Life with the Elders

Moving...

2011-07-04T16:24:00.004-05:00

the new address is:

a crazy beautiful mess

http://www.acrazybeautifulmess.wordpress.com/

4 years!!!!

2010-03-17T20:31:00.014-05:00

Four years ago today I went to my 37 week appt. to check on baby Ian. This was literally the first visit that Steve did not go with me. ~ Our nursery was still not painted and I asked him to stay behind and finish it up and I would be home shortly...little did I know I would be having a baby that day. While they were checking my blood pressure (that had been steadily rising for a couple weeks) the nurse stopped and called another nurse over to check (by the way, usually not a good sign). After the second nurse checked it they both looked at each other - you know the "look". I asked them what was wrong and they said that they would get the doctor. So, Dr. Woods comes over and checks my blood pressure and they all 3 "look" at eachother. He tells me my blood pressure is 180/110 and that it looks like I'll be having a baby today.

WHAT?????!!!!!!

I call Steve (who is stranded at home because we have one car at the time - AHHHHH!) and tell him I have to have the baby now. He doesn't seem to process what I am saying (I learn later that he thought I might be exaggerating a little). He calls my mom to work out details of her coming and picking him up and bringing him to the hospital. In the meantime (which was like 5 seconds), I call my good friend Lori, who lives in Arlington where I was and also goes to the same set of doctors. It's a blur of exactly what I said to her, but I think it went something like... "ahhh, LORI!!! I have to have the baby TODAY!! I don't know where the hospital is!! sob, sob, sob, Will you come get me?? sob, sob, sob"

Thankfully, her boss was awesome enough to let her leave work and let her take her friend "who doesn't know where the hospital is" to have her baby. p.s. Thank you, Lori!! If it were not for you....well...who really knows how I would have gotten there;)

After what seemed like FOREVER (especially to Lori;), Steve and the rest of my family got there. I labored for about 5 hours and never dilated passed a 3. At that point, the doctors started urging for a c-section (which I was petrified about having); then they came in and told me that his head was starting to swell - so off we went to surgery to deliver this BEAUTIFUL, PERFECT baby boy.

We named him Ian Micah Elder!! Ian means "Gracious Gift from God" - and that he is!

I am always amazed at how quickly babies grow and change. They learn SO much in their first year of life - physically and mentally. They go from basically a blob (a cute, sweet smelling, never want to put you down blob) to sitting, standing, walking, exploring, touching EVERYTHING, stringing sounds into words little toddler. They are just incredible!!!

And then their second year of life they learn how to speak in sentences and develop unique personalities. They are the most hilarious person you know. Tempers flair and hugs and kisses become even more awesome!

At three they want to do everything on their own, by themselves. They do not need your help, nor do they want it (until they get so frustrated they fall on the floor in a fit of despair ;).

You start to recognize their true gifts that God has blessed them with. You fall so much deeper in love with them your heart feels as though it can hold no more - and you rejoice in that this is just the beginning.

Then comes 4!!!! They are smart and they know it! ;) They want to help all the time (well, as long as there is not something better to do). They get angry when things don't go their way and tell you that "it would be a good idea to get rid of the time-out chair!" You watch them develop real friendships with other kids and pray for their relationships. They love Jesus, singing and any sport that involves a ball.

Our sweet Ian is 4 today! He is so smart and loving. He is quick to let go of his anger and frustration (which I admire already:). He loves to draw people in his family, paint ANYTHING you will let him, ride his bike, plant flowers. He forgets absolutely nothing...NOTHING! He's quite hilarious too. And he is THE BEST BIG BROTHER we could have ever prayed for.

You changed our lives in miraculous ways Ian Micah. We are so very proud and thankful to be your parents! We praise our God for you!

We love you from here to the moon,

Momma and Daddy

Cast Your Vote!

2010-03-14T22:53:00.020-05:00

What Kind of Morning Person are You?

VS.

You can cast your vote on the side!!

Come on, do it - it'll be fun. Humor me!! ;)

THREE more...

2010-03-14T21:48:00.009-05:00

...days until my first born turns the big 4 years old! You know what this means don't you???

Well, I realized suddenly what it meant the other day when I took the boys to chick-fil-a (I seriously had to open another tab and google that to make sure I was spelling it correctly;). When Ian turns 4 he will no longer be a TODDLER. Which, when I think about the actual word "toddler", Ian has seemed so much older than what my initial connotations are that go along with that word for a very long time. But to look up in the play area at a sign and see that there is a specific section for toddlers - "3 and under" and then to realize that in a few short days he will be too "old" to play in that area seems a little mind boggling. Because, after all, I just brought him home!

and overnight (it seems) he has grown into....

While pregnant with both of my boys I remember often reading this poem ~

Before you were conceived I wanted you.

Before you were born I loved you.

Before you were here an hour I would die for you.

This is the miracle of love.

~Maureen Hawkins

Hudson will have his 2nd birthday just 9 days after Ian. And oh how he has blessed our life also!!

I still long for those hours upon hours of my sweet babies falling asleep on my chest, breathing in rhythm together, watching the amazing facial expressions they make while snoozing.

*sigh* (a joyful sigh by the way;)

...and now for some randomly fun pics of the boys

Tis' the Season...

2010-02-28T22:24:00.004-06:00

This has quite literally been the hardest year of my life.

I watched the man who use to carry me to bed on his feet pass from this world. I begged God to save him, to heal him, to give me more time, more conversations, for my boys to know him more....more, more, more. He said, no. He healed him - but not how I asked.

I have fallen to a pile on the floor in anguish because my heart feels like it will literally burst from pain. But I lived.

I have been angry and distant from my God. I have relived reasons to justify my fury with my husband. I have thought divorce would be a welcome peace more than a dozen times.

If it were not for my two boys, I could have easily driven for days, weeks, months without looking back. Convincing myself that leaving my life behind would be easier than continuing the one I had. and maybe it would be.

I have challenged my choice of jobs, wondering if it ever really was my gift - allowing the overwhelming push of the paper to make me doubt.

most recently, I have knocked, rather pounded and screamed (with thousands of warriors) at God's door to heal the body of a college friend... a mother, a wife, daughter, sister, passionate follower of His. He took her home.

Months and months, I have begged for peace. and He finally answered...or maybe I finally listened. This past Sunday night I went to bed angry, resentful, unforgiving and begging, begging, begging God for peace, for PEACE!!!

He said, Okay...but Listen!

Monday morning I woke up - and I listened.
I prayed over my children; prayed over my husband (whom the day before I wanted out of my life). I drove to work and I listened. I drove home and I listened. I loved on my husband (whom I wanted out of my life the day before) and listened. I played with my kids and I listened.
and you know what...the peace came, it encompassed me, cradled me, held me close and protected me. Even that afternoon when Jenny, my friend, went to be with Jesus.

I'm not saying I'm all of a sudden okay or completely healed...but I'm learning to listen and I'm working and allowing work to be done in me. I'm embracing this new season.

This season of healing and hope.

Retirement options...;)

2009-06-20T13:25:00.001-05:00

God's grace...

2009-06-13T11:45:00.008-05:00

"The grace of God means something like: Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are because the party wouldn't have been complete without you. Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid. I am with you. Nothing can ever separate us. It's for you I created the universe. I love you". - Fredrick Buechner

Way Back Wednesday

2009-06-03T21:20:00.010-05:00

Dad and I (and Ian;)

Dad and I

Dad, Nathan, and I

Hudson

Ian and Grammy

Steve and I (Knights Feast;)

Ian and Hudson

Hudson

Ian and Hudson (he was SO tiny)

Ian announcing to Daddy the big news!! (how freaked out does that smile look?;)

Hudson

Ian

Ian

mommy and Ian

Ian

Ian

the day the music died...

2009-05-25T11:16:00.005-05:00

It's been one week since my dad passed away. I ache, I physically ache.

I am still in shock - sometimes I literally scoff out loud because it seems absolutely absurd that he could no longer be "here". I cannot process this. i cannot!

then come the huge wave of emotions...

there are thoughts of all the things and moments i will miss with him, the moments my kids will miss - it seems so unimaginable.

i whispered in his ear at the hospital that i knew that even if he were 100 years old i would never be ready for him to go, but halfway there is just impossible for me to comprehend. i needed more time.

every morning since the day i got the call, i have thought... if i could somehow just go back 24 hours, 48 hours, then 72 hours, then a few days...and it goes on.

if somehow, i could travel back in time and beg him to go to the dr. or call him the morning of and convince him to just go straight to a hospital - i know these are crazy irrational thoughts, but i have them. every day, several times a day.

it just doesn't seem like it can be real.

and my life now seems to be divided into two parts:
1. when dad was alive
2. after dad passed away.
the spiderman balloon hovering in the bottom of my closet from ian's birthday party - dad was still here; the milk in the fridge that i pour into hudson's bottle - dad was still here; the beautiful flowers and plants sitting on my porch - after; the water sprinkler ian runs through laughing hysterically - after.

in the midst of this enormous pain, there is a peace that God has covered us with. He has kept me from exploding from the inside out - even though it feels like i am suffocating.

We had a Celebration Of Life for dad on thursday evening. we sat outside on his friend's land where he would spend many evenings playing guitar on the porch.

and i can say with everything that i am, that dad would have loved it!

when we walked into dad's house for the first time a week and a half ago, on the dry erase board hanging in his kitchen was the quote, "Be the change you wish to see in this world" - and Chris spoke about dad being that change.
people ate and remembered how goofy and fun and loving and talented he was.
his friends that he is in a band with played a song that he co-wrote called, "Goodbye Everybody" (it was written this past january and we found it in one of his guitar cases while he was still in icu).

Another way that God comforted us.

we watched a slideshow of pictures of pieces of his life. we stayed late into the night sitting on his friend's porch listening to them play their acoustic guitars and singing.

i hated to leave - it felt like he was there.

i know that dad is okay, i take peace in that. but i ache beyond words of the pain that is caused by the separation.

a Plethora of Precious Past-due Postworthy Pictures

2009-05-12T21:21:00.009-05:00

First, I love alliterations. Second, here are some super cute random pictures that have been taken during our blog vacation...enjoy!

