Adventures of the Cox Family

Great Times=no time!

2009-06-14T07:58:00.017-05:00

OUR ANGEL!

Hello Friends and Family. I have been getting some grief for not updating our blog in a long time. In a way I guess I am flattered that you want to read what I have to say! The title of this entry explains it all. We have been having a blast the past couple months watching Lilly grow, showing her new things, taking her new places, and just enjoying her smiles and laughter. She has also proven to be very time consuming! When she is not at Hazel's she loves to cuddle with Steve and I. I think she gets that trait from Steve-loves touch and to cuddle! So I have finally taken the time, this Sunday morning, to sit down and catch you up on all of the recent adventures of the Cox Family!

Bluebonnets-

Steve and I have always loved the blubonnet pictures that we see of our friend's children. Of course we had to get some pictures of Lilly in the bluebonnets! We drove around one Saturday looking for the perfect patch of flowers! We found a spot where you don't have to park on the shoulder on a busy highway! Thank goodness! This was a lot of fun, trying to get Lilly to look at the camera and cooperate! We got a few classic shots! I love this one of Lilly and I! Another one of Lilly and Steve. Are we the most obnoxious picture takers you know or what?

Easter-I just thought Lilly looked absolutely divine in her Easter dress. It was very colorful and totally fits her precious personality! Of course we had to take 9 million pictures of her in the cute dress! Lilly got a new book from the Easter Bunny! A really good book called "And Here's To You." I love love love this book! Go get it for your child! Ha! Other than Church we didn't do anything too exciting on Easter. But it was a holiday first for miss Lilly!

Meeting Grandpa Bert and Grandma Donna-

We had a ton of fun with Bert and Donna once again this year! We had some bad weather so we didn't get to do all that we wanted to do. We did do some gardening. We totally took advantage of their "Master Gardner" skills! They bought us some double knockout roses and some other really pretty flowers! Steve and I have been taking pride in the garden ever since. We also played games and had some really lovely dinners!

Marathon!

Steve completed his first full marathon at the end of April! YAY FOR HIM! It was a great accomplishment! We traveled up to Oklahoma City with Christine and Jacob Moldenhauer. Tini was going to run her first half marathon! We stayed with Uncle Sam and Aunt Sarah! They treated us so well! Sarah and Sam were running a relay so we all got up really early to head to the start line. Fortunately it was NOT raining this year. It was just super windy and humid! We all did really great! The conditions hindered any PR's, but still we were all very happy! I am so proud of Steve for finishing a marathon. Who would have thought the big 215 lb football player would ever do a full marathon! He has changed a lot since those days. He struggles to maintain 185 lb frame! He is lacking his big traps and his neck circumference has shrunk a couple inches! He is hooked and says he wants to do another one soon! We decided the OKC marathon would be a family event every year moving forward! Sarah, Sam, Steve and I are in, so are Tini and Jacob. I think we will get some other Fogels, Dwyers, Cox's to come join us in the future!

Mother's Day with Grandma Bev

Bev came for a visit over mother's day! We had a lot of fun. She had not seen Lilly since Christmas, so Bev saw some big changes in her little grand daughter. We took walks together, went to eat yummy dinners, and played a lot with Lilly. Bev got down on the floor with Lilly and really played hard!

TexasMan Triathon-

Lilly went to spectate her first triathlon. I had a Brian Loncar Racing Team event. Steve brought Lilly to watch me do a sprint triathlon. First open water event of the year. It was a great day. Not to hot! I think I like May tris!! Everything ended up great! I felt really good at all 3 disciplines. I have started training for my May Half Ironman, so hopefully my times and enduarance after baby will only continue to get better!

Memorial Day Weekend in San Antonio-

Well what can I say about this...Lilly went on her first plane ride!

She also had her first swimming adventure-it took a lot out of her as you can see!

Everett and Lilly were just so much fun together! Really it was Everett that was really fun to watch. He loves GOLF! Big Pop is thrilled! He played outside with Big Pop's putter for a long time. He was really interested in "Baby Lilly", too! It is going to be so much fun to watch them grow up together! They can't wait for a baby Zantout cousin, too! We shopped, and ate really yummy Mimi cooking. It included an ice cream pie! I just love catching up with the family! Lilly loves her cousing, auntie Molly, Uncle Nick, Mimi, and Big Pop!!!

Lilly is now 7 months-TODAY! Time has really flown by. We have been so blessed to have Lilly in our lives. She has taught us a lot about ourselves, she has made me improve on my patience, kindness, and love. Steve and I have grown closer together. We have figured out that communication is so very important! It is also one of the hardest things to get done. By the time the last bottle is washed in the evening I am so ready to go to bed. We have had to really work at being on the same page! At least Steve and I both love to work hard!!

The circle of life. My grandma has recently found out she has cancer. She already struggles with her breathing/emphysema. As she goes through radiation it is taking an even bigger toll on her breathing and her heart. We were all going to get to see her this summer at the Fogel/Zantout wedding, but it looks like that may not happen anymore. She is an accomplished woman with great sons, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. We are praying for her. Steve's grandpa had surgery on his back and is recovering from that. He is struggling to get his steps back. We wish we could be with both of them during these hard times. Love and prayers to our grandparents!

Visitors

2009-04-07T21:22:00.007-05:00

Lilly Enjoyed hanging out with her Uncle Sam and Auntie Sarah over the weekend. They smothered her with kisses, hugs, and love the whole weekend. Sarah nicknamed her "Lil Rounds" after the American Idol contestant, but mainly because she is Lilly, Lil, and Round with lot's of rolls! I think the nickname is quite fitting, and extremely funny! Only Aunt Sarah is special enough to make that nickname stick! We called her that all weekend and I even find myself calling her that this week! She is the baby with a million nicknames. Steve calls her Lilly Monster, Lilly Beans, and Lil. I call her precious, sweetie, Sweetie P, and Lil.

