The Ulrich Three

Bruce + Rebecca = 10 years

2016-06-24T13:51:00.000-07:00

Bruce and I celebrated our 10th Anniversary earlier this month.

I am truly blessed. God sent me a man that loves me.

He's not a perfect husband. I am not a perfect wife.

But for all of our flaws, we have one strength.

I love him. He loves me.

I would do anything for him just as he would do anything for me.

Anyone who knows Bruce knows how hardworking he is.

He works at so many things to better himself and provide for his family.

He blesses me with simple pleasures that I would never think to ask for.

This is not lost on the kids.

I love to eavesdrop as they play mommy and daddy.
"Thanks for helping me," he says.
"I love you. See you soon," she says
"I will help you with that," he says.
"Lets marry," she says.
"He's our baby," they say.

Anyone who knows me knows that I put this man and my children first.
This is a sacrifice that I have always wanted to give.

Don't get me wrong: I am no saint.
My cup gets empty. My well goes dry. I reach the end of my rope.

But when I reach my limit, his eyes are there to calm me. His strong hands are there to pick me up when I am ready to fall. He refills me.

Bruce, I love you.
Thanks for these last 10 years. I can't wait to see how I feel about you after the next 10.

Summer 2016

2016-06-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

We are having a wonderful time together. Our days range from slow and leisurely to quick and busy. I am loving to see these kids grow and change before my eyes.

Our first month of summer has already included a trip to pick blueberries and blackberries, a small birthday party, 2 zoo trips with friends, playing at local parks, picnic breakfasts and lunches, feeding geese/ducks/turtles, investigating at the MS Children's Museum, and a trip to Grandmother and Papaw's house.

We still have another month to enjoy many more events and sweet times at home before August arrives. The school year is rewarding in its own respect, but there is something to be said for times that we can be together and just play.

Alan Turned 6

2016-06-07T13:50:00.000-07:00

Alan had a few friends over to have snacks and play to celebrate his birthday.

He requested a spiderman party, so I obliged (minimally).

He enjoyed chips, strawberries, and his spiderman cake on the back porch with friends sandwiched with playing corn hole and enjoying backyard toys in the yard.

I am relishing in these simple days while the kids are little and simple celebrations make their hearts happy. It feels like I blinked and he grew up. I need to stop blinking. Now.

Anne Marie Turned 4

2016-04-04T13:50:00.000-07:00

We had a little tea party for Anne Marie to celebrate her 4th birthday.

It was perfect.

Three of her friends were able to come and have cookies and milk with her
while Grammy demonstrated proper etiquette for ladies to drink tea.

These girls were such little ladies. Anne Marie had a wonderful time.

2016-03-11T10:51:00.000-08:00

Alexander was born on March 10, 2016!

This is the first picture of we got including our youngest of the Ulrich Three. He decided to come early. I like to think he just couldn't wait to meet all of us!

To say "He is loved" seems like it is the biggest understatement of all time. This sweet boy won his big brother and sisters hearts on arrival. These pictures, taken by Michelle Blair, capture that sentiment perfectly. She was so wonderful to come and feed us the night he was born!

A few family members came to the hospital to see him in the following day.

Visitors were limited since we came home after that first day.

We were so blessed for a healthy baby who was able to come home with us without complication. Life with three is very different than life with two, but I am thrilled that Alan and Anne Marie have been adjusting wonderfully.

Summer 2015

2015-06-03T11:24:00.000-07:00

Summer is off to a great start!

Anne Marie is finally in a big girl bed that her daddy built her.

We are enjoying our days and spending time together. Each night, I have to remind Anne Marie that tomorrow is another Mommy Day. If I could capture the giggle that follows, I would definitely bottle it for the dreary days that I encounter.

Here are just a few pictures I captured while we visited the MS Children's Museum yesterday. We spent the last bit of our time there enjoying the Literacy Garden. It was opened last year, but I didn't have any of these amazing plants. yet. The kids and I can't wait to go back and investigate all the different types of plants that are growing around the interactive exhibits. Of course, after we enjoy all the fun favorites inside.

