Corfman Corner

Year in Review

2012-01-03T09:25:00.001-05:00

Our year in review:

Merry Christmas

2011-12-22T22:02:00.004-05:00

Merry Christmas - Love the Corfmans!!

Alayna's 5th birthday

2011-11-09T19:26:00.003-05:00

Had a great time celebrating Alayna's 5th birthday with her friends at a pool party and with our family for two separate parties.

Dance/Teeball pics

2011-06-11T21:29:00.002-05:00

Hectic life

2011-04-03T20:09:00.003-05:00

We are starting to enter that phase of being parents where we are running Alayna here, there and everywhere. She is getting ready for her first ballet recital on May 1st and she just started playing tee ball. In addition, she has lots of play dates with her friends. It is definitely beginning to be a little crazy! But I am LOVING every moment of it. :)

Family pictures 2011

2011-03-02T21:18:00.000-05:00

Christmas 2010

2010-12-27T13:21:00.000-05:00

We had a great Christmas. Alayna was so excited this year. We enjoyed dinner with my family at Carol Ann's house.

Alayna is 4!!!!

2010-10-26T11:00:00.002-05:00

I cannot believe that my lil Alayna bug turned 4 yrs old yesterday. We had a great party on Saturday at Jump on It Fun Center with all of her friends. The kids had a blast.

I am so overwhelmed by just how many people love our little girl. We have had so many birthday wishes. Our living room looked like Christmas after she finished opening her presents.

She is becoming such a big girl. She loves singing, dancing, playing hide and seek, and tag your it. She is always smiling and brings so much joy into our lives.

I got a package, I got a package!!!

2010-10-24T15:21:00.003-05:00

Alayna was so excited to get a package from Pop-Pop for her birthday.

Hallelujah

2010-09-06T17:12:00.002-05:00

This is Alayna's version of the Hallelujah chorus prompted by Daddy singing Hallelujah..Alayna is going to bed. Ha! Ha!

Tootie ta

2010-06-23T15:52:00.002-05:00

This is Alayna's favorite new song from VBS so far.

Jesus Loves Me

2010-06-01T15:06:00.001-05:00

Alayna is starting to really love singing. She is still trying to get all of the words straight :)

Five Little Monkeys

2010-05-16T20:11:00.002-05:00

This is Alayna's new favorite song.

Playing in the ocean

2010-05-01T20:16:00.002-05:00

We took a spur of the moment trip to Ocean City this weekend. Alayna had such a blast!!

Lily pads

2010-04-14T13:25:00.003-05:00

Alayna is loving riding her bike in the garage. She calls her knee pads - "lily pads"!! LOL

Bike riding

2010-03-19T15:08:00.002-05:00

Alayna rode her bike today all by herself. For safety sake we started off in the garage. She is growing up so fast!!

Dancing with Minnie

2010-02-11T13:39:00.002-05:00

Hayden & Alayna in moon bounce @ Christmas

2009-12-26T21:06:00.003-05:00

In Hayden's new moon bounce at Christmas

Our family

2009-12-04T09:45:00.001-05:00

These are new pics we had done for our church directory.

Jumping!!

2009-11-10T21:47:00.002-05:00

Alayna LOVES to jump. Mom-Mom got her an inflatable bouncer and it didn't last. We were able to return it and get this trampoline. She had so much fun!!

Dancing

2009-11-08T17:28:00.002-05:00

Alayna loves dancing now. She was spinning and spinning. At the end she says "I don't like camera" so I had to turn it off. :)

HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY ALAYNA "BUG"

2009-10-25T21:59:00.002-05:00

Today is Alayna's third birthday. I can't believe it!!! What an amazing blessing she is!!!

We had her party yesterday. It was so much fun with all of our friends and family. Alayna had so much fun. She got what she wanted... A Minnie Cake, a candle and balloons plus Jessie and Hayden were there. What more could you ask for??

Don't touch

2009-10-04T17:02:00.002-05:00

Alayna must have heard this at school!!

Playing w/my cousins

2009-09-21T07:34:00.002-05:00

We had a great day yesterday @ Maria's graduation party. Alayna had so much fun playing with all of her cousins - Hayden, Jadyn, Amanda & Brittany. It is so much fun watching them!! Here are a few videos:

Alayna wanted Hayden to "sit next to me". He was more interested in his choo-choo :)

Alayna playing basketball

Alayna & Andy

2009-09-15T16:00:00.002-05:00

Alayna was looking "everywhere" outside for Andy.

