The Hall Family

Clay Family Christmas

2011-12-26T16:12:00.000-06:00

Time for "Christmas: Round 8"!! Never a dull moment at Granna and GiGi's house, and not everyone was there!

Aunt D and Grandmother with Eden, Harper, Jack Henry and Lydia

Love Jack Henry's smile in this picture! Not sure who is having more fun! ;)

Sweet little guy

Grandmother with the kiddos. Can you tell Lydia is still worn out? She took a little nap in the car on the way to Searcy, but not nearly long enough.

Love my sweet little niece, Harper. Is she not precious?!?

Ahh ... the thumb!

The girls helping Grandmother with her loot!

Finally got her to sit still long enough for a picture.

GiGi with all the little girls. Like I said, never a dull moment!

Granna got Lydia this cute sock monkey game. She was SO excited!

Jeff and I chilling after the kids were finally in bed!

The next day, Jack Henry got to open his presents. He missed all the fun, yet again. He didn't seem to mind though ... he got all the attention again! ;)

His first tool set!!

Yay! New clothes that will be big enough! I didn't plan on him growing so fast when we bought all his fall and winter clothes, so most of them were 3-6 months. Oops!

Big sis being a great helper again.

Christmas is over!!

Whew ... we survived our first Christmas with 2 kids! It is a crazy busy week, but we love being able to see most of our family and spend special time with each one. So thankful that everyone doesn't try to cram it all in one or two days. Don't think we would survive!

Hall Family Christmas

2011-12-25T15:58:00.000-06:00

Christmas morning, we got up, packed for a few days in Searcy and headed over to have Christmas with Jeff's dad's side of the family. Love getting to see them and spend time together.

Lydia tearing into one of her presents!

Yay! A new Dora game for her iXL!

Jack Henry opening his presents.

Wanted to get a picture of Memaw with both of the kiddos ... but one little girl was totally not interested and refused to get in the picture. SO, we took one with happy little boy! Love his face in this picture!

And this is where Lydia was. Poor girl was worn out from all the Christmas partying we had been doing all week!

Jeff finally snapped a picture of Lydia with Pops and Memaw! Glad he got her to smile!

Can you tell he was ready to get in the car and take a nap?? LOVE him so much!

Christmas Eve!

2011-12-24T21:00:00.000-06:00

Christmas Eve, PaPa an Mimi came over to hang out and do open presents. We had a yummy BBQ dinner and fun together. Lydia loves anytime they come over! She loves showing off all of her stuff and playing.

Crazy Lydia!

Passing out presents, again!

Opening up their cute book and caterpillar from Mimi and PaPa.

What is it?!?

She got really good at guessing what her presents were!

Jack Henry was not feeling well (not sure if it was his teeth or what), so he wasn't really interested in anything but being held. =(

Lydia got Hungry Hungry Hippos!!

Looks like he isn't too sure about was in this box! ;)

Merry Christmas!!

Santa Came For A Visit!

2011-12-24T13:00:00.000-06:00

Santa came and dropped off some goodies for the kids! Can you tell Lydia was real excited?!? ;)

It took Lydia FOREVER to spot her bike. I figured it would be the first thing she saw, but instead she was too interested in looking for Elfie! Once she found him, she finally noticed her bike.

As you can see ... someone was a little sleepy! Too late to bed and didn't sleep in any. =(

Hmm ... I wonder what is in this present, a DVD???

And yes, she guessed right!

Merry Christmas!

She was so excited about her V.Reader backpack that Jack Henry got her. She thought it was so cool that he got her a present ... and loved putting all of her games and her reader in there.

She wanted to put on her helmet right away!! Yay!

Helping Jack Henry open his presents.

All he really wanted to do was take a nap! =)

She loved all of her presents!

After we got Jack Henry down for a nap, Lydia got dressed and went out to ride her new bike.

She looks SO big on there!

And she took off like a pro. Doesn't seem like our baby girl should be old enough to ride a big girl bike already. Where has the time gone?!?

Santa Claus Is Coming!

2011-12-23T22:30:00.000-06:00

Because we have another family Christmas get together (Yes, another!) on Christmas morning around 10:30, we had a little talk with Santa and he said he could come to our house a day early! ;) Glad we were able to work that out! Trying to do Santa, get dressed, packed for Searcy and out the door with 2 little ones would have done me in!

During Lydia's nap today, Elfie left some food for the reindeer!

Daddy reading the directions to Lydia. ( Can you tell she just woke up?!? And I just love her curly nap hair! Wish it would stay that way.)

"Sprinkle this reindeer food outside tonight.

The moonlight will make it sparkle bright.

As the reindeer fly and roam

This will guide them to your home."

Cute little girl in her Christmas jammies: Check

Cookies for Santa: Check

Milk for Santa: Check

Reindeer Food: Check

Jack Henry passed out on the way home from my Dad's, so he wasn't awake to help with the food. =( Seems like he is always missing out on all the fun. Oh, well!

Pouring out food for the reindeer!

Spreading it all out!!

The ground was wet, so it was just left in a little pile! I am sure the reindeer didn't mind!

Looks like Santa made his visit!!

Lydia's new bike!!

Looks like he was hungry, too! Lydia wanted him to leave her some cookies. Hopefully she will be happy he left her one!

Rainbolt Christmas

2011-12-23T13:31:00.000-06:00

We didn't think we were going to be able to make it to my Dad's for Christmas this year, but we had a last minute change and plans and were able to go. I, of course, did not get too many pictures, but did get a few. Also, it didn't help that both of the kids were extremely exhausted, so they were very high maintenance!

JoJo with Eden, Jack Henry and Lydia.

Lydia being her crazy self and Jack Henry just chilling!

Have no idea what she was saying ... didn't get a good picture of them with JoJo.

Colclasure Christmas

2011-12-22T13:20:00.000-06:00

On Thursday, we had Christmas with Jeff's step dad's family. But first, Jack Henry had to open up his presents from the night before!

Poor guy missed all the fun! He didn't seem to mind too much though.

Mmm ... Let me get ahold of this tissue paper!

I wonder what is in this big ol' bag!

Lydia was such a good helper! Of course, I think she wanted to be right there to see what he got. ;)

Yumm! Wrapping paper! =)

That afternoon we got to hang out with Tim's parents before the rest of the family got there. It was fun to visit with them for a little bit.

Jack Henry and Lydia with Mamaw and Papaw.

We had a late dinner (well, late for us!), so Lydia got her a little pre-dinner snack while she watched her new Little Einstein's DVD.

She LOVES passing out the presents!

Keeping her eye on baby Kate.

She tore right into one of her presents and started decorating the doll with Mimi right away. She doesn't waste any time!

Lydia wanted a picture with baby Kate. She LOVES babies! It is one of the cutest things ever! She is so sweet and gentle and I love watching her interact with them.

Christmas With the Cunningham's

2011-12-21T22:41:00.001-06:00

We had Christmas with Jeff's mom's family tonight and had a wonderful time! There is never a dull moment when 30 people get together. The kids all played well together, which is always nice. Poor Jack Henry had to go to bed before we ever even ate, so he missed out on all the fun. We saved all his presents to open in the morning though! =)

Sometimes it still blows my mind that this is my family!! Love these guys!

Merry Christmas! =)

Genny and Lydia were playing a little pre-party music before the guests arrived.

She loves her PaPa.

Jack Henry eating his dinner and obviously enjoying it! =)

Love this little guy.

Bonnie and Coo Coo (aka Grandaddy) with the kiddos

Center of attention?!?

Lydia and London playing together

Time for presents!!

She was so excited about a new stuffed animal!

Getting a little help from PaPa.

Love this family and so thankful for them!

Lil Thumb Sucker

2011-12-20T21:59:00.002-06:00

Well, I think we officially have a thumb sucker in our house. Jack Henry started sucking his thumb when he was about 2 1/2 months old, but only in his sleep. He couldn't seem to get his thumb in his mouth when he was awake. Well, when he got sick back in October, he stopped sucking it and all of our sleep trouble started. Two weeks ago, we decided we needed to stop rocking him and let him go to sleep on his own, and he discovered his thumb again! I know one day we will probably regret letting him suck his thumb, but right now, it's awesome! We don't have to search for a paci in the middle of the night like we did with Lydia and he is so stinkin' cute when he sucks it! ;)

This was the first time I found him sucking his thumb a couple weeks ago. I laid him down for his nap and never heard him. So, I went in to check on him and this is what I found. So sweet!

Sucking his thumb in his high chair ... this can be frustrating when you are trying to feed him and he starts to suck his thumb between bites!! Guess we are too slow! =)

Love those big blue eyes looking up at me.

It's also been nice in the car seat! He was so tired while we were at Walmart one morning and I was glad that he was able to soothe himself while I finished up my shopping.

I need to post a video of him sucking his thumb. Sometimes he "sings" while he is sucking it, and it's seriously one of the sweetest things I've ever heard!

Like I said, we may regret this one day, but getting sleep has been SO nice lately. He and I both needed it. =) Maybe I will remember to come back and check the blog when I am asking myself why we let him suck his thumb!

Personality

2011-12-20T21:30:00.001-06:00

Jack Henry has got the best little personality. He is SUCH a happy little guy and is a sweet heart. He loves to cuddle and is a little love bug. I LOVE it! His smile melts my heart and can light up a room. He has got this squeal, that he obviously learned from his big sister. At times, we are not sure which one is doing the squealing! Hah! The other day I woke up (both of them wake up WAY too early for me!) and I could hear one of them back in their bed. I was trying to figure out which monitor it was coming out of so I could figure out which one was awake! Hah!

Is that not the sweetest smile you've ever seen?

Mischievous? Yes, I think so! We may have our hands full before too long!

Helping me make Lydia a grilled cheese. He was fascinated with the spatula.

Lydia finally took a break from playing with his toy, so he got a little play time in!

Love this little guy! He has brought so much joy into our lives!

School Christmas Party

2011-12-20T21:04:00.001-06:00

Lydia had her school Christmas party today. She has been looking forward to it since last week. She loves going to school ... and of course loves a good party! =) I didn't get very many pictures, but wanted to remember her first Christmas party!

