The AXE Effect

New Arrival and Twinkies

2012-01-16T10:14:00.010-06:00

We welcomed our new baby boy on October 25, 2011. He was 9 1/2 pounds and 20 inches long.

We got Brady's name from a former Razorback Baseball player that is now a Christian singer, songwriter. And Brady's middle name is Lane and that is my Grandma T's maiden name.
Brady sleeps in our room in a bassinet, and he goes 2-3 hours between feedings with 2 stretches of 5 hours each day.

Brady Lane Axe will be 12 weeks old tomorrow and he has been a super baby. As far as stats for him now his is over 13 pounds. He is wearing size 2 diapers, and size 3-6 months clothes. He laughs and smiles a lot. His brother, Brandon, asks to see him all of the time. The trick with both boys is giving Brady the attention he needs (diaper change, nursing, and rocking to sleep) while trying to give Brandon the attention he wants and needs.

We have had lots of holiday fun with the boys this year. I was a scrooge and did not even put up a Christmas tree this year.
I thought I would put up the boys newborn pictures and see if you all can pick out which one is which.

Too much fun!!! The top picture is the scrawny Brandon, and the bottom picture is the fluffy Brady.

Well, Brady is awake from his nap so I better check on him.

Until then,

Vonda

Fast Summer

2011-09-02T12:13:00.017-05:00

We had a fast summer this year, it could be that I don't feel like we really enjoyed the summer because we stayed inside so much because of the heat. Or, maybe time is passing faster for me.

A few things we had go on this Spring/ Summer was I went on an overnight Girls Night Out to Oklahoma City in May. I was only 16 weeks pregnant at that point so traveling was still pretty comfortable. We took off on a Friday afternoon, eat lots of food, and shopped 'til we dropped, then came home on Saturday evening.

Then on June 10th we had the baby gender reveal party at my parents' house. We are having a BOY!!! I am so glad. His name will be Brady Lane.

Then we spent parts of three weeks of June and July in Branson at my parents', Jeremy's parents, and our time shares. We played at the pool some, went to Silver Dollar City some, but mostly stayed indoors where it was cool.

We did go to the Springfield zoo twice this summer. It was just the right size zoo. Brandon enjoyed seeing all of the animals. And I think the grandparents enjoyed the zoo too.

While in Branson, we only go out to eat once or twice so we are happy to be out at a restaurant.

The Branson Landing is a fun place to walk by Lake Taneycomo and to see the shops.

Being out in the sun, wears us out. We made sure a nap was on the agenda most everyday.

VBS is always a highlight of the summer and our theme was Pandamania.

The middle of August my parents, Brandon and I went to the Tulsa Aquarium. And it was great. I loved that it was inside and cool, Brandon enjoyed seeing all of the big, brightly colored fish.

I attempted to make Brady a sweet pea gown with his name on it today, and well, my spacing did not go as planned, but I got it made.

Until then,

New bedroom flooring

2011-04-01T11:26:00.004-05:00

I know it doesn't get more interesting than seeing someone's new flooring, but this is what I got. We have lived in our house for almost 13 years and we have never changed the flooring in our bedroom. So, after several months of trying to decide what type of flooring to put in this room, we finally came to the decision of porcelain hardwood looking tile. It is from Interceramic, and the color is Golden Saddle, style Timberlands. It has a real antiqued hardwood floor look and I love it.

So I have the look of hardwood, but the upkeep of tile. A perfect combination for me. Now, we just need to get the furniture moved back in this room so I don't have to sleep in the living room another night.

We have an exciting month coming up with Brandon's 2nd birthday party at the end of the month, so I have a lot of planning to do. It should be fun.

Until then,

Shutterfly book "A Year in Brandon"

2011-02-15T15:38:00.001-06:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

Axe Christmas Card 2010

2010-12-10T19:51:00.001-06:00

Family Memories Christmas Card

For hundreds of Christmas card designs, click here.

View the entire collection of cards.

Shutterfly Christmas Cards

2010-11-28T16:54:00.008-06:00

Today, I would love to share with you about Shutterfly and the great Christmas cards they have available this year. I have picked out a couple of my favorite like the following:

Peppermint Gift Wrap

Christmas Card
5x5 stationery card
For 1 photo
From $1.29 $0.90

Merry Plaid

Christmas Card
5x5 stationery card
For 1 photo
From $1.29 $0.90

I have actually only ordered from Shutterfly once, and it was to document my son's first year. And boy was I pleased with the hard copy of the book when I received it, and I loved sharing the book electronically with both sets of his grandparents. I plan to make a book for his second year as well.

