Hanna-Hoyle Family Blog

Homeless

2009-12-03T17:39:00.003-07:00

Well, we are still homeless. We moved in with Kay (my Mother In Law) on the 20th of November. The movers took our stuff at that point and headed to Texas with it. You see, the plan was that our belongings would arrive in Texas a day or so before us, we would sign for our house and move in immediately. That WAS the plan...

This is what really happened...

The 3 children, 3 cats, 2 adults, and all of our luggage got to the Tucson airport to find out our flight was delayed an hour. Our layover in Dallas (the mecca of airports) was only an hour and 5 minutes to begin with. After the craziness of checking the cats and the package with dry ice (don't ask) we ate in the airport while we waited even longer than expected to board.

We arrived in Dallas and decided to temp our luck and sprint across the airport (with the help of the monorail). We MADE IT just it time!! We walked out onto the runway (yes OUTside) to our puddle jumper of a plane. We sat in the tiny stuffy plane for over 30 minutes with no air before it finally started to move.

Both flights were uneventful and the children were angels! Logan and Abby slept during most of the first flight. The second flight was very short and they fussed a little but nothing to get cranky about.

We arrived at good ol' Killeen airport. I couldn't remember who our rental car reservations were with and we figured out that the paper work was in Kay's suitcase. I went from counter to counter and asked if they had a reservation for Hanna. Finally the LAST one I checked said "yes". They had to get us a suburban because of there being 5 of us, 3 cats and luggage.

With the help of my good friend Lisa we found a kennel that excepted animals after hours (thanks doll!!) and we dropped the kitties off to spend the next 3 nights in a kennel that also housed a whole mess of English bull dogs. I felt bad for them.

The next morning I woke up very excited to go and sign for my 2133 sq ft./4 bed/3 bath home!!! That excitement crashed and burned when I walked into the most rundown, crappy sexplex (is that what you call them when there are 6 homes attached?) that was 1200 sq ft/4 tiny bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths!!! Yeah, NOOOO!!!!

I just about broke into tears. The lady showing me the place saw my face and said "this isn't going to work for you is it?". I asked her "are they all this bad?" and she told me "No, I'm not going to lie, this is as bad as it gets.". I was mortified! The stairs in this place were about as steep as a ladder, wooden, and let straight down to a hard linoleum floor!!! Can anyone say children and broken bones?!

The lady said "let's go back and talk to my manager about this and see if there are any other houses available." I showed her what I saw online; the nice pictures of a clean home with carpet and 3 bathroom and the clear as day spot that said "2133 square feet"!! She printed it out to take it to a higher up person to show them why I was so upset.

To make a long story short, a couple of days later I was told that there are 3 newer homes that are a different (better and updated) model coming available. I am getting the first one that comes back. She said it should be about a week. It will not be as big as I had thought when I came out here, but at least it will be much nicer and the stairs are split level and carpeted (hopefully no ER visits due to stair accidents now).

To say the least, it's been a long, exhausting and disappointing journey so far.

To add to all the housing drama, we had a few other little exciting moments along the way.

The other night we were to exhausted to cook or go out to dinner so we decided to eat at the hotel restaurant. It had been very cold and rainy all day long. We walked back into our room and a big chunk of our ceiling was on the floor!! We were on the 4th floor and apparently the roof has a leak. We got the pleasure of moving all of our things things down the hall to a new room late in the evening.

Shortly after getting into the new room we had a minor emergency. The boys had been told at least a million and ten times to not run in the room. Well, like everything I say, I might as well have been talking to a brick wall. Zack was running and tripped over a pile of clothes. He fell and smacked his head on a wooden bar stool. Down poured the blood and out came the screams and panic!! We got the bleeding to stop and averted the ER visit. He opened it back up a little in his sleep and got blood all over his pillow. Whoops, sorry Shilo Inn...that's what you get for springing a leak and only giving us 15% off a single night stay!!

We have since been kicked out of that hotel. Well, actually since we had only reserved the room for 3 nights we had to leave. They were booked solid starting today so we had to find a new hotel. We moved from the Shilo to Towneplace Inn and Suites today. That was fun! An entire back of a suburban packed full! Actually, it works out well though. We really liked the Shilo, but this place is even better. We are allowed to have the cats here with us now. We picked them up today. We are all unpacked (again) and settled in, cats and all.

We went to enroll Zack in school today on the opposite side of the post from where our house will be. Apparently the school near us is too full so they moved the 4th and 5th graders to a school on the other end. I guess it's almost an hour bus ride for Zack both ways every day. Poor guy. He didn't get to start today because we aren't living "on post" yet. They need corporate approval to enroll him. Silliness!! I will say that I love the school and the staff so far though. It reminds me of a mid west grade school. It was a two story brick school with no trailers for additional classrooms!! I was so happy!

As of right now everything with Stephen's coming home is the same. He is due to arrive on December 9th or 10th. He hasn't heard anything new and neither have I. I will keep you all updated on that. I sent an email out with the web address to the live webcast of his homecoming ceremony, except I guess I didn't actually give you the address. I will resend it when I send the exact day and time. Sorry about that.

2 Month Follow up (at almost 11 weeks)

2009-07-02T21:06:00.007-07:00

Well, Abigail had her 2 month follow up today. We were a bit late getting her in for it, but she made it. She was 12 lbs 4 oz which puts her at 69th percentile for weight. She is 23 1/2 in long which is the 75th percentile. Her head is in the 37th percentile. So she is long and chunky. BIG GIRL!! She also got two shots today. Stupid Tricare only allows two vaccines at a time so she has to go back in two weeks for two more = ( Poor baby girl.

Abigail is starting to smile and coo. It is SSSSOOOO freaking cute. I love this age. I think I will say that of every age until about 1 1/2 - 2 years old. The Dr. said she will be rolling over very soon. She seems like she wants to. She also sleeps a 6 hour stretch at night already!! She falls asleep around 1030 and wakes up at 530. She then eats and falls back asleep for another couple of hours. It's GREAT!

Zack is in Illinois with my family right now. He went last Saturday for 14 days. He is having a blast. He was with my mom until yesturday and is now at my dad's cabin. All of that side of the family will be at the cabin for the 4th so he will have a blast! I guess he is already fishing and has been successful.

Logan isn't really doing the greatest right now. I think he is having some transition issues. With Stephen being far from home he hasn't been able to Skype with the family in over a week. Also, he gets random brief phone calls and Logan hasn't been in the mood to talk. Now Zack is gone too. All of that in addition to being a new big brother and having a broken collar bone (which is doing much better by the way) isn't making for a happy boy lately. I feel bad for him but at the same time the fits are getting on my last nerve.

Stephen arrived in Iraq on the 1st safely. He said the landing was sort of freaky because the spiral in and do it fast. I guess that makes sense but when your only used to commercial flights where it's slow and gradual I'm sure that would be weird.

He got a great job in Iraq. He will be assisting Dr.s and PA's with patient care on the FOB (forward operating base). He will not being sent out for any missions. He is very happy with this position. Maybe some guys want to get out there and see the action but he wants to help people not hurt them. He chose to be a medic so that he could prevent death not cause it. Of course if it came down to it he would do his soldierly duty but he is glad he can do the happier part of his job instead for now.

He can receive mail and packages. They aren't resticted by much, they of course can't have weapons but they also can't have alcohol. I encourage people to send him letters, cards, pictures or even care packages. His address is

PFC Stephen Hanna

HHT, 4-9 CAV, 2 BCT, 1 CD

FOB Warrior, APO, AE 09338

I'm doing about the same. I'm tired of headaches so I'm going to see a crack-o-practor I think but other than that I'm pretty much fine.

Once Last Quick Goodbye

2009-06-20T17:22:00.010-07:00

Abigail and I went to visit Stephen one last time before he heads off to Iraq. We were there Friday to Tuesday (supposed to be Thursday to Monday but my flight was canceled). We had a really nice visit. Time went by so fast as we knew it would.

We got to see where Stephen lives. If you look at this building he is on the second floor second door from the left.

Of course it isn't the biggest place I've ever been in, but he gets by. This is the room from the inside. He has his own living space which consists of a bedroom that has a twin bed, a dresser, a desk and a window. There is a sink and counter and walk in closet in his space also. There is a door that leads to the shared kitchen and bathroom. The kitchen has a fridge, sink, microwave, counter space, cupboards and two person table and chairs.

Hey, it beats living in a 40 man bay in a bunk bed and showering with a bunch of other guys every day.

Here is a picture of the closet full of Stephen's gear. Yea, if he is taking up a whole walk in closet with nothing but Army gear I want to know where we are going to put all of our clothes when we live together again!! MY CLOSET!

Okay parents don't freak out!! Yes, Stephen got a tattoo. A soldier ain't a soldier til a soldiers been tattooed (There's No Business Like Show Business -except soldier is sailor). He has been wanting this tattoo for 10 years. We figured before you go to war you are allowed to do something outrageous. It is below the neckline completely. He only wants this one in his lifetime. It will not hinder any promotions in any way being on his back and completely covered. It was the smartest spot to put it (if there is such a thing). Even better than the foot I would say.

Abigail and Daddy really got to bond. We were sad that the boys couldn't come too, but it was too expensive. At least the one on one time gave Stephen and Abigail a chance to get to know each other a little better before he leaves. She will so big when he gets back. We all know videos and pictures can never really capture your child.

Logan had a little action of his own while I was gone. He thought it would be a good idea to play too close to the edge of the play equipment at the park. Grandma Kay was telling him to watch out behind him there was a whole but he thought he would be funny and back away from her. Well, needless to say it didn't end well. Logan fractured his right collar bone. He will be fine. He will not require surgery. He keeps his arm in the sling for the most part and doesn't use his it.