Birthdays (also belated;)

2009-05-10T23:36:00.008-05:00

During our blog absence both of the boys had birthdays!!! Ian turned 3 and Hudson had his 1st birthday!! i cannot get over how fast time goes by with babies. they grow and change so quickly and each day they amaze me with something new.

sometimes i wish time would slow down just a little bit - that i could hold and snuggle them a little longer, carry them on my hip a few more months, get sweet wet kisses a couple more times. sometimes it's physically painful to think about how much i love them, but a joyful pain - i know that sounds crazy, but you mommas out there know what i'm talkin' about!! (by the way, shout out mommas for a happy mother's day!)

Ian turned the big 3 on March 17th. We had his birthday party at "Going Apes" in burleson. it was a lot of fun and easy (which i LOVE)!! Ian is smart and silly and sensitive to others and growing up so fast. He's into such "big boy" things now - he loves riding his bike and is now begging for a scooter. He likes to play Wii baseball and especially loves to play baseball outside with his daddy (who is a much better pitcher than mommy). He says some of the most hilarious things (which i'll start blogging more;). We love him more than we could ever express and are so thankful for such an amazing THREE year old!!

Hollie made Ian's awesome spiderman cake:

Here is Ian pre-party trying out the spiderman masks in the goodie bags

We had a blast jumping and sliding and playing guitar hero and jumping some more with our friends!!

Roger and Amber rockin' out ;)

waiting for some yummy cake!

Happy Birthday sweet boy!

Ian post-cake and punch and jumping;)

p.s. Ian's super cute shirt was made by Jennifer (Tag Your It Creations) - she makes LOTS of cute stuff.

My little, bitty baby Hudson turned a whole year old on March 26th!! He is so much different than Ian but just as awesome!! He's charming and goofy and oh, SO stubborn. we are so blessed to have two healthy, happy strong boys. i pray that God fills us with strength and patience and guidance in raising them.

Hudson's cake wasn't near as cute as i was hoping (that's what i get for going with a supermarket;)

Two incredibly handsome guys wearing my latest creation;)

Hudson's first experience with cake went a little like this....

Then bathtime!!!!

And then it's time for presents!!

Do I eat this or open it?!?!

Happy birthday my sweet boys!!! I am SO thankful for you both and love you SO, SO much!!!

BELATED!!

2009-05-10T21:19:00.009-05:00

okay, so it's been a really long time since i've updated....a REALLY long time! i keep meaning to sit down and go through all of our photos and collect my thoughts and to just write an amazing post that will redeem me from being on hiatus for 3 1/2 months....but now there's so much pressure;) but here goes (and by the way, i have committed myself - not to the looney bin just yet, but to update AT LEAST once a week from now on)

Let's start with the boys Christmas photo (wow, this is sad!)

For more precious photos from Christmas 2008 check them out here.

Umm...the rest of January and February are pretty much a blurr but here are some random pics from the camera on my phone (excuse the high quality) and some from our friend Jackson's b-day party at Main Stay Farms in late February.

Ian and our friend Camdyn hanging out at the awesome playground at Main Stay Farms - I should have gotten a picture of the awesome tree house and everything else - it was incredible!!

Camdyn and Ian stopping for a quick farmer pose

....and the best part of any birthday party....CAKE!!!!

Our friend Boston had a fun Easter egg hunt and train ride at the zoo the week before Easter. The boys had a blast playing on the playground, hunting eggs, and their first train ride!

Hudson LOVED swinging!!

Big brother Ian giving Hudson a little push

Hudson and Ian riding the train

We celebrated Easter with an awesome morning of worship and then had two more egg hunts - one at aunt Susan's with lots and lots of candy and another at grandma Shunk's where the eggs were filled with quarters!!! Ian was SO excited to find the quarters - I think he ended up banking around $6 to put in his piggy bank.
grandma Doris and Hudson (his favorite part was shaking the eggs;)

Ian had SO much fun!

Since I've yet to figure out an easy way to drag pictures around on here - I'm going to post the boy's birthday pics and fun in a separate post. So...until then (and the plan is about a half hour;)...ENJOY!!!

Wacky Winter Wonder

2009-01-22T22:03:00.004-06:00

okay....i know i'm stretching it with the alliteration title;)! just wanted to post some cute pictures from the last couple of months and needed a catchy title.
Here are ian and daddy at ian's christmas program at school - his class wore angel wings (made from poster board- i was very impressed) and halos.
getting ready to belt it out
poppy's future band mates!!

i just love this picture!!! ian loves being outside with daddy!

we had taken a picture of ian like this around this age - they are definitely brothers;)

Way Back When-sday

2009-01-14T12:06:00.005-06:00

okay, so I shamelessly stole this idea from my sweet friend Leilanni - thanks girl! But I loved the idea and so for my first Way Back Whensday I thought I would post a VERY way back of Steve and I.

We just celebrated our 6 year wedding anniversary a few weeks ago - and of course, I always have to throw out there - that we've been together 12, yes 12 years!!! I can't believe it's been that long.
Here is a picture of us during a break in March of 1997 at my house. It's hard for me to comprehend that so much time has gone by. We've changed so much physically (more so me;) and spiritually, and emotionally.

If I'm being honest, sometimes I miss this couple...I miss how goofy and crazy we were in love. How we couldn't find enough time to be together, hated to get off the phone (and would often just fall asleep on the phone so we didn't have to), could literally kiss for hours until our mouths hurt (is that TMI?). and I definitely miss that figure!!!!;)

But also - I'm so thankful for some of the changes - we're in a place now where we are more conscious of our spiritual walk and working towards bringing Christ into the center of our family (which is another huge bonus - our kids!!!) We still love each other - past the crazy, goofy head over heels "love" - we're still here - through SO much and still really LOVE each other. God is so good! and i truly love you so much steve!!!!

9 months and crazy quotes from Ian

2009-01-10T16:07:00.012-06:00

Hudson is now 9 months old!!!

It seems to crazy to me that he has already grown that much! I know every parent says that - and I know it's true for every parent, but it sure doesn't make it any easier;)

Some things about our Hudson at 9 months....

*he is crawling around like crazy! he's been crawling for about a month and a half now, but it's been this hilarious army crawl, he's finally been up on his knees for the last two weeks or so.

* he LOVES anything his big brother is playing with (and Ian is of course less excited about this)

* if he had his own cell phone and remote control he would be in baby heaven all day - but don't think he can be fooled by some "baby" cell phone and remote! he's no fool!

* he thinks his big brother is hilarious when he dances around (okay, really all the time)

* steve and i have deemed him the "naptime instigator" - Ian tries really hard to ignore him and fall asleep during nap time, but Hudson's infectious giggle is no match for him and before we know it they are both laughing hysterically at....i have no idea what.

* he can find the tiniest speckle of anything and pick it up with his tiny little pincher grasp

* he gives the best (open mouthed) kisses!

* when he gets excited about something he kicks his legs and tries to jump out of your arms (he's pretty fearless)

* he loves when his daddy plays the guitar

* he officially has 3 teeth poking through - two on top and one on bottom

* he loves his sitter (and so do we;)

* he is waving bye and hi. we think he is saying "bye bye" (not sure if he knows he is or not;)

* i'm pretty sure he said "mama" and actually associated it with me the other day when i picked him up!!!

We love you sweet Hudson!!!

and as for Ian....oh, my sweet, hilarious, whiney, joyful Ian!! He's growing up too fast too!! He's saying some of the funniest things (probably mostly to us - you know us parents can be biased;)

In no particular order, here are some of my favorite toddler quotes over the last few weeks...

While in the car:
Ian: "mama, i drop my (insert any random toy or thing here), get it."
Me: "i can't get it right now, i'm driving. you'll have to wait"
after much contemplation
Ian: "you sit in my seat and i drive. i'll get it."

at grammy's house:
Me: "ian, can mommy sleep in your room with you" (he and hudson have a room there with two twin beds)
Ian: "yeah, you can sleep in the other bed just don't wake me up!"

at Target:
(let me set the scene....Ian is still potty training and doing pretty well. he tells me in the car while we're on the way to drop off baby's prescription that he needs to go potty. i tell him we'll go as soon as we get to the store. when we get to the store he gets PBF "public bathroom fright" - he can't go. he tells me he needs to go to his house;)

We go to the concession area to get a snack while we wait for our prescription, as we're leaving...

Me: "ian, you need to sit down (he's in the back part of the cart). you could get hurt if we bumped into something."
Ian: (i'm pretty sure as loud as he possibly can) "I CAN'T!!!!! I HAVE POO POO ON MY BUTT!!!"

....the older couple sitting next to us ceased their nacho eating at this point.

we sure love you ian!!!

So blessed!!

2008-12-26T13:02:00.003-06:00

To have these two little cuties in our lives!!! We hope everyone had an amazing CHRISTmas!!! We were able to spend some time with family and eachother and love on our boys. We have lots of fun pictures and things to post, but limited time (with nap time coming to an end;) so we'll just leave you with a sweet picture Uncle Nathan (Ethan) took of the boys on Christmas eve. I love this picture of them together!!!!

if you get a chance...

2008-12-24T15:41:00.004-06:00

read this amazing post. I have been reading this blog for several months now and am constantly blessed by her words and how God is using her. I pray it blesses you!

Conversations with Ian...

2008-11-11T19:26:00.004-06:00

Today I had to leave work early and pick up Ian from school because Hudson wasn't feeling well. While we are driving in the car heading to the pediatrician, out of nowhere, Ian and I have this conversation...

Ian: "I see angels, mama."

Mama: "You do? You see angels, baby?"

Ian: "yeah! They're my angels." pause.... "Jesus loves me."

Mama: "oh, yes He does, Ian. I'm so glad you know that!"

Now, how amazingly insightful are even the youngest of His children?!

**You should also know in the same car ride a few minutes later, I smell the aftermath of potty training gone awry, and Ian and I have this conversation...

Mama: "Ian? Did you go poo poo in your pants?"

Ian: "yeah...I should go poo poo on potty."

Mama: "yes, you should."

Ian: "Jesus poo poo on potty, mama."

pause....stifle laughter (because he is serious;)....pause....

Mama: "yes. yes, He did, honey. I'm sure Jesus did poo poo on a potty, and you should too."

Ian: "yeah, I go poo poo like Jesus."

