The White Family

Christmas 2011

2012-01-08T11:58:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve Eve, we went to the Gulf Breeze Zoo Lights. This is the 2nd year we have gone, it is fun and Colin likes it :) Dee, Jill, Jackson, and Emma went with us (Colin loves, loves Emma so he followed her around the whole time) It was super crowded, cold, and WINDY!! We enjoyed seeing the zoo full of lights and the animals that were awake ;>)

Maddox was all bundled up with mommy :) I was making sure she was super warm!! (she slept the whole time)

Colin found Santa! He was ecstatic to see him!!!

Colin, Emma, and Jackson are buddies :)

Christmas Eve
We started off Christmas Eve with a fish fry at Pops and Dee's house :) It was super yummy!! We visited and played outside, it was cool but a beautiful day, Colin even took Zeus for a walk ;>)

For dinner we went to PawPaw and NeNe's house, Colin got to open the Mickey blanket NeNe made him. PawPaw read Colin The Cajun Night Before Christmas for the 3 year.

My boy loves him some candy canes (it was a slight problem)!!

When we got home, Colin and I made cookies for Santa. Colin was so excited to leave Santa cookies and milk. We also write Santa a letter, Colin asked for a candy cane and clothes for his sister. He was so sweet!

Christmas Morning :)
We woke up Christmas morning ready for the busy day that was to come. Santa had come and Colin Matthew was PUMPED! Santa brought Colin a new toy box for all the toys he already has, a batman hoodie, The Phineas and Ferb Movie, TowMater and Lightning McQueen, a Batman and Joker little people, and a candy cane. Santa brought Maddox some clothes and new pacis. Mommy and Daddy got Colin some new clothes, a superhero book, the movies: Up and Kung Fu Panda. CMW was all about opening presents and playing with his new toys, Maddox slept in mommy's arms during all the craziness :)

Colin Matthew 2 yrs & Maddox Joanne 8 1/2 weeks

After Christmas morning/Santa we headed to church for worship. I wanted to get a nice family pic since we were all dressed up :)
Merry Christmas!
Love, The Whites

The second part of Christmas day we spent at Pops and Dee's house. We opened presents, ate chili and corn bread, and played outside. It was a great day! We were trying to get some good pics while we all looked nice ;>)

Pops and Dee got Maddox Joanne her first bracelet. It is so sweet with her initial "M" on it!

Jo Jo and Scoot loving on MJW

Maddox Joanne's first Christmas! Daddy and Mommy love our baby girl, she is already growing way too fast . . . tears for sure!!

Pops and Dee got Colin a really cool truck for Christmas, he was excited! He came outside and said, "My TRUCK!!" He is working on his driving abilities, he hasn't quit figured out how to turn when he needs to ;) I am sure there will be many years of fun with that truck for Colin and Maddox!

For the third part of Christmas Day, we went to PawPaw and NeNe's house. We opened presents, ate dinner, and visited. A few family pics :)

Uncle Fred (NeNe's brother) was in town.

Colin and his new Buzz Lightyear wings, he loves them!!!

Maddox Joanne and her stuffed animals

Colin likes his train table from PawPaw and NeNe :)

Sweet baby girl was worn out from this crazy busy day, passed out during dinner ;)

We had a fabulous holiday season. We were so blessed to be able to spend it with family and friends. Our children were spoiled which isn't the best thing, but it's hard to stop when you have grandparents! We are so thankful for the birth of Christ and the fact that we have the freedom to celebrate that birth. Jesus came to give us life and for us to live it to the fullest. We are trying to keep our end of the bargain. The Lord has blessed us beyond measure this year which makes that task a whole lot easier. I pray that even through trials I would be able to give praise for the birth of Jesus Christ! God is good! Our prayer is that you also were blessed and able to celebrate with the ones you love.

December to Remember

2011-12-22T12:47:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest things that has happened this December is Maddox Joanne is SMILING :) These next few pictures were the first day she really smiled at mommy, the first week of December (6 wks old). Baby girl has the sweetest smile and we all love to see it!! You can always get a good one out of her when she has a full belly ;) Smiling is the first step to Maddox showing her personality and it makes me so excited to see what kind of baby/little girl she is going to be! Maddox is 5-8 wks in all of these pics, she is a great baby. We are very blessed that she has recently started sleeping for 7 hrs at night. Time is really going by so fast, I can't believe she is almost 2 mos already . . . tear!

I love my babies!!

Maddox is getting one bottle a day that I pump, she has to be prepared when mommy goes back to work. Big brother always wants to help give her the bottle :)

Lots of cute pics of MJW . . .

Colin loved decorating the tree this year. He "helped" daddy get it down from the attic, there was a lot of "Daddy, whatcha doing? and whatcha got?" going on. CMW unpacked all the ornaments and "helped" mommy hang them on the tree. I was proud of him and how gentle he was, C did a great job! He tells everyone that his daddy made him this tree ;>)

We celebrated Sean's 29th birthday the beginning of December. We had a nice day with family. Happy Birthday, Daddy! We love you!!

Colin is such a big boy when he gets his haircut :)

Colin at his Christmas party at Gateway Preschool. He loves his little "girlfriends" and his 3 teachers!

Colin Matthew has the best smile . . . . ENJOY!

Gulf Power Christmas Party
We went to the Christmas party at Pops' work this year. We had a nice time seeing Santa, eating, lunch, and playing! Pops and Dee loved showing off their grandbabies ;>)

CMW and MJW seeing Santa, Colin got to choose a toy from the box. This was a big deal, there were way too many toys to choose from and C was on overload, so he ended up with a candy cane ;)

Colin playing with in the jump house! He loved it!

