Easter 2010

So, my Easter plans didn't go as planned. This year will be memorable, with the birth of Tyler. But it didn't lend itself to developing the holiday traditions I had hoped fur. As I have mentioned before, I want to start holiday traditions so Michael will have some of the fun memories of holidays that I have from my childhood. We didn't get a chance to hide the Easter eggs we dyed or wear the Easter outfits I had purchased, but Michael did still get to participate in some Easter activities. Since Greg and I were at the hospital, our wonderful neighbors from across the street, the Millins, had Michael over for their Easter Egg Hunt. They went all out and had over 50 eggs! Michael found the last egg after everyone had been looking for 15 minutes!

Michael with his PINK Easter Basket

(Christy said he picked it out! Go figure!)

Michael modeling his Easter outfit

(looks pretty cool huh?)


Michael and Daddy before church in their Easter clothes

(Taken on another Sunday)

Welcome Tyler!

We welcomed Tyler to this world at 4:12 am on Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010. What a surprise that was! It shouldn't have been too much of a surprise, it was just 9 days before my due date. But since Michael had come the day before his due date, I was sure Tyler would follow suit. Plus, my mom wasn't here yet and I still had some loose ends to tie up at work.

Saturday had been a busy day. We had been running errands around town and planning for Easter. As I mentioned in the post below, we had been dyeing Easter eggs and while I was cleaning up, I felt some contractions. This was not abnormal for me. I had been having contractions forever. I finished cleaning up and then sat on the floor to play with Michael. Then I had a contraction that got my attention and I thought, hmm, perhaps I should time these. They were coming every 7 minutes!! But I thought, no, this isn't happening. They don't hurt, plus my due date isn't for a few more days. I started to get Michael ready for bed, and they kept coming. Greg came home while I was getting Michael ready for bed and I told him that we might be having a baby tonight! He was so excited, but I had the anxious feeling...it wasn't suppose to be happening yet. My mom wasn't here, who was going to stay with Michael... Then I looked at Michael, he was being so cute and happy and I thought, "oh no! What am I doing to Michael?" His whole life is about the change and I felt so guilty. (Funny that I had this guilt now and not when I found out that I was pregnant!) I always sing to Michael before bed and while I was singing, I started to cry. I could barely get the words out. He was so sweet and asked if I was okay. I told him that I was and that I loved him very much. Then I told him that his baby brother would be here soon. After we got Michael in bed, Greg and I decided that we needed to make plans on who would stay with Michael if we did indeed go to the hospital. The contractions still didn't hurt, but they were coming every 5 minutes, but I still wasn't convinced that I was in actual labor. We decided to call Maria Hernandez to come stay the night, just in case. Maria had been on the women's golf team the year before and had become a good friend of our family. Michael adores her, so I knew that he would be okay if he woke up the next morning and only Maria was there. She got to our house around 10:00 pm and Greg told me that he thought I should at least call the doctor and go to the hospital. I still wasn't convinced, since the contractions didn't hurt like they did with Michael. Greg finally convinced me and I and finally called. The doctor told me to head over the hospital to be checked. We got to the hospital around 11:00 pm. They checked me and I was around 3 cm dilated and my contractions were consistent. They admitted me around 12:00 am. Once I got settled in, I decided I wanted to get the epidural. I was still handling the contractions very well, but I didn't want to go too far and then run out of time and not be able to get the epidural. So, I got the epidural when I was around 6-7 cms. The doctor said she thought I was a great candidate to have a natural child birth, since I was handling them so well. But I knew better! I knew it would get worse and I didn't want to try it! The nurse noticed that the baby's heart rate kept dropping with each contraction, so she checked me to see where I was and I was at 10 cms. She called the doctor, he came in and I pushed twice and Tyler was born! He was 7 lbs 6 ozs and 19 inches long. He had pink skin and reddish, blond hair, and as sweet as could be!! The Easter Bunny was extra kind to us this year!

Weighing In at 7 lbs 6 ounces

"Where am I?"

Clean and Warm

I look so tired in this picture. I would like to say that is was because I just delivered a baby, but I don't think having an epidural and pushing twice qualifies as "hard labor"! But it was 4:00 am!

Big brother seeing Ty-man for the first time. Nice to see he was welcomed with kisses instead of pinches! (unfortunately, the newness has worn off and Tyler is sometimes the victim of Michael's temper tantrums!)

My boys!

Michael looked HUGE compared to Tyler. It was as if he grew a ton over night!

Maria (our trusted babysitter) and Tyler

Going Home

(So if Tyler is in the car seat, why do I still look pregnant?)

A Proud Big Brother!

A Proud Daddy!

Grammy arrived the day we went home from the hospital. Thank goodness we were not on our own for too long!

I love this picture! Greg was taking a picture of me and Tyler and Michael popped up in the back, with a binky in his mouth!!! The identity crisis begins!! Michael still (5 months later) likes to play like he is Tyler. He likes me to wrap him up, pretend to feed and burp him! We also have to call him Tyler!

Proud Mama and her Baby!!

Easter Eggs and "OUCH", What was that, a contraction?

