Living In His Faithfulness

Ethan at 10 Months and Ellie Stories

2012-01-29T21:53:00.009-07:00

I'm asking for forgiveness in advance for the length of this post. Since I'm not able to blog as often as I'd like to, my posts can get somewhat lengthy at times. So, sorry.

I can't believe another month has passed and my sweet son is only 2 months away from his first birthday. Not only does time fly, but I think it goes by much faster with the second child.

Ethan, this is what you are like at 10 months old:

~I bet you weigh around 16 pounds and that you are around 27(ish) inches long.

~You are still wearing size 2 diapers, but I believe it is almost time to put you in size 3 diapers.

~You are no longer wearing 6-9 months in clothing. You only wear size 9 months now.

~You continue to do really well with solid foods and you are beginning to want more and more table food. This month you began wanting more snacks. You love crackers (favorites are Ritz and graham) and yobaby yogurt.

~You still take a bottle first thing in the morning, right before bed, and between meals. About 4-5 bottles a day.

~You have really become a great sleeper for the most part. Most nights you sleep in your crib 10-12 hours! Sometimes you'll still wake up once for a bottle in the middle of the night, but that is happening less often too.

~This month you gave up two naps and now you only take one long nap. You typically nap 2.5-3 hours. You like your sleep! When you are a tired baby, it really changes your mood.

~We're STILL waiting to see your first teeth. Thankfully, your drooling has slowed some, but you continue to bite down and chew on anything you can. I know those teeth can't wait to show too much longer.

~For the most part, you are a very happy baby. If you are well fed and well rested, you love to smile, laugh and giggle. You smile all the time now. Every once in a while I'll see your serious, pensive face.

~You are crawling very well now and you get around quickly! This month you have really started pulling up on anything you can (walls, furniture, my legs, the laundry basket, toilets, etc.). You LOVE being mobile so much that you never stop moving unless you are ready to sleep. I guess you want to keep up with your sister. You have started following her around the house. We think it's very cute. :)

~You sit up really well without support all of the time now.

~You love to be on the floor to play.

~You are so curious about your world now. You love to reach, grab and play with anything.

~You and your sister are developing a great relationship. She continues to make you laugh in a way that nobody else can. You're always watching her with a big smile on your face. The two of you are always making each other smile and laugh.

~Your love for baths continues to grow, it's the only thing that can make you go from completely angry and grumpy, to happy and giggling. You love to splash and play with the bath toys.

~You are not as content to sit and cuddle as you once were. I guess you're too busy to cuddle. I'll take what I can get though. You'll always sit contently in my lap when I'm giving you a bottle.

~Nicknames: Mister, Little Man, Sweet Boy, Handsome and sometimes EJ.

We love you Ethan and we are so proud to call you "ours". :) We are so excited to watch you grow and develop into who God wants you to be.

Now, I couldn't end the post without sharing a few funny stories from our Ellie. I just know that if I wrote down every funny thing Ellie says, I could write a book! Unfortunately, by the time I'm ready to sit down and document her "stories", I've forgotten over half of them. :( So, I'll do my best to remember what made us laugh out loud.

First of all, what do you think of this picture? Think that's a skirt she's wearing?

No, it's every.single.pair. of pull ups that we had in the house. She just stacked one on top of the other and came out with a proud smile to show me what she'd done. This girl cracks me up!

Speaking of pull ups, Ellie is completely potty trained now and has been for over a month. I just forgot to document that when it happened. Oops.

Oh, and speaking of forgetting important milestones about Ellie, over the past few weeks, she has stopped taking naps. I'm still grieving this new development.

Anyway, on with the funny stuff.

The other day Ellie said "Mommy, when I grow up, I want to marry Ethan." If you knew my daughter then you would know how many times she would have asked "why?" had I tried to explain why she couldn't marry her brother. So I just smiled and nodded.

We were just given a bunch of new movies from a friend because she was getting rid of her VCR (yes, we still have one). Ellie was looking over a few of them and I suggested Tarzan. She asked "Is there a Princess in that movie?" I honestly couldn't remember so I told her that I thought there was. She studied the cover and found the "girl" and exclaimed "She's not a Princess! She's just a person!"

Today Ellie was talking to Caleb and said "Daddy, when I die, I want to go to heaven. And live with Jesus. And have my very own house. And I want it to be purple." Ha!

Lately when Ellie makes us laugh, instead of becoming embarrassed or self conscious, she'll just look at us (with a big grin on her face) and say "Why are you laughing at me guys?" Which only makes us laugh harder. :)

Have a great week!

My Sunshine

2012-01-24T14:19:00.015-07:00

You are my sunshine

My only sunshine

You make me happy when skies are gray

You'll never know dear, how much I love you

Please don't take my sunshine away

I was complaining to my sisters yesterday that I'm really feeling the "winter blues" lately. I don't know what it is, but there's something about January and February that is so boring, so bleak, that I begin to feel down.

There's nothing bad going on in our lives right now, and for that I'm truely thankful. I guess it's just always hard for me to come off of the "holiday high". During the months of November and December it seems like there's always something going on and lots of loved ones around to spend time with. When the holidays are over, it's still so cold outside and there isn't much to do or look forward to.

That's why I'm so thankful for my kiddos (and my husband too of course. I just don't get to spend every day with him). They keep me smiling and laughing all day long. They truely do brighten up my every day and pull me out of my winter slump.

I won't lie, I'm really looking forward to spring and summer. I'm looking forward to being outside more, to more get togethers with friends, and to vacations and holidays.

In the meantime, I'm more than happy to spend my days inside making memories with these two. :)

Mission Impossible (Ethan's Story)

2012-01-20T14:18:00.007-07:00

I've been a little absent from this blog lately. Although I have so much I would like to share and post on here, I haven't had the time recently. This past week I made a conscious decision to spend more time with my littles during the day and my husband in the evening. It's been wonderful, yet I still miss this little corner that I can call mine. :)

I posted recently about Caleb's opportunity to speak in chapel at his school. Here is the second video, from the second week about our precious son Ethan. It was SO good for me to watch this video and relive that time in our lives. It continues to amaze me how God loves to show up when we least expect him to, and in ways we don't expect too. As I said before, we serve an awesome God!

I hope you enjoy this video as much as the last one. It's another long one (35 minutes) so you'll want to make sure you have time to watch the whole thing.

Without further ado, I give you Ethan's story:

Most of all, I hope this encourages anyone that may be struggling to get pregnant. If I know you, believe me when I say I pray for you constantly! Because of the journey we've been on, infertility and miscarriages are heavy on my heart. I pray every day for women that strongly desire to become mothers that God will create life inside of them. :)

"I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations." Psalm 89:1

Bucket List Surprise

2012-01-11T20:00:00.001-07:00

I couldn't decide if I should name this post "Checking off the bucket list" or "The best surprise" so I decided to combine the two. :)

My previous posts stated that I turned 30 a couple of weeks ago and that my amazing, romantic husband had planned a surprise getaway for us. He lead me to believe that we were spending last weekend in Denver, kicking the trip off with a hot air balloon ride. I was more than happy to spend the weekend in Denver. I knew we would have a ton of fun. Little did I know that he had been planning a much bigger surprise all along...

Early last Thursday morning we dropped off the kids at his parents house and made our drive to Denver. Caleb had printed out directions to the "hot air balloon" place and as we got closer I made the comment that we were awfully close to the airport. At that moment Caleb turned to me and said "Christine, we are getting away for the weekend, but everything I've told you about where we're going and what we're doing has been a lie".

I instantly looked puzzled and begged for him to tell me where we were going but he refused. He told me I would know when we got to the gate. He was successful in hiding the airline tickets from me all the way through security and as we approached our gate I was able to read that we were headed to Nashville!!

I have always dreamed of going to Nashville. I have always loved music and when I was young I often dreamed of moving to Nashville and getting "discovered" and having a music career. Even though my dreams changed slightly as I got older, my love for music stayed strong and I still yearned to visit "Music City".

After we found our seats on the plane, Caleb handed me several birthday cards from my family and his. He explained that they all had known about the trip for over a month and they had all contributed to the trip. Some gave money and some bought us tickets to the Country Music Hall Of Fame and Museum, The Bluebird Cafe, and some bought us gift cards to Nashville bars and restaurants. I was in awe of the generosity of our families and I've never felt more loved or spoiled. My excitement grew as I opened each card. By the time it all sank in, I was completely giddy with excitement.

After landing we checked in at the hotel and got ready to head out for the evening. I had slept horribly the night before (2.5 hours of sleep) so I knew I wouldn't be able to last too long.

We drove to downtown Nashville and just walked around for a while taking it all in. You couldn't pass a single bar or restaurant without hearing the live music filling the streets.

We ended up having dinner at a nice italian restaurant named Demo's. Someone had given us an insiders tip and we asked for the sauce sampler which wasn't on the menu. The waiter quickly came back with some bread and 9 different kinds of sauces for us to dip our bread into. It was delicious!

After dinner we went into one of the bars and watched one of the many bands play for a while. Due to my sleep deprived state we didn't last too long and headed back to the hotel for a good night's sleep.

The next day (Friday) was our biggest day. We went to the Country Music Hall Of Fame and Museum. First thing on the list was a tour of Studio B, where many famous artists have recorded many famous songs.

Once inside the studio, they showed us the piano that was Elvis Presley's favorite. They still keep it in tune and people still use it for recording today. We all got a chance to sit at the piano for pictures.

After the Studio B tour, we headed back to the museum. Outside the museum was a huge open courtyard. You could walk up and down and see who got a star on the Music City Walk Of Fame. Caleb and I had a little fun reading the names and posing next to a few of our favorites.

Then we headed back inside the museum and hall of fame. We spent the entire afternoon looking over the entire museum and enjoying a nice lunch.

And of course we couldn't leave without trying on a few cowboy hats. ;)

That night we headed to the Bluebird Cafe and that was my favorite experience! We got to see four songwriters (Danny Flowers, Gordon Kennedy, Janis Oliver and James House) that have all written famous songs. They took turns performing and I was surprised to learn so much about them in such a short time. Janis Oliver was Vince Gill's first wife. I was also surprised by how quickly I recognized their songs and how close we sat to them. They were close enough to touch. It was SO much fun to watch them perform. Thank you Jenn for that amazing gift!

The next morning (Saturday) we headed to the Ryman Auditorium. The Ryman was originally built as a church building and became the first location where they hosted the Grand Ole Opry for many years. In the 1980's they moved the Grand Ole Opry location to a new building, but many people still perform at the Ryman today. I couldn't get over how old, yet beautiful that building was.

Of course I had to get my picture taken on the Grand Ole Opry stage. :)

My only regret is not taking advantage of the opportunity to record a song at the Ryman. I looked over their very short list (I expected there would be a lot more than 10 to choose from) and declined. I wish I had at least tried to record 1 of the 2 songs I recognized.

After leaving the Ryman we spent some more time walking downtown and then headed to the Opryland Hotel.

The moment we walked in I was in awe of this place. As Caleb said, it was one of the most beautiful and grand man-made structures we've ever seen. It's so large and breathtaking. With the all glass ceiling, the live plants, flowers, and trees, and the river large enough to take a boat on (yes, they offered boat tours), you could easily forget you were inside a building.

We walked for hours and hours and still didn't cover the whole facility. We didn't want to leave but we were getting weak from walking and we were hungry so sadly, we left. We went to a restaurant close to the hotel called the Grand Ole Opry Grill where they have live performers all the time.

After dinner we went to Franklin, a small town about 20 minutes away from Nashville and walked around and had some frozen yogurt. Most of the shops were closed in Franklin so after eating our froyo we went back to downtown Nashville.

We went back into one of the bars on Broadway and enjoyed some drinks and listened to another live band. After an hour or so we headed back to the hotel.

The next day we slept in, packed up and flew home to our babies. I told Caleb it was a good thing we had family back home because I wouldn't have wanted to leave. It was a wonderful trip, and one that I'll always remember.

Thank you to my incredibly loving husband for planning and surprising me with this trip and to our families for making this the best birthday EVER!! Thanks to you, my 30's are off to a wonderful start!

Forgetting To Remember (Elliana's Story)

2012-01-02T14:38:00.004-07:00

Happy New Year everyone! My 30th Birthday party/ New Years Eve party was a blast (thanks to all of my family that helped pull it off)!

As much as I want to post about that, I don't have any pictures since we forgot our camera. So, I'm waiting to steal pictures from my sisters when I can. Ha! In the meantime, you can read my sister Courtney's blog about her take on the party.

I've noticed most everyone has been blogging over the last week about how their 2011 went and their hopes and goals for 2012. I would love to do this too but I'm lacking time and inspiration right now.

For now, all I can say is, we had a wonderful 2011 and I'm optimistic for 2012 as well. Mostly, I want to see some dreams come true for some family and friends that I've been praying for. I know a LOT of people that are praying for babies this year, and that is heavy on my heart. Especially because of our history. Which brings me to the title of this post.

A few months ago, my husband Caleb was asked to speak in chapel (2 weeks back to back) at his school. He was of course honored and quickly agreed. It didn't take him long to decide what to speak on.

Although most people reading this blog know our history and the miracle that our children are, I loved how Caleb told the story of Elliana showing God's faithfulness to us and how our story can apply to everyone in remembering God's faithfulness to them.

The school taped both chapels, but since they are SO long I decided to put them on here one at a time. The video is over 30 minutes long so make sure you have time to watch the whole thing.

I know I'm biased, but I think Caleb did an amazing job speaking and I am so proud of him! Even more than that, I hope that God can use our story to reach others. We serve an awesome God!

Milestone Month (Ethan at 9 months and more)

2011-12-29T14:37:00.011-07:00

It's been a big month for milestones and birthdays.

First of all, our Elliana turned 3 years old! I already blogged about my thoughts on that in this post.

Then, on the 27th Ethan turned 9 months old. I always feel a little sad when the 9th month passes because that's when I notice our baby starts to REALLY grow and develop quickly into a toddler.

Also, yesterday, on the 28th I turned the BIG 30!! I have so many mixed feelings about it. On one hand 30 is just a number, and really, I have so many blessings to count. I'm feeling what everyone else says about the 30's, that it's your BEST decade. You're settled into yourself as a person and what you want out of life. I know this is true for me, and I'm exactly where I'd hoped to be at this age. I have an amazing husband, 2 adorable and wonderful kids (my family lights up my life), I'm living my dream job as a stay at home mom, and I'm surrounded by loving parents, sisters, in-laws, friends and other extended family.

I guess the only weird thing for me about turning 30 is that it's an age I'd never imagined being. When I was a young child I would always dream about being in high school, or turning 21, or moving out of my parent's house, or getting married, or having children. But I never really dreamed past that. And suddenly, here I am. 30 years old. Crazy!

Last night my husband took me out to dinner and surprised me with an envelope stating that he's stealing me away next week for a 4 day, 3 night trip filled with many more surprises! He is SOOO good to me, and I can HARDLY wait!! He even said my family and his family are in on the surprises and they have chipped in for the trip too. Yes, I am one spoiled ~~girl~~ woman. :)

Now on to the kiddos. It's time to give my monthly update on little man.

Ethan, this is what you were like at 9 months:

~We did your well child check a week early because of the holidays and to my surprise you weren't nearly as big as I had thought. You weighed exactly 15 pounds (1st percentile) and you were 26.5 inches long (3rd percentile).

~You are still wearing size 2 diapers.

~You mostly wear 6-9 months in clothing but you are beginning to wear some 9 month clothes.

~You are doing really well with solid foods and you are beginning to want more and more table food. We gave you bread for the first time on Christmas Eve and you LOVED it! You also liked the eggs that you had on Christmas day.

~You still take a bottle first thing in the morning, right before bed, and between meals. About 4-5 bottles a day. You are completely done nursing. :(

~You have really become a great sleeper for the most part. Most nights you sleep in your crib 9-12 hours! Sometimes you'll still wake up once for a bottle in the middle of the night, but that is happening less often too.

~You are taking either two 2 hour naps, or one long 3-4 hour nap during the day. You like your sleep! When you are a tired baby, it really changes your mood.

~You are teething like CRAZY! You are constantly drooling and chewing on anything you can get your hands on. I am STILL waiting to see teeth, but every month I think it's just around the corner and every month I am wrong. I'm not too worried about it though.

~For the most part, you are a very happy baby. If you are well fed and well rested, you love to smile, laugh and giggle. You smile all the time now. Every once in a while I'll see your serious, pensive face.

~You started CRAWLING 10 days ago! You are SO happy to finally be mobile, that you never stop moving.

~You've even started pulling up on anything that will help you stand; furniture, my legs, the laundry basket, etc.

~You sit up really well without support all of the time now.

~You love to be on the floor to play.

~You are so curious about your world now. You love to reach, grab and play with anything.

~You have outgrown the exersaucer, the swing, the bouncy seat, just about everything that is for young babies. This is another sign to me that you are growing quickly now days. :(

~You and your sister are developing a great relationship. She continues to make you laugh in a way that nobody else can. You're always watching her with a big smile on your face. She loves to bring you toys when she notices you're looking for something to play with.

~Your love for baths continues to grow, it's the only thing that can make you go from completely angry and grumpy, to happy and giggling. You love to splash and play with the bath toys.

