Caleb. {two}

TWO! You're two today, and somehow that just seems so big to me. (I know I'll laugh at that statement when I look back on this in 20 years...) 

There are so many things about this exact age that we want to bottle up and remember forever (you'll notice tantrums are not included in this list!)::

At two years old, you are FULL of personality. As a baby, smiles and giggles and cries and fusses were all rare. You were so serious and didn't express many emotions. But at two, oh boy, has that changed. You feel things so deeply and laugh so hard and smile so big (and get really, really mad). You easily tell us what you're thinking these days, even if it is just in one or two word phrases or grabbing our hand to lead us to whatever it is you want us to see or help you with.

You are currently in love with books and nature walks (aka how we pass time before dad gets home from work) and Curious George and trips to the park and 'fixing' things and coloring and berries of all kinds. Also, cookies. You'll do almost anything with the promise of a cookie. 

You are fiercely attached to your Monkey and are just starting to learn to leave him behind and be brave without him in your hand when we leave the house. You also use your oversized stuffed husky, Joe, as a pillow each night in your crib. And you prefer to take all of your animals and blankets out of the crib with you every time you wake up and march with them around the house.

At two years old, your best friend is Owen. You two are always so excited to see each other, but quickly fight over toys or forget about each other after a few minutes. You often wake up asking for him or excitedly shout his name when we drive past his neighborhood, church, the zoo, or Chick Fil A (all the places you play together). You also love seeing Mia, Scarlett, Sam, Brady and Bailey these days.

You like Tyler. Ha. 90% of the time you forget he's around (he's still so little and you're sort of a toddler tornado), but every once in a while you stop with serious concern about where he is or wanting to give him your monkey or his paci. Or just wanting him to give you whatever toy he has. You love to burst into his room when he's sleeping and shout HI in his face to wake him up or NIGHT NIGHT just to show me that he's sleeping (well, was sleeping).

These days you love to mimic whatever it is you see others doing and sweeping alongside me is one of your favorite things. You love to shave with dad, help me cook, give Tyler a bath, and pretend to fix things. You also love to play fetch with Murphy and Jersey, but I'm not sure that feeling is mutual.

The big thing you're learning right now is kindness. Hitting has become your go-to expression of frustration, so we do lots of hugging and timeouts and reminding to be kind. You'll figure it out! (hopefully!)

You aren't really close to potty training yet and its pretty hilarious that you insist on finding a table to hide under while you poop (every single morning, no matter where we are- you'll find a table). 

We go to the zoo every week and it seems as if you have a new favorite animal each time. If I had to pick though, I think the dolphins are your all time favorite (just like mom!). Sometimes you're more interested in the rocks and mulch than the actual animals, but you love exploring the entire place.

You are still working on your colors and numbers and letters. You think everything is either blue or red and any written words you see you just scream "a-b, a-b!". You can count to three, but you almost always refuse to do it. 

No one makes you laugh as much or as hard as your dad. You excitedly watch for him every evening and ask for him almost immediately each morning when you wake up. Weekends are your favorite because you have so much time with him and you crash hard each nap/night because you play non-stop. You love to put dad's shoes on, shave like he does, and shout DADDY every time you hear a lawnmower or see a white car coming down our street.

We spend all of our days together and I'm currently your most favorite person (I promise your dad would agree!). We have fun and play, but you don't laugh nearly as much with me as you do with your dad. Instead, I'm your safe person (and you regularly remind us of that since 'mama' is your go-to cry for everything). You always come to me for help or when you're sad or when you discover something new. You love to explore and adventure, but almost always check to make sure I'm nearby and call for me if not. I'm positive it will not always be that way and I won't always be your most favorite person (that's ok!), but today, on your second birthday, I'm thankful for these sweet days we have together!

Caleb, at two you are wonderful! I'm certain I will say that every year on your birthday and it will be just as true each year. Right now, I find myself praying for you to grow to be strong and kind and always rooted in Jesus. You are so fun and curious and passionate and we love you so much! Happy birthday, buddy!

Happy birthday, Caleb! {one year}

  "The days may be long, but the years are short." 

 I have no idea who said that, but they're right. It's not crazy to me at all that a year has passed since we first met Caleb in the hospital room, just the two of us with our doctor and nurses. It feels like a year. But I can still remember that moment and those first newborn days like they really were yesterday. 

  I didn't get to put him to bed last night, so I snuck into his room after he was fast asleep. I scooped him up and sat in the rocking chair for a while with him, just soaking up his last night before he turned one. I'm not a terribly sentimental person, but I just wanted to cuddle and rock with him one last time before he turned one. He slept through the entire thing, like he always did for night feeds in those early days. I thought about all the changes that have happened  since then, how much he's grown into a little boy. The swaddle has long been traded for his own big kid blanket, footed pjs for ones that give him room to stretch his chubby legs, his favorite paci for his beloved monkey.