Does she look excited? Or what?!?

Daddy walked up behind her with Jack Henry, so she was done with me and the camera! =)

Chowing down on cupcakes, cookies and more cupcakes! Can we say sugar high?!?

This was cupcake #2!

Here is the gift that she gave her teacher (we also did this for her's and Jack Henry's teachers at church). We made cocoa in a jar and then my favorite gift, rice socks. Hope that they enjoy them. So thankful that both kids have wonderful Christian people to look after them while at school and church. I never have to worry whether or not they are being taken care of. Such a huge blessing!

"Lydia Day"

2011-12-20T20:44:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was "Lydia Day". We had a fun day planned out just for her and we had a blast!! We try to do special things with just her so that she still feels special. She had all of our attention for so long, we know she still needs that one-on-one time with us.

We started out the day by making Rudolph cupcakes for her class party. I saw this idea on Pinterest and could not wait to make them!

We had a few meltdowns while decorating the cupcakes because Lydia kept wanting to eat the decorations and could not keep her hands out of the icing! Thankfully we all survived and our cupcakes turned out pretty cute!

Is this not the cutest idea?!?

Mid-afternoon, Mimi came over to watch Jack Henry so we could take Lydia out. Our first stop was Target for her to pick out a present for her baby brother. She did so well picking out a present for him. Of course, she did pick something that he could share with her! =)

After shopping, we headed to a local pizza place for dinner.

Coloring with Daddy

After dinner, she wanted a treat. Of course, when we asked her where she wanted to go, she said Lemon Tree! So, Lemon Tree it was!

Love this little girl!

Genny came along with us for the evening. Lydia even shared her yogurt with her! =) She loves her giraffe.

After Lemon Tree, it was time to go look at Christmas lights.

I loved hearing her reaction from the back seat. She had so much fun!

So thankful we were able to take her out and spend a little time with just her. Can not wait until Jack Henry is big enough to go out with us to look at lights!

Ott Family Christmas

2011-12-20T20:21:00.000-06:00

Sunday morning after church, we headed over to Jeff's dad's to have Christmas with his stepmom's family (wow ... that sounds really confusing!!). We had a wonderful time and it was so good to see everyone. Jack Henry slept through most of the festivities, but I did manage to get some pictures once he woke up.

The kiddos with Reedee and Pops

Poor Lydia had just fallen and scraped up her hand. Up until that point she had been running around like a crazy girl (because she didn't have a nap!), but falling slowed her down. She just wanted to sit in Pops' lap, which was so sweet.

Lydia with Reedee

Once we woke Jack Henry up from his nap, Lydia got to open his presents for him.

Jack Henry had his eye on Pops!

More presents! She is so funny when she opens presents. She still makes sure that every piece of paper and tape is off before she stops.

Lydia and Jack Henry with soon to be Uncle Brent and Aunt Pammie.

Lydia opening up Jack Henry's Lil' Zoomers race track ... she has played with that thing almost non-stop since Sunday. It's so funny!

Taking a break from painting with her new paints to smile for a picture. When she opened her art box from Pops and Reedee she immediately wanted to paint!

Christmas Festival

2011-12-10T21:33:00.001-06:00

Our church does a huge Christmas festival every year and Lydia has been looking forward to it since last year! She loves inflatables and she also remembered riding the pony last year! When we told her this morning that we were going to the festival, she quickly told us that it was a carnival! Hah!

All dressed and waiting on Jack Henry to wake up from his nap!

Check out that gun! Hah!

She was good about letting him help her. Normally she doesn't want anyone to touch her that she doesn't now, but guess she really wanted to get the candy from this game! Hah!

She was focused! =)

After playing a few games, it was time to go check out all the inflatables. She was like a kid in a candy store! She went from one to another ... I couldn't keep up with her. Jack Henry was trying to get in on the action!

So glad Jeff was able to get off work for a little while and come meet us at the church. He has been so busy at work lately. We have all missed him SO much, especially the kids. Most nights he gets in right at bed time or after they have gone to sleep. Thankfully we only have 2 more long days with out him, and then he's off for a month! He better get ready, because I know one little girl that is not going to let him out of her sight! =)

Making a Christmas ornament

Finally getting to ride the pony!

She had so much fun

She was a little scared of him because he kept biting at the lady that was leading him. I got a quick picture and then she was gone!

This was right before the major melt down!! It was past lunch time, almost nap time, and she was having too much fun. Not a good combination. We made it home, she ate 1 bite of her hot dog said she was ready to go to sleep and was out in less than 8 minutes! Think that might be a record! =)

So thankful for a church that does things like this for families. It is an awesome outreach and a lot of fun!

Food? Yes, Please!

2011-12-10T21:22:00.001-06:00

Jack Henry FINALLY decided he was ready to start eating some food. I have been trying for about 3 1/2 weeks, but he has not wanted anything to do with it. I ended up with more on me than he did in his tummy. One afternoon though, I guess he thought he would try it out ... and he liked it!!

He gets VERY messy (which is hard for me!), but he loves his food and is really a good little eater. So far we have tried sweet potatoes, squash, apples, pears, bananas and green beans.

So far, green beans are the only thing he doesn't really care for. He did a little better today when I tried, but he is still not too crazy about them. From the way they smell, I don't blame him one bit! They smell disgusting!

Sometimes he gets a little crazy with his hands and food flies every where, but for the most part he just opens his mouth and waits for the spoon to give him some food. He is like Lydia was ... not very patient in waiting on the next bite! You have to be quick, or he lets you know he is ready! Hah! When he is done ... he is done! He will either closes his mouth or starts to spit it out. Pretty smart guy.

I bought his first round of baby food, but have decided to try and make my own for the most part. We'll see how it goes! More on that in another post!

First Snow of the Season

2011-12-07T12:11:00.001-06:00

When we went to bed last night, the snow was coming down pretty hard, but never imagined we would wake up to a little winter wonderland! It wasn't much ... but had to document Jack Henry's first snow!

Lydia was freezing and didn't want to look at the camera and Jack Henry was too distracted by all the white! Hah!

After I got Jack Henry down for his morning nap, Lydia and I went outside to play for a little bit. She was SO stinkin' excited!

She has grown so much since last year. =( Miss my baby girl!

Got her to stop long enough for a quick picture.

Glad she was able to get out and run off some energy!

Thowing snow balls.

Two at once ... she's good.

The first thing she asked when we went outside was if she could lay down in it!

Where is Daddy?!? =)

I love looking at the snow, but I can not stand to be cold! Hopefully next we get snow, Jeff will be able to stay home and play with her! We've been inside for over 3 hours, and my hands and feet are still cold! Love making memories with my little girl though.

Surprise from the North Pole

2011-12-06T20:43:00.001-06:00

Elfie brought a little surprise for Lydia today from the North Pole! He hid it in her pink tree and she was so excited when she found it!

I had to be quick to get a picture of her before she unwrapped it!

A new Nick Jr. Christmas DVD

Umm ... Do you think she was just a little excited?!?

We went straight to the living room put in the DVD, popped some popcorn and had a little cuddle time before Jack Henry woke up.

She was mesmerized!!

5 Months Old

2011-12-05T20:44:00.000-06:00

I can not believe that Jack Henry is 5 months old already. In some ways, it seems like he has always been a part of our family, but it also seems like he should still be a little baby! He is growing and changing every day! I wish time would slow down just a little bit! The past month has been a rough one, filled with a lot of sickness, but it's also been a fun one!

Poor guy had to go to the doctor 3 different times. RSV, sinus infection and an ear infection ... NO fun! He was such a trooper through it all though. Other than issues sleeping at night, he was his normal self! He is such a happy baby. Always smiling and laughing.

He is such a little momma's boy!! I LOVE it! He loves to snuggle and cuddle. I can not get enough of it! Of course, he loves is Daddy and big sis. His smile lights up the room when ever he sees them. It is precious.

He is not quite sitting up on his own yet, but he getting really close. I am sure it won't be long at all. He tries so hard and then he topples over.

He has started to eat baby food and does pretty well with it. He wanted nothing to do with it, until one afternoon he seemed like his bottle didn't fill him up and when I tried, he gobbled it up like he had been doing it all his life!

He has started rolling over! He can go from his back to front in no time, but is still working on going from his front to back. He does it, but seems like he has a little more trouble.

I love this little guy so much. He has brought so much joy into our lives. He is so laid back and content. Such a happy little guy. We love watching his personality develop and wonder all the time what he is going to be like when he gets bigger. Will he be energetic and crazy like his sister, or will he stay laid back and quiet?

Go stAte!!

2011-12-04T21:39:00.000-06:00

Jeff and I were able to go up to Jonesboro and watch the biggest game of the year versus Louisiana Lafayette! My mom offered to watch the kiddos for us (even though Jack Henry had the crud and Lydia had an awful rash!) and so Jeff and I spent most of the day kidless!

It was the longest that I've been away from Jack Henry since he was born. I missed him like crazy, but really enjoyed the time alone with Jeff. So thankful that we have family that offers to watch the kids so we can spend time with each other. We love our kids and want to spend as much time as possible with them, but we know how important it is to make our relationship a priority. If our relationship is not right, then that will hinder our relationship with our kids.

ASU has had an awesome season this year and I'm so glad we were able to see them play. They finished 10-2 season and are Sunbelt Conference Champions! So proud of them!! They are headed to the GoDaddy.com Bowl in Mobile, January 7th. Can't wait to see how they do!

Santa's Little Helper ... Elfie

2011-12-04T20:14:00.000-06:00

Elfie made his big arrival with a fun North Pole breakfast, including snow covered donuts from Santa and kisses from the reindeer.

He brought a few little gifts with him! A coloring book and Christmas socks for Lydia and Mommy. He also wrote a little note to Lydia, re-introducing himself. Not sure that she really remembers him from last year!

He also brought a cute little Christmas bib for Jack Henry and yummy Raisinets for Daddy.

Lydia checking out her note.

Yumm!!

Jack Henry checking out his stash!

Jack Henry and Lydia posing with Elfie.

Something new we are doing this year is letting the kids (well, Lydia this year) open a Christmas book every day in December. I don't have 25 yet, but hopefully by next year I will! Here they are all wrapped and under the tree.

