Livin' Life

Making Caelin's food...

2012-02-01T12:00:00.006-06:00

So, I got on a little kick and thought it might be a money saver to make Caelin's food. So, I bought ($40) a "Baby Bullet" from a friend and got to making some food! It was easy with recipes that come with the machine. Depending on what foods you are making, you can use fresh food items, or you may have to steam some items. We made Avocado (you just put fresh in there and hit blend) and Pears/Peaches/Broccoli (have to steam these first). Now we did spend 2 hours to complete all this, but provided baby food for 3 weeks!

Once you puree the foods, you simply pour directly into the containers they provided, or into a 2oz silicone shell that freezes the food! Once it is frozen, you pop it out like a popsicle and store in bags in your freezer. So easy! And, for you nerds out there, I am aware that I mispelled "avocado"...good thing my freezer can't spell!

All we used were: 2 avocados, 2 pears, 3 peaches, and a bag of fresh broccoli. Total Grocery wise these ingredients were under $10. So, $10 for 3 weeks of food. I average about $1.50/day to feed Caelin with store bought food (I ALWAYS use coupons with), which is about $32 for 3 weeks of food. So...here is the bottom line: IF YOU MAKE YOUR OWN FOOD, YOU CAN SAVE ABOUT $40 PER MONTH. I am sold!

The family member often forgotten

2012-01-29T17:57:00.002-06:00

Between the needs of an infant and a 2 year old, our sweet Baylor is often forgotten. We got Baylor when he was just 9 weeks old in August of 2003. Until August of 2009 when Cade was born, he was an only child. Before Cade was born, I was worried that he would be jealous or mean to the babies. Boy was I wrong! Baylor has been the PERFECT big brother to Cade and Caelin. Sure there are some times when his roughness gets the best of Cade, but he is always watching over them. When Cade would cry as a baby and I would be in another room, Baylor would come and stare at me as if saying, "Go Mom, he is CRYING!" I catch him laying next to Caelin when I fold laundry, or he will lay next to Cade while he watches a movie in our bed. He has such patience in the times Cade attempts to "saddle up Baylor" and grabs his collar (this is usually followed by a short ride where Baylor drags Cade until Cade lets go of his collar). When we all get home in the evenings, Baylor is there to greet us all with excitement and play. So, although sometimes we forget to stop and give you love, we treasure and LOVE you Baylor. Thank you for all the love you give us daily!

2012-01-25T22:11:00.003-06:00

I thought it would be fun to post some pictures of us four as babies. I tried to keep the pictures all around the same time frame...but apparently my parents were poor and did not own a camera. So, the closest pic I have of me from my barren baby book is around 11 months. I am not bitter AT ALL. :)

Charles Beatty
Stacy Elizabeth

Cade Beatty

Caelin Roe

Good food, Good friends

2012-01-25T21:04:00.003-06:00

Last weekend Charles and I had a date night and met some of our besties at Benjy's in Rice Village. It has been since college since I had seen most of them. My BEST FRIEND Lizzy and I have known each other for 26 years now (I think I counted that right?)! She is the most amazing Christian, smart, dedicated, and faithful woman. Lizzy got brave and brought her boyfriend David. This was the first time we met, and I must say I am THRILLED she has captured such an amazing man! He seemed to really love Lizzy, and that is exactly what she deserves.

So, welcome to the group David! We will be on our best behavior to keep you around! :)

We miss you Uncle Corey!

2012-01-21T21:02:00.005-06:00

Captain Corey lives in McAllen, TX and is quite busy flying planes for a living. He is the youngest Captain we know and is dedicated to his work. Unfortunately, we don't get to see Uncle Corey but once every couple of months. We wish he lived closer!

15 Recent Cade-ism's

2012-01-19T19:51:00.005-06:00

Cade will be 2.5yrs in February and just says the funniest things. I have tried to write them down to help my failing memory...so here are a few recent comments we've heard (he is quite vocal, must get that from his Daddy...hahaha).

When he decided he needed some of his Daddy's Sprite, "Pewey, that makes me sad"

"I have an idea everyone, listen to me!"

"That's so very cool"

"You are my FAVORITE Mommy/Daddy/Sister"

When we tried to tickle his feet, "You can't take my foot, it's glued on really good!"

"I can't play with Caelin, she's too little and will hurt my toys"

"Caelin is so cute, she my baby sister"

"No, I am NOT your baby Mommy, I am just a boy"

"Stop Dad, you are getting me so very mad!"

"Can we do it? YES WE CAN!" (Bob the Builder saying)

"It's ok that __ bit me, I slapped him back" (After an incident at MDO)

After Caelin had a bath and Daddy gave her a Mohawk, "Your hair is poky Caelin"

"It's not a banana peel Mommy, It is just plastic"

After a jogger ran by at the park in only her sports bra, Cade yelled out "Hey, she not wearing a shirt"!

After asking to read 2 books at bedtime, we told him we were only reading one. To which he replied, "Ok Daddy, you read one and I read one."

17 year veteran...GRAMPEE!

2012-01-15T23:15:00.005-06:00

Grampee ran in his 17th Houston Marathon today and finished with a fabulous time of 4 hours and 56 minutes! We are all so proud of his dedication and perserverance to complete such an amazing feat. Way to go Grampee, we "lub u". BTW, the first picture below is of Grampee during the last 100 yards...I would NOT be that perky!

Cohen's 1st BD

2012-01-14T16:09:00.005-06:00

Today we had a blast at Cohen's 1st BD party. Seems like yesterday he was still in his Mommy's belly! Brad and Carmen really know how to throw a celebration. The cowboy theme was complete with a full petting zoo, pinata, BBQ/hotdogs, hats/bandannas/sheriff badges for the kids and so much more! What a special BD it was for Cohen and we look forward to all the amazing things he will accomplish this year! Happy Birthday sweet boy!

Kaiser Farewell

2012-01-12T22:49:00.008-06:00

What a huge blessing the faculty of Kaiser has been during the last 6 years! Charles had so many close friends and enjoyed working and learning from the staff while there. Yesterday after work, the staff threw a farewell party for him at Gringo's. About 50 people showed up in support of his promotion to Ehrhardt Elementary. We enjoyed the cards, gifts, and food...but most importantly the company of everyone there. Thank you Kaiser for being a part of our life and we wish you the best!

Family Dinner

2012-01-07T20:42:00.002-06:00

Uncle Corey was in town, so we got to enjoy a family dinner at CoCo's tonight!

Charles as a Baby

2012-01-04T23:07:00.002-06:00

Since Caelin is 6 months old now, I thought I would re-post a picture of Charles at 6-9 months of age. I have nothing else to say.

An end to another era

2012-01-04T10:49:00.004-06:00

I have many things to be proud of in my short life. However, I must say that Breastfeeding is the hardest thing I have ever done. That's right folks...this post will be strictly about breastfeeding, so if you don't want to know about it, stop reading here! The commitment, love, patience and persistence is something I am very proud of. Everyone knows SOMEONE who has sacrificed in this way, so make sure you tell them "good job"! I have a new respect for anyone who has even ATTEMPTED to breastfeed their child! My Mom bought the pump when my sis was first pregnant in October 2006. In these last 5 years, this pump has worked countless hours for 4 babies. I would say that is a pretty good $346 investment! THANKS MOM!

I tend to be what some refer to as a Holstein cow. These are the cows that produce the most milk and I was lucky enough to be placed in that category. The average woman produces 20-30oz/day. On average I produced 60 ounces of milk per day (with a personal best of 74oz, hahaha!). This was a huge blessing with both my children, and while Caelin is only 6 months I am able to stop breastfeeding and still be able to feed her until she is a year old with my supply of frozen milk. Not only do we have a deep freezer full at our house, but also one at Gamee/Grampee's house. Our total number of 10oz frozen bags (the best we could count) is around 350 bags. These freezers are considered my trophy cases! I praise God for this blessing!

Here are the top 10 reasons I am proud this era is over:

10- I no longer have to huddle in my office, crawl in the back of our element, or sit on the floor in random places to pump

9- I am on my way to normal size boobies that are pain free!

8- I will be able to cuddle with my babies and not have to shift them around to avoid pain

7- I will no longer have to be tied to the pump (although we are good friends now) every 4 hours for an average of 40 minutes. What will I do with all this free time?!

6- I no longer have to carry around Lanolin like chapstick everyday

5- The days of washing out pump accessories are OVER

4- I will save money on milk storage bags (we were averaging about $30 month)

3- I will finally be able to sleep on my belly after almost 1.5 years. Whoot whoot!

2- Walmart will have a larger stock of cabbage for the public since I am not buying in bulk anymore

1- I was/am able to feed both my children on breast milk only (no formula) for their first year

Celebrating 6 months

2012-01-03T20:15:00.007-06:00

Welcome to officially 6 months of age CAELIN...half a year, WOW! Caelin continues to be one of the happiest babies I have ever seen. She hardly makes a peep (unless she is hungry or wants her pacifier) and smiles just about every time you glance her way. She is a social little butterfly so far. Caelin enjoys repeating noises you make, and has been known to give Grampee quite a look if he grunts in a low voice at her! She prefers to be sitting up rather than laying down. I guess she thinks she might miss some action! She has started to really take an interest in her toys as well. Her favorite toy is a baby doll. Although it is about her size, she hugs and loves on it nonetheless. Sometimes we catch her looking at the face and “talking”, that keeps us laughing constantly! She also likes her colorful rattles that make noise and a sensory “hungry caterpillar” toy. She still insists on a pacifier in her mouth pretty much all day. The last few days, she has been chewing on her pacifier, so we are expecting to maybe see a tooth or two soon. She also started eating rice cereal on New Year’s Day! Cade got to be the first one to feed her the spoonful, although it was more like a shovel! She is not particularly happy to be eating from a spoon, but I think her interest is increasing as she is starting to grab for the spoon now! She still gets her 7oz bottles of breast milk at morning and night, but her day feedings include 5 oz bottles and an average of 2-3 oz of rice cereal/breast milk. Gamee has started calling her “Caelin baelin Roe” and we have all been caught singing it to her as well! Cade continues to love on her daily with kisses and asking to hold her. He tells her “I lub u Caelin”, “You’re SO CUTE”, and “Night Night Caelin, I go to bed”. He pats her head when he walks by her as if he knows what a big brother should do. Poor darling is never going to get out of this house between her Brother and Dad (and the shotguns). Caelin also thinks it is hilarious when Baylor barks or growls. She will laugh until she cannot catch her breath. She currently is right on target for clothes sizes wearing 6-9 month clothes, and size 1 shoes. We are excited that she is growing a bit more hair and it seems to be getting longer…so we might be able to clip a bow in it in a few months. As for her sleeping, she will nap about 3 times during the day for anywhere from 30min-1.5hours. At night, we have her bedtime routine starting at 8pm so she is generally asleep by 8:30pm. If we do not wake her up, she will sleep between 11-12 hours…YAHOO! We went to see Dr. Kravitz for her 6 month check up and all went well. She received 4 shots and her stats are below. She is growing too fast and we are amazed at what she accomplishes daily!
Height: 25.6 inches (44%)
Weight: 15.13lbs (46%)

Welcome 2012

2012-01-01T15:31:00.002-06:00

It is a beautiful afternoon. Kids taking naps, windows open with 70 degree weather, and we are in the midst of cleaning the house and enjoying life. God couldn't possibly provide a more peaceful beginning to 2012. Tonight we are going to Gamee/Grampee's for a "new year meal" with cabbage and black eyed peas. Our family looks forward to all of the wonderful lessons, adventures, laughs, and surprises that this next year promises to bring.