Alan's 5th Birthday is Saturday! I will update again soon, I think. :)

2014-01-28T14:18:00.002-08:00

We have enjoyed our Snow Day today.
See a few of our moments here: https://www.storehouse.co/stories/80u7-snow-day

Long Time

2014-01-06T15:22:00.000-08:00

I am embarrassed at how long its been since I've posted last.
Things have been a bit busy.

You can catch up with what is going on with us at
http://dirttodone.wordpress.com/about/

To make a long story short -
I am loving every moment of every day and haven't made it a priority to document our days.
Maybe I will regret it one day, maybe not.

It all started with the dress.

2013-04-16T17:48:00.000-07:00

Anne Marie Ulrich

1 year old 22lbs 15oz 31in

I have had few times in my life that I can say that the dress was really that important.

Prom? no. Cotillions? no. Wedding? Well, maybe…

Don’t get me wrong. I love the dress I got married in. It was simple and beautiful.

Just what I wanted. But the dress I am referring to has much more value to me.

When I was home for Easter, I was blessed to receive four dresses for my Anne Marie.

Three of which were made for me by my great-grandmother. I was skeptical that any would fit my healthy little girl, but I knew that I wanted to give them a shot. The fourth dress was my mom’s when she was a little girl. It is the biggest of them all, so I knew that it was not an option for any time soon.

I remember telling Bruce how neat it would be if Anne Marie could wear one of them for her birthday. Neat doesn’t even begin to describe it.

The Dress…

Ruffles, Lace, and Ribbon.

Handmade without a pattern.

It fit her perfectly!

I am so grateful that my mom saved it for all of these years.

I’m even more excited to see her in her grandma’s dress in a year or so!

We had a great time at the party. We are so blessed with such a supportive and loving family and great friends that provide us everything from entertainment to advice.

Thanks to all who came and helped us celebrate our Beautiful and Favored Anne Marie.

10 Months and 32 months

2013-02-19T18:15:00.000-08:00

What a life I've been blessed with. I have a sweet little girl that is approaching her 1 year birthday quicker than I would like to admit and an adorable boy who is "bigger" (his words) now that he approaches his third birthday.

As I think of how my life has deepened, quickened, and compounded in importance as well as responsibility, all I can do is smile. Would I even consider going back and doing anything differently? Absolutely not.

Alan is my sweet heart. He loves to be interactive socially. He picks up on facial expressions and nonverbal cues better than I could even have imagined.

I have to continue to be thankful for such healthy children. Anne Marie reminded me of this last week. After a sluggish afternoon, a low-grade fever, and a doctor visit, we found she had a bilateral ear infection. This is her third one in her ten month life. I was flabbergasted. I wanted to know how I could prevent this from happening more. I was quickly reminded by the doctor that we were doing very well to have only had that few. We are not giving her bottles while she lays flat on her back and keeping her from cigarette smoke which are both big causes of ear infections. She is such a good "sick baby"! We would have never known she was hurting if she hadn't had that fever.

She had been waking throughout the night to eat for the last couple of months, but Bruce and I just accepted it as a short time thing that would end in its own timing. I have to admit, I wasn't that level headed about it every time she woke us, but I tried to not be too grumpy. She was quick to cheer me up during our late night and early morning quality times with those bright eyes and sweet fingers. I keep telling myself that these times pass too quickly. These times pass too quickly. These times pass to quickly. It's my mantra when I catch myself wishing away things that are in my current situation.

Alan had a pesky cough, so while we were going in, I made an appointment for him to be checked out as well. Glad I did, we found that he had the symptoms of the beginning of bronchitis. Well, our house is dosing up on vitamins and antibiotics to get rid of these yuckies and keep other things away as well.

I know I sound repetitious, but I am truly blessed.

