The Bockus Blog

Short and sweet

2011-11-10T11:07:00.014-06:00

Here is Hudson's birth story!!!
October 16th, 2011
I thought he would be here by now. In fact, I just knew he'd be here by now. Addie was born at 37 1/2 weeks and there was no way Hudson would be later than that. My doctor told me not to think he's coming early like Addie did b/c then he won't. She was right! Well, partially right. Our baby boy was born early, just not as early as Addie which well, made him late! :) It was a Sunday morning and we decided to skip church and go to the zoo! This was the first time Hank was able to go with us. It was a beautiful day! We had A LOT of fun and did A LOT of walking (which I think helped Mr. Hudson to make his debut).

This picture was taken right before we went to the zoo.

38, almost 39 weeks

Addie and Daddy feeding the giraffes

By the end of our three hour zoo trip I was one tired girl! (and hot too)

October 17th, 12:30am

I was suddenly awakened by a contraction! And then immediately after that my water broke. I woke Hank up right away and told him it was time to go to the hospital! There is nothing like this feeling of excitement and anticipation - we were going to meet our son very soon! We called our cousin Charlene and she came over right away to stay at our house with Addie. We are so thankful that she was willing to do that for us. Our suitcases were already packed and we called our parents and headed to the hospital. On the way there my contractions were getting closer and closer and were about 5 minutes apart. Hank dropped me off at the door (we had to go to the ER entrance since it was in the middle of the night) and as soon as Hank came in they wheeled me up to triage. I told the nurse my labor with my daughter was fast and this one would be too! She checked me and I was at a 6!!! She immediately got my iv and paper work going and before I knew it she checked me again and she said it was time! We went up to the delivery room and my nurse told me I could start to push, but my doctor was not here yet (and um, I had not received my epidural yet!!!) I insisted on getting an epidural, but was warned that sitting up may cause Hudson to want to come out and that the epidural may not be effective...but epidural it was! They quickly got the anesthesiologist in there (he happened to be my old neighbor, weird, huh?) and I felt much much better. Immediately after the epidural kicked in, my doctor came in, 3 pushes and Hudson Benjamin Bockus was born! He was born at 3:19am (less than three hours after my water broke), weighed 8lbs 6oz, and was 20 inches long. We love our little boy and are so grateful to God for a healthy baby!!

In the triage room waiting to be moved to the delivery room

So, so happy!!

Our sweet boy

Daddy and Hudson

Thank you to our families who came in the middle of the night to meet sweet Hudson. And to Auntie Mel who was in the delivery room with us and was our photographer and cord cutter :)

baby bump

2011-07-10T21:16:00.003-05:00

25 weeks pregnant with baby Boy!

We are still working on a name!!

Loving being pregnant, but not loving 110 degrees

baby bump

2011-07-10T21:10:00.004-05:00

21 weeks pregnant w/ baby Boy!

Guess what????

2011-06-07T19:55:00.002-05:00

It's a B O Y!!!!!!!

woo hoo!!!!!!!!!!!! We are so excited!!!

baby bump blog

2011-05-31T14:20:00.005-05:00

18 weeks pregnant w/Baby #2!

18 weeks pregnant w/Addie

We have our big ultrasound at the end of the week.....can't wait to find out boy or girl!!

Our Satruday project

2011-05-04T20:49:00.011-05:00

One day last spring I walked outside to find Hank ripping out the bushes in our front flower bed (they were ugly)!! Well unfortunately, we had no plan in place to replace them or to get the rest of the flower bed in shape....this is what I had to live with for a YEAR.....

notice (but please don't look too closely) the weeds, and dead monkey grass...

The side flower bed not too bad...just needs some plants!

So a year later + perfect weather + 1 master gardener (Hank's mom) + 1 father in law + 1 mom + 1 dad + 1 sister + 1 Addie + 3 Little Henrys (or sweet little Henrys as my father in law, Henry, likes to call them) + 2 Hydrangeas + 3 Japanese Yews + 1 Japanese maple + 11 Hostas + 2 Heucheras + 2 Cordalis + 10 bags of pecan mulch =

A beautiful flower bed!!

Let's just hope I don't kill these pretty plants!

The happy dance

2011-04-28T11:54:00.004-05:00

Why is Addie doing the happy dance you ask??

Because we just told her she is going to be a big sister in October!!!! :)

We couldn't be more excited about this wonderful blessing!!

I was tagged!

