Cramming...

I have been writing so much lately...I feel like I have to cram every moment in before school begins next week.  It's a bittersweet beginning for our family.  Luke and I are really looking forward to seeing our kids and working with them again, but this summer has been so perfect.  We knew the end would come, but now that it's within reach, I'm not as ready as I thought I would be.  There are just so many great things I will miss about Whit!  Lately, he has become more and more entertaining:)  When he spots something he wants, he crawls with great determination and speed across the room, shaking his head and "talking" as he goes after his prize.  His tastes are becoming more discerning and I am having to be a little more creative with his lunch and dinner-oh, the things you say you'll never do!  He is experimenting more and more with his toys now, and seems amazed when something new happens, like a ball rolls across the floor or a button makes a sound.  Now he really studies these things and tries to imitate them.  Just yesterday he was in the office with me and was playing with his shoe for a good 15 minutes-grabbing it then throwing it in the air and crawling wherever it landed.  He thought this was the greatest game!  It's so funny what captures his attention.  I love watching his personality develop, and his interactions become more engaged-even with Lucy!  Poor, poor Lucy!  She loves to sneak in kisses, and I have a feeling her day is coming!  For now, all is well in our home and we are chugging along, using our last few days at home to make our final preparations for school, trying to cram 2 weeks worth of work into a few short days.  The procrastination was well worth it this year though!  I would not have traded a single moment with him this summer!

One Year Old!

What a fabulous day:)  Today was Whit's official birthday, and throughout the entire day I would see a clock and think, "last year I was..."  What a day that was!  I'm pretty sure that Luke has completely blocked it out-especially the last couple of hours.  For me, all I have to do is think about it for a moment and it's like I'm watching a movie in my mind.  I was using a different blog at that time, and because this is my primary journal, I want to share just a few moments from that day...
We drove to the hospital around 7:00, ready to go!  The morning was fairly slow, which I had expected since they were inducing me.  By early afternoon, things were moving along well, but I was experiencing back labor, so I was ready for my epidural.  That was one of my big fears going in; fortunately I had a wonderful anesthesiologist who did a great job.  After that, I was feeling good:)  The afternoon/evening were fine...our families arrived for the big moment and we had some nice time together.  By 9:00, it was time to start pushing.  Our family members came into the room and prayed for God's provision...the next few hours were some of the most difficult I have ever experienced, but I felt His presence and the prayers being offered.  I pushed for an hour and a half-trying various procedures and positions, but Whit's head was simply too large.  The worst part of the experience was that 20 minutes into pushing, my epidural wore off, so I was exhausted and in so much pain.  Eventually, it was determined that I needed a c-section, so off we went to surgery.  My medication was not kicking back in quick enough, so they had to put me out completely...I awoke around 12:30 and finally got to meet my beautiful baby boy!  It was such a long day, but completely worth it!
Now...that little tiny baby is crawling, standing, talking, laughing, discovering, learning, and growing before our eyes!  He has completely changed our lives for the better, and we loved our life before Whit was here.  I can't count the number of times Luke and I have said to each other, "We are so blessed," or "He is such a precious boy," or "How did we get so lucky?"  He is just amazing!  Today we celebrated his birthday by having lunch in Mazon with daddy during band camp, swimming in his pool this afternoon, and having homemade mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese for dinner.  We didn't have any cake, so he got to try chocolate pudding for the first time!  He seemed to be a fan and I think he had a great first birthday!  I can't imagine what the next year will bring...
Happy birthday Whit!!

First Haircut

I almost forgot to share this!!  So, we have been wanted to get a trim for quite sometime, but I'm really bad about remembering to call and schedule.  We finally got it booked and ended up making it a family affair...Luke and Whit got haircuts and I got my cut/color combo.  We were there for 3 hours total...as you can guess I will be going on my own next time!  It went great though, and Whit seemed to handle the trim just fine.  He sat on my lap, which was a pretty funny sight, and was mostly interested in the comb Heidi used for his hair.  Each time she would go in for a snip he wold lean as far away as possible, but once we handed him a comb to play with, he was good to go!  She even used the buzzer on him and he didn't freak out.  He's such a good-natured kid!  All in all, it was another successful first!

Birthday Fun!

It's CRAZY that we celebrated Whit's birthday this past weekend.  I think back to one year ago and am amazed by all this year has held-for our family as well as those we love.  There have been so many wonderful moments along the way...too many to name, but they were great!  One year ago, Whit was a dream...I hadn't met him, held him, kissed him-only imagined and anticipated how wonderful he would be and how much I would love him.  He has far surpassed any expectation we had, melting our hearts from day one.  He is a very loved boy, and that was evident at his party this weekend!  Our house was filled with family and friends from different parts of our life, each connected to our son...to look around our home and take it all in was truly amazing.  I think Whit was in awe as well.  He seemed so fascinated by all the action and attention on him.  He eventually seemed to accept it an go about enjoying his party-especially the cake!  What a wonderful day of celebration:)  Here are a few pictures from the big day.

Growing up...

So for some reason, I really feel like we've "grown up" a lot this summer.  It's hard to explain, but I said it to Luke earlier today and he said "I know what you mean..."  I'm sure much of it has to do with Whit being around to keep us productive this summer.  Also, we're both teaching lessons, so we have been forced to keep the house in order.  It feels good though.  Regardless of what is pushing us in this direction, it's one I am enjoying and excited about.  I feel much more disciplined and driven than ever, and have found some great outlets for myself this summer...running, singing, business...Luke continues to find new things to learn and ways to hone his musical skills.  It's exciting to me that even with the addition of a son, full-time jobs (9 months of the year) and a crazy daschund we are still motivated to be better.  We have become more involved in our church in the last few months, and I know that has had a positive impact on our lives.  I am convinced that we are doing something right because while this summer has been so wonderful and full of great moments, it has also brought some difficulty and criticism from various directions.  I would be lying if I said it didn't bother me-it certainly isn't fun to hear and I am still working on letting it go and placing my hurt at the feet of my Father so that healing can happen.  However, I feel like God has shown me to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly through the crossfire...I trust in His faithfulness and pray that our response to this negativity will honor Him.  I know that any time growing occurs, there is pain.  Just hoping today that the end is in sight and we can move on to a new challenge.