Mommy's Lil Chunky Monkey

Brothers!

2009-08-16T10:57:00.000-07:00

We have really enjoyed comparing Tanner and Hudson's baby pictures! We think they look a lot alike! See what you think!

Tanner

Hudson

Tanner

Hudson

Tanner

Hudson

Tanner

Hudson

Hudson!

2009-08-05T19:37:00.000-07:00

We first want to thank you for all your love and support! All the thoughts and prayers were felt and appreciated so much. We thank you to those that took time out of your busy schedules to come up to the hospital, and visit with us (even though you couldn’t really see Hudson).
For you who don’t know (and those that do), this is what we have gone through the last few days. It started with Jana’s regular weekly checkup on Wed. Her OB told her that she was going to have a baby that night or early morning, and sent her straight to the hospital. She called me and luckily I was with Grammy, so Grammy took Tanner and I gathered up our bags and headed to Presbyterian Hospital of Rockwall. Jana was sitting comfortably when I got there. We then were told they would start a small dose of pitosin (sp?) about midnight, and then ramp it up about 4 am Thursday and should have Hudson by noon. In the morning we were able to talk with the anesthesiologist about our concerns with spinal headaches (Jana had one with Tanner), and he calmed our fears as much as possible. We talked about getting the epidural ASAP, but the hospital was crazy busy and ended up getting it about 45 min too late. Poor Jana was in some serious pain for a while, but once the epidural took she was much better off! That happened about 9:45 a.m., and then we rested till about 10:45. The Dr. came in about 10:55 and Hudson Lee Hake was born at 11:06 a.m. on July 30th weighing in at 7lbs 4oz and 20 ½ in length!

We were able to take a few family pics and snuggle for about 15min. when the nurses decided to take Hudson to the nursery for observations because of fluid in his lungs (he was grunting with every breath). We were told he needed a little extra time to get rid of the fluid. Several hours later it was decided he would need an IV that helped him feel full so he could concentrate solely on breathing, and hooked him up to monitor his breathing. He continued to struggle with breathing throughout Thursday. Jana and I went to the nursery so she could try and nurse him for the first time, later Thursday evening. He got pretty worked up trying to eat and his respiratory rate went crazy, so they made us stop to let him rest. He then rested for the remainder of the night and Friday morning we talked with the pediatrician and she told us he needed to go to a hospital that had a NICU. She had looked at some x-rays of his chest and it showed that his lungs were sticking together in some areas. This was due to a lack of surfactant, which is developed at birth so your lungs don’t stick together and lasts your entire life.

An ambulance took Hudson and I to Lakepointe Medical Center (this is the hospital Tanner was born at), while Grammy and Tanner stayed with Jana and helped her get discharged. At Lakepointe they had to stick a tube down his throat for oxygen, another tube in his throat to shoot the med’s in, an IV in his hand, and a central line into his belly button to take blood for tests

Jana was discharged and went home for quick shower and then was dropped off at Lakepointe later Friday evening.

We could go into the NICU and touch Hudson but couldn’t pick him up because of all the tubes and wires in him. When we were in touching him late Friday night he “clamped up” (stopped breathing and stiffened up) for about 1 or 2 sec.’s. This obviously was the lowest point and we were scared for his life. We went home after that, and cried hysterically for a while. Luckily Ed and Theresa were at our place watching Tanner for us, and they comforted us tremendously.

We headed back up to the hospital Saturday morning and Hudson was doing so much better already! He had taken 2 shots of the surfactant and his lungs were good now. They were just working on his oxygen levels in his blood. He continued to improve all day. Before we went home for the night they had taken the oxygen tube from his mouth, and the medicine tube out and he just had a thing in his nose to whisk oxygen in for a gentle reminder to breathe even though he wasn’t having any issues with that yet. We called the NICU to check on him later that night and they had taken out the central line and they said he would be ready to nurse in the morning.

So we got in our last great night sleep that we would have for a while, and returned to Lakepointe Sunday morning and the pediatrician had told the nurse to take the oxygen thing from his nose out and let momma feed him. So we were able to pick him up and hold him (up until this point we had only been able to hold him for a combined 20 min or so). It was great! He ate well, and by middle of the day Tanner was up to the hospital holding and singing to Hudson.

