Happy Easter!

 

Happy Easter, friends!

 

 

Many more pictures coming your way soon....

 

hope you had a blessed holiday weekend!

xoxo

 

 

 

 

 

Lately...

 

We had a great playdate last week at Market Street; Bear likes the older ladies :)

 

Boston on the radio+grande Mocha Frappuccino=happy girl

 

We ordered Bear these and can't wait to let him try them! It'll be a while before we give him one, don't worry mommy-pros :).

 

Not quite sitting up solo, but close!

 onesie: Polo Ralph Lauren, bucket hat: Baby Gap

Things are getting crazy festive around here as Easter approaches and we wouldn't have it any other way. We're headed to West Texas in the morning to celebrate & see family so Bear gets his Easter basket from Zach and me tonight. I can hardly wait! Hopefully he'll have a better reaction than he did to his Christmas stocking....

 

 

Happy almost-Easter, friends!

Growing Boy

 

It breaks my heart a little to look at these pictures...

 

 

 

I can't believe how much our baby Bear has grown over the last 4 months. While I realize how blessed we are to have such a healthy Little Man, I also want him to stay little & snuggly forever. He's just started reaching out and touching my cheeks when I hold him and it melts my heart every time. Can someone invent a time-freezer, pretty please?

 

Hope you're having a great week :)

 

Easter Bunny

 Hi there!

 (I never know how to start blog posts, so just picture me smiling "hello" as I try and type with a four-month old who's just discovered the keyboard. Bear's version of hello: kkkkkkkkkkllhhhhlkkkkllll)

 

A few weeks ago, Bear and I had a mini photoshoot to capture some classics for our Easter card. He was a sport and hopefully won't be too mad at me for these when he's 15....

 

 

 Prepare yourself for bunny-overload!

 

and my personal favorite...(aka Bear in Headlights)

 

our card

(We only sent to family...Momma dropped the ball and didn't order enough. Sorry, friends!)

 

 Hoppy Easter week, y'all!

 

Salted Caramel Covered Strawberries

click HERE for the recipe on our new blog! 

4 Months

 

 

 

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a.....ceiling fan. Which are apparently very fascinating.

Height: 25 3/4 in. (78th percentile)

Weight: 17 lb. (89th percentile)

Head Circumference: 17.1 in. (77th percentile)

(all taken at 4 month appt. on the 18th)

 

Things to Remember:

-You found your toes about 2 weeks ago and love nothing more than lying on your back, reaching for and playing with your chubby piggies. It's only a matter of time before your mouth finds those toesies.

-You are trying so hard to roll from back to tummy but have a hard time getting the momentum to roll your belly over. You are so close! Hopefully soon it'll happen; you are trying your hardest and we cheer you on like crazy every time you give it a go. Pretty sure you like the attention.

-You are not a nap-taker. You fall asleep in Mommy's arms many times throughout the day but the minute I go to lay you down, your eyes pop open and you're ready to play. You love being held, and what can I say. I love holding you :).
-You are wearing mostly 6-9 month clothes and the occasional 12 month. You've been wearing this one pair of gray shorts for a month now that are size 18 months. Big boy!
-You are officially ticklish and it's the cutest thing ever. Daddy tickles you every day when he comes home from work and you love it. We love to hear you giggle.
-You also laugh while getting undressed...every time, without fail. You giggle like crazy, especially when we pull your arms out. Getting dressed, on the other hand, is not your favorite.
-You are nursing every 3(ish) hours like a champ. You aren't liking the bottle much these days so we are storing lots of milk in our freezer. Lots and lots of milk.
-Daddy ordered you the Graco Jump 'n Jive (with music mat) and you love it! You are in it right now as I'm typing this and are so happy bouncing and kicking your little legs. It's great exercise for you and gives Mommy a few moments of arm-freedom.
-You are now a big time toy-grabber. This has only been happening about the last week; you are constantly reaching for things (especially cell phones!) and we are finally getting to bust out all those fun toys given to you at your showers. You especially like the toys that light up and play music, like this one.
 -You tried your first food, oatmeal with bananas, on your 4 month birthday. You didn't show much interest, but it was fun to see you and your sweet tongue try and figure out a spoon. Unfortunately the 2 nights we gave you oatmeal you were up most of the night, so we're taking a little break from it for awhile (Mommy and Daddy gotta catch up on a little rest first). Not sure if the oatmeal was the cause of your very long nights but since you didn't seem too interested in it, we figure we'll wait a week or so and try again.

