Deck the Halls

April

2011-04-25T14:25:00.000-07:00

April has been a busy month! Will celebrated his first birthday with his Daddy and also with his 3 cousins. He and Alan's birthdays are only 4 days apart. So, earlier this month we celebrated at Mimi and Papaw's house. As you can see below, our son received his first piano! He now gives us daily "concerts!"

This is how he usually plays the piano at home. He really gets into the music!

I had to put this next picture in to show you the shirt that my Mom made for Will's birthday. I also love the expression on his face. What is going on in that mind of his???
This is the "before" picture with his cupcake:
And this is the "after" picture:
Just this past week and weekend, Will was able to spend time with his cousin Carter. He currently lives in Knoxville, and we don't get to see him that often. However, we are so excited that Michael and Stephanie and Carter are moving closer this summer! These two boys are only 8 months apart in age and I can't wait to watch them become good buddies over the years to come.

This is the best picture I could get of all 4 cousins. Carter and Will were both worn out from a long day of playing with the "big boys" and this was right before a breakdown by both boys... Oh well, maybe someone else in the family was able to get a better picture.
We celebrated Will's birthday with an afternoon at Spring Park (or "Aunt Dinah's Park" as the Walker Boys call it.) Of course, Alan and I didn't bring our camera to the park. We were able to get some pictures of Will eating his cake at the party. Alan took those in a different format and I can't post them yet...

Thanks for checking in...

Fun times with Family

2011-04-09T15:49:00.001-07:00

Today, Alan and Will and I went to Nashville for The Walker Run; a fundraiser for Sara and Brian and the boys. Of course, I didn't bring my camera to the 5k, but did remember to get it out of the car at Brian and Sara's house later this afternoon. Here are some pictures I wanted to share:

"Will Chill" with his beautiful Aunt Sara.

The best one of the 3 cousins smiling!

Now a silly picture!
I wonder what kind of mischief these 3 will get into as they get older...

Scott helping Will with his puzzle

Uncle Alan and "Camdez," as Alan calls him. Camden rarely left his side the entire afternoon.

I want to thank those that participated in the 5k this morning and say a BIG THANK YOU to those that organized it. It was a HUGE SUCCESS!

God is Good!

Thanks for checking in...

Thank You!

2011-03-23T09:58:00.000-07:00

Thank you, Aunt Sara, for my rocking chair!

Enjoy!

2011-03-23T07:21:00.000-07:00

11 Months

2011-03-16T14:11:00.000-07:00

Just a few pictures today. I'll post the "cowboy" pictures another day. As you can see, he's on the move! Pulling up and cruising along furniture and holding with one hand. He's also learned to crawl under the exersaucer. I guess it's time to put it in storage!

Sorry about the sideways picture. I don't know how to fix it...

10 months

2011-03-05T08:44:00.001-08:00

Did you know that cowboys ride dinosaurs? Well, this one does! I can't believe that my baby boy turned 10 months old in February. He's now 1 week away from 11 months... Each day brings more and more FUN with this "stinker."

He's definitely got his Mama's cheeks! Excuse the scratch under his right eye.
How can you not eat up this little cutie-pie?!?

He decided the "photo session" was done after a few minutes, shed his cowboy hat and dismounted his Dino, and then resumed his reading for the day :)

I think he enjoys turning the pages of books than actually "reading" them these days.

Here's what Will is up to at this point:

Pulling up on ANYTHING and cruising along furniture. He still prefers crawling if he needs to get to something quickly
Learning to sleep with his blanket instead of his pacifier. He's decided over the last several days that he just wants his favorite blanket with him when he's tired, so we are gradually phasing out the pacifier. We'll worry about phasing out the blanket later.
Saying "MaMa" a LOT (music to my ears!) His other two-syllable sounds are: Da-Da, Ba-Ba, Na-Na. He's only said Na-Na when Nudge is in the room, so I think He's talking to his puppy! He can "moo" and "hiss," but is not consistently relating those to cow or snake sounds when asked.
Growing like a weed!!! He's outgrowing his 12 month clothes and I've now had to stock his drawers and closet with 18 month sizes. Thus, he's...
Eating us out of house and home! He will try anything and LOVES the following: goldfish crackers, Cheerios, cereal bars, muffins, cheese, strawberries, bananas, applesauce, deli turkey, creamed corn, lima beans, Granny-Gran's fried chicken, mashed potatoes, oatmeal, peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, grilled cheese sandwiches, banana bread, and the list goes on!
Drinking from his sippy cup. He has now mastered craning his neck and lifting his chin up to drink ALL of what's in his cup. I love watching him learn!

I hope you don't see this as me bragging, but I can't help but be proud of my growing boy!

Most importantly:

God is Good and has blessed Alan and me with a sick-free baby for almost 11 months.

Thanks for checking in...

Will's FAVORITE activity

2011-02-09T12:24:00.000-08:00

Bath time is SO. MUCH. FUN! This little "fish" could play in the water all day if Mommy would let him. I have a feeling he's going to enjoy this summer...

Loves his books!

2011-02-09T12:18:00.000-08:00

This is the typical sight you will see when Will is in our den. He has a basket FULL of toys in the corner, but he ALWAYS prefers to pull out all of his books that we keep on the bottom shelf of our coffee table. I love to watch him "read." He turns the pages and points to the pictures and tries to "read" his books out loud. Most of his books must say "Da Da" :)

New trick!

2011-02-09T06:19:00.000-08:00

For Uncle Michael

2011-01-22T05:40:00.000-08:00

War Eagle!

9 months - picture overload!

2011-01-19T12:59:00.000-08:00

With all that has occurred in our family lately, we missed taking Will's 8 month pictures. Oh well, it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. Here are several pictures that we've taken lately. At his 9 month check-up Will measured 30 inches in length (95 percentile) and weighed in at 20 lbs, 13 oz (55 percentile.) We have had 9 months of a sick-free baby and I'm so very thankful! Here is what he's been up to over the last 2 months:

Sleeping 10-11 hours a night.
Standing up in his crib. We finally lowered his mattress after Will did a somersault out of his bed onto the floor at 5:30 one morning. I think Mommy was more traumatized over it than he was :)
He loves to say: Da-Da and Bye-Bye
He "reads" books all the time and wants to turn the pages for you.
Crawling all over the place! We've decided that he doesn't need any toys because he loves to play with the air vents, office chair, and remotes.
He has begun taking a few steps with his dinosaur toy as you can see on the previous post.
Eating solely table food (besides baby cereal at breakfast and formula.) He loves to try any food that he gets. I'm even ordering from the kids menus at restaurants now. He enjoyed some cheese ravioli at Olive Garden at lunch today :)
He cut 4 top teeth all at the same time at 8 months! So, he now has 6 teeth and LOVES to bite his spoon when Mommy feeds him.
He loves to follow me around the house and when he gets REALLY excited about chasing me, he will thrust his hips toward the floor and arch his back while squealing loudly with laughter- what a sweet sound!

We have loved every minute so far with our sweet boy and he is getting more fun every day. Working 4 days/week has made me appreciate my Wednesdays at home with Will and I am so thankful for the time that I have with my son. God is Good!

Enjoy the following pictures. It's hard to get him to sit still long enough to take a good snapshot. Plus, he makes some pretty funny faces...

Wait! He just started crawling...

2011-01-10T07:42:00.000-08:00

Now my baby boy is pulling up on everything and he's even taking steps with his dinosaur toy! He's growing up way too fast...

Apparently....

2010-12-30T19:14:00.001-08:00

Riding your dog like a horse is NOT frowned upon in this establishment.

How many pictures does it take????

2010-12-30T18:57:00.000-08:00

Take #1
Camden and Scott are smiling, Carter is giving a half smile and Will looks like he ate too much...

Take # 2

Camden is the only one smiling...

Take #3
Three boys are smiling and Scott is growling

Take #4
Carter is trying to figure out what Scott is doing, Camden is half smiling and Will is sucking on his top lip.

Take #5
Will still sucking on his top lip and Camden is the only one smiling

Take #10

I give up! And Camden is giving Will a "wet willy"

Apparently, I didn't get the memo to wear a red shirt :)

Thanks for checking in...

Videos

2010-12-26T10:22:00.000-08:00

Here are 3 recent videos taken over the weekend. Will had much more fun with the wrapping paper than the gifts this year. Also, we had a White Christmas! Another video is of Will's first experience with snow. I also got footage of Will's specific eating technique. When eating puffs, he must first pick it up with his right hand,then use his left thumb and index finger to grab the puff from his right hand. He then uses his left hand to put the puff in his mouth. I love watching his facial expressions as he concentrates on using his hands and fingers to manipulate the puff.

All 3 videos are 1 to 2 minutes long and I don't expect any of you to watch the entire footage.

We are loving every minute of our time with Will, and it's hard to believe that he's almost 9 months old!

Thanks for checking in...

