The Lewis Life

Our Fourth - 2011 Edition

2011-08-02T16:05:00.009-05:00

We had a lovely holiday weekend, and hope you did also. We really enjoyed spending time together as a family and spending time with our wonderful friends! Fireworks were definitely a must, just wasn't sure how to go about it seeing the fourth was on a Monday, meaning we had to be up early the next day. One of Gabe's fraternity brother's and his wife, Nathan and Shannon, were in town from Houston so we met them and another couple (also fellow Red Raiders), the Morgan's, for lunch at Ozona's in Dallas and had a great time! That afternoon we ended up meeting the Hinkle's at Kaboom Town in Addison. This way we could for sure see some fireworks. By the time we arrived, it was late afternoon and it was p.a.c.k.e.d! Luckily we were meeting people there and they had saved us an awesome seat! Perfect to see the air show and a wonderful view of the fireworks! Brody loved the entertainment (and all the "air-pwanes") and especially dancing to all the music. Cash was about to fall asleep, but I took him out of the stroller to see the show. He was a perfect angel, sitting there relaxing while the fireworks show took place. What a perfect evening!

I'm the worst mom and I am not good about taking their picture together very often, something I can definitely improve on. Well, here is the attempt from the 4th of July at Kaboom Town.

We did what we could to stay cool in this Texas heat! We chewed on our monkey lovie,

we ate grapes,

drank lots of water and other beverages,

and stripped down to our diaper....well some of us did anyway!

Two of my fav people ending a great night at Kaboom Town. Too bad the traffic was AWE-FULL! We sat in traffic for 1.5 hours and Brody didn't fall asleep until midnight!!

On Monday, The Fourth, "the gang" got together to have some food, fun, and fireworks! We brought dessert to Brooke and Steve's, while they grilled out awesome pizza's, and the Colberg's brought a delicious salad! Seriously the pizza's were so good, I had to get the recipe! I opted for dessert and made an American Flag out of red velvet cupcakes. I forgot to take a pic., but they were cute with strawberries and blueberries. I cannot believe how hard I had to search for red velvet cake mix. There was only one brand and it was on the very bottom shelf. Crazy. I thought it was more popular than that. Who knew?

Here is Brody helping mommy mix the cupcake batter.

This baking is really exhausting!

At the Long's home. Cash l.o.v.e.s the big kids!

Teagan and Gavin love to play with Cash

Outside after dinner. Was very warm but not boiling outside, like it is now in August.

the BEST of FRIENDS!

Cutie patooties!

We all enjoyed hanging out with great friends!

I love all three of these sweet kids and their little hineys too!

Cash was supposed to be sleeping, but he wanted to know what all was going on and wanted to monitor how much fun we were having! ;)

We love being silly!

Playing with Gavin's dog, Maya

After an awesome afternoon and evening, we all caravanned over to the McKinney fireworks. We parked on the side of the road like we have in years past. The fireworks were decent, and it wasn't too hard waking up the next day! :)

Fort Worth Zoo

2011-07-05T20:17:00.008-05:00

Some of our dear friends, The Longs, invited us to skip church one Sunday and take the kids to the zoo. We obliged since I had been wanting to go to the Dallas Zoo. I grew up going to and love the Fort Worth Zoo so we gladly accepted the offer that was put on our table. We did opt out of going to Joe T's after but think it was the right decision for naps and our wallet even though the margaritas and enchiladas were screaming my name! Hope you enjoy some of the pictures we took of Brody and Cash's first trip to a zoo! It was a great age for Brody to go since he can recognize the animals and get excited about seeing them. Cash, well, he was just along for the hot stroller ride!

Our first air conditioned stop of the afternoon. The fish, turtles, and alligator tank. We all enjoyed watching these guys!

Gavin looking at the alligator, fish and turtles.

Such a poser and I love him for it!

Hungry boys!

Just being sweet and cute, as always!

Brody and the flamingos

The best pic we could get of the penguins. Whoever did that penguin movie (Happy Feet?) really nailed the look of the penguins!

Cash was so good the whole time, until he realized he was WAY hungry towards the end of our time at the zoo! We did not realize what time it was and all of a sudden Cash was ticked! Gabe quickly shoveled in the baby food while I took Brody to the gorilla/monkey area. Baby Cash you are the best! Thanks for being such a great baby!

We got lots of pics like this! Precious little boys!

Hide and Seek! Can you spot that lazy lion?

Beautiful Zebras

One of the black bears. Snoozing....just the way I like him! :)

A sleepy white tiger. This seemed to be the trend on this steamy June afternoon!

Brody watching the Rhinos

And there he is! Our rhino friend taking a bath!

The elephants are always great!

We definitely do not do these enough! My sweet family! Love these people with every ounce of my being!

The giraffes and their crazy tongues ;P

Gavin being sweet to Cash, and Cash is just eating up all that attention!! ;) He L.O.V.E.S. older kids!

This is probably one of my favorite parts and I'm glad we went here last. The air conditioning was simply amazing! I kid, I kid. These creatures are extremely fascinating to me and I could watch them for hours.

Some gorillas chomping down on some delicious greens.

Blog friends, please meet my friend, Gary the Gorilla. He was literally at the glass, I mean plastic window. It was so neat to see him so up close. I wanted to get Brody's picture with this friend of mine, but he wasn't having it. We can thank Daddy for that later.

The two cutest, most adorable, fun little two year old boys! I hope they stay this innocent forever!

Love this zoo, except for the fact that Gabe thought it would be really funny to tell Brody that "....it's gonna get you!" for every animal. This made Brody quite afraid to get close to the animals and ruining an awesome photo op. The Fort Worth Zoo is ahighly recommended place to go. The next zoo on my list is the Dallas zoo. I've lived in the DFW area all my life and I have never been to the Dallas Zoo...can you believe it? Then, next year we will try to go to the San Diego Zoo when we are there for a dear friends wedding next fall!

Thanks Brooke, Stephen, and Gavin for inviting us to go along with you! We had a blast!

Pool Time FUN!

2011-06-26T16:09:00.007-05:00

Memorial Day Weekend we spent a lot of it outside and in the water. We had to buy a new blow up pool for the summer, so we decided to break it in...or the boys did while I snapped photos. We "celebrated" my birthday with a little bit of family.

Loving the pool time. Brody did, Cash wasn't so sure about it, but he did like it.

Brody was devouring this cupcake!

My dad and stepmom with Baby Cash

A little bit of brotherly love (only because it's Mom's birthday)

Please ignore all the scratches on Brody's face and knee. I swear we don't hurt our children!!!! ;)

Nana with her grandsons

Delicious cupcakes made by my MIL - aren't they gorgeous?

On Memorial Day, we met some of our friends out at their neighborhood pool and cooked out hamburgers. What a fun day!

Look at me! Swimming all by myself!

MY BOYS! :)

Gavin's "cheese" face

They loved this. We would cover up the sprayer and once we moved our foot the water came spraying out. They did this over and over and over and over....

Mr. Gavin

Sweet twins, Carson and Avery

Milestones

2011-06-11T19:37:00.003-05:00

At 6 1/2 months, Cash can now hold is own bottle and

sit independently! :)

I'm definitely TWO!

2011-06-11T19:27:00.003-05:00

Who knows what this was all about???? Capturing a moment that happens ever so often in this lovely Lewis home.

A Rainy May Day

2011-06-11T19:17:00.004-05:00

A napping,

book reading,

baby food eating,

fort building,

and pajama wearin' kind of day!

Big Brother vs. Little Brother

2011-06-09T20:49:00.008-05:00

(This is from late-April 2011)

It's all fun and games...

Until someone gets hurt!

All better!

Poor baby Cash! Although, I do have a feeling Brody is in for it here real soon when Cash catches up to him in size. The proof is in the pictures, Cash did start it! I know this won't be the last time Brody makes Cash cry. At least he is sweet enough of a big brother to help make his little brother all better!

LOVING. THESE. BOYS!

Practice Makes Perfect?

2011-06-03T21:39:00.005-05:00

Well, not so much in this case! Brody had three opportunities to hunt eggs this Easter and every time he did the.exact.same.thing. All he was interested in doing was opening the eggs to see if they were interesting or not. He would open the egg, then proceed to open the candy (if that is what was in the egg), throw the plastic egg shell on the ground and then eat the candy. And Repeat. It really was kind of funny though! Not sure he grasped the whole concept, but he had fun and that is what mattered most!

The first hunt was at school, the Friday before Easter.

He loves these cars!

The second hunt was in our neighborhood, the Saturday morning before Easter.

Our sweet, sweet neighbors

The third hunt was later that same day at a birthday party for a little girl who used to go to our preschool. Her mom and I have stayed in contact some. Such a sweet family!

Hailey, the birthday girl, and her Daddy

Being silly with the bunny ears!

The live on a nice lot that backs up to this pond! He loved sitting and watching!

He is OBSESSED with these little Cozy Coupe cars!

Easter

2011-06-03T20:54:00.005-05:00

Easter was a nice, relaxing day. We started off the day going to church, like most Sundays, but were thankful to have heard such a wonderful message at the new church we have been going to. Also, we were thankful to have my MIL join us at church! We had some family over and to make the day stress free, we ordered pizza and ate on paper plates! Had a hard time finding a pizza place that was open! My Dad and step-mom came over, my Grandpa rode with them, and my MIL came over as well. We all enjoyed playing with the boys and relaxing!

Enjoying the nice weather outside!

Daddy threw my big green ball over the fence on accident (which we never got back BTW)

Cash getting some Nana love!

Brody and Mommy dying eggs - it was our first time to do this together and very fun! Can't wait for Cash to participate next year.

Hanging with the Breault side of the fam

This is what happens when "someone" doesn't take their nap! Bed at 6:00pm!! That N.E.V.E.R. happens!!!!!

Cash is 6 months

2011-05-30T15:38:00.004-05:00

Time sure is flying! Cash is (was on April 26th) 6 months old! We sure do love this little fella. He is 98% happy and we are sooo blessed and extremely thankful. This "2nd baby" stuff and his mellow personality combined have really made things much easier to have double-baby-duty. There are some difficult moments/days thrown in there but overall, we couldn't ask for a better "peanut!"

Here are a few tid-bits about Baby Cash that I wrote down at 6 months.

Weigh 16 pounds 5 ounces

Loves to grab your face

Really enjoys eating fruits. Not so much a fan of the vegetable.

Getting super close to holding his own bottle.

Almost sitting up independently.

Loves loves loves his jumperoo/exersaucer.

Going 2 days (M and T) to preschool with Mommy. 2 days with Grandma and sometimes Grandpa (W and Th). And Fridays with Nana.

He really gets excited when he sees Gabe. He will twist his neck and contort his body so he can see him.

Putting more toys and other objects in his mouth.

No teeth my friend.

Starting to use the paci less and his 2 fingers more (index and middle).

Enjoys being outside before it gets stifling hot outside.

Still uses his monkey lovie.

So happy all.the.time!

Not so much a fan of being rocked in the rocking chair. Would rather be laid down and fall asleep by him self.

Has 4 - 6oz bottles a day.

Eats 3 solid meals. (Stage 2)

Mommy makes all fruit, sweet potatoes, and squash. The store provides the remaining food choices.

We tried giving puffs once and he gagged and spit them out. Will try again soon.

A Princess Birthday Party

2011-05-18T17:22:00.002-05:00

Stop #3 on our crazy busy Saturday!

My dear, long-time friend Cortney has a darling little girl who is just a few short weeks younger than Brody and we were invited to celebrate her birthday! I have known Cortney for 20+ years and her husband, Justin, went to HS with Gabe and I. Their daughter, MaKenna, is one of the cutest little girls I have ever seen! She is so sweet tempered and just precious! The party was princess themed, which I am sure if you have a girl at some point you will have some kind of princess themed party. This was the perfect day to have an outdoor party. They had setup a massive princess bounce house, baby pool, and a water sprinkler to play in. One of MaKenna's present was a two-seater power wheels, and Brody pretty much hogged it the whole time. It was F.A.S.T too!! Cash snoozed for most of the time, but was up people watching some too!

