The Halls' Blog

Christmas time is the best!

2008-12-15T19:33:00.001-08:00

We have already had so much fun this Christmas season. We attended JD's preschool Christmas program, and I just can't begin to tell you how precious it was to see all of the little children in their angel costumes and singing the sweetest songs. One of the songs was performed with words and sign language, and it was amazing to see such young children not missing a single sign as they sang their hearts out. We got the whole performance on video and I've already watched it. It was just as sweet the second time around.

We have also already been to see Santa, and JD informed Santa that he wants a jump rope for Christmas this year. I'm not really sure where that came from, but a jump rope should be pretty easy to find, right? Davis wasn't a big fan of sitting on Santa's lap and we just happened to get a good picture of the occasion right before he completely melted down.

I absolutely, positively LOVE the angels that my dear friend Christy and I made at church the other night. Thank you so much for coming up with that idea Christy! They will decorate our home at Christmas for years to come. I made 3 of them for each of our children, as that's exactly what they are to me...ANGELS, loaned to us by God.

Tomorrow night we are heading out to see the Festival of Lights at Tanglewood Park...always a favorite! JD is SO excited! He still remembers going last year.

We hope that everyone is enjoying this very special time of year!

He's here, he's there, he's everywhere!

2008-12-15T19:25:00.000-08:00

Our little Davis will be one year old in just a couple of weeks (January 3rd), and he is into everything. He just loves to explore anything he can get into, especially the refrigerator. I actually have a child lock on the refrigerator door, but I allow him to rummage through it occasionally. He is pulling up on everything and loves to stand at the toy drawer and pick something out to play with. He is an absolute sweetheart and we love him so much!

Did I mention that he also loves to stand at the edge of the tub while I take my shower? His hair always ends up getting quite wet from having the water splashing on him through the open curtain. I stepped back into the shower with the camera the other morning so that I could capture the view that I have as I take a shower. It's true that all privacy goes out the window when you become a mom, but that's ok. I actually rather enjoy our tubside visits. :)

Oh Christmas Tree...

2008-12-15T19:19:00.000-08:00

We recently attended the annual downtown Winston-Salem Christmas parade, and as always, it was very entertaining. We went with our great friends, Hank, Christy, and little Hank. It was quite cold, so we were all bundled up as we watched the spectacle of floats and marching bands and dancers. JD loved trying to collect candy from those who were giving it out, and he was mesmerized by the drummers! He and his best friend, Hank, squealed in delight as they saw Santa in the parade.

We also finally got our Christmas tree (I think it was December 5th to be exact!) JD Sr showed JD how to use his saw to trim the trunk of the tree, so JD thought that was quite a thrill. Davis even crawled over to supervise. I love it that JD Sr always takes the time to involve our kids in the details of things. It may result in things taking a little longer to accomplish, but the kids always get so much more out of those experiences.

We all decorated the tree together and were quite pleased with the finished product.

Our poor little guy!

2008-12-15T19:14:00.000-08:00

JD recently had a very bad ear infection, and he was feeling pretty miserable from it. We first noticed that something was going on when his hearing began to deteriorate to the point that he couldn't hear dinner conversation around the table -- sitting just inches away from us! After a few days of noticing problems with his hearing, he began to run fever and was complaining of pain in his ear. I took him to the pediatrician who told me that he had red bulging ear drums in both ears! Her response was, "It's no wonder he can't hear anything!" After a full round of antibiotics, I am happy to report that he is completely well and his hearing has returned 100%. It was hard to see him feeling so bad for those couple of days though. :(

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-12-15T19:05:00.000-08:00

We had a very nice Thanksgiving with family in Georgia this year. Before we headed out of town, JD's school hosted a Thanksgiving luncheon during which the children sang some of the cutest Thanksgiving songs while dressed up as pilgrims and Native Americans. Too cute!!

We spent part of our time in Georgia down in Americus where JD Sr grew up, and he got to go hunting while there. He actually got a deer and was so thrilled as it had been about 13 years since shooting his last deer. We now have a freezer FULL of deer burger!!

The formal portrait of the boys is one that I had done at Olan Mills in early October. I was SO pleased with how it turned out!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

A much needed visit from Gamma

2008-12-15T18:58:00.000-08:00

So now that I'm through the first trimester, I am feeling MUCH better in terms of not being nauseated and exhausted every day. However, when I was in the worst of it, my mom came for a visit to help me with the boys, which was great! She fed, bathed, and played with the boys every day and changed all diapers! It was very much appreciated!! She also cleaned my kitchen every night and picked up all of the toys in the living room before going to bed. Thank you for all of your help, Mama!

One morning while she was here, I woke up early to discover that we had a very light dusting of snow on the ground. Although it wasn't much, it's always fun to be surprised by it. I hope we get another good snow this January like we did last year!

In the ultrasound photo below, notice the lower half of the baby's face below his/her arm. The tiny arm is draped across the eyes, but if you look closely, you can see the nose and mouth below the arm. My friend Christy pointed that out to me because I certainly didn't notice it the first few times I looked at it. If you click on the photo, it should open larger in another window.

French Toast Friends on Friday

2008-12-15T18:46:00.000-08:00

So I decided to surprise the boys with a special breakfast one Friday morning, and they absolutely loved it! I told JD that the French Toast Friends had gotten snow (powdered sugar) all over them, and the only way to warm them up was to put them in his tummy as fast as he could. He was more than happy to help them out! Davis also thoroughly enjoyed the soggy, syrup-y treat.

The final photo is one that I love. I was tucking JD into bed one night, and he said, "Mama, I'm just going to read my green Bible until I fall asleep, ok?" (His favorite color is green.) I said, "I think that's a wonderful idea." I went in to peek at him a little while later, and this is how he had fallen asleep. It was so precious to me, so I had to take a picture. I pray that he and all of our children have a lifelong hunger for God's word.

Halloween Fun

2008-12-15T18:31:00.001-08:00

We had lots of fun this Halloween baking pumpkin cookies, dressing the boys up in costumes, and attending fall festivals. Davis got his first taste of cotton candy, and while he wasn't quite sure what to think of it initially, it only took a few tastes before he knew it was something he wanted! JD's school had a pumpkin carnival complete with costume-wearing, games, candy and class photos. JD Sr just happened to have the day off and was able to attend. JD jr was all too eager to dump his entire bag of candy on the gym floor at his school in order to show his daddy all of his treats! (See photo) I have been so pleased with his school and all of the fun things that they come up with for the children to do.

Disney and Sea World!

2008-12-15T17:52:00.000-08:00

Ok, so this was an amazing trip!! The boys could not have been more well-behaved the entire time that we were away, and they did great on their very first plane ride. What a relief!!

The pictures should tell most of the story, which was - We had a BLAST! The hotel we stayed in for the first part of the week had a great pool and playground, so we tried to make the most of them. We thought that we would cook our meals at the hotel, but that didn't exactly pan out, so we ended up eating out each day (which was fine with me - we're on vacation, right?)

Although Disney was terrific, I was a little disappointed that there weren't more Disney characters walking around for the children to meet. The rides were a lot of fun, and JD jr actually rode Splash Mountain THREE times...in a row! I could not believe he wasn't scared of that 50 ft plunge at the end, but he absolutely loved it!

Sea World was, hands down, our favorite! The shows were out of this world, and there were so many hands on things for the kids to do. JD jr's favorite was feeding and petting the sting rays. There was also the most amazing play area I've ever seen, complete with slides, a climbing net, tunnels, water squirters, etc.

Ok, a funny story: When we went to watch the Shamu show, I had the bright idea of sitting in the "soak zone" with JD jr and Davis. JD Sr sat several rows back as he had our camera and video camera to protect from the water. Well, seeing as how I had never been to Sea World, I had NO IDEA what to expect aside from getting a little wet. OH MY GOODNESS! When Shamu swam by and thrashed his tail on command, I saw a wave coming at us that looked like something on the ocean during a storm. It completely covered us, was salty and FREEZING cold! JD and Davis started SCREAMING, so I quickly grabbed them up and ran before the next wave hit. I'm sure I looked like the world's worst mother at that point!

I felt so bad for them both that I insisted we buy them an ice cream. They began devouring the ice cream, but Davis wasn't fast enough and his chocolate shell started sliding off of the ice cream and landing all over him. Did I have a change of clothes you might ask? Of course not! Oh well, we had been there all day at that point, so we were more or less ready to head back to the hotel anyway.

All I can say is thank you Disney and Sea World for having the most amazing strollers!! I don't think we could have stayed as long as we did without them!

What a wonderful family vacation that we will always remember (ok, maybe not Davis, but he can look at the pictures, right?).

GT Slams UGA...Literally!

2008-12-02T14:00:00.000-08:00

An excuse to get creative...

2008-10-12T17:22:00.000-07:00

Ok, so the leaves in the backyard have been calling my name and saying, "Please come and make something out of us!" Due to my lack of creativity, I have been ignoring their plea until the other day when we were outside playing on the swingset and I saw a leaf that was so beautiful (bright red and shaped like a star), so I just had to come up with something to do with them.

