Well Hey There February

At one year old, here's where Nathan stacks up against the national averages:

Height 29 1/2 in (near 50%)
Weight 20 lbs 7.5 oz (about 18%)
Head circumference 18 1/2 in (about 70%)

So based on that, he's an average height string bean with a big head! We just call him cute!

We've had several snows recently and it looks so nice and pristine for a while, but then it just gets old. The snow turns into slush and then sludge. Then there's all that salt and road grime on your car--ewwww! I can't stand a dirty car and this winter weather is just cramping my style. I'm ready for some warmth around here or at least not bitter cold. I could probably handle 50 degrees right now, just not 20 for much longer!

Our second little man is growing like a weed and I'm now a few days shy of 23 weeks pregnant. He is about a foot long and weighs about 1 pound. And he's just as cute as his big brother I'm certain!

Happy 1st Birthday Nathan!

Nathan, it has been a wonderful year having you as our son. You have grown from a little baby boy into a fun adventuresome 1 year old. Time has gone so fast, but we've enjoyed every minute of having you in our family. We look forward to watching you grow...

Welcome to the world NRB! Born at 2:36 AM 7lbs 8 oz 19 1/2 in long

First family camp out in an unfurnished apartment after you were born because we had no power at our house due to the ice storm

Our big boy on his 1st birthday opening presents

To celebrate your big day today you, Dad, and Grandpa visited the Louisville Slugger Bat museum. You loved it--especially watching the workers make the baseball bats! We had dinner at 5 Guys burgers and you helped Mammaw eat her hamburger. Quite a big day for our biggest boy! We love you son and are so thankful for you! Happy Birthday Nathan!

Projects Please

We are just finishing a week of projects around the house.

Our project manager has been Phillip's mom Debbie and she has been fantastic! She came to visit us last Thursday and has been here churning out projects left and right. If she was up to it, I'd print her up a business card and give it to everyone I know in every industry--she could find a way to contribute to all kinds of business and do it well!

Here's what we've done:

• reorganized kitchen cabinets and created a pantry out of an armoire. Complete with shelves all organized
  
• sewn curtains for the kitchen and basement windows
• frosted the glass of our basement windows so natural light can come in and creepy peering eyes stay out
• hemmed and mended suits
• installed child safety cabinet locks
• fixed our broken leaf in the kitchen table
• cleared out our paint closet that probably had paint in it from JFK's administration
• organized and cleaned out Nathan's soon-to-be big boy room and bought some SUPER cute bedding and accessories for the decor. Theme: The Great Outdoors/Pieces of Americana
• sorted through loads of stuff and determined whether it was keep, sell , or trash
• helped get Nathan back on track after his first legitimate illness: an ear infection
  

Plus we've had a grand 'ol time doing it all! Lots of hard work, but it has paid dividends for certain! We've also made plenty of time to play with Nathan and laugh and just enjoy each other's company. It's always great having Mammaw around and now we just added Grandpa to the mix and Miss D and Daddy Doc will be arriving tomorrow! Lots of fun times coming up!

A Comedy of Errors

This week has been a true Comedy of Errors

Phillip's car wouldn't start
Dishwasher wouldn't drain
Shower curtain rod broke and wouldn't stay up while showering (quite frustrating)
Folks coming to insulate our main floor walls and attic=maddening loudness
Had 2 weeks where it never got above freezing (relieved yesterday when we crept into the forties)
Trying to settle in still from travel over Christmas and get back into a routine

Yowsers

I will expound on the Insulation Team. I described them to Phillip as a mix of the cast of "O Brother Where Art Thou?" and I have truly been singing "in constant sorrow all my days." These guys are coun-try. But not just good ol' boy country. We're talking backwoods country here friends. One guy is about 5' 4" on his tiptoes and smokes like a chimney. He's the leader of the group and I call him Short Smokey. Our second character is Silent Sam. Never heard a peep from him the whole time. Our third character is literally the spittin' image of Delmar O'Donnell from the movie and that's what got me on the whole thing in the first place. Delmar is also quite a talker and a nice fellow. But, the best character only made an appearance today. He's a dead ringer for Billy Ray Cyrus in his prime complete with braided ponytail. I thought once about asking these guys if they could get together and sing, but decided against it. Luckily, they're characters because it's the only thing that has kept my sanity over the past two days amidst the raucous noise and yelling.

And they're coming back on Monday...another day full of adventure

The Dos is a...

BOY!!

We are thrilled thrilled THRILLED with another boy in our home! We both predicted a boy. More cars, trucks, cowboys, and laughter is headed our way. Look out for two lil partners coming your way soon. Here's some photos:

Profile shot: you can see both head and torso

Here he is turned facing us with his hands up by his face. You can also see ribs (the stripes) and the heart (the blackish spot in the center of the chest)

One thing about this fellow is that he is a mover and a shaker! He be-bopped around for the camera the whole time. We could hardly keep him still! If this holds true out of the womb, he will be giving his big brother a run for his money. Everything looked healthy and he's right on track as far as growth. Phillip and Nathan got to be in the room for the ultrasound which was too fun! As for those who might be concerned about the accuracy of the ultrasound, I'll just tell you it was a no doubter that he's a he. Thank you Lord for another healthy bouncing baby boy!

Vote Now

We go in for our big ultrasound on Friday morning...so...

Boy or Girl?

What say ye? Cast your vote in the comments section!

We'll let you know the outcome (assuming Dos cooperates) as soon as we can!

Happy New Year

From Mr. Handsome

December Happenings

I know it has been shamefully long since I posted. Please no grief Justin and Kyle. I know.

December was quite a busy month so I am going to hit the highlights:

Nathan got his first tooth on December 5th. FIN-A-LLY. It didn't seem to bother him too much, but I was feeding him that day and noticed a little pearly white peaking through. He seems to be working on his other bottom front tooth now and we're expecting its arrival any day.

As for Christmas parties, we had a Sunday School White Elephant Christmas Party, a Ladies cookie exchange, and we hosted the Dockerys and Powells at our home for an end of the semester celebration. I flaked out at the cookie exchange because it had been a crazy crazy day and the thought of baking made my eyes twitch and my head spin, so I opted for the holiday Oreos. Tasty and easy. I didn't win any awards with them, but hey sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

We had an interesting Christmas Eve because our flight from Houston to Abilene was cancelled due to weather. Therefore, we had to bum a ride to Austin and then my parents came and picked us up and we arrived in Abilene about 11:00 PM. Ugghhhh. Not my preference for spending my Christmas Eve, but we made it safely and without too much trouble. Nathan has had bad luck with weather related events in his short life, so we would like this streak to be over thank you very much.

The little man had his first time away from us over night for 4 nights after Christmas. He stayed with Miss D and Daddy Doc in Abilene. So, Phillip and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary a bit early and took a Tour of Texas to some favorite and legendary Texas hotspots. Our trip included: Fredericksburg, Luckenbach, San Antonio, Gruene, and finally Ft. Worth. We slept well, ate well, and had tons of fun. Some notable moments include: a small intimate Cory Morrow concert, fireside chats at the Hyatt Hill Country, walking the floors of Gruene Hall, and a night with Robert Earl Keen at the Bass Hall in Ft. Worth. Legendary. I can't even begin to name all the great places we ate, but needless to say my tastebuds were not left out.

Lastly, we rang in the New Year asleep because we've all had allergies, Phillip had a sinus infection, stuffy noses, and all around nasal discomfort. Terrible. We're on the mend now thankfully.

Hope your December was exciting and memorable