Lilly went to the doctor for her 4 month check up, even though she is almost 5 months, last Friday. She weighs 15 pounds and is 25 inches long. I don't even remember how tiny she was when she was born. She was kind of a small baby, but no one would ever guess that now. Check out her Michelin Man rolls on her arms. She has those on her legs, too! She took her shots like a champ. She basically cried for 2 minutes and then was smiling and laughing at me! She is super tough!! She did have Thrus-basically a yeast infection, so we have been treating her with some antibiotics. It hasn't seemed to affect her too much. We have been working with her on sitting up. She is getting so strong and is really close. She does well on her stomach but isn't that impressed with rolling over, although she can do it. Not much else on the developmental front...I am wondering when she will crawl and how to work with her on crawling. Steve is content where she is! I am so impatient!

Lilly doing her sit-ups...we like to assist Lilly with her sit-ups to work on her tummy strength. She really likes being upright and to look around with her big blue eyes!

Lilly is still in awe of the crazy parents she got. Daddy makes us pose almost nightly for a self portrait! I of course look oogie as I had just gotten done with a run! We really need to pose for some pictures when I am looking good. The sweaty look is doing nothing for my post pregnancy confidence!!!

Mothers

2009-03-15T21:20:00.004-05:00

Lilly is 4 months! Wowzers how time flies!

Lilly's Mimi/My mom came to vist for a few days during her spring break! It was such a breath of fresh air for Steve and I. Mimi watched Lilly for a few days at our house while Steve and I worked. She did some laundry, emptied the dishwasher, made dinner, and even made chocolate chip cookies. I am so appreciative of receiving help with laundry, dishes and cooking! Those mundane chores that we all have to juggle during the work week really do get tedious! Mom said it best "everyone needs a Mimi to live with them!"

It is also just great to watch my mom with Lilly. She really helped Lilly perfect her "turn-over" from front to back! It was great to see my mom smile, and play with Lilly. Her eyes light up around her grandchildren. It is so neat! Lilly is lucky to have great grandparents.

I learn so much from my mom when she visits. She is a whiz in the kitchen, I always take note of her special techniques. I still look to her for advice about how to handle Lilly and life in general, I truly believe she has all the answers. She did raise 3 really perfect girls, right?!! I hold her to such a high regard that it really gives me confidence to know that she defers to me when it comes to caring for Lilly. It is neat how the mother daughter relationship changes with each new life stage. She now gets to ask me questions about caring for a child. She respects me as a fellow mom to warrant advice from me. I think I see now how our mother daughter relationship has come full circle! I enjoy that!

Steve and I inagurated tri season 2009 this weekend at the St Patrick's Day Triathlon in Keller. It was FREEZING cold! I have decided that running with icicle feet is not good. I finished the race with a shoe untied and I didn't even know it, cause I couldn't feel my feet! I am proud to say I felt good about my times and my endurance considering it is only 4 months since Lilly has been born and the C-section! Steve, of course, did amazing, too! The best part was coming home to see Lilly's smiling face. We do it for her! I can't wait until the weather warms up so she can come out to the races with us!

Life is uneventful, but I am so happy. Looking forward to hitting the road for a few small trips this spring. First up a trip to San Antonio. Uncle Nick, Aunt Molly, and Cousin E will be there, too. We will also be going to OKC to see Aunt Sarah and Uncle Sam in April. Let's see what happens when we take Lilly out of her comfort zone and make her sleep in a new place! Will she still be super baby? Stay tuned!

Love and hugs!

It has been too long!

2009-02-22T17:27:00.005-06:00

I cannot believe how time has flown by. I have been back at work now for four full weeks-and am already getting pulled in every direction possible. Fortunately, we have good friends here who can pick Lilly up when we are in a bind. Kirsten was the first friend that had to come to our rescue!

The first week back to work I was fine, the second week was a lot harder, but we made it through. I am enjoying my adult conversation and using my brain. I do love my job and I do love to stay busy in corporate America, but a piece of me feels guilty for leaving Lilly and like I am missing so much-so I try really hard to catch up on Lilly time over the weekend. Lilly is doing wonderfully at her Nanny Hazel's house. I feel confident that Hazel is taking wonderful care Lilly bean! It is so rewarding to pick Lilly up from Nanny Hazels house and to have her smile up at me. Lilly is still an amzing blessing of a baby. She turned over for the first time on February 14th-her 3 month birthday. She has a precious little voice and loves to "talk". She was baptized a few weeks ago, and met her mommy's favorite friend Bree last weekend. She has been a busy little lady!

Bree and Lilly

Baptism (2/7/09)

Steve and I are juggling life with baby quite well I must say. We both feel like we have been able to keep up with the things we love and have quality time with Lilly. The house cleaning has suffered a bit and we now need a full day (today) to clean the house. Of course there are frequent play breaks! Steve's clinic still hasn't opened yet, but they did finally get the certificate of occupancy last week and should be open by next Monday. Build outs take forever! I think he is excited to try his hand as clinic director! We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of one of Steve's Uncles-Eddie and his daughter Akiko are coming to visit next weekend so that Akiko can visit the University of Dallas. We would LOVE it if she came here to TX for college. Steve is training for the Oklahoma City Marathon and has been putting a lot of miles on his running shoes. I am training for the OKC half marathon-it feels like I am training for a marathon. My body hurts just after running for one hour! It has been fun trying to get back in shape! We have a few upcoming races-we will keep you posted on results. I guess it is good I haven't written in a while, cause we haven't really had anything incredibly exciting to write about! The excitement is all centered around baby Lilly! I will sign off with Lilly in her super cute spring outfit that she got from her Mimi and Big Pop-I added the obnoxiously huge bow!!

Play Date!!

2009-01-23T16:42:00.003-06:00

Lilly had her first play date with Mr. Luke Cassella! They make a very cute couple!

Back to Work!