I had a great experience using their website and worked a little each day for about two weeks, then when I was done, I received the final copy super fast.

Back to the Christmas cards, we usually send out between 75-100 cards each year so I try to get started on shopping for the card design quite early. And when I saw the designs on Shutterfly, I was super pleased. The two I have picked out above are 5x5, and I like that the size is different, I do like to be unique.

Here are a few links on Shutterfly's website to some great holiday cards:

· Christmas photo cards to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-photo-cards
· Holiday Cards to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cards
Photo Holiday Cards to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery

On reason why I am sharing about Shutterfly is because of their below promotion:

Shutterfly's 50 Free Christmas Cards Promotion.

Until then,

First Haircut

2010-11-05T10:13:00.000-05:00

Brandon's First Haircut!

Halloween Playgroup

2010-10-28T14:43:00.013-05:00

Today, was our Halloween playgroup. We had a great time, and our hostess out did herself again. We had hot dogs, and frito chili pies. Of course, we had awesome cupcakes, and cookies Robin made, and tons of candy and snacks. We had a fishing game, bean bag game, ducky game, search for items in a corn filled bucket, and a couple of other games. Brandon was dressed as a frog this year. He did not seem to mind the hood so I just let him keep it on. Brandon mostly ran around getting in other people's way on the swing set. I was so pleased with this costume, I got it a Rhea Lana's this year.

Now, Brandon is down for his nap, and I have a roast in the crock pot. Thanks Tracy!!!

Tomorrow, Brandon is 18 months old, I can't believe it!! We are having so much fun with him. And he is really becoming a big boy. Hopefully, I will be able to get a post soon about him as a 18 month old.

Until then,

Vonda

Centerton Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-08T10:24:00.009-05:00

Fun times at the Pumpkin Patch with friends. Yesterday, a couple of us girls took our boys to the Centerton Pumpkin Patch. Those boys had a ball running around. And it wore Brandon out he took a 4 hour nap after lunch. Yeah!!!

Here Ben is telling Brandon not to dive out of the wagon like he did. What a pair!!! Ben was cracking me up, he came over to me and Robin a couple of times to have us pick him up. This is something Ben is not known for doing.

I really have found that it would not matter if I was a good photographer or not, I can't seem to get these three boys to slow down to look at the camera for nothing. They were loving the open space to play. Caleb, Ben, and Brandon seemed to run circles around us Moms.

Ben was sharing a leaf he found, what a giver.

Ben had a wagon full of pumpkins and Brandon thought he needed to take a ride so Ben was happy to try to pull him along.

I hope these three boys will be able to be close as they grow up. And we can have many years of pumpkin patch pictures.

Until then,

First MOPS

2010-09-08T15:25:00.004-05:00

I went to my first MOPS meeting today in Springdale, and it was great. I got invited to attend MOPS by a girl who I worked with years ago, I thought sounds good. Then when I found out a few of the speakers I knew this would be a good decision. Well today the speaker was none other than Michelle Duggar. She had five of her daughters with her and they passed out tons of information to each of us. And of course, we all had to sign a waiver because TLC was filming the meeting. And I could not help myself so I asked Ms. Duggar for a picture. She was very gracious. This was her first speaking engagement since Josie was born 9 months ago.

So I am super excited about going back for the next MOPS meeting. Brandon went with me and he stayed with the nursery First Baptist Springdale has. He was too interested in playing to even notice I was there to pick him up so I guess he had a good time.

I just got Brandon down for his nap so who knows how long he will sleep into the evening. His schedule might be real off. But it was worth it to get to go to this meeting.

That is really all I have for now.

Until then,

Vonda

August Ends and Fall begins, Right?

2010-09-03T10:32:00.004-05:00

August sure has been a hot one!! But it is always hot in August. This last month Brandon had corn on the cob, and from the above picture he really enjoyed it.

Mother's Day Out began this last week and Brandon was sporting a new backpack. He sure is a big boy!! He did really well, in fact, he probably did not even miss me. He really enjoys going to the nursery to play. It makes me feel so good to know I do not have to worry.

This is Brandon after his first day of Mother's Day Out, boy was he tired. But he did not nap once he got home, and he slept until 10am the next morning. He loves his sleep, just like his Mom.

