Atticus

Atticus is almost 18 months! I can't believe how fast he has grown, and I want him to slow down. It's incredible that a little one year old can bring so much joy to our lives. Everyday Zach and I tell each other how lucky we are to have him. He is a bundle of everything wonderful. The way he makes us laugh and feel so loved is the best thing we've felt. We love our little man more then I can put into words. 

Since time is going by so fast I have to keep up with what we have been up to and how he is growing. I want to remember these amazing days, and this awesome summer! Right now Atticus loves to be outside. He cries when I drag him away from the door or take him back inside. Dancing and music is his absolute favorite and man does he rock out. He is in love with going down the slide at the park, he likes the splash pad but it takes him a second to get into it, and he started swim lessons this summer and really has been doing great! 

Our little guy says so many words right now as well. He has been talking for quite some time but he has really been growing his vocabulary. Some of our favorites are, "dog, door, car, uh-oh, dada, papa, crackers, light, buh-bye, HI, hello, ball, Ella, Luna, thank you, fish, more, up.." and there are a few more. He is full of excitement when he speaks as well he yells LIGHT when we turn the light on or cracker over and over and over again until we give him one. Sweet boy also does sign language like a pro with the words, "please, more, and all done". It's pretty amazing what children are capable of learning when we encourage and teach them. He continues to make us so proud. 

My favorite thing ever is when Zach is about to get home. Atticus will sit on the first step in the entry way and look out the window. He screams when he sees his dad and yells for him. Then they both kiss through the window and knock at each other. When Zach goes to open the door he says "car" and then shuts the door on Zach. That goes on for about five times...and seriously every single day it's the same thing. We love it. 

His humor has us rollin. He thinks it's funny to smell our feet and then laugh. We do that to him as a game and say "peeyou!" and he thinks it's hilarious. So of course he does it to us now. He also plays peek-a-boo with us and others. He digs his face in the carpet or hides behind a wall then comes out and yells "Ahhhh!". We act like we are scared and he laughs. I can't wait to see what else he learns and picks up. It's obvious to those around us that he is a funny, lovable, and sweet guy. 

He also gives the best hugs and kisses. When Zach leaves for work and says, "I love you" Atticus goes "mmmmm" with his lips puckered for a kiss. Then when kissed he says a big "MUAH". Zach will always say, "go give Momma a Hug" and he runs with a smile to give me a big squeeze. He is so loving, we are seriously the luckiest. 

Pajama Party

Atticus has a new fetish...wearing his footie pajamas. Why is it that kids become obsessed with certain things? The past week after I have him dressed he goes and grabs his pajamas, either the ones I had him in or new ones, and asks me to put them on him. When I say he "asks me" I mean he signs "please" and holds them at me. If I don't start to put them on he will cry. So we sit down and dress him back in his pajamas to make him happy. This morning the same thing happened. I got him dressed and he was distracted and reading a book, then sees his pajamas and grabs them. He walks over to me and asks me to out him on him. I just put the footie part on but that clearly wasn't enough. Through him signing please and grunting to put them on I just pulled them up over his outfit for today, and he ran off as happy as can be. We will see if he lets me take them off of him at all, we have plans to get out today and it will be in the 80's! The fleece will make for him to be a bit toasty...but for now, he is happy.

Right before posting this, I couldn't find him, he was in the laundry room with the door closed. Sure enough I open it and he's holding another pair of pajamas saying please and holding them up to Zach and I. He is crazy about Pajamas!

Head First

I'm just going for it and diving in head first! It has been awhile, and everyday I beat myself up about not blogging anymore. I miss it. It feels difficult this time around though, because I have fallen so far behind. Zach doesn't think it is a big deal like I do, he knows how busy I've been. Even with all the chaos, I'm putting one foot in front of the other and going for it. This blog is intended for my family, friends, husband, my son, and me. It is for us to look back on and see all we have done together and the memories we are making. I need to let myself forget about what I may have "missed" on my blog and know that I haven't missed one second with my baby boy and Zach.  Believe me when I say that I have photographed so much, almost daily of my boys and me....so in a way I have so many of those memories just without the words.

I still feel this is so important and fun though! I'm excited to share so many memories and PHOTOS of the past year, and what's to come. Like I said, the chaos has been real, and really great! We get so busy and sometimes start to whine about it, but heck! bring on the busy and let us drown ourselves in it.

This past week summer has hit so hard! I am NOT complaining because the winter sucked so bad. I was whiter then ever, poor Atticus is like a vampire and never sees the sun around here. So once we got back from California, which I will blog later, we have been kissed with the sun like we haven't felt before! (we totally have felt it before, but it sure hasn't felt like it.) This week Atticus, Lauren, Luna, and Myself went to Thanksgiving Point and walked the Ashton Gardens.