Discovering Andy's tummy

Ocean City Vacation 2009

2009-09-06T14:31:00.005-05:00

We just got back from our vacation at Ocean city yesterday. We had a great time despite only three days of true sunshine. Alayna really enjoyed the beach and splashing in the waves. It was so fun to watch her!

Here are some videos from our trip:

Playing in the kiddy pool @ the condo

Playing on the playground

Singing and Dancing

2009-08-15T07:54:00.005-05:00

Alayna singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Missing a few words along the way! :)

Dancing!

Playing at Mall

2009-07-29T14:24:00.002-05:00

Alayna having a lot of fun playing at a soft playground at the mall. It is a little blurry but it is cute.

Enjoying an ice cream cone

2009-07-14T18:25:00.003-05:00

Alayna slurping her ice cream cone.

Sorry it's sideways. Trying to figure out how it fix it.

Mickey Room

2009-07-10T07:28:00.003-05:00

Alayna's new Mickey bedroom.

Swimming in new pool

2009-06-29T11:46:00.005-05:00

Alayna loves her new pool!! Here are two videos:

VBS 09- 3rd &4th grade

2009-06-27T09:46:00.004-05:00

Our class singing!!

Brett's graduation

2009-06-11T13:22:00.004-05:00

So hard to believe that my little nephew Brett graduated high school last night. It seems like only yesterday he was starting school. I am so proud of him. He was class president so he gave a great speech at graduation. He also sang an awesome solo called "I'm not going to cry". Of course it made me cry.

Alayna not sharing during tea party with Daddy

2009-06-07T17:26:00.004-05:00

Alayna did not want to give Daddy any tea at her party!! Still working on those manners :)

Andy playing ball

2009-05-15T21:16:00.002-05:00

Andy loves playing ball!

Going to Mom-Mom's

2009-05-12T14:33:00.002-05:00

Swinging at the park

2009-04-16T13:31:00.004-05:00

Alayna was swinging on the swing by herself for the first time today. She is growing up so quick.

Night baby, I love you!!

2009-04-01T14:11:00.002-05:00

Alayna - videos

2009-03-09T19:31:00.004-05:00

Alayna having fun playing with a Walmart bag. Who needs toys??!!

Andy the ghost

2009-03-05T21:41:00.002-05:00

Alayna thought Andy the ghost was hilarious!!

Playing in the snow

2009-03-05T20:35:00.003-05:00

Having fun playing in the snow. Mommy was kicking snow on her!! :)

Alayna at the park

2009-02-19T12:36:00.002-05:00

Alayna and Andy playing

2009-02-07T22:21:00.003-05:00

OH NOOO!!!

2009-02-07T21:17:00.003-05:00

This is Alayna's favorite saying!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2008-12-17T19:32:00.003-05:00

Can't believe Christmas is just about one week away. I am still not finished shopping or putting out my decorations. Don't know why this year has been so difficult. Our Christmas tree even fell down several days after being decorated and had to be redone. Never had that happen before.

I am constantly reminding myself that it doesn't matter what gets done or what doesn't. It is not about me. It is about celebrating the birth of Jesus.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New year.

TIME TO CELEBRATE!!!!

2008-11-13T22:57:00.002-05:00

I just finished my final exam for my Medical Transcriptionist training!!! YEAH!!!! Can't believe I am finally done after 18 months. There were times when I thought I would never be able to get through it but after a lot of prayer, I knew I needed to keep going. THANK YOU GOD!!

Now just have to wait for my grade and certificate of completion so I can get a job. WOW!!

Alayna is 2

2008-10-30T12:42:00.003-05:00

Wow, where has the time gone. Alayna turned 2 yrs old on Sat, Oct 25th. She had a Super Sleuth birthday party, aka My friends Tigger and Pooh. We had a great time with family and friends despite the rain outside. We turned our garage into a playground and the kids had a ball.

She is such a blessing and every day we realize that more and more. She has such a great little personality. She loves to dance, play "ghost" with a blanket, and loves being chased. She is becoming more and more independent every day.

She went for her 2 yr checkup on Tues and did GREAT. She weighs 28lb and is 35 in. The doctor said based on her height now, she will be around 5'8" as an adult. She has a flu shot and didn't even cry. WOW!! I couldn't believe it. She was just such a big girl.

