Worst Blogger Ever

Ok...I admit it. I am officially the worst blogger ever. I'm sure you are all wondering why I even have a blog. I'm not even going to attempt to catch you up on what has been going on. I will post pictures though. You can check out the albums on the right to see pics from the last couple of months.

Well, the Christmas season is finally here....my favorite time of year. It sure came quickly this year. I can't believe it's already the 10th! Christmas has always been my favorite time of year....the decorations, the music (as you can tell by my blog page) but it is even more fun and better now that I have kids. It makes me feel like a kid again with all the excitement the holiday brings. It's so easy to get caught up in the secular part of Christmas...I want to make sure Anna understands and knows what Christmas is really all about...Jesus' birth! Christmas is all about Him...not the gifts, not the decorations, not Santa (even though all of that can be fun). I've enjoyed reading other blogs to see what other families do to celebrate Christ's birth. I've gotten some good ideas! Thanks fellow bloggers!

Here are a couple of recent pictures of Anna & Jackson...enjoy! (I will get my other pics up soon from the last couple of months)

Even with all their Auburn gear on the Tigers still couldn't pull out a win over Alabama!

Blog Tag

Erica Fokens "blog tagged" me! This is my first time. I'm supposed to tell 5 random things about me:

1) I'll copy Erica and tell you one of my biggest pet peeves....drivers not using their blinkers. Drives me nuts! How hard is it to put on your blinker and let me know you're turning?! :) Other pet peeve....people wearing their sunglasses inside. I think I could do a whole blog on pet peeves!!

2) I absolutely hate tomatoes! I think it's the texture I don't like.

3) I love to go to concerts. Here's my list (I'm sure other people's are longer): Aerosmith, George Strait Music Festival (had lots of artists there), Vince Gill, Steely Dan, Third Day, Alanis Morissette (back in the day), Elton John/Billy Joel, The Police, Don Henley, The Eagles (3 times), Tim McGraw (6 times, 2 of those with Faith Hill)

4) My dad played major league baseball.

5) I own 70 to 80 pairs of shoes. (I like buying shoes more than clothes.)

And now I tag: Allison, Tawnya, Leslie, & Kim

Family Pictures

We had some pictures taken of our Family of Four in August by Brandy. She was awesome! You need to check out her website: http://www.brandelynlee.com/

Here are some pictures from the session.

Sorry

Hello all! Just wanted to say I am alive to those of you who think I've fallen off the face of the earth. I am going to be back to blogging soon. Just been busy. But good! Come back soon to hear all about Jackson turning 2 months, Anna's first weeks of WeeSchool and all the fun that comes with potty training!!! :) Sorry for being such a terrible blogger!!!

One Month Old

I can't believe Jackson turned one month old last Tuesday. Time sure flies! It has been a great month. It's been exciting to watch Anna become a big sister....and a loving one at that! It's been fun to watch Jackson change and grow (a lot) everyday. He has even started to give us those first smiles....they sure melt your heart....and they make you forget about how little sleep you got the night before!
I am going to follow in the footsteps of some of my friends and take a monthly picture of Jackson in the rocker. This way I'll see how much he grows and changes each month. I took his one month picture the other day as well as some others....here are some of my favorites.....

Couple More Highlights From Last Week

I forgot to include a couple of things from last week in my previous post. Last Wednesday night we moved Jackson from the bassinet in our room to his crib in his room. This may not seem like too big of a deal to some people....some start their babies off the first night in their own cribs but we (and by "we", I mean me) kept Anna in our room for the first 9 weeks. I was surprised that I was ready to move Jackson in his own room so early. It's funny how things are so different with the second baby! I remember the first time Anna slept longer than 4 hours at night....I woke up wondering, "Is she still alive?" Jackson slept 6 hours the other night and I woke up hoping for another hour or two! :) (For the record I was extremely grateful for those unexpected 6 hours!)
Last Saturday night our power went out from the awful storm so I decided to take Anna to Target (her favorite) and leave Jackson at home with Chad. It was nice to have Mommy and Anna time. I could give her all my attention. We got a fun snack and picked out some things to do crafts at home. Neither one of us had been to Target in awhile and we're used to going at least every other day!!! Guess we finally got our Target fix.

Last Week

Ok...I know I have some catching up to do. Here is a run-down of last week (warning: it is long):

SUNDAY

Last Sunday night Jackson and I went with Chad and Anna to church. It was our first outing (besides the doctor) since his arrival. It felt so good to put on make-up, blow-dry my hair, and put on clothes that weren't maternity or have an elastic waist band! Jackson did great during church. Slept half the time and then we were in the nursing room. But they have a TV in there so I could still watch the service. It was just so nice to get out and see some familiar faces and have a couple of adult conversations!