This gives new meaning to the book Everybody Poops

Pumpkin Patch and Trunk or Treat

2008-11-09T09:12:00.005-06:00

I LOVE Halloween - it is probably my favorite holiday. I love all of the cheesy decor and fun costumes. I love pumpkins and doing activities with my classroom. It just really feels like fall when Halloween gets here (even if the weather doesn't cooperate;).
A couple of days before Halloween, the boys and I took the day off and met our friends Lori and Cole at a pumpkin patch. It was kind of a random place - but we had fun! The following night was my school's Trunk or Treat and my sister and brother-in-law came into town and hung out with us.

The boys "posing" for pic in front of the haystacks and pumpkins

When we finally talked Ian and Cole into going down the big slide it was their favorite part! We had a hard time getting them to get off. Here's Cole leaving his momma behind!

Afterwards, we ate pizza and watched a little Backyardigans. I'm pretty sure it was the "Riding the Range" episode...I hope;)

Hudson, my little monkey, at Trunk or Treat

Ian loves the candy part of Halloween!!!

I love his expression in this picture!

My big pirate!!

Ian and aunt Lori

Hudson and aunt Lori

Random

2008-11-09T08:47:00.004-06:00

Yes, try not freak out - I AM actually making two posts in one day!!! (I'm on such a role I may even go for a third - so hold on to your seats;)

Here are just some random and silly pics of the boys over the last TWO MONTHS... and of course, there is no rhyme or reason as to the order - because I am apparently blogger, picture ordering illiterate ;)

Smokey and Ian ~ it was their night for neighborhood watch duty

The cutest Elder boys ever!!!!

This is Ian SO proud to have his Shrek underwear on - we're still working on getting to keep them on all day:)

Smokey, our first child, still in denial....

Hudson loves him some sweet potato

Hudson after bath time

Pick me up! pick me up! PICK ME UP!!

Ian found his bunny ears from last year in his closet and had to try them out

...on Hudson too

Grandpa comes to visit

2008-11-09T08:13:00.006-06:00

I realize that it has been nearly 2 whole months since our last post - I would go into a long explanation about why but I'll just sum it up with ~ the days are sometimes long but the weeks and months go by so quickly. Anyway... Grandpa (Steve's dad) came to visit the boys in September and we had a great time visiting and going to the zoo. Aunt Lisa and cousin Karlly came with us too. Here are some pics of our time together ~

Ian loves to invite people back to his crib (or toddler bed;) and read with them or play cars. Here's Ian and Grandpa reading together.

Later that day, we went to the zoo - for some reason we don't really have many "ZOO" type pictures, so I just had to throw this elephant in there for proof.

Hudson, chill as always, practicing his yoga while we walk the wildlife terrain.

Steve and Ian climbing what I'm pretty sure is termite poo...

Yea!!! We made it to the top!!!
Another picture of cutie Hudson just hanging out...

The next day, after Grandpa survived the zoo with us, he came back for some more lovin' from the boys.

Generation Elder
Ian, Grandpa Mike, Steve, Hudson

I just love this sweet picture of Hudson and Grandpa!!

Brothers

2008-09-14T15:13:00.003-05:00

I know that I'm stating the obvious here, but I love that my boys are brothers!! I think that it's so amazing to see them together and how they already have this bond.

Ian quickly took to the big brother role. We were kind of worried that having another baby would be really hard for him to understand ~ and I definitely think that having our attention divided has been an adjustment for him, really for all of us. But I don't think he realizes why - that it is another baby needing some of the attention he use to get.

From the day we brought Hudson home Ian watched out for him. He offered him his cell phone to make any important calls he might need to make, asked him to watch movies with him, covered his toes up when the blanket would slip down. He often reminds me when I am carrying Hudson to "be careful with that baby, mama". He also tells me to "mama, get Dusson at Amber's house" whenever I pick him up from school.

They already love to laugh together! It's awesome!! Hudson cracks up at Ian dancing or playing peekaboo with him...and Ian loves to make Hudson laugh.

It makes my heart just swell whenever Ian leans in to hug on Hudson, and Hudson will reach his sweet little hands up and hold Ian's face.

I pray for their relationship to only grow stronger and closer together! What an amazing life long friend God gave us when He gave us our siblings!!!

Powerful

2008-09-13T22:02:00.004-05:00

If you've never checked out this blog before....I encourage you to...

Dr. Drama

2008-09-03T21:01:00.003-05:00

If you've ever wondered who the dashing mom, with a toddler by one hand and an infant carrier in the other, in your local pediatrician's office who has her shirt on inside out is.....

that would be me!

*the best part is ~ this is the 2nd, yes I said 2nd, time this month that I have ventured out into public with my tags flapping in the wind (literally today I'm sure). The first time was at my school's staff development....even better ;)

Last Hoorah!

2008-08-20T22:05:00.005-05:00

**Disclaimer ~ once again, I cannot get the pictures in the correct order I would like. I even uploaded them in reverse order thinking that would work!! wrong!! So, please excuse my upload sequencing ignorance;) and if anybody knows someone offering a class - hook me up.***

Last Wednesday, my last official day of summer vacation before I reported for duty, the boys and I met some of our sweet friends at Fort Worth Museum's Kidspace and Dinosaur Exhibit.

We had a great time playing with the trains, grocery shopping, rolling the balls down the huge funnel, driving the car at the ATM, and checking out the LONE dinosaur.

When they say Dinosaur Exhibit there's a reason it isn't plural! Literally, there was only ONE dinosaur in this place. Well, to be fair, there was some random dinosaur head out in the hallway before the actual "exhibit". And sadly, I didn't even get a picture of the SINGLE T-Rex!!!

I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more to this section, but the kids didn't seem to notice. They had a blast!! Here (again, in random order;) are some pics from that day.

Cutie pie Hudson chillin' in the stroller - he's as shocked as I am at the uno dinosaur!!

Will and Cole making some important plans

Cole, random dino head, Ian

this was, by far, Ian's favorite area - I'm hoping he still enjoys grocery shopping when he's 16 and I can send him for us

he wanted to put EVERYTHING in his basket! and did not understand that we weren't really buying it when we "checked out"

driving up to the ATM to get a little cash for their night out

Will, Cole and Ian giving us their dinosaur roar (is that what dinosaurs do...roar?)

Hanging out in the dino pool - aka the dinosaur footprint

ahhh.....the dino head is after me.... sorry, i don't know, i didn't know what to write here!;) it's late and staff development is making my brain like goo!

Hope everyone is having a great last few days of summer!!!

I speed!

2008-08-16T20:06:00.003-05:00

This is what Ian runs around saying from one of his favorite movies "Cars". Here are some pics of him in his new bed, that he LOVES and has to show everyone who comes over.

cars jammies and all.....

He and Lightning have the same cheesy smile here
Sweet Dreams!

Catching up

2008-08-13T14:45:00.009-05:00

I don't know how summer went by so quickly!!! It's not that we were doing SO much ~ really just trying to stay cool.

Here are a few pictures of some of our summer fun. They are completely out of date order but I'm too tired to try and drag them all around the page ~ which by the way, blogger needs figure out an easier way for arranging photos...either that or if anyone has any helpful hints, that would be awesome!?!

So obviously, in no particular order...enjoy!

Hudson working out at the "gym"

Cole about to conquer the slide
why can't i have those eyelashes??

Eating some yummy pizza!! (and Ian pronounces pizza just like it is spelled)

Ian's into non-fiction...Cole's into fiction

we know we are hilarious! (just like our mamas;)

Sweet-E !!!

just a playin'

"just me, my sunglasses, a cold "shosh" (pacifier), and a nice smelling blankie - that's how i roll..."

one of the three times Hudson has had some "tummy time"

cruisin' the strip in the wagon
4th of July fun with Scout!!

it took him several tries to figure out how to use this water gun;)

watching fireworks!!!

That's pretty much it!! Oh, and uncle Nathan or as Ian says "Ethan" came to visit this summer. You can check out some cute pictures he took of the boys on his website from his visit.

http://nathanbrainard.com/gallery/album56

and as always, you are forewarned that there our SEVERAL to look at (just a little over a hundred;)

Hope everyone had a wonderful summer!!!!

Things to remember...

2008-08-12T12:01:00.003-05:00

I can't find the cord to upload pictures right now. I'll have to have Steve help me find it when he gets home.
Just quickly wanted to write a few things about the boys that I want to share and document (I'm getting back into my teacher lingo)

Ian is now in a toddler bed. He's been in one for about a month now, I guess. Grammy and Papa got him a "Cars" (the movie) bed with matching bedding. I'll post a picture as soon as I can find the cord. He is saying some of the funniest things. The other day Steve came home from work with a big box of paperwork and Ian goes, "oh my goodness, look at that! oh my goodness!"
Every morning when he wakes up he tells us, "I seep good! mommy seep good? daddy seep good? baby seep good?" to which we are to reply, "yes, mommy (etc.) slept good" otherwise he gets upset and keeps telling you that you did until you agree. And you dare not tell him that you didn't "seep" good! I love the way he says squirrel, "swirl".

He LOVES his baby brother. He makes sure that you take him wherever he is going. First thing in the morning he runs to the bassinet and says, "I wanna see that baby. I wanna tawk to that baby" and then says to Hudson (very loudly) "Hiiiiiiiiiiii baby!! baby seep good?"

He's become obsessed with the Shrek movies - he'll tell you what Shrek says, "aaaaahhhhhhh owwwwww" and then tell you that's how Shrek "scares the boys" in the movie.

He cracks us up how he will pretend he can't hear you when you ask him random questions ~ he'll look straight ahead and try to hold back a smile or laugh and bats his eyes.

Hudson is growing way too fast! He's now eating rice cereal and LOVES it - he gets so excited when he sees the spoon coming. I love how he looks trying to figure out how to eat it!

He has the cutest laugh ever! It's really deep for such a little baby. He laughs so hard when you sniff his armpits (yes, i know;) and "eat" his tummy.

Whenever you head towards him to pick him up he gives you the biggest smile and wiggles his little body cocking his head to one side - like he's so excited he can't stand it! So cute! He's also started grabbing at things.

I love how when he is nursing he will look up at me and smile. He will also keep his hand up to my mouth for me to kiss on his sweet fingers.

He loves his big brother!! Every time Ian comes near him he just beams!! He loves watching him and cooing to him.

He loves bath time, he's started splashing a lot lately which he thinks is hilarious and so does Ian. Ian loves to help give "that baby" a bath - he has to have his own wash cloth.

I am so thankful for my kids, for my family. Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed by how much I love them!

...It's time for my annual breakdown...I had a mini one the other day. I can feel it building up...