Anne Marie is now eating anything I give her. She still only has the one bottom tooth, so i still have to puree most things. Granted she doesn't always like it, but she will tolerate it as long as I keep alternating something more tolerable with it. And itsy bitsy cheese bites and cheerios are a must at meal time. We have graduated to using a sippy cup of milk at meal times. She has gotten quite good at it. Of course, she plays a good game with Alan of drink, drop, drink, drop, repeat. Alan loves to help and is quick to say "Mommy, I get it." I love it. I love him. I love them.

Alan is doing great and developing new skills wonderfully. He is potty trained and sleeps in his big boy bed all night long waking dry for weeks at time with no accidents and is learning to put on his own shoes! He still loves to read. His thirst for books is insatiable. He never ever wants to stop reading at bed time, making for a few tears sometimes when transitioning from book time to bed time. He is getting good at sharing book time with his sister, too.

Thanks for all the prayers as our babies are getting better from the runny noses, coughs, and earaches that come along with the dreary winter months. Bring on the springtime and all it brings.

My little entertainer

2013-02-03T13:29:00.001-08:00

movie.mp4 Watch on Posterous

via Tweetbot for iOS

Waiting for @Brudaddy to get home.

2012-12-28T15:37:00.001-08:00

movie.mp4 Watch on Posterous

via Tweetbot for iOS

October 2012

2012-11-14T15:14:00.001-08:00

See the full gallery on Posterous

Anne Marie @ 6 months
clothing sizes: 6-9 months and 12 month sleepers
diaper size: 3 and 4

weight: 18 lbs 10oz - 90%
length: 27in - 90%

Anne Marie is in full character these days! She is scooting, rolling, and smiling up a storm.
She is most happy when she is eating her solid foods and most content when she has just nursed.

Alan - 2 years, 4 months
clothing sizes: 2T- 3T

Alan is still as happy a boy as they come. He loves to be outside and loves, loves, loves his grandparents more than anything else. He is venturing out in the food category, but in typical two-year old fashion, his appetite can be quite unpredictable.

Things with Bruce and I are very busy as you can well understand. We are so incredibly blessed with these two little ones and can't wait to enjoy the upcoming holiday season with family.

4 months old and 2 years old

2012-08-19T19:18:00.001-07:00

4 months old

15 lb 12.5 oz (90%)

26 in (95%)

My sweet Anne Marie is such a little joy. She is my smiling and laughing favored one.

She is such a big girl already! She is wearing a range of sizes 3-6 months, 6-9 months, and 12 month sleepers! The sleepers fit her perfectly because of her long self.

She is showing great neck control as well as full torso control. When she does tummy time, she lifts all of her 12 lbs up off the quilt. She loves to play with her toys! She's doing great to reach out and grab her giraffe and bring it to her mouth. I am afraid that teething is eminent. :(

She has started flipping over in the last two weeks. She has mastered the belly to back flip. We find her on her back most mornings. But she has gotten half way from her back to her belly a couple of times today. Not to excited about the fact that she decided to practice while in the bathtub, but she didn't ask my opinion.

She is such a sweet little social bug. She loves for people to be buzzing around in the midst of her. She especially loves when those busy bees stop and chat with her.

I can't keep myself from kissing her cheeks all the time! She looks at me and stares into my eyes and grins bigger than life and an overwhelming urge to squeeze her tight overcomes me.

I am her momma. She loves me more than anything. The feeling is definitely mutual. I love the reactions that I get from her that no one else does. It was worth every minute of lost sleep and every single ounce of milk that helped me have this bond with my sweet little girl.

She is eating every 5 hours and taking a morning and afternoon nap during the day and sleeping from about 7pm - 6am at night (give or take 30 minutes).

She loves her big brother already!

He is so sweet to his "Anne Beep". He is doing great with all the transitions that comes with school starting back. They both handled it champs. we just have to be very purposeful with our evening routine. Time is very limited, so we try to enjoy each others company in the midst of dinner, bath, books, and bed.

Potty training is still going very well. A few accidents here and there, but he is such a trooper! So proud of my big boy!

He still loves reading books. New hobbies include splashing in puddles, playing with play-doh, coloring, brushing his teeth after bath, hiding, and getting various "animal hugs" from daddy right before bed.

