you are my wild.

when i found out i was having a baby boy in 2011 i was in a bit of a state of shock and disbelief tinged with a hint (or perhaps a lot of hints) of uncertainty. i grew up with only one sister and although i spent the majority of my childhood as a "tomboy" i was scared.

the life and ways of "boy" were uncharted territories for me...

fast forward a couple of years and i cannot imagine my life without him. there's just something about us that's unlike any other thing.

i love all of the things that make him, him, and all of the things that make him, boy. i'm fascinated by him and the way he can transform almost anything into a play gun...straws, rulers, boxes of raisins. the way he prefers to knock things over instead of building things up. how he throws everything and wants to always be outside. his energy. how he has already perfected the sound of shooting or something exploding (i always wondered how they do it, i guess they are just born with it...). his innate sense to fight or protect. how he pretends to be brave when chasing down the "bad guys".

sometimes i can almost feel his need to escape, for adventure, to be free, beating beneath his chest. like an untamed horse, this boy is so perfectly wild and wonderful.

i may not ever fully understand the life and ways of "boy", but it is something i get to marvel at now daily.

what a privilege to be his momma.

i long for Christ to make me as bold and as wild and as free as he is.

he is a beautiful soul.

26 months.

i guess there's always a curveball thrown in when you've got kid(s). you've been trying to change up our schedule around here lately. which i'm, of course, not a fan of. you used to sleep until 8:30-9:00am and have been trying to wake up around 8:00am. i know, i know, that's normal for most people, but i'm NOT a morning person. i need my sleep people!

your nap is getting shorter as well...

all signs of you coming out of babyhood.

can't you just stay there a teeny bit longer?

oh and the fits too. can they just go away?

disciplining is so hard. i'm trying to be consistent, but some days i feel like you are in trouble all day long and it's not my favorite.

we've been discussing during your punishments that your heart is "ugly" and that's why you act the way you do sometimes and that Jesus can make your heart beautiful. i know you don't really understand yet, but i'm trying to get to the deeper issue as simply as possible. it is my hope that this will help lead you to Christ. that you will see your deep need for Him. and hopefully sooner rather than later.

your vocabulary is astonishing, well, to me anyway.

you love curious george and "racing".

and, if we would let you, you would probably go up and down the slide at chick-fil-a all day long.

oh and you doing "crunches". funniest thing on the planet.

i can't believe how fast you're growing up.

i'm going to miss you. right here and right now. and these days.

love you forever,

momma

5 months.

your daddy and i swear to each other that we just brought a newborn baby home from the hospital just a few weeks ago. i guess with two little ones time goes by "double" fast or something. not fair.

this month you tried your first bites of cereal. i'm not so sure how you felt about it, but i'm pretty sure you like the part where you feel like a big girl. you love sitting at the table with us. now if we could just get you to stop trying to roll out of your bumbo seat we'd be set!

you've still got eyes for daddy, but there's something extra special in the way you look at your big brother, like he's already your hero. i don't understand it, well, i kind of do, but you know the kid would rather sit on your head most days right? oh, how i love these days!

this month you answered the question of what "spitting mad" is for me! if you get upset about something you just start spitting/blowing raspberries in the air. it's pretty darn cute so i don't think you're getting the reaction you expected. sorry sista!

you also learned how to stick your tongue out at us you little stinker! and i've got an inkling that crawling will be soon to follow.

oh and the rolls. can't forget the rolls. your little thighs are as chunky as can be! just how we like them.

love you forever,

momma

7/52

"a portrait, once a week for 2014"

i think we are in for it with this girl. she is a mess!

the 52 project

6/52

"a portrait, once a week for 2014"

a few weeks ago we visited some friends in kansas. they have a little boy about a year older than rylan. our little guy fell in love with his buddy's nerf gun and mad scientist goggles!

the 52 project

winner, winner!!

soooooo sorry i forgot to announce our winner yesterday! it's been a looooong week, including, but not limited to: toddler poop, toddler throw up, crying, tantrums and spit up to the face! the mommyhood years really are the best though, no?

congratulations to our lucky winner Tracie Trump!

hit me up in the "contact" section and i'll connect you with your winnings!

thanks so much for participating folks!