Keeping up with the Sones'

Our Little Monster turned 2....here's how we celebrated

2011-08-28T22:06:00.002-05:00

Busy, Busy, Busy!!!

2011-08-14T13:09:00.000-05:00

For those of you who don't know, summer has been a little hectic around here!

We took a trip to Lake Tahoe for my family reunion in June, an amazing trip with an amazing family. Cori (Chad's sister) got engaged while we were there...so fun to be in on the big surprise. I got a call from Stephen and Clark (Chad's dad and Cori's fiance) the week before we left asking for help picking out a ring. Clark, Elliott, and I went on that fun excursion and then had the ring shipped to my FABULOUS Auntie Karen in California. She (after a comedy of errors with the UPS guy) drove the ring to Tahoe for us. By the time Clark proposed, my entire family....well, really everyone there with the exception of Cori and Marla (my mother-in-law) were in on the secret. The weather and resort were amazing, definitely a place we could go back to. I'm in the process of getting all of the pictures from this from everyone organized so look for a bigger post with lots of pics later.

When we got home, we jumped into planning Elliott's 2nd birthday party (which will be a post in itself when I get the pictures from the photog), and looking for a home for Trish and the kids, and also looking at homes for us while getting our house ready to go on the market. Our house is currently listed (which means the bulk of my day is trying to prevent Elliott from making it messy), and we are hopeful it'll sell quickly. We've put offers on 5 homes now only to have them be outbid in very odd circumstances. I'm confident that God is slamming those doors shut for a reason and will bring us the perfect home...although the emotional roller coaster has been trying.

But, before we left (in May...I think) we took family pictures with the **insert any complimentary adjective here** Nine Photography. I wanted something different and fun...so we went all out 1940's!

Wordless Wednesday (on a Saturday...meant to post this earlier this week, but time slipped away from me)

2011-06-04T11:37:00.001-05:00

Easter Weekend Egg-stravaganza (get it?!?!?)

2011-04-25T20:42:00.000-05:00

We had a very busy weekend...after being stuck in the house all week with croup, Elliott was ready to party on Friday evening. We went up to NRH2O and attended the Me & My Monkey Concert with Mar Mar, Pa, G-Boo, Mustache, and The Newman Kiddos (forgot to upload pics from my phone so this is all I took out there)...

The weather was actually better than expected after a very windy week. Saturday Chad's band, Bravo Zulu, played an outdoor all ages benefit concert. It was so fun to take Elliott to see Daddy on stage, however, it was crazy hot and windy as the storms blew in. The awning over the band blew over right before they started their first number. Lots of fun groupies came out (G-Boo and Mustache, GiGi and Robert, Big Bob, Missy, and Rick, Trish and the kids, Jake, Uncle Ray, Mean Aunt Cori and Uncle Clark, and, of course, Mar Mar and Pa) and all went to eat after (no pics from that, but it was a DELICIOUS meal at Chuy's and Elliott did so good....probably because it was air conditioned).

Then Chad and I went and partied at the Barnhill's for Amber's birthday, while Mar Mar watched out Punkindoodle...and I had so much fun, that I didn't take a single picture. The next day was Easter and we packed it full of fun. Started our day by picking up Precious and heading to Gram's and Nic Nic's for Easter Egg Hunt #1. My mom had streamers rolled out in the yard for the kids to follow (that way they all ended up with the same amount of goodies, and it helped them find the eggs). Elliott really enjoyed the ring pop she found in one of her eggs before I took all the candy out and gave it to her cousins. She also got bows, clippies, and some cute summer clothes. Trish (Auntie) and I purposely dressed the kids to match, but, of course, Elliott wouldn't let us take her picture with the cousins.

Then it was time for us to head to Mar Mar and Pa's for Elliott to do her Easter Gift Hunt from Mar Mar and Pa, and open her Easter basket from Mommy and Daddy. This girl is beyond spoiled, it was almost like Christmas!!! She loved EVERYTHING, so at least she's appreciative, right?!?!?

That wore her out, so she took a quick nap with Daddy while Mar Mar and Pa got together our yummy Easter Dinner.

Then Auntie and the cousins came over, and Uncle Ray for another Easter Egg Hunt. I found talking eggs for each of the kids to find, and Mar Mar and Pa had tons...and tons, of eggs with all sorts of goodies, and a stuffed carrot for each of the kiddos (with clothes, stickers, and hats). Mean Aunt Cori and Uncle Clark were there with their babies, Dumbo and Tigger, to add to the madness that is my awesome family!

Such a busy weekend!!! We might have overdone it since Elliott and I ended up back at the doctor today and she was diagnosed with a lower respiratory infection...poor girl can't catch a break, but boy did she live it up this Easter. In closing, I leave you with the kiddos picture with the Easter Bunny we took a while ago. Unlike Santa, Elliott LOVED the Easter Bunny and kept poking him in the face saying "bunny hop hop".

The Cox Family Came to Visit

2011-04-13T21:03:00.001-05:00

I'm going to share just the pics for now (and beg Chad to finally write another part of our blog).

Elliott's BFSB

2011-03-24T16:29:00.000-05:00

Here's some more cuteness of Elliott and her BFSB, Best Friend Since Birth, Briley. If the videos post correctly, ignore how stupidly excited Melissa, my best friend, and I sound about how cute our girls are.

Babysitting Briley

2011-02-24T14:40:00.000-06:00

I finally got to help out Mel and Daniel and take a shift with their little cutie. Briley is Elliott's BFSB (best friend since birth), and they have such a cute little relationship already. They play really well together, half the time is spent chasing each other and giggling/screaming. They had a very busy morning, a great lunch, and somehow (lots of prayers answered) I was able to get them both down for a nap....AT THE SAME TIME, IN THE SAME BED....GOING ON AN HOUR NOW!!! (Keep in mind, I'm lucky if I can get Elliott down at all and usually she takes a very late nap after I struggle with her for at least an hour). So much fun!

It's been a while...