I tried to use a scarf of mine to help keep his arm against his body better and keep his arm from coming out the bottom of the sling. He did well but even the smallest sling was too big for his tiny frame. This helped. Poor little dude.

Zack will be heading to Illinois next week to spend two weeks with family there. We were all going to go but I have to start thinking about saving up for our move to Texas. He is so excited it's just about all he talks about. He will be braving the airplane solo. I'm stressed about it but I don't think he is. I am even more upset because I can't even take him to the airport. Due to him being a minor he has to have direct flights only and the only flight I could find that was affordable was out of Phoenix. With Abigail breastfeeding and Logan being broken it just isn't possible for me to make the trip.

No Time To Title

2009-06-07T14:15:00.004-07:00

I know I should have posted a few times before now, sorry. My life is insane. I feel like a champ if I make it to the end of the day without exploding.

Abigail Louise Hanna was born on April 17, 2009. She weighed 6lbs 8 oz and was 18 1/2 in. long. Mommy had no problems and says that this was the easiest of all 3 deliveries. Abigail was healthy as can be and just perfect. Daddy was able to be there for Abby's birth. He had to report back in on the 20th to Texas.

Upon reporting into Fort Hood, TX Stephen found out that he will be deploying to Iraq. This puts a damper on the family moving to Texas to be together any time soon. He will be leaving for Iraq on June 19th and should be returning home some time in January 2010. Needless to say we are not exactly excited about this.

I have been dealing with things as best I know how. Life is really crazy and stressful. Taking care of a toddler and newborn while your husband is gone is a journey I do not recommend embarking on. We do our best to make it to the end of the day unscathed. So far we are doing ok.

I returned to work last week for my in laws. To my surprise it went pretty well. My brain isn't as quick as it used to be and I am having troubles retaining things (stress I guess) but I did OK. Of course it takes me longer to get things done, but I will get the hang of juggling work and the two young one (they come with me for those of you who don't know that). I am only working 3 days a week right now. If all goes well I may pick up more days, but for now that is all I can handle.

Stephen is doing ok I guess. He doesn't say much but I think he is stressed. He has been working out a lot lately with some of his buddies. It is good that he is so great at making new friends. He has never had a problem with that.

Zack got out of school a couple of weeks ago. He found out his best friend and next door neighbor is moving. Colleen (his mom and my friend) offered to watch Zack while I work this summer so that the boys can spend as much time as possible together before they move. He is doing well other than that. He has been trying a bit harder to help me lately which I greatly appreciate. We still have our days but we are making it work. He will be going to Illinois for a couple of weeks this summer to visit family. We were all going to go but I decided the money would be needed for the move in January.

Logan is good. He is growing like a little weed. He is in his terrible two's like no other! He can either be the most polite little sweetheart you have ever met or the biggest monster. He is really good with Abigail. He loves her to pieces. I think he gets a bit jealous of her though. He only takes it out on me and Zack at this point though. We are trying to give him as much attention as possible but if you have ever had a newborn and all the responsibilities of the household and work you know how hard it is to manage it all.

Abigail and I are going to see Stephen this coming Thursday for a long weekend. This will be the last he sees of any family before he leaves for Iraq. We are excited but stressed about the visit. I didn't do very well when I thought the last visit was the last. I hope I can keep it together so we can enjoy our last 4 days together.

That is all for now. I know I am bad at keeping everyone updated. I am not going to lie and say I will get better because I most likely won't with everything I have on my plate. Sorry.

Yikes Stripes!! The End is Near

2009-03-20T19:11:00.013-07:00

Well, I'm almost done cooking. 34 1/2 weeks along now. Since I will be induced at 38 weeks if Abigail hasn't made her appearance on her own by then, this gives me just 3 1/2 weeks left to go. I think I am more scared than excited, but I am trying to embrace it.

Stephen will graduate on the 27th and come home on the 28th for 3 weeks. He has done very well and was awarded Jr. Leader of the Cycle which is the highest honor given to a soldier at this point. It is given to only one soldier each cycle and he was picked this time out of almost 400 other soldiers. We are extremely proud of him!!

The boys are good. We went to see Thomas and Friends live on St. Patty's Day. This was more for Logan but Zack had fun eating a ton of cotton candy. It was a really good time. Kay also went and the evening was a gift from her and Larry to the boys.

I was thrown a surprise baby shower last night. I thought I was going to my weekly game night at my next door neighbors house and SURPRISE it's a baby shower!! It was hosted by Colleen my good friend and neighbor and seems to have been colaborated my many. Thank you to all involved, it was beautiful. I am very spoiled and feel very privleged to be surounded by such great people.

I am missing out on my father's 60th birthday party tonight. The family is getting together to celebrate back home (Illinois). I wish I could be there. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!!

I hope everyone is well. I know I am terrible at calling people and keeping in touch these days. I am sorry for that. Life is so insane when you are pregnant, have a toddler in his terrible two's, have a nine year old, work most of the day and your husband has been gone for 8 months. Please don't take offense to my lack of contact.

2009-02-22T14:38:00.009-07:00

Okay, don't fall over. So I decided not to wait 6 months between blog posts, big deal. I just don't want to clean my house and thought this would be something I could say I did that was still productive. hehehe

The boys are great. Zack just earned his Bear Badge in Cub Scouts. He was excited. Sorry no pictures because his den leader isn't very good about contacting us and we didn't know he was getting it until they called him up. GGGgggrrrrrr

School is going well for him right now. He has improved a great deal over the last few months. He earned most improved student of the month a little while back. His spelling grades have proven his increased effort. His continues to work 1:1 with his teacher every Friday which is a big help.

Logan is a big boy now. He has gone pee in the potty 3 times today!!!! I only put a diaper on him once so far today and that was to lay him down for his nap. WWWWWooooo HHHHooooo

He is a combination of sweet heart and monster most days. He loves to throw food all over the kitchen at every meal time. I can't figure out how to stop this behavior. I take his food away and put him in timeout and he laughs. I make him clean it up and he thinks it's a game. I ignore him and he again thinks it's a game. I don't even know what to do with him. I hate the terrible two's!!!

Stephen is okay. He has been injured for over a month and every time he thinks he is getting better he injures himself again. It is his ribs. He had an x-ray but nothing appears to be broken. He thinks he tore a muscle.

Beside physically he is doing great. He is still on track for Honor Grad. He's scores are still really high. He was put up for soldier of the week and came in second then put up for another award and came in second AGAIN. He really hopes to get selected again so he can grab 1st this time.

I went and saw Stephen for Valentine's Day. I was there 3 days. We had such a great time. It was so nice to have that time to reconnect. It is really hard having a long distance marriage sometimes, especially when you are pregnant.

Speaking of pregnancy, mine is going great. I haven't had any big issues to speak of. Just my heart thing still. It is a little annoying but nothing I can't handle. I have been doing good with weight gain. I think I will gain a bit more this time than with Logan but that is probably good since I really didn't gain enough last time. I am 31 weeks (on Tues.) now and feel and look the part. I haven't been very good about taking belly pictures so sorry I don't have any for you. Trust me, it's there and getting big. Just picture what I would look like if I had swallowed a women's basketball and was holding my shirt up. That's about right.

I just want to give a quick shout out to Bonnie (my step-mother) who just completed her round of radiation treatment. She recently was diagnosed with breast cancer and has been a trooper in her battle to kick it's butt!!!!! GO BONNIE!!!!! Remember to show your support to all the women you know who have fought this battle. Early detection is the key ladies!!!!

A Little Past The 1/2 Way Mark

2009-01-26T11:50:00.010-07:00

Well it has been a while, sorry about that. As you can imagine life is a bit busy and exhausting for me. It can be a bit much sometimes being pregnant, working, taking care of a 9 year old and 2 year old boy, and having your husband away. I do what I can.

Everyone is doing pretty well. Stephen is nearing the end of his training. He has about 8 weeks left. I think he would back me saying he will be happy to move on to the next stage of his career. He is tired of living with a bunch of guys in bunk beds. He has made some great friends but he had also found some people he can't wait to get away from.

At this point he is on top with education and physical training. As long as he can stay on this path he will be able to get honor grad. That would go on his record and look really good when it comes to promotions and opportunites.

The sad part is that Stephen has basically been fighting cold after mutan cold since he left 5 1/2 months ago. As soon as one passes another one comes. He can't wait to be rid of all the germs that come with mass living.

Zack is doing ok. He is still being a handfull and a 1/2. He is improving in school. His teacher is a great help. He has been tutoring every Friday 1:1 with him and it seems to be working. He had is Pinewood Derby car race this last weekend. He didn't do so hot but it was fun. He still hangs out with the nextdoor neighbor boys all the time. They are good kids and I really love their whole family so it is great. Besides his friends everything is Star Wars right now. He got tons of Star Wars toys for Christmas and is always looking for the "rare" guys at the store when we go.

Logan is getting big (still small though). He is a little chatter box. That kid says anything now. Don't say it if you don't want him to repeat it. Between him speaking and signing there is nothing he can't get across anymore. He is into Thomas, Cars, Wall-E, trucks, and playing outside. He moved up to a toddler bed at Christmas with no problems. He loves being a big boy. He still won't come out of his room without permission most of the time though. He will open and shut the door until you tell him he can come out. It's cute.

As for me, I don't even know. I really don't have much time to do much besides stick to my mom routine. My days are basically always the same as the one before; go to work, come home and pick up Zack, start some laundry, make dinner, clean up the massive mess that Logan makes all over the kitchen at dinner, get the kids ready for bed, pass out. That's about it. I keep the house picked up but can never seem to find time to do the deep cleaning. I still try to play games with my girlfriends every few weeks or so. We took a break around the holidays but are trying to get back on track. I have been reading a lot lately. When the kids are watching T.V. or if I'm not tired once they are down. It's all about the Twilight series right now. I'm 1/2 way through book 3.

