Here & There

Going places with Smiling Faces

2012-02-05T05:32:00.028-07:00

All Smiles

Hanging out in my crib

Big yawn

Food coma

Go State!

*Wink, wink

One Month Old

Naptime

Loves the baby bjorn

Napping with Nan

My baby girl is 7 weeks old! We have had the joy of seeing her first smiles the past few days and it IS AWESOME! Gail, Ben's mom was in town so what a perfect week for Edie to share her lovely smile!! It was lots of fun to have Gail here-we are so glad she got to meet and hang out with our baby girl and also allow Ben and I some quality time together! We can't wait until her next visit and we are also excited about visiting CA and for Edie's first Disney experience!! :-)

Edie is such a happy baby overall who loves to sleep, cuddle, coo, ohh and ahh, but most of all...be naked! Her new love is laying on the changing table (or anywhere) completely naked and freely kick, stretch, smile, coo, and explore anything and everything within 10 inches!!! No one has to even be with her, she is content as can be all alone (she can't wiggle herself off the changing table yet, but we know that she will be able to soon, so for now we will enjoy her lack of mobility)! It's so much fun to watch her! She may enjoy something completely different next week, but for now we will ALL continue to enjoy Edie's love for nakedness (happy baby=happy family)!

*Edie-you are officially wearing all 0-3 sized clothes!!! Someone is growing very quickly.....weighing in at a whopping 8 lbs 12 oz. (that's a 2 lb 11 oz weight gain).

*You take your pacifier rarely. You love taking pacis from Nan and Nana and occasionally your Daddy, but NOT from Momma! So...that is still a work in progress.

*You will only sleep on your tummy and I'm not fighting it--remember happy Edie=happy family!

*We have moved up to size one in diapers! You squeezed 7 weeks out of all those teeny tiny newborn diapers, but now you are wearing big girl diapers

*You are a good sleeper....you do fight us sometimes because you just don't wanna miss out on anything. We are very thankful for your 6.5-7 hour stretches at night--we may up your allowance when the time comes to return the favor! :-) Your first 6 hour stretch took place at 5 weeks!

*You do have a schedule that we made for you and would love for you to follow, but you only follow it when you want to....and you have drastically changed it lately bc you are growing sooo fast, so we are learning that no matter how hard your daddy and I try you are going to do your own thing because you are one of a kind and no book can sum up your day (eat/wake/sleep) in a paragraph!

*You LOVE to eat, you would eat all day if I would let you. We were worried you might not take a bottle...hah- You not only take a bottle, but you down a bottle from Daddy every night in under 10 min and smack those sweet lips when you're finished!

*Your eyes get bigger everyday as you discover something new or when you see/hear something you love so much like your daddy's voice.....it melts my heart!

sleeping beauty

Edie, our little piglet-we love you to the moon and back!

6 minutes to 6 weeks in a flash!

2012-01-22T09:40:00.022-07:00

6 minutes old!

6 weeks old!

We had Edith's newborn pictures taken when she was 2 weeks old..it was kinda a rough day because she was going through a "growth spurt", eating every 30 min, but hungry/fussy just about every minute in between.....so 3 hours later after she finished "cluster feeding" Kathryn got some great pictures of her while Edith got some much needed rest!!!

Well, thank goodness for the weekends! I view the weekends A LOT different these days...they no longer represent travel, movies, going out to eat, shopping, pampering, etc, but they do mean that Daddy's Home! I'm slowly getting adjusted to Ben being back at work/school, but it's so nice to have him here on the weekends and not only do I enjoy family time but ALSO alone time! woohoo!!! I really don't require much alone time, I'm usually most content being with others the majority of the time, but I would say at about 34 weeks pregnant I began to REQUIRE daily alone time and now even more than ever! Just a little time for deep breathing, a cat nap, a short walk, quiet moments with the Lord, maybe a shower, time to change my milk/spit up covered clothing, or if I'm really ambitious time to blog! So mom's out there-----PLEASE take a break and enjoy some much deserved quiet/alone time even if you have to call your mom crying at 6am asking her to drive 4 hours to come HELP...it makes you a better mother, promise! (Many many moms have been telling me this for a while, but I didn't really understand it's importance until about 2 weeks ago). I still find it difficult to "take naps when the baby does" considering her naps are anywhere from 3 minutes long to 3 hours long--you just never know... but I'm working on it!!

Now let's talk about Miss Priss...Edith is at the end of her 6th week of life!!!! WHEW..how time flies!

She weighs 8 lbs 2.5 oz and is beginning to show her personality! She was in preemie clothes for about 3-4 weeks then moved up to newborn clothes for about 2 weeks and now is beginning to fit into 0-3m! She loves to swing, sway, bounce, listen and watch her mobile, kisses from Aspen, nap/sleep on mommy or daddy's chest, sleep on her tummy, the song "you are my sunshine" sung to her by her loving parents, the book "God gave me you", and bath time is an all time favorite! Mornings/Early afternoons are her best, evenings around 5-8 she is a bit cranky with gas, reflux, etc. She dislikes being swaddled, waiting more than 3 seconds to eat after she wakes up, and the pacifier (she takes it sometimes from my mom--guess she has the magic touch?)