2009-01-23T16:07:00.005-06:00

Oh my-my last day of maternity leave is drawing to a close. I have mixed feelings about leaving the comfort of my home to return to corporate America! Lilly is 10 weeks old, and I comletely cherish and have enjoyed being a part of every milestone, every smile, every tear, every feeding, and every poop during her short life! It has also been nice to lounge around the house in jeans, t-shirts, and sneakers, and take naps with Lilly asleep by my side. The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Days of Our Lives have been my staple for adult conversation and interaction every day! The anticipation of Steve coming home in the evenings has also provided great excitement for Lilly and I. Pathetic as it may sound this has been my life for the past 10 weeks! I look forward to challenging myself at work and having plenty of adult conversation. I look forward to working with clients, and my peers-work is work! Since I have been at home I feel like the job I perform everyday is meaningful-I know I am affecting another person's life positively. Although I strive for that in my job, too, I know there will be days I do not get that sense of accomplishment. I think that one thing will be the hardest part about going back. I will do my best to do all that I can for her during the time I have with her in the evenings and on the weekends! I will miss her immensly as I head back to work. I will take with me a few of her beautiful pictures and songs from her toys-those that have been engrained on my brain forever! Some days I cannot get "Paddy Cake" out of my head!

A quick 10 week Lilly update-this week she went to the doctor for her 2 month visit. She now officially weighs 11 pounds 10 ounces and is 22 and 1/4 inches long. She went from the 30th percentile to the 60th percentile in the weight category. What can I say she is an amazing eater! She has the cutest yummiest cheeks I have ever seen! Her feet and hands are tiny I think she takes after both of her grandma's! She likes her pacifier, her fingers, thumbs, heck she would stick her fist in her mouth if it would fit! She did have to get some of her shots and she did cry the hardest I have ever seen her cry! It was super sad-but she cried for 30 seconds and recovered like the tough chick champion she is!! I am so proud of her! Lilly also went to her first 2 days at her Nanny Hazels house. She stayed for a half a day both yesterday and today. She did wonderfully-no tears were shed by either party upon departure! Hazel seems great and she has 3 older friends to learn from while there!

Life is Like a Soduku puzzle

2009-01-15T12:25:00.004-06:00

I love Soduku, my parents got me a Soduku a day calendar for Christmas. I have been doing my daily Soduku puzzles. Some days the "very easy" puzzles are incredibly hard and the "hard" puzzles are a breeze. I think that is a lot like daily life. Some days I feel like the easiest tasks are incredibly hard and other days I breeze through life without a second thought! It must depend on which side of the bed I wake up on!

Lilly is 2 Months!

2009-01-11T16:17:00.005-06:00

Prepping for my first 5K!

We ran the Grapevine Bold in the Cold race on January 10th. We woke Lilly up at about 6:45. I changed her but she barely opened her eyes! The event lived up to its name bringing really cold temps and very cold wind! Lilly did not know one way or the other as her stroller really protects her from the elements. She won the newborn division as she was the only stroller out there! I was suprised! She slept most of the race except for a few times she woke up to look around. At one point I heard her breathing hard I think she was imitating me. I was sucking wind! It was a lot of fun, I didn't go my fasted time by far, but it felt good to get back in the racing environment that I love so much! I was able to sport my Brian Loncar Racing Team gear for the first time since last April! Steve ran the 15K and kicked butt! I think he knows now he is ready to train for a full marathon! My good friend Kirsten joined us for a morning run, too. She is getting ready for her first half marathon and doing GREAT, too! Yay for new adventures! After the race Lilly had her first girls day out with Kami, Kirsten, and mommy. We had brunch. It was a ton of fun, too! It was a big weekend of celebration for her 2 month old birthday!

Big bows do not stay on my head for very long, but they sure make me look fierce!

Lilly, Mom, and Dad on her play mat! We were just having a really good time. I love her facial expression here!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-03T10:37:00.011-06:00

Happy New Year to all of our friends and family! I have been reflecting on 2008 A LOT lately. I think a lot about things while I am feeding Lilly-that means I am thinking a lot cause she feeds a lot! I thought it would be fun to document some of the fun stuff that went down in 2008!

2008-Year In Review:

January: Not sure that anything fun ever happens in January!!

February: Last February we traveled to Texas A & M for my good friend Tiffany's wedding. She married a wonderful man, Jon. The wedding was a ton of fun-I probably had too much fun-but they did serve Oyster Bay Sauvingnon blanc! I remember that Steve was sick (with what we found out afterward was the flu) so my dancing and galavanting was rather obnoxious for him! I learned the Soldier Boy dance from Tiff's younger cousin. I danced my shoes off and sweated my butt off-which was obvious in my grey colored bridesmaid dress. Sweat did not do that dress justice! Tiffany looked beautiful and planned a wonderful wedding! I made life long friends in the Sturman clan, as well as with Tiff's mom Bon Bon!

March:

Picture of the Cox boys during our March trip to OHIO

In March we started the triathlon season with the Athens Tri. It was fun because 18 or so people from CIGNA (Abby's work) participated in the tri! Most of them it was their first one! It was really neat to see colleagues and friends compete in their first triathlon. Many of those folks went on to get addicted to the competition and the sport of triathlon. It was very inspiring! In March we also traveled to OHIO to visit family. We went to Steve's Dad's house first in Russell Kentucky. Brother in Law and his family including 11 month old Brandon came for the visit as well. The day we left for our trip was the day I took the first pregnancy test that showed I was pregnant! It was very new yet a fun secret to share with the family face to face! After a visit to Russell we drove to Belpre, Ohio to see Bev. We spent a few days with her and did a lot of playing with baby Brandon! He was crawling around a lot, and was just generally a lot of fun!

April: Towards the end of April we were able to officially confirm the pregnancy with our first sonogram! The baby was so miniscule at this point. We heard the heart beat-it made me laugh! When I laughed with the sonogram on my belly it made a really loud noise. OOPS! After the doctors appointment we drove up to Oklahoma City for the OKC marathon. We were recruited by my baby sis and some of her friends to be members of a marathon relay. My mom did it, too! It was really fun, but the weather was extremely cold! Sarah did her longest run ever at 6 miles! Katie Sturman was also on our relay and did 6 miles. I think she caught the running bug! It was a TON of fun!

