Chris and Jacque Fisher

Right now

2012-02-07T12:47:00.000-08:00

Right now Jude is at a great age. In the last few days, he has really impressed me with his talking abilities. Each day that passes, he finds new things to tell me, and recalls things already said. His memory is getting sharper, and his recognition of objects, phrases, and places has substantially increased. I can't believe we are approaching his second birthday. Has time flown or what? I'm pretty sure this birthday will be a special one. Especially because Jude is..

Turning 2 on 2.22.12 That's like 2 to the fifth power! I'm sure something magical is going to happen :)

Haha! I am in the midst of printing invitations, coming up with a yummy menu, creating games and fun activities for the kids, thinking of decorations, etc. Since Jude's special day falls on a Wednesday we decided to do a small family dinner on Wednesday night with family, etc. and do a kids party the following Saturday morning. I'm looking forward to all the fun. Here's a sneak peek of some of my ideas--I'm trying to keep it simple, yet fun!!

In light of Jude turning 2, I decided that I better bookmark the cute things he says and does right now. I can't even explain in words how much this little guy has changed our hearts. There are moments that I wish I could freeze in time and hold on to forever. But I'm sure this is every mommy's dream. The reality is our precious little ones grow up to be adults. What we can hold on to, however, are memories. We will always have those. I want to be able to look back and remember these precious moments, and also be able to share them with Jude one day.

I could make a list of everything Jude says and does, but that would take you all day to read! Instead, I've compiled some of my favorites:

"Look mama!" about every single thing he finds interest in.

After asking Jude- how much do we love you? he always replies with "Daddy's boy!, Mama's baby!, Noey & Papa's little man!, Poppi's buddy!, Nana's dude!" :)

"Hey buddy!" & "No barking Mav!" Poor Maverick, already has a little boss.

"Nooooo mama, Jude do it" when I try to zip something up whether it's his jacket or PJ's, etc.

"Salt and Peppa" You would think Jude is French, by the way he says 'peppa', it's so cute. :)

"Please" sounds like peas
"Thank-you" sounds like tay too
"Bless you" sounds like bess you

Jude has picked up a lot of our expressions like:
After a sneeze, I say bless you, and he says "Thanks!"
"Chris!"
"Hi baby!"
Hey Jude, how ya doin? ....."Good"

One of the cutest things EVER is Jude's 'sneak attack'. He hunches over and creeps upon someone and says "boo!" It's hilarious, really. The first time he did it to me, I started cracking up...and of course, he laughed too :) At some point, when I get a video of this, I will post it for you to see.

After he wakes up from a nap or in the morning, he is always very concerned where everyone is, including all his lovies (totaling 5 now) :) He says "Daddy, bye-bye?"
Once he sees daddy, he says "Daddy bye-bye no" :)

Jude is very affectionate. He always gives kisses, hugs, high fives, nose kisses and knuckles upon request. I am very thankful for this. I definitely get a lot of love from him :)

Jude loves videos. His particular favorite right now: Toy Story. He can name ALL and I mean ALL the characters. LOL. It shows how much they can retain in those little brains of theirs! ha! His favorite statement right now is just like Buzz: "To infinity (running around like crazy) and on!" Although, it's really to infinity and beyond, but he's close enough :) He does a really good Rex roar too ;)

Jude is very friendly. He says "Hi!" to most strangers. He loves talking on the phone, and asks throughout the day to call daddy or noey, etc. He usually tells them alllll about his lovies!

What totally surprised me: Jude's first complete sentence! After leaving the Superbowl party (Chris drove separatly), Jude tells me "daddy watchin football, daddy nigh night no". We always put Jude down together at night, and that night Chris wasn't there with us. Jude knew exactly what was going on! ha!

This season is a blessed one for us. We find so much joy and fulfillment in being parents, and we are very thankful that the Lord has given us a healthy, strong, special little boy to raise up in Him.

I will post pictures of Jude's birthday celebrations later in the month!

O Happy day to you!! :)

Gulp!

2012-01-18T15:30:00.000-08:00

Grabbed my camera last night as Jude was taking a bath, and snapped a few pics of him playing. After browsing through some old photos in the exact same spot, I gulped! Wow. My baby is sprouting! The pics on the left are from about a year ago. The ones on the right are from last night. Can't believe how much he has changed in just one year! Before I know it, I'll be dropping him off at preschool and crying my eyes out. Too quick, Jude-man :) It feels so unreal that I am planning your second birthday party. Two years?!? I can't believe it was almost three years ago that I had you in my belly. Loved every minute of it too. Love you, little man. You better stay small for awhile, or your going to make your mama cry. Boooo...hooo ;)

Look how much his face has changed! His hair has changed too. It used to be redder, now it's starting to get blondish brown.

On the left Jude was blowing me kisses, on the right he was pretending to go underwater, so he is plugging his nose :)

On another note, my last post was pictures of Jude's playroom. Just finished the final part of this room, an A-frame tent! Love the gray and white so much more than the bright red, blue and yellow. It flows a lot little better in our home. It was very easy and inexpensive to make! I bought a twin bed sheet at Walmart, sewed a patch of elastic to each corner, and voila! A home-made tent. Much more fun than store-bought :) Maverick likes it too! Oh what fun we will have in our tent :)

The BIG reveal! Let's play!

2012-01-12T11:43:00.000-08:00

One of my most demanding projects as of late has been Jude's playroom. He's at the age (and has been for quite some time now) where he needs his own special area. A place where he can pull out all his toys, read his books, sing his songs, dance his dances :) I wanted it to be away from the living room where the T.V. is, because that stupid box can be addicting. I want him to play in his area and use his creatvity, explore his imagination, & have fun!

What once was our large formal dining room became our office last year around summer time. I've been moving things around trying to make the room double as Jude's playroom as well. It wasn't working very well. Chris had mentioned that when he's studying or trying to get some work done, he's constantly being pulled on and distracted by lil' Jude man. A light finally came on when I realized, why not use the back of the desk as a wall seperating the room into two? It was definitly an 'a-ha' moment :) This was the answer.

From there everything just fell into place. I am so tickled with the results I could giggle out loud! And I have a few times. I don't think I could have done it without Pinterest, however. What a great way to get ideas, and to make them happen for cheap! My creative mind has just found the ticket it's been looking for! :)

My favorite part about the room is my DIY clock. I had a handful of small frames that I decided to spray paint all the same color gray to give the clock a stable look. It came out just perfect, and I love it!! Here's is the pinterest link if you want to create one yourself...it was super easy and cute!
Photo frame clock It doesn't give you directions on how to make it, it just shows you a picture. I printed it out, and went by that. It was really simple.

At some point I would like to make Jude an A-frame tent that I also saw on Pinterest here. One that matches the decor of our house a little better. But for now, this store bought one is perfect. I'm not the biggest fan of all the bright colors, but I know that all the colors are fun for kids. I noticed that Jude points up when he's in his tent and says 'red, blue!' So at least it is teaching him his colors.

Oh my darling Jude, you are my Sunshine...

Where's the 'refresh' button?

2012-01-02T14:39:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year friends!

I love this time of year because most people use it as an opportunity to be introspective. What is that I need to work on? What goals would I like to achieve? As much as I would love to congratulate everyone at the end of the year for completing these goals, these resolutions (as we call them) have a well known reputation of only lasting a few short weeks or months. When summer time rolls around, we are asking ourselves, where's the refresh button? Can I start over? hahah...

This is why don't burden myself with the phrases that start with 'I will never..' or 'I will stop..' The better ones that I might include are 'I am going to work on..' or 'I will start...' This way, if I make an effort towards these goals, that is a goal within itself.

I decided that I would like to start increasing my knowledge in the area of politics and current events and chocolate, wine, and backpacking in Europe. If any of you really know me, you know that this is an EXTREMELY difficult task for me. You see, because of my intelligence, it is difficult for me to focus on such menial things that take place around our world like earthquakes, arguing governors and crazy politicians. If you bought that line, I have some land I'd like to sell you ;)

Just kidding!

Seriously though, I seem to have very little patience for political arguments, and worldly affairs that have nothing to do with me. Selfish, I know, I'm working on first changing my attitude :) So, this desire to be more aware of these things will not come easy to me, but like I said...I'm going to start working on it. Wish me luck!

Reach for the stars. Stretch a little further...try a little harder...jump a little higher :)

Good form, right? ;)

There are so many great memories of this past year that I want to always hold on to. At the end of each year, I like to recap on those memories. This year, I had so many great ones, that I had a difficult time limiting it down. Who says I have to do that? Here's the best of 2011..enjoy :)

BEST OF-- 2011

Have a great start to a great New Year!! :)

The Festival of Lights begins!

2011-12-20T15:58:00.000-08:00

Tonight at sundown marks the beginning of our celebration of the Festival of Lights. After much discussion Chris and I decided to make this holiday an annual practice. The importance behind the story of the re-dedication of the temple in 165 BC is why we have chosen to observe it. As Christians, we are under no obligation or law to include the holidays given to Jews in the Torah. But as believers in Jesus Christ, especially those who have a profound appreciation for the Hebraic roots of our Christian faith, celebrating the “true light” of this world only seeks to glorify our wonderful Lord and Savior. What more of reason do I need for celebration? If your not familiar with the story, I found a pretty simple recap of it, and just like I enjoy reading the story of Christ's birth every year, I also enjoy being reminded of this one. Tonight we will light our first candle and Jude will open day 1 of his small gifts! Yay! :)

__________________________________________________________________

The holiday of Hanukkah celebrates the events which took place over 2,300 years ago in the land of Judea, which is now Israel. It begins in the reign of Alexander the Great, who conquered Syria, Egypt, and Palestine, but allowed the lands under his control to continue observing their own religions and retain a certain degree of autonomy. Under this relatively benevolent rule, many Jews assimilated much of Hellenistic culture, adopting the language, the customs, and the dress of the Greeks, in much the same way that Jews in America today blend into the secular American society.

More than 100 years after Alexander, Antiochus IV rose to power in the region. He began to oppress the Jews severely, placing a Hellenistic priest in the Temple, massacring Jews, prohibiting the practice of the Jewish religion, and desecrating the Temple by requiring the sacrifice of pigs (a non-kosher animal) on the altar. One of the groups which opposed Antiochus was led by Mattathias (Matitiyahu) the Hasmonean and his son Judah Maccabee (“The Hammer”).

This small band of pious Jews led guerrilla warfare against the Syrian army. Antiochus sent thousands of well-armed troops to crush the rebellion, but the Maccabees succeeded in driving the foreigners from their land. According to historical accounts, Jewish fighters entered Jerusalem in December 164 BC. The Holy Temple, the Jewish religious center, was in shambles, defiled and desecrated by foreign soldiers.

The Maccabees cleansed the Temple and re-dedicated it on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev. When it came time to re-light the Menorah (the multi-branched lamp stand), they searched the entire Temple, but only one small jar of oil bearing the pure seal of the High Priest could be found. Miraculously, the small jar of oil burned for eight days, until a new supply of oil could be brought. From then on, Jews everywhere have observed a holiday for eight days in honor of this historic victory and the miracle of the oil. The observance of Hanukkah features the lighting of a special Hanukkah menorah with eight branches (plus a helper candle), adding one new candle each night.

In the New Testament, in the Gospel of John, we learn that Jesus the Jewish Messiah was at the Holy Temple during the “feast of dedication” or Hanukkah: “At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon” (John 10:22-23).

During this great season of remembering miracles, Jesus pointed out to His listeners that the miracles He had done authenticated His claim that He was, indeed, the long-awaited Jewish Messiah (see John 10:37-38). His works and His true character clearly demonstrated who He was.

Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life” (John 8:12). The Lord Jesus gives all of us, Jew and Gentile, the “light of life.” And He commanded us to “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

I found this information here

With this information in mind, as believers in Jesus, we find it difficult to overlook or just let pass. We do realize that Jesus is the Messianic fulfillment of this feast, and that brings us great joy. I have found 8 (and these are only a few!) verses that pertain to light that we plan to read each night of the celebration. Praise Jesus that HE is our light!

Daniel 12:3
And those that have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

Proverbs 4:18
But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.

Psalm 119:105
Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.

John 1:6-9
There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John. He came for a witness of the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light. There was the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.

John 8:12
Again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them saying, I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.

John 12:35-36
Jesus therefore said to them, "For a little while longer the light is among you. Walk while you have the light, that darkness may not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. While you have the light, believe in the light, in order that you may become sons of light."

Matthew 5:14-16
You are the light of the world, a city set on a hill cannot be hidden.

Ephesians 5:8
..for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.

Chris teaches a weekly bible study at our church on Sunday nights, and the current study has been Hanukkah. Here are the links to the pod casts if you are interested in learning! It's intriguing!
Hanukkah part 1&2

Our friend, and teacher, Jacob Prasch is a Messianic Jew and he has a handful of wonderful teachings about Hanukkah if you are interested. Here are a few links to the website where you read the transcribed sermons of Hanukkah. Part one here, and part two here. Enjoy! I most certainly have!!

Here's to the beginning of an amazing week!
Happy Hanukkah!

Sing with me! :)

2011-12-12T22:27:00.000-08:00

Hark! the Herald angels sing,
Glory to the new-born king,
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinner reconcil'd.

Joyful all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies,
With the angelic host proclaim,
Christ is born in Bethlehem.

Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the new-born King!

Christ by highest heaven ador'd,
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold him come,
Offspring of the Virgin's womb.

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel

Hark! The herald angels sing,
Glory to the new-born king!
Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
Risen with healing in his wings.

Mild he lays his glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.

Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the new-born king!
Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the new-born king!

O come all ye faithful
Joyful and triumphant
O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem
Come and behold Him
Born the King of angels

O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
Christ, the Lord!

LUKE 2:10-14

Sing, choirs of angels
Sing in exultation
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above
Glory to God
Glory in the highest

O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
Christ, the Lord

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee
Born this happy morning
Jesus, to Thee be all glory given
Word of the Father
Now in flesh appearing

O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
Christ, the Lord

"What self denial! What self abasement! What self emptying! He, whom no infinitudes can hold, is contained within infant’s age, and infant’s form. Can it be, that the great ‘I AM THAT I AM’ shrinks into our flesh?"

Henry Law

Jump for Joy

2011-12-10T11:48:00.000-08:00

I had the most amazing day yesterday! So blessed to say that I have lived a full 28 years in this world. Whoa. Time is starting to catch up with me, the word 'thirty' is on the horizon. It doesn't scare me, though. I told Chris, "The fact that I'm a year older today means that you also are older, and that comforts me". I'm not sure if that made him glad or sad, but I do know that we both find comfort in growing older together. It's a neat thing.
My mom took me out to a lovely breakfast of french toast and yummy coffee, and I really enjoyed it. I have found a very close friend in my mom, and there are no words to explain how grateful I am that she lives near us. She ended up staying with Jude for the evening while Chris and I met up with some of our great friends for wings and drinks. What an enjoyable time of relaxtion, laughs, and good talks. I was spoiled with sweet gifts, memorable cards, a yummy margarita, and even a few thoughtful emails! What a great birthday I had, and I am so happy to have such great people in my life.
On another note, it's starting to look a lot like Christmas around these parts. With snow falling, it makes it all the more exciting to curl up on the sofa with a peppermint hot chocolate and watch my favorite Christmas movie, Elf. Oh yes. It's that time again.

Of course, Jude loves watching the snow fall. Snow? Play? I decided to take him out last week when the snow was falling the heaviest, he ended up just eating some, and then complained that his hands were frozen. Silly boy. We haven't gone out since, we just look now :)

Our Christmas decor has been up, now, for a few weeks. I get giddy each time evening rolls around, because I look forward to turning on our lights around the house and enjoying the tree, etc. I get new ideas each year, and this year I decided to put lights on the front of our house. I used to just decorate our front door, but I wanted to do something different this year. I want to find a big star to put on our roof or in our front yard for next year's Christmas. I love what the star symbolizes, and means for this time of year.

Kiss me! :)

Maverick gets a stocking too

Homemade goodies this year? Chocolate peppermint covered pretzels. YUM.

Matthew 2:1-12

The Christmas Story

¹ Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ² “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” ³ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵ They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet:

⁶ ‘AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH,
ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH;
FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER
WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.’”
⁷ Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. ⁸ And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” ⁹ After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. ¹¹ After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. ¹² And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.

I hope you are enjoying this month as much as I am! I often find myself jumping for joy!

Much love,

Moment by Moment

2011-11-23T12:07:00.000-08:00

There is something so precious about being constantly thankful. I'm not just talking about an occasionally thank you card, or a before dinner thank you prayer. These do hold importance, but I've come to a place in my life that reaches far beyond surface-level gratitude.

It all came to me the other day (how appropriate being the week of Thanksgiving). I was folding laundry in my tiny half laundry, half pantry room, dreaming about what project I could do next with my home. I tend to dream when doing menial tasks around the house--this can sometimes become a bad thing...hahah. I was dreaming of expanding our kitchen. Moving the dining room table into the front room, adding on a bar, putting in a island, installing new wall cabinetry, etc, etc. That's it, I thought. I would have SO much more space for kitchen gadgets and appliances. Chris would have more prep space for cooking, and entertaining. Why is it that the smallest room in our house is, for us, the most important? This sucks, I thought. Yes! I could move my pantry into the 'kitchen', and then have an entire room to do laundry in!

These thoughts went on, and on, until my idea went from a simple thought, to a desire, to a lust, to a I MUST HAVE THIS kind of attitude. A small, shy voice spoke to my heart and said, "so if you have all that, would you be happier?" Where did that come from, I thought???!?

