Lately...

We have had  a lot to celebrate lately, Easter, Jeremy's birthday, Mother's day, John Henry turned 4 months, Libby tells us everyday that her birthday is coming up and we are looking forward to a vacation right around the corner.
John Henry has moved to his room and started rice cereal and after two weeks of hating it, he is starting to come around and realize that solid food could be okay after all. He is weighing in at 18 lbs. When we are out and people ask how old he is I say, " He is 4 months old, but he is a big for 4 months..." because I know they are thinking it and want to comment on his size but not be rude, so I just say it for them.
Libby is a very "hands on" big sister. She loves to help bathe, change diapers, and she is practicing her discipline on John Henry. Just the other day she told John Henry to "get back in mama's belly!"
Here are a few pics of the latest...

Me and my little shark

All dressed up for Easter

Daddy is 32 years young!

Happy Mother's day!

Spending some quality time with Uncle Buzz

Not too sure about this

Nate and Johnny Cash came for a visit.

Sadly it was for a funeral, but we loved spending time with them.

Libby and John Henry visiting Jana - for a post Mother's day visit

Nate and John Henry...Nate could give us some hair tips.

Julian and John Henry.

Julian is glad that we had a boy...too much estrogen among the great grandchildren...9 girls and soon to be 5 boys

Happy Easter

We are looking forward to this weekend with family and friends. I wanted to get a post in to show what we have been up to lately. Enjoy!

This was John Henry's first play date with Brody -

Lindy and I prepared for Ashley's baby shower and they kept each other company.

We can't wait to meet Banks and add him to our clan!

This is the look of contentment - I believe Libby was napping so, John Henry had some peace.

Look at those dimples in his hand...so sweet.

This was the day we bought sandals for our Easter dress - natrually we had to wear them all day.

Then we got home and I needed LIbby to try on a bathing suit to make sure it would get her through the summer...so we had to kep that on too and accessorize with the garden gloves!

Playing with Ford could also be called "bossing Ford around"

He loves Libby and is great at sharing...Libby told us the other day she was going to put Ford in time out.

Being maternal...

Before the Easter egg hunt at school.

Dying Easter eggs during the witching hour.

This event about shot my nerves, Libby loved it and is now fascinated with hard-boiled eggs and the "yellow ball" in the middle.

It's been too long...

Life is moving right along these days. John Henry and Libby are both growing up so fast it is scary.
Libby is growing right into her big sister role and learning to boss everyone around. John Henry LOVES her and lights up whenever she is in the room. Libby is very attached to him and doesn't like to go many places without him.
Jeremy and I are adapting to parenting two little ones. The night time routine has become a fine art and from the moment Jeremy walks in the door it feels like a 3 hour sprint with supper time, bath time and bed time.
We love our life and are so blessed.....So, while we don't want to wish these days away...we do wish we could nap more often.
Here are a few pics from the past few months.

Here is the little man, or should I say BIG man...size 3 diapers already!

I could just eat him up!

Libby & Momma playing outside in this great weather.

Feel asleep playing....oh  the life...

Love this face.

We took Libby to a Grizzlies game and had 4th row seats.

If a basketball game brings her this much joy and excitement - then we may need medication the day we take her Disney World. It was so fun to watch her light up.

Picnic with Juju and Maggie Moo Moo in Columbus

Holding Elvira (her baby doll) in the Baby Bjorn

Welcome to the World John Henry Given!

Well, we waited and waited and waited. December 22nd came and went and there we sat still waiting...and as much as I did not want to be to induced, on December 26th we woke up bright and early to head to Methodist Germantown for our 8:00 appointment.

After checking in and meeting my awesome nurse, Whitney...the action started. I was trying to go natural with no epidural...Many people thought I was crazy, but something in me wanted to try.

So, I did. I tried and by the time I was at 6 cm, I was done trying and asked for the epidural. It was too much for me to bear, for those ladies that have done it...wow.

So, I got the epidural around 1:00 and by 3:46 p.m. we had a baby boy.

He weighed 8 lbs. 13oz. and was 20 inches long - with a head full of dark hair.

Not quite as much as Libby had (she could wear a bow the day she was born) but still a head full of hair.

We were all very surprised by his size...the doctor thought he would be about the same size as

Libby (7lbs. 12oz.) - good thing we got induced when we did!

We are home now and adjusting to life with two little ones. Jeremy was off of work the whole week last week which was great and yesterday was back to the grindstone.

Libby is a great big sister...very sensitive to the needs of John Henry...when he cries, she almost cries too.