The middle of August we went to Branson with Jeremy's family and we tried out a new indoor water park. Brandon wore himself out and he fell asleep on the way out to the car to come back to the condo.

Well, as the August pictures document, Brandon began taking steps on his own this month. Hence, all of the bumps and bruises on his head. He is really enjoying being more independent, but I never know where he might end up next. He still turbo crawls, but he is walking more and more. I guess I have a toddler on my hands now.

This weekend is Labor Day weekend and we are going to be staying local, probably smoking some brisket, maybe going to the new Corn maze in Cave Springs (www.ozarkcornmaze.com).

Oh, and a little thing, like the Razorback football game on Saturday. GO HOGS!!

I love the fall time of the year because pumpkin patches, fall leaves, oh, and my birthday is coming up in a few days. Yeah!!!

I have gone online to check out the etsy stores and I found three personalized fall and Christmas shirts for Brandon so I can't wait to get them.

Well, since today is Mother's Day Out, I better get to cleaning the house. I have the grocery shopping done for two weeks, so I better not be asking to go out to eat since we have food here.

Until then,

Vonda

15 Month Check Up and the last month or so

2010-08-06T15:31:00.012-05:00

Successful trip to Chick-fil-a, using the plastic table mat. Usually, the table mat is in a ball and gets thrown away before Brandon begins eating.

Branson weekend with the cousins, here Kendall shows Brandon one of the seven fish she caught in one hour off the dock at Table Rock lake.

Jump Zone, one of my loves, Brandon likes going to JZ, and it wears him out so we have gone a few times the last few weeks. I think I get a work out too running chasing him around.

Here Ben and Brandon are receiving instruction about not taking Matthew's toy. I don't think they listened, sorry Lindsey.

Play group this week was at my parents' house, this was my first time to host. It went really well. Ben and Parker playing at Brandon's new table from Sam's Club. I am super proud of this table.

Today, Brandon and I kept the road hot, first we went to the Promenade for a stroll while the temperature was under 90 degrees. Then, we went to Sam's club for a hot dog combo, and off to the Bentonville Square for the First Friday event. The theme was Dog Days of Summer, so there were dog themed businesses represented.

Here is Brandon's first time this summer in the fountain. He really liked it.

Now, on to the 15 month check up:

Brandon was 15 months old the end of last month, but we just had his appt. this Wednesday.

Weight 24lbs. 6.6 oz
Height 30.5"
Head 48 cm

Brandon gained right at 1 pound since his 12 month appt., and he grew 1 inch in the same amount of time. His head is the same size as it was at his one year appt.

He still rides backwards in his car seat since the manufacture regulations need him to be 34" before it can be turned around. I have had his feet sized and he is wearing a 5 1/2W, and he wears 18 month clothes. He wears size 4 diapers.

He has taken a few steps, but he is primarily still a crawler. He took four steps to Jeremy on his 15 month birthday, and his motivation to take those steps was Jeremy playing with his phone.

Brandon loves phones and remotes. He is paying attention to the television, and recently he began waving at the television when the people on the television are waving. He plays with his puzzles, stacking buckets, rocking giraffe, and he enjoys being read to, and playing hide and seek in his room around the rocking chair. He is understanding "no", and when we goes for something he knows he should not get he shakes his head "no".

Until then,

1st Naturals Game & Wild Water Days

2010-06-03T18:17:00.014-05:00

Brandon had the opportunity to attend his first Naturals game recently. I was wondering how long he would make it at an evening game, but we did not leave until the 7th inning. And he could of lasted longer, but I was ready to leave. Our seats were in the shade and it was quite nice. Except it was a little awkward that my OB doctor and his family was sitting right behind us.

It looks like Brandon has a little bit of allergies going on, but he is getting through it.

Then, Memorial Day weekend, we had a cook out with Jeremy's family and it was also my nephew's 13th birthday party.

Ethan wanted for us to all go fishing for his birthday so we went to the creek behind Walgreen's in Bella Vista. While we were there I think a total of about 12 fish were caught. The fish Brandon is trying to get a hold of is the one my Mom caught while we were there.

Last week for the off week playgroup we went to the mall food court, and playground.
Here a few of the kids are playing in the water. I do not know how Amanda and Kelly got those kids from not just jumping right in. It was so hot that day!!

This week we decided to try out Brandon's pool in the backyard. He had a nice time.

Today, we had playgroup at Sarah Grace and Lena Kate's house. Tracy is such a great host. We had pizza and homemade ice cream. Thanks Kelly and Fanya. This playgroup was to kick off summer so there were lots of activities for the kids to do outside in the water.

