March Memories

What a fun start to March - a trip to Suson Park with Aunt Carrie, Sarah and Madi!  This was a good photo opp while having a snack...

Why yes, that is Nathan and Sarah in the back of our "Silver Jeep" (as Nathan loves to refer to it) having lunch.  Why?  You may ask.  Well, that was because it was quite windy and Nathan was petrified that he was going to blow away.  As you can see, he wasn't even feeling safe in the Jeep...

Eskimo kisses...

One of my all time favorite pictures - how sweet!!!

Here's Nathan in utter bliss driving a big tractor - his very favorite past-time...

Giving the pretty little lady a spin around the farm...

Madi took control of the wheel and brought her sister on board...

Books!  Other than tractors, these are Nathan's very favorite things (what a blessing)!  However, his reading addiction has been interfering with his sleep.  You see, one night we noticed his bedroom light on at 9pm; we peeked in his room and he had TONS of books strewn all over his floor and he was sitting in bed reading.  He looked at us sheepishly with a big smile and we told him that we're so happy he likes to read but not after bedtime!  We came out of his room and started cracking up (quietly, of course, so he didn't hear us as we don't want to encourage him).  He's also been foregoing naps to read.  What a sweet little bookworm!

I took this picture one morning while Nathan was playing by himself and his OCD kicked in - he pulled all of the paperback books out of his bookcase and laid them all over his room...face down...

  

Ah, the shoes on the wrong feet just seem so fitting for this shot...

Showing off his new haircut and his Shop N Save stickers that he loves to ask the cashier for while we're in the check out line...

Chilling out with his pup...

What posture...

Preparing for American Idol 2024...

We were blessed with a visit from our friend Nikki from Springfield, MO and her two kiddos, Bryce and Maya.  We spent the afternoon at the St. Louis Museum of Transportation.  Here are the kiddos eagerly awaiting to board the miniature train...

Fun on the trains...

Walking the tracks...

All aboard...

Proof that baby girl was in attendance...

Towards the end of the month we flew down to Florida for cousin Jared's and Jordan's wedding in Winter Park (and for an added treat, Nathan was the ring bearer)!  Nathan began the flight with his own seat and a Dunkin Donut as big as his head...

Although Norah looks a bit unsure, she's an old pro as this is her second trip down to Florida in just a few months...

Nathan was excited to see that Mickey and his pal Goofy were still at the Orlando airport to greet him...

Norah doesn't look too excited about her first time riding in a shopping cart (at Target)...

Getting some loving from Great Lee...

Looking dapper for the rehearsal beside the adorable flower girl, Skyler...

How precious...

All Nathan wanted to do was "run fast fast fast" down the aisle...

But it was well worth slowing down to hold sweet Skyler's hand...

What a beautiful spot for the rehearsal dinner...

Couldn't pass up this background for a great family shot...

Too sweet...

Norah is quite a Mommy's girl and was really going through some stranger anxiety while we were down in FL but she really seemed to take right to cousin Nikki...

Not only was this a cool restaurant on the water but it had a playground right outside the bar area - what a blast...

Our sunbathing beauty...

Fun in the pool (Norah's first time ever!)...

A surprise visit from MaMoo's best friend, Rosilyn, made the trip even more fun (she had never met the kiddos but since she lives close by in Florida she joined in on the fun)!

The big day!  Although Jared and Jordan make an adorable couple, Nathan and Skyler aren't far behind (other than in years)!

Checking each other out all dressed up...

Making the moves...

So innocent...

Sweet and happy...

Although Nathan sort of left Skyler in his wake, they both did very well coming down the long aisle...

Jared, eagerly awaiting his gorgeous bride...

Who was absolutely stunning (with purple heels to match her flowers - so cool)...

Unfortunately, the trek back down the aisle wasn't quite as smooth as the first trip.  It started out ok...

But then they started running and Skyler found her Mommy...

But Nathan lost some ground...

Stopped short, turned around, started crying hysterically when he didn't see me and started running back towards the alter...

I was in the front of the church so I jumped out of my pew, into the aisle, cut off a bridesmaid and groomsman and went booking down to sweep up and rescue my baby boy...

Daddy and his princess...

Our precious blessings...

Four generations...

Our sweet little family...

As a wedding party gift, Nathan got a super cool cape with his initial on the back (he now likes to refer to himself as "Super Nathan")...

We were excited to meet cousin Tammy's and Carter's baby girl, Lyla, who was just a few weeks old.  Such a precious bundle of joy...

Some super hero style wedding party pics...

 Walking into the reception with Skyler, Great Uncle Larry and Great Aunt Kevie...