My mind started it's decline from the mountain of MORE MORE, and I realized that everything I had, including the clothes I was folding, the room I was in, and the healthy body I was made of was SO much more than a lot of people have right at this moment. Where did I let my mind wander? To a place of greed. What I have is sufficient, I had just ignored that.

The problem didn't lie within my new idea, or even my thoughts on how I could make our home more live-able for our needs. These aren't bad things, I will always enjoy making my house, my nest, more cozy and adaptable for our family. The problem was where I was letting these ideas take me. I was letting the desire for more become my focus. I was letting ideas replace the very structure of what the Lord calls us to think on daily.

Phil. 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and is anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell of these things.

Matt. 6:21
for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

I felt ashamed. But I didn't dwell on that shame, because shame is not very lovely, is it?! In my heart I spoke back to that thought, and said, well, no of course it wouldn't make me happier. I am very happy right now. The key was NOW. I was reminded that being grateful in this life is not occasional. It is constant. It takes discipline to become a 'thankful thinker' as I call it. I am encouraged this Thanksgiving week because of everything the Lord has blessed me with. I am re-training my mind to dwell on what I do have, and not what I don't. How easy is it to let our thoughts shift? Very easy.

I encourage you to live in a constant, ever-present attitude of Thank-ful-ness each moment-by moment! It really does change the way you think!

Florida Trip Nov. 2011

2011-11-10T20:32:00.001-08:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

Palm trees & orange juice!

2011-11-10T20:31:00.000-08:00

Being that it was our first time on an airplane with Jude, we had lots of new things to get excited about. He really enjoyed looking out the window and telling me about each and every airplane. A child's point of view certainly reminds you to see the excitement in events like these :) He did very well considering it was his first time flying. I made sure to bring a ton of things that I know he likes, and I pulled out something new every so often. He took a nap each flight, so that was very helpful too. Here we are boarding our very first flight!! :)

Our trip to Florida was very special this year. Since most of my family lives in Florida, we try to take turns on who flys where. Last year, my dad and sisters individually visited us in Arizona and it was really neat to be able to do the same for them this year in Florida. We spent a total of a week there, partially in Orlando, but mostly in Sarasota. This trip was very packed with places to go, things to do, and people to see.

Our stay with Jodi, Mike, and Grayson was very short, and we hope to make up for that this upcoming year. What a charming home they have put together! So thankful to be able to take a peek at their lives, to get a visual of what I hear about quite often. I just about packed up Mr. Gray and took him home with us to Arizona :) What a precious little boy...so handsome, and so loved.

Any adult in the house: "Does anyone want a snack, some cheese or fruit or something?"
Gray (from anywhere in the house): "YAH!!!"

Grayson's eating habits amazed me. If I could get Jude to eat a third of what Gray eats I'd be so happy! Ha! I'm pretty sure this kid will be on a football team by the time he's four.

You have to realize that this is special. It's one hard task to get a kiss from Gray, and Uncle Chris managed to get one right in time for the picture. How perfect!

We seriously could not get Jude to smile correctly, because as you can see in this picture, every time we told him to look at the camera and smile, he would close his eyes and scrunch his face. lol. I have no clue where he got this from, but this is his camera face! ha!

Can you get any cuter than this?

The remainder of our trip was spent in Sarasota, where we were able to see a lot of my extended family which I haven't seen in years. It was such a sweet time. Here's some of my favorites:

My dad and Susie have really invested a lot of time and character into their property. It is a beautiful area, and Jude had SO much fun there. Of course, Poppy or Pop-eye to Jude, had the tractor ready to take the kids on a ride. No one even understands how much Jude loved this. His facial expressions didn't show it, but I just know that it was the ride of his life :) heehe! He is always asking his papa for a ride on his 'tractor', and so I just knew that he was really enjoying the ride. It also was a sight to see Jude with the cats. He giggled when he first saw one, and he insisted on following them around the property the entire stay there. At times he got frustrated that they wouldn't stay and play. It was really cute.

What a great blessing it was to see one of my sweetest friends, Val, and her beautiful family. Little Noah is amazing, and precious little Levi is on his way :) We truly enjoyed just being around them.

My Uncle Dave and his fiance Rosemary brought their grandson, Tanner, to Sarasota to celebrate my Dad and Susie's wedding reception. What fun it was to see each of them, and I felt like my cousin Bebe was right there with us! His son, Tanner, looks like his twin! What fun we had with them, great memories to cherish forever.

In addition to seeing a few of my uncles, I was also able to see my dad's sister, Terry, my amazing aunt. What sweet moments we had together. I am thankful for the time to spend with her, and really enjoyed catching up on each other's lives.

The only difficult time I had in Florida, was seeing my Nanny. She has always been so precious to me, and I love her so much. So many people always tell me that I remind them of her, and that is a complement. What an amazing lady. She is living her 89th year of life, and I can tell days are getting tougher for her. I am so thankful that I had the time to spend with her that I did. I cried twice. If I don't see her again, I am very grateful that I had these moments with her, and these pictures. She holds such a special place in my heart. I love you Nan!

The reception for my Dad's marriage to Susie was very sweet. It was comforting to my heart to see these two so happy together. I am thankful that my dad found an amazing woman to spend the remainder of his life with. She makes him a better person, and he needs someone like her. Despite the struggles he has had in the past, I truly think he has found a great person who will take care of him and love him. No one knows how much this means to me!

The Perfect Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-22T13:41:00.000-07:00

For the entire month of October I've really been wanting to take Jude on his first trip to a pumpkin patch. Last weekend, Chris got really sick, and we had to cancel our plans. So this morning, with a little push, I was able to get our family to Mortimer's Family Farm for a few hours of fall fun!

Of course the horse, chicken, pig and goat were a big hit with Jude. If it was up to him, we probably would have stayed there the entire time. One of the chickens got out of it's coop, and that was a big hit :) Considering we are learning our animals right now, Jude gets super excited when he actually sees them in person. I often wonder what goes through his mind. He squealed and laughed when he saw them. So cute!!

I'm so blessed to be the mommy to this little boy or big boy, I guess. Today marks his 20th month of life. He's getting so big, learning new things, testing his boundaries, and sharing his adorable personality with many. Sometimes I look at him and can't even wrap my brain around the fact that we made this little person. God's handiwork humbles me, and I am so very grateful to be able to raise this child for His glory. However long he gives me Jude to watch over, I know that he's only on loan from the Lord. He's temporarily mine in this lifetime, and I pray that I can do an honorable job of bringing him up.

Loved all these mini pumpkins. The white ones were my favorite. This farm had acres of pumpkins, I don't think I've ever seen this many in one place! It inspired me to grow some next year. I want to at least grow a few pumpkin plants, a gourd plant, and possibly some Indian corn in my garden. I would love to have some fall produce! Cheers to pumpkin recipes! :)

Of course the hay ride went over well with Jude too. Who wouldn't want to ride a choo choo, right? haha! Jude doesn't sit still. Oh, I didn't tell you? He permanently has ants in his pants...ha! There are occasions, however, that he will sit still on a moving object (like a tractor). It was a great relaxing time, and we got a tour of the whole farm! How fun!

Now...to carve our pumpkin or not to carve? That is the question...

Welcome fall...

2011-10-17T12:22:00.000-07:00

I most certaintly have missed you!
Harvest time, apples, pumpkins, colorful landscapes, crisp dewy mornings, shorter days, longer nights, leaves falling, squash soup, warm fires, apple cider, trick-or-treat, golden apples, pie, cinnamon, Thanksgiving, family, scare crows, straw, blankets, fall festivals, hay rides, little hats and mittens, boots, pumpkin spice candles.

It's things like these that make me feel all cozy inside. They make me want to curl up with a cup of tea and my honey...watch a long movie, and maybe fall asleep at the end. lol. I guess I do this for every movie...not just the ones on a cold night :) But it sounds delightful, doesn't it?

This is what the trees in our area are starting to look like...including the ones outside our home!!

Our home is also starting to look a bit more like fall. Just finished my fall decorating, and really enjoyed it this year! Here's a few pictures of how it all turned out :)

Anyone else craving a big slice of pumpkin pie? :)
or...
some of this amazing pumpkin cornbread?? YUM!

Nap time to-do's

2011-10-04T13:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Jude was at home with Chris while I had a painting job. It was a 9-5 day, so Chris was on major daddy-duty. We also had bible study last night, so the house needed to stay clean, and dessert needed to be made. Roles were swapped, and I must brag: what a man I have! :) I got home, dessert was made, and the house was WAY cleaner than expected! It turned out to be a hard day for Chris because little stinker wouldn't go down for a nap. Those are the hardest days! Poor Chris. I got home about 5 and Jude was finally sleeping.
...Crazy kid!

Today after a fun morning playing with his friends, he zonked out in the car on the way home. I am happy to say that he is still sleeping, and I've already finished one of my planned 'nap projects'! :) Here's the final result! Just in time for beautiful fall weather..

Bright and cheery for the front of our house!

I bought the striped cushion on clearance, and couldn't find pillows to match. So I picked up some outdoor fabric when it was on sale at Joanns and made these pillows. I love them! The colors are brighter than I would usually choose, however, the front of our house needed a pop of color, so I went with these. I was even able to add in a little of my chabby chic style with the white applique.

What an adorable model I had for picture taking! :)

I also picked up some smaller pads for the chairs I have on the front porch. They didn't have any ties, so I sewed a few on, and they turned out super cute! I love how they match the swing, it pulls it all together. These are protected from the weather under the front of our home. Chris and I love to sit out here and drink our coffee in the mornings, or watch the sunset in the evenings!

The next project (there are many) that I have planned for the front of our home is to paver the area that the swing sits on. This way it will create almost like a little porch off the right side of our home.

One project at a time! It keeps me busy, that's for sure!!

Just horsin' around..

2011-09-30T14:04:00.000-07:00

Lately we have been getting out and having some serious fun. Last week we visited the Prescott zoo for the first time, and although Jude doesn't know what the animals are yet, he does know the simple names for them. So the tiger and the porcupine were just 'cat', the coyote was a dog, and everything else was a horse (ie: the llamas, deer, & goats). We really enjoyed ourselves. Since the zoo was right next to an airport, he really loved pointing up into the sky and saying 'airp-ane' :)

Checking out the horned goat a.k.a 'horsie'

Shash the bear was out to greet us!

What a handsome zoo keeper!

This owl left me amazed! What a beautiful creature..

We had some really cute company...

Jude was a little hesistant to get into the water with the boys, so Cougan came over and told him, 'it's ok Jude' :)

He warmed up pretty quick...

Today we decided to hit the Yavapai fairgrounds. Oh what fun! We started and ended in the petting zoo, and in between we rode a horse and took a kind of scary train ride! :) We are definitly going to make it a annual event! As Jude grows, I'm sure he will want to go on big kid rides, and eat a funnel cake!

My awesome girlfriends and thier precious boys! Ready to tackle the fairgrounds :)

The animal that Jude is obsessed with right now! :)

Fangs the horse!

We couldn't leave the fair without riding the 'choo choo' his all time favorite locomotive. Even though half way through he started freaking out, and I had to pull him off the ride. I think he got scared when he didn't know where I was.

So many animals to learn about!

What's next? :)

Chatterbox

2011-09-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

Beyond year one, I'm not quite sure what milestones look like, so I like to make up my own. Just yesterday little Jude decided that he was going to start talking, in more than just one word statements. He also decided that he would show me that he really does understand what I'm asking of him on a daily basis. When Chris left for installing after we catered a lunch that morning for a doctor's office, Jude waved and blew kisses like he usually does. Out of the blue he told Chris 'bye-bye, daaady'. We were both so excited I think it scared him, haha. Since we made such a hairy deal about it, I think he decided to get our attention all day long with his new talking abilities...

Bye-bye car...
Bye-bye maa-k (maverick)...
Hi ma-ma..
Hi choo-choo..

In my mind, this is a milestone. All along we have been so excited when he understood just one word, and repeated it back to us. Now, he's understanding how to put words together. It's an amazing process!! Soon, I'm sure, we'll be asking him to be quiet! ha!

Until then...

Let's chat lil' man :)

We were outside that same day, and Jude didn't have any shoes on. It bothered him, so he kept asking for shoes. I told him to go inside and ask daddy for shoes, and he'll put them on (of course, not thinking this would actually happen..) Jude walks right inside, points to his shoes and says 'shoooes, dadddy'. I'm not even kidding when I say that my heart leaped! Really? He understood me? How many other times have there been when he actually knows everything I'm asking of him, and he just made the decision not to listen. Ha! Little stinker.

Yes, that is totally a booger in Jude's nose! lol.

It's hard to admit, but it's true. My little baby is growing up waaaay too quickly right before my very own eyes! There are mixed feelings about this in my heart, but I am truly thankful for each season of parenthood. I will miss the dependence he has on me, etc. But as he grows, I am looking forward to him developing into a little boy who has a personality and character of his own!

My solution is to have another baby! In due time..

Flew by

2011-09-13T13:36:00.000-07:00

This past week FLEW by. Wow. It's pretty crazy how the middle of the month catches up with you. I thought September just started? In did in our world... :)

This past weekend we had SO much fun. We took a trip up to Flagstaff for Chris's cousins wedding, where we were also able to see my brother-in-law a.k.a Uncle Mike. We had a great time, and really enjoyed seeing him, loved the fall weather up there, and enjoyed a beautiful wedding filled with close family and a bunch of fun. Jude ended up skipping his nap that day because of all this excitement. As much as I would like to say that I went with the flow and just worked it out, I really didn't. Lol. Yes, I broke down and I shedded a few tears. I was also overly exhausted from not being able to sleep the night before, and was worried that without a nap Jude wouldn't be able to last long at the wedding. It didn't work out quite as bad as I thought it was going to, actually Jude was quite a trooper through it all, much better than his mommy. ha!

Uncle Mike is in our state!! Yippeeeeee!! :0)

Can I try mommy?

Jude danced with a girl for the first time at this wedding. She was a wild one! They even tried to kiss! ha! :)

The following day, being Sunday, was a busy day for us as well-- having church like normal. But it was extra busy due to the fact that Chris was subbing for pastor Nolan for the morning service. You see, Chris teaches a bible study on Sunday nights that he prepares for throughout the week, but an added teaching made it all the more hectic. We ended up leaving Jude with Nona and Papa, and we went to church alone. It was actually REALLY nice. Our church doesn't quite have a nursery or toddler room/area yet (we are working on that), so the parents of these kids have to just work it out. Either Chris or I have to miss the service each week, but this past Sunday we were both able to enjoy it. And, Chris preached an amazing sermon...I'm so proud of that man.

Yesterday I had a painting job that I almost tore my hair out over. It was NOT my kind of job. I usually don't have that kind of attitude for painting, because I honestly do really enjoy it. However, this specific job was just downright annoying. VERY dirty, and I didn't realize it was going to take me all day, I got the impression that it was going to be a morning job. OH well. At least the paycheck at the end of the day makes up for the frustration.

This morning I had some girlfriends over, and we had such a fun play date with all our boys. It's funny because all five of us have boys, except for Mattie who now has Brynlee! Having them all together was fun (and a bit crazy!) :) Thankful for good friends, good laughs, good food, and GREAT little boys.

From the left: Casen, Jude, Cougan, Jack, Lincoln.

Some serious sweet-ness on the left, some hugs on the right! :)

Casen's face is hilarious in this picture! Silly Jack crawling under all the chairs! :)

So thankful for such sweet friends.

Oh, and I can't forget...I'm super thankful for long naps. heehee!

Trades for kisses

2011-09-04T12:39:00.000-07:00

These days my son is obsessed with the vaccum. Since I do a good bit of cleaning around our home, the vaccum is used almost daily. Yesterday I was trying to clean something up real quickly, and Jude got SO mad that I didn't let him do it. Ha! Need some cleaning done? He's free for hire, and he'll trade you for kisses! :)

Good thing his mama taught him right.
Your future wife will appreciate these pictures.

xoxoxoxo

Weekend Fun

2011-08-27T14:11:00.000-07:00

We like to fill our weekends up around this house. Yesterday we spent the day with Nana, celebrated her birthday, and had a very enjoyable day. She ended up watching Jude for the evening so we could go spend some much needed time with some friends.

Look at those big eyes! This little guy's name is Spot. Jude's newest best friend :)
He spent the day with us too!

Nana enjoyed her birthday presents!!

8.27 Our church is currently under construction, and today we really enjoyed being with everyone and lending a hand to help. We ended our 'work day' with a much needed potluck. What a great church family we are blessed to have!!

Jude ready to conquer the sun! :)

YELLOW! Painting the kid's area :)

A big helper of course...

And a big eater..

And a good sleeper :)

We wore this handsome lil' guy out! He better get his rest, because we have another fun-filled day planned tomorrow! Sundays are a day we always look forward to! :)

DIY Address Book

2011-08-24T14:29:00.000-07:00

The month of August is filled with birthdays on my calender. Family and friends. And I am not one to let a birthday pass without a gift, a gift that makes that person feel loved. So this year for my August birthdays I decided to get crafty in all directions. As I posted earlier in the month, I just finished making a memory game for my neice's birthday that was SO much fun to put together. Another one of my favorite blogs in which I get a lot of inspiration from is called Crate Paper. I found this idea to make a home-made address book. Oh what fun I thought! Everyone needs an address book, and over time they are something that needs replacing. So I hoped in the car, headed to Joanns, picked up my supplies, and about a week later, here is what I came up with:

Made this one for my sister, Jodi

Made this one for my Mom

Both turned out super cute! (I really liked the color scheme on my Mom's). I had so much fun making them! I never realized putting together a book would be so enjoyable. My next project is to work on my first mini-book. I'll post when I get to that. Here's the how-to if your interested.

