And Now There Are Four...

2010-07-26T11:13:00.001-05:00

Farewell Edmond! We love you and will miss you dearly!

Kristi's Health Update

2010-05-23T21:41:00.003-05:00

Thank you so much for your prayers! I'm sorry I haven't been able to reply or respond to everything, but I really really appreciate your prayers, concern, calls, etc! I think that prayers have helped me stay sane thus far.

Here's an update with what's going on, if you don't want to read all of it, skip to the paragraph beginning with "Mainly,..."

2 months ago I started having random leg pain when sitting for long periods of time, which slowly developed into sharp shooting pain in my back and legs all the time unless lying down flat. Two weeks ago I had a lot of blood work done looking for anything abnormal and it was all clean. Last weekend it got to the point that I couldn't walk sometimes or pick up Linc, and when I could get upright I was in immense pain and could just hobble around briefly. My neurologist ordered an mri, emg, and an appointment with him. The emg was normal but the mri showed that two discs in my back are badly damaged. One is torn and badly herniated and one is deteriorated to the point you couldn't see it on the x-rays today. He referred me to a neurosurgeon and orthopedic surgeon. This is totally unrelated to my c-section/spinal block, stroke, and heart surgery, just God's timing for some reason I don't understand yet.

I met with my orthopedic spine surgeon for x-rays, second opinion, and a plan to get better. He recommended spinal steroid injections to reduce inflammation and pain first, and if that didn't work, spine surgery later this year to fix it. However, my cardiologist said that he would not release me from my heart surgery medications to have the injections or surgery for two years (I would have to be off my blood thinners for at least 6 days for either procedure). So, the surgeon made a restriction list and a pain management plan which was approved by my cardiologist. To not create more inflammation and damage, I am restricted to be on my back or side most of the time, not bend forward any, and not to lift anything at all or carry anything over 5 pounds. My major concern is how to do this while caring for Lincoln by myself until he can walk, because he already weighs 16.5 pounds. Hopefully it'll get better soon, and I can start to do a little bit just to get by, because how can I not...he's just a baby? I am also starting to see a chiropractor who is convinced he can help me. My thought is that if he doesn't hurt me or make it any worse, then it can't hurt to try.

Mainly, I pray God will remove the pain and heal my back, even though the medical world says it won't heal by itself. Also, I pray that I will be able to take care of Linc by myself soon. I would appreciate you praying with me too!

You have all supported us like family over the past few months. We love you!
Kristi

We've Moved!

2010-05-03T22:06:00.002-05:00

Our blog has moved! You can find us now at http://okscotts.blogspot.com. Come on over and check out the new digs!

3 Months Old

2010-04-07T21:44:00.004-05:00

Today is Linc's 3 month birthday. He celebrated by going to play with a few friends in the morning, sleeping, and a trip to church for dinner tonight.

Lincoln is still eating 4-6 ounces of formula 5 times per day. He takes a short nap in the morning and evenings and a long one during the afternoon. His little smile, laugh, and cheeks melt his mommy's heart. We are continuing to get more smiles and giggles as the days go on. He started giving giggles around 9 weeks. We haven't weighed or measured him lately so we don't have an update there.

He isn't a fan of tummy time, but he loves being on his back and somebody talking to him or playing with his toys while on the ocean mat. He has been sleeping 11-12 hours most nights. He normally goes to bed between 7:30-8:00 and gets up anywhere between 7:00 and 8:30. He keeps getting cuter as his hair and eyelashes grow in. Kristi thinks his big brown eyes and eyelashes are just like mine.

We love our little guy and are very thankful for the blessing he is to our family.

If you click on this picture, you'll see the cutest little pouty face ever. Kristi really likes his face right before he gets sad for some strange reason.

Easter 2010

2010-04-04T21:30:00.000-05:00

Andrew and Lincoln had a great time outside today. We had a beautiful day to celebrate Jesus' resurrection. Lincoln enjoyed just watching as Andrew hunted for eggs around the yard. We got a few pictures of the two of them together, but Andrew wasn't quite on board with that whole idea!

Big Boy Underwear

2010-04-02T21:19:00.000-05:00

It has begun. We are officially boarding the potty training express! Andrew likes his "big boy underwear" especially when we let him run around the house in them. The video below is from a few months ago when he was first trying on the "big potty." It is really, really funny...maybe future rehearsal dinner material... Pay close attention to his facial expressions and make sure your volume is turned up!

Sleeping

2010-03-30T13:04:00.002-05:00

Last Saturday night, when Linc was 11 weeks 2 days old, was our first all night sleep! He did it again last night! 2 out 3 sure isn't bad. We are definitely headed in the right direction. Keep it up Linc!!

My LIttle Razorback

2010-03-27T21:44:00.005-05:00

Here are some cute pictures of Lincoln from today. He loves to smile! The picture at the very bottom is a side by side of Andrew and Linc in the same outfit. Can you tell which picture is which one? There is about a 2 week difference in their ages when the pictures were taken.

Our First Bath Together

2010-03-27T21:34:00.004-05:00

Andrew and Lincoln got to take their first bath together last night. It was mostly uneventful. We were successful in getting both of them clean so that was good! Let me caption the pictures below for you. The first is Andrew thinking, "What? I would never pour water on my baby brother!" The second is Andrew in the act of pouring water on Linc. The third is Andrew looking at Kristi thinking, "You mean I wasn't supposed to do that?"

The Boys' Spring Break

2010-03-21T22:08:00.004-05:00

Lincoln's first trip to the zoo was a great adventure! He enjoyed the afternoon by napping, eating, and looking around. Andrew got to enjoy the new children's zoo complete with a petting area!

Lincoln is growing!
Chef Andrew prepared blueberry muffins for breakfast. He is an excellent cook! His favorite part was licking up the powdery dry ingredients.
This was Linc's first time in the jumping jack. He liked the view while standing up.

Kristi's Health Update

2010-03-09T23:00:00.004-06:00

So it has been a little while since we've updated on Kristi's health. First I want to thank you all for your prayers and encouragement through all of this.

Kristi started having some concerning irregularities in her heartbeat a week and a half ago. After consulting with the cardiologist they put her on a new medication and had her wear a heart monitor for 48 hours. We got the results from the monitor today.

They told us that Kristi is having three different types of arrhythmia. They are likely being caused by either 1) stress/anxiety, 2) lack of sleep, 3) medications, and/or 4) the device in her heart. It does seem that she is feeling it more as the day goes on and she gets more tired. She also notices it more after being around large groups of people/in noisy situations and has to carry on a conversation. They told us that it will get better as time passes, but are increasing her meds in the mean time.

Her speech therapy is going well and we are seeing more improvements there. She likes the therapist and is enjoying the time with her.

Some specific prayer needs we have for now would be for Kristi to be able to get some good rest, identify areas of stress and ways to relieve it, and that the medication will do what the doctor expects it to.

Thanks for praying. We really appreciate it.

Big Brother Andrew

2010-03-09T22:32:00.005-06:00

Here are a few cute pictures we've gotten over the past few weeks. With life being so crazy we haven't gotten just a ton of pictures. The one above is from today. We have had some beautiful weather the past few days and went outside to enjoy it today.

Andrew continues to grow and learn. He has reached the "repeat every word I can" stage. He also has started identifying letters. He identifies the letters a, b, d, n, o, t, and w. He sings the "ABC song" very well with only consistently skipping the letter m. He can tell you words that start with b, n, t, and a. He can also spell his name! Andrew can now count to 13 also. This is how he counts: 10, 11, 12, 13, 13, 13! He hasn't quite figured out that 13, 14, and 15 are all different numbers.

He has handled the transition of Lincoln being here so well. We've heard many people tell stories of the older child asking to take the newborn back, return him, do mean things to him, or just not want to have anything to do with him. Andrew couldn't be more different from those. He loves having Lincoln around and daily asks when Linc will be able to play with him. He enjoys giving Lincoln hugs and trying to console him with kind words when Linc is upset.

Andrew loves to play the drums!

Passing cars through the mail slot in his tent is a nearly endless source of entertainment.
He found this little toy when we got some of the baby toys out for Linc. He went around the entire house trying to find something it would stick on! His forehead didn't work too well.
I wonder what Linc was thinking...
Quite often when Andrew knows we are swaddling Lincoln to go to bed he will run to get his blanky saying "Daddy, I want be fwaddled too!" It is so precious. It is difficult though, because he is way too big to swaddle with these blankets!

Lincoln is 2 months!

2010-03-09T22:10:00.003-06:00

Lincoln is growing up so quickly. As of Sunday, he is now 2 months old! He is changing almost daily. He has mostly dropped one feeding at night. Most nights he sleeps from 10:30ish until 4:30ish which is wonderful! He is still eating every 3ish hours during the day though. He is wearing 3 month clothes but is nearing the point of needing to move up to 6 months.

His baby hair has fallen out. He has "peach fuzz" all over his head as his real hair grows in. It has just gotten to the point where it will hold a direction for a little bit after running your hand through it.

His 2 month doctor visit went well also. Linc now weighs in at 12 pounds 10 ounces and is 23.25 inches tall. He passed all of the doctor's tests with flying colors. He got 6 vaccinations which was as fun as ever. He has had a little reaction like normal...a mild fever and some fussiness. That seems to mostly be gone now though.

He is a sweet little cuddlebug and seems to have settled down and be more relaxed since we have been able to return to some sort of normalcy and routine.

Smiley Little Lincoln

2010-03-09T22:08:00.002-06:00

It's official. Our little Lincoln has started smiling. The first recipient was my Grandma when she and Grandpa were here visiting a few weeks ago. He was six weeks old then. We finally got one on camera though!

Care Calendar

2010-02-13T20:49:00.002-06:00

Many of you have asked about providing meals for us as we are going through the recovery process. Lisa Lesley has set up a Care Calendar for us.

www.carecalendar.org

CALENDAR ID : 29297
SECURITY CODE : 4620

We have been so overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support from all of you. You have been so encouraging to us. It is very humbling to see the Body of Christ working for our help. Thank you so much.

