everyone!

Check out this link to hear the latest and greatest going on at our awesome church!!!  We bought a whole lot of shoes, and I’ve never enjoyed shoe shopping more!

I was so excited to be able to share with the church a couple of weeks ago the amazing opportunities ahead with our partnership with Woodson Elementary, and also to thank everyone for being so incredibly generous.  What a cool thing to be able to share with Coltan, too, as he grows up and learns what it means to truly love his neighbor.

There is some great stuff happening around our house these days!!

Inside…

Coltan having a blast with his toys!!

and out…

the view from our deck a couple nights ago!

Coltan turned 9 months old on Friday. This was a big month!!

This month he learned so many things. He feeds himself finger foods. Some of his favorites are waffles, sweet potato chunks, string cheese, and peas. He plays a lot more now. Everything is a toy! We spread out a big blanket and go from toy to toy. Just the other day, Sam was laying on the ground playing with Coltan, and Coltan pulled himself up to standing on Sam’s belly. It was so exciting for us. I never thought I would tear up over a baby standing. But it’s a big deal for us.

He holds his own bottle…sometimes one handed, which looks like he’s chugging a coke, or something. He talks a lot - says dada all the time. I occasionally get a mama, but everything is da, or ya, or va or stsststs..something like that. His 8th tooth came in this month. So, he has 4 on top and 4 on bottom. He chews everything. EVERYTHING! He’s still a great sleeper. Except for the cold the entire family had this month, he’s an 11 hours sleeper. wow.

He’s a really observant little boy. He’s playful and outgoing at home and then takes it all in when we go out somewhere. He gets quiet, but still smiles at anyone who makes eye contact with him. He’s definitely become more attached, too. He cries when we leave him…but not in Waumba Land, which is a gift for my heart.

He does a one legged lunge where he pushes himself up and kind of rocks back and forth. We are probably a few days from crawling. He can push himself around backwards and somehow gets wherever he wants to be…very stealth-like cause I don’t every see him actually move. He still adores Luna…pets her and yanks out a handful of hair when I’m not looking. Luna just soaks it in, like she knows better than Sam and I that this time is precious and short.

So here we are at 9 months. I adore him. His long eyelashes and dimples make my heart hiccup. His laugh is medicinal. He is pure joy and love and magic to be around. Love me some Coltan.

some of my favorite pics this month…

I thought this would have happened a few years from now…but alas, time goes quickly these days. Coltan had his first Starbucks. Ok, ok, it was just a water, but it’s blog-worthy because the Barista (or is it Baristo for a man?) was so, so, so nice. I asked for a cup of hot water. I needed to washed Coltan’s cup. First, he said, “Would you like about 8 oz?” thinking I was making up a bottle. I said I just needed a little to rinse his cup off. He then offered to wash it and refill it with fresh water. How nice? Do I sound like I’m overreacting? Maybe a little, but I went into the mom-world expecting very little from people because I’ve witnessed how the world loves pregnant women but not-so-likey kids. I love that I am being proven wrong. Such a great thing. So, I thank you Mr. Baristo at the Starbucks right by the Silver Comet trail. You will be remembered.

Coltan is a BIG fan of my newly acquired water bottle. Check this out…ladies, control yourselves

And, here’s the boys playing with the hose…

Also, Uncle RJ and sweet Bonnie are in town! Lot’s of fun stories and pics to come. Right now, the boys are golfing. It’s supposed to hit 90 today. Yikes.

This weekend I get to celebrate my first father’s day… I’m pretty excited.  The last 8+ months have been some of the best of my life.  I’ve learned so much more than I could have ever expected and I understand more now, what the love of parents (both Tom and Susan as well as God), is about.

In the dad department, I have three pretty solid examples to follow.  Three you say, how’s that?  Simple.  Not only do I have an excellent dad in Tom, I have had two fantastic grandpas to follow after as well.  My time with my Grandpa Mattern wasn’t enough (he died when I was in second grade), but because I can clearly see how much my mom loved him and because she has intertwined stories of him with my own memories, I understand the character of the man he was, and have always sought to follow that character.

Great Grandpa George Blossom (”G3B”), who is closing in on 90 is another great example of fatherhood for me.  You see, in the science of fatherhood, he is a bit of a pioneer.  There were some dad’s who didn’t “father” through the great depression and his was one of them.  Starting from scratch he was a great father for my dad, who in turn was a great father for me… and I’m now trying my best to carry on that tradition with Coltan.

Thanks Dad, Grandpa Frank and Grandpa George.  This weekend as I get to celebrate Father’s day for the first time, I celebrate you.  Thank you for the time, the prayers, the thought and the effort.

~Sam

No one ever told me that when you become a mom you need a thick skin.  Not because you get your feelings hurt, but because your body takes a beating.  I have never been so consistently hurt in my life.  Daily, I get my hair pulled, the backs of my arms pinched, scratched, occasionally bitten. I trip, step on little toys, run into walls, bang into tables, get muscles cramp, hit my funny bone, carry way too many bags until my muscles burn and get run into and stepped on by my dog.  I mean, gosh!  I hurt.  And maybe I’m just a baby, but I have war wounds over here.  I’ll notice big ole bruises that I have no idea where they’ve come from.  So, I just want to let all the moms-to-be out there know that you will be growing a thick skin…not by choice.  Oh, and I must add that Coltan doesn’t do these things out of anger or on purpose the great majority of the time.  He’s just learning that Mom isn’t made out of indestructible material…and it’s a bit of a painful process.  Yesterday , he went in for the grab-my-face-and-kiss-me and this is what I ended up with…I know it’s little, but it hurt!

no time for deep thoughts…so here’s something to keep you visiting…

Coltan and Luna watching a little Baby Einstein while Dad was scrambling around the house being an AWESOME Mr. Mom while I was at a work retreat!  I love my family.

Here are some other pics that Sam sent me while I was away. What an incredible dad!!!!

I know I say it every month, but where did the time go?!? Coltan is 8 months old. Oh my goodness. In the past month he has started feeding himself, babbling new sounds, squirming on his tummy and cracking himself up. He went swimming for the first time and loved it. He loves music! He bounces and giggles every time I turn on the music! He loves to stand and holds onto anything within reach. And perhaps the biggest development over the past month has been some massive teething! Coltan has sprouted FIVE teeth in the past month. It has been crazy. Poor guy had a rough time with the front top two but he sure looks cute now that they’re in. In fact, he was cutting a tooth when I took his picture above. When I tried to take away the little bottle he was chewing on, this is what I got…

So, I gave it back and this is what I got…

So I snapped a bunch of pictures until all of a sudden he got really tired. It was bed time…

so I scooped that sweet, tired boy up and it was time for a bath…

and then to bed. I really love you, Coltan. Even your mad face makes my heart swell. Your dad and I love you and are so proud of you. You bring joy to everything we do, and I am so grateful God has trusted me to love you for the rest of my life.