She spits up (I call it throw up because spit up is an understatement) all over herself and I ALL day long---per our Doc we have nothing to worry about since she's gaining plenty of weight, but we shall see if anything becomes of it...Definitely looks like a bad case of reflux to me...hoping she will grow out of it soon since I've already bought all the bibs and burp cloths in Tuscaloosa!

As far as sleeping is concerned--she has good nights and bad nights. She loves music of any kind and must have music on the entire night, when the music shuts off she wakes up! She slept 6.5 hours last night--new record, but the night before she slept about an hour!! So...there is no real consistency at this point. Prior to her really bad night followed by her really good night she naps at about 6 ish, wakes to eat about 8ish, has bath time with daddy, then hits the hay by 10. She then wakes about 3-4 ish then 5-6ish. We put her in her crib for the first time this week. We started her in her bassinet which is elevated (to help w/ reflux) then moved her to her tummy in her crib (she LOVES sleeping on her tummy so that's what we do-say what you like about our parenting...she's happy and we are all able to sleep!!

I was warned during my pregnancy that the first 6 weeks at home with Edith would be the TOUGHEST, and I will honestly say not much about the past 6 weeks has been easy---but we made it, we love Edie to death, we decided not to return her, and are excited about the upcoming 18 years! haha

Edith-you make your father and I smile from ear to ear each time we see you! When we see your beautiful face we cannot help but thank the Lord for bringing you into our family! Your daddy cannot wait to get home from class so he can hold you and tell you how much he loves you and missed you. We sometimes fight over who gets to hold you first in the morning--even if you have kept us up all night and we are cross eyed from exhaustion! You are such a sweet sweet baby girl- per the doc you are high maintenance, but that's okay--the Lord only gives us what we can handle, right?!! We love you more than you know, pray for you daily, and are loving watching you grow.

Welcome Edith Claire!

2012-01-07T16:28:00.024-07:00

We WELCOME Edith Claire Commerford to our family with open arms!

December 19, 2011 at 2:15 am, 6lb 1 oz, 19 in.
Brown hair, blue/gray eyes, most beautiful gift from above

Well my last post was 12/13/11 and I mentioned that we may have our little one by Christmas as things were progressing quite quickly. Little did we know that 6 days later we would be holding little EDITH CLAIRE in our arms, standing in awe of God's tiny blessings, and excited to celebrate Christmas with our baby GIRL!

Our Birth Story
(Pretty detailed and mainly for our aging memories, but if you are interested in a good read we hope you enjoy!)

December 12,2011 Dr. Ray told us we would most likely have our baby by Monday Dec 19th (which was our next appt w/ her). We went to our appointment on 12/12/11 anxious to see if I had dilated further and excited to hear our little one's heartbeat, BUT we left her office with news we were not expecting. I was in EARLY LABOR- 3cm dilated, 50% effaced, and showing all signs/symptoms of a baby on her way out. I had not been feeling well since 12/5/11-lots of cramping, low back pains, fatigue, etc, but I just thought I would feel that way for the next 4-5 weeks!

I think that day in the doctor's office for the first time during my pregnancy I became the typical crazy emotional pregnant lady you see on tv. I was expecting my baby to arrive in approx 3-4 weeks not within hours or a few days. Dr. Ray and Ben were very patient and empathetic -making me talk out my concerns. They were celebrating the early arrival of our babe, but I was feeling overwhelmed, excited, but overwhelmed...for sooo many reasons!

Dr. Ray said if I wanted to work I could or if I wanted to take some time off to prepare and rest that would be great too. Since I was 7 days from being 37 weeks, which is considered full term, Ben and I decided it would be best for the health/development of our child that I attempt to slow labor down a bit and take off work through 12/16/11 then returned to work 12/17/11. Also, Ben had final exams until 12/15/11 and we wanted him to be able to finish up his semester before the baby's arrival!

Dec 14th my mom surprised me and drove to Tuscaloosa to hang out and help us prepare for Edith's arrival! She cleaned, cooked, shopped, calmed my fears...she's just amazing! Dec 15th Ben took his final exam and finished up the semester (he didn't have to go back to school til Jan 11). Dec 16th mom headed back home prepared to drive back at any time!

Saturday, Dec 17,2011 I worked from 7am-2pm, went to walmart, met Ben at Chick-fil-a, then took aspen to exercise at the park! Sat night we went to a christmas party with some of Ben's friends and I felt GREAT-absolutely no complaints- best day in over 2 weeks!