7 months

2010-12-11T16:40:00.000-08:00

I'm crawling!!! Mommy took this last picture as proof. I am trying to get into EVERYTHING now and driving my Mommy and Daddy crazy already :)

My other tricks are:
- pulling up onto my knees in my crib
- waving bye bye
- clicking my tongue
- squealing really loudly (I'm learning what sounds I can make and my vocal range)

I'm eating table food at every meal. My favorites so far are bananas, strawberries, nutri-grain bars, peas, carrots, lima beans, applesauce, sweet potatoes, cornbread, mashed potatoes, cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, and I tried ground deer meat today for the first time. My Daddy said I grunted after every bite (which means I REALLY like it!) In other words, I'm trying any food that Mommy and Daddy let me eat.

My weight is around 21 lbs and I'm officially wearing 12-18 month size clothing.

I'm also about to cut 4 top teeth. Mommy can see all 4 of them just barely under my gums. She hopes they cut any day now because I've been a cranky boy for the past few days.

That's all for now. Thanks for checking in...

Does this count as "table food?"

2010-11-17T08:57:00.001-08:00

I didn't actually give him this big bite, but I wanted to show those of you who follow my blog what my son does when any type of utensil/food comes close to his mouth! He REALLY wanted to try some of his Mommy's birthday cake (made by his Mimi.) He did have a few small nibbles of the strawberry cake, but my hyper little boy did NOT have any icing :)

Have a great day! Thanks for checking in...

6 months!

2010-11-17T08:53:00.001-08:00

I know this post is VERY late, but here's our little boy at 6 months old! He turned 6 months on October 12th. I've already posted his stats from the Dr.'s appointment.

He's already 7 months old now. Hopefully, I'll have pictures soon.

Thanks for checking in!

Old picture, but current update :)

2010-11-06T06:49:00.000-07:00

I have yet to post an actual bathtub picture, and thought this one was perfect. His pose has changed the rating from R to PG :) As his cousin Camden would say, you can't see his "this." Cousin Scott would say you can't see his "toe-ie." I think Will was about 4 or 5 months old when this was taken. He now can sit up in the big bathtub, but I still give him baths in this one because I can let him "play" in his bath while I'm busy doing something else in the next room. I still check on him every few minutes or when I don't hear any noises for at least 5 seconds! He is in constant motion and "talking" all the time, so it's easy to hear him splashing and squealing while in his bathtub.

As for an update on Will. We went to his 6 month Pediatrician appt on the 12th of October. He weighed in at 18 lbs, 4 oz and 27 inches in length. He is still 65-75%tile in his growth, but it's starting to slow down a bit.

He is:
- sitting up on his own to play
- rocking back and forth on his hands and knees ALL the time; I'm just waiting for him to start crawling
- "talking" and playing with Nudge more. He loves his puppy dog and Nudge always wants to be near him.
- eating table food! My boy loves to eat sweet potatoes, applesauce, cheese, rice, Nana's banana muffins, grapes, bananas, and he just tried some of Chappy's Deli maple turkey. I think he's gonna LOVE Thanksgiving! He will pretty much try anything and he still loves his baby food (thank goodness.)
- a little picky about his formula. A few days ago, I was beginning to get worried that Will wasn't drinking his formula anymore. He didn't get fussy, but would just drink maybe an ounce and then play with his bottle. After a few days of this, I decided to try heating his formula a little more to make it warmer. The first attempt was a success! He downed 6 ounces in just a few minutes. So, I thought about it for a little bit... and remembered that Nana always combines some hot water (for her cups of tea) and room temp water with Will's bottles= making nice warm formula for him to drink. She has made him rotten already :) Now, he won't take a bottle unless the temperature is to his liking! At least he is drinking it again!

I'm so thankful for Will. He has made this transition from stay-at-home mommy to full-time working mommy so easy! He has not suffered from teething nor has he made any type of sleeping routine a battle. I give ALL of the credit to God, because I don't know what I'm doing most of the time! He has made Alan and me so happy and we can't imagine our lives without him.

OK, my sappy moment is over. Thanks for checking in...

Happy Halloween

2010-10-30T05:36:00.001-07:00

from our little Pea in a Pod!

Happy October!

2010-10-20T06:30:00.001-07:00

This is our attempt at a photo shoot in our front yard this past Sunday afternoon. Will was fighting off sleep anyway, so we decided to put him in his spider outfit and take pictures in the leaves. It only took about a minute before Will decided he wanted to stuff a fistful of leaves in his mouth. Despite our efforts of prevention, he managed to chew on a few tasty leaves!

Hope you all are enjoying this weather as much as we are!

5 months old

2010-10-02T13:06:00.001-07:00

I turned 5 months old on September 12th, but Mommy and Daddy didn't get my pictures taken until a few Saturdays ago. As you can see, I was wearing my (6 month size) Auburn football outfit. It's easy to see why I'm wearing 6-9 month sizes. I'm just too stinkin' long to wear anything smaller.

Here's what I'm doing now that I'm 5 months old:
sleeping 11-12 hours each night

eating fruits and veggies ( the only veggie I don't like is green beans, but I'll eat ANYTHING else that Mommy and Daddy feed me!)
I can sit up by myself if there is a toy in front of me, but I topple over if I turn my head to the side

I had two bottom teeth come through my gums at the same time, and I now chew on anything I can get my hands on
My favorite word is "dadadada" and even though I don't know what I'm saying, it sure does make my Daddy smile
I love talking to my dog, Nudge and he likes to sniff and lick my feet.
I LOVE my toys, especially the ones that make noise
Mommy likes to take me on walks in my stroller. We go to Spring Park a lot and pretty soon I'll get to ride on the swings there!

Well, that's about it for now. In just a few weeks, I'll be half a year old!

Thanks for checking in...

My "new" highchair!

2010-09-17T18:23:00.001-07:00

"Excuse me, Daddy. I'm eating right now."

Not quite big enough, but I love my new highchair

I love to bite my spoon even more

Pears are so yummy!

The green beans are NOT yummy!

Thank you, Aunt Sara, for letting me borrow my cousin's highchair. Mommy and Daddy were getting tired of me trying to twist my way out of my Bumbo seat.

Just a typical day...

2010-09-10T12:04:00.000-07:00

After I eat my fruit cereal for breakfast, I like to play (or jump, rather) in my exersaucer. Mommy was able to catch a shot of me in mid-jump today.

I played SO hard this morning that I fell asleep on my play mat. I promise, Mommy put me down on my back on the sheepskin rug! I just preferred to roll over on my own...

After my nap, Mommy fed me pears for lunch and then I sat in Daddy's lap while he and Mommy watched a few episodes of FRIENDS on DVD. Daddy put my burp cloth on my head, but I posed for the camera :)

Well, it's time for another nap.

Thanks for checking in...

It's football time!

2010-09-06T19:32:00.001-07:00

Vandy may not have the best football team, but they have some of the best looking fans.

Go 'Dores!

Lake Winnie

2010-09-06T19:20:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, my immediate family was able to meet in Chattanooga. On Saturday, the Piggs, Walkers and Halls went to Lake Winnipesauka (sp?) and had a great time. Will was a trooper and let his mommy and daddy stay at the park until 2 pm! Here are a few pictures:

Camden and Scott LOVED it!

2010-08-29T13:37:00.000-07:00

Finally got a video of Will giggling. Too bad he couldn't keep his hand out of his mouth. The other video is typical of how Will acts in his exersaucer. He will act upset and then immediately switch to happy or watch TV for a few seconds. It cracks me up!

4 months

2010-08-29T12:44:00.001-07:00

I turned 4 months old on August 12th. My mommy took me to the doctor on the 18th and he sure was proud of how much I've grown. Dr. Hamilton told Mommy that I'm a healthy boy and I could start eating cereal and baby food. Mommy told him that I've been eating rice cereal since August 1st because she can't feed me all by herself anymore. I just need more and more food!

I already told you about my new tricks this month, but I didn't tell you my numbers from my doctor's visit.

I now weigh 16 lbs, 8 oz (80th percentile)
I'm 26 and 3/4 inches long (95th percentile)

I'm so long that I can't fit into my 6 month pajamas anymore! Mommy and Daddy have to put 9 month pajamas on me at night.

I'm finally enjoying bathtime and like to grab the cup that Mommy or Daddy use to rinse the soap off. Maybe they will get me some bath toys soon. I no longer scream during the after bath lotion/q-tip/bulb syringe time. My favorite time to smile and laugh is during diaper changes. I get so excited that I kick my legs back and forth, but Mommy and Daddy don't like that too much because they have a hard time getting my diaper on or clothes on me.

My puppy dog, Nudge, likes to lick my toes. But Mommy and Daddy don't let him do that very often. I like to talk to Nudge if he's in the den while I'm in my exersaucer. He just sits in his bed and listens to all of my stories.

Next weekend, Mommy and Daddy and I are going to Chattanooga, TN to see my Aunts and Uncles and Cousins. I haven't seen my cousin Carter since I was born, and I can't wait to play with him! Scott and Camden will be there, too. Mommy and Daddy will take lots of pictures and I will share them with you soon.