Home Again...to Stay...update, Q&A

2010-02-12T20:41:00.004-06:00

This morning at the Heart Hospital, I awoke to a delicious breakfast and then a limited echo of my heart that revealed the device that closed the hole in my heart is still in place and appears to be working! After my cardiologist reviewed it and a meeting with his nurse, we were discharged from the hospital this afternoon to rest and begin the process of recovering at home.

I just wanted to thank everyone for praying for me and my family and supporting us in so many ways already. I was calling on Jehovah-Rapha and the Great Physican through many procedures, from getting my IV through the heart surgery, and I whole heartily believe you were too. He heard our prayers and has sustained us this far and will continue for a full recovery. I have been healed so much already in the last week, it's amazing!

So what's next:
-I rest and regain strength. No lifting for 3 days, no heavy lifting for a month, no driving for a week, and just get some sleep too.
-I start speech therapy on Monday to help me work on recovering the loss from the stroke. However, without any therapy, God has already brought my speech and language skills back a lot over the past week. Praise God!
-Follow up with all of my doctors on a regular basis to keep checking on me.
-Faithfully take my medication and begin a new heart-healthy lifestyle.

Some of you have asked:
-What you can do to help us? Prayers for continued healing to a full recovery. Some childcare for therapy and doctors visits, and for resting or lifting Lincoln at first after Michael goes back to work. Meals: look for a future post with a carecalendar.com link.
-When you see me, will you notice? Another blessing of God, He held this off until after pregnancy and healing from my c-section surgery, and He protected me from physical disablity from the stroke. At just one week later, in just a visiting converstation, you probably won't notice unless there are distractions around. The urgency of the discussion, being tired, noise, distractions, and stressful circumstances make a difference in how much I have to search for words when talking and writing. Reading out loud and writing information I hear accurately are still hard. For example, I am writing this post, but it has taken me an hour and a half and has been proofread before sending.

The main thing is GOD IS GOOD!
Love you all!
Kristi

Thursday 3:00

2010-02-11T14:58:00.002-06:00

We are in our own room now. Surgery went very well. The doctor said the procedure was textbook. She is feeling well and just finished lunch.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support. We are staying the night and will have a minor test to confirm everything is okay before they release us tomorrow.

Michael
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Wednesday PM Update

2010-02-10T21:18:00.002-06:00

It has been really nice being home today with the boys and our family. However, we are headed back to the hospital tomorrow morning. Kristi will have the closure procedure for the small hole in her heart. The doctors are confident that Kristi's chances of another stroke are greatly reduced with this procedure and some long term medication. Here are some ways to be praying:

1) Pray that the process of getting the I.V. in goes well on the first try. She has had problems with this.

2) Pray that the procedure is completely routine and the doctors and nurses know how to best care for Kristi.

3) Pray that recovery from this procedure is fast.

4) Pray that Kristi will be able to rest and take it easy per the doctors' orders once she comes home.

The procedure is scheduled for noon and should last about an hour. They told us to be prepared to stay overnight, but there is a chance they might send us home tomorrow evening. Several of you have asked for more information about PFOs and how they are related to strokes. This website (www.sorensenmd.com/pfo.php) has lots of information that seems to be in accordance with everything our doctors have told us.

Thank you again for all of your prayers and concern. Your prayers, e-mails, texts, and fb messages have been very encouraging.

Tuesday PM Update

2010-02-09T19:34:00.001-06:00

Hey everybody. We have some good news. We are home now. The procedure this morning did reveal a small hole (called a P.F.O.) in her heart. We will go through a closure procedure sometime soon. We are to call the cardiologist first thing in the morning to schedule, but it likely will not be until next week.

Thanks for all your messages of support. We have been overwhelmed by all of the love and encouragement we have had. We love you all and are so grateful for you.

Michael

Tuesday AM Update

2010-02-09T11:17:00.000-06:00

The procedure went very well this morning. We got some of the answers we were wanting. There will be another procedure based on this morning. We don't know when that will be yet. We should see the doctor sometime this afternoon.

Thank you for praying.

E-mail, texts, and facebook messages are all welcome. I don't promise too respond. We are still asking for no calls or visits so we can rest.

Michael
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Kristi's Health

2010-02-08T21:15:00.000-06:00

Several of you have gotten word of Kristi's health situation. I'm going to make a brief post here with some information.

Kristi suffered a mild stroke early Friday morning. We came to the hospital Saturday. Tests confirmed the stroke. It has only affected the language part of her brain. We are expecting a full recovery after some time and therapy.

We still do not know all of the "why" questions. We hopefully will know more after a procedure tomorrow.

I will update at some point tomorrow.

We appreciate your concern, support, and most of all your prayers.

Michael

It's Bath Time Baby!

2010-02-02T22:36:00.006-06:00

It's bath time my Linc-y Bear, Little Linc, Linc-y Pie, Itty Bitty. Lincoln already has many nicknames.
I can't see it in any of the pictures very well, but Linc has the most handsome coloring. His skin is slightly rosy-olive with dark brown hair and blue-gray and brown marbled eyes. His eyes are beautiful up close and in the light!
He also loves to snuggle where he can hear your heart beat. I just love my little cutie pie!

Our 1st Day "just us" went well!

2010-02-01T19:43:00.003-06:00

It's the end of the day, and we all survived. It doesn't matter that the dishes and laundry are still there from last night. We've figured out how to do almost everything necessary at home without me lifting Andrew or over doing it I think.
I am so in love with my three wonderful guys! They have been a constant reminder to me to praise God for His great blessings over the past three weeks. I am SO THANKFUL FOR YOU Michael, Andrew, and Lincoln!!!

Three Weeks of Being Brothers

2010-01-29T22:02:00.008-06:00

Yesterday was Lincoln's three week birthday. Andrew has become quite fond of his little brother. He frequently asks for Lincoln to "wake up and open eyes" so that he can play or at least carry on a conversation. I'm not sure how much conversation it would be. Andrew normally does all the talking. He also tells us that Linc needs to eat or go "night night" every time he cries.

Andrew has moved in to his new room. We weren't necessarily planning on him moving today, but we were working in there this morning and he asked to take his nap in his new bed. The nap went well and so he went to sleep for the night in his new bed. He loves having some of his newer big toys in his room. We spent some good time playing in his new room this afternoon. Here are some pictures of the festivities.

Andrew was trying to help Linc calm down. It didn't work too well though.
A beautiful mommy and her precious little bitty son!

Andrew decided that Lincoln needed to explore his hair. Linc appreciated the new experience!

Now how cute is that?

Linc got another bath tonight. Andrew wanted to watch and "help" this time.
We are so blessed by our sweet little boys. We have gotten in to the habit of asking Andrew what he would like to thank God for before we eat. He consistently names everything he can see on the table including what we are drinking, the silverware, and salt and pepper. He then will say something like "Mommy and Daddy and Andrew and Lincoln and Daddy and Andrew and Mommy and Lincoln." He says it with such speed too! Sometimes we get funny things like shoes, toys, etc.

Andrew is continuing to have multiple successes on the big potty everyday. He is quite proud of himself when that happens! He has also learned how to get on and off the potty by himself using his step stool. He doesn't like it when we try to help him anymore!

Lincoln is continuing to grow. Our scale at home puts him weighing about 9 pounds 4 ounces now. He is very close to being too long for newborn clothes. We've been talking about putting them aside, but they are very cute!

Kristi is continuing to heal and is almost over her cold. Aside from being tired, she's just experiencing some soreness and limitations in lifting things, namely Andrew. Once our roads thaw out and I go back to work on Monday, she will be on her own with both boys for the first time. Your prayers are appreciated!

2 Weeks Old

2010-01-21T20:44:00.005-06:00

Today is Linc's 2-week birthday. What a quick two weeks it has been! His 2 week well check with the doctor is tomorrow so we don't have official size and weight yet. However, he is weighing in right around 8 lbs 10 oz on our scale at home. You can tell that he is heavier and more solid just by holding him. That is a very good thing!

He hasn't been sleeping well the past few nights. The reflux bug that plagued Andrew for several months seems to have hit Linc even earlier. Last night was the hardest time he had with eating and sleeping. The struggle continued in to today. We're hoping to gain some good insight into the situation tomorrow with the doctor.

He still loves to sleep, and continues to go through diapers rather quickly. He has spurts of being awake throughout the morning and sometimes afternoon too. He is a sweet little "cuddle bug" according to his mommy and he prefers to be held pretty much all the time.
I love my little guy!

This is Linc's most effective way of telling us that he is ready to eat! He is saying, "Feed Me NOW!!"
Kristi has been working hard at finding activities she can do with Andrew while she is still recovering from surgery. Playing with Play Doh at the dining table has been one of Andrew's favorites.
Andrew also has a new found passion to use an oven mitt while playing with his kitchen/restaurant. However, notice in the picture below which hand the mitt is on and which hand is in the oven!

Linc's first bath at home

2010-01-19T20:23:00.000-06:00

Lincoln got his first bath at home tonight. It was an experience. I remember Andrew being okay with his first bath and not crying much. This is definitely one way that Linc and Andrew are different. As you can see in the first picture, he was skeptical from the beginning. He really wasn't very happy with the whole situation until it was done! Even so, it was fun and an exciting time as we passed another milestone with our newest little man.

Andrew didn't care to partake in the action of bath time. He was quite content to sit on the couch and watch "Cars" while mommy and daddy tended to Linc's hygiene.

Playing at Home

2010-01-18T20:12:00.000-06:00

We are now home alone. Just the four of us. It is a bit of an adjustment, probably more for Andrew than the rest of us. We spent today just hanging around the house relaxing. The weather warmed up this afternoon so we decided to take our first family walk. It was brief, but we enjoyed the new stroller and both of the boys had a good time. At least Andrew told us that.

Andrew got a hold of one of Kristi's hair scrunchies and thought it would be much fun to wear it in his hair. It matched his jammies quite well. It made him look like a little Richard Simmons in training!
This is Lincoln's idea of playing. He loves to play with his eyes closed. Andrew is still ready for him to "get up" and "play cars!"
It seems that Linc is starting to have some reflux problems similar to when Andrew was little. Andrew's didn't start until around 6 weeks though...hope we aren't headed there.