She loves to hold him and does not like for visitors to hold him and she is an expert at "helping" momma change diapers. Here are a few pics of the big event.



Prego and ready to go the hospital!

A white birthday for John Henry!

so excited to finally meet him...

Libby LOVED sitting in my bed and holding "baby brudder" 

Lots of friends and family there to welcome the little guy. 

I don't think it has hit her yet that he is here to stay.

Cousins, Nate & JP were very good with John Henry and Libby...

Headed home from the hospital

awww...

Before the baby craze hits...

Merry Christmas! We have just celebrated Libby's 3rd Christmas and it was so much fun!
Santa came and Libby was very good this year...but a little confused because for the past 9 months we have been telling her that baby brother would be here when Santa Claus comes...and we thought he would.

My due date was Wednesday the 22nd and he has yet to make his debut...unless something happens tonight we are going in tomorrow morning to be induced. I have mixed emotions about being induced, however I am confident in the decision we made in waiting until after the due date and letting God be in charge of the event...Libby was born a week early so I guess I assumed with this being a second baby he would come early too...shows how much I know.

We have been busy with Christmas and preparing for baby brother there has been very little down time.
Robert, Zoey, NaNa and the boys are all in town so, they will get to meet the baby right away and Jane will arrive on my birthday to spend a long weekend and help out. Mimi says this is the longest pregnancy ever (I think it is because we lived with them all summer and you know the saying about a "watched pot")

It has gotten to the point that I have to send a text saying I am not in labor, but I am about to call...because whenever they see our name on caller id they expect big news and when I call just to chit chat, it is very anti-climatic.

I just wanted to post a few more pics of the house and Christmas because soon it will be baby mania and who will have time to care about the house?!?

This is the view from our breakfast table - it is like watching the discovery channel...

squirrels, geese, ducks, a blue heron, people running on the golf trail with their dogs and those die hard golfers that are golfing rain or shine...I must say I am thankful I married a duck hunter and not a golfer...

Duck hunting has a short season but golf goes on year round.

Libby's "playground"

Where we spend the most time and one of the most "finished" rooms in the house, the den.

Libby's big girl room, the nursery, and the office are next on the list...

Libby - so grown up - look how long and skinny her legs are - no baby fat in sight!

So sad!

NaNa, Nathan and Libby - waiting to open presents

Jeremy, Uncle Buzz, and Pop - solving the world's problems.

Libby playing with Nate and JP's paper jamz...this present was the hit this year.

True, I have been a terrible blogger....but I have an explanation...

Okay, I have heard it from friends and family...everyone is tired of the Christmas in July post that has been up way too long with out any updates and I feel bad. I really do, but I feel like I have some great excuses.

 - we moved (while I was 7 months pregnant)
 - our computer is somewhat on the fritz - we got a quote from Dell for it to be fixed, however a call to India is not on the top of our priority list...
 - Libby is officially potty trained! (that took some time but I am so glad we are there)
 - I am very pregnant - baby boy is extremely strong  - this pregnancy has been tougher on me, having a toddler is not the most leisurely life (as most of you know)
But I feel pretty overwhelmed with trying to get things done for Libby's big girl room, the baby's nursery, making the new house more of a home, nesting, and Christmas - whew...just typing that sentence made me tired...

We spent the summer with Mimi and Pop (four months to be exact)...It was great; and after we moved out in September, it was nice at our new house with plenty of room - but it was quiet and we definitely missed them. We are 5 minutes away, but I got used to the adult company during the day and all the help with Libby. We moved out in late September and have been loving our new house.
I will post pictures soon...

Libby is very excited about welcoming her baby brother into the world...she knows that he will be here about the time Santa comes (or at least we are hoping he stays put that long).
She is extremely maternal and is obsessed with babies (not sure if that will be good or bad)...

Libby also started mothers day out this fall and LOVES it, I also enjoy the free time although I rarely take the time to relax...I have been blessed to be busy with clients and the house, so the days she is in school I am usually pretty busy myself...

Duck season is officially under way and Jeremy has been hunting twice - they had a great time and killed lots of birds - we are not sure what the next few weeks will bring...so I am I glad they have had a few good days of male bonding and shooting things.

I am planning to blog again soon with pictures of the house...until then enjoy the random pictures in this post!

Libby on her first day of school

Feeding the goats at the Church fall festival

(we now expect to see goats every Sunday)

Kitty cat for Halloween - her favorite part was the tail.

Planting pansies with Mimi at the new house.

Coloring with Callie & Mary Eliza on Thanksgiving

reading lots of books with Uncle Russell