Hangin' with the Rogers' ...

Our friends in Alpharetta that we don't see enough. They are the friends I wish we lived right next door to; such a great family! Also, Kelly announced they are expecting a new baby in August! YAY!

Sunny is a ballerina!

Sunny started taking ballet classes at the community center. She is in the three year old "Twinkle Toes" class. There is a recital on May 3rd during the Jounquil Festival.

New Kiddo Pics ...

Our very talented friend, Jun, who only does photography on the side as a hobby came over two weeks ago and did these for us. Wade was three weeks old in these pictures. We went for a doctor visit today and learned that he is 13 lbs., 10 oz., and 23.5". He is in the 95% for height and weight which is also the 50% for a 3 month old so basically our FIVE WEEK OLD is the size of an average 12 WEEK OLD!!! Ha!

New Family Pics ...

I totally forgot Christmas!

With all the baby excitement, I forgot all about Christmas Day! It was Rob, Sunny, Mimi and me. We opened gifts then had breakfast and later in the day we went for a walk to try to induce labor. It was nice to have such a relaxing Christmas Day with no plans, nowhere to go ... just pajamas and movies all day! We could have gotten Sunny two gifts and she would have been happy ... I need to remind myself of that next year. Also, there is a pretty good pic of my belly; 4 days before I delivered baby Wade. I still don't think it looks like he was going to weigh 9 pounds!

Our Kids ...

Wade's first two weeks at home ...

The last two weeks have gone by so fast but when I look at the pictures, I feel like it has been months since I gave birth. I am still recovering but am feeling much better this week than last. The lack of sleep is catching up with me but I know this too shall pass. Rob has come up with the nickname Meatball for Wade. He still mostly eats, sleeps and poops. We go through lots of outfits and lots of diapers in a single day. I have had a few people ask me if he is about a month old; when I tell them he is about 2 weeks, their eyes get very big and they ask if I birthed him. Ha! (Note the first line that I am still recovering!) He is a happy baby though ... he rarely cries ... only during clothing changes. He fell asleep in the tub with Sunny and I last night. We had my mom here for the 5 days before he came and the 6 days after. THANK THE LORD FOR MOMS!!! Then Crys and Nick came for a week and then Oma and Opa stayed for a weekend. This is our first full week as a family of four. My goal this week is to be able to get Sunny to school in the morning at least once (Rob has been doing it for me)! Also, Sunny fell asleep with baby Wade in her bad one night which made for a perfect pic!

Riley Turns THREE!

I really don't know how the last three years have gone by so quickly. I remember the labor and delivery as well as the first weeks of Riley's life like they were last month and now I have a TODDLER! Everyday she amazes me with her intelligence, her vocabulary and her sense of humor! She must take after me! Ha! At three, she loves books, anything pink, dresses, anything with princesses, candy, cheese, apple juice, and her baby brother. She says, "I will miss you" when one of us leaves the house. She says, "Excuse me" when you are talking and she wants to interrupt and she says, "I'm your big sister" to Wade all the time. I am so proud and so in love with her! Crystal and Nick helped make cupcakes to take into her class so they all could celebrate Sunny's 3rd birthday. In one of the pics, Rob is leading the class in 'Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes'.

Wade James Stephan

On January 29, 2008 at 11:38 pm, Wade James joined the Stephan family! We are now a family of four! This little meatball weighed 9 lbs., 2.6 oz and was 21 3/4" long! WOW! No wonder I felt so big at the end! He arrived healthy with a huge appetite and has not stopped eating or growing since. My life is back to functioning with very little sleep, doing lots of laundry and feeding every two hours around the clock. Sunny is completely in love with Wade and everywhere we go she asks people if they would like to see her baby brother. We are very blessed and enjoying this first few weeks!

The "Sniffles..." I need to vent ...

I used to love when the leaves would start changing and the cool crisp winter air would start blowing! I'd get to bring out all my warm sweaters that I forgot I owned, the down vests, the boots, the cute hats, the pretty scarves, etc. It meant Thanksgiving and Christmas and time with loved ones.
Now that I have a child, soon to be two, I am starting to hate this time of year. The cool crisp air only signals for me that the snot is going to start flowing and we will continue to pass it around to each member of the house from about November 1 to March 1. That is four months of Sunny getting a cold and just about as she is on her last day of it, I start sneezing which leads into a week of me having the cold. And of course, Rob will start with something right after that. I wonder if it will get worse when we throw the new kid into the mix or if I will just need to start buying tissues wholesale at Costco.
Sunny was home all week last week with massive amounts of snot and congestion. I woke up on Monday - the first day I was going to send her back to school - sneezing. Today my head feels like it may implode. So now I have all this pressure in my head and on my bladder, (also on my back and my pelvis bone!). UGH! If I am snotting and sneezing the day I go into labor, I am going to ask for an epidural for my head as well ... do they do that?

Pottery Painting

We went to the pottery painting place yesterday with some friends. Sunny painted a snowman for daddy 'that we will wrap in Christmas paper and then he can't open it until Christmas morning. It's a surprise.' As you can see, she is very serious about her painting! She told me she learned to paint at school. I am trying to spend as much one on one time as possible with her these last few weeks since we will not always have this mommy/daughter time anymore. It does make me a little sad ... I have gotten used to just the two of us for the past three years!

Our Tree ...

After much deliberation, we decided to invest in an artificial tree. It is better for the environment. Also, with two young kids in the house, now we won't have to worry about needles or water spilling out of the base. We went with the 9" tree that can be made into a 7" should we ever want it shorter. I miss the smell of the real tree though. Maybe we will get a real wreath for indoors or we can get 'Christmas tree' candle. Ha!