MONDAY

Last Monday Anna went to Aunt Whitney's for the day to play with her cousin Brooks. From what Whitney said Anna was a good girl and had a blast playing with Brooks. It is so nice and such a blessing to have family that lives in town. Thanks to Aunt Whitney for being so sweet and taking on Anna for the day!

TUESDAY

Last Tuesday Anna went to Kristy Dorminy's house for half the day to play with Ruby and Molly. Anna loves Ruby and Molly....she sees them at church every Sunday and they love to run around! Kristy was so sweet to invite Anna over to play with her girls. And anytime I just have Jackson it feels like a little break! Who would think that taking care of one child would feel like a break?!

WEDNESDAY

On Wednesday Erica and Miller came over for a visit. Miller is getting so big and it's so fun to watch he and Anna play together. It seems the older he gets the more the age gap narrows. It was so nice to get to talk and catch up with Erica...although there never seems to be enough time to catch up as much as you want to. These little kiddies take so much attention from you. But any time we can get is great! We definitely need to have more playdates!

After Anna's nap my mom came to get Anna and take her back to her house for the night. It was definitely quiet around the house when Chad got home from work. It was nice to be able to talk and have some adult conversation with him. It can be rare these days with having a 2 year old and a newborn! When we do get time by ourselves (no Anna, just Jackson) it reminds me just how important it is that we keep that up and make an effort to make time for each other. Just because I'm a mom doesn't mean I'm still not a wife!! :) By the way, while I'm talking about Chad I just need to say he is the most incredible father and husband! Always willing to help out and never complaining about it. I think one of the reasons this transition has gone so smoothly is because of him! Love you babe!

Oh, we were also able to take a tour of Lifetime Fitness that night (since we didn't have Anna). I think we're leaning towards joining in a couple months....I can't take Jackson until he's 3 months old. But that place is awesome. I knew I would be sold the minute I walked in there!

THURSDAY

Well, I'm sitting here trying to think what in world I did on Thursday during the day. I have no clue. Maybe I just stayed at home all day. I'll just excuse my memory lapse to lack of sleep and taking care of two kids! That night my dad and Kathy (stepmom) came over to see Jackson and Anna. It is always great to visit with them.

FRIDAY

Friday we had Jackson's 2 week check-up (even though he was one day away from being 3 weeks old). Everything went pretty well. Little bit of crying but not too much. I'm definitely getting a taste of what it's like to have a little boy. After coming back in the room from being weighed and measured he turned on his side and peed all over the sheets the nurse was writing on. Guess they're used to that...she just laughed it off. Now for the stats. Jackson weighed 8 pounds 15 ounces at birth. He weighed 8 pounds 12 ounces at his few days old check-up. Well, at this check-up he weighed 10 pounds 9 ounces. To quote the doctor, "He is a tank!" Guess I can put any questions to rest whether he's getting enough to eat. I think he's doing just fine. I defnitely need to get back in the gym if I'm going to be hauling this big boy around!

SATURDAY

Saturday was my first outing with both Anna and Jackson (and just me). We went up to my mom's school to help her get some things ready in her classroom before school starts. After that we all went to lunch at Chick-fil-A. The day went well. Maybe I'll get enough nerve to take both of them to run errands soon. :)

Sorry this post was so long. I'll try to do a better job of keeping the blog updated so I don't have to write so much!

Mom of Two

Well, this past Friday was my first full day by myself with both Anna and Jackson. It went very well. This is probably because Jackson still likes to sleep a lot. Because he slept a lot I was able to give Miss Anna a good amount of attention. Also, Anna is pretty independent and can play on her own well. Now, I've only had one day on my own with them so we'll see how it continues to go. And I haven't attempted to take them both out. That's a whole different adventure!

We Are Alive

I just wanted to write a quick blog to let everyone know we are still alive. Everything has been going well. I am somewhat sleep deprived...but that was expected. But besides that everything is going great. Jackson is a wonderful baby...just likes to eat...a lot! Anna is adjusting well. She loves her baby brother. So far it has been an easy transition but I think it has somewhat to do with all the help we've had. My mom stayed with us the first week to help out. She and Anna had lots of fun swimming and going to different playgrounds. I'm sure Anna did not want her to leave. This week we've had Grammi (Chad's mom) help out. She's taken Anna swimming and to playgrounds too. So, I probably haven't really gotten a full dose of reality of life with two kids. We'll see how next week goes. I'll keep you updated!! And I'll post some pictures in the next couple days. Just need to download them.

