Get Ready to Change Your Life

I know most of my blog posts are probably not "life changing." Interesting? Maybe. Informative? Perhaps. Funny? Of course! But, life changing? Probably not.

This post, however, is different. Not because of something brilliant I'm going to write (sorry to disappoint you), but because of something I'm going to share.
I'm reading a book called Success Is Not an Accident by Tommy Newberry. I wanted to wait until I was actually finished reading it to write about it, but I just can't wait! I have been telling everyone I know about this book since the day I started reading it. It really isn't a long book, but I only get to read when I can squeeze it in, so it's taking me a little while to finish it. Plus, it is so full of information that I like to take my time and really absorb what I'm reading.

Obviously, the book is about success and being successful with your life. The thing I love about this book is that it lets you define what success means for you. There are actually short assignments at the end of each chapter, and one of your first assignments is to write your definition of success. Because, how can you be successful if you don't know what that looks like?

Once you have defined success, the author gives you very concrete, detailed instructions for writing out your goals, so you can ultimately achieve them. He has you look forward to where you want to be in 30 years. You imagine what your life looks like, what you're doing, what your family looks like, what your free time looks like. Your only limit is your imagination! Then, you work backward from there.

You write down specific goals you want to accomplish in 30 years. Then you figure out what you need to have done in 15 years, so those goals can be accomplished. Then you look at what needs to be done in the next 10 years, 5 years, 1 year, 6 months, 1 month, 1 week, all the way to what needs to be done today. He starts at 30 years out, but you could really start at any point in the future and work backward from there. This may seem really simple to all of you, but to me, this was an "A-HA" moment.

You look to where you want to be, and then you figure out what you need to do to get there. And then...get this...you do it! It sounds so simple when you think about it that way, and you can apply this to absolutely any goal you have.

For example, if you want to lose weight: How much do you want to weigh in 1 year? What do you need to do to get there? What do you need to have done in 6 months? 1 month? 1 week? What steps can you take every day to reach your goal?

It is so practical and helps you focus on what you CAN do. One of my favorite quotes from the book says, "Focus on reaching your goals rather than the obstacles that stand in your way. " So often, we focus on what we can't do, what we can't control. We look at everything that's going to stop us. This hinders us from doing what we CAN. This moves our focus away from the daily things we can do to get us where we want to be. Another great quote from the book says, "The moment you want a goal more than you want an excuse, you can succeed."

What's your excuse? It's easy to come up with them. I can come up with all kinds of excuses not to pursue my dreams. I'm too young. I don't have enough money. I don't have enough education or the right education. I have a one-year-old. I'm too busy. I'll do it someday. I don't have the right personality for that. I don't have the proper training to do that. I might fail. People might think I'm crazy.

Get my point? I could go on and on and on, creating one excuse after another about why I can't do something. But what if I stop thinking about what could go wrong and start thinking about what could go RIGHT? What if I don't focus on the obstacles, but instead, focus on the destination and what I can do to get there?Anything worth having is worth working for, and those obstacles that come up only make us stronger.

I love that the author is a Christian and repeatedly asks you to think about what God has created you to do. God created YOU to do something unique and special with your life. There is absolutely no one else like you on the face of this earth. You are truly an original, and God has a specific plan for your life.

What does it look like? What does God want you to do? What does He want to use you to accomplish? The book asks, "How do you believe God wants the world to be different because of your particular life?" You see, God has big plans for all of us. He wants to use us to change the world, but if we don't embace those plans, if we don't pursue Him and what He wants for our lives, He will still accomplish His plans...He'll just use someone else to do it. Don't you want Him to use YOU? Don't you want to be part of something big?

I know I do. I want to use every ounce of potential God has given me. When I get to Heaven, I want Him to say, I had to bring you home because you had absolutely nothing left in you. This book truly has inspired me to do whatever it takes to be the person God created me to be. If you're looking for encouragement and direction on how to reach your full potential, I would highly recommend that you read it, too. In the next several posts, I'm going to be sharing some of the dreams and goals God has given me and how I plan to pursue them.

