Wednesday, December 12, 2012

a picture post

I think it's time for me to realize that this blog is mostly going to contain outdated pictures and minimal words. Starting now:

Scott with Alexander and cousin Brayden at the NMOP
(it's what the cool kids dub the National Museum of Play)

"Hey Greg, we'd like some stairs put in before winter. Can you help us with that?"
"Sure thing. Here you go!"

*Scott's step-dad, Greg, has never built stairs before and these bad boys were in and ready to go in just a few hours on a Sunday afternoon. We are so blessed by talent and generosity on ALL sides of our family!

the supervisors!



I freaked out when Alexander came out of his bedroom about a half an hour after putting him to bed. These spots were ALL over him. Don't worry - he is disease free. It was simply the work of a bathtub marker...


This isn't the best representation of it, but I wanted to make a point to say that Eliza thinks there is nothing better than her big brother. I can't wait to see the relationship they'll develop!


Story time with Papa
(reading King Arthur's Very Great Grandson - it's a cute one!)

At Matt & Anna's house - first time in a (whatever you call these things). Her feet didn't quite make it to the platform which might explain the lack of enthusiasm?

Alexander pretending he has a backache, just like Papa. (Don't worry, the heating pad isn't plugged in!)

Have you ever seen a cooler kid? Ha ha ha ha ha!!! This'll probably go in his high school yearbook someday. 

At the Sciencenter in Ithaca. He really loved this skateboarding skeleton.
He pushed the button over and over and over to make him go!
 
Ha!

Family band.
 

Not many exhibits for a then 5 month old to check out...sorry, Eliza!

about to conquer the world!
Obligatory baby-with-food-on-their-face picture!
 
Obligatory take-a-picture-of-your-other-child-eating-because-you-took-one-of-the-baby picture!


Helping me take the meat off of a rotisserie chicken. He dug right in  - it was awesome.
This kid is going to be a wonder in the kitchen, I just know it!

Aunt Lexi - this is the t-shirt we made at Brayden's birthday party. He gives it a thumbs up!


Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Happy due date day, Eliza Jean!

I probably should have changed the title of this since today is most certainly not Eliza's due date - that would be insane! But I did want to put up this post that I started writing on June 20th and apparently just couldn't motivate myself to finish until 4 months later. What is wrong with me?!

Today was Eliza Jean's official due date and I thought I'd celebrate the occasion by jotting down her (very quick!) birth story.

On Thursday night, June 7th, around 10:30 or 11 I started noticing some really mild contractions. They were not painful at all and I could certainly talk through them (although I wasn't talking to anyone because Scott was at work until 1 a.m. and Alexander was sleeping). I jotted down the start times of each contraction on a notepad and used Uncle Ernie's stop watch to time how long they were lasting. They seemed to be coming every 30 minutes or so and lasting anywhere from 15 to 30 seconds. This went on all night. No big deal, they were nothing!

Because my water breaking was the first part of the process that I noticed with Alexander, this was a whole different experience and I wasn't quite sure what to do. I waited until the clock struck 7 a.m. on June 8th before making the call to my personal, always-on-call nurse (Mom!) to seek advice. I was supposed to go in to work at 8, but it didn't seem like it'd be a great idea and she agreed. She told me that she'd call me when she got to the office to let me know what time we could be squeezed in for an appointment to be checked. She called back a little after 8 and said that we could come in whenever we were ready, so we headed out after showers and packing the hospital bag, just about 9:30. 

When we got to the doctor's office I was seen by Rita (I believe she's a PA?) because Dr. Berry wasn't there and she said I was about 4 cm dilated at that point. I had one or two actually intense contractions there. Rita called Dr. Berry to confirm that I should head to the hospital and that's where Scott and I went! 

(My mom took Alexander to their house so my grandma could watch him until my dad got home and then she was going to come right up to the hospital. I had asked her and my mother-in-law, Roberta, to be in the delivery room with us.)

