preparing for ministry overseas...

The Weekend

2012-02-06T16:54:00.003-06:00

I wish I could say our weekend was as happy and snuggly as these two look.

But sadly it wasn't. I think I lost 5lbs (and not the good way). I've been sick :( Friday at work I felt like I was coming down with something. Saturday I woke up feeling HORRIBLE. I rested most of the day but mustered up some strength to take Big Brother to a play area to burn some energy and do our usual grocery shopping. (side note--not the best time to shop. I didn't care what was going in our buggy. I was ready to get home and get some shut eye).

Saturday night I took some NyQuil right after the boys went down and I was out by 8:00pm.

Sunday Daniel (thankfully) took the boys to church while I stayed in bed ALL. DAY. Seriously I slept a ridiculous amount and went to bed last night about 8:50pm. Whatever this is, it is no fun.

I think the boys passed it to me. You know how in the previous post I thought Little Man was teething? I think he had a combination of teething and being sick because Big Brother woke up a couple of days later with fever and not feeling good.

The only healthy one is Daniel. We are hoping he stays away from whatever this yucky stuff is!

Hopefully your Monday was better than mine. I need more NyQuil and my pillow (oh and Madie who loves snuggling when I am sick. That dog stayed at my side the whole time Sunday :)).

"I wuv you mommy"

2012-02-02T13:54:00.006-06:00

A couple of days ago was our most difficult day with the kiddos that we have had since bringing Little Man home. You see our sweet, easy going Little Man is teething. If you have ever had a teething baby then I don’t need to explain any more. But for the sake of those who haven’t had the great pleasure (insert sarcasm) of going through this, all you need to know is two words –no fun! I know I can’t compare kiddos because every child is different, but to be completely honest, we really didn’t even know when Big Brother was teething. We saw the drool and thought to check his mouth, and to our surprise there was a sprout of a tooth. He didn’t really complain about his teeth. SO Daniel and I were completely surprised when Little Man got up at 11:20pm the other night screaming bloody murder till about 4:20am and then back up at 6:30am. Ugh it was exhausting (reminded me of when he was first born getting up so much!)

So there is one part of why these past couple of days have been hard for us.

The other part has to do with Big Brother. He is two. VERY TWO at that. And ALL BOY. Seriously he loves running, throwing, smashing and getting messy. We have a parking garage in our condo and when it rains or snows there are puddles when we walk to the car. This boy doesn’t walk around them. He runs full force and splashes as hard as he can into those suckers (sometimes even on the way to church…oh joy!) Anyway, like I was saying he is two. The terrible two’s I believe they call them. And on top of that we are potty training. I never knew how hard this would be. He refuses to go number 2 (that’s a whole different story for another time) but has become a pro at number 1. He even goes by himself. But the last few days he has just basically refused to go at times. → Insert the whole point of this post. I was at my breaking point the other morning. Little Brother had us up for 5 hours and was still not feeling better. Big Brother was not listening to a word I was saying. NOT. A. WORD. Big Brother don’t climb on that, Big Brother put the milk jug back in the refridge, Big Brother put the juice back, don’t step on your brother, no movie today…and the list goes on. I wanted to cry---with no one to help. In the middle of disciplining Big Brother, I sat on the floor, discouraged at my parenting when Big Brother walked up to me, grabbed my face with those chubby little hands, puckered his slobbery lips and brought them to mine. With a sweet little innocent kiss he pulled away and said four simple words every mommy wants to hear “I wuv you mommy”. My heart dropped. I remembered (as if I forgot) that I loved him too. No matter what. No matter how frustrated he makes me at times. Or when he does not obey a single word I say. I still love him.

And then I think about how my heavenly Father (just remotely) feels. How he still loves me every single time I mess up. And y’all I mess up a lot! I am as stubborn as they come. He continually shows me grace even though I don’t deserve it.

To quote John Piper in one of his sermons:

"To be loved by Jesus Christ is literally an indescribable thing. It is deeper than any of us knows."

Thank you Lord for this reminder and for your love. Thank you for a sweet Big Brother that you have entrusted Daniel and I with for our time here (and of course Little Brother too).