Christmas Parade
We went to the Christmas parade downtown with Pops, Dee, Jo Jo, and Scoot Scoot. Colin did awesome, he loved watching all the floats and getting beads and candy, of course! C wore all his beads, until he couldn't hardly walk, they were weighing him down, it was so funny :)

Mommy and Maddox Joanne, she did great, slept the whole time!

Riddle/Neely/Formica/Overson/White Family Christmas Party

Colin wearing his superhero mask and cap he got from Jo Jo, this picture doesn't do it justice. This was hysterical to watch!!!

Grandaddy and Nana loving on Maddox Joanne :)

Jo Jo and Uncle Vince loving on Maddox Joanne :)

Colin, Pops, Uncle Jeff, and Uncle Vince hanging out by the fire outside.

Colin was full of energy and played and entertained everyone during the party!
C decided that he didn't want to wear his cute Christmas sweater and so he took it off when we got there and wouldn't put back on! (So all of mommy's pics have him in his undershirt ;)

Colin checking out the ornaments on Dee and Pops' tree and opening up his presents :)
Thanks Aunt Darlene and Uncle Vince for the Batman toy, Toy Story shirt and jeans!
Thanks Aunt Donna and Uncle Jeff for the moose slippers and orange polo shirt!

Ending the night with a treat!

Colin Matthew and Maddox Joanne

2011-12-12T12:39:00.001-08:00

My wonderful friend Stacy has done it again, here are Maddox's newborn pics and Colin's 2 yr pics. These are just a few of my favorites :>) Enjoy!!

Absolutely love this one of my beautiful babies, PRECIOUS!

Maddox Joanne White

Colin Matthew White

Thanksgiving Festivities

2011-12-05T12:05:00.000-08:00

Gateway Christian Preschool Thanksgiving Program November 2011
Colin Matthew 2 yrs

Colin and his 2 yr old class were "turkeys" in the Thanksgiving program. They sang a song with motions about a turkey. Colin was the best and loudest turkey ;) He did awesome and wasn't scared one bit of the large crowd watching!! Way to go CMW! Mommy, daddy, and Maddox are so proud of you!!!

Colin and his buddy Alyssa after the program :)

Here come the turkeys, Colin is leading the flock!
The kids came out gobbling, Colin was so loud, it was so cute! He was flapping his wings and showing off his turkey tail :)

Maddox and mommy watching big brother's play.

Colin spotted mommy :) He was yelling out "Hey, mommy!!!!" and then he started yelling "Hey, mommy! Mommy! Come here!!!"

Happy Thanksgiving!
We spent Thanksgiving with my family at Aunt Donna and Uncle Jeff's house. It was a great day, we had wonderful food and time with family. Everyone was loving on Maddox and playing with Colin :) Papa O and Granny Dotty also came into town for the week. We had a great visit with them! They were able to spend some quality time with Colin Matthew and meet Maddox Joanne :)

Papa O and his 2 great grandbabies!

All the yummy food and everyone enjoying the tastiness!

Colin had everyone playing around after lunch, inside and outside. He had a great time hanging out with Jeffrey, Uncle Jeff, Cameron, Uncle Vince, Pops, Jo Jo, Scoot, and his daddy. They all were in and out playing and horsing around with CMW :)

Nana and Grandaddy loving on Maddox Joanne. It is wonderful to have great-grandparents in my kids lives!

4 generation pic

Trying to get a nice family picture . . .

Now we are ready for Christmas!
Colin and Maddox saw Santa right before Thanksgiving. Colin was totally pumped, he ran to Santa and jumped in his lap. He told Santa he wanted a candy cane for Christmas, that's easily done ;)
Colin- 2yrs & Maddox- 4wks

Maddox's First Month

2011-11-30T12:35:00.001-08:00

Colin and Jo Jo loving on Maddox her first night home :)

Maddox Joanne is home! We have been so blessed by the new addition of our baby girl. She is a sweet, wonderful baby. She loves to eat and nurses so well, daddy calls her "the wolf" because of her huge appetite :) Maddox has done pretty well with sleeping, she sleeps for 3-4 hrs in between feedings. She is a gassy baby, so occasionally she is fussy from that. At her 2 wk check up, Maddox was 8 lbs 10 oz and 21 in long. Dr. Foland said she was perfect and doing wonderful. We go for her 2 mos check up the end of December. It is amazing how your heart can grow so that you can love another little one! I couldn't imagine life without my babies, Sean and I are extremely blessed and so very thankful to God!

We introduced the paci our first night home ;) Maddox was wanting to eat every 45 mins and that wasn't going to cut it for this mama!!

Jill, Maddox, mommy
Thank Jill for the Florida tutu, it is so stinking cute . . . Love it!

Aunt Darlene, Uncle Vince, and Cameron came to meet Maddox during her first week home. They snuggled her and we had a nice visit. Thank you for the sweet blanket, stuffed animal, and cute little dress :)

Colin loves his baby sister, this was a Sunday morning. He was talking to her, kissing and hugging her. He does wonderful with her!

Maddox's first sponge bath :) She didn't like it!

Colin Matthew and Maddox Joanne
I love my babies!

Daddy snuggling with both his babies . . . I love, love this pic!!

Colin wanted Maddox to watch Mickey Mouse with him, so mommy sat them up side by side :)

Sleepy girl

Maddox's first big outing, the Santa parade at the mall. We had a great time and Colin loved it!

Wide eyes looking at mommy, love her so much!

Big brother, Colin, is in a superhero phase . . . hilarious!!

Colin and Maddox playing before bed, so sweet!

Pops and Dee loving their grandbabies, love these pics!
Colin is in a silly picture phase, the closed eyes and big grin ;>)

Maddox's first real bath at 3 wks old. She actually liked this, which is great.

Maddox getting some tummy time on the floor, she fell asleep ;)

Percy watching over baby girl, silly dog!