Baby Brother

Grammi and Grandy (Randy and Pam) brought Anna up to the hospital for the first time on Saturday afternoon. Anna was so excited in the car and couldn't wait to meet her "Baby Brother". She calls him "Baby Brother" and Jackson with an emphasis on the "ck" as if it's an "x". We've been explaining "what's in mommy's tummy" over the last several months, and Anna really started to understand and began to get really excited about having a baby brother and being a big sister. Anna's one-year-old cousin, Brooks, helped her understand that having a playmate her age can be so much fun...and entertaining. Anna has fallen in love with "Brooksy" (as she calls him) and we think that Brooks has helped her realize what fun a baby brother can be.

Back to the introduction....Anna arrived at the hospital Saturday afternoon and Chad greeted her in the hall before she came in. She had her serious face on and was very anxious to see mommy and Jackson. Anna slowly walked into the room not knowing what to expect and was immediately excited to see Jackson and wanted to hold him. She curled up in the bed and had a special moment with her new brother as they were able to meet for the first time. There is no doubt that Jackson is pretty familiar with Anna's voice as he's had to hear her from the womb over the past 9 months talking, laughing, crying(!) and of course repeating all of her funny trademark sayings.

Words can't express what a special moment it was as the four of us sat together for the first time..."our family"...the four of us.

And, of course, a picture of Jackson...

All is well!

Jackson is about 34 hours old and all is well! He is a healthy little boy and we love him so much! So far, the experience has been great and about as opposite as when we had Anna. To start, Jackson was late - Anna was right on time (born on her due date). Jackson arrived with a full head of hair - Anna had none! Jackson seems to be laid back and has barely cried - Anna cried the first 48 hours of her life (non-stop!). All he does is sleep and eat...which is what babies are supposed to do, right!? We have really enjoyed our time with him these past few hours...getting to know him, welcoming him into this world, and into our family (more to come on that subject!).

Small details aside, we can't look beyond the fact that we are incredibly blessed to have two healthy children. We're so thankful to God for Anna and Jackson.

These are a few pictures we thought you'd enjoy....we'll post more over the next couple of days. Stay tuned to see how Anna did when she met Jackson for the first time!

Jackson McCurdy Thrasher

We're proud to announce that Jackson McCurdy Thrasher was born Saturday, July 12th, at 12:19pm.

- Weight: 8lbs. 15oz.
- Height: 21 1/3 inches long
- Baby and Mom are doing very well.

We're humbly grateful to Christ for his provision and grace.

Details and pictures to follow....

Baby-Mama-Drama

This is my (Chad) first cameo appearance on the blog spot that bears my name...and the name that my son will carry on -I'm felling a little pressure! Speaking of pressure, Mandy's feeling a lot of it and the baby will be here soon. The dr just checked her and she's dialated at 7cm and they're thinking the baby will be here in less than an hour. Here's what's happened since the last post: We got to the hospital at 2:45am (there were no available beds for induction prior to that). They started the Cervidil around 4:00am. We slept for about three hours until Mandy started having strong and steady contractions (around 7am). They stopped the Cervidil since Mandy was going into labor on her own...and things started happening very quickly!

All of the family is heading up here and some have already arrived. Everyone, including Mandy and I, was expected the Cervidil to work for about 12 hours and things to get going late this evening. We weren't expecting the Cervidil to cause her to go into labor herself - but we're grateful.

For all of the mother's reading this, excuse my lack of details. This isn't exactly my expertise....I'm just happy to be here. Baby is coming...more details to come.

Off We Go

It is now 2:10am and we just got the call! A room has opened up for us so we are off to the hospital. We'll keep you updated as best we can.

Still None

Update: Still no beds at 7:30pm. They are now going to call us when one opens up. Hopefully soon!

No Beds

Quick update: There were no rooms available for induction when we called at 5:00pm. We are calling back at 7:30pm. Hopefully there will be one available.

No Jackson Yet!

I know! I know! No Jackson and I haven't done well with keeping everyone updated. So, here is the update. I am being induced tomorrow. We tried to give Jackson a few extra days to see if he would make his appearance on his own. Guess not! We're hoping this is some sort of sign of his personality - laid back! Anyways, we are calling the hospital tomorrow at 5pm to see if they have an open room for us. If not, we just keep calling back until they do. I'll go in and they will give me Cervidil for 12 hours (unless labor were to start earlier). Then, they'll start labor (with Pitocin). So, hopefully he will be born on Saturday. If not Saturday, definitely by Sunday! Guess that's about it. I'll try to keep the blog updated as best I can. We'll have our laptop at the hospital so Chad may be giving some updates. Thanks for all the prayers!

Oh...I had to include some pictures from today. Anna helped me make a "Birthday cake" for Jackson. Any excuse to make a cake, right?!

4th of July

We had a relatively quiet Independence Day this year. During the day we did things around the house in preparation for Jackson's arrival (it seems to be a never-ending list). We didn't attempt to go the pool this year. Too pregnant and too hot! And I kind of haven't gotten over my last pool experience with Anna (the diaper!) We then went to Chad's parents house for some BBQ early evening. After lots of eating and playing (or maybe aggravating is a better word) with the neighbor's dog we called it a night. We decided to skip live fireworks this year and watch them on TV at home. Anna is not a fan of the loud noises the fireworks make. We'll try next year.