This stage is also full of crying, whining, fits, and lots of "no's" but we will get through it. Thanks for all of you who pray for us often! We need it as we continue to search for God's will for our family.

See the full gallery on Posterous

June 10, 2006

2012-06-10T14:09:00.001-07:00

To my Bruce,

To tell you that I love you seems like an understatement. But those are my thoughts everytime I see a picture of you, hear your voice, listen to someone tell a story about you, see you with your mom and dad, listen to you talk to your siblings, watch you play on the floor with our sweet Alan, and especially when you talk and coo at our beautiful and favored Anne Marie.

What's crazy is that none on that list have anything to do with how you love me. Love doesn't even begin to describe how that makes me feel.

These are some words to describe my feelings for you, Bruce:

All encompassing
Intoxicating
Desperately
Longingly
Purely
Impentrable
Unwavering

These are my gifts to you. A glimpse back at where we started and how our love has grown and changed these wonderful 6 years.

Anniversary_2012_1.m4v Watch on Posterous

Rehearsal_and_Wedding.m4v Watch on Posterous

6_years_.m4v Watch on Posterous

Alan's 2nd Birthday

2012-06-06T13:16:00.001-07:00

I can hardly believe that Alan is already 2 years old!
[[posterous-content:pid___1]]
Here is a glimpse of Alan at 1 year old:
Alan's First Birthday - June 6, 2011

We celebrated his birthday last Saturday with a house full of friends and family. It was wonderful! I was thrilled, as was Alan, how many people showed up to help us celebrate.

[[posterous-content:pid___0]]At two, Alan enjoys:

playing airplanes, trucks, cars, and turtles
watching tv when momma lets him
splashing in his pool and sprinkler
bouncing
(yes, I said bouncing and we do not have anything "bounce-worthy"
picking blueberries, playing in Pop Pop's truck, and throwing rocks in the lake
playing with Grammy's airplanes
kicking and throwing balls
climbing into chairs and sitting like a big boy
reading books any time during the day but especially at bed time
giving hugs and kisses
playing in the bath (and sitting on Anne Marie's sponge)
seeing pictures and videos right after they have been recorded on the iPhone
facetiming with Grammy and Grandma
helping momma and daddy water and pick flowers
tackling anyone who is laying on the floor
(thankfully, Anne Marie hasn't been a target yet)
eating macaroni and cheese, ham, rice and gravy, bread, oatmeal, oreos, oatmeal cream pies and almost any fruit you give him.

I can't wait to see what birthday #3 brings!

Mother's Day

2012-05-11T15:01:00.001-07:00

I'm thinking a lot about my momma this Mothers Day..

Don't get me wrong, I think about her often. I call her to ask cooking questions. To just tell her things I'm feeling. To share things Alan is doing. To share my concerns and need for prayer. That is what has gotten me thinking so much. She made me who I am. She taught me how to be a woman. A wife. A mother. There is no better way to teach than by example. I know I have an extremely rare situation with my momma. I have always felt close to her. I didn't realize until I became a wife how much she taught me. She showed me how to take care of my husband. I not only learned things to do, but also things I wanted to do differently. She taught me to be able to provide for myself. This came in extremely useful. I feel that she made me extremely independent. Almost to a fault sometimes. I consider that to be at the very root of my character. Whether you think that is a character flaw or not, that's your decision to make.

I feel that it has come in handy throughout my life. I wanted to be able to take care of myself, so in high school, I got jobs on my own. Learning to be a hard worker from her definitely helped me keep those jobs. As I sit here, as a mother myself, I can't help but be retrospective. I look at my mother's mother. The way she raised momma. To be independent. Who I am is also because the way my grandmother raised my momma. Will I now determine who my daughter will be? I hope so. I hope I can pass on the virtues that have been taught to me by the strong, independent women in my family. My momma is a wonderful mother, caring and supportive wife, and a completely selfless woman. I can only hope to "grow up" to be just like her. I know how funny it must sound to say I am still growing up. I bet of you think about yourself, you feel the same way. Deep down inside, I still feel like I always have. My perception of myself is not changing as I age. I am shocked regularly that I have already lived away from home and been out from under my mother's wing for ten years. When I moved away, I knew it was for good. Something inside me always knew that. Momma raised me to be able to leave and be successful. I pray that as I live my life, I am making her proud. I hope that I can be the kind of mother she was for me. My sweet Alan and Anne Marie deserve no less than the best

