The Archer Family

Levi 4 months

2012-01-17T14:31:00.000-08:00

Levi is such a sweet little baby! He is happy unless hungry or tired...although he much prefers to be held rather than put down. He LOVES his big brother. Every time he sees Ethan he smiles and coos. Ethan is pretty good with him, but doesn't like to share at all...it will be interesting once Levi can crawl and starts getting into Ethan's stuff. Life with two boys is busy busy, but I love every minute of it!

Levi's stats for 4 months:
15lbs- 50%percentile
25in- 50%percentile

December

2011-12-12T17:46:00.000-08:00

This year has absolutely flown by! Last year at this time we knew we were pregnant, and I was feeling horrible! Levi is almost 4 months old. He is such a good little baby, we are so blessed. He sleeps all night and is happy during the day! Having two children is 100 times more hectic than just one, but it has been fun. Ethan is in the full blown terrible two's, which makes everyday an adventure. He can go from perfectly happy to throwing an all out fit in a matter of seconds. I am looking forward to the day when is out of this stage. We are still working on potty training. It is so frustrating, but I know eventually he will get it. Here are a few pictures from this month...

Photoshop

2011-11-25T20:23:00.000-08:00

So I splurged today and bought myself an early Christmas present. I bought some photoshop actions from Florabella. I LOVE her actions! They are so easy to use and make your pictures look lovely. I have been playing around with them all day. Here are a few examples.

Sunflare

I added clouds! Haha

lens flare and sunflare

my child refuses to smile...

Social Anxiety---Yes I have it

2011-11-03T10:52:00.000-07:00

I suppose blogs are partly for being honest. I have read on other people's blogs about affairs, family struggles, infertility troubles, and the list goes on. So here is a little bit about me and my struggles...
I have social anxiety disorder. I guess most people who know me at all know that I am shy, but it is so much more than that.

"Social anxiety is anxiety (emotional discomfort, fear, apprehension, or worry) about social situations, interactions with others, and being evaluated or scrutinized by other people. The difference between Social Anxiety and normal apprehension of social situations is that social anxiety involves an intense feeling of fear in social situations and especially situations that are unfamiliar or in which you will be watched or evaluated by others. The feeling of fear is so strong that in these types of situations one may be so worried that they feel anxious just thinking about them and will go to great lengths to avoid them."

I think most people who have social anxiety know that most of our fears are irrational, but somehow can't help it. I absolutely hate it, and everyday is struggle to overcome some sense of fear of any number of social interactions. For instance: I hate going to the grocery store and checking out because I know I am going to have to have some sort of conversation with the lady who checks me out. I have actually put stuff down and walked out of the store b/c the self-check out line was closed. I hate ordering at restaurants, and rarely look the waiter in the eye. I seriously almost have a panic attack every time my phone rings, and most of the time if it is not my husband or my mom I won't answer. Text messaging has saved my life. =) Why can't I be like everyone else and just pick up the freakin' phone?!

My Dr. once told me that people with social anxiety have the same amount of anxiety (heart pounding, sweating, etc.) about being a room with 10 people that they don't know all that well as a normal person would have about giving a speech in front of 200 people. I always knew something was not right with me...(Why can't I just be normal and act like normal people in social situations?)

My problem is that I avoid. Going to church is scary for me...sad right? I am scared of talking to people. So sometimes I just don't go. Any kind of party or get together is a struggle for me. The anxiety I feel all day before a party or social gathering is almost worse than actually going.

"While many people with social phobia realize that their fears about being with people are excessive or unreasonable, they are unable to overcome them. Even if they manage to confront their fears and be around others, they are usually very anxious beforehand, are intensely uncomfortable throughout the encounter, and worry about how they were judged for hours afterward."

I think my biggest fear is that my disorder is going to affect my boys negatively. It has already had a massive impact on my life; I don't want it to disrupt their lives at all. I have gotten better with time, and hopefully I will keep getting better. Thankfully I have a husband who loves me and supports me, and a family who loves me also.

People with social anxiety are many times seen by others as being shy, quiet, backward, withdrawn, inhibited, unfriendly, nervous, aloof, and disinterested. People with social anxiety want to be "normal" socially, they want to make friends and they want to be involved and engaged in social interactions.

I hope people don't think that of me!
~Hannah

Levi 2 Months

2011-10-25T19:08:00.000-07:00

Poor little Levi doesn't have any recent pics to post! I think I had taken about 9,000 pictures of Ethan by this time! I took Levi to his two month check up, and he weighed 12 lbs and was 23 inches, both of which are 50th percentile. I looked back and Ethan was 13 and half pounds and 24 inches! Maybe Levi will catch up, but Ethan has always been big =)

He finally started sleeping through the night last week! Woohoo! He will usually sleep b/w 7 and 10 hours at night, which is such a relief! I do not function properly on no sleep. Ethan is doing so well with his little brother. He is always concerned when he cries, and tells me to pick him up so he'll stop crying. He is always telling people that "baby Lebi is a good baby!" and that "baby Lebi cries loud!" We are so blessed to have two sweet little boys.

