Life as an Amberson

Lucky # 16!

2010-10-20T11:42:00.000-05:00

I am now 16 weeks pregnant and have a 16 month old! Wow time is flying by!! I'm still feeling great other than being tired but the fatigue isn't as bad as it was a few weeks ago. I haven't had any sickness other than feeling a little queasy after eating something with a red/tomato base. I still haven't felt any movement but I didn't with Henry until right at about 20 weeks. I have not done one thing to prepare for this baby and feeling a bit guilty about it. When I was 4 months along Henry, I had already picked out bedding, some furniture, and had a list of boy and girl names going. I keep telling myself it's because we don't know if it's a girl or boy yet but I think its pure procrastiation on my part. When I think about it I just get overwhelmed! Where is he or she going to fit in our tiny house? How am I going to raise 2 babies and work full time? What is Henry going to think about not being the only child around here? I realize these are all normal feelings but they are a bit overwhelming. I am so excited about this new baby and am overjoyed about bringing another life into our family, but a little scared too. I guess now that I think about it I had many worried feelings before Henry got here and just as He always does, God provided for us and I now could not imagine life without him! We go on Nov. 4th for my big u/s and to hopefully find out if henry is getting a brother or sister.

Henry is now 16 months old and such a joy to be around! Last month at the doctor he weighed 23lbs (35-40 percentile) and is 33 inches tall (95th percentile) He's such a happy boy and has such a fun personality. If a one year old can have a sense of humor, Henry certainly has one! He loves to laugh at silly things and he does silly things on purpose to make us laugh. His favorite game is to lean in for a kiss but pull away at the last minute and laugh and shake his head. I of course make a big deal about it and chase him around the house until I can steal a kiss from him which only keeps the game going. He LOVES to be outside. He can find dirt and sticks anywhere we go-such a boy. We play in the front yard every afternoon after school and Henry loves to wave at passing cars, chase the dog, and give me things he picks up in the drive way. He's still not talking a ton but is getting better about attempting to say a word if I ask him to. He's so funny, if he wants something but doesnt know the sign or word for it he will just make up a sign for it. This can be a bit frustrating for both of us but at least he's making an effort to communicate. He babbles in his crazy language all of the time and I love to hear it! His curent words: moma, dada, bah (ball), off, up, nana(banana), oosh (shoes), night night, mah (milk), and his grandarents: kaka (kk), mumu (mimi) bopoh (Bpaw) Ssssuussss (Sue Sue) and my least favorite: no, and top (stop). He also LOVES to dance and sing. His favorite songs to sing are: Wheels on the Bus, Itsy Bitsy Spider, and BINGO (and he knows most of the hand motions to all of them) and he will dance to anything with a beat!

** I promise to get new pictures up soon!!

bare with me...

2010-09-21T21:56:00.002-05:00

as I try to play catch up and get back to the blogging world...
I know there are about 7 posts tonight that have nothing but a title. I will be adding to them and updating but I didn't want to get so far behind where I wasn't blogging about current stuff so there you go. That's my excuse. I promise to add pictures soon!

First

2010-09-21T21:54:00.001-05:00

Yes, even after 15 months we are still experiencing "firsts"... even though they don't happen as often as they did in the first year. This first, however, some may say is a little over due. Last night was Henry's first night to spend the night out, and our first night alone without Henry in the house! It wasn't exactly planned but was a success! We went to our dear friends, Mary and Scott's house for Mary's famous chicken spaghetti (mmm I'm still thinking about it today!!). I went ahead and packed pj's because I knew we'd probably get in after Henry's bedtime. After a fun night of dancing with the girls (Ive got to post some video of this kid's dance moves), eating a wonderful dinner, and even getting a bath in Marys big bathtub, Henry was having a ball! Mary begged for Henry to spend the night since he was already in his pjs and she happened to have the next day off and not a thing to do other than spend it with her favorite man!
I will openly admit I was a little apprehensive-not because I was worried Mary couldn't handle it-after all, she's raised three girls! It was me! I was worried how I would do... and more so how Henry would do, but I knew it was time. He needs the practice for when the baby comes. He can't exactly stay in the delivery room with us! When it came time for us to leave, he was a little cranky because it was past his bedtime so after my prince charming went home and packed him an overnight bag and loaded up the pack-n-play, I was able to put Henry down to sleep and leave knowing he went down easy knowing he was in a safe place.
I can't tell you how weird it felt coming home without him. It was that weird feeling like...well like you left your cell phone at home but a million times worse. Lee and I kept saying how quiet the house felt. Even when he's asleep we have the hum of his sound machine in the house. Last night it was just....quiet. Ahhhh...quiet... I was able to relax and get ready for bed knowing I would get a full night's sleep-unless of course Mary called because I must have said 900 times "Call us if you need us, even if it's in the middle of the night".
The strangest part was this morning. I actually had to set my alarm. I wasn't welcomed with a sweet, fuzzy-headed babe holding his Lamby reaching up out of his bed for me. I didn't like that part. BUT I got a text from Mary saying they had a wonderful night with no trouble and that Henry was just fine! I knew he would be. I am a little jealous Mary gets to have a day with my sweet man all to herself doing whatever they want to do-I know he's having a ball!

Big news!

2010-09-21T21:54:00.000-05:00

Henry is going to be a big brother!
I can't believe I typing this. Is he even big enough to be a big brother?? He's still just a baby right? WRONG! Ever since I found out I was pregnant he seems even bigger to me. He looks so "grown" in his big boy tennis shoes and is starting to use a spoon! How can this be!?! Time flies when you're having fun! I know Henry is going to be the best big brother ever! He's so caring and loving. I can't wait to see the wonderful bond they will have being siblings. I hope they are close. they will be close in age (22months apart) but I hope they have a close, loving relationship. My due date is April 1st (yes, April Fool's Day!) I'm feeling great, no complaints other than being tired-really tired. But no morning sickness-thank God! I'll keep everyone updated via facebook and the blog.

First Day of School...sort of

2010-09-21T21:53:00.001-05:00

teeth!!

2010-09-21T21:53:00.000-05:00

We finally have more than 2 teeth! I swear I was ready to order baby dentures for my poor little toothless wonder but all of the sudden we have a mouth FULL!! The top four have been trying to come in for some time now but took forever to break through. Once they came in his bottom two (on either side of his little middle mouse teeth) started making their way through. Last night as I was trying to count his teeth I felt a sharp little molar coming in!! Other than being a drooling fool Henry has been a trouper! We had 2 fussy nights last week but I figured it was just a bad dream or something...poor fella! His little toothy grin is too cute these days. Ill try to get a picture posted.

Almost forgot about the aquarium!

2010-09-21T21:52:00.003-05:00

Summer is over :(

2010-09-21T21:52:00.002-05:00

Family beach trip

2010-09-21T21:52:00.001-05:00

Splash Pad with friends

2010-09-21T21:52:00.000-05:00

SUMMER!!!!!

2010-09-21T21:51:00.002-05:00

Henry's Little Red Wagon Birthday Party!

2010-09-21T21:51:00.001-05:00

bethany's wedding

2010-09-21T21:51:00.000-05:00

April 30th
My best friend in the whole world married her best friend this weekend and I had the honor and privilege of being in the wedding. I was her matron of honor. It was a BEAUTIFUL wedding and the weather couldn't have been more perfect! Bethany and Wes looked so happy and in love. The wedding was held at a beautiful little white chapel and the reception in an old but restored Southern Belle style home on a beautiful piece of property. The whole wedding looked as if it were a scene from a movie! My mom and Lee and Henry came and Henry had a blast dancing at the reception. Thank you Bethany and Wes for allowing me to play a part in your special day!!

beach trip

2010-08-27T09:47:00.000-05:00

* 5/17/10
To celebrate my summer break starting I took a girls trip with two of my favorite ladies I teach with! This was my first time to leave Henry so I was a little nervous but I know he was in good hands with his daddy! Tracy was so kind to allow us to stay at her parents condo in Gulf Shores. Man was it a nice break! We slept in, went to the beach, and to the pool. I didn't have to fix anybody anything to eat or drink and for three whole days I didn't change a single diaper!! I missed Henry and Lee bunches but it was a much needed break!

11 months

2010-08-27T09:44:00.000-05:00

original post 5/12/10
I cannot believe in one month I will have a one year old!!! Where has this year gone!?! Henry is such a sweet boy! He is so busy these days! He has taken several steps in a row and will be walking everywhere before I know it! He stands for several minutes and cruises everywhere. He can now stand from sitting without having to pull up on anything. He still just has two teeth but that doesn't slow him down food-wise. He is such a great eater! He eats many solid foods now and is very well behaved when we go out to eat. He still says momma dadda and "bah" for ball. He signs more, eat, milk, and all done. he loves to play outside and climb all over Sophie-she's such a good dog. He LOVES to go outside and his favorite place to play is at the park! We can't wait for his party next month!!

tubes

2010-08-27T09:39:00.002-05:00

Original post May 11th
I had a wonderful post and when I cut to paste into word to spell check I lost it all! :(

Henry continued to have one ear infection after another so finally after his 7th (i think) double ear infection, we went to see an pediatric ENT. At the initial consult Henry failed his hearing test. The doctor said it was most likely due to the amount of fluid on his ears and that after tubes it would drain off and he would regain his hearing. Nothing like a failed hearing test to make a momma nervous! After talking more with the doctor, he said Henry was a perfect candidate for tubes and we scheduled them for the following week.
Henry was such a trouper! We woke him up early that morning and loaded him into the car with no bottle or breakfast. We arrived at the outpatient clinic and checked him in and they took us to our own waiting room. The nurses were so nice and the whole waiting area was brightly decorated and had all kinds of fun ride-on toys and things to play with. After about an hour of waiting they called for Henry to go back. Lee and I were so nervous! I swear he wasn't gone 15 minutes and they brought me back a groggy, cranky baby with cotton filled ears. Boy was he mad. He twisted and turned and refused his bottle and his daddy. The only thing that calmed him down was eating ice chips (he is like his mom and loves ice). A little bit later the nurse came by and said he looked great and that we could take him home.
The rest of the day went great! Henry came home and drank two bottles back to back (He hadn't eaten since the night before) and played. We all three took a nice long nap together. We were so thankful his surgery went well with no complications!

I am happy to report that at Henry's follow up appointment he passed his hearing test with flying colors and has not had another ear infection since (knock on wood).

It's been too long!

2010-08-18T11:12:00.000-05:00

Wow! I really stink at this whole blogging thing lately! Life has really been busy lately but we're still here!! Im going to back track and blog from where I left off. Believe it or not I've started many blogs about this summer but either haven't finished or haven't added pictures. Not really sure who's out there that reads this but here goes nothing to try to catch up!!

First Visit to the Park

2010-05-08T09:06:00.000-05:00

The park here in town has been closed due to construction (why didn't they choose to work on it this winter is still a mystery to me) for the past two months but it finally opened last weekend. After church Sunday, we met Mimi, B-Paw and Uncle Daniel for lunch and then decided to hit the park. They all joined us to watch Henry play. He loved the park. He talked and squealed, and pointed to all of the people and playground equipment. The one thing he didn't love was crawling on the warm rubber padded flooring covering the park. I think his favorite thing was the swing.

I know there will be many more trips to the park in our near future!

First Easter

2010-04-18T21:20:00.001-05:00

Henry's first Easter was a lot of fun. We did the whole Easter bunny thing and Henry woke to find a trail of plastic eggs that led him to his basket full of goodies.

