Happy Second Birthday!

Today is Mr. Maverick William's Second birthday!

How did we go from this:

To this:

So stinkin' quickly?!

(this was Mav's awesome birthday morning pjs look, ha!)

The first thing he did after he jumped out of bed was run down the hallway yelling for birthday cake, ha!  He helped me mix and bake his birthday cake (and cupcakes) the night before...plus with the added coaching from us about his birthday being tomorrow...I think made him excited when he woke up! 

A few minutes later he said, "Touch cupcake".  I thought he was asking but apparently he was telling me he had already poked his finger through one.  So I let him eat it for breakfast.  It is his birthday afterall. :)

His birthday was a transportation theme since he LOVES all things vehicle.  I had grand ideas for decorating, but as the week wore on with all the craziness of Thanksgiving, I lost my steam.  Plus he is only 2 afterall...and won't remember, ha!  Thanks to Pinterest I was able to do a couple cute things.

This is the banner I made, which was super easy since I have access to a die cut machine at work.  It's great in case I want to use it again, just have to replace the 2 with a 3.  :)

I thought my table turned out pretty cute, and it was so easy to make.  Just a plastic green table cloth, and the runner was simply black construction paper with yellow construction paper rectangles glued down the middle.  Add some cars he already owned (I bought the tractors for 25 cents each), and some traffic light inspired plates & napkins...ta da!

Mav liked it so much he played with his cars on it until the party started!

...and maybe went a little too "godzilla" on the poor street...

Mav also noticed his banner right away, and kept saying, "Mamick letters!"

Mamick is how he says his name. :)

I also didn't do a super awesome cake like I did last year.  Man, I'm really slacking!  But I figured a simple vanilla sprinkle cake would be fantastic.  

Mav has been pretend practicing to blow out a candle for a few weeks now, so he was super excited when it finally came time.  He waited so patiently during the song, I love his face!

Mav received so many super fantastic gifts.  This was pretty much his face the entire time, ha!  When he gets really excited about something, he covers his eyes.  It's like its too much to bear. :)

(btw--that Mater truck is actually a bubble blower that you push...and it makes a loud engine noise...and Mav has been pushing it around the house now for about 6 hours nonstop...thanks mom and dad!)

This year's cake eating was much less messy, but still fun!  It was a fun day to celebrate our son, and we're so thankful to everyone who came and celebrated with us.  We love you!

Lastly, I had to include a picture of our Christmas tree now that it is fully decorated and sort of leaning, ha!  I love that the ornaments are half from my childhood, and half from Robbie's childhood...plus a few for Maverick. :)

Alright.  Now I'm going to attempt to sleep for a long time.  I'm exhausted from all this partying!



It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Halloween is fun and all, but starting November 1st until the end of the year is my most favorite season.

Yes, I've been known to start listening to Christmas music in the middle of October...and maybe sprinkled throughout the year...but for me Christmas isn't just a December 25th thing.  And at the risk of sounding super corny I will say that the meaning of Christmas should be celebrated and lived out through the whole year.  :)

Thanksgiving is actually my favorite holiday, and to me, everything about Thanksgiving and Christmas are one in the same.  Both are wonderful, wonderful times to gather with my awesome family and celebrate thankfulness for each other and for God's provisions. 

And I know I've mentioned it before, but I love that Maverick was born in the wee hours of Thanksgiving morning.  (Although I thought for sure he was going to arrive before midnight...maybe it was the fact I was in full labor and wanted him out, ha!)  Of course any other day would've been wonderful too...but it was such a blessing to have Mav given to us on that day.  A day to celebrate our Thanks to God for the miracle of life, especially since we didn't know if we could have children or not.

There are a gazillion things I love about this time of year.  Peppermint mocha.  Crackling fireplaces.  Baking goodies.  Watching the snow fall gracefully from the heavens.  Giving presents.  Candlelight.  Twinkly lights.  Christmas Eve church service.  Looking at decorations.  Watching Christmas movies.  Gingerbread houses and Sugar cube Castles.  Just to name a few.  :)

I wish my house looked like this!  Someday maybe.