Sunday, Dec 18,2011 I worked from 7am-2pm. I was suspicious all day at work because I thought I was leaking amniotic fluid. Finally called the doc on call (Dr. Harbin) while I was at work to ask if he thought my water had broken. He kept asking if I was having contractions -I told him no just severe menstrual cramping that I had been having for 2 weeks. He said to come in if I was concerned and they would check me out/admit me, but if I wasn't having contractions it probably wasn't amniotic fluid. Well, if you know me you know I DO NOT like being the patient and DO NOT go to doctors/hospitals if I don't absolutely have to.

So I drove home at 2:30, took a shower, told Ben I needed to just take a nap because I felt weird. After an hour, Dr. Harbin called me back and asked me to come in...said he started thinking about it and wanted me to come back to the hospital. I told him I was just having the same menstrual cramping and low back pain I had had for the past 2 weeks and that if I had any regular contractions that I would be sure to come in.

I got up to grab a snack at 4:30 and had my first REAL contraction (no mistaking that one for cramping), 6 min later...again, 5 min later...again, then I yelled at Ben to start the timer. Ben began timing about 4:45 and they were 2:45 apart for approx 3 hours. Between contractions we packed our bags, made the beds, cleaned the kitchen, unloaded the dishwasher, read some of our NATURAL labor books, focused on the BEST positions to reduce pain during contractions, and Ben tried his hardest to convince me to let him call my family because this was REALLY happening. For some reason I thought it could be a false alarm....must have still been in denial? Ben ended up telling them to leave around 7pm.

About 7:45 I told Ben we needed to go to the hospital soon because my contractions were getting closer and worsening. I hadn't sat down in a few hours due to the pain so I was really nervous about the car ride. We got things together and began the 20 min trek to the hospital. That was the longest 15-20 min of my life...I was able to get through contractions much better when standing, walking, leaning on Ben, squatting, etc, but sitting still in the car was oh my gosh-THE WORST!

We arrived at the hospital at 8:30pm Sunday December 18th, and walked into the ER--my first time as a patient in the hospital. They checked us in which seemed to take forever, but probably only took about 20-25 min. Then wheeled me upstairs to the 3rd floor-labor and delivery! This is when I realized my baby was really coming tonight! Before this point I was still questioning whether or not my contractions would cease....silly me!!

Well after I dressed in the lovely hospital gown my contractions became MUCH MUCH worse. I could only tolerate sitting on the edge of the bed, eyes closed, internalizing all my emotions, pains, etc. I was unable to accept assistance from the nurse or Ben because it took all I had in me to focus, concentrate, and push through each contraction and await the next one. The nurse said I was 4-5 cm dilated upon arrival, then the doctor came in and said I was about 5cm dilated and 75% effaced. I was still in my own world-internalizing everything and not communicating with anyone-just focusing on getting through each contraction. All the while I was vomiting due to the intense pain.

Next the anesthesiologist arrived to educate us about the epidural process should I choose to have an epidural. Since I was planning on having our baby natural I was trying not to let thoughts of pain relief enter my mind. I was planning on the pain subsiding only after my sweet baby was born- I was prepared for intense labor pains... haha....I thought I was prepared for intense labor pains. Needless to say the pain continued, contractions closer and closer together, and I was still unable to speak to my husband, nurse, or doctor because the pain was all consuming.

I told Ben I wanted the epidural-probably around 11pm and 6-7 cm dilated. He was instructed by ME pre labor NOT to let me say that and not to give in and accept any medication. Our code word was 'bananas' and if I said bananas that meant I NEEDED the epidural and don't argue with me! Well I'll fast forward....the anesthesiologist arrived, inserted the epidural and 10 minutes later I was calling my mom to bring my make up. I finally spoke to my wonderful nurse and was able to see what she looked like for the first time all night. She said, "I haven't even seen your eyes yet...glad to have you back."

Let me say that I absolutely would not take back the 6 ish hours of labor w/o the epidural for anything in this world! It is truly amazing what God enables our bodies to endure! I am so thankful to have experienced what true labor pains are like and I would do it all over again the same way, but maybe next time I'll go with plan A and do it w/o the epidural----we'll see!

All was well post epidural (all was well pre epidural also, just in a different way). Ben and I laughed, joked, our nurse even helped us come up with ideas for a middle name if our baby was a boy, we texted friends/family, and had a wonderful time bonding together during the birth of our DAUGHTER!

About 1am my parents and Amanda arrived, I was at 10 cm and 100% effaced. Mom and dad poked their heads in and wished us well then went to our postpartum room to wait the arrival of their first grandbaby! I started pushing right after they left. The doctor was paged at 2:00am and at 2:15 am Little Edith ARRIVED! Ben announced that it was a GIRL (it took him a minute -he wanted to make sure he wasn't mistaken) and we loved and kissed on her more than you can imagine! I shed many tears of joy and Ben and I praised the Lord for our precious jewel!

Just before Edith was born- enjoying our last few moments alone

Best Nurse EVER

Love at first sight...could not control my tears-- she was breathtaking!