2011-02-15T15:00:00.000-06:00

Elliott's Self Portrait

Elliott keeps me busy! She has been such a happy (although still very high maintenance) toddler. We are a little stir crazy from being cooped up indoors, and Elliott is ADDICTED to Caillou. (I used to not even turn the TV on during the day, but this winter broke me of that habit. I plan on trying to reduce her TV watching as the weather improves, and get her outside and out with people.) Our friends Tina and Hutch's oldest turned 3, her party was a good way to burn off some of the crazies after all the snow.

I'm also currently working on creating a letter of the week curriculum to begin with her when she turns 2, I'll enroll her in pre-school at 3, so this is my way of getting a head start on all of that. Chad, of course, thinks I'm a nerd. Elliott is almost 17 months now. She loves books and puzzles. She is still a vegetarian (90% organic, we do our best)...I may join her soon. I hate the idea of not letting her eat off my plate and having to fix multiple meals, and maybe it'll make me healthier. She is a talker, is constantly making noise...it's even getting to where I understand most of it. She has a large vocabulary, but struggles with words 3 syllables and up. She counts to 2, and says "A B C" for anything with letters. Yesterday she held up the letter M puzzle piece and said "M," I got really excited and held up a letter B to which she said "B," but the next four letters I held up (D, F, H, and X) were also "B"...we'll get there! She is not into wearing her bows right now, which breaks my heart, but loves Daddy's hat.

Chad turned 30 at the beginning of this month, the same week as the superbowl. He was so excited when they announced it 4 years ago, but then it was so crazy icey that it wasn't as party-like around here as we had hoped. My best friend Mel and her husband watched Elliott so we could go out with family and friends to a nice dinner (Reata's)...and I could not be more proud of my baby girl. This was only the second time someone watched her other then Mar Mar or Auntie, so I was really concerned it was going to get ugly. But, she loves her BFSB (best friend since birth), Briley and had such a good time.

Now if we could just tackle Elliott's odd sleeping schedule and get her out of our bed!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-13T22:42:00.000-06:00

Just Pictures....I promise to write more soon.

2011-01-09T14:49:00.000-06:00

Chad and I are lucky to have the most awesome niece and nephews around. I cannot believe how fast they are growing up....

And here's our baby girl....she is full of personality! She is such a happy, busy girl...and so smart! Now, if only she'd sleep!

And here we are enjoying a night out at the House of Blues...the Old 97's, O's, and Whiskey Folk Ramblers played a GREAT New Year's Eve show. Mar Mar watched miss E while we partied with our friends Squid and Darcy and the Hamilton's. We even got to go back stage after the show and hang out.

Earlier on New Year's Eve we took Elliott to feed the ducks for the first time. I couldn't believe that she is 17 months and I'd never taken her before...now I remember why. It's not like I can put her down for pictures, throw bread to the ducks, and keep from being attacked all at the same time. So Chad and Elliott fed the ducks while I took pictures and tried to not freak out when the ducks got too close.

Christmas Time is Here (or was..I'm just late blogging about it)

2011-01-02T19:15:00.000-06:00

Wow, life has been a little crazy around here! I thought decorating our house the week of Thanksgiving and finishing my shopping early would help ease the holiday craziness, but I wasn't so lucky...time just flew by! Here's a few pictures to summarize all that took place (I'll try to be a better blogger this year!)

Elliott's 1 Year Pictures

2010-11-09T13:52:00.000-06:00

Just for laughs...

2010-11-07T08:48:00.000-06:00

You didn't think that we dressed Elliott up and didn't have costumes ourselves, did you? I was a skunk with Miss E, since my shortcut of purchasing and modifying a store bought costume backfired and my tooth fairy idea went down the drain. Chad was teen wolf, he waited until Elliott went home with her Mar Mar to get dressed so that he didn't scare her.

And then there was this...all Joel.

Pumpkin Patch, Petting Zoo, & Halloween

2010-11-07T08:30:00.000-06:00

Our computer is not in good shape, and so it has taken me FOREVER to get this blog up (having to restart it after every collage is made, and every time I add a picture)...and we've been kinda busy. If you saw the previous blog, you saw that Chad, Elliott, and I met Trish and the boys at a pumpkin patch in Flowermound (the one we wanted to go to didn't open until 3 and Chad had to leave town at noon). I convinced Trish to be our photographer so that I would have a cute family photo for our Christmas cards this year....we ended up with lots of great pictures, but I don't know if any of the are Christmas card cute (I haven't told Trish yet that she might have to take a couple more before she pops Sadie out, ha!). Anywho, here's some from that day...

That weekend we attended a birthday party for one of Steve and Marla's neighbor's grandkids (did you follow that?). It was a John Deere themed event with tractor rides and a petting zoo. Elliott knows all of her animal sounds and loved getting to see the animals up close and personal. She's at an age where she is very clingy and gets upset if there are too many people or if a stranger talks to her, so I was really concerned that she wouldnt enjoy this. I couldn't have been more wrong...she LOVED it.

And, then of course it was Halloween. Last year we took Elliott to a couple of houses Trick or Treating, but this year she was able to walk and hold out her bag for candy (she might have been more excited if she knew what candy was). We ended up bribing her with a sucker to let us take a TON of pictures in her skunk costume (homemade, of course!).

Also, I just got the CD of pictures from Elliott's first birthday...so I'm hoping to blog about it on both here and my crafty blog http://www.punkindoodledesigns.blogspot.com/ sometime this week.

Pumpkin Farm (Part 1)

2010-10-25T16:47:00.000-05:00

Elliott is waking up from her nap....but I wanted to post these for yall to see. I'm hoping to do an update later with more pics.

Elliott's 1st Bike Ride

2010-10-23T11:27:00.000-05:00

Uncle Ray was lucky enough to get last Thursday off, and it was a GORGEOUS day! So, Trish and I packed up our kiddos and met him at the park so he could do some little mini tester rides with them in the trailor behind his bike. Trish and I loved going on rides and taking all our babies with us when we were little (see above). So I was excited for Elliott to get to start in on the tradition. First was the helmet experience, Elliott is not a fan. Then we loaded Elliott and LD in the trailor for her first ride ever....she made it almost 3 laps before deciding that she was done. We swapped Elliott with Grayson and Dad took the boys for about 15 minutes. Grayson loves it...LD is undecided. All in all a pretty successful outing, and one we hope the kids continue to like more and more.

