Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!!  We are in The Shoog (YAY!!) and loving spending time with fam.  Our wknd with the Bradfords was 100% wonderful...we are def blessed to get 2 weeks of Christmas in a row!  Ave seems maybe a LEEETLE bit excited...even though she has no clue that it's Christmas :)

Hope you all get to spend time with the people you love the most! We sure do!  Yippeeee!

The Details

So.  B, Avery, Kerbey & I are expecting another little munchkin sometime around mid-July (we think).  I have another ultrasound scheduled for early Jan in which they will make the due date official (as official as technology can make it). 

I found out I was preg at about 8 weeks.  I am now 10 weeks (assuming the first ultrasound was accurate!) That puts Averton and the next babe @ about 14.5 months apart.  WOW.  Crazy/exciting/surreal.

We are pumped.  And, I think Kerbs knows I'm preg bc she pretty much follows me everywhere and will NOT lay anywhere but right up against me.  Pretty cute :)  And Avery, of course, has not a clue.  She's just her cute little 7.5 mo-old self...playing and crawling and standing and squeeling like she doesn't have a care in the world.  (Because really, I mean, she doesn't.  As long as she gets her bottle, a clean diaper every now & then, and some smiles & kisses, life is PERFECT)

Addition

Mall Heaven

So...there is LITERALLY a mall every 5 miles in the DFW.  It's nuts.  There are 5 malls that I'm aware of that I can get to from our apartment within 10 minutes.  That's seems a little bit insane if you ask me. 

If you're a shop-a-holic, I'm sure it's both super-awesome and absolutely the worst thing ever...at the same time.  For me, it's just kind of nice bc the few times that I actually need to run into the mall, there's one on the way to WHEREVER I might be going.  Sweet.

I Wonder...

I wonder what it feels like...
-to think you're in perfect health and then all of a sudden be told that you have a brain tumor.
-to be the leader of a church (3 churches actually) and find out that you have cancer in your brain, that the tumor can't be completely removed, and that it might have already spread.
-to tell your 3 little kiddos that you have brain cancer and you have NO idea what the future holds
-to know that your life might be cut a LOT shorter than you thought
-to plan for death at a young age
-to know that your time with your spouse who you lovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvve could be really limited
-to be told you have brain cancer
-to wait on doctors to tell you what your future holds
-to talk to God when you know you have cancer
-to hang out with your friends when you know you have cancer
-to know that God COULD work a total miracle in your life
-to know that you could go be with God pretty soon
-to "live like you were dying"...when you think you might actually be dying.

Not to be morbid.  But I just wonder.  I wonder if Matt is struggling to be hopeful and faithful and trusting of God's plan for his life.  Or is it somehow coming easier during this trial?  Does he have a crazy sense of peace from The Holy Spirit?  Is he scared out of his mind?  Does he feel freaked out that the church is his responsibility and he can't be there to carry it on his shoulders right now?  Or is he at peace with leaving everything to his trusty fellow pastors?  Is he feeling motivated to just LOVE on his kids and wife like crazy or is he overcome with fear and sadness every time he looks at them?

After he found out about the pathology report, he tweeted, "My days are limited...but not by this report"  Makes me think that sure, he might be scared, nervous, humbled...but he is also aware that no matter what is going on in his body, God is ultimately in control.  Whether he is diagnosed with brain cancer or not, God will take him when He's ready to bring him home.  That's comforting...but I still wonder about all the little thoughts that are going through his head right now.

Momma Visit!

My awesome momma came to hang out with Ave & me for a couple of days and it was grrrreat.  It's always nice to have another person around during the day :) We got a few things crossed off of my to-do list, and even made some super yummy treats!  Tomorrow we're heading to F-Dub to spend the night with B-Riz.  Shh...don't tell his trainers.  I think it's against the rules...BUT he doesn't have anymore tests, so we're really not distracting him from anything.

Hope everyone is having a great week.  Can't believe Christmas is SO almost here! I can't waittttttt to spend time with our fams and to see all of my loves in The Shoog!!!! Love you guys!!!

OH!  And congrats to Sean & Alexa!!!  Alexa is in labor as we speak!  Baby Hattie should be in the world by some time tomorrow!!  Yay!!

Just throwin' this out there....

