our life is a 'riot!

the big boy bed boondoggle

2009-12-21T22:46:00.008-06:00

don't let this adorable boy, with his pet mukah (supposed to be the orangutan from the zoo:), his cheerful smile, snugly sheets all tucked in tight to his big boy bed fool you...the last 7 days have not gone by this happily!

i've been dreading this day for quite some time. it's a huge milestone for my baby, i suppose. and more freedom for him seems to translate to less freedom (or more vigilance) for me. josh, for some reason, has been way more excited about it. hmmm...maybe excited is not the right word, but he has definately been the big advocate for the 'transition'.

for ease of scrolling, captions will be at the top of each pic today. let's begin our story:

The 'before' shot

my men working hard! to da da da daaaaa...

create the 'after' shot

patriot 1st cautious recline in the big boy bed

his quick exit...

and re-entry.

this is pretty comfy!

the christmas lights used as a night-light the first 3 nights

the old bumper/pst first official luvie!
even shaped itself like a heart for it's final pic:)

patriot & daddy muggin for the cam.
they both seem to have high hopes for the 1st night!

one last glance as i exit the room with tears in my eyes...
my little baby is growing up SO fast!
i'll cry again when he's out of his toddler bed, i'm sure!

12/15/09--the first night was full of josh's facebook status updates:

Well it's 3:39 a.m. - you can guess how the night is going...here are some of my favorite quotes so far..."I don't need to sleep; I need my motorcycles; close the door...leave the door open; I'm in trouble; come check on me..." I'm hoping sleep deprivation sets in soon and I'll find him alseep on the floor (but preferably the bed) ;)

December 15 at 3:41am

PT update...still going...still crying...new quotes: "this is a cool bed; I got a boo-boo; I need some ice; can we rock and then get in bed?"

December 15 at 4:11am

PT Update: Well PT woke up about 9:30 this morning after falling asleep sometime after 5:00 a.m. When quizzed about the night's events PT was happy as a clam - loved his big boy bed...now that of course didn't ring true at nap time later this afternoon...check out Kelly's FB for an update on the nap :) We'll see how tonight goes...

my day 1 nap status: Folks, it did NOT go well last night. But, josh took the lead, so he deserves all the credit for Patriot living thru the night. He was patient, repetitious, and firm. I watched the monitor most the night trying not to cry! I would have given up HOURS before he did...so, no promises tonight, if I'm on the night shift.

ps--i'm sorry to alarm any of my friends who thought my child was in the hospital!! i was definitely sleep deprived and didn't think how my words out of context would be read! my fave quote of the night---"mama...i need my nails clipped...come clip my nails... mama ... MAMA ...i want you to come here and clip my nails..." this from the boy who detests this particular grooming habit! my little drama king:)

night #2 --12/16/09:

/The BED v. Patriot, Night 2: PT started off the night swinging! He dealt the first blow by slamming the Bed with a wall of tears, a feat that would throw any mother into a tizzy. But fear not, PT's mom had already broke under the pressure from the earlier bout at nap time...she's out with the girls and was unaffected.... But in a surprise move, the Bed struck back and lured PT in to curl up under a blanket......Not knowing how to react, PT wimpered his usual excuses (new favorite quote of the night: "I don't want to get in the bed, I just want to cry"), but the Bed held strong. PT's been in there over 30 minutes now...not alseep, but appearing content, i.e. not crying...let the prayer vigils continue...December 15 at 11:01pm

PTL!! Patriot slept ALL night in his bed! I hear the 3rd night is charm, so I'll keep you posted this evening...December 16 at 10:08am

here's a naptime post from thursday:
Kelly Wheeler Tetens doesn't want to count her chickens...BUT patriot did stay in his bed AND fall asleep at nap w/out me sitting in his room to keep the 'cwows' away! Josh Tetens, does this call for a celebration? one day at a time...!December 17 at 2:43pm

friday's post:
The BED v. Patriot, Nights 3 &4: We're making some great progress...It's still rough going down and he's waking up at least once during the night, but overall, PT is doing great. Last night he woke up about 3:45 a.m. and was pretty upset, but sitting back and reading a little Charlie & Lola seemed to help :)Fri at 11:04am

and today, monday 12/21/09, a full week later:

I'm happy to report Patriot not only went to bed on his own last night, but slept through the night without getting up...PTL!! Let's pray this continues :) And props to Kelly Wheeler Tetens for getting him to do the same at nap time yesterday!

so far so good tonight. did i mention that we started this transition on a MONDAY NIGHT?!? blame it on jt, who decided to go hunting the weekend we planned to originally do this, but decided, why the hey not try it on a weeknight, b/c pst was having some crazy sleep issues anyway!

whew...thanks for reading along with us, but now it's time to hit the hay while the boy is snoozing!

1st day of school shoot

2009-09-25T16:09:00.007-05:00

how much camo does it take to get a tot ready for mother's day out?

way toooo much! but, isn't cute? i wanted a bigger kid backpack so i could stuff in his giant nap-mat, extra change of clothes, 2 diapers, elmo, artwork, etc. i LoVe that his lunch box clips on the front, making it easy for me to keep him all together. thanks, noni, patriot hearts his new backpack set!

i promise i don't make him carry it himself... yet.

next, you are going to see a few 'last year vs. this year shots. i'm amazed at the difference a year makes!

1st day 2008:
1st day 2009:

last year, you were not even walking on your own yet (yep, you made me wait 'til you were almost 16 1/2 months!) and this year you run, jump, hop everywhere we go!

patriot & mama--i just wanted ONE quick shot of the two of us!

here's the list of patriot's class mates for the school year:

patriot and his new teacher, ms. deanna--i love her already!!

i love this '1st day of school shoot' and hope we will continue this for many years:)

sweet boy--i pray you will enjoy your 2-year-old school year by making new friends, enjoying creative play, learning how to listen and follow directions given by others, and making fun art. i think we both enjoy the break from each other once a week, but i'm always thrilled to squeeze my baby boy again at 2:30 on tuesdays:)

happy birthday, henry patrick!

2009-09-09T23:36:00.003-05:00

okay friends, this has been an emotional and thrilling day that i have been blessed to watch unfold via facebook:) pictured below is my super-woman of a friend Rose (many of you read her blog or might recognize her as my co-host on momeez:) who lives in Florida, thus the reason i had to follow the many twists and turns of the day on my computer!

so, sweet rose checked into the hospital today (09-09-09) at 41 weeks pregnant for her scheduled c-section, but below you see her pictured right after her epidural which came shortly following her water breaking---what, you say? that's right--after showing NO signs of labor AT ALL yesterday at her doctor's appointment, her sweet baby decided to get a move on today and took us all on an emotional rollercoaster that ended in a VBAC!

that's right---rose, who has been preparing for a VBAC all along had finally conceded to the idea of a second c-section and then her water breaks while she's waiting for the doc to arrive to do her 1:00pm surgery---crazy right? well, i am aMaZeD at her strength, grace, and determination. she labored through-out the day, and 10:16pm she was able to hold her little miracle in her arms.

so here he is, the 'little' 9lb 8.4 oz, 21 inch miracle--henry patrick cochran!

this first family photo makes me tear up each time i look at it!
SO much love and relief on her face.

matt, rose, & baby henry!

i thought this one was precious--matt has an incredible love for colin
and you can see the same joy and love for henry in this shot.

proud papa--matt daddy:)

okay--this kid is gonna be a heart-breaker like his older bro, colin. speaking of, i can't WAIT to see what he thinks of his new little brother when they meet tomorrow!

i cannot WAIT to cuddle and kiss this adorable little baby!

congrats, again, rose & matt--this birth story will definitely go down in momeez history:)

****************************
9/10/09 update--big bro colin meets little bro henry

as you can see, colin is enamored with his new little playmate:)

sweet summer babies: mason, griffin & claire!

2009-08-20T15:11:00.004-05:00

okay---i realize it's a bit of a stretch to put 3 birthday's together, but we will just call it the summer baby post! Please welcome some of my newest little loves:)

the first will be the birth of my dear friend Lauren's baby boy on July 17th --Mason Garrett:

lauren and i have been friends since high school, we were roomies in college and in each other's weddings. we go WAAAAAY back, so to hold her sweet baby in my arms was a very emotional experience. i was thrilled that erin and i happened to be in the dallas area the day he was born (a tad early) so we could cuddle this precious little guy.

me and baby mason--don't you love his red hair?

eee w/ sweet sleepy baby mason

a cute close up:)

*****************************************
now scene change to august 3rd in waco, tx and the birth of the newest playgroup baby!

kimberly is one of my 'mom friends' from playgroup and is the amazing photographer who took our christmas pix and my fave shots of patriot's birthday! she was very sleepy after her c-section, so had a mini photo-shoot with the baby in the doorway:)

patriot loved meeting the baby and was in a silly mood:0)

i was so excited to have one of his eyes open!

nic nic had these adorable crumpler's cookies ready to go
when you stopped in to visit griffin:

********************************************

now skip ahead a couple of weeks and meet our newest neighbor, baby claire:
my neighbor, sara, is baby claire's mom and she is one of my FAVORITE reasons we live on our street! their sweet family has been building memories with our family for the last year, and we SO excited to welcome the first baby GIRL on the block to our crew of 4 boys!
claire was the first baby we have gotten to visit at the new hillcrest hospital and it was NiCe!
she had to hang out in the warmer while stopped by for a
visit and patriot wasn't too sure about it!
he really wanted to hold her or play football with her...something fun!

so, the next day we had the privilege of watching claire's big bother, jack, for a couple of hours. the boys had SO much fun and even found a new game to play at the top of our couch:0)

i'm thankful that so many of my friends are having babies and letting me cuddle & hold their precious little bundles. they stand in such stark contrast to my baby--who is now an amazing 27 months old. my how the time flies!

the next picture has nothing to do with babies, but might give you a glimpse into our drama of a 2-year old. this was taken moments after jack left, in an attempt for a new facebook profile pic:
and some of you wonder why he is still an 'only' for now... hmmmm.

Join Team Patriot!

2009-07-31T14:48:00.005-05:00

the invites were sent...

the team jersey's were hung...

the cake & cookies arrived...

and so many tots came to make our party complete!

now, why has it taken me 2 months to blog about it? in the event that i get my blog downloaded and bound like the nickster...this is the summer that will throw everyone off! i tried to use our broken camera (he took a kamikaze leap towards the pavement at pst's party) as my excuse, but really i made the collage, see below, using some of kimberly's amazing talent and have the rest of the party pix saved to my laptop.
so was i recovering from cleaning/organizing our house (a continuous process for me!), writing thank-yous for all of the great gifts (settle down everyone who is thinking 'where's MY thank-you note?'. check your mail tomorrow, i'm trying to squeak in under the 2 month ettiquite guideline), or just overwhelmed at the sheer number of fabulous pix to post? hmmm...we may never know.

however, now that my laptop is back in tip-top shape (thanks jolly jon!), i pledge to post some pix this weekend. to satisfy all you bloggers who have threatened to CUT me. i mean, for all of my amazing blogger friends who have showed their encouragement and support during this bUsY season of our lives:0)

Farewell, Autumn...

2009-07-27T16:37:00.001-05:00

my sweet friend autumn, the firey red-head pictured above, will be leaving us waco gals soon for greener pastures....literally. at least i'm pretty sure they farm in ohio...maybe not, but what else would they do? okay the word friend doesn't do our relationship justice: autumn has been a more than a causal friend, she has been my small group leader, prayer warrior, and encourager.

while we never 'need' an excuse to party, i always enjoy an excuse to eat a good crumpler cake! this was a cecile original (aren't they all?) made w/ mini cupcakes and LOADS of her famous icing...yummy. she wows me everytime!

i realize that some of y'all didn't like the 'curvy pic' but let's be honest here,
i look cute, so it made it to my blog:)
let's list ya in order:
angela, laura, me, autumn, claire, kylie, adrielle, marsha, and heather (dona, not pictured) was off galavanting around in miami, but we will give her cred anyway:)

autumn, you and your precious family will be missed around here, so don't stay away tooooo long. mondays won't be the same without you!
love you, friend!

p.s. props to kylie for getting us these pix on the SAME night as the event, the DAY before she left for AFRICA for 2 weeks!

thirty, flirty & thriving...

2009-05-30T00:23:00.001-05:00

birthday triplets: when two other people in your world share your same day of birth.

triple threat birthday triplets: when two other people in your world share the same day of birth, live in the same city, are all friends, AND are all turning 30!!!

mollie, kylie & i decided to ring the start to our 30th year with somethings we all hold dear: cake, cookies, wine, chocolate, fondue, and FRIENDS! sweet kylie offered her house and we all had SO much fun posing for shots and catching up with friends.

it was a girls only event---so our mamas and sisters joined us for the party on sunday the 24th.

okay--the save feature is giving me issues, so i'm gonna post then return later for more pix. you've gotta see the one where carrie lets me try on her gold sparkly tori burch shoes!

okay, pix loaded, but running out of battery--so will edit again later... what is going on w auto save today!!!!!!!!!???????????

destination mothers' day 2009

2009-05-29T13:04:00.007-05:00

Second Annual Roadtrip to Hillsboro:

(pt, sic'em, & eee pose for a shot in the back seat enroute to hillsboro, tx)

it began as a compromise last year. it was my first 'offical' mothers' day and i wanted to celebrate at my church w/ my friends and little family here in waco. but, we also wanted to see our mothers---so destination mothers day was born! we consider hillsboro to be the 'half-way' spot for meeting when we are coming from 4different directions (waco, plano, arlington and fort worth). we ate at the lone star cafe again, but this might be the last year for THAT part of the tradition---we will see. i heart cheddar broccoli bites--which has turned out to be the only yummy reason left to eat there.

here's the crew-- start w/ patriot and go around the table: kelly, josh, larka lita, great pop, uncle cam, big pop, uncle clay, aunt eee, grandpa greg, and noni joni--whew!

noni & grandpa greg just returned from a dreamy cruise
and were apparently still in vacay mode:)
patriot shane was wowing the table by showing how quick he could devour a piece of cake and demonstrate 'how old' he would be at the end of the month (two)! stay tuned for more posts on pst and his love of cake on the face:)

i was SOOO excited about receiving my pandora bracelet and 1st charm, the emerald dangle for pst and i's birthday:) thanks mom & dad!

our little fam--josh, patriot & i. have i explained about the "ta-daa" yet? okay, it's a tradition in the wheeler fam to get mom an orchid corsage for mothers' day. so patriot and josh sweetly followed this tradition and presented me with the yellow one you see pictured above to wear before church that morning. well, when i opened the box patriot handed me, josh said "ta-daa!" and patriot repeated "ta-daa!" anyhoo, i saved it in the fridge, to make me smile, and when ever he sees it, he points and says 'ta-daaaaa!". so stinkin' cute.

the wheeler clan. pst is drama like his uncle cay (clay:)

the tetens clan...check out that pst smile!

in order to have a little time for patriot to run & play while the adults fellowshipped, we decided to go to a little park in hillsboro. but on the way we ran into this elementary school playground, so this is were the magic happened!
the men (and pt) on the swings---isn't my dad cutie?

this is probably my favorite pic of the day---josh's 90 year old pop swinging like a kid! erin thought this would be a hilarious invite to his next birthday party---something like "91 and still swingin'" what do you think larkin?

and below is another fave: the youngest and oldest of our clan:)

the tetens' enjoying the swings

and we will end on a fun note with a play pic of the 6 wheelers. i think clay is still in graduation mode--10 months later! isn't his bu ring pretty?

oh my how the time flies when you are having fun:)
what a wonderful mothers' day!

what a wonderful may...

2009-05-28T12:25:00.003-05:00

from mothers' day to rose & colin's visit to my 30th birthday---may has been fabulous! patriot's 2nd birthday is right around the corner, so may is still in full swing and i have a little back tracking to do to commemorate my favorite month of the year!

these pix are from mothers' day where pt and i posed for our out door (and red door) photo shoot:) check out last year vs. this year---my tiny tot is now a little man!

lots more to come, but i'd better get to bed---we have a BIG weekend coming up!

wordless (diaper-less?) wednesday

2009-04-22T23:24:00.000-05:00

easter eggstravaganza 09

2009-04-14T14:43:00.000-05:00

on easter eve
all through the house,
the wheelers were stirring,
while the tetens slept like a mouse!