Elliott Update

2010-10-18T15:57:00.000-05:00

So, I went back and noticed that I've posted mainly pictures lately and while I know it's fun to watch our Punkindoodle grow, it might also be fun to know how she's growing! So this post is pictureless...focusing on Elliott's recent achievements. She is 15 months old now and turning into quite a character. She's never been a quiet child, but now walks around most of the day gibbering about who knows what. She says Momma, Daddy, Milk, More, Book, Boob, Bird, Dog, Cheese, Mar Mar, No No, Duck, Bath, Again, and a few more words pretty clear...she said Boogie, Poop, and Medicine last week, but I haven't heard them since. She can tell you what a couple of the animals say too. She loves her books and starts most days reading them. She is starting to have a little bit of a schedule...wakes up around 8am, if she naps it's usually around 2pm for anywhere from 30min to 2hrs, and she goes to bed close to 11pm. She still isn't in her own bed, but she's getting better. She falls asleep in bed with us and then we move her to the pack n play in our room...some nights she'll sleep there until 4 or 5am, but mostly she moves back into bed with us after just a couple of hours. She loves the outside and we try to take a trip to the zoo at least once a week (we have passes and it's a great place to walk around safely). She thinks her Daddy is the funniest person alive (but so does Momma) and loves to give kisses. It's so fun watching her start to figure things out. She loves jewelry and purses, putting things in and taking them out will entertain her for a while...although nothing entertains her for long. She's recently really started having fun with her cousins (Grayson and LD), she's starting to play with them and laugh at what they do, not just play near them. She's super active and FAST...she likes to get into things and gets offended if you tell her 'no'...telling her 'no' can cause her to have a meltdown. Once she starts crying she only wants Momma. She's a good little eater, I'm picky and give her mostly organic foods...and she hasn't had meat yet. I don't know if I'll keep her vegetarian or not, but with her tummy issues I don't want to introduce something that is harder to digest. She loves her fruits and veggies though, and eats more than enough of a variety to get all the nutirents she needs. (At the last Dr. visit she was still in the 75%). So, our very diffcult baby is a happy toddler, still high maintenance, but loads of fun. People ask us constantly about when #2 will be coming, and I think they expect us to not want more for a while (if at all) because of my issues during pregnancy and then Elliott's issues as a baby, but we plan on adding to our family in a couple of years (ideally Elliott will be potty trained and starting pre-school before baby #2 arrives). In the meantime, we are LOVING watching our Punkindoodle get bigger and smarter, and full of personality.

A Little Help From Our Friends?

2010-10-17T09:55:00.000-05:00

I'm thinking of submitting Elliott into the 2010 Gap Baby Casting Call....you can only submit 5 pictures (or so I've heard). I don't know which 5 to pick (and you can't use professional pics)....so please comment with your votes...or if you have one that you think is better, send it my way!!!

Trying out some things...

2010-10-12T14:23:00.000-05:00

So, now that I'm trying to blog more, I decided I needed to start getting with the times (i.e. using picnik for my photo uploads). Since I don't have the CD of Elliott's 1 year photo's and party, I figured I'd post some of her 9 months....LOVE LOVE LOVE Nine Photography!!!

I'm a terrible blogger....

2010-10-11T15:32:00.000-05:00

I've been trying to get Chad to make posts since Elliott was born (he's way funnier), but since that hasn't happened yet I've decided that I need to do it myself and yall will just have to be bored. With that said, Elliott just woke up from her nap, so blogging will have to wait. I'll aim to post weekly, or every two weeks....or when I get a chance.

9 months now....here's some newer pics

2010-04-22T13:01:00.000-05:00

3 months already!

2009-10-26T20:36:00.008-05:00

I've been really bad about keeping the blog updated since Miss Elliott arrived. One of my best friends (AMY) has been sure to remind me frequently that she is much better at the blogging game and has a much harder job (mommy to 3 and a nurse). So any excuses about not having time kinda don't work. With that said, I'm posting mostly pictures this time around because my child has colic and loves to fuss when I'm not holding her. Here's what has gone on since her birth in a brief slideshow....I've left out many of the ones of her screaming as to not scare those without babies and to not remind anyone who has had a colic-y one about how rough it was!

Briley came to visit on the same day Elliott had to begin phototherapy for Jaundice. We laughed that Briley didn't enjoy meeting her friend, and then I sobbed while taking the one of my poor baby in her tanning bed. It was really hard to not be able to hold her for those couple of days.

Here her color is starting to get better.

Her first bath. She LOVES them!

Taking a senior picture with Uncle Dangles at her first Groundhog softball game.

With Daddy (her favorite person). In the second one he is testing to see if she is hungry by sticking his nose near her mouth...if she latched on it was time to see mom.

At her sip-n-see with her G-Boo and GiGi

The Fam

Her newborn pictures with Nine Photography, our favorite people! She is actually closer to 3 weeks old.

Her 6 week pictures with 365 Photography (a rip off...when free turns into $400)

Hanging out with her cousins

Her and her BFF Briley

Just a couple of cute pics

At her first Ranger game (Chad's 10 yr reunion) eventhough the game got rained out.