Santa came to visit Edith at the hospital

Edith meets her Uncle Brian

We arrived at the hospital Sunday about 830pm Dec 18th and were discharged Tuesday at 530pm Dec 20th. It was so great to bring our little girl HOME just in time for her FIRST Christmas! :)

First Bath- she loved it

Sweet kisses from Daddy after bathtime

Edith Loves Nan and Aspen (Mama Bear)

Content as usual

Nan and Grandaddy with the new love of their lives! I'm definitely not the spoiled baby anymore. My 6 DAY old daughter got more Christmas gifts than I ever have! :-)

Proud NAN

First family Christmas photo

The Kelley/Commerford Christmas in Northport, AL 2011. Such an amazing Christmas-we will never forget this one!

We also want to thank our sweet family members/friends for sending Edith so many wonderful gifts! We are most appreciative and are ready for you all to come meet our precious daughter!

Also thanks to our friends who visited us in the hospital-it was so great to see each of you and we are thankful for your friendship! Many more pictures to follow!

My time is obviously super limited now, but I will do my best to update our blog as often as possible!

Time is Drawing Near...

2011-12-13T13:36:00.020-07:00

We had some family photos (special thanks to Kathryn Daly) taken last week (Dec 4th) and good thing we did- because Baby C has been diligently planning his/her escape! Our baby's first Christmas looks like it will be in 2011 after all! Whew, wasn't planning on that!

We have been assured that "labor day" isn't too far away! Our baby has had enough of the womb and is apparently ready to meet the world! I on the other hand was looking forward to carrying our child for another 4 weeks, but God knows best and in His perfect timing our baby will be in our arms!

That being said....it's time to cast your vote! Ben and I are anxious to see/hear what you think....

Baby Boy vs Baby Girl??? (use the poll to the right)

Look at my sweet sweet husband so very excited to meet his baby!!

Melts my heart!

Thanksgiving at The Kelley's

2011-11-26T06:25:00.022-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving

We traveled to my parents house for the week of Thanksgiving and very much enjoyed our time with family! We arrived Tuesday, Nov 22-otherwise known as my Birthday! My mom baked red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese icing (my favorite in the world) and we enjoyed a delicious meal! I thoroughly enjoyed my last birthday as a family of 2! Thanks Ben, Mom, Dad, and Brian for making the 'big 2-8' so special!

Wed night we had a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with just my family then Thurs we had a Pierogi Dinner with Aunt Joan's family (a traditional family meal during the holidays).

The Kelley's and The Commerford's

The Lyon's, The Thompson's, The Mayo's, and the soon the be Parr's

We had a surprise Engagement Party for my cousin, David and his fiance, Susan! Congrats David and Susan-we are so excited for June 2,2012!!

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Lookout! The girls are making pierogis....

Aunt Joan after being attacked with flour

Mom and I enjoyed eating/shopping with my cousins and aunt early Fri morning! We didn't stay out long due to my aching feet, but we enjoyed spending time with such great company!

Dad, Aspen and Maverick

Ben and Aspen watching football-as usual

Aspen and I napping-per usual

We had a great week without work and all other distractions! We cannot wait to bring Baby C to the Kelley Resort and Spa real soon!! :-)

Baby Showers!

2011-11-24T18:57:00.013-07:00

My work (DCH Hospital- Acute Care Therapy Staff) gave me a wonderful baby shower Nov 17th!

I am so thankful for each of you and your thoughtful gifts for Baby C-he/she is spoiled already!
I am blessed with such a great team to work with everyday! You guys make work fun, even while 34 weeks pregnant! :-)

MS Baby Love

2011-11-24T07:30:00.029-07:00

Beks and Kel gave me a super fun baby shower in Clinton, MS Nov 19th including old and new friends as well as family! Although Kelly couldn't be there she was there with us in spirit and I dearly missed seeing her and her 2 precious kids!
It was sooo good to catch up with everyone and I had a blast celebrating Baby Commerford! :-)
Thank you Thank you Thank you

Beks-you mean the world to me! Thanks so much for everything you have done to help us prepare for this new addition!

Ben and I want to thank each of you for showering Baby C with many awesome gifts! We are so thankful to have each of you in our lives! Baby C will definitely be surrounded with much love and support!

Day-medical school has made you one BUSY lady, but I completely understand! One day SOON you will be an amazing MD and I'm so proud of you!!! Thanks for coming!

My very very best childhood friend, Rachel surprised me and showed up at my shower all the way from Annapolis, Maryland! Rach- it's been wayyy too long. You have and always will be such a dear friend to me! I will always remember our wonderful childhood together as best buds! I hope my child will have a sweet sweet friend like you one day~

Rachel and her mom, Mrs. Shari

MSU CREW- Day, Mandy (and Allyssa), and Beks

Mandy and Allyssa- who was amazing throughout the entire shower!! Hopefully I will be as blessed!

Britt-you are such a compassionate friend. Drove all the way from Nashville, TN to attend my shower! Brittany and her husband are moving to Thailand Jan 10th and I will miss them sooo much, but what a great excuse to visit Bangkok!