May: In May we went to San Antonio for mother's day. My big sis Molly and her family came as well so we were able to see Everett at 5 months. I was still sick at this point but some good low key family time was very nice as well as some home cookin by mom!

June: I finally started feeling a little bit better by the end of June. Morning sickness was the pits-I was not loving pregnancy at this point! Nothing fun happened in June I guess I just sat around on my pregnant booty!

July: Everett's first carosel ride during our July trip to Houston

Arizona July 2008
In July we went to Houston to visit with family, celebrate Sarah and Molly's birthdays, and to celebrate the 4th of July. Sam and Sarah came from OKC, and my parents came in from San Antonio. The boys did boy stuff like golf and the girls did our stuff -shop and we took Everett to the pool! That was so much fun. He loves the water! We also found out that we were having a girl!! My mom and Sarah and Steve came with me to the doctors appointment. We immediately went to Baby Gap and bought some girly pink clothes! Steve and I took our baby moon to Arizona. I know we are crazy to travel there in the hottest time of the year, but we had so much fun! We laid in the pool all day long, slept in late, and ate at nice restaurants! It was a great get away for us!

August:

B Riding a Texas Horse at the Stockyards
We welcomed the D.C. Cox family to Texas. It was Christine and Brandon's first time in the great state! We had a lot of fun with them exploring the tourist sites (Stockyards), and taking B to the pool. B was just starting to walk and had a blast walking around our one story open floor plan home. He walked like baby einstein with his arms outstretched in front of him! He is such a great kid, and was a perfect little houseguest! It was really hot during their trip. They may never want to come back to TX in the summer! I will never forget the dance party we had the last night they were in town. We all laughed so hard including little B!
September: In September we were off to San Antonio for Labor Day and Oklahoma City again for Steve's half ironman triathlon. Molly, Nick, and Everett came to San Antonio for Labor Day, too! Everett had really changed since the last time we saw him. He was a lot of fun! In Oklahoma City Steve competed very well in his second half ironman tri! He was a stud improving his time by 20 minutes. He trained really hard all summer so he deserved sucess! I have to say he is studly in his triathlon outfit! It was fun for me to watch my first half ironman. It was neat to be on the sidelines and get some good action pictures. We got to spend some time with Sarah and Sam, too, which is always SO MUCH FUN! Steve also celebrated his 30th birthday and we had a little get together with friends!
October: This was the month of my baby shower! I was anticipating it so much because I knew it would be special as Kami and Kirsten were planning it. The invitations alone were enough to have anyone excited about the party-I will never forget the sparkly pink pumpkin! The party was great and the whole family came in for the celebration as well as some old friends who came in from Denver! It was a great turnout-all my favorite peeps were there!
November: LILLY is born on the 14th-Need I say more?
December: We had a wonderful Christmas season. I was able to make cookies and decorate with my spare time. My parents came in for Christmas Eve and Christmas. Steve's mom Bev came in for 10 days to meet Lilly. It was so nice to have family around at our house. It was my first time to plan the Christmas dinner. It went great and tasted superb! My mom really helped with the preparations!
2009: We are so excited to start 2009 with Lilly as a part of our everyday. It is amazing how someone so small can change your world in 7 weeks. Lilly is smiling now and her smiles absolutely melt my heart! She can really focus on faces and when she stares into my eyes I feel complete joy and satisfaction. Lilly lights up the entire room when Steve comes home from work everyday. She is a true daddy's girl. I understand true love now-when a young baby can light up the room at the sight of her parents and also what a parent feels for a child are both definitions of true love! Those are my thoughts as we head in to a new year!

5 weeks!

2008-12-20T21:34:00.005-06:00

Not that I am counting or anything! Lilly's 5th week has been a joyous one. She went to three parties, started and completed Chirstmas shopping with me, and visited my office to deliver homemade gingerbread! Go Lilly go!

This is Lilly's new Christmas outfit. Notice how the tights do not even cling to her! I thought that was hilarious! I know her bow is big. Don't worry it falls off after a few minutes. The bow is merely for show! She wore this to Steve's work party. She fell asleep the minute we put her in her car seat and did not wake up the entire time we were at the party so we did not even get to show off her outfit to Steve's colleagues!

Since Steve has only worked at his new job since the end of September I had not met many people that he works with. Everyone was really nice. He works with a lot of women so there were tons of gals to talk to about more than just dirty diapers and a new baby. At the party they did a gift exchange. Fortunately, it was for "nice" ($20) gifts. It wasn't one of those gag gift/re-gift exchanges. Steve got a digital picture frame key chain. I thought that was a fun gift. My mom has one and they hold about 60 pictures. I am now using just my work blackberry so I no longer have pictures on my phone so I may need to steal the new digital keychain for myself.

Steve's new clinic is set to open on January 15th. The new clinic is going to share a waiting room with a family practice physician, and the physician was at the party, too. Steve was excited to meet him. He is a young guy and seems really excited about the new offices and sharing space with the PT clinic. He does not have vested interest in the clinic, but he will be an excellent referral source only because his office is right next door. Steve is getting anxious to get in his new clinic and get started. It will be challenging and something new for him. I am certain he will do well! If you have any aches and pains and need a good therapist go and see him! He WILL NOT be giving manicures in the new office! (see earlier post!)

I liked this picture of Lilly because 1) it does not show off her double chin (we are working on a triple chin!) 2) you get to see her beautiful eyes wide open. They are really big! I cannot believe how much she has changed since day one!