With her BFF and Aunt Priss

She loves watching TV (football) with Daddy

At Alton and Becky's wedding in San Antonio (we only took a handful of pictures since she was not a happy camper during the trip)

Third Time is the Charm

2009-08-10T21:21:00.006-05:00

After two trips to labor and delivery on the Thursday before Elliott's arrival (due to painful contractions) and being sent home, Chad and I were reluctant to go in on Sunday July 19. We spent the day celebrating Marla's birthday by seeing Harry Potter (3 of the longest, most terrible hours of my life) and then going to dinner. The contractions that started Thursday, after having the terb pump removed the day before, continued through the weekend...hurting about 70% of the time, but not getting any more intense then a 6 or 7 on a 10 scale for pain and not getting closer then 5-6 minutes apart. In fact, Sunday evening (after leaving the dinner early because I was hurting too bad to sit and eat...even to just sit) the contractions still were only every 4-6 minutes, I was just in too much pain to make it through the night, so Chad and I packed up and headed to the hospital. When we got there I was still only dialated to a 1, no progression since the Thursday night visit to l&d. They had me walk for 45 minutes and checked me again, no progress. They gave me a couple of pills for the pain, no relief. They checked me in overnight and gave me a shot of Demerol, some relief...and kept me until the doctor could see me in the morning (at this point it was about 4am, and he was expected around 7am or so). The doctor came in (not my doctor, but this was a relief since I ended up not liking him at all and was dreading that I would be in his care during labor...instead it was Dr.White (the same doctor that delivered LD for Trish)) and checked me and I had progressed to a 2 and my 'membranes' were bulging so he went ahead and broke my water (gross). I thought I was in pain before with the contractions, but they immediatley intensified both in the front and in my back. I was sobbing and thrashing about in my bed for about 45 minutes waiting on the epidural. Threatened Chad that if his mom came in with a camera I'd be pissed, almost didn't want to call my family and let them know that Elliott would be making her appearance by the days end because I didn't want anyone to see me like that (I would compare this entire scene to something out of the Excorcist). Of course, once the epidural was in I was dilated to a 5 and very relaxed...ready for visitors. Mel, Dan and Briley stopped by for a visit...things were going well. At noon they came in and told me to let them know if I felt any pressure, Trish was on her way up so that she could be our photographer (since my Dad had first dibs, but was in Iowa for his mardi gras on bikes ride across the state -RAGBRAI, Trish was the only person I would even consider having by my side...no offense Mom, but I know you too well and your worrying would make me worry more), my mom and Marla were there hanging out. Trish got there with the boys and since Grayson hadn't eaten, Mom, Trish and G went to the cafeteria for lunch. Marla stayed in the room watching little D. I looked at Chad and told him that I thought I might be feeling pressure, but since I was completely numb was having a hard time telling. Chad told me that the nurses were gonna be back in 15 minutes and just to wait. I waited about 5 and told him that I thought we should call them, Marla called Trish to let her know they were checking me. Dr. Gagnon came in and said it was go time. Marla gathered up baby D and tried to get out of the room, called Trish and told her to get upstairs asap. Dr. Gagnon had me do a couple of test pushes, told me I'd be pushing about an hour and left. Marla called Trish and told her I'd be pushing, but it would be a while....Trish was trying to find an elevator or stairs since the elevator they took downstairs was no longer working. Marla was still in the hallway gathering everything to take to the waiting room, I'm pushing with the nurses in the room and Chad by my side, when they tell me to stop and page Dr. Gagnon. As he came rushing back, Marla called Trish again and told her to hurry. Mom, Trish and G make it back upstairs. Mom and Marla gather the boys and head towards the waiting room. Trish gets the camera ready, Chad is still by my side, and after 7 hours of labor and about 5 minutes of pushing...Elliott arrives-7 pounds, 21 inches, full head of hair (darker than either of ours...Tracy has some explaining to do), and screaming. Mom and Marla had not even made it down the hall yet. I guess after 9 weeks of contractions, Elliott was ready to come out and play. NICU nurses were standing by because she was 4 weeks early, they laid her on my tummy for a second and then got to work on checking her and cleaning her up. They let us know that her breathing was not where they wanted it to be, but not bad...they'd be keeping her for 4 hours in NICU to monitor her. Chad went with Elliott to NICU, and came back with the news that she would be there overnight. It was very surreal to have had a baby, but not have her with us...not get to hold her. It was difficult to tell people not to come visit because there wouldn't be a baby to see. Elliott spent the first 15 hours in NICU on oxygen and a feeding tube, they removed them the next morning and began bottle feeding her. We were able to go visit at 11am, and Chad held Elliott for the first time (I cried)...since she was taking the bottle so well, we were able to try to breast feed her at her 2pm feeding (Chad missed this due to a quick trip home turned to a 5 hour deal due to a flat tire and no jack), since she did so good on that they brought her to us at 5pm and we were able to go home the next afternoon. Below are pictures from the hospital and Elliott's trip home. Another blog to follow soon with updates on the past 3 weeks. Tracy really got on a roll here and I can't imagine a detail that has been left out...so I'll chime in more on the next one.

T Minus ???

2009-07-07T13:48:00.013-05:00

Well, we're finally making that final sprint to the finish line. Tracy gets taken off the meds tomorrow and this baby could be spitting out at anytime after that. I'm hoping she hangs out in that baby cave for another 3-4 weeks though. Sounds like Pat Swayze is really struggling so I'm not ruling out that she outlasts his life and he is reincarnated as my daughter. She will no doubt be born with the ability to dance provocatively and surf with Keanu Reeves. Regardless, I've got to feel more comfortable bringing her into a Michael Jackson-less world.

This entire pregnancy has been a lot tougher than we expected. (Really, it hasn't been too difficult, I've felt fine the entire time, but didn't enjoy being stuck with a needle every 3 days. And, I guess I'm not a very good bedrest patient, I've been extremely bored, but other than that....I can't complain). First Tracy starts getting contractions more often than Zantjer creeps out my co-workers (IMPOSSIBLE), then we spend a week at the hospital (where I watched Weekend at Bernie's and was very disappointed...was I just at an impressionable age before?), then Tracy is put on a medicine pump. It's got me thinking that it's time for a significant change in the human race. You know why chickens and lizards handle pregnancy so well? That's right, they simply lay an egg then monitor it for a while. Why can't we genetically enhance women to simply lay an egg right off the bat, stick it under a heat lamp, and play the waiting game? We can land on the moon, make moving pictures, clone a sheep, and make Star Wars movies that look like cartoons. Why can't we make this happen? How about it Science??? (I'm usually not one to go along with Chad's crazy ideas, but this one I'm on board with....no getting fat, no watching what you eat (I really want a sandwhich and a corney dog), and no pushing a 7+ pound baby out the hooha...it's a great concept).

