Baby Nolen's Journey

Family pictures

2014-10-14T13:28:00.000-07:00

A sunrise, photography session on Ameila Island sounds dreamy, right?!?

Beautiful sunlight & skies...

Kids laughing and playing...

In a dream world.

Things were a little crazy trying to get my crew up and ready for sunrise...

there was some crying, a few fights...

but you'd never know looking at these beauties!

He said what?!?

2014-09-08T16:41:00.000-07:00

Nolen's teacher pulled me aside this morning.

She had a funny story from last week.

She said that on the way to the playground one day,

she dropped her sunglasses.

Without hesitating, Nolen picked them up for her

(my little gentlemen.)

"I'm really good at picking up glasses,

you know what other glasses I'm good at picking up?

Wine glasses. I can even pick them up very carefully with wine in them!"

Hangs head in shame, Mother-of-the-year!

Guess I should be glad the little one isn't talking much...

no telling what he would say!

We are still alive...

2014-07-23T17:55:00.002-07:00

Sorry for being MIA.

We are throughly enjoying this crazy, hot, busy, hilarious summer.

More to come soon (I promise...)

Just let me soak up my last few weeks of summa!

Happy Birthday Hudson Grandma!

2014-06-13T17:09:00.007-07:00

As every parents says...

Where has the time gone?!?

Cannot believe you are 2, sweet boy!

You are talking better and better everyday.

(I'm convinced this is because we started buying organic milk with DHA)

You are trying really hard to potty train yourself.

You love ripping your diaper off and yelling,

"POOP!"

You are our "man-baby"

People mistake you for a 3 year old all the time.

You LOVE being outside, playing, playing, playing.

You think you are just one of the big boys!

You weigh the same as brother (who is 4...) 35 pounds!!!

You have 3 lovies in life...

blankie (a green cashmere blanket...yes...the boy likes cashmere)

Paci

& doggie

You ask for them all day...and love on them!

You are just such a sweet loving boy.

Sometimes I feel like I love you so much that my heart might explode!

Funnies

2014-05-08T17:06:00.001-07:00

Oh the things that come out of these little mouths...

Hudsons speech is beginning to explode.

A new word daily.

This weeks word is "C*cks" (Socks)

He yells it wherever we go.

This morning Nolen came in to snuggle before our alarms went off.

His little arms wrapped around me.

N: Mommy, you aren't wearing any boobies!"

M: {hanging head in shame...starting boob fund}

my loves

2014-03-23T16:59:00.003-07:00

Mommy got a new camera lens for her birthday.

I think I'm in love.

4 months...1 post....go!

2014-03-15T10:11:00.001-07:00

Lots of things going on...

Nolen started T-ball. (Go DevilRays!)

Daddies the coach,

Mommies helping in the dug-out.

(PS, check out the sponsor ;( )

Mommy turned 32.

We celebrated with friends at Epcot.

(Everyone had to buy a hat in a different country)

Little wild man still has a sweet, snuggly, baby side

He gives some nice lovies!

Nolen danced with his first belly dancer.

He knew just where to stick that dollar :-/

These boys are finally starting to play together.

Love these little moments.

Mr. Cool LOVES hoods, pacis, and sunglasses.

Look who can write his name!!!

(Proud teacher Mommy here!)

Hudson has found his voice.

He is all BOY and so much fun!

They are learning to team up against us...

Nolen got a new "fort bed!"

Our hope is that one day Hudson will share the bottom bunk.

(That is going to be tricky though,

I plan on keeping him in a crib until he's 24.)

We made Valentines for Nolen's class.

We had lunch with Doc (and Sophia, and Handy Manny, and Jake.)

Mommy professed her love to Daddy...

Nolen turned 4!

And Hudson....Oh I love this boy!

He is 4! {and amazing}

2014-03-15T09:55:00.002-07:00

Happy belated 4th birthday to my best buddy.

You are a complete sentence talking,

big boy clothes wearing,

joke telling,

amazing little man.

You go to school 2 days a week.

You do gymnastics.

