{colton: seven months}

colton is seven months. crazy. i found this idea of a baby book on pinterest and loved it. my sister designed each month for me. she is fab. ill post the other months this week, but because colton just turned seven months... here we go:

4 months

i still can't believe that is has been 4 months since colton was born. while one part of me feels like it was a million years ago, the other part just feels like it happened yesterday.

i usually do bullet points of my dear, sweet colton but thought of doing something different. i started writing him a letter each month so i thought i would share month four on my blog.

my dearest sweet son,

you are four months today. and what a little active four-month-old you are. while you found your voice the day you graced the world with your presence, you are one extremely talkative and social little guy. i wonder who you get that from ;)? 

i absolutely adore that you love your momma. the way you keep your eyes locked on me, or smile at me when you hear my voice, or your adorable laugh that comes out only when you are with your momma, it melts my heart. you love when i sing to you. if you are crying, you stop and stare at me and often smile. it must bring you back to the many times i would sing when you were in my belly.

you are a strong little guy. you might have a large head, but you know how to keep that thing up. whether it is during tummy time or sitting in your bumbo chair, you enjoy looking around. you also love to push off with your strong little legs. standing with help from mommy and daddy is always a fun time for you. i am excited but also apprehensive that crawling and walking will happen a lot faster than i think.

you stared playing in your exercauser this past month. we laugh at your determination and frustration to get all the toys in your mouth, but you aren't quite there yet. 

you celebrated your first christmas this month and you just took in all the sights and sounds, especially the tree lights and christmas music that your mommy loved playing everyday. something your daddy just deals with. ;) you were also one spoiled little boy on christmas. your grandparents must adore you. ;)

you are rolling over like crazy on your tummy to your back. one day you will figure out back to tummy, but for now, we are so proud of you. you sleep an average of 11 hours a night - 9-10 hours straight usually. mommy is looking forward to the day when we don't get up at 4am anymore to feed. hopefully now that we will start rice cereal it will keep your belly full for longer.

teething has entered the picture. while we can't see any yet, we know that it must be bugging you because of the constant drool, hands in month, and random acts of crying. maybe your will get your little chompers early. 

at your four month appointment, you weighed 15 lbs and 1oz. were about 26 inches long, and your head is still rocking the upper 90 percentile.

i can't tell you how much bigger my love for you gets everyday. i love watching you grow. 

love you so much my sweet little colton.

forever and always,

mommy.

a lifechanging moment, 365 joyous days ago

this past weekend marks the one year anniversary of when i found out i was pregnant. i can still remember that morning as it was yesterday... what a joyous moment. but more than that, how God's timing is ALWAYS PERFECT.

and i think that is the biggest thing i have learned being pregnant with colton. december of 2010 was filled with many dark, sorrow-filled days and many joyful, incredible days. getting pregnant of course as one of those joyful days.

God knew that december 18 would be the perfect day for me to take a test and find that it was "+". what immense joy i felt that morning. and even more as i gave joseph his first christmas gift last year letting him know that he was going to be the best daddy in less than nine months.

he also knew the day before i realized i was pregnant would be a perfect day to accept a new job that would later allow me to work part-time at home with mr. colton and come in whenever i want. he knew that august 25th would be the day that colton would enter the world. he also knew that colton would be born during one of the most trialing times of my life. he knew that only a few weeks later, i would realize that everything happens for MY GOOD in HIS TIMING and fill my heart with more joy than i could ever imagine.

all in all...i am blessed. and during this christmas time, i really am filled with so much joy. i am blessed with the cutest four month old who is just the best and happiest baby around and who has changed my life in ways i never thought possible. and who has me wrapped around his little finger.. i am even more blessed with an amazing husband who loves his son more than anything. watching him grow as a daddy has brought tears to my eyes and a heart full of joy as i look forward to many more years of child-rearing and bearing.

i wouldn't change God's perfect plan for anything over the past year. colton is more perfect than i imagined 365, lifechanging, joyful days ago.

Proverbs 19:6
The heart of man plans his way,
   but the LORD establishes his steps.

i mean, seriously? who would have thought my kid would be this adorable... 

3 months

i am a terrible mother. colton turned 3 months on thanksgiving. and i haven't blogged about it yet. gah!

things about colton @ 3 months:

• mastered tummy time and loves it
• loves to smile and laugh (has the cutest laugh - vid to come)
• uber talkative (wonder where he gets that from?!?!)
• rolled over for the first time
• loves his farm playmat
• sits up with help
• loves "horsey" with daddy
• loves clocks? weird. but he does 
• super ticklish (love it.)
• got some strong legs. loves standing (with help, of course)
• still hates his swing
• starting to like his bouncer
• started playing in his saucer 
• sleeps an average of 10 straight // 12-13 total
• wears 6+ month clothes because he is so LONG! 
• has beautiful blue eyes (like his mommy hehe)
• celebrated his first thanksgiving

Colton: Week 12

my dear precious boy is 12 weeks.

