Friday, December 31, 2010

2010, Best Year of Our Lives

2010 was the best year of our lives.  We went from a heartbroken couple facing infertility to a family of three.  We saw the work of God in our lives and we are so thankful for the journey He took us on.  Even in the worst of times, we grew because of what He was showing us.  Nicholas is such a miracle and we are honored to be his parents. Here is a look at the highlights from 2010 and what I want to remember most.

January-we celebrated our 5th anniversary on January 8, but I had the flu and morning sickness (a TERRIBLE combo! Ha!), so we didn't do anything.  We also had two significant snow storms which is unusual for our area.  I also felt so bad that month, that there really aren't any pictures to post about!  Ha!
 February - God answered our prayers on February 10 with an ultrasound showing us that we were having a healthy baby.  We also found out that day that we would have a boy! (I think he looks like his ultrasound, don't you?)
We went out to eat with my parents that night to celebrate a healthy baby and for my Dad's birthday.
 March - we had a quite March just resting before a very busy April.  We did get the nursery set up.  Here was a picture when he were still working on it.
 April was the beginning of a very crazy two months.  We celebrated our 29th birthdays on April 10 and 13.
 We took a daytrip to Helen, GA that weekend.  
 On April 24, Courtney and I get to meet a lot of our blog friends at a Beth Moore Conference.  Here we are with Jenna and Lianna.
 May was a special month for me.  I celebrated my first Mother's Day and My Nana's 80th birthday.

 We were also showered by our friends and family with FOUR showers.  We were so blessed!
 Michael also traded my BMW for something a little more family friendly!
 In June we spent most of our time resting and enjoying the "quiet before the storm".  We had our families over for Father's Day and just enjoyed spending our last month together just the two of us.
 I was also put on modified best rest after my blood pressure spiked to 165/95 at 35 weeks.  I was allowed to work, but to stay off my feet as much as possible. Here are my feet after a day at work.
July - We went to bed on June 30 thinking we still had another week before we met our little miracle, but he had other plans...here we are at 4:29 am on July 1.

 We brought Nicholas home on July 4.  I was so happy to finally have a stork in my yard.  :-)
 August - I was off work for twelve weeks after Nicholas was born and I spent a lot of that time just admiring my precious boy.
 At five weeks we moved him to his own bed at night.  He hasn't been in his pack n play since!
 We also went to church for the first time at five weeks.  He was so good that day!
 September - We showed our team spirit and cheered on the Vols!

 As the month came to a close, mommy had to go back to work and Nicholas started "school".  This was his first day, September 27.
 October started another busy time for us.  Nicholas went to his first birthday party and rode a pony!  He was pretty impressed!  Haha!
 He had his first halloween.  He was a cute little giraffe!
 We also went to the pumpkin patch and brought home two big pumpkins and one small one...for Nicholas.
 November - we started to notice that Nicholas was enjoying his toys and playing more.  His favorite seems to be his jumperoo.
 We also spent our first major holiday together as a family, Thanksgiving.  We spent the day giving thanks for the sweet miracle joining us this year.
 December - Nicholas loved the lights and festivities of Christmas.  He was such a trooper.

 On Christmas Day God gave us another blessing, a white Christmas!  It was the first Christmas snow in Chattanooga since 1989 and only the 3rd in 50 years!  I spent the past two Christmases asking God that if He did give me a baby, let he/she have a white first Christmas...and He did!
I hope the New Year brings many blessings to you and your family.  From our house to yours, 
HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Monday, December 27, 2010

Old Friends and New Friends

I have had the fortune to have two good friends in my life for almost as long as I can remember, and ironically, they are both named Lauren.  Lauren Fletcher and I met at church when we were four and five.  I was a year older, but we have been friends all of these years (almost 25 years now!).  Lauren and David had the adorably, precious Dawson three years ago and his pictures just made my day so many times when I was feeling sad or down.  They live a few hours away, so I do not get to see them very often, but they came by last night for our boys to meet!  I think this picture is hilarious...

They did actually play together a little, but mostly Nicholas jumped in his jumperoo and Dawson played with some of Nicholas' toys or with Spencer.  He wasn't too interested in "baby".  Haha!

 We decided to try to get a picture of the four of us.  Needless to say, that did NOT go well!  Ha!  Dawson refused to smile and Nicholas discovered that the ornaments and icicles on the tree came off.  Haha!

We had a great time and we hope to see the Fletcher Family again soon!  Maybe one of these days we will make it over to the 'boro to visit!

You know how I told you that I had a worn out baby Saturday night after two days of Christmas, well, he slept FOURTEEN hours Saturday night and FIVE hours during the day on Sunday!  Haha!  Of course, he didn't nap at school today though.  Ugh!  How does this kid survive on such little sleep and continue to be an overall happy baby?!!!

Saturday, December 25, 2010

White Christmas!!!

Nicholas was super excited this morning, for the first time in over 20 years, we were not just dreaming of a white Christmas, it actually happened, and Santa came!!!!  It started snowing around 7:15 and we ended up with about five inches by lunchtime!  It made the day so much better!!!!

"Yay, yay!  Santa came and it is snowing!!!"
Our house about an hour after it started snowing.  It was so pretty!

 Last year we decided to make it a tradition to eat sausage balls, some sort of sweet, and fruit for breakfast every year on our Christmas china.  This year I got cinnamon rolls and they were so good!
 Someone was a little sleepy when he played with his new toys. Haha!
 Santa left a Leapfrog Learn and Groove table, drum, and a Fisher Price Little Zoomer's Speedway.  He loved them all!

 Around lunchtime we ventured out in the four wheel drive Mommy mobile and headed over to Gigi and Grandpa's house for Christmas.  Santa left Nicholas a jeep walker there.  He loved it!
 "Hop in Beasley! Let's go for a ride!"
BEST.GIFT.EVER! 

 Don't you just love how he props himself up on his arm?  It is so funny!
 Nicholas and Grandpa
 Our family outside for a quick picture in the snow.
 My younger cousins and I.  We are very close and I hope we always are.

 Baby's first joyride.

We ended up getting home around 5:00.  We had a total of five inches when we got home and a very, very tired baby.  He was in bed by 6.  Hopefully he will not be up at 5!


Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!  I took some time this morning to give thanks for all that we've been blessed with this past year and to pray for those of you still waiting.  I pray that next year you will get your sweet miracle.  

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"  Luke 2:13-14