The Ocean Mat

2010-01-15T13:54:00.005-06:00

I got the ocean mat out of Andrew's closet yesterday for Linc to give a try during some of his awake time. I know that he can't really see the toys much yet, or even play with them, but I thought it would be fun. Here are some pics of Linc's first time on the ocean play mat.

Andrew loved this mat when he was still little bitty. In fact, just to compare, here are some pics of newborn Andrew playing on the mat.

And in fact, Andrew still likes playing on it!

The boys even "played together" a little bit on the mat this morning.

Our First Date

2010-01-15T13:46:00.003-06:00

I know, I know. We've been married 6 1/2 years, but last night was our first date since Lincoln was born. To put things into perspective on how much better Kristi is doing this time, we didn't have our first post-Andrew-being-born date until he was 3 months old!

So, with Andrew in bed a little bit early and Lincoln fed and resting in Ra-Ra's arms, we headed out. A stop at Babies 'R Us, dinner at B.J.'s, and a trip to Wal-Mart made for a great evening. It was so wonderful to get to spend some one on one time without being worried about the boys. Thanks Ra-Ra!

Ra-Ra and Grandpa

2010-01-15T13:35:00.003-06:00

Well, as we start the second week of Lincoln's life we know that some things are going to change. We have been very blessed to have Ra-Ra, Kristi's mom, be here since the day before Lincoln was born. I'm not sure we would have made it through the first week without her help! Grandpa Danny was also able to come over last Thursday and was actually here when Linc was born. It was great knowing that Andrew was comfortably at home with some of his grandparents while we were at the hospital I'm still not convinced that he missed us at all.

Ra-Ra will be headed home tomorrow morning and after a quick visit from Auntie Kim, we will be on our own for a few days. Just the four of us. I'm thinking that it is going to be a little more tiring, but I'm excited about giving it a try. We've been staying warm thanks to the firewood Grandpa Danny brought over, and Andrew loves carrying the "Andrew sized pieces" to help me!

Did You Know?

2010-01-14T15:21:00.002-06:00

Little Lincoln did you know?

That you are a blessing to us?
That you are loved so much by your mommy, daddy, and big brother?
That God created you to be a part of our family?
That even as much as we love you, God loves you even more?
That you are cute?
That you like to eat a lot?
That you have the support and love of so many family and friends?
That you can never do anything to make us love you any less?
That your big brother likes to watch you and talk to you and especially say "I love you Lincoln!"
That we treasure our time with you as you are growing?
That even when you cry, you are still precious?
That we have been praying for you for a very a long time?
That God has great plans for your life?
That hearing your first cry was one of the most joyous moments in our lives?
That Andrew is ready for you to play cars with him?
That even though you seem so perfect now, you still have a sinful nature in need of a Savior, namely Jesus, and that your mommy and daddy promise to teach you all about Him as you grow up?
That you are so much fun to hold and cuddle?
That we love you?
That you are already one week old?

Did you know that Lincoln? Happy Birthday! I love you!

-Daddy

The First Day at Home

2010-01-10T22:04:00.003-06:00

Our first 24 hours home have been great. It has been wonderful to be home with our sweet little boys. Kristi said that this has been her best birthday ever. Andrew had a great day playing with G.J. and Grandpa Dave as they came to visit and meet Lincoln today. It was brief, but great to see them.

Speaking of Andrew, we have been pretty focused on Lincoln lately. Andrew continues to have TONS of energy and has been very excited to have Lincoln here. He has also been making progress with using "the big potty." He has initiated going to the bathroom several times lately. He loves to hear the sound of his successes going into the toilet. It really is sweet!

We've had a great first day and are looking forward to another great day tomorrow!

Coming Home

2010-01-09T21:53:00.000-06:00

We were able to check out of the hospital this afternoon and headed home for our whole family to be together. It was quite amazing that we were able to leave the hospital only 47 hours after Kristi went in for surgery. It was nearly 84 hours after surgery last time with Andrew. We are continuing to praise God for His work in Kristi's recovery this time. The trip home was pretty uneventful. Lincoln slept most of the way and Kristi enjoyed getting outside again. Here are some pictures of us getting ready to go and Lincoln in his car seat for the first time.

2010-01-09T16:23:00.001-06:00

Just signed papers and getting packed up to go home!

The Second Night

2010-01-09T09:29:00.004-06:00

Last night was a new adventure for us. Nothing terrible...just a little different. Lincoln developed some severe gas pains in his tummy last night. It seems after a few rounds of Mylicon he seems to be doing better. Despite the gas pains he actually slept well. He got up and ate a couple of times and then was quite content to sleep with daddy or in his little bassinet for a while.

He fell asleep this morning in the bassinet. I laid him down in the middle and he slowly rolled over to the side and pressed his forehead up against the side. It was so precious! He slowly worked more of the side of his face on to it where he ended up looking like a little pug dog.

Kristi is still continuing to heal well. Praise God! We are so appreciative of all of the prayer support we have had. Thank you God for a better experience this time! We should be headed home this afternoon/evening. Lincoln and Kristi were both cleared to go home this morning whenever we are ready.

We're looking forward to being home with our entire family. Andrew has loved playing with different grandparents at home while we have been here, but he keeps asking for "baby Lincoln come home!"

Brother meet Brother

2010-01-08T15:37:00.004-06:00

I think these two pictures pretty much speak for themselves. Andrew was very cute as he wanted to meet his baby brother. It didn't seem to phase Lincoln much. All morning long Andrew kept saying "I want hold baby Lincoln!" He finally got his chance this afternoon. These are our first family pictures with the four of us.
Andrew thought he was big stuff getting to sit on the bed with mommy.

Annmother and Grandaddy came to visit today too. Lincoln has enjoyed napping in Grandaddy's arms very much.

Maybe a future Razorback?

All in all we are doing well. Kristi is recovering much better and says she feels better now than she did two weeks after Andrew was born. This is a huge answer to prayer. Between Lincoln's wonderful arrival and Kristi's great recovery we keep singing "Praise God from whom all blessings flow!"

Psalm 126:3

³The LORD has done great things for us;
and we are filled with joy!

Welcome Lincoln Christopher Scott!

2010-01-07T22:00:00.004-06:00

Our sweet little Lincoln has arrived! It took some time, but we finally came to the middle name Christopher. It fits him perfectly! It is 2:16am Friday right now. Things have been going pretty well. He slept for almost 2 hours on my chest before waking up to eat. His first nap was on the warming table after his first bath. He didn't care for the bath too much.

Look at those precious little fingers! He does have ten of them and ten toes as well. He came out with blisters on both of his hands from sucking on them while inside. They are in the same spot that big brother Andrew had them too!

The proud mommy and baby. A match made in heaven!

This was the first time Kristi got to hold Lincoln after surgery. We were on our way out of the O.R. at this point.
The first picture of the three of us! We're only missing Andrew.
This was the first time Kristi got to see Lincoln.
Daddy's first time to hold the sweet little blessing.
Lincoln weighed 7 lbs 6 oz...the exact same as Andrew! He was 20 1/2 inches which is 1/2 inch longer than Andrew was.
His very first picture! Isn't he cute? I know he looks like a little newborn which isn't always that cute...but he is the most precious, perfect, baby!

Kristi seems to be doing pretty well and feeling better than last time at this point. She hasn't been able to sleep yet. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement over the past hours. It has been much appreciated and effective. We are blessed to have our little Lincoln and look forward to all of you meeting him!

2010-01-07T19:23:00.001-06:00

Lincoln Christopher Scott was born at 6:22pm, 7lbs 6oz, 20.5 inches. Thanks for your prayers! Ck mkascott.blogspot.com tomorrow 4 pics.

2010-01-07T18:00:00.001-06:00

They just took Kristi back for spinal. They should come get me in 10-15 and we should have Lincoln in 40ish minutes!

On the Way to the Hospital to Meet Lincoln - Family Pics

2010-01-07T13:56:00.007-06:00

Andrew and Daddy spent some father-son time together this morning just them doing one of Andrew's favorite things. They went out for Andrew's favorite breakfast...donuts!

Well, I'm ready and so excited to meet Lincoln. Here are our latest family pictures right before leaving for the hospital. This is probably the last post from me for a while, but Michael will keep you up to date on the blog. We love you all and greatly appreciate your prayers for a healthy baby boy in a couple of hours, routine c-section, and quick recovery for me.

Now we are headed out...still talking about Lincoln's middle name, so we'll all be surprised in a few hours!

Family Playtime Waiting for Lincoln

2010-01-06T13:45:00.000-06:00

Andrew is going to be the best big brother! He has been talking about Lincoln and helping us get ready. The three of us have had lots of fun over the past week playing before baby brother comes.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-27T15:17:00.006-06:00

We've had a wonderful Christmas and have most enjoyed celebrating the birth of our Savior. Andrew loves to tell us that we need to sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus. He is so precious and has such a sweet spirit! "Hark the Harold," as Andrew calls it, is his favorite Christmas song to sing this year.

This year was a first for us. We actually spent Christmas at our home instead of driving and visiting family, since we are anticipating Lincoln's arrival really soon and got snowed in anyway. Andrew loved being home with both Mommy and Daddy to play with for several days straight. Below are pictures of our past few days with some comments spread in between.

Andrew got a toy chain saw for one of his presents this year. He hasn't wanted to put it down yet. He kept saying "Open it! Open it!" until we got the packaging off of it. It came with safety goggles and even his very own tension tool for the chain and bar! He has tried to "cut" many things including some boxes, other presents, the Christmas tree, and a few stuffed animals. He likes to walk around with it and say, "Like Daddy...Like Grandpa."

Isn't he just cute! Andrew has been wanting to play in our room and specifically on our bed quite a bit lately. He is now big enough where he can climb up on to it all by himself. He is quite proud of that and will regularly get on the bed, then off, back on, back off, etc. All while saying, "Climb on bed...Climb off bed...Climb on bed..." He really likes to narrate this game.