I sat on the couch smelling Hudson's sweet baby head for the longest time - trying to make sure that I will remember. and I hold on to Ian when we hug so long that he probably thinks I'm a weirdo;).
Sometimes I feel so selfish because I know how lucky I am to be with them during summers and holidays. But I don't want to miss anything. I don't want to miss them...

Just lots and LOTS of fun stuff!!

2008-06-28T22:31:00.000-05:00

When your kiddo starts to crawl into his carseat and then tells you it's too hot and blows on it to cool it down.....you know it's time to get out the kiddie pool and splash around!!

Poppy recently took a trip to Michigan and brought back some souvenirs. One of which was this boat that Ian loved sliding into the pool with.

We had a picnic outside and then splashed around. Ian has been saying everyday since then, "Poppy come 'morrow? I eat lunch outside? I go swimmin'?"

I just had to put this one in here to show off my dad's haircut!!!!!! yea!!!! Love you dad!!!

Hudson didn't get in on the sliding action (this summer) but we enjoyed hanging out and watching big brother. NOTE: the box fan in the background that I plugged in OUTSIDE for Hudson and I. I'm not big on the heat - that could be why I'm so tan.

I just wanted to throw this picture of Hudson at bath time in here. This is his impersonation of George Washington as a baby.

Grandma Hotsy came to visit last week for a few days. We had lots of fun and she helped us conquer a ridiculous amount of laundry! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Grandma and Ian. A few days after she left we were in the car heading home from church and Ian said, "almost home. i see grandma and smokey!" Too cute!

At the end of May, Ian's toddler class had a spring program. They sang Jesus Loves Me and He's Got the Whole World in His Hands. Ian didn't do much singing - a little hard to do with your hands over your mouth. However, as soon as we got to our seat he stood in the aisle and sang all of the songs that the other classes sang. Hey, I'm impressed he even got up there in front of everyone.

The day before I had to go back to work (towards the end of May), we took a trip to the zoo with our friends Lori and Cole. Poppy came and had some fun with us too. Here's sweet Cole and Ian hugging on a bronzed baby elephant (that I realize looks a lot like an anteater;)

Uncle Nathan or "ethan" as Ian calls him, came to visit Memorial weekend. Ian had to take him for a drive around the block in his "car" at Grammy and Papa's house.

Story behind this stickiness: Ian will not eat sandwiches. We have tried all kinds and he's not interested. I'm not giving up though ~ it would make it much easier on packing his lunch for school. So....in another attempt to get him to fall in love with peanut butter and jelly, I showed him how good the jelly part was by pulling back the sandwich and having him lick the jelly. Hoping this would get him to eat the sandwich. ummm...in a matter of seconds, this is what he looked like. He now LOVES jelly, but the peanut butter side of the sandwich got no love!

He's pretty impressed with himself! I guess if they start making jelly that's packed with nutrition then we've got a favorite sandwich on our hands (and everywhere else)!

Father's Day Thoughts

2008-06-15T23:41:00.006-05:00

Today is Father's Day and that means I have to post something (I made up this rule). So I thought I would use pictures to share a few of the thoughts that come to mind every year about this time.

I could talk all day about each picture, but will spare you eight days of reading with my initial thoughts as I look at each picture.

While I used to see this picture and laugh at my dad as a cast member of That 70's Show, I now see a man that looked at me like I look at my boys.

A few years later, a haircut and a new addition.

Fatherhood royalty!! Both are with their Father for whom they lived life. Both were married to their spouses till death, and loved their family so much I feel it as I write these words.

My father was (and is) always able to make me smile like that.

Goal: To be the kind of father that will make him smile like that when he is 30 years old and has two kids on Father's Day 2036.

Totally undeserved favor!! Grace bought with the blood of a Son. There are no words.

Although I have been blessed, it is not in the leg department. Looks like Hudson got dealt a shabby leg hand and got my toothpicks (he is growing quickly however, so I reserve the right to eat my words when he has me beat by kindergarten.

Although I don't know what it's like to have a brother, I'm sure I'll soon find out from them. I look forward to watching these guys grow into the relationship that God has in store for them.

Here is an old picture of the luckiest man in the world! I figured I'd use this dorky picture so that my dad can't say anything about the "Simon and Garfunkel" pictures I posted of him earlier.

I surrender

2008-06-08T23:06:00.003-05:00

So....if you've ever had to call 911 because your toddler is choking, we can officially sympathize with you!
Before I go on ~ Ian is completely fine!!!

Thank you, Lord!!

If you've spent many a meal time with Ian then you may know that he's not much of a chewer (if that's a word;).
He tends to swallow instead of taking the time to savor his food. I don't why. He's always done this.
We've been working on trying to get him to chew for quite a while now. We'll remind him before and as he's eating "little bites, chew please" and he'll do this cute thing where he'll move his mouth up and down like he's chewing BUT he still pretty much guzzles his food down.

So, tonight I fixed him popcorn chicken for dinner. As usual, I notice he is putting WAY to much food in his mouth. At about the exact same time as the words, "little bites, chew..." start to come out - instead Steve (who is around the corner with the baby) can hear me saying "oh no, oh no, he's choking, he's really choking!"

Some things are kind of blurry, I think my adrenaline was going crazy. I remember Steve saying he was calling 911 - I think at first I said that it was okay and that he didn't need to.

I grabbed Ian out of his high chair and he was looking at me with this horrible look of panic, he couldn't breathe and he was grabbing at my face. I was fighting back my own panic.

Yes! call 911!!

While Steve is talking to them, Ian starts to cry and cough up his food. He finally throws up all over me - THANK YOU, LORD!!!!

The EMT come and check him out, which of course made him a little nervous at first. But within a few minutes he is showing off and giving them high fives. He even tells them "I chew it" before they leave, like he's reassuring them that he will chew his food next time.

After they left, I gave Ian a bath. I watched him playing with his cups and boat and talking to "Sam" a little figurine that was also taking a "bat".

I started sobbing.

Steve came in and we just sat there - forehead to forehead for a few moments. Everything was fine, but for a few moments our world felt so crazy, so scary, so out of control!

When I started this post I didn't know what I was going to title it. But as I've been writing, the words came....

I surrender

it's SO hard for me to surrender, especially my kids. I want so much to protect them, so much so that sometimes I become so consumed with worry or fear for their safety. I can't do it anymore.
It overtakes me. I become consumed with anxiety instead of trust. How can I expect my kids to trust me as a parent if I'm not putting my trust in the One who takes care of me?

I surrender......all to you....all to you

The beautiful, powerful words to a song we actually sang this morning during worship.

I find myself very much at peace right now.

P.S.

2008-06-05T19:53:00.004-05:00

For some super cute and recent pictures of the boys check out.....

http://nathanbrainard.com/gallery/album36

a few of my favorites....

just a heads up ~ there are a little over 200, but well worth it!!! ;)

p.p.s. i just LOVE saying "the boys"!!!!! yea!

Potty Plea??

2008-06-05T19:37:00.002-05:00

So we haven't "officially" ventured into the potty training adventure yet but, around November Ian had started bringing us diapers when he wanted to be changed so we thought "hey, this might be pretty easy" ~ i'm guessing i was wrong.

Since then we have bought him a potty that he only will use as a step-stool to brush his teeth and turn the lights on and off. Poppy (my dad) found him a potty that looks like a throne with a magazine rack and it's own TP holder - he loved it, sat on it for about an hour, didn't potty but sure did use an entire roll of toilet paper. he was pretty proud of himself!

He has now started to hide from us when he is pooping....he will run into the kitchen and get mad if you follow him. We'll ask him to if he needs to go potty..."NO"; we'll ask him if he is pooping or needs to poop...."NO", but of course in a matter of minutes he has brought us a diaper and demands for us to "change diaper now, please!"

yesterday morning when i was packing his lunch for the day ,he was in the living room watching backyardigans and when i walked in he yelled at me "go in there, mommy!" and pointed to the kitchen. i tried to hold back a laugh while i asked him if he needed to potty, of course the answer was NO. but....within a minute or two he came into the kitchen telling me to change his diaper.

....I'm sure glad school is finally over and now we can focus on this potty training business! and for all you veteran potty training parents out there.........................HELP!!!! ;)

any advice is much appreciated!

FINALLY....

2008-05-20T21:13:00.007-05:00

okay, we are finally updating. i know we seemed to be on hiatus for several months ~ minus the few posts steve made when hudson was born (thank you, honey!;), but we are back and are going to try our best to make regular posts!

so....lots of things have been going on since we were updating on a regular basis - like ian learning to run and jump and speak in sentences, halloween, thanksgiving in kansas, and christmas, getting pregnant, having a baby, being blessed with TWO precious kiddos! wow!! so lots of stuff.

here is what they are up to:

Ian ~ is hilarious. he LOVES any thing to do with being outside. he has learned tons of new words and is speaking in sentences now. this is such a fun age! he's a little bit bossy. he tells everyone who comes over to "sit down on couch now" he loves to laugh and read books. he makes this great face where he squints his eyes and stares intently at books or the mail and "reads". he really likes to get his way and lets you know when he's upset! he loves to jump and announce to everyone "i jump-ed". he loves going to his little preschool and really LOVES ms. cathy or "cappy". he recently learned how to play "guck, guck, goose" and is trying to teach hudson. he's pretty fun and we love watching him grow in so many ways daily!!

hudson ~ is extremely cute!!! he looks like a miniature steve. he LOVES to eat, and so far has his daddy's metabolism;) he has a cute little birthmark on his outer thigh. he has the saddest little cry when he wants to be picked up and will sniffle for several minutes after just to torture you. he has started to smile - so awesome! and he's making those precious little coos. he loves music and when his daddy plays the guitar for him. i'm pretty sure he's fond of my singing too-he likes to humor me. he is freakishly strong - when i'm holding him against me he will try to stand up against my legs and has been holding his head up fairly well for a while now. he DOES NOT like to have his diaper changed or his clothes - he will kick (just one) his leg like crazy and scream until you are done. he makes the best faces when he sleeps. he smells so sweet!!

we are SO incredibly in love with our boys!

check this out:

Ian's one month pic with woodstock

Hudson's one month pic with snoopy

it's crazy to me how much they look alike!

Back Home

2008-04-03T14:52:00.002-05:00

We are happy to inform everyone that Ian is feeling much better and back home now.

