News!

We are expecting our second child in August!!! My pregnancy has been great so far...very uneventful. At my doctor's appointment today, I had a sonogram and found out it's a BOY!!!!! My doctor told me that everything looks great with me and the baby! I've been hoping it was a boy but never had any strong feelings one way or the other about what it might be. I'm so excited that Hayes will have a little brother to play with! Now if Blaine and I could only agree on a name...! Below is my favorite pic from my sonogram today...he looks so relaxed with his hands under his chin :)

End of a Hiatus...Hopefully!

So much has happened since my last blog entry so allow me to recap our 2010...

It seems like I blinked and Hayes became a little boy!! When did that happen?? He is such a joy!! He is so sweet and thoughtful, and he constantly makes us laugh with the things he says :) A few of my favorites are "Mommy, you doin ok?", "Why Hayes did that?", and "Why Hayes whining?". He pays close attention to detail and also has a touch of OCD (guess he gets that from his mother!).

We took Hayes on his first trip to the Carribbean in April. We spent a week in Turks & Caicos at the Beaches resort there. Hayes seemed to have a blast!! People were amazed at how fearless he was in the water...that's my little fish! :)

On the beaches of Turks & Caicos

I celebrated my 30th birthday last year and I must say 30 isn't so bad!! :) We enjoyed a family dinner at the Vicksburg country club.

Me at the country club (I miss that tan!!)

We celebrated Hayes' 2nd birthday in September...we had 2 small family parties and took him to Louisiana for a few days. His first trip to the zoo in New Orleans was so much fun! He loved seeing all the animals but I think the elephants were his favorite.

At the New Orleans zoo

For Thanksgiving we took a vacation to the Smoky Mountains with Blaine's parents. We spent one night in Chattanooga then made our way to Gatlinburg where we spent a few days in a cabin up in the mountains. Some of Hayes' new experiences during that week were riding on a carousel, sledding down an alpine slide, riding up a ski lift, and sleeping in a big bed! Great memories!

On Thanksgiving day in the Smokies

Our Christmas was nice but busy...there was a lot to fit into one weekend! Hayes and I made and decorated sugar cookies on Christmas Eve, and then my family came to our house to have dinner and exchange gifts. On Christmas morning Blaine, Hayes, and I had our Christmas together before heading to Louisiana to celebrate with Blaine's family. Not surprisingly, Hayes racked up on toys over the weekend!

Making cookies with Mommy

Note the non-traditional colors of the

icing...that's what happens when I

send Blaine to get baking supplies! haha!

My cousins Britney, Brock, me, &

my grandfather on Christmas Eve

Hayes checking out his

new train table

Christmas morning

Hayes with his cousins Alex & "E"

(as Hayes calls her)

It was a year full of priceless memories and countless firsts! And so far 2011 has proven to have new and wonderful memories all its own!

Hayes' 1st Birthday

Well, I figured I needed to post something about Hayes' 1st birthday before he turns 2!!! :) Ha ha!

After weeks of rain, thankfully we had decent weather for Hayes' big day! Since the ground was soggy, we changed our plans & moved the party into our garage. I thought the monkey & banana theme turned out really cute! The main colors were green, yellow, & brown & I used raffia & burlap on the tables along with stuffed monkeys & real bananas. Of course, being the procrastinator that I am, I never would've had all of the decorations out & food set up until after everyone left if it weren't for my family, especially Mrs. Ann, Angel, & Terri. They were so wonderful while I was running around like a crazy lady!! Once everything got started, I had time to relax. The party was a lot of fun, & we had a good time with family & friends that came. Thanks to those of you who were there that made Hayes' special day such a memorable time for us!

Below are a few pictures from the party...


Table decorations


Us with our birthday boy


The cake


Hayes checking out his cake


My favorite picture from the party! Hayes & his 2 best

friends, Cole & Brady

Florida Vacation Pics

Better late than never, right?

Once again, I've let too much time pass since my last post!


Let me start with June...


We took a trip to visit the in-laws in Louisiana the first weekend in June. Hayes finally got a chance to get in the pool...he loved it!! He was kicking his legs & splashing like crazy! I'm hoping he'll be a "little fish" like his daddy. We went to my niece's 3rd birthday party that Saturday, and then sent Hayes home with Ann & Don so Blaine & I could enjoy a night out. We had a great time...did a little shopping, walked around the French quarter, & ate a wonderful seafood dinner. After a nice family lunch on Sunday, we headed back home. Then I spent the next 5 days packing 2-weeks' worth of stuff for our vacation.

Our trip to Florida was absolutely wonderful...two weeks of relaxation with lots of quality family time. We stayed in Seagrove Beach in a cute little bungalow which was a short distance from the beach. Packing up & lugging all of our stuff to the beach was quite a challenging task...umbrella to keep Hayes in the shade, tent for Hayes to sleep in, beach chairs for us to sit in, inflatable boat for Hayes to play in, cooler for Hayes' food & juice, stroller for Hayes to ride to the beach, beach caddy to haul most of our stuff in, towels, sunscreen, cameras.... Thankfully, Hayes loved the beach so we were able to stay for a few hours at a time (to make it worth the effort!). He couldn't get enough of the water...he especially enjoyed getting on his belly & splashing at the waves as they came up on the shore.

We also hung out at the pool, ate at lots of great seafood restaurants, went biking, & did some shopping. And I finally found time to read a few books while we were gone! We were total beach bums & loved every minute!

Our 4th of July weekend was pretty low-key. We spent a lot of time in our pool (yes, we just had to get one....for Hayes, of course!) trying to stay cool, we grilled out, and Blaine & I had a date night Saturday while Terri & Mom kept Hayes. After a great worship service Sunday, my family all went to lunch together. Then it was back to the pool with Hayes!

Hayes' 9-month check-up was a few weeks ago, and it confirmed what we already knew...that Hayes has had a major growth spurt in the last 3 months! He now weighs 21 lbs, 12 oz & is 29 in long. (He gained almost 7 lbs!!) He pulls up really well now...I guess it won't be long before our little man starts walking!

Here's a video of Hayes playing on the beach. I'm having trouble posting photos, so I'll try again later.

May Update

I'm constantly laughing at Hayes lately...making funny faces, squealing, trying to untie the bumper pads when he's supposed to be napping, beating his toys against anything that will make a noise, finding all the imperfections in the concrete floors...I could go on & on. :) He's scooting all over the place now...crawling is just around the corner (this is so hard for me to believe)! I really need to start childproofing my house!

My 1st Mother's Day was busy but wonderful! Blaine made an appointment for me to go to the spa on Thursday, then we went to Louisiana to celebrate my niece's 5th birthday on Saturday. Sunday morning was baby dedication - what a joy it was to dedicate our son to the Lord! After church we had a great lunch at Mint (at the Renaissance) with my mom, my aunt, & Blaine's parents.

Right now we're just counting down the days until we go on vacation. We're going to Florida for 2 weeks...I can't wait!!!! I'm hoping Hayes loves the beach as much as Blaine & I do!

Below are a few pics from the last few weeks...

With our niece Alex at her 5th birthday party

At Alex's birthday party

Hayes with his cousins Elisabeth & Alex

On Mother's Day


Mother's Day

Baby Dedication/Mother's Day

Just hanging out

Swinging & loving it!

Weeee!

At the park

Hangin' Out

I'm off work today, and Hayes & I have been enjoying a lazy day at home. I finished my workout this morning while Hayes was napping & then we went for a jog when he woke up. So, if I accomplish nothing else today, at least having burned some calories will give me a sense of being semi-productive! Wishing everyone a happy Friday!!