Sibling Resemblance

Some people have asked how similar Jadyn and Eli looked at birth. I personally think they both look different from each other. I see the resemblance of siblings but Eli is definetely a "Little Jay". Looking at him reminds me of the baby pictures of Jay I've seen. :-D

Here are some pictures I dug up of my two little blessings to see how they compared around the same age. Doing so sure brought back memories of when Jadyn was soooo little. My, how time flies! But, don't we all seem to say that these days? I'm really trying to enjoy Eli's tiny-ness for as long as I can, because it won't last long. Before I know it, he'll be turning the corner of his 2nd birthday just like his sister is!

Jadyn - 3 days old

Eli - 3 days old

Both of them definetely have BIG cheeks! That is one resemblance they share. Eli tops the cake though on the size of his chubby cheeks, though! He has since 'slimmed down' and his chubby cheeks aren't quite as chubby. :-)

Jadyn - 2 weeks old

Eli - 2 weeks

Jadyn - 1 month


Eli - 1 month

It's amazing to me how similar they are in some ways, yet so different....each with their own personalities. They bring me joy unspeakable and bless me beyond measure. I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for each of them.

I love being mommy to both of them...

Busy Summer Days...in reverse

It's been really busy around here these days! I've made a few attempts to sit down and update the blog, but haven't been successful! And, boy, do I have several blogs waiting to be done! :)
But, here's a quick picture update to catch you up on our summer so far. And to make it a little different, we're going to go in reverse order!

Our little man is now 8 weeks old in this picture! By the time this blog posts, he'll be 9 weeks. This was his first time in the Bebe pod chair. He did pretty good and lasted several minutes in it before getting worn out from trying to keep his head up. He's getting stronger everyday, holding his head up longer, kicking his feet to move his body, and he's also cooing and smiling all the time! It melts my heart when he smiles and coos at me. I'd give him the world if I could every time he does that!


Our big girl is now sitting at the table instead using a booster tray. She's also pacie free! The day she turned 21 months old, we said bye bye to the pacie. Jay and I had decided it was time since she was starting to chew through them. Not wanting her to choke on them, we said goodbye. I let her put it in her mouth one last time as she and I walked to the trashcan that night at bedtime. I opened the trash lid and said for her to throw it in. Normally, she's really good at putting the pacie back in her crib or on the shelf (so she can't get it when it's not naptime) when mommy or daddy picks her up after naptime. But, there was no way she was going to throw it in the trashcan! She knew she wasn't getting it back once it went in there! So, mommy had to do it. And although, Jadyn complained a little bit that night, she did really good and fell asleep pacie free. The next morning, she even woke up with a smile! It's been 3-4 days now without the pacie. She's asked for it a couple of times, but all I have to do is remind her that pacie's all gone and she's fine. Now, she asks for her 'bwankie'. :-D It's funny that she's always had the blankie and the pacie, and it was always the pacie she asked for. She didn't skip a beat in now asking for the blankie since there's no more pacie.

Here's the pacie collection the night we said goodbye to them. (Can you say A LOT! LOL) Not pictured are the 2 I had already thrown away since they had been chewed through. I didn't have the heart to throw these away and have safely hidden them in a drawer high out of reach of Jadyn. They are one of my several reminders of my once baby girl....
The Sappington Family enjoyed a night at Six Flags on Aug. 7th. It was Jadyn's and Eli's first trip there. It was a very HOT and HUMID evening, but it was a fun one spent with family and friends!

Relatives come a calling!


Aunt Kim and cousin Heidi came for a whirlwind visit a couple of weeks ago. The picture above shows siblings (Eric, Stephanie (my mom), and Kim. Uncle Eric lives in Dallas and my mom lives in Mansfied. The picture below shows Aunt Kim getting to meet Eli for the first time. She had lots of smooches for him! We loved getting to see her and Heidi and look forward to our visit with them when we go to Phoenix in January!!!
We have had many playdates with our buddies this summer. One of Jadyn's best buds is Andrew. One day, we went to the mall to stay out of the heat and to play in their playplace and ride the carousel.


