Matthew's 1st Beach Trip

Matthew and I flew to South Carolina in June to spend a week at Surfside Beach with Nana and Aunt Sissy (AKA: my Mom and my Sister). This was my last trip “home” before we make the big move to Japan in August , so it was somewhat bittersweet for me. We were sad to leave Ryan in Little Rock, but knew he would have been with us if he didn’t have Navigator training obligations. It also happened to be Matthew’s first trip to the beach, so of course, I caught as much of it on camera as possible. It took a few days for Matthew to adjust to the sand and the waves, but once he got used to it, he really had a great time. Poppy (AKA: my Dad) met us at the beach towards the end of the week, and Matthew had a blast playing with him in the ocean! Overall, it was an amazing week with family!

Here are some of my favorite photos from our trip…

When we arrived in Charlotte, we stopped by to see my brother, David, at his office.  Matthew instantly loved being with him and held his hand as we walked through the parking lot. It was so sweet!

Matthew had lots to say on the beach.  I could barely get him to stop talking and smile for the camera!

Nana and Matthew took a walk one evening and I was able to capture some great pictures from our balcony.  It was really precious to see them walking in step with one another.

Matthew's "trick" of the week was that he discovered how to stick his finger up his nose!

This is one of my favorite photos. Matthew was getting ready for his bath and was super happy.  His smile and giggle just make my heart melt!

Cuddling with Nana!

Discovering seashells with Aunt Sissy!

Playing with Poppy in the ocean!

Our last night in Rock Hill, SC before heading back to Little Rock, AR.  Aunt Jennifer and Uncle David read Matthew his bedtime stories.  He was really comfortable snuggling on the couch with them!

Time flies when you're having fun!

Where has the time gone?  I can't believe it's been 3 months since my last blog post...wow, I'm slack!  I promise to do better from now on.  I've been procrastinating at this because I'm not sure how I'm supposed to update everyone with what we've been up to since March in one blog post.  Is it impossible?  Probably not.  Will it be lengthy?  Probably.  Oh well, hang in there...I'm going to give this a try. 

Life has kept us busy these last few months.  Ryan's training here at Little Rock Air Force Base, AR is going really well.  I'm so proud of him!  He stays very busy and is exhausted by the time his work day is complete, yet he still manages to play hard with Matthew when he gets home!  They really are a funny pair when they play -- and I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing Matthew giggle and laugh when he and his Daddy are really having fun!  It's the best part of my day!

At the beginning of April, we attended the Easter Sunrise Service at the lake here on base.  It started at 6:30am, and I'm proud to say that we were there on time!  It was much colder than we had expected so we ended up bundling Matthew up in my pink pashmina.  The service was very uplifting and it was really special to spend the morning in the presence of God as the sun rose above the lake.

April was also a very special month for my brother, David, as he married his beautiful bride, Jennifer, on Saturday, April 10 in Charlotte, North Carolina.  The wedding was just breathtaking and it was truly a ceremony centered around God.  We could not have picked a better wife for David.  They bring out the best in each other and we were honored to celebrate with them. 

(The Siblings: Ryan, Laura, Jennifer, David, Anna, and Steve)

(Anna, Mom, David, Dad, Laura)

(Our little family)

May also proved to be a very eventful month.  On Memorial Day weekend, Matthew had a horrible allergic reaction to amoxycillin (penicillin) and broke out in a rash that spread from head to toe.  The reaction caused his hands and feet to swell, his face was so swollen that his eyes could barely open, he ran a constant fever, he stopped eating and drinking, and he was basically a very miserable little boy for over a week.  We made three trips to the Children's Hospital here in Little Rock, AR and received wonderful care.  I couldn't have asked for better doctors to treat Matthew.  Ryan and I felt so helpless as parents.  You never want to see your child in pain.  It's heart wrenching.  Thankfully, after an IV of fluids, some medication, and lots of rest, our sweet baby made a full recovery.  I praise God every day for our healthy little boy!

Our final news in this very lengthy blog post (and I promise I won't wait this long to post again...) is that Matthew had his 18 month check-up on June 24, and he weighs 30lbs. 6oz. and is 32 3/4 inches tall!  He's growing so fast and we are trying to soak up every moment with him.  It's exhausting to try to keep up with a toddler, but we couldn't be happier!  God is SO good! 

