Because I am impatient and can't NOT share

We had Noah's first birthday photo shoot today with our good friend K. This is just one shot I got before she arrived to take Noah's picture. Her photos will be spectacular but I'm pretty proud of the few I was able to take. More to come.

(Doesn't adding the "vignette" treatment to the photo make it SO much better? Like an actual professional took it...when we clearly know that is not the case AT ALL.)

11 Months

Dear Noah,

Well. I must say you have decided that you are a BIG BOY these days. Why sit when you can stand? Why babble quietly when you can screech? Why drink your bottle when you can have a cup (and spill your milk all over the floor)? Why have your water when you can have Mommy's? Why lay down in bed when you can stand up and walk the perimeter of your crib? Did I mention the screeching? You have become so much more aware of yourself this past month. Your voice is loud and proud and you use it all. the. time. There really is nothing sweeter than a baby voice calling you from the back seat of the car. Mamamamamamama MOM! You say. And then I turn to look at you in the mirror and you collapse in a fit of giggles.

You are getting so sure of yourself on your feet and love to cruise from coffee table to couch and back again. You're not quite ready to stand on your own although you have done it and surprised yourself so much you fall back to the floor. And after you fall back to the floor, you're off crawling so fast I can barely keep up. Only a few short months ago I was worried you would never crawl and now I can't catch you! You adore playing with me in the kitchen when I cook...you have your very own drawer full of plastic spoons and measuring cups. You will put things into the cups and take them back out over and over and over. You've also learned all about object permanence. When I try to hide something from you, like the vacuum cleaner (which you have an extremely odd affection for), you know exactly where I put it and try with all your might to get it back. You're also quite fond of the dog's food and water bowl and just the other day you had the bowl of water poured all over the floor and were flinging the dog food in the air. Good times.

Now that summer is finally here (thankyouverymuch CHICAGO) we spend a lot of time outside. There have been so many weeks of rain where you would stand in front of the back door just staring longingly at the backyard. I'm so very happy we're in for some sunshine and time at the park. The swings have been calling to us and we can't let them down now can we?

You're not just a mover, you're also a talker. There is very little quiet time in our house these days between your babbling and the slap slap of your hands as your crawl across the floor. So far you can say "ball", "dog", "mama", "dada" and "book". Now, these words are really only recognizable to Daddy and I but we still think you're a genius. When you play with your toy cars, you make the cutest "vrooooom" noise that makes me laugh. Your Daddy taught you that. He also taught you how to climb the stairs one night while I was gone. I was just thrilled about that one.

Noah, you're getting so big so fast. With each day that passes you exert a little more independence and a little more willfulness. I can see you as the little toddler you are becoming and I don't know if I'm ready. We'll soon be the parents of a little boy and not a baby. And that breaks my heart and excites me all in the same moment. Keep growing and going little man.

Love,

Mama

A good reminder from The Queen for when you just can't see beyond the impossible.

Pull out your thinking caps

So the Big First Birthday is fast approaching us and I am having trouble coming up with gift ideas for Noah from Tim and I.  Can you help me?  

Here are my stipulations:

1) Cannot be crazy expensive because

a) We are broke;

b) Noah doesn't care if it's 50 cents or 50 dollars.

2) Must be meaningful;

3) Can even be something I make but keep in mind I am NOT ultra-crafty.

One thought I had is a homemade growth chart using fabric as the chart background, hung from a wooden dowel and the growth measured with tags pinned to the chart (much like this rather pricey version from Miss Natalie at Fawn and Forest).  Also, I am making him a photo book of his first year but that is more for me than for him.

Your turn!  Any and all suggestions appreciated.  (And for those of you who DON'T comment because you don't want to make a Blogger account, feel free to post as Anonymous and leave your name in the comment itself...I know you're out there...Google sees you).

Look at that face.  You don't want him to not have a present on his birthday now do you?

(And hi there Messy House of Hate and Despair...I REALLY have to stop taking pictures when it's a mess.)

Breaking up is NOT hard to do

Is it something about approaching the two year mark of living in a house and everything starts falling apart?  In the span of one month we have 1) a broken refrigerator water line which caused water damage in the basement from a slow leak over WEEKS, 2) flooded our washing machine which in turn dripped into our dining room below, 3) broken the garbage disposal, 4) have a leaky faucet in the kitchen sink, 5) broken the screen on the (brand spankin' new and expensive) screen door and 6) a AC unit that appears to have a leak that requires a possible repair to the tune of $1,100.   To be honest, some of those things we put into the house after we moved in, but still.  It's like my house is starting to mock me when we have the least amount of money available for repairs.

Me:  Ooooh, I could really use a new pair of jeans that actually fit or maybe a new pair of flats for the summer.

House:  No way, lady.  All your money is going straight to service/repair men who will try to swindle you because you're that woman, at home with her screaming baby, looking like she can't put up a decent fight over the price of the repair.  Suck it up.  And forget about the jeans.

Me: Damn it.

House:  I win.  You lose.

I give this house so much love and affection and clean it every week like a good little homeowner.  The least it can do is be nice to me and STOP FALLING APART.   There is something to be said about being a renter...House, you're on notice.  Knock this shit off or we're DONE.

Americana filled weekend (except no apple pie)

Our nephew, the best third baseman in all of Northwest Indiana, playing in his Little League game on Saturday afternoon:

Our son, the next best baseball player in the making:

That up there?  That's the new face I get all. the. time.  Usually followed by him shaking his head no, as in No, Mommy, I don't want to take a nap.  No, Mommy, I don't want to go in the car.  No, Mommy, I don't want (fill in the blank).  He can't even speak and already he's contentious.  Lucky me.