Going to the mall is fun for everyone and it's great at wearing out little bodies before naptime. :-D


Jadyn LOVES shoes! She likes to 'walk' around in daddy's and mommy's shoes. See the big smile on her face? Yup, my girl's a shoe lover! I can already tell she's going to also a lover of shoe shopping!!

I got to join my sister, Sara, and buddy Liz on a girls' weekend getaway. It was great to take a break and get away (Eli went along with us). We drove to Avinger, TX and stayed in a cottage where Liz's in-laws own property. We enjoyed the shops and sites in Jefferson, TX while there. Lots of laughs and smiles happened that weekend!

Jadyn also LOVES to dance! :)

She's quite the girly girl! She likes, shoes, dancing, hats, and...


jewelry!

My little Pigtail Pie is also a cleaner! Here, she's having 'fun' cleaning the floor! I wonder if that'll continue as she gets older....? hmmmm?

Eli's getting bigger all the time. He's more alert now...cooing and smiling. I love to just hold him and 'talk' to him. One of my favorite things to do is to lay in bed and cuddle with him.
Jadyn has become quite the copycat these days. She's such an observer and quick to learn. I 'caught' her one day (and several times after that) trying to pump just like mommy does. LOL!!! I had never even shown her how to do that. She learned just by watching mommy! I thought it was the funniest thing!
Chunky man snoozes while his Aunt Jenn graduates from culinary school.
He's our little pea pod...in more ways than one! This kid sure goes through his diapers! :-D
Here, he's chilling in the backyard while his big sister plays. Our times outside are short as it gets hot FAST!
Jadyn loves to play on her playground. Thank you to cousins, Josh and Rebekah, for passing it on to her after they outgrew it!!!


So, that's a quick update on some of what we've been up to! We've had many more playdates and friends come to visit us. Go to our Picasa web page to see who we've seen and what else we've been up to!

I hope to have more time to blog soon. One blog to come soon...how much Jadyn's baby pictures compare to Eli's... :)

Love you all! Goodnight

The many faces of Jadyn...

The face of pure and unhindered excitement

She's getting so big and boy, is her personality really starting to come out! She has so many facial expressions that I thought I'd do a blog and pay tribute to her personality. :-D

I have this headband that Jadyn loves to put on. I never actually taught her how to wear it. She learned all on her own from watching me that it goes in your hair. I think she's going to be a girly-girl, which I totally love! Now, if she'd only sit still when I try to fix her hair...

The "I have stolen my mommy's heart because I'm so beautiful inside and out" face

The "I'm so silly" face

The "I don't want to hold him in my lap" face

The "I crack myself up" face

The "Huh?" face

The "I'm happy" face
I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for her as she grows. I am honored to be a key instrumental part of her life and to be entrusted with raising her in the admonition of the Lord.

I love you, my sweet girl....
Love, Mommy

Catching up and settling down...

Eli is now 3.5 weeks old...time is passing quickly! It seems like he's been with us always and already, we can't imagine life without him. He is such a GOOD baby! He hardly complains and is sleeping well at night, waking every few hours too eat. We have had some weight gain issues. I was nursing and he dropped a pound in the first 5 days of life due to latch on issues. It's normal for babies to lose 5-7 % of their birth weight in the first few days, but Eli had lost 13 %....not good! He went from 8 lbs 3.5 oz to 7 lbs 3 oz. Needless to say, I was quite shocked and very concerned. I saw a lactation consultant and got the latch on 'issue' fixed. He began eating MUCH better and slowly putting weight back on. I took him every few days for a weigh-in and even went and did a weigh-feed-weigh. That's where you weigh him, then nurse him, then weigh him again and you can tell how much breastmilk he took in (pretty cool, huh?). At the time, he was taking in nearly 3 oz! Granted, it took him FOREVER (and I do mean that!) to eat...on average, it took an hour...yes, an hour for him to nurse. But, it was worth it as he began gaining weight ounce by ounce. We took him for his 2 week check up last Thursday (even though he was already 3 weeks by then) and he was back up to 8 lbs again. Our pediatrician wanted us to do one more weigh in just to be sure Eli was still gaining. This past Monday, I took him in for that weigh in and he was still only at the 8 lb mark. I was so bummed. I had this feeling he just wasn't getting enough milk from me anymore, so that evening, we began supplementing feedings with formula. I began pumping so I could see how much milk he was getting from me. My feeling was right....for some reason, my milk supply has decreased. On average, Eli's eating 3-4 oz now at every feeding and I'm only producing about 1.5 oz. Yup, do the math and you see that's not enough for a growing boy. So, for now, he's getting 1/2 breastmilk and 1/2 formula at each feeding until I decide to set aside the whole pumping thing. I took him in today for another weigh in and PRAISE THE LORD...I'm very relieved and happy to report that Eli's now a whopping 8.6 lbs!!! The pediatrician says he's doing great.