Did I mention

2012-01-26T14:20:00.003-06:00

This big brother is ALMOST 2.5

And little man is 5 months already

Where in the world did the time go?

btw I heart instagram

Wintertime

2012-01-21T17:18:00.005-06:00

Winter is in FULL affect here. We've seen lots of snow and below (like way below) freezing temps have been an everyday norm. A couple of nights ago it was -4...O.M.G Y'ALL that is seriously C.O.L.D! Even though we have lived here for over 2 years, this southern girl is truly southern at heart and probably won't ever get use to this weather.

I have this love hate relationship with snow. If I don't have to drive or go out in it, but just look out our window at all its beauty falling..then I am good with it. I never realized how ridiculously hard it is to drive in (when they haven't cleared the roads). So this love/hate is that it is stunning when it falls. So beautiful to watch, BUT once it is on the ground and starting to be cleared, it gets all dirty and not so nice on the eyes.

I have truly learned what gloves, hats, jackets and scarfs are for. Before I thought a scarf was for fashion. Now it is necessary to stay warm. Who cares what I look like when I can barely feel my fingertips outside. Throw everything warm on and go.

Yesterday it snowed about 6 to 8 inches. My commute home which usually takes about 15 maybe 20 minutes took me a good hour and a half. I was a nervous reck driving in conditions that I am no pro at. They hadn't really cleared the roads, and the toll was basically a parking lot. But I made it home in one piece.

All of that to say we stayed in last night and enjoyed some family time. This morning we hit the post office to get the boys passports. The first one we went to wouldn't see us--by appointment only, so we went to another (which was bigger and friendlier) and got the boys squared away. Side note--I think it's crazy that both the boys passports are good for 5 years. I mean come on Caleb is 5 months old. At 4.5 years old he is still going to be carrying (or us carrying) this passport picture from when he was 5 months? I mean I'm not complaining (because I don't want to get a passport for them every year) it just seems odd.

So this afternoon right after nap time (and a little begging to the hubs) we suited up and headed out to enjoy some snow. Eli couldn't get enough of it.

Caleb was unfazed by it. By the end I think he was getting a little cold and began to fuss.

What a fun memory :)

Parenting

2012-01-17T20:44:00.006-06:00

I should start off by apologizing for not doing a post about our trip down south as promised. There are tons of pictures on Facebook so check them out there for a full update :)

I've been thinking lately how life with kids is not alway a cake walk. Especially right now while we are potty training a very stubborn little boy (but thats another story).

I came across this and wanted to share with all those other daddies & mommies out there who seem to be in the same boat we are in "survival mode".

I think parenting young children (and old ones, I've heard) is a little like climbing Mount Everest. Brave, adventurous souls try it because they've heard there's magic in the climb. They try because they believe that finishing, or even attempting the climb are impressive accomplishments. They try because during the climb, if they allow themselves to pause and lift their eyes and minds from the pain and drudgery, the views are breathtaking. They try because even though it hurts and it's hard, there are moments that make it worth the hard. These moments are so intense and unique that many people who reach the top start planning, almost immediately, to climb again. Even though any climber will tell you that most of the climb is treacherous, exhausting, killer. That they literally cried most of the way up.

--read the rest of her post here.

These two stinkers mean the world to me :)

Even if they might just one day give me lots of grey hair.

And make me so mad steam is blowing out my ears.

But in all seriousness, I am thankful they call me mama.

Here's to taking in these moments.

Happy 20-dozen

2012-01-05T08:31:00.005-06:00

It's a NEW YEAR and hopefully a new start for me on blogging. I have been a little MIA, but hope to be seen more on the blogging front than the last couple of months.

LIFE: thats my only excuse for being absent. BUT the more I think about it, this is my "online scrap book" which I want to keep up. These two crazy, silly kids of ours are growing WAAAY to fast for this mommy & daddy, and there are so many precious moments we want to remember.

