so much for blogging more often...a summary of our summer

Well, my boy is 14 months old now, and I don't even think anyone is out there reading this, but I will write for myself...

We have had the most amazing summer. Lucas turned 1 and we had a backyard beach themed bday party. Over 50 people came to our little house! Thank goodness it didn't rain! That boy is so surrounded by love it's just ridiculous.


We spent many summer days playing in our yard. If there is one thing I love about our house, it's the yard. We have an awesome yard, and I am realizing it is hard to find up here on the mountain.

In July we went to Florida with the fam. It was a wonderful week and Lucas loved the beach!



This summer we also enrolled in playgym at the Creative Discovery Museum. Every Thursday morning we went to playgym and met up with Katie and/or Kevin and Owen (and later baby Brecken came too). It was so much fun to see my boy grow and change over the 8 weeks of the class. When we started he seemed so small next to the older 1 year olds. He wasn't even walking. We loved playgym and I really wish it was something I could do year round with him.

So now as summer draws to a close, I think about how lucky I am to be able to spend these precious moments with my kiddo. And while I do wish I could stay home with him full time, it just isn't in the cards for us right now. So I will be thankful that I have this time AND that I have a job where I can bring him to school with me and have someone keep him there. I do realize how blessed I am to have that kind of set up and I don't take it for granted one minute.

I forgot to mention the person Lucas loves playing with the most-Haiden. She and Lucas have been able to see each other and play almost every day this summer. She really loves her "baby". She is always so concerned about him. She really is a great older cousin. And while she picks on him and sometimes tries to torment him, he is catching on and soon enough he will be right there driving her crazy too! She reminds me of myself when I was little...at least from what I have seen on home videos...always the boss, always pushing Hailey's buttons and making her cry. Now Hailey's child is doing it to my child! Ha! Anyway, it's fun to see them play together and I know they will be best buddies.

So for now I will say that I will post more often. But let's be honest...I probably won't

9 months in, 9 months out

Well, it's official. My boy is nine months old! Where has the time gone? I can't decide if my pregnancy flew by faster or if the past 9 months have gone by faster. Either way, about a year and a half has gone by since I first found out my life was about to change drastically...I just never realized how much.

Some days I still think, gosh, this kid is awesome and he is MINE! How did I get so lucky?

He really is a great baby, and his little personality is starting to show through more and more every day. 2 weeks ago he took his first crawling "steps". He still doesn't go very far, as he is usually pretty satisfied as long as there is a toy in reach. (I am very thankful for that!) But the past couple of days he has started traveling a bit more. I really need to get my house baby-proofed!

He loves his Haiden. Every time he sees her, his face just lights up and he goes in for a hug. I know they are going to be best buds. And boy does she love her baby! She is like a little mama. She likes to take his paci out and say "He's not crying. He doesn't need it."





Last weekend we did something that my friends and I have talked about for YEARS-went on a "mini-vacation" together. So 13 of us rented a cabin in the smokies and had the BEST time! Oh how thankful I am to have such great friends. Who would have ever thought that over 10 years ago when I ran out those doors of Patten Chapel that I was running into meeting some of the best friends and some great memories. It always amazes me how far we have come. From partying like rockstars at Rhythm and Brews and late night Greek show practices to getting married and now having babies (well, a few of us anyway). Our daily lives have changed but we still now how to have a good ol time! With babies in tow, we spent the weekend reminiscing, playing Jenga and Wii, and shopping shopping shopping. And who can forget the late night talks of our "deepest secrets" haha. It was a great weekend, and I hope it won't take another 6 years before we do it again!


Of course my child decided it would be a good time to get sick on me Friday before we left. He ran a fever all weekend, but luckily he acted fine. When we got back he was more pitiful and ended up with a rash which ended up being roseola. So this week I have been dealing with a sick baby. Whoever said breastfeeding would help him stay well was wrong in my child's case. I swear he picks up everything! But who knows...I guess if I didn't breastfeed he may be sick more often. Anyway, he is well now, and I am thankful for my sweet, happy baby back!

So I look forward to the next 9 months...watching Lucas grow more and more. And seeing him start to really interact with all the friends he has around him. He has 3 more friends who will be born in the next 5 months-Yasmine, Katie, and Abby will all have their babies by July...and Yasmine is due any day now. So exciting to share the joys of motherhood with these girls who have been my friends for SO many years. Lifetimes really!

OK enough blabbing. I am really going to try to update this more often. If not for anyone else, for myself so that I can remember these days more easily!

Some highlights of the last few months

Lucas's first boat ride on the Blue Moon in November







Lucas's first Thanksgiving and getting ready for Christmas!






















Lucas's first snow! December 2009



Ok now it's being stupid again and won't let me upload more...computers are not my friend

Time flies when you're a mom!

Where have the last 8 months gone? My baby is inching his way towards the one year mark and I don't know how I feel about that! I just read my last post and realize how much has happened since I wrote last. I really don't even know where to begin...so I will try to be brief (haha)

We are having a great year at school. Lucas has a great time with Bri and Katie in the nursery. He and Katie are so cute together.
We had a great fall and were always out and about enjoying the weather. This winter has been a weird one. We have had 3 snows that actually accumulated. It has been fun sticking Lucas in the snow and taking pictures.
We made it through Lucas's first holiday season, and everything went as smoothly as possible. Lucas was spoiled rotten with all of the presents from grandparents. Of course, it was also our first Christmas without Nana. I was so worried that I would be a basketcase, but I really just had this peace come over me around the holidays. I know she was with us and watching over all of the festivities.