(okay, you know how us wheelers, are---saving all the fun for the NIGHT BEFORE a big event!!!)

creating crumpler's cookies placecards,

hand-rolled pasta by eee

even, cam got into the easter spirit, dying eggs at 1am:)

the following day was full of smiles as we had our 2nd annual easter lunch at our house in waco! my fam came down from plano, joan, greg, & cam, and josh's fam came in from arlington, larka, garland, shannon & pop. eee lives down the street so she didn't have to go far! we wanted to throw in some additional fun by inviting over mike & kristin evans and their 2 year (almost!) old twins sam & georgia:)
we got done what we could the night before, then rushed home after a fabulous easter service at highland to put the finishing touches (and last dishes together!) for lunch. our sweet neighbors let us borrow their oven, so we were running around like little ants. in the end, we were able to enjoy friends and family while dining on delicious food and starting traditions for our kiddos. the Lord has blessed us with SO much that my heart overflows with thanks on the weekend that he gave US his son!

josh and patriot, so sweet in their easter blue!

1st easter day egg hunt: patriot had some practice at egg hunting over the past week, at school, at the park, so he was totally psyched to be hunting eggies in his own back yard (only rivaled by uncle cam, whose eggs were up high:)i should have taken a video so you could see how excited pst was about the little elmo in the eggs--so funny! he can sing the theme song, but i promise he doesn't watch it THAT often!!

kissing elmo--patrtiot's new love

well, j and i look cute, but pt was feeling the slide photo shoot! (what are the little red things in his hand, you may ask? little elmo(s)--who has been at his side or sidelined to watch (while things like brushing teeth takes place) ever since!

erin, me, josh, pst, mom, dad & cam

patriot, larka, me, pop, josh & shan
patriot (still kissing elmo!) with big pop and shi-shi on the back porch.
kristin, georgia, samuel, & michael evans--our sweet friends!

the three littles on my NEW birthday swing (thank-you, honey) that i got early so we could all enjoy it for easter weekend!

you can imagine trying to get the 7 of us to LOOK and SMILE at the camera---aaaah...2 year olds!
before he crashed for nap-time, he opened his easter basket (well, of course the only grandchild got his own basket from both sets of g-parents! so josh and i gave him a big dump truck to push around the house filled with a couple more elmo goodies:) i chose this pic, because mom selected the disney movie BOLT for him since it was the 1st full length movie that he watched in the theatre---i'm sure i forgot to blog about that months ago when it happend, so here is my note to self!

i actually picked out 25 pix to put in a slideshow, but after an hour and a half having no success uploading and fooling with picasa's help center, i gave up and started uploading them in small batches to the blog! if you lasted 'til the end, thanks for enjoying our holiday photos!

to my handsome 21 month old...

2009-03-30T23:19:00.001-05:00

i really think you get better looking every month! you still turn heads at the store, at restaurants, and at the park as you sweetly say "hello" a flash a grin at complete strangers! but when mama asks you to say goodbye--it usually requires a little coxing! but of course you blow some kisses their way and their hearts melt all over again!

this month it has been fun to listen and watch the new games you play in your crib when you wake up in the morning and at nap. you love to sing to yourself, list off all the people you know and my fave is put your sic'em bears to sleep with a 'tu la tu la' song' while you pat his back! you play 'tackle', 'catch' and MAN do you have an arm! you can spiral a football, score 2pts with any basketball within your reach, and hurl any piece of food you are 'ah done' with! noni says she's grooming a quarterback, and i still wonder where you got your sports gene:)

daddy and i have SO much fun playing with you and can't believe how quickly you learn new words and concepts. you pretend to count things at the store "twoooo...freee....five....twoooo", have figured out how to get the things you are after "peez mama? tank you, mama!", and love to imitate our big people phrases with such amazing comedic timing "oh. my. gosh."
you have even started initiating a game we have played with you forever by asking us this week "where is daddy?....THERE he is! where is pay-chit (that's the new way you say your name)?...there he is!" complete with hiding behind your fingers then laughing with your eyes when you reveal yourself!
your favorite person in the world is your daddy with shy-shy a close second. you constantly ask their whereabouts thru out the day! many mornings i wake up to hear you 'kissing the air' repeatedly to call shy-shy to your bedroom. you love for him to read books with you and follow him all around the backyard. speaking of the backyard as long as it wasn't pouring rain, you and your dad have been spending time outside each evening and on the weekends doing manly projects. you have a few battle scars (that are healing nicely!) to show for your work as well a budding garden. you LOVE to be outside and are constantly in motion.

at nap time you still let me read you a story and rock you to sleep while we sing a song (usually you request 'jesus', 'tu la' or 'booga' from me). i treasure this time cuddling together in your big blue rocker, but i know it won't be long before you are too big to want me to rock you anymore. just tonight you told your daddy "good nite, daddy" twice while he was singing lullaby's over you in your crib to signal you were ready to sleep on your own.

i love you my sweet son and i'm SO thankful that your mine!

love, mama

erin go bra...or is it braugh?

2009-03-17T21:31:00.004-05:00

regardless...this one's for YOU aunt eee!

patriot shane is sporting a new, slightly smaller mo-hawk (now a faux-hawk again?)as a happy st. patty's day present to me:) i broke down and hauled him over to smarty pants salon today after mother's day out ended. for only having a 30 minute nap at 'school', patriot was quite the trooper as we waited over an hour to be seen as a walk-in. (apparently tuesdays at 3pm is a BAD time to drop in at kid's hair salon, or maybe 1/2 the kiddos in waco just needed a st. patrick's day trim!)

during our rush-hour photo shoot, he took it literally when we read his shirt to him (which is true, he is a smidge irish lad) and would purse his lips to blow us a kiss or run over and smooch josh:

SO adorable is this precious tot who is looking more and more like a little boy each day!

above is my FAVE shot, because he actually posed and SMILED on our 50th attempt to get a cute pic and NOT run into 5:00pm on-coming Colcord Ave traffic!

big & little denim clad tetens boys

always in motion, it was hard to capture pst's personality in one shot, so below is a collage for your viewing pleasure:

ps. erin, i ACTUALLY posted some pictures ON the day they were taken AND wrote a little something to go with them. i am, however, at least 3 posts behind and WILL be backdating those posts, because ' it's my blog and i'll lie if i want to, lie if i want to, LIE if i want to...you would lie to if it happen to you! la la la la LA! and by lie, i mean document in the proper month, for future reference (and my own sanity) of course!

tristan's #2 buck-a-roo party videos

2009-02-25T00:03:00.003-06:00

here are some videos from tristan's 2nd birthday buck-a-roo party held on valentine's day (tristan's actually birthday)!

while patriot wasn't too excited about riding the pony at the time...it made for some super cute video and he requests to watch these clips he calls 'horsey, horsey' almost daily!!!

Tristan's playgroup b-day paaaar-tay:)

2009-02-20T23:00:00.000-06:00

our little mug, tristan michael wilson, turned 2 in a big way on Valentine's Day and i'm sorry it took me for...ev....errrr to get them up on the blog. noni and lita---this one's for you!

tristan, aka mom's little love bandit, celebrated in playgroup style at the polnick's casa on the thursday before his BIG party. tune into nic or kimberly's blog for a more detailed description of that fun day!

ok--i had this wonderful plan to take a super cute pic of pst and turn it into a beautiful card to send to his grandparents, but patriot had other thoughts about having his mug shot! he sure has a cute profile though, huh?

a cute face, but really shows the uncertainty of creighton's driving skills!

is this a glimpse of the future?

aren't reese's baby blues AMAZING? yeah, she'll break some hearts like her mama, i'll bet;)
this one is majorly cropped: i thought i'd use kimberly's cute bench and brick set up out front and have pt pose with his little red bag full of valentines from his buddies, but alas...NO eye contact with the camera!!!!!!!!

that little smirk says it all!

wordless wednesday

2009-02-18T23:30:00.000-06:00

mama's little love muffin

2009-02-15T23:22:00.001-06:00

this week patriot had 3 valentine's day parties to attend, 3 days in a row: mother's day out, story time at the library, and playgroup. while i didn't get any picks of tuesday's party at 'school', i'm SURE ms. olga & ms. rosalie (rosie) did! in the above picture patriot is 'posing' for kimberly & i with a choco chip muffie (that's what he calls 'em:) made by moi in the shape of lips, yep, he chose THAT one!

bubble time is his FAVORITE thing about going to the library, or at least my favorite thing to watch him do at the library:) for valentine's day i bought him his very own bubble gun to use at the house. now, this may take away some of the glamour of story time, but it does save josh & i heck of a lot of blowing soapy bubble wands;)

here is a cute one of crater-bug! he joined us for the party, along with ella & the merritt twins. can you tell he's been asked to pose for pictures a time or two? we love our friends in playgroup and the other mommies help keep me sane. i'm not sure what i would do without these precious friends in my life. nic took some cute pix of our mom's night out from earlier this month--check out her blog to see pix of all the mommies that are usually behind the cameras!

after a busy day at lita & big pop's house...

2009-02-07T21:24:00.007-06:00

as you know, grandparents get creative when it comes to finding ways to see their grandbabies, but sometimes the great-grandparents get into the act! great pop (larka's dad) asked us to visit arlington this weekend to hang out with his cousin Erma and part of her family who are in town from arkansas and houston for a mini-reunion.
this morning we took patriot to the Ft. Worth Zoo (his inaugural visit:) and by the look on his face on the way to the car, i felt SURE he crash in the car. nope. after a second lunch at the tetens? nope. after nap-time routine, repeated from the car, again by josh in the bedroom? nope. after 'resting' in his crib for 45min? nope. a diaper change? nope. more songs, rocking, basketball, a walk, football? nope, NOPE, nope...etc.
but when we sat him down for him down for dinner at 6:15pm---VOILA! (see the above video clip taken by larka's cousin vicki for details!)
did i mention that he was up singing and talk in his crib (in our shared room at the tetens') at 7am and went straight thru to dinner without batting an eye? i would like to tell you that he went down easy as pie tonight after this video was shot and we haven't heard a peep all night, but that would be a fairy-tale, not real world parenthood, wouldn't it?;)

ps--i think we got a couple cute zoo pix BUT they are in the camera in the room where pt is sleeping (for the moment) so for now you will have to make due with the video:)

feliz navidad--playgroup amigos:)

2009-01-28T23:00:00.001-06:00

for christmas this year, in lieu of giving books to patriot's playgroup friends, we donated books to the library my mother-in-law is building in mexico for the school in Chumpon. i waited to publish this post until i had sent out the neat postcards larka had made to announce that the books had been donated-since a few of y'all do read the blog;)

we ended up finding a great deal on several diffent types of spanish books, which can be tricky to locate, in plano. so we wrapped them up, wrote a note to larka listing all of our playgroup kiddos' names, and put them in a giant box for her to open. she was SO excited, like a kid at christmas, looking a each book, and telling patriot about the little mexican/mayan students who would soon be enjoying these stories. her excitement was infectious and soon patriot wanted his own spanish book to read!

there is a book for each friend: tristan, colton, brodie, ella, creighton, bentlee, haylee, hayden, townlin, libby, heidi grace, parker, noah...whew!

pst decided to sit on santa's lap (pronounced senta, by pt!) and read him a story:) hysterical!

ps. i'm hoping to start a blog for larka about the chumpon mayan school in the yucatan jungle, but here are some photos of these sweet kiddos. it's amazing that these students who don't have running water or a library yet already excell in their testing for the state! i can't wait to meet them on my next trip to mexico:)

(ok, the pix keep disappearing, so i'll try to get another copy of them soon!)

viva la San Antonio

2009-01-26T15:29:00.006-06:00

it all seemed so easy at first, but then, in true Murphy's law form, it nearly ended before it began...

first, you must know that we waited almost 20 months before deciding to take a weekend trip ALONE (read: without the tot in tow). we had a free weekend stay for a condo in San Antonio that had to be used by the end of january, so we thought this would be the perfect chance for me to bite the bullet and leave my baby(okay, okay...toddler) from sun up to sun down for 2 whole days.

i had stayed up late the night before, tediously typing a schedule and doing some general clean-up and laundry so as not to be too rushed on friday while waiting for our sitter to come over. so naturally, on the day of departure, our sitter for patriot (my sweet sis) came down with the flu & an ear infection.

patriot & i were at the zoo on a mini-playdate with some friends when we got the doctor's report from erin. 'call your mom', the girls said. 'you have to go---it's important for your marriage!' at first i thought, maybe i can get out of this weekend and delay having to leave pst, but then i realized i really WANTED some time off to spend with my man...SO i called my mom. she sweetly packed her bags and headed south for the weekend---- noni to the rescue!

by the time we finally got on the road it was almost 8pm, so we stopped about 40 minutes down the road for some delish BJ's pizza. we arrived in san antonio a little after mid-night and were thrilled at the thought of sleeping in--no baby monitors needed!!

we headed to the river walk that afternoon, amused at the tourists bundled up in parkas, gloves and fleece. but as soon as the sun set, we quickly found a restaurant that served blankets with dinner!

we sat right on the water at boudro's, which came highly recommended by the couple who took our first photo of the evening (san antonio natives:). at one point, i had a blanket underneath me, one over my shoulders and one shared over our laps! the picture of us at the table didn't turn out so stellar (maybe it was josh's swollen eye? sorry, babe!), so instead we snapped a pic of our fabulous waitress, liz preparing our table-side guacamole.
ever had oranges or kosher salt in your guac? me neither, but it was yummy! we ended up ordering a dish called big tails, little tails---shrimp & lobster with an avocado rosoto...Mmmmm.
i have to preface the above pic by saying josh thought this shot looked weird. BUT we didn't have any other pictures of a swanky condo, so i opted for the 'bubble bath gone out of control' pic:) the jacuzzi tub was my favorite feature--i ate breakfast in the bath both mornings:) i decided to try i teeny-tiny bit of bubble bath the second day, and i had 2 feet of bubbles towering over me in a matter of minutes!

of course we checked out the alamo (the b&w photo, does look like we photoshopped ourselves in, however:) and did some shopping on our way back to waco (who can resist the janie & jack outlet in san marcus?) my sweet in-laws took over for mom at lunch on sunday, so they were treating our little man to dinner at the elite cafe when we arrived home.

he didn't seem shocked to see us. he didn't throw his arms around me a gleefully exclaim "mama!", but he let me smother him with kisses and stroke his un-hawked hair, before handing me half of a bite of chicken tender. i certainly missed him, but i'm thankful that we have such loving parents who take such great care of him.

in the end, i'm SO happy we were able to go and spend some time together, just the two of us. we do have the privilege of date night on most wednesdays (thanks eee!) but this time was precious and a new set of memories we will share as a couple.

welcome home, president bush!

2009-01-21T00:03:00.002-06:00

tonight we celebrated the end of the Bush Administration---TEXAS style! josh, patriot & i eagerly packed some snacks, cold weather accessories, and headed out to TSTC for the welcome home Bush family party. we arrived a smidge before the 6:30 cut-off, only to wait in line over an hour to be checked in by security inside one of the airplane hangers. patriot played football, ran tirelessly back and forth, up and down the rows while we waited our turn in the COLD. when it came down to the end of the line, they hurried us thru and rushed us onto a bus that took us out onto the tarmac. then more waiting and picture taking took place (see the above pic of pst & the flag...his new luvie) he even learned to say 'bush'--- SO cute. i kinda have it on video, but we will see tomorrow if that really worked!

then airforce one flew over and rolled in...WOW was it breathtaking!

here is my first glance of the first couple, exiting airforce one to a cheering crowd of W's.

the president gave a heartfelt speech, thanking us for our prayers during his time in office. he said he returns to texas with his head held high and is happy to be back for good.

after his speech and a VERY long and emotional day, he walked the line, signing autographs, shaking hands and posing for pix. i was THIS close to the man--5 people away! i could see his little hairs between the cellphones and cowboy hats:)

then it happened. out from the speakers came my FAVORITE patriotic song, Lee Greenwood's "Proud to be an American". now, i had teared up when the plane rolled up (American flag on the tail lit by a spotlight) ,the door was flung open and out walked President Bush, but this was almost too much for me. i couldn't break down into full-out sobs--so instead, i sang my heart out and focused my attention on trying to snap a pic of marine one (the heli). the pictures didn't really turn out, but the image of my sweet son waving his flag while on his daddy's shoulders made my heart sing even louder. i truly am proud to be an American.