Riding in the awesome power wheels, he drove it some too. It was very fast and it could even be switched into reverse.

Brody and MaKenna having snack time with Cortney's dad

The Birthday Girl, MaKenna

My sweet boy

This boy was so sweet to drive Brody around. He loves playing with bigger kids!

Backyard Fun

2011-05-15T10:17:00.004-05:00

Stop #2 on our crazy busy Saturday!

Was at my dad's house. We aren't in Arlington very often and we had a little bit of time to spare, so we decided to go hang with my dad and my grandpa (Brody and Cash's grandpa and great-grandpa) for a little while. My stepmom was out of town visiting family. Brody and my dad enjoyed "broom" fighting and blowing bubbles, while everyone else stayed inside where it was cooler! We had a very "healthy" fried chicken lunch and enjoyed all of the company. Some napped, and we all played! Baby Cash showed off his sitting up skills a few times, but mommy didn't get any pics.

Bella and Brody

2011-05-15T10:02:00.004-05:00

STOP #1 on our crazy busy Saturday!

Ms. Bella had a school performance that was so so so darling to watch. They sang oldies songs and few more current ones too. They had motions to the songs and some of the kids had speaking parts to intro the next song. During some of the songs, the kids showed off their talents, such as cartwheels, hula hoops, and more! I really enjoyed it. After the show, Brody and Bella ran around outside and played a little.

Sweet cousins! Just cannot wait for Baby Cash to join in on the fun too!

A Lewis Family Wedding

2011-05-14T22:23:00.010-05:00

Gabe's brother, Chris, married his bride, Angela, in April. They have a 5 year old named Bella, who we all love and adore, especially Brody! They were married in Arlington in a very intimate setting, just a perfect time for their sweet family. We were blessed to be apart of it, even though baby Cash ruined 2 outfits during the short time we were in Arlington! Here are some pictures from the evening. The reception/dinner was in Ft Worth at Blue Mesa. My MIL made the cakes, and the chocolate was to.die.for!!! So yummy! The weather was perfect for a patio reception! An overall perfect day. Welcome to the family, Angela!

Pre-ceremony. Keeping entertained!

Practicing giving the rings to the right person

The kiss!

Their relationship hasn't always been storybook, but we are glad to see it has a happy ending!

What a sweet family

Hugs all around!

Look at that brotherly love

Toasting to the bride and groom

I just love this one!

The cakes

The Happy Couple making silly faces (not on purpose)

Grand Dad

Nana with 2 of her grandbabies

The Groom

Park Days

2011-05-14T21:48:00.004-05:00

Party Time

2011-05-02T11:46:00.012-05:00

Theme: Toy Story

Location: ASI Gymnastics, Allen Texas

Date: Saturday, March 19th

Time: 3:00 pm

I was not too keen on the idea of having a whole bunch of 2 year olds running around my house, and the thought of trying to keep them all entertained sent shivers down my spine.....so I opted to have his party somewhere. Best idea ever! We had been invited to a birthday party at a gymnastics center right after Cash was born and thought that looked like fun. I have also been very interested in enrolling Brody in the Little Gym or Gymboree so I looked into those. We also looked into a couple other gymnastic places, but decided the one we were invited to in Allen was the place to have it. Gabe was insistent of having a foam pit that the kids could play in, and this place had it all!

We scheduled the party to be the Saturday after his birthday and wanted the theme to involve something he is totally in to right now, and that my friends is TOY STORY. He is slightly obsessed with Buzz and Woody. I know he is not the only one because there were Toy Story decorations galore! I didn't want to go overboard so I just had a few Toy Story themed decorations and played along with the colors as well. The bright green and blue were great colors to work with, I really like them together.

A girl that works with Gabe designed our invitations, and they are super cute. My original plan was to ask for books in lieu of gifts and then donate all of the books to a charity of some sort, but that was accidentally left of the invite. Maybe next year...

The fabulous cake decorated by Brody's Nana (Gabe's mom)

The easiest and most simple decorations ever!

Gabe made Candy Sushi

Party favor bags

Here are just some of the photos taken of everyone enjoying the fun!

Brody getting some air

2 out of the 3 musketeers, just missing Gavin

School friend, Tanner (aka: Nanner-Poss)

School friend, Alex

Baby C needed some camera action

Shiloh has some serious tramp skills!

School friends, Quinn and Ella

One of Brody's BFFs, Teagan

Having fun on the slide

Cutie Patootie Haven

Everyone loved the balloons. Our sweet neighbor, Sylvia

Sylvia, Haven, and Tanner

Seth can really jump!

Carson and Avery (twins) and Ella

Teagan and Hailey enjoying the bubbles

Quinn on the rope

B and his preschool girlfriend, Ella

All that playing really works up a thirst

Brody opening all of his presents! This part of the party was absolute chaos! It felt very rushed, some of the guests were restless, and as we are opening I felt like we were shouting to the gymnastics staff what we were opening and who it was from hoping they got it right. That was my only dislike for the whole she-bang and it wasn't that big of a deal, just wished it could have been a little more organized. Even though those 10-15 minutes were slightly hectic, Mr. Brody received so many wonderful gifts! Thank you! Thank you!

Brody and friends enjoying the cake

We had a great turn out. We are truly blessed by all of our wonderful friends and family.

Family Pictures

Once we got home, I really wanted a picture of Brody holding his #2 balloon. This is the best we got before the balloon was set free into the sky.

Brody's 2nd BirthDAY

2011-05-01T11:01:00.006-05:00

Our original plan was to spend Brody's 2nd birthday in Austin, since Gabe was supposed to be there all week for a work thing at South By Southwest, a large music and film festival. The closer it got to Brody's birthday he realized that it was going to be possible for him to be home the day before Brody's big day. Yea! What a relief for this momma. I was having anxiety of driving 2 boys to Austin alone, and then home...especially since we are uninsured at the present time. All the "what if's" were definitely running through my mind. Since I had already requested the day off, and it is Spring Break, it was going to be a bit of a slow day at the preschool, so I kept my day off and Gabe stayed home as well.We took Brody to breakfast at Einstein's Bagels (yummy) and then we went to the indoor playground at our mall. Had lunch, the little boys napped, and then we got out his big surprise present....

NEW

SHINY

TOY-STORY THEMED

BIKE!!!!!!

We immediately had to take it outside and test it out! There will be many more "practices" before he is able to get the hang of it. He loves that it is a Buzz Lightyear themed bike. He has mastered getting on and off which is a start.

Our neighbors came outside to see the bike and Brody. They brought out a gift as well, a Buzz Lightyear toy...total coincidence....and a great one!

One of Brody's favorite thing to do is go to the park, so we had to make that apart of his special day. We met Brooke and Gavin and Amber and Teagan at the park close to our house. Always a fun time with that special group! After the park, we met the Colberg's out for a delicious hibachi dinner. Here he is totally entertained! Loved it!

I would say the day was a success! Happy Birthday sweet one! We love love love you!!!

Brody is TWO!

2011-04-10T19:37:00.005-05:00

Wow, I have a two year old. It is hard to say, but his actions are definitely showing signs of being two. Even though we have our challenging and trying moments, Brody lights up our lives in so many wonderful ways. Here are just some fun facts about you at this point in your life:

You are...

bossy

sweet to your big brother

drinking out of a big boy cup very well

sleeping better at night, and starting to let mommy sleep in until 7:00 sometimes (yea!!)

in a mommy 'put me to bed only' stage

in the 2 year old class at preschool

doing sooo much better in church nursery since we switched churches - a HUGE blessing

in a "mine" stage

now sleeping with a blanket and a monkey

starting to take showers instead of baths

swinging a baseball bat extremely well for your age

opening doors easily and starting to open the locks too

counting to 5

reciting your ABCs

identifying a lot of the letters

saying all your colors correctly almost 100% of the time

talking ALL.THE.TIME!

enjoying this gorgeous spring weather by spending lots of time outside

a cuddly little boy

Some of your favorite things are:

Toy Story (Woody and Buzz)

trucks

bubbles

power wheels "truck"

baseball

airplanes

anything food - you love to eat

You are such a sweet and fun loving little boy. Seems like everyone who meets you just falls in love with you. The teachers you had for the past few months at school love you so much, they claim you as their own child. They say that they are Mommy 1 and Mommy 2, that I am Mommy 3. The personality that you have always had is just getting bigger and better and it is infectious. You are so much fun to be around, very charismatic. Everything you are in to and your interests definitely make you ALL BOY! Your vocabulary is exploding. There are new words that you say everyday and I think to myself when did you learn that word? You think you are good at telling mommy and daddy what to do, like "get away" or "sit down." The other night, mommy was laying you down for night night and you told me to close my eyes, since that's what I am always saying to you. Then you went on to rub my back. It was precious. When you want a sip of mommy or daddy's drink you ask for "a bite" instead of a sip. Everyday our love grows deeper and stronger for you. Our hearts are over flowing with love for you. You do test our patience on a regular basis and push us to the limit sometimes, but we wouldn't want you any other way. We are so blessed to have you in our lives.

Elmo Live

2011-04-09T20:20:00.003-05:00

Aunt DeDe (my sister) treated Brody to his very first "show" for his 2nd birthday present. She bought him tickets to see Elmo Live. He, for obvious reasons, isn't able to drive to Grand Prairie on his own, so lucky for them, I got to go too! :) We met my dad for lunch before hand in North Arlington. We were about 20 minutes late to the show since Aunt DeDe had the wrong time. No biggie, I think it was for the best that we were a little bit late. She bought great tickets, we were so close to the action and Brody L.O.V.E.D it. Every time a character would leave the stage he would ask for "more Grover," "more Elmo," and so on. We snapped a few pics during intermission with my phone. I wasn't sure you could take in your camera. I was waaaay wrong and now I know. I would say this was an overall success! Great gift Aunt DeDe!

Mini Models

2011-04-01T22:05:00.005-05:00

A friend of mine and Gabe's from high school and college has taken her photography hobby and turned it into a business took these pictures. Paige Walker Photography. She has been partnering with boutiques and was in need for some young male models...ok, little boy models for a company called Stinkin Cute Designs. Neither one of my boys lasted very long, Brody was waaaay more interested in the big dogs outside. And Cash was having a bad moment for such an easy going baby. We had fun catching up with her adorable family and we are loving the pics! Thanks Paige!

Birthday Season is Here!

2011-04-01T21:12:00.006-05:00

Once Christmas is over, we have about 3 weeks and then Birthday season starts for 6 months for Gabe and I. The majority of our family and friends birthday's are from January to June. We do have a few sprinkled in the fall as well as other fun holidays.

January -

Lindsay's grandpa turned 92. I "celebrated" by visiting him in a rehab facility and taking a Subway sandwich to him with my sister and my dad. He was recovering from pneumonia and trying to get his strength back. He is now home and doing great!

Our friend Adam had a birthday (we were not able to celebrate with our dear friends since Gabe was working at the restaurant and I was home with the boys). I was told it was an exceptionally good evening, although I'm not sure how if Gabe and I weren't in attendance. (I kid. I kid.)

Lindsay's grandma celebrated another year older (we were not able to attend this event either, due to Gabe's restaurant schedule).

A friend of ours hosted a Minnie Mouse themed 2nd birthday party at their home for there daughter, which I took the boys to. I have a couple pics from this party, but they are all a little blurry so I will refrain from posting them. Can you guess where Gabe was????

*sidenote* boy are we glad those restaurant days are behind us -- that was a tough 10 days!

