Keeping Up with the Joneses

1st is the worst, 2nd is the best....

2012-02-14T10:46:00.000-08:00

Poor Blake- being in the middle kinda stinks sometimes. You aren't the first and you aren't the last. My little red head firecracker, he makes me smile so big. Blake is the first to tell you he loves you and come up unprovoked to hug or kiss you. He's just a little lovebug.

Now we are in BIG trouble

2012-02-14T10:39:00.000-08:00

Here she is the morning after her first night in the big girl bed.

Our little girl has decided to be BIG this past week. As I posted before, she has figured out the crib and can escape with ease. So, after researching the crib tent option, we decided to try the Big Girl bed out. Out came the bedrail and we set it up as cozy as we could.

Aside from getting out a few times each night as we try to put her down, she is doing pretty good. I cannot really wrap my mind around the fact that she is no longer in a crib- it happened WAY too fast for me. Last night, I was laying in the bed with her and asked her if she was a big girl in a big girl bed and she nodded her head.

And they call the thing a RODEO

2012-02-14T10:19:00.000-08:00

Our very own cowboy had his first ride in the San Antonio Rodeo this weekend. He was chosen late last fall to do the Mutton Bustin' event and we have been eagerly anticipating this weekend for months now.

The idea of riding a sheep was really exciting to Hunter, especially since his cousin, Ryan, did the very same thing last year in Fort Worth. So, we decided to prepare him from a couple of rides on our backs and watching a few rounds of it on YouTube.

We checked in, he chose to put on the #10 vest and off we went.

Unfortunately, the ride was super fast- so fast that it was nearly impossible to get good pics or video and watch at the same time. Thankfully we get a video through the rodeo and really professional and up-close pictures.
Here he is getting loaded.

And dumped.

The top score was 83 and Hunter scored an 80- the 2nd highest score. His sheep was a fast runner and Hunter held on tight as could be. He shifted to the side all the way to the belly before he dropped into the dirt.
Here he is on the big screen getting his trophy.

Hunter LOVES that trophy- he even took it to school Monday to show his kindergarten class. The entire day was a blast! Such a blast in fact...look who was wiped out!

A Certain Toddler has our Number

2012-02-05T22:13:00.000-08:00

And currently, that number is 12:00 AM- as in Midnight. We are contending with a smarter-than-we-are little girl who has all of a sudden realized her amazing climbing skills can propel her right out of her crib. The last several nights have been a battle of wills with her being able to get right out of bed at any moment. Chris and I have had to laugh as we hear the pitter patter of her little feet as she comes our way. We can hear when she stops off at the pantry- she brought a box of Cheezits to our bedside once. We hear when she stops off to play with a toy left out. We hear when she pulls on the back door handles and says what sounds like, "Go ou-side." Uh, not at midnight. Tonight, she even walked back to the boys' room to announce that they all, "Go ou-side."

We are tired and weary and unfortunately, at this point in the day, your parenting skills are a little lacking. Once my head hits the pillow, my very selfish and tired self wins out and often we are letting her be sandwiched in between us. It's not the best sleep when a toddler shares your pillow.

This to shall pass I assume, as all things do. I will laugh at how at this young age of 19 months, she was so agile in lifting herself over the edge of the crib and lower herself down, dropping the last couple of inches from hanging. Whew! At least she's my third and not my first. I'm a little more at ease knowing she can obviously handle it. I'm thinking it's time to ask my friends who has a crib tent in storage. We most certainly need it...now!

Middle Man

2012-02-02T23:09:00.000-08:00

Blaker Boo- We cannot let you be overlooked, so here is your update. At 3 years and 3 months you are rocking the potty-trained thing. You really became potty trained at the beginning of the school year when you were still 2, and have done SO great (compared to your big brother who was tough to potty train). My little red-head, you are too precious for words. You wander most nights with pillow and blankets in hand to our room to sleep in between Daddy and I. I know it's not a forever thing, so I'm not too worried about it. It's kinda sweet to hear you suck away on your poppy (pacifier) and see you cuddle into your Daddy. You're a little snuggle bug and I LOVE it!

You LOVE your teachers, Ms. Christy and Ms. Dana and they adore you back. You go M/W to school and talk only about Luke, your best bud. You two are a force to reckon with and don't delve out much. This being your first year of school, you have done great! You take your lunch both days and stay for nap on Wednesday. You come home that day with definite nap hair so I know you sleep hard on your nap mat. You are still ADDICTED with a vengeance to your poppy and your night nights. You and Hunter share a room and do SO well being tucked in at the same time. I love hearing you both giggling and talking sometimes after we do prayers and say goodnight.

You are SO talented at certain things- you can ride a razor scooter like a big kid. Your ability to balance is incredible and you can even ride lifting up your other leg. It's truly amazing. You also have riding a bike down and have the same size bike as Hunter. Yours has training wheels but still, it's pretty incredible to see a 3 year old have such control over a large bike.

You love to watch Marmaduke, ET, Batteries Not Included (you call it Robots), Night at the Museum (you call it Museum), Curious George, you just got into Finding Nemo, Scooby Doo, and you think it's great fun to watch things on your movie player.

Let's see...you love to ride your bike, play outside, play cars, make tents, watch movies and cuddle up, bring out all pillows and blankets and make a huge pallet, play on the pogo swing, play out front, ride the riding toys... You are busy and so fun and so incredibly precious. Your favorite thing to wear is your "Bay-lo jersey" and your "run-around pants." Run around pants are little cotton sweat pants that I told you were just to "run around" in and the name stuck! I love it!

Fun things you say..."Last night..." Everything happened last night in your world.
"Al-de-gator" "No ma'am Emi-wee" or "No Sirs dogs" "Hunter did it" "I wanna take a baf" (bath) "Am I going to school today?" "I not do that, I'm a big boy" "Her not do that"

Growing TOO fast

2012-02-02T22:55:00.000-08:00

At 17 months old, Emily is a mile a minute. She seems far beyond her age and can do most anything in keeping up with her big brothers. Blake, my little policeman, does his best to keep her in line and if often overheard saying, "No ma'am Emiwee."

Her words at this age....Mama, Dada, Mommy, walk, dog dog, No, Nooooo, bite, wah wah for water, makes growling sound for what a dog says, poppy (our word for pacifier), ba ba (bottle), bay-bee (baby), Bapa, Mimi, Baaa for Babs, Sh Sh for Shay Shay, my, blah blah (what she says when she wants something)

She usually eats right handed. She is great with a fork or spoon and has been from an early age. She is getting better and better about drinking from an open cup. She still takes a bottle (don't judge, she's my last) and will go to our drawer of cups that is down low for the kids and bring me a cup when she is thirsty. She is CONSTANTLY in the pantry, bringing out snacks and carrying around chip bags, goldfish.... I can't tell you how many times we have had to sweep or vacuum up the poured out bags of snacks. I am convinced that I need to get a lock for the pantry to keep me sane. It's getting out of hand.

Emily is down at 7 PM and up around 7 AM. She loves to sing and often sings in her room or in the car. It's precious. She loves to listen to music and will dance to beat and can shake her hips back and forth by shifting her weight from side to side bending and straightening her legs. I LOVE that! She loves taking baths and afterwards will dart off for the thrill of being naked a little longer! She loves her bunny that is her lovie- it's starting to look loved on. She still takes her poppy and she and Blake exchange them all day long. (Again, don't judge...it's survival sometimes.) She is great in the car and rides like a champ to and from the many things she is toted around to. She likes to play with her dolls, with her brothers cars and blocks, loves to read and be read to, pitters around with her new kitchen, plays outside on the playground or on the riding toys, is VERY independent and can go off on her own without a problem (at least for herself), loves the new pogo swing, enjoys being with people, has tee-teed on the potty a handful of times (yahoo!!), loves to help mommy, push her doll stroller around, sit at her table and chairs in her rooms and play, can climb most anything....

Kids say the Darndest things

2012-02-02T22:47:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago, I had to run to the store early on Sunday morning before church. I quickly asked if anyone wanted to go with me, and Hunter volunteered. Even though it was a quick trip for milk, I enjoyed my one-on-one time with my sweet 6 year old. As we were driving home the few blocks from the store, I started talking about memories of driving with him in his carseat as a toddler and how he would talk and talk about trucks and cars and which ones had hitches, which ones didn't, which ones had big gas tanks, which ones had "wittle" ones....Hunter loves to hear fun memories of him as a little kid and what he used to say.

I came around to open his car door and jokingly said, "I should just call you Hitch." To which he quickly replied, "Well, I should just call you, Bi#!@."

Before you go assuming anything at all, he was simply rhyming back at me and had NO IDEA what he was saying. I burst out laughing, quickly explained why I thought it was so funny by telling him that I knew he had no idea it was an ugly word to call someone and knew that he didn't mean it, but I thought it was an innocent gaffe. He was mortified that he said such a thing even though I reassured him it was totally him rhyming back. Too funny!

A New Resolution

2012-02-02T22:36:00.000-08:00

It was April 2007 (I think) that I started "blogging." It was such a new concept to me back then and I was excited to try something so "out there." Not being a very technology-oriented person, I just played with the most simple template, added my writing and pictures and felt like I had accomplished something great. Being able to document what was going on in our lives was enjoyable and fun and having always been one that enjoys writing in a journal, it was a perfect mode at preserving family memories for years to come.

I do have 2 entire journals filled to the brim with handwritten accounts of Hunter's first couple of years. And the blog started when he was 1 1/2. Then Blake came along, so I wanted to be fair. He has one mostly filled journal and I picked up with him on the blog. The funny thing is, my boys will probably be the least to care that I hand wrote their sleeping habits as babies, their first words and when they mastered a new skill. So, along comes Emily. Three kids underfoot and doing anything but survive is a task in itself. I compromised with myself and decided I would keep a Word Document journal for her. It started out strong- lots of posts during pregnancy recording special info and things I wanted to remember. Then, the first couple of months of her life, I was pretty good about keeping it up. Honestly, at this point (17 months old), I cannot remember the last time I wrote in it. I know I have missed documenting when new teeth have arrived (she has 11), what we have been up to, her words at different months, funny things she does... And even the blog has suffered. I have often felt guilty for not getting on to update, although I know that is not of the Lord, it is fully me and my expectations. I know she will most likely be the one that will enjoy knowing the details of her babyhood and beyond.

So here is the resolution- I am going to TRY to blog three times a week. It may or may not include pictures, but it will update on life, what is going on with each family member.... At the end of this year, 5 1/2 years into the blogging journey, I am making it into a book. So please, if you read this, thanks for stopping by to see what we are doing. Feel free to shout out and remind me to keep this up. I know I will be so glad I did.

The Live Nativity

2011-12-23T18:42:00.001-08:00

For many years our church has had a tradition of performing a live nativity scene outside. It brings people from all over who come and watch the 15 minute performance from the gospel of Luke. It's really an amazing production.

Our family volunteered, along with many of our close friends, to perform one night this week. So, for an hour and a half, we were in costume, performing our parts over and over, laughing and having a great time. The best part about it was that the kids LOVED every minute. Even more than that, the story of Jesus' birth is now very close and personal to them. Doing this is a tradition I would love to keep up for many years.
There were LOTS of kids (even more than this... and they did GREAT!)

Our little Biblical family- Chris was a Wise Man, I was a shepherd with the boys and Emily was an angel (she was too busy to be in this picture)

The boys all dressed and ready

Chris, Derek and Brent- aka The Three Wise Men

5th Annual Santa Party

2011-12-23T18:34:00.000-08:00

Starting when Hunter was little, we have done a Santa Party continuing a family tradition that my parents did when we were little. With Hunter having a "Christmas" birthday, it was great for a couple of years for him to have his birthday party with Santa there. Now, it is a great family party that we host each year and it's such a fun time to see friends and we have such a great time every year. I feel like we are in the most magical time right now. Hunter believes so much- he came running when I told him Santa was here.

He was full of things to tell Santa- he wants an electric scooter, a pogo swing, R2D2 robot and other fun things. Blake wants a bike. Hunter loved talking to Santa and told him that he "still hears the bell." So sweet. Santa told him that he hopes he never stops hearing the bell.

Emily was not too pleased with our trying to get her picture with Santa.

In this picture, Santa is looking at something Hunter made him. He ended up leaving it at our house so he wrote Hunter a personal note that was delivered the next day that told Hunter to leave it by the tree and Santa would take it when he came on Christmas Eve.

6 Years Old

2011-12-23T17:56:00.000-08:00

6 years ago, as of December 15, I became a mom. It will forever stand as the most incredible day of my entire life and I know Chris feels the same way. Looking back, every detail, even the mundane ones, are as clear as if they just happened. It all seems so vivid- perhaps since it was all the first time and like nothing I had ever experienced. Hunter was due on Christmas day, but as we approach and I progressed very quickly through the month of December, my doctor felt comfortable inducing on Friday, Dec. 16th. So, after a final visit on the 14th, I decided to take the 15th off of work and just enjoy my last day before his arrival. Little did I know that he would decide to make his debut that evening. I can still remember lying on the couch, watching The Food Network and talking on the phone that afternoon. I remember rubbing my lower back thinking it was hurting every couple of minutes (you would think that would be obvious), I remember hanging up the phone to call my doctor, I remember leaning over my kitchen island in pain asking her if this could possibly be something, I remember having the phone ring a few minutes later to my doctor saying "This is it!", I remember calling Chris to come home and also giving my mom the heads up, I remember putting flip flops on because it was too hard to put anything more complicated on my feet, I remember Chris loading the car and asking him to pose for one last shot outside the car, I remember being very grateful for heated seats with back pains getting worse and worse, I remember trying to reach his parents with no luck, I remember adrenaline kicking in once we arrived- I carried some of my stuff upstairs to L&D, I remember getting gowned up and realizing the adrenaline was wearing off and I was hurting, I remember the nurse checking me right away and being at a 9 already, I remember thinking labor was like no pain I could have ever imagined or described, I remember making it to the epidural and feeling like a new person afterwards, I remember a labor room filled with friends and family like it was a party, I remember my doctor rolling in and things getting started, I remember being in shock that 2 hours after we arrived at the hospital it was time to meet him, I remember hearing Chris say "Hey buddy" as soon as Hunter arrived, I remember the thrill and utter amazement of holding my precious newborn son in my arms, I remember looking at his face and feeling like I had always known him, I remember my heart just exploding with love for the most wonderful addition to our lives... I will always remember.

Now that baby is six. SIX! He is growing into a young boy and we are so proud of him.
Hunter,
You are our pride and joy along with your brother and sister. I see so much of myself in you as the oldest child. You strive for perfection, you are a pleaser, you are a rule follower and wise beyond your years. At the same time, you have the most sincere innocence. You love to tease and play. I love this stage of life with you and treasure the stages past. It breaks my heart to remember all the fun I've had with you and the bond that has deepened over the years. It's just hard to believe so many fun years have passed and now I look ahead praying for more sweet years ahead.

You have the most unbelievable memory and amaze your daddy and I with all you can recall. You are a mathematical thinker and can compute numbers in your head- it puts me to shame since I am not wired that way. You love your family- immediate and beyond and love to spend time with them. You still want to be tucked in every night with the same blankets- first your soft covers, then the cold covers, then your 2 night nights. It's sweetness. You love to imagine and play. You color and draw with precision. You are very creative and artistic. You learn things fast and work hard to do well. You play soccer, baseball, golf, tennis and have taken karate. You are getting ready to play basketball.

You have a heart that knows and loves God. I love to talk to you and pray with you and hear what is on your heart.

Hunter, 6 years has passed way too quickly. It seems like yesterday you were that little baby in my arms, or the toddler talking up a storm in the backseat. Now, I have a kindergartner just growing up before my eyes. It's my greatest honor to be your mom. I love you more than you will ever know!
Love,
Mom

Chapel Birthday

2011-11-18T12:38:00.000-08:00

Blake's school, which is also our church, does a really sweet tradition on each child's birthday. I'm sure other church schools do it very much the same, but on their special day, the birthday child gets to be up front and have Happy Birthday sung to them. Then, they get to help light the birthday candle, get their special Mrs. Jane hugs and make their own special request of a song to sing.

