Holty at 18 months

My precious baby boy is 18 months old today.  I know it's said at every passing milestone, but I really can't believe he is one and a half.  His sweet life has just flown by---but at the same time it feels like he has always been apart of us.  We are wild about this little boy.  From the moment he wakes up until he goes to sleep Holty is the star of the show.  He is at such a fun, funny age.  He has the best sense of humor, and he knows he is funny.  He is SO SO sweet.  Like so sweet it can make you tear up over and over.  He loves to snuggle and cuddle.  He lays his head on your shoulder and will stay there for so long.  He loves his bay (our word for blanket around here---Hud started it when he was 1) and rubs the corner of his blanket when he is sleepy.  When he gets hurt he will run to his mommy (or daddy--) and immediately wants to be loved on.  He has always been so smiley.  Getting a smile out of him is effortless.  He just has a happy disposition.  One of my all time most favorite parts of everyday is putting him to bed at night.  He loves his mama to put him to bed.  Occasionally he'll let Matt if I hide away, but once Matt puts him in his bed Holty will cry for me---so of course I HAVE to go in there and love on him a little longer.  :)  We read a few books, sing some songs, say our prayers, and then I'll rock him for a long time.  Sometimes I stay and rock him until he falls asleep.  I love it.

Mr. Personality right there.

Holton has really taken off talking.  I love his sweet baby talk.  It's the most precious little voice.  I just love it and love hearing him try to express himself.  I'm sure most people wouldn't have a clue as to what he is saying, but once you figure it out, he makes perfect sense.  :)

Holton loves books, and Hudson and Harper love to read to him.

Holton is crazy about Hudson and Harper...and the feelings are very mutual.  Hudson and Harper are SO sweet and gentle with Holton.  They are so patient with him when he interrupts Wii games (as in walks up and turns it off when they are in the middle of a game) or destroys something they were working on.  Never do they get mad at him....which impresses me so much about them.

Before church.  So so sooooo precious.

Somedays are just too busy that you gotta fit a nap in where you can. 

I love those sweet, chunky baby thighs.

Holton has no idea what is coming in September.  I actually am a little nervous about how he'll take to a new little person in our family.  He is very much our baby and can get jealous if I'm holding Harper or loving on Hudson.  He wants to be up in the mix, not just an onlooker.  I know someday Holton will have no memory of life without Hayes, and I pray all the time that the 2 of them have such a special bond. Whatever transition we go through when we bring Hayes home (who knows maybe there won't even be a transition)...I know it'll be short lived.

When we first found out we were pregnant and I was in such shock, I would just cry when I held Holton because I almost felt like he was getting the short end of the stick since he was still a baby.  I worried he would be forced to grow up in our eyes much quicker than he should.  I didn't want to have expectations of him now that he's a 'big brother'.  I was heartbroken that he wasn't my baby anymore.  I know it all sounds silly now, but those were my genuine feelings back in January.    One night Matt and I were talking about it and he said that we'll always have 2 baby boys.  That there is something so special about Holton and there certainly was no denying that we treated him as our very last baby.  We soaked him up---every single moment because we knew that he was our last baby.  So when Matt said that we'll always have us 2 baby boys, it made me feel better.  Holton is my baby boy and Hayes is my bonus baby boy.  I'll have my big 2 and my little 2.  Perfect if you ask me.

1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months, and 18 months.

Words could never express how much we love our Holty.  He is so much fun and brings us nothing but joy.  I am excited for him to have a little brother and I am thankful for the special relationship they will share being so close in age.  What an adventure it'll be.