February -

Our sweet niece Bella turned 5! Cannot believe she will be starting Kindergarten in the fall. She is a really smart little girl and know she will adjust well to the start of elementary school. Miss Bella will attend Oakridge Private School in Arlington, where her dad graduated from. She is already there for preschool, so the transition should be a smooth one. Bella had a Strawberry Shortcake themed party at a Bounce House place connected to the Parks Mall in Arlington. Bella couldn't be sweeter to her cousins! Brody l.o.v.e.s. his Bella, hoping Cash feels the same!

Baby Cash hanging with his Nana

Birthday Girl Bella and Brody

Such a poser, about to slide

Slide complete

Having fun with Daddy

Brody in action!

He put ice in his pocket, and it obviously melted...

Good thing we have been practicing his swing! Never know when you will need it.

I won a tootsie roll in the pinata

enjoying my tootsie roll

March -

Mr. Gavin turns 2! Brody is constantly saying "Gavin." These two rascals couldn't be cuter. They have always played well together, for that we are thankful. They have spent many hours at the park together, and I know will spend a lot of time together this summer as well. Hopefully lots of time at the pool! :) We were invited to Gavin's party which was on his actual birthday and we had a blast, even though we got lost and it was here in McKinney! He also had his party at a Bounce House place. I completely forgot my camera. Here is the only pic I have, which I stole from Brooke!

Brody's birthdays posts are coming very soon! I'm almost caught up. We still have a few more birthdays to celebrate, so I am sure more bday posts will be in our near future!

Cereal Virgin

2011-03-30T19:36:00.006-05:00

Here is Cash's first experience eating rice cereal. It was fun introducing this to him. It is a pretty big milestone and wondering what kind of eater he will be. Good? Bad? Picky like his mommy?

Excuse tubby Brody in the background. He was all in Cash's business, constantly asking for "Bubba bite" and "some" the whole time.

First bite, here it comes!!!

Ummmm?????

Crazy lady, what are you putting in my mouth???

I guess this isn't too bad after all...

Someone has a serious case of...

2011-03-30T19:30:00.005-05:00

....bed head!!!

Looks to me like 1 or 2 hairs are out of place. What do you think?

Cash is 4 months!

2011-03-27T20:03:00.003-05:00

At the end of February, Cash turned 4 months old! He is one of the happier babies I have been around and really only cries when he is really hungry or really tired. He has started to laugh when you tickle him under the chin. A-dorable! He has developed an obsession with his monkey lovie (thanks Colberg's).

He sleeps with it almost 100% of the time and it MUST be really close to his face. We do go in and peek on him several times to make sure nothing is covering his sweet face at nap/night time. He has started rolling from tummy to back, but only on his time, not consistently. Cash seems so much bigger than Brody (weight wise) at this time, mainly based on the clothing that Cash fits into. When we went to our well visit, Cash actually weighed a few ounces under Brody's 4 month weight. We were shocked! He is healthy healthy healthy! He is exclusively being fed breast milk and doing a great job eating it. He is in 3-6 month clothes. Wearing a 1-2 diaper, about to switch to size 2. He isn't loving tummy time, but we will get there. He does love our Jumperoo, which is fun to watch. Gabe thinks Cash is going to be a really funny person when he grows up. So, we shall see...

I am really trying to treasure time with my boys, because I am realizing how fast they grow up.

Brody VS. Cash - Bumbo chair

2011-03-27T19:53:00.003-05:00

Brody - 3 months old in the Bumbo

Cash - 3 months old in the Bumbo

Brody - almost 2 years old in the Bumbo ;)

Love this Picture

2011-03-27T19:49:00.004-05:00

I'm loving this picture of the "three musketeers." We spent an evening over at the Long's house so the kids could play. We are extremely lucky to have such wonderful friends and also have kids that get along so well. Couldn't be more thankful for these guys!

Saggy Bottom Diapers

2011-03-23T20:09:00.003-05:00

**WARNING**

(Partial Nudity ahead)

This is how Brody likes to wear his diaper when he doesn't have pants/shorts on. He thinks it's a "cracking" good time! Silly boy!

Splish, Splash

2011-03-20T14:22:00.002-05:00

...I was takin' a bath!

Brody enjoying bath time

on 2 different occasions

SNOW DAYS!

2011-03-19T21:12:00.007-05:00

We had crazy amounts of snow this January/February and here are some of my favorite pics to prove it. Schools were closed 4 days in a row (in February) with the total amount being 6 days closed, which is pretty much unheard of here in DFW. We had a thick layer of ice under the snow which made the driving even more difficult for us unexperienced snow drivers (aka: ME!). We had fun, got a little stir crazy, and made the most of our time together!

Brody as an ice cube

All bundled up (and we are inside)

Mommy and Daddy must be going stir-crazy! They will do silly things to keep entertained (at my expense) ;)

Peanut inside, staying warm, and playing

Throwing snowballs and yelling "B-BALLLLLL" (meaning baseball)

NYE

2011-03-15T16:32:00.005-05:00

This is just slightly out of order, oh well. A few pics from New Years Eve. We started with a playdate over at our house with the Long's and Colberg's. Had a fun dinner at Mooyah's. And ended the evening at the Colberg's house. Great time with great friends!

Best friends! Teagan, Brody, Gavin

Hugs all around

Brody coloring (on the carpet).

Thank goodness for the wonder markers :)

Sweet Teagan! Thanks for sharing your toys

Brotherly love

(Mommy is enjoying it while lasts)

Ms. Amber is reading a good story

Mastering how to drink out of "big people" cups. Thanks Ms. Amber for being brave and letting Brody practice this at your house. Thank goodness it is only water!

Wishing you all a Happy 2011

A Day with Grandma

2011-03-12T20:50:00.004-06:00

One January evening Gabe was working late at the restaurant, and my mom was over watching Cash while I was at work and Brody was at preschool. Once Brody and I came home, the four of us all strolled up to the city park super close to our house. Brody L.O.V.E.S. this park (as do I). It has a big kid section and a little kid section separated by swings. We use the little kids section, along with the swings. Glad this new park is so close for us to enjoy for many years to come.

Mom and Brody walking home

After playing we worked up a serious appetite and headed over to the new Mooyah's in McKinney (at Custer and 380). My step-brother owns it, so he "treated" us to dinner. Brody loves that marker board, it was hard getting him to leave!

It's a Waiting Game

2011-03-05T21:31:00.001-06:00

I'm ready to create some new posts but I am waiting on my dear sweet husband to upload our most recent pictures to our computer so I can blog. I'm ready to post some snow pictures and more recent pics of the boys. I will need to learn how to upload pics from our new camera so I won't have to rely on him for next time.

12 Days

2011-02-27T20:15:00.003-06:00

Gabe posted this weeks ago but I wanted things to be in order, so click the link below. I'm almost up to date on my posting!

12 Days

My "Favorite Friend"

2011-02-27T20:07:00.002-06:00

My friend, Jenny, and I go way back. She was one of my first friends by default because our parents were friends and our older siblings were friends. When I would talk about Jenny when I was teeny tiny, I would refer to her as "my favorite friend," not my best friend but my favorite friend. We went to church together and a private elementary school together through 3rd grade, until I left to attend public school. Our friendship suffered a little for a few years since we stopped seeing each other everyday. Once I became engaged to Gabe, Jenny immediately came to mind as someone I wanted to be a bridesmaid of mine. Ever since we have stayed in much better contact with each other. She recently moved to San Diego and every time she is in town, we almost always make it work to have a quick visit. Since she was here for Christmas, I was her last stop before heading back to SD. We met at the Rainforest Cafe for lunch. She had never eaten there and I was hoping it would keep Brody's attention during our visit (not so much). Luckily, Gabe was there to help! It was also her first time to meet baby Cash.

She is so great with kids, she was a nanny for years, and I am thankful she is here to watch my kids grow up even if our visits are only a couple times a year.

A few pics from our most recent visit:

Some wedding photos:

Love ya, Jenny!

Four Christmases

2011-02-13T11:29:00.002-06:00

Christmas this year was busier than ever! Since Gabe and I both come from divorced families we were able to celebrate this magical time of year four times! It would have been 5, but we were not able to travel to Boerne for Christmas with my grandma, uncle, and cousins. I will give a brief blurb about each one below so be prepared for another long post.

Christmas Eve (morning) - Christmas #1:

My father in law, Harvey, who lives in L.A. was offered an opportunity to produce a few 15 second commercials for Joe's Crab Shack (airing now). With this opportunity, he was able to do majority of the work in Los Angeles, a little bit in NYC, and then about 10 days in Dallas (which happened to end the day before Christmas Eve). Gabe and I hosted Christmas Eve morning with a Mexican lunch in order to switch it up from the traditional ham or turkey. Luckily, I have a wonderful hubby who wanted to take care of all the food from getting the tamales, cooking tortilla soup, making cornbread, Spanish rice and black beans. It turned out great and was a nice change.

We were spoiled with tons of lovely gifts, and enjoyed the great company. It was so nice to be able to spend this special time of year with my father in law and his girlfriend, Rochelle, since we usually don't get to.

Christmas Eve (mid-day):

One of my cousins from Scottsdale, Melanie, was in town spending Christmas with her husband's family, in Allen, so we HAD to get together for a brief visit. We met her and her baseball player husband at the Galleria. We took Brody to the kid zone so he could be entertained and we could chat, while baby Cash slept in the stroller. She was sweet enough to bring a few gifts and it was HER birthday.

I know that isn't one of the four Christmases, but I wanted this note for our memory.

Christmas Eve (evening) - Christmas #2:

After leaving the Galleria, we headed home to get ready for Christmas with my sister, dad, and step mom, Pat. My dad and Pat were gracious enough to bring the ham and potatoes and dessert over so I just had to add the green bean casserole. It is becoming a tradition to spend Christmas Eve with my dad. It just works, and why fix something that isn't broken, right?

Once again, we were all spoiled with wonderful things, which we all appreciate. Thanks for bringing the yummy food, dad!

Christmas Morning - A Mini Christmas

Santa came! Both boys got one Santa gift. Cash is just loving his Santa gift, and Brody's Santa gift was a little bit overwhelming and not sure if we will keep it. It just wasn't what we were expecting! (bad mom alert- I procrastinated on getting Christmas PJ's for the boys, but I did have Christmas outfits for the day.)

Christmas Morning (mid-morning) - Christmas #3:

My brother in law was gracious enough to host this Christmas at his new house. We had a fantastic meal and visit, just wish we could have stayed longer. Brody and Bella always have a great time together.

Cash loving on Nana

Brody and Bella watching Christmas Vacation

Brody watching Bella drink his juice

Bella's Santa present, a puppy

Unsolicited assistance from Bella :)

Brody loving on Nana

Brody's loving it, Cash not so much...

Christmas Afternoon - Christmas #4:

Since we were already out on the road, we decided it would be best to stop at my mom and Ron's, instead of having them come to us. We snacked over there since we had just eaten a huge meal. It was nice getting to see their new outdoor patio they had built. Can't wait to enjoy it when the weather gets a little nicer. We were definitely spoiled, but Brody was spoiled rotten!

We must have been good this year....

Baby Cash playing

Mr. Brody

A pro at opening presents by this time!

Trying out the new scooter

Grandma and Baby Cash

Sweet sweet Baby Cash

Brothers

Devon

Mommy and Peanut

Musical Reindeer Feet

TRUCK!!

Santa Picture 2010

2011-02-06T13:02:00.001-06:00

This did not go as well as last year. Gabe saw the Santa at Northpark Mall as a child, so we thought it would be special for our children to see the same Santa as long as he is still there.

Brody blessed us with an awesome 1st Santa picture last year (2009).

This year, not so much. We knew this would be a challenging year, and that is exactly what we received. This picture really makes us laugh and we are looking forward to next year to see what we get!

Bubble FUN!

2011-02-04T12:16:00.002-06:00

Brody L.O.V.E.S. bubbles! We enjoyed a cool December afternoon outside with bubbles.

Maybe I should lick the bubbles...

Am I doing something that I shouldn't?

Here, you try. Your turn.

My turn again, and again, and again....

Popsicle anyone?

