My sister and her professional partner run a photography/salon/wedding business. Recently, April, owner of Salon Keriz'ma and Almost Impatient Productions asked if I would help her bring a picture to fruition. So, after much delay (because Noah was sick), we had a photoshoot and here are my two favorite:
While I was slightly nervous about being {mostly} naked, I think these pictures turned out amazing.
I so much enjoyed being a "model" for April and my sister. I can't wait to have these framed!!

Mushy, Mushy, Mushy

This post is picture free, and relatively free of baby-mush.

Guess what? Today is exactly one year since we bought and {almost didn't} close on our home. Remember this post? It has all come true. This home has blessed us with so many incredible memories. I have spent the last year making our house a home...and although we are far from finished with final touches, we love our home. It is the keeper of our memories. It is where we have watched our lump of nothing baby turn into a joyful, bouncing toddler. I have watched our backyard go from dirt to a yard full of grass and trees (each of which, Cullen has planted).

This house has made me one of the happiest women alive. It isn't for the actual shell of our home - it is for what it represents, what it already holds and what it will be in the future. I love this home.

Congratulations, Cullen. We have come so far. You know what the greatest part?? The best is yet to come. I love you.

I Have A Sick Sugar

Well, guess what? I have a sick little grumpy bear at home. Tuesday, we met my parents for dinner and Wednesday, we met friends for dinner...both nights, Noah was NOT willing to sit at the table. He was easily agitated, grumpy, really uncooperative - which isn't him. He had a runny nose, but I chalked it up to allergies.

When we woke up this morning, He was SUPER HOT, red cheeked, and shaking. He was extremely unsteady on his feet and was so very clingy. SO, off to the doctor we went. As it turns out, he is honest to goodness, sick. He has throat ulsers and they are super contagious to children. We are bunkering down and staying home till he is better.

AND, since we are at home, and not able to eat solids, since he is sick AND his teeth hurt, he thought he could borrow Millie's bone to gnaw on. Gross. Millie was not pleased.

Wash Your Belly

Recently, Noah has become a HUGE helper. He helps rub in his lotion after bath time. He grabs diapers out of his diaper drawer. He now has taken to helping bathe himself in the bath. We were able to capture it perfectly.

He makes bath time so much fun. I love my little stinker.

A Visit From The Cousins...

This weekend, The Smalley cousins came to visit! Originally, we were headed their way for the weekend, and it so happened that we reversed the order. Dustin and Ashley, who are two of my favorite people, have a sweet little angel named Aubrey. Oh.My.Goodness. She is sweet. She is funny, and loving. It is hard to not want to beg Cullen for a little girl after playing with her. BUT, since you cannot guarantee the gender of your child, we will live vicariously through her and Noah's BFF, Kylie!! There is no reason to press our luck quite yet.

Here are some sweet little pictures from this weekend. AND, if you need more of a little fill, visit Ashley's Blog for more!





After a fun-filled Saturday, Dustin and Noah woke up Sunday morning, and Dustin showed Noah how Cullen and Dustin used to wrestle... in the living room. Here is a sequence of pictures.


HOW SWEET. It was such a fun weekend.

Bittersweet today - Noah went back to daycare. I can't lie, it is MUCH harder than expected.

This is NOT A Joke...

......Even if it starts as one.

Question: What do you get when you cross a Bill Miller bag with a baby??

Answer: Only the cutest chef in the world!

Happy Birthday Nana!

Today is my wonderful momma's birthday! When I woke up this morning, I made a simple little sign for Noah to hold for Nana so I could send her a personalized message from her grand baby....

After MANY failed attempts and a ton of overused minutes trying to reason with a 13 month old, here is what I gathered about his thoughts of holding a sign for his Nana.

Step One: Crinkle the sign Mom is forcing me to hold.


Step Two: Throw the sign on the floor because I am so tired of Mom giving it to me and saying "Hold the sign up for Nana"!


Step Three: Find a place to put this sign so Mom will get off my back!

Step Four: Throw it into the tubberware drawer, and walk away!
Even if it is a failed attempt, can I get credit for the adage, "it's the thought that counts"??

I'm A Yankee Doodle Dandy...

Happy 5th of July!! I hope your 4th of July weekend was as wonderful and busy as ours!! We spent the entire weekend on the go...From Austin, to Hutto, From Belton back to Killeen, we went everywhere and did everything!

The weekend started in Austin, where we celebrated Parent's weekend. Instead of Mother's Day or Father's Day, we come together and have one celebration for the two of them. We had fun in the sun, BBQ and relay races. We played boys vs. girls and I am almost positive that the boys won in every race!!

We started our 4th of July festivities in Hutto, Texas. Each year we join our college friends and celebrate America's birthday with swimming:
Sand volleyball:
...and usually fireworks. No fire works this year, however!

After a day in Hutto (and many bruises on Cullen), we came back to Killeen for a good night's rest for one of the nation's best hometown 4th of July parades in Belton, Texas with Bedo and Coco!


How more All-American do you get?? A blonde haired, blue-eyed, flag-waving little man!


We recovered from the parade with a nap and spend the rest of the day with friends. It was such a nice, busy, LONG weekend. Couldn't have asked for more!!

You know what we are looking forward to?
A visit from our favorite Runaway Bay cousins this weekend!