Until then, here are my 4 month pictures with my little horsie and Daddy's cowboy hat. The last picture is proof of how difficult it is to feed me while sitting in my bumbo. I immediately shift my hips so that I'm turned to the right and I either chew on the side of my bumbo or I grab my feet.

Look at what I can do!

2010-08-25T08:51:00.002-07:00

I found my feet at four months old! I love to suck on my big toe, but sometimes suck my thumb instead. My other new tricks are: rolling front to back and back to front, giggling A LOT when Mommy and Daddy find my tickle spots, reach and grab my toys above my head when I'm on my playmat, sit in my exersaucer for a long time, and eat rice cereal and fruit from a spoon!

I prefer to stand in someone's lap instead of sitting, unless I'm "reading" books.

My Mommy and Daddy think I am so much fun!

Baby Shower

2010-08-25T08:35:00.000-07:00

Josh and Kelli

Scott and Nana

Some of the guests

My Granny (Will's Granny-Gran)
Will is her 16th great grandchild and there are 2 more on the way!

More guests

Scott LOVES giving "Baby Will" kisses. He is going to be a great big brother!

My favorite picture of the day. Will got to spend some quality time with Aunt Sara (and a lot of that time was spent kicking his baby girl cousin in her belly!)

This past Saturday, Alan and Will and I went to Fayetteville, TN for a baby shower for Josh and Kelli (my first cousin and his wife.) We had lots of fun and Jeremy and Juli's house was packed with extended family members that I hadn't seen in probably 5 years!

We missed you, Michael and Stephanie and Carter. Can't wait to see you again.

3 months

2010-07-25T18:29:00.001-07:00

I can't believe that Will is already 3 months old! Time has flown by...
I started back working on July 1st and Will has been such a trooper. He lets Daddy wake him up at 5:30 each morning so Mommy can get to work by 7. This lets me be finished working around 3:30-ish. I'm working 4 days a week and Wednesday is my day to just be Will's mommy :)

I've added his 1 and 2 month pictures on this post to show just how much Will has grown.

He actually giggled for the first time last night while I was cleaning out his nose with the bulb syringe. He thought it was soooo funny. I'd rather him laugh than cry while I do that!

Here are the pictures:

3 months

3 months:

2 months:

1 month:

Thanks for checking in...

Videos

2010-07-24T06:30:00.000-07:00

This first video was taken a few days ago, right before Will's bedtime. He had just nursed and I promise I hadn't had any caffeine that day!

The second video is a glimpse of what Will does most of his waking hours: babble! I'm afraid he is not going to have very good conduct grades in school :)

Using my Hands!

2010-07-24T05:43:00.000-07:00

This last picture makes me laugh. Tigger was the first toy that he actually grabbed with his hands and held onto, or rather hugged. This started ~ 2 weeks ago and he now likes to grab anything within his reach, especially his Mommy's hair!

Thanks for checking in...

2010-07-11T16:41:00.001-07:00

This is Will's "teaching" pose. I think his thought is: "Okay, class. This is what we are going to learn today."

This was during one of MANY attempts to get Will to take a nap today. He slept a total of ~ 1 hour all day. He's actually asleep right now (6:45 pm) and I'm debating whether or not I want to just put him to bed for the night or wake him up ~ 8:00 for his last feeding...

"Look at me! I can hold my puppy dog now!"

Camden is reading to Will. Apparently, it is very important news for him to hear.

Nana and Papa with 3 of the 4 and 1/2 grandchildren.

I really hope this next one is a girl!

LOTS of Bumbo time!

2010-07-07T05:35:00.001-07:00

I had to post the second picture because the expression on Will's face is hilarious!
He was in "mid sentence" when it was taken.

Thanks for checking in...

Daddy's hand-me-down

2010-07-04T18:47:00.003-07:00

This bubble suit was Alan's when he was a baby, and Will wore it to church this morning.

I love having hand-me-down outfits from Will's "Walker boys" (cousins,) but I love his Daddy's hand-me-downs even more!

Thanks for checking in..

We might have a routine going!

2010-07-03T09:30:00.001-07:00

Since I have returned to work on Thursday, Will has begun a daily routine. My mom, aka Nana, kept Will my first day back. When I picked him up that afternoon, she told me that he took a 1 and 1/2 hour nap that morning and then a 2 and 1/2 hour nap that afternoon! He did the opposite on Friday with Mimi, my mother-in-law. These pictures below are from his 1 and 1/2 hour nap this morning! He also is sleeping from 8:30-5:30 at night! I really think that there's something to be said about "maternity leave" being for the baby to adjust as well. It seems that God decided for Will to begin his napping/sleeping through the night "routine" just in time for Mommy to return to work. It has (so far) been a BIG help for me to be able to sleep at night because hospital Physical Therapy requires me to be fully rested and ready to "exercise."

This first picture gives you a good view of his "horseshoe" hair pattern on the base of his skull. He has FINALLY started growing some hair on the top of his head, but the horseshoe pattern is still VERY prominent.

I just love this little guy!

Thanks for checking in...

Will's acting debut!

2010-06-28T07:19:00.000-07:00

Last night, our VBS began at Sherrod Avenue. The theme is Egypt and the kids will be learning about the story of Moses. To kick off VBS, our church presented a skit to the congregation of the story of baby Moses. Will and I were asked to play the parts of baby Moses and Jochabed. Will did great! He didn't even make a peep and had his eyes WIDE open the entire time. I couldn't help but laugh a little when I placed "Moses" in the basket because my little boy gave me the most puzzling look as if to say "What in the world is going on here, Mommy?"

We had to add a little bit to the scriptures by making sure Will had his pacifier with him in the basket :)

Here are a few pictures from last night. Sorry, Sara. We forgot the Flip video camera, but Alan did remember to bring our camera for pictures.

This was during last minute rehearsals. I love how Will has his hand on my coat. He loves to hold on to my clothing whenever I'm holding him.

Stage Right

Stage Left

Of course, "Mister Jody" lead an original "chant" for the kids to repeat prior to the skit.

I didn't quite hear all of it, but Alan said it went somewhat like this:

"Bring me the Hebrews!
Work them hard!
Build me a pyramid
In my yard!"

One of our elders played the role of Pharoah.
He was great!

That same elder's son was the narrator, and you can see there were several children there.

The actual skit where I place baby Moses in the basket.

I still can't believe how well Will did! I had fun, too and made sure NOT to look directly at the audience for fear that I might get stage fright and forget my lines :)

I think we will have to go back tonight and see all of the rooms that have been decorated. We went home right after the skit because we had already been there over 2 hours for practice and a short church service prior to kicking off VBS.

Will was asleep by 8:15 and slept until almost 5 this morning! All that acting wore him out!

Thanks for checking in...

Sheepskin Rug

2010-06-24T14:06:00.001-07:00

Will takes many naps on his sheepskin rug these days. It is so soft and warm and he loves it!

I also love the rug for its sentimental value. Sara, Michael and I had one of these rugs as babies and I became very attached to mine. It was "loved" so much that it practically fell apart. Mom tells me that long after the rug had been disposed, I found a small piece of it in the house and excitedly yelled "my rug!" I carried that small piece with me for a while :)

My parents got the first sheepskin rug for Sara when they were living as missionaries in New Zealand. Sara was born there and lived there for the first 6 months of her life before my family moved back to Nashville, TN.

When Sara was pregnant with Camden, my parents' first grandchild, Mom gave her a sheepskin rug. She actually ordered it from a company based in New Zealand.

Michael and Stephanie now have a rug for Carter and I have one for Will.

It has now become one of many family traditions that I cherish.

Thanks for checking in...

Bumbo

2010-06-23T07:32:00.001-07:00

Will tried out his Bumbo seat at Nana's house this morning. He seemed to like it, but as you can see in the bottom picture, he needs to think about it a little more before he makes his decision :)

Thanks for checking in...

Will's trip to Howell, TN

2010-06-23T06:55:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, Will and Nana and I went to visit "Granny-Gran" (my Granny) in Howell, TN. We had a great trip and all of us (except Will) enjoyed feasting on Granny's famous fried chicken for lunch. Will was able to sample the meal later that day :) Sara and the "little Walker boys" also came down from Nashville. Granny is my last living grandparent and I am so thankful that God is allowing Will to spend time with her. Not only is she an AMAZING cook, she is a wonderful Christian woman and I hope Will will be able to spend many more days with her in the future. By the way, Will is her 16th great-grandchild, and there are 2 more on the way!

Will took a good nap in Granny's lap while the rest of us chowed down at lunch.

He also took a nap in my Aunt Brenda's lap outside. This boy LOVES to nap outside!

While Will was sleeping, Scott and Camden played outside with Aunt Brenda's toys. She has 5 grandchildren that live nearby. So, plenty of riding toys and swings were available to entertain Sara's boys. I think they could play outside all day if someone would let them.

