Hi mamas! I hope you will hop around with Leslyn and I today! Link up your mama posts from the last week and visit a few other blogs! Who doesn’t love to swoon over cute little babies?

This past week has been very eventful, and this week is no exception. I got so many birthday projects and planning done including ordering Hamp’s cake and making his birthday banner! We are getting really excited about his party. Less than three weeks away!

This week we have ball games, and dinners to attend as well as plans to take Hampton to the zoo for the first time and the pumpkin patch! I am hoping to get some cute pictures of him to use at his party. Speaking of pictures, we had his “one year” pictures done this past week! They turned out so beautiful and I can’t wait to share them with you!

Here are a few things you may have missed from last week:

Need a few fun ideas for the fall season? Check out my Fall Bucket List!

Can’t seem to manage to keep the house clean? Check out my Simple Cleaning Schedule!

Need a good fall treat this season? Check out this delicious candy! While you’re at it, enter their sweepstakes here! #sp

Link up all of your mama posts below!

My baby will be eleven months old on Wednesday. ELEVEN! Do you know what comes after 11? I can’t even…

Hampton,

This month you have started waving. A lot. At everything. You have also really found your voice and have started screaming when you play. It makes mommy jump a lot. You still love Cat in the Hat and Thomas the Train. You dance every time the Gilmore Girls theme song comes on which make mommy so proud. You love to read…and eat your books. You are STILL cutting those same 2 bottom teeth and you got your first top tooth in this past week. You tried turkey, cucumbers and thanks to Pops, french fries, for the first time this month. You are getting better about eating your vegetables. Yay! You visited Me Me’s house for the first time and loved it! You traveled so well on the long drive.You are wearing size 12 month clothes and size 3 diapers. You have started pulling out all of the trash out of the trash can and throwing all of your toys in the toilet. That has been fun. You have taken a step a few times, but don’t quite have enough balance yet. You have the biggest smile that lights up an entire room and you are such a joy and blessing to our family.

I love you, angel!

-Mommy

Be sure to link up all of your Mama posts below!

Hampton’s birthday invitations came in the mail a few days ago and I have been busy gathering addresses and writing them out! It’s official. Party planning is in full swing. I ordered his birthday outfit (the part that I’m not making) and bought a few crafty things to make his garland and birthday cake banner! I really hope it all turns out the way I want it to, but you never know with my crafting skills. 😉

I honestly can’t believe I will have an eleven month old in a week. His birthday will be here before we know it and we still have so much to plan/buy/do before it gets here. That reminds me, what do you buy a one year old boy for his birthday? The practical side of me wants to buy him clothes or put money in his bank account, but the fun mom side of me wants to buy him everything in the toy store! Decisions decisions.

Speaking of babies, fun moms and what not, I hope you will link up for Mama Mondays below!

What would you buy a one year old for his birthday?

Welcome to our second week of Mama Mondays! Link up all of your mama related posts and grab our button or link back to us!

Has anyone tried baby lead weaning? I heard about it for the first time when Hampton was around 6 months old. I decided to try it out. He only has 2 teeth, but his doctor said that because his gums are so hard, he would be fine to chew soft foods. So far, Hampton is doing really well with fruits, toast, and green beans. Carrots on the other hand… yikes. Let’s just say Pippa eats her fair share of carrots.

Have you tried BLW? What BLW foods have been successful for your baby?

Hello! Did you know today is “Be Late For Something Day?” Finally a holiday I can get into! haha I am rarely on time for anything these days which is funny because being late used to be a huge pet peeve of mine. It’s funny how having a baby changes things.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend! Our Labor Day Weekend was filled with food and family. We traveled to Jacksonville, Florida where my grandparents live and we stayed for almost a week. We enjoyed the beach a couple of days, caught a few of the labor day sales and ate tons of food. I seriously feel like I’ve gained 10 pounds. Not really, but we ate a lot.

No pants and flip flops – a true beach bum! 😉

We watched lots of football and I am excited to say that I am winning my fantasy league after the first week. And no, Ryan did not help me at all. I just have a gut feeling about these things. Or I choose based on team colors…either way. 😉

In front of Me Me’s famous pink doors!

I loved taking Hampton to the beach one last time this year. He loves the sand and he is warming up to the waves. It had so much fun and was in the best little mood. It made for a really great week.

What did you do over the holiday weekend?

writing this blog and in my journal (almost) daily. I mean, I do have a 10 month old who keeps me very busy. I try to write a blog post a day and write in my journal as often as I can because it is very therapeutic for me. I like to have a place to dump all of my thoughts.