We are all really missing Stephen. I know he feels the same about us too. As it looks right now we won't be able to join him until after the baby is born and big enough to move. We are 26 weeks along right now so if that tells you anything about the long road we still have to endure until we can all be together again. By the time it is all said and done we will have been apart for about 11 months I think. His orders say Texas at this point but that can change anytime from now til the it's time to report basically. If we hear anything new I will let you all know.

Take care and keep in touch.

Your Left Your Left Your Left Right Left

2008-10-31T09:00:00.008-07:00

Stephen has done it, he graduated from Army Basic Training on October 23, 2008!!!!! We are so proud of him. His mother (Kay) the boys and myself all flew to Missouri for the event. It was a long journey but worth every agonizing minute. Stephen looked so handsome in his Class A uniform. He gained 12 pounds of muscle in the 9 weeks he was in training. He weighs more than he ever has. You can tell he is proud of all his accomplishments. He seems to walk a little taller now.

The boys were very happy to see him. We were worried Logan wouldn't take to him right away but he did. He knew that was Daddy. He wouldn't stop staring at him for quite a while. It was cute. He played with and showed Stephen all the changes he has made in the last 9 weeks too. Stephen couldn't believe how much he talks now. I tried to count and am guessing he is up to around 75 words now and adds new ones everyday it seems.

It was so hard to drop Stephen back off after his 11 hour family day visit. I cried more this time then when he left home to start basic. I guess I knew how hard it is this time. Zack was very upset too. It broke my heart to see him so sad.

Stephen left the next day for a long bus ride to Fort Sam Houston, Texas which is in San Antonio. He arrived early Saturday morning. Upon arrival they were informed that they were not going to be starting AIT for 3 weeks. Training only starts once a month and one had just started a week before. So he is stuck in holding for 3 weeks!!! Frustrating!!! Another piece of bad new he got was that they were not allowed to go home for Thanksgiving like they had originally thought. That was hard for me to swallow. I was getting by on the knowledge that I would see him in a month. I arranged it so that I can still do that by flying to Texas to see him instead. It is super expensive so it will just be Logan and myself, Zack will have Thanksgiving with his dad this year.

Besides all the bad news things are going well in Texas. He is able to call me every day now instead of once a week. We almost are used to not talking. It was hard at first to think of things to say every day again. We are good now though. Like teenagers who spend an hour on the phone with their friends every day. It's funny. He and the most of the rest of his platoon got tickets to a NBA game. They watched the Phoenix Suns stomp the Spurs. I guess everyone yelled at Stephen for cheering the Suns. What can he say, he's from AZ.

That's it for now I think. Have a good one.

Alpha Beta Charlie, (gotta know those ABC's)

2008-08-25T09:30:00.002-07:00

Well, Stephen didn't get to start actual BCT until Friday the 22nd. This means he won't graduate until he has been there 11 weeks instead of 9 weeks. And so life according to Army orders begins!!!

He had injured his knee by pulling a ligament. He wasn't in actual BCT yet so he was gonna ride it out. He almost went to sick call because he was worried it wasn't getting better fast enough. He didn't go though and it is much better. He just has a slight twinge now and then now.

BCT started off with a physical exam. They had to do a 2 mile run, push-ups and sit-ups as fast as they could. I don't remember his exact numbers, but they were good. They were divided into 3 groups depending on those numbers; Alpha, Beta, or Charlie. Just like grades A is best. Stephen is in Alpha. By the end all the guys have to get to Alpha group before they can graduate. He is already there, so we know he won't be behind physically.

About a week or so ago a DS (drill Sargent) came in and called 6 names for a test. Stephen's was one of them. They were confused because the rest of the guys didn't have to take it. You never ask though, you just do. Come to find out it was a test that the smarty pants guys who scored really high on their entrance exam had to take to test their intelligence. It was either a audio or visual tape of some dude with a thick accent teaching them a pretend language. They had 20 minutes to study the fake language then take a test on it. Only a couple of the guys past and Stephen was one of them.

On a not so great note, Stephen and a couple other guys got busted writing letters after lights out and got the whole platoon in trouble. They all had to get out of bed and go outside for a punishment of exercises. Stephen and the other bad boys had to stand in the front and watch they peer get punished for their mistakes. Stephen said it was awful and it WON'T happen again.

That is all I can think of for now. Just wanted to give you a quick update. The boys and I fine. We are getting by as best we can. I am actually proud of how much I am able to get accomplished in a day.

Phoenix to Missouri ON TIME

2008-08-07T20:56:00.004-07:00

Well, the day came faster than we wanted as many things do, Stephen has reported in. He is currently in Missouri. He called me from the airport to tell me he had arrived. I didn't get to talk to him much. He did say that there wasn't much going on yet. They picked Stephen to be a leader in the transfer from Phoenix to Missouri. I guess being an "old guy" in the Army is already setting Stephen apart.

The boys and I are doing fine. Sure we are sad and wish he had gotten his extension till the 11th, but honestly the longer we waited the more the anxiety built. I think I feel better now that he has gone and I am not stressing about how I am going to handle it. As long as we stay busy we will get through just fine.

Logan is sick YET AGAIN. We were at work today and he started getting a runny nose and a fever. He is now coughing, sneezing and is drained of all energy. I can see it in his little eyes. Poor guy. I could have a pity party about the timing of his illness, but I won't. Oh well, just another thing to keep my mind busy. When your babies are sick you don't have time to think about anything else.

I will try to keep updating you as much as possible as promised. Pictures might be on hold for a while though. I lost our camera in Phoenix last weekend so until I can get another camera we can't take any new pictures.

STOP THE PRESSES!!

2008-07-30T08:26:00.004-07:00

Alright Ya'll don't have a heart attack!!! Yea, I am going to give you an update.

Let's see anything new since the last time I wrote? Well being that that was almost a year ago I suppose there have been many things new. I will try to stick to the biggies for ya.

Lets go by people. We will start with Logan. Logan is now 21 months old. He is a smart little turd. He is talking more and more every day. He does a little bit of sign language. His fav. words in sign are "more", "please" and "thank you". His vocabulary is getting pretty extensive. If I had to guess the number of words he can speak I would say 30+. He never went through the stage that kids go through where they say No to everything. If you ask him a question he will answer yes or no. It is so nice, because I feel like we can actually communicate and it prevents a lot of the toddler frustration. He does get a little frustrated when he is trying to tell me something and I don't understand. I just say "show me" and he takes off running and pointing.

Logan is still small. He doesn't look as small as he used to now that the growth for his age group has slowed a bit. He was able to catch up a little. He is however still BALD. Okay, not completely, but pretty darn close. He will get a random 3 in. long hair that sticks off the side of his head. I will go to grab it thinking it is one of mine that is stuck in his hair and whoops it's attached. He feels me do it then he starts pulling at his hair. Unfortunately being 1 1/2 the only time he is still enough to see these sorts of things is at the dinner table when he is trapped in his chair which means I just encouraged him to put food in his hair!!

Now Zack. Well, not to be mean, but he is not at a fun age. He has become quite the arguer. It's like pulling teeth to get him to cooperate with anything. Chores time is always fun. All I can say is "Is Summer Over Yet"!!! And all you parents reading this thinking I am mean, don't pretend you didn't feel the same way at some point in your child's upbringing. Especially if your MY parent, because I know better. Those of you who have younger children, don't judge either, your day is approaching.

Zack isn't really in to anything right now. He like playing video games, but I limit how much he can play. It is too hot in Arizona to really play outside (another reason summer in AZ is no fun). He has become connected at the hip to our next door neighbor boy Caleb. Which is fine, I am good friends with his mom and they are a great family. I don't know what he is going to do once school starts though because Caleb and his brother are home schooled. At this age if your school friends don't live close by it is hard to stay connected through the summer. I hope he adjusts well once school starts. He usually pulls the class clown act to fit in and make friends about week 2 into the school year. Well, school starts next week so we will see soon enough.

Well there isn't much new with me. I had mono, but am pretty much better now. I still wheeze now and then, but I guess I could have that for months and months. I still work for my in laws business. I have made some good friends near where I live so I have a good friend network for once in my life. Don't get me wrong, I have always had friends, but it was always two or three good friends who didn't hang out with each other. With my new "network" of friends I can actually have little get-togethers which is way more fun.

Now Stephen. Well what can I say that most of you don't already know? Stephen has joined the Army. He will be leaving for basic training in about a week or so. Yes, we are all very sad that he is leaving, but trust me, we discussed this decision and decided that it is for the best. The boys and I will join him once he has finished all of his training (in about 7 months). He has 9 weeks of basic training in Missouri then he goes to Texas for 19 weeks for his job training. He is going to be a hospital medic. His long term goal is to use the A-Med program to go through pharmacy school. This program pays 100% for school costs and pays you your Army salary while you are in pharmacy school. When in pharmacy school you are not required to perform your normal job duties and your "job" is to go to school. The Army does nothing for free (I can hear you all saying it), yes, we know. He will in turn have to recommit 1 year of service for every year he was a student in the A-Med program. The Army isn't going to pay you to become Dr. if they don't get to use your skills. Stephen is ready for this, and if anyone has negative comments they want to get out, let me give a suggestion that was once given to me. Write your negativity down in as much detail as you want. Get it all out. Be as mean or as rude as you want. Hell, even use as much profanity as you want. Then BURN IT, because we don't want to hear it. I support my husband 100% and that is all that matters. I don't want any of our friends or family trying to break his spirit before he embarks on the most difficult journey of his life. Positive comments are always welcome and appreciated though.

