Wedding Photos

Finally Home

Wow. After ten days we are happy to be home. Jennifer's wedding was great and then we went to Murfreesboro. The kids had a great time and enjoyed their new Christmas presents. Gabe was so excited about his pirate costume from Santa, he wore it for two days straight. Both kids loved playing with Mom's new dog Charlie. He is super cute and small enough for the kids to grab. We decided to drive home and ended up making a sixteen hour trip. Shelby was difficult in the car to say the least and we had to keep stopping. I guess she is not a professional traveler like Gabe. He was wonderful and never complained. We got home at 4 a.m. Sunday and have been taking it easy. Gabe does not have school this week so I am hoping to get him out of the house to see some of his play group friends. The weather is beautiful here so I am sure we will be spending some time outside. And we have no big plans for New Year's Eve. Just hang with the kids and probably fall asleep before midnight. Hope everyone has a great New Year's.

Getting Ready For Our Big Trip

We are leaving Thursday morning for our Christmas vacation. Our ride to the airport is picking us up at 4:30 am-YIKES. I hope the kids cooperate on the 3 hour plane ride. We will be in VA for the weekend celebrating Jennifer's wedding. Then on Sunday we have an eleven hour drive to Murfreesboro. We may have to break that up into Sunday and Monday, it just depends on the kids (and how comfortable I am). We'll be in TN for the week and come home Monday the 29th. We are very excited to see both sides of our families this year. I know the kids are going to have a blast and I can't wait to see them all dressed up for the wedding. Gabe has asked Santa for a Pirate Costume, so we'll see if he can pull that off. We celebrated our family Christmas this past weekend and the kids were so cute opening everything. It will be great to see them on Christmas morning.

Merry Christmas Everyone.

It's A Boy

I had another ultrasound today and we are having a boy. We are very happy. I am so glad to have one of each and know that Jonah Collin will be a joy to us like Gabe and Shelby. Just wanted to update everyone :)

Thanksgiving and Our New Place

Well we had a very interesting week. First we moved to another apartment because we had a rat in our other place. This occurred when we first moved here too but the manager then would not let us out of our lease. But I guess when dealing with an irrate pregnant woman, the new manager was happy to oblige us. But I did threaten to call the health department and news stations. So, we moved most things the Sunday before Thanksgiving and then throught the week Jeremy went back over there to bring the rest. My Dad visited for the holiday and we had a great time. Gabe came down with an outer ear infection, inner ear infection (one in each ear) and strept throat. So he was grumpy most of the week, but finally came around on Thanksgiving Day. I cooked my first ever holiday meal and have to say I was impressed with myself ( I was extremely worried about how it would all turn out. Although I did forget to cook a few things, everything I did make was really yummy. We love our new place and the kids have had a great time going through the boxes with me and playing with old toys (and beads).

Happy Birthday Jeremy

Jeremy celebrated his 31st birthday yesterday. We had a relaxing day with the kids. Our church has a new 1:00 service so we went to that and then the kids and I made Jeremy his favorite cake and decorated with a banner and noise makers. Jeremy was "surprised" even though Gabe told him what we were doing. Gabe sang "Happy Birthday" to Jeremy which was just too cute and Shelby really enjoyed the red velvet cake.

Then last weekend, my great friend Robbie let the kids spend the night at her house while Jeremy and I went out. We had a yummy dinner at a steak house and then came home to an eerily quiet place. The time was so enjoyable and the kids did great with Robbie.

Shelby Is On Her Way

That's right, little Shelby is finally walking!! It is such a thrill to see this too. She and Gabe go all over the house now. It's really cute because Shelby just cannot keep up with him but she tries so hard. They are really playing together a lot more now too. And Shelby has learned how to come all the way down the stairs. Jeremy was showing her how to crawl down backwards and one day she just did it. So now we have two very mobile kids. I think with the next one I will just strap her/him into the bouncy seat to be entertained by my two crazy monkeys.

Shelby Walking and Family Update

Here is a video from a play date where Shelby was walking. I was super excited. she is doing more on her feet everyday, but still likes those knees.

