Look Who Else is Reading

3 1/2 folks!!!! And this was the first time he picked up the book. We are really working with Baker at home and sweet Caleb is dying to join the fun. In fact...he's probably reading better than Baker...bc he wants to and Baker doesn't! Either way...mommy's pretty proud of both her boys!

Elise Talking

Cardboard Sledding

We recently took a trip to Chattanooga to hang out with Uncle Burt. The boys love sledding down the hill at Renaissance Park.

Bed time

At night, Baker likes me to read nursery rhymes. He is going completely off of memory...not bad!




 Baker wanted to read his book to Caleb and Elise

 

5 Little Pumpkins

Baker recently had a fall party in his kindergarden readiness class. He is the 5th little pumpkin on the far right.

2 week old Elise

Sorry for the slow updates...will try to catch up on some pics! Here was Elise at 2 weeks. This was the outfit Mommy came home from the hospital in!

4 weeks

My 4 week old sweetheart wearing another one of Mommy's baby dresses to church. She was finally able to get her first "submerged" bath! Baker was a great helper!

Happy Halloween

One Month Old

I had my one month check up today. I've grown an inch and now weigh 8.8 lbs!!!


Yawn!!! It's hard being so adored!


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Why Elise Rebecca?

I've been wanting to write a post about Elise's name for a while.  Even before three kids that proved difficult.  How am I finding time to now???  I'm at my mom's!

Naming this sweet little one was going to be tough as names are a big deal to me.  I love my boys' names.  I never set out to name them the way I did, they just sort of fell into place.  (Read here to see why their names mean what they do to me http://watsonwarriors.blogspot.com/2009/04/caleb-burton-watson-is-here.html).  So girl or boy, this name had to mean something as well. 

Elise!
With this pregnancy I wouldn't really allow myself to think of names.  I didn't want to think of a boys name, and I wouldn't let myself think of a girls.  The one thing I knew, however, is that my husband and I really liked the name "Elle" as a special pet/nick name that only we would call her.  There is a reason, but that is another story.  So one day I randomly looked at "El-" names and came across the name "Elise." I really liked it, but it wasn't until I saw what it meant that I fell in love with it.  Different translations have it as "God's promise, God's covenant, consecrated to God."  It was perfect.  She wasn't God's promise to us that we were going to finally have our little girl.  More....she was Josh and I's promise to God....to love her, to love each other, to promise that we are "in" this marriage through all its ups and downs.  It's no surprise to anyone that we hit those "bumps" in the road as a couple. But we moved forward, we kept fighting, and kept loving.  From the very beginning of the pregnancy this child felt like such a precious gift from God.....one we didn't want to take for granted, a blessing we in no way wanted to minimize.  Elise - "Consecrated to God" - set apart for God's purpose. 

Grace upon grace!!! 

Rebecca!
My grandmother's name is Rebecca Ellis. My mother's name is Rebecca Dawn.  I am Laura Rebecca.  So.....could there be any other name but Elise Rebecca!  And for only those few privilidged who would understand this.....her (lots and lots of Great) Grandmother's English name became Rebecca when it was changed from Pocahontas! =)

Elise Rebecca is here!!!

In the wee hours of the morning on September 13, labor began!  I was a little apprehensive about it this time, as I really can say I have been lucky to have never truly "felt" labor with my other children.  With Baker, I was induced and the doctor had them give me my epidural before she broke my water.  So I never felt contractions.  With Caleb, my water broke and contractions started once I got the hospital.....and I had an epidural almost immediately because I was already so far dilated. 

 

So....here I was, baby #3, knowing it wasn't going to be the same, and most likely, not so easy!  Contractions started around 3 am, however they were very light and very inconsistent.  I even texted 2 of my "new mom" friends hoping they were up nursing and could talk to me and tell me if I was actually in labor or not.  To be on my third child, I felt like it was my first.  By 4 am I woke up Josh and had him call his Dad to come to the house.  And by 5 am....we were on our way to the hospital with contractions every 5 minutes!  I was dilated to a 6 when we got there and you would have thought I was being rushed into emergency surgery the way the nurses were getting me in, registered, and having my epidural put in.  The sweet lady even had me "verbally" give my constent for the epidural because she didn't want to wait any longer on the paper work as I was progressing so quickly. 

 

Elise, however, slowed down a little and made her arrival into the world at 11:17 am after only 2 pushes.  She has been such a joy and such a wonderful baby!  She eats and sleeps like a champ....something new to me as my boys did NEITHER well!  And I am loving having my sweet girl and all the PINK....finally =)!  Baker and Caleb are learning to love their sister and be "gentle."

Orange Beach 2012

This past July my parents took our whole family to Orange Beach.  I hadn't been there in over 10 years, and being 28 weeks pregnant, it was a nice change of pace. We basically spent all day every day at the beach digging holes, swimming, and soaking up the sun!  Here are just a FEW of the many, many pics that we took during the week!

Fall!!!

Loving the fall weather! Great day for the playground after school!







And dinner outside!!!



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Swim Lessons

Car Wash

I pulled into the driveway tonight and this is what I saw....












....Daddy washing his cars and the boys washing theirs!!! Too cute!!

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Around and Around

Seriously? How many times can we make a circle just to knock the swing? Hours of entertainment and mommy is dizzy!!!

I apologize for our lack of posting. We haven't had Internet at the house for a couple of months. When I ever get around a computer with Internet our blog will blow up with pictures. A few updates...we are having a girl:)! Anyone that knows us though...knew that months ago. But I just realized I never even posted that! She has a name and the room is coming along! I'll share more on that later. The boys are getting ready to start two new schools, much closer to home. And prayerfully Baker will start kindergarten readiness this year. He's definitely not ready for kindergarten, but I'm ready for him to be challenged more than preschool. It seems like a perfect solution...if he can get in! We bought a mini van! Yes...add that to the list of things I said I'd never do. But it has been a huge blessing and I am loving the room! We took a week vacation to Gulf Shores! The boys loved it and I definitely felt like a beached whale. Other than that we are just living life day by day...doing our best to keep loving deeper, fighting harder, and trusting God with our steps. Through all the "glamorous" updates, we've had our fair share of challenges lately. It makes me truly think of a friend of mine's song lyrics...."I pray these storms will stay, till they take what they came for." I have seen with every struggle God's fingerprints on this family. No matter how difficult, or how one storm just seems to roll into another, I know God is cleansing our hearts and our lives right now. And I'm thankful for it...for the lessons, for his unending love and grace, and for those storms! Hopefully more updates soon...but don't hold your breath just in case! :)

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Aquarium

Back in May Josh ran a trail race in Chattanooga! We had a blast spending the day on my old turf and seeing the Aquarium!