Lovely days...

Everyday he changes. He's growing bigger. Taller, too. I know this because his little fingers can now successfully reach my make-up drawer in our bathroom, open it, and grab whatever containers his little hands can reach and toss them to the ground. Pretty colors on the floor, yes. Mommy's favorite eye shadow destroyed, not so much.

And smarter. As evidence from the fact that sometimes (just like his daddy) he needs to catch up the day's events.



We are finally able to start attempting some art projects. And while they can only take a maximum of five minutes and he doesn't quite fully understand what he is creating, the final product, displayed so proudly on my kitchen window above my sink, is just beautiful. What momma doesn't wait for the moments when she can display her little one's art?



Proudly supporting our country, particularly when cheering them on during today's soccer game. And while he didn't quite understand that we didn't pull out a win, it's amazing to watch him see the game on television, grab his own soccer ball, and attempt to replicate their moves.



He's changing, all right. But that love, that huge love for life, paired with that huge, gorgeous smile, is still the same.



And thank goodness for that.

Perfectly Summer.

So much to enjoy about these warm, warm summer days. And we are doing everything exactly as we should.

Like enjoying watermelon almost daily... sometimes instead of lunch, sometimes even when we are not hungry, and sometimes right out of this special-Dad carved watermelon my mom made for Father's Day.



Swimming, of course. Particularly with no fear as he flies out of Pops arms.





Perfectly grilled hotdogs at my grandparent's house. And, no, they are certainly not good for you but they are irresistible and a requirement after swimming.



And frogs? Not quite a summer must-have, but this little friend was found outside and the little ones had great fun watching him hippity-hop around the house before setting him free.





Last, but not least... something for you all. A perfect summer mini shoot for your little ones...and you receive 3-4 edited images on a CD and some prints (all together the package is valued at $405)! Reserve your spot now as sessions are limited!

Father's Day.

It's amazing to watch an entirely new kind of love develop for your spouse after the birth of your first little one. It's not that I ever doubted that he would be a great father, but there is something almost magical about watching the man you love, love a child, your child, more than they probably ever deemed possible.



And, my goodness, does he love his son. There is not a day goes by when, in the middle of anything, he looks at me with his most serious look and says, "We have the best kid."



And we do. Not that there aren't a million amazing kids out there already, but this one is pretty darn special. It's impossible to not smile with this little one around... this little one who loves everything and anything about his life.



And who can blame him? He's got the most fantastic father looking out for him. In the car ride home the other day, Jacob kept saying "Mom! Mom!... Mom! Mom!" over and over again (even with Philip saying "Dad Dad!") and I thought it would be quite comical to ask Jacob, "Who do you love the most," of course expecting a "Mom! Mom!" to pop out. Nope. Wrong Mommy.

"Da Da!" Jacob said.

Philip beamed and I pretended to pout, really thinking to myself that this was all just fine. All little boys should love their daddy as much as mine.



The cheesy smile continues. For some reason, saying "Cheese" to Jacob makes him bend forward, stick out his arms, and pop on the world's cutest cheese face.



So what does Philip do? Joins in on the fun, of course.





It melts my heart to see how much Philip loves his son. And it's not that you can learn all the things to do to be a good daddy... you can read on how to hold them, feed them, and meet those physical needs... but you can't teach a daddy how to love. And he's already mastered that. Loving. Perhaps that is because this was just one thing he was supposed to be in life. A father.



Happy Father's Day, to my Philip, to the most amazing dad to our little Jacob. You make our little family perfect. We will always feel safe and loved and happy, and entirely complete, with you leading the way....



And to my father, the greatest daddy-0 in the world, I continue to understand how lucky I really am to have you as my dad. You have shown me how to be a good person, a hard and dedicated worker, and an individual that always places family first. Thank you for loving me, your first daughter, that much.



Happy Father's Day to you.

Little (Raindrop) Joys

It happened.


That's right... we found a way to make the rain boots (appearance #3 of the summer) even cuter. Pair it with his new flap happy sun cap.



And although you can't quite see it here, it's pouring outside. Raindrops all over the place. And my little man couldn't have cared less. Just ate up his outside time like any other sunny day.



Just as precious as dancing in the rain? Dancing like a ballerina in our house. Not sure if this comes from all of those dancing and singing shows on the cruise or just our silly steps around the house, but let me tell you .... the kid has moves. Watch it here.

Busy morning today and a very special father's day shoot later this evening. The sun is out today and there's no question that it's going to be a spectacular one.

Summer Lovin'

I love nights that start like this....



... with dirty dishes piled high and leftovers from dinner still on the table just so we can head outside and soak up every bit of the remaining sunshine.