We didn't go overboard as we tried to keep focused on the meaning for the holiday as the resurrection of our Savior. After breakfast we headed to a wonderful Easter service at church then to Mimi and B-Paws for lunch with the family. Henry had a great time visiting with everyone and playing in the bubbles with cousin Summer.

I think he loved playing with the plastic egg most. (it's three weeks later and we still have them out to play with)

Ten Months

2010-04-18T21:10:00.000-05:00

My sweet snuggle bunny is ten months old! I can't believe I am already thinking about planning a first birthday!! I was cleaning out his closet and drawers the other day making room for spring and summer clothes and cannot get over how big he is! I can remember them just swallowing them whole and now they are all skin tight and too short. How is it that he is getting so big right before my very own eyes! I was holding him tonight before going to bed and looked down and he is all legs and arms spilling over my lap! He used to be so tiny and fragile looking!

Not only is he growing like a weed but he is learning at lightning speed. He now says momma and da-da and recently out of the blue starting saying uh-oh and at the appropriate time. In fact he drops things on purpose just to say uh-oh. Another new favorite game is...What does a __________ say? As soon as Lee or I say that He stops and looks at us and giggles when we make whatever sound the said animal makes. Henry is the happiest baby I know! He loves "school" and doesn't cry when Lee drops him off anymore and he's so excited when I pick him up. He also loves to be outside. Now that its warmed up we try to stroll every afternoon with my friend and her little girl. Henry just kicks and babbles and hangs out. After our stroll we often sit in the front yard and watch the cars drive by as we wait for Lee to come home from work (he points with his little finger at the cars all the cars).

Henry is eating more and more table food. This Saturday he had his first taste of pancakes (minus the syrup) and he LOVED them! He's also gotten a little pickier. One day last week he ate sweet peas like they were going out of style and the next night he totally snubbed them~silly boy! He still takes a bottle four times a day and juice or water from a sippy cup.

The biggest milestone we've hit this month is walking! Yes I have a WALKING boy in the house!! He started taking a few steps and then just took off! He still falls a good bit and has that cute drunken baby walk but he's getting better and better every day. If he wants to get somewhere fast he'll crawl but for the most part he walks, falls, and gets right back up and tries again. It's so bitter sweet.

Remember her?

2010-03-31T21:07:00.002-05:00

remember my new best friend? Well she's now my latest ~~obsession~~ passion! I LOVE doing appliques and embroidery! I love being creative and figuring out what I am going to make and picking out the coordinating thread and fabrics and then seeing it all come together as a finished product. These are a few of my latest....

And this...

this is my new sewing room/office/guest /catch-all room...but mostly its my sewing room. My inlaws had the desk in their basement and graciously let me use it so I have more room to spread out and work. Doesn't it look professional? I've now moved out of the closet and my sweet husband can have his closet back and doesn't have to share with Henry. Have I mentioned how much I love him? He's so supportive and just my biggest fan and cheerleader whenever I get excited about something. Not only has he given up more of his space but he's been dragged (drug?) from here to just about every fabric and craft store in Birmingham ~~without complaining~~ without too much complaining and has even done emergency "I'm out of stabilizer" runs while on his lunch break so that I'd have it that evening.

Im starting to take on a few applique/monogramming jobs here and there which are fun and frightening all at the same time. It's one thing to mess up on a t-shirt I am making for Henry and a whole 'nother to fear I might mess up something of someone else's. So far I've been pleased with what I've done. I told Lee if I make enough money I am going to hire a cleaning lady :) He seems to think that's a great idea since our present one is too busy crafting and raising a baby to do much cleaning around here ;0)
Here are a few things I've done for others...

NiNe MoNtHs!!

2010-03-31T20:37:00.002-05:00

** I forgot to publish this saved post earlier this month then I was going to wait until I had pictures and doctor stats and forgot :)

My little lucky charm is nine months already! Its hard to believe I carried him for as long as he has been here! Him being here has been much more fun although I loved being pregnant. He is such a joy to have around and he makes my heart smile! He is getting to be SO much fun and his little personality is developing everyday. At nine months he loves taking baths, stroller rides, loving on our dog Sophie, playing with tupperware, snuggling when he wakes up, quiet time with his "Lamby", books, his daddy, and LOVES blowing kisses! He is SO close to walking its so funny to watch him. He now can stand up without pulling up and will just stand all on his own and when we try to get him to walk he will take a step and clap because he's used to up clapping and he gets all excited and looses his balance and falls-silly boy! He is now eating some table foods and is like a little bird when we are eating something, he'll open his mouth and grunt until we give him a taste. He ate almost an entire plate of guacamole when we ate Mexican the other night. He still has just two little "mouse teeth" as we call them on the bottom. We're trying the sippy cup more and more but he still loves a bottle. I took him to the doctor for his 9 month check up and he is 20.8lbs (40th percentile) and 30 inches tall (97th percentile!) my little string bean ;0) Dr. S said he looked great and was impressed with his ability to blow kisses, stand, and do some baby sign language. Henry was a champ and did all of his "tricks" for him. We were both happy to hear there were no shots for this visit. The bad news is that he had ANOTHER double ear infection-I didn't even know! this was his 5th infection since June so he has referred us to an ENT for a tubes consult next month.

I dont have his 9month pictures loaded yet but here are a few from the past month..Henry and Summer at their 1st sleepover (both busting out of their pjs)

SOOOO big!

the kitchen whisk

Henry's new favorite toy

Standing all by myself!

So close to taking a step!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-25T19:27:00.001-06:00

...a week late :)

Here are a few pictures of my sweet Valentine before we went to chuch on Valentine's day. I never thought I would/could love him as much as I do! He is wearing a shirt I appliqued for him that I am very proud of! It was the first one that I've actually let him wear (others I have messed up on and they've gone into the "practice pile").

family, trains, and fish

2010-02-23T22:47:00.004-06:00

The day after our big ~~blizzard~~ dusting of snow, we packed up what seemed like enough stuff for three days for Henry and headed out to Chattanooga for the day. We met my dad, and my brother Joe, his wife Kiersten and their three kids. (You can see their family's adventures here) As soon as we pulled up Grandpa Doug had us hop on a train, can we say perfect timing?? Henry took his first train ride and he really seemed to enjoy it. I know the big cousins did! We took a quick little trip to a nearby station, turned around and came right back. When we got back, we watched the conductor turn the train on the roundabout and took a quick tour of the workshop.

Then... it was off to the aquarium! Let me just tell you the walk from the parking deck to the aquarium was cold and windy!! Before we got our tickets, we decided to grab a quick bite to eat because we knew we were going to have a big dinner a few hours later. We first stopped at a burger place but they had 30 minute wait so someone had the bright idea to go next door to the hotdog stand. The hotdog stand that was basically a window you walk up to and order and stand and wait....did I mention how COLD and WINDY it was?? Needless to say that part was the least fun of the whole trip. We scarfed down our food while we jogged in place to stay warm and then took off to the aquarium. It was a lot of fun! Henry LOVED to watch the big fish, turtles, and sea creatures/animals swim in front of him. He would get so excited and bounce and "talk" and reach out and touch the glass when something swam in front of him. The pictures don't quite capture the excitement.

After lots of walking and seeing lots of water and sea life, we went back to Joe and Kiersten's hotel for a delicious spaghetti dinner and to hang out with the family for a little bit. While Kiersten worked her magic in the kitchen, Joe took the kids to the indoor swimming pool. If you have ever seen Henry in the bath you would know that he LOVES water. I mean this kid gets excited when you turn the kitchen sink on so we couldn't miss out on the opportunity to see what he'd do in a swimming pool. To say he enjoyed himself is saying the least. That boy splashed until I thought his skinny little arms were going to fall off. He loved it. We didn't bring our swim suits to get into the water with him so I rolled up my jeans and let him sit on the first step and splash his little heart out! He was so cute! I can't wait to see how he'll do in the pool and ocean this summer!

After dinner and a little Olympic watching, we packed up and headed home. We had such a great time visiting with the family and can't wait to do it again soon!

Henry's first snow day

2010-02-17T21:16:00.001-06:00

I heard on the news this weekend that every state in the US (except Hawaii) has snow in it somewhere....how crazy is that!? This past Friday was Henry's first snow day! We had a few inches on the ground which around here is apparently enough for them to call a "winter storm" and enough snow for them to cancel school sooo... that meant for us a day off and an early start to our weekend AND Henry's first snow day!

It snowed here earlier this winter but it was just a dusting so we didn't count that ;) Henry's first snow was actually here almost exactly a year ago but he was snug as a bug in my belly and didn't get to actually play in it :) This year was much more fun...for all three of us. Henry LOVED the snow. He was amazed by it. Before we went out in it, he stood at the door just staring at it all. When we went outside he bounced and flailed his arms in excitement. He would look up and watch it fall and then look down at the ground, it was so cute. He wanted to get down but when I put him down he wanted to be held. He could quite figure what all the white stuff was all about. Lee built us a snowman and Henry loved it! He wanted to touch it but was a little unsure about it being so cold.

8 months!

2010-02-14T22:51:00.000-06:00

**OK Sorry this is such a long post! I didn't expect it to be so long. I blog to keep a record of where we are in our lives and what he's doing so I can one day look back and remember (in addition to keep others up on our life) so feel free to skip this read**

I know I say this every month about whatever age he is, but it's hard to believe my Valentine is 8 months old! I just cannot get over how fast time is flying by. I mean one day he goes from being this helpless, little, pink blob on a blue blanket to this independent, busy, little personality that I have to literally run after to catch up to! He is no longer and infant, he is a baby, and on his way to being a toddler....how the heck did that happen?? He's been on this earth almost as long as he was growing inside me, weird huh?

Henry is such a happy and fun baby! He loves to play with his toys and crawl around the house. Lee and I love to watch him play by himself and "talk" as he's doing so. His new favorite spot to play is under the kitchen table. He pulls up on the chairs and drums away on the seat and weaves in and out from under the legs of the chairs. While trying to cook dinner one night, I found my little explorer constantly under my feet. Out of desperation, I pulled out a box of his old 4 oz plastic bottles hoping to entertain him for a few minutes so I could move freely about in the kitchen. He LOVED it! He must have played with those bottles and lids for a good 45 minutes- pulling them out, tasting each one before pulling out another along with a lid. He loved banging them on the floor or against each other...well really banging them against anything he could find, including the dog. Sophie is such a good dog, she puts up will all kinds of abuse from him. We now leave the box out full time to occupy him while we're in the kitchen. Tonight he was a little fussy and nothing seemed to make him happy. I pulled the box of bottles in the den and we played with them on the rug. I started stacking them up and when they fell and crashed Henry let out the BIGGEST belly laugh! For whatever reason he thought that was hilarious. His laugh was contagious! We stacked and crashed bottles until we both had tears in our eyes we laughed so hard. I of course was laughing at him laughing. It made my night.

We are all trying to get over colds in our house. I think that's why he hasn't been himself lately. I took him to the doctor last week because he has a terrible cough and he ended up having a double ear infection. Poor fella! I felt so bad because I had no clue, he hadn't run a fever or tugged at his ears or anything! I have a feeling tubes are in our near future. We went after hours so they didn't weigh him so I am anxious to see how much he weighs at his 9 month well-visit.

At 8 months Henry is sleeping around ten hours a night. He goes to bed around 8:00/8:30 and wakes between 6:00 and 6:30. He occasionally will wake in the middle of the night, lately I've been letting him cry it out. The crying usually lasts about ten minutes and then he's back to sleep. We've been blessed with a good sleeper...I'm sure the next one will be the complete opposite. My mom says God gives you the good one first so you'll have more LOL! He still takes a morning and an afternoon nap. They last anywhere from 20 minutes to and hour depending on the day.

