10 things about being a mom...

Being a mom is the hardest, most incredible, most wonderful thing I have ever experienced in my life! I just wanted to take the time to write down some of what I have learned...Here we go!

1. Baby snuggles, giggles, and smiles are the very best thing
2. I can't stop kissing his little cheeks...literally can't stop
3. I will never be ok with the smell of baby poop
4. Watching my son with my husband is one of my favorite things
5. The love I feel in my heart for my baby boy is unexplainable
6. I feel like I will always have spit up or drool somewhere on me
7. My house will never be as clean as it was before Nolan came into the world...and I'm learning to be ok with that
8. It's easier to find cute girl clothes than it is to find cute boy clothes...and girls have so many more sock options than boys!
9. Apparently, Nolan likes peas more than he likes sweet potatoes...which I TOTALLY didn't think would be the case...because the peas smell nastier than the sweet potatoes. Hm. It's so much fun getting to know my little man :)
10. Sometimes, I miss the days when life was a lot simpler...when going somewhere didn't require packing the whole house...when going to a movie and dinner with my husband was something we could decide to do 5 minutes before we left to do it....when I could sleep in as late as I wanted...but at the same time, I can NOT imagine my life without my adorable, wonderful, little boy. He brings so much joy to our life and I wouldn't go back for a second.

It is SO beyond time...

It is WAAAAYYY beyond time for me to update my blog! Ugh. I am not very good at it, but oh well :) Thanks for being patient! Since I last posted, we had our beautiful baby boy!! Nolan Anthony Preiss was born May 26, 2011...weighing in at 9lbs 8oz!

Isn't he perfect? :) I got to have ALL summer with him! He has grown and changed so much...He is 4 months old how and he is such a happy, relaxed, easygoing little man!

Every day I fall more in love with him! I can't help but kiss him all over....his cheeks just MIGHT fall off here soon. Motherhood is one of the hardest and yet most wonderful experiences. In the early weeks of his little life, I took refuge in a verse from Isaiah - "In quietness and trust is your strength." Whenever I got overwhelmed with it all, I just remembered to take a second to be quiet and trust that my Jesus would give me all that I needed for that moment. Being a mom has also given me such an amazing perspective on how much our Father must love us. I look at my little man and I would do ANYTHING for him. My heart swells with love for him. How much our Father must love us...and how incredibly difficult it must have been for Him to send His son to die for us.

It is so fun to watch Nolan learn and grow and try new things! Right now he is figuring out his laugh and trying to roll over...he kind of gets stuck on his side :) He is also finding his voice - he is quite the talker! At the beginning of September I started back to work. I'm teaching Kindergarten this year....and it's a crazy roller coaster!! Thankfully I only have to work a few days a week! And my mom and my sister are so wonderful and take care of my baby for me...but I must say that I dread leaving him on the days that I work and the best part of those days is picking him up! I am so grateful that I get to leave him with people that love him...but it's still so hard.

I am also so grateful for my husband...for being such an incredible dad...for being ok with a messy house and fast food for dinner because I'm too tired to cook...for hugging me even when I'm covered in spit up...for going to the store for that one thing I forgot even though I checked my list 5 times...I could go on and on. But I really am so blessed. Tired and blessed :) Thanks Lord!!