Rock with me....please!

Friday afternoon I came to the realization that rocking my sweet boy to sleep for naptime is coming to an end.  Not by my choice, but his to end the ritual.  Since he was born, we have put him to sleep for naps in the same way and it has been pure bliss.  I gently lay him in my arms horizontally and sing/rock/sway him to sleep.  This was always a sure thing.  To add to the ritual, we have sung him the same made up song since his birth- "It's time for nappy..." you get the drift.  Oh and don't forget the lovie-a small blanket with a head on it that Warner LOVES!  The lovie is to be placed either over his face or in his arms and off to dreamland he goes...until now.  I'll never forget the one day when we were at the park with another little one and her parents and Warner was sleepy- horizontal position, lovie and song and poof- he was asleep.  Our friends were amazed at how easy it was to get him to sleep.  Well times are a changin and W has a mind of his own.  Now simply put him in the crib and let him fuss for a bit and he is OUT.  We have been noticing this change at night as well to an extent and just going with the flow of it.  But it seriously hit me that we have a growing boy that thinks that he is getting too big to be rocked.  I know that my days are limited, but I will enjoy every last swing in the rocker with Warner in my arms.  I know that he is growing out of the baby stage and into the little boy stage faster than I would like, but I knew it would happen.

PS- Mom, I know what you are thinking. You were right- I do love rocking my son!

8 days old

He was such a cutie then!

But look at that face now-how precious!

I look just like daddy!

One guy-many faces!

I have been truly amazeed lately at Warner!  He is changing everyday and is SO expressive these days.  While at playgroups all of the other kids are quiet, but not my child.  He has recently discovered the power of yelling and wants to share his new skill with everyone.  He also is quite the ham and always looks at the camera.  I love the many faces of my little angel!

Priceless

This weekend was great!  But, below you will see the moment that I will always remember.  Warner and I were playing and then this happened...priceless!

hangers too?

I almost forgot about my son's new fasination with hangers.  It is the "it" toy for him at the moment in addition to the box.  We only let him play with it when we are right there, but he sure does get excited!

The power of a box-who knew?

If I could buy Warner all of the best toys in the world, I would.  No amount of money would be too much to make him happy.  I think that is a sentiment shared by all parents who would do anything for their children- to an extent.  But, there is no need to do any of those things for all I need is a box.  A simple cereal box will keep my son busy. 
After all, a box is tasty and good to chew on!

A box is a good drum!

A box is just fun!

Rubber Ducky you're the one...

I would be remiss if I didn't say a little something about Warner's favorite time of day...bathtime!  Other than eating, I really think that this is one of his favorite activities.  It did not start out as a favorite, but quite the contrary.  When we first started bathing him I swear it sounded like he was being tortured.  He would scream at the top of his lungs and cry and cry and cry.  He did not like to get wet and splashing was totally out of the question.  Well, gone are those days!  Once Warner started liking the bath there was no turning back.  Recently, he outgrew his baby bathtub and graduated to a bath seat that sits him upright in the tub.  At first he was not quite sure what to think of it, but now all is good in the Marshall house.

happy time!

Playing away!

Look at those eyes!

One happy little guy!



Eight months...how time flies

So my little guy was officially eight months old yesterday.  I have taken some time to let it all sink in because it feels like only yesterday I gave birth to him and now this little person is almost crawling.  Warner has done more that grow up before our very eyes, but he has also taught me so much about myself and the person that I want to be.  It is hard to imagine that someone so little can make such a positive impact on yout life.  He has changed me in ways that I cannot find the words to truly describe.  I am just trying to take every day in and cherish it for I know that before I know it he will be one.  And I know off to college, blah, blah...I just can't think about all that right now.  I want to live for today because it is truly a gift to be his mother!

I know it is out of focus-but I LOVE that smile!

He really is a happy baby!

Gotta love the hair!

Pickles and Porches

Some weekends are filled with the perfect balance of relaxation, family time and fun-that was this weekend!  It started with a relaxing walk on Friday evening when Warner decided to try a new form of fiber!

Yep, my kid was tring to eat grass!  It seems like everything and I mean EVERYTHING goes into his mouth.  Saturday was very relaxing  and really uneventful.  On Sunday, we traveled to St. Petersburg to see the Chihuly Glass Exhibition-so beautiful.  We also had lunch at an area restaurant where Warner had a pickle.  OK- I know what you are thinking.  But, as I said before he is very curious about everything.  The other day he took the lemon that was in my water and started sucking on it before I could get it out of his mouth.  He loved the lemon, so why not a pickle?

And of course he loved it!

To end the weekend, Warner experienced his first Porche.

You can't see his shirt, but it says "#1 with the Ladies."  In this car, he will definitely get all the women! 

Time flies...for real

I am convinced that having a child puts a fast forward mode on your life.  Instead of the long lasting days, slow weeks and relaxing months of pre-children, now our life seems to flash by in an instant.  It is so hard for me to believe that my little guy is about to be eight months old-it is even hard to say.  I also can't believe that Warner's first Christmas has come and gone.  This is a very bittersweet thing for me.  It was a great holiday, don't get me worng, but a part of me is sad that it is already over. 

Warner was one lucky guy though since he was able to celebrate Christmas twice - one with both sides of the family.  Although I do not have the pictures when we celebrated in November with my side of the family (need to get those from my sister), I do have pictures from Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with Matt's side of the family.  It ws a great Christmas season and I know that Warner had a blast!

In my new sweater from Aunt Molly, Uncle Todd and Alex!

On Warner's bum Christmas Eve and Christmas morning!

I love presents-especially the paper

Gigi helping me

I am a little overwhelmed

I love Christmas

Starting the year off right

Each year when the ball drops on Times Square and a new year is announced, most people feel obligated to make some type of resolution.  Everyone starts out well and honestly thinks that their resolution will last for the entire year but after a couple of days, weeks or months the good intentions slip away and we often fall back into the "normal"routine.  In the process, the positive new intentions disappear into oblivion.  For this reason, I am not making a resolution but simply trying to live a better life.  When thinking about what really matters to me the answer was simple- family and friends.  I want to feel more connected to those that I care about most even though distance often makes that a challenge.  Who am I kidding?  Life often gets in the way of communicating with friends who only live a few miles away.  There will be no more excuses on my end and I am committed to making this happen.  Life is too short to take for granted those who we love the most.
My inspiration?

This little blue-eyed cutie! 

When I took this picture of him and looked into those eyes, I wanted everyone to see the angel that I get to experience on a daily basis.   It is my goal to share more of these moments this upcoming year.   May the new year be everything you want it to be!