Lyla~8 months old

 Eight months old today!!! Time sure isn't slowing down:( 

Even though this is our 3rd time around it's always amazing to watch how fast you learn and grow! You truly bring so much joy to each of our lives! Even D gets so excited to see you when you wake up! He yells, "Lyla, Lyla!!" You two love to play games where you rollover together and both laugh histerically! 

Then Breyton loves to be your protector...he is the first to let me know if he thinks your in danger and makes sure you don't get into anything your not supposed to. Both boys love to entertain and spoil you! They are always bringing you toys and doting on you. Your daddy is completely wrapped around your finger of course. We truly are blessed and thank God everyday for you.

Tid bits from the past month:

• You are pretty much always smiling!! You are a way happier/laid back baby than B was lol...about tied with D haha.

• You love to laugh at your brothers antics and are joining in on making them laugh back now. 

(Pic of Breyton doing a puppet show for you! You loved it:)

• You have very ticklish armpits and feet:)

•NO teeth still! Breyton was 10 months before his first came through..so I'm just thankful for late teethers! No real biting mommy yet:)

•You really enjoy eating solids! You've had all kinds of things by now and I haven't really found anything you just refuse to eat. We were mostly doing one meal a day until this past week I've been consistently feeding you solids twice a day now. You love teething biscuits as a snack!

•You nurse every 3 hours and still refuse bottles pretty much. You have had 1 bottle in the past several months. It hasn't really been a problem though. If I have to leave I plan it right after you eat and now that you can eat solids then they can feed you that if needed.

•Mobility: You have really started to become mobile now, so I have to be real careful where I leave you and what toys the boys leave laying around! Still just army crawling more and more plus rolling around lots. You get up on all fours lots to rock back and forth and will push up on your tippy toes..like a push up position lol.

•Sleep: There has been some steps forward and steps back lol. You were miraculously doing awesome for a couple nights and sleeping 5-6 hr stretch and one night went 7 hrs! However, this week we are back to 3.5-4hr stretches mostly. Oh well, I'll take what I can get!

•Naps: most days take 3 naps still....you will take a short one in the morning bc we are usually out and about and then 1 longer one in the afternoon when we are home. Then depending on afternoon nap you still need a 30min cat nap in the evening. We will have to drop that later this month bc bedtime has gotten pushed back pretty late to 9:30ish. Which I don't mind too much for now!

•Each month you change so much and actually look less and less like Breyton did as a baby! Your hair has stayed the same color lately and eyes as well. 

Trying to steal bubba's ball at tball practice early this month. 

 

Hanging out by the pool! You love it.

At your check up:) You loved the noisy paper!

At daddy's Battle of the Brave baseball game!

Kisses from bubba.

All snuggles up. You love having your back scratched:)

Kiddos spring mini pictures:)

Danielle Nicole photography came up and took some pics of the kids in our yard a few weeks back...let's just say as usual it was interesting lol. This was supposed to be 'spring minis' just a quick session with a few good photos! The quick part wasn't so easy with two little boys wanting to do their own thing, but she did get a few good pics at least! My kids take turns being the ornery one for picture day! Lyla was the more difficult one when we did newborn pics and Easter minis....this time is was D's turn! Both boys were being ornery, but D got the win on least cooperative this session. In his defense he had a very short nap that day! 

My hopes before the mini session was to get a picture of all three kids together, but it just wasn't happening that day! Lyla was ALL smiles the whole time pretty much. At least we got a few more of that precious gummy smile before some teeth start popping in by her one year session I'm sure.

Love this girl!

 

She sticks out her tongue like her daddy lol.

One smiling pic of D for the day! He's usually my model baby!!!

Cutie pie none the less!

And last, but not least, Breyton giving us a big ornery smile:)

Thanks Danielle for taking their pics and doing a great job as usual! Hard to believe that the next session will be Lyla's  ONE year! 

Saturday from my camera roll!

We have been watching Francis Chan sermons every weekend together and last week we watched one and a short story he told me has stuck with me. It was about a man who said every morning that "today is gonna be the BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!". I can't really relay the whole message bc there was a lot more to it haha....you'll have to go be blessed by his sermons yourself for the whole thing. However, each morning that thought crosses my mind! To wake up and live with a joy that only God can provide with the mindset that TODAY is the best day I will have lived yet.

So today was of course the best day of my life:)

Just random pics from another beautiful Saturday! 

Love this smile.

 

We are on a huge smoothie and homemade Popsicle kick over here. Kiddos favorite is the blueberry banana Greek yogurt smoothie..with some hidden spinach in it;) Yum!

Love watching these three play together!

Miss ticklish laughing!

My girl!

Breyton SMOTHERS her in kisses. Most of the time it gets on her nerves lol...but this time she smiled so big each time. 

Our pool opened today!! So much fun already. Breyton loves playing with the neighborhood kiddos! We got plenty of sun time in before the rain came today. My sunburn proves it:o)

Oh this kid. He loves his hat.

 Sooo handsome!

Ended the evening with a date night with my hubby!! Love him. 

Mother's Day 2014

Started off celebrating Mother's Day on Saturday by seeing my moms side of the family whom I had not seen since Christmas pretty much! 

Lyla and Amelia with my parents! Love them all soo much!

My dad(papa) and Lyla!

Love having a great pic of the two of them together:)

I celebrated my actual Mother's Day with my three little blessings! Mason had to go to work that afternoon, but it was a beautiful day outside to play with the kids! 

Each and every day as a mom brings moments that make you want to go hide in a corner...and (thank God) each day brings moments that make your heart almost burst with joy.

My first Mother's Day with sweet Lyla here. 

My second Mother's Day in a row to gain a new blessing that calls me mom.

I do not take for granted this tremendous privilege!

This exact week of Mother's Day in 2012 was the week that we had our first miscarriage. Every year at the time of the anniversary...Mother's Day is just around the corner and it's a bittersweet reminder of our first angel baby.  I will never forget the pain I felt that Mother's Day with my womb empty and the wound so fresh. 

I praise God that I am able to hold 3 sweet babies of mine on this mothers day and look forward to the day that I will meet the other two in heaven. 

 

Taking time to remember the child that I only got to carry for 9 weeks combined with holding my child that came from someone else's womb can lead to such a mix of emotions this Mother's Day. 

I can only be grateful that D is my son and part of our family, but I know that came with such a loss for someone else. I know I've stated before, but I pray everyday that his birth mom will find our Savior bc he is the only one who can truly heal her brokenness and fill those empty places. All I can do is pray that wherever she is this Mother's Day she can feel His love. 

I will hug D a little tighter tonight and thank God for the peace we have this Mother's Day that D will forever be joining our family.

More pics of my sweet babies:

My baby girl and I on our first Mother's Day together:)

Then what on earth would I do without these two boys to keep me on my toes!!

Breyton filled out one of those 'all about mom' papers at his KDO class and just melted my heart. At the end he was asked what makes your mom special and he answered, "Because God made her!". Those are the moments that you see glimpses that what your teaching is sticking and makes it all worth it.

Oh and just for fun a pic of us all last year when Lyla was in my belly:)