Blake and his best buddy, Luke, were celebrated on Wednesday. It was so precious for the 2 best friends to get to have their chapel time together. Then, later that afternoon was their Tailgate Birthday Party (another post later on that!).

Happy 3rd Birthday...

2011-11-17T17:27:00.000-08:00

...to my precious Blake. How is it that 3 entire years have passed since that first time I laid eyes on you and got to hold you in my arms? What an incredible little guy you are and far more of a blessing than we could have ever even asked for. You are funny, spunky, sensitive, rambunctious, silly, smart, kind and sweet, playful, cuddly, learning new things everyday... you are anything and everything that is good. We are so thankful for our 2nd little boy that makes life so interesting- right when we thought we had things figured out, you came along to humble us right back into our rightful places.

Your little heart is starting to really embrace all that God has to offer at your tender little age- you ask each night for "Mommy bless me." It's something I do to speak words of truth and blessing over you- things that God promises and that I hope you hold close to your heart for always. Knowing that you love that time each night makes my heart so happy.

You still LOVE your "pop pop" (pacifier) and "nigh night." They don't stray too far from you and while it's a little unbelievable to be at age 3 and so highly attached, I know you won't be walking down the aisle with them. A little perspective goes a long way.

You are the kid that everyone meets and wants to take home with them right away. I think I've mentioned it before, but I need to have a shirt made for you that says, "Everyone wants to take me home." You are just a joyful, full of life little boy! I hope you always are!

You are loving to your baby sister and you look up to your big brother so very much. You often ask where he is during the day and are so ready for him to come home and play. I have seen more independence in you as Hunter has been in school more and it's all a good thing. You play and imagine and really get into what you are playing. I think it's precious.

You are loving cars right now, especially the movie Cars 2. You have gotten just about everything Cars 2 for your birthday and are thrilled to play with any and all of it. Of course, you are also thrilled to tote around an empty bag, so you aren't too concerned with the bells and whistles of too much yet.

Daddy and I are so proud of the little person you are growing up to be. You have a heart of gold and a personality of spunk and fun. When you are in high school, you could very well win several superlatives, but I can forsee..."Most Humorous" as your title.

As of 2 1/2 to now, you are talking up a STORM!! I love to hear you tell me, "Be cuz" for an answer to my questions or respond with "Relwee" (Really). When I tried desperately to talk you out of using the pop pop anymore with the tactic of naming everyone you know and saying, "So-and-so says no to the pop pop and so does so-and-so...." You quickly quipped back, "Well Blake says yes!"

Oh boy, my heart just overflows knowing you and loving you. You bring such additional happiness and humor to our family. You can make anything fun and silly. I need to take life lessons from you about living in the moment.

I call you "Messy Marvin" because 9 times out of 10, you are a MESS. You constantly have hair out of place, food on your face or clothes, a runny nose... Who knows, but you manage to collect dirt as you go. Wouldn't take you any other way!

Blaker Boo, Blakey, Bubba, Bubba Roo, Blakester, Blakey Blakey Bo Blakey.... Doesn't matter what we call you, we think you are the greatest 3 year old in the whole world and are so incredibly grateful to be your mom and dad!

Our very own Champ

2011-09-14T18:53:00.000-07:00

Last year, an exciting thing happened in our family... Chris one the Club Championship. We had a great time watching him play and win last year and were so thrilled that he made it to the Championship round again this year.

So, there was no time to waste in getting our ensembles ready to show our support for our guy! The kids came up to the club for a couple of minutes to see Daddy and take some pictures in their shirts. Hunter's shirt said, "You're my champ" and Blake's said, "Go for 2 Dad" and Emily's said, "Jonesey." Chris played a great round and was ahead for much of it. At the end though, he lost on hole 17. We are so proud of him and he is a champ to all of us! Way to go!!

First Day of School

2011-09-14T18:44:00.000-07:00

Blake had his first day of school on Monday. We LOVE his teachers and are thrilled to give Blake the opportunity like Hunter had to be a part of this school-family. It's really a sweet place to be.

He's already learned letter "A" and is very proud to tell me about his masterpiece of that letter that be brought home. He's on week 3 of potty training and doing great! I'm so proud of him. He just decided one day to wear underwear and hasn't turned back since. He's done great and while we've had a couple of accidents along the way that are frustrating, he has overall been a breeze to potty train. The accidents usually stem from Mommy forgetting to remind him.

Today, I made him a wrap for his lunch. He apparently pulled it out and told his teachers, "I don't love this." Ha! I want to remember these days so badly and know that when I blink and they are over, it will be impossible to remember what these days were like. So, this blog is a small attempt at jotting down the moments of life that are special.

Blake is really talking well these days and often checks with you by replying, "Right? Right mom?" It's so cute. When you ask him if he needs to go potty, his favorite reply is "Not yet." Today at school, he told one of the women that works at the church, "Em-lay is pwetty." He was bragging on his sister! I just love that!

Strike a pose!

2011-08-27T10:55:00.003-07:00

All 3 had the chance to model some precious clothing for a close family friend who is opening a new children's boutique. It was fun to get to see them dressed up and the final products are so cute! I'll be buying those clothes and the photographs for sure!

Just adorable! Love her little hands in this one.

My little fraternity boys in Vineyard Vines. I must say they look incredibly handsome!

Angel girl in white! Super sweet!

--all photos credited to Robert Shaw Photography-

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

R-E-D red

2011-08-27T10:55:00.001-07:00

R-E-D red,
R-E-D red,
I can spell red,
I can spell red.
Firetrucks are red,
Stop signs are red too.
R-E-D.
R-E-D!!
(sung to the tune of "Are you sleeping?")

This week was "red" week for all of kindergarten and they topped it off with everyone wearing red on Friday. I had the opportunity to volunteer at lunch on Friday and was in the cafeteria during Hunter's lunch time. He told me to pack "tricky things to open" so that I would get to help him. How sweet is that?? Someday he won't want me with 20 feet of him much less hovering around his table getting the scoop from 4 kindergarten boys. Such sweet days!

Here he is decked in red. This is at the Ford dealership where my car spent a good deal of time this week and yet is still not repaired. Fun times! At least there's a decent playground. :-)

She liked the playground too!

A little wiped out from a busy day.

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On pins and needles

2011-08-25T11:52:00.001-07:00

I think we will be better next week, but as of today, we are all on pins and needles for 2:00 to roll around and have all of our little people under one roof. We haven't ventured too far from home aside from Bible study and an errand or two. My excuse today is that my car is in the shop, so we are definitely homebound. I'm hoping next week we will resume our outings and feel more "at home" with this new normal of not having Hunter with us. Boy did the summer spoil us!
This morning, we took advantage of cloudy skies and played out back. Watch out for this guy when he turns 16! He's awesome at maneuvering this car and hilarious to watch!

And here is the little bitty daredevil! Look mom!! I'm standing!!

Wait! Now I think I'll take a spin in the Escalade! Or maybe just change the radio stations.

While we are switching places, let me have a turn in the baby swing! He was so tickled by how much the branch moved when he was swinging. Sorry oak tree!

Lady E swinging away! Love the simple things.

Now, they are both napping and I am nervously awaiting my pantry raider! Boy does he come home with an appetite!

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The little lady

2011-08-24T19:55:00.003-07:00

This lady plays hard!

She's one crafty girl!

When she's out, she's out!

She can really fancy up!

And take it down a notch too!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

When brother is away...

2011-08-24T19:55:00.001-07:00

We are learning how to fill our time when big brother is away at kindergarten.... Today, we played outside, rode scooters, went on a rock hunt and even climbed a tree!

Once inside, this precious middle child had the luxury of story time all on his own- I think he picked 20 books once it was all said and done. It was a sweet time to get to do that with just Blake while Emily napped.

About 10:30, Blake looked at me and asked, "Where is Huntuh? Let's go get 'em."

I know buddy, it's not the same without your sidekick! We all know who's the most excited when 2:00 rolls around!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I got myself a Kindergartener!

2011-08-22T18:24:00.001-07:00

Wasn't it just yesterday that we loaded up our car on a blustery December day with the most precious cargo we could ever imagine. I remember despite the gray early evening outside, pulling up to our house and thinking home had never looked so sweet. From swaddling a delicate newborn, to cheering on a crawling baby, to filming spaghetti dinners and first steps, to watching a little personality emerge and loving every single bit of it, to watching him learn to ride his bike without training wheels and learn so stinkin' fast you can't believe it, to laying out clothes for his first day of kindergarten....how could it be so soon? And yet, I feel we must have accomplished something very worthwhile to walk alongside a confident, excited and eager little boy to his new classroom without a single hesitation. His little wings and early roots seem to be working just fine today.

As a matter of fact, when he walked out to my car grinning ear to ear this afternoon and I asked what his favorite part of the day was, he replied, "Everything!"

I sure hope he knows that's the same way I feel about him!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Life according to iPhone pics

2011-08-07T18:56:00.001-07:00

Seems more and more I am relying on my phone to
capture the moments of daily life. So here's a glimpse of what has been going on with us.
A day at the lake at LBJ Marina going down the slide.

Eating chocolate chip cookies on the porch during an unexpected and very needed rainstorm.

A cute pic of hunter painted like a pirate in Watercolor.

Blakey and Emmy ready to ride the train.

All 3 sliding at the playground.

5 of the 7 grandkids in Austin.

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Days 2 and 3

2011-07-17T18:32:00.000-07:00

The first full day in Seaside was a blast! We made the most of the beach and the pool until early afternoon when Chris and I biked back to the house with the kids for naptime. We were not ever bored during that downtime- I read 3 books over the week and Chris had his laptop to do a little work from the house.

On Sunday, Hunter and I decorated his bike in Watercolor for their "4th of July" parade- even though it was only the 3rd. We biked through the neighborhood to the Camp District area and went to the kid's carnival. He had a blast! I took pictures and video on my iPhone so I don't have them to include here right now. He did water slides, bounce houses, major bounce slip and slides, a dunking booth, a boxing ring and this gladiator game (all on bounce house type deals). We had the most fun afternoon and ended the outing with the most incredible face painting- he was a pirate.

Later that day, we had to drive to the nearest pharmacy because Emily had come down with her 4th ear infection. Bleh! After grabbing yet another antibiotic for Miss Em, we drove back to Seaside for dinner at Great Southern- one of our family's favorites. Their signature dish- grits a ya ya- is INCREDIBLE! I had to order that, of course!
One half of the group at Great Southern
We let the kids run around in the outdoor amphitheatre after dinner and then enjoyed icecream at Heavenly's- a nighttime ritual.
On the 4th, the boys played golf in the morning, so the girls and kids rode bikes and explored, swam at the pool, ate an early lunch and took early naps and were ready to hit the beach when the boys came back. We enjoyed the afternoon at the beach and then came back to shower for the fireworks. As luck would have it, some of my parents' friends from UT were in Seaside and had a condo overlooking the Seaside Town Center. From their balcony, the fireworks were absolutely the most breathtaking I have EVER seen... EVER!

...to be continued

Seaside.... here we come!!

2011-07-12T11:17:00.000-07:00

A little over a week ago, we loaded up the car and headed east to Florida to a little slice of heaven... Seaside and Watercolor. We spent a week enjoying the beautiful surroundings, riding bikes, eating lots of ice cream, visiting the beach and various pools around the neighborhood, reading books, relaxing on porches, and just having a great time.
My sign on the boys' chalkboard in their room... we couldn't wait to get on the road.

It was Emily's birthday on July 2nd, so that morning, we had to pose the 3 kids for a birthday picture. Yay!! She's ONE!

Here we are at our awesome house!
No time to waste... first thing we did was load everyone onto bikes and trailers and take a bike ride around Watercolor.

It wasn't two minutes later that we had our first of many injuries from bike riding. He was all smiles and back on in no time.

The birthday girl!

...to be continued

Isn't she lovely?

2011-06-20T18:57:00.000-07:00

Isn't she wonderful?
Isn't she precious... just at one minute old!

I always listened to that song and wondered if I'd ever have a little girl to sing it about. How is it that a year has passed since that wonderful day when our 3rd little miracle came into our lives?

A LOOK BACK AT THE LAST YEAR...
July 2, 2010 Emily Blair Jones enters this world and our lives

2 weeks old

One month old

AUGUST 2010- 1 month old

SEPTEMBER- 2 months old

OCTOBER 2010- 3 months old

NOVEMBER 2010- 4 months old

DECEMBER 2010- 5 months old

JANUARY 2011- 6 months old

FEBRUARY- 7 months old (crawling)

MARCH 2011- 8 months old

APRIL- 9 months old

MAY- 10 months old (Walking and first teeth)

JUNE- 11 months

With this ring...

2011-06-20T18:35:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, my baby brother proposed to the most wonderful girl that I am so excited will be a part of our family. We had known for a couple of weeks that the plan was for them to come up to the lake, take the boat out and while out on the water he would propose. That afternoon, my family all make the trek up to the lake (all of this was unknown to Faith). We met her family at Horseshoe Bay for dinner. I only had my little Blake and Emily since Chris and Hunter had to go on to Waco for a family wedding that evening. We ate dinner and then drove over to the lake house while Uncle Blake and Faith were out on the boat. We had white balloons, flowers, champagne, wedding cake and gifts to shower the newly engaged couple with.
Before we knew it, they came around the corner and we all broke into cheers and congratulations. They were beaming from ear to ear and we all took turns hugging them and telling them how excited we were.

It was such a fun night!

Then, while weddings were fresh on our mind, we headed up to Waco for Chris' cousin's wedding. Hunter was a ring bearer for the 3rd time that weekend and even Blake and Emily got to go to the reception. Blake surprised us and danced the night away until the bride and groom left. We were shocked! I wish I had his picture cutting a rug but didn't take my camera that night.
My pretty lady!

My handsome boy!

Darling little boy!

Summertime

2011-06-20T18:18:00.000-07:00

We are enjoying our summer so much! Hunter has participated in swim camp and had lots of playdates with friends. Blake has been swimming up a storm, playing outside lots and Emily has been running around after her brothers.

She is walking really well now and climbing too! If I'm not careful, she's up on top of a table or attempting to climb onto Blake's bed. Phew! She's at that "handful" stage for sure! Here she is at a friend's 1st birthday with her birthday buddy, Anna.

We all had VBS at our church last week. It was an incredible and fun week! Our church did Pandamania this year and I was a chapel leader with Cari. We had the best time and decided it was the best job- you get to lead the praise and worship and see ALL of the kids, and then during your "off-time" we were able to rotate around and see each of our kids doing their activities.

Emily got really sick starting Wednesday night when I noticed she had started to run a fever. She stayed home with my mom on Thursday morning and by the time I called, my mom said I needed to come home. She was really hot, very puny and not very responsive. We immediately got into the doctor and her temperature was 104.7! She had a raging double ear infection and felt so crummy. The dr did a shot of rocephin(sp?) and got her started on antibiotics. She seemed a little better that evening, but by Friday we were back at square one and complicated by her dehydration. Another trip to the doctor, a fever that was still hovering in the 103's and a very sad baby, and we had a day at home trying to get her to take fluids. She only had the strong meds in her tummy and was "losing" all of her fluids. ugh! We were steps away from the ER but finally got her to sleep around 11:30 that night. Saturday she woke up like a new person. Aside from being a little clingy, she is doing great now. Poor thing, I have a feeling ear tubes are in her future since we've had 3 ear infections in the past 3 months.

Hunter started karate this week and was so excited to get started. He's a white belt and got his first band today. We will see how he enjoys it but I think it's a great activity for him this summer while sports are on hiatus. (Look how proud Blake is of his big brother in uniform!)

The Graduate

2011-06-03T12:33:00.000-07:00

Aunt Kristin drove all the way from Austin for the graduation

Our family of 5 with the graduate

Handsome in his coat and tie

2 Weeks ago, my baby boy graduated from preschool. Seems hard to believe! Just the other day, I was dropping him off for his first day of MDO. When I picked him up at lunch that day, he casually reported to me that, "Those kids have beds in there." He was referring to all of the nap mats being set up for an afternoon nap. The fall of 2008 was the first time he went to school and he's loved it since day 1. What more could you ask?