New Year's Eve--Deliciousness

2009-01-08T23:13:00.002-06:00

okay, so I started a bit out of order, but this is my favorite pic of the evening:) so the above photo was taken at midnite, me in my party tiara, toasting to an amazing 2009.

josh & i splurged a bit and went to an amazing fondue restaurant in dallas, the melting pot, to ring in the new year while m&d w/ eee kept an ear out for our tot. our reservations were for 10:30pm and involved a 5 course meal: bruscetta, ceasar salads, tomato-basil cheese fondue, seafood & steak entree , and bananas foster white chocolate dessert--whew!

______earlier that evening...

patriot blows mama kisses while reading a fun new peek-a-boo book with dada...my sweet baby boy:)

mom let me borrow mema's gorgeous mink for our rock-star night out!

here we are a little before midnight. i obviously don't know how to pose with the noisemaker, but the props were fun!

this is shot of the main course--fillets, shrimp, honey-dijon chicken & lobster tails, complete with veggies and various and sundry dipping sauces---YUM!

thanks babe, for an amazing date night. i'm SO blessed to be in love with my best friend. happy new year-- i love you, love you, love you:)

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

2008-12-27T01:54:00.004-06:00

patriot shane had a fabulous Christmas, as you can tell. more pix will follow, but i'm going to bed for now!

Dogtopia Dogpile:)

2008-12-16T22:30:00.001-06:00

tonight's post should be about shiloh and the wild & crazy dog christmas party we attended for him at Dogtopia (sponsored by BU law :), but once again patriot shane steals the show...or the dogfood. as we are driving away from the party, josh hands pt a 'small' bag of dog food to keep him entertained on our short ride home. before we exit the parking lot, i sniff the air and say, 'do you smell dogfood?' josh turns around starts dying laughing and immediately snaps this pic:

before i can get to the back seat, he snaps this one of patriot trying shiloh's 'snack':

clean-up begins w/ dogtopia in the background:)

we knew this story HAD to make the blog, so we mugged for the shot with the busted bag:

happy thanksgiving, my 17 month old!

2008-11-29T01:08:00.007-06:00

this year my parents hosted thanksgiving dinner in plano. we are so thankful that our families live close enough to celebrate the holidays together:) my in-laws and aunt di came over for yummy dishes and good company.

i can't believe how much patriot has changed in the last year. even in the past month it seems he has grown up so much. more words (he likes to say 'okay.' at the end of every request), more independence (wants to walk into his bedroom by himself when we are ready to change a diaper!), fine motor skills improving (enjoys twisting the caps of things off and on--from milk cartons to toothpaste:). he amazes me daily.
_______________________________

here are some fun shots from yesterday:

not so sure he wants to pose w/ mom or aunt eeee.

my cousin nic gave patriot this super cute janie & jack outfit that was perfect for the day's festivities! here is the only pic i have w/ the cutie suspenders on his shoulders.

he spent the rest of the day with them draped down his back, all causal like:) here he is trying to escape from dad and i's human blockade.

look closely: don't you just love baby toes?

playin' with papa & noni

papa was so happy to be able to play with his great-grand baby on thanksgiving. he LOVES making him laugh.

happy birthday reese:)

2008-11-29T00:33:00.002-06:00

reese technically arrived a week ago today, friday 11/21, but it has taken me this long to post these cutie pix:) click on nicksterland to see all the stats. after an amazingly fast labor/delivery, the wilson's were up for vistors. isn't her sign from mimi adorable?

on saturday, erin came w/ mom & i to visit reese. don't know why we don't have a pic w/ mom holding her, 'cause you know noni was all over holding a GIRL baby. i made it part of her birthday celebration. even though they are a day apart (i went back to visit reese on saturday and took mom & erin, though of course i had to stop by for a quick hi on friday afternoon:)

patriot hasn't met her yet due to his nap coinciding with this visit and then coming down w/ a terrible ear infection that took us thru thanksgiving in plano! but soon, he will get to meet the baby, baby, baby--and he will furiously sign baby, while saying it. to add emphasis, i'm sure!

nic looked amazing, as did the baby of the hour, miss reese elaine wilson. i heart her headband and can't wait see what this little one will grow to be like!

happy birthday, reese!

Sic 'em ESPN

2008-11-19T15:08:00.005-06:00

at a game time perfect for tots (3pm on Tuesday) ESPN decided to televise the Bears vs. Centenary. oh, did i mention that tickets were only $3?!? Awesome. so we brought the crew:
Crater & Pate held up the cute sign Kimberly made:)i'm sure she got a better one of the two, but Creighton was DONE holding the sign, so pst posed for a shot:)

we think, as in are pretty sure, this is patriot's first live Bball game! he was a super baylor fan in his grover apparel and loved aaaaaaa sic'em bears.

the game was fast paced and we tried to capture his excitement, but he was often to distracted by the bears to pose.

across the stadium were the tristan, sawyer, creighton & families. (can you find reese in the pic? she is due for arrival ANY DAY NOW:) we visited for a few minutes, but patriot only wanted to climb stairs, so back we went to find aunt eeee and sit w/dada.

well, the final score was an amazing 90-55---aaaaa sic'em bears:)

playdough palooza

2008-11-16T22:22:00.002-06:00

this weekend aunt eeee & patriot dove head first into patriot's debut cooking experience. what does a tiny tot cook, you may ask? pumpkin-colored playdough! enjoy the photoshoot, and if you need the recipe go to momeez.blogspot.com

Wordless Wednesday

2008-11-12T23:02:00.001-06:00

Vote 4 My Better Tomorrow:)

2008-11-03T13:44:00.002-06:00

on friday, patriot assisted me in casting my vote for president. he even has the sticker to prove it!

at first i was gonna go by myself while he was in mothers' day out, but rose & i found some interesting info for our radio show that changed my mind. i believe the verse, 'train up a child in the way they should grow and when they grow old, they will not depart from it." rings true here. a national study says that a parental voting is the surest predictor of whether or not a young adult decides to vote. also, they are twice as likely to vote themselves if their parents vote regularly. it is important to me to teach this civic duty by action as well as words, so off to the polls we went!

i'm sure it's no big suprise who we voted for:0)

okay, if you haven't already, run on out and vote tomorrow, November 4th!

my 16 month old

2008-10-30T21:54:00.005-05:00

Patriot Shane-

October has been SO fun and full of firsts.

You amazed me when:

you wraped your arms around me and layed your head on my shoulder in a REAL hug, yesterday:)
figured out how to open the childproof gate, 5 times in a row.
decided to walk all on your own --now there is no stoping you.
sat like a big boy in Colin's overstuffed chair, sipping your milk and watching the game w/ Mr. Matt.
ran on the beach & played in the surf like you owned the place.
climbed in to the swing on your play castle, flipped around and swang yourself.
began to repeat almost everything we tell you, really trying to figure out how to pronounce the words and understand their meaning.
decided veggies were no longer your friends & became a fruit fiend.
used a fork correctly.
flew on 8 flights in 4 weeks w/out any memorable meltdowns!
calmly let me take pix of you in your adorable lion costume after first hating it with a passion.
became a cookie monster with a sweet tooth as big as your mom's.
flash that dimple at me and ask for "moh, waf-waf's" when you've already had 3.
used sound effects for everything from cars to waterhoses.
carved your first pumpkin with dada.
laughed hysterically at something new everday.
knocked on the kitchen door while signing & saying 'dada' expectantly.
wore your first pair of Levi jeans and made me think, what happened to my baby?

i love you my sweet son & am thankful for all of the things you teach me to be, daily.

love always,
mama

Wordless Wednesday

2008-10-22T23:56:00.000-05:00

Come Camp-out with Creighton

2008-10-20T22:53:00.002-05:00

this past saturday evening we attended Creighton's fabulous 2nd b-day party in his own backyard. however, when we arrived, we found that the yard had be tranformed into a tot's wonderland of outdoor activities. from fishing to hunting and s'more to slides---this party was a hit with kids of all ages:) our little man had a ball in his camo attire; check out the pix below for a peek into the party:

fantastic job, kimberly. you and b were gracious hosts---we will party with y'all anytime:)

pei wei with grace

2008-10-20T13:43:00.002-05:00

our friend chris, kelli & grace came to town on saturday and brought by a yummy lunch from pei wei for us to enjoy. chris was actually the pastor who married josh and i, oh so long ago and we have been good friend w/ them since college. i know chris took better pix than me, so i'll add those when he e-mails 'em.

okay, so there were no shots of the actual lunch, but here is the playdate afterwards:

such serious babies.

warming up a little...

they both thought chris was hysterical!

it was quite a feat to get these two independent walkers in the same frame, but we tried to preserve it for history's sake:)

Cookie Monster

2008-10-17T15:22:00.002-05:00

I think it's official, we have a cookie monster on our hands:) While we were at the park for Creighton's play group party yesterday, Patriot snuck a cookie out of the box and began chowing down. By the time I got my camera out and turned it on, half the cookie was gone!

here's where is all started: the cookie box

As you can see the cookies were a big hit with all the kids. Look closely to see Melissa feeding Brodie one, while my chipmunk stores his cookie in his cheeks!

This was hysterical and alarming all at once! For those of you wondering, I did let him finish the cookie, but after that we were 'ahhh don' with snacks for the morning:)

I have to give credit to Kimberly for the new header pic of Patriot swinging at the park--she's good, huh? She has the beginings of a booming photography business and thankfully Patriot seems to heart her camera!

1st Playdate with Isaac

2008-10-14T19:52:00.002-05:00

sweet baby Isaac was born last thursday 10/09/08 while pst and i were in florida. today we stopped in to drop off some dinner and snap some pix of this cutie:)

i heart yawn pix! look how tiny isaac is next to patriot!

the new c family:)

mr. brown eyes: who do you think he looks like?

Pirate Party for Noah

2008-10-02T23:28:00.001-05:00

between the ferocious tummy bug and the month-o-trips i know i've been a slacker-blogger lately. so. here are some adorable pix that my friend Kimberly took at our little friend Noah's 2 yr. old b-day party on 9-19 to hold you over! it looks like the new york trip and mexico trip(maybe even pst's 1st ER trip) will be a slide show, so i'll be working on that combo this weekend.

now, check out the cutie in the dumptruck below:

(credit to Avery for posing as an adorable prop in the pink bow:)

First day of school & a new do for E & K

2008-09-03T00:01:00.006-05:00

This morning Patriot headed off to the 1-year-old class of Highland's Mother's Day Out like a pro! Of course, he burst into tears at the thought of leaving me (sniff, sniff) at the door, but was done with his outburst before i made it down the hall! At pick-up Miss Olga and Miss Rosalie told me all about his wonderful day taking a buggy ride, playing with pecan leaves, going down for a nap all by himself, and drawing me a pretty picture!

Before we left the house we grabbed daddy & took some traditional Wheeler 'first day of school pix' out in front of our casa to commemorate the day:)

little and big sitting on the front steps

little and big standing by the front door

my little is getting so big!

i thought it would be fun to have him pose by the front door by himself, but he wasn't so keen on the idea (thus the above pic was taken w/ dad just short of the camera's view:) he would rather scrape up his knees going up and down the cement steps...sheesh, is he all boy or what?
**********************************************
While PST was enjoying his time away from mom, mom & aunt eeee were enjoying some time at the salon:)

Erin donated 12 inches to Locks for Love today---doesn't she look cutie?

i let casie work her magic and added back a little highlight & kicked it up a notch!

E & I were a little giddy while posing in front of the house as the Colcord traffic paused for a moment to wonder what these crazy blondes were up to...self-portraits, of course!

What do you feed a boy with all 4 molars?

2008-08-23T23:57:00.004-05:00

Meat & Potatoes

(well, in our case beef brisket & sweet potatoes:)

you will notice the tray is pretty full (though i did have to reload the meat & sweet potatoes 3 times, as soon as they cooled to my liking)

so focused. he would eat the brisket as soon as it touched his tray.

he cleared it the tray and then asked for "moh" (or more, if you don't speak patriot:) what a little ham!

don't be scared of the following attempts to capture the tooth on film:

On Friday 8/22/08, Patriot ended up with his last molar (from the one-year set) & his bottom right tooth (next to the bottom two) popping through.

he thought i was a riot for trying to take pix of the new tooth (didn't even attempt the molar!) for the grandparents. why do they always want proof of these things?

_____________________________________________________________

okay, the following pic has nothing to do with teeth, it was just funny:

after much effort and debate, patriot has lobbied to take possession of Samson's baby blue dog collar (our puppy from before pst was born). yesterday, he crawled and cruised all over the house 'wearing' sam's collar as his bracelet. it was too funny! he LOVES to unload his diaperbag all over the kitchen floor in search of treasure: this time he found some juice snacks. he raised them up to me and asked "moh?" just as i snapped this pic. thankfully it was snack/milk time, so off we went to the living room--his pirated juice snacks in tow:)

______________________________________________________

FIRST STEPS--Saturday August 23, 2008

Much to the dismay of the grandparents, we do not have any action shots yet, BUT Josh & I were both there to witness his first unassisted steps!

_____

It was a lazy saturday afternoon at our house (especially for me 'cause Josh let me take a nap after I fed pst this am:) and we were hangin' out in our living room watching the Olympics on TV when it happened.

As a side note: Patriot has been standing up from a seated position for a couple of weeks, usually holding a small toy or other object in his hand to keep his balance (a mental thing, i guess?) He had been pulling up forever, it seems, but this standing from a seated or sometimes tripod position is new, and seemed to be one step closer to walking. We have tried to get him to walk from one parent to the other, but he just laughs and sits down, if he can't reach out and touch your fingers. He loves to 'walk' holding onto our just our pointer fingers. He holds himself up and propels himself forward with seemingly little effort. Just not brave enough to try it alone, until today.

Back to this afternoon: so when he stood up in front of Josh today he reached out his arms and said, "Come here. Come to me, bubba!" Patriot's little face lit up and he took TWO steps forward and lunged into Josh's arms--Sooooo precious! We tried to get him to walk to me. Nothing. Back to Josh? No way. Just smiled at all of our futile attempts as he stood, then collapsed, laughing all the way to the floor.

Josh looked at me and said, "So is this official?" And I agreed. Yep, this milestone will forever be Patriot's first steps!

After 24 hours of craziness, milestones, and photoshoots, patriot hid behind the chair that is supposed to keep him out of the front hall and gave one last glimpse of that new pearly white.

my baby is quickly growing up...sniff...sniff...weakly smile...yea!

riot & shi shi

2008-08-23T23:39:00.002-05:00

okay, i realize these are not the best quality pix i've ever posted of my son (and our poor dog), however, i couldn't resist snapping a few. patriot has become obsessed with shiloh's hideout, a.k.a. our bed.

while i was changing our sheets this week, shi snuck up on the bed and riot was desperate to join him.

first shi is nervous and riot isn't sure he is allowed to be up on the bed...

but, after a second, shi rolls over and patriot begins to gently pet his tummy (to my urgent, gentle, GENTLE) so pleased with himself:)

this was too cute not to post, but again a little on the blurry side as it was a momentary rest for patriot!

he looked SO cute that i had to sneak in one more shot of him!

Celebrations & Congratulations:)

2008-08-17T22:56:00.005-05:00

It was a week full of fun events from birthdays & baby showers to Baylor graduation (whoo hoo clay:)

i think the slideshow is MUCH better bigger, so click on the link (left, bottom) to open my web-album in a new window and view it that way. if you have to, watch it little. just a strongly worded suggestion:)

Aunt Eeee really wanted to take Patriot to the zoo for her birthday. So, hot as the Texas summer is in August (101 that day?), off we went to Cameron Park Zoo. We did get some great pix, so it was a win, win, win situation.

(okay--that slideshow took it out of me. i will have to blog about the rest of our adventures later:)

Sweet kisses

2008-08-07T22:29:00.001-05:00

Open-mouthed: This has to be the best kind kind of kiss: wet, full-contact, & straight out the bath in his elephant towel.

Don't be alarmed--my dad and Patriot aren't tying to eat each other, it only appears that way on camera! Noni takes her kisses with a little less flair than Grandpa Greg;0)

I think I took about 8 pictures to capture ONE with the ele on his head--this boy does NoT like hoods, hats, or anything touching his beloved hair for more than 1/2 a second!