~You are not as content to sit and cuddle as you once were. I guess you're too busy to cuddle. I'll take what I can get though. You'll always sit contently in my lap when I'm giving you a bottle.

~Nicknames: Mister, Little Man, Sweet Boy, Handsome and sometimes EJ.

~Ethan we love you more than words can say. We are so thankful for you and are enjoying watching you grow and change. We can't wait to see what God has in store for you!

I'll end this post with a few pictures of Elliana's big Christmas gift from us. We got her her own tricycle and she loves it! Now it's complete with the new helmet she got from Nana and Papa for Christmas.

Caleb took Ellie to the park yesterday and she was so proud to show off her biking skills.

I almost don't recognize my own daughter in these pictures. I think she looks so grown up.

If you made it to the end of this post and you read the entire thing, then you deserve a trophy. Ha!

Happy New Year everyone! We'll be throwing a New Year's Eve/ 30th Birthday bash that night. I'm pretty excited. I hope your 2012 is filled with blessings.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T22:36:00.000-07:00

These are the images that I've looked at over and over for the last few days that just scream "Christmas is here!"

One of my favorite things about Christmas is receiving cards in the mail from our family and friends. I love to display them during the month of December.

This year is complete with a "white Christmas". This is the view of the front of our house and lawn. I LOVE it! :)

And of course, I had to show our mess from wrapping gifts. Our basement was covered in wrapping paper, tape and bows over the last couple of days.

I simply had to share this photo from the calendar that hangs by our computer. I think it's one of the most beautiful photos I've seen of Mary and baby Jesus.

We just finished watching The Nativity Story which has quickly become one of my new favorite traditions on Christmas Eve. It really helps to put my mind in the right place and give Jesus the worship he is due.

Everything is finished now and all of our gifts are wrapped and under the tree.

I'm mostly looking forward to spending time with family and watching Elliana tomorrow as she soaks everything in. This has been the first year that she REALLY gets Christmas and she's beyond excited. There's nothing like seeing Christmas through the eyes of your child(ren).I wonder how late she'll let us sleep tomorrow?. :)

Merry Christmas everyone!

"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”" LUKE 2:11-14

He's On The Move!

2011-12-21T14:14:00.002-07:00

I really wish I had some pictures to show for Ethan's new major milestone, but it's been crazy around here with getting ready for Christmas and the usual business around our home.

2 days ago, on Monday the 19th, Ethan officially started crawling!!

He's been "army crawling" for well over a month, but Monday something just "clicked" for him and he started pulling his knees up and doing the real, textbook crawl.

In those 2 short days, he has already become much more comfortable and is crawling faster every day. He's also decided to start pulling himself up using anything he can.

It's like I blinked and he grew up. Aaaah!

Like I said on fb today, now I have 2 active, busy, young children. Lord help me. :)

No Longer A Baby

2011-12-14T21:45:00.006-07:00

Our Elliana Faith turned 3 years old today. I don't know what it is, but it seems like overnight my baby turned into a little girl.

I know many people would still consider 3 to very much be a toddler, and I would agree. However, when I look at and interact with Ellie, it seems that all traces of baby and toddler are gone.

Elliana speaks in full and complete sentences with ease, and she has for quite some time. She is so easy to communicate with, she expresses her thoughts and feelings so well these days. She's even become incredibly inquisitive, she wants to know EVERYTHING about the world around her. She probably asks hundreds of questions a day. She is pretty much potty trained and only wears a diaper during nap time and overnight.

Ellie is even looking older to me. Her legs are growing so long and I don't see any baby fat on her anymore. :(

When Elliana was a baby, I couldn't imagine her as a little girl. Now, I can barely remember Ellie as a baby. Thank God for home videos to remind me. :)

I wrote this about Ellie in our Christmas letter that we sent out to family and friends, and I thought it would be good to post it on here to remind myself of what Ellie was like at this age;

"Elliana- Ellie will be turning 3 this December! Crazy! Every day she is becoming more like a little girl and less like a toddler. Ellie is still small for her age, but she has grown a lot physically this year. Her personality is still WAY bigger than her size. She still keeps us laughing and chasing after her all of the time. She has taken to the role of big sister very well. She adores Ethan and can make him laugh like nobody else. Elliana is fascinated with older girls and is constantly reminding us that she’s a big girl now. Her favorite things are dressing up “like a princess”, dancing, singing, romantic scenes from Disney movies (she’s SUCH a girl!), coloring and painting, going to the park, being active, and building forts with her daddy."

Even though we're officially celebrating Ellie's birthday on Saturday, Caleb and I still wanted to do something special for her today. So tonight after dinner we gave her our gift and sang to her. She was so cute and SO excited! Even though she didn't know what her gift was at first, she was very quick to thank us. :)

Caleb caught it all on camera and I had to put the videos on here. Enjoy!

I can't even express how much Elliana means to us. She is the child we prayed for for so many years. She is our greatest challenge, yet she brings us more joy than we ever imagined. I'm so proud to be her mom!

If the first 3 years of her life went by this fast, then I can only imagine how fast the rest will go. I am so thankful for every day that I get to spend with her. Thank you Lord for our Elliana Faith.

Christmas Craziness

2011-12-10T13:51:00.011-07:00

I've been pretty absent from the blog lately. Probably because the past few weeks have been, and will continue to be crazy busy!

Here is just a quick peak in what we've been up to:

I found and fell in love with this new cut out sugar cookie and icing recipe I found online. These cookies turned out great. They weren't just nice to look at, they were DELICIOUS too! I will use them every time I need sugar cookies in the future. I hope to get this recipe on our cooking/ baking blog asap.

Ellie really enjoyed "helping" with the cookies too. Once I turned around to find that she had dumped WAY more flour on the counter than I needed. Ha! I guess that's what happens when you try to bake with an almost 3 year old. :)

Over the period of 5 weeks, we celebrate 4 nieces birthdays, plus my daughter's, plus mine! To say we've been busy with birthday parties is a HUGE understatement.

Right now we're busy planning the big party for Elliana and our niece Reagan 1 week from today. I'll be making the above sugar cookies for the party. Plus cake pops. Why oh why did I promise my almost 3 year old that I would make her cake pops for her birthday? Especially when I've never made them before?!

Speaking of baking, my sisters and I are going to have a "baking day" tomorrow with my mom. I hope it's more fun than crazy...

And speaking of birthdays, I can't believe Ellie will be 3 years old in just a few short days. I really can't believe it, it went SO fast. And as much as I hate to mention it, I will be turning the big 30 in just a few weeks. I'm not sure how I feel about it. But that's another post for another time.

I spent this past week stuffing and addressing all 100+ Christmas cards and got them in the mail yesterday. It was a huge project, but totally worth it. I love receiving Christmas cards in the mail.

I participated in this ornament exchange and it was so much fun! I received this beautiful/ fun ornament in the mail earlier this week:

Thank you Cindy! It was so fun exchanging ornaments with you.

In the midst of all the craziness, I told Caleb last night that I wish I could freeze time right now. Ethan is getting older and with that, SO much easier. He's been sleeping through the night and he and Ellie are starting to play together. It's so much fun to watch them.

I've especially enjoyed watching the two of them enjoy Christmas. Every time we drive by a house with outdoor lights, Ellie begs us to buy and put some outdoor lights up. We can often find them playing with and adoring the Christmas tree.

Last night we had Christmas music playing and Ellie was dancing and twirling to the music while Ethan watched with a huge grin on his face. My heart is so full I think it could burst sometimes! Although Christmas can be chaotic and super busy, it's worth every smile on the little one's faces.

Ethan at 8 Months

2011-12-01T15:28:00.005-07:00

I don't know if it's the Holiday season or what, but it seems like everytime I turn around another month has passed. I just know 2012 will be here before I can even catch my breath!

Our little Ethan turned 8 months old on Thanksgiving Day (yes, I'm a bit behind in posting).

Ethan, this is what you were like at 8 months old:

~I don't know your exact weight and height stats, but if I had to guess I would say that you weigh just over 16 pounds, and that you are somewhere between 27 and 28 inches long. Your growth seems to have slowed just a bit but I guess that's to be expected at this age.

~You are still wearing size 2 diapers.

~You mostly wear 6-9 months in clothing but you are beginning to wear some 9 month clothes.

~You have really taken to solid foods this month. Your favorites are sweet potatoes, pears and cinnamon with oatmeal, mixed fruit with oatmeal, mashed potatoes (you ate a TON on Thanksgiving), and squash.

~You still take a bottle first thing in the morning, right before bed, and between meals. About 4-5 bottles a day. You are completely done nursing. :(

~You have really become a great sleeper for the most part. Most nights you sleep in your crib 8-10 hours! After waking up for a bottle, you'll go right back down for another 2-3 hours. There's always a few exceptions, but "bad nights" are pretty rare now.

~You are taking either two 2 hour naps, or one long 3-4 hour nap during the day. You like your sleep! When you are a tired baby, it really changes your mood.

~You are teething like CRAZY! You are constantly drooling and chewing on anything you can get your hands on. I STILL don't see any teeth, but I assume we won't wait too much longer...

~For the most part, you are a very happy baby. If you are well fed and well rested, you love to smile, laugh and giggle. You smile all the time now. Every once in a while I'll see your serious, pensive face.

~Even though you don't have a "perfect crawl" yet, you can really move and get around quite well! You've gone from mostly rolling around to army crawling and scooting on your stomach.

~Over the past week or so, I've noticed that you're trying to pull yourself up. You just don't have the strength yet.

~You sit up really well without support all of the time now.

~You love to be on the floor to play.

~You are so curious about your world now. You love to reach, grab and play with anything.

~You are beginning to outgrow the exersaucer. You have completely outgrown the swing and bouncy seat. Your prefer to be in the walker or just moving around on the floor.

~You and your sister are developing a great relationship. She continues to make you laugh in a way that nobody else can. You're always watching her with a big smile on your face. She loves to bring you toys when she notices you're looking for something to play with.

~This month you developed a new love for baths. Bath time is definitely your FAVORITE and it's the only thing that can make you go from completely angry and grumpy, to happy and giggling. You love to splash and play with the bath toys.

~You are not as content to sit and cuddle as you once were. I can tell by the way you look around that you can't wait to be mobile and explore the world around you. I guess you're too busy to cuddle. I'll take what I can get though. You'll always sit contently in my lap when I'm giving you a bottle.

~Nicknames: Mister, Little Man, Sweet Boy, Handsome and sometimes EJ.

~Ethan we love you more than words can say. We are so thankful for you and are enjoying watching you grow and change. We can't wait to see what God has in store for you!

A Milestone and an Achievement

2011-11-21T22:43:00.017-07:00

Yesterday was somewhat of a big day in our house.

Just a few weeks before Elliana turns 3 years old, she finally got her first haircut. Pam, a friend from our church cuts hair out of her customer's own homes. It's one of her many jobs. So, after exchanging a few messages on fb, we set up an appointment for yesterday afternoon.

Poor Ellie has been short on sleep lately due to our crazy schedule. She was taking a nap and was in a deep sleep when Pam arrived. Since Ellie was still very tired I wasn't able to get any pictures of her showing her typical huge grin during the haircut. :(

Don't mistake that face for being scared or annoyed, she was just sleepy.

All in all, the haircut went pretty well. Ellie was way more cooperative than I feared she'd be. Pam only took a couple of inches off the bottom of her hair. Now her hair looks SO much more healthy.

Although it was just a hairut, it made me a little sad. It was just another reminder that Ellie is becoming more like a little girl and less like a toddler/ baby every day. :(

In other news, after stepping on the scale yesterday, I can now say that I have officially and FINALLY lost every single pound gained from my pregnancy. :) That's 40 pounds total, 17 since I started working out last May. Woohoo!! Overall, I just feel a lot better about myself now.

This is not my stomach. I wish. Maybe someday... :)

It hasn't been easy losing the weight this time around, but I've never been so determined or dedicated. I'm going to continue working out at the gym 4-5 days a week and I hope to lose a lot more (I'm not quite ready to say exactly how much just yet).
I've really noticed a difference in myself in the way that I enjoy working out now (I used to hate it).

In fact, this Thursday, before getting together with family to enjoy our Thanksgiving feast, my sister Courtney and I are going to be walking/ jogging/ running in the Turkey Trot. It's a 5K race that the nearby town puts on every year.

I am NOT a runner, and I've never done a race before. I'm very realistic and I know I won't be running the whole time, but I'm excited to see how I do. Then, hopefully I can improve every year.

And on a completely unrelated subject, I've been trying out some new recipes lately. I've been on a lucky streak because I've liked everything I've tried. I put a couple of favorites on our cooking blog if you're interested in checking them out.

I don't know if I'll have time to blog between now and Thursday. I'm hoping to do another post on all of the things that I'm thankful for. There are SO many. I'm even thankful for blogs and for people that take the time to read my posts and stay caught up on our lives.

Either way, whether I'm able to get that post up or not, I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Giving Thanks

2011-11-14T20:40:00.002-07:00

I recently commented on good ol' facebook that it seems a lot of people are getting into the Christmas spirit early this year. I've already seen many commercials, people talking about listening to Christmas music since November 1st, people decorating already, and even a little Christmas baking has begun.

I'm not judging or complaining, and I'm definitely not trying to be a scrooge. I LOVE Christmas just as much as the next person. But I haven't felt that "deck the halls" itch just yet.

Teehee. I saw this cartoon and couldn't resist putting it on here.

Well, maybe I wouldn't mind listening to a Christmas song or two. Seriously, one month a year is just not long enough to listen to some of the most classic, beautiful songs ever written. Oh yeah, and I guess my Christmas design has been up for some time too. Okay, so I guess I have my feet wet but I just haven't gone swimming.

Since we're still 10 days away from Thanksgiving, I thought I would give that holiday some love. :)

I wanted to list just a few of the many things I'm thankful for.

1. First and foremost, I'm thankful for a loving God and for my savior Jesus Christ. I don't even like to think about where I would be in this world without him. I'm thankful for his grace and his mercies that are new every morning.

2. I'm thankful for loving parents that raised me in a Christian home. I'm also thankful that they showed me that God truly is faithful and you can overcome every hardship with God's help. I'm thankful that they've stayed committed to each other in "the good times and bad, in sickness and in health".

3. I'm thankful for my three lovely, beautiful sisters that are my best friends. I'm thankful that we can hold each other accountable and also be each other's biggest fans. I'm thankful for all that we've been through together and that I can call any one of them if I'm in need of anything.

4. I'm thankful for my husband. For my loving, patient, BEST best friend, sexy husband. We've been through so much together and he is still the first person I want to talk to when anything happens. I'm thankful for the almost 9 years we've been together. He has become even more amazing as I've watched him in his role of "Daddy".

5. I'm thankful for my miracle babies. I'm thankful for Elliana and the crazy, full of life, full of joy and energy little girl that she is. Yes, I'm even thankful for her strong will because I know God will use that too. I'm thankful for Ethan and the sweet, laid back, happy baby boy that he is. I'm thankful that as he gets older I'll get to know him more. Mostly I'm just thankful that God gave me the greatest gift in fulfilling my dream of becoming a mom, especially when I once thought it wouldn't be possible.

6. I'm thankful for all of my extended family. Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Nieces, and nephews. I always have SOOOO much fun when we're all together. Don't know what I'd do without them.

7. I'm thankful for amazing in-laws. Both my parents-in-law and siblings-in-law. My parents-in-law have been so good to us and I know they would and have come running anytime we've ever needed anything. I'm also thankful for all of my siblings-in-law. It's so fun to have more brothers and sisters now. :)

8. I'm thankful for my church. For the life lessons I've learned from that church, and for the friendships that have come out of that church, new and old.

9. I'm thankful for my health and the health of my loved ones.

10. I'm thankful for Caleb's job and for all that it provides. I'm thankful that Caleb loves what he does for a living, and that he gets to impact the lives of high schoolers. I'm thankful that every once in a while, I get to be a part of that too.

More to come later... God is so faithful!

Smile!

2011-11-03T14:12:00.022-06:00

I mentioned in an earlier post that we had some family photos taken early last week by our friend Becky. She is an amazingly talented photographer.

I think family photos are going to have to be an annual tradition now. Especially since the kids change so much when they're young.

Nothing makes me smile like hearing my children giggle together, or just seeing them smile from ear to ear.

I have to be honest, (because my sisters would hold me accountable for not being honest) my initial reaction to seeing these photos was to beat myself up. Don't get me wrong, Becky is incredibly talented and she did a FANTASTIC job photographing our family. My issue was with myself. Although I've lost a considerable amount of weight since having Ethan last March, all I could see was that I still have some serious work to do in the weight loss department.

Then I got over myself and had an attitude adjustment.

These photos are beautiful! They truly are. It doesn't matter that I still have some weight to lose. When I look at these photos I see how blessed I am. I have a loving, HOT husband :), two happy, healthy, wonderful children (I once thought I'd never get to have children-let alone TWO), and we find so much joy in our little family of 4. Like I said, SO incredibly blessed!! Who cares about a few extra pounds when you have these adorable littles to show for it?!

I love my family more than words can say and I love that these photos reflect that! Most of all, I love, love, LOVE the way Becky was able to capture Ellie and Ethan's smiles.