JD likes to pretend he's the king of his clubhouse, so I decided to make a crown for him. He helped me to gather leaves and cut all of the stems off of the leaves by himself. We then worked on his crown together, and when it was finished, he loved it and wore it with pride. It may not have been the most impressive fall project, but it was fun nonetheless.

Davis was all too interested in what we were doing with our big bag of leaves, and he simply wanted to dig in and eat a fist full of leaves. I had to block him at one point from crawling over to where JD was cutting paper and leaves on the kitchen floor, and he gave me a look of genuine frustration which I captured below. He is too funny!

Our next photos will be from our trip to Disney and Sea World, so stay tuned!

Two of my greatest gifts!

2008-10-12T17:18:00.000-07:00

I just can't explain in words how much I love my boys. They bring an immeasurable amount of joy to my life and I simply don't know how I ever lived without them. They are becoming the best of friends and their faces just light up when they see each other first thing in the morning. JD says on a regular basis, "Mama, I just love having a baby brother." and "I would pick Davis of all the babies in the world because he's the best." Even though JD still has to be reminded at times that he can't play roughly with Davis (at least not yet anyway!), Davis seems to take it all in stride and thinks his big brother hung the moon.

Just a side note...JD is growing SO much these days!! He eats like a grown man. I used to be able to get away with feeding him one PB&J sandwich at lunch, and now when he finishes one, he says, "Mama, I can eat another sandwich." and he does! For breakfast, he usually eats 2 bowls of oatmeal, a banana, a cup of juice or milk, and then less than an hour later, he tells me that he needs a little snack. The funniest was the other day when he had JUST finished a pretty sizeable breakfast of eggs and oatmeal, and we left soon after to run an errand and as we passed by Wendy's, he said, "Mama, will you stop there and buy me a hamburger?" I just cracked up laughing and reminded him that he had just eaten breakfast and that I would get him a hamburger for lunch. In the picture below where he is wearing the red shirt and sitting on the floor, notice his mouth full of food. That's the norm lately! He is shooting up like a weed, so I guess his body is requiring some extra fuel.

Davie Mavie!

2008-10-12T17:01:00.001-07:00

So our sweet little "Davie" is crawling EVERYWHERE...fast! He just loves his newfound ability to get from one part of the room to another at turbo speed. He is into everything, too. I love to see him exploring the house and finding the simplest things so fascinating.

He is such a precious baby boy! His little personality just cracks me up how he is so painfully shy. If a stranger speaks to him, he either hangs his head as low as it will go or turns his face into my shoulder and then peeks to see if they're still looking at him. Lately, he LOVES playing with JD's big wooden puzzles, and bathtime is still his all-time favorite.

He has 4 teeth now...2 on top and 2 on the bottom. If he's trying to let me know that he is ready for his nap or wants to be changed or picked up, he will crawl over to me, even if it means crawling to another room to find me, and chomp on my ankle. It doesn't hurt, but it's just his little way of communicating with me right now.

Speaking of communicating...the sweetest thing happened today...I was upstairs packing for our trip, and he crawled over to the bottom of the stairs and pulled himself up on his knees using the bottom step and loudly said, "Mama!" Of course I dropped what I was doing and came and scooped him up and kissed him all over. Although he has been saying "Mama" for some time now, it was so neat to hear him call for me like that.

It's so much fun getting to live these moments that I experienced with JD all over again.

Fall, Friends, and the Fair!

2008-10-12T16:46:00.001-07:00

Last weekend, I was visited by two of my dearest friends, Stacey and Melissa, who drove all the way from GA and VA to see me. Melissa brought her 3 year old little boy, Jeremy, with her, so he and JD had a grand time playing together.

The Dixie Classic Fair was in town, so we were able to go and watch the boys enjoy some rides together. We also visited a pumpkin patch and used the opportunity to take some cute photos. Finally we ate dinner, roasted marshmallows, and drank hot chocolate on the deck as the weather was delightfully chilly. The boys played until they reached meltdown status, due in part to the fact that neither one of them had a nap.

It was a great weekend, and I cherish the memories that were made. I miss you Stacey and Melissa!

Open Wide!

2008-09-25T13:54:00.000-07:00

JD had his very first dentist appointment this morning, and let me just tell you that he was treated like a celebrity! What a great dentist's office!! All of the staff just loved him and even made special visits to the exam room to say hello to him. After he was finished with his check-up, he got to pick a toy from the prize box, and of course he picked a ball! He was then given 3 free passes to play putt-putt golf, and finally they took his picture to send home with us and had the dentist sign it.

He loved the special sunglasses that they gave him so that the dentist's light wouldn't be too bright in his eyes during the exam.

He will be going back for his first cleaning soon, so today was just a "happy" visit as they call it at his dentist's office. He was a little too nervous to have the cleaning done today. As soon as she started showing him "Mr. Thirsty" and her other cleaning instruments, he suddenly started asking, "Are you going to hurt me?" The hygenist assured him that she wouldn't, but she could see that he was not quite ready, so we decided to postpone the cleaning.

He had a great first experience though, so hopefully when we return for the cleaning, he'll be more at ease.

I am happy to report that he has perfectly healthy teeth! :)

Go Jackets!

2008-09-25T13:49:00.001-07:00

The 3 Hall boys spent this past Saturday pulling for Georgia Tech. I must admit that they looked pretty cute in their Tech attire. Davis even got to have a little bit of the crust and cheese from the pepperoni pizza that JD Sr and Jr shared for lunch. It was truly a guys' afternoon! :)

Just Some Sweet Davis Pics...

2008-09-25T13:41:00.000-07:00

We Love You Sugar Bear!

Hall Happenings...

2008-09-19T07:27:00.002-07:00

Davis is getting so big, so fast! His newest favorite is Goldfish crackers. Although he only has 2 teeth on the bottom, he still manages to crunch them between his teeth and top gums. JD loves it that they can share the same snack now.

Davis also loves watching Noggin with his big brother, and he can't get enough of JD's silly behavior. In the picture of him laughing, he is actually laughing at what JD was doing with his shirt and the crazy glasses. Of course JD loves it because he lives to perform!

Davis is also now able to recognize familiar faces in photos, and when he sees a picture of JD Sr, he begins grinning and saying, "Da da da da da da". So amazing how fast they learn before they're even a year old! He is also saying, "Mama", now, and of course I love it!

In just a few weeks, we are heading to DISNEY WORLD!! I could not be more excited! JD Sr and I are taking both of the boys on their first plane ride and their first trip to Disney. We will be sure to post pictures of our adventure after we return.

Time for School!

2008-09-19T07:27:00.001-07:00

JD has officially started preschool and absolutely LOVES it!! He goes 3 days a week and has not had to do any adjusting at all. You would think he's been in school for a couple of years now! His school is terrific! I love all of the staff, and he has a wonderful teacher. He has a movement class on Mondays, chapel on Wednesdays, and a music class on Fridays. He also has a 30 minute Spanish lesson on Mondays. He will get to go on a handful of field trips this year, and each month, the school is visited by a creature teacher who brings in an animal for the children to see.

I love all of the things that he comes home and tells me about, and of course I have saved every little piece of artwork that has come home in his bag...I just can't bring myself to get rid of any of it! I'll probably have to invest in a multi-drawer file cabinet just for my children's school years!

Enjoy the pics of JD's first day of school. He made a welcome sign on his first day, which now adorns our front door. He is so proud to see it hanging there, and we're so proud of our big boy!

A new little cousin...Susannah Smoak!

2008-09-19T07:27:00.000-07:00

We recently had the great joy of welcoming Susannah Smoak to the world! Yes, JD Sr's baby sister is now a Mama, and a very good one, in my own personal opinion. Susannah weighed in at 8 lbs, 3 oz and was 21 in long. She is beautiful! After she arrived, JD said, "Mama, I think I love Susannah." He thinks! :) In the pic of JD, Davis, and Susannah, do you think Davis is reminiscing about his days as the new baby in the family? Ha ha!

Congratulations, David and Julie!

Lazy 5 Ranch

2008-08-23T08:11:00.000-07:00

This week, we took a trip to the Lazy 5 Ranch in Mooresville, NC and had a great time! It was truly a sight having wild animals trot up to the side of our horse-drawn wagon and eat right from the palms of our hands. Davis was fascinated by the animals, especially the ostriches. He laughed each time one of the ostriches stuck its head in the bucket of feed which sat only a few inches from his feet. After our wagon ride, we all had a picnic at the playground and then stayed a while longer while the children played. JD and Davis were exhausted by the time we headed back home, but we all had so much fun.

JD's first jump!

2008-08-23T08:09:00.001-07:00

While at the pool this week, JD jr decided to try jumping off the diving board for the very first time! I waited in the water as he gathered his courage, and then he jumped. I caught him and began swimming him over to the ladder as he clung to me and cried. His best friend Hank was waiting for him at the ladder for moral support. :) After I told him how proud I was of him, he cheerfully said, "Yeah, and I didn't even shed a tear!" He cracks me up with some of the things that he says.