And I went for my 20 week appt today. Everything looked good, but we could not tell the sex. The baby kept stretching its' legs out and crossing them. So I will be checked again in a month. We may have a 4D ultrasound but I am not really into all that. I have gained 5 pounds so far and am feeling okay. Headaches are on the menu right now and just pure exhaustion. I am so glad that Gabe goes to Pre-School two days a week. And Jeremy helps out as much as possible.
The kids have still been getting sick, Gabe had double ear infections last week-fun. Shelby has a cough and runny nose again. Gabe keeps bringing it home from school and kindly sharing it with all of us.
Gabe is doing great in school. He comes home everyday so excited about what he learned. He is beginning to trace letters and try to spell words out. There will be a Christmas Program in December and he will be singing three songs.
Jeremy's sister Jennifer is getting married December 20th in Virginia Beach. We are really excited because both kids will be in the wedding. I cannot wait to see them all dressed up.
Jeremy is doing well, but really misses his family. His job is getting a bit more stressful and the hotel he is overseeing is now in the furnishing phase. The concrete is all finished so now they can begin carpeting, painting, etc. The Aloft should open at the end of April, just one month after the baby's born.
We are really looking forward to the holidays coming up. My Dad will be joing us for a warm Texas Thanksgiving and then we will all be in Murfreesboro for Christmas. I cannot wait to see our family and friends.

Happy Halloween

Last night was so much fun. We took Gabe and Shelby trick-or-treating for the first time. Shelby didn't do too much but Gabe had a blast. We went to a friend's house and walked around their neighborhood. It was packed with all kinds of ghosts, goblins, fairies, super heroes and many others. Gabe was not scared at all and instead of saying the classic "trick-or-treat" for candy he would say "happy Halloween". Tina and Elliott's children went as Beauty from the classic movie and a Lion. They were all too cute. Gabe got so much candy, he wouldn't even carry his bucket after a while. Both kids passed out on the way home and slept in this morning. It was so fun for Jeremy and I to experience this for the first time with kids. All of the adults were reminiscing about our trick-or-treating days and what we used to do. It is definitely fun being the parent and watching your kids get so excited about something.

Habby Birthday Shelby

I cannot believe it, our little girl is 1 today. We will be celebrating Shelby's birthday on Saturday, since we are waiting for the new camera to come in. But I just wanted to honor her on the actual day. Shelby has brought so much laughter and joy into our lives and I am so grateful God gave her to us. Our little gilr is still trying hard to walk and took the most steps yesterday afternoon that she has so far. Shelby and Gabe are a sight to see when they are sweet to each other. But Shelby can tease Gabe almost as much as he teases her. She is extremely observant of everything around her and really likes to press buttons on everything and dance to music. She also loves dogs. Whenever she sees one, she starts laughing and trying to jump out of our arms to get to it. She is still taking two naps a day and sleeping well at night. Although she does get up too early for me sometimes. But she has learned to entertain herself in her crib.

I will post pictures and video from our little family party over the weekend.

Fall Is In The Air

We are all finally feeling better and decided to visit a pumpkin patch. The kids were more interested in just running around, but we did get 3 pumpkins to decorate. Once we got home Gabe, Shelby and Jeremy decided to make a jack-o-lantern instead of just painting the big pumpkin. So we all sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful Texas weather. Shelby was really interested in what was going on and when Gabe would go inside for a second, she would actually touch the pumpkin. By the end of the afternoon, Jeremy created a very cool scary face and we lit the pumpkin to protect us from the "evil goblin" as Gabe told us.

And The Sickness Continues...

Well, Shelby has an ear infection now. We cannot seem to get over this stuff. She is on an antibiotic now so hopefully she will get better soon and this sickness will be out of our house for a while. I had no clue she had an ear ache and I feel really bad for her. The doc said her ear looked really bad, but she has not complained about it at all.

Just Plain Ill

I went to the doctor yesterday and was told I have a severe sinus infection. He said that if I had waited a few more days I probably would have gone to the hospital. I got sick Friday and this was Monday morning. I thought he was being dramatic but then he explained how a pregnant woman's immune system is lower during this time and that when the body has an infection it goes to protect the baby first then you. Well, great. So I got some antibiotics and cough syrup and now I am just waiting to feel better. Shelby is still coughing but the doctor said there wasn't much they could do for her since she only coughs at night. She has a runny nose too. A few other families we know have had the same things and it took several weeks to get over. So I am not setting my expectations too high anymore. Jeremy is in Houston until tomorrow evening so the kids and I are on our own. Lots of PB&J sandwiches and grapes to eat. And early bed times for all of us.