Levi 2 Weeks

2011-09-26T18:33:00.000-07:00

At Levi's two week appointment he was:
8lbs 5 oz (50% percentile)
21 inches (90% percentile)

He is growing like crazy! He still wakes up every three hours to eat, hungry little hippo! Here's to hoping he starts sleeping more!

Little Levi is here!

2011-08-23T07:53:00.001-07:00

Levi Mercer Archer was born on Tuesday, August 16th at 1:15 pm. He weighed 7lb 9oz and was 20.5 inches long! He is such a joy to our family already! Ethan is adjusting far better than I thought he would, which is another blessing! Now if we can just make it through the first few months of no sleep....I do NOT do well without sleep. So far, so good though.

Levi Mercer Archer

2011-08-10T07:21:00.000-07:00

Well It looks like little Levi will be making his debut on Tuesday the 16th, if he doesn't decide to come on his own before then! I will be 39 weeks, which is about the same as when I had Ethan. It will be interesting to see how big/little he is compared to what Ethan was (8lb!). We can't wait to meet the little guy, even though I am petrified of having two little ones to take care of...sometimes just one is quite difficult! We are excited to see how Ethan will react. I know he will make a great big brother, it just may take him some time to get used to everything being different.

2011-07-18T10:04:00.000-07:00

I have been following this family's story since the beginning. I cannot even imagine going through what they went through in one short month. On Saturday, July 16, they lost their precious 8 month old little boy to cancer. Please keep them in your prayers.

http://jamescamdensikes.blogspot.com/

Balloon

2011-07-09T17:36:00.000-07:00

Ok, i'm really going to start updating again!!

This is what happens when we bring a balloon into our house. Ethan is scared of it, and the dogs want to eat it!

2010-09-29T14:00:00.000-07:00

Ethan went to Greenwood for three nights and spent time with both grandparents so I could have a few days "off" for my birthday! We appreciate both of our families so much for taking such good care of little man and giving us a little break. He LOVES his Grandma, Grandpa, Mimi, and RayRay.

Words

2010-09-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

Ok so I know I have been terrible about updating the blog lately. We have been to the beach (Ethan HATED it)! He hated the water, he hated the sand. Hopefully by next year he will have grown out of this fear...b/c I LOVE the beach! Ethan started Mother's Morning Out at Highland's last week, and it has been SO nice for me. Ethan has not been a huge fan, but he is getting used to it. He always cries when I drop him off, but his teachers say he does great once he calms down.

It took a while for Ethan to start talking, and we were a little worried. We found out that he had fluid behind both ears so he couldn't hear! Once that cleared up he has really started saying a lot. I know many of you probably don't care what words he can say, but I am going to list them here, mainly because I would like to keep track!

Mama
Dada
Ball
Uh-Oh
Cracker
Apple
Dog
Bite
Up
Hot Dog
Football
Mimi
Thank You
Block
Eyes
Nose
Mouth
Bumpaw (grandpa)
Baby
Bat
Bath
Bye-Bye
Truck
"Go Dawgs!"

Hopefully I will be better about updating!

Carson Turns 1!

2010-07-13T06:46:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we headed up to Arkansas to celebrate Carson's 1st Birthday. It was fun to see the boys together!

14 Months

2010-06-16T07:28:00.000-07:00

Ethan is already 14 1/2 months old. Good grief, they grow up too fast!

Yes, he is screaming in this picture...he hates the sprinkler!

Scott's favorite outfit for Ethan--his State Jersey, and even though I went to Ole Miss, I don't mind =)

2010-06-11T07:16:00.000-07:00

We went to our neighborhood pool last week. Ethan was less than thrilled. We are gonna have to work on the pool thing. He loves bath time, so we thought he would love it!

Ethan Dancing

2010-05-22T10:49:00.000-07:00

Dallas Trip '10

2010-04-29T12:49:00.000-07:00

We went to Dallas last weekend to visit family and have a little vacation. Ethan got to meet his great grandfather and his great aunt and uncle Brynne and Luis. We went to the Dallas Aquarium and a Ranger Game. We really had a great time, and Ethan was really good the whole time. Now that he is walking, he really hates to be held. We spent much of the weekend chasing him around! Here are a few pictures from the trip.

2010-04-12T16:49:00.000-07:00

We can't believe Ethan is already one! AH! He started walking about a week before his birthday, and now he is everywhere and into everything! At his 12 month check up, he was 26.4 lbs and 32 1/2 inches long (90th percentile for weight and off the charts for height!) We are going to have one BIG boy!

