Two Weeks Old

Yesterday Preston turned two weeks old and we had a doctor appointment. He now weighs 9 lbs 12 oz and he is 21 3/4" long. He is eating well and already growing so fast. He has had a few nights of sleeping 4 - 5 hours, but they have not been consistent. Right now he is sleeping in our room in the pack-n-play at night. We keep it pretty dark and have our box fans blowing to block out noise. Thankfully he goes back to sleep pretty easily after waking up to be fed. During the day he sleeps in the swing in the living room without it even swinging. This way he gets used to light and noise and realizes it is day time. He is on his last package of Newborn diapers and ready for Size 1. He is such an awesome addition to our family.

Preston Conner Senn

He's here!!!!!!! So after a long, long, long, long wait our second son arrived July 6th at 4:39pm. I guess having an extra 10 days to cook allowed him time to grow another pound and a half. He was 8lbs 5oz and 20.5" long. Of course upon seeing him we immediately compared him to Hallister. He was shorter and chunkier than Hall, but most importantly very healthy. Birth Story - Let me back track though and tell you about his arrival. After our appointment July 5th it was decided that I would have a scheduled c-section at noon on the 6th. I was disappointed that Preston would would not be choosing his own birthday but we were very ready to meet him. So I wake up Tuesday morning to find that I am leaking water. This really excited me that we may shot at a VBAC. I called my midwife and she said to make sure the baby is moving but that contractions need to start so the baby will drop into position. She called back later to tell me that I needed to go ahead to the hospital to start the antibiotics for Group B Strep. This is something I have but it does not affect me, only the baby. I needed to go through 2 doses of medicine before the c-section. Upon arriving at the hospital I went to check in and was drinking water from a water bottle. The lady looked puzzled and asked if anyone had told me that I should not eat or drink after midnight. I said no. She said she would have to phone my doctor and that the c-section would need to get pushed back since I also had had breakfast. I got a room and they started to administer the antibiotics. I did have some contractions but they were not consistent. My midwife came in to check me at 3:30pm and said the baby was still not engaged in my pelvis. So on to surgery we went. I was glad at least this time I knew what to expect, although I received a spinal instead of an epidural, so I would not be able to feel from my chest down for 3 hours. The anesthesiologist was entertaining. He talked to us about taking his kids to go see Toy Story 3, even their 10 day old daughter. This was a nice distraction. Finally he told us they were about to pull the baby out. We heard the doctor and my midwife say Wow when they broke the water and were vacuuming it out. Apparently there was a lot still left. Then we heard the most awesome sound of Preston crying. He had healthy lungs that is for sure. Christy held him up over the drapery so I could see and I could tell he was going to weigh a lot. Finally Jonathan had him in his arms and brought him over so I could touch him. We then went to recovery and it was very hard to hear Preston cry. I was not able to nurse him until about an hour after surgery for risk of getting a spinal headache if I set up too soon since I could not feel my legs. Finally I was able to sit up just enough to at least hold him and then to finally nurse. He ate for 45 minutes! We finally got a postpartum room and got to enjoy just staring at our new bundle of joy and to study all his features. We feel very blessed. Name - Jonathan's Grandmother's brother was killed in WWII and his name was Preston, so that is who he is named after. I chose Conner for the middle name because it means wise. He is going to need wisdom having Hall as an older brother. :) We look forward to sharing more news on how our boys are getting along soon.

Tomorrow is the Big Day

Today I went in for another doctor's appointment where they did tests on me and the baby. We are both very healthy. (We got awesome pictures of Sweet P.) My midwife came to the conclusion that the baby's head is too big to fit down into my pelvis. That is why contractions have not started. So tomorrow at noon at Providence Hospital I will have a c-section. We are enjoying spending time with Hallister today and look forward to meeting Sweet P tomorrow. Thank you all for your prayers, encouragement, and support. This has been a long pregnancy and we are just ready to meet our son. At least now we know what to pray for for our next child......small head. We will share our son's name and of course his weight and length tomorrow as soon as we can. Now our prayer points are: quick recovery for me from c-section, healthy baby, Sweet P will have no problems breast feeding, and smooth adjustment for Hallister being a big brother. We are so excited and feel very blessed that tomorrow we will have two children!

8 Days Past Due....

I had a long doctor's appointment yesterday. They did a sonogram to look at my placenta and amniotic fluid. They did measurements on the baby and made sure he was breathing. Sweet P also had a stress test done on him. Thankfully he is healthy and so am I. After all the testing was finished my midwife shared news that was hard to hear. Usually the doctor's do not want someone going more than 10 days over the due date. It is possible I can still go into labor, but if the baby does not arrive by Tuesday, June 6th on his own, I will have to have a c-section. In a way it was a relief to know that there will be an end to this pregnancy, but on the other hand it was very sad to think of not having a VBAC when I so badly want one. Also, I am still dilated to 2 cm but the baby is not engaging my pelvis. My midwife said it may be that the baby's head is too big to fit in my pelvic area, and that may be why Hallister turned. It took me a while to process the news but I felt better once I started to thank God for His many blessings. We did not have trouble getting pregnant. The baby and I are healthy. I am thankful for how advanced medical technology has come and that I can have the baby safely without fear of I or the baby dying. And lastly I just looked at Hallister. God truly blessed us with a wonderful, joyful, and loving son. We look forward to seeing his reaction to Sweet P and know he will be an awesome big brother. So with all of this said, at the latest, by July 6th we will be the parents of two. We are excited about Sweet P coming into the world, no matter how that may be.

Train Table

We found this awesome train table on Craiglist. Hallister has been into Thomas the Train lately. Now he gets to enjoy playing with his trains while watching Thomas. The actual table is not pictured, it still needs a little work done to it, but it has slots for 6 baskets underneath to hold all the train pieces. This will also be a nice distraction once little brother arrives.