Until Then,

1 Year Old and Playgroups

2010-05-06T19:00:00.006-05:00

Brandon turned 1 year old last Thursday, and we had his 12 month Dr. appt. on Monday. Here are the stats: weight 23 lbs. 7.5oz., and height 29 1/2". He wears size 4 diapers and 12-18 month clothes. His nap schedule has changed alittle, he is now waking up at 8am, napping from 11am until 1pm, and then falls asleep at 9-10pm. He still sleeps throughout the night. On his 12 month appt. he received 3 shots, and he got his finger pricked. No big deal for him though. Especially since that was the day the childrens' motrin and tylenol were recalled. So he did not have any pain reliever until he was about to get the shots. Of course, the generic was not recalled, but I did not think about that. Brandon crawls well, when he wants to. He rather scoot. He eats anything I feed him. He is officially on cow's milk as of May 3rd. So far so good. Jeremy has been surprised how much milk Brandon drinks a day. I am thinking yeah, I know how much milk he drinks a day, I was producing it. Brandon still has 7 teeth, and he does not mind to have them brushed.
Now on to the last two playgroups. Last Thursday at playgroup Robin brought us decorated cookies to celebrate Kade and Brandon's 1st birthday. They are only 9 days apart in age so I thought that would be fun. Ginger hosted us and we had lots of fun.
Then today, we had playgroup at a city park. I had never been to this park, and I would definitely visit it again especially when Brandon gets bigger. Brandon had fun in the swings, and I even got some exercise. I was 45 minutes early so we walked around the park several times.
That's all I have today. I need to run to the store I am out of paper towels.

Until then...

Brandon's 1st Easter

2010-04-05T19:11:00.008-05:00

Brandon is now 11 months old and he army crawls to get where he wants. We still have him in size 3 diapers, and he eats stage 3 foods. He also eats canned green beans, carrots, pears, peaches, and apples. Oh, and those nasty lil' sticks (chicken and turkey). The only thing we have found that he does not eat is broccoli. And he had it a few months ago and it did not agree with him, but he ate what was fed to him. He has 7 teeth (four on top and three on the bottom). He babbles constantly. But he really does not say mama until he gets desperate. He wears 12-18 months clothes and he weighs 24lbs. He just learned yesterday to shrug his shoulders, too cute. He wakes up a little earlier now a days. He is up by 8am, but then is ready for his nap at 10am. He takes a 3-4 hour nap and then if we are home he will take another hour nap around 4pm. He begins to get sleepy at 8pm, but he might not be asleep until 10:30pm or 11pm. He drinks 3 bottles a day and enjoys juices and snacks.
Ok, now to Easter. We had a great playgroup on Thursday at Sarah Grace and Lena Kate's house. We had a Easter egg hunt. This was the first time Brandon had been on the grass. Our yard has issues with retaining water so it is a swamp, and I did not want the two little dogs jumping on him. He loved the grass and being outside, oh yeah, we don't go outside much. Below are some pictures to recount that day. Thanks Tracy for having us over and being such a great host.
Harper enjoying the sunshine and the grass.

Then on Saturday, my in-laws had us over for supper and Easter egg dyeing. Supper was traditional. Then my nieces dyed eggs. They really enjoyed it. And the adults did too.

Then on Sunday morning we went to early service, and then helped out for a little while with the two year olds during the late service. We did manage to get a family Easter picture in between services.

Then we went out to my family's for lunch and Easter egg hunting. And we did the resurrection eggs again this year. I am so glad my nephews like doing it, because I almost forgot where I had put them from last year.

Until then...

Valentine play group and Super Bowl Party

2010-02-08T10:33:00.010-06:00

Well, today you get a two for one, I have two events that we attended this last week. First on Thursday, Brandon went to his first Valentine party. It was at Sarah Grace and Lena Kate's house. Thanks Tracy for hosting all of us. The Valentine card exchange was a great idea. And the cupcake decorating was very cool too.

Here is Molly, Ruby and Ben.

Kelly with Caleb, Kinley and Erin.

Lindsey with Ben, and Jessica and Braxton.
Mary Avery, Matthew and John Micheal. John Micheal loved that balloon. And Brandon eating his book.