Not everything has gone wrong though. In fact, the shower couldn't have been better. We saw all of our friends, we received a lot of gifts, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Well, everyone except for Badger who may have permanently ruined his man region. I've got my fingers crossed that Bella will someday have a sibling. (Because, honestly, what is better at a baby shower than a keg and drunk guys playing an invented game called "Man-Part"?!?! Go here to watch a short video clip of the punishment phase of the game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTghne7uFR0)

We've also made a lot of progress on Elliott's cribless nursery. Lots of drama where that was concerned....the crib won't be here until mid-August now, but the rest of the nursery is as done as it can be until I know how much room the crib will really take up. (The crown is molded, the quarter is rounded, and the chandeliers are hung. Big ups to Kyle for his assistance. My unborn daughter officially has a nicer room than me but I feel like a carpentry genius. F you Bob Vila.) I've posted some pictures below....the blue painters tape shows the dimensions of Elliott's crib, I think we'll be getting a small side table for next to the rocker in front of the window, and the pink lamp will be moved over there. The last picture shows the fabrics that will become Elliott's bedding...I'm very I'm very pleased with how it's turned out, it's not often I'm able to pull my ideas together how I picture them.....this comes really close :)

We also had our maternity pictures done, so there are a couple posted below for yall to enjoy...the belly has definitely taken over at this point!!!

That said, we will have a new member of the family very soon and we are very excited. We're counting the days. We'll be having a Cupcakes and Cocktails Sip'n'See Open House pretty quickly after Elliott's born (probably within 3 weeks), so keep an eye out for those invites...I figure this is an easy way for everyone to be able to meet our new little one.

Elliott's Room

2009-05-31T16:26:00.003-05:00

Elliott's room is in progress at this point (for those of you that have been to our house, she's going in the green room and it's staying that color). Her crib is purchased, but has not arrived yet. Our good friend, Tina, will be making her bedding for us out of fabrics that I found. For a sneak peek of our plans (which could still change) see the picture below...the floral fabric in the corner was the inspiration for the whole room, the green square is close to the colors of her walls, the right two lightfixtures are being debated between, but will hand above the glider. That's a picture of her crib in the middle, with pictures of a sheer curtain idea to the left and the glider to the right. The yellow piece of furniture is from ikea, it's actually advertised as a buffet, but we thought it would be a fun addition to her room (and since Uncle David and cousin Grayson put it together for us last week, I can say that it makes quite a statement). The bookshlef on the right will hang above the yellow buffet with artwork on either side of it, we may of may not put a changing table/dresser combo in the room (depends on what it looks like when the crib gets here). In the center at the bottom is a rug that's being considered and a neat light fixture from pbteen.com that I love. Fun Stuff....can't wait to start putting it all together!!!

Our Expensive Hotel Stay

2009-05-20T11:03:00.003-05:00

Day three of bedrest begins, and I'm already bored......but since I haven't posted anything in a while, I guess I better explain how I got here.

I had a couple of contractions the weekend before last, but didn't really think anything of it. Monday came and I was still feeling a little off....Elliott (for those of you who didn't know, we did decide on a name Elliott Parker Sones) hadn't really moved much during the morning and I was getting concerned, she started moving around lunch time and the contractions I was having cleared up for the most part. Tuesday came and the contractions were back, not painful just a tightening feeling and shortness of breath. At lunch I called my doctor and was told to go home, lay down, and start timing them. Once I got home I had a contraction every 10-15 minutes, the nurse from my doctor's office called to check on me and advised me to go to labor and delivery. Since this is something Trish had to do with both Grayson and Little David, I wasn't really concerned....figured we'd be there for a couple of hours and sent home. Unfortunately, my contractions were actually every 2 minutes. I was given a shot of Terbutaline every hour for the first 3 hours and then evey 3 hours for about a day and a half....I was admitted to the hospital, hooked up to monitors, hooked up to an IV (my potassium level dropped and they thought I might have a UTI). Wednesday morning we were told I would be there one more night, they were trying to get me acclimated to a pill with a name that started with 'p.' The pill didn't work and I had to have more terb shots and had to take potassium drinks every 2 hours for 3 doses (nasty tasting stuff). My cervix was not shortening or dialating, though, which is good news. Thursday morning came and the doctor sounded like I was going to be released, then they hooked me up to the monitor one more time and I was still having contractions, so we had to stay one more night. I was released on Friday after discovering that the oral Terbutaline worked. Saturday, I had to report back to labor and delivery with more contractions (again, about every 2 minutes). Luckily, they listened to Chad and I and approved me taking the meds every 3 hours if needed instead of every 4, which seemed to do the trick. I was told that I would have at least a week of bedrest and needed to see the doctor on Monday. Yesterday I followed up with my doctor and was told that I would need to have weekly appointments with sonograms to check my cervix length (see Chad's this is a sonogram post), bi-weekly ffn tests (which check for a hormone that would let the doctors know if it was likely that I would be delivering within a 2 week range), I am now on bedrest until 34-35 weeks (about 6 weeks from now), and they are setting me up with a home monitoring thingy for contractions and a Terbutaline pump (something that is stuck in my leg and administers medicine continuously). I researched the pump this morning and freaked out a little, something about giving myself injections on top of having this thing stuck in my leg.....will have to call the doctor for more information before I can be comfortable with it!!! Elliott looked great the entire time in the hospital, so I keep telling myself that I can handle all of this as long as she is ok, and hopefully not too early.

Anywho, so I'm at home on bedrest and bored....I'm sure my work isn't pleased that I won't be returning until next October (assuming I still have Elliott in August and figuring in maternity leave time), but really I can't do anything about that. Chad's work isn't too pleased since he spent the bulk of last week with me in the hospital. The nursery isn't even started yet, but we are ordering the crib today. Really, we need Elliott to stay put because we aren't ready for her arrival yet, and she might look a little creepy at only 3 pounds. Keep us in your prayers!