All of his teachers- his 2 year old class teachers Ms. Missy and Ms. Tobi. His 3 year old teachers- Ms. Jennifer and Ms. Amy... his 4 year old teachers- Ms. Beverly and Ms. Pat... have ALL been incredible and precious to our little boy. They have loved on him, been silly and fun, taught him lots of things that will carry him far, have encouraged his spiritual growth, strengthened his character and just been so sweet and wonderful. He has always begged to go to school more, so I know he has had an incredible experience. I am so grateful!

Off we head to kinder- those of you with little ones take note that it really is a blink of an eye. I feel way to young myself to have a child in kindergarten and much less to be on the PTO Board next year- I mean seriously? Words like carpool, PTO and homework are about to enter into our everyday vocabulary and will be there for many years to come.

We are relishing the days of summer so far. Lots of trips to the pool, the zoo, the train, out to lunch with friends, the library for story time and checking out books, water balloons and slip n slides in the backyard, playtime with friends and neighbors and just lazy, unscheduled days. We are looking forward to a couple of planned activities over the next several weeks but will enjoy our open and free time just as much.

A couple of stories that come to mind when I think of his time at Weekday School:
** I was told he had a conscience of steel. One day on the playground he came running to tell his teachers he had thrown sand and they hadn't even seen him do it. It was all they could do not to laugh.
**His 3 year old teacher, Ms. Amy, loved to call him Jonesey in her cute little accent. Hunter still blushed when he hears someone call him Jonesey!
**Ms. Beverly was very busy one day when Hunter approached her. She replied, "I can't do that right now Hunter. I'm already doing 14 things at once." To which he replied, "Wow, my mom can only do ONE thing at a time!" Ha!!
**Loved to go to Coach Kayla's motor movement! He also loved to come home and play motor movement at home with his whistle.
**Was running one day when my aunt Nancy (also a teacher at school) said, "Why don't you get some water. You are out of breath." Hunter drank from the water fountain and then told her, "I'm in breath now."
**LOVED getting warm fuzzies in the 4 year old class and would report to me which kind he picked out every day. It was a big deal to my little hoarder over here.
**Was Joseph in the school Christmas program and did SO well. We were so proud.
**Told the graduation audience that he wants to be a firefighter when he is older and that his favorite thing about school was getting fuzzies. (See, I told you!)
**Wanted to be dropped off in carpool line from the get-go. Loves to be independent.
**Was meticulous in his work and handwriting. His papers were always colored very neatly and he took lots of pride in his work.

There is so much more to recall about his 3 years there but not enough time.

Not so tech savvy

2011-05-25T21:03:00.001-07:00

I have tried to publish a post on Blogger now for the past 2 weeks and finally was able to troubleshoot the problem and figured out how to get it posted. So, I am not really just now back from the beach like the post below says. We have been home for over a week now.

LOTS of milestones have been reached in our household the past couple of days. First of all, Hunter graduated from Preschool and finished his first season of t-ball. Coach Case gave lots of sweet compliments to our "South Paw" and Hunter loves his new trophy. He is counting down the days until Kindergarten and seems really enthusiastic for this new step- perhaps more than his mommy is!
Blake has tried and succeeded on the potty several times over the past week. Although it requires patience and more patience on my part, he loves sitting on his Spiderman potty seat and will tell me "Not yet" when I ask if he's all finished. I'm ready to retire the diapers but it's going to take lots of patience and time. So for now, we are going to have to wait until he's a little quicker with the process. This picture sums up Blaker Boo- poppy in mouth and just bopping along. That's another process we need to work on and I've got some plans in the work to nip the poppy (pacifier) habit soon.

Emily is nearing 11 months and walked on May 23!!! She has taken one, two and even three steps before, but on Monday she walked 12 steps in a row across the room. I had tears in my eyes cheering her on silently from behind as she walked proudly towards her sweet daddy who was smiling ear to ear. He was so proud of his little girl. She also sprouted her FIRST tooth yesterday on the bottom left. So, a tooth and walking all in one week!! She also has a funny game she plays with me. I will say, "Say Mama." And Emily will reply back, "Da Da Da Da." So I will ask again and she will repeat, "Da Da Da." Then if I ask again and again she will finally smile big and shake her head No! Ha!!

Back from the beach....

2011-05-15T19:17:00.000-07:00

....and don't have the energy to explain. Pictures speak for themselves.

F-I-E-S-T-A spells FIESTA!!!

2011-04-15T18:36:00.000-07:00

We are nearing the end of another very fun week of San Antonio Fiesta. We had lots of fun this past week and are beat! It all started last Sunday with Fiesta Fireworks-except this year the Jones family did not get to attend. All 3 had been running fever so we sat out. A doctor visit the next day brought news of Emily's first ear infection and a chest cold that had settled in the boys chests. So we had antibiotics times 3.

Monday night, Hunter and I went downtown with friends for the TX Cavalier's River Parade. Since my dad is a Cavalier, every man in the uniform was someone on Bab's team to Hunter. It was a fun night and we had front row seats in an incredible area of the river. The kids loved it.

Tuesday night, Chris and I had Town Club party and Thursday night was the German Club. Both are great fun and we enjoy the chance to see friends that we don't normally get the chance to see often. They are both really great parties.

On Wednesday, we were up at the church (also Hunter's preschool) and attended his Shoebox Parade. Everyone decorates their own shoebox to be their Fiesta Float. It's so much fun and the kids love showing off their creation. Parents come with cameras in hand and take pictures, cheer the kids along and follow the parade as it goes through the school and around the entire church. It's so cute!!

Friday, we skipped the Battle of Flowers parade and went to the Cavalier's party at the pool. I finally got myself a gordita- an absolute must during Fiesta!! For those not from San Antonio, the dress code changes a bit during Fiesta. Mexican dresses and bright colorful prints, ruffles, Guayaberas for the boys, fun jewelry and revelry are all in order for your wardrobe. It's common to hear people comment on an outfit and say, "That would be perfect for Fiesta!"

Blake's Guayabera is from 1986- it's my brother Blake's!!

You also get Fiesta medals from each event, so Hunter has been collecting his from everything we have gone to. He's up to over 50 in his collection.

It Ain't Easy Being Green

2011-04-15T18:24:00.000-07:00

The Treefrogs have had a fun season so far. Last weekend, I snapped a few pictures of the threesome before heading to the fields. They were not too cooperative.

Lady E loved playing up by the chainlink fence. There will be a day when this is dangerous due to fast-flying foul balls. Rest assured that these t-ball teams are pretty tame so far.

Our very own Babe Ruth.

Blake loved being the gatekeeper for the dugout.

Fielding with Coach Jones nearby.

9 Months

2011-04-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

Emily turned 9 months old this weekend on April 2. We went in yesterday for her 9 month check up.
Stats:
Weight- 17 lbs 5 oz (25%)
Height- 27 1/2" (50%)

She continues to only want table food, but I am adding in some baby food to get a little variety. She's not the biggest eater so I have to really be creative to get all of the food groups incorporated. She still LOVES her bottle. She is napping two times a day and is down around 7 at night and up around 7 in the morning.

Full speed ahead- Emily is a master crawler and has been moving around since 7 1/2 months. She pulls up on everything and is getting braver by the day. We are learning to move our feet to adjust our standing position.

She is interested and tickled by all of the things the boys do. It's not uncommon to see her with a car in her hand or a nerf dart (don't worry- I am always at hand to make sure it's safe).

No teeth yet for Emmy-Lou. She is the toothless wonder! Her hair is coming in thicker on the top and is blonde with little highlights of strawberry blonde. I am jealous of her eyelashes! They are thick and long, but very light.

She moved at 8 1/2 months to a carseat from the infant carrier. It was pulling my neck and shoulder out carting that thing around, so I was ready to make the move.

Emily always loves to be around the girls. It's like she knows she's in the company of others like her. I love this pic of her and Kate watching cowboy Kevin.

Although terribly cliche, Emily is such a happy baby. She is smiling and waving all of the time. She is starting to get a little stranger anxiety and will cling tightly to me, especially if any man other than daddy wants to hold her. She is a little love bug!
I love this picture too and have had the hardest time getting it to cooperate. Sorry, but it's too cute to not have.

I have been so blessed with such an easy, happy baby for the last 9 months. We have had so much fun and can't imagine our little family without her. She's like the cherry on top- so sweet, and so perfectly fitting to top us off!

A Glimpse of 9 months old

2011-03-30T11:18:00.000-07:00

I realize that these are not the best pictures to compare with. However, I'm just impressed that I have updated the blog more than once this week!
Hunter at 9 months old- Sept 2006

Blake at 9 months old- August 2009

Emily at nearly 9 months- March 2011

Blaker-Boo

2011-03-28T18:56:00.000-07:00

This boy is too funny to even describe! He is at that fun age where he parrots words back at you with the funniest inflection. He is talking more and more and surprising us daily with new things that he says. He's sometimes very headstrong and willful, but overall has the most sweet heart and fun sense of humor. I love this little guy!!

9 months flies

2011-03-28T18:54:00.000-07:00

Emily will be 9 months old this weekend. I plan to do a post on her and what she is up to then. For the time being, here's a peek at the cute face I get to see everyday... and YES, she is this happy all of the time. Remind of this when she's a surly teenager!

Growing up

2011-03-28T18:51:00.000-07:00

Hunter is growing up way too fast for me. This is a picture of him at Rodeo Day at school. I'm so proud of him and the boy he is becoming. He is so kind and caring, he loves his brother and sister, he's funny and curious, smart and insightful, and one of the most joyful people I know. If time could stand still and I could capture him at this age forever, it would be tempting. The good thing is that I have felt this way before, and sweet stages always seem to come again... are are sweeter with age.

Take me out to the Ballgame...Tree Frog style

2011-03-28T12:10:00.000-07:00

Blake was chomping at the bit to get out on that field and play some ball.

Sha Sha and Mimi with Blake and Emily before the big game. Wow, does it make you feel special to look into the stands and see so many people who love you there to cheer you on. It was a fun crowd!

#12 surveying the scene.

I cannot believe I have a baseball player! It's something I've looked forward to for a long time. Hunter had his first t-ball game Saturday and did great. #12 was looking good out there hitting and fielding and having a great time!

This One's for Uncle Russ

2011-03-03T18:52:00.000-08:00

I've been notified that it's been over a month since my last post. I've had every intention of updating the blog but haven't seem to have had the time to actually do it. So here goes....

The month of February was a great one. We had my birthday, a San Antonio snow (or dusting), the rodeo, lots of fun playtimes, a trip to Waco, and a trip to the lake. Hunter seems to be feeling like his old self. I am so glad about that. Blake is talking more and more and putting words into full sentences. It's like he has exploded with words and phrases and it's so fun. Emily is off and running- well crawling actually. She moves like an inch worm across the floor and is very good at getting from one place to another even though she doesn't move in the typical crawling form.

Our very impressive snow here in SA. It was enough for the kids to play and then not stick around for too long. We were happy with the little bit we got.

Emily sporting her lavender hat in Waco.

Blake styling his hair with water from the bathroom sink. This boy is ALWAYS up to something!

Giggling at his Bapa in Waco.

The Jone-hagens at the Rodeo. They had a blast! This was our 3rd year to go together.

Our 3 ready to Rodeo SA! It looks like Hunter is holding a knife to Emily's throat. Lovely.

Em and I posing before Chris and I headed out for a night at the rodeo.

Emily was absolutely perfect the entire time we were on the rodeo grounds. At one point, I peeked in the stroller and found her fast asleep. Sweet girl was rodeo'd out.

Blake could not stop giggling on his pony! He loved it.

Hunter was thrilled to ride the ponies again. He's an old pro.

This girl LOVES to swing. I mean LOVES IT!

Emily and Uncle Blake

At the lake- already dressed the part!

Our family (minus Em) on a boat ride at the lake.

Lady E at the lake

Hunter celebrated DAY 100 at school this past week with these awesome glasses.

Overall, Feburary was a great month. We are so grateful to have spring-like weather these past couple of weeks. We've spent lots of time outside. Hunter can now successfully ride his bike without training wheels. He was a fast learner. It took him only a couple of times to figure it out. I'm so proud! Back soon! Won't let so much time pass.

The Long and Short of it

2011-01-28T17:05:00.000-08:00

IT's a party over here!

It's been a LONG week with a SHORT agenda. Rest and healing for Hunter. What has that looked like exactly? Well, he has situated himself on our living room couch, "the red couch" as he calls it, and has not left it for much time at all. This is his spot night and day. He has watched countless episodes of The Backyardagains and I am not exaggerating when I say he's watched them non-stop. Non-stop! For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, rest assured knowing that it's a cute cartoon show with very catchy lyrics and songs that get in your head.

He's slept a lot, taken many baths, fought us tooth and nail each time it's time for pain medicine, has very yucky breath due to his throat healing, has eaten his share of popscicles, has been ringing a little bell I gave him- it was cute the first several days, watched only The Backyardagains at all hours of the day and night, has not left the couch except for a few occasions on the driveway to "scoot" with neighbors or play inside quietly.... It's been a long week.

Blake is really good at the scooter these days too. It's amazing to see his coordination as he scoots up and down the driveway. I caught the boys in these cute shots the other afternoon while we spent a little time in the fresh air. Pardon our unkept looks- we've had little reason to dress up this week, or brush hair for that matter!

Emily has been sleeping through the night this week which makes her mama very happy. I think it could have something to do with the fact that being home the last 7 days she has had predictable naps and a more routine schedule. It's made a difference in her nighttime sleep. This is Emmy after a bath. Pretty eyes!

Sew Fun!

2011-01-25T14:16:00.000-08:00

So I got domestic over Christmas and Chris surprised me with a sewing/embroidery machine. I am so excited!

The clincher is that I do not know how to sew anything- at all. So, I have taken it upon myself to read up, watch some online YouTube tutorials and the instructional DVD that came with it, and have successfully threaded the machine.

A poor old t-shirt of mine was the first victim and has all sorts of stitches criss-crossing it. Today, I felt very industrious and added the embroidery piece and did Emily's name on an old, grungy shirt of Chris'. It turned out pretty good.

So, in the future, I hope to take a class to learn the basics, play around with it some more and actually make something. I think having a daughter will only encourage that! There are some "simple" things I could make for her once I get the hang of it. If any of you sew, speak up and send some advice this way. I sure could use it!!

Tonsillectomy Report

2011-01-25T11:32:00.000-08:00

Hunter is 4 days post surgery and really doing well. He had his tonsils and adenoid removed on Friday at 1:30. For as much anxiety that I experienced the days leading up to it, when it came time for the actual procedure, I was fine and trusted the doctor completely. Hunter was very calm and never showed any fear or anxiety over what was about to happen.
(All of my hospital pics are on my iPhone so I will have to upload those later. Here is is before the Cotton Bowl)

An hour later, we were notified that surgery was over and talked to the doctor in the hall about what to expect. At that moment, the surgical nurse came through the doors and told us that he was awake and upset. That was the hardest part of the entire ordeal- watching your baby in pain and not being able to take it away. 3 doses of morphine later, he was asleep. They wheeled him upstairs to a post-surgery pediatric room. All that he had looked forward to was being wheeled around in bed and darn if everytime he moved he was too asleep to notice.

He slept most of that afternoon, woke up for some popsicles and rested the rest of the evening. I stayed that night in the hospital with him and tended to him when he needed me to. We had soup and jello with a midnight showing of cartoon Batman. We tried all flavors of popsicles- except for red because they won't let you eat anything red after a tonsillectomy. Bummer. Did you know that yellow popsicles are banana-flavored? Yuck!

Since being home, we have depended heavily on the pain meds- so grateful to have them. Have contended with fatigue, fever and just flat out feeling blah. We have served him a diet of jello, pudding, popsicles, ice-cream, milkshakes and soup. We have documented his every move and let him take as many baths and showers as he would like.

Today is the first day I have seen him show any interest in getting off of the couch. As I type, he is playing with his pirate Playmobil set at the coffeetable. Yay! A little normal is good.