Other news-We are excited for the holiday this week. Grandma Cox will be coming for her first visit since Lilly's birth. We are so excited for her to meet her new grand daughter. My parents are going to come on Christmas Eve and stay for a few days. I am going to TRY and make my mom's famous Christmas morning cinammon rolls for the first time. It is one of those traditions that I am going to try and carry on in my own family. I have such great memories of enjoying those cinammon rolls with a half of a grapefruit! Coffee will be added to the menu this year! We are also going to make a big Christmas dinner but I have no idea what that will consist of yet! My sister Molly, and her family will be coming through Dallas the weekend after Christmas so they will stop in for a couple nights to hang out! It will be fun to hear about hwo Everett liked Christmas. It is fun because Lilly is almost exactly a year behind him-it is a glimpse of what next year will be like for us!

I am excited to report that I ran a total of 35 minutes in one outing on Friday. I was out for a total of 56 minutes and alternated some running and walking, but 35 minutes total running is great for me right now! I feel good! I am going to do a half marathon in April with Kirsten and little sister Sarah and in order to work our way up we are going to do a 5K in January and a 10K in February. Steve is thinking about running his first full marathon in April, too. I think he should. Send him some encouraging words to help influence his decision!

What a special time of year. I hope that all of you take some time to reflect on what really matters this time of year, and take some time to tell those that you love just how much you love them! Thanks to each and every one of you for being a part of our lives! MERRY CHRISTMAS to you all!

Christmas, Bath Time, and a Manicure

2008-12-15T09:20:00.005-06:00

Steve's hidden talent is doing nails! I think he should get a second job to build Lilly's college fund! HA! If you bring your own nail polish Steve would be glad to give you a complimentary manicure!

Lilly loves the bath! Look how cute she is all wrapped up in her towel!

Really Mom, must you take more pictures of me in this silly outfit? I need a nap! Lilly has some really cute Christmas onesies. I will have her in another one tomorrow for Steve's office Christmas party. I will of course take pictures!

************************************************************************************

This weekend was great! It felt almost as if Steve and I are getting the hang of being parents. We took Lilly to church. She didn't make a peep. After church we went to an open house Christmas party. She was a hit! She wore a cute little dress with opaque tights. The tights were so funny because they did not even cling to her-they were huge! We were rushing around trying to get to church on time so I did not get a picture! I don't know if she will wear that outfit again either because she was flashing everyone the whole time-her dress would not stay down! Everyone at the party was very complimentary of how good Lilly was. SHe was quiet the whole time. I fed her from a bottle and burped her. I don't think I burped her long enough though because she spit up on a brand new friend who really wanted to hold her. As a parent I felt really bad that Lilly got spit up on this nice woman's sweater. Fortunately, spit up washes out fairly easily, and it has an endearing smell! It was great to get out and "show off" Lilly and most importantly have some great conversation with great people! Looking forward to the rest of the week as we will be partying some more and of course Lilly will come along!

Steve and I keep reminding ourselves that Lilly needs to just become a part of our family identity, go where we go, and do what we do. Although it is not easy to schlep Lilly around town, we feel very strongly about keeping up with the things and events that are most important to us as a couple. Steve and I are very social people and we are also very active. So far Lilly is the best baby for both. She does great being held and adored, and she also loves going in her jogging stroller. Life has changed, but Steve and I realize that we are still who we were before baby, and that is ok! More to come!

Lilly-One Month!

2008-12-12T09:17:00.006-06:00

Late night family picture. This was a self portrait!

I am lifting my head very well! I am going to be super strong!

My attempt at getting a picture of Lilly for her one month birthday and also in this funny Christmas outfit! She was having none of it! I will try again later, but she just looks really funny so I wanted to share it!!

*************************************************************************************

I cannot believe it has been one month since Lilly has blessed the world with her presence. It is hard to believe-time really flies when you are caring for a little punkin' (thanks for the endearing pet name Kami!) I plan everything around the feeding schedule. Lilly is like clockwork which helps since I am VERY schedule oriented. Steve and I are juggling schedules pretty well. He loves coming home to see Lilly!

Lilly and I have been having tons of fun. Now that all of the follow up doctor's appointments are done we have been venturing out of the house to do fun stuff. I am getting better at lugging around the car seat and unfolding/folding the stroller. We went to Babies R Us this week to try and find some pants that fit Lilly. She has a lot of onesies that fit her, but not very many pants. I know why now...I found that newborn clothes are sold in "outfits" I could not find just pants in her size. Oh well. I bought a couple outfits with neutral pants so that I can pair them with other onesies. Interesting right? We also ventured out to Crate and Barrel to buy some Christmas decorations. I have so much time on my hands and I am at our house so much I felt it necessary to have pretty table decorations for the holidays. I am a mom now-mom's have perfectly put together tables!! We have also been doing a lot of online Christmas shopping. It really is convenient to do online shopping especially for those folks that you have to send presents to anyways. The post office is just a nightmare at this time of year so to eliminate that step is awesome! Today we are going to do some cooking! I am making some Christmas baked goods to hand out to our neighbors and co-workers. I am also going to a cookie baking event on Sunday so I am going to prepare my dough ahead of time. I love that I am off of work during this time of the year. I am getting so much done and am able to enjoy the pleasures of the season! Thanks to Ellen and Regis and Kelly I am up to date on Christmas music and movies that are coming out. I also know about all of the hot gadgets flying off the shelves this year! Again very interesting, right?

So that is a little bit more about life with Lilly. It gets easier and more familiar everyday. I am enjoying her innocence and and relishing in the joy that she brings to my life. We really want you all to come meet her. She is way cuter in person and when she is staring up at you while you hold her! XOXO!

Lilly-3 weeks old!

2008-12-05T16:03:00.008-06:00

Family Picture

The "Fogel" girls (sisters and mom)

Milk Coma

Chillin

Tummy time-I like to stare at myself in the mirror!

Happy 3 Week Birthday Lilly! Life with Lilly has been GREAT! She is such a good baby. I cannot brag enough. She sleeps in her crib at night and wakes every 3 hours like clockwork to eat. She really only fusses when she is hungry and when she has a wet or poopy diaper. During the day she sleeps mostly, but we do enjoy play time together at least twice a day. Lilly and I also take a walk on most days. She is helping me get back in shape for triathlon season! She is a great training companion. This week I added in a little bit of running. It felt pretty good believe it or not. I was also able to get back in the pool this week. I am going to try and add in biking next week on my trainer.