Sorry I put SO many photos on here, I just love pretty much all of them.

Thank you Becky for sharing your talent with us and for these photos. They make me smile. :)

So Much To Say!

2011-11-01T13:48:00.012-06:00

Where do I even begin? Forgive me, this post is going to be quite long and random.

First of all, due to Caleb's volleyball schedule, our lives have been CRAZY the last several months and even more so the last week.

I'll get back to volleyball, but due to the craziness I haven't had time to give an update on Ethan at 7 months. So, I decided I would just give a brief update of what was new for Ethan this month.

Ethan,
This past month you seem to have grown up a lot. This is what was new for you at 7 months;

You began sitting up TOTALLY on your own. Now you enjoy sitting on your own to play.

You are trying to crawl. You're not there yet, but you'll lay on your stomach, grab the carpet and scooch as far as you can. When you get frustrated with this, you'll go back to rolling all over the room. :)

You are getting better at eating solids.

You can hold your own bottle now. If I get the bottle even close to your face you'll often times grab it from me and want to feed yourself. This makes me a little sad.

You now LOVE to take baths! You'll often times splash in the water and just laugh the whole time.

You started babbling and Mommy loves it. I LOVE to hear your voice! Most of the time you'll just say "ba ba ba" over and over.

We love you so much Ethan! You are such a joy to us. When you smile you almost always bring a smile to someone else. We're so blessed to be your family.

Okay, back to volleyball. It's playoff time again. Caleb's team swept their way through Districts last Friday and they took home the District Championship trophy. Caleb was so proud of them. Actually, I was too. They have Regionals this Friday. They'll play 3 more teams. The top 2 teams will get to go on to State. I so hope they make State this year. Last year was the first year they didn't make it and it really felt like the season ended all too quickly. So, I'll be cheering hard for them Friday. GO COUGARS!!

Yesterday was Halloween and it was quite a day!

Elliana was Tinkerbell and Ethan was a monkey. Ethan was too young and of course did NOT enjoy wearing his costume. Ellie on the other hand seemed to be quite proud of hers. :)

Other than looking cute, the only thing that seemed to be on Ellie's mind was "get more candy!" Ha!

We spent the afternoon going to my mom's job and my old job to show off the kids. Then it was off to my sister Jenn's house for dinner and trick or treating with the cousins. All the littles looked SO good this year and I think they really enjoyed trick or treating with each other.

(Poor Ethan fell asleep. I guess we'll try again next year for him.) :)

All in all, I'd say the day was a success. I don't know who was more tired at the end of the day though. Me, Caleb, or the kids.

I think I look SO tired here. Probably because I WAS!

Today I woke up and I could NOT believe it was November 1st! Is it just me, or are the months going by faster and faster? Since it's the first of November, that means the Holidays are upon us. YAY!

I never allow myself to even think about Christmas until Thanksgiving is over. But when Jenn showed me the Christmas design she created for my blog, I fell in love with it. I wanted the design to stay up for a while so I could really enjoy it. Thanks for another great design Jenn!

Life should slow down in a couple of weeks when volleyball season is over. Then we'll have time to enjoy the Holidays and just being together.

I hope you all had a safe and fun Halloween and that you're able to enjoy this coming Holiday season too!

Crazy Stuff

2011-10-25T15:15:00.006-06:00

We had a great/crazy time taking family photos with our very talented photographer friend Becky yesterday.

I swear, taking photos with young kids is an adventure. Elliana was running around and refusing to cooperate over half of the time, and we all know how well babies can smile/ look at the camera on command. Ha! I left the photo session just certain that we weren't going to get any pictures of the kids looking in the right place or smiling.

However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was wrong. :) I don't know how Becky does it, because after seeing just a few "sneak peeks", I instantly fell in love with the photos. Way to go Becky!

Want to hear a crazy coincidence? My sister Jenn blogged about the fact that without meaning to, her family had their photos taken one year apart on the exact same day. That made me go and look in our archives to see when we had our pictures taken last year. Although it wasn't a year apart to the day, it was close. Just 4 days apart. Crazy, huh?

So without further ado, I give you just a few of my favorites.

I'm overwhelmed by the cuteness in these two pictures.

The loves of my life. I can't imagine my life without them.

And just for fun, here is a picture of our family last year, and a picture of our family this year. I can't remember life before Ethan.

I can hardly wait to see the rest! Becky, I hope you know how much your talent blesses others. Thank you!

Ellie Funnies 2

2011-10-20T14:29:00.003-06:00

I was recently sharing these stories with my family when they reminded me "You HAVE to get these on fb or the blog!"

They were right. I don't document the things Ellie says nearly often enough. I hope you enjoy these stories as much as I did. :)

Our Ellie is such a climber. If we let her, she would climb up anything and everything. One day she was trying to climb up our very large, very unstable dresser. I instantly scolded her and told her never to climb that dresser again. Of course, she asked me why she couldn't. So I explained to her that it could fall on her, probably hurt her badly and she could possibly even die (I know this sounds awful, but sometimes we have to put some healthy fear into this girl so she understands danger). I guess she understood because now when she wants to climb something she turns to me and asks "Mommy, will this die on me?"

Yesterday Ellie and I were talking in the car. It was going to be a long car ride. Ellie was being very inquisitive and was asking me question after question and following each one up with "why?" Typically when we go round and round with her we're able to end the conversation with "because God made it that way." But yesterday she wouldn't have it. Her response to that answer was "No Mommy! Tell me WHY?!" Well, I was running out of answers and the conversation was just going in circles again so I said "How about we put on a movie." And I did just that. A few minutes later from behind me I heard "Mommy, why are we watching a movie?" I replied with "Oh, I just thought you wanted to watch one." Then she replied with "Are we watching a movie because I was asking too many questions?"

I know there's more but I just can't think of them right now. I wish I had a crazy picture of Ellie to put on here but I don't. Good thing we get to take family pictures with the very talented Becky next week. :) SO looking forward to it!

Ethan at 6 Months

2011-10-07T08:30:00.005-06:00

I simply can not believe our Ethan is already half way through his first year of life! Where is the time going?!

I'm a week and a half late posting his 6 month update, but we've been busy. Ha!

We had his 6 month well child check Wednesday afternoon and I'm pretty sure he is going to take after his daddy's build. He gained 1.7 pounds since his 4 month check up, but grew almost FOUR inches! Yep, I think he's going to end up long and lean. :)

Ethan, this is what you were like at 6 months of age:

~You weigh 13 pounds, 11 ounces and are in the 1st percentile for weight. You are 26 inches long and are now in the 28th percentile for height. You are officially the tallest baby on mommy's side of the family. I have no doubt you will keep getting taller and taller.

~You are still wearing size 2 diapers.

~You still wear some 3-6 months in clothing but you are beginning to wear a lot of 6-9 month clothes.

~You are still taking a bottle every 3-4 hours. You aren't nursing much anymore. You will typically nurse once or twice a day now. :(

~We tried solid foods for the first time a few weeks ago. You're still getting the hang of it and you push it out of your mouth a lot. I'm sure once you get this down, you will love to eat!

~Over the last month you have become a great sleeper for the most part. Most nights you sleep in your crib 6-8 hours! There's always a few exceptions, but "bad nights" are happening less and less often.

~You are taking either two 2 hour naps, or one long 3-4 hour nap during the day. You like your sleep! When you are a tired baby, it really changes your mood.

~You are teething like CRAZY! You are constantly drooling and chewing on your fingers and hands. Unfortunately, in the last few days, you've acted like you're in pain. I keep looking for teeth but I don't see any yet.

~For the most part, you are a very happy baby. If you are well fed and well rested, you love to smile, laugh and giggle. You still make lots of serious faces too.

~You can now roll from your back to stomach and stomach to back. Since you aren't crawling yet, you have decided that this is how you're happy to get around for now. We will leave you in one spot on the floor and come back to find you have rolled across the room!

~You are sitting up more and more with support. We like to use the Boppy pillow to support you.

~You are becoming more and more content to be on the floor and play.

~You are so curious about your world now. You love to reach, grab and play with anything.

~One of your favorite places to be is your exersaucer. You hardly ever go in the swing or bouncy seat anymore.

~Your relationship with your sister has really taken off this month. Nobody makes you laugh or smile like she does. You have even started "wrestling" a little (she mostly gets on top of you and wrestles you). You love it though and you always giggle when she does this.

~Nicknames: Mister, Little Man, Sweet Boy, Handsome and sometimes EJ.

~You are not as content to sit and cuddle as you once were. I can tell by the way you look around that you can't wait to be mobile and explore the world around you. I guess you're too busy to cuddle. I'll take what I can get though.

~Ethan we love you more than words can say. We are so thankful for you and are enjoying watching you grow and change. We can't wait to see what God has in store for you!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-05T08:05:00.000-06:00

Just Catching Up

2011-10-03T14:17:00.013-06:00

First of all, a big thanks to my sister Jenn for designing another beautiful design for me! I LOVE it!! I especially love the leaves and the colors. I've mentioned many times before how much I love fall and this new design just makes me feel all happy inside. It makes me want to go and drink a pumpkin spice latte, eat some pumpkin bread, play in the leaves with my kids, carve a pumpkin, and watch some football with my hubby. :)

The weather around here has been gorgeous and I've loved seeing all of the leaves change colors. Ellie has been begging to help me decorate for Fall and we are going to do just that this afternoon after she wakes up from her nap. :)

What I really want to post about is my baby boy turning 6 MONTHS OLD this past week. I can't believe how fast that went! I'm waiting until we have his 6 month check up before I post an update about all of his milestones and what he's like at 6 months. I want to know what he weighs and where he's at size wise.

In the meantime, I've been watching some old home videos and thought it's been way too long since I've put some of those videos on here. So I did just that. I think these videos give a really good look into our day to day lives and you can see the family/ relationship dynamics too. Our Ellie just cracks us up. Enjoy!

09-24-11

2011-09-26T21:04:00.003-06:00

Well, the day that we had been planning for and dreaming of for so long finally came and went (like a blink of an eye really).

Saturday was Brian and Alli's big day and although I'm biased as her sister, it was one of the most beautiful and sentimental weddings that I've ever attended or been a part of. I know I'm repeating what Courtney already said, but it's true.

My only regret is not stopping to take more pictures.

Taking lots of pictures would have been pretty difficult though. There were a lot of children (nieces and nephews of the bride and groom) involved in this wedding so we had to keep our eyes on the little ones instead of behind cameras.

So, I had to steal a few photos from family and friends that attended the wedding. I stole a lot because there were so many great pictures. Ha!

I've never seen Alli more beautiful and radiant. She was one stressed out bride in the days leading up to the wedding. It seemed as though the moment she saw Brian she was completely at peace, and she almost glowed. She was breathtaking really.

Everything- from the dresses, to the gorgeous weather, to the AMAZING flowers, to the ceremony, to the toasts (way to go Court), to the dancing, made for a pretty perfect day. It was all so beautiful.

Here is our family (my sisters and parents with Alli and Brian)

Here is a few of my family (Caleb, Ellie, Ethan and me). We can't figure out why, but somehow the camera angle made Ellie's head look HUGE in these pictures. I swear, her head isn't really this big. ;-)

The two men that I can't live without (Caleb and Ethan)

A few of the wedding party

The 3 younger flower girls. Aren't they sweet?! There were 5 flower girls. All nieces.

And of course I had to add a few more of my little ones. :)

Courtney's toast was so sentimental, touching, and straight from the heart. There wasn't a dry eye in the room after she was done. And as if we hadn't already cried enough, my dad caught all of us off guard and stole the mic to read a few verses from Ecclesiastes 3. After reading those verses he said "We have mourned, but now is our time to rebuild, to laugh, and to dance." Talk about making your 4 daughters cry!

Then when it came time for Dad and Alli to dance the father-daughter dance. The tears really flowed. Dad and Alli had a song that became theirs during the years of Alli's eating disorder. Anytime Dad heard it on the radio he would crank it up and we would all cry just knowing how it was tearing him up inside to see his daughter so sick. This was the song and it was so fitting for a father-daughter dance. Yeah. We cried a lot during their dance too.

I simply can NOT wait to see the professional photos. If family and friends were able to catch photos like this, I think the professional pics are going to be nothing short of amazing.

The Bachelorette

2011-09-18T22:01:00.014-06:00

Did you think I was going to talk about the show? Ha! I have admitted before that watching The Bachelor and The Bachelorette is one of my guilty pleasures.

But, that's not what (or who) this post is about.

My dear sister Allison is getting married in just 6 short days (it's coming up so quickly now). Isn't she gorgeous?!

Both Jenn and Courtney (the other sisters) have posted about how this wedding is somehow different. Somehow bittersweet. It's getting all of us choked up for many reasons.

First of all, Alli is the last sister to get married. It's like closing the final chapter to our childhood. It's made all of us very nostalgic lately. There have been many conversations in recent weeks talking about our childhood. The things that made us laugh, the hard times, the many ways we saw God's hand working in our lives, both individually and as a family.

That brings me to the second reason this wedding is a little more emotional than the previous ones. It's a long story and I'll really try to summarize it for you. Alli became anorexic in her early teens. She was very sick, in and out of hospitals and she got down to a scary 58 pounds at one point. We thought we were going to lose her.

Although it sounds strange, her sickness saved our family. After it was obvious that the hospitalizations weren't doing anything for Alli and her eating disorder, she was sent to Remuda Ranch, an inpatient center that specializes in eating disorders out of state. In order for Alli to be fully recovered and free to return home, a week of family counseling was required.

It was one of the most intense, hardest weeks of our lives. We cried. A lot. We watched our Dad break down many times. Our parents marriage was saved because of that week of counseling too. SOOO much healing came from that week.

And after a couple long months of being at Remuda Ranch, Alli was healed. For good!

Now, 13 years later, Alli is living a happy and healthy life. And praise God, she's getting married! We are all SO thrilled for her and her fiance Brian.

Alli's bachelorette party was last night and we had a wonderful time! We started out at a martini bar in Old Town. At first it was just the 4 sisters and our very close friend Annie who we often call our 5th sister. Annie lived in our neighborhood and grew up with us. She was always with us. :)

After the martini bar, we walked to my favorite restaurant of all time and had dinner at The Melting Pot. I would say that was the best part of the night. ;-)

We played a fun game where we each had to buy Alli some panties and she had to guess who bought which one. She did amazingly well.

We were joined at dinner with 3 of Alli's close friends. There was 8 of us total. At first I thought that sounded like a really small bachelorette party, but it turned out to be the perfect number. We were really able to have great conversations because we all fit perfectly around the table.

We talked and laughed a lot. It really was the perfect bachelorette party.

I'm so glad Alli had such a great night honoring her. I praise God that Alli is where she is today and that he brought Brian into her life. I just know her wedding is going to be so beautiful and sentimental. I think there will be plenty of tears shed on Saturday. The good kind. :)

What do you think?

2011-09-12T21:52:00.007-06:00

I can't get over how much I think Ellie and Ethan look alike as babies. My sisters don't believe they do. So, I decided to pair up a few of their photos side by side. They are roughly the same age in these photos. I think they look a LOT alike (male and female version of course). What do you think? (Please ignore the fact that the quality of Ethan's pictures is SO much better. I think I took most of Ellie's pictures with my phone.)

1 week old. This one REALLY gets me. I think they're identical in this one.

They are both 4-5 months old in these pics.

"I'm Not Scared!"

2011-09-07T22:46:00.007-06:00

I always thought that I would have a daughter just like me in every way (silly, I know). She would have my temperament, my hobbies, and we would get along just fine. Discipline wouldn't be a problem because she would be so well behaved and she would be such a sweet, quiet little girl. Ha!

Then Elliana was born. From the very day she came into this world I knew she would be a challenge for me. She rattled every preconceived notion I had. She was incredibly strong willed right from the get-go. Dr's even commented at 2 weeks old how strong willed she was. As an infant she was also colicky.

As she grew older I learned other things about my Ellie. She was loud (I am not), incredibly extroverted (I am not) and at times, quite a tomboy. I also learned as she grew older that disciplining her would NOT be easy and I would have many embarrassing moments as I tried to tame my wild Elliana.

I remember calling my mom many times asking for advice and even just some help. Then one day mom said something to me that just stuck. I'll always remember this piece of advice. She said "God gives us the children he does for a reason. It's not just because you're the right parent for them, but they're the right child for you. Our children teach us and make us grow in many ways too."

My mom was right. Elliana is only 2 1/2 years old and I've already grown in so many ways because of her. I'll get to what I've learned from her, but I had to share this story;

Every year our small little town holds a Harvest Festival on Labor Day weekend. It's so much fun and family oriented. There are rides, jump castles, music, fair food (unfortunately, I love fair food) and many booths.

We went this past Monday and had a wonderful time. Just as we were getting ready to leave, we discovered the kiddie rides at the edge of the park. Everything was about to close down but Ellie desperately wanted to ride some of the rides. I quickly obliged. After all, you only live once.

Although Ellie was the ONLY child on a lot of the rides, she had a great time.

Do you see that very tall, very steep slide in the background? That's where our story continues.