Happy Birthday

2010-03-24T09:04:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Ethan Cole Archer! We love you very very much!

Walking

2010-03-23T14:19:00.000-07:00

Ethan is learning to walk! He is starting to really make some progress....it won't be long before he is running around..ah!

2010-03-14T20:36:00.000-07:00

Ethan is already such a boy! He loves to throw things, and then chase them down... This is his new favorite game. He likes to throw his blue ring and his racquetball.

The zoo

2010-03-09T14:44:00.000-08:00

Scott and I took Ethan to the Zoo on Saturday. We knew he wouldn't really know where we were, but it was nice to go anyway. He really enjoyed being outside, and he even saw some of the animals =)

Reflections

2010-02-23T00:22:00.000-08:00

It is very late, and I am having trouble sleeping....which is nothing out of the ordinary for me =)
I've said that I want to get better at blogging, and now I am going to actually try and do better.

Scott and I have been attending Highlands Presbyterian for a little over a month now and actually met with the Elders yesterday evening in order to move forward in the process of joining the church. We know this is fast, but we both really feel this is where God is calling us to be.

We sat down with one of the elders, Mr. Farber, and our "interview" began. He asked us some "get-to-know-you" questions, told his story, then asked us to tell ours. I guess being rushed all day, with Ethan being sick and us trying to pack up our house to move, I hadn't really thought about the meeting or what I was going to say. Scott gave his testimony first, and as I was listening I realized that Scott and I don't talk much about our testimony and how God worked in our lives as young children and even young adults. Obviously, we both knew the other was a Christian when we married, and we talk about recent events and how we growing NOW. But it just makes you realize that "getting to know" your spouse is a lifetime event, and we learn new things about each other every day.

Scott and I both have very different stories, even though we both grew up hearing and knowing the Gospel. I joke with Scott about how easy his life has been, and how God has blessed him with a life relatively free of major trials. He is not a big blogger, but maybe he will add to this blog post =)

When I was giving my testimony, and even afterward, I was given a rare opportunity to reflect on my life and how God has really worked on my heart over the years. Throughout my life God has walked with me though trials-- everything from moving to a new city at 15, a broken engagement, and a major battle with depression. He has also been there with me during the many joyful times in my life like getting married and having a beautiful baby boy. I realize that I need to spend more time reflecting on my life and how God has brought me to the place that I am today. I am humbled even now as I think of the grace and mercy God has shown me throughout my journey, and I am thankful that He knows the plans he has for my life, my husband's life, and Ethan's life, and He will carry them out to completion.

Scott and I were both very fortunate to have grown up in Christian homes with two caring parents who loved us dearly. We hope and pray we are able to provide a safe, loving, and Christian home for our children.

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."
Micah 6:8

Pictures of the House

2010-02-06T14:05:00.000-08:00

Changes

2010-02-04T12:01:00.000-08:00

There are some major changes going on in the Archer household! I haven't been very good at blogging lately, so I'm trying to get better.

First, Scott and I(and little man) have been visiting Highlands Presbyterian Church. It isn't that we don't like Pinelake, but we felt we needed a change. Pinelake is SUCH a large church, and both Scott and I are quiet-natured so sometimes we felt lost in the crowd. Another reason is that we both grew up Presbyterian, and would like to raise our children in a church in which we agree more with the theology and teaching. We love that the nursery is small, and Ethan sees the same workers and children in the class every week. He has started crying when we drop him off, but the nursery workers always say he did great when we pick him up.

Second, we are moving to a new home! We are set to close on both our house, and the new house on March 1st. Both contracts are signed, so hopefully everything will pan out! We really weren't planning on leaving our current house for a few more years, but the tax credit of 6,500 was just too tempting to pass up. I will post pictures of the new house as soon as we can go back!

Ethan is doing great! He will be one next month, which blows my mind. Sometimes Scott and I just look at him in amazement, at how much he has grown and changed over the past year. He is such a precious gift, and even though he was a complete surprise, we can't imagine life without him!

The classic "Ethan Look"

His amazing eyelashes!

crazy bedhead

2010-01-28T12:50:00.000-08:00

Awesome Hair

2010-01-27T12:47:00.000-08:00

Ethan woke up from his nap with crazy hair. Scott and I were laughing hysterically and he just kept looking at us like we were crazy...

We love our little bed head =)

Busy Busy Busy

2010-01-17T22:57:00.000-08:00

Ethan is almost 10 months old, and he is busy! He loves crawling around and getting into everything, which keeps mommy very busy! He started pulling up on the furniture very soon after he learned to crawl, and now he is learning to "cruise" along b/w furniture. Fun stuff =)

I have been very busy doing embroidery! I still enjoy it and love getting orders. I have gotten orders from all over the United States! Crazy, but I love being creative with all my fonts and appliques. (Tell your friends with kids to check out
http://snips-hannah.blogspot.com)!!