Being Sick Is No Fun

Since last Friday, all of us have gotten sick. Jeremy and Gabe had a horrible cough and now Shelby and I have stuffy heads and coughs. This is the first time I have been really sick during pregnancy and it stinks. It's hard to help the kids do anything and then to take care of me just kind of takes a back seat. Thankfully Mom was here this week to endure all the sickness and really helped out with the kiddos. Jeremy and I never really got any time alone, but at least we had the help. And Mom got sick as well once she got home, so Happy Birthday To Barbara. What a nice b-day present from us. Anyways, Gabe is well enough for school this week and I think Shelby and I will be on the mend soon. And since we are feeling icky, Jeremy didn't have to make an extra trip to Houston this week-thank goodness. I guess these little bugs just come with having kids.

Eleven Months

Shelby is certainly developing her language skills even though we have no idea what she is saying. This little girl loves to "talk". She gabs at the window in the van, at Gabe, Jeremy, me and anything else that will sit still. She is fascinated by cartoons and loves to get right up to the TV and touch the screen. This drives Gabe crazy of course, but Shelby doesn't seem to mind bothering him. She is still trying to walk and now gets on her knees to get around as well. The cabinets have become her new discovery zone and I usually find the tupperware scattered all over the kitchen floor. She also loves to get in Gabe's room and play with his toys. It's too cute when I find them up there playing together. This usually only lasts for a few precious moments and then they are fighting over something and fussing at each other. Shelby's hair is getting longer and I love the curls in the back. That is why I chose the picture below, because you can actually see them. Our baby is growing so fast and really surprises us on a daily basis with the new things she can do.

A Visit From Family

This weekend Jeremy's Uncle Lee and Aunt Barb were in San Antonio. Uncle Lee is Jeremy's mom's oldest borther. They came into town for Lee's annual Military Reunion. Jeremy and I were able to attend the dinner on Saturday night with them. We had a great time and it was definitely a sobering experience for both of us. Sunday we visited the Alamo and then went on a boat ride down the River Walk. Then Uncle Lee and Aunt Barb came over for a visit and we ended the evening with a great dinner. Gabe took a little while to warm up but by the end of the evening, he was giving out hugs and kisses like candy. And Shelby was friendly as always. Although she had a hard time figuring out Uncle Lee's mustache.

Drinking From A Straw

About a month ago, I finally got Shelby to begin drinking from a sippy cup. The only problem was that she refused to hold it. So Jeremy and I have been holding her and the cup. So I started just putting it on the floor in front of her to see what she would do. And she did absolutely nothing. She would just stare at the cup and then smile at us. But the other day she found one of Gabe's cups with the straw. She started chewing on it and then all of a sudden, we heard her sucking really hard on the straw. She had drank all the juice out of the cup on her own. Jeremy and I were both clapping and cheering for her and of course, she gave us that cute toothy grin. Now Shelby only drinks out of the straw cups and she does it all by herself.

Congratulations To The Brinkley Family!!

My cousin Allison has a new addition to her family today!! She delivered by c-section a beautiful baby boy, Calhan Wolff Brinkley. He weighs 7 lbs. and is 20 inches long. Now Dawson and Allison have two boys, and I bet big brother Chase is so excited.

A Good Report

Since Gabe has been acting up at home a bit, I wanted to know if he was doing the same at school. Actually, I really didn't want to know but felt like I needed to ask. So when I went to pick him up today, I asked his teachers how he has been doing. Both ladies just smiled and said that Gabe has been doing so great. He is friendly to everyone, he listens to them and does what he is told. I was so proud. Then they asked why I was even wondering about his behavior. I explained briefly about the issues at home and Ms. Polly said that she was shocked. He has yet to give them any problems and is such a "charmer". Well, at least he is behaving at school. I just need to get him to listen to me more. But I remember Janet telling me that Jeremy did well at school, but home was a completely different issue. I guess he takes after his Dad.

Just Cute

Here are a few pictures of the kids this morning. I can't believe they were sitting so nicely together while watching Clifford.

Gabe's First Day of School

Gabe did really great last week. He cried the first day, but when we picked him up he couldn't stop talking about his teachers and the things he did. I think he is going to be just fine. And he looks so big :)

Videos

Here are a few videos from the past couple of weeks.

This one is from the Wildlife Ranch. It's like a mini safari.

Change

Finally. I have been wanting to make some changes to this blog for months and today I actually got the chance. I have had those little birthday tickers on my myspace page forever and kept meaning to put them on here. And I wanted to find a cute background without all the downloading and thankfully I took a look at Rebecca's blog and stole her idea. Now I just need to put some videos on here that I have been forgetting to do for about 3 weeks.

