Thankful Hearts

We have much to be thankful for this year, and certainly too much to list in detail. In a quick summary I am thankful for a happy and healthy baby boy, a great marriage, a wonderful family, countless blessings of friendship, God's amazing provision, and the adventure that we call life. May you reflect on God's goodness & all that He has blessed you with today.

Baby's First Thanksgiving Outfit

The Bottom of the Feet Say "Little Turkey"

And, of Course, With the Matching Bib :o)

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone !!!

2 Months Old

Yep, he's 2 months old now. We don't go to the doctor until next week so I don't have his updated weight and length. He's giving little smiles here and there and he's starting to realize that he has a thumb to suck on.



Please read our other posts below, i updated on the entire past month. I promise i'll try to get better at keeping up!

Another Special Gift

When James & I got married, my friend Dianna from work made us this beautiful quilt that matches our home. My quick snapshot does not do this piece of work justice, but know that it is gorgeous. We use it all the time and I must admit that it's been fought over on cool evenings. Okay, not a knock-down-drag-out fight....but if James had it and I wanted it I probably mentioned that although Dianna made it for "us"....she was really MY friend so i should have first rights. (Yes, i do realize that makes me sound like a 10 year old, and I'm okay with that).

Fast forward 2 years. I told Dianna that Ethan's pending arrival was a great opportunity to make yet another quilt to introduce into the Fall family collection. After all, we wouldn't want him feeling left out (wink, wink). I was thrilled when she decided to bless us with another beautiful gift.

The Entire Quilt

Close-Up Shots

More Close-Ups

Thank you Dianna, from the bottom of our hearts! We love this beautiful quilt and know it will be enjoyed for years to come.

Happy Birthday Daddy & Uncle Arnold

Those of you who know us well, know that I've been blessed with a man that is far beyond my deserving. He's an amazing husband and is turning out to be quite a wonderful daddy as well. He didn't have a lot of practice with babies prior to Ethan's arrival, but he jumped right in with both feet and is great at it. Needless to say, I LOVE to watch him with Ethan. This year when we celebrated his birthday I had a different type of appreciation for my husband. The cool thing is, I think this will only increase with time. We celebrated Uncle Arnold's birthday too.

Reyna, Aunt Darlene, & Cousin Isabella

Grammie, Reyna & Auntie Ri

Happy Birthday Sweetie, We LOVE YOU!!

Trunk or Treat & New Friends

On Halloween night we decided to walk through our church's Trunk or Treat event. I was a "non-festive" Mommy and didn't dress Ethan up in a costume, but that didn't stop him from getting lots of attention :o)

Meeting Sarah for the first time. She blessed us with lots of homemade burp cloths. Thank you Sarah...they've already been put to good use.

Meeting Grammy Trish. As soon as she saw him, he was kidnapped from me. It's amazing to watch other people love your baby.

After Trunk or Treat we headed to the Sladick's house for Chili & Pie. If you know Sladick's and have ever tasted their cooking, you know that is not an invitation to turn down! Delicious as usual, Carol.

Next to his friend Cabrey Sladick, she just turned one and she's quite a sweetie.

Chillin with Jen & Eddie. I can't wait for these two to have some kiddos...you guys will be wonderful parents.

A couple days later we had dinner with our friends Ron & Juliana. Ron is not so comfortable holding little ones so this picture serves as "proof" that Ron held the baby. Notice than Ethan is laying on a pillow and Ron is holding the pillow :o)

1 Month Old

Sorry it's been so long since I posted last, we've been quite busy since we arrived home from the hospital a few weeks ago. We've had several challenges getting his feeding regulated and I think we've found the right solution to keep our little man's tummy full and happy. So, we're feeling a bit more like ourselves lately and enjoying a less cranky baby.

Yes, i know...he looks like a little monkey...but it's a face a mother can love :o) This little puppy is from his Grandma. My mom and I were shopping at Pottery Barn Kids before his arrival and Grammy thought he just HAD to have this puppy. I'm sure he'll grow to love it as he gets older.

It's so much fun to see him growing. He is really starting to engage when he looks at us and i swear that smiles are starting...the kind that aren't followed by gas.

Ethan with Aunt Anne.

While visiting one day Reyna decided that her dolly carrier would be a perfect resting spot for her sleeping cousin. While we didn't let her carry him around, we did give in and let her hold him on her lap in the carrier. It was just the right size for him.

Check out those feet...later gator!

Our First Week Home

I can hardly believe that it's been a week since we brought the baby home. We are absolutely in love with our little guy...and yes, we're sleep deprived! We are very blessed that James could take two weeks off of work once Ethan arrived home. He's been a tremendous help and I think we make a great team. I am really going to miss him quite a bit when he goes back to work in another week. Until then, i'll savor each moment.

Speaking of savoring moments...i'm trying to do just that. I know that i'll turn around and Ethan will be a year old and i'll speak of this time period as if it were ages ago. I think we give him hundreds of kisses & snuggles each day. Here's a snapshot of some of his sweet moments and firsts this week.

Napping With Daddy

Baby's 1st Bath

Enjoying His Swing - He Loves It!

Waketime in The Bouncer - I've started using this for some of his waketime periods in the last couple days. I can put the bouncer on the ottoman and have him at eye level so he can see us.

Celebration for Mommy - He was able to go down for 3 naps today without being held until he falls asleep. Hallelujah!! I'll let you know if we keep it up through the night! :o)

New Faces

This week we've had a few visitors and we've made a few outings. Here's some photos from our week of new faces.

Grandma (James' Mom)

Aunt Darlene, Uncle Arnold, & Cousin Isabella

Auntie Julie

Trip to ECCU (Mommy & Daddy's Work)

with Mary (Jessica's Boss)

Our wonderful friend Kelly

A Beautiful Gift

In celebration of Ethan's birth, my friend Jamey in Pennsylvania sent us a beautiful gift. Gifts from Jamey are always very meaningful and unique. This little wooden block is from a company called Memories & Milestones. It looks huge in the photo, but the actual size is about 2 inches square. I would recommend this online company if you're looking for something unique.

Thank you for such a thoughtful gift Uncle Jamey...we love and miss you!!

Home Sweet Home

All dressed up to go home. Coming home outfit
compliments of Auntie Ri.














A very happy mommy & daddy.














Mommy & Ethan ready to go home.


Meeting Grandpa




















Grandma is in love















Counsin Reyna waited a whole 7 days to get to hold him
...a long time when you're only 6 :o)

Date Night

Look at Those Lips!

Ethan & Mommy

Ethan & Daddy

Last night my sweet hubby took me on a dinner date to Spaghetti Eddie's. We had a wonderful dinner and talked about Ethan the entire time :o) Then we headed to the hospital to feed and visit the baby.