Sweet boy

Yea! I finally blew some bubbles!

Milk Producer

2011-02-04T12:03:00.002-06:00

Brody always wants to help me feed brother (baby Cash). Oh how I wish you could help me!

Here are some other times he has tried to help as well:

Christmas Cards 2010

2011-02-03T19:26:00.002-06:00

After promoting Shutterfly for the free Christmas Cards, I never ordered. I was really excited about it in the beginning because i had never done a photo card before. My excitement slowly decreased with each passing day. I wanted to take a family pic, but "somebody" always had a reason to wait. I considered individual photos, but I didn't have any of myself that I wanted on a Christmas Card that was recent. Then I thought maybe just put the boys on the cards, even though I really wanted it to be the four of us. So 'discouraged Lindsay' just said to heck with it and never ordered Christmas cards.

Bad Mom award goes to me!

I did LOVE receiving all the ones that arrived in our mailbox, so thank you for thinking of us. Maybe I will have my ducks in a row for next year...

A Sick Start to December

2011-02-01T17:54:00.002-06:00

We had a little bit of a rough start to the month of December. The Saturday after Thanksgiving Brody was running a 102 fever and Sunday was still 101 so I decided to call the after hours number at the pediatricians office and they said it is safe to treat a 102 fever at home alternating Tylenol and motrin every 4-6 hours but to call back if it got higher. So we went about our day. Brody stayed home from school that Monday and Tuesday with a 99 degree temperature, went back to school Wednesday and woke up from his nap with yucky eyes. I called the doctor and went ahead and scheduled an appointment for that afternoon especially since he has been prone to ear infections. Luckily Gabe is working from home and was able to make it a family outing. All four of us walked into the doctor, did the normal weight check and temp check that you do at every appointment, and were shown to our room. We get to go in quickly since we had baby Cash with us and he was under 2 months and they don't want the newborns waiting in the waiting room. The doctor came in, asked the symptoms (I thought he may have had croup), and started his examination of Brody. He checked the ears first and again Brody had an ear infection, wait, make that a double ear infection this time. Within about 2 seconds of listening to Brody's chest he diagnosed him with pneumonia. O.M.G!!!!!! That was NOT what I was expecting. I almost cried. We then had our doctor check the baby since pneumonia is contagious and he was clear. Thank goodness! We put Brody on an antibiotic, kept him home the rest of the week and stayed inside! He was acting completely normal so either he was on the up-swing or he had a mild case of it.

Two days later, Friday, we were back at the doctor because Cash had been congested for a few days and we wanted the doctor to make sure he was still clear. Nope! Cash had RSV and was ordered a chest X-ray only because of Brody's pneumonia case. Off we go to get the X-ray, it came back showing a spot in his lungs so he was also diagnosed with pneumonia. Ugh! Back to the doctors office we go. Cash was given a shot to hurry and get some anitbiotics in him. The pediatrician told us to keep an eye on Cash's breathing and to continue to suction and saline his nose. He also wrote a prescription for Cash. And told us what to do and where to go if we needed additional treatment over the weekend. He advised us to come back in the morning (Saturday) and see the other doctor where he would determine whether or not we needed a second shot...we didn't need the shot, things were looking pretty good at that point.

Us "trying" to remedy Cash's congestion with a humidifier.

Two days later, Sunday, I made another call to our pediatrician's after hours nurse for Cash, Brody still is acting fine. She was very sweet and asked me a few questions including: do his nostrils seem to flair when he inhales? YES. Does his chest seem to sink when he breathes? YES. She recommended us to go ahead and stop in at a place called A Cute Kids Urgent Care. This places sees kids after hours and on weekends. When the nurse was recommending us take him in, she did say that it isn't an emergency situation but that since he is so little (not even 6 weeks old), she would like for us to have a professional examine him. Gabe and I discussed what to do and agreed that we would continue to watch him a little longer at home before taking him in, if at all. About three hours later, Gabe was packing the baby up to take him into ACute Kids. I decided to stay home with Brody since it was almost bedtime and he 'needs' mommy to put him down. He throws a major fit if anyone else even tries to take him back for night night. After Gabe left, I called ACute Kids to let them know that our tiny guy was coming in, in case there was a wait, maybe we could get put on the list. The nurse on the phone said that they would love to treat Cash, but she recommended going straight to Children's Hospital, the Plano location. I immediately called Gabe and no answer. Called again, no answer. Again and again. I probably called 8 or 9 times before he answered. He took the baby to Children's and was seen right away. They looked at his vitals in a little triage room, was admitted to a room in the ER and did a more in-depth check of his vitals. They performed a deep suction to get out as much of the secretions as possible which Gabe said helped a ton. Baby Cash was also hooked up to a machine that checked his oxygen level. At this point they were not sure if he was going to have to stay overnight but it was getting close to the time where the baby was going to need to eat, so I had to go up to the hospital. Brody is still awake so I asked my sweet next door neighbor to come over until we could figure out other arrangements for Brody. When I got to the hospital at about 9:00 and the doctor had already seen Cash and taken another chest X-ray. I was able to feed Cash and the nurse had us give him a breathing treatment. A short time after that, we were given the final word that they wanted to keep him overnight (again because of his tiny-ness) and monitor his oxygen levels. We were admitted to a different room, out of the ER. Once we got settled my mom came up and stayed with me and Cash in the room. The doctor came in about 2am to talk to us about the spot in his lungs. We were originally told the spot was pneumonia, but this doctor said she wasn't so sure. She believe the spot was a build up of mucus. We were able to look at the X-ray on the computer and she explained EVERYTHING to us and answered all of our questions, which was so wonderful. After our visit with the hospital doc, Gabe left to go home and be with Brody. He wanted one of us there when Brody woke up in the morning so his morning routine wouldn't be interrupted. Gabe took Brody to school Monday morning and then headed up to the hospital. Nothing exciting happened overnight, or at all on Monday. Our pediatrician called me early Monday morning once he received the notice that we admitted Cash to the hospital. That meant a lot to me. The nurses and doctors at Children's in Plano couldn't have been nicer. My mom left late morning and we (Gabe, Cash, and I) hung out until we got to talk to the hospital doctor at 5:00 pm when she said it was ok for us to head on home. Cash's oxygen was just about perfect the whole time we were there which was awesome. We had an appointment scheduled with our pediatrician on Tuesday already for a follow up to the Friday/Saturday visits, so we went ahead and went on in to discuss the hospital stay. We were advised that RSV usually sticks around for a while, especially the cough. Gabe was continually using the saline and suction, which helped a ton. By the end of the week, it seemed like Cash's symptoms had just about disappeared. Praise the Lord!

This is so pitiful! My heart aches just looking at these pictures.

The "diaper" on his hand is where they put his baby IV in case they needed to give him any medication. Luckily, it was never used. It was an ordeal getting it in though. They put a diaper over it so he wouldn't be able to mess with it.

Daddy and Peanut

Mid-December, Gabe and I suffered from the stomach bug, and we think Brody did too. My first case, Brody and Gabe's cases seemed to be mild, then I got it again 10 days later and it was no bueno!!!

We are glad to all be healthy now. Cash and Brody are slightly congested at the moment, but we are keeping a very close eye on both of them. Thinking it is just that time of year. Hopefully that is all the illnesses we will encounter for a while.

A Private Blog

2011-01-31T16:37:00.001-06:00

Starting tomorrow!

In 2 weeks...

2011-01-17T19:55:00.003-06:00

we will become a private blog. If you haven't already, please send me your email via blogger comments, facebook, or email if you would like to receive an invite to continue reading our blog. We would love to share our family events and milestones with you, so please feel free to let me know you are interested in reading what we have to say!

We do have some wonderful news to share so, please stay tuned!

12 Days

2011-01-12T21:53:00.006-06:00

This is a post by Gabe

I feel like people should hear this, here we go...

On December 30th I recieved a phone call from my boss letting me know the company I worked for would be shutting its doors on December 31st. I had been working for them and my previous employer who they were tied to for the past 5 years. I had become good at what I did, I had the opportunity to work in the companies in many facets, learn an amazing amount about business from marketing, to finance, to sales, to analytics, even opened roughly 50 small business in the 2 years I was doing the consulting piece. In all that time, I tried to be appreciative of all the skills I was learning and tried to take advantage of all the opportunities given to me. Also in that time, I discovered a lot about myself and what I wanted to do with my career.

A few years ago I decided I wanted to be in entertainment brand marketing. I love the entertainment business and I knew in the branding piece I could expand on my right brain/creative thinking. So over the years I have given myself outlets to use some of this while doing my day job. I developed several concepts from branding talent, to developing a couple website concepts. That was my release.

I feel I have had a very blessed life, sure I have had hard times, but for the most part I feel as if I was blessed a little more by God than the "average Joe". I don't feel a sense of entitlement or anything, I just feel I am blessed, so I always have tried to remain appreciative of the gifts God has given me, whether it was getting to meet my amazing wife when I was 16, graduating college, developing friendships with some amazing people, having a family that has always loved me no matter how reserved I have been, the amazing home we have been blessed with, and above all else the feeling of total security I feel in God having a plan for me and that he will take care of me and my family no matter how hard or good times can be.

All of these things have led me to 1/11/11. The day I will always remember as the day "the rest of my life" started.

When I was laid off, I did the only thing I knew to do and that was to stop, pray, think, plan, and execute. When I hung up the phone from my boss, I immediately dialed my brother and asked if he could get me a job at the restaurant he works at to make sure we would be financially sound for a few months. The next thing, I called my dad to tell him and ask him for help with any contacts he may have for a job search. Lindsay was at work, so I could not tell her yet. However, when she got home I had a job at a restaurant serving tables, I had my resume updated and was emailing people like crazy.

I can be "rough" sometimes and not everyone gets my humor, because I truly do appreciate those around me though I do not show it. I did not know how people would respond to me, because I hate asking for help and those who know me, know that is not me. Not that I help others as much as I should, but I just did not know what would happen. Needless to say, there are a lot of amazing friends and family members around me that must care a lot about me and my family because the hands reaching out to help were plentiful.

Saturday I went in to the restaurant to talk with manager and she gave me the job. Sunday I began my training (without any serving experience mind you), Monday I scheduled a Wednesday meeting with a guy who owns a creative agency here in McKinney that I know through a mutual friend, Tuesday I worked, Wednesday I woke up at 7:29 (LATE) for an 8:00 meeting. The whole drive I thought God was telling me I am not supposed to go to the meeting because I was running late, but I literally walked in to the little coffee shop (Spoons) at the strike of 8:00. Jeff Simpson (Owner of Day6 Creative) and his colleague were sitting there waiting. We introduced ourselves and began chatting.

I gave him a background of what I had done professionally and told him a little of what I wanted to do. I tried to tie the 2 together because they are different industries all together (aesthetic medicine to entertainment brand marketing). I decided to divulge a couple of my concepts and they both got excited discussing them. I then mentioned I would like to get into account management for an entertainment brand marketing agency. Jeff's eyes lit up. He looked at his partner and said "Gabe, I have to tell you... I am looking for an account manager right now". Day6 does illustration work, packaging, branding, etc. for Hasbro Toys (Nerf), Star Wars, App companies, etc. He did the style guide for the movie Star Wars Episode 3, but he did not have an account manager in place to leverage the work and find more business. So now he wants to expand that piece of the business. From there, the meeting turned from Jeff writing down contacts to put me in contact with to essentially an interview. Not just any interview though. A little background on Jeff, he is a very strong christian. He has built his business on his faith and will literally make business decisions based on his faith. I mentioned something along the lines of my faith is getting me through this time and from there the meeting went into another direction. I had laid out my professional background and I essentially gave him my life testimony. Not something you typically do in an interview. As the meeting went on, we got more and more excited about our "divine" meeting. Neither one of us had any clue about the other and again, I had no clue of any openings at his agency which currently has 9 employees. Jeff asked that I put together a proposal of what I can do for the company and what my plan would be. It was an amazing 1hour, 40 minute meeting in a little coffee shop in McKinney, TX.