So not even Ian Kinsler could provide me comfort this past week. I know what you're thinking - "Chad, it's selfish of you to think of yourself while Tracy is plugged up to an IV with nothing to do." Fair enough, but I'm like a 5 year old who constantly needs to be entertained. In fact, when Grayson came to visit at the hospital I noticed several parallels between the 2 of us. We both had the attention span of a 2 year old, we each had a burning desire to go outside, we both wanted everyone else's food, and we each accidentally went #1 in out pants.

It wasn't all bad, the nurses began bringing me breakfast and lunch trays when they would feed Tracy. And while it tasted sort of like cardboard, it really brought me back to my elementary school days. The worst part was sleeping in the chair that would have been a perfect fit for Vern Troyer, or Gary Coleman, or Romes. Actually I take that back, the worst part was the lack of respect. Well that and the fact that the TV didn't have volume. I found myself watching a lot of shows that were moderately entertaining without sound such as sporting events, Ninja Warrior, or Emmanuelle in Space.

So I'll concede that this was probably tougher for Tracy but please understand that I'm pretty high maintenance. And I do feel bad for her because she will soon become part-robot when doctors install some sort of pump to regulate her Terbutaline intake. Combine that with the fact that she doesn't even have a gall bladder and suddenly she's some armor and a gun away from becoming Robocop. If she starts acting strange like those robots in irobot then we'll probably just have to euthanize her early on to prevent any sort of cyborg uprising. I'm pretty sure Will Smith, Christian Bale, and Governor Arnold all have more important things to do these days.

On a lighter note, we have settled on a name: Elliott Parker. Everyone seems to have a similar response when I share her name. It's typically "Oh...isn't that a boy's name?" To which I now simply reply "Oh...shut up." Or sometimes we get a less aggressive but slightly more irritating "Elliot?...that's...different..." In order to make everyone feel a bit more comfortable with the name, I've compiled a list of famous Elliots and some reasons why they're admirable:

Dr. Elliot Reid - Not only is she our only female listed here, but she's also the only doctor. She completed med school and managed a successful career in the world of medicine. Unfortunately, she also suffers from severe low self-esteem, the occasional identity crisis, and behavior that borders the line of schizophrenia.

Elliott Smith - Successful musician who has affected millions with his moving songs about depression, addiction, and the struggles of life. He was even nominated for an Oscar in 1997 after he wrote the soundtrack to Good Will Hunting. Tragically, the depression, addiction, and struggles of life got the better of him in 2003 when he committed suicide by stabbing himself in the heart.

Elliot from ET - Apparently he doesn't have a last name...I checked. While only a child, he managed to foil the US Government and help an alien escape back to his home planet. Coincidentally, befriending ET brought on a deadly illness that nearly killed Elliot and caused his entire family unnecessary trauma. I can only imagine the political outcry and persecution he faced later in life for helping an extraterrestrial escape or a possible slow, painful death do to Alien radiation.

Sean Elliott - Successful basketball star who one NBA championships with the San Antonio Spurs. Elliott was a major piece of the Spurs championship puzzle and is credited with being a hard worker. Sadly, he was diagnosed with kidney disease and nearly died in 2000. He retired from basketball, but not life, that same year.

Scott Elliott - Not the one of RHS fame, but the Scott Elliot of Toughman fame. Elliot made a name for himself by dominating the Toughman Boxing Circuit in 1999 and 2000. He was known for crushing knockouts and his wild style. Ironically, his career was ended in 2001 when he was wildly defeated by a crushing knockout. He has since battled chronic neck pain and a lifetime of brain injuries.

As you can see, there are multiple famous Elliotts. Who's going to argue with our name choice now?

And here's some pictures for your entertainment:

At Mel's first shower...Trish is 33 weeks, Mel is 31 weeks, and I'm at 23 weeks

At Trish's shower...Trish is at 34 weeks, Mel is at 32 weeks, and I'm at 24 weeks....it was a movie themed shower and so it was concession stand food...needed a picture of the preggos with pickles (too cliche)

Mel had another shower the following week, but said the picture of us is too ugly to post :(

I have a shower this weekend and will try to get more pictures up then (also, since I'm at home bored I'll try to get a nursery in the works post going)

Picture update (blog to follow later)

2009-04-16T21:43:00.002-05:00

Here's a belly shot from 22 weeks and probably our last mini vacation before the baby is born....I'm sorry (Amy) it's taken me sooo long to get something up. I'll work on a blog entry soon, but thought I'd give yall something to look at in the meantime.

Baby Sones has girl parts

2009-03-23T19:25:00.003-05:00

Several people have been telling me that I shouldn't refer to our baby as "our fetus." The problem is that I just didn't know what we were having. The good news is that it's been discovered and I can now refer to that maturing zygote as "our female fetus."

That's correct, we will be having a daughter. Our child will no doubt develop girlish tendencies such as getting really into Rainbow Bright, putting on make-up, enjoying the intolerable musings of Dane Cook, dreaming of being a cheerleader, and anything else Hutch is into these days.

Suddenly I'm surrounded by one certain, unavoidable fact. I will be in a home with 2 chicks at all times, complete with emotional baggage and competitive attitudes. I'm thinking of purchasing an armored suit I recently saw on the Discovery Channel. Some dude in Montana created it to fight bears but I think I could use it.

Honestly though, we're very excited about our female fetus and her belly cave has really grown in the past few weeks. And even though Tracy forced a smile when the Ultrasound tech said it was a girl, I know she is getting excited too. Girl Time of the Month Talk...here we come!

So, now that we know what we are having....get ready for posts on the nursery's progress. For those of you familiar with our house, Baby Sones' room will be the guest room (the green one) and is probably staying the color it is. I also have enlisted Christina's help in converting my current guest room bedding (which I love) into crib bedding. Marla (to be called Mar Mar by the baby), Mel, Mel's mom, and I will be going out to Canton in a couple weeks to go baby shopping....time to stock up on hairbows (if this child looks like me, she'll need the bows for a while, or at least until her hair grows long enough to not look clear in photos)!! Also, the belly shot above is from right after my 17 week appointment. As I'm coming up on 20 weeks you can tell I got pretty far behind....so no "wow she exploded" when I post the next round of pictures...that would just be mean :)

Boy or Girl?