So far in Lilly's short life she has experienced Thanksgiving, family visit, first pediatrician visit, mom's doctor visit, a trip to Target, an unsucessful trip to the post office, second visit to the pediatrician, explosive poo, and a cold. Sounds like fun, right! Lilly did go to her first doctor visit. She has gained one pound since birth weighing in at 7 pounds 9 ounces! She has also grown 1/2 an inch in length. Her clothes are starting to fit a little better! The most memorable moment during the doctors visit was when Lilly pooped on the scale. I think her gastro-intestinal parts take after mine!! Unfortunately, two days later Lilly had to go back to the doctor. She woke up on Tuesday night with horrible congestion. It affected her feeding and her sleeping. She only has a cold. The doctor is making us suck snot out of her nose with an aspirator and saline solution. She just loves that! Since she is so congested she snores like an old man! This week Lilly also sprayed poo all over me and the wall. It was explosive.

I cannot believe I am writing about poo on our blog, but it has really become a big part of our life! Everything Lilly has instantly become a big part of our lives. That is a good thing. She has taught me so much, and I am getting really good at multi-tasking. I am looking forward to the next couple of weeks preparing for our first Christmas together. I know she won't remember anything about this Christmas, but I think Steve and I will.

Lilly Ann is here!

2008-11-20T09:17:00.007-06:00

What a blessing! Lilly has arrived and I could not love her any more! This week has been a roller coaster-with the most thrilling ending! It all started las week on Thursday at my weekly appointment with Dr. Kindrick. I went in and had my sonogram which showed low amniotic fluid and a change in the umbilical cord blood flow. Dr. Kindrick was not worried, but did want to go ahead and induce me because Lilly was healthy and waiting any longer may have made the situation worse. Right after my appointment, I went home packed my bag, called the family, and was at the hospital by 5:00 pm. Steve finished his day at the clinic and came and met me there. My mom flew in to San Antonio that evening so that she would not miss a thing. I owe a HUGE thank you and shout out to our good friend Christine who met my mom at the airport and brought her all the way to Grapevine to be with us. Teenie-your actions and support define true friendship!! Thursday night the nurses (who were fabulous, by the way) started me on Cervodil which would soften my cervix a little and make it easier to dilate. I was on the Cervodil all night. At 6:00 am, I started on Pitocin. To make a long story very short-the Pitocin did nothing for me! I did have contractions, but they were VERY mild. People say I was tough to have gone through Pitocin without an epidural-but seriously my contractions were barely a discomfort! Don't give me too much credit! I maxed out on Pitocin, meaning they gave me all they could give me in one day. At that point Dr. Kindrick recommended a C-Section. Steve and I made the decision to go ahead with that-only because the hope of dilation and a vaginal delivery seemed to be less than likely. I wanted Lilly to be healthy and have a pleasing birth experience, too. By 4:30 I was in the operating room getting my spinal. Funny thing-the anesthesiologist was a fellow swimmer at the master's swim program that I used to swim with here in Dallas. I recognized him. He talked to me a lot about swimming while he stuck his huge needle in my back! Then one of the nurses said is your husband Steve the P.T.? She told me she had been waiting to see us in the hospital-one of her friends is one of Steve's patients. So I felt very loved and connected on the operating table-despite being VERY exposes and vulnerable! The C-Section was seamless and Lilly arrived at 5:01 pm. Very fast turnaround! Steve looked down at me at the first glimpse of Lilly and said she has hair. Right after that he leaned over and said it is definately a girl! He was very emotional and teary. Real men cry when they see their daughters for the first time!!! Dr. Kindrick let Lilly peek over the sheet at me, and I started to cry, too. Then Steve went with the nurses to weigh her and warm her up. I met her very shortly afterwards in the recovery room. WOW! I will never forget looking into her big eyes for the first time. I felt an instant connection and an overwhelming feeling of love! We spent the next 3 days in the hospital learning about how to care for our new baby, and recovering a bit. We came home on Monday November 17th.

It was so much fun to give her a tour of her new house and to show her her very own room. She seems to be settling in very well. She is a calm baby and rarely gets upset. Of the three nights at home 2 have been easy and one was a little bit frustrating and crazy. She has experienced her first bath-her hair sticks straight up after beign washed and towel dried! She loves her Baby Einstein play yard especially "Ollie" the Octopus. She also really likes her Boppy Bouncy Chair.

Blessed, that is all I can say! Our happy healthy baby girl is a true blessing, and Steve and I are so thankful!

Love and Hugs XO

2008-11-15T18:59:00.013-06:00

Well she is finally here. Lilly made her debut on Friday November 14 at 5:01pm. She weighed 6 lb 8 oz. and a whopping 19.25 inches. She is so tiny. Abby and her are doing great. Me on the other hand, I am just a mess. I cannot begin to start telling you the feelings I have: excited, nervous, thankful, paranoid, giddy, anxious are a few! I have been told a few times that "you can never really be prepared for the parenthood thing!" I have never before had the feeling I had when I first saw her. Whew, what a tear jerker! She is truly the greatest little gift! Abby will probably post the labor (or lack thereof) story when she can. She is due to come home on Monday. Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers, calls, texts/ emails, and visits! What a ride the past 24 hours have been, but its been great. Our first family photo, just minutes after Lilly was born!

Lilly caught by surprise with her big eyes wide open!

Here she is sucking one finger. She is a finger sucker!

Getting Ready!

