Summertime in '09

Summer is crazy! It is so much fun! Noah wants to be outside every minute of the day. He doesn't care if it's raining or dark- he wants to be there! I love sitting outside with him, but I can only do it so much! And he inevitably gets a tick. He can think about playing outside and he gets a tick! In fact, I've gotten 2 off of him today alone!

We've only been in Pops and KK's pool twice, but Noah is loving it! The water is still too cold for me. I atleast put Kate's swimsuit on her for pictures and put her toes in the water. I think she really did like it! She is one cutie in her surf shirt and bottoms. A tankini I guess you would call it. Me, of all people, I never thought I would say this- but no bikinis for her!

Nathan talked about this last week at church and I am so proud of him... he has felt compelled to garden! We are far from farmers, but we are venturing into this new world with open hearts. With the help of some friends we have started a garden at church and we have our first garden at our house. It's very exciting. We have big plans for these little plots of earth. We are going to learn to can and we are going to share the food with those in need. Our church is constantly getting calls from people that are in some sort of need. We have a food pantry that was very full and now it's not. It didn't take long to empty. So, here's the plan- We are having a worship service at our church this Sunday night, June 14th, and the admission is canned food. We are gong to stock the pantry! We would love to have all of our friends and family join us. It has become very close to our hearts as we are called to feed the hungry.

On a lighter note... Kate is now 3 months old. It seems like she has been in our lives forever. She is truly a joy. She is a very happy baby who loves to laugh and smile. She is rolling over, laughing, holding her head up, and she really LOVES her big brother. But, he can't be trusted around her! He wants to help and he really tries. She was crying and he gave her one of his gummy vitamins because he knew it was medicine and medicine makes you feel better. Later that week he gave her a cheerio because she was hungry. Don't worry I quickly fish these things out of her mouth, but she does not want to give them up. We started cereal this week and it is a success. She loves it. I hope we have another good eater on our hands. I will have her 3 month pictures on the web album soon.

Summer camp is coming soon which means Nathan will be gone with the band. Which means the kids and I will be missing him so much! Pray for us all. Pray that God uses his music to touch the hearts of the teenagers, and pray that we stay sane at home!

Until next time.....

The love of a mother...

The Loxleys have definitely been busy lately. I feel worn out just after a day at home. Having 2 kids is alot of work! In light on Mother's Day this past weekend, I feel like I should say thank you to all of the moms out there. Having kids is not easy and thank you is not said enough. Playing with kids is fun, but disciplining, feeding, and teaching them is all part of it. Then we still have to take care of our husbands first and foremost. And don't forget the house. Cooking, cleaning, laundry, hosting fun parties!...I don't think I knew what I was getting into! :) Actually I love it! I'm tired, but it's very rewarding. I know that moms everywhere are saying the same thing. But a day to relax is always appreciated. Also, on Mother's Day, we had our baby dedications at church. It had been awhile since the last one and there were 26 families with dedications, a total of about 30 kids. WOW! Kate was one of those precious babies and she was perfect. She wore a beautiful dress that was the one I wore home from the hospital. I'm so thrilled that I have a few that my mom saved. Nathan and I feel like the baby dedication is very special. A small public promise, that is a huge inward covenant with God and our church that we commit to raising our child in the way of the Lord. That's what being a mom is all about.

Life at 24 Church is amazing. God is doing great things! We started 2 services in March and are having large crowds and great services. 4 new Home Teams were started this past month and we were one of those groups. We are a group of 12 people that have committed to an 18 month time period as a small group. Last week was our first meeting and it was a surprise fun outing. We had so much fun. We went on a scavenger hunt that my dad wrote for us throughout downtown Nashville. It was a neat way to get to know one another. The women won, of course!

We're looking forward to a deeper relationship and understanding of the Word. And it's a great excuse for me to make some delicious desserts! I've also joined the Martha team at church, which is the cleaning crew! So, I feel like I'm learning every square inch of the building, atleast the floors. I do a lot of sweeping. I'm enjoying myself though. On a good day, there are going to be 4 of us there, and we have some good laughs. Our kids about kill each other, or have the best time making the biggest messes!

Last night I had a night out of the house with my best friend, Sara! Actually Kate and I had a night out. We ate dinner at the Cheesecake Factory and talked about life. It was wonderful. Sara is getting married in 3 months to Andy and I am so excited! I love hearing about the details and can't wait to see how God works in their lives. Oh, and the wedding is going to be so much fun!