Not only is he a good sleeper but he's a good eater as well! He is still on stage 2 jar foods. I tried a stage 3 not too log ago and he didn't like it. I think is was the bigger chunks he didn't like. He gagged a few times then refused to open his mouth. We'll try it again in a few months. For now, he's perfectly happy with the puréed ones ;) He's had a few table food tastes (not sure If I remember them all) mashed potatoes, green beans, kidney beans, avocado, and he's sucked on a chunk of cantaloupe. Those are the ones I can remember off the top of my head. He still just has two bottom teeth, cute little white bunny teeth I might add! ;-) We recently gave him star puffs and it's so cute to watch him nibble it with his teeth and try to coordinate his tongue and jaws to chew it up. His facial expressions are priceless! The funniest part is watching him pick them up and try to get them in his mouth. At first he missed his mouth more than he rang it but he is a fast learner and has picked it up pretty fast. He is still not very interested in a sippy cup or apple juice. He'll drink a little but he does more playing and dropping of the cup more than anything.

He "jibber-jabbers" all of the time and loves it when you "talk" back to him. He thinks its hilarious if you pretend to sneeze and he loves to play "Where is Henry?" with a blanket...such a silly boy. He loves to play patty-cake (pat-a-cake??) and he's now trying to clap by himself-it's so cute! Henry has really become attached to Lamby, his stuffed lamb lately....I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. For now we think its super cute! Just incase it becomes a full-blown addiction, we have an extra one we switch in and out during washes. This way, if something happens to the first one, we'll have a backup that smells and looks just like the other one. We try to keep Lamby in his bed most of the time so it will just be a bed buddy but since he's been sick Lamby's made it all over the house.

Henry is still crawling every where, getting faster every day. When you come up behind him (especially when he knows he's headed for something he's not supposed to), he goes faster and squeals with excitement. I call him my little snail because where ever he goes he leaves a trail of slobber...yes that sounds gross but I love it. It means he has a growing interest in the world around him and he is learning by discovering the taste and texture of different objects. He pulls up and stands on his own until he realizes he's standing up all by himself without holding onto anything and he'll lower himself down, cautiously. He will walk while pushing his little walker toy or if someone stands him up and holds his hands, but I am in no hurry for him to walk on his own :)

Pictures to come soon. I am behind and have not made his onesie but it's on the agenda for tomorrow! As soon as I do, Ill take pictures and post them asap.

Movin' on Up

2010-02-01T22:23:00.000-06:00

Well he's moving on up,

to the left side.

To a deluxe classroom in the school...

...okay so that was my cheesy attempt to be funny all while telling you, he's moving up! Our big boy has been promoted to a new classroom. It's bitter sweet. I am so proud of him for progressing but it just means he's growing up!

For those of you who didn't hear the long drama filled story, I'll do my best to sum it up... When I went back to work we had someone keeping Henry in their home. I was so happy about this because going back to work was hard enough on me and I felt so good about not having to put him in daycare. Well, after about a month she decided it was more than she could take on and wasn't sure if she could continue after Christmas. You can imagine the panic and heartbreak I felt! I called his new place to see if they still had Henry's name on their waiting list. By the grace of God they "just so happened" to have a spot open up and since we could fill it right away, they accepted! I was super worried and distraught about having to leave him in a "germ infested daycare where all they would do was sit him in a swing all day"

BOY WAS I WRONG!! We could not be happier about where he is and how they care for him. It is very clean and he does anything but sit in a swing all day! I love his teachers and the directors. They are so kind and caring and happy to talk to me and make me feel at ease. We're going to miss his teachers in the infant 1 room but I know he'll like it in his new classroom where he can crawl around and pull up on all of the fun things.

We're still here

2010-02-01T22:15:00.000-06:00

Its been almost a month since my last post. I know I've been a little MIA, but we're still here! I have just been so covered up with work, Henry, trying to keep up this dirty house, and trying to teach myself how to use my new embroidery machine that I have put blogging on the back burner. I know, I know, I've just left all my "fans" and followers wondering what happened to us...who am I kidding! I don't even think I have many fans other than family that occasionally wonder over to our page to catch up on the latest with H man, but that's about it!

Anywhoo...for those of you who do keep up with us, I'll give you the run down: Henry is busier than ever!! He is crawling everywhere and pulls up on any and everything! Last Saturday, we spent the day with Mandy, Chris, and Summer. While getting his picture taken, Henry decided to show off and stand up and balance for about 10 seconds without holding onto anything. we were so excited, I don't even know if I got a picture of it! I have a feeling we're going to have a little walker in the house by the time he is 9 months old! Wow-where is time going!?

On another fun note, I gave Henry his first biter biscuit Sunday and he seemed to enjoy it. He washed it down with his first taste of apple juice!

Not real sure about it at first

Now what?

Uh oh I dropped it...

I think I like this thing!

Mmm washing it down with juice in a big boy cup!

Now I need a bath!

seven month pictures

2010-02-01T21:58:00.001-06:00

Better late than never, right!

The older her gets, the harder it is for him to sit still long enough to get a good picture

Do you see what I see?

2010-01-10T23:01:00.000-06:00

can you see it?

it's a little tooth!

and another coming in right next to it!

Is that the cutest tooth you've ever seen or what!?

Not as cute as he is!!

seven months!

2010-01-10T22:39:00.000-06:00

Is time is a thief or what!?!? How is my little man already seven months?! I always heard people say they grow up so fast but never realized just how fast it happens. He is still just as precious as he was 7 months ago and SO much fun!! His little personality is blooming and I hope he stays laid back and easy going for the rest of his life. We've been doing sign language with Henry since he was about 4 months and I think he's really starting to get it. We're pretty sure he does the sign for "all done" when he's finished eating and when we put him in bed (go figure). He gets excited when we do the sign for eat so I'm pretty sure he's got that one too. He is crawling everywhere and pulling up on anything he can get a good grip on. He loves to pull up on his toy basket and pull things out and hold them out for us to see. His balance has gotten really good. He loves to wave bye-bye and smiles all of the time. He's started babbling more with consonant sounds like ma-ma-ma and ba-ba-da. I love his facial expressions when he "talks".

At seven months Henry weighs 17.3lbs and 28 inches long, still long and lean. He still loves his veggie stage 2 baby foods. He LOVES to read books together and enjoys music and hand games like "patty cake". He has finally been going to sleep without a fight (shh I don't want to say it too loud or I might jinx it). His sleep schedule was so messed up over Christmas when he was sick but I think we are finally on the right track. He is crawling like a champ and getting faster by the day. He loves to craw into the kitchen and explore under the kitchen table and chairs. This is okay for now until he discovers his "pincher fingers" and then everything will go into his mouth. He can go from crawling to sitting up and once he pulls up on something he can "cruse" along and move about and can plop back down to crawl somewhere else. He is one busy fella!! He has beautiful big blue eyes with killer eyelashes and a smile that will melt your heart. He's getting a little more hair but I have a feeling it won't fill in a whole lot more any time soon. He's been working on getting a tooth and it has finally surfaced and he constantly has his tongue out, I'm sure feeling it out. We love him to pieces and can't imagine our life without him. I think I love him a little more each day. I love it when I go to pick him up at daycare and he gets so excited to see me. I say all the time I can't believe I am a mom but honestly I can't imagine my life another way. I'm so proud to be Henry's mother. I hope I make him proud one day to be his mommy.

*pictures to come soon!

meet my new best friend...

2010-01-10T10:44:00.001-06:00

this is my new toy

or should I say obsession

I don't quite know what I'm doing just yet

But I think this is a start of a beautiful friendship :)

Bye Bye!

2009-12-31T12:38:00.000-06:00

Henry has been waving byebye to me for about a week now but everytime I try to show someone else he doesn't do it and I look like a liar! Finally he's started doing it more and the other night when KK and Papaw were over here he did it for them and did it long enough for me to get it on video. He's so cute when he does it and he is so proud of himself.

I also forgot to post this last month on his crawling!!

Baby's first Christmas

2009-12-28T22:28:00.000-06:00

Henry's Christmas was really good, all things considered... Considering he had RSV, and ear infection AND broke out in what I think was hand foot mouth Christmas morning.

It all started when Henry had what I assumed was "the crud" around Thanksgiving because we all had it. Finally after about 2 weeks of him still not being able to shake it, I took him to the doctor. The doctor said Henry was well on his way to a double ear infection so he put him on an antibiotic to clear that up and help dry up his sinus issues. After a week of meds Henry seemed like he had actually gotten worse and had a terrible cough! So knowing it would be just our luck to be in the ER on Christmas Eve, I decided to take him back. Dr. S said he had an ear infection in his left ear and confirmed my fear that he likely had RSV. He took a chest x-ray and said his lungs looked good but to keep an eye on his cough and make sure it didn't get worse and he wasn't struggling breathe. He decided to change antibiotics and said to continue propping his bed and run the humidifier. By Christmas Eve Henry was still a little puny so we had to skip Henry's first Christmas Eve service at church. I was pretty bummed about that but we figured it was better to play it safe and not expose him to other small kids in case he was contagious. We went to Lee's mom's for dinner and stopped by our friend's house for a quick visit and went home to get ready for Santa! My mom spent the night with us and she and I stayed up late baking cookies together. I really enjoyed that. Christmas morning was pretty low key, we got up when out little alarm clock in Christmas pajamas called for us. He opened a few gifts and was ready to go back down for a nap after about an hour. My dad came over for breakfast and more presents. By the time Henry got up again I noticed he had a rash on his chin and hands. By mid morning it was all over his back and feet. I couldn't call anyone with it being Christmas day but I have seen it enough from working at the daycare to be pretty certain it was hand foot mouth, which is a fever virus followed by a skin rash. It's pretty contagious among infants so we opted not to go to Christmas dinner with Lee's family in fear of getting cousin Summer sick. Lee went and my mom hung out here with H and me. By afternoon Henry acted like he was feeling better but still had the rash. We all just laid around and watched Christmas movies in between naps. That evening, KK and Papaw stopped by and visited with us and we exchanged presents.

I absolutely hated that Henry was sick for his first Christmas but it also made me so very thankful that I have a healthy baby most of the time. I spent a lot of the time he was sick thinking about was how terrible it must be to have a child with a chronic or terminal illness. It broke my heart to see him feel so bad and look so pitiful but I knew he would be well in a matter of days. I can't imagine how it feels...I hope and pray I never have to know...

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!

Christmas came early

2009-12-28T22:15:00.000-06:00

Our family "festivities" began the weekend before Christmas. We all got together at Mimi and Bpaw's and exchanged presents and ate delicious lasagna and way too many sweets. Henry and his cousin Summer were showered with toys and clothes from their aunts, uncles and grandparents.

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-24T09:47:00.000-06:00

half a year!? What!?

2009-12-19T23:09:00.000-06:00

That's right! My little reindeer was 6 months old this month! I know, I am late in posting but school, the holiday and having a 6 month old really takes up my time these days. Did I mention I have a 6 month old?!?! That's half way to a year, this cannot be!!! I just found out I was pregnant a few months ago and just brought him home like yesterday, right?? Time is just flying by!!
Henry is such a joy to have in our lives. He is so easy going and happy most of the time. He is very loving and snuggly~I hope that never changes! He is busier than ever!! He can now officially crawl on all fours and has pulled up several times. Our life of plopping him down somewhere and walking away is over! I joke with Lee that when he crawls, I'm going to push him over, I'm just not ready for this! He is really doing well at sitting up by himself (when he sits still long enough too!) It was quite a challenge to get a decent Christmas card picture of him because he is constantly on the go....not to mention a total drool factory!

