happy halloween

better late than never...brendan's second halloween!

we took brendan to the moore's house to trick or treat with people we know, and he was just more concerned with eating rocks than eating candy. he also did not fully understand the concept of trick-or-treaters coming to our house. he was so excited to see new people at the door, but then he would get very upset when they would leave. i think he just wanted new friends to stay and play!

last week of summer fun

a recap of our last week of summer...

monday, brendan figured out one way to beat the heat is to do something water-related.  every time he plays with the water table, he is more and more active with it.  he was soaked from his own choosing, but he loved it.

tuesday was the big day!!!  august 14 was FULL of birthday celebrations for our special guy.  he insisted we go to le peep for his birthday, and who can argue with a birthday boy?!  clearly, he wanted his birthday pancake.  we picked up a cupcake for later in the day and came back for birthday naps.  katy arrived in time for dinner and presents so we headed to pappasito's to cap off the day.  i was so proud of brendan for handling the (unexpected) birthday singing so well.  again, he wanted to touch the candle but settled for the whipped cream and ice cream.  the rest of us were happy to share his free dessert especially he still had his crave cupcake to demolish at home.

 wednesday was party recovery day and a dip into the reality quickly approaching.  brendan and i paid my school a visit, and i loaded him and my supplies up in his new wagon and around the school we went!  to pass the time later that evening while lee was golfing, i made us some homemade fun:  a cardboard box tunnel.  brendan would follow his toys through the tunnel and be so excited when he made it through.

thursday i took my first step into the world of homemade pizza making.  other than a slight mishap in the dough-rising process, the pizza turned out to be a success.  check out that yummy shrimp (got it on sale...woohoo)...

friday, we had probably the most successful tax-free shopping experience with minimal crowds to fight.  we also visited the children's museum in the woodlands for the first time.  brendan is just on the brink of really loving and taking full advantage of that place.  he did love the slide though and got quite brave at climbing up and sliding down.

the only picture i have from saturday is a shot of the most incredible nap-head you have ever seen.  am i right?!

 sunday night, we said goodbye to summer over dinner at jason's deli and prayed for positive school years for each of us and enjoyed one last schedule-free, lesson-planning-free night as a family.  brendan did not really notice either way the change coming, but he did really dig the jason's deli ice cream.

happy birthday, brendan

a note to brendan from each of us on the eve of his first birthday, a gift that will be saved for him and added to with each year...

brendan,
as i sit here and think back on the past year, my heart is filled with so much emotion.  my world was forever changed at 12:27am on august 14, 2011, and when i looked at you for the first time i knew i would never be the same.

being your mom is the greatest, toughest, and most rewarding thing i have ever done.  i knew i loved your dad more than anyone, or anything, in the world, but when God gave us you, i realized i had an entire new way to love that i did not even know existed.

there are so many moments that come to mind as i think back on your first year...
-our first of many cuddles after you were released from the nursery
-your first smile
-those chubby cheeks making their appearance
-watching you learn to hold your head up steadily...then, sit up on your own...then, crawl and crawl faster...then, pull up and walk across the furniture
-your hugs...gosh, they are simply the best
-the way you cannot even contain your excitement for the things that really get you going:  elmo, bathtime, FOOD, the garage opening (you LOVE going places)
-that deep belly laugh that comes out when you are really tickled about something
-having to tell you no for the first time as you became quite the explorer around the house...and the sad reaction as you learned what that word meant
-finding you playing with your bath toys after you quietly crawled down the hall without us seeing
-your love for dog, duck, and now monkey - your closest companions
-watching you watch your cousins run and play and wanting so badly to join in
-watching you swim in grandma and papa's pool for the first time
-taking you to the beach for the first time
-your first (second, third, and fourth) plane rides

you bring such a smile to my face everyday.  i am so incredibly lucky to be your mom.  happy birthday, sweet boy.

love,
mommy

two days old

almost one year old

Brendan,

As I write this I'm trying to come up with words that will let you know what you mean to me. I have realized that such words do not exist.
When your mother and I decided to have a baby, we had no control over what kind of baby we would have. All we could do was ask God for you to be healthy. God did better than that as He so often does.
God chose you to be our son! He formed you in your mother's womb and He gave you life.
I never knew it was possible to love someone the way that I love you. My love for you helps me appreciate even more the fact that God sacrificed His son for us.
You have opened my eyes and my heart in a way I didn't know existed. No matter what happens in this life you will always have my love and support.
Your first year of life brought many smiles and a few sleepless nights but it has been the best year of my life. The time I get to spend with you and your mother is worth more than anything this world has to offer.
I don't know what the future holds for you but I pray that you will follow God and always make Him the center of your life.
I'm so blessed to be a part of your life.

Love,
Dad

party time

with the big day quickly approaching, we decided to have brendan's birthday party ten days early in order to have his family included.  minus the west coast fam, all of his family from both sides were able to come together to celebrate our little guy turning one.  it is still hard for me to even type that.  one?!  but i will save the sentimental thoughts for another post...

for months now, the party theme had been quite evident, and if you have spent any time with us, you most likely could have guessed it, too.  sesame street.  brendan loves almost every second of any episode he watches.  elmo, abby cadabby, and murray round out his top fave characters.  a few google and pinterest searches led me to the choices for decor, and emily had the great idea to print pictures of brendan over the past year to bring it altogether.  i gave my aunt a general direction for the cake but let her work her magic.  and, boy did she ever!

 

 

everyone was extremely kind and generous with their gift-giving and time to attend the party.  emily opened her house for this all to happen, and i am forever grateful for that.  i do not think i stopped smiling the entire evening because my heart was so full with almost all of our family around to honor our sweet boy.  i know brendan will not have any memories from this party, but we will have stories and pictures to show him how special it was.  maybe i am just a sentimental mommy, but i really could not have asked for a better evening.  to all of our family, near and far, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

now for the rest of the pictures!

a quick shot with uncle zach before he headed to work

eva was a fan of the cookie...icing

these two were super excited to be reunited after aunt rachel spent 6 weeks in south africa

cuddles with maw while adjusting to the excitement of the party

wanting to touch the candle flame

trying to figure this whole cake thing out

discovering how fun it is to eat cake by himself

heavy eyes and cheeks are the sure sign of a cake coma

playing with the new kitchen from grandma and papa

one happy boy after a fun party night

9.5 months

before time got away from me and summer got too hot, i was able to take brendan's 9 month pictures...they turned out to actually be 9 month, 3 week old picures :).

we went back to our neighborhood park, and we were the only ones there so i was able to get some really great shots.  brendan loves the playground, and i can imagine he will have such a blast when he can walk and explore it all on his own.

he looks like he is stretching in this one

hard to believe the next "milestone" pictures will be at one year!  enjoy these and let me know if you are aware of a way to slow down time :)