Linking up with Jenna!


Be sure to stop by the baby burp to read 10 things you will discover after having a baby!

Happy Labor Day!! I love a long holiday weekend! To me, this weekend means family, food, beach time, laughter, and another one of Hampton’s firsts. I have absolutely loved celebrating his firsts this year. First time going to a restaurant (and then his first time at each (named) restaurant), His first Sunday at church, his first laugh, his first Easter, etc. It has been quite a year watching him grow and change so much. I hope you are all enjoying your day celebrating with your loved ones and most importantly – relax.

I’m so excited to start Mama Monday’s with Leslyn! She came to me with this idea a couple of weeks a and I loved it! I am a big fan of a place where mothers can come together to support one another in the happy times and difficult moments associated with parenting.

If you’re new around here, my name is Logan and I have a 10 month old, Hampton. You can read more about me here and more about him here.

I wanted to start off the first week with a funny/slightly terrifying story. I am extremely grossed out by roaches. I’m not afraid of them, but they are so disgusting to me that I feel dirty even being in a room with one. I just can’t deal. So one day, Ryan left to go to a lunch meeting and about 5 minutes after he left, I realized I had left my camera outside earlier from where Ryan was taking pics of one of my outfits. I went out onto the porch to grab it and when I turned around, I saw Hampton sitting just outside of the door chomping down on something. Just as soon as I looked at him, he all of a sudden got a terrified expression on his face and screamed in a way I had never heard him scream before. He freaked out. I ran to him and grabbed him up, running inside, and then I saw it. He had some how put a live roach in his mouth. Live, people.

That thing was going crazy in his tiny little mouth and it was scaring him. I forced his mouth open and saw the roach go down his throat. Hampton started choking and when he coughed it up, I was able to reach in and grab the roach and slung him on the floor all while screaming and crying myself because I was petrified. My son was choking. He was choking on the one thing I vowed never to touch.

It’s amazing what you will do for your kids. Hampton got a really good scrub down and I brushed his mouth/gums/teeth like crazy. I will never forget that day because it was one of my most terrifying experiences as a parent thus far. Of course, I can look back at it now and laugh, but at the time, it was horrible.

Has your child ever eaten something that repulsed you? What is a crazy experience you’ve had with your baby?

It’s time to link up your mama post of the week! Grab our button or link back to our blogs. I can’t wait to read all of your stories!

My baby boy,

I can’t believe you are 10 months old today. This past month has been the fastest one yet. You still aren’t walking, but you are standing up for several seconds at a time before you fall down and I feel like you probably will be before your 1st birthday – but I’d be okay with it if you didn’t. You need to slow down. You climb everything – including me and daddy. You love playing in the kitchen cabinets. You are cutting two more teeth on the bottom, but you still have no signs of any on the top. Thomas the Train and Cat in the Hat are still your favorite shows/songs/toys. Your favorite book is the bible, and I am so proud of that. You go straight to it every time you want to read a story.

You don’t like to snuggle quite as much as you used to, but when you do, it is precious and I treasure every second of it. You love to be cuddled when you are sleepy. You still sleep with your Daniel Tiger and we can’t go anywhere without it. We are going to Me Me’s house for your first time this week! I can’t wait to take you to the beach again. I can’t wait to celebrate your first Labor Day with you. You have started eating more “big people” food. You love bananas, toast and apples the most. You hate carrots and green beans and throw them at Pippa. I can’t believe you have already figured out that trick. You are talking more and more and getting to be quite loud. You have the biggest smile and you are constantly making us laugh. You are definitely learning the word “no” really well and even obey us…sometimes. You roll your cars and Thomas all over the living room floor. I love watching you play. You are over 20lbs now and growing more and more every day. I am starting to plan for your birthday party because it will be here before we know it.

I love you my sweet angel.

-Mommy

Here are a few facts about my life since having my baby (9 months ago).

Our house will not stay as clean as it was before.
-I have a really good cleaning schedule at our home. Laundry on Mondays, floors on Tuesdays and Saturdays, etc. It helps keep our house clean for the most part, but we have toys now. They stay out all the time and they are all over the place. I have been mysteriously finding my plastic spoons and spatulas thrown about the house as well as tupperware. Honestly, I love it. I love that my house is clearly lived in. My sweet baby made that mess and therefore I love it.

We will not be able to watch a T.V. show or movie without hitting pause for…the foreseeable future.
-This one is a shame. It takes us 2 hours to watch a 1 hour long show and sometimes we don’t even get to finish it until the next day. Thank goodness for DVR, right?