We broke all kinds of records for snowfall on Christmas eve. It made traveling mostly impossible and kept everyone inside. Andrew loved seeing the snow and talked frequently about wanting to "Go outside in snow...I in snow!" However, the first day he only lasted about 90 seconds in it. The second day I went out to shovel snow and took the fireplace shovel for him to use. He loved that!
Isn't that so true?

Okay so this coat on Andrew reminds me of the scene from the movie "A Christmas Story" where the little boy can't put his arms down. That is Andrew when he wears this coat!

Kristi and Lincoln are doing well, but Kristi is certainly ready and waiting for Lincoln to make his arrival. It hasn't been very comfortable lately to sit, stand, or sleep for her. Unless Linc decides he's ready sooner, we probably only have 11 days left! Yay! It has been very interesting to see how this pregnancy has been so different from last time with Andrew. Linc is quite the entertainer with his in-utero acrobatics that can be seen from across the room sometimes.

Yes, he got a drum set for Christmas too. It isn't as bad as I thought it would be. He can actually keep a beat when he thinks about it.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-18T15:15:00.001-06:00

New Baby Update and Birthdate Planned

2009-11-13T13:01:00.002-06:00

Our baby-on-the-way and I had our 31 week check up this morning with the OB/GYN. His heart rate was just right at 148 bpm and still showing great movement. In fact, this little guy can be quite entertaining as you can often see him push outward on one side or the other of my stomach or bump something that he doesn't like resting on his space like a book or hot chocolate. For the past couple of months, he has had some consistent wake times in which he enjoys doing acrobatics, usually from 9:30pm-11:00pm and 5:00am-6:30am; it'll be interesting to see if these are normal awake times after he is born too. He is estimated to be around 4 lbs. now and 17 inches long. We are still working on picking out the right name and hope to have it nailed down before his scheduled birthday of...
Thursday morning, January 7, 2010!

Big Brother Andrew talks about his baby brother and wants to see him, sometimes saying "brother come out!" Andrew loves getting to hear his brother's heart beat at each of my appointments, plus getting to push buttons and ride the elevator up and down while we are there.

As for me, I'm growing nicely as well. I know that I DEFINITELY look very pregnant now, because complete strangers are no longer fearful to make comments and ask about the baby and when I am due. My bp, glucose, thyroid, protein, and iron tests all came back perfectly today, so I am very thankful for that. I am definitely experiencing some of the draw backs of pregnancy, such as fatigue, weight gain, and joint loosening pain, but I am so thankful for only normal symptoms and the ability to continue most of my normal activities...mainly chasing and caring for Andrew throughout each day. Now, I am most nervous about and praying for a perfectly healthy baby and my recovery after my c-section. I had such ridiculous stabbing pain and limitations for weeks and even months after my c-section with Andrew, due to internal adhesions and complications, I am praying for a totally routine and positive experience this time, all around.

As for things getting done to prepare for the new arrival, we have only made a little headway. We got most of the closets and dressers cleaned out in our house to make room. We are planning to keep the nursery, Andrew's current room, for the new baby's room. A couple of weeks after he arrives we will just turn the transitional bed back into a crib and move out the rest of Andrew's stuff.

Andrew will be moving into the guest room and into the big queen bed in there at that time. We have nothing for that "remodel" purchased or completed yet and need to get hopping! We're not going to transition Andrew until a few weeks after the baby is born, so that we have a guest room for company coming to visit, but would like to have everything ready before then since I will be out of commission for a while after the c-section. Also, we hope to be able to get to work on finding and purchasing stuff for the new baby soon. We were so blessed with being able to borrow some of Andrew's things, but no longer have those available this time. So...we're going to get to work on it!

I am so excited to meet this new little blessing that I can feel and see flipping around in there and trying to push the laptop off of himself right now as I type!

What do apple juice, a bath, and the word buzz have to do with each other?

2009-11-13T12:42:00.003-06:00

Answer: When Andrew was little and really (I mean really) didn't like having his hair cut, we would promise him a cup of apple juice and a bubble bath while he was whining through the supposed torture. Well, he does better with it now, but the apple juice and bath (or sometimes now a shower) have kind of become tradition. Here are some before and after pictures from his hair cut this morning.

Andrew's Admirers

2009-11-12T14:37:00.000-06:00

Here are my cutie weekday girls admiring Andrew as he sings "E I E I O" to them. They have grown up so much in just a few short months. H enjoys her independence now sitting up by herself. R enjoys being able to keep up with Andrew now that she can walk well and mimic some of his words.

Two Years Old

2009-11-10T20:53:00.006-06:00

Andrew is excited to be a 2-year-old. He loved getting to celebrate his birthday with family, however we neglected to take any pictures for some strange reason. He and I went outside to play for awhile this afternoon. These pictures are from our expedition through the leaves.

Here are the highlights of Andrew's life:

He has begun using some complete sentences like "Mommy come look!" "May I more please?" "Andrew do it." "Daddy play chase!" "I need help." "Sit on Andrew." "Watch a show?" He really speaks well and almost non-stop.
Andrew has begun his prayer life. The following is his consistent prayer: "Dear God...Amen." His little voice is the most precious thing we've ever heard and just makes us melt when he prays or sings.
He likes to sing songs like "Jesus Loves Me," "How Great Is Our God," "Happy Birthday," "Elmo's World," "Mary Had a Little Lamb," and "Jesus Thank You." He can sing most of those songs by himself and will "ask" you to stop if you sing it with him.
He can pronounce almost every letter in the alphabet and sings most of the "abc" song.
He can count to ten, but not always in order or without repeating a few numbers along the way. He counts objects up to three without fail.
Andrew is now 35 1/4 inches tall (can you believe he is almost 3 feet?) and weighs 30 pounds. That is the 75th percentile for both categories. That is a big jump in weight. He has not been above the 25th percentile since he was born. He is wearing 2T clothes, 3T jammies, Pampers Cruisers size 4, and size 7 tennis shoes these days. He also has all of his baby teeth. We are through with teething until he starts losing baby teeth to make room for permanent teeth in a few years. Andrew sleeps about 12-13 good hours every 24 hour period now. He is usually at least in his room supposed to be sleeping from 8pm until 7:45am and 1:00pm until 2:30pm.
His lovey is still his security blankie, which he calls "daddy," and it's definitely Andrew's best friend.
He likes to run most everywhere he goes. He goes from one thing to the next with an attention span of about 2 seconds all day long unless he is sick or asleep. He is still very active even in his sleep.
He still loves to help. He helped me move the wheel barrow and carry firewood today.
He has transitioned from screaming when excited to yelling, "I cited! I so e-cited!" many times at the top of his lungs.
His common response when seeing police cars, fire trucks, or ambulances is to start making a siren noise " woooo oooo woooo ooooo" then promptly tell us, "Siren!"
Andrew is very interested in the movie Cars, trains, airplanes, the airport, being outside and "take walk" time with anyone who will go with him. He also likes to play catch a lot and is enjoying his new toddler basketball goal. I try to get him to say "shoot hoops" and it comes out "shut poop!"
He really likes to show people his tummy and have mommy tickle his armpits and "count his ribs."
He likes to have his tongue washed after we wash hands and face before and after meals. His favorite part of "brush teeth time" is when we brush his tongue.
He's really just so cute that it is hard to describe him properly. You just have to experience it!
Andrew's current favorite food is bread. Rolls, waffles, biscuits, cupcakes, chips, cookies, goldfish, pretzels. Maybe it is more a carb thing than bread. We're pretty sure that he holds the record for drinking a whole juice box in the shortest amount of time for a toddler, too!
He was totally obsessed with "puppins" this fall and practically memorized a book about pumpkins. He still asks to drive by the houses in our neighborhood that had the big blow up yard decorations for Halloween.

He is so much fun to be with and has such a sweet spirit. Andrew is a living example of Psalm 127:3 "Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward."

We love you so much Andrew and love being your Mommy and Daddy!!! Happy 2nd Birthday little man!

One handsome guy!

2009-10-11T22:37:00.001-05:00

Dressed for Church & Teddy Backpack

2009-10-11T21:39:00.004-05:00

Andrew was being photogenic after church in his cute little man outfit. Then, he got comfy in his camo pajama bottoms and needed to wear his teddy bear backpack all over the house as we played.

Choo Choo Train Exploring

2009-10-10T21:18:00.006-05:00

Andrew has been so interested in trains that we finally stopped and let him explore a train car and engine on display. While we were there, Andrew was amazed as a real train went right passed us on the tracks nearby and even blew its whistle.

Rainy Thursday

2009-10-08T22:41:00.000-05:00

Andrew's 2nd Birthday Party

2009-09-26T21:47:00.001-05:00

Andrew is getting to be so old! Ha! We had his 2 year old birthday party a little early this year to take advantage of the great weather. He had a blast playing with his friends at the park. His favorite part might have been the cupcakes though...

Ever wonder what a 2 year old does to an apple?

2009-09-17T22:42:00.002-05:00

An afternoon at the park

2009-09-05T13:18:00.005-05:00

We spent some time at the park yesterday afternoon. Andrew loved playing on the big slides at the playground. He was looking at the pictures with me earlier. When we got to one of him inside one of the tunnels he pointed to it and said, "Silly!" We also took some bread to feed the ducks. Andrew liked throwing bits of bread at the ducks in between his own bites!

We are on day 2 of the big boy bed and all is going well so far. We made it through last night without any falling out or other interruptions. He is taking his nap right now and sleeping very well. He has been wanting to sleep with a stuffed animal or beanie baby type animal a lot lately. He hasn't latched on to just one, but chooses a different one every time he gets in bed.

The Dawn of a New Era

2009-09-04T13:26:00.004-05:00

Well, the time has come. After removing himself from his crib during nap time yesterday, we decided it was finally time to let Andrew sleep in a "big boy bed." (That is now one of his favorite phrases by the way.)

Andrew showed Kristi how he got out of his bed yesterday afternoon. He stood at the front rail, swung his legs up and sat on the front rail like he was riding a horse. He then turned, lowered his legs, and slid down the front of the crib.