Special times for big brother

2011-11-26T12:08:00.000-08:00

Since Maddox has been born, we are trying to make sure that Colin Matthew is still getting all the love and attention he needs. He has had some special times the past month that were just for him :) Colin is doing fabulous with his little sister, he kisses her and protects her, he is a great big brother! (The only issues we are having is his acting out toward mom and dad. As much as this drives me crazy that my 2 yr old son loves to tell me NO, I am so thankful that he isn't acting out toward his sister!)

Colin getting some special time with Jo Jo and Scoot Scoot, some of his favorite people! Jo Jo and Scoot are awesome, they play and play with Colin: they go outside when he asks, they play monsters and superheroes, they pick him up and wrestles and he loves every minutes of it! He is one lucky kiddo :)
Thanks so much Jo Jo and Scoot Scoot! We love you!!
(He looks like such a big boy in this pic, I am tearing up here . . .)

The Fair was in town the week that Maddox was born. So daddy, Paw Paw, Ne Ne, and Colin went to enjoy the food, fun, rides, and games. This was Colin's first experience at the Fair, he had a great time! (Mommy was a little sad that I didn't get to see him in action, but I was at home with a newborn)

Snowcones with Paw Paw :)

Colin and daddy riding the rides!

Happy Halloween!
We went to Pops and Dee's house for Halloween, we had chili and of course candy ;) This was Colin's first trick or treating experience, he did awesome! We had to end because mommy was tired, Colin would have kept going!

My little leopard and pirate :)

Pirate Colin and all his "booty"

Maddox Joanne is here!

2011-11-22T13:08:00.000-08:00

39 wks
This pic was taken the day before Maddox was born.

Maddox Joanne was scheduled to be induced Oct. 24, Sean and I had to be at Sacred Heart at midnight. I was hooked up to the pitocin (sp) and an IV to get my contractions in a regular pattern. This was my second induction, so we were thinking it would be fast. Sean and I tried to get some sleep but that wasn't really working ;) At about 4 am I gave up and turned on the TV, I was having contractions but they weren't too bad. Dr. Hoffman came a little before 7am and broke my water. Once this happen things really took off, I really considered this the start of my induction. The contractions were getting super intense and close together, so it was epidural time. With Colin I had gotten my epidural and then I was able to take a nap until pushing time, but Maddox was another story. Once I was given the epidural my left side immediately went numb, but I could still feel everything on my right side. So the nurse had me lay on my right side to get the medicine to move that direction. It worked and I was in no pain for about 45 minutes, then something happened . . . I began feeling extreme pain from the contractions in my lower abdomen (everything else was numb). So the nurse began moving me into different positions, the anestiseologist (sp) came multiple times to adjust my meds, but nothing was working! I felt like I was on FIRE and I wasn't prepared for that feeling, so I did all I could do and that was BREATHE and squeeze the life out of Sean's hand and the bed rail. Dr. Hoffman came in during this and decided to check my progress, I was 10 cm and it was time to meet baby girl. At this time the anestiseologist (sp) did something that worked and the "on FIRE feeling" subsided. I pushed for about 15 minutes and then we met our baby girl!

Maddox Joanne was born October 24, 2011 @ 11:26 am. She was 8 lbs 7 oz and 20 3/4 inches. My beautiful baby girl with chunky cheeks, her brothers nose, mouth, and chin, blue eyes, and a head full of BROWN hair!

Mommy and daddy are so happy to have her here!

Colin meeting his sister . . . this was the sweetest sight! Colin had been hanging out with Pops all morning and then came to the hospital when baby sister arrived. He was so sweet and excited. Colin loves, loves his baby sister :)

Mommy and her two babies. So unbelievably blessed! Thank you Lord!

Jo Jo, mommy, Maddox, and Dee

Aunt Donna loving on baby girl

Proud grandparents and mama!

Proud big brother looking at Maddox in the nursery while she was getting all cleaned up!

Jo Jo and Scoot Scoot love baby girl already!

Maddox Joanne has Pops and Dee wrapped ;)

PawPaw and NeNe are wrapped, too!

Jo Jo spent this night with us at the hospital and was a huge help. It was wonderful having my sister there to help and laugh with me! We love you Jo Jo, thanks!!
(My mom stayed the other night and helped, thanks Dee)

Our first family picture :)
The Whites
Sean, Sheena, Colin Matthew, and Maddox Joanne

Baby girl's sweet face at the hospital

Daddy with his two babies, and big brother loving on sister :)

Thank you everyone who came to see us at the hospital!
Stacy, Jennifer, Tracy, Martha, Ms. Debbie, Mary Beth, Derek, and Page
(I didn't get a pic of everyone, I tried!)

Dr. Hoffman (my wonderful doctor)

October fun!!

2011-10-23T21:06:00.001-07:00

We had our Fall Carnival and Trunk or Treat at church Saturday, it was wonderful as always! Colin had a great time playing the games, going on the hayride, and of course getting candy ;>) He was on a major sugar high the rest of the day and was acting a little crazy!

Colin and Darth Vader aka John William, buddies for sure!

Trunk or Treat!

CMW trying out some "nerds"

Colin and mommy on the hayride, so fun!

Playing games and winning prizes, Colin really enjoyed this at the end of the carnival.

Friday night we went to a little pumpkin patch. We let Colin choose the pumpkin, he loved it! He didn't understand that once you pick it, you pay and then leave ;>) He wanted to keep walking around and looking at all the pumpkins. CMW chose a pumpkin for our family and then 2 tiny pumpkins for himself and baby Maddox!

Colin and the lizard!
The sight was hilarious to watch unfold :) Pops and Colin caught this lizard in the back yard one day, poor little guy was traumatized once Colin got through with him!

Random pics, but super cute!

