The Life and Times of Cole, Jill, and Sue Ellen Bensinger

Beach Photo Shoot

2009-09-24T16:54:00.003-05:00

Looking for shells or eating sand, I don't know.

Sitting with Momma

Flying baby.

Pole dancing

What a baby!

Beach Trip 2

2009-09-23T16:28:00.006-05:00

This is the cutest picture! Getting ready to go to the beach.

Getting some sun.

Playing in the sand. She couldn't walk yet, but she tried.

She loved the ocean this time! I was so glad we could sit her in the surf and let her play and play. The ocean was very calm while we were there.

She didn't want to get out of the water.

Football time

2009-09-23T16:09:00.005-05:00

This is Sue Ellen doing her "Touch Down, Auburn" pose.

If Peepaw is right there, who is she calling?

Watching the game with Daddy.

Touch Down, Auburn. With her Auburn Tiger

Who wants to watch football when you can push your hippo around the house?

New Church shoes

2009-09-14T21:24:00.002-05:00

You know its hard to blog when you have a crawler, but its even harder to blog when you have a walker. Yep, Sue Ellen is walking. Below is a video of her new church shoes. She is not very good at walking in shoes, but she is learning. As always, she is the sweetest baby in the world and I will try to post some sweet pictures from the past few months soon.

Swimming

2009-05-26T21:07:00.003-05:00

Here is the video of the little girl swimming at the beach. Please notice that she kicks her legs the whole time. Just in case Cole lets her go, she is ready to do it on her own.

Beach Babe (literally)

2009-05-21T20:50:00.017-05:00

We took our first family vacation and we, of course, went to mine and Cole's favorite place, the beach. We had the best time. Sue Ellen was a perfect angel the whole trip and she had a blast. The first few days back home, she was bored. She missed the excitement of the trip. Here are the pictures.

In the big girl highchair at Cracker Barrel.

Last year and this year...

On her way to the beach

She loved the sand.

Hated the surf.

LOVED the pool!

Cole said she needed some help filling out her bathing suit.

How else would she be able to impress the boys on the beach.

Daddy is a lot more fun than Momma.

But she still relies on Momma when she wakes up in a strange place, in a strange highchair.

Cool baby, by the pool.

Sweet baby, asleep on the beach, in her tent.

Jumping Baby

2009-05-04T09:55:00.003-05:00

We have had Sue Ellen's Jump-a-Roo for about 2 months. Saturday she figured out how to really work it! Watch this...

Immortalized in Concrete

2009-05-02T16:52:00.006-05:00

My parents had to repair their pool deck. Peepaw had the great idea to put Sue Ellen's foot prints in the wet cement. So now she has her "Marilyn Monroe" footprints forever in Peepaw and Mimi's pool deck. All the other grandkids are going to be so jealous one day.

Here we go!

She was not very sure about this. But what she really hated was getting her feet dunked in the pool after we finished in the cement.

There they are! Mimi wrote her name and date under the prints.

Easter Pictures

2009-04-24T14:01:00.010-05:00

It has taken me a while to get these up. I can't imagine why? We took over 200 pictures. Here are a few highlights from Sue Ellen's Easter photo shoot.

Sweet baby girl, loves to have her picture made.

Here is a picture of the family in our Easter clothes. I am not feeling 100%, thanks to Cole's elbow smacking me in the nose the night before. It was an accident, but even accidents bleed and bruise. You may all make Cole feel really bad for smacking me in the nose. I have.

Free and Cute

2009-04-05T17:22:00.001-05:00

No, I am not giving away Sue Ellen, but you can get free, cute blog backgrounds by going to http://simplychicblogs.blogspot.com/.

They are only for blogspot users, but they are cute!!

Laughing Baby

2009-04-05T15:41:00.004-05:00

Sweet Sue Ellen was in a good mood Sunday morning and we discovered that we could make her really laugh. Watch this...

March in Pictures

2009-04-01T16:43:00.013-05:00

March has been a busy month. The pollen has gotten to Sue Ellen, but she is getting better. She is learning how to sit up and I am pretty sure once she has mastered that, crawling will soon follow. Look out cats!

Sue Ellen loves her pink dog.