Last Days of Summer

2008-08-23T08:05:00.001-07:00

Wow!! This summer has flown by! In just one more week, JD jr will begin preschool for the first time. He will be going 3 days a week, and he is so excited that he could burst!

The photos are of Davis experiencing his very first ice cream cone. He was literally pushing my hand up to his mouth and holding it there so that he could devour it as quickly as possible. If I even attempted to move the ice cream away from his mouth, he immediately began squealing in protest.

The other pictures are of JD and Davis enjoying a trip to the swimming pool and the slip-n-slide in our backyard. They truly adore each other!

9 Years Ago...

2008-08-23T08:02:00.000-07:00

...JD Sr and I exchanged vows. We can't believe that in 9 years, we have moved 3 times, had 2 children, and made our way through the challenges of medical school and residency! It has been a wonderful ride, and one that I wouldn't choose to take with anyone else!

The first photo was taken on our wedding day as we were on our way to the reception. The second photo was taken a couple of days before our anniversary this year. JD surprised me with tickets to a Jack Johnson concert, and it was fantastic!!

I Love You, John David and look forward to the next 50+ years together!

The Beginnings of Mobility!

2008-08-23T07:56:00.000-07:00

Davis has officially achieved sitting up completely unassisted and he is just moments away from crawling. He now gets into a perfect crawling position and rocks back and forth. As soon as he figures out how to put one hand in front of the other, he'll be on his way! We're so proud of him!

Funny Sleep Moments!

2008-08-23T07:51:00.000-07:00

Care for an explanation?

The first photos are ones that I took of Davis one afternoon as I went in his room to check on him during his nap. I was shocked to find that before falling asleep, he had somehow managed to take off his diaper!

The next two photos are of JD as he slept soundly with his upper body in the recliner and his feet on the floor. We had a BAD storm that afternoon, and JD Sr and I grabbed JD and Davis up from their naps and headed for the downstairs bathroom. We were convinced that a tornado was on its way, but it turned out to just be a very severe thunderstorm. After it passed, JD was obviously not finished with his nap, so he shuffled over to the recliner and rested his head in the seat and passed out.

The last two pictures are of JD sleeping with his feet inside the pillow that I used to nurse him on. I weaned him 2 and 1/2 years ago, and he still feels an attachment to that yellow pillow...I love it! Anyway, I was putting him to bed when the phone rang. I told him I would be right back to finish tucking him in, and after being on the phone for longer than I had expected, I went back to his room and found him sound asleep with his feet tucked snugly in the pillow.

Outdoor Fun

2008-08-23T07:43:00.001-07:00

We recently became the proud owners of a playset for our backyard, and do I even have to tell you how much JD and Davis love it? JD goes out to play on it at least 5 times a day, and Davis could spend all day in the swing. JD's favorite thing is to swing on his tummy and climb up into the clubhouse looking for dangerous robots through his telescope. :)

JD Sr sent Davis down the slide the other day while I stood at the bottom waiting to catch him. His eyes were as big as saucers, and he put his hands out and gripped the sides of the slide as he came down. He was going so slowly that a snail could have passed him on the way down. It was too funny!

Indoor Fun

2008-08-23T07:36:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of our sweet JD enjoying some indoor bowling in his underwear. When it's too hot for the outdoors, you have to think of something, right?

The other pics are of him playing games on the computer. He has been using the computer since he was 2, and it's astonishing how much he has learned!

Growing and Achieving Every Day!

2008-08-23T07:25:00.000-07:00

It seems as though Davis is reaching his milestones with lightning speed. He is practicing drinking from a sippy cup, army crawling EVERYWHERE, babbling, and jumping in the jumperoo with such force that sometimes we think he may actually get across the floor in it! He is also enjoying toys so much these days...it's so fun to watch his mind working as he explores each one.

The last photo shows a face that he makes while blowing air out of his nose over and over again. We call it his "snort", and he seems to do it when he sees someone that he recognizes and when he gets excited about something.

I can't say enough what a joy he is to us!

Bath time is the best!

2008-08-23T07:20:00.000-07:00

Davis absolutely loves to take a bath, and he was even more pleased with getting to share the experience with his big brother. He also showered with his Daddy one evening after getting more food on his face than in his tummy! (see photo)

Davis would sit and play in the tub for an hour if I'd let him! :)

Our Little Artist

2008-08-23T07:06:00.000-07:00

JD and I spent one afternoon drawing pictures with magic markers at the kitchen table. I was so impressed with his ability to create a "person" (as he called each one), so I decided to share his work on the blog. I guess what I found so interesting is that he didn't just draw the same person over and over, but he actually got very creative with each one that he drew.

I also included my "masterpiece" as well. I call it, "Beach". Ha ha!

A visit from Grandaddy

2008-07-11T20:46:00.000-07:00

We were pleasantly surprised this week by a visit from my dad, who was able to come and spend the night with us. JD, of course, performed for his grandaddy the entire time he was at our house, and Davis was more than willing to receive some extra hugs and kisses. We definitely look forward to the next time we can get together, as it's always so nice to spend time with family.

WOW! Davis is growing so fast!

2008-07-11T19:58:00.000-07:00

Let's see...Davis is eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, which he LOVES! He is sitting up unassisted, although he still occasionally topples over if he gets distracted. He is babbling all of the time with long strings of "Ba ba ba ba, Da da da da, and Na na na na." He is actually turning out to be such a daddy's boy! He loves taking baths and rolls all over the place. JD jr is still his favorite "toy" as he never tires of watching and laughing at JD's antics.

He is simply a sweetheart!

A Davis story...we were shopping the other day and I had him in the front of the cart. He was sucking his two fingers as he loves to do, and suddenly he chomped down hard on them. Well, he apparently didn't realize that those two teeth in his mouth can inflict pain, and his eyes filled up with tears and he started crying the most pitiful cry I have ever heard. He looked so crushed as if he thought someone else had bitten him. He was so upset that I had to pick him up and console him. Poor little guy!

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-11T19:52:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Independence Day by having a cookout with friends and enjoying "fireworks" in our own backyard. They mainly just sparkled, squealed, and popped, but it was entertaining nonetheless. After helping JD Sr light each one, JD quickly retreated to the other side of the yard. He has never been a fan of loud noises...definitely a trait that he acquired from his mama! :)

Davis was in bed by the time we had our personal 4th of July extravaganza (ha!), but I managed to get some festive pictures of the boys in their holiday attire.

Children are so entertaining...

2008-07-11T19:46:00.000-07:00

JD's imagination lately is so fun to watch. He gets so engrossed in creative play that sometimes he forgets that I'm in the room listening to him. He gives voices to his toys, pretends to be a superhero, "reads" books by making up stories to accommodate the pictures, and turns a giant cardboard box into a fort, a spaceship, a swimming pool, etc.

The pictures are of JD and his friend, Hank, as they were sitting on the hill in our backyard and pretending to talk on the phone to each other. They turned a couple of leafy twigs into phones. In addition to calling each other, they actually called Jonah...yes, as in...Jonah and the whale. JD loves to hear and tell the story of Jonah, so I guess it's not surprising that he decided to pay him a phone call. Too funny!

Closeups of God's Handiwork

2008-07-11T19:40:00.000-07:00

I am always so amazed when I stop to look at all of the intricate details of flowers because each one has such an amazing design. I am equally amazed when I look at my children because they, too, are so unique and beautiful and covered with God's fingerprints.

Davis - Almost 6 mos old!

2008-06-28T19:30:00.000-07:00

Little Davis will be 6 mos old on July 3rd, which is just so hard to believe! His personality is really blossoming lately. He is such a sweetheart, and I'm telling you that if I'd never heard him cry before, I would begin to wonder if he even knew how. It is such a rare thing for him to cry that you know that something is really bothering him if he ever does. He is in complete awe of his big brother, and he finds JD's every move hilarious (which JD loves, of course!). He loves rice cereal, which he began eating one month ago, and he will begin vegetables next week. I can't wait! I just love filling up their tummies for some reason. He is sleeping in excess of 12 hours at night, which is marvelous! He is beginning to try sitting up in the tripod position, but for now he still topples over if he sits unassisted.

He is such a blessing in our lives! We simply don't deserve the two amazing gifts that God has given us in our sweet boys.

JD's first solo visit to Georgia

2008-06-27T17:29:00.001-07:00

The first couple of pictures were taken at home in Winston-Salem while JD Sr and I were away on our sailing trip. The rest of the pictures were taken during the week that JD jr spent in Americus, GA at his Nana and Paw-Paw's house. As you can see, he had a blast! He spent the majority of the time swimming and playing with friends that he made once he got there. He didn't miss us even for a second, which made it easier on me to be separated from him. However, he wouldn't let JD Sr and me out of his sight once he returned home. I guess he didn't know how much he had missed us until he saw us again. Although JD Sr and I missed having him at home with us, we were able to spend some wonderful bonding time with Davis that week. We are definitely happy to have him back home with us, but we are thankful for such a wonderful opportunity for him to make warm memories with family.

