I will let you be the judge.

We ate one of these things for Thanksgiving dinner.

And I'll never tell which one...


Here's hoping y'all had a rocking Day of Thanks!

Love,
Us

An oldie but a goldie.

Going through old photos and videos with my Mom for a Christmas project, I came across this gem. Oh, that Zaida.

Big baby!

10 pounds 10 ounces! 22 3/4 inches long!

Grow, Levi, grow!

(I look at him and think, I can't believe Sarah gave birth to a baby this big. God bless her...)

An onslaught of photos for the grandparents.

Flirting with his reflection.

Sleeping in the cradle built by Grandpa Toler 39 years ago for baby Aunt Tammy. I slumbered in this same cradle as a babe.

Babysitter.

Having a nap on Dad. (No comments on Levi's darling outfit. It was laundry day. And the standard-hospital-issue-hat is still the only one that stays on his little head.)

Levi's first football game. GO BALERS!

Having a nap on Mom.

SMILE! (Blurry, but you get the totally adorable idea.)

Month 2.

Dear Levi,

You are two months new today. Sometimes I think it has happened in mere seconds, and sometimes I think it has actually been seven years. You bend time, little baby.

Highlights from your second month of life include:

• You have discovered your ability to cry. From little coughy whines when you're sleepy to from-the-center-of-my-soul-how-could-you-ever-do-this-to-me-I-thought-you-loved-me wails when you're put into your carseat. Grandpa Toler no longer needs to worry about your not crying when you were born; you've got it covered.
  
• You love your swing. You like to stare adoringly at the dangly fish and it's one of only three places you will sleep (swing, cradle, arms).
• You hate tummy time. Hate, hate, hate. "They" say you should be on your tummy 20-30 minutes a day. Ha! Haha! Maybe "they" should lay face down, firmly plant "their" faces into the floor, scream furiously, and see how much "they" like it.
• Your abhorrence of tummy time has, several times, resulted in you flinging yourself onto your back in a fit of rage. I don't know if this officially counts as rolling over on your own, but if it does, you nailed it.
  
• Smile! You smile! So I can put my irrational, crazy-postpartum-hormones induced delusions of you not really liking me to rest. Because you smile! SMILE!
• Your love affair with the bath continues in full force.
• We're totally rocking the Moby Wrap.
• The cats have finally decided to acknowledge your presence. Izzy is mostly excited about the sudden proliferation of soft and fuzzy blankets, which she, of course, assumes are for her. And Little Kitty doesn't really understand why you don't throw his toys when he drops them at your feet, but he's still a fan.
• You sleep about 5 hours each night. And I thank you for that. I don't even care that the 5 hours begin at 1:00 am.
• You and the swaddle have a love-hate relationship. You won't sleep for any length of time without being wrapped up, but if I dare to wrap you up before you're totally out, I am met with much protest.
• Breastfeeding is still a daily battle. Shane keeps telling me to be kind to myself and let it go, but I still have a little bit of willpower left. A little bit.
• You have outgrown all your newborn-sized clothing. Shane doesn't understand why it broke my heart to pack up all those teeny, tiny, itsy, bitsy clothes.
• We are still figuring out how to go out and about with you, and this usually ends up with me nursing you in the car or in a dressing room. I am assuming it will get easier with time, and it would help if you didn't hate your carseat with the fire of a thousand suns.
• As specifically requested by your Auntie Lyndsey, you are chunking up quite nicely. Your fat little thighs now have TWO rolls, which I squeeze liberally each time I change your diaper.
  
• You are more alert, focused, and vocal each day. I feel more and more like I am dealing with another teeny little human being. It is awe inspiring to watch your personality emerge as you discover your world.

I love you, Little Bean.

Love,
Mama

Good grief.

Dear Stella McCartney,

Your collection for Baby Gap is pretty adorable, but if you think I'm going to spend $58 dollars on a cashmere sweater for my baby and then ANOTHER $58 for the matching cashmere leggings, you are out of your everloving mind.

(But I might spend $28 for the cashmere hat. Touché.)

Sincerely,
Suzanne