Hudson is doing great as well. And with the exception of being a little tired, Rachel and I could not be better.

Thanks again for the prayers and support. We'll have more up pics soon.

Doctor Visit

2008-03-31T20:47:00.003-05:00

Just a quick update. Ian was definitely feeling sick, I know this because he was a willing participant in going to the doctor for the 1st time in a long while.
He has a viral infection. They did a strep test that came back negative, so for now all we can do is keep his fever down and let it run it's course.

He will be camping out at Grammy's until then as instructed by the doctor, we hope it goes down tonight and he can return home.

He was doing so well, and we have spent so much time away from him that it's beginning to be hard not having him around. You'd think with a two year old and newborn we'd welcome time to get settled, the thing is, we have realized the role Ian plays in our family getting settled and can't wait for him to join us.

Thanks again for your prayers. We been at ease most of the day with the exception of the initial reading of Ian's temperature, so the prayers helped greatly in that regard.

Prayer Request

2008-03-31T10:53:00.002-05:00

I wasn't planning on updating this soon, but I just wanted to let everyone know to keep us in your prayers.

Today Ian felt hot and we took his temp., it was 101.7. Normally, this would be just another bug, but given the newborn and the close proximity, we are a bit concerned.

We are taking Hudson in for his initial visit with the pediatritian in the morning, but he wanted to see Ian today. We will go in at 2:30p and as soon as we get home I will let everyone know how it went.

Ian's New Brother

2008-03-30T23:05:00.000-05:00

This is just a quick post to let everyone know that life as the Elder's know it is brand new. On March 26th, Rachel gave birth to Hudson Isaac who weighed 6lbs. 110z. and was 19in. long.

Our biggest fear was our two year old, Ian, and how he would take it. As could be expected, I think there were some initial feelings of uncertainty.

But all with a little nudge from daddy mixed with a little bit of time, Ian began to take to Hudson in a way that made us proud and relieved.

Since we've been home, Ian has tried to share his cell phone, told Hudson to watch "The Backyardigans" (his favorite show), and asked repeatedly to hold his little brother.

We have truly been blessed. There is not much you could say about the arrival of a new baby. But we have also been blessed with an understanding and loving two year old that makes us proud to be parents and let's us know in his own way that our family is on it's way to being what God intended it to be.

Update

2008-03-30T21:10:00.000-05:00

I know it's been a while since we have updated Ian's blog. So for all of those that have been hanging around in hopes of watching our little man grow and learn what life is all about, I wanted to let you know what we plan to do in the future.

For the time being, I will attempt to be better about updating this blog. We are not going to delete this blog because Ian will be able to update it himself before we know it and we think it would be good for him to do so.

What we were thinking is that we will start a family blog and make that our primary update site for all who are interested in looking in on us. As soon as we are able to get that up and going we will email the address to everyone as well as post it on here.

I apologize again for the infrequent posting and hope to be better at making it a priority since so many of you live far away.

We love you all and cannot tell you what your thoughts, prayers, and support have meant to us over the past two years.

Ian's 2nd Birthday Party

2008-03-30T21:05:00.001-05:00

We recently celebrated Ian's 2nd birthday. We went to "The Little Gym", which I would recommend to anyone who is looking for a great party that is fairly inexpensive and very "hands free" when it comes to something as chaotic as a two year old's birthday party.

"The Little Gym" was great with the kids and helped us in every way imaginable, giving us hassle free planning and giving the kiddos a great time with planned activities (as planned as they could be at that age).

Thanks to all those who could make it, and to all of those who couldn't we missed you and look forward to seeing you soon.

Ian and Momma, just chillin'

Ian and I wrestling. I figured I'd show him some moves since I once got a third place medal for wrestling (there were only three people in my bracket).

Ian's cousin Luke, who probably should be the one showing Ian how to wrestle!

Ian on the beam. He wanted me to let go....maybe next year.

When I see this picture, I hear "The Eye of the Tiger" song.

Those are my skinny legs, I actually played with all the kids and nobody ever told me to get off the equipment. No harm, no foul I guess.

Now it's time for the good stuff, Backyardigans style.

I honestly don't know what's going on here. Looks like bubbles, but that is juice he's drinking.

And finally, what good is a birthday party without a kiss from the fairer sex?

Ian's Prayer

2007-10-21T08:24:00.000-05:00

Ian and I were headed home with the other day and heard him talking more than he usually does in the car. I looked back to see him praying. He looked up at me and then continued to pray.

I don't normally stop for much when I'm on my way home from work, but I had to pull over that day and recorded video of him so that I could send it to Rachel.

Although he is obviously just imitating what he sees other people doing, it was just one of those feel good moments. It is encouraging to see evidence of the many great people that are in Ian's life.

We're blessed to have such great family on both sides that love Ian and support us and the family we have started.

Little Man

2007-09-03T22:35:00.000-05:00

I see Ian everyday. And to be honest with you, he is only about 18 months old but I still feel as though time is going a bit too fast.

When I see pictures like this one, when he had just been born (this is my favorite by the way), I can't help but try and picture in my mind what I missed. Where did that helpless little child go? Don't get me wrong, I am well aware of where he is developmentally but I can say that he is gaining an independent spirit very quickly. He wants to feed himself, change his own diaper, go outside with or without Rachel or I, and he seems to be a little too brave with our cat Smokey who is more annoyed by his position in life with the passing of each day and Ian's enthusiasm to figure out new ways of playing with him.

With another one on the way, it's hard to imagine what another addition will bring to this family. I am amazed with my son every time I see him. He is at that stage where it's something new everyday. I have been blessed countless times in my life but when I come home everyday, I find my "core". I find the source of the gravity that keeps me grounded. I can only imagine what I will feel like when I come home nine months from now and that feeling is grown exponentially.

We won't know if we are having a boy or a girl for a while, but I know what I have right now, and that's a little man. When I see Ian, who looks and acts like me at times and think of how we are all made in God's image, it drives home the importance of what we have as members of His Kingdom. Our stewardship of that gift should be our top priority.

I look forward to the final nine months of Ian being the only child. He will no doubt prepare me(as I hope to do for him) for the arrival of our families newest member. I have learned countless lessons from Ian in the past 18 months and will no-doubt be learning from him as long as I am alive. For now, I hope to slow things down a bit and soak it all in, Ian, my beautiful wife, and our transformation into a family of four.

MY mama!!!

2007-07-02T09:51:00.000-05:00

Ian's been going through a major separation anxiety phase the last few months. Which in all honesty, at first was a little endearing that he wanted and needed me so much. Who doesn't love to be loved?! But it's getting to be a little too much now. I really struggle because I want to comfort him and at the same time encourage him to be able to adapt to new people and surroundings. He is fine if I'm around, but it's difficult to leave him in the nursery at church or sometimes to even walk away from the table if we're having lunch with a friend. I don't want him to feel so much anxiety.

He's even gotten jealous of Steve a few times...at first we both thought it was kind of cute how he would point at us holding hands and make these noises like he was annoyed (like let go of her). Then he would try to take Steve's hand off of mine. We would tell him "mommy and daddy love each other too and it's okay if we hold hands" and then we would try to include him by hugging and loving on him. But he does not like for us to hold hands or lay in each other's lap at all. He loves on both of us a lot but is very unsure of us loving on each other.

It's such a fun age as far as all of the new things he's doing and learning, but this is a really hard stage for me when it comes to how to address situations like this. He seems to break down sometimes out of nowhere. And I know it's probably all normal "toddler" behavior but....i don't know. I just want him to feel safe and have fun when I need be somewhere else.

Lost in Translation

2007-06-29T12:19:00.000-05:00

Ian is learning so many new things constantly. It's so crazy how much and how quickly babies change. It's really amazing to watch him!!

He can now touch parts of his body when we ask him where they are (which is so cute!). He will touch his nose (sometimes up it), mouth, ear, tongue, feet. I'll try to post some video of him doing this. His vocabulary is also increasing...

Ian............................Translation

dada...................................daddy
mama................................mommy
gigee..................................kitty
ou-shy...............................outside
nigh-nigh..........................night night
shooz.................................shoes
pss.....................................please (although MUCH more reluctantly lately)
aah-K................................okay
hhhi...................................hi (this is when he plays with the phone)
ymumym.........................yum,yum,yum
szat...................................what's that? (accompanied with a point)
tee....................................tree
ball....................................ball (very clear - yea!)
jssss..................................juice
buh...................................bye
ahh gah.........................all gone (SO CUTE - he holds his palms up)

There are a few other words he's said on occasion, but not sure if he was just copying us or really saying them yet.

He's also getting more frustrated lately, which is trying on us but I know it means he's maturing too. When he's done with his drink he'll bring it to me and hand it to me for a refill, but instead of saying "pss" he says "uuuuhhh". I KNOW he can say please. He went through many weeks saying it to us when he wanted another bite of our food or for us to open something. But now all of a sudden when I ask him to say please when getting him more to drink he gets mad and just keeps handing me the drink over and over again and saying "uhhh" with increasing whining. We're battling! I don't know if he's just being stubborn or what.

He's definitely becoming his own little person, and I know that it must be pretty frustrating to not be able to fully communicate your wants and needs.

Everyday is an amazing adventure!
I sure love that little guy!!!

When one door closes another door opens....and closes and opens and closes...ahhhh!

2007-06-20T22:26:00.000-05:00

Ian has learned how to open ALL of the doors in our house, no door is left unnoticed by him - if it's got a handle it's getting turned....several times. He discovered his new obsession on Monday evening. Ian and I were hanging out in the living room while daddy was taking a bath after getting home from work. Ian headed down the hall and usually I would go after him but Steve had closed the door so I figured Ian would just turn back around and head back...WRONG. A few seconds later I heard the rush of bath water and said, "nuh, uh!!". Steve was laughing and Ian was pretty impressed with himself. I thought it was a one time thing, so I picked Ian up and we went back into the living room....nope. At first he could only open the door on the side where he could push it open after pulling down the handle but the next day he quickly mastered the other side, actually pulling the door open. He thinks it's the best trick ever. He open and closed and laughed hysterically ALL DAY!! So...if anyone knows where we can get something to put over "handlebar" door handles please let me know!!!

Father's Day

2007-06-20T11:47:00.000-05:00

Yes.... I realize that it is several days past Father's Day, and I feel guilty that I wasn't able to make a post before now but I do want to take the time to acknowledge the awesome daddy that God gave Ian!!!