Just remember...He created YOU to do great things.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! I must admit...I'm not the biggest fan of Valentine's Day. Maybe a little bit of my husband's cynicism has actually rubbed off on me over the years. According to him, Valentine's Day is a meaningless holiday created by people who sell chocolate, flowers, and greeting cards. In a way, I sort of have to agree.

I always received a Valentine's Day gift from my parents (and still do)! Thanks, Mom and Dad, :). I always celebrated with friends and boyfriends throughout the years. We got Will a gift this year...a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse DVD, which he loves! So, I'm not a total Scrooge, but when you really stop to think about it what is the point of Valentine's Day?

Theron and I really don't get gifts for each other. We discussed this while we were dating and agreed that we'd rather do nice things to show our love and appreciation for each other throughout the year, rather than buying each other gifts one day a year just because it's Valentine's Day. Don't get me wrong...if you love Valentine's Day, I'm not judging you. This is just something we decided before we even got married.

Here are my thoughts. I would rather my husband buy me flowers just because he feels like it or because he knows I would like them. Like a couple weeks ago, for example. I had a really rough day. Will was in a terrible mood and had thrown multiple temper tantrums that morning. By lunch time, I'd had enough. Theron came home to eat with us, and I lost it. I told him I quit. I said, "I am NOT cut out to be a stay at home mom!" I don't have the patience. I want to go back to work where people are nice to me. (I tend to get a little irrational from time to time). After patiently listening to my tirade, he gave me a hug and said, "I'm so sorry you're having a bad day. I hope it gets better." He went back to work, Will took a nap, and our day did get better. Theron was supposed to run that evening after work. Those of you who know him, know his running means a lot to him, and he's worked really hard lately to get back into shape. That evening, instead of running, he came home...with tulips...my favorite flower. He also brought me a box of Thin Mints...my very favorite Girl Scout cookie ever. He took Will to his room and played with him, so I could make dinner in peace and quiet. I love my husband every single day, but I appreciated him so much that night. He knew exactly what would make me feel better and sacrificed what he wanted to do in order to make me happy.

Folks, this is what true love looks like in my opinion. I am not perfect. My husband's not perfect. We get mad at each other, we argue, we don't love each other the way we should each and every day. But we do our best to put each other's needs ahead of our own, to forgive quickly and wholeheartedly, to show appreciation for one another, to do nice things for each other, to make each other laugh, to give each other space when it is needed, to support and encourage one another in our daily lives, to push each other to be better every day, to help each other pursue our goals and dreams. Simply put, we strive to love the way God first loved us. Obviously, we fail, but we pursue that kind of love anyway.

Marriage and relationships in general can be hard. They can take a lot of work. For us, we believe that the key to successful relationships is putting God first. When we are both seeking Him, we are growing closer to one another. When we even attempt to love each other the way God loves us, it is better than anything we could ever do on our own.

So, enjoy your Valentine's Day. I won't judge you. But I am constantly grateful for my Valentine who chooses to show me his love and affection throughout the year, not just on February 14th.

13 and 14 Months

So, I totally didn't write a post for Will's 13 month update. Perhaps it had something to do with the craziness of the holidays, the craziness of my 13-month-old, or the craziness of life in general (it's pretty crazy around here!). Whatever the reason, I didn't do it, and one day when Will is reading the blog books I've printed for him (I know it will be his favorite pasttime), he will say, "Wow, Mom. Thanks for forgetting about my 13th month of life." Will, if you're reading this at some point in the future, I didn't forget, I just didn't have a chance to blog about it. or sit down. or breathe.

Anyway, I'll try to combine months 13 and 14 in this post, so I can remember what was going on, and so Will knows I didn't totally skip out on one month of his life.