Thankfully I made it through the 4th without going into labor. It was the one day I didn't want to have Jackson. I like having holidays and birthdays on their own days. :) I think Chad was hoping I would go into labor. For the 4th we have a parade go down the main street our neighborhood is located on, so the entrance to the neighborhood is closed for half the morning. He was so hoping to have to stop the parade so we could get out of the neighborhood to get to the hospital. Oh the drama! But thankfully, that didn't happen. Although it would have made a great story!

Goodbye Dinner

Tonight our group of friends got together for dinner probably for the last time before Allison & Tim move. They are moving to North Carolina the first week of August. While excited for the new opportunity for them we are so sad they won't be in town anymore! So, we wanted to all go out (without any kids) to celebrate them and the friendship we share with them. Like usual, we all had a great time. And I was so excited my sister (Elizabeth) and her boyfriend (Philip) were in town and able to join us! I was hoping the wings I ate would jump-start labor....but no luck! Oh well.

Allison & Tim.....we'll miss you so much!!!

Whirlwind Weekend

What a weekend! I can't believe I'm just now getting around to blogging about it...it's already Wednesday. I figured I better go ahead with an update before Jackson gets here. Who knows how often I'll get around to blogging once he is here!
Well, we started last Friday morning off by meeting Jessica & Andrew and Erica & Miller at Jessica's pool again. Have I told y'all how much I love this pool?! :) Why doesn't every neighborhood have a great "baby" pool? Anyways, the three kids played for a few hours and had a great time. And I love catching up with my girlfriends (as much as you can while watching your kids). We only had one little incident while there....Anna's diaper! Ugghhh. I won't go into detail but let's just say I had to put her in the shower in the pool's bathroom. Times like these I'm wondering...."Wow, this is my life. I'm about a week out from my due date, I'm squatting in a shower with my 2 year old and hosing her down because of her awful diaper." And of course plenty of people come in and out of the bathroom. Any offers to help with anything? Of course not. But then again, I don't know if I would offer to help with that either! Oh, and Anna was crying the whole time in the shower too. And I've left out a few details (such as: her leaking from the bathroom door to the shower-which I had to clean up after I cleaned up Anna). So that always adds an element of fun! :) I guess we just have to laugh about some of this stuff....or else we'll cry!!!

Moving on....that night and all day Saturday I went to the Beth Moore, Kay Arthur, & Priscilla Shirer conference. Allison was sweet enough to get tickets for us to go to it. So, I went with Allison, Jessica, Kimberly, & Pam. It was awesome!! We had the best seats in the house...a suite! And it was nice to get away and keep my mind off giving birth!

On to Sunday....Kimberly and Whitney were so sweet and thoughtful enough to coordinate a dinner for me and the ladies in the family to celebrate the upcoming arrival of Jackson. We ate at Aspen's that night. I had all my "Moms" and "sisters" there. It was so wonderful and such a blessing to have all of us together. I have an amazing family.

So, I'm thinking this has been one great weekend and I can just go home and go to bed and get some much needed rest!!! Haha...Anna had other plans. I came home and she was on her "potty" (which she had not ever gone in, just likes to sit on it). She had been trying to go for awhile. Chad said they had read every book that was downstairs. He had been with her for awhile so I took over the duty of sitting there with her. I'm thinking "ok, it's almost 10pm and I'm exhausted and she never goes on the potty...she just likes to sit there....let's just go to bed." And all of a sudden she went! #1 and #2!!! Yeah!!! What a big girl! We were so excited for her. And she was very proud of herself. Now, she hasn't gone since. But that's ok. It will happen.

Ok, I think that is plenty of information. I guess I have missed blogging. I'll have to be better about keeping up so I don't have to write entries this long anymore!! Maybe my next blog will be about welcoming Jackson into the world....

Fun in the Sun

Last Friday Anna and I met Jessica & Gracie and Erica & Miller for some fun at Jessica's pool at Harmony on the Lakes. We're in love with the pool area. It has one big pool and 2 big baby pools. This makes it much easier on me because Anna loved to play in the baby pools. And I need easier right now being 2 weeks away from my due date. After a couple of hours of fun and some pool-side snacks we headed home for a long afternoon nap. Looking forward to our next pool play date on Friday!

Anna in her Big Girl Bed

Well, we all survived the first night and first nap of Anna sleeping in her new bed in her new room. It went great! No trying to get out of bed and no yelling out for us. We just pray it will continue to go well. She looked so cute in her bed I just had to share some pictures of it!