2011-03-10T13:30:00.002-06:00

Thank you, Crislyn, for tagging me for the 4X4 Tag and for bringing me back into the blogging world! :)

1. Four places I go:
Yukon
Sonic (strawberry limeade drinks are the best)
Crossings
My parent's house

2. Four Favorite Smells
Chocolate chip cookies baking
Addie Rose after she gets a baby massage (Before we put on Addie's pj's we'll put lotion on her arms and legs and say "baby massage, baby massage". When we are all done she keeps saying and signing "more"!!)
A clean house
Hank when he puts on his aftershave

3. Four favorite movies/TV shows
Gray's Anatomy
The Real Housewives of ________ (fill in the blank....I pretty much watch them all)
The Proposal
Parenthood (my new favorite)

4. Four Recommendations
Love on your babies every chance you get!!!! They grow up way to fast. My little Addie is not so little anymore. I LOVE her new found independence that comes with pre-toddlerhood, but I miss my tiny baby!

Don't ever pay full price for anything. Bargain shopping is so fun and exciting!

Do not worry! It is not worth it! By excessively worrying about something, I am telling God that I don't need him, I don't trust him, and that I think I am in control of everything in my life. Far better is my time spent praying for peace, wisdom and guidance from our Heavenly Father than worrying about a situation that I have little control over. I used to worry about a lot of things and my life has become much more peaceful once I let that go. I have full faith that the Lord is looking after me and I pray for his blessing constantly. I'm certainly not perfect at this and have my times of self doubt and weakness, but feel a renewed confidence in my heart once I gave it all to God. For the bible says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Phil 4:6

Make new friends, but keep the old. There is nothing like an old friend. Nothing like someone who knows your story and your history. This is one of life's greatest gifts.

I tag Amanda, Jen H, Danielle, and Sarah B

2011-01-24T19:38:00.002-06:00

Happy 1st Birthday Addie Rose!

To our ONE year old, we LOVE you!!

tickle, tickle, tickle

2011-01-08T15:21:00.002-06:00

Addie is talking more and more these days. Here is her latest phrase!

Santa Henry

2010-12-31T11:07:00.007-06:00

My mom's one request this Christmas was to have a family picture of her girls, their husbands and her granddaughter with Santa. Since the real santa from the North Pole was busy at the mall, Santa Henry stepped up to the plate....and he was the BEST Santa! Addie was not scared of him at all...a little perplexed, but not scared. It was a lot of fun and a great memory.

Addie sees Santa Henry for the first time

We had an amazing Christmas. My heart was overflowing with joy!! I don't know if it is b/c I'm a mom now or what, but the true meaning of Christmas was at the forefront of my mind this year (which was a nice feeling). I can easily get caught up in the commercial side of Christmas (unfortunatley). So, so thankful for the birth of our Savior!!

Hope everyone enjoys the last day of 2010. Hope I can stay awake until midnight! :)

My childhood obsession and my current obsession collide

2010-11-03T15:59:00.002-05:00

Our little unicorn

Go Addie, Go!

2010-10-27T21:31:00.003-05:00

Well it is official people! Addie is crawling!!! She had recently been crawling a little bit here and there (and by little bit I mean moving the left arm, then right foot and that's about it). But now she's got the hang of it. We had a play date this morning and Addie saw her friend Brooklynn crawling around and she did about 4 crawling movements in a row to try to catch her. Then this afternoon I knew just what would do the trick. Addie LOVES the remote control and we do NOT let her play with it. But in a moment of weakness I sat Addie down on one end of the rug and put the remote control at the other and she went for it! I did let her play with it for just a few minutes. We are so proud of our baby girl! However, she has not quite mastered crawling on our wood floors...it is kinda like Bambi on the ice pond!

sweet baby Paige

2010-10-16T15:58:00.004-05:00

Our great friends Corey and Amanda had their beautiful daughter, Paige, on September 27th! (I am late, once again, on my post). She is the cutest little thing and looks like her momma. Addie and Paige already have matching outfits (it is so cute). Addie is actually modeling the outfit and can't wait for her and Paige to both wear them on a game day! We love Paige so much and look forward to many fun times with the Bolding and Bockus families!!

the new family of three

best friends

Dads and their daughters

Addie meeting Paige for the first time

She wanted to give Paige a big hug!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-22T21:25:00.003-05:00

Addie and her beautiful Gran

(OK, so I guess it is not-so wordless Wednesday)

Catch up time

2010-09-20T09:04:00.016-05:00

Well since it has been over a MONTH since I last posted, I have a lot of catching up to do! Of course Addie Rose needs an update first! She'll be 8 months old in 4 days. 8 months old - I just can't believe it!

