N I N E Months

My sweet Noley Poley is 9 months. I can't believe it. And this past month was crazy. What a trooper we have in Nolan, and we're so grateful for him!! 

Nolan's teeth fiiiiiiiiinally came in! You can't really tell in this picture. But we got two teeth for the fuss of 1 night. Now his top 2 teeth are close!

Nolan spent HOURS in the car on our road trip back to the east coast. He did so awesome, and we are ridiculously blessed to have such a laid back and easy going boy. He definitely appreciated company in the back seat on the long days, but he did so, so good! 

I can't even remember all of the new foods Nolan tried this month! But I know he tried pasta, cauliflower, pumpkin, mango flavored yogurt, cheerios, tomatoes, and cheese. 

I really can't remember much about the last month. We packed up our lives in Seattle, took a 2 week long road trip, and we are settling into life in Georgia. 

Sorry, Nolan. Mama will do better next month! I'm still crazy about you, and I cannot imagine life without you. I love you forever and ever. 

Everything Must Go

"I found a shoebox stuffed with cards and notes from your students. Are we keeping this or can it can be thrown away?"

Adam asked me that over the phone. And I just took another deep breath. 

This is what the past week has been. If it can't fit in the jeep, and it's not super important, toss it. 

Even if it is super important to me, it might end up in the toss pile.

The amount of stuff we've donated is unreal. I'm not one to get attached to stuff, but it feels like I'm donating pieces of my life here. Because I am. Boxes and boxes of kitchen stuff, art supplies, decorations, bedding, frames, candles, lamps. You name it. I've probably given it away in the last 6 days. 

And it's exhausting. 

Because each day as we pack up or donate a piece of the life we built here, I'm also saying goodbye to someone. And it feels so belittling of relationships to offer an hour here or an hour there as a final goodbye. And I'm the first to admit that we didn't do a good job establishing roots here, but there was definitely a deposit made in the last almost 4 years. 

And I'm running out of steam. 

The hard part about leaving this place is we're headed down a road marked with uncertainty. We don't know where we'll land. We don't have a specific plan.  We don't know much. So as my girls said their final goodbyes last night, one of them said, "I hope this move is worth it!" And I wanted to collapse because it's the thought that's been in my head and my heart for the last few weeks. 

I know we want to be around family. I know the depth of relationships waiting for us back home is far greater than what we're leaving behind. I know this is the best choice for our family. I do know it will be worth it in the long run. 

But it's still a struggle. 

Adam has significantly less he's walking away from, so how we're handing this time is significantly different. We're going to arrive in Georgia with very little to show for the last 4 years (excluding our best souvenir- Nolan). And I'm working to be okay with that. 

But please, Adam. Don't make me throw away that shoebox. 

Crazy 8

Our little boy is 8 months!! How is it possible that 8 months have passed? He's such a cheeser, and we cannot be happier that we got this delightful surprise! I just love to smother those cheeks with kisses. 

This little guy is sitting by himself no problem! He can go from sitting to crawling with no problem. And yes, he is crawling. He progressed from army crawl to regular crawl pretty quickly. Life with a crawler is very different than life with a roller. 

Nolan still has no teeth, but anything he gets his hands on goes in his mouth. It's like he's been teething for months! It looks like there are 2 bottom teeth just below the surface of the gums. We're not sure, but he might be walking before he ever gets teeth.

New foods this month: peas, spinach, broccoli, chicken, honey dew melon, yogurt (peach, apple, blueberry, pear, banana), puffs, and potato. I think his least favorite of all of those would be the blueberry yogurt. He's devoured everything with remarkable speed. The above picture shows what Nolan looks like when he sneezes right after taking a spoonful of yogurt. 

I've been working on the concept of finger foods with Nolan. He's pretty good with the puffs now, but at first, every last one of them ended up on the floor or in his lap. And he would get very frustrated. But he's a champ at it now. I've started including other foods on the tray now, too. 

Turn your back for one second, and he gets pretty far. He really does love how soft that purple blanket is. Once he crawled his way over there, he just put his head down on the blanket and relaxed.

Our Chunky Monkey is growing like crazy! His hair is really filling in, too. I'm loving his laughter, his desire to explore (it's a love/hate relationship), his love for food, his excitement when Adam gets home, his perfect cheeks, and his laid back demeanor. 

Seriously, the kid is so happy most of the time. He loves to flap his arms and legs.

Confession: there are times when I'm not thrilled with the crawling. Because of his new skill, he's not as happy in the swing or jumperoo, making it significantly harder for me to get things done. 

And just because I think it's important to share the pictures that aren't super cute and flattering, I give you this treasure:

Makes me laugh every time. We love our sweet boy, and I can't express how much joy this guy brings to our lives. I love being his mama, and I'm so thankful God has entrusted him into our care. 