Poor Ethan gets many compliments about how pretty "she" is all the time. I think it is because of his beautiful eyes and long eyelashes...both of which he gets from his daddy. I try and dress him as "boyish" as possible, but everytime I take him somewhere...somebody gives me a compliment about "her." I'm sure we will harass him about it when he is older =)

Our psycho dog Molly always jumps for no reason

Stomach Bug and Popsicles

2010-01-03T18:23:00.000-08:00

Ok so the inevitable stomach bug has made its way around the Archer household over the week. Ethan got it first, and got sick at the most inopportune time! Scott and I got several gift certificates to P.F. Changs for Christmas and decided to go out to eat last Saturday night. We had just gotten our food when Ethan threw up everywhere! He was sitting in his bumbo chair next to me, so I picked him up to make sure I had gotten all the throw up I could when I noticed there was poo everywhere, all up his back and all in the chair. I realize this may be too much information for some people, and for that I am sorry! I had no idea what to do since he had throw up all over the front of him, and diarrhea all over the back! Our waitress was kind enough to box up our food to go, and Scott carried Ethan IN his bumbo out to the car. There was no other way to carry him as to not totally gross out everyone else in the restaurant. Once we got to the car, we stripped the little guy and tried to wipe him down with wipes as best we could. He was screaming, not because he was sick but because we had stripped him down in the cold (it was like 30 degrees outside). So he rode home in a diaper wrapped in a blanket.

This little experience was a little traumatizing for all of us since this is the first time Ethan has really been sick. I know as our kids get older, we will have many more stories like this one to tell.

Scott got sick after Ethan, then I got sick on Wednesday night after I thought I had eluded the disease =)

Here are some pictures of Ethan eating his first Popsicle! I wanted some when I wasn't feeling well, and Scott got some that were mini- and Ethan kept wanting licks of mine. So we ended up giving him one of his own. He screamed like I've never heard him scream before when we took it away from him!

9 months

2009-12-31T18:57:00.000-08:00

Ethan was nine months old on Christmas Eve! I remember last Christmas thinking we would have a nine month old the next Christmas, and thinking how far away that seemed. Now it has come and gone in the blink of an eye. The last nine months have been such an amazing experience, and I am so thankful that God blessed us with such a precious little boy.

At his nine month checkup, Ethan weighed 22lbs (75th percentile), and I don't remember exactly how long he was, but he was off the charts! (100th percentile) Unless his growth slows down rapidly, he is going to be a BIG boy!

Ok so I thought this was hilarious =)

2009-12-28T12:20:00.001-08:00

Alternative Discipline Techniques
Courtesy of MckLinky Stuff - FREE!

Tough Love vs. Spanking

Most people nowadays think it improper to spank children, so I have tried other methods to control my kids when they have one of 'those moments'.

One that I have found very effective is for me to just take the child for a car ride during which I say nothing and give the child the opportunity to reflect on his or her behavior.

I don't know whether it's the steady vibration from the car, or just the time away from any distractions such as TV, Video Games, Computer, IPod, etc.

Either way, my kids usually calm down and stop misbehaving after our car ride together. I believe that eye to eye contact during these sessions is an important element in achieving the desired results.

I've included a photo below of one of my sessions with my son, in case you would like to use the technique. Scroll down below to see it....

Courtesy of MckLinky Stuff - FREE!

Ethan is crawling!

2009-12-08T17:04:00.000-08:00

Now that Ethan is 8 months old, he is finally crawling! He is still pretty lazy about it, and doesn't crawl unless he REALLY wants something. I'm sure he will get curious soon and be everywhere... =)

2009-11-14T21:22:00.001-08:00

I've started a website for my embroidery!

Snips, Snails, and Puppy Dog Tails!

Embroidery Machine

2009-11-09T19:14:00.000-08:00

So I finally got an embroidery machine! I've been wanting one for a long time! It is amazing what it can do! It was a little frustrating at first trying to figure it all out and I ruined a onesie or two trying to figure out which stabilizer to use and such...but...I think I've got it down =) Here are a few pics of what I have done so far =)

Scott wanted me to do a state shirt for Ethan =)

Practicing on Onesies and hand towels

Dino

Applique on a towel

Taco Soup Recipe

2009-11-05T17:16:00.000-08:00

I thought I would share my taco soup recipe! It is SUPER easy to make and SO good!