Supplies needed:
-1 large pack of 110 weight paper (you will use a lot of this, so buy the biggest pack)
-A pack of chipboard (any color will do, but you will use white & gray again and again)
-1-2 packages of rings, depending on how many books you are making--these are cheap, only $2
-Embellishments depending on your preferences (I just used what I had in my scrapbook supplies)
-Self adhering ribbon (meaning, the kind you can buy that already has the strip of adhesive on it)
-A pack of mini letters (very small, 1/4" max)
Total spent: about $30 for everything to make 2 books. This excludes my Big Bite Crop-a-dile.

Here's how you make the book!

1. Start with the covers. Cut your chipboard a little wider than your inside sheets. Do this so your tabs will be protected by the covers. I cut my chipboard 8.5L X 6W. Use your patterned paper to cover the chipboard sheets. If you have a sewing machine, use it! Machines can sew through a lot of materials, more than you might think. Plus it adds such a cute look!

Add your patterned paper, and design to the front. Adhere all things down well (you don't want your book to fall apart!). I used hot glue, and double sided tape on most of it!

I added a title to my book with a metal sign and some twine. All you have to do is hot glue it down on the back of the front cover!

After sewing, I added a key, some cute rub ons...and voila! The front cover is now ready.

2. Now for the pages and tabs. Cut the cardstock in half (the size should come out just perfect for the cover size). For each of the 26 pages that the tabs will go on, cut a peice of ribbon about an 1 1/2" long. The ribbon should be 1/4" in width. Fold the ribbon over starting at the top of the first page, and staple it to the cardstock to make sure it stays place. For each page, use the page previous to line up where the next tab should go. By the time you reach the end, it's better to have extra space for blank tabs then to not have enough room for all your letter tabs. When the tabs are on, use the mini alphabet stickers a-z, one on each tab. It should look like this:

I added a quote on each letter page for added personality. Or you can add a picture. Cute, huh???

3. For the binding. I bought a Big Bite Crop-a-dile for this part, not just for this project, but also for many more projects to come. This tool is amazing, and will punch a hole through tons of materials. It's an investment, so you have to decide if it's something you will use again. If you want to you can use a regular hole punch, it will just take longer you also might cuss and swear some--lol. Decide where you want your two holes to be, and punch holes through all the papers (and covers). Put on the rings.

Leave a note on the inside if you want...and your done! A home-made, loads of personality and personalized, address book! Now wasn't that fun??!? :)

Hope you are enjoying these projects. What a fun hobby this is! More to come soon!

Let me know if you make one yourself! I'd love to see pictures!!

On his way to TWO

2011-08-22T23:14:00.000-07:00

Today I celebrate my little guys 1.5 birthday! If there is such a thing!! :) Can't believe that he is already 18 months old. Wow. His growth amazes me daily. I look at him and don't see a baby anymore (although he will always be my baby), I see a little boy who will someday be a young man. Want to know the truth? This seriously scares me. Not in the -Oh my goodness how is this kid going to turn out- kind of way, but in the -what an incredible responsibility on my part- kind of way. To some extent, I have the ability to really influence this little life, I have the ability to mold and shape his mind and heart. He already copies us in so many day-to-day things, my prayer is that when it comes to the important things like his character, that he will be strong and courageous. As the first half of his second year comes to a close, I am remembering and smiling on all the fun things we have been able to experience these last 6 months. Here are a few highlights:

Spent some quality time with some quality people :) 03.17.11

Made some new friends 04.01.11

Went on his very first lake and camping trip 06.17.11

Experienced his first fun-filled summer!!

Made sure to give out LOADS of kisses

Is it crazy that we are already thinking about having another baby? WOW. Is it even crazier that I already have Jude's 2nd birthday party planned? lol. Some people think I'm overly prepared...I guess this is why. ha!

Happy 1 1/2 Jude! :)
xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

A day at our house

2011-08-18T13:37:00.000-07:00

Some weeks go by and we are crazy busy. Whether it's with our sign and catering businesses, or with playdates or nona-dates (as I call them), there are times when the weeks fly by! But on a day-to-day basis, our days are pretty much the same. Our mornings always start with a banana. Huh? Yes, I said a banana, the fruit. Jude wakes up and is usually always hungry. He downs a banana like it's nobody's business. This kid loves fruit. Then he accompanies me with my daily watering chore in the backyard, where we give all our plants a good drink for the day. Which, by-the-way my garden has been growing so big and is producing like crazy! Remember when I posted the picture on the left a few months back? That was when I first planted. Now, I have a full blown beautiful garden! Love it! I've harvested tons of squash and zuccini, 4 jalepenos (with many more to come), lots of yummy herbs, and a handful of yellow pear and cherry tomatoes. There are eggplants on the way, and TONS of tomatoes getting ripe. It has been so much fun!

My handsome garden helper :)

As I'm sure you all already know, Jude loves to be outside. We usually spend most of our mornings out there playing in the pool, picking weeds or helping daddy get his signs put together to go to work. Before we even realize it, nap time has rolled around, and Jude-the-dude is spent. And so is mama! :) I usually put Jude in his swing out front and the swaying motion combined with my singing puts him into a I'm-ready-for-a-long-nap trance.

I don't know what I would do without nap time. It is a gift from the heavens for us mamas, I'm sure of that. I usually spend Jude's nap time (which lasts up to 3 hrs.) catching up on many things. Sometimes I nap, but not usually. I have a hard time sleeping during the day. I either catch up on paper work for the business, scrapbook, blog, but most importantly, I spend some sweet time with the Lord. Every other day or two days, I stick in The Firm and get a good workout in. As of late, I've been slacking in that department, shame on me.

The rest of the day is filled with whatever we can think up. By this time Jude is really ready to get out of the house. I have noticed he is SO much like me in that way. I quickly get tired of being stuck in the house, and I need to get out and take a walk or go shopping. (Chris always prefers me to do the first rather than the latter..I wonder why? lol) A few times each week Nona comes over and takes Jude for a few hours. It really is a blessing for me. And Jude gets SO excited when she comes to take him. It's pretty great. By the time Daddy gets home from a full day of work, Jude is ready to go outside again and play ball with him. I really enjoy watching Chris and Jude's relationship blossom. It's so special to me, he is SUCH a good daddy.

Chris always makes us dinner. I don't think I have had to cook more than 5 times being married to him. One of the perks of being married to a chef. No cooking= total awesome-ness.When Jude's bedtime rolls around (about 8pm), Chris and I are ready to relax, and we just LOVE watching movies. Believe it or not, we just about watch a movie a night. We get Netflix, and we also stream movies. I guess you could call us movie buffs :)

So there you have it. A glimpse of a day at our house.

What's your day like?

ps--I have been crafting a ton lately, and I have a few new projects I want to share with you. One imparticular is a gift for my sister for her birthday, and I don't want to post it and give the surprise away. So, I cannot share the details until she gets her package! xo

DIY: Memory Game

2011-08-05T10:47:00.000-07:00

I found this really cute idea from a blog I follow called Dear Lizzy. I really admire the creativity on this blog, and I enjoy taking some of her ideas and re-creating them. My niece Landry is turning 4 this upcoming week, and I wanted to give her something homemade (like I try to do every year). This memory game kit is great for kids that are at that age of learning letters, spelling, and memory challenges. Remember the game 'Memory' we used to play as kids?? It was one of my favorites! Here's a few pictures of how it turned out! It's one of the cutest things I've ever made! :)

Decorated a cute little box to keep the game in. Put the directions to the Memory Game on front!

Directions:
1. Pick up some 1 1/2" wooden circles from your craft store (in case you forgot, there are 26 letters in our alphabet).
2. Use some acrylic paint (I used a vanilla color) on the top of the circles--I wanted it to look messy.
3. Adhere 1 1/2" paper circles to one side (make sure you use 2 of each design, so it works for the game). *I used my Slice Machine for this, but you can also use a punch.
4. Adhere alphabet felt letters to the painted sides--you can even put a special note on one...mine was 'I love you!'
5. Make a cute box/bag (they sell these at the craft stores too) with directions printed on front.

**Voila! A home-made DIY memory game. I want to make one for Jude when he gets older, and more interested in games like this. Fun, huh?

Speaking of Jude, he woke up this morning with MAJOR bed-head.

Couldn't resist snapping a photo. Not sure how I'm going to make this kid's hair look decent today. Maybe I'll make mine crazy too, and we'll call it national Bed Head Day. You didn't know about it? That's a shame...

Off to my next project...

Bugs

2011-08-02T20:15:00.000-07:00

This precious little face isn't afraid of anything. I was working my garden this evening, and Jude was outside playing as normal. I look over to see him inspecting something very carefully, and he was making a few funny sounds. I thought, "what in the world is he doing?" So I went over to look and this is what I found him holding...

Ha! He found a stinkbug, picked it up, let it crawl up his arm, and then held it like it was his new pet. I couldn't get enough, and yelled to Chris to get me my camera. He proceeded to throw the bug a dozen times, almost stepping on it when he went to go retrieve it. Finally the poor little critter got away from his determined grip, and made out like a bandit. lol. Believe it or not, it survived.

It amazes me how big my ~~little~~ boy is getting. He's growing like a weed. I took a video tonight, it really shows his adorable blooming personality :) He might look like his papa, but I'm starting to wonder if he has a lot of his poppi's personality in him :)

How to spell fun: C-A-M-P-I-N-G

2011-07-25T18:45:00.000-07:00

We went camping this past weekend, and had a LOAD of fun. Williams gave us gorgeous weather, better than I could have hoped for. Getting away from house, and enjoying the outdoors is just what the doctor ordered for our families. Some good friends and thier kids, a strong margarita, and some fresh air definitly cured the case of cabin fever we get at home every so often. I really enjoyed sleeping in, eatin' some good campin' food and getting in some extra time with some close friends we haven't seen in awhile. The best thing about camping: it forces you to relax! This is good for me, because I always find the spare minute to get things done, and tend to leave relaxing for bedtime. Here are some highlights of one great weekend!

Enjoyed these precious friends!

Showing Chris Brooklyn's 'thunder thighs' :) LOVE!

Our handsome 'camp chef' :)

Benny and Chris teaching Cami and Ken Ken how to crack eggs

The girls!

Casey, Chris and Mark (best friends since grade school) :)

Watching Dave hammer the tent down

DIRRRRRRT!

Maverick!

Great times!

Special moments with our boys

Thankful for these amazing memories!

Soakin' in Summer

2011-07-21T13:48:00.000-07:00

This picture describes in full how our summer has been thus far. Crazy busy! Most days, Jude is my alarm clock, and he starts the day with lots of organized chaos. He generally wants to eat right away, so he ~~gobbles down~~ throws his food on the floor and entertains Maverick while I get all my watering done. Normally the first thing he wants to do after breakfast is go outside. 'Wa wa' he asks of me immediately. Since we just finished our project of piping water to the back of our house, I now have the ease of filling up bucket after bucket easily for Jude.

If daddy has a cooking job, we get ourselves put together to help him. Meaning, I fill the dishwasher, and Jude pulls it all out (very frustrating, I might add). Sometimes he has 3 jobs in one week! If we aren't beckoned to help, we fill our days with lots of fun things to do. We either go to story time on Tuesdays, go play at the park, take walks, or enjoy fun playdates with friends. I teach Irish dance on Wednesday afternoons (Jude claps and dances as I teach), and I also have worship practice for church on Wednesday night (da-da takes over). As Chris installs real-estate signs during the gaps of no cooking, I am busy taking care of a fully energetic toddler as I juggle cleaning after cooking, paper work for Tri-city signs, and--oh yeah, keeping my sanity. Summer has been busy, and we love it.

Tomorrow Jude will be 17 months. I cannot believe it! The common phrase 'he'll grow up SO fast' has rung true for me. Even within a few short days, his talking has improved. Jude continues to grow out of his clothes (he's a tall boy) and shoes. I can see why mommies shop at 2nd hand stores! Why buy new when they are out of these clothes so quickly? I'm also needing new educational toys and dvds for him. He needs new things to encourage growth and learning. Not sure where to start, but I plan to look into some age appropriate things. Any ideas? I would love to know some of your favorite toys/videos!

Story time at PPL--new friends!!

His naked days. He's watching himself go 'pee-pee' on the right. Boys! :)

Hangin' with Cougan & Casen

The product of my gardening! Yay! Zuccini Bread? Maybe.

Our 18 month goals:
Wean Jude from breastfeeding (completely)
Wean Jude from the bottle (completely)
Encourage new foods
Put Jude down awake and allow him to fall asleep on his own (completely) *mommy helps a little*

Wish us luck!

Happy Summer!!

a bite & a burn & a bang!

2011-07-16T13:46:00.000-07:00

Life is rough for a 1 year old...

Can you imagine?

Experiencing everything for the first time--?? There are many pleasures in life, many joys and smiles. But there is also hurt and pain. It's part of life, and we all have to deal with it the best we can. Sometimes I get down on Jude's level and imagine the world how he would see it. Everything is SO big (except the bugs that he can ~~hold~~ squash & smoosh) :) ALL doggies are nice, and I can blow kisses to all strangers, right mommy?? ..So naive, yet so form able and having faith like a child, Jesus says, is what he wants from us. I have come to realize that I can learn a lot from my ~~baby boy~~ toddler. Even in the time that he has been here with us, he's taught me to go with the flow more (every part of my life is organized, thank goodness for my blackberry) A lesson I need to learn daily. He has taught me to relish the small things in life--colors, animals, even rocks! :) He has taught me to be less of a perfectionist (you didn't know??) A child can stain a sofa with a cup of juice, and get your floors all muddy right after you've mopped. I've learned to say 'who cares' more often, and cherish Jude daily--for he will grow and grow and grow, until mommy cries, and cries and cries. I said life was hard, right?
All within two weeks Jude went from signing please and more, to actually speaking these words. I can't bear to refuse his 'peeease??' I mean, could you pull my heart strings any more?? Good thing he's not asking me for a new car and a tree house with that peeease, because knowing me I'd probably give it to him (yes, I'm also a sucker...you didn't know that either??) All within these two weeks of using his amazing talking skills, he has also managed to get bit by an anthill full of red ants, get burned by daddy's hot oven, and last night he tripped and literally indented his head into the baseboard--so hard that mommy panicked and contemplated taking him to the ER. Silly mommy. This morning, that bump took over his forehead, so much so that he's starting to look like a Harry Potter character. At least his timing was right. lol. Poor baby!

Jude is a trooper, though. Even after all these traumatic events, he always holds a sweet temperament. I am thankful for a son who is strong like his daddy--Chris says 'no sissies in this house'. Little does he know, I can't handle spiders, or splinters, bruises or snakes..ha!

Yankee Doodle

2011-07-01T12:37:00.000-07:00

Our 'Yankee Doodle' Band :)

Being that it is Jude's first 4th of July where he understands what is going on, and wants to be a part of the action, I thought it appropriate to get him involved with as many fun events as I could this holiday weekend. We started off being a part of the annual Kiddie Parade in downtown Prescott. Oh what fun we had!! We were in the 'Yankee Doodle Band' :) All the kids had instruments, and as we marched down the streets of Prescott, they all had feathers in their hats, and lots of RED WHITE and BLUE! I am so thankful to have new mommy friendships, and great ladies bible-study friends to share these amazing moments with. It's such a blessing. It took Jude a little while to soak in all the commotion, but I could tell he was enjoying himself...and I just knew he'd run himself to the end. This is my favorite holiday here in Prescott, because it seems like everyone really enjoys celebrating it. The Prescott Rodeo is the main attraction, but there are many other fun events the entire weekend through. Not many 'prescottonians', as I call them, mess around for this holiday. This is serious business :) It's great, and I look forward to the many years to come enjoying these times with my family. Tomorrow we are going to the annual boot race (which is so fun!), then we are having a barbecue with friends and family.

Love this handsome little guy. What a prize.

Jude didn't quite get the concept of actually using the horn for it's musical purpose :)

Tradition has it that Yankee Doodle had its origins in the French and Indian War when New England troops joined Braddock's forces at Niagara. In contrast to the spit and polish of the British army, the colonials were a motley crew, some wearing buckskins and furs. Dr. Richard Schuckburg, a British Army surgeon reportedly wrote the tune ridiculing the Americans in the early 1750s. Some scholars believe it is a variant of the nursery rhyme Lucy Locket.

Despite the fact it began as ridicule, the colonials took the song for their own. Countless versions and parodies evolved, many of which made fun of their officers, including George Washington. These verses are included at the end of the tune. When Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown it is said while the British played The World Turned Upside Down, the Americans played Yankee Doodle.

There are said to be as many as 190 verses of Yankee Doodle.

Chorus
Yankee doodle, keep it up. Yankee doodle dandy. Mind the music and the step. And with the girls be handy!!

SO glad Nona came...wouldn't have been able to do it without her!

Sweet Jack with Mama Mel, and amazing Keri with her love! :)

Casen already playing his cymbals, and little Brynlee!

Isn't this great? I love it!! :)

HOPE YOUR HOLIDAY IS SPECIAL!

Growing...growing...gone!

2011-06-24T15:37:00.000-07:00

I am really enjoying this new gardening hobby I started this year. Summer is in full effect, and all my plants are telling me so. It intrigues me watching them grow. Some of which were started by seed. Wow! A tiny little seed turned into a beautiful plant that will soon give me fruit. It's an amazing thought, and it is another proof to me (like I need more) that I have such a creative, amazing God. I tend to see Him in things like these, which is why I plan to keep up with it in seasons to come. Jude and Maverick have been the best little helpers I could ask for! :) Thought you'd enjoy these pictures we took this morning. My plants were looking perky, and I thought it was a perfect time for a photo shoot! :)

My two helpers: one handsome, one fluffy.