See the full gallery on Posterous

Definition of Love as I Know it

2012-05-02T04:01:00.001-07:00

You can't fathom the thought of moving an inch because your special someone is asleep with their hand holding yours.

2:25 am this morning is when I had this dilemma. Anne Marie had just gone 4 hours and 45 minutes since her 9:00 feeding, and she drained all the milk that had been stored up in anticipation of her next nursing.

You all know how Murphy's Law works. I stayed on the couch to go to sleep after telling Bruce, "She could very well be awake to eat again in 30 minutes. I will just stay up here instead of going back to the bed." Well, wouldn't you know it... The planets aligned and she slept over 4 hours after her "topping off" or last "cluster" feeding at 9pm.

Anne Marie's 1 month (4 week) birthday was today and was quite a hectic one. I had both kids at home all day. I am still getting used to the busyness that comes with that.

I wasn't able to get the rest in the morning like I have become so reliant on or get the snuggle time with Anne Marie that I have grown to adore. But the time with my precious Alan is so worth it.

He is growing up way too fast. I can't believe he will be TWO in June. He already loves his sister. He gets very concerned when she cries and likes to check on her when she is in her swing. He still loves cars and airplanes. He loves looking for them as we pass the airport. I can't wait for him to be able to see one up close.

All the pictures in this post were taken with Bruce's phone and uploaded to Instagram.

See the full gallery on Posterous

Two Weeks Old - April 17, 2012

2012-04-18T07:50:00.001-07:00

We got a great report from the doctor at Anne Marie's 2 week check-up!

She is 8 lbs 1.5 oz (75%) and 21 in. long (95%).
We are both doing fantastic.

Alan is showing more interest in his sister by the day!

He pats her on the head while we are sitting next to him, and plays with her toes when he thinks I am not watching. He also checks on her frequently upon my request and will call me if she is awake. He says "momma momma" "help help". He also reaches his hand underneath her back as if to lift her from her position. He isn't confident enough to actually lift her, thank goodness!

The doctor has forewarned me that soon, I will see him walking in the room with her. She said, "Don't freak out when it happens." Ok, Doc... I will try my best...

Great news for momma:
I can stop waking her to feed. She is back above her birth weight and far beyond the 6lb 14 oz she weighed upon leaving the hospital at 3 days old.

Thanks for all the support by way of advice, meals, and prayers.
Please keep them coming as I continue to get the hang of being a Mother of Two!

Anne Marie's Birthday

2012-04-11T12:59:00.001-07:00

What a miracle, childbirth is...
I hoped it were true, what people say about the second-time around.
It definitely was.
We checked in at 5:30 Tuesday morning. We found out when we got there that Cathy Thompson, the wonderful nurse that delivered Alan was working that day. We requested her and she was nothing short of spectacular this time around as well. She was incredibly calm and confident. I think that kept me calm as well. Got Pitocin quickly. The intensity and frequency of my contractions picked up with just a small dose into my IV.
This is where the fun started. My little Anne Marie was ready to meet us!
At first checking, I was still only 4cm dilated. Second checking: 6cm dilated and epidural requested. I still wasn’t experiencing any pain and did not want to start! Third checking: 8cm dilated. I started pushing soon thereafter.
Quick doesn’t seem to even begin to describe this experience. Lightening fast is more like it. So fast that my doctor barely caught sweet Anne Marie. She was wiggling her way out as my doctor ran down the hall and into my room! She didn't even have time to put on her gloves. She instinctually grabbed a sterile cloth from the surgery table and used it to cover her hands and scrubs.
She weighed in at 7 lb 8 oz and 20.5 inches long. (same height as big brother)
This experience is completely different than with Alan. I was more alert and aware of the process. I was sitting upright and was responsible for grabbing my own legs when I pushed. My sweet husband helped with my left leg (more numb) in the very beginning. He was right there with me through the whole process. I had comfort in knowing that he had my best interest at heart and would make the necessary decisions if something were to go wrong.
My experience at River Oaks was just as pleasurable as the first. The only difference is that half of our hearts was staying with his Grammy and Pop Pop. This has continued to be my struggle. My sweet Alan whom I have cared for wholeheartedly for nearly 22 months. How can I give him the love and attention that I need to while caring for my Anne Marie too?
A dear friend and experienced mother told me that I will learn to juggle. I just need to make sure I am 100% for myself so I have 100% to give to them.
Thanks for your prayers and support as my life just got a little crazier!

