E & E plus 3

Well it's about time...

2011-11-04T21:14:00.012-05:00

That I updated my blog. I have found myself out-of-control busy lately and finding time or "making time" for my blog fell on the back burner. We have been busy these last few months, but instead of just barreling my way through the past events I thought that I would include a few pictures of the kids and then brainstorm many of the events that occured during the last time that I made an entry.

Levi's 1st Birthday
Grandma and Pappa's visit
Alex starting preschool
The car wrecks
Trip to Utah
Family pictures in CO
Surprise visit to VA
Alex's 1st Primary program
Alex's swim lessons
Kids at work
Sarah wears make-up for the first time
Dance Fever

Levi

2011-04-21T07:02:00.005-05:00

Here are a few pictures of Levi. Taken around 6 months old.

He had his 6 month appointment a little late and was 28 inches long (90th %) and 19 lbs. (75th %). He is a big boy and really enjoys being doted on by his big brother and sister. He is very vocal and can say mama. He is the first one of our children to say that. The other two said dada first. I love his bright blue eyes and he gets compliments on them all the time while we are out. He has four teeth now and is starting to enjoy eating table foods. He decided that he preferred a bottle to nursing and weaned himself a few months ago. He sits up by himself and loves the attention that is is given by all of his family. He is by far the most vocal of the kids. He will squeal and loves to get and give kisses. He is very affectionate and is a social bug. His smiles melt my heart and I love him so much. He is such a blessing from Heavenly Father.

The Trampoline

2011-04-21T06:35:00.002-05:00

A few months ago we got a trampoline for the kids to enjoy the *few* weeks of nice weather that we have here in Texas. ;0) My friend Meggan got one at the same time for her daughter's upcoming birthday. We were so excited to get it that she talked me into setting it up right after we got it home. We read the weight on the box and decided that we could do it together. Well the weight that we read on the box was in kg not pounds. But with a few trips to and from the car we managed to get it into the backyard.

Where were the 5 kids you ask? They were helping us and eating some Happy Meals that we got on the way home from the store. It was *fun* setting up the trampoline and the kids were so excited to have it done that they jumped for 2 hours after it was done. Meggan and I learned some tricks for putting it together, so that when the next trampoline is ready for assembly, we can share them with our husbands for a small price.

BIg Sister, Big Brother

2011-04-21T05:57:00.007-05:00

With Alex in preschool during the morning, Sarah gets to have some one- on-one time with Levi Lou (his nickname from the family). She will play with him and feed him his bottle. She just dotes on him and is very concerned with him when he is crying. I love your caring and gentle nature.

And not to be outshined, Alex is a fantastic big brother. he is very good to play with and entertain Levi during the "witching hour " of the day ( between 4pm and when Daddy returns from work). He will sing to him, give him love, and try and play with him while I am fixing dinner. Yesterday he played with him for 30 minutes while I was getting dinner ready. What a fantastic big brother you are Alex. I am amazed by you everyday.

Sarah's First Haircut

2011-04-21T05:48:00.003-05:00

I know that this is a few months old, but I guess better late than never. Eric had been wanting me to cut Sarah's hair to give her bangs because she was constantly pushing it out of her face. He said he counted her doing it something like 25 times in a minute. So with two really wanting them, I took Sarah and got a bang trim and now she doesn't have to worry as much about keeping them out of her eyes. Here are a few pictures of her "new" old do.

Sarah and Naps

2011-03-06T09:49:00.003-06:00

Sarah is kind of fickle with her nap time. Why should she want to take a nap because she is afraid that she will miss something important that big brother is doing. He doesn't take a nap so why should she? Because this will happen....
In the afternoon when it supposed to be nap time sometimes it is too quiet I stumble onto a scene like this. A girl with so much to do and no time to rest. Recently she has gotten better at going down for a nap and that make for a much more pleasant evening for everyone.

The Look

2011-03-06T09:43:00.003-06:00

Alex has this funny look that I think is hysterical. I get a bellyache from laughing at this look that I chance to see every now and then. He is one expressive kiddo. I get a chuckle from him each day. Here is the LOOK:
You see what I mean? Did I catch you laughing at it too?

All About Me and Preschool

2011-03-06T09:21:00.004-06:00

Alexander has been going to a preschool at a local high school since October and loves it! He has been getting more and more self-control. He is learning so much and his favorite thing besides snack is doing science experiments.
Each week one child has the opportunity to create and present a poster about themselves and their favorite activities. As parents you are invited and encouraged to come and visit them during the day. It was Alex's week to present his All about Me poster and it was fun to see him at school and what his day is like while he is away from me. He still has a difficult time speaking and looking at people when he is talking especially if he is retelling a story. It was fun none the less to see him having fun and learning. I can't believe that he is growing up so fast and is leaving the little boy stage all too soon for my taste. Here are some pictures from his preschool day.

Levi is Four Months Old

2011-01-16T20:54:00.003-06:00

Levi turned 4 months old today. He is so fun to be around. He gets very excited and his eyes get big in anticipation of what will happen next. He is doing better at sleeping more at night. He wakes up usually once about 2 in the morning and nurses then goes back to sleep. Sometimes he wakes up about 5 am, nurses and then goes back to sleep until about 7:30.
He still doesn't like taking baths, or having his diaper changed. He is a very social baby and will cry if it is dinner time and is sitting in his swing. He wants Eric or me to hold him while we are eating so that he can be at the table with the rest of the family.
I started feeding Levi some rice cereal because he was waking up more frequently at night. Having him start that has helped him sleep better at night.
He has big beautiful blue eyes that are very expressive like Alex's were, but he has more of Sarah's coloring. We go into the Dr in a few weeks for his checkup, so we will see how he is growing more then.
*** Updated ***
I took Levi into the doctor and here are his stats
He was:

Weight 15 1/2 lbs- 50th %
Length- 90th %
Head size- 90th %

Answers to Prayers

2011-01-16T20:39:00.003-06:00

Just yesterday I was sitting and talking to Eric and he looked at me and said, "Where is your diamond?"
I looked down at my engagement ring and was staring at it in disbelief. The center stone broke off and was missing. We began to search everywhere for the missing diamond. We searched and searched for it, trying to think if I had banged it somewhere on something. We could not find it.
That night we were saying our family prayers and I asked Alex to say a prayer that we would find the diamond. He included it in his prayer, and I really was lacking faith. I thought that it was impossible for us to find. I thought that the only way for us to get the ring back the way it was before was to buy a new stone.
I have to admit that I had been short with the kids and not very pleasant to be around. We were getting ready for church and Levi had been crying and so I picked him up ready to nurse him, but after a few minutes he was content and so I went to set him down on his playmat. I looked down and there was my diamond. I could not believe it. It was as if someone was forcing my eyes to look at a certain spot. There it was laying right there.
The miracle happened and a prayer was answered. I do have a testimony that prayers are answered and that the Lord is in the details of our lives. He didn't have to answer my prayers to find the diamond, but he did because he knew that it was important to me. We stopped right them and offered a prayer of gratitude to Heavenly Father for answering our prayers. I learned a valuable lesson that day, to never think that nothing is impossible with the Lord's help. It was truly a lesson that I needed to learn and a powerful one that taught Alex (and me) that Heavenly Father does hear and answer prayers.

Locks for Love

2011-01-16T20:35:00.004-06:00

I have been growing my hair out for a very long time and about a month ago I got it cut really short and am sending my ponytail to locks. So that someone else can use it. I must admit, I love having short hair again and I don't know if I will be having long hair anytime relatively soon. The ponytail was about 12 inches that was chopped off. I love not having my hair up in a bun or ponytail everyday. Here are the before and after pictures. It was just cut and not styled yet. I don't have any pictures of that right now, but hopefully in the next few posts you can see the new do with it being styled "my way". In the past few weeks I have gotten lots of compliments about it.

Celebrating Dad's Big Day

2010-12-05T20:09:00.003-06:00

I know that I am so far behind blogging about events that have happened in our family this year, but here is my initial attempt at recording our life in a small way.
This year for Eric's birthday we celebrated as a family and had a day date. Eric has every other Friday off and it makes it nice to be able to spend it as a family. This year his birthday fell on a Friday and we took advantage of it.
We tried a new restaurant called Cheddars and liked it. We also went mini-golfing and had a great time. Alex especially loved dropping his golf ball in the hole and watching it come out the other side. There was one hole that he REALLY ENJOYED! It was a hole that had a stream of water that you sent your golf ball down and it directed it straight to the hole. Alex thought that it made a better water slide than its intended use. He thoroughly enjoyed sitting,running, and laying in the water. Sarah, our sweet girl was content to follow her big brother around and just do what he did. It was a great day to spend some time as a family. I sometimes feel like we don't really enjoy and live in the moments enough. I really should take a lesson from my children and savor each moment more.

Life with Three

2010-10-14T20:33:00.003-05:00

It has been an adjustment period here at our house lately. I wouldn't say that anything was back to "normal" yet.
Alex and Sarah have done so well with welcoming baby Levi into our family. Alex is always so helpful with bringing me diapers, wipes,and giving love and kisses to Levi. He is so affectionate with him and is always requesting to hold him. Levi is sure adored by his big brother.
Sarah is very affectionate toward Levi in a slightly different way. She is very good at finding all of his pacifiers and trying to stick them into his mouth. There is a slight problem with that though, because she likes to put them into her mouth before giving them back to him. She is getting very good at identifying body parts and likes to poke, I mean point, them out on Levi.

One funny story about Alex and Levi when we first brought Levi home from the hospital. I was changing Levi's diaper one day and Alex was watching me. He saw Levi's umbilical cord that hadn't fallen off yet, and was curious. He asked a few questions about it and told me I needed to take him back to the Dr. and have them take it off. I didn't think much more about it until Alex dismantled Eric's nail kit and brought down all of the instruments to try and take off the umbilical cord. Thank goodness it came off a few days later.

Eric and I are doing well, but I did pick up a nice case of bronchitis the day that Eric's parents left to go back home. I have been nice enough to share with Eric and now he has a cold too. Life goes on and we are all getting used to having Levi in our family.