This year I made a commitment to begin traditions with Michael so that he would have some of the same fond memories of holidays that I had as a child. Easter egg dyeing was one of those and I knew that he would love it. So, the Saturday before Easter, we headed to the store, bought a dozen eggs and some dye. Below is our product. Michael and I were both very proud.

Afterward, I was cleaning up and started to feel a few contractions. Very normal for me, I had contractions starting at week 26 and felt them all of the time. Nothing to worry about. My due date wasn't for another 9 days, my mom would be here the following Tuesday. I told myself to just relax and Greg would be home soon.

Fast forward 8 hours and....

Making Room for Baby Brother

There are several milestones we look forward to as parents...our baby's first smile, rolling over, eating solid food, crawling, walking, talking. As parents we celebrate these accomplishments and compare when our children reach these milestones to other children; and when our children reach them before other children, we know it is because our kids are smarter, brighter, and more talented. (come on admit it, we all think that!) :) But there is one milestone that I think most parents face with trepidation and put it off as long a possible...moving their child from a crib to a bed! Yep, say goodbye to your evenings after the kids go to bed, and say hello to your little nightly and early morning visitor! Well, with the arrival of a new baby and the need for the crib, we decided to move Michael to his "Big Boy" bed in February. We wanted to do it early enough that he would be adapted to his new bed and no longer consider the crib his and accuse the baby of taking over. All in all, it went pretty smoothly. Although, Michael is up much later now that he can leave his bed, and he has wandered into our room every morning, sometime between 5:45 and 8:00, depending on what time he went to bed and the amount of light coming in his room in the morning. Anyway, this milestone has been met!

Michael proudly showing off his "Big Boy" bed

Now we have taken the rails down and this is what his new room looks like.

After we finished redoing Michael's room, it was time to set up a new nursery. Thanks to my Mom and Sydnee who came to do all of the labor, I think Tyler's room came together very nicely. I chose a surfer theme, in hope that this new baby would be laid back and take things as they came. (very prophetic I must say!)

Christmas in Roswell...and a few other pictures

Well, I am finally getting around to posting our Christmas Pictures. This year, we went to Roswell to spend Christmas with Greg's parents, grandparents, and sister and her husband. We had a great time...once we got there! Yes, we were some of those people stuck in the Dallas airport on Christmas Eve! Because of Greg's schedule, we had to leave for Roswell on the 24th. I was very nervous about traveling on Christmas Eve, that something would go wrong and we would miss Christmas, but we didn't have a choice. I thought, if we can just get out of Indiana and to Dallas, we will be fine. What did I know. As we were waiting in the Indy airport, I noticed a TV that had the weather on. They were talking about a BIG snow storm. I didn't pay much attention at first and then noticed that the map looked like Texas. I then realized they were talking about Dallas! Oh no! After being really upset, frustrated and delayed...I relaxed and realized, that there was nothing we could do and to just let it go. I was so grateful that Michael was only 2 and wouldn't miss Santa and all of the Christmas festivities, since he didn't really understand them anyway. I couldn't imagine what it would have been like if he had been 6 and freaking out because Santa wouldn't know to come to the Dallas airport.

Well, we finally made it to Dallas and found that our flight to Roswell had been cancelled. They re-booked us on a flight to Albuquerque and Greg's sister booked us a room at a hotel near the airport. Our flight to Albuquerque was delayed for several hours and didn't leave until 1:00 am central time (2:00 am eastern, our time). Of course, Michael stayed up the whole time. Thank goodness he was very good as long as he was being pushed in the stroller or running around. He didn't want to sit or lay down AT ALL! While we were waiting it out in Dallas, I noticed that Michael had a rash. I first noticed it on his neck, then on his stomach, then all over. We later discovered that they were hives....more about that later. Finally, at 3:00 am mountain time (5:00 am eastern and Christmas morning) we settled in bed at the Courtyard Marriott in Albuquerque. What a night!

We woke up around 9:00 and went down to the lobby for a warm breakfast. It tasted so good after a day of airport food!

Michael eating breakfast Christmas morning, 2009!

Then around 10:00, Greg's Dad and JoJo's husband picked us up for the 3 hour drive to Roswell. We got to Roswell at 1:00 pm Christmas day. So much for my ideas of how our Christmas would be. But that didn't matter. We had a great time once we got there and it was great to be with family. I told Greg while we were waiting in the Dallas airport, "at least we are together. That is what is important". Everyone was so glad once we got there and anxious to start opening gifts!

Michael seeing what Santa brought him!

A putting green!

All of the loot!

Another one of his favorite gifts! A Steelers helmet!

On Saturday, Michael's "rash" had not gone away, so I called the doctor. They told me that it was probably hives, but they wanted him checked by a doctor. So, we spent 3 hours in the ER on Saturday. Finally, they confirmed they were hives and had no idea what brought them on. We got some meds and then were ready to start enjoying our time there!

This picture really shows his hives

(cheeks, neck, and hands)

After Christmas, we went backed to Greg's parents home, where everything was ready for Michael. Becky ordered a rubber mat for him to play on, since they have all tile in their home. It was like a play ground just for Michael! She also had a CD full of Elmo songs that Michael just loved. He learned to turn on the CD player and turn the volume WAY up! He likes to listen to Elmo loud! She also had some rhythm sticks for him to play with and a whole bunch of activities!

