Happy Birthday to Me! ;)

Just wanted to post what Zack and I did to celebrate my 31st birthday.  Last year, we had a two month old, and that precious two month old managed to throw up on me twice before 8 a.m.  This year was definitely different! I worked 10 hours on my actual birthday, but Zack took the day off on Friday and we were able to enjoy the day together while Zander was still at "school".  (As of tomorrow, I start my job as a stay at home mom for the summer!.... wish me luck!)  So without further ado.... here is #31 in the books.....

I have always wanted to go to a shooting range.... and Zack got me a gift card so we could try out this experience! Basically, Zack is a pro and I hit the center of the target only once out of the 75 bullets I had!  Zack hit the target on the first try and continued to impress me with how precise he could be depending on where he decided to shoot.  It was such a fun afternoon... I loved being able to have a "date" with my hubby..... this doesn't happen as often as it used to! ;)
And a couple cute pictures of Zander eating spaghetti earlier today..... I couldn't resist posting them....

I made it!!

This time last year, I was happily cuddling a 2 month old baby boy.  I was on maternity leave and had just experienced Zander's first full night of sleep.  Things were starting to get "easier" as I had officially navigated through the ups and downs of the first 8 weeks living with a newborn.  For those of you that have children, you know how crazy these first weeks are.  For those of you that don't, just look at any new mom, and you can probably tell by their glazed over facial expression that they are tired, not sure what time of day it is, and unsure if they have showered, brushed their teeth or applied deodorant within the last 24 hours.  I am not going to sit here and say that after those first 8 weeks Zander magically became the perfect baby and our life has been simply a dream ever since.  With each new stage of his development, there are exciting moments and stressful changes.  For instance, we are now in the stage where Zander is able to "communicate" with us a little better so we can help him get what he needs or wants without hearing a constant cry until he is satisfied.  However, he is so mobile that you can't sit still until he goes to bed (hence why I am typing this after Zander has been tucked in for the night) and dinners out are not what they once were.... no leisurely conversations after you have finished your meal....we are asking for the check and getting out of there as quickly as possible because our little man is ready to move!  But I have to remind myself how far we have come in the past 14 months (that's right.... Z is now 14 months old!)  I believe those first weeks of Zander's life will always remain the most difficult because I had no clue what to expect and it is hard to handle adversity when you are so sleep-deprived.  It is amazing what you can accomplish when you've had a good night's sleep.  I am very proud of myself (and any mama I know) for making it through the first months of their infant's life.  I am equally proud of myself for making it through this first year as a full-time working mama!!!  That's right!! I made it!!!  As of tonight, I am on summer break and am able to spend 5 whole weeks with this cutie.....

The hardest parts of the past year have been getting up so early to pump and make sure everything is labeled and ready to head to "school" for the day.  It has been challenging to see Zander cry when I drop him off because he wants a few more minutes with his mama (fortunately this did not happen often!).  It has been so exciting to leave work knowing I get to pick him up and hang out with him before bed.  It has been challenging when he is ready for bed (is super fussy) and I feel so guilty that I haven't seen him for more than 2 hours total for that day and while I want to keep him up a little longer..... I know it is best for everyone in the Houston Household if our little one will just go to sleep!  So I plan to use the next five weeks to pretend like I am a stay at home mom.... I am going to soak up the "leisurely" (as much as can be leisurely with a toddler) mornings, schedule playdates with friends, plan trips to the local science centers and children's museums, and check out the local library's summer schedule.  I will go ahead and tell you that most days will be just as challenging with my little man at home with me as they would be if I were heading off to work.... but I am going to plan on making each day count..... Zander only has one childhood and only one summer that he is a one year old! I plan to focus on that!! Stay tuned to see how things go!

In other news.... I was able to meet up with my college roommate and her two kids while she was in NC!  I absolutely love Sam and her little ones!! I am so blessed to call her a best friend and fellow mama!  She is my hero in the way she interacts with her children.... I don't know how she does the stay at home mom thing and make it look so easy! Here is a picture of us girls with our kiddos!

Happy Father's Day!

