32 WEEKS

 

How far along?  32 Weeks. That means there are only 8 weekends left before our little family of three gains one more smile. (:
Total weight gain:  19 pounds. 
Maternity clothes?  Oh, the usual.  Mainly pre-preggo jeans with some maternity jeans every once in a while.  I'm not a huge fan of maternity jean panel against my belly so I tend to avoid them.  They're itchy.  When it comes to shirts, I think there's only 2 pre-pregnancy shirts that are long enough to cover this baby up.  Otherwise, maternity shirts it is!
Best moment this week:  We had a really fun Saturday morning driving around the Leelanau peninsula and spending time in Leland for lunch.  I feel like the rest of the weekends from here on out are going to be focused on getting things prepped for this baby. 
Miss anything?  Nada.  Not this week at least. 
Cravings:  I had a serious craving for some Havarti cheese last week and we were able to pick up a nice little chunk of it in Leland.  A cold gala apple and cheese have become the new bedtime snack the past few days.  Mmmmm...
Symptoms:  I'm tired.  All the time.  Maybe it's the shorter amount of daylight everyday that makes me want to just hibernate longer, but let's be real.  Third trimester exhaustion is in full swing now.
Looking forward to:  I'm looking forward to getting some things ready for the nursery this weekend.  I think a trip to Joann Fabrics is in order to make some custom items for this little baby's room.  Joe on the other hand is looking forward to October 1st - Opening day for deer season.  I really hope Joe gets a nice big one this year. 

The little babe had a scheduled prenatal appointment last Friday.  All is good!  Heartbeat was good and strong and fundal height is still spot on.  According to my Babycenter app, this little peapod is now about 3-3/4 lbs and 16-3/4" long and gaining almost a 1/2 pound a week from here on out.  I try to remember how Conner was as far as movements go - I remember thinking that he moved a lot, but this baby seems to move non-stop throughout the day.  And I love every single kick.  Even the ones directly to my bladder.



WEEKEND WRAP UP | FISHTOWN

We crossed one more item off our "summertime" bucket list this weekend.  We're cheating since technically it's fall now, but close enough.  When the weather on a Saturday is sunny and warm at the end of September, you take advantage and make a drive out to Leland the historic fishtown.  I don't see too many more days in the 70s so we were happy to get out and enjoy it with Conner.

 

I haven't been up the Leelanau coast since Joe and I got married, so again, we took advantage of it and drove up the coast to Northport and down the other side of the peninsula to Leland.  This is well known M-22 for anyone outside the state.  It's an awesome drive, and it's probably one of the best drives to make during the fall color tour.  So now you know what to do if you're looking for ideas for a fall vacation.  I'll even give you a quick itinerary:  Fall color tour, wine tasting along Leelanau or Old Mission, Leland, pumpkin and apple picking, all the foodie restaurants.  I digress.

 

This was Conner's first trip out to Leland so we let him explore the marina's docks and the main shopping dock with all the historic wooden buildings turned into shops.  Conner was all about the docks and nothing about the shops.  Typical boy I guess.  I was a little curious to see how he'd do on the docks since the water is pretty deep in the marina and there's nothing to stop this little waterbug from jumping in like he does whenever he sees water.  He did great though! No attempts at jumping but toward the end he wanted to just run and not watch how close he was coming to the edge.  That's when I suggested we get this little boy back on land.

 

 

 

And since we were out there we had to pick up sandwiches, Havarti cheese and smoked whitefish.  I mean com'mon, if you're going to make the trip all the way out there, you have to splurge on some of the most delicious foods. Plus there was a Havarti craving that needed to be satisfied so I checked that off my list.

 

 

 

We managed to get back home before 1pm which is always awesome with a little kid.  Just enough time to run around at home for a little bit and crashing for a long afternoon nap.  I admit, I also participated in a nice afternoon nap that I didn't wake up from until 7pm!  I have a love/hate relationship with naps.  I love them (especially nowadays) but I always spend the rest of the evening feeling more tired and like I completely wasted the day. 

 

 

 

Sunday wasn't too much out of the normal for a low key Sunday.  I pretty much soaked up as much relaxation as possible while I did some meal planning.  Joe on the other hand has been Captain Productive this weekend with yard work, roofing the shed, cleaning/organizing the garage, giving Conner countless golf cart rides and probably a lot more than I even realize.  Yeah, he made me look like a lazy bum this weekend without even trying. :)

 

Here's a Sunday afternoon walk that ended up in Conner deciding it'd be fun to roll down the ditch into the woods. The boys finished the walk through the woods while I walked the empty stroller back.



