{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:

blog breakups

i feel like i have had multiple blog breakups over the past few years. i get into a great groove and blog my heart out and then i have my moments where i just stop... for months. it is like a high school relationship. 

well, after doing some thinking and brainstorming, i wanted my blog to be more than a bragging place for my cute little babe. (although, i don't mind... but if i were you, i would think it is obnoxious.) so, i decided that i am going to be more committed. i know, i know. i have said that multiple times. again, i compare it to a high school relationship...sure, i might "like" blogging, but i have other priorities that are much more important. ;)

after chatting with my talented designer sister, candace, she and i are in the process of revamping my blog. it is going to have a different look, feel, and overall concept. there will still be updates of colton and his cute daily changes but it will come with more consistency... "daily" topics or such (i use "daily" carefully because you know my commitment issues)... it might be about what i have been learning, a pinterest pin i actually did (i have done a lot, excited to share my finds and makes), or it might be about my adventures of mommyhood. 

so, here we go. heres to a successful, committed blog relationship... ;) no more high school romance, this thing is gettin' serious... marriage material ;) xoxo

ps. if you haven't heard... my mom is working on her blog. seriously, you will want to follow her, especially all you mommas out there. she is gonna be realz and honest. (colette? honest?) but truthfully, it is going to minister to your hearts. God has some great plans for her and this. i can't wait. xo

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.

christmas card from the snares

well, in usual danielle fashion, i have failed miserably to do my 12 days of christmas. oh well. taking care of a teething four month old comes first these days.

here is our 2011 christmas card. it turned out perfect. thanks to candace carr for her amazing design work and cassandra eldridge for her phenomenal work behind the lens.

will be posting a bit more today, tomorrow, as well as sunday. got some cool wrapped gifts, a dying tree, some thoughts on christmas this year, as well as colton turning four months on sunday. ;) get ready for some major cuteness.

have a great morning.

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

oh, hey, christmas...

gah! the past few weeks have been IN-SANE. insane. did i mention they have been insane? i have a pretty neat job - one that allows me to work part time... yes. part time. but these past weeks it was more like full time + a baby + being a wife + mrs. social. add those together, we get insane.

most of you know me. and most of you know that i am a "go-getter." i had too much on my plate but like every type a personality, i got it in the bag already. so here i am, two weeks later and i wonder where last two weeks went. the other week, i worked 14 hours straight. good thing i had plans this past monday or i would have been stuck at work again.

but here i am, december 9th and i can't believe christmas is in like what, 15 days?!?! last year i did a blog type advent calendar thing. i actually had a blast doing it. everyday i did something "christmas" related and wrote about it. well, i am a bit behind, but that doesn't mean i can't do something similar but different. so this year, i am going to do the "12 days of Christmas." yeah, yeah - i know it is about "gifts" but i'm going to do 12 different christmas activities from our christmas card, to wrapping gifts, to decorations, to a cute colton christmas shoot - you will just have to wait and see...

so putting my insane life aside, let's grab some warm coco or coffee, turn up those christmas tunes that we only get to enjoy for like 30 days, sit by the fire and now until christmas day my blog will be dedicated to the glorious season of christmas.

and as i dive in, i want to really us to dwell on matthew 1:21, "she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." as i really think about that, i continually dwell on the fact that we can't separate the manager and the cross. they go hand-in-hand. he was born to save us from our sins. what a strange but amazing way to save the world. may you also dwell on that this christmas season.