Farewell 2011

2011-12-31T20:14:00.005-06:00

It just doesn't seem possible that we are already saying goodbye to 2011! This time last year we were announcing that another little angel would be blessing our family, and yet here we are about to celebrate 6 months with Caelin. Time truly is precious and flies so fast! When I think back on this year, I am reminded of all the blessings we have been given. Everything, good or bad, proved to be a blessing in our lives.

Here is a recap of 2011 for our family:

- Charles and I celebrated 7 years of marriage

- Babymoon in Fredericksburg, TX

- Pregnancy/birth of beautiful Caelin Roe

- Cade Beatty turned 2 years old

- Baylor turned 7 years old

- Places we adventured: The Aquarium, Zoo, Cade to Circus with Gamee/Grampee, Galveston/Beach, Bowling, Rodeo, Children's Museum, Firehouse, Palestine Train Ride, Cade to Indiana with Gamee/Grampee, Lots of Visits to Round Rock to see Family, and Baylor University Homecoming

- Cade's 1st haircut, changing to a toddler bed, potty training fun, and starting Mother's Day out once a week

- Caelin's accomplishments like smiling, rolling over, and laughing

- McCharen Family Reunion in Fredericksburg, TX

- Many visits and endless dinners with close friends and family

- Celebrating a great season of Baylor U Football

- Raising money and walking in the Autism Speaks Benefit as a family

- Caelin being hospitalized for 3 days

- Charles being named Principal of Ehrhardt Elementary

We continue to praise God for all his good works in us and are excited to see what adventures 2012 will bring our way!

Proud to be a Baylor Bear!

2011-12-30T22:55:00.005-06:00

Baylor Nation celebrated quite a victory last night in San Antonio, TX at the Valero Alamo bowl! We came from behind once again to claim our 10th win of the year, defeating Washington, 67-56. The win capped off a remarkable year for Baylor football, one that saw the Bears match the program record with 10 wins and, of course, claim the first Heisman in school history. This game was fun to watch not only for Bear fans, but for most any fan of college football — a true shootout. The Bears and Huskies set FBS bowl records for most combined points and yards. BU matched the FBS-bowl record for points and set an FBS-bowl record with 777 yards of total offense (also a Baylor single-game record). The Bears’ 18-point comeback was the third-largest second-half comeback in program history and gave the program its first bowl win since 1992. This was the final game at Baylor for seniors like Ganaway and receiver Kendall Wright (91 yards receiving and one TD, plus 28 yards rushing), and could be the last for RG3 if he decides to go pro (experts have him pegged as a top-10 pick). If so, what a way to go out; you could see Griffin just taking it all in post-game amidst the pyrotechnics, balloons and confetti, knowing that his team had just completed perhaps the best season in program history.
Sic ’em Baylor Nation!

Happy Birthday Yoda!

2011-12-28T00:53:00.005-06:00

You are a wonderful Sister, Mother, friend, Aunt and Yoda. You deserve all of life's happiness. Remember to try and relax today...there is nothing you can do to be taller than me. We love you more than words! Ps- "no matter how hard you try..." wink! wink!

Merry Christmas to All!

2011-12-25T22:26:00.009-06:00

This year, more than any other year, I was reminded that Christmas really is all about babies. First of all, Jesus Christ, the baby that started everything. Those who know my family best know that we believe he is our true Father. As the Bible says, "As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord." So, Christmas is almost like a renewal time every year. It brings us all center again, reminding us about LIFE and the true meaning of our time on earth. Thank you baby Jesus for the message you bring and the miracles you provide my family daily. Christmas this year was also special because my baby girl Caelin celebrated her first Christmas. Watching her eyes and imagining what she must be thinking kept the spirit of Christmas with me during this season. Caelin is a thinker, always looking around and taking things in. She is a little laughing angel everyday. I caught myself several times staring at her with tears in my eyes. Just another reminder to me of what God is capable of and his blessings to our family. Finally, my baby (he will ALWAYS be my baby folks!) boy Cade brought the magic to Christmas. You know all the old Christmas movies with the magic dust and sparkles around Santa and the kids...well, I saw that come to life this Christmas in Cade! His eyes sparkled with the mention of baby Jesus' BD, gifts, and Santa. He was one excited little man these past few weeks! He even told me "Jesus' Birthday is the best day EVER Mommy!" Those words just about sum it up and I hope they stay true to his heart for the rest of his life.
To start off this year, we went to Round Rock to spend Christmas with Nana/Papa Parks, Aunt Mendy/Uncle Chris, "Kennybug" and Jax. The first night we arrived, we spent at least an hour going through "Nana and Papa's Wonderland" with the kids. Nana has always loved Christmas time and has collected items such as: singing Christmas trees, sleeping Santa's, turning Carousel's, Santa Flying around in a plane, and so many other moveable Santa's. Cade's favorite was a Santa/Reindeer that played dueling banjos. He would start it up, and then dance around in a circle until the music stopped. Endless hours of fun I tell you! Jingle, our Elf, even came to Nana and Papa's house! She was seen the first day riding on Santa's plane, and then on her last day she was found as the angel in the manger. Cade knew as soon as he saw her wings and halo what she was saying..."Pier NOT, do not be afraid!". The day leading up to Christmas Eve was spent baking and preparing for the feasts we would have the following days...let me just say, my Mom and I are AMAZING CHEFS...hahaha.
On Christmas Eve, we spent the day relaxing, eating, decorating cookies (Yes, our cookies say "BYOB" for Bring your own baby...and "WALL-MART" as a family joke). After dinner, we all went to church with the kids. It was pouring rain, but still good to be at Church and remember what the season is truly about. Once we got home, we opened gifts with the kids. They were all so excited to tear open their gifts. Cade and Caelin had matching Pj's and looking back, I am sorry I made him wear that silly hat. Poor kid did look like a "Where's Waldo" reject. It made matters worse that he decided to put on the glasses from the "Mr. Potato Head" gift he got! Some other gifts Cade received were: helicopter, Bath accessories, games, books, puzzle, wooden work bench, and DVD's. Caelin was not left out either! She received gifts such as: activity box, books, toy cell phone, teething tea set, dolls, food items, and socks. After gifts, Charles kept true to his family tradition and read, "Twas the Night Before Christmas" just like his Grandmother "Mumps" would read every year. The kids always seem to enjoy this, along with the adults. Then somehow we managed to get all 4 kids asleep in hopes that Santa would come. Can I just say, Santa LOVED his decorated cookies this year, he said they were mighty tasty!
When the kids woke up the next morning, we had so much fun watching them see what Santa had left. Cade couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the garbage truck he had asked Santa for. He had requested a "clean garbage truck, not a dirty one"...and SANTA brought one! Can you believe it? Oh, that Santa must really love Cade Beatty! Santa also brought Cade some candy, toy cars, books, and games. Caelin enjoyed the toy Stacker, food, and books that Santa left her! Since she will be starting solid foods soon, she was so excited to get some starter foods! :) Even sweet little Baylor got to dig his nose into his stocking and see what Santa brought. He was very surprised and excited to see Santa did not forget he was on the "nice" list and brought him his favorite treats! The rest of the day was spent enjoying food, family, and a slightly competitive card game of Phase 10 (Congrats for the win Mendy, we are not bitter AT ALL).
As you can see, it was a magical Christmas! Thanks to Nana/Papa for hosting us and letting us stay in your "wonderland". Although it was a bit crazy at times with 4 kids (ages 5, 2, 1, and 5 months), this was one Christmas we shall never forget. Praise be to God for the blessings he has brought to our family during this special time. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night....

Making & Baking Christmas Cheer

2011-12-21T13:37:00.006-06:00

What a fun past few weeks this has been leading up to these few days before Christmas! Cade will tell you that we are Celebrating Jesus' Birthday and that the Angel said "Pier NOT, do not be 'fraid!" He has had several parties at Sunday School and MDO, however, we can't resist having fun as a family each night. We have visited with friends, exchanged gifts, had SEVERAL Cookie making/decorating nights, made a Gingerbread house (they never look like the box by the way?), watched a ton of Christmas favorites ("The Grinch Who Stole Christmas", "Charlie Brown Christmas", "Rudolph", etc), drove to look at lights, and so much more. I wanted to make sure and post of of our favorite activities thus far. Also, I added a picture of each of the kids' stockings. Gamee made Cade's in 2009 when he was born, and Nana made Caelin's this year when she was born. What a true joy to each have a stocking HAND stitched by their Grandma's. The love and LONG hours that went in to those is priceless and will be with them always! Thank you Grandma's! What a joy it has been to share this time with two young "babies". They bring all the magic back this time of year!

Christmas with the Hall Family

2011-12-20T11:28:00.006-06:00

This year, we will be in Round Rock on Christmas day celebrating the holidays with my side of the family. So, last night, we had the joy of celebrating with Charles' side of the family. Christopher and Heather joined in on the fun and we all gathered at Gamee/Grampee's house. We had a Mexican cuisine with tamales and taquitos, it was super yummy! Cade especially enjoyed Aunt Heather's queso and chips! After dinner, we had a blast opening gifts and watching the kids eyes light up. It really takes me back to how Christmas used to feel magical in a different way as a child. There is just something about the "belief" that has a bit more magic to it. Again, I must say that anytime people are loving on my kids, I am loving on them! So, it was the best evening ever as I watched BOTH Cade and Caelin's eyes light up! Cade's big gift was a train table and train set from Gamee/Grampee! You can see his face as he came around the corner, he was amazed! In fact, that was the one toy he stuck to all night! He also received the book "Twas the Night before Christmas" with the voice recording of Gamee/Grampee, a Magnetic toy that you can dress as a pirate/construction worker/superhero, etc, bug catcher, hooded bath towel, rideable digger, puzzle holder, and bath letters, and more! Caelin even got to open up some gifts of her own! She got a box of starter foods for these next few months when she starts rice cereals and some baby foods. Her eyes really lit up when she got a baby doll! Of course the baby doll is as big as she is, but she loves her nonetheless. She also enjoyed opening up an Eric Carle puzzle, book, hooded bath towel, and a phone that lights up and makes noise. I told you my babies are spoiled, and not by their parents! Thank you Aunt Heather, Uncle Christopher, Gamee, and Grampee!

Charles and I also were blessed with so many fun things! Our big gift was framed pics of Cade/Caelin that Gamee/Grampee had taken professionally and surprised us with! It was perfect and we loved it. We also got a new CAMERA (I know you are all cheering for better quality photos!), best buy gift card, scarf, jewelry, molds of Caelin's hands/feet, and so much more. We are so blessed!

The night was so special and we feel so blessed to have been able to still celebrate the true meaning of this time of year with Charles' family. It is hard when you are married to enjoy these special holidays with both sides of the family, but we are blessed to have such understanding relatives. What a magical evening!

A Jingle Update

2011-12-19T14:26:00.004-06:00

She's been hanging around all right, although I think Cade spoke with her and asked her not to be so "yucky and dirty" in his house. Hmmmm, wonder who he gets that idea from? Must be his Daddy.

All Aboooaaarrrdd....

2011-12-18T21:53:00.005-06:00

Gamee and Grampee surprised Cade with a Christams train ride! He was so excited to go and to wear his new Thomas the Train pajamas. The ride followed the story of the Polar Express including: dancing waiters, hot chocolate, cookies, the North Pole, and of course Santa Clause himself. The kids even got their own Christmas Bell from Santa. Cade and Caelin had a blast and I am sure we will be hearing about the train for years to come.