UPDATE #1
- Addie is starting to give hugs and kisses! It is the sweetest, most precious thing. We've been loving on her since the day she was born and it is the best feeling for her to show us love back. You can ask for a hug and she'll usually give you one. Her kisses, on the other hand, are totally spontaneous. They are big, slobbery, open mouth kisses and we love them.

- We've started feeding Addie the Gerber puffs and she is obsessed with them. She much prefers them to any other baby food. It has been fun watching her motor skills develop. She can now pick up an individual puff and successfully put it in her mouth. What a big girl!

- Addie is finally getting teeth! I know the teething process is no fun, but I've been awaiting their arrival. :)

- Addie has started saying "dada" in addition to "mama".

- Addie can wave "bye" and "hi" now! It is so cute. When we go downstairs first thing in the morning she'll see Ethel and wave hello to her.

- Addie reaches for mommy and daddy. It is so sweet to see those chubby little arms reach for you to pick her up.

- Addie has had several play dates and loves them (and mommy does too)

7 months old

Addie giving her baby kisses

Addie and Ethel

UPDATE #2

OK, on to the next update....which I can't believe I'm announcing publicly...I'm doing the Tie Dye Tri next weekend! aaaaahhhhhhhh!!! Last year we went to the tri to watch Hank's dad, uncle and aunt and I was inspired. I was preggers with Addie at the time and made it a goal then and there to participate in it next year. I thought it would be a good goal and an even better way to lose the baby weight. Well here we are a year later and it is really happening! I've been training since June, bought a bike, a one-piece swim suit, a swim cap, and a ridiculous looking tri suit and I think I'm finally ready. Did I mention that I am not a swimmer, or a runner, or really even a biker? Thankfully I have some people in my life that are all of the above and have been great encouragers. I've been training with my sister Mel and our goal is to finish and feel good! During one of our bike rides Melissa (my younger sister) was totally kicking my booty and I jokingly said, "hey, I'm allowed to be slower b/c I'm a mom" Melissa then responds "That is no excuse" but from then on whenever I was tired or worn out from training I would say it was b/c I'm a tri mama. So if you think about it next weekend, say some prayers for this tri mama!!!

UPDATE #3

The fair! We go every year with the Bolding's and this year Amanda happened to be 38 weeks pregnant! She was such a trooper! We tried to tell her we didn't have to go this year, but she insisted that we go. Amanda wanted to do some walking to help move things along with Paige. We were hoping for a good story (like Amanda going into labor at the fair, ha!), but instead we just had a good time!

WOW

2010-08-14T16:29:00.008-05:00

Mr. Wyatt Owen Ward was born early in the morning on July 17th, 2010 to Sam and Crislyn Ward! Crislyn has been one of my best friends for over 20 YEARS and Hank and I couldn't be happier for them! We were so thankful that we were able to meet that little guy before we left for Minnesota. (He was born the morning we left for vacation which is why I'm a little late on this post...) He is handsome and absolutely perfect! I have literally gone through almost every phase of life with Crislyn by my side and it brings such joy and amazement to my heart that we both now have children. Addie and Wyatt are destined to be great friends! Crislyn and Sam are incredible parents already (the lack of sleep hasn't even phased them). It will be so fun to watch that little guy grow up!

Momma Crislyn and Wyatt

Addie and Wyatt

Friends

6 mo pictures

2010-08-14T16:06:00.011-05:00

We were so excited when Uncle Randy agreed to take Addie's 6 month pictures in Minnesota! We just love these pics!

6 mo info:
weight: 17lb 8oz (75%)
height: 26" (50%)

Addie is now eating carrots, sweet potatoes, apples, bananas, and she does not like squash. We try a new food about once a week or so. She is loving her solids and has little interest in her bottle. She has been learning to use a sippy cup with some help. She threw her first official fit the other day when I took the sippy cup away. And what did this first time mommy do? Well, i promptly returned it to her, of course! oops! :)

Who wants to go ta.... Minnesota?