On the way to the hospital I had another one or two strong contractions that I definitely couldn't talk through. Valet took our car, they brought a wheelchair out for me and I was wheeled up (by a very old, slow walking man) to the delivery floor. Scott and I checked in at the desk, told them we were sent by Dr. Berry and they got us in a room. I don't know how long it was before a nurse came in to check on us, but it seemed like forever. The contractions were incredibly intense at this point and it was just Scott and I in the room, with me writhing in pain on the bed. Poor Scott had no idea what to do. My mom was by my side the whole time when Alexander was born, so the pressure was off of him then. Not so this time. I told him that I felt like I had to push or poop (sorry for saying it, but it's crazy how similar those urges are!!) and that I couldn't control it. He pushed the "nurse" button on the bed, but the response wasn't fast enough, so he went into the hallway, sitcom-style, and yelled "I need a nurse in here! My wife is going to have a baby!" 

This is where Scott should add his two cents, but from what I remember, in came a nurse and then at some point an on-call doctor who checked me and found I was 10 cm and going to have a baby right then! They rushed in a whole bunch of equipment, broke down the bed for the delivery, stuck an IV in me, a midwife from Dr. Berry's office came in and took over for the other doctor and then Dr. Berry herself came (thankfully), I yelled "I can't!!" about a million times, I pushed two or three times and at 10:36, an hour after I was I checked at 4 cm, I was told to reach down and grab my baby!!

As crazy as that was, the craziest part of it all was when Scott announced the gender - A GIRL!! I just kept saying over and over that I couldn't believe it, which is so true. Somewhere along life's way I had convinced myself that I wouldn't ever have a biological daughter, so it took me a long time to grasp the idea that she was a girl. I mean, like a really long time.

(End of June 20th post)

Here are a few pictures from the hospital. More (and better ones) to come soon!




I won't write much more today, but I have to tell you that the absence of a blog post about Eliza in no way reflects her importance in our family. She is a treasure. I love her with every bit of me and can't wait to share more about her!



















Saturday, July 7, 2012

Raspberry Picking

So we really had our hearts set on raspberry picking this morning at Hencle's Berry Patch in Baldwinsville. (We even decided to not go to the farmer's market to go) We knew it was supposed to rain, but we thought we could beat it. We didn't. By the time we got there, nearly 25 minutes away plus a stop off at the grocery store/ATM, it was definitely raining. 

As we sat there in the car trying to decide what to do Alexander made it very clear that he had every intention of raspberry picking right then. The rain let up just enough that it seemed reasonable. (Also, just in case you're wondering, we parked right next to berry patch and were able to safely leave Eliza in the car, we  were never more than twenty or so feet away.)

So we went for it! We started picking berries. It started raining harder and harder every second we were there. Which was fine. We decided that we would just get wet, as long as there is no thunder and lightning, we're OK. 

CRASH!! BOOM!!

Sure enough, a flash of lightning and a peal of thunder.

So we were there all of maybe twelve minutes, but we still had a lot of fun!!
Scoping out the best bushes to pick!

Alexander ate more than he kept.

Oops! There's lightning! Time to go!!

Happy but very wet family!

This giant bucket makes it seem like we didn't pick any! It was actually a half pound, not bad for twelve minutes and a 2 1/2 year old that kept eating them all!

Alexander LOVES fresh picked raspberries!!

He just couldn't stop eating them!

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Memorial Day Weekend

First corn on the cob of the season! (A little early, it wasn't great)

This one's raw, he likes it either way.
Alexander held his first baby this weekend! Little Luke Snyder!

He really liked it!

Mommy was sure to stick close by though.

Scored this wicked sweet tattoo! (And this carrot)
That's it for now! Just a quick photo share.
See you real soon!

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

We're baack!

Well, it's obviously been a long time since we've posted and the only reason is pure laziness. I know I've talked about it before, but it's having to decide which pictures to post that gets me. I REALLY hate sorting through the fuzzy pictures and the ones that look identical, but one is just slightly cuter than the other, etc. People have made suggestions on how to make that process easier and faster, but it's just too daunting and so, so low on my priority list. I can certainly always come up with something to write, but a post of mine without pictures? Who wants to read that?!

Here's a quick "what's up with us:"

-Scott is still a full-time student, full-time husband & father and recently added part-time employee to his resume!
-Stephanie is still a full-time worker, full-time wife & mother and is now 25 weeks along in her 2nd pregnancy!
-Alexander is still a full-time two year old boy and is beyond excited about having a new baby join the family soon!

Now, here are few photos!

Apple pickin' last September!






Going for a bike ride! With a break at the park.









One of Scott's best friends moved to Texas, he drove down with him. Right before he left he found this message.



 Coming SOON more pictures from last year's AppleFest, Halloween, Christmas, and MORE!