We were able to get a room at the hospital Sunday night and Hudson stayed with us all night. Monday was a busy day for Hudson; he woke up for a circumcision, then shots, and then a hearing test. Then we were able to take him home around 4:00 p.m. on 8/3/09.

Proud Big Brother!

Hudson Lee Hake

2009-05-23T20:54:00.000-07:00

We have officially decided on Hudson Lee Hake for the new lil Hake's name! Actually, we have known for awhile and just forgot to post our decision. While we were in the process of making our choice and researching names, we started calling the baby Hudson and from then on it just made since that his name should be Hudson. I am officially 28 weeks and getting huge! At my last appointment he was measuring big so next week I have a sonogram to find out exactly how big he really is! While I am excited to get to see him again, I am really hoping that he is really right on track!

It looks like I will have another funky monkey -- while looking at tons and tons of baby bedding online and fabrics I couldn't find anything I really liked that compared to Tanner's sock monkey bedding. So, the sock monkeys will live on in Hudson's room too, but this time in blue! I plan to make their rooms matching but everything that is orange in Tanner's room will be blue in Hudson's. I am getting the itch to get his room ready -- I haven't been in much of a hurry at all as we lose our guest room once converted to a baby room. But, the nesting instinct is starting to take over and I am ready (well, ready for Brian) to get busy! :-) So if anyone see's any great sock monkeys out and around let me know as we are adding to our collection!

Arboretum and Camping

2009-05-11T11:23:00.000-07:00

Dallas Arboretum

My friend Scarlett and I, braved taking three two year olds to the arboretum. It was a beautiful day and we had a great time. They had story book houses on display that the kids could go in and enjoy. Each one represented a different story book. They were really cute!

Tanner showing his new 'cheese' smile!

Tanner by the big flower cake!

We rented a wagon for our three tired pups! The best purchase ever!

Hansel and Gretel was Tanner's favorite house -- he kept trying to get a lick of the cupcake cutout. Yuck, he was disappointed it didn't taste like cake!

Cooling down and getting soaked at the frog fountains -- I think this was the highlight!

A view of where we ate our picnic lunch -- overlooking white rock lake.

Camping at Whispering Pines

This weekend we went camping at whispering pines in tyler, tx. This was Tanner's first time to go camping and our first time camping with a lil one! Like everything in life with a toddler -- it was different than we were used to. We remember camping being so relaxing, well, not anymore! But its way more fun! We had a great time. Grammy and Papa went with us so that made it even more fun! It was great to get away and have a change of scenery and activities! We stayed in a cabin (no tent, for the pregnant lady). So it was pretty cush camping!

Tanner and Daddy

Tanner loved throwing rocks into the water and we even saw some tadpoles!

Tanner and Grammy roasting marshmellows by the fire . He didnt care for the marshmellows all that much he just wanted the chocolate from the smores (thats my boy)!

Tanner and Daddy cooled off by pouring water over their heads. We managed to have no rain all weekend, but it was very hot and humid.

Future Golfer?

Tanner and Papa swinging!

Tanner on the jumping pillow (it was the coolest thing -- it was about the size of a swimming pool and bouncy like a jump house) Tanner loved running on it!

It's a ...... and celebrating 2 years!

2009-03-19T18:24:00.000-07:00

Well, the new lil hake is a BOY! Tanner is going to have a little brother! Brian is excited he already has half a basketball team and I am excited to have another lil momma's boy to get lots of hugs and kisses from! We are really excited and as you can tell by the second picture -- there is no doubt its a boy! He spread eagle and let the whole world see his glory! It was so fun to see him moving around -- he was kicking those lil legs and swaying his arms. We are already anxious to see if he is going to look like Tanner and if he will be the wild child or even sweeter than Tanner! No names picked for sure, but I will let you know when we decide (but no its not Jordan)!

We also celebrated Tanner's birthday last week -- we officially have a two year old!!! He had a curious george party and was soooo excited to wake up from his nap and see George everywhere on balloons and color sheets and a cake! He was so cute -- he squealed like a girl! He was so happy to see all his friends come over and had a great time! He got lots of great toys, books, and clothes! I was exhausted after his party and it was even an as simple as you get party -- cake, ice cream, and punch!

On Monday, his actual birthday we took him and Marty to the zoo. It was really fun -- he was really into it more than ever. We spent the longest time at the monkeys -- yep, i have trained him well! They were eating oranges for their 'nack' (snack) and all week he wanted oranges for a nack! He was yelling 'hi' to them and got sooo excited when they would move!