Our Last Night as The Ulrich Three

2012-04-02T21:41:00.001-07:00

It hit me tonight that things were REALLY changing tomorrow.
We sat down as usual to dinner and proceeded to give Alan his bath like usual.
But then we took him to his Grammy and Pop Pop's to sleep.

That is when it hit me. I was driving my car to leave with Grammy for transporting Alan the next few days while Mommy and Daddy are at the hospital.

Meanwhile, unbeknowings to me, Daddy and Alan, following close behind in Daddy's car, were having a conversation about Anne Marie coming. He even said "Anne Marie" while in the car. I got the priviledge of hearing his sweet voice say his little sister's name as we tucked him in to bed. It was music to my ears.

I know we have a special boy. I know he is the most special thing to me since I met Bruce. I also know that as women have more children, their heart's ability to love grows even more. But for the life of me, I can not imagine Alan not being our only.

This sweet girl has lived inside me for 39 weeks now. I have felt her for months and months. Talked to her continuously. She has been with us far before now, but it still seems so surreal. She has been a part of our nightly book reading. She has been with us while playing in the pool outside. She has gone on our walks with us.

So why does this seem like we are losing something so special?
Probably because for almost two years we have poured our hearts and souls into our sweet and sensitive boy. With every transition, this Mommy becomes a little nervous and this one is no different.

Please pray for our Ulrich Three tomorrow. We will be adding a new member to The Ulrich Posterity. I pray that I will have the strength to endure what God has created me to do. I know in my heart of hearts that I was made to be a wife and mother. I have no doubt that this is God's plan for my life.

Thanks for all of your support as Bruce and I struggle tomorrow. Nothing worth having is ever easy, right? After all, we will have a precious baby girl in our arms when it is all over.

We will be sure to keep you updated as things progress. If you are on twitter, follow @brudaddy and @rascalwrangler. This will be the quickest and easiest way to update you.

Magazine Fans for Anne Marie

2012-03-29T19:38:00.001-07:00

Bruce and I were out for a very rare date night a few months back (Thanks "maga") and saw an idea for Anne Marie's wall. jCrew had paper fans constructed from magazine pages mounted in their window displays.

We analyzed the structure of these "fans" and determined that this was something we could do. Upon coming back home, we researched ways to construct them.

Our first step was to go through old magazines for pages with vivid colors. We tried to omit pages with a lot of white. After tearing out multiple pages, Bruce remembered an old technique that his daddy used while he was young. He took the magazines out to the table saw and cut the binding off. The page sorting really took off then.

We went through the pages and sorted them into color piles. We both agreed that we wanted the fans to be grouped by colors.

They were folded accordian style and stapled end to end. The first two we assembled were left full size. They were rich browns and tans and look fantastic on Anne Marie's bright green wall. Some of the others were combinations of blues and greens with only about 2 inches cut off the height, reds and pinks cut at about 2/3 of the original size, yellows and oranges cut at 1/2 the original size, and blues and purples cut at about 1/3 of the original size.

After the pages were stapled, we laid the pages face down and formed them into a circular pattern very carefully. This process took about 6 hands at one point! While holding it firmly in the center, a small piece of cardboard was hot glued to the center of the fan to hold it's shape.

