Another Baby Boy!!!

Maddox Taylor Lawson

Proud Parents: Donnie and Kelli Lawson

Born August 11th, 2008

7lb 14oz

17.5 inches

Tonight Jay and I went to visit our friends Donnie and Kelli Lawson and their new baby boy Maddox! God is so good! I think it is amazing how many new babies there are among our friends this year. I cannot wait to share milestones with so many friends... 1st steps, 1st Christmas's, 1st day of Kindergarten, Little League, etc. The boys joke that we have our own basketball team with Eli, Noah, Drew, and Maddox. Sailor is probably going to be the best ball player of them all and the only girl! Anyways, congrats Donnie and Kelli!!! He is beautiful and perfect! We are so happy to be able to share this experience with you and cannot wait for all the fun days ahead!

Eli is 4 Months!

Today we took Eli to see Dr. Belitz for our 4 month well-baby check. Here's Eli's stats:

weight 14 lb 9 oz (50th %)

height 26 inches (80th %)

Eli passed all his tests with flying colors (he is a genious afterall... ). He also had to get 3 shots! Of course he cried and turned bright red, but it was short lived and he was pacified before we even left the exam room. He also did this last time and then woke up in the afternoon pitching a HUGE fit. I was lulled to sleep the after the 1st shots, but today I am giving him Tylenol EVERY 4 hours regardless of fussiness! Just a pearl of wisdom from your friendly pharmacist: never try to chase pain because you will never catch it. You must get it before it starts! :) I did have a hard time getting him down for his afternoon nap, but I placed his 2 comfort toys in the crib(Wubba and Giraffe) and he was out! I thought these pics were just too cute!

New Trick!

Eli must have learned this at Gram's house! :)

Momma's Little Nascar Driver!

This weekend Gram bought the cutest little Combi walker shaped like a car for Eli and Josiah to play with at her house! The stearing wheel lights up and make noise (of course) and the front "hood" can be taken off and converted into a food tray! Eli loves the freedom and being able to play by himself. He is such an independent little boy! There's lots of other tricks the walker can do, but we're still learning! These pics of Eli in his car are some of my favorite!

The New "Trendy Mommy"

Okay, so I think I might be going through a mid-life crisis way early!!! Let me explain why... a few weeks ago I went to Sephora for a makeup consultation and LOVED it! It was so fun just to spend a few hours talking with an expert and getting some fun makeup advice. I enjoyed it so much that I thought "why stop with makeup?". HA!

So with some prompting from my sister-in-law, here I go to Salon Visage in Knoxville for a hair consultation with these very young, and very trendy stylists. Mistake #1: my request was to be a "trendy mommy". Mistake #2: I didn't know the lingo. I'll elaborate. In the future, know that "richening your color" means turning it WAY dark and "cranberry" really means pink. (Do you see where I'm going?) And lastly, Mistake #3: when asked "how short are you willing to go", be brutally honest and forthcoming with your answer. Do not reply "depends on what you suggest". :) I think that the color or the cut alone would have been dramatic enough, but together you seriously will not recognize me, but think that I am just some random "trendy mommy"! My favorite comment so far has been from my mom.... "You look like one of those angry people so you're just going to have to smile a lot"! :) After washing it and styling it myself, I must say that I look pretty darn cool and the cut itself could not be easier to style (great for the time crunched mom).

So my question is "Do all 1st time mom's go through a period of needed rebirth as an individual apart from the child?". I think it's all about defining your identity as more than a "mom" and avoiding becoming a "shlumpadinka" as Oprah would put it. Has anyone else done something drastic with their look or made any rash decisions after their 1st child? I just want all you new moms out there to know that you CAN still be hip and trendy! HA! I will be sure to post pics later!

Luke Charton

Handling Misadventure.... the sermon this week was about "Handling Misadventure" in whatever form it is thrown at you. Misadventure comes when we least expect it and can often send us on an uncharted course, but what JOY to know that ultimately God will conquer! Whether in this life, or beyond... whether we see the seeds that are planted or not... we must have faith that God is in control and face each difficult circumstance with confidence. So this leads me to Luke Charton. Many of you in Roane County know the Charton family: Pete, Sylvia, Ross, Katie, and Kristi. Recently, they discovered that Ross's 7 year old little boy has a brain tumor. Their misadventure came very suddenly, literally one day changed the course of their journey in an enourmous way! The doctors have not given much good news thus far and little Luke is starting an experimental treatment this week. The Charton family immediately turned to the "great physician" and their many friends and family seeking prayer for a miracle. Please join us in praying for this family. They have established a blog at caringbridge.com and there is a link to it on my sidebar under "Luke Charton". Regardless of the outcome, God has already done a great work in Luke's life and he is confident that God and the doctors will try to make him better. What great understanding and faith for a child!

Visit from the Hornes!

This weekend our good friends, Mark, Jessica, and Megan Horne, visited from Franklin. Jay, Joe Presley, and Mark were roommates for 4 years while they were in Memphis. Jay and Joe knew they were going to room together, but Mark was a gift from God! You never know what you're going to get when you go "pot-luck", but the guys lucked out. We are so blessed to have these friends in our lives! Joe, Nikki, and Sailor came over Friday night to visit and we had a fabulous time catching up and watching the girls play! What a wonderful visit and weekend! Thank you guys!

How's it going Meggie? Wanna play?

Thank goodness for Wubba's! Megan did take her's out long enough to read Eli a story during our trip to Ella Minnow Pea! Doesn't my car look too cute with two car seats?!
It was so fun to see the girls together. Their personalities are so different... Megan is just out there and fearless, while Sailor is a little more reserved and thoughtful. They played so well together and Eli just hung out in the Jumparoo and watched. He could not take his eyes off the two girls. I told him he could have his pick... "Blond or Brunette?"
I'm THIS big!
Where's she going?
Nikki was feeding Sailor and talking to Jess at the same time. She's definitely gotta learn how to multi-task! Sailor's new do is courtesy of "Chicken Surprise".
"I think I'll take both"