Time's A Flying By

On February 12, Noah turned 2. I meant to post my thoughts then, but to be honest, I was getting ready for my ski trip to Breckenridge with the girls and didn't want to really face my feelings about my boy growing up.

So, I am "biting the bullet" and putting them on paper now.

Noah's little life is going by so fast. I feel like I blink some days and he's an inch taller, saying another sentence, reaching another milestone. Then there are days that crawl by; days I feel that are endless and I think "are we SERIOUSLY adding another child to this crazy life we have?!"

At 2, Noah is exceeding so many of my expectations. He's speaking in full sentences, counting to 20 (straight through), reciting his ABCs (albeit a bit slurred in some portions!), reading books and using his imagination, playing ball - and all kinds of improvised instruments - day in and out (he's currently fascinated by putting the ball in "the bucket," AKA the basket that we gave him for his bday), and randomly giving me hugs and REAL kisses throughout the day as he says "I love you, Mommy."

Dan and I want to freeze this time in our life - but when we think that parenting Noah couldn't get any better, it seems to. He's so smart, so affectionate, so compassionate towards others. He shares his toys - but we are sort of going through a "mine" stage that will hopefully pass soon. He loves to play with "friends" - he calls everyone his size "friend."

My favorite is how he reaches out for our hands to pray before his meals or before he goes to sleep. He ends each prayer with a hearty "AMEN" and then says "I love you, Jesus." Those are words I prayed I would hear from my children.

Noah loves to look through photo albums over and over and point out "baby Noah" or other family members he has grown to love in his short life. He loves hugging his doggie, Piper, or asking to "hold it" meaning that he wants to hold Gumbo Kitty and drag him all over the house (which Gumbo foolishly allows).

He has a little red car that he likes to get into on the back porch. He will throw his arm over the side of it and say "ummm, chicken nuggets and french fries" like he's ordering from a fast-food restaurant! Where he got that, we have no idea. But we laugh so hard when he orders his meal.

Noah likes to point out random boo-boos - which he seems to always have an abundance of being a rough-playing little guy - and say "kiss it, kiss it." He also loves, loves to snuggle before bedtime or for naptime. At this point in my pregnancy, I sleep any chance I can get so sometimes, I curl up next to him and we will cuddle/sleep for 2 hours. I realize that the days of him being a snuggly baby are passing at lightening speed and I want to relish every minute that he wants to be curled up by my side.

I love this little boy more than I can bear sometimes. There are many nights that I am overcome with emotion as I say goodnight to him or say prayers with him; he's everything I could have dreamed he would be. He's an absolute angel - a challenging child sometimes, but manageable and so willing to please - and I am overwhelmed that God deemed us worthy to be Noah Beall's Mom and Dad for our short time on this earth.

Noah at 2 days old - Honolulu, Hawaii

Noah, 1 year old - Troy, Alabama

Noah, 2 years old - Louisiana

Snow Baby

I have been meaning to post the cute pictures I took of Noah experiencing his first snow ever! He loved it - and ate handfuls of it. He's such a precious boy.

Breckenridge 2010

We had SUCH an incredible time in Breckenridge, Colorado for our annual girls' ski trip. We hadn't been able to get to the slopes these past couple of years because I had Noah and we were so close to moving from Hawaii. But this year, we were ready to get back out West.

I didn't do a ton of skiing because the conditions were so cold and snowy the first 2 days. Plus, there were so many people on the slopes because of the long weekend. To me, there is nothing more scary than being passed on the slopes by inexperienced, high speeding skiers that have no technique. That is a recipe for disaster and when pregnant, I wasn't willing to chance it till the mountain cleared out a bit. By Tuesday and Wednesday, the crowd had thinned and I felt comfortable to ski with the gals.

We have been to Breckenridge several times and decided that it will remain our default ski location from now on. We love the town and the people and have our "favorite" spots picked out for post skiing fun so we decided to head back there as often as possible after this past trip. Enjoy the pictures!