He babbles like crazy and still loves to bounce in his jumparoo..well actually he loves to bounce where ever he is! When he gets excited he kicks his little skinny legs like crazy! He is now 28.5 inches long and 16 lbs-still long and lean!

Hen loves to eat from a spoon! He gets so excited when we put him in his highchair because he knows what's coming. He now eats stage 1 and 2 organic baby foods (fruits and veggies). His favorites are peas, sweet potatoes, and carrots. He likes most fruits but is not a fan of bananas. He tried a new flavor-corn and butternut squash last week. He wasn't a huge fan of it at first but I assumed it was because it was a new flavor. About 30 minutes later he threw it ALL up so Im not sure if he was allergic to it or for whatever reason didn't agree with him but I've been afraid to offer it to him again. He acted fine before and after so I'm still not sure what to think. We've started doing a few signs with him, hoping he will pick up on baby sign language and start to communicate with us soon.

We are very excited about our first Christmas with Henry and as parents! I am SUPER excited about spending 2 weeks off of work to be home with my sweet man!

Santa!!

2009-12-14T22:23:00.001-06:00

Last week, we took Henry to see Santa! I was so worried he was going to freak out and cry but he did great! He looked at him and checked out his beard and then looked right into the camera! Cousin Summer and her parents came along with us and Paw Paw and K-K couldn't miss out on all the fun! We got some great pictures and we were so proud of our little Christmas elves!! We celebrated by going to dinner afterwards. It was a great night with great company!

Sooooo not ready for this...

2009-12-05T23:52:00.000-06:00

This would be my crazy son tonight...

Six months old as of today and he's already PULLING UP! ! ! What gives?! He just started creeping/crawling a few days ago! I just can't take it! He is growing up too fast!

Tonight he went down as usual... I put him down still half awake and he usually hums/whines himself to sleep. Well, tonight I laid him down and walked out the room a few minutes later he was silent and then all the sudden another 5 minutes later he was making noise. So Lee went to check on him and he said, "Katie come in here quick!!" So of course I ran in there only to find my baby holding onto the rails on his knees, bobbing up and down so proud of himself! I told Lee to make sure he didn't stand and fall out while I ran for my camera. Needless to say we lowered the crib immediately. So many firsts in one month I just can't believe how fast he is growing!

on the MOVE...already!?!?

2009-12-05T23:40:00.000-06:00

I knew this was coming I just didn't think it would be so soon! When Mike, Jamie, and Isaiah were here over Thanksgiving, Henry decided to show off and learn how to get up on all fours and rock back and forth. I guess he watched his cousin and learned a thing or two because by the end of the weekend he was doing the "inchworm" and trying to army crawl like his big cousin (who's only 20 days older but also on the go). Well almost a week later Henry is moving and a groovin! He's not too graceful but can get from one place to another and getting faster everyday! What am I going to do!?! At this rate, he's going to be crawling circles around the Christmas tree by the 25th!!

I'll try to post a video tomorrow, but for now here are a few pics of Henry scooting around...

Special Day

2009-12-02T21:45:00.000-06:00

Sunday was a very special day for all of us. Henry was baptized. It was a beautiful day and Henry was in a great mood! He looked so ~~beautiful~~ handsome in his gown. He was so sweet when the bishop blessed him and melted my heart when he smiled and reached for the water. We were honored to ask Bethany and Wes to be his godparents. They are so special to us and they are (and will be) great Christian role models for Henry. My mom and Tim, Amanda and Summer, my dad, Jamie, Mike, and Isaiah, and Karen and Ray all came to witness the special occasion. We are so blessed and thankful to God that he has let us borrow one of his precious angels. He has brought such joy and happiness to our lives, more than we could have ever imagined!

So Thankful!

2009-12-01T10:59:00.002-06:00

This Thanksgiving (and everyday) we have so much to be thankful for!! We have a beautiful, smart, healthy baby boy that brightens our lives more than we could have ever imagined. We have a wonderful loving family, a roof over our heads, and we are all in good health. What more could we ask for!?
We had a great Thanksgiving! ALL of my family came into town! My brother Joe, his wife Kiersten and their 3 kids Caroline (5), Nicholas (4), and Molly (2) drove over from Georgia. My brother, Michael and his wife Jamie and their new bundle of joy, Isaiah (6 months) came all the way from Tacoma, Washington. And my dad drove from Colorado. Its was quite a large crowd but I loved every second of it. Growing up, all of our family functions and holidays were pretty small so I love it anytime we can all get together and enjoy each other's company. It was so fun to see all of the kids and it was a hoot to see Henry and Isaiah roll around on the floor together. I got lots of great pictures and will post some tonight. I've had a hard time finding time to blog lately! I have a feeling with Christmas coming it's only going to get busier!

5 months!

2009-11-17T12:46:00.006-06:00

Henry is now 5 months (+ a few weeks...I am a bit late in posting). I cannot believe how fast time is flying by! I know people say it all the time but it's crazy how fast they grow-right before your eyes!! I was looking at him the other day and he no longer looks like an infant. He is a baby! No more just lying around taking it all in. He's now moving and exploring things and putting EVERYTHING in his mouth that he can get his chubby little hands on. He laughs and babbles and is very expressive. He is so animated and just down right busy! That's my word that best describes him right now, busy! He grabs and reaches for everything! His favorite are glasses and earrings and he's not afraid to pull them clean off your head if you're not careful! He is a drooling machine! I know he's about to get a tooth. I can tell his bottom gums are swollen and when he is still enough for me to look, I think I can see a little something that's not quite broken through the skin. He is starting to be able to sit up some, with assistance. He's not crawling but will rotate around on his belly or roll to reach something. He LOVES to take a bath! He gets excited and kicks and splashes. He also loves to be outside. I wish I was home with him more during the day so we could stroll. He has tried every vegetable in "stage 1" babyfoods and loves peas and carrots. He will eat any of them but I can tell he likes them best. His least favorite is squash. I am going to start him on fruits this week and I'm sure he will like that. I will post pics asap...this whole working thing has thrown a kink in all of my free time!

hi-ho hi-ho...

2009-11-05T19:33:00.003-06:00

It's off to work I go~If only I could be so happy to sing that little ditty every morning. I've been pretty busy lately which is why I am just now posting. October 27 was a hard day! I started back to work. I will say that morning was not as bad as I thought it would be...the night before was the hard part, packing everything up and ready to go. I dropped Henry off bright and early that Tuesday (well actually it wasn't all that bright it was a dark, rainy, & depressing morning). I did fine and didn't even cry when I left! The day went by fast and before I knew it, it was time to go get him! I was surprised how fast the day went by but boy was I busy! I felt like a brand new teacher all over again! Everyone kept asking if I cried when I dropped him off. I didn't cry...until that night...when I had to pack him back up again and do it all the next day. Henry had a hard first week back, as did I, but by Friday Mary said he was a different baby-all smiles. That made me feel so much better. The weekend was busy with Halloween festivities so I didn't even think about things until Sunday night. That was probably harder than packing him up for his first day. I think it was the exhaustion from the week before, busy weekend, and the stress of work. This week has been a little better. Monday was LONG! We had a faculty meeting until 5-That being the longest I've ever had to be away from Henry plus the stress of state walk-throughs coming up on Wednesday did me in! It's been hard but getting better. I know it's been harder on me than it has on Henry for sure. When I pick him up he is always in a good mood and babbles and smiles at me. That makes a world of difference. The hard part is that he comes home and is ready for bed by 7 or 8, which means I only get a few hours with him. By the time I come home, play with him, feed, bathe, pack him up, and get him to bed I am worn slap out!! When the heck am I supposed to clean house or do dishes/laundry??
I honestly didn't intend this post to be one from Debbie Downer but as I read back over it it sure sounds like a pitty party! I know it will get easier and millions of moms and dads do this everyday, It's just going to take some getting used to and find a balance and routine that works for us. I am blessed to have a helpful husband and thankful to have a job in this economy. That's what I need to focus on. That and how lucky I am that I get to see my sweet, precious healthy boy everyday and hold him in my arms!!! It is a gift.

Hoppy Halloween!

2009-11-01T08:59:00.006-06:00

Is this not the cutest frog you have ever seen!?! We sure think so! We had a great first Halloween with Henry. Since Henry isn't quite ready to trick-or-treat or eat candy, we met Amanda, Chris, Summer, Mimi and B-Paw at the zoo thinking Boo at the Zoo wouldn't be as crowded because we figured everyone else would be hitting the streets for candy. Apparently everyone else had the same thoughts as we did and it was pretty packed. We still had a great time, despite the crowd and chilly air! After the zoo we all went to eat Mexican food and warmed up and enjoyed each other's company.

I'll post more pictures tonight...

Special Trip

2009-10-25T16:55:00.004-05:00

Last week was my last full week to be home with Henry so we decided to try to make the best of it. We slept in, went shopping, visited Lee's office, and had lunch with friends. On Wednesday Amanda(Lee's sister), Summer, Mimi, Henry, and I took a special trip to Montgomery to see Memaw(Henry & Summer's great-grandmother). We had such a nice visit and the kids were great travelers! Aunt Icy and Uncle Danny had a delicious lunch for us and even Aunt Julie stopped by to see the babies. Henry is so fortunate to have so many people in his life that love him and look forward to see him. We are blessed...

Mimi and Summer

4 generations

Memaw & Summer

Memaw & Mr. Drooly

YUM!

2009-10-19T11:20:00.009-05:00

Here is a funny video of Henry eating baby food for the first time. Sweet potatoes...yum!
*be sure you have your sound up!

Weddings, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes~ Oh my!!

2009-10-18T23:00:00.000-05:00

This weekend was one busy weekend!!! It started Friday when I attended my beautiful friend's brides maids' luncheon. Then it was off to the rehearsal and dinner. Henry stayed with Mimi and B-Paw while Lee and I attended. It was lovely... a bit chilly but very nice! Saturday we slept in till about 9 (H got up at 6 but ate and went right back asleep-YaY!!!) and then Alisha came over to cut and fix my hair for the wedding. I had to be at the church at 2 to get ready for pictures so Lee and Henry hung out with each other until they met up with SueSue to attend the wedding at 6. He was so well-behaved during the wedding and hung in there like a champ during the reception. I was so honored to be a part of Rees and Lauren's big day and the wedding was just beautiful!!

Today (Sunday) We attended a yummy brunch to send off the new Mr. and Mrs. then headed to the farm to attend JPGA's 1st birthday party. It was a "wild wild west" themed party and we had a rootin' tootin' good time! Henry was in a great mood and saw all kinds of farm animals. To end the party we walked to the pumpkin patch and picked our very own pumpkins right off the vine!! We all had a great time!

