Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

Now anyone who really knows me is very aware of the fact that I am not a big fan of snow....put me in a warm tropical climate and I am in euphoria. Today, however, was very special because it was the first time that Nolan got to enjoy snow and it was absolutely priceless! Thank goodness he is finally feeling better because we had a blast and from the moment we said "Nolan, look at the snow" he started saying "snow..outside..snow". We had to enjoy it very quickly though because it was gone not long after it arrived....ahhh, my kind of snow after all!!


Nolan and his rosy cheeks after a long morning of playing in the snow.

NONO's snow house!!

Nolan trying to figure out how to get the snow off of his mittens.

Hanging out with daddy on a rare day off from work.

Nolan going for a wagon ride on the golf course.

18 Month Check-Up

A note from Nolan:

Well today was the big 18 month check-up. Needless to say, I am not a big fan of visiting the doctor's office. Fortunately I haven't been there since my 15 month old check-up. So, here are my 18 month old stats: 26 pounds and 32 inches, but I am a solid boy. Mama was convinced that I weighed more than that, but she was wrong :)

I brought along my favorite Curious George book, my trusty trucks, and my Elmo Dr. kit. Dr. Mange liked my doctor's kit...who knows, maybe one day I will really be a doctor, too. But for now I will just stick with my Cookie Monster stethescope. Anyway, my nurse got me back into the exam room really quickly..I know this made mama really happy, too. All in all it wasn't so bad until I had to get my shots...but mama tells me that they help keep me healthy so I guess I will trust her and go along with the torture....until next time.

Happy 30th Birthday to Bill!

Today Bill finally caught up to me and joined the "Fabulous at 30" Club. Happy Birthday sweetie! You are the best hubby and dada in the whole wide world..may your next 30 be just as blessed as the first. Love you always!

Nolan is 18 months old today!!

I can't even believe that my sweet baby boy is actually 18 months old today! When did that happen???? SO many changes have happened in the last 18 months and he still continues to amaze me each day. From the moment he wakes up until the moment he goes to bed at night he is a bundle of energy. He is so full of love, laughter, innocence, persistence, joy, and curiosity. I don't even know what Bill and I did before God gave Nolan to us. While I really miss that little bitty snuggly stage, it is so wonderful to see him grow, change, and learn more about his little world. He is quite a little talkative man. He uses a ton of words, or at least attempts them
(tractor is definitely only understood by mommy and daddy, but it is getting more intelligible). I guess that's what happens with your mommy is a speech therapist. Poor kid..it's almost like a speech session each day for him. He is also saying some two word phrases such as, "two shoes," "hi Nana," and "my bubba". I love hearing his sweet little voice, especially when he says "mama" and comes over and gives me a big hug~oh, there is just nothing better than that (except maybe when he says "wubwubwubu" for "love you", that really pulls at my heart, too). His new thing is to give us "family hugs"....If I say "family hug" he will pull both of us in for a huge bear hug...so charming already :) He definitely has mommy wrapped around his little finger! I am so proud of all his new accomplishments, too. He is trying his hardest to jump..right now it more like a hop, but he keeps trying get both feet off the ground. Also, for the last month or so he has been very interested in the alphabet (he is loving Sesame Street and Super Why). Now he can pick out all the letters when you ask him to and he can name almost all of the letters and/or their sound names. I love helping him learn about the world around him...everything is a new discovery. I know these next 6 months will fly by, too, and before I know it we will be celebrating his 2nd birthday...absolutely amazing!!

Christmas Pictures

So I am officially a Christmas slacker. Granted..all of my shopping and wrapping is completed and I have done all the necessary arrangements for hosting Christmas dinner here, but I failed to remember one important aspect.. I forgot to schedule Nolan's Christmas photo session until last week. So off we go to Portrait Innovations with an early morning appointment. I thought that I was the only one who failed to schedule Christmas pics, but boy was I wrong..it was packed!! Anyway, next year I will be going with our beloved photographer or maybe even scheduling with a special out of town photographer, i.e. Raven :), but for this year it is what it is. So Nolan did great with the family picture, but he wanted nothing to do with his individual shots. He was totally NOT interested at all in sitting in the chair or looking at the Christmas tree, but he was thoroughly impressed with the empty present boxes..so much so that he barely even looked up from the boxes, much less smiled for the stranger with the camera and the stuffed animal on his head. Anyway, at least the picture selection process was easy since we didn't have many to choose from. So..here are some of the best pictures from this morning :)

An Incredible 17 Months

Today Nolan is officially 17 months old. How in the world did that happen????? I continue to be amazed by him each day. Every day is a new adventure full of laughter and learning, and some tears and boo-boos along the way. I hope that the next 17 months don't go by as quickly as these have...I have enjoyed watching him grow and change and I am looking forward many many more fun-filled days with my little Roo.

From a Penguin to a Lion

Ok..so here is my belated Halloween post of my little lion. A couple of days before Halloween our church hosted a "Reformation Day" celebration, very similar to a fall festival to give kids a safer alternative to trick-or-treating. The kids are supposed to dress as a favorite Bible character or ark animal. Last year Nolan was an adorable little penguin, but this year he moved up to king of the jungle status. I had his costume picked a long time ago, so starting in early Oct. I began asking him what a lion says. He first looked at me like I was absolutely crazy when I started "roaring," but he quickly became amused and started "roaring" back to me in a sweet little voice. Of course he doesn't always perform on command, especially when others are present (sound familiar to any other mommies??), so getting a video clip is pretty much next to impossible. (BTW- now he not only knows what a lion says, but also a pig, cow, dog, cat, snake, monkey, duck, bear, chicken, horse, and elephant, ok proud mommy moment over :)) So since I didn't have my blog last Halloween I decided to post some old and new costume pictures. It is amazing what a difference a year makes!!