My beautiful roses in full bloom!

Love this little garden guy :)

I potted a small portion of a plant that our church got us when I delievered Jude, and it has grown so much in these past few months. So we have acurately named it 'Jude's plant' :) He waters it once a week.

Can't wait to bite into one of these delicious apples! Our tree is really producing this year :)

Our 1st jalepeno pepper. Our basil plants are really growing well in this heat.

Yellow pear and cherry tomatoes. mmmm!

Tarragon and Basil seedlings that have really taken off.

My first raised garden!

My first container garden!

Our zuccini plants are just starting to flower.

Thyme, Sage, Dill, Rosemary and Mint

This cucumber is growing great. Notice the vine just clinging to its support! So excited!

*********

A ~~few~~ lot of things I have already learned!!

Bugs, and more bugs: When it looks like all hope is gone, the leaves have been eaten, and your beautiful green plant doesn't even look like a plant anymore...have faith, sometimes it will perservere and come back to life. I almost lost a few zuccinni plants to Earwigs, a disgusting little pest that loves full green leaves. I ended up moving these plants into pots on my porch, but there are several things you can do to prevent them from having your plants for lunch. I also had a problem with Aphids on my dill plant. The best solution for these was insecicidal soap. It worked immediately, and I haven't seen another aphid since.

Soil prep: One of the most important things to consider before starting a garden is to make sure the soil(s) you choose are full of organic matter. You can water and feed a plant as much as you want to help it's maturity, but if you start with soil that already has food, etc. in it, it gives the plant a jump start. ie: mix in manure, peet moss, egg shells, coffee grounds, etc.

Watering & Feeding: I have found that here in AZ (all climates differ) that most plants need watering every day. I made a mistake of 'soaking' my basil and dill plants, they yellowed, and almost snuffed it. I cut back, re-planted them with dryer soil, and they made it through. I also made the mistake of under watering my jalepeno plant, it turned yellow also but I didn't lose it. After a few days of heavy watering, it is dark green and my first jalepeno is coming! :) Use common sense for your climate and individual plants. Container gardening (and new seedlings) normally need consistent waterings. Raised beds, especially if you use mulch, can go a little longer w/o water. As for feeding, I've been using Fish Emulsion on all my plants once a week. They have really taken well to it. Even though your entire yard smells like nasty dead fish, plants love it, and they thrive on the nutrients. I have tried Miracle Grow too, but I tend to see more of a boost with the Fish fertilizer.

The more I learn, the more I'll share with you! Have any thoughts or extra gardening advice? Let me know! Leave a comment!

Green thumbs up! :)

A boy who loves water

2011-06-05T21:28:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went to Lake Alamo for this first time with Jude. What fun we had! Jude is finally old enough to enjoy the outdoors, camping, and most of all the water. I'm not sure if his obsession with water is just because he's boy, or because it's fun to dump all over...but nevertheless, you give Jude a bucket, and he's looking for the hose. You put on his crocs, and he's wondering where the pool is. I let Maverick out of his cage in the mornings, and he's right in his water dish. He's either going to become a Navy seal, or an olymipic swimmer. I hope it's the latter, but the first would be very noble. It's good to know what will keep him busy. So what would be more perfect that taking a camping trip to the biggest pool he's ever seen in his whole entire 15 months of life--?? He had a blast. And so did we.

One of my biggest concerns (and slight paranoia) was how we were going to manage Jude's sleeping arrangement, naps, etc. We tried camping about a year ago when Jude was pretty small, and it was a total nightmare. We also took a trip to Phx with Jude, stayed in a hotel, and that was also a huge ~~frustration~~ nightmare. So, there was reason for my concern. Jude was such a trooper, though, and he did great. Daddy stayed in a tent outside the camper, and we set up Jude's pack n play in there with white noise, etc. I slept in the cozy camper with Maverick and was very thankful I did that. I don't sleep as deeply as Chris does or in random places like Chris does. Chris said that Jude woke up once, but he went back to sleep pretty quickly. He slept a good 8 hours total. I was uber thankful, and was literally thanking God that we didn't have to drive 2 hrs. home at 3am. Whew! We made it through the night! We CAN do this. It's a good thing, because I see many camping trips in our future.

Im super thankful Dave and Debbie invited us to come, and I'm also extremely thankful for such doting grandparents. They love on Jude in such a precious way, and I am so grateful that Jude will grow up with so many caring people around him.

Jude, do you want to go see Nona and Papa? "paa-pa" he says--one of his new, favorite words :) love!

I'm convinced I have the best job in the whole world. Being a mommy is rewarding, fulfilling, challenging, and at times, hilarious! Jude never ceases to make me laugh. He had so much fun on the boat, that he passed out in my arms, and was snoring! Yes, snoring! The sun mixed with the fun took a toll on him, and it was absolutely precious.

Mullet Man

2011-05-30T11:36:00.000-07:00

Yes, we call this little stinker the 'mullet man'. I think it's time we start thinking about his first haircut--don't you think? :) Yesterday was a really busy day for us. We left home around 7am to drive to Wiki up (about 2 hr. away). We left Jude with Nona Deb and Papa Dave because not only is traveling 4 hrs. with a 1 yr. old difficult, his nap time (which defines his day) would have been very hard considering the circumstances. So we decided to leave him, and it made the trip a lot more enjoyable for us. Chris preached in a little church over there, where our friends Jack and Loretta go, and we really enjoyed seeing them and being a part of their Sunday morning. Since Chris teaches for our church on Sunday nights, we headed back to Prescott just after lunch. When we got home Jude was taking a nap, so we didn't get to see him. After the bible study that evening, it had been 14 hours since we had seen Jude! boo!

On our way home from Chino we were saying how hard it is, now, to be away from Jude for that long. He's such an intricate part of our lives, and he makes our family complete! It was interesting how when we left that morning we said, 'wow, this is nice, being able to get away for half a day, and enjoy each other and some friends'. That evening, we were saying 'we can't wait to see Jude!' :) It really makes me appreciate the day-in day-out menial things of life that I get to experience as a stay-at-home mama. What a privilege! This is such an amazing time, and I just know I will be looking back with sweet memories of these days. Our little man is growing up! Like a weed! Week to week I see new things in him--personality changes, physical changes, etc. Before I know it, I will be raising a little ~~boy~~ man! Chris and I are getting to the point of considering having another. We are excited about the idea. After much prayer, we believe that we are going to consider trying for another baby before the years end. Wow! I can't believe I am actually saying that! We are looking forward to what God has in store for our family.

_____________________

Right now

**********

1 Jude is learning his words. I know one day he will wake up, and just start talking! He has already said: ball, dada, ssssssh (for shoe), a-pa (for papa), baba (for bottle), and he's trying really hard to say 'mama' :)

2 Jude is pointing to his body parts. He knows where his nose, eyes, ears, belly and mouth are.

3 Getting ready to take our first 'lake' trip this upcoming weekend. We are going to lake Alamo. Say a prayer for us! Hope this stinker sleeps okay, and takes his naps. The last time we camped, we turned right around and came home...ah I wanted to scream and cry and wail.

4 Super psyched about our gardening adventures! Learning a ton, will do better next year, but at least our herbs, tomatoes and peppers are growing great!

5 Thankful for how our businesses are working together and how we still manage to have time together!

6 Trying to work on a project a week (or month) lol. The project of the month: piping water to the backyard for my luscious garden :)

By the way...Happy Memorial Day!

Better late than never

2011-05-17T13:02:00.000-07:00

My mom and I celebrated Mother's day a little late this year. Yesterday we got together and went to our favorite little spot, Wildflower. We really enjoy going there because of the friendly atmostphere. We always run into someone, or meet someone new, and enjoy that. My mom is a very special person to me. She has truly become quite a close friend these past few years. I am honored and thankful to have her as a friend that not only listens, but listens with a compassionate and gentle heart. Thank you mom. Ever since I have been here in Arizona (about 7 years now! crazy, I know), our relationship has really grown. The Lord restored our relationship after many years apart, and I am truly thankful for that. One of the most obvious characteristics that I think I gained from my mom is my excitement and love of taking care of my child. My mom is a wonderful grandma, and even though I don't remember a lot of her character as a mommy, the way she treats Jude and loves him shows me a lot of how she must have been with me. She put her whole heart into her job as a mother, she gave it 100%. That is how I am. There is a part of me that is complete (aside from being complete in Christ) now that I am a mom. It was in me from the start...it was in my genes! I love you SO much mama/nana, and I look forward to our relationship blossoming in the many years and grandbabies to come!
xoxo

6 years blessed

2011-05-05T12:32:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Chris and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniverasary! I can't believe how time has flown by! Another four, and we will be saying the same thing for our 10th celebration. Wow. We took the opportunity this year, with Jude being a little older, to leave him with Nana for the weekend. We went to Jerome and stayed at the Connor hotel. This hotel is over 100 years old! Our room had lots of antique decor, and there were pictures around the hotel of historical memories. It was really neat. We ate at the Asylum restaurant, which I found out is John McCain's favorite place to eat. Chris ordered the duck and I ordered hailibut. Every time we go out to eat somewhere nice, I notice that we are such critics! I told Chris that maybe we should do this for a living, it's fun! :) You see, having a chef at home who is always trying new dishes and using gourmet ingredients makes restaurant food just average. I always leave saying, "Chris makes that better". lol. Maybe I'm just partial :) It was nice, though, getting wine...not worrying about the prices, etc. We really enjoyed ourselves.

On Saturday, we drove to Sedona where Chris actually proposed to me. We spent our 1st anniversary there, and we really enjoying going there. We visited all the stores, got some icecream, and had a really neat talk about New Age beliefs. We couldn't help but talk about it, because people who live in that area are obsessed with it! It's everywhere-- healing stones, dream catchers, auora pictures, psychics, etc etc. To put it simply, it's quite sad. There is no foundation to thier beliefs, no faith, no real purpose. The enemy is tricky...making it a belief system where 'all religions have a path to the same place' idea. Sounds nice and fluffy, huh? Satan's work is strong there.

We ended our weekend with some shopping. Oh what fun! We were able to get Chris a handful of great clothes. The weekend previous I used up my allowance :) Our closets have thanked us :) Heehee!

Here's a sweet memory of our wedding day
04.30.05

Spring is in the air!

2011-04-19T09:49:00.000-07:00

Couldn't believe that just 2 weeks ago, we had a snow storm! Hope it is the last one, because this mama, and this little guy are very ready for a long warm summer! :)

Some serious cute-ness going on in this picture. Play dates, bubbles, crocs, tractors, sand boxes, and lots of smiles!

Excited about my gardening adventures. On the menu for this growing season: lots of tomatoes (red, yellow, little and big), green beans, zucchini, squash, cucumber, jalapeno and Serrano peppers, tomatillos, & loads of herbs!

_________________________________________________

As the weather warms, Jude and I get very happy. What do I mean, you ask? No more being trapped inside! AH! As Jude closes in on 14 mo., I have noticed that he needs quite a bit of physical exercise. I realized that days when we were stuck at home were miserable! Jude wants to run, put his hands in dirt, eat dirt, etc. Lol. Yes, he's a crazy kid...a fun, bright, amazing crazy kid with an adorable personality. Lately we have been blessed with some other mommies with little boys Jude's age. We have had several play dates, and I am very thankful to have started some great friendships. Its one thing to raise a toddler, it's another thing to know how to do it! Having girlfriends that are going through the same thing, or have already been through it is incredibly comforting, and it makes this job of mommmy-hood that much more rewarding!

One play date we decided to do some gardening. I came home pumped, and couldn't wait to start a garden of my own. I wavered back and forth on what kind of garden to do, and then I decided to just go all out. I thought, I will try my hand at vegetables and herbs this year to see how it goes. Next year, I might re-evaluate and try different things. Not sure how this is going to go, but by the end of summer, we will see what I've grown! I'm excited. Started a raised garden out back, and can't wait until May arrives to start planting in it. Do I have a green thumb? Who knows, maybe all my fingers are green! lol.

Today we are home sick. Yuck. We had to take Jude into the ER two nights ago because his temperature had spiked to 103.3! He hasn't been feeling well this entire past week, and I kept hoping that his immune system would start kicking in and he would feel better. At one point he did, but then whatever bug was brewing in his system came back with a vengeance. Uh. It was Sunday night, no urgent care, no doctor, so the only option was the hospital. They gave him some super strength Tylenol to bring his fever down, and cleared his nose of all the mucus. He was feeling much better by the time we left, but the diagnosis was two ear infections and a sinus infection. Poor baby. He is on the mend. However, he gave me a little something, because now I am under the weather :( Hopefully by the end of the week we will both be feeling better and will be ready for another play day! :)

PS--I have not been so good at keeping up with this blog lately, forgive me :)

1 year and counting

2011-03-03T19:11:00.001-08:00

I realized this morning that I still have a blog. Oh yeah! Life has been so busy recently, that I'm surprised I've even brushed my teeth today (gross, I know). Seriously, though, I NOW have a toddler running around my house. I remember the days I used to put Jude in his swing for hours. Hours? What are those? :) heehee! I am very thankful to have a healthy, sweet-tempered, good little boy. He is a lot of work, and the more active he is, the more 'catching' mommy has to do, however, I am uber-thankful for his healthy developmental growth. I have been doing a lot of research on vaccinations lately, and I have kind of freaked myself out. I've made the decision to vaccinate Jude because I feel as though it's the best thing for him. I have my reservations, but I know that he is in God's hands. This is where my peace is rooted.

Lately Chris and I have been SUPER busy, not just with our little man, but with all the work we've been getting. We own Tri-city signs which is our most lucrative business, but in addition to this, Chris caters 2-3 times a week, and he also works for our church. I have been getting several painting jobs, which is great to make some extra money, therefore leaving us very busy. We are extremely thankful for all this work, because it has allowed us to have some financial freedom. Ever since we made the decision to give the Lord the first of our harvest (ie: income) He has richly blessed us! Wow! What a God we serve. We prioritize this because we see it as being very important.

My sister Jessica, and Landry are going to be here in Arizona this weekend. Jim, my brother-in-law, is coaching the single A team for the Texas Rangers in Scottsdale. Jess is going to come stay with us for awhile and visit. So excited to see miss Landry Joy! All I've heard about her is she likes to talk and boss :) Hmm, I wonder who she got these characteristics from? :) Poppy and Susie are coming too! They will be here March 16th. So excited to see family and to see them get to know our Jude-man.

Well, I guess I had to catch you up! Next time, I won't be away for so long :)

Quick pillow idea

2011-02-17T08:26:00.000-08:00

We decided to enclose the leafs of our dining room table and move it into our kitchen area. We had the table in a formal dining area, but realized that we hardly go into that room! We wanted to get more use out of that portion of our house because it's a third of the square footage of our house. So we are moving our office into that room, along with a play area for Jude, etc. Our office is going to be our new guest room where we will put a queen bed. We might need the room in the future for a kid's room, but until then, we are going to utilize it for guests. Jess and Landry are coming to stay with us in mid-march and I wanted to get the room in order for them. I'm super excited!! Here's a easy pillow idea: have any old towels laying around? Any old sheets or old blankets? I had two beautiful towels I bought from the Shabby Chic line from Target that really didn't work well: (they didn't absorb the water, and Chris didn't like how small they were). Since I loved the pattern and the pink color, I decided to make pillow cases out of them. With simple pillow inserts that I picked up for $1.29! I am excited to see how they will look in the guest room :)

Seuss-tacular!

2011-02-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

I never knew planning a 1 yr. old's birthday party could be quite this fun! Jude and I have been reading a Seuss book a day. So far our favorite? 'If I ran the Zoo' :) I have really started to have an appreciation for this creativity. Everything seems to be rhyming around me now :) All the fun words, cute pictures. And they have a story to the book, and a moral. So cute, no wonder Seuss made it big with the kids!

Over the past few days, however, Jude has not been feeling well. We took him to Tempe with us for a conference we attend annually, and he picked up something from one of the kids in the toddler room. I've been working hard lately trying to get him back to health, but this nagging cough he got has really put him under :( I bought him this bird from Kohl's to cheer him up. It's the bird from 'Oh say, can you say?' What a little trooper he's been. He is still smiling, and giving us his funny face after his Ibuprofen has set in, and he's rested. I just love him so much. It's amazing how much I hurt when he hurts. I want to take it from him! Poor baby. Time will make things better, I'm sure of it.

Learned a lesson from this past weekend. We had to come home early with Jude because he slept terrible on Friday night in the hotel room. We FINALLY got him to sleep at 3am, only for him to wake up again at 5 and 7 and then 9. He was up more that night than when he was a newborn. ah! There's a reason those days are over. I slept even less than he did. He wasn't sick at that point, it was the change in environment that bothered him. I think he wasn't used to the pack n play, and the new noises, etc. Traveling with a baby? NOT a vacation, NOT fun!!! The lesson I learned? Unless, it's absolutely necessary, we will not be sleeping away from home for quite awhile. Not only was the night rough, but during the day, I heard maybe 25% of the speakers, and didn't really interact much with our friends from Moriel. This was disappointing because we normally get to see them quite a bit, and the fellowship is great. I guess this is a season of parenthood, where even trips like these must change. Next time, we will probably leave him with Nana. Should have taken her up on that!!