Taco Soup:

1 lb ground beef--browned
1 can corn
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
2 cans ro-tel (1 can spicy if you want a spicy soup)
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 package taco seasoning
2 cups water (you can add more or less depending on how soupy you want it)

Add all the ingredients in a large pot. When you add the cans of beans and corn, don't drain them, pour the juice in too. (I usually do drain the kidney beans b/c my husband doesn't like the taste of kidney beans :)
Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for at least 20 min.

We put sour cream, grated cheese, and tortilla chips on top!

Halloween

2009-10-24T15:44:00.002-07:00

Ethan went to his first costume Halloween party on Friday night. It was pretty funny to see all the babies dressed up. Ethan had fun, we think =)

Duds for Doodlebugs

2009-10-22T10:49:00.000-07:00

Ok so I have to brag about the consignment sale, "Duds for Doodlebugs," that I went to last night. I really did not know what to expect, but my friend Christina told me it was worth driving to Hattiesburg to go. I'm normally not into used stuff or garage sales b/c I don't really like to dig through junk to find a few good things, but this sale was AMAZING...everything was in excellent condition. I am SO glad I went! I spent $99 and got Ethan a ton of stuff all in perfect condition! I got.... 9 pairs of pants, 4 pairs of pajamas, 6 shirts/onesies, 4 fleeces/hoodies, 1 pair corduroy overalls, a one piece GAP sweatsuit, 3 pair of shoes, a nice thick coat, 4 infant toys, and a bath seat!

New Recipe

2009-10-20T18:48:00.000-07:00

So Scott and I decided to try and find a chicken Parmesan recipe, and we found this one. It is FABULOUS, and so easy to make. =) I thought I would share!

Ingredients:

* 4 boneless chicken breasts
* 1 egg
* 1/2 cup milk
* seasoned bread crumbs
* 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 8 slices mozzarella cheese, or more (I used grated Mozzarella cheese)
* 1 jar (16 oz) spaghetti sauce
* Parmesan cheese

Preparation:
Whisk together the egg and milk. Dip the chicken breasts in milk and egg mixture and then in bread crumbs. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in the hot oil on both sides until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Set chicken in a baking dish.

Slice 8 pieces of mozzarella cheese and put two on each chicken breast. Pour 1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce over all. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and a little more mozzarella and bake at 350° for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until bubbly. Serve over spaghetti, with garlic bread and a nice green salad.

2009-10-14T21:42:00.001-07:00

Ok so I thought this was funny!

6 Months

2009-10-02T09:55:00.000-07:00

Ethan is 6 months old! Seriously, where did the time go? He weighed in at 19 lb 11 oz, and 28 inches long! Both are in the 85th percentile. He is still a big boy!

New York

2009-09-29T11:51:00.000-07:00

Scott and I just got back from a 5 day trip to New York City. Scott had never been, and we decided to go while we still just had one child and it would be easier to go. We had a BLAST! We were there on my birthday which was really fun. We tried to do all the tourist stuff, and got to do most of the stuff we wanted to do. =)

At the Yankees/Red Sox game

Central Park

New York Stock Exchange

Central Park

In F.A.O. Chewy was made completely of Legos!

The Apple Store on 5th Ave.

Times Square at night

From the top of the Empire State Building

We went to see Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. It was AMAZING!

Laughing

2009-09-09T20:03:00.000-07:00

Ethan is just now starting to laugh, and nothing makes him laugh more than our dog Molly!

New Hobby

2009-09-01T20:14:00.000-07:00

Ok So I have a new hobby: Painting picture frames!! I am selling them for $10. I can paint many different colors, and do the frames with/without the bow. I also can do a darker stain, like the ones that are striped, or a lighter stain, like the polka dot ones.

Email me if you would like one!

khmercer8@yahoo.com

Pray for Kathryn and Brian and their family

2009-08-31T19:58:00.000-07:00

I am just going to ask that whoever reads my blog pray for a family that is in desperate need of prayer right now. I got to know Kathryn at Pine Cove, where she worked as a counselor when my dad was a director there. Kathryn and her husband Brian just lost their little boy, Samuel, at 4 weeks old. He was born with heart troubles and the Doctors never could figure out what to do about little Samuel's condition. They have two other children, Caleb and Joel.

These situations are so hard, and my heart is breaking for this family. I cannot imagine what they are going through. Their faith in the Lord during this hard time is a wonderful testimony and encouragement to me and many others.

Their blog is: http://apinisfamily.blogspot.com/
If you have the time and patience I would encourage you to read some of their posts.

Ethan tries Juice

2009-08-25T18:19:00.001-07:00

Cereal

2009-07-29T18:37:00.000-07:00

Little Man is growing up!

2009-07-29T13:21:00.000-07:00

We went to see Dr. Flowers today for Ethan's 4 month check up. He is a whopping 16 lb 11 oz. and 26 in long, both of which are in the 80th percentile. He is a big boy! The Dr. said we can go ahead and start rice cereal, which should be interesting.