You play tee-ball like a champ.

You are even nice to brother at times :)

Cannot believe you are 4.

You just keep getting cooler little man.

I love you (more then there are clouds in the sky!)

This year we celebrated with a Bubble Guppies/ My-gym party.

Your first away from home party.

The after party was spend dancing on tables with belly dancers

(Seriously)

Starting 2014 off right!

2014-01-13T10:17:00.001-08:00

New Year Eve Party...Little men partied until 10...

Mommy and Daddy made it up a little longer

Fresh Haircuts for all...

A brotherly love kind of dinner in the playroom.

Orange picking with Daddy!

HoHoHo

2014-01-13T10:00:00.002-08:00

Here we are in January,

just now getting a Christmas Post.

A few thoughts on Christmas this year...

-These boys are SO loved. Enjoyed being with family, just wish we all lived closer

- Christmas is always more fun with little ones, can't replace the magic of Santa!

-Flying with an 18 month old is NUTS.

-I don't like the cold, like not at all. Christmas in Florida anyone?

-We tried to Celebrate a few weeks early to avoid travel with all the toys,

I think this took away a little of the Christmas morning excitement.

Lesson learned.

We are thinking that we'll keep Christmas close to home from now on.

Time to start making some Christmas memories in our home!

(Our 1st Xmas...a few weeks early)

(Little gifts for little friends)

(GrovePark Inn: Asheville, NC)

(Our attempts at Christmas Eve pictures)

California

2014-01-13T09:49:00.000-08:00

Mr. A and I just returned from a fabulous trip to California!

It was amazing.

(Like can we move there amazing.)

Relaxing, beautiful, great food, family and friends.

As well as a Florida State WIN!

Hello National Champions!

Coming home, we had a little one waiting up for us.

No sooner were we through the door, then he was in our arms.

Oh we missed these little fellows!

I glanced at Nolen and noticed a few tears...

M: Buddy are you crying?

N: I didn't mean to Mommy (totally unaware of why he was crying,

not realizing that you can cry tears of joy!)

That boy has a heart of gold.

(We even managed to find Ryan at the game!)

You are under arrest.

2013-11-09T17:32:00.005-08:00

There is a new sheriff in town,

and he is taking prisoners.

Better watch out for these two.

Happy birthday daddy vacay

2013-10-21T04:56:00.001-07:00

We decided to celebrate daddies birthday this year with a quick trip to the keys. Awesome food, well behaved babies, and a great time! We made it as far as key west one day, very unexpectedly and very unprepared. Hudson proceeded to dump and entire smoothie, covering him from his sweet little head down to his toes. No change of clothes left our little man naked walking down duval street. Fitting.

Share Time

2013-09-24T08:59:00.002-07:00

Today was Nolen's day at school to bring "Share Time"

(Show-n-tell in my day.)

It totally slipped my mind and I forgot to pack it for him.

(Sorry buddy )

When the time came to share his teacher said

"Why don't you just double check your backpack, maybe mom put something in there for you."

Nolen comes back with a travel pack of tissues.

"I can share these!"

"These are my tissues, they are white and soft.

They are a little sticky right here so that you can open and close them.

Open and close, open and close..."

A 5 minute impromptu speech on tissues...I'm impressed.

Beautiful

2013-09-21T18:15:00.001-07:00

Last night we had a date night,

well a double date night with some good friends.

Kid free...well almost kid free...

A sweet little 6 week old decided to join us.

MomMom so graciously offered to watch our lovies.

They decided to have a date night of their own,

Chic-fila play-land and food!

I didn't get to put the boys to bed last night

so I was anxious to see them this morning.

Nolen wakes up, in his usually way, yelling down the hallway...

"Good morning Mommy, it's my wake up time!"

(waking Hudson up along the way...did I mention this occurs at 6:30?)

He climbs into bed with us for some morning snuggles.

No talking, just snuggling, then out of nowhere,

"You looked very beautiful for your date night Mommy, just like a Princess."

My heart be still.

Double Trouble

2013-09-18T09:43:00.006-07:00

Identical.