I don't know his exact weight and height, but I do know he went through a huge growth spurt. I'm pretty sure he grew 2 inches or more in the span of a month. Pants are too short, jammies are too small, and he's almost as tall as some of his friends that he's never even been close too. His weight didn't seem to increase as fast, though, and he's looking kind of skinny these days. Maybe he's just losing some of that precious baby fat. Whatever it is, he is starting to look less like a baby and more like a toddler every day.

He definitely does not act like a baby. I can't believe all the things he can do. He just amazes me every day.

His vocabulary has really picked up over the past couple of months. He can repeat tons of words, but he has actually started using several words to communicate on his own. Some of his favorite words are tractor, ball, more, milk, touchdown (complete with arm motions), and his favorite of all...NO! I have to say, I'm already tired of him telling me "NO!" and I know I have years of this to look forward to. He can also say all done, bath time, Grandad, and DVD.

Speaking of DVD, he has become much more interested in TV shows and movies. His favorite shows are Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Sesame Street. He loves Elmo (Mo). What is it about Elmo that kids love so much? I don't get it, but it seems to be universal. He also loves watching his Baby Einstein on the Farm dvd and his Sing Along Songs dvd. He will bring me both remote controls and say "DVD?" I try not to let him watch too much TV, but when he asks so sweetly, I sometimes have trouble telling him no. I am, however, getting VERY tired of watching the same two dvds over and over and over again.

Thankfully, we've had a very mild winter, so we've been able to play outside quite a bit. Will loves playing outside, and I am so ready for spring and summer to get here! Hopefully, we won't be dealing with 100+ degree heat every day like last summer, but we plan on being outside. A LOT.

He still has a great appetite and eats just about anything that's put in front of him. Sometimes I'm amazed by the quantity of food such a small person can consume. I dread my future grocery bills! Some of his favorite foods are bananas, blueberries, pumpkin muffins, meatballs, green beans, and any type of bread. It's funny, because even though he will eat just about anything, a lot of his favorite foods are still the same as when he first started eating solids.

This month has brought an obsession...yes, obsession....with jumping on the bed. I'm pretty sure he would stay on my bed all day long if I'd let him. Sometimes, I'll be on the computer, or washing dishes, or getting ready, and he'll come grab my hand and drag me into the bedroom. He'll walk up to the bed and stand there saying "up,up,up." I lift him up onto the bed, and look out! He is a crazy man. He jumps, he falls flat on his face, flat on his back, he walks to the very edge and looks at me just so I'll say...be careful, Will!

He loves testing the limits. To him, "no" is just an invitation to do whatever you don't want him to do. In the same way, "be careful" is an invitation to step a little closer to the edge of the bed, or the couch, or the street. It is fun and scary to see his personality emerge. I can see some of the battles we are going to face, but I can also see the strong, independent man he is going to become. He won't be afraid to question things, to test the limits. Sometimes, this might be dangerous, but I can also see it being very beneficial. I can see him being a leader. An adventurer, ready to test uncharted waters. I know he will get into his fair share of trouble. I know he will probably be an ornery little boy and very likely an ornery teenage boy and an ornery adult. However, I pray that God will take those qualities - his strong will, his adventurous personality, his curious nature - and will develop them and shape them to be used for His glory.

I know my sweet Will was created just the way he is for a purpose, and my prayer every day is that he will become a man who seeks God and follows Him in every area of his life. If He does, I know God will use him and that strong personality to do great things.

Remembering Brandon

January 17. 2005. I remember this date seven years ago as if it were yesterday. It started out like any other day and ended like no day I had ever experienced.

I was a freshman at OBU. I was taking J-term classes, so I had already been back at school for a couple weeks. I woke up and went to class - Government with Dr. Litherland. I sat through my class, went to lunch, and went to track practice. After practice, I went back to my dorm, showered, and got ready for dinner. Very ordinary.