That afternoon/evening I worked at the restaurant and had a million ideas running through my head and I knew I had to get them out. I was able to fix my restaurant schedule and Thursday I woke up and went to work on the proposal. I knocked it out and called Jeff. He said lets meet Friday (the next day) morning to discuss.

This time Jeff brought his co-owner/wife and we went through the proposal. The meeting again went really well. I was told I would hear from their business consultant soon to interview again. Monday (2 days ago) I spoke with her and the meeting went great. I was asked to meet with Jeff again the following day (yesterday). I met Jeff at his office, we walked outside, he stopped me on the side walk and said "we want to offer you a job." It was a great offer, it was my dream job, it is working with amazing people, so of course I said "yes". I look back now at the past 10 years and truly see where I was on a path to this. Every single thing I have learned and experienced has taught me what I need to know in order to perform this job well. It is too amazing.

There were times in all of this when I could not look at my kids in their eyes, but beyond that I felt ok. I felt like we were going to be taken care of. I know God is good, but never in a million years did I imagine a miracle such as this. I truly believe God has a plan for me, he will provide for me and I own nothing that is not his. He is the almighty.

There are 2 many people to list on this post that I need to thank, but you know who you are and just know something good is coming to you.

I hope this inspires you to find God and trust in him no matter what.

This Blog is Going Private

2011-01-12T17:07:00.003-06:00

I'm doing it. So please send me your email addresses if you are at all interested in keeping up with us. Leave a comment (which I will delete once I receive your email), send me a Facebook message, or an email. I will probably convert at the end of the month and save all my December and January posts until after we move to private.

Please don't forget about us!

We have lots to update you on and just got some fantastic news we cannot wait to share...but you will have to stay tuned....

Overseas Lookers

2011-01-01T13:19:00.002-06:00

Lately a lot of the blogs I read are starting to become "private." This is something I have been going back and forth with for months now. I read somewhere on a friends blog about how you can see where people are viewing your blog from....which is all over the world. We looked up our stats a few months ago and the number of "viewers" from overseas was a little unsettling with Gabe and I, mainly because of our kids. You never know what crazy person could stumble across your blog.

I realize I may loose a few readers, which I sincerely hope I don't, but this is something I am seriously considering. It just takes one extra step to login and I hope we are worth that extra step. I have also seen some people create a separate group of private blogs so you don't forget about us.

Does anyone have any positive/negative thoughts on making your blog private? I'm debating....

Blogging Break

2010-12-31T13:29:00.002-06:00

It has been a whirlwind of a month for this Lewis family. We all have been sick, some minor, some more severe, one required a hospital stay, and one of us sick more than once. Another reason for the delay is our computer was FULL and almost out of memory, we were afraid to add any more pics to our hard drive. We were basically trying to prevent a computer crash. That would have been B.A.D. Plus all the hustle and bustle of the holidays and we had a visitor for a few days. It's been a crazy, yet memorable month.

Lucky for you, we are back in business thanks to an external hard drive and can once again get caught up on this thing. We did purchase a shiny, brand new camera so hopefully our pictures will be better as well.

Thank you for your patience. The end.

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-07T08:45:00.004-06:00

We had a great and COLD turkey day. Wonderful company and conversation, delicious food, and enjoyed watching the little ones play. Gabe and I hosted Thanksgiving at our home this year. We ordered a cajun turkey from Dickey's BBQ for the second year (highly recommended!) and our families provided the rest. Here are a few pics for our memories.

Brody Man helping Aunt Devon stir the gravy

Why are you taking my picture? Just give me food!!

Adorable Bella, our niece

This is what Cash did most of the day....

Lunch time!!

Brody playing with the football that I HAD to get ON Thanksgiving Day. Not sure who is more of a child, Gabe or Brody??? ;)

Dog pile...not sure why they did this, but Brody and Bella loved it!!

My dad and stepmom with Baby Cash

Brody Bear watching football with Uncle Chris

O, Christmas Cards

2010-12-07T08:02:00.002-06:00

O, Christmas Cards

How lovely it is to receive you...

I really do enjoy receiving each of your Holiday cards in the mail every year. The pack rat in me likes to save all the cards from the previous year and every Christmas season, I like to go through the old cards and look at them. It never gets old. In fact, I just did it on Sunday while we were finishing up decorating our tree. Each year when the mail comes I get excited to see what kind of card I am getting and from who. Christmas cards are one of my favorite things about the holiday season!

For the past month I have been debating whether or not I should even bother sending out cards this year, especially since we have had an unexpected extra busy month so far (more on that in another post). I thought about just doing a "Christmas Card" blog post with a family picture wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and letting that be that, but then I kept seeing and hearing about this new Shutterfly promo for bloggers. After talking with one of my friends about it, I decided to go ahead and give it a shot. So far, the process could not be easier and quick too! Lucky for you, you will be receiving a Lewis Family Christmas card. You can thank Shutterfly by ordering something, or taking advantage of the promotion yourself!

I was not a Shutterfly member, but know tons of friends who use them on a regular basis and now I am addicted to all of their products. I have been playing around with their photo books, calendars, and Christmas cards. I am even thinking about ordering birthday invites for Brody's 2nd birthday off this handy little website. I could spend hours on Shutterfly diddling around! Everything is very reasonably priced and they make it oh so easy. And best of all, you can pick up your prints at your closest CVS, Walgreens, and/or Target in as little as one hour!

You better hurry, time is running out on the promotion. If you have been debating whether or not to do it, like me, I say do it! If you haven't heard about it yet, you better get going!

Thank you Shutterfly for making my Christmas card process easy and fun!

I really do hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season and look forward to receiving your Christmas card in the mail!

Cash is 1 month old

2010-11-24T11:33:00.002-06:00

I cannot believe it has been four weeks since we welcomed this precious baby boy into this world. On one hand, it seems like time has flown by, but on the other it seems we have had him a whole lot longer. He continues to be an easy-going, content baby unless you let him get cold and change his diaper. His most favorite thing is to be held chest to chest, facing the person who is holding him. It almost instantly calms him down. He is definitely growing! He now weighs 8 lbs 13 oz. He is getting strong neck and back muscles and is working extremely hard at lifting his head and turning it side to side. He is doing great! Cash still likes to be curled up but is stretching out during playtime. He is becoming more and more alert by the day and loves to look around and check out his surroundings. We are enjoying this little peanut so much and are excited to watch him grow up!

Christmas before Thanksgiving?

2010-11-21T14:28:00.004-06:00

It seems as though we start celebrating Christmas earlier and earlier ever year. Do you feel the same? It isn't even Turkey Day yet and I have already been to one a Christmas tree lighting, Christmas decor is of course in the retail stores, one of our local radio stations has holiday music playing 24/7, neighbors have lights up, friends have trees and home decor out, and I know there are some of you out there who already have a good start to Christmas shopping! Well, we still have a Halloween decoration out in our yard that doubles as a welcome baby sign. (I am just waiting on "someone" to take it down.)

As I stated earlier, my friend Brooke and I went to a Christmas tree lighting last night. The weather was in the upper 60's (aka: gorgeous) and I really had a fun time. We laughed and laughed at our boys, visited Ms. Claus,

saw Santa Claus,

we chased after them and danced with them,

snapped pictures of them,

saw the tree light up,

and had a delicious dinner with them.

Brody was exceptionally well behaved which in turn made my evening more enjoyable. Brooke's hubby was out of town and Gabe stayed home with baby Cash, so it was just the four of us. I left with a smile on my face while Brody crashed on the way home!

Tonight we have another tree lighting to attend, this time with the Colberg's!

Adjusting

2010-11-17T10:31:00.003-06:00

We have been so blessed with two wonderful, amazing little boys. Gosh, that is still weird for me to say I have 2 kids!!

Brody could not be a better big brother, surpassing every expectation I had. He loves "brother" and wants to hold him, carry him when Cash is in the carseat, he lays his head on him, lays next to "brother" on the play mat, gives kisses, brings mommy diapers, and brings "brother" the paci. The most difficult part right now is that Brody is consistently waking up in the middle of the night, climbing out of his big boy bed. This usually falls during my 1.5 to 2 hour night-time nap. Gabe tries to go in a help, but he cries for mommy. Which is sweet of him and I love that, but at the same time it can be very trying. Any suggestions on how to help him sleep through the night? We are currently trying a later bed time but wanted to see if there is some magical trick I could try.

Cash is a calm, easy baby. Not sure if he seems easier because I know what I am doing now, or if it is a combo of both? What ever the case may be, he is awesome. He is still so small and snuggly. I am trying to embrace it because now I know how fast they grow, but at the same time, I can tell he is starting to get spoiled by being held so much. I need to find that happy-medium. He is already doing well at tummy time and working those neck muscles, even though he doesn't like being on his stomach for very long.

We are loving life and seem to be adjusting very well. I know we will face our share of tough times, but couldn't be happier at the present time. We are so blessed with these 2 gifts of life, and I am extremely proud to be their momma!

What a difference a year makes....

2010-11-16T11:33:00.003-06:00

Halloween this year....

Halloween last year...

Halloween

2010-11-15T13:29:00.005-06:00

For the past 2 years we have had a few sets of friends over on Halloween evening. We had a great time last year, but this year was a little bit more exciting than the last solely due to the fact that this was the first time for the kiddos to go trick or treating, minus baby Cash although he did tag along for the stroller ride.

I had seen a costume in one of the Halloween catalogs sent to my house which I thought was pretty cute. I showed Gabe and he agreed it was pretty funny. A few weeks before Halloween I hadn't done anything more on getting a costume for Brody, so I turned to the internet to do some browsing. I found that same costume but for $50 and I wasn't sure I wanted to spend that especially since I wasn't able to locate one in his size. That weekend we stopped at a local Halloween store to see what they had. Low and behold there it was. The exact costume I was eyeing. And for half the price! But they still only had sizes that were too big for Brody. Oh well, we purchased it anyway and had my MIL do some altering. I think... wait... I know Brody is the most adrable UPS delivery boy you will ever see!

Baby Cash in one of his Halloween outfits!

Here are some pictures of our evening, compliments of Brooke.

Look at those sweet smiles!!

Gavin, the zookeeper, and Brody

Gavin and Teagan, the duck

Brody and Teagan are off to Trick or Treat! They did so great and it was one of the cutest things to watch!

D-Day

2010-11-09T08:02:00.002-06:00

Otherwise known as "Delivery Day!"

I woke up Monday, October 25th around 2:00 am in excruciating pain in the lower left portion of my abdomen. I have had a slight pain problem in the same spot throughout the pregnancy. The area where your ligaments stretch as the baby grows, but only on my left side. I could not lay down and the sharp pain would come every so often. I got up to google "contractions" just to make sure these pains weren't contractions. I was convinced that it wasn't a contraction, but I also wanted peace of mind. I guess I thought it would subconsciously help to ease the pain and let me go back to sleep. As I was sitting up with the computer in my lap, the pains seemed to ease up for the most part. I thought I would try to lay down for a little bit before I had to get up and go to work. WRONG! Pains were back as soon as I lay horizontal. I ended up propping myself up on the couch and was able to catch a few more zzz's before it was time to get up and get going for the day.

The whole morning, I felt a little yucky and weak but still didn't think to much of it. Mid-morning I started to have some cramping like one would during their "cycle," but still didn't think much of it. Gabe asked me to call the doctor just to let them know since I am close enough for the baby to come. I left a message, they called me back and I missed the call. They were on lunch, I left another message, never heard, and finally I called back again around 4:00ish and was able to talk to the nurse. By this time my cramps were becoming a little stronger, but silly me wasn't timing them. The nurse said I had two options: 1) Go home, rest, and time the "pains" or 2) Go to the hospital to be monitored. We chose home. Within the hour, my "pains" were becoming more apparent to me that these are in fact contractions and they are coming closer together. Quicker and quicker. Some are more intense than others but all in all they are all fairly painful. Once we hit 7 mins apart, we called the doctor, Gabe packed up the car, our sweet neighbor came over to stay with Brody, and headed out to the hospital. We have not notified any family members at this point since we don't have any real news to share and didn't want anyone to make a trip out here for false labor. I convinced Gabe to call my mom just to give her a heads up, but we didn't need her to do anything just yet. It was probably the tears that made him eventually cave.

