My baby boy's not a baby anymore!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas holiday! We sure did. Santa was very good to everyone. Brooklyn even got a "real" camera just like her mommy! Right after Christmas, we went out of town for a week which was nice, but also tiring. It's so hard to travel with two little ones!

I just now feel like I'm getting back into the swing of things here. First and foremost on my To Do list? Make Jake's birthday invitations.

That's right! My baby boy is gonna be one in 22 days! I can't believe this time last year I had a big ole baby bump! We can't imagine our lives without Baby Jake in them.

So, please, in honor of my little man, allow me to get sentimental for a moment.

January 2008 found me in the hospital 4 times before my doctor decided it was time. January 30, 2008 at 12:55 p.m. Leland Jake Latimer (named after my grandfather - I love you, Paw Paw!) made his debut into this world. We were all shocked at his red hair! From our first night in the hospital, Jake only woke up once a night to feed, and he was sleeping through the night at 8 weeks! I did his first photo shoot at two weeks, and now I'm kicking myself for not doing it sooner!



One of his first smiles caught on camera. Can you see the beginning of his dimple?


Ask anyone - Jake is the most mellow baby you will ever meet. I was actually considering asking his pediatrician if a baby could cry too little! I guess that's why I love this pout here:


From the time Jakey was born, he was a chunk-a-monk! Here he is with his namesake, my grandfather:


I'm not kidding when I say he is quite possibly the happiest baby ever. He makes me smile all the time. That dimple makes my heart skip a beat!



I got a little behind on doing J's 3 month session. This one was actually done a few days after he turned 4 months. This picture was so representative of him at the time. All spit and bubbles!


In June, we took a family trip to Florida. Jake loved the pool, but the sand - not so much! He's a pretty hot natured child, so even under a tent, he'd turn beet red and little sweat beads would pop out on his nose! This is the only way he was happy on the beach:


Jake started sitting up around 5 1/2 months old. Here he is at the Splash Pad in Smyrna. Come to think of it, maybe it wasn't the beach that he hated so much. Maybe it was the sun!


Jake's red hair is really coming in now. Everytime my mom sees him, she says, "It's really looking less red." Just wishful thinking, Nanny! I think Jake is a red head for life!


Jakey went immediately from sitting to pulling up. At this point, I knew my life was about to get a lot more hectic! At Jake's six month appointment, his doctor predicted that he'd be walking by 8 months! Agh!!!!!!!!!


October rolls around, and I have a baby boy who is crawling all over the place. Man, he is fast! And he's beginning to lose his baby chubs. My baby really is growing up.



We had a great Halloween. Brooklyn was Ariel, and Jake was a monkey. He didn't last in the costume very long because like I said, he's hot natured and was steaming inside that suit! November comes and goes in a flash, and I can't believe that it's almost Christmas time again. This time last year, our Christmas card had Brooklyn unwrapping a ribbon from around my belly! By the end of November, Jakey is taking his first steps - not 8 months, but 9 1/2 ain't too shabby either! It's funny how much more laid back you are with your second child. I never would have given Brooklyn a sucker at 10 months old, but Jake sure did enjoy his!


This brings us to today. My baby is a toddler. Walking, talking (he can say mama, bite-bite, ba-ba, and just yesterday, he started yelling for a "ba-nan-a" in WalMart!), wrestling with his sister, and hugging every chance he gets. My boy is definitely a lover. There is not a better time in my day than when my little man toddles up to me, throws his arms around my neck and squeezes. I can't believe a year has passed by so quickly.

We (well, really me!) decided to go out on a limb with Jake's party theme. I wanted something different. And let's be honest, there's really only so many things you can do for a boy's first birthday party smack dab in the middle of winter. An idea begins churning in my head, and before too long, Jake's Rock Star Party is born. I'm working on invites right now, so I'll leave you with this picture I took of Jake (aka Doll-Doll, JJ, Monkey, Jay, Punk, Jakey) today.



Thank you God for giving us this little miracle, and please continue to bless our family.

If you've made it this far, thank you!

Heather