40 Weeks

At my appointment today I found out I am dilated to 2 cm, so some progress has happened over the past week. My midwife still believes the baby is going to be small but said that out of her feeling on him, doing a sonogram, and a mom's intuition, a mom's intuition always wins. I do believe (and pray) he will be a small but healthy baby. I think Sweet P wanted us to have more time to get things ready and now that we have he will arrive this weekend. We were able to find a comfy recliner for his room and finish organizing things around the house. His room is officially ready. The theme is "Baby Aviator". The bedding has a dark and light tan that was the same as Hallister's Twinkle Little Star. It also has stars in it. We just changed all the green in the room to blue. It turned out really nice. Our bags are packed and we are ready whenever he is.

21 Months Old

We decided to have some fun in the sun today and visit a Spray Park nearby. Although Hallister did not go near the water unless I took him he enjoyed circling the park by pushing his wagon with his trains. He is now really into trains and likes to watch Thomas the Train. He wakes up around 7am every morning (hallelujah!) and is sleeping through the night without waking up. His two naps have become one from 11:00 - 1 or 1:30pm. We are amazed at how quickly he learns. Before disciplining him Jonathan started to count to warn him that he had up to 3 to stop and obey. Well now when we say 1 he will say 2, so that doesn't really work anymore. The most important things we are teaching him is to "stop" and "come here", since those words can mean a matter of life or death, (for example walking in the street or a car backing up). We expect him to obey the first time and not hesitate. He does now say 'Okay' instead of 'Yeah'. I am working with him on bringing me items so that when Sweet P arrives he can be my big helper. We know he will be a great big brother. He is very loving towards other children, especially when they are crying, he goes over and hugs them to try and console them. It is hard to believe his next monthly update will include how he is adjusting as a BIG BROTHER!

39 Weeks...

Well here we are at 39 weeks and counting. I am really hoping I do not make it to the 40 weeks mark. I am still dilated 1 cm but Christy (my midwife) reassured me that things can go much quicker the second time. That was encouraging to hear. It is just too hot to be this pregnant. Plus I am tired of the looks and the comments of how big I am.....actually I am just plain tired. Chasing Hallister and trying to beat the heat every day wears me out. I am thankful for family and friends checking in on me and giving me breaks. I am enjoying my last few days of just having Hallister. It is fun to reflect back on his arrival and bringing him home. I have learned so much and I am thankful that I know more of what to expect this time around at the hospital. Although my labor did not go as I had hoped with Hall I was thankful to have a healthy son and speedy recovery. Please be praying with us: 1) that the VBAC would be successful 2) we would once again be bringing home a healthy baby 3) Hallister will adjust well to his new brother and not feel left out. Hopefully the next baby update will be our son's birth news!

38 Weeks

Time seems to be going by slow now. I can feel (and I am sure everyone else sees) that Sweet P is growing. Thankfully I don't have a job that I have to dress for every day. Shirts are now barely covering my growing belly.....baby. I am now dilated 1 centimeter so some progress is happening! The baby is moving a lot and I can tell he feels crammed. I occasionally get a stitch on my left side. Sweet P seems to be placing his elbow or hand in a certain position to cause this. Thankfully it is not on the same side as my once hurt rib, which is now completely healed. As we patiently wait for him to be born we are enjoying spending these last special days we have with just Hallister. What a blessing it is to know God is entrusting us with these two precious lives, to love and raise.

Not Ready Yet

I borrowed a friends book that talked about potty training in 3 days. I thought it might be nice to potty train Hallister before Sweet P arrives so we are not spending a ton on diapers. Well the first three ways, in this book, to tell if a child is ready to train are: they show you a sign when they need to go, they do not need a bottle before bedtime, and they wake up with a dry diaper. The first sign Hallister has had down for a while, telling us when he is about to poop or is in the process, but the other two he does not yet do. I put him in underwear one day to see if he would tell me when he peed so we could rush to the bathroom. He peed but did not seem to mind it going through the underwear. He also pees right when he gets in the bathtub. I tried dipping his feet in the bath and then putting him on his little potty, but he did not want to pee in it. We realized he is not ready to be trained yet. After Sweet P arrives and we get Hallister a big boy bed we will try again. He does look cute, and like such a big boy, in his underwear.

Anniversary Trip

Our actual anniversary is July 9th and we will have been married 5 years! Since we will be a little busy with a newborn at that time we decided to celebrate early. On Friday (June 4th) we left later than I had wanted to but thankfully did not run into much traffic. Once we got close to the hotel we got a little lost. Thankfully the GPS on Jonathan's Iphone was a tremendous help and we found the hotel. We always stay at La Quinta because they have free breakfast and we are enrolled in the rewards program, so we get emailed discounts and once we get so many points we can redeem them for a free night's stay. Well right when we pulled up I could tell the hotel was not what I had in mind. Even though it was an Inn & Suites it looked old and run down. We got checked in but needed to shower before going to dinner. I realized we had no towels. The front desk person said they were in the drier and would take 30 minutes. So we waited on towels and showered. As we started to get ready I saw a bleach stain on the front of the shirt I had borrowed from a friend. Jonathan realized his pair of black socks were different socks, different thicknesses, and one had a hole in the toe. We just had to laugh wondering what else was going to go wrong. Thankfully I had grabbed another nice shirt as we headed out the door. We enjoyed a nice seafood dinner at Pappadeaux, which was not crowded, and we managed to make it to Wicked at 7pm and get a great parking spot. It did not start until 8pm so we walked around and found our awesome Orchestra seats at the very back, so no one was behind us. What made the show even more interesting was that two understudy's were filling in for two pretty important parts, one being the Wicked Witch. She was so good, I cannot imagine how much better the regular person sings. The show was awesome. I was so glad Jonathan enjoyed it, not being a fan of musicals. We had listened to the soundtrack on the way up so that he would understand more of what the story was about. Saturday morning we got to sleep in until 9am. I can't remember the last time I did that.....college maybe. Something I was looking forward to at breakfast was yogurt and muffins, neither of which this La Quinta offered. We had to wait on coffee to be made and there was only one waffle maker. We were thankful though for a free breakfast. I enjoyed bagels and cereal, and Jonathan a Texas shaped waffle. We had no plans for the day, which was very rare for me. I usually have a set time for things and a plan mapped out for the day. It was a different feeling not knowing what we were going to be, but nice and relaxing. We headed to Northpark Center mall, not too far away to walk around. Since we got there by lunch time we headed to the food court. I spotted an interesting place labeled Which Wich. It was pretty neat. You wrote on a bag which sandWICH you wanted and checked off the toppings, similar to Subway but better. We enjoyed our sandwiches and strawberry shake, then decided to see Robin Hood. After the movie we drove around a found a nice park by an airstrip. I fed the ducks some crackers and Jonathan enjoyed seeing the planes land. We headed back to the hotel to freshen up before going to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, which Jonathan had never eaten at before. I ordered Herb Crusted Salmon and Jonathan Filet Mignon. Oh how good it was. Thankfully Waco doesn't have one though or we would go broke. We then enjoyed a scrumptious Reese's Peanut Butter Cup cheesecake. I am so glad we split it! We then went back to the hotel STUFFED, ready to relax and wade in the indoor pool. Much to our dismay our keys did not work on the side door to get in the building or for our room. Another strike against this hotel. It was just crazy how things kept messing up, but we didn't let it get to us. It was actually pretty funny. We then headed to the pool, which turned out to be only 3'4", so wading meant getting on our knees. The hot tub was out of service, not that I could get in it, but it would have felt nice on my feet. Jonathan then noticed a light floating in the pool but still attached to the wall of the pool. Thinking that is not very safe we headed back to the room to relax. Sunday morning we got up and headed to the church plant from the original church that we met at. Jonathan's best friend, Thomas, and my roommate from college, Johanna, attended there with their spouses. We enjoyed visiting before church. After church Thomas introduced us to a roofer who was going to be heading to Hewitt due to the recent hail damage in the area. He wanted to see our roof and give an estimate. We were thankful for this connection and left church looking forward to seeing Hallister. It was a wonderful trip. We are so thankful for Hallister and now look forward to being parents of TWO children.

