and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever

Yesterday my sweet Papa passed away unexpectedly.  It was a rough day to say the least, but I am comforted by the fact that he with the Lord now.

I rushed to work this morning thinking that I still had a voicemail on my office phone from him that he left a few days ago.  But I didn't.  And it made me so sad because I kept telling myself that I did.

So as a consolation, I've been going through pictures of him and saw this one.  It was his personality captured perfectly, and I am so grateful for Jason Cohen, who snapped it and gave this amazing gift to us.  It was taken almost two years ago to the day and I will always cherish these photos.

I know you can't hold onto voicemails or photos (or handwriting even--I threw away his birthday card to Judah after his party on Saturday in an effort to clean up quickly.  And then yesterday, I cried because I just wanted to have and see those words "it's never too early to start saving" in his handwriting again).

But what I can hold onto is the truth and feeling that he loved us greatly and loved the Lord, so I'll choose to take comfort in that, in the midst of grieving his presence in our lives now.

He was kind, super giving, never missed an opportunity to tell us how proud he was of us, made us laugh, took us on vacations, supportive, handsome, thoughtful, and he is the one who gave me my squinty, smile eyes.  I'm going to miss him so very much. 

Photo by Jason Cohen: Friends Grandparents Project

Judah wearing

I am no hippy,  but I do love me some baby wearing.  I still wear Judah a little and he still LOVES it.  When Judah was about 2 months, I got a Moby wrap since he didn't like to be put down and I needed to start getting some stuff done around the house.  It took a couple YouTube videos and practice with a Judah-sized stuffed frog, but I eventually got it down and gained confidence each time I was able to get Judah in and out of the Moby successfully.

Once I saw how much he loved his time in there, I found myself not only wearing him at home, but using it to take trips grocery shopping, eating out, taking a stroll, or just running errands. He was content for hours.

When Judah was about 9 months, I got a Maya wrap as well that I keep in the car with me.  While the Maya wrap isn't NEARLY as comfortable as the Moby, I got it because I needed a quicker solution for a baby that liked to ride in the cart at the store and be held.  With the Maya wrap, it's more of a sling, so I can just pull it on in no time and put Judah in and out as he needs.  SO EASY! It does hurt my back and I have to switch sides with every use.  It's also less secure than the Moby (I wouldn't have used it with a 2-month old Judah--just personal preference), but the convenience is fabulous, and I only use it for times when I won't be wearing it for long time-frames.  Plus it has a nifty little pocket that I keep my wallet in and maybe a diaper, which makes quick store trips even easier without lugging around a purse.

Shopping in Walmart.  Not the ideal situation for the sling since it was a long trip, but Walmart buggies make me cringe.

Both are easy to nurse in.  I think the sling is the easiest to nurse in, but less discreet.  I never think to dress for nursing before I go on outings (aka wear a couple layers), so I'm usually having to drape the tail all the way around me and I still have a little back showing.  But with the Moby, it takes more maneuvering, but you can arrange it (which can be a little difficult with a screaming baby in the middle of Target) to where they are in a cradle position.  Once we get all the wrap parts secured, then it's a hands free nursing situation.  Which is a win for everyone.  I get to shop or have lunch in a restaurant and Judah gets to eat.

 Is Judah eating or sleeping?? Which do you think? :)

Both wraps are made for 35 lbs and, while Judah is a good 15 lbs away from that (small fry), I don't have plans to wear him until he hits that mark.  I use the basket now when I go to Target because he loves watching people and being in the cart. I also don't need it when we go out to eat since he eats what we eat now and is not a screaming baby that needs to be nursed every 2 hours.

I do still use the sling when I have to run a quick errand that I don't need a basket for or at home if he's being especially clingy and I need to get some things done around the house.  Or, like in the case below, if he's not feeling well because his ears hurt.  :(  Then I would wear him and cuddle with him all day.

And I use the wrap for longer-period outings (like the mall or outside events) or if he's fighting sleep and I'm desperate. A lot of moms that I run into during errands in my wrap tell me that it was the only way their baby slept or how much they loved wearing them.  Both the wrap and sling are great conversation starters!

Parades are ideal for the wrap. I could wear him like this for hours without even feeling it on my back.

If you are interested in baby wearing but are intimidated by it, I am here to say that I was there and found that it just takes a few tries.  After that you won't look back! It's not near as difficult to figure out the wraps as you think.  Plus once you're use it, you also see how safe it is (that baby isn't going anywhere) and is where they love to be--snuggled up next to momma.

design [Judah's 1st Birthday Party Invitations]

front

back

I absolutely cannot believe this is already happening! You hear everyone say "time flies," but until you see it for yourself, you have no clue how true this statement really is.

For Judah's party, we're planning a lion theme.  Since he doesn't really have any favorites yet, we picked a theme synonymous with his name.  The "Lion of Judah" is something that I love when people bring up, and we have actually gotten quite a few lion gifts along the way.  It's a part of his name that I didn't realize how much I would enjoy until after we named him.

