Halloween 2008

What a GREAT Halloween weekend we had! Cousin Henry, Aunt April and Uncle Brad came to visit us, along with Grandad! The kids went to a harvest festival at our church and had a lot of fun! The best part of the evening was getting to sit inside a school bus. Henry and Ethan really loved pretending to drive! Afterwards, we all went to Babes Chicken! What a great night!

Costumes - Ethan as a Giraffe, Henry as a Turtle and Matthew as a "Pea in a Pod"

Ethan Got His Hands Dirty

Yesterday Grandad, Ethan, Matthew and Mommy went to the Owen's Farm Pumpkin Patch! Ethan really enjoyed seeing the goats, sheep, cows, donkeys, horses and chickens! We also got to ride on the hay ride TWICE being pulled by a big tractor (trato). Ethan had a great time and Matthew was very content being held by Mommy the entire way. Ethan was scared to feed the animals and didn't want to touch the hay on the ride... I think he didn't want to get his hands dirty.

Speaking of getting his hands dirty...Ethan DID want to touch a rock that he found in the parking lot. In fact, Ethan was holding on to a rock in each hand most of the time on the farm. After we had picked our pumpkins, Ethan found a little girl (a little younger than him) sitting on the ground. He looked at her, smiled, and sat down in front of her. She was playing with a plastic top from a coke bottle. Ethan just smiled, and smiled at her and saw she was playing with this top. I looked away for a second and Ethan had taken the top from the girl. I grabbed his hand and told him that we don't take things from other people. In the frustration of being told NO, he threw that favored rock he had in his hand at the little girl and hit her in the head. Mommy was SOOOOO embarrassed! I apologized to the little girl and her mother profusely. The little girl began to cry and I felt even more terrible!

Matthew's 1st Trip to OK

Last weekend, we went to go see all the family in OK for Mom's 60th Birthday! Mandy planned a big surprise party for her on Sunday with many friends from church and work. It was so nice for everyone to get together and celebrate!

Ethan and Henry really got to know each other while we were there. Sharing the toys was difficult at times for Ethan, but he and his cousin became fast friends! They played with cars and really liked mimicking each other.

Matthew did so well during the trip. He got so much attention, he was fussy when we got home because everyone was not around to hold him all day. Poor little guy.

Sleeping Through the Night!

What an over achiever Matthew is! Sleeping through the night at 7 weeks old! He has been such a good baby! It seems like he is even more laid back than Ethan was. Matthew is awake much more during the day now, and Ethan not only has been the BEST Big Brother, but also provides lots of entertainment for Matthew to watch.

Fun wtih Friends at Gattitown!

Ethan's 18 Month Checkup

See that paci? It is no more! The doctor said we needed to get rid of it, and we did! Ethan had a great checkup and the doctor said that normally the 18 month visit is a really hard one...but he did great! He was in the 90th percentile for height and the 75th for weight. He has been so loving of his new brother and gives him many hugs each day!

Fun at Lewisville's Western Day

Yesterday, Daddy, Tia, Ethan, Matthew and I went to the City of Lewisville's Western Day! It was fun for all! Ethan rode a pony for the first time and was able to pet bunnies, goats, and a few ponies. We even saw Lewisville's K-9 unit and got to pet some working german shepherds and talk with a handler. It made us want a better life for Merc. We often joke that he really got jipped on having to live with us. I wish we had more time to devote to Merc and exercising his abilities.

Ethan's playdate with Lexi

Our 1st Family Zoo Trip

Hearing Test PASSED!

Today Matthew had his 4th hearing test since he was born. We are so pleased to announce that he PASSED with flying colors! The testing process did not take near as long as it did the first time and his numbers got up to passing level very quickly. Praise God for answering prayers!

1st Day of Preschool

Last Thursday Ethan went to his first day of Preschool at church. He had a great time at school and even said the word "Teacher" before we left. His teachers said he was a very good boy and was curious, happy and cheerful. He finger painted AND went down for a nap on the floor...something we never thought he would do. He had a great time and was so happy and loving when he came home.

Labor Day Baby!

Matthew Christopher was born on September 1, 2008 at 12:29pm. He weighed 6 lbs 10 oz and was 19 1/2 inches long. We are so blessed to have such a beautiful healthy baby!

No News Yet

Well, I went to the doctor on Wednesday (8/27) and I have no news. The baby's heartbeat was 130 and everything is going fine. The doctor did not check to see if I have dilated, so we are just playing the waiting game. The doctor did estimate that the baby is 6.5lbs now. I have been having contractions at night, but they have not turned into labor yet. The baby's movements are really strong! We can't wait for the big day! Perhaps I will be in labor on Labor Day!!!