2009-07-21T11:09:00.001-07:00

We are in Destin! It is beautiful and we are having a blast. Ethan has been pretty good, he took a nap on the beach this morning. We tried the water but I think it was a little too cold for him. We will probably try the pool later.

Harrison is Home

2009-07-02T19:46:00.000-07:00

Scott, Ethan, my mom and I went to go pick up Harrison from the airport in Atlanta yesterday. He has not been home from Italy since June 2008! We were all so glad he gets to come home for two weeks.

Playing guitar Hero with Harrison

Maddie wasn't quite sure about Harrison

Kisses

2009-06-20T19:57:00.000-07:00

Molly loves Ethan!

Anniversary

2009-06-09T21:09:00.001-07:00

Scott and I celebrated our one year anniversary on June 7. It has been an amazing year, very eventful, but wonderful. We are so blessed to have welcomed little Ethan into our lives even though we had not planned on having a baby within 10 months of our wedding day! God's plan turned out to be so much better than we could have imagined. We love being parents!

Scott and I left Ethan with his grandma,(my mom) and went to Memphis for a day to celebrate our anniversary. Later this month we are going to stay at the Alluvian for a night and leave little man with my mom(ah!)

We went to the Zoo and had so much fun. We are both still kids at heart and love going to look at the animals. I can't wait until Ethan gets old enough for us to take him.

Scott and his Bird

Me feeding the birds

The 800 lb Sea Lion standing on its flippers!

Me and my Polar Bear

Meerkats, Scott's favorite

Polar Bear, my favorite

2009-05-27T14:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we took Ethan to Dr. Flowers for his 2 month check up and shots. He did great except for the shots part. Poor guy did not know what had happened! So now he weighs 13 lb 5 oz, which is in the 75th percentile. He is 24 in, which is 90th percentile. I dont remember exactly what his head measurement was, but it was in the 25th percentile. So he continues to be a big boy! I'm not surprised though, he eats like a teenager already =)

On another note, Scott got me a MacBook for our 1 year anniversary (a little early)! I LOVE it! I've been wanting one for a long time! I cannot believe we have almost been married for a whole year, but I guess since we have a baby now I can believe it.

Look at me holding my head up!

2009-05-25T14:21:00.000-07:00

2009-05-14T11:51:00.001-07:00

A few days ago, Scott and I had some pictures with Ethan taken. One of Scott's friends at work does photography on the side. Eric and his wife were kind enough to take some pictures of us! Here are a few we have gotten back so far...

6 weeks

2009-05-06T20:37:00.000-07:00

Ethan was six weeks old yesterday! Scott weighed him using our Wii fit, and it said he weighs 11.3 pounds!! He is getting so big! I am starting to get comfortable taking him out by myself...we went and met daddy for lunch yesterday. I cannot even imagine having more than one kid...ha.

Bath Time

On the Changing table after a very dramatic diaper change....

Happy Boy

Tummy Time...he loves it, but usually ends up asleep =)

One Month!

2009-04-24T11:01:00.000-07:00

Ethan is now one month old! Time has flown by. Last night was a big night for us--Ethan slept in his own room. It actually worked out so well and I am glad we made the transition. When he slept in our room I would wake up at every little noise he made and I would comfort him every time he whimpered...which led to a VERY tired mommy. So now I feed him and put him down in his own room and only go in there every 3 hours or so to feed him. After I fed him he fussed for a few minutes the first time I put him down, but I let him cry (SO hard for me to do!) and he went to sleep. After that he slept and woke up only to eat. I actually felt rested this morning when I woke up.
We got out of the house last night and went to watch Daddy's softball game. We had fun, even though Ethan slept the entire time in his car seat. =)

3 Weeks Old!

2009-04-15T20:10:00.000-07:00

Ethan had his first trip to Greenwood to visit his grandparents this past weekend! It was a lot of fun for us and I'm pretty sure our parents really enjoyed Ethan being there.

Here are a few pictures...He already looks different!

Playing with the color on my camera...his passy is the only color

We laugh b/c almost all his pictures are on his boppy pillow

His blanket

He had his first real bath in Greenwood; he did not really like it, but he has liked them since then

First Dr. Appointment

2009-04-07T13:48:00.000-07:00

Ethan had his first pediatrician appointment today. We just love Dr. Flowers =) He did great--he gained 9 0z, weighing in at 8lb 9 oz. The Dr. said that was great b/c most breastfed babies just gain enough weight to get back up to their birth weight. He hasn't gotten any longer, but it sure feels like he has.