Patriot has some fun tricks these days and usually enjoys sharing them with others. He can give a kiss, wave/say bye-bye, turn on/off light switches, & place his sippy cup back on the highchair tray after dangling it overboard, just to name a few. Each one takes a little gentle prompting, but the kiss, the current family fave, is definately worth it:)

A Life Well Lived

2008-08-05T15:36:00.003-05:00

So unexpected. This thought popped into my mind as I spoke with my dear friend Haley (wife of Stephen & mother of Isla) two weeks ago as she told me her father-in-law, Dr. Mark, had a stroke on the beach while on vacation in Cape Cod and is in a coma. So unexpected. While his family circles around him in his hospital bed, praying, singing, encouraging one another, the decision has to be made. The doctors confirm Dr. Mark is in a deep coma and the stroke happened in the wake-up center of the brain...Dr. Mark is not going to wake up. So unexpected. The flood of letters via blog, phone calls and prayers from around the world celebrating his life as Dr. Mark wakes up in heaven early Saturday morning, July 26th. So unexpected. E, Josh & I attended his memorial service at FBC McKinney this past Saturday...a short week after his passing from this life to the next. The legacy of Dr. Mark lives on in a mighty way through the lives of his 5 children and 9 grandchildren. Hearing the unique testimony of each one of his children shows that this man lived the life of a good & faithful servant. Meet anyone of the Presleys, or scan a post on their blog (sonofwhale) and you will find that the heart of this man closely echos the God he faithfully served for 62 years...not so unexpected.

Riot & the Goldfish drop

2008-07-31T22:46:00.005-05:00

Whatcha think of our Blog mini make-over? I bet you are wondering why we decided to change our name...well, take a look at this video and I think y'all will catch on:)

Our adorable son Patriot was affectionately given the nick-name Riot by my little bro Clay, while in utero. I jokingly said that we would adopt that name for Patriot once he turned 2, however at the ripe old age of 14 months he has earned this fitting title. Not for the reasons I had envision, but simlply because he is filled with infectious laughter...this kid is a riot!

ps--we are having some technical difficulties w/ the back ground, so bear with us a bit and check back soon.

nic, melissa, & rose-can you believe i figured out how to do a movie? shocking, i know:)

my 13 month old (for 5 more minutes:)

2008-07-30T23:56:00.004-05:00

Sweet baby boy,

This month you were SO busy. Each day it is amazing to me how you grow into a little boy a tiny bit more, yet you are still my baby in so many ways. I cannot believe you will be 14 months old tomorrow!

Today your top right molar popped through and you cried like you did as a tiny baby; nothing worked to cheer you up or make it better for very long. Aunt E sat for you tonight so Daddy and I could go on our date night and you gave her a run for her $. When we got home you cheered up a little (in fact laughed hysterically for about 5 minutes) when Daddy took you outside to throw some black cats (ummm...tiny popping fireworks?). Suddenly, I could see the little boy in your eyes once again.

Your tag line is "aw don" which is translated as "all done, I'm done, look what a good job I did, umm...NO more water, and I'm ready to leave!" Plus many more that haven't been decoded yet. You practice some of your signs, surprising me with "bath" or "thank-you" every now and again, but mostly you carefully try to copy our words.

Tonight you half cruised, half crawled to your highchair, pulled out your cheerios from your snack basket and handed them to me, as if to say, "I'm ready for dinner now"---amazingly enough it was 5 of 6:00 and you were right on time! You still love cheerios and goldfish, but have found yummy things like animal crackers, teddy grahams, pasta (the little wheels and shells are the current fave), strawberries, grilled chicken, and GRAPES.

While you aren't walking on your own yet, you sure have a great system in place to get from point A to point B. Noni says I didn't walk 'til the end of my 14th month, so I'm not holding my breath! In fact, I think you rather enjoy being toted around in my arms--the view is much better from up here:)

You are still nursing twice a day (morning and bedtime) with the exception of the past few days when you had a tummy bug and couldn't have dairy products w/out major issues! We snuck in a couple extra snuggles, feedings, and late nights rocking together as your first two molars (Sunday and today) broke through during the tummy virus. whew...and they wonder why we don't blog more;)

I love you my son and enjoy each day the Lord gives me as your Mama.

love always,
mama

patriot's new girlfriend?

2008-07-22T23:59:00.003-05:00

These two cuties were caught by the paparazzi holding hands: Isla Catherine & Patriot Shane. Could it be love at first sight? Maybe one day they will be classmates at good ole' Baylor U. Sadly for Mr. Patriot, Isla will be heading back to the isle of Scotland at the end of the week:(

________________________________________________________________

Happy 4 month birthday Isla:)

Some stats on this sweet baby:

she is on holiday in texas, but was born and will be bred in scotland while her daddy works on yet another fab degree!
her mum and dad (Haley & Stephen) were close friends of our in college (hales was one of my roomies:)
she was born after 30 crazy hours of labor by a midwife (in a scottish hospital) in the chilly march
she weighed in at 9 lb at birth, but she still looks little to me compared to my little chunk
her hairbow arsenal is full thanks to her aunt lauren :)
she is very bubbly, however is vocal about her desires to eat & sleep (who isn't?) like a certain 13month-old i know:)

Happy 1st Birthday to you, Patriot:)

2008-06-30T13:49:00.002-05:00

Party pix:) hmm...party pic

okay--i'm gonna post at least this ONE pic so it shows up on-line for all to see. i'm still working out all the picture kinks w/ the new computer. but, i decided i better get something up before i have to turn in my blog card:( or get shunned from the entire blogging community!

i L-O-V-E birthdays and our zoo party for pst was no exception! it was SO fun that it got to be held on his actual birthday (may 31st for all y'all keepin track). we invited over many friends and fam (adults and tots alike) to party like animals for Patriot's first big bash.

destination mother's day!

2008-06-04T22:25:00.001-05:00

okay, i realize this is backing up a bit, but between our may of mother's day travels and pst's 1st birthday, some things got put on hold!

we had the crazy idea of meeting in hillsboro for mother's day and having ALL immediate famiy members (tetens & wheelers) join us. to add to this crazyness, we decided to also go spend the night w/ each set of grandparents--in arlington & plano--the following two weekends. here are some great pix from the lonestar cafe:

above is the teten's clan: Great Pop, Big Pop, Lita, Aunt Shannon w/ Patriot & Daddy

and my 'rents: Grandpa Greg and Noni holding PST

(note: aunt eeee, uncle clay, and papa were there too but somehow didn't make the pix from this camera. shortly after this photo shoot, the it was discovered that the keys to our highlander were locked inside--but that's a story for another post:)

my 10 month old- (for one more night:)

2008-04-30T00:21:00.001-05:00

okay--that was my first pix transfer from picasa and now i'm not sure how to label my pix...hmmm.

well, i will try to post the next slide show tomorrow, but since patriot will be 11 months old tomorrow (i can bearly type that, let alone SAY it aloud) i'd better do a little posting!
________________________________________________________
my precious son,

this month you:
*learned to L-O-V-E cheerios! you eat them at virtually every meal.
*perfected your party tricks (bear growl, clapping cued by 'yea', and GOAL!)
*signed BACK to me MORE and ALL DONE (my fave) but no longer sign MILK (was so cute!)
*learned to wave bye-bye with word cues
*said ma-ma (it started last wed 4/23 and you faithfully said it all weekend for everyone to hear:)
*tried the 'real' form of many of your fave foods from sweet potatoes, apples, all types of breakfast foods.
*started eating breakfast (ummm...i hope your pediatrician doesn't read our blog;)
*found out many of your friends are going to be big brothers and sisters (congrats to the gals who kicked off round #2 in playgroup)
*officially fit into your 9 month clothing:)
*still HEART nursing, though we are down to 3 feedings a day.
*said good-bye to your one of your best baby friends, colin--but don't worry, we are already planning a family trip to DC together for the fall!

i love you little man, more than this blog could ever say. each day with you is a gift and i wouldn't trade it for the world.

love,
mama

Adios, Cochran Family :(

2008-04-24T00:19:00.002-05:00

SO sad to see you go today. our last trip to the zoo, our last run thru bush's for chicken and root beer, and our last playdate for the boys (ok, mostly for us:) i know florida will be thrilled to welcome you to their beachy state, but texas (especially waco) is sad to see you go so suddenly. patriot and i will greatly miss our zoo buddies and will have to find many excuses to visit over the coming years. so rare to find family friends such as y'all. this is me trying to be excited for you...is it working?

miss you already:(

The Best Of Easter 2008

2008-04-08T01:43:00.002-05:00

ok, don't know why this is so tiny, but if you hover on the left side at the bottom, you can click on the album name (Easter Slides O8) which takes you to bigger pix. select "slideshow" once you get to the new page of picasa to see my babe full-screen! mom, you can even order prints, if you like.

enjoy!

ps--this 2 hour labor of love was for you nic, melis, and noni!

One Armed Spanish Rose...

2008-03-28T12:28:00.004-05:00

Well, the title is a nod to my brother Clay's most recent play Bye Bye Birdie as well as Cam and Josh's new fave nick-name for me! Thanks for your tact in the matter, men.

So the last week of February held all kinds of excitement for our little family. From me breaking my arm and spraining my wrist to Patriot reaching milestones left and right--- we were quite busy. Now that I have pretty well regained my fine motor skils (pecking out keys w/ one hand is SO frustrating!), you can all share in the story:

2.27.08 It all started on a sunny Wednesday morning moments before we left our house for Toddler Time at Central Library. Shannon and Larka (my sis-in-law & mom-in-law) were in town to hang out with Patriot and I on their day off, and we are on our way out the door when it happened. I was standing on the side porch stoop holding the baby carrier over my left arm, keys poised to lock the door in my right hand. Glancing quickly over my shoulder, I stepped back to get out of the way so Larka could get out before I locked the door and BAM! Apparently I misjudged the step down and fell straight back, clinging to the carrier/Patriot with my left and bracing our fall with my right. In my mind I was falling in SLO MO, but somehow the rest of the details are still fuzzy. They helped me set Pate down (I was still hugging the carrier to my body--much to Patriot's confusion) and checked to see if I'd hit my head too hard. Only my arm and my bum hurt but decided all I needeed was a little ice, to pop a couple tylonnel and we would continue to the Library as planned.

Long story short, I ended up calling the doc, just to check in, and they decided I should come in for x-rays. AAAAhhhh! I knew I would be paying the $40 co-pay for nothing, but it was better than not knowing.

After two rounds of x-rays and my arm nearly doubling in size, they decide that I have 'evidence of break' but cannot exactly see where in my elbow I'm broken! Without much explanation, I'm put in a hard, mold to your body split, ace bandaged, put in a sling and sent on my way. I tried to protest, "I'm still nursing 4 times a day, my son isn't even 9 months old yet, who will pick him up?" Dr. Stern (that's really his name:) said he would redo the x-rays in about 2 weeks, and to not shower (WHAT?) or take it off before then to give it a chance to heal. Thankfully we were headed to my parent's house in Plano that weekend and mom had a few bath skills up her sleeve!

During the next two weeks Patriot learned to crawl at a pretty quick pace, pull himself up to standing inside his crib (we figured that out at 4am the Saturday after the big break!), causing Josh to have to lower his mattress, all the while bringing in his 4 top front teeth---WHEW!

Additionally we traveled back and forth (and mom made a couple trips our way) so that I would have someone w/ me 24/7 on baby duty! Not changing a diaper for 3 weeks, blissfull. Not being able to successfully hold, rock and cuddle your precious babe to sleep at night for 3 weeks, heartbreaking.

As of last week's x-ray, we are in the clear on the break (thank-you Jesus!), but I had to wear an ace bandage on my wrist when he discovered the sprain. Seriously? At the end of that week I hosted Easter for our Fam's at our house---we were just asking for trouble, right? More about that later though.

Thanks for all of the prayers you lifted on our behalf during this interesting chapter in our lives:0)

my 8 month old!

2008-02-04T12:46:00.000-06:00

1~31~08 I cannot believe we have had Patriot out of the belle for EIGHT months! Everyday, it seems, he learns something new, which is amazing to watch as a parent. Indescribable is my love for our sweet Patriot Shane.

This past month he is loving:

sitting up by himself and reeeeeeaching for his toys

scooting and rocking when he works himself down from the prefered sitting position

blowing razzberries (though not so much at meal time anymore, whew!),

his teeth: which are his newest accessories and double as toy for his tongue

flashing us with his dazzling smile that melts hearts all over Texas

bathtime is FINALLY fun for all envolved

stage TWO peaches, pineapples, oranges & green beans (all pureed of course!)

saying HiiiiiDada or Da Dee (i promise it sounds just like that, and the child annunciates!) when he sees Josh or something exciting

bouncing around in his exersaucer like popcorn

making the big move into size 3 diapers (officially happened the end of our Mexico trip)

Thing he is hatin' on:

going down for bedtime or naptime by himself (usually, i will add:)
laying on his back while his diaper is being changed. why not on his tummy? he says!
shoes; okay, he's not hating on these, he would just rather eat them then wear them
3-6 months clothes are on their last legs at our house.

I SOLD mine!

2008-01-31T23:44:00.000-06:00

Okay, the title's a bit of a misnomer, but I've been waiting for nearly a year to say that about the condo! Technically the Tetens sold the condo today thru our awesome realtor Ginny Davis:)

Thanks to all of you who have lifted up the sale of the condo this week. It took a few extra days to finalize everything, but we were notified by the title company around lunch-time today that the new owners came in and signed the paperwork (my in-laws signed in advance and overnighted their paperwork). After it being 'officially' on the market 8 months (Patriot was born 8 months ago today , crazy huh:) God finally brought the buyer in His time, and with His sense of humor the guy that bought it is starting BU Law on Monday! I can still hardly believe it. After months of prayer that the Lord so clearly answered this one. May you be encouraged:)

BTW--one of my big blogging hang-ups has been wanting a pic with every post, BUT my friend angela reminded me tonight that while pix are fun, they are keeping me from posting on a more regular basis. so above is my first picture-less post; enjoy!

First Tooth...or should I say teeth?

2008-01-28T19:47:00.000-06:00

For MONTHS I have been writing off any fussiness with Patriot or hiccup in schedule to 'teething'. Seriously, since he was about 3 1/2 or 4 months old he exhibited all of the classic teething signs from crazy drooling and rubbing everything on his gums for days at a time. Some say Patriot has a little flair for the dramatic (like his mom?) so my guess is he has been setting the stage for this momentous event for quite a while.

It all went down 3 weeks ago tonight (1/7/08). That Monday night Patriot had a weird crying fit that ended in bleeding gums. All we can figure is that he bumped his sore gums with a toy or had a little blood blister that popped as his teeth were on their way up to break the gum line. I checked for a tooth at that point, but nothing yet. So, the next morning I dropped him off for his weekly visit to Mother's Day Out. He smiled and blew me a razzberry as I left, seemingly well adjusted. About an hour later I realized I missed a call on my cell, but before I can check the message, the same # calls again. Suddenly I'm speaking directly with the Mother's Day Out Coordinator, who says they have been trying to calm Patriot down for the entire time I've been gone and nothing is working. Thoughts flood my mind as I rush (safely drive, I mean, mom:) to the church. Is he sick? Is he hurt? I wish he could talk! Did I eat something that didn't agree with him? AHHHHH!!!

By the time I arrived Patriot was at the point of just shuddering and looking bleary eyed, but was no longer crying. As soon as his teacher handed him over, he immediately looked relieved and began trying to use my hand as a teething toy (better than anything we can buy in stores and sometimes just as sanitary!). Ouch! I looked down to see what had so sharply poked me and realized that Patriot bit me with his first tooth!!! After a more thorough inspection I confirmed to his much relieved teachers that his bottom middle tooth on the right side had popped thru. Moments later he was once again blowing razzberries, but I decided we had enough excitement for one day and we headed home.

That afternoon he took a three hour nap, whew! Then the process started over again as the second bottom tooth (left side) began it's accent and popped thru the gum line on Wednesday morning. It was very difficult to get a picture of these two gems at first, but now he proudly shows them off:)

PS. i normally don't post pix of my kid in freshly spit-up upon clothes, but the teeth shot outweighed cleanliness this time! this was the best out of the shoot!

