Behr's Words

Behr's first "words." Just because he's my favorite and I have to remember somehow.

Mama. Dada. ByeBye. Hi. Bath ("ba"). Banana ("nana!!")...annnnnd "OhWow"? I don't think Dre or I say it all that much but he really seems to 'say' "ohhhwooooaaa" in response to different things like opening a present or checking out something new. This guy. We love him. [PS I wouldn't say he really 'talks' so much as he communicates. Some day we'll get to hear what's happening in his little brain as he watches his world but for now we're just enjoying the things he chooses to mimic and are well aware that for every sweet "Mama" he says in recognition there's a week's worth of nights of him screaming "maaaaaaamaaaaa!" when he doesn't want to go to bed.]

Where we find him all too often. Oy. Boys.

Behr will not use this type of paci. He's refused it since he was born. But ever since Edy was born and was into these....Behr suddenly is pretty attached to them whenever he can find one. Particularly if they're pink and left behind by his buddy Edy.

Behr's 'First' Advent

My favorite time of year might just be the "advent season." I love holidays. I love celebrating all sorts of anniversaries. I'm a strict "no Christmas music, movies, or decorating until December 1st" stickler. But man. Somehow all of that plus now the addition of a little boy means I just love the unique opportunity to countdown, anticipate, and savor the Christmas season.

This year's advent calendar came from a link via Pintrest (seriously, what was life like before the internet) and I love how it turned out. Inside each box is a piece of paper with a story for the night from his Jesus Storybook Bible and a treat or something we can do together. Tonight was three new Christmas board books tomorrow is going to see a Living Nativity. I think I love the 'forced family' time of these days and the focus on savoring a moment in each day even though it's in the midst of the busiest time of the year. I will say the faces Behr was making when Dre read our reading tonight were a glimpse ten years into the future. Baby boy doesn't know how to do an eye roll yet but with those eyebrows he sure has already mastered the "ohgoshdaaaad" face.

So far it's been a season of crafting. My Christmas list is a mile long of projects to sew and craft together. Fingers crossed I get them all done. So far I've put together Behr's first advent calendar (well really I guess he participated last year when Dada read the verses or we did little things last year but in so many ways this feels like his first Christmas even if it's his second). I'm hoping that with a tweak or two it lasts for at least two to three years. This year Mama's going to open the boxes but next year I think Behr will love opening the little boxes with his little big boy fingers.

My other major crafting success thus far has been stockings. I cut these a year ago which really is the trick to my success. Any time I sew I have to designate time to cut and pin and then a day or two to wait in between because I need a break. I'm not a patient crafter. I either hurry up and make a mess of my project or I space out the steps. A lot. Hence stockings sewed together a year after they were cut. But hey they turned out great so I'm happy.

I love homemade. I love the imperfection and the obvious (coughcoughcrookedstitches) sign of our own hands at work in our home. There's just something about it that's special. I'm not about to start making our clothes (though I am hoping to make Behr PJ pants but that doesn't sound as insane) but when I can make something and save eighty dollars it seems worth the labor and time.

Happy Klessmas!

GrateFULL.

• For friends who are like family.
• For family who are friends.
• For work and provision.
• For food in the fridge and that God made food taste so gosh darn delicious! 
• For a man who loves me unconditionally even at my worst, my messiest, and my craziest. 
• For a little boy who is healthy, friendly, cheerful, and just perfect in every way--though he does have pretty nasty poops.

It's been a year I couldn't have imagined or predicted. Becoming a mother has changed more than I expected but been far more wonderful and simply fun than I ever anticipated. My cup is full. I am so very grateful for the life God has given me.

"Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!"

Our Meerkat

Oh my heart. I've wanted a babe for so long and I dreamed of the crazy things he might do or I might dress him up in but I can say I never thought that on my baby's first Halloween he'd be a meerkat or that I'd unashamedly have him wear the hat from his costume all around. But he was and it was the best. The meerkat costume idea came from his excitement at seeing the meerkats at the zoo on his first zoo trip. It's been a continual quick "cheer up" trick to pull out a YouTube video of meerkats playing when he's fussy. But I mean just look at this kid... I can't even imagine the fun we're going to have in the years to come!

