The Hughes Family

The Calla and Cole Show

2012-02-02T20:54:00.001-06:00

*Update- Hoping the videos work now?

I tried to post a few videos onto the blog from my iPhone, and those of you who have tried viewing them know that it didn't work! So, I uploaded a few videos from the past month to watch, if you're interested.

So, I present to you... the Calla and Cole Show! :)

This first video is Calla talking about our recent trip to the movies. We saw Beauty and the Beast with friends.

This next video is Cole clapping! This is a big accomplishment for him, and you can tell that he has difficulty still with his right arm. But we're proud of him nonetheless!

This next video is of Calla singing one of her favorite songs, "As the Deer" with her Daddy.

Here is a little dinnertime dancing at the Hughes house. :)

Here is Cole calmly feeding himself breakfast. Since he started really enjoying table foods, he's been a happier little guy in his high chair!

Praise to God for Recent Milestones Met!!!

2011-11-30T19:24:00.001-06:00

Cole is crawling and pulling to stand! At 9 months! On time! Praise the Lord that our son has overcome his birth injury in many ways. Praise the Lord for making our son so motor-coordinated and motivated. Cole started crawling last week for family in California (Calla first crawled in CA and later first walked in CA one year ago, last Thanksgiving). The last video is him pulling up this evening. We are so proud of our little guy!

'Tis the Season

2011-11-30T14:17:00.001-06:00

We just bought our Christmas tree last night! The Georgia weather urged that we must do this to make the cold weather a little more bearable. I don't know that we have ever bought a tree so soon after Thanksgiving. Besides the weather, having an excited toddler shout "It's Christmas!!!" upon seeing the city lights from the airplane as we descended into Los Angeles last week made us realize how much fun this Christmas season would be, urging us to start quickly.
I'm extra excited about starting to celebrate Advent with Calla. We are actually a little late starting, but some friends posted this Advent resource: Free Jesse Tree Advent Devotional Book and it looks fun. Check out my friend Ashley Turner's blog about her advent tree: My Owlet
I'm also extra excited about our Christmas cards this year. Partly because my friend Ashley Lee from LoveLee Imagery took our first family photos since Cole was born. Also, there are so many deals going around the web for free photo cards, that we can have something nice without breaking the bank! I have always been an avid Shutterfly user, but just discovered Tiny Prints and their Rainbow card collection! Rainbow Christmas cards? Sounds funny, but I love bright colors. Just ask Calla.
I found a good tip on Pinterest for how to take a picture of your child in front of the tree, it's from the Ashley Ann Photography blog. The big thing - take the picture in the day time! Click on her link to see the differences. I'll let you know how mine turns out.
Can't wait to blog about the fun Christmas season! I'll also have a post up soon about our trip to California. In short, it was a great time with family and friends, with answered prayers along the way. Love to you all!

Happy November!

2011-11-15T19:12:00.001-06:00

Some recent pictures for your viewing pleasure...

Right before our family pictures, we are practicing her smile.

Hanging out on the porch watching Daddy do yard work.

The only "pumpkin patch" we went to this year, this is in front of Kroger!

Took Calla to a pet store for the first time. If you didn't know, my Mom owned a pet store all while I was growing up, so it was fun to introduce the kids to the family business! They loved the animals, of course.

Cole is enthralled with the fish tanks.

We are proud of Calla for her Scripture memory this year.

At the park, Calla is driving the train. This is probably her favorite thing to do at the park, because it doesn't involve any risk taking! She told me that she is driving the train to church, then to California.

What a big girl, she can do the slide all by herself now. She loves it and will do it over and over.

Terrified of swinging. :( Poor thing didn't even want to be bribed with M&Ms.

Cole, on the other hand loves to swing!

God's Design for Parents

2011-11-08T14:15:00.000-06:00

I'm so thankful for our church and our pastor. I just wanted to pass on a link to the sermon we heard on Sunday, God's Design for Parents. It's one of those messages I want to listen to a few times, and then again in a year or so. Pastor Koehler is preaching through Ephesians, and is in Ephesians 6. We are praying that the Lord would help us to be the parents He has called us to be!

Minnie Mouse and the Fussy-Breathing Dragon

2011-10-30T21:32:00.004-05:00

Calla and Cole got all costumed up for our church's Reformation Day celebration. Calla wanted to be Minnie Mouse, and Cole wanted to be something fussy. :)

Calla with her friend Laney, who is the world's cutest Little Red Riding Hood

Photo Fun

2011-10-29T20:51:00.002-05:00

Got my hands on a nice camera and took these pictures at a park outside of our subdivision. It was almost a month ago, but I haven't made myself just sit down and share them! There are more that haven't been edited, but this is a lengthy "sneak peak!"

On Passing the Cookie Test

2011-09-26T20:11:00.000-05:00

"...everyone

would pass more tests

if they involved cookies."

~Scott Lang, deep thinker and beloved Uncle

Today was a critical 7-month appointment with Dr. Ratner, Cole's Brachial Plexus Specialist. Would he pass the Cookie Test? Or would he need surgery to repair his nerves? As his parents, we hovered around the tension of really wanting surgery if it would help his prognosis, but not wanting our ~~fussy~~ sweet baby to have to go through all that is involved with nerve surgery. Our prayers leading up to today involved placing the situation in the all-wise hands of our faithful, sovereign, loving God. We especially prayed for Dr. Ratner, that the Lord would direct his mind to recommend the exact course that Cole would need. At this point, only God knows the exact nerve damage. Dr. Ratner makes his recommendations based on observation of Cole's progress throughout the months.

In the end, it all comes down to...

The Cookie Test...

It beat him last time, but he won't let it beat him again...

Cole is in the zone, he has his eye on the prize, he is staring down that cookie test....

... he is taken aback... a moment of doubt... I have to do what? Are you serious? You do realize that I don't actually eat cookies yet...

BAM!! Take THAT, Cookie Test!!!

Based on Cole putting that cookie in his mouth, Dr. Ratner sees no need for nerve intervention, and does not need to see him back until he turns one. There are still some things Cole needs to do, like supinate and externally rotate his arm, but those are the last things to usually come. There is always the possibility that Cole could need surgery down the road, but for now, he is in the clear.

Thank you, God! He has heard the many prayers given on Cole's behalf and spared our baby a lot of pain!

But let us just add this. God is good. Always. God's goodness is not dependent on Cole passing or not passing the Cookie Test. Though there are sufferings and trials in this world, God's goodness has never been in question for us, because we believe the Bible, which tells us that "God works all things together for good, for those who love Him," and "goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life."

"He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not with Him graciously give us all things?"

Rom 8:32

God is good!

6 Months, Much Anticipated

2011-08-19T14:59:00.002-05:00

6 Months

26.75 inches

16 pounds, 4 ounces

Rolling and Rolling

Cooing

~~Tripod Sitting~~ Sitting Up

Hungry, but Not On Solids (Yet)

Sleeping through the Night (Yay)

Bending Arm

Reaching for Toys

Still Trying to Pass the Cookie Test

Little Guy

Fussy

~~Bay-Cole~~ Be-Cole (changed due to family protest of the husbandly kind)

Happy Half-Birthday to sweet little Baby Cole! We have anticipated Cole turning 6-months since about 6 weeks after he was born. His doctor told us that would be the age by which we would see if he passed the Cookie Test, which is the test typically used to indicate a need (or lack of need) for surgery. For babies with Upper Brachial Plexus Palsy, the doctors tend to wait 6 months for elbow bending, and if they can bring something (like a cookie) to their mouths in a natural way, they probably won't need surgery right now. You can check out our last post to read our prayer and hopes for that visit. Many of you have asked us for an update, sorry to make you wait so long!

So no, Cole did not pass the Cookie Test. Though he can sort of bring his hand to his mouth when sitting up, he does it in an unnatural and probably compensatory way (using the shoulder too much). Cole's doctor earned our trust yet again, in that without us even saying what our hopes were, he vocalized them as his recommended course of action.

~Wait~

More waiting. This has been what we have been doing for the past 6 months and are thankful to continue to do! The doctor agrees with us that since Cole is continuing to make progress on his own and with therapy, let's wait a couple more months to see if he can pass that Cookie Test. If he starts plateauing, or isn't passing that test, then we will have a conversation about surgical options.

Thank you so much for praying and thinking about our Little Guy. He is a gift from God, and so is the extra time we can wait!

Time to Pray!

2011-08-11T22:01:00.003-05:00

Please say a prayer for our appointment at the Brachial Plexus Clinic tomorrow (Friday) afternoon. Cole is a week away from turning 6 months, so this might be a big surgery-determining appointment for him. Then again, they might give him until one more appointment to pass the Cookie Test. That's what I'm hoping for, because as of today, he is not able to bring something (such as a big yummy chocolate chip cookie) to his mouth from the sitting position. But, he is making progress all the time! So, maybe if they give him a couple more weeks? Either way, we are so thankful for each and every prayer lifted up to God for Cole. Cole bends his arm regularly now, plays with toys, puts his hand in his mouth when reclined. He can touch his eyes and reach straight out for toys (when reclined). I just pray for Dr. Ratner (and us) to have wisdom to make the best decision for Cole's little (chubby) body. Only God knows exactly what kind of damage is there and what Cole needs, and if he needs surgery then I want him to get it! Thanks everyone!

For those of you dying to see new pictures of my kids, here are a few:

And if you made it to the end, a fun video of my kids playing together!

And the winner is...

2011-07-12T12:36:00.000-05:00

#8, Audrey Jones!

Hope sweet little Laney loves her new diapers!

Seventh Generation Diapers Review & Giveaway!

2011-07-06T21:35:00.000-05:00

Have you tried Seventh Generation diapers before? I have seen them in stores before, but finally just now tried them for Calla this week and really liked them! I was sent a package for the purpose of having Calla try them out, give my opinion in this review, and then give my readers and friends a chance at winning a pack to try on their sweet kiddo! So, I'll give my review first, then giveaway details at the end of this post.

What's Different about these Diapers?

Seventh Generation Free & Clear Diapers are different from other brands, because they are free of chlorine, fragrances, latex and petroleum based lotions. The company makes efforts to keep them thinner to reduce landfill waste, as well as the packaging being smaller to reduce waste. In their efforts to protect the environment, they ensure than no chlorine is released into the environment in the making and processing of the diapers.