Okay, Stephen might get embarrassed about this, but I have to brag. There is a test that anyone going into the military has to take. It is used to rank your intelligence and make sure you are smart enough for the job you want. Stephen was ranked in the top 6% of the nation. His recruiters boss had challenged him by saying that if Stephen beat his score he would by him lunch. I guess recruits never beat his score. Well Stephen did beat his score. Okay, I'm done bragging about how smart my husband is.

Well, I think that is about it for now. Those are the major headlines from the Hanna Family Gazette. This is the editors copy, so the photography department will add photos once it hits their desk.

It Can't Be True, One Already!!

2007-11-10T10:24:00.000-07:00

Mama and "baby"

The loot. Logan's Favorite toy the piano

Grandma and Grandpa enjoying the birthday boy.

Zack enjoying the party. Little monkey.

The set up. The allergin free cow cake.

Yea, yea, yea, I know I have been promising to post this for weeks. Life has kept me on my toes lately and I didn't get around to it until now. I am very sorry.

Logan's birthday was absolutely perfect!! He was a little angel. I was expecting him to turn into a monster and throw lots of fits, but he didn't. Logan got so many wonderful gifts. It was a perfect balance of toys, books and clothes. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day for him. Thank you to all who came, and I am sorry you missed it to all who did not.

After Logan's party we hung around at grandma and grandpa's house for a few hours. We then went to "Night Fall" which is a Halloween ghost town set up at the Old Tucson Movie Studio. It is awesome. Everyone was pretty tired though and we didn't stay very long. Zack was crabby and not wanted to cooperate so it didn't seem worth it.

Zack returned from Disney Land the day before Logan's birthday. He really had a good time. I am glad that he was able to have that 1:1 time with grandma and do some bonding. I think it was really good for him. He really hasn't gotten the opportunity to be close to his grandparents and I think that makes him sad sometimes.

It was really nice to have my mom here for a visit (even though I got her really sick). We were able to get out and see the area this visit. We had fun and really enjoyed ourselves. Having her here really made me miss home a lot.

I have started working for my in-laws at their business. My mother-in-law has done all of the office work for the business by herself for the last 23 years. The business has grown a lot in the last few years and they have been thinking about hiring some help. I happened to be wanting to get back to working away from my house again. They offered me a job and it works out great. It is the perfect opportunity of me because I am able to work the hours I need to be be able to keep Logan and Zack out of childcare. I hope it works out for my in-laws too. I think it is working out well so far. I think my mother -in-law is more comfortable teaching her work to someone she knows as opposed to someone she doesn't. That business is like her baby.

Stephen is about the same. He is still working on his pharmacy school applications. It doesn't sound like he is having a very good time with them.

Quik Post Before The Big Day

2007-10-19T07:33:00.000-07:00

I figure I should do an update post before Logan's birthday tomorrow. Let's see what to say?

Well my mom is in town visiting right now. She arrived last Thursday. I had a stomach bug when she arrived YUK!!! The unfortunate thing is that she contracted the bug too. She got it the day before she and Zack were to leave for Disney Land. She postponed their fight to a night flight instead of a morning flight. The first day at the park was awful for my mom. She said she felt much better the second day. They are coming home tonight. Zack has been a jabber jaw on the phone. This can only mean he is really excited and having a good time!

Logan has 8 teeth now. Believe me, I don't know how it happened either. He went from none to 8 in no time. I can't get used to the new look. I still expect a gummy smile I think.

I have decided that I am going to stop doing childcare from home and will be going back to the work force. One of my kids moved a couple of weeks ago, two more are moving in May, and the one I have watched forever is moving to be near her brother. I just don't want to start from scratch with a whole new group of kids. It seems like a good time to get out. Logan is 1 which is a good transition point we think. We still won't be putting him in childcare though. Stephen doesn't go to work until 3:00 and I am going to find a morning job then watch a few after school kids. I am sorta excited to be getting out of the house again.

I was in a wedding last weekend. It was a lot of fun. Our friends Ryan and Lisa got married. They are very nontraditional and so was the wedding. It was unique and modern.

We got a second car THANK GOD!!!!!! Stephen's grandparents had a car they could no longer use and gave it to us. I am excited!!! I can finally get out when I feel the need. It hadn't seemed worth a car payment for a car that would usually just sit so we have avoided it. This works out great!!! We are SOOOO appreciative!!!!

Well that is it for now. There will be an update next week with details and pictures from Logan's 1st birthday party!

Three and Counting

2007-09-17T14:42:00.000-07:00

Us at Sicilya's 1st birthday party

Well, Logan has tooth number three now (I will get a picture posted soon). It is the tooth next to the top front on his left. They took a while to start coming in but now they are on a roll.

"Scrunchy Sniff Face"

Logan is doing all sorts of cute little noises. His is making kissing noises at people, clicking his tongue, and doing raspberries. He still does his scrunch face sniff too which we think is soooo adorable.

My favorite Logan PJs

Just like his teeth, crawling took a while to get started. He is not having any troubles getting around now though. He is so fast! We are having a hard time keeping an eye on him these days.

Happy 8th Birthday Zachary!!!

2007-09-17T11:45:00.000-07:00

Well as most of you know Zack turned 8 last Monday. He is getting so big so fast. Stephen had to work on Zack's birthday evening so it was just the boys and mom. Zack opened his cards (which held lots of money from family that will be used for his birthday Disney Land trip from Grandma PJ) when he got home from school and read to look in the garage for his present. He ran to the garage and found his bike (we actually ended up exchanging that bike for a different one a few days later). He had called Aunt DeAnna a couple of days before begging to open his from her early (I think Logan wanted to open them too). He got a fish tank from her that he was super excited about. It worked out great because it was set up and fish were added the night before his birthday. I made Zack whatever he wanted for dinner on Monday (bbq chicken, mac n cheese and green beans). We had a little two person cake for the two of us. We let Logan try a tiny bite too. Zack was allowed to stay up a little later than usual to watch a movie.

We had a pirate party on Saturday for Zack and his friends. He had a blast. He was a bit of a birthday monster. We had the swing set set up to look like a pirate ship. There was a baby pool filled with water balloons and water guns. They had a water fight and ran through a sprinkler. A group of 2nd grade boys can be very hyper and loud. I will add a few pictures so you can get an idea of the action packed day!!

Go Logan Go!!!!!!!

2007-08-27T09:30:00.000-07:00

Well, he is up and crawling now!!!!! It happened on Friday. We knew he was close and then it just happened. He is still pretty slow and unsure of himself, but I am sure that will be a thing of the past in the next day or so. Stephen and I were both home to witness the big event so that was really nice. We had our video camera on hand so we grabbed it and caught a tiny bit on video too. It is so nice being home so that I can see these big milestones. Stephen just happened to have a late shift Friday.

Logan has also learned to pull himself up to standing in his crib. Now when he wakes up he stands up and yells for us while watching the door for us to come in. What happened to my little baby? Everything has changed so much in the last few weeks.

Logan's little tooth has grown so fast. It is almost all the way in already. The one next to it is so close to popping through. Stephen and Grandpa Larry say it is in, but it isn't.

We all got up and went fishing on Saturday morning. Stephen caught 1 fish, Zack caught none and Mom caught 2. Mom only fished for about 10 minutes during the 2 hours we were there and caught the most fish. Stephen says I cheated because I caught them both right at the shore line and basically just dipped my line and pulled out a fish. Whatever, a fish on a line is a fish on a line if you ask me.

We took the boys and stayed the night at Grandma and Grandpa Hanna's this weekend. Their pool was finished last week so we had to go break it in. The boys has a lot of fun swimming in the pool. Logan is such a water baby. Zack has learned to squat dive and get rings from the bottom of the pool.

We actually stayed at there house to get Logan used to staying there for next weekend. Stephen and I are taking a weekend trip to Las Vegas and Logan is staying with Grandma and Grandpa for the weekend. This will be his first time away from Mommy. I am not sure who is going to have a harder time with it.

First Tooth!!!

2007-08-17T10:33:00.000-07:00

Logan got his first tooth finally!!! It is on the bottom right. He has two more in line trying to pop through still. Let me tell you how much fun he has been lately, NONE AT ALL! Cranky, cranky, cranky, that is all I have to say. These pictures are my sad attempt at getting a picture of it. If you blow it up and look really closely you can sorta see it. I can only see it when he is crying or laughing really hard. He is very quick to pick up on what I am doing though and pintches his lips tightly closed to forbid me. Doesn't he look happy?

He is also very close to crawling now. Everyday I think it will be the day. Just about the time he just about has it he gets mad and gives up. He is getting so frustrated because he really wants to move.

He is able to scoot over to things on his but and pull him self up to standing. Some days is seems he may walk before he crawls. Once he does crawl I don't think he will do it long before he decides to walk. He loves to hold hands and walk. He moves fast now. He just needs to work on his balance a little.

He learned how to sit himself up earlier this week. If he is on his back he basically does a sit up with a slight one handed assist to sitting. So many milestones in one week!!!!! I am so proud yet so sad.

Zack made his first FAILED attempt to forge his parents signature this week (actually our initials). He has a paper that we have to initial daily to show that he is reading every night. It has to be turned in with all of his homework on Fridays. I had remembered that I forgot to sign for Monday and Tuesday. Monday he didn't read so I made him read double the time on Tuesday so I fully intended to initial his sheet for both days. Well when I got in his bag to do so I saw what at first glance looked like Stephens initials. That is until I noticed it said "SMT", in PENCIL. I immediately started to laugh and showed Stephen who was also floored by this. We had a talk with Zack and called his dad so that he could also tell him how important it is to be honest. At least he didn't get caught by his teacher (which he so would have). Here is a picture of the attempt, see if you can pick out Zack's two attempts. What a little shit!!