And then Jeremy and I went to the Super Bowl party at Ross and Monica's last night. I only got a couple of pictures, but as usual the guys hibernated in the man cave upstairs and the ladies sat around the kitchen table. The game seemed to be a non-event, and it really did not matter to me which team won. It was good to catch up with the ladies. We had 12 families represented at the party. I enjoy the ladies of our Sunday School class so much for their genuine love for each other. And it is so nice to have close girlfriends to lean on for advice or just chit chat. There was one couple strangely missing from the party and that was Jason and Michelle. I miss you. :>(
Aaron, Billy, Wes, Lindsey, Robert, Matt, Amanda, and Amber filling their plates before kick off.

Stephanie, Brad, Amy S, Amy D, Ben, Jessica, Aaron, Ross, Monica, Matt, Ethan, Billy, Wes, and Robert chatting it up.

Until then...

Vonda

What is up at the Axe house?

2010-01-31T10:58:00.008-06:00

Well, since it has been 4 weeks since I blogged last you would assume we have a lot going on. I am not sure if that is accurate. We now have a 9 month old in the house. And if his behavior now sheds any light how he will be as he gets older, we have our hands full. At our Dr. appt. Brandon's weight was at 21 lbs. 12 oz. and he was 27 1/2" long. He can rollover every which way, he eats puffs, and we are in the stage 2 foods. I have him in size 3 diapers and he is wearing 12 month clothes. He is a mama's boy, but he still has not said mama. He talks about his dada all day long though. We have recently set up his playarea in the living room. It has a few toys, but what I like about the area is it keeps the dogs out of Brandon's way. Or maybe it keeps Brandon out of the dogs' way. We have been fortunate to have a new friend move into town and give us clothes for Brandon so I have been able to reduce my spending on his clothes substantially. (Thanks, Amber!). We have been to playgroup at Miss Laurie's, and Miss Erin's homes in the last month. I find at every playgroup, Brandon shows me how boring I am at home. He really has a great time, oh and his mom really likes going too. We have had two birthday parties we have gone to this last month. One for Harper (first birthday), and one for Caleb (third birthday). Harper's birthday party was done so cute for a 1year old, it was a drop in party, and any gifts brought are being taken to the Ronald McDonald house. We brought a couple of kid games. Then we had Caleb's birthday party a week or so later, it was at Chuck E Cheese, and if any of you know me, I do not like Chuck E Cheese the mouse, or anything dressed up. So when he came over to see the kids I was a little nervous. I know that is ridiculious. We were able to play in play zone and get a few pictures. We will see if I can figure how to get the photos off of Jeremy's new camera.

Then, we had a birthday party to go to today, but with the roads a little hairy we opted to stay home. Today, church was canceled so we stayed inside where it is warm. Bentonville schools are closed tomorrow so we will have to see what this week holds as far as the weather.

Until Then,

Vonda

Brandon's 1st Christmas

2009-12-30T19:49:00.008-06:00

This was Brandon's first Christmas so I was not sure if he would be interested in presents or not. Well, as you see he did quite well ripping the paper and trying to eat the cardboard boxes. He was so fervent that he received two paper cuts. I did not notice he was bleeding until I saw the blood on his pants. He did not seem to mind. He must be a tough kid.

Then my sister-in-law's niece came over and I had to get my hands on her. Bella is 10 weeks old and weights about 8 pounds. It was quite different from carrying around Brandon, who is now around 22 pounds.

Here is Christmas with my family at my mom and dad's house. My sister and her daughter, Kendall, opened their gifts close to Brandon and me.

We did Christmas lunch at Jeremy's parents home, and then on Saturday we went to my parents. I think everyone enjoyed the new addition to our family.

I wish you and your family had a great Christmas.

Until then...

Vonda

Christmas Photos

2009-12-17T11:26:00.005-06:00

Well, I received Brandon's Christmas photos on Wednesday and I could not be happier. The pictures turned out better than I remembered from when they were taken. Here are a few of those photos:

We had a few other photos taken with Brandon and I and those turned out really good too. But the photos I thought were the cutest are not ones I can post, they are the ones with Brandon with only a Santa hat on his head. Of course, he is on his belly or turned so no boy parts are seen. I just know he will be so glad when he is a teenager for us to show those photos to his girlfriends.

Until then...

Vonda

Brandon's seven month updates

2009-12-09T12:18:00.006-06:00

I know it has been 3 months, and really I do not have a good excuse. We had Brandon's six month pictures done along with a few photos in his Halloween costume done at the end of October. By now, we have his Christmas pictures taken, but we do not have them back yet.

A few stats on Brandon at 6 months old.

