Well, once again, here I am... going to say "sorry" for not posting in the last 4 months~I guess I am just not cut out for this blogging thing! I'll keep trying though.

Here's our little family...We welcomed a healthy 7 lb 4 oz little boy into the world at 1:57 pm on October 16, 2009! Delivery went well~ fast and easy~ I think I only pushed 4 or 5 times... he was out in less than 15 minutes from when I started pushing!! Thank God for Epidurals!!






At Sylas's 4 week appointment he weighed 8 lbs 10 oz and was 21.5 inches long~ at at his 8 week appointment he weighed 10 lbs 7 oz and was 22 inches long. in the 25% for both height and weight!

This picture was taken when Sylas was 4 weeks old. This is one of my favorite pictures of him!

I will have to post more pictures later- they are all on my husbands computer so I have get them transferred to mine.

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We took our first "road trip/vacation" as a family over New Years down to Ocean Isle Beach. One of our good friends parents has a house down there and invited us along with 3 other couples. One of the other couples had a daughter 3 days older than Sylas- so it was really cool having another baby around.








Sylas has made some new friends and has playdates with them almost weekly! On Mondays, we go and walk the mall - but once it gets warmer and nicer outside I am sure that will move to an outside event! And then we try to get together one other time during the week either at someones house or to grab lunch. Obviously these are more of a social event for the mom's rather than the children, but with hopes the babies end up having to together as they get older!

Our friends here are Jordyn (11.3.09) and Evan (08.23.09). There are a few others we play with each week, but we don't have pictures of them yet! We will be having a play date one day this week and will try to get some pictures of all our buddies together!

Sunflowers and a Baby

Once again, It's been forever since I've posted. I hope to get better with this blogging thing.

Well, I am 34 weeks now, and feel like I am ready to pop! I am still working at the Y, but I am not sure for how much longer. I can feel my days getting shorter and shorter, only because I am more and more tired.

We went on a trip out week a few weeks ago, and had a great time. We spent some time with Brent's parent's as well as going a bit south down to Ashland, OR where Brent went to school. Ashland reminds me a lot of a mixture between Boone and Ashville. One of Brent's friends who he went to school with got married down there, and we had a WONDERFUL time!

On our way back to Portland, we stopped along I-5 where there was a huge corn field which had sunflowers growing around it. We couldn't pass up this opportunity to take a few pictures with my favorite flowers and my pregnant belly!

a house, a baby, and a kick

Well, once again...it's been awhile since I have given you all an update- and there seems to be a lot to say! Well, first on the list is we have bought a new house- We are very excited! The house is down in the Steel Creek area of Charlotte, which is right south of Carowinds-very close to the South Carolina border. We should be closing towards the end of May- it is your typical 3 bedroom 2.5 bath- it also has a big back deck across the back with a fenced in yard. The house backs up to a small creek and woods- I owe a HUGE "Thank You" to my sister who has helped us through the process of 'house hunting'!!

Okay, I know you all want some baby news!!! I have been to the doctor 3 times in the last several weeks!! I know, thats a lot- I guess I am just a crazy pregnant woman who is going to jump at every chance I get to see my baby- well, not really, but kind of- ALL I ever wanted 7 weeks ago, was just to see him/her! Now, I've seen him/her enough! Not really- but yes, 3 times!! The coolest thing is to see how much the baby has actually grown! The issue is, I have a hematoma- which is like a bruise outside of the sack the baby is in (sound gross I know- but it's okay) I was first told to take it easy and not push myself so much- well, that's kind of hard for me. Anyway, this last time I went to the doctor (I was 15 weeks) she said the hematoma has got about 1cm bigger than was 2 weeks before, but she isn't too worried about it at this point in the pregnancy, and just to keep taking it easy. So, every chance I get, I sit down- which isn't too often.

At 15 wks 3 days I swore I felt the baby move. Then I didn't feel it again for several days- until last night- the same bubble feeling; and again several times today. So, I am pretty sure it is the baby I am feeling-If not, cause I know I am early on that, I want to think it is. It is the coolest feeling in the world- but I know I am talking to the choir! I go back to the doctor on this Friday; and I am sure they will do another ultra sound just to check up on things and make sure that thing hasn't got any bigger.

Hope all is well with each of you- and Happy Mothers Day!!

Nothing New to Report!

Well, i know it has been several weeks since my last post. But there isn't much more news to share. I went to see the Nurse Practitioner last week Friday. She did nothing but ask a TON of questions. I was really hoping she would try to listen to the heart beat, but she didn't. I do go back in 2 weeks from yesterday, and I see my regular doctor-so I am sure she will do something!! At least the heartbeat, if not, an ultrasound too!!