After riding a few rides, Ellie noticed the very tall (I think it was like 25-30 feet tall) and very steep slide. She insisted that she had to go down it. (I have to note that there were much older children crying because they were too scared to go on this slide and their friends were trying to coax them into sliding down it.) I was quick to point that out to Ellie and tell her it was too big and too scary for her. Without skipping a beat she looked at me and exclaimed "I'm not scared!" Then she marched right up to the man who was letting kids through and handed him a ticket.

As she began climbing the just as steep ladder, I realized that she may not have been scared, but I was. I kept waiting for her to fall of the ladder, or I just "knew" she would get to the top and change her mind. But every few steps she would turn around and yell "Mommy! I'm not scared!"

Once she was at the top I couldn't see her anymore. Again, I was waiting for her to cry out for help or say she wanted down. But I never heard that. Just a few moments later she was at the bottom of the slide with a big grin on her face. She exclaimed "I want to do that again!" Of course!

I was so proud of Ellie in that moment. I loved seeing how fearless she was. It was one of the many life lessons she's already taught me.

I have no doubt that God chose me to be her mom or that he chose her to be my daughter. She is nothing that I dreamed my daughter would be-and I am SO thankful! My dreams of a daughter seem so boring now. Honestly, my life would be so boring without Ellie. Yes, Elliana is just what I needed to make me grow into a better person.

Every day I thank God for giving me Ellie and for making her who she is. I can't wait to see what other lessons I'm going to learn from her. And just think of all of the fun we're going to have! ;-)

Ethan at 5 Months

2011-08-31T23:01:00.005-06:00

Oh my word! I simply can not believe how quickly time is flying now. My Ethan turned 5 months on the 27th!

Here is what he's been up to:

~I would guess that you weigh somewhere between 14 and 15 pounds now. We'll find out your stats for sure next month! People still comment on how quickly you are growing and how chunky you are getting. You are growing like a weed.:)

~You are still wearing size 2 diapers. Just one size smaller than your sister!

~This month I cleaned out all of your newborn and 0-3 month clothes. :( I simply can not believe how quickly you are growing out of sizes. You currently wear 3-6 month clothes and some 6 month clothes.

~You are nursing or taking a bottle every 3-4 hours. We had some rough weeks this month and I thought you were giving up nursing. :( I didn't give up though and you have been nursing much better in recent weeks.

~You are beginning to stare at our food like you want it. Just a few more weeks and we will be starting solids! I bet that will be a happy day for you. :)

~This has been a rough month for sleep. You've been getting up more often during the night to eat again. I guess you are going through a growth spurt? You still sleep in your bassinet in our room. You typically take one short nap in the morning, one LONG nap in the early afternoon (2-3 hours) and another short nap around the time I am cooking or we are eating dinner. You still seem to love your sleep but you are also becoming very curious about your world.

~You love when people talk to you. You really like to smile back and coo and blow raspberries.

~As much as you love to smile and coo, you are also a very serious baby. When you're not smiling, you have a very concerned look on your face. I always call you my "little old man".

~You have completely outgrown the bouncy seat and you only enjoy the swing sometimes. I think you prefer to be on the floor. Or the exersaucer. We started you on the exersaucer this month and you LOVE it! You also prefer to be anywhere that you can get attention from your sister and your parents.

~Speaking of your sister, your relationship has really developed with her this month. You are always watching her and you have started smiling and giggling at the things she does. I pray you two will be close friends as you grow up.

~You roll over from your stomach to your back all the time now. You still have not rolled over from your back to your stomach but you are SO close!

~You hold your head and your chest up really well when you're on your stomach now.

~You are beginning to show signs of teething. You drool a lot and recently you've been biting down hard on anything you can get your hands on.

~Speaking of getting your hands on things, you are getting very good at reaching for objects, grabbing them and bringing them to your mouth. You'll put anything in your mouth. You especially love to grab your mama's hair. I am not a fan. Ha!

~You continue to be laid back and easy going. If you are well fed, rested and changed you are such a happy boy.

~You still love to be held and cuddled. I LOVE it! Please don't ever outgrow this Ethan (yeah, right).

Ethan, next month you will be 6 months old! I simply can not believe it. We all love you so much and are so thankful for you. We are loving watching your personality develop and we can't wait to see all that God has in store for you!

First Vlog-Check!

2011-08-28T10:08:00.004-06:00

My sisters and I were together all day yesterday. My parents-in-law took Ellie for the day (Thank you!) so I could be at all of the wedding appointments with my sisters.

We had a fun, full day of appointments. We went to the final florist appointment, cake appointment, and I met with my cousin Daniel to practice the song we'll be singing at Alli's wedding.

The guys (our husbands) were camping in the mountains for Brian's (Alli's fiance) bachelor party. Yes, it was a fun, full day for all of us.

The day ended with dinner, girl talk, and a lot of giggling. And of course, we all sat down to do our first vlog that we promised to do.

It took several takes since we were in such giggly moods, but we finally got a decent video. Our close family friend Annie was in the background and she makes several funny comments. I so wish we had convinced her to get on camera, but she refused.

Although none of us like being on camera, we had a great time together yesterday and this was a fun way to finish the day. If you don't have enough time to watch the video, you MUST see the bloopers at the end. It gives you a sneak peak into what we were like growing up. Ha!

So, I give you our first vlog:

Ho-Hum

2011-08-24T13:27:00.009-06:00

I don't know what it is, but for whatever reason I've been feeling very blah over the past week or so. Typically I feel like I'm an upbeat, positive person but I'm just not feeling that way right now.

No, I don't think I have postpartum or any other form of depression. I just think I'm in some sort of funk. Not a blogging funk, just a funk in general.

Perhaps it's the fact that my mom and sister had to put down our beloved black lab Zeus last week. I won't pretend that I was the closest one to him, but I did love him quite a bit too. You couldn't help but love Zeus. He was the most loyal, loving and gentle dog I've ever known. It's like my mom said "He just had the sweetest spirit and you always knew he'd be there whenever anyone needed him." I think it's all that and the fact that Zeus was our last connection to our childhood years. My whole family misses him terribly.

Another thing that's been bothering me for some time is my battle with my weight. After Elliana was born, my weight practically just fell off of me. I really didn't work that hard. I gained the EXACT same amount with Ethan and it has been a much bigger battle to lose my baby weight.

It's not that I haven't tried. I've worked REALLY hard. I'm talking going to the gym and working out 5 days a week. The weight was coming off and I was feeling very encouraged, but over the last week or so the weight loss seems to have really slowed down, maybe even stopped. :( I've lost 9 pounds since beginning to work out (32 total since having Ethan) and I'm still 7 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight. I already had about 15 pounds that I wanted to lose before getting pregnant. Ugh. Sometimes when I look at my overall weight loss goal I just get overwhelmed. I am convinced that losing weight is one of the hardest goals to accomplish.

I really wanted to look amazing for my sister Alli's wedding (which is going to be in about 4 weeks-yay). Since this is the last wedding for our family, I'm sure my parents will be putting up lots of pictures and gosh darn it, I want to look good! Is that too much to ask? Oh well. I'll just do the best I can I guess.

The other thing that's kind of getting to me is our schedule right now. Caleb is back to teaching and coaching Volleyball. He LOVES coaching Volleyball and I've always enjoyed going to the games and supporting him in that. This year it's a little harder than that though. It's the first year that I've been a stay at home mom of two little ones. When you're taking care of two little ones for 12+ hours a day and you only see your husband for a few short hours in the evening, it becomes exhausting!

Don't get me wrong, I love my babies more than words can say. I just feel like I don't get any "breaks" right now.

I'm not worried though. I'm sure in a few short weeks I'll be back to my upbeat, positive self. After all, we have a lot to look forward to in the coming months (wedding!). And fall has always been my favorite time of year! I'm just figuring out how to adjust to these long days with my beautiful babes and settle into a new routine.

I promise my next post will be more exciting. ;-)

Sister, Sister!

2011-08-18T14:38:00.005-06:00

If any of you ever watched that television show about Tia and Tamera back in the day, that stupid song is going through your head. Ha!

Most of you that read my blog know me in real life so you know that I am one of four girls. I'm the second one. Which makes me one of the middle children. Which makes me the peace maker. Ha! Just kidding. Sort of...

Jenn is the oldest. She's the mother of four that I am often times seeking parenting advice from. She was the first to blog and I have always been a faithful follower. Jenn and I shared a room growing up. She was my matron of honor and I was her maid of honor. She is without a doubt the person I often times go to first when I need to talk.

After me comes Alli. Alli does not have a blog yet but we are trying to convince her to start one. Alli is the strong willed one. Yes, I can say this because she would agree. Her strong will has been both a blessing and a curse as it has carried her through good times and bad times. Alli will be getting married in just 5 short weeks (Yikes). We are all so happy for her!

Courtney is the baby. She is a "mom" to her fur-baby Willow. Courtney and I weren't super close growing up, but we are getting closer and closer every year. She is someone that I have to talk to several times a week. Actually, I need a conversation "fix" with each of my sisters at least once a week. While I think all of my sisters are beautiful (I'm not just blowing smoke, I really do), Courtney has always turned heads. She's not just beautiful on the outside though. She is a very faithful friend and family member.

Anyway, my sisters and I had lots of "bumps" growing up. We knew how to fight. We still do, but we're learning to be nicer as we get older(Ha ha). Now that we're adults, we are best friends. Seriously. Some would say we're a little too close.

I liked the way Courtney described us. She's often times the funny one too.

Anyway, we've all agreed to do a vlog together.

What are we going to vlog about? Who knows. We thought it would be fun for everyone to see us interact. I'm not totally excited. Like Courtney, I don't like to watch or see myself on video. But, since all four of us agreed (and it's not easy to get all four of us to agree on much of anything), I figured we could all go through it together. It could be fun. Could be...

If you have any questions for or about us, we would love to use that as a topic for our vlog. If you do have questions, feel free to leave them in the comments or you can email me at chrissan8{at}hotmail{dot}com.

This should be interesting...

Never A Dull Moment

2011-08-04T22:11:00.007-06:00

My sister Courtney recently reminded me that my blog is way past due for a post on Elliana.

I completely agree! With how much personality our little Ellie has, I could write a post on the things she says daily. Unfortunately I just don't have the time.

Before I begin with "Ellie funnies", I have to say that the last week or so has been a bit challenging with her. I had felt that we had turned a corner with her in terms of discipline and her obedience, but she's been quite disobedient this week. She has spent a lot of time in time out, and I've spent a lot of time asking God to guide Caleb and I on how best to raise and discipline her. I guess raising children will always be an ongoing learning experience.

Okay, now on to the funny stuff! :)

Elliana is just as much girly as she is a tomboy. She's a tomboy because she has a ton of energy, and she loves to play games and run around and rough house. She always has some bruise or scrape on her.

The girly side of her has really been showing lately. Anytime she watches a movie, she wants to see the dancing, the wedding scene, or the kissing scene. It's too funny. She also loves to have her toes painted, to wear dresses, and to dance. Yes, our Ellie is a sucker for romance.

Speaking of romance, every time I tell Ellie that her daddy is on his way home from work, she smiles really big and says "Mommy... Daddy's going to kiss you!"

Ever since Ellie was a flower girl in her Uncle Nate's wedding in June, she has become obsessed with weddings. Last weekend we were on our way to a party. When Ellie asked where we were going, we told her we were going to a party. With tears in her eyes, she cried "I don't want to go to a party. I want to go to a wedding!"

Just look at the joy on Elliana's face from these weddings this summer:

Lately anytime we're leaving the house, Ellie has to pack her own purse or "lunch box". She has several different bags that she uses. She has a few play purses, a plastic toy box, and if she can't find any of those, she'll use a gift bag. She always has to pack her bags or purses with her drink, a snack, and a toy. Smart girl.

We're always amazed by Ellie's vocabulary and her inquisitiveness. She's always asking questions and always follows them up with "Why?".

This afternoon after Caleb returned from an eye appointment, Ellie said "Daddy, did you get an owie on your eye?" Caleb responded with "No, the Dr's were just making sure that my eyes are still healthy." Ellie thought for a moment and then said "Yeah, you don't want to get diarrhea!" Ha! She always relates being sick to having diarrhea.

Tonight at dinner Ellie turned to Caleb and said "Daddy, I have to ask you a question." Caleb responded with "Okay Ellie, what's your question?" She acted like she wanted to ask something very serious. Then she said "At Alli and Brian's wedding... are they going to kiss?"

This one is a bit embarrassing, but I don't know that we've ever had to try so hard not to laugh. Out of nowhere, at lunch today, Ellie said "Mommy, sometimes when you wear your pajamas, you don't look so good." Touche.

As crazy as Elliana is, she also has a very sweet side. It's obvious that she loves her family (especially her daddy and brother) and she's always telling us how much she loves us. Lately she's been telling Caleb "Daddy, when you leave for work, that makes me sad. But when you come home, that makes me happy!"

She's also constantly trying to make her brother smile or laugh. We've noticed that he's ALWAYS watching her. Partly out of awe, and partly out of fear of what she's going to do to him. Ha!

Yes, there is NEVER a dull moment when Ellie's around. Although she and I often have our power struggles (I honestly don't always win), I just couldn't live without her.

Crazy July and Ethan at 4 Months

2011-07-31T21:20:00.007-06:00

Wow! I can't believe it's been more than 3 weeks since I last posted.

Our July has been crazy busy, we've hardly had time to catch our breath. I have so much I could/ should blog about. We had Ethan dedicated to the Lord last week, Caleb is currently painting our home (before and after pictures to appear soon), we've spent so much time with friends and family, we've been to weddings, we've spent time at the family cabin, and today was our pastor's last sermon before retiring to become a pastor to missionaries. Unfortunately there just isn't time to blog about everything now. Maybe later...

I did want to make sure I stayed on top of Ethan's monthly updates. He is growing and changing before our eyes. So, here goes.

Ethan, you are FOUR months old now! I can hardly believe it.

~You weigh 12 pounds exactly and measure 23 inches long. You gained 4 pounds since your 2 month check up! You are in the 5th percentile for weight and the 1st percentile for height. Though you are small for your age, people constantly comment on how quickly you are growing and how chunky you are getting. :)

~You've grown out of size 1 diapers and are now wearing size 2 diapers. Just one size smaller than your sister!

~You are beginning to grow out of 0-3 month clothing and are beginning to wear 3-6 month clothing.

~You are nursing or taking a bottle every 3-4 hours. You are beginning to stare at our food like you want it. :)

~You are still a pretty good sleeper but you are beginning to sleep a lot less. You still sleep in your bassinet and through the night most nights. You still wake up once at night every once in a while. You are sleeping a LOT less during the day. I guess you're becoming very curious of the world around you.

~You love when people talk to you. You really like to smile back and coo and blow raspberries.

~As much as you love to smile and coo, you are also a very serious baby. When you're not smiling, you have a very concerned look on your face. I always call you my "little old man".

~You are outgrowing your love for the swing and bouncy seat. You now prefer to be anywhere that you can get attention from your sister and your parents.

~You most enjoy to be on the floor with some toys and with your family near by.

~Speaking of your sister, we are loving watching your relationship develop. You are always watching her and she loves to be near you.

~We had you dedicated to the Lord on Sunday July 24th. Your cousin Ashlynn and many other babies from church were dedicated the same day. We had a celebration lunch after church with both sides of your family there. It was a very special day!

~You rolled over from stomach to back for the first time a couple of weeks ago.

~You hold your head up really well when you're on your stomach now.

~You are beginning to show signs of teething. You drool a lot and recently you've been biting down hard on your mama's fingers.

~You continue to be laid back and easy going. If you are well fed, rested and changed you are happy.

~You still seem to enjoy cuddling and I LOVE it!

~We didn't give you any new nicknames this month.

Ethan, we love you SO much and we are so proud to be your family!

Lost My Blogging Mojo

2011-07-08T21:40:00.020-06:00

I've never been one of the most amazing, fascinating bloggers. I'm still not amazing or fascinating. But suddenly I feel as though I have nothing creative or even interesting to blog about. I wonder if people are getting bored with updates on Ellie and Ethan.

I say I blog for myself to keep an online "diary" (or something like that), and that is mostly true. But I also love it when every once in a while I write a post that hits home with others. You know, one that many people can relate to. Or a post that's about a subject that I'm really passionate about, or a post about something I'm struggling with.

I guess it's true what they say sometimes. No news is good news?. I can say this, life for us has been busy but overall just good. Thank the Lord for that!

So, I guess I'm just saying that I'm sorry my blog hasn't been very exciting to read lately. I hope to get my mojo back soon. Not for everyone or anyone that reads this, but for myself too.

Okay, now that that's off my chest, here's some photos of this past week. It was a BUSY and fun one!

Last Friday I went to the zoo with my sisters, nieces and nephew, and parents. We had a GREAT time! Here are some of my favorite photos from the day.

Me and Jenn with our babies. Ashlynn is 7 months old.

Poor Alli and Courtney ended up carrying these two most of the day.

Ellie and Reagan. They love like sisters and fight like sisters. I love to watch these two together. They crack each other and everyone around them up!

The four older cousins

Me and Ellie on the carousel. Although this picture doesn't show it, she was overjoyed to be on the carousel.