It is so much fun watching her discover new things and light up at the simple things in life. We look forward to seeing how much she will develop in the next year.

Long lost Bear

2008-10-28T21:11:00.002-05:00

My friend Tracy gave Alayna a Build A bear last year for her birthday. We lost the bear in February when we went to the Bel Air Chocolate Festival. I replaced the bear in March because Alayna was so upset when we lost it.

My friend Tracy called me Saturday night on Alayna's birthday and said when she went home from Alayna's party there was a package on her porch. It was addressed to Alayna Corfman and the Bennetts (Tracy's last name). She opened it up and there was THE BEAR we lost nearly one year ago. How ironic to get it back on Alayna's birthday.

It had a T-shirt on that said Beary Glad to be Home. It also had a letter saying that it had been on a very long journey and that some nice person had found her and turned her in. The bears have an ID built into them so they can trace the owner. UNBELIEVABLE!! I think we need these for our children.

My new great niece - Jadyn Marie

2008-10-08T17:24:00.000-05:00

Meet Jadyn Marie. She was born yesterday to my niece Jenna. She weighed 7lb 3 oz 21 in long. They live in Ohio so I haven't got to see her yet. Hopefully we will be able to make a trip so we can meet her.

Announcing Andy, our new baby boy

2008-08-30T20:33:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we headed out to Quarryville PA to get a Cavachon puppy. I had never picked out a puppy before so I was unsure as to how I would be able to choose. Brandon told me that the puppy would pick us and he was absolutely right. Our little puppy was the only one of the litter who licked both of us immediately. He was so sweet and adorable. After tossing around several names on the ride home we decided on Andy.

Alayna loves him. She thinks it is so neat when he licks her hand. He is really good with her. We are excited to see how they interact as they both grow up.

My little man is ONE!!

2008-08-24T19:26:00.003-05:00

My great nephew Hayden turned one on Friday, August 22nd. He had his birthday party on Saturday. As you can see he LOVED his cake ALOT!!!

I can't believe he is one already. He is such a special little boy. He has such a great little personality. Anytime you talk to him he lights up and gives you a smile. He loves Alayna and gets so excited when he sees her. Unfortunatly, Alayna is scarred when Hayden comes to greet her. He just wants to play with her. I am so excited that he and Alayna will grow up together and maybe someday she will stop being afraid of him. ha!ha!

Taking a ride in his car.

Almost 2

2008-08-17T21:39:00.003-05:00

In two months Alayna will be 2 years old. I don't know where the time has gone. People always tell you that time flies and to treasure every moment. I never really understood that until I became a parent myself.

I am watching Alayna transform into her own little person with her own unique personality. She learns new things every day and becomes more and more independent also. As you can see above she wants to talk to Mom-Mom on the phone by herself. She doesn't want Mommy to hold the phone for her anymore.

She is now actually starting to really play with her baby doll. She feeds her and pushes her in the stroller. This is a step up from just throwing her across the room.

She loves brushing her teeth, although she doesn't like Mommy doing it quite as much.

She had cereal for the first time with milk in a bowl a couple of weeks ago. As you can see, milk is all over the place. She hasn't quite mastered the spoon yet.

She got a Princess blanket and matching pillow at a craft show. She loves them and often wants to take both in the car with her.

Every day is still filled with new firsts...it is so exciting seeing the world and all that there is to discover through a child's eyes.

Ocean City Vacation

2008-07-13T13:58:00.002-05:00

We went to Ocean City last Monday through Friday for a mini-week. It was so relaxing. Alayna loved the waves hitting her legs and playing in the sand.

Brandon talked me into getting on the ferris wheel at the Inlet. It was great. You could see up and down the boardwalk and the ocean. What a view!!

Happy 4th (5th) of July

2008-07-05T21:51:00.004-05:00

Happy belated 4th of July! Havre de Grace held all of its 4th of July festivities today. We went to the parade and fireworks today. Alayna really seemed to enjoy the parade.

We were really blessed this year to be invited to a coworker of Brandon's home who live right on the parade route. It was so nice. We could go in and out and get food.

We went to the fireworks tonight but it didn't go so well. We only were able to stay for about 1/3 of the show. Alayna was over tired. She did not get a good nap today. She was so off track because of the parade.