However, even big pink stuffed animals are no match for the ones that move on their own.

I make that same face when Cole hugs me.

Sue Ellen in her highchair. Happily waiting for dinner.

Dog fight

Dog

Dog Fight

Cat. (Mobiles are hours of entertainment for cats...20 minutes tops for babies)

Green Beer

Aaron's 30th Birthday. He looks thrilled. Actually, we were all stuffed from dinner at the Melting Pot and wondering how we were going to eat cake. Don't worry we managed.
A good March was had by all.

Five Montsh Old!

2009-03-15T17:10:00.007-05:00

Sue Ellen is five months old today. She is in a constant state of frustration right now, because she can't do anything, but she wants to do everything. She is starting to sit up on her own and she has been able to roll over for a while, but now she is rolling with purpose.
Today we went to church and had to leave between Sunday School and service because she was not being a good baby for the girls in the nursery. She said Lambie (her constant companion) kept telling her we weren't coming back and she was going to be on her own. That Lambie is a real pain. Such a smart mouth, for a stuffed animal.

Sue Ellen and Joe

Trying out the sippy cup.

Sitting up on her own!!!! I had to put her up there, but this is progress.

Sue Ellen and Lambie sleeping.

Its been a while.

2009-03-07T17:29:00.009-06:00

Forgive me for not posting lately. Sue Ellen has been sick and so have I. But things are still going good. She is a little over 4 and a half months now. On Fridays she attends baby class at Gymboree in Greystone. We sing and play with bright colored props and such. It is a blast for her. As a bonus she gets to look at other babies, which she also loves. We also left her in the church nursery for the first time a week before she turned four months. I didn't hear a word that was said in service that day, but I am getting better. Starting this Sunday she will stay 2+ hours in the nursery because Cole and I will be teaching elementary Sunday School. We will see how that goes. This Friday was Lindsey's birthday so we went to the office to visit her and see Sue Ellen's boyfriend Daniel. Check out all of our new pictures.

Uncle David's coming home party. This was the first time he saw Sue Ellen. She showed him some baby tricks, like drooling and squealing.

Sue Ellen has started eating rice cereal and fruit. She prefers to eat naked.

Sue Ellena nd Daniel

Me, Sue Ellen, Lindsey and Daniel.

Ava's First Birthday Party

A busy 3 month old.

2009-01-18T16:41:00.010-06:00

Sue Ellen turned 3 months old January 15th. She brought in her 3 month birthday with a bang. She stayed up until midnight and woke up 3 times before 7:30am. Momma was very tired.

Well, since she turned 3 months, she has been very busy.

First, she tried on hats...

Great Aunt Karen made this one and...

Oma made this one.

That was fun!

Then her friend Daniel came over with his mom and dad.

She showed off her toys and checked out the toys Daniel brought

She was very excited to see Daniel.

She talked his ear off. What else is a girl to do?

They have a lot in common...the exact same birthday (4 minutes apart) and they love bouncy seats!

Finally, Ashely came over and told her what a cute baby she is!

3 month olds are very busy.

Why?

2009-01-11T20:39:00.002-06:00

Sue Ellen is the sweetest baby and she really is good. I know there are babies out there that cry all the time. She does not, Thank you God!! But why won't she get on a schedule. I would love some consistency. The most frustrating thing is when she wakes up for her feeding between 10:30m bedtime and 9:00 wake up time. I expect her to do one feeding in between these times, but I never know when it is coming. It could be 1:00 am it could be 7:00am. This is extremely frustrating.

Sue Ellen's First Christmas

2008-12-27T18:05:00.009-06:00

Well, what does a 2 month old really think about Christmas? She thinks it is exhausting! Here are the pictures that tell the story.

Cole gave me a ring with Sue Ellen's birthstone, an opal.
Christmas Puppies

Sue Ellen with her presents.

The pacies were her favorite gift.

PeePaw gave her a gold bracelet. She'll grow into it.

Curious baby wants to be part of the action.

She helped unwrap her big present from Mimi and PeePaw. It was an Exersaucer that she will be able to use next month!

To wrap-up her Christmas celebration, she posed with her new pink dog and her favorite new outfit. The shirt says Miss October in rhinestones. I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas.