Spoiled, anyone??

2011-01-09T11:52:00.001-08:00

Yesterday Debbie calls, and asks to 'borrow' Jude :) So Dave and Deb come over, and take Jude to the mall. When they return, Jude is fast asleep, and Dave tells me all about his adventures. "He walked the whole mall, no kidding, he says. He walked right up to people, smiled a little, and then kept walking. He was quite a character!" Well, it must have worn him out, because he took a long, hard nap. When he woke up, I find new shoes on his feet, and another pair with socks in a bag Debbie left. They are so good to him! He sure does love his Nona and Papa :) Now he can motor around in some new kicks :)

Grandma's and Grandpa's are allowed to spoil, I guess...heehee! :)

Jax

Best of 2010

2011-01-02T14:59:00.001-08:00

What an amazing year 2010 has been, and I am sad to see it leave. However, I am truly looking forward to what's in store for 2011! I look back over the amazing events this past year, and I am incredibly thankful. I became a mommy this year! Wow! :) So many things have changed for us, and the way our lives are 'unfolding' is so incredible. We are truly blessed. Here are highlights of the best moments of 2010.

'BEST BELLY' AWARD

BEST 'DAY OF THE YEAR' AWARD

BEST 'KISSABLE TOES' AWARD

BEST 'DAY FOR A SMILE' AWARD

'BEST HUSBAND' AWARD--5 YEARS!

BEST 'POPPY MOMENT' AWARD

BEST 'MOMMY SQUARED' AWARD

'BEST DADDY' AWARD

BEST 'MEET MY CUTE COUSIN' AWARD

BEST 'SCARY MOMENT' AWARD

BEST 'NONA/PAPA' AWARD

BEST 'CHRISTMAS GIFT' AWARD

BEST 'I'M SPOILED, I LIVE WITH A CHEF' AWARD

Wishing you the BEST year ever! Happy twenty eleven!!

Jax

December Festivities

2010-12-10T20:12:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe the end of the year is approaching. It seems like just yesterday Chris and I were sitting in our front room watching snow fall eagerly awaiting Jude's arrival. Now, the same time of year is here, and we have our hands full with quite an active little guy!! :) December is one of my favorite months, not only because everyone is bustling around getting ready for Christmas, but also because it's the month of my birthday, and because it's a great month for traditions. Yesterday I turned 27, and it really hasn't affected me at all. It's not a real exciting number to turn, and to be honest, I still feel 26 :) However, when I hit 28, it might catch up with me because 28 is a little too close to 30. Hee hee! It was an enjoyable birthday. Jude tried to eat my nose 5 separate times, and of course, this makes mama feel so loved :) Chris made us waffles with some kind of pineapple brown sugar syrup (yum) and bacon. He knows how much I enjoy my carbs in the morning (my horrible habit).

I was able to finish my Christmas packages and ship them off, it feels good to have that finished. Not because it's a burden by any means, but because I look forward to the giving part of Christmas, and I don't like it when my gifts are late. I had so much fun this year making Christmas gifts for my family. My creative 'brain juices' were definitely flowing, and I put together some pretty sweeeet gifts if you ask me. So cute that I actually considered keeping them (how selfish, I know). Heehee! After Christmas, I will post some pictures of these lovely gifts, I cannot do it now or it will ruin the surprise :) I handmade all (56) of my Christmas cards too, which, was quite an undertaking. Next year, I might have to evaluate that ;) But, nevertheless, it was a lot of fun to do, and I really do enjoy the scrap booking hobby. I need to get back to Jude's 1st year scrapbook pages now!

This month has already been full of fun events, and it's only half way through. Last weekend we went to the courthouse lighting, and enjoyed all the colorful lights and Christmas caroling. I can tell that Jude is intrigued by all the colors and new sounds. Can you imagine what it's like seeing all these things for the first time?? The innocence of a child amazes me. Tonight we went downtown again for something called 'Acker night'. It's a fun time where all businesses around the square stay open late and have musicians come in and they serve hot chocolate and cookies. Lots of good Christmas songs and cheer. There is something about this time that makes me all warm inside even though it's very cold outside!! :)

We bought our first Christmas tree this year. How very exciting!! I was really hoping to get one and to be able to decorate more this year. It's funny how my attitude of decorating and traditions has changed since we've had Jude. Since we decided to put up the tree, I also decided to make the house feel warm with other decorations too, like the stockings and garland, lights on the front door, and pretty wreaths with berries. I already have ideas for next year's tree :) heehee! Next year will be more fun with Jude too. I think he will understand more, and we can do more together during the month (like make gingerbread houses) :)

Here are a few pictures of my Christmas decor around the house! And there is much more fun to come!! :)

...Deck the halls...

Jax

Joy of life

2010-11-16T14:53:00.000-08:00

Can you see my little piece of heaven in the background? He undoubtedly is a joy in my life. (what you don't see is his intentions: Jude is thinking "oooo... that card looks like something to chew on!" ) He's practicing his 'kickstand crawl' over to where he can destroy my hard work :) :) :)

Psalm 95:1-6 O come, let us sing for joy to the Lord, let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God And a great King above all gods, in whose hand are the depths of the earth, the peaks of the mountains are His also. The sea is His, for it was He who made it, And His hands formed the dry land. Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. ....love it.

Lately, I have had this theme in life: have joy despite my circumstances. It's amazing how I have--to some extent, discipline myself to do this. In life, it's so easy to let the little things catch up to you, and forget about the things to rejoice about. It's a choice you have to make daily. This all came about because someone asked me to tell them what I was thankful for. I got to thinking...I am thankful for a joyful spirit. You can tell when someone has it. You can tell when you are surrounded by it. It just lights up the room. Well, I want to have that spirit! It's my goal this time of year...to spread as much joy to people as possible. I also realized, that I haven't shared one single thing about another joy I have in my life which is scrap booking!! I made this card last night. It was a practice card for my Christmas cards this year. What do you think? I have some critiquing to do...some changes. But I think this will be 1 of my four designs. I will not take credit for this idea. It came from kwernerdesign This is a really neat blog where she posts a card a day! Another favorite blog of mine with tons of ideas is Dear Lizzy This blog is loads of fun where I gain lots of my inspiration, and just love to browse.

Can't wait until I get to enjoy this first Christmas having a family. It really makes this time of year so much more rewarding. It makes me want to decorate more, and bake cookies!! Mmmmm! I can smell them now :)

All my love,
Jax

Jude's first Halloween

2010-11-02T09:08:00.000-07:00

Would you like me to trim your trees? I eat leaves for free :)

Mama and Papa giraffe :) You can't see our spots you say??

mmmmmmmmm...sticks.

Daddy-love :)

'old man scrunch-y face' :)
_____________________________________________

Halloween isn't my favorite of all our holidays, partially because of the meaning behind it. However, it doesn't mean that we can't dress up and have a little fun. This year, thanks to my friend Mattie, Jude was a giraffe! A spooooky giraffe. No, not really, just a cute & adorable warm & fuzzy giraffe :) We dressed up and took some pictures on Saturday and went to a Halloween party. Since Halloween fell on Sunday, we didn't really do anything (this is the busiest day of the week for us!) We had a lot of fun. As we were taking pictures outside, Jude found a stick and started eating it! I laughed and thought "well, I'm sure giraffes chew on sticks", so I let him be in character :)

On a side note, Jude has been giving us the cutest expressions. One of our favorites is when he turns his face to you and closes his eyes. We call it the 'old man scrunch-y face'. It's so soo cute. I think this is his way of expressing himself, and 'talking back' with facial expressions. He has been bringing tons of joy to our lives, and we are so thankful for him. What a little blessing! One of these pictures looks like a mistake picture, but it's actually his 'old man' face captured. What a great memory!

Now we are looking forward to Thanksgiving! One of our ultimate favorites. We tried to plan a trip to Florida this year for the holidays to see my side of the family, but everyone's plans fell through. Dissappointing, yes, but hopefully we can all get together soon. Missin' you all.

Jax

Please vote!!

2010-10-20T11:09:00.000-07:00

As you all pretty much know, my niece Landry Joy has a condition called Cystic Fibrosis. Pepsi is doing a giveaway called 'Pepsi Refresh Project' where they give away money for the foundation's projects they are working on. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is currently in first place for the $250,000 giveaway! In order for them to win this amount, we need your help to send in as many votes as possible! Here is a link to where you can vote. It will only take a minute! You can be a part of helping children (like miss Joy) breathe easier! Isn't she beautiful??

Click here for link to website
(This website might take a minute to download, but give it a chance and you'll see a button that says, 'vote for this idea')

You can also vote by texting
102534 to 73774

Thanks for your help!

Jax

Lesson learned

2010-10-19T10:33:00.000-07:00

There are a handful of things that I don't want to forget after having Jude. I have the pictures and the videos, I have the mementos and of course the wonderful memories. In addition to these amazing things, I want to remember the tiny practical details that will make having our second baby a breeze! :) No one get any ideas...this is a long way off! But, I'm a major planner (this is why the Lord always changes them--the plans, that is) I do, however, love being prepared.

Things I used the most in the beginning:

The Breast Friend! (amazing)
Pack n Play
Puppy pee pads (for the changing pad)
cloth diapers (for the fountain when changing diapers & burp cloths)
zip up sleepers (not button-up)
sleep sacks w/hand mittens
a heating pad (for warming wipes in the middle of the night)
socks with elastic bands at ankles
large beanies (light weight cotton)
larger swaddling blankets--Aden and Anaias--summer/Carters--winter
a month's worth of newborn diapers (needed them longer than I thought)
sleep sheep (white noise!)
small washcloths
Nose sucker
Baby clippers
Saline drops
Lotion & Vaseline
Breast pump! & storage bags/pads
Medela bottles
Bottle sponge (several)
Baby detergent
Nursing cover
Diaper bag w/many seperate compartments
*Bouncer
*Swing
*Stroller--LOVE mine (GoGo Babyz)
*Carseat--LOVE mine (Graco Snugride-30 pd. weight limit)
**It is not necessary to get a travel system if you can find a carseat that is compatable with the stroller you like.

A few months in:

Sleep positioner
The Boppy
A nightlight
A glider with an ottoman (not any old chair)
1-2 weeks worth of clothing for that season & size (no more or it's a waste)
Baby carrier ie: sling, ergo carrier w/infant insert <---Love this thing
Costco sized diapers (1) & wipes
pacifiers (if the baby takes it)
Teething tablets and toys (Sophie)
Sanitizing wipes
Cart/Highchair cover--LOVE mine (The Buggy Bag)
Bibs
Baby spoons
*Books
*Playmat--Infantino makes a great one
*Walker--make sure it grows with baby
*Interactive noise-making toys

WASTE of $

Baby shoes
Microwave sanitizer (the bags are more useful)
Another diaper bag (who has time to switch the bags out??)
Too many clothes in one size & season--even though it's winter, buy some shorts because when it comes time to use them, he/she will need them!
Hand mittens
Wipe/bottle warmer
Froo Froo clothes (just 1-2 outfits will suffice)
Small swaddling blankets (unless the baby is small!)

Im sure I could add to this list, and I probably will in the months to come. I have had several of my friends ask me what I've used, and what I found useless. I remember asking my friends the same questions, so I thought I could do the same for others. It seems like the first baby is such a learning process. I mean, how do you really know what you are and aren't going to use?? Considering each child is so different, it seems like you could definitly use different things for different kids. This list is a general one. If we had a girl next, obviously I would absoulutely need ribbons and bows, and cute little girl shoes :) Yes, I know, I think shoes are a waste of money...but little girl shoes???--OH for heavens sake..I WILL SPLURGE. Heehee!

ONE MORE NOTE: One of my good friends told me about a website that was AMAZING!! It's called myregistry.com This is a life saver! Here in Prescott the stores and selection of baby products is so limiting. With this website you can create a personalized registry for all your showers where you can register for anything on the internet! Any store you want...even if it's the local Target. This way you can find different products at different stores and you don't have to feel like you have to register for everything at 2 stores. I loved the freedom of finding the best prices, and exactly what I needed. There is so much STUFF out there, what a market for babies! Hope this helps, it sure did for me.

If I have neglected to put something on this list that you think is really important, or that you found you really used, feel free to leave me a comment! I would love to tweek my list as time goes on, and get feedback from all my mommy friends who are pros at this ;)

Hugs!
Jax

JudenGray AZ '10

2010-10-07T14:14:00.001-07:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

Gray came to play! yaaaay!

2010-10-07T12:23:00.000-07:00

Just a few short weeks ago, we had the excitement of seeing my sister Jodi and meeting mr. Grayson Luke for the first time! We had such a nice visit! Chris and I went and picked up Jodi and Gray at the airport, and I about cried when I saw Grayson for the first time! I was SooosoooO ready to meet him! What a big smile he had for us! :) Jodi and Grayson stayed at our house for about a week, and I am proud to say that the boys did very well given the circumstances. Jude slept in his nursery, and we put Gray in our office with a pack n play (which is the room next door). We made sure to have white noise in each room, so that when one woke up, it wouldn't wake the other. Jodi slept with me, while Chris slept on the couch (what a trooper). We made it work, even though we had some long nights and some tired days. In the beginning of the trip, Jude and I both weren't feeling our best, but we both got through it, and hopefully we gave Jodes and Gray a great time. We went to our church baptism/bbq, and Jodi seemed to really enjoy that. It was at a really neat Ranch owned by some of our friends, Dean and Shawn Camereon. Jude and Grayson were able to meet some cowboys, and pet some horses! yeeeehaw!

Towards the end of our trip, we surprised Mike on his 30th birthday with his sister Shannon! Shannon lives in Washington, and hadn't met Grayson yet, so it was such a fun surprise! Overall we had a great time, and best of all we were able to meet and love on Grayson. What a handsome, sweet tempered little guy! I know we really enjoyed the visit, and we look forward to seeing him again soon. We are hoping to fly to Florida for Thanksgiving. We will see. Here are the new pictures. We just bought a new video camera, so we were a little late on videos of Jude and Gray, but I will start posting some new videos of Jude now for all of you to enjoy.

Some cool facts about our boys:

Grayson is very laid back, he just hangs out! Sat on my lap for 20 min!
Jude couldn't sit still if you forced him to...wants his hands on everything!

Grayson almost has an entire head of hair! It's red too!
Jude's hair has taken a turn...was reddish, now looks a lot blonder..it's a mystery.

Grayson has had 2 teeth since month 4.
Jude is just starting to get teeth at 7.5 months.

Jude has been sitting up well on his own for several months now (about 2.5)
Grayson is just starting to sit up well on his own.

Grayson's cry is deep and man-ly :)
Sorry Jude, but you cry like a girl (we'll work on that, sweetie)

Grayson has, as we call them 'Fred Flinstone Feet' Indian name: 'FFF'
Jude has, as we call them 'thin and long feet' Indian name: 'Skinny-feet'

We <3 our boys!!!

Hugs!
Jax

Monumental Moments

2010-09-03T09:07:00.000-07:00

Over the past month so many exciting things have happened! My Mr. Jude has really been changing, and I can't believe that one half of a year has already passed! Milestones are so fun to reach! Here are just a few that Jude has achieved:

Sitting up:

Jude decided one day that the world is so much more interesting from a sitting view. I have always sat behind him, and supported him, and it seemed like he was needing me less and less, so one day I moved away from him and he sat up all by himself! This milestone is AMAZING! With the exception of a few crash landings ending with some screams, he is managing his balance very well. The reason why I like him sitting up so much is that he can play independently--we just plop him on a blanket and he goes to town will all his fun toys. He also is able to sit in a shopping cart all by himself and sit in a high chair at restaurants, etc. He was getting really wiggly in his car seat, he was arching his back and wanting someone to get him out of there. Now, we can get him out and sit him up and he really enjoys his new view. What a wonderful milestone!

Starting solids:

We went to the doctor for Jude's 6 month appointment, and the doctor encouraged us to start giving Jude some simple solids. A few weeks previous, we tried to give him rice cereal and he looked at us like we were nuts. So we took that as a sign as if he wasn't ready. So we waited a few weeks, and tried again. Ah, success. He was very interested. After rice cereal we tried squash. YUCK! :) He didn't like that one. He decided avocado was just alright...but what he really liked was pears! I found that out by offering just a little with his cereal. He was reaching for more! With Chris as a chef, I knew he wouldn't be okay with buying canned foods. He's funny like that. So I picked up a pear, waited until it was ripe, and gave that to him. He wasn't too sure about the texture, but he seemed to like the taste. Oh what fun this is! After all is said and done, I find cereal and sticky pears in the strangest places on Jude! lol. One time, he had pear behind his ear, and up his nose! hahahahha. Boys. Messy messy. At least it makes for good pictures :)

Talking:

This is the most recent milestone! Over the past couple of days Jude has been babbling. He mainly does this when he is not happy, or when he's hungry. Chris and I noticed how he was repeating syllables, and the variation of pitch and tone sounded like he was going to say his first word soon. I have been pointing to myself and saying 'maaa-ma' for weeks now, and was hoping he was going to pick that up. Well, yesterday during his 6 month photo shoot at Sears right in the middle of the photo taking, he spits out 'mam amama ma!' I had tears in my eyes, and couldn't believe that he got it! I'm sure he has no clue what he said, and he probably doesn't even know that he said his first word...but mommy does! :) I just couldn't believe it! So excited. Next: we will be working on 'daaa da' :) What a little talker I have on my hands!! Chris and I have fought about who's boy he is. We always ask him, "Jude, whose boy are you?" Of course Chris always says "you are dad's boy!" Well, I think it is quite clear. Mom's boy. heeehee. love it.

thought this was worth a laugh :)

HOW TO BABY PROOF YOUR HOME:
• Throw away the pennies. Just throw them away.
• What are those things anyway, the ones under the sink? They look dangerous, but you don't even recognize them. Oh! They seem to be "cleaning products"! Get rid of them.
• Use duct tape to attach bubble wrap to bathtub faucet, coffee-table edges, tile floor, and dog's teeth.
• Use duct tape to attach bubble wrap to baby.