2009-02-25T18:03:00.003-06:00

Two posts back to back (I was lazy last week and forgot to upload the first belly shot)...aren't yall lucky? So, I have now hit 16 weeks and Chad and I are anxiously awaiting our next appointment and sonogram. I can't wait to start refering to 'the fetus' (as it so lovingly called right now) as he or she....or at least 'baby boy' or 'baby girl'. The pregnant belly has definitley brought on mixed reactions, I think for Chad it makes the idea of a baby more real, and so he's starting to develop interesting ideas on fatherhood, and saving money....

So next week we finally discover what type of anatomy our fetus is packing. If it turns out to be of the male variety, then I have my own personal servant to begin doing yard work in about 3 years or so from now. If it's a girl, then it won't be allowed out of the house until the age of 18. Regardless, it's a very exciting time and it's got me thinking more and more about the actual birth.

Now that we're in the trenches of this recession, hospital fees seem outrageously expensive. Not to mention, has anyone ever really felt comfortable and at ease while staying in a hospital? What if there was a solution to both of these problems? It recently occurred to me (after a call from Marla, Chad's mom) that we don't get enough use out of our hot tub and, so far, it hasn't been worth the investment. Until now.

Freebirthing may seem outdated and unrealistic, but I'm having trouble finding any negatives. Here's the scenario I've been picturing in my head: I'd like to host a large barbecue in the backyard with all of our friends and family. We'd probably serve hot dogs and initiate a competitive washer tournament. In the meantime, we'd have Tracy hanging out in the hot tub in a swimmer's cap and goggles. We'll keep all of the delivery tools in the fire pit so that they remain sterile. When the baby starts trying to crawl out, we'll all gather around and chant Tracy's name. This will be just like when Reggie Jackson stepped up to bat before that 3rd home run in the World Series. Because I spent 7 years acquiring a Health Science degree, I figure I'm almost a doctor. I don't anticipate having any problems delivering this child. We can even have Hutch jump in with one of those underwater disposable cameras to catch some action shots. Again, what could possibly go wrong?

Goodbye Allen Belly, Hello Baby Bump

2009-02-25T17:59:00.003-06:00

Well, it's official. Tracy's fetus cocoon is expanding. It's small for now, but noticeable and growing like a chia pet. I can only assume that she will look like one of those punching balloons by Easter. This brings up a whole other conversation on birthing vs. hatching, but I'll save that for another time.

That's right, the baby bump is here. I was hoping to get away with another month or so without showing (less time feeling large), but Baby Sones has decided to let everyone know he or she is in there.

Gerber vs. Gremlin

2009-02-03T19:22:00.007-06:00

So that fetus of ours is finally starting to look semi-human. This is making me feel goode for a couple of reasons. For starters, it had previously looked eerily similar to something from out of this world or of a different species. Sort of like a Velociraptor or Shia Lebeouf. The second reason for my relief is due to Tracy's baby photos. Have you ever heard the saying "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus?" While I'm fairly confident that I was spawned on Earth, I haven't ruled out Tracy coming from Venus. Sure, I think we'll all agree that Tracy is a more attractive adult than me. I know what you're thinking -- "Chad, you're the epitome of perfection." But let's me honest, I get by on my winning personality, champion charisma, and ability to brighten any room. Tracy, on the other hand, can get by on looks alone. However, this wasn't always the case.

As a baby, I was constantly turning down offers to be the next Gerber baby. I realized my potential as an infant but I just didn't like the politics of it. In the meantime, Tracy was turning down the role of the "albino gremlin" in the Gremlins movie. Perhaps she was born as a beautiful Mogwai but, at some point, she ate after midnight. So what I'm really hoping for, is a child to look like me as a baby, then morph into Tracy around age 3 or 4.

This past Friday, we got an up close look at our fetus. It was bouncing around like a logo on a screensaver. At best, it looked very athletic. At worst, it looked like a hockey player. At one point, it turned and looked straight at me. I got chills and wondered if it was angry about the ultrasounds being fired at it or if it was simply sizing me up. Regardless, the heartbeat has slowed to 150ish which now could mean boy. I don't really believe any of the heartbeat nonsense.

On a side note, I have always imagined my baby being delivered by Cliff Huxtable. So, in an effort to make us more comfortable, I have submitted a written request to our doctor asking for him to begin wearing ugly sweaters and maybe even a little bit of blackface. I'll keep you all updated.

A Nutty Affair

2009-01-31T18:39:00.005-06:00

After my 12 week appointment (blog on that in the next day or two), I went to work armed with new sonogram pictures. The first picture will open the debate on what our baby's gender is. The Sonographer told us that the line circled shows our baby's sex....if it's parallel to the baby it's a girl, if it's at an angle it's a boy. When we asked which it was she told us she wasn't telling us and scheduled us for our next sono on March 6 (I'll be 17 weeks and a couple of days, so Baby Sones' "hooha" should be apparent). So, take a peek at the picture and let us know what you think! The second picture is when the baby decided to turn and face the camera....this picture prompted the third item, a note from my lovely friend Susan. Check back soon for another update (I can't imagine what Chad will have to say this time)!

That's an Ultrasound?