Sailing the Deep Blue Sea!

2008-06-27T17:02:00.001-07:00

We recently took a sailing trip on a yacht with another couple who lives here in Winston-Salem. I admit that after I agreed to go on this weekend getaway, I later questioned my sanity! Let's just say, I have a great respect for...ok, fear of...the ocean. I almost drowned in the ocean at the age of 17, and ever since then, I won't get in it any more than waist deep. However, after throwing caution to the wind, I made up my mind to go and ended up having a terrific time!

We prepared our meals on the boat, slept on the boat, showered on the boat, and just enjoyed the amazing views of the ocean. We were even fortunate enough to witness a large group of dolphins swimming and jumping surprisingly close to our boat. The yacht had a dinghy on the back, so after dropping anchor, we were able to make a trip to shore and look for shells on a gorgeous, pristine beach that seemed almost undiscovered based on its cleanliness and lack of people.

We wore motion-sickness patches behind our ears the entire weekend, so none of us felt queasy even for a second. The rocking sensation in our legs stayed with us for a couple of days after returning home.

I am so glad that I didn't talk myself out of going, as it turned out to be a very enjoyable experience and another excuse for JD Sr and I to spend some quality time together (the boys stayed behind at home with their Nana and Paw-Paw).

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-18T12:09:00.000-07:00

To my dearest, John David,

You are the greatest daddy EVER! I thank God for you each and every day!

We Love You!

Special Moments

2008-06-05T19:56:00.000-07:00

JD has now finished his tumbling class at The Little Gym, and he participated in the end-of-semester show, in which he got to demonstrate all of the things he has learned. He was presented with a medal at the end, and if you could have seen his face, you would have thought he had just been told he was going to Disney World. It was really neat to see him truly feel proud of himself.

The picture of Davis is one that I took when putting him to bed the other night. He just kept gazing up at me and grinning, and even though his pacifier was hiding his smile, I could still see him smiling with his eyes. So sweet.

JD Sr set up the slip-n-slide for JD the other day, and needless to say, he had a blast!! I even went out and gave it a shot, and let's just say that the big yellow, "WARNING! Not for use by anyone over 5 feet tall!" sticker is there for a reason. I ended up with a bruise on my knee and a throbbing lower back. I'll know better next time, huh?

The final two pictures are of JD and his friend, Sara, from church. We babysat for Sara's mom and dad the other night, and I caught them by surprise with my camera as they were eating an Oreo cookie Klondike bar at the kitchen table. It was a big hit with both of them. Don't they look so sweet and snuggly in their pajamas? JD Sr rocked Sara downstairs in the recliner while I put JD to bed. She was out like a light by the time her parents arrived.

Off to the pool we go!

2008-06-05T19:50:00.001-07:00

So, even though the first official day of summer hasn't arrived yet, we've already made our first trip to the pool! The water was quite cold, but we still enjoyed ourselves. We didn't know how Davis would react to his first time in the water, but he really seemed to like it. JD was actually very timid about getting in the water this year, which we found to be very surprising compared to his fearless behavior last year. Maybe he'll warm up to it as we continue to go more this summer. As hot as it's been these past couple of days, I could have stayed in the pool from morning till night!

A trip to Baa Moo Farm

2008-06-05T19:37:00.000-07:00

Last week, we made a trip to Baa Moo Farm with our summer playgroup. It was a great day! We got to see a variety of farm animals, collect chicken eggs, milk a cow, feed a baby cow from a bottle, take a tractor-pulled wagon ride around the farm, run through a maze, and eat a picnic lunch. JD was cracking me up with his reaction to the farm odors! As we were approaching the area that housed the cows and pigs, it was as if there was a physical wall of foul smells, and when JD noticed it, he said very emphatically, "ShoooooooWeeeee!" while covering his nose and mouth. He walked around for the rest of the day with his top lip in a snarled position as if he thought this whole farm scene was just disgusting...especially when he noticed that there was poop on the ground. However, he did seem to enjoy running around in the open with his friends.

Davis rode around in the stroller enjoying the fresh (well, somewhat fresh) air. Ha ha. I played a game with him where I tossed a lightweight blanket against his face, and just when he reached up to grab it, I would quickly pull it back off again. He thought this was quite humorous and laughed every single time I did it. His laugh is contagious...you can almost hear him laughing in the photo below.

A sweet moment from our trip -- we were getting ready to walk to the next area of the farm as a group, and we were passing by a patch of clover when someone said, "Come on, JD, let's keep going." He had stooped down in front of the clover, and he said, "Hang on just a second, I need to pick a flower for my mom." He then brought it to me and said, "Here you go, mama, this is for you." What a sweetheart!

Davis just makes us melt!

2008-06-05T19:09:00.000-07:00

Where do I begin except to say that Davis is simply precious! He is the most laid back, sweet, and cuddly baby who never complains unless he's tired or needs his diaper changed. He is rolling over from his back to his tummy, beginning to scoot across the floor by making crawling motions, eating rice cereal, getting his first tooth, getting more and more vocal with his baby sounds, laughing at funny noises that his brother and I make, and growing a mile a minute! He is very interested in his surroundings, loves to listen to people talking, and really enjoys playing with the toys on the exersaucer. He's getting more skilled at jumping in the doorway jumper every day.

He took a shower with JD Sr and jr the other day, and although he loves taking baths, he was not a big fan of the water beating down on his head (see photo). The final picture is one that I took while he was watching an episode of "Wow Wow Wubbzy" (one of JD jr's favorite shows). It must have been pretty intense...check out his eyes and toes! Ha ha!!

We thank God for our sweet Davis.

Campin' Out

2008-06-05T18:59:00.001-07:00

Yes, we camped out in our own back yard! :) It was actually a lot of fun! We popped popcorn, ate candy, looked up at the stars, told stories, sang songs, had a tickle fight, and then snuggled close and fell asleep...until 1:30 AM when I woke up FREEZING, scooped JD up, and made a run for our warm bed! JD Sr told me that he would be shocked if we stayed out all night, so I guess that was one shock that he wasn't meant to receive. It still resulted in a great memory for JD and me, and I'm sure we'll do it again when the weather is a lot warmer through the night.

Gone Fishin'

2008-06-05T18:47:00.000-07:00

JD Sr recently took JD jr fishing at a local lake. They had a great time and caught several fish, which was very exciting for JD. They have been back several times, and Davis and I joined them on one afternoon. JD was all too eager to show one of his freshly caught fish to his baby brother, as seen in the photo. I think Davis was too busy sucking on his fingers to care. :)

John David, you are a wonderful husband and teriffic dad!

Cancun, Mexico!

2008-06-05T18:33:00.001-07:00

JD Sr and I recently traveled to Cancun, Mexico for an anesthesiology conference. I can't even begin to describe what an amazing trip it was. From the breathtaking views of the ocean to the level of service we received from all of the staff at our resort to exploring the Mayan ruins of Tu'lum to sleeping late and eating like kings and queens, etc. etc. Our room was incredible and no detail was overlooked. We arrived to find fresh fruit, a bottle of wine, bubble bath for the jacuzzi, down comforters on the beds, robes and slippers...it was divine!

JD and Davis' Nana and Paw Paw were gracious enough to come and stay at our house so that we could take this trip. Although we missed our boys while we were away, it was simply wonderful to be able to spend such quality time together in such a gorgeous setting. We brought a t-shirt home for Davis and a mariachi hat for JD (see photo).

The photos with the swirling light were taken during a fire and drum show that was performed poolside at the resort the first night that we arrived. It was very entertaining!

It was definitely a week that I wouldn't mind repeating!

Our sweet big boy

2008-06-05T18:28:00.000-07:00

Just a few recent pictures of JD. That's his best friend, Hank, in the pictures with him. Hank spent the night with us recently, and they had a blast. It was so fun to see the two of them playing together all evening. The baby in the GA Tech outfit is also JD when he was just one week old. It is so hard to believe that he's now almost 3 and 1/2 years old! I can remember looking into his eyes for the first time like it was yesterday. They grow up way too fast!

Oh dear!

2008-06-05T18:23:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I bought JD his own "baby" a couple of weeks after Davis was born because I wanted him to have something to nurture as I was so busy caring for the newest addition to our family. I didn't know if he would care one thing about it, but I had been told that this can sometimes help an older sibling to feel a part of the whole experience and not feel completely left out. Well, not only did JD enjoy having his own baby to look after, but he also apparently paid close attention to my interactions with Davis! One evening, we were sitting in the living room, and JD said, "I need to feed my baby." to which I replied, "Ok, I think that's a great idea." He picked up his baby, walked over to his Tigger chair, sat down, lifted his shirt, positioned the baby just perfectly and...well...began feeding his baby! I had to do everything in my power to keep from laughing because I didn't want to embarass him or make him wonder why I found that to be funny, seeing as how I do the same thing with Davis all throughout the day. I must admit, it was very sweet and innocent and a good reminder of how closely our children watch everything that we do.