New Year, New Post--shocking, i know:)

2008-01-04T22:39:00.000-06:00

okay my friends,

it has been quite some time since you have seen or heard from us on the web, but now i'm back! i won't promise to blog daily or anything but at least more often than the last gap. our life has been crazy lately (as have most of your lives, i'm sure:)

somehow the computer and patriot are on opposite schedules. our son loves to sleep-in (after his first morning feed), therefore he up late into the evening. the computer goes to work with josh and returns at various times in the evening. as sidenote, patriot has made a rare appearance in his bed before 10:30, thus leaving me with a few minutes for blogging.

i have all kinds of adventures to share, and the longer i wait to blog, the more adventures we have. i think this might be part of the problem. when i do have a moment on the computer, i think i have to fill everyone in on everything! so, unfortunately you will not be caught up on the last 3+ months play by play, but i will put up some fun pix for you to see what we have been up to in the next post.

see you soon!

*the above pic is an example of what happens when your parents get ahold of your camera and your son. napkin wearing (or in this case cute burpcloth wearing) runs in our family.

Fun Firsts...

2007-09-14T01:19:00.000-05:00

PLAYGROUP:
Our first official playgroup was at the Wilson's house down the street. As you can see, Patriot and Tristan dressed up for the occasion! Who doesn's love jammies?
Eventhough our babies are young, playgroup offers some much needed mommy interaction. The tips, advice, and support I've gotten from the other gals has been wonderful.

HIGHCHAIR:
On Labor Day we had a little cookout (even in the rain:) with the Wheeler kids. Patriot joined us at the table for the feast in his brand-new high chair that adapts for infants (thanks Lita and Pop:) We feasted on some YUM italian style pesto burgers, grilled corn on the cobb and josh's famous guacamole. Pate was asleep before the meal ended, but Uncle Sam on his onesie said it all "I want YOU to change my diaper!"

NIGHT IN HIS CRIB:
Many of you know Patriot has been sleeping on my nightstand in his Moses basket for the past 3 months. I started letting him nap in his crib last Wednesday (inside of his moses:) Last Thursday we put him down for his evening "nap" after his 9:00 feeding and he slept til the morning! I was SURE he would wake up in the middle of the night and need me, so I slept on a mattress in the middle of his bedroom floor. Boy was I surprised when the boy woke me at 8:15 am the next day! He hearts his new room. Now, if I can just be brave enough to take him out of Moses!

our little tiger

2007-09-05T21:40:00.000-05:00

Here is a sweet pix of Patriot in Josh's "coming home" outfit. The Tetens got a kick out of seeing their grandson in this very special outfit.
One day i will upload the pic of Josh in it 28 years ago:) If anyone has ideas on restoring a faded photo, let me know!

Elvis and giggles!

2007-08-24T10:16:00.000-05:00

Hilarious!

A couple of weeks ago my brother Clay donned some Elvis gear for a little gig at the Elite Cafe. I finally snagged the pix from my mom's cam when she was in town this week. Pate liked the King's sparkly apparel and wasn't fooled by his uncle's disguise!

Bumbo Bumbo!

2007-08-24T09:30:00.000-05:00

We LOVE our Bumbo Seat! This was Patriot's first day to try out his new perch and Noni captured this cutie pose:) Mom (aka Noni) has been such a help these past few months. Pate loves to cuddle and sleep on his Noni so I can get some things done around the house and run some much needed errands. Hurray for grand- moms!

This pic is becoming a favorite on computer wallpapers across the state:) We've finally started capturing the dimple--isn't he handsome?

my two month old!

2007-08-05T22:43:00.000-05:00

Patriot officially became 2 months old on Tuesday July 31st, however life has been a little crazy lately so this post is a bit of a catch up!

Road Trip

Patriot and I took our first solo (duo?) road trip to Plano on the 24th to see some MK and college friends. It was quite an adventure as we attended an fun fiesta dinner at MaryKay corporate, lunched with my college roomie Haley, attended a bit of MK seminar in downtown, and hung out with the fam.

Everything takes longer and seems to pose new challanges with a baby. Whether that is getting ready for an event or trying to stay sane at one! By the time P and I arrived for the tour of MK corporate offices, he decided he was starving again. The sweet mk staff showed us a private tour of the offices as they led us to the specially designed "Mother's Room" for nursing. I was able to snap a pic of the happy camper before we attended the dinner. My sweet dad occupied him while I enjoyed fellowshipping with my sister consultants at the yummy fiesta dinner.

The Blow-out--The next day we met Hales for lunch at the fabulous lucheon spot Breadwinners. Pate woke up fussy right after our lunch arrived, so we decided to take turns holding him. Unfortunately, my adorable son decided to have a HUGE diaper blow-out in Haley's arms :( I mean a costume change worthy event with screams to boot! She was definately a good sport, but Pate and I had to make a quick exit to the bathroom. I walk in the ladies room and it doesn't take long to figure out there is no where to change my child, not even a countertop or chair! By the time i finish my 360, a mom and her two daughters enter the bathroon, blocking my exit. She instantly sizes up the situation and says, "Here's what we are going to do: I will hold him in my arms while you clean him up and change him. Does he take a pacifier?" (Oh yeah, did i forget to mention that i cannot find either of the two pacifiers i know we left plano with? I've already been out to the car and torn apart my diaper bag--more on that later...) I sheepishly admit that I don't have one with me, as my child's screams get louder. She says, "Well, that would have been helpful about now, but let's get started!" So, picture me, changing my child in mid-air on a stranger while her two adorable children pepper us with questions and Pate loudly protests. I'm tired remembering it all! Since I don't have paci, she suggests that I nurse him when i return to the table, well really it was more expectation than a suggestion! I hadn't planned on nursing him, since it's still quite a 30 minute an ordeal, but I decide to do an abrivated version instead. Our table was somewhat secluded, but it was still bit odd to be breastfeeding in public among the business men and women having lunch meetings! Funny, if I had whipped out a bottle to feed him no one would have batted an eyelash. Why is breastfeeding so strange in our culture these days?

Two Month Check Up:

Monday the 30th was shot day and new reflux meds day. He weighted in at almost 9 lbs and 21 inches, so thankfully he is growing, slowly but surely. We asked Dr. B about switching to Previcid he agreed that we should try it for the next month to see if we notice a difference. So far I've noticed a lot less choking and gagging, but some of the tummy troubles are still evident.

Thanks to all of our friends and family who have checked in on us, provided meals, and cuddled with our son for the first 2 crazy months of his life:)

7 weeks old & happy birthday asa!

2007-07-21T17:24:00.000-05:00

This week we celebrated the new life of Asa Owen Sutton! Meredith, Seth and proud big brothers, Isaac and Noah, were very ready to meet little Asa who was 2 days overdue and born Wednesday 7/18 at 4:42am. Everyone is doing well and enjoying family time at their home just 2 blocks away from our new home:)

Mere is amazed that our babies are nearly the same size and mine is 7 wks old!

Asa and Patriot's first playdate

Patriot is gaining weight (now just over 8 lbs:) and battling reflux. Our poor guy is hungry and eating to keep up with his growth spurt, but then chokes and gags before and after meals. This makes for some interesting nights at the Tetens' house. We have had our moms over the past two weeks help us out so we could get a little shut eye and a few more boxes unpacked. Thanks Noni and Lita!!! (and of course we have to shout out to our local baby-sitters, Aunt Erin and Uncle Clay;)

Friday night we had some excitement and almost an emotional breakdown from me as Pate took his first bottle. I prepared Josh by letting him know that Patriot might be confused and not take to the bottle. WRONG...my child latched on to that thing and sucked it dry in about 5 minutes flat! I was devestated for a few minutes until I assured myself that the only reason he liked the bottle was because it was my milk (and was quickly awarded my place back as his fav spot for a drink just 2 hours later:) Ahhh, the joys of motherhood---hormones and milk can throw you into a tizzy!!!

daddy and patriot's 1st bottle experience

we were both shocked and pate was exhausted!

6 wks old already!

2007-07-12T23:29:00.000-05:00

Can it be? My little boy was born 6 weeks ago today. I know many of y'all have heard the story, but for fun, let's tell it again:

May 31st, 2007

8:00am- show up for work at Care Net on what will be my LAST day of work (unbeknownst to me) to attend staff devotional

9:00-meet josh and the morrison's at the title company to close on our first house.

9:40-the paperwork is DONE the house is OURS aaaaannd

9:45-my water breaks in the foyer of the title company on our way out the door! i run to the bathroom thinking, no this really isn't happening today, is it?

9:50-josh is on the phone with the doc's office and we are racing toward the hospital.

10:00-check in at our doc's office (attached to the hospital) and my sweet dr. micus checks me and says "congrats--you are going to have a baby today" i'm already at 3cm and 75% effaced. still hasn't hit me.

10:15- i'm wheeled up to the L&D floor where i spend the next 4 hours waiting for contractions to start, calling friends and relatives, have a visit from nickster and tristan.

2:15pm-because my water has broken, but my contractions have not, i'm started on a petocin drip to hurry things along so infection will not be a problem for me or the babe.

3:30-i begin to feel some pretty intense contractions in my BACK but they do not show up on the monitor!

5:00- i'm now at 5cm and the pain in my back was so crazy, i began researching some pain management and the process for the epidural began.

5:45-the epi takes effect, everywhere except my back, which ended up a blessing in disguse b/c contractions are still not showing up on the monitors.

6:00ish-the doc on call (chancellor) checks me to find that i'm at a 9 and just have a little to go before he will let me start pushing.

???-the next bit of the time line is fuzy as the pushing begins, people are in and out to the room, and a shift change takes place. in the pushing stage(which lasted about 1 hour & 45 minutes) of labor i told the nurse, josh and my mom when i was ready to push based on what i felt in my back. at various times during pushing my mom, larka (josh's mom) my sister erin and josh were my pushing and breathing coaches.

7:45pm-in the end, mom and josh were there by my side as gave the final push and patriot emerged. josh cut the cord, and snapped 2 pix before the nurses began to sense a problem. my feelings of relief and joy were quickly replaced with tense and anxious air about the room as they monitored his breathing and realized he needed help. i was able to quickly kiss my son as he was wisked away to the nursery.

it took over 5 hours before josh and i were finally able to see our son. i cried as i held his tiny hand. all of the monitors and machines were overwhelming to us new parents.

four days later we were able to hold our son for the first time. the next day patriot and i attempted the dance of breastfeeding and i've been feeding him 8-10 times a day ever since!

there are other crazy details of our story, but i will add in our adventures one-by-one as to not overwhelm my faithful readers OR myself:)

here is a recent pic for your viewing pleasure:

Patriot has ARRIVED!

2007-06-30T01:10:00.000-05:00

Thanks to all my sweet friends who posted our news! I will add more details later but here are a few pix:

6 months: the moment you have all been waiting for...

2007-03-12T22:31:00.000-05:00

_____________________________________
pa·tri·ot
n.
One who loves, supports, and defends one's country.

[French patriote, from Old French, compatriot, from Late Latin patriôta, from Greek patriôtçs, from patrios, of one's fathers, from patçr, patr-, father.]
_____________________________________
1 Peter 2:9
But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

Psalm 33:12-22:12
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.

We could have you start guessing his middle name, but we've put you through enough torture for one pregnancy. His middle name will be Shane, same as his daddy's middle name.

Not only do we want Patriot to adore this beloved USof A, we want him to help this nation rise up to honor our Lord. May he be a strong leader, grounded in his faith.

blessings,
kelly, josh, & baby patriot shane

Patriot's World: (i've waited months to write that, nic!)

Your baby's growing steadily, gaining about a quarter of a pound since last week, when he was just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long, that makes a pretty lean figure, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon put on more baby fat. Your baby's skin is thin, translucent, and wrinkled, his brain is growing rapidly, and his taste buds are developing. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" and cells that produce surfactant, a substance that helps the air sacs inflate easily.
Your baby can hear more and more now, and you may even notice his startle at loud, sudden noises. But he's probably getting used to the regular noises he hears around the house, such as your dog barking or the roar of a vacuum cleaner. Many new parents are surprised by how unfazed their newborns seem by sounds like these, but if you think about it, they've had months to get accustomed to them.

a few more cruise pix...

2007-03-06T00:01:00.000-06:00

How we began and ended our trip--with our sweet friends the Watsons.

What 7 days of eating will do to ya.
(j/k--but am i really that preggo?)

four little words made our tummies SO happy:

warm chocolate melting cake (yes, again)

great photo op in Cozumel

a sweet ship!

a cool ship--ice sculptures are amazing!

Ooodles and ooodles of yum!

little us, big boat (ha to the little me anymore!))

margaritaville view from the booze cruise!

Josh enjoying the water activities.

Jimmy Buffet's MARGARITAVILLE

(well, i enjoyed a small virgin strawberry daquri)

We heart our towel animals! (this could be a pig or a pup,

depending upon your interpretation!)

Self portrait over the railing on formal night.

Our fabulous table for 2!

Warm Chocolate Melting Cake and Creme Brulee--YUM!

Bon Voyage!

New PIX above--start from here and work your way up!

josh and i cuddling a sting-ray in Grand Cayman

our new friend smiles for the camera!

week # 23-back to reality

2007-03-05T23:49:00.000-06:00

Matthew 11:28:
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

And rest we did this week! Seven glorious days of eating, sleeping, snokeling and relaxing! Our cruise was the perfect getaway "Babymoon". Designed especially for preggos, we enjoyed late mornings, delish foods every 3 hours, and had room stewards to take care of the cleaning and straightening-- heavenly=:0) One activity we enjoyed daily was our 2 hour dinner for 2, which ended every night with warm chocolate melting cake & a glass of cold milk--YUM!

(ps--josh added a little flavor to the writing this week so enjoy!)

We had 3 unique ports of call, Jamaica, Grand Cayman & Cozumel. Jamaica had pretty scenery, but the snokeling was lacking. Cozumel's reef was in pretty rough shape post-hurricane, but Grand Cayman made up for it...we loved it! From kissing giant sting-rays to basking next to crystal clear water that looked too good to be true, we hated to leave! I'm thinking a little villa there one day will be nice ;)

Tonight we had our second baby class (aka childbirth classes!)...I have to say my favorite part was when one guy asked the pediatrician, "what do you think about last minute gender changes"? Yeah, that's right, mr. smarty pants didn't trust the two sonograms and didn't want to have to return the girl clothes he already bought...I still don't think he understood the baby's gender was set, i.e. there's no "last minute" gender changes...only in waco ;)

However, on that note, to all those out there already getting our baby enough clothes and toys to last him and his future siblings and their future siblings into the next century...you better save your receipts :)

Still no winners on the guessing game, so keep trying! Did we mention the letters may NOT be in order? (you can think josh for this one ;) hmmm...

Your letter for the week is T.

blessings,
kelly, josh, & baby boy

Our sweet baby's world:
Your baby is more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound. He may be able to feel your movements now, so put on some fun tunes and dance around the house. No matter what race your baby is, his skin is red and wrinkled at this stage and will likely look pink or reddish at birth. Blood vessels that show through your baby's transparent skin cause this coloration. His true skin tone will develop over the course of his first year.
Blood vessels in your baby's lungs are developing to prepare him for breathing, but complete lung development will take many more months. The lungs are the last organ to fully develop in babies. That's why premature babies (those born before 37 weeks) often have such a hard time breathing. Babies born this week have a chance of surviving with the help of intensive medical care, but their risk of serious complications is very high.

week # 22-ships ahoy!

2007-03-05T16:57:00.000-06:00

Psalm 127:3:
3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him.

After our CrAzY last few weeks of work, Josh and officially settled on our Babymoon plans. We initially had wanted to take a trip to the big apple, however we came across deal we couldn't pass up! We snagged one of the last remaining spots on a Carribean cruise to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozymel. To top it off we are getting to visit with our friends the Watsons for some fun and food in Houston. We will be sure to snap some pix to upload when we return!