37 Weeks

It seems like yesterday I was just writing my 36 week update. The baby's heartbeat was 144bpm today. He did measure 35 for the fundus height (rather than 37), but my midwife was not concerned. This means he has dropped, which is good, and that he is still small. I tested positive for Group B Strep, which does not affect me, but does affect the baby. When I am in labor I will be given an antibiotic through my IV so it will pass to Sweet P, and we will just need to stay in the hospital a full two days for him to be monitored. I am not dilated.

We are so excited about our (early) anniversary trip to Dallas, and will post pictures when we get back. We are going to see WICKED! tonight, tomorrow just relax with no agenda and SWIM, eat at the Cheesecake Factory, and Sunday enjoy visiting the church where we met and our friends there.

36 Weeks

It is hard to believe I am already 36 weeks pregnant and going to be visiting my midwife once a week now. At my appointment today I found out the baby is still head down (PTL), heartbeat is 133bpm, and he weighs a low 5 pounds. I was excited to hear that, because I have felt smaller and do weigh less than I did with Hallister at this point in the pregnancy. She even predicts that Sweet P will be a low 6 lb baby when he is born, so that is encouraging! I am not dilated any, which is fine by me. We have an early anniversary trip planned next weekend and I don't want to go into labor while in Dallas. Also, since we are praying and planning on having a VBAC I will not be induced, so this baby will come when he is ready! We look forward to sharing updates each week until that day arrives.....

Sweet "P"

For being a faithful blog follower you get a hint at our baby boys' name. His name begins with a "P".

We call him our little Sweet P.

Rollercoaster

We went to a garage sale Saturday morning and found this awesome toy. Jonathan had the brilliant idea of putting it at the top of our hill in the backyard so Hallister would be able to coast on it even longer. He absolutely loves it!

20 Months Old

Already 20 months old....time flies when you are having fun. I sleep most mornings until 7am, but sometimes still wake up at 6:30am. Most days I still take two naps, at least an hour long. The first is around 10am and the second around 4pm. When I don't take both naps I get overtired at night. I have had a few night terrors where I cry and grab my B.B. and I just want to be close to Mom and Dad, so I get to sleep with them. I still sleep with a pacifier, but seem to still be getting teeth as well. My favorite thing to do is go in Mommy and Daddy's closet to put on Daddy's shoes. I don't eat a whole lot, still Fruit Loops or Oh's for breakfast along with a banana. For lunch it is peanut butter crackers, PB&J, peaches, and animal crackers. For supper I tried steak the other day and really enjoyed it. Mostly I like pasta and still have sweet potato baby food since I won't eat regular vegetables. I am getting better using a fork and spoon. When I am done with my meal I sign "all done" and hand mommy or daddy all that is left on my tray. There is a talk of someone else coming into our home soon. I know I will be a big helper with my little brother....sharing the toys I once used, the room I once had, and telling him how to get what he wants with these people called "grandparents".

Fruit Loop Dance

Hallister almost puts the fruit loops in his ears, but then decides it is more fun to dance with them.

19 Months Old

Hallister is only two months away from being a big brother! He is getting more hair now. It is very cute after he takes a bath how his hair curls up behind his ears. He has been sleeping until 7am almost every morning, Praise The Lord! For breakfast he now likes the "Oh's" cereal along with banana, which he calls nana. I found a basketball goal at Goodwill and he has really enjoyed playing with that. He now says "ouwside" without the "t" and will grab a ball or is riding toy and head to the back door. If it is too hot or wet outside he enjoys being chased and playing hide-n-seek inside. His favorite movies to watch are Toy Story and Toy Story 2.

30 Weeks!

Wow this pregnancy has gone by fast. It is hard to believe it is almost May, and then I will be able to say my baby is due next month. I now go to the doctor every two weeks and at 36 weeks she will check to see if I am dilated. Baby Senn has always had a good check up. I, on the other hand, have been fighting a cough the past two weeks. The first week was miserable not being able to sleep and throwing up mucus. Everything was draining down my throat. After a week of having it, and a z-pack not working, I went to the doctor to find out that I most likely have whooping cough (or pertussis). He had seen many patients that had had a cough for 3-4 weeks and prescribed them a steroid. He first wanted to try a strong cough medicine with me plus suggested I take Sudafed to dry up the drainage. Thankfully they have both worked. I still have a little cough, but not near as bad. The only downside has been that the cough medicine makes me sleepy. I am thankful Hallister still takes two naps, so that means I am able to get in tow naps as well. With all of my coughing, and making the baby bounce around so much, I was thinking I would go into preterm labor. We have started to get stuff ready for Baby Senn but are not quite ready to have him here. I am enjoying feeling him move inside me for now and look forward to meeting him (in June) to see what he looks like.