Scott liked swinging with his mommy (above) and his Nana (below.)

Camden chose to swing by himself. I can't believe how much he has grown up over the past year! I remember going to Sara's house almost every day after my classes in PT school to spend as much time as possible with Camden when he was a baby. I sometimes cry when I see how much he has grown. He is such a good boy! He is VERY respectful of others and is so polite and obedient with other adults. And he is so good with his cousin, Will, that I know he will be a big help to his Mommy when his baby brother or sister is born.

The FAVORITE toy was a monster truck power wheel. Camden just rode around in circles forward and backward forever!!! Scott took a few turns in between swinging with his Mommy and Nana.

We had such a fun day with the family! I hope we can do it again soon.

I feel terrible that I didn't get a picture of my Aunt Connie holding Will. She lives in Montgomery and I don't get to see her that often. We also had a great time visiting with her and hope that we can see her again soon.

2 Months

2010-06-13T19:42:00.000-07:00

Will's 2 month stats:
length: 24 inches (90th percentile)
weight: 12 lbs, 10 oz (80th percentile)
head circumference: 15.75 inches (55th percentile)

Will had his 2 month check-up with the Pediatrician last Tuesday. I wasn't looking forward to this visit because I knew that Will was getting his first shots. Thankfully, Alan had the day off due to working the previous weekend and he was able to come with us. As you can see above, his length and weight are well above average. It's a little comical to me that our son is in the 90th percentile in length since I'm only 5'2" and Alan is 5'10"... I just wonder if this will continue at future appointments. His length is what is causing him to outgrow his clothes so quickly. He's been wearing 3-6 month outfits since he was 6 weeks old!

Here are the pictures with the boots and hat. Once again, I had to keep Will from falling over in one of the pictures :)

His outfit is another hand-me-down from his Walker cousins.
I love it!

I want to get a picture of Will wearing his Daddy's hat each month to
gain another perspective of how much he is growing.

These last 2 pictures were taken after his bath tonight. Will LOVES bathtime now, but HATES the drying off/applying lotion/getting dressed afterwards. I had to get pictures tonight because this was the first time he didn't scream once he was wrapped in his duck towel.

We were even able to get a little smile out of him...

right before he started screaming AGAIN!

I hope this doesn't happen after all future baths...

More pictures of Will's personality.

2010-06-09T11:14:00.001-07:00

" I'm pretty Mad, Mommy."

" I'm so surprised!"

" This is my sad face."

" This is my happy face."

"Aunt Dinah's Park"

2010-06-09T10:50:00.001-07:00

On Tuesday, after Memorial Day, my family came to Tuscumbia to Spring Park. Camden and Scott call it "Aunt Dinah's Park," but I'm now trying to change it to "Will's Park."

The Walker boys enjoyed the swings, and we also rode the train that goes around the entire park. Camden and Nana (my Mom) rode the "dragon" roller coaster. I've never known my mother to ride any kind of roller coaster! Although this one was for little kids, I could easily see her white knuckles as she held onto the handrail as if her life depended on it...

Camden on the tire swing and the "red swing"

Scott also enjoying the red swings

You can see how thrilled Will was to be at the park :)
The only time he woke up was while riding the train.

We ended the day at the park with feeding the ducks and geese some crackers,
and then all of us headed to The Palace for some ice cream.

Thanks for coming to see me Nana, Sara, Camden, Scott and Mimi.
Will and I had lots of fun!

Oops!

2010-06-05T06:07:00.001-07:00

I've finally found something that I don't need to eat while breastfeeding: Paula Dean's barbecue meatloaf! I'm really sad because I love this recipe, which is saying a lot since I've always HATED meatloaf. On Thursday night, I decided to make it for dinner, and I ate a HUGE helping of it. Here's what happened afterwards...

I usually put Will to bed after his 9:30ish feeding. For the 3 previous nights, he was able to sleep until around 5:30 the next morning. On Thursday night, he woke up crying at 11:45. I gave him his pacifier and he went back to sleep. At 2:00 am, I heard him crying again. I thought "maybe he's hungry again" and I went to his room to feed him. When I entered the room, I saw him lift up his hind end in the air and make a VERY LOUD sound of flatulence... When he finished, he looked at me and grinned. I couldn't help but laugh. I fed him and put him back to bed wide awake, but he fell asleep in just a few minutes.

At 4:00, he woke up crying AGAIN! This time I could hear the emitting gases over the monitor. We are fortunate to have a video monitor (which I HIGHLY recommend for those mommies who have babies that like to grunt in their sleep.) I was also able to SEE the acrobatic moves that were involved in Will's attempts to rid his tummy of the gases. Hilarious!

Anyway, I decided that I would just get Will out of his bed and lie down on the couch with him. He fell asleep on my tummy (while lying on his tummy, too) and I didn't get much sleep from 4-5:30 due to the sounds erupting from my baby boy's hind end. Needless to say, Will and I were both pretty exhausted on Friday morning when Alan came to relieve me at 5:30.

Never again will I eat barbecue meatloaf until Will is weaned!

Memorial Day Weekend 2010

2010-05-30T14:26:00.001-07:00

This weekend, my entire immediate family was able to get together for the holiday weekend. It was the first time all 4 of Nana and Papa's grandchildren were together. I look forward to watching these 4 boys become good buddies as they get older.

Michael and Carter were the first to go swimming in Nana and Papa's pool. Carter LOVED it! He would squeal and splash the water with his hands.

Will mostly enjoyed sleeping by the pool. I tried to go in the water with him, but as soon as his feet touched the water he started climbing up my shoulder.

I think it was a little too cold for him.

Carter looks so cute in his Duck towel that Nana bought him.

He also enjoyed some time with Papa in the hammock.

Once again, Will preferred sleeping outside by the pool.

Scott is so adorable around babies! He just wants to hug and kiss them all of the time.

or show off his modeling poses...

I love Carter's smile!

Camden was a big help with Baby Will. He helped Nana give him his pacifier when he was fussy, and he used the end of a toy mop to make a mobile for his baby cousin.

He is one creative and smart boy!

I love this picture of Uncle Alan and Carter.

On Sunday afternoon, all 4 boys put on their matching outfits that Nana made for them. Each shirt has the boy's initial. I just wish Will was big enough to have worn those cute plaid shorts, too. Oh well, maybe Nana will make new ones for them next year. This is the first picture of all 4 grandchildren together. If Will was looking at the camera, it would be perfect.

Finally, Nana and Papa made a picture with the grandsons. Obviously, Will had had enough of the picture taking. He went to sleep in his carseat about 5 minutes after this picture! Those are 4 good-looking boys! And Nana would know if she didn't have good looking grandchildren :)

I hope God blesses us with many more times together. It's difficult right now with Michael and Stephanie in Knoxville, so we really enjoy their visits to Florence. Fortunately, we will all be together again Labor Day weekend in Chattanooga, TN.

Thanks for checking in...

These are a few of my favorite things

2010-05-27T05:33:00.001-07:00

Cute, chubby legs

plus two adorable feet

plus two little hands

and add in one cute face

All together, gets one adorable baby boy.

Here's a little hint of my personality...

2010-05-27T05:28:00.000-07:00

Recent videos of Will

2010-05-24T13:46:00.000-07:00

Will's first beach trip

2010-05-24T12:37:00.001-07:00

The three of us went to Destin, FL last week with Alan's parents. Will did well on the trip down and back to Florence, AL. We only had to stop a few times so I could feed him. Three of the 4 nights that we stayed there, Will went 7 hours between feedings! He still woke up at 3 am, but went right back to sleep when given a pacifier. It looks like he might start sleeping all night pretty soon (I hope.) We took a few videos of Will at the beach and in the pool with Daddy.

For all my PT friends: check out that ATNR!!!

"I'm ready to go to the beach!"
"Do you think my swimming trunks are too big?"

Some of my favorites of my baby boy sleeping.

2010-05-24T12:33:00.000-07:00

1 Month

2010-05-24T12:27:00.000-07:00

This post is 2 weeks late, but Will turned one month old on May 12th. His bedroom has a "cowboy/horse" theme and Alan and I have decided to take a picture of Will each month with his Daddy's boots and hat. So, here is the first month! Please excuse my hand and arm in a couple of these pictures. Will kept falling over onto his side despite our efforts to "prop" him upright :)

Thank you, Aunt Sara, for letting Will wear his cousin's "horse" outfit with coordinating shoes and bandanna!

Sorry Will had to have his pacifier in ALL of the pictures. He didn't want to cooperate without it :)

What to do when it's 90 degrees in Florence, AL...

2010-05-06T14:32:00.000-07:00

I know that the picture isn't the best quality... it was taken with my phone. This is what my baby boy did this afternoon: napped by Nana and Papa's pool. He actually spent ~ 10 minutes in the sun and then napped the rest of the time in the shade. He's getting ready for his cousins to come join him at the pool this summer :)

What we've been up to lately...