He weighs 19 lbs. 9 oz. and he is 26.38 inches tall. He does not roll over or crawl yet, but he does sit up ok. He does not have teeth at 6 months, when this is written he has two teeth. He is a big time Mama's boy. He says da-da. He is now in a larger car seat that he loves. He can see out much better. We started him on rice cereal on October 13th. And we are working our way through the first foods. He loves the walker in the church nursery. The dogs are not very interested in him, but he is very interested in them. He always wakes up happy. He sleeps 10-11 hours straight each night and then takes a couple hour nap each day. Brandon enjoys bath time and makes a big mess. He has more clothes than he will ever wear, but for some reason I can't come home from shopping without buying him clothes.

At seven months old we have tried white grape juice in a sippy cup, and he seems to like it. And we have gone through all of the first foods vegetables, we only have three more fruits to try and then we are off to the 2nd foods. We have used all of the rice cereal and we are now on the mixed cereal. Brandon's favorite vegetable is green beans. He is now doing this really cheesy smile that makes his eyes vanish. He went to his first kiddie birthday party this weekend. And I think he had a good time I know I did. I see a Gymboree party for him in his future.

He has been to Branson three times and he spends a day every few weeks with his Nana and his Grandma. It is so nice to have them both in town close.

I am getting more confident taking him places by myself, but I am always nervous that he will have a meltdown or worst I will have a meltdown. I never knew it would take two hours for he and I to get ready to go somewhere. This is where planning is crucial.

I hope you enjoyed the pictures.

Until then..

Vonda

4 Months old today

2009-08-29T19:32:00.007-05:00

Brandon is 4 months old today. He tries to be bigger than he is. He would like to roll over so bad. He is almost there. I weighted him and he is at 17.4 lbs. We will see what the Dr. says on Wednesday when we go for his appt. I have his 3 month photos to share with you so please excuse my tardiness. He loves to spend time in his exersaucer, and his swing. He does really well in church nursery. He ah-goos all of the time. I am anxious to see if the Dr. gives the green light to starting him on solids, I am wanting for him to reach this next step, but then there is no turning back. He wears size 3 diapers, and likes to stand.
This is my favorite picture of his 3 month shots. Here are a few more:

That is all I have.

Until Then...

Brandon's 3 month Birthday

2009-07-30T11:13:00.005-05:00

Well, actually yesterday was his 3 month birthday. We are getting more adventureous in getting out of the house. I have not gotten it quite mastered yet. This last week my sister and my mom had their birthday's and we went to eat at Catfish Hole. Yummy!!! I do not like catfish so I eat the hushpuppies and the chicken. Brandon was super tired so he was not the best dining company.

I am just now getting a feel of the clothes Brandon has so I am finding super cute outfits daily. ie. the Razorback outfit Brandon wore to church this last week was a new find. I had put it in the drawer with the next size up in clothes. The shoes are too cute, my mom found them at a resale shop. I hope he can wear the shoes into football season (only 37 days).

Brandon is in size 2 diapers, and is wearing 3-6 month clothes. He has a lot of fun talking, and cooing. He is a super eater as you can tell by the above picture. He wakes up happy and as long as he is dry, and fed. He goes 6 hours between feedings at night and then 3 hours during the day. Which is great for me!!! His personality is beginning to show. I am excited to see how the next few months unfold.

Until then...

Vonda

Celebrate America and New Buddy

2009-06-29T11:48:00.009-05:00

Sunday provided a great day of firsts for Brandon. We took him to Sunday School for the first time and he did great. I don't know if it was because he was held and ate the entire class or what? Then Jeremy and I took him to Sam's Club, and he slept the whole time we were in there. And then Sunday evening was our church's presentation of Celebrate America on the town square. I was nervous about taking Brandon due to the heat, but the weather turned out to be perfect.

And then, my favorite thing happened, we got Brandon's picture taken with his buddy, Kade. They are 9 days apart in age, I hope that they will be great friends. Kade's mom, Ginger and I grew up together and it would be great for our kids to be close. Well, today is B-dawg's 2 month birthday so I will try to get another posting in to celebrate.

Until then....

Vonda

Newborn Pictures

2009-06-06T20:28:00.007-05:00

We had Brandon's newborn pictures taken a couple of weeks ago, and we plan on using them for his birth announcements. I thought I would share a few of those photos.

A friend I went to school with took these pictures, she has her own studio and has taken tons of my friends photos. I hope you enjoy the pictures!!!