Bath Time Baby

2008-12-21T13:52:00.013-06:00

The sweet baby girl wanted to show everyone her favorite thing...Bath Time! She is not camera shy and she loves being naked baby. Two things we will have to teach her not to combine later in life.
Also, Sue Ellen got a special visit from Santa Claus. Now she has her very own Christmas tree in her room. So of course I had to do a baby photo shoot.

Well, here is the bath time video. I hope everyone can view it.

I'm a new woman!

2008-12-21T09:35:00.001-06:00

Sue Ellen slept through the night! 11:00pm to 6:30am. That's 7 1/2 hours. That's the actual amount of sleep a human is supposed to get.
I am going to post some pictures and a video in a little while, but right now I have to feed the big girl who sleeps through the night!!

Its hard to blog with a baby.

2008-12-16T16:12:00.003-06:00

Sue Ellen is 2 months old and I have been really bad about keeping up with the blog. Everything is going well, but I have no time. We went to the doctor today and she weighed 11.07lbs. She had to get 4 shots and I cried harder than her. The nurse said that two month moms always cry. The past few nights Sue Ellen has "slept through the night." If you want to call sleeping from 10:40pm to 4:50am sleeping through the night. It is better than 10:40pm to 2:30am and then again at 5:30am. I know she will be on a better routine soon, I am just trying to enjoy my quiet early mornings with her.
I officially quit my job last Thursday. I cried then too. (I have cried a lot lately.) I am going to miss working, but I know Sue Ellen needs me more than anything. And I truly want to stay home with her. I am going to try to do more entries, so if anyone is reading this, let me know and pass along the word that I am going to be a better blogger.

Well, here is a picture of her on her two month birthday...sucking her thumb.

One Month Report

2008-11-23T07:46:00.005-06:00

Well, we've made it this far with a lot of new strategies and a little less sleep. Sue Ellen is on a regular schedule now and doesn't appreciates any straying from that schedule. We tend to stray though on saturdays. It's the only day that I really get to help Jill and get all of our running around done. Because of that, we haven't exactly made it to church. I'm sure that we won't get kicked out of heaven for it though. We've also learned to be careful during the middle of the night diaper changing. That volcano can still be active.

Sue Ellen's doing fine though. She's transitioning over to a bottle for her 7:00 pm feeding, which is nice, especially if we're out at that time. She cries when she wants to be held or hungry. She likes her activity mat and looking at her animals, stuffed and real. She's starting to grin a little more and sigh when she's content. She loves bath time. I'm looking forward to being home a couple of days during Thanksgiving and getting her prepared for her first Christmas.

Meeting the Neighborhood

2008-10-27T13:43:00.004-05:00

Our neighbor Teri decorated our mailbox in celebration of Sue Ellen's arrival. It was the cutest mailbox I have ever seen. Sue Ellen appreciated it too, I am sure. We made some pictures of her next to it. She is exactly one week old in these pictures.

Family Time

2008-10-26T15:52:00.004-05:00

Being a dad is the best thing in the world. Jill and I have adjusted to our new way of life and the baby is growing wonderfully. We've learned the hard way on some things. For instance, make sure she's "done" before trying to give her a bath, or you'll be using more than one towel. She's a heavy sleeper during the day. Today she slept for 4 1/2 hours before waking up to be fed. Then, she fell asleep again in the middle of lunch. I'm starting to think she's narcoleptic...she sleeps through everything. I guess under some circumstances, that's a good problem to have.
We had a couple of adventures this weekend too. We went to Wal-Mart, Target, and World Market yesterday. People seem to look at you more when you're toting around a little baby. That's fine with us. We also went over to Mimi and Pawpaw's house last night for dinner. She didn't seem to mind being passed around the room too much. And of course, Pawpaw had to hold her and didn't want to let her go. He's going to end up being a Sue Ellen slave, just like her daddy.

It all comes down to this...

2008-10-16T14:41:00.002-05:00

So begins the story of Sue Ellen Marley Bensinger. Jill started going into labor about 10pm tuesday night. We got to the hospital at 2 am and started pushing around 12:15. That's when the story begins. She was born at 1:45 pm weighing in at 7lbs 9oz and 19 1/2 in long. Jill's recovering nicely right now and the baby seems to accept us. I never thought that something so tiny could have such an affect on me, but she does. My first love is and will always be Jill. Sue Ellen is a close second. Enjoy the pics...