WHAT'S COOKING | SOUTHWESTERN CHICKEN CHILI

Last night's dinner was unplanned and lacked direction and quite frankly, I was concerned we'd end up with a big batch of soup that nobody wanted to eat.  While it was very unplanned and lacked any direction, it pulled together and tasted so dang delicious.

 

My intent for dinner last night was to make a chicken tortilla soup, but at some point I veered and also tried making a chili.  I don't know what I was thinking.  It was my indecisiveness at its finest and our taste buds were at stake here.  So after dumping all the ingredients in the slow cooker, I sat over the next 6 hours wondering, worrying if these flavors were going to come together or leave us with a batch of nastiness.  Score one for the taste buds because it tasted amazing.

 

And despite Joe's grumbling about there being beans in it, he really liked the flavor and even packed leftovers for lunch today.  Win!

 

 

Southwestern Chicken Chili

 

3 chicken breasts, trimmed

3/4 c. quinoa, rinsed

3 c. chicken broth

1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can mild chili beans

1 c. frozen corn

1/2 jalapeno, deseeded and diced

1/3 c. onion, diced

1 tbs cilantro, chopped

1 packet fajita seasoning

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

 

Simple directions here.  Dump all your ingredients into the slow cooker.  Just don't drain and rinse the chili beans, you want the entire can in there.  Cook on low for 6 hours.  Remove the chicken breast, shred, and place it back into the slow cooker.  Cook for an additional 30 minutes.  Since slow cookers cook differently, you may need to adjust your time to get the chicken to the point where it shred easily.

 

Top it with your favorite chili or tortilla soup toppings - sour cream, shredded cheese, oyster crackers, avocado, extra cilantro or baked tortilla strips.

 

 



31 WEEKS + 2 DAYS

We are seven months pregnant now and down to the single digits in the weekly countdown. Single digits!! This makes me giddy and excited one second, and then in the next second I get overwhelmed with the amount of work I still need to do before this sweet little bundle arrives.  And I have Conner's birthday party to prep for over the next two weeks.  Time is flying by! 

I am feeling huge these days.  This belly just took off in growth, and just when I thought it was hard enough to bend over or get up from the floor... whoa, did it get harder.  Last night we went to watch cousin Alex (or 'Doh' as Conner calls him) play soccer.  After sitting on the grass for that long, I wasn't sure if I was going to make it to a standing position again. No worries, I made it up without help, but I just felt like I looked awkward trying.

 

How far along?  31 weeks + 2 days! Down to the single digits with remaining weeks.
Total weight gain:  18+ pounds. I have the Pumpkin Fest to thank for a healthy weight gain this week. Those pumpkin flavored goodies are way too good to pass and sometimes you just need to sneak a few... or ten.
Maternity clothes?  Yep, and same as last week.  I still favor my non-maternity jeans and unless they are t-shirts, I definitely need maternity tops to cover this growing belly.  Can I just mention how wonderful maxi skirts are when you're pregnant?  So comfy!
Sleep:  Still amazing.  This is one huge difference from Conner's pregnancy that I am so grateful for.  I have noticed that I wake up frequently throughout the night, but I fall back asleep quickly.  I won't complain over that.
Best moment this week:  Pumpkin Festival! We had a chance to make one last, long car ride to visit my family, friends and catch some pumpkin magic. 
Miss anything?  I really just want to lay on my back and put my feet up on the couch.
Cravings:  Cold, fresh fruit.  This week I have wanted cold red grapes, cold watermelon, cold gala apples, cold bananas. Basically, any COLD fruit (but not frozen). And Havarti cheese.  That too!
Symptoms:  Exhaustion and heart burn still take the lead for symptoms.  The heart burn is getting pretty old these days so I am thankful that this is not something that I deal with outside of pregnancy. Based on my pregnancy related discomforts, I have to admire the people that deal with things like heart burn and diabetes everyday as part of their normal life.  I can't imagine dealing and managing with these types of things everyday without an end.
Looking forward to:  We have another appointment with the doctor this week to check on this babe and I always look forward to those.  And as long as the weather cooperates this weekend, we are hoping to make a little day trip out to everyone's favorite fishtown, Leland, and pick up some smoked whitefish and Havarti cheese.  Mmmm... Havarti.