A Santa Sighting and Neighborhood of Lights

2011-12-15T22:59:00.004-06:00

This has been a busy week for sure. Wrapping up school before the Christmas Break, and of course taking the kids to see Santa looking at Christmas Lights. Cade did not appear to be scared of Santa at all and asked him for "clean Garbage truck, not a stinky one." We are still not sure where this desire came from, but what can you say. Caelin simply stared at the man with the beard, but did not cry either. Of course, we had to go and see the Lights at Prestonwood. The four of us sat in the back of the truck as Gamee and Grampee drove us around. Cade and Caelin enjoyed the lights, but I think Cade like riding in the back of the truck the most. The lights were just extra!

Christmas Fun with Gamee and Grampee!

2011-12-11T18:18:00.005-06:00

This past week Cade and Caelin Got to have some great fun with Gamee and Grampee. First they went to the Moody Gardens and the Festival of Lights. They both loved the lights and enjoyed seeing all the creative displays.

The next day Cade had the opportunity to visit the Live Nativity at church. As the name suggests their was a real baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and lot of real animals to interact with. Cade's favorite part of the night was the camel. Especially when the camel decided to relieve himself. Cade promptly told the man in charge of the Camel, after a good laugh of course, that someone needed to clean it up! He made a hot cocoa gift jar and a meal pack that can be given to someone in need of the food.

Seeing the pictures and hearing the stories we know the kids were blessed to be with their grandparents. However, Stacy and I know that we are blessed to have family so excited about our kids and the love they freely shower upon them. Cade and Caelin truly are happier and are beginning to know the love of their Savior more and more because of them. Thank you for all you do in their lives.

Baylor Nation backs RG3

2011-12-10T23:16:00.002-06:00

New York City, NY. – Robert Griffin III – affectionately known as RG3 – Baylor's junior quarterback, was named winner of the 2011 Heisman Trophy at tonight's Heisman ceremony in New York City. RG3 is the first Heisman winner in Baylor history and only the 3rd Baylor player to significantly factor into the balloting in the Heisman's 75-year history. (Quarterback Larry Isbell finished seventh in 1951, and quarterback Don Trull finished fourth in 1963, losing the award to Roger Staubach.)

This has been an exciting year for Baylor University. Sports and news personalities nationwide are talking about the values we hold dear and how they are represented in the life of RG3, an exemplary student and athlete. With the announcement of plans to build a new on-campus stadium and a bowl bid for the second straight year, Baylor Nation has much to celebrate. Thank you Baylor Nation for your support of our student-athletes and all our students who share a dedication to excellence at Baylor University.

Congratulations to coach Art Briles and the 9-3 Baylor Bears on an outstanding season, and Sic 'em Bears as we enter the Alamo Bowl in pursuit of win number 10.

Also on RG3's resume:
No. 1 in the nation in pass efficiency (on pace for a new NCAA record) and points responsibility

Top-5 nationally in total offense, touchdown passes and completion percentage

Owns 51 Baylor records, including season and career marks for passing yards, passing touchdowns, completion percentage, total yards and total touchdowns

Davey O'Brien Award winner

Walter Camp Player of the Year finalist

Manning Award finalist

Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award finalist

Wuerffel Award finalist

Academic All-District VII ... 2011 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team selection

Four-time national player of the week

One of three players in FBS history with 10,000 yards passing and 2,000 yards rushing

2011 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year

2011 Big 12 All Conference First Team

Earned his bachelor's degree in Political Science in just 3 years at Baylor

On track to complete his master's degree next spring

Miles of Love

2011-12-08T14:23:00.002-06:00

It's official...our 2006 Element has reached 100,000 miles. I remember the day she was shiny and new with only 7 miles on her. Now, she has seen more than her share of the road and memories inside. Over our 5 years together, she has traveled all over this great state of Texas and Louisiana. She has been faithful with very little repairs (THANK YOU!) and has been worth every penny spent on her. Within her doors, she has witnessed laughter, tears, puke by multiple members, LOTS of pumping for booby milk, Cade's tantrums, my tantrums, Baylor's puke, spilled drinks, beach visits, lots of drive-in movie nights with a pallet of blankets in the back, obnoxious singing by me, girly talk on outings with my friends, hauling all the flooring for our house, and so much more. She has met our needs every second of everyday. I remember when the seat is adjusted all the way to the wheel so my feet can reach petals and how it is all the way back when Charles squeezes in. Our family has grown from 3 to 5 while we have had her. I have to laugh out loud at some of the best memories. For example: Baylor throwing up all over both seats in the back on our first real trip when she had 28 miles! Of course, that's one of her best qualities...being able to unlock all car seats and hose down all her rubber mats! So, thank you lil Element for all the love and memories! We look forward to all the years to come!

"Ohhhh Silly Jing-o"

2011-12-06T19:38:00.003-06:00

Those are the words of Cade Beatty every day when he finds Jingle the Elf. Today when she had TP'd our Christmas tree, he promptly told her , "Ohhh Jing-o you can't do that, it's too yucky" and took the paper off the tree. We love to listen to his reactions! Here are a few updates of what Miss Jingle has been up to.

Season Recap on the BEARS...and BOWL Announcement

2011-12-04T18:39:00.010-06:00

Baylor Football had an amazing season this year. We are so proud of them and are excited to see them doing better every year!
Baylor (9-3, 6-3 Big 12) concluded its most successful regular-season since 1986 by compiling nine wins, topped off with a 48-24 victory over 22nd ranked Texas Saturday. The Bears feature an explosive offense ranked second nationally (571 ypg) and boasts the most prolific passer (Robert Griffin III), rusher (Terrance Ganaway) and receiver (Kendall Wright) in school history. Griffin III is a Heisman candidate and leads an offense that has set or tied 53 individual and team records.
BAYLOR FOOTBALL NOTES

• Baylor has its first 9-win season since 1986 (9-3) & is looking for its second 10-win season in program history (1980, 10-2).
• Baylor is riding a 5-game winning streak, its longest since starting the 1991 season 5-0. Its last 6-game winning streak came over the last five games of 1986 and the first game of 1987.
• Baylor's powerful & balanced offense leads the nation in passing efficiency (194.05) & 1st downs (28.67), ranks 2nd in total offense (571.25), 5th in passing (356.17), 6th in scoring (43.5) and 18th in rushing (215.08).
• Baylor beat Oklahoma and Texas in the same season for the first time in program history.
• According to the latest strength of schedule rankings by the NCAA, Baylor has the 8th-toughest schedule in FBS.
• Baylor has been ranked in the AP Top 25 poll for 11 weeks this season -- the most since being ranked 12 weeks in 1951.
• Baylor has scored 40+ points in 8 of 12 games this season and is 8-0 when scoring at least 40 points.

Let's all be sure to support the Bears as they head to the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio where they will play the University of Washington. This will be the first time since '91 and '92 that we will play in a bowl game in consecutive years.

Caelin is 5 months old!

2011-12-03T11:00:00.006-06:00

Caelin has reached 5 months! Can't believe time has flown by so fast. She is quite the little angel for sure. I guess most people experience at least 1 fussy baby, but we were blessed with 2 amazing babies who have always been happy! Cade was such a "thinker", always looking around, watching others, and smiling. Caelin is a true girl, always wanting to be in on the action, always smiling, and "talking" more than the average baby. She hardly ever fusses, and enjoys being held (in the upright position) so she does not miss anything. She still enjoys her swing and play yards at both our house and Gamee/Grampee's. She prefers a paci most of the time, but will chew on anything she can get in her mouth. Cade got his first teeth at 6 months, so we are watching her mouth to see if any pop up in the next few months. Caelin also continues to eat 7oz bottles of breast milk every 4 hours, so she is taking over as the "chubbers" in our family. She still has about the same amount of hair as when she was born, so if bows are part of any outfit, we utilize a headband and then clip a bow to it. The girl also knows style as we are still trying to get her to wear all the clothes in her closet. Between hand me downs from Aunt Mendy/Mackenzie, friends, and purchases from Nana/Gamee...Caelin still has clothes with tags on it, a princess for sure! As for her sleeping, she continues to take 3-4 little one hour naps throughout the day, and at night we are at about 10 hours of sleep! Right after her 4 month doctor check up, we laid her on the floor to see if she could start rolling over, and the little stinker sure showed us! She rolled not only from front to back, but back to front! She is a little roly poly now! Her usual bedtime is 9pm and we wake her up about 6:45am to go to Gamee's for the day during the week. Charles and I are so happy we are finally getting sleep! Apart from all these fun and positive milestones this month, Caelin also had a very scary hospital stay with respiratory issues. That is in more detail in an earlier blog, but thought it should be noted here in her monthly update as well. She has recovered nicely though and is back on track now like nothing every happened. Even while in the hospital and not feeling well, she would still smile. That says so much about her positive nature and personality. I told you she was a perfect angel!
Congrats Caelin on 5 months, we are so proud of all you have accomplished thus far. We love you "all the way around the world and back again"!

Deck the Hall's (House that is...)

2011-11-27T21:08:00.004-06:00

Today we had a fun afternoon decorating our Christmas trees...yes, that's plural. We have our main tree and then a "Baylor U" themed smaller tree. On our main tree, we have everything from our 1st ornaments to our collection of yearly chosen ornaments. Decorating this tree is similar to looking through a photo album for me. I carefully unwrap each ornament and love the surprise behind every package. I find silly ornaments, handmade ornaments, travel ornaments from all over the world, and ornaments carefully selected from friends/family. Every ornament is marked with the giver and year it was given. Thus, we have special ornaments like a silver cross from our Godson Ricky, a candy cane man from our first Christmas in our home together, and a clown from my Mom in 1980 that she got in Minneapolis while trying to get on a plane to make it home for Christmas (just to name a few). This year was even more special since Cade was excited to unwrap and "peek" inside at each ornament. He was a huge helper and we gave him several to hang up that were not breakable and were not in the shape of balls, hahaha. He enjoyed one from Nana/Papa that was a train, several snowmen from years past, anything that made noise or had bells, and a "humpty dumpty" one that had moving arms/legs. I think he thought he was in a toy shop! It is fun to see him get into it. We laughed when Charles found two ornaments that had pictures of us as kids. Charles asked Cade who was in the picture of the one of him in 1986, and Cade replied, "That's you Daddy". When he showed him the pic of me in 3rd grade, Cade replied, "That's my friend Daddy." His reaction really shows Cade's personality. He truly has never met a stranger! He clearly didn't recognize me in the photo, but rather than say "I don't know" or shake his head, he replied with his "friend". What a genuine spirit my little boy has! We also smiled when we came across our old '94 Honda Accord key. That little white car gave us lots of miles and memories! Two of my favorite ornaments this year were from my Gangaw Watts. One was a Sebastian toy from "The Little Mermaid". We got this during Christmas time from a McDonald's happy meal in 1988. Gangaw loved to take us to the "Big M". The other was a chili pepper cowboy she picked out in 1996. Made me laugh because Gangaw was as country as they come. Once all the ornaments are on the tree, we save the best for last and everyone gets to put up their own "Baby's 1st Ornament". Cade enjoyed opening his up and looking at the picture of him as a baby in it. Last but not least, Cade helped Charles put the Angel on the top. We had a great time, and loved all the memories. Our other tree is a smaller one with only Baylor ornaments on it. This includes any ornaments from Baylor, Baylor Football, Alpha Chi Omega, or special memories from our college days. The Angel on top of that tree is the Angel that my parents used when they were first married. She is my favorite angel.