I just have to say that I love love love this age!!! I mean, there are moments when I am like yep, we have reached the terrible twos, but for the most part it is soooo great! There is nothing like those big hugs and kisses you get and the big smile and 'MOMMA' that he yells when he sees me! I love being with him and he brings soooo much joy and laughter to my life! I am definitely going to cherish the time we have left with just Tanner!

The Sacrifice!

2009-03-03T10:42:00.001-08:00

Ok, so I finally decided to sacrifice my nap/break time (aka Tanner and Marty nap time) to do a little blogging -- so I hope there are still people out there reading this to make it worth it! :-) Well, a lot has happened and I have no excuse for my lack of blogging other than being pregnant and pregnant I am! I am 18 weeks now and really poking out - I am trying to make use of all these winter maternity clothes I have that will be of no use in a few weeks. I wore my famous brown velour sweatsuit (my staple last time around) this week and Brian said "well, you are officialy pregnant now that you are wearing your suit". I am feeling soooo much better! It was pretty rough for awhile, but I am starting to get a little energy and the sickness has worn off (except in the car). We have our sonogram on the 19th and will hopefully find out if the next lil hake is a boy or girl! I am really ready to know (and then we will start the name battle).

Tanner is in a big boy bed (crib converted to toddler bed) now! Within two days he discovered hey I can climb out of this thing and I can open doors now! It was a pretty stressful few days, as I was not quite prepared for all the freedom this brought! We all adjusted just fine though and now he sleeps great in his bed (well, that is after he has pulled all the books off his shelf, rearranged all the stuffed animals and crashed with a book on his tummy). Brian and I shopped for his official big boy bed this past weekend and he will transition to it soon! Tanner turns two next week (I cant believe I really have a two year old!!!) I will post pics of his curious george party!

I submitted classes for next year's home school coop and I am really excited about the classes submitted (discovering the artist in you for early elementary, creative cultural crafts for late elementary, knit one pearl two, and sculpt it for middle school, and Interior design 101 for high school students). The committee chooses the courses they want to offer and then it goes to the public for sign up. Please say a little prayer that the committee will choose several courses to offer this year! I miss teaching art and this is my chance to get to tap back into my creative and teaching side plus the extra money is great! I started doing Yoga classes back in December at the gym -- its been really great. I love it and its a nice break from the day. Well, I know there is so much more to catch up on, but thats all I can think of right now! I will post soon with our big events coming up!

Tanner's first time painting a ceramic (of course it was a monkey). At first, he was so excited he could hardly stand it then it turned to very serious concentration! He worked on it for about 45 min. It was so great!

Tanner still loves to hug and hold hands!

Loving Play Dough!!!

Tanner has started to smile at the camera now and gives this big cheesy grin (this time he happened to have cheesy crackers in his mouth too!

Tanner's big boy bed!

Table display of some of the home school coop art class (1st and 2nd graders) work.

Tanner's New Shirt

2008-12-20T07:46:00.000-08:00

Yep, Tanner is going to be a big brother! I am 8 weeks pregnant with number 2! We are really excited and Tanner, as you can tell from the first picture, is still his busy self! Looks like we will have an end of July baby -- I am already praying for a cooler summer!

Girls night out!

2008-12-11T10:06:00.001-08:00

Wednesday night was girls night out for our ABF class at church. We went to Bread Winners (probably my favorite restaurant -- at least for a girly night out)! If you have not been and live near Dallas, its a must go to ASAP place! And if you like chocolate cake then sister you really need to go. I never used to be a fan of chocolate cake until..... I had this cake!!! It's so yummy! So we ordered a chocolate cake and ate dinner too! :-)

I love girl's night out. When I was working, I never wanted to go out and miss out on time with Tanner and Brian, but now that I am staying home and get to spend lots of time with Tanner (or maybe that he is learning how to throw a pretty good temper tantrum) I am all for girls night out. Its such refreshing time to get out and hang out with other moms. Of course, the subject of conversation is mostly about our kids, but its still tons of fun! I am lucky to have such a great group of girlfriends to hang out with and I am looking forward to our next time out!

November Moments

2008-12-01T12:49:00.000-08:00

What a great week! It was so much fun to spend all week with Brian and Tanner.