This past year has been a difficult year within our personal relationship, many of you have prayed and are still praying for us, and we can't express our appreciation enough!! I don't preface this post with this information for any other reason than to praise God for His healing that He is doing in us and to also point out, that even amongst our struggles as a married couple I have ALWAYS been extremely thankful for the father Steve is to our son.

Steve has had to take on a different role than most fathers take on. He's been Mr. Mom for the past year with Ian - waking up with him in the mornings, feeding him breakfast and lunch each day, changing thousands of poopy diapers, scheduling nap times, playing, chasing, hugging, kissing, refereeing.....

and while I'll admit I'm envious that I'm not the one home with Ian during the day, I am beyond THANKFUL that it's my husband, his daddy who loves and adores him so much, that takes care of him!!!!!

Steve is an awesome dad! He's stepped up beautifully and embraced this amazing gift that they both have been given.....time with each other.

I love you so much Steve and am blessed to be your wife and partner! Thank you for being such a wonderful daddy to our precious baby!!!

1st "official" haircut

2007-06-19T16:33:00.000-05:00

Okay....so I've pretty much been in denial for a while about Ian needing to get his haircut (by a professional....other than myself that is). He has TONS of hair! I guess he got it from Steve because my nickname for the first few years of my life was "woodstock" (you know the bird with a few sprouts of hair).
I was afraid that if he got his haircut he wouldn't look like my little baby anymore - that he would look like a "big boy". Plus, I love his little curls in the back. And, yes, I realize how ridiculous I sound but I'm holding on to every little thing I can. BUT....his hair was starting (actually WAY past starting) to become out of control. My occasional snips with the rounded baby nail scissors, which is actually a whole lot more like sawing than snipping, just wasn't cutting it, literally. Especially since his cute little curls were teetering on a baby mullet. So.....it was time. Steve and I decided to take him to one of those places just for kids thinking it would go smoother (HA!). That morning his hair was in rare form - Exhibit A....

We came in, video camera in hand to landmark this special occasion. Ian sat in the cutest little car, had Elmo and Mr. Noodle on T.V. in front of him and was doing great.....for about 30 seconds. As soon as the stylist started spraying his head with water he began crying, then sobbing - you know the kind of sobbing where you're making that hiccuping noise - yeah, it was that one. The lady was awesome though. I have no idea how they can cut babies (or "big boys":) hair so well with them screaming and squirming. It did take her a good 20 minutes though to cut his hair - mainly because he had SO MUCH!! But in the end, he looked very handsome!!! Exhibit B...

Been a While!

2007-06-09T23:52:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I posted on here, so I thought that I would let everyone know that all is well.

Rachel is out of school for the summer and will not be working for the first summer that I can remember, so she will be able to spend more time with him. I, on the other hand, will be working more hours this summer and will be filling a more traditional role as provider (at least for the summer).

This may be a rough transition for me. I am used to seeing him for most of the day, and won't be able to do that for a while, but I will have weekends off to spend more time with Rachel and Ian than I have been able to in the past, so that will be good.

Don't have much else to offer. Ian has learned a dirty look that he gives when he does not get his way. Rachel says that he learned it from me. I think he did too, because at first I thought it was cute so I would make the face back at him then we would laugh. I sure learned my lesson on that one because it isn't so funny anymore. Well, I think Ian still finds the humor in it, but Rachel and I are not so amused.

Anyway, I will share some more recent pictures and a video when I get a little more time on my hands.

Got Milk?

2007-05-16T14:24:00.000-05:00

Everyone will tell you that Ian looks like Rachel. Today though, he looked like me when faced with the thought of drinking milk (if you've seen me, you know I've never been a fan of milk). After eating his whole lunch, I said "all done". This is the look I got.

I just thought he was thirsty (For some reason he rarely takes a drink until he has finished eating his food). So I put his glass of milk in front of him. I guess I was mistaken.

I proceeded to aske him what was wrong and continued to try and sell him the milk.

Needless to say, I never closed the sale. So, in holding true to customer satisfaction, I decided to give him some juice. As I was pouring the juice I was thinking ahead to what I would do if it was not the milk/juice factor. I walked up to him, took the milk away and replaced it with the sweet concoction of 1/2 water and 1/2 juice. There was a brief moment of contemplation. Then......

I know a growing boy needs his milk and I always told myself that I would never give into a desire of his if I knew it was not the best thing for him. I guess that when I told myself that, I wasn't thinking that giving in would ever produce good results. After seeing the absolute joy of my son, it's evident that the result of this parental decision was nothing but good.

Mother's Day

2007-05-13T00:56:00.000-05:00

I have been very fortunate when it comes to the wife that God placed in my path, and her momentary brain-fart the moment she said yes. All things that work at fulfilling God's purpose work together, and through Him they are being reclaimed by the creator and by Him are made perfect.

I am very aware of what I have been blessed with. Many of these things I took for granted for a long time before coming to the realization of the gap between what I have, and what I deserve. I have to admit that for way too long I did not give praise for my mother (I blame it on guys just being that way), but now I see that I owe so much to her and how she loved me without end.

It is fair to say that Ian may not see this love in it's depth, until he is able to have a child of his own or until he gets to a certain point in his life, like we all do. But I am here to say to him and show him, that God has blessed him beyond measure in the choosing of this boy's mother.

Rachel loves me more than I can say, and I feel it everyday. But my son has been given a mother that loves him like a mother loves. I saw them bond for 9 months before I even met him. When she sang to him inside her, I heard my mother doing the same to me. When she caressed her round tummy, I felt the faint touch of my mother's hand on my back, and when she could hardly get out of chairs because of the pain, I saw my mom then too. I could have told you I was blessed, but till I saw this relationship form from day one, I never thought that the love of a mother was something I may never be able to get my mind around.

Rachel, today is your day. And just like every other mother who loves so completely, you deserve many more. Our son is so blessed to have that kind of love from you, and while he may show it at times and other times not so much as he grows, there is no doubt that he will be blown away by the love you have for him when he matures to see it. Watching you with him has allowed me to see the things that I know my mom did but was too young or too foolish to see at times.

Thank you for being the mother of my greatest gift. I could have never imagined a better mother for my son, or partner in raising him. Most importantly, thank you for allowing God to work through that love to raise our son His way. For that I am forever thankful!!

Happy Mother's Day

But...but...BUTT!

2007-05-11T23:10:00.000-05:00

Just thought I'd share a funny picture of Ian. Sorry for the stupid title, butt it's all I could think of (sorry, I had to).

Together At Last!!

2007-04-24T12:57:00.000-05:00

For one reason or another, Rachel and I have not been able to share a photo appearance with Ian. Most of the time it is one or the other who has to take the picture, and when we are with others who are able to do so, we get caught up in spending time with them and forget to have someone snap one of our family.

Thanks to Charles, one of our friends at Church, we have what we have been missing for too long, a picture of the three of us together.

Thank you Charles for your fine photography skills, and to the Thompsons for the camera that was laying around for us to play with.

Toddler Time....

2007-04-05T23:08:00.000-05:00

I remember the day of Ian's birthday party - running around like crazy trying to make sure everything was ready....we were literally decorating up to the very last minute. why do we moms do this to ourselves? in some weird sort of way we must actually thinks it's fun to draw cityscapes on 20 feet of butcher paper, direct your husband where to hang the tree vine from the ceiling, run to the grocery story 124 times because you keep forgetting something and try to find time to put your mascara on while you take your "potty" break (as you now call them) before your baby's guests arrive...all the while he has absolutely no idea what in the world is going on and decides to take a nap in the middle of his own party. Oh, how I wish I could have joined him!

Anyway....my cousin comes in to the kitchen to help cut up vegetables for the burgers, we hug and she asks me, ever so casually, "so...how does it feel to be the mother of a toddler?"

(pause for dramatic heart dropping here)

What?!!!??? Ian isn't a toddler, I tell myself. he's still a little baby!!

"hush your mouth" i say to her!

how could Ian be a TODDLER? toddlers are constantly on the go. toddlers are getting into everything. toddlers start to become defiant and get mad when you tell them "no". toddlers squirm out of their mother's arms to play on the ground. toddlers grab the diapers out of your hand while your changing them, throw the diaper on the ground, flip over, stand up on the table and put the cord to the blinds in their mouth all while your bent over getting a wet wipe.

**GASP***

Could it be? is my sweet baby boy really becoming a....TODDLER?

i don't think i am ready for this. things start swirling around me. the annoying voices of people telling me "don't blink or you'll miss something" start to echo in my mind, then guilt and finally sadness creep in when my thoughts turn to - well then, what will i miss being at work 40+ hours a week?

the thoughts are seriously almost too much for me to even think about. so i stop...and i give praise to God for the amazing child we've been asked to be parents to and the blessings. oh, the blessings!!!

i rejoice in the time i do have with ian. how blessed i AM that i have summers and holidays off! how blessed i AM that i have a husband who is a great father to share this with!

how blessed i AM that my little baby boy, who is turning into a toddler, and i sat a few feet away from eachother having a 'stare down' while he whined the infamous tearless cry (you mamas know what i'm talking about) and got mad each time i said "no" to him getting into the cat's bowls.

So blessed.

Rough Start to Year 2

2007-03-30T23:59:00.000-05:00

It has been two weeks since Ian's 1st birthday party. I would say it went very well. Rachel was very creative as usual so that took away any worries I had of a dull party.

The cake was awesome. It was made by Rachel's aunt Nita and then decorated by Nita and Rachel both.

Our little monkey had his own banana to grub on and from the looks of things, he enjoyed it.

He may have enjoyed it a little too much......

Ian has been battling runny nose and cough since then though. I'm not too sure he wasn't feeling it on his birthday. He had a few separate occasions where he looked like he does in the picture above. He also slept alot that day too, which is not like him.

There is no doubt he's a trooper though. I doubt anyone other than Rachel and I could even tell he felt bad. That is one of the greatest things that Ian has taught me over the past year. I'm the world's worst baby when I'm sick, I go into hibernation. Ian on the other hand won't miss a beat when he's sick. He'll keep on laughing at our cat or enduring my guitar playing just enjoying the cardboard boxes that all of his toys came in. I have seen the healing power in just being happy to be here, wherever here happens to be.