Just for Robin

2008-10-13T20:18:00.005-05:00

Here dear Auntie Robin. I hope y'all get a good belly laugh from this. I did.

One down...Two to go!

2008-10-09T16:37:00.003-05:00

Me, Deise and Lindsey at our baby shower.

At my office there were 3 of us that were pregnant. Lindsey and Deise were due on October 19th and of course, I am due on the 24th. Well, Deise started having contractions last night, but she went ahead and came into work (what a trooper!). The contractions started getting worse and closer together, so she went on to the hospital (which is right across the street) and the doctor said that today was the day! We are still waiting to hear the good news, but hopefully she won't be in labor too much longer.

Lorie Johnson Foundation 5k

2008-10-06T16:30:00.005-05:00

This Saturday Cole and I participated in the First Annual Lorie Johnson Foundation 5k and Fun Run. We did the Fun Run, actually for me it was more like the fun waddle, but it was all for a good cause. Lorie Johnson is a friend of ours from church who found out she had breast cancer when she was six months pregnant with her second child. She now has a foundation for women who have cancer. Here is the website: http://www.loriejohnsonfoundation.org/.

She is an unbelievably strong person and a fighter who is still battling cancer today while raising her two healthy sons Noah and Zack.

Lorie crossing the finish line after the walk.

The participants of the 5K getting ready!

The Fun Run. Cole and I are in the crowd somewhere.

Good News, Bad News

2008-10-01T16:35:00.003-05:00

Good News first: Jill's doctor appointment went well this morning. The doctor said we have about a 6 lb baby that's doing well. He also thinks that she'll end up about 7-8 lbs, but not more. Jill's doing fine and the doctor said everything is going as planned.

Bad News: Everything is right on schedule. Unless something changes, she'll be here right at her due date. That sucks. Jill and I have been thinking that maybe she'd be ready a week early. I guess for selfish reasons, but we are ready for her to get here! Having the doc say she'll be here on time is like pushing the due date back a month.

Don't misunderstand us, we know she'll get here when she's ready. Plus, we want everything to be just right with her too. These past couple of weeks have crept by and now we have to wait another week from the day we psyched ourselves up for. This is not going to be easy. I guess in a glass-half-full way, it gives me another week to make a paycheck.

In preparation for her arrival, Jill pre-checked in with the hospital so we won't have to fool with all that when we actually have to go. We had to pay a little out of pocket. Jill put it on the Mastercard, so we can pay the baby off for just $10 per month. If we miss a payment, will the credit card company repo our baby?

Hurry!

2008-09-29T16:33:00.003-05:00

I feel like I have spent the last 5 days in "hurry mode." Hurry to work...Hurry at work...Hurry home... But the one thing I want to happen quickly I can't make "hurry" at all! I know Sue Ellen is going to get here in God's perfect time...but I just wish that I knew when that was.

Well, I have a great story I wanted to share because I was so amazed when it happened. Cole and I went to Babies R Us this weekend to finish getting some items for Sue Ellen. Most of the items we were purchasing were big ticket items. When we got to the check out the lady ring us up told us that we needed to pay for everything separately. I was confused as to why we would do that until she gave me a hand-full of 20% off coupons. She let us take 20% off everything we purchased. That was so sweet of her. She didn't have to do that. She didn't even have to give us the coupons. I was so grateful. It made me realize that there are still people out there who want to help each other out. Not everyone is self-centered.

Cole is home!!!

2008-09-22T16:17:00.002-05:00

I did not realize how much I depended on Cole, until he left for 2 days. Cole went to the Eagles-Steelers game in Philadelphia this weekend. Saturday was relaxing, but Sunday I realized how much I missed Cole. How did I come to this realization? Did I wake up to an empty bed and cry? Did I sit down for a lonely dinner for one? No, I was doing laundry and because of my massive belly, I couldn't reach far enough into the washer to retrieve the last sock. I had to use a pair of kitchen tongs to get it out. That is when I realized, I need Cole. I am glad he is home.