Welcoming "Jingle"

2011-11-27T18:22:00.006-06:00

My Sis gave us the BEST Christmas gift ever last week...THE ELF ON THE SHELF! I had never heard of it, but it has turned out to be the funnest tradition yet! For those of you who might still be in the dark, "The Elf on a Shelf" was a tradition started by a Mother several years ago for her family. Since then, she has expanded this for all other families and you can purchase the box (with book and elf) at numerous places. Each day when your child wakes up, their elf is located in a different place around the house to watch them and see if they are being naughty or nice. Then, each night while they sleep, the elf flies back and reports to Santa how the child has been. The day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday), we had spent the day decorating the house (except for Christmas tree), talking about the reason of Christmas and dancing to Christmas music. So, that night we sat down to watch the CBS special 30 min show ("The Elf on a Shelf: An Elf's Story") and then let Cade open the gift. He was SO excited! We read the book that came in the box, and Cade selected the name "Jingle" for his Elf. He had been singing "Jingle Bells" all day, so I think that was the last thing on his mind. I wish everyone could have seen the look on his face when he opened the box and saw the elf. Jingle has now been active for 3 days and every morning Cade runs out of bed looking to see where Jingle will be watching from that day. As with the book, we remind him that we cannot touch Jingle or she will loose her magic. He does however talk to Jingle and wave at her quite often, which always makes us smile. Here are a few pics of the beginning of our Journey with Jingle, and her first few hiding places (we have to start out easy!).

We are so Thankful

2011-11-25T14:18:00.003-06:00

We are so blessed in many ways with family, health, wonderful jobs, loving extended family, friends who surround us, wealth, etc. I could go on and on with the countless ways we are blessed in our lives. Anything and EVERYTHING we have ever truly desired or needed, God has provided. Sure, there are times we do not get what we want or think we deserve, but those moments are when we learn the most about who we are and what we truly NEED. We are thankful for those moments as well. We started Thanksgiving day with sleeping in and lounging in our PJ's. THAT is my kinda day, hehehe! We were so blessed when my best friend, Lizzy, of about 26 years came to visit us. Her family lives in Sugarland and she spent her morning coming to see us. Lizzy is one of those friends that I wish everyone could have. After lunch we went to Gamee/Grampee's house to be with Charles' family for the afternoon/evening. Uncle Corey had driven into town for the weekend, and Uncle Christopher/Aunt Heather came over for dinner also. So, we were so blessed to have everyone home at the same time! We enjoyed hanging out, cooking (Gamee/Grampee pretty much everything already done!), napping, and of course watching football! Dinner was amazing and we managed to eat quite a lot...I cheated and wore stretch jeans and a baggy shirt! I was most impressed by Gamee's decor on the table with fresh flowers, candles, and beautiful fall colors. After dinner, we enjoyed some football. I must say, this is one of the few times you will hear "hook 'em" or "C'mon horns" coming from our house...but last night was one of those times. Let me just say, we were thankful the horns were able to give the Aggies a little escort goodbye out of the Big 12. Although we will miss the rivalry between these teams, the game was one we can remember for a long time. Thank you God for all the many gifts you provide us daily and the wonderful Thanksgiving Day we had this year! Ps- If it appears that we hardly have any pics of Cade, that is correct. Cade is a busy little man and is not exactly interested in a "quick pic" with the family! He preferred to be running around and playing at Gamee's house. :)

Jaxson's 1st BD

2011-11-21T15:03:00.007-06:00

Cade and I had so much fun this weekend going to Round Rock to spend time with my family and celebrate Jaxson's 1st BD. I cannot believe our lil "Jax" is 1 year old today...HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAX! A year ago today we were all at the hospital celebrating. Caelin stayed in town with Charles to avoid any contact with lil kids, outdoor theme parks, etc. Being on steroids, the doc had warned us that her immune system is lowered. So, there was no chance we were gonna risk another illness that might put us back in the Hospital. Cade and I had an awesome time, and I must say my favorite thing about Cade is his good natured spirit. He is almost always happy and well mannered. I am proud he is my son and I love seeing him enjoy life. At Jax' BD party (Kiddie Acres), he ran around constantly hanging with the big kids and riding all the rides. He was one of the loudest singing "Happy Birthday Jaxson" and gave Jax lots of kisses. He is such a loving boy. Jaxson's birthday was an old fashioned Circus theme with red/turquoise colors, very cute! Each kid got to ride every ride at least once and we had popcorn and candy. Jaxson did not like the cake in his face, but certainly was overjoyed when he got to open his presents. He is such a joy in our family and I love to see him laugh or dance (he has some good moves). We love you Jax and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
After Jax' BD party, Kennybug spent the night at Nana/Papa's with Cade and I. Those two were inseparable the entire time. They spent the night playing hide and seek around the house, taking a bubble bath, eating a pizza picnic, and talking until they fell asleep. They were so funny to watch, almost as funny as watching Papa shake his head and take out his hearing aides!

It's Official

2011-11-21T13:55:00.003-06:00

This past Thursday Charles was announced at our School Board Mtg as Principal of Ehrhardt Elementary! We were overjoyed to have our families there with us. Charles' parents, brother Christopher, My parents, and the kids were all there to watch the action. We are so proud of him and his accomplishments so early in his career. Way to go Charles! After the Board Meeting, we all went to celebrate at Spring Creek BBQ along with my Aunt Lou and Cousins Rob and RB. It was a night to remember and we were all so excited for Charles. He will start at his new job on January 2, 2012 (1-2-12...funny date, right?). So, please pray that God continues to use Charles for his glory!

Praising God

2011-11-21T12:37:00.007-06:00

We all have those times when you feel life is going so smoothly and all is well. Then, out of left field, God likes to remind us that he created us and we are his. Difficult times in life have a subtle way of bringing us closer to our heavenly Father. So, as hard as it is during troubled times, I try to remember that the outcome is far greater than we ever expect. That being said, this week was one of those weeks. A week ago on Sunday (Nov 13th), Charles and I dropped off the kids for a night at Gamee/Grampee's so that we could celebrate my BD with a nice dinner. We went to Le Mistral downtown and the meal was AMAZING! We dined on escargot, tuna tartare, and beef wellington. So delicious and it was nice to have a quiet dinner with the person I love the most on earth.

Shortly after dinner, we found ourselves on our way to pick up Caelin who had started having severe breathing problems. Cindy had taken a video of her breathing and texted it to me. When I was speaking to a 24hr nurse helpline, we were able to share the video with the nurse who instructed us to take her immediately to ER due to "respiratory distress". We got to the ER around 11:30pm, and were immediately admitted to the hospital. To make a long story short, Caelin stayed in the hospital for 3 days and was on breathing treatments every 4 hrs, steroid injections for her lungs, constant oxygen and an IV drip to help maintain fluids. Her arm was bandaged up due to the IV, so Cade is still convinced she "broke her arm". The final diagnosis was Bronchitis, although they had lost her initial round of blood work for RSV, and Doc feels it was probably a mild case of RSV in the beginning. Whatever it was, Caelin healed quickly and was a fighter! The Pediatric doctor expected her to be in the hospital a minimum of 5 days due to her requiring oxygen. However, God cut that timeline down and gave us a healing miracle in 3 days! We brought her home on Tuesday afternoon and she remained on breathing treatments and steroids until yesterday. Today, she is medicine free and laughing again. Praise God for his miracle and all the support of our friends/family. While in the hospital, we were loved on by so many people through texts, emails, calls, and visits. Gamee/Grampee kept Cade for 3 days (Cade was in Heaven getting all their attention), and our Church went above and beyond sending people to pray with us. Our Sunday school class was the best with keeping up with us and praying for Baby Caelin, we really feel you are our "Life Group". I truly believe that the prayers and love was the reason she recovered so well.

On a side note, Monday was my Birthday and I must say despite Caelin being in hospital was one of my favorite birthday's. After all, I missed work and was able to hold one of my babies all day! I enjoyed our talking, singing, and playing all day. That night was even more special because I was joined by the entire family for dinner and cake at the hospital! Gamee/Grampee brought up Gringo's for dinner (my fav), a Starbucks drink, a RJ Goodies cake with butter cream icing, and double chocolate chunk ice cream! It was the perfect feast.

So, looking back, the outcome was far greater than I ever could have expected! I had a wonderful birthday, Caelin is healthy again, and most importantly...we reminded to rely on God every day and he will direct our paths.

Mommy's Lil Monkey

2011-11-12T11:48:00.003-06:00

Few notes on Cade:

1- He is in Love with Tarzan, so we watch it a lot. I love the way he laughs out loud and covers his mouth while laughing!

2- As a result of the love for Tarzan, he wanted to eat bananas (PLURAL) only for breakfast

3- I let him, because after all bananas are a fruit

4- He has to hold the banana himself, but will request that I "take the plastic off Mommy" (the plastic = the banana peel)

5- 2 hours after multiple bananas is not a fun time for anyone potty training

CAPTAIN COREY

2011-11-10T15:37:00.002-06:00

We got the news a few nights ago that Charles' Brother Corey passed his Captain's tests! It is official that we now have a Pilot in our family. Congratulations Uncle Corey, we love you and couldn't be prouder of you. You are such a smart man and we are proud of what you have accomplished in such a short amount of time!

Baylor Homecoming 2011

2011-11-06T20:23:00.005-06:00

This Homecoming was made more special by the fact that BOTH my college roomies were in town at some point! Carolyn, her Husband Will, and daughter Sophia (3 mo) flew in from St. Louis, MO. Carolyn and I have been friends since our freshman year in college which was 12 years ago. Very fitting that we would have daughters only 1 month apart! In fact, Gam-ee even made matching Baylor bandana dresses for Caelin and Sophia. They were so adorable and everyone kept asking us if they were twins! We loved that part. We were running late coming into town Saturday morning and missed the parade, but was able to see the floats and play on them when they were parked at the end of the parade route. Cade loved this part and seeing all the floats! While there, we met our dear friends the Arredondo's. Mrs. Arredondo was a professor of ours at Baylor and was the person who convinced me to be Charles' partner in a class project. As you know, the rest is history and we are going on 8 years of marriage and have 2 kids! We enjoyed hanging out, watching Baylor beat Missouri (42-39), and eating Vitek's gut packs. After the Football game, we met up with our other roomate Britni. Britni and her hubby, Ronan, have a little boy named Grant (2 mo). So, it was an eventful evening with so many young babies and of course wild man Cade stealing the show. I sure miss my roomies and wish we all lived closer. What another wonderful year celebrating Baylor University, Traditions, and the legacy of families. HHHHEEEEYYYYYY SIC 'EM BEARS!

Yeah for Daddy!

2011-11-04T20:36:00.004-05:00

Today it was official! Charles was named Principal of Ehrhardt Elementary School! We heard the fantastic news on Wednesday, but we were waiting for the paperwork to be finalized and approval to be given by the Superintendent. Today, his current campus (Kaiser Elementary) and Ehrhardt were both told at early faculty meetings today. Kaiser Elementary was elated when the Principal gave the news. However, I was told by several friends there that there were quite a few tears as well. He will be missed greatly and he has already said he will cherish all of the friends he has made while being there for the last 6 years. Now Ehrhardt Elementary was an even funnier story. Ehrhardt just happens to be where Charles and his brothers went to Elementary School, where Charles first began his teaching career as a Developmental teacher, as well as where his Mom (Gam-ee) worked for about 15 years before retiring to care for Cade/Caelin. So, most of the faculty are already close friends of our family or know Charles as a colleague. When the current Principal shared the news, people were screaming and whooping. I heard that some cried with excitement, and it was quite an affair! Wish I could have been there in person to see it. It makes me so happy to see Charles get the love he deserves. If you have ever worked in schools, you are aware that the Administration can make or break the heart of a campus. I am so proud to say that Charles will totally MAKE that campus better for many years to come. Our family couldn't be prouder to share our lives with such a FANTASTIC community, school, and staff. Soar Ehrhardt Eagles!

