The month of April -- part one

Okay so I know that I have been a little MIA, but the last two months have been such a whirlwind. Here are the big events of April:

1. Shawn turns 8 months old (3/28). It was a sad day for Shawn as we had to make a trip to the Dr.'s office. Shawn had an ear infection and had to be put on antibiotics. He was such a trooper, and even though he was sick he didn't even act sick. He is such a sweet kid.

We are way past the phase where he will sit near the cupcake and not go for it. So, this month I had to hold him and the cupcake (and try to keep them close enough for the pictures, but far enough apart to avoid a sugar overload).

We also enjoyed taking some pictures of Shawn with Mom and Dad. (Notice his shirt is mis-buttoned? HA!) This one is definitely my new favorite. I love his little tongue sticking out. :)

Here is my little naked boy. I wanted to get a picture of his cute little butt...while he is still willing to show it off. :)

2. April 2nd was the Baby Dedication night at church. Bryan and I were in charge of the event and were super busy getting ready for it. You can read more about it here.

3. On Friday April 4th I walked in and found Shawn doing this:

Yes, standing in his crib. And he was SO proud of himself for doing it, too. Needless to say, Bryan lowered the crib as soon as he got up that morning. He still stands in his crib everytime he wakes up from a nap or in the morning, but at least he is lower in the crib now. He is SO smart. Now he is trying to stand up at everything--the baby gate, in the bathtub, in his high chair, etc.

4. On Friday April 11th, my Mom and I watched the Miss USA pageant. We love to see the dresses and critique basically everything about the contestants and the show in general. This year they went with a much edgier show--live bands throughout the show, more famous judges, a much quicker pace to the whole event, etc. We were totally stoked when Miss Texas won! She was so beautiful and eloquent in her responses. YEAH!! You can keep track of Crystle through her blog.

5. We're still attending classes on Friday's at The Little Gym. We have made some really great friends and love our time there.

Here is Shawn banging two textured sticks together. It helps to strengthen his hand-eye coordination and also builds his depth perception.

6. We had another Girls Night Out. This time we met at Sturbucks for coffee. It was a small group, but we had such a good time talking and getting to know one another better. It was a small crowd because Krysten had just had her baby two days earlier and several of our regulars went over to meet the new little one. Congratulations again Connor and Krysten, he is beautiful.

Just us girls--(l to r) Ani (expecting #3-YEAH!), Me, Sara, and Laura.

7. In mid-April I was very fortunate to get to meet some of my friends from work for lunch. We meet at a restaurant down near our old work place. We had such agreat time catching up and hearing what each other had been up to. Kim (to my right) is the only one still at Allied. All the rest of us have moved on to different jobs, so it was especially nice to reconnect.

In front of the restaurant--(l to r) Danielle, Heather with Shawn, Me, Kim, Jennifer, and Donna

8. I was finally able to get a good picture of Shawn's two front teeth. They came in at 7-months and 7 1/2 months, but he won't ever let me near them to get a picture. They are so cute. He is currently working on is two upper teeth--super fun, let me tell you! :)

9. I finally found a bookshelf that I loved. I have been on a quest to find a large, in-good-shape, and realtively inexpensive bookshelf for months. And I finally found one! We had a special Ladies Day at church and it was a lot of fun. We honored three elderly ladies at church that have had interesting and, at times, challenging lives. It was awesome. Anyways, on the way home we stopped at this huge Antique Mall and after many, many aisles, I finally found what I was looking for. It was only $30 and fits perfectly in Shawn's room. All it needed was a quick paint job and it was ready to decorate.

Here are Shawn and I reading our inaugural book from the bookshelf (picture taken 4/22). Now it is even more filled with books. I just keep finding books to add. Shawn loves to read and is very good at turning the pages when asked, and opening and closing the book. I have started posting some of our favorite books in the right column. Let me know if you have any to suggest. We make a trip to the library about every 2 weeks, and usually check out about 40-45 books. We read them all twice and then take them back. I think this kid is going to be a reader! :)

See part 2 for more stories from April.

A little about me :)

So, I was tagged by my good friend Lindy!!! Everything you wanted to know and more. J

1. Two things that you despise that no one knows about you~
a) I don't like to be near smoke. I can smell it from a long ways off (like sitting in a car at a stop light). Drives me nuts! I'm glad most places are becoming smoke-free environments.

b) I HATE to be late. It is definitely one of my biggest pet peeves. I try to leave early for everything we do, but now with Shawn I never seem to be on time to anything. Oh well, I'd rather be happy and late, than stressed & cranky and on time.

2. Name something fun you want to do in your life~
a) I really want to travel to all 50 states and to every continent—I've been to 30 states so far and every continent except Asia.

b) I also want to take Bryan to Africa and show him where I grew up.

3. Something that gives you joy, then something that gives you happiness~
a) My greatest joy is my son, Shawn. Bryan and I race to go in and get him in the morning because he is so darn cute! I love everyday as he learns new things.

b) Coffee, reading a magazine, running (I'm ready to start again), volunteering, and hanging out with friends makes me happy!

4. Biggest Fear in Life~
I have 2...
a) Not setting a good Christian example for my kids, my spouse, my family and my friends.

b) That Bryan will leave this earth before me and I will be alone to raise my children.

5. A secret talent you would like to possess~
a) I would love to be able to paint. I wish I was brave enough to give it a try. But I am such a perfectionist that I'm not sure I would be very good at it. Maybe one day I'll give it a go.

6. Where do you see yourself in 10 years~
I see me and Bryan living in a great little house-on plenty of acreage for Bryan :) –with four kids, all active and happy. I want our photography business to be in full swing where we can travel often and shoot pictures around the world. I want to be able to see my in-laws more often.

7. Something that is consuming your thoughts lately~
There are so many things that I think about.....

a) There are several marriages around me that are struggling right now and it is just crushing me. I wish I knew what to say or do to heal the hurting.

b) I am working on ways to grow our photography business. My problem right now is so much to do, so little time. There are only 24 hours in a day….even for a super Mom! J

c) Planning for the young adults ministry Bryan and I are kicking off this summer. Our Girls Night Out is a first phase of this ministry and we plan to go big with other events and groups in June.

d) And on and on and on……


Now I tag... Angela P., Stephanie L., and Kim L. Have fun! J

Today is my Mother-in-Law's Birthday

Happy Birthday, Kathy!!! You are so special to us and we love you dearly. We hope you have a fabulous birthday and wish we could be there with you. Can't wait until we see you again. Love you!

This is Kathy ("Nana") with baby Shawn the day he was born.