PUMPKIN FESTIVAL

I know today is the last day of summer, but for me, fall officially began this past weekend.  This weekend was the Pumpkin Festival and that meant family, friends, and sneaking way too many pumpkin flavored desserts (sorry, baby, those pumpkin desserts were calling our names, and I had to answer regardless of blood sugar after-effects).  Long before everyone became obsessed with pumpkin flavored foods in the fall, my little hometown boasted this gourd for about the past 50 years.  We're the pumpkin capital of the world, so this love just comes natural for all of us.

 

I have never missed a Pumpkin Festival in my life up until these past two years when I was too close to my due date with Conner the first year and Conner had chicken pox last year.  That made this year extra special because it was Conner's first time.  And guys, he nailed it parade-side.  Our parade is a h-a-UGE deal to us hometown-ers.  It happens on the last Saturday of the festival but by the prior Tuesday, the 3 mile parade routes is lined with chairs reserving spots for this highly anticipated event.  No worries about chairs being stolen or destroyed here.  Everyone respects the parade traditions.

 

I wasn't sure how Conner would do during this hour and a half long parade, but like usual, I should have never doubted that little boy.  This is a candy tossing parade so Joe, Conner and I sat curbside ready to teach that kiddo how to put on a cute face, wave, and get candy thrown toward him for him to collect.  He caught on quickly and managed to build up a nice little candy stash, but he was way more interested in stepping on the curb and jumping off into the road over and over.  But he enjoyed it, and we definitely loved having all the cousins together.

 Same unimpressed look on their faces. Must have been a float that wasn't tossing candy.

 Rachel girl was soaking up every minute with her mama.

This is about the time the sugar kicked in.

 I did not hold back from that little boy eating as much candy as he could during that parade.

 

 

After the parade we started a new tradition by going back to Nana and Papa's house for lunch. Normally, the tradition is to go to my grandma Ruth's for lunch, but it finally came time for Grandma Ruth to make the decision to no longer carry on that tradition.  Let me tell you, that was the saddest news ever for me to hear she no longer wanted to continue that tradition, and I almost had to go protest, but quietly accepted that it is a lot of work for that woman to feed and entertain 20+ people.  Once I accepted that, I was thankful that my family decided to carry on that tradition for all the little grandkids to experience and grow to love.

 There were many attempts at getting a good picture with grandma and her babies.

 

And the Saturday fun didn't stop there.  My long time friend, Brittany, just moved back to the area and after years  of not seeing each other, we met at the park that evening to let Conner play and let us catch up on life.  So much fun until we had to say goodbye and then I realized just how much I miss all of our time together growing up.  By the time we left, Conner and Joe had run around that park so much that it was bath and bedtime when we got back to my parents.  By the way, can I just say how stinkin' awesome of a husband I have?  He is the best.  I normally try to tag team chasing Conner around with him, but I got to sit and chat with my friend while he climbed, ran, and squeezed through playground tunnels for almost a solid two hours.

That tunnel is definitely not made for adults.

 Sometimes you just need Dad to lift you up over the last few stairs.

 This evening weather and sunset couldn't have been better.

 

 

Sunday was a great day too.  We had another chance to meet up with some great friends that we haven't seen for years.  We met up with Chris and Peggy for lunch at Chilis and had the best opportunity to meet their little son, Graham.  If you want to see one happy, active little baby with the cutest red hair and heart-stealing smile, he's the one.  Hands down.  Even after way too long of a time not seeing each other, they have a way of making you feel like you just pick up where you left off.  They are not only two of the nicest people, but sooo entertaining.  It's inevitable that I spend all my time with them laughing, smiling and leaving with a happy heart.

 

And since we were in the area, we had to make a stop to Bass Pro to check out the fish.

 

 

Shortly after we got back to my parents, Josh and Jen surprised us with another afternoon visit.  We always love Conner having the chance to see and play with any of his cousins and of course I was super excited to spend another day with my sister.  We won't be able to see them until next year, so I was certainly glad to have one last afternoon to spend with them.

Do you see these two? Hope is so willing to give out hugs and Conner is clearly not okay with girl hugs... yet.