To finish off my ordinary day, I went to our track Bible study that evening. It was led by my friend Daniel, and I always looked forward to it. We met at his apartment every Monday night, and it was a great way to start the week. In an attempt to practice good cell phone manners, I put my phone on silent before we started the Bible study. I'm sure our study didn't last too long. I can't remember exactly. 30 minutes. An hour at the most. Little did I know that in that short amount of time my entire life would change.

After we were finished, I looked at my phone and noticed I had several missed calls from my mom and dad. It was not weird to have a missed call from my mom or dad, but it seemed like they were trying pretty desperately to get a hold of me. I also had a new voicemail, so I checked it to see what was going on. It was very short and vague...Hey, Meagan. It's Dad. Call me as soon as you can. No details, but I could sense that something was wrong.

I called my dad and from the moment he answered, I knew it wasn't just that something was wrong. I knew something really terrible had happened. The tone of his voice, the seriousness I could feel through our connection over the phone.

Hey, Dad. What's wrong? (My mind is jumping to a million conclusions at this point)
Meagan, it's Brandon (my 7-year-old cousin). He collapsed at basketball practice.
Is he ok? He's ok, isn't he? (It was one of those moments where I knew he wasn't ok, but I was just praying my dad would say, Yes, he's fine.)
No. They tried to save him, but there wasn't anything they could do. He's gone.

I stood there in shock. Things like this didn't happen. 7-year-olds don't just collapse and die at basketball practice. I was dreaming. Having a nightmare. This was too impossible to be true. It didn't make any sense.

I burst into tears. I stood outside my friend's apartment door, sobbing. Uncontrollably. I don't remember much of the rest of the conversation with my dad. He told me my cousin Amanda was coming to pick me up to bring me home. I couldn't really process anything.

I hung up the phone and walked back into my friend's apartment still sobbing. Theron met me at the door and hugged me. I hysterically explained what was going on, and Theron and I went back to a bedroom away from everyone else for a little while. I just sat there and cried still trying to process how this could be true. Theron just sat there and held me and let me cry. We had only been dating a few months, and I knew he probably thought I was absolutely crazy, but I didn't care. I couldn't do anything else but sit there and cry.

I finally pulled myself together enough to get back to my dorm room and start packing a few things, so I could go home. My cousin Amanda came, and we headed home together. I was so thankful for her. Thankful that I didn't have to drive by myself. I don't really remember much of that car ride. It is all a blur.

When we finally got home, we went to my Nannie's house where a lot of my family had gathered. It was comforting and horrifying all at the same time. I was so glad to be there with them, but it made it so much more real that he was really gone. I didn't sleep that night. I'm pretty sure I didn't really sleep for a few days. I would drift in and out, but every time I got close to real sleep, Brandon's precious face appeared in my mind.

A seemingly ordinary day, ended up changing my life forever. A matter of a few moments impacted the rest of my life. From that point forward, I begin to see the importance of each and every day of my life. If a 7-year-old could die instantly...so could I. Tomorrow is never guaranteed. I had always known this, but this experience made it so much more real.

I am so thankful for the life of Brandon Beach. In his short 7 years and 1 day (he died the day after his birthday), he taught me so much. He brought so much joy to my life. He was a natural-born athlete. Any and every sport came easily to him. I remember when he was only about 3 or 4 he didn't want to hit the baseball off the tee, he wanted you to pitch to him. He loved sports, and he loved OU. He did a great Mack Brown impression. He could tell you all of his favorite players. A lot of times, he wasn't Brandon, he was Kevin Bookout, or whoever he decided to be that day. He was competitive. I remember playing this dice game called Horse Race with him just a few weeks before he died. He wanted to win SO bad and hated to lose. He was the first little kid I got to babysit all by myself. He was my little buddy, and I loved playing with him.