Blog catch up -- part 2

2008-10-27T19:54:00.000-07:00

Friday night we went to the Family Fall Festival at church. We were only planning to stay for a half hour to take some pics of Tanner in his costume and then head home, however, Tanner was having sooo much fun with his Papa that we ended up staying for a couple hours! He was sooo excited about everything! He loved looking at all the lights, rode his first ride (hot air balloons that swirled and spun faster and higher up in the air than I thought), rode a pony, sort of petted/ (clung to Daddy) animals in the petting zoo, saw a fire truck up close, and even found some flashing monkey lights! Tanner dressed up as a monkey again this year (his costume still fit from last year). Maybe next year he can pick out his own costume!

Saturday, we went to my parents land and played at their park. They had a ton of pumpkins layed around the park. We played on the playground and then played with the pumpkins and flowers. I even had fun getting to swing on the swings -- Tanner thought it was cool when I went really high!

I just love fall! It’s the best time of the year! I love being outside and I love looking at all the best colors all around you! I am looking forward to another month of beautiful weather! Happy Fall!

Fall Festival

Tanner's first glimpse at the fall festival!

I think his face says it all -- he is loving getting to ride his first ride ever (spinning and swirling hot air balloons)

Tanner with his buddy Andie!

Tanner riding a horse (he was making horse noises for 30 min)!

Tanner with Papa by the firetruck

Our lil monkey -- notice the lights in the background 'monkey maze'!

One tired monkey heading to the car.

Grammy and Papa's park at their land

Tanner stopping for a pose by the pumpkins

Tanner on a choo choo train!

This pumpkin is heavy!

Tanner was petting all the flowers.

Video of Tanner's first ever carnival ride -- He was having a blast!

Tanner and Abby (my parents dog) sliding down the slide!

Blog catch up -- part 1

2008-10-27T18:53:00.000-07:00

Brian and I celebrated our 6 year anniversary on the 12th. We enjoyed a get-away to San Antonio and stayed at the Hotel Valencia (great place – we stayed there on our 1 year anniversary as well). This was our first weekend get away with no kiddo! We had a great time and enjoyed sleeping in and taking naps plus a romantic candlelight dinner at Landry’s on the riverwalk on our anniversary night. I love San Antonio riverwalk!

The next weekend we drove to Oklahoma to cheer on our pokes for OSU Homecoming. Wow, how bout them pokes ranked number 6!!! We had so much fun walking around campus and Tanner loved running in the open fields and looking at the Homecoming house decks. We just might have a future OSU TD Hake football player – he got lots of practice anyway! He has even started to make the go pokes sign with his hands and throws his arms up for touchdown! By the end of the afternoon in Stillwater, Tanner was pooped and fell asleep in his stroller (which never happens by the way)! While we were in OK we went down to the grandparents Neighborhood Park and we all played so hard in the fresh very cool air (I just love OK weather)!

On Thursday, we celebrated Brian’s 29th birthday. I can’t believe we are almost 30!!! Tanner and I had a blast making Brian a coconut choc. cake and then we had dinner with our friends the Clemens at Genghis Grill (yummy)! Happy Birthday to the best husband and daddy ever! We love you!

San Antonio

Out to dinner for our anniversary!

Taking a break on the riverwalk.

Trip to OSU

Tanner with Grandma and Grandpa before the game.

A family picture in front of the library at OSU.

Tanner in front of a Dr. Suess house deck - he loved it.

3 Generations of Cowboy fans!

Tanner running in an open field at OSU.

Tanner playing football on the library lawn.

Tanner and Grandpa.

Waiting for the parade to start.

Tanner sacked out after a fun day!

Sliding down the hill at the park.

Climbing back up the hill to slide down again -- if only there were snow on the hill!

18 months!

2008-09-17T18:58:00.001-07:00

Tanner turned 18 months last week! Our lil monkey is a year and a half -- so weird! I have to say though THIS is the most fun I have ever had with Tanner. I still miss the baby moments, but getting to know this little person is a blast! He has such a sweet spirit and loves to hug and give kisses and most of the time he finds so much joy in sharing toys and snacks. He can get my blood boiling and melt my heart in the same minute. There is something about them choosing to want to be in your lap or choosing to spend time playing with you. I love it and thank God that I am able to enjoy this precious time staying at home with him.