We arrived when it opened, at 9am, and it was already high 70's. Around we walked and talked and pushed the babies around. All the while working on our tans, for reals though this summer I'm getting the tan of my life...that's how bad winter was. After we walked and talked we stopped at the falls there and let our littles out to walk and roam. Luna isn't walking yet, but her cousin sure is. Atticus takes off now with no direction in sight, he just goes for it. So we took turns chasing him making sure he wasn't by the water, he would come over and say "buh-bye" in his cutest voice, wave to us, smile, then book it the other way. Meanwhile, Luna chilled eating her cousins banana...smart girl. I love getting out with these cute babies in their cute summer clothes. I of course have to douse Atticus in sunscreen, literally head to toe so he doesn't fry. His hair is so white it will blind you in the process. It's no joke. But my goodness I love this little guy.

Telling him to give Luna a kiss! He gives the sweetest kisses now, and even says "muah!"

My Family in Paint

When we were getting our photos taken in April, I really wanted to pick one to have painted for our home. So I finally chose one and asked a friend of a friend to paint the portrait for me. For years I have seen that some watercolor artists do family portraits and I have loved them so much! They are so pretty and unique, and who doesn't want a custom art piece of their loved ones in their home? So once my friend, Michelle, posted her watercoloring of her cute little family, I immediately messaged the artist and soon after sent her a photo of my family. She sent me the final product so quickly and I am so in love!! Thank you Hannah MacDonald!

I haven't framed it yet so this is a photo she sent me before I received it, but I just had to share!

Family Photos

My Sister-in-Law, Mary, is an amazing photographer and took our family photos recently at an orchard. To be honest, she always takes our family photos every few months because I'm obnoxious about having Atticus photographed in these first growing years. The nice thing about our family shoots is that we just trade with each other. She takes ours and I take theirs, and then we go out for dinner and ice cream and call it a day. This time around was our Spring/almost Summer family photos. Atticus did so well! I was hesitant because you never know with a baby what their mojo will be like, especially since he is walking now he likes to do his own thing. So no tantrums, lots of farting/spiting faces with his lips, and many tickling photos were taken. After photos we went the the BYU Creamery, because duh, and after that had homemade crunch wrap supremes...living the high life! I later found out I lost my keys either at the creamery or orchard and went back two times looking through the orchard in the pouring rain, I never found them.

Yes I wore this dress for my Maternity photos, it's just one of my favorites and perfect for Spring! Oh my heart, I love my boys!

 This captures Atticus so well! He is loud, full of life, and always making us laugh.

I just LOVE these two!! Both of them are so so ticklish. Poor Atticus has a long childhood ahead of him of tickles.

When he is teething, which has been for the longest time, he always chews on his fingers in the back of his mouth.

Grammy & Papa Visit

Over the weekend my parents came for a visit...it had been the longest gap since we had seen them last! That's one for the books. They took a vacation to Spain, Sweden, and Denmark for about 6 weeks and we we hadn't seen them just a little over that. Having a baby six weeks makes a huge difference. Atticus has hit so many growth spurts lately! It's always an emotional roller coaster for me seeing my baby grow so quickly day by day right before my eyes. Anyways, the parentals came for the weekend and that was awesome. (they brought back so many gifts for Luna and Atticus, it was crazy!) Them visiting meant that Zach and I got a date! We went to the movies and Cheesecake Factory for lunch. So good. We also went to the Ashton Gardens and rented golf carts to tow us around. Which means Hector and Zach drove one each and it was a race around the gardens. It was so beautiful, as always. (as always... I've only been there one other time haha) We enjoyed the sun, what's left of it anyway until winter shoos it away. It was well needed, Atticus took a nap on his Papa and was cuddled the whole time, such a cute boy with my dad! He even let me put his beanie on him without crying and ripping it off, that's a step in the right direction. After the gardens we all went out for Sushi, yum yum. The only deal with going out is that my child loves to hear himself scream really loud and pitchy...I still think he's adorable though.

Not a fan of the grass

Early Monday morning my dad left for work, mom stayed to help us out watching the babies while I helped Lauren move somethings around her house. We wouldn't have been able to do that if my mom weren't here with our need little ones. Atticus is such a fuss if I'm in the room with him and not holding him, I love it most days but when I need to crack down and clean or work it's near impossible.

To end my moms visit this week us girls and the babes went to Ikea...duh. We always go to Ikea, my mom could show you the route blindfolded, she's obsessed. It was relaxing, I'm not complaining. We said goodbye to her last night and she left early this morning. But in just a few more weeks I'm sure they will be back for another visit! ...which means another date night. YES!