2010-05-03T05:59:00.001-07:00

Lots of burping after meals! I don't think Will minds being held in this position for burping :)

Wearing his funny frog hat that belonged to his cousin, Camden Walker.

Sleeping, sleeping, and...

more sleeping!!!!

Our dog, Nudge, is starting to warm up to the idea of a new person in our house. He wasn't sure what to make of baby Will the first few days at home. He constantly wanted to sniff and lick Will's head, hands and feet and Nudge also whined a lot when Will was in the same room with him. Now, he just comes in the room when he hears Will crying. Otherwise, he is back to his normal routine. I look forward to the day when Will and Nudge can play together.

To update you on our growing boy. He had his 2 week appointment with his pediatrician last Thursday and Will weighed in at a whopping 9 lbs, 3 oz. His birth weight was 8 lbs, 9 oz and only about half of the breastfed babies reach their birth weight by 2 weeks. So, I have a little "hungry, hungry hippo" on my hands. I'm very thankful for Will's easy transition into breastfeeding, but my arms are beginning to get a little tired when I hold him/carry him :)

Happy Anniversary!

2010-04-26T07:16:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that I've already been married to my wonderful husband for 2 years! Alan is one of the 2 most important blessings that God has given me, the other being our baby boy. I'm sure that I've posted this before, but meeting and marrying Alan was not in my original "plans" when I first moved to Florence, AL. The move was supposed to be temporary and I had planned to move back to Nashville after ~ 1 or 2 years of living with my parents and saving money for a down payment on a house. I smile as I look back on all that has happened since I moved here 4 years ago.

Of course, these pictures are backwards...

Our engagement: September 15th, 2007

Our many hiking trips: 2006-2007

Alan is officially part of the family when he comes on the "Pigg Family Vacations"
May 2007 ( I love Stephanie squeezing herself in this one! )

Our first picture: September 2006

I'm most thankful for the wonderful examples of Godly marriage that are in both of our families. Both of my sets of grandparents were married for 50+ years and Alan's grandparents have celebrated 60 years of marriage! Our parents have been married for 30+ years and continue to be great examples of successful/happy marriages.

I pray that Alan and I follow in their paths and that God will continue to bless our marriage in the future.

I love you, Alan and thank God for you.

Thanks for checking in...

William Alan Hall is here!

2010-04-15T14:11:00.001-07:00

Our sweet baby boy arrived Monday, April 12th, 2010 @ 8:56 pm. He weighed in at 8 lbs, 9 oz and was 21.5 inches in length. I love him more and more each time I lay my eyes on him! God is so good! We were able to come home today and he has done well so far. He picked up on the breastfeeding as if he was a professional, which was one thing I was most worried about. In the hospital he slept over 5 hours in between feedings on the second night! I really hope that he continues this at home :)

Here's a short version of what happened:

I was scheduled to see my OB Monday morning @ 7:50. Alan and I drove separately to the appointment and from the time I got into the car until I was called back to see the OB I had already had 3 pretty strong and painful contractions. The doctor came in the exam room and asked me how I was feeling. I told him about the contractions, he examined me, and then told me to get dressed because he was calling the hospital. When he returned, he told me I was dilated to 4+ cm and that I needed to head to labor and delivery. It apparently had not sunk in to Alan and me that we were having the baby because Alan said, "So... when are we going to have our baby." ":) The doctor's response was, "probably by dinner time tonight."

We head over to the hospital, and after being monitored for an hour, I was sent to a labor and delivery room with contractions being 2-3 min apart.

By 11 o'clock, I was dilated 6 cm and fully effaced! The OB came in and broke my water, 30 min later I was having my epidural.

By 5:00 that afternoon it was time to start pushing...

2 and 1/2 hours of pushing later, the OB decides that Will is not going to fit through my pelvis without the help of the vacuum suction and a lot of tearing. He recommends a c-section, to which I respond "just get this boy out of me, please."

At 8:56 pm that night, I heard the first cry of my sweet baby boy and my heart melted. I've been in LOVE with this little one ever since then :)

Here are just a few pictures of many that will come of little William Alan Hall.

Thanks for checking in...

OB visit

2010-04-05T14:11:00.000-07:00

We're now at the home stretch. 38 week OB appointment this morning. Here's the stats:

My BP: 128/78
Will's heart rate: nurse didn't tell me this time, but I still heard a strong heartbeat.
My body's "progression" thus far: dilated 3 cm and 60% effaced!

I realize I could stay at this point for a while, but I'm really thinking that this little boy may come any day now. I've had some consistent contractions since Saturday evening and Will HATES for me to be in the upright position (sitting or standing.) I'm feeling a lot of pain whenever I'm sitting or standing and haven't had any heartburn for at least 2 days now (I was working on polishing off a BIG bottle of TUMS over the last 2 weeks.)

So, the doctor's "plan" is to check me at next Monday's appt (39 weeks) and then will schedule an induction the middle of next week. He prefaced all of that with "if he doesn't come before your next appointment."

I'm planning to continue working at the hospital through this Wednesday and will then take some time off before my baby boy arrives.

However, GOD has His plans already set and I can't wait to find out when He decides it's time for Will to come see us!

Thanks for checking in...

LONG overdue pictures.

2010-03-21T14:57:00.001-07:00

I promise that Alan has taken pictures of me during this pregnancy, but I keep forgetting to ask him to load them onto the computer. I am still VERY intimidated by his high tech digital camera, and I'm just going to let him be the photographer right now. These pictures were taken at:

28 weeks

32 weeks

36 weeks

Next OB appt is tomorrow morning, and I hope there has been some "progression" in my preparation for delivering Baby Will. His room is just about ready and my bags are packed. This past work week has been VERY busy and I've been walking, lifting, pushing, and pulling right along side the other therapists (as best I can.) So, hopefully that's helped move things along. Will is moving a TON right now and seems to have the hiccups every 2 hours around the clock. I'm trying to enjoy these last few weeks of feeling him moving inside me because I know I'll miss that feeling once he's finally here.

Thanks for checking in...

OB visit

2010-03-15T11:09:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a month since I've last updated the blog. A lot has been going on...

3 baby showers hosted by wonderful friends and family of which I am so thankful.
Moving furniture and decorating Will's bedroom.
Washing all of the new little outfits for our sweet baby boy
Continuing my full-time IP physical therapy job. (We've been VERY busy)

So, I went to the doctor this morning for my 35 week OB appointment. Now we are down to weekly visits! Here's the stats to date:

My BP: 128/70 (still normal, but a little high for me)
Will's heartrate: the nurse didn't tell me this time, but it's still going strong ( We could hear Will's hiccups when she was listening to the heartbeat)
Here's the surprise: I'm 2 cm dilated! I know that I could stay like this for the next 5 weeks, but I really think that the strenuous nature of my job has sped up the process a little bit (I'm thankful for that.)

Doc said that I haven't "thinned out" any and he didn't seem to think that the baby was coming this week. But I can still hope, can't I??? As long has he comes after 36 weeks, there should be no developmental issues. He decided to do another US to make sure Baby Will was still doing OK, and he's guessing that he already weighs in at 6 lbs. His quote: "It still looks like you may have an 8 pound baby." As long as he's healthy, it doesn't matter how BIG he is at delivery.

I'm really beginning to feel the "aches and pains" of the 3rd trimester, but thankfully haven't had a big problem with swelling yet.

I don't know if this will indicate the personality of our little boy, but he was shy during the ultrasound today. He didn't show his face at all, but according to the tech "He only wants to show that he's definitely a BOY." Spread eagle again...

Thanks for checking in...

OB visit

2010-02-14T04:54:00.001-08:00

I went for my final 4 week OB appointment on Friday morning. Now I'm every 2 weeks. Will is gonna be here before we know it!!!

Stats from the visit:

My BP: 120/76 (which is actually high for me, but still normal)
Will's heartrate: 174 bpm ( the highest it's ever been so far)
My Stomach measurement: 32 cm (What?!?!?)

The last one is what I am most surprised about. I've read in a few pregnancy books that the tummy measurement should coincide with the week in pregnancy, i.e. 30 weeks PG = 30 cm. When I went to the doctor on Friday, I was 30 weeks and 5 days pregnant. He measured my tummy, furrowed his brow, said "Hmmm", then palpated my belly (to which Will responded with a roundhouse kick to my gut.) The doctor helped me to sit up, I asked him a few questions, we talked for a few minutes, and he then said, "Let's have another ultrasound." To which I responded, "Okay!" I was excited to get to see my sweet baby boy again. I haven't had an US of him since I was 18 weeks pregnant and we found out that we were having a boy. After my enthusiastic response, the doctor said, " because you are measuring about a week ahead of schedule. We need to see how big he really is." To which, I responded "okay" in a slower, shocked tone.

The reason I'm so shocked is because the thought never crossed my mind that I might deliver earlier than my predicted due date. My sister, Sara, carried both her boys after her due date and my brother's wife, Stephanie, went almost an entire week after her due date with her son. I just assumed I would fall in line with them...

