12 months

My dear one year old, where has the time gone? You are changing and growing faster than I can savor the moments! Wasn't it just yesterday you would sleep on my chest, hiccup constantly, and scream during bath time? You, my dear, used to be cross eyed, and suck on our finger instead of a paci. I still rub my lips on your forehead because newborn skin is wrinkly, soft and a tad hairy, and for some reason I love that. You don't quite smell the same these days, but it's still a nice feeling. :)

NOW you are a one year old who stands by himself quite often! You are still pretty clingy but are starting to play more with your toys alone. You aren't a big fan of walking while holding our fingers, but I just know one day when you are standing your going to take off. My goodness can you climb! Chairs, couches, baskets and the outside of your crib are not safe anymore. ;) You are great at backing off of things, except you trust that your feet will touch the ground when you back off of dressers or tables. Oh yes, the refrigerator and microwaves are the best!!

You STILL like falling asleep with your leg resting on something. We have started rocking you and singing/praying with you and then letting you fall asleep alone. You of course, are doing great with it, and I love that in the morning you have to hand me a present from your crib (stuffed animal or blanket) before you will reach for me to pick you up. Peyton I love that you still play with my hair when you're sleepy and that you hug me tight. I love that you give me kisses when I ask, and sometimes when I don't. ;)

I don't mind that you are definitely going through separation anxiety, it makes me feel loved. Although, sometimes mama needs a break, thanks for forgiving me when I drive to Chick Fil A for 5 minutes and leave you with Dada. Speaking of which you say mama and dada now and it makes our hearts VERY happy!

 

Peyton you are a smart little boy, who has already reached for a diaper a couple times when you have been wet. You have figured out spoons and forks which means meals are M.E.S.S.Y. You absolutely adore being outside, in fact your whole demeanor changes when you step outside. Hiro is still your best friend, and you get giddy when your daddy comes home!

You have always been a sweet boy, one who smiles all the time and has a wonderful belly laugh. Daddy and I are starting to see signs of your attitude coming through and to that I say - Please know that Jesus loves you either way, but wants you to be kind and obey mommy and daddy. Thank you in advance for keeping it in check. ;)

I can't wait to see what this next year holds for you sweet boy, but I sure hope it's a long one! 

Happy First Birthday Peyton!

 My baby turn one on Saturday. I know every parent says this when their kids reach a milestone, but I CAN'T BELIEVE HE'S ONE! We spent Friday as a family. We woke up to ice falling down and spend the day

making pancakes...













pretending to be a puppy...

making cupcakes for the party...

 snacking...

 playing with his new toy...

 and being so stinkin' cute...

 The next morning we made sure to give the birthday boy a good nap before the party started... He slept over two hours, and we finally woke him up after half of the guests had already arrived...

We had a great day spending it with so many people who love Peyton so much that they traveled almost 2 hours to see him!!

His cards were his favorite!

 We had yummy food!! Thanks for those that brought stuff!

He loves reading!!

Our little monkey was hesitant to dig into the cake. Once we gave him a fork he began digging in, and feeding me as well!!

We had tons of friends and family there, and we're so glad that his friend Kaehlen was one of them!!

After most people left, we had a slumber party with the Lomasneys and Kleiners.  Once Kaehlen and Peyton passed out from the busy day, the parents stayed up and played.

and got a little too comfy with a gorilla

We enjoyed a lazy Sunday morning due to our church being canceled, and once our friends left we watched our new Elmo video in our diaper. ;) (The birthday boy, not us)

It was the perfect weekend and we are so grateful that God has allowed us a whole year with this precious boy!

Starting Life in Mt Airy

 I haven't really updated on our new home yet. We are getting settled and I will post some house pictures soon. (I'm hoping that the fact there is a birthday party here Saturday will give me motivation to take pictures while it is clean... almost one year olds makes messes FAST!) We love our little home, it's spacious and yet doesn't have unused space which is huge in my opinion. We tried to find another home for Hiro because there isn't a fenced in backyard which he is used too. It hasn't worked out yet, and since our baby just LOVES Hiro we are going to try to keep him. We are going to try to get him to a park or walk him more often, along with working on the side yard to allow him to run a little. Anytime we think to get rid of him, Peyton power crawls to him, grabs him tight, and kisses his face. How can we deprive our baby of his best friend??

Peyton and I are getting a lot of quality time together while Drew is at work. We occasionally go to see the cousins/aunt or the NayNay but all a lot of time it's just us. It's so fun seeing the different little things that my baby accomplishes every day! Oh, but more on that in his update. ;) I am looking for a MOPs group to get involved in, and have found one in King, but timing hasn't worked out to get to a meeting.

Did I mention our house is super close to the church? Yeah, we walk to church. Which means... that Drew gets to come home for lunch every day! YAY! :) Peyton and I sure do enjoy that time, as do our budgets. Not spending gas money or lunch money sure is handy!

In other news, our Peyton got a hair cut. I wanted to wait as long as possible, because baby hair is, well, precious. I drew the line when a waitress called him a girl a few weeks back. So we headed to great clips and they did a great job! There were 4 of us keeping his attention, and he just looked around and smiled. They even gave him a certificate with a lock clump of his hair. I was pleased with the experience.

 Highland Park (our new church) is a part of a basketball league that Drew is a part of. I just love seeing him out on that court again! I joke with him that he needs to settle down because he plays and dives and takes charges like he is 17 again. Let's just say we come home after the games and lay around and tend to the bruises. He definitely still has it, and has even gotten better at free throws despite the lack of practice! :) Peyton LOVES watching his daddy, although tries many times to crawl on the floor to play with him. Last week he kept yelling 'da da' while they were warming up. THAT was precious!

Drew is loving his new job ministry and has dove right in to planing a missions trip, filling in for leaders, preaching last Sunday morning, and getting to know the kids/teenagers. He has already been on a teen retreat over New Years and we are both planning on going on the youth ski trip in February.

Starr came to visit last weekend and we went exploring on Saturday. We loved walking down main street and finding new shops! We were a little taken aback by how friendly every shop owner was, we felt like long lost friends in almost every shop we stopped into. Oh, the cute clothes that some of those places have! We have to start saving now so we can actually purchase some things next time she comes! She also came to church with us the next morning and it was so nice worshipping God with my friend. :)

Drew and I have been trying to have date night every week, which consists of going into 'the big city' of Winston. That's been really good for us. While it stinks to have to drive 45 minutes to get to the Olive Garden, Kohl's or the mall, we are blessed to have pretty much everything within that 45 minutes! 

Mount Airy has definitely welcomed us with open arms, and while it's different than our home, we are quickly finding our place in this small town. 

Jesus Calling

I wanted to quote today's Jesus Calling, but the whole things was way too good and what I needed so I'm typing the whole thing out. Today has been a good day, but I am challenged that I need to praise God through good and bad days... when I'm surrounded by loved ones and when I am completely alone.

It is impossible to praise or thank me to much. As it is written, I inhabit the praises of My people. Sometimes your adoration is a spontaneous overflow of Joy, in the response to radiant beauty or rich blessings. At other times your praise is more disciplined and measured  - an act of your will. I dwell equally in both types of praise. Thankfulness, also, is a royal road to draw near Me. A thankful heart has plenty of room for Me. 
When you thank Me for the many pleasures I provide, you affirm that I am God from whom all blessings flow. When adversity strikes and you thank Me anyway, your trust in My sovereignty is a show piece in invisible realms. Fill up the spare moments of your life with praise and thanksgiving. This joyous discipline will help you live in the intimacy of My Presence.


Psalm 22:3 / Psalm 146:1-2 / Thessalonians 5:18