Sweet babies

The first book Lydia picked was a perfect way to start out the Christmas season. I hope that we can make Christmas fun for the kids. But I pray that we will always make sure to focus on the real meaning of Christmas. If we miss the fact that we are celebrating Jesus' birth, then we've failed.

Opening a book together! ;) Love the way he watches her!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-28T19:44:00.000-06:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We had 3 different "Thanksgivings", but thankfully they were all on different nights ... and at least 1 day between all the yummy food! I didn't get any pictures at my dad's house. =( I thought it was hard to take pictures at family things with 1 kid ... adding another seems like it's 10x harder! Maybe I'll get better of it soon!

So thankful that God blessed me with this wonderful little family! My heart could just burst from all the love I feel!!

Our little turkey and little pumpkin!

Hanging out in Hazen with Mimi and Papa.

Coloring with GiGi. She loved her new colored pencils GiGi bought her. I think she might have worn the poor pencils out in the 3 days we were there!

Not sure who was having more fun ... Jack Henry or Grandmother!

Future Partners in Crime

AKA Harper and Jack Henry

My little mini me ... I have picture to prove it! ;)

Are these girls not the sweetest?

They had so much fun playing together. Wish I could have recorded all the squeals and laughter coming from what used to be the "Man Cave". Sorry Uncle Craig ... the little girls took over!!

We are so blessed to have such a big and loving family.

Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas!!

2011-11-20T20:27:00.000-06:00

Here is a little sneak peek at our Christmas decorations. I've had such a hard time getting everything done this year. Maybe it will all be done before too long!! Lydia was such a big help at decorating the trees! Loved watching her strategically place all the ornaments! She was too cute.

Finally decorating her tree. She has only been asking since the end of September when we saw some trees in Hobby Lobby to put her's up!

All finished!

She busted out the step stool to work on the big tree! I have not take a picture yet, but you can totally tell that she put the ornaments on. Most of them are clustered together ... and REALLY low. I don't have the heart to move them though! Makes me smile when I look at the tree.

Santa Baby! =)

Can you tell he was lovin' the Santa hat?! NOT??

Unwanted Guests ...

2011-11-15T09:45:00.001-06:00

We have had some unwanted guests at our house the last few weeks ... Their names are "Sinus Infection", "RSV", "Bronchiolitis" and "Mystery Rash"! It all started 3 weeks ago and I am SO ready to be over it! We have made 4 trips to the doctor in 2 1/2 weeks and prescribed 2 rounds of antibiotics, cough syrup, an inhaler and a steroid! =(

Sweet babies watching Baby Einstein's together.

I took Lydia in to the doctor on a Wednesday and they said she had a sinus infection. So they put her on Amoxicillin and cough medicine.

Lydia's new obsession ... playing games on the computer! She wanted to go outside SO bad and play, but it was cold and windy and we knew that was the last thing she needed to do. Once we suggested her playing on the computer, she never looked back. =)

Look at those eyes! =(

The following Wednesday, I had to take Jack Henry in for an awful cough. The doctor said it sounded like he had RSV and/or Bronchiolitis. So, he was put on an inhaler to help with his breathing. Poor guy sounded like Darth Vader!

This sweet guy has had some LONG nights. I feel so bad for him. He tries to breath and he can't, which causes him to start coughing. We spent many hours sitting straight up in the recliner. So pitiful!

This NEVER happens!! Passed out while playing in his bouncy seat!

He cough was not getting any better and his nose was getting worse, so we went back to the doctor a week later. This time they put him on Amoxicillin for a sinus infection.

Love this sweet face!

Well ... on Saturday morning, Lydia woke up with a few spots on her face. I didn't think much about it, but a few hours later, she looked like this. =( Her body was almost completely covered in red welps. She looked miserable!

Benedryl was not doing much to help, so our doctor said to take her in and have her checked out. The doctor we saw said it looks like she is having an allergic reaction to something (who knows what!!) and put her on a steroid.

It is slowly getting better and hopefully will be completely gone soon. Just wish we knew what caused it so we could avoid it happening again!!

Praying that we are getting all the sickness out early and can stay healthy for a little while!!

Lydia's 2nd Haircut

2011-11-05T13:17:00.000-05:00

Lydia FINALLY got her 2nd hair cut! It had been 10 months! It has grown so much in the last 10 months. Seems like it took forever for it to grow, but once it started it has grown like crazy. I asked Lydia several times if she wanted to get it cut short, but she told me over and over that she wanted her hair long, so we just got it trimmed a little. It looks SO much better!

Here are a few before and after pictures ...

The front still has not caught up with the back, so she barely touched it. Just got the ends straight.

She took quite a bit off the back. I thought maybe it would stop curling up, but it hasn't yet. Love all the body she has! Wish I had some! =)

She picked the fire truck to sit in and did pretty well.

All done! =)

Daddy's girl!

Lil Pumpkin

2011-10-31T15:44:00.000-05:00

Some fun picture of our little pumpkin! =)

Playing shy ... =)

Don't you love all those rolls?!? They are SO sweet!

Never try to do a "photo shoot" with a hungry baby! This is what it looks like ... Not good! Hah! I love Lydia's face in this picture! She is like "what is your deal?!?" =)

All better ... and of course Genny the Giraffe had to be in the picture.

So glad Jack Henry was able to wear this little outfit. It was Lydia's. I need to find some picture of her and put them side by side. Crazy that she was 7 months old when she wore it ... and Jack Henry is 4 months!!

Halloween Fun

2011-10-31T15:27:00.000-05:00

We had so much fun for Halloween this year. We stretched it out over a week ... which I love doing! =)

Lydia all dressed up and ready to go to her school party and parade!

Refusing to look at the camera ...

Jack Henry decided to wake up so he could watch the parade.

Lydia's class rounding the corner. I am sad I didn't get a better picture. =(

We decided to get the kids Halloween treats instead of buying candy. Lydia was so excited when I told her we had a treat for her.

Lydia and her goodies ... books, coloring book and stickers!

Jack Henry with his goodies ... blocks and a fun little Halloween book.

I think he liked his book! ;)

Love!

Not sure who enjoys the blocks more ... Jack Henry or Lydia! ;)

Our little creation ... Boonana pops! =)

So glad Lydia was able to get another year out of her this Halloween dress. Not sure it will fit next year ... but we will try! ;)

Daddy and his little munchkins!

Love these guys!

Can not believe that Halloween has come and gone and now it's time for Thanksgiving and Christmas!! Stay tuned for a fun little photo shoot with our little pumpkin!

Fall Fest #2

2011-10-31T14:57:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, Jeff's mom invited us to the fall fest at their church. After naps, we got dressed and headed over for a fun evening! It was a little chilly, but the weather was perfect for being outside. Lydia had SO much fun running around and just being Lydia! ;)

Love her smile in this picture! She was running away from Papa (she was calling him the big bad wolf!) and was having the best time. She has so much energy ... it's ridiculous!

Wish I would have got a picture from the front ... this is Mimi with Jack Henry! Lydia was not sure what to think when Jeff told her that was her! Hah! Took her a little bit to warm up to her, but once she realized it was just her in a costume, she was fine.

She loves her Papa!

Lydia roasting her marshmallow over the fire. I am not sure if she ate it or not, but she loved holding it over the fire. She did a really good job!

After it got dark, it was time for trunk-or-treat! Lydia has never gone trick-or-treating before, but she caught on fast! I loved hearing her say "Trick-or-Treat" and "Thank you" when she got candy. She had so much fun!! Can you tell she was excited?!?

Pausing for a picture with Mimi and Papa.

Both kids were worn completely out by the time we got home ...

It's hard being so cute! ;)

Passed out!!

Fall Fest #1

2011-10-30T14:46:00.000-05:00

My brother and sister-in-law invited us to the Fall Fest at their church. Lydia was so excited to go with Eden and be able to wear her Little Red Riding Hood costume again. There were a ton of games and a lot of candy!! Two of Lydia's favorite things! ;)

"Belle" and "Little Red Riding Hood"

Are they not the cutest?!?

Digging for treasure in the hay

Yay! They both found one!!

"The Big Bad Wolf" just hanging out!

Lydia was pretty serious about her candy. The girl told her she could pick out three pieces, so she plopped down with the bowl and very carefully picked out what she wanted.

Our little family

Love these girls!

Jack Henry only slept 30 minutes while we were out and he was one tired little wolf when we got home! =) Love my snuggle time with him.

Changing ...

2011-10-23T10:39:00.003-05:00

I can not believe how much Jack Henry is changing. He seems to be growing up, way too fast. =( Wish time would slow down, just a little bit.

My view during tummy time ... I could stare at him forever!

Throwing punches! =)

Just chillin' ...

Sweetest face! =)

Trying hard to get his toys during tummy time. I know it won't be long before he is crawling all over the place.

Taking a break

Look at those big blue eyes!! He is still not too sure about his Bumbo seat, but he is getting better at sitting in it.

His new favorite thing is "flying" on my legs in the air.

He really likes to sit at the table with us. He has discovered how to bang his hands on the tray and make noise. It's so cute to watch him!

We have realized lately that he LOVES to stand up in our laps or on the floor, so we decided to get out the Jumperoo and see how he liked it. He is still a little small for it, but seemed to like the new view. He will be jumping around in no time!

The Lion King!

2011-10-23T10:23:00.002-05:00

I have been waiting for months for The Lion King to come out on DVD. On Thursday night (our Friday nights during football season since Jeff has to work) we had a movie night with Lydia.

LOVE this movie!

After we got Jack Henry down for a nap and ate some pizza, we cuddled up on the couch to watch the movie!

No movie night is complete without popcorn and M&Ms!

Jack Henry wanted to join in on the movie and popcorn!

*Nice picture, huh?? =)

It is impossible to get a good picture these days!

Jack Henry could not take his eyes off the TV!

Can not wait for more movie nights in the future!!

Our Week

2011-10-23T10:17:00.004-05:00

I LOVE being able to stay at home with Lydia and Jack Henry. I feel so blessed that I can watch them grow up and see them learn and discover new things daily. There are days that are hard and very trying, but one little kiss or smile makes all of the hard times worth it. Here are a few pictures from our week ...