My US is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 26th at my next MD appt. I'll let you know what we find out.

I have some first cousins who were 10 lbs babies at birth, and I'm beginning to get a little worried that Will might end up being a baby that size :0

Thanks for checking in...

Favorite Super Bowl Commercial

2010-02-08T06:01:00.000-08:00

Doritos - House Rules @ Yahoo! Video

Will's Baby Quilt

2010-01-29T16:21:00.000-08:00

My mom sent me pictures via her cell phone of Will's quilt that will match the bedding. It is adorable! I am always so amazed at my mother's seamstress abilities (especially since I have trouble even sewing on a button!)

Here are the pictures:

Only 11 weeks to go!!!

Thanks for checking in...

OB visit

2010-01-19T05:10:00.000-08:00

Saw the actual OB that will be delivering Will this week. If you've read my last post, you'll know that the nurse practitioner praised me on my weight gain so far, despite the amount that I gained over 1 month. Well, this visit was completely different...

I have now gained 24 lbs and have a little over 12 weeks to go. My OB says, " You're gaining weight a little too fast. You like your carbs???" Now, I have to agree that I have gained 14 of my 24 lbs in the last 2 months. Oops! But you have to keep in mind that I was in the 2nd trimester, feeling good, enjoying food again, and those 2 months just happened to fall during the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays. And I have decided that Will and Mommy both share a love for sweets :)

I'm not going to worry too much about my weight so far, but I'm going to try to limit my weight gain to around 10 more lbs over these last weeks (but if I gain more, I won't be upset.) So, I've begun eating more fruits, vegetables and protein and a little less sugar.

Other info from the visit:

Passed the glucose tolerance test with flying colors (thank goodness!)
Baby Will's heartrate: 160 bpm and going strong
BP: 120/62
My blood work showed that my hematocrit was 3.5 points below the normal range, which probably means that my iron is a little low. Nurse practitioner wanted me to take iron pills, but I was able to convince my OB that it wasn't really necessary. Not to be TMI, but my digestive system has been sooooo regular this entire time that I didn't want to start messing with it by taking iron supplements in my 3rd trimester.

I have one more 4 week appointment next month and then it's every 2 weeks! Alan and I have done NOTHING in Will's room, but my wonderfully talented mom has begun sewing on his baby bedding. I hope this weekend we'll be moving all of the furniture out of the office to the guest bedroom and begin work on the baby's room. At least we don't have to paint the walls! We are leaving them brown and going with brown/blue/beige colors in the bedding.

I'll close with a picture of the horse applique that will be sporadically placed in Will's bedding. The fabric is a polka dot that will be used in Will's quilt and bumper pad. I'm also using a stripe pattern fabric in the bedding along with a solid beige fabric.

Thanks for checking in..

2009-12-16T14:51:00.000-08:00

No pictures in this post, sorry. I went for a check-up yesterday on Baby Will. His heart rate is 164 bpm and very strong. I was a little nervous about what the scale would show since I didn't hold back this year at Thanksgiving (I gained 3 lbs during that week alone!) I couldn't quite remember my weight at the last check-up, but I'm pretty sure that I gained 7 or 8 lbs in 1 month!

When the nurse practitioner came in to talk with me she kept saying over and over how great my weight gain was going. I was a little confused and said, "but i gained almost 8 lbs this last month, with 3 lbs of it in 1 week." This is what her response was:

"Don't worry about it at all. I saw a patient the day before Thanksgiving and then on the following Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Her weight gain in that short period of time was 18 lbs. So, you are doing well."

Needless to say, that made me feel better...

Thanks for checking in.

Recent pictures of Carter.

2009-12-12T05:14:00.000-08:00

Alan took some great pictures of Carter during Thanksgiving weekend with my family. The first picture is my absolute favorite! He is sitting in the lap of my Uncle Steve, who also shares the same birthday with Carter.

20 weeks

2009-12-07T06:57:00.001-08:00

We are now past the 20 week mark. Half-way!!!

I have now gained 16 lbs, 3 of those being added on during Thanksgiving... Have I mentioned that I actually enjoy being pregnant during the Holidays? It's the only time I can eat and not even think about watching my weight.

Cardiologist update: I had my echo around week 17 and was told that I have the normal, very common heart murmur. Both tricuspid and bicuspid valves have a small leak, but my overall heart function was normal. Thanks for the prayers.

We found out at 18 weeks that we are having a baby boy! His name is William Alan Hall, and will be called "Will." I'm a big fan of using family names with children and it's obvious where the name "Alan" comes from, but our baby's first name is also my Mother's maiden name. For those of you that remember, my Mom lost both of her parents within a 4 month period. My Pappaw returned "home" in October 2008 and my Mammaw followed shortly thereafter in February 2009. So, my baby Will is their namesake. I know that they will be celebrating with the rest of us in April when Will makes his appearance :)

Now I've begun looking for ideas for baby registry items as well as ideas for baby bedding. My wonderful and talented mother will be making the crib bedding, and I've had a blast looking at all different kinds of fabrics! We will be converting our office into Will's room and I'm going with a (hopefully) tasteful horse/cowboy theme. Alan used to own a horse and would probably get another one today if we had room on our lot. I have plans to hang his cowboy hat on the wall and get some letters made from horse shoes to spell Will's name on the wall. The bedding will have a simple horse shaped applique sporadically placed along with Will's monogram. I don't want to get too busy with horse/cowboy stuff... I'll post pictures when the room begins to come together.

I'll close with the latest US picture of Will. It's so nice to finally know the gender and start REALLY planning for his arrival.

Thanks for checking in...

16 weeks PG

2009-11-11T18:40:00.001-08:00

I'm now officially in my 2nd trimester, and am doing well. As seen in the pictures, my belly is definitely beginning to look like I have a baby in there (and not like I've eaten too many sweets.)
These were taken on Saturday (11/7) at 16 weeks and 5 days preggo.

I've recently celebrated my 30th birthday, and one of my good friends at work gave me a body pillow. It's the BEST invention ever!!! I didn't realize how much better I could sleep with one of those to "cuddle." The only downside is that I'm slowly but surely pushing Alan closer and closer to the edge of the bed...

Next Tuesday is the day we (hopefully) find out if Baby Hall is a boy or girl. I'll take any advice as to what to drink or eat before the US to ensure that baby will be moving enough to see his or her "parts."

I hope to get the results of my Echo in the next 3-4 days. Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers.

The next pictures will be those of Baby boy or girl Hall...

Thanks for checking in :)

First Profile Picture

2009-10-12T17:12:00.001-07:00

These pictures were taken on 10/10/2009 @ 12 weeks and 6 days PG, AND at the END of the day when my belly is actually showing. Alan is still working out the kinks in our new camera, and that's why I look a little like a smurf in the top 2 pictures :) These are unedited at the moment. I know I wouldn't take better pictures because I'm definitely intimidated by the camera...

I'm now (hopefully) over the first trimester "ickies" and really can't complain too much about the first 12 weeks. It went better than I expected and I'm very thankful for that!

I weigh myself on my work scale (which is always at least 5 lbs higher than a home scale) once a week and have so far gained ~ 7 lbs during the first trimester. My cravings are still leaning toward sweets and apple "foods" of any kind.

I do have a prayer request from those that are reading this blog. I am scheduled to see a Cardiologist on Nov. 5th to make sure that my heart murmur is benign. I was "diagnosed" with the heart murmur by my college Anatomy professor during an anatomy lab session involving EKGs, but was told it wasn't a big deal and never really gave it another thought. It still may not be an issue, but I'm being referred for an Echo and visit to the Cardiologist just to be on the safe side. So, please pray that all goes well :)

The next profile pictures will be @ 16 weeks PG. Thanks for checking in.

Can't get enough...

2009-10-05T05:35:00.000-07:00

My diet now includes Nilla Wafers, Cocoa Crispies, Gushers fruit snacks, applesauce and Golden Delicious apples (thank you, Sara for introducing me to those great apples!)

Do you think I need some protein, too? :)

I'm still not really LOVING meat right now, but was able to eat a plate of spaghetti yesterday for lunch. But, I have eaten more than my fair share of popcorn chicken from Sonic or Jack's chicken fingers.

I think my cravings are beginning to switch to "sweet" mode...

Oops!

2009-09-19T05:57:00.000-07:00

As I've mentioned before, Alan and I were VERY surprised to find out that we were having a baby. It is another lesson to me that God is in control and His plans never fail to surprise me. For example:

About 11 years ago, I moved away from Montgomery to attend college in Nashville, TN. I fell in love with Nashville from the first day that I was there and vowed to NEVER move back to Alabama again... I've just recently entered my 4th year of being a Florence, AL resident :)

August 2006: I graduated from PT school and moved in with my parents in Florence temporarily. My plan was to live at home for 1 to 2 years and save my money so I could purchase a home in Nashville and live there... Did I mention that I've begun my 4th year in Florence??? As it turns out, I met Alan there and God apparently decided that he would be my future husband. Alan is one of the best parts of "God's Plan" so far.