Levi is a very good-natured baby and is very laid-back except when he has his diaper changed. We are getting adjusted to life with three around here. I can't believe that Levi is 4 weeks old today! Here are some pictures from the past 4 weeks.

I will have to publish more pictures in the next few days of his first visit with Grandma and Papa Stewart and Grandma Jung. Meanwhile, enjoy these teaser pictures.

Little Levi Daniel

2010-09-20T15:34:00.004-05:00

Yea!!! Little Levi is here safe and sound. We are so excited to welcome little Levi to our growing family. We have been waiting in anticipation for when he would finally make his arrival into this world. We had a few false alarms and I could feel my body growing very tired of still being pregnant. Finally on Sept. 15th I saw my midwife and she scheduled me for an induction the next day because my blood pressures was rising and nothing was going to fix that until our little one arrived.
We got a call from the hospital early the next morning and said that we would have to wait because they were too full and couldn't take me when I had been scheduled. They said to wait and call back in about 4 hours. I called back and it was still busy and had to call back again in 4 more hours. Called again and was still told that they were full and to try back in 4 more hours. Right before I was going to call back they called us and asked us if we could show up at 5 pm that night. Absolutely!!! We arrived at the hospital and got ready. I had fabulous nurses and the best midwife ever. She stayed around and I was induced starting at about 5:30 pm and they broke my water 30 minutes later. I continued to labor and only had really hard labor for about 15- 20 minutes. Eric was wonderful and just when I got to the point of " I really can't do this any more" is when he said that they were turning on the baby warmer and were getting my midwife. She came in and was fabulous. I gave one great big push and out our little guy came.
He was by far our biggest baby so far.
I love looking at him and I am once again taken back by how much more love in in my heart. I am so happy to have him join our family. I can't thank Mom and Dad Stewart enough for sacrificing and coming down to help us with the adjustment from 2 kids to 3. They have been fabulous. What a burden they have lifted by being here to take care of Alex and Sarah for us.
Alex is a fabulous big brother. He is always wanting to hold Levi and will tell me if he is sad and needs something. Sarah is still adjusting to having a little brother, sharing more of my time, and not being the youngest in the family. She still wants to give him loves and touch his tiny hands.
I love our growing family. Thank you for all of your well wishes and prayers. We appreciate them so much.

Our new arrival

2010-09-17T10:17:00.003-05:00

Levi Daniel Stewart was born at 8:20PM last night! He's 21 inches long and weighs in at 8 lbs 14.5 oz!! We were surprised given Alex and Sarah were both in the 6 pound range. Mom's doing well, and was in labor for a whole 2.5 hours. He arrived on the first push. We should be coming home tomorrow.

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-20T07:02:00.005-05:00

I just wanted to make sure that my husband knew how much I love him being the Father of our children. They love to spend so much time with him and are always wanting to play with him. I must get at least a dozen questions about Daddy's whereabouts throughout the day.
Here are some of the many things that I love about my sweet husband.

He is an excellent example of putting the kids first when he gets home from work. There is a chorus of squeals when he opens the door and they run to him.
He is great about including them in "helping" with projects around the house. They feel so special when they get to work with Daddy.
He is an excellent provider for our family and makes sure that our needs are met.
He is able to give us priesthood blessings to bless our lives and health.
He helps me with the things I need done around the house.
He loves to play with the kids and makes time for them.

I love that I married him and that he is the head of our family. You make me so happy and I appreciate all of the sacrifices that you make of your free-time, finances, and energy that you make in our behalf.
Here is a picture of your first official Father's Day.
Here is another proud moment in his life.
We love you Daddy!

Sarah's 18 months old

2010-06-06T08:37:00.005-05:00

My little baby girl turned 18 months old a few weeks ago and I can hardly believe it. She has grown-up so fast before my eyes. I am constantly amazed at what she is learning and the new things she is able to do everyday. The list keeps getting longer and longer of her accomplishments.
We went to the doctor a few days ago and were still amazed at her stats. She is one solid kid. Pretty soon she will give Alex a run for his money.
Weight: 27 pounds ( 75-90%)
Height: 33 3/4 inches (90-97%)
Head size: 48 1/2 cm (90-97%)

Here are some things that I want to remember about Sarah at this age:

She loves to read books and will bring you a book to read her.
If you are sitting on the floor, she will back herself up to you and sit down on your legs.
She calls Dad- Daddy, Mom- Bobby or Mommy, Alex- Adix, Sarah- Sada
She will call after Alex and run to play with him at the park.
Sarah is a climber and is often found on top of the kitchen table.
She loves to be rocked with at night and loves her blankie that Aunt Karen made for her when she was a baby.
She is constantly on the go and loves to RUN
She gets excited about doing a little job for you.
She wants to do everything that Alex wants/can do.
She is a cuddle bug and LOVES her Daddy!

Best Buddies

2010-06-05T23:07:00.003-05:00

A lot of our day is spent correcting behavior and practicing being kind to one another, but there are those moments that you want to remember and cherish. It is fun to see Alex and Sarah playing with one another. A few weeks ago we decided to make cookies for Daddy because he was returning home from Denver on a business trip. I asked Alex to take good care of Sarah and these are the pictures that I took from that day. What a cute set of kids I have at my house.

Wow, That's Messy

2010-06-05T23:01:00.002-05:00

Aren't you glad that your toddler doesn't look like this after every meal?

Fun Times with Daddy

2010-06-05T22:39:00.002-05:00

Alex and Sarah can't wait to spend time with Daddy and often ask about him while he is at work. When it is time for him to come home at night, usually there is a chorus going of "Daddy, Daddy!" "Where is Daddy?". Who can blame them if you had someone there to play with you when he got home. Here is a glimpse into why they love playing with Daddy.

Alex Singing his ABC's

2010-06-05T22:19:00.002-05:00

I got Alex to sing the ABC song to me the other day. He is adorable, just my opinion. ;0)

Our month of Surprises

2010-06-05T21:00:00.008-05:00

The month of May was full of surprises. It started with a trip to Colorado Springs to surprise Eric's mom for her 70th birthday. She had no idea that we would be there to share in her birthday. Her birthday happened to coincide with Mother's Day this year and what a better way to celebrate than to be there to share in her happy memories. We also had a surprise of our own up our sleeves. More about that in a minute.
We flew into Denver and got there late at night. It was a difficult flight with Sarah. It was her bedtime and I thought that it would be a good time to fly because she would be ready to sleep. It totally back-fired. She was screaming and kicking almost the entire 2 1/2 hour flight. Eric finally held her standing up in the back of the plane and she finally slept for about 3o minutes of the flight. It was not a fun experience. Alex was amazing on the plane and he was so excited to get to visit his Grandma and Papa Stewart.
We hung out at Aunt Heidi's house and got to play with our nieces and Cooper the "Ginormous Dog". He really is so huge. I was a little worried about Alex and Sarah interacting with him, but slowly over a period of time, Alex was ok with having a dog the size of a horse around him.
Finally we got ready for the big surprise party. Family came in from Utah to share in the excitement. There waiting for Mom Stewart were her family and friends. We all waited in the living room and were waiting for her to come into the kitchen to see all of us there. Dad Stewart rounded the corner first and everyone yelled surprise.

Then the real guest of honor came in and saw all of us standing there. It was so fun to see her reaction and to know that we were there to witness it too. Alex ran over and attacked Grandma Stewart with a giant leg hug. She was so surprised to see him and us because Eric had been so heavily involved in a work project, that we didn't know if we would be able to really come out anyway. Thankfully we were able to and it was a great feeling to know that we were able to be there for this big moment.

Now for the other surprise that we had been keeping. They didn't know that we were pregnant and how far along we were. It just happened that we had our 20 week ultrasound the day that we left home. We asked the technician to find out the gender and then she sealed it in an envelope. We placed it inside the card for Mom Stewart and presented it to her at the party. We were on pins and needles waiting to see if a little boy or girl were going to be joining our family. When she opened it, I remember saying , "Well, what is it?"
She didn't have her glasses on and we finally got to see the picture of our little boy that will be joining us soon.
Thanks Heidi for taking that picture of the baby surprise.

We got a sinus cold while there. Sarah had to go to the doctor because of a pink eye infection and a rash, but not all of it was spent at the doctor or being cooped up. We got to spend time playing at the park, feeding the guinea pig, Honey, and just spending time with family creating memories. We loved being there and sharing in those happy memories.
I took this collage from my Sister-in-law's blog.

Some major catching-up to do....

2010-06-05T16:31:00.002-05:00

I am going to attempt to post a lot of posts in the next few days because so much has happened and so little has been written about what we have been doing in our family. I will attempt to post them in a meaningful order, but no promises. Stay tuned to our family happenings.

Good-bye Old Friend

2010-06-04T22:47:00.003-05:00

We had to say good-bye to our our old friend, our Honda CR-V. It has been affectionately called the Black Hole and Black Death, That is the first car I bought and it has been a wonderful and dependable car for our family.
Since our family is expanding and our car's capacity is not, we had to get a new set of wheels. We traded in our CR-V for a 2007 Honda Odyssey. I am loving it!!!! We have been looking for a few months now and found a great deal on the Odyssey. The kids love it and I am looking forward to many new and happy memories in our new family car. Before I show some pictures of the Odyssey, I want to remember a few of the many memories we have had in Black Death...

Bringing Sarah and Alex home from the hospital
Driving in the Smokey Mountains
Many road trips to Colorado and Killeen
Hitting black ice and running off the side of the road in Amarillo
Fitting our TV , dryer, and bicycle in the back of the car
Evacuating for the hurricane with our cat, Shadow

Good-bye old friend and Hello New Friend....

Please Mom, I need your help....

2010-05-25T13:27:00.002-05:00

This actually came out of my sweet little boy's mouth this morning. He was talking to me and this is how our conversation went.
Alex: Please Mom, I need your help.
Me: What do you need help with, Alex?
Alex: I want to kill you.
Me: What? You want to kill me?
Alex: Yes.
Me: (light bulb going on in my mind) Oh, like David and Goliath?
Alex: (getting really excited and with a huge grin on his face) Yeah!!!
Me: OK. Now I understand.