Look at these two...

same strut,

same swinging arms,

same kind of trouble.

Love them to pieces.

Our new normal

2013-08-20T06:25:00.000-07:00

Today marks week #3

week # 3 of being HOME with my babies, when I usually would be in school

It still feels new, like I'm in a really

sweet dream.

Going part-time this year feels too good to be true.

It's made me a better teacher and a better mommy.

I get to to wake up with my babies, snuggle them, play with them...

3 extra days every week.

You have no idea how happy my heart is.

Today I got to take Nolen to school.

I got to meet his teacher,

the other mothers,

I got to hug him and wish him luck on his first day of school.

It's the little things.

This is going to be a great year!

Good answer

2013-07-24T05:20:00.001-07:00

We still have yet to buy Nolen his own Disney ticket.

The cut-off age is 2, and well 3 is really close to 2 right?!?

It also helps to have him sit in the stroller, and pull the canopy over

as we glide though the ticket gate.

Today we got stopped.

Ticket lady: Does he have a ticket?

Me: No, I , uh.... (stumbling like a fool)

Ticket Lady: How old are you? (looking at Nolen)

Nolen: Poopy

Love this boy.

Nolen: +1

Disney: +0

(Those kissy lips are from Cinderella!)

Love

2013-07-16T05:15:00.002-07:00

THIS is what it's all about...
making the most out of these 8 short weeks!

Bye Bye Baby Curls

2013-07-16T04:54:00.001-07:00

Hudson had his first hair cut.

His sweet, wild, baby soft curls are gone!

Officially moving into little boy status.

(How is it that a haircut ages them 3 years?)

(Here is the before)

In fine Orlando fashion, we were sure to make his 1st haircut special.

To the Magic Kingdom barber shop we went.

Lots of stickers, fun Mickey toys, and a "1st Haircut" mouse ear keepsake.

Little man was a trooper, sitting extra still and never shedding a tear.

He left the crying to Mommy!

No more PACI!!!

2013-07-12T04:56:00.005-07:00

I feel safe in writing this now.

We are on day 3 with no paci!

Thats 3 naps, and 3 nights pacifier FREE!

You may remember when we attempted this last year.

And failed miserably.

We had tried everything.

Letting him cry it out.

Cutting the tips off.

Having the paci fairy take all the pacis and bring surprises instead.

Nothing worked, paci was here to stay.

I don't know what came over me this week, but I decided to go for it again.

I explained to Nolen that if he kept using his pacifier then he was going to have

some really messed up teeth.

I then proceeded to show him pictures of just that,

really bad teeth.

I didn't realize he had even been listening to me until this morning.

He came downstairs, proudly announcing that he didn't need that paci anymore.

N: You know why I don't need it anymore Mommy?

M: Is it because you are a big boy buddy?

N: No, it's because I don't want bunny teeth.

In the end it was 3 year old vanity that won.

The big 1!

2013-06-15T12:00:00.001-07:00

Our sweet Hudson Grandma has had a big week!

He started walking,

and turned 1!

Today we celebrated our sweet boy.

Foam fingers, babies, and lots of yummies!

Happy Birthday buddy,

what an awesome addition to the family you are!

Hudson Grandma turns 1!

2013-06-15T11:36:00.002-07:00

Camel Toes

2013-06-13T07:05:00.002-07:00

Tata came for a visit!

It was a mini Celebration for her birthday (the 11th)

and Hudson's (the 12th.)

Painting, fishing, wine drinking galore.

After watching this hilarious video

our conversation shifted to camel toes...

Now Nolen runs around yelling

"I have a camel on my toe, I have a camel on my toe!"

He walks!

2013-06-05T17:57:00.000-07:00

Mark this day.

June 3, 2013

Hudson Graham walks.

He is now a man on the move.

You better get out of his way, this boy has places to go.

He is also trying to self wean :(

No, no, no little buddy....we have 8 days left.

8 days for mommy to snuggle and nurse you.

Slow down!

These are literally his first, sweet, little baby steps caught on tape.