Brace yourself for the size of my middle section...and the puffy face...and the...well, you get the idea.
I know. I know. Enormous. Huge. Uncomfortable. Heartburn.
Oh yeah, I felt it all.
But I also felt lucky. Blessed. Loved. Excited.
And to think, that was all a whole year ago.
Time sure does fly when you're having fun! I really am in constant awe at how fast the last twelve months have passed us by. And it makes me realize how easy it should be to be more patient...especially when waiting on Him! Just think about it for a moment...let's pretend that you have something really big planned for, say, next month. Or even just next week. It takes forever for that moment to arrive, doesn't it? But have a baby (granted...you wait 9 loooong months for that big moment) and you realize how quickly it all flashes by;
Just born ~ February 12, 2008:
June 2008 ~ 4 months old:
September ~ 7 months old:
December ~ 10 months old:
February ~ Nearly one year old:
"Don't you see that children are God's best gift? The fruit of the womb his generous legacy? Like a warrior's fistful of arrows are the children of a vigorous youth. Oh, how blessed are you parents, with your quivers full of children! Your enemies don't stand a chance against you; you'll sweep them right off your doorstep." Psalm 127:3-5 (The Message)I will forever maintain that there is no greater testament to the passing of time than a growing child.
Happy very 1st Birthday Logan Dean! You are wonderful and such a blessing to us.
And not just any chocolate bar...a Hershey Chocolate bar was the choice of the wee ones. Before I go on with this post and get to the meat of it, let's just pause a moment and take note of how sweet and innocent this boy is:
This precious thing, as most of you know, just started kindergarten this year at Bell Elementary. He is very quickly learning how to read. He has already learned over 40 sight words. These are words that are to be recognized upon sight - without having to sound the word out, you just know the word when you see it. He is also very good at sounding out other words. He can work his way through an entire book, with some help with the big, long words, of course. So anyways, last night as the adults were sitting in the living room chatting, Lukas approaches my loving husband and myself and asks "is it okay if I eat this piece of candy that we are using for our Valentines?" We turn to look at our boy as he is already opening the wrapper of a mini chocolate bar. I tell him "sure, go ahead". And with the biggest smile he looks at us, looks at the wrapper and says in the most confident tone "It's one of those healthy bars, so it's good for me to eat it." And he turns and walks away. Enjoying his mini Hershey Bar. Our boy, so sweet, innocent and confident. He really believed that what he saw on that wrapper said Healthy and not:
So, I will continue to stand my ground and maintain that chocolate is indeed healthy for us...because Lukas says so. 
Isn't he just the most adorable little thing ever!? 
It seems that these curls are causing our youngest boy to appear a bit too...too...um...feminine? At least that is what we gather from the almost daily comments about her...or she. "Oh! How beautiful is she with those curls!?" Or "She is so cute! How old is she?" Or, "Look at her! And her beautiful eyes and those curls! Oh those curls! What girl wouldn't die for curls like that!" I could go on, but poor Logan is going to develop a complex. My loving husband and I have gone back and forth about the whole ordeal. It has consumed us and every conversation between us. Really. It has. So, here I am. Blogging about it. And asking for your votes. Do we leave well enough alone or do we take the next step and let Logan experience his very first hair cut? Here's a better look at what we are dealing with:
I have these same curls. But they make me nuts and Lukas and Logan are both responsible for my thinning hair. Apparently growing babies in your womb makes other parts of your body do weird things. My hair fell out and it has yet to all come back in. But this is another issue for another blog time. 
Notice that Logan is not wearing any color close to or resembling pink. Or purple. Or even yellow or minty green. Nope. He is wearing blue. And if you look at the bottom right of the above picture, you will notice the varrooom embellishment on his blue outfit. Does any of this imply to you that he is actually a she? No? OK. Good. Then we are on the same page. Oh yeah, and one more thing:
Just shave it. And he knows exactly how he likes is shaved. He climbs up in that chair and tells the lady "I want a 3 on top and a 2 in the back and sides." A man that knows what he wants. That's Lukas.
It's a big room full of inflatable jumping...things. It's noisy, colorful and full of kids.
Our boy had a great time and was totally spent by the time we got home.
Guess who else had a good time? 
Yep. Logan had just as much fun as the big kids did. He fit right in. And, for anyone interested in what Logan might want for his birthday, take a good look at this:
He loved, and that's an understatement, the Cozy Coupe Car. He spent 80% of his time at Pump It Up in the little red and yellow car. 10% of his time was spent doing this:
Remind you of anyone?
That photo opp reminded me of Lukas - at the ripe old age of nearly a year old. He had just discovered what a beach ball was. 
And I sure am glad that I get to be their mom and that they get to be brothers and have each other. 
Lukas - you little sneak! And when Logan tries to be serious and frown at me, I can't help but giggle. Just look at these faces!
I am so filled with love and joy for these two precious stinkers! 
Can you guess what this precious little guy is looking at so intently. So curiously. So hesitantly. So excitedly. So anticipatingly? 
Oh yea, that's a MINE! (aka pacifier to those who don't know us that well.) Thanks to Lukas and Gammie, the pacifier became known as a mine years ago and forever more in our little family.
We had invested a years worth of salary into these little plastic and rubber things, so they were not going to be thrown away. They somehow managed to end up in the bottom of Logan's little toy basket and tonight...ohhhhh tonight, I spotted them nearly 10 months later and laid them on the floor. Curiosity washed over out youngest boy's face as he raced toward the lined-up-mines. What is that!? I could just hear the words running through his rapidly developing little brain.
First up, the Soothie:
Logan's next choice was the Mam version.
Hmmm...not too bad either!
Last, but not least, the Gerber Nuk:
He liked it okay...but not as well as he liked the other two...
I don't know. Maybe, just maybe, Logan was playing me. Hoping I would blog about his non-existent love for the mine. 
I guess we will see what happens tonight at bed time....
Come to think of it, I think they both really just like each other a whole whole lot.
And I just like them both a whole whole lot. They bring me so much happiness. I am so glad that they can bring each other joy as well. 
He was so intrigued. And even more excited when he reached up and realized he could actually reach the shiny thing. Then things got even more exciting when he discovered he could put his fingers up in the spout. The simple pleasures. 
Tonight, I will close with this. A picture of our oldest, craziest, silliest and completely lovable boy:
Can you feel the joy these guys radiate? I sure hope you can...even if it's just a tiny bit. 
And here's my very favorite part of these pictures: 
Oh! how I love me some baby piggies! So soft, clean, and uncallused. This little piggy went to market...this little piggy...