2008-11-09T17:25:00.005-06:00

This is me with the new and improved "Kiki" (my childhood blanket got a makeover for Lilly)

Hi Everyone! Since I last wrote we found out that I am going to be induced on November 17th. We have 8 days! The reality that we only had 8 days really set in this weekend. We were running around town doing last minute things to get ready for Lilly's arrival. Of all things our camera died this past week, so we had to go buy a new camera-we could not be without a camera this week! We also found a new couch for our living room. We are going to keep the one we currently have, and add a new one so there is more seating! We bought Lilly some baby jeans (so precious) and went to Target for some nursing necessities. I can't believe I made it through all of that without my feet exploding (from water retention) and without zonking out! I actually had a surge of energy! In our class we learned that the surge of energy was called "nesting" and a lot of time women go in to labor within 24 to 48 hours of nesting. So I thought we should eat Mexican food last night to try and get labor to speed up! Even though it is a week away I am still trying to get the ball rolling. I don't know why.

This past Wednesday night I thought I was having contractions. I woke up with cramping and the baby was really moving around. I woke Steve up and we walked around, drank water, attempted to time things, and we even watched some clips of the Office on You Tube. We were up for two hours contemplating whether or not what I was feeling was contractions. Steve even got the books out and was reading about contractions. I decided it wasn't and we went back to sleep. The next morning I remembered I had a dream about going in to labor, and I think that is why I woke up feeling like I did! Kind of funny looking back!

I had my doctor's visit on Thursday, and that is when I found out I was going to be induced. I guess I have a posterior cervix. The doctor let me know that she could not reach the opening of my cervix-while she had her hand you know where! She could feel the cervix and felt that it was soft, and she said she could feel the baby's head, too. That is the latest from the doctor. I have one more visit this Thursday to see how things are going and to get ready for Monday!

I can't wait to post pictures on this site of Lilly-instead of me, and to also have something else to write about rather than my pregnancy! I am looking forward to getting back to my exercise routine. I hope to be back into triathlons pretty quickly-I will be there next season! I am sure I am going to have to dust off my bike, and re-learn how to ride it!

Check back often, as who knows what will happen this week!

T Minus 3 Weeks and definately counting!

2008-11-02T18:42:00.005-06:00

Hello Everybody! This pregnancy has really flown by until now! We officially have 2 weeks and 5 days left until Lilly's due date. The worst part is she could always come early or she could be very late-the uncertainty is no fun! The latest from the doctor is that my cervix is closed and still very high. Both my mom and my sister could not dilate much on their own. This makes me think I will be the same way. I have to keep in mind every pregnancy and every body is different. The doctor also was very excited because Lilly has had some good growth in the past few weeks. She has grown enough to be in the 50th percentile of fetuses her age instead of the 10th! I was talking to my mom today and we think she may just take after her side of the family. Short and petite. My grandpa was not very big. My mom is not very big either. I am fine with short and petite!

We put some clothes and stuff in a bag for Lilly in the hospital. We weren't sure what we need to bring? I know I want to bring a going home outfit for her, and of course her signature bow headband. I also threw in a couple onesies, some jammies, receiving blanket, and a burp cloth. I stuffeed it all in my super cute Vera Bradley diaper bag! I hear the hospital supplies a lot of stuff-I probably won't need any of it, but oh well, at least we are prepared.

The picture above is of me at 37 weeks. Steve took it on Halloween. I was dressed up as Steve Cox the Ohio University stud football player. My work gets into the whole Halloween thing, so I wanted to wear something costume-ish! We were excited for trick or treaters this year, but we only had 5 total! We were so disappointed! Our neighborhood is full of children-but high school football is also huge in our area -I imagine a lot of folks went to the football game. Definately only plan on getting one small bag of candy next year!

I am playing around with how to decorate our blog. Some of our friends have really cool pages. I am trying to learn by looking at theirs. I decided to put up this cute Thanksgiving background in preparation for our little Thanksgiving blessing!

We will keep you all posted and on baby watch.

Week 35

2008-10-20T17:35:00.002-05:00

Abby at 35 weeks!

Wowsers! I cannot believe how huge I look! Don't you all think I am a brave soul for posting these incriminating pictures of myself on the internet? I better get some shout outs for my bravery. Not only has my stomach grown significantly, but my skin has been terribly broken out and blotchy. I have shoulder, chest, neck, behind my ears, and back acne. It almost looks like a rash. I feel like I am back in junior high dealing with puberty! Another really funny thing you will notice from my pregnancy picture album is that my hair goes from Super blonde to brown. Not sure if my hair has gotten darker throughout the pregnancy or because I did not spend as much time outdoors this summer but I could not keep my blonde highlights for more than a month without my roots showing. I had to go to low-lites. I was thinking on the way home that I am really going to need a makeover when the pregnancy is over with! I am thinking a facial, a nice fun trendy hair cut with a fabulous color job, a pedicure and manicure, etc. I think I deserve it!

I had a sonogram last Thursday. My doctor usually does not do sonograms after the 20 week screen. She wanted to do one because my belly was measuring big a couple weeks before hand. They like to look at things when the mom grows a lot or is measuring big. I went in to the sonogram thinking Lilly was just a big baby. I have always thought she was going to be big because both Steve and I were 8 and a half pounders. After reviewing my sonogram I was told that Lilly was actually small for a fetus of her age. She was only in the 10th percentile for fetuses her age. Now my doctor wants to watch and make sure she is growing properly. We will see what changes as obviously things change from week to week! The doctor told us that she is not worried about Lilly or the pregnancy we just want to make sure she continues to grow. Hopefully the placenta is getting her what she needs!

Over the weekend Steve and I participated in a local 5K charity race. One of my friends from work was the race director so some people from work went out to support him. Steve ran of course and did really well. He got 2nd overall and ran his fastest 5K time of 21 minutes and 4 seconds. I waddled across the finish line at about 48 minutes. It was such a nice morning for a little walk and or jog. It is really starting to feel like fall in Texas-finally. The weatherman says we are going to get a cold front on Wednesday which should make it feel even more so like fall!

We finished our prepared parenthood class this weekend. We had to watch a video of an anesthesiologist administering an epidural. For some reason that petrified me. We also had to talk about interventions for when the baby is stuck inside the womb. They reviewed the vacum suction method, and the forceps method, and the episiotomy. The episiotomy really petrifies me, too! Labor does not frighten me, these interventions are the most threatening.