-------------------------------------------

To our Sugar Bear:

The past 4 months have been the best months of our lives. Watching you grow into a happy, giggly baby boy brings us joy and fulfillment beyond measure. Whether we're giving you a bath and washing between your rolls, or playing pat-a-cake way past bedtime just to capture a few more cheeky smiles, we find ourselves embracing every moment of raising you. It's the best job we've ever been blessed with. You, Bear Clayton, have brought more love and life into our home, and our hearts, than we ever thought possible. We love you.

 

 

First Solids

 Bear turned four months old on Monday and had a visit with his pediatrician that went great (post coming soon!). She gave us the green light to start rice cereal/oatmeal so naturally we couldn't wait even an extra day to give it a try. That evening when Zach got home from work, we busted out the oatmeal and had a little messy first-time-eating-from-a-spoon party. It was a tad bittersweet, more so than I thought it would be. After solely nursing Bear for the last four months, it was strange to see him eating anything not from Momma. He found it a little strange, too. The proof is below...

 

 

 pre-meal playtime (obsessed with his toes!)

 

best way to watch TV

  

 

 It seems like every day holds tons of milestones when you have a baby. I love it, but it also makes me an emotional wreck. I find myself crying at the silliest things, just because I realize how quickly time is flying by and that these moments with our Little Man are so, so very precious. He'll be eating food the rest of his life, but we'll always remember the very first bite he tried. He may not have loved the oatmeal, but he loves us. And that's all that matters.

 

DIY Houseguest Treats

 

Last week, Zach's family was nearly to Houston when it hit me....there are no surprises/treats/welcome gifts in the guest bedrooms. This is a major problem, you see, because I am alllllllllll about surprises. I blame it on my Dad; growing up, I don't think a day went by that he didn't surprise one or all of us with candy, a card, or some little make-you-smile something. (you set the bar high, Dad...Zach thanks you)

 

"Mom, why are you photographing suckers when there's a much cuter subject in the background?"

 

 The tags were simple to make; email me at bmercer5642@gmail.com if you'd like the printable or whip up your own cute creation. You're sure to make any guest feel extra special!

 

How do you welcome guests in your home? Would love to hear your ideas!

 

Fullwood Family Visit

 

 Some of Zach's family (7 of them!) came to stay with us last week and we had such a great time visiting and letting Bear and his cousin, Kamdon, get to know each other. They come in town every year for the Houston Rodeo and it's always a blast...this year was no exception! 

 

 

Grammy took Bear and Kam for a walk around the lake while Bear snoozed

 

Zach's Dad (aka "Squadboard") having fun at the park

 

lunch in Old Town Spring

 

Aunt Amanda loves to love on Bear
(She's expecting Baby #2 in September! Ahhh!)

 

 

a worth-the-wait wait at Cheesecake Factory

 

sleeping on Squadboard

 

fried food paradise at the rodeo

 

Zach's parents always buy the grandsons their first cowboy hat...Bear sported his like a champ

 

"like a rhinestone cowBear"

 

 

cowboy cousins :)

 

 

sweet sister-in-laws

 

lunch at Smashburger (our favorite!)

 

 

 

picking strawberries at Atkinson Farms

 

Bear looks thrilled about the strawberry farm (maybe it was the sun in his eyes? Mommy was unprepared and didn't bring a hat!) 

 

 It was a fun, fast five days! Can't wait for Easter when we can go home and see family again; it'll be Bear's first egg hunt, too :).

 

Happy Tuesday, friends!