Letters to Nolan: 5/18/15

Dear sweet Nolan, 

I am so amazed at how much you have grown and how much you are continuing to grow each and every single day.  You are taking more and more and putting words together to form cute caveman-like sentences now.  Most of the time we are able to figure out what you are saying and as the days go by you add more and more words to your growing vocabulary. 

When you want something, you do anything that you can to get it!  I love your spunk and your personality and how much you live in the moment.  You are very feisty when things don't quite go your way but are easily distracted away by things that are of interest to you.  Nolan, you are quite the little character and you love to put on a show.  Frequently we will find you dancing, singing, and jumping around providing all sorts of fun entertainment for anyone who might be around.  

The thing that I think you like to do the most is to eat!  You love meat and fruit, of course sweets, but you will pretty much eat anything and everything and enjoy eating.  While your love of eating is strong, you are still mastering the art of feeding yourself.  Most of the food makes it into your mouth however there is always a bit of overflow.  :) 

You love to be outside and run in the great outdoors!  You always want to be doing what Everett is doing and you don't let much get in the way of your plans.  You do not have very many fears (except of bounce houses and electronic fish that swim in the bathtub) so you usually do not hesitate to climb stairs, jump off of things, anything that looks fun and exciting.  

A major development we have had in the past month is that you are potty training! We started elimination communication with you around your first birthday and now you are almost fully potty trained!  I am so proud of you and how eager you are to sit on the potty when you need to go.  We have had some accidents, but you are getting the hang of it and even got to "pee in the grass" (as Everett calls it) the other day! 

Oh sweet Nolan, I love you so much.  You have brought so much joy into my life and I cannot imagine life without you in it.  You are such a sweet sweet boy and your laugh is so infectious!  I do have to admit that I love when you want me to hold you when you are angry or upset and you need your momma (or mommy as you now call me).  Thank you for being such a joy in our lives, I love you so so much. 

Momma and daddy love you to the moon and all the way back! 

xoxoxox,

Momma

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For more Letters to Nolan, click here! 

For Letters to Everett, click here!

Letters to Nolan: 11/18/14

Mr. Nolan,

You are 18 months old today and boy what a big guy you are growing up to be! You continue to amaze me every day with new things that you've learned how to do and new words that you are learning! Everett is your best friend and you want to be doing exactly what he is doing... sometimes before he's even doing it!  You like to climb on anything and everything and especially like to go down the slide... I think you might be a thrill seeker! :) 

This past month your jibber jabber has been transforming and you are starting to form words.  You are learning Spanish from Suyapa and really like to say "agua"... I think it is probably your favorite word! You have such an animated way of speaking; when you say Please, you rub your hands together and say "Peeeeease" with your teeth together, lips pulled all the way to each side, and your eyes squeezed shut! It is so CUTE!  Some words you know are: 

• Momma, Daddy, Everett, PaPa, Rae,GaGa
• Agua, Drink, Nack (Snack), NUH! (Nurse)
• Ny-Ny (Night night), Bye, Hiiiii
• Peeeease (Please), Tanks (Thanks)
• Mine, Me, No

Nursing is still one of your favorite things to do but eating is right up there with it! You are a great eater and are generally happy to try new foods.  Your favorite thing to eat right now is scrambled eggs, just like Everett! Whenever you want something to drink you always ask for agua... unless you want to nurse. Haha.  (Don't hate me when you're older for writing this!)

Oh Mr. Nolan! You are such a sweet and amazing baby toddler and are growing up too quickly!  These past 18 months have been joy-filled and I have loved every single minute.  You love to play and be with Everett, snuggle with mommy, and rough-house with daddy! Thank you for being part of our family, I love you more than you will ever know! 

Momma and daddy love you to the moon and all the way back! 

xoxoxox,

Momma

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For more Letters to Nolan, click here! 

For Letters to Everett, click here!