I would give anything for Brian and I to take a trip to the ROSE BOWL on Jan.7th!!  We have always said that whenever the Horns make it back to the 'ship, we're totally there.  Um...talk is cheap.  Flight/hotel/game tix....are NOT.  :) 

It's okay though.  We will settle for a VICTORY whether we are there to witness it in person or not!!  BUT- if anyone is just really feeling called to send us to Cali for FREE, I GUESS I would take you up on it.  I mean...if you're gonna force it upon us...geez.  (kinda kidding/kinda not)

K...now time for some SYTYCD & Glee with some babybathtime/bottletime thrown in there somewhere!
Hook 'em :)
 

Friend-Lunch

I had lunch with a friend the other day who I haven't seen in years.  LITERALLY.  Years.  We have known each other since we were little.  Grew up in youth group together.  Have kept in touch consistently, just not often.  Anyway- it was SO great to catch up and talk face to face. There's just nothing like face-to-face conversation with friends :)

Being here in Dallas has limited my face-to-face time w/my gurrrrrls bc not very many of them live here!  SO...I think I am learning to appreciate those moments even more!  Not that I don't LOVE my face-to-face time with Ave & B...they ARE my fav, of course!  But you know how it is...a girl's gotta have some girl-time every now and then!

Love you, Lisa!!

7 Months!!

Let me start by saying that Avery is a blessing in every way.  It's funny that a baby can exhaust you and steal ALL of your "me" time, but is still the most perfectly wonderful thing you can ever imagine :)  B and I lovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvve our munchkin so much.  It's crazy how pure, joyful, honest, & sweet babies are.  Never thought I could be turned into such a cheeseball, but God is an amazing Creator.  Babies are just little miracles.  That's all there is to it!

Height: 27 in ------- 74th %
Weight: 16 lb 12 oz ------- 46th %
Head: 16.5 ------- 20th %

Fav Toy ------- Kerbey
Eating ------- 24 oz. formula, 3 real food meals, workin on the puffs :)

Avery right now:
~pulling up literally NONstop. 
~loving bath time but not lasting long in there bc she wants to pull up in the tub, and when i sit her down she cries...and then bathtime is not so fun anymore, ha.
~napping twice, sometimes 3x a day
~ever since T-Giv has been waking up during the night alot, but the last few nights has slept all the way through again!  YAY!
~a giggle machine
~is usually smiling
~ticklish in the ribs & thighs
~loving for daddy to rub her head
~crawling all overrrr.  always wants to be where she can see everybody. LOVES to crawl into the bathrooms and kitchen
~a babbling machine- says dadadada and mamamama and just about every other sound you can imagine ha. 
~xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
~can stand on her own for up to 5 seconds...then CRASH!
~has some random hairs that are like...6 inches long.  kind of hilar.
~can make me laugh and smile and cry like nothing ever has before :) 
~makes her daddy happy no matter WHAT happens to be stressing him at the moment (work, the Longhorns...you know, whatev.)
~is still a social little thing.
~always sleeps with her pink puppy
~bedtime: 9p, wake up about 730-8a.
~is obsessed with the power cords for our laptops...it's still a challenge trying to figure out what to do with those when we have to plug our comps in!
~has forced us to start BABYPROOFING!!

Byebye Daddy

B just left us for 2 weeks. He headed out to another phase for work and won't be back until the wknd before Christmas!!  It's okay though.  We sent him on his way with some delicious Christmas cookies and lots of hugs and kisses.  We'll miss you, hub/dada!!

Holy Longhorn

This face is the antithesis of what my hub looked like for the last 3.5 hours. Thank you horns for pulling this one out. The Bradford house would NOT have been a happy place had you failed to come out on victory's side.

see you in Cali!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Playing, Eating, Standing

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Howdy Neighbor.

This has been an interesting week as far as neighbors go. 

Wed night at approx 2am, Brian and I were awakened by some incredibly bright flashing lights glaring through our bedroom window.  I peeked out to see what this light show was all about and was taken aback by the sight.  2 police cars.  1 first response van.  a firetruck.  an ambulance.  All parked directly outside of our building. 

Over the next 40 minutes I alternated between trying to soothe Avery back to sleep/distract her from the flashing red/blue light show going on in her room and staring out the window at the scene outside trying to figure out what the heck was going on.

I fell back asleep for about an hour and a half and then woke up again to the pleasant sound of a flipping jackhammer.  Yes.  I'm serious.  At 4oclock in the morning, someone upstairs was using a JACKHAMMER.  I laid there in disbelief for a few minutes before looking out the window again to find that all of the emergency crew had gone, but there was still one cop car present.  I figured they HAD to be involved in whatever this crazy noise upstairs was.  SO...I threw on a hoodie and my uggs (fake uggs, that is) and strolled up the stairs to find out what the HECK these ppl were thinking.  A repair dude a po-po were standing in the doorway of our upstairs/across the hall neighbor and banging the heck out of the doorframe.  Mr. Po-po smiled like this was a totally normal situation and asked, "Can I help you, ma'am?" 