Jax
aka 'maaaaaaaaaa ma' :) :)

JUDE Month 4 '10

2010-08-03T11:55:00.001-07:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

New buddy

2010-08-02T11:08:00.000-07:00

This month has been SO much fun. As Jude gets older, more of his personality emerges. We are really enjoying getting to know our little man. He has brought us SO much joy, so many smiles and laughs. Recently Jude is starting to 'talk like a man' as we call it :) He has been grunting and gurgling from the back of his throat. He has been doing this a lot, and it always makes us laugh. We have been playing airplane with him where we lift him up in the air. He arches his back and does this cute grunt sound. He looks around from his new 'view' to find anything that catches his eye. Maverick is Jude's new friend. Or maybe his new foe from Maverick's point to view. Maverick always says hi with a kiss (puppy terms--'a lick on whatever is closest'), and if he is anywhere near the baby, Jude will grab the first thing he can, whether that is an ear, a tail or just his fur. Maverick is such a sweetie. He doesn't growl or nip, he just stands there and waits. Eventually either Jude lets go, or I have to break his mighty grip on Maverick. lol. Maverick keeps Jude entertained too. When he is near Jude, I have Maverick do all his tricks again and again. Jude just watches and smiles. He's Jude's 'new buddy' :) We always know where to find the toy Jude has just recently been playing with. Find Maverick, and you'll find the toy, hopefully in one piece with all it's parts!--heehee Maverick thinks all of Jude's toys are for him, and since he was first in this home, he has rights to any toy in his territory.

12 things we LOVE about you right now:

1. Your laugh. It went from a tiny giggle to a full blown laugh this month, we love it.

2. The way you aggresively suck when you are extra hungry. Watch out!!

3. The way you kick your feet when we bring you outside. You get so excited to see the world.

4. Your HUGE smile when you see us in the morning after a long night.

5. The way you smell.

6. How we can gauge how happy you are according to how wide you open your mouth.

7. How you are shy when someone gets too close to your face, and you look away. You give them your 'shy eyes'

8. How much you hate getting 'lotioned up' :)

9. The way you go cross eyed when you are really trying to figure something out.

10. The way you reach out with both hands grab our faces and eat our noses.

11. Your amazement with the television.

12. The way you look at daddy, and how you 'talk sports' or read the bible with him.

Enjoying life,
Jax

Life as a Mommy!

2010-06-22T14:57:00.000-07:00

My little guy is starting to look not so "little" anymore. Before I know it, I will have a little toddler running around the house! It's funny looking back at pictures of him in the hospital, and when we first brought him home. I remember thinking-wow! I have such a big boy! Now, with Jude being so much bigger, I should have appreciated his size more when he was first born!! I am trying to do that now, because in a few months it probably won't be as easy to pick him up and tote him around. I gave him a bath the other day, and I couldn't believe how long he was getting. I remember holding him in the bathtub when he was just a few weeks old, and I easily could maneuver him around. It's definitely not so easy anymore. I try to lay him in my lap with his legs toward me, and I cannot do that anymore!! He pushes his legs off my chest, and almost squirms out of my hands! I am quickly going to have to figure out a different way to bathe him! He is also growing out of his bouncer. He is getting to long for his swing too! I don't know how much longer I will be able use these things. I am going to have to start thinking about ways that he can entertain himself ie: a walker, johnny jumper, etc. I know at some point he is going to want to play outside too, if the weather permits. I am going to have to start brainstorming about how I can create a safe area outside for him to play. He has been such a joy to interact with. One of my favorite things to do with him is lay him down on his back and get right in his face. He starts to talk to me, and has now mastered the giggle! I LOVE LOVE it! He grabs my face, and wants to eat my nose. It makes my day :) It has been really neat seeing him play with Grandma and Papa...and of course, all our fun days with Nana! I am so thankful we have grandparents that are near enough and can see Jude as he grows!

Today we took Jude to the doctor, he is four months old! He weighed in at 15 pounds and is 25" We have quite a big boy on our hands!! I was very apprehensive this morning because this was his first appointment for his shots. I have done extensive research on vaccinations because I wanted to be sure of what was going into Jude's body. After all my study, I was still uneasy about him getting all those shots at once! I went back and forth about it all for weeks, and after talking it over with Chris decided it was best to get him the shots that he needed. My decision stemmed from this logic: the problems that he could face if he came down with one of these diseases far outweighs the problems that a few shots will give him. There is no medical research concluding that vaccinations cause any major horrific problems in a non-comprised immune system. There is nothing more scary than for your baby to catch something that could have been prevented. The burden is on us. There is so much controversy and misinformation out there on vaccines, so it is a personal decision for every parent. It really is amazing how many opportunities like this one that we have to trust the Lord. Whether we would have agreed to Jude's shots or not, I would still be praying for the Lord's protection over him. I have found it very interesting how protective I have become! I feel like a mother hen, watching over her little chick! :) lol. I look at this little amazing child that my husband and I created, and I realize that there is nothing more amazing than this. WOW! Two people can come together and make another human being--with a mind, a heart, a soul, a purpose? There is no greater ministry than your own family.

As you can see, motherhood has definitely taken a hold of my heart. My prayer daily is that God would make me into the kind of wife and mother that would be pleasing to Him. I look forward to the days ahead. It has only been 4 months, and I'm hooked! I would do it again in a heartbeat! Of course with a few years in between :)

"Each time you look at your child you see something mysterious and contradictory--bits and pieces of other people-grandparents, your mate, yourself, all captured in a certain stance, a shape of a head, a look in the eyes, combined with something very precious- a new human soul rich in individuality and possibility."
Joan Sutton

A MOMENT FOR MOMMY: With so many thoughts about Jude, it's easy to forget about myself. I thought some of you would like to know how I'm doing too! :) I have fully recovered from birth, with some battle wounds of coarse :) I'm proud of those. I've been trying to get into a work out regimin. It is waaaaaay more difficult than I thought! With working as the secretary to our new business, watching baby during off times, and managing to keep a clean home, I am VERY busy! I am almost back to my pre-baby weight, a few more pounds around the midsection. I am thankful that I didn't gain a lot of weight with Jude, because I am seeing how difficult it is to lose!! One thing I have noticed physically is that I am losing LOADS of hair! Can't believe how much hair comes out of my head every time I take a shower. I am very thankful that my dad gave me his genes--thick, thick, hair! I used to pay to get thinning treatments, now, they are free :) Heehee! I am incredibly happy. At times, I think my hormones get the best of me, and I have really hard days. But who doesn't, right? I have been enjoying my days out of the house with Jude. For some reason when we have a day of errands, or we have a "mommy's day", he just does better. Maybe we both get cabin fever sometimes. Speaking of other mommys, I have two girlfriends that have boys too, a little older than Jude. We have had a "picnic day" at the square, and this week we are doing a "swim day"! I love having other mommies to enjoy mommy-hood with, it makes it all that more rewarding. Well, that sums it up for me! I am so thankful in many ways, enjoying life to the fullest.

Jax

Meeting Poppy

2010-05-18T16:07:00.000-07:00

This past Friday, my dad flew in from Florida to visit us. We had such a wonderful time together, and I am so thankful that he was able to be here to meet Jude and spend some quality time with our family. Of course, all I could do was take pictures, because he is sooooo cute with Jude. When Jude first met him, he smiled a bunch of times, and almost laughed! Poppy must be one funny grandpa :) Or as Grandpa Dave would say "funny-lookin" lol. My dad stayed over at Dave and Debbie's house, and he had a great time with them. I love that he gets along with both of them so well. My dad and Dave are always cracking jokes at eachother, and it makes me happy to know that they really do enjoy eachother. Debbie is such a love, when visitors come around, she is amazingly hospitable!
While my dad was here, we mostly just enjoyed eachothers company. It was really fun watching him play and talk to Jude. Believe it or not, Jude is actually starting to gurgle back! That's baby language for talk! We had a great time. My dad and I had some quality time togther which was so special. I miss having him around, and I so wish he was closer. He will just have to come visit us more often. Susie, my dad's girlfriend sent with my dad some adorable outfits for Jude, and I am looking forward to putting them on him.

Love you Poppy! Thanks for coming and visiting us!

XOXO
Jax & Jude

Grayson Luke Miller

2010-04-23T10:05:00.000-07:00

Grayson Luke Miller was born just over a month ago on March 21st, 2010. What an exciting event! My sister Jodi and brother-in-law Mike are such proud parents of a healthy little boy weighing in at 9 lbs. 6 oz. What a joy it is to have another new baby in the family! Being a new mommy myself, there have been numerous times that I have needed to talk to someone about the joys and frustrations of motherhood. It has been an incredible blessing having such an amazing sister to go through this with. This is a season in our lives we won't ever forget, and I am overjoyed to have a wonderful friend like Jodi to share it with.

Being a mom has been amazing. At times it has been emotionally and physically challenging, but I am thankful for it all. I have always rememebered one thing: to always be thankful for what the present time brings and not to wish for something in the future. When I see little toddlers running around in Walmart, at times I think, oh I can't wait until Jude is old enough to talk to me! Then I realize that I'm doing the one thing that I never want to do...want something I don't have. This mindset has really helped me, because it reminds me to enjoy every moment. Right now-the moments that I have with my son will soon just be memories. Each day is a gift from the Lord, and I want to cherish every bit of it (even the days that are difficult and filled with tears). The Lord has been teaching me to be thankful in all things.

Well, we are SO thankful that Mr. Grayson a.k.a "Gray" is here with us and we look forward to the day when we not only get to meet him, but we get to kiss his little toes and spoil him like crazy. That's what aunts and uncles are for, right? :) Even though Grayson is states away...Jude will know who he is because we will show him pictures, and will make the effort to tell Jude about him. It will be awesome when they will be old enough to play together, throw the ball to eachother, and laugh together. I can see it now! Such memories.

We love you Gray, and can't wait to meet you!

Love,
Uncle Chris, Aunt Jax, Cousin Jude

Meeting Friends and Family

2010-03-24T16:59:00.000-07:00

Over the past several weeks, Jude has been able to meet so many new people! Because the doctor recommended that we stay home for most of the first month of Jude's life, we haven't been out much. However, we have had many visitors come over to our house and we have really enjoyed them. Here's just a few of the people who came to love on Jude:

My mama, Kelli, a.k.a "Nana"

Why Nana? Well, because her favorite food is bananas (she eats one every day), she found this name to be perfect for her grandkids to call her!

My Uncle Scott, Jude's Great Uncle??

Scott is a police officer in Prescott Valley

It was neat seeing such a big strong man holding such a little delicate baby! :)

Casey and Camerann Carr--great friends!

Corrie Carr and the girls

Uncle Brian! Jude liked Uncle Brian so much that he decided to pass quite a lot of gas on his lap :) heehee!

Uncle Jim and Aunt Jess mimicking Jude's yawn!

Uncle Jim--he really took to Jude, and it was so sweet watching them interact!

Cousin Landry giving Jude kisses! Jessica and Jim have a little girl, Landry, who is such a bundle of fun to be around. She has the brightest personality!

Aunt Jessica..so sweet!

Todd, Alyson, Addie, and Reese Anderson

Ashling holding baby Jude

During our first visit to church with Jude, Ashling was so excited to see and hold the baby. She is the sweetest little girl ever!!
________________________________________________

So, as you can see, Jude has many friends and family that love and adore him! We are blessed to have all of you in our lives, and we look forward to sharing with you the fun memories that we create with our baby boy!

Jax

Happy Birthday Jude! 2.22.10

2010-03-06T15:48:00.000-08:00

Sorry this took me so long to post! Having a newborn at home is quite demanding!! I finally found some time (with Jude in a sling on my chest) to write this blog. I have been wanting to fill all of you in for quite awhile, but haven't been able to due to a hungry tummy and a dirty bottom--heehee :)

Mr. Jude David was born on Feburary 22nd, 2010 at 11:11pm!

What a day it was! I was scheduled for a induction at 7am on Monday the 22nd, and one of the nurses called me that morning to tell me that thier rooms were full and I was going to have to be postponed until later that morning. Part of the reason I wanted the induction to be on Monday was because my doctor was on call, and I wanted him to deliver Jude. So I was happy when I got a phone call at 9am telling me to come on in. When I arrived at the hospital, I was a bit anxious, not sure about how things were going to play out, and hoping and praying for the best. They started me on a Pitocin drip, and four hours later I started to feel some minor contractions. As time progressed, the contractions became more intense. They bumped up the level of Pitocin to 18, and this was when I was seeing mountains of contractions on the monitor. One of the nurses asked me before we got started how I felt about pain management. I told her that I wasn't interested in an epidural, but if there was something else like a narcotic that could help me reach transition, or get me over a hard spot, I was willing to try it. I opted for a narcotic called Nubane. The nurse informed me that this drug would not numb the pain, nor would it take it away. That it only takes effect for 1-2 hours and that it would take the edge off of a contraction, bringing the pain from a 8 to like a 6. At about 5pm, I was so worn out, shaky (from lack of food) and exhausted that I asked for one dose of Nubane. The drug took effect in under 1 minute. I was able to lay down, and this enabled me to relax and get to the stage of transition. Talk about painful!!!!! Wow! The transition contrations felt worse than all the others even with the help of a narcotic. However, I was able to get through it, and after about 2 hours of hard contractions my water broke. What a relief this was! All I remember after my water breaking was the need to push. It felt like minutes after my water had broken that I was pushing hard. A half an hour later of intense pushing, baby Jude was born. I couldn't believe it! As he was crowning, I imagined his head to be about the size of a large navel orange. Nope! His head came out and it was triple that size. The doctor made a few comments when he was delivering like "wow, I really underestimated this fellow"...he also said "that was quite a tight fit!" Little Jude wasn't so little I guess :)

As I held him in my arms for the first time, with tears running down my face, I couldn't believe that I did it. I felt like super-woman! What an amazing process. My body knew exactly what to do, and it just did it. I remember thinking "that was one of the most painful experiences in my life, but I would do it all over again." My heart was filled with so much joy, this little life we created was before us. Look at what the Lord has given us!

One thing that blessed my heart more than anyone would know is how AMAZING my husband was throughout this entire process. Even the nurses were majorly impressed. At every contraction Chris was so attentive and loving. He would tickle my face and tell me to drop the pain into the bed. He helped me focus, and I told him there was no way I could have done it without him. NO WAY. I am so thankful for a awesome husband who loves me dearly and helps me in every way. I have really enjoyed seeing him with Jude. What a daddy!

Here are some fun pictures from Jude's big day! Hope you enjoy them.

Jax

When nature needs a nudge

2010-02-21T15:43:00.000-08:00

This past Thursday we went in for our 40 week appt. and Dr. Ohanesian gave us a run down of what we should do next. He checked me and told me that I was fully effaced, and 2 centimeters dialated. He stripped my membranes in hope that it would get things moving along. There wasn't a whole lot that came from that procedure except some aches and pains. He went ahead an scheduled us for an induction Mon. February 22nd. He said that the way my body was effacing, he thinks I won't even need that appointment. He let us know that many of his patients don't even make it to their induction date. But to play it safe, he decided it would be best to have the induction scheduled. He told us that every day past the determined due date, the placenta starts to break down. This does not mean that the baby is in jeopardy right away. However, it does mean that when the baby encounters birth, and his nutrition, etc. has broken down, it makes the entire labor process much harder for him and could end up causing problems for the baby--ie: oxygen supply, etc. In order to avoid those problems, a sooner course of action is a smarter idea. He gave us some interesting statistics of babies born weeks 39-42. The babies born earlier had less complicated births, etc.We decided to take his advice (considering he has been doing this a quarter of a century) and we set up the induction date.

Yesterday I was having some major emotional ups and downs, and was anxious about so many things. I prayed continually throughout the day, and when I woke up this morning, I truly felt like the Lord answered my prayers. We went to church, and so many of my friends there were encouraging me and loving on me. At the end of the service pastor Nolan had a handful of ladies come around me and pray for my delivery, and it truly blessed my heart. The entire day I have felt peace about everything that is happening. I found a strength in my heart to believe that everything was in God's hands. This is not always an easy thing to do, especially when things seem so uncertain and uncontrollable. The Lord gave me these verses, and they have really impacted me.

Isaiah 40:28
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.

Isaiah 41:10
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Wow! What promises!

The Lord is definitely in control, and I believe that. There is still a chance that I could go into labor tonight (maybe I am in labor right now, and don't really know it), or I wake up tomorrow morning and nothing has happened. Either way, I trust the Lord for his goodness, and am so thankful for this gift of a baby boy that he has for us no matter how and when he gets here. One thing is for sure...we will be holding our son in our arms in the next few days! Can't wait to see his little face, play with his little toes, and kiss him all over!

I will post pictures, and my birth story as soon as I feel able to.

SOOOOOOOOoooooOOOOOOOOOOO excited!

Jax

39 weeks...almost done!