Mom-you will be the best "NAN" a child could ask for! You are the most loving, kind hearted woman I know! I Love you

Kristen and Christa-I've missed you two! It was so good to see ya'll-still awaiting your visit to AL! Very grateful for your friendships-never a dull moment and always plenty o' laughs!!

My Aunt Joan and Aunt Juanita just catching up! So glad you both could come-love you very much! My amazing cousins, Elizabeth and Kathryn were also there (somehow I have no pics of them, but they are like big sisters to me and... since they have 6 kids between the 2 of them they have LOTS of great advice to offer).

Many couldn't attend as they live out of town, but know that I missed you and thank you very much for your thoughtful gifts for our growing family!!! We love you!

Tiny Prints Christmas Cards

2011-11-23T18:59:00.012-07:00

Last year I made our Christmas cards on Shutterfly, but this year I thought I would try something new.... AND guess what? If you blog about Tiny prints they will give you 50 free Christmas cards! I really like the Christmas cards Tiny Prints has to offer this year!! Lots of great colors and fun size selections to choose from! I'm thinking of ordering these:

You can check out the entire 2011 Christmas Card Line at http://www.tinyprints.com/shop/picture-christmas-cards.htm. Sooo if you want 50 free Christmas Cards (and who doesn't?) you can read about it here. Then once you have blogged about Tiny Prints, fill out the form you can find here and ENJOY!!! :) They also have other great deals which you can see here -I'm very impressed with Tiny Prints thus far!! :-)

Time to get in the Christmas Spirit!! :-)

Chubby Cheeks and Big Lips!

2011-11-01T18:36:00.023-06:00

We have fallen in love with these Chubby Cheeks and Big Lips!

We had our 30 week appointment today and everything seems to be going great! Baby C is currently weighing in at 3.5 lbs, heart rate is staying steady at 152, length is approx 17", and he/she is constantly moving!

They also gave us one last 4D session to attempt to get a close up of this sweet baby's face! The first 20 min Baby C buried his/her face deep in my uterus, placed hands over face with feet angled just perfectly at the ultrasound head. Needless to say...we got an awesome picture of NOTHING but a foot measuring 2" from heel to toe. Joy (our ultrasound tech) apologized stating that our baby is just plain stubborn and really doesn't want to show us his/her face! We were quite disappointed, but figured 2 more months isn't that far away and we will just be patient and WAIT!!

We were about to give up when Baby C turned his/her head towards us, eyes wide open, threw a few punches, and kicked me a few good times. We got a several good pictures and then Baby C returned to the most comfortable position -- snuggled up facedown, hands over face, feet in the air!

Joy (the tech) pointed out our baby's head full of hair evidenced by the squiggly lines atop the head...very cool! She also helped us see the chubby cheeks and big lips (cheeks are possibly from Ben, but the lips are a mystery!)

Ben and I were sooo excited to get a glimpse of our baby FINALLY, even if it was for a few short seconds! We've been waiting 30 weeks--thanks for the cooperation little Commerford!!! :-)

Below are some of the pictures we got today. This could be the last time we see baby C inside the womb! Until next time, we will dote over these chubby cheeks, big lips, and this head full of hair!

Eyes are open in the last 2 pictures, which scared us all at first, but we were still super excited to take a peek at those precious eyes!

Goodnight little one! We love you and are ready to hold you close!

Happy Halloween

2011-10-26T16:55:00.023-06:00

Ben's dad came in town from New Mexico a couple of weeks ago to visit! We had so much fun showing him the place we now call "home" and I think he enjoyed himself too! He brought us PLENTY of HATCH green chili from NM and we sent him home with plenty of delicious Dreamland BBQ sauce--fair trade, I'd say! :-)

Paul and Ben joined over 101,000 fans and attended the AL vs TN football game! There day included Tuscaloosa's famous BBQ nachos, standing for hours while yelling ROLL TIDE, and a big "W" to call it a night!

The next day we had some friends over to carve pumpkins, eat chili, and drink hot apple cider! I LOVE FALL!
We all got really into carving the "perfect pumpkin"...below you will see pics of our masterpieces!

We also traveled to Restaurant Tyler (one of my brother's restaurants in Starkville, MS). There we enjoyed fried coconut chicken, the heart of the ribeye, cheese grits, sauteed spinach, pepper jack macaroni and cheese, BBQ okra, and much more! We met my parents at Restaurant Tyler- I hadn't seen them in about 6 weeks so it was soo good to catch up--being only 3 hours away is amazing!

Look at those good looking men

Paul, Ben, and I at Restaurant Tyler

Mom and I at Restaurant Tyler

My Fam

Jamie=Owl
Ben=Aspen, our beloved pup
Paul=KSU power cat

The final products

Ben and Paul before the AL vs TN game

Roll Tide!!

Dreamland BBQ

Devouring RIBS at Dreamland BBQ

We went to work, Paul babysat---we are just preparing him for the future and figured Aspen would be a good place to start, but he's already falling asleep on the job! hmmm....