I just had to add this picture of Zack getting busted playing with a Little Mermaid toy that one of my daycare girls brought one day. Notice the Bionicle toy laying next to him. He is changing the mermaids clothes in this picture. He claims the little girl asked for his help. Sure she did Zack!!!!!!!!!!1

Logan's 9 Month Pictures

2007-08-07T18:05:00.000-07:00

Here are some of Logan's 9 month pictures that we got taken at JCPenny's a week or so ago. If you would like to see all of the pictures on smilesbywire.com call me or shoot me an email and I will give you my pass code. I don't want to publish on here for reasons I am sure I don't need to say.

I know he is my son, but seriously, could he be any more cute????!!!!! We had a really hard time picking the best ones. I don't think he knows how to not be cute in front of a camera.

One is Off and the Other is Trying Hard to Follow

2007-08-07T17:39:00.000-07:00

Well, we have our video camera near us at all times these days. We just know that Logan will be crawling or pulling himself up any moment now. He actually has pulled himself up already on Daddy. He wasn't able to grab the camera due to the fact that he was being used as an anchor.

Logan is now getting himself from sitting down onto is tummy. He then rolls which ever way he needs to go to be closer to his destination. He has this butt up and down thing that he has been doing for the last week or so that is obvious to be an attempt to move forward. There are just so many little things he is doing that tell us it will be very soon.

We had to take Logan to the Dr. due to a rash and what we thought was an ear infection. She told us his ear is fine and the rash is dermatitis. Anyhow, the big thing she told us was that he has 3 teeth that are about to pop through. I knew about one on the bottom, but three all at once!!! No wonder he is fussy lately.

Zack started back to school this morning. He did not get his best friend in his class (which the moms aren't sad about by any means). He was knocking on my door at 6 a.m. completely dressed and teeth brushed. I don't know how he got himself up, his alarm was set for 6:00. What a dork. Who is excited for summer to be over? He was trying to go to the bus stop 20 minutes before it was time.

Due to the fact that school was starting today Zack got his head shaved! Well maybe not completely "shaved" but close enough. I have to say it looks much better that with the Mohawk though.

Stephen started his new job yesterday and was excited. He said that it went really well and likes the position. There is a full time spot opening up soon and he sorta wants to apply for it. I however do not want him to. It would be 5 varying days of 8 hour shifts in the evening (3-11:30 p.m.). Yea, I don't think so. This would almost totally eliminate any possibility of overtime for him since he would be working the same amount of hours in 5 days that he currently works in 4. He used to work that many hours in 3 days. I just don't think that the shift and the hours are that great. Not to mention that instead of paying for gas for 4 days it would be gas for 5 days for the same amount of pay.

I added another child to my childcare last week. She is working out really well so far. She is 3 1/2 and hasn't given me any troubles as of yet.

My friends had there babies!!!! I got a call last Thursday from Shannon Hoyle saying that her baby girl was born on that previous Monday. She was kept in the hospital due to jaundice.
Ronda then called me Friday at about 9:00 p.m. saying that her water broke. I rushed over and picked up Hunter so that they could go to the hospital. She had her baby boy just a few hours later. He was pretty healthy, a little jaundice too, but they let him go him with one of the UV lights.

Tanner Anthony Hall and Rebecca Angelynn Hoyle

Well that was a big update so I think I will stop there. Hope all is well with you and yours.

9 month Check Up

2007-07-27T15:33:00.000-07:00

Logan had his 9 month follow up yesterday and every thing seems to be good. The main thing is that the Dr. wasn't very concerned about his back. She thinks it is just that he doesn't like to sit on his man parts or the bulk of his diaper. She thinks he would grow out of the bad posture and that his back will be okay. We may do an x-ray later if it doesn't improve.

Logan now weighs 17 lbs 5 oz (only 5 oz more than in June) which puts him in the 5-10 percent (not so great). He seems to be dropping percentile still so we are adding another feeding of solids into his day and increasing the formula intake. His length is good at 28 1/4 " which puts him the 50th%. She says that he isn't unhealthy or weak so it appears that he is just a small child. She would be concerned if his length was also off and or he appeared to be weak. She said it makes sense with how small Stephen and I are (especially Stephen).

The only thing a little off is that he still has a blocked tear duct. It isn't a huge deal. I guess they are pretty common and they usually go away on their own. If it isn't gone by his 1 year follow up then we will have to take him to an eye specialist. We just have to milk it and massage it daily to help prevent infection. If you remember we thought he had pink eye a while back. This is what it actually was, it was just really bad at that time so she just wanted to make sure he wasn't getting an infection (like pink eye).

He had his hemoglobin checked and it was good. Logan is all around healthy it seems. Just a little shrimp. We were hoping he would get my families body type, but it seems he is going to take after Stephen.

Well that is it. I just wanted to give everyone the Dr. appointment update.

Oh yea!! We are getting Logan's 9 month pictures taken on Sunday. We are excited!!

9 Months Old

2007-07-23T10:33:00.000-07:00

I don't even know what to say about Logan right now. He has changed so much so fast that I can hardly keep up. He turned 9 months on the 20th and I just feel like my baby is gone and has been replaced by a wild little boy with a mind of his own.

He has recently changed my mind about thinking he is going to skip crawling. He is getting closer to crawling every day. If you put him on his hands and knees he will stay and rock a bit. He now loves being on his tummy and has even taken a few naps in the position. the other day he was sitting on the floor playing and I had to run outside for a minute so I had Zack watch him. When I came back in Logan was on the other side of the room. Zack said he log rolled over to a toy he wanted. He has not done it again so I can't be sure if that is what really happened. I have watched him get almost all the way onto his hands and knees though to reach for a toy.

Logan is doing some other new things that just amaze me. He now growls when he wants a drink or bite of something I have. He also does this if he is hungry and we are going towards the kitchen. It is sooooo cute. He gets a sippy cup now that he proudly holds on his own. He has learned how to clap his hands and is doing it all the time now. He looks for the excitement in Mom and Dad's faces when he does it. He gets so excited by it.

There has been a bit of a change with Zack too. Not in the same sort of way of course. His is more of a visual change. I will put a picture up and you see if you can notice what it is. He is getting ready to start school in 2 weeks so this new thing will be short lived.

Stephen and I are about the same. My birthday was pretty nice. I got a digital video recorder which is something Stephen and I have been wanting for a long time. It is just in time to record Logan and his new milestones.

We did finally put some rock in our back yard (this is what us Arizonans use instead of grass). We wanted it in before the Monsoons hit to avoid a big mud puddle for a back yard. We were successful.

Oh yea!! We sold our Scion. We didn't get much over what we owed on it so that is sorta a bummer, but oh well. We are glad to be rid of the payments. We are going to try to wait a bit before getting another car. When we do get another it will be a point A to B car this time.

I guess that is all I can come up with for now.

Happy 4th!!!

2007-07-03T14:28:00.000-07:00

Happy Independence Day everyone!! And Happy Birthday to me!!!!!!!!

There are a few updates for you. First, Stephen was offered a job in the pharmacy at the hospital he used to work for. It is the sister hospital to the one he currently works at so all of his benefits and seniority carry over. There are some ups and downs to the position. The ups are that he would finally be working in a pharmacy so that he can get experience before he goes to school. It is also great that he can just transfer without giving up his 401K and insurance. One of the downs is the crappy hours. They are bringing him in and demanding that he take the hours that the other employees don't want; nights (2-11pm) and weekends. Another down is that he will have to take a small pay cut if he takes the job. Not a very large one, but even still. I guess that he makes more than some of the pharmacy techs do and they can't bring him in at his current pay and let him make more then them. He really wants the job so I think he is going to deal with the negatives. They know how bad he wants in the pharmacy and they know they can offer him no incentives and he would still take it. BIG DOWNFALL!!!

Lets see, what else is new? Zack is at his dad's. He went there this weekend and decided to spend a few extra days there. Hunter didn't want to come over for child care since Zack wasn't here. Ronda was put on leave from work early due to some pregnancy complications so he stayed home.

Stephen's sister Jennifer and her husband come for a visit. It was the first time we were able to meet Adam. He is very nice and we all think that they make a great couple. This was also the first time they got to see Logan. Logan took to Jennifer very well. He never fussed when she picked him up.

There is nothing really new with me (not that there ever is). We don't really have plans for my birthday (not that we ever do). I am not working the 4th so I decided to work the 5th. Stephen took the day off to be home with me. I am planning to make goulash. I refuse to bake my own cake and my husband would burn the house down so I guess that will be it.

Here are some pictures. One is a picture of the veiw from Larry and Kays living room. There is also a picture of Zack and Hunter having a water balloon fight. Any others are just too cute not to share.o.

Do the Logan!!

2007-06-25T13:07:00.000-07:00

Logan does this cute little new dance when he is sitting down now. He bounces up and down on his butt and makes a cute little noise with it. We tell him to "Do the Logan" and he gets a big smile on his face and begins to dance. It is adorable.

We have discovered that Logan LOVES watermelon. We got a mesh bad that Aunt DeAnna recommended and gave him some watermelon and he was in LOVE!!! He goes to town on it and screams at you if you pull it away. I put a picture of him eating it, but you would have to see him do it to see how cute it is.

Zack is pretty much the same. He is such a chatter box these days. I can't get a moments peace. He and Hunter are inseperable these days. Not only is Hunter here all week for daycare, but they still have to stay with one another on hte weekends. Hunter stayed over on Friday and Zack stayed wiith him on Saturday. You would think they would run out of things to talk about, but they never shut up. Zack came home on Sunday and fell asleep on his floor in his room at 5:00 from being so exhausted.

One Short Week

2007-06-18T09:59:00.000-07:00

We just got home from a very short seeming week in Illinois. We went back for my sister Laura and new B-I-L Joe's wedding. The wedding was beautiful and went very well. Laura looked amazing!!!! Congrats to them. Also congrats to Dad and Bonnie for marrying off the last of the girls. You can now close your check books with relief.