I wanted his invitation to reflect the joy that Judah brings to us and let our friends and family know how thankful we are to them, especially during this past year.  Even if they can't attend, we still wanted to send them this thank you. Between calls, texts, "check-ins," e-mails, and free babysitting, I'm not sure how we would have managed.  Having a baby can be really challenging, so those closest to us are more precious than ever.

I feel like I've grown so much this past year, and I know that I still have growing to do. But for now, I get to finish planning and decorating for his party, which I'm sure will be here and over way too fast. 

design [cs photo logo]

It's always fun to design a new logo, especially when it's for someone that you've known so long. Chad was one of the first friends I made at LSU in 2003, and he quickly proved to be one of my closest confidants that kept me and everyone else laughing nonstop, whether we were headed to class or just passing time. Ah, college--good times!

So when Chad asked me about branding his blossoming photography business, I was more than happy to say yes.  He wanted something rustic, masculine, and fun.  He also used the word "approachable," which I had never encountered before but thought it was a great thing to include in how you want your business to feel to others.

For his logo, I did something that I've been seeing pop up lately around design blogs: a brand board! 

It was a lot of fun to make to make this board, and it helped me convey to him how I see his brand and the different aspects of his logo, along with colors and seamless patterns that can carry over into blog or twitter backgrounds.  I also wanted to provide the fonts that I think go nicely with his logo that he can use in any print materials he has--business cards, stationery, CDs...the options are endless!

So if you have any photography needs, check out CS Photo.  I promise that you're bound to have a fun time and get some great pics out of it as well. You can find him on facebook here.

"curious george"

I feel like this picture sums Judah up so well.  In your face, crawling up something, getting into everything, all with an adorable grin and look of interest (usually with food on his face and crumbs in his hair).

Joel and I are constantly amazed at how Judah's curiosity is so intense.  He explores non-stop and nothing holds his interest for longer than 2 minutes.  We joke and sing "Curious Geaooorge, Curious Geeeaooorge" to each other in the weird way that the cartoon sings its intro when he is getting into something.  But Judah is just that--curious.

I'm anxious to see how this translates into his life as he gets older.  Will he want to work with his hands? Will he love to travel and explore? Will he have a unquenchable thirst for knowledge? Or will he just have ADD? I kid, I kid.

I like to think that it's just part of his personality. And while I sometimes catch myself wishing he was a little more content for longer periods of time or didn't require so much attention, I have to realize that this is the first glimpse into his little personality and to let him roam, explore, and discover new and fun things!

Right now, he loves to walk with his walker EVERYWHERE and gets especially frustrated when we don't let him into something or if he can't fit into a certain space.  He is so fast too! Yesterday, I could swear he was almost running as he went back and forth into the living room and kitchen about 20 times (all while screaming for fun and laughing when he bumped into me or other things).

He also loves to throw his ball and then crawl in a hurry to retrieve it and then throw it again, retrieve it, and so on and so on. When we're on the ground with him, he will make an effort to go out of his way to crawl OVER us and then go play with whatever he had his eye on.  It's so funny.

I feel like his little mind races and you can sometimes see it on his face.  So while it also may be exhausting to keep up with, he is our curious, hyper, and happy Judah--and we love him so much for it.  Maybe this is why he won't sleep! :) 

Let's see what being one brings in the next few weeks!

30 before 30 [get to know my neighbors]

We've been living in our house now for 4 years in July, and I am ashamed to say that we're just recently meeting all of our neighbors.  And I hate that.

Over the years, I'd get the idea that I wanted to go over and just knock on the door, but something always stopped me.  So this year, I had grand plans of baking my go-to cookies and distributing them among our neighbors during Christmas break and introducing Judah. Great excuse idea right?? Babies are wonderful buffers I've come to realize. Buuuut I didn't realize that we would have 6 different Christmas family functions to go to and hardly any downtime at home over the holiday.  So I scraped that idea and decided that we would do something for Valentine's Day.



Well I told Joel of my plans to go door-to-door in our little cul-de-sac and he was totally on board.  It wasn't until the day of (the Sunday before V-day) that you could see the look of awkardness creep over his face.  Because let's be honest.  It WAS awkward.  It was awkard to knock on someone's door and offer them homebaked treats out of the blue.  It was awkward to have to say, "Yeah, we've been meaning to come by and introduce ourselves."  And it was awkward to hear, "I didn't even realize you were pregnant!" while I was holding a 9-month old Judah at the time.  So yes--the entire situation was very awkward and sometimes cringe-worthy. But it had to be done!
 

Overall, it was such a great experience.  One that I may even turn into a yearly thing as Judah gets older and can help pass out Valentine's Day treats.  Joel and I both had a fun time talking to our neighbors and hearing their stories.  And since then, seeing our neighbors outside is no longer reduced to a head nod or wave but leads to conversation now.  Imagine that! Amazing how a simple gesture is all it takes.