Fast forward to earlier this summer. For the 2 years that I was taking birth control, I was miserable. I've never felt such a loss of control over my emotions, and my weight. I cried at least 5 nights a week for no reason at all and gained 15+ pounds because I also had NO energy whatsoever. It may have been depression, but I didn't think that was even a consideration since all of these "problems" started when I began taking birth control. So, around the beginning of June I sat down with Alan and had a serious discussion about me going off birth control. I did the research before and presented my case very well, my biggest point being "I'm not wanting to stop birth control so I can get pregnant." That was always MY plan, but apparently not God's. Alan agreed with the decision because he also saw the changes that the "pill" had caused. For those that know me well, you know that I've always had a great attitude and made jokes a lot. I'm even considered the "silly one" in my family. All that was gone during that 2 year period.

So, July 11th, 2009: I took my last pill.

Oops! August 12th, 2009 @ 4:00 pm: First + pregnancy test.

August 12th, 2009 @ 10:00 pm: Alan states "I'm not yet convinced." Second + pregnancy test.

August 13th, 2009 @ 7:30 am: I'm not fully convinced. Third + pregnancy test.

My (selfish plans): 1. Stop taking the pill, 2. Lose 10 pounds, 3. MAYBE start trying to get pregnant in October or November 2009.

God's plans: 1. Stop taking pill, 2. Get pregnant, 3. Gain 20 - 30 pounds, 4. Lose the weight after the baby arrives

Although God's plan will be a bit more challenging in the end, I think I'm up for it. He has blessed Alan and me with a good home, great parents (all who live in Florence and may handle the child care when I get back to work, hopefully), and a wonderful church home. This "little one" is another great blessing that He is giving to us. We are both praying diligently for the health and safety of this child and trust that His Will be done regardless of the outcome. I often think "Who am I, that I should be blessed by God?" The answer is always " I am His child, that He loves dearly."

That's all of my ramblings for now. Thanks for reading...

The first 2 months

2009-09-07T15:14:00.001-07:00

Thank the Lord I have been able to get through the first 8 weeks without getting really sick (yet.) But what I have been struggling with is nothing other than pure exhaustion!!! I go to bed by 9:00 most nights and have to drag myself out of bed at almost 7 every morning. By the time I get home from work I'm ready to go to bed for the day, but force myself to stay awake at least until Alan gets home from work :) As I mentioned before I haven't gotten sick, but I have felt "puny" most of the day.

As far as cravings are concerned, the first few weeks after finding out I was pregnant all I wanted and could tolerate eating was chicken fingers and french fries. Needless to say, I gained 3 pounds in the first 3 weeks! But now all I want is cheese, bananas, applesauce, and yogurt. So, the fruit and dairy are taken care of... For those of you that know me well, you will be surprised to know that I have no desire to eat anything chocolate or really sweet.

It's taken a little while for Alan to get used to the idea of our family of 2 soon changing to 3, but he's beginning to come around. After I told him that I was pregnant, I wasn't able to mention the word "baby" for at least 3 days because he was so shocked. That being said, this "little one" was not our idea, but apparently God's!

I haven't taken any belly pictures yet, and refuse to call it my "baby bump." It may be strange, but I never really liked using that term. I may refer to it as the "belly explosion" later in the pregnancy! I'll probably start the pictures around week 10-12.

I'm curious to read what any of you think about my cravings and if it means we're having a boy or a girl. At this point, I just hope it's one baby and not two :)

Well, that's all of my ramblings...
Thanks for the prayers.

Baby!

2009-09-06T05:35:00.000-07:00

It's now official!

Alan and I are having a baby!!!

I'm 8 weeks pregnant today and the baby is due April 17th, 2010.

I'm so excited and scared at the same time, but know that God is watching over us.

If anyone out there still reads my blog, please pray for a healthy baby...

More Pictures

2009-08-01T18:08:00.000-07:00

These are the rest of the pictures that I took with my phone. Camera pictures hopefully coming soon :)

Three generations of Piggs. When my dad called his mother to tell her the news, my Granny teared up, saying "I've now lived to see 6 generations of Pigg men."

Nana, Papa, Carter and Daddy. Wow, it sure hasn't sunk in that my "little" brother is now a father. However, I know that he'll be a wonderful Daddy for Carter.

Nephew # 3 is here!!!

2009-08-01T17:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Carter Jackson Pigg came into the world! And I was fortunate enough to be able to be there. He weighed 6 lbs, 9.8 oz and was 19 inches long. This picture is how he was all afternoon yesterday. He kept his eyes open wide and never cried; just looked at all of his family members that were there. I have more pictures from the weekend, but haven't loaded them onto my computer yet.

On the way back, we detoured through Nashville and stopped by Sara and Brian's house. I love the bottom picture because it's the first one I've seen where both Camden and Scott are smiling "naturally." They love their Nana so much and didn't want her to leave. I may be biased, but I have the 3 cutest nephews in the world and love them all so much!

Both of these pictures were taken with my phone, so the quality isn't that great. Sorry...

That's a first!

2009-07-08T18:24:00.000-07:00

An inpatient at one of the 2 hospitals where I work said this to me the other day:

"There's a special place in Hell for people like you."

5 minutes after she is sitting on the edge of her bed, doing leg exercises:

"You are so sweet! Thank you for helping me."

Never a dull moment...

New Diagnosis?

2009-06-24T04:45:00.001-07:00

Diagnoses I read on an outpatient MD order yesterday:

lumbar spine strain with lumbodadicuilipy

I've heard of the first one, but NEVER heard of the second one.

- Pretty sure it meant to say lumbar radiculopathy

- I'm pretty sure the patient wasn't legitimate anyway...

Kissing?

2009-06-17T19:23:00.000-07:00

Last week, Amanda and I were in a patient's room for her initial PT evaluation. She had undergone a total hip replacement late in the afternoon the previous day. Needless to say, she was still pretty "drugged" from the anesthesia and morphine pump. Her sister was in the room with her when we entered. After we told the sister who we were and what we were going to do, this is the conversation that occurred:

Sister: (to patient) "Just say Jesus! and everything will be alright. It won't hurt a bit."

Patient: "What?!?"

Sister: (repeatedly to patient) "Just say Jesus! Just say Jesus!"

Then, the sister leans over to us and says in a very serious tone: "Just so you know, there will be no K-U-S-I-N-G."
(After about 30 seconds of a puzzled look from me, I finally realize that the sister is trying to spell 'cussing.' However, the patient doesn't catch on as quickly...)

Patient: "Kissing! Who's gonna be kissing!!!"

To which I immediately respond: "I promise there will be no kissing or cussing going on in this room."

- I guess you had to be there, but the rest of the evaluation went well except for the sister shouting 'Jesus' the entire time. I thought we were going to have a church service before it was over.

*Never a dull moment!

Cardiac Rehab???

2009-06-11T15:02:00.000-07:00

The PT department at the hospital is connected with the Cardiac Rehab department. So, there are several exercise classes going on throughout the day. Typically, the patient population is over 65 years of age. When I'm sitting in the department documenting my evals, I often hear the music that the class is listening to while exercising.

This is what I heard the other day:

The 1980s hit "All I want to do is make love with you."

I couldn't help but laugh thinking about the average age of these patients and the irony ( in my mind) of them exercising to this song.

Hmmm...

Hmmm...

2009-06-03T04:58:00.001-07:00

The Speech therapist that works at the hospital told me about this patient that she is seeing:

Admitting Diagnosis: Patient thinks he is God.

This individual also has a history of tongue/throat cancer and has had a significant surgical removal of the cancer, creating a deformity of the neck.

The patient's explanation of the deformity: it is the result of him being hung on the cross.

Yesterday, the speech therapist went to treat him and when she walked into his room he stated, "God doesn't want to see you right now."

I can't imagine how I would be able to evaluate or treat this individual!

One more funny

2009-05-22T14:10:00.000-07:00

My co-worker, Amanda, reminded me of another medical terminology funny that we came across a few weeks ago:

"Patient suffered a humerus fracture just above the knee."

- Well, the humerus IS above the knee...

Medical Terminology funnies

2009-05-21T14:13:00.001-07:00

I've been doing inpatient PT for a little over a year now, and have read A LOT of "history & physical" info sheets in charts. I'm going to try to post some of the humorous sayings that I read. So, I'll start off with 2 that I've read recently:

1. "Patient suffered a kidney fracture a few months ago."

- Gotta be careful not to break those kidney bones, you know :)

2. " The patient had a colonoscopy for a few months, but it was removed recently."

- Didn't think that they left the "camera" inside you when you had one of those done. That would be pretty painful.

Now, I need to state that the physicians dictate the history and physical for each patient that they see in the hospital. So, they are not the ones to blame for these statements. But I would think that the ones actually typing the dictations would have some background knowledge of medical terminology. I guess that's not a high priority when hiring someone for this position.