We hot glued popsicle sticks to the back to give added support. This helped them to not pop up and lose their tight fold on the edges.

To mount the fans, Bruce took popsicle sticks and drilled holes in the top that were large enough to accompany a standard size nail head. These sticks were hot glued vertically near the top of the fan.

The different sizes and colors all came together perfectly.

The finishing touch to the fans is the best part. We had a bag full of Bruce's grandmother's old buttons that were a coral/pink color. She saved them as she saved most everything, and Bruce's mom had nostagia enough to keep them after her passing.

We hot glued these beautiful pink buttons to the center of each of the fans. Some fans have a cluster of three buttons while some of the small ones are more unique with just two buttons.
These buttons are the perfect color for Anne Marie's sheets!

We laid out all the fans, played with positions and groupings for a while, and finally came up with an arrangement we were satisfied with. We wanted to cover a great are of the wall with no symmetry or alignment. We are so thrilled with how these fans turned out! This project was tedious and time-consuming, but completely worth it. They make a great statement on the wall and will be great for our sweet Anne Marie to gaze at while laying in her crib.

See the full gallery on Posterous

A Big Change is Coming!

2012-03-21T14:35:00.001-07:00

I have been preparing myself for this, but I am still shocked by it at the same time.

Upon seeing my doctor today for my 37 week appointment, I was informed that I might make it another week.

[[posterous-content:pid___0]]

Contractions have begun and I am already 2-3 cm dilated.
The contractions are still sporatic and painless, thankfully.

So... as the title of this post implies, change is coming to the Ulrich household.

My sweet boy is still just that.
My sweet little boy.

It is hard to think of him being a big boy and not my baby, though. I'm sure all the mothers out there will assure me that no matter how old he gets, he will always be my baby.

[[posterous-content:pid___1]]

But when I see him crawl up into his big bed and sit beside me to read books, I am frequently brought to tears. Where has the time gone?

As you can see, he loves his daddy most of all! He loves to wrestle and play as soon as daddy walks in the door after work. He can hardly contain himself to wiat for Bruce to take off his work clothes or even empty his pockets! The anticipation of his daddy time is more than I can take sometimes.

[[posterous-content:pid___2]]As you can see, we had a great time during Spring Break. We didn't go anywhere special or do anything spectacular. But it was a great time nonetheless. We just aren't that type. I am so glad to have family nearby to spend time with during our time off. [[posterous-content:pid___3]]

We made frequent trips to the "ranch" as we fondly call it. Bruce's daddy is one of Alan's favorite people. He loves to spend time with his Pop Pop.

We did take a short road trip to Grenada the weekend before Spring Break to see family. That was such a worthwhile trip. Bruce was in New Orleans for the week with work and I knew this was my last chance to get away before Anne Marie comes.

Alan had a blast with his Maga (his word for Grandma).
He still tells me about his visit once or twice a day. He reminds me about seeing the cows with Maga and Papaw incessantly. He just loved it.

[[posterous-content:pid___4]]

It made my heart happy to see him enjoy the time out in the country like I do.
My grandparen'ts house has become such a precious place to me and it is increbly meaningful that he appreciates it as well.

Hopefully, my next post will be one of Anne Marie's birth announcement!
Stay tuned for more news!

18 months and 24 weeks

2011-12-23T09:15:00.001-08:00

My sweet boy learned to climb.
Yes... climb.

I know, I am lucky it took this long. We knew this time would come, but it was still nonetheless shocking when I turned around and he had hoisted all of his 28 pounds and 34 inches into a chair at Grammy and Pop Pops house.

He was cleverly maneuvering to get to the snack/sweets table. I guess all it took was the right amount of motivation for this little man.

Well, I guess you know what we had to do.
Yes... you guessed it.

The crib is gone. After many a tear from mommy, Alan now has a big boy bed.
For the time being, his crib mattress is on the floor surrounded by two walls and a potato crate from his Great-Grandpa Ulrich. We had been using it vertically next to the rocker, so it made a very smooth transition to horizontal position for our new needs.