Lydia and Jack Henry before school on Tuesday. She loves to hold him in and love on him.

Jack Henry and I watching the ASU game on TV Tuesday night. This boy LOVES watching some football!

Painting a rainbow pumpkin

One of my favorite things to see! Love how much Lydia loves to read and Jack Henry seems to enjoy it too!

Lydia joining Jack Henry for a little tummy time outside.

Getting a little fresh air ... it was a little chilly, but loved the sunshine.

Umm ... child labor?!? ;)

Love these guys

Jack Henry has started to smile all of the time. It is the sweetest thing. I can not seem to catch a good one on camera, though.

Reading with Jack Henry

Big sis decided she wanted to read with us.

Watching the Cardinals beat the Rangers!!

Cookies!

2011-10-21T22:24:00.001-05:00

Lydia and I were going to make some super cute candy corn cupcakes, but when I got in the kitchen I realized I did not have a cake mix. =( Luckily I had stuff to make some cookies on a stick, so we were still able to cook. =)

Watching the batter go 'round and 'round!

Just a little preface to this picture ... Before we even started the cookies, she kept telling me she wanted to taste them. I kept telling her that she could, but they needed to cook first. Well, I captured this face just to show that things are not so happy at our house!!

Just keepin' it real! ;)

Thankfully she got over it pretty fast and wanted to help me again! =)

She can go from mad/upset to happy in no time!

Such a sweet little helper!

FINALLY enjoying the beater.

Jack Henry woke up while the cookies were baking and she wanted to sit on the floor and finish eating the left over batter by him. She probably would have shared with him if I had let her.

After dinner, it was time to decorate cookies with Daddy!

She loved this part!

But this part was her favorite ... Ready to take a bite!

Sweet baby girl!

I thought that her and Jeff were decorating a cookie for me too, but when I got off of the phone with my sister-in-law, Beth, al the decorated cookies were gone! They informed me that I could just decorate my own! Nice, huh?!?

Jack Henry's 1st Road Trip-Part 2

2011-10-21T22:12:00.002-05:00

We had the best time in Alabama! Saturday we went and checked out the church where the wedding will be and also the place where the reception will be. I am so excited for Craig and Tiffany and can not wait for them to start their new life together! After a little shopping, it was time to get ready for Tiffany's lingerie shower!

Me with Tiffany and her sister Melissa

So excited to have yet another sister!! God has blessed me some awesome sister-in-laws! So thankful!

We had so much fun at the shower ... a lot of fun games, wonderful food and tons of laughter! Thanks Granna for watching Jack Henry and giving me a night out with the girls!

Tiffany and Jack Henry in their matching Polo outfits =)

Jack Henry with Uncle Craig and Aunt Tiffy

All of the family at a tea for Tiffany Sunday afternoon. Poor Jack Henry was the only guy there ... but I think he kind of liked it! He is such a little flirt! ;)

He was having so much fun that he passed out and took a little nap! ;)

Then he woke up to have some more fun!

Love this sweet boy!

The car ride home was a little more stressful than the car ride down, but we survived!! I fed him around 7:30 and he slept until we got home at 11:45! Praying that he will like the car a little bit better when we make the trip in January for the wedding!

Lydia was SO excited when she woke up Monday morning and we were there!! She gave me a big hug and then of course asked where Jack Henry was and said "I want to see my little buddy"!!

She LOVES him so much and it is seriously one of the sweetest things that I have ever seen! Not sure she will let him out of her sight for a long time! ;) She did however have a wonderful time with her Daddy. I know she enjoyed that one-on-one time with him!

Jack Henry's 1st Road Trip-Part 1

2011-10-21T21:50:00.001-05:00

I have been planning on taking a road trip to Alabama for a couple of showers for Craig and Tiffany back in the summer sometime. The past month or so I started wondering if I should go or not because Jack Henry HATES the car seat. When we would have a good car ride, I would tell myself we would go ... and then when we would have a bad ride, I would tell myself there was no way I was going to torture him for 6 plus hours. Well, I decided to go and see what happened! I am SO glad that I did! There were some rough moments in the car, but all in all, he did great and we had a wonderful time.

So glad that Mom and Betty (Granna and GiGi) let us ride along with them!

Hopefully they will let us ride with them again ... there were some stressful moments! ;)

Jammies - Check

Full tummy - Check

Clean diaper - Check

Very tired - Check

It didn't take him too long before he passed out!

Don't you just love all of his jungle friends? =)

We made it to Memphis before he woke up ... and then we hit construction and traffic stopped! =( Poor guy was STARVING and there was no where to stop or pull over. Once we did stop we discovered that he had a HUGE diaper blow out. So no wonder he was screaming!

Chillin' in his shades after his after lunch nap. Glad that Reedee found him some cool boy sunglasses. He really needed them. Is he not the cutest?!?

After some more traffic and screaming, this is what he did right when we exited the interstate. We were about 5 minutes from Tiffany's house!

He loves his new monkey paci from Granna. If only he could figure out how to get his thumb in his mouth when he is in his car seat! Think that would make car rides a little more peaceful!

We were so glad to get to see these two!! After dinner, it was like Christmas! They opened up some of their birthday and shower gifts.

Cute little Arkansas/Alabama platter.

The family ...

I ordered them some really cute Alabama/Arkansas Christmas ornaments from a sweet friend of mine. Loved how they turned out!

So thankful that Tiffany's family let us stay with them. They were WONDERFUL hosts and it was great to be able to spend all the time we could with Craig and Tiffany.

Lydia's First Field Trip

2011-10-21T16:39:00.002-05:00

Lydia had her first field trip to Motley's Pumpkin Patch with her school. It was also Jack Henry's first trip to the pumpkin patch! We had so much fun and so glad we were all able to go together. The weather was PERFECT and everyone had a great time.

Her favorite place to ride ... Daddy's shoulders!

Lydia's class ... Carson (who she talks about all the time!!), Erin, Michael, Lydia and Mrs. Joyce

The first thing we did when we got to the pumpkin patch was watch the pig races. The kids LOVED this part.

One of Lydia's favorite things was the baby animals. I was surprised she got so close and let them eat out of her hands. She was so cute with all of them.

Waiting in line for the cow train. Poor girl didn't feel very good, but felt well enough to have a good time.

In her cow car!

Look at that smile!!

This is how Jack Henry spent most of the morning ... passed out!! He slept through kids screaming and laughing, going over bumps and rocks in the stroller, tractors and cow trains! I was shocked! We had to wake him up to eat and then he was too distracted to eat!

Of course, Lydia loved this part too!! They had a huge pile of hay with slides and tunnels. She was in heaven!

Carefully picking out her pumpkin.

The best picture we got with her pumpkin.

Daddy and the little guy!! Love his face in this one ... he is just chillin'!

Love these guys!

On the way out, we had to stop by the animals to tell them bye!

I didn't get a picture of Lydia and Jack Henry together, which I am bummed about! Lydia was worn out and not in the mood for a picture. Hopefully I can get some sort of fall picture of the two of them soon!

Special Day

2011-10-08T20:43:00.000-05:00

We finally were able to spend some one-on-one time ... well, actually two-on-one time with Lydia! She has been AWESOME since Jack Henry was born and has adjusted so well. I always feel so bad because whenever he needs something (to be fed, changed, rocked, held, consoled, etc.) we have to stop whatever we are doing and take care of him. Most of the time, she just goes with the flow and doesn't seem to let it bother her. We have talked about how important it is to do stuff just with her and make her feel special since before Jack Henry was born, but have not really been able to do much. Her and Jeff have done some stuff together, but this is the first time the 3 of us were able to get out together.

Daddy's Lil Girl

We went to the Central Arkansas Nature Center downtown and Lydia LOVED it!

Checking out the alligator.

Jeff was trying to get her to feel the swatch of bear fur and she was not too sure about it!

She also was not too sure about getting her picture taken by the bear!! She was ready to run as soon as the picture was snapped! =)

Feeling the duck feathers with Daddy ... maybe a future duck hunting partner??

After we went to the Nature Center, we walked down the river trail to a little park.

This is how half of my picture turn out ... this girl is impossible to photograph! =/

Almost got her face!!

She finally went down the HUGE slide and then had to hike up this log to go back down. This was before she discovered all the underground tunnels and ladders.

Climbing up the ladder out of the tunnel.

She had so much fun playing, but was worn out by the time we were ready to leave and head to lunch.

We went to a fun little restaurant called All Aboard. The inside is made to look like a train car and the coolest part is that a train delivers your food! Lydia loved watching the train go around and take people their food.

Checking to see if it was our food or not! After the train dropped off our food, she said "Thank you toy train!"! It was so cute!

So thankful that Jeff's mom stayed and played with Jack Henry and allowed us to have a little time with just Lydia. Hopefully we can do this every once in a while. Know it is good for all of us!! We love her so much and are so proud of how she has adjusted since Jack Henry was born! Such a big girl!

Practice Makes Perfect

2011-10-06T20:21:00.000-05:00

Lydia's Pops and Reedee got her a fishing pole for her birthday and we have yet to take her fishing. =( Things are a little crazy for Jeff in the Spring and this Summer was too stinkin' hot. They finally broke out the pole and started practicing in the yard. Lydia has become obsessed with it and wants to practice all the time! =()

Jeff showing her how to "reel it in"!

Working hard! =)

Casting out the line!

Jack Henry and I were enjoying the nice weather on a blanket!

We even got in a little tummy time! =)

Can not wait to take her fishing and let her catch a fish. Hopefully she will like to fish and her and Jeff can have some "Daddy/Daughter fishing trips" in the future! I like to go fishing ... but really just like getting a sun tan! ;)

3 Months Old

2011-10-05T16:13:00.000-05:00

I can not believe my baby boy is 3 months old already!! The time has FLOWN by. I know everyone says that with the second one it goes by even faster, but man! I had no idea it would go by this quickly. His little personality is really starting to come out and I love watching him change every day!

He is ...

*Smiling ALL the time!!