Our sweet baby has been on the move lately. The kicks and little movements have gotten much stronger the last week or so. It's kinda crazy because the baby is moving around deep inside my belle, so no one can feel it but me right now. I'm excited for him to start floating up so he will be kicking out for Josh to feel. It still startles me when he starts moving around, but as soon as I stop what I'm doing to concentrate on him, he stops! He does seem to especially like Whopper's Robins Eggs---he starts moving like crazy when I'm indulging in them! Josh thinks it's just the sugar, but he doesn't start dancing with just any sugary treat! Maybe he will be a malt lover like his mom=:0)

On Thursday we went over to the Wilson's to check on the new mom and baby. Tristan is SO precious and a great sleeper. Nic looks amazing and is loving her new job as Tristan's mommy. It was so fun to watch her in new role, caring for her sweet little boy. Crazy to think that will be her checking on me in a few months! At the request of her mother, I kidnapped Nic and took her on a quick trip to Target. We had fun hanging out for a little and shopping (of course) before I headed back to work. She is great at giving me tips and glimpses into my future!

I had so much fun reading your guesses! So far no one has guessed it, so keep trying! Don't y'all love surprises?
Your letter for the week is A.

blessings,
kelly, josh, & baby boy

Our sweet baby's world:
Your baby now looks like a miniature newborn, checking in at 10.9 inches and almost 1 pound. His skin will continue to appear wrinkled until he gains enough weight to fill it out, and the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his head and body is now visible. His lips are becoming more distinct, and the first signs of teeth are appearing as buds beneath her gum line. His eyes are developed, though the iris (the colored part of the eye) still lacks pigment. Eyelids and eyebrows are in place, and his pancreas, essential for hormone production, is developing steadily.

week # 21-happy b-day tristan & caden!

2007-03-05T16:54:00.000-06:00

1 Corinthians 134-7 Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love doesn't strut, Doesn't have a swelled head, Doesn't force itself on others, Isn't always "me first," Doesn't fly off the handle, Doesn't keep score of the sins of others, Doesn't revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end.

Love was definitely in the air this week and it was SO exciting! Valentine's Day brought many surprises, from Tristan's morning debut, to an evening dining at the zoo, to Melissa & Cary's baby, Caden, beginning his journey into our world late that night. He wanted his own birthday, so he waited until after midnight then after one big push he arrived=:) Check out my blog for more details on our eventful Valentine's Day at www.mylifeisafiesta.blogspot.com . (warning: it's a work in progress!)

I was astonished when Josh gave me tickets to the Mating Game---a special event the Waco Zoo puts on every year for Valentine's. Since I didn't know what to expect (only Josh had seen the itinerary) every aspect of the date was a surprise. Our night began with dinner in the aquarium, then we had a photo op with the baby hedgehogs while we watched a special feeding of the paddlefish. These fish are cool because they unhinge their jaws like sharks then float though a sea of plankton to collect their meal. Next we were led on private 'behind the scenes' tour of the aquarium, the small cat house, and other barns around the zoo property. Since it was like 20 degrees outside, we bundled up on golf carts and headed out to see the giraffes, rhinos and lions. My favorite part of the night was hanging out with the huge giraffes that let us hand feed them! Craziness! This will go down in history as one of Josh's most creative dates as well as baby's first trip to the zoo!

Okay, we have heard all of the fussin' about not knowing baby t's name, so here is the plan: each week y'all will get ONE letter until the name is revealed.

Your letter for the week is P.

blessings,
kelly, josh, & baby boy

Our sweet baby's world:

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long. His eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed. Your baby is really on the move now. Fetal researchers say babies move about 50 times an hour even while sleeping. All that movement helps stimulate your baby's physical and mental development. You may not notice 50 kicks, punches, and twirls during the day, but as you're settling down at night don't be surprised if your little guy seems ready to dance the night away. Why does he wait for nightfall, just when you're trying to get some rest? It's true that he's oblivious to your schedule, but he's probably not moving any more than he did during the day. You're just more likely to notice his calisthenics when you're quiet and still.

Baby Update!

2007-02-19T23:51:00.000-06:00

Sorry Ladies! Here is the baby update:

In Waco:
Tristan was able to cuddle w/ his mom and dad a few hours after birth, but was still having some trouble breathing. He was hooked up to special monitor but that only lasted a day. On Thursday he learning how eat from his mom and began a little fever. He ended up staying in the hospital until Saturday to watch his temp. When I spoke w/ Nic last night she said that she was LOVING being a mom and having so much fun with Tristan. He is eating well and looking cute! I snuck in two visits while they were at the hospital, but he was eating both times. I will plan to see him this week before Josh and I leave on our babymoon, so i will have more pix then.

In Colorado:
Melissa's sweet baby, Caden Gary, was born around 12:30 midnight which was technically 2/15! They braved the Colorado snow to the hospital over an hour away from their house in record time. Melissa quickly progressed and felt ready to push right after the doc did his final check to see she was at a 10. The doctor was sans gown and with only one glove on, but Caden was on his way out into the world. Once the second glove was in place, she finished her push and out he came. Cary called to share the good news and I was able to visit with Melissa for a little. It was hard to know I couldn't be up at the hospital with her to meet her newest little bundle, so I had to live vicariously through the pix Cary sent!

For now check the girls' blogs to see their sweet babies faces!

Valentine's Day--Happy Birthday Tristan!

2007-02-14T22:24:00.000-06:00

Craziness! I can't believe the Nicki's big day finally is here! Tristan arrived after a long night at 8:37am (ish--well, that's when the text message went through on Brad's phone!) this morning. He is 7lbs 2 oz and 20 1/2 in long!

So here is my version of the story:
This morning (valentine's day) as i'm running out the door for work i see that i've missed not one, but TWO phone calls from nickster. panicked because the calls were at 11pm and 4am---ahhhh, i couldn't dial my voicemail fast enough! The first one 11pm: her water has broken and now they are on their way to hospital b/c she is strep b positive and they need to get her onto antibiotics. Phone call two 4am: she was at 10cm and felt like they were going to let her push soon.
Well, since it was 8:00, i figured the little guy had already been welcomed into the world so i tried the hospital and her phone--no answer. More than a little concerned, i call the gals at work and head over to the hospital (down the road from work). Well, my preggo brain gets a little distracted on my way there and I FORGOT to exit and ended up in like Robinson facing a McDonald's. Now, does anyone remember Nic's big post-delivery request? COFFEE! Real, non-hospital BLACK coffee (well, i did include some sugars and creme just in case!) So I swung the drive-thru and picked up my fav breakfast meal (in case they weren't hungry, the baby and I would be set!)
So I arrive on scene, coffee & breakfast in hand on my way to room 533. I bust pass the waiting room, nurses station, and knock on the door. "Come in" i hear--so I open the door slowly and see a room FULL of nurses, Nic's legs in the air, and both mom's with smiley teary faces. I catch Brent's eye and nervously smile as a nurse walks towards me and says the baby will be out in just a minute if i want to wait at the door. I shrug and say that I just was bringing her breakfast and set it on the counter, sheepishly.
I head back out to the waiting room where i see the rest of the Wilson/Fretty clan I zoomed by on my way in. I hang our with them for about 10 minutes or so before Brad receives a text message "He is born!". But then it's like 10 more minutes until Mimi (Nic's good friend and L&D nurse) stopped in to see us and said that she couldn't give the details, but that Tristan wasn't breathing very well, he was singing ( a sign of distress) instead of crying. We wait AGAIN for Brent to come in and divulge the details. He is very proud of his sweet wife but still seemed worried about his new baby. Since Nic hasn't been able to hold him yet, they are waiting for people to come back to the room. About 9:30 the mom's come back to the waiting room and let us know that they are running tests on Tristan. The are crying as they talk about it, but still have huge smiles that nothing will dim. I have to head back to work, so I give Pam my number and she promises to call with an update.

More later...

week # 20-it's a..

2007-02-14T22:06:00.000-06:00

2 Samuel 7:14
I will be his father, and he will be my son.

...BOY!

It appears as though the boy votes came from behind and won the game! Seriously, we are just as shocked as many of you! However, we are THRILLED to be having a baby boy and we will have so much fun showing him off to you in just a few short months. Between LeVec and my mom, he will be the best dressed baby boy this side of New York!

Half-way there and our suspense is finally over, at least as far as the gender department goes! Our little man gave quite a perfomance during the ultrasound which was caught on film by our stellar sonographer. I hope to figure out how to clearly up load some of his fabulous photos, soon.

I don't know how many of you have experienced the crazyiness of having to drink oodles and oodles of water, then have some mash right on your bladder for 40 minutes! It's crazy! This is especially fun if your son decides to play hide and go seek in your hipbone! In an effort to bring the shy guy into a more visable area of my body, the nurse tried everything from inverting the table i was on (those little things are quite skinny and precarious!), to rolling me over on my side and mashing on his little apartment, and finally digging deep under my pancaked bladder to get a good view of him. When he finally shifted from his indian style seating arrangement we were able to see his boy parts quite clearly, much to the nurse's apparent relief!

I think Josh and I appeared a little dazed and confused when we left the clinic with huge smiles on our faces. Since the verdict was boy, it was Josh's job to pick our date night activity and restaurant for dinner. He kinda laughed when we got in the car, saying he hadn't really thought much about it, since he was convinced we were having a girl! He decided a trip to the park with Shiloh would be appropriate, followed by dinner at RoadHouse. Our time together was fun and it was neat marveling together at the fact that we were having a boy. But, y'all know us, we couldn't keep this secret for long=:)

We gathered the Wheeler kiddo's that night for their annoucement, which especially pleased Clay with his very last minute boy vote. The next day we unvailed the surprise to our friends at work with more balloons (pink and red decoys surrounding an "It's a Boy" balloon!) Friday at work the chocolate fountain flowed blue in celebration. Over the weekend we took a trip to the metroplex to announce this crazy news to our parents and grandparents at Joe's Crab Shack. We presented a strong case (lots of good solid evidence) to lead them to the proper conclusion---we're having a BOY! We love a chance to celebrate!

Thanks to y'all for your sweet words of encouragement and love for our unborn son!

blessings,
kelly, josh, & baby boy t

Our sweet baby's world:

We've made it to the halfway mark — congratulations! Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom, and about 10 inches from head to heel. (For the first 20 weeks, we use measurements taken from the top of the baby's head to his bottom — known as the "crown to rump" measurement. After that, we use measurements from head to toe. This is because a baby's legs are curled up against his torso during the first half of pregnancy and are very hard to measure.)
A greasy white substance called vernix caseosa coats your baby's entire body to protect his skin during its long submersion in amniotic fluid. This slick coating will also ease the journey down the birth canal when the time comes.
Your baby is swallowing more, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky substance that's made up of dead cells, digestive secretions, and swallowed amniotic fluid. This meconium will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first messy diaper. Aren't babies great?

week # 19-votes are in!

2007-02-14T21:56:00.000-06:00

Proverbs 4:23
Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that's where life starts.

Drum roll please....

After putting it to a readers vote, it appears that as my bro Cam said--the vote leaned toward the trend in our fam of 'ladies first' ! 19 voted for a sweet baby girl and 6 voted for a bouncy baby boy! Wow that's overwhelming odds, but the matter is still undecided for now! We will be having our big ultrasound soon, but we are keeping that date a secret for now=:0)

This past weekend Josh and I took a little trip down to Salado for a marriage retreat called ReUnion . We explored different aspects of communication within the marriage relationship and we learned about how keeping our heart open will foster a deep connection. The above verse is the Message version of "Guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life!" which is one of my ALL time favorite verses in scripture. It was neat to see other ways to apply this verse. When we take care of our heart then we can manage our response to our spouse when our buttons get pushed.
It was fun to hang out with many of our couple friends that we haven't seen since some of their weddings! On Saturday night Josh and I drove into Roundrock to shop a bit and eat a yummy dinner at Chuy's--an amazing tex-mex cantina. The salsa really hit the spot, and in fact we took home a fresh batch for any mexican cravings i might have this week.

blessings,
kelly, josh, & baby t

Our sweet baby's world:

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces, and he measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the length of a small zucchini. His arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of his body now. His kidneys continue to make urine, and the hair on his scalp is sprouting. This is a crucial time for sensory development: Your baby's brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. If your baby is a girl, she has an astonishing six million eggs in her ovaries. They'll dwindle to fewer than two million by the time she's born.

week # 18-time to vote!

2007-02-01T16:58:00.000-06:00

1 Samuel 1:27
I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him.

This weekend we had fun with our friends at our 1st annual, post-holiday, progressive dinner---whew, it was an event as long as it's title. The final house of the evening was complete with a choco fountain and we ended up playing Loaded Questions, until the wee hours of the night. Nic and I were a little tuckered out, but we were proud to say we weren't the first to leave (however, the others did have kids to get back to!) Saturday we had a double date with our friends Seth and Mere, who are expecting their third bundle of joy 2 weeks after us!

Let's jump back to Friday where we had a wonderful doctor's visit (once we finally were able to see the doc!). The OB office was running a little behind due to an ER emergency, so we were actually seen at 11:30 instead of 9:30! Thankfully I have a very patient husband, who ran me back to my office for an appointment I had in the middle of that crazy wait and snagged me a snack.
Once Doc Micus came in to visit, she did a quick tummy check, and then we listened to the baby's heart beat---which is always fun! At a quick 140 beats per minute, I'm sure there will be predictions made about the baby's gender.

Speaking of...lets have vote:

While many of you have made predictions along the way, where do you stand now? Now this isn't complete verification that we will be finding out the gender any time soon, but we thought it would be fun! We will tally up the votes for next weeks e-mail and save any cute comments for the baby book! What's do YOU think our little firecracker will be?

blessings,
kelly, josh, & baby t

Our sweet baby's world:
Head to bottom, your baby is approximately 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a large sweet potato) and she weighs almost 7 ounces. She's busy flexing her arms and legs — movements that you'll likely start noticing more and more. Her blood vessels are visible through her thin skin, and her ears are now in position and stand out from her head. Myelin (a protective covering) is beginning to form around her nerves, a process that will continue for a year after she's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and Fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If your baby is a boy, his genitals are noticeable, though he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

week # 17

2007-02-01T16:53:00.000-06:00

Ephesians 1:17-19:
I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!

Okay, this verse was written just for me this week---endless energy and boundless strength, Lord where has it gone? Will it ever return? I'm definitely feeling exhaustion more these past few days. I used to love a back-to-back schedule, now I crave my bed and my couch! I pray it will return quickly so that I can continue to do what He is calling us to do each moment.

At work things were a little crazy due to the ice storm mixing up our schedule. Stress and tension can really wear on a group, especially when coupled with the many changes that are beginning to take place in our office.

To ease the stress of the week, on Thursday Josh took me out for a "Night on the Town" with a delish steak dinner and shrimpies followed by the Waco Symphony Orchestra. It was fun to think about how differently the baby enjoyed the evening safe inside my womb. Yummy tasting food coupled with elegant music all while swimming must have been quite an adventure.

More wonderful food was involved while celebrating my brothers' birthdays this week. Clay turned the big 21 on Wednesday and our roomie Cam entered his final teen year, turning 19 on Saturday. (Are you sensing a pattern with food and fun here?) Mom and Dad came down for weekend, so we were able to visit a little face to face, which is always nice.

It was a weekend of showers and shower prep, which is fun since I love a challenge! Nicole had a sweet shower filled with helpful advice and precious pink gifts! I began to feel a tiny flutter in my belly while we were praying over Nicole and Savannah. I'm sure I was imagining it, but very soon I should be feeling this kind of 'movement' regularly.

Yesterday was a big day for the baby and I as we helped hostess Nicki and Tristan's work and church shower. SO much fun! Y'all know how much we love to party! Mom and Erin were a huge help in the success of the shower. Many of our fabulous friends pitched in where needed to make the afternoon special for Nic. Our theme was "Tristan is a Treasure", and since his bedroom is done in fly-fishing frogs, we had to work that in too. We had hand-decorated cookies that were almost too pretty to eat, a chocolate fountain flowing with green chocolate (it tasted like white chocolate, much to everyone's surprise), and yummy green punch. It was fun to watch her literally be showered with gifts, love, attention and prayer in preparation for her next job: motherhood. Tristan I can't WAIT to hold you in person!

We finished up the weekend at Life-group which is always an amazing time of fellowship and prayer. This week Steve challenged us to Simplify our lives. As a friend reminded me today, babies have a way of doing this for us as our world shifts to include them in our every decision.

blessings,
kelly, josh, & baby t

Our sweet baby's world:
Your baby weighs about 5 ounces now, and he's around 5 inches long — about the size of a large onion. The umbilical cord, his lifeline to the placenta, is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby can move his joints, and his skeleton — until now, rubbery cartilage — is starting to harden into bone. Some of it will remain cartilage for years after he's born. A newborn's skeleton has 300 parts (a combination of bone and cartilage). As your child grows, some of these parts harden and fuse together. By the time your baby reaches adulthood, he'll have just 206 bones.

week # 16-month 4!