My Experience

When I received my package and opened them up, the first thing I noticed (and loved) was that they are a simple off-white color (Calla calls them "khaki") with no characters or designs. While this might be a silly observation, I tend to be a little frustrated by Calla's character-loud diapers that she wears underneath her church dresses! I love that it is neutral and coordinates with her outfits. Okay, aside from that, I was surprised at how well they fit Calla. They have very sturdy straps that do not tear when you pull on them, they have a thin feel, and good texture. We experienced no leaks, and their absorbency was great for Calla's needs. I really did like that there were no chemicals or fragrances that might possibly be on her skin. Calla is not prone to rashes, but her baby brother is, so I could see these diapers being very helpful for his sensitive skin! The only negative thing I can think of at all is the price compared to cheaper brands. I tend to buy whatever diaper I have a coupon for. However, I do see the brand's benefits as worth a little extra money, especially if they help keep unneeded chemicals off of baby's skin. I do appreciate that I often see coupons for Seventh Generation products, and now I will be looking out for coupons and buying these if I can!

Some Helpful Links

Seventh Generation on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/SVGDiaperFbook
Seventh Generation on Twitter: http://bit.ly/SVGDiaperTwitter

Seventh Generation Free & Clear diapers on SeventhGeneration.com: http://bit.ly/SCGDiapers

For information about the whitening process: http://bit.ly/TCFProcess

For information about the role of pigments in diapers: http://bit.ly/DiaperPigments

A Coupon for You - $2 Off

Seventh Generation Free & Clear diapers coupon: http://bit.ly/seventhgendcoupon

The Giveaway

Seventh Generation wants one of my readers to try these diapers out! They will be providing the winner with 1 package of Free & Clear diapers mailed to your home. Size options are 2, 4, & 5.

How to Enter (1 entry per option below, do one or all, you pick. Odds of winning go up the more entries you have):

1) Leave a comment telling me what you think about Seventh Generation Free & Clear Diapers or Eco-Conscious baby products in general.

2) Visit this link: http://bit.ly/SCGDiapers to read about Seventh Generation Free & Clear Diapers, and leave a comment telling me something you learned.

3) Become a fan of Darby Hughes Music on Facebook and leave a comment saying you did or comment that you are already a fan. (Hey, why not do a shameless plug of my husband in my first giveaway?)

So you have 3 entries available to you. Entries will be accepted through Tuesday, July 12 at 12:00 pm Eastern Time. Winner will be announced on the blog and e-mailed. Winner must respond to my e-mail in 48 hours, or a new winner will be chosen. Good luck!!

*Disclosure: My free diaper pack, the diaper giveaway, coupon links, and information were all provided by Seventh Generation through MyBlogSpark.

Happy 4th of July

2011-07-04T17:43:00.000-05:00

Two Years

2011-06-15T21:24:00.000-05:00

In 2 years, a little person can go from this:

To this:

Happy 2nd Birthday to the little girl who has shown us how fun the little things in life can be! We love looking at life through your sweet and curious toddler eyes.

Calla Grace Hughes....

... loves to greet people everywhere we go and is generally pretty enthusiastic about life, with a contagious giggle

...loves to sing at the top of her lungs

... requests "Jesus Loves Me" be sung to her almost every night

...knows all her letters and many numbers and the sounds of some of the letters

...plays very gently on our piano, while singing songs like "Baa baa black sheep" or "Where is pumpkin? (meaning thumbkin)"

...loves accessorizing and all things girlie

...likes to push her dolly stroller around the house - "where are you going, Calla?" -"to work. church. Daddy." or "Alaina's birthday party."

...is a big sister who just can't wait for her baby brother to grow up and play with her (evidenced by the time Mommy came into the room, and Cole had a plate sitting on his tummy with play things surrounding him)
...has the order reversed when she tries to blow a kiss

... says adorable things like, "good morning, Mommy, sweet dreams?" and "I love you Cole, I love you Daddy, I love you fan!!!" and when asked her full name says, "Calla Shoes"

... is terrified of bubble baths - we tried it again this week, and one bubble rested on her finger, and she held it up to me crying, "napkin!!" She was able to make it through the bath with the bubbles on one side of the tub and her on the other, like a showdown

... just this year since her last birthday, has learned to crawl, walk, run, climb, squat, kick, go up the step/ladder on a baby slide and slide down by herself, ride a toddler ride-on toy, reach for things from her tippy toes, and the big accomplishment of late is stepping down from a little step without holding on to anything. Still working on jumping, which is the cutest thing ever to see her try to do

...loves balloons everywhere we go, except isn't too into them at her balloon birthday party

...still, months later, talks about her last trip to the zoo - "gumbrella (gorilla) spit" and "wake up Kangyroo" and "pandy bore scratchin' back" and "eat bamboo."

... finishes sentences like "Daddy is a ...." "Penguin!!" and "Mommy is a...." "Gumbrella!" Thanks. :)

...knows 3 Bible verses

.... makes our lives and family so BRIGHT and JOYFUL!

Praise God for a Perfect Gift

2011-05-08T21:22:00.002-05:00

Today is Mother's Day.

I had planned on writing some sweet blog post about my sweet kids and everything that I had learned since first becoming a Mommy.

And that is a whole lot.

I was going to include some sweet things about my Mom and Mother-in-Law.

I will have to do that another day. Because today, all I can think about is my sweet baby Cole.

On April 20, I asked you to pray for him. See the post here. The very next day, we saw some arm lift that we had never seen before. Thank you, God. And then yesterday, he started bending his arm. Praise God! What a sweet Mother's Day present from the Lord. In our internet research, we have read about compensatory movements, and our doctor warned us at Cole's first appointment that Cole's body can trick us into thinking that we see the right arm movements, but he is actually using other muscles. So I emailed this video to Cole's doctor, and this is what he had to say: "Very encouraging! That does look like good active shoulder and elbow motion." Now men rarely use exclamation marks - my husband and I laugh at this all the time, because he will sometimes dictate messages to me, and I fill them with lots of "!!!!!!!!!!" and he makes me delete them!!! I have learned more than I even know from this trial that we are going through, but I can tell you 2 things that I have learned to treasure: the bending of an arm and a well-timed exclamation point.

Please join with us in rejoicing the Lord's work in our son. He probably still has a lot of therapy and hard work ahead of him, but we rejoice in this new development.
James 1:17: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."

Something we've never seen - a little arm lift!

2011-04-22T13:45:00.001-05:00

You might not be able to tell why we are so excited, but around 37 seconds into this video, we think we see a new shoulder movement! He very often rolls his right arm inward with his shoulder, with his arm against his body, as you can see in the first part of the video. When he's really mad, we've seen it be pushed inward by that muscle so hard that his arm ends up on his chest. But here, if you go really slow-mo, you can see it slightly go outward and then up - a different shoulder muscle!! Well, so it appears to us - any OT or PT friends want to give us their opinion? :0) Maybe it's just the same muscle getting stronger or his back muscles, but we never see him go outward with his arm, so even slight is great!! Another thing he's been doing lately that is new is leaving his arm on his chest after we have put it there. Cole's OT says that this shows that he isn't just sporadically tightening his tricep to pull his arm down like he used to, and he isn't just letting it flop to his side, but somehow is helping it to stay in place. This video is taken the day after my last post. Thank you for your prayers!!

Please pray for baby Cole!

2011-04-20T18:49:00.001-05:00

Upper Brachial Plexus Palsy

Despite 7 years of working with infants and children with various diagnoses, before 2 months ago, I had never heard of this one. But then my sweet baby boy was given this diagnosis. I have wanted to blog about this for a while, but having a newborn and a toddler means a pretty crazy-busy life! My greatest desire in reading this blog post is for you to remember to pray for him. Especially during this very critical timeframe, before he turns 3 months old.

What happened to his arm?

Cole was a big baby considering his small mama, I guess. Three weeks early and 8 pounds 4 ounces (5 ounces smaller than his big sister, also 3 weeks early). I guess I cook 'em big and quick! The labor was pretty amazing compared to his big sis. His head was delivered after maybe 15 minutes total of pushing, but then he stopped coming. His shoulder was stuck against my pelvic bone, and his heart rate was going down sporadically. It was an emergency situation. Thankfully, the doctor got him out relatively quickly, but in the meantime, the nerves at the base of the neck that control his arm were injured. When he was born he was overall just beat up and bruised, and the doctor immediately saw that his right arm hung limp at his side.

She ordered an x-ray to rule out that anything was broken. Ruled out. We came to find out the the nerves at the base of his neck that control his arm were damaged. Cole was given the diagnosis of Upper Brachial Plexus Palsy, where the nerves that control his bicep and shoulder are damaged, but his hand and wrist seem to work okay. He is not able to "supinate" his arm, which is the movement used if you hold out your arm with palm down and then turn your palm facing up. He is not able to lift his arm or bend his elbow. We have to take care to not just let it hang there, but that it's positioned naturally, and cannot pull or tug on it. He does have pain and makes it clear to us when it hurts. We have an amazing OT friend who has helped us learn so much about nerves and has given us lots to do. We also have an OT coming out every other week to check in and make sure we are following through with stretches, stimulation, and to monitor his progress. We need to do these things to remind his brain that his arm is there, keep his joints flexible, and to stimulate the nerves. Below is a picture of Cole at his first appointment with the specialist. He is getting is neck and right arm stretched. And looking cute!

What are we waiting for?

This whole journey with Cole so far has been a waiting game. A time of growing in patience, perseverance, trusting in God, trusting in doctors, having hope. A quote from the United Brachial Plexus Network: "When the nerve is severely injured, it has to regrow from the neck, down the arm. Regeneration of nerves happen at a slow rate of one inch or three centimeters per month." (http://ubpn.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=120:obpi&catid=56:awareness&Itemid=101) He is now 2 months old. So, from his neck about 2 inches downward means the healing would be at about the top of the shoulder right now. In one month, healing should start to be evident in the bicep. Cole's doctor told us that most babies who are born with this injury spontaneously heal. This is our prayer for him! The doctor further explained that in many cases, if the healing happens by 3 months of age, then the lasting effects will be minimal to none. If spontaneous healing happens later but by 6 months, then he will have moderate effects. If spontaneous healing has not happened by 6 months, then he will have lasting effects that might be severe.

This is why we are praying earnestly right now, that this final month before he turns 3 months, he will one day just bend his elbow and lift his arm. If he does not, then our prayer is for healing by 6 months. If there is no significant progress by 6 months, then Cole would be looking at nerve grafting surgery, where they take extra nerves from his calves and basically plug them into his spinal column and re-route the nerve signals. But let's not think about that quite yet!!! I tell myself that everyday.

How can we pray for Cole?

Pray that Cole will regain bicep function by 3 months of age.
Pray that Cole would tolerate his exercises - he is a pretty fussy baby, and does not like to be messed with.
Pray that we would be patient and trust in the Lord's plan for baby Cole's life and His plan for our family.
Pray for wisdom - do we get a 2nd opinion, is there something wrong that none of us can see that God knows about? Is there a certain therapy style that would be best for him that no one is telling us about? We daily pray for God's guidance in these things.
Pray that should there be no healing at the 3 month mark, his arm would heal by 6 months. We just don't want surgery for our precious little boy!!