*Trying really hard to laugh. He has had 1 really good belly laugh and it was the most adorable thing I have ever heard!! Can not wait for him to do it again! =)

*Taking in everything that is going on around him.

*Sleeping through the night!! We normally feed him between 8:30 and 9:30 and he sleeps until 7 or later the next morning. It is AWESOME!

*Wearing mostly 3-6 month clothes (which has has been for a while!) and size 3 diapers.

*He still weighs right around 15 pounds. I don't think he has gained much weight since his 2 month check-up several weeks ago. He does seem like he has gotten longer.

*He loves playing with Lydia. I can not wait for them to really play together. She LOVES doing stuff with him. Just pray that she continues to want to as he gets older.

*A very happy baby for the most part. The only time he really cries is when he is sleepy or hungry ... and in the car. =(

*He HATES his car seat. =( This makes for very long trips ... even across town! Praying this changes soon!

*Loves looking at himself in the mirror. Jeff discovered that this makes him smile and calms him down when he is really upset!

He is such a blessing to our family and we are so thankful for him!!

Weekend Fun

2011-10-04T21:48:00.000-05:00

Behind ... yet again! I get my pictures loaded, and then can't find time to come back and add words to my blog!! I'll get with it one of these days! =)

We had a pretty lazy Saturday last week and it was SO nice!! Our day consisted of ...

Football! Jack Henry in his ASU Indians shirt that we bought for Lydia when she was a baby! I need to find a picture of her wearing it! So glad he is able to wear it and cheer on ASU, even if they aren't the Indians anymore!

Baking! Lydia helped me make Mexican cornbread to go with our white chicken chili! She is such a good little helper in the kitchen.

Playing!! Lydia and Jeff played Chutes and Ladders ...

And Jack Henry played on his little play mat. He is starting to really play and it's so much fun to watch him.

Jack Henry also joined us at the table for the first time. I don't think he really knew what to think about it! Hah! He was probably thinking, "So, this is what y'all have been hiding from me! When do I get to eat the real stuff?!?" =)

First Trip To The Park

2011-09-30T21:35:00.002-05:00

Today was Jack Henry's first trip to the park! The weather was PERFECT! I am sure there will be many more days spent at the park!

Posing for a picture on our walk through "the forrest"!

I think she is finally starting to like the swings! She loved them when she was little, but once she got a little bigger she wanted nothing to do with them.

Swingin' with Daddy!

Lydia wanted to ride her tricycle on our walk. We've got to find her a big girl bike soon ... her little legs are almost too long for her tricycle. She loves riding it though!

Jack Henry chilling on our walk.

Love these guys!

I feel so blessed!

Towards the end of our walk, Jack Henry started getting fussy and then passed smooth out while Lydia played some more! It's amazing what he can sleep through sometimes!

This picture CRACKED me up! We went to Chick-Fil-A for lunch and when he woke up he was smiling and grinning, so I decided to take a picture and this is what I ended up with!! Silly boy!

Football Craziness!

2011-09-30T21:13:00.000-05:00

In our house, football is a year round thing. Seems like we are always talking something "football". With Jeff's job, there is not really a break from it! He writes all winter and spring for Hooten's Arkansas Football magazine, then the magazine comes out early summer, and then of course football season starts in August! I was never a football girl, but after Jeff and I started dating and we started going to ASU games I really have grown to like it! Guess it's a good thing!!

Getting ready for kick-off of ASU vs. UCA. It was fun to watch them on TV!

Ready to cheer on the Red Wolves with Daddy!

Such a little man! On the couch ... with the remote ... ready for the game to start!

Hoping we are able to make it up to Jonesboro for a game this season. It is always so much fun and nice to see friends from college. Can't wait to take Lydia to her first game!

"I Just Love Him"

2011-09-30T20:46:00.000-05:00

Lydia LOVES Jack Henry. It is one of the sweetest things that I have ever experienced. He is almost 3 months old, and the newness has not worn off for her yet. I am so thankful that she loves him and wants to be around him. I tell people that sometimes she loves him a little too much! =) She loves to give him kisses and hugs and is always right up in his face. One of these days he is going to get her, and she's not going to know what to do! ;)

Here are just some of the phrases we hear over and over every day ...

"I want to hold him."

"I want to help!"

The helping part is just when she is in the mood! Hah! Seems like when I really need her to do something for me she is not interested! Oh well, I love that she wants to help some times.

"He's so cute!"

"Mommy, he's looking/talking at me!"

"Can I play with him?"

I can not wait to see the two of them grow up together and interact with each other. I know I've said this before, but I pray that they will be best of friends! I am so thankful that God gave us these two kids to raise and that He gave Lydia a sibling! I can not imagine my life with out my brothers!! Yes, there were times growing up I wanted them gone, but I love them so much! There is just something special about that relationship, and it is my prayer that Lydia and Jack Henry will experience that.

A Better Way

2011-09-15T07:08:00.002-05:00

I have been looking forward to the weather changing so we could start getting out and taking more walks. I HAVE to get this baby weight off and also figured it would be a good stress reliever. We decided that instead of buying a regular double stroller, we would buy a double jogging stroller, but Jack Henry is to small to ride in one right now.

This is how our walks looked ...

Lydia would walk for a while, but then would wear out (I don't blame her!) and hitch a ride on Daddy.

**She really does love riding up there, but she was not feeling to well that night. That's why she has that sad face!**

Jack Henry got the best part of the deal ... hanging out while Mommy pushed him! Lydia also enjoyed riding her tricycle while I walked, but we could not go very far.

Doesn't he look comfy?!? Jack Henry also enjoyed taking walks this way! I on the other hand was WORN out by the time we got done.

Here is our newest way to take a walk!

A friend from our small group is letting us borrow her sit-n-stand stroller and it's been GREAT! Lydia loves having a little bit of freedom and being right there with Jack Henry. Hoping before too long Jack Henry will be able to ride in the jogging stroller and I can get back to running again.

FALL ... Finally!!

2011-09-15T06:57:00.000-05:00

Lydia is SO excited that we finally have some fall weather! She has been asking for over a month now ... probably more like 2 or 3! ... when fall was going to get here. She LOVES to play outside, but with the hot summer we had, we were not able to go out very much. We have spent A LOT of time outside the past week or so and we've had the best time.

Cool enough for a little jacket and pants! =)

Can not believe how big she is getting.

Having a little fun with side walk chalk. She was not too sure about me tracing her body, but once she got done and saw it she thought it was so cool!

Coloring "Lydia"

Ta-Da!

Even Jack Henry loves being outside!! Do you think he needs his own sunglasses?!? ;)

Just chillin' while big sister is riding her tricycle.

HOPSCOTCH!

Me and my little girl hanging out while Jack Henry takes a nap. Love the little moments we get together just me and her!

A Work in Progress

2011-09-09T22:42:00.002-05:00

We've been working on a few things in our house lately ... Some a little longer than others ... but working hard!

This was Lydia almost exactly a year ago ...

Yes, she is sitting on the potty trying to go poop. 4 days shy of being a year later she FINALLY started pooping in the potty consistently!

We are SO proud of her!! This has probably been the most frustrating thing we have gone through with Lydia so far. The little stinker (no pun intended!!) would not go for anything! No bribe that we tried worked. It was CRAZY! But for some reason, last Friday she FINALLY went! Maybe it was because we finally decided we were REALLY done buying pull-ups and refused to give in! Who knows ... but whatever it is, we are SO thankful that we are done with this!

Now on to the next battle ... this one is with Jack Henry. We are trying VERY hard to get him to take a bottle. He has no interest in it, and is pretty determined to not take one. He gets SO mad and upset. Breaks my heart! We have tried 5 different bottles; when he is awake and when he is sleep; when he is hungry and when he is not; inside, outside, bouncing on an exercise ball, standing up, sitting down ... just about everything we can think of!

Jeff got him to finally take some last Friday while I ran to Wal-Mart. He put a little sugar water on the nipple and he finally sucked some down. I was SO excited. That night I got him to take almost 2 ounces for me while Jeff was working and I was even more excited! I was thinking of what all I would be able to do ... sit through church without wondering whether or not he was crying because he is hungry, play Bunko, get my hair done, etc. I thought I would finally get to have a little break. Feeding him every 2-3 hours during the day for the past 2 months have worn me out. Well ... after that night, he wanted NOTHING to do with the bottle. Jeff or I have tried every day since then and nothing but screaming and tears (from Jack Henry and me!).

Well ... today when I tried, he finally started sucking and took almost the whole bottle!

I was so proud of him! Again, there was screaming and tears, but he finally ate some!

Praying that he will finally realize that he can take a bottle and it's not that bad. I keep telling him it would make things a lot easier (when we are out running errands, @ church, gymnastics, etc) and that he could have fun play time with grandparents, but so far he hasn't really bought it! ;)

I know we will have many more battles as they get older. Just praying that we can make it through them all gracefully!

Trip To the Zoo

2011-09-09T22:16:00.001-05:00

We decided to enjoy the nice weather and take a little trip to the zoo today. While I finished getting dressed and fed Jack Henry, Jeff and Lydia went to run a few errands. I guess this little guy got tired of waiting on me, because this is how I found him!

Passed completely out! I am sure that this will not be the last time he is bored waiting on me and/or Lydia to finish getting ready. Guess he had better get used to it! ;)

As I was driving down the interstate, I heard Jack Henry getting chocked on his snot (he has been REALLY congested the past few days) and as I look back in the mirror, I see all of his "breakfast" coming up. =( I could not do anything but keep driving. I felt so bad, but there was no where to stop. Thankfully, he slept right through it (not sure how!) and Jeff met me in the parking lot to help me get him changed and cleaned up.

Mimi met us for a little bit before she had to go get her hair cut. Wish she could have stayed longer!

Jeff and Lydia rocking while waiting for our pizza.

She loved the rocking chairs!

Me and my sweet girl who refuses to smile for the camera ... =(

We had a fun morning, but were totally worn out by the time we left! I ended up carrying Jack Henry around for a while ... boy was that a work out! Jeff carried Lydia on his shoulders quite a bit, so I am thinking before we go back, we are need a double stroller!!

Lydia Goes to School!

