Stay at Home Mommy...

After making it, barely, one school year, I am now officially a stay at home mommy and I couldn't be happier! Yes, I will miss the job that I love and it was a tough day that last day of school, but I am so happy with the decision I made! I am also so very thankful to Scott for allowing me this opportunity. Other than my babies, it is truly the best gift I have ever been given. I am so happy to be the one to be here for all the little moments, boo boos, laughter, and even the tantrums. Two of my very best friends got me a book on my last day at school entitled Let's Go On a Mommy Date by Karen Kingsbury, which was so incredibly appropriate for the moment. The book talks about all of the places they will go together like the zoo and the circus, but in the end they are on the couch together reading a book and the mommy says, "Hey wait, you're here beside me now, is this our Mommy Date? Never mind the other places. Here we are. Why wait? One day we'll go to the park , the circus, farm, and zoo, but for today let's cuddle with this book, just me and you. See, time will take you far from here; you're growing way too fast. All I want is Mommy time to make the moments last. Something we'll remember so that come some far-off day, you'll know how much I loved you 'cause we took the time to play." That pretty much sums it up, I have the best job in the world and couldn't be more thankful to have it because I know that one day when they are all grown up I will have all of these "Mommy Dates" to look back on.

Summertime fun...

Playing in the swimming pool

Taking a ride on the deck

Peek a boo

Yummy!!!

Look at that face, how could you resist!

That's a boat from his watertable in his mouth :)

Hey mom this is fun!

Playing in the watertable

Trying to blow bubbles, he knows what to do, he just can't quite do it yet!

Since finishing the new deck and the weather warming up, we have been outside playing more and more. I am convinced that Clayton would live out there if I would let him! He loved the water last year, and the trend continues. We got out his inflatable pool he got for his birthday and filled it up on Memorial day. Boy did he have a ball, splashing and squealing with delight. He doesn't mind water in his face at all. He did go under a couple of times and that scared him, but probably scared mommy even more. Daddy put him right back in after we calmed him down so that he wouldn't be afraid of the water, and he wasn't at all.

We also bought him a water table. He loves to splash around in it as well, and probably gets as wet playing with the water table as he would getting into the swimming pool!

We just love to watch him explore, he is always thinking. He notices things like birds and bugs and will tell you all about them. When he hears a puppy barking in the neighborhood, he stops and listens and says, "pup pup".

New House, New Car...

Clayton and his cousin Macie

In his cute new outfit...matching hat and all

Look what I found mom

There's more!

Sweet Baby Boy

Saturday we went to my cousin Allie's Open House. She just bought her first home, and invited everyone over to celebrate. We enjoyed celebrating this exciting time with her and of course spending time with our family is always nice. Clayton had fun exploring her house and it didn't take him long to figure out where her toys were as you can see in the pictures.

Playing in Daddy's tea

As for the car, well Allie didn't get a new car, Clayton did. It's just a Little Tikes Coupe for now! He loves it, he loves to push it more than he likes to ride in it. We played outside all day yesterday, but today we played with the car in our living room because it was a little too hot outside today!

15 month Review...

I know I say this every month, but I cannot believe he is 16 months old. Where does the time go? All I know is I am loving every minute of seeing and discovering things through Clayton's eyes. He goes a mile a minute these days. People would tell me, oh wait until he is walking, and to myself I am thinking he is already into everything crawling as fast as he does. Well, everyone was right, it is a whole new world when they start walking, and now he is practically running! I must say, though, it is absolutely adorable! He is like this little tiny person walking around.

Here are some highlights:

*He now says "NO" appropriately...we will ask him if he wants his diaper changed and he will shake his head and say "NO", or Do you want this to eat?

*He is a pro at walking now, and practically runs

*Says too many words to keep up with now. Will try and repeat most words that you say to him. He is always talking, we may not always know what he is saying, but he is telling us something and he means it!

*Still loves to put things in and out...especially his Mickey plane, his most prized possessions go in that plane seat and he pushes them all around the house.

*LOVES BUBBLES

*Loves his new slide and says "up" when he needs help getting to the top to slide down

*Loves to go to the pantry and pick out his own food

*Mr. Independent...wants to do everything himself

*Still obsessed with Nemo and Elmo

*Loves, Loves, Loves, Loves to play in water. He will turn on the faucet to the garden tub and play in the water, loves his bath, loves to spill water on the floor and splash around in it. We will be getting him a water table for the deck this summer, and taking him swimming plenty!

*Still carries around his monkey blanket, and we cannot trick him with another, so we have to find times to sneak it away to wash it

*Loves to "sweep" with the broom or vacuum

*Says "Go" when he wants you to take him somewhere, or says "Go" with his hand out in a questioning gesture when he wants to know where someone went

*Loves to give hugs and especially kisses

*Loves puzzles and books, he will look at books by himself, or he will bring a book to you, crawl up on your lap and want you to read it to him

*Still loves puppies...calls them pup pups

*Loves to strum on the guitar and shake the maracas

*Actually understands and follows directions...for example, he was looking for his blanky and I told him to go and look in his Mickey airplane and he did. Or if you tell him to bring you something he will. Such a smart little guy :)

*Such a happy, happy baby :)

Mother's Day...

My Love

My mom, myself, and Clayton

Macie and Clayton

Playing at Great Granny's

Our Newest Blessing

I had a wonderful mother's day! My Clayton is such a blessing and brings such joy to my life...I am so in love with him. This mother's day I have even more to celebrate as Clayton is going to be a big brother :) I am doubly blessed!!!
We started out the day going to Outback, my favorite place, for lunch with my mom. We then went to my Grandma's house to take her a flower. Most of my family was there, so that was a wonderful surprise. Clayton played with his cousin Macie, who is just a few months older than he is. He kept wanting to give her big kisses. She wasn't too sure, and kept backing away! They were so cute together. I look forward to seeing them grow up together. We are so blessed to have a wonderful and close extended family. We have been through a lot together!
After visiting with my Grandma, we went to Coldstone for icecream. Later that evening, we were off again to have dinner and celebrate mother's day with my mother-in-law. All in all it was a perfect day, how could it not be when you are the mother of beautiful little boy like Clayton!?!

Rainy Day Fun...

"Helping" Daddy put it together

Scott and I have been dying to get Clayton a play set for outside that he can play on now. It just so happened that the weekend we bought it, a monsoon came! Scott put it together and we set it up in the living room. We played all day, even putting it with the ball pit, so that when he slid down the slide he went right into the balls. He loved it! It made for great day, despite all the rain :)

Newest Obsessions...

Clayton's new loves are Elmo and Nemo, which by the way he calls both "Elmo". It is Elmo, Elmo, Elmo all the time. Most of the time he is really asking for Nemo. We got him the movie Nemo for the car DVD. He watches it literally everyday on the way to and from Owensboro. The cutest part about it all is that he likes certain parts of the movie, when these parts come up he squeals with delight and kicks his feet. One of his favorite parts is when Dori finds the little jellyfish and calls him squishy, he also loves when she sings, "Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming". I have to say that the best part, if you have ever seen this movie, is when they are doing the initiation ceremony for Nemo and they are chanting Ah-OOO-Ah-EEE-Ah-O-O-O. He chants along with them, he even knows when that part is coming and he starts chanting. I love it!!!