2010-02-10T17:02:00.000-08:00

Woooooooowsers!!!!!! Can't believe that my time is almost up, and Jude is almost here! Here is one last picture of this belly of mine! I can't believe how much it's dropped, and it's just jetting out there :) Down and out...lol...this is becoming the theme for Jude :) Hopefully he follows through on this theme during labor. I know it sounds silly, but I am going to miss having Jude in my tummy. These last few days are so special to me. It is the last time I will be carrying this baby. (tears) However, I want to meet him so bad! Someone told me a few days ago, that it seems like in the end of a pregnancy it's actually God's favor that you become uncomfortable, etc., because at some point you are willing to do anything to get the baby out...even go through painful labor! It is amazing how 40 weeks is enough. Our bodies instinctively know what to do next which amazes me!

Went to the doctor today (actually it was the NP), and recieved some great news. She told me that I am 90% effaced, and coming along nicely! I asked her about dialation, and she told me that she knows women who have dialated from 1-10 in an hour! So not to worry about that, it will come in due time. The effacement, however, is something that develops, and the fact that I have inched my way through it is a great sign. She said that the thinning out of the cervix is one of the hardest things for 1st timers to do. So I'm on the right road, I just hope that it continues this way. They told me that by my due date I should be 100% effaced, and if so, then the doctor will try to activate labor by softly aggrivating the membranes around the cervix. This should bring on labor in 24-48 hrs. If not, then they will have to schedule an induction. They told me that they want our bodies to do the work as much as possible, but a little help from them could actually be very rewarding in the long run. The reason why I am going to a doctor, and am paying them to assist me in my delivery is because I believe they have the best in mind for each patient. My doctor, imparticularily, just loves his job...and it shows! I am really hoping that he delivers Jude.

Good news! The nursery is completed! Here are a few pictures of all the final touches. I am so happy with it, and can't wait to use it! I go into the room probably 3-4 times a day, sit in the rocker and just imagine reading a story to Jude before bedtime :) Just thinking about this brings tears to my eyes! I really look forward to being a mother. Not to be proud in any way, but I truly feel as though this has been my calling. Ever since I was a little girl, I have dreamed of having a family of my own. There is something about parenting that seems so rewarding, so fulfilling. I can't wait!!

Just got the bedding in from the seamstress. Love it! She put this goldish-taupe pinched taffeta fabric along the outside of the bumber and made a skirt to match!

Super soft minky dot fabric on the inside

Sleep sheep! He plays soft soothing sounds for baby while sleeping.

Minky dot changing pad to match bedding, hamper, oversized dog :)

Overall look came together!

Lamp and nightlight

Baskets to fill in shelving (match hamper)

_______________________________________________

Upon thee I was cast out from the womb
Psalms 22:10

Heres to a quick and safe labor!! We are ready to meet you Jude!!

:) Jax

Christopher's commentary

2010-02-05T12:25:00.000-08:00

Hi everybody!
I promised Jacque that I would include a "Dad Post" on the Blog before Jude gets here (for those of you who have ever been to my Bible study or read one of my articles in the church newsletter, don't worry, I'll try to keep this moderately brief!).

First of all, to all of you who have followed our adventure to this point and have been such great friends to Jacque, and for all of the showers, gifts, support, and encouragement...You have no idea what friends and family like you mean to Jacque and me! I consider all of you family according to the most accurate use of the word and we thank God for His grace in providing such friends.

So...this boy is coming soon, ready or not (we are all in at this point)! I can't tell you the excitement I feel when I consider that I will soon be a dad. And to some degree, there is more excitement when I think of my wife being a mom. I cannot think of a woman more custom made for motherhood than the one to whom I am married. If there is one thing I don't worry about, it is that my son will be constantly loved, nurtured, and showered with affection. Of all the concerns that we have had throughout this whole thing, I have never once worried about what kind of mom Jacque will be.

Speaking of concerns, let me give you an inside look at how things have gone around here for the last nine months or so; just to balance the praise for my wife with a little honest humor. Here are paraphrased recapitulations of a few conversations that have happened throughout the last year...

Jacque - "We've been trying for several months already, what if we can't get pregnant?"

Chris - "Well, then we'll adopt, but don't worry, I'm sure it will work out."

Shortly thereafter...

Little stick that had been peed on - "Pregnant"

Chris (with tears) - "Woohoo!"

A few months later...

Jacque - "I bet you we're going to have a girl. I just know it."

Chris - "We'll see"

Mark Beneitone - "You guys will have a boy, I never get these wrong."
John Hannah Sr. - "You know it's going to be a boy."

A few weeks later...
Ultrasound tech - "Those are the thighs right there and..."

Chris - "Then what's that?"

Chris (more tears) - "Woohoo!"

A few weeks later still...

Jacque - "How are we going to afford all the stuff we need for a baby?"

Chris - "I don't know. We'll figure it out. The Lord always provides for us."

Four showers later...

Jacque - "Can you believe how much everyone has done for us?"

Chris - "Praise the Lord!" (This is the Biblical form of "Woohoo!")

Every day for the last week...

Jacque - "How in the world am I going to deliver this baby?"

Chris - "Just focus and relax. Women have been doing it since the beginning of creation. You will be fine. You're going to do great! Don't worry."

Every mom reading this - "Chris, you are an idiot, you are not helping, you have no idea what you are talking about, you should just be quiet!"

Chris - "Fair enough. I will shut up now. Let me know what I can do to help."

Love you all!

God Bless,

Christopher

36 weeks 9 months!

2010-01-20T17:03:00.000-08:00

Could I get any bigger?!? Jude's really starting to make a statement :)

Well, here it is! My HUGE baby bump! Wow, can't believe I am officially one month away from my due date...or "due range" as my doctor puts it. I had a great doctors visit today, and was very pleased with the information I gained. He spent quite a bit of time with us, and answered a lot of questions I had. After my exam he told me that Jude's head was down, right where it should be. He told me that I am 50% effaced, and my cervix is starting to thin out. With his "guesstimation" he thinks that Jude is probably 6 1/4-6 1/2 pds. right now. He will continue to grow before birth, and should end up a very average baby, around 7 pounds. I guess he could be wrong about this, but with the amount of babies he encounters daily, I'm sure he's pretty close. I was happy to hear that he won't be a large baby! This might come to my help during labor. Speaking of labor, he told me for the second time that red heads tend to labor quickly. He told me that he has seen this enough times to have the ability to say this. That's the positive. He said the negative is that we red heads also tend to bleed a lot. They will make sure to monitor this. The appointment was very helpful. I am still carrying pretty high, and at some point I will drop. I wonder when this will be! I guess we will see. He informed me about induction, and post maturity. These were a few issues I wanted to know my group of doctor's philosophy on. I was pleased with the answers I got. Basically they don't want to jump the gun, but they also see many risks at letting the baby go to long. The placenta starts to break down, and nutrients are no longer at their peak, etc. Hopefully if all goes well, I will naturally go into labor. Pray for this!

Here are the pictures I promised. I love the way Jude's room looks! I still have some finishing touches, but I am very happy with the overall turnout.

A striped rocker I found on Craigslist. Made a pillow to match.

Still waiting on baskets for empty shelves.

Dresser and mural. Still needing changing pad & cover for top of dresser.

Nature inspired artwork I found, branch chandelier. Still waiting on bedding.
Should be here at the end of the month.

Need to find shelving for the empty spot to the right of the dresser.

Cute sign a friend gave to me that matches my decor perfectly!

Four weeks and counting...

Jax

New Year...New Baby! 35 weeks

2010-01-13T14:39:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that January is already here! Wow! It's crazy how quickly life goes by. I'm sure I will be saying the same thing when Jude is going on 2! Happy New Year to all my friends and family. May this year be a fresh start for all of you. Here we are at 35 weeks pregnant, and it feels like just yesterday I found myself with a pregnancy test in hand. Wow! We will have baby Jude in our arms before we know it. We are overly excited, and can't wait to see how this little boy changes our lives. What a gift from God...what a little miracle.

Went to the doctor today. Next week starts our weekly visits until Jude comes. As the doctor was checking the baby's heartbeat, she made a comment on where his little bottom was. I'm always feeling around trying to figure out how he is positioned in my belly. There is a hard spot in the same area all the time. She said that this is his little butt, and his head is facing down. This is just from feel, but next week they will actually be able to tell me after they examine me.

Jude's room is coming along. I promised to post pictures, and a week from now I will post again with some pictures of the nursery along with my monthly belly photo. Still have quite a few finishing touches on the nursery. I need a changing pad for on top of the dresser. My friend Gina is putting together this antique window that you can display pictures in, etc. I have left a perfect spot for this above his bookcase. I found a rocking chair from a lady who sold it to me for 10 bucks! I covered the arms, and made a pillow to match. I thought it turned out very nice. I plan to bring this material I found to a seamstress for her to make the crib skirt. She is also going to put this material on the outside of the bumper to add some pattern. I am excited to see how this will turn out. The nursery started off different in my mind, and as time went on,finding pieces to fit in, it morphed into something I'm truly happy with. I wanted the room to have an elegant feel (nature-inspired), less babyish and more grown up. I wanted Jude to be able to grow with the room. I also did a lot of neutrals in order to be able to use what I have for future kids. Chris says he wants a little Scarlet (so do I). I told him, what if we end up with all boys? He says, "then we will have to keep trying". Oh boy! We might end up with quite a little family goin' on :) We know the Lord will guide us in the right direction concerning this. I promise to take pictures this week and post them next Wednesday. Check back in for these :)

I plan to have Jude in our room for the first 2 months (at least). Maybe longer if we see fit. Our bedroom is large enough to set up a pack n play for him to sleep in for that time. The pack n play I registered for has a bassinet and a changing table built into it. Since we have Chris's grandparents right around the corner, and my mom not far from that...we will have the best babysitters in the whole wide world at our disposal! We now have a pack n play to bring over to their house for Jude to sleep in. I am very thankful to have my mom here. I wish my Dad lived here too. He will just have to come and visit us more often!

This past Saturday some friends here in Prescott threw me an adorable baby shower! The theme of the shower was a tea party. I loved how girly it was. Even though I'm having a boy, it's okay to celebrate in a girly way :) Little teacups and spoons, doilies, chocolate fountain, punch! I had such a great time seeing everyone that was able to make it. My friend Corrie coordinated a group gift and several ladies pitched in to get us our stroller! I love it! I can't wait to us it. This upcoming Sunday evening one of Debbie's friends, Coleen, is throwing a small shower for me. Probably about 8-10 ladies. I'm looking forward to it, it will be nice. Later in the month (on the 23rd of January) Chino Valley Bible Church is throwing a shower for me too! I love these ladies, and am looking forward to celebrating with them. They are like family to me.

My new stroller and diaper bag

Dessert table: cupcakes, chocolate fountain...yummy!

So sweet!

Delicate teapots and teacups all around...

Awaiting me when I arrived! What a awesome surprise!

Great friends that put SO much love into the shower! Thanks girls!

Here's to an exciting new year, 2010! 35 days and counting! Can't believe it! Thanks for your continued prayers and friendship. We can't wait until Jude gets to meet all of you!

"We meet today to thank Thee for the era done...and for opening a new one."
John Greenleaf Whittier

Jax

Trip to Florida/30 weeks

2009-12-13T14:10:00.000-08:00

Even though we have been back in Arizona for a little over a week, I am still remembering our precious time spent in Florida. Chris and I always try to see my family for one of the major holidays, and stay here in Prescott for the other with Chris's family. This year we decided to fly to Florida for Thanksgiving. We flew into Orlando and stayed with my sister, Jodi, and my brother-in-law, Mike for the beginning of the trip. We drove to Sarasota where my dad lives to stay with him for a few days then drove back to Orlando which is where we flew out. While we were in Sarasota, my sister Jessica threw Jodi and I a combined baby shower! What a wonderful time it was. Every detail was amazing, and we shared in the joy of two babies! If you didn't know already, my beautiful sister Jodi is pregnant as well...only 4 weeks behind me! She is due March 17th with a little boy. What memories we shared this trip! WOW! When will we ever go through a pregnancy again together? What an amazing experience, and we enjoyed every part of it. We bumped bellies many times, and we were able to feel our boys move! :) SO exciting.

My good friend Val, who is a talented photographer in Sarasota offered to take my maternity pictures. What a blessing this was! We went to the beach for the first part of the shoot where we caught a beautiful sunset on the amazing Siesta Key! A little chilly, but worth every picture. For the second half of the shoot we went back to Val's house and shot some inside pics. I loved the way these turned out. Val even took some great pictures of Jodi and I! I posted a slideshow for you all to see...hope you enjoy looking through it! These are photographs that will stay with us forever, and we will be able to look back and remember the blessed moments we shared. Jude is going to be SO SO special. I can't wait to meet him. Just counting down the days :)

I can't believe that I am already 30 weeks pregnant! Time has definitly gone by rather quickly, and my belly has expanded quite quickly!! 10 weeks to go! I can't believe how amazing this pregnancy has been. Ever since 24 weeks, I have been feeling Jude move inside me! This has been one of the most amazing experiences of the pregnancy. It went from flutter to tiny kicks, to large kicks with movement! It has been exciting each step of the way. I can actually look down at my belly sometimes and visually watch him move. This is awesome. It just puts a giant smile on my face. I have read that he is 3.5 pounds and is 15-16" long. The further along that I get to delivery, the tighter it will be in there for him, and the more I should feel him move around. Most people have told me that this will get uncomfortable, but for some reason, I'm not convinced of that. I really like feeling him move, it reminds me that he is coming :) At my last doctor's appt. all numbers were right on. My weight, his measurement, my blood pressure, etc. My iron levels were a little low so the doctor put me on an iron supplement which should bring these levels back up shortly. Hopefully if all goes well, I will continue to have a low-risk pregnancy and I will deliever with no problems. Pray for me! The time is drawing near, and at moments I get a little nervous about the actual delivery part. I'm sure that's just "new mommy" syndrome :) We are excited, and are thankful that we have friends and family like you to share this with.

The Lord has blessed us!

Jax

Mr. Maverick

2009-11-19T20:35:00.000-08:00

Of course I had to blog about my current baby...his name is Maverick. He is an 8 pound yorkie with a personality of a Great Dane and a little bunny combined. Most of the time he is literally like a little baby sleeping in our arms. But when you take him on a walk, or there are any other dogs around, his Great Dane "man-ly personality", as Chris calls it, erupts! Just a little protective and territorial. "Little-dog-syndrome" for sure. We love it though, such a fun little character he is. With his ears back and those sweet little eyes looking up at us, how can you resist not kissing him all over his cute little whiskers?!? Yes, I am in love with a four-legged furry canine. But what can I say? He has won my heart.

What I tend to wonder about is how is he going to respond to baby? I have read in many places that it is important to prepare your pet for a new baby. This isn't as easy as it sounds. What are you supposed to do, play a recording of a crying baby every day?? This sounds a bit silly to me. We will see...I think Maverick will handle it just fine, Jude and Mav will just have to get used to each other. I don't know if this is true or not, but it does seems like Maverick knows that I'm pregnant. On many occasions he has fallen asleep on my belly. One time, while his head was right near my tummy, Jude moved and Maverick looked up at me. I thought, Oh my! Can this dog read my mind? :)

Maverick has been such an awesome "start" to our family. He has made me very aware of responsibility, etc. If I love my dog as much as I do, I can't imagine how much I'm going to love my son! Chris won't admit it, but Maverick has stolen his heart too. He is always playing with him, and loving on him. He watches out for him too. It's really cute seeing that side of Chris.

My little dog - a heartbeat at my feet.

Jax

24 weeks 6 months!

2009-10-30T08:43:00.001-07:00

This past Wednesday I went in for my 24 week appointment, and when I left, I was so happy! We were able to hear Jude's heartbeat again, but this time it was so strong, at first I thought it was mine! He must be growing, all his organs have probably grown signifigantly. The process of growth for a fetus absolutely amazes me. It is a miracle the entire way through. Each month the baby's body changes rapidly, and certain cells/hair/tissue help protect the baby from infection, and prepare it for life outside the womb. This entire process has been an amazing journey for me. I have enjoyed every moment of it, and still continue to do so. Even when I was sick and dealing with nausea and headaches, I knew that they would be short-lived, and I'd get through them. That's exactly what happened. Over the past two months, I have noticed many changes in my body. Jude's movements have gone from slight flutters to full on bumps! My friend Karen (who is due in Dec.) told me that she was amazed at how the movements became so much more defined as time went on. I would imagine that as space gets tighter in my womb, baby has a harder time doing his daily stretches! :) As I'm sure every mother that has carried a baby full term would say "in the last month, you won't be enjoying those kicks as much", I have a hard time believing that. I guess we will see. I just really like feeling him in there. It reminds me of his presence, and it shows his personality. I guess this means I am into my third trimester! I can't believe it has gone by so quickly. I've enjoyed it so much...I guess I will just have to do it again someday!! :) heehee.
As time closes in, and the holidays get closer, I plan to really start working on Jude's nursery. I gained inspiration from a birdcage I have in our home that I wasn't really using. I plan to make his room very simple, with small touches of birds (antique/french style, not Big bird). I plan to put a small tree mural over his changing area on a wall that is already striped. I want a small chandelier over his crib, and I would love it if his bedding was really cute and different. My next project is to find the perfect bedding! On the hunt I will be, and I will start posting pictures of my ideas soon.

