The Top Twelve

Building off the Twelve Days of Christmas, here's the top twelve events in December:

Twelve nights where Hunter slept for at least six hours straight!  (Don't ask about the other 19!!)

Eleven weeks of little sleep but unbelievable amounts of love!

Ten perfect little toes!

Nine presents under the tree from Santa!

Eight of Santa's Helpers with one very cute, tiny reindeer!

Seven minutes before our dogs realized that it really was their baby inside that reindeer suit!

Six road trips: McKinney to Bryan, Bryan to San Antonio, San Antonio back to Bryan, Bryan to McKinney, McKinney to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City to McKinney

Five hours with our MOH, Liz Freuen, in Oklahoma City.

                                           (picture taken by Liz)

Four days with cousins Monica, Stephen, Josh and Mama Nelle down at the farm as well as Christmas night at home.

Hunter rolling over on his three month birthday!

Spending the last two weeks of the year together as a family with no interference from work!

One cute giggle!

Hunter's Stats

One Month:

Weight: 9 lbs 5.2 oz......31%
Length: 21 3/4 in...........45%

Two Months:

Weight: 11 lbs 5. 7 oz.....40%
Length: 22 1/2 in.............32%

The boy is growing!

Two Months

Dear Sweet Hunter,

Today you are two months old and I am wondering where the time has gone!  In 8 short weeks you have changed so much and with each day I love you more and more. Your sweet smile that covers your whole face melts my heart!

Up with the Cows

Being a morning person is one thing but for about a week Hunter got up with the cows....4 AM!!  Not being a morning person this was a bit of a stretch for me.  Good thing this boy is so darn cute!

Back to the Daily Grind

Last week was my first week back at work but since Hunter was never very far from me it didn't seem like it.  This week was a different story.  I only had to work a couple of days but Monday was a day trip to Austin! 

Twelve hours and fifteen minutes (not that I was counting or anything) away from my little man + 100s of miles + being on an airplane with no form of contact = a true test in being a working mom.

I have never been one to ease into things so kicking off going back to work this way really shouldn't be any surprise.  I can say that the rest of the week was a piece of cake!  My next challenge will come in December when I will have to be gone for two nights!!!

                                             Can you blame me for not wanting to leave this face?!?!?

Sip-n-See/One Month Today

How time flies when you are having fun and getting very little sleep!

Hunter is one month old today and already on his 2nd trip to Houston.  Joe's cousin, Joanie and Aunts Ruth, Elizabeth and Gay hosted a sip-n-see for the family to meet Hunter.  It was wonderful to get to meet Joanie's little one Belen, who is two and half months older than Hunter, and to see so many family members that we hadn't seen in years. 

I have to say the most special guest was Ms. Van who will turn 100 this year.  She was so excited to get to be around two babies and we were so glad she was up to joining us for the afternoon. 

On the Road

First stop....the farm!

Hunter is 3 weeks old and we are already embarking on our first road trip.  Next week we are both having to work in Houston so we decided to take the week to visit Mama Nelle at the farm. 

Second stop.....Houston for work!

On Tuesday morning we made the drive to Houston and were met by my parents who watched Hunter while Joe and I worked.

Third stop....back to the farm!

Wednesday morning we made the drive back to the farm.  Joe was able to get in some hunting, killed a hog, raccoon, and armadillo.  We spent some quality time with Mama Nelle and even had the chance to spend some great time with Gay and John. 

Fourth stop....back to Houston!

Saturday morning we were back on the road to Houston....again!  We were headed down for the sip-n-see hosted by Joe's cousin Joanie and Aunts Ruth, Gay and Elizabeth. 

Fifth stop....farm...one more time!

The fourth stop was more like a pause because that evening we drove back to the farm to enjoy our final evening in the country. 

Sixth stop....home sweet home!

Sunday morning we hit the road early to make it home.  Hunter is just like his parents and seems to enjoying the traveling.  

We Survived!

We survived the first week!!!

The first couple of days Hunter spoiled us and only got up once at night and most of the time it was me waking him to eat.  But (as I have found out) this was only temporary!

The first night home was probably the hardest, not for Hunter, for me.  The plan was to have him sleep in the room next to us but that didn't last.  I think I put in a good effort, Joe might disagree, but at 1:30 AM I had had enough and the crib moved into our room.  Of course, this still wasn't good enough and by 3:30 AM he was asleep on my chest.  I always thought people were crazy when they told me that their baby slept in their rooms for the first few months but I am one of those crazies now.

A big thank you to the following for bringing us dinner the first few days we were home: The Hills, The Robinsons, The Iveys, my mom and sister.  We also have to send a big thank you to Mama Nelle who stayed with us for the first five days.  She stayed on top of the dishes, laundry, took care of the dogs and I'm sure many other things that I don't even know about. 

Our lives have definitely changed.  I will probably never sleep the same again but my heart is filled with such joy that it doesn't matter.  We have a beautiful, healthy baby boy who melts our hearts!!!

Dear Hunter Alexander

Welcome to the world, precious one! You joined our family at 2:24 pm on September 9, 2010, weighing 7 lbs 9 oz and measuring 20 1/2 inches. It is true what every mom has said that the minute I laid eyes one you I entered a love affair like no other.  You are just absolutely perfect in EVERY single way.

