Memorial Day Weekend

We enjoyed a really nice Memorial Day weekend and took full advantage of the nice weather and extra day off work for Shawn. We enjoyed our first cookout on the screened-in porch for the season. This was Conrad's first time eating out there and he liked it.  He loves being outside.

Saturday morning we got our pictures taken at Target Photo Studio.  We had bought the Groupon when it was offered even though we should have known better.  We thought it'd be a nice chance to get some cheap 6 month/family pictures. Well, I'll just tell you in short: we waited 45 minutes with a baby who hadn't napped and didn't get a single family picture with him smiling.  This is pretty hard to do since he is always smiling.  Well, luckily, our favorite photographer who did our maternity pictures is willing to squeeze us in next week which is what we should have done in the first place.  

We didn't let this ruin our day though. We decided to utilize the very hot weather and we went swimming! This was Conrad's first time. We got all packed up and loaded in the car and he was very excited and talking (okay, squeling) on the way over to my Mom's neighborhood pool. Once we arrived we found this sleeping baby. I guess he just got too excited and needed a rest! 

We let him sleep for a little bit while we tried out the water. I decided to take him out of his seat because I didn't want him laying out in the heat (and plus I wanted him to play with us)! He woke up and luckily was in a good mood and ready to go. He wasn't sure about the water at first but once he got comfortable in his new float he loved it. He was kicking his feet and watching everybody else swimming in the pool. I think we have a lot more swimming to look forward to with this little guy!

Sunday was Race Day! Shawn got up bright and early to go to the race with his family.  Conrad and I went to church with my Mom and then enjoyed some lunch and quality time with her.  Since Conrad goes to Nana's house 2-3 days a week and Shawn is the one who picks up/drops off I rarely get to see her.  It was nice to have this time together and of course Conrad enjoyed it too.

Memorial Day our good friends, the Smiths, were in town from Idaho! We miss them a lot and were so glad to get to see them! The last time I saw Katelyn was when we were about 15 weeks pregnant and I have been anxiously been waiting to meet her little guy since then. Landon is 2 weeks older than Conrad and I know they would be best friends if they lived closer. I feel like I know him just from reading about him and seeing his pictures. I just loved getting to visit with them and give this sweet boy a hug.

 I also made this yummy patriotic trifle to take to the cookout. It has angel food cake, a creamy white chocolate pudding fluff, strawberries, blueberries, and whipped cream. It was really delicious but mostly I just love the way it looked.

Wedding Weekend

This year we have a lot of friends and family planning to get married. Shawn says we already have 12 on the calendar- I think it's more like 8 in reality but still a lot! Last weekend we were able to celebrate the wedding of one of my best friends, Shannon, to a really great guy, Zach. I had the honor of being one of the bride's maids. Shawn's parents were kind enough to watch Conrad for both the rehearsal and the wedding. Even though we missed him while we were there and EVERYONE asked where he was- it was great to not worry about how he was going to do there (and of course feeding). It was so nice to spend the day on Saturday getting ready with everyone and concentrate on being with friends and Shannon's sweet family. It is rare that I get to concentrate on anything other than my sweet baby (well okay, and other sweet babies when I'm at work). The wedding was beautiful. Shannon's mom did all the decorating and pain-stakingly made all our bouquets. I didn't get any great pictures of her handy-work. It was great to see some of my favorite people (Butler friends) and spend time with the hubby. Hopefully the rest of the year's worth of weddings are as great as this! Congratulations to Shannon and Zach!

Mother's Day

We had the BEST 1st Mother's Day weekend I could have asked for! I was schedule to work both days this weekend (I know- major bummer) so I signed up for "1st off" at work. This essentially means if the numbers of babies to staff allows, they will cancel you for the day. Saturday morning I called in to check (5 am) and to my delight I got the day off! I was so thrilled to spend the day with my 2 favorite guys and celebrate Mother's Day! We had a morning of playing at home and then went to the zoo for Conrad's first time. The weather was beautiful and as always- Conrad was so good! The day was perfect!

We were exhausted by the end of the day and poor Shawn was sick so we ordered pizza, played a little and I prepared to go to work the next day. Well, Happy Mother's Day to me because I got Sunday off too!! This is the best present I could have recieved. We started out the day nice and slow just hanging out at home with the windows open. Shawn surprised me with Starbuck's and a dozen roses. We opened presents and ate lunch at Noodles & Company (yum!). A new one opened up near us and I've been looking forward to eating there! Then we went to Fort Benjamin Harrison State Park to take a nice walk. The park is really beautiful and has a nice paved walking path. We wound up walking for about 4 miles and enjoyed the gorgeous weather. We'll definitely have to go back there again soon!

