this is amazing.

i couldn't have said it better myself. 

fathers day 2013

happy (belated) father's day to all the wonderful dad's out there!

to my own dad, who has been the greatest possible dad a girl could ask for. who has spent countless nights up late working on homework with be, gone out of his way to make it to every sporting/cheer/dance event, and traveled countless times to come visit me up at school. he has taught me so much and is the most selfless person i know. i love him more than anything and especially now love watching how much he adores my son. 

and to my husband, i couldn't have picked a better person to be sam's hero. seeing how sam's face lights up every day when ben walks through the door speaks for itself. ben is so hands on with sam and there isn't a thing he wouldn't do for our boy. as soon as he gets home from work, before he even has a chance to take his tie off, he gets down to sams level and plays with him for at least a half an hour. he is the first one to jump out of bed at night when sam starts crying. and he will willingly carry around sam and my girly diaper bag for hours while out shopping when sam isn't feeling his stroller. 

i can't count the number of times i have walked in on ben reading the scriptures to sam to get him calm and ready for bed. it is the sweetest thing and i love watching the relationship between these two grow. i know that it is only a matter of time before sam wants nothing to do with mom and will favor his dad and want to be just like him. and i will happily stand on the sidelines. 

we love you, ben. and we wouldn't trade you for anything in the world. sam and i are pretty dang lucky to have you. 

we spent the evening at ben's parents house for dessert and played around outside till it got dark. i love summer nights!

{impossible to get a picture of these three all looking at the camera}

nine months

my sweet sam, 

i can't even handle how much personality you have at this stage of your life. 

let's just say we always know EXACTLY how you are feeling. 

you are a little ball of energy. and i love that about you. 

crawling is in full swing and i really don't think it will be long before you take those first steps. you bring so much joy to our lives. you teach us something new every day. we have become more patient, selfless, and humble with you in our lives. as our love for you grows each day we understand a little better the love our heavenly father has for his children. 

i love that everyday is a new adventure with you and i love watching you grow and learn new tricks. 

you are our perfect little boy and we will love you forever. 

sam at 9 months:

- you weighed in at a whopping 17.75 lbs (14th%) at your nine month appt. just a little guy! the doctor is not concerned at all though. he says you are growing at healthy rate. 27 3/4 inches tall. 

- you are loving this new found freedom that crawling has given you. you follow me around all day like a puppy dog and it's hilarious. you still love to be held and carried but also loooove getting around on your own. 

- at your nine month appt. our ped gave us the go ahead to start testing out different table foods. so far you have tried grapes, scrambled eggs, watermelon, and i gave you a few little pieces of my chicken last night (which you LOVED).

- you have mastered the stink eye. this is a recent thing and everyone thinks its hilarious. i don't know where or how you learned it but you started doing it to strangers and a few of your uncles. once you realized that people laughed when you did it then you started doing it non-stop. i laugh every time you do it. 

- we're experiencing a bit of separation anxiety. when we are at home you want me by your side at all times. which makes getting things done a bit challenging but i don't mind. luckily you take great naps so i can get anything i need to done during those. 

- you have become a diaper changing ninja! it is seriously next to impossible to change your diaper sometimes. you can roll over and crawl away so fast it's not even funny. we're working on it:)

- a couple weeks ago i started working with you on clapping. you picked it up after a couple days and now all you do is clap. whenever anyone says "yay" you immediately start clapping. 

- the vacuum has started to totally freak you out. your dad holds you while i vacuum and you whip your head around constantly so you always have your eye on that thing. 

- LOVES the swings. 

- can pull himself up into standing position and inch his way around the ottoman. 

- takes two 2-hour naps (morning and afternoon). 

-waking up between 7:30-8 each day.

- graduated from you infant car seat to a convertible car seat. still rear-facing for now but you are loving being able to see a little bit better. 

