Colton is 9 month old!

Can it be true? In three short months our little man is going to be one year old? That also means that by that time our 12 month deployment will nearly be half over! Woooo hooo!

So, I did it again! Colton's 8 month stats must have been a little off due to my inferior skill when it comes to accurately weighing and measuring him. I can attest that it must be my skills and not the fact that he's lost weight or not grown longer/taller, because that is definitely not the case. Unlike his sister who was wearing 9 month clothes at her 12 month doctor visit, this guy wore 12 month clothes to his 9 month visit.

Hey mom, am I getting big enough to help cook dinner?

I just can't get enough of those gorgeous blue eyes!

What is our little guy up to this month, you ask? Well, he's added quite a few talents to his resume. Colton is now an expert speed-crawler, a professional plant-puller, very skilled at annoying our cat by pulling whiskers, tail and grabbing his food (while Bailey is trying to eat it), and could win any contest that requires unrolling half a roll of toilet paper before a mom can quickly apply her eyeliner. Colton has also perfected the skill of following Clara. The phrases "Mom, come move Colton," "Mom, Colton has my hair," "Mom, Colton has my baby doll," "Mom, Colton...[fill-in-the-blank]..." have become quite common in our home these days. The one thing that hasn't changed is how much I love watching this little guy explore, learn, and adore his sister.

Miss Clara is 3!!!

Happy Birthday to Clara, Happy Birthday Sweet Girl! Three years old, how crazy is that? Grandma and Papa came, we had a nice little party, Clara enjoyed playing with her new toys with her friends, and we all ate yummy cake and strawberry ice cream (the birthday girl's favorite). Her favorite presents were definitely a baby bed and toddler-sized rocking chair - perfect for the "little mommy" to rock her babies to sleep.

Princess Dora and Boots birthday cake

The birthday Princess and her cake

Hey, are these for me?

Cupcake kisses from Mommy

Snow!

There has been plenty of snow in Kentucky this winter. According to the news we have received nearly 10 more inches than is typical for Kentucky winter. The other night after we put Colton to sleep, Clara and I bundled up and headed out to play in the snow. It was a perfect packing snow. We had a little snowball fight, made some snow angels and made a snowman.

Earlier that morning when the snow started falling the flakes were so big and beautiful I just couldn't resist getting out the camera.



Our Little Jail Bird

The other day Clara and I were having lunch and Colton was "on the loose" playing on the floor. He had been standing next to me and a few seconds later Clara said "Colton's under the table Mommy". Sure enough, our little man had manged to squeeze his way under the table. I have no idea how he managed to finagle his way between the chairs and legs!

On a random note, I have to share this next picture. Clara was so proud of this package she painted. This is the Valentine's Day package we sent off to Aaron. I'm sure it will put a smile on daddy's face when he gets this in the mail!



Colton is 8 Months Old!

"Obla di, obla da..." As the song goes, life goes on. And our life is doing just that, now that Aaron is deployed. And one sure sign of that is watching our little man grow. 8 months old, and ladies and gentleman, he is on the move! Colton is crawling everywhere, mostly to my plants and the cat's bowls. Getting a good picture of his 8 month onesie was a bit tricky since he wouldn't sit still long enough to click a good one! I ended up giving him the lense cap to play with and that made the little guy happy!

Besides crawling everywhere, Colton is doing some quite exciting things with his baby signing! He did his first sign a couple weeks ago; he signed "all done" when he was done with breakfast one morning. Now he is also doing "eat", "more", and trying to do "milk". It's so awesome! He doesn't do them everytime, but he's really getting the hang of it. Colton is also loving his big sister. It's so sweet! He follows her everywhere, wants to be with her, and does nothing but smile and laugh when she talks or sings to him. Colton is standing up everywhere and even beginning to cruise a little bit on the furniture. I'm so not ready for him to start climbing and walking!

This little man is a joy and a handful and I can't wait to tell you what he's doing next month!

Our Juggling Act

It's been two weeks since Aaron left for his second deployment in Afghanistan. The kids and I are getting into the swing of our new routine. I am quickly realizing, not surprisingly I'll add, that "single parenting" with one baby and one toddler is a heck of a lot harder than with just one baby. Juggling two dinner times, two bath times, and two bedtimes can be tricky!

I don't want to whine or cry that life is hard back home because all I have to do is think of my darling husband and all the "tough" things I have to do that don't even come close to comparing to his "tough" list of chores. Sure, I'm the one who is left back home worrying, rather, trying not to worry, but he's he one who has to watch our children grow up this next year via a blog, pictures and videos sent from 7000 miles away (and with luck a webcam, too). He's the one who is living in less than desirable conditions for the next 12 months, walking countless miles a day searching for the enemy who is likely disguised as the "guy next door". But, Aaron, and his comrades do this because they have felt a calling to defend the freedom of our beautiful nation. For that, his, their, bravery and courage, I am thankful and proud to call myself a supportive Army Wife.

Life can't be put on hold until Aaron comes home. Clara will continue growing into a beautiful young girl who amazes us with her wit, memory, and humor. Colton will begin talking, walking, and become less our little baby and more our little man. As we document our journey as a family over the next year I will be sure to reflect on the smiles, laughs, challenges and tears. Lots will change, but one thing will not - I will be missing my love and Clara and Colton will keep waiting for Daddy to come home from "Ghafghanistan".