While we were in Illinois we stayed at DeAnna and Andy's house. We had some much fun spending the week with them. MaKayla is getting so big! Even more interesting than that is the fact that she has 6 teeth now. Logan has ZERO. We had fun watching the two of them play together. MaKayla is on the move now which is adorable. We took the kids to Magic Waters and they had a lot of fun.

My mom, grandma, twin brothers, Ed, and Nisa came up for a cook out. It was nice that Logan finally got to meet all of them. Mark was covered in poison ivy so he did not get to touch the babies.

We went to Grandpa Johnson and Elaine's house while we were back. We had a very nice visit. Grandpa cooked my favorite dish, Mac n' cheese. Grandpa is staying busy in the yard while Elaine works her new job.

We visited a few of my good friends while we were back. We saw the Hoyle family. Shannon is quite pregnant and Joseph is giving her a hard time with his terrible two's. Mat Shuck and his family are doing well. Mason didn't like me at first but he warmed up to me by the end of the visit.

We made a couple of trips to Madison, WI also. Erick, a friend of mine lives there and he did us a favor of showing us around the city. Stephen had an appointment with an advisor to look at the School of Pharmacy. He really likes the school and plans to apply. It is a bit hard to get in as an out of state applicant though. We wish we could just pick up and move back now to establish residency. Maybe soon, we will see.

We finally made it to see Jen and Ben's new home. It is beautiful and I am very jealous. Caden and Zack were instant best friends. Caden come up to stay with us at DeAnna and Andy's house one night. They were adorable.

Well that is our trip in a nut shell. We had a lot of fun and wish we didn't have to leave. The desert is a pit and we want to move ssooooo bad!!! Maybe someday.

Sorry Ya'll

2007-05-18T21:54:00.001-07:00

So we had some major computer troubles for a while. We are up and running again though. There is a lot you haven't been updated on I suppose. Let's see here.

Well, DeAnna and MaKayla came to visit us in April which was AWESOME!!!! I fell in love with that little baby girl the moment I saw her. She is adorable!! Her and Logan had a lot of fun playing and watching each other. They are very different from each other. It was nice to see DeAnna too, we had a lot of catching up to do. She looked beaurtiful.

Logan will be hitting 7 months in 2 days from now. At his last Dr.s appointment which was about 1 month ago the Dr. told us that he had dropped from the 35 % to the 10% for his age and length. We have had to really pump up his solid food intake in attempt to get his weight up. I would say it worked. He looks like a little chunker to me now. We will see what the Dr. says in about 2 weeks. Logan is sitting up now as you can see in these pictures. He also can say Mama and baba (not that he really knows what he is saying). He loves to laugh. For the most part is a pretty calm happy baby.

Zack will be out of school next Thursday. I think he and he friends stepped out mentally about 2 weeks ago though. They are so excited for summer to come. I don't know how excited I am about them being here ALL DAY though. I hope that doesn't make me a horrible mom. Zack has lost a couple more teeth since my last post also. Oh, he also received the Owl of the Month award again! GO ZACK! Zack also got a puppy. Her name is Jasmine, she's a rat terrior.

Stephen is finally off of night shift (thank God). He is really enjoying being on a regular sleep schedule again. I am happy to not have to sleep in the house alone. I hated when he was gone at nights.

I am pretty much the same. I have been really tired and run down lately. Doing child care in my home is the hardest job I have ever had. It is really hard watching 6 kids from 630 am to 530 pm. I am ready to pass out by 600 pm. Not to mention how dirty my house gets so fast. I feel like I can never get caught up on anything.

Stephen, Zack and I all got to go to the movies together for the first time in about 9 months. We saw Spider Man 3. It was pretty good, a little more cheesy than the first two we thought though. It was nice to be able to hang out with just Zack again though. He really enjoyed not having to battle for attention for those few hours.

My in-laws sold their house after being on the market for only a few weeks. They moved into the town house that we were living in before we moved into our house (they own the town house). The house they are having built has had some set backs, but they should be in it soon. I will have to post some pictures of the house once it is done. It is just amazing!!

We will be going to visit my family in Illinois in 3 weeks from tomorrow!!!!!!! My sister Laura is getting married and we will be going back for her wedding. We are very excited!!!! We haven't all been able to go back for about 3 years. There are many people who haven't gotten to meet Logan yet and are aching to do so. It will be a nice reunion.

Until next time.....

A Much Needed Visit

2007-03-17T08:42:00.000-07:00

Well, we had a good time visiting with my parents last week. The visit seemed very short, but isn't that always the way it goes. Zack really enjoyed seeing his Nana and Papa and was very sad when they left. We all went to Tombstone together and took Zack's best friend Hunter. That was a lot fun. Zack, Papa and Stephen enjoyed flying Zack's dragon kite in the empty lot across from our house. They crashed it onto the roof of my neighbors house (ooops). Logan had fun with Papa. Papa would act really goofy to get Logan to laugh, he really got him going a few times. There is a brief video of this on Bonnie's camera if anyone happens to be at their house maybe she will show it to you =)

I just found out that my sister DeAnna and her 6 month old baby MaKayla are coming out to see us next month. Her husband Andy won't be able to make it unfortunately due to his work schedule, we wish he could come. I can't wait to meet my baby niece!!!! This is a much over due meeting. I am sure there will many cute pictures to share of MaKayla and Logan together.

Logan had his 5 month check up this week and he is doing really well. He had to get 3 shots in his little legs though. I didn't get to go so it was up to Daddy to give him love and kisses to make him feel better. The Dr. thinks that his speech is advanced for his age. I guess that at this age babies usually do the goo goo ga ga stuff and Logan is trying to form words. It is pretty cute when he talks, you can really tell he wants to tell you something. He is 13 lbs 12.5 ozs (25% for his age) and 25 in. long (50%), long and slender. She said that his teeth are moving under his gums so he is starting the teething process. Which I sort of figured out on my own when he started drooling buckets and putting his hands and everything else he touches in his mouth. We were concerned about some tremors he was having, but she said it is normal at this age because they are building their muscles for fine motor control.

That is it for now. I hope all is well with everyone!!!!! Oh, and for you Illinois people I just thought I should tell you that it is in the 90's out here. neener neener neener

Yikes It Has Been a While

2007-03-01T11:19:00.000-07:00

Well, Logan is 4 months old already and growing like a little weed! He caught RSV a few weeks ago and ended up spending two nights in the hostpital because he was having troubles breathing. That was scary! He weighed 12lbs 13oz at his post hospital follow up and they say he is 24in. long. He has discovered his hands and they are always in his mouth. He grabs that toys and pulls his binkie out of his mouth now. We are trying to introduce more toys to him now that he has control over his hands. He loses interest fast. He has a new friend. I started watching a 5 month old little girl (Sicilya) and they love to stare at one another and grab each others hands and try to put them in their mouths (I stop them). He giggles really loud now and loves to tell us his stories. It is so adorable. He is just Mr. Personalilty now. We are excited for him to meet his Grandpa and Grandma Masterson for the first time. They will be the first of my family to meet him when they come out to visit us next week.

Zack is doing well. He is working on his talking back. I had to threaten that he will have to go to his Dad's for the entire spring break and go to work with his step-mom if he doesn't started helpling around the house more and stop talking back so much. He has been working really hard on this and keeps asking me "Where am I today, go to Emily's or get to stay home?" It is sorta funny. We finally got his play system that everyone pitched in on for his birthday. He has been playing on it with his best friend Hunter and another girl that I watch. The biggest news is that he lost another tooth (I had to pull it with plyiers) and that he FINALLY learned to ride his bike!!!!!!!!!!

There isn't a whole lot going on with Stephen and I. Stephen had a good birthday on the 24th. He is working night shift right now to help out his work. Thank goodness it is only temporary because we hate it. I am a home body who never leaves the house. I did get out for a hair cut recently but I hate it so there will be no pictures of me for a while. My classes are hard but are going okay. The Day Care is going well.

Starting Off the New Year

2007-01-11T04:43:00.000-07:00

Well, there isn't a whole lot new going one which is actually nice for a change. We are still getting adjusted in our new house, but we are comfortable. The family is good. Stephen is working too much right now. Once I have more children in my childcare he will be able to take some more days off which will be so nice.
Logan has been doing really well. I was given a video to watch on methods to calm a colic baby and it has worked really well. He has been a lot less fussy since I picked up these new techniques. He has had a rash on his face for a few weeks now. The Dr. isn't concerned with it she says most babies get minor rashes. I wish we could do something for it, but I guess we can't. I have been wanting to get some professional pics done, but keep waiting for the rash to clear. It looks like I will just have to get the picture with the rash.
Zachary is doing really well. Being in the new house and having me home in the afternoons has proven to be good for Zack. He was just awarded The Most Improved Owl Of The Month Award at his school (his school mascot is an owl). I guess it is a pretty big deal. He was given the award by the principal and got a certificate. He was very excited!! We are proud of him.
Well that is about all for now.

Christmas 2006

2006-12-26T23:33:00.000-07:00

Well we made it into our house by Christmas and everything went great. We are not completely settled in yet, but we are close. Now that Christmas is over we will be able to finish all the little things we need to do. It is so nice being in the house finally.
Christmas went well. Zack got just about every toy that the stores carry. We had to have a little talk with him about not acting spoiled and still being grateful for everything he has. We are making him go through all of his old toys and fill a box that he will donate to children who aren't as privileged as he is. He did not fight us on this. Logan enjoyed his first Christmas (I think). He got lots of toys too. He really needed toys though so it was good. He really stared at some of them, it was cute. I love Christmas, but it sure is crazy busy. The boys and
I went to church on the 24th (see the pic of Zack holding Logan) then Zack went to his Dad's. We did Christmas morning as a family at home then we went to Stephen's parents house for lunner (lunch and dinner combo). We live too far away from any of my family so sadly we didn't get to see any of my relatives, so there were lots of phone calls. We also had to use Christmas as a going away get together for Stephen's sister Melissa. She has taken a job in Denver, CO and left this morning. She didn't have much time from the time the job was offered to when she needs to start so it was pretty sudden. We are sure going to miss her!!!!!!!! We wish her all the best of luck with her move and her new position.