So our life at 18 months consists of a new weekly schedule (playdate on mondays/library, bible study at church on wednesdays, and school on fridays) and in between lots of play time with Marty and Molly! At 18 months we are officially paci free! I got up the nerve two weeks ago to get rid of the paci cold turkey (he only used it at naps and bedtime, but he LOVED it during those times). It was a magical thing! He would put it in his mouth and he would melt -- he would sit still and let me hold him and snuggle while we read a book before bedtime. He has done awesome though! He only asked for it one time (the first day) and he is even starting to snuggle and sit still again -- and now he can give me sweet kisses and talk to me while we snuggle before bed. I never would have dreamed it would have been that easy! The next milestone is potty training (yikes i am nervous). We bought a seat and have even let him test it out a few times. He tells me when he is going poo poo (like i really need him to tell me -- its written all over his face) so we are making progress and maybe by 2 he will be trained!

We tried to get his 18 mnth pictures taken and that was a complete disaster! Getting an 18 month old BOY to sit or stand still, much less stand on a little red dot (JC Penney's camera won't take a picture unless they are lined up with this little red light) for a picture is impossible! I am really sad not having pictures though. Hopefully Michelle will have better luck -- she is our next step! I am getting more pressure than ever to cut Tanner's hair, maybe I am crazy but I love his wild curls! Tanner with a short, clean cut 'do' just doesn't seem to fit him!

Here are a few 'still moment' pics of our big boy!

Tanner discovers daddy's nipple!

2008-09-10T18:26:00.001-07:00

While having some silly daddy time... Tanner discovers dad's nipple!

Jibber Jabber part 2

2008-08-28T21:03:00.000-07:00

Ok, so here is a clip that better represents his jibbers and jabbers. He is looking at the mail and thinks he sees a picture of 'daddy' on the brochure. I am wondering if this is a phase or is this the rest of our lives!?!?

Jibber Jabber

2008-08-27T16:46:00.000-07:00

Jibber Jabber.... jibber jabber.... jibber jabber.... is all we hear at our house right now. Tanner stayed Friday night with his grammy and papa and he has not stopped talking about it since! He came home constantly jibber jabbering. He still says all the words he knows but they are all linked together with a constant, well, jibber jabber. It is really funny, but exhausting! I guess this is paybacks for all the talking I did to my older brothers! I wish the video did his jibbers and jabbers justice, but it was the best we could get on film! Notice how his lil tongue is going in top speed -- what a silly boy!

Snuggles and Kisses with Baby Molly

2008-08-14T11:39:00.000-07:00

Tanner got to hold lil baby Molly and thank goodness he was so gentle with her! He liked rubbing her belly and giving her snuggles and kisses. Hmmmm..... I think this has 'I want to be a big brother' written all over it! Thanks for letting Tanner hold Molly!

Monkey See, Monkey Do, Mommy's monkey goes to the zoo

2008-08-03T17:43:00.000-07:00

We took Tanner to the zoo for the first time last week so that he could come eye to eye with some monkeys! We had a great time as a family and enjoyed getting to spend the day with Daddy! It was definitely a hot day, but the zoo had lots of indoor spots to cool down along the way so it wasn't too bad. We bought Tanner a monkey backpack to wear that has a leash on it so he could walk around without running off to far from us. Yes, I put a leash on my son! I felt a little weird at first, but it was the best thing ever! He was happy getting to walk freely and we were not chasing him all over the place -- WIN WIN :-) Plus, he looked really cute in it as you can tell from the pics! A must have item for a curious lil monkey like Tanner. We will definitley be going back, but once the weather is a bit cooler!

O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A Oklahoma OK

2008-07-21T19:16:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend in Ok with family and friends. We haven't made the trek since christmas and it was great to see everyone and eat at our favorite restaurants too! Yes, I enjoyed a great Johnnies burger (Bret I know you are jealous)!

Tanner took his first dip in a swimming pool and he actually liked it! Brian and I had a great time swimming as well! We had a busy weekend and Tanner played really hard with all his cousins. On the way home he was so pooped -- he crashed within 5 minutes (This was the first time Tanner has fallen asleep in the car since he was 9 months, so it was a big deal for us)! Thanks to all our Okie friends and family for a great time! Hope to see you all again soon!