Thank you!!

Cole Darby Hughes

2011-03-09T11:44:00.002-06:00

Something happened to my baby girl. It happened in the blink of an eye. All of a sudden, her feet are huge. Her hands seem like monster hands. And she is heavy!

It's all about perspective - she suddenly has seemed to have grown, because we are now getting accustomed to tiny little newborn feet, hands, and what seems like negative weight in our arms.

On February 19, 2011 at 7ish pm, we welcomed our sweet baby boy Cole Darby Hughes into the world. He weighed 8 pounds 4 ounces and was 19 3/4 inches long.

Calla has been the primary subject of this blog for 21 months, and now it's time for her to share the throne! She is now a Big Sister.

When she first met Cole, she looked at him with curiosity...

After a few minutes, she said, "Bye Bye, baby brother." Since then, her affection toward him has grown.

We got to bring Cole home 2 days after he was born.

Despite Calla's double ear infection and having had to endure separation from Mommy and Daddy for a couple of nights, she adjusted to her new baby brother pretty quickly. She initially called him "Baby Coke," but now says "Cole" quite well. She has tried to smush his face, give him chips, and shove the pacifier into his mouth. She gives him lots of kisses and loves to play with his toys.

I have more to say about the last couple of weeks, but for now, enjoy some pictures of our sweet little guy.

Catching up: Trip to California

2011-01-07T15:19:00.003-06:00

We were blessed to have a wonderful time visiting family for Thanksgiving and the week after. Thinking we'd just miss Thanksgiving due to expensive fares, we were excited to find that flying on the actual holiday meant cheaper tickets. So, we spent a long day traveling, but were rewarded with being with family for one of our favorite family days. Our prayer was that Calla, being 18 months at this point, would do well on the airplane. This was our last chance for her to fly free, so we didn't get her her own seat. I was upset the night before when we found out that the airlines had to separate Darby and me due to not having enough air masks over the seats we chose. They were able to seat us togetherish, with just an aisle between us. It turned out to be a big blessing, because Calla was able to stand in the aisle more and cruise back and forth between us. The flight was perfect (well, after she threw up).

We spent Thanksgiving with the Hughes side of the family. The highlight of that day for me was meeting my nephew Tatum for the first time!! Also, seeing our dear friends Tim and Isabel after so long. Calla had a very difficult time adjusting to being with such a big family, as well as being very tired and wanting to sleep. She did play some with her cousins, though.

During the week, Calla spent a lot of time with her cousins Silas and Tatum, because they aren't in school yet. It was so cute how Calla woke up one morning saying, "Silas?" In the video below, Silas and Calla are feeding the fishies in Grandad and Grammy's pond.

With the Hauptman side, we had a special Thanksgiving celebration on Friday. Highlights from our visit with them was seeing our cousins who visited us. My cousin Christie is pregnant, as well as my sister-in-law Shannon (for a few more days anyways!) and I.

The picture below is Calla with some of her cousins. This is unfortunately how Calla looked for most of our trip to California. Here, she's upset because we turned the tv off, but she was often like this just because someone talked to her or came too close.

Calla had a lot of fun at the park with her cousin Luc. She hates to swing now for some reason, but likes to slide!

Luc was full of love and kisses for Calla. So sweet!

The best part of being out in California was timing it just right to be there for the birth of my newest nephew, my brother's son Brayden. This picture is Nana, Calla, and Luc awaiting Brayden.

Here he is! Brayden Richard Hauptman, born December 3, 2010.

After spending time with family at the hospital, we went to a very special early-Christmas party with the Hughes side of the family. Darby's sister was so sweet after a crazy-busy month to also plan a party to celebrate Christmas with us, complete with activities like a family stroll to look at Christmas lights and a project for the family to hand-make Christmas decorations for our new home. Sadly, I kept forgetting to take pictures!

If you made it to the end of this post, then you get to see the absolute best part of the trip (for Calla and me, anyways!). Calla was finally brave enough to try her hand at walking more than a random step or two. We had the video camera close at hand, so here is one of her first efforts. Go Calla, go!!! I'm so proud of her! Sorry the video was turned to the side, not sure how to edit that on here.

Catching up: Family Photos

2011-01-07T13:32:00.000-06:00

In November, we were able to get some great pictures taken by a professional photographer at Clear Creek Images. This is the same photographer that took Calla's ladybug pictures in October. Thought we would upload some of them for you to see!

What a week!

2010-11-20T10:45:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, Calla came with me to my o.b. appt. She cried as soon as the nurse walked in the room wearing scrubs. She'd never done this before. Why the sudden fear? Let's review the week. Wednesday, Calla had an appointment with a pediatric ENT. Why? Well, Darby and I have decided that we want to just get things checked out as far as Calla still not walking. She is now 18-months old, and still has never even let go of the furniture to try to stand on her own. She still will not let go of the couch to sit down from a standing position. We practice walking with her, and she is fine with one or two hands held, but becomes terrified when we encourage her to do it on her own. I just started thinking back to kids I've known who had delays, and the first thought was to get her ears checked for fluid and to have her vision checked. I started worrying (what, me worry?!? No way!) that maybe something is throwing her balance off and feeling bad for her if that were the case. So, trip to the ENT. All clear - yay! But the ENT wants us to see a pediatric orthopaedic specialist due to the turning outward of her legs (already saw one almost a year ago, but maybe it's worth a re-check). Calla cried everytime the ENT did anything - a test for fluid and looking in her ears. Then Thursday, we see an eye doctor. This doctor does not specialize in kids, but I decided to go with him anyways because he was a lot cheaper under my insurance plan, and I wanted more of a screening than anything. Of course, Calla screams when the doctor tries to look at her eyes. And forget them getting measurements of her eyes or her being cooperative with the different-sized pictures on the wall! The doctor decided that the only way to accurately assess her vision would be to dilate her eyes and then he could tell by just looking. That would take a while, so we had to come back in a few hours. I left with Calla, and though she was happy to be leaving, I was on the verge of tears, knowing how much she would scream through drops being put in her eyes (several sets, one that would sting) and then forcing her to hold still while the doctor could look into her eyes. I called Darby, and he volunteered to come on his lunch break and be the strong one! We figured that it was worth it, because my eyes were horrible growing up until Lasik, and she had high risk factors of poor vision. Plus, it was no added cost. Well, Calla did scream through most of it. But it really wasn't that bad. She is near-sighted. Right now her vision is at about 20/80 (most children her age do not have 20/20 vision but more like 20/40 or20/60 until they get a little older). The doctor doesn't think she needs glasses yet, but he said it's not a matter of "will she," but "when will she." Maybe I'll start saving now for Lasik for her!
So, Calla has Mommy's eyes and probably Mommy's feet and ankles. I am hoping that at least she will have Darby's teeth, but so far it's not looking promising in that arena! So, in the end - if you wear scrubs, expect my baby to scream when you come close!
We are praying for the next steps - just let time go by and wait for her to walk on her own, consult a PT for the second time, or consult an orthopaedic specialist for the second time. Please pray for wisdom!

Calla at the eye doctor after her eyes being dilated. Getting ready to walk into the bright sunshine! Below is a video of Calla the next day - insisting to wear the glasses still!

24 weeks

2010-11-20T09:01:00.000-06:00

Why have I posted a picture on an ear of corn? Hmm... well, because that's about how big my baby is supposed to be at 24-weeks. About a foot long and about 1 pound. I had my o.b. appointment yesterday and surprise surprise, I'm measuring bigger than I should - I asked the doctor what that means, and she said, "big baby and extra fluid." Sounds familiar!!! Calla was 8 1/2 pounds and 3 weeks early and I had lots of amniotic fluid and also everything was just swollen. The doctor is wanting to see me a little sooner than usual for my next appt (3 wks rather than 4) to measure again and possibly do a sonogram. This could mean being induced early if the baby is big - which I don't mind at all, except that I haven't started thinking about getting ready yet or naming this little guy!!

Leaf Looking

2010-11-17T19:23:00.000-06:00

We're loving Georgia in the fall! Here are some pictures of Calla on our back deck. Hope to take other pictures of leaf-looking soon!

Use Shutterfly for Your Christmas Cards (And if you're a blogger, find out how you can get 50 free)!

2010-11-02T12:33:00.000-05:00

Most of my family is very familiar with my love for and use of Shutterfly. I have given lots of gifts that originated from Shutterfly. Once you start having kids, ideas of gifts to give family is pretty endless! I have given Shutterfly pictures, calendars, birthday cards, thank you cards, holiday cards, coffee mugs, birthday invitations, and photo books (I love love love their photo books!!!). I usually pick Shutterfly over other photo service companies because the quality for the price is hard to beat. Now that it's November, I'm starting to think about getting a family photo that would look great on a Christmas card. And, I'm starting to think about which one to choose from! You can browse their selection of Christmas cards here and if you're late to send out Christmas cards, they have a great selection of New Year's cards that you can find here.

This is one of my favorite Christmas cards. I like the brown, red, and green colors, as well as the simplicity of one family photo and room for a message. Or since this is the last year we will have only one child on Christmas, maybe Calla will take up the photo slot! Since we've recently moved into a new house, we might be able to use this as a new address announcement as well! You can view this card on Shutterfly's site by clicking here. You can also check out address labels to go on your cards. These always add a nice touch!

Part of why I love Shutterfly is that they have great promotions, sales, and often offer free stuff. You know how much I like free stuff! Right now, cards are 25% off. Also, if you are a blogger, they are doing a promotion where you write up a post and you can get 50 free Shutterfly holiday cards. I heard about this and didn't think they meant it for a family blog like mine, but I applied anyways and got an email the next day asking me to write up this post and get 50 free cards. So you should apply, too! If you're an interested blogger, fill out the form at this link.

*This post reflects my true opinion and love for Shutterfly, but was written for Shutterfly as a promotion of their holiday cards for an incentive of 50 free cards.

My sweet little Callabug

2010-11-02T11:16:00.002-05:00

Remember some of those past posts where I tell you about some cool giveaways? Well, I've won some in the past few weeks: a $75 gift card to Zutano for Calla or baby boy clothing, a $25 gift card to The Chic Monkey for something cute and handmade, something I won't name here because it would make a great Christmas gift for someone special, a $20 gift card to The Baby Store Plus with a Medela gift set, a hands-free nursing bra from The Baby Store Plus, a $40 gift card to Studio JK Vinyl for some fun house decor, and definitely my favorite - a Doodlebug Boutique ladybug costume for Calla with a free photo shoot from Clear Creek Images. My Callabug got all dressed up last week for a photo shoot, and here are some of the adorable pictures that resulted. Lots of credit to Linda @ Clear Creek for taking these pictures - a 17-month old is not easy! Calla started off crying, then when she was finally happy, she just wanted to crawl and move and wouldn't sit still! I'm impressed that so many good pictures were taken!