Baby Maddox's Shower

2011-10-23T20:50:00.001-07:00

We were blessed to be given a beautiful shower for Maddox Joanne by some of my wonderful friends from church. Many many thanks to Alicia, Tina, Jill, and my Aunt Donna! The shower was fabulous, baby girl was shower with many gifts of love. Thank you to everyone who came and shared in our joy!!

The beautiful decorations, food, cake, etc :)

Thank you Alicia for taking charge and making all this possible!
Thank you Aunt Donna for giving your home!
Love you both :)

37 wks

Family shots . . .

The many gifts, mostly beautiful clothes . . . everyone loves to buy for baby girls ;>)

The many faces of Colin Matthew . . .

2011-10-08T19:37:00.001-07:00

My child is full of personality and many faces :) Here are some of the ones I've captured recently . . . Enjoy!!

Colin Matthew enjoying the tent and tunnel with Jo Jo. He loves him so Jo Jo and can't get enough of her!

A couple of weeks ago, Colin took his 2 yr pictures with Stacy. We went to a neighborhood downtown and used their lawn, gazebo, and park. Here are a few shots I snapped while CMW played at the park :)
(as soon as Stacy gets done with the pics, I will post some . . . they seemed to be pretty cute!!)

Summer is over and school has begun . . .

2011-09-04T18:30:00.001-07:00

Gateway Vacation Bible School 2011
Colin enjoy VBS so much this year! He made crafts, played games, ate snack and lunch, watched videos and learned about people of faith. He was worn out by the time we got home that Saturday ;) Miss Debbie was kind enough to let Colin go around with the 3 yr olds even though he's 2 yrs old! He really had so much fun and enjoyed the interaction with the "big kids." Colin thought that he was "big" too! Wonderful VBS this year, the Lord truly blesses this ministry each year at Gateway.

Colin, Dee, and I did some back to school shopping a few weeks ago during the "no tax" weekend. It was crazy, the mall was packed just like it was the day after Thanksgiving or Christmas! We got some good deals on a few things for CMW and Maddox. The big purchase was Colin's new tennis shoes for school :) Below is Colin enjoying his favorite food at the food court, chicken teriyaki, he loves loves the fried rice and chicken!!!

Colin was so excited about his new shoes that of course we had to wear them out of the store! He then had to be the "big boy" and carry his shopping bag along with his backpack. He is really independent and wants to do everything by himself, NO HELP ;>)

Colin's first day of school August 2011
Colin is attending Gateway Christian Preschool again this year, he is in the 2 year old class with Miss Joan, Miss Kim, and Miss Alishia. It is a huge blessing that Colin and daddy can ride to school/work together :) This is their bonding time, if you didn't know my son LOVES his daddy, they are best buddies!! (Yes, Bubbas had to come to school too!!)

Sean snagged these pics of Colin in his classroom :)

Once we were all home after the first day of school, we celebrated with a little relaxation and a movie!

32 wks and counting!
I had my 32 wk check up a couple of weeks ago. Everything looked great, blood pressure, weight, measurements, Maddox was super wiggly that afternoon and it was hard for Dr. Hoffman to get a good reading on her hear rate, but she finally did and MJW is coming at about 142 bpm, which is perfect! I am happy to announce that I DO NOT have gestational diabetes this time, praise the Lord :) My only hang up is since starting back to work my feet/ankles have decided to rebel, see the pic below! (Trying to stay off them as much as possible, but with my job that is a hard task)

Random cute pics from the last couple of weeks of summer!

Gateway COC Youth Camp 2011

2011-08-14T16:52:00.000-07:00

We had our camp the middle of July, in Mississippi, at Gulf Coast Bible Camp. It was a wonderful camp experience, Sean did a fabulous job running everything and we had over 80 campers this year. This was a great year! Colin loves camp, he enjoys every minute outside :) The heat and dirt don't bother him, it just bothered mommy! HA! But we had so much fun!! We brought our ipad and Colin watched movies before nap and bed time, he loved being able to do this. I love how big he looks in the above and below pics, man he is growing and time is flying . . . definitely exciting but a little sad . . .tear!

One day during lunch it started storming, which put a kink in our nap time. So we improvised to stay dry and make it to our cabin for naps ;>) Colin watching Hercules before nap and actually napping.

Below are Colin's many ways of entertaining himself ;>)

Dirty enough???
This year at camp the boy would get soooo dirty, I starting calling him Pigpin. Still cute though!!

Colin enjoying some "Good Morning Camp" fun and activities with Jo Jo!

Colin hanging with Mr. Carl and Colin swinging with Dee :)
Thanks Dee for coming and helping with Colin, it was nice to have a break every once and a while!!

Seeing his daddy on stage with a mic so much makes CMW think he needs to talk in the mic, too ;)

Colin and mommy playing with sidewalk chalk and bubbles, keeping ourselves entertained during bible classes.

Listening to music with daddy, whatever daddy does Colin has to do to! He is his daddy's boy, no doubt about it!

Colin loves John William and John William loves Colin. Thanks JW for playing with CMW so much!!

Sean does a great job being the director of our camp, he is totally awesome at what he does! God has truly gifted Sean for youth ministry. I love you honey!

Shauna, Mary Beth, and Sean hanging out after lunch.
Caroline, Me, and Shauna were volleyball refs every night after dinner, it has become a tradition :) We love volleyball!

One of the things we did for some fun was ride the golf cart. Colin loved this so much! It was a good way to get a break from walking for those of us who are pregnant, and it is just fun to drive those things, especially on the rough camp grounds :>) Colin rode with Mommy and Dee many times, Daddy, and Big Daddy (Steve Hancock)

So I mentioned the heat already, and what other way to beat it than to enjoy some popsicles :) which we did every day!!!

We also went swimming or played in the kiddie pool, totally up CMW's alley! It was hot and we had to cool off so how. I love the pic below, Colin looks so big swimming around. We usually had our own private swim time before lunch, it was nice having the pool to ourselves. Normally we would have swam with the girls, but that was always during Colin's nap, so we altered our swim time :>)

Colin and Jane having fun!