Hugs

Ethan turned 17 months old yesterday and he is becoming such a "little man"! He is communicating with us all the time and understands so much of what we say. Recently I noticed that I lost my favorite pair of earrings that Kris got me for my Birthday last year. I told him that I thought it would really be special if he got me some new ones to replace them before "Mateo" comes. He said he would be glad to. Yesterday when Kris got home from work, he mentioned that we need to get online and order the earrings. I told him how sweet that was of him to think of me and said to him, "come give me a hug." We were hugging and Ethan ran up to us and hugged each one of our legs. It was so sweet!

DaDee's Home

Each day when Kris arrives home from work, Ethan hears the dogs bark and says DaDa or DaDee. I didn't realize that Ethan related the two until I took notice the other day that EVERY TIME the dogs bark he thinks DaDee is home. He now says DaDee, looking at the back door each time the dogs bark. He LOVES his Dad!

The Girly Baby Shower

Last weekend, my dear friend Amy threw us a baby shower at Maggiano's Little Italy. It was soooo nice of her and the food was really great! For a girl with constant heartburn, it was totally worth it! Amy had a special cake made for us by a friend of hers at church. It was the cutest cake!!! Thanks to all that were there to celebrate our new little guy!

Spa Day!

What a great day my sister and I had! She treated me to a spa day at Bliss Spa at the W Hotel! It was GREAT! Afterwards she took me out to lunch and shopping. What a great sister I have!!!

Dr. Checkup - Week 29/28

I had an okay OB doctor checkup last Thursday. During our trip to Mexico, I had a lot of pain in my belly from all the walking that we did. I asked the doctor about it and he said that since this was our 2nd baby that many women feel braxton hicks contractions more with their second child. The doctor felt around my belly and told me that the baby is breach right now. He is laying sideways with his head on my right and his bottom on my left. (That would explain all the discomfort I am feeling near my ribs I guess.) The doctor said that most babies turn on their own before delivery.

Since I have been so uncomfortable, I told the doctor I wanted to change my due date to the date that the sonogram showed when we found out the sex of the baby. He laughed and thought that was funny. He asked why I wanted to change it from 9/15 to 9/11 and I told him that I wanted to look forward to the closest date possible! He said that he was going to keep the date set at 9/15 against my wishes. Darn!

The baby's heartbeat was 144 bpm.

PREDICTION: This baby will arrive by September 7th!

We have all been sick for the past week and it has been miserable! Ethan has been sleeping so much to feel better. Two nights in a row he slept 15 hours! I should try wearing a diaper so that I can sleep for 15 hours! Ha Ha!

Playa Del Carmen Vacation 2008

We spent five great nights in Playa Del Carmen last week. We had a wonderful vacation...maybe our last for many years with our growing family. Ethan stayed at home with Grandaddy and Grandmommy and had the best time! They went for many morning walks...which Ethan LOVED, spent some time at the mall, and eating out. Ethan was so worn out that when we got home, all it seemed that he wanted to do was nap.

The trip was really great. We arrived in Playa Del Carmen around 9:30 pm on Saturday night. We ate dinner at the hotel restaurant, and then retired to our room. It was so hot that I had to take a cold shower just to get to bed. We took Sunday to sight see and explore our hotel and the beach front.

Monday, we went to Xcaret, a sort of theme park with lots of activities and animals to see. We spent much of our time there walking to see everything. We did a 2 reef snorkel tour there and swam with some really large fish! We ended up seeing a large turtle swimming and swam with him for quite a while. During the evening, we went to the Xcaret Mexican show which was really entertaining!

Tuesday we were so tired from all the walking the previous day that we hung out at the hotel pool and beach. It was a relaxing day!

Wednesday we decided to go to Maroma Beach...which we were told was the prettiest beach in the area. We took a shuttle there and did another 2 reef snorkel tour. After we returned to the shore, we just had fun in the water and enjoyed the beautiful white sand.

Thursday we didn't have a whole lot of time because we had to be ready to go back to the airport at 2pm. We ended up buying some souvenirs and eating at a Mexican food place on 5th Ave. It was probably some of the best tex-mex nachos we have had...it felt good that we were almost home. We got to the airport and waited a while. Evidently, our plane was there but our pilot was not. We didn't get home in time to see Ethan off to bed...but we had a great time on our vacation.

Ethan's stay at Lexi's House

On Saturday, Kris and I were invited to a special family get together for the 60th wedding anniversary for my aunt and uncle. My friends Kyanne & Phil were so sweet and had Ethan over to play at their house with Lexi (Ethan's Girlfriend--their daughter). Ethan had the BEST time playing with Lexi and all of Lexi's toys. :) When we came to pick him up, we don't think he was ready to leave. He and Lexi were just running around having fun! It was so nice of our friends to watch Ethan and open their home to him. I hope that we can return the favor and watch Miss Lexi very soon!