2010-08-04T16:23:00.010-05:00

We just got back from our annual Minnesota trip and couldn't be missing it more! We spent two full weeks of bliss on Lake Vermillion. This was Addie's first official road trip and she did GREAT! We drove 16 hours in two days and Addie handled it like a champ. (Just FYI, we used a "the First Years" car bottle warmer and it worked like a charm) She took lots of naps and I sat in the back and played with her a lot. When we finally arrived in Minnesota the temperature was an amazingly wonderful 72 degrees! It even got down into the 60's at some point. We love going to Minnesota b/c we do a lot of relaxing, fishing and eating. This year was especially fun b/c Addie was with us. I felt like she reached a lot of milestones in Minnesota, which makes for great memories. We fed her solids (and by solids I mean something besides cereal) for the first time, she mastered sitting up, and she turned SIX MONTHS OLD! Addie also had her first boat ride (which she loved), her first dip in the lake (which she loved) and her first sip of water from a glass (which she loved). Her Uncle Andy got to spend some time with us in Minnesota too - Addie adores him! Hank and I also got to go on a date night while we were there and Grandma Teresa did most of Addie's morning feedings for me so that I could sleep in (thank you!!!) I also toted my bike and Henry's bike up this year and we got to do some riding. Hank, as usual, did not shave the entire trip and I caught the biggest fish this year (a 30" Northern - it was scarrrry). Also, Addie's great Uncle Randy took her 6 month pictures while we were there and they are incredible! I will post those soon.

The beginning of our road trip! (We actually bought this Minnesota T-shirt when we were there last year and I was preggers....we didn't know we were having a girl yet, so we bought something gender neutral that our little one could wear when we went this year)

Addie eating sweet potatoes for the first time. She actually loved them.

Addie in Lake Vermillion. I was very surprised how much she loved the water - it was pretty cold!

Addie at the Wilderness Club

Addie snuggled up with her daddy. I love that little face. And yes, it was THAT chilly!

Naked baby loving the lake!

Mamamama

2010-07-14T22:06:00.000-05:00

Guess what??? Addie has said her first word.......MAMA!!!! She is a 6 month old baby genius! Ok, well technically I don't think she knows what she is saying or that it is me who she is talking about but I'm going to go ahead and count it! Whether it is baby jabbering or intentional - it doesn't matter b/c I absolutely love it.

Sorry if the video makes you a little dizzy. I had to sneak up on her b/c every time I get the video camera out she stops talking.

Addie's baptism

2010-07-07T16:23:00.000-05:00

Our sweet daughter was baptized on June 27th, 2010 at Lakeside United Methodist Church. It was such a joyful and emotional day! We thank God for the precious baby He has blessed us with. Hank and I pray that we can be good examples to Addie and encourage her to know the Lord. We say our prayers every night and Addie always smiles during them like she knows exactly who we are talking to. It is so sweet!

Addie did great during her baptism. She was all smiles as usual. We are so thankful for the people who were able to share this day with us.

Auntie Mel and Edy

Uncle Andy (we miss you Aunt Caroline!!!)

Corey, Amanda, baby Paige in the belly

Great-Grammy

Addie wanted some cake

Norm, Jackie, V and Abbie

Gran and Pap-Pap

Great-Grandad and Great-Grandma

Grandma and Pa

Uncle Bruce and Aunt Suzanne

Rice cereal - NO, oatmeal - OH YES!!

2010-06-14T13:27:00.000-05:00

About three weeks ago we had Addie's 4 month check up! She is doing great - growing so fast! Our doctor gave us the go ahead to start feeding her cereal with one bottle feeding. We decided to try the ever so famous rice cereal! It was so much fun to feed Addie "solids". She is getting to be such a big girl. I'll let the videos speak for themselves!

Very first time to try rice cereal:

5 minutes after eating rice cereal

So, obviously Addie was not a fan of the rice cereal....but she sure does love oatmeal! We tried it about a week later and it was a success! It was so cute to see her eat the oatmeal! :)

Benton is here!

2010-05-26T20:26:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the world Benton! Our dear friends Jen and Landon had their sweet baby yesterday afternoon and I must say he is an absolute cutie! Mom and baby are doing just perfect. Benton has lots of hair and the cutest lips. We introduced Addie to her very first boyfriend! hehe :) I was shocked to see how huge Addie looks compared to Benton. I forgot how small she used to be.

This picture makes me laugh b/c for some reason it reminds me of the movie Elf. Addie looks like a giant compared to Benton!

Cuddle session!!!

We love you Jen and Landon! You are going to be amazing parents to Benton. Can't wait for play dates!

Day of firsts

2010-05-11T21:04:00.000-05:00

Addie and I had a great day today! I absolutely look forward to the days I am not working and get to spend lots of time with my sweet baby. My mom, sister and I decided to get our first pedicures of the season today and we had a blast. Addie LOVED watching me get a pedicure. As you can see Addie can't take her eyes off the nice lady who was working on my feet!