The next two posts are new as well (I had a lot of updating to do) -- so be sure to check them out too!

10 Year Reunion!

2008-07-21T19:02:00.000-07:00

Wow, its been 10 years since Brian and I have graduated from High School. This past weekend we went to Brian's 10 year reunion in Oklahoma. It was really neat because it kinda felt like my reunion as well. I was in Okla until the summer before 9th grade so a lot of the people Brian graduated with I went to elementary and jr. high with. It was fun to see all the old friends. Here are some pics from the night.

3 Generations

2008-07-21T12:32:00.000-07:00

Last time Brian's parents came down they brought a terrific little table for tanner to play with. His parents brought it back from Wisconsin and it is actually the table that Brian's mom played with when she was little. When Brian would visit his grandparents he would play with it too. So three generations later .... Tanner loves it! Here is a picture of the 3 generations at the table -- what a great memory! I had to post the other two pics == my favorite of him and his big blue eyes and the other him napping... quite often his little tootsies are hanging out of the bed these days!

New favorite recipe!

2008-07-01T10:16:00.001-07:00

It's summer time and the time is right for yummy side dishes or snacks with fruit! My mom got this low carb recipe and shared with me and it is super simple and very yummy! Ok, so here goes:

Apple Feta Salad:

Slice Apples and toss with balsamic vinegar
Top with Crumbled Feta cheese and Sliced Almonds (although I use pecan pieces)

That's it -- so easy and simple that I should have thought of it!
Enjoy!

Little Picasso

2008-06-29T18:14:00.000-07:00

Tanner had his first painting lesson and he has already mastered the art of finger painting! This is his first creation. I thought it would be fun for you to guess what you think it is. I think it looks like an alligator! Mommy is so proud!

Double Trouble!

2008-06-26T13:03:00.001-07:00

Well, my official duties of keeping Marty have started and we are in week two! It has been fun seeing Tanner with a little playmate. He loves Marty and always wants to give her hugs, that is until one of them takes the others toys! We are learning all about sharing (sharing mommy and his toys). It has been a great experience so far and I thought I would show some double trouble photos!

Tanner's First Haircut!

2008-06-11T13:36:00.000-07:00

Well, it was time (probably past time) Tanner needed a haircut. It was pretty crazy on top and if you haven't seen him lately very very curly everywhere else! Yep, he has mom's curls! So I put it off and put it off some more I just couldn't cut off his curls, so..... we decided to just cut the top. Then we debated about where to take him and then I got brave and decided I would just cut it! I cut Brian's hair, so why not?!?! Tanner did so great... he didn't mind it at all, although, he wanted the clippers really bad so he did get a little fussy towards the end. So some might say he got a mullet (business up top and party in the back, except its really curls in the back)! Round One goes to MOM!

It's Official!

2008-05-27T08:38:00.000-07:00

Well, its official -- I turned in my resignation today! It was still hard up until I handed over my letter. It would be such an easy decision if I hated my job, but I really love teaching art. I will truly miss it, but I am sooo excited about the ability to stay home and spend this priceless time with Tanner (and marty too). It is crazy how our lives go through 'seasons'. I would never have guessed that I would want to be a stay at home mom. Those lil boys really change you! I know that I am not giving up my career or letting go of my passions of teaching. Instead, I am taking advantage and enjoying this season of life. Thank you Brian for making the sacrifices with me to be able to spend this time with Tanner! I am really excited about the time I will now have to pick up on my interior design consulting. If anyone needs some consulting or knows someone who does give me a ring! My mind is now racing of all the fun adventures Tanner and I will get to have together now! Maybe I can finally get him to say MONKEY!!! I think a trip to the zoo to see the monkeys will help!

Mommy's lil Helper!

2008-05-22T17:45:00.000-07:00

Tanner has officially covered every square inch of our house! He is such a good lil helper now -- how would I ever get things done without him?!?!?

Tanner 'helping' papa work on his house plans, cleaning out the buffet cabinet, vacuuming the floor, organizing the pantry, and lastly helping in the yard! What a busy boy -- mom and dad are exhausted!

Please Pray for our Friends!

