A First Birthday

This past week we celebrated Camp's first birthday.  It is so hard to believe that this little man that we didn't even dare to dream about just turned one. 

He cut his first tooth at three months, and even has an extra tooth on top.  He started walking at 10 months, mostly to keep up with his brother and sister.  He loves to sleep and slept really well until last fall when he and his brother stayed sick for months on end.  Then he decided that snuggling with Mom was a pretty cool way to spend his nights, and who am I to disagree with that?!

He loves to eat and hasn't met many foods that he doesn't like except for peas and green beans.  Bananas are his favorite fruit, and he will point them out to you at the grocery store.  He will drink milk if that's all you offer, but my Southern boy really loves it when he finds someone's sweet tea.

He loves being outside and "car" was his first official word.  He has just learned to blow kisses and it melts me every time.  He loves playing with balls and carrying around any kind of stick--bat, mop, broom, or gun.  He loves wrestling with his brother, and to my chagrin, the rougher they are, the better he likes it! He also loves playing in the cabinet with the mixer.  Go figure?

He is his own person.  Not only does he look different from his brother and sister, but he acts different too.  He puts EVERYTHING in his mouth.  We never worried about Kinley and Case, but Camp has already eaten dishwasher detergent packets, tasted most of my jewelry, and he loves Kinley's Squinkies.  I have dug more out of his mouth that I ever thought possible!  He is the one who has caused us to babyproof--he loves the stairs and the spray bottles under the kitchen sink.  He is also our biter, and if he comes towards you with his mouth open, you'd better watch out!

He is the happiest baby that I know, and I usually describe him as happiness with skin on.  He loves to smile and laugh, and rarely cries (unless it's one of the mazillion times he has hit his head). 

He is my laid back, go-with-the-flow baby.  He is the puzzle piece that we didn't know was missing--the little Terry boy that has blessed us more than we could have ever imagine!  Happy First Birthday Camp--loving you is fun, Little Man!

The Fog is Lifting...Thoughts on Counting Up

It seems that the past few years have been lots of "counting down" for our little family.  Counting down to finishing our house, counting down to the move-in date, counting down the days until Case was born, counting down the days until he turned one, counting down the days until Camp was born...do you get the idea?  We have been doing a lot of anticipating in the last few years! 


While anticipation is amazing, and I love having something to look forward to, I am really enjoying this new season in our little lives of just being.  It occurred to me a few weeks ago that it is time for us to count up.  We have been incredibly blessed in the past few years with a new home and two little boys.  But now our framework is in place.  We have our home.  We have our babies.  And now it is time for us to decide what our little family will look like--what our parenting rhythms are, what our schedules look like, what loving our little people well looks like, and how we can best point our babies to Jesus.  That sweet newborn fog is lifting and I feel so ready to tackle this life and make it what we want it to be.  I am so excited about the opportunity to pour into my family--to speak life to them, to create a home that anchors and energizes them, and to be their soft place to fall and safe place to land. 


What does that look like for this mommy?  For this wife?  For us as parents?  I have lots of thinking and praying to do, but I finally feel up for the challenge of creating the life that we want to live--on purpose, being proactive about this life rather than taking life as it comes.  I'm a planner, so for me, that all starts with having a plan.  I know that if I'm not intentional about this, I'll just keep doing the next thing until I look up one day and realize that my babies are grown and ready to fly the coop--and I want to make sure that their bags are packed with good things. 


The problem with my plans is that I love making them, but not so much following through with them.  It's a personality issue, but hey, admitting that you have a problem is the first step, right?!  So for this reason, accountability is my friend!  I'd love to walk this road with you--anyone want to join me?  Keep your eyes out for my goals post coming soon, and help keep me on track!