He is in the 50th percentile for weight and 95th percentile for height! We are hoping he continues to be tall, but I guess you really can't know this early =)

Big Week

2009-04-06T12:01:00.000-07:00

Ethan had a big week this week! He had his first trip to Wal-Mart and his first babysitter (my mom). My mom offered to watch him while Scott and I ran to get something to eat.

He has his first Dr. appointment tomorrow. We are anxious to see if he has gained weight or gotten longer. He seems to be getting bigger every day!

Ethan loves his daddy

Meeting Nanny

Sleeping on Mommy

One Week Old!

2009-03-31T13:29:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Ethan is already a week old! We are trying to cherish every moment because we know he will grow so fast. We are really enjoying life with our new little man.

Ethan is here!

2009-03-28T19:24:00.000-07:00

Little Ethan Cole arrived at 4:30 pm on Tuesday March 24,2009. He weighed 8lbs!! The labor really was not that bad. I was induced that morning and he arrived later in the afternoon. Thanks to the epidural I slept most of the day during labor. I really don't think I could have gone without the epidural, I think women who do should be given some kind of medal, seriously.

The little man scared the poo out of his mommy and daddy when he first came out. He really did not want to take that first breath. They worked on him trying to get him to breathe, and were on the phone with the NICU to come get him when he finally decided to breathe and cry a little. They wrapped him up and gave him to me, it still seems like a dream.

Life at home with a newborn has been amazing. We love every sleep deprived minute of it.

In the Nursery

Picture with Dr. Breeland (best Dr. ever) I look horrible!

Proud Daddy and Ethan ready to go home!

In the arms of "Mimi"

Our stork

Right after his first bath...he screamed the whole time!

Meeting the dogs! They have been very curious.

2009-02-27T11:53:00.000-08:00

Today we had a shower at Scott's office. We got some cool stuff, thank you everyone who was there! One of the guys Scott works with does photography on the side, and he gave us a newborn photo session certificate...I'm pretty excited about that.
Monogrammed Onesies!

Cute monogrammed stuff!

Pizza =)

I sure can make some weird faces...the blanket is SOO cute!

Can't have too many diapers or diaper genie refills

Faith is the cutest kid!

Cart Cover and tummy mat

Showers

2009-02-22T15:24:00.000-08:00

We are so blessed to have friends who care about us and give us showers! I had a shower on Saturday that a few of my close friends gave me, and then some of our church friends gave both of us a shower this afternoon. Here are a few pictures...I don't have room to put them all up. It is getting close, he will be here soon! We got some pretty cool stuff. Thanks everybody =)

Diaper Cake

Awesome Jogging Stroller!

Woohoo Diaper Genie!

Belly

2009-01-27T19:51:00.000-08:00

Ok so I swore to myself (and my mom! sorry mom) that I would never take a picture like this of myself while pregnant. A picture with my shirt up exposing my belly. Scott had the camera out while I was looking at my belly and snapped this one of me. I decided to put the picture up because....how amazing is it that there is a tiny helpless little human being in my belly?

Psalm 139: 13-16
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

I am in awe of how amazing my body is right now. Scott and I have often talked about how incredible pregnancy is and how my body is capable of growing and nourishing a baby without any real effort on my part (other than being tired all the time and eating a lot more than normal!)

My pregnancy has been a daily reminder of the sovereignty of God. It is truly amazing what is happening inside me, and I can take no credit for this miracle. God has created this precious child within me, and already loves our little one more than he or his parents can possibly imagine.

Molly

2009-01-21T14:15:00.000-08:00

Molly is our Jack Russell Terrier who is very hyper active and requires lots of attention. We recently got her some racquetballs to play with, since she eats the fur off of normal tennis balls, and cannot play with normal dog toys b/c she destroys them in seconds littering our home with white fuzz and squeaker particles from the inside of her toys. We have noticed that she does not like her balls to get dirty and she must wash them off in her water bowl...making a HUGE mess in our kitchen. But the dern dog is determined....here is a video...

Nursery

2009-01-17T13:31:00.000-08:00

The nursery is almost done and I am so excited! My mom and Nanny came over yesterday and we painted and hung the curtain. Scott put together the chest of drawers (which he still is convinced at the age of 29 that they are called "Chester drawers!") this morning! I'm thankful he did, it did not look like a pleasant experience.

The View from the door

My mom is going to paint these letters to match the room

Glider with teddy bear ha

Inside of Crib

Changing table

The quilt we hung on the wall

Crib animals

Scrapbooking!

2009-01-03T14:53:00.000-08:00

So I've decided to tap into my creative abilities for a little while and start a scrapbook. I know I won't have time to do much after the baby is here, and so I decided to go ahead and scrapbook our wedding and first year together while I have free time! I actually have found that I really enjoy doing it...I didn't know if I would like it or not. It just takes a whole lot of time! I tried to take some pictures...