Puppy ears made by Grandma

Frosting chocolate cookies with Elmo decorations!

It snowed in Roswell too, so Grandma and Michael built a snowman

We also went to the New Mexico Military Institute

where Michael got to swim and play basketball

On New Year's Eve, we had some noise makers. Michael was having a hard time blowing his and making noise. I noticed that he was blowing through his nose, so I plugged it. When he realized that made it work, he thought he had to plug his nose all of the time. It was pretty cute and funny!

After New Year's Day, our fun trip was over. And wouldn't you know it, we were delayed on our way home too! This time it wasn't so bad. Michael was really a great kid through it all. Below is a picture we took at the Memphis airport. What a cutie!

Once we got back to West Lafayette, we were greeted with more snow. It was freezing, but I wanted Michael to have a chance and get out and play in it. It was 15 degrees, so we really had to bundle him up! They only stayed out for about 5 minutes and were welcomed back in to some hot chocolate! Yummy!

My boys bundled up!

Watching Daddy make a snow angel.

Michael wasn't interested in trying it!

Giving me a thumbs up!

Well you made it through this long post. I hope you enjoyed the pictures!

Getting Ready for Christmas

We are so excited for the Christmas season! I am proud to show you that Greg and I were able to fully decorate our house this season - in spite of Greg being gone so much of December. Anyway, I thought you would enjoy seeing the fruits of our labor! :)

Michael and I sure have enjoyed it! Merry Christmas!

Little Man ready for Church

Merry Christmas!

"Mom keeps telling me not to touch the tree, but it is so hard to resist!"

Thankgiving in Bama!

Well, once again, I am behind on updating the blog. But I think I have a good excuse...it being the Christmas season and all! :)

This year we spent our Thanksgiving in Alabama with all of my family. It was a blast to go see where Kit, Lib and the boys live. Everyone in my family had already visited, so we were excited to see what all of the fuss was about! :) Well, we were not disappointed! We had so much fun and let me tell you - the South really knows how to eat! We went to Lamberts - Home of the Throwed Rolls for Josiah's birthday! There you eat until you can't move! They actually throw rolls at you, the size of a LARGE grapefruit - so watch out! Then there are people coming around with pots of food - mac and cheese, fried okra, fried potatoes, and more... I can't even remember all that was passed around. And all of that was on top of your entree! I had chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes with gravy, and green beans. When I was finished, you could hardly tell I had even touched it. That is how much food there was! But it was so good! While we were there, they announced that is was Jos' birthday and a few people came by and gave him some money. I think he got about $3 worth. He was thrilled and so cute! It was just like the South to be so gracious and help make a sweet little boy's birthday even better!

At Lamberts - check out the size of the rolls!

(Mack, Gunner, Liberty, Sydnee)

The rest of the gang at Lamberts

Jos opening his birthday presents

We were also treated to a low-land boil by Kit, Lib, and Mack (Liberty's brother). We had shrimp, potatoes, corn on the cob, and green beans. All you can eat shrimp - that's what I am talking about! YUMMY! Then Kit also deep fried our Thanksgiving Turkey! So good! It makes my mouth water just thinking about it!

Kit and Mack deep frying the Thanksgiving Turkey

**They look like a couple of good ole' boys throwing back a few ;)**

Our Thanksgiving table

While we were there, we rented a house on the beach. The water was too cold for my liking, but the kids didn't seem to mind! We even rented some kayaks so the "boys" could go out and get a closer look at the dolphins. It worked, Parker, Mack and Jos were able to get within a couple of feet of some dolphins! Greg was so jealous!

Our house was the blue one

Mack and Ellee

Michael sitting on Greg's sand castle

Parker, Jos and Mack getting the kayaks ready

Greg out on a solo voyage

The boys!


Michael showing us his golf swing while on a walk along the beach.


Ellee and Michael


In deep thought - perhaps he will be able to solve the healthcare problem?

Another cute picture!

The best part of the whole trip was being able to spend time together. Michael loves his cousins! It was so fun to watch him jump in and wrestle with the boys! He already knew Parker and Ellee very well and loves to visit and play with them. But this was the first time he had seen Kit and Liberty's kids since he was 9 months old. Greg and I laugh that Michael and Gunner had a love/hate relationship! They were so intrigued by eachother, but were quick to squeal if either of them did something they didn't like. But, they proved to be great buddies and Michael is still talking about Gunner! :)

Little Buddies

(Gunner and Michael)

Wrestling with the boys!

Me reading Thanksgiving stories during Family Home Evening


Parker and Michael wrestling

(Parker was great with the little boys!)

All and all, we had a great time together as a family. We have so much to be grateful for! The Lord has blessed our family beyond what we deserve. I am so grateful for this Holiday Season when the world stops to remember the birth and life of our Savior. May we all strive to carry that spirit in our hearts all year long.

All of the Grandchildren

(Michael, Parker, Ellee, Gunnison, Gavin, Jos)