Last night for Family Home Evening, we were role playing the scripture story of David and Goliath complete with swords, helmets, and paper balls for stones. Wow did that story get Alex and Sarah excited. They both had the opportunity to pretend to be David and slay Goliath (played by Dad). I love that they are remembering and wanting to learn about the scripture stories. That was a fun conversation that I want to remember and record.

Our Little Tie-Breaker

2010-05-14T19:11:00.004-05:00

What do you do when the score is even? Eventually you have to break it. Well, so far in the Stewart household it has been an even score: Boys-2 and Girls-2. That will all change in September. The new score will be Boys-3 and Girls-2!
We are excited to have a new little boy join our family in the fall! His due date is Sept. 24th. We can't update with a picture now, but will do that when we return from visiting our family. So welcome back trucks, planes, and all-things-blue. I know that Alex will be a great big brother and Sarah will be a wonderful big sister. We look forward to your arrival in a few months.

Surprise

2010-03-22T20:31:00.003-05:00

It is so hard to surprise Eric and he ALWAYS finds out even the littlest surprises. Well, we got him good this time. Look at this. Eric's sister, Heidi, and her family came for their Spring Break and very few people knew about it. It had been in the works since January. Well Eric you had this coming to you.

Our Lucky Charms

2010-03-17T15:00:00.002-05:00

We are the luckiest parents in the world to have these two beautiful children in our home. They bring so much joy and happiness in our lives. Parenting moments are not always happy ones, but at the end of the day these two little miracles are worth all of the small and insignificant frustrations and setbacks that being a parent comes with. We love you very much.

Moving and Shaking

2010-03-17T11:53:00.001-05:00

Our sweet Sarah does a dinner dance almost everyday. She is so funny and when big brother imitates her, she gets going even faster. It is so funny to see. Take a look.

It's Never to Early to Celebrate Christmas

2010-03-15T09:33:00.003-05:00

Alex surprised me today and created a Christmas tree out of blocks. I was sitting there and he just created this wonderful surprise for me. It was very creative. What a smart boy I have. He showed it to me and said "Look, Mama a Christmas tree. I need lights, a star and ornaments." So what better way to spend a morning, decorating a Christmas tree with your 3 year old. Here are the before and after pictures. Alex, I love your excitement and love of the most wonderful holiday season. Merry Christmas anytime of year!

Sarah's Rough Day

2010-03-14T16:40:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was a rough day for our little Sarah. While Sarah was walking in the living room yesterday, she tripped on the carpet and hit her head on the corner of the coffee table. It swelled up quickly, but we were able to put some ice on it. It took her a while to calm down, but after that she was up and running again. She is now sporting a nasty little bump on her forehead.

Then later that night she was standing at the top of the stairs and got to close to the edge and fell down the stairs. She was ok, more scared than anything, but I don't think as scared as her mom was. Boy, was I glad for the end of that day. I hope not to repeat any of yesterday's events for a long time.
Here are some pictures from today. A whole new day and brand new smiles for us to enjoy.

Sarah is Mobile

2010-02-15T16:22:00.002-06:00

Sarah has been furniture walking now for months and has been a little shy at venturing out on her own. This weekend she started taking more and more steps and we finally caught her on video. Her record to date is 54 steps on her own. Here is a video to check out her accomplishment. You are our shooting star, Sarah. We love you!

Alex Says the First Article of Faith

2010-02-14T18:38:00.002-06:00

For Family Home Evening, we have been teaching Alex the First Article of Faith and he finally has it down. We are so proud of him and his ability to remember things. We love you Alex and pray that you will gain a strong testimony of Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father. We are so proud of you.

Alex and Sarah Having Fun Together

2010-02-14T18:09:00.002-06:00

Sarah and Alex are starting to have fun together. Albeit it is mostly me having to remind Alex not to push or take things from his sister. Here is a moment where they were having fun together. I love to see them entertain each other and have fun as brother and sister.

So Proud of Herself

2010-02-14T18:01:00.003-06:00

Sarah is a climber and is so proud of anything that she does. She has a different temperament than Alex and seems very sure of herself. She loves to do anything that her big brother is doing and sometimes this causes conflict and tempers to arise. Here are some cute pictures of our little princess.

Alex reads a book.

2010-01-23T22:39:00.003-06:00

I caught Alex reading one of his favorite books, Go Dog, Go! the other day and tried to get it on video, but he stopped once he saw me getting out the camera. I did tell Eric about it when he got home and I convinced Alex to read me the story. Eric was able to be sneaky and start filming him while he was reading. It was fun to see him retell the story to me. I love how he is growing up and learning all the time. This was a great mommy moment for me. We love you Alex and hope that you continue to have a great love for reading and books. The video is a little long, but well worth it.

Kiss my Butt

2010-01-13T12:29:00.003-06:00

Well that is not really what Alex said to me, but in so many words that is what he wanted me to do at lunch today. Here's the story.
Alex was standing up in his chair at lunch today(something he knows that he is not supposed to be doing) and sort of did a cannon ball onto the chair and landed on his butt. Whenever he gets hurt he always wants me to "tiss it" for him to make it all better. I guess mama kisses are the cure all at this age. I say something to him about hurting his bottom and he gets out of the chair and comes over to me. Turns around and says, "Tiss it Mama". Well, I love you Alex, but I am not going to kiss your bottom.

Alex turned 3

2010-01-12T16:36:00.004-06:00

On January 3rd Alex turned tree. He is really into tunnels and trains and so for his cake this year I thought that I would try and attempt to do some sort of tunnel cake. I searched for ideas and had to come up with my own. It turned out really cute for my first attempt. We had a few close friends over to help celebrate ( Peltiers, Nelsons, and Baxters). Per Alex's request, no candles this year. He did have fun opening presents and eating cake and ice cream. He enjoyed the time that he got spend with his friends and playing with the play-doh, train round house, puzzles, train game, and Lightening McQueen toy cars. He did get a little scared of his Lightening McQueen car that races automatically when you shake it because it went off while he was unwrapping it. It has taken a few days and now he will very quickly shake it and then put it down and run away. He triumphantly says, "Yea! I did it!"

Those were the few pictures that we got. I will have to see if the Nelson family was able to get any better ones.
Happy Birthday Our Little Man!!!! You sure make life full of happiness and joy. Thanks for making us parents. We love you more than words can tell.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-12T15:55:00.009-06:00

I know that it is a little late in recapping the Holiday season, but I need to include it for closure to the end of another fantastic year with my little family. This year Alex was getting into the Christmas season and was very enthusiastic about having a "Dismass" tree in our living room. I love celebrating the season that commemorates the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ and being able to teach it to my children made it all the more special. It was especially tender when we had family home evenings about the nativity and for him to be completely swept away with the music and spirit of the season. He would request "Dismass tree music" aka the section on Mr. Kruger's Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing 4-5 times a week. He loved it an was excited to point out baby Jesus where ever he could.
We spent Christmas Eve, Christmas and a few days after Christmas with my parents up in Killeen. Because we were there we even got to experience a "White Christmas" Eve. It snowed most of the day and was really windy there. It didn't sick to much until about 4 pm. I bundled up the kids and borrowed some winter gear from my parents and we went outside to see what winter fun we could create.

Christmas Eve we left cookies out for Santa, read the Christmas story and acted it out with the hand-painted nativity that my mom made when we were young. Finally the kids were tucked in bed and sound asleep. The next morning the kids got up later and then we watched Joy to the World and talked about the true meaning of Christmas and what gift we were all given at Christmas. Our Savior, Jesus Christ. After that we opened stockings and then presents. We were all spoiled by our family and friends.

It was then a relaxing day and a nice dinner later that night.

When we came home we got a "second" round at opening Christmas presents. The kids had a great time and it was fun to see them enjoy playing with all of the new toys that they got.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this Christmas magical and special. We are wishing you all the spirit of joy, peace and happiness that can be felt on the earth at Christmas time to continue through the entire New Year.

Stamps (aka Stickers)

2009-12-15T06:51:00.007-06:00

Really what is the difference between stamps and stickers to a 2 year old little boy who loves to peel them off and stick them all over his hand?

This is the description of what I saw yesterday. I was on the phone and look up to see Alex walking out of the den with his arm covered with stamps. He found the stamps in the box of office supplies that we keep on the desk. He covered his arm with the stamps. He came over to me to show me his artwork and said a very typical "Daydoo, Mamma". I managed to salvage some of his artwork.

I asked him where he was going to mail himself to with all those stamps on his arm. Knowing Alex and understanding his love of the park, I wasn't a bit shocked when he simply replied, "I go a swings." Silly Alex. You don't have to mail yourself there, we'll go later.

The House that Eric, Erika, Alex and Sarah Built

2009-12-13T19:20:00.006-06:00

This year we started a new tradition at our home of making a gingerbread house and then decorating it as a family. Our friend Nicole taught me how to make the gingerbread and let me borrow her pattern that she does with her family.

It was a long process, but it was so much fun to decorate as a family. It is a three day event where you make the dough the first day, roll, bake, and cut it the second day and then assemble it the third day.

Everyone got in on the decorating, well eating too. It was nice to have no plan for the design and then it just started to have a life of its own. Here are some of the pictures to show the process. Alex was all about adding sprinkles and was very good at unwrapping the mini Santa Claus candies. We almost didn't save the last Santa from being eaten. Sarah was just content to sit in her high chair and let Alex hand her candy to eat. It was a fun time to be together and to do something as a family.

But as all good things come to an end so do our kids patience as witnessed below. Sarah was ready for bed and Alex wanted to take a shower. I guess all of the creativity really drained them.

Alex Graduates

2009-12-13T09:06:00.005-06:00

Last week Alex had his graduation from ECI (Early Childhood Intervention). They are a government service that provide help and assistance to children from birth to age three. Since Alex turns three before his next visit, he was up for his graduation.