Testing out the costume when it arrived.

Behr the Meerkat in his very secret fort.

The Meerkat at play.

My sweet Meerkat. 

Blessed. Just so blessed. I love my boys.

Life with friends just makes everything more fun. Here's to the first of hopefully many Halloween adventures with these buddies. At this point in the evening I think Behr was about ready to be done wearing his suit, Edy was ready for some snuggles and sleep, and A was ready for more candy and less babies. ;-)

The little meerkat watching for trick-or-treaters. Sweet boy loved the kids coming to the door but was definitely perplexed why no one came in to play--and kept a close eye on where I would put the candy bowl down...

Eleven Months

At eleven months our boy is changing every day it seems. 

In the past two weeks he's gone up a diaper size, grown out of nearly all his 3-6 month pants (he has short little legs!), and out of all his 9 month sleepers. Pants that were cuffed a week ago aren't anymore and he likes to prove that he can reach things on shelves that I thought were in the "safe zone." 
He claps occasionally (though he hates the sound of people clapping so he's not prone to imitate it) and he's started signing primarily "all done" (which is applied for everything from done with a meal to being bored with an activity) and "milk" though I'm working on new ones to help him communicate. I really never "got" the whole babies and sign language thing; but now as a mommy I'm amazed at how desperately he clearly wants to communicate and how fast he learns and applies things. He clearly says Mama now which of course I love even if he's also recently learned to 'scream' and as often as he says it sweetly he's screaming it in frustration when I just need to make dinner and can't pick him up.
He isn't walking but could if he wanted. I've caught him standing unassisted multiple times and he cruises around flat footed etc. I know my world will change all over again once he takes his first steps so I'm not in a rush but really can't wait to see it. His latest mobility advancement is mastering going down the step between our dining room and living room. He loves to dance and does the silliest little belly pop sometimes when he's dancing or being silly.
He has two foods he won't eat: kiwi and scrambled eggs made by Mama. He used to eat kiwi and eats plenty of similarly textured foods but lately is not at all interested in it and will tell me "all done" when I put it on his plate. The scrambled eggs thing makes me laugh most of the time. He'll eat eggs from Dada and had no problem eating Kelley's when we visited the Murphs in Charlotte. But mine he throws on the ground most of the time. He will eat them in something like fried rice but on a plate...he is not interested. I like my eggs; I've never had any complaints from anyone else but Behr apparently doesn't appreciate them the same way.
The cutest thing he does these days might be shaking his head. We think he picked it up because when Aunt Jess feeds him she says "mmm!!" and shakes her head but he applies it far beyond that. He certainly knows that it means no. ;-) He used to also nod he his yes but he's a little less into saying "yes" than saying no. If it's not shaking his head than it's attempting to tickle people. His favorite person to tickle is the person who tickles him most: Dada. In the mornings when Dre is home after I get him out of bed he'll crawl into our room and pull up on Dre's side of the bed and extend his little arm with his fingers twitching going "tick-a-tick-a" and man. It just melts me to see how much he loves his dada and how much his dada delights in him.

Behr's pretty fascinated with the daily cups of coffee Mama and Dada drink. But he knows they are not for him as demonstrated in this video. The other day at Trader Joe's I offered him an empty little sample sized coffee cup after getting myself a full cup and he kept shaking his head no at me. He makes the every day funner than I could have ever imagined.

So yeah. We're pretty into this kid. He's a ton of fun; he loves his little life and the people in it and we are so amazed to watch the world through his eyes and be his parents. And somehow, though I really don't know how, he's going to be an entire year old in just four short weeks. It really does go too fast but we're soaking up the moments and the already fleeting snuggles.