Time to put away the bows!

2010-10-23T09:42:00.001-05:00

Baseball hats. Dirt. Bugs. Blue. Rough-housing. <-- Some of the things I have not yet imagined for our future, but I guess I'll need to get used to it! We are excited to know God's plan for our family! Our 20-week sonogram revealed a wiggly little boy as the next kiddo. Can't wait to meet him!

19-Week-Old Mango

2010-10-15T13:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, that's right, I have a mango in my tummy. My little baby should now be about 6-inches long and a half a pound. He or She is now really developing and organizing a sensory system, growing hair, and moving a lot. I feel the baby move a lot throughout the day, but Daddy has not been able to feel it yet. Next Friday, we have our big 20-week sonogram. Please pray that our baby is healthy.

And, as part of that sonogram, we will be finding out if our baby is a boy or girl! What do you think? Vote in our poll! Check out the poll on the right of our blog to vote. Check back sometime soon to find out how God has designed our family!

First Steps!

2010-10-15T12:06:00.000-05:00

Just this week, Calla decided to surprise us by taking some steps by herself. We are so proud of her, and you can tell by our cheers in the video. She's so cute-- after walking to the couch, she would shout, "Yay God!!" (Last month in Sunday School, she was learning about how God made everything, and we've been talking about it at home and saying, "yay God," and now that's what she says anytime she cheers!)

Flashback pick - Calla's first day of Sunday School!

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-15T11:17:00.000-05:00

We drove up to Jasper, GA to take Calla to her first Pumpkin Patch. It was a surprisingly warm day, and the sun was bright, so it was difficult to get this little one to smile! She did have fun though, especially when she saw the horsies and goats!

Summer and fall weather have been duking it out these past few weeks, but hopefully fall is winning! We woke up this morning to a chilly house, blowing trees, and the feel of fall. The leaves are beginning to change, so check back soon for some leaf-lookin' pics!

A few great giveaways...

2010-09-29T13:38:00.002-05:00

Doodlebug Bows Giveaway
First of all, I want to encourage everyone with a little girl or who knowns someone with a little girl to enter this giveaway! My friend Emily @ Doodlebug Bows is my official bow person. We have bought lots of Calla-bows from her, and I can't wait to buy my next fall clippies -a pumpkin and a turkey! The prices are all reasonable (which encourages me even more!) and they are great quality and very cute.

So, Doodlebug has a great giveaway, which at this point has low entries so far & lots of ways to enter, so that means great odds!!! She is giving away one of her adorable hand-made costumes (I'm hoping I win the ladybug, something Calla can use for dress-up any time of year!), a $40 value, and has paired up with an awesome photographer, Clear Creek Images, who is giving away a mini photo shoot. Check out the giveaway by clicking this link: Doodlebug Bows Awesome Giveaway!

The Baby Store Plus Giveaways
There are several giveaways I'm entering at the Baby Store Plus. I already blogged about one that is for a Medela pump. Still hoping to win that one! I already won one of their giveaways last week for a Medela gift set and gift card to the Baby Store Plus and received it in the mail soon after.

* The first giveaway is Phase 2 of the one I already won. It is for an Easy Expression Pumping Bustier. Any of you nursing or someday nursing mommmies would love to win this one - it has low entries and great odds of winning. Check it out here: http://thebabystoreplus.blogspot.com/2010/09/phase-2-blog-hop-with-easy-expression.html

*The next one is for an Undercover Mama nursing shirt, which looks like something I'd love! It makes any shirt a nursing shirt! Check it out here: http://thebabystoreplus.blogspot.com/2010/09/undercover-mama-makes-any-shirt-nursing.html#comment-form

Survey Junkie Review & Giveaways

The last giveaway I'm hoping to win (for the moment!) is at the Survey Junkie's site. They are giving away a Medela Pump in Style Advanced. Can you tell I'm preparing for a little someone to bless my life soon?!?

Check out the giveaway here: Win a Medela Pump in Style Advanced Pump

Check out Medela here: Medela Rocks!

Medela Giveaways @ The Baby Store Plus

2010-09-15T16:58:00.003-05:00

Now I don't usually post about other people's giveaways, but I'm super excited about this one and hoping that I have a shot at winning! The Baby Store Plus is having an awesome giveaway event for the month of September, called "Breastfeeding is Best for All Babies," where they are giving away several breastfeeding items - a Medela Pump in Style Breastpump, a Medela Giftset & Giftcard to the Baby Store Plus, as well as other accessories. Now that baby number two is on its way, I'm starting to think about nursing and stuff we will need. I encourage all you mommies and mommy-to-be's to enter the giveaways, because there are lots of ways to earn entries. I have to tell you that I have won LOTS of stuff from entering blog giveaways. I haven't entered any in a while, been too busy, but this is worth it! Checkout this event at this link: The Baby Store Plus Breastfeeding Event

So part of entering is me telling you why I think that "Breastfeeding is Best for All Babies." I am a little uncomfortable with saying, "all babies," because I have heard of lots of situations where it was best not to breastfeed. I am just thankful that the Lord gave me 9 months of nursing Calla. It was not easy. Especially the first month. We struggled. I cried. A lot. Calla had to be supplemented. But with a supporting husband and Mom and church friends, Calla and I were able to figure it out. I think it was best for us, primarily for the special Mommy/Baby time we got together, as it was a role that only I could fill, and I think I really got to know Calla during those months. Also, the cost - it's free! When I finally had to start giving her formula, it was about $75 a month or so, depending on coupons. Calla never got sick while nursing - I'm sure from the benefit of my immunities. I have friends who couldn't breastfeed and spend every few hours hooked up to a pump. Not fun. But I admire their resolve! I hope that with the new little baby, I can have a good pump, so that even if I can't nurse, my baby can still benefit!

To enter the giveaways:
1) Medela Pump in Style Giveaway
2) Medela Breast Care Pack & $20 gift card to The Baby Store Plus

My Little Lemon - 14 Weeks

2010-09-09T21:34:00.000-05:00

We have a lemon! Our little growing baby is now the size of a lemon. It was a peach last week, and I guess a lemon is bigger then a peach? Maybe I buy big peaches and small lemons. Anyways, it is now about 3 1/2 inches. Big events in the life of the baby this week: growing hair and a roof of the mouth. I am officially in my second trimester! It goes by more quickly with your second, I think!

Berp and Ernie

2010-09-03T14:57:00.000-05:00

Calla has been watching Sesame Street every morning with Mommy. She learned Elmo right away, and started getting excited and saying his name every time she would see him anywhere. Well, she has Sesame Street characters on her diapers, and since the day she discovered this, she started replacing the previously-used word "diaper" with "Elmo." She surprised me this week when she named two of the other characters on the diaper. Bert and Ernie! Except she is overusing what speech therapists would call the "final p." This means she is putting the "p" sound at the end of a lot of words. So, "Bert" sounds like "Berp," which I don't think I am going to encourage her to change for a while! Too cute!

13 Weeks

2010-09-02T13:24:00.000-05:00

Today, the little person growing inside me has reached the size of a little peach. How fitting for my little Georgia peach! The baby is hard at work, this week making little bones and vocal cords.* The baby already has fingerprints, veins, and if it is a girl, she has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries!** I am feeling so much better this week - I actually cleaned and did dishes yesterday, talk about progress!

*http://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/week-by-week/week-13.aspx

**http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-13-weeks_1102.bc

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-01T09:25:00.000-05:00

121

2010-08-31T10:26:00.000-05:00

... The number of holes on a Chinese checker board ...

... 11 squared ...

... A highway in Texas that takes you to DFW Airport ...

... The atomic number of the chemical element Unbiunium ...

...The number of words that my 15-month old currently uses ...

Some of my favorites:

Mommy
Choo choo
Cheeks
Button
Bless you
Hair clip
Thunder
Yummy
Hippo
Eyebrow
Beep beep

May - June - July

2010-08-25T13:07:00.009-05:00

I have been horrible at keeping this blog updated! I am just going to post a few things about the last few months so you know what's been going on and can see the big changes in our lives!
MAY
After blogging about my sweet little blessing for most of her life, I failed to post anything when Calla had her FIRST birthday! We were in the midst of moving and house-hunting and traveling a lot, so those are my feeble attempts at excuses to make myself feel better. Still, we were so proud of our Calla Grace as we celebrated her joyful & sweet little life.

Calla has always loved music, so we did a special circle time with Daddy playing guitar and everyone singing. The kids were able to suggest some of Calla's favorite songs, such as "Do Your Ears Hang Low," "Old MacDonald," and "Row, Row, Row Your Boat."

Before everyone but Calla blew out the candles, we had a special time sharing what we love about Calla. We shared that we love how easy & flexible she is, and how she is just so full of joy about life. She has changed her Mommy and Daddy and it has been a special blessing to see how her cousins especially just love her to death!

JUNE

June was filled with swimming, house-hunting, and Darby starting his new job. Though Calla crawled one day right after her first birthday in May to show off for her cousins at their house, she stopped crawling for the rest of the month, and officially started crawling in June at 13 months old. Her strength is her language though, for at 13 months to have 40-50 words is quite amazing! Calla loves swimming! She will say "kick kick kick" and kick her legs as we hold her on her tummy.

JULY

The day before it turned July, we closed on our house! We moved in the first weekend in July. We are so thrilled to own a house, as coming from California it is not even in your radar that you could afford a house for a long, long time. Hey all you Californian friends & family - follow us to Georgia!! :0) Aside from that, Calla is now 14-months old and is pulling herself up to standing. She did it for the first time when in her pack & play at the new house while we were unpacking. She has 50 words for sure, and is saying many animal sounds and pointing to her body parts. We had an evaluation by a physical therapist finally, who basically said that her tone looks good and she will just be a late walker. Here's our new house! 2-stories, finished basement, cherry hardwood floors. 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, and my favorite appliance - an ice dispenser! :0)

Calla's grammy wrote a sweet and sad little caption for this picture. She wrote, "Our sweet little Calla is looking out the window just wondering where all her family is. She can't see them anywhere!"

Her first smooshy-nosed picture!

April, 2010 - Moving to Georgia

2010-07-14T09:29:00.004-05:00

April was the month that the Lord took us across the country! We were so blessed to have had the time between seminary and moving to be with our families. That time will always be treasured.

This picture is of Calla at 11 months old.

The timing worked out perfectly to stop in Fort Worth along the way for Darby to receive his President's Scholar award. It was also fun to briefly see some of our dear friends.