We are going to take it easy this week and let him recooperate. He's fine laying low and hanging at home.

On other news...Emily is rocking on all fours. She can scoot around the floor somehow, so we are on full watch since this is the stage where everything goes in the mouth! Yikes!

Blake, my little comedian, was getting a little talking-to at a restaurant last week. We were there with friends and it was basically a ghost town except for us, but he was being a little overly silly. I pulled him aside and told him, "No more silly." He looked at me, cocked his head to the side and raised one finger and asked, "Mon more silly??" Ha! How do you resist? Of course you can have one more silly!

Oh, he will kill me for this someday, but he loves to push Emily's baby stroller around and even tried to diaper the dolls. It's too cute! And who says I don't have help over here??

A strange fog is on this picture- not sure why.

Happy Half Birthday Emily!!

2011-01-04T13:38:00.000-08:00

Emily is 6 months old... as of January 2nd. It's hard to believe half a year ago she was born. That day seems like yesterday!

At 6 months old, the little lady is quite busy. Not only does her schedule include following her 2 big brothers around doing whatever they are up to, she seems to want to move herself. From a young age, Emily has been wanting to pull up and not be cradled like a baby. She loved to be carried facing out and up. That remains true today. She is starting to sit up unassisted- although we are close by because she will topple over quickly. She loves toys and reaches for anything close enough to grab. She is also putting any and everything into her mouth. Thus, another challenge and reminder that all those little Legos and tiny pieces that came with Christmas presents need to be kept out of reach. Especially as she begins to crawl.

Dr. Fitch seems to think she has extremely loose joints and won't crawl or walk on the soon side of things. Of course, the same was said of Hunter and he crawled at 8 months and was walking by a year. So I guess we will see.

She weighs 14 lbs 3 oz at 6 months so she is still a bitty baby. The boys were 17 lbs (Hunter) and 16 lbs 5 oz (Blake) at this point. Amazing that they all grow at their own pace.

Rice cereal is not her favorite and we got permission to move on to bigger and better. So tonight, sweet potatoes are on the menu. I think she will be pleased.

Emily just jumped up to size 2 diapers. Of course, since that move, we have had more "blowouts" than I care to mention. All I can say is, I owe my sister big time!

Clothing wise, she wears 3-6 month clothes and some 9 month pieces. Dressing her only gets more fun. Someday, I will have to post her in my favorite outfits. She looks best in blues and purples- they really bring out her blue eyes.

Sleeping is better. She is making it through the night without a feeding now, so that is great. We are having so much fun in this stage and loving having Emily as a part of the family. She is the sweetest little sister and we are crazy about her.

A comparison of the 3 at 6 months old:
HUNTER:

BLAKE:

EMILY:

Recap...

2011-01-02T18:04:00.000-08:00

December was a great month- a hectic and busy month, but a great month. We had just recovered from our illness when it was time to travel to Waco for Chris' younger brother's wedding. It was a great weekend. Back home, it was shopping, preparing, decorating, planning for parties, birthdays and celebrations, school plays, office parties, friends and family time.... It was a fast month. Here's what we did.
The boys ready for the rehearsal dinner. They were so handsome!

Hunter and Ryan looking so dapper in their navy blazers for the rehearsal dinner.

Emily all dressed up for her 15 minute cameo at the reception. Her dress was so beautiful and fun. Where should we wear it again??

Hunter turned five years old! How can it be?

We officially dropped the ball on Christmas cards. So here you go:

The cat came back.

I took Blake to the country club for their annual gingerbread decorating day. He had fun eating candy while I attempted to decorate! :)

We went to the Happy Birthday Jesus party at church. We had a blast!

We had our 4th Annual Santa party at our house. The Andersons and Spielhagens stayed late and we listened for Santa's bells as he left the house. It was a precious moment.

Emily met Santa for the first time.

The mild weather made for fun afternoons at the Jones house.

Hunter was Joseph in the school Christmas program. He did a great job!

The little lady had her first Christmas Eve.

The Elf propped himself on our tree for front row seats for Christmas morning.

Emily watching the joy on Christmas morning.

The boys in their new chairs at Sha Sha and Babs House.

The Jones boys and their mama in Waco on Christmas night.

The "Jamz" with their new Paper Jamz in Waco giving us a live performance.

Happy New Years! 6 months old January 2nd!!

Daddy and Hunter off for a round of golf.

This stuff is catchy!

2010-11-27T17:06:00.000-08:00

Well, the stomach bug of 2010 is currently making rounds on the 4th person this week in our family. Yuck! We are more than ready to wish it goodbye and don't wish it to visit ever agian. I ended up coming down with it the day after Thanksgiving and was down and out all day. Today was much better, but unfortunately Chris has caught it.

Enough about that! A major project that I have been working on is 95% complete. I wanted to paint Emily's monogram over her crib. I had it printed at the monogram store that I love and then set out to find an overhead projector. I couldn't nail one down, so one day I decided to just freehand it. I am proud of how well it turned out. It's not perfect and I have some touching up to do, but I think it really looks pretty. I still need to get the rug, a light fixture and a crib sheet made for her room to be 100%.

A shot of Blaker-boo at his 2nd birthday celebration at Two Bros BBQ. He wasn't completely sure what all the fuss was about.

Emily is loving her exersaucer more and more. This age is so much fun because there is so much new stuff they can do and since they aren't mobile yet, they love the independence of these toys.

Hunter finished soccer last weekend and had a great season. He scored lots of goals this season as opposed to one last year and really enjoyed it. It seemed to click this year and he had so much fun. His team was a great group of boys and girls and that really made it so much fun to be around the parents each week. I loved this picture of Chris and Hunter high-fiving after the walkthrough at the last game.

Hunter had his Thanksgiving program last week. His group were Indians and his name that he made for himself was "Fast Running Snake." He was so shy in the program and spent much of it with his head turned to the side so he wouldn't be making eye-contact with us. Ha!

Emily happy to be along for the ride.

The Turkey Tango- when will I ever learn to have the right lens in hand when I need it?? Aghh!!

Last but not least, on Blake's birthday, my mom had her Grandmother Group with Blake and his friends at Kiddie Park. I went along for the fun and took Hunter and Emily. This is the whole group of "Grannies and Grandkids" plus me! What a fun way to spend the afternoon!

When life throws you lemons....

2010-11-25T18:49:00.000-08:00

....make Thanksgiving dinner!

Early Wednesday morning, it became apparent that our plans for Thanksgiving were going to change- no travel for us. Hunter woke up in the middle of the night sick to his stomach and we knew we couldn't risk passing it on. So, on Wednesday morning, I decided to make the best of our situation. Even with my family in town and an invitation to join them for lunch, I knew we needed to stay home just in case. So I set out for HEB after lunch on Wednesday and shopped for a full Thanksgiving meal- my first to ever make!

That afternoon, I busied myself in the kitchen and had so much fun preparing a special meal for my family. Today was wonderful in it's own special way. It's always so fun to be with extended family, but the sweetness of today was being with my own little crew. We sat at the table after a morning of preparation, play and just being together and said what we were thankful for. Chris said a precious and heartfelt blessing that summed up my feelings exactly and we enjoyed full plates and full tummies. This year has been like so many- full of tremendous blessings and I do not want to ever take them for granted. Today was another lesson of plans changed- sometimes our best laid plans are not to be. Thankfully, we are one step ahead in decorating for Christmas, we have delicious leftovers in the fridge and a memory that will not fade of one of my most special Thanksgivings.

Our family of 5 (pardon Chris' stache- he is still growing it for charity this month)

My first turkey

My nearly 5 month old turkey (she weighed as much as the turkey I bought- 13 lbs!)

Waiting for the big meal

All dressed up with nowhere to go (literally)

Had to add this... yesterday, Emily had her first taste of rice cereal and loved it!

Speaking for our family I can say that we are so thankful for all of the people who make our lives so incredibly special and wonderful. Today was a special and precious day for our family and we loved being together just the five of us. I can't think of anything I would have loved more.

Fightin' Crime

2010-11-11T13:04:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a really interesting week around here. I started off the week with a crazy to-do list as always. First task to complete was to call around to local vets offices to see if anyone had reported a missing cat. We've had this beautiful and friendly cat loiteriing around our yard the past several days and I knew it must belong to someone. I'm not really a cat person, but I couldn't just ignore it. So, Monday morning, I called around to some local vets and thought I had a good contact.

Around 10:20 that morning, I was loading Emily and Blake in the car to go to Open Gym. It's a fun hour of play at the gymnastics gym nearby and we usually try and go on Mondays and meet friends there. As I was walking out to my car, I noticed a man across the street at my neighbors' house. He was knocking on their front door and ringing their doorbell.

As I loaded the kids, I realized that he was STILL knocking, ringing the doorbell and just waiting around. Hmmmm. I began to stall, waiting to see what he would do next. He peered through their front door, looking inside and then began motioning through the window as if he was able to see someone inside and wanted them to come to the door. Well, that was the deal-breaker for me. I knew with total certainty that they were not home, so I called 911 on the spot. I stayed in the driveway, car running, acting as nonchalant as possible talking to the dispatcher. I gave a very detailed description of his clothing and every other detail I could notice. The longer that I sat in the driveway, the more he must have realized he could not do anything until I left. So, he began to walk off towards the corner and walk south. I noted that to the dispatcher, was assured they were sending an officer and I was on my way.

I took off the opposite way down the street, cut over a couple of blocks and drove north on the street he had headed south on. I was trying to see which street he had gone down. As I passed each street on the way back to my street, I did not see him. As we crossed our street, I turned to look down the street and saw him walking RIGHT BETWEEN THE HOUSE WHERE THE SIDE GATE WAS!!! I was floored- he had come back when I had left!

So, I called 911 AGAIN and insisted that they send someone ASAP. I was a nervous wreck. I mean, he was walking with purpose, pulling down his beanie hat and heading to their backyard. Oh my!

As I pulled back onto our street, I motioned to the police car which house to go to and then quickly unloaded the kids. As soon as they were safe inside, I spoke to the officer to reassure him that the dog in the backyard couldn't possibly be harmful as our neighbors have young kids.

Long story short, he walked around back to find a back window had been opened. The suspect had busted out a side window to escape and had cut himself, but unfortunately had gotten away.

I called my neighbor, who immediately came home. She was a nervous wreck and walked through the house with the officer reporting what was missing. As luck would have it, everything she mentioned was in a bag he had left behind. We were so thankful he didn't get anything.

After about an hour, I heard a knock at the door. It was the police officer say that they had caught the guy. He asked if I could come with him to identify him on the scene. WHAT?? I ran and grabbed a hat and the biggest pair of sunglasses I own to disguise myself as good as I could. I rode in the back of the patrol car with my neighbor's husband and went a couple of blocks away to a parking lot where they had found him waiting for the bus. Sure enough, when they pulled him out of the patrol car, I was able to immediately confirm that "That's the guy." Don't worry, I was far enough away that he couldn't see me and I was in the back of the patrol car still. Still, it was nerve wracking.

Later that day, I got a call from the detective saying that the suspect had admitted to EVERYTHING including other burglaries in the area. He was apparently a drug addict that was pleading to get help- so I am really including him in my prayers that he will get help. He was so desperate for money that he was making wreckless decisions and had apparently broken into several homes in our neighborhood as of late. Needless to say, we are ALL breathing a sigh of relief that he has been caught. I was so worried I would have a hit out for me for being a nosey nellie, but he's going to be there awhile. And, I don't think he knew I was calling the police because why would he have come back?? Right??

So, my plans for Monday were thwarted by far more interesting events. As for the cat, he's now being fed on our front porch, so as a friend said, "Congratulations! You are the proud owner of a cat!" Oh yippee!

4 Months Old

2010-11-02T17:59:00.000-07:00

Dear Emily Blair,
You are 4 months old today! I simply cannot believe that it's been 4 months since I first met you. In some ways, I feel like I've known you forever and then in other ways, it all seems so new.

What a special day July 2nd, 2010 was. Daddy and I had been in the hospital overnight, eagerly anticipating our last baby. Not knowing boy or girl, we were so excited and so anxious to meet you. When you arrived, it was simply the most incredible feeling to know that you were the completion to our little family (Jones Party of Five). To hear the doctor say, "Well, you have a little girl," and at that moment, my cup overflowed. All of a sudden, we couldn't imagine it being any other way. It was simply perfect that God sent us you- our Emily.

At the doctor's office today, you weighed in at a slight 12 lbs 5.5 oz. That's the 25% in weight. At 2 months you were 10 lbs 3 oz, so you grew a little over 2 pounds. You are 24 1/2 inches long, so you are in the 50% for height. You braved getting 4 shots in your little thighs. Poor baby. It did not seem to disrupt your normal pattern during the day- you seemed just like normal.

Dr. Fitch seems to think you have loose joints. I remember him telling me that Hunter had that too. It can mean that you do gross motor skills (like crawling and walking) later. Hmmm. For some reason, I feel like you have the "Small but Mighty" mantra on your forehead and you will be on the move sooner rather than later. Maybe it's incentive with the boys on the move to get you up and going. I guess we shall see.

You have a clean bill of health and for that we are so thankful. You are still rolling over like crazy so that if we lay you on your back, you flip over in no time. You support yourself great during tummy time, you are enjoying your time in the exersaucer and we are starting the doorway jumper too.
(Ok, Mimi, if you are reading this... Emily looks so much like you in the this picture. Don't you think??)

You watch your brothers intently and are very observant. You want to stand in our laps and want to be carried upright and facing out. Slow down sweet baby girl! Stay my baby for a little longer!

Emily, your smile lights up the room. You squeal with delight and are getting to be so much fun to play with. You love when mommy talks to you funny. You pull your little feet up and grab on with your hands. You think that is pretty great.

You have started to reach for toys and hold onto them for dear life. You are also starting to pull things towards your mouth.

Emily, we feel so blessed to have such a precious, healthy and sweet baby. It's an honor to be your mommy and daddy. We love you,
Mommy and Daddy

We interrupt this programming...

2010-10-29T12:39:00.001-07:00

...to bring you some Halloween pictures. I promise I will eventually get around to finishing the 8 years posts- they are ALOT of work! I have to dig through my folders of pictures from way back when and it just ends up being a lot of time. I don't have much of that these days but I am determined to finish it for myself.

Anyway, we have had a fun filled week full of Halloween and it's still going. We went to the club last night for a fun Halloween party. The kids loved dressing up. Hunter is a velociraptor dinosaur. He is very into "Jurassic Park" and wanted that specific costume. Wouldn't you know a simple Google search landed us the perfect costume?

Blake is in Hunter's old Elmo costume. It is fitting because Blake really does like Elmo and will pat his chest and say "Melmo." Then he will sing "La la la la." He's just too cute for words in the costume.

Emily is a flower- so fitting for our dainty little one. I tried to weigh her at the pediatrician's office yesterday with clothes and a diaper on and she's still in the 12 lb range and she will be 4 months Tuesday. Little bitty Emily.

We finally did our annual Pumpkin Patch visit. It was cool and windy so the kids were more into running around like crazy people. Kristin met me and we got a couple of decent ones.

We might walk down to the school carnival this afternoon. We also have a party tomorrow afternoon and Sunday afternoon. I think we will be Halloween'ed out!

We spent last weekend in Waco for Baylor Homecoming. It was so much fun! We took the boys to campus for the Friday night bonfire. I didn't have my camera that night but the bonfire was pretty big and it was windy, so it was a little on the scary side. We took Blake and Emily to the parade and to tailgate before the game. We didn't do the game and were glad we didn't- a 2 hour rain delay with kids would have been miserable. But, BAYLOR WON!!! Yea!
Here are our 3 in Waco just hanging on the floor- a little tummy time for all!

Ready for the weekend- all decked in green and gold. I'm an embarrassing mom- can't you tell??

In no particular order....
Emily at the patch. I've never had an infant at the pumpkin patch and it's not too comfortable to prop yourself on a pumpkin I imagine. She's not too thrilled.

Blakey... needs no words.

Sneaky, sneaky! I have found this little one sneaking the little icecream sandwiches. Thanks to the freezer drawer he can easily get one. He was really being sneaky this time-wedged between the drawer and the wall to hide himself.