2007-02-01T16:39:00.000-06:00

Proverbs 15:
33 Fear-of- God is a school in skilled living— first you learn humility, then you experience glory.

4 months along already! Many people have mentioned how quickly the time is going by, and it's so true. 3 months ago today I took that crazy pregnacy test, that for the first time in my life showed up positive! 2 months ago we had our first doctor's visit complete with ultrasound and we began spreading the good news. 1 month ago we had just returned from our good friend Lauren's wedding--tossing me back to college days for the weekend. Now we are in 2007 starting preparations for baby t!
Last week on Friday at work, our nurse, Liz, was training a new ultrasound nurse for the Killeen center. Baby t and I were ultrasound models while Astrid practiced on our almost 16 week belly (yes, erin, i did say 'our belly' because i'm counting on baby t (and all the additional baby paraphanelia) accounting for the growing belly). Baby t acted shy and sleepy, waving a couple of times and streching out. I was surprised to see how small the baby still appeared on screen, but the development of the baby was obvious. The ribs were apparent, and the baby's head was more in proportion to it's body. When Astrid tired to wake the baby, he/she flipped over and stuck it's little bottom in the air---as if to say, "Don't bug me I'm sleeping!" I'm hoping this napping trend will continue after birth!
Coming up this week will be our work shower for Nicki and Tristan which will be SO fun if the weather shapes up! More on this next week!

blessings,
kelly, josh, & baby t

Our sweet baby's world:
At 4 1/2 inches long (head to bottom) and 3 1/2 ounces, your baby is about the size of an avocado. In the next three weeks, she'll go through a tremendous growth spurt, doubling her weight and adding inches to her length. Her lower limbs are much more developed now. Her head is more erect than it has been, and her eyes have moved toward the front of her head. Your baby's ears are close to their final position, too. Some of her more advanced body systems are working, including her circulatory system and urinary tract. The patterning of her scalp has begun, though her hair isn't recognizable yet. Although closed, her eyes are moving (slowly), and she's even started growing toenails. Her finger - and toenails will continue to grow throughout pregnancy, so don't be surprised if she needs them trimmed soon after birth.

Week 15

2007-01-09T13:49:00.000-06:00

Proverbs 8: 32-36
"So, my dear friends, listen carefully; those who embrace these my ways are most blessed. Mark a life of discipline and live wisely; don't squander your precious life. Blessed the man, blessed the woman, who listens to me, awake and ready for me each morning, alert and responsive as I start my day's work. When you find me, you find life, real life, to say nothing of God's good pleasure. But if you wrong me, you damage your very soul; when you reject me, you're flirting with death."

This past week we got back into the post-holiday swing of things at work. Amazingly enough, the youth of Waco did NOT take a break from baby-making activities, therefore leaving our schedule books as full as ever!

Today I was thinking about how my role in the counseling room could change as my expectant belly continues to grow. How will I deal with an abortion-minded client while my own child is kicking, rolling, swimming about safe in my womb? Will the sweet young married clients who are hoping for a child (like my 2 clients today) look at my belly with sadness? Aside from that I'm already beginning to be a little sappy...take the show A Baby Story for example: I teared up 3 times at lunch today while watching an episode with Shiloh! What if I get weepy in the counseling room?

So far, the benefits are out-weighing the 'what ifs'. It was a joy to be able to help a client discover and be assured of her salvation today by confessing with her mouth and believing in her heart. "It's that simple?" she asked. "Sure is!", I said, reminding her that only the Lord can help her break her so called 'bad habits' and help her to be more like Him. She was precious and I hope to see her at her ultrasound next week.

On a lighter note, I was able to attend Nic's first baby shower---SO fun! We are throwing her a work/church shower at the end of the month which I'm totally excited about! It was neat to see many of her good friends gather around her to celebrate this special time in her life. This was our baby's first baby shower to attend, and I think the all the treats and sounds of ladies laughing and telling stories lulled our little one to sleep. We have a few more showers to go before we start that adventure of our own!!!

blessings,
kelly, josh, & baby t

Our sweet baby's world:
At around 4 inches long, crown to rump, your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 ounces. He's busy inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid, which will help develop the air sacs in his lungs. His legs are growing longer than his arms now, and he can move all his joints and limbs. That means his hands are more functional, too. Sweat glands are appearing, and although his eyelids are fused shut, he can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, he's likely to move away from the beam.
Your baby's taste buds are beginning to form now, too, and a study at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia suggests he may be able to taste what you've been eating. Researchers found that flavors from the food pregnant women ate ended up in their amniotic fluid. They also found that eating healthy foods during pregnancy may help your baby develop a preference for those foods that could last a lifetime.

Week 14--Happy New Year!

2007-01-09T13:45:00.000-06:00

Matthew 2:1
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem village, Judah territory— this was during Herod's kingship—a band of scholars arrived in Jerusalem from the East. They asked around, "Where can we find and pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews? We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled his birth. We're on pilgrimage to worship him."

Happy New Year!

Well, 2007 didn't start out with a bang--more like a gentle pop (sparkling cider as opposed to champagne!)! I'll take you back to Friday where we had an excellent visit with Dr. Micus. As soon as she placed the doppler on my belly we were able to hear the quick wooshing of the baby's heart beat. We heard a louder whoosh as the baby moved and then Doc quickly located the heart beat once again. She said everything looked and sounded normal and she would see us back again in 1 month.
I had a bit of a bug this weekend which delayed some plans with friends (and the continuous cleaning of our guest room!) but made for a fairly relaxing 3 day weekend. We had fun at New Year's Eve party last night and had dinner with our friends the Cochrans following a movie with a small group of friends. We made some progress on 'Cam's Room' as we prepare for our new roomie who will be moving in next week.
The verse above caught my eye because of the last sentence. I've read about the wise men each year, but I never thought about how much our pilgrimage mirrors theirs. We seek to worship him with our time and talents as well. This weekend I was reminded again through a sermon on TV that one form of worship is the giving of our tithe, so that God can bless us not only financially but give us wholeness in all aspects of life. This can be a little challenging on a limited buget, when preparing for the expense of a baby, but if I can't trust Him with something like our money, then how can I trust Him when it comes to our precious baby? I'm thankful to be learning these lessons (sometimes repeatedly!) as expectant parents.

blessings,
kelly, josh, & baby t

Our sweet baby's world:
Welcome to your second trimester! This is a big milestone in your pregnancy because it marks the end of a critical development period for your baby. All the basic structures of your baby's body — internally and externally — are formed now. Of course, they're still very tiny. Head to bottom, your baby is just 3 1/2 inches long — about the length of a lemon — and weighs about 1 1/2 ounces.
Your baby's body is growing faster than her head, which now sits upon a more well-defined neck. By the end of this week, her arms will have lengthened and will be in proportion to the rest of her body. (Her legs still have some growing to do, though.) She's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair all over her body called lanugo. Her liver starts secreting bile this week, a sign that it's already functioning properly, and her spleen starts contributing to the production of red blood cells.
Your baby's also producing and discharging urine into the amniotic fluid, a normal process that she'll keep up until birth. You still can't feel your baby's movements, but her hands and feet (now half an inch long) are more flexible and active. Thanks to brain impulses, her little facial muscles are getting a workout as she squints, frowns, and grimaces. She can grasp now, too, and she may be able to suck her thumb.

Week 13--Merry Christmas!

2007-01-09T13:40:00.000-06:00

Luke 2:10-11The angel said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David's town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master.

Merry Christmas Y'all!

I hope that your hearts and tummys are full and the time you spent with family was precious. We always love a good excuse to open presents and take pix with the family!

There are definately some benefits to being pregnant at Christmas (however, for the record, it's cuter in pix to be super preggo or barely preggo---mental note for baby #2!). Here are a few I've discovered so far:
*the delish food
*the presents for you & the baby on the way (i heart my new preggo pillow!)
*sitting around and smiling is your form of 'helping out' with Christmas chores
*both of your moms hugging and kissing you ALL weekend=:)
*sleeping in!!!
*cute maternity clothes as gifts
*crying at everything (from sermons to songs and everything inbetween) and blaming hormones.
*showing off your ultrasound pix for the millionth time and loving it!

The second trimester started off with a bang and I'm beginning to officially show. Hmmm...a little worrysome with 6 months left to go! Our next doctor's appointment is this Friday and the doc has promised that we will get to hear the baby's heartbeat. I'm excited that it will be big enough to find with the doppler! We will let you know if anything else exciting happens at the visit. Time is flying by with already a 1/3 of the pregnancy behind us. Well, I'd better catch some sleep on my new preggo pillow before the morning!

blessings,
kelly, josh, & baby t

Our sweet baby's world:
Your belly may soon be big enough to announce to the world that you're expecting, but your baby is still tiny. In fact, he's only about 3 inches long, crown to rump — roughly the size of a jumbo shrimp — and weighs just about an ounce. Despite being so small, there's a fully formed baby inside your womb now who's much more proportional than he was a few weeks ago. In previous weeks, your baby's head dwarfed the rest of him — but now his head is only about a third the size of his body. His tiny, unique fingerprints are already in place. His kidneys and urinary tract are functional, and he's starting to urinate out the amniotic fluid he's been swallowing. As you start your second trimester, most of your baby's critical development will be completed, and your odds of miscarriage drop considerably.

skip to...week 12!

2006-12-21T11:03:00.000-06:00

Isaiah 44:24-
24God, your Redeemer, who shaped your life in your mother's womb, says:
"I am God. I made all that is. With no help from you I spread out the skies and laid out the earth."

Well, I sorta fibbed last week about "only one week left in our first trimester", because I forgot that today STARTS the last week of the first trimester. Wishfull thinking I guess! Seriously this time, ONE more week until the 'feel-good trimester'!!!
This week, baby t, Josh and I attended the wedding of one of my dearest friends, Lauren LeVecchio (the new Mrs. Torti). This was the baby's second wedding (with two more to come this month!) and s/he especially enjoys the yummy food and fun sounds. While I felt like a giant chocolate elephant as the only preggo bridesmaid, the wedding was beautiful and i was honored to be a part of the festivities.

Today the neatest thing happened--I was able to SEE Nicki's baby kick inside of her womb! I've been able to feel Tristan move before, but seeing it was something else. Then I placed my hand on her belly where he had just kicked and he kicked (or punched!) my fingers! So cool! The above verse really stood out to me this week, because the Lord reminds us that he is in control of everything. From the time we were being knit together in our mother's womb, to before time began for us and the world was created, it was all his doing! Nothing is a surprise to Him, and he provides for our every need. It occured to me this week, just how out of my control this pregnancy is. The baby in my womb is one of God's precious gifts that I have the joy of nurturing, loving, feeding, and caring for, however, this baby (like all of the money and 'toys' that we earn) belongs to God.

I hope this update finds everyone doing well and a pray for safety as you travel to visit family and friends this Christmas!

blessings,
kelly, josh, & baby t

Only 1 week left in our first trimester (seriously this time)!
Our sweet baby's world:

Your baby's hit the 2-inch mark (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce. Her face is beginning to look more human. Her eyes, which started out on the sides of her head, have moved closer together on her face, and her ears are near their final positions. Your baby's intestines, which have grown so rapidly that they protruded into the umbilical cord, will start to move into her abdominal cavity about now. Her kidneys are secreting urine into her bladder. Her nerve cells have been multiplying rapidly, and synapses (neurological pathways in the brain) are forming. Your baby may have acquired more reflexes by now, including sucking, and she'll even squirm if you prod your abdomen, though you still won't be able to feel her move for several weeks.

now for some earth shattering news...

2006-12-12T20:12:00.000-06:00

We are PREGNANT!!!! This is somewhat silly, since most of you regular readers are privvy to this fact, BUT you haven't seen some of the fun pix!
Our baby will be arriving w/ fireworks on 4th of July weekend 2007! Crazy huh? Well, '07 is right around the corner gals (and a few faithful guys) so get ready for a crazy preggo ride!

(i know it is bearly visible, but that crazy test showed a faint pink line when i was only 4 wks along)

I surprised Josh that Monday night (hours after i took the test at work) by taking him on a picnic at BU's beautiful campus. We sat on a tree swing in front of Waco hall and i let a little gift box (hidding a letter, baby bibs, and my + test) break the news. I was thankful that he was SO excited (as his face shows) and i can't wait to see him in his new role as a daddy!

Here is the first of my weekly e-mails to my fam:

Hello fam (plus my two friends who know already!)!

This list will grow in size (kinda like my belle) after we get into the doc and get everything checked out. Until then, mums the word (no, seriously!)!!!
Nic started this version of a preg blog w/ her pregnancy and I love reading about Tristan's world each week, so I thought I would continue the tradition for y'all!

I can't believe it's been a whole week since we found out the joyous (but a little scarey) news that we are expecting! Keeping it from those we interact w/ on a daily basis has been killer! Everytime we see a friend out and about I always ask Josh "Do you think they know?" He laughs at my paranoia and shakes his head no. On the other hand, it's kinda fun to have this secret, safe and hidden.
My saving grace at work has been my partner in crime Nicki Wilson. Nic has been such a sweet friend, mentor, encourager which has aliviated a lot of stress this past week--i think i would have thrown that test away w/out a second look had she not come to double check. Seriously, it was the lightest, faintest line I'd ever seen in my 6 years here @ the Preg Center!
My body has already begun to change a little (I'll spare the guys some of the gory details) but my crazy emotions & need for sleep have been the two biggest symtoms for me.
Josh and I are thrilled to begin this new chapter in our lives and we covet your prayers for a safe and non-drama filled pregnancy. Join us as we pray daily for this gift of life we have been given to nurture for the next 8 months on the inside!

Love y'all,
kelly & josh

What's happening in our baby's world:
Deep in your uterus your embryo is growing at a furious pace. At this point he's about the size of a sesame seed, and he looks more like a tiny tadpole than a human. He's now made up of three layers — the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm — that will later form his organs and tissues. The cells are forming for his major organs, including his kidneys and liver, and his neural tube is beginning to develop. This neural tube — from which your baby's brain, spinal cord, nerves, and backbone will sprout — develops in the top layer, called the ectoderm. This layer will also give rise to his skin, hair, nails, mammary and sweat glands, and tooth enamel. His heart and circulatory system begin to form in the middle layer, or mesoderm. (This week, in fact, his tiny heart begins to divide into chambers and beat and pump blood.) The mesoderm will also form your baby's muscles, cartilage, bone, and subcutaneous (under skin) tissue. The third layer, or endoderm, will house his lungs, intestines, and rudimentary urinary system, as well as his thyroid, liver, and pancreas. In the meantime, the primitive placenta and umbilical cord, which deliver nourishment and oxygen to your baby, are already on the job.

New York Pix

2006-12-12T19:36:00.000-06:00

okay already (just kidding!) ! here are a few shots:

all of the 'cousins' who made it to the wedding!

e & i posing w/ the bride
(yes, she was the only one drinking in the pic!)

the four sis's smiling (a rarity in photos!) w/ mema's boquet
(joanie, sandy, diane, pam)

e & the MULITITUDES of cakes!
they were YUM, i took some home on the plane!

New York, New York!