So, that's just a little bit of what is going on lately. Go to our web album for pictures of the past weeks. There are quite a few. Nathan is a year older and Kate is getting a lot more personality!

Newborn Pictures

Last week we finally had Kate's newborn pictures taken and we already have them back! They are wonderful. Thank you Dusty! I have uploaded several of them to our web album, for your viewing pleasure. Everything is going great. Kate is such a gassy baby and I'm trying to remedy that- and everyone has a different opinion. So this week is consumed with making her feel better. A pediatrician (not mine, but one from his office) told me to eliminate dairy from my diet. And this is after I've told her I'm eliminating salad, most veggies, and most fruit! What else is left besides meat? I talked to a lactation nurse today who told me that was crazy and that Kate was probably eating too much! What?!?! She said everything should regulate soon, just to be patient and not change my diet. I am willing to try anything, I just want her to feel better. She seems to be so uncomfortable. But, besides that- everything really is great! Noah is a wonderful big brother, who despite our fears, seems to be adjusting really well. He loves to share his toys. He even has some new stuffed animals that he feeds and changes their diapers. :) It's adorable!

Nathan enjoyed 3 weeks off from church and starts back this week. And just in time!- Our church is starting to have 2 services on Sunday. Very exciting! In our life it means for a tired Daddy by lunchtime. But it is well worth it! So, keep him in your prayers!

Well, Kate has started to cry and Noah is wanting some attention, so I'm needed.

Enjoy the pictures and this beautiful weather outside!

Kate Ann Loxley

She's here! And already a week old. The past week has been a blur, but it has been amazing. You all know I was supposed to be induced on Tuesday, well... Kate was not satisfied to be born on Fat Tuesday. What a legacy for a lady! So, she decided to grace us with her presence a little early. On Monday morning my water broke (I was pretty sure!) and a few hours later I was even more sure and called the doctor's office to confirm my suspicions. Nathan called his mom to get the ball rolling for Noah's handoff. We weren't in any hurry after our LONG day with Noah's delivery. Well, Nana had 2 flat tires on her way to our house, but she made it and ruined the tires! We waited for the tow truck and decided she would take my car and Nathan and I would go in his truck. A couple of hours later we left, made a few stops on the way to take care of some business, and then headed to the hospital. We got there around 12:30, got checked in, were in triage for an hour or so, and then got settled into a delivery room. I was about a 4 at this point. We hadn't even told many people we had gone to the hospital, because we knew it would be a long night. So no one was in a hurry to get there. Noah's sitter for the day was sick, so Nana was making plans for him so she could be there for the delivery. I told my mom to wait and come after school. Maybe an hour and a half later I got my epidural with no protest from me! It made my legs feel numbish, but not my abdomen! I was feeling my contractions. They kept getting worse and after a second dosage fix on the epidural, it wasn't working. I was crying from the pain and the doctor came in with a syringe and pumped a c section dosage into my back! praise God! Then the nurse discovered Kate's head was visible and I was ready to push. No wonder I was in so much pain. They apologized and warned me I might not have enough time to let the epidural kick in. They kept me lying down and paged my doctor twice. Everyone went into action since Kate was coming at a rapid rate that nobody was ready for. And no one but my parents had made it to the hospital yet! About 10 minutes later I started pushing and pushed for 3 minutes. At that point all of the days problems and obstacles vanished! She was 7 lbs 3.5 oz and 19.5 inches. 2 lbs and 2 inches smaller than Noah. Whew! She is such a blessing and I can't believe it's been a week. She's sitting here with me as I type and she's just a little snuggle bug. It's hard to remember these days with Noah, but I definitely don't want to take them for granted. Please continue to pray for our family. It is such an adjustment, but I think we're all rising to the challenge, even big brother! This morning he even let her play with his beloved Mack (from the CARS movie)! Today is Nathan's first day back at work, so pray for him especially. He has been super dad and I know has LOVED every minute of being at home with his family. Check out our web album for many, many pictures of our first few days!