Emily in her flower costume. (Thank you sweet Kate Spielhagen for lending us this cute costume! We are loving it!!)

PART 3

2010-10-25T07:55:00.001-07:00

Let's see.... where were we? Hunter Scott Jones arrived with a bang on Thursday, December 15, 2005. We stayed in the hospital for 2 days and came home to a FULL house. Remember how I mentioned our house was only 1400 square feet? Well, imagine it full of baby gear, Christmas decorations and presents delivered from out of town family (since we wouldn't be traveling that year) and people. We were overwhelmed coming home, but so happy to settle into a routine with our precious little boy.

Hunter was a great baby. I was on maternity leave from teaching and would be able to stay home half of December, all of January, February and March. I returned to finish out the year in April. By that time, we had a great schedule and Hunter was a textbook baby. It was such a blessing with me having to go back to work to have my mom and mother-in-law to step in and stay at home with Hunter. I could run across the street to feed him, hold him or just come play. It was as great as going back could be for me.

I was so fortunate to be able to stay home once summer came and still count that one of my biggest blessings to have been able to be here with my kids.
Chris and I loved watching Hunter grow and learn and change over the course of that first year. Everything he did, we were in the front row, cheering him on. Being parents was so much fun. We were crazy about that little guy... and still are!

Hunter's FIRST birthday

The day after he turned one, we went skiing in Park Cities. He had a blast and loved the snow.

Shortly after Hunter turned one, we decided to take on a BIG project. Time to add on! We decided that we would be the contractors for the addition. I spent a lot of time on the phone- and Hunter would walk around and mimic me talking. Ha! Our plan was to stay in the house while the work was being done. Let me say... not easy! We had no stove or washer and dryer for nearly 3 months. Not the easiest things to go without with a toddler in the house.

We added on a family room, laundry room, master bedroom and bath and front porch. We also ripped apart the kitchen and exposed the wood floor and replaced countertops and appliances. From February 2007 to July 2007, we were knee deep in home renovation. Hunter was AWESOME! He could nap each day despite the noise and chaos. Chris and I stayed really busy with each step- the planning, the hiring, the demo, the framing.... It was fun and definitely worthwhile.

We moved into the new part of the house on July 13, 2007. It wasn't all smooth sailing, but we love our home.

We spent lots of time that fall traveling to College Station to watch Uncle Blake play baseball. Hunter was talking up a storm and more and more fun every day.

Chris and I celebrated our 5th anniversary with a trip to Mexico for a week. We had a great time but missed Hunter.

Then, early January 2008 we went to Key West with my family for a week. It was so much fun but un-seasonably cold. So, we wore fleeces and enjoyed the scenery, but not the beach so much. :)

In March of 2008, we went back to Park Cities- this time with the Jones fam. We had a great time skiing and being with the cousins. Hunter was again too young to ski, but loved being there in the snow.

We found out exciting news in March 2008.... Hunter was going to be a big brother! I had been diagnosed early February with PCO (Polycystic Ovaries) and put on clomid as a first resort fertility treatment. On ONE cycle, we got pregnant. We were stunned but so thrilled.
Daddy and the new big brother celebrating!

Chris walked into our room- I had the bed covered in pink, blue and white balloons and diaper with the words- "Ready for Number 2?" written on it. It took him a minute, but he got it.

TO BE CONTINUED

8 Years- PART TWO

2010-10-19T12:58:00.000-07:00

I may have mentioned that we were shocked to find out that I was pregnant. That is an understatement. Don't get me wrong, I always wanted to have kids, but when the time came for us to realize that it was NOW, we were like deer in the headlights. I must mention that I called the EPT 1-800 line to see if a faint line really meant pregnant. I was told that "99.99 percent that was a positive result." "Positive pregnant?" "Yes ma'am, positive pregnant." Oh my!

On the homefront, we had our house painted on the exterior. We also had a new roof installed. So, in all the craziness, we figured we should have our wood floors finished in the bedrooms. When we first moved, they had been stripped but not stained or sealed and were under carpeting. We had always wanted to have the wood floors instead, so we figured we should pull the trigger. As luck would have it, our AC went out on us. It was so hot and so miserable and every single item from the 2 bedrooms in our house was crammed into every available space in the house. When the whole house is 1400 square feet, that's not many available spaces. See photo below...

So the spring of 2005 I was 25 years old, still teaching 6th grade and tutoring most afternoons. We stayed busy and had so much fun. That June, about 3 weeks after I found out I was pregnant, I taught summer school and raked in the moo-lah. However, I was halfway to miserable every single day with nausea and basically the worst attitude ever!

By the 2nd trimester, I was feeling AWESOME. I was still not showing but felt like a million bucks compared to the nausea and exhaustion of the first trimester.
Here I am about a week before my 20 week ultrasound. We thought for sure it was a girl.

I had an awesome pregnancy and felt really good to the end. I LOVED every minute of it and relished in the anticipation. We found out on August 2, 2005 that we were having a son. We were again surprised and excited!
Here I am about 8 months prego.

Hanging out with the dogs the week before Hunter's arrival.

Hunter's room all ready to go. It was the cutest nursery... this picture does not do it justice.

So, the time finally came. I was scheduled to be induced with Hunter on Friday, December 16th. I decided at the last minute to take the day before off of work. It was a good choice as time would tell. That morning, I slept in (for the last time EVER), cleaned up around the house, went to buy poinsettias for friends at school and drove up to school to deliver them. While I was at the school, my good friend and colleague who was suffering from bone cancer needed to leave and be taken home immediately. My instincts kicked in and I RAN across the parking lot to get her car to take her home. RAN! At 38 1/2 weeks pregnant.

After getting her comfortable at home, I went home and took a bath and then cuddled on the couch watching the Food Network. About 3ish I started having pains in my back. They were 6-7 minutes apart. Finally, after a call to the doctor, we were loaded up and on our way.

I had TERRIBLE back labor and was at 9 cm when I got to the hospital. Luckily, I was able to get an epidural and from there on out, Hunter's delivery was a breeze. We got to the hospital at 4:30pm and he came 2 hours later at 6:40pm. Fast and furious!
My little boy.... 7 lbs 7 oz and 20 1/2 inches.... perfect in every way!

Our little family 10 days before Christmas! One of the most incredible days of my life. Pardon my puffiness. I guess those fluids really do fill you up.

A look back at 8 years....PART ONE

2010-10-18T13:13:00.000-07:00

Patience on this post... this will take the better part of this week. Here is PART ONE:

8 Years ago, on October 19, 2002, I married my college sweetheart. We lived in McKinney, TX. I taught 4th grade and Chris had been selling insurance until shortly before we married. Therefore, he spent the first couple of months of marriage looking for a job.... and playing X-box. Awesome!

Around Thanksgiving, we decided that San Antonio might be a beckoning. Chris was offered a position as a trainee real estate appraiser in my dad's firm, and I was going to apply for 2 open positions at Alamo Heights (unheard of in the middle of the year). Early December I applied, interviewed and was hired! I'll never forget standing in my classroom in McKinney getting a call on my cell phone hearing, "Well, how'd you like to be a Mule again?" (The Alamo Heights mascot is the mule- interesting I know.)

So, I resigned from my position in McKinney, we packed up everything we had just unpacked from our wedding and drove down I35- me in my Jeep and Chris in a loaded down U-Haul with loose steering. We lived with my parents for about 6 weeks until the house they had bought for us to rent from them was finished.

Our house... a little 1400 square foot charming house that had 2 bedrooms and 1 bath. My parents painted the interior for us and had the wood floors redone. They also had the kitchen gutted and updated for us. We LOVED our little house!

Master bedroom

Living room

Kitchen

Backyard (when we first moved in, there was a fenced in hot tub right out the backdoor. Chris wheeled and dealed and sold it along with the wood from the fence and we had a patio poured. We were so proud of it and loved to entertain out there)

I taught 6th and 7th grade starting in January and Chris started in appraisal. Life was good! We loved our little house and had Bailey, our dog/child at the time. Oh how things change! In April of that year we got Bentley and loved our little dog family.

Life was great! We worked hard on our house- I loved spending time working in the yard, decorating and accessorizing inside and just making it our own. About June of 2004 we decided we wanted to buy the house from my parents and did just that. We are still here!

In October of 2003, we became an aunt and uncle for the first time. David Cameron Jones was born in Dallas, TX. I was thrilled to be able to be there to spend the day with Summer as she became a mommy. I have enjoyed having her advice and wisdom over the years as I became a mom.

In the spring of 2004- our lives were changed for the better. We started a couples' Bible study with our new friends, The Spielhagens and The Andersons. Sarah Anderson and I had gone to school and grown up together, so that was the only "old" friend of the group. We loved our couples' study. Once a week, we would meet at each others' house and go through a study of some sort. It was so great and cultivated some incredible friendships. Look how young we look!!
Cari S, Sarah A and Natalie J

I went to Italy with my mom and grandmother to see my sister, Kristin during her study abroad.

I went to New York with my sister-in-law and mother-in-law for a fun girls' trip. (I cannot find these pictures for some reason)

Then, spring 2005, I found out I was pregnant. Shocker of all shocks, we were thrilled and excited but oh so scared and nervous. We were among the first of our friends to walk this path but we were eager to meet our little baby. In the midst of first trimester yuckiness, we redid our roof, repained the exterior of the house, and redid wood floorsin the bedrooms that had been under carpet. Yippee! We were shelling out the money right and left and now had a baby to think about. Doesn't it look great?

TO BE CONTINUED....

23 months

2010-10-17T19:49:00.001-07:00

You've come a long way from the 8 lbs 13 oz newborn you were. (Lordy that's big!)

At one, you were a hoot! What a smile you have!

Nearing 2, you are a true toddler... and wow, I've gotta be on my toes!

Buddy boo, we are excited that in one month, we will celebrate a special day with you!

It's so hard to believe that my little guy is going to be 23 months old tomorrow! In one short month he will be 2!

Blake, you are too cute for words. People who don't even know you are drawn to your precious smile, your contagious laugh and your killer dimples! You are T R O U B L E like no one I know! If I am not watching you constantly, you are up to no good. You know how to throw a very good fit and can fall on the ground in protest. You are talking more and more and Daddy and I are so proud of how far you have come with your speaking lately. You still have tubes in your ears (your 2nd set) and that has made a world of difference. You haven't had ear troubles except for a tough case of swimmer's ear this summer. Overall, you are a happy, silly, laughing little boy.

You love to copy your big brother and play with anything he is playing with. Often, I will find the back door unlocked and you have slipped out to wander around the backyard and play. (It's not as dangerous as it sounds!) You love the sandbox, pushing cars around, riding your automatic golf cart and being passenger in the Escalade.
Inside, you love to play with trains, trucks and things you can push or pull around.

You love to watch mommy cook and make our meals. You will come up and say, "See" and want to be lifted onto the counter to watch, help stir and throw in your, "Mmmm's." You are a sweet help in the kitchen!

You are a wild banchee in the tub still- it's like a tornado hit the water. When we take you out, you say, "Bye bye wah-ter." You love to point at your nose, eyes, ears, hair, etc and tell me, "Ma Ma, eyes." It's sweet.

God bless your little bow legged legs, you try to run so fast but don't get to far too fast. Apparently bow leggedness means you will be really fast later.

You are a red head for sure. Oh, it is so cute! You generate a lot of attention because of that! You are never without your pacifier (poppy) and your TWO lovies (nineties). I can barely make you part with them to wash them. Hmmm... we need to work on that!

Blakey, Blakester, Blaker-boo, Blookie-blue, Blue, Blue-bug, Bugga-boo...WE LOVE YOU!

All about Fall

2010-10-17T19:07:00.000-07:00

We are loving fall around here... the pumpkin patches, the anticipation of Halloween, cooler temperatures, soccer practice and Saturday morning games, jeans, ranch weekends, lake weekends, soup for dinner, playing outside again finally....
My three in the their Halloween duds.

Hunter had an awesome game on Saturday and scored 4 goals. It was so exciting and he had a great time. The funny thing about it was that Chris had jokingly told him, "You're going to score 10 goals, right?" Hunter's honest reply was, "How 'bout 5?" Well, he was close!

We spent this weekend at the lake enjoying the cooler weather, throwing the football, lounging in the hammock, going for boat rides and wave runner rides, eating and relaxing, making smores by the fire and watching football. It was a great weekend! Emily had her first rides on the boat this weekend. We've been the lake several times since she was born, but she's always seemed too small to take on the boat. She seemed to enjoy it and was lulled to sleep each time we went.
Emily and I on her first boat ride.

Hunter waiting to do smores. He is in the middle of one of his "stories." :)

My pretty lady! Emily is still doing great... sleeping through the night, rolling over like a maniac, playing in the bumbo, loving her playmat and the most recent addition to her assortment of activities is the Exersaucer. She loves it- she is propped up with blankets but to be upright is a thrill to Emily.

Go "Beat all the others"!!

2010-10-09T11:36:00.000-07:00

Since Hunter's soccer team has yet to decide on their official name, Hunter has decided to refer to his team as "Beat all the others." Ha! Hunter made a goal in their first game last weekend and today was responsible for helping assist in a couple of goals. He still gets a little distracted but he has improved since last season so much! He really goes after the ball and his ball handling is getting better. The good thing is, that win or lose (and they don't keep score at this age), he is happy just to play. And play he does. He was out there most of the game today, red-cheeked and hot, but plenty happy.

I flew solo today with the help of my mom with all three kids. It went fine- Emily stayed content in her carrier and Blake was happy in my mom's lap. I was free to snap some pictures and cheer on the Blue!

This always makes me giggle.... don't forget what goal you are going for!

We are off to get new soccer shoes. Daddy doesn't always remember that feet grow over the course of a year and poor Hunter has had his feet shoved in last season's shoes. We are loving this fall weather- well, today is rather warm, but it's been just beautiful here. Ready to spend the afternoon and evening outside with the family!

3 kids at 3 months= 2 cute for words

2010-10-06T12:09:00.001-07:00

Hunter at 3 months...

Blake at 3 months...

Emily at 3 months....

Who do you think looks alike? I'd love to hear peoples' opinions.

Welcome Fall!

2010-10-06T11:43:00.000-07:00

It seems to be more and more like fall outside and I am so grateful. I finally feel like we can spend some time outside as a family. Of course, down here, the mosquitos are still in full force, but the cooler air makes it all worth it. One of the last hot days we had, this is what the boys did while Chris and I cleaned out the garage. They thought it was the greatest!

Planning on Halloween costumes, we pulled out Hunter's costume that he wore at age "almost 2." We tried it on Blake and I couldn't believe how much they look alike. Here is Blake...

Here is Hunter...

Chris and I went to one of our close friend's 30th birthday. It was an 80's theme and everyone dressed up to the nines. It was a blast! Thank you Kristin for our award-winning costumes. Chris rocked the party with his mullet, hot pink hat, irridescent jacket and muscle pants. I had a very classy 80's prom dress, big hair, obnoxious makeup and a swatch watch- mine from the 80's!

Hunter had a blast with some of his best buddies selling lemondade last week. It ended up being H-O-T so the lemondade was a good hit. Each of the boys walked away with about 5 dollars. Not too shabby for about 45 minutes of work!

The latest with my angel girl... she is ROLLING OVER! On Oct 1st, one day shy of three months old, she rolled from her back to her tummy- the harder way to roll. Now, she just rolls from back to tummy and keeps going to end up back on her back again. She can make it across the carpet! I love this age- the smiles, the little giggles (not too many yet but it's not for lack of trying!) the ability to stay awake for longer, her attention to her brothers (she watches them like a hawk), her incredible SLEEP- still sleeping through the night. She goes down shortly after 7:30 in the evening, I wake her around 9 to feed one last time and she is down until 7:00 AM!

All ready for Halloween

We are laying low today since Hunter has strep throat. I am all caught up on laundry, ironing and thank you notes. We have baked cookies two days in a row and NEITHER batch turned out worth a hoot. I am not a baker! That's about all that's going on here with the Joneses. Back soon with some more pics!