Family Reunion

2008-06-25T12:26:00.003-05:00

On Saturday we had our family reunion. It was held at my sister Carol Ann's house. We had such a great time. We ate and ate, went swimming, played volleyball, and ate some more.

I think it was one of the largest reunions that we have had in years. We had family come in from North Carolina and Ohio. We had a full house. They left on Monday and now our house seems so quiet! I sure do miss them.

It was so great to have everyone together. As we all get older, I realize the importance of making family a priority. Many of our family members are no longer with us but I know they were looking down on us on Saturday and smiling.

Mother's Day 2008

2008-05-12T21:51:00.003-05:00

Mother's Day was such a special day once again. I got to spend time with my daughter, my husband and my mom. We went to Woody's Crab house for dinner and had some great rock fish. I was also reminded once again how blessed I am to have Alayna and how grateful I am that I have such a special relationship with my own mom. I pray that Alayna and I will share that same friendship and love when she is older.

Spring time in Havre de Grace

2008-04-10T21:05:00.004-05:00

I love Spring. It was so nice here today with a temperature of 72 degrees. It was so nice to get out with Alayna and walk the promenade and go to the park. The lighthouse is such an exquisite site.

Alayna really enjoys the park this year. She is finally starting to like swinging by herself and she has always loved the slides. I look forward to spending many more days at the park.

2008-03-25T20:01:00.000-05:00

GROWING UP

Alayna is now 17 months old. She is no longer our baby girl, she is now our toddler. Everyday I realize how much more she is growing up. She does things that totally amaze me and I think where did she learn that! She definitely knows what she wants now and makes sure we understand that too.

Here are some of the latest things that she has done that have blown my mind:

She had a runny nose last week. She sneezed and instantly went to the end table and started pointing to the tissues. She wasn't satisfied until I got a tissue and wiped her nose.

Last night I told her that it was time for bed. She took me by the hand and led me right to the steps to go upstairs. I guess she was more ready than I realized!!

Today, I was typing on the computer and looked up to her handing me a giant box of Goldfish crackers. This box is kept in our snack cabinet which had the doors pulled shut. She had figured out how to open it and brought them to me because she was hungry. Wow, I couldn't believe it. I guess we have to figure out how to put a latch on those doors.

In addition to all of the above antics, she has a wonderful little personality. She loves to be chased and to play hide and seek. Of course, you have to hide, she hasn't figured out what her hiding means yet. She also loves being tickled and playing ball. She is becoming a little social butterfly too. She is so much fun. We are enjoying every minute!!

2008-03-25T19:02:00.000-05:00

Easter 2008

Alayna really enjoyed Easter this year. She was fascinated by her Easter basket. She didn't know what to get out first. It is so neat to see her excitement.

Green-eyed Monster

2008-02-27T22:32:00.000-05:00

Jealousy has been a recent issue in our home. Alayna is very jealous of Daddy kissing Mommy. She does everything she can to get in between us and break up the kissing. She gets VERY upset with Daddy and even GROWLS at him. If she can get within reach she will push his face away too. It is hilarious!!! We were laughing so hard at her tonight. She was seriously going to tear Daddy up!!!

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T10:10:00.002-05:00

Alayna's first snow

2008-01-20T21:12:00.001-05:00

After Alayna was pointing out the window all morning at the snow and saying ooooo, I decided to bundle her up and take her out. It was so funny because she didn't really know what to think of it. She couldn't figure out what was falling on her face. She did finally put her hands down and play with it a little bit.

She also got her 5 seconds of fame later that evening. I sent her picture into a local news station who was gathering snow pictures on their website. They would show some of the slideshow at various points throughout the newscast. Due to limited time, they only got through about 5 pictures at a time. We weren't sure if Alayna would make it on the air because she was 50 out of about 80. The last time they did the snow slideshow, they ended on Alayna's picture!!! It was so cool.

FRANKENbaby

2008-01-09T14:57:00.000-05:00

Alayna is walking!! Her daddy has been calling her Frankenbaby because of her walking technique. It is very wobbly and her arms are out like Frankenstein! It is so funny watching her go. Every day she gets a little better. I don't know if her butt will survive this stage. She falls so hard on her bottom just about every other minute.

She also used a fork the other night to feed herself. It is amazing to watch her learn new things. Our little baby is now our little girl!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2008-01-04T14:36:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! We are looking forward to 2008 and all that it has to bring.