Birthday Boy

2007-03-18T21:43:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was Ian's 1st birthday. We had a great time. It was a Curious George theme and between Rachel and the other creative members of her family, it was a really cool party. I have video of the day and Nathan took a ton of pictures, so as soon as we get it all ready we'll share the day with those who were not able to come. He goes to the doctor on Tuesday for his 12 month check-up, so I will try and get everything ready this week and update you all.

In the meantime, I will share one of his most recent pics. I just thought March seemed like a good time to show off some new duds and a great big smile. These were taken on the night that Kansas played Texas for the Big 12 title. Although he smiles like this 95% of the time, I think I know why he's so happy.

Word Vomit....

2007-03-05T21:23:00.000-06:00

For almost a year now I have found myself in the middle of a conversation, okay almost EVERY conversation, talking about my son. Everything seems to somehow relate to him. For example, I can be in the grocery store, baby aisle of course, and Ian doesn't even have to be with me but I randomly find myself in conversation with someone about how my son is now eating more "big boy" food...and when did you start your kid on whole milk? should i mix it with formula first?...

I can be at the pharmacy asking strangers...what's the difference between a vaporizer and a humidifier? do you really need both? my son, Ian, has a new thing with sticking his finger in the medicine thing on the vaporizer.....blaaaah, blah, blah, blah, blah...........

I, literally, can incorporate his name into everything I do. And if I can't find a way it somehow sneaks on in there.

I'll call my friends from high school and college....."hey, how's is going.....listen to what Ian did today...."

I've ALWAYS got a story about something new he's learned or that's hysterically funny (probably mostly just to Steve and I) that I find myself NEEDING to share!

If you've got just a second, whether I know you or not, you get to see the wallpaper on my phone of Ian sticking his tongue out; or the one of him laughing at 'fake sneezes'; don't forget the one of him with bed head; or sneaking into the cat's water dish....

I have 'coined' this uncontrollable plethora of stories and praises about my child......WORD VOMIT.
(okay, I didn't really 'coin' it - I, shamelessly, stole it from the movie "Mean Girls")

But that's what it's like....word vomit. I can't control it. Every new thing he's doing I have to share with someone, anyone. Before I can stop myself I'm giving detail after detail of what my kid's dried snot looked like all over his nose the other morning when I woke him up to a co-worker in the hall. I cannot stop, I am seriously out of control.....and I LOVE it!!!!

I love watching him learn new things. I love how crazy his hair is in the morning when he wakes up - dried boogers and all. I love when he calls my name from his crib after his nap. I love the little squeal he makes when I walk through the door after work. I love how he slobbers all over my face when I'm lucky enough to get 'kisses' from him. I love how he sounds talking and singing from the back seat while we're driving. I love how he laughs so hard his eyes water when you pretend to sneeze. I love how he likes for me to chase him around the house on all fours. I love how he pets the cat (Smokey may not). I love how he dances, just moving his arms up and down. I love how he watches new things and people with such interest. I love how it feels to be in love with him!

I pray that Steve and I are as always, or even more so, responsive to his learning and needs. That we are Godly parents and examples. That we always GIVE PRAISE for this absolutely amazing gift. I pray that we have 'Word Vomit' like crazy always!!!

Almost A Year!

2007-02-21T11:37:00.000-06:00

I can't believe it has been almost a year since Ian was born. I hate to get ahead of myself since there is almost a month left, yet I can't help but look at him and wonder when all that development happened.

Since he has been crawling it is a little easier to play with him. As he learns to motor about, and faces new challenges, his personality is beginning to show more. He is realizing that there is alot he can now do. However, as we all find, the more we learn just leads us to understand better how much more there is to learn. This leads to a little frustration every now and then, but it never lasts long.

I am just blessed to be a part of all of this right now. I am getting an opportunity not too many fathers get. We have bonded in many ways. Ian shows me something new everyday. And he has most definitely shown me where true happiness comes from.

The video below is just one of hopefully many to come. Just a glimpse into our lives, dirty house and all. We can settle for a dirty house, because that's just more time we spend with Ian.

Off And Runnin

2007-02-03T21:36:00.000-06:00

This is just to inform all of you that Ian is now crawling. He has been crawling about two weeks now. It started off as him only being able to move a couple of feet before laying down and rolling as he had always done. That lasted about two days you all know the rest. His favorite thing to mess with is Smokey's food and water dishes, which isn't so bad.

Rachel and I are now playing the game of trying to anticipate his next object of fascination, so that we can take the proper precautions. I guess on some level, this is the game we will be playing till he graduates and moves on, so the practice is probably needed.

He seems to be enjoying the explorations and seeing the new reactions he gets from mom and dad, and for the time being, so are mom and dad. I'll post some pictures in the next few days.

Coolness

2007-01-20T20:13:00.001-06:00

I was playing around a while back and made a slide show of Ian. Picassa has really added alot of cool features that allows me to put video on Ian's blog. It also will allow me to take the stuff off of our video recorder and put it on here also.

I look forward to sharing all of these great things with you in the future, seeing as it is so easy now. Below is the slide show I was talking about.

You can be sure that there will be one of these put together for the NCAA Basketball Champions this year, the Kansas Jayhawks!

A Few Christmas Pictures

2007-01-11T21:38:00.000-06:00

Here are a few pictures that Nathan took while we were in Fort Worth. I will have some video and pictures from our time in Kansas as I get time to download them.

We hope everyone had a happy beginning to 2007! We have so far and will keep you informed of plans we have for Ian's 1st birthday.

First Time Out of Texas

2007-01-01T21:24:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to say that we have the most amazing son. He is only 9 months old and yet for reasons he does not understand, we place him facing away from us and venture out on a 7 hour car drive. As we travel to places he has never seen and for a longer time he is accustomed to, he remains happy, content. Passing time with the simple noises he learns to make or the chewing of his own sock (still on his foot, might I add), gaining comfort in times of silence by the voices coming from the front seat that he can only hear. He may not see us, but knows we are there, and that we are speaking to him.

Traveling with him, as great as he was, is still a slower process that requires patience as we stop to feed him, change him, or stretch his legs. This was a great lesson in patience and the joy we receive from slowing down our lives enough to see the happiness and simplicity that Ian gives in his joyful acceptance of the unknown.

God has blessed us in ways I cannot put into words. We have, through Ian, a teacher that delivers each lesson with impeccable timing and in a language anyone could understand.

As I go with my Father on that unknown journey, with my back to all that is familiar. I hope to recall Ian's example, and find comfort in the simple things. I long to be content with chewing on my socks. I long for the day that I can be comforted as I utter the only sounds I can, knowing that one day that meaningless noises that only I can understand, will allow me to communicate with my Father on a different level. What Ian taught me last week was that when my Father speaks to me, I must focus on those words alone, and shout back in joy that He was talking to me.....He is still there, waiting for the day I speak back the things He has spoken to me over and over again so that I may know more deeply what is said to me.

This is just joyful babble though, I will never be able to put into words what lies deep within God's most gracious gift to me, in the past 2 thousand years or so. My only desire is that I give all I am and all I have back to Him.

Coming Soon....

2007-01-01T21:22:00.000-06:00

....Pictures of Ian's 1st Christmas!!!

Family Photography

2006-12-15T17:02:00.000-06:00

Ian's uncle Nathan was in town over the Thanksgiving holiday and was able to get some new pictures. We are blessed to have Nathan to take these pictures. You'll see why if you click here.

Undeserved

2006-12-15T15:00:00.000-06:00

As I sit here and type this, I know that I am undeserving of all that I have been blessed with. I have a wife that I know loves me and I know also that she is the best mother I could ever want for Ian. Not that I'm down on myself, I just realize that things such as these are given by the grace of God. It is only by these gifts of grace that we can experience any joy in life. These undeserved gifts are a glimpse into what is to come if we live our lives for the purpose of being in His presence forever.

As a stay at home dad, when I sit and try to take it all in, I can't. This let's me know that God is right in front of me. We are called to be like children, accepting that we have no control over where we are placed, or what toys we are allowed to have or play with. As I watch Ian play with the simple toys (my most recent Sports Illustrated) and ignore the ones that I want to play with myself, I see his joy in the simple things. I see God dwell in him as Ian unknowingly allows God to use him. Ian is a happy child, content with where he is placed, where we go, and what activities we engage in with him. He knows he is taken care of completely, he is satisfied completely (well, as close to completely as a human being can get).

God dwells in children. They let him. This would explain why the image of Jesus smiling might most often be seen in the midst of children. This is just one of the many lessons I am being taught everyday with my son, and I hope that as Ian grows, I never lose sight of what God will forever be teaching me through him. And may I learn to be like a child, so that God will dwell in me in such a way that allows my family to have Him near, when they need to hear Him speak.

We're Back

2006-12-07T23:40:00.000-06:00

I was able to switch to a new platform today. I have not tried to post a picture yet, but am hoping it will work. I could not get any pictures on here for some reason. I think I messed up something trying to get a slideshow that I made onto the blog. Anyway, I will post some pics tommorrow and see if it works. If not I will create a new blog and start again. We have many pictures and stories to go along. Sorry for the delay. I hope that Rachel and I were generous with the e-mails we have been able to send to share pictures. I apologize also, if someone wanted any pictures and did not recieve the e-mails.

I'm Soakin' It Up!

2006-10-02T23:27:00.000-05:00

I truly believe that Ian was placed in my life when he was so that I would examine things that were being ignored by me in the past. Not that I was this terrible person, but God had things planned for me and my family and needed me to realize the importance of my being here and the obligation I had to let Him guide my thoughts and actions.

Ian has taught me:

to respect the fragility of life.
to love each new day for what it is.....a "new day".
that all women are suckers for a smile.
that my parents love me on a different level than I ever knew.
that family, through good and bad, is what makes us who we are.
and the fact that family should never be taken for granted.
that sometimes we convey the truly important lessons to those around us by living silently, not preaching loudly.

Ian has taught me all those things, but I would say that the most important thing he has shown to me would be the fact that God speaks to us in ways that are beyond our knowledge, through people that we don't realize, and through the things we often ignore. This has been (and continues to be) a lesson in the nature of my creator and the reason I am here.

Just a Little Longer.....

2006-10-02T23:18:00.000-05:00

I know I promised you something cool a couple of weeks ago and have not followed through, but I PROMISE that I will show you what I have before Friday of this week. I hate to leave all of Ian's fans hanging on my every post but I'm just not used to managing a blog devoted to such an unbelievable attraction. I'll get the hang of it though. Until he was born, I never had a need or desire to use many of the cool things available for the sharing of photos, thoughts, videos, etc...so I'm learning as I go.

