Showing off his new trick...
4.06.2012
2.11.2012
Saturday Morning Treat
Thanks to my new Pinterest addiction and one very helpful 4 year old, we enjoyed a delicious Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake for breakfast. I even snapped a few pictures as we put it together...
2.10.2012
Blogging on the go
For a myriad of reasons I have decided to "unplug" myself from the world of Facebook and return to the good old days of blogging. My only concern was loosing the ability to share a picture or quick update while on the go, but after a quick search in the app store I discovered that there was no need to worry because "there's an app for that!" ;). I've downloaded the Blogger app and now I can share pictures and quick updates from my phone.
This of course is my first official "on the go" post and I'm even going to attempt to add a picture to see if I can figure this whole thing out.
Here goes...
This of course is my first official "on the go" post and I'm even going to attempt to add a picture to see if I can figure this whole thing out.
Here goes...
10.16.2011
Life in pictures...
On August 26th at 9:24 p.m. we became a family of 5...
Grandma Dean and her grandkids....
Daddy and his baby boy and baby girl...
3 days after Jacob was born Bella started 4th grade and Chloe started Pre-Kindergarten...
Our brown eyed beauty...
From little sister to big sister...
Bright eyed boy...
In early August Chloe ran into a glass window and cracked her front tooth. After x-rays it was determined that she had cracked her front tooth and infection had set in. After a round of antibiotics and a little time to let the soreness subside, she had to have it extracted. In classic Chloe form she took a terrible spill on the asphalt two days before her appointment which left her with a black eye and a missing front tooth. Love this girl... ;)
My favorite men...
Hard to believe I'm a mom of 3. Can't express just how blessed I feel when looking at this picture...
In the midst of our crazy life, Bella has taken up Volleyball. Here she is after her first game...
Cuddle time...
Saturday morning cartoon time...
Chillin' before Daddy's soccer game...
Grandma Dean and her grandkids....
Daddy and his baby boy and baby girl...
3 days after Jacob was born Bella started 4th grade and Chloe started Pre-Kindergarten...
Our brown eyed beauty...
From little sister to big sister...
Bright eyed boy...
In early August Chloe ran into a glass window and cracked her front tooth. After x-rays it was determined that she had cracked her front tooth and infection had set in. After a round of antibiotics and a little time to let the soreness subside, she had to have it extracted. In classic Chloe form she took a terrible spill on the asphalt two days before her appointment which left her with a black eye and a missing front tooth. Love this girl... ;)
My favorite men...
Hard to believe I'm a mom of 3. Can't express just how blessed I feel when looking at this picture...
In the midst of our crazy life, Bella has taken up Volleyball. Here she is after her first game...
Cuddle time...
Saturday morning cartoon time...
Chillin' before Daddy's soccer game...
9.18.2011
9.14.2011
9.10.2011
Bath time!
Jacob got his first official bath today. His umbilical cord came off 2 days ago and it's taken us a little time to get around to actually bathing him. I'm pretty sure that mere minutes passed between the time the girls' cord fell off and when we had them in their first bath...poor 3rd child! ;)
Needless to say, he did great and after a few scowls initially settled in and enjoyed his bath time. I have to say there is nothing quite like cuddling up to a freshly washed baby and smelling their sweet baby smell...I just love it!
With Bella's help I managed to snap a few pictures and here is one of our little man enjoying the water...
Needless to say, he did great and after a few scowls initially settled in and enjoyed his bath time. I have to say there is nothing quite like cuddling up to a freshly washed baby and smelling their sweet baby smell...I just love it!
With Bella's help I managed to snap a few pictures and here is one of our little man enjoying the water...
9.07.2011
A few stats...
Jacob had his first follow up appt. at 4 days old and he weighed 7 lbs. 13 oz. -- down 9 ounces from his birth weight. His length and head circumference stayed the same.
A week later (yesterday) at 11 days old he had gained 13 ounces putting him at 8 lbs. 10 oz. Length and head circumference were the same still which means he's just getting chubbier. Looks like mama's milk has been doing it's job!
Other than that, he's as healthy as can be. He's still so incredibly content and such a little love.
I have had several requests for more pictures and will do my best to get some posted soon!
A week later (yesterday) at 11 days old he had gained 13 ounces putting him at 8 lbs. 10 oz. Length and head circumference were the same still which means he's just getting chubbier. Looks like mama's milk has been doing it's job!