I would like to wish the guy below a Happy Father's Day and say thank you for being such a great daddy to our little Z!  Thank you for being patient when no one else in the Houston Household is (including Burke)! Thank you for providing Zander bath times and meal times.  Thank you for giving me hugs when we've had a rough day.  Thank you for reminding me that I wanted this!  (This is an inside joke but basically Zack reminds me that a couple years ago it was my idea to start a family and Zack joined on board!)  Thank you for working so hard to provide for our family and thank you for finding time in the evenings and weekends to give us time together.  Thank you for always having the words to say in good moments and bad ones.  Thank you for our evening dance parties with our two boys (Burke again jumps right into the chaos!)  Thank you for loving me for me and showing our son the type of love he should have for others.  We love you!!... you are the best daddy.... hands down. ;)

 

We have come a LONG way in the past year!  Here are some of the first pictures of daddy and Zander.

 

I want to also say a quick "shout out" to the special dads in my life.  To my own daddy, thank you for showing me how to keep things organized and clean.  Thank you for showing me how to budget my finances to ensure that each "container" is accounted for.  Thank you for raising me in such a supportive, Godly home.  Thank you for being an amazing grandpa to our little man.  Thank you for always making Lindsey and I feel so special and loved!

Thank you also to Granddaddy Houston and GranDan Norman for welcoming me into your family as one of your own.  Thank you to my grandpas for helping lay the foundations for our strong family units. 

 

 

Now.... for a few adorable pictures over the last couple weeks! ......

Aunt Lindsey keeps Z entertained as we finish eating dinner by rolling him around in a grocery cart!



 Visiting with the Houstons.... I love how all of the Houstons are enjoying some golf! ;)

 Tickles from Granddaddy

 Playing in a ducky pool at Grannie's

 Playing with the water toys inside too!

Such a happy boy!

Loves his new shoes given to him by Aunt A and Jay!

Helping mommy with laundry......

 Sometimes its so hard being so cute! ;)

 Sometimes Zander's sadness makes mommy sad.... and sometimes it makes mommy want a drink! ;)

But then.... he does something really cute and it is easy to see why we keep him around! ;) haha!

3 Kids Under 3

Some of our very best friends came to visit us from Ohio this weekend.  They live 8 hours away, and since I had Zander last year and Annie had her second baby girl last June, we haven't seen them in two whole years.  I have been counting down to this weekend for some time.  We had not had a chance to meet their youngest, Callie, and we were ready for them to meet Zander!  Let me tell you that our weekends of hanging out have changed over the years!! No longer are we attending wine festivals, baseball games, and playing corn hole in the backyard!  We are loading up the car(s) to head to the local park and filling up the kiddie pool to have some outdoor fun.  Our conversations had to stop and start based on what the kids needed at the time and we counted down to naptime and bedtime (not because we were tired of our kids) but because that was the only chance to have any time together like we used to.  So, of course, we opened a bottle of wine after all three were in bed and talked until about 10:30..... we stayed up LATE! ;)  haha  I basically want to applaud any person that has three children, and I want to hug the next mom and dad I see juggling three kids that look to all be under the age of three! ;)  There was never a dull moment, and it was so much fun to see their two girls and our little man play together.  We thought to the future when they will all be older and we can take a family trip together.  A trip that doesn't revolve around naptimes and bathroom breaks... a trip where our kids will sit at a restaurant and we don't have to scarf down our food in between ensuring our kids are eating their bites.  I know life does not get easier as our kids get older, but I know it gets different.  It will be so fun to see what "different" looks like at our next visit with them!  I would have to say our weekend was a blast!!!  And all four adults have decided we need a nap! ;)  On another note, we were pregnant with Zander the last time we saw the Gills.  Their oldest, Ailey, was 8 months old and it seemed like they had it all figured out!  Now with two kids, they still make it look easier than we know it is....but Zack and I have decided to wait a little longer before trying to give Zander a sibling! ;) haha!  Here are some pictures from our week and weekend. 

Worn out after church...

 Grocery shopping in our PJs and sporting daddy's hat....

 Fun in the sun (or shade) ;)

 Early morning playtime...

 

Michael really does a good job styling Ailey's hair.....wouldn't have pictured this years ago! ;)

 Playground fun! (Zander's rubber soles made it hard for him to slide.... so daddy took them off!)

 Big Z and Little Z sporting the same facial expression.....

 Ailey is always on the go and Callie is not far behind!

 Forgot to take a picture of us with the kids before Zander went down for a nap..... so just the girls!;)