Farm Day

Well we still can't find the camera, but thankfully Jonathan's iphone came in handy this weekend at Farm Day. We went with our friends Liz and Ben Strot. They have two boys, Austin (2 1/2) and Aaron (18 mo). Austin was very cute helping us keep up with Hallister by holding his hand. Hallister really liked the chickens.

Easter 2010

Bye Bye Explorer

Praise God we sold our Ford Explorer yesterday after having it listed on Craigslist for one month. We are so thankful to no longer have a car payment. The Explorer was a great, reliable vehicle. We now look forward to saving up and buying our next vehicle with cash, probably one similar in size to the Explorer. For now we will enjoy our '01 Chevy Cavalier and '99 Toyota Rav4. Both cars run great despite their age and mileage. I am thankful to be married to a mechanic who maintains our vehicles so well. The Rav will be cozy with two boys, but still work great for road trips.

New Car

So about a month ago we met with our financial advisers, Sarah and Jeremy, from the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace class we took. They also happened to be our Lifegroup leaders. We decided to be vulnerable and show them our monthly budget to help us figure out where we could save money. We are tired of living month to month and barely having any money left. After reviewing a few options for saving money on our homeowners insurance we figured out the biggest way we will save is if we sell the Explorer and get rid of a car payment. Although it would be tight fitting both boys in the Rav we were willing to sacrifice the space to get out of debt. By going on a Kelly Blue book we realized the Explorer was worth more than we owed on it. We could actually take the profit from selling it and pay off our foundation repair, leaving us only with the debt of a small student loan. Jeremy mentioned that some friends of ours were selling their 2001 Chevy Cavalier for very cheap. We decided we could purchase their car for Jonathan to drive and that I could use the Rav. We were a little concerned that buying the car would use up almost all of our emergency fund, but wanted to get the Explorer on the market ASAP and try to pay off debt before the baby arrives. We put in a call to our friends, told them not to list the car, that we were ready to buy it. To make a long story short on Sunday we were supposed to meet with our friends to buy the car. That afternoon the doorbell rang and our whole Lifegroup was standing outside, along with our friends that were selling it, surrounding the car. One of the kids ran up to us and said, "We bought you a car!" We were pretty overwhelmed. Everyone had chipped in to buy us the car so we didn't have to use up all our savings. We felt very blessed and loved. God is so amazing to provide this gift to us through our dear friends. We are hoping to sell the Explorer soon and Jonathan is enjoying getting 27mpg driving the car to work. So we are saving on gas money as well. (We will post pictures once we find our camera.)

18 Months Old

Hallister is growing up so fast. This update is a little late because we have misplaced our camera. This picture was taken early March. Hall has really thinned out, is getting taller, and he has more hair. His routine consists of eating banana and rice chex for breakfast, or if we make muffins or biscuits he will eat those. Thankfully now instead of throwing food when he is done he will gather up as much as we can and hold it out. When we place a plate in front of him he will load up all the remaining food on the plate. He plays until 9am or 9:30am and enjoys watching Baby Einstein or his Music Praise videos. If we don't put these on right away he will bring us the remote. He then takes an hour nap. After napping an hour he enjoys goldfish or Graduates puffs as a snack. For lunch he enjoys a PB&J sandwich, peanut butter crackers, and a nutri-grain bar. Around 1:30pm Hallister will take a 2 hour nap. We got him furniture from Craiglist and moved him into what was formerly the office. (The baby will have his old room.) He has been sleeping quite well in his new bed, even until 7am some mornings. He loves to go outside. We have been enjoying the slide that is at the school right next to us, in the evenings or on weekends. Hallister also loves bubbles. His newest sign is "help" - making a fist and hitting it on the other hand. His newest word to say is "yeah" which we are trying to turn into "yes", and eventually "yes mam or yes sir".

17 Months Old

This update is a little late. We have been enjoying the snow. (Hallister is like his father though and did not enjoy being out in the cold very long.) Our little Hall is so big. He jibber jabbers to make conversation, he still loves to use sign language, and the sign for eat has also become the sign for his pacifier. He his pretty attached to his paci, probably because of his mouth full of teeth, but we are thankful that it just helps him sleep at night and soothe him when he gets a boo boo. We do not want him to have it after 2 years old. His new favorite food is called Sammy Jammy. It is a pre-made sandwich that only HEB seems to carry. One kind has strawberry jam and peanut butter, another grape jam and peanut butter. The crust is not bread, but rather a nutri-grain type substance. He loves them and will not eat a regular PB & J on regular bread. Hall also likes peanut butter crackers. (Like his mom, he loves peanut butter.) Something new we tried is oatmeal squares, which he enjoys for breakfast, and a nutri-grain bar with berry, messy but good. He has been good about setting his sippy cup down on the high chair or table, rather than throwing or dropping it. His normal sleep schedule is into bed by 8pm and he normally wakes up at 6:30am, but here lately we have had a few 7am mornings, (when he did not take 2 naps the day before).
He drinks his milk three times a day and still likes it in a bottle. His new thing is to hold his sippy or bottle upside down on the coffee table and watch the substance come out.
We are trying very hard to discourage this. The front glass door became decorated with milk last week. He loves to color with his markers on paper, but still likes to also put them in his mouth, so it doesn't last long when we do allow him to color. Lately Hallister has been throwing a tantrum when he doesn't get his way, or when we approach him when he has something that he shouldn't he throws it. We have been told this is normal though when a sibling is on the way. He can sense that something is changing. We believe he will be a great big brother though.

Silly Boy

So I am sitting at my computer working. Hallister is in his play yard. He does not last long these days in there before wanting out. He has outgrown the space. Today he played quite well for a while and then I realized it was quiet. I look over to find he had turned over his toy to use it as a chair, he has one paci in his mouth, the other in his hand, B.B. in his hand, AND a strainer on his head!!!!!!!!!! He was just sitting there. I laughed hysterically, he took the strainer off and started laughing. Silly boy!