Caelin at our celebration dinner..."Where's the beef?"

A very special 4 months

2011-11-03T12:23:00.003-05:00

Time again has snuck up on us and today we celebrate Caelin being 4 months old! She is drinking 7oz bottles about every 4 hours. We thought we were on a great sleeping schedule of about 10 hours, but lil Princess Caelin has become more of a 6 hour (if that) sleeper these last few nights. We are looking forward to the return of sleep during the night. I think she knows one little whimper will get her on Daddy's chest, so she is a smart one! Caelin is still happy as ever and loves to be propped up to see the action. She hardly ever cries, and if she does chances are she is hungry or wants her paci. When we feed her, she will reach out to grab the bottle like she wants to hold it, but instead her motor skills still push the bottle away. Poor angel has quite a battle with her bottles until we finally hold her hands while feeding her. We have also come around to bows and lots of PINK in the house. Caelin will talk to just about anyone already. She will cackle and make noises back when someone talks to her. She recognizes lots of people and it is so funny to watch her face light up when she figures out who we are! Sometimes she "talks" so loud that she even scares herself! Could this be foreshadowing something in the future? Her favorite toys are anything she can grasp and hang on to. She will cross her mid line to reach for toys and loves to be in her swing. She also appears to take after Cade as she is a little bit of a thinker. I will catch her staring at objects and inspecting them. Her eyebrows will furrow and then she will sigh or look back at us. Makes us laugh every time! She enjoys sitting on Charles' lap while he watches TV and taking baths. Cade is still in love with her and kisses her several times throughout the day. At her 4 month check-up, she had very good stats! She weighed in at 14.11 lbs (70%), and for height was 25.25 inches tall (81%). We are enjoying every minute of Caelin in our family. She adds so much to each of us and melts our hearts when she smiles...especially her Daddy's! We love our lil angel, Caelin Roe.

Halloween Tricks and Treats

2011-10-31T20:37:00.008-05:00

This Halloween season was so much fun with Cade at his current age! He dressed up like He-man and had so much fun! Caelin was a beautiful butterfly and we owe Gam-ee a special thanks for all the time and love she put into making their costumes! THAT'S RIGHT...Gam-ee HANDMADE both of their costumes! Between Pumpkin patch's, carving pumpkins, festivals, church Trunk or Treat, and then Trick or Treating in our neighborhood...we were blessed with many memories! I thought it was so funny how Cade enjoyed handing out candy more than actually trick or treating! He would wait by the door saying, "C'mon trick or treaters come to MY house!" When we had a little break, we ran outside and let him go to a few houses also. He enjoyed that, but quickly said, "we have to go home Mommy, the kids need their candy!" He is so funny. He also had a blast playing with Hana next door (she was scooby doo) and handing out her candy to the kids...Ha!

Autism Walk

2011-10-22T14:56:00.003-05:00

Autism is something very close to our hearts as we service students and families that suffer with this disability on a daily basis. This year, we had a team from work join together and walk. We raised a total of $1,360 and had a blast spending the morning walking a 5K together. We can't wait for next year!

Family Photos by Carol

2011-10-21T21:26:00.013-05:00

Here are some family pictures taken by our AMAZING friend Carol. She is a very talented photographer and after your session she will edit and give you a CD of pictures! So, after the session you can print and do whatever you want with the photos. Now THAT's a DEAL! Let me know if you are interested. Here are some samples of our family pictures...Cade was quite the little ham while Caelin just looked around the entire time taking it all in. Let's just say our family photos were interesting with a large dog, 2 year old, and a 3 month old! We are blessed that Carol was so patient...she even wore reindeer ears for Cade at one point and was dancing for Cade. WE LOVE YOU CAROL!!

What a beautiful family we have, I am so blessed daily!

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-09T21:32:00.006-05:00

What a great weekend we had! It started out by visiting the Pumpkin Patch with the kids and Gamee/Grampee. We had fun all though the Texas weather came out at one point and we were dying of heat exhaustion! We were able to play around on pumpkins, take pictures (of course), ride the train and pick our own pumpkins to take home. The kids had fun, just got a little hot toward the end! Then we all went to lunch before Charles and I left for the Baylor game. While we went to the Baylor game in Waco, the kids stayed with Gamee/Grampee and were spoiled as usual! I have said it a million times, and I will say it again...we are SO BLESSED to have Grandparents that live close by and really do live to spend time with our kids. Cade loves spending time with them and this allows Charles and I time to reconnect, WE ARE SO BLESSED! The Baylor game was a great win over Iowa State 49-26! HHHeeeeeyyyyy SIC 'EM BEARS! We hope we beat those darn Aggies next Saturday! Then, on Sunday, Cade got some alone time to get EXTRA spoiled by Gamee and Grampee and go to the Children's Museum of Houston. He of course had so much fun, and was crying to stay as they were shutting the place down! Let's just say it was a pretty busy weekend for all and everyone is sound asleep...except me, so good night!

Dearest Cade and Caelin,

2011-10-05T19:58:00.009-05:00

It is with such a heavy heart that I write this post. Tomorrow I return to work where I will miss you both more than words. These past three months have been possibly the best months of my life. I have enjoyed being home with you both. There is nothing like the smiles on your faces when you wake up. I will miss our PJ days, all the fun places we ventured to, endless trips to McDonald's and Chick-fil-a, playing at the park, picnics, and snuggle time. God truly showed me how special each of you are and how unique your personalities are. Each of you have taught me things that I am forever grateful for.

Cade, you showed me that anything in life can be a toy. Although frustrating at times, I have learned to appreciate your creativeness. We have banged pots, played jump rope with belts, built towers with the drawers of furniture, and you have been known more than once to claim the floor lamp as your personal "fire pole". I look at everything in life much differently now, and I owe that to you. If we aren't having fun and smiling everyday, are we really living life?

Caelin, even at 3 months, you have taught me things as well. You remind me daily that some things can wait. The dishes can be done another time, and the laundry can be folded later. I have always been a busy bee and felt the need for things to always be done as soon as possible. However, these last few months with you, I learned that you can always add more time to the dryer to get wrinkles out of clothes. Your simple smile reminds me to just hold you and talk rather than the household chores calling my name. I will never regret putting off those chores (even if I finished them at midnight some days).

I want you both to know that the decision to be a working Mom is hard for me. I would be so lucky if I was able to stay home with you both. Truth is, I have a calling and passion for my work that I believe God wants me to continue. However, this does mean that I will smother you both with love when we are together...so get ready! I will forever hang on to the memories we made these past three months. Words will never be enough to describe how much I love each of you. You are my joy and I love you both "all the way around the world and back again".

Mom

Happy Birthday Charles!

2011-09-19T16:08:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday to the WORLD'S GREATEST Father, Husband, and Best Friend. Believe it or not, we do actually thank God daily for how lucky we are to have you!!! You commitment to us and love that you show us daily is beyond words. God molded you into such a Godly man and we are blessed to have you each day. We hope this 32nd Birthday is the best birthday ever!

All our love,
Stacy, Cade, Caelin & Baylor

Many Miletones

2011-09-08T18:23:00.004-05:00

Both of my babies hit new milestones in the last week. It is so hard to imagine the reality of how time truly flies. It seems like just yesterday we were being discharged from the hospital with our new baby boy, now he is two and we have added Caelin to our precious family. Well, Caelin is officially two months now. Can you believe it?? TWO MONTHS OLD! She is doing so much these days! Here is what she has been up to and her milestones.

- She now weighs 10lbs, 9oz (40%), and JUST started wearing size 1 diapers this week!

- She is 23 inches tall (72%)

- She has good head control, but we are still working on our neck muscles to be steadier

- She eats 4.5 oz of Breastmilk every 3-4 hours

- At night she is sleeping 4 hours at first and then will sleep an additional 3 hours if Daddy puts her on his chest. We are still waiting for her to sleep by herself all night!

- She can coo and talk back to you. If you stick out your tongue, she will mimic you. She also cackles pretty loudly.

- She loves to kick her legs for exercise

- We are noticing that she likes to be held a lot more as she gets older and insists on being in the same room as everyone else

- Her favorite activity area is the swing and she loves to look around while in it.

- She also enjoys sitting up rather than lying on back. She loves to sit up in her car seat while we eat or fix dinner!

- She really is such a happy baby!

Cade also hit a new milestone today. He started Mother's Day Out. He goes once a week and I think the interaction with other kids will be so good for him. He has always been outgoing and enjoys playing with others. It really did break my heart to see him walking with a "Cars" backpack, fireman lunchbox, and Baylor napmat. He just seems so big already and I can't belive my newborn is now off to school. I fought back tears while Gam-ee cried under her sunglasses. Next week, Gam-ee is the one who will get the "you are gonna have so much fun/no crying talk!" Hahaha... When we got there, we had to wait in the hallway for a few others being dropped off. Cade was fine during this part, even though the other 3 children were screaming. However, as soon as he walked through the door and saw that we were not coming...he started crying. We left quickly as not to upset him more. Then Gam-ee, Caelin and I went to Chick-fil-a for breakfast and then to Charles' campus to meet everyone. It was a fun filled day, but I was so anxious to get back and pick up Cade. When we arrived to pick him up, I was pleased to see he was totally quiet still laying on his napmat. The very same napmat he REFUSED to lay on at my house...these teachers are miracle workers! They said he cried for a little while this morning and then had a great day. He ate all his lunch and took a nap! Wow...do they have 5-day/week programs? Ha! After we picked him up, Gam-ee gave him a surprise (Pez dispenser) and Mommy took him to Chick-fil-a for ice cream. So, it was a great funfilled day for all.

Thank you God again for my beautiful children, husband and life. I could not be happier and have been blessed beyond words. Even if I wish sometimes time could stand still.

Are you ready for some Football??

2011-09-05T12:42:00.008-05:00

Yes, we have finally started the 2011 FB season! Hhhheeeeyyyy SIC'EM Bears! We started this season in a very special way for Caelin. Cade went to his first Baylor game at 4 weeks. Caelin's was at 8 weeks and she was honored by winning the first ever "Baylor Crowd Cameo" photo contest! As the winner, we were announced as a family alongside the Baylor President, Judge Ken Starr, before starting to lead the Baylor Line onto the field. It was a true honor. Caelin of course slept through the entire thing and Cade was a little starstruck when he saw all the FB players. We had a blast! The game was even better when we ended with a 50-48 victory over TCU (ranked #14 in Nation). It was a perfect win on home turf. The stadium had record attendance and I have a feeling this is gonna be a GREAT season!

After the game, we drove to Round Rock to spend some time with Nana/Papa and all the cousins. We enjoyed a relaxing weekend playing, swimming, and lots of food! Yum Yum!

Random Photos of what we've been up to!

2011-08-29T11:21:00.008-05:00

This post is going to be a collage of what we've been up to these past few weeks. So often we have a few pics of what we have done and they pile up until I give in and do a random post...so here goes!

Girls Night Out at Church was a blast! Cindy, Heather , and I enjoyed a nice time at dinner and then went for dessert and Bible study.

Uncle Corey came in town for almost a week! We were able to spend some time with family dinners, dragging him to fun places with the kids, and letting Cade entertain him.