For more photos of their playdate visit: http://www.ourbabynews.com/livesoftware/pictures.asp?category=All&sitename=ourlittlebaby

Big Weekend Fun in OK & MO

This past weekend we went up to OK and MO to visit and celebrate cousin Henry's 1st Birthday! We had a great time seeing everyone and eating lots of cake! The ride up was a little rocky since we left at a time when the sun was right in Ethan's eyes. He cried a lot...but slept some too...ahhh peace and quiet! Ethan got to ride on the tractor, see a horse, cows and a big barn too. He ate like a little king and actually learned how to sip through a straw for the first time when we stopped at Braums on the way to MO. I guess chocolate malt is a good incentive to try something new!!! We had a great ride home. Ethan was so worn out after playing with Grandmommy and Papa, that he slept for 2 of the 4 and a half hours we were on the road! When we got back home, Ethan was so happy!!! He went in the house and saw all his toys and acted as if he had never played with them before! So cute!

Dr. Checkup - Week 23 & 1 day

We had a great checkup today at the OB doctor. The baby's heart beat was 140 and he was moving a lot! The doctor said the heart beat was strong and the baby is growing wonderfully. I was a little concerned about the baby's growth going into the appointment today because I seem to be bigger than I was at this point in the last pregnancy. The doctor couldn't believe how much my uterus had grown since last time. He didn't say how many inches it was...but I am guessing 3 inches up the belly from four weeks ago. That is a ton! I don't even want to know the amount of weight I have put on in total... but I was 2lbs higher since last time (although it feels like more than 2lbs). The doctor even said that since my numbers came back so well from the last pregnancy for the diabetes testing, he didn't feel like I would need to take the test again. I told him I would rather be on the safe side and take it at the next appointment. Yummy...orange syrup!

Ethan stayed with Pawpaw and Grandma while I "escaped" to the doctor and ran errands and ate lunch with Kris today. It was such a great day!

Mission Hair Cut!

Ethan had a very exciting weekend! He got his FIRST haircut! He was very good and sat still for most of the time...that is after he got a hold of a comb to play with! Crystal has been cutting Kris's hair for a while and she said she would be glad to cut Ethan's. He is growing up so fast. He looks more like a little boy now than a baby. We were also able to get a lock of his hair for his book too.

Please check out our video links to see more of Ethan getting his first haircut! http://www.krisandstacy.com/featured/baby/Default.aspx

Belly Pictures - 21 Weeks

Ethan's First Project!

Here is Ethan's first Sunday School project! He was in the big-boy class today with all the walkers. He had so much fun, and then came home for an almost 2 hr nap!

Week 20 & 2 Days

Well, I am feeling the baby more and more roaming around in my belly. It sort of feels like popcorn popping in there. I was driving today and noticed a little fluttering under my seat belt. Later I laid down and felt it again. I hope he is growing strong in there!

Ethan is so into walking now. Dad and Mom came over today and watched him so I could escape. It was a great time for Ethan! They said that he played and played and was very cheerful the entire time! He is such a great baby boy!

Dr. Visit Today - Week 19 & 2 days!

Well, great news! I had a checkup today at the doctor for our baby #2. The previous doctor appointment, they drew blood to check for downs syndrome and spina bifida. Praise God that the results came back negative for both. The doctor said that my results were the best you could possibly get. I asked him to check the results against the tests done when I was pregnant with Ethan, and they were even better this time! Wow! I must be getting younger the more kids we have!!! :) HaHa! The heartbeat was 140bpm today.

Giddy Up!

It's a Boy!

After not sleeping hardly at all last night I sprung out of bed this morning with great anticipation! It seems like we have waited so long to see our little one and find out if Ethan will have a brother or sister! We had our sonogram this morning and got to peak at the little guy. He was trying to get a little shut-eye, but we were able to annoy him a little so he would move about for us. The lady reading the sonogram said that everything looked good. He is 18 weeks and 3 days and based on his size, the due date would be 9/13, just a couple of days off from what the doctor predicted. We have our next appointment to see the doctor on Wed 4/23.

Ethan Walks!

Ethan is doing so well at learning how to walk. He has been getting more courage to go farther each day! He loves walking to Daddy and us being proud of him!

Exciting News

As if we don't have enough time for anything else with precious Ethan, we are expecting a new little one in early September! What an amazing miracle Ethan is, and we can't wait to meet his new brother or sister!