Jadyn is doing great with Eli. She loves her baby brother and is constantly giving him kisses, and is now bringing his pacifier to him. She'll walk up to his bassinet, stand as far as she can on her toes and try to see him in there. It's the cutest thing! :) She even loves to 'bounce' him in the bouncer and swing him in the swing. We have to keep an eye on her so that she doesn't 'bounce' him right out of there! haha! She'll be 20 months old in a few short days...20 MONTHS, people!!! My baby girl is getting so big! She's mastering all kinds of things these days. We've had to lower her crib mattress as she was on the VERGE of mastering how to climb over the rail (and heading for the concrete floor below!). Now the rail is up to her eyes! Haha! Try and get out of that! (Not really!) She's also mastered (ahem) how to take her clothes and diaper off and smear the contents of said diaper in her crib. (Nasty! Mommy is NOT happy with that one!!!). So, nap time now has to be done with a diaper on backwards so that our genius keeps her diaper on and the sheets stay clean! On a more prouder note, she's also starting to count 1-2-3 and is speaking more clearly on her words. Today, we were having lunch with daddy at his work when we heard the phone ring in the other room. Jadyn piped up, "Hewo?" It was sooo cute! Wherever we go, she wows people with her beautiful eyelashes and cute personality, taking only a mere few seconds to wrap them around her pinky. She'll blow you kisses and tell you 'tank woo' whenever you give her something. (Have I mentioned she's adorable???)

I'm getting more comfortable as a mother of 2 and learning through trial and error was to be more efficient and effective with taking care of them. Today, when I took Eli to the pediatrician, I put Jadyn on my back in the Ergo carrier so that she would be, ahem, contained and so that my hands would be free to take care of Eli. Let me just say that that doctor's office of staff thought that was the NEATEST contraption having her on my back like that! Jadyn loves to be close to mommy and was as happy as a lark in there. I kid you not that there were probably about 10 people in that office that came to our room in there to see us. Hahah!

God is good and as I look at my husband and children daily, I cannot help but think at how blessed I am. As we are slowly settling in and even more slowly finding a routine, I look forward to having quiet times with the Lord (as I already should be...), having time to scrapbook, make bows, have playdates, run errands, WORKOUT!, and serve the Lord in whatever capacity I can.

This is probably long enough, so I'll wrap up for now and leave you with the picture below. :)

Changes...A new season begins

Well, I recently said goodbye to my teaching job and to my classroom and my co-workers of the past 4 years. It was a bittersweet moment for me taking this picture. I am sad to be leaving such a GREAT team and will miss seeing them everyday once school starts back up in the Fall. Yet, I am excited as I begin this new chapter in my life staying home with my kids. I know it's what the Lord has as the next step for me in my life and I look forward to seeing His Hand work. Below is from Monday, June 8th...my last day of work. That now empty classroom in the back has been mine for the past 4 years and holds lots of memories for me. I'm going to miss it. More so though, I am going to miss the people pictured with me and the ones not pictured. I can say without hesitation that I loved the people I worked with. They aren't just my coworkers, but they're my dear friends as well. I will miss you guys and look forward to coming to visit you next year! It's one thing to have a job, but it goes even further when the people you work with reach to your heart and leave lasting impressions. Love you guys!