I am sure you can tell from a lot of these pictures that my son has figured out how to "cheese!!" He is really good at it :)

Baby Girl and Big Brother

2011-08-06T13:11:00.000-07:00

28 wks
Maddox Joanne is growing and growing! She is moving all the time and really makes my belly jump ;) I went to the doctor this week for my check-up. My blood pressure and weight were good, Maddox's heartbeat was 141 bpm, Dr. Hoffman said she was looking great! I was given my rhogam shot because of my blood type and I had the 1 hr glucose test, to check for gestational diabetes. The shot hurt like the devil and I failed the glucose test. I will be going back on Monday for a 3 hour glucose test, hopefully I will pass this one!!! But, if I don't that's okay, I am preparing myself for gestational diabetes, and controlling my blood sugar with diet. I had it with Colin, so I probably have it with Maddox :( We will see!
We also had a 3D ultrasound with my friend Leslie, so here are the pics from Maddox Joanne's first photo shoot ;) Colin went with us and really liked seeing his sister on the screen. He would say, "That's my sister, baby Maddox!!" (precious- can't even describe) see who you think she looks like, we saw an uncanny resemblance to someone we know ;)

Sean and I couldn't believe how much she looks like Colin! We will see for sure in 10-12 wks :) It really is going by so fast!! So since having a little girl is a totally new experience for me, I have had to buy her a couple of cute things (I couldn't help myself) Headbands with flowers, a must for sure!

I had this car seat cover made so baby girl won't have a blue and brown boy car seat :)

Below is her bedding, pink and green! The pink paisley is the bumper with a green and white plaid inside, the pink polka dot is the crib sheet, and the green and white stripe is the crib skirt. We will begin working on her room very soon!

Colin Matthew is also getting so big and trying lots of new things! He is now is a big boy bed :) These pics are from his first night in his new bed. He did great the first couple of nights, went straight to sleep and got up about 6 ish the next morning. The he figured out he could get up, and we played the up and down up and down game before he would fall asleep and then get up at 6 ish. Now he gets up maybe twice before he falls asleep, within 10 minutes of being in bed and wakes up around 7 or so in the morning. I am proud of how well he does! Funny story, I did start putting the baby gate up at his door, so that he could come all the way out of his room. He would open the door and I would tell him to get back in bed and not to get up. After the first night with the baby gate, he asked me the following night, "Mommy are you going to lock me in again?" He says all this as he looks up at me with those big blue eyes :) I said, "Yes I am, until you stop getting up!" He continued to ask me the same question for the next few nights, it was hilarious.

One night after dinner, Aunt Donna gave me a pedicure, since I am having a little trouble reaching my feet ;) Colin decided that he needed one too, and wanted to help with mommy's. So Dee gave him a "pedicure" and he helped rub lotion on mommy's feet. Too bad in a few years he won't want to touch mommy's feet!

Colin loves to play with his daddy's wallet. When Sean gets home and puts his wallet on the table, Colin goes and grabs it. He takes out the cards and examines them. This particular afternoon, he gets the target card and says, "Mommy let's go to target!" Hehehe- those are words daddy doesn't like to hear! One of our youth group girls took this pic of Colin playing dress up at church, ha!

Colin loves to play in the pillows on our bed and dee's bed :) He likes to hide in all the pillows and peek through! He also loves to just lay in mommy and daddy's bed, he says, "Cover me up!" and then will watch TV for a good while. I don't know what it is about big people beds, but my son loves them!

Nashville X2

2011-07-15T11:38:00.000-07:00

Our first trip to Nashville was toward the end of June for IMPACT! This is always a great trip for us and our youth group. IMPACT is amazing and this year was the 20th anniversary done right!! Colin and I rode the bus with Sean and the teens, this is always an experience on the way there we had a great trip . . . but the drive home was another story :( Broken down bus and van at 2 different occasions, needless to say my 2 year old son was done with the car seat when we finally got home. Colin does well most of the time, watches movies, and talks and talks and talks! He also finds other ways to entertain himself ;>)

Hanging out in Bison Square at Lipscomb, of course Batman had to come too!
Colin and daddy riding the bison, CMW was loving this. It was hysterical watching him, he laughed and throw his head back like he was really riding something real. Precious!!

The IMPACT theme this year was "Hooked," so Peter Pan and Captain Hook where involved, which was right up Colin's alley! This ship was part of the set, WOW!

While we were in Nashville, we always try to catch up with friends. The only ones we were able to see were Julie and sweet Emery. Colin and I went to lunch with Julie and Emery and played at there house on afternoon. It was great seeing them and hanging out! Trying to get a picture of the kiddos, not an easy task :)

Getting Colin to eat well while we were at IMPACT was hit or miss, so we supplemented with smoothies from Starbucks. YUM!!!

Getting ready to head home, little did we know that it would be almost a 11 hour car ride because of bus and van troubles. Love that grin, though!!!

Our second trip to Nashville was July 4th weekend. Sean and I had tickets to see U2 at Vanderbilt stadium, our 5 year anniversary present :>) Jo Jo came along as our concert babysitter, thanks so much Jo Jo!!! We stayed with Sean's brother Ryan and Keeley and their kiddos. It was a true circus having 4 kids in one house under the age of 3! Loud and fun for sure! My camera died while on the trip and I didn't bring my charger, so I don't have very many pics to document the kids and their craziness :(

Sean and I standing in line to see U2. We had general admission tickets, which were floor "seats," so we got in line at 3:00 to get a good "seat." It was so stinking hot and when you are pregnant it feels even worse! I got many sympathy smiles for fellow concert goes, someone even gave me a vitamin water while we were in line (it was greatly appreciated since I had already finished my bottled water :)

We made it inside!! Sean was pumped and I was HOT! It was a long night but totally worth every minute and the swollen feet/ankles ;>) U2 was awesome, the best concert I have ever seen!