Mr. Hollywood

We've taken several videos of Matthew over the last few weeks now that his personality is really starting to shine.  He LOVES the camera and always puts on a great show, so I thought I should share some of our favorites with you.

I had just poured myself my first cup of coffee of the morning and walked back around the corner to find Matthew quietly talking to himself and playing in his "toy area" in the living room.  He had completely pulled everything out of his toy bins and was happily looking through it all on the floor.  I managed to capture some of it on video and can't help but laugh every time I watch him in action!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuqJMeG1-9Q

Matthew loves taking a bath...and he especially loves bubble baths!  Here are a few videos that we took one night when Matthew was extra animated in the tub.  My personal favorite is when he tries to say the word butterfly.  It just melts my heart to hear that sweet voice!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyiIvQLS-CE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdzCEW9h_Dc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1d3EhXljmw

One evening at supper (this was about a month ago), Matthew and I were discussing all the family members he loved and he was really getting excited as we talked about everyone.  Of course, in my tired state, I completely missed asking Matthew if he loved his Uncle Steve (my sister's husband).  I feel horrible, so I'll have to capture this on video again one day soon, but for now take note of how much Matthew loves Waddles (our sweet dog)!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rnszhawmb1Y

Matthew still isn't walking on his own yet, but we bought him a new toy to push around the house and he loves it.  In my opinion, he doesn't need anything to assist his walking - he swings that toy around like a pro!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghWPkP99axs

Being a Mother is the biggest blessing and a daily joy!

Matthew's 1st Haircut

Matthew had his first haircut yesterday and he had a blast!  I wasn't sure how he was going to handle sitting still while someone cut his hair, but thanks to the airplane seat he could play in and some crackers to keep him busy, he did great!  We went to a place called Pigtails & Crewcuts, which specializes in children's haircuts, and they were kind enough to give me a few locks of Matthew's hair and also took a photo and put it in a nice card to add to his baby book.  I was sad to see his baby curls go, but they made the experience enjoyable for Matthew so that made it much easier. 

I may be biased, but I think I have one handsome boy and the pictures to prove it!

Crayola Time

Matthew had his first experience with crayons this past weekend and he really had fun...well, he had fun trying to eat the crayons more than he did coloring on the paper!  In one of the pictures you can actually see a piece of the orange crayon in his teeth -- oops -- so glad they are non-toxic!  Here are a few pictures of our budding little artist.  We're so proud!

Moving and Snow Daze...

I'm happy to report that we have successfully made the move from San Antonio, TX to Little Rock, AR.  It was a hectic week of moving and we are thankful to have this portion of our move complete.  Since Ryan had to go ahead to Little Rock, we were so thankful that my Mom was able to come and help me deal with the move and to help with Matthew.  She was a blessing and I wouldn't have been able to do it without her.  Plus, Matthew got to spend some quality time with his Nana!

Here are a few pictures of the moving week.  It was very difficult for Ryan to leave us and not be there to help with the move, but it worked out well for him to go ahead of us and have everything ready for our arrival to Little Rock.  Once again, God always provides exactly what we need just when we need it!

We stopped at a hotel in Dallas, TX to break the trip up a bit for Matthew.  We were all exhausted and it was so nice to sleep in a bed after sleeping on an air mattress for a week!  Matthew enjoyed his first hotel stay -- he really liked the big fluffy bed!

We finally arrived in Little Rock on Saturday evening.  Matthew was so excited to spend time with his Daddy -- and of course, he loved bath time!  We're living in a furnished house on base since most of our belongings are in storage and will be shipped to Japan.  It's not luxury, but it's comfortable and we feel fortunate to have a place we can call "home" during this time of transition.

Little Rock presented us with a nice little snow storm a week into our time here.  It was Matthew's first snow experience so we caught some of it on camera (although he wasn't sure what to think of it).  Ryan made a great snowman for us and we enjoyed a few cozy family days together!  So far, Little Rock has been great and we look forward to embracing our time here over the next 6 months before we make our final move to Japan.