2011-09-09T22:06:00.000-05:00

Lydia had her first day of school this past Tuesday. She was SO excited about going. She had been counting naps and asking every day if we could go back to her school after her open house. She is going 2 days a week from 9 - 11:30. We are hoping that if nothing else, it will help her learn to listen and follow directions better than she is @ home! =)

Love that sweet smile on her face!! She looked so big in her jeans! Really can not believe she is old enough to be going to "school"!

Every morning, the first thing she wants to do once she sees Jack Henry is awake is hold him! It's SO sweet! =)

So glad Jeff was here to help us get ready that first day and also go with us on his way to work. Made drop off a little easier.

Love these two!!

I was trying to get a picture of her in her seat, but this was the best that I got! She was telling me that she wanted to go play on the play ground!! Go figure!

This little guy is such a trooper! He just goes with the flow and is pretty happy about it most of the time!

After school we met Daddy for lunch down town to celebrate the first day of school!!

Lydia even got a yummy treat ... a delicious strawberry cupcake!

I guess she was worn out ... This was how I found her during nap time. It took her a little while to stop talking, but once she did, she passed out!

Jeff is off work on most Thursdays in fall, so it will be nice having a little time together with this little guy. This week he slept the whole morning ... through drop off, free breakfast @ Chick-Fil-A and a quick trip to Walmart. We came back home and I fed him and he passed out again and slept through pick up, Office Depot and lunch. It's amazing what he can sleep through!

And this little girl got the Good Manners Award on Thursday! She was so proud ... and so were we! It's good to know that she behaves when we are not around! ;)

Where Has The Time Gone?!?

2011-09-01T23:06:00.000-05:00

Well ... August has come and gone and I have not hardly blogged at all!! I've missed it, but things have been a little crazy at our house!

Between feeding and taking care of this little guy ...

And trying to keep up with this crazy girl ...

Blogging has not been too high on my "To Do List" lately. By the time we get Lydia and Jack Henry down at night (before his last feeding) I normally crash. I have missed it and hope I can find the time to do it! I love being able to look back since I've started and see what we were doing a year ago ... or two years ago. Love seeing how much Lydia has changed and little things about her. Time goes by so quickly and it's easy to forget things.

Oh, here is another reason I have not done much blogging ... =)

My two guys working hard!

Awards Day

2011-08-02T22:08:00.000-05:00

Lydia's summer gymnastics class is coming to an end. She has 1 more week before a week off and then the fall classes start. She has had SO much fun. She has had a few issues listening and staying focused with all of the fun stuff to do, but hopefully she will start to do better! Drives me insane, but her teacher seems to handle it pretty well!

This week and next week is "Testing and Awards Week". I guess they are doing a run through on all that they've learned.

Lydia up on the awards podium ... she looks terrified, doesn't she?!? =) She got an award for "Best Forward Roll"!

Eden got an award for "Best Cart Wheel"! She has the perfect gymnast stance! Love watching her!

Lydia posing with her award. She was pretty excited about it!

We've had major spit up issues with Jack Henry today. Just when it seemed like he had stopped, he started back up again yesterday. He spit up once yesterday and twice today. Hoping that his little tummy will get adjusted soon and we don't have to put him on medicine.

Lydia entertaining Jack Henry while I tried to fix dinner tonight.

First Sunday

2011-08-02T21:44:00.000-05:00

Me and Jack Henry on his first Sunday to go to church!

I had it all planned out what time Jack Henry would need to eat in order for us to get to church on time. All was going well ... until he decided to change up the schedule! I should know by now that he makes the schedule, not me! I totally felt like Satan was trying to keep us from going to church, but we made it and we were actually on time!

He decided to not go to sleep on the way to church. I was hoping he would snooze right through it ... but here again, he does his own thing! ;) He finally went to sleep right before church started and as soon as our pastor made a little announcement his eyes flew open and he was wide awake! Since he decided he wanted to be awake for church, his little tummy told him he was hungry, so I was in church for all of about 5 minutes! Maybe next week will go better! It was nice to be there, but I am looking forward to sitting through a whole service though! I've missed it!

His morning totally wore him out!!

And his big sister, too!!

Lydia loves to read to Jack Henry. It is one of the cutest and sweetest thing!

This night (like most nights) he slept right through the books, but she doesn't seem to mind!

Love how she shows him the pictures and everything! She's such a good big sister!

Is this not the sweetest??? She can not get enough of him and is very protective of him (maybe even a little over protective!). I hope that they will be best buds as they grow older. Can't wait to see him and her interact with each other! It will be so much fun!

Our Day ...

2011-07-28T21:48:00.000-05:00

What started out as an EARLY morning, turned out to be a pretty good day. Jack Henry has decided he likes to be wide awake from about 4 until 7 or after. That makes for one TIRED momma! On top of that, Lydia has decided she wants to wake up early too. This morning, she came walking into our room with her arms open wide to hold Jack Henry @ 6:20! That is WAY too early, especially for a little girl who doesn't go to sleep until 9:30 at the earliest.

After I got Jack Henry down for a nap this morning, Lydia and I headed out side for a little bit. We took a little walk and then played with her beach ball. It's so sad that @ 10 in the morning, it is too hot to be outside. We were out for maybe 15-20 minutes and she was done. So ready for some cooler weather!

After we came in, we decided to make some pudding pops! She was SO excited!

Trying to resist the temptation to stick her finger in and try it out! =) I love watching her "cook"! She has the best time and feels so big and special.

Check out this awesome picture a guy in our small group painted for Jack Henry's room!

He matched it perfectly to his bedding and I can not wait for us to get it up on the wall!

While Lydia was napping today, me and Jack Henry had a little play time. He was not a big fan of being on his tummy, but loved "looking" at the animals while on his back.

Lydia with her "puddin' pop"!

The days are flying by, and I an trying my hardest to enjoy and soak in every minute I can with Lydia and Jack Henry. Although I am completely exhausted, stressed and sometimes wonder if I can really do this ... I am so thankful God has given me two healthy babies and I pray that I can be the mother that they need me to be. I love them more than I ever thought I could love any one.

VBS = Date Nights

2011-07-27T20:36:00.000-05:00

Lydia spent last week @ VBS with her Mimi and then we've had VBS @ our church this week. With Jack Henry being so young eating all the time ... and not ready to leave him in the nursery, we decided not to work VBS this year. It's been nice for Jeff and I to spend a little time together. We've enjoyed a couple of dinners out with our little man and have been able to run some errands and get a few things done.

Jack Henry snoozing through part of the closing program of VBS last week.

This little girl is such a character! Don't you love the hands in her pockets?!? =)

Clowning around!

Last night, we went out for sushi (something we've both been craving for the longest time!) and had the best time together.

Doesn't that look yummy?!?

Little man slept through the whole date!! =)

After dinner and a quick trip to Target, we stopped @ Lemon Tree for some fro-yo! Guess we were celebrating Jack Henry's 3 week birthday ... and as you can see, he slept right through that too! Hah!

**I am going to TRY my hardest to do better about taking pictures. I don't know where the time goes. Seems like between feeding, getting Jack Henry to sleep, playing with Lydia, and doing the few things around the house that I get done, the day is over before I know it. Hopefully we will get into a routine soon and life won't seem so crazy. Or maybe this is the new normal ... and I've got to learn how to get stuff done!

Random Pics!

2011-07-19T21:25:00.000-05:00

Here are some random pictures since we have been home. As you can tell ... Jack Henry sleeps A LOT! He is starting to have more and more awake times, which I am hoping will help him sleep longer @ night. Not that I am wanting to make time go by any faster! The past 2 weeks have flown by and I am trying to cherish every little bit that I can with Lydia and Jack Henry.

Sweetest little brother ...

There is just something about a sleeping baby ...

I could seriously watch him sleep all night long! Well, that is if I could hold my eyes open long enough!

Jeff and I took Lydia on a little "Lemon Tree" date. Loved getting out of the house for a little bit and spending some time with her!

Playing with her baby brother!

Jack Henry went to his first birthday party @ 11 days old! =)

Lydia has been going to VBS this week with her Mimi, so Jeff and I have been able to spend a couple hours @ night together. It has been so nice! Of course, Jack Henry comes along with us, but he mostly sleeps the whole time! Guess we are pretty boring!

Snuggling with his monkey blankie in the Nap Nanny!

Love this little guy!

1 Week Stats

2011-07-19T19:48:00.001-05:00

I know ... Jack Henry is 2 weeks old today and I am just posting his 1 week stats ... Hopefully I will get into the swing of things before too long and get back to blogging on a regular basis! =)

Weight - 7 lb. 15 oz (41%)

Length - 21 inches (79%)

Head - 14 1/4 inches (44%)

The doctor said that he looks great and is gaining weight well! He was back up over his birth weight which I was excited about. He is almost exactly the same size Lydia was @ 2 months (which would have been right about when she was due!). Looks like he is going to be long and skinny just like his big sister!

Big Sister

2011-07-19T19:40:00.000-05:00

I am going to be perfectly honest ... I had some anxieties while I was pregnant with Jack Henry. Along with the normal ones (healthy baby, not going into pre-term labor, etc.) I was really worried about how Lydia would adjust to having a baby brother. For the past 3 years, it's been all her. She's the only grandchild on Jeff's side of the family and as you can imagine, she is pretty spoiled with attention! Not in a bad way, but still spoiled! =)

Well ... she has done GREAT!! She is the best big sister and is so sweet with Jack Henry! It's almost like she can not get enough of him! From the first time she laid eyes on him and even now, 2 weeks later, she is all about him! She wakes up wanting to see him, "shhhs" him when he cries, wants to hold him, pat him and love on him. Here are just some of the pictures of her with her "Baby Jack Henry"!

That sweet smile says it all!

First time she held him. You can tell by her face that she was so excited to meet him. She could not stop giggling and looking at him. One of the sweetest moments in my life!

Holding him all by herself!

Trying to calm him down before Daddy changed his diaper.

"Helping" change the diaper! =)

She loves to give him her blankies and "friends" for him to sleep with. That's a HUGE deal! She is pretty attached to her blankies!