We had to take a picture of our little Texas baby in a field of Texas bluebonnets! Calla was so great in the car. She was pretty content to make it for 6-7 hour travel days. We are so thankful for a baby who travels easily. In our trip, we drove through California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia!

On Saturday April 24, we finally drove past this sign.

We arrived to Woodstock, GA to be welcomed by our new pastor and his dear family, who allowed us to stay in their basement while we searched for housing.

We found an apartment and moved in on Tuesday! The Lord provided quickly! We have a 2-bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment that is bigger than any apartment we have ever lived in. The trees are beautiful, and the people are so friendly. All of our neighbors have dogs. Georgia folks love dogs!

This is Darby and Calla in front of our new church, Faith Community Church. The church family was so welcoming to us, and we instantly had a full calendar, being invited over to meet many people. They were so kind to help us move in and unpack and feel at home pretty quickly.

4 Months Later....

2010-07-14T09:12:00.002-05:00

Our last blog post was March 18! That was when Calla turned 10-months old. It has been nearly 4 months of silence on the blog, but orderly chaos in our lives! So what has happened in 4 months? Instead of writing one gigantic post, I am going to write a few posts looking back over the things that the Lord has done in our lives. He is faithful and good!

Ten!

2010-03-18T22:30:00.010-05:00

Calla is 10 months old today! She is such a big girl now - she plays peek-a-boo, barks like a doggy, gives "five," puts her arms up when asked how big she is, sometimes blows kisses, sleeps through the night (again), has 1 1/2 teeth, pushes buttons, reaches for everything, and has started finger-feeding herself table food. Her sinful little heart already shines through with her desire to exert her will and demand things (usually to be picked up or food)! We are working on teaching her how to sign "please" and say "up." She has some motor delays, but the Lord was kind in giving me a background in child development, so Calla gets exercise and practice often. My Texas ECI buddies will be amused to know that I put in a call for a PT eval, and it's going on 3 weeks, still no call back. Different place, for sure! On a happier note, we have enjoyed being home with family in California for so long. Calla is loving the weather! We took her to the beach, and take her to the park a lot. Here are some recent pictures of our 10-month-old!!

The pictures above are from today. It was a beautiful day, and so we took a blanket outside and played on the lawn. Calla seemed very peaceful and enjoyed hearing and watching the birdies.

This picture was of Calla and her cousin Luc at the park yesterday. It's hard to get 2 babies to look at you, so I was singing Calla's favorite song (don't ask me why!), "Do Your Ears Hang Low?" Calla decided to demonstrate the meaning of this song to Luc. What a little bully!

We took a spontaneous after-church trip to Malibu, where the sun was bright and the sky was clear. Calla loved watching the ocean. She continued to wave at the waves and say "hi" to them.

These are some great pictures from the park a few weeks ago. She has already grown a lot since then!

Here are some links to some fun videos of Calla from our YouTube account:

Calla sees the sea and waves at the waves.

Where's Calla?

So Big!

Sending out our Love from California

2010-01-23T19:01:00.013-06:00

Here it is, the end of January, and we still have not updated pictures from Christmas! Most of life has been a little crazy, and then when it hasn't been crazy, we have had such good times with family that I don't think to go on the computer and upload pictures. I think that it's a very good thing when I don't remember to go on the computer! The biggest thing in our lives that hasn't been posted is Darby's seminary graduation!!!! He graduated in December, with a Master of Arts in Church Music degree. I am so proud of him - his diligence, hard work, and perseverance. He worked up to 3 jobs at the same time, finished his degree plan a year early, and (he wouldn't tell you this, but I'm his wife so I can!) he got straight A's!! I can't describe what I have learned from him during this process of being in seminary. His parents flew out to visit us to witness his graduation. Here is a picture of us after graduation.

Shortly after graduation, it came time to say goodbye to friends and people who had become family to us. This is a picture of our Care Group from Redeemer Church, on our last day meeting. We miss all of you! This is a picture of Calla's friend from Care Group. We are sad to split them apart -- her name is Lily, and we think their complimentary names indicate that they are meant to be friends or pen pals (together, they are Calla Lily)!The drive to Fort Worth was blissfully uneventful. After weeks of school, packing, cleaning, etc., it was nice to just sit in the car and do nothing for 3 days. God blessed us with a quiet and content baby. When we made it to my parents' house in Acton, there was a surprise awaiting us. My whole family had worked hard to make Calla her very own nursery. What a treat, after the first 7 months of her life having just the corner of an office and a pack 'n play to sleep in! Here are pictures of her new room. It is perfect. What I love the most is having carpet to let her play on. I contribute hard wood floors to some developmental delays! This is Calla on her new changing table with Nana. Calla smiling with Daddy, her uncle Dan, and her cousin Luc.We were able to visit with our dear friends the Sandersons. The Lord can be interesting with His plans -- we are trading places with them! After both husbands graduating from seminary at the same time, they moved out to Texas about a week after we came back to California. They will be serving in a church near Lubbock. Here is a picture of Stephanie, Suzie, Calla and me. Finally, we get to the Christmas pictures! What a special Christmas, to be with family after being away so long, and for Calla to have her first Christmas (and all the photo shoots that go along with it). Calla got 2 presents from her Mommy and Daddy - a special book that lights up and plays music, and a little Nativity music box.

This is Calla with her Grandpa (my Dad). I have tons more photos of her with all the different family members, too many to post, but I thought this one came out especially sweet.Calla got this hippo and these pink boots from her Aunt Shelbie, Uncle Morgan, and their boys Jasper and Silas. I think this is my favorite picture from Christmas! Calla has grown and developed in amazing ways since coming out here. I already mentioned the carpet, but I also think it's all the stimulation from so many types of people. She is now able to roll over both ways, blow raspberries, lift her arms to be picked up, sit without falling, dance (looks more like rocking right now) to music, and she will move a special way every time she hears the song, "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." She amazed me just yesterday by learning how to drink from a straw - my straw. I'm glad I had water in the cup! Her first word was, "hi," though she is inconsistent with it. She will sometimes wave. Her sleeping is a lot better, only waking up once during the night. She has her first bad cold right now, and is a little fussy. Darby and I thank God every night for the joy she has. We learn how to love life from watching her joy. Here are the most recent pictures that we took of her. She is now 8 months old.

Here is Calla sitting with Luc. They look like little dolls!

Happy 1/2 Birthday!

2009-11-23T11:17:00.007-06:00

Calla celebrated her 1/2 Birthday on November 18th. Yep, can you believe it? She is already 6 months old! She is truly a blessing from the Lord, and we are thankful for each day we have with her. Enjoy some pictures from the past couple of weeks, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Happy Callaween!

2009-10-31T18:26:00.015-05:00

I know it's been a long time since Calla pictures have been updated. A lot has changed since I last posted about Calla! She is now about 5 1/2 months old, weighs about 17 pounds, and is already in a size 3 diaper! She has a lot of personality, knows how to giggle, can sit for maybe 1 minute by herself, and has rolled off her tummy a few more times (still working on this!). She went on an airplane for the first time in September to visit California and all the family there. Mommy had to travel alone with Calla and didn't know what to expect. The Lord showed His kindness on the entire trip, from Calla giggling through the airport security line to the stewardess taking our carry-on and putting it with her suitcase, and the nice older man who sat with us and told us during take-off, "You know, everyone on this plane has been a baby once or had a baby once, so don't worry if she cries." Calla went a long time without needing to nurse, so that didn't have to happen on the plane, and she giggled for half of the return flight. Calla got to meet so much loving family, like her Grandad, her Aunts and Uncles, and many cousins and friends. She was quiet throughout the trip, and started babbling her "ba" sounds the day we got home. She reaches for things quite adeptly, and frustrates herself by pulling her pacifier out of her mouth. She wakes up during the night now, so Mommy is getting to know what it's like to have a "real" baby! Enjoy these pictures!

Calla enjoyed her first Halloween as a precious yellow duckie. She slept in the outfit and it kept her nice and warm. She went to Kroger with Mommy and Daddy so Mommy could do her couponing, and Daddy ran up and down the aisles with her. People oohed and aahed at how cute she looks!

This is Calla and Mommy practicing using the Bjorn a few days before their trip to California. Calla loves facing outward, so she did great.

You might have seen my posting about the Blog giveaways I was entering. I won the one for some hair bows! See the pink one in this photo. If you have a baby girl in your life, check out the bows at Cloudy Day Creations. Calla started showing signs that she was ready to start solids at about 4 1/2 months. This was from the first day we tried. She loved it! We stopped for a few weeks and resumed again a couple weeks ago. She is now up to eating rice cereal, oat cereal, carrots, apples, and bananas.
Calla was given this dress by her cousin Audrey. This was her first day to wear the bonnet and tights, too! Some pics from California. This is Calla meeting her Uncle Danny. He had made a few comments about wanting to see her without the bows, so this is how we dressed her for their first meeting. Calla got to meet her cousin Luc! They are just 3 months apart, but very different little babies. Luc took his first step while we were there - at 7 months old!

This is Calla with all the cousins on the Hughes side. They all took their turns holding and kissing her!

These pictures are of Calla wearing the dress Tim and Isabel bought her. So cute!

Calla dressed up for her Daddy's performance lab performance and his recital. She heard about half of a song before needing to be taken out, because she tried to compete by singing louder!

This is the picture that won Calla the photo competition. Thank you to everyone who voted!

Here she is sitting up well on her changing table for the first time. Nana and Grandpa got to see it, because we were skyping with them. Mommy was surprised at how well she did.

Calla is squealing and happy like she is whenever she is outside or at a store.

Here is Calla all bundled up on one of the more chilly nights.

Wearing my new bib and ready to eat some carrots!

Can you tell that she's covered in carrots? I'm glad we started off naked to begin with, because she had to go straight to the bath after this!

For those of you who made it through to the end of the post, here is a cute video of Calla babbling and demanding to be heard!

Blessed by 5 Years...

2009-10-02T15:26:00.010-05:00

Five years ago today, I married my love. I am so blessed to have a husband who loves me and takes seriously the vows that he made. I thought it would be fun to post the vows that we spoke to each other, and some pictures from that day. Click here to listen to the song Darby wrote and sang for me at our wedding. It's the last song, called "For My Friend." "I, Darby Glenn Hughes, take you, Karyn Michelle Hauptman, to be my lawfully wedded wife. I will love you as Christ loved the church, giving myself up for you, leading you as together we grow closer to Him. I will strive to be humble, harmonious, gentle, pure, sensible, and considerate. I promise to serve, forgive, honor, cherish, protect, provide for you, pray for you, and be your comforting arms. Whether the Lord gives or takes away, whether He brings good or adversity, I will have hope in the future, seeking to do you good and giving myself only unto you all the days of my life, or until the Lord returns." "I, Karyn Michelle Hauptman, take you, Darby Glenn Hughes, to be my lawfully wedded husband. I will love you and submit to you as the church submits to Christ, and help you as you seek to bring us closer to Him. I will strive to be humble, harmonious, sensible, pure, and to have my heart adorned with a gentle and quiet spirit. I promise to serve, forgive, honor, cherish, pray for you, and be your comforting arms. Whether the Lord gives or takes away, whether He brings good or adversity, I will smile at the future, seeking to do you good and giving myself only unto you all the days of my life or until the Lord returns."

