Before he was even born, my baby was getting gifts.  Lots of clothes and blankets, but also some toys.  I tried to get him interested in the toys when he was first born but quickly realized newborns don't care much for anything besides food and nap time. 

Now that he's growing older, however, this little man is really starting to enjoy his toys! 

 (It turns out they are really delicious....)

My little man is starting to talk to me more and more.  I love listening to him, and I wonder what he is telling me!  While trying to take some photos the other day, I caught him right in the middle of a story and ended up with these:

Who knew my belt could be such a fun toy?!

A baby waking up from a nap in a Swaddle Me should look like this:

Image taken from Amazon.com

After taking a nap in a Swaddle Me yesterday, my little Houdini looked like this:

I laughed until tears streamed down my face.  And though he probably didn't understand what Mama found so funny, my little man grinned right along with me.

We had a lot of fun at a family reunion this weekend.  Good food, good company, good weather (and about thirty babysitters for the day).  What more could you ask for?!

I have been thinking a lot lately about prayer.  Over the years, I have heard many amazing stories about answered prayers.  In my own life I use it daily as a means to communicate with my Father in heaven, to thank Him for His many tender mercies, and to ask Him for extra help where I may need it.  Prayer is what I turn to when I don't know where else to turn.

Lately, however, I've been questioning certain aspects of prayer.  I know that when I pray for my needs, I am admitting to Heavenly Father that I need His help and as I show faith, I can expect guidance and strength from Him.  Why is it, though, that we pray for others?  When someone is sick, when a job needs to be found, when a marriage is in trouble...I assure people that I will pray for them.  Is it because they cannot receive the intended blessings unless more than one person shows faith?  I don't think so.  I can't imagine that Heavenly Father would deny blessings to someone who is fervently praying and asking in faith if their friends aren't also doing so. 

I can't grasp how my prayers on behalf of friends and family help.  I have a lot of searching and pondering ahead of me.  How can I expect to teach my son the concept of prayer if I don't fully understand it myself?

When he gets hungry, my little man starts chowing down on his fists.  In fact, I have to fight to get his fists away from his mouth so I can feed him!

My little man wants to be mobile and do all the things I can do.  He loves it when I let him sit next to me on the couch.

But what he really wants is to stand.  I will hold him for balance and he will stand and stand until his legs give out.  Then he'll be mad that he can't stand anymore!  I wonder if this means he'll be an early walker?

Although he sleeps better when he is swaddled, my little Houdini works hard every night to get access to his hands....

...some nights are more successful than others.

Best yawn picture ever.