Easter Joy

I think Easter is by and far one of my favorite holidays!  Not for the decorations or Easter eggs, but because it contains so much joy and promise!  Who can't get excited for HEAVEN!?!  (well actually a large group of people that we need to witness too....eek!)  I loved reading our Easter books with Kyler and sharing worship with him Easter morning.  He was in awe of the little kids during a presentation and the special video at church and he, of course, sang along with all the songs.  

We did lots of pre-Easter celebrating too. 

Easter egg cupcakes for neighbors.

Painting paper Easter eggs for our loved ones.

I thought he'd try to eat the 'paint', so we used colored cool whip.  :)

Going to a petting zoo (it was supposed to be seeing Easter Bunny too - fail!)

Joined by Lynda and Zack too!

Easter basket fun!

Bubbles!


And of course...the Easter Bunny. 

 (we actually saw him Easter Sunday since Saturday was a fail when the Easter Bunny left early!)

 laughing and excited to see the Easter Bunny

and then of course, complete serious look when he finally met 'her'.

We had lots of fun celebrating, but mostly I am just humbled, grateful, and excited about the HEAVEN!  Thank you God for the amazing plan you put into place at the beginning to show your children how much you truly love and want them!  And thank you Jesus for being willing to take our sins -- especially since they aren't just a few from this sinner.  BLESSED!  

Can You Guess What Was For Dinner?

Eating like a horse pretty much sums it for Kyler these past few days. 

I can barley keep up making and feeding snacks and meals and more snacks...  :) 

Growth spurt?  

Happy St. Patrick's Day

So didn't have a lot of time to take alot of pictures with church and work today, but snap onerous two of his little hat and shirt. Mostly green, of course! :-).

Some Videos

Being one is hard work, besides all the playing and neverending eating,

 Kyler is mastering walking and speech giving.  :) 

One Year Old

We went to ride the carousel at the mall for his birthday...think he liked it?  :) 

A year old?  How is this possible?  I know its the lament of every mom at every birthday, but I'll join the chorus too.  :)  I love this stage -- this exact one right now and the one that is coming.  He renigged on walking after an ear infection, but slowing going back.  I love how his mind is working and he is learning cause and effect so much more.  I love his smile has only gotten bigger each month.  I love that his favorite go to activity is reading.  I love how he figured he can crawl faster without things in his hands, so carries them in him mouth -- ha!  He is a joy x536! 

Stats:

20.4 lbs

30 1/2 inches

Reading in his Kyler sized chair.  

Development: 

• turning into a much better sleeper, more solid naps and sometimes you don't even want Mommy to rock you, you just lay down.  Bittersweet
• cutting down on bottles - yes, your mom knows other babies ditch the bottle at age 1, but we aren't there yet.  Working on building up more solids....and on mommy.  :) 
• wants to go down the stairs and not just up -- doesn't happen a whole lot because the process makes the heart race. 
• bring snacks to me when hungry and books when you want to read
• putting things into something vs. just emptying them out.  
• you spend ALOT of time reading -- flipping through the books, reading them to yourself, or having them read you to.  

Valentine's Dinner at Papa's

Firsts: 

• Valentine's Day - enjoyed a playdate, valentine's from neighbor kids, and special meal at Papa's with family 
• Birthday Party! 
• Cow's Milk - like a 1/4 teaspoon with cereal 

John and Joan brought a new (to us) toy that we had forgot at their house...
it has become a fast favorite.  

Kylerisms:

- you have discovered your outside voice...full force screaming and yelling when you are having fun and dancing.  

- you are so independent...whether it is eating, getting dressed, reading a book or wanting to move.  

- you have figured that it is faster to crawl without holding someone, so carry it in your mouth.  Very amusing to watch.  

- you love anything that is long...you swing around the broom, your toy bat, the hairbrush and love to hit your toys with them.  

This toy bounces balls as it sings a song.
I think Kyler wanted to be bounced too.  :)
He actually couldn't get back out without help...ha!

Kyler, 

This year has been one of the best of my life.  It hasn't been perfect or easy, but loving you makes everything more perfect, more easy.  I truly love being your mom.  I have learned so much about how precious life is by waching you.  And I have been shown in so many ways how amazing God is and how much He loves us by being able to parent you.   I can't wait to see what God has planned for you this next year of your life because, lil man, I have been praying angels around since you before you were born, that God would use you in a mighty way!  Love love love that sweet face of yours...today, tomorrow, and forever. 

Mommy 

12 Months - a whole year of Kyler blessings!

"I asked the LORD to give me this boy, and he has granted my request. 

Now I am giving him to the LORD, and he will belong to the LORD his whole life."