We spent some time in his room last night working on his bed. Andrew loved to help. He really just wanted to hold the allen wrench and put it in random holes, but his spirit about it was very cute. Here are some pictures of his first encounter in the big boy bed.

We haven't had problems with him staying in too much yet. Last night was the first night. We were only up with him twice. The first time we think he rolled out. The second we aren't really sure. He is taking his first nap in the "new" bed right now. No problems with that yet!

New "Andrewisms"

2009-09-01T20:26:00.003-05:00

Andrew was playing "mix" and "soup" tonight before bedtime. He really wanted Kristi to try and it, and of course she did. She asked him what was in it and he replied, "Stawberry!" She asked, "What else?" The next words out of his mouth were, "Honey...Waffle...Chocolate Mini-Wheats." Sounds like a good soup to me!

This morning, Andrew was sitting on the couch whining, so I asked him what was wrong. He said, "Butt, butt, need keeeem, ban day day." I said, "Do you have an ouchy?" He proceeded to say "butt" a few more times and "butt need keeeem, ban day day" in his little sad whiny face. I asked him to show me where it hurt and what needed cream and a band aid. To my surprise, he pointed to his birthmark mole on his knee and said, "right dere, butt." That's when I realized he meant "bite." He always wants cream and a band aid on anything remotely resembling a bug bite...even imaginary ones sometimes. It was just so funny, because he doesn't even know "butt" means his "bottom."

Some of My Favorite Andrew Phrases of Summer

2009-08-31T15:42:00.009-05:00

Here are some things that Andrew has been saying over the summer that just make me laugh and my heart melt, some because of the way he says it and others because of the choice of words. I'll probably think of more to add over the next couple of days, but this is a start...

When I sneeze, he says, "Bless me Mommy!"
"I law loo Mommy" "I law loo Daddy" (love you)
"Bee I hab it, mease?" (May I have it, please?)
After brushing his hair, "Brush Mommy tail?" (I want to brush Mommy's pony tail.)
Pointing to the carpet, "Dirty...v c c!" (The carpet is dirty. I want to play with the vacuum cleaner.)
He gets a little bump or scratch on his leg. Then he holds out his hand, "Kiss Kiss." Then, "Keeeeem, ban day day." (I want cream and a band aid on it.)
His name, "An new" or "An new Sott."
Sometimes his name or what he says if you ask him someone else's name, "Casey," which is his word for my name and what he tells everyone his baby brother's name is. (No, we still don't know what the actual name is.)
Andrew's favorite worship song or hymn and what he sings before every nap or bedtime, "Jeee sus, Jeee sus, Jeeeeeeeeeeeee sus!" Then, "Mommy sing!" and "More song!" wanting us to finish the chorus and sing it again. It's so sweet, because we don't sing this song at church. I was just trying to calm him down by singing to him in the middle of the night one time, going through every song or chorus I knew the words to, and he liked this one and continued asking for it.
When Andrew is upset with Mommy or Daddy, he no longer calls out for the other one, but calls out for "Ehmo!" or "Ernie!" to save him. Sesame Street and particularly Elmo, Bert, and Ernie are his favorite.
When he wants to watch TV or a movie, he says, "PPS," "Qubo," "Cars," or "Mousey, Tooo eee" (PBS, Ratatouille).
"Happy toooo yooooouuuuu!" (Happy birthday to you!)
One of Andrew's favorite things to play is shopping and buying his toys over and over with an old gift card while Mommy or Daddy play cashier. "Shop, buy it, receipt, more receipt, more shop." Getting a receipt is his favorite part!
Other favorite game, "Cook, mix, stir, shalt pepper, taste, soup." Andrew likes pretend cooking and makes some of the best soup!
To his favorite animal, "Eat Dragon!" "Salad." "Hi Harry!" Harry is the name of the bearded dragon in the preschool area at church who eats lettuce.
"Bee chair! Bee chair! Ouwt!" (Big chair! Out!) What Andrew says when he wants out of his crib and to rock in the biggest chair in the house, the living room recliner rocker, usually in the middle of the night or when he's procrastinating going to bed.
"Ah-see-saw" and "Oak-ko-moan-o" for Arkansas and Oklahoma.
"Woooooo! Bee! Susie!" (Calling the Hogs...Woooooo! Pig! Sooie!)
"I god it!!!!" (I got it!!!)
Working really hard toward climbing something, "I made it!"

A Beautiful August Morning!

2009-08-28T20:16:00.004-05:00

We took Andrew outside to play for a while this morning. The weather was wonderful. Cool breeze. A heavy dew on the grass. And lots of great photo ops! Enjoy.

It's a BOY!!!

2009-08-17T13:52:00.001-05:00

Andrew has a little BROTHER on the way!
We had our big diagnostic ultrasound today. It was amazing all of the incredible "video" and pictures we got to see of the new baby. The sonographer did so many measurements and everything checked out perfectly healthy from what can be told at 18 weeks, 4 days gestation! What a praise! We saw ten sweet little toes and fingers. We got to watch all four chambers of his little heart beating. We watched him open and then close his little mouth. He is estimated to be about 11 ounces at this point and about a week ahead in size, which is the same as Andrew was. I have been able to feel the baby move some since the end of my 14th week, but now he is quite active! He gave the sonographer a run for her money trying to get all of the right shots and information she needed. Maybe that's why this ultrasound seemed longer and more in-depth than Andrew's was!Andrew knew from day one of pregnancy that he was going to have a little sister, to the point that he would tell you or correct you that the baby was a "sis ser!" Andrew is now switching gears and mostly agrees with us that it is a baby brother. We are really excited for the boys in the years to come to have each other to play with and have a "built in best friend" as someone told me recently! Now that there is NO doubt about the new baby being a boy, we're going to start talking about names, but we don't have anything picked out yet.

Early August Update

2009-08-13T20:50:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures from the first few weeks of August. Andrew is growing and growing. He is still just as cute as ever, but we're thinking we might have hit "the 2's" a little early. Even when he is being a turkey he is still cute. There are a few captions below with the pictures.

I went to a conference for a few days in the Washington D.C. area. Andrew at first wanted to "help" me pack. Then he just decided he would get in the bag and go with me!

He really loves his roller coaster. He wants to set it up and ride it anytime we are outside. It is so funny to hear him say it. It sounds like "roll-o-dough-dough."

This one is just a cute picture from playing inside the other day.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

2009-08-03T14:30:00.003-05:00

The Good: Andrew has started telling us when he needs to "poo poo" and tries to take off his diaper and sit on the potty like a big boy. He hasn't been able to do it by himself yet or even actually had a success in the toilet, but it's a start! Today, Andrew was successful at taking his diaper off by himself when he knew he needed to go poo poo.

The Bad: It was during naptime. It was also his first successful poo poo after removing the diaper by himself.

The Ugly: Sam taught Andrew how to "march, march, march" this morning at the park. Andrew decided to practice that all around in his crib after his successful poo thinking that it was great fun since marching at the park didn't leave tracks and now it did!

Gotta love it! I promise to publish something more tasteful soon!

High School Camp

2009-07-28T20:34:00.000-05:00

We spent a week in Florida with the high school students from church again this summer. It was a great week. Michael had to work, but it was still fun for us to be at the beach together. Andrew really enjoyed getting out in the ocean and feeling the waves. His favorite time was at low tide when we would go out and stand on the sand bar. He thought that was pretty cool.

He didn't care much for the sand. When we first put him in it the first day there he said "Dirty! Dirty! Wash! Wash!" I think washing off on the boardwalk might be his best memory. He really loved swimming in the pool too.

The Summer Buzz

2009-06-14T11:41:00.004-05:00

Andrew and I got a good summer hair cut yesterday. Andrew did much better with this cut. He got to watch Kristi cut my hair first, and then he suffered through his on the promise of a bath and apple juice when we were all done. You can see the pile of hair below. I think he got more cut off than I did!

He got his first trial with a bubble bath a few weeks ago. Even though he seems happy in the pictures, it took about 20 minutes to even get him to stay in the tub. He continues to talk more and more every day and is now working on switching to one nap during the day instead of two.

Kristi is progressing along with good days and bad days. We just keep looking forward to what is coming in January. We are in the process of gearing up VBS this week. Should be a lot of fun on board the "Boomerang Express."

Have a great week!

2009-05-29T18:58:00.001-05:00

Got to see baby's heart beating this morning! Also got to confirm there is only one in there.
-Michael

The Best Mother's Day Gift Ever

2009-05-22T22:16:00.002-05:00

We are very excited to let you in on what Kristi's Mother's Day present was this year. We found out a few weeks ago that we are having another baby! We are anticipating the arrival of this blessing in early to mid January. We'll post pictures and details in a week or so after we get to meet with our doctor.

In the car today...

2009-05-22T22:14:00.002-05:00

We were driving around town, running errands, this afternoon. Kristi was driving and I was in the front seat. We were talking about something when all of sudden Andrew says from his car seat, "No no baby." The next thing I hear is a slapping sound. I turned around and Andrew had just given himself a little spanking on his hand. We still aren't sure what he did to earn that, but he is apparently working on self-discipline.