Logan Update:
On the 21st Logan went to the Dr. for his 2 month follow up. He is doing really well. He had to get a shot =( and cried. He is growing like a little weed. He is 10lbs 4oz now. That puts him in the 50th % for his age in weight. He is 24 1/4 " long which also puts him at 50th % for length. When he was born he was only in the 10th % all around, so he is really catching up. He is smiling a lot now when you talk to him. He is also cooing. We are waiting to hear that first little giggle still. He still doesn't have any hair. He is still a bit fussy at times, but we decided to stop the medicine because it didn't make a big enough difference. We watched a video on colic that seemed to give good technique for calming that seems to be working.

We hope you had a great Christmas and that you were as blessed as we were. Enjoy the pictures below!!

In the HOME stretch

2006-12-05T20:33:00.000-07:00

Well, our house is done!!! We are signing the paper work tomorrow and Thursday and are supposed to get the keys on Thursday or Friday. We did a walk through last Thursday and pointed out all the things that we wanted fixed. We were supposed to sign some paper that day, but they weren't ready. We are so excited. I am itching to get Chirstmas decorations up and I have had to wait until we are moved in.
Logan is doing good. He had to go to the Dr. last Friday because he has been really fussy and vomits after every feeding. The Dr. had us monitor this over the last month and things just didn't improve. I finally had enough and took him it. Dr. Valdez thinks it is acid reflux and put him on Zantac for it. It seems to have helped some. He doesn't vomit as much. He is still fussy, but I am thinking he is just going to be that way. At the appointment he weighed 9lbs 4ozs. He is getting so big so fast. I can't believe he is already 6 1/2 weeks old already. That just doesn't seem possible.
Zack is doing pretty good. He and I have both been sick this week. He caught a cold and passed it on to me. I kept him home from school the last two days to recooperate. I should have made him go though, all he did was play. He is upset because he has been having to stay away form Logan while he is sick. We have managed to keep Logan cold free so far. I guess that when the Mom is sick she passed antibodies through breast milk and the baby usually doesn't catch the illness. Good deal, I don't think I have the energy for a sick baby right now.
I hope you are all enjoying the holiday season. I wish I could see the all of you that I am so far away from!!! I miss you all!!

Thanksgiving Week

2006-11-24T10:59:00.000-07:00

Well Thanksgiving has come and gone. Logan turns 5 weeks today. Where has the time gone? Logan is getting to be so big. He hasn't been weighed in a couple of weeks but with his average rate of growth he should be about 8lbs 9oz. He is starting to sleep better, the last three nights have been wonderful. Roxy has been taking really cute picture of him, be sure to check out the album so you can see them all. Logan's next appointment isn't until December 20th. Zack has continued to be great help and is constantly holding Logan and tending to him.

Thanksgiving was at my Aunt's house this year. We celebrated with a new extended family and it was a lot of fun. One of my co-workers was gracious enough to cover my position for the last half of my shift and I was able to join my family. Grandma and Grandpa Hanna wouldn't put Logan down. He behaved very well and didn't fuss at all. Zack reluctantly played with my second cousin, Kaitlyn. She was our flower girl last year. She followed him all over the place, we think he has a new girlfriend. My cousin Brian and I are this years horseshoe tournament winners (that means I have bragging rights for the next year, haha Uncle Morris.) We hope all of you had as good or better a Thanksgiving as us.

Our house has slowed down some. There isn't much left to be done though. We close in one week from today. Roxy is getting really excited about moving. Our landscaping is done, we aren't very happy with it. It looks like they just slopped it together. For some weird reason they planted two bushes in the middle of the river rock. Many of our viewers are from the mid west and may not be use to river rock but one thing is for certain, you never plant things in the middle of it. We'll see what we can do about getting it fixed. Nevertheless, it is exciting to think that in two weeks we'll be moving in!

Keep in touch everyone. If you don't have our email you can click on our names to left side of the blog and email us from there. Hope everyone is well and happy holidays!

Almost Four Weeks!

2006-11-14T17:37:00.000-07:00

Well Logan is almost one month old...he's growing too fast. He has been doing well, a little more fussy than usual. Most of the nights he does well sleeping but the past couple of nights he has been up a lot throughout the night. His last doctor appointment said he was 7lbs 6.5 oz. He is due for his Hep-B booster soon and won't have another appointment until he turns two months on December 20. Zack is continuing to be a big help and is very loving toward his little brother. We have lots of cute new pictures. I have been picking out some of the cutest for the blog but remember to check out our online album for more cute pictures. I have added a direct link to the album on the left side of the blog. If you haven't view it yet all it asks for is a user ID and password, you don't have to pay anything or sign up for any gimmicks so please enjoy the pictures.

On Sunday we had one of my sister's friends come take family pictures. She is a photography major at the University of Arizona. We didn't have much to work with but she did a good job despite Logan's fussiness during the photo shoot. I have posted a couple of the pictures she took below. We'll probably have her take some more in the near future, hopefully catching Logan on a more cooperative day and maybe we will have more ideas for backdrops and lighting.

Our house is so close to being done. We stopped by yesterday and our carpet and appliances were in. The refrigerator is up and running, the AC is running, and we have our wood blinds in! Not much left now. The security system still has to be finished as well as some touch ups. An inspector still has to come out and make sure everything is up to par and then we have to wait for any further touch ups to be completed. Our yard is close to being landscaped. There are a couple of piles of rock in the front so far. We're still looking at being able to move in after the 7th of December!

Well that's it for now check back next week for more exciting updates!

Logan is 3 weeks old!!

2006-11-09T22:25:00.000-07:00

Well, we took Logan to the Dr. again today and it has been confirmed that he is a porker!!! He is already up to 7 lbs 6oz. That is an 11oz weight gain from last Thursday. I can't believe how fast he is growing. He is doing really well. He is doing much better at sleeping at night now. I think he knows that when it is dark it is time to sleep. His circumcision healed up well and all is happy below the belt again. Poor dude. He had is 2-3 week blood work done today so we will have to wait to see how that comes out.

Zack is doing pretty well. He is doing great as a big brother. He loves Logan and has been a great helper so far. He has been "talking out" in school still. I just don't know how to fix this issue. We have tried grounding, taking away allowance, taking away privileges, and other techniques but nothing seems to be working. He isn't one of the worse kids in class or anything, but still.
Stephen is back to work. He jumped right back into his long hours. This was his first week back and he put in 72 hours. YUK!!!! It is nice that he is able to bring home large paychecks, but I really miss having him home.
Roxy is re-cooperated and wanting to get a million things done. Wanting and being able to, seem to be 2 separate things these days though. Wow babies can be a lot of work!! She is slowly working down her "to do" list as she has time though.
The house is coming along. The pluming fixtures are in now. All that really needs to be completed is the carpeting, touch ups, landscaping, security system and appliance installation and a few tiny details that aren't even worth mentioning. One day soon we will walk in there and it will be done!!! We are so excited!!! No more 2 1/2 hours of commuting to take Zack to an from school every day!!!!

Well that is it for now. We will update you again very soon.

Over Due Update

2006-11-01T20:10:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know we haven't posted in a while. We are adjusted now and are ready to keep you better updated now.
Well Logan is 1 week and 5 days old now. He is doing pretty well. He hasn't established a sleep pattern yet. Some nights he sleeps great, some nights he thinks it's time to hang out. My body is so confused. He is doing well though. We are going to the Dr. tomorrow for his 2 week check up. As new parents we have all sorts of questions and concerns of course. We will give another update in a few days as to how the appointment goes. I think he has come back to birth weight plus a half pound, we will see.

Halloween went well, Logan had a lobster costume that his big brother bought him but he wasn't feeling very well so we decided not to mess with him. He had a cute Halloween outfit though. Zack was adorable in his "bad warrior" costume. Stephen and Melissa (Stephen's sister) took Zack trick-or-treating while Logan and Mommy hung out at Grandma and Grandpa Hanna's house. Zack was actually brave this year and went up to houses without a fit. He got tons of candy!!!! I guess we will just have to help him eat it =)

We got our closing date on the house; December 7th. It has been moving very fast lately (too bad they couldn't have worked this fast a little earlier). The cupboards are in, the counter tops are on, the light fixtures are up, the electricity is on, our floors have been started, they grated the yard, we have our block wall and our drive way, it is almost done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait to set up Logan's nursery and to be back in a decent sized bedroom! Zack also can't wait for his space back. It will be so nice to not have to commute 3+ hours a day to get Zack to and from school.

Speaking of school, we had a parent teacher conference with Zack's teacher yesterday. Zack is dong pretty well so far. She says he is a good participator, maybe a little too much at times though. He has to be involved in everything that is happening at all times. I created a little social butterfly, who would have guessed? She says he tries hard and does well for the most part. Of course there are some things that he needs a little work on. He is pretty much right on track for where he should be at this point though, so that is good. Now that we know his strengths and weaknesses we can work with him accordingly.
Well that is it for now. We will update you again soon =)

Exciting New House Updates

2006-10-26T06:01:00.000-07:00

Well, the house is moving along quite nicely and it appears we will be in our new house in about a month. We are expecting a call from the builder's main office this week or next to set closing dates.