While we were at Ryan and Keeley we went to friend's pool, so that the kids could swim. We had a great time! Reed, Braden, Kylie, and Colin were little fish. Colin loved the kiddie pool and swam "underwater" a lot.

Thanks Ryan and Keeley for having us!!

Random fun!

2011-07-09T19:31:00.001-07:00

It's be awhile, I know! One the first things we did this summer was go blueberry picking. Sean was in Canada on a mission trip and I was looking for something fun to do. One morning Colin and I, Jill and Emma, and Jo Jo and the Dodd girls went to a blueberry farm in Beulah. It was HOT but fun! Colin probably ate a pound while we were picking ;>) I was able to freeze some, we ate a lot, and we shared some. Over all a great experience!

Colin and Emma at Chickfila after picking :>)

Happy Father's Day!!! Colin was excited to give daddy his card and present :) We celebrated Father's Day with Sean, Pops, and Paw Paw at the Shrimp Basket. I am so thankful for all the great fathers in Colin Matthew's life! Especially his daddy :) Sean White is amazing dad!!

Colin loves to swim!!! We started swimming lessons at UWF this summer. Colin is a fish with his floaties on, so I thought it was time to get in some lessons. Not much success so far, but a good experience over all!

Colin and the Dodd girls enjoying Aunt Donna's pool!

Before and after haircut pics . . .

CMW loves anything with a sweet taste: jelly, milkshakes, and watermelon (he gets it honest ;>)!!! Funny story about the milkshake, I needed to make change one day so I decided to stop and get a drink on the way home. So I pulled into Wataburger for a diet coke, as I put down the window my son proceeds to tell me "Mommy, I NEED a milkshake!!!" I had to get him one, it was the funniest thing to hear coming from the backseat, and if you know my son you can imagine the vim and vigor he used with those words ;)

Since I am the smartest one in my household (wink, wink), I decided we should take Colin to see a movie. He loves to watch movies at home and in the car so why else wouldn't he like to see one at the theater!!!???? Ummmmm . . . well because he is a 2 year old boy, and yes the "I told you sos" were coming from Sean who would say he is the smartest one in my household :) We proceeded to take CMW to see Cars 2 on a Monday morning, we got the popcorn and the candy, we got the booster seat, and a drink. We thought we were ready . . . Colin lasted through the previews and maybe 10 minutes into the flick. Then it was up, down, up, down, mommy's lap, daddy's lap, walking in front of the seats, and then the stairs came into play. Well I am sure you can imagine ;>) The decision was made in the car on the way home that we would try a movie again in a year, maybe?

Summer is here!

2011-06-12T11:59:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day we spent the morning and early afternoon at the pool. Colin loves to swim and is a little fish. He started swimming with floaties last summer and is continuing to be super independent with them this summer. Colin is starting swimming lessons next week, we are excited to see if he starts to swim on his own this summer. It is a definite possibility, the boy has NO FEAR!! Does he look so big in the pic above, 26 mos and such a big boy!??!!

17 wks preggo in this picture

Some of these pictures got out of order, Colin and daddy had just jumped off the diving board :)

Colin and daddy getting ready to jump!

We were encouraging C once he had jumped with daddy, so that he wouldn't cry or be scared. He was so big and said, "AGAIN!"

Colin Matthew aka "the fish"

Sharing his cookie with Jo Jo :) this is a big deal, the boy loves food especially sweets! Jo Jo should feel special!

We also cooked out and had ice cream and cupcakes to celebrate Dee's birthday. Colin was helping Dee make the ice cream . . . of course!

Scoot Scoot and Jo Jo, 2 of CMW's biggest fans ;)

The 2 pics below were after Colin ate the ice cream and cupcake with no help . . . he was a sticky mess! But for sure a cute sticky mess :)

Hosing off, too bad he was trying to squirt everyone else!

Colin loves his daddy, 2 peas in a pod!

Happy Birthday, Dee!

2o wks

I went to the doctor this week for an ultrasound and regular check up. Everything was great, Dr. Hoffman says I am in perfect health and doing excellent with the pregnancy so far! (which is the plan ;) Maddox Joanne looked fabulous on the ultrasound, she was putting on a show for us. The tech was able to see all the organs and body parts she needed to measure, MJW looked perfect! I was amazing to watch her move around on that screen, she even waved at her daddy and I . . . love that girl and we haven't even meet her yet!

Beautiful girl was moving her arms and hands all around, we could even she her moving her mouth . . . amazing!

Girl parts again, I promised Sean this will be the last showing of her privates . . . daddy says enough is enough!

Fingers and toes

May and more

2011-05-28T19:03:00.000-07:00

We have been busy this month. Colin had his 2 year well check. We had switched his doctors, so this was our first visit with Dr. Foland. She was great and did a wonderful job with CMW. He was so interested in all her doctor equipment, he kept asking, " What's that?" Dr. Foland would tell him the real name and he would just listen, it was precious. Colin was in perfect health, he weighed 26.8 lbs and was 34.5 inches tall! He is growing like a weed and really thinning out :)

Happy Birthday, Pops!

Colin was really enjoying Pops' birthday strawberry pie ;)

We have spent the past few Saturdays in the pool at Pops and Dee's house. Colin played and played and loved every minute of it. He even made all the adults spend sometime in the pool :)

Last summer Colin didn't enjoy watermelon, but that has changed! He ate 3 pieces of his own and nibbled off everyone else.

Scoot Scoot works at a movie theater, so he brought Colin one of the props as a surprise . . .

a beach ball! It was huge!