Everyone just knew he had a great life ahead of him, but God had a different plan. I still don't understand why God chose to take him when he did, and I probably never will. However, I know God has a plan for my life, and I don't know how many days that life has in it. Since I don't know, I have to make the most of each and every one He decides to give me. I can't take even one for granted because I never know when it might be my last. Each one has to count.

Like I said, this whole experience changed my life. It made me value and appreciate time with my family. Now that I have a son, I realize that he is not mine. I have been given the privilege of loving him while he is here with me and entrusted with the responsibility of raising him and teaching him how to love the Lord with all his heart, soul, mind and strength. I have been given a sense of urgency, knowing that the people in my life, those I know well and those I don't, could be here today and gone tomorrow, so I can't waste a moment with any of them. I have a responsibility to share the Truth...that even though our lives on Earth may be short, we can spend eternity with our Father in Heaven. I am so thankful that because of my relationship with Jesus, I will get to be reunited with Brandon one day.

I was given a gift shortly after his death. God allowed me to have a dream where Brandon visited me and let me know that he was ok. Some of you may think this is crazy talk, but I know it was a gift from God. I woke up sobbing when the dream was over because he had to go, but he reassured me that everything was ok and that he was fine and that I would see him again some day.

Please remember that each day is a gift, and we are not promised tomorrow. I know I will hug my family a little tighter today and say a few extra prayers for all the blessings I've been given. I hope you will, too.

Goals for the New Year

Hey, everyone! I feel like I haven't see you guys since last year! Hahaha...I'm still as funny as ever. Or not. You don't have to think I'm funny, but please don't tell me and burst my bubble.

How's the new year treating you so far? I have to say, I can't complain. I didn't get the best start to 2012...I was sick. I had a really high fever and felt like I had been hit by a truck. At times, I was wishing the truck would've just gone ahead and finished me off. Thankfully, I made a full recovery, and I think the rest of 2012 can only get better!

I've never been a huge fan of New Year's resolutions. I feel like real resolutions are made any time throughout the year when a person decides they need to make a change or do something differently in their life. I often thought people only made New Year's resolutions because they felt like they were supposed to, not because they truly saw a need for change. Always having my Psychology major tucked away in the back of my mind, I know people will not truly change until they see the need to change and are ready to do what is necessary to make it happen. Because of this, I thought the majority of New Year's resolutions were pretty pointless. While I haven't changed my mind entirely, I do see some benefit in using a new year for somewhat of a "fresh start." It is a nice time to look back and reflect on the past year and to think about some things you would like to challenge yourself to do or to change in the coming year. That's why I have made New Year's Goals rather than New Year's resolutions. These are goals that will be constantly looked at, evaluated, and revised throughout this year and possibly years to come. So, here they are. You can all hold me accountable.

- Say at least 5 positive things to my husband and son every day
- Take time to read to and play with Will every day
- Spend less time online (email, Facebook, blogs...this will be a struggle)
- Run a half marathon (I'm shooting for the OKC Memorial half)
- Exercise at least 5 days a week (this should be easily accomplished with my 1/2 marathon training)
- Make an effort to get to know my neighbors or get to know them better
- Eat fruits and veggies every day
- Drink more water
- Be more bold in sharing my faith.
- Read through the New Testament
- Find a place to volunteer on a regular basis (and actually follow through with it)
- Blog at least once a week

These are just a few things that have been on my heart over the past few weeks. I'm sure more goals will be added, and some of these may be modified, but I always like to have an idea of things I'd like to accomplish and things I need to be aware of in my daily life. I have a few other adventures I may be embarking upon this year. I will be praying about them and thinking through them and will be happy to share them when the time is right. For now, I will focus on these goals, a few specific things God has put in my heart for 2012. I can't wait to see what this year holds!

One Year!

Well, we made it! We all survived Will's first year of life. Oh my...it has gone so quickly! Even though those first few weeks seemed like they would never end, the year ended up being a total blur. One minute I was holding my precious newborn, and the next minute I was chasing my toddler around the house, picking up the messes left in his wake. At least once a day, I think "when did my baby get so big?" Anyway, whether I believe it or not, a year has come and gone, and it truly has been the best year of my life!