Our good friends from college, The Carpenter's, are finally moving back home from Canada! They came in town to buy their house and start moving! We were so excited to snag them one night for dinner. Cade and Avery (about 4 mo apart) had a blast playing together. We can't wait till their settled in here in TEXAS!

Baylor has calmed down a bit and spends his time laying on our bed watching the action between two kids, or more recently hiding from Cade under our bed. Cade loves He-Man and insists that poor Baylor is his Battlecat. Therefor Cade tries daily to saddle up and ride Baylor. I do not blame him for hiding!

Our amazing friends the O'Brien's also stopped for a visit to meet sweet Caelin. Emma and Cade got a chance to play while Kari and I were able to catch up on life. Sure wish we lived closer so we could be together more often!

Cade also got a tricycle and loves to attempt to ride it. I think he prefers his motorized car as it goes faster and provides more of a thrill. What can I say? My lil man has no fear and loves anything that goes fast.

Finally, we have also been able to spend time just relaxing on the couch and watching a little TV. Some days this includes Pajamas at 3pm...and others just a little before nap time. Either way, I will take any snuggle time I can get with the kids!

"Itz" crazy time!

2011-08-29T11:07:00.006-05:00

We took Cade to "Itz" last Thursday (similar to Chuck-E-Cheese). Not a bad deal at all. For Chas, I and Cade to eat the buffet and get 60 credits/tokens, it was about $28 with tax. That's what we pay for going out to dinner and we had 3 hours of fun! Check out the pics below. Needless to say he slept very well that night. I am not sure who had more fun...Cade, Charles, or Gramp-ee!

Fun Photos!!

2011-08-26T18:19:00.005-05:00

We were surprised today to be able to have pictures taken at Picture People, compliments of Gam-ee and Gramp-ee! They paid for us to have the kids take their first pictures together and I think they turned out amazing. We purchased the CD of course, so I can post some of the pics below. Look how beautiful my babies are!

Cade's 2nd BD Party & Weekend with the Family

2011-08-15T19:24:00.009-05:00

This past weekend we celebrated Cade's 2nd BD with a digger/dump truck themed party at our house. Our closest friends and family all attended and it went really well. Cade wore a shirt that said, "I dig being 2" and all the kids had construction hats that read "Cade's Crew". Cade's construction hat of course said "Foreman Cade" since he was the birthday boy! The kids got to play on a tractor specially made by Gramp-ee and Gam-ee in the backyard. They loved the way the lever raised the bucket. We also had each kid take a picture with Cade in the tractor and then they decorated a picture frame with construction stickers so they could take home a fun souvenir. It was a blast. I had fun with the decor and even Charles chipped in with fun ideas like putting the drinks in a wheelbarrow. Gam-ee made a special dump truck cake for Cade and it was a huge hit. We also had the party guests sign a hardback copy of "The Giving Tree" so that Cade could always keep that book as a special reminder of those who watched him welcome his 2nd birthday! Caelin even got in the spirit and wore her John Deer Tractor dress for her brother. And a must say for a little boy who truly already has it all and needs NOTHING, he continues to be spoiled by those around him. He got many gifts such as: books, dinosaur, backpack, football tent, puzzles, Alphie the learning robot, "Cars" books and a portable chair, fishing pole, sketchpads/crayons, tractors, fire truck, and so much more! Shortly after the party, Gramp-ee and Gam-ee surprised Cade with a REAL BACKHOE in a nearby public parking lot! Cade's eyes were HUGE and he loved riding around with Gramp-ee and using all the levers and steering equipment. It was a very special surprise and a great end to a wonderful party!

We were also blessed that Nana, Papa, Aunt Mendy, Uncle Chris, Mackenzie and Jaxson came down for the party. The best part was that they were all able to stay the night at our house! Now, if you remember, this means 4 small children (ages: 4, 2, 8 months, and 6 weeks) and 6 crazy adults in a not so large house! Needless to say, every room was being used and several times in the night we had to figure out whose child was crying! It was a blast for us and I know Gangaw would be laughing at all of us and loving every second of us squeezing it all in!

Thanks to all our friends and family who love our little man so much. This was an amazing day and weekend for him. You are so loved Cade Beatty!!

HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY CADE!

2011-08-10T21:32:00.008-05:00

Today our precious Cade turned 2. How did we get here? It seems like just yesterday I felt silly for going to L&D (and then found out I was actually having contractions 7 minutes apart) for "tightening" in my belly. Two years ago, our lives changed and we are greater for it. We prayed and prayed to be able to have children, and yet the funny thing is...we had no idea just how blessed we would really turn out to be. There are so many lessons Cade has taught us as parents, and we could never ask for a better son. Cade is so loving, caring, and a true fun spirit. He still enjoys anything that will make my heart beat fast (he's a mini rebel!), and is smart beyond his years. His language has certainly picked up and I am surprised at the big words he uses such as: patience, understand, tangled, and so many more. Cade knows most colors, counts with 1:1 correspondence to 11, knows 4-5 basic shapes, and LOVES to read books. He does have a case of the terrible two's at times...but we love him through it all. He goes to bed after one book at night and stays in his bed throughout the night. He sleeps 10-12 solid hours a night with a 1-2hr nap each afternoon. He will eat anything but loves chicken, fruit, cheese, oatmeal, and chocolate milk the best. His interests include sports/balls, ambulance/fire trucks/police cars, any superhero, his Dad's motorcycle, and romping at any place we take him to. He finds comfort in "Mr. Froggy" and always sleeps with him. When "Mr. Froggy" is in one hand, he is sucking his other thumb at all times. He wears 5T diapers and 3T-4T in pull-ups. We were doing amazing on potty training, although we have regressed since sister Caelin came. He still loves Caelin and will help get her pacifier and let us know when we need to take care of her. In the car, he likes to try and reach out to touch her and soothe her if she is crying. His imagination is amazing. My favorite is when he wears his cowboy hat and uses Charles' ties as a lasso. He even tucks the tie under one arm and then swings the other end of the tie like a true cowboy. When we went to his 2 year physical at the Doctor, he weighed in at 36lbs (95%) and exactly 36in tall (90%). There is never a dull momment with Cade Beatty!

To celebrate the day, Gam-ee and I took Cade and Caelin to the Children's Museum in The Woodlands to play (It is a great place btw!). Cade had a blast and we were especially excited to see they had a dress up area with fireman costumes and a pole to slide down. We stayed for about 2.5 hours and Cade was crying to stay when we had to leave. Then we stopped at a nearby McDonald's (in the true spirit of Gangaw...she loved to take us to the "Big M" on our BD) before heading home for a nap. Of course, our little Fireman fell asleep on the way home and I finally had to wake him up from a LONG nap. For dinner, we all met Gramp-ee /Gam-ee at Chick-fil-a (one of Cade's favs) and celebrated with a cupcake Gam-ee had made. He loved to hear us all sing to him and was so funny to watch blow out the candles. Of course we couldn't stop there as we needed to celebrate with ICE CREAM! So we went to Menchie's as well. It was an eventful day and Cade had so much fun. Let's just say he is snoring in the other room!

Happy Birthday Son. We love you so much and treasure every momment you have given us. Thank you for being you. We love you "all the way around the world and back again". -Dad and Mom

Family Reunion and Caelin's 1st trip to Round Rock

2011-08-09T18:19:00.010-05:00

This past weekend was Charles' family reunion in Fredericksburg, TX. We go here just about every year and it was fun to get away and see everyone. We left after Charles got off Friday evening and drove to Round Rock to stay the night (and break up the drive with an infant). Cade had ridden with Gam-ee and Gramp-ee to Fredericksburg early Friday morning in order to spend more time and meet the family. On Saturday morning, Charles, Caelin and I got up and drove into Fredericksburg. The day was filled with the usual visiting, eating, doing puzzles, shopping, and of course eating peach ice cream! Everyone was so excited to meet Caelin and she did so well being passed around to so many people. Cade had fun playing with his Cousins and running around the meeting room. Saturday night we had a family dinner catered by Cranky Frank's BBQ followed by an amazing Church service led by Charles' brother, Uncle Christopher. It was a busy and fun day rolled into one.

On Sunday morning, we got up early and all drove to Round Rock to spend the day with my family. This was Caelin's first trip to Round Rock, so it was the first time Mackenzie and Jaxson (her Cousins) got to meet her as well as Uncle Chris. We spent the day visiting, watching the kids destroy Nana/Papa's house, and swimming/tractor rides. If you have never experienced a house with 3 kids under 2, you are missing out! At one point, my sis and I just started laughing as we realized chasing kids with the camera was not really working. Let me set the pic for you... Mackenzie (4yrs) running from Cade around the house screaming, Cade (23mo.) running after her yelling "Kung Fu Panda", Jaxson (8mo) crying for his Daddy, Baylor (the dog) running after the kids trying to lick them, Nana watching with wide eyes saying, "Slow down kids", Caelin (1mo.) sleeping through it all, and Papa turning his hearing aides off. Let's just say, I think it was time to get them all outside in the pool! It was such a blast. I can't wait till Christmas when the kids will all be a bit older and even more active. Amidst the chaos, there was beauty as I realized the PURE BLESSINGS that kids are.

First day of Church/1 Month Old

2011-07-31T14:07:00.004-05:00

Today was Caelin's first day at Church. Sweet little girl did great. At one point, the Pastor got a little wild and everyone started clapping and standing (we are in the middle of a GREAT series called "Religion in America"). We glanced over at Caelin who had a startled look on her face and arms outstretched as if to say, "HEELLLLOOO people, some of us are trying to sleep!" We just laughed. Also, happy 4 weeks/1 month Caelin, we love you! You are still sleeping 3-4 hours at night and drink 4oz of milk every 3-3.5 hours. You are such a happy little girl who is starting to look around a lot more. Your eyes are still a gray blue and we love it when you open them real wide to look at us. You enjoy being cuddled and could sleep all day if help in someone's arms. You also enjoy when Daddy walks you back and forth and makes you do crazy dance moves. Cade is still in love with you and kisses you all the time. He says, "Night night Caelin, see you in morning", "wake up Caelin, time to play with He-man", "take a nap Caelin", and "Caelin stop crying they coming"! We love you Caelin Roe!

A special day with Cade

2011-07-29T20:16:00.010-05:00

We had the best day yesterday! We took Cade to Galveston for the day to play on the beach and visit the Rainforest Cafe. Since we knew the heat would be bad for Caelin, Gam-ee offered to spend the day with Caelin at home while we took Cade. I am pretty sure Gam-ee just spent the day holding and staring at Caelin. She is so spoiled already! When we made it to Galveston, we decided to do the rainforest Cafe first to eat lunch while we were still clean. Cade loved all the animals and watching them come to life while we ate. His expressions were priceless. When we finished eating, we rode the water coaster through the Cafe where he could see a closer view of the animals. He enjoyed the waterfalls and kept pointing to everything saying, "look, look!" Once we finished the ride, we headed out to the beach for some fun in the sand. Cade enjoyed the ocean (which he kept referring to as an island at first) and the waves. He was laughing and playing in them right away until the wave splashed in his face. It was a short recovery though and he was playing again in no time. I wish I could have seen his face, but I had to stay in knee deep water due to my C-section. Daddy also helped him build a sandcastle, which he promptly stepped on and said, "I knock down." Guess that's it for sandcastles. Anyway, we had a great day together and it didn't take Cade long to pass out once we got settled in the car to head home. As we were doing the bedtime routine last night, Cade announced, "We go to beach tomorrow, ok mommy daddy!"

Redneck Bath Time...

2011-07-29T20:13:00.004-05:00

enough said.