He's gone and she's right with the Lord

2008-09-07T19:40:00.005-05:00

Now that Bret Favre is now a Jet, she has asked forgiveness of her sins and come back to the fold. Thank y'all for your prayers, she a Bears fan again and excited about the season. Jill recently treated herself to a new haircut and some highlights. It looks great and she's looking good with her new hair and a Brian Urlacher jersey.

Little Ears Hear Everything

2008-09-03T19:46:00.003-05:00

We know that her ears work. Monday we were in Lowe's walking around, getting ideas for the house. A guy started up the fork lift and the people beeper started sounding. Well, when Sue Ellen heard that noise, she started kicking Jill's sides. She wanted us to know that she did not appreciate that beeping sound and did not calm down until that guy was at the other end of the store. I guess we can take solice in knowing that she can hear just fine.

Eight Weeks Away

2008-08-31T18:06:00.002-05:00

It hasn't hit just yet. I guess with two friends both expecting within the next two weeks it will. We're about to hit that painful time when time stands still. It's a good thing football season is here and will help pass the time. We're as prepared as we can be with just under two months.

Introducing Kate Taylor

2008-08-15T09:05:00.006-05:00

Here she is, Katherine Isabel Taylor; baby Kate! She is absolutely perfect and so cute. She looks a lot like Scott. Ellie is excited about her sister and everyone is doing good. As promised here are some pictures!

She did not like the flash.

I have a very similar picture of me with Ellie. Kate was very good while we were visiting. She didn't mind being passed around.

Cole getting in some practice.

The proud father.

It seems like only yesterday we were in 1st period Spanish our 9th grade year, now we are having babies! (Check out the little baby foot!!)

Baby Taylor has arrived!

2008-08-14T16:36:00.003-05:00

Laura had her baby yesterday. Everything went great, mom and baby are fine. She weighed 7 pounds 8 ounces and was 20 inches long (the baby...not Laura). Her name is Katherine Isabelle and they are going the call her Kate! I will have pictures tonight or tomorrow.

Speaking of pictures...I thought this was hilarious. The Spanish Olympic Basketball Team posed for their picture making slanty-eyes with their hands. Its good to know that being culturally insensitive is funny in other countries too.

A New Taylor

2008-08-13T20:01:00.002-05:00

Baby "X" Taylor was born today at 4:03 pm to our friends Scott and Laura Taylor. We recieved a text around 6:45 tonight. Everyone is doing fine and we will have pictures and all up after tomorrow night. Right now we don't know her name, but the worrd on the street is "Kate." Nothing has been confirmed. Stay tuned for details.

Preggos

2008-08-04T10:13:00.006-05:00

How often are you pregnant at the same time as your best friend? Like, Never! So Laura and I took a few pictures to document our pregnancies.

Just two young girls...

with giant pregnant bellies!

Whenever Laura and I go out together (and by "go out" I mean to exciting places like Publix and Sonic) people stare at us like "Poor things, going back to school pregnant. They must have had one of those 'pregnancy pacts'."

Deep Thoughts

2008-07-29T21:00:00.002-05:00

Well we managed to make it this far. Less than three months away from the big day now and like Jill, things are beginning to take shape. It still blows me away that we're going to have a kid. I am excited by the thought though. Last week we took food to Hunter and Erika Ponder and got to see the pictures of little Ben. He showed up about 6 weeks early, but is doing great. Check the link to their website down on the right to see the pictures. Word on the street is that he'll be heading for the house by this weekend. I've also updated the revolving pictures of Jill and her growth. She's really showing now. She's still the most beautiful woman in the world to me and I'm glad she's been my wife for 6 years now.

6 years vs 59 years

2008-07-22T16:28:00.007-05:00

Cole and I have now been married for 6 years. That seems like a long time, but I was reminded by my Oma that her and Dandaddy have been married for 59 years...that is a long time. I hope in 53 years Cole still looks at me that way my Dandaddy looks at my Oma. He looks at her with amusement in his eyes, like he is thinking "I can't believe she is still putting up with me." I know Oma can't believe she is still putting up with him either.