I always enjoy coming across these at work. There's never a dull moment....

Bush is Funny

2009-02-16T14:31:00.000-08:00

Thought this was hilarious! Just ignore the gesture he makes with his finger...

New Member of the Hall Family

2009-02-11T17:38:00.000-08:00

Alan and I have been talking for a few months about possibly getting a dog. Our first thoughts were to get a full-blooded Dacshund, but those are pretty expensive. Last week, we decided to look at the puppies at the local animal shelters.

And we found him!

He is a Beagle mix (with what looks to be possibly Jack Russell Terrier)
and his name on the website is "Nudge." My second choice to a Dacshund was a beagle, and Alan's was a Jack Russell Terrier. So I guess we both got what we wanted.

Not only did the picture convince us to get him, but the name did too.

So, on Tuesday we'll be bringing him home. I've got a LOT of learning to do, being that I never had a pet my entire life thus far. Growing up in the Hall family, Alan has always had a dog. So he's the expert right now. Depending on his size as an adult,
he may or may not be an "inside" dog.

He'll be about 7 weeks old when we get him.

2009-02-10T14:48:00.000-08:00

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

You Are Influential and Skilled

You are balanced, orderly, and organized. You like your ducks in a row.
You are powerful and competent, especially in the workplace.
People can see you as stubborn and headstrong. You definitely have a dominant personality.

You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing.
You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long.
You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start.

You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people.
You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts.
You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals.

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.
You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.
You have the classic "Type A" personality.

You are truly an original person. You have amazing ideas, and the power to carry them out.
Success comes rather easily for you... especially in business and academia.
Some people find you to be selfish and a bit overbearing. You're a strong person.

Hmmm.... A lot of it is pretty accurate. Definitely the "stubborn and headstrong" part. Not too proud of that one.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Tagged

2009-01-18T13:11:00.000-08:00

Hayley tagged me to pick the 4th folder of my pictures and then the 4th picture in that folder. This is what I found! This was taken December 6th, 2003 on my sister's wedding day. It was such a wonderful day and I'm so glad that each of these beautiful ladies were there to share it with Sara. I miss all of you and can't wait to see you in a few months!

I now tag:
Anna P
Judy M
Sara W
Stephanie P

So long Sally :(

2008-11-11T13:46:00.000-08:00

I've driven my mustang for the last time... Since the economy is so bad and you can get a great deal on a new car, Alan and I have decided that it's finally time to get me a more reliable vehicle.

I've had my mustang since my freshman year of college (1998,) and it's been a good car for the past 10 years. Surprisingly, I've not had any major problems with it at all. It's sad that I'll not be driving "Sally" anymore, but I'm very excited to be getting a new car!

Since Alan works at the Ford dealership in Florence, he gets a REALLY GOOD discount on vehicles if he chooses to buy one. So, hopefully I'll have a 2009 Ford Fusion by the end of this week. Here's what it looks like.

The one that I'll be getting is silver, and it's really pretty :)
But I care the most about the practicality of this car. It will have much better gas mileage and it's a 4 door vehicle! Perfect for starting a family....

But the Hall family will remain 2 people for a little while longer.

Yessss!

2008-09-21T05:13:00.001-07:00

The 'Dores are now 4-0!

And 2-0 in the SEC!

Why?

2008-09-13T05:10:00.000-07:00

Why must my husband wake up at 5:30 EVERY morning? Yes, even on the weekends! Because I'm a pretty light sleeper (I think), I also am awake at 5:30 EVERY morning...

At this time of year, the sun isn't even up that early!

New Addition to the Hall House!

2008-09-07T05:09:00.001-07:00

Here's the newest addition to the Hall household. Hopefully, it will be delivered to our house in the next week or so. Finally! No more eating at cardboard tables! :)

2008-08-27T14:17:00.001-07:00

Another season of Vanderbilt Commodores football begins tomorrow night against Miami University.

Go 'Dores!!!

New Bike!

2008-08-16T05:11:00.000-07:00

For those of you who know Alan, you know how much he loves riding his bike. Not a motorcycle, but an actual bike that you have to pedal with your feet to get anywhere. He started riding about a year ago, and it began with mountain biking. He stopped mountain biking (per my request) after this happened one day while riding ALONE!!!

Sorry if any of you have queasy stomachs. :( This happened around August of last year, and that's the last time he's gone mountain biking by himself. He was very lucky to not have any broken bones or closed head injury from going head first into the side of a hill! God was watching out for him that day.

Anyway, since this accident, he's picked up road cycling with a group of people. There are times that he will ride by himself, but those times are few and far between. He usually rides every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon and most Saturdays, if he's not working. For the last several months we've been talking about and shopping for a bike for me. As of this week, I am now the owner of a Trek 2009 model. It's so new that there are no pictures of this bike yet. It was ordered this week and I hope to have it by next weekend. It may take a few months of training before I am able to ride the 30-60 miles that Alan and his group rides each time, but I'm gonna work on it. I may be at the back of the group every time, but I'm going to enjoy sharing something else with my husband! He's been wanting me to start riding for a long time and I am excited to be starting soon.

As soon as I get the bike I'll post a picture of it on my blog.

2008-07-25T18:26:00.000-07:00

Alan's cousin sent him an e-mail with a link to this guy, Tim Hawkins. He's really funny and has several videos/songs on youtube. I just wanted to share this one.

New Blogger!

2008-07-15T16:49:00.001-07:00

My cousin, Nathan, has started a blog. And it is hilarious!

Check it out:

http://thatsfordernsure.blogspot.com/

Welcome to the blogging world, cuz!

Evil Eye

2008-07-06T15:03:00.000-07:00

http://youtube.com/watch?v=JceD_7q1r3s

This is so cute! Just wanted to share...

Thank You Dr. Halle

2008-06-30T14:31:00.000-07:00

Conversation I had with my fellow PT co-worker today:

co-worker: "A Dr. just called me and asked me about BPPV and how to treat it. Do you know?
me: "Well, it's when the small crystals in the Otilith organ of the inner ear become dislodged, causing vertigo symptoms that should last up to 1 minute. It's treated with the Halpike (sp?) maneuver, but I don't know how to do that."
co-worker: "I'll just look up some information on the internet and send it to the MD"

When she looked it up it said exactly what I told her.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vertigo/DS00534/DSECTION=causes

Somehow I was able to pull that out of the dark recesses of my brain. Thank you Dr. Halle (my neuroscience professor in PT school!)

Highly Recommend

2008-06-23T15:01:00.000-07:00

Alan and I just signed up with Comcast Digital Cable recently and were able to get OnDemand at no extra cost. This is a 6 month special going on right now. So, if we decide to keep it longer than the first 6 months, our monthly bill is probably going to double! Anyway, this allows us to watch free movies or pay $5 to watch a newly released movie. About a week ago, "Secondhand Lions" was added to the free movie list. Neither one of us knew anything about it, but we decided to take a chance and watch it anyway. We loved it! Both of us thought it was a really funny movie. And it was sweet, too. I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't seen it yet.

Priceless!!

2008-06-20T14:59:00.000-07:00

I was looking through some pictures on my computer and came across this one.

This picture was taken the day my parents found out Sara was pregnant with
their first grandchild, Camden. The look on their faces shows how shocked they were.

I love it!

Correction...

2008-06-18T14:27:00.000-07:00

In the previous post, I listed XBox as one of the game systems that we own. I need to correct that:

We have a GameCube. (Which i think is practically the same thing.)

Too many game systems???

2008-06-13T14:13:00.001-07:00

Anyone who knows me well enough knows that I love playing games. Board games, card games, sports, puzzles, and video games. Well, Alan also loves to play games, especially video games. Now don't think that he is a "computer nerd/gaming nerd." He also loves camping, hiking, running, and riding his bike on 50+ mile rides. He's just also really into video games.

When we first started dating, he introduced me to Guitar Hero, one of my favorites. I would love to play that game for hours on end! But that's the extent of my ability to play any 3-D video games. I prefer 2 dimensional games. Which is why I have kept the Super Nintendo game system that my family had when we were younger. And recently, my mom found in her basement the Nintendo 64 that we had.

Anyway, the two game systems that I have are the only ones that Alan does not have. Now that we are married, I think we have all of the game systems that have been created! Here's the list:

1. Nintendo
2. Super Nintendo
3. Nintendo 64
4. Sega Genesis
5. X Box
6. Playstation 2
7. Playstation 3
8. Wii

I have said for weeks that I would love to have a Wii, but I always followed that statement with "but I don't want to spend that much money." Finally, I gave in and we bought one last week. It's the only 3-D video game system that I can actually play, and I love it. We played the "Wii Sports" games for almost 2 hours the first night we had it, and I haven't laughed that hard in a while. Sara, Brian, Stephanie and Michael: there's lots to do at our house if you ever want to come stay with us :)

Are we addicted or what? How many game systems does one person need???

St Lucia

2008-06-13T14:09:00.001-07:00

I want to go back...