Calla's sitting up... at least in her Bumbo chair!

2009-09-10T16:33:00.004-05:00

Calla sat in her Bumbo chair for the first time yesterday and really liked it.

Here she is... this is pretty much just another opportunity to post cute pics of her! We went for a nice walk the other evening at Trinity Park by the river; Calla was enthralled with the scenery as usual. She is such a happy baby!

Blog Giveaways

2009-09-04T13:07:00.002-05:00

These are some Blog Giveaways I'm entering this week! I found a great list of blog giveaways from The Motherload: An Apron Full of Giveaways - she updates these on Fridays. Giveaways are great to enter, because you usually have pretty good odds of winning. I've already won 2 separate ones!

1) Do you like the Calla-bows that I put on Calla? There's a giveaway at Cloudy Day Creations, where you can win $15 worth of bows! She makes bows for bigger kids too.

2) Wouldn't your little girl look adorable in these Little Leggings? There is a giveaway for a pair at the Fabulous Won blog.

3) Here's a giveaway for Shooshoos, over at Thrifty & Chic Mom which are those cute soft-soled shoes that are for babies. I hope to win some for Calla to match the bows and leggings I win!

4) I heard about an Ugg boots giveaway from the Fabulous Won blog. If you follow instructions on the blog, you can enter to win a $30 Kroger gift card! Wouldn't that compliment all the couponing I've been doing?!? See the button for the Fabulous Won blog on the right - they have lots of good giveaways going on right now!

5) Win a GameWright game from the Shop Annie's blog- she is giving away a game called, "Say Cheese" which looks really fun to play! I have lots of nieces and nephews who like to play games when I visit them!

6) Win lots and lots of clipped coupons from the Mom Saves Money giveaway - I've been really into couponing lately since becoming a stay-at-home wife and mommy, and so I hope to win this one!!! See their button on the right, she teaches you how to use coupons and alerts you to deals.

Calla Has Something to Say About Meeting Auntie

2009-08-12T09:40:00.003-05:00

So excited!

She is 12 Weeks! & Calla's First Getaway

2009-08-10T17:59:00.012-05:00

Let's start this blog post shouting with joy to the Lord and praising Him for this little life, Calla Grace. She is now 12-weeks old today, and I am so thankful for her. I could never have asked for a sweeter, easier, or more adorable baby. God has blessed us indeed! Look at how much she has grown in 12 weeks... the first picture is from her very first bath, and the next 2 pictures are from this evening's bath. A benefit of being home is being able to take spontaeous mid-week getaways! Darby decided to use his birthday money on a Bed and Breakfast in Jefferson, TX. Why Jefferson? We were wanting to check out East Texas, having heard that it's green and pretty, so we did some internet searching and came across this cute little town. East Texas lived up to its reputation. As we drove eastward, the trees grew bigger and bigger and became a richer green. We were a little unsure of driving 4 hours with a little baby, but she was perfect! We are so thankful to the Lord for such an easy and sweet baby. She slept a lot of the way, and her only crying fit was after we had already stopped to feed her.

Our first experience at a B&B, we didn't know what to expect. We stayed at the McKay House, a very old home with fancy antique rooms. Our room was very cool, and it felt like we were living in the Victorian era with all its furniture. There was an extra bed for Calla. She slept quietly through the night (8 hours) both nights... we had to wake her up one morning so we could feed her before breakfast. Breakfast was amazing!! Homemade butter, syrup from the local store, fancy french toast, elegant egg soufle, and fresh berries. The following pictures/video are Calla looking adoringly at her Daddy. She likes to talk to him when he gives her lots of attention!

This is our little sleepy head.

Calla's Latest Trick Caught on Camera and a Visit from Suzie

2009-07-30T21:30:00.009-05:00

This evening, Calla accomplished a big milestone - she rolled over, from tummy to back! She is only 10 weeks old, we are so proud of her!! She started by rolling off her doll that was under her to help prop her up. She did this for Daddy the first time on July 18, but I still hadn't seen it, 'til today! After doing it twice off her doll, I took the doll away, and she rolled unassisted. I'm so gald I caught it with the camera!

The other excitement of note is a visit from Steph and Suzie Sanderson. We were so blessed by their visit, it's been so long since Steph and I have been able to hang out for a long period of time like that! We had so much fun with our babies and want to try to make it a yearly thing. For those of you who have been following our blog for a year, you will remember Suzie from previous posts, when I asked for prayer for her. She was born 3 months early, and God has magnified His name through Suzie's life, first of all keeping her alive and now helping her to develop so well and look so good!

God is So Good

2009-07-22T21:31:00.009-05:00

One of the first simple little songs I sang to Calla after she was first born is the one that goes, "God is so good, God is so good, God is so good, He's so good to me," then I would replace "me" with "Calla." Well, God is good indeed. A few months back, when I was still pregnant, Darby and I decided that we would pray for God to make it possible for me to be home with her after she was born, rather than returning to work. God provided abundantly, more than we asked for, and it was through living off of my income and saving Darby's income. Despite God's provision, I continued to be stubborn and seek my own way, and decided that I would go back to work anyways, to keep our cushion of comfort bigger, and Darby would stay home with Calla. The day I would return was set this Monday, and I was excited about it. I would go back less than half-time, and Darby would watch her while he tried to study when I was working. That afternoon, Darby prayed for continued direction on this matter, even though for me the decision had been made. Well, after Darby sought the Lord again on the matter, that evening I suddenly felt my conscience stinging and felt guilty. I started thinking how weird it would be for me to be at work pumping my milk while Darby was at home trying to get her to take some through a bottle. And thinking of the opportunities I would miss taking her places and playing with her, while I was at work playing with other children. Well, all these thoughts started going through my mind, and I spoke with Darby about it that night. Tuesday morning, we sat down and thought about how God had provided more than what we had asked, and I felt convicted that I wasn't trusting Him and instead trying to make my own way. We made an instant decision that for us, it was more right for me to stay home with Calla and helping Darby through his last semester. I called my work Tuesday, and they called me back today - Wednesday - and I gave my notice. It's a sad day for me as well as a happy day. I have been a Child Development Specialist for 6 1/2 years, and truly loved my job! I worked with amazing families and children and coworkers, and learned so much that I can pass on to my daughter. I'm full of joy and excitement embarking on what is essentially a new career. Look at this picture, who wouldn't want to be with her all day?!?

Here are some recent pictures of Calla. Calla's auntie Robyn came to meet her and nicknamed her the "Calla-rrito," because she looks like a burrito when she's swaddled. Calla was a little fussy during her time here, but Robyn did get a few smiles! I loved seeing my sister and getting her all to myself. I was sad for her to leave us. Look at this chubby tummy! At Calla's check-up, she weighed 11 pounds! She's 50th percentile for weight, 75th for height and 75th for her head circumference.

I let Calla take her naps with her arms free, as long as she promises not to scratch her face.

At the botanical gardens, Calla got stung by a bee and her hand swelled... :0)Of course, I straighten my hair on a rainy and humid day!

Today Darby made this lantern structure for Calla to look at from her bed and changing table. This picture does not do it justice, it's so cool! I call it her "planet." She loves looking at it already.

Shots from our new camera

2009-07-10T09:55:00.008-05:00

We haven't uploaded recent pictures in a few weeks, and a few weeks is a lot in the life of a baby. We were busy with her Grammy visiting, and now that Grammy is gone, Mommy is busy taking care of baby with no help! It makes me thankful even more for the time I had help. She likes to be held a lot and of course I like to hold her a lot, but things are slower with one free arm! Also, Calla is calmed by sucking on Daddy or my finger, which also makes it difficult to do much! I am just trying to enjoy this time with my little baby and not worry about getting everything done that I want to get done! I have been using my time to learn about shopping with coupons -- something I'd never before had time to do! Yesterday, I bought: 3 boxes of cereal, 2 jars of mayo and 2 pints of Starbucks ice cream for about 6 dollars! And praise God for Swagbucks, we were able to buy a new digital camera just from about a years' worth of regular internet searches. It's a really nice Canon, which replaces the one we lost. Here are some pictures of our little beauty.

Doing playtime today. Wearing her little hippy outfit that we bought at Kid to Kid.
This pic below is from when Grammy was here. We kept telling her about the "price of fashion," because she likes to complain when being dressed.

This is from yesterday when Daddy was interacting with her. She has long periods of alertness now!I decided to read Calla her Brown Bear book. She was very intent on looking at the pictures and make little sounds while she was concentrating.It's like she's dreaming of being a princess in her sleep!

Some Videos of Our Girl

2009-06-23T14:43:00.003-05:00

We've updated a few videos of Calla on our youtube account.

This one is Calla's most recent bath, she is very calm, alert and happy.

This one is of Calla's movements and cuteness after her very first bath.

This is Calla's first video, after birth when she got the eye gunk smeared in her eyes.

These are from the Dodger's game: Video 1 and Video 2.

This is Calla meeting her Grammy.

This is Calla with her Grandpa.

First Father's Day and 30th Birthday!!!

2009-06-21T17:29:00.003-05:00

Today is a very special day for Darby. It is his very first Father's Day, with a little one-month old baby girl who he loves dearly. And it is his 30th birthday! I am so proud of him as a daddy -- he started being a great father even before Calla was born. He went to all of her prenatal visits, and took wonderful care of me to make sure I was rested and to help me make it through my work week. He cooked, cleaned, shopped, let me take naps, and all this in addition to working so much and being in school full time. And getting straight A's again!! Then through the labor and delivery, he proved what a good Daddy he was -- by my side, coaching me when the doctor was distracted, and even getting the doctor back on track when needed! Then as soon as she was born, he was in love! He loves holding her, and misses her when he is gone working so hard. He continues to be involved in everything, from doctor's visits to being up late at night, from diaper changes to burping the baby. And he continues to serve us in so many ways. We thank the Lord for such a great Daddy! I posted some Daddy-Daughter pictures in honor of him.