My Brother, My Friend

2008-06-05T18:13:00.000-07:00

JD and Davis bring so much joy to our lives...especially when you catch them giggling at each other. Sometimes JD can make Davis absolutely cackle just by walking through the room. Davis is just mesmerized by JD's every move, so I know that he will always look up to his big brother. Even though I spend a lot of my day playing referee and trying to ward off JD's not-so-gentle pokes and pulls on Davis, I can see that they really do adore each other. JD often tells Davis, "I love you, brother. You're my best friend." and he is VERY protective of Davis already. We were at the park the other day, and an adult walked over to the stroller to peek in at Davis. JD and I were a few feet away, as I was helping him get down from the monkey bars, and he suddenly spotted Davis' visitor and shouted, "Hey! Don't touch my baby brother! His name is Davis and you need to be gentle with him." It was neat to see him looking out for his brother (although he was clearly repeating something he hears me say to him at least 100 times a day).

I know that having two boys in the house is going to call for much more supervision and lessons in being kind to one another as the years go on, but I wouldn't trade a moment of it for anything in the world.

Hilton Head, SC

2008-06-05T17:56:00.001-07:00

JD jr, Davis, and I made our first trip to Hilton Head, SC with Nana, Paw Paw, Aunt Mamie, and Aunt G-G. It was a very relaxing week and was just a good excuse to get together with family. It rained the first couple of days that we were there, so we made a visit to the Hilton Head fire department that was just up the street from our condo. JD enjoyed getting to explore the fire trucks, and we were even given a tour of the fire station. We made a couple of visits to the beach, although the weather didn't allow for any swimming, and we spent some time eating, shopping, and playing games (note to self: "Self, never agree to be on Julie's team when she's got pregnancy hormones pumping through her veins." Ha Ha) Davis even took his first dip in the salty sea (see photo). We returned home with good memories and a variety of sea shells that JD collected on the beach.

Oh, and how could I forget -- on the way home, JD said that he needed to spit. I had to inform everyone in the car that he was trying to tell us that he felt like he was going to vomit. Paw Paw quickly pulled the car over, allowed JD to get out of his seat, and we all waited. Nothing happened. Meanwhile, about 5 more miles up the interstate, we heard the unmistakable sounds of...ok, you get the picture...it was a MESS!!! We had to strip the entire car seat of its covering, strip JD down to his underwear, and hose everything off. Thank goodness we were approaching a rest area just as the excitement began. JD still talks about it and says it happened because he was watching the Ant movie. (It's all your fault G-G!) :)

Easter Weekend

2008-06-05T17:40:00.001-07:00

We spent Easter weekend dyeing eggs with friends, planting flowers, and attending church. The boys were just too cute all dressed up in their Easter outfits.

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Easter and that you were able to sense the presence of our risen Lord and Savior.

Easter Celebration at Church

2008-03-18T18:30:00.001-07:00

This past Sunday, we had the children's Easter celebration at church, which included an Easter egg hunt, arts and crafts, songs and stories, and giant inflatable slides and jumping beds. We had a wonderful time and ended the event with dinner. Davis obviously didn't get to participate in anything, but he was perfectly content to be held and doted on by members of our church family.

This weekend, we plan to decorate Easter eggs and spend a quiet weekend at home. JD Sr seems to be coming down with something, so we hope to be able to make it to church on Sunday.

Happy Easter to everyone!

"He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay." Matthew 28:6

Our sweet JD is officially 3

2008-03-18T18:15:00.000-07:00

Our first baby boy turned 3 years old this past Saturday! I asked him how he wanted to celebrate his birthday, and he said that he wanted to go to the park and have a picnic. We started the day with birthday pancakes followed by a trip to the mall for birthday portraits. When we left the mall, the temperature had dropped and it looked as though it could start raining any moment, so we decided to have our picnic on our deck. It was a very relaxing way to spend the afternoon, and JD really seemed to enjoy it. We had all of his favorite foods - grapes, string cheese, grilled chicken strips and juice boxes. Oh, and of course, cupcakes complete with sprinkles! Happy Birthday, sweet boy!

Our precious boy

2008-03-18T18:04:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent pictures of JD jr. I can't believe how much he is growing up! The very first photo is the one that was used for his birthday announcement in the Americus newspaper. The second picture is one that I recently took of him and Davis when they were completely engrossed in a Veggie Tales video. JD asked me if he could watch the video in my bed, and after I put the DVD in, he asked if Davis could come sit beside him to watch the video. I thought that was sweet enough to warrant a picture.

I recently enrolled JD in a class at The Little Gym. He goes every week and absolutely loves it! They really do a lot with the children, from balance beams to somersaults to the parallel bars. I look forward to getting to watch him in action every Wednesday morning.

The final pictures are from our recent trip to Georgia. JD had lots of fun at his Nana and Paw-Paw's house. He even got to play with some toys that JD Sr used to play with when he was a little boy!

JD's 3rd Birthday Party

2008-03-18T17:34:00.001-07:00

The weekend before JD's actual birthday, we made a trip to Americus, GA to have a family birthday party for him. He had a Spiderman party complete with a Spiderman cake, masks, and decorations that his Nana provided. When JD Sr turned 3 years old 28 years ago, he also had a Spiderman party, and a picture from that event decorated JD jr's birthday table (see the 5th photo down). We had originally planned to have the party outdoors at JD's Nana and Paw-Paw's house, but would you believe that we woke up to snow flurries the morning of his party. Yes, that's right! It was snowing in south Georgia! Due to the frigid weather, we ended up having his party at his Nana and Paw-Paw's church, which turned out to be a great alternative. JD and his cousins enjoyed wrestling with each other, trying out JD's birthday presents and spending time on the church playground, and even some of the adults took part in a game of dodge ball. We had a wonderful time celebrating and spending time with family.

Davis is growing fast!

2008-03-12T18:45:00.001-07:00

Davis is now almost 3 months old, which is so hard to believe! He is doing so well at night, waking up only once and usually going for about a 6 hour stretch. The day he turned 10 weeks old, he slept for 8 hours, which was great! He went back to waking up in the middle of the night the very next night, but he's still doing better than I could have hoped for at this age. At his 2 month checkup, he weighed 13 lbs and was 25 inches long! He's going to be a big guy! He is laughing and smiling all of the time, and LOVES to be talked to. He will gaze into your eyes and look at you as if listening so intently to everything you say. He is also making all kinds of verbal sounds, so I have a feeling that he will be an early talker just like his big brother. He's beginning to show signs of rolling over. He digs his feet into the bed or floor and pushes hard while rocking the top part of his body from left to right. I can still remember JD doing the same thing just before learning to roll over. He is such a sweetheart and we are all enjoying him so much!

A Trip to the Natural Science Center

2008-03-04T17:28:00.000-08:00

We recently took a trip to the Greensboro Museum of Natural Science with JD's good friend Nathan and his mom and dad. It was by far one of the best science museums we've visited so far. It is located on a huge piece of wooded land, so once you are inside, you definitely don't feel like you are in the middle of Greensboro, NC! The variety of animals was so neat to see, from tigers, to monkeys, to peacocks, and more. JD and Nathan ran around non-stop from one exhibit to another, and Davis seemed to enjoy the fresh air as he rode around in the stroller. The indoor portion of the museum was just as enjoyable with lots of hands on activities. One of JD and Nathan's favorite things to do was to stand in front of a photo-sensitive wall while an extremely bright flash of light went off, which would leave their shadow on the wall behind them. After the light flashed, they would quickly look to see the kind of shadow that they made and then crack up laughing. We made a full day of it, even stopping to have lunch in the museum lunchroom. This is definitely a trip we will be taking again soon!

Unexpected Snow!

2008-02-17T07:38:00.000-08:00

Around 7:30pm this past Wednesday night, I walked into Davis' room and saw what appeared to be a very heavy rain pouring outside the window. The closer I looked, I quickly realized that it was snow that I was seeing. It poured down for at least a couple of hours and accumulated very quickly on the ground. JD Sr was working late that night and didn't get home until 8:00pm, which is JD jr's bedtime. He called me from the hospital to tell me he was on the way home and when I told him it was snowing outside, he asked me to keep JD awake and dress him in some warm clothes so that they could play in the snow together. Davis was already in bed, so when JD Sr arrived home, the 3 of us headed outside to enjoy the snow. We threw snowballs at each other, built a snowman, showed JD how to make a snow angel, and went sledding down a huge hill in our neighborhood with our good friends, Hank, Christy, and little Hank.

JD's cheeks were so red when we finally came in for the night that it looked like he had painted them that color. Fortunately, his face returned to normal after he warmed up!

JD jr had a BLAST (actually, we all did) and the next morning after breakfast, we went right back out to play in the snow again before it all melted.

Sweet Little Davis...

2008-02-17T07:18:00.000-08:00

Davis is changing so much every single day. He makes some of the sweetest sounds and gives the cutest grins. He isn't sleeping through the night yet, but hopefully he will achieve that skill in the near future. In the meantime, however, I seem to be surviving on the amount of sleep that I am able to get at night. At least my reason for loss of sleep is to feed and rock another precious baby boy...what better excuse could I have?