1 & 1/2 Years Old

2009-05-08T20:52:00.002-05:00

Andrew is celebrating his half birthday today! 18 months have flown by and what a cute little boy is developing. I love the adorable random things he does without ever being shown. For example, one day he found that his hands could clasp behind his back, so he walked around the house that way most of the afternoon. Also, he likes to walk on his tip toes when he is barefoot.
Andrew's mischievous side has grown as well. He likes to do "no-no"s while Mommy talks on the phone or has to pay attention to someone else for a while. We've also started seeing a few temper tantrums when he doesn't get his way.
His vocabulary has sky rocketed over the past month. He says lots of two word phrases and lately we hear Andrew say several 3 word sentences, such as "Help me, Daddy" or "Lawnmower on." Of course, many words are not pronounced correctly. These might sound like "Ep me, Daddy" and "Mamamower on." Our favorite funny word we hear often is "bahpia" which is Andrew's word for piano. We have no idea where that came from.
Andrew's 18-month well-check with his doctor went very well. She is very pleased with his growth and development. He is still tall and lean for his age. He got two shots and did very well. He cried for about 45 seconds and then was happy and excited about getting to go outside.
One of Andrew's favorite activities right now is to "help" with whatever Mommy and Daddy are doing. This comes in the form of pulling clothes off of the couch as they are being folded, picking up sticks in the yard, turning almost anything on and sometime off (like the computer), putting some of his clothes in the drawers where they go, getting paper towels out and taking them to the kitchen, and so much more. Some of his "helps" really are helpful. It is very cute and a trait that we hope he hangs on to!
He is very obsessed with Elmo right now. He loves that most of his diapers have a picture of Elmo on them. When we get him up from bed we normally ask him if he needs a diaper. His response normally is "Elmo!" Andrew regularly gets to watch Elmo's World before going down for his morning nap during the week. This sometimes causes him to not want to take his morning nap on the weekends. So...we recorded a few Elmo episodes to have "on demand."
Andrew has also started scribbling a little bit. We tried using taddoodles and he still isn't quite able to figure out which side is down on those. Next we got a colored pencil in his hand and he has been way into coloring since then. He still does not favor either hand, but likes to color with one or two pencils in each hand.
All in all he is the sweetest little boy and it is a blessing to get to spend our days with his joyful spirit. We love our little man and look forward to every day with him.

Our Family & A Shoe Perspective

2009-04-26T22:57:00.005-05:00

Filling Daddy's shoes. The above is one of my all time favorite pictures of Andrew. I just start dreaming of the man we pray he'll become as he grows from baby to adult. I love every minute of raising Andrew. He has such a bright and joyful personality, precious little face and mannerisms, and sweet voice.

A family photo as we approach enjoying 6 years of marriage and 1 1/2 years of precious Andrew.

Here is Andrew caught sneaking Daddy's cell phone to "call" Ra Ra for the 20th time that day. A normal occurrence. If he sees a cell, home, or toy phone, he grabs it, pushes some buttons, and puts the phone up to his ear, often upside down or backwards, and instantly says "Ra Ra, Hello, Arkansas" or "ELMO! ELMO! ELMO!" Elmo is Andrew's new and first character favorite. He can spot Elmo's picture anywhere and often asks where Elmo is if he can't see any Elmos around.

Little Red Trike & Grandpa

2009-04-26T22:24:00.005-05:00

Grandpa Bill and Sammy made Friday and Saturday such a blast for Andrew and Mommy while Daddy was out of town for the Men's Retreat. Grandpa made some drum sticks out of cane and taught Andrew how to bang out a happy tune.

We have had the most beautiful weather for enjoying the great outdoors! We played outside several hours every day, and I just love it!
Grandpa decided that it was time for Andrew to have his first bicycle on Saturday. Andrew is constantly watching the "big boys" next door riding their "bee si si" up and down the sidewalk in front of our house. I didn't think that Andrew was old enough or big enough to pedal yet, but grandpa set out on a mission to find an Andrew-sized tricycle. Low and behold, I was wrong. At the second toy department we visited, we found the cutest little red tricycle made specifically for 1 1/2 to 3 year olds. For Andrew, it was love at first sight! His very own "bee si si" with three wheels. It's a Radio Flyer Grow With Me tricycle that's the perfect size. Andrew has been practicing riding it a lot. He can reach the pedals and mostly get on and off by himself, but we're still working on teaching him how to steer and make it go by himself. Thank you Grandpa for a sweet almost half-birthday gift!

Best Buddies - Andrew & Sam

2009-04-26T12:07:00.006-05:00

Andrew and Sam shoot the breeze, give each other high fives, have drinks together, and always put their best faces forward. I'd called that best buddies.

Andrew's Words

2009-04-19T21:37:00.008-05:00

Kristi and I sat down tonight and tried to put together a list of all the words that Andrew says. We tried to keep it to words and phrases that he says on his own. There are many others that he will repeat or say when coached to do so. He says all of these things, but the untrained ear will not recognize all of them. There are even times when Kristi and I don't understand what he is saying!

Mommy
Mama
Daddy
Dada
Up Please
Thank you
Drink
Cheese
Applesauce
Excuse Me
Church
Doggy
Blanky
Bird
Juice
Snack
Night Night
Hi
Medicine
Bye Bye
See Ya
Hello
Ra Ra
Molly
Tractor
Ball
Book
Shoes
Bath
Music
Toothbrush
Outside
Wash
Highchair
Roller Coaster (He has a plastic toddler-sized one he loves to ride.)
Mole
Wee Wee Wee
This
That
Strawberry
Bread
Peanut butter
Cracker
Cookie
Roll
Cereal
Duck
Cup
Water
Uh-Oh
Love You
Arkansas
Amen
Jesus
Fire Hydrant
Garage
Light
Switch
Airplane
Park
Dishwasher
Trash
Garbage Disposal
Hair Dryer
Hair Brush
Help Me
Turtle
Whoa!
Read
Bib
Pick Up
No No
Yes
Uh-hu
More
Elephant
Bow
Animal
Elmo
Down
Ouchie
Vacuum
Bible
Bubble
Bottle
Baby

Here are some fun pictures from the past week! Even though it is spring, Andrew is ready to go to the mountains. Wearing those goggles and riding his tractor makes me wonder if he wants to go drive a snow cat!

Happy Easter! Artwork

2009-04-12T14:14:00.005-05:00

If you look very closely you can see the 4th molar (Andrew's bottom left) trying to make its way through Andrew's gums that kept Mommy up until 4:30 am this morning before getting any sleep. How can you not want to try to cuddle this little cutie and make it all better?!?!?

Mommy and Andrew made another attempt at coloring. This time, Andrew got to use his tadoodle markers and big coloring sheets. He thought the tadoodles were really cool, but most fun to mark on himself and the floor and the ... everything with. His attention span to stay in one place and color on paper is not quite there yet, but we've made some progress from eating crayons. We'll keep attempting using the markers every once in a while until he gets the hang of it. We were trying to color Easter pictures for Andrew's grandparents. Here are our finished products! In one of the pictures, Andrew is telling you "Ha eee EEE ta!" Happy Easter with much love from all of us!

Molly and Andrew Sittin' in a..

2009-04-11T23:49:00.007-05:00

...Swing. I just can't get enough of these two! We went to the park and played around the house Tuesday, enjoying all of the beautiful weather.
Molly is such a precious doll baby. She's walking around so well and can just about keep up with Andrew now. Andrew acts just like her big brother, antagonizing her once in a while, but secretly protecting and loving her. Half the time Molly isn't even here, and Andrew wakes up and asks where "Moh Moh" is. Then, if I say or do something too loudly he'll put his right index finger up over his lips and stare harshly at me, which is what I do to him saying "shhhh" when Molly is napping and Andrew is making a lot of noise. Anyway, I just love seeing them learn and develop their little personalities daily!

Spring Break

2009-03-19T21:28:00.005-05:00

Andrew has had quite the Spring Break this year. From spending time with grandparents, visiting a fish hatchery and spring, taking a 4 generation picture, getting a new (temporary) hair due, to visiting friends in Texas. Here are pictures from most of those mentioned in the long list of the past two weeks!

Tubby Time

2009-03-06T14:35:00.005-06:00

Okay...so it has been a little while, make that a long while, since we have posted anything. We have had a crazy couple of weeks, but things are starting to settle back in to the normal routine. Here is a snapshot of the past few weeks:

1 - Andrew has another tooth making the total 10. His top molars are coming in more and the bottom one aren't too far away.

2 - New expressions: Andrew will now stick his hands out to his side, palms up, and shrug his shoulders slightly when he does not know the answer to your question. He is saying "I don't know." He also can blow you a kiss when saying "goodbye."

3 - Food: Andrew eats pretty much whatever we put in front of him. He has a new found love for strawberries and will tell you he wants a "ba ba bee." He hasn't cared much for meats other than chicken lately. He still loves cheese and will go to the refrigerator and say "chiss chiss" to ask for some.

4 - I had to work late a few nights ago and Kristi and Andrew brought dinner up to my office. We ate in the breakroom. We didn't have any kind of special chair for Andrew so he sat in a regular chair. His chin was slightly above the top of the table. He sat there with arms perched up on the table and fed himself. It was so cute, but at the same time another realization that he is getting older and will one day not need a high chair anymore.

5 - Andrew will be 16 months old on Sunday. I'm trying not to believe that, but it isn't working very well.

6 - There are some pictures from Andrew's bath yesterday. These are actually the first pictures we have taken in a while. We're going to the park to feed the ducks after he gets up from his nap. We'll get some more and maybe some video then too.

Laying in Bed Cuteness

2009-02-18T11:44:00.002-06:00

Andrew just woke up from his nap. He's laying in bed going, "Muuum meee, Muuum meee, Muuum meee, Muuum meee." It's so precious I want to stay by the monitor and listen all day. Now he's going, "Taco, taco, taco...datney, datney, datney..." I love his little jabbers. I'm also glad to know that I come before taco! That's the first time I've heard him call me Mommy. Usually, it's "Mah Mah."

Ever Feel Like This Guy?

2009-02-16T19:59:00.002-06:00

I know some days I do. Andrew ate dinner as if he were a teenager tonight. He ate Kix, then a cup of blueberry yogurt, a big piece of cheese, 4 raviolis, some more Kix, a cup of mandarin oranges, and a cup of whole green beans, then he chewed on a carrot for a while...all while drinking milk and water.

15 month Doctor's report and Daddy's shoes

2009-02-14T22:51:00.004-06:00

Andrew had his 15 month check-up and vaccinations on Friday. He was not a fan of the two shots. He is now officially 21 lbs. 13 oz. and 32 1/4 inches tall. The doctor said that he is growing well and he is healthy. She was impressed with how many words he knows and says.

Andrew says words like dada, mama, thank you, excuse me, uh oh, cheese, this, that, see ya, bye bye, and two that he added today are "a poo saw" for applesauce and "boo ahh" for boo yah. He has also added the "oy" sound and "mmmmm" to his vocabulary. He regularly follows a bite of food with "mmmm." Within the last day or two he started saying "ahhhh" after taking a drink also.

