Six months.

Unbelievably, it has been six months. Six whole months that we've had this beautiful baby boy outside my belly, six months of sleepless nights, six months of parenthood filled with spitup, smiles, soiled clothes, and surprises - so much more than we could have imagined.

And our hearts are full.

Here are some pictures of the sweetness, himself:

 Trying the pool for the first time

 Enjoying the sand and sun at the ocean

 And wading in the tiniest waves with Daddy

 Reaching for toys, and anything within sight

 Grabbing his toes

 He has been sitting up a little better on his own

 Smiling at everyone

 Teething like crazy!

And more:

Standing with help

Jumping whenever the opportunity presents itself

Beginning to prefer Mommy and Daddy

Sleeping 3-4 hour stretches at night, but usually 3

Tried cereal for the first time - not a fan

Cooing and "singing"

Jumping/stomping/tapping in rhythm to music (Yes, really. He is the son of musicians!)

And we love him more each day. Our precious baby Joshua.

I couldn't share with you all then, but I can now! My Valentine's Day was beautiful and full of reminders of how much I'm loved. But beyond the gift of having my husband home with me, he also brought me a little tangible gift.

I gave him his gift first - you can see that here. Then, he asked me to close my eyes and hold out my hands (just like when he proposed to me, slipping the ring on my finger). When I reached out, this is what he put in my hands:

"Are you sure?" I asked, with surprise and joy in my voice, almost in tears.

"Yes," he replied with quiet confidence. His strong arms reached out and pulled me in for a hug, as he whispered his love for me and a second affirmation, "I'm ready."

I'll cherish that moment for always! 

So grateful to God for the promise, the hope, and the big (little!) blessing we've been given. 

Love you for always, my dear husband! Excited for this new time of life with you.

it's a....

...baby!

Last Monday, I drove to the city where hubby works and met him for dinner at Outback Steakhouse under the guise of celebrating his birthday early. When we got back to his place, hubby opened his card:

 

....he was a little confused at first! But then, totally excited, because...

We're having a baby! Our little one is due sometime in early December, and we're so excited!

We celebrated hubby's birthday last weekend for real - now, only a few days early - while my parents and his were in town for my last College Choir concert. We celebrated with birthday cake, and then revealed the cookies I made:

These cookies were actually Hubby's idea! So creative.

They were shocked! And surprised! And so happy.
Here's hubby's face just before we surprised our parents:

I also made little bibs for each of our immediate family members to take home - proud new grandparents, aunts, and uncles.

We can't wait to welcome our little one into the world! What a beautiful blessing.