To top the night off Henry had his first taste of baby food...sweet potatoes. I was going to start Monday but wanted to be sure Lee got to see Henry's first reaction to them. Hen LOVED them. I will post a hilarious video tomorrow but for right now I am headed to bed, we are exhausted from our eventful weekend!

better late than never

2009-10-15T21:30:00.000-05:00

I finnally got around to taking Henry's 4 month pictures and uploaded them on my computer. He was in a great mood...

starvin' marvin

2009-10-15T16:52:00.001-05:00

So apparently I have been starving my poor child! The afternoon we got home from the doctor I made Henry and 8oz bottle and he chugged it down! You would have thought the poor kid hadn't eaten for days (I BF him before our visit)! I don't see how I didn't pick up on this but any other time I supplemented and left 4 or 6oz he took it and was fine?? So from Thursday on I supplemented during the day and BF in the evenings and in the mornings. I immediately noticed a difference. He was a different child! I had notice about two weeks ago that he was sort of whinny and cranky at night but I chalked it up to him maybe teething or tired and didn't think another minute about it. By the end of the weekend I could tell he had gained weight and was as happy as a lark! We went to the doctor yesterday for our follow up and my chubby bunny had gained 2 pounds in a week!! (sounds like me-takes a month to loose a pound and only a week to gain 2 ha!) I felt terrible!! But his doctor was great and said it happens and I'm not a bad mom. He said everything else looked great with him and that I could start jar feeding him if we wanted. He suggested starting with veggies and trying a new one each week just to rule out any weird allergies. So I will be taking a trip to the store this weekend to pick up some big boy jar foods! I can hardly believe he's big enough for baby food. Anyone have any suggestions as to a specific kind or brand we should try??? So far we have been going the organic rout with the formula and cereals. Let me know your thoughts! And thank you to everyone who said prayers and cared enough to ask or think about him!!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

hmmmm...

2009-10-08T12:18:00.000-05:00

Well we just got back from Henry's 4 month doctor's visit and he has lost a pound! I was/am pretty worried as Dr. S said he should have gained at least another pound from last month. Henry hasn't been sick or spitting up and he's been eating just as he normally does but it's so hard to tell how much he is actually taking in while breast feeding. I do supplement from time to time while we are out or if he is with a sitter (pumping is not for me~I've tried and I get next to nothing!) So, Dr. S suggested to supplement a little more during the day and try to get 8oz in him per feeding, keep giving him the rice cereal, and nurse him in the evenings, nights, and mornings. So I am supposed to journal that for a week and bring him back to weigh in next Wednesday to see if that has helped. If not, he said he will do some blood work. He mentioned at the end of the visit that he wasn't overly concerned because he is still eating and acting normal and hasn't lost a significant amount. It could be due to Henry being so active this month (learning how to roll over and jump in his jumparoo) that he burned a lot of calories and to make sure we aren't restricting his diet. So....we gotta fatten this boy up and get some meat on his bones! Please say a prayer that this is all that it is and we will see a weight increase by next week. I will keep you all posted. thanks!!

Where has the time gone?

2009-10-05T12:43:00.000-05:00

Today my Love Bug is four months old! I'm so proud of him and excited about all of the new things he is learning but he is changing and growing up right before my eyes! Does anyone out there have a magic potion to make this slow down a little!? It's bittersweet. Henry is like a sponge soaking up everything that is around him. He is learning all kinds of new "tricks" daily it seems. At four months he ca now roll over front to back and back to front, push up on his arms when lying on his tummy, reach out to touch or grab at things, and he babbles and laughs. He also started eating cereal from a spoon. He loves rice cereal and oatmeal. His favorite toys are his "crunchy" books (they are cloth books that have some kind of plastic in them that make noise when you touch them), horse jumparoo, and rolling around on the floor. Of course he still loves his swing and bouncy seat.

We go Thursday to see how much he's grown and gained since last month. Henry is such a good baby. He's still a great sleeper and such cuddle bug! We are blessed to have such a happy, healthy boy!

I haven't made his 4-month onesie yet but it's on the agenda for this afternoon and will post pictures after out photoshoot. For now, here are some a few from here and there the past week or so.

Summer is here...

2009-10-02T23:35:00.002-05:00

not the season of course but Summer Laurel, our new niece and Henry's new cousin. Summer is beautiful and has a head FULL of dark hair. She was born Thursday weighing in at 7.5lbs and 20 inches long. Amanda (Lee's sister) was such a trouper and we are so proud of her and Chris. I could not get over how tiny she was. It's crazy how fast they grow and change! All of the sudden Henry just seems so big to me! It's hard to believe we were there just a few months ago. Summer and Henry are four months apart (almost to the day) and I know that they will be the best of friends!! We can't wait for family vacations, play dates, and get-togethers!!

This shirt I had made for him for the big day. It said "my cousin rocks" I had one for her that said "I heart my cousin"

first time meeting Summer

Hard to believe he was ever that little!

Fun day, beautiful weather, and great company!

2009-09-30T21:28:00.002-05:00

Today was a great day! We have had beautiful weather this week and fall is in the air!! I love fall, it's my favorite season.

We had a friend stop and stay with us last night as he was passing through so Lee took the day off. We all got up and went to breakfast at Cracker Barrel (where Chris had grits, sawmill gravy, and okra for the first time ever-obviously he's not from the south) and then took Chris on a tour of the city. After we dropped him off to be on his way, we still had some time to kill so Lee and I decided to tour Vulcan. I have lived here my whole life and don't remember ever going out there. The weather was great and the view was incredible...the company wasn't too bad either! :) I put Henry in the baby bjorn and he hung out and enjoyed the scenery and the sun. We boarded the elevator and headed up to get a close-up of the largest iron cast sculpture in the world. Lee does not do heights but we've been to the Seattle Space Needle so we figured it would be about the same....NOT! We rode up in a glass elevator and stepped out onto a steel bridge/walkway THAT YOU COULD SEE THROUGH! It was quite scary to look down and see the ground below....way below! Needless to say we did a quick trip around the statue and quickly headed down. On the way home we stopped for ice cream. It was a perfect end to a perfect afternoon.

nice view!

Not too sure about this!!

The sacrifices we make for family photo ops! Notice the metal grate the floor the overlook has!

Don't look down, don't look down!!

Save of solid ground! Note H's new trick: holding his arm up and out, he started that last night :)

Now we are waiting for Henry's cousin Summer to be born! Amanda Lee's sister went in tonight to be induced so hopefully Henry and the rest of us can meet her tomorrow. We are all very excited!! Please say a prayer for Amanda and Summer have a safe and easy delivery!

Look what we have here...

2009-09-30T20:21:00.000-05:00

As you can see from the picture above, Henry has discovered his feet this week! Boy is he having fun with them! He hasn't quite got the coordination to get them to his mouth yet but I'm sure it's only a matter of time :)

Along with discovering his feet he has also found his voice, and judging on how much he "talks", he loves it!! He babbled all the way home from Target today and practiced all kinds of different pitches and sounds. He loves for us to talk back to him and gets a kick out of us repeating the sounds he makes. We are loving every minute of it! His little voice is the sweetest sound. I will try to catch it on video and post soon.

29 days...

2009-09-29T08:46:00.001-05:00

that's all I have left at home with my sweet boy. Then, it's back to work for me!! I had a little breakdown at the calendar this morning. I guess I didn't realize it was so soon. I know it will be good for all of us to go back (especially for the checking account! 12 weeks no pay is no fun but we have managed) I feel so blessed to have had this extra time at home with Henry. I have loved every minute of it! I'm going to miss days where we stayed in our pjs until 4 in the afternoon and took naps together. No more going to the grocery store in the middle of the day or meeting Lee for lunch. Those things make me sad and I don't even want to think about what I'm going to miss Henry discover while I am at work. However,I think me going back to work will be good for all of us. Henry is quite the "momma's boy" so it will be good for him to be around other people and I know he is in ~~good~~ great hands! It will be good to get on a set schedule and routine again. I have a feeling the first couple of weeks are going to be rough but we will make it. I keep telling myself when I go back I have Thanksgiving and Christmas break to look forward to, then Spring break and after that it will be summer again!! For now, I think I will enjoy the next 29 days and cherish what I have.

music to my ears

2009-09-25T17:06:00.002-05:00

Long overdue

2009-09-24T17:47:00.005-05:00

Well we FINALLY got Henry in his own room at night. *Remind me next go around to start the baby out in there. It wasn't him-it was us that had such a hard time with it!* When we brought Henry home almost four months ago (i know like i said it's overdue) we set up a mini pack~n~play next to our bed. It was great having him so close and it was super easy at night. When he got up I would get him out, nurse him and put him right back down. I didn't even have to leave the room-practically didn't have to get out of my bed! We said as soon as he sleeps through the night we'll put him in his own room. Well... at 6 weeks he was sleeping through the night and I wasn't emotionally ready for him to leave my side. Not that his room is forever away or anything, it's all of 15 steps from our room! So then we said when he was 3 months. Well... then we planned a beach trip and I was worried vacation would interrupt his sleeping pattern already so I said the day we got back.Well... I forgot (Lee would use the air quotes on forgot but I really did!!) So last Monday I packed up the little bed in our room so I'd have no excuses.

Monday night we hardly slept I was so worried and paranoid something was going to happen or I wouldn't hear him. I must have checked on him 10 times! Henry woke up once and cried but I think it was just because he wasn't sure where he was. After that it's been smooth sailing. Until... Now that he's in his own room I've been trying to get him to go down on his own. Meaning, without being rocked or nursed to sleep. I want him to be able to go down easily and him to have a good routine. SO...with that being said does anyone have any advice??? I've tried the "cry it out method" and it wasn't so successful. I'm not sure if it was me or Henry but I just don't know how long is an appropriate time to let a 3...almost 4 month old to cry it out. I am open to any and all comments! :)

Henry and Daddy reading books before bed:

Three Months!!

2009-09-11T14:50:00.003-05:00

Already!? My sweet boy is three months old and growing and changing so much! He had his three month appointment Tuesday and he weighs 13.2lbs and 25.5 inches long! He's my little sting bean!! Babies don't usually have a three month appointment but we opted to have him on the alternative immunization schedule so he goes every month for the first 9 months and gets a shot or two rather than every other month to get multiple shots. Dr. W said he looked great and commented on how strong he was.

He still loves his bouncy seat and really enjoys tummy time. He's now pushing up on his arms when on his tummy to sit up better and working on rolling over. He did it once a few nights ago but I think it was luck because he hasn't done it again. He is very alert and attentive. I love to watch him look around and check things out. I think his vision must be getting stronger because he has recently discovered pictures hanging on the walls and will stare at them for long periods of time. He also turns to sounds he hears and listens intently to people talking or the television. He also has a new "trick" I'm not so proud of... when he gets mad or upset he throws his head back, arches his back, and gets really stiff. At first Lee and I thought it was SO funny..that wore off quickly lol. All is all Henry is really a sweet boy. He loves to snuggle and talk and coo before bedtime, which is my favorite time with him. Below are some pictures of his 3 month photo shoot :)

First Beach Trip

2009-09-11T12:55:00.006-05:00

Last Friday we loaded up and headed out for our first beach trip with our friends Catherine, Peyton & Ken, Jonathon & Rachel and their 10 month old, Lily. We practically needed to rent a u-haul to carry all of the "stuff" we had to take! Henry was a wonderful traveler, despite the two "blowouts" he had on the way there and on the way home! I was so worried how he would do since he hasn't enjoyed his carseat lately but he did great! He slept most of the time in the car but when he was awake I rode in the back and kept him entertained :)

The beach was beautiful!! We had great weather and the company was tons of fun! We stayed right on the beach so when Henry took naps we were able to take the monitor out and get some chill time on the beach. I can't wait to go back next year and see what Henry thinks about the sand and water. This year he didn't really know where he was and could really care less! lol

Henry & Lily

terrible but our only famiy pic

Stingy...

2009-09-03T13:44:00.004-05:00

Henry has a great laugh. However, he is very stingy with them :) He started laughing a few weeks ago but it's hard to get a really good giggle out of him. Usually he has to be really sleepy and if i tickle him in just the right spot, he'll laugh. But... last night I was getting him ready for bed and I zipped up his pajamas and he let out the biggest belly laugh I have ever heard out of him! Lee heard him and ran in the room and we must have zipped and unzipped those pjs 50 times just to hear him laugh. It was hilarious! By the time I thought about getting it on camera, he still laughed but not quite as big.

lately....