Monday Funday

2010-09-20T13:18:00.001-07:00

The title to today's post is deceiving... this is not a real fun day. Just a Monday.

I'm still undecided on the picture yall. So, I am giving myself a deadline of tomorrow to get it figured out, printed and in the mail. Thank you for the input. It's fun to hear what people think and friends on facebook helped a ton too. Thank you! Her picture will not be on the announcement like I did with the boys. This time, it will be in the envelope separate from the card. Not sure if that's my favorite way to do it, but I LOVED these cards so much and they just screamed "little girl" to me. Classic and girly.
Here it is... obviously this is from the website and is not our copy.

Hmm, what will I post about. Maybe a look at the announcement pictures I chose for the boys.
Sweet Hunter
(Hunter's card was a Boatman Gellar foldover notecard in the baby blue toile. His picture was on the front and when you opened it, the announcement was on the inside. It was beautiful.)

Precious Blake
(Blake's card was a foldover too- smaller than Hunter's. His was blue with small white polka dots and chocolate brown lettering. It was very sweet... and from the line Sweet Pea Designs.)

**I tried to look up their cards. Apparently they do not sell these styles anymore. Boo!
A great friend of mine sells these fabulous lines from home. Her website is
www.goodgifts.cc and you will be blown away from the cuteness of it all.

Help me!

2010-09-15T11:27:00.000-07:00

I have no idea how many people really read my blog, but need some help anyway. I am trying to pick out a picture to send with Emily's announcements. The announcements turned out precious- very sweet and girly.

The wording is this:

"Ten little fingers and ten little toes,
This time it's a girl in ribbons and bows!

Big brothers Hunter and Blake
are proud to announce the arrival of
Emily Blair

July 2, 2010 at 11:39 am
7 lbs 2 oz 19 1/2 inches

Chris and Natalie Jones"

Ok, so here are the pictures. Please tell me which one you think!

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

The theme is FIRSTS

2010-09-14T13:30:00.000-07:00

FIRST day of school for Hunter was a week ago Wednesday. He loves his new teachers, being at the top of the heap this year, and basically everything that has to do with school. We took the obligatory "First Day of School" pictures in front of the fireplace. We have done this now for 3 years. He has grown so so much. He is not in the "pre-k" class so to speak, but they are working on school skills, pre-writing skills, etc. He seems to do really well at that. He has come home with "warm fuzzies" and claims that you get them for doing your best. Yay Hunter!

Emily's FIRST room is almost finished. I painted it (twice), got the stripes measured and taped and painted (whew!) and got her new bedding arranged. Now, we need a chandelier (pretty please Chris!) a rug and a new lampshade or two. Other than that, the room turned out adorable and I hope she likes her FIRST room. This picture is just looking at the front window and daybed. I will post one of the crib too soon. I need to get a crib sheet made for it.

Blake has been under the weather this week- a sore throat and fever and boy is he miserable. I hate sick weeks- we end up taking about 4 days to get well and don't get out much. He had his FIRST strep test yesterday- negative of course. So long as he has poppy and niney (his paci and blankets) he is a-ok.

Tomorrow is the FIRST WAG (Women After God) Bible Study. I am excited to dig into John MacArthur's "12 Extraordinary Women" and learn with my group.

I am smelling my FIRST attempt at making banana bread. I love banana bread and haven't ever made it because I never had a recipe that I knew would be good. My house smells so yummy right now and I hope it turned out good.

I am a list person (a little neurotic at that) and yesterday was able to check EVERYTHING off of my list for the FIRST time since Emily was born. And there was a lot on it. Of course, today's list is not getting tackled with the same gusto at all.

Emily met her newest friend, Lyles, last week for the FIRST time. We had fun visiting and taking pictures of the girls in Lyles' bed.

Last but not least, Emily at her FIRST golf tournament. (totally blown away by the excitement of it all!)

The Champion

2010-09-13T12:11:00.000-07:00

The Champion and his entourage...

We made t-shirts the night before the championship match for Dad. The back said "JONES" and the front said "GO DAD!"

I am excited to say that I am married to the official 2010 club champ! Chris won the Golf Club Championship this weekend and it was so exciting. We are all so proud of him and know that this is something he has worked really hard for. It was an amazing thing to watch as he played yesterday. We were able to come out at 1 o'clock to see him tee off. The tournament was done in match-play format, so he "won" the first hole and was one up when we left. His parents came in town for the big day. Dana and I took the kids home for a quick rest and his dad and my dad followed in the gallery by golf cart.

By the time we returned with the kids at 2:45, they were "even" at hole 12. I quickly got the kids situated with a sitter and grabbed Hunter to get in a cart and follow. Hunter and I saw him play holes 14 and 15. It truly gave me chills to pull up to the scene- about 25 golf carts following down the path and parking near the green. Chris' cart and his opponent's cart up on the fairway to hit their shots, a camera cart and others parked along the way. It was incredible!
A look at the gallery. It was amazing to see how many people were following.

After seeing him win those two holes, I drove up to the clubhouse to get Dana and we watched the last 2 holes. Chris won on the 18th hole and it was such a thrill to get to hug the champ. He has worked so hard to get there and dreamed of this.
The boys at the trophy table- Hunter was so excited that no matter what, Dad would get his name on a trophy. The only thing better would be if we got to actually bring it home. These stay at the club.

The boys in front of the leaderboard.

THE MATCH- Go JONES!!!

Emily and I before heading out to the course.

The first drive. We were so happy to send him off!

A good luck hug.

Family picture with the 5 of us in front of the 18th hole. (This is bizarre... I cannot get this to rotate the right way. Everytime I think I have it right, it posts like this again!) Oh well.

Family Picture with Chris' parents

Home again... here is the champion.

Congrats babe! You deserve this more than anyone I know!

2 Months Old!

2010-09-03T06:03:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was Emily's 2 month birthday. We spent the morning at the pediatrician and I have her new stats to share:
Weight: 10 lbs 3 oz (30%)
Height: 22 1/2 inches (50%)

All is well in her growth and development. She did great with her 4 shots. She cried of course but was easy to console. She spent the rest of the day napping and was in good spirits. I was expecting her to be fussier and possibly feverish, but she really did just fine.

I am happy to report that as of today (9 weeks old) she is still sleeping through the night. That is 2 weeks straight with only 2 nights mixed in where she woke up to be fed. Not bad Emily!

I did a whole comparison post a couple of days ago of each child at 2 months. It amazes me that at 2 months Blake was 3 pounds heavier and Hunter was 2 1/2 pounds heavier. I knew Emily was smaller, but wow! There is quite a difference in a couple of pounds at this stage. I should have known- she can still wear all of the newborn clothes and while they are getting a little snug, she is certainly not busting out yet. Dr. Fitch assured me that she is growing just as she should. :-)

On another note, we have been working on Emily's room. I picked up all of her bedding on Wednesday. Angie did a great job. I love it all. I finally found the right paint color- had to paint the room twice! Now, we are working on finding a rug and also need to paint the white stripes on the wall. As you can see in the pictures the blue paint tape is still up around the windows for me to do the stripes.

2 posts in one day... wow!!

2010-09-01T11:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was so fun! We met a friend I have known since birth, her mom (who happens to be one of my mom's best friends), my mom, my sister along with our kids for lunch. We both have brand new little ones that I hope and pray will be great friends like their moms have been. Blake and Morgan are only a couple of weeks apart in age and now Emily and Savannah are about 5 weeks apart. We had fun sharing stories and bonding over lost sleep, grungy clothes, wild toddlers and the trials of motherhood. The babies did great- they slept through the excitement. The toddlers were great too and we had fun capturing them on camera giving kisses and hugs. May I say that Blake was an eager beaver when it came to giving Morgan a kiss. Oh dear!

The lady that lunches. Miss Emily in her new outfit. She looked so cute!

The girls... Savannah on the left is 3 weeks old and Emily is 8 1/2 weeks old

Morgan (22 months) and Savannah (3 weeks) and Emily (8 1/2 wks) and Blake (21 months)

Uh oh... he is starting young!

Finally.... breaking bread!

2010-09-01T10:53:00.000-07:00

Before Emily was born, if you had asked, I would have said that my biggest concern was how Blake was going to handle not being the baby anymore. Blake is my pop-pop lover, must have his two night-night lovies with him at ALL times, loves to cuddle and is generally more of a "baby" at a year and a half than Hunter was.

Boy how wrong I was. Neither boy has shown any hostility, frustration or jealousy over having Emily at home. They are both gentle, loving and very affectionate towards her. What I had not bargained for was the total disgust that Hunter was going to have towards his former playmate. He and Blake were at odds most of the month of July. Blake was apparently "boring" to Hunter, he wasn't "any fun at all" and basically made Hunter want to jump out of his skin. I worried about it, but heeded the advice of the pediatrician who said not to make a big deal out of it. Sure enough, in the last couple of weeks, the boys have rediscovered each other and have had a blast together. Of course, that means that they are now double trouble!

This morning, I had a french baguette left over from our dinner last night and the boys wanted to split it and eat off their halves. Why not? Love this one of Blake smiling.

Last night, we had my parents, brother and sister and grandmother over for dinner in honor of my parents return from their Greek cruise. We had a great time visiting and seeing their pictures.
My dad and Blake

Uncle Blake and Blake

My grandmother Mimi and Emily

TV time is good for something

2010-08-30T12:23:00.000-07:00

Today, at HEB, Hunter pointed to the top of the cheese display case and said, "Look Mom! The Eiffel Tower!" Not knowing that he had any knowledge of this, I asked him how he knew that. He replied, "It's on my Ninja Turtles movie." Quizzing him a little further, I asked if he knew where that tower was. He grinned and replied, "Paris, Mom."

Another example of the value of TV and movies...
"Mom, did you know that snails eat algae?"
"Really, Hunter? Do you know what algae is?"
"Yes Mom. It's green stuff that grows where it's really wet."
This fact he learned from Caillou.

So, don't discount the learning that comes from a little exposure to TV! :)
Below is Hunter at the Waco Children's Museum with his cousin Ryan watching the program about the mammoths that used to live in the area.

My Three

2010-08-30T12:01:00.000-07:00

This is so so frustrating. I typed up this entire post last night only to have the internet fail on me and therefore, I lost my entire entry. Aghh!! I am going to attempt to do this again...

Emily is going to be 2 months old on September 2nd. In honor of that milestone, I will chronicle my three at 2 months old.

Hunter
Born at 7 lbs 7 oz and 20 1/2 inches long
Hunter was 12 lbs 12 oz at 2 months old. Wow! He had grown over 5 lbs in the first 2 months. He was a great eater, a very textbook baby- eating every 3 hours or so and up about 2 times a night, he loved to be swaddled, to have a pacifer (pop pop in our house), loved bathtime, enjoyed the bouncy seat and was an easy baby to take around. He was holding his head very steady at that point and loved to put weight on his legs in our laps.
Here is Hunter at 2 months....

Blake
Born my biggest at 8 lbs 13 oz and 22 inches long
Blake was 13 lbs 3 ounces at 2 months. He was a chubby bubby. He too was a great eater, an even better sleeper- waking up once a night since birth, loved to be swaddled and loved his pop pop (still does), enjoyed the bouncy and watching all things Hunter. He was a great baby too. He was also developing strong muscles and loved to stand on our laps and could hold his head very steady.
Here is Blake at 2 months....

Emily
Born my smallest at 7 lbs 2 oz and 19 1/2 inches long
It remains to be seen how big she is at 2 months. We will know in a couple of days. I will venture to guess that she is not nearly as big as her brothers. Emily is a great baby- sleeps through the night as of 7 weeks, loves to take a bath, loves being swaddled and loves her pop pop. She is a fan of the bouncy seat, not a fan of the infant carrier and is not decided about the swing. She can hold her head pretty steady, does well at tummy time and when you work with her, she will put weight on her legs while in your lap. She is starting to smile and coo at you. She LOVES when I sing "Oh Holy Night" to her. I get quite a reaction from that.
Here is Emily at nearly 2 months....

Serendipity

2010-08-28T18:00:00.000-07:00

We are spending this weekend at the lake- just the 5 of us. It's been like a mini-vacation. Mind you, meals still have to be cooked, laundry done and we are cleaning up after ourselves, but just being away from home is a treat.

We got here yesterday and Blake and I ventured back into town to shop at HEB. We got back, swam in the lake, the boys kayaked, we had chicken tacos for dinner, icecream for dessert and played. Today, we drove over to Horseshoe Bay and swam in the pool and played at the little beach. Chris and I took turns sitting with Emily in the shade. She was a great sport.

This afternoon, Hunter and I went into town to stick our heads in a couple of shops. He was especially fascinated with an antique store that had junk piled out in the front yard. He was in search of a treasure and found some blue Mardi Gras beads on a rusty iron table. We went hand-in-hand down Main Street (it felt like such a "memory" moment)and looked in several other shops. He was not nearly as interested in the clothing stores as I was. He still had his sights set on the beads as his treasure for the day, so after a stop at the icecream shoppe we drove back to the antique store to "buy" the beads. The lady was precious and allowed Hunter to take his treasure free of charge. :)

We have had fun sitting on the dock, the boys have jumped off of the back of the boat and swam, taken kayak rides, saw a little snake (yuck), and had a wave runner ride. All are tucked in their beds- well, except for Emily.

Chris and I watched Marley and Me last night and boo hooed at the end... again. That movie does it to me everytime. I have been much nicer to my dogs today.

I played around with my camera while the boys were on the kayak and took many pics of my most captive audience. Enjoy!

Talking to God

2010-08-26T07:14:00.000-07:00

I have always said prayers with the boys at night. It's our ritual. Hunter has always been a little resistant to the idea of saying his own prayer. He usually insists, "You say it mom."

The other night, Chris was out of town. I was putting the boys down and was about to say the prayer. On this particular night, Hunter decided that HE wanted to do it. However, I had to leave the room and shut the door. So I did.

The next morning, he came in so proudly and announced that he had prayed to God and asked Him to help him be nicer to his brother. Hunter was really pleased with himself and I told him how much I knew that God loved hearing from him.

Fast forward to the next night, Hunter again announced that he wanted to pray but that I needed to leave the room. Well, over the monitor I could hear him as he "talked" to God. I have always tried to encourage him to say his own prayers and told him it's as easy as just talking to God. Well, that was exactly what he did.

Hunter's precious prayer went something like this:
God, Thank you for this day and for watching over us and protecting us. (Something I say every night) Please watch over my dad while he's out of town at a golf tournament. (About this time, Blake stands up in his crib and starts to cry) Please help my brother Blake stop crying. Oh and God, I really, really, really like talking to you, and I'd really like it if you would talk to me too. Oh, and I would really, REALLY, like it if you were down here on the ground with me. (A little more that I could not make out over the monitor.) And God Bless ya God!

Seriously, the sweetest and most precious prayer I have ever heard. I'm so proud of him.

Sleeping like a baby

2010-08-24T11:54:00.000-07:00

Emily officially hit the 7 week mark last Friday. It's hard to believe we are nearing 2 months old. Where did that time go?
She doesn't look too pleased to have time flying either!

Blake and Emily before leaving for the trip. I love that he wanted to hold her. I love his smile and dimples and her expression is priceless- like "Get me outta here!"

I can hardly stand that she is growing and changing. Last week, she started sleeping through the night and has done so the past 5 nights. Of course, now that it's in writing, she will revert back! I would never expect a baby to sleep through the night so young anyway, but had heard that girls usually do much sooner than boys. I'll take it!

We have had a great month of August. Emily has been traveling since she was 3 weeks old. We have been to Waco to visit family, the lake to be with family and South Padre with family. She's great in the car on road trips and has started to take a bottle as of 6 weeks old to fill in the gaps when I just can't feed her. She prefers the Gerber Nuk bottles but loves the Soothie pacifiers. Hmm.

Emily loves to be swaddled just like her brothers did. She will take a great daytime nap all swaddled up. Other naps just tend to happen in the carseat, the bouncy, or wherever we may be. I love to hold her and just be close.