See the full gallery on Posterous

The rocker is still in Alan's room until after Christmas. We will continue working on our transition from guest room/office into Anne Marie's room as time allows. The crib is disassembled and resting against the back wall of her room now. Soon, we will lift Alan off of the floor into his twin bed.
Don't rush Mommy, okay? I need to move one step at a time.

Anne Marie is ever growing as well! She is also still being very kind to her Mommy. Just like her brother. She is now about 9 inches in length from crown to rump and about 1.7 lbs.
She has been getting Daddy to help her send me the cutest notes for Christmas! She knows how special the 12 days of Christmas are and is leaving me a sweet little note along with a candy cane each day.

17 Months and 20 Weeks

2011-11-26T06:46:00.001-08:00

What a difference a month can make!
My sweet little boy is growing up way too fast. At lightning speed it seems. He has now outgrown a few of his 2T shirts. Wow... some we didn't even get a chance to wear before the sleeves were too short. Oh well, I am sure that happens to all parents, right? I hate to think we are being wasteful with the clothing that God has so graciously blessed us with. (Aaron and Laura Smith) Sometimes the seasons just fall at the wrong transition period, I guess.
Alan's 17 month stats:
(We missed his 15 month appointment by a long shot)
Weight: 27.8 lbs - 75th percentile
Height: 34 in - 95th percentile
Head: 19.25 in - 75th percentile

He is amazing. He has developed an impressive independence in a month. He will now go play by himself for short periods of time. Most of these stretches, I find myself peeking my head around the corner just to see what he is up to. I am always pleasantly surprised by what I find. He is usually sitting in his room, legs crossed, with a book in his lap. It always makes me smile the biggest smile.
He also loves, loves, loves his blanket more than ever. When he gets a little bit tired, he goes to his room and pulls with all of his might to get his blanket out of his bed through the slats. It is the cutest sight I have ever seen. After he gets the aformentioned blanket, he promptly inserts his thumb into his mouth and lays on top of it.
Bruce and I think he is ready for a big boy bed. Many of those instances, he would probably go ahead and lay in his bed were he able to get in by himself. We will probably make the transition in the next couple of weeks. Our plan is to put his crib mattress on the floor first to help him with the adjustment. After the danger of rolling off has passed, we plan on getting him a twin bed. It is so hard to think of his room not being the "baby" room anymore.
During this transition out of the baby bed, we will also be moving the rocker and monitors out as well. The thought of this makes me very uneasy. Any of you who know me well know that the thought of something uncertain shakes me in my boots. I always get an overwhelming sense of worry when headed into unforseen waters. I have felt that way with every transition with Alan.
Luckily, it is always shortlived. I have survived every season so far with much help and wise council from family and friends. Thanks to all of you for helping this ignorant momma raise such a sweet, sweet boy.
As many of you have already heard, we went to the doctor on Tuesday morning to have our sonogram. Everything looked perfect. My sweet baby #2 got an A+ on all vital organs and is growing at a perfect rate according to bone, head, and stomach size.
Momma has only gained 8 pounds which is terrific considering baby only weighs 11 ounces... Someone more intelligent than I please explain to me how that happens again? We gain like 30 pounds and the baby comes out at 6 lbs 10 ounces? What in the world? Oh well. It is all worth it to experience this awesome miracle that is life.
We were able to see the gender of sweet baby #2 while we were there. We are so thrilled and could hardly contain the secret to tell family first. Both sides were so great to play along in the big reveal. Thanks to all of you who waited so patiently while we told our families first.
We hope you enjoy our Announcement Video. Sorry to keep all of you in such suspence for so long. Bruce and I had a great time editting it together. We have such different perspectives on some things, that I am often suprised at how well we collaborate when we have a common goal.
I am amazingly blessed with a God-given husband who loves and respects me for many reasons I can't even imagine. I love you Bruce for being willing to sacrifice in order to be the wonderful father and husband that you are.