2009-08-27T16:08:00.006-05:00

my sweet sleeper :)

I don't feel like I have had a whole lot to blog about lately. Henry is growing like a weed and getting more fun everyday! He has found his hands and loves sucking on his fingers, sometimes he gets so into cramming his hands in his month, he will gag himself it's pretty funny. He loves to "talk" to me when I talk to him and it just melts my heart. There's nothing better than seeing his sweet face look at me and you can just see love in his eyes! He's a great sleeper as you can see from the pictures above. He has been and still is sleeping through the night (since he was about 6 weeks old). He goes down at about 11:30 and will sleep until about 6:30 or 7:00, get up to eat and then go back down for another 3 hours. I'm working on getting him to go down earlier so we both can get on a good morning schedule for when I go back to work. He's still in the pack-n-play next to our bed and we plan on moving him to his room after we get back from the beach Labor Day weekend. He will be 13 weeks this Friday. He still loves his bouncy seat and tummy time. Yesterday I left him on the floor in the living room while I started dinner. I peeked in on him and found this.

My little inchworm had scooted all the way off his blanket. It wont be long and I won't be able to take my off of him for even a minute! He has recently decided that he hates his car seat. He will be in a great mood and as soon as I strap him in he starts getting fussy by the time we are in the car it turns into a full blown fit. I'm not sure if it's the car seat is uncomfortable or if he gets hot in the back seat or what but it will make for an interesting 5 hour drive to the beach next weekend. Ill be sure to keep you all posted on how that goes. Below are some resent pictures of H.

He loves "tummy time"

Happy boy!

Not quite ready for the bumbo but too into his hands to worry about it! Then the gag!

photo shoot

2009-08-27T15:39:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago my friend Stephanie came over and took pictures of Henry. He was such a good boy and posed for all of his pictures. She got some really great shots. If your loking for a photographer, check her out http://www.benzaiaphoto.com/. Here are just a few of my favs..

Not too little to giggle...

2009-08-10T13:54:00.003-05:00

...ain't that the truth (as we say here in the south)! Saturday night we went over to Lee's parents' house for dinner. I remember thinking to myself when I read his shirt that it wasn't really true because he hadn't giggled before. Just as we were about to leave I was playing with Henry and showing Mimi and Bpaw all of Henry's new "tricks" (smiling and cooing and "talking" to me) well I guess I was looking exceptionally silly because Henry laughed! It was the sweetest sound I think I have ever heard and his smile was as big as his head! He has such a good smile and two big dimples- jut like his daddy. He's only done it once since then but I'm trying to catch it on video to share. I'm sure it won't be long.

He is learning and changing so much every day. He now smiles big and "talks" when he's talked to, especially at night when he's sleepy he will make all kinds of ooohs and ahhhs. He has also discovered how to get his fist in his mouth-yes, he can fit his entire fist in his mouth. I'm sure a college party trick he will one day be so proud of himself for. He discovered last week how to kick the rattles on his bouncy seat and that never seems gets old! These milestones may seem so small to just anybody, but I find it so amazing how much he takes in and how the littlest discoveries can be so huge in our lives.

Two months!

2009-08-10T13:17:00.004-05:00

Henry is now two months-where has the time gone!?! Seems like just yesterday we were coming home from the hospital wondering what he will wear because all of his clothes were too big for him. Now he's grown out of all his newborn sized clothes! We went to the doctor last Thursday and my chubby bunny weighs 11.4lbs and is 23.75 inches long! He has gained 2 pounds and grew an inch in the last month. He is in the 80th percentile for height and 40th for weight. Dr. W said he didnt look like an 11 pond baby because he is so tall. Im not quite sure where he gets it from, neither Lee nor I are exceptionally tall. She was impressed by his head control and that his hands were open and not in a fist- well what does she expect, my baby is a genius! Just kidding, we are so blessed to have such a healthy baby. Henry got his first round of shots this visit. We opted to do an alternate schedule for shots so this was his first time to get shots besides the HepB at birth. Now THAT was pitiful! (even though it was just 2) He was just hanging out so happy, smiling at the nurse then BAM! out of nowhere he got stuck in the leg and boy were his feelings hurt! I told myself I was not going to be one of those wimpy cry-baby moms but oh my gosh, when I heard that terrible helpless cry I couldn't help it! Luckily he didn't cry for too long and neither did I :)

After his doctor's appointment, I left Henry with Mimi (Lee's mom) and had to go to the school to work on my classroom and get ready for parent orientation. I don't know if I have officially announced it here on my blog but after many prayers, discussions, tears, and more prayers we/I have decided to take 12 weeks of FMLA(maternity leave) and go back to teaching at the end of October. This way Henry will be almost 5 months and then I'll have off Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring break, then summer! So only about 6 months of work. It was SUCH a hard decision but finally I have peace about our decision. I think this time I have with Henry here at home will be really good for both of us. With him being a bit older when I go back, I'll feel so much better and can focus on work. We, well actually God, found a wonderful lady to keep Henry in her home. She's about five minutes from the school and will only be keeping Henry. We've had a few trial runs and he's done great and I can tell she really enjoys him. Its so nice to see other people love your child.

Fun in the bouncy seat

2009-07-27T16:41:00.004-05:00

Henry is getting to be SO much fun! He is starting to smile a lot and totally recognizes us and gets noticeably excited when he sees us or someone he sees often. I love to watch him when he sees Lee when he gets home from work. He smiles big and his legs and arms wiggle like crazy. His new favorite toy is the bouncy seat. Not the nice new bouncy we received as a gift-no way! He loves the $2 one my mom got at a yard sale to keep at her house. We put him in it the other day and he had so much fun in it I took it home with me! He watches the lights and coos and smiles and wiggles from head to toe. I can get so much done when he's in this thing!!

He will be eight weeks old this Friday and growing like a weed. He's finally getting chubby little legs and arms and has a nice little double chin- Why is this not as adorable on adults?!? I cant wait to see what he weighs at his two month check up but definitely not looking forward to the shots!

one month already!?!?

2009-07-08T21:41:00.008-05:00

I cannot believe our sweet boy is already one month old! On one hand I can't believe how fast time has gone by, it seems like we just told our parents we were pregnant; and the other I can't remember our life without him, it's he's been here for forever! We are just smitten, there's no other word for it (well....maybe obsessed but smitten sounds better).

We went for his one-month well visit at the doctor on Monday. He now weighs 9.6 pounds and is 22.75 inches long! He is in the 70th percentile for height and 30th for weight. He's long and lean, my little string bean! The doctor said he looked great, was very alert, and had great head/neck control.

He is growing so fast and changing everyday! He's already growing out of some of his newborn pjs :( He's much more focused these days and has started smiling and cooing. Lee and I love to just watch him and talk about all the cute things he does. Even when we get free time at night when he's sleeping we find ourselves talking about him and how blessed we are to have him in our lives-happy and healthy!

Here are a few pictures from his one-month photo shoot I took of him. I know he's mine and everything and I'm supposed to think he's beautiful, but look at those pictures, is he cute or what!? :0)

a week full of firsts

2009-07-02T12:49:00.004-05:00

Last week Henry had all kinds of "firsts". His belly button/cord fell off so he was able to take his first bath in his baby tub. He did pretty well until the end when I washed his head. Then he decided he was DONE! It will get easier the more he is able to support himself. It's just so hard when he's so wobbly then you add soap into the mix and he's a slippery mess, but we enjoyed it :) I did the washing and Lee did the drying off- we are quite the team!

Last Saturday we went to Henry's first cookout and met all of Lee's mother's side of the family for the first time. Lee's cousin Richie is getting married next month to a sweet girl named Ashley and all of Lee's aunts threw them a shower. Henry was great! He slept the two hours to Auburn and when we got there I fed him then passed him around! He was so alert and laid back and let everyone "ooh and ahh" over him. He also got to meet his great-grandmother for the first time, Memaw, Lee's grandmother which I thought was very special. I never had grandparents growing up as they all passed away either before I was born or when I was very young so I think it's so special that Henry has so many. He has seven grandparents to be exact and two great grandmothers, how lucky is he!?!

happy first father's day!!

2009-06-21T18:44:00.006-05:00

Today we celebrated Lee and Henry's 1st Father's Day. Hen surprised his daddy and wore his new "daddy loves me" onesie and gave him a card and some new clothes for work. He gave us both a little present and slept from about midnight to 6am!

Here are a few of my favorite pictures of Henry ad Lee. They already love each other so much and I fall more in love with both of them seeing them interact with each other.

I knew Lee would make a great father when I married him but already in the two weeks we've been parents, I can already tell he's going to be the best dad in the world! He loves Henry so much and he is SO good with him! He changes him, burps him, and rocks him all the time; and I love to watch them snuggle and listen to Lee talk to him. Henry loves him too I can see it in his eyes when he looks at him or turns to him when he hears his voice.

Happy Father's Day to all of the wonderful dads out there!! :)

am i cute or what!?

2009-06-20T09:59:00.004-05:00

Henry's first days

2009-06-17T20:32:00.008-05:00

Henry and I came home on Sunday. I don't think Lee has ever driven so slow or cautiously. We introduced him to the cats and dog and they were very good. Sophie greeted him by licking his feet and Elliot and Millie smelled him from head to toe.

We knew when we left Sunday Henry was jaundice so we headed to the doctor on Monday. His level when we left Sunday was 13 (they like to see it below 10) and was 16 on Monday but Dr W said it would likely go up before it went down. She said other than that, Henry looked great! She said Henry would need to sit on a billybed with lights to help get rid of his jaundice. So, for three days H had to lie on the billy lights except for when we were feeding or changing him. By Thursday his level was back down to 10.3 and he was able to come off the lights. It was so nice to get to hold him and snuggle whenever we wanted!

Thursday, Kiersten and the kids drove over from Georgia to meet their new cousin. I'm sorry it ended up being a quick trip but they will be back next week to stay a little longer.

Just when things were getting good again, I started feeling bad Friday and by lunchtime I was running a fever of 102. I called my ob and he said to go to the emergency room right away. I frantically packed up Henry and met Lee at the ER. Long story short, it turns out I had some type of infection and anitibiotics had me feeling much better by the next day. You never really think about how dirty an ER is until you have to expose a one week old to it!

The weekend was filled with visitors and family coming by to check on Henry and I. Saturday night we went to Mimi and B-paw's and grilled out with uncle Ryan and Aunt Kelly. Sunday we did the same with SueSue and Poppi.

This week has been pretty quiet. Lee and I are getting the hang of our new life and new family. Henry is SUCH a good baby! He is very laid back and only cries when he is hungry or needs to burped or changed. Lee has been such a big help, he changes diapers and burps him after I feed him and is quick to get me something when I need it. then he goes to work on a few hours of sleep all to come home and do it over again without one single gripe or complaint. I knew he was a good husband before but like I sad in a previous post, I have a greater love and appreciation for him more now than I ever did! Our friends, family, and neighbors have also been wonderful!! We have had so many people come visit us and bring food and gifts and not to mention offer their advice, prayers, and well wishes. We are so blessed and thankful to have such wonderful people in our lives.

Henry is here!!!

2009-06-13T10:16:00.003-05:00

Henry Joseph Amberson was born June 5th weighing in at 8lbs and was 21.75 inches long and perfect as can be!

