Grandparents

We had planned to bless Nolan over Labor Day weekend and we were very lucky to have both sets of grandparents as well as two of my sisters and their families come out for it. For most of them, it was their first time seeing our newest little man and he delighted everyone with his little baby smiles!!

Grandma and Grandpa Call with their newest grandson...

It was fun to have Grandma Call back out just 6 weeks after being here right after Nolan was born. We could definitely get used to having her visit more often!!

This was my parents' first visit with little Nolan and they really enjoyed meeting him. Nolan quickly adapted to the green light of Grandma Julie's camera that was always snapping pictures of him!

Two BYU fans before the Mississippi State game...

Landon and Abby also enjoyed all of the grandparent attention that they received during their visit. They especially enjoyed getting stories read to them by their grandmas and grandpas...

And they also enjoyed reading stories to grandma and grandpa!!

We sure wish that we lived closer to both of our grandmas and grandpas, but we sure do have fun with them when they come to visit!!

Rapunzel Abby

Ever since seeing the movie "Tangled," Abby has been pretty obsessed with the story of Rapunzel, especially her long, long hair. Since Abby's hair doesn't seem to grow as long or as fast as she would like it to, she has improvised by making her own "hair" with a paper chain. Her goal was to make it 70 feet (no idea where that number came from.) Although it's not quite that long, it is quite the chain at this point. She loves to drape it over the upstairs balcony and throw it down to all of us down below!!

She is quite the creative little girl!!

Two Months -- August 28th

I'm a bit behind on this one, but just pretend we're back on August 28th to celebrate my little man's 2nd "monthday!!"

So here he is in all his glory at two months...

Here he is at one month old in the same outfit...

The 0-3 month outfits are definitely fitting better at this point and he has even outgrown a few things because he is so long. He had his 2-month checkup and weighed in at 11 lbs (25th percentile) and 24 inches (75th percentile). He is long and lean but super healthy and eats like a champ! He didn't care for his first round of vaccinations too much but only cried for a minute or so before calming down again.

I know I've said it before, but Nolan is a very good baby. He is sleeping for 7-8 hour stretches at night now (hallelujah) and has even slept through the night on occasion. He eats about every 2.5-3 hours during the day but increases his feedings in the evening which I don't mind if it means he can sleep longer at night!

This month he really started smiling and even chuckling at us which has been so rewarding. I love this phase when they can finally interact with you a bit and we get those big gummy grins!

He started to go to the gym with me at 7 weeks and spends most of his time there either sleeping or being cuddled by the wonderful women who work there. We are starting to get into a little routine now that school has started and he fits into our little lives so well.

There are definitely times when it gets a bit hairy-scary with three kids (especially when they all need something at the same time) but overall I think we are adjusting well. I still think the hardest adjustment for me was from no kids to having Abby since it was such a complete change in lifestyle and habits. I actually think three children has been the easiest transition so far.

I keep telling people that if I could guarantee another pregnancy, delivery and baby just like Nolan, I would have a lot more of them. Too bad I can't get that in writing though!!

First Day of Kingergarten!!

Abby started school on Thursday, August 25th. She was super excited about her first day and woke up nice and early, bursting with enthusiasm.

She had picked out her first day of school outfit a few weeks before and I curled her hair for the special occasion...

She looked so adorable and grown-up!!

After breakfast, we loaded the whole family into the car to take her to school that day...

It was a rainy day, but she was really happy that her outfit included a built-in hoodie to keep her dry!!

She was now an official kindergartner at Paramount Elementary School!

Here she is in front of her classroom. Her teacher is Ms. Austin which we were really excited about. We were told she was a great teacher and Abby really loves her!!

At this point I started to get a bit weepy but I tried to hold it together long enough to show her to her cubby and get her all settled in. Abby was anxious and excited for this day and had no problems saying goodbye. As soon as I walked out her door though, I really lost it. It was hard to see my baby girl leaving me for the first time and heading off to school. But seeing her excitement each day and knowing how much she is learning and growing makes it all worth it.

We sure do love our little Kindergartner!!

Father's Blessing

The night before Abby's first day of school, Jason gave her a beautiful Father's blessing. He first explained what he would be doing...that he would bless her with a good school year, that she would learn and grow and make good friends, that she would be blessed with good health and an open mind.

After the blessing, there were some big hugs given to her special Daddy.

Then we packed up her backpack and lunch and sent her off to bed!! Next up...the BIG DAY!!

Our Little Girl is Growing Up!!

Where oh where does the time go!! Some days seem to drag on and on and on, but the years just pass by way too fast.

When we moved to Hagerstown, Abby was only 17 months old. Here she is it that tender age playing on the swings at City Park (we discovered this park soon after moving here and we have loved it ever since!)

Don't you just love this expression of pure joy on her little chubby face!!

And here she is on that exact same swing four years later!!

She still has that same sweet face, but oh how she has grown over these last four years!!

I can't believe my baby is now old enough to head off by herself to school each day. It breaks my heart to let her go, but I know this is just a part of growing up. She is so READY and EXCITED about starting kindergarten. She has a great teacher, I know she will make some great friends and this year will be so fun and exciting for her.

I'll just miss her sooooo much. (Why can't they stay young just a bit longer?!?!?)

I LOVE YOU ABBY, far more than words could ever say!!

'Twas the day before school starts...

Everybody in Washington County started school on Wednesday, August 24th. They do a staggered start to Kindergarten though, where only half the kids attend school on the first day, the other half attends on the second day and then everyone finally meets together for the third day. This gives the teachers a chance to work more closely with each student for those first few days since they only have about 10-12 each day. Abby was assigned to start school on the second staggered day (Thursday, August 25th.) Since Wednesday was her last day of "summer vacation," I let her choose any three things that she would like to do that day to help celebrate her last day of "freedom."

The first thing she chose to do was hit up "Chuck E. Cheese." It was a perfect day to go since most of the other kids in the area were back in school. Abby and Landon both had a great time playing all the games and rides and winning some cheap prizes!!

After Jason came home from work, Abby decided that the second thing she wanted to do was play at "City Park." It was a perfect evening to play and enjoy ourselves before heading off to the third and final event of the day, Maugansville Creamery for some yummy ice cream.

It was hard for me to imagine that my baby girl would be heading off to school for the first time the next day. She was super excited though and we were all glad that we had fun celebrating her last day with us!!