Other than that, he's as healthy as can be. He's still so incredibly content and such a little love.
I have had several requests for more pictures and will do my best to get some posted soon!
9.02.2011
9.01.2011
8.27.2011
8.14.2011
38 weeks...
and counting There's not much to report except that our little guy is still snuggled tight in my belly. He's been pretty active the last few days and I finally told him today that clearly we were having trouble "sharing" room and that he would probably be
much more comfortable if he just came out. ;)
One of the last things on my "to do" list was to take a few pictures and today we managed to snap a few. Here are a few...
and one that's a little scary... ;)
My next Dr. appt. is on Tuesday morning and of course I'm anxious to see if I've progressed any further than the 1 cm dilated I was at last week. I'll continue to keep my blog updated and would be thrilled to be posting newborn pictures in the very near future!
much more comfortable if he just came out. ;)
One of the last things on my "to do" list was to take a few pictures and today we managed to snap a few. Here are a few...
and one that's a little scary... ;)
My next Dr. appt. is on Tuesday morning and of course I'm anxious to see if I've progressed any further than the 1 cm dilated I was at last week. I'll continue to keep my blog updated and would be thrilled to be posting newborn pictures in the very near future!
8.10.2011
8.07.2011
37 weeks
Today I am officially considered "full term" which means anytime this sweet baby boy wants to make his grand entrance, we will happily oblige!
While there is always "something else to be done", I can comfortably say that we finally have everything ready to welcome a newborn into our family. His room is complete (with the exception of a few decorative elements), we are stocked with the necessary supplies, bassinet is ready to go in our bedroom, hospital bag is packed, and now we simply wait.
I am determined to complain as little as possible, but the truth is that in the last week I have started to feel pretty uncomfortable. Sleeping is becoming much more difficult (not that I expect to get good sleep for the next year), my stomach muscles seem to be stretched to their capacity and feel like they are going to tear from my ribs at any second and the pressure of carrying a baby very low has begun to radiate into my thighs. Oh and lets not forget...as much as my mantra has been "toes in", it's officially...I'm waddling! ;) With all of that I think I can safely say that I'm ready to hold my sweet baby boy in my arms. Yet, even so I'm content to wait on God's perfect timing...I know he will come eventually and when he does it will be worth every second of the past 9 months.
Andy snapped this picture yesterday after Bella's birthday lunch...I'm 1 day short of 37 weeks, but it's close enough...
While there is always "something else to be done", I can comfortably say that we finally have everything ready to welcome a newborn into our family. His room is complete (with the exception of a few decorative elements), we are stocked with the necessary supplies, bassinet is ready to go in our bedroom, hospital bag is packed, and now we simply wait.
I am determined to complain as little as possible, but the truth is that in the last week I have started to feel pretty uncomfortable. Sleeping is becoming much more difficult (not that I expect to get good sleep for the next year), my stomach muscles seem to be stretched to their capacity and feel like they are going to tear from my ribs at any second and the pressure of carrying a baby very low has begun to radiate into my thighs. Oh and lets not forget...as much as my mantra has been "toes in", it's officially...I'm waddling! ;) With all of that I think I can safely say that I'm ready to hold my sweet baby boy in my arms. Yet, even so I'm content to wait on God's perfect timing...I know he will come eventually and when he does it will be worth every second of the past 9 months.
Andy snapped this picture yesterday after Bella's birthday lunch...I'm 1 day short of 37 weeks, but it's close enough...
8.06.2011
Our beautiful Isabella Grace...
is 9 years old today. Half way to being an adult and yet it seems like just yesterday that we were meeting her for the first time. We didn't really know what a special blessing God had given us 9 years ago, but as the years have passed, we have realized just what an amazing gift she is. As her mom I know I'm a bit partial, but in my opinion she is a beautiful young lady with her crystal blue eyes and sweet smile, but more importantly, she has an equally (if not more) beautiful spirit about her. She is kind, considerate, compassionate, nurturing, helpful and so much more. We really couldn't be prouder of the young lady she is becoming.
Today we celebrated with our traditional "family birthday" by taking the girls to Build-a-Bear, enjoying lunch at Bella's favorite place, Claim Jumpers and then going to the movies and watching "The Smurfs". I hope that she never gets tired of wanting to spend a day with her family celebrating each new year. She will be having a sleep over next weekend with a few friends and has a fun filled evening of "girl pampering" planned. She has even requested that I make chocolate covered strawberries, as she is not a big fan of cake.