On Sunday we went to the family cabin and spent the night there with Caleb's parents. We LOVE spending time at the cabin. I only wish I had gotten more pictures of our time there. Here's Elliana enjoying her first smore. :)

We spent the day of the 4th at the cabin. I think the highlight was taking the canoe out on the lake. Ellie really enjoyed that too.

In the evening we went to my parents house to watch fireworks. Even though Ellie is 2 1/2 years old, this was the first year that she got to watch the fireworks. She loved them!

Here's Elliana with her oldest cousin Devyn.

Sweet Reagan getting some alone time. :)

Our sweet, handsome Ethan.

Watching fireworks from the backyard.

And last but not least, here is a picture of our two babies together. I was putting away laundry in my room and turned around to see that Ellie had climbed into Ethan's bassinet. Yikes! Poor Ethan.

My sister Jenn used to climb into my crib when I was a baby. Maybe it's an oldest sister kind of thing?

Ethan at 3 Months

2011-06-28T20:22:00.012-06:00

Wow! Another month gone by just like that.

I'm sure Ethan will be a year old before I know it.

Here's an update on our little man.

Ethan, you are THREE months old and growing like a weed! We can't remember life before you. You are still very sweet and easy going.

~At 3 months, I'm going to guess that you weigh around 9 1/2 pounds. You have grown a lot this month and are even becoming a bit round and chubby. Got to love your baby fat. :)

~You have outgrown your newborn clothes and you are now wearing 0-3 months.

~You're still in size 1 diapers.

~You nurse every 3 hours or so.

~You still love your sleep and we do NOT complain about that! You are sleeping through the night in your bassinette most nights. Every once in a while you'll wake up once but it doesn't happen often. I would guess that you sleep 14-16 hours in a 24 hour period. Yes my son, you like your sleep.

~You are smiling, cooing, and razzing. It's so fun to get close to your face and let you "talk" and smile away.

~Your favorite places to be are in the swing, in the bouncy seat, or in anyone's arms (especially your mama's arms). :)

~We tried putting you in the bumbo seat this month. You liked it a lot the first time, but after the first time you decided you did not like it-at all!

~You are still such a happy and content baby. You only cry when you're really hungry, tired, or desperately need a diaper change.

~Your sister adores you. She's always asking where you are and trying to get close to you. Sometimes she loves you too much. She'll almost climb on top of you and smother you. We have to constantly remind her to be gentle and give you some space. Ha!

~You love to snuggle and we love snuggling with you!

~Nicknames: Handsome, Little Man, EJ, and Bud. Ellie loves to remind everyone that you are her baby brother and she often asks Caleb and I to call you son.

Ethan, we love you so much and are so proud that you are ours. We are so enjoying watching you grow and become your own little person.

Our Trip - Part 2

2011-06-22T22:00:00.004-06:00

After Nate and Amanda's wedding was over, we hung out on Sunday morning with the extended family that had come from all over. We swam in the hotel pool, had lunch, and just enjoyed talking and catching up with everyone.

After lunch on Sunday, we took off to Tulsa to visit our long time friends Matt and Erika. Matt went to high school with me and Caleb. When he was dating Erika, I instantly liked her and knew we'd be good friends.

We had a great time in Tulsa. Erika is quite the cook! Everything she cooks or bakes is incredibly beautiful and delicious! I've told her this before, but she should definitely open her own restaurant. I know everyone would love her food.

Both Tulsa and Kansas City were incredibly HOT and HUMID! Caleb and I are such wimps when it comes to hot, humid weather. We definitely like cooler weather and air conditioning. :)

We did our best to stay cool. Luckily, Matt and Erika's neighbor had a pool and we used it as much as possible. Monday was spent having a slow, relaxing day at Matt and Erika's and we used the neighbor's pool and found other ways to keep the little ones cool. :)

Matt and Caleb caught up on some much needed guy-time and went out to lunch while the little ones napped. Erika and I had fun catching up at lunch too. Monday evening was a ton of fun! After putting the kiddos to bed, Erika made some fun shakes that just tasted like summer. The four of us enjoyed the drinks while we played games. Erika and I are both big fans of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, so we plopped ourselves in front of the TV and watched together (much to our husband's dismay).

Tuesday morning we headed to the Tulsa Zoo. It sounded like a great idea, and we really did have a great time for the most part, but the heat got to us and we weren't able to stay very long. Not to mention that we forgot our double stroller back home so Caleb had Ellie on his back and I had Ethan in the front carrier the whole time. Not the best idea when it's incredibly hot and humid outside.

Here's Ellie having the time of her life at the petting zoo.

So, after we couldn't take the heat any longer we went to Chick-fil-A for lunch. Elliana had fun talking to the Chick-fil-A cow. :)

Tuesday evening was a lot like Monday evening. Erika made delicious drinks and homemade chocolate chip cookies. Matt and Caleb played some more games and Erika and I opted to watch some more of The Bachelorette and Mean Girls. We were up waaaay too late that night.

Sadly, Wednesday we headed for home. This may not sound like the most fun vacation of all time, but it was relaxing and we had a wonderful time.

I simply had to add a photo of Ethan from the trip. He's so sweet!

Nate's Wedding Pics

2011-06-15T21:22:00.001-06:00

For those of you that read the post below, I promised to add some of my brother-in-law Nate's wedding pics as soon as I got my hands on some.

My mother-in-law was kind enough to let me "steal" some of her photos from the wedding weekend and I had to share them. I still don't have enough pictures to really let you get a feel of the whole wedding from beginning to end, or to see the whole wedding party, but these are still some really great photos. Enjoy!

Nate and Amanda's Wedding Weekend - slide show

I'll tell more about the second half of our trip in my next post. :)

There's No Place Like Home -Part 1

2011-06-09T23:19:00.011-06:00

We (our little family of 4) just got home from an 8 day road trip/ vacation to Kansas City and Tulsa, Oklahoma. We had a wonderful time but we're also happy to be home too.

Let's see, where to begin?

We started out in Kansas City to be a part of Nate's (Caleb's brother) wedding. Remember this post? Nate and Amanda tied the knot on Saturday June 4th and it was seriously one of the most unique (unique in a really good way) and fun weddings I've ever been to. We all had a blast!

Elliana was the flower girl and Caleb was the best man. They both did very well at their roles. :)

Amanda (the bride) has a very unique sense of style (I LOVE it) and it definitely shined through at this wedding. They didn't go with traditional matching bridesmaid dresses and black tuxes. Instead, they opted for an old fashioned, vintage look. I felt like I had stepped back in time a bit. The groomsmen all wore gray pants, white button up shirts and mis-matched ties and fun socks. The bridesmaids all wore mis-matched old fashioned looking dresses. I SO wish I had gotten a picture of the dresses and guys outfits but trust me, it all looked GREAT together!

The reception was at this great venue named the "Main Street Cafe". It was a great room that had groupings of couches, a stage, mirrors all over the walls, and it all looked a little mis-matched and old fashioned too. It just had a fun overall feel to it. Instead of your traditional sit down dinner, Amanda and Nate had a dessert table with little cakes, cookies on a stick, cinnamon rolls on a stick, caramel apples, a coffee/ latte bar, and pizza. So them, and so much fun!

This was my FAVORITE part of the reception, and I expect many brides to steal this idea. Instead of having a guest book for everyone to sign, Nate and Amanda came up with the idea to have a "photo booth". It wasn't really a photo booth though-it was even better! Whoever wanted to would go up on stage, pick a "prop"- they had sombrero hats, HUGE sunglasses, fake mustaches, boas, etc., and pose for one of the photographers taking pictures of everyone. Then you would sign under your picture. All of the pictures will go in a book for Nate and Amanda. Again, so much fun!

And the dancing, oh the dancing! First of all, Nate and Amanda took lessons for their first dance and it was amazing! They did a choreographed fast dance. It was part swing dancing and part, well, who knows but it was FANTASTIC! I wish I was cool enough to pull off a first dance like that. I also wish I had gotten it on camera.

Ellie came alive as soon as the dancing started and she became the center of attention for a short time. To say she enjoyed herself would be a HUGE understatement. She was having so much fun that we stayed well past her bed time.

I had to share some of the funny things Ellie said to Caleb and I during the reception. Caleb took Ellie to another room to change her diaper. Over and over she kept saying "We're not leaving are we Daddy? We're not leaving, right? I want to dance with all the peoples!"

As the night was coming to an end Ellie and I were in another side room and she sat down on the floor. I said "Are you finally tired little miss?" She suddenly looked up at me with big eyes and said "Mommy!! I forgot... to DANCE!" She then jumped up and ran back to the dance floor.

If you want to see Ellie in action, check out these videos of her on the dance floor:

I am so kicking myself for not taking more pictures, but with my hands full of taking care of Ellie and Ethan, I did the best I could. Would you believe I didn't even get a picture of the bride and groom?! I know, I know, no good! But I will share pictures that others took as soon as I can. :) Here are just a few good pictures that I took at the wedding:

Here is Nate holding Ethan and giving him a bottle. Aren't they handsome?! ;-)

Here is Elliana with her cousins. That's Nehemiah to her left. He was the ringbearer. Abby is to her right and she handed out the programs.

And this just might be my new favorite picture of Ellie and Ethan. :)

Because this post became so long, I've decided to finish up the second part of our trip in another post. I'll be back soon. :)

Ethan at 2 Months

2011-05-28T22:44:00.002-06:00

I simply can not believe that Ethan is 2 months old already!

It's true what they say, the months do go by faster with your second child.

I apologize for not having any updated pictures of just Ethan for this post. The past couple of weeks have been crazy busy with Caleb finishing school for the year. I've almost felt like a single mom in the past week or two. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I don't know how single parents do it! Anyway, Praise the Lord, Caleb is officially done with school and we have the next two weeks off together as a family.

Anyway, back to my sweet little son.

Ethan, you are TWO months old now!! I simply can't believe how fast the last two months went. You continue to be sweet, laid back and easy.

~At 2 months old, you weigh 8 pounds, 4 ounces, and you are 21 inches long. You grew 3 inches since birth!

~You are in the 1st percentile for height and weight, just like your sister was at the same age. What can I say? We have small babies.

~You're still wearing newborn clothes.

~You're wearing size 1 diapers.

~You are still nursing every 2-3 hours.

~You continue to sleep a lot which is such a blessing to your mama. :) You sleep about 16-18 hours in a 24 hour period. Some nights you even sleep through the night! On the nights you don't sleep through the night, you only wake up once. We are so thankful to have such a good sleeper on our hands.

~You smiled for the first time at me (Mommy) at exactly 7 weeks old. It melted my heart and made me happy!

~When you are fed and changed, you are the happiest, easiest baby. You love to smile and coo and "talk" to me and the rest of our little family.

~I love that you love to cuddle so much. You are definitely our little snuggler.

~Your sister still adores you and likes to help take care of you. She loves to hug and kiss you and I often have to tell her to be gentle. Ha! You sometimes don't love how loud she is and every time she screams near you, you instantly start crying. I still can't wait to watch your relationship develop with your sister. You two have very different personalities.

We love you so much Ethan and we're loving getting to know you as you grow.

Ellie Funnies

2011-05-22T21:22:00.007-06:00

Elliana never fails to make us laugh, and lately she's been doing it a lot! I simply had to share some of the things she's been saying and doing lately.

A week or so ago, Caleb came home from work. Caleb and Ellie have a very sweet relationship, I love to watch them together. Anyway, when Caleb came home from work Ellie greeted him at the door. Caleb said "Ellie, I want a hug." She quickly obliged. Then Caleb asked "Can I have a kiss?" Ellie made a funny face, stepped back and said "No!" Caleb asked "Why?" Ellie answered "'Cause I'm never ever kissing boys." Just as a huge grin grew across Caleb's face, Ellie chimed in with "Only girls!" Umm... not quite the direction we were trying to go with the whole "don't kiss boys" thing. Ha ha!

After a night out together, Caleb and I picked Elliana up from Caleb's parents house. She had been sleeping but woke up once we were all in the car. Usually she just goes back to sleep but this night she didn't. Suddenly we heard Elliana talking to us from her car seat. She tries to talk so "grown up" these days. She said "Okay, okay guys. Here's the deal. Never ever break a promise!" (Ellie's really big on saying never ever break a promise right now because of that line in Tangled. She's practically memorized that movie.) Trying not to laugh I responded with "That's a good deal Ellie."

Ellie has started talking in her sleep. She was napping last Saturday and Caleb and I were near her when out of nowhere she said "...and Hudson!" Hudson is her cousin, and I have no idea what she was dreaming about.

Speaking of cousins, Elliana is really into fake calling just about everyone in our family. She'll pick up a toy phone or anything that resembles a phone and start talking. She even pauses as if someone were on the other line. Lately she's been "calling" her older cousin Devyn a lot. I love it because she's been using nicknames for Devyn that none of us have ever used before. Just this morning she got on her play phone and "called" Devyn. The conversation went something like this: "Hey Dev! Yes! Yes... I'm getting ready for church. Dev, I'm wearing a dress. Okay... bye cuz (short for cousin)!" Where does she get these things?

Sometimes when I'm kissing Ellie good night, she'll run her fingers through my hair and say "Your hair is so long... you need a haircut."

Going back to how Ellie likes to talk "grown up", if she yawns, she'll say "I'm tired. I've had a big day!" Even if her day has just begun. Ha!

And last but not least, one of my favorite sayings from her lately. If she's been in another room and she joins me or Caleb wherever we are, she'll start a conversation with "Soo... what are YOU doing?"

And how can I end this post without a picture? I LOVE this expression on Ellie's face! I think it really captures her personality.

P.S. Here's a picture of Ethan smiling as promised. It's not the best because it was taken with my phone, but you get the idea. :)

P.P.S. Thanks again to my very talented sister Jenn for the new blog design. I LOVE it! I especially love the colors. Jenn never fails to make a beautiful design for me.

First Smile!

2011-05-17T21:05:00.011-06:00

Ethan smiled for the first time on Sunday!!

There's nothing like that first smile to melt my heart and make me happy. AND he smiled at ME!! I'm bragging because Elliana smiled at Caleb for the first time when she was 5 1/2 weeks old and she waited to smile at me for several days. She smiled at me at around 6 weeks old. Ethan was 7 weeks old to the day when he smiled at me on Sunday.

He was in a really good mood and I was changing his diaper and talking to him and smiling at him. He was cooing back and finally looked up at me and just grinned really big! It was awesome!

He has yet to smile at Caleb but I know it will happen soon. It's been hard for Caleb to get time alone with Ethan because Elliana is always stealing his time and attention.

I wish I had a picture of the "big moment", but I haven't been able to capture his smile on camera yet. :( Watch out when I do though, because he is becoming one handsome little boy and he has a charming smile. A little biased? Nah! ;-)

Caleb and I were just saying to each other that things seem to be getting a bit easier around here. We're settling into somewhat of a routine and I don't feel as overwhelmed as I did weeks ago. I still have moments of feeling a bit overwhelmed or anxious, like when both kids are crying and I'm trying to get something done or get out of the door for something, but those moments are happening less and less often. Praise God!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-11T22:10:00.000-06:00

Funny Hubby

2011-05-09T13:00:00.003-06:00

Jason Elam (former kicker for the Denver Broncos) spoke at our church about a month ago.

To say my husband is a Broncos fan is a HUGE understatement so when he heard that Jason Elam was going to be speaking at our church, we both knew there was no question he would be there. As the date got closer, he got a call from Rob from church asking if Caleb would like to help him with a skit to introduce Jason Elam.

I'm sure you can guess Caleb's answer. Umm.... YES!

I simply had to share this video with all of you. It is a bit long but well worth watching. Enjoy!

P.S. After Jason was introduced he stepped onstage and said "Well, I've never been introduced like that before." And then he asked for a copy of the video. :)

Ethan at 1 Month

2011-04-30T13:28:00.006-06:00

Okay, so this is a few days late, but I really want to document each month of Ethan's first year of life.

Ethan, you are 1 month old! You are the sweetest and easiest newborn and we LOVE you more than words can say.

~Your nicknames are "Buddy" and "Little man".

~Right now you are wearing newborn size diapers and you are about to grow into size 1 diapers.

~You're still wearing newborn clothes.

~You weigh about 7 pounds. 7 pounds doesn't sound like much growth from your 6lb, 10oz birth weight, but you lost a LOT of weight in the first week and a half of life. Right now we are taking you in for weekly weight checks and you are consistently going up! Yay!!

~You are nursing every 2-3 hours.

~You sleep about 18 hours a day but in the last week you have been staying awake for longer periods of time. You're usually awake all morning and all evening. In the afternoons you sleep a lot.

~In the last week you have discovered your voice. You aren't quite "coo-ing" yet, but you're trying.

~You are our cuddly baby. Sometimes you fuss just a little simply because you want to snuggle.

~Your sister adores you and is constantly wanting to help me take care of you. She'll bring you your pacifier or tell me that you're crying and you're hungry. ;-) I can't wait to watch your relationship develop with your sister.

~You haven't smiled yet, but Mommy can't wait to see that first purposeful grin on your face.

We love you Ethan and we can't wait to see your personality come out more. We also can't wait to see the plans that God has for you!

I know I say this all of the time, but this is my favorite picture of Ethan now. :)

Easter 2011

2011-04-25T21:42:00.016-06:00

I know I'm a day late in posting these but we had such a full day yesterday that we were all pretty exhausted and we just came home and crashed.