5 days or less

Well, the title is correct, I'm having a baby in 5 days or less! This lil' lady is being induced out of my body on February 24th if she doesn't come before then. Wow! That is exciting and scary to say at the same time. I can't wait to meet her and hold her in my arms and finally KNOW that she is safe and healthy. For now, and for the past 9 months, all I've been able to do is pray and rely on God. That is such an amazing feeling- no control at all. I hate it. I am just that kind of person. But I love God with all of my heart and I know that He is in control and that's got to be enough! So, lil' lady whose name you don't yet know will greet us all very soon. Her room is officially ready! Nathan hung the curtains for me last night and I set up empty picture frames! I love her room. It came together how I pictured it in my head and it's really sentimental for me. It is definitely a repurposed room! Her bedding was made out of some of my old bedding (thank you Melody!). Her furniture is new and old. Her dressing table which is being used as a changing table was my mom's when she was a little girl and then I used it too. My parents bought me a dresser to match and that's in her room too. We bought the crib and shelves to match. It's really nice to see it all together and know how special it is and will be for her to use too! Here is a picture of the room and several more are in our web album. We haven't hung the stuff on the wall yet, because her name is going to go above her crib!

We'll let you know once she arrives!

Doctor Appointments!

This has already been a full week, and it's just Wednesday! It seems like we have so many appointments. Yesterday Noah had his 2 year well check-up and he's doing wonderful. He is 31 lbs (85 %) and 34 in (32 %). I can't believe he's actually short! The doctor says he's fine and there's nothing to worry about. He is doing exceptional in motor skills and verbal skills. After we had seen the doctor and were waiting for the nurses to come back to do his shot, Noah fell and busted his lip. I had to get the nurses, who had to get the doctor. What in the world?!? He's fine now, but cried and cried! Because of where it was they don't do stitches, but it was not pretty. He wanted his daddy. And of course, I wanted his daddy too! It never fails for something to happen.

On Monday I had my doctor appointment and everything was great there too. Lil Lady is right on track and we instantly found her heartbeat. I start going every week next week. That is the true sign of getting close to my due date. I am 35 weeks. We are going to try to pay attention to my measurements and make sure she's not a huge baby like Noah was. I just have to pray for dilation. If everything looks good, he said he would induce me a little early. Isn't that awesome? I definitely want a big baby, but not over 9 lbs like Noah was. That is so big!

Well, on Friday Noah turned 2! It was an exciting day. He had a breakfast of royalty with eggs, bacon, and cinnamon rolls. That's better than I get! He got to stay in his pajamas until lunch timme and his daddy was home to play, play, play! We went to Monkey Joe's (a playground of inflatables) with a few friends and then back to Pops and KK's for pizza and cake. He was such a pleasant and happy little boy all day and I think he had a lot of fun. He's definitely 2 and testing his limits with his temper, but I know it's only a phase. I pray they aren't so terrible. Thank you to everyone who sent birthday wishes to Noah. He is so loved and it is such a blessing.

Oh, and I almost forgot! I've posted our new pictures on our web album. We had Noah's 2 year, maternity, and family pictures taken last week. Our dear friend, Dusty, from church, has started doing photography and we decided to ask her to do these. She did an amazing job. She's a perfectionist and it shows in her pictures. So, check out our pictures and call Dusty! A link to her blog is on the right- DH Studios. Enjoy!

Big Boy Noah!

Last night was the night! We've been talking about it for weeks, but Noah finally slept in his race car bed (PICTURE #2) all night last night!!!! It was really only our second honest attempt, and we put him in it after he fell asleep on the couch...but he stayed. He woke up twice, at 1:30 AM and at 3:30 AM. He didn't get out of the bed though. He stayed in it and cried for us. I went in there to lie with him and he went back to sleep (and so did I). He woke up for good at 7AM, but we weren't upset because he fell asleep at 9:30 PM (PICTURE #1). We have a video monitor on him so we can see if he gets out of the bed, but the night before he had to get back in his baby bed because he kept getting up. I don't think he likes his crib being called a baby bed. He likes the idea of being a big boy. AND, baby sister just got a new crib and he's a big brother and can't be like her!

So, that's the news of the day. We were very proud of him. I guess this all comes with being 2. Friday is Noah's 2nd Birthday. I am still a little in shock that he is already 2. In certain ways I'm afraid the terrible 2's are starting, but in others I can see him growing up so much! Last night, he told me to be patient! His next sentence was "Watch McQueen Right Now!", so... he obviously hears us when we tell him to be patient, but I'm not sure it's working.