Cole's First Month

My precious baby boy is a true joy--worth every single minute of the wait! Cole has been an incredibly "easy" baby. Of course he has his needy moments, but compared to Sam's first weeks, having him around is a breeze. He eats well and sleeps well. Cole has a gentle disposition. He's so quiet, it's easy to forget he's in the room. I am being spoiled with all the snuggling I get to do. I better get it all in now before he starts squirming around like Sam. Funny how much bigger Sam seems to me now that I have a newborn to compare him with. Crazy how much children grow in a short amount of time.

It's hard to believe that Cole is already a month old. It's been a busy month for him...and for us. Here is a glimpse:

As a result of the H1N1 Flu, hospital regulations kept Sam from coming to visit us when Cole was born. The first time Sam met him was the day we came home. At first, he was dumb-founded. He didn't know what to think. After a couple of days, Sam just ignored Cole throughout the day. He eventually warmed up to the idea of having a little brother and now wants to know where he is when he wakes up and kiss him goodnight when he goes to bed. Jealousy definitely still raises its head from time to time.

Papa K and Khaki proud of their 6th grandchild.

Gigi was able to stay for another week after Cole arrived. We appreciated the help, and Sam especially enjoyed having her around to give him some much needed attention.

After my mom left, Pops stayed with us for a week.

Pops is already introducing Cole to sports, hunting, and fishing.

As you can tell, Sam loves his "Bops"!

When Cole was 2 1/2 weeks old, our family of four traveled back up to Wake Forest, NC for Scott's seminary graduation. We were able to stay with our friends Paul and Amy (Kai and Melia). It was a full house--full of kids, laughter, and fun! The weekend was refreshing, full of celebration and sweet fellowship with dear friends. I am so proud of Scott's diligence and discipline to finish strong, for i know that he has had to balance a full plate at the same time. I tried to plan a surprise birthday party while we were there too. My hubby is now THIRTY! It was so wonderful to see old friends--made me miss NC a bit. Thank you to all who helped make the party a success.

A little surprise Paul left in the bathroom for Scott...

If you look close enough, you'll get a good laugh!

Sam trying on Daddy's hat.

Cole wearing Daddy's hat too.

The proud parents and wife of the graduate.

This is Scott with our friend Steve and their mentor, Dr. Bob Jones.

"Surprise!"

Amy and Melia... two gracious hostesses!

Mr. Paul teaching Sam how to play with play-dough.

Best Buds. Sam misses seeing Kai more often.

I miss seeing Kai's mommy more often too.

Scott's parents traveled to NC to see Scott graduate, then followed us back to MB to celebrate an early Christmas with us.

Khaki and Sam baked some gingerbread men together. Sam tried to eat all the dough and was covered with flour when it was all said and done--that's part of the fun, though. Right?

All the men hanging out on the couch. Sam thinks he is so big when he gets to hold baby brother.

Papa K and Khaki gave Sam the Little People Barn for Christmas--he loves it!

My mom and brother joined us for Christmas again this year. Sam couldn't get enough of Uncle Jon and Cole couldn't get enough of Gigi. We all had a great time simply hanging out together as we celebrated the promise God kept in sending us a Savior! Sam was sick on Christmas Day, so we stayed inside and in our PJ's all day--it was quite relaxing!

Since we stayed in our pj's all day on Christmas, I made everyone get dressed the next morning so we could take some family photos.

Welcome Baby Cole!

Cole Stephen Moody was born on November 30th at 12:06 pm. He's 7 lbs 12 oz and 19 3/4 inches long. Jessica did great. She went in labor at 10 and he was here by noon! Very quick delivery. We are thankful!!

Thanksgiving baby?

At my Dr's appointment yesterday, I was given the option of the midwife breaking my water (and hoping that my body kicked in) or continue to wait. I asked her what she would advise her own daughter if she was in this situation, and she said wait. Thus, we decided to wait some more and see if Cole comes on his own this next week. This little turkey just might be a Thanksgiving baby! There is so much learning in the waiting process...

We greet Cole's due date

Who would of thought that we would actually get to Cole's due date? Not us, that's for sure. We owe everyone an explanation after this weeks mishap: Monday, I went to my 39 week Dr's appt. and I was 5 cm dilated. The Dr. asked if I was "ready to have this baby," and of course I said yes. I had no idea that she would come back in the room with hospital orders for an induction the next morning. When she did, I asked more about the induction process and felt ok about what I thought I understood. Well... Tuesday morning rolled around and we found ourselves admitted in the hospital, me in my hospital gown, and nurses about to do things I had no idea would take place. There were some pretty significant misunderstandings--ones that Scott and I did not feel at peace with. Thankfully, a very kind nurse and the midwife from my practice became our advocates to go back home and wait. Whew! I was so relieved (and humiliated). I changed back into my clothes and walked out of the hospital just a couple hours after we walked in. It never felt better! So, the waiting continues, but we are ok with that. We learned a lot through this silly experience. God is so good, in spite of our foolishness! I go back to the Dr's office Monday morning if we aren't in the hospital by then. Thanks for your prayers.

38 Weeks and counting...

At the Dr's this past Monday, I was a whopping 4 cm dilated! The Dr was surprised that i wasn't feeling any more pain that I have been. She was willing to set up an induction, but I really want my body to kick in on its own. So...we'll just keep waiting. I still have a week before my actual due date arrives. My only worry is the size of this baby boy. Sam was almost 8 lbs. and he came two weeks early. Eek! Hopefully, you'll see pictures of our new addition very soon!

37 Weeks

I am now 37 weeks prego. At my Dr's appointment yesterday, I was 75% effaced and still a "good" 3 cm dilated. I've been having contractions on and off for a while, but nothing consistent. The end of this pregnancy has been so different than my pregnancy with Sam. I confess that I am becoming a little uncomfortable and so very ready to hold Cole in my arms rather than in my tummy! This is a picture Aunt Amanda took of me this past weekend at the beach. Cole has dropped quite a bit...

Fall Fun...

This family loves the fall! This year, however, it has been a little different being in MB. The air is not cool and crisp, and there is no changing of colors on the trees. We even tried to find a pumpkin patch nearby to take Sam, but our experience was quite hilarious. It made us miss our favorite Vollmer Farm back in NC. (Scott said we could take a trip to NC next fall just for the pumpkin patch--I'm gonna hold him to it!) Here's the "pumpkin patch" where we picked a pumpkin out from a cardboard box. Sam was more interested in picking the price stickers off than actually picking out a pumpkin...

We had a messy but fun time carving our pumpkin. Sam needed a haircut, so i had this hair-brain idea to give him a ice-pop as a distraction while I cut his hair. Needless to say, he ended up sticky and "hairy". That's when we decided to go ahead and carve the pumpkin, knowing it was going to be just as messy. By the end of it all, we had a little boy covered in red pop-ice juice, hair, and pumpkin goo. He didn't seem to mind too much.

Sam dressed up like a dragon this year. Gigi bought him this costume when she was here visiting last month. He was the cutest dragon you ever did see...

Uncle Wayne and Aunt Amanda came for a quick visit this weekend. It was nice to have an extra hand with Sam. We took him to a little Fall Festival at a church in the country. A friend that i met at library storytime told us about it, so we decided to check it out. Sam had a good time getting candy from the trunk-or-treat, but his favorite activity was pinning the nose on the pumpkin. It was perfect for his age. I think he did it about five times.

Of course, you can't come to MB and not see the beach...