Ceremony Page

Wedding Party and Family

Us
UsHoneymoon 1
Honeymoon 2
Honeymoon 3
Our puppies

2008-12-28T18:33:00.000-08:00

Scott and I got some Christmas money from our families and decided to go ahead and order some of our baby stuff since he will be here in about 13 weeks! We want to go ahead and paint the nursery and get his bed ready. We already have the crib and the changing table, and we wanted to wait until the bedding arrived to paint. I think we are going to paint the room a light green with maybe some brown somewhere...I'm glad my mom is good at stuff like this.

Here is a picture of the bedding we picked out. Scott didn't like any of the plain polka-dotted or striped bedding sets I picked out. He wanted it to have something else on it like animals or tractors or planes or something. We both liked this one. I think the little animals are cute.

Here is our stroller.

And the carseat.

Christmas

2008-12-26T13:40:00.001-08:00

Christmas this year was a lot of fun for both Scott and me. We did Christmas with his parents and then with his Nanny on Christmas Eve. Then Christmas day we went to my Nanny's and had Christmas with my family. This was our first Christmas as a married couple, and it was the last Christmas with just the two of us. Next year will be a lot of fun, but very different.

Today I went shopping with my Mother-in-law and her friend and daughter. It was a lot of fun, but we were on our feet all morning and afternoon. When I got home, I took my shoes off and laid on the couch and realized my ankles and lower legs were SO swollen! I kinda freaked out a little. I had always heard you swell when you are pregnant, but I guess I just thought that would never happen to me! Ugh!

Scott's mom got our dogs little Christmas outfits to wear! They are so cute, but our dogs hated them! We finally got the things on them and managed to take some pictures...but they were not happy about it!

Scott's Family

I really like this picture of us by the tree.

...and the mantle

2008-12-16T10:44:00.000-08:00

Well I went to the Dr. this morning and everything looked good. I had to do the glucose screening test today...ugh. They make you drink this HORRIBLE orange sugar drink, then they test your blood to make sure your body compensates for the extra sugar. I don't think I would have made it if they told me I couldn't have sugar for the rest of the pregnancy, I prolly would have just died right there. I love sugar!

So we found out a few days ago that my brother, Harrison, will not be able to come home for Christmas. He joined the army in January and is stationed in Italy right now. This will be the first Christmas he hasn't spent with family and it will be tough for him and us. Pray for him.

Here are some updated pictures of me. I feel like I am HUGE, but I know I am nothing compared to what I will be closer to the end. I can't believe I am already 25 weeks!

Trying to take a picture with Maddie, our dog, but she was not cooperating.
Finally she decided to stop squirming.

PeePee Teepee

2008-12-09T18:47:00.001-08:00

Ok so Scott and I were shopping online trying to figure out what we wanted for Christmas. I was looking at the Gap maternity page and wandered onto the BabyGap website. That is when I ran into the PeePee Teepee...I was like what in the world! Apparently if you have a little boy, you can put this over him while you are changing his diaper. I have never laughed so hard. The name and the concept is just hilarious to me--thought I would share. =)

You look Pregnant!

2008-12-08T12:42:00.000-08:00

So I was cooking meatballs last night for our spaghetti, and I was standing sideways. Scott was sitting at the bar playing on Flickr(as usual), and he looked up and said, "Oh my gosh you look pregnant!" I thought it was hilarious that he was just now noticing, but over the last week or so I really have started to show. I noticed it also when I put on a sweater and it almost didn't cover my belly! It is kind of annoying because I can no longer wear any of my regular T-shirts--which is what I ALWAYS wear! But I have to admit, maternity jeans are pretty awesome. I will probably have a hard time going back to regular jeans, when the stretchy ones are so comfy.

2008-12-05T14:37:00.000-08:00

Ok so Scott and I have been talking about how we should start a blog. Today I finally set one up. I don't know exactly what we will blog about, but mostly likely it will be updates on our pregnancy and random thoughts that we may have. Who knows if anyone will actually even read this =)

So recently Scott has been obsessed with Flickr, the photo website. He is uploading all of our pictures on the site so we will never lose them and so we can share them with family and friends. He uploaded the pictures that we showed at our rehearsal dinner:

Was he not the cutest kid?

And here is a picture of me with my wild and crazy hair.

Looking at these pictures it makes me wonder what our little one will look like. I can't believe he will be here in about 4 months. It seems like just yesterday we were hit with the biggest surprise of our lives...that we were going to be parents way before we were planning on becoming parents. We have learned over the past few months that the Lord's plan is so much greater than any plan we had or thought we had. We are excited that he has chosen us to be the parents of this little boy, and we know that the next 18 years or so will be humbling ones, but we are up for the challenge.