Well, we kept out actual anniversary pretty low key. We went to dinner and spent some time with Nicole and her boyfriend, Wes that Saturday. On the actual day we went to lunch with Dad and worked in Sue Ellen's room. Uncle Bill came over and helped Cole put up the crib. Its is really starting to look like a baby's room.

Here are some pictures from dinner and our visit with Nicole!

Cole and me at Firebirds! It was very good.

Nicole hasn't seen me since I've been pregnant.

Cole and Wes said this picture looked like we were a proud lesbian couple.

We wanted to clarify that this was what a proud lesbian couple looks like.

Just a cute picture.

Beach Trip 2008

2008-07-14T11:10:00.021-05:00

Well, Cole and I just got back from our annual beach trip. We had a blast this year. It rained at least once a day while we were there and the seaweed was making its presence known, but we did not let any of that ruin the fun. Of course we took a lot of pictures, so I will let them tell the story!!!

Cole and me on the beach!

Mother Nature stopped by the beach.

So we read on the balcony and watched people's tents and beach toys blow down the beach.

The stormy waves created a cool sandbar!

Cole begged me to wear a bikini at the beach. This picture is as close as I came to showing our fellow beach goers my belly.

What is it Cole? Is there something in the water? Protect us!!

Cole Bensinger-Friend to man kind; Enemy of the Spineless.

No beach trip is complete without them! Don't judge me, I'm pregnant!

My favorite picture. I am pretty sure that this is the greatest place on earth. At the very end of the island, there is a long stretch with no condos and no people. Usually, I can walk the 2 miles from our condo down the beach...this year I had a little trouble. (You know, the whole pregnancy thing.) So Cole and I drove down to the end of the island and walked the 1/2 a mile to paradise! It was as always beautiful, quiet and clean.

Lack of Motivation

2008-07-09T17:12:00.002-05:00

I had a plan to finish the crown moulding in the baby's room and then caulk it and be done. Well, let's just say that other than painting, I'm pretty sure crown moulding is of the devil. I hate that crap. And yes, those obseneities that you heard were from me. Have no fear all you Baptists, Jesus still loves me. The moulding is up, but the caulk will have to wait. I figure I've got 3 more months untill Sue Ellen gets here, so I have plenty of time. Nothing like putting off until tomorrow what you could put off untill next week.

The 4th of July!!

2008-07-07T16:29:00.003-05:00

(First of all...I have noticed a trend on our blog and I would like to clear something up. I do still wear make-up. I have no idea how it is possible that every recent picture of me features my "natural beauty." But I have not joined a religious cult, I have not "let myself go" since becoming pregnant and I am not boycotting Cover Girl. It is just a coincidence.)

Second to Christmas, Independence day is my favorite holiday! Family, food and fireworks...It really doesn't get better. This year was a 2 day extravaganza!

The 3rd if July we went to the Chelsea Fireworks show, "The Big Kaboom". Cole started calling it "Rednecks on the Ridge" to go along with the big Birmingham show "Thunder on the Mountain." It was actually better than the Birmingham show. We were so close Mom said she had cinders in her hair!

For lunch on the 4th we went to Cole's Nanny's house. We didn't take any pictures...but imagine this... 30 people in a closet eating ribs. Actually, it was very fun and the food, as usual, was great! After lunch we went to my parents house to swim and eat again. Then we launched our annual 4th of July attack on the crazy lady that lives across the street from my parents. We also launched an attack on the Longs since we knew we could win, being that their boys are grown up and don't play with bottle rockets anymore. We finished the evening by watching "Thunder on the Mountain." It was a great holiday!

Woo Hiefer!!

2008-06-29T11:16:00.007-05:00

Friday night we "had" to go to Krispy Kreme. As we were sitting there enjoying a little bit of heaven, Jill was chomping down on a fresh doughnut. All of the sudden, little Sue Ellen started kicking. I guess she'll fall in line with all the other women in Jill's family and be the next Krispy Kreme Hiefer.

Painting for baby

2008-06-22T17:55:00.004-05:00

I loath painting. The good thing is it's done. We finished painting the baby's room today. Now all that we have to do is put up the crown moulding and have the mural painted on the cieling. With any luck, I won't chop off a digit or screw it up too bad. The great thing about doing a project like this is that you get to use things like a compound mitre saw and a nail gun. The next kid Jill and I have won't get this kind of treatment...we're hiring out the paint work.