I love that my parents kept almost every single one of our toys that we played with growing up and how they are getting every bit of the attention now as they did twenty years ago. Like this skateboard that Yaya insisted that Jacob is coordinated enough to ride.



Which, of course, looked too much fun to resist our own attempts down the driveway.





I love the determination from this almost sixteen-month-old in mastering the art of throwing everything and anything he can get his little hands on..... including the fork that was chucked at my head this afternoon during lunch. And no matter how many billion times I explain to the little one that forks are for eating and balls are for throwing, I think it may be a few more months before we successfully grasp hold of this concept.



I love Yaya and Pop's decision to head out for ice cream at the exact time that Jacob should be heading to bed because, if nothing else, it is summer and this is exactly what summer is for. Stealing his grandma's ice cream cone so he can have one in each hand? Well, that may not be what summer is for, but that is certainly what Yaya's are for.



As well as continually filling up Jacob's cup with water after an ice cream treat only for him to dump it all over himself, hold his cup up to Yaya, and sign "more" (one of his favorite motions which I have decided I may not teach to any future babies as Jacob has decided it is not really necessary to learn how to say the word "more" if he can just continue signing it).





Oh my, I love that smile. I love the fact that this little one is upstairs sleeping soundly cuddled next to his Daddy because he still hasn't quite adjusted to sleeping in his own crib since the cruise. Yes, it may not be the best move, but shouldn't we really just embrace these little moments of neediness and cuddle time with our first little boy and only start to worry if he is still sleeping in our bed in ten years?



And I do love nights that end with a cuddle session so that, my friends, is where I am headed....

All nights should be this grand.

Summer. As it should be.

I'd like to think that I'm not a complete perfectionist. If I were, my house would have to remain miraculously clean (and it's not), I'd head to the gym seven days a week (and I don't), and prepare delicious home-cooked meals without batting an eye (which, we know, I can't).

Perfectionist I may not be, but I sure do love a perfect moment.

And my goodness, over this past week we had many.



All thanks to these two amazing individuals (Philip's parents).



These two parents that decided to celebrate their fiftieth anniversary by bringing their entire family to enjoy a Western Caribbean cruise. Fifty years. We should all be so fortunate.



Perfection came in innumerable forms this week. Like little ones discovering the feel of sand at their feet and tasting in that sensational mix of sweat, sunscreen, and the salty, ocean water.



And having little conversations with his momma about why we must wear our floppy hat and, no, it is not because you are the most precious tot on the beach with baby lobsters on your head, but because it is protecting that little face from too much sun.



Sandcastles and bucket splashes on the beaches of Cozumel and Isle Roatan.



Our room wasn't quite large enough for Jacob's unending bouts of energy so off we would head to the decks after dinner to let the little man do his thing. Up and down the aisles, always remembering to flash a cheesy smile to his momma.



Perfection was laying out doing absolutely nothing.... taking in glances of the younger twenty-something year-olds throwing back beers and dancing to the music of Rihanna and Lady Gaga and momentarily remembering what it was like to be in that phase of my life and concluding that no way, no how, would I ever go back. A few girls nights here and there to kick back and dance like I danced in my younger twenty-something years, perhaps. But I'm perfectly content with my twenty-eight year old momma status.



And how could I not be with this perfectly content little boy?



Who was only ever-so-slightly upset that the bucket on the cruise carrying Daddy's and Uncle Dan's beers did not hold the same warm water that his momma put in his bucket at home. Hello, icy coldness.



And hello, baby wading pool. That was unfortunately only discovered on the last day of our cruise.



A perfectly painted Aztec man. And one not-so-happy baby... but who could really blame him?



As the two littlest travelers played on the beach, memories of last summer's beach fun surfaced.... days where they could barely sit up on their own, nonetheless frolic (yes, they frolicked) on the beach.







Perfection in kicking back and soaking in the sun.



For looking at one person and realizing that they made all of your dreams come true.



Particularly dreams about families. Creating families....



and joining families...





And when you absolutely can't possibly do anything else, taking a baby siesta right in the midst of it all.



But always ready for more exploration... and on this day, the littles discovered the streets of Belize.





Perfection is not really about how orderly things are or appropriately meeting some unspoken high standard. No, perfection most often is achieved at times when you don't quite even realize it.

In a family. My family. And it's not that we are a perfect family... but this moment, when nothing else mattered except for standing close to two of the most important people in my life... that was perfection.









What an awesome, awesome feeling.



It's not every day that twenty-one individuals have the opportunity to travel outside the country and enjoy life. Life, just as it should be.



Because whether we are vacationing or packing up or settling back at home, these are the moments we want to remember fifty years from now.