Until then..

Vonda

Happy One Month Birthday Brandon

2009-06-06T20:03:00.003-05:00

Well, his one month birthday was actually on the 29th of May. We have had an adventurous first month to say the least. The most recent trial to work through with being a new parent is meal time. We are going through a growth spurt and we were pulled from breastfeeding due to a rash I had on my legs. Now, the rash is gone and I am off of the steroids so we are now trying to get back in a routine of meal times. Brandon seemed to put on a lot of weight those 12 days on formula, and my milk production did not hold up because I did not pump the milk often enough. So the laws of supply and demand do really apply outside Economics class.

This next week I have two Dr. appointments one for my vision and the other is my postpartum appointment. I almost look forward to these appointments so I have something I have to get around and get ready for the day. Otherwise it is so easy to stay in my pajamas all day, especially if the night before had been a rough one.

The last couple of weeks we had our Sunday School class bring us supper and it was great. There is nothing like not having to think about what is for dinner for a few nights. I really thank all of the class who brought us meals.

Until then.

Vonda

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T09:34:00.006-05:00

HAPPY FIRST MOTHER'S DAY VONDA!!!

Brandon was born just 11 days ago and already Vonda gets a present and card!!!

Vonda,
You are the most special person in the world to me and I am so glad there is a holiday to recognize the sacrifice you have made in becoming a mother. You are the best mother in the world and I am honored to be able to partner with you in raising our child, Brandon. I cannot wait to see what a wonderful person he will turn out to be. I know he will be given every opportunity to succeed in life. I thank God every day for the woman He has given me and now the child He has entrusted to us. May God guide us and lead us in the direction He would have us go and help us make the right decisions in raising this child to become a Godly man, husband and father.

I love you more than words can express.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

until then......

ja

Our Little Man is Here!

2009-05-05T18:25:00.003-05:00

Well, our little man has finally arrived! Brandon James was born at 6:05am on Wednesday, April 29th, 2009. He weighed 7lb 15oz and was 21 1/4" long. We went home on Thursday afternoon.
Nutmeg and Oscar didn't quite know what to think at first but they fell in love with him pretty quick.

On Monday, we had a scheduled check up at the pediatrician's office and noticed he looked a little 'yellow.' Sure enough, his bilirubin count was a little over 20! So when he was only 5 days old he was admitted back into the hospital for some hydration and blue light therapy!

It is now Tuesday evening and his counts are down around 11.6 so they are going to reduce the IV flow and keep him under one light instead of 2 to see how he responds. Dr. Scherer says he is progressing very nicely so we will probably be able to go home sometime tomorrow. Praise God!

What an adventurous week at the Axe home!
Thanks for all your continued prayers and kind words. Vonda and I really appreciate each of your friendships and your encouragement.

I have posted a few pics on our Picasa Web page HERE

Rest assued there will be MANY pics to follow!

until then...
ja

Countdown

2009-04-08T10:08:00.002-05:00

Today I am on the countdown, I officially have seven more days of employment (work) at the bank. We will close the building on Friday, April 17th. It will be tough to finally walk out of the doors for the last time. I have worked here for almost 14 years.

And I am also on the countdown for little Brandon to arrive. My Dr. would like to induce me on April 29th, so Brandon could be here sooner that I had originally planned. But who knows he may arrive before the 29th. That is just crazy to think that before the end of the month Brandon will be here. So, this has gotten me in gear to schedule the pediatrician interview appt., and have the car seat installed. Oh yeah, and get the bags packed.

We have a growth ultrasound tomorrow and if Brandon is growing at 1/2 a pound per week then he could be close to 7lbs. already based on his estimated weight from the last ultrasound on March 19th. And my Dr. has us scheduled to see him on Monday again. So based on the results of the ultrasound tomorrow that will help me to feel more comfortable with Brandon arriving sooner, if we have to be induced. I just do not want to have him arrive through an induction, and then have respiratory problems, when that might be avoided if he arrives on his own time. I know this is something I can not get worked up about and it will all work out the way it is suppose to.

Until then.