He tolerates very well the hundreds of kisses (as well as pokes and pulls) that he receives from JD throughout each day. I never have to worry that he's not getting enough physical touch as long as JD is in the room! :)

I look forward to watching him reach all of his new milestones in the coming months, as well as watching him become great friends with his big brother. JD tells me all of the time that Davis is still too little to play ball with him, so it's neat to know that that's what is on his mind.

All of the hair on the top of Davis' head fell out a couple of weeks after he was born, so he looked just like a tiny old man. Throughout this past week, his hair has started growing back and is filling in the big bald spot nicely. :)

More pictures to follow soon! I'm sure he will have changed a great deal from the ones I posted below.

JD these days...

2008-02-17T07:10:00.000-08:00

It's hard for me to believe that JD is about to be 3 years old in a few weeks! He is such an amazing little boy with such a sweet heart and he is adjusting so well to his new role as big brother.

The pictures below are just some various moments from the past few weeks. He is still very much into music, from drums, to guitar, to piano, and even his daddy's harmonica, as you can see from the photo.

His imagination is really growing these days, and it is so fun to watch. He has always enjoyed taking baths, and now he pretends that he is a dolphin or a whale or whatever he is in the mood for on a particular night. He gets so active in the tub that I've had to start closing the curtain to keep the floor from getting completely soaked!

This week, he was invited by a friend to attend a class at The Little Gym, and he had a GREAT time! He gladly participated in everything the instructor asked the children to do, including the parallel bars!

The final picture is one that I took during JD's nap the other day. The little teddy bear that he is using as a pillow was given to him during his stay in the NICU after he was born. How time flies! He calls his teddy bear, Teddy, and it has always been his very favorite stuffed animal friend. I plan to hold onto Teddy as a keepsake after JD is all grown up. (sniff, sniff)

Snow Pics...

2008-01-21T19:20:00.000-08:00

It was very exciting to wake up to a covering of snow this week, so of course we had to get outside and play in it while it lasted. As the day went on and the rain began, the snow quickly melted, but JD jr and I managed to have a snowball fight on the deck and build a very pitiful snowman. JD had more fun kicking the snowman over than he did building it...such a little boy thing, I suppose. As soon as I began to lose feeling in my ears, I decided we should probably go inside to thaw out. The weather report this evening included sleet and freezing rain, so it sounds like we might be in for another frigid couple of days!

The first couple of weeks...

2008-01-21T18:43:00.001-08:00

Davis is now 2 and 1/2 weeks old and is still doing great! Aside from being slightly jaundiced for the first few days of life, he is growing and changing a mile a minute. It's literally as if he looks a little different every morning.

JD continues to enjoy his role as big brother and is already very protective of Davis. It's so sweet to watch the two of them together, and I know that their relationship will continue to grow over the years (between tattle telling and fighting over toys, of course!) :^)

Although my work load has definitely doubled, having another child to love is such a blessing. We thank God that he is in our family and is healthy and happy.

Enjoy the photos...more to come soon. Notice the picture in which JD is playing peekaboo with Davis while Davis is sound asleep...too funny!

Anderson Davis Hall

2008-01-06T06:44:00.000-08:00

Our little Davis, which means "Beloved" in Hebrew, has arrived!! Davis entered the world on January 3rd at 6:24 pm weighing 8 lbs and 4 oz and measuring 23 inches in length.

My labor and delivery was SO much quicker and easier than it was with JD, so thank you so much to all of you who prayed specifically for things to work out that way! I labored for about 5 and 1/2 hours and pushed for about 45 minutes before getting to hold my little miracle.

Everything went so smoothly that we actually ended up coming home from the hospital the very next day. We were ready to get home with our newest little bundle of joy and spend the night in our own beds!

JD jr's interaction with his new baby brother is so fun to watch. Any time Davis cries, JD runs over and says, "It's ok, Davis. I'm your BIG brother!" He kisses his face and tells him that he loves him all throughout the day.

JD Sr and I love getting to experience these newborn days all over again. I know that they will fly by just as quickly as they did with JD jr, so we are savoring them as much as we can.

Just as we suspected from the almost identical ultrasound pictures of JD and Davis, they look JUST alike! Of course that could all change once Davis' face begins to mature, but for now, the similarities are remarkable!

Enjoy the pictures, and we will post again as soon as we can. Thank you again for all of your prayers for us!

Love,

JD Sr, Jackie, JD jr, and Davis

Christmas Morning

2007-12-30T17:35:00.001-08:00

I can't believe Christmas is already over! We had a wonderful time celebrating this special day and watching JD beam with excitement as he came downstairs and discovered the gifts he had received. He has been very busy trying out all of his new toys and games in the days following Christmas, which has been very nice as I am still carrying out some very last minute tasks around the house to prepare for Davis' arrival. JD did get his "red fish" that he has asked for since the middle of the summer when he saw some Beta fish in the store one day. A funny story: I asked him a couple of days ago, "What is your fish doing?" JD replied, "He's just swimming on top of his Christmas tree." At the time, the fish was hovering just above one of the little green trees in his tank, and I thought that was so cute that JD decided that it was a Christmas tree for the fish. :^)

As of today (Monday), I am on track to be induced this Thursday, January 3rd, which is my official due date. Although I would have loved to have gone into labor on my own, we are just so thrilled that the day is almost here to meet our newest little man!

I have to take a moment to acknowledge my sweet husband in this post, as he has been so thoughtful and helpful and selfless as we have been getting closer to the big day. In addition to working all day, usually leaving the house by 5:30 am, he comes home and helps out with housework, allows me to take naps, plays with JD and takes him places so that I can have some time alone to get things accomplished, and he has endured my hormonal ups and downs like a trooper! Not that he isn't a wonderful husband all of the time, but it's times like these that really make a lasting mark on a woman's heart! Thank you John David!

Well, we hope that everyone had a truly blessed Christmas and that you are all looking forward to starting a new year.

Baby pics to follow after Thursday! Please pray for a safe and smooth delivery and a healthy baby!

Christmas Eve

2007-12-30T17:23:00.000-08:00

On Christmas eve, we headed to church for the Christmas eve service, which we thoroughly enjoyed. JD was thrilled to get to come to the sanctuary or "big church" with us as he calls it. The time for children was very fun to watch as they all gathered in the front of the church to hear the Christmas story and to receive an ornament depicting the manger scene with Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus.

We returned home and baked a birthday cake for Jesus. JD carefully placed all of the candles on the cake and proudly sang "Happy Birthday" to Jesus before blowing out the candles. He then wanted to give Jesus a piece of the cake to eat. Children are so precious!

If you're wondering why one end of the cake is missing...well, Mama and Daddy reserved some to eat while we set out the gifts after JD went to bed. That's only fair, right?

Full Term and Stitch Free!

2007-12-13T05:44:00.001-08:00

So, as of today, I am 37 weeks and 1 day! I had my stitches removed 2 days ago, and so far, nothing to report in the labor department. I am just so relieved to have my stitches out so that I can go into labor at any time and not have to worry about a thing.

My due date is January 3rd, so if I haven't gone into labor on my own between now and then, my doctor plans to induce labor on that date. I fully anticipate that that's what will end up happening -- induction, that is -- because I never went into labor with JD jr and was induced once I went past my due date. I know that every pregnancy is different, but we'll just have to wait and see. Regardless of how things happen, we only have 2 weeks and 6 days remaining, which is VERY exciting!

The nursery is ready, our bags are packed, and I'm currently preparing freezer meals for easy preparation after we return home from the hospital. Tick, tock, tick, tock...

The next pictures that I post will probably be of little Davis, so be on the lookout! In the meantime, I wish all of you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Holiday Fun with Friends

2007-12-13T05:25:00.000-08:00

My dear friend, Christy, who is immensely more creative than I am, invited JD jr and me to come over and try our hand at decorating a gingerbread train with her and Hank jr. The two boys remained interested for about 10 or 15 minutes and then wanted to leave the table to play with toys. Ultimately, they ended up in the back yard jumping in a giant leaf pile with Hank Sr supervising. Boys will be boys! Christy and I stayed committed until we finished our projects and had quite a bit of fun doing so. Christy even went a step further and made a gingerbread house to go along with her train (see photo below).

The boys also recently got together to make Christmas cookies, and by the looks of the pictures, I'm surprised that there was any dough left to go into the oven after they finished with their sampling! :^)

I am so thankful for the great friendships that God has blessed us with!

JD Enjoying His Gifts

2007-12-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

JD got to open some of his gifts a little early this year, and do I even have to tell you how excited he was to receive his very own motorized golf cart from his Nana and Paw-Paw? We have taken many rides around the neighborhood in the past couple of weeks, and I must say that he is a very good and safe driver...thankfully!! He stops at stop signs and says, "Look, it's an S-T-O-P stop sign with a red octagon!" and then asks, "Are any cars coming, Mama?" before proceeding to turn the corner. One funny thing that he does while driving is if he sees something that interests him in someone's yard, he will just hop right out of the car, with his foot just barely leaving the gas pedal and say things like, "Oh look, it's a giant leaf!" or "Mama, I need to give you a great big hug." Then he returns to his car and keeps on going as if he never left it. I'll definitely have to break him of that habit when he's driving a real car some day! :^) In the meantime, however, it's pretty cute.