Pumpkin Patch Fun

For the past few years we have been going up to Graves Mountain for the Apple Festival with our cousins/best friends to kick off the fall but this year we decided to change things up and go to the Pumpkin Patch instead!  Some people think change is a bad thing but in this case, it definitely was not! The kids had a blast because there was so much more to do at the Pumpkin Patch and I am pretty sure that the adults had just as much fun as the kids did!  I brought my camera along with me and couldn't decide what photos to share, so here's a photo overload from our adventure! 

So serious! 

He was not interested in smiling for the camera...

Pumpkins!

The farm that the Pumpkin Patch was at had a CORN BOX!  It. Was. Amazing!  The kids Everyone loved it and had a blast playing, swimming, and being covered up in the corn. Colt and Everett really liked to jump from the side into the corn!

 

Since the farm had some great scenery and props we had to try to get some family photos and shots of the boys... we may or may not have been too successful...

As you can see... they didn't want to sit still for photos!

Happy fall y'all! :) 

Letters to Nolan: 4/18/14

Dear Sweet Nolan,

You are just one month shy of being one year old! Spring has sprung and you are really loving spending time outdoors and since you have your daddy's skin tone you are rocking a great tan. One of your favorite pastimes these days is playing in the water table! You really enjoy splashing your hands in the water and getting yourself soaking wet and I'm sure once it gets warm enough you are going to really dig the sprinkler! Speaking of water, you love taking baths and have now graduated out of the laundry basket and now sit just fine with your brother in the tub!

This month you got your first hair cut- you were staring to have a little baby mullet so it was definitely time!  You also have four teeth now and your smile is so so cute! You still love to laugh and giggle, especially if your brother is around. Now that you're more mobile you are starting to play more with Everett and you love that!

You are still quite content to nurse just as frequently as you always have, which is fine with me. You are eating more from the table and prefer to feed yourself. Some of your favorite foods are... anything that we give you! So far you aren't very picky which is great!

I am so happy you're in our life little dude!

Here's what you've been up to: 

03/23/14: First haircut, started playing peekaboo 

03/25/14: You started to laugh when other people laugh 

03/28/14: You will dance when we ask you to!

04/04/14: Said "dog"

04/10/14: Fourth tooth broke through (top left)

04/14/14: Can climb in and out of the bathtub

04/15/14: Got your first freckle

Momma and daddy love you to the moon and all the way back! 

xoxoxox,

Momma

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For more Letters to Nolan, click here! 

For Letters to Everett, click here!

Letters to Nolan: 3/18/14

Dear Nolan,

You are such a sweet boy! Your little personality is just blossoming and you are becoming a little boy (not  a baby anymore) right before our eyes.  You are very inquisitive and want to know what is going on in every room, want to check out everything, and you especially want to just dump all the toys out of the baskets! You really like to mess with Jedi, something that he does not like at all.

Crawling is still your main mode of transportation and boy are you fast! You can get from one side of the room to the other in no time.  You do like to pull up on any and everything and are getting more and more daring in your attempts to let go.  This month you started to push the walker around the house, although you have not quite got the steering thing down yet.

You and brother are still sleeping in our room at night and you usually "request" to nurse two to three times throughout the night.  Since it has been cold outside we have been spending the evenings inside (usually watching The West Wing) and our routine has been for you and I to cuddle up on the couch and you fall asleep while nursing. It is nice to have that time at the end of the busy day just to relax and be with our little family!

Last but certainly not least, your baby dedication was this past month!  This allowed daddy and I to think about the type of person that we hope you will grow up to be and how we can strive to be great parents. We invited family and friends to join us and it was a very special time to share with them.  We pray that you will find Jesus and will trust him to guide your life and we pray that we will be with you every step of the way! 

Here's what you've been up to this past month: 

02/18/15: Nine month well check- 21lbs 14oz (70th percentile), 28" long (60th percentile); Started waving 

02/20/14: First time you played at the play area in the mall 

02/26/14: Said momma 

02/28/14: First ice cream cone 

03/08/14: Stood by yourself for the first time 

03/09/14: Third tooth broke through ( top right) 

03/10/14: Started walking with the walker

Momma and daddy love you to the moon and all the way back! 

xoxoxox,

Momma

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For more Letters to Nolan, click here! 