We celebrated New Year's eve at our home with about 25 of our friends. It was so much fun. We ate ALOT of food, chatted ALOT, and played games. A few of us finished the evening by going down to the HDG Middle School for the annual duck drop and fireworks. New Year's Day consisted of putting away Christmas decorations and relaxing at home.

Christmas 2007

2007-12-28T09:21:00.001-05:00

We had a really great Christmas. This was officially Alayna's second Christmas but it was her first Christmas that she was actually somewhat aware of what was going on. People have always said how incredible it is to see Christmas through the eyes of a child and I finally comprehended that this year. It was so much fun this year watching Alayna get excited about the lights on the Christmas tree and on all the houses in the neighborhood. She was a little overwhelmed opening her presents. It took her about one hour to open everything because she wanted to play with each new thing and really didn't have any interest in moving on. The excitement in her eyes was so wonderful.

She went from one thing to another all day. She really loved her Little People train and Little People's Noah's Ark. She was so funny though because she likes things a certain way and if you try to change that she gets upset. For example, she does not want any of the little people to actually ride the train. She automatically pulls them all off and if you try to put them back on, she takes them off. It was hilarious.

Her Rock and Spin Zebra was another fun toy. She was a little cautious of it at first but soon learned to climb up on him. She actually likes dancing to the music that he plays too.
The toy that all of the adults loved the most was her TMX Elmo from Jessie. Elmo is hilarious. It is the smartest toy that I have ever seen. You tickle Elmo and he goes crazy laughing. He lays down on the floor kicking his feet, lays on his side, and ends up back in a standing position. He does many other things too. You actually get clues on how to make him do other things such as hiccup. All of his secrets will be revealed on Jan 2nd so we are eagerly anticipating this. Alayna is still a little unsure of Elmo but she is inching closer each time.

Overall we had a great day. All of my family was over for dinner. We had so much fun eating and opening presents. Alayna enjoyed playing with all of her toys and visiting with EVERYONE.

Life's latest adventures

2007-12-05T08:16:00.000-05:00

Life has been as busy as usual for us. Brandon is busy with coding and programming. He is also preparing for his trip to Africa at the end of January. I am REALLY busy trying to complete my medical transcriptionist course. It is very challenging and time consuming. I am pressing forward reminding myself of my goal which is to be able to work from home.

We spent Thanksgiving with my family at my sister's house. Brandon's dad was also here and able to celebrate with us. Alayna had a great time and as always enjoyed her cousin Hayden. We are definitely continually thankful for all of the blessings that God has given us.

Alayna is growing into a little toddler. These days she enjoys getting into EVERYTHING!!! She loves playing with her toys and reading her books. Her favorite book is her Playtime Peek-a-boo book which has been duct-taped several times due to wear and tear. In fact, Aunt Carol bought her a new one so she wouldn't have a red-neck book that is all taped up. She also loves climbing up the steps and if the gate is left open she flees to the steps for her great escape. She isn't walking yet but did take three steps to her Mom-Mom on Friday.

The big ONE!!

2007-10-31T21:45:00.000-05:00

On October 25, 2007, Alayna turned one year old. This past year has flown by. I cannot believe it. Brandon and I were talking and we figured out that it flew by so quick because for the first six months we were sleep deprived!! :)

Big things happen when you turn one. You get to drink WHOLE milk and face forward in your car seat. Alayna is loving both. I love not having to buy and mix up expensive formula.

We had a big birthday party with friends and family. Alayna had so much fun. She really enjoyed opening up her presents which included alot of toys and clothes. She played so much that she fell asleep in her high chair that night.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALAYNA!!

Growing up!!

2007-09-29T21:14:00.001-05:00

Alayna is growing up so quickly. She is approaching her 1st birthday and becoming more independent every day. She has been trying new adult foods and is having a great time experimenting. I think she will be taking several baths a day once she is completely on regular food. She likes to eat and wear her food!

She is also crawling around very quickly now and is pulling her self up on EVERYTHING!! She is getting pretty dangerous. I think she needs to wear a crash helmet. I couldn't wait for her to start crawling and now I am thinking that I was nuts!!! She is all over the place and follows me everywhere. It is a big new adventure and actually I am having a blast!!!

On the move!

2007-09-18T21:23:00.000-05:00

Alayna is CRAWLING!! YEAH!! She officially started tonight. She has been trying for a couple of days now. She was getting up on her knees and rocking.