This picture was taken on June 15th. I am 38 weeks and 5 days preggo here and literally about ready to pop. Jay and I were about to head to the hospital to get for my induction the next day. This is the last pregnancy picture taken of me (at least with makeup and not in labor) before my son was born. I have to be honest and say it was definetely a rough pregnancy for me there at the end (and for my husband as well who had to shoulder the family load alone while I was on bedrest! But he never once complained! I truly am blessed with a wonderful husband!!) I was glad to be taking this picture knowing this pregnancy would soon be over and the road to recovery would soon begin! The Lord is faithful and His strength is my strength. Even when I didn't think I could go a moment longer in this pain and discomfort of the pregnancy, He carried me through. Thank you, Lord.

And the Lord has blessed me with another gift....
My son, Eli James Sappington, is here! He was born June 16th at 10:30 p.m. after a looooong day of waiting for him to come! (Thank you to all you troopers who came to the hospital to wait out his arrival! I love you!) He is doing very well and is (so far...thank you, Lord....may it continue!) a content baby and sleeping well.
8 lbs 3.5 ozs
19.69 inches long
Happy Birthday, my son. The Lord has great plans for your life. I am priveleged to be your mommy!

Proud big sister, Jadyn got to hold her baby brother for the first time on June 17th. This is her facial expression every time she sees him. She is enraptured with him and loves to look at him and give him kisses. When she came in to meet him for the first time the night he was born, her face was one of complete amazement, and then it was followed with, "Uh-Oh!" Haha! I wonder what she meant by that! :) I am happy she is liking her baby brother. This is an adjustment phase for her as she's no longer the only child, but at least she likes the new addition to the family! :) For that, I am thankful and praise the Lord for answered prayer.

We are doing well around here. God has blessed us tremendously with great family and friends! Thank you to everyone who's taken care of Jadyn, sent us words of encouragments, visited us, prayed (and continue to pray) for us. God is so good and it's you guys who continue to show us that His Love Never Fails.

Love,
Shannon

Maternity Photo shoot

We had the fun experience of getting a photo shoot with a photographer who is starting up her business. We had a really good time doing it and she seemed please with the photos she got. Her name is Michelle Monk and her business is Beautiful You Photography.

You can check out her website at http://www.beautifulyouphoto.blogspot.com/

Go to my picasa web album to view more of her shots and to also see updated pregnancy shots. http://picasaweb.google.com/shinnin1171

Baby update

Well, we have reached the 37 1/2 week mark and baby boy has been on the move!
I went to my weekly midwife appt yesterday to discover that I'm still dilated to a 1 cm (for the 3rd week in a row, y'all....), but that things are 'loosening up' down there! We also learned that Baby boy has now turned himself head up! Yup, he's breach. My original due date was June 24th, but after a sonogram appt about 3 weeks ago, they moved the date up to June 16th. And now, after yesterday....it's been moved up to this Tuesday, June 9th! The plan is that I'll go in sometime Monday afternoon to the doctor my midwife works with. The doctor will do another sono to make sure I still have plenty of amniotic fluid in there (which as of yesterday, I do), and to make sure the umbilical cord is not around baby's neck. If all that checks out, then they'll give me a shot to relax my uterus and the doc (who's one of the best around!) will then do an aversion (he'll manually turn the baby back to head down). From there, we walk on over to Labor and Delivery (the doc offc is next to the hospital), check ourselves in, and that evening the nurses will insert cervadyl into my cervix to hopefully get the ball rolling and get my cervix fully ready. They'll then give me a sleeping pill and it's lights out for the night! Tuesday morning, bright and early, my midwife will come in and start the induction. So, if all goes according to that plan, we should be welcoming a VERY healthy and bouncing baby boy!

The alternatives if the aversion isn't possible Monday or doesn't work, then we either schedule a c-section or we wait it out til the 16th to see if he turns on his own. If I go into labor before he turns head down again, then it's a c-section as well. We know that either way, the Lord is in control.

Please be in prayer that he'll decide to turn head down on his own (thus no need for the aversion) and that labor and delivery will go smoothly. I've been put on bed rest for the weekend to get the massive swelling in my legs and lower belly to go down. It's been less than 24 hours since being put on bedrest, and I'm already bored, peoples! LOL

God is good. We can't wait to meet our son.