Sorry it's taken me this long to post but I've been a little busy ;)

My water broke at home at around 9:45 Thursday night. Lee and I were about to get ready for bed when he said something funny and I laughed. Embarrassing as it it, I thought I wet my pants! We joked about it but then it kept coming! After two calls to friends to see what it was like when their water broke, we concluded it was my water! We checked in the hospital at about 11 and I didn't start feeling contractions until around 3am. By five I was really feeling them and opted for an epidural by 6am. After that, contractions were a breeze!! I was fully dilated at 1pm, started pushing and he was here at 1:45!! I was blessed with a smooth delivery without any major difficulties (despite the fact the cord was around his neck and he was face-up rather than face-down). He has all 10 fingers and all 10 toes and is as perfect as can be! Lee was amazing and was my biggest cheerleader in the delivery room. I didn't think I could love that man anymore until now. My heart has doubled in size since Thursday night and I am so happy to admit I am not the same person I was a few weeks ago!

ready or not here he comes!

2009-06-04T08:16:00.002-05:00

So yesterday I had my 40 week checkup and I'm now dilated 2 cm and he's dropped. Dr. J said everything looked good and his heartbeat and my blood pressure were great. After my exam he said, ok so if Henry is not here by Tuesday we will go ahead and induce. I was like what!? That seems so soon! He laughed and said I'd be 6 days overdue!! Rationally I know this but it seems so fast and soon! Everything has just flown by!! I can't believe in 6 days or less I will finally be holding my son....MY son! I'm going to be a MOM....to a little boy!! It's so hard to wrap my head around yet so exciting all at the same time! I just can't believe it.

Today is my due date and I'm so hoping and praying that he comes before Tuesday. I would much rather just go into "baby mode" if my water breaks or I start having contractions rather than have to anticipate an induction. I don't think I will sleep Monday night! So....that's my news for now! Now we just have to wait! Please pray for Henry and me that we have a smooth and healthy delivery and that everything will go just the way it's supposed to. I will let you guys know something as soon as it happens! :)

i won an award!!

2009-06-02T10:50:00.002-05:00

Life as an Amberson has received an award from Jamie at http://savinginstyle.blogspot.com/ Thanks, Jamie!!! I am SO excited!!

To accept this wonderful award, I need to list 7 things I love and pass the award on to 7 bloggers I love.
Things I Love:
1. God
2. My husband
3. My son that should be here any day!!
4. My family
5. My friends
6. Crafting
7. Blogging/reading blogs

Bloggers I Love -
M at http://magnoliasmarriageandmanhattan.blogspot.com/
Kiersten at http://joeandkiersten.blogspot.com/
Lauren at http://cooleyconnection.blogspot.com/
Jamie at http://tracecardriver.blogspot.com/
Allison at http://daveandallisonbrown.blogspot.com/
Courtney at http://courtneyandchad.blogspot.com/
Cheryl at http://adayinthelifeofthemilams.blogspot.com/

Thanks Jamie!!

too crafty for words!

2009-05-31T09:56:00.003-05:00

My bff Bethany had a fun idea of us making my wreath for the hospital door and then use on the front door when we get home. I love love LOVE the way it turned out!! At first I wasn't sure how it would look and after all the ribbon from the mobile; I was afraid it would be too similar but it's anything but! I didn't count the number of spools it took this time but it was a lot! Thank you Bethany for your great idea and letting me be crafty with you! It was so much fun and a great memory made before Henry gets here!!

Looks like the apple doesn't fall far...

2009-05-27T16:34:00.003-05:00

So it sounds like my little "apple" is stubborn like his mommy and gonna do things on his own terms and will more than likely be like his daddy and be late! I had my 39 week checkup today and haven't progressed a bit since last week! Dr J said he'd check me in a week and IF I have progressed, he'll talk about inducing on Thurs. or Fri. But if I'm still the same he will probably let me go another week. He said if he induces too early it will likely end in a c-section and he wants to try to avoid that-and so do I! BUT he said hopefully nature will kick in and I will just go into labor before then. I asked if there was anything I could do to help move things along and he said not really, just pray! So please pray with me that Henry decides to come all on his own soon and we don't have to worry about inducing. I would much rather let things come naturally than have to anticipate an induction. I am SO ready for him to get here and see his sweet little face and kiss his sweet feet that keep jabbing me in the ribs :)

a little progress

2009-05-22T11:38:00.002-05:00

I went in Tuesday for another Dr. visit and he said there has been some progress!! I am one whole centimeter dilated~ I know not much to write home about but progress is progress and to me its just a sign that things are moving in the right direction! Dr. J said everything looked great and he didn't seem to think he'd be late and he thinks that Henry should just come naturally in the next two weeks!! Exciting!!!! Today was my last day of school/work and I am so glad I made it to the end and was able to get everything packed up for summer break and all loose ends tied up at work before my sugar foot gets here :) Now I can relax and wait on him to get here!

I have thoroughly enjoyed being pregnant but have just recently become increasingly uncomfortable and ready for him to come out. More than that, I'm ready for him to get here so I can see his sweet face and see what he looks like! I go back to the doctor Wednesday and hopefully will have more good news :)

it's a boy!!!!

2009-05-15T21:42:00.006-05:00

~My Nephew~
Just thought I'd add that title since I apparently scared people for a second into thinking Henry was here LOL!

See this sweet face? This is my brother, Michael and his wife Jamie's sweet angel baby BOY!!! He was born tonight and weighed in at a whopping 9 1/2 pounds and was 21 inches long. I'm so happy for them but so sad they are so far away and I couldn't hold that sweet little man! Hopefully they are coming in November for Thanksgiving and he and Henry can hang out :) Go here for more pics http://deborahkayphotography.blogspot.com/

not much of an update

2009-05-14T09:33:00.002-05:00

Since my last post I have been to the doctor twice with not a whole lot of news to share. My Strep B test was negative and Dr. J said everything looked great! He said Henry was measuring right on, even though he could feel he was running out of room. I said "Oh, believe me, I know!" He's either going to be a long baby or sleeps like his daddy with his hands above his head because I can feel him from my ribs all the way to my pelvic bone! I have not dilated at all, which at first I was disappointed but he said everything is doing what it's supposed to be doing and we would not likely see a change until I actually go into labor. His advice was to get through these last few days of school and enjoy my last moments of freedom. He said the more I worry and wonder if "today's the day" I will drive myself crazy. He said I'm probably going to have a June baby, but he promised not to let me go a week past my due date (June 5th). So I'm going to do just that! The last day for kids to be at school is next Wednesday and my last day is a 1/2 day Friday so hopefully Henry will come after that and I can get some cleaning and some extra sleep in between now and then. That's all for now. I go in again Tuesday....

school shower

2009-05-04T10:14:00.004-05:00

Last Thursday was my shower at school hosted by the other 4th grade teachers and 2 other sweet coworkers. I guess I was wrong when I thought I got everything I needed from my tea, because Henry racked up again!! My favorite things were the monogrammed items but I am truly thankful for everything I got. Again, I am overwhelmed by all of the people that have been so thoughtful to give us a gift or share their advice and well wishes. Henry doesn't know how lucky he is yet, but he will!!

my wonderful baby tea

2009-05-04T09:42:00.005-05:00

Sunday was my baby tea, given by 11 of the most wonderful hostesses in the world! It was beautiful!! Everything was beautiful~the flowers, decorations, cake, it all matched and beautifully coordinated with Henry's nursery. The cake was precious and had an antique topper on it. Oh and the food....delicious!! I was really impressed and thankful to everyone that helped make it happen!
Henry and I got all kinds of great stuff! I don't think there's much else we need. Lee and I are truly overwhelmed at how blessed we are to have so many people in our lives that love us and love Henry already and have helped us prepare for his arrival! We got home Sunday with all of his stuff and were amazed at how much we have. Lee kept saying where the heck is it all going to go? We're still not sure but we've both come to the conclusion that it's a good problem to have!

preggo pics

2009-05-03T17:10:00.006-05:00

Initially I didn't think I wanted any pregnancy photos... besides the occasional snapshot of my bump growing every couple of months, and I certainly didn't want to do the whole Demi Moore bare-all pictures (not offense if you have those or like those-to each his own) it's just not my cup of tea. But last Friday I got to thinking I may want a few "pre-famiy"/"family photos" and it was such a beautiful day, I decided to call up my personal photographer~aka my mom~ and she happen to have the afternoon free so Lee and I headed to her house. Lee was a trouper and didn't complain about the million different poses and pics we got and we were done in about 30 minutes. I have to admit, they turned out pretty darn good! Here are a few of my favs...

busy, busy, busy!

2009-05-01T14:29:00.006-05:00

I apologize for not keeping up lately, we have just had so much going on!! Since my last post I had another doctor's appointment with yet another great report. I had not gained any weight (woo-hoo!), measured right on time, and Henry's heart rate was strong. I hope the delivery is as smooth as this pregnancy. I go back Tuesday for my strep B test and for him to check me.

Lee and I also celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary on April 28th. We celebrated a few days early by us both taking work off on Friday. We went to my doctor's appointment, ran errands, and just enjoyed each other's company. I love that man more than words can describe!! He has been so sweet, patient, and helpful during the last 8 or so months. Really, he's been that way for the past 9 years. That's why I fell in love with him...that and those eyes, dimples, and smile!! :) He's going to make the best dad and Henry is going to love him so much! I have to admit I am going to miss it just being the two of us-not that I'm not super excited about the journey of parenthood we are about to embark on, but it's just been the two of us for so long, it's a little bittersweet to think about.

Friday afternoon my mom took some "maternity pictures" (I guess that's what you'd call them?). Saturday my dad and I went to the Magic City Art Connection, and Sunday was my big shower/tea. I will post more posts and pics about it soon!

37 spools of ribbon and one happy camper

2009-04-23T21:18:00.004-05:00

I finished the mobile in 2 days and I'm quite happy with it! Tuesday, Mary and the girls came over and helped me start it (Mary is the one I got the idea from). It was so good to see them and a fun little project...well for the first 2 hours or so! They had to get home and do homework and I had to run out on another "ribbon run". I swear I think I paid that store's power bill this month! I think I finished cutting and stringing around 10 and crashed for the night. Today I got the rest of the stuff to hang it and Lee just hung it for me. I originally was going to hang it above the bed where a traditional mobile goes but I kind of wanted to hang pictures above the bed plus I didn't want him to be able to pull on it when he gets older and can stand in the bed. With the ceiling painted I knew it would not be able to be moved once it was hung so I hung it in the corner where Henry can still see it.

Tomorrow I have another doctor's appointment and I started my 34th week today. I know I've said this a million times but this pregnancy has flown by!! I am going to miss it really. I've felt great and been blessed to have such a healthy and easy time ~lets hope the delivery goes the same way!! Since I had a doctor's appointment and so I could get ready for my tea/shower on Sunday I went ahead and took the day off. Lee decided he'd do the same so I'm excited to spend the day with the love of my life.

Henry it is!

2009-04-19T11:55:00.006-05:00

HENRY JOSEPH AMBERSON

So we FINALLY decided on a name! You either love it or hate it. I love it but it's funny to watch people when we tell them that's his name. You either get "Oh! I love that name!" or "Oh...is that a...uh family name?" No I just like it. I like that it's a normal classic name but it's not overly popular. We also wanted his name to be the name he goes by. Henry means "ruler of the home" which may be the case when he gets here lol. Joseph was my grandfather's name on my dad's side. He died when I was young but I have fond memories of him and every time I smell a pipe, it reminds me of Grandpa.