Me- "Well, actually yes you could help me by halting the usage of your power tools until the sun comes up."
PoPo- "Well ma'am we had to break through the door and we can't leave until it's been repaired."
Me- "Oh.  Awesome."
PoPo- "Sorry about the noise.  It shouldn't be too much longer."

I guess when he said not too much longer he meant only like...another hour.  AH!  It was a pretty much sleepless night.  Avery woke up a LOT, but went ahead and slept through the crazy jackhammer commotion (while I was awake) and then when I was able to sleep again, she was up.  It was terrif. 

I called the front office the next morning to find out if we are living beneath a drug dealer and was informed that it was simply a domestic dispute.  SIMPLY.  I guess that was her way of downplaying the criminal activity that took place 10 yards away from where we sleep.  In my opinion, anything involving popos being forced to bust down a door is KIND of a big deal.  But, we were ASSURED that the dude causing the problem will absolutely not be an issue ever again.  I'm assuming he was arrested. 

Last night our across the hall neighbor came and informed us that she and her bf were having a party...just come let them know if they needed to quiet down.  I was super impressed.  I guess I'm not very aware of apartment-etiquette, but I like it :)  Anyway, we heard them for most of the night, of course, but only bc the walls are so thin.  They were surprisingly civil and respectful.  It wasn't until the party was ending and drunkies started leaving that the noise got a little out of hand.  At this point in the night, Avery had not woken up ONCE and I was not about to let these intoxicated fools change that, so again.  I threw on my hoodie and boots and marched across the hall.  I knocked, knowing they wouldn't hear me through their blaring music (which at this point was entirely too loud...I'm pretty sure the building across the complex could hear it loud and clear) and then barged in.  I had to wade through the purple haze for quite a while before finding the chick who lived there.  BUT, as soon as I asked her to turn the music down a teeny bit, she graciously appeased me :)  As SOON as I mentioned "sleeping baby", she pretty much sprinted over the ipod and cranked it down. So sweet :) 

So.  Yay for neighbors.  I prefer the non-criminal kind, but hey- what can ya do?

**This post was written tonight in order to distract me from the UT game which is putting my stomach in knots.

Matt Chandler

Matt Chandler, pastor of The Village Church, needs your prayers! On Thursday morning (T-Giv) he had a seizure @ home and tests revealed a mass in his frontal lobe. He has been in surgery since 2:30 today and word is he seems to be doing well thus far.

Please lift him up. Lift up his wife and kids. Lift up his doctors. Pray for his healing and recovery. Pray for patience, joy, peace, comfort....whatever!!

GodIsSovereign.

Stander Upper!

So Avery's been pulling up for a couple of weeks now, but as of yesterday, she can stand up all by her big bad self for 5 whole seconds!!! It looks soooooo funny to see such a teeny little creature standing up all by herself!

Presh :)

Also, her new fav thing is to crawl into mommy & daddy's bathroom, the guest bathroom, or the kitchen. I guess maybe she likes the cold hard floor? WHo knows. She crawls in and then just sits there and plays with whatever she can find. Sometimes she pulls on on the cabinets or the door and tries desperately (but with no luck) to climb up. Cutiiieeee.

T-Giv 2009

+Our THanksgiving wasprettttty amazing. We met the whole Bradford gang just outside of Marble Falls at Log Country Cove and spend the extended weekend hanging out in a cabin with 30 people! It was cold, beautiful, entertaining, exhausting, & relaxing all at the same time :)

We lucked out and were assigned to sleep in the cabin away from all of the
youngsters. It definitely helped Avery get some good sleep at night, which she NEEDED bc there would be no real napping going on during the days!

On Thursday morning a few of us got up and ran the "Log COuntry Cove Turkey Trot" (I think there were a whopping 15 ppl who participated, ha), through the nature trails around the lake. It was cold, tiring, but BEAUUUUTIFUL. The rest of our time was filled with football (duh), delicious home cooking, kids going crazy upstairs, 3 babies all within 2 months of eachother, card games, Mary Kay Makeovers, napping, pic taking, playing by the creek, and just enjoying spending time with loved ones in such a peaceful place!

Thanks to Juel Anne & Doug who make it all happen! We love love loved it and hope we can all go back again sometime!

To The Currys: you guys would be OBSESSED with this place. so pretty and peaceful. nature at its finest...and in our FAV part of Texas!

Ave got some great quality time with her Aunt Amy, Nana, & Poppa and loved every second. She and the other 2 babies were ADORABLE to watch. So curious about eachother. We paid for all the attention she got for a few days after we got home. She spent 2 days BAWLING her little eyes out whenever she wasn't being held, which she had NEVER done before. But, we quickly broke her of that habit haha. Sweet little baby :)

SO thankful for SO many people to love and to love us back!!