One (of many many) examples happened over Christmas while visiting our families. You see my immediate family has had this tradition for many years of going to the mall the day after Christmas. We are people watchers (I know shocker to all those who actually know my family :)) and actually enjoy crowds (we're weird...my husband thinks we are out of our minds ;)). I guess I should rephrase that last sentence--everyone in my immediate family enjoys crowds except my sweet Daddy. This year and last he tagged along only to push the boys around which he really enjoys. Just like last year, this was his job. Eli, Caleb and Big K were glued to each other while mom, linds, shaffer and myself were on a mission. Anyways back to the whole point of this story...Dad's pushing the boys around when he looks down through the plastic covering where he can see them. Dad see's Eli hold Caleb's sweet, soft hand. Okay that right there is just about the sweetest thing ever if I do say so. Dad said Eli was just a chatting away with Caleb. Who knows what he was telling him. Some days I wish I knew :). Then Dad see's Eli lean over and give Caleb a kiss. Such a lover our little boy is! Dad keeps pushing them and steals a glance at them again to see that sweet little Eli with his chubby finger up baby Caleb's nose. If you know Caleb he is our calm, carefree baby. Who knows how long that finger had been there, but he was tolerating it. When Dad told he this I just cracked up and then thought oh the things Caleb will endure having a big brother like Eli.

Such a fun story to remember.

So here's to the new year!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from our family of four!

This last picture was done by a sweet friend Camille. www.scbphotography.com

Stay tuned. More to come from our adventures home!

How Quickly Time Passes

2011-12-09T21:04:00.002-06:00

From the day we first met him

To now (almost 4 months later)

He is truly a beautiful gift from the Lord, and we are so very thankful for every day with him.

We love you little brother!

Mae

Lots of Pictures!

2011-11-01T20:32:00.003-05:00

Geez its been too long. Let me catch you up!

We went to a corn maze a couple weekends ago with some friends. The weather was perfect & Eli had a blast. It was pretty far out but totally worth the drive. Both boys did well except for the fact that they both had accidents out both ends. Come to find out Eli had a horrible stomach bug that he decided to share with Daniel and myself--no fun!

(picture overload)

And last night we took the boys out for just a quick trick or treating trip. Long story short I didn't get home at the time expected and here they have certain hours you can go. The reason why it was quick.

Eli was a train conductor, Caleb was a precious tiger, Madie was an Auburn football player (or she wore the jersey) and I was a cowgirl ;).

Look how ADORABLE!! I am a little bias though!

There is so much more I want to share...but it seems so little time. Maybe I will get around to really updating this thing.

Big Brother Eli

2011-10-20T21:18:00.005-05:00

Lately this blog has been Little Brother heavy due to the fact that Big Bro doesn't really cooperate when trying to take a picture. I was able to snag a few pictures the other day and thought they were cute.

When I say "smile for the camera, Eli" this is the look I get followed by a cheeeeeeese! I think this is in the middle of cheeeeese.

Superman (my brother) & Aunt Linds (his wife/my sister-in-law) got this trike for Eli last Christmas. He is big enough now to enjoy it.

This boy is such a great Big Brother :)

I heart him

2011-10-12T14:21:00.002-05:00

I can't get enough of this chubbiness!

And he's not even two months yet :)

Flashback

2011-10-09T14:54:00.003-05:00

I love this picture of Eli and myself that a friend took when he was 9 months old :)

Happy Friday!!

2011-10-07T15:41:00.003-05:00

Hope y'all have a great weekend!!

Big brother wouldn't cooperate for a pic.

Instagram Dump

2011-10-06T13:11:00.004-05:00

Not too much going on (thats out of the ordinary). The boys and I have been trying to spend lost of time outside. The weather is wonderful right now.

I love Fall!

Okay no more time to spend on here! We need naps and then its back outside.

OH--I saw a link on a friends fb page (she lives where we live). I clicked on the link and this is what the first couple of sentences said:

"Enjoy the nice weather while you can.

Winter’s going to clobber (the city we live in) again, hitting us with colder than normal temperatures and nearly twice the normal amount of snowfall."

Oh joy! Last winter was pretty darn cold and snowy...thinking that this one will be worse makes me sick to my stomach. Not so much because of the cold (even though I would take a HOT summer day any day over the cold here) but more so because of the messiness/pain that snow can be AND that I will be cooped up inside with 2 boys.

So we WILL enjoy this beautiful weather now before, well...it turns to cold.

Wordless

2011-10-04T20:37:00.004-05:00

I am a "boy mom"

2011-09-29T11:19:00.012-05:00

*all of the pictures and video were shot on my iPhone so excuse the quality!

I am still getting use to being a "boy mom". I have always envisioned having all boys, and well so far we are moving in that direction.

I just don't think I realized what little boys were really, REALLY like. I've gotten hints of it here and there (like when we are all in our best dressed headed to church and my child decides to just sit/roll on the garage floor getting black stains on his khaki pants). In these situations Daniel has to say "Magen, he's a boy! If you wanted a neat one then we should have had a girl" (not that we get to choose this, but he is trying to make his point). I think letting Eli be messy just gets to me.