My Gran Lee...

Putting our princess down before she turned into a pumpkin...

A fun luncheon at (now, officially, cousin) Jordan's parent's house the day after...

A layover lunch in Atlanta...

Hey, look at that, Mommy got an artistic shot of Nathan at the airport...

We arrived back to St. Louis and that week, on March 29th, 2012, we closed on our new house - YAY!!!  Thank you Lord for this blessing - our prayer is that we can use it to bless others as we make years and years of sweet memories with our family and friends...

One of my most precious moments to date was on our drive out to meet Daddy at the new house.  Nathan got Norah really laughing and then Nathan was laughing at her laughter.  I was just driving down Highway K soaking in the moment of them in the back seat howling together in laughter - what a joyful memory!  

When we first walked into the house, Nathan's first word (that he screamed with sheer joy) was, "STAIRS!"   When we got upstairs he said he wanted to see his room and unknowingly ran right into it!  Then he ran into Norah's room and said "cool!" and then he ran into our room and said "cool, guys!" and he was really excited over our big spa tub and said that he can't wait to take a bubble bath (however, he did state, "let's eat pizza first!")...

We celebrated with a pizza picnic on the family room floor...

Norah looks extra tiny in her big, new room (we can't believe that this will be her 3rd home within her 1st year of life!)... 

Nathan jumping for joy in his new room (we can't believe he's averaging a new home per year of life - a cycle we plan to put an end to)...

Excited about his new "playground"...

Ha!  Here we are back at our rental house (aka, "the blue house") and Nathan was in the bathroom washing his hands and when I walked in the bubbles had taken over...

Nathan thoroughly enjoyed all the dandelions in the yard at the blue house but he would never blow them, just wave them ferociously until all the seeds flew off (ah, the days of simple fun)...

Ok, so let's see what Nathan stories we have from this month.  First off all, I must mention that he got stuck...again...but this time it was between his window and his bedside table.  I'll tell you, this little monkey gets himself in some precarious situations!  

Some sweet and funny sayings from this month include when he liked to tell us with lots of enthusiasm, "I love you SO much!" and one Sunday morning we were getting ready for church and he asked me, "Mommy, are you a princess?" to which I replied, 'well, honey, what do you think?' and he said "Yes!" and called me "Mommy Princess" for the rest of the morning!  After dinner one night he said, "I'm still hungry!" and I said, 'How about a banana with peanut butter?' and he said, "That's a great idea!" which just made us laugh!  One that wasn't funny at the time was when he did something that simply cracked himself up but didn't crack Mommy up at all.  I said (over his laughter), 'That's not funny!  Mommy is not laughing!' and he responded, with laughter, "I know, but I am!"  Nathan is such a sweet little soul and when we were out in the front yard of the blue house he passed by a bush with itty bitty flowers on it, stopped, took some flowers in the palm of his hand and said, "I love you baby flowers!" and gave them a kiss!  One morning around 3am he woke up crying and when I ran in to his bedroom to check on him he said in a sweet, groggy voice, "my nose isn't working!" because it was so stuffed up!  Towards the end of the month his language really EXPLODED and he started talking in FULL sentences which is a blast!  His big thing is to walk up to you with his hands behind his back and say, "Mommy, I have a surprise for you!  Close...your...eyes.  And open.  Surprise!" and you just never know what it is he's got in store for you.  Could be a shoe, a toy or a piece of trash!  He also has such a dramatic side to him.  When he asks, "Mommy, may I have a snack please?" and if I say, 'yes' he says in such a dramatic tone, "Oh, tank you SO MUCH Mommy!" as if I just gave him the keys to Toys R Us. 

Some other fun things include his being enamored with bugs and liking to smoosh them with his hands (oh yes, he's really becoming all boy!).  

I'm happy to share that he's no longer eating frozen vegetables.  Instead, he's been requesting that they be heated up but he's taking it a bit far.  At lunch one day he said that his popsicle was too cold and he wanted it warmed up.  Too funny! 

 He's also been working on his fine motor skills and has enjoyed buckling Daddy's belt buckle on a daily basis and buttoning Mommy's sweater over and over.

One of the funnier things from this month was when he spooned the applesauce from his plate into his bib pocket and proceeded to eat it out of the pocket.  Guess it's just tastier that way!

A highlight of the month was when Nathan and Norah had their first conversation on March 27, 2012.  Norah kept saying, "Da Da" to which Nathan replied, "No baby girl, Daddy's at work."  The next day it advanced a bit...when Norah said, "Da Da" Nathan replied, "You'll see Da Da when he gets home from work."  Can't wait to see where their conversations go from here...