We have started to see a little arm flap when he is excitedly "running" to get somewhere quickly. His dancing skills have improved a little bit. Dancing used to be just bouncing a little up and down. Well, it now includes swinging arms from side to side.

The last few nights have been rough as Andrew has been cutting his 9th tooth. The recent addition is an upper left molar. When it hurts at night he wants to get out of bed and watch cartoons while sitting with one or both of us on the couch. Last night we did this from 2:00am until 4:30am. He did sleep until 10:00 this morning to help make up for the interruption last night.

Andrew is just so cute we can hardly stand it! We tell him that often, and he frequently returns our comments about his cuteness with the best smile in the world. We love how he seems to make other people happy and brighten their day whether it is a stranger at the grocery store, us, or even a family member over the phone just by his sweet, joyful spirit, smiles, and giggles.

It is rare that we are short on good entertainment and love every minute we get to spend with Andrew. I think that we are learning just as much from him as he is from us. I have been giving Kristi a hard time lately about calling him our little baby. He is definitely now a little boy, not a baby. She keeps reminding me that he will always be her baby though.

Hair cut and a tornado!

2009-02-11T10:27:00.007-06:00

We have had lots of excitement the past few days. For those of you who haven't seen the news yet, there were multiple EF2 or possibly EF3 tornadoes that touched down in OKC and Edmond yesterday. The path of one of them went almost directly over our house. However, the funnel had lifted and was simply a hook echo with rotation when it passed over us. (If you don't know what those terms mean, then you probably don't live in Oklahoma.) God was definitely protecting us yesterday!

We did not have any damage that we can tell. All of our trees are fine. We had a few bouts of hail off and on throughout the evening, but the stones never got bigger than quarter size and most were nickel or smaller. Andrew even slept through the storm passing over. The funnel came back down about three miles north of here. There was significant damage on the northern side of town. We have spoken with almost all of our friends that live that direction and it seems that they are all okay with little or no damage.

On a more fun note, (not really so fun) Andrew got a hair cut on Monday. As you can see in the before pictures his hair had gotten a little shaggy. It was time for a cut. Andrew hasn't liked having his hair cut in the past, and this time was no different. It was a rough few minutes for all of us. I don't think he remembers it anymore though. Enjoy the pictures.

15 Months Old

2009-02-08T21:04:00.003-06:00

Our little Andrew isn't so little anymore. We notice more each day that he isn't just our baby anymore, but he is quickly becoming a little boy. Andrew's 15 month doctor's appointment is later this week, so we won't have the official height and weight until then.

Apart from his height and weight changing, one of the most obvious changes is his vocabulary. Andrew has become quite talkative. Sometimes we can translate what his jabbers mean, and other times we don't even have a clue what he is saying.

It has been a while since we last posted. Sorry about that. This has been an interesting week. In a nutshell, 1) Andrew now knows how to open the back door and let himself out when he really wants to, 2) He fell and hurt his little nose at church on Wednesday night, the bruise is gone now, 3) Andrew consumed more sugar in a two hour period on Saturday than he has the past two months (we found out he really likes Oreos), and 4) his tummy has been very upset today.

The video below shows Andrew enjoying the last day of warm weather for a while. We went over to the park for a little while this afternoon. The cold front was moving in and it was getting colder as we came back in. Here is a list of what to look for in the video:

1. Andrew "driving" his 4-wheeler...he really just tries to stand up and walk while on it.
2. Andrew deciding it was time to leave the driveway and walk to the park.
3. Andrew asking mom to help him "fly" on the swing.
4. Andrew telling us it is cold. (This is my favorite part!)

Our little Eskimo!

2009-01-27T21:42:00.004-06:00

Andrew officially has his 8th tooth now!

We took Andrew out for his first experience walking in snow and ice. It was quite an experience. Only two falls. Not too bad...

There is video at the bottom of this post.

Roller Coaster

2009-01-27T15:26:00.003-06:00

Many of you have asked for video of Andrew riding the roller coaster. Here it is. Andrew has really enjoyed our snow (really ice) day home today. Kristi and I have really enjoyed it too. Andrew has been fighting with his teeth lately. We think he is cutting three teeth right now. We felt a molar for the first time this morning! If you listen carefully at the end of the video you can hear Andrew say "See ya!"

So much to say...

2009-01-22T11:05:00.006-06:00

Sorry it has been so long since we have posted any updates. Between me having a sinus infection and Andrew cutting new teeth (yes, two more at the same time) we have had quite a time lately. We went to one of Andrew's little girl friend's birthday party last Friday. It was at an indoor playground of inflatable games/toys. Andrew had a blast and loved every minute of it. Here is a video of Andrew and me coming down the big slide. He really liked it! (NOTE: There is not audio on the video.)

Andrew is talking more than ever now. It seems like we have very few moments when he is awake and there aren't cute little jabbers going around. Probably the most common phrase we hear is "uh-oh!" Andrew describes accidents, intentional naughtiness, and pretty much anything he sees with "uh-oh." We have also started hearing "ma-ma" quite a bit. He doesn't address Kristi with this yet, but knows that this is her name. Andrew has also learned to say "See ya!" when people are leaving. It might be the cutest thing he says.

Andrew has enjoyed reading books in his new rocking chair and absolutely loves playing on his roller coaster. You can see part of the track in the pictures of him watching his first presidential inauguration. I'm looking forward to a few days off this weekend and getting to spend some quality time with my family. I hope you all have a great weekend. Enjoy the pictures!

14 Month Old Waffle Monster

2009-01-13T16:48:00.004-06:00

Michael and Andrew made me waffles for breakfast Saturday morning for my birthday. They were delicious! Andrew really enjoyed his work, because he ate almost as much as I did.
Andrew cut a new tooth on the 10th also. It's his 7th and located on his bottom gum, right side of his bottom front ones. I'm going to need a chart to keep up with these!
My two handsome guys dressed in their matching sweaters and jeans... I just love them both so much!

Andrew Sliding Video

2009-01-13T14:42:00.003-06:00

Here you can see Andrew sliding and playing at the park on January 3rd. Andrew is almost 14 months old.

An Evening at the Park

2009-01-03T22:55:00.003-06:00

Happy New Year!

2009-01-02T10:47:00.008-06:00

A beautiful winter day at the zoo.

Snuggles with Great Grandma Scott and Doggy. Andrew was adamant that Great Grandma hold him, Doggy, and Bear all at the same time. On New Year's Day Andrew "played pretend" and used his imagination for the first time. He put his sippy cup up to Doggy's mouth to give him a drink and made drinking sounds. Just precious! I was so surprised that he could pretend already at 13 1/2 months old, but I guess I underestimated the little guy!

Andrew still loves to climb. Couch Cushion Mountain was a hit!

Molly and Andrew playing. She's such a doll baby!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-31T10:37:00.006-06:00

Merry Christmas to all! We have had a wonderful time celebrating our Savior's birth with each other and family over the Christmas season! Andrew loved spending time with his family in Arkansas last week and so did we. Andrew was really flexible as we traveled from place to place visiting each of our families and loving on them. Andrew's little smile got bigger and bigger (and his legs got faster and faster) the more people we got to see.

Christmas time seemed to bring out Andrew's little voice even more. He has been really talkative as his 13th month finishes. Most of the time it's cute jabbers and some words most people need an interpreter for. We had a gorgeous day yesterday, unseasonably warm, so we went to the zoo. Andrew loved it, especially when he got to walk around and explore. However, I realized we have some work to do when he thought every animal we came to was a dog and started barking at it!

He also walks everywhere now and stands up on his own when he wants to. In fact, he walked along side us all the way to the neighborhood park. He had his eyes set on the slide the whole way there and promptly showed us that he could climb the ladder, get positioned, and slide down all by himself for the first time. What a big boy he is now, but he still has the sweetest little toddle waddle you've ever seen!

While we were opening some Christmas presents, Andrew learned to snuggle. We got a new plush, ultra-soft throw for the living room, and Andrew received two large unbelievably soft stuffed animals. Ever since they were opened, he randomly loves to lay his face, and sometimes his whole body, down on them and snuggle in feeling the super softness and "loving on" them.

We had a very blessed Christmas time with loved ones and hope that you did too as we celebrated Jesus' birthday!

Putting Away Baby...

2008-12-16T15:04:00.002-06:00

The bottles, infant carrier and base, breastfeeding supplies, swing, bouncy seat, and Boppy pillow are all finding new homes in the closet or attic this week. I loved the little baby stages so much that it is a little sad to put it away. It was the same way when I had to pack up Andrew's little baby clothes. There are always a couple of outfits in each size that are just too cute to put away, and they hold such sweet memories. We are saving most of Andrew's stuff that is still in good shape in case there is a little brother or sister that can use it in the future. If money were no option, I'd have a quiver full before you know it! It is such a blessing that God has trusted us to raise and care for His little angels!

p.s. No, I'm not announcing anything, just in case you were wondering, just reminiscing.

The Laugh & 6th Tooth

2008-12-16T11:30:00.002-06:00

Andrew learned last week what a cough is and how to do it intentionally. However, it was really funny when he "fake coughed" and so we laughed a lot. Now, and for the last week, whenever he wants some attention or to "be cute" for a group of people he laughs with this crazy clearing-his-throat-fake-cough kind of laugh. It's hilarious! Of course, we can still get him rolling with his real laugh by tickling, peek-a-boo blankie, or playing "mail slot" in his tent. I love to make him smile and giggle!

One of his favorite activities is to go "ts sie" outside and check the mail, check the mail again, and again. Andrew also loves his friends' toddler sized chairs. Everytime he goes over to a friend's house where they have a toddler sized recliner, chair, or lawn chair, he just loves it! I think it's special because he can climb in and out of it by himself. Try as he might, he still can't get up on any of our furniture by himself. Although, a few times he has stood on a toy and climbed up onto the coffee table by himself.

The long awaited 6th tooth finally broke through yesterday or possibly during the night before. It's his second top front tooth, the one on left. We have thought it was on it's way since his first five broke through over 2 months ago. Andrew seems to get teeth in waves. There was nothing for 10.5 months, then 5 teeth, then nothing, now one, and possibly more on the way!