My 7 Month Mister

I love these overalls. 

My little Nolan is getting so big!! I love, love, love this stage he's in. He's a usually happy boy, and he's very, very busy. Anytime we help him stand up, he's usually jumping about 2 seconds later. 

We often find Nolan in the above position. We like to think he's working on his obliques. But he will seriously just hang out on his side. It makes me laugh. 

He is up on all fours! He can rock back and forth and scoot every so slightly. I am not ready for a crawler. I'm hoping it takes him a little while longer to figure it out. 

But honestly. This kid is so long!! At his last check up (that was somewhere between 6 and 7 months), he was 28 inches long, putting him in the 87th percentile! I can't believe how much he's grown. 

If that picture doesn't melt your heart, I don't know what will. Nolan's new foods since last month: avocado, oatmeal, cantaloupe, and sweet potato. I introduce a new food about every 5 days. Well, I try.  He's trying peas for lunch today. He better like them because I made 8 servings worth! :) From my observation, I think his favorite thing to eat is the banana and avocado puree I make- scarfs. it. down. 

Some things I love about Nolan right now: when I'm holding him, he often pats me on the back. If I ask for a kiss, sometimes he'll lean in to me, open mouthed. One morning when I got him out of the crib, he was so happy, and he leaned in to me right away for a an open mouthed kiss. How could you not love that?! He gets genuinely excited about eating his solids. He's going to fit right in with our family! He'll sit in the front of the cart while I grocery shop, which is AMAZING! He thinks Adam and I are hilarious, and he loves when we dance crazy in front of him. 

Some things I don't love about this stage right now: he pulls my hair all the time. I watch him eye my hair, waiting for the best time to grab it. It's painful. And I really don't like it. Yes, I'm definitely considering a hair cut. Nolan is really  into playing on the floor right now. So, he'll push against whomever is holding him to try to get down. And well, that just makes me sad. I love that he's growing in independence, but he seems too young to be doing this. 

Things Nolan loves right now: MY HAIR, paper, his sippy cup, baths, sitting up like a big boy, his jumperoo (!!!!!!!), the song "Let it Go" from the movie Frozen, Little Cabin in the Woods, the Baby Animals book, balloons, rolling everywhere, and laughing. 

Sweet, Noley Poley, I love you so much. Utterly crazy about you! I can't believe I get to be your mama. There are most certainly days that you literally pull my hair out, and I want to pull my hair out. But you, my boy, are such a joy bringer. Your Daddy and I love you more than you'll ever know. 

Marriage These Days

Sometimes, marriage is hard.

That was going to be my opening line for devotions with my team. And honestly, I can't remember if that was last month or back in November. But sometime not too far back, I was feeling that sentiment. 

And when my sweet high school girls look at my family, their eyes are seeing everything they hope and dream for: A perfect husband. A perfect baby (he's close!). A perfect life filled with laughter, happiness, and permanent rainbows in the sky. 

And sometimes I feel the need to reel them back in. 

Because marriage is hard sometimes. Worth every bit of hardness, but hard. It is not natural to choose someone else's needs, desires, and dreams above your own. It is not easy to believe the best all. the. time. It is not romantic to do laundry, cook dinner, and wash dishes 14 times a day. 

But worth it. Absolutely, 100% worth it. 

It's worth having the same conversation over and over to figure out how to better communicate with each other. It's worth the time and effort put in to make sure Adam feels respected and loved. It's worth the cost of dinner to make sure we go on a date every once in a while. It's worth it. 

Since our amazing baby boy entered our lives, Adam and I have talked more about our relationship than ever. More discussions on frustrations, hurt feelings,  miscommunications, and heart issues. I can remember wondering, "Is it going to feel like this from now on?" You know, asked in a panicky sort of way. 

But the amazing thing is, I've never felt more secure or more safe in a relationship than I do right now in our marriage. Because no matter how many times I sit baffled by Adam's way of thinking, or frustrated that he can't seem to close the cabinet doors EVER, or wondering if he knows he hurt my feelings, I'm confident of this: Adam is for me. And I mean that in the sense that Adam is rooting for my success. He believes in me. He is cheering me on while simultaneously doing things that are bringing about further refinement in my own heart. Which can be absolutely exasperating!! 

But worth it!

On Sunday, Adam and I both got all dressed up to go to dinner at the top of the Space Needle. This was my Christmas present to him. I used gift cards to go buy a new dress. I had one of my cheerleaders come over to curl my hair. It was the most dressed up I've been since our wedding day. And as I got ready, I got those excited butterflies in my stomach. Excited to spend time with my husband alone. Excited to do something new and fancy (for us!). Hopeful that I looked pretty for my man because Lord knows I haven't tried that hard in a long time. 

