HAPPY BIRTHDAY...

To our 1 year old!!!!!

We love you Joshua! We are so happy that God has blessed us with you! We pray you grow up to be a man who loves and serves Jesus all the days of your life!

Not quite sure about this cake thing.

He ate a few bites but he doesn't like to be messy. He always wipes his face if something is on it. Maybe he'll keep his room clean someday???

He got an adorable table and chairs (in the background) from his Maggie (Grandma) and Papa Jack. He also got a sweet new ride from his Nana and Papaw. And he got a lot of other cool stuff too!



Have a great week!

Almost a year

Our baby will be a year old in 6 days. I get sappy thinking about what I was feeling a year ago this time. I can vividly remember everything about my labor still. Not sure how long that will last but I just can't believe it's been a year.

Joshua is fully walking (and sometimes running it seems...haha). We have had bumps and bruises on a daily basis from him getting excited or not paying attention when he walks around. But it is so cute to see him walking toward things he wants. He loves giving mama and dada hugs.

I am a little weary of our bedtime though. He used to fall asleep nursing and it would only take me like 10 min to get him to bed. Now he stays awake after he nurses and wants to play or have me hold and rock him (but not fall asleep!) So then I try to lay him down and he cries. So we have been having "crying fests" the past few nights. Last night, I heard him quit crying, waited a few minutes, then went in to cover him up and his hands were still propped up on the railing and he was asleep with his face in the rails. hahaha so then I laid him down, he woke up, and started crying again. I let him cry, then he stopped and I went into check on him and he was scrunched up, sitting up, in the corner with one hand on the rail ASLEEP. :) He is such a stinker. He knows how to manipulate his mommy. It's so hard to go in there and see him with his hands up for me to hold him.

Anyways, enjoy some pics! I will post more after he turns 1!!!

Love this boy!

2nd Night

Just a quick update on the 2nd night... SUCCESS!! I am not even sure what time he woke up but he just let out a couple cries and then went right back to sleep. He slept until 6:15. He was whimpering off and on for about 20 minutes before that and I figured from experience in the past that he had probably leaked out of his diaper. Sure enough, yes. So I changed him and nursed him and put him back down and he slept until almost 9. I have not known such wonderful sleep in over a year and a half!!!!! Pregnancy sure did not let me sleep that soundly. So I feel wonderful today! Very refreshed. THANK YOU JESUS!!!!! And thank you all for praying!!!!! I am so appreciative of all the support we have. Please let me know if there is anything I can pray for you about!

1st Night

...SUCCESS!! Josh woke up at 1:30 and cried for maybe 5 min? I am honestly not even sure because I fell back asleep. But I know it wasn't much more than that. Then he woke up about about 6:15 when my alarm rang. It's funny. I bet all of you reading this are thinking "you mean you didn't even try to let him cry for 5 minutes before???" No, sadly as soon as he wakes up and starts crying it's like my body jumps out of bed and I go into his room. I usually don't even think. I realize it might not be as smooth tonight but I am praying for a short amount of crying again. Or no crying at all :) I just want to say thanks for all the prayers!!!!! I will let you all know how night #2 goes.

We took Josh to the doctor for a follow up on his tubes (which are still great!) and he weighed 27 lbs 3 oz. CRAZY.

He is walking. He is still working on how to get up to his feet when there is nothing to pull himself up on but if he's close to something, he gets up and starts going!

And since I haven't uploaded many pictures recently here's a bunch!

Love this sweet face.

Over Christmas, Josh got to spend some quality time with Auntie.

Maggie (Grandma) and Papa Jack with all their grandkids!

If anyone feels like praying

We are going to let Josh cry it out tonight (and for the nights to come until it works). Gosh I hate saying that. We tried it once before but it was during the time when his ears were not in good shape. Now that he has tubes, I don't have that excuse. And he is 11 months old. Seriously I need some sleep! He has been waking up every night at 12 or 1. He stays half asleep in my arms but as soon as I try to lay him back down, he wakes up and cries again. The only thing I can do to get him back asleep is nurse him. Then he wakes up again at 7(ish). That means I only get like 5 or 6 hours of sleep at a time. I am starting to lose it. I remember only 3 times in the last like 11 MONTHS that I have slept through the night. So if you feel up for it, please say a little prayer that we will have some success. It sucks hearing him cry.

Need a good laugh? And maybe a few tears?

Jeff was organizing our videos tonight and we came across this one from Christmas. Seriously SO SWEET. Jeff calls it "unbridled joy". It's our niece Emery opening a gift from Santa. It brought tears to most all of us women in the room. Love you Em!