(Early Evening) Once we were in our L&D room, they hooked me up to the monitors and saw that I was having real contractions and the nurse said I was "booming them out." Whatever that means? I guess she meant that they were pretty strong. I was dialated to a 3 and the nurse was pretty confident that my doctor would go ahead and admit me to stay and have this baby! Well, she was right. I was given an epidural pretty quick again (thank goodness!) and also pitocin in order to move this process along. My doctor came in around 10:00 pm. She told me to get some rest and she was going to go home and do the same, but that she would see me later. I was checked again close to midnight and the nurse said we were ready to start some practice pushing. By this time, our families have arrived at the hospital. They made a call to my doctor, but this baby couldn't wait. I started practice pushing right at midnight on Tuesday, October 26th and my sweet baby Cash arrived a brief 10 minutes later at 12:10 am (delivered by my L&D nurse, my doctor arrived just after he was born). He weighed 7 pounds 7 ounces and was 20.5 inches long. What a beautiful and healthy baby boy! We are so very blessed! God is good!

Sweet bundle of joy!

Mommy and Baby Cash

Daddy and Baby Cash

Birth stats

Pregnancy - Baby #2

2010-11-09T07:47:00.002-06:00

I haven't commented and/or posted much on this pregnancy, mainly because it has been a breeze. I am so much more comfortable this time around. I am not sure if it is because my body has been through this before, or if because this baby is smaller? Maybe a combo of both? Every doctor visit goes smoothly with a great sounding heartbeat and measuring right on time. We did have a 3rd trimester sonogram this time to get some measurements. I think the doctor ordered it because I would ask how big the baby is every. single. doctor. visit. She probably was getting annoyed. ;) Looking back, not sure this was the best idea. The sono tech said the measurements could be off by 3 weeks. All the sonogram did was make me worry that my baby was going to be awfully large! My plan is to work until I have the baby, just as I did with Brody.

Hair Cut

2010-11-04T10:19:00.003-05:00

Brody was in dire need of a "real" haircut. Gabe has been Brody's full-time barber for the past year. His hair grows so fast, just like mine, so I am thankful to have saved the $18 every few weeks for the past year. We were torn. We loved his curls and weren't sure we wanted to chop them off, but at the same time, we were resorting to hair-do's like the ones below just so he could see. It was time we did something about it.

So we decided to put this conundrum into the hands of professionals. We were pleased with the way it turned out. Gabe said it was exactly what he wanted. And Brody did really well.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Behind!

2010-11-04T10:17:00.002-05:00

I am so behind on blogging. I am going to try to catch up as quickly as possible, especially since we have had a life changing event take place since the last post. The next few posts happened a little while ago, but still want to have them documented.

Sneak Peek

2010-10-18T19:48:00.002-05:00

Gabe and I have a friend from high school and college who is starting out her photography business, even though a lot of you blog readers are her friend too I am still giving a shout-out to Paige Walker Photography. She was kind enough to drive to our home last weekend to snap some photos. We were glad she brought her whole family along with her so we could all catch up and the kids could play!

Here are a few "Sneak Peek" pics she posted today on her blog. We are under the heading "SOON TO BE 4"

Lewis Family Pictures

If you are looking for a portrait/special events photographer, give Paige a call!

www.paigewalkerphotography.com

Green Beans and Ketchup

2010-10-17T13:00:00.002-05:00

Sounds delicious, right????

I caught Brody dipping his green beans in his ketchup during lunch today. Yuck! We all do crazy things, I guess!

Happy Sunday!

The Cutest Little Ring Bearer

2010-10-07T13:56:00.009-05:00

Earlier this year, Gabe's college roommate proposed to his girlfriend in Paris. (How awesome!!) When they returned home, the wedding plans began. Choosing the date and venue as well as selecting bridesmaids and groomsmen. Well, Colin was sweet enough to ask Gabe to be a groomsman. I knew it meant a lot to Gabe to be asked and I could tell he was excited. I'm sure mainly due to the bachelor party! :) After continuing their phone conversation Colin expressed how much it would mean to he and Kristen to have Brody be the ring bearer in their wedding, now I am excited! First of all, what mom doesn't think their child is the cutest thing in the world? And who wouldn't want their adorable 18 month old to dress in a mini tux? I just about died when I saw him in it at the tux shop.

Back on track...

Their wedding was in Houston at a gorgeous country club in mid-September. He are some pictures from the weekend, all of Brody of course.

"Go"

Brody was repeating "go" every two seconds, because he was ready to "go" to the rehearsal!

Thanks Colin and Kristen for the adorable rehearsal outfit!

Gabe and Brody at the rehearsal, watching "Brody" videos

***WEDDING DAY***

Watching the pre-wedding entertainment. A man singing with a little guitar playing.

STILL watching the man play

Right before this picture, Brody is having a HUGE, MASSIVE, LOUD fit because Daddy left to walk down the aisle. He is screaming with tears streaming down his face. I am in panic-mode wondering is he going to be able to do this? I'm almost tearing up.... I finally set him down, in line right before he is to start his walk. The 7 year old flower girl just takes his hand and completely takes over. Brody does just fine. He made it all the way down. Just stopped briefly to pick up some of the petals that were being dropped by the flower girls!

And they are off.... This flower girl (holding Brody's hand) was so sweet to him and did a great job of helping him walk down the aisle.

Colin and most of the the groomsmen. Cut one guy off....sorry!

The only picture I got of the bride all weekend. (I hate it when I do that.) Kristen is one of the kindest, sweetest, happiest people I have ever met. And she was glowing the whole weekend!

This is what Brody and I did during the ceremony. Up and down the stairs, up and down, up and down. Oh yeah, and we played cars for a little bit. His sweet flower girl friend was kind enough to bring Brody some toys so he would stay quite during the ceremony. How kind is that?

Where is Brody? He is standing the dance floor right in the center, solo. He could have stayed and watched them play all night long! Definitely a fan of music.

Dancing!! Not really, looks like he just finished a routine or something, but in all actuality, he was clapping to the music. Makes me laugh!

Doing some dance moves with Daddy

Intently watching the band play....

Showing us some skin

Enjoying his time on the dance floor

My 2 loves

Mommy and Brody - excuse the ponytail, my hair was not cooperating with the Houston humidity (especially since it rained an hour before the wedding)

Sunday morning -- total "man pose"

The wedding was absolutely stunning and we were so greatful to be included in all the festivities. Wishing Colin and Kristen a very long, blissful marriage!

A Big Helper

2010-10-03T15:01:00.005-05:00

We had just gotten home from one of our trips to Houston this past September and I was in need of sorting and organizing the laundry. I was thankful to have a little bit of "help" from this sweet angel.

Here I am! Ready to help!

Let's get this party started!

These seem like a good choice.

How about I put these khaki pants in the pile for you mom.

Why are you taking my picture? Shouldn't you be working too?

Working hard for the money...

I think this is where the pants need to go.

Ok, they are now in the pile.

Looks like my work here is done.

Let me walk over the pile of clothes, just to make sure.

Yep, I'm off to find my toys!

Labor Day

2010-09-25T15:18:00.007-05:00

This is late, but better late than never, right?

We headed east (a little) to a small town outside of Shreveport for the long Labor Day weekend. Gabe has an uncle, Jerry, who lives out that way and my MIL wanted to spend her birthday weekend with the family at Jerry's house. We are so glad we went. It was our first time to visit their new home that they spent so much time building, painting, and decorating. It is just gorgeous and so relaxing! Gabe's cousin, Sunny, (who we have not seen since our wedding) came by to visit and meet our precious Brody. Her name couldn't fit her more perfectly. She is such a positive, happy girl...we wish she lived a little closer so we could see her more often.

Sunny, Brody, Gabe

Attempted a tractor ride, but Brody wasn't having any of it!

We (or just about everyone but me) had a blast on the four-wheeler. It looked like a lot of fun, but not sure it was the best thing for me to ride being so pregnant! Next time for sure!

Brody's first ride with Jerry and Bella - LOVED IT!

Daddy and Brody

Chris, Bella, and Angela

Brody and Bella played croquet. Well, sort of.

We hung out on the porch and outside a lot.

Brody and Bella spending quality time together

Sunny and her dad, Jerry

We ate some delicious food and had great conversation. A few of the girls took a side trip to Shreveport to do a little Sunday shopping and had a great visit with one of my MIL's sisters and her family. They have two beautiful daughters who are in college (Baylor and Missouri). Turns out one of them is a sorority sister of mine! Kinda fun!

Overall we had a fabulous time. Brody was having so much fun he didn't want to take naps and/or sleep at night. He LOVED every second of being out side and riding the four-wheeler. We are so thankful for the generous hospitality of the Journey family.

Can't wait to go back soon!

Hey Good Lookin'

2010-09-25T15:05:00.002-05:00

Wearing daddy's sunglasses (and no pants)!

Party Time

2010-09-21T20:16:00.001-05:00

I am hosting a party at my house and you are invited to come!
Wednesday, September 29th at 6:30 pm

Central Jewelry Buyers will be at my house to buy your gold and silver. They were recently featured on "Home and Lifestyle Television," Channel 5. www.homeandlifestyletv.com
http://www.centraljewelryrefining.com/

Come mingle, snack, and drink with us while you make $$$!

This is a fun and easy way for you and your friends to sell your old, used, broken jewelry/ flatware/ class rings/ old wedding rings/ watches/ anything Silver or Gold for cash!

It's Come & Go, very laid back so kids are welcome- no need to get a babysitter!

I went to a Silver & Gold party in July and people were leaving the party with cash in hand. One lady left with close to $800!!

We hope to see you here and can't wait to see your excitement as you walk away with some extra shopping money!

If you can't make it for whatever reason- give your things to us, in a bag with your name, and we will sell them for you and send you your cash!

Email, call, or send me a message on facebook if you are interested in coming. Bring a friend, neighbor, or co-worker! The more the merrier!

Are You Ready...

2010-09-03T14:55:00.006-05:00

...for some football?

Brody is!

Brody has his Cowboy gear, just need to get some Red Raider gear for this upcoming season. He looks like such a big boy in this picture!

PACI

2010-08-24T19:45:00.004-05:00

Dear Dearest Pacifier,

Thank you for all the moments when you have helped soothe my son. These times may have included, but are not limited to the following: after getting hurt, helping to fall asleep at night, muting a fussy baby in a quite place, and sometimes just because he found you in the toy box or saw you on the counter. Well, we have really enjoyed our time with you in our lives, but it may be time for you to pack up yourself along with your other paci friends and move on out. This is not my decision, nor is it the decision of my husband, Gabe. The power lies with my one year old son, Brody, for this is the 3rd time he has fallen asleep with out you and does not seem to notice. One of those times he cried every time you were offered to him.

Anyhow, we will see what the next few days hold as far as your future is concerned. We may try to keep you around for a little bit longer for emergency purposes only.

I will not miss washing, wiping, and sterilizing you. I will not miss searching for you around the house when we have 15 of you and cannot seem to find one! I will not miss frantically digging in my baby bag for you while my son cries for you. And I will not miss buying replacement paci's, especially since every time I buy replacements your price has increased.

You have helped us greatly for the past 17 months. I am slightly sad to see your departure is near since this means that my son is continuing to grow up into a little boy. First it was departing with the bottle, and now it is your turn. Next up, the crib.

Thank you dearest paci for your saving graces, but I think your time is coming to an end. You will be missed (for the most part). I have included some pictures of your time with the Lewis family as a good-bye gift. Please, take care.