So today Addie tried formula for the first time. This was kind of a sad moment for me because I think that breast milk is so wonderful. However, Addie and I did not catch on to the whole breastfeeding thing, so I've been exclusively pumping for the past 3 1/2 months and my supply is starting to run out. So I mixed up the formula and tried to feed Addie -she absolutely HATED it! She would drink a little bit of it and then make a disgusted face and spit it out. It was kind of funny actually. Also, looking back I probably should not have tried to "capture the moment" for my blog - it just added to the chaos! So anyway, I called my friend Jeanna (I call her for all my mommy advice b/c she has a little one who is 3 months older than Addie) and she told me to mix the formula with my milk - and it worked! Thanks Jeanna.

And to leave you with a "good taste in your mouth"....

Nice to meet you

2010-05-04T08:40:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was filled with fun! Hank's cousin Amy got married on Saturday and we enjoyed the wedding festivities all weekend long. On Friday night, Hank and I went to the rehearsal dinner and left our little one at home with our dear friends Corey and Amanda. They were the first non-family members to babysit Addie and they did a great job! They are going to be wonderful parents and we can't wait for little bold to get here!

Saturday was the wedding and Amy looked absolutely gorgeous! It was a beautiful wedding and a fun reception. Addie got to meet so many family members for the first time - it was so special! Addie's Aunt Caroline flew in from San Diego for the wedding and to meet Addie. We were so excited to have Caroline in Oklahoma! We also got a wonderful surprise this weekend. Caroline's husband (and Hank's brother) Andy arrived home on Sunday to San Diego from his deployment! We were all so happy! Caroline is leaving for her deployment in just a few weeks, so luckily they will be able to spend some time together before she leaves.

Aunt Caroline and Addie meet!

Addie also got to meet several of her cousins for the first time! It filled my heart with joy to be around our family! Addie's cousin Gracie was too cute! Gracie is about to become a big sister and she did great with little Addie.

Gracie giving Addie a kiss

Also, we've decided that Addie and her cousin Eli are going to be best friends! Eli's family will be moving to the same area that we will live in someday and that means Eli and Addie will be at the same school and same grade. Growing up, my family lived far away from my cousins, so I never got to experience what it was like to live near your extended family. I love the fact that Addie will have some cousins that will live close to us. So, at the wedding we introduced Addie and Eli and guess what? they love each other already :) We sat them down next to one another and they starting holding hands. (I promise we didn't stage it) So CUTE!!

Eli and Addie

happy baby

2010-04-16T13:46:00.001-05:00

Sweet baby smiles are the best! Have a blessed and happy weekend!

Addie's newborn pictures

2010-04-09T08:18:00.001-05:00

I just can't resist! We finally ordered our CD of Addie's new born pics and I just had to post some of them. Even though she is almost 3 months old and looks so much chubbier and bigger now.

Addie update:

- She is a great little sleeper! She has been consistently sleeping through the night since 8 weeks! I highly recommend Baby Wise to all you mommies-to-be. If you like schedules and sleep, this is the parenting style for you :)

- Addie was a smiley baby since birth, but now she definitely recognizes her mommy and daddy and smiles at us all the time! She also gives her grandparents big smiles too. We think she is on the verge of laughing - she's trying so hard but just can't figure out how to make it come out.

- She loves her mobile (and she can finally see it now too). We turn that thing on and she just smiles and follows it with her eyes. She also knows it is time for bed when when we turn it on b/c we play it before bed every night.

- Addie is doing a great job of holding up her head

- She has started to "coo" and "talk" to her mommy and daddy

- She now stays awake during walks and looks around at her surroundings

- Addie is a growing girl. She's outgrown her newborn clothes and we've had to move on to 8 oz bottles (she's not eating 8 oz now -but 5-6 at every feeding)

Ethel the bulldog update:

- Ethel's life before Addie: Ethel was our baby! We would practice her tricks, walk her and play with her everyday. She had a definite routine: eat dinner at 5:00, spend time with us in the family room; go outside to get busy, then she would go straight to her crate to go to bed.

- Ethel's life after Addie: We've neglected her tricks - now when we tell her to "give me paw" she lay's down.....she is so confused and just does whatever trick she can remember regardless of the command. She gets fed whenever we can remember (somewhere between 5-6:30); gets walked when we decide to take Addie for a walk. Oh, and best of all....now that Addie is sleeping through the night, Ethel has decided it is her turn to wake us up in the middle of the night. Ethel is consistently barking at NOTHING late at night! We've also neglected to put her in her crate and let her have free range in the entire downstairs area - BAD idea! So, needless to say the baby gates are back up and she is confined to the kitchen at night. Also, before Addie got here I would love to try to cuddle with Ethel. Bulldogs are not big on cuddling and Ethel would want nothing to do with it. Just a few days ago, I was sitting on the floor putting together a toy for Addie and along comes Ethel and just sits in my lap! I was shocked! She must be desperate for attention. I'm going to try to be a better mommy to my bully!!

Oprah is right.....

2010-03-24T11:04:00.000-05:00

I was sitting at home watching TV during Addie's nap yesterday and flipped the channel to Oprah. I love watching Oprah and feel that she has great things to say (most of the time). Yesterday's show was all about driving while texting and talking on your phone. Oprah is extremely passionate about this subject, and after watching her show I am too. Oprah gave many statistics about the dangers of driving while being distracted by a cell phone, and I'm not a numbers person, so that didn't have much effect on me. I'm definitely an emotional person though and after hearing the stories of accidents and deaths that could have been prevented, I have decided to sign her "no phone zone" pledge and not use my cell phone in the car anymore. I did not text while driving on a regular basis, but I regretfully admit that I have done it before. I've definitely checked out status updates on facebook while driving and I am constantly talking on my phone while in the driver's seat. In fact, I used to call my mom everyday on my way home from work just to chat. I also must admit that I've had my fair share of "close calls" and thanked God because none of those close calls turned into accidents. Is it going to be easy not to use my phone in the car? NO!!!!! But I am now not only responsible for my life, but for the precious cargo that sits in my backseat. I've already talked with Hank about my decision not to use the phone in the car anymore - and I've promised him that I will call him before I leave and when I get to my destination. (we are so used to talking to each other to and from work, etc) I recorded yesterday's show on our DVR and am planning on having Hank watch it in hopes he will stop using his cell phone in his car too. I would like to encourage you all to do the same. You can find out more info about this at http://www.oprah.com/nophonezone. Also here is the link to watch the 1 hour show:

http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Watch-the-Full-Hour-Americas-New-Deadly-Obsession-Video

Happy St. Patrickversary Day!!

2010-03-17T08:19:00.000-05:00

Today is a very special day! Not only is it St. Patrick's Day, but three years ago today I married my best friend. Our wedding day is one of those days that I could live over and over again. There is nothing else in this world that compares to it except for the day our sweet baby girl was born. The feeling of excitement and anticipation of how our life would be together made my heart jump for joy. And I must say, being married to my Hank is even better than I could have ever imagined. I'm definitely not saying that our marriage is perfect, but we've learned how to serve one another and work through our conflicts - and we are still learning! I'm so thankful for a husband that constantly makes me laugh, loves the Lord with all his heart, and loves his three girls (me, Addie and Ethel :) ) Today Hank, Addie and I are going to have a St. Patrickversary Day lunch together, but our real celebration will be occurring this weekend. We will be leaving Addie with her grandparents so that Hank and I can check into a hotel and........SLEEP!!! We are very much looking forward to a full night's sleep (although we will miss our baby).

Happy St. Patrick's Day (hope everyone remembers to wear their green - Addie is!) And Happy Anniversary to my wonderful husband. I love you!!!!!!

Best Friends

2010-03-02T13:48:00.000-06:00

Addie meets Baby Dilynn! My good friend Nicki just had baby #2, Dilynn Elizabeth on February 25th. She has a lot of hair (like Addie) and sweet full lips and is beautiful just like her mommy! This picture makes me laugh b/c Dilynn is only a day old here and is as alert as can be! Addie, on the other hand is a sleepyhead. My little girl is such a good sleeper....during the daytime that is! We are working on the night sleeping. Hopefully she'll catch on soon :)

Congratulations Nicki and Matthew on another beautiful daughter! Love you!!

3 weeks old

2010-02-14T16:39:00.000-06:00

Things I have learned in my first three weeks of mommyhood:
1. I can just sit and stare at my daughter for hours while she sleeps
2. Breastfeeding = no fun
3. Baby boys are not the only ones that can pee on you while you change a diaper
4. Cuddling with baby Addie is the best!
5. Addie likes dancing to Beyonce with her Daddy
6. Sibling rivalry happens with dogs too, just ask Ethel
7. God is so good!

A few other things....

- Check out Randy Coleman's blog for pictures he took of Addie. He is such a talented photographer and wonderful person! http://randycolemanphotography.com/blog

- We took our first walk as a family on Saturday. We had to take advantage of such a beautiful day! Addie loved the stroller ride, and Ethel had to be the pack leader! She was always way ahead of the stroller.

The story

2010-01-31T13:26:00.001-06:00

I know I've told the story of Addie's birth to many friends and family, but I just wanted to write about it on our blog so that I can remember all the details! The day that my water broke, Saturday, January 23, 2010 started out like any other. Hank took me out for breakfast at the most delicious place in the world, Classen Grill. We were anticipating that this would be one of the last lazy Saturday morning breakfasts we would be able to enjoy as "just the two of us". After coming home full and happy, I decided to take a little nap (ok, maybe more like a long 3 hour nap) and Hank did some major cleaning to get ready for baby Addie. Looking back, Hank was definitely the one nesting! It makes us laugh b/c he would be the one to nest (AKA clean) rather than me. After I woke up, I helped Hank finish up the cleaning. Our house was finally done and awaiting our baby girl. We had dinner plans that night with my family. Melissa moved into her new house a few months ago, and she was going to have us over for a nice dinner for the first time. Before going over to Mel's house, we walked around Target to get a few baby essentials that we had been missing. Then, I convinced Hank to take me to Ross, which I absolutely love and him not so much. We then arrived at Mel's house around 6:30 and dinner was not quite ready yet. Hank and I sat down on Mel's couch and all of a sudden I felt a lot of cramping and pain in my stomach. I whispered to Hank that I thought I just had a contraction (we didn't want to alarm my family) and as soon as the contraction was over, my water broke! I told Hank what had happened and he guided me to the bathroom and I'll spare the details, but yes, I was right! So we came out of the bathroom and told my family that my water had broken and everyone was in shock! My due date was still over 2 wks away! It was pretty hilarious b/c the only person (thing) that had a reaction was Cooper (who is my former dog, and is Melissa's current dog). Cooper started dry-heaving and freaking out as soon as I said those three words, "My water broke". Ha ha, it still makes me laugh. So, Hank and I went back home and I took a quick shower and we grabbed our bags and headed to the hospital! My contractions were coming about every three minutes at this point! We headed up to the 5th floor, which was the triage floor and waited for what seemed like forever to get into a room. Once there the nurse had to verify that my water had indeed broken. She did various tests and was not convinced that it had happened. I was so scared that they were going to send us home. We were so excited that we would be meeting our daughter soon that I would have been heartbroken to have to go home and wait longer. But, she returned with good news! My water had broken and they wheeled me up to the delivery room. At this point, my contractions were getting closer and closer. They were about 2 minutes apart and becoming very INTENSE. In fact, I thought I was going to die they hurt so bad! I begged the nurse for the epidural and she said that I must finish a bag of fluid through my IV and have some blood work done first and that it would take about 20 minutes. Those were the longest 20 minutes of my life. Crislyn, one of my very best friends called Hank to tell him she was on her way to the hospital and I told Hank to give me the phone. I was right in the middle of a contraction and obviously going a little crazy and told Crislyn that this really sucks! (Crislyn by the way is about 16wks pregnant and I'm hoping I didn't traumatize her). Hank was the best coach! He was a huge support and got me through the rough part. Finally the epidural man arrived and he became the world's greatest doctor in my eyes. Life was good after that point and I can honestly say that I enjoyed the labor process from then on. After the epidural, they checked me and I was almost fully dilated! (hope that is not TMI) My doctor had been out of town that week and I was told that she would not be here to deliver my baby. But then the nurses told me she had just gotten in from the airport at 9pm and she was on her way to the hospital! yeah! So, I began pushing (which, by the way did not hurt at all - the hardest part was having to hold my breath for ten seconds) and then the doctor came in and our sweet, sweet baby was here! I was in labor for a total of 6 1/2 hours from when my water to broke to when Addie was born - not bad at all! The sight of her filled our hearts with the greatest joy. Oh it is like nothing I have ever experienced! We thank our sweet Jesus for the little miracle he gave us. She was born January 24th, 2010 at 1:19am. She weighs 7lb 5oz and is 20 1/2 inches long. She has chubby cheeks and a head full of dark brown hair. She is just perfect. A special thank you to my sister Melissa. She stayed in the delivery room with me and Hank and she even cut Addie's umbilical cord (Hank decided to pass that duty onto Mel). She took lots of great pictures for us, updated the family and friends in the waiting room via text messages during the delivery process, and was a great encourager. Also, thank you to our family and friends who patiently waited into the early morning to see baby Addie. Hank and I love you all so much. Also, to all our our visitors in the hospital - thanks for coming to meet our baby girl.

Hank and I in the triage room

She's here!

Hank, me, Addie, Crislyn, Rita

Auntie Mel and Addie cuddling

Addie does this every time we take her out of her swaddle. "I'm free!!!!"

Addie is 5 days old here and this is the most awake she's been her entire life! haha

Addie's Room

2010-01-20T18:44:00.001-06:00

Two more weeks!!! Two more weeks from today and our precious little girl will be here!! We absolutely can not wait. I keep hoping and wishing and praying that she will come early, but am preparing myself to wait the full two weeks. Life is getting progressively more difficult as a pregnant lady. My belly is HUGE! I'm still working and plan on working until the day I go into labor and my belly is definitely getting in the way as I work on my patients. It also makes it difficult to find a comfortable position when I'm sleeping.... well actually when I'm sitting or standing too! But it is all worth it and we are thrilled that Addie is a healthy, growing baby. We have our bags packed for the hospital, car seat installed, and nursery ready...all we need now is baby Addie! Here are some pictures of Addie's nursery. I must give my husband all the credit. He did all the painting, hanging, etc. Good job Hank!!!

Changing table/dresser

We bought this dresser at a furniture thrift store and Hank repainted it. It was our $35 bargain!

My sister, Melissa painted this for Addie! She is going to be such a good Aunt.

Addie's crib

My favorite thing in the room - the chandelier

We will put our glider in this corner - it is ordered, but not here yet

Hank's at-home dye job

2010-01-17T18:55:00.000-06:00

So, in the past month or two I've been watching Hank's hair go through some changes. It had started to turn a reddish/blond color around his temples, forehead, and even his eyebrows. I'm definitely not the only one who has noticed, because he has gotten several comments from friends, family and co-workers asking him if he's dyed his hair! Hank's hair was blond as a child, but it is usually a light brown color and I've never seen it look so blond. I was convinced that this new pattern of color had to mean that he was about to start losing his hair or that it was on its way to turning gray.

This picture does not do it justice, but notice the blondish/red color around Hank's temple!

So one morning Hank comes running out of the bathroom and says, "I've figured it out! I know what's going on with my hair!!" You see, Hank being the economical man that he is started a new habit of clipping coupons from the paper. He decided to try a new brand of facial cleansing pads (Clearasil) and come to find out they contain hydrogen peroxide! We were both relieved to find out that his hair was not in fact turning gray or on its way out!! Needless to say, he threw out the hair bleaching facial cleansing pads....we are still waiting for the at-home dye job to grow out!!

Elise Renee Bolay

2010-01-07T20:19:00.000-06:00

This past weekend my little sister went from Elise Muscaro to Mrs. Elise Renee Bolay! (yes it rhymes, yes I think it is sooooo cute, and yes, Elise will probably be mad at me for mentioning these two points) :) I can't believe my sister is now a Mrs! Elise looked just beautiful, and Mason very handsome. Here are some pics from the rehearsal dinner and the big day:

Mason and Elise at rehearsal dinner

Hank and me (and Addie in the belly)

Elise and Frankie

mom, Elise, me, Mel

We had such a wonderful time at the wedding. Thank you to all our out of town family who made the trip into Oklahoma to celebrate with us.

Sneak peek at baby Addie

2009-12-27T19:39:00.000-06:00

On Christmas Eve eve we got a sneak peek of baby Addie. My sisters, mom, dad, and Hank's parents joined Hank and I at a Miracle Within for a 3D/4D viewing of Addie. Our hearts instantly melted at the joyous sight!!! Our little girl doesn't look so little. She has the cutest chubby cheeks!! We could see her moving around, opening and closing her eyes, and best of all lots of smiles!! Here are some of our favorite pics:

Sticking out her tongue

There's a little grin!!

We hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! We are so thankful for the birth of Christ, our family and friends, and our growing baby Addie.

First time blogger

2009-12-23T09:08:00.000-06:00

So, this is my very first blog post ever! Not sure exactly what I am doing, or how to work this thing, but I'm going to give it a try. Also, did I mention that I hate writing???? It never seems to come out on paper the way I'm thinking it in my head. Oh well!

So for my first blog post, I would like to dedicate it to my wonderful husband Hank! We are expecting a baby girl, Addie Rose, on Feb 3rd and Hank has been my source of strength throughout this whole experience. He's turned into the dinner maker, laundry do-er, house picker upper and everything else in between. Life as a pregnant woman is so different than normal life. Your hormones are going crazy and you are tired all the time. Not to worry, there is a spurt of energy in the middle of the second trimester (Hank enjoyed this time - I was up cooking and cleaning again). And towards the end you just get bigger and bigger every day! It is the most amazing experience and I wouldn't trade it for the world. Ok - back to Hank.... I just want to say how much I love him and that he is going the be the best daddy in the whole world. (He already has a "daddy and Addie" song that he is going to sing to our sweet baby girl). Thank you sweetie for being so supportive! I love you!!