Colin decided that Dee needed to share her lemon ice . . . so he stole it from her! Sorry Dee ;)

Colin just finished his first year at Gateway Christian Preschool. It was a fabulous year and he loves it! His teacher Ms. Janet is awesome and Colin loves her very much. She was recently in a bad car accident and has been in the hospital. She is recovery, after multiple surgeries on his hand/arm. Colin made this card for Ms. Janet during his Wednesday night class. Thanks Jo Jo for helping him ;)

The finished product!

14 wks
So I haven't blogged about this big news yet, why I don't really know . . . I guess just being so busy. But we are expecting our second baby October 31. Sean and I are very happy and excited! Colin is cute about the whole things, he says there's a baby in mommy's belly. This pregnancy has been totally different than with Colin, from 6 wks to 14 wks I had MAJOR sickness . . . I was sick all day, unless I was asleep. I am so thankful to be out of this stage now!!! A very good friend of ours did an ultrasound for us a little early than normal, so that we could find out the sex. We are happy to announce that we are having a precious baby . . . . . . . GIRL!!! (I have my ultrasound with my doctor in a week, so we will double check then)
Baby Maddox Joanne will be a wonderful addition to our family :)

Spring Break

2011-05-09T18:08:00.001-07:00

We went on a real family adventure for spring break this year. Sean and I were a little nervous of the out come, because of all the traveling, but everything went great and we had an awesome time! Our first stop was New Orleans: we drove to NOLA on Easter Sunday to spend a couple of days with Grandma Lelda and Aunt Vicky. They were very happy to see us, especially Colin! Of course, we had an Easter egg hunt which my son was very serious about :) One thing about Colin Matthew is he's a thinker and always takes his time, the egg hunt was no exception!

Colin decided that he wanted to change baskets, but the basket he wanted was the smaller one which couldn't handle the "million" eggs Ganny hid ;) This ended up being a frustrating situation for CMW!

One of Grandma Lelda's neighbors came over to share some crawfish. Colin was totally interested!!!
He even had to carry one around in his basket, as you can see :)

While we were in NOLA went to the zoo, so much fun! We were nervous when we first got their because Colin thought that he needed to hold all the animals. He was throwing a fit! Mommy decided we should take an early lunch break and then try it again, the second time around was a success :)

Colin was yelling, "HOLD you tiger! HOLD you lion!"

Funny story about the orangatanges (sp). The zoo has an entire monkey and primates area, so we were visiting all the monkeys. It was extremely windy that day and Grandma Lelda wore a sun hat. A huge gust of wind blew her hat into the orangatanges' area. It was a funny scene and Colin retold the story for about a week, "Grandma's hat fell down in the monkeys!"

Colin and daddy and the climbing tree . . .

Colin chose the best seat in the house for most of the day . . . Too bad daddy didn't agree ;)

Colin climbing into the tree house area, he was amazing! Sean went with him but he did it all by himself!

Snack time while we watched the alligators

Colin had to get an alligator at the gift shop, he named him Steve :)

After a long day in the sun, he was down for the count and slept all the way home to Grandma's.

The second half of our trip was spent in Charleston/Moncks Corner, SC. We went to see Papa O and Granny Dotty. We flew from New Orleans to Chicago to Charleston. The plane rides were interesting, Colin was awesome but there was major turbulence! Dee and Pops picked us up from the airport.

During our visit we went to Charleston Aquarium, Colin loved and so did the adults.

This was so cool, the diver came up to the kids and was giving them high fives through the glass! Colin was saying, "Mommy MAN, MAN!"

The aquarium had a kids camp out area, C played in there for a long time. He loved every minute of it :)

C really loved the bridge, it was sway a little and he laughed and laughed!

Uncle Johnny came over to visit us a few times, and of course he had to bring his big truck for Colin to see.

We ate lots of good food on vacation, and this homemade ice cream was part of the goodness!
Colin was helping Papa O with the ice. He sat there the entire time the ice cream was churning :)

Homemade strawberry and chocolate ice cream, YUM!

Papa O and Granny Dotty live on Lake Moultrie, so we went on the boat a couple of days. Colin did great with the boat and wearing a life jacket. Papa O and Granny Dotty had the great idea of putting a kiddie pool on the boat, Colin played and played while we rode around. Awesome idea!

Our trip was wonderful! We spent some needed quality time with family including great grandparents. Colin was amazing on the trip. He was worn out every day from all the playing and activities, but he was a trooper for sure! Thanks Grandma Lelda, Papa O, and Granny Dotty for having us!

Happy Birthday, Colin!

2011-04-09T14:22:00.000-07:00

Happy 2nd Birthday, Colin Matthew!!!
We celebrated Colin's birthday at Gymboree this year. It was a wonderful party. We felt so blessed by the out pouring of family and friends that came to celebrate our sweet boy. Colin had a blast playing, dancing, and running around with his friends and family. There are a ton of pics so bare with me, but I wanted to capture as many moments as possible . . . he had so much fun, I don't want to forget the look on his face!

Colin and his friends Alyssa, he LOVES her :>)

Bubbles! I love these pics :)

The adults even had some fun . . . Oh, POPS!

The birthday boy in the middle of the parachute, he loved this!!!

Getting ready for cupcakes . . .

Happy Birthday to you!

We didn't even have to coach him to blow out the candle, he acted like he had been doing that for years. He is so big!

Colin had Mickey Mouse cupcakes, but his favorite part was the candy Mickeys on top :)

Presents!!!
Colin wanted to get into those as soon as he saw them, so we took a break from playing to unwrap.
Thank you everyone for the very thoughtful gifts, there were many Mickey and Buzz & Woody toys and books!

On Colin's actual birthday, we had a low key family dinner at CiCi's pizza, one of Colin's favorite things to eat :) He once again had the blowing the candle out down pat! He wanted to do over and over again!!!