He was first tested for a speech and language delay last year a month before Sarah was born. At 22 months he said and signed approximately 10 words. Now he is speaking in sentences and can tell us what he wants and is feeling. He has had a language explosion. With the help of ECI and his speech and language pathologist, Beverly Carroll, he has just taken off and we couldn't be more excited to now understand what some of his needs and wants are. They have come once a month for the past year and have shown us how we can incorporate ideas into normal routines or play in order to get the most of the language experience. It has truly been an amazing blessing in our life to have Beverly come to help with Alex. The knowledge that I gained by working with Alex will help for all our children and any future children that we have. Here are a few pictures from Alex's "graduation".

Tunnels and Towers

2009-12-13T07:11:00.004-06:00

Alex loves to play with his blocks and is really excited to build two things, tunnels and towers. Ever since going to Virginia to visit my sister's family he had been so excited and fascinated with tunnels. We had to pass through one on our way to and from the airport. It made quite the impression on Alex because he loves to see trains go through tunnels and identifies them for us in books. Living in Houston there isn't much tunnel action going on in this city where flooding is somewhat a common event, but we do the best we can. Our "tunnels" are comprised of underpasses. Maybe he will get a tunnel for Christmas or his birthday. Here is a snapshot of Alex doing what he does best playing and having fun. We love our sweet little boy.

Extra Hands???

2009-12-13T07:06:00.005-06:00

Have you ever run out of hands and still have need of extra hands to hold things? Sarah is very ingenious and had come up with a solution for her problem. If she has something that she wants to hang on to and wants the use of her hands then we often see this.

She will also crawl around the floor or up the stairs with one of Alex's cars in her mouth. It is so funny to watch because Alex never did that.

Snow in Houston

2009-12-13T06:54:00.004-06:00

On December 4th it snowed in Houston. It was the second year in a row to snow. Last year's snow storm was more impressive in our area than this year's. Although I did hear that there was more snow in other parts of Houston than where we lived. Even though there wasn't any to play in, we took Alex outside and bundled him up so that he could experience what little snow we had. I think he was most excited about being outside and running around. See for yourself.

We have famous relatives... well, almost

2009-12-11T15:57:00.004-06:00

Alex and Sarah have famous relatives. Well almost. Both of their Papa's have famous look-a-likes.
I am assuming that you know who Papa Jung looks like...

Papa Stewart's famous look-a-like might be a little more difficult to recognize.
But Alex had no problems recognizing Papa Stewart's "twin" while watching the Frist Presidency's Christmas Devotional. Does that give you any clue?

It was so cute to hear Alex say "That's Papa Stewart." It was the sweetest thing ever. What great shoes his two Papa's fill. We love all of our famous relatives.

A gift for Heidi

2009-12-01T23:40:00.002-06:00

Sarah's First Birthday

2009-11-23T22:42:00.006-06:00

We celebrated Sarah's first birthday a few days ago. We are so lucky and blessed to have Grandma and Papa here for the big event. They arrived a few days earlier and we couldn't be more thrilled to have them here for her big day and Thanksgiving to boot.
It started off not the best day for Sarah, she had her 1 year check-up at the doctor's office early that morning. It was a good thing too because the day before she broke into hives and had a rash. Not the best way to celebrate. She was a real tooper though. She had four shots and the H1N1 flu shot too. Our suspicions were confirmed when they produced the stats.
Weight: 22.8 lbs-- 50-75%
Height: 30 1/4 inches-- 75-90%
Head size 75%

We have one healthy baby girl. She needless to say came home and had a very long nap and then we were able to celebrate her birthday with cake, ice cream and presents.
She had a great time opening her presents and loved playing with them when she was able to get her hands on them. (We seem to have a little possessive big brother, when it comes to new toys.)

Grandma and Papa Stewart have a tradition of making a lamb cake for their grandkid's first birthday. Alex had one on his first birthday and now it was Sarah's turn to be a part of a family tradition.

Unlike Alex and his birthday cake, Sarah was not shy about digging in. She loved the cake and couldn't get enough of it. We had to take it away so that she would eat some of her dinner. All the time she was eying it and wanting some more. One of the funniest things was that I put a small scoop of ice cream on her tray and at first she thought it was the frosting. She scooped up the entire thing and jammed it in her mouth. She didn't know what to do with it and she froze solid and after she got used to it, she swallowed it.

Since my parents couldn't make it for her actual birthday we are holding a small party celebrating this weekend. I am sure that Sarah won't mind diving back into another cake and opening more presents.

As a little side note, we had a little goof up on the birthday presents and Alex opened his present from Aunt Heidi a tad bit to early. Here is a little sample of his reaction.

Our Exciting News

2009-11-15T19:36:00.003-06:00

Well, it has finally happened, Alex went to the potty in the toilet twice tonight after church. WE were so excited!!!!!!! I sure hope that it continues. Now we need to also concentrate on the direction. I hope the exciting news continues tomorrow. Alex celebrated with two potty treats. Whoo-who!!!! Hip Hip Hooray! Sorry no pictures of the momentous occasion.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T20:07:00.007-06:00

This year Alex dressed up like a lion and Sarah was dressed like a witch. They looked so cute. Before we settled on Sarah's costume, we also dressed her up in a pink cat costume. Both were cute, but the witch costume won out, mostly because the pink cat costume was a little snug on her.
We celebrated Halloween a day early with our ward's Trunk or Treat activity. The ward activity was fun, but I am learning that Alex does not like change, things that are new, or loud music. Since the Trunk or Treat involved a carnival too with 300 people, let's just say that Alex spent most of his time wandering the hallway and the parking lot and would almost refuse to go into the carnival. Maybe in the future he might enjoy doing some of those activities. After we got started Trunk or Treating, Alex warmed up to the idea that people were just giving candy and treats away. He kept on going from car to car.
Here are the cupcakes that Alex decorated himself for the Trunk or Treat.He did a fabulous job! Oh, and of course he had to be the quality engineer and see if they passed inspection...
Yep, I guess that they are alright.

The next day (Halloween) we decided to have a few of Alex's friends and their parents over for a little Halloween get together. It was nice to have some company and share in the kid's excitement for this fun tradition. We had chili cheese hot dogs, some great dip, chips, carmel and apples. We even got to decorate a cupcake with sprinkles.

Then we got the kids dressed in their costumes, took pictures and then hit the neighborhood in search for treats.
And then you know you have to do the traditional family and group photo sessions until all the kids and you are starting to lose patience. So with out further adieu, here are ours.
Here is Sarah with her friend Brielle. They were due about a week apart, but were born a few weeks apart because Sarah came so early.

Alex did great saying Trick or treat and even remembered to say thank you every now and then. The kids got a ton of candy. Sarah and I headed back a few minutes earlier so I could get her in bed. Alex stayed out with Dad to finish trick or treating, but then totally lost it when he kept asking to "see the yellow" ( the yellow road reflectors). Eric didn't know what he was talking about and kept taking him to see anything that was yellow... Trick or Treating ended shortly thereafter for us.

It was a lot of fun to see the kids' excitement of going from house to house. What a fun day to spend with our family and friends. We look forward to doing it all again next year.

Virgina Trip to Visit the Millers

2009-11-01T10:34:00.011-06:00

At the beginning of October we made a trip out to Virgina to visit my sister and her family. This visit was especially exciting because we were able to meet the newest member of their family. We were blessed to have a wonderful friends take us to and from the airport, watch our cats, and get our mail. We had a great flight to Newport News, with a layover in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was a frantic run through almost the entire airport of Charlotte because of an unexpected traffic jam in the sky. We had to circle the airport for about half an hour, which made our scheduled layover of about an hour almost disappear. Alex did so well keeping up with us and I thought that my arm would fall off from carrying Sarah running through the airport. Finally we made it there and got seated. We had a pleasant trip and only had one casualty. Right as we were going to land in Virgina, our plane did a sharp swerve and then we heard a thump. We found out later that the pilot swerved to miss hitting a bird, but the bird unfortunately did not miss us. We found out later that we hit a Bald Eagle. It was nice catching up with my sister on our way to her new home. All in all it was a pleasant trip out. Eric, unfortunately, was beginning to get sick with a head/chest cold so the plane ride was not the most pleasant for him.

It was fantastic weather, we could not ask for any nicer weather. Most days it was sunny with the highs in the low 70's. I knew that Alex would love it there at their home, because he had two built in playmates. His cousins, Brayden and Brianna, were so nice and loving. They included him in all of their hours of playing outside. There was so much to do there and Alex was in heaven. They had two swings hanging from a huge tree in their yard, a trampoline, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, sand box and a push lawn mower. I think that Alex "mowed" their entire back yard twice from all of the time he spent pushing that toy lawn mower around their yard. I also think that Alex got spoiled by all of that time playing outside and when we came home, he asks everyday to go to the park and swing.

We were not only excited to spend our time with my sister and her family, but we were also able to spend time with my parents, who drove out to visit them too, at the same time. It was nice being reunited as a family. I had a little glimpse of what heaven could be like, being surrounded by the ones you love forever. What a wonderful blessing the gospel is in our lives!

Ryan took most of the week off and we were able to visit together. We went to lots of different parks and the scenery was fabulous. I enjoyed seeing all of the different waterways and inlets that made up where they lived.

While we had lots of fun visiting and hanging out with family, we had some activities that we did while we were there. We went to the Virgina Beach Zoo. It was a very nice zoo and there weren't that many people there and the weather was perfect. It was an absolutely perfect experience... well, except for the part of loosing Alex at the zoo. We were all together there and were looking at the elephants and giraffes, and Alex was with us... we turned around for a few seconds and Alex had disappeared. I ran all the way down the raised platform and no one I was passing had seen him, so I ran all the way back up the platform and back down the other side, the way we had come. I was in a total panic and was very emotional. There he was walking down the path. At that moment I was so full of emotions that I couldn't contain myself any longer. I was just asking over and over, why did you go away. All he could say was, I want to see a giraffe. I immediately said a prayer of thanksgiving to Heavenly Father for protecting our son from danger. That was a learning experience, one that I hope to never repeat.