Lilly's birthday cannot come soon enough. I am so excited to meet her and to bring her home and let her use all her new stuff and wear all her new clothes. Love to you all!

Baby Shower Weekend!

2008-10-12T18:40:00.008-05:00

Family Picture-Newest Member Sam!

This was the "Scene" at the shower!

Me and the hostesses

Mimi and baby E

The shower gang

I say baby shower weekend because we were able to make a whole weekend special just because of the shower! To start it off-my precious little sister, Sarah, got engaged last Wednesday to her fabulous boyfriend Sam so the whole family was thrilled to see her new rock, congratulate her, and to celebrate with her and Sam. We are truly so happy to have him as part of the family! Sarah came up Thursday evening and stayed with Steve and I. I was able to spend a little bit of time with just her on Friday, so that was nice. We looked at a bride magazine!

On Friday, my parents drove in from San Antonio, and my Sister, Molly and her family (Nick, and Everett) drove in from Houston, too. We all had dinner at our house that night and just sat around watched Everett play and hung out. Friday evening Jim and Julie Stretz flew in from Denver as well. They are family friends that go way back, and have been wonderful friends through all of the life stages. It was really really great to catch up with them over the weekend!!

Saturday was the big day-the "Lil Punkin Shower"! Kami and Kirsten really outdid themselves-as you will see from some of the pictures. I could not have asked for a better shower! The food they made was really yummy, the decor was so pretty, and the company was spectacular. Thanks to those girls it was a really special time! I have to thank all of my guests, too, as they gave Steve and I, and Lilly so much stuff. We were given tons of good gear-too much! Each and every one of the guests were special people to me, and I was so glad that they could all make it!

Saturday night we finally got to see future "Uncle" Sam and give him a squeeze and a congratulatory hug! He was a little down cause OU lost in the Red River Rivalry-but his happiness outshone that bad news-he was glowing! The Stretz's and the Moldenhauers joined us for dinner and a celebratory champagne toast after dinner! (I toasted with water!)

There is so much coming up for our family-it is going to be a great year! As always it is great to see our little nephew Everett-he changes and grows so much in between visits! It is always comforting to see mom and dad. I have to get interior decorating advice from my mom. She helped me decide on the last few things for Lilly's room. I also like to watch Molly be a mom-I learn so much from her-she is a great mom! Each time I realize that I have no idea what to expect and how I am going to react to things that happen with Lilly! Dad is always so great for some hugs and words of encouragement! Sarah, I always know I will laugh a ton with her and giggle about our favorite reality show stars (right now it is Wisit from Top Design). We are so fortunate to have a wonderful family and a great group of supportive friends. Weekends like these remind me of just how lucky and blessed we are!

The next time I will see the family will most likely be when I am officially a MOM! WHOA-that is crazy!

Week 33

2008-10-06T17:47:00.004-05:00

Really 7 weeks left?! That doesn't seem like a lot but to me it is A LOT!!! I have reached the point of discomfort. It is tough to sit at my desk for an extended time, I have to sleep with a few extra pillows every night, and I have had to drastically modify my exercise routine in the past couple of weeks. This pregnancy thing is really crazy! So I bought one of those pregnancy support belts at the maternity store to try and ease the strain on my pelvic floor muscle. It is this velcro strap that goes underneath the belly. I wore it all day today and I am not sure it if made me hurt more (because the darn thing dug into me) or if it really helped ease the load. I guess I will wear it a few more days to determine the effectiveness of the pregnancy belt!

Last week I went to the doctor for my regular check-up. Everytime you go to the doctor they measure your belly growth in centimeters. 1 centimeter is supposed to equate to one week (of pregnancy). I measured about 3 cm too big, so I get to have a sonogram next time. The doctor wants to look at Lilly and find out what is going on. She is still breach so that may be one reason I am measuring big, or I could just have a lot of amniotic fluid, or she could be in a really awkward position. It is not a bad thing to measure big, it is just a good excuse to take some pictures! Lilly is still kicking a lot. If I haven't said it already-that is about the coolest thing about pregnancy. It is so magical to feel a human being move inside of you! I wish all women to feel that feeling someday!

Steve and I went to our first "Prepared Parent" class yesterday at the hospital where we are going to deliver. It was very interesting! We spent a lot of the class practicing breathing, relaxation, and massage techniques. I am not sure that those drills are really going to help me because the whole time I was trying to relax I was thinking about the grocery list and what I needed to get done after the class. I have never been one for clearing the mind. I think I will take a Soduku book to the hospital and work through puzzles to take my mind off of the pain instead of spending a ton of time trying to perfect the breathing and relaxation. FYI, I have been doing a Soduku almost every night for the past few months-It exercises my mind while I just sit on my booty and watch my shows.

This weekend is the shower that Kami and Kirsten and throwing for me. I have been looking forward to it for a while. I think because it is a milestone that reminds me that Lilly's arrival is getting closer! Hopefully this week will fly by!

Steve is 30!

2008-09-28T14:59:00.014-05:00

Steve and Abby... Thanks for this really flattering camera angle! In the future no pregnant woman wants to be photographed at an upward angle!

...some the the guys...

...some of the gals....

...Christine and Wendy!

Last night we had a small party to celebrate Steve's 30th birthday party. We had some of our good friends over to mingle, watch football, and of course eat! It was so great to see everyone! Thanks to all who could come out and celebrate!

Welcome to our Blog!

2008-09-28T14:54:00.004-05:00

The whole blog thing is very new to me-but I have always loved to journal and write so I may easily become addicted to this! My hopes for this site are to share pictures and stories with our family and friends about our moderately exciting lives. Steve and I decided to start a blog in anticipation for Lilly Ann's arrival in November. We want you all to see pictures of her immediately and read about the new things happening in her life. Until her arrival I am going to make you look at pictures of my large and growing baby bump and read about the exciting last two months of my pregnancy. We hope you enjoy our site! Today I will leave you with a picture of my 32 week baby bump!