Sean and I can't believe how fast these 2 years have gone by. It feels like we just brought him home from the hospital. Colin has made our family into a family, he blesses us daily. He is smart and funny, he is sweet and kind, he worries about other people's (animals) feels, he loves to laugh, he 100% boy, running and jumping and playing from the time he wakes up til the time he goes to bed, he is a daddy's boy (there bond is the most precious thing in the world, Colin's face lights up when his daddy comes home or even comes in the room), he is a fast learner, and so many more things. Colin loves Mickey, Buzz & Woody, his paci, and his Bubbas (Bubba and Other Bubba, as he calls them). He sleeps with Bubbas, Buzz & Woody, and Mickey. He snuggles with them and rubs Bubba's ear on his face or pulls Bubba's fur through his fingers :) He is a thinker and super independent. He says and does the funniest things. I am amazed daily at my son! God knew that we needed him and he needed us, we are a perfect match!
Happy Birthday to the biggest blessing in my life, my son, Colin Matthew!

Family and Friends

2011-04-09T13:44:00.000-07:00

Papa O and Granny Dotty came visit us the end of February. We had a great visit, Colin got some good bonding time with Papa O and Granny!!

We went to Crabs on the beach one night for dinner. Dinner was great and after we played in the sand on the playground. Colin had a blast!

SLIDING!!!
Colin Matthew loves to slide. This is probably his favorite thing to do on the playground . . . :>)

Colin loves daddy and mommy!!!

Colin enjoying his time at Wednesday night bible class . . .

Colin and Neil playing on Wednesday night :)

In March we went to Nashville to see our friends. It had a good visit . . . things are definitely different when you throw kids into the mix ;>) It going to be so fun to compare our pictures each year, as the babies grow up!
Colin and Mommy, Courtney and Noland, Jesse and Sam, Julie and Emery

Colin had not had a nap and was worn out when we went to the Mankin's for dinner. Good thing they had a dog bed he could lay on! ha :)

Colin playing in Emery's carseat, he thought it was so cool that he could rock it back and forth.

Baby Sam enjoying his dinner, what a cute, messy face!

I am so BEHIND!!!

2011-02-19T18:23:00.000-08:00

I am so behind . . . and this face says it all! It has been crazy around here since Christmas. For the past month and a half, we all have been sick at different times and Colin Matthew has been sick twice. He had a super bad sinus infection, constant runny nose, and his latest illness has been Fifths Disease. He is just getting over the Fifths Disease, he was home all last week with Daddy, then Mommy, then Granny Carol and Paw Paw, and then Jo Jo and Papa O and Granny Dotty (who are here for a visit). He ran a high fever for a couple days and then it tapered off to low grade for the last few days, during the high fever he had bright red circles on his face. He looked like Santa Claus! When I took him to the doc, he said that the circles were actually a rash and that C had Fifths Disease, which I had never even heard of! It is a virus, so of course you have to let it run its course, and it is extremely contagious among children . . . Nice :( I am praying that Colin is finished with sickness for a while, he has had enough and so have I!!!

During the sick days, we watched a lot of Phineas and Ferb, Mickey Mouse, and Toy Story 1,2, & 3!!

Colin is 22 months old. He loves to play ball, slide, play with trucks, ride his bike, rake the leaves, lift things, watch movies: Mickey, Toy Story, and his new favorite Despicable Me, bother Percy, be at his daddy's side 24/7 (he only wants his mama when he is sleepy), he is non-stop all day long from 7:00 am until 7:30 pm (with a nap from 1:00-4:00), he talks all the time and repeats everything, he amazes Sean and I daily with what he comes up with, he is tough, he is super independent and he knows what he wants! He still loves his Bubbas and his paci :) His is becoming more little boy and less baby everyday . . . it is sad but wonderful to experience!

Colin loves to eat yogurt, and of course he has to feed himself . . . these pictures are a perfect example of Colin when he is sick. One minute he is fine and playing and the next minute he is whining and crying. The only constant is that he will not allow you to leave the room, you must be in his sights, this goes for whoever is with him (not just mommy)!!

The first week in February, Ryan, Keeley, Reed, Braden, and Kylie came down for a visit. We had a great time hanging out with them. The kids had so much fun. I didn't get to take as many pictures as I would have liked, all the kids had been sick or were getting over being sick, so they weren't always cooperating and I had to work a couple days that they were here. So these are the best I got ;>)

All the kids loved to play in the tent with the balls, poor Kylie was not very happy!

Kylie kept trying to pet the puppies, even though her daddy didn't want her to ;>)

Sweet Reed! After Ryan and Keeley and the kids left P'cola, they went to Mobile, AL, so Reed could have a procedure down on his eye. It went well!! Many prayers were said on Reed White's behalf, he is such a miracle little boy!!!

Kylie Reese, she is probably the best baby I have ever seen! She is soooo content, it is amazing!

My son sliding head first down the slide into the tent full of balls, all I can say is "ALL BOY!!!!!"

This was the end result of Colin and Braden's tug-o-war of the shopping cart . . .

Uncle Sean thought Kylie would look good in Mrs. Potato Head's ear rings!

They matched her outfit perfectly ;>)

Colin is getting so much better at getting his haircut! He is awesome! We got it cut last weekend, he sat in my lap and was so still . . .Mrs. Stephanie was so proud of him!!!

The finished product! What a handsome boy!
(side note: I am having to wear my glasses because I have a corneal abrasion. I hoping to get back into my contacts this week! Fingers crossed!!!)

After being sick, you have to get outside and PLAY!!!

My son, the artist :)

Mama Dee thought Colin would like to have a rake just his size . . . too bad he thinks he is big! Here Pops, you can have this one!

Colin loves to organize, he gets that from his mama! He loves to put things into containers, he was taking the marbles in and out and in and out of the box and bucket!

We are on the mend now . . . praying that we, especially Colin Matthew, stay that way!!!