For those of you not on myspace, I give you this new picture of Ian to hold you over until later this week. When you look at this picture, you can get a true sense of what this boy is to be around. He loves life and is most excited in the mornings, greeting each new day with an enthusiasm that inspires me to do the same. Ian was a gift that has proven to be rewarding in ways that only God can give, I thank God daily for the lessons he teaches his mother and I without even being able to speak.

Six Month Check-up

2006-09-16T22:31:00.000-05:00

Ian went to the pediatrician on Friday and we were informed that he now weighs 18lbs 6oz, and is 27 1/2 inches long. Its hard to believe, but he is six months old. We were informed that we can now feed him meats (baby food, of course) or a vegetable for every meal now. And as you can tell from the picture below, he is still learning the art of keeping it in his mouth, but he'll get there. I'm not in too much of a hurry though for him to get there, seeing as how I have no clue where the last six months went.

He likes food!

Especially sweet potatoes!!

Anyway, not much else to report right now, but I have a special gift on the way for those of you that make a habit of checking his blog. We'll talk next week!

Giving Ian Up

2006-09-08T00:03:00.000-05:00

I am writing this as I contemplate my abilities to be a father. Now, I know what you are thinking and I warn you not to get ahead of me here. I have no intention of giving him up in the way that most would take it, but I have looked at the book that is entitled "The Power of a Praying Parent". In this book it talks alot about raising your children under constant prayer and the power that this has in his/her ability to go through life in a positive way with a positive outlook.

I have realised that we as parents have about as much control over our children's lives as we do our own, even less. Some parents think that when they look at their children all grown up with a sense of accomplishment that they deserve a pat on the back. Many of them do and should be proud, but not of the job they did. You see, our childrens lives just as our own, are a product of what God has been allowed to do within it.

My mother, I know because of how teenage boys act, was forced at times to just give me and my future to God. This is where our faith came in to me. And my father, because of the distance between us at times had no other choice but to pray for me and my ability to find what I needed in this world without him being right there. In both instances I was lucky, luck that faith was so integral to both of them. I could have grown up in a home with both parents, unchurched but willing to give me the best that they could, but I would have lacked "substance". I would not have the overwhelming feeling of being led to where I am by a higher power. It is by viewing my parents "drop" all they knew at the Lord's feet that I even have the slightest clue that that is where all the power lies.

The book that I mentioned talks about praying for your children all along the path of life, but most of it speaks in terms of older children. The only advice given for children of Ian's age is to focus on giving your child to God. This is not as easy as it may seem. We've already had times of worry, which is normal, but also points to our inability to give him to God completely. We need to realise that we just have no control over jaundice or constipation or watery eyes. We do what we can; give it to God, and pray. That is all we can do.

Everyday I try to wake up and let God know that Ian is His. And I pray that we are careful in our handling of His property and that we take advantage of every opportunity as he grows to make sure he stays in God's arms. That decision will ultimately be his, but there is no doubt that if we give him to God 100% and prayerfully raise him and guide him as instruments of God he will end up right where God wants him in the end, no matter what path he may or may not choose on his own along the way. All paths will lead to home.

Ian Laughing

2006-09-01T22:12:00.000-05:00

Here is the sound that Rachel was talking about a couple of posts ago. It truly is the greatest sound in the world to a parent to hear their child laugh for the first time.

Just Click On Ian's Picture

The Meaning of Life

2006-08-23T15:32:00.000-05:00

I know one would expect a series of books rivaling an encyclopedia set or two when they see the title of this post. Yet I have been shown that the meaning of life is missed most often by the nature of humans to overlook the small/simple moments and things that, in reality, make up the world around us. I have been able to stay home with Ian since Rachel has gone back to school. As you see from the last post Rachel has a hard time with this because I think she realised what I am speaking of now.

Yesterday, Ian whistled. In no way am I lying to you. He truly whistled. And he won't amuse us with it unless music is playing. This is something that I have really never experienced. New moments, yes. But not having anyone else around to share it with is like getting a hole-in-one while golfing by yourself. There is such excitement in the happenings, yet nobody to share it with. Feelings of wondering when it will happen again or if it will. Though, I've never had a hole-in-one, I would think that there is a type of connection (if you are alone) with the being known as the "golf gods".

The lessons I learned from yesterday's religious experience will be with me forever! And that moment will never happen again, yet it will in other ways, reminding us as parents of each and every one of those moments God graces us with.

The Sweetest Sound

2006-07-31T21:24:00.000-05:00

This past Thursday (June 28th), during a routine diaper change Ian was gifting me with one of his newest discoveries - laughing! He's been laughing for a few weeks now, which is one of the most awesome things ever! But this day was beyond incredible! - He started laughing while I was talking to him so of course I started laughing back and giving him my best comedic material. What continued for the next 10-15 minutes was absolutely the sweetest sound I've ever heard...my son laughing and giggling hysterically. He had me laughing so hard my tummy was sore. The moments were pure elation!!
...but what followed was heart-wrenching pain. In the middle of my joy I was struck by the reminder of having to return to my teaching job in a few short weeks. I began to just sob! I know it seems so silly, but the thought of missing any moment like that seems unbearable. He's so amazing!!! If you would keep me in your in prayers - that God would fill me with His peace and strength as I go back to my kiddos at school.
I praise God for such a blessing! He's so happy and healthy and loving! The greatest gift!
Psalms 127:3 "Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him."

Milestones

2006-07-28T07:57:00.000-05:00

I know that Ian is now 4 months and there have already been many milestones that he has reached.

Month 1: He smiled and was sleeping through the night.
Month 2: We were able to make him smile, and he was starting to speak his own language.
Month 3: He started to sit with us in the mornings and conversate, and smile with us. He was starting to copy us in certain sounds and facial expressions.

Now it is month 4, and he is starting to drool alot, he may be starting to get some teeth. Rachel and I also heard him laugh for the first time while we were giving him a bath. Everyday, he seems to grow in some way, and it seems to get harder to chronicle the changes that he makes, but hopefully, these "milestone" posts will help us to hold on to each moment as well as give everyone updates.

To Be Continued...........

Month 4 Pictures

2006-07-27T19:47:00.000-05:00

We have recently passed Ian's 4 month birthday. Here are his pictures to let you see how much he's grown.

We hope this finds everyone doing well and I will continue to try and make posting to Ian's blog more frequent. We love all of you and can't wait to see you soon!

4 Months!

2006-07-14T21:07:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it, but it's been four months since Ian was born. We took him in today for his four month check-up and everything is great!

He weighed just under 17 lbs and measured 26 inches long. The avg. weight of a six month old baby is 16 lbs, so he is a little heavier than normal but he is also a couple of inches longer than average also so the doctor said that his progress is good and that we should just keep doing what we've been doing.

We will also be starting rice cereal, so we are now on the fast track to solids. Pretty unbelieveable how fast things go.

I will try to be more frequent with the posts that i make to Ian's Blog, so that you don't miss much. It's been hard to do so lately, but I will definitly make more of an effort. Stay Tuned!

Getting Better

2006-06-22T22:20:00.000-05:00

Just an update to let ya'll know that Ian is doing better. We have not had to take him to the doctor again so that is good. We will be going to Kansas for the weekend and leaving Ian in Ft. Worth for the weekend, which being our first time to leave him overnight, it's a little bit scary. But thats just us being parents, we know he'll be ok with his grandma.

I am kind of disappointed not to take him home, but we are not sure that a 5-6 hour car ride would be the best thing for him or us at this age. Anyway, I hope everyone has a great weekend and i'll leave you with a picture.

Ian's Pictures

2006-06-22T10:22:00.000-05:00

For anyone who would like to see the "collection", you can visit Nathan's website for some good ones. Nathan was up for father's day and was able to get more pictures of him for the collection.
Theres only one picture from this weekend up now, but he should have them up shortly.

And in the Blue Corner....

2006-06-16T15:39:00.000-05:00

From Cleburne, TX. Weighing in at 14lbs 8oz. Wearing the blue robe and white diaper. The one.....the only.......

IAN "I Pitty the Fool" ELDER

Sorry for the Wait!

2006-06-16T10:22:00.000-05:00

This was supposed to be underway a while back and I have not had the time to get it started, but here it is.....Ian's Blog. For now this will be where Rachel and I will post new pictures of Ian and leave updates on his growth. We hope to capture as much of the excitement as possible.

Keep this site in your favorites and check it out every once in a while. I will try to leave something on here at least weekly. Eventually this will all be done on his own website that he can have and develop as he grows older in this technological world.

Again, sorry for the wait, but it should prove to be worth it!

Not Feeling So Well

2006-06-16T09:41:00.000-05:00

This is just a quick update on Ian. He has had a case of diarrea for a little over a week now and it is starting to worry us a bit. We have taken him to the doctor twice and he seems to think all will be alright so thats good.

We took him to the doctor last on Monday of this week. It is now Friday and not much has changed. For the most part he does not seem too sick but his digestive problems persist. If he is still having trouble on Saturday, we will make one more trip to the doctors office with a stool sample.

But like I said, he seems to be doing alright, but just keep him in your prayers and we will keep you informed as we know anything.

Ian's Grandmas

2006-06-16T09:09:00.000-05:00

Ian has been blessed with a great family on both sides. There will be plenty of pictures of everyone, however, i will start with the grandmothers because both are so excited about thier new grandson. i know that everyone is excited too, but if you saw these two with him you'd know that there is just something a little bit different about the way a grandma gets excited.

This is my mom. She lives in Wichita, KS and came down to visit the week after Ian was born. She got to see him while he was on the "billy lights" to help with his jaundice for the first week home. Between my two sisters and I we have seven children, only two of which are boys. This is my mom's second grandson. You could say that the boys in my family are definitly out numbered......

And this is Rachel's mom. She lives here in Texas and Ian is her first grandchild. It's already pretty evident too in the way he gets spoiled when he's with her. She has bought him a few outfits that he looks pretty cute in, here one of them........

I can think of no two women that would be better grandmothers for my son than these two. Along with the rest of our family, that will be in posts to come, we have been blessed greatly with the family that God has placed around us to help Ian develop into the well-rounded, loving man we know he will be.