  So much changes in a year, doesn't it? For any of us. But especially for babies and toddlers. So much growing and developing. Thinking back on these last 12 months doesn't make me long for the baby days again, but instead it makes me really excited for the next year ahead of us. Watching Caleb learn to walk and talk, become a big brother, and continue developing his little personality. 

  I'm going to sit down tonight after he goes to bed and write him a letter. Maybe that'll become a birthday tradition, like our visits to the local donut shop. I'll probably write things in it like how from his very first day, people have commented on how calm and content he is. How he has always loved to take in the world around him and has never been in a hurry to do anything other kids his age may be doing. How he looks so much like his dad right now (minus that blonde hair). How he passionately loves to eat. How he makes us work pretty hard for belly laughs, but it's worth it every time. 

  While I think I'll always feel like my children's birthdays are special to me, I never want to make them about me or me always reminiscing with them about the day they were born. If they're interested in that story, I will tell them. But I want to focus so much more on who they are, who they are becoming, and celebrating them. We've sort of got a busy day ahead of us with lots of non-birthday things, so tomorrow I think we'll got to the book store to pick up Caleb's free dessert (he loves to eat!), buy him a new book (he is fascinated by books right now), and take a trip to the water park (it's like toddler sensory heaven there!). 

  Happy birthday, Caleb! We love you so much and are so grateful God put you in our family!

  

  

To the best.

  {from yesterday} Today is Justin's birthday! And while he doesn't keep up with this blog and may not even see this post until next month, I feel like I have to write it. He works so hard for our family and gives endlessly of himself so Caleb and I have what we need. He can make anyone laugh and I'm convinced most of my friends like him better than me. He's really the best. Happy birthday baby!

A blog post about my dog.

...because she had a birthday this weekend! Jersey turned 4 on Saturday! The tradition in our house is to make our go-to carrot {dog} cake for her birthday and Murph's adoptaversary. Justin thinks its a bit ridiculous, but I love it. She devoured the cake in seconds and is making a good dent on her birthday bone {we only let her have it for a little bit at a time}. We also got in two really, really good walks with her over the weekend.
  I love this little pup. She's a bit wild, but has calmed down so much over the last 4 years. She's is fiercely sweet and attached to us. She sleeps under the covers and shares my pillow at night, and I love it. The best way to describe her is balls to the wall. In everything. She plays hard, cuddles intensely, eats with passion, and just does everything and anything will all she has. Such a big personality for such a little pup {for a weim, at least}. Happy birthday, Jersey! 

Happy Birthday! {Water Street Designs}

  Guess who is officially turning 3 tomorrow? Jersey baby! It's been so much fun celebrating her all month and I'm a little sad to see it end. I'm thinking another etsy pet series is in order for Murph's adoptaversary in the Spring? 
  I'm excited to tell you about Water Street Designs today, because would wouldn't love a custom print of their pet? Kim is a sweetheart and SO easy to work with. I just sent her two of my favorite photos of Jersey and she nailed it. I mean, look at those eyes. Those are Jersey's pouty baby eyes, for sure!
  But Kim goes way beyond custom pet portraits- you can also snag some ADORABLE personalized pet cards, a family portrait, or any other custom illustration or paper good you might need. How adorable are these guys??

 The dog lover in me can barely stand all the cuteness! I'm kind of obsesses now, and may even order some personalized cards for some of the dog lovers on my Christmas list. And of course, Kim is offering you all an amazing discount to get jump-started on your holiday shopping! So even if you're rolling your eyes at my dog obsession, I know you know someone who loves their dog like I do! What better gift than personalized pet stationary? Besides a new puppy. Oh my gosh, I would love a new puppy for Christmas. {not going to happen} Just use coupon code WSD1024 to get a whopping 25% of any minimum purchase of $15 in Kim's shop! 

 Be sure to check back next week for all the details on Jersey's fun birthday celebration! {All I'll say is cake, dresses, and potentially a tutu}