For Letters to Everett, click here!

Letters to Nolan: 2/18/14

Dear Nolan,

Well Mister Man you have decided that you are not a baby anymore.  No sir, not you! You want to do just what your big brother is doing and you don't care what it takes, you will do what he is doing. Anything that he is doing seems amazing to you and you are so happy to spend all your time with Everett. 

You don't really like to take naps by yourself, or even sleep by yourself at night. I don't blame you though, who wouldn't want to be snuggled up with someone else and sleep!?  When Sue is here she usually wears you in the Ergo for naps and if you're still tired when she leaves or if you need to take another nap I will wrap you up in our Little Frog woven wrap. You really like to "go up" and instantly relax once you're in your happy place on my back.  We have been learning all new ways to wear the wrap and you are very patient when I am learning a new carry. 

You are so happy almost all the time! When you are crawling around, you will stop and start clapping- it is so cute! I love watching you explore around the house and seeing how happy you are once you've found something that you haven't been able to get to before.  You are also learning the word "no" and so far you are actually responding well to it (which makes me happy).  You are a very determined little dude but you are also very content to listen to me... for now. 

Here's what you've been up to this past month: 

01/20/14: Started pulling up to your knees

02/01/14: Started pulling up to standing 

02/05/14: Saying "Da-da" when you see Daddy
02/18/15: Nine month well check- 21lbs 14oz (70th percentile), 28" long (60th percentile), started waving

Momma and daddy love you to the moon and all the way back! 

xoxoxox,

Momma

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For more Letters to Nolan, click here! 

For Letters to Everett, click here!

Letters to Nolan: 1/18/14

Dear Nolan,

You are eight months old and are in to EVERYTHING! You have graduated from belly scooting to full blown crawling! You can go anywhere and everywhere and literally nothing gets in the way.  You will crawl over, under, and through things to get what you want and where you want! Thank goodness we have gates! 

You have also started to try and walk when we hold your hands and you think that is really great fun! You will walk as fast as we will let you and I am not really ready for all of that!  You are really into playing with toys now and are trying to figure out what everything does and how you can make noise out of it.  Anything that you can clang or bang on the floor is highly prized in your eyes!

You are really settling into your personality now and you LOVE to laugh.  Clapping and squeeling is a daily occurrence and we all love it. You and your brother are really starting to play and entertain each other these days and I love seeing the two of you together.  You guys had a great Christmas and you really loved playing with the Christmas paper and boxes. :)

The latest "health' development that you have had is that both of your bottom teeth popped through this month! The all night nursing that went along with that was not particularly fun on my part but it helped you through it and that's what matters! You are still nursing every two hours or so during the day and will go about four hours at night.  Naps are few and far between here, just like your brother but if you are up in the wrap you will sleep! Needless to say most afternoons are spent with you on my back! 

Here's what you've been up to this past month: 

12/20/13: Started clapping today
01/02/14: Started walking when we hold both your hands
01/04/14: First night you wanted to sleep on your stomach 
01/06/14: First tooth (bottom right) 
01/11/13: Started to crawl on all fours 
11/17/14: Saw you dancing for the first time 
11/18/14: Second tooth (bottom left)

Momma and daddy love you to the moon and all the way back! 

xoxoxox,

Momma

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For more Letters to Nolan, click here! 

For Letters to Everett, click here!

Instacram: December 2013

I love being able to share my photos so easily with Instagram! Check out what I was up to this past month! Are you following me yet? 

Find me: NotSoAverageMomma

Top Row:  1.) Jedi in his happy place,  2.) Sweet Everett crashed out at Rae Rae and PigPaw's house,  3.) Cuddlebug 4.)  "Pants are Overrated!"  5.) Nolan napping in my arms

Middle Row:  1.) Our little guitar player,  2.) The train table that we made for the boys for Christmas,  3.) Nolan sleeping in the wrap,  4.) An attempt to get Christmas jammie pictures, 5.) Santa's Little Helper

Bottom Row:  1.) Video,  2.) Tyler, Nolan, and I at my work Christmas dinner, 3.) Throwback Thursday engagement photo of Tyler and I from 2006,  4.) Playing in traffic on 95 South,  5.)  Bath time! 