As of 7 weeks, we started seeing real genuine smiles. They are few and far between, but you can tell she is really taking you in when you are talking to you and every so often you get a really precious grin. And drumroll please.... she has dimples too! When I was pregnant with Hunter, my OB commented how much she hoped he would get Chris' dimples. You have to admit, dimples just have a sweet charm about them. Well, Hunter did not get them, but Blake has great dimples. Emily has more than I can count- they are in the corners of her mouth and on her cheeks. I've tried so hard to get a picture of the smile, but she just stares at my camera like "What is that huge black thing pointed at my face that shines a bright light at me?"

Here are some recent pictures from our South Padre trip...
Hunter and his FAVORITE food... Shrimp!

Me and my 3 kiddos ready to hit the beach. My one and only picture of myself. :-)

Blake ready for a day in the water.

Hunter and his new shark tooth necklace. Boy is he proud of it!

On our last day, Emily spent time under our tent laying in the shade. Would you believe that she still got a little red? I felt terrible about it. Only her face was exposed since we used the green towel to cover her, but she was completely shaded. We think she must have gotten a touch of windburn. Ughh. I still feel guilty. Anyway, she did look cute in her suit.

Hunter and his boogie board. He insists on wearing goggles at all times in the water.

We all headed over to do putt-putt and go-cart driving. Hunter had a blast racing around the path with his cousins.

I've been working on Emily's room. Pictures to come. I am not happy with the paint color, so back to square one on that. Boo. I have all of my fabric at Angie's getting made. I chose to copy a bed I saw and I hope I love it as much as the picture. It's very simple and classic. The pops will come on the daybed in the fabrics I chose for the pillows.

Blake has moved in with Hunter- that is going fine as of now. They go to sleep without much of a fuss but Blake has been waking up once a night and often ends up in our bed. However, for such a big transition they have both done well.

What's up Wednesday...

2010-07-28T12:19:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe Emily Blair will be 4 weeks on Friday. The time has gone by so quickly, not that I didn't already know that it would. She had an awesome night last night and slept from 10 pm to 6:00 this morning. Yippee! She has been getting up around 3:30-4 each night to eat and then goes right back to sleep without any trouble. After her 6:00 feeding this morning she dozed right back off and I had to wake her around 8:00.

Hunter has some kind of viral sore throat so we had a visit to the pediatrician this morning- all of us! I had planned to possibly leave Blake with my sister so I could take Hunter and of course, Emily. The doctor's office called and asked if I could come an hour earlier instead and gave me a 15 minute warning, so we all loaded up and I am happy to say, survived our visit there.

My sweet grandfather passed away on Tuesday morning after a long battle with Parkinsons. He's in a much better place now and for that I am so thankful. We are going to miss Dee Dee though! He was a special person and the only grandfather I had living during my lifetime.

Emily is still sleeping most of the day away. I took her for a weight check last week at 3 weeks and she was 7 lbs 13 oz, so I am sure she has finally tipped the scales at 8 lbs this week. I can tell she is starting to fill out more and more, yet find it so hard to believe that Blake was BORN at 8 lbs 13 oz, over a pound and a half bigger than Emily at birth. She still is not as big as he was yet and she's almost a month old. That's incredible!

Blake and Hunter continue to be the best big brothers. There is nothing but sweetness towards Miss Em and lots of hugs and kisses from her big bros.

On our first trip to Waco, Emily was 3 weeks old. She did great in the car and slept the entire way. This is Em in her sunbubble outside at Din and Dinny's house (great-grandparents) while the boys were swimming.

This is Emily in her newest dress from her future Aunt Kate. Thanks Kate! Yellow is a good color on her.

Looking at the lights and colors on her playmat. I realized that I had the boys down on this playmat long before she got a chance. I can't forget to do the things I did with them just because life is more hectic these days. She seemed to enjoy watching the lights, listening to the music and seeing all of the colors.

Emily all dressed up in one of her tutus. It's fun to play dress up and take pictures. I am trying to figure out this camera that I got last fall and play around with the settings. She is of course a very fun and captive subject. One day soon she'll be running just like the boys do when the camera comes out!

Another attempt at playing with the camera. This Feltman bubble is one that my mom saved that me and my sister wore. So sweet!

A week ago I had a small surgery done and so Chris, Emily and I headed to the surgical center that morning. I had her all dolled up in her bow. Since I am still using the baby blue toile carseat cover I used with the boys, we sometimes get the observation that we have another boy- doesn't matter if there is a pink blanket draped over her, it still happens. So, we had to stock up on some more bows to make it OBVIOUS! It makes me laugh that my boys got mistaken as girls even in their blue outfits- I mean blue seeksucker with sailboats? Seriously? Now, I have a girl that has pink on every outfit and she gets mistaken for a boy. Ha!

The kids in Waco... Hunter loves having Em close by and Blake is always eager to be a part.

Look who has rediscovered the swing! He sits in it, makes it go side to side and says, "Wee, wee, wee!" Glad he likes it now since he was never a huge fan as a baby.

Emily is offically without her umbilical cord at 2 weeks and 1 day old. She has had a couple of tub baths since and she loves them. Like mother, like daughter. Actually, all three of mine have loved the bath since day one and even love the sound of it. I guess the many baths I took during my pregnancies fostered their love for the tub.

Well, the rest of our week will be spent with family and honoring my grandfather at his memorial service. We are going to spend the weekend at the lake and I am excited- not about getting in a suit, but about being at the lake. It's been a long time!

The first two weeks...

2010-07-15T11:57:00.000-07:00

....have been great with Emily Blair at home with us. We are so blessed and thankful for our healthy and happy little one. She is really easy-going (so far) and fits right into the daily swing around here. It's loud and crazy most of the time and she doesn't even flinch. So far, she is eating every 2-3 hours during the day, sleeps a lot and is having periods of wakefulness more and more every day.

At night, she wakes up to eat every 3-4 hours usually by squirming in her bassinet. She rarely cries and makes the sweetest little sounds when she needs something. At this point, Emily spends a lot of time in Mommy's arms, being held by her big brother, Hunter, in the bouncy seat and swaddled up in the bassinet. Life is good!

I have had way too much fun with each outfit change and take as many pictures as I can in each thing. It's been such fun seeing her in pink and ruffles!

Emily had her 2 week visit early at 10 days old. She had regained her birth weight and was 7 lbs 4 oz, so that is great progress from the 6 lb 10 oz that she came home from the hospital at. She is 25% in weight, 50% in height at 20 inches now and 50% in head measurement. Emily is doing great with head control and even pulled up from laying flat on her Mimi's lap. We were stunned that she could pull up so much!

Emily in her going home outfit at one week old

Emily looks like a baby doll in this picture

I laid her in Blake's crib last Friday (July 9) while we were playing in his room. I ran into the kitchen to check the time and it was exactly 11:39 am (her exact time of arrival one week before) and snapped this one week old picture right then.

Pretty girl in her sun bubble.

Accessorizing at a young age- this is VERY intimidating to me!

Sweet Daddy got us the stork again- this time it was pink. Many neighbors who saw this were very excited for her arrival!

The boys love holding Emily and Hunter asks to have her every chance he gets.

Blake reaches his hands out eagerly for baby sister (he calls her Bobby- which is ironic because that is the boy name we would have named the baby had it been a boy).

So cute all curled up

Overall, the first two weeks have flown by. We have ventured out a couple of times and Emily has done great each time. The boys are doing well with a new little one in the house. They love her and the only issue we have is between the two of them- lots of squabbles over toys, who had what, etc. I think we can manage though!

It's a....

2010-07-08T11:34:00.000-07:00

GIRL! We are so excited to announce the arrival of Emily Blair Jones.
Emily arrived Friday, July 2nd at 11:39 am.
She weighed 7 lbs 2 oz and was 19 1/2 inches long.
Emily has blonde hair, long fingers and toes, skinny little legs and arms and is perfect from head to toe.

After my last OB visit on June 30 (Wednesday) it was decided that I would have to come in on Thursday night to get the induction process started. For those of you who know me, my labors have been completely backwards by typical standards. Hunter, our first, came quick- within 2 hours of arriving at the hospital he was here. Blake was induced for that very reason so that I would be in a hospital setting for his arrival. He arrived within 4 hours of being induced. Now this third baby had a mind of it's own and since I was not progressing as I had with the first two, we needed to check in on Thursday night.

We were so excited! On Thursday, I took my last pregnant picture. Ever. :-(
Here are my last belly shots...

Chris' mom came in town with my sister-in-law, Summer, and her three boys. We visited and the boys played over at our house that afternoon, we took them to the toy store for a little treat and ate at Order Up. It was so humid that night, so the picture is a little blurry. It's our last shot as a family of 4.

After dinner, we brought the boys home with my sister, Kristin. Chris packed his bag, I finished up with my things and we got the boys situated. Around 7:40 we pulled out of the driveway, only to return 3 days later as a family of 5!

Around 8, we pulled up to the hospital and checked in downstairs. They sent us up to Labor and Delivery and assigned us to room 8. We had about 30 minutes to settle in and organize our things before my nurse, Yari, came in to get things started. Here is our room.

Yari got the IV in and monitors hooked up. Around 9:30 Dr. Vanover came in and got me started on the cytotek, which is like cervadil. She said that they would watch the monitors and if I needed more they would come in in about 3-4 hours to up the dosage. Chris and I tried to entertain ourselves by watching TV. Of course being hooked up to the saline drip made it for some frequent bathroom trips. That was a nightmare seeing as I was hooked to the IV pole on one side and hooked to the monitors on the other side. It was a long night of watching the monitors, getting up and having to unhook things and hook things back up, listening to Chris snore, and just being anxious for things that were about to happen. Apparently I had already been having contractions already when they first hooked me up to the monitors and I hadn't even noticed.

Around 5:15, they started pitocin and at 6:15 they broke my bag of water. About 7:30 my parents arrived and shortly after, Chris' parents arrived. Kristin came with the boys and my brother, Blake, got there to join in the fun too. Here is mama and her boys.

Blakey was especially loving on his mama that morning. I'm not sure he knew what to think.

My labor was very non-eventful. I was definitely feeling the contractions when the boys arrived, but was able to mask the pain. They came in around 8:45 for the epidural, so that made it easier for sure. After the epidural, I was at 5.

Around 11:15, I started to feel some pain in my lower abdomen and so my nurse, Ashley, checked and found that I was 8-9. Not much longer now~ The pain intensified with each contraction and before we knew it, it was time. Dr. V rolled in at the perfect moment and we got things rolling. Only about 5 pushes and Emily was here. Dr. Vanover said, "You have a little girl!" and we both just burst into tears. It was such an incredible moment to see Emily and to have her placed into my arms. Chris and I were both in disbelief. We have a little girl!

Apologies for these blurry pictures. Chris had a lot on his mind trying to get still pictures, video of her first moments and take her in. Here we go!

The ugly cry. We were just blown away that we had a girl!

Here she is!

Thank you God for this blessing!

I don't know why this didn't rotate, but this is how Chris announced to the family and friends in the waiting room what we had. Pink balloons or blue balloons given to the boys to tell them they had a brother or sister. As you can see, they have a sister!

Miss Emily Blair

Our family of 5

Daddy, Mommy and our little angel girl

Showing her off

More to come..... gotta run!

18 month check up

2010-06-01T17:26:00.001-07:00

Today was Blake's 18 month checkup. He did great and has a clean bill of health. We started the visit out with a finger prick, but Blakers did awesome. Didn't flinch an inch and sat there like a great sport. All of the blood work came back perfect. Praise God!

Then, it was off to get weighed and measured. Blake still has quite the noggin. It measures in the 75th percentile. He weights 24 lbs 5 oz which is in the 25th percentile. He is 31 1/2 inches tall which is also in the 25th percentile. Looking at Blake in person it is hard to believe he's in the 25%. He looks and feels much bigger than that.

Let's see, Blake's current vocabulary is small but gets the point across. He has the point and grunt method down. Also, the "fuss until you get what you want" mode is highly popular around here! He can say:
dah- dog
da da- Daddy
wah wah- water
ba- ball
ba- baa for sheep
uh oh
pa pa- pop pop (our word for pacifier)
shakes head no
cah- car
uck- duck
ah- hot (and holds hand out to show you)

*He is climbing lots
*sounds like he's singing and loves to dance to any music anywhere
*still LOVES to swim and will completely submerge himself underwater and is not scared at all
*loves bathtime and splashes enough to drench the bathtub area and the bather (me)
*is a great helper at clean-up time and knows where to put things
*wants pop pop and night night at all times if I let him
*knows where I keep freshly baked cookies and stands and points up to them
*goes down about 7:00 usually and is up a bit before 7am
*loves playing with Hunter and doing what he does
*new favorite toy is shape sorter that he hammers the shapes through their holes- we do this OVER and OVER
*plays cars like Hunter used to- lays on carpet and watches the wheels moving
*still a great eater- especially at dinner time
*loves to play outside in the sandbox, at the water table or on the playground
*loves his Sha Sha and Babs when they come over
*cried when Aunt Kristin left the other day- they have a special bond for sure!
*loves MiMi and Bapa too!
*is OVER THE MOON for Da Da

Beach or Bust!

2010-05-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

We had the best time in South Padre with the Spielhagens! What a fun getaway!

The drive was not bad at all. We left SA at about 10 am due to a last minute pediatrician stop. Of course Blake had mysteriously been running fever on and off the couple of days leading up to the trip, so we had to investigate. It was the run-of-the-mill fever virus, so we kept the Motrin and Tylenol going and he was fine.

After a stop in Robstown for BBQ at Coppers we were back on the road by 1:00 and pulling into South Padre at a little after 3. We unloaded and then took the kids down to the beach to walk around and check it out. After showering off, our "topless" children posed for some pics for us.

The wild foursome- Luke (18 mo), Kate (almost 3), Hunter (almost 4 1/2) and Blake (18 mo)

Hunter and Kate- the best of buddies!

A family shot of the four of us before getting nit and gritty down at the beach.

Luke and Blake in their matching ensembles! Boy were they cute!

Hunter and Kate were so excited to try out their "surf boards."

The dads and the big kids were the bravest when it came to facing the chilly water and the "red flag" waves. We had very strange but good weather. It was very overcast, sometimes a little foggy seeming, but it worked great with kids since it didn't feel unbearably hot and you weren't fried under the sun all day. The water was a little chilly, but you could definitely get used to it.

Blakey and mommy playing in the sand.

One night we dressed the kids in their beach finest and went out to dinner. Boy they clean up nice!

Playing out back while we were waiting for the sun to go down. Time to crab hunt!

Hunter had his full crab hunting gear! The kids were amazed at the crab that Cari caught.

Overall, it was an awesome trip- one we are SURE to repeat over the years. As a matter of fact, we need to get it on the calendar for next year! Can't wait!

My how time flies!

2010-05-24T19:47:00.001-07:00

I love comparing old and new pictures to see how much my boys have grown. Here is Hunter the first day of school 2009. He was ready for his first day of preschool. Little did we know what an incredible year he had in store. His teachers were wonderful and nurturing and so much fun. Hunter just loved school!

Here he is in May 2010- so grown up and ready for summer. I cannot believe in a few short weeks he will be 4 1/2. How does the time fly by so quickly??

Now, it would not be fair to not include Blake. Here he is in September 2009 at 9 1/2months.

And again May 2010 at 18 months.

Love these boys!

The boys each at nearly 18 months...

2010-05-09T20:17:00.000-07:00

Can you tell who is who??

(Blake is the top and Hunter is the bottom pic)

It's Been A Long Time...

2010-05-09T19:27:00.000-07:00

Palm Sunday our church had their annual Egg Hunt. The boys were very excited to get their first egg hunt underway and had no interest in pictures for mommy.

A family pic on the lawn. I had the best Sunday teaching Hunter's class that morning. Being Palm Sunday, we of course covered Jesus' triumphal entry, but the most precious part was taking the class into the sanctuary waving their palm leaves. We got to sit at the front of the sanctuary and hear the story. The kids were so precious.

Easter weekend we split between Waco and San Antonio. On Saturday, we were in Waco and got to go to Ridgewood CC's Easter celebration. This year, they had a camel to ride. Guess who rode that camel? Me and the boys! Her name was Coco Chanel and like me, she was expecting. Poor Coco- that's a rough job for a mama-to-be!!