We are blessed yet again with more loving family to help us through days with a newborn. Calla's Grammy -- Darby's dear Mom is here to visit for 2 weeks. How special that she could be here for Darby's big day! We celebrated on Saturday by going to fancy seafood at Pappadeaux and then going to the park.

Oh, on Friday, we surprised Darby with a party for his 30th birthday. He was totally surprised, so trusting and easily deceived by his lying wifey and Mom! The most blatant lie was after we had shopped for all the food and had cake and everything in the car. We knew when we got home that Darby would want to help us carry everything in, but we didn't want him to see everything. So I called him and told him that we were on our way, but his Mom was going to shop at one more place and would drop me off so I could watch the baby and he could leave for his music internship time. So she dropped me off and cruised around the block until he left. He had no idea!

She is One Month Old!

2009-06-16T21:53:00.009-05:00

I can't believe that a month has passed since God blessed our lives with little Calla. I am so thankful for this little life entrusted to us. God has made her so sweet, so easy, so adorable. It has been so easy to adjust to life with a newborn when she is that newborn. Here are some pictures of the past month. She has had a full little life, though she slept through most of it!

Grandpa meets Calla for the first time, at the airport. Calla sleeps through her first Dodgers game at the Texas Rangers Ballpark.
Her onesie says, "My first LA game." Daddy made it! Redeemer Church throws a baby shower that Calla gets to attend, since the first one was canceled the day she was born!

Calla visits the Stockyards. Yes, she sleeps through this too!

Calla is able to attend her first photo shoot with an amazing photographer, Ginger Ivey. Thank you, Ginger, for capturing the beauty of our little girl! She is 2 weeks old in these shots.

Baby's First Bath

2009-05-30T17:14:00.006-05:00

We gave Calla her first bath on Wednesday after our outing to Central Market. She screamed the entire time, but was very quiet and alert afterwards. This was probably the highlight of my week!

We dressed Calla in her "Daddy's Girl" outfit to sleep in. Yes, she really is Daddy's Girl, he loves her so much!

Sometimes, Daddy has to go to extreme measures to wake Calla up. Here, he is playing her a song from his mandolin and bouncing her up and down. After this, he put her on the hard wood floor and she started to wake up. Poor baby!

We took Calla to her 2nd round of newborn screenings, meaning another blood draw from her little foot. This is her all peaceful and serene before the trauma!

You'd think being a Child Development Specialist, I would have started tummy time and play time earlier, but this is a pic from the first day. She surprised me with how she really scanned the play mat with her eyes and tried to lift her head when on her tummy to turn it to the other side. She accidentally kicked one of the toys and then kept trying to kick it again. Smart girl! We find now that after nursing her, then play time is a perfect way to keep her awake a little longer. We are deciding to go for some sort of routine, because she was up a lot last night due to sleeping too much in the day.

Trip to Central Market

2009-05-28T11:37:00.005-05:00

I have been keeping a journal on Calla, so I don't forget some of our special moments later... Here is part of that entry from a few days ago: Calla is such a good, easy baby. We can always tell what she needs by her little sounds, and she remains pretty calm if it takes a while to meet that need. Calla was making some cooing sounds today. She didn’t spend very much time awake at all. I woke up, nursed her, and by the time I was showered and ready to go, she was hungry again. It took forever to gather all of her stuff to leave the house for our first family outing. Now I really understand why people with babies are late to everything! We got the diaper bag ready with diapers, wipes, cameras, a toy, burp cloth, onesie, blanket, etc. We put her in a very cute pink outfit with pink bow on her head. She was ready to eat, and rather than delay leaving another hour to nurse her, Nana gave her a bottle while we were in the car. We drove to Central Market. What a difference having a baby in the car with you as you drive a few miles. I found myself wanting Daddy to slow down and be extra careful driving over speed bumps and making left-hand turns. It is still hard for me to walk, so Nana and Daddy left me with Calla outside while they browsed for lunch. I used the time to hold her while she slept. I was singing in my head the song, “God is so good,” as I thought about my baby. I had tears in my eyes. I was thinking how amazing it is that she is here, so perfectly made right down to her fingernails and the little hairs on her shoulders. Her feet look like her Daddy’s, with the pinky toe curved inward. I love her fingernails that are pretty like mine. I love kissing her nose. I reluctantly let Daddy put her back in her carrier for lunch. I made him sanitize his hands first, thinking about germs all over the store!

The picture below shows that Calla really is like her Mommy!

Our baby is back!

2009-05-26T13:04:00.007-05:00

Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement to us while our baby was sick. We had a visit on Sunday from the home health nurse, who took her blood sample. We got a call a few hours later that her levels had basically been cut in half, and we can take her out from under the lights. I hung up the phone and ran to the light bed, turned it off, took the eye shields off and held my baby! Since then, she's gradually been more and more like a normal baby. No longer sleepy all day, she wakes when she's hungry and cries when she has tummy pains and keeps us up at night for no apparent reason! Yay!! Overall, she's a very easy baby. She is pretty easy to figure out. And I think we're figuring out this nursing thing, too! Here are some pictures of our little girl, in honor of her turning 1 week old yesterday.

Mommy reading Psalm 139 to Calla.

Calla's Tanning Bed

2009-05-22T16:56:00.005-05:00

Please be in prayer for Calla. Her jaundice has become more severe, and the doctor has ordered a special "tanning bed" to keep at home to treat it. She will be under the lights 24 hours a day except feeding and diaper changes. Poor baby. And a nurse will come over every day to draw blood. As soon as the blood test comes back good, then she will be done with her therapy. The blood draw is very sad for us, as she has had 2 days in a row of this, which causes her to be hysterical and is very hard to watch. Our prayer is for little Calla's body to be healed with minimal treatment, that God will sustain her through this and help her to still feel loved and comforted despite minimal time we can hold her. We also pray for our own response to this trial, that we would honor the Lord as we give this situation over to Him, since He is the ultimate Healer and holds her little life in the power of His sovereignty.

On a happier note, Calla has gained weight since yesterday, and she did very well at her first doctor's appointment! The picture below is for Cousin Audrey, who wanted to see Calla with her eyes opened! I haven't even seen her eyes very much, especially since she's been sleeping so much! We included a few other pics to brag on our adorable baby!

2009-05-19T11:22:00.012-05:00

WELCOME CALLA GRACE HUGHES
Born 3-weeks early and still weighing in at 8 lbs, 8 ounces and 20 1/2 inches long, we proudly announce the birth of the most beautiful and perfect little daughter we ever could have imagined! We named her Calla Grace (pronounced like a calla-lily), which means "beautiful grace." We named her after God's grace to us. We went in on Sunday the 17th due to ruptured membranes, and they induced me at about 3:00 pm. I was able to deliver her without a c-section even though she was so big! She was in a compound position with her arm up beside her head, which made it even more difficult. What an amazing feeling though, to meet her for the first time and what a privilege that God has blessed us with her.

She has spent most of the time sleeping, but has had some great nursing sessions. Karyn is starting to feel better and is able to get up and down more easily. It's so great just sitting in our hospital room getting to watch our beautiful girl and hold her...what a baby!

Thank you so much for all of the prayers that God has so bountifully answered by giving us such a strong, healthy, beautiful girl! Mommy loves her precious girl!

36 weeks now!

2009-05-10T20:34:00.008-05:00

So here I am with just under 4 weeks to go until my due date. For those of you who don't know, there is a good chance that I'll be having her early, as she's already in position and I've started dilating! Yikes! We got that news on Wednesday, and that night I started having contractions that were 5 minutes apart. It turned out to be false labor, though, which I'm thankful for to buy us time to set up the nursery and do some final preparations.

I haven't been good at putting up pictures, so I will add some belly pics now. I don't know if I've actually grown too much more in the belly, but she has dropped. The above pic is from just yesterday, when I am at 36 weeks. Not my favorite picture, but I know several of you are dying to see what I look like now!

Above is Darby and I, when I was at 32 weeks.I think the picture above is about 34 weeks.This picture is at 35 weeks. This is me at about 351/2 weeks at my work baby shower. God truly blessed us through my sweet coworkers!

This is my adorable cake from my work shower. Pretty creative!

32 Weeks

2009-04-10T13:37:00.003-05:00

Here is my 32-week picture, I am starting my 33rd week now! Crazy! Is it just me, or does it look like she's starting to drop lower? Well, my doctor said that everything looks great, and I am measuring perfectly (despite all the people who gawk at me and wonder if I'm carrying twins!). She said that short people just have nowhere else for baby to go, but out! Praise God for His goodness to me, I'm feeling good and having less pain. My ankles are swelling, and Darby is having fun pushing on my ankles and leaving dents that sorta just stay there. Very weird! Well, I just hope that Baby Girl will stay in there for another 7 weeks!

California Baby Shower

2009-04-05T18:19:00.005-05:00

Well, I am finally finding the time to post pictures from my baby shower. My dear family and friends threw me a shower with a lambie theme, which ties into my new role as Mommy to be a shepherd to my little baby. My Mom did a devotion from the 23rd Psalm, holding up Jesus' model as our Good Shepherd for Darby and I to follow as parents. So many friends and family came to support me, and I was overwhelmed by the generosity of everyone. Here are a few pictures of the event...

Sophia, Holly, Audrey, and Allison My cousin Christie, me, my sister Robyn, sister-in-law Shannon, and my MomDarby's side of our family: His Mom, Fanny, Shelbie, and me with the kiddos

My sister Robyn and me

My Mom and meDarby's Mom and me

30 Weeks

2009-03-30T19:19:00.002-05:00

Feeling very big and starting to be uncomfortable! Pictures of my first baby shower and family trip to be posted soon!

28 Weeks

2009-03-20T16:25:00.000-05:00

27 Weeks

2009-03-07T11:58:00.000-06:00

Here's the picture for 27-weeks. I'm getting closer!

25 Weeks

2009-02-23T22:13:00.004-06:00

Here I am at 25-weeks. Just one week after the last picture I took, I'm growing fast! Darby likes the picture that came out yellowish, so that's the one I posted...

24-Week Pictures

2009-02-14T22:24:00.004-06:00

Well, 2 weeks makes a huge difference! Darby and I were scrolling through pictures from the beginning until now, and it's crazy how big I'm getting! I am now at 24-weeks, in my 25th week. Starting to think that this is coming quickly, and I don't know if I will ever be ready. Praying for God's beautiful grace to fall on our lives and make us into the parents that would honor Him as we raise our little girl. Thinking about names still, and hope to have a decision soon!

Welcom Luc, my new little nephew!

2009-02-08T13:03:00.005-06:00

Well, after years of waiting, my parents are finally grandparents and my brother is now a Daddy and Shannon is now a Mommy! Luc Sidney Hauptman was born yesterday 2/7/09 weighing 8 lbs 4 oz and 21 inches long. It was a long labor for Shannon, which finally ended in a C-Section. Whatever way he came, we celebrate and praise God for little Luc finally being here! We are very sad to be so far away, but thankful he's healthy and Shannon is doing well.