 

 

All in all, it was another amazing fun-filled weekend back home with family and friends and the Pumpkin Festival.

 

 



PREGNANCY FOOD JOURNAL

It's been a month now since I got my sketchy results on my blood glucose test for gestational diabetes.  This past prenatal appointment my doctor was confident that I was doing just fine with my diet, and I that I could still avoid any additional testing.  He even thinks that I may not have it, but since I made an agreement to take preventative maintenance with my diet to avoid additional testing, we'll never know for sure.

 

I haven't been too adventurous with trying different food and carb combinations these past couple weeks, but when I do eat something that's not on my typical meal/snack list, I am diligent to check my glucose levels 2 hours later.  Most of the time, it turns out fine, but for the few other times, I've learned there are certain foods that do no work well with my body.

 

I'm finding that one of the hardest things is actually gaining weight.  Certainly not a problem with my first pregnancy, but it's just not happening this time around.  Trust me, there's no lack in trying, but it does get tricky when you try to limit carbs.  I'm already eating 6 meals a day to keep blood sugar stabilized, and with heartburn, eating that frequently isn't always fun.

 

I've really upped my protein and fat to try and help, but the fun little thing about protein is that is takes up to 20% of the protein calories you consume just to break it down into useable form for your body.  Not usually a huge deal, but when a good chunk of your daily macronutrients are coming from protein, it does play into it.  (I am definitely that person that likes to analyze how all my food works in my body.)  As far as fat goes, I've increased my amounts there too, but I try to keep my total fat intake to about 30% of my daily intake. 

 

Curious about what I'm eating? I thought I'd open up my pregnancy food journal to share in case you are.

 

 

breakfast

 

I switch it up between two or three different meals everyday:

1) oatmeal + peanut butter + cinnamon + 6 egg whites

2) berry/spinach smoothie w/ flax + 1 slice whole wheat + 6 egg whites

3) 2 pumpkin protein pancakes + 6 egg whites

 

I know omelets are a popular go to for breakfast, but I'm not huge on veggies with my eggs.  I'm usually quite content with just scrambled egg whites for my protein.  I'll drink 16oz of water with breakfast and sip on another 48oz of water before lunch.  I also try to always get a good 30 minutes walk in after breakfast.

 

 

lunch

 

Lunch is the most predictable meal of the day.  Ninety percent of the time, it's a salad.  It's my time of the day to really load up on veggies and salads get the job done.  With cool weather around the corner, I'll probably start adding in soups to the lunch rotation.  I'll also drink another 64oz of water between lunch and the rest of the day to hit my one gallon goal and even more on some days.

 

1) cobb salad (romaine head + cheddar + boiled egg + bacon bits + extra veggies + chicken breast + dressing)

2) chicken caesar salad (romaine head + chicken breast + caesar dressing + parmesan)

3) panini sandwich with whole grain low carb bread + side salad

 

 

dinner

 

Dinner is a little easier since that's the meal that can handle the most amount of carbs which gives me a little more freedom.  As long as I keep the meal around 45g of carbs and balanced out with lots of protein, I'm fine.  Here's some of my most frequented meals for dinner:

 

1) chicken burrito bowl

2) a salad

3) chicken caesar wrap (same salad listed above wrapped into a spinach herb wrap)

4) chicken kabobs

5) portabella pizza caps

6) some form of red meat + veggies + potatoes or rice

 

 

snacks

 

Like all my other meals, I have a list of snack that I just rotate between.  I've said it before, I'm a creature of habit, and I'm completely okay with eating the same thing for long periods of time.

 

coffee w/ 2 tbs creamer + greek yogurt + string cheese

pumpkin protein shake (pumpkin + whey + milk + cinnamon + ice)

apple + 2 string cheese sticks

1/2 c ice cream + 2 pumpkin protein cookies (oh yes, I found an ice cream that works!)

 

 



WHAT'S COOKING | PEPERONCINI BEEF

Slow cookers are amazing, aren't they?  Throw stuff in there, forget about it and go about your day doing what you do and come back to some of the most amazing meals ever.  I could hug the person who created the crock pot.  Cue Jimmy Fallon's Thank You Notes music as we think, "Thank you, slow cooker...".

 

There's something special about crock pots as we enter into Fall and football season.  With the weather cooling off, there's honestly nothing better than a warm meal where the only prep requirement from you most of the time is to chop and dump.