This Sunday my mom, my sister, and several friends are doing a triathlon. We all are doing it in a team so each of us only has to do one part of it. My sister and I are doing the swimming part for our teams and my mom is doing the bike for ours! I am pretty excited- but everytime I have gone to swim the last several weeks, I have felt like I was going to get sick!! I just hope I don't get sick there- I'd make a TON of people upset!

Anyway, since I don't have much to report now, I am going to get going!!

Tax Deduction

Well, I am 6 weeks and 4 days today!! I haven't really been sick yet- just the constant nausea feeling all day long. If i had to consider any type of morning sickness, it would mostly been in the evening after dinner. But, boy do i have the case of the moodiness!!! I am tired most of the time, and the slightest things make me cry (or upset)!! I am going to blame it all the pregnancy-Brent doesn't like that too much; but it works just fine for me!

Well, our taxes are done- and have been E-filed!! YEA!!! I know, I am ahead of the game-I have a bit of OCD when it comes to them. We pay someone to do our taxes-when he called me the other day to tell me he was done with them, I told him the money we are getting back is going to go into a college savings fund (I really wish that was true) he was happy for us- When he mailed us all our tax info stuff back, there was a "tax-deduction" onesie in the envelope! I think I have seen them before, but I thought it was really sweet of him to do so. I know, some of you might think that is weird our tax guy did that- but our families grew up together at Church. (I even think my sister went to prom with him at some point)

I wanted to try and post once a week on here, but I am going to go ahead and say, I don't think that is going to happen. I will post when something new comes up- which if i can get through the next several weeks-

Say a prayer for me- that i don't totally lose my mind.

Thanks a million!!!

Love, Ariail

The News Is Public

Well, we all have a big mouth and can't keep a secret for anything. I went to the doctor yesterday and she confirmed what we already knew. I took my mom to the doctor with me only because Brent got on a plan 18 hours hours after he got home from Daytona. I am sure everyone feels the same about this, but I really wanted him there since he was there when this baby was made. Oh well! My mom is a labor and delivery nurse at a local hospital so it makes it easier to have her around; since she knows whats going on and to tell me what to expect!!

I am 5 weeks and 1 day today. And yesterday, when I was getting dressed my "big" jeans were already a bit snug! You know how jeans loosen up during the day~ well, these jeans NEVER loosened up! I wore those things for 15 hours and I had to keep them unbuttoned almost ALL day!! I haven't really felt any sickness issues. I felt some nausea on Monday right after I ate a few club crackers and then when I went to bed that same night. Nothing really sounds good to eat, that's all. However, I am piecing things together from early last week!! Last Monday morning I texted my cousin (who I also work with) and asked her if she wanted Chinese for lunch~ she responded "no, i brought my lunch today. What are you pregnant craving Chinese at 9 in the morning???" Obviously I had NO CLUE!! Then a lady at work came into our office and shut the door~ She smelled to have just ran through the mall and got sprayed by every single perfume lady!! I felt like I was starting to gag and then I thought I was going to projectile vomit all over her!!! I got up and left! But, now, i understand it all!!!

WOW. This is going to be fun and exciting!!

Happy Valentines Day and Happy Birthday!!

Here I go, I guess it is time I start my own blog. I have read and many dreamed of the day I could start my own. And, that day has come~ not only to start my own blog, but to start my own family!!! Yes, you read that right, I said "to start my own family".

I came down to Daytona Beach, FLA with Brent for the Daytona 500 (who wouldn't like a free vacation??) and found out I was pregnant on February 12th. Brent was at the track working and we had already planned on doing dinner that night for Valentines/his birthday. Well, that didn't happen, he didn't finish working until about 9ish so I went to dinner with some other friends~ we both finally got back to the hotel room about 10:15 Thursday evening. I told him I wanted to go ahead and give him his birthday/valentines day cards but he wasn't having it. I told him I couldn't wait so he had to open them now. The first one was just a general card and the 2nd one was the BIG SURPRISE!! He opened it, and read it out loud...."Happy Birthday Dad, from the both of us".. he didn't understand at first and then he looked at me and said "oh um, are you prego???" yes, just like that!! That was it~ we decided not to tell anyone until after I went to the doctor, but those of you who know Brent, he has a BIG mouth!!! Needless to say, Brent and I will be parents, and are due around October 20th, 2009.