I was reading a book called Beside Still Waters in my quiet time the other day, and was deeply affected by a passage written by Charles Spurgeon: Within Thy circling power I stand, On every side I find Thy Hand; Awake, asleep, at home, abroad, I am surrounded still with God. What comforting words Spurgeon reminds me of, that as God's child I am surrounded by the loving arms of God. I am so grateful that no matter where I go, I am in his power. As I drive around town, not only with my life in the car, but the precious life of our son in the back seat with me, I am filled with peace knowing that it is within his circling power I stand (drive, walk, and move). It is with his circling power that I find refuge, peace and hope. Hope to train Tyler in a way that is pleasing to God, peace in a world that is full of destruction and grief, and refug...

The best thing about waking up early with Tyler is being greeted by a big smile! He just lights up and gives us an ear to ear smile full of gums and slobber! It is just adorable. He does not like to smile for the camera yet.... he just kind of stares at it with a puzzled and interested look on his face; but here are a few I managed to get. Often, the smiles I capture on camera are at the end of an actual smile or just a half smile. They are all cute though! One thing we adore about Ty is how much his little eyes smile. You dont have to look very hard to see a smile behind those big blue's! Tyler has also been playing with his tounge as he smiles... making funny little faces...