"B.B."

Meet B.B. or Bunny Bear, Hallister's lovey. (He has bunny ears on his hood.) Hall has started sleeping with him and carrying him around everywhere. Anytime he hurts himself he wants to hold B.B. close. It is very sweet to see him love on B.B. He will pick him up and say, "Awwww".

20 Weeks

Well we have hit the half way mark - 20 weeks! The baby is the size of a mango. In the next month he will gain a pound! This pregnancy is going by a lot faster than the first, but that seems to be typical. Of course working from home and chasing around a 16 month old helps the days go by very quickly. Besides being tired in the afternoons I am feeling pretty good. My next doctor's appointment is Feb 18th. I love to hear the baby's heartbeat. I have not felt as much movement as I did with Hallister, but I was also able to exercise more with him as well. I am ready for it to warm up so I can get out there and walk.

Trip to the Zoo

Here are pictures from our trip to the Zoo. We had fun with our dear friends from Lifegroup: Ann, David, and Jacob Foster, and Liz and Aaron Strot. Look at all those boys! Poor Hallister had a runny nose but was a trooper and thoroughly enjoyed the slide. He also liked looking at the "big kitties" but they were too far away to get a picture with him.

16 Months Old

Today was a big day, Hallister turned 16 months old, I am 18 weeks pregnant, and we found out we are having a boy. We celebrated by taking a trip to the Zoo. Poor Hallister has had a runny nose the past three days. Thankfully he is still sleeping OK at night. He is not a big fan of baby food anymore, he likes macaroni or mashed potatoes, and loves spaghetti still. He still likes his milk in a bottle and warmed up. His new thing is turning his bottle or sippy cup upside down on the high chair or coffee table and then playing with whatever dribbles out. He still sleeps with his pacifier, but we try to only give it to him when he is in his crib. We have said 'baby' to him and I have patted my belly. Now when we ask him where is the baby he will lift up my shirt and shove his finger in my belly button - OUCH! At least he knows the word, but little does he know what is in store.

Baby Boy Senn

Hallister is going to have a.......

LITTLE BROTHER!!!!!!!!!!!

Baby Senn #2 Update

Today I went to my midwife and we heard a strong heartbeat at 158 bpm. I can definitely tell the baby is higher this time, since I can still wear pre-pregnancy pants. I take Zofran right when I get up and have not had a problem with nausea. I was sick this past Monday evening but after pedialyte and going to bed at 7:30pm I felt better on Tuesday. Working and keeping up with Hallister really wears me out. I am thankful though for a happy and healthy son I get to play with during the day. A daily nap seems necessary.....or going to sleep as soon as Hall does. We are so excited that two weeks from tomorrow we will find out what we are having! The next baby's post will be the gender! Until then.....

15 Months Old

Today Hallister is 15 months old. He is 30 inches tall and weighs 23.3 pounds. We can't really express in words the joy he brings into our lives, and those around him. He is so cheerful and loving, always wanting to wave to strangers, and has a smile on his face as he laughs and dances his way through the day. We are able to communicate with Hallister really well through sign language. He has already done the sign for diaper change before pooping in his diaper. Last week we were letting him roam the house in just a shirt so his bottom could dry out from diaper rash. He went into the bathroom, lifted up the toilet seat, and peed next to the toilet. Today, while in the bathtub, Hall did the sign for diaper change. I put him on his little potty and he peed! We are hoping it will be easy to potty train him before Baby #2 comes along. He still loves to be outside whenever he can. The highlight of Hallister's day today is that he gets to spend time with his Aunt Bekah before she returns to the Peace Corp.

Early Christmas Present

Hallister enjoys watching Baby Einstein in the mornings. He usually turns his toy over to sit on as achair or we put him on the couch. For Christmas we decided to get him his own chair and give it to him early. Here is a video of him climbing into it for the first time.

Visitors

We had our dear friends Becca, Ryan, and Levi come stay with us and we enjoyed watching 2 year old Levi and Hallister play together. They were so cute sitting in their chairs together and chasing each other. It makes us happy that Hallister and Baby #2 will be close in age and get to play together and be buddies.

Baby Update

We got to hear the baby's heartbeat last week, a strong 155bpm. At Hallister's first appointment his heartbeat was 147bpm. It is neat to compare my journals as this pregnancy progresses. After a rough weekend of nausea it seems to be tapering off. I have an aversion to chicken once again, and seem to enjoy Mexican food and pastas the most. We look forward to finding out what we are having January 22nd. We will be sure to let everyone know right after we leave the appointment. We get to take in a DVD this time and record everything, so that will be something to treasure that we can go back and watch. Get your guesses in now for our guessing game! It is always fun to see what you guess.

Big Brother

Hallister is going to be a great big brother!

Baby #2

On October 19th we found out we were pregnant with Baby #2. We had to wait a long 3 weeks until we went to the doctor to confirm the pregnancy on November 12th. Our due date is June 25th. After sharing the news with our parents November 14th and the rest of our family over Thanksgiving we thought it was finally time to post the news on the blog for everyone to see. This pregnancy has definitely been different with sickness and constant nausea, but I am thankful that is a good sign the baby is healthy. At our next appointment in December we get to hear the heartbeat. We are so excited! Hallister is going to be a great big brother!

14 Months Old

He walks, he talks, he signs, he runs. Hallister has developed his own personality now. He loves to chase the dogs and throw their toy and play fetch. He loves to be outside and has developed his own sign for this by looking at the window or door and opening and closing his hands. We finally got a swing so he is enjoying that. He is picking up signs very fast now. He consistently signs eat, drink, more, milk, all done, bath, bye-bye, and diaper change (thankful for this one). He will repeat thank you and we are working on combining more and please. He has had a pretty consistent schedule of going to bed between 8-8:30pm and waking up at 6:30-7am. His first nap is usually 9:30-10:30am and then the afternoon nap is 1:30-3:30pm. He has a lot more hair now. We are thankful for our friends The Ross who sent him warm pj's, pants, and long sleeve shirts. 12 month pants fit him good but he can fit in 18 month shirts and onesies pretty nicely. His mouth is full of teeth which helps him eat anything. Now that he has been introduced to "our food" he prefers it over baby food. Hallister still waves to people whenever we go to the grocery store. He is so social, and also enjoys his Mother's Day Out class still. We are so thankful for such a healthy and happy son.

