Tobias in a bucket, 11 months and 2 weeks.

     Gosh how is it that my little Ty is almost one year old! Thinking through this past year I instantly want to clench my fists and grab the reigns before they completely slip through my fingers! Time whizzes by and yet each minute is fit to burst from the sheer amount of life packed in! This summer has been nothing but visit after visit from family, big milestones, travels and crazy adventures! I do not want it to end, but at the same time, I'm looking forward to the steadiness and routine that fall brings. Fall is by far my absolute favorite season! The excitement and energy that comes with the start of school carries into September when Gray and I celebrate our anniversary and now Tobias's birthday!
     As I plan Ty's big day I find myself conflicted. I love my boy more than can be said. He has brought so much joy and laughter into our lives. Things we didn't know we were missing all the sudden appeared and are now filled perfectly. I spend more time with him than anyone else in my life and each day is fashioned around him and his schedule. But as each new phase gets farther away from the tiny infant we brought home, life gets more exciting and fun! I definitely identify with the momma's who are not baby lovers. And even though I do not want to wish away these precious baby moments (and I am not) I look forward to the coming years as he starts to talk and we get to see more of his unique personality.
     In that vein, I love these pictures because they capture just a glimpse of his disposition. He is curious and independent, all boy, adventurous, unafraid, bossy, vocal, and good at letting you know what he thinks. He is stubborn, headstrong, determined, social like his dad, a lover of attention, spunky and funny. He is our handsome peach fuzz, our screechy ducky, and our stubborn fart. We love him to death and cannot quite remember what life was like before him, less fun for sure! :p