A few quick updates...

Here are a few updates of Cash now that he is 13 MONTHS! Yes, I am screaming that at you because it seems unreal that he is that old now. Geez, I guess it is getting close to getting him a brother. Or sister. But, not right this minute.

• Got in 2 top molars and once again, I didn't even know it.


• Talking up a storm saying: WA-WA for water. More and doing the sign language for it. Peez for please. Mommy instead of mama now. Baketball for basketball. WOW (I have to admit, this one is probably the cutest). He has said Jesus once and it made my heart so happy. OOOOOOOO but not the U part yet.


• He has mastered the art of climbing on the coffee table and the dining room chairs and stands up.


• He fell head first off his outside fort the other day and didn't make a peep. I would have been bawling.


• Has found his belly-button, but has to stick he neck out and around his gut to find it.


• Knows where to find his toes


• Has began the "hitting when I am mad or don't get my way" phase. I really hate that phase, but he follows every hit up with a kiss. At least he isn't biting.


• Still eats everything. Gave him Lima beans the other night and he didn't seem to mind.


• Watches a little more TV now, but not much.


• He loves a little girl named Ellie. She is the daughter of a couple from our small group. We caught him rubbing her back yesterday at her birthday party, but she didn't even turn around. He also tries to give her kisses and she is not having it. She's playing hard to get.


• Likes to read more books now.


• Whenever I take him in his room to put him to sleep, sometimes I just want to hold him until he falls asleep, but he reaches and tries to jump for his bed. Independent little boy, but still kind of breaks my heart.

Lots of other things too. I am trying to get a video of him when I flips the laundry basket over and stands on it and starts talking a yelling like one of those child preachers. So funny, but he never stands there long enough for me to get my camera.

Love,

E

Haircut time...

Pardon the hiatus and the terrible picture quality. Cash got his first haircut earlier this week. I must say it was about time, but daddy was not as excited as I was. I believe at one point he referred to me as Delilah and Cash as Sampson. Anyway, here are some pics from the moment...


The sucker was the only way to get Cash to sit still during his haircut...

Love,

E

Trying something here...

My old coach used to take all of the pictures of her kids for the entire year and put them in an album. She then chose a song that was appropriate for that year to write at the bottom pages of her photo album. Since this blog is my photo album, I thought I would try something similar. I am not going to re-post every picture, geez that would be ridiculous. But I have decided to choose a song that wraps up each year of our lives.

I chose the song, "For Good" from the show Wicked because my life really has been changed for the good because of my sweet boy. Of course, not all of the words in the song pertain to our lives or our situation, but the majority of the song says what I want it to say. Because I know you Cash, my life has no doubt been changed for the better.

I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return

Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you...

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood

Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good

It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me
Is made from what I learned from you

You'll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend...

Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a skybird
In a distant wood

Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good

Love,
E

What exactly is he doing...

At first glance, it may appear that Cash is simply watching TV. Watching TV? He never watches TV. Well, it turns out if he gets on the coffee table he will watch TV for about 1 solid minute. That's right, 1 whole, entire minute.


But then again, it also comes across like he is posing in the picture. I mean like high fashion, arched-back, give 'em your fierce face modeling. Maybe I should look into getting up some modeling gigs lined up. Oh wait, that would mean that he would actually have to sit still to take a picture. Yeah, nevermind.

Love,
E

"The Last Lecture"...

I was browsing through and deleting some old assignments from my previous semesters in school and came across 1 particular assignment. The assignment was to write what would be considered a "last letter" to people in your life if you knew you were going to die. Morbidly sick, I know. But, I came across this letter that I wrote to Cash and I cried reading it now just as I did when I wrote it. I debated as to whether I wanted to post this or not because it felt somewhat private. But, my son will read this blog when he is older and I want him to be able to read and know all the things I think about him. So... here it goes.