2006-11-14T13:42:00.000-06:00

What a whirlwind! Our weekend in upstate New York was simply to attend my cousin Nicole's wedding (which was held Saturday nite), but as you know we Italians have both pre and post wedding events that asked our attendance!
FRIDAY: When we arrived at my Aunt Sandy's house on Friday afternoon, there was gorgeous black Caddy LIMO waiting for us! We were wisked away to Lake Skaneateles(pronounced skinny-atlas) were we dined at a local hot-spot, then Erin and I joined up with gals in the bridal party at the famous Mirbeau Inn & Spa. Eventhough we didn't partake in the spa treatments, we basked by the fire and joined in the friendly banter. I instantly loved my cousin's two best friends Jill and Danielle and we always enjoy catching up with our cousin Jaime (who stood up as Nic's maid of honor). That evening we attended a rehersal dinner for my side of the family + Jeff, Nic's husband to be. All I can remember of that evening was eating one delish food right after another, for like 2 1/2 hours, non-stop. Oh, and cotton candy--i definitely remember the pink clouds of homemade fluffy delight! Apparently, it's the house specialty!!!
SATURDAY: After consuming food for half the town of Syracuse, Erin and I decided to walk off those extra calories at the local mall. While driving through town we had already glimsped the beloved letters H&M and we were ESTATIC about having a few hours to peruse the latest clothing trends from Europe. We were like kids in a candy store!!! I think we will start a petition to open one of these fabulous stores here in Texas. Why should the northern states get to have all the fun? When our shopping appetite had been fed, we were off to the wedding! When we arrived at the country club the finishing touches were being done to the reception hall and we escorted back to the bridal chambers. Nicole looked radiant and left to take some outside pix while there was still light in the sky with the lake in the background. Originally the plan was to do the wedding ceremony on the porch, but due to the 37 degree weather, we moved it inside to the dance floor and closed 'french doors' to the reception hall. The ceremony was short but sweet, then the couple was swept into a picture-taking frenzy! Since Erin and I had already scoped out our seats, we were free to roam about, catching up with cousins, aunts and uncles (some legal, some not!).

OKAY---i accidentally pushed publish instead of SAVE so, check back tomorrow so i can finish the blog and upload the pix!

It's getting easier...

2006-10-27T10:13:00.000-05:00

What wonderful friends (and of course sweet family) I have been surrounded with during this time of turmoil in our lives! I have been reading all of your sweet comments and am checking y'alls blogs again---so I think my blogger funk is coming to an end!
Over the past week the Lord has been revealing his goodness and provision to Josh and I. While it still saddens me to think I will never hold my sweet samson again on this earth, it is comforting to know that God is in control of the situation. My last post was such a downer, that I had sweet friends calling in tears of empathy. So many of you have grieved of the loss of a precious pet and your words of wisdom and comfort have been priceless!

This last week has been full of activities including BU homecoming! I thought y'all would enjoy a few happy pix:

BONFIRE 2006

all the kids (including my neph-pug jude!)

jude was acting shy here, but he was a party waiting to happen all evening! everyone hearts this friendly breed, so he was loved on all night by complete strangers. it was a nice distraction from my crazy sad week to play w/ ju-ju bee!gotta take the pic quick before your hair starts to melt!!!

Baylor VS Kansas game

when i arrived at the end of the 3rd quarter, there wasn't much hope as we were down 17 points(and we know how the bears normally have a very difficult time coming back in the second 1/2 of the game!) but suddenly, we scored 2 touch downs, it was like we had a brandnew team! it brought the crowd to their feet in amazement! (can you see nic & brent way up there?)

a little tough to believe (and read when the pix is so tiny) but we BEAT kansas 36-35 in the last minute and 1/2 of the game!!! we were sitting in the right endzone to watch all three last quarter touchdowns happen before our eyes!!!

our famous self-portrait to comemorate the win!!

* there is a cute pic of the four of us kids who were at the game, but blogger is having issues uploading any more pix and i don't wanna make it mad--so maybe later!

In Memory of Baby Sam...

2006-10-20T18:15:00.000-05:00

It's taken me a week to even THINK about typing this blog. I'm sure it will get 'saved as draft' many times over the next few days, but I will try to compose myself because I want to share this with you. My blog is kinda like my diary, but you can only be so transparent when you know others will be reading along. How do you share the saddest day of your life?

One week ago (Friday October 13th) I got home from work around 5:00 and took the pups out like any other day to check the mail. While I was leafing through the letters I glanced up to check on the pups and didn't see samson. Shiloh was right in front of me laying in the grass, but no sam. I started calling his name, turning full circle, and that's when I saw him. Just a few feet away from me, lying limp in the street. I think I screamed, mail fell out of my hands as I ran to him. I scooped him into my arms and held him like a baby. His heart was still beating, but the rest of his body was eerily still. I began to cry and look around, wondering what to do next. An older man got out of his white truck parked a few yards in front of where I had picked up sam an came walking towards me. He was shaking his head and kept repeating, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I tried to swirve and miss him." Everything was moving in slow motion, my feet felt like bricks and I couldn't move. Much to his surprise, I told the gentleman he needed to call my husband. He fumbled around for his cell phone and realized he'd left it in the car. While he went to retrieve it, I looked around once more and Shiloh caught my attention. I pleaded with him to stay put and began to cry even harder as I looked again at my precious baby dog lying in my arms. Why was I not paying closer attention, I asked myself? Why did sam wander into the road--he has NEVER done that before!? The man returned with his phone and I called out the numbers for Josh's cell. When Josh answered I attempted to compose myself, but my words came out in a rush, "Baby, samson just been hit by a car and I think he's dead!" Josh asked if he was breathing and I couldn't tell, he asked if I could drive over to the vet. I told him that I thougth sam was gone already, but I could try. As we were talking, sam slipped away as his body released what it needed to as his muscles relaxed. He went slack in my arms and I held him tighter and told Josh I would wait inside. He said he would be there as soon as possible (he works 20 minutes away in China Spring) and for me to go inside to get my phone and wait for him. I began to weep as I carried my baby inside for the last time. You see, sam didn't like to be outside for too long and would let me pick him up and carry him like a baby while I kissed his little head. It was almost too much for me too take.
I began to panic a little as I was worried I would loose Shiloh too, if we didn't get into the house quick enough. We made to the couch before I dissolved into tears again while I wrapped sam in a towel and continued to hold him close. All I could say was 'i am sorry baby sam, so sorry' as I rocked him in my lap. As calmed down a little I started to think of who was the closest sibling to my house and called cam first, momentarily forgeting it was Baylor's Fall Break and both of my brothers were in Plano. I attempted to call Erin, but her line was busy. Two seconds later my mom called to check on me. She was crying and so was I. I hadn't felt this helpless, or this responsible in quite a long time. Mom told me Erin was on her way and then handed the phone to Clay. Everyone was so sweet and understanding.

I called Josh as he was litterally pulling into the parking lot. He jumped out of the car and met me in the kitchen. We hugged and cried over sam. Josh is always the more level-headed one and it was somewhat comforting to see him start to grieve too. He offered strength and comfort, by his very presence. We sat on the couch and held him for a while until Erin got there. She too offered her comfort with a hug and tears. How horrible it must be to loose a child. I can't even imagine. No one can really comfort you, but there presence and love is enough---it has too be.

We decided to bury baby sam out back and had a mini-funeral for him Friday night. Pieces of his favorite toy (the famous pink & green bone), a rawhide and his favorite blankie were tucked into the box before we burried him. We smiled at the thought of him playing endless rounds of fetch (the ultimate game in sam's mind) in Heaven. I miss him so much.

While there is much more to write about how this has affected us. I will post this for now, or it will never be finished. Thanks to all who have prayed for us and expressed their sadness for us during this grieving time. Everybody kiss there puppies and loved ones tonight because only God knows our appointed time to join him in Heaven.

Okay, Okay I'm SORRY!

2006-10-20T15:32:00.000-05:00

This is especially for Nic and Melissa who have pleaded for my updates;) I tried to rationalize with thoughts like, once I get the pix uploaded or Josh kidnapped the computer again, etc. So here are some thoughts over the last couple weeks.

MEXICO:
The most fun thing that's happened in the last two weeks was the trip Larka and I took to Mexico (oct 7-10). While we didn't really take pictures, we captured memories to last a lifetime! I'm privileged to have such a caring, thoughtful, and adventurous mom-in-law. We did two dives a day on Sunay and Monday, then she treated me to beach-front massage! Can you imagine hearing actual waves crash(as opposed to a pre-recorded cd) as all of the yucky tension is worked out of your body? amazing! We saw mulitple schools of baby fish as the reef was turned into a nursery during the month of October. Many were so tiny that you could bearly see what colors they were until you came face to face w/ a protective mama fish! I found a mascot on Sunday that rode in my palm for much of the dive. He was a tiny little hermit crab with a pretty little shell, no bigger than an inch! I named him Herby II after a hermit crab Er and I had as kids. One day I hope to have a camera that can capture the magnificent beauty under the sea for y'all landlubbers to see!

Denver Deja Vu

2006-09-26T13:33:00.000-05:00

Who would have guessed that I would be returning to the mile high city once again this year? (Mandy, the above pun was intended for you=;) With the Celebrate Life Banquet just hours behind us, Mandy, Stella, Nicki, Anndrea and I loaded up in the Paris family van and headed off to DFW. Just to be on the safe side, I decided to double check our flight departure time and found out that our plane had been delayed TWO hours!!! Thankfully we had already arrived in Dallas and so we were able to make good use of this time by dining at the closest Bennigans.
Nic, Stella and I shared a room--which was a trip for poor Stella, I'm sure! We did have a break on Friday afternoon so I loaded up our PHAT rent-a-ride and took the gals to shoppe and dine on Pearl Street in Boulder, CO. Saturday I met my sweet friend Melissa and the girls in her fam for a coffee break in downtown. She looks amazing (as always) so thrilled to hear they are expecting a second BOY--I know he will be as wonderful as Carson (the baby boy who makes me think it will be okay if God gives us a boy 1st---NO that is not an announcement!) Friday night I took Stella on a crazy adventure to find Gellato on the street trolley then had a party in our room with all the gals. Sunday we were up and at 'em early to fly home and see our families.
Our trip was chock FULL morning 'til night, but we came home encouraged with some wonderful ideas rattling around in our tired brains.
pix will be up later, but this post has been in draft mode for almost a month now!!!

How does a BEAR get stomped by a frog?

2006-09-05T12:02:00.000-05:00

Aren't we cute? All five 'wheeler kids' briefly gather at the 1st BU football game of '06 season! Our 'baby' Cam is freshman (for all you math majors, that means i was a freshman NINE years ago!) and Clay is already a junior. While the Bears couldn't quite pull it off this game, Josh and I had fun seeing some fellow alums around the stadium.

Labor Day was blissfully quiet at our house (except Samson's vicious game of bark-tag w/ his bone). We slept in, cleaned up around the house and i even made dinner (straight from Bertolli's kitchen to mine)! I heart days off!!!

Here come the brides...

2006-08-29T17:18:00.000-05:00

It was a summer of Care Net Weddings...

July-Colorado: Josh and I share our 2 year anniversary cake at the Baldpate Inn in the Tree Top Cottage in Estes Park. The photoshoot got a little out of control with all of Josh's giggling--this was actually one of the better pix! The cake was an amzing organic carrot cake, that took us the whole weekend to eat the 8" round!

July 22nd-Colorado: Summers' gorgeous mountain top wedding in Estes in front of the classic Stanley Hotel!

The Three Care Net Gals: Paige (Summer's roomie), Summers (the beautiful bride) and me (decked out in my Nordstorm's Rack find!)!

August 5th-Houston: Erin captured our friend Stephanie and her new hub David's first kiss!

Steph poses for a pix with Erin and I during the reception. We partied with the beautiful bride at the phat reception hall, then spent the rest of the weekend w/ our sweet friends Adam and Laura Watson in Houston.

August 26-Sherevport LA: Josh and I slide into Louisiana in time for the beautiful ceremony of my sweet friend Ashley (another fun kiss pix).

Ashley and I have been friends since her freshman year at Baylor when she began volunteering on the Tuesday Nite Crew. This sweet lady has been stretched and grown into a Godly woman during her college career and it was a privilege to see her join Jesse in a marriage covenant this past weekend.

Estes Park Pix, FINALLY!

2006-08-02T14:44:00.000-05:00

our first peak into the park! can you smell that mountain air?

our 2nd day in the park enjoying the view of lilly lake.

good chipmunk!

BAD chipmunk=:(

ummm...i guess that's why the sign says not to feed the wildlife!

they just looked so cute and hungry for goldfish crackers! ooops!

here we are having a little pre-wedding fun! after riding a little red mountain gondola we are standing atop the peak you will see in the wedding pix. the collection of little white buildings w/ red roofs above my head is the Stanley Hotel--so glam and so far down there!

as you drive through the curvy town of estes park, you catch glimpses of this magnificent hotel, then all of the sudden there it is, tucked into the mountainside. what an amazing location for a wedding! we were blessed to spend two nights here.

Estes Park here we come!

2006-07-25T18:55:00.000-05:00

After saying goodbye to Cary, Melissa, Carson and the pups, we took a leisurely drive into the mountains. On our way to Estes, we did a little shopping, whole foods eating, and oogling of pine tree covered mountains and rushing rivers! Oh and the smell was intoxicating! I'd heard of fresh mountain air, but this was delicious!!! Josh reserved us a private cottage at the Baldpate Inn (pictures to come soon) and we had some home cookin' upon our arrival. Friday Josh hiked my legs off on a search from some elusive 'stream'---2 1/2 hours of hiking, not so much Kelly's idea of vacay. But then we found a super fun lake that we enjoyed taking pix around and climbed the little mountain behind it. There we encountered some chipmunk friends who hearted goldfish crackers!!! Again, only pix can do this justice! Okay--Summer's wedding will be featured in the next blog!
ps--i'm at MK conference right now, which started 2 days after we returned, so sorry to be so slow in bloggin' the trip of the summer!!!!!!!!!!!

A Sample of Denver Life

2006-07-25T12:45:00.000-05:00

here is my sweet friend carson! we have just returned to the yocum's house (pictured on the right!) from feasting on some delish fish tacos. carson is ready for his nap and his mom (as you can see from the reaching arms and slightly concerned brows!)!

melissa and i trying not to look amazingly HOT @ the super fun Denver zoo!

josh and took a post-picnic hike to view a beautiful private golf course around the corner from the Yocum's house.

Colorado Adventures...Denver Edition

2006-07-21T14:25:00.001-05:00

well, i was waiting to upload a few pix but my fans are getting restless! josh and i took a trip for our 2nd anniversary to colorado, which was a first for me since i'd only seen denver from the airport on our way to Kaui for our honeymoon. now i know what you snow bunnies are thinking--colorado in JULY??? but just wait til i get some pix up here for you to see--and the weather is INCREDIBLE! So we don't have to re-hash the week play by play, here are the highlights:

after a pretty toasty flight in from DFW, we were rewarded by a car rental up-grade to a flashy little suv (at this point we weren't considering gas mileage--just happy to be in a roomier vehicle!)
we spend the first night w/ the Yocum boys (as Melissa was away at a dad/daughter camp-out) and they introduced us to some delicious pizza as big as the table we were sitting at! oh, and i heart cannoli's: big thick, creamy, choco chippy goodness ---can i get a amen, clay?
they following day we hit some amazing sales:
josh=jos a banks for a new spiffy suit
kelly= norstrom's rack, anthropology, the broadway shoe store, etc!
on sunday we attended Solid Life church w/ the Yocum's and were able to enjoy worship and fellowship with Melissa' family--so good to hug their necks! the church is a small offshoot of a larger church in town, but has a dynamic worship service and is rapidly growing--so neat to find bro's and sis's in Christ everywhere!
we stuck w/ our "not anywhere we have in waco" restaurant rule and we hit the jackpot! we ate incredible food from gnocchi, fish tacos, mango talapia, buffalo burgers, lime chips and guac + more amazing (mostly chocolate) desserts --oh, denver is like food heaven!!!!!!!!!!
we attempted to visit the aqaruim in downtown one evening, but ended up shopping at the 16th street mall and eating--are you sensing a theme here?
melissa and cary were gracious hosts and we throughly enjoyed every minute of our visit w/ them. carson was SUCH a good baby---josh and i had fun playing with him all week. his personality is hilarious, from haming it up for the cameras and making a cute snorting noise when you ask, "what does a piggy make?" i died laughing every time!
we dropped carson off at his 'bella and poppi's' house and went to see You, Me and Dupree--quite funny! I did feel bad for the newlyweds however, but you will just have to see the movie to see how it turns out! owen wilson is CRAZY, but endearing as always!
we did make it to the denver zoo, however, and that was hysterical and i will have to refer you to melissa's blog for an update on that adventure: www.yocumfamily.blogspot.com
after lunch at a local dig on Thursday we headed out to Estes Park for Summers wedding. and there are adventure will continue...

on a whim...

2006-07-19T01:12:00.000-05:00

so, i've been thinking about creating a blog for sometime now. while on vacay in colorado i decided, what the hay---so here it is, my very own blog. not sure what this will turn out to be, but for now I can keep friends and fam updated on my whereabouts, adventures, and don't be surprised if you get the urge to cha-cha because my life is a fiesta!