- chatting with yourself 24/7. you especially love crawling up to your reflection in the refrigerator and talking to yourself. or when you hear another baby squealing while we are in the store you immediately start squealing too. 

because there aren't many things cuter than a baby in a basket

there is absolutely no point to this post. 

these pictures seriously just kill me. 

so much personality for one tiny little human.

that's all...

memorial day 2013

i love memorial day weekend! actually, to be honest, i love any three day weekend that lets me have my husband all to myself for an extra day. 

so i guess i just love three day weekends. 

but i do love celebrating those who are courageously fighting to keep our country safe!

this memorial day we celebrated by going out to breakfast with ben's family. 

sam had his first taste of pancakes and wasn't impressed. (what?)

after breakfast we planned on heading out to the zoo with all the cousins but it was suppppper (hello, idaho.) windy so we went bowling instead. i'll be honest i am not into bowling but it was actually really fun watching all the kids bowl and spending time with ben's family. after bowling, ben and i headed into idaho falls with sam to hit up a few sales and then that evening we had a bbq at bens parents house. 

all in all it was a great day. 

but any day spent with this little family of mine is a good day in my book. 

                     

a few milestones on video

because we have hundreds (literally, HUNDREDS) of videos of sam, i thought we would share a few on the blog. 

it's like my baby has turned into a "big boy" in the last two weeks. 

i can't even describe the joy that it brings me to watch my little man reach all these new milestones (but it's also breaking my heart one day at a time). 

MAY 13, 2013: started army crawling

MAY 20, 2013: started crawling with belly off the floor

MAY 21, 2013: cut first tooth 

MAY 29, 2013: pulled himself up onto his feet on the ottoman (what!?)

people always say boys are soo curious and soo busy and SO fun...and they are right! sam is keeping me on my toes these days. but i wouldn't have it any other way. he is a curious guy. he loves opening drawers and exploring the house down at his own level now that he is mobile. i told ben it is like we are making the adjustment when he was born all over again. it's like a whole new world. i have to have my eye on his at all times. the house is now baby proofed but i am still terrified of something happening. 

but he and i are getting to bond in a whole new way. i love exploring with him and witnessing the small things that make him happy and make him laugh. it's so refreshing. this boy is teaching me new things each and every day.      

Sam Laughing from Alex Webb on Vimeo.

Sam Crawling from Alex Webb on Vimeo.

Army Crawling from Alex Webb on Vimeo.

At The Park from Alex Webb on Vimeo.

mother's day

this mother's day is a special one for me because it is my first mother's day as a mom. 

becoming a mom has been the greatest blessing i could ever possible receive! 

i have never felt so fulfilled and so happy. 

i am so blessed to be my sweet boys mom. 

i now have a greater and deeper appreciation for my own mom and for my mother in law. 

i have no idea what i would do without either of them. 

my own mom taught me how to be patient and selfless and i am so grateful for my mother in law for raising such a wonderful son. 

 last year for mothers day i spoke in my ward about the importance of mothers and referenced this quote that has now become a favorite of mine:

"Motherhood is the greatest potential influence either for good or ill in human life. The mother's image is the first that stamps itself on the unwritten page of the young child's mind. It is her caress that first awakens a sense of security; her kiss, the first realization of affection; her sympathy and tenderness, the first assurance that there is love in the world."

-david o. mckay

i watched this video last night and lost it. 

this poem has also become a favorite of mine. 

I am your parent you are my child
I am your quiet place, you are my wild
I am your calm face, you are my giggle
I am your wait, you are my wiggle
I am your audience, you are my clown
I am your London Bridge, you are my falling down
I am your Carrot Sticks, you are my licorice
I am your dandelion, you are my first wish
I am your water wings, you are my deep
I am your open arms, you are my running leap
I am your way home, you are my new path
I am your dry towel, you are my wet bath
I am your dinner you are my chocolate cake
I am your bedtime, you are my wide awake
I am your finish line, you are my race
I am your praying hands, you are my saving grace
I am your favourite book, you are my new lines
I am your nightlight, you are my sunshine
I am your lullaby, you are my peek-a-boo
I am your kiss goodnight, you are my I love you

happy mothers day to all the moms out there!