We also got to take family pictures while we were there. It was a frustrating experience for me, but one that I should have seen coming. Alex loves to have his picture taken, but taking his picture in a studio with big flashes, is a different story. We were all ready to take our pictures together, thankfully we decided to take the big group picture first. That was the smartest thing that we could have done because he flipped out and refused to take any more pictures. He was screaming and crying and saying "All done, all done!" At one point, he laid on the floor and was just sobbing. Well that means no more family pictures for our family. Thank goodness everyone was looking and smiling in the first one.

Another fun experience was having Alex's first shopping experience. Grandma and Papa Jung gave the grand kids 2 dollars to spend at the dollar store on something that they wanted. Alex picked out a squishy ball and some punch balloons. He was especially excited to put the items on the conveyor belt and hand the clerk the money. Thanks Grandma and Papa for that fun experience.

What vacation experience on the coast would be complete without a trip to the beach? We took about a thirty minute drive to the ocean and played at the playground on the beach before heading down to the water. It was fantastic, it wasn't crowded, the water was cool, and the kids had a great time. Sarah and Alex just chilled in some beach chairs for a while. Alex did finally make his way down to the beach and got into a little pool that the kids loved to play in. They would fill it up and then play in the sand. Even Brayden got buried in the sand. It was a lot of fun.

A few other hilights would include, Karen and my parents watching Sarah and Alex for us so that Eric and I could go on a date. We didn't do very much, but it was nice to just spend time together alone. Thanks Karen and family! We also celebrated Eric and my dad's birthday with a nice home cooked meal and some spice cake.

This was a great vacation. Thanks for all of the fun memories.We love you and are already looking forward to the next get together. Hopefully it is soon.

Ten Months and counting....

2009-09-27T21:20:00.002-05:00

Sarah turned 10 months old last week and I thought that I would do a little update about her. She has three teeth and is getting pretty close to cutting 3 more. She loves to army crawl around and like her brother is very fond of my set of keys. Sarah weighs 21 lbs and 8 oz. She is still very much a daddy's girl. She giggles and laughs when she gets close enough to Daddy. Here are some of my favorite pictures of her at this age.

Our Little Handy Man

2009-09-27T20:58:00.003-05:00

Alex loves to help us do practically anything. From unloading the dishwasher, throwing laundry in, sweeping the floor, to making dinner, we are blessed to have an extra pair of little hands around. It only makes sense that he would want to help out his role model, aka Daddy... with a little project around the house. He was so proud of himself for helping out.
We needed an extra shelf for our growing food storage,so off to the store and out with the tools our young man went to work. Here is a photo recap of how it transpired.

I am so proud of both of the men in my life. Thanks for your hard work.

Look, I see a moon!

2009-09-20T20:46:00.000-05:00

It has been fun tonight and I don't want to forget it. Alex was looking out the back door after dinner and the conversation went like this:
Alex: "Look, I see a moon."
Me: "Oh yes, I see a moon too. You are quite the little astronomer tonight.
Alex: "Oh YES!!! Da doo (Thank you) Mamma!
Me: "What else do you see, Alex?"
Alex: "I see a orange light (light posts). I see a tree."
Me: "I see a cloud. What color is the cloud?"
Alex: "It's blue."
I thought that is was great. Alex has been progressing at his language skills, but our conversations usually consist more of him repeating phrases of what I say to him. It was fun to hear him say what he saw outside and what is important to him.

Alex's First Day at School

2009-09-06T21:43:00.003-05:00

Alex had his first "official" day at our little preschool group last Thursday. I dropped him off at 10 am and went home to spend some quality time with my little baby girl. We formed this preschool a few months ago and have been meeting all together to get the kids used to each of us and our homes. We are co-teaching, since we all have young babies in tow as well. I am excited for it to start and for our turn to teach. I enjoy planning and getting ready for the lessons. I really miss teaching and this is a wonderful outlet to get the creative juices flowing.
This month's theme is transportation and they got to study about buses last week. Alex loves buses and I was excited to see what he got to do there while I was at home. Alex finger painted, practiced cutting out his bus, and then we got to make a bus to take home. Here are some pictures (courtesy of Ashely and Trisha) of Alex's first official day of preschool. A huge thank you to Ashley and Trisha. Alex loved it!!!!

Alex was so fascinated with his bus that he made at preschool, we lost it and he kept on repeating "Bus, Bus, I want to see bus!" It was a scary few minutes, but we managed to find the missing bus in the pantry. What a close call.... Here is a picture of the happy reunion!

Sarah is Chatting up a Storm

2009-09-06T21:31:00.003-05:00

Sarah is finally beginning to babble. She has just stated saying the "b" sound. It is so much fun to hear this going on in our house. I just love my little girl.

Galveston Getaway

2009-09-06T21:00:00.006-05:00

Last weekend it was time for us to get away as a family and we went to Galveston to take in the sights. We got down there and already knew that we needed to stop and get some lunch because we could hear Alex in the back just repeating one word constantly. EAT, EAT, EAT!!!! We might just have a mutiny on our hands if we didn't get some food into him quickly.
We stopped at a restaurant that Eric had been to for a work lunch called Fishtales. It has really good food and when we got there they said that the only place that they had room for high chairs for our kids was going to be on the patio upstairs. We trucked upstairs and found a spot overlooking the beach. It was a little warm, but soon after we sat down at the table it began to pour buckets. It was so relaxing waiting for our food and watching the rain come down. We decided to move closer to the building so that we wouldn't get too wet. It was great. Eric just leaned back and was relaxing. It really was a wonderful unexpected surprise.

After lunch we made our way to the Rainforest Pyramid at Moody Gardens. As we entered the building we saw the Paddle Boat pulling away and managed to snap a picture of it.
Here are some more fun ones that captured our adventure. There weren't too many animals in the pyramid due to Hurricane damage from Hurricane Ike last year. Hopefully it will return to its glory days soon.

Here is what one tired family looks like (minus one tired picture-taking mom). What fun memories! I love being with my family just being together!

Am I Obsessed? You tell me...

2009-08-27T16:07:00.001-05:00

I guess that I have an obsession, but I hope that it is a good one. I am obsessed with getting food storage for my family. I might have told some of you that over a year ago. I had reoccurring dreams about getting my food storage taken care of and in order. We had a really good start to having about a year's supply of staples, long term items that would sustain life if needed. That brought us comfort and so it went on the back burner for a while.
I kept on having the strongest impression that it wasn't enough. I went to a bread making class that was taught by a woman in my stake at church and she talked about making sure that we had our houses in order as far as making sure that we have enough food for our family. It really hit home for me and I now consider it an obsession. I want to have my family be prepared for the time when we can't always run to the store because we are out of this or that. I don't want to have my children look up at me and tell me that they are starving and need something to eat. I know that there must be balance in you life, but I started looking at where I was and where I needed to be, and I decided to make that commitment to help my family be prepared.
I started clipping coupons, looking more closely at the sales and deciding what was most important to our family at this time. It is hard work, but I look at it like my job. I am CEO of this household during the day and I am for the majority responsible for the nurturing and well-being of my family. It takes work to do this, but when I look back and see the results and feel the security that having a well stocked pantry brings to me and my family. It is all worth the time, effort, and penny-pinching in the end.
We are even having to expand our good sized pantry to accommodate our growing supply. I am so grateful for the counsel that a modern day prophet has given us to use the time of plenty in our land to create a surplus in our home that will provide for our family's well-being. I know that by following his counsel, even if we never have to rely on it solely, we have been blessed by being obedient.
When I was younger, I remember my family having to eat their food storage because my dad lost his job. We relied on that supply to sustain us until we could again provide for ourselves. I am so grateful that my parents listened to a prophet's counsel. I hope one day that my children will have a testimony of this principle of self-reliance.
Here is an update from my shopping trip. I went to the store today armed with coupons and the ads and hit a store that was having a sale on cereal. I was able to get 9 boxes of cereal and a package of nut clusters for under $10. Here is a picture of what I got. As my friend Kristin would say... not too shabby!!!

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9 Months Old Already??

2009-08-23T19:18:00.003-05:00

Sarah has hit that nine month mark last week. I can hardly believe it. I am heading to the doctor tomorrow for her check up. She is sitting up and is starting to push up and can sometimes get up on all fours for a few seconds. She is still not babbling very much and sometimes on a rare occasion she blows raspberries. She enjoys baths and really liked going to the pool when we were able to go. She is a chow hound. I am constantly amazed that she can eat so much she has one healthy appetite. I have started making her baby food at home, because it was breaking my baby budget trying to buy baby food for her. Sarah also has two teeth and her eyes look like they have lightened up a bit. I am still crossing my fingers for darker thicker eyelashes like her big brother and Daddy. She is such a sweetheart. I am so blessed to have her in our family. Here are a few pictures of her. We love you Sarah. I will update this entry later with her stats.
After visiting the doctor's office here are her stats:
Weight: 19 lbs 4 oz (50%-75%)
Height: 28 1/2 inches (75%-90%)
Head circumference 45 cm (75%)

We have one healthy girl on our hands.

Announcing the Newest Member of our Extended Family...

2009-08-19T20:32:00.002-05:00

I have some exciting news to share. My sister had her baby boy yesterday morning around 11 am. He was 7 lbs. and some ounces... not exactly sure the correct poundage. I was too caught up in the excitement to remember. They decided on a name... Zachary Ethan Miller. Mom and baby are doing well. My nephew said when he saw his new baby brother, "They got him out!" Very cute. I am excited to see some pictures when they get some posted. Congrats Karen, Ryan, Brianna, and Brayden.
We love you guys!