It's fun to carry old traditions, and now that we are our own little family, begin new ones.  Among many old ones: watching National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.  Classic. (It's pretty much a documentary of my side of the family, ha!)  A new tradition:  reading 'Twas the Night Before Christmas to Maverick, and setting out the cookies & milk with the "Santa Key".  (since we don't have a fireplace)  I can't wait to see what Mav thinks this year since he will actually sort of know what's going on, ha!  This picture was last year and he was just over 1 year old, holding the key and sitting next to the book.

I'll end with my most favorite Christmas song ever.  I love cello music, love, love, it.  So it's my favorite Christmas song played from my favorite instrument.

I couldn't find the exact version I have at home, but this is so gorgeous too.  Enjoy!

 

Still here :)

Whew, a month since the last post!  I think for the time being, posts may happen only on the weekends...but that's okay! :)  I used to write in the evenings after Mav went to bed.  But evening time is a little wonky right now.

Just when you think you have things down, it changes.  Maverick has had the same bedtime routine now for over a year:  bath, milk, sing/pray, bed.  Piece of cake.  Mav would lay down in his bed almost fully awake, and just lay there until he went to sleep, even in a big boy bed.  Seriously, not kidding!

Then all of a sudden, a switch flipped or something.  His separation anxiety just exploded into a mushroom cloud.  The anticipation of being apart from mom or dad (only at bedtime, he's fine during the day) is just so unbearable to him.  It takes almost 2 hours longer to put him to bed now, which wouldn't be so awful except he is waking up every 1-3 hrs during the night too.  The thought of being alone in his room (despite the nightlights, favorite animals, books, etc) is so awful to him that he screams "Mommy! Daddy!" and looks for us.  Last night/early this morning I was up with him every 20 minutes from 3-5am.

We've tried everything we've read, advice from family/friends...crying it out, giving him clothes with our scent, etc, etc. Its just something we're gonna have to grow through.  It's a new season in life (hopefully a short one, ha!)  And I'm okay with it.  I love being his mommy.  Although I won't say that I enjoy being up all night! :) 

Prayers to help Mav's anxiety would be greatly appreciated, ha!  

Okay so to catch up on a few things I just skimmed my photos from the last date I blogged to today.  And there was SO much stuff!  Too much to blog, so I paired it down to these fun things.

You might know that Mav LOVES firetrucks...a LOT! :)  So when the church near us threw a fall festival with a firetruck, police car, and SWAT team (who knew my town had a SWAT team?!) we knew we had to go.  Once Mav saw the real firetruck he literally pooped his pants, ha!  He just stood in a frozen awe for 10 minutes...his eyes skimming the truck of every detail.

The firefighters were so gracious to answer all our questions, and said we could stop by the station anytime.  Which, I know--they say that to everyone--but it was still kind. :)

Let's see what else has happend since the last time I blogged...oh yeah...

The Cardinals won the World Series!!!!

Maverick was one lucky little boy since he got to stay up late for Game 6 and 7.  (Mostly because we couldn't be torn away from the tv, ha!)

I was the greatest wife ever and stood in a very long line to buy that hat for my hubby. ;)

For Halloween Mav dressed up as a skeleton.  He despises any sort of hat, mask, or sunglasses...so our options were sort of limited.  Skeletons are easy, and we like easy! 

And I think he makes a pretty handsome skeleton. :)

I couldn't get Mav to look at me for the world...there was a parade of petting zoo animals being unloaded from a trailer.  We suprised my mother in law with a petting zoo on her birthday, which happens to also be Halloween.

When we were in the backyard for the zoo, Mav happened to be standing near Johanna and Noa and I thought, "Ooooh! What a great picture!"  We didn't know they were going to be skeletons too...so fun!  Isn't this the most precious picture?!

We did, however, already know that Johanna was expecting.  Her and Jon told us quite a few weeks ago, and to say that we were excited would be an understatement.  Even though the new baby was a huge, huge, HUGE surprise...we couldn't be more elated for them and can't wait to meet the new baby.  And of course the grandparents are over the moon about having another grandchild.  Which is good for us--this takes the pressure off having another one for a while, ha ha!

Johanna is (I think) about 12 weeks now, and it will be so exciting to learn in a few weeks if Noa will have a little brother or sister.  New Baby I is scheduled to arrive on Mother's Day.  :)