2009-01-22T17:12:00.004-06:00

Over the past 3 weeks I've suffered from Migraines, a nasty stomach virus, and the Shingles. I can only assume that I will battle Smallpox and Polio in February. The good news is that my knocked up wife only caught my nasty stomach virus. Judging by the sounds I heard coming from the bathroom, I became concerned that she had already hatched our child without knowing. So Tracy went in for a check-up without me this week (updated photo and stats from that visit are at the bottom), but I couldn't help but to recall our first check-up (that picture is out to the side) Upon arrival to our first meeting with the Doctor, I felt a bit out of place. His office is located within a Women's clinic and I felt like all the women inside were staring at me and judging me because I had the wrong type of anatomy to be in this building. Still, I fought through it with the anticipation of seeing my fetus for the first time. After some brief small talk with our doctor, he asked Tracy to please remove her pants. My initial reaction was to stand up and punch him in the forehead. Then I thought "he's not a bad looking older man, I'm open minded, let's see where he's going with this." But he then explained that we would be doing this Ultrasound in the form of a TVP. As a medical recruiter I was all too familiar with this procedure, better known as the Trans-Vaginal Probe. He proceeded to lube up a giant wand that I knew I couldn't compete with. As the procedure began, I gave Tracy a quick wink and a mischievous smile.At the first glimpse of my fetus, I stood up and yelled "my child has no legs and looks like a shell-less snapping turtle!" The doctor then calmed me down and explained that it hasn't developed all it's parts yet. It's heartbeat was beating faster than Jason Zantjer's in a field sobriety test. The rate was around 170(179) per minute which often means girl but we'll see. We go back in a couple of weeks and get to do an over-the-belly Ultrasound which seems less exciting for Tracy but more relaxing for me. Can't wait.

I hope all of you reading this keep in mind that my husband gets his humor from his mother and ofter 'enhances' his stories. Anywho, the doctor was a little concerned at my weight loss and dehydration from the virus, so they did a doppler scan (heart rate of 176) and a sonogram (heart rate on that showed 160). It was really neat to see the baby actually looking like a baby, he/she is starting to move around too! We go in next Friday to do a big genetic test thingy, so Chad will get to be involved then :)

Goodbye 1st Trimester (almost)

2009-01-21T11:40:00.003-06:00

So, I caught myself wanting to brag about my almost symptom free first trimester when all of a sudden I caught the stomach virus that's been going around. Here I was at approx. 11 weeks, without having any throwing up or morning sickness....then this lovely virus hit and, let's just say the past couple of days have not been pleasant. So much for my good luck!

Anyways, I find myself at home for the third day in a row...boredom has definitely set in. So, I pieced together a couple of pictures to show the belly progress of Amy(due in May), Trish(due early June), Mel(due mid June), and myself(due August). Hope yall think this is as funny as I did!

Breaking the news...

2009-01-14T11:26:00.005-06:00

So, there I was sitting on the bathroom floor....recently taken (and positive) pregnancy tested wrapped back in it's packaging and hidden in the back of the bathroom cabinet....could I really be pregnant and how am I going to tell Chad?!?! After (unsuccessfully) trying to convince Chad all summer that we should get started on the baby making, I'm now possibly pregnant and completely freaked out. I had been talking to Amy the previous day, and (keep in mind she has been pushing for me to get pregnant since she found out she was having Adeline last year) she asked when I was going to tell her I wasn't pregnant this month. This got me thinking....when was I supposed to start again? I missed work on Wednesday because I'd been feeling extra nauseated...nothing new after a year of stomach issues. When I got to work on Thursday, I consulted my calendar and realized I was a day late...again, nothing out of the blue in my world...it's regular to not be regular. I start thinking on the way home about the upcoming weekend full of holiday parties and decide to take a test just to be sure so that I can put it out of my mind. I stopped by Walgreens, purchased a 2 pack of tests and headed home. Once there I took the first test. Fully expecting it to be negative, I left it on the counter and went to check my email. When I stopped back through to check on it, there was a faint positive line. I sat on the ground and watched it grow a little darker...then proceeded to wrap it back in the packaging and hide it. I called Amy (she is who I refer to first for all things medical) to find out the likelihood of a false positive, when she didn't answer I consulted the Internet and called my sister, Trish. I also began drinking what seemed like gallons of water so I could try to test again. My body didn't cooperate and Chad was home. I felt bad keeping anything from him, but was nervous to how he might respond. Granted we hadn't been very careful the past month, but we both knew that the timing couldn't be worse for a baby...ski trip coming up in March, I didn't want to be fat all summer long, no maternity leave at work with a due date of roughly when school starts back up. I decided just to get it out and tell him. I started with, "I think I might be pregnant." and when he asked why, I said "I'm a couple of days late." He said something to the effect of "no big duel, we'll figure it out when it comes to it." So, then I added "...and I took a pregnancy test when I got home from work and it was positive." Chad laughed, gave me a hug and kiss....then encouraged me to take the other test. I waited until I had to pee again, and ended up with another faint line. We ate dinner, and then went to Walgreen's for another test (I explained that I would take it in the morning because that's what the package says to do). We got home and Chad encouraged me to take one more before bed. Not wanting to mess with faint lines, I bought the digital pregnant/not pregnant test...the result was almost immediate 'pregnant.' So, now we have 3 positive pregnancy tests....and a lot of family and friends to share the news with.

So I will always remember Thursday, December 4th, as the day I received my Garmin GPS from Amazon.com. I know what you're thinking: "Chad, why do you need a GPS? You're like a walking compass." Well, I routinely fall in the traps of trendy technology and marketing ploys. I arrived home that evening after just completing the highlight of my day, the 90 minute commute. I walked into the house saying "Dude, Tracy, come look how cool this Garmin is. It can tell me where I am, it can locate hotels, it can love, it can even...." That's when I noticed Tracy standing with a look of concern. My immediate thought was that she had broken my 2006 Rose Bowl DVD and she was going to have a new black-eye to explain to the neighbors. Luckily, it was something far less serious. Tracy proceeded to relay that she had just tested positive on 2 preggers tests. Up until this point, I had no idea that she was even late or that this was something that she had thought was occurring. Still, I became excited, we hugged, and she kissed me (reminding me of how drop dead gorgeous she finds me).

Several thoughts began swirling in my head. When will this zygote be born? Would my child prefer to play in the NFL or be a rockstar? Hasn't Tracy been drinking a handle of Tequila a night for the past 6 months? If it's a boy, will we name him Darren Woodson Sones? If it's a girl, will we name her Toni Romo Sones? If it's a hermie, will we name it Michael Hutchison Sones? It's a truly exciting time and that's the day I began my long journey into fatherhood.