Will had his 12 month well check, which included more shots. That is never fun, but he seemed to handle them pretty well this time. He weighed in at 20 lbs. 3 oz. and measured 29 1/2 inches long.  He is a great eater, and it definitely showed at this visit! He's finally out of the 5-10% in weight, even though he still seems pretty tiny compared to other babies his age. Everything else is great. He is very healthy, and for that, I am SO grateful.

Obviously the biggest thing this month was his first birthday! We started celebrating early, so we could celebrate with my extended family and Theron's extended family. Both celebrations were so much fun, and I know Will enjoyed every minute of it, even if he had no idea why he was getting to eat cake, cookies, and ice cream. He also got to celebrate his first Thanksgiving and absolutely loved all the yummy Thanksgiving food, too. He is blessed to have so many wonderful family members, and he ended up with more presents than any one-year-old really needs...especially right before Christmas!

The day of his actual birthday, we had a few of his friends and their mommies over for lunch. They played, made messes, and ate more cookies. It was a lot of fun.

I love his little personality more and more each day. He is constantly making us laugh. He has the cutest ornery look you've ever seen...and the personality to match! He is always testing us. When we tell him "No," he usually does whatever he isn't supposed to be doing with that little ornery look on his face. I usually have to turn away, so he doesn't see me laughing, before I can try to discipline him again. He loves showing off...especially for little girls. He tries to impress them with his awesome dance moves, but so far, they do not seem too impressed.

He is learning more words and often tries to repeat what we say, but he mostly speaks gibberish and LOTS of it. I am convinced he actually knows a foreign language, and I just don't understand what he's saying. He can talk a mile a minute, but goodness knows what he's trying to say. I can't wait for the day that all those words actually make sense! I always wonder what is going on in that little head of his. Sometimes, I'm not so sure I really want to know.

He loves to take turns chasing each other around the house, and I love his squeals as he runs to get away. He still loves taking rides in the laundry basket, and I only agree to it because it's great exercise for me! He has an obsession with socks. He will take them, put them in a pile, then move them to the laundry basket, then back out of the laundry basket into another pile on the floor. He will sometimes play with socks for half an hour. Whatever keeps him entertained. He also loves loading and emptying the dishwasher and emptying "his" cabinets and drawers that he's allowed to play in. Right now seems to be all about sorting and stacking, and I figure all of these messes spread throughout my house are only serving educational purposes, right?

He will also play with any kind of ball. He loves to roll them, throw them, kick them, and put them through the hoop on his new basketball goal. I keep telling myself he doesn't have to like sports. He doesn't have to play sports if he doesn't want. But I keep hoping, that he will want to without any pressure from his mom and dad. So far, it seems like I don't have to worry.

He still takes one nap in the morning for about 30 mintues and one nap in the afternoon for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours (unless we're at someone else's house!). He refuses to nap well when he's anywhere but in his bed. I can't say I blame him. I prefer to sleep in my own bed, too! I don't know how long his morning nap will last, but I'm going to hold on to it as long as I can. He goes to bed around 7:30 each night and sleeps until 6:00 or 6:30 in the morning...we even made it to 7:15 one day!

He gets so excited for bath time or "baa ta," but he hates having his hair washed. He DOES NOT like having his diaper changed, but will lay still just long enough for me to get the job done if I sing the BC Clark Christmas Jingle. He still doesn't like us to leave him anywhere, but he usually cries for just a little while and does fine after that. Most of all, he doesn't like to sit still! I cherish the moments that he is sleepy enough to sit on my lap for just a few minutes. Unfortunately, these moments are few and far between!

I could go on and on. I love him more than I ever could have imagined, and just when I think I can't possibly love him any more...I do. I constantly thank God for the blessing he is to my life. I know the years will only go faster and faster, and I hope I can live in the moment, through each and every unique phase and just soak them all up!