 

I got this recipe for peperoncini beef from my dad some years ago.  When he first told me about it, I was all like, "okay, that's nice." with no intentions of ever making it.  But, then he made it for me and Joe one weekend that we were visiting, and we were hooked ever since.  It's now one of our all time favorite meals at home.  It's just that good.

 

How good?.. you ask. Well, Joe and I usually buy a quarter beef from a local farmer once a year, and I purposely save the chuck roasts for two recipes - Italian beef and this.  It's that good of a recipe that I save our best quality beef for it.  Why else is it so awesome?  It's literally only three ingredients.

 

 

Peperoncini Beef

 

2-3 lb Beef Chuck Roast

8-10 small Yukon gold potatoes, quartered

1 (16 oz.) jar of sliced peperoncinis

 

Place your chuck roast, potatoes and the entire jar (including juices) of peperoncinis in the crock pot.  Cook on High for 6 hours, Low for 10 hours or until the meat shreds easily and you can easily stick a fork into the potatoes.  Done.

 

This is one meal that I can't help but pick at and eat when I'm trying to put the leftovers away.



30 WEEKS

We've hit the big 3-0 today! This little baby is only 10 weeks away from being welcomed into the world and into our family.  And that, my friends, is awesome.

 

We just had our latest visit to the doctor last Friday and the baby is doing great.  Fundal height is measuring spot on at 30cm.  Heartbeat is good and strong and there is no shortage of movements for this little babe.

 

How far along?  30 weeks!!! 75% to the finish line.
Total weight gain:  17 pounds. 
Maternity clothes?  Of course. I still haven't given up my normal jeans though.  I do that little hair tie trick just so I can keep wearing them longer.
Sleep:  Good as last week.  I just want more hours in the morning to sleep in.  
Best moment this week:  Hearing that little babe's heartbeat.  And baby kicks.  Lots of baby kicks. 
Miss anything?  Energy. My energy has been sucked dry and by the time evening rolls around, I'm ready for a nap and then bed.  Joe has a habit of napping when he gets home from work which makes it hard for me to take a nap since, well, someone's gotta keep an eye on that little boy and keep him from getting into too much chaos.
Cravings:  Pizza Hut buffet.  It's probably been over a decade since I've had the PH lunch buffet, and I don't even know if they do that anymore, but I just want to go and eat all the pizza and breadsticks.  ALL the pizza.
Symptoms:  Exhaustion!  I've given up my aerobics and other cardio workouts for slower walks, but even that leaves me with zero energy.  And with that, my motivation to get stuff done around the house at night keeps diminishing.  At this point I could curl up with a blanket and sleep all day and night.
Looking forward to:  Pumpkin Festival!!! We have missed it the past two years so this year will be Conner's very first Pumpkin Festival.  Pumpkin flavored everything and pumpkins everywhere.  My kind of festival.

Conner is picking up on this baby things more and more every week.  He can point to diapers, other pictures of babies, teething rings and other baby items and call them out as "baby".  I don't know how he picks up on things like that, but it gets me so excited for him to finally meet his future sidekick and best friend.  The belly kisses from this little boy are less frequent, but when he does run up to me patting my belly and asking to kiss baby, it just makes my heart happy.  Already loving on his little sibling.

TODDLER LIFE | 23 MONTHS

twenty three months.

Conner is turning twenty three months today.  How is it possible that we only have one month before he turns t-w-o?  And please, can somebody tell me where the pause button is to stop him from growing up so fast?  Joe and I were talking tonight about how it honestly feels like we were just planning his first birthday like it was last week.

 

When I think about how he acts and communicates now compared to even a few months ago, I am amazed.  I never really notice change on a day to day basis, but when I stop and think about how life with him was even two months ago, I realize just how much he's developed.

Toddler Talk
Conner was late to the world of talking and compared to most kids his age, he's probably still a little behind.  Certainly not quiet though!  Over the course of the past 14 months, he really focused on his gross and fine motor skills, so compared to other one year olds, he can run circles around them... and then climb a rock wall and balance on balls.  Is there an American Ninja Warrior for toddlers?  If so, we need to sign him up!  When most people who see how Conner moves around and interacts, they're always surprised to find out he's only 1 and not 3.

But even his speech has really grown this past month and listening to him form sentences and figure out new words has been both awesome to see first hand and humorous.  And he comprehends so much more than I give him credit for.