Paul-thanks so much for visiting us in AL...we cherish our relationship with you and Ben is so blessed to have you as his "Pops."

We are excited to see you after Baby C's arrival! :-) Come again soon!

Our Tiny Miracle

2011-10-15T16:57:00.019-06:00

Dear little one,

We went for our first 4D sonogram Monday Oct.3,2011 and your father and I decided that you are one silly kid! You performed yoga and gymnastics, scratched your head with your toes, covered your ears with your hands, held your legs with your arms over your head for 30+ minutes, yawned, did some more yoga and NEVER stopped moving! Chasity, our wonderful ultrasound tech finally made us stop staring at you on that screen, but we could have watched you forever! This was a special day for sure, we fell more in love with you with every passing minute! I held back tears just watching your daddy stare at you...so full of joy and feeling instantly connected to you!

We pray for you every night and thank the Lord for blessing our lives with you. We cannot wait to meet you, but will gladly let you grow and develop for about 12 more weeks or until you are ready to meet the world...preferably on or before Dec 31st, but we are on your time babe.

Now at 28 weeks I can report that you never sleep, which worries me already, but I'm sure you will be just fine. You sleep a little bit while I work, but as soon as I sit down after work you are up until the next morning! You have had a party every night for the past 7 days so I'm a bit weary, suppose you are preparing me for the future! :-)

We have another 4D sonogram Monday, Oct 17th because they feel we can get a better look at your beautiful little face and asked if we wanted to try again....of course we want to watch you on the big screen again, who wouldn't --you are hilarious!

As of now you are one cute little boy or girl! You kept your legs together the entire time as if you knew we are waiting to be surprised upon your arrival!

We treasure this glimpse of you, the amazing miracle of life is true.
So small, yet awesome in what you’ll become.
Grow strong and healthy, our little one.
We are here, dreaming and waiting, wishing, preparing, anticipating,
Each day is a step closer to life anew, each day a touch closer to holding you.

We love you more than you will ever know! May the Lord bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you.

2011-10-13T08:04:00.007-06:00

Meet Allyssa Rose Lynskey (Mandy and Charlie's newest addition)

Mandy and her family of four traveled to Black Warrior River for the weekend. and best of all it's only 40 minutes from us! So, she was able to come over Saturday w/ Allyssa and Daulton! Alyssa is now 4 weeks old and the most precious little girl! Daulton is growing so fast and we quickly learned that our house is not child proofed yet (as least not for an ambulatory toddler)! We still have some time to fix that though! Mandy, Nancy, Allyssa, and Daulton-it was so good to see you!

Aspen is a bit jealous, so we have our work cut out for us! :-)

Daulton was a bit scared of Aspen at first, but ended up giving her lots of kisses on the mouth by the time he left! haha

Girl Time!

2011-09-29T16:25:00.023-06:00

Visit to Washington, D.C.

I traveled to D.C. last week to visit my very best friend, BEKS! We had such a fun time. I just loved hanging out with her friends, eating our favorite foods, cooking, shopping, enjoying the fun city, and what we do best--chatting! We also got to spend some time w/ Rebekah (can't find the picture we took) which was just like old times in the Tri Delt house! Rebekah is also expecting and little Anna Ruth will be here in November! What a fun reunion!

I can't believe Beks has been in D.C. /VA for 5 years--ahhh..how time flies! My week with Becca was exciting, encouraging, and relaxing ...just what I needed to push through these last 3 months of pregnancy! My next trip to D.C. will be quite different since Baby C will have arrived, which will be exciting, but most likely not quite as relaxing! Cheers to parenthood! :-)

I am always in awe of what a dear friend Becca is and how she really would do anything in the world for me! I thank the Lord daily for her friendship and cannot wait to share many many more times like these!

Enjoying Thai food with friends

Stroll around the Zoo

We had such a blast, in fact so much fun we only took a few pictures! I love you BEKS-thanks for such a wonderful week full of laughter!

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

I definitely missed Ben and Aspen, but by the looks of it they were just fine without me! :-)

When I returned we realized it has been 6 weeks since we took a pregnancy picture (oops) so here we are @ 26 weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 26 weeks

Size of baby: length of cucumber, 1.5 lb

Total Weight Gain/Loss: total gained: 15 lbs

Maternity Clothes: half and half.

Gender: Not finding out! We LOVE surprises!

Movement: Baby C moves ALL day long, I feel as if he/she never sleeps!

What I miss: sleeping through the night
cravings: anything salty/sour/spicy and occasionally sweet-so everything!
symptoms: back pain
best moment this week: Ben getting to feel his baby squirm and kick while having the hiccups

Have a great week! Enjoy the awesome fall weather!

Flashback September 9, 2008

2011-09-13T18:40:00.012-06:00

September 9, 2008 Ben proposed and I will forever cherish that day!