The infamous, Chuck-E-Cheese

2011-07-29T20:01:00.002-05:00

I know we must be crazy, but one of the things on our "fun List of to-do's" for Cade was Chuck-E-Cheese's. Yes, you heard me right...Chuck-E-Cheese. We printed coupons online and headed out with both kids for lunch and excitement. What we thought would be 1-2 hours was 3.5 hours of endless fun. We ate lunch, all had drinks and got 100 tokens for only $32 with tax. I call that a pretty good deal! Cade LOVED all the rides, especially the cars and monster trucks...basically anything that moves and he can climb in! This left Charles and I with TONS of tokens as Cade was not in to the Ski-ball or other games. I did try ski-ball with Cade, but found out that was not such a good idea when he CHUNKED the ball about 5 lanes down and yelled "TOUCHDOWN"! My kid has quite an arm...so for the safety of everyone (and the glass windows nearby), we did not attempt ski-ball further. We did have a blast though and decided it was not as bad as we originally thought it was gonna be. We enjoyed watching Cade laugh and run around. Nothing is better than family time.

Cade goes to Indiana

2011-07-29T19:46:00.004-05:00

This past Tuesday, Cade came back from 5 days in Indiana at a family wedding for Charles' cousin, Elizabeth. Gam-ee and Gramp-ee took him to meet the family and many of his cousins for he first time. With Caelin being so young, there was no way we were gonna attempt the trip. Cade had a blast as you can see from the pics below and LOVED spending all the time with Gam-ee and Gramp-ee...in fact, I KNOW he didn't want to come home! While Cade was away, Charles and I took the time to love on Caelin together and do things like going out to nice dinners! It is so funny how fast you forget the difference in a 23 month old and a newborn at restaurants! We also rented a ton of movies and stayed in our PJ's all day one time! Everyone had a nice time, but we sure missed Cade by the time he got back. Good thing Gam-ee texted us pictures of him everyday! We had a list of fun things planned for when he got back!

We survived the first 2 weeks!

2011-07-18T15:40:00.005-05:00

Well, we survived the first two weeks as a family of 5 (yes, Baylor our 4 legged pooch is a part of our fam). What I had prepared myself for, was not reality! I prepared for the zombie like state...no sleep, exhaustion, low tolerance for attitudes, and a wrecked household. NOT AT ALL what it has been like. Having two munchkins under two has been a blast! Of course it helps that Caelin already sleeps two-4 hr stints at night and Cade sleeps his usual 10 hours...but it has been relaxing and a great bonding time for our family. We have had no real plans each day and enjoy being lazy and all spending time with each other. Praise God for times like this! Over the last 2 weeks, Cade has adjusted well to his sister and has shared the spotlight well. We make sure Caelin still has little "surprises" for him (stickers, cookies, and little dollar items) every now and then and he gives her kisses on his own. He loves to announce "Caelin crying Mommy Daddy," even if she barely whimpers. He has even tried to share his food a few times. Car rides are interesting as we still have to make sure our loving lil Cade doesn't poke her in the eye while inspecting her face. He also likes to pat his head and say, "Cade is big and Caelin is little." We are so proud of Cade, what a smart and loving lil boy! Caelin has also gone through multiple photo shoots, losing our umbilical cord, first bath (see earlier post), first outing to Gam-ee/Gramp-ee's for dinner last week, playing in the bouncer, swinging in the swing, playing with big brother, LOTS of books with Cade, playing in back yard (on the few cloudy days), and our 2 week doc apt today! Stats from her apt are below, she is one petite angel (despite what she looked like while in Mommy's belly).

2 week stats for Caelin:
Weight = 7lbs, 10 oz. (26%)
Length = 20 inches (36%)
Head Circumference = 14.2 inches

Mommy and Daddy have also managed to not only get sleep, but still have movie nights, snuggle in bed watching TV, go to Starbucks for treats (even if in the drive thru), and our first "dinner date"/outing with Caelin to Lupe Tortillas. I must say, this segment of our marriage has been one of the most exciting. This is where I notice EVEN MORE what kind of a loving and wonderful father Charles is. I have so many favorite memories with Charles, but there is nothing like the times when I see him loving on our kids.

Thank you God for the beautiful past two weeks. The miracle of life ad all the beauty that has come with Caelin, Cade, and being a family...your love is so great.

Colossians 1:9-10 "So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better."

Cade goes to the Circus!

2011-07-17T20:11:00.004-05:00

Cade had a special surprise this past weekend! While Mommy, Daddy and Caelin were at home recuperating...Cade got to go to the CIRCUS! Gam-ee and Gramp-ee treated him to a special day with them. I wish I could have seen the look on his face with all the excitement, but I couldn't be happier that he got to experience this with his Grandparents...just the 3 of them. Some of my best early memories were with my Grandparents and I know how special they are to me (Playing in the motor home with Grandma and Grandpa Parks and going to the "Big M" with Gangaw). Anyway, I think the pictures below show what a blast they had. I especially love the picture of him in "awe" during the show. They were able to see lots of animals, eat cotton candy, dress up in circus clothes, meet some of the performers, watch an elephant paint, and SO MUCH more. Not to mention, Cade came home with lots of souveniers such as hat, clown nose, program book, and motorcycle man (just to name a few). Thank you Gam-ee and Gramp-ee for taking him to the "Greatest Show on Earth!"

Caelin's first bath

2011-07-14T20:56:00.003-05:00

We had another milestone today, Caelin's first bath. Her umbilical cord fell off yesterday morning, but we waited a little longer since it didn't appear to be completely healed. So, tonight was the big event. As you can see, Cade had to be the big brother and show her how it was done. He did a great job! When Caelin started crying, Cade was quick to tell us, "Mommy, Daddy, Caelin crying, Help her." Cade even got to play around "in the big tub" after Caelin got out. FYI: The spa filter in a garden tub can also be used as a microphone for a 23 month old.

Playing Dress up!

2011-07-14T20:41:00.005-05:00

I know, I said I would NEVER be this girly...oopps. I had a girl and 11 days later, look at what I did. She is just so beautiful, I couldn't help it! Of course Cade had to get in a little fun and play with us. He put a tutu on his head insisting it was a hat and held bows up to be like Caelin. Now, the other picture was Mommy being silly (Daddy is not exactly happy that I posted that one)!

Welcome Caelin Roe

2011-07-10T12:29:00.011-05:00

Welcome Caelin Roe!!

The journey of waiting is over! A week ago today, on Sunday, July 3rd we welcomed another miracle...Caelin Roe. The day started as any other with us going to church. We ate the infamous chicken spaghetti for lunch (a tradition in the Hall/LeCour Family to put you in labor!) around 1:30pm. Starting at 2:30pm I began to feel tightening in my stomach. Not pain, just tightening. After a few hours, we decided to go to the hospital because although I was not in pain, I remember that feeling with Cade and it wound up that I was in labor! So, around 6:00pm, we went to the hospital and found out that my contractions were 3-5 minutes apart. Let me stop here and say PRAISE GOD that my tummy was numb AGAIN and I have yet to feel "labor pains" after 2 kids! HOWEVER, I do have the luxury of pains from 2 C-sections...so don't get too mad at me. Anyway, the C-section took place at 9:30pm that night and Caelin's official delivery time was 9:33pm. Her Apgar's were 9 and 9. She weighed in at 7lbs, 9 oz and was 19 3/4 inches long. Everything went great, no complications at all and she is just beautiful. I posted lots of pictures below from the hospital stay.

When Cade first met Caelin, she was "holding" a Spider Man pez dispenser for him. So, he immediately fell in love with her. We tried to refill it each time he came to visit and have her holding it. It was so cute to hear him say "Thank you Caelin" with a huge smile on his face! He continues to give her kisses all the time and talks to her. Cade has such a sweet heart and I am so proud of his welcoming attitude. He does think it is funny if she cries or has a poopy diaper...hhmmmmm....not so funny to Mom and Dad. Cade also got to put his hand prints on the wall in the hospital as a big brother. He liked the painting part of course and picked green as his color.

After a 3 night stay, we were able to come home on that Wednesday, July 6th. We were so excited to start our life at home with both kids. Nana/Papa, Gam-ee, and Cade were all there. It was exciting to pack up everything and GO HOME! Of course, by the time we got home to take pictures in front of the house, Cade was tired and fussy. So, we didn't get a real good pic of us as a family in front of our house.

As the week has gone on, we have adjusted to life with Caelin. She has been such an easy baby and a GREAT sleeper at that! We are so blessed. She continues to amaze us with her beauty and got her eating skills after her Mother. You would think eating is her hobby! She loves to be swaddled and having her pacifier. We hardly ever hear her crying and she will even smile a few times each day already. We just love her personality already!

God has truly blessed our family again beyond words. It is hard to describe my feelings as I welcome a second miracle. I think of the numerous doctors who said it would never happen, all my tears of sadness and the prayers of hope I said every night. And now, here we are. Prayers answered and blessed more than what I could have ever imagined. Thanks be to God who is our true provider.

-Psalm 37:4 Delight yourselves in the Lord and he shall give you the desires of your heart.

Well here we are...38 weeks

2011-06-29T10:04:00.003-05:00

Here we are at 38 weeks. I have to be honest and say I am SHOCKED we are still waiting for the Princess to arrive. She continues to get bigger (which makes Mommy bigger), and stronger (which hurts Mommy). Several times at the doc apt this week, we had a hard time getting a heartrate as the little stinker continues to flip her position. Her head is very low and engaged, but her butt and body still flip from side to side. This is especially fun when she decides to kick or roll around. It will be all worth it in the end though. The C-section is confirmed for July 8th at 12:30pm, unless she comes sooner. So, at least we know she will be here in at least 9 days! Speaking of heartrate, we had to do a "Non-Stress Test" yesterday since Caelin's heartbeat was in the 160's. The doc just wanted to be sure she was not in stress. The picture looks a lot worse than it was! We really just watched TV for 25 minutes while they monitored her heartrate, number of times she moved, and any contractions. It all turned out perfect. Caelin was just moving around a lot, so her heartrate was a little high, but normal for her amount of movement. Doesn't that sound like our little Princess?! Hahahaha! Anyhow, here are this weeks stats for Caelin. We go to the doc next Tuesday, July 5th for our last apt.

Ps- Can you believe the size of my belly? Stats from 38 week appointment:

BP- 96/62

Caelin's HR- 160's

Weight- 166.4

Dilation- 0

Effacement- 0%

Contractions- None

Cade's first Bowling Trip

2011-06-28T18:22:00.003-05:00

So, today's adventure was a short game of bowling! Cade had never been bowling before, so it was fun to watch him figure things out. Daddy had to help him a lot, and there were a few times we could have cooked our own lunch while waiting for the ball to make it ALL THE WAY DOWN the lane, but hey...he did it! In fact, we loved the fact that Cade made the only strike of the day! I of course just took pictures and cheered everyone on, but it was still a blast!

Children's Museum

2011-06-28T18:08:00.005-05:00

I know I am supposed to be "taking it easy", but I want to try and get out and spend as much time with Cade as we can now. A part of me feels like our time together is closing in, and I want him to know how loved he is! So, we decided to take Cade to the Houston Children's Museum yesterday. It was SO MUCH fun and even Gam-ee got to come along! We started the day by all going to the donut shop and then heading downtown. I did find times to just sit and relax, and I loved taking all the pictures of Cade and his new discoveries. Yesterday was also "Superhero Day", so if you dressed up like a Superhero, you got half off. Needless to say, Superman had a blast!