13 Months Old & New Steps in Toddlerhood

2008-12-13T15:54:00.009-06:00

After now 13 months of loving on my little baby, he is asserting that he is a full fledged toddler with each new action and word. He can go from the floor to standing by himself now and proceeds to walk with the cutest little toddle you've ever seen. There are some action shots of this in his blue "woof" jammies.

While he's still not a cuddler, Andrew has also started liking to be a little closer some times. When we're playing on the floor, he'll come over with a toy or book and sit in our laps for a little while. Also, when I'm taking Andrew to his room to sleep, I tell him "night night" and pat his back. He has started laying his head down on my shoulder and patting my back. So precious! I just want that walk from the living room to Andrew's room to take longer during this moment so I can milk it for all his sweetness and cuddles.

Andrew is fighting off a cold right now, but nothing slows him down long. Please pray he'll feel better soon. It seems like colds normally turn into bad coughs and ear infections for Andrew.

Growing, Growing updates: Andrew is outgrowing his 12 month clothes (mostly, sizes very so much by brand in these kid clothes!) and starting to wear some adorable winter 18 month outfits he got for his birthday. He had to get a new pair of shoes recently and needed a four, when his last ones were size two! He is still using size four Pampers Cruisers diapers and probably will until we start potty training next year! At the rate he's going, he won't meet the upper weight limit for them until he's 3 1/2.

Andrew is staying perfectly slender and tall these days, even though he eats a lot of good food and drinks solely whole milk now. Andrew drinks mostly from his sippy cups throughout the day and drinks one bottle right before bed during our family worship time. We are about to take away that last bottle though since he is a "big boy now". Andrew's favorite foods of the month are bananas, chicken, Cheerios, and cheese. He really likes to go to Chick-fil-a, but I think it's the playground even more than the chicken.

Andrew still takes two naps a day, at about 10:00am and 2:00pm for about 1 1/2 hours each. As he sleeps, he loves his blankie and feels it with his right hand while he sucks his two middle fingers on his left hand. At night time, Andrew sleeps from about 8:00pm until 8:00am.

Andrew also outgrew his infant carrier and got to ride in his new big boy car seat for the first time this morning. He didn't seem to think it was nearly as big of a deal as we did. I thought he would be really excited about riding facing forward in the car, but he just looked around and jabbered.

Speaking of jabbers, this week he has really started "talking" a lot. Some of it we know what he's saying, like when he says "dadj oo" thank you after you give him something, but most of the time he gets to "talking" it is just strings of cute jibberish. I just love his little voice and little words so much! Really, he's just soooo cute I can't hardly stand it! Andrew, we love you so much and you are such a blessing to our family! We love every minute with you. Hope you feel better soon!

Andrew's Girl........Friend!

2008-12-05T23:56:00.006-06:00

Andrew is such a proud walker! He chooses to walk places more than crawl now, even though he can still crawl much faster when he gets his mind set on something. Andrew is already enjoying Christmas more this year than last...he's mobile, so he can inspect the Christmas tree more thoroughly as he's proven by destroying the tree skirt! Overall, Andrew has really been good about leaving the tree alone and just looking at the shiny lights and ornaments. Andrew's been making his list for Santa, and I'm hoping we get to go meet Santa this year. Andrew's newest phrases are "dajd ooo" thank you, "a, a, a" almost there, and "aaaaa, a" all done.

Isn't Miss Molly just the cutest little girl friend?!?! She comes over and has fun with Andrew a few days during the week. Molly is about 7.5 months old. I just love her fun disposition and precious little chubby cheeks!

Walking Off the Turkey - Video

2008-11-28T14:23:00.006-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving! We are thanking God for you, our family and friends, this holiday weekend! We are so blessed by you and all that God has provided over the last year for us.

Andrew has been enjoying walking off his turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes over the thanksgiving holiday. I love watching his little stepping toddly walk! We also continued our thanksgiving tradition of decorating for Christmas. Andrew liked the Santa hat and staring at the tree.

On Monday, Andrew had his buddies Brody and Sam over to play. Molly was here too and loved watching the big boys play. Her favorite part was picking up the toys they dropped and chewing on them until she got her eyes on another one.

Andrew went to the doctor last Friday when he wasn't feeling well. He had a double ear infection, but it seems to be getting better now. It seems like any time he has a cold or congestion it settles in his ears.

Andrew is saying some new words, "e e e" means excuse me and elephant, "t t" turtle, "ts i" outside, "a pa" grandpa, and "zzz a" zebra. When Andrew holds up his arms and smiles at you, it means he wants you to cheer for him... "YYYYAAAAYYYY!!!!!" He is also getting really good at putting some Megablocks together by himself. In fact, he already wants to be an architect as you can tell from the building he designed in the picture. Andrew really likes putting his stack rings on the pole by himself.

Walky Baby

2008-11-19T21:01:00.002-06:00

It was like Andrew just woke up and decided that he wanted to start taking short walks today! This morning he was standing at his ottoman and wanting me to pick him up, but I was at the doorway. I held out my arms, and he took 6 steps over to me. It was soooo cute! Then, all day long, if he wanted to get somewhere that was a few steps away, he would walk. We've seen him take lots of little steps and jumps over to things, but today was the first time he walked to me and really seemed to go any distance. It's precious! We'll get you some video soon!

12 Month Check Up

2008-11-11T14:49:00.003-06:00

Andrew went to visit his friend Dr. Olay for his 12 month check up yesterday. She thinks he's doing well. His growth has slowed down, which is normal at this point. Andrew measured 30.5 inches long and 20.5 pounds. He's at the end of his 12 month clothes because of his length and slowly moving into 18 months. I think we'll be in them quite a while. He wears size 4 diapers. Andrew is eating most any adult foods that are healthy and soft. He drinks breast milk, whole milk, and once in a while grape, apple, or white grape juices. Dr. Olay suggested between 16-24 ounces of milk per day. We're also working to get Andrew drinking from a sippy cup all of the time he wants to drink, instead of just part of the time like we've been doing. The doctor also thought that his other top front tooth is really close, just being stubborn. Andrew agreed by drooling everywhere!

The not so fun part...Andrew also received his 12 month shots. He got 4 vaccinations in his little pork chops: DTaP, Hepatitis A, Chickenpox, and 1/2 of the flu vaccine. He goes back in a month to get the other half of the flu vaccine. It was split up since it was his first time to get it. He slept for three hours yesterday afternoon, but otherwise we haven't noticed any reactions this time to his vaccines. YAY!

Andrew really enjoys his ride-on and push toys a lot. He has also gained the ability to stack a couple of objects or push things on and pull them off, such as blocks and bottle caps. He enjoys using the light switches and still thinks that ceiling fans are really cool! He knows where his hair is and likes to try to brush it himself after bath time. Andrew recognizes and follows lots of questions and commands, like "Where's your cell phone/blocks/Daddy/tractor/fire truck/ect.?" and "Get down." and "Clap your hands." We love his jabbers, but can't understand many of the words he is saying yet. That's all the news I can think of right now. Just wanted to give you an update! (Actually, "give me an update", since our blog has really become how I record Andrew's developments! I need about 10 straight hours to get his baby book caught up.)

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY ANDREW!

2008-11-08T23:00:00.001-06:00

What a wonderful, fun-filled day we had celebrating Andrew's first birthday! We are so thankful for his precious little life and blessing he is to our family on a daily basis!

Andrew enjoyed opening some new toys that morning. He loved pulling the tissue paper out of the gift bags and couldn't hardly wait for Daddy to unpackage the toys.

At his birthday party late that afternoon, Andrew was really interested in the balloons and seeing his sweet little friends and family that came to celebrate with him.

Andrew very willingly ate some pizza with his friends for dinner. Then, he opened his presents. Afterward, we all sang "Happy Birthday" and Andrew was really interested in the fiery candle on top of his cake. Until, that is, he realized that he got his very own mini birthday cake and he was allowed to dig in and eat as much as he wanted! Andrew loved his cake, especially the icing! This was his first real dessert, and he enjoyed every bite, actually every fist full!

Andrew didn't want the party to end. At home, he had a bath to wash off the green icing between his fingers and toes, and then crawled off naked wearing his party hat trying to make the fun last as long as possible. I guess his "birthday suit" is appropriate for the ending to this fantastic day, celebrating with friends and family the precious gift God gave us in Andrew one year ago! We love you little man!

Almost ONE YEAR OLD!

2008-11-04T22:19:00.004-06:00

Andrew is almost one year old! This coming Saturday, at 7:48am, Andrew will celebrate his first full journey around the sun. He is very close to walking on his own. He continues to scale everything, but has begun to stand by himself for several seconds at a time and will take some steps (2 or 3) when going between objects. He also learned how to drink through a straw today. He continues to point at just about everything while saying "Dat! Dat! Dat!" which we are pretty sure means "That!"

We have discovered that Andrew likes to eat whole green beans. He will pick one up and bite off one end of it with his little teeth. He also likes to eat Ritz crackers too! He still loves to knock down the big towers of stacking cups that I build, but he has also begun trying to re-stack the cups after knocking them down. If you sing him the "If you're happy and you know it..." song, then he will more than likely clap for you. Sometimes you have to sing it 2 or 3 times before he claps, but he still does it.

1st Halloween & 1st Steps

2008-11-01T18:20:00.006-05:00

Andrew enjoyed his first halloween party emensely last night! We each dressed up as a "pig in a blanket" sporting our favorite Razorback gear and cuddly blanket. It was great fun with our friends from small group!

At the party, I also saw Andrew take two steps by himself from me to the coffee table where his cup was sitting. I bet it won't be long before he takes off across the room.

Look at him go!

2008-10-30T20:32:00.006-05:00

Here are 4 short videos I took tonight. The first is one of Andrew's favorite games right now. We call the game "Knock it down!"

This next video is of Andrew jabbering. His little voice is so cute!

This one is Andrew kissing and then looking and POINTING at the fan.

The last video is of Andrew pushing his toy lawnmower across the living room twice!