Blake and the "Easter Bunny." Hunter refused to take his picture with the bunny, and I cannot say I blame him. It's a little creepy.

Blake totally got the concept of picking up eggs and putting them into his basket. He even figured out how to shake them to see what was inside. Smart boy!

Making our way around. The boys were mesmerized by this animal. No one said a word the entire time we were riding.

As usual, Hunter had a blast with David and Ryan.

Back in SA, we went to church and then came and had Easter lunch at my parents' house. It was a wonderful day and the boys had a great time. Hunter made the neatest thing at school- a Resurrection Box. Inside, it had 10 little items that symbolized something important about the story of Jesus' death and resurrection. Hunter was able to take each one out and explain that part of the story to me. It was so incredible to hear him and know that he understood the story.

The boys were eager to get out the door the morning we went to the Dinosaur Exhibit at the Witte Museum. I grabbed my camera just in time to see this act of brotherly love- or probably more like, "Hurry up and get in the car so we can go see the dinosaurs!" We had a great time and both boys loved it!

Blake LOVES to be read to. His favorite books are.... Goodnight Moon, Big Book of Trucks, Big Book of Animals, Pat the Bunny, Moo Baa La, La, La.... I found him in the rocker the other day just reading away. So cute!

We spent a weekend at the lake "working" to get things ready for the summer. The boys worked hard out in the yard and mom and I cleaned like crazy. We got lots checked off the list chore-wise. Of course, we did manage to fit in some fun while we were there. No weekend at the lake is complete without being smashed into a stiff life jacket and taken on a boat ride.

Then, as luck would have it, the bluebonnets were beautiful all around the lake house. So before we left, I insisted on snapping a couple of the boys in the flowers. They were not in the outfits I would have wanted had I had the choice, but they turned out pretty good for being a last minute thing.

Fiesta was a busy week around here. Chris and I had several nights in a row of events. One that we really enjoyed was Town Club. The theme this year was Roaring 20's, so I was a pregnant flapper. We had a great time!

More later....

Birthdays...mud pies...and Baby Boo growing in size

2010-03-31T11:12:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Chris' 31st birthday on Friday. It was very low-key and just the 4 of us. When he got home from a round of golf, we sent him on his birthday scavenger hunt around the house. Hunter was a great helper and pointed out several of the hiding spots and treats that awaited him along the way. The most fun was the last place he had to look- our shower. Hunter was waiting there with silly string and cascarones to make a royal mess. Chris pulled his white golf shirt off just in time for the silly string to fly. Blake got in on the action too and didn't quite understand what was showering down on his head.

Oh, did I forget to mention that we had background music provided for our listening entertainment. Blake and the harmonica are a great pair!

Hunter and Daddy sharing a laugh over one of the silly cards we picked out. I let Hunter pick his own card this year and he insisted on a musical card that had a big beer belly gut on the front. Lovely!

"Don't mind if I do Dad!"

"What is all this mess about?"

On Saturday, we had a beautiful and very warm day. We spent the majority of it outside and after a quick hosing of the porch and the porch furniture, there was a very good size puddle, mud and all, on the front walk. It was too hard to resist! I let the boys splash around and get completely covered in the muck. They had the BEST time. Chris and I just sat in the grass watching them have the best time. What a fun memory!

Hunter calls this move his "rad move."

We still need to talk over names for this baby. We decided it would be best to call it by a nickname for the time being to help us really feel attached. It's harder to identify with this little person not knowing what he or she is. I hope that's not a terrible thing to say. So, here are some of the past belly shots of Baby Boo.
This is late February- so I think I was 19 weeks along here.

This is at nearly 25 weeks. Baby Boo is growing fast!

Once upon a time....

2010-03-26T12:02:00.000-07:00

....in a city called San Antonio, lived two of the cutest little boys you have ever seen. Their mommy did not blog often enough to record their fun memories, so she finally had to sit down and tell it like a story for everyone to see what fun things they had been up to.

Back in the month of February, they traveled a short and very "worth it" distance to the city of New Braunfels to play at the NB Children's Museum. Boy oh boy did they have a great time! Their very best friends, Kate and Luke, came along for the adventure. They also met their new friend, Rhett, while they were there.
Hunter enjoyed playing in the camping area and kayaking to Nowhere Land on the carpet river. :)

Blake, a water maniac, loved the outdoor water tables and even though he couldn't quite reach to get into too much trouble, he was in heaven.

Blake and Luke, both 15 months old, shared their shopping duties in the grocery store.

My little doctor in training.

And this was the end result of a fine day at the Children's Museum. Sweet victory!

Then, to cap off a month of rodeo in San Antonio, Cowboy Kevin visited Hunter's school and did some really impressive rope tricks. Hunter was mesmorized by his cool tricks.

We ended the month of February with a trip up 35 once again. This time it was to Waco to see the Jones crew. The boys had a great time as they always do. There was lots of fun to be had.

To get March rolling, we took a morning train ride through the park.

So then things got really exciting around here. We had a notice in the mail a couple of weeks ago that our street was slated to be repaved. Well, boy were we excited when the tractors, scrapers, sweepers and dump trucks descended upon our street. It was a sight to see. The boys loved the action and we spent a good morning out front in the grass, eating snack and watching the "workin' men" as Hunter calls them.

They thought it was big time entertainment for sure!!

In honor of Daddy's 31st birthday, we went out to dinner last night with the Stouffer family. Mommy took the opportunity of two clean and tidy boys to take some pictures out front. Here is my handsome four year old...

...and my precious and looking quite chub one year old.

Nothing better than brothers!

The two sets of matching boys at dinner. Hunter and Blake were intentionally matching, but Dad and Uncle Blake were not. So funny!

We have wonderful and impecable manners at restaurants...

...can't you tell??

So that brings you up to date with just a few things left out. Those will have to get addressed in other story from the Jones family. And they lived happily ever after. The END.

It's a....

2010-02-24T13:46:00.000-08:00

....healthy baby! We had our 20 week ultrasound this morning. It was so exciting to see the baby on the screen moving and opening it's little mouth. The baby seemed to enjoy having their hands up by their face. It was cute to watch. Several times during our ultrasound, he/she yawned really big and we could see their tongue.

Here is Baby Jonesie's little profile. So cute and I think he/she looks like their daddy. Cutie pie!

The "sonographer" (not sure if that is her official title or not) is so sweet. Hazel showed us to her little room and got us set up. She is the same person who did the sonogram on Blake only a little less than 2 years ago. She truly is the sweetest lady.

We told her that we were hoping to keep the gender a surprise and if she could just give us a heads up to turn away we would happily do so. So, we got settled and first and foremost we saw a little heart beating away. She made way through her checklist of things to look at and as she moved I just relaxed more and more as we saw what a healthy little baby we had. Such a huge blessing and answer to prayer!

At one point, I mentioned to Hazel to let us know when she was heading down "that way" and we wouldn't look. Her response to me...."Oh, I already know." What?? I couldn't believe that I hadn't caught a glimpse of anything. I had pegged it on both boys before the sonographer had to say a word. I had myself convinced I was very good at seeing the gender. Apparently not! She must have seen the parts when I didn't even know what I was looking at. Sometimes it's like that in a sonogram- the angles and areas she is able to pick up are so hard to tell. I just figured a gender shot would be really obvious. For all I know, the baby could have been spread eagle and I missed it.

Point is, WE STAYED STRONG! I cannot believe it to tell the truth. This is SO against my personality in every single way, but it's going to be fun. Keeping the mystery going is going to be interesting for sure.

We will have to get on the ball and start really coming up with names. Pray that Chris feels as strong of a bond this time around as the last 2. For him, it has been important to find out each time and it seems to really connect with him when he knows a person to "get to know." If that makes sense at all. I know he will enjoy the thrill of the moment when we get to it, but I want him to enjoy the anticipation too. Talk about against personalities- this is compltely off his norm.
A little foot and then below an arm and a foot.

Baby Jonesie's face with mouth open from the side view and another view from the front. Baby liked to open his/her mouth alot!

15 months

2010-02-18T18:18:00.000-08:00

Blake,
You are officially 15 months old. At your appt today, you weighed 22 lbs 5 oz. That's about the 20th percentile. You are 30 1/2 inches long and that is 25th percentile. Your head continues to be on the large side little guy at that 80th percentile. My cute little melon head!

You are walking more and more and have this Frankenstein-ish toddle with your hands out stretched. You fall down lots and either decide to crawl because it's easier or get up and walk because you have a crowd cheering you on.

Appetite wise, you are eating all and everything. You have grown so much since you turned one and rarely snub anything we give to you.

You communicate via pointing mostly and jibber jabber. Sometimes you say da da for daddy but never ma ma. We will have to talk about that. You still LOVE your pacifier which we call your pop pop and you also love your night-night blankie. It's with you most of the time.

You love to play with Hunter. You all have the best time and he's a great sport to play with you as much as he does. You all love to pull out toys together and make a grand 'ol mess, but it's ok because I love to watch you all laugh and pretend together.

Bathtime is still one of your all-time faves. You splash like no one I have ever known. The entire bathroom floor is wet and whoever is the "spotter" sitting on the outside is covered from head to toe. You just love, love, love to splash.

We started Little Gym a couple of weeks ago. You love going and are often the "example" because you are not afraid to try anything. You love going upside down and doing forward rolls. You don't love hanging on the bars much though. The balls and bubbles at the end get you to giggle, so I love that.

A funny thing you are doing these days to express your frustration is that you sit on the ground, lean over and tap your head on the floor. It's like your way of saying, "See what you made me do. I am so mad!" It's hilarious to watch and we all kind of laugh when you do this. It can happen when I take you out of your highchair for throwing food on the floor (ahem), pull you away from something that is not a toy, tell you "no" about something.... Basically, whenever you are inconvenienced in the slightest.

You have 6 teeth, wear size 3 diapers, nap usually 2 times a day, sleep 7 at night to 7 in the morning and have the most fun personality. I think you are a class clown type- you love to get a reaction.

Blake, you are so precious to me and your daddy. Hunter is crazy about you and we all love you so much~ Now, stop growing up so fast!

Only a week left....

2010-02-16T18:29:00.000-08:00

....until my big 20 week sonogram. Wow! This is flying by too quickly for me. I remember with Hunter reading my Pregnancy Journal every night and taking in all of the details and information like it was my job. I knew what week and what exact day I was the entire time.

With Blake, I was pretty good about reading the Journal, writing in my own journal and knew fairly well what week I was.

Now, this time... the weeks seem to fly faster than I can count. The journal sits open on my bedside table and I read several days at once. I am constantly amazed at all of the intricate development taking place. My anxiety is much worse this time around. I hear this is very normal but I will be so glad to see that little baby with all of it's fingers and toes on that ultrasound. We are still in a toss up about whether or not to find out this time around. We did with both boys which was still such a thrill. I was completely wrong with both of them- oops! So much for motherly instinct!

This time, knowing this is our last baby, I cannot decide. Chris will do whatever I decide, but we all know that if he had his choice he would find out. I'm just thinking if I can make it past that day not knowing I can make it to the end. I know it would just be amazing to meet that little person the day they are born and be totally and completely surprised. I have no feeling this time (perhaps because I have been so wrong before) as to whether it's a boy or girl. I have felt the best this time, feel the like I look the ugliest and am carrying wide. Who knows?! With Hunter I was low and felt ok, with Blake I was high and felt crummy and this one is wide and I feel like a million bucks but look like crud. The wives' tales do not apply to me. Heartbeats... you know they say 140 and below is boy. Well that was Hunter to a T. His never went over 155 but usually hovered around 139-144. Blake's was everywhere from 155 to 178, which is supposedly girl territory. This baby is around 155ish everytime. Seriously, I do not conform to any wives' tales or superstitions. Love to know what you all think this baby is.....

This is a portrait Hunter took of me at 19 weeks. Hmmm.... no head. Oh well, you are not missing much.

Hunter on Pajama and Pancake day for school.

My wild man! Blake sporting his first mohawk at the lake.

Rodeo SA!

2010-02-16T18:12:00.001-08:00

So last weekend, the sun finally decided to make an appearance and we took the opportunity to join the Spielhagen family at the rodeo. Hunter and Kate have the best time together and this trip was no exception. We started this tradition of going with them last year and knew we had the routine down. We were there early, got to ride ponies, do the petting zoo, walk through the barns and ride some carnival rides. We topped it off with a little lunch and headed home for naps. It was a great day!
Hunter and Blake in their boots ready to rodeo!

What a great looking foursome! Kate, Luke, Blake and Hunter.... best buddies!

Luke and Blake ready to take on the rodeo grounds. They were hilarious riding side by side. If one had something, the other definitely needed it too. They also took down some serious food in that stroller.

Kate and Hunter "posing" for their mommies. We are determined that these two will have the BEST rehearsal dinner pics if they get married to each other. If not, their husband/wife is going to wonder who that cute kid is in all of their childhood pictures. Ha!

Hunter remembered that there was a pony named "Dr. Pepper" last year at the rodeo and talked about riding him for days. Wouldn't you know, as soon as we got to the ponies he changed his tune and decided to ride the black and white pony. Giddy up Dolly!

All I can say is Moooo!

Oink!

What sheer joy on the rollercoaster! He loved it.

Sliding with a smile!

Hello World!

2010-02-11T07:37:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since I last blogged. We've been busy...

*Blake is walking now. As of about a week ago, at 14 1/2 months old, he started really getting brave enough to venture out. He still crawls from time to time, but is getting more and more interested in walking and doing great at it. He gets very proud of himself.

*Hunter was a ring bearer in Chris' cousin, Julie's, wedding in January. He had so much fun wearing his tuxedo and looked so handsome. That was a fun weekend.

*We remodeled our front hall bathroom. It took 2 weeks, but now we have a fresh, new bathroom. I am still amazed at how quickly it all got accomplished.

*I am currently a little over 18 weeks along. The baby treating me well- I have really felt so good this time around and am so thankful since I have the boys to keep up with. We have still not decided if we will find out the baby's gender yet. The big sonogram is Feb. 24, so less than 2 weeks away, and we seriously cannot decide.

*Rodeo is in town, so we are going this weekend to take the kids to the grounds. Chris will be taking Hunter back the following weekend to see the actual rodeo with some other dads and sons. That will be fun! We love the rodeo.

*It has rained so much here the last 2 weeks. I am officially tired of being cooped up with no outside plans. Yuck!

*Last but not least, I turned 30 a week and a half ago. So far so good!

Here are some pictures of Hunter as a ringbearer. Such a cutie!

Drumroll please....

2010-01-08T11:49:00.000-08:00

Big news in the Jones House...

This is how we let people know that Baby Three is on the way! I had to play with the holidays because Hunter was due Christmas day and born 10 days early. Blake was due at Thanksgiving and born about 10 days before and this little Bebe is due around mid July so surely he/she will be here around the 4th. So, my little firecracker!

I am nearly 14 weeks and doing great. So far, this has been the easiest one so far. I have felt really good and had random bouts of total exhaustion. Aside from that, things are great! Hunter is thrilled and repeatedly reminds me that the baby is for sure a boy. When you ask him why, he says, "Because boys don't have hair pointing down. Girls do." Apparently, after showing him a real-life picture of what a little baby looks like at this stage, the "no hair" thing has him convinced that it must be a boy. Ha! I would bet my money on that too though!

Bebe Jones is the size of a lemon these days. Hard to believe a little person so small and yet already so developed is flipping around in there. As for finding out- my vote is no and Chris' vote is yes. My money is on Chris on this one- I bet he wins! :) Not that it is not exciting to know, and practicality tells me to find out, but knowing this is it makes me wish for the utter thrill and exhileration of finding out when they are born.

Bebe's heartbeat was heard about a week ago at a healthy 159 beats a minute. Again, to dispell all wives' tales, Hunter's was 139 and Blake's was 178. So there! There is no rhyme or reason (except for maybe what you ate) for why it is fast or slow.

I've only seen the bebe once- on the 8 week sono and it just looked like a peanut then, but I am sure it's downright adorable.