2016 Year In Review

2016 was a BIG year for us!! It changed our family. We are so blessed.

January - Southern started his second year with the Spurs youth basketball league, our niece Cora had her baptism, Southern participated in his first Pinewood Derby with the Cub Scouts (and won!), we went to see Wild Kratts LIVE in San Antonio, and (surprise!) the biggest event of this month was finding out that we were pregnant.

February - Remington attended nature classes at Fisher Park, Dustin and I got to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time, Dustin's great aunt Charlene Ehlers passed away, and Baylor had his last home health speech therapy session at the end of the month.

March - I registered Remington for kindergarten, Dustin and I celebrated 10 years of marriage (sunset dinner cruise date night), we spent Spring Break driving to Andrews, North Carolina (our honeymoon spot) and back (12 states in 10 days!!), Crystal Martinez passed away (a mother of one of Southern's classmates), we celebrated Easter (our house on Saturday and in Yoakum on Sunday), we found out newest baby was a boy, and Southern turned 7 (he had a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle party at Tiger Rock Martial Arts).

April - The Cub Scout campout was cancelled due to rain, we attended Sts Peter and Paul Spring Festival, Remington attended his last Sunday morning Pre-K 4 CCD class, and Southern's class went on a field trip to Natural Bridge Caverns.

May - We spent Mother's Day in Austin, Dustin attended his last SHS Sports Banquet as head golf coach, we had our first sonogram of baby boy #4, we spent the night in Victoria and attended my cousin Keleigh's graduation from VCC, we attended Josh's 40th birthday party, Remington turned 5 (Wild Kratts birthday party at Torrey Park), and Dustin totaled my Honda CR-V.

June - We took maternity pictures, Remington took swim lessons, we spent a weekend in Wharton to attend a Mass for Grandpa, we attended cousin Matt's graduation in Austin, Southern and Remington attended SPP VBS, Southern and Dustin went on a bike ride with the scouts at the missions in San Antonio, and Baylor, Remington and I went to Yoakum for our family garage sale.

July - We spent a long weekend in Brenham for 4th of July, Baylor turned 3 (Diego party at the Landa Park Zero Depth Pool), Dustin and I had a bowling date night, we all went to Natural Bridge Caverns with the scouts, Dustin and I saw Garth Brooks in concert, my K16 friends threw me a baby shower, Dustin and I saw the movie Jason Bourne at the Alamo Drafthouse (three date nights in one month?!?!), and my K18 friends threw a surprise diaper shower for me.

August - Back to school for Southern (2nd grade) and Dustin, Remington started kindergarten, we spent the weekend at the Hyatt Resort for my birthday (I turned 31), I registered at the hospital, and the boys took a big brother class.

September - Father Tony blessed expectant parents and their babies at Mass, we had my 38 week appointment with Dr Geldernick (and Dustin chose Sept 8th as Everett's birth day), we attended the Book Fair and a Lucas Miller concert at SPP, we had baby Everett and spent 2 nights at the hospital, Dustin turned 34, we attended the Comal County Fair (Remington submitted a shoebox float), and Dustin, Everett and I went to The Monkees concert in Austin.

October - Everett's first visit to The River Place, Claire turned 4 (Chuck E Cheese in San Antonio), Everett's first pumpkin patch visit, Southern and Dustin went on the scout's fall campout, Dustin and I presented a cross to Southern for his First Confession/First Communion year, we attended the SPP Fall Festival, and we dressed up for Halloween to trick or treat in our neighborhood (Everett was Scooby Doo, Baylor was Superman, Remington was Squirtle pokemon, and Southern was Charzard pokemon).

November - Remington was St Francis of Assisi at school for All Saints Day, Southern's class went on a field trip to DoSeum in San Antonio, we spent the weekend in Port Aransas for Cassie Zinke's wedding in Corpus, Remington's class went on a field trip (his first time in a school bus!) to Circle N Maze in La Vernia, Everett was baptized at Sts Peter and Paul, we went to Yoakum for Thanksgiving, and we started putting up Christmas decorations at home.

December - We celebrated St Nick's Day at home by opening stockings together as a family that evening, Remington's class went on a field trip to a local nursing home to carol, the boys got to take pictures with Santa, Southern and Remington had their school Christmas concert, Dustin and I celebrated 17 years since he asked me to be his girlfriend by taking the family out to IHOP, Southern and Remington had their class Christmas parties, and we spent several days celebrating Christmas with various family members in Yoakum, Gonzales, and New Braunfels.

Everett's First 3 Months

Everett is already 3 months old. Where has the time gone?

It is just flying by, and each day is SO busy. Everett has gone to visit big brothers at school, he's gone on play dates, he's visited family out of town, he's gone to a wedding, he's gone to the beach, he's stayed in a hotel, and he's even attended his first concert - The Monkees!! (I don't know how he could ever top that!)

At 3 months old, Everett weighs about 15 lbs. He's wearing size 6 month clothes and size 2 diapers. His hair is dark brown (and thinning), and his eyes are a light blue color. He hasn't gotten sick yet (thank you, God!), and he's a great eater. He still nurses quite often during the day (only going about 1-2 hours at the most between feedings) and cluster feeds at night. He sleeps 5-7 hours straight most nights!! (That started when he was about 2 months old - before then, it was up after only 2-4 hours.) He has been in his crib in his own room for almost 2 weeks now. He is starting to smile more and more, and he loves to be held. He likes to kick his legs. He loves laying in his little bath tub while big brothers are bathing and enjoys his own bath time when Daddy pours the warm water on him. He also likes laying in his little woodland friends bouncer and watching the animal toys sway on the toy bar. And his first tooth is already starting to grow in!

Southern has been so excited about Everett since he first learned I was pregnant. He couldn't wait for the baby to be born. So on Everett's first day of life when Southern asked if he could hold him, I told him "sure!".

Everett's first bath at home

Everett's first time in the stroller. (This was a baby shower gift we received when I was pregnant with Southern)

Everett's first trip to get the mail

one month old

Everett's first time in the Ergo

our first family picture at home

Baylor refuses to nap during the day and will some times fall asleep on the car ride to school to pick up big brothers. When he naps that late, he stays up late. He and Everett are our night owls.

Everett's first lunch at school with big brothers

Everett spent his nights during the first 2 3/4 months in the Rock N Play by our bed.

Everett's first presidential election!  

Picking up Everett's birth certificate - he slept through the whole thing

Everett's first Halloween

picnicking at the park

At the KinderMoms Halloween party. Everett was our little tennis ball.

Everett started smiling in his sleep occasionally before he started smiling as a reaction to us smiling and talking to him.

before the school fall festival

Everett made it through most of election night but fell asleep before we had the final count

Everett's first time on the ferry 

with Great Granny Ehlers

on Halloween night

after visiting the USS Lexington

with Joyce

Everett's first time on the beach

after the wedding

in Port A

With Granny Hahn

Everett's last night in our room

putting up the Christmas tree

Everett napping on his biggest brother

with Santa