Caelin is 37 weeks

2011-06-22T19:21:00.003-05:00

Well, another week has come and gone! We went to the doc this AM and got the following report. We just can't wait to hold our little girl! Even Cade is getting a little anxious...or maybe he is just nervous that I might actually explode soon! Worse case scenario, she will be here via C-section in 14 days! :)

- Weight: 164 lbs.
- Blood Pressure: 100/68
- Caelin's HR: 142
- Dilation: 0
- Effacement: 0%
- Other: We did an ultrasound today and the doc predicted that Caelin is currently about 7.5 lbs. The C-section is still scheduled for July 8th at 12:30pm. Doc is thinking that she will hang on for 2 more weeks until the C-section. We shall see. The doc just made a face when I asked how much she predicted the birth weight to be in another 2 weeks. Hmmmmm....

Here is what BabyCenter.com says about Caelin this week:
"Your baby is now considered full term even though your due date may be a few weeks away. If you go into labor now (yes, please) her lungs will be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. She weighs approximately 6.5lbs (Apparently not our baby girl!) and measures close to 19 inches in length from head to heel."

On a rainy day...

2011-06-22T17:55:00.002-05:00

Today was one rainy day, which we are NOT complaining AT ALL about! It was nice to get some "cooler air" outside and a break from this Texas heat! We of course were in doors most of the day which led us to be creative with Cade! Lots of reading...HE LOVES BOOKS (got that from his Daddy!) and some belly painting. Yes, you heard correctly, belly painting. Each of the boys put their hand print/paw print on my belly and we painted Caelin! :) It was a lot of fun and Cade loved watching Charles' big hand print and even Baylor do it. Here are a few pics from the madness! And yes, my belly is really that big folks! Caelin needs to come soon as I am starting to see a stretch mark!!! NNNNOOOOO...

One day...two special events!

2011-06-19T13:06:00.005-05:00

June 19th is a special day for Charles and I. This is the day we promised each other our lives in marriage. It has been 7 years since we said "I do" and I honestly love him more every day. He is the most loving and caring man any wife could ever pray for. I love you Charles, and thank you for making my dreams come true. As everyone knows, today is also Father's Day. One day, two special events! I have to say the most special Father in our lives is our Heavenly Father. To whom we get the best examples and actions to follow. As his children, we are definitely not even close to being perfect, but the example set before us is a mighty one! Happy Father's Day Jesus!

The next best Father in my life is Charles. I know it is cliche, but if you are lucky enough to know Charles, you know how patient and loving he truly is. He sets a Godly example for Cade to follow and is always there when Cade calls, "DADDY...where you?" Me personally, sometimes I want to hide, but Charles is always there. He does all the usual things to keep a household together, and so much more. Since I have been pregnant, he has stepped up and helped out more than expected with Cade. When Mommy needs to put her feet up, Charles steps in and off to the park or somewhere fun he takes Cade. I am sure sometimes he feels like a single Dad when I am in bed by 8pm and he is getting Cade to sleep. I just can't say enough about my husband. I am so proud to say he is mine and grateful to God he chose me! :) Happy Father's Day Charles!

We are also so lucky to have two amazing Father's of our own. My Dad, Rex, and Charles' Dad, Fred are both such loving Father's to us. I believe that is the reason Charles is such a good Dad today. He has had the perfect examples to follow. Both of our Dad's treat each of us like their own children. So, in essence we each have two Dad's! Just this week, Fred dropped everything he was doing (even while their were workers in his own home) to come to my rescue when the truck died and Charles was in Austin. He never hesitated and was there with me in less than 15 minutes. Since the time Charles and my Dad met, he has learned various things like putting tables together (we won't go there), advice on just about anything. When I was growing up, I remember my Dad giving up working in the garage to have tea parties (with cookies) with my sister and I, and we won't even mention the countless animals we "promised" to take care of that became his duty (fish, hamsters, the 2 day rabbit, etc.). Charles remembers being so excited to get up and spend time with his Dad throwing papers and attending Rice Football games. The memories go on forever, but the bottom line is that we are truly blessed and this day marks a special day for the men in our lives. Happy Father's Day to our Dad's!

Dad, Stacy and Sister Mendy at Stacy's 1 year Birthday Party

Dad and Charles at Christmas 1979 when Charles was 3 months old

Happy Birthday Gramp-ee!

2011-06-16T17:22:00.004-05:00

Today is Gramp-ee's Birthday! We started off the morning singing Happy Birthday to Gramp-ee while eating waffles. Then, after some errands, Cade worked super hard on his BD cake and loved decorating it. Mommy had to help fix the icing on top and do the writing. However, the designs...all Cade. He insisted on a happy face "right tere Mommy!" and worms all over the cake. So, the squigglies are worms and we have a rather odd happy face (I have never been an artist). We celebrated the evening with Gramp-ee, Gam-ee, Christopher and Heather at our house with dinner, cake, and gifts. We enjoyed having all the family time. Although, we are still missing Daddy who has been on business in Austin for 2 days now. We can't wait for him to come home! Thank you Gramp-ee for all you do for us and all the love you show. We love you so much and hope your day was special! Happy Birthday!

36 weeks for Little Miss Caelin

2011-06-14T15:08:00.005-05:00

Here we are at 36 weeks for Caelin. It won't be long now before she is here and our family is a family of 5 (Yes, I will always count Baylor!). I think we have done everything to prepare for her arrival, now we just wait. I went to the doc today and here are the stats...

- Weight: Lost one pound this week...which is good since I gained 4.5 last week!

- BP: 98/66

- Caelin's HR: 146

- Dilation: 0

- Effacement: 0%

- Other: slowly we are showing signs of labor such as tightening and Braxton Hicks, but the doc still thinks she will hold out till July 8th. We shall see! I guess our doc apt next Tuesday will be the best indicator when we see if I have dilated any. Until then, the Doc wants me to rest and try not to be on my feet as much. We will see how that goes with my little Angel Cade since he doesn't really prefer I sit down that much! But, I am glad that now I am off of work until October and able to spend more time with him and Caelin when she comes. Praise God for that!

Is this Nesting?

2011-06-12T20:36:00.008-05:00

Not sure what you might call these last few days, other than to say we have been a busy little family. Here are some of the highlights of preparing for Caelin coming!

Her room is ready! I finished sewing her quilt to an iron piece we already had and used that as one of the wall decorations. I also looped ribbon through an iron plate holder to create our unique version of a bow holder (this was Charles' idea!). Everything is now hung and ready to go!

Car seats are installed and ready for her to be in them. We wanted to do this a little early to help prepare Cade for his sister in the back seats!

Bassinet (Pack-n-play) is up in our bedroom. This was our way of preparing Baylor since his bed had to move, and Cade since she will be in our room for the first little bit. Cade and Baylor have both had to check everything out, play with the diapers and materials, and even use some of her powder.

I also spent yesterday morning cooking lots of meals to freeze for when Caelin is here! I cooked several stuffed pasta shells and chicken pot pie.

We went to store and stocked up on all the goodies my family will need while they are in town and staying with us.

Updated our call lists for the hospital.

Gam-ee took pregnancy photos of us as a family. I will post some now, but I still need to edit them, so more will come later!

Finally, we packed our bags...now I guess all we need is for her to get here!

35 weeks prego (according to Doc)

2011-06-09T17:42:00.003-05:00

Well, here we are! We made it to week 35 according to the Doc. C-section is officially scheduled for less than a month away! Can't believe time has flown by so fast! She is still quite the little mover and packs a solid punch. She moves all day and night and kicks way more than Cade ever did. Cade was more of a "stretcher"...Caelin, a flipper and kicker! We are putting the last finishing touches on her room and packing the hospital bags this week. We are putting up her bassinet in our room so Baylor and Cade can get used to it. We are also doing a LOT of talking to Cade about "his baby Caelin" coming soon. He loves to read the book "A Baby is on the Way" and we talk about things like how to touch a baby, and what a baby eats. I know he will be such an amazing and loving big brother. I am now on weekly doctor visits, so here are the stats from this week.

Weight: gained 4.6 lbs this WEEK...oops, I guess I will put down my brownie now.

Blood Pressure: 104/68

Caelin's HR: 144

Uterus measurement: 34 inches

Sonogram showed she is head down and faced toward my spine. So, we didn't get to see her beautiful face, but we will see it soon anyway! Currently she is measuring about 6lbs, and Doc predicted she will be about 7.5lbs when born.

Here is what BabyCenter.com says about week 35: "Your baby is running out of room to move as she is measuring about 18 inches and 5.25 lbs. Because it is getting snugger in the womb, it isn't likely that she is still doing somersaults anymore, but she may still be kicking regularly. Her kidneys are now fully developed and her liver can now process some waste products. Most of her basic physical development is now complete and the next few weeks will be spent putting on weight."

Nina comes to town!

2011-06-05T14:07:00.003-05:00

This past weekend, my sis came into town to spend some Sister time and help with Caelin's soon arrival. We had such a blast! On Saturday, we went to eat Coffee and crepes for breakfast as soon as she got here! Cade LOVES his Aunt Mendy, "mmeeeenn-deee", and followed her everywhere. It was nice for Charles and I to sit back and watch them. After Breakfast, we all went to buy treats for Baylor's BD. We totally splurged and got Salted Caramel and Smore's cupcakes! They were SO YUMMY. Next, our adventures took us shopping as Nana/Papa had called and said they wanted us to spend some money on ourselves from them! That is never a problem, so we went to several clothing stores, Starbucks (of course), and Ulta. Ulta was the jackpot as we found a fun clearance section with all kinds of pampering products. WHOO HOO! Of course the fun couldn't stop there as we then went to the Pedicure place and got mani/pedi's with Gam-ee. We rounded out the evening with Baylor's BD party, dinner at home, and some couch lounging with TV. What a perfect, relaxing day. THANKS to Nana/Papa for the amazing donation and Charles for watching Cade so we could have a "Sis Day out"!

Sunday was even more fun as we spent the morning relaxing, taking Cade and Caelin to the Donut shop (hehehe), and working on Caelin's room. We decided on some very unique decorating ideas (I will post when they are completed)...for now it remains a surprise!

Thanks Sis for coming and spending the night with us. It meant so much to me, and I will never forget all our fun! I love you!

Baylor turns 7 years

2011-06-04T23:51:00.002-05:00

Often times we forget about our sweet lil Baylor. Baylor joined our quiet family of just Charles and I only 2 months after we had been married. He has watched our family grow over the last 7 years and has had to adapt to sharing the spot light with Cade. He holds a very special place in my heart and has helped me when we went through some tough fertility times. He is ALWAYS there when you need him (pretty much anytime). He will do anything for just a little attention and makes us laugh when he gives us the "save me look" when Cade starts beating on him. To celebrate, we went to "Treats!" in the Vintage and bought everyone cupcakes (Cade couldn't resist a "hot pink cake pop" and Baylor got a "Pup Cake". His Pup Cake is made of peanut butter, carrot shreds and other yummy stuff for dogs. When we sang Happy Birthday to Baylor, he was so excited knowing he was about to get his treat. Thanks Baylor for all your sweet love to us, you mean so much to our family. HAPPY 7th Birthday!

Happy Birthday to Gam-ee!

2011-06-01T17:43:00.004-05:00

We couldn't let the day go by without saying Happy Birthday to Gam-ee! Most of you know Cindy and how amazing she is. She shows love to everyone she meets and is a constant ray of sunshine. She is always there when we need her and she is one of the best friends anyone could ask for. To celebrate after work, we surprised her by going to dinner at Babin's. So, on this special day, we say HAPPY BIRTHDAY GAM-EE! We love you!

- Charles, Stacy, Cade, Caelin, and Baylor