We will not have an uninterrupted meal.
-We take turns tending to Hamp while we eat. He hates it when we eat and aren’t paying him as much attention. He also decides he is hungry again every time we sit down to eat. Gotta love him. Hopefully this will get better with time. It’s just an attention seeking phase…right, moms? Anyone?

I will never take enough pictures.
– Ryan laughs at the amount of pictures I take of our son. I can’t help it. I want to remember everything. There are some things I’ve already forgotten like his first couple of months. It is all a blur and I don’t know what I would do without all of the pictures I took. I want to remember every face, look, smile, cry, and laugh.

Date nights are needed often, but don’t happen often.
-Before having Hampton, we could do and go wherever we wanted when we wanted. After having him, our date nights are not as often (naturally) but we now take full advantage of them. Before, we took them for granted because we saw each other all the time. Now, it is a treat and something we look forward to.

I will never travel peacefully again.
– When we went to Orlando, I left Hampton for the first time. I cried and cried. It was so tough for me to enjoy the trip without constantly thinking of him and wondering what he was doing or if he was okay. Did I forget to leave something for him? etc. When we left him for the second time while we were in Chicago, I had the same thoughts. It wasn’t as bad that time because we stayed so busy, but the plane rides were rough. By the time we got home, I was so anxious to see him. I’m hoping this will also get better with time.

I have a new-found confidence and less fear.
-I have lost some of my fears because having a baby does something to you. It makes you strong in ways you never were before. Motherhood also brings about new fears. Obvious ones. Of course you worry about your child constantly, but you will also grow and mature in a whole new way. You no longer get to be the child. You are the mom. This tiny person looks to you for comfort, food, and security. That gives you strength.

Some months I feel like I’ll never sleep again.
-Hampton is 9 months old, but he still goes through phases where he wakes up many times a night. I don’t know when this will get better. I am constantly wondering when we will sleep again. Sometimes he does great. He will sleep through the night for 2 or 3 weeks and then just when we feel like we have it all figured out, BOOM. He wakes up 4 times in one night and then it begins again. He won’t sleep for weeks. It goes back and forth. Can you tell I haven’t slept much the past 3 weeks? Can you tell by this sleepy rant? (haha okay, done)

We will not ever experience a love like this again…
-…until we have another child, of course. Hampton has filled my heart with so much joy and love since the moment I found out I was pregnant. Since he came into this world, it feels like my heart is crawling around our home. He is so precious. I can be in a terrible mood and he looks at me and smiles or does his sweet little chuckle and I forget about it all. The world around me fades and everything is better. He is the biggest blessing to mine and Ryan’s lives and I can’t imagine life without him now that he is here.

Bottom line, it’s worth it. To all of my friends and followers who are expecting their first child, cherish this time with your spouse. Things change so much once that little one comes into the world. You will have tons of time to focus on your little one, but you only have a limited time left to spend with your spouse like this. Go on dates now. Don’t wait. Children are a huge blessing from God and they bring so much joy to you and your home. They are worth it. Hampton is worth every T.V. show I haven’t watched. He is worth every bite of my dinner I didn’t get to finish, he is worth every day I haven’t been able to shower and every frustrated tear from a very tired mother. He is worth everything.

What changes have been made in your home since having children? How often do you go on a date with your husband?

Happy August, everyone! It is officially my birthday month and as of tomorrow, my birthday week! It’s so hard to believe that my  little monkey was 9 months last week. I seriously can’t believe that we will be celebrating his birthday in less than 3 months. I want him to make like a lost boy and never grow up, you know? Unfortunately, that’s impossible. I have to face the fact that my itty bitty isn’t so itty anymore.

Hampton, I took you to the doctor on your 9 month birthday. You weighed 19 lbs. 7 oz. and were 29 inches long. You are standing for a few seconds at a time now and walking all around our coffee table. I feel like it will be any day now, and I am SO not ready for you to walk. You’ve started climbing everything and you did a squat the other day that most crossfitters would be proud of. You’re cutting your third tooth. You are still wearing size 3 diapers and starting to wear more size 12 month clothes. You are sleeping through the night again (hallelujah)! You have started eating a little bit of table food but not much because you still don’t have many teeth. You still love Thomas the Train and The Cat in the Hat. You love to read your books and pull them all off of your shelf. You have the hardiest chuckle and you make us smile every day. You are my everything. I love you, little prince.

-Mommy