He also received a set of Ga Tech toddler dishes that he has thoroughly enjoyed dining with, and a complete instrument set to include a drum, which is by far his favorite thing to play. He loves to strap the drum around his neck and say, "I'm going to have a parade!" He then marches all around the downstairs beating his drum with a very serious look on his face. As evidenced by one of the photos below, clothing takes a back seat to wearing his drum!

Speaking of playing instruments, I definitely think that formal piano lessons are going to be in his very near future as he has learned to play "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" completely by ear on his keyboard. No joke! I was walking by his bedroom one day and heard the song being played perfectly in tune and in time. I stopped and thought to myself, "I KNOW that he's not playing that. He must be playing with a toy that plays that song." I peeked into his room, and there he was standing at his keyboard and very much playing the song all by himself. I was completely floored to say the least! Maybe after his 3rd birthday, we will look into lessons for him.

Finding the Tree

2007-12-12T05:55:00.000-08:00

The hunt was on for our Christmas tree, and I think that JD had just as much fun playing with the dog that belonged to the tree lot owner as he did running through the many rows of trees.

We finally found one that we liked and I am pleased to say that with a lot of help from our family, it is completely decorated and twinkling with lights. JD loves to look at the tree and comment on the many different types of ornaments. He asks me at least a couple of times a day, "Mama, do you like our Christmas tree? Is it SOOOO beautiful?"

I must admit, coming down the stairs in the early morning and seeing the tiny little white lights on the tree really does bring a smile to my face.

Winston-Salem Christmas Parade

2007-12-12T05:45:00.000-08:00

Celebrating the Christmas season began a little early at the Hall household this year, as we have no idea what may be going on around actual Christmas day with the upcoming arrival of little Davis!

We attended the Winston-Salem Christmas parade with our family who came to spend the very first weekend of December with us. It was a lot of fun, and quite chilly! The drumlines and wide variety of floats were very entertaining and JD seemed to enjoy towering over the crowds while sitting atop his daddy's shoulders. Our friends, the Ballards, were also there with some of their family from out of town, and it seemed as though hosting a toddler on your shoulders was the role of the dads that evening. At least the two boys didn't try to have a chicken fight! That would have tested the endurance of their dad's neck and shoulder muscles even more than they were already.

This was our first year to attend the parade, but I have a feeling that we will return again next year!

Getting Ready for Christmas!

2007-11-28T18:32:00.000-08:00

This evening, we attended the annual "Advent of Advent" celebration at our church which included dinner, music sung by young children, and Christmas crafts for children of all ages. I had a wonderful time watching JD make his very first Christmas ornaments, which will certainly adorn our tree each year for many years to come. He made several visits to the manger that was placed at the front of the room, so that he could give baby Jesus some "sugar" and make sure he was adequately covered by his blanket. Too sweet!

I can't believe that Christmas is only 4 weeks away and that my due date is only 5 weeks away!! I have a feeling that the month of December will come and go in a flash!

The final picture is one that I recently took of JD taking his bath. I just can't get over how much he is growing up and how much of a little boy he is becoming. I realize more and more each day just how much of a blessing children really are, and I am so thankful that God has blessed us with such a wonderful gift. We are so excited about meeting our next little miracle soon!

Fun with Leaves

2007-11-09T12:22:00.000-08:00

The weather this afternoon was very pleasant, in spite of the incredibly cold temperatures we've been experiencing at night. I decided to try my hand (my very non-crafty hand) at making some fall art with JD. He enjoyed collecting leaves in the backyard, and he would hold each one up and ask, "Is this a good one, Mama?" before putting it in the bag. His favorite was definitely squirting the glue all over the paper before pasting the leaves down. Now that I've got one successful amateur art project behind me, I'll be sure to do more of these with JD, as he really seemed to enjoy himself. He can't wait to show his masterpiece to his Daddy!

We're getting closer!

2007-11-01T12:23:00.000-07:00

I am officially 31 weeks today, and everything is still going great!! We only have 6 weeks left until they remove my stitches and only 9 weeks left until my due date! I was assured at my dr's appointment yesterday that I would not be allowed to go past my due date this time. I was induced at 41 weeks with JD. Hopefully I won't even need to be induced and will go into labor on my own, but only time will tell.

The other pictures are some that I took last week of JD after he had completely cleaned out his toy drawer downstairs and climbed inside. He likes to have me close him in the drawer and pretend that I don't know where he is. He is getting more excited each day about the upcoming arrival of his baby brother, and we are, too!

Happy Halloween!

2007-11-01T07:04:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's already November! We finished out the month of October by carving a jack-o-lantern, dressing JD jr up as a monkey, attending our church's annual Fall Festival, and ending Halloween night by taking a trip to the mall where all of the store's employees were giving out candy to the children! It was packed! Each time someone put something in JD's bucket, he would stop in the middle of the mall and pull out whatever it was to thoroughly examine each piece. He was thrilled when he realized that he had been given some Skittles...his new favorite candy.

The Fall Festival was also fun, and JD's favorite activities were riding the tricycles and shooting basketball. We participated in the cakewalk, and I actually won a pie. It's not often that I win anything!

Speaking of pie, I can't believe it's already time to start thinking about Thanksgiving dinner! The end of the year always comes and goes so quickly, doesn't it?

A recent visit to Georgia...

2007-10-29T13:03:00.001-07:00

...for JD Sr and jr that is! I was forbidden by my OB to take the trip, so I stayed behind in NC while my two boys ventured off to the Georgia Tech Homecoming game. It was extremely difficult to see them leave, but thanks to some wonderful friends who invited me over for dinner each night that I was alone, the time passed quickly. I was also able to get a ton of things accomplished around the house, including getting Davis' room ready for the baby furniture to come down from the attic.

The boys had a great time visiting with Nana, Paw-Paw, G-G, Uncle D, and Aunt Mamie. JD even got to take a ride on his Paw-Paw's Harley! JD is still talking about going to Buzz's house, which is where he thought he was once he was inside the GA Tech stadium and got to have his picture taken with him. I was disappointed that I had to miss out on the trip, but we definitely didn't want to risk anything happening with the pregnancy while being 5 hours from home.

We are finally in the single digit weekly countdown to Davis' arrival, and everything is still going great! Davis moves so much and uses such strength in his movements that I feel like he is going to just burst right through my skin at times. I can feel his tiny little rear-end when I rub the top part of my belly, and I know right where his feet are as they seem to be in constant motion! I will post another belly pic soon.

Enjoy the pics!

A sneak peek at Davis!

2007-10-22T08:20:00.000-07:00

We went for our 3D ultrasound of Davis this morning, and it was truly amazing! We were blown away by how similar Davis and JD look in utero! Their cheeks and chins and noses are virtually identical.

Notice how meaty his little thighs are! The ultrasonographer said that he is going to have very long legs, as his femur is already measuring within 6 days of his due date, which is still 10 weeks away!! Maybe we'll have a basketball player in the family?

We saw him yawn and smack his little lips, and he was opening his eyes and looking around during the scan.

His little feet are crossed at the ankles, which is how JD kept his legs the entire time, too. He is also head down, so that's great news!

We could not be more excited about his upcoming arrival!! You can click on the individual images to see them in a larger view. Enjoy!

9 hours at the fair!

2007-09-29T15:50:00.000-07:00

Yes, you read that correctly! We arrived at the Dixie Classic Fair at 12:00PM on Friday and stayed until 9:00PM! We had such a wonderful time, and this particular family event is something that we look forward to every year. This was the first year that JD jr was old enough and big enough to actually get to ride some rides, and boy did he ever!! I can't tell you how much fun JD Sr and I had watching JD get so excited about climbing aboard ride after ride and simply beaming with excitement and waving to us each time he passed by on whatever it was he was riding at the time.

He rode mini-roller coasters (COMPLETELY ALONE!), went down large inflatable slides, jumped in the jumping-house, and tried a variety of rides that just went around a small track. All of this was perfectly fine with me, but when he said he wanted to try the swings (yes, the kind that swing the children up and out in the air), I almost had a heart attack. I wasn't about to discourage him if it was something he really wanted to do, and he was surprisingly the right height to be allowed to get on. I just held my breath and actually felt a little nauseated as the swings began to take off. Would you believe that he LOVED it?? Each time he passed by, he was grinning with a wide-open mouth and saying, "Whoooooo Hooooo!"

Once the sun went down, we made our way over to watch the Demolition Derby. JD was fascinated by all of the smoke, roaring engines, and cheering crowd. You can see in a couple of the pictures just how captivated he was by the show. Later that night as I was tucking him into bed, he said, "Mama, those cars weren't being very nice!" At least he knows that that's NOT how we're supposed to act when we're behind the wheel of a car!