Yesterday was my first day back at church since having Ethan and it was SO great to be worshipping with our congregation again. It was a beautiful service and every year I always get chills as I watch everyone around me celebrate Easter and the resurrection of our Lord!

After church and a quick nap for Ellie, we went to my Aunt's house to celebrate Easter with my extended family (sisters, parents, aunts and uncles, my cousins, Ellie and Ethan's cousins, my grandma, etc.) As you can see, it was a very large gathering.

First we prayed and had a delicious meal, then we did Easter baskets and an Easter egg hunt. We had a wonderful time!

Here are some of the best pictures of the day:

This is Ellie all dressed up for church and wearing her Easter hat. :)

Here's Ellie checking out her Easter basket and showing it off to me.

Elliana's cousin Reagan (my niece) fell in love with the piano and everyone took turns playing alongside her.

I LOVE this picture of Elliana, Reagan, and my cousin Sara(sitting next to Ellie). Ellie absolutely adores Sara and follows her everywhere.

I guess all of the piano playing wore Reagan out. Isn't this picture sweet?!

All of the little ones enjoyed the Easter egg hunt. Aunt "Ney" (my sister Courtney) helped Elliana gather her eggs. Thanks Ney!

Here's Ellie with her cousins Devyn and Reagan hunting for eggs. :)

And of course this post would not be complete without pictures of my 2 favorite men, Caleb and Ethan. I love this father/son picture.

And, last but not least, my new favorite picture of Ethan.

I hope you all had a great Easter weekend too.

A Little Honesty

2011-04-21T20:58:00.005-06:00

Please understand before you read this that I KNOW in my heart and in my head how blessed I am to have my two beautiful babies. It's something I've always wanted and I love them more than words can say.

That being said... this last week or so has been tough. I mean very tough. I knew that the transition to two kids would be hard, and truth be told it's been slightly easier than I had feared, but I'm struggling with this phase right now.

I'm struggling with the fact that it's a miracle if I get a shower in and it's an even greater miracle if I'm able to get out of the house with all 3 of us dressed, fed, and happy.

I know this phase will pass all too quickly and I'll be wishing my son was a newborn again, but right now I feel guilty that Elliana isn't getting the attention she needs and deserves because I'm spending SO much time nursing.

Again, I am SO thankful for my babies but I'm longing for some "me" time. Just a little time would help.

I know this is just a phase, a short lived one, and in a few weeks I won't be nursing Ethan for half of my day and just trying to survive every moment. I'm so looking forward to his smiles, his coos, and to watching his relationship with Elliana grow. I'm also looking forward to taking the two of them to fun activities and to the park and to all of the fun memories that are ahead.

Until then, my days are filled with being at home, squeezing in showers when I can, nursing most of the day, and trying meet Elliana's and Ethan's needs as best as I can.

She Cracks Us Up!

2011-04-16T22:39:00.004-06:00

I've decided that I don't share stories about Ellie even close to often enough on here. While she may be challenging at times, I don't share enough about how much life and entertainment she brings into our home. She is such a character and she keeps Caleb and I laughing all of the time! She brings us so much joy, I can't remember what life was like before her!

I thought I'd share some of her latest funny stories.

Ellie's really into hair bows right now. The other day she asked me to put as many as I could in her hair. You can't really tell from this picture, but she had several bows in her hair.

She likes to run around our house screaming when she's really in a crazy mood. I mean literally screaming. What can I say? She's just plain crazy.

Lately when Ellie is really excited about something she'll bring it to me and say "Mommy, I have a surprise for you!" Even though the "surprise" is really for her. :)

Ellie is quite enthralled with her new baby brother. She likes to talk like an adult and she says over and over "Look at him! He's so small, he's so tiny!"

There are many more stories that I could share, but it's late and I'm tired and honestly they aren't coming to me at the moment.

But I have to share this story. I couldn't make it up if I tried and I am NOT embellishing any of it. Last night we were all in the living room and my phone rang. I missed the call but Ellie picked up my phone and pretended to have a conversation with someone on the other line. It was a very grown up conversation and SO funny!

This is how the conversation went: "Hello? (pause) Yeah, I'm playing a game with Daddy. (pause) Yeah, (pause) Mmhmm (pause). Okay, well have a good trip. See you later. Bye bye."

Seriously! Where does she get these things? I love her more than words can say.

Random Post

2011-04-13T22:06:00.006-06:00

Hi all! Yes, I am alive and well, I've just had a hard time finding time to get on the computer in the last week or so. I seriously don't know how mom's of two or more children find the time to blog every day. I'm sure it helps to have a smart phone. I'm also sure that I will settle into a new "normal" and I will learn to balance everything and find time for me again. :)

The past week or so was not easy. I was recovering from my c-section which took some time, then we had some minor health issues with Ethan (he is fine now), then Elliana was sick with a nasty stomach bug and had been vomiting and had terrible diarrhea, then I got the stomach bug... let's just say it was not a fun week and a half. I was so sick of Dr's appointments and I just wanted us all to be well again. I'm so happy to report that I think we are finally there!

I am SO thankful that I had lots of help from my mom and mother-in-law for the past week and a half. I seriously don't know how I would have survived otherwise. Don't you just love moms?!

Tomorrow is my first day of being a mom of two all by myself. Aaah! I keep hearing this song go through my head: "All by myself, don't want to be all by myself". Ha ha! I'm actually feeling physically strong now and I'm sure I'll be fine but I'm still a little nervous.

Speaking of the words all by myself, Elliana has started saying this phrase a lot but she sometimes messes up the words. It's so funny! She'll say "I do it all by me-self" or "I do it all me be-self". I love her. :)

Isn't she beautiful?!

I got on the scale just out of curiosity the other day to see how much weight I had lost since the day Ethan was born. I lost 22 pounds in 2 weeks! Don't you wish it was always that easy to lose weight? Ha!

Caleb's brother is getting married in just 6 weeks and my sister is getting married in 5 1/2 months. I'm using both weddings as inspiration to lose my baby weight. I don't know that I'll be able to lose a lot before Nate's wedding, but I'm hoping to lose a considerable amount before Alli's wedding. We'll see...

April is flying by. Suddenly summer is right around the corner. I can't wait!

I feel like a bad mom because I haven't taken a ton of pictures of Ethan and Ellie lately. This may be a sorry excuse, but I feel like I was just surviving the past 10 days. I'm hoping to work on taking more pictures now that we're all better.

Life is crazy right now but I can honestly say that I feel so full of joy and my life just feels so full. I love my babies more than words can say. God is so good!

1 Week Old Already?!

2011-04-03T21:30:00.011-06:00

I simply can not believe that it has only and already been one week since Ethan was born. On one hand I feel like he's been part of our family and our lives forever, and on the other hand this has been the fastest week of our lives. I'm sure in a month I will say it was the fastest month of my life. :)

Overall things have gone much smoother and much easier than I thought they would. Ethan is the sweetest, easiest, most laid back baby. He sleeps a TON and wakes mostly for feedings only. We are in love. All of us. I can't get enough of him and Ellie and Caleb love to spend time holding and loving on him too.

Please excuse Ellie's crazy hair, she's too active to keep her hair in place. ;-)

Part of what has made this transition go so well is that Caleb took the week off to care for me and to spend time with Ellie and Ethan. Most of Caleb's time has been spent with Ellie while I spend time caring for and nursing Ethan. I really haven't had to balance both kids yet but Caleb will be returning to work tomorrow so I'm sure things are about to get much more challenging. I'm still recovering from the C-section and having some pain but I can tell recovery is going well and I'm feeling a little better every day. I'm very thankful for the help I'll be getting from my Mom and Mother-in-law too.

Our little Elliana has been doing mostly well, but she has started acting out over the last day or so. We knew this would happen sooner or later and that her world would be rocked, but it's still hard. I'm sure things will get easier, but for now we're trying to give Ellie the love and attention that she needs while caring for Ethan at the same time.

Again, overall, I am just filled with joy and I am so thankful for our new son and for God's faithfulness to us. Thank you all for your prayers.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from this past week:

"I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself." Psalm 89 1-2
Written by ETHAN the Ezrahite

Presenting Ethan James

2011-03-28T23:16:00.004-06:00

This is Jenn, Christine's sister, updating her blog with the news that Ethan James made his arrival earlier than expected. Four days before Christine's scheduled induction date, her water broke early Sunday morning around 6:00am. Ethan James made his arrival at 8:24am. But not before Christine dilated to a full 10cm... without drugs... again. Poor, poor girl. Her babies just come way too fast!

Without further ado...

Ethan James, 6 lbs, 10ozs, 18 inches long.

Mommy and Ethan. One of the most beautiful pictures I've ever seen!

Daddy and Ethan, or as Caleb lovingly refers to him as "My Buddy".

Mom and Baby are doing well! He's nursing like a champ, sleeping all the time, and they're really enjoying this time with him. I'll leave the rest of the details of the little Mister's birth to his mama.

Nursery Pics

2011-03-18T13:27:00.015-06:00

Caleb has been on spring break this past week and it has been so wonderful to get so much last minute family time in as a family of 3 before Ethan arrives. Caleb has been so good to me this week in fact, that I've gotten a lot of rest and my contractions have really slowed down this week. I think Ethan is happy to stay inside for a while longer.

Caleb spent the first part of the week painting Ethan's nursery. It turned out great! We are so pleased with how it turned out. We picked a very typical baby boy blue and we love it.

As promised, here are the pictures of the nursery:

This is the view standing at the door and looking into the room. Sorry the picture is so dark.

This is the crib and changing table.

This is a close up of the crib bedding. I love how "boy" it is!

This is Ethan's closet, I guess there's not much more to say about it. ;-)

Don't you just love all of those baby boy outfits?! They're just hanging and waiting to be worn by our sweet little boy. We have been so blessed by generous friends and family and Ethan is set in terms of clothes.

This is my favorite corner of the room. I love the "E" hanging on the wall for Ethan and the lamp that goes with the bedding set!

A close up of my favorite part of the room.

My sister Jenn had these shoes made for Ethan. They were too cute so I thought they had to be on display.

And finally, what Ethan's room will look like at night. I figure I better get used to seeing his room at night. Ha!

We are truly ready for Ethan to make his grand appearance any day now.

36 Weeks, almost there?!

2011-03-11T11:18:00.009-07:00

I can't believe it's March 11 and it's the first time I've posted this month.

I guess that just shows how busy we've been, but also how I've just been surviving every day over the last week or two. I know I sound like a huge wuss about now, but keep in mind the fact that I'm 4'11" and I'm carrying my husband's baby-and he's 6'4".

I typically have very smooth and easy going pregnancies (believe me, I'm very thankful)-up until I get to the last trimester. Then I look and feel like someone that's carrying twins and about to burst open at any given moment.

This past week has been especially hard since I've had plenty of contractions, but they haven't developed into any kind of pattern to push me into full labor.

I had a Dr.'s visit this past Wednesday, and the Dr. reported that I'm 3cm dilated, 50% effaced, and Ethan's head is down and low. I think the Dr. said it best when she said "even thought you're scheduled for a c-section, your body doesn't know that and it's preparing you for labor." So I guess the question now is, will I make it until March 31st, or will I go into labor early on my own?

I'm not sure what I want to happen. I would love to go early, but I fear having the same experience that I did with Elliana. I really don't want to dilate to 9.5cm in a half hour without drugs again. This is one of those times when it's good to remind myself that God has a plan. I need to trust that plan, whatever it may be.

Thanks to my mom, we are now completely ready for Ethan's arrival. Mom came over yesterday and spent the afternoon and evening helping me organize Ethan's clothes, get the nursery ready and pack my bag should I go early. I can't wait to share pictures of the nursery, but I'll wait until Caleb has finished painting it. He's planning on painting the nursery this next week (he's on spring break-thank the Lord).

I'm sorry I don't have any current pictures to share, well I'm only a little sorry. I'm not loving my HUGE body these days. ;-) Plus, I usually ask Caleb to take my picture and it's been a crazy week for him.

Here are a couple pictures taken from Ethan's baby shower last weekend. You can't really see my belly, but trust me it's very big and very far away from my body. Ha!

By the way, we feel incredibly blessed by the many gifts and clothes we've received for Ethan! We have so much and we are so thankful. Thanks to each and every one of you for making the shower so wonderful.

Here are my 36 weeks stats:

How far along: 36 Weeks and 2 days.

Size of Baby: According to Baby Center, he's around 6 pounds and 18.5 inches long. My guess is he's slightly bigger than that.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Ugh. How I hate putting this on here. I've gained about 33 pounds. Thank goodness this pregnancy is almost over. I'm ready to watch my weight go back down again. :)

Maternity Clothes: Definitely- and still growing. I've even outgrown most of my maternity clothes. I figure there's no sense in buying new clothes for less than 3 weeks.

Gender: It's a boy! I'm growing more and more excited at the idea of raising a little boy. We are naming him Ethan James.

Movement: Ethan is still moving enough to let me know he's okay, but he must be cramped because he's not moving as much as he was weeks ago. Poor guy. This body isn't big enough for the two of us anymore.

Sleep: It's getting harder to roll over in bed and I have to get up a few times throughout the night to use the restroom. All that to say, I'm sleeping pretty well, but I miss being able to sleep on my stomach and roll over easily.

Symptoms: Ha! There's no denying that I am oh-so-pregnant.

Best Moment This Week: Ethan's baby shower and getting to open all of those cute boy clothes and boy blankets. It makes me even more excited to see our baby boy.

What I'm Most Looking Forward To: Meeting and holding Ethan and introducing him to Ellie.

I'll be taking pictures of the nursery this week and getting them on here asap. I can't wait to share with all of you!

My Favorite!

2011-02-27T07:30:00.000-07:00

This past Monday with the help of our parents, we did some moving around of furniture and rooms to prepare for Ethan's arrival.

We made the big transition and moved Elliana from her crib into her "big girl" bed. We've been talking about it for weeks and by the time we actually made the move, she was SO ready and excited!

Caleb and I were quite scared to make this transition. We thought Elliana would be getting out of her bed at all hours of the night. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the transition went pretty smoothly and we've only had one bad evening of telling Ellie to get back in bed time and time again.

Ellie's newest thing is to call anything she likes her "fave-wit" (favorite). She has favorite books, favorite movies, favorite food, many, many favorites. Oh yeah, and her favorites change all the time too. :) She even told me the other day that her Daddy is her favorite. Then, when I made a sad face she got close to me, looked me in the eyes and said "Don't be sad Mommy. Mommy's my favorite too." This girl cracks me up!

Anyway, once we had her room all set up, she was so happy that she danced and jumped around and said "my big girl bed is my favorite!" I'm so glad she's pleased. :)

Here's what Ellie's room and new bed looks like:

Please ignore the cardboard. We really don't use it as a headboard. We use it to darken her room at nap time.

Here's Ethan's new nursery:

We still have a lot of things to get for Ethan (including his crib bedding) so his room looks pretty bare right now.

Do you know what my favorite is? This little one right here:

She makes me happy.

I guess I can only get away with calling her my favorite for a few more weeks. Ha ha.

03-31

2011-02-20T08:14:00.019-07:00

It's official. Ethan will arrive by c-section on March 31 unless I go into labor early.

Friday we met with the surgeon that did Elliana's c-section two years ago. After gathering all of the information that we could, and listening to the surgeon as she went over the operative report from Ellie's c-section, it became clear that a repeat c-section is going to be the best and safest route for us to take to bring Ethan into this world. Both the surgeon and my primary care Dr. confirmed that I am not a good candidate for a VBAC, and they advised us to schedule a repeat C-section.

I have mixed feelings about this decision.

On one hand, I'm very sad. I'm sad that I will never get to experience a vaginal birth. I watched my sister Jenn deliver 2 of her 4 babies vaginally, and both deliveries were beautiful and smooth. I so wanted to experience that. I'm also sad because I know from experience that it is much harder to recover from a c-section than a vaginal birth.

On the other hand, I've heard that a scheduled c-section is a much better experience than an emergency c-section.

Everything about my experience with Elliana was not good. My water broke on her due date, then my contractions were right on top of each other and I dilated from 3cm to 9.5cm in one hour. I showed up at the hospital ready to push. After pushing and pushing, and the Dr. even using the vacuum to try and help Elliana come out, Elliana's heart rate was dropping and we went in for an emergency c-section. I was so exhausted physically and I could barely keep my eyes open after it was all over. There were many other complications that followed in the days after Ellie arrived. When I look back at my experience with Ellie, it's all just kind of a bad blur.

However, it's nice to know ahead of time that a c-section is needed and I'm looking forward to what should be a much better experience. I also know what to expect this time.

In the end, I have to remind myself that a few short years ago I didn't even know if I would ever be a mother. I am so thankful that God has given us not only one but soon to be two children. Their health and a safe delivery is what's most important and if a c-section is what's needed for them than I will be focusing on that. Again, I'm just thankful to have them.

I wanted to end with the rest of the pictures from my maternity shoot with Becky. These aren't all of the pictures, but some of my many favorites. I've said it so many times before, but I LOVE Becky's work! There are so many good pictures to choose from. Enjoy!