1 Samuel 1:27, 28

This verse is the epitome of how I feel about Kyler....so blessed to have been entrusted with him and a huge desire for him to be a warrior for our Lord!  I hope the foundations of this future are already being set in him.  I pray that the praise times we have, the Bible story times we have, our nightly prayers, and service to others will continue and grow in him a zeal to share Christ.  That is my prayer for this next year of his life and for his whole life.  

1 year old

3 days old

He is such a joy!  I'll add his stats and elephant photo later (need to edit and go to dr. first), but wanted to share 12 of my favorite things about him for his 12 months here.  

1. His wonderful, contagious smile!  You can't help but grin back when this kid smiles at you -- this includes me and his family and random people at the grocery store.  

    2. he has one, adorable freckle on his shoulder....love it!  

3. a great eater -- week by week different foods, but loves him some food.  

4. enjoys reading...we have enough books for sure, but he has his favorites - alot with animal pictures, clifford, and touch and feel books

5.  music fan - he listens so intently and sings along during worship at church and

 along with the radio; a few of his favorite toys are all music related (plays a song or is a guitar/drum) 

6.adventurous - loves to try new things, anything slightly dangerous (stairs, things high up) and scare his mama half to death  :) 

7. strong willed - do I like this when it has exhibted itself in carseat screaming, nope, but I know it can suit him well in the future and has already in developing new skills

8.  loves his mommy -- how could this not be something I love about him...that I am right now the center of his world.  :)  Makes me gooey inside

9. his talking and jabbering -

 i wish i knew what he is saying, but its stinkin cute to listen to

10. his love for anything stuffed (minus turkeys - ha ha).

  he goes and squeezes and and kisses all his animals.  

11.  his sharing -- we worked on this for a while, but if you say share (or at least if I say share) he will give you whatever he is holding.  Hoping this continues! 

12.  how just thinking of him can make me weepy or giddy or joyful!  He fills my heart!  

this is 3 mo old and still a favorite photo of mine!

LOVE LOVE LOVE MY BOO-BEAR!

52 Weeks Old

(written yesterday and forgot to post...oops!) So my lil guy is 52 weeks old today! &. 2 days short of a year -- what!?!
How amazing is our God that He makes us in such a way that we can love, love, love another person similar only to the way He loves us. Lent started this year and I am awe all over again with Kyler, like I was with Nicoda, that God could willingly let His Son die. I would do anything for Kyler and anything to hold my Mr. Nicoda again.... I am so thankful for the 52 weeks I have had with my lil man -- watching him grow, seeing his personality develop, observing him discover his world.

Ingredients to a Perfect Party

Incase you weren't aware, first birthdays are kinda a big deal....

well for this mama it was at least.  :)  I had only been planning it, envisioning it, saving pins for it since oh, February 28th, 2012.  Ha!  And it went great!  

First ingredient: decor...mostly done after lil man went to sleep, so he was in awe each morning to find the changes downstairs.  He didn't disappoint either -- he would make "oohhh" noises at them.  

Then the ever so important ingredient: cake...plus a the extra smash cake needed for a 1st birthday and if you are a worrier, the cupcakes done in a different flavor because maybe not everyone wants white cake. 

 (side note : i am that mommy who still doesn't want her baby to 1st be grown and 2nd to have much sugar even if he is the ripe age of 1.  So I used a super yummy, sugar free and egg free recipe for a cake, plus sugar free cool whip.  They advised making sugar free sprinkles too, but I had to draw the line somewhere.  Here's the link to the cake: http://www.ourhavenhill.com/2012/06/05/recipe-healthy-smash-cake-for-babys-1st-birthday/)

Then the most important ingredient: a smiling, happy birthday boy!  He played his part well -- he bounced around from person to toy to mommy and back again until he finally dropped 20 minutes before the party was over. 

 

Extra ingredients not needed, but enjoyed : presents -- they were enjoyed by all the kids during the party.  :)

The icing on the cake: we raised over $100 for World Vision with our donation stat present party (my family wasn't able to go completely toy free - oh, well)!!! 

 Love that we could celebrate AND give back to my charity.  

 

THANKS SO MUCH FOR HELPING US CELEBRATE IF YOU CAME AND FOR ALL THE PRAYERS THAT HAVE GOTTEN LIL MAN AND ME THIS FAR!  WE ARE GRATEFUL AND BLESSED!!!

Additional thank you to my family for taking the pictures --

 I put my phone down and didn't find it til hours after the party!  Oops!  

Weekend Fun

This weekend we didn't have alot on the schedule, so I filled it for us.  :)  

We went to the zoo, to visit Nicoda's grave, got a tire changed, and to Papa's

 -- and that was just Saturday. 

Sunday we had church, lots of playtime, thrifting, and swimming at the Y.  Then I had to go to work...bummer.  

 lights on, lights off!