March Madness, It begins

2009-03-20T09:39:00.003-05:00

The NCAA tournament was here before I knew it, and I had not even completed one bracket. So yesterday morning I called Jeremy to see if we could do our own head to head competition. I am fairly competitive and I normally do pretty good on picking the winning teams. I sent to him my bracket, and then yesterday he brought home his bracket. And as of this morning I have picked correctly on 14 of the 16 games that have been played. The only two I guessed incorrectly so far was Western Kentucky beating Illinois, and Michigan beating Clemson. I think this weekend and this next week are the most exciting of the year. And I almost let it pass without the joy of completing a bracket. I have Louisville, Memphis, Pittsburgh, and North Carolina in the final four, with North Carolina winning. We will have to see how the weekend goes to see how my other teams fair.

Until then.

Church shower gifts

2009-02-24T08:27:00.006-06:00

After we unloaded all of the great shower gifts, we had to go to my neice's birthday party and we were there until 8pm that evening. Well, that included ice cream cake, Build A Bear, and then supper at Red Robin. So there was not any progress made on the sorting of the shower gifts on Saturday. Then after church on Sunday, we had lunch with my family to celebrate my brother-in-law's birthday, at Red Robin. Do you see a theme of where we eat when we go out to eat? So then it was nap time, and after the evening church service the goal was to begin to get the gifts sorted. We got it looking pretty good, but I have to admit that the ladies who hosted the shower already had it pretty well sorted. Thanks girls!!

We have all of the alike items in their own tote so throughout this week, my task is to go through each tote.

That is all for now, until then.

Baby Shower Extravagazna

2009-02-24T08:12:00.008-06:00

I will have to say that very few times in my life have I ever been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and kindness from others towards me. Well, this is one of those times. This last Saturday was our church baby shower.

Here is my Mom, sister, neice, and Mother-in-Law.

Here are the ladies who hosted the shower, they are the best!!! This picture is missing Jeanine, but from left to right we have Mary Avery, Kacy, Erin, me, Lisa, Monica, Michelle, Kelly, and Berkli. What a spread of food!!!

Oh, and you can not forget the petit fours. My favorite, yum!!!

This is the gift table, before the shower began.

Here are the clothes that were in the some of those packages.

It took 2 minivans and my car to haul all of the gifts to my house. What a blessing this had been!! Thank you to all of you who were able to attend and thought of Jeremy and I enough to provide us such a nice shower.

That is all for now, until then.

Brandon's Nursery In progress

2009-02-24T07:52:00.009-06:00

Good Morning everyone!!! Well, here is a little taste of Brandon's nursery. Jeremy and his mom came over and painted the walls. And then Jeremy finished up with the chair rail. I think they did a great job. And better yet I did not have to paint, I do not enjoy painting. The bedding is a kind of safari print with lions, elephants, zebras, and giraffes. We are still in need of a dresser to put all of Brandon's stuff.

That's all for now. Until then.

PLEASE PRAY

2009-01-17T10:22:00.003-06:00

We have 2 separate friends who are in need of prayer.
Please go check out Kelly's and Jenna's blogs to see their needs and pray for them.

We believe God is still in the miracle business.

More updates on Baby Harper can be found on Kelly's dad's blog HERE

...When God's people pray!...

Jeremy

It has been awhile

2009-01-09T13:46:00.004-06:00

Well, as you can tell nothing much has been going on in my life. We had a Dr. appt. this week and we are measuring right on 23 weeks. And we are now going every two weeks to see the Dr. On the 19th, I get to take the glucose test. I have heard it is terrible to it is tolerable.

I have three of my girlfriends who are due to have their babies this next week. One will be induced on Monday, one has her C-section on Monday, and the other is due on Monday. I will have a busy week visiting the hospital.

In my Sunday School class, there are several ladies expecting. What an exciting time!!! The next several months will be full of going to baby showers. Baby showers now have a little different meaning for me. I was online looking a one of my girlfriend's registry and I saw a few things I had forgotten to register for so I put those items on my registry too. Thanks Robin.

Jeremy is trying to talk me into doing a belly shot for you all, but I am a little hesitant. We will have to see though.

Until next time....

It is a Baby......

2008-12-19T20:14:00.004-06:00

BOY!!!

Thanks for all who have voted!!! The people have spoken. It is a BOY!!!

What's it gonna be?

2008-12-11T20:34:00.000-06:00

Next Wednesday, the 17th we go for our 20 week appointment and ultrasound. Hopefully we will get to see if we're having a boy or girl!

What do you think it will be?

Stay tuned!!!

First Post

2008-11-09T10:53:00.000-06:00

This is my first post. I intend to use this blog as a way to capture all the exciting things that are about to happen to our family. Jeremy and I are expecting our first child May 9th 2009.
We are very excited. Stay tuned for more details along the way.