So this all leads me to No. 19 on my 30 before 30 list:

19. get to know my neighbors 

It's definitely still a work in progress, but I'm happy to say that No. 19 is officially underway!

ten months with our man

1. He is cruising! As long as he is holding on to our hands or couch, he walks.  I can't believe that he is already taking steps.  It seems like it was only last week that he was showing signs of crawling.  Now he's getting ready to walk!  Slow down buddy!!
   
   
2. He got his two top front teeth.  These two teeth have shown to be more painful than the bottom two--for him and me!  He is more fussy during the day and drools much more than before.  And then while he's nursing, he definitely gets me confused with how he can bite down on his bottles.
   
   
3. He LOVES graham crackers.  We started slowly introducing him to finger foods last month and with all the foods he's tried, anytime I get out a graham cracker and break off a stick, he gets so excited and bounces up and down.  I'm convinced he would eat many sheets if I let him.  I think it serves double duty and feels good on his gums, while also tasting delicious.
   
   
4. Music makes him so happy and calm.  This was true when he was first born and now he is beginning to be affected by it again.  Whenever I pick him up and turn on music he likes, his whole body tenses up in excitement and then he even starts to kick his legs out and bounce to the beat.  He definitely gets that from Joel because while I enjoy music, it's not something that gets me too excited.  In fact, I'd choose to listen to books on CD than music any day of the week. I know, I know...who am I??
   
   
5. He is starting to say "mama"!  Wohoo!  Now if only he knew what it meant. :)  He says "dada" soooo much!  And I think he knows that it means Joel now.  I don't say "dada" until Joel comes home or we call him.  In fact, the other day, I heard Joel drive up, so I said, "Dada's home!" and Judah quickly looked at the door.  I couldn't believe it!  Now, he'll look at Joel and  just say, "da da da da" all. the. time.  I'm so jealous!

iCaved

Well I officially made the leap into the 21st century.  I got an iPhone!  People are often so shocked when they see my phone (a previous slider that served me well!) or see the laptop that I do all of my designs on (no Apple yet).  Ancient would be an understatement.  I knew that eventually I would make the switch, but I didn't see the need--until Judah became an impossible napper.

Having easy access to songs that he likes (Arcade Fire station on Pandora--Joel has successfully programmed him) makes or break naptime or fussy time.  Since I got my phone, I've been able to get him down for a nap everyday (without having to resort to the car)! 

So I'll happily jump on the bandwagon that I resisted for so long.  Turns out there are some pretty neat functions this little contraption does too.

I'm still learning about all the ins and outs, but one thing I did know was that I needed a cover to protect it.  An excuse to design something?  Yes, please.  I made a cover last week and got it in yesterday, so I feel like my transition is now complete.  It's a great reminder in the middle of a time when I feel pulled in a thousand different directions to just "be still," savor the moment I am in---minute by minute, day by day--and know that I am not alone.

backyard photoshoot [9 months]

I decided that even though we weren't going to get a professional to take his 9 months pics, I still wanted to document it well.  So I grabbed his Christmas sweater from his buddy Teagan, a few of his favorite books and toys, and started snapping.  It is sooo much harder to get good pics when a baby can crawl!  I was exhausted after trying to get his attention/chase after him, but it was well worth it.

 

new letters

Today was a day that Joel had been dreading/looking forward to for almost 4 years.  It was finally time to take his final exam--his licensing test!

We thought he had more time to study, so it all kind of snuck up on him.  He had to jump through a lot of hoops just to be able to schedule his test, so when he finally got the email and link to do so...he saw that there was only one opening and it was less than a week away.  Ah! Thankfully, he had been studying on and off for a couple weeks, but he knew he had to use the next 5 days to study two weeks worth of information.

It was a 4-hour test and just from reading off questions to quiz him, I cannot even imagine having to sit there and answer correctly, paragraph after paragraph or pretend situation after situation.  There were a number of words in the questions that I honestly had a hard time pronouncing!

Joel took a 4-hour practice test yesterday that he did really well on, so I think that gave him some confidence and he felt prepared. I was amazed at the thickness of books and intensity of the questions, but time after time, I would ask a question (not even entirely sure of the words that I was reading) only to watch him talk each one out, eliminating options based on theories that he knew, and then arrive at the correct answer.

This is his "give me your best taking the test" face.

So to get him even more prepared for his big day, I did some research on good foods to eat and snack on leading up to a big/long test.  I can't ever pass up the opportunity to make a treat bag and coordinating tag, so I dubbed his basket of goodies "brain food" and left it for him to find this morning. 

To download the tag above, click on one of the links below:
(pdf to print as is or gif to insert into Word or a design program and add your message with a cute font):

pdf  |  gif

Soooo I finally got the call at around 5pm and learned that HE PASSED!!!

I've always thought that Joel was gifted in many areas, but after helping him study and listening to his reasoning, I can honestly say that his mind is wired for counseling and understanding how the mind and emotions work and play into people's actions and motives.

I guess it's time for a new name plate because he officially has a new set of letters following it. I'm bursting with pride at his talent and determination and what this means for his career and passions.

Congratulations love!  You did it!!