We Have a Climber....

Hallister is getting brave and now loves to climb on things.

13 Months Old

Hallister is getting to be such a big boy. He likes food that we eat: lasagna, spaghetti, rolls, baked chicken, mashed potatoes, and now chicken nuggets. He is able to eat this food with his 4 new molars, and 8 front teeth. He drinks so much water that at night he is soaking through his diaper. We are going to try overnight diapers. He is walking faster and faster, and doesn't hold his hands out as much in case he falls. To get up from the floor he leans forward, straightens his legs, and then lifts his torso up. We are working on the signs "Help, Please, and Thank You". He has started to actually say "Tank Eww". He is so cute now saying "Bes Eww" after we sneeze. He is getting brave climbing on things and a video is coming soon of what he recently climbed on.

Worship

We have been taking Hallister into Worship time at church, which is at the beginning of the service. He really loves music and is very aware of people around him worshiping. We also do a Kid Time song in Lifegroup for the kids to sing and do motions with where he bounces and claps. The other day I was working and he was playing in his yard. I started to listen to a new worship song I downloaded. I looked over and well....he had stopped playing and was worshiping. It was such an awesome sight.

Excitement

Hallister loves music and when he hears music he gets real excited, dances, and bounces. Now he has learned to verbally let us know when he is excited by screaming.

Catch Up

I feel like we are playing catch-up with updates. Hallister is now drinking whole milk instead of formula. This is a blessing since it saves us about $75 a month. He also seems to have Italian taste buds, liking lasagna and spaghetti. We just blend it up and feed it to him. We did let him have fun with the spaghetti the other night. He is not a fan of chicken, which makes since because when I was pregnant I desired beef more than chicken, and before I was pregnant it was the opposite. He also climbs on the futon in his room and loves to jump on it. An amazing thing we discovered is how much he is understanding at his young age. I was working and Hall was playing in his play yard. I sneezed, he stopped playing and said "Bess You" (Bless You). It was amazing. Jonathan and I say this all the time to each other. And the last thing is that he waves goodbye now without prompting and says "Bye Bye." Even this morning Jonathan went to hug Hall before leaving the house and he waved his hand saying "Bye Daddy."

Walking

Hallister is walking everywhere now. Even if he happens to fall down he will get up by himself and walk again, instead of crawling. When he is put on the ground he wiggles away from you (as you can see in the video) because he is determined to get balanced on his own. It is so amazing to see him developing and learning.

Financial Peace

We have thoroughly enjoyed taking Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University classes offered at Antioch, the church we attend. We are on Week 8 of 13. Dave teaches how to make wise financial decisions and explains using scripture. I just want to take a minute to give God the glory for all He has taught us and thank Him for how He has blessed us. We are now on the envelope system with a certain amount designated for groceries, eating out, gas, and miscellaneous. We use cash to buy everything. This has already helped us not purchase things because we see our cash diminish. If we don't have the money for it then we save up for it. No more buying things with credit or 12 months no interest deals. Chances are we can even negotiate a lower price if we show someone the cash. We have been needing extra income since one of my clients cut back her services. We were so thankful that God brought me a temporary job through a friend that helped us, within one month, fund our $1,000 emergency fund and pay cash for new tires for the Rav. It feels so good to own those tires. After going through the budget we noticed our electric bill is our second largest bill each month. After speaking with friends we found we were paying 4 cents more per kilowatt than their rates. Dave Ramsey did a session on salespeople and negotiating. I called Reliant saying we need to get our rate lowered or we will switch. After an hour of being on the phone we got our rate lowered from 14.6 cents per kilowatt to 10.9. Praise God! The customer service person was very nice and appreciated our business. (Check rates at www.powertochoose.org) After receiving this month's bill we have already saved $150. We are thankful for the financial knowledge we now have and look forward to being debt free soon, with sacrifice and determination. We want to live like no one else so one day we can live like no one else! If FPU is in your area we definitely recommend it.

Wagons

Hallister loves being pulled in wagons. Here he is with a few friends enjoying himself in different wagons. In the leggo wagon he crawls in it and loves to be pulled down the hall.

1 Year Old!!!

Hallister turned 1 Year Old! Time went by so quickly. We had fun celebrating with family and friends. He is definitely set for the next year with all his new toys and he got a lot of cute clothes. It was so fun watching him have sugar for the first time. He is still taking steps here and there. He has learned to climb on the futon and enjoys jumping on it. We got him a kitchen for his birthday so he loves to pull dishes out of it and put them all in a bucket. Hopefully this is a sign he will enjoy "clean up" time as he gets older. He weighs in at 22lbs and just got his first molar, making that 9 teeth that he has. He is drinking half formula half whole milk every 4 hours a day, then also has yogurt for breakfast and a jar of baby food for lunch and supper. He still continues to turn heads in the grocery store. Of course he is one good looking kid but there is also just a glow that he has that people notice. He is surrounded by the presence of God and that is what makes him so attractive. We are looking forward to watching him grow, supporting him in his talents, and seeing what God does in him and through him.

Be Very, Very Quiet...Wanger is huntin' wabbits.....

So I am doing my quiet time at the kitchen table Sunday morning and notice that Wriley has been inside but I haven't seen much of Ranger. Jonathan comes in the room and I ask, "Have you seen Ranger?" He replies, "Yeah he has been sitting outside chewing on something for the last hour. It is probably a ball." I said, "I don't think so, he is always with Wriley. I bet it is another rabbit!" So Jonathan goes outside and slowly approaches Ranger. He looks down, shakes his head, and holds up so I can see the fresh rabbit Ranger has caught. "Good boy!" That's rabbit #2!

Ranger

We recently got Ranger neutered. The poor guy did not like the "Cone of Shame" but after a few days took it well. He has healed nicely and after a little special treatment of canned soft food he is back to his old self again. (And in case you didn't know he managed to get the dog flap open while Wriley was in heat.......so we will have one last litter of puppies.)

