Memorial Day

This Memorial Day weekend we went to Jessica and Dave's family farm in Fulton, MO. It was a much needed relaxing weekend for us as Brendan stayed with the Cole family. We were able to spend some quality time together, and with our friends, which made the weekend such a joy. And it was a vacation for Belle and Roxie (the Whitlock's dog) as they came along, too. We rode the 4-wheelers around the property (Mandy drove for the 1st time--although Ryan "forgot to mention" that it could be driven in automatic), shot some guns (except for Mandy--still not her kind of thing), and went fishing. Oh, and did we mention that Mandy caught her first "lunker"?! It was massive! Here are the pics to prove it. Thank you Jessica and Dave for inviting us. We had a wonderful time and are so grateful that you brought us along. By the way, they are expecting their first baby in July which will explain the belly bulge in the pics. It sure didn't slow her down too much, though.

Brendan's Ready to Fish

My First Mother's Day as a Mom

How lucky I feel to have become a mother. It has been a trying first year with his early arrival, and his colic, but at the end of the day I feel so blessed that Brendan is my son. There are so many little things that make being a mother all worthwhile. I love the way he smiles from ear to ear when I first walk into his room every morning. What a greeting! And when he gets frightened, it warms my heart to know that the first thing he does is reach for me to protect him. I can see the pride in his eyes when he accomplishes something he's been working on for months. His look then says to me, "Look Mommy, I did it!" And I look forward to those few times a day when I can slow him down enough to feed him, and I can sit for what little time I have and stare directly into those beautiful blue eyes as he looks back into mine. For these, and so many other, reasons I understand what my purpose in life is...to be the best mother I can be for my little boy. I love you, Brendan, more than I can ever say in words and I am so lucky to be your Mother. Thank you for all the little things that will add joy to every one of Mommy's days.

Mother's Day 2009

Our 1st Picnic

On one of the beautiful days we had not too long ago, Mommy took Brendan on his first picnic to the park with Belle. Unfortunately, Daddy had to work and missed our fun time. While we were there, Mom decided to take off Brendan's socks and shoes to let him get a feel for the grass between his toes. Not such a good idea! Apparently, Brendan does NOT like the feeling of grass under his feet because any time he would crawl past the edge of the blanket he would have the most frightened look on his face and he would cry hysterically. I was too busy being a supportive mom to take a picture of this hilarious reaction but I did get a shot of his little feet. As you can see, they got a little dirty and there was no cheering Brendan up after that. It'll take some time, and lot more practice in the dirt, before he can be rough and tough like his Daddy. For now, Mommy will be there to lay out a blanket and to wipe off his feet. Brendan's favorite part of the day: he figured out that he can keep Belle near him by pulling on her leash...poor Miss Belle. Life sure is different for her these days.

Brendan Loves Him Some Bathtime!

Our little man LOVES his bathtime. In these pics you can see how anxious he is just to get in the tub. You can also see his pudgy little legs...gotta love 'em.