House full of Preggos

2008-06-10T18:00:00.004-05:00

This weekend friends Justin and Emily Pickering came through. Emily's due in Spetember (15th ?), so she's just a couple of weeks ahead of Jill. I was funny to see the two of them sticking out all over the place and waddling everywhere. It was good to see them, but hard to see them go. Justin has entered the US Army as a chaplain and was heading for Columbia, SC for training while Emily was heading to her parents in Leoma, TN. Keep them both in your prayers as they will be apart for the next 3 months. They will meet back together in Fort Hood, TX about 2 weeks before Emily is due. Thanks you slime ball for your service to our country and to our Lord and Savior. You can check out Justin and Emily's Blog in the Our Favorite Places area lower on the page.

No more boy room

2008-06-09T21:52:00.004-05:00

My man cave has been relocated to our next house, wherever that may be. Yes this weekend we cleared out my room to make room for Sue Ellen. I hope she appreciates all that I'm giving up for her. I know she'll be worth it. I'm even willing to paint her room, which is saying a lot about me. I hate painting. I loath painting. I would rather re-shingle the house, hang drywall, or move my parents for the 400th time (no offense mom and dad). One of the things about painting is that I'm not an alcoholic or drug user, so I wouldn't make it as a painter. However, this gal's already got me wrapped around her tiny finger, and we're still 20 weeks away for the due date. I guess it's true that when it comes to your kids, you do things that normally you wouldn't. That being said, there's an open invitation to ANYONE who wants to paint to come and do it. If you catch me on the right day, there might even be a monetary reward in for you. Any takers?

A Father's Perspective

2008-05-29T18:41:00.003-05:00

Well, I have to say that if someone had run in the room, kicked me in the.....and run out, I wouldn't have been more surprised. I'm excited about having a baby girl. If anyone's son so much as looks her way EVER, I'll kill him. I am clueless about girls and Jill can attest to that. I have no idea what to do with them. I'm still amazed that I convinced one to marry me.
God's got a great sense of humor and it is true that He has His plans and we have ours. He provides our needs and not our wants. Little did I know what my real need is. I'm sure He got a big laugh out of my reaction. I guess I have a lot to look forward to: tea parties, Barbie, and enough pink to make Pepto Bismol jealous. This is going to be great and I can't wait!

CB

The Big Reveal!

2008-05-29T12:12:00.003-05:00

It's a girl!
Cole and I cannot believe it. I had just seen my friend Lindsey's ultrasound last week (she is having a boy), so when the tech went to the "money shot" and said "these are the legs, and this is the little butt..." I knew and I said "It's a girl!" Cole's response was "What?" We were shocked but absolutely over joyed to know that she is healthy and growing along just fine! She weighs about 9 ounces and is between 6 1/2 and 7 inches long. She is a big baby for her tender age of 18 weeks and 6 days.

Here is a cut down version of the ultrasound video.

Memorial Day!

2008-05-24T21:13:00.003-05:00

We're just four days away from finding out what the baby is. Jill and I are thinking boy, but we've got a fifty-fifty chance. Jill's symptoms have been the exact opposite of her friend that is only five days ahead of her, and she is having a boy. Right now we're just praying for complete health. Check back on Wednesday (5/28) for the "Big Reveal" and maybe video.
May 28 is a significant day in both our lives: my high school graduation, Jill's high school graduation, we met on May 28, and now the baby reveal. Maybe the next child will be born on May 28.

16 Week Appointment

2008-05-14T10:11:00.005-05:00

Today I went for my 16 week appointment. It was very uneventful, which I guess is a good thing. The baby's heart beat was 144, which is right on the line if you are using heart rate to determine gender. Dr Radbill said everything was normal and my growth is 16 weeks and 5 days on the money, "not a day early and not a day late." This baby is coming on October 24th, mark your calenders. My next appointment is "The Big Reveal." Its May 28th at 10:30, afterwards we will have pictures and a DVD, it will be so exciting!

Here is a preview of what I think is going on in there...

Rob and Ginny's Wedding 2

2008-04-28T10:35:00.010-05:00

Here are some pictures from the wedding!