I finished registering for all the needed baby stuff, and of course, a few wants :) I think this took me longer than the average mom, because I did some major research on brand names, and what the best products would be for the money. WHEW! What a process...reading books, looking online, etc. Another frusting part about the registering situation was that there is a very limited amount of places here in Prescott with any sort of variety of baby products to choose from. My friend Val told me about an amazing website called Myregistry.com. This is awesome! It allows you to combine all your registries onto one website, plus add any items you want from any other website online (like Costco/Gap, etc.) This allowed me so much freedom to find the things I needed at the best value. Diapers at Costco--way cheaper than at Target! I am excited about this. So, we will see how this goes. I hope my friends and family will be okay with this. I really didn't have much choice (unless I wanted to go with Winny the Poo everything which was practically my only selection in the stores). Here's the stroller I decided on after much research. It's called the Urban Advantage. It looks like a jogging stroller, but has the features of an everyday stroller. I can't wait to use it!

Everything is coming along, and I am so thankful for all the people in my life that have shown love and want to help with everything. I have been truly blessed with a HUGE family!

SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS LITTLE BOOGER! :0)

Jax

Funny pregnancy stories

2009-10-13T22:15:00.000-07:00

This is how I imagine our little boy when he's two. A little Christopher! :)

These are just a few cute tidbits that made me smile. I don't ever want to forget memories during this time, because they are so special.

*Chris and I were catering a dinner party, and as I was cleaning up I noticed a softened stick of butter on the counter that Chris had previously used while cooking. I moved it out of my way to wipe the countertops around it, but while I was cleaning a few areas beyond my reach, my belly smashed the butter (me being unaware). Chris immediately looked at me and started laughing. As he looked down at this stick of butter smooshed to my baby belly all over my apron he said "that's my baby...already loving butter". It is funny that my growing belly has already started to get in the way of things :)

*One night while we were walking into bibly study, Chris ahead of me, a friend asked if Chris came alone. He answers- "No, I brought the other two" :)

*On many occasions I have overheard my father-in-law Dave call Debbie "Gram", and my mother-in-law Debbie call Dave "Gramps" :)

*A friend of a friend told me the other night that I needed to start laying off all the booze, I'm starting to get a "beer belly"...hehe! :)

*Random strangers at the store I work at tell me I have a "pregnancy glow". I never realized how nice this was to hear :)

*Chris always kisses me goodnight or good-bye, then my belly. He has started to say "my buddy is in there" :) so sweet!

:)
Jax

I'm not an "it"...I have a name!

2009-10-08T00:06:00.000-07:00

Baby Fisher has officially been named! After many long hours searching all the baby books at Barnes and Noble, and searching the internet for "most popular names of 2009" we have stuck to our guns, and have decided to name our baby boy a name that we have liked from the beginning! We went with our initial instincts, and couldn't find another name that beat the "winning name". I told Chris that there was NO way I could wait until the birth to declare his name, because I would have to refer to him as baby for another 4 months! Plus, it truly personalizes him, and gives him character. I hope to use his initials when decorating his room. So here it is! I would like to introduce you to

JUDE DAVID FISHER

Our little man! We are so excited about this name! We definitely agreed that this was it! Out of all the names on our list, we just couldn't get past the strength of this name. We loved it for SO many reasons. Part of our reasoning for picking this name is because of how unique it is. We really wanted a short, strong, meaningful name. We also wanted to make sure that it could not be nick-named or shortened. I don't really care for that. We wanted to make sure that the name was not too different that it would be hard to remember, but also not so common that he would be 1 of 3 in his class someday. The meaning behind this name is amazing!

Jude: Greek Iouda, from Hebrew yəhûdâ: literally means "to hold out the hands"; to worship; extending the hands in praise or thanks; celebrated.
Root: Judah

David: from Hebrew meaning "beloved by God"

We really wanted to use Chris's middle name David. This is also Chris's dad's name, and an amazing name in the bible. We plan to use my middle name in our baby girl's name someday! :) It's so nice to be able to refer to our baby by name now. I am very relieved we came to a decision so quickly. We have no reservations, and we are so excited to meet our little Jude!

This is so much fun...

Jax

IT'S A BOY!!!

2009-09-30T19:00:00.000-07:00

THE NEWS IS IN! 20 weeks

This day has been anticipated for many months now, and it has finally come! It feels like I have had to wait forever! For all of you who voted, thanks. It made the entire waiting process that much more fun. As you can see in my 20 week picture, my belly has definitely taken on it's own personality. From 16 weeks, it has grown significantly! I would have to say that from month 4 to month 5 my belly absolutely popped! Chris is certain that it grew overnight. I told him, "babe, I don't have an alien in there, it's a baby". hehe. All the growth, and finding out the sex has been such a roller coaster of excitement. We are so thankful for this entire process. I love that each morning, and each night Chris kisses my belly, and tells baby "good morning, or good night". I'm thankful that he talks to baby because I want baby to know Chris's voice, and be familiar with it.
The ultrasound went great. My mom, mother-in-law and father-in-law, and Chris were all there to experience it. We had a GREAT time. Mary Ann our ultrasound tech did such a great job getting all views of baby fisher. His man parts were definitely seen right away. That's the Italian in him! LOL! I have to say, I was shocked to find out it was a boy. I think since everyone has been telling me it is a girl, and you all certainly voted for a girl...I think I was convinced. It was so fun being surprised and shocked. It was great...we are VERY thankful, and super excited. Chris was beaming. I loved seeing him so happy. After the ultrasound, we had an appt. with the doctor. He said everything looks perfect! He said that this ultrasound rules out 90% of all for seen problems. The baby's growth is right on, and all his fingers and toes, etc. are all in place! Praise God! What a relief! Now we can't wait to see what he looks like. I secretly hope he looks like Chris. I would just LOVE to have a "little Chris". My heart wants to burst just thinking about it.

Thanks for all your prayers!

Jax

Ladies and Gentlemen...we have a willy!

2009-09-30T18:00:00.000-07:00

Will it be a boy or girl? Cast your vote!

2009-09-09T19:13:00.000-07:00

We had our September visit about a week ago, and it went great! The doctor told me that my uterus has definitely grown! He took my hand and pressed it into my belly where I could feel a big lump. I couldn't believe it. It wasn't mushy like fat is, it was harder. He told me that by 20 weeks my uterus will be up to my sternum, or right under my breasts. I couldn't believe that it could grow that much in 4 weeks!! He also told me to start preparing for some growth. By 20 weeks I will absolutely have a little bump goin' on :) Of course Chris was happy to hear this, because each time I show him my belly, he always says "that's not a baby belly...i want to see some real belly". So I will soon be giving him a "real" belly!

Three weeks until we find out the sex of the baby! We are so excited. I thought it would be fun to poll all my friends and family to see what everyone thinks I'm having. My vote is in...put yours in, and see if your right! I will be posting the next blog with the results, ultrasound pics, and more pictures of the growth of my tummy! Couldn't be more excited to share this with you all!

Jax

The count down! 16 weeks

2009-09-02T06:49:00.000-07:00

Today marks 16 weeks on my calendar, 4 months! I can't believe how quickly time has flown by already. Each week that passes, I am even more excited for this little one to be here. However, the next exciting news is to hear what the sex of the baby will be. I have never been so excited about something! I REALLY can't wait. Once the sex is determined (which I'm assuming we will be able to see that little one's parts), we will then be considering names, and eventually we can call our baby love by name. We look forward to when we can personalize my pregnancy verses referring to our little baby as "our little alien", "little peanut", or my favorite, "baby fish" =) The countdown has begun...4 weeks and counting to find out the sex! Hurray!

People have asked me if I am starting to show, and the answer is not quite. As my friend Val puts it..."I'm starting to feel like a fat girl" :) This time "fat girl" is not derogatory in any way, but is just right. I can always see accurately where I am standing, as far as showing, by looking at my belly in the morning. Sometimes I wonder if I ate 5 peanut butter pies in my dreams!! lol. So, I guess the baby is slowly starting to make it's appearance in this world. I definitely think by week 20, there will be less guessing involved.

This past Sunday at church, a good friend of ours, Andre, told me that his daughter Julia is SO excited about my pregnancy. It made me smile from ear to ear!! How sweet! She must only be 13-14 yrs. old, and Andre told me that she talks about how she can see a little bump once in awhile on my tummy. I guess I didn't realize how many people are excited about baby love like I am. We are blessed to have such a wonderful group of people to fellowship with, and I am thankful that we have not only their support throughout this pregnancy, but their prayers, which are even more important. Our church called "Chino Valley Bible Church" is really starting to take off. We have been supporting and helping it grow from the beginning, which was back in October of '08. We are coming up on our 1 year church anniversary. Chris has actively become a part of the group (he's an elder), therefore he teaches and helps in any other way possible. He is excited about a new course he's starting called "Bread of Life" on Sunday nights. He is such a teacher at heart. I have had the privilege to get involved with the worship team, and have truly enjoyed it! I honestly never thought I would be using my voice for the Lord. God works in mysterious ways :) I am enjoying singing, and I am working up the courage to perform a solo in the next few months. I figured if I'm going to do a solo, I better do it before the baby gets big, because when that happens I won't be able to catch my breath as easily.

I was searching through some old photos yesterday, and came across some adorable pictures of when Chris and I went to MN for Christmas a few years ago. Landry, my niece, was only a few months old, so it wasn't difficult finding cute pics of us holding her, and lovin' on her. I found these really sweet ones of Chris with Landry before we left for her dedication. For some reason, it makes me smile all over...because it shows the daddy in him. He really loves babies, and I'm so glad! Can't wait until we have one of our own to kiss and love all over. We have so much love to give!

Little nose...little toes...little fingers :)

Jax

1st Trimester accomplished! 13 weeks

2009-08-12T09:48:00.000-07:00

Today marks the end of my first trimester, and I can't believe that I am already one third done with my pregnancy! Everyone says that it goes by very quickly. I am trying hard to enjoy every moment. As I have been reading through my pregnancy books, I have come to understand what happens in the first 3 months of this little life forming. Amazing things! They say that this is the hardest trimester to get through because of nausea, risk of miscarriage, etc. I did experience serious nausea around weeks 8-9, accompanied with throwing up, etc. It seemed pretty short lived, and I am thankful for that. I have moved into the "hungry stage" where my appetite is like a lion's. hehe. Good thing I am married to a chef! ;) I would say that my belly is slowly starting to feel extended, especially after I eat. I don't know if you would consider this "showing" quite yet. As you can see from my picture, I haven't changed a whole lot, just looking a little "bloated".
____________________________

Anyway, I thought you would enjoy some of these neat facts:

Baby measures 2-3 inches from crown to rump and weighs 1/2 oz. The length of a baby carrot! Baby is fully formed from head to toe, although the internal organs continue to develop, particularly the brain. Fingers and toes have separated, hair and nails continue to grow. Bones continue to harden. Genitals begin to take on their gender characteristics. Baby's vocal cords are forming. The pituitary gland at the base of the brain is beginning to make hormones.

Although fully formed, baby wouldn't be able to survive outside the uterus yet, as internal organs, particularly baby's brain and lungs, haven't matured sufficiently. The intestines have moved further into the body, while the liver begins to secrete bile, and the pancreas starts to produce insulin. Baby's digestive system is now capable of absorbing glucose. However the umbilical cord is busy circulating blood between the placenta and baby to provide nourishment and get rid of waste products produced by it's rapid growth.

It's astonishing what baby can do at this stage: baby can move it's arms, fingers and toes. Baby can smile, frown and suck it's thumb :0) The baby's neck is fully formed, allowing it to have head movements. Eyes are moving into position on the front of the head, and ears move to their normal position. Research suggests the baby starts to sense sounds now. The ears aren't fully formed until 24 weeks, but it is thought that babies "hear" sounds through vibration receptors on their skin.
____________________________

So I guess baby can hear me sing, and pray for it?!? How very exciting. Soon baby- love will know my voice, and will recognize Chris's voice. As we move into the second trimester, or the "golden period of pregnancy", I look forward to all the excitements it will bring. I am very thankful that the side effects of early pregnancy are tapering off, and that the risk of miscarriage has dramatically reduced. I'm sleeping better, and some of my energy is starting to return. Baby is truly starting to feel more real to me, being able to hear it's heartbeat at each appt. and starting to see a little growth. Chris and I plan to start looking into the parenting classes that are available.

Chris and Maverick in our new recliner, reading

Chris already knows all about the Bradley Method

One thing that has blessed my heart more than anyone would know, is how excited Chris has been getting. It's the cutest thing in the whole world! He smiles from ear to ear when someone asks us about the baby. He even knows more about what's going on month to month inside me because he has read all my books! He has even read a book my friend Val sent me about the Bradley method of birth. After he read that one, he was telling me what we were going to do. lol :) It made me laugh, because guys think it's going to be that easy...if only they had to experience childbirth! OH BOY!! Chris has truly made this experience so special for me, and I am utterly thankful for such an amazing husband to share this with. The Lord has blessed me.

Jax

1st Doctors appt/1st Ultrasound 8.5 weeks

2009-07-20T08:49:00.000-07:00

The dark spot on the head is the brain forming

Little baby fisher, from head to rump :)

Fetal heartbeat 182 beats per minute

3D picture of baby: Facial cavities forming, etc.

The yolk sac emphasized

Measuring my entire uterus for size

My first doctors appointment was awesome! Chris came with me, which was a great comfort. After my urine test my pregnancy was confirmed, which was so great to hear! There was something about hearing a medical professional tell me that I actually had a baby growing inside my body. There was something so surreal about taking a home pregnancy test. I had a difficult time believing it was true. To have a doctor tell me it was true, put a permanent smile on my face for the rest of that day. The doctor went through my medical history (which is terribly boring) and also gave me a physical examination. He told me that my pelvic and uterine size was right where it should be. After the physical he talked to me a lot about nutrition. What I should be careful of, and what I shouldn't be eating at all. A lot of what my mom shares with me about nutrition was confirmed by my doctor, so I was really happy about that. At the end of the visit, he scheduled me for my first ultrasound. He told me that right now is the best time to have an ultrasound to determine the length of my pregnancy or the presence of twins. Chris and I just smiled at each other when we heard the words "presence of twins". Could you imagine? :)

My ultrasound was only a weekend away, I just couldn't wait. It sure was a unforgettable moment. I cried the entire way through. Watching my baby move around, and seeing it's little beating heart is truly mesmerizing and breathtaking. It was the first time my pregnancy felt "real". We were able to see the baby from all angles. She even let us see it in 3D which was awesome. We could pinpoint where the arm and leg buds were growing, where the facial cavities were, the yolk sac and the umbilical cord. We were able to hear the heart beating. I think it made my heart stop :) As wonderful as it was to see little baby fisher on that screen, the purpose of the scan was to make sure the baby was developing properly and that there weren't any problems. Several measurements were taken, and the lady that was helping us confirmed that the baby was growing well, and that there were no abnormalities or defects. We had our due date confirmed: FEBRUARY 17th! What a joyous experience, and I'm so glad that Chris was there to share it with me. My next ultrasound will be to see the sex of the baby...so excited about that one!! It was great to get a visual of our baby, it creates a reality in my mind of what's actually happening in my body! I can't believe that I'm already almost finished with my first tri-mester. Everyone is right, the time does pass very quickly. I look forward to when my belly starts to grow and I actually start showing. Every step of this journey is so exciting! Thrilled...

Jax

SURPRISE! I'm pregnant! 6 weeks

2009-07-17T07:15:00.000-07:00

I truly thought the day would never come.
Tuesday 06/23/'09

I was helping Chris cater a dinner party just a few short weeks ago, when all of a sudden I felt terribly dizzy. At first I thought of everything horrible. What if it's a brain tumor? Do I have something wrong with my thyroid? As we came to a close of the night, I realized that it was more than dizziness. I looked at all this beautiful food we had served, hot and tasty, and I literally felt like I could barf all over it. I broke out into a sweat, and told Chris that I'm sure I had the flu, and had to go rest in the car. Chris had finished packing up, and we left. I went home and puked twice! I thought, man, I haven't had the flu this bad in quite awhile.

A few days passed, and the flu didn't go away. I knew something wasn't right. The flu normally goes away in just a few days. My sister Jodi called and asked how I was feeling. I told her that nothing had changed and I was still feeling pretty bad. She made a comment like "maybe your pregnant". She encouraged me to get a pregnancy test on the way home from work, so I took her advice and picked one up (from the dollar store). I thought, if this cheap test even works, than I will be impressed. I took the test, and almost fell off the toilet. I thought, Oh this test is just inexpensive, I'm sure it's not right. I had a "expensive" digital test at home, and decided to use that one to confirm the previous one. I got home and ran to the bathroom. The test packaging said "It will take 10-12 seconds to get a reading". In 4 seconds flat (of course I was counting) the word PREGNANT showed up. This time, I almost fell into the toilet :) hehe.

I couldn't believe it! As I sat there, crying, I thought, how am I going to tell Chris? Seconds after that thought, Chris was calling my cell phone. AH!! I had to keep the secret until he was home. It was so hard. I decided to put the tests into a baggie and stick it inside another bag (similar to something I would normally bring home for him). I gestured to the bag and told him I picked something up for him. As he pulled out the pregnancy tests, his eyes revealed all. He was shocked at first, and then after realizing what was really happening, he got tears in his eyes, grabbed me and just held me for minutes. It was so special.

Of course, after telling Chris, I had so many people to call. Sharing the good news of a baby is one the best feelings in the world. My family responded so awesome! :) We are all so excited about this new little life! Our lives have already changed just by knowing about this pregnancy. We are blessed beyond belief, and cannot wait to share our lives with this precious baby. What a miracle conception is! I've been reading awesome books, and can't believe how many things have to go right in order for life to be formed. Amazing.

Here's to the beginning of an amazing pregnancy! Cannot wait to share it all with you.

Jax

P.S--I have my first doctor's appt/& ultrasound pictures ready for my next posting. I will be posting that blog in about a week :)