Welcome baby Ethan!

Ethan Zachary was born Saturday, November 26th, 2011 at 10:54 pm.  He took his sweet time, but in the end it was well worth the wait.  He weighed 7 lbs 11 oz, and was 19 inches long.  We think he looks more like his daddy.  Jared seems to be handling the transition pretty well so far, although he doesn't understand why mommy can't pick him up and hold him right now.  Daddy is doing a good job of filling in for the week, as he was able to take off work to be with us at home. 

Here are a few pictures for you to enjoy!

 

 

Good news

Just a quick post tonight, to share a bit of good news.  My hubby has been working at his new job for several months as a help desk technician.  Last week, one of his co-workers got a job somewhere else and gave his notice, and my husband mentioned off-hand to his boss that he would like to take that guy's job.  The next day, the boss asked him if he was serious (of course!!), and started negotiations with the corporate office.  They approved the change in position and the pay raise, contingent on finding him a replacement at the same salary.  Two days ago, they hired someone to take my husband's job, and so he officially starts his new job after Thanksgiving.  We are thrilled, not only because this is a promotion, but it means that we can move forward with selling our house and buying a bigger one to accommodate our growing family. 

As for baby #2, we are still waiting anxiously for him to make his arrival.  We had a bit of false labor last Sunday, which included a trip to the hospital for a labor check, only to be sent back home an hour later.  That was disappointing, but I was glad to have a midwife that recommended we go home rather than try to keep labor going and end up with another c-section.  We hope that baby will come soon, on his own, so that we have a much better chance of a successful VBAC delivery.

Catching up

I know it has been several months since I last posted, so I apologize for those few faithful readers that have been waiting for an update.  I have been an official stay-at-home mom for about a month now, having resigned my full-time teaching position and finishing a long-term substitute position that I had for the first 7 weeks of the school year.   I love being at home and being able to spend more time taking care of my family.

Daddy is still working on Fort Leavenworth, but now as a contractor, which means he has benefits, including health insurance.  This job was a huge blessing, as it has allowed me to stay at home.  He will be graduating with his bachelor's degree from DeVry in April and has been accepted to Keller Graduate School.  He continues to apply for jobs in the IT field, and we hope that something better will open up to him as he continues to get more education and experience.

If you haven't heard the news, we are expecting baby boy #2 this month.  The official due date is November 25th (Black Friday), but hopefully he will decide to come at least a few days early so that we can all celebrate Thanksgiving together.


Here are a few pics from the past months of soon-to-be big brother, who just turned 13 months today!  He is not walking yet, but he is growing up so fast and developing quite the personality.

Here he is with Daddy at his first Royals' game.

First time in the swimming pool

First teeth!

Sporting daddy's sunglasses

Bathtime!

First sippy cup!

Starting to crawl

First haircut

Standing up by himself in his crib at the grandparents' house

Top teeth coming in

Holding a sand dollar at the beach in WA (at the Menssen family reunion)

Deanna Rose Farmstead

Petting the goats

 Setting up for his first camping trip

Matching Sunday outfits

First birthday - loving the cake grandma made!

First trip out on the boat (Lake of the Ozarks)

Taking a nap on the boat

Learning how to fish with daddy

Gotta love that smile!

Little guy is just waking up from his nap, so until next time...