a few of my favorites from Sullivan's.

here are some more shots of us out at Sullivan's Island last week.  i'm so happy we were able to capture some sweet moments during this crazy time in our lives.  Clearly, my two year old thinks he owns the beach.  its quite difficult keeping him out of the water.  both boys are little fishies in the water and fearless i tell you.  but how gorgeous is this water??!  I'm not sure we'll be able to leave the beach when chad finishes school next summer.  we have absolutely fallen in love with it.

family photos.

so- we took family photos last week.  real ones.  like, we hired a professional and i actually bought the boys matching shirts.  we went to our favorite beach spot, way too close to bedtime so we could catch the perfect lighting.  Once I can sort through my favorites (there are literally hundreds) I'll be sharing them here.  This one of the boys is one of my faves.  I love how Lydia captured both of their little personalities.  Getting babies to look at the camera and smile when you want them to is no easy task.  Behind the scenes, things got pretty heated.   let's just say, we are much better at the candid shot.

love you lyds (& pj too) thanks for coming to visit!  we miss you already- come back quick!
love, us.

beach day, and a birthday.

Is there anything in the world more fun than a beach day?  i love a grey, stormy sky.  we've had some great friends in town this week from back home in utah and, if i do say so, lydia is a great photographer.  thanks for these fun shots, lyds.  it's my birthday weekend.  tomorrow i'll be 31- and i've never been happier.  i've never felt more love in my life and i'm so blessed to have everything i've ever wanted.  these boys are my whole world and i love every minute of it. 

avey is 6 months, 2 months ago.

i wrote this when Avett was 6 months, fully intending to post it with cute pictures etc. but the time slipped away from me.  better late than never.  i love you baby A!  thanks for being patient with mama.

i didn't think it was possible to love another baby as much as my first.  but here you are avett chad, melting my heart every single day.  i'm so lucky to be your mama and i'm so glad you came to our family.  you have brought so much love and happiness to us.  now that you're here, i can't really imagine a life without you, my sweet sweet boy.

at 6 months old, you are past the colicky stage we all enjoyed so much.  my, but that was a lot of work.  you have one of the sweetest little spirits i think i've ever been around, a huge heart and love for every one.  most of the time you are very relaxed and happy to play with your toys or watch your older brother run around like a crazy person.  he is pretty entertaining, that's for sure.  its taken me a while to learn all of your cues and needs but id like to think i've gotten pretty good at knowing you.  last week we moved you into the big boy room so you could sleep with griffin.  you loved your crib immediately and looked rather comfy in it.  you're a light sleeper but have done very well sleeping through the night now that you're in your own bed.  We put you down by 8pm and you wake up the next morning around 730.  During the day you'll take 3 naps and you love to fall asleep in the car- making road trips your specialty!

we just started you on solid foods this week and you've done very well with carrots and bananas.  you love to nurse and i'm so glad we've gotten good at that!  you've mastered rolling over, tummy time and have been working hard on sitting up.  you love to be with the family and have a fascination for griffin and daddy.  if they are wrestling on the floor, you will let out wild screams as if to say you want to be part of the action.  you love the outdoors, listening to birds chirping and staring at the trees.  you like singing, peekaboo and reading books- or batting at all of the pages.  you're just so forgiving.  you dont get nearly the amount of one on one attention time i'd like to be giving you (which i feel guilty about) but you seem to be okay with it.  you smile at me all day long as if to say- it's ok mom, i know you love me too.  when your brother steals your toys or pacifiers, you just shrug it off and willingly give.  (he gets in trouble for that btw)  i love how you eat your toes.  i love how you smell.  i love your tiny little bum, your ears that stick out adorably, and how you make us laugh.

we wouldnt be the same without you baby boy.  you're ours and thank you, for making me grow in ways that i didn't even know i could.  thank you for being patient with me as i learn how to take care of two babies.  its important for you to know how special you are to this family, at this time.  we love you so much avey baby.

this is home.

...and in the words of tift merritt, (whom you should all know cause she's the real deal) home is loud.
so many things i love about this photo- i'm so glad a good friend snapped it yesterday.  it is rare that all four of us show up in a photo, getting griff to hold still is another story.  the days are oh so long right now but the months are short.  these little guys are keeping me busy along with school, which i don't quite understand how i'm even passing at the moment.  finding time for school work with 2 babes is kind of a joke.  but i'm so grateful for these boys.  every single day i think about how blessed i am to be this busy and tired!  i read something the other day that struck me, "today is the childhood your kids will remember."

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happy weekend to all.
love, us.