She could not get over him in this bouncy seat when she woke up from her nap one day. And the fact that he had his eyes open made her even more excited!

Another thing she loves to do is read to Jack Henry. If he's not fussy when it's her bedtime, I try to take him in her room so we can all read together.

I pray that Lydia and Jack Henry will always be close.

Hospital Pics

2011-07-19T19:09:00.000-05:00

I am a little slow on posting lately ... hoping that I can get caught up tonight! =) We stayed in the hospital for 3 1/2 days and were very ready to get home to our little girl. I had some of the best nurses while I was in the hospital and was thankful for the time to recover from surgery and being able to get a little rest at night and during the day. Here are some pictures from when we were in the hospital. Wish I had thought to take pictures of everyone that came by to visit. We had quite a few family and friends come by to meet little Jack Henry!

Sometimes it still doesn't seem real that we are a family of 4!! I feel totally blessed!

Me with my two little ones!! This is love!

Loved having Leanne, Eden and Michael come by and meet Jack Henry! Can't believe before too long, they will have a new addition to their family. A sweet baby girl! We are so excited!

Granna and GiGi came down for a visit and kept me company while Jeff went and spent some time with Lydia.

Jack Henry with Great Grandaddy!

PawPaw getting to hold Jack Henry for the first time.

Jack Henry with PaPa!

Jack Henry started looking a little jaundice, so we decided to let him spend a little time in the sun. He enjoyed EVERY minute of it, as you can tell from the pictures!

Does life get much better than this?!?

Totally relaxed!

Headed home!! =)

4th of July Surprise!

2011-07-12T16:40:00.001-05:00

Well ... our 4th of July was a crazy one this year!! We started out spending the day with this little red, white and blue girl. We had a few things we needed to get for Jack Henry and several stores were having sales, so we got out and ran errands that morning.

Our day ended by going to the hospital and meeting this little guy!!

My water broke around 7:00 that night and we got to the hospital around 8:30. Of course I did not have a bag packed and we needed to do laundry! I had planned on having my bag all ready ... but it didn't happen! =) We got all checked in and hooked up to all the monitors and before long I was 6 cm and getting an epidural. Around midnight, I was 9 cm and they discovered Jack Henry was breech! =( They had to do a c-section right away. Not what I wanted or planned, but it's what had to be done! It was over very quickly and I was so happy to meet Jack Henry! He was born @ 1:27 a.m. on July 5th ...so almost a July 4th baby!

All cleaned up and meeting Jack Henry for the first time. It was love @ first sight! When Jeff brought him over he looked so tiny to me!

Daddy and his baby boy!

I couldn't believe he was finally here! Totally was expecting to have a couple more weeks!

After we got back in our room everyone came in to meet the little guy. We all got to see him get his first bath and his official weigh in. He was NOT a fan of his bath at all. He was showing us he has GREAT lungs right from the beginning! Once he was all swaddled up and warm he was a content little guy.

Pops and Reedee getting a good look!

Mimi and Papa getting some lovin' in!

Jack Henry looking at Granna!

Proud Daddy! =)

So in love already ... didn't take long for him to steal my heart!

Jack Henry's Here!

2011-07-06T09:08:00.002-05:00

First family picture of the 4 of us!

Jack Henry decided to surprise us and come a few weeks early! He is the sweetest little baby and we are all SO in love with him! He is absolutely perfect and we are so thankful he is healthy!

Here are his stats:
Birthday - July 5 @ 1:27 a.m.

Weight - 7 pounds 12 ounces

Length - 19 inches

Head - 14 1/4 inches

More pictures and details coming soon! =)

Fun With Mimi and Papa

2011-07-04T16:33:00.000-05:00

While we worked on Lydia's room, she went and spent the day with Mimi and Papa. As much as she would have LOVED to stay and help paint her room, she was excited about spending some time at the pool!

Bathing suit - Check! Sunscreen - Check! Sunglasses - Check! Beach ball - Check!

All ready to go! =)

She loves having Papa spin her around in her floatie! If only these pictures had sound!!

Floating all by herself ... such a big girl.

Not sure who had more fun ... Papa or Lydia!

It's All Coming Together!

2011-07-04T16:21:00.000-05:00

After moving Lydia into her "big girl room" 2 1/2 months ago, we FINALLY got the walls painted this weekend! With Jeff's work schedule it's been hard to find time to get it done. I'm so glad we can mark that off our our to-do list!

Let the fun begin! =)

Jeff worked VERY hard and got the room all taped off and painted by mid-afternoon. I was thinking it would be an all day project, but he was fast and did a great job. I offered to help, but he would not let me do too much. I helped a little with the taping, but that was it.

LOVE how it turned out! Just like I had pictured in my mind!!

Her new letters hanging on the wall!

Want to find a lamp or something tall to put on the right side of the picture.

HAIR BOWS!! Yes ... she has A LOT, but a girl can never have too many, right?!? The "L" one is new, but it is already full! Guess I need to take a break from making and buying hair bows for a little while? ; 0

Just another view ...

Lydia LOVES her new room. I can't tell you how many times she has said "Thank you Mommy and Daddy for painting my walls. I love it!". It is the sweetest thing ever!

We still need to buy a few things to put on the walls, but I love the way it's coming together.

Daddy Day

2011-07-03T20:18:00.000-05:00

Friday morning these 2 took off to run errands together. They had a FULL morning planned! They had to get the oil changed in our new explorer, go to the revenue office to get tags, run by the bank, Jeff's office and the insurance office! She was so excited to spend the morning with her Daddy!

She got a HUGE tootsie roll pop at the oil change place! Think that is her favorite part about going ... I know it would be mine!

After a full morning, they went and had a little lunch date ... her choice!

She picked one of her favorites ... Moe's! =)

I had 4 hours at home to myself and I didn't know what to do ... so I cleaned the house! I can't remember the last time I was home by myself for that long. It was nice, but I was ready for them to get back home! I know she had the best time with Jeff and I am so thankful he is willing to take her and do stuff like that. I know it would be been A LOT easier to go by himself, but the memories he made with her are totally worth the extra effort!

37 Weeks

2011-06-29T19:59:00.001-05:00

I feel like I have grown a TON since last week ... but when I put the 2 pictures side by side it doesn't look like it! Guess I just feel huge! =)

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 37 Weeks

Size of baby: A little over 19 inches head to toe and 6 1/3 pounds

Maternity Clothes: Wearing maternity pants because they are so much more comfortable! Mostly maternity shirts but some regular. Able to wear some of my spring/summer dresses from last year!

Gender: A baby BOY, Jack Henry

Movement: He is a very active little boy! I thought that he had slowed down some, but the past couple of days he has been moving and shaking again!

Sleep: What's sleep?!? =) Waking up every hour or so to roll over and/or use the bathroom. I normally go to sleep very quickly, but then once I wake up to use the bathroom, it's off and on until I get out of bed.

What I miss: Sleeping on my belly (actually sleeping period!) and having energy.

Cravings: My new craving ... Frozen Yogurt!! The past 3 times, I have had their sorbet and it is WONDERFUL! So light and refreshing. Could eat it every day!! =) Salads and fresh fruit! So glad that all my favorite fruits are in season now ... watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, etc!

Symptoms: Just normal pregnancy stuff ... Trouble bending over, painting my toe nails, indigestion, etc. Still tired, but thankfully nothing I can not handle. He has been hanging out in my ribs the past few days and that has been pretty uncomfortable. Glad that I can get some relief when I lay down! I've started having a little bit of swelling in my feet, ankles and fingers, but nothing bad at all. I still see my ankle bones, so I feel pretty lucky!

Best Moment this week: Had a great doctor's visit today! His heart rate was right where it needed to be and he said everything was looking good!

3 weeks until Jack Henry is due! We are getting so excited!

When I was having Jeff take a picture tonight, Lydia wanted in the picture and this is what we got ...

Now I am wishing we would have done some maternity pictures!!

Random Pics!

2011-06-28T22:14:00.000-05:00

Another random picture post from the past 2 days!

I went in to check on Lydia at nap time yesterday and this is what I found ... is that not precious?!? She has become SO attached to her blankies (2 regular and 2 security) and Jenny the Giraffe lately. She was completely surrounded by all of them.

It was patriotic week @ gymnastics this week. I had to work today, so I missed it ... but thankfully Jeff's mom sent me a couple of pictures. It started storming during her class and I think after that there wasn't much gymnastics going on! She was too distracted ... oh well! There is always next week!

So thankful for the rain we got today and the cooler temperatures. Lydia and I had the best time outside and neither one of us broke a sweat! =) She picked this flower for Jeff on our little walk ... she is so sweet!

This girl LOVES playing with bubbles! I found a recipe on how to make bubble solution ... think I will try it out and see how it works!

"Good night kisses"!

Some of Jack Henry's stuff from his shower that we got monogrammed! LOVE how they turned out! =)

Happy 87th Birthday, Memaw!!

2011-06-28T21:43:00.000-05:00

Saturday night, we got together with Jeff's dad's side of the family to celebrate his Memaw's 87th birthday! It was so fun to get together with everyone and celebrate.

Memaw and her YUMMY birthday cake! Chocolate on chocolate ... and then we had chocolate ice cream to go with it! Lydia and I were both in heaven! Hah!

Lydia and Heidi helping Memaw blow out her candles.

Tried to get a cute picture of both the girls looking at the camera ... but it didn't happen. Lydia was keeping her eye on Pops! I'm sure he was about to get her or something! ;)

All of the boys with Memaw!!

Just a little side note ... Lydia was so cute with Brody (or Baby Brody as she has been calling him!). I was holding him at one point and she walked up and said "Mommy, what are you doing??" and in my head I thought ... here we go!! But she came over and hugged him when he started fussing a little and then started counting his toes! It was adorable. A little bit later she started to bringing him toys to "play with". Gave me a little glimpse of how she hopefully will be with Jack Henry!

And all of the girls!

We have been blessed with such a BIG wonderful family!! Wish we could all get together more often and see each other, but thankful for the times we get to spend together.