Henry's bedding finally came in last week. I was SO excited. It had been on backorder and I was beginning to get worried that it wasn't going to make it in time. Luckily it made it and it looks GREAT! I love it so much and it was just what I was expecting. I couldn't wait to put it on and see what it looks like all put together. I need to take it all off and wash it now...you do wash the bumpers and quilt right? His room is almost finished I just need to get things hung on the walls, his mobile finished and hung, and curtains (I can't decide on a a valance or panels but more than likely they will be white).

the kind of laundry I actually like doing!

2009-04-07T19:46:00.009-05:00

Now that the dresser is finally finished and now that I have some baby detergent (thanks Noel!!), I decided it was time to start washing some of my little prince's clothes and put them away. I usually hate to do laundry especially fold it all and put it away but this was different! I loved washing his clothes! They are SO tiny! It's hard to believe that we as adults once wore something that small and hard to believe our little guy will be big enough to wear them very soon!! This picture is so cute and puts it all into perspective.

My doctor visit went well yesterday, he said I was measuring a few weeks ahead but also said a tape measure across your belly is not very scientific just something to go by. I asked if that meant if he'd come early or be big or what and he said there's no way to tell really but he didn't think he'd be a "small fry" (great!) Lee and my brother were both 8 pounders so really I have no hope of having a small baby! The doctor also smooshed and poked me and said the baby seems to feel like he's already head down and will likely stay that way until his big debut! We are getting close!! I haven't been very good at taking "belly pics" but everyone keeps asking so I asked Lee to take a quick one yesterday morning-please ignore the hair not all the way dry and fixed and no makeup!

it's been a while...

2009-04-05T21:12:00.015-05:00

So it's been a while since I updated. I will be 32 weeks this week and go back to the dr. tomorrow. This weekend we have been SO busy! We had our first shower with our family and some close friends given by Lee's sister and two brothers Saturday night. It was SO much fun and we got lots of great stuff!! It really makes things even more real when we were opening presents and later finding their new place in our house. It's hard to believe we will be parents soon and we'll have a new little family member living in our house...that we will be solely responsible for~kinda scary!!

Here are some pics from the shower...

mom and tim playing "name that poo" (it was melted candy bar lol)

Lee, me, Amanda (Lee's sister)

opening gifts

We also finished the baby's dresser!! A few months ago, Lee's parents were cleaning out their basement and came across one of Lee's brother's old baby dressers. It was in pretty bad shape (cosmetically) and they were going to donate it to a thrift store. I immediately saw its potential and begged to have it so I could refinish it. I love refinishing furniture. There's something about taking something old and beat up that nobody wants and turning it into something wonderful.

Here are a few "befores"...

And some "durings"...

AND drum roll please...

Ta-Da! All finished and looking brand new! Needless to say I am very pleased and Lee was so good to help me sand it, put the drawer tracks in, and lift and move it whenever I needed. Thanks to my mom for the knobs!

3rd trimester already??

2009-03-18T15:08:00.003-05:00

Well, I am officially in my 3rd trimester! I cannot believe how fast time has flown by! I had another doctor visit Monday and got another good report and I will now be going every 3 weeks. The heartbeat was strong and she said I am measuring right where I should be. I have gained a total of 13 pounds so far which she said is right on track as well! According to babycenter.com he now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. I have been so blessed with such a good pregnancy. I've had virtually no morning sickness and other than the anemia, I haven't had any complications! I was sick with the "crud" last week and had to take a Tylenol for a fever but other than that, I've played it safe and not taken any other meds.

I still can't believe that we will have a baby here in 11-ish or so weeks! I cannot wait to see what he looks like! He still does not have a name and it's driving me nuts!! I just can't seem to decide on one! I think I'll like one and then later decide I don't! Boy names are SO hard!! I want something traditional but not too overly common. And don't even get me started on middle names! They are the worst! We both want his first name to be the name he goes by. Lee and I both grew up having to correct teachers or legal documents by making sure they knew our "birth name" and the name we go by-not something we want our son to have to go through. Everyone keeps saying it will come to me sooner or later...I'm just worried that later is coming up awfully fast!!!

His room is really coming along! I love going in and looking at it and imagining our sweet baby in his bed! I am out for spring break this week and working on refinishing his dresser. It's going to look so good when it's all finished! I found it in Lee's parents' basement. They said someone made it for one of Lee's step brothers when they were a baby (which was about 28 years ago!). They were going to give it to Hanna Home until I scooped it up! It's in great condition, just needs a little love and a fresh coat of paint. I'll post pics when I'm all finished with it.

baby's 1st snow...sort of!

2009-03-01T18:04:00.008-06:00

I know what you're thinking snow? In Alabama?? It doesn't happen all that often but when it does it's such a treat!! It started snowing sometime Saturday night and we woke up this morning to a wopping 3 1/2 inches of fresh powder! The funny thing is that they are calling this a "winter storm" ha! I know all of you in Washington think that is hilarious and Dad in Colorado is probably snickering to himself but the fact that it actually stuck is a big deal here!! Lee, Sophie, and I got out and played in it a bit. As you can see there was no chance of my jacket zipping up!

I am now 26 weeks pregnant (6 1/2 months)! I cannot believe how fast it is flying by!! Two more weeks and I'll be in my third trimester! I had a checkup about two weeks ago and had my routine sugar test to test for gestational diabetes. I passed but my blood count was low and they said I was anemic. They said they baby is perfectly healthy just sucking all the good stuff and keeping it all to himself! I don't mind though...anything for him. I am now taking an extra dose of iron and feeling much better! I knew something was going on because I was feeling so tired and had no energy-much like the first month I was preggo. I love being pregnant and I love feeling all his little bumps and kicks. My favorite time is at night when Lee talks to him. He already loves his daddy so much! He gets excited when he hears Lee's voice and moves all over the place! We can't wait to meet him and see what he looks like. I hope he has Lee's eyes and dimples and definitely his calm disposition. Above all else we hope and pray he is healthy!

My Valentine is one hard working man!

2009-02-16T15:02:00.005-06:00

Saturday was a productive day for us. We never go all out for Valentine's day because we both think it's overrated and you should show the one you love how much you love them everyday-not just one day a year. We slept in till about 9 Saturday morning. Lee made me a wonderful breakfast and then headed to his mom's to study (he's studying for the cpa exam). While he was gone, I filled the nail holes in the crown and scrubbed, vacuumed, & mopped the floors in the baby's room. Lee came home around 1 and I made him a romantic heart-shaped PB&J sandwich and chips :) Then he got straight to work on the baby's room. He caulked the crown, painted the crown, and painted the walls to give it a 3rd coat. I could not be happier with the room!! It looks like a professional came in and painted it! Can I just tell you I have the best husband in the world? He works so hard at work then comes home and works hard studying and working on the house. He has done a fantastic job. He's going to be a wonderful father!

After showers and cleaning up we grabbed some dinner and headed to Target and bought a crib mattress. I told Lee we did not have to tackle putting the crib together after such a busy day but he insisted. We got home and set up shop in the living room so we(he) could watch basketball. The crib had a million parts but we manged to put it together without having too many problems with it and got in only one minor argument when the last piece wouldn't go on right (and by then it was 11:30pm).

We make such a great team! We set the crib up in the baby's (wish he had a name) room and put the new mattress in it. It looks SO good! I cant wait for the bedding to come in to add the finishing touch!!

The other piece of furniture is an antique wooden blanket chest that my mom used as a changing table with my brother and me and I plan on doing the same. It doesn't necessarily "match" the other furniture but that's what I like about it. That, and the fact that it's a family heirloom.

Good things come in...cardboard packages :)

2009-02-16T13:35:00.008-06:00

Just before I left work on Friday, I got an email that said my crib had arrived at Wal-Mart and was ready for pickup. I was so excited that I rushed right over to get my first package of the day. Two associates were kind enough to load it in my jeep and made me promise to wait and let my husband unload it!

When I got home I noticed a big box on the front steps. I knew I hadn't ordered anything so I couldn't wait to see who it was from! It turns out it was from my sister in law, Kiersten. She was so sweet to go through all of my nephew, Nicholas's baby clothes and pack them up and send them to Alabama. Kiersten sent a TON of good stuff from newborn sizes all the way to 3T!Thanks Auntie Kiersten and Cousin Nicholas!!! I gotta tell you, this baby is gonna be the best dressed kid in town!

Poor Lee was kicked out of our closet in our bedroom due to my overstuffed wardrobe and I have a feeling our little man is quickly following in his mother's footsteps! I'm beginning to think my mother and I have a serious problem with buying clothes! Why do they have to be so stinkin cute?! However, I am proud to say we have not paid full price for anything we've bought. Most of it has been clearance items from TJ Maxx or Target. Hopefully after we get the dresser refinished a lot of his clothes will be folded and stored in there. These old houses just don't have enough storage!

Gotta start somewhere!

2009-02-11T20:15:00.013-06:00

Here are the pictures from our (Lee's) hard-working weekend! Our little man's room is really coming along!! I cant wait to see it all put together! Lee's dad is here tonight helping put up the
crown molding. It really makes a big difference! It's going to look even better after its painted. The last two pics are of the crown up, but not finished.

Making room for baby!

2009-02-09T17:18:00.005-06:00

I am so excited that we started on the nursery this past weekend. Lee was such a trooper and "kilzed" the walls, painted the ceiling (2 coats), and painted the walls (3 coats) all in two days! It looks great!! His dad is coming over tomorrow to help cut and hang the crown. The only thing left we'll have to do is change out the outlets (old electrical and off-white switches) and touch up the trim and baseboards!! The walls are a light butter-creamish yellow called "moonglow" and the ceiling is a soothing light blue called "caribbean mist" I am really happy the way it turned out!

I also ordered the crib last week it's a white mission-style 3-in-one from Walmart online. It's very similar to the "Kendall" crib from Pottery Barn Kids but half the price and it comes in a bright white (PB only came in antique white), so I am happy.

I plan on ordering his bedding at the end on the week. It's called "Stella" (pictured below) from Pottery Barn Kids. I ordered the pillow sham about two weeks ago to make sure I liked it and to help in picking out paint colors. I'm watching the bedskirt on ebay before I order it and pay full price :) I think it's all going to look great in the room. I'll post more pics soon.

Baby's first pictures

2009-01-28T21:58:00.006-06:00

Here are pics of our sweet baby boy from my 20week ultrasound. Everything checked out and he's just as perfect as can be! We are so blessed!!

my lump of love

2009-01-27T20:17:00.004-06:00

So everyone's been asking for pics of the bump... here's one of me at 21 weeks. It's not a great picture but the camera was on hand and Lee was willing to snap a quick pic.

Half way there!

2009-01-25T12:21:00.003-06:00

I am 21 weeks and 3 days along! I can't believe how fast it's gone by! According to baby center our little boy now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. I feel great!! I am very much enjoying his little flutters and kicks as it is a constant reminder of the miracle I am carrying. He was really bouncing about last night and Lee was able to feel him move.
I had my 20 week check up on January 19th and the doctor said we both looked great! Lee, my mom, and Lee's sister all came to see the ultrasound. He was a bit stubborn at first and stayed all balled up in one spot. He finally stretched out a bit and it was confirmed that he was definitely a boy! We also saw what we think was a yawn when he put his head back and opened his mouth. Then got to see him playing with his toes-it was too cute!! I will post pictures as soon as I scan them. I also got it all on dvd but not sure if I can figure out how to get that on here (if someone knows, please let me know!)

Here goes nothing!

2009-01-22T16:46:00.001-06:00

So I finally jumped on the bandwagon and joined the blogging community! I love reading and keeping up with friends and family through their blogs so I thought I'd join the fun! Plus I thought it would be a great way to document our life and adventures with our new baby BOY on the way!!

More to come soon :)