Cash. My gift. My precious sweet gift. It is the hardest thing in the world for me to know you will grow and move on in this life without me. I want so badly to be there when you have your first hit in tee-ball. Or your first date. Or when you get married. It breaks my heart to know that I will not be there by your side through any of that. Nevertheless, know this. I will be with you as long as you remember me. I will watch over you. I firmly believe that angels exist. And you were my angel for 9 months. Now, it is time that I be your angel. I am privileged that I could be you mama for the 9 short months that we were together.

I will miss your smile and your gapped baby teeth. I will miss our nightly dances in the living room when there is no one else around and it seems that we are the only one's left in this world and we are clinging to each other with all that we have. I will miss watching and listening to you sleep. I will miss your cry. You made and make me so happy. You are my sunshine. You are my peace. You are my pride and joy. You are my son.

Even though I won't be here for it, life will go on for you and it will go on well. Listen to your father. He knows what is best for you. Respect him and stand by him. Use good judgment and your heart when making decisions and always say your prayers at night. Say yes ma’am and no sir. Read the Bible and follow God’s word and you will always end up in the right direction. I love you more than you will ever know and will miss you.

Love,

Mom

A compliment from your daddy...

You are beginning to show a bit more interest in books, Cash. Not a lot of interest, but some. The other night you brought me Noah's Ark children's book for me to read to you. Or attempt to read to you.

Anyway...


Towards the end of the story of Noah and his ark there is a line that says, "Noah looked up, and in the sky was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. It was a rainbow full of bright colors."

Without missing a beat and without looking up from answering emails on his phone, you daddy stated very matter-of-factly, " That's a lie, Cash. Because you are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."

Man, does you daddy love you.




Love,

Mom

Date night with you daddy...

Cash,

Your daddy and I like each other. A lot. I mean you can pretty much say we are crazy about each other. Love is the appropriate word. So that means that we will be spending time together...without you. Gasp!

Let's get something straight right off the bat. I love you more than I ever thought was possible. I love you with every fiber of my body and will do my best to show and tell you that often. But, I love your daddy more. You see, your daddy was my first love. The first person to grab my heart and not let go. The one that I chose to have my heart. I picked him to love and he picked me. So that means that he is going to continue to get my time and attention, even now that you are in our lives.

We try to go on a date night every week or every other week. We feel it is important as your parents to keep our relationship a priority. To keep things fresh. Spicy. Okay, I'm sure you don't care to know all of that.

Just so you are aware of what goes on when you are not around, I'll let you in our one of our date nights. It consisted of: dinner, a Chinese fire drill, and a 7-blanket pallet on the floor in the living room while we watch a movie and snuggle. Typical.

Love,
Mom

This is how we stay cool...

The weather in Oklahoma has been hot. Actually, hot would be an understatement. It's been stupid hot. Smoldering hot. Constantly hot. You get the idea.


And Cash, being the rambunctious little boy that he is, really, wants to go outside. All the time. As a matter of fact, most of his fit throwing comes from not being able to go outside. So we brave the heat wave in the early morning and the late evening. And what better way...



Love,
E

And we shall call him...

Smiles-A-Lot

Love,

E

1 year check-up

You had your 1 year doctor's appointment today and everything went great.

Height: 32 in
Weight: 22 lbs
Head: I don't know... but you are in the 72-75% in all 3 categories

Your Dr said that you were "perfect". Those were her words, not mine. But I already knew that.
She asked what you were up to these days, so you put on a show for her...

Can do the Indian (where you put your hand up to your mouth and pat and make noise)
Clapping all the time
Dancing all the time
Pointing to your mouth when we ask you where it is
Sticking your tongue out when we ask you where it is
Pointing to your feet when we ask you where they are
Smiling when we ask you to smile
Winking when we ask you to wink
Saying ball, dog, mama, dada, Jack (Nonni's dog), Duke (our old dog), nunu (trying to say Nonni), YaYa (your daddy's mom), taytay (trying to say KayKay, daddy's sister), Uke (trying to say Luke, your cousin)
You like football and can do the O part of "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUU".
You like to play, "Down, Set, Hut Hut Hut"
And you are talking to yourself like crazy. You actually kind of sound crazy. Really cute, but crazy.

Love,
Mom