Sterling's on the move!!

This is when he is not really motivated...

This is when he is REALLY motivated...

It's so cute to watch him scoot around :)

8 Month Mark

 The 6th was a milestone day for Sterling, as well. He turned 8 months! It's crazy how fast he is growing up! Sterling is such a darling little boy- so easy going & sweet to have around! He's so content all the time, it's so easy to take care of him! He still has no interest in crawling (which I'm totally ok with ;)... stay stationary as long as you'd like to!), but he loves to pull himself up & stand. He's even taken a few steps along our ottoman. He's still pretty small- can wear most 6 month clothes still- but he eats really well. He's started to become picky about his food, & he only wants to eat what we're eating.

 Since the weather has been SO perfect, we've been going to the park quite a bit. As you can see from the 1st picture, he really loves to swing! I thought this picture of him on the sea horse was too cute- very GQ, wouldn't you say? ;)

 This was the night we were decorating Roman's room for his birthday. We turned around & this little stink was spying on us! This was the1st time we saw him pull himself up& stand in bed.

Sterling's little personality is hilarious! He is so lovable, but at the same time looks at people like he's so judgemental... how is that possible?! He laughs a lot & it's the best when he starts to laugh because one of us is laughing, especially Roman. They get in these laughing fits where they just egg each other on! I love the noises he makes too! He's started doing this popping with his mouth & he gets this super proud look on his face whenever he does it.  He seems wiser than his ripe old age of 8 months, too. That sounds retarded, but I'm being totally sincere. I've know from the day he was born that there was something extra special about him, & he just seems like he has a very mature spirit. I love this little man more than I can express & am so thankful I get to learn from him :)

3 years went by in the blink of an eye!!

Roman turned 3 years old on the 6th, & we spent the entire day celebrating him! The night before his birthday, Anthon & I decorated his room while he was sleeping so that when he woke up, he'd know it was a special day.

It worked... He loved the decorations & they helped him understand that it was his birthday.

  We had his party that afternoon at the park & the weather was a perfect 72º!! We kept the party pretty simple... Let the kids play, decorated trucker party hats, hit a piñata, ate cake, & opened presents. It was perfect-  He had a blast playing with his cousins & friends! 
 

Roman wanted a Monster Truck birthday party, so I did my best to make him a monster truck cake. He was satisfied with my efforts, so I guess that's all that matters :)



The Piñata was a huge hit!! It was pretty darn hard to crack open, but the kids had a lot of fun beating it!



Here's everyone singing "Happy Birthday" to him

After the party was over, we went out to dinner at Amazing Jake's- just the 4 of us. It was a blast playing all the games & riding all the rides together! Some of Roman's favorite things were:


Basket ball with Daddy

The spider squishing game. He's totally Anthon's boy!!



Anthon was excited to play laser tag with him, even though the pack was as big as he was!



Riding on the Go Carts

The roller coaster. This was hilarious! I thought he was going to be scared, but he was giggling & squealing the entire ride! 



There are so many things that we love about our Roman Boy!! He's darling, sweet, willing to help us with anything, forgiving, kind, patient, full of life, imaginative, mischievous & funny! The other night, I jokingly called him a little monster & he responded back to me, "No Mom! I not a monster, I a boy! I a boy, Mommy."

Somethings I want to remember about him right now are: he's starting to dress himself & is very opinionated about what he wears. He LOVES monster trucks... plays with them all day! He's sensitive & gets his feelings hurt easily. At the same time, he has my temper :( & can rage at the drop of a hat. He loves Sterling- still will kiss & hug on him all the time & gets SO excited when he wakes up in the morning/ from a nap (I've caught him in the crib snuggling/ chatting with the baby on several occasions). Would be totally content as a couch potato if we'd allow him to be one! He's a social butterfly- always wants to go to the store/work/school with us.

I'm eternally thankful for this little man- he made me a mother. He makes my days brighter & teaches me the true love of Christ on a daily basis! Happy birthday, Romey!! We love you more than you can comprehend or words can express!!

~A New Year~

I can't believe 2011 is already over! I guess it's true, time goes faster the older you get! I must be getting really old cause that year FLEW by! 2011 wasn't filled with any major events, but a TON of little heart warming, testimony building, relationship strengthening moments. Ok wait, there was one MAJOR event... the birth of our sweet Sterling- which I do consider a miracle! The whole experience of the pregnancy & his birth strengthened our family- From thinking he wouldn't live for the first several months, to the relief in finding out he was ok, to his amazing arrival united Anthon & I in a way that I didn't know was possible... & it made us appreciate our children SOOOO much more (& our merciful Heavenly Father)!! I know that the birth of a new baby changes every family, but the addition of Sterling completely changed our family dynamic, absolutely for the better! Every time I look at him I realize there is something extra special about that little boy, and he was given as an extra special gift to our family. Basically, the one major event made us notice/appreciate all the other little things that happened throughout the year a lot more,  and shifted our priorities a great deal. Some of the more significant "little things" that stand out when I think back over 2011 are Anthon getting his insulin pump, Roman getting potty trained, & our family trip to Mexico- all of which were such wonderful blessings for our family! I'd like to keep our focus on the same priorities throughout 2012! They are simple: Family, salvation, & education... who can ask for anything more??

To ring in the new year, we had my brother Peter & his wife Kelly over to play games & hang out- it was a simple evening at home, but that's about all we require these days, & it was a BLAST! Then today, we all took our kids on a picnic, then went for a hike, and then got foot massages (the last 2 were in hopes of inducing Kelly's labor ;)... she's due in 2 weeks & is sufficiently miserable)! 

Here is everyone feeding the ducks at the park after our picnic



Here we are on the trail. Hiking has kind of become a New Year family tradition for us & we really enjoy doing it!
PS- Roman spilled water all over himself... that's why he's shirtless, not because we're totally white trash ;)

Even though I have a feeling that 2012 is going to be a challenging year- with school (if last semester was any indication of how school will be this year, it's going to be extremely challenging!), transitioning from working to both of us being full time students, mandatory changes in insurance coverage that now offer high deductibles and less coverage (thanks Chase), Sterling's hypospadius correction surgery (under the new insurance plan, mind you), & all the other normal bumps on the road of life- I know it will be extremely rewarding!! We're committed/ united to the Lord & each other, so...

"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?"

-Romans 8:31

May each of your 2012's be just as promising!