11 Months Old

Sorry this update is a little late. We have been staying busy chasing Hallister. Our little boy is growing so fast. He has attempted walking by stepping from the coffee table to the couch, or from his stand-up toy to us. When he crawls it is very fast. He loves to sit in the dog beds and jump from one to the other, when the dogs aren't in them. We have introduced whole milk by doing 1/3 milk, 2/3 formula. He has taken it well. The nurse warned it may be hard for him to poop and it has, but it is easier clean up being just solid. Now that he signs diaper change that helps us know, if he starts crying, he is having trouble pooping. Getting hungry? Hallister likes his vegetables. He eats baby food twice a day, loves his water, and is doing well drinking from a straw. He does not like chicken noodle or turkey dinner. He still does his sign for "more". For snacks he enjoys mum-mums and cheerios. Hallister crosses his legs while drinking his bottle, when he is in the stroller out for a walk, and even when he plays with a toy standing up he will put one foot up on the other. It is very cute. As I mentioned he crawls very fast, well he beat me to the dog food and managed to down a piece. He didn't seem to mind it. Of course I had just poured left over chicken broth on it so that is probably why. In addition to saying "Dadada" he finally added to his vocabulary last week "Momma" and reached out for me. It was precious. We are enjoying watching him grow and learn and look forward to the day when he walks up to us.

Diaper Change

I have been doing sign language with Hallister consistently since he we born with the normal everyday things we do, hoping he would pick up the signs as he got older. Well sure enough, repetition has paid off. Closing your fist with your thumb sticking through your pointer and middle finger, then shaking, means diaper change. Here is his version.

Weekend Highlight

We were having supper last night and Carolyn, the lady that bought Dot and Jasmine, called and asked if we would like to see the girls. They live just 10 minutes away in Woodway. We of course got very excited and said yes. The girls were BEAUTIFUL and she even said they get so many compliments on them. Here are pictures from them being 8 weeks old to now 4 months old.

They are doing well. Dot does not like being without Jasmine. They got spade 2 weeks ago and that was rough, she said, having to separate them. We brought Wriley in to visit her girls and it was amazing how similar her and Dot look. Then we brought in Ranger, and Jasmine looks just like him. It was so awesome to see how much they have grown and how happy and loved they are.

Puppy Update

Early last month we finally found a home for R.J. (Ranger Junior). The story is actually quite a good one. An older couple came up from Temple one Sunday evening to see Jordy and R.J. The woman was holding R.J. while Ranger and Wriley were sniffing around and playing. The man had been around a lab before they came to our house and apparently Ranger wanted to claim back his territory because he PEED on the man's leg!!!! Thankfully he was wearing blue jeans and boots. We were embarrassed but I guess he was not too upset because they still took home R.J. Two weeks later a lady called from Killeen about Jordy and he went to a home with a young boy to play with.

New Hall Pictures

Jackpot

Our favorite thing to do now is get up early on Sat, grab our coffee, and hit Garage Sales advertising children clothes and toys. Hallister is growing fast and will be in need of winter clothes that fit him soon.....plus he is getting bored with his older toys. We were able to get 3 shirts, 5 onesies, 3 pairs of shorts, a brand new unopened Baby Einstein Santa DVD, and a fun square bucket that has a handle and shapes fit in holes on the sides . (It also plays music which we didn't realize until we got it home) We got all of that for $10.00! Two of the onesies were from Old Navy and still had tags on them. They had been bought for $6.00 each. The Einstein DVD was worth at least $12 by itself but was only 50 cents! Praise the Lord for this great deal!

Baby Workout

Apparently our morning walks are not enough for Hallister....he still wants weight training.



That is a 3 pound weight!

10 Months Old

Our baby boy is 10 months old now. We go for a walk every morning. Yesterday morning we ventured over to the swing set in the park close by and he LOVED to swing. They had a baby swing that his legs fit in. I guess we'll need to look into getting one. He crawls everywhere, loves to push or roll a toy and then chase after it.....hmm, I guess he has been watching the dogs more than we thought. He walks along the edge of the coffee table and steps from it to the couch, and then from the couch to us or his toys that are tall enough. He has just stood by the coffee table without holding anything, and he has stepped from holding the couch to us without holding anything. It won't be long before he has enough courage to take one or two steps by himself. If he can just figure out how to support his body weight then he will be walking everywhere. He still enjoys his walker and goes 5 mph down the hallway in it, chasing the dogs, or us. He is getting more independent, wanting to hold his bottle on his own, and sippy cup. He loves little Graduate Puffs as snacks and Mum Mums that dissolve easily in his mouth. I put some on his walker tray and he will snack on them, then race down the hall and share some with the dogs. It is fun to watch him in his high chair swinging his arms as if he is directing a choir, in between snacking. We know he's sleepy when he rubs his eyes and arches his back, so he goes in the crib with one paci in his mouth and then one in his hand. He will switch them out in his mouth and then fall asleep with one in his mouth and one in his hand. The above picture was taken last night. He was out, so I carefully put his leg back in his crib.

