Oh what a difference a year makes...

I started keeping this blog just over a year ago.  Barnes was about to turn two.  We had been in our current house about six months and were finally getting settled.  As I write this entry, he has just turned three and we are packing up for another move into another new house!  Hopefully this is our last move for a very long time.  

So, things are the same as last year but also very different.

Our lives now include a precious daughter, Anna Kate. Barnes has become a little boy from last year to this one.  My mom told me last year when he turned two that so much would change in the year to come and she was so right.  

• He barely said sentences last year and this year he speaks in paragraphs!
• His focus was on moo moo's, horseys, piggies, and hop hops last birthday.  He was in love with farm animals. 
• This year, we are shouting about monster trucks and riding around on a jeep that when I see him in it, I swear I see a sixteen year old pulling in the driveway.  He looks so big in that thing.
• He needed MY help so much last year, this year HE is such a big helper!  

At two he was a baby.  At three he is a boy.  

My heart is broken wondering where that baby went and excited for all the fun and excitement ahead.  I am so blessed by that child.  More than I could ever put into words.  

Here are a few pictures from his Thomas The Train party.  For the record, he decided he wanted a MONSTER TRUCK party a week before the party.  I refused.  Terrible mommy, I know. 

 Was the train "over the top" Daddy?

Barnes and some of his favorite friends, Ben and Baker

Sweet three year old!

He loved the attention

Little conductor

Make a wish!

Sweet family

Happy little sister

And now you are three...

 June 2, 2008

4 weeks old

playing your little drum 

 Turning 1

Turning 2

With sissy



Barnes Perry, you are the joy of my life.  These last three years have been better than all the others combined.  You taught me what pure love was when you came into the world.  I thank God every night for this life he has given me and you are at the top of the list with your Daddy and sissy.  Until I became your mommy, I could never have understood what precious simple things would occupy my days and would bring me such joy at the same time. 

Like when you said MaMaMaMaMa over and over and over and over (and over!) at 5 months or...
Had so much fun beating your drum at Kindermusik or...
When you ate a bug in the living room floor and I came in to find little wings and legs in your mouth (ack!) or...
When you snuggle up with me before a nap during the day or...
The way you have loved your sister so unconditionally from the moment she came into our lives....

How your laughter fills the room and...

How you want to please us and are so helpful.

This past year has been one of changes and milestones-

You became a big brother-

We started on our new house (which you have loved!)-

You had surgery to get ear tubes-

You had an explosion of language after your ear tubes because you could hear (poor little thing)-

We ditched the poppy-

You have almost potty trained-

You have turned into a little sports nut-

You have turned into a boy instead of a baby-

My sweet son, my first born little boy, you teach me each day how to be a better person.  I am so blessed by your love and to be your mommy.  It is hard for me to understand how our third year together can be as wonderful as this one has been but I have no doubt it will be just as magical and fun.

It really was a perfect day!

Barnes' Second Birthday Party!

He woke and told me his wagon shouldnt be on the porch!

Table

Wonderful cake!

Cookies for the kids

Favors for kids

Table #2

Its a Llama!

The Petting Zoo

feeding the goat

Feeding the ducks

Me and my sweet birthday boy!

Baby goat

Giving the goat milk

just blowing out the candle!

We celebrated Barnes' second birthday today with friends and family. The weather was gorgeous, honestly, God was smiling down on us today (and everyday). The theme was barnyard because the birthday boy's favorite things right now are animals. There are two ponds with ducks that we pass on the way from our house and a pasture with cows and that's ALL he can talk about when we are driving. Ive been telling him for days that animals were coming to his party. He calls most of the animals by their sounds so a horse is the "neigh" sound, he snorts like a pig and moos like a cow when hes talking about those animals. He even calls Georgie "arf, arf!" He can say Georgie but would rather call her that instead.

My sweet husband and I had an early party planning disagreement about whether the petting zoo was over the top or not... I wanted to have one (surprise, surprise) Brad said it was all too much and Barnes would never even remember it (he has a valid point about that). Well, he eventually came around (wink, wink! I mean really... who is the event planner in the family??) and after seeing Barnes' face when he saw those animals, Id have paid double just to see the pure joy and excitement all over again!

Animals included in the "over the top" petting zoo:

Cow - Moo as Barnes says

Pig (VERY LARGE PIG!) - snort

Chickens - chick chick

Ducks - actually calls this one by name

Llama - no name

Sheep - baaa

Goats - another no name

Rabbits - hop hop

All the kids loved the animals but I must say, I think Barnes loved them the most. He was in the fence petting them all within seconds, not afraid or concerned about any of them.

Thank you to my sweet husband for making all of it possible! Those who read know he truly is a saint to put up with my OVER THE TOP'ness on a daily basis. :)

We ate lunch, cake, opened so many wonderful gifts (thanks to our great friends and family) and then we swam in the pool all afternoon.

Thanks to all who joined in our special day, today. As I look at that baby's sweet face on the monitor right now sleeping so soundly, I know what perfect looks like. "My cup runneth over." Psalms 23:5, as my mom would say.

Big TWO Year Old!

I cant believe today (really yesterday, as I'm turning into my mother and up WAY too late) my baby turned TWO! We have been busy planning for the big birthday party this weekend. But tonight, we spent time together just as a family. BBP picked spaghetti for dinner (yay, Mommy and Daddy's fave too). The wait staff came out and sang to him after dinner and he loved being celebrated. He clapped while they sang and then clapped all the way home. Today, we spent time outside watching the big trucks and diggers next door where the neighbors are putting in a pool. He loved watching and yelled, "TRUCK, TRUCK" all day! Nana and Papa Bill left him a balloon on the mailbox this morning with M&M's inside and he thought he was the most special boy in the world! I love seeing things through his two year old eyes, instead of my 31 year old eyes. I miss all the small things he thinks are magical... bugs, bubbles, balloons and cake icing!

I made him a cake today and he told anyone who would listen about that cake. He told his Gammie when he talked to her on the phone and he told Daddy as soon as he got home. It was just a simple little homemade cake but to him its so special.

Spaghetti Face

Barnes enjoying the birthday song

He got a chef's hat too!


Waiting to blow out the candles