Then we met the Blaziers at MacKenzie River Pizza. We ate outside on the patio to enjoy just a bit more time in the fresh air. This was a great end to the day. Conrad is always happy to see Grandma, Grandpa, and Uncle Josh and I'm pretty sure they like him too! The food was good and it was nice to spend time with such wonderful in-laws. 

And of course, I want to mentioned my own amazing Mom.  I didn't get to spend the weekend with her since I originally thought I would be at work but I did get to spend time with her today. I am so thankful that she is such a wonderful Mom and a loving Nana to Conrad! Happy Mother's Day!!

Happy Half Birthday Conrad!

6 months! It's hard to believe how fast this time has gone.  In some ways I feel like it was just yesterday that we were bringing him home and in other ways I feel like I've known him my whole life.  Conrad has the sweetest personality and is honestly the best baby I have ever met.  He has been such an incredible blessing in our lives and motherhood is so much better than I could have imagined. He is learning new things every day and has a really great sense of humor. He thinks Nana and Chloe are the funniest but I'm glad to say I rank up there pretty high!

Some of his favorite things include cuddling with Mommy (okay, maybe that's my favorite), stroller rides, the exersaucer, Mommy's singing, Daddy's beat-boxing, and reading books (his favorites are The Very Hungry Caterpillar and anything Dr.Seuss).

He rolls EVERYWHERE when playing and can now sit up on his own to play! He just started eating rice cereal and loves the spoon and how it feels on his gums but is not actually so wild about the cereal. He's getting better at though so we'll keep trying!

We are thankful for every day with this sweet boy! I wish I could freeze time so he doesn't grow up too quickly but I'm excited to see the little person he's becoming!

Sewing and Running

We have had a busy last few weeks around here but have been enjoying every minute of this beautiful spring so far. Conrad is becoming more and more active and, though he's not crawling, he rolls everywhere! You lay him down to play in one spot and come back a minute later and he's across the room. I'll fill you in on Conrad more tomorrow though for his half birthday!

Lately, I have been more into sewing and cooking. I love feeling like a little homemaker. Most of the recipes I have been trying lately I found on pinterest- we've liked most of them with only a few that we decide were worth a try once but won't be repeated. I can literally spend hours on pinterest (with a napping baby in my arms) and find all sorts of craft/sewing ideas and, of course, recipes. I've made burp clothes and a "door jammer" which I love. The "door jammer" helps so you can open and close the baby's door quietly without waking them up. I really wish I could take credit for this idea- whoever first thought of it is a genius because you can close the door snuggly to block out noise (critical in a one-story house) without disturbing the baby.

The bib I made was not quite as successful. My sewing was mediocre and the neck opening is a little small for my chubby guy. It wasn't bad for my first attempt though.

The project I am most proud of though is the pillowcase dress I made for my niece Julia's birthday. It was time consuming and took some detailed work (and mind you Conrad doesn't allow for much sewing time or time with the iron for pressing). Julia of course didn't really care about the dress because what kid wants clothes for their 3rd birthday? But I loved it! And of course I have to thank my wonderful husband who entertained Conrad for hours so I could finish the dress before we went over for the birthday party.

Speaking of my wonderful husband, Shawn ran the mini-marathon last weekend and did an excellent job (despite his knee and back injuries). I have to admit, I have not been very supportive over the last 2 weeks of this endeavor because he has had several doctors appointments, x-rays, and MRIs to help diagnose what is going on with his very painful back and knee. But, he ran it anyway and I'm really proud of the work he put into training over the last months and the time he was able to finish the race- 2hrs 18min. This is the only picture I have to show- him and his brother, Josh, stretching before the race.

Conrad's Baptism

This past weekend we celebrated Conrad's baptism. Yes, 2 baptisms in 1 month! It was such a wonderful day we enjoyed with our family and friends. Conrad (as always) was so well behaved! Even though he was exhausted by the end of the day (okay, we all were) you could tell he liked the extra attention from everyone. Father Adam did the baptism and he did such a great job. We had two other families also having their babies baptized but we felt like he was talking just to us. He is a young priest and is clearly still very excited to be a part of the sacraments. We were thankful to have him be a part of Conrad's special day.

We are blessed to have two really wonderful godparents for Conrad- my sister Jessica and our good friend Stephen. 



Both of our families were so excited to celebrate with us, in addition to some good friends.

 After mass and the baptism, we came back to the house for some lunch and to celebrate. I like my decorations so I must share.

 The weather may not have been exactly what we were wishing for but the day could not have been more perfect.  We feel so blessed to have our sweet little family and to be surrounded by so much love.  



"I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord." 1 Samuel 1:27-28