A little of our week {in photos}

This is perhaps the best kind of post.. one with lots of pictures.

I got a little emotional when a friend at work mentioned going to a funeral for a young person who had young children. And I thought about what a gut-wrenching fear that is for me. I pray, pray that my boys won't have to be without either me or Hector while they're little. I want them to remember us, and remember the good times we had, and the love we had/have for one another. I'm getting nauseous just typing these words. BLECHHH. Ok.

Anyways, I also thought, I need to get in more pictures with my kids! How 'not fun' would it be to get older and look back at photos and only see pics of you by yourself?? No. I want them to see Mom and Dad in pictures with them. As Emily Anderson (of The Anderson Crew) calls it, "Embracing the Camera", getting in pictures with your kiddos. It really is special. Do it.

On to the happy!

This baby boy.. getting increasingly uneasy in his jumper.. he'd rather be roaming the house, getting into trouble! Look at those sweet teeth! Two on the bottom.

He crawls up to me EVERY chance he gets. He's kinda smitten with me.. and I kinda thrive on that! 

Pulled him into a "selfie"... But hey! We're together!

Coco and Daddy... lookalikes much?? 

Daddy with Liam! Blurry, but together. :)

Granna and Pop dropped in last night for dinner! Love when they're here!

She is so fantastic, and he is her BIGGEST fan. 

Switched the 'ol camera into manual mode for these next shots. You're welcome. 

My sweaty boy on our walk today. 

Baby bro at least had some stroller shade... Rosy cheeks :)

Those feet...... I just can't. I kiss them everyday. Because, why not?

Nature boy, he wanted me to eat that, I think.

I refused and his 16 year old attitude came out.

His face kills me. So big.

Wonder when they'll both look at the camera? At one time, I mean? 

Liam totally ripped that page right outta the magazine Hector was looking at. Baby gets what baby wants. 

In honor of World Breastfeeding Week... nursing a 9 month old! I don't mind showing this photo, because you know what? It's not inappropriate at all. Nothing is seen that 'shouldn't' be. 

Anyways, I'm proud to still be breastfeeding, and I want to remember this forever (as if I could forget). And it's just a few more pictures that I get to be in with my sweet baby. Thanks, Hector, for the pictures. While taking them he said, "Just a beautiful mama feeding her baby." I really appreciated that.. and not the compliment.. but the observation. 

After he removed my glasses, as he does during most feeds nowadays.. because that's super fun for him. :) Love the eye contact. 

Then I snatched up this guy! How is he so big?? Coco starts 3K in few weeks. He's ready, I'm so nottttt. :(

Well, I'm super impressed if you made it all the way to the end of that long post! Hope you enjoyed! 

A day at the museum!

For Memorial Day, since Hector got the day off, we went to the Perot Museum, here in Dallas. It was pretty cool. 90% of it was over Cohen's head, but he liked the Children's Museum area. So glad we went, though. Felt like true Dallasites, finally! ha!

Afterwards, we went to the Klyde Warren Park. Pretty neat place! It was on the brink of raining the entire time we were there, so we hurriedly selected a food truck to eat from (Abe's Flavor Flave..Mexican tacos..duh!) and got some Trailercakes cupcakes. A quick splash in the kid's area, and we got outta there! Both kids were getting fussy and tired.

Perhaps the only snake you'll ever see on my blog. Ever. I was gagging, it was so gross.

Checking out a giant tarantula! Ew!

Driving the farmer's market truck!

Shopping for produce!

Sliding down the big slide at the construction zone in downtown Dallas!

Sweet baby brother, just a-watching. :)

On a side note, Perot Museum... I saw signs for a designated nursing area, and Liam was hungry, so I asked the lady at the desk in the children's area where it was, and she pointed towards the bathroom and said, "it's there in the bathroom.. a private stall" I stared blankly at her, and said, "No thanks, I'll feed him over there on the bench." A brand new museum and the nursing area is a stall in the bathroom?? Come on. You could've done way better.

Learned that Cohen can "rock climb" :)

We went to the moon!

Big Dinosaurs!! Cohen was a little freaked by them.. He wasn't sure what bones meant.. 

Not even scared to stand by the edge! 

Saying he loved all the cars. Nice pic of downtown.

Feeling a tornado!

Not even real sure what this was, but the wood chips moved with your movements!

Liam liked the little splash pond at the museum!

Big bro, especially liked it! Got his whole outfit wet!

Once at Klyde Warren, we switched to swim attire.

Man, he looks big!

:) So happy!