Trip to Colorado Condensed Version

2009-07-24T05:24:00.003-05:00

Since a lot has been going on here, I am going to do a condensed version of our trip to visit Eric's family in Colorado.
We had a great flight out other than the fact that we had to circle the Denver airport for over an hour due to bad weather. The kids did great on the flight and Alex fell asleep while we were circling. We later learned that there were 7 tornadoes in the area, so I was glad that we were circling.
On Saturday we went up to the top of Pikes Peak with Mom and Dad Stewart, Heidi, Mike, Ryan, and Bayli. We took a cog railway ride up to the top of the mountain. I thought that Alex would have enjoyed it more than he did, but a loud speaker went off right in his ear and scared him and probably hurt his ear. He was sitting/sleeping on Eric's lap for the trip up. It was beautiful to see the mountains and other beauties of nature. I miss that around here.
We had a great time visiting with family. We celebrated the Fourth of July with a BBQ and some good old fashioned time with family.
Here are some extra highlights of the trip:
-We made Thai Chicken Curry and an Iced Italian Creme cake for our family
- Eric and I went on a date and Grandma and Papa Stewart babysat for us! I learned to drive a stick shift. Thanks Mike for letting us borrow your truck!
- Eric got his X-Box fix for the year. Plenty of bonding time with Mike in the "Man Cave"
- Alex enjoying playing outside with his cousins
- Playing board games and chatting with Heidi
- Going to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and feeding a giraffe crackers from our hands.
- Getting some shoe shopping done and using Mom Stewart's Cricut to cut letters for a project

Thank you everyone for a wonderful time! We miss you a ton and are already looking forward to your visit in November for Sarah's first birthday!

Berry Picking

2009-06-16T06:35:00.005-05:00

A few weeks ago I went blackberry picking with the kids and some friends from church. We traveled up to a pick your own berry farm outside of Houston. Yes, I know, a pick your own berry farm and Houston don't belong in the same sentence, but there are a few around here. It was hot, and hard work, but we were able to make our own freezer jam, a triple berry jam, and also have enough left over to make a blackberry cobbler. Here is a cute picture of Alex before we left.

And not to be left out, here is one of Sarah.
To my surprise, the kids did great for being drug around rows of blackberries. Alex was a big help in picking berries. We still have to work on his colors. We got a multitude of opportunities to work on practicing his colors.He is getting better, and I would only have to occasionally remind him that we were looking for black berries and not the green ones.

They had a fun wagon that Alex loved to pull around. It was hard work, but really rewarding. I am going to check out another berry farm in a few days, minus the kids this time. Thanks Eric, in advance for watching them for me.

Alex gets his own breakfast

2009-06-08T23:26:00.003-05:00

Daddy's little Girl

2009-05-24T18:13:00.006-05:00

Sarah was six months old last week. She enjoys playing with her play gym and talks to entertain herself. She is definitely a social butterfly. She loves to be around people. Sarah has rolled over a few times, but it is rare. I will have to have her stats in a few weeks because I was late in getting her appointment made. Such is life around here.

Sarah is definitely a daddy's little girl. She lights up when he comes in the room. He can get her to smile when no one else can. She is growing up so quickly. Here are a couple of cute videos of Sarah and us.

Potty Training... Oh, Boy!?!?!

2009-05-24T18:01:00.003-05:00

Well, I guess that we are potty training in some fashion around here. It all started about a week ago and we just pulled out a kid potty and put it in our downstairs bathroom. We told Alex that it was a little potty for him. I put some of his books in the bathroom and asked him if he wanted to sit on the potty. He did and now he takes off his diaper and sits on the potty after he has gone to the bathroom. I guess we have all the steps, but they are just in the wrong order. This is all very new territory for us. Any ideas??? I don't think that he is fully ready yet, but he is moving in that direction.
Today I put him upstairs in his room for a nap and I knew that he wasn't sleeping, so I went to check on him and I found him diaper-less with a present for me. Wow are we going to be going through lots of wipes in the future.

Brotherly Love

2009-05-24T16:52:00.005-05:00

Alex is at a great age where he is so affectionate to everyone. He will just randomly come up to you and give you leg hugs and then go back to playing. He will also lean his face in and want to get a kiss from you. He doesn't make any puckering with his mouth, but instead it is just a half open mouth kiss. It is too cute anyway. I will take his love anytime. I fear one day he will not be as affectionate as he is now and I will sadly miss it.
He will go up to the cats and say, " Hi, Dadow (Shadow)", "Hi, Angel" and then lean down to try and give them a hug. Well, really it is more like an armless hug and just leaning his head on their backs. Sometimes, if you are quiet, you can hear him say, "Mmmm" as he is giving them or you loves. I love it and can't get enough of it.
At first I was a little nervous about Alex being around Sarah when she was such a newborn, but Alex is such an affectionate little boy that it has been so much fun to see him try and make her happy. I wish that I could get their interactions on video. He is always trying to help take care of her and does a great job at it too.

There have been many times when she has been crying and he will run and get a bottle for her, or grab her rice cereal, baby food and a spoon to try and feed her. Sarah can't get enough of her big brother. She will smile and get quiet when he will affectionately rub her head and say "Hi Eesa (Sarah)". That is his name for her and I love it. It is sticking in our family and that tends to be my favorite nickname for her. Here are the first of many pictures that I hope to have of my two little angels. What a lucky and blessed mom I am to have such beautiful affectionate children.

The Napping House... or is it?

2009-05-24T16:40:00.003-05:00

It has been over a month since I have posted and entry. It is a quiet Sunday afternoon. Some kids are sleeping and others are making quite a bit of noise in their rooms when they should be sleeping. I'll give you one guess who that could be....
This is what a typical nap time would look like in our house.
Even though Alex doesn't always nap, I am doing a mandatory quiet time (with or without sleep) for mom's sanity.

Multiple Posts... Scroll Down for a Massive Update

2009-04-16T07:30:00.002-05:00

Family Easter Pictures 2009

2009-04-15T23:17:00.005-05:00

Here are some of the pictures that we took on Easter. It was so nice to have a family picture with the four of us together. We even managed to get some pictures with Grandma and Papa Jung.

Easter Weekend with Grandma and Papa

2009-04-15T22:47:00.007-05:00

My parents came down to visit for Easter weekend. It was my mom's birthday on Good Friday and they were so kind to come and spend the holiday with us. We had a great time. We made homemade strawberry freezer jam, had an Easter egg hunt with some great friends, enjoyed a family photo session and just plain enjoyed being together.
I will let some of the photos do the talking.
Here is Alex with Grandma making freezer jam.

Saturday morning, Eric was still gone to Youth Conference, so Grandma, Papa, the kiddos and I went to our friend's house to have an Easter egg hunt and morning brunch. The food was fabulous! While we were eating, the husbands went outside and "hid" Easter eggs for the kids to find. Well it was interesting to see the different styles of finding the eggs. We had two extremes... content to pick one egg up at a time and sample the goodies in that one egg and then slowly move to gather up another egg and sample the goods. Then we have the other extreme... divide and conquer. Eating the spoils at the very end. Getting the most in the least amount of time. Alex happened to be the model for the first example, and most of the other kiddos were of the latter example. Let's just say there had to be some Easter Egg redistribution in the end. ;0)

Even Sarah and Brielle had their pictures taken. It was a bit bright out, so these are the best we got. Can you believe that they are only about 2 weeks apart, and Sarah is the oldest. Crazy how fast they grow!

Here are some snapshots of Grandma and Papa enjoying their grandkids.

Question: What happens when Jordy LaForge and Luke Skywalker cross paths?

2009-04-15T22:38:00.003-05:00

You get this! One swashbuckling kiddo wielding a headband for a visor saving the day with a hairbrush! :0) Way to go my little Superhero!

Bluebonnet Pictures 2009

2009-04-15T22:24:00.002-05:00

I decided to take the kids and try and take their pictures in the bluebonnet beds in a local park not far from our house. I managed to get a few pictures. Maybe next year I can capture their attention for a little bit longer. I love this time of year in Texas. Enjoy!!!

Sick of Being Sick and Beautiful Roses

2009-04-15T21:49:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago we (Alex,Sarah,and I)got sick and it was bad. I haven't been this sick since last year, so I guess I was long overdue. Alex started first with a cough then it turned into a bad cold. We kept him home from church, and knew that he wasn't feeling well when he fell asleep eating a snack at the table.
Right after coming home from church I was the next victim,next followed by Sarah. For about a week we never left the house. I think everyone was ready to get out and see something different than the inside of our home. Everyone was on the mend and I noticed that Sarah was wheezing when she was breathing, so I took her into the after hours clinic on a Saturday. Sure enough, she was getting an ear infection and then they checked her oxygen intake levels and her highest reading was at the very lowest acceptable reading. She got a breathing treatment there in the office, and then a prescription to continue them at home. Thankfully, some of our very dear friends, Matt and Trisha, had a nebulizer(sp?) and let us borrow it. She got breathing treatments for the next few days.
As a consolation prize, Eric was sad about how crummy I was feeling and got me some very beautiful red roses to cheer me up. Too bad I had a head cold, and I couldn't smell how fragrant they were until it was almost too late. Everyday he would ask if I could smell them. My usual reply was" I can almost smell them."

I am so thankful that we are now all well again. It was no fun being sick. I am so glad that Eric didn't get it because he probably would have been sick right when youth conference was going on.

Love-Hate Relationships

2009-04-02T15:42:00.002-05:00

I have a certain love-hate relationship that I can't describe as anything else but that. What could it be? Friends,husband, children, pets??? Once in a while, I might say yes. But today this relationship exists because of my dealings with Poison Control. You know the Mr.Yuck stickers with the unpleasant face and all.
Well, We have had to call them once before when Alex got into some Tilex. Not fun. It makes you feel like a bad mom. Angry at yourself, scared for them, and wondering why you spend money on toys for your kids if the things that they find to play with are not toys.
While I was putting Sarah down for a nap, I heard Alex getting into colored pencils and markers (it has happened before). I thought I will hurry up and put her down and then go clean up the mess with him after. I find the markers and pencils, no Alex, so I keep searching. There he is chewing on a bottle of Fray Check. He had managed to get into my sewing box. The cap is off and he is chewing on the bottle. I quickly read the bottle for instructions and head for the phone.
I called the number and am blessed to see that it looks like he didn't ingest very much if any. I am told to give him something sweet to drink,because it has alcohol in it. If I noticed him being abnormally unstable or disoriented then to call back. He seems fine after a little while.
I can't describe the feelings that you feel when you are going through this. I am so grateful for a place that I can call and get more information, but at the same time I hate that I have to call in the first place. Hopefully this relationship will end very quickly. I am not up for more repeat experiences.