Paci Withdrawls

I never thought I would say this, but I kind of want the paci fairy to bring those plugs back!! Gabe has had a really hard time this week without his security. He did great at school and is still using the potty without any problems. But the temper tantrums have increased and he has made several trips to time out and his room. I feel sad for him and wish it wasn't so hard. And I know this is just something he has to go through, but I hate it. Hopefully within the next week or so things will calm down for him and he'll get used to being without his beloved pacis.

Baby #3 Update

I had my 11 week visit today. Thankfully, I have been feeling better and not nearly as nauseous. I am just tired by 6 pm. I was able to hear the heartbeat for just a few seconds, it seems this baby doesn't like being pressed on. Then we did an ultrasound. The midwives got a new ultrasound machine that is just like the one at an OB's office. We found the baby right away and HOLY COW!!! HE/She was kicking like crazy! The baby was laying on its' back and kicking those little legs up in the "air". It was really funny to watch. Then the little hands kept going by its' head and we were able to make out the eye sockets and see a teeny nose. I can't believe all that movement is happening and I don't feel a single thing! I have a few pictures that I will post tomorrow, although it's a little hard to make out everything. Next time I go, Mom will be here and she is going with me. We may be able to find out the sex, but it's not likely. I am a little more excited now after seeing an actual baby in there instead of just a little lump.

Potty Training Success and The Paci Fairy

There have been a few big strides made in Gabe's life that have taken him from the toddler world to the Pre-K world. Last week, he finally began pooping in the potty. SUCCESS. After almost 9 months, he finally has it. He still wears a diaper at night but that is something we will tackle later. Gabe has been so proud of himself and we are proud too. It's a great day when there is only one bottom in the house to clean.

And the paci fairy finally made her way to Gabe's room last night. We had been telling Gabe that is was time to give the pacis to another baby that needed them. We explained how sweet and kind the fairy is and that she would make sure the right baby got his sacred plugs. "She" left Gabe a Spider Man lunch box, a tri-ceratops and Transformer underwear. He was more excited about the underwear than anything else. Tonight was hard for him, but after singing about a dozen times and Jeremy and I both giving lots of hugs and kisses, Gabe finally went to sleep. I can't believe that changes he has made over the summer and just this past week. And tomorrow, he starts Mother's Day Out. Our baby is not a baby anymore :)

Ten Months

Shelby has taken some big steps this month. She is trying so hard to walk, it's really cute. Her personality keeps on coming through too. She laughs almost all the time and loves to play chase with Jeremy and Gabe. She has 4 teeth coming in right now but hasn't really complained much. Climbing has become a new hobby for her and I have found her at the top of the stairs or in Gabe's room several times in the past few weeks. She also loves to climb on the toy box and sit in her pool float. Shelby's hair has really grown and I love putting it up in a barrette, she looks so girly. We are also giving her all table food now and trying to make the transition from formula to regular milk. And we are trying to get rid of the bottle. I'd like a little time without any newborn tools before we have to break them out again.

Sugar Land, TX

We went with Jeremy last week to Sugar Land. It's right outside of Houston. The drive was about 3 hours and the kids did pretty well. We had a good time while we were there and the kids and I had plenty to do. We visited the Natural History Museum, The Houston Zoo and the Children's Museum. I actually got to order room service one morning, which I haven't done since our honeymoon. It was a good trip, but I was exhausted at the end of each day. This pregnancy is tiring and having two kids does not allow for much down time at all. Here are some photos from the trip.

E.T. Phone Home

Gabe loves E.T.. We were using it for a while as a reward for potty training, but then had to back off. Last week he received a huge surprise in the mail from Rick-E.T.. Gabe went completely nuts when he saw it and has not left it alone since. We had to take him to church with us and he "took a nap" in the van while we went inside. E.T. also lays with Gabe during his quiet time and hangs out with him in his room. Jeremy and I were afraid that Gabe would be scared of him since he has been having trouble with nightmares, but he is not afraid at all. He actually tells E.T. that he will protect him. Aah, the imagination of a 3-year-old, gotta love it.