Your Dad and I were convinced that you were going to come early but you waited until your planned arrival.  I wonder if this is going to be a permanent part of your personality?  Are you going to be a punctual person just like your Dad?  I am so excited about the journey we are about to make with each other, learning each others ways, and loving every minute.

I love you, Hunter Alexander.

Love,
Mom


 

On the way to the hospital...

    Our last picture as a family with only four-legged, fur children! *Not pictured...Toro the cat*

This Is It....

9/7/10....never was a date on my radar of potentially important dates until NOW!

9/7/10....marks the final night in our home as a family of two.

9/7/10....is the last time that our only children will be of the four-legged, furry kind.

9/7/10....THIS IS IT!!

 Tomorrow at 9 pm we will be checking into Labor and Delivery at Plano Medical Center to begin 'helping' Hunter on his journey out into the world.  May he enter the world as a healthy and happy baby, knowing he is already loved! 

Waiting on Hunter....

Today Joe and I celebrated our 11 year wedding anniversary by going and having our pictures taken before we become an 'official' family of three.  These pictures were taken at 4 pm, the exact same time our wedding ceremony started on August 7, 1999.

It seems so Pharr away....

On June 21st we were the happy couple walking into Republic Title in McKinney to close on the Pharr House.  I would love to say we will miss that house but the truth is we were ready to move on.  Don't get me wrong, that house was good to us and we have many wonderful memories from the eight years we owned it.  BUT, we could NOT be more in love with our new home then if you told us we were getting it for free.  It is in the neighborhood I have wanted to live in since I was a child and now I have the pleasure of raising our son here.  I am constantly amazed at what a truly blessed life I lead!

Hunter's Lodge

Today my mom and her close friend, Sandy, came over to transform Hunter's nursery into a log cabin.

When Joe and I started looking around at the different options for nurseries we were surprised to find so few choices.  Of course our list of criteria didn't help simplify the process at all:
1) No Disney or cartoon characters
2) Not in the stereotypical 'boy' colors
3)Wanted to use the colors that the room was already painted in when we moved in
4) Something unique-didn't really want to result to the 'bed in a bag'

Put limited options and our list of criteria together and we were definitely up for a challenge.  As we started to think outside the box, we came up with the lodge theme.  Once we made the decision things just seemed to begin falling into place.

First, my sister told us of a little boutique in Plano that had a lodge nursery theme.  The scouting mission was made by my mom and I and we fell in love with the idea, just not the price! The boutique actually wanted over $800 for the crib bedding. 

Second, I am lucky enough to have an arsenal of Martha Stewarts in my life.

Martha Stewart Number 1: Jennifer Hill

Jennifer has the amazing gift of being able to sew and create beautiful bedding, curtains, pillows, etc.  The other important part was she was willing to make the bedding and all I had to do was get the fabric and supplies!!

Martha Stewart Number 2 and 3: Mom and Sandy

The boutique walls were painted to look like a log cabin and the creative juices of my mom were on overdrive.  She ended up taking her friend, Sandy, to the boutique and together they decided that they could paint the nursery.

Martha Stewart Number 4: My brother-in-law

This year Joe shot the biggest buck of his lifetime and we decided that we were going to have the head stuffed.  As we were thinking of where we were going to hang this deer, I got the idea of creating a faux fireplace that could proudly display the buck.  My brother-in-law is a talented wood worker that was up to the task of building it.

Martha Stewart Number 2 and 3: The Return of Mom and Sandy

To complete the fireplace, my mom and Sandy returned to paint it.  They created a beautiful river rock style fireplace with a roaring fire 'inside.'  These two women could definitely go into business together with their talents. 

Couples' Baby Shower

On June 4th, our dearest friends, Stephen, Jennifer, Steve, and Ainslee, hosted a beautiful baby shower for us.  This was our first baby shower and they definitely set the bar high for the others to follow.

                                                              The Beautiful Hostesses

We feel extremely blessed to have so many wonderful friends who gave up a Friday night to help us celebrate the upcoming arrival of Hunter Alexander.  We received so many wonderful gifts and thoroughly enjoyed the time spent with friends.

Thanks to all of our friends who came and made it a baby shower we will never forget!

The delicious cookies-n-creme ice cream cake made by Luis and Sheryl.  Gotta love friends who own a Coldstone when you are pregnant!

 Some of our wonderful friends looking on as Joe and I opened gifts.

Liz, Christina, Sheryl and Monique enjoying the Hill's beautiful patio.

I think this speaks for itself!

Monica and I

And what baby shower wouldn't be complete without the daddy-to-be drinking out of a shoe!!!

Watch out world!! Hope you are ready for another Joe!!

21 Days

We are officially 21 days away from closing on our new house!!

The scariest part is the fact that we still haven't sold our home. We have and continue to have a good amount of traffic but no firm offers. We have heard everything from not liking the neighborhood, too small for people downsizing, not the right floor plan and the one that makes no sense to us is that we have too much wood floors. Our hope is that once we close on the new house, get the dogs and all the dog smelling items out, clear out some of the access items that it will sell quickly.

So keep us in your thoughts/prayers that our house sells, preferrably by April 6th but by the end of May at the latest.