This is how Ellie feels about not being our only child anymore. Ha!

Ellie wasn't supposed to be a part of the maternity photo shoot, but she kept running over to us so we snuck in a family shot. :)

32 Weeks-Boy oh Boy!

2011-02-10T21:01:00.007-07:00

We had another ultrasound yesterday. We confirmed that Ethan is definitely a boy (no mistaking it this time) and already a good size. The technician estimated that he already weighs 4lbs and 5 ozs (give or take about 8-10 ozs). If this is accurate, we can expect Ethan to be much bigger than Elliana was at birth. The technician also made several comments about his "chubby cheeks". I wonder if he'll be a chunky baby. Elliana was far from chunky.

This ultrasound was so much more fun than our 19 week ultrasound. Ethan really cooperated and we got to see some fun stuff. For example, when the technician zoomed in on his mouth, we saw some very full lips and he kept sticking his tongue in and out and smiling. It was awesome! It's so neat to see that they do things like that in the womb. We also got a somewhat good view of his face. The angle was a little weird, but we could see a small nose, full lips, and it looks like he'll have the same long eyelashes as his Daddy and sister. They're all so lucky! :)

This is the one photo we got to take home from the ultrasound. Again, it's a weird angle, but you can see one eye, his nose, and his mouth.

The technician also made several comments that his head was "very low". I asked if that meant that he's dropped already (I've said the last several days that it feels like he's dropped) and she said "most likely". I've been having a lot of braxton hicks too and at this point I just hope and pray that I can carry him for at least 4-5 more weeks. I'm all for Ethan coming a little early, I just want him to be healthy and not come too soon.

As much as I'd love to share a photo of me 32 weeks pregnant, I didn't have time to take one before I wrote this post. Let's just say I'm huge. Believe me, I am.

I am excited to share that I got to see the rest of the photos from my maternity shoot with Becky, and I absolutely LOVE them and can't wait to share them with the rest of you! I'm just waiting to get the CD in my hands. Thanks again Becky!

Here's an update on the pregnancy:

How far along: 32 Weeks and 1 day.

Size of Baby: At our ultrasound yesterday the technician estimated his weight at 4 lbs, 5 ozs and in the 50th percentile for height and weight. Much bigger than Ellie ever was.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Ugh. How I hate putting this on here. I've gained about 25 pounds.

Maternity Clothes: Definitely- and still growing. I'm outgrowing a lot of my maternity clothes even. Would you buy more clothes if you only had anywhere from 5-8 weeks left?

Gender: It's a boy! I'm growing more and more excited at the idea of raising a little boy. We are naming him Ethan James.

Movement: Ethan is strong and active! I feel him move a ton throughout the day.

Sleep: It's getting harder to roll over in bed and I have to get up a few times throughout the night to use the restroom. All that to say, I'm sleeping pretty well, but I miss being able to sleep on my stomach and roll over easily.

Symptoms: Ha! There's no denying that I am oh-so-pregnant. I don't really have any cravings at this point.

Best Moment This Week: Getting to have another ultrasound so late in the pregnancy and getting to see Ethan again. It feels so close now!

What I'm Most Looking Forward To: Meeting Ethan, seeing what he looks like and what his personality is like and watching him and Elliana interact together.

Let Her Be Little

2011-02-03T14:19:00.013-07:00

I don't know what it is. Elliana just seems to be so grown up lately. Caleb and I have both made this comment recently.

It could be that her physical appearance is looking a lot more like a little girl and a lot less like a toddler. It could be her extensive vocabulary and the way that she communicates so effortlessly these days. Or maybe it's the fact that she's enjoying being more and more a part of our daily activities.

I just wanted to share some photos and funny stories about Elliana to give you a glimpse of what our day to day life is like with her these days.

Here is Ellie "helping" me bake chocolate chip cookies a few weekends ago. Did I mention how much I LOVE my new kitchen aid?! I think Caleb and Ellie are enjoying it too. :)

Here's Elliana and Caleb giving the new bike carrier (we don't know what else to call it) a try. This was a Christmas gift from Caleb's parents and I just know Caleb and Ellie are going to be spending a lot of time together on bike rides this spring and summer.

This is one of my new favorite pictures of her.

Elliana's hair is long enough now that we can pull all of it up in a ponytail. Caleb and I both love it, but we also think it makes her look so much more grown up. :(

Ellie is such a funny little girl! Caleb and I were laughing almost the whole way home from being out last night.

We were driving home and a smile crept across Ellie's face. She suddenly burst out with "Mommy! Daddy!"
Caleb and I: "Yes, Elliana?"
Ellie:"How about... fruit snacks!"

Then just a few minutes later from the backseat we heard "It's NOT night-night time!"
Caleb and I: "Yes Elliana, yes it is. You're going to bed when we get home."
Ellie: "No, it's not night-night time for... 3 hours."
Where does she get these things?

Her new favorite thing to do while eating a meal is to pick up anything (her cup, her utensils, or her food), raise it in the air and exclaim "Cheers"! Then she waits for us to say cheers back and raise our food or utensils too. :)

She loves to speak to inanimate objects. Just today at lunch she started talking to her bowl. This may not be word for word what she said, but it's close; "Hi bowl. I'm eating macaroni and cheese bowl. Then it's night-night time bowl. Now I'm drinking my water bowl". Ha! I'm giggling to myself even as I write this.

All I know is, every time I listen to this song and think about our Elliana, I can't help but be sad. It's true what they say, they grow up so fast! With how much fun we're having with Ellie lately, I don't want her to grow up. I know she has to though. It's like my mom always tells me, "Enjoy each stage because you'll want the time back when they've grown up".

Here's a little warning, this song will probably make you cry. It makes me cry every time.

On a completely unrelated note, I just noticed that this is my 100th post. Go me!

Ready For Baby Ethan?

2011-01-27T14:00:00.011-07:00

Before I answer that question, I want to thank my very talented friend Becky for the beautiful photos I've posted on here. When we booked Becky back in October for our family photo shoot, we booked her ahead of time to do a more maternity-focused photo shoot in January too. As always, Becky did not disappoint!

Yesterday we went up to Bobcat Ridge and had such a great time taking pictures with her. She's so fun to work with! Becky sent me just a few pictures as a "sneak peek" last night and I already LOVE what I've seen. I can't wait to see the rest! I just posted a few of my favorite pictures on here.

I also want to thank my friend Lindsay for making the adorable blue booties that you see in the first picture for Ethan. I can't wait to put them on his little feet. :)

I'm 30 weeks along now! Yikes- that makes meeting Ethan feel so close. As I get closer to my due date, I'm beginning to hear the "are we ready" question more and more. The answer is very much yes! and also very much no. I'll explain.

YES!- I can't wait to meet my son, to see what he looks like and to learn who he is and who God has called him to be. I can't wait to see the ways that he'll be like Elliana and in what ways he'll be different.

My body is certainly ready. I definitely feel (and look) VERY large lately. I can feel the weight taking it's toll on my body and I'm much slower to do just about anything these days. My back hurts, my hips hurt, my pelvic bone hurts, etc. I feel like a bad mom since I'm not able to be as active and run around and play with Elliana. In fact, some days I can barely handle her physically.

I love the newborn stage, at least when it's a happy baby (Elliana was almost colicky and cried a LOT! I did not enjoy that.) BUT I love the smell of newborns, their tiny fingers and toes, holding them while they sleep, and just soaking them in. I can't wait to do all of these things again with Ethan.

NO!- I still feel that we have SO much to do before Ethan arrives. We have to:
Move Ellie to a "big girl" twin bed, get the basement ready to move our office to the basement, move our office (this means guest bed, computer, computer desk, shelves, etc.), set up the crib for Ethan, get all of the "baby stuff" out again, have a shower, organize clothes, etc. etc. Whew! Lots to do!

Elliana's sleeping habits have spoiled me. She's been a good sleeper ever since about 6 months. She rarely wakes in the night unless she's sick or something else is wrong. I'm so not ready to go back to sleepless nights. Especially since I won't be able to sleep when the baby sleeps this time around.

I'm just overall anxious about the idea of juggling two kids. I've heard that the transition from one to two kids is the most difficult. I've heard people say that it doesn't double the work, it triples it! Yikes! These are the thoughts that run through my head: How will I meet both of their needs? How will I give both of them the love and attention they deserve? How will I ever sleep? How will I do all of this and be a good wife to Caleb?

I know that it's all in God's hands though and he will give me the strength, the patience, and the love I need. I'm not the first or the last mom to have a second child (or third or fourth).

I'm just hoping and praying now that God will give me the strength and the energy to carry Ethan as long as I need to so that he will be healthy, and that until that point I can cherish these last few weeks with Elliana as my only child.

I will post an update of my pregnancy stats after my Dr.'s appointment next week.

Lucky In Love

2011-01-20T17:24:00.007-07:00

First of all, I have to thank my talented sister Jenn for another beautiful blog design! I'm really liking this new winter design, it must be tough to be so talented. :)

Right after the first of the year, I said there were a lot of things that I needed to catch up on and write about on here.

Then, this past Sunday night we met with our couples group. We've been splitting up the men and the women and the men are reading For Men Only and the women have been reading For Women Only. These have been great books that have brought about a lot of great discussions about our husbands/wives and the opposite sex.

This past week we discussed the topic of romance. This is one topic that I've always felt very lucky in. As in, Caleb is incredibly romantic and he continues to surprise me and plan things to sweep me off of my feet. Please understand, I'm not tooting my own horn here because I know that the romantic things that Caleb does for me are not a reflection of who I am, but who he is and the lengths he goes to to show how much he loves me.

I simply had to share the amazing job that Caleb did with giving me one of the best birthday surprises ever! It was seriously one of the best and most romantic nights of my life.

It started with the Thursday before Christmas. My birthday is right after Christmas and we were going to be out of state then so Caleb knew in order to plan this it would have to be done before Christmas. Anyway, the Thursday before Christmas around lunch time Caleb handed me a box and said "Happy Birthday!" He went on to tell me that I needed to go and shower (we had taken Elliana swimming that morning) and I couldn't open the box until after I was finished showering. He also said to kiss Elliana goodbye- she was sleeping in her crib. I gave him a funny look and then did what he told me to.

After showering, I opened the first box. Caleb and Elliana were already gone. There was a bite-sized Baby Ruth in the box (my favorite) and a note that explained that I was going to be going on a little scavenger hunt that would lead to more surprises. The note told me to go to the basement, pick out one of our suitcases (the note said I would know which one), bring it back upstairs and leave it on the bed. My next note would be in the suitcase.

Sure enough, I went to the basement and found a suitcase with another Baby Ruth sitting on top. I took the suitcase upstairs and read my second note. This note had the key to our safety deposit box with it and it told me to go to our safety deposit box at the bank where I would find me next clue.

So, off to the bank I went and I got into the safety deposit box. In the box was my third note and a $10 bill. The note said that my next clue would be at the Starbucks across the street and I couldn't spend the $10 until I read the next note.

With a huge grin on my face I drove across the street and walked up to the Starbucks counter to ask for my next note. Inside the note told me to buy a non-perishable dessert for us to share (we love mint-milano cookies) and a magazine. It then said to drive back home and pack one dressy outfit, one casual outfit, a swimsuit, something to sleep in, all of my toiletries, and something sexy. ;-)

I was so excited at this point! I did as the note said and Caleb was waiting for me when I got home. He didn't say much except that he was so excited, that he had been planning this for a long time, and that Elliana was safe and happy with his parents for the night. We packed up quickly and drove off.

We headed to Denver and ended up at the Hyatt near the 16th Street Mall. Caleb was a little stressed about the time and I couldn't understand why. When we arrived at the hotel, Caleb turned to me and said, "We're running a little late so you need to go straight to the spa. I scheduled a pre-natal massage for you". Let me just say that the massage was heavenly! It was just what this very prego woman needed.

After my massage we had just a few minutes to hang out in the room and check out the hotel and then Caleb said it was time to get dressed, in our dressy clothes. Because of the location of the hotel, we were able to walk everywhere we needed to be that night. We walked to Maggiano's (a very nice Italian restaurant) and had dinner there. We've had a gift card to Maggiano's for a looooong time and kept saying that we needed to use it up. The dinner was amazingly delicious. On a side note, if you ever eat there, the portions are HUGE and two people can easily share a meal.

Keep in mind that with each surprise, I didn't know what was coming next. Caleb was again a little stressed with the time and I couldn't figure out why. We walked as quickly as our legs would carry us to the Ellie Caulkins Opera House and Caleb surprised me with two tickets to The Nutcracker! Believe it or not, I had never been to The Nutcracker before. The performance was amazing, I absolutely loved it!

After The Nutcracker, we got some Starbucks and walked back to the hotel. The next morning we slept in, had a quick breakfast, and picked Elliana up from his parent's house.

So, this was by far one of the best surprises/ birthday gifts Caleb has ever given me. It was one of those nights that you don't want to end (aside from the fact that I couldn't be away from my daughter too long).

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures from the night. I really wish I did. So I just added some of the best pictures of the two of us from throughout the year.

I just had to brag on my husband because he seriously is so thoughtful and so romantic and I feel so lucky to be his wife. No, our lives aren't perfect and neither is our relationship. We have disagreements and fights from time to time just like any other couple, but he is my best friend and I feel so loved by him and every day I'm so thankful that God brought us together.

Now, how to surprise him? I've been thinking long and hard about this one. Let me know if any of you have surprised your husband with an amazing surprise.

Our Little Snow Angel

2011-01-11T13:52:00.015-07:00

Okay, so she's not really an angel, but she is such a cutie!

I've really been enjoying this fun little gift that I got as a birthday/christmas present from my parents-in-law:

This was one of the BIG gifts that I was really hoping I'd get this year, and I did! I'm still figuring it out, but I've had fun practicing on Elliana and taking all kinds of pictures of her lately.

It's been snowy and looking like winter around here for the last two weeks. Any time Caleb needs to go outside to shovel the walk, Elliana simply has to get all bundled up and join him outside.

She even grabs her own play shovel and "helps" him shovel the driveway and walk. It's too cute for words! I just love watching those two together.

While I don't love the freezing temperatures we've had, there's nothing more adorable than seeing your child run around in the snow all bundled up. I've said this before, but life is so much more fun through the eyes of a child. :)

Where To Begin

2011-01-03T21:15:00.005-07:00

Oh my goodness! I can't believe it's been over two weeks since I've posted on here. I don't think I've gone that long since the beginning of this blog. I really don't know where to begin to catch myself and everyone else up on what has happened over the last 2 1/2 weeks.

I could talk about how I have the most amazing husband, and how he gave me one of the best birthday gifts ever, I could talk about how this Christmas was seriously one of the best and craziest Christmases we've ever had, I could talk about the 5 days we spent in California for a family reunion, or the fun New Years Eve we had, or... the list goes on. As you can see, the reason I haven't been on the blog for the last 2.5 weeks is that our lives have been crazy and busy, busy, busy.

Now that the holidays are over, and we are somewhat settling back into our routine, I want to get caught up on here. I do want to talk about all of those things that I listed above, and I hope to eventually, but what I really want to talk about is the exciting news that has changed our lives forever.

As most of you will recall, we waited for 6 looong weeks to find out if we will be bringing home a boy or a girl in just a few short months. I posted here about our plan on how we would find out.

So, Christmas morning, after opening our stocking gifts, Caleb, Elliana and I sat together and opened our "gender reveal" gift.

Here is what we found inside:

Yep, it's a BOY!!

I was both shocked and not shocked. I was pretty sure I saw little boy parts during our ultrasound, but the technician went on to tell me that a lot of people think they see boy parts and really it's just the umbilical chord that they see. So, I doubted what I saw. Then my Dr. had me convinced that it was a girl due to the heartrate, and about 95% of my friends and family were guessing that we were going to have another girl. So, as the weeks went on, I kept going back and forth.

Caleb is over-the-moon excited and I'm a little intimidated to be honest.

All I know is girls. I grew up with 3 sisters, and all this time that I've been a parent I've been raising a little girl. I have absolutely NO idea how to raise a boy. I'm sure I will be seeking lots of advice in the months and years to come from other moms of boys. Right now I just envision chasing two crazy active kids around the house and it makes me exhausted already. ;-)

Don't get me wrong, I feel very blessed and excited too. I can't wait to meet my little man and discover his personality too. It's getting so close, only one more week and I'm in the last trimester! :)

We are planning on naming him Ethan James. Ethan, because we love the Psalm he wrote (Psalm 89) and because his name means "Strong, firm, and steadfast". We chose the name James because that's my dad's first name. My dad raised 4 daughters and was always sad that his last name would not be passed on through us. So we decided at least his first name could be passed on through his grandson.

That's it for now. I know this is old news for most people that are friends with me on facebook or follow my sisters blogs, but I had to get this on here too before I went on to any new subjects.

Hopefully I'll be back on here soon. I hope everyone's 2011 is off to a good start!

Pink or Blue, Who are you?

2010-12-18T12:57:00.009-07:00

Exactly one week from today we will find out if we will be bringing home a baby boy or a baby girl in March.

I can hardly wait!