And as I looked at my cute husband throughout the night, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmingly grateful for him. Grateful for the hard stuff as we transitioned to a family of 3. Grateful for the ways he makes me laugh. And sometimes frustrates me. Grateful for the ways we dream together. Grateful for this journey we're on. Grateful that he's mine, and I'm his. 

Sometimes, marriage is hard. But it's so worth it! 

Happy Half Birthday, Noley Poley!

My little man is 6 months old!

I can't believe we're half way to 1. Everyone always tells me, "It goes fast!" And it definitely has. Whenever I look at newborn pictures, I have a hard time remember his tiny self. 

Nolan is eating solids. His first real food was banana. Since then he's had carrots, butternut squash, pears, and apples. I've been using my magic bullet to make all of his food, and it's so fun to try new things! It took him the longest to warm up to the squash. 

This is what happens when Dad is feeding him! 

Nolan had his first Christmas. It was pretty much a regular day for him, but he looked so cute in his Christmas pjs. He did love wrapping paper! 

Nolan had to road trip with me and my parents down to Orlando, Florida for a competition. He did awesome in the car! And he did pretty great at the hotel, too. I didn't get much sleep, and Nolan definitely missed his crib!! But he was such a trooper!

Nolan is really into reading now. Just kidding. He does enjoy when we read to him, and he really like this squishy book to chew on. Nolan is a very efficient roller and can get pretty much wherever he wants by barrel rolling. There have been no efforts to crawl. And I'm quite okay with that. Not ready for him to be that mobile!

He's still a pretty happy boy. Among the things that make him really happy would be pulling my hair, jumping in his jumperoo, lots and lots of singing, tags of any sort, and being throw in the air. 

Speaking of happy, this kid still loves his changing table. He can usually be found flapping his arms, kicking his legs, and squealing with delight. I don't know what it is about it, but he seriously loves being on the changing table. 

Adam has been working really hard to get Nolan to start saying Daddy. He's getting pretty good at producing a Dada. Not sure it's intentional though. He's also got the mamamamama down. Again, I'm pretty sure it's not intentional. 

Does it get cuter than this?! I don't think so. Nolan loves when we sit him up like a big boy and put this blanket on him. He likes to hide under it, too. Adam is an amazing dad to Nolan. I love watching them together, and I'm so thankful that Nolan has an involved, caring, and hilarious dad. 

Can we talk about how long this kid has gotten?! Oh. My. Word. I haven't taken him to the doctor yet, but WOW!! He's so big! 

This boy fills my life with great joy and can bring a smile to my face no matter how frustrated or tired I may be. His laugh is absolutely adorable. It's my favorite sound in the whole world. He is such a blessing and delight! I'm so thankful God gave him to us when he did. Happy 6 months, little boy! I love you forever. 

5 Months

Nolan turned 5 months on December 20, and we left for home on December 21. A 5 month post just wasn't going to happen that day. BUT! I did take the nugget's pictures. Which I'll get to those later in the post. 

Nolan's 5th month of life included his 1st cold. Which was a total bummer. He wasn't sleeping good. He wasn't breathing good. It was just sad all around. 

Nolan finally figured out how to be happy on this tummy in the crib. He would roll to his tummy and then be really unhappy/mad about it. But he figured out that he does in fact like sleeping on his tummy once he rolls over. The first few times I did feel the need to repeatedly make sure he was breathing. 

Nolan had his first Thanksgiving. Adam's parents came to celebrate with us. We had a delicious feast, and Nolan had, well, he had milk. But he also had a lot of fun with Meme and Poppa! 

Nolan's favorite thing to do is JUMP in his jumparoo. When we were in Atlanta, he really missed this thing! Nolan will try to jump on pretty much anything at this point. He's so happy to be jumping!!

It's honestly really hard for me to remember what went on in the 5th month, since we're almost finished with the 6th month. But, he continued to get chunkier and cuter! 

At Nolan's last doctor's appointment, he was in the 80th percentile for height, which still makes me laugh. 

Nolan did great with his 2nd set of vaccinations. He had hardly any reaction at all. He was just a little fussy the day of, but it was much better than the first set! 

I don't think I've ever mentioned that I can get a guaranteed smile out of Nolan if I sing the song Whom Shall I Fear by Chris Tomlin. Sometimes I sing it for literally 7 minutes straight if he's crying in the car. He just sits content as I sing it over and over and over and over. 

If you look at these pictures of Nolan and the bear,  it looks like a wrestling match that Nolan just dominated! And hello, arm rolls!! I love his chunky self. 


Sorry, Chunky Monkey. This month just wasn't well documented. Mom was a little on the crazy, stressed out side of things. But we love you more than you'll ever know, little man.