Sincerely,

Lindsay

Swimming

2010-08-07T13:53:00.006-05:00

This is actually an under-statement, but Brody L-O-V-E-S water! He loves it when it comes out of a faucet and a water hose. He loves bath time and loves to go swimming! It has become very normal for him to cry when "water time" has come to an end, even at preschool. They tell me he cries every time it is time to go inside. To feed in to his love, we bought a blow up pool for our backyard. And man does he love it! We wonder if the fact that his Zodiac sign is a Pisces "The Fish," has anything to do with it??

Here are some photos of him in the pool we purchased for him (and baby #2 - beginning next summer). It is big enough for Gabe or I to be in it with him. A nice way to cool off in the TX heat.

Curly Q

2010-07-31T19:55:00.002-05:00

Look at these curls! It is five million degrees here in Texas, but we just cannot bring our selves to chopping these curly locks! Obviously the more humid it is, the more curls you see. This is what I would consider a humid/curly day.

A Talking Machine

2010-07-27T20:18:00.004-05:00

Brody is starting to talk more and more. I am loving listening to his little voice. Of course I think he is the smartest thing EVER, but I am his mommy so I am allowed! It is amazing how much he has grown, changed and developed these past 16 months.

Here is a list of the words he is saying to date and using in the correct context:
Thank you (my fav) "taan choo"
Milk "mal"
Snack "nak"
More "ma"
Elmo "Melmo" (so cute!)
Dog "daaaaaaawg"

Sock "ock"

Shoe "shhhhhh"
Juice "uice"
Bear "baaarr" (new this week)
Ouch "owww"
Duck
Truck
Vroom vroom
Hot
Bye bye
No (doesn't say too often)
Uh oh (first word besides momma and dadda)

Guest Post

2010-07-21T16:42:00.001-05:00

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Thanks Brody! What a helper! While "typing" this he said and waved bye-bye to the iPad and gave it a few kisses. Towards the end he must have been getting frustrated because he started yelling at the computer!

All that hard work must have taken a lot out of him and really worked up a thirst! He drank the rest of his milk in no time!

The Fourth

2010-07-21T16:30:00.001-05:00

We had a low key and relaxing Fourth of July weekend, and were we glad to have an extra day off!!! It was really nice to have a weekend with absolutely no plans! We knew we wanted to see fireworks, which was the only thing on the agenda for the whole 3 days! We spent part of Sunday over at a friend's house so our kiddos could play and so the adults could visit. Hamburgers, potato salad, great company to chat with, and 2 adorable one year olds made our day perfect, while ice cream and fireworks made the night even better!

Look-a-like?

2010-06-27T19:32:00.003-05:00

(Brody - 14 months)

Ok not really, but we thought it was funny with the hair and all...

Lately

2010-06-23T21:12:00.001-05:00

It has been a busy 2 months for us celebrating many birthdays, a couple out of town weddings, and visiting out of town family!

We drove to Florida for Gabe's cousin Beth's destination wedding in late May. It was a long commute, but well worth it! Brody was amazing on the road, there and back! The DVD player was a hit and also a huge saving grace! This was Brody's 2nd time to a beach, but the first time for him to really enjoy it! Here are some pictures of the lovely wedding weekend.

We drove down to the Houston area to see Gabe's grandma (Mam-maw), and were able to stay at his uncle's house and visit with them as well. She had never seen or met Brody so it was wonderful experience. She has a disease that affects her muscles, she is all there but it is extremely difficult for her to do anything that uses any muscles in her body such as speaking and turning her head from side to side. Luckily she is in a wonderful home where they are taking awesome care of her! Brody was a little nervous getting close to her but we were able to snap a few sweet moments. Gabe's cousins are young and loved hanging with B-man. They played dress up (that's what you get with all girl cousins) and drove him around in this cool wheeled contraption!

Then I took a trip up to Nebraska for my cousin's wedding. This was my first time to ever spend one night away from Brody. This. Was. Painful!!!! I knew he was in the great care of his daddy, but I was so sad to leave him. It was a very low key trip and gave me plenty of time to rest and not do a whole lot. But I was glad to get home! Loved seeing my NE family and will get back up there soon!

Tag, You're It!

2010-06-23T20:34:00.001-05:00

Months ago, I was "blog tagged" by my dear friend Kelly, and I am just now getting to it. Whoops :(. With this tag I am supposed to say 7 things about myself. Let's see if you knew these or not?

1. I am terrified of thunderstorms. I get a sick feeling that my home is going to catch fire from the lightening.

2. I do not eat any type of seafood, not even shrimp! It's a head thing...and I am perfectly fine not eating it.

3. For a while I was really enjoying going to the library and checking out books. I started reading when I was pregnant with Brody, and now I am glad to be able to read for free! I am one of those with a library card for my own personal use and I am proud of it! Just wish I had more time to read.

4. I am a reality tv junkie! I love So You Think You Can Dance, American Idol, all of The Real Housewives shows (except Atlanta), Tori and Dean, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, The Hills, The City, Big Brother, The Bachelor(ette), Project Runway, The Amazing Race, and Kendra.

5. I am a coupon clipper! Why not save a little money here and there? Grocery store, restaurants, retail shopping....doesn't matter!

That's all I got 5/7 will have to suffice! Wonder if you learned something about me????

Brody's Scary Sickness

2010-06-03T20:41:00.001-05:00

Gabe has not been traveling much for work lately, just a few times a year. Well one of those few times, we had a challenging yet sort of scary couple days with Brody. He developed an extremely high fever that didn't really seem to break with Tylenol and/or Motrin. Once the fever reached 103-104, wasn't eating (which is not normal Brody behavior ecen when sick), he had thrown up, and all he wanted to do was be held (which again is not normal Brody behavior even while sick), I called the nurses line at our doctors office and they told us to go ahead and come on in. Before we got there, his fever had reached 105. While there he threw up again...this time all over me! Yuck! But it didn't bother me at the time, all I wanted was to make my baby feel better. The doctor drew blood, conducted strep and flu tests and gave him an antibiotic shot (for an ear infection). Our doctor said he illness was not related to the ear infection. All of the tests came back clear so the diagnosis was a virus, but he wanted us to go get a chest x-Ray first thing the next morning to rule out pneumonia.
The next day, I took Brody to his appointment for the x-Ray. Being pregnant, I couldn't be in the room while they took the x-rays. I had to stand outside and listen to my sweet baby cry due to the loudness of the x-Ray machine. Heartbreaking!! I stayed home from work that day since Gabe was out of town. Luckily my mom was available to help me out. Not sure I would have survived without her help. It is exhausting taking care of a baby that is sick, but it was taken up a few notches with how sick he really was. Fever still 103-105 all day that day and we ended up putting him in a lukewarm bath to try and break that fever!
Gabe came home the following day when Brody's fever was finally manageable. Late that evening we started to notice some redness on his face. The next day it had spread to his whole body. So we called the doctor again. While waiting for their phone call back, Gabe had talked to someone at work who had experienced the same type of thing with his daughter. He "diagnosed" Brody with roseola. We googled it and seemed to be accurate symptoms. Once the nurse returned our call
after speaking to our doctor, he was officially diagnosed with roseola.

Main Symptoms of roseola:
High fever for 2-3 days
Once fever breaks, the child breaks out in a rash that can last for a few days
There is nothing you can do for this virus, it has to run it's course. Roseola cannot be diagnosed until the rash appears. It is highly contagious while the child has fever. And it is found mostly in children 2 and under.

An Official Statement

2010-05-31T08:57:00.003-05:00

As most of you know through hear-say or Facebook, we are pregnant again with Lewis Baby #2!

I am about 17 weeks along and due November 5th. This has been another easy breezy pregnancy. I am so blessed in that department. I sometimes still have to remind myself of it. At this point, I am just now starting to get a preggo belly, not the "I look bloated" stage. Although I can still wear the majority of regular clothes without feeling uncomfortable, which I am sure won't be for long. Everyone tells me you start to show earlier with the 2nd pregnancy, and I am believing it. I think I started this phase around 19 weeks with Brody.

We just went to the doctor for our 3rd visit and so far I have gained one pound without being sick at all. I am sure I have gained more than that since we just drove to Florida and ate out junk food everyday. As a birthday present from my doctor we had a brief sonogram. We were actually able find out what we are having and some know, but I will wait for 2 weeks until our official sonogram to announce it here.

A Year in Pictures

2010-05-26T21:58:00.001-05:00

Brody's birthday! Monday, March 16, 2009 at 11:09 am. This was one of the greatest days of my life thus far.

Month one

Month two

Month three

Month four

Month five

Month six

Month seven

Month eight

Month nine

Month ten

Month eleven

Month twelve

***BONUS***

Month thirteen - with his friends Teagan and Gavin

Brody is 1! 1.5 Months Later

2010-05-06T19:13:00.001-05:00

I am going to try and help Lindsay get caught up... you would not believe how busy she is!

Brody's birthday party was great! Nana made his cake, which could not have turned out any better.

The house was packed with family and friends, and we even had some folks in from Albuquerque. It was great to have everyone there to enjoy the special day with us. Brody was very thankful for all the gifts he received. Especially the cardboard boxes!

After opening all the presents that we could keep his attention for, we moved on to cake. Believe when I tell you, HE CAN EAT MORE CAKE THAN ME, he can eat more cake than I can eat steak in one sitting. It is amazing! He probably would have eaten the entire double decker smash cake if we had let him. This should give you an idea.

He went on to have a little bit of a sugar rush which consisted of playing with his new toys and boxes he had accumulated, but surprisingly there wasn't a big crash that we were anticipating. All in all, it was a great success and we are so proud of our little 1 year old (13.5 month old) and so thankful for all of our friends and family that made it special!

Back to Blogging?

2010-05-03T18:16:00.002-05:00

The answer to the question is YES! We hopefully and kind of, I'll explain...

Haven't had many opportunities to blog lately for a few reasons.
1) Brody doesn't take afternoon naps during the week any more. He naps for 2 to 2 1/2 hours at school during the middle of the day. We are so glad he is able to take such great naps at school. But this leaves me no time to go to the computer tucked away in one of our extra bedrooms to type and blog.
2) I am so tired!! I have to wake up so early and I am now working more full time, than part time (which is what I signed up for). I am happy to be helping the preschool in the way that I am, but at the same time it has been contributing to zapping my energy. My days are so full now, after I cook dinner and we clean up it's about time for me to start my bed time routine.
3) Any spare time or energy I can muster up, it is spent updating resumes, applications, and letters since I have made the decision to go back to teaching in the school system. I have missed it more that I ever imagined I would and I am starting to get anxious about going back (in a good way). I have been reflecting on last year and thinking of new ways to do things in my "perfect" classroom I have dreamt up in my mind. So if you know anyone, or of any openings in Collin County, please please please let me know!!!!

Now I have a good reason to blog again, and should make this process easier, thanks to my darling husband. The "kind of" part is a little tricky. We are figuring out how to use my new toy with blogger.com. We just may have to take it in and talk to one of the experts. As an early mother's day and birthday present Gabe bought me a iPad. It is very cool, like a huge iPhone!! We are just trying to figure out blogger on here. It's not as easy as you think. It was really hard for us to get the opportunity to type and we are not sure on how to upload photos on here. Anyone have one and know how to work it? We may just make an appointment at our local apple store to see if they can guide us.

Here are a few things to look forward to:
A Year in Pictures (Brody)
Brody's 1st Birthday Party
An Official Statement
Brody's Scary Sickness
I Have Been Tagged
Red Light Cameras

I am glad to be up and semi-running again. Hope you are too!