2008-05-05T08:47:00.001-07:00

Our friends, Joel and Joylynn's little baby (Jacob) passed away Sunday morning in his sleep. He was 6 weeks old. Please pray for Joylynn and Joel as they go through this extremely difficult time. You can look at their blog by clicking on The Marlowe's link under 'other blogs to visit'. You can comment and leave them some encouragment to let them know you are praying for them! Please pray for our friends Richard and Jennifer as well. They also lost their baby (3 month old - Lilly) to SIDS a few months ago. They have already been so awesome with Joel and Joylynn helping them walk through this time. Lastly, please pray for our ABF (bible study group) that we could minister and support the Marlowe's in the best way possible!

I just can't imagine what the Thomas' and Marlowe's are facing! My heart aches so bad for them! Life can be so short! Thank goodness we have the Lord to lean on -- I don't know how people can make it through life's trials without the Lord! Thank you God for allowing us to know these two precious lil babies and I pray that all who are touched by these little lives would glorify you!

My Grandparents are Great!

2008-04-27T19:26:00.000-07:00

This week Tanner got to spend the whole week at home with his Grammy (on Monday) and his Grandma and Grandpa the rest of the week. Tanner had a blast doing all kind of new things on his week vacation at home! Thank you to our parents for all their help this week! We even had dinner on the table when we got home from work! Wow! That NEVER happens! Tanner got to spend a lot of time outside (what a beautiful week)! He even drew me a picture on the driveway with chalk. Tanner spent a lot of time on the back porch too -- he is still afraid of the grass, but loves being outside. We hope his grassaphobia passes soon. Grandma bought him some new kicks to wear on his adventures outside. We haven't spent much time outside this spring due to all his illness with the bronchialitus! It seems that the preventative medicine is doing the trick at keeping the breathing problems away. What a great week!

It's my party and I'll cry if i want to!

2008-04-14T20:20:00.001-07:00

We celebrated Tanner turning one with a sock - monkey themed birthday party! I planned everything around Tanner's (pretty consistent) nap time -- but of course, he was totally off schedule that day and did not take an afternoon nap. So needless to say, he was not his chipper self! He came around though and we had a great time. One of mom's friends in forney made a really cute sock monkey cake. (she actually made the cake for my baby shower - so that was kinda neat). While everyone sang happy birthday and during our picture opt with the cake Tanner dove over to grab the first handful of cake! We had chocolate covered bananas and banana punch! Our lil monkey delicately pinched the icing off his piece of cake and then licked his fingers. No diving in for our first taste of cake -- shocker!

Tanner got some much needed 18 month clothes -- he looks so grown up in his new summer polo's. He also got some fun toys (his favorite has been the ball popper fr0m his buddy andie) he loves it! Actually his fav. gift was the tissue paper and sack from Brett and Lisa's present (who knew all you needed to bring was tissue paper). Grammy and Papa also got him a fun rocking horse that neighs and sighs (all the time)! All the kiddo’s that came to the party took home a homemade sock monkey for their party favor. Grammy and I worked hard that week to make all those monkeys – it was fun learning how to make them! It was a special day – thanks to those that celebrated with us!

Mommy's NOT so lil chunky monkey!

2008-04-14T19:50:00.000-07:00

Well, Tanner turned ONE this month and I am still in shock! If someone would have told me a year ago how grown up he would be and how he would look like a little boy instead of a baby.... I would not have believed them! I just can't believe how much he has changed in a year. To go from a completely helpless baby to holding his head up, and rolling over to sitting up one day, then rocking on his hands and knees to taking off crawling after a favorite toy to now walking!!! He is sooo busy and independant now. It has been so fun to watch his personality bloom! He has even learned how to be a little toot and throw a temper tantrum! Sometimes is sooo hard not to laugh because he is just so darn smart and sneeky! I wanted to show you his change from his newborn pics to his one year pic with his sock monkey. To many more wonderful years!

Beginner Blogger

2008-04-08T10:27:00.000-07:00

Well, we have caved in to the pressure of starting a blog for our family. We tend to always be late bloomers when it comes to new trends. We didn't even get cell phones until we were married for a year! My space came after eveyone bugged us about that as well. Maybe it stems from my child hood when we couldn't afford the new trend so we would wait until it was on the verge of going out (that way it was cheap) and then we were still cool for a month or so!

We are both new at this so please be patient with us (Sherry and Holly :-) as we try to figure out how this all works! We are excited to be able to share our family pics and news with all our friends and family.

soooooooo............... please check back as we will be adding to and getting our blog up and running!