BUT...

Today I was a total boy mom letting him go free!

We have been cooped up in this condo because of so much rain the last few days and with us only having one vehicle, we were stuck. But today the beautiful sun peep through the clouds and so we jumped on the opportunity.

I debated back and forth how we would do this. Would I put Eli in the Bob and strap Caleb to the front of me or be brave and let Eli walk on his own (he has a tendency to run away and not listen to us making us look like fools chasing after our kid who I might add is unusually quick and oh did I mention...I haven't run in a while so would I even be able to catch him?) and put Caleb in the Bob. We haven't gotten a double bob yet...hoping maybe a Christmas present *wink wink*...because I didn't think we would need it until spring with the weather being so cold up here. But I was wrong. Moments like this make me wish we had one.

Okay getting back on track...so I came to the conclusion that I would let Eli walk and enjoy the exercise outside and put Caleb in the Bob.

We loaded up and headed out. There is this great walking path that goes about 2 miles behind out place with big open fields. Its great for Eli to run around.

So we started our walk and we were not even 5 feet into it when I saw them. BIG PUDDLES OF WATER. Oh no I thought. Eli will want to splash like crazy in them and I honestly don't feel like cleaning him up and not to mention it is 57 degrees out here and I bet that water is freezing. But we kept walking, and sure enough he noticed them. I decided I would carry him over the first few. Maybe he didn't notice I thought...yea right. We kept going and of course there were more.

Then I said...oh what the heck! Let him just be a boy and play/splash his little heart out. It's just water. So I did.

And y'all he loved it!

Once he was done (or actually when I thought it was long enough, and didn't want him to get too cold), we headed in for a nice, warm bath!

And now we're all clean and warm!

We can't forget about baby brother who slept through it all.

Here's to many, many more (messy) adventures with the boys :)

photo dump

2011-09-27T07:49:00.005-05:00

I have been absent from this blog. Sorry.

Life has just gotten the best of me, and when I actually find time to sit down and update, all I really want to do is get a little shut eye.

But alas. I have found a little time even though I would thoroughly enjoy sleeping right now as Caleb wanted to eat at 5:30am. Once I got done feeding him to climb back in bed to maybe, MAYBE catch 30 minutes of sleep, I hear Eli calling.

I still feel like a zombie some days. Daniel says he has to repeat things to me. I blame it on the lack of sleep.

Caleb sleeps about 4 to 5 hours and has once done 6 hours at night. I looked back to see Eli's sleeping patterns. Here is what I wrote...

"He was sleeping about 6 hours during the night at 4 to 5 weeks & then about 8 to 9 hours at 7 weeks."

I know every baby is different.

Caleb is definitely a more calm, chill baby. Eli during the day was pretty fussy until about 3 months.

I am hoping Caleb starts doing 8 hours stretches, but I will wait patiently until then... :).

We took the boys last week to the doctor. We intentionally scheduled their appointments together so we could just make one trip. Eli is still staying strong at being a big boy. At his 2 year check up, he was 35lbs and 36 7/8 inches. My MIL looked back to see what Daniel was at 2 years and he was 31lbs and 35 inches.

And this was Caleb's 1 month appointment. He was 10lbs 3oz and 22 inches. I looked to see what Eli was at this age. We actually didn't do a 1 month appointment with Eli but rather at about 7 weeks. He was 9lbs 6oz and 21.5ish inches. So needless to say, Caleb is quiet bigger (right now which could change) than his brother.

I haven't started working out or running again yet. I go to the doctor this week for my 6 week check up, and I will probably start back doing little things when I find the time. I thought for sure it would be KILLING ME not running, but honestly I am too exhausted to think about it. The only time I wish I was out there is when Daniel comes in from his 6 mile run. It will come soon enough though.

I also start back to work next week going 2 days a week. Then mid October I will start 3 days. I am sad to be leaving my boys, but I know that soon enough I will be home with them.

Daniel is still on track to graduate in May (WHOOO HOO!!!) with his Masters of Divinity. Then we are headed overseas to France for 3 months. We are anxious to get there, but trying to stay focused on what God is teaching/showing us here.

Okay, its time to feed Caleb. Hope to be back soon!