Top Row:  1.) Nolan hanging out in the wrap,  2.) The thinking man baby,  3.) My outdoor explorer 4-5.)  Got all dolled up for Tyler's work Christmas party 

Middle Row:  1.) Nolan has been spending a lot of time being worn lately ,  2.) E decided that Aunt Becca needed some company during her nap,  3.) Creepy sign at work,  4.) Merry Christmas, 5.) Nolan and Joey

Bottom Row:  1.) Joey a German Shepherd/Bassethound mix,  2.) Everett, Nolan, and I, 3.) Goodnight Nolan,  4.) Everything always goes right in his mouth,  5.)  Enjoying the "spring" day in December!

Top Row:  1-3.) I love this baby!,  4.) The island of misfit toys ornaments, 5.) Good to the last drop!

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For more Instacram posts click here! 

Thanks to Jess for the original inspiration for this post! 

Instacram: November 2013

I love being able to share my photos so easily with Instagram! Check out what I've been up to this month! Okay I am a little late on these... life is hectic these days! :) Are you following me yet? 

Find me: NotSoAverageMomma

Top Row:  1.) Nolan going crazy on a cake doughnut,  2.) My sister and I,  3.) Best buddies  4.)  Loving my haircut,  5.) Love this photo of Nolan

Bottom Row:  1.) Brothers,  2.) Nolan looking more like a big boy, 3.) My love,  4.) E got a little trim up,  5.) Best buddies

Top Row:  1.) Everything goes in the mouth,  2.) The escape difections,  3-4.)  Nolan in the ergo,  5.) Sleepy heads

Bottom Row:  1.) Love,  2-3.) Videos,  4.) It's getting hot in here...,  5.) Sweet sleep

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For more Instacram posts click here! 

Thanks to Jess for the original inspiration for this post! 

Letters to Nolan: 12/18/13

Dear little big Mr. Nolan,

You are seven months old and continue to grow like a weed! Food is your newest adventure and you are trying to eat everything in sight! You have decided that you don't want to eat anything that is a puree' or offered to you on a spoon- I think that you have forgotten that you are still a baby! You like to gum on anything that you can get your chubby little hands on and you really go to town.  I think one of your favorite foods is pasta! 

You are starting to get into everything and really want to play with anything that Everett has and Everett doesn't want you to play with anything.  It seems that sibling rivalry is starting early with you two! You also started moving forward this past month-  not full out crawling but you have places to go and people to see!  And another fun development that we had this month- you went pee and poo on the potty!  We practiced elimination communication with Everett and are going to start incorporating that into your daily routine too.  :)

We are still cosleeping and that is going pretty well still.  You pretty much sleep all night but you also nurse on and off throughout the whole night as well!  I don't mind it so much because I know that you are getting the nutrition and comfort you need.  You only want me to hold you at night and there is pretty much a zero percent chance of me being able to put you down after 4pm every day.  Sometimes this frustrates me because I have "things to get done" but I try to remind myself that this wont last forever! 

Here's what you've been up to this past month: 

11/29/13: First Black Friday shopping trip (Best Buy) 

11/30/13: Pushed up to a sitting position from being on his stomach 

12/01/13: Started getting up on hands and feet and rocking on your knees 

12/05/13: Started sucking your thumb

12/12/13: Started picking up food and feeding yourself 

12/13/13: First time to pee and poop on the potty

12/14/13: Rolled from your back to front 

12/16/13: Moved into 9-12 month clothing 

12/17/13: Started moving forward/belly crawling 

Momma and daddy love you to the moon and all the way back! 

xoxoxox,

Momma

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For more Letters to Nolan, click here! 

For Letters to Everett, click here!