I took her to the doctor yesterday because we thought she had an ear infection. She had the classic symptom of tugging on her ear and she just seemed to be laying around more than usual. The doctor said that her ears were perfectly clear and the fact that she was not herself could be because she was about to achieve a milestone, such as crawling or walking. She said she has seen this over the years in children. They seem off for a couple of days before their achievement. It seemed kind of strange to me but she was right!!! Alayna accomplished a milestone tonight only a couple of days after she seemed off.

Hayden Michael - My great nephew

2007-08-30T21:33:00.000-05:00

I am a great aunt!! Hayden Michael Porter was born last Wednesday. He was 7lb 11oz and 19 in long. He was born to my niece Jessie and her husband Mike.

We got to go visit him on the day he was born but I didn't get to see him again until Monday night. He is so cute. He ended up with jaundice and had to come home with the bili blanket just like Alayna. He is doing better.

Family dinners will never be the same. It is going to be so fun watching Alayna and Hayden chase each other around. I am sure they will have many adventures.

Alayna's adventures

2007-08-07T22:24:00.000-05:00

Alayna is nine months old now. I can hardly believe it. It seems like only yesterday she was a tiny little infant. The last couple of months she has had some adventures and some developmental milestones.

At the end of June we went to North Carolina for my family reunion. Alayna took her very first plane ride. She did very well. She slept almost the whole time on both flights. It was a great first trial at flying because the flight was only a little over an hour.

We stayed with my cousin Diane and her husband Ronnie. Alayna took to them automatically. She let them hold her in the airport. I was so happy because she had been going through a "mommy" stage. While we were there she got to take a good old fashioned country bath in the sink. She loved it as you can see.

She started sitting up by herself at about 8 1/2 months. She still isn't crawling but will get up on her hands, turn herself in the direction that she wants to go,and then she rolls there. She can also maneuver quite well in her walker. She likes trying to pull the newspaper off of the coffee table.

She has also developed a very silly personality. She will laugh and laugh especially when she is tired. She loves being tickled and tossed up and down in the air. I love to hear her laughing.

She has learned to clap her hands and will do so when told. She will give hugs and kisses especially to Mom-Mom. She is Mom Mom's girl. She even said Mom-Mom last week. She likes to play with shoes, paper, and in the laundry basket as you can see.

Last weekend we went to Norfolk, VA. Alayna stayed in her first hotel room. They brought us a white iron crib for her. It was a challenge trying to get her to go to sleep in the room where we still had the lights and TV on. She was so funny because we put her in our bed and she kept lifting her head up to peek over at her daddy. She eventually fell asleep. We ended up having her sleep in between us both nights because she kept waking up every hour in the crib on the first night. When she got home she was so happy to be back in her own bed and room.

Alayna and her friends

2007-08-07T22:15:00.001-05:00

Last Monday our friends Mike and Becky came over for dinner with their two kids Matthew and Anna. I was amazed at how well all of the kids played together. We sat Anna and Alayna down on a blanket together. They each played with their own toys and didn't seem to mind that the other was there. Matthew was being a great helper to the little ones. He would bring toys to them. Alayna was having a great time laughing at Matthew as he was studying her too.

Mike and Becky are leaving to go on a long term overseas mission trip. We will definitely miss them. Alayna will miss her friends Anna and Matthew also. I pray that they will be able to get to know each other again in the future and will be the best of buds again.

Madison Elizabeth has arrived!!

2007-07-29T21:27:00.000-05:00

Alayna's new best friend has arrived. Madison Elizabeth Hess was born on July 19th at 9:10 a.m. She was 7lb 5 ounces and 20 1/2 inches long. Her proud mommy is my best friend Tonja.

Tonja and I have been friends for over 25 years. It is so exciting that we both have babies at the same time and can share our experiences with our daughters. We are late bloomers. Our other friends have older children, in fact some of the people we went to school with already have grandchildren!!

I pray that Alayna and Madison can grow up to be best friends. It is such an amazing thing to have a friend who sticks by you for as many years as Tonja has. We also have two other friends that have been around for 25 years also. These friends are more like family to me. They have been there through good and bad times. I look forward to many more years as we raise our children together.

Alayna's busy seventh month

2007-06-23T21:29:00.000-05:00

Alayna was 7 months old on May 25th. She is growing so fast. This past month has been filled with many firsts and changes in her. Here are some highlights:

She had cheerios