4 Year Anniversary

It has been a wonderful 4 years of marriage. We decided to celebrate a full weekend in San Antonio. Hallister was well taken care of. Doesn't Hurt To Ask Take II - I had mentioned to our pediatrician our travel plans and he suggested a restaurant - Rosario's - he loved when living in San Antonio. Before we left I emailed them to see if they took reservations. The owner replied saying no but since it was our anniversary we should ask for "Manny" upon arriving and he would take care of us. (This story is continued later.) We enjoyed an awesome dinner at the Tower of the Americas rotating restaurant Friday evening. We felt sophisticated all dressed up, the food was excellent, and the temperature of the room perfect. (I am usually cold in restaurants.) Saturday we got up early to head to Sea World. The park opened at 9am but we were there at 8am. There was no waiting in line for parking, we already had our tickets so we walked right in, and then we headed to the back of the park where the rides were. I wanted to make sure we got all the rides in we wanted before it got hot and lines got long. Praise God we breezed thru 3 rides that were together with no wait, then went towards the front of the park to stand in line only 30 minutes. After that ride we saw the show Believe with Shamu and then paid way too much for a burger and turkey wrap and one water bottle. Although we did manage to smuggle in some water bottles there were no water fountains. Doesn't Hurt To Ask Take III - Before seeing our next show I got in line with our water bottle and just asked if they could refill it. The lady kindly did for no charge, and it was cold water. We saved $2.89 each time we just refilled it. So we saw two more awesome shows, walked to see dolphins being fed, grabbed a Lemon Chill before leaving the park around 4pm. We got back to the hotel, swam, and then got ready to head to Rosario's. Take II continued - We arrive and see that there is a waiting list but tell the hostess that Manny is supposed to seat us. She pages Manny and up walks a guy dressed in black that could be a bouncer. He asks, "Are you Elizabeth?" I nod and he says, "Follow me." As everyone waiting watches us, we are seated right away with a nice window view. I guess it doesn't hurt to ask. We felt special all night. Our waitress was awesome, made great suggestions, and the food was so delicious. Jonathan called Manny over before we left to thank him and tell him how wonderful everything was. Sunday we were anxious to get home to see Hallister. We had a wonderful, relaxing anniversary trip. Enjoy the pictures!

Rabbit Stew Anyone?

The morning started off like any other. Hallister woke up and that woke us up. Jonathan realized we were about to get hit with a thunderstorm so he opened the doggy door to let all the dogs inside, then he went to the garage. When he came back, all the dogs were huddled around the back door and Jonathan had to weave through them to close the doggy door. He moved Ranger out of the way, and then went to kick what he though was one of their toys out of the way... The next thing I heard was "Uh Liz, Ranger caught a rabbit, a REAL rabbit!" We only wish we could have seen it come thru the doggy door. We are very proud of Ranger, who didn't even need training, and are looking forward to dove season!

Missing Our Cats

We miss our cats, Coal and Leya, especially when
we're opening a can of tuna or unloading groceries and
there is no meowing or finding a cat in a bag. We
had some great entertainment with them and many
laughs. In memory of them, wherever they are,
here are some videos. Yes, Coal does eventually get
the string off the fan.

Doesn't Hurt To Ask...

Today was Hallister's 9 month appointment.
He weighed in at 20 1/2 lbs and is 28 1/4" long. He is a healthy, growing boy in the fiftieth percentile for height and weight. I told the doctor that he is now exclusively on formula and asked if they had any coupons or samples. Formula is our biggest expense right now. He said he would go look and that they had a guy bring in a truck load of samples yesterday. He also said that usually they have plenty of the regular stuff and mainly it is the specialized formulas they give out. I was ecstatic when the nurse came back with a whole box, sixteen, 8oz cans of formula. Ask and you shall receive. Praise God for providing us with FREE formula!

Pack N Play Pfun

Father's Day

I know this is a day late according to Hallmark, but really a Father should feel loved and appreciated every day and not more so on a day marked on a calendar. So Happy Father's Day to my hard working husband. You are my supporter, my best friend, and a wonderful Father to Hallister. I hope he grows up to have the same caring and giving heart that you have.

9 Months Old

SO much has happened this past month it feels like it has been a while since we've updated everyone on Hallister's new adventures. He crawls everywhere and pulls up on anything that will let him. He started with the coffee table and then a toy Oma and Grandpa got him that is just the right height for him to play around. Since he is so active we decided to get a play yard for my office so he can play while I work. Hallister still loves water so we got him a pool. He also got his first boo boo falling out of the pool. He crawls quickly even in water. His favorite food is a jar of Banana, Oatmeal, and Peaches. A food that he wouldn't even swallow is Chicken Noodle Dinner. It just sat there in his mouth and he made a hilarious face. He tried to get it out of his mouth with his hand and we wiped it off. He now enjoys using a sippy cup that he can grasp along the side. This past weekend we got him a high chair. It makes it much easier to feed him, although the Bumbo did work great and can still travel with us. Hallister loves the outdoors. We enjoy going for morning walks in the stroller when its still cool outside. Recently we upgraded to a lightweight stroller we can easily pull out of the car. He also enjoys sitting in the grass and the feel of it.

Devi and Copper have new homes....

Last week we said goodbye to Copper. He now lives with a couple who have a Great Pyrenees named Kitty, a cat, and a 6 month old grand-daughter. He will not get bored with all those play mates.

Devi went to live in Temple with a couple and their 5 year old son. He has a huge backyard to play in. The family updated us that he has been renamed Cooper. He loves shoes and a soft duck chew toy.

Goodbye Dot and Jasmine

Today we said goodbye to our two girl beagle puppies - Dot and Jasmine. We were especially close to Dot whom we fed formula. They both went to the same family and will be loved by a 14 year old girl who will be responsible for them and she wants to be a vet. Her older brothers were also excited about the puppies. They are going to send us updates along with pictures so we appreciate that. It was sad to see them go but a blessing to know they are in good hands.

8 Months Old

Hallister has changed so much in the last month. Usually we let him do the update but he is busy chewing on a teether biscuit, which he LOVES. Speaking of food he loves his veggies, especially squash, corn, and green beans. He does not seem to care as much about fruits, especially bananas. We cannot believe he has 8 teeth!!! His eighth one is on the top right and it has bothered him the most thus far. He was sleeping through the night until it started to come in almost two weeks ago. Hallister had many firsts this month. He waved bye for the first time at our garage sale. He pushes himself into a sitting position now. He has been sitting up in his bed so we lowered the mattress one level yesterday. After he went down for a nap we came in to find this!! (the picture above) He pulled himself into a standing position. So today after his nap I come in to find he did it again. (picture on right) We are so proud of him. He LOVES bath time, and usually once he sees the tub we have to fight to get his clothes off because he wants to jump in. He has many rubber duckies he plays with. He is also saying letters now....mainly baba and dadada. He now does the sign for more (putting hands together) when we feed him baby food.

Sneeze, Smack, Snot

Formula Time

We took Wriley and the puppies to the vet to make sure they
were doing alright. One girl puppy was a lot smaller than the
others so the vet said to give her puppy formula as well as to make
sure she eats from Wriley. She seems to enjoy Jonathan's
chin more. She is doing great now.

Gate Drop Off