Celebrations

2011-08-30T19:32:00.005-05:00

**this post was written almost 2.5 weeks ago. Ooops! A newborn, 2 year old, 4 year old boxer and a husband have my attention right now :)

August is a full month of celebrations for us!

Both boys were born in August, and we also got married in August.

Let me back up to August 12th because (somehow) I forgot (oops!) to blog about it.

This past August 12th, I celebrated 5 years with the man I love! The man that I prayed for so many nights as I laid my head on my pillow at my parents house. The man that could not be MORE perfect for me. I can hardly believe it has been 5 years already! Seems like yesterday we were two kids falling in love (at 16 & 19). People say you can't be "in love" at that young of an age, but I would beg to differ. We went on our first date December 12, 2002 & I knew really quick this was the man I would marry! After our first date we were inseparable (literally!). On August 6, 2005 he got down on one knee and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. We were married one year later!

Happy (belated) Anniversary to us!

Then August 19th we celebrated the birth of our second son! Lots of picture down below in previous posts if you haven't seen them yet.

And TODAY (like I said above this was written 2.5 weeks ago) is our sweet Eli's 2nd birthday!

This past Sunday we had a party for him. It was literally a very VERY LAST minute thing (but shhh don't tell him!). We planned it in two day. We only gave the party guests two days notice, and we ordered the cake the day before. Yea so it was completely thrown together. We (or should I say "I") hadn't planned anything because we didn't know when Caleb would come. We had a blast and had so many more people there than we thought since it was so last minute.

You can find more pictures on Facebook of the party!

I have so much I want to share, so hopefully I will find the time.

Just a couple more of my favorites...

2011-08-27T16:16:00.004-05:00

More Pictures

2011-08-26T17:20:00.005-05:00

I had a few moments this afternoon to myself and thought I needed to get a good picture of Caleb for his announcement. I really love snapping pictures of this little guy. Nothing like a newborn!

**NEW POST BELOW**

One Week

2011-08-26T14:45:00.007-05:00

Today is my original due date and I am VERY thankful to have had Caleb in my arms sooner than that!

This time last week Daniel and I were welcoming our second son into the world. I still pinch myself some days because I just can't hardly believe I am a mommy to two little boys (both under 2 right now!) I always said I wanted a house full of boys, and well that is happening!

It is interesting to me at only a week old how much he has changed already. When they first laid Caleb on my chest and I got to look at him, all I could this was "wow he looks so much like Eli!" Now I find myself not saying that as much. I pulled Eli's 1 week picture to compare it with Caleb's. What do you think?

Eli:

Caleb:

Caleb has truly been a great baby. I thought the transition from 1 to 2 would be hard, but I can say (and this may change) he is just a laid back baby who eats and sleeps well. I really don't remember Eli being this easy.

Eli seems to have much bigger eyes (like me) than Caleb. We think Caleb has more of Daniel's eyes.

At night while all is at peace in our house and the hubs is relaxing, I try and spend some time with Caleb doing kangaroo care. I know he won't do this for much longer so I am trying to take full advantage of it while I can.

Big brother Eli is really proving that he is in love with little brother Caleb. He tries to kiss him and snuggle him all the time (and the occasional running up to him and trying to pick him up all while giving mommy and daddy a scare!) I am trying to do my best to spend quality one-on-one time with Eli. I can tell he misses being the only child at times. Daniel had a "daddy's day out" with him today. They went to the toy store (we had a few final presents to buy for the almost 2 year old!) and then to the park to burn some energy. I think they wore each other out because they are both snoozing away as I type this.

Anyway, life has been really good and the adjustment hasn't been what I expected. I thought for sure it would be much harder (and it might been soon).

I am truly feeling blessed and can't wait to introduce our newest addition to my family next week!

Doctor Visit & Our Day

2011-08-23T20:49:00.003-05:00

Caleb is officially 4 days old today. We had his first doctor visit. The boy has gained .5 oz since leaving the hospital on Sunday.

Caleb checked out great. She did say he looked a little jaundice and wanted him to get checked. I can't stand it when they prick his little heel and he screams. Breaks my heart every time. I got a call a couple hours later from the doctor saying that his bilirubin was fine. Thank you Lord! Eli was a little jaundice too but of no real concern for the doctors.

beautiful flowers that were at our door when we got home today!