I wish I could slow time down just a bit, but knowing that isn't possible, I'm going to do all I can to cherish each and every day we have with her as she continues to grow into the young lady that God has designed her to be. It is our prayer that we are the loving, encouraging, gentle parents that she deserves...and while I know there are times we screw up big time, I'd like to think that a little part of who she is today is because of God's amazing guidance and grace in our lives as we have sought Him in this amazing journey of parenthood.
So to the 8 pound, 13 ounce bundle of joy that forever changed our lives 9 years ago, we wish you a very happy 9th Birthday and are so excited to see what this new year brings for you. You are daddy's "sweetheart", Chloe's "sissy" and my "beautiful" and we love you with all our heart...and always will!
Today we celebrated with our traditional "family birthday" by taking the girls to Build-a-Bear, enjoying lunch at Bella's favorite place, Claim Jumpers and then going to the movies and watching "The Smurfs". I hope that she never gets tired of wanting to spend a day with her family celebrating each new year. She will be having a sleep over next weekend with a few friends and has a fun filled evening of "girl pampering" planned. She has even requested that I make chocolate covered strawberries, as she is not a big fan of cake.
I wish I could slow time down just a bit, but knowing that isn't possible, I'm going to do all I can to cherish each and every day we have with her as she continues to grow into the young lady that God has designed her to be. It is our prayer that we are the loving, encouraging, gentle parents that she deserves...and while I know there are times we screw up big time, I'd like to think that a little part of who she is today is because of God's amazing guidance and grace in our lives as we have sought Him in this amazing journey of parenthood.
So to the 8 pound, 13 ounce bundle of joy that forever changed our lives 9 years ago, we wish you a very happy 9th Birthday and are so excited to see what this new year brings for you. You are daddy's "sweetheart", Chloe's "sissy" and my "beautiful" and we love you with all our heart...and always will!
6.18.2011
My baby girl...
Is 4 years old today. Where in the world does the time go? We had a wonderful day celebrating our brilliant and spunky Chloe...spent most of the day at the waterpark and then came home for a BBQ and cupcakes...just the day she requested. ;)
As we were cuddling on the couch tonight before she went to bed she told me that she "wished she could be 3 again" and then when Andy was taking her to bed she told us that she "didn't want to grow up." Sometimes the things she says absolutely melt my heart and if she only knew how much we loved her...even in her "toughest" moments. She has brought so much joy to our family over the past 4 years and as hard as it is to believe another year has passed, I feel so blessed to be her mom and to watch her as she grows and continues to discover the world around her.
Happy Birthday mommy's "sweet baby girl"...daddy's "little one" (soon to be "middle one") and Bella's "sissy"...we love you so very much!
As we were cuddling on the couch tonight before she went to bed she told me that she "wished she could be 3 again" and then when Andy was taking her to bed she told us that she "didn't want to grow up." Sometimes the things she says absolutely melt my heart and if she only knew how much we loved her...even in her "toughest" moments. She has brought so much joy to our family over the past 4 years and as hard as it is to believe another year has passed, I feel so blessed to be her mom and to watch her as she grows and continues to discover the world around her.
Happy Birthday mommy's "sweet baby girl"...daddy's "little one" (soon to be "middle one") and Bella's "sissy"...we love you so very much!
6.05.2011
So much to say!
In the few quiet moments I get these days I sometimes sit back and wonder if we have some twisted need to continuously create chaos in our life?! ;) While, I know that's not the case, there is no doubt that we lead a very busy and unpredictable existence. I will be the first to admit that most of the time I am dragging my feet, sometimes even kicking and screaming, but eventually I come around to see that everything really does "work for the good" of those who trust in God and His perfect plan for our lives!
Our big news over this past month is that in a very short 30 days, we put an offer on a house, had the offer accepted, packed up our home, rented it out to a family and move across town! It would take much more time that I have right now to explain the details of how this all came to be, but suffice to say that there is no doubt that this is part of Gods plan for our family and without His favor there is no way any of this would have been possible. Bottom line, we are blessed!