A few weeks ago Caleb and I were out on a date and we took our envelope with the baby's gender marked inside to Macy's. We carefully picked out a boy outfit and a girl outfit and handed both outfits to the lady at the counter. When I explained to her that we didn't know the gender and that we wanted to open a gift on Christmas morning, she was beyond excited and willing to help us out. She got SO into it! It made the experience SO much more fun for us!

After handing the outfits to her, we left our credit card and walked away while she picked out the correct outfit, placed it in a box, and taped the box shut so we wouldn't be tempted to peek inside. We were very careful to pick two outfits that cost the exact same. Not only did we successfully leave the store without knowing which outfit had been placed inside the box, but we will always have a great memory from that night. I will never forget how much fun we had, and the expression and smile on the lady's face at the counter. She even wrote us a very sweet little note that read:

"Hi Mr. and Mrs. ________: Thank you for letting me help... :) it's my sincerest pleasure! Best wishes and blessings for a healthy baby- and a wonderful future filled with love! My name is _____ - please feel free to call me after you open the box" and then she left her phone number. Isn't that sweet?!

We took the box home and wrapped it and now it's sitting under our tree-just waiting to be opened!

It's been a while since I have updated everyone on my pregnancy, so here goes.
Yes, I know I look much farther along than I actually am. I guess that's what happens when you're short and you have a short waist.

How far along: 24 Weeks and 3 days.

Size of Baby: Baby is about a foot long (about the size of an ear of corn) and weighs just over 1 pound.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I hate sharing this part- I've gained 16 pounds.

Maternity Clothes: Definitely- and still growing. Even some maternity shirts are beginning to look small on me.

Gender: We'll be finding out in 7 days! We had that ultrasound 6 weeks ago, and it's been hard to wait.

Movement: Constant movement these days. I feel baby move many times throughout the day. This baby is strong!

Sleep: I'm sleeping pretty well these days. It's getting harder to roll over in bed and I have to get up a few times throughout the night to use the restroom.

Symptoms: Strong movement from baby on a regular basis. :) This baby is also active. My sense of smell is still very strong too.

Best Moment This Week: When Caleb put his hand on my belly and said "Whoa, that was definitely the strongest kick I have felt so far".

What I'm Most Looking Forward To: Finding out who this new little person is growing inside me and calling him or her by name.

We will definitely be sharing our news on here after we share with our families. Want to make a guess? Just leave me a comment.

I don't know if I'll be back on here before Christmas, so if not, I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

Happy Birthday Baby!

2010-12-14T21:00:00.001-07:00

Two years ago today, my life was changed forever. Elliana entered the world and I became a mom. Although it was a shock to the system at first, I quickly fell in love with this little gift and I can honestly say that she is one of the best gifts I've ever been given. I feel so blessed and proud to be her mom.

I can't believe that today, Ellie is two. The past two years have brought about the most challenging and the best days of my life. I am a better person today because of Elliana.

They say that the time flies when you have children, but it's one of those things that you don't really fully grasp until you experience it yourself, either through your own child or a close relative. I have enjoyed Ellie so much these past two years and especially lately as I watch her learn and grow by leaps and bounds. She is constantly talking and exploring the world around her and I love the way she makes me see the world through new eyes.

We celebrated Ellie's birthday by going to Chuck E Cheese's on Sunday night. We invited Elliana's aunts, uncles, cousins, grand-parents and great-grandma. She had the time of her life! Her eyes were so wide with excitement and she wore a huge smile on her face.

We started out by exploring the place, Ellie had never been to Chuck E Cheese's before. As much as she loved the slides and rides, I think she enjoyed the singing and dancing from Chuck E and the crew the most.

After eating pizza, we sang Happy Birthday (which happens to be Elliana's favorite song these days), ate cupcakes, and opened gifts. We couldn't believe that Ellie refused to eat her cupcake after how much time we spent working on and talking about the cupcakes.

Ellie got SOOOO many wonderful and perfect gifts! Seriously, she didn't get one single gift that wasn't perfect for her. We left feeling so blessed by our family and truth be told, our daughter was a little spoiled. :)

After playing games, riding rides, and going down the slide with her cousins, Elliana came back to where we were sitting.

Ellie adores her cousins, especially the older ones. She never left Devyn's side, and Devyn is SO good with her.

We happened to be sitting right by the "stage" where Chuck E and the crew were singing, and Elliana danced. and danced. and twirled and danced. It was my favorite moment of the night! Those are the moments when I see how full of life and how care-free Ellie is. She enjoyed dancing even more after she put on her new fairy dress given to her from Uncle Jon and Aunt Jenn.

I simply had to share this video of Elliana and her cousins dancing:

All in all, it was a great night and a great birthday party. Unfortunately, the night ended with Elliana waking up in the middle of the night and vomitting all over herself and her crib. :( We don't know if she was sick, or if all of the food, excitement and dancing was too much. Either way, she was back to her happy, chipper self immediately after emptying her stomach.

Every night when I pray I thank God for giving Elliana to us and for giving her the personality that she has. I so look forward to watching her grow, and to celebrating each milestone and birthday with her. For now, I'm happy that she's still small and we can still hold her and play with her. :)

Happy Birthday my sweet girl!

Our Ever Expanding Family

2010-12-10T13:53:00.005-07:00

Over the course of a year, our family will have added 3 new family members-again!

I guess this is how my family does it. Two years ago in December, we added 3 new family members over the course of two weeks. First, Elliana was born, then exactly 7 days later my sister Courtney got married to Jeremy, so Jeremy was added in as a brother-in-law, and then 8 days later my niece Reagan was born. It was a crazy and busy time, but a December that we'll always remember.

Now here we are two years later, and it appears that we are doing the same thing all over again-just a little more spread out this time.

First, 9 days ago my niece Ashlynn was born.

Then, last night, my sister Allison became engaged to a wonderful man named Brian. Brian is a strong christian man, he loves the Lord and it's obvious how much he loves Alli and that he really wants what's best for her in all things.

We are so thrilled for them. They are a great couple and a great match for eachother. We're excited to be adding another (and the last) brother-in-law to the family.

I got to hear the proposal story from Allison this morning and Brian did a fantastic job planning out the proposal. It was very romantic! My sister Courtney described it on her blog.

Here is a view of Alli's absolutely GORGEOUS ring! Didn't Brian do a great job?!

The two of them are planning a September wedding. I'm a little jealous. I always wanted a fall wedding. I've said many times that Fall is my favorite time of year and I know it will be a beautiful time of year to get married. For anyone that knows our family, you know we (the sisters) will all be involved in helping to plan the wedding. It's going to be SO fun!

So anyway, that's 2 new family members, and in about 4 months or so, Caleb and I will be adding a new family member of our own. That makes 3! I only wonder how we'll keep up with this trend considering there won't be any more weddings to plan. Maybe the next sister that gets pregnant will have triplets! Please not me. Ha!

CONGRATS again to Alli and Brian!!

Another Short Story

2010-12-07T20:28:00.003-07:00

I don't have a picture for this post, although I really wish I did! I simply had to share this story though. This is a little snapshot into how funny our little Elliana is, and one of the reasons she always keeps us laughing.

I was putting Ellie to bed last night. The routine went as usual. Caleb read to her and brushed her teeth and then handed her over to me. I prayed with her and then sang a few songs to her and then I put her down in her crib.

A few short minutes later she started crying and calling for me, saying things like "Mommy, where are you"? It always tugs at my heart. We always wait for several minutes before going back into her room to give her time to settle herself to sleep.

The crying and calling became louder and then turned into her just talking to herself. Then she became quiet. I decided she was too quiet too quickly so I just peeked into her room.

I saw stuff on the floor. This was not unusual. She usually throws her blankets and/or baby doll out of the crib when she wants us to go back into her room. I looked closer. It was her diaper and pajamas. As soon as I realized this, I looked back at Ellie and she was jumping and running around in her crib. Naked. And having the time of her life!

It was all I could do to not laugh out loud.

It's times like this that I wonder how we're ever going to transition her into a big bed. I like that we can keep her confined in her crib right now. Otherwise, we might have a naked toddler running around in the middle of the night.

Welcome Ashlynn!

2010-12-01T21:12:00.006-07:00

I became a proud Aunt again today.

Our newest addition to the family, our niece Ashlynn Rose was born today at 1:10 PM.

She weighs 6 lbs, 8 ozs and is 19 inches long. She is beautiful and healthy and has a full head of dark hair. She looks a LOT like her sisters (mostly Devyn).

I was very thankful to have the opportunity to watch the birth and it was an amazing experience. I spent most of the day with Jenn and with the family.

Jenn and Ashlynn are both healthy and doing very well. Everyone is so happy that she is finally here! Praise the Lord!

Christmas Time Is Here

2010-11-28T15:29:00.000-07:00

I don't mean to totally skip Thanksgiving. We actually had a wonderful Thanksgiving and it's one of my favorite holidays. We spent lots of time with both sides of the family and everything went smoothly and we had so much fun. Elliana was very happy to spend so much time with her cousins, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and well, most of all her cousins ;-). Unfortunately though, I forgot my camera once again and I have nothing to show for it.

Yesterday was one of my favorite days of the year though. The day that we get to break out the Christmas music and put up all of our Christmas decorations! We also enjoyed some eggnog while decorating. I think eggnog is one of Ellie's new favorite drinks. :)

This is the first year that Elliana really got into it. She had so much fun helping us decorate the tree and yesterday morning she plopped herself in front of the tree just to sit and stare at it. There's nothing like seeing Christmas through the eyes of your child. I really can't wait to see how she reacts to everything else that comes with the holiday season this year.

I put most of our Christmas decorations on the blog last year, but here are some pictures that I took yesterday and I just wanted to share them.

This is the Christmas pillow that sits on our couch.

Here is a view of our stockings. Elliana's is my favorite. Probably because it was handmade by my sister Courtney.

Here is our manger scene and angel candle holder. Oh yeah, and that bowl usually has some sort of Christmas candy in it. You've got to love Christmas candy too.

You can't tell from this picture because Elliana is only half-smiling, but she was so excited to take a picture in front of the Christmas tree.

And of course I can't go without mentioning my new Christmas design. My sister Jenn did another amazing job! I LOVE it! I have to hand it to her, in the midst of waiting for her 4th child to arrive, she's still finding time to let her creative juices flow and crank out some amazing new designs. Thank you SO much Jenn!

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and that you get to enjoy some time decorating for Christmas too.

Princess Mischief

2010-11-16T14:39:00.007-07:00

This is a story about our little mischief maker, Elliana Faith.

Doesn't she just look like trouble? Ha!

Yesterday, my morning started out as usual. I put on one of Elliana's favorite DVD's on the computer in our office so I could take a shower. Our office is very close to our bedroom where I shower. I got her settled and told her I was going to take a quick shower. She barely pulled her eyes away from the computer and said "Okay Mommy".

So, I stepped into the shower. A few seconds later, Elliana walked into our bathroom and shut the door behind her. No biggie I thought, she's done this before. She usually finds a way to keep herself occupied (without making too much of a mess or getting into trouble) until I finish showering. We have a glass door on our shower so I can see what she's doing.

I watched as she grabbed a washcloth and played with it for a while. Still, all of this was very typical of Ellie. Then, I heard the toilet flush. She's had fun flushing the toilet over and over again before so I thought nothing of it.

By this time, I was finished with my shower and as I stepped out, I heard Elliana's little voice say "Help Mommy, towel!" I looked around the bathroom floor. I didn't see the washcloth Elliana was playing with moments earlier. I looked at Ellie and she was pointing at the toilet and again she said "Mommy, towel. Help towel!" I looked at her and asked "Ellie, did you just flush the towel down the toilet?" She looked up at me with sheepish eyes and said "Yeah".

And because I know my Ellie, and I know how she is such a good communicator, I knew she was telling the truth.

I panicked at first, then I reached into the toilet to see if I could feel the washcloth (which totally grossed me out by the way). I couldn't feel it. I tried flushing the toilet. It flushed just fine. I thought this was interesting. I flushed a few more times and every time the toilet flushed just fine. I thought "Wow, I guess the washcloth will just pass through okay". We went on with the rest of our day and I didn't think about the washcloth again.

Then came last night. We were finished with dinner so Caleb took Elliana downstairs while I made some brownies. He instantly called for me to come downstairs. Our basement was flooded. We knew right away what was causing the plumbing to be backed up and the water to fill up our basement.

Today we had a plumber come out. Guess what they told me the problem was? That's right, a washcloth was clogging everything up!

As Caleb and I went to bed last night, we said to each other "Some day, we'll laugh at all of these Ellie stories". Here it is just one day later, and I'm already smiling to myself. Our Elliana is such a character, and she is constantly keeping us on our toes.

19 Weeks and still a mystery

2010-11-11T13:13:00.004-07:00

We had our 19 week ultrasound yesterday evening.

Baby was not very cooperative. It's legs were closed so the technician felt that she didn't get a very good look to know what the gender is. Also, baby's face was facing the placenta so we didn't really get to see it's face. I was a little disappointed that baby didn't cooperate because I felt like we didn't get to see any of the fun stuff (for example, the face, the feet, the hands, the gender, etc).

The technician did write down her guess, but she stressed that the guess was not 100% accurate. We're still going to go with our plan to reveal the guess on Christmas day, but we're not going to completely count on it and we'll wait to buy anything gender specific until there's another ultrasound. Due to the fact that we already know I'll be having another C-section, we also know that I'll have another ultrasound or two. I guess maybe this baby is meant to be a surprise after all.

However, I should stress that we saw all of the really important stuff. We saw all of the vital body parts and organs, and the baby was happy to show us it's healthy heart over and over again. We got a really good look at the strong, beating, 4 chamber heart! :) The heartrate was in the 140s. Baby was measuring at 19 weeks and 1 day. Right on track! As much as I complain about not getting to see the "fun stuff", I am SOOO much more thankful that we got good news and that we got to see that baby is healthy! That's all we really hoped and prayed for.

Here are the 3 pictures they sent home with us:

So, until Christmas or another ultrasound, we don't know who this baby is. But we do know that he or she is healthy, and we love him or her so much already and can't wait to name him or her.

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures and a Give Away!

2010-11-08T13:58:00.019-07:00

First of all, I wanted to start off with the give away. Many of you are familiar with the cooking/ baking blog that my sisters and I started about a year ago. Well, we were contacteb by CSN stores to give away a $35.00 gift certificate for any of their products. Make sure you head on over to our cooking blog if you're interested in winning some great home accessories!

Yesterday our friend (and photographer) Becky gave me a CD of the rest of the pictures from my maternity/ family photo shoot. I know I've said this 100 times, but she is so unbelievably talented! It's like my sister Jenn said, there are so many fantastic pictures that I don't know how I'm going to choose which ones to print.

Here are some of the pictures that I arranged in a few different collages. Unfortunately, the collages seemed to cut off some of the picture and they really don't do the pictures justice. I was just looking for the best way to get most of the pictures on here. These are not all of the pictures that we received, just some of my favorites.

I can't believe the way Becky was able to capture Elliana's smile at it's best. I LOVE these!

These are some of my favorites of us as a family.

I love to watch Ellie and Caleb's relationship. They adore eachother!

Some favorites of just me and Caleb.

And here's some pictures that I couldn't fit into the collages:

Becky, I don't even know how to thank you for the amazing gift you've given us in these photos!

Halloween 2010, Our little Lady Bug

2010-10-31T22:03:00.004-06:00

We had a very fun Halloween! I hope the rest of you did too.

I think this was the first year that Elliana at least sort of understood what was going on.

We decided to go up to my sister Jenn's house so that Elliana could trick or treat with her cousins. We all had a great time! I don't know who had more fun, the adults because we laughed all night, or the kids because they were loving getting candy.

Here's our lady bug with her cousins Devyn (cheerleader), Hudson (GI Joe), and Reagan (cowgirl).

Ha! I love how they're all looking in different directions.

Some highlights from the night:
Elliana kept saying "More candy!" as she walked away from each house.

Elliana saying "Ooh Devyn pretty" when Devyn walked out in her cheerleader costume.

Reagan saying "Ooooh" as she watched Ellie put on her costume.

Watching Reagan and Elliana take in the first Halloween that they'll remember, and watching them run (or ride) from house to house.

I'm sure there are many more fun memories that were made, but it's late and I'm tired and I must go to bed.

I'm looking forward to the many more memories we'll make as the years pass. Next year, we'll have two little ones to dress up! Our life feels so much more full with little voices and little feet running around the house.

New Family Photos!

2010-10-28T21:00:00.000-06:00

Caleb and I spent the afternoon with our good friend Becky. Becky just happens to be an extremely talented photographer too (lucky for us). After seeing the amazing work that Becky did with my sister Jenn and her family photos, I begged Caleb to give me an early birthday gift and book Becky for some family shots too.

Becky sent me just a few "sneak peeks" tonight.

I absolutely LOVE her work! Here are a few of my new favorites:

I love these. Actually, I love all of them.

Isn't this just gorgeous of Elliana? Check out those eyelashes.

This is one of my favorites. Becky really captured Ellie's smile here.

If only I was taller. ;-)

One last thought. I can't believe how big I am already. I feel like I look full term already. How in the world do I still have half of my pregnancy to go? I'm going to do some serious working out after this baby is born. :)

Thanks again Becky for sharing your amazing talent with us!