First Baby Appt

The whole family went to our first appointment today. Jeremy and I chose two midwives that are in practice together. Joi and Stacy are amazing women and have been working together for 5 years. They have delivered babies in third world countries and are both highly qualified. Today we just went over paperwork and figured out my due date which is March 27, 2009. So I am seven weeks along. All of the appts. are at Joi's house and I get to have an ultrasound every time. We were able to see the baby today and clearly make out the heartbeat. Thankfully, one of the apprentices there had zofran on hand and gave me several. I have been extremely nauseous this past week and have lost 4 pounds. Although, you would never be able to tell since I cannot even zip up my regular pants. I actually pulled out a pair of maternity shorts this morning and put them on. Hopefully the sickness will only last through 12 weeks (I am keeping my fingers crossed).

Mr. Incredible

Last Friday, the kids and I went to a play place called Fiddlesticks. Gabe had a great time dressing up in the costumes. His favorite was Mr. Incredible. Once he put on the costume he would not take it off. i think he had it on for almost an hour. It was a little big on him and when he would run around, the muscles built into the chest of the costume would hit him in the chin. He kept saying, "Ta da, I am Msr. Incedible." He doesn't look very happy in the photo below, but he was so excited to be the super hero.

9 Months

Shelby is still crawling away. She is super fast now and follows us around everywhere. She is also getting to the extreme attachment phase with me. When I leave her in another room, she usually cries hard and then cries as she's crawling. It's kind of funny. She is also eating more adult food, we shared a piece of pizza the other night. No other teeth have come in yet, but she is constantly moving her tongue along her top gum and drooling. Shelby's also eating bananas, turkey, mashed potatoes, and broccoli. But her favorite is yogurt and the pizza. We bought her a walk n' ride toy that she has been using a lot since arriving home from TN. She will pull herself and walk behind it for a few minutes then get on her knees and play with all the gadgets on the front. She is really attached to Gabe too, and he can get her giggling when Jeremy and I can't even get a grin out of her. And along with her glow worm that she sleeps with every night, Mom got her a Gund Comfy Cozie Bear. It is so soft and Shelby loves to cuddle with it. She has had a runny nose lately but besides that, she is a happy, healthy 9-month-old baby.

Just Checking

I know this may sound silly, but I took another pregnancy test just to be sure. I am still so surprised by this news. And yes, I am still pregnant. I feel sad and disappointed in myself that I wasn't more careful (although I am not sure how much more careful I could have been). I feel so complete with my two children and Jeremy, that I never even imagined we would have another baby. I don't want those sleepless nights again, the never-ending bottle feedings, my belly growing huge, and one of my most selfish fears-3 kids in diapers. I pray Gabe has this poop issue worked out by March. I know I may sound like a whiny baby when you read this, but I am just being honest. This pregnancy is a real life change and I am glad it will be 9 months before it becomes a reality. I know that when I see this baby I will be excited and happy but right now I feel a bit lost and overwhelmed. And as a result of this news, we are trying to get a more family friendly vehicle, maybe move into a house and figure out how to save even more money. We are so thankful that Jeremy has an amazing job and we are in a good position financially. But who doesn't worry about money when you have kids? taking it one day at a time is best, but what pregnant woman can really do that when hormones are changing everyday? Okay, enough complaining from me.

Nightmares

Poor Gabe. He has been having nightmares for the past several nights now. There are some characters from a few movies he seen lately that really scare him. He's been waking up at 3 in the morning and not really going back to sleep. I have been getting up with him, but Jeremy deicided to just sleep in his room last night. So Gabe slept on the blow up mattress (that's just where he crashed) and Jeremy slept in Gabe's bed. Now Mom had told us before that Gabe talks in his sleep. But last night Jeremy said Gabe kept sitting up in the bed, whininh and talking. Then he yelled for Jeremy and went right back to sleep. I know the nightmares happen to almost every kid, and I went through it a lot when I was younger. But I just feel so bad for my baby. He comes into our room crying and shaking and will not go back in his room without us. Jeremy is planning on sleeping in his room for a few more nights to see what happens. Hopefully taking the movies out of the equation and putting his bed right on the floor, Gabe won't be so scared. We'll just see how long he remembers these characters.

Friends.

While we were in Murfreesboro, we got to spend a lot of time with Kara, Karlee and Cooper. Gabe and Karlee are 9 months apart while Cooper and Shelby are 3 and 1/2 months apart. The kids all played really well together. the babies crawled around everywhere together and the two older kids played outside. The house was a little chaotic and when all the kids were down for naps, I felt exhausted. I didn't get any pictures fo the kids with family this time, but I did get plenty of all the kids.