It was definitely bitter sweet to leave the house we have worked so hard to make our home over the past 7 years. It represented so much "life" and it was hard to drive away knowing that in that moment it went from our "home" to a rental property. Even though it is just a structure, it is still hard to let go of the emotions attached to it. A very nice family has moved in and we are hoping that they find as much joy living there as we did!
We are currently in the unpacking process and while I would give anything to be able to wave my magic wand and have everything "just so", I know this is a process...a process that won't just happen overnight. We have some projects in the works and with the completion of each one, I know it will feel more and more like home to us and less like a place we are staying for a while. My mom and Mike came over this weekend and were such a blessing with their help. We spruced up the front yard a bit, installed a garage door opener, unpacked and organized boxes, and had a sounding board for some of our project ideas. In between all of that we also managed to enjoy our favorite past time when they visit and indulge in a ridiculous amount of sushi at our favorite sushi joint (which just so happens to be 5 minutes away from our new home). As a side note...as a sushi lover it is close to torture to only be able to order off of the cooked fish menu while pregnant...I'm pretty certain that after our sweet boy is here, Andy and I will escape for a few hours so I can enjoy all the raw fish my little heart desires! ;)
In other news, today marks the start of my 3rd trimester of pregnancy. It's hard to believe that I'm 28 weeks already and that we will be meeting our baby boy in 3 short months. I'd be lying if I didn't say that this move has me a bit stressed about feeling "settled" before the baby is here, but I'm trying to let go of some of my expectations and just focus on doing what we can and taking things one day at a time. I am getting to the point where my mind and my body are not necessarily in agreement when it comes to what I can do. In my mind I feel like I should be able to just continue along as usual, not being restricted at all by the fact that I'm growing another human being, but my body is telling me otherwise! ;) All of a sudden my belly is in the way of doing simple things such as bending over and my stamina just isn't what it used to be. I'm trying to be good and rest when I need to, but for those of you who know me, you won't be surprised to hear that I can be a bit stubborn at times and have a tendency to push myself just a little more that I probably should. Thankfully I have plenty of loving people in my life who remind me to take it easy and not over do it. :)
Andy and I are planning a short get away this month and I am simply cannot wait! Not only did Andy turn 33 last weekend, but we will be celebrating 11 years of marriage on the 17th. With this being our last opportunity to run away sans kiddos for a while, we've decided to take advantage of the time we have and combine a few milestones and celebrate with a short escape full of some of our favorite things!
Bella is out of school this week and we are all ready for her summer vacation to begin. It's hard to believe that another year is down and she will be a 4th grader, but this past year has been wonderful for her and we are so grateful for the wonderful education she is receiving. We have lots of fun things planned for her time off and are hoping that the weather begins to cooperate so we can take advantage of our summer!
There is so much more, but for now this update will have to do. In the midst of all of the "big stuff", life still goes on as usual...there is homework, play dates, bed time, dance recitals, end of the year parties and so on. And while there are times I feel totally overwhelmed by it all, when I take a step back, I realize that I wouldn't trade any of it for the world. I love our crazy and sometimes chaotic life and feel so incredibly blessed by it all!
Our big news over this past month is that in a very short 30 days, we put an offer on a house, had the offer accepted, packed up our home, rented it out to a family and move across town! It would take much more time that I have right now to explain the details of how this all came to be, but suffice to say that there is no doubt that this is part of Gods plan for our family and without His favor there is no way any of this would have been possible. Bottom line, we are blessed!
It was definitely bitter sweet to leave the house we have worked so hard to make our home over the past 7 years. It represented so much "life" and it was hard to drive away knowing that in that moment it went from our "home" to a rental property. Even though it is just a structure, it is still hard to let go of the emotions attached to it. A very nice family has moved in and we are hoping that they find as much joy living there as we did!