• has mastered tummy time. the kid is one strong boy. he loves holding his head up and looking around. 
• sleeps an average of 10 hours straight a night. 
• mornings are the best. he just smiles, laughs and is VERY talkative. 
• i love when he wakes up in the morning. he is looking around and just chattin. so precious. i'll have to take some video one day and post it. 
• officially too long for most of his 3 month clothes so we are moving on up. 
• still hates his swing. bummer.

that is about it. he turns 3 months this week so the upcoming post will be longer! :) 

Colton: 11 Weeks

colton is 11 weeks today. i am going to try to blog about him each week just so i remember the little things he does on a weekly basis and to see him "grow up" in front of my eyes every week.

i feel like as each week goes on colton gets more talkative, smiley, and laughing a ton more. he loves his play farm, especially the piggy. he likes to grab it and he is now using his hands to hit the dangling cow in the middle. it is super cute to see him "learn." colton loves his mommy - it is amazing to watch him look for me when i am in the room or when he gets the biggest smile on his face when he sees me. colton still loves the clock in the living room and laying out on the couch. he LOVES bath time still but has learned to "splash." i'll post a video of that soon! it is so funny even if we are soaking wet by the end of it. colton is a great sleeper. he is sleeping on average about nine hours straight at night and goes right to sleep when we put him in his crib. his neck is getting stronger and stronger by the day - he is getting really good at holding his head up by himself. he is almost past the head bobble stage.

Check Up: 2 Months

colton had his 2 month check up a few weeks ago. which also means his first round of shots. poor guy.

anyway, a little bit about the man:

• WEIGHT: 12lbs on the dot. we are rockin' the 47%. I was hoping for a chubby baby but hey, at least it is easy on the arm muscles. 
• LENGTH: 23 1/2 inches. has grown 3 inches since birth. they said that is HUGE. kid's a grower. we are rockin' the 77% in length.
• HEAD:  well, he has to be like mommy in some aspect considering the kid looks exactly like his father. drum roll please... colton is rockin' the 99% for head circumference. yes, off the charts. definitely got that from my side.

and he took those shots like a champ. strong boy. but he was pretty miserable for the rest of the day. well, until next time.

10.25.11 : 2 months

my baby boy is 2 months today. really? two months already? i feel like it was yesterday i was rushing to the hospital with labor pains. :) these last two months have been so amazing. being a mom is more than i could ever have imagined. and i am so grateful for my new role and more importantly, for my baby boy, colton.

over the past two months, i have been given a new perspective and genuinely fell back in love with the Lord.  i can go on and on about how my life has changed blah, blah, blah...but long story short God is good. joseph and i are in such a great place and while there are still obstacles to get over and getting to that point when "time heals everything"... we continue to trust the Lord and enjoy these precious moments with this beautiful bundle of joy that the lord has blessed us with. until next time...

things about colton @ 2 months:
-smiles
-scoots on his tummy all over his crib. we literally find him in a completely different spot in a completely different position
-knows his mommy
-loves falling asleep on daddy's chest
-sleeps about 5 hours straight every night
-almost grown out of his 0-3 month clothes :)

8.25.11

8.25.11::the date that changed our lives forever . . . and for the better.

get ready for blue, trucks, cars, dirty clothes, sports and more because we gotta boy on our hands.

colton daniel snare was welcomed into the world at 7:41am. at 6lbs 13oz and 21 inches - and what an entrance it was.

i had a doctor's appointment the tuesday before his "birth"day. i was only dialtated a centimeter. it was something new considering i wasn't progressing at all the whole month. i was truly convinced this baby was coming in september. i was drastically wrong. that evening i started to feel cramps but thought nothing of it since i was having him in september. :P

i went into work on wednesday morning (dumb) and left early because my cramps were actually contractions. [come on, i didn't know what to expect...]

went home. took a nap. made dinner. ate. turn for the worst (or better, whatever way you want to look at it)

around seven/eight o'clock my contractions became much worse and much closer together. by nine i was contracting every five minutes for a minute.

long story short: hospital by 11pm. epidural by 1pm. in the OR for an emergency c-section at 2am (didn't happen) because my water broke, i was dilated 6cm, contracting every minute - colton couldn't handle it so his heart rate went down while my blood pressure was shooting up. eventually we were back in our room at 4am. pushing at 7am. colton's arrival at 7:41am. talk about an entry, huh? definitely was an eventful night over at good shepherd.

when colton came out, i was so in awe. he was the most adorable newborn i have ever seen. he blew me away. with tears running down my cheeks, i couldn't believe what we created... correction: what God created. my little lamb was finally here.

colton is such a joy. a blessing. and i am so thankful to be a mommy to the most precious little baby. it has already been quite the ride but i look forward to many many more special memories with this little guy.

proud daddy

i was so in awe of his beauty

this picture says it all: in love.

mommy and daddy meeting colton for the first time

perfect babe