Other than our doctor appointment (which turned into a 2 hour ordeal because we had to go to the hospital for the lab work because they don't do it at the pediatrician--anyone else heard of this?? we thought it was weird), we had a pretty laid back day. All taking an afternoon nap which was wonderful, played with trains & cars and just enjoying being a family of 4. I am trying to cherish these special moments we have together.

Now back to enjoying this little boy :)

Labor Story

2011-08-21T19:51:00.006-05:00

In an attempt not to forget the story behind the birth of Caleb (I honestly don't even think that is possible!), I want to go ahead and write it out. In case you missed it or can't remember, here is Eli's birth story.

This birth story did not go as I thought/planned. I did still go unmedicated, but I did have my water broken instead of letting it break on its own. I had it in my mind that contractions would come, I would labor at home as long as I could and then just make it in time to the hospital to deliver. Wrong, Wrong and WRONG! BUT that's okay :)

Last Saturday I started having irregular contractions. Not really thinking anything of it though because I was just 38 weeks. Then on Sunday while sitting in church, I began to have contractions that weren't really strong but started to be regular. I told Daniel and when we left church, he called his parents to let them know what was going on. They were planning to drive up (about 11 hours) once they knew I was in labor. I kept having contractions, so late that night they made the decision to just come up. They arrived early Monday morning.

On Monday I went to the doctor and was disappointed that I had not really progressed and I was not in labor BUT the doctor said he could come anytime (they all say that :)). After Daniel and I talked about it, we went ahead with the doctors advice to be induced on Friday since we did have childcare. Like I said I REALLY wanted everything to just happen on its own, but I knew the Lord was/is in control, and this was the direction we were to move in.

We waited out all week as I had contractions on & off thinking "is this it"? It was such a blessing to have my in laws here to help out! Seriously it could not have worked out better.

Thursday night rolled around. I started having stronger contractions but decided to go ahead to bed. Friday morning I woke up with contractions (but not enough to think I was in labor). Daniel and I headed out to the hospital while leaving Eli with Daniel's parents. It was so comforting knowing he was taken care of. I think Daniel and I had really both stressed out about who would take Eli (even though we did have so many people volunteer).

We arrived at the hospital, I was still having contractions, got checked in and then they checked me. I was 3 cm and 60 % effaced. The doctor came in at 11:30am and broke my water. Once my water was no longer in tact, everything happened really quick. The contractions became very intense, and the nurse had me on the birthing ball for a bit and then in the rocking chair. I didn't have a rocking chair for Eli, but I must say what a great idea to rock with the contractions. I still stuck to my same method of getting through the painful contractions that I did with Eli. When I knew a contraction was coming on, I would slowly count to 8 or 10 in my head while controlling my breathing. This seemed to work again.

I was 8 cm while still in the rocking chair and began to feel like I had to push. I quickly jumped back in bed for the nurse to check me. I was in between 9 and 10 cm but they told me to hold off pushing through another couple of contractions while the doctor was prepping--OMG when a pregnant woman who has NO PAIN MEDS has to push, well she HAS. TO. PUSH! I bared it through another couple of contractions while that last .5 cm went. Finally I heard the doctor say "okay give me a push". I gave two really big pushes (about 5 minutes) and then saw such a BEAUTIFUL sight--SWEET BABY CALEB! He was born at 2:40pm and was/is absolutely perfect!

I have been asked by quiet a few people if this time was easier or last. Let me just say that when you hear women say that there is no pain like labor, well they are right. Contractions/delivering a child is like no other pain I have felt. At times during both deliveries I felt like I just could not bare it any more. But back to the question...if I am being honest I would say that there is something about going into this not knowing the pain or really what I was doing. With Eli I had no idea the work going into laboring all natural, so I really didn't have anything to "expect". I knew it would be painful, but I didn't know the extent of the pain or how good it felt to finally push. This time I knew all the work and pain that I had to go through. Even though this one was much quicker, I think I wigged myself out. AND I will say it didn't help that a woman was rushed in by the paramedics a couple of hours before I delivered who barely made it to the hospital in time. She was screaming--I mean SCREAMING in pain. I think I just got nervous. Daniel (of course) was wonderful and encourage/supported me through the whole thing. I am so happy I was able to do this again, and yes I will go all natural again if the Lord chooses to bless us with more kids in the future.