Happy birthday! {For Dirty Dogs}

   This series has been so much fun! Although Jersey may or may not have enjoyed testing out this week's feature, I absolutely loved it. Do you know how difficult it is to take good photos of a crazy Weimaraner during bath time??? Full disclosure: we don't bathe our dogs often. But in our defense, Murphy isn't supposed to be groomed often. Jersey typically stays clean, but she also rolls in the dirt on the regular. So you could say we need to up our dog-bathing game.
  Enter fordirtydogs. This stuff is amazing.  Way back when we first got Murph, Justin spent like 30 minutes talking to a guy at the pet store about what kind of dog shampoo is best. His main takeaway was that it needed to be oatmeal based and have as many natural ingredients as possible. Tish kind of blew that out of the water- her shampoo has TONS of good stuff! Oatmeal, jojoba, grapeseed oil, rosemary extract, essential oils. You can imagine how good it smells. 
  I also really love how fordirtydogs got started. Tish has always loved dogs and got her sweet little Dyson from a shelter. The poor guy has allergies, so Tish turned her hobby of making beauty regimes for herself into the task of finding something that didn't irritate Dyson's skin. And she's sharing with all of us! Another reason I love Tish? Dyson is a husky. :) 
  Now, my dogs don't really have sensitive skin. Especially Jersey. The girl is wild and nothing phases her. But I still try to be careful with what I use on her coat. And I really do love this stuff. The last oatmeal shampoo we had was kind of a vanilla scent, and I kind of hated it. It just didn't work with the whole wet dog smell that comes with bathing a dog. This stuff, though. Holy goodness. Tish sent me the Grapefruit Lemongrass and it is heavenly. Like, I would like my shampoo to smell the same, please.
  All this to say, if you're in the market for some natural and deliciously smelling shampoo for your pup- run to fordirtydogs. Tish is offering you a great deal of $5 off any $20 minimum purchase- just use coupon code GoDirty And thank me later. Oh! And be sure to check out Tish's instagram {which has over 5000 followers!} for some completely adorable dog pictures. My Jersey girl may or may not be making an appearance today!

Happy Birthday! {Wags and Wiggles}

   This week, I'm teaming up with Shawna from Wags and Wiggles to tell you all about the most adorable, durable dog toys. Shawna also carries cat toys {DOGS4LYFE}, leashes and totes. She uses fun fabrics and creates the most unique dog toys I've ever seen! Case in point, Lobster {we've dubbed her Lobby}.  
  Full disclosure, I was worried Jersey would have this toy {any toy, really} torn to shreds in 5 minutes. She is really aggressive with her toys and we usually only buy Kong brand because they last longest, but she eventually destroys those, too. {sidenote: Shawna uses Kong squeakers in her toys- so I knew it would be perfect for us!} Also, we have to give her only about 20 minutes with even the toughest toy, because she will literally chew and bite it until it's demolished. Awesome. So you can see why I was leery of a handmade toy, right?
  I was pleasantly surprised! First of all, I love how quiet the squeaker is! Because Shawna uses two layers of fabric, it muffles the sound. And Lord knows that squeaky sound can get annoying. Second, this toy is just so freaking adorable! To see Jersey walking around with a Lobster in her mouth, I can't. And the real test, it is just as durable as Shawna says! After letting Jers play with it for about 20 minutes a few different times, only one little seam is torn. THAT'S HUGE! Whenever I open the linen closet we keep her toys in, she starts sniffing around in her dog bag for Lobby and runs away with it. She's in love! 
  I've already started a shortlist of pups to buy for this Christmas, and Wags and Wiggles in on my Must Shop list for them! {along with Dog Skout Cookies, of course!} Check out some of the other adorable toys...

Gah, I can't. So. Stinking. Adorable! 

Happy birthday! {an etsy pet series}

   It's my baby girl's birthday this month! {What? You don't celebrate your dog's birthday? Pssh.} In honor of Jersey turning 3, I've rounded up some of my favorite Etsy pet shops to highlight this month. Eep! I so stinking excited about this. Dog treats, shampoo, toys, and custom artwork! Stop it. I can barely handle all the fun!
  To kick things off, let's talk about dog treats. As far as they go, my Weim is just about the least picky dog out there {guys, she eats poop}. My husky, on the other hand, is so picky and finicky. He's basically a diva. So when Diane sent me some treats to try out, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Murph {and of course Jersey} loved every. single. one. No exaggeration here. In fact, after I let them each try a few, I had to run to the post office. I left the bags of treats in the middle of our {pretty tall} dining room table to save for later so I could take pictures for this post. I didn't think anything of it. When I came home less than 10 minutes later, every single crumb {and bag!} had been devoured. You guys, they ate the plastic bags. No biggie- dogs get into stuff all the time, right? Wrong. My dogs have never ever so much as put their paw on our table! They never get into food and have never ever gotten onto our table! They clearly loved what they tasted and wanted more. I was dying!

Let's let the pictures speak for themselves {also, who has tried to get pictures of excited pups? Holy impossible!}

  
  All that to say- RUN to Dog Skout Cookies and scoop up some treats for your pup. If my pickiest eater loves them {and even eats the bag they came in}, your's will for sure, too. Dog Skout treats are made using human grade ingredients only, which is awesome since I basically treat my dogs like they're humans anyway. Also, full disclosure, the peanut butter cookies smelled so good that I even considered trying one. {I didn't}. Diane also happens to be the sweetest- she sent me extra treats to take more pictures, since the dogs jumped the gun and ate them all! Our favs were the Peanut Mutter Smashers and Skout's Training Treats. If you can't tell by the pictures, they clearly loved them. And I've already got some on my Christmas list to buy for some of my family and favorite blogger friends!