He already wants to go back.

So, Klyde Warren is a really neat park. I'd love to go back when it's not threatening to rain. We were expecting 3 food trucks to choose from (per website) and there were at least 10! So cool. 

Both boys took terrific naps as soon as we got home!

A little catch up!

WE BOUGHT A HOUSE! We are residents of Dallas now! This just about doubles the space we've been squeezed in to and gives us outdoor space! (YAY!) We're both close to our jobs now and we are close to our church, Watermark.

We had our friends over for a fun play date in the new house! We made home made pizzas and decorated cookies, and most important, had fun! Cohen, McKensley and Ellie!

Little man had his first taste of oatmeal last night! He kinda loved it! 

He made a mess, but he went after that spoon with gusto!

Liam and Daddy: 2 of my 3 favorite boys!

More please??

Sweet brothers. :) Cohen grabbed his hand and held on tight. 

It's been a crazy month. I'm already feeling sorry for my 2014 Blurb book, because I have neglected my camera in January, February and March so far, thanks to packing, moving, and unpacking! :-/ Need to remedy this! 

How much is too much?

Do you ever find yourself struggling to take it all in? Striving to remember it all? Cherish every moment? I do. Everyday. I want to be this awesome record keeper, who remembers every single thing that happens to her family. When someone asks me, when did {one of your children} start teething? Or start crawling? What did you and Hector do on your {third} anniversary? I want to be able to answer those questions.

Or how about, those cute things your kids say? What was going through their minds when they were 3 years old? These are the things, guys! I don't want to get out of this sweet, child-like phase of life, and not remember all the golden moments.

But the truth is, I can't. I have a terrible memory. Like, the worst. I think this speaks poorly for my future memory-keeping skills.. I know what runs in my family.. This is why I have to keep a very detailed planner on my person at all times. So I can stare at it for hours a week, hoping to grasp what's going on in my life. If our pediatrician didn't call 2 days before appointments, my children would probably never go. Is this normal?? I don't know. But I know how I'm combatting it.

And this is what I mean by, How much is too much?

Every day, I try to keep up with all this:

This is my favorite. I write five little lines a day. It can be what we did that day, something cute Cohen said or Liam did, the way I felt a certain day, rough times we faced, or something special that happened to us. Whatever it is, I write it down. And for every day, it gives you lines for 5 years worth of recordings. I've just started my second year, and it is so sweet to go back and read last years writing. Things I had already forgotten, but that come back as soon as I read them. 

From Barnes and Noble

This is a new one I just started this January. Mostly because Cohen wasn't old enough before. Like the above journal, it gives space to write for three years. Differently, though, this one gives a question for each day for you to ask your child. To engage them in conversation. To show them that you care what they think, that you're listening when they ramble. It's a sweet time for Cohen, I'm finding. When he sees me get it out, he smiles. He knows I'm about to ask him a personal question, that only he can answer. It has nothing to do with baby brother, unless he answers that way. It's questions like, "What are you excited about?" or "Describe a time when you were mad." or "What do you see out your window?" And he's still a tad bit young for it. But I just help him on questions he doesn't quite understand, or I re-word it into something easier. I'm so excited to see how his answers change as he gets older.

From Anthropologie

And Liam's baby book. I don't necessarily get this one out every day, but I should. That's how often this baby boy is changing. :) I try very hard to keep it updated. I love to look at Cohen's, so I know I will cherish these records. And call me crazy, but I think my boys will want to look at these when they are old enough. :)

From Hallmark

And this doesn't even cover daily devotionals!! I use (and LOVE, and recommend) Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. I've never come across a more relevant devotional. Each day, it's as if the devo was written just for you. 

And our friend Leslie gave Cohen the Jesus Storybook Bible for Christmas. He really likes it. He asks to read it before bed. I've even caught him referencing it, since starting it. I drew him a rainbow the other day and he said, "Mom! Like God showed us!" I said, "Yes! It was a symbol of his promise that he would rescue us!" And he mentioned something the other day, about a tower. I said, "You mean like the tower of Babel?" He said, "Yea!!" :) Brings me joy to see him remembering Bible stories. 

So.. It may be too much, but it's exactly what I need to help me through the fleeting, yet rough months and years. 

AND, like I lightly mentioned.. I keep an Erin Condren life planner with me at all times. And I print our family pictures each year in a Blurb photo book. Keeps your pictures from being trapped on your hard drive and brings them out for all to see and enjoy--their original purpose, anyways!

I'll appreciate this paper trail one day. :)