As we hiked up Horsetooth that gorgeous day in Fort Collins, CO I had no idea that I would soon be engaged to my best friend. Ben had everything set up perfectly (with Matt's help) at the top of the mountain and it was such a fun day! I remember getting off work early and Ben calling to say, "Hey-let's go hiking!" I was shocked that he wanted to go hiking in the middle of the day, but I was not going to argue because that was one of my favorite hikes! :-)

On the hike down the mountain, we laughed and talked about our future life together, called our families and friends, and then celebrated at Pf Chang's!

So, cheers to the past 3 years! We have loved, laughed, dreamed, moved, cried, celebrated, ended and began new careers, adopted a dog, bought a house, and made a baby....just to name a few!

We cannot wait to see what God has in store for the next 75 years!! :) I love you Ben and cannot imagine life without you!! I thank the Lord everyday for your friendship, love, support, and Godly leadership!

-I have and always will

My two loves

Slow Down Time

2011-08-22T15:54:00.027-06:00

Time is FLYING by! I feel like just yesterday I was whispering in Ben's ear that he's gonna be a daddy and now we are less than 3.5 months away!!! ahhh..so exciting yet this pregnancy is going by way too quickly!

I've been feeling great and am really enjoying my energy level! Still exhausted after being on my feet all day at work, but really liking my 2nd trimester :-)

I thought during the entire first trimester that we were having a girl, but recently I've had 2 dreams that it's a boy and Ben even had a dream last week that he was holding a baby boy in our hospital room...hmmm....now we are just plain confused! Only God knows (and possibly the ultrasound technician), so we will just wait on His PERFECT timing! All I know is that our little one is an acrobat, Baby C is super active especially every morning about 6am and as soon as I lay down to sleep about 10ish!

Our next appointment is Oct 10th...and it's a big day! I must pass the glucose tolerance test next we get to watch Baby C in 4D then we have a 2 hour childbirth class to attend!! whew...what a day!

A few updates:

1. We fell in love with this stroller and car seat so we splurged a few weeks ago! I love Britax products-they are so light weight, colorful, adaptable, and have the best child safety ratings.

2. Ben's mom wanted to give us our baby bedding (and we are so thankful)! We chose this adorable "Sweet Lambie" set from Pottery Barn and we can't wait for Baby C to get here and try it out!!

(This isn't quite what our room looks like, but we are working on it and I will post pics soon! )

3. And last but not least, here is the 20 week picture, I'm 23 weeks now, so possibly a bit larger, but you get the idea!

Happy Monday-hope you have a great week!

Baby C at 19 weeks!

2011-08-14T15:22:00.013-06:00

Well....We've made it 19 weeks (I'm referring to ALL of us...Ben, Baby C, our families, my co-workers, and ME). I have a wonderful support system and am so thankful for such loving and patient friends/family that have put up w/ me through "my 17 weeks of sickness." I've been feeling MUCH better and am very close to my "normal self"...well, normal while pregnant at least. I have not vomited in 9 days and am feeling great! Ben has been so wonderful and I really don't know what I would do without him! He has prepared many many meals, ran tons of errands, taken care of Aspen, cleaned the house, and SOOO much more all while taking care of me!! It's truly hard when your partner is feeling ill for an extended period of time and it really takes a toll on your relationship. We have been praying daily for patience, peace, and healing and the Lord sure has been w/ us. Many friends and family members have been praying also and we are so very thankful. Since Ben is in school full time these days it is CRUCIAL that I continue to work throughout the majority or entire pregnancy....so being so sick really wasn't part of the plan, but thanks to the Lord's perfect timing and Ben's patience, hard work, & unfailing love we made it through and are on the mend!
Thanks for your prayers!
Thank you awesome husband!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 19 weeks

Size of baby: size of a mango, 9 oz.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I gained, that's what's important

Maternity Clothes: half and half.

Gender: Not finding out! We LOVE surprises!

Movement: I have felt baby C once so far (aug 4th)...it was AMAZING!

What I miss: being able to wear everything in my closet

Cravings: Cheetos
Symptoms:
Best moment this week: 19th week ultrasound, getting to see our baby kicking his/her legs, swaying arms back and forth, rubbing his/her eyes, etc. So incredible! My mom came in town to hang out for a few days and was able to go to this appointment with us....it was so much fun to have her there and experience such a thing! We told her she could "look" (for boy or girl parts as we turned our heads) if she wanted to, BUT she chose not to because she LOVES surprises just like me and is waiting til the BIG DAY!

Oh BABY!

2011-06-25T15:52:00.020-06:00

OH BABY!

I am happy to finally come out and say "WE ARE HAVING A BABY!"

It has been a whirlwind since we found out, but a very wonderful whirlwind!
May 3,2011 was just an ordinary morning that turned into the most memorable day yet! I FINALLY decided that I would buy/take a pregnancy test! The box read... "morning urine is most accurate"...so since I woke up at 3am to mother nature I decided to sneak into the bathroom, splash my face with cold water, rip open the test, and PREPARE!