We're still in that phase where we have to guess what exactly he's trying to tell us he wants.  There are the times where I know exactly what he's saying, and I can give him what it is he's asking for.  These scenarios end with smile all around. Then there are times where I have no clue what he's asking for and Joe and I will take a shot in the dark and hope and pray it's right.  If it's not - we have a toddler meltdown on our hands.  And then there are the times where we know what he's asking for, but we tell him "no" because, well, we can't just let him have everything he wants whenever he wants it.  That also results in an epic tantrum.

Toddler Play
Conner's been at his new daycare for over a month now, and we can see a transition on how he plays and what he plays with since starting there.  Joe and I have a hunch that he gets a lot of TV time there.  Usually when he gets home, he goes straight for his toys and entertains himself for hours.  Now, when he gets home, he's trying to tell me about cartoon characters like "Hotdog" (aka - Mickey Mouse) and other cartoons I'm just not familiar with.  Most evenings, he likes to skip his toys and supper and try to drag Joe or I upstairs to turn on cartoons for him.  I knew these days were bound to come, but Joe and I were trying to keep his interests away from TV and focused on toys and outdoor play for as long as possible.

 

His interest in books has really taken off the past month.  Gives me a little relief since it helps pull him away from the cartoons.  He's got a handful of Disney Cars books that are his go-to reading material.  We can't even get through eating supper anymore without him grabbing a book and demanding that we read it through over and over while he sits and enjoys his dinner. 

Other than his new found love for cartoons and books, he still loves anything with wheels.  He loves to grab his Tonka truck and run all throughout the house with it.  He'll load it up with smaller cars and then race those around the house and get really upset when he takes a corner a little too sharp and dumps the cars out.  Unfortunately for that boy, he chased the dog one too many times with it, so it has been confiscated for a long period of time.  This also resulted in a toddler protest.  Have you seen a trend yet?  Most things that don't go his way end in a tantrum.  We are welcoming dreading the new phase of "Terrible Twos".

This is what I'm talking about.

Toddler Eats
We have been making progress with meats.  He's finally starting to eat some protein after months of trying and failing.  Unfortunately, he limits his meat selections to hotdogs, chicken nuggets and sloppy joes.  Not too thrilling for someone who prefers to make sure their family eats healthy, but I feel this is completely normal for most kids his age.  And I know his acceptance for other foods will continue to grow with age.  Still has zero love for eggs in any form.

Joe can get him to try new foods every now and then and not just bland foods either.  He can get him to eat spaghetti with chipotles in it or spicy buffalo wings.  I have a feeling this kid is going to be like all the other men in the family and go for the hot and spicy foods. 

As far as produce and dairy go - well he's always done great with those.  He still loves fruit and veggies and has had a serious love for cucumbers this past month from our garden.  It's completely normal for Joe and Conner to sit down and eat an entire cucumber together like it was candy.  String cheese, yogurt and chocolate milk are still frequently consumed in our house by that little bird. (especially the chocolate milk - it's become his nighttime dessert before bedtime)

Toddler Sleep
That little boy still rocks when it comes to sleep.  We have always been fortunate that he has slept through the night since he was 6 weeks old.  Honestly, I can probably count the number of times on my hands that he hasn't slept well.  We can only hope that this next little baby will follow in Conner's footstep and sleep like a champ.

Naps are a different story.  He does fine with naps at daycare, but on the weekends, that's hardly ever a success.  We try to get out on the weekends during the morning to make sure that we're home in time for his naptime.  But he is notorious for falling asleep in his carseat 5 minutes before we reach our house.  Half the time we can get him up to his bed without him waking up, but the other half is a failed attempt.  And if he wakes up, there is no chance he's going back to sleep. 

Sometimes I sit here and try to get a game plan in my head of how to get him to take a nap on his own after the baby comes.  But, like all things Conner has taught me, you have to be flexible, learn to go with the flow, and set your expectations a little lower.

I'm not ready for him to turn two, but I get excited just seeing this little boy grow and develop specific interests that I get excited to see what this next year will bring. For now, I'm just going to soak up every last day that he is still one.

Photo Dump:

He gets multitasking from his Dad 

 Family photos are rare, but this face... Conner your face is priceless

 Bubble baths are the new must-do at night

 Riverside.