Little Helper

2011-06-28T21:17:00.000-05:00

Lydia is SUCH a Daddy's Girl ... and I love it! She wants to be right where he is and doing what he is doing. It is really one of the sweetest things I have ever seen. I'm so thankful that she and I get to spend the day together, because if not, I might be really jealous over her lack of interest in me when Jeff is around! ;) I got these cute pictures one night while Jeff and Lydia were out watering the flower beds and thought I would share!

Poor girl needs a smaller watering can! ;)

She did really well though!

She was helping Jeff with the water hose, but then figured out it would be a lot more fun to run underneath than to hold it!

Love this sweet girl!!

Flower Baseball??

2011-06-28T20:50:00.000-05:00

Lydia and Jeff started playing "baseball" with balloons one night ... and then they got creative and started using one of her flowers as a bat! It was the cutest thing ever!

Batter Up!!

She kept jumping when she would swing. It was pretty funny!

Guess we need to find this girl a tee and a bat!

I told Jeff a few weeks ago that I didn't know if I wanted to get her started playing softball after seeing so many posts on facebook from people who spend ALL weekend at the ball park and LATE nights during the week practicing. But, she seems to LOVE anything sports, so I figure we will be giving softball a try in the near future!

Father's Day 2011

2011-06-25T07:24:00.000-05:00

A little late ... but, HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!

She is a daddy's girl for sure!

Helping Jeff open his gift ... or actually opening it for him! =)

We finally pulled of a surprise (Thanks, Mom!!) for Jeff. He always finds out what I am getting for him before it's time ... but not this year! We got him a "retro" ASU Indians shirt! Need to get a picture of him wearing it.

Giving Jeff his card that she made for him. She was very proud!

After church on Sunday, we headed over to Jeff's dad's house to hang out. Lydia was very excited!

Playing with Pops in the sprinkler!

"Come on, Pops!"

It took her a while to get "warmed up" to the sprinkler, but once she did, she had a blast!

Taking a little break! She LOVES her Pops!

Two of her favorite guys!

We had a crazy weekend and week ... so we finally made it out for "Father's Day Dinner" on Thursday night!

Can you tell she loves him?!?

I could not have asked for a better daddy (or dada, as Lydia says!) for our kids. The sermon @ church on Sunday was over selfishness and I have to say, Jeff is one of the most unselfish person I have ever met. He comes home after working long hours at work and will play with Lydia until it's time for her to go to sleep. I know part of him would love to just sit on the couch and do nothing, but he doesn't! Love him so much ... and so does Lydia!

36 Weeks

2011-06-25T07:00:00.001-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 36 Weeks

Size of baby: Over 18 1/2 inches head to toe and almost 6 pounds (the size of a crenshaw melon)

Maternity Clothes: Wearing maternity pants because they are so much more comfortable! Mostly maternity shirts but some regular. Able to wear some of my spring/summer dresses from last year!

Gender: A baby BOY, Jack Henry

Movement: He is a very active little boy! He seems to have slowed down a little in the past week or so. I am sure that he is starting to run out of room!

What I miss: Sleeping on my belly (actually sleeping period!) and having energy.

Best Moment this week: Had another fun shower last weekend for Jack Henry. It's so fun seeing everything start to come together! His closet is starting to fill up and so is his room! =) Also love hearing Lydia talk to him and want to buy stuff for him. It's adorable!

Less than 4 weeks from now we will have him in our arms!! So exciting ... but also kind of scary! Praying that we will all adjust well!

Showers for Jack Henry

2011-06-22T22:49:00.001-05:00

We were blessed by yet another shower for Jack Henry last weekend. It was so fun to get together with some friends and some of our family and celebrate him! Lydia was so excited when we told her we were going to a party for Jack Henry. She kept asking if there was going to be birthday cake and if she was going to get to play. It was so cute. We tried to tell her it was not a birthday party, but I guess in her little head any party is a birthday party! Lucky for her there was cake and she was able to play! So crazy to think that this is one of the last pictures of us as a family of 3!!

Me with my mom and one of my best friends, Cassie. I had no idea she was coming and was so surprised when I saw her come walking through the door! We spent almost every day between 9th grade and when I got married together ... miss seeing her all the time!

Sweet Caroline!!

LOVE this picture! Lydia and Coo Coo (her great grandaddy!) watching a little Nick Jr together.

One of the few pictures of me looking @ the camera! Not big on candid pictures of myself!

This is the cutest little onesie my cousin's little girl got for Jack Henry. It has a guitar and says "Rock Me" on it! One of my favorites!! Can not wait for him to wear it.

Lydia at the end finally got in on a little unwrapping. Of course, she had several gifts of her own to open! =)

She loves this little blankie that Jack Henry got.

Some of the yummy food!! =)

CUTE cake from Sams! Not only was it cute, but it was delicious!! I think I could have eaten the whole thing! Hah! Doubt my doctor would have appreciated that!

Lydia was super excited about taking the balloons home from the shower. They are one of her favorite things! She loves running through the house and having them follow behind her!

Some of the cute things Jack Henry got with his name on it. I LOVE seeing his name on things. We took a couple of other things to be monogrammed today ... can not wait to see them!

A couple of weeks ago my Bunko group surprised me with a shower!!

Not the best picture ... but so thankful for these girls! We have so much fun together and so glad that God put me in this group!

Girl's Night In!

2011-06-17T21:14:00.001-05:00

Lydia and I had us a little girl's night tonight!! Pizza ... Tangled ... and popcorn and m&ms! It really doesn't get much better than that! =) We were both exhausted after a not getting enough sleep last night, so we both took LONG naps this afternoon. Mine was almost 2 hours and her's was almost 2 1/2 and that is only because I woke her up! So we were both refreshed and ready for some fun!

Headed to rent our movies and get the pizza! She was excited about her girl's night!

Love getting to do fun stuff with this little girl ... like watch girly movies! =)

Having a little picnic while watching Tangled.

I even got some cuddle time in on the couch!! I take full advantage of every opportunity to cuddle and snuggle with her. She doesn't sit still very often!

Lovin' the popcorn! I think she ate most of the bag!

Even Jenny got in on the girl's night! ;)

The BIG 29!!

2011-06-16T21:47:00.000-05:00

My birthday was Sunday ... but it started Friday afternoon and we are still celebrating! =) Jeff and Lydia (and my mom and both sets of inlaws!) surprised me with an awesome birthday present before we headed to Searcy! Jeff had been telling me that we had to wait to leave until a package arrived. I have learned not to ask if he doesn't tell ... but I was wondering what in the world we had to wait on and kept thinking of the rush hour traffic we were going to get stuck in. But I was a good wife ... and waited patiently! ;)

Finally, the doorbell rang and him and Lydia went to the front door and shut the door. I went into the kitchen trying to gather up some last minute things and Lydia came running in through the garage with a brown box saying "Happy Birthday, Mommy!"

As you can see, we immediately sat down in the kitchen to dig in! =) She was very excited to help me open it!

It was a Kindle with a super cute green case with light! I am in the middle of a book right now ... but I can hardly wait to download some books and start using it! I have a wish list started on amazon that is growing almost daily! ;)

Then, tonight, Jeff and Lydia took me out for a birthday dinner at Colton's!

Love my dates for the night!! =)

Lydia was so excited about the bucket of peanuts. She took the bucket and said "Is this my bucket? Yes?!?" Thankfully she shared with Jeff and I. She also LOVED the rolls ... but who can blame her?!? She ate 1 and a half before her dinner came on top of quite a few peanuts. Luckily she still ate her dinner pretty good!

Love this little girl!

After dinner, we headed to our new favorite place in Bryant ... Lemon Tree!!

Lydia cracks me up when she eats her yogurt! She will put a bite in her mouth and close her eyes ... completely enjoying every bite! We both agreed we could eat there every day and not get tired of it!

So thankful for this guy! God truly blessed me with the best husband! Couldn't ask for a better husband, father to Lydia (and soon Jack Henry!) and friend!

Finally Busted Out The Pool

2011-06-16T13:39:00.000-05:00

We finally busted out our inflatable pool! With all the hot weather, I am kind of surprised it took us so long! Then again ... I was not going to get it out until I found an electric pump to blow it up! Last year I used a hand pump and said I would NEVER do that again!

She was SO ready to get in! I had forgotten how long it took to fill it up, but thankfully she was very patient and waited until there was enough water to get in.

She loves to fill up buckets and cups with water. She spends most of her time in the bathtub doing this!

She also loved her "egg". She was splashing and slinging water every where and having a blast.

Little hoarder?!?

Love this little girl!

Helping to keep me cool! Thankfully it was a little overcast today and there was a breeze, so that helped a little.

Watching her play in the water made me wish I had bought a maternity swimsuit! She had a blast and I see many more days of playing in the pool this summer!

35 Weeks

2011-06-16T09:08:00.000-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 35 Weeks

Size of baby: Almost 18 inches head to toe and a little over 5 1/4 pounds (the size of an honeydew)

Maternity Clothes: Wearing maternity pants because they are so much more comfortable! Mostly maternity shirts but some regular. Able to wear some of my spring/summer dresses from last year!

Gender: A baby BOY, Jack Henry

Movement: He is a very active little boy! I feel him moving ALL the time. I love love trying to guess what body part I am feeling. At lunch today, he had the hiccups so hard that Jeff could see my belly moving from across the table!

Sleep: Waking up every hour or so to roll over and/or use the bathroom. I can usually go back to sleep, but sometimes it's a while before I do. Makes for a long night ... and an early morning!

What I miss: Sleeping on my belly (actually sleeping period!) and having energy.

Cravings: Salads and fresh fruit! So glad that all my favorite fruits are in season now ... watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, etc!

Symptoms: Just normal pregnancy stuff ... Trouble bending over, painting my toe nails, indigestion, etc. I also can hardly give Lydia a bath anymore. =( Thankfully Jeff does it most of the time! Still tired, but thankfully nothing I can not handle. He has been hanging out in my ribs the past few days and that has been pretty uncomfortable. Glad that I can get some relief when I lay down!

Best Moment this week: Getting a good report @ the doctor last Thursday and listening to Lydia talk about her baby brother! She is going to be the sweetest big sister!

Can't believe in less than 5 weeks we will be holding our sweet baby boy!!