Brody's 1st BirthDAY

2010-04-10T10:01:00.007-05:00

The day of Brody's birthday we started like every normal day. Get up, get dressed

(but in our Birthday Boy shirt compliments of LeAnna), and off to "school" we go. His morning was just his regular routine. But when we (Brody and I) got home, Daddy was already home and waiting to spend the afternoon with us! What a nice surprise for the birthday boy! A few weeks before Brody's birthday I was trying to decide on something special we could do for him on this special day. I was thinking along the lines of Chuck E Cheese, but thought he would be a little to little to enjoy it. A friend at work had told me about a place in Frisco that is fairly similar to Chuck E Cheese but has a better section for kids his age. It is called Wiggly Play Center which is based off of the show The Wiggles. I was really looking forward to this for Brody. I knew he was going to have fun and especially playing in the ball pit I knew they were going to have! Well, we were not impressed! There were kids EVERYWHERE! Yes, I know that is to be expected especially since Brody's birthday falls during Spring Break. But where were the parents??? There were 6 - 8 year olds in the infant room. Maybe they need some extra staff to help regulate if the parents aren't. There was a group of about 4 "big" kids who were trampling over Brody and another little boy trying to go down the only slide they could go down. At one point the other mom got on to those kids to watch out for the smaller boys. Maybe I am being a little over protective and I know when I was a youngster I am sure I did the same thing. Being on this side of it really opened my eyes to always keep a watchful eye. I do think Brody had fun, he just still might have been a little to little for the Wiggly Play Center too. Maybe next year! Oh yeah, and no ball pit either!

Mommy helping me go down the slide, while Daddy is at the bottom to catch me!

Riding a mechanical horse. This was pretty fun! You can't tell by his face, but he did like this!

Enjoying my first Jamba Juice on the way home! He LOVED it and knew exactly how to use the straw!

We were thankful to be able to spend the afternoon with our birthday boy, even if it didn't go quite as I had it planned in my imagination. It was good to spend a beautiful afternoon together as a family.

12 Month Stats:

Weight: 21 lbs. 1 oz (23 %tile)

Height: 28 3/4 inches (18 %tile)

1 Year Well Check

2010-04-03T07:18:00.003-05:00

We had Brody's 1 year well check the day before his birthday and all is well. He cleared all of our doctor's one year milestones and our pedi gave us a tip for something to work on for his 15 month well check, pointing. We are starting to demonstrate pointing and I really think he is already starting to catch on (since I am so late in posting this). He got two stinky shots and cried a little bit, but he is still a champ when it comes to those nasty needles.

He weighs 21 lbs and 1 oz (23%tile)

He is 28 3/4" tall (18%)

The percentages definitely increased from the last visit, and glad he is healthy and growing! Brody is looking more and more like a big boy. Now that he is one, we are officially parents of a toddler! Eeek! :)

Gavin Turns One!

2010-03-29T17:00:00.004-05:00

Our dear friends Brooke and Steve celebrated the first birthday for their first born, Gavin, on March 5th. They hosted a small get together with lots of their family and a few friends the next weekend at their home. Brooke made the cakes and they were delicious!! We were lucky to share Gavin's first birthday party with the Long family and what a great afternoon it was! Gavin sure racked up in the toys and clothes departments!! He is such a precious little boy with a fantastic personality and who loves to dance!! Here are a few pictures from the party.

Brooke and the Birthday Boy

Amber and Teagan

Let's open some presents

Cake Time!!

These boys are going to be T-R-O-U-B-L-E when they get older

Our Little Ball Player

2010-03-14T18:57:00.011-05:00

You are all witness to the baseball prodigy that is Brody Journey Lewis...

Step 1: Place the ball on the tee

Step 2: Square up with the tee

Step 3: Keep your eye on the ball and swing

Step 4: Look good doing steps 1 through 3

Step 5: Smile for the camera

Birthday Traditions

2010-03-12T19:17:00.003-06:00

Mr. Man's 1st birthday is just around the corner!! YIKES! I do not feel ready for a 1 year old, but anyway, that is beside the point. I am looking to start a annual birthday tradition, but I am not sure which idea I want to implement.

Have you heard of a good one? Do you have an idea you use yourself?

I would love to hear some of your ideas!!

A Spring Afternoon

2010-03-06T20:49:00.004-06:00

Last weekend was the first gorgeous Spring afternoon. Brody has always loved being outside and last Saturday he was able to spend lots of time out doors, well in the backyard to be a little more specific. He enjoyed walking around and throwing Rocky's red ball. I am really glad that the weather is finally getting nice enough to be able to spend time outside. Just wish these temps would last forever!

We also spent some of the day with my mom, sister and grandpa.

Bounce House FUN!

2010-03-06T20:37:00.003-06:00

A couple weekends ago we spent the better part of a day in Arlington to celebrate our niece (and Brody's cousin), Bella's 4th birthday. At her party, there was something there that Brody has not seen or experienced...A BOUNCE HOUSE! When all the (big) kiddos were inside, we snuck out to put Brody in the house so he could enjoy it with out getting trampled. He LOVED it. He mostly crawled around and wasn't quite sure what to do, but at one point he was trying to make it bounce with his hands! Too cute.

HAPPY (BELATED) 4th BIRTHDAY MISS BELLA!

T-R-O-U-B-L-E

2010-03-04T19:11:00.005-06:00

This is what happens when an (almost) one year old gets locked in a utility room while mommy is putting in the laundry. And these pictures were after I had already picked up the massive amount of hangers about 4 times! The Gatorade bottles were and added bonus this time. This is the instance where you just have to laugh!

I could not ask for a more precious son! I would have cleaned up the hangers 400 times if I needed to. I love you baby!

Doggy Door Fun!

2010-02-21T15:59:00.005-06:00

This looks like a fun game I could play with mommy and daddy. Maybe, just maybe I can stall and put bedtime off just a little bit tonight.

Hmm, I wonder if there is a way for me to get outside?

Let's see, if there is a way for me to get this open I could possibly escape to outside.

Thinking about it...

Here I go! No turning back now!

Uh-oh! Where did Brody go???

There he is!! Outside and free!!

It worked! I am so happy to be outside! What a FUN game this turned out to be!

Daddy is trying to get me to come in. I don't think I am too interested in that.

Hey Rocky! Want to come out here with me? We can play and it will be real fun!

Let me see if I can open this all by myself

Peek A Boo!

Thinking about coming back inside...

Haha! Tricked you! This is too much fun!

Mr. Man is 11 months

2010-02-18T15:00:00.007-06:00

How can this be? How is it possible that I am planning a first birthday party? I cannot fathom how fast this year has flown by. It has been the best year of my life, thanks to this amazing gift from above! We are counting our blessings every minute of every day and are extremely thankful to have such a wonderful, happy, fun-loving son. Brody is 100% boy and in to EVERYTHING! I wouldn't have it any other way. We do not sit still for one nano-second with this little munchkin.

Here are some of the things about Brody at this point in his life:

*Loves to open doors - cabinet doors, pantry doors, doors to the bedroom, doggy door, etc.

*Loves to push things, even if it is an object that doesn't normally get pushed around - we had to hide his wagon because all he wanted to so was walk over to the wagon and start pushing it.

*Loves his wagon!

*Walking walking walking walking and some more walking!

*Just started wearing shoes and is doing great with them

*Loves to shake things such as water bottles, any toys that rattles in the slightest bit. He thinks it's hilarious

*Likes for daddy to lay him down for naps and for bed time. He fights with mommy, so we cry it out for most afternoon naps...about 1-2 minutes.

*Says dadda all the time. Occasionally says momma and yeah

*Babbles a lot! I think more than the average boy. Loves to hear himself talk

*He is not afraid of new people - a great thing, but could potentially be a bad thing too

*Happy all the time, loves to laugh and thinks the most random things are hysterical

*Likes to be tickled - laughs so hard he gets the hiccups every. single. time.

*Still in a size 3 diaper

*In between 9 months and 12 months clothes - he has such a long torso

*Wearing a size 4 shoe

*Has 5 teeth

*Takes 2 naps on weekdays and 2-3 on weekends

*Sleeps 12 hours on weekdays 6pm to 6am and 12-15 hours on weekends --LOVE this!

*Starting to get the sippy cup concept

*Eats anything and every thing and a lot of it! He always wants what we are eating, even if he has just finished his own meal

We love this child so much, more and more every day. They say each stage just gets better and better and is more and more fun and it is so true. Brody has a great personality and makes us laugh constantly. He loves to play and is good socially with other babies, for which we are thankful. It is truly amazing how much he has changed, grown, and developed in his short life. I cannot wait to see what the next 11 months have in store for us.

Harvey Lee Lewis

2010-02-15T19:12:00.004-06:00

For the record, this is my second post in 1 month, which I think is pretty outstanding and shows that I care about this wonderful outlet. So my dad came to town and it was a very manly weekend. For those that don't know, my dad lives in L.A. Last time he saw Brody was in August, so there have been many advancements with the little man since then. I was very pleased that Brody had begun to walk, so grand dad could see that. My brother came over for most of Saturday and brought Brody's cousin Bella. It was a fun day in the Lewis household! My dad is obsessed with tex-mex and barbecue, so living in California it is kind of hard to get the good stuff (though as a side note, I enjoy southern California mexican food as much or more than tex-mex). Anyway, we always treat him to both while he is here at least once. This time it was Chuy's, Rudy's, and Mi Cocina. My dad suffers from the Lewis' heartburn gene, so he got about 2 hours of sleep Saturday night because his chest and throat felt like it was on fire... sometimes, Tums and Prilosec just aren't enough.

Sunday was a good day because we went on the Cowboy's Stadium tour, which is like $17 and well worth it. It was my dad's first time to see the completed stadium and so he was pretty excited. We had season tickets back when they were winning Super Bowls in the early 90's, so he is a pretty big fan.

It was a short trip, but we were happy to have him and glad he was able to see Brody. Til the next time...

Texas Snow Day

2010-02-13T16:14:00.005-06:00

What a beautiful scene! A once in a lifetime experience here in DFW with absolutely breath-taking views. This was definitely a winter wonderland! On Thursday we waited for daddy to get home before we went out and played in the snow. Brody has an ear infection, so it was only right to stay outside for just a little bit...what a good sport! He didn't really know what was going on and was not really interested in the snow. Although, standing on the covered porch he stuck his hand out like he wanted to grab/touch the falling snow. I am thankful we were able to experience such beauty, but also glad this is not the norm here. It was a nice and special treat.

The view of our house at 1:00 pm on Thursday

Standing in the snow

Daddy helping Brody make his very first snow angel

Mommy and Brody

Friday morning - no work day!! Gabe and I enjoyed some outside time while our sweet angel baby continued getting some beauty sleep. One of us decided to get out the snowboard and go down a few hills at the greenbelt by our house. Crazy guy!! We threw snowballs at each other and just goofed off for a little while. The snow was so powdery and there was tons of it! I believe we ended up with around 9 inches. These pics were taken from our garage. Simply gorgeous for McKinney, TX!

Lewis vs. Long (Round 1)

2010-02-06T11:21:00.002-06:00

It was an intense battle that lasted over a 2 hour period and it was determined too close to call... until the next time.

Lately...

2010-01-30T19:27:00.005-06:00

Lately we have been keeping things kind of low key and our days have become very much of a routine. I have been doing lots of reading and going to bed early, which is wonderful. I have so many shows on the DVR that I just can't bring myself to watch because I would rather read a book in my warm bed or challenge Gabe to a game of Wii bowling before going to bed. I have been finding myself on the computer and iphone less and less these past few weeks, which I guess is a good thing. Therefore, we haven't had anything too interesting to blog about. So here are just some pictures of Brody from the last 2 months with a brief explanation here and there.

Loving the Ball Popper!! (Thanks Great Grandma)

Enjoying a fairly warm January day with mom outside

Being silly

Playing with my Activity table and doing so very seriously! (Thank you Grandma and Grandpa)

Just being C-U-T-E

Playing with Patches (Thank you Aunt Devon)

Enjoying a wagon ride on a COLD day! (A gift from Nana)

Lunch with some old friends during the holidays

Playing with Brody before his 6:00 bed time.