We are currently in the unpacking process and while I would give anything to be able to wave my magic wand and have everything "just so", I know this is a process...a process that won't just happen overnight. We have some projects in the works and with the completion of each one, I know it will feel more and more like home to us and less like a place we are staying for a while. My mom and Mike came over this weekend and were such a blessing with their help. We spruced up the front yard a bit, installed a garage door opener, unpacked and organized boxes, and had a sounding board for some of our project ideas. In between all of that we also managed to enjoy our favorite past time when they visit and indulge in a ridiculous amount of sushi at our favorite sushi joint (which just so happens to be 5 minutes away from our new home). As a side note...as a sushi lover it is close to torture to only be able to order off of the cooked fish menu while pregnant...I'm pretty certain that after our sweet boy is here, Andy and I will escape for a few hours so I can enjoy all the raw fish my little heart desires! ;)
In other news, today marks the start of my 3rd trimester of pregnancy. It's hard to believe that I'm 28 weeks already and that we will be meeting our baby boy in 3 short months. I'd be lying if I didn't say that this move has me a bit stressed about feeling "settled" before the baby is here, but I'm trying to let go of some of my expectations and just focus on doing what we can and taking things one day at a time. I am getting to the point where my mind and my body are not necessarily in agreement when it comes to what I can do. In my mind I feel like I should be able to just continue along as usual, not being restricted at all by the fact that I'm growing another human being, but my body is telling me otherwise! ;) All of a sudden my belly is in the way of doing simple things such as bending over and my stamina just isn't what it used to be. I'm trying to be good and rest when I need to, but for those of you who know me, you won't be surprised to hear that I can be a bit stubborn at times and have a tendency to push myself just a little more that I probably should. Thankfully I have plenty of loving people in my life who remind me to take it easy and not over do it. :)
Andy and I are planning a short get away this month and I am simply cannot wait! Not only did Andy turn 33 last weekend, but we will be celebrating 11 years of marriage on the 17th. With this being our last opportunity to run away sans kiddos for a while, we've decided to take advantage of the time we have and combine a few milestones and celebrate with a short escape full of some of our favorite things!
Bella is out of school this week and we are all ready for her summer vacation to begin. It's hard to believe that another year is down and she will be a 4th grader, but this past year has been wonderful for her and we are so grateful for the wonderful education she is receiving. We have lots of fun things planned for her time off and are hoping that the weather begins to cooperate so we can take advantage of our summer!
There is so much more, but for now this update will have to do. In the midst of all of the "big stuff", life still goes on as usual...there is homework, play dates, bed time, dance recitals, end of the year parties and so on. And while there are times I feel totally overwhelmed by it all, when I take a step back, I realize that I wouldn't trade any of it for the world. I love our crazy and sometimes chaotic life and feel so incredibly blessed by it all!
5.22.2011
Dancing beauty!
Chloe has been taking dance with the same dance instructor that Bella had throughout Preschool. Honestly, we wouldn't have guessed that dance would be top on Chloe's list of things she wants to do, but evidentally we were wrong. Several months back I found a notice in her cubby at school notifying me that we were late in paying our bill. I was just a bit confused because I hadn't signed Chloe up for dance. Well after a bit of investigation I discovered that Chloe had signed herself up! ;) Yes, you read that right...she decided that she wanted to go to dance so one week when Ms. Katherine came to pick up the kids for dance, Chloe lined up and told her that her mom said she could be in dance now and with that, she was enrolled in dance class! ;)
Once we got the mystery of the late bill figured out, Chloe continued in dance and yesterday she participated in her first recital. The thought of Chloe dolled up in a tutu was a bit hard for me to wrap my mind around, but I thought we'd give it a try and see how she did. Well, she had a few "moments", but overall she really enjoyed it. As long as she was on stage she was happy as could be, but the whole sitting around, waiting really wasn't for her. The longer she sat, the more itchy her costume became, the worse her hair hurt and the more she just wanted her daddy! ;) Never being able to predict Chloe's behavior, we were quite surprised and impressed with her focus on stage. She knew every step of her routine and had a great time on stage!
Here are a few pictures we snapped...
And here she is, back to the spunky Chloe we love and know so well... ;)
Once we got the mystery of the late bill figured out, Chloe continued in dance and yesterday she participated in her first recital. The thought of Chloe dolled up in a tutu was a bit hard for me to wrap my mind around, but I thought we'd give it a try and see how she did. Well, she had a few "moments", but overall she really enjoyed it. As long as she was on stage she was happy as could be, but the whole sitting around, waiting really wasn't for her. The longer she sat, the more itchy her costume became, the worse her hair hurt and the more she just wanted her daddy! ;) Never being able to predict Chloe's behavior, we were quite surprised and impressed with her focus on stage. She knew every step of her routine and had a great time on stage!
Here are a few pictures we snapped...
And here she is, back to the spunky Chloe we love and know so well... ;)
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