After about 30 seconds I let out a muffled squeal and ran to the guest room to celebrate! I wanted to surprise Ben so I sat and sat and sat in the guest room until 5am trying to decide how I was going to tell him. (I was still in shock so I hadn't quite figured out beforehand how to create the best surprise). I decided to make Aspen a picture necklace that said "Mommy's pregnant"...yeah, good idea Jamie...shouldn't have taken 2 hours...now go back to bed.

I returned to bed about 530am....of course I couldn't sleep, so I tossed and turned and my sweet sweet husband asked me multiple times to please be still because he didn't have to wake up yet. He turned over to "check on me" to find me staring at the ceiling, WIDE awake, and grinning ear to ear. I whispered to him immediately that he was going to be a DADDY-I just couldn't hold it in! He let out a few...well..choice words (he was in shock) then yelled out in excitement, "Oh my gosh, I can't believe it...are you serious...really? This is the best day EVER!"

For the next 2 hours we sat in awe of God's blessings and MOST wonderful surprises!

And here we are now...16 weeks pregnant and loving every moment (ok, let's be honest..the first 15 weeks of my pregnancy have sometimes been difficult to love)

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 16 weeks

Size of baby: Length of an avocado

Total Weight Gain/Loss: none yet, 1st trimester got the best of me. Things are definitely shaped differently though!

Maternity Clothes: Not yet, but it wont' be long

Gender: Not finding out! We LOVE surprises!

Movement: not yet..can't wait for that moment

What I miss: EATING whatever I want

Cravings: Kaboom Maki Sushi Roll from Surin Thai (tempura shrimp....LOVE IT)

Symptoms: ummm....all of the above...not sure why it's called morning sickness....it lasts ALL day people.
Best moment this week: I'm starting to have more energy and less sickness!!! Thank you LORD! :-)

Our little one is due Jan 9,2012. We have gotten great news at all of our appointments. Our baby is healthy and growing weekly!!! Thank you Lord for such a wonderful and magical experience!

Ben grinning ear to ear and soo excited to be a Daddy, but Aspen is not sure she's ready to be a big sis!

Vacationing in Colorado

2011-06-25T15:50:00.046-06:00

COLORADO VACATION

May 26-June 5,2011

We went to Colorado Springs for Haaley's HIGH SCHOOL graduation, to visit friends/family, and to celebrate our 2nd anniversary! Little Haaley is leaving the cozy confines of ECA and going off to Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO. We are so proud of her! We are super excited that she will be attending CSU, our alma mater.

Haaley-you are the happiest 18 yr old I know. Your smile is contagious, and you are beautiful. You are going to make an excellent RAM!

Haaley's graduation

Haaley's graduation cake-I was a little too late snapping this pic!

Stunning best friend, Matt

Beautiful sister, Tara

Our precious niece, Ava! She has the most amazing facial expressions.

Little Addy-such a princess!

Isabelle-loves to cuddle=my kinda girl!

Isaac is becoming much like his father....the funny man!

Isaac was OBSESSED with Noon's crate!
Too funny! :-)

At the Zoo with Uncle Ben

All 6 nieces and nephews- they each hold such a special place in our hearts!

Love them to pieces!

Riding 4 wheelers at Tara and Josh's house

Hunter-he looks so professional!

David, not so professional :)

Chocolate Fountain at Haaley's Graduation Party

The Westlake kiddos with Granny B

Kimberlee and her precious children

Kimberlee and Ava

Ava the Airplane-so full of life!

Isabelle and Ava

Ian and Ava

Cave of the Winds

We had such a great time with family. It's not too often we are all able to get together (we were still missing Jilienne), but when we are together it's such a rejuvenating time. What better company than family? Gail is moving to CALIFORNIA in July and Haaley is off to college, so things will be different, but no matter where we meet up there's always a good time to be had by all!! We love you guys!

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

For our 2 year anniversary we returned to the place where it all began! Jamie and I met, dated, and got engaged in Fort Collins, CO. That part of Colorado holds a very special place in both of our hearts. This is at Horsetooth Reservoir...where I proposed!

On campus at the best university ever... CSU!!!

We stayed at the Armstrong Hotel in Old Town Fort Collins. The hotel had cruiser bikes for us to use and ride around town. Jamie loves to ride bikes!

The night of our anniversary, we went to The Melting Pot for some amazing food.

Next, we ventured to Downtown Denver where we met up with our friends Kelly and Bujar who are getting married July 2012! We can't wait to return to CO for their beautiful wedding in the mountains!

We also met up with my wonderful friend, Erin. A bunch of us met at the Rockies game (I somehow don't have any pictures from that event, but it sure was fun and HOT!).
Thanks for coming to see us Erin...I miss you so much!

Well that's all for now. We truly had an amazing time in CO and cannot wait for our next visit. Colorado- stay Colorful, we are headed back to the "Yellowhammer State", if you wish. Oh goodie!