Cute story about Haiden- Sometime in early January Haiden told Hailey to go to Walmart and get some purple balloons. Hailey asked why, and Haiden said she wanted to fly on a balloon up to Heaven and get Nana and bring her back. So on Nana's birthday, January 17, we went to Peggy's and released 3 purple balloons. It was a bittersweet moment.

So we just keep trucking along. Lucas is growing sooooo fast! He hasn't started crawling yet, which I am ok with :) He is just so chill and content to play with whatever toy is in front of him. Everyone is always saying what a good baby he is. Lately he has started playing peek-a-boo with us, and I am trying to teach him to clap. He really tries and has started randomly doing his hands like I do when I sing "pat a cake" on the "roll it roll it roll it roll it throw it in the pan" part. I hope you can get a visual.
Lucas is also babbling all the time. He babbles dadadadadada to everything, and then he says bababa and sometimes a maammamama. Not sure if he has put meaning to any words yet, but the other day it did seem like he looked at evan and said "dada". I hate to admit that!

We have been battling a lot of illness in the house. Evan is sick as I speak, and Lucas has an ear infection for 3 weeks and while he had that Evan got a stomach bug. Hoping for some good health in the coming weeks!

I feel like this is a big ramble of randomness, so I hope I don't bore you. If anyone is actually out there...

What a summer!

Well, I don't really even know where to begin. The last 3 months have been a whirlwind. Some of the absolute best times and some of the saddest. As I type this I am getting a little weepy just thinking about it. I guess I will start from the beginning...
School got out May 29, just in time to celebrate Hannahkah. I was very pregnant and very ready for that baby to get out of me! I was pretty much miserable. Whoever said I would miss being pregnant was wrong. I much prefer my baby on the outside.
So June 1, Dad called me to tell me Nana had been put in the hospital that night, but she was ok. Just had some back pain. Of course, he was trying to keep me from worrying since I was 38 weeks pregnant. Needless to say I worried. She spent the next week in the CCU at Memorial. I went to visit almost every day. I pretty much spent my time at the hospital. She had blood clots and was not doing well. It was probably the worst week of my life. I didn't even have time to think about my upcoming delivery. All I wanted was for Nana to meet Lucas. But she was in so much pain. She kept holding on though.
The last day I visited her was Sunday, June 7. I knew as I left that night it would be the last time I saw her. I just held her hand and told her Lucas would be here soon.
Monday Dad didn't want me to come down to see her. She wasn't doing well, and everyone was very upset. Dad actually tried to tell me that they weren't allowing visitors, but he eventually told me the truth. Evan took me to Greenlife to try to get my mind off things and get excited about the baby. I truly could not get excited. I was so upset. We went home and relaxed on the couch and tried to get some sleep that night.

Tuesday, June 9 I went in to the hospital for my scheduled c-section. I was excited at this point and just ready to meet my little boy. But in the back of my head I was so sad. Mom met us at the hospital and they started prepping me for surgery. It happened so fast I didn't have time to think about the fact that I was about to be cut open! Evan and Mom both got to be in the room with me during the surgery, and at 7:51 am my life changed. Lucas was perfect, and my world had a whole new meaning. Dad and Evan's mom and grandmom were there waiting for us when we were rolled out. The next couple of days were a flurry of visitors. My family spent most of their time with Nana, which is what I wanted, but they came to see Lucas when they needed some happy time. Nana was moved to the hospice wing on the afternoon of the 9th. The doctors didn't think she would make it past that day. Dad was able to take pictures of Lucas and take them to her to show her her 12th great-grandbaby.

Early Thursday morning, around 1:30 or 2 am, I woke up from a dream about Nana. I knew she was gone. I just sat there and cried as Evan slept and Lucas was in the nursery. That morning I called dad around 8, and he told me. She had passed around 1:30 that morning. I knew her pain was gone, but it still killed me inside. I miss her so much. I still can't believe she's gone. But I know she is watching over us.

So that morning we were released from the hospital and made our first stop at Papa's house. He hadn't gotten to see Lucas yet, and we knew it would be good for him to see him. I really believe the timing of Lucas's birth and Nana's death really helped the family deal with her being gone. Lucas certainly helped me find some happiness in an otherwise depressing time. The next day we went to the visitation, and Saturday was the memorial service. It was very beautiful, and really captured what an amazing woman she was. I am so blessed to have had such a remarkable woman as my grandmother. I always looked up to her, and some of my happiest memories were made at Nana and Papa's house. I just hope I can be as good of a mom as she was.

So we truly experienced the circle of life this summer. I haven't even begun to explain the joy that Lucas brought into my life. He is absolutely perfect, and while there have definitely been some moments when I thought the sleep deprivation was going to kill me, it has all been worth it.

More later...Lucas is up and he's hungry!