This is my brother Danny with my nephew Luc. And Grandpa. And Nana.Auntie Robyn No pictures with Auntie Karyn or Uncle Darby, but we were thankful for wireless technology and Skype, as I was able to see him through my sister's webcam. If you look close enough on her computer, there I am, watching the baby being weighed and washed!

Shannon's Baby Shower Trip

2009-02-08T12:49:00.003-06:00

I just wanted to update you all with how things are going. Danny and Shannon (brother and sister-in-law) flew me out to California a few weeks ago to be a part of Shannon's baby shower. It was a wonderful time, and I was so thankful to be there! It was also a surprise for my parents and sister, and they were all happy to see me. My Mom cried her eyes out when she saw me! I don't have too many pictures, but this first one is the 2 prego's in the family.

I am at about 20-weeks here, and Shannon is about ready to pop at about 38 weeks. I kept hoping that she would go into labor while I was down there, but it didn't happen.

This is me with my sister... so nice to be near her!
This is a picture from a week ago at 22-weeks. As you can see, between 20 and 22 weeks, I really popped out there!

Darby Hughes in concert!

2009-01-23T23:24:00.003-06:00

Darby had the privelege of opening up for Blake Hicks' CD release party this evening. It was so much fun to hear him perform his music again! The set list included His Name is Truth, Press Thou On, Paper Thin, and City of the King. I uploaded video of Paper Thin for you to hear. Sorry for the audio quality on my camera!

You should also check out Blake's music on his website, he wrote songs inspired by St. Augustine's confession.

Belly Update...

2009-01-21T22:01:00.002-06:00

I am already at almost 21 weeks, but I'm posting a pic from 18 weeks. I'm a little behind in taking pictures! I will take and post another one soon, as I am bigger now than I am here!

We had our sonogram yesterday... sadly no video to post, but praise God that everything looked good, and we have nothing to worry about. She's still a girl!

Baby Updates

2008-12-28T21:36:00.010-06:00

I have some friends and family that are dying for the belly shots to begin, so here goes. I have been taking them periodically and not posting them, so I will try to be more faithful at posting! First off, if you haven't heard yet, we are having a GIRL!!! Our 13-week appointment was a routine visit, and we weren't supposed to have a sonogram until 20-weeks. But our doctor was super nice and offered one, as we happened to be her last appt. of the day. She was able to tell pretty clearly that it's a girl.

Here is a picture of our baby girl reclining with her arms up behind her head.

We posted the sonogram videos on youtube. Click on the links below to see the videos:
Sonogram#1

Sonogram#2

Now onto the belly shots!

This is me at 13-weeks:15 weeks. I just ate a large meal, I think that's why I'm popping out so much!These 2 are shots from today, I'm now at 17 weeks.We have another prenatal visit this week. Oh, and I have an appt. with a cardiologist the 6th due to elevated heartrate and getting out of breath a lot. We would appreciate your prayers!

Last Quiet Christmas!

2008-12-28T21:03:00.009-06:00

A quick blog to dedicate to Christmas. We had our first Christmas a week before Christmas, when we were blessed by the visit of Morgan and Shelbie and Jasper and Silas. For those of you who don't know, Morgan is Darby's brother. It was super cold when they visited, so we didn't do as much as we had hoped. But we still had a wonderful time, it was just like "old times," it felt like we were just hanging out like always, except this time in Texas.

A few pictures from our time with them:

Jasper in his jammies:

Super Silas!The boys in front of the tree. I don't know why we didn't take a picture of the whole family!Us on our Christmas#1Christmas #2 was nice and quiet and calm. It was our only Christmas by ourselves, but was very nice, especially thinking that we will never have a Christmas by ourselves again (at least in a long time!) since our baby will be here next year. My parents sent us lots of baby clothes for Christmas, and I got some maternity clothing too! They also sent us money toward a rocking chair, which is something I really want. Darby's parents also gave me money which I will probably put towards that! How special! Darby got me a book and supplies to help me start crocheting. I'm trying to find a hobby that I will stick with, and I always like doing detail-oriented stuff with my hands, so we will see. I learned the basic stitches pretty easily and I'm already working on a scarf!I got Darby a dock for his i-pod so he can listen to his music at home, and a baby name book. Yes, we are still working on the name! Darby's parents got Darby a bunch of dress shirts and ties, which is what he really wanted. My family also got him money toward shirts and ties. Praise God for all of the blessings this year. It was a very special Christmas, thinking about God coming in the form of a baby, as we await our first baby. We hope you all had a blessed Christmas, too!

Much to be thankful for

2008-11-30T20:57:00.020-06:00

Originally, we weren't planning to go out to California for Thanksgiving. We were planning on holding off on both holidays and going out in February, as my first Hauptman nephew is due to be born at that time. However, something changed our minds...

Yes, Darby and I are going to be parents! As I write this blog, I am 13-weeks pregnant. We have kept it a secret from everyone, since we decided that it would be best for us to tell our families in person. Fearing Facebook and technology, we knew that it would be too easy for someone to slip and write a post that would give it all away, so we didn't tell anyone. Well, I did tell Steph and my supervisor and boss at work. We figured that Thanksgiving would be a perfect time to visit family and share the news.

We told Darby's family first. The video is too long to post of us telling them, but it went over very well and they were all super excited.

This is Silas, who will no longer be the youngest Hughes, and his reaction to everyone's excitement.

We told the Hauptman side of the family the next day. They were pretty shocked, not expecting that we were even trying! I think everyone was really excited that Luc will be born in February, and Baby Hughes will be born sometime in June. They will only be 4 months apart!

Darby accompanied my Dad in playing and singing for worship at their church. They are practicing one of their songs here.

The kids always love Uncle Darby playing them whatever songs they request. Here, he plays the Wheels on the Bus.

Tuesday, we were able to visit a few friends. We were most excited to meet Suzie Sanderson for the first time! She looks so good, and so tiny! We were truly blessed by our time with Steph and Kyle. I was able to meet Ryan Wadsworth for the first time, and later we also were able to meet Emma Perdido for the first time... she is a beautiful little baby, and Darby knew just the trick to calm her down. Jon and Lola are dear friends, and we wished we could have spent more time with them.
We also stopped by to visit my little friend Jillian and her Mom. Jillian was excited to hear about our baby news. On the phone before driving over there, Jillian asked me, "Has the baby come out yet?" And she predicted that it would be a girl. We'll see!

Thanksgiving at the Hughes side of the family was very special, because not only was it a celebration of God's goodness to us, but also a celebration of Darby's parents' 40th wedding anniversary. The first video shows the longest Thanksgiving table ever! And the next video is one of our songs of praise to God. We sang songs, and then went around the table telling everyone what we were Thankful for. I think all the girls were crying for most of it, including me. I was just so touched by the God-centered thanks given by everyone, and just really treasuring being close with family after being away for so long.

As part of the 40th anniversary celebration, the Lang children sang a song they wrote. They also read aloud what they loved about their Grammy and Grandad.

Here are some extra photos we took outside the Langs' house. Yes, it's November in California and we are in t-shirts! Beautiful day.

Whidbey Island

2008-09-14T17:57:00.013-05:00

God was so good to us in August and made it possible for us to go on vacation to Washington with my family. It's taken me so long to post pictures, as we have so many to go through! I think the pictures speak mainly for themselves, but I will comment on some of them. My parents were so gracious to give us this trip for our birthdays, and even though we were in one of the prettiest places we've ever seen, the best part was being with family for an entire week. We really miss being near family!

The first pictures are of the place we stayed. We were on Whidbey Island, in a remote area overlooking the ocean. The Soaring Eagle Lodge was huge, we felt like movie stars with just 5 of us in this huge place!

The backyard -- where we spent the most time. The weather was ideal, so we were outside a lot.

My sister Robyn was training for a half-marathon.

We took a few walks just around the streets where we were staying. It was really quiet with little traffic. We enjoyed picking up fliers for houses that are on sale -- and dreamed of living here!

Lots of raspberries and blueberries and apples growing everywhere.

We ate and ate and ate! I think I gained 5 pounds! We mostly made our own food, as there weren't too many restaurants. We really enjoyed Toby's Tavern where we ate fish and chips!

This is a restaurant near Seattle. Seattle was hours away, so we sadly didn't feel like making the long trip to explore the city. We ate here after we first arrived and had the long drive to the lodge ahead of us. We didn't know where to eat, so we searched our GPS for local restaurants and picked it just by its name!
We went hiking around Whidbey Island.
He is very daring. Rather than drive to Seattle, we chose Canada, as we had never been there. The closest city in Canada was Vancouver. We didn't really know where to visit, but it was fun to just be in a different country. This is Stanley Park, with really pretty trees. And black squirrels!!! Never seen one of those!

Read the sign. I thought I was in California for a second.It was a long car ride and Darby decided to take many many many photos of us!
This is downtown Vancouver. All the buildings look the same. It reminded me of the cities in Wall-E (just piles and piles of same-looking towers everywhere).

When we were just hanging out at the lodge, we watched lots and lots of this:And played hours and hours of this:The last night, we had a campfire. What a joy that God had provided music for our family from my Dad and Darby. They took all of our requests, even "Shake Your Booty." I will spare you a video of me dancing to that :0). We didn't have sticks to roast marshmallows on, so we thought outside the box. Darby is using a grilling basket. Yummy!

Summer Fun Photo Contest

2008-08-02T20:55:00.004-05:00

I'm entering this photo in the summer fun photo contest... nothing says summer like a day at the beach! Click here to check out the contest!

Babies Babies Everywhere!

2008-08-02T14:46:00.002-05:00

It seems like we are in that stage in life when everyone we know is adding to their families. Please be in prayer for Danny and Shannon, who are just 12 weeks along -- and already know they're having a boy! Also for Jon and Lola, who just had their first daughter Emma, 4 weeks early but very healthy. Melissa and David, who had adorable little Zoe about 3 weeks ago. And please keep little Suzie Sanderson in prayer, born to Steph and Kyle at 28-weeks, still in the NICU but making encouraging improvements. Steph and Kyle have been great examples of Christians who put their little one in the Lord's hands, and I seem to learn daily from their response to this trial. In addition to these new babies, there is a long list of pregnancies within our little church -- 14 expecting, not to mention the many who have been born recently.

We are off to Seattle next week, so excited to escape the Texas heat. It's been well over 100 for weeks now. Seattle's average temperature: 60 degrees. In the daytime. I'm going to be cold! All our love to everyone, let us know how we can pray for you!