You are such a blessing to me, Will Cooper! I love you so much!

11 Months

OK, so I've been terrible about blogging lately. It's already been an entire month since I last blogged, and now it's time for Will's monthly update again. Maybe the fact that I have an 11-month-old has something to do with my lack of blogging. Did you hear that? I have an 11-month-old! Can you believe it? I know I can't. This month has been lots of fun and full of action!

Will is a full-time walker now, which means I do not sit down often. Thank goodness for nap time! I have come to realize that nap times are definitely more for the parents than for the child. Can I get an amen? Anyway, we do lots of running around. Will has even learned to "race." He stands at one end of the hall, and I say, "On your mark, get set, GO!" Then, he takes off, going as fast as his little legs will carry him, and ends by clapping for himself and looking very proud. It really is very cute.

He loves playing outside and going to the playground by our house. The swing is his favorite. The kid would swing for hours if I'd let him. Our visits to the park usually end in crying (Will's, not mine), as I tear him away from the swing and put him back in his stroller. He gets over it pretty quickly, though, since we have a nice walk to get back to the house.

This month has been all about messes. I thought that they were bad before, but I had no idea what was coming. This kid can make a mess, and he does it with such joy. He loves to throw all the books off the bookshelf. I hate picking up the books multiple times a day, but he just looks so happy as he's throwing those books on the ground. Plus, it keeps him quiet and occupied for a few minutes, so I can actually do something productive. He's also become a pro at opening cabinets and drawers and throwing the contents all over the room. Again, a big mess, but sometimes it is totally worth it. I love the sound of his "uh-oh" as he throws everything on the ground.

He is quite a talker. Most of the time I have no idea what he is saying, but he just jabbers away. I'm not sure how I ended up with such a noisy child, :). I love it, though! The sound of that sweet voice can just make my day. He has also started doing this crazy laugh. I have no idea where he got it, but it is hilarious. It's almost a cackle. I definitely need to get it on video, so I never forget that sound.

Will has always been and continues to be a great eater. Right now he wants to eat anything and everything that is on my plate. Slightly frustrating at times, but I'm glad he likes trying new foods. He loves pasta and baked beans. A boy after my own heart. He is only nursing once a day now. I have slowly switched one feeding at a time, and it has worked out well for both of us, so far. After his birthday, I think he will be ready to switch to drinking from a cup full time.

He seems like he has grown a lot this month, but it's hard to tell without official measurements. He unofficially weighs around 18 lbs., but I have no idea how long he is. He does not stay still long enough for me to measure. His 12 month check up should be an interesting one. I might have to sit on him in order for the doctor to do what she needs to do.

A few notables and favorite things from this month:
- Will destroyed another cell phone (almost)...it miraculously recovered after being thrown in water. He threw the first one in the toilet. The recovery was not so successful.
- He loves being pulled around the house in the laundry basket. He also loves putting things in the laundry basket and pulling them around the house.
- He likes to make piles of clothes (dirty laundry...yes, we consistently have piles of it) and jump in them. He actually just falls face first into them. It makes me laugh so hard every time.
- He also likes jumping on the bed. This probably wasn't the best thing to teach him, but he has so much fun doing it, so there's no going back now.
- He loves hugs. He sometimes scares other children with his excessive hugging. I, however, can't get enough of it.
- He likes to dance. At the slightest sound of music, he starts bouncing his little legs and waving his arms.
- He loves to wave at everyone in the grocery store. We make new "friends" every time we go to the store.
- He celebrated his first Halloween by going to our church's Fall Festival, dressed as the cutest lumberjack you've ever seen.

I just adore this boy. He is not the perfect child. He can be grumpy and whiny and clingy. He makes messes and breaks things and constantly gets crumbs all over the floor. But he is mine, and that's all that matters.