The house has been painted, our wall is up, and cabinets and electrical fixtures are in. Check out the picture of Logan in his new room.

Baby Logan Arrives!!!

2006-10-24T22:51:00.000-07:00

Whew! Sorry this took so long to update everyone but we have so many wonderful pictures I didn't know where to begin. So I have decided to share it all with you through an online service that my HP Photosmart program provides; but first, the details of Logan's birth.

It all started on Thursday, October 19th around 6:00am. Roxy woke up with frequent and relatively stronger contractions than she had previously experienced. After waiting 3 hours for my lazy butt to wake up, we timed the contractions and decided they were too irregular but bordering on early labor signs. So Roxy called Dr. Costantino and her office said that it sounded like early labor and that if she wanted, she could wait until 8:15pm, for her regularly scheduled Non-Stress Test (NST), to see what was going on. So she opted to wait. As the day went on her contractions slowly became more intense and we had a pretty good feeling this was it. When Roxy went in for her NST that night, she was told that her contractions were strong enough and that she was 3-4cm dialated. They wanted to keep her there but Roxy wanted to go home for a bit and shower and try and rest in the comfort of her own home. They called the doctor and she agreed that it was ok for Roxy to go home. So we packed up Zack and sent him to his Dad's for the weekend.

When we arrived home after dropping off Zack, Roxy showered while I started to prep the car with our pre-packed bags and I packed myself a bag and took a nap in anticipation for a long night. Roxy came to bed after her shower and we noticed that as she rested the contraction became less frequent and less intense. After two hours of watching her contractions we decided to just go to the hospital and walk the halls in hopes of stiring up some labor signs. We arrived at NMC Women's Center around 4:00am Friday, October 20th and walked the halls and did some exercises in the privacy of her L&D room. For 7 hours we walked, exercised, rested and started the process over again and again. Still we noticed that everytime we made progress, Roxy would need a break and her contractions would weaken again. So at 11:00am Dr. Costantino came in and broke Roxy's water.

Over the next 2 1/2 hours Roxy progressed rapidly toward the transition phase of labor, going from 5cm @ 11:00am to 7cm by 1:00pm and 9cm by 1:45pm. At around 8cm Dr. Costantino came in and tried a technique to stretch the cervix but the pain was too much for Roxy as it was Roxy's intention to go as long as possible without pain medicine and up to this point had had none. Finally the contractions were right on top of one another and the pain was to the point that she wanted some relief and in the brief moment the nurse was drawing up the pain meds into the seringe, it was determined that she was too far along and couldn't receive any. Dr. Costantino was called in within minutes Roxy was giving birth to our son. After two pushes on one strong contraction, Logan Michael Hanna was born @ 1:52pm on October 20, 2006. Both mother and son were in wonderful condition and instantly Roxy began to forget about her pain as she held Logan for the first time.

For more pictures of baby Logan and family visit http://www1.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=138232498/a=76970502_76970502/t_=76970502

This site is set up for purchasing photos...however, you don't need to, simply click on the photo to enlarge it and then right-click on it and say "Save picture as..." to save it to your computer. The purchased photos are larger and probably better quality than the ones you will be saving to your computer.

37 weeks and 3 days

2006-10-15T21:03:00.000-07:00

Well, we went to the Dr. again on Thursday. I am now 2 cm dilated and there were some other little changes that are a little too graphic to share. She wants us to be induced on Friday, October 20th (38 weeks) if I haven't had the baby by then. I am not absolutely sure that I want that though. She sensed my hesitation and said that she would let us hold off another week if we aren't ready, but that she would need another ultrasound to make sure it is safe. We have to let her know by Monday the 16th what we want to do. In the mean time I have to continue going to the hospital twice a week for the non-stress tests. The pro/con list seems to be about even so it makes the decision really tough. I will let you know what we decide.

Our house is coming along now. It has been drywalled and the walls have been textured. The stucco is on the exterior. We also have doors inside and out!! We have pictures, but Stephen is the picture dude, so he will post them tomorrow.

Well, that is it for now. We go to the Dr. again on Tuesday (if the baby isn't out before then). We will update you after that.

Our Latest Pics

2006-10-02T21:35:00.000-07:00

Here's our most recent pictures of Roxy @ 35 weeks and our house which has finally started to move forward.

Place Your Bets!

2006-10-02T10:55:00.000-07:00

When we were at the baby shower that was thrown for Stephen at his work on Sunday everyone decided that we should post the weight and length bets on our blog. If you would like to join in then just click on the comments for this posting and tell us what you think our baby boy's weight and length will be. Keep in mind that I will most likely only carry until week 38 at the most. It will be fun to see who gets closest =) We will be updating this post as people put in their guesses. My (Roxy) guess is 6 lbs 10 oz and 22 in. What is your guess?

Name........................Weight.....................Length

G-Granny Louise...6lb. 6oz...................19.5"
Grandma Kay.........6lb. 6oz...................20.75"
Tim...........................6lb. 10oz. ................22"
Melody.....................6lb. 15oz. ................21"
Annie........................6lb. 12oz. ................22"
Ashleigh...................7lb. 3oz. ...................19"
Kristy.......................6lb. 7oz. ...................19"
Cerise.......................6lb. 9oz. ..................22"
Janice.......................7lb. 1oz. ..................20.5"
Dr. Ditmanson.........7lb. 4oz. ..................21.5 "
Esther......................7lb. 7oz. ..................20.5"
Aunt DeAnna..........6lb. 14oz. ...............20.5"
Grandma PJ.............7lb. 2oz. ..................21.5"
Daddy........................6lb. 15oz. ...............22.25"
G-Grandpa Bud......7lb. 0oz. ..................21.33"
Elaine.........................7lb. 6oz. ..................21"
Tia..............................7lb 8oz. ...................19.5"

We also have a house update for you!!! FINALLY!!! Our home is now completely insulated and the drywall is all up!!! YEA! I hear that things should move really fast from this point on. We are taking pictures tonight, so we will post them for you to see.

35 Week Update

2006-09-28T19:29:00.000-07:00

Well, I am 35 weeks pregnant today!! (this picture is my 34 week picture) I saw the nurse practitioner today. The update is that I am 1 1/2 cm dilated and the baby his way down town now. She did the Strep-b test today (a little early) because I guess it is a little early for the baby to be as low as he is. I guess the chances of me going into labor a little early are slightly greater. I also spoke with her about whether or not I need to be induced at 37 weeks if I haven't gone into labor by then. She spoke with the Dr. and they decided that if everything remains good for the next couple of weeks we will be able to hold off until around 38 weeks. I guess Northern American baby boys are more prone to having difficulties if born early than other babies (don't ask me why). I learned something new today.
I am finally going to start getting more rest. She has cut my work hours back to 4 hours a day instead of 8. She gave me the option to stop working, but I just don't see the point. I have tons of energy in the morning, it is just the afternoon that I start dragging. This way I can work the morning then go home and get some rest until it is time for me to get Zack. I can finally get caught up on my GILMORE GIRLS and recover from this bronchitis I have =)
I love that show. I pre-ordered season 6 and it finally came last week. I just found out that season 7 started this week already. They really should give you a change to watch the season on disc before they bring out the new season. I was really planning on watching it on TV this time instead of buying it on DVD. So much for that idea. GGGRRRRrrrrrr.......

Roxy @ 32 Weeks

2006-09-26T23:07:00.000-07:00

Fun pictures from Roxy's baby shower.

Roxy @ 29 Weeks

2006-09-26T22:47:00.000-07:00

Our New House

2006-09-25T21:07:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent pictures of our new house in Sahuarita. Our house has remained in this state for the last 8 weeks. It is currently undergoing intermediate inspection and should begin to have insulation and drywall next week.

Sept 25th update

2006-09-25T08:24:00.000-07:00

I will be posting some pictures in the next day or so. I finally took a few. Lets see, what sort of updates do I have for you? Well, my sister DeAnna had her baby. A little girl and she is adorable. Stephen and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary this weekend. We didn't do much, but it was still very nice. Since we rarely see one anther it was nice just to be able to spend a little time together. We were able to get our house situated for our baby to come home to. It is a big stress reliever to know that when the baby does come we are ready. There are still things that need to be done, but at least we have all the nessessities taken care of.
I will be seeing the nurse pract. on Thursday, so we will see what she has to say. Thursday will mark my 35th week of my pregnancy!!!! We are getting very close now. I am afraid that I am going to get in trouble for still being sick. I have had a "cold" (I guess that is what it is) for 5 weeks now, and my body is exhausted. I was told that I needed to put on a few pounds, and I haven't been able to with being sick, I actually lost a couple. I will most likely be in trouble for that too. Oh well, I know the baby is growing like a little weed and I am eating very healthy and that is all that matters.
So look for an update on Thursday for Friday on how things go at the Dr.s. There should be pictures before that (if I can figure out how to post them).

Hello all

2006-09-18T19:28:00.000-07:00

Well, I have attempted to create this in hopes to keep people better connected with what is going on with my family here in AZ. As you should know by now I am quickly coming up on being 34 weeks pregnant with my second MALE child. Stephen and I are currently in the process of having our first home built. The process has been very rocky and it appears that our home will not be done in time for our child's birth like we had hoped. Now it sounds more like it will be about 1 month or so later. Zachary and I are currently residing with some friends who live in the town where we are building our new home (Sahuarita). We are doing this so that Zack could start his first grade school year off at his new school instead of transferring part way through. Stephen has to stay at our home in Tucson to tend to the other 5 family members we have (our cats).
It sounds like my Dr. is wanting our baby to be born in a little over 3 weeks from now. We are frantically trying to get ready for the arrival. It is a bit hard when there is no nursery to set up. We are attempting to re-arrange our house to fit the baby and all that comes with a baby in. Some how we will make it all work.