We wrapped up the night by taking a ride on the enormous ferris wheel, and although I had looked forward to it all day (I've always enjoyed riding ferris wheels at night), I have to admit that I panicked when it reached the top! My palms were sweating and I had to close my eyes until we began to descend. That has never happened to me before...could it have anything to do with being 30?

We packed food, the camera, chapstick, and of course, anything else we could think of that would allow us to stay for as long as we did. Being almost 7 mos pregnant resulted in my feet and tailbone throbbing by the end of the day, but it was so worth it!

Hangin' out with my best buddy, Hank

2007-09-29T15:42:00.000-07:00

Just a few pictures of JD jr and his friend, Hank, at the putt putt golf course a few weeks ago. It has been so much fun to see the two of them grow up together, as they met when they were both only a handful of months old. Any time I ask JD, "Who is your very best friend?", he says, "Hank!" Great friends just can't be beat, and I treasure my friendship with Hank's mom just as much!

A 2 and 1/2 year old's dream come true!

2007-09-18T19:17:00.000-07:00

We recently made a trip to Greensboro to visit Pump It Up, a giant warehouse with wall-to-wall inflatable play equipment. JD jr was mesmerized when we walked in, and it only took him a few seconds to realize that this was intended for one thing and one thing only...JUMPING! He and JD Sr had a blast chasing each other around and sliding down the enormous slides at warp speed. We will definitely be making another trip back very soon. Both JD Sr and jr were completely wiped out and STARVING by the time we left. They both kept repeating, "I'm so hungry" and "Let's eat!" all the way back to Winston-Salem. I obviously didn't get to participate in the jumping extravaganza because of my growing belly and dr's order to "take it easy", but I had just as much fun watching the two of them having a wonderful time together.

Summer's almost over...

2007-09-18T18:57:00.000-07:00

These are just a few random pictures that we've taken during the last few weeks of summer. I am now 25 weeks along, so my belly has grown even since the picture shown below. Everything is continuing to progress very well, and for that we are so thankful. JD jr is getting so excited about having a baby brother in the house. He tells me all of the things he is going to do when his brother arrives - give him a bottle, sing songs to him, give him a pap-pap (pacifier), and snuggle with him. He has recently begun to thank God for his baby brother when he says his bedtime prayers. Too sweet!

I FINALLY took JD to get another haircut. His hair just grows so fast between cuts! Notice the before (eating ice cream) and the after (close up). Did he need to visit the barber or what?

We hope everyone is doing well and enjoying this wonderful fall weather as much as we are!

Fun Time with Daddy

2007-09-18T18:50:00.000-07:00

I just love it when JD Sr and jr get to spend some guy time together! JD Sr recently got home from work early and treated JD to a trip to the mall where they played arcade games, visited the candy store where JD was allowed to pick out a bag of candy from their vast array of choices, and listened to music in the bookstore. As they were leaving to go out on their adventure, JD yelled to me from the backseat, "Mom, we'll be back, ok?" I guess he felt like he needed to reassure me the way that I do him when I drop him off for Sunday school each week.

The other pictures are from a recent Saturday that Georgia Tech was playing a televised football game. Fortunately JD Sr had the day off and was able to watch it, and JD jr was all too eager to share in his Daddy's excitement about the game, while wearing his fuzzy yellow hair and Buzz hat! Boys and football...I'll never understand!

Three Big Celebrations!

2007-08-22T16:37:00.000-07:00

1.) JD has been using the potty (going tinkle) for about 2 weeks now! It's been wonderful! He still wears a diaper for nap and bedtime simply because I do NOT want to wash sheets every single day of the week. During the day however, he wears underwear and goes to the potty all by himself whenever he needs to tinkle! He will even get up from the table during lunch or dinner to go to the potty and he has come in from playing outside to go to the potty a couple of times also! Just a couple of days ago, he did his first *ahem* poop in the potty!! He was so proud of himself afterwards, and I definitely shared in his pride!

2.) I am over 20 weeks pregnant, so we're halfway there, and everything is going great!! My cervix still shows no signs of shortening or dilating and the baby is growing a mile a minute. He is also very strong, and I base this on his powerful punches and kicks that he administers all throughout the day and night.

3.) John David and I just celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary, and I can say with certainty that I am the luckiest woman in the world to be married to such a wonderful man. He sent one dozen fuschia and white roses to me on our anniversary, and they were so beautiful that I just had to share a picture. I love you, John David!

Oh no! The BIG 3-0!

2007-08-22T16:18:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true! I am no longer in my 20's! Turning 30 wasn't nearly as traumatic as I had anticipated. I think the thing that made it such a smooth transition was the fact that I was wonderfully surprised by my family who drove all the way to NC from Georgia to celebrate my birthday with me. I was treated to an entire day of pampering to include a manicure, pedicure, hairstyle, new clothes, new shoes, perfume, and a dinner at my favorite restaurant, The Olive Garden! I felt like a princess and enjoyed the time with family so much! During dinner, JD jr serenaded me with the sweetest rendition of Happy Birthday before I blew out my candles. He also enjoyed my birthday cake very much! :^) We wrapped up the weekend with breakfast at Cracker Barrel before everyone had to make the long drive back to Georgia. What a great memory I will always have of my 30th birthday!

Our big boy!

2007-08-17T12:22:00.000-07:00

Here are a few shots of JD that I took over the past couple of weeks.

In the first two pictures, JD had just climbed into his chair to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and I had just run upstairs for a moment to throw some clothes in the dryer. When I returned, I found JD face down in his plate and using his sandwich as a pillow. He had not taken a nap on this particular day, so by 6:30pm, he was exhausted! I wiped his face and took him to bed where he had no trouble falling right back to sleep.

The last 3 pictures are some that I took at the lake here in Winston-Salem. It was a beautiful day -- definitely before this heat wave arrived -- and JD thoroughly enjoyed seeing the geese and ducks at such close range.

It continues to amaze me just how much he is growing up! I love him more than words could ever describe!

Oh BOY!

2007-08-02T07:31:00.000-07:00

Well, the verdict is in! We're having another boy! We are so excited, and I can tell you that JD Sr was beaming when we saw the identifying part. :^) We didn't even have to be told what we were having as we both saw "it" right away during part of the ultrasound.

Everything is still going great with the pregnancy, and I have begun to feel the first movements over the past couple of days. I just LOVE that part of being pregnant!

JD jr has been practicing his role as a big brother. He has a beanie baby surgeon doll that he calls his "green baby" and he just loves to nurture it. I heard him talking to the doll in his room the other day, and he was using the sweetest voice. I peeked into his room and found him reading a book to the doll, so I grabbed the camera right away. On those days that I find JD practicing wrestling moves on his baby brother, I'll have to show him these pictures and remind him of how sweet he knows how to be! :^)

We are so very excited to be welcoming a new little blessing into our lives and we thank God for this wonderful gift!

Picking Blueberries

2007-08-02T07:15:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, we took JD jr to pick blueberries at a nearby blueberry farm. As we were getting ready for our outing, we realized that we went on the exact same weekend last year. We had a great time; however, I must admit that JD Sr did ALL of the work. Being 17 and 1/2 weeks pregnant in the hot sun can be quite draining. I mainly kept an eye on JD jr as he ate blueberries just as quickly as he picked them. Needless to say, his bucket was empty when it was time to go home. JD Sr managed to pick about 1 and 1/2 gallons of blueberries, so those should last us quite a while. We managed to get a photo of JD jr this year that was virtually identical to one that we took last year at the blueberry farm. I was truly amazed to see how much he has changed in just one year. We plan to make this particular activity a summer tradition as JD has loved it each time we have gone, and he definitely loves eating the fruits of his labor!

Miscellaneous Pics...

2007-08-02T06:57:00.001-07:00

The first picture is one of JD just being silly. I was going through a box of things I have saved over the years, and I came across the Disney hats that JD Sr and I wore when we visited Disney World a handful of years ago. Of course, they were a big hit with JD jr, and they immediately found their way into his room. I knew I saved them for a reason!

The next picture is of JD snuggling with a plush soccer ball that has become his FAVORITE snuggling toy. It was given to him by a friend of ours from church when she brought us a meal during the week after my surgery. He loves it and insists upon sleeping with it each night.

The final pictures are of JD sleeping on the floor at the top of the stairs. Notice this occurred on 2 different occasions as he is wearing different clothes in some of the pictures. The first time I found him in this odd location was after I had put him to bed for the night and then went downstairs to make a phonecall. After about an hour of talking on the phone, I headed upstairs for bed and almost stepped on JD who I was shocked to find sleeping at the top of the stairs. I guess he got out of bed soon after I tucked him in and then just drifted off to sleep as he listened to me jabbering on the phone downstairs.

The very next day, he woke up from his afternoon nap, came out of his room, lay down in the same spot at the top of the stairs and went right back to sleep. Too funny! He hasn't done it again since those couple of times, but they were great photo ops nonetheless!