The happy couple

I loved my dress, it was so cute!

Its the father daughter dance.

Sarah with her Grandaddy

And They Lived Happily Ever After!

Happy Birthday Jill!

2008-04-27T18:54:00.002-05:00

This is the last day of the week long celebration of the life of Jill. Monday we began mentally preparing for the week. Tuesday, we made her birthday cake. Wednesday, we gave her presents. Thursday, Her office gave her a gift (continuation of the gifting). Friday, we had family supper, more presents and Chris and Kasey Culp came down. Saturday, we had post birthday breakfast. Then went out to eat with more friends. Finally today, we planted birthday flowers and plants. Most of us have birth-days, Jill has birth-weeks.

I am 27 now!

2008-04-24T10:24:00.008-05:00

Yesterday was my 27th Birthday. It came out of no where this year! I had a really good day including lunch with my friends at work and dinner with Cole. The most exciting part of the day was when Cole woke me up at 6:00am to give me my gift, a new tiny camera! I brought it with me to work and took annoying pictures all day. (A few highlights below)

I am also very excited because Friday Chris and Kasey are coming down for a big dinner at my parent's house. I will also be armed with my new toy and annoying pictures will follow.

My cake Cole made! Confetti cake with strawberry icing.

Lunch with friends at the ultra exclusive Italian Eatery and Villa Olive Garden. So much fun!
Surprise, from Mom and Dad. Staged picture; Thanks Lindsey

Hot Stuff!

I would like to say something...

2008-04-18T09:49:00.004-05:00

So far Cole has done all the writing for our blog, but I needed to get in my two cents. Yes, I am sick and very tried and no, Cole does not understand. Although he is being very sweet and helpful; so I have to give him credit for that. Nothing to exciting happening now, but I will keep everyone updated. I just can't wait to feel normal again.

I also wanted to include a picture of my sweet kitten Lou...because Cole loves him so much.

Baby update

2008-04-17T19:33:00.003-05:00

Everything is going well...almost. I was magically expecting Jill's nausea to subside after 12 weeks, but that didn't happen. She's still battling that, However, our child has a healthy heartbeat. It got up to about 158. Jill said it was high because it was a girl. I say that it's the combination on the caffeine from the Coke she had with breakfast and the fact that I had a high heartbeat when I was in the womb. Who only knows....

Baby update

2008-04-13T10:42:00.002-05:00

No new news on the baby front. Jill's entered into the second trimester so hopefully some of the morning sickness will begin to subside. We go to the doctor on Wednesday (4/16) just to make sure everything is going good. We will be able to find out the sex around the middle of May. Keep us in your prayers.

Congrats Rob and Ginny

2008-04-13T10:34:00.004-05:00

Congratulations to my brother Rob and new sister-in-law Ginny as they made the inevitable happen last evening and got married. I know they are relieved to finally get that out of the way. It was a beautiful ceremony and a fun reception. Right now they are on their way to Mexico to enjoy a relaxing honeymoon.

Vacations, babies, and changes, oh my!

2008-03-30T13:03:00.004-05:00

We just recently returned from the beautiful islands of Hawaii. I would recommend going to anyone. The food there is really good. I know I gained a couple of lb's while we were there. The geography is like nothing I've ever seen before. It was a trip of a lifetime and we tried to maximize our time there as much a possible. We will definitely return one day. We had a great time and I will try to get some of those pics up soon.
Also, Jill and I are expecting a child in October, so things have been changing quickly. Most of the changes have been with Jill, who is carrying the load for us right now. She usually doesn't feel well in the mornings or evenings. Through this far, she's been a real trooper. She craves mexican food. I'm not sure why. If this kid comes out latino, Sancho is a dead man. However, our yard will look great.
This is a new experience for me too. I feel helpless sometimes, but she's quick to remind me that this IS all my fault. I think the worst part of it all is now the chores around the house. For example, the cat box. This is the worst chore in the house and it has to been cleaned twice a day. That sucks. And it will continue to suck for the next 7 months. Cats bomb and then I have to clean it out. They sit there and watch me like, yeah that was bad, now get to work. It's true that dogs have masters and cats have slaves.