So there you have it. Thank you for all the sweet messages. WE FEEL SO BLESSED!

Caleb

2011-08-21T05:22:00.004-05:00

We welcomed our second son into this world Friday, August 19th at 2:40pm. All 7 lbs 10 oz of him is ADORABLE! With an all natural delivery and 5 minutes of pushing, sweet boy joined us in this world making Daniel & I proud parents again!

Caleb & I are doing very well. I have already had a quicker recovery this time than last, even forgetting often I had a baby two days ago. Nursing is going great. The little guy eats like a champ & I am much more confident this time around. Daddy is also doing well, & big brother Eli is adjusting to his little brother :)

Will be back with more pictures and labor story!

I Heart Pictures

2011-08-04T21:23:00.005-05:00

As many of you already know, Daniel and I are photographers on the side. We wish we could do it full time as we support raise and Daniel finishes school, but we just haven't built the client base in a new place.

But recently our shoots have really picked up which has been a HUGE blessing. Here is a peak of our most recent shoot. We have a newborn shoot of our good friends this weekend that I am looking forward to.

Send us a message if you would like to book a shoot!

I am sorry blog

2011-08-03T19:09:00.007-05:00

This blog needs a little TLC, and I have not been good at giving it that. I am spending my days working, working, working (45 hours last week in the office. who knows how many this week) and to be quiet honest, when I get home all I want to do is love on that sweet little 23 month old boy we have AND go for a run outside with the boys. Then of course dinner, bath & bed for little man. It's about 7:15ish by this time when I just sit for a little bit, do my reading (side note--just started a new plan of reading through the Bible) and then off to bed. Yup that's about 9:00 or 9:30. I know ridiculous right? I guess that is how life is at almost 37 weeks pregnant.

So I say all that to get to the point...THIS BLOG HAS NOT BEEN TOP OF MY LIST. I also am still "nesting" trying to prepare for our second boy!

At this moment I am sitting here, propping my legs up trying to rest from our run today (which always feels good might I add) snacking on some peanut m&m's my sweet mom sent in the mail and drinking some V8 fruit juice. I will try to catch you up...

We had our doctor appointment monday morning. Nothing new to report. I am measuring right on, gained 2 lbs (24 total) and Caleb is head down. That is really about it. We go back on Monday.
Daniel says this pregnancy has made me very forgetful and I seem to repeat stories to him. I think it is just exhaustion and not so much pregnancy =D.
This week has been a little different for us. As for mentioned, I have been in the office all week which leaves Daniel home with Eli. Our dear friends had their second baby boy Noah on Monday, so we were privileged enough to keep their older son Caleb. Caleb is about 5 months older than Eli. The boys play so well together. It couldn't have worked out better. While we were getting ready on Monday morning to head to the doctor's office, Daniel got a call from Eric saying they were headed to the hospital. Oh wow! What are the odds they would be delivering at the same hospital that my doctor is at AND we just happen to be going there this morning when Emily was in labor? We met them at the hospital and got Caleb. Noah was born later that day. Eli had his first sleep over--so much fun! It was so cute that the boys slept in the same room together (but NOT in the same bed ;)). Eli was very sad when Caleb left =(.
As I type this Daniel is taking his last final for the summer. He had a week long class a few weeks ago, but the work is all done at home and on your own. I am ready to have some nights with Daniel before we expand to a family of 4. OH I think I forgot to mention it BUT Daniel got 2 more scholarships!!! Can you tell this wife is excited? He has 4 total, but sadly that is not enough to cover tuition because it is just so darn expensive!
We get to see family in a few short weeks (or whenever this little man decides to make his debut)!!!
Eli is growing up way to fast (but that's what all parents say). His vocabulary is really expanding. He is putting sentences together and saying things that Daniel and I think often "where in the world did that come from!" I can't believe he will be 2 on the 30th!
Our 5 year anniversary is next Friday. We aren't doing anything special unfortunately, but I would be okay if we were welcoming a baby that weekend ;) but I won't hold my breath!
And like I said...we will be 37 weeks on Friday. I honestly feel like time is dragging, but Daniel is so quick to remind me it will be here before we know it!

Here is a picture I took at 36 weeks 4 days. Again I apologize for the poor quality.

I can barely keep my eyes open, so before this goes south I am just going to stop. Hope to be back soon (sometime). Bare with me...