Shakin' things up around here

2009-03-19T17:31:00.004-05:00

I decided to shake things up around here. I have been wanting to get a little train table and set for Alex for months now and I finally found one that was reasonable and close to home. I saw this on craigslist and couldn't help myself. I know that Eric is thinking ( Oh,Boy. Here she goes again.) Am I right honey??? Even now, as I am typing this he still doesn't know that I have already bought one. ;0)
Every time that we visit B&N, Alex practically throws a fit every time we have to leave the train table there. His favorite book now is The Little Engine that Could, and he drops whatever he is doing and full-out runs to the front window to catch a glimpse of the train as it passes by our house, so I just knew that this would be a hit around here.
The family that was selling it even delivered it to our house. Nice. So it was sitting in our entry way when Alex woke up from his nap. I thought this out ahead and started taking pictures before and after he saw it. Take a look and judge for yourself if this present was well worth the wait. Sorry honey, I just have to do it every now and then, but you still love me don't you?? ;0)

The Real Princess is Sleeping

2009-03-17T17:01:00.002-05:00

Here are just some pictures of our little princess sleeping away the afternoon. It is hard to believe that our little princess will be 4 months old on Friday. We will be heading to the Dr. that morning to get the update.

Got Milk?!?!

2009-03-17T16:49:00.003-05:00

I guess that this post proves that kids learn by example and you can never underestimate how much they take in. I plan on using this picture later on at Alex's wedding as black mail (hehehe ;0). I love you Alex you are such a cutie.

The Princess is Sleeping

2009-03-14T09:12:00.003-05:00

My mother-in-law sent us the best clip I have seen in a long time. I love it. I thought that you might enjoy it.

Our Little Princess

2009-03-09T11:45:00.003-05:00

Since the last few posts have featured our little guy I thought that I would share a few pictures of our little angel. Sarah is now 3 1/2 months old. Time has flown by and I can't hardly imagine our lives without her. She is definitely a daddy's girl. He can make her smile almost anytime and she settles down so easily with him. What a lucky little girl she is to have such a great dad. These pictures were taken today Her little smile just melts my heart. I am truly in love with my family.On a side note, Sarah slept through the night last night for the first time. I sure hope that it is the first of many.

Alex and Eden at the Park

2009-03-05T14:42:00.004-06:00

Right now Alex's best friend to play with is Eden. She is just a few months younger than Alex, but these two have so much fun playing together. Today was a beautiful day here and what better way to get out some excess energy than to play in the park. Here are a few snapshots of these two playing together and having so much fun. We played on equipment,swung on the swings , ate lunch, played with a very friendly squirrel, played a few more minutes, and then with two tired kiddos, off for a nap. YEAH!!!

You Up for a Challenge???

2009-03-05T10:42:00.003-06:00

Copy Cat Give Away

:::COMPLETELY COPIED FROM Trisha's BLOG:(It's sounds like a fun idea):I did copy her word for word!

The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2. What I create will be just for you.
3. It'll be done this year.
4. You have no clue what it's going to be. It may be a song. It may be a self portrait or maybe even some creation I haven't yet dreamed up. I may draw. I may bake you something and mail it to you. It may not be big or impressive. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure! But lets be honest here. This is me and I will likely do something amazing. =) So come on, sign up!
5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must re-post this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog. The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me!

Popcorn Popping

2009-03-02T17:13:00.003-06:00

Alex loves to have the popcorn song being sung to him. He even gets in on some of the action with his 'poppers". I wish that he wasn't so distracted with us taping him doing the actions. He really is too cute.

Our Little Man

2009-03-02T16:10:00.005-06:00

I just had to do a post about our little young man in the family. He is such a joy to have around the house. He is so helpful and is always so observant. Here are just a few examples of this wonderful quality that I hope stays with him forever. His future wife will be one lucky lady.
Whenever the dishwasher needs to be unloaded, he is right there and almost knows where every dish goes. He even puts away the silverware, tupperware, and measuring cups in the right drawers.
He loves to help with the laundry. He will take it out of the dryer and put it on the couch so that it can be sorted and folded.

He also loves to help feed the cats. Yesterday morning he saw that their bowls were empty and picked up the bowl and brought it to the pantry, where the cat food is kept, and was trying to get the bucket open to fill the bowl.
He is quick to put toys away and loves to help me when I am cooking. Anytime he sees baking something he always says "help" and pulls the kitchen step stool out to lend me a hand. He loves to dump ingredients into the bowl and helps to mix whatever I happen to be making.

The most recent example of him being so helpful is that he saw me vacuuming and wanted to do it himself. There is a short clip of him vacuuming the living room (it's kind of loud).

He is the first to give loves in the morning and is so affectionate throughout the day. We learn so much from his example and are so blessed to have him teach us everyday what it means to be childlike. I learn everyday from you Alex. You are amazing.

We've Escaped... and Returned

2009-02-27T17:04:00.005-06:00

Yes we have escaped and were missing in action last night. I decided to "surprise" Eric and plan a family camping trip at a local camp ground about an hour away. I use the word "surprise" loosely, because almost every surprise that I have planned has been discovered by Eric or some other person unintentionally. This little get away was no different. About a week ago a friend told me about this campground that they go to as a family. Since Eric had this coming Friday off and the weather seemed to be cooperating, I decided to plan a secret get away. Well a few days later while equipment was being collected, packed and prepared, Eric happened to see me looking at a camping website that I was looking at. Even though I closed it as fast as I could the damage was done. So, yes Eric, we are going camping!
We picked Eric up after work on Thursday and traveled to the campsite. It was a great location, one that we plan to use again (thanks, Kim). We set up our tent and got the preparations going. Thanks to the Eagle scout in our family, we had a blazing fire in no time. A little while later our bellies were full with hot dogs, chips, fruit, and smores. Yumm Yumm!!!
We got Alex ready for bed and said prayers. Alex slept really well in the pack'n play. Sarah slept like a trooper. She slept while we set up camp, ate, and also while putting Alex down for the night. We woke her up and fed her. Eric and I enjoyed looking up at the thousand stars up above and chatting the night away. Although it wasn't the most restful night's sleep Eric and I had we were glad that we were there as a family.
There were only a few minor mishaps, (Erika- burned finger, Alex- bug bites and a few scrapes, and Sarah- a few bruises wiggling out of her car seat while sleeping at night) but that is what makes the camping trip memorable.
After a breakfast of French toast and juice, we packed up and enjoyed a nice drive back home. What a fun time to spend as a family.

Double Vision????

2009-02-16T22:39:00.003-06:00

A few weeks ago we were able to watch our friend's children for them while they went to our ward's temple night. We had gone to the temple earlier in the week while they watched them for us. We have children the same age so our two oldest ones are partners in crime together while the little ladies are just content to be held. Here are some pictures of the fun double trouble. I can't believe that we were outnumbered that evening. In the bottom picture Sarah is on the right and is about 3 weeks older than Brielle, but about 3 pounds lighter than her. They are just two precious little girls.

Cute Little Valentines

2009-02-16T22:23:00.003-06:00

Here are some more pictures of our cute little valentines. Alex is getting more excited to take/pose for pictures for us.

Love is all around

2009-02-14T14:35:00.004-06:00

I am just posting this video of Alex giving kisses to Sarah. He was excited to give them to her. This was the first time that he actually came back to give her extra love. He is a very affectionate little boy, and I am glad that we got to capture it on video.

Pictures are worth a thousand words

2009-02-04T12:54:00.004-06:00

We have been waiting a long time for these. I am blessed to have a wonderful photographer and friend in our ward, who is willing to come and take pictures of you newborn baby as her gift to you. Ginger, I can't say it enough, You are amazing. Thank you so much for your gift to our family.

I was blessed to have her take pictures of Alex for us when he was so tiny too. Eric wasn't able to be at the shoot with Alex, but he was able to be here for Sarah's pictures. Daddy's little girl. She has him wrapped around her tiny little fingers.
It is amazing to see how much they change in a few short months. The new picture on our blog title is one that she did. She came over last night and brought the disc of the pictures she had taken. I love them!!! Here are just a few that she had done of Sarah and the family.

Vital Stats for our Kiddos and the Best Job on Earth

2009-01-25T10:14:00.004-06:00

Well a few days ago we went in for Alex's (2 yr) and Sarah's (2 month) well visit with our pediatrician.
Here are Alex's stats:
Head size 47 cm (10-25%)
Height 34 inches (25-50%)
Weight 23 lbs. 12 oz. (3-10%)
He is very healthy, but on the slender side.

Here are Sarah's stats:
Head size 38 cm (25-50%)
Height 22 3/4 inches (50-75%)
Weight 10 lbs. 4 oz. (25-50%)
She is doing very well and has a strong appetite.

We have been very blessed to have such wonderful children join our family. I have one of the most tiring jobs in the world, but also the best and most rewarding job too.

More Sarah pictures coming soon!

2009-01-19T20:50:00.002-06:00

I am receiving "promptings" (OK, proddings) that I need to post some more pictures of Sarah. Tomorrow's her two month appointment, so I'll be sure to include her stats as well as Alex's.

Top Ten Reasons I Love My Two Year Old

2009-01-07T15:53:00.005-06:00

1. Alex has a contagious laugh. I can't help but laugh when I hear him laugh. My heart sings when I hear it.

2. He loves to explore and find out how things around him work. He is always taking in so much with his senses. He is absolutely fearless on the playground.

3. I love how he helps me around the house. His favorite job is to "help" unload the dishwasher, so fast that I can barely keep up! I love how he says, "da doo" (thank you) as he hands me each dish.

4. I love how affectionate he is. He'll even hug the cats (actually by leaning on them and saying "mmmmmmm". He'll even give hugs to the cats in his books.

5. I love how Alex is always ready to go bye-bye (on an errand). He'll grab his shoes, head to the door, and keep saying "bye bye" over and over until you go.

6. I love how Alex and his Daddy play together when Alex is taking a bath. Daddy gets Alex all excited, and Alex drenches the room by splashing the water with his hands, toys and feet.

7. I love his MAGIC EYES. His eyes change color, depending on the lighting. They always light up with he is happy or excited. He also has the most beautiful long eyelashes that he inherited from his Daddy.

8. I love his independent spirit. He will sit quietly and read by himself, or race around the kitchen island with his shopping cart, then come give me a hug, then he's right back at it. It is a joy to see his personality develop.

9. I love how he says Momma all the time. He's sometimes a bit of a Momma's Boy, but it makes me feel wanted and appreciated.

10. I love how he teaches me about patience, unconditional love, enthusiasm, and the love of life every single day. I'm grateful for every moment I have with him. He's growing up so fast, which is hard on a Momma's heart, but I am so proud of him.

Six Weeks with Sarah

2009-01-07T15:30:00.005-06:00

I can't believe that it has been six weeks since Sarah has joined our family. During that time all of us have been adjusting to each other. She is a great baby, but when she is upset or hungry she will let you know about it. I love having her in our family and Alex is slowly warming up to her as well. Since so many of our family members are living far away, I am getting requests to see more pictures of her. I love being her mother. While getting up in the middle of the night to feed and take care of her does lead to an interrupted slumber,I still count it a blessing to do those things. Enjoy the pictures of our sweet little Sarah.

Sarah's Blessing Day

2009-01-01T21:28:00.003-06:00

Last Sunday we had the opportunity to bless our new daughter Sarah. We had both sets of grandparents and my sister's family in town to participate in the ordinance. It was wonderful to have everyone here that could be here to share in this special moment in our family.
Grandma Stewart made a beautiful blessing dress for Sarah and it was carefully planned out and stitched with so much love. My sister made a beautiful white bracelet for her to wear and Mom Jung gave Sarah a beautiful white sweater to keep her warm. She looked so beautiful and I can't believe how much she has changed in the last few weeks. She is starting to fill out slowly and is such a source of joy in our lives. I am so blessed to have a fantastic, energetic, little boy and an angelic, sweet little girl. Here are a few pictures of Sarah in her beautiful blessing dress and the wonderful doting grandma that made it. Thank you so much Grandma Stewart!

Alex gets his own Breakfast

2008-12-30T08:12:00.003-06:00

I wanted to write this story down before I forgot to include it on the blog. Over Thanksgiving break we had some friends visiting and they brought some sweet snacks to munch on while we played games. Alex loved eating them and the next morning there were only 3 treats left. While I was feeding Sarah the next morning, Alex decided to get his own breakfast. He is one smart little boy and kind of sneaky. Here is a little video of what Alex did that morning.

Holiday Recap

2008-12-30T07:47:00.002-06:00

I just wanted to get some pictures of our little Alex and Christmas morning/afternoon. Eric's parents were visiting from Colorado Springs for Christmas and Sarah's baby blessing on the Sunday after Christmas. It was so much fun to have them come and get to stay for so long. It will surely be difficult to see them leave. I have completely enjoyed having them around and sharing in these memories for our family.
Since Alex still is not really aware of Christmas time activities, there was no real rush to open presents early in the morning. We think that he really enjoyed getting new toys to play with. As you can see from the pictures he was completely focused on the new toys and I don't think that we heard a peep from him for over an hour. Grandma and Papa Stewart bought him a kitchen and his Aunt Heidi got him some play food to go along with it. His Aunt Karen got him a fire truck, fireman helmet, and some file folder activities to play with during church. Here is a little bit of a glimpse into our house on Christmas morning.

Here's for my Family in Colorado

2008-12-10T16:10:00.001-06:00

It's snowing here in Houston!!!! You know that you are jealous ;o)

Pictures for family

2008-12-10T14:58:00.003-06:00

I have had multiple requests for pictures of our newest one. She is still tiny, but is doing well. She is more awake during the day. I am slowly learning that having two under the age of two is making getting things done a whole lot harder. It seems that once I get something done, it is undone in the next 5 minutes. We are still alive and kicking here, just trying to take it easy yet getting ready for family to come for the holidays. Here are some pictures of Sarah for you Heidi.

Our Sweet Little Sarah

2008-11-27T18:35:00.003-06:00

Here are some pictures of our sweet little Sarah. It is hard to believe that one week ago our lives changed forever. Our family is feeling more complete and our hearts couldn't be more filled with love and thanks for our sweet little family. She is such a beautiful little angel and her big brother couldn't be more sweeter to her. Alex loves to give hugs and kisses to his little sister, but I can't help but think that he is wondering why she isn't going "home" at the end of the day...
These pictures were taken about 3 days ago and she continues to change daily.
Be forewarned, Sarah's birthing story follows:
Here is the story behind the arrival of our sweet little one.
On Tuesday the 18th of November, I went to the doctor hoping that I would have progressed and would be well on my way. When he said that I was still a two, I was a little disappointed because I was really excited to finally meet the new baby that would join our family. I always thought that our baby would come early, I just didn't think that it would come this early. All week I had had the feeling that I should pack my bag to be ready to go to the hospital. Lesson learned, when prompted, act on that prompting.
Everything was normal on Wednesday, I cleaned the house, made bread, fixed dinner and enjoyed an evening with my husband. We went to bed about 11 p.m. and at about 12:45 I got up to go to the bathroom. As I got out of bed, I said "uh-oh" I don't think I made it to the bathroom. It took me a minute to realize what had happened. I came back to the bed and woke Eric up and said that my water broke and that we needed to go to the hospital. I quickly made arrangements for a friend, Trisha, to watch Alex and then started packing a bag for the hospital. We then dropped Alex off and ran a quick trip to Walmart to pick up some batteries for our camera. We arrived at the hospital and then I went to triage to get checked out. The nurse confirmed the rupture of my water, said that I was dilated to 3 cm and said that I had my ticket to stay the night. The contractions were getting stronger, but not anything that I couldn't handle. They got me set-up in a labor and delivery room and began the whole process of checking me in and getting me hooked up to the machines and IVs.
They checked me when they finished the process and then I was 4 cm. By now it was about 2:30 and things were going well. They continued to monitor me and about 15 minutes later I was 5 cm. I opted for pain medication through an IV, but they couldn't give it to me after I reached 7 cm. I said that I wanted it and she left the room and came back about 5 minutes later and was going to hook me up, but decided to check me again. I was now a 7. She said that she couldn't give it to me now. She asked if I wanted an epidural, and I remembered when I had Alex that it took about 45 minutes to get the epidural, so I opted not to get it. I was going for it. I always thought that if it got too bad then I could get one later.
They kept on checking me and I was progressing very quickly. I was 9 cm and fully effaced. About 5 minutes later I was 10 and was feeling the urge to push. They had already called the doctor on call and he was on his way. Because I was progressing so quickly, the labor and delivery nurses had already called the ER doctor to try and come up and deliver my baby. They were worried that I would be delivering without a doctor present. They kept telling me to breathe and not to push. I kept alternating between pleading to push and giving ultimatums that I would be pushing now. The contractions were coming so quickly all I wanted to do was push. It was probably about 10 minutes of telling me not to push and the doctor finally showed up. He got ready and I asked if I could push he said to go ahead an push and out she came on the very first push. The hardest part of the labor was waiting for the doctor to show up so I could push.
We didn't know if we were having a boy or a girl and we were excited to find out that we had a baby girl. Sarah Anne was ready to come to our family and we couldn't be more excited and privileged to be her parents. We loved you from first sight.

Our Newest Little One

2008-11-20T20:54:00.003-06:00

We would like everyone to know that our newest little bundle of joy came into this world on its own timetable. We are now blessed to have a little daughter join our growing family. She made a rapid entrance into this world and we couldn't be more excited to finally meet her. I will have to post the birthing story later after a little sleep tonight. Our new daughter, Sarah Anne Stewart joined our family at 4:49 a.m., this morning. She weighed 6 lb. 11 oz. and was 20 inches long. Mom, Dad and Big brother Alex are doing well. Here are a few pictures to tide you over until I can get some more posted.

Victory

2008-11-17T14:41:00.004-06:00

We finally are making the switch from a crib to a "big boy bed". We found a good find on Craigslist for a toddler bed, matress and sheet set for our little man. We showed him a picture of the bed and he was excited about it. The color worked really well with some furniture that we already had in the Nursery. This week has been busy with organizing, purging, moving, measuring, and rearranging stuff to get Alex into his own big boy room. We moved items out of the craft room and made it into Alex's new room in hopes that he would get used to the transition before the new arrival comes in a few weeks.
He did really well his first night considering it was a new bed and new room. He cried a little when he went down, and stayed asleep until about 1:30 and cried off and on until about 3:00, but never got out of bed. I went in and held him until he fell back asleep and then he slept until about 7:30. The next day the plan was to nap him in the toddler bed before church since our meetings are during his normal nap time. Apparently Alex didn't get the memo. Here is what happened.
We put him down to nap and left the baby monitor on so we could hear what was going on. We heard a lot of noise and talking, no peaceful sounds of slumber. I should have gone and checked on him, but didn't. Apparently, he opened the closet doors and found his own "toys" to play with. I went up later to check on him and this is what I found...

One big mess and one tired boy.

That night he went to bed fairly easy, because he hadn't napped that day yet. He only cried once because he fell out of the bed. Eric picked him back up and put him in bed and then he slept until the morning. Here comes the real challenge.
Nap time!!!!
I put Alex down today for a nap and it took some time, and a slight rearrangement of a night stand so that he wouldn't play with the drawers, but I would call it a victory for the parents. See for yourself.

I will post more pictures of his room and big boy bed when he is up. This will just have to tide you over until then.

The score to date:
Alex: 1
Parents: 2 1/2