Baby boom much?

So far in 2014 I have attended four baby showers. Within a span of about five months, I found out five women in my life were pregnant. Two of Josh's sisters and three of my closest friends. Can you say #babyboom?! All of these women are such important parts of my life and I love them all so very much so it's safe to say I went into full blown spoil mode! For those of you that are close to me, you know that I have the biggest shopping problem and when these women started throwing babies into the mix, lets just say it escalated and I may have passed my problem along to Josh as well. We can't walk into Target without visiting the baby section. 

-Josh finding out he had not only one sister but TWO sisters that were expecting just put this kid on cloud nine. His reactions were the cutest thing I've ever seen. Ever since our first date, he has been telling me how badly he's wanted nieces and nephews and SURPRISE! He got/gets one of each in 2014! His sister Laura had her son Elijah in January and his sister Julie is due in May with the only girl of the bunch, Isabella! Being one of four children, he knows this is only the beginning and we couldn't be more excited to watch these babies grow.

  Baby Elijah:

 Baby Isabella: Coming soon!

(I have purchased way too many clothes for this little girl and she isn't even here yet! Only girl out of 5 babies so give me a break!)

-Finding out one of my best friends Anna was pregnant put ME on cloud nine. Knowing that I was about to watch the most caring, loving, and godly women I know become a mother was overwhelming. I went to high school with Anna's husband Luke but our paths never really crossed until Anna and I became friends a couple years back. This couple is full of joy, laughter, and the most honest love I've ever seen. I was the third wheel on many of their date nights and they took me in as if I was their sister. They are my protectors and two people i'm extremely blessed to have. I spent all of nine months talking to that belly of Anna's and reminding Silas how lucky he was that he was going to gain two of the greatest parents a kid could ever ask for. On March 21, 2013, Silas James Whitmore made his grand debut. I am so in love and snuggle him every chance I get. This little man has definitely been a reminder to me that life is so precious and that I need to take time to breathe and enjoy the miracles happening around me.

 Introducing... Silas James Whitmore:

 I spent the evening over at Anna's with Silas on Sunday and just about died when I looked down and saw him holding the end of my braid. I stare at his face constantly when I hold him and just remind myself of how much I love this little man and how much of a miracle he is.

-Next up is Mikayla, a dear friend that I've had since I was in sixth grade. That's 10+ years of friendship folks. Mikayla is one of the funniest women I have ever met and every single time i'm around here, i'm always in tears from laughing so hard. Our friendship has consisted of memories such as cheerleading under Friday night lights, working together, and MANY Panera lunch dates. It's to the point that we don't even have to say the place when we make the lunch date. I'm pretty positive we could live off of their soup, salad, mac n' cheese, and bread. Anyways, finding out Mikayla was expecting was so exciting and I couldn't have been more ecstatic! Little man Carter was born on March 14, 2013 and he is absolutely precious. I was able to meet him for the first time yesterday and just about melted when Mikayla handed him to be and he just nuzzled into my arms and fell right asleep. This woman is a natural mother and I couldn't be more proud to call her my friend.

-Samantha is the best friend of Anna and she and I became instant friends as soon as we hung out for the first time! This woman is one of the strongest women I know. I posted a little while back that I had the joy of celebrating her pregnancy at her adorable baby shower in honor of her sweet son, Sawyer. Samantha and her husband Jake are expecting their first child and they are both overjoyed. This is a couple that we have spent many Saturday nights with (Anna and Luke too!) playing Scattegories while watching the craziest and most random things on TV. They are such an inspiring and loving couple and we are so blessed to call them our friends. Samantha shares her IVF pregnancy journey on her blog!

The reason I decided to share a post such as this one is because of how much love I feel from all of these women on a daily basis. They are inspiring, strong, and loving mothers to their children and they deserve to be recognized for that. Having them in my life has made me a better person and their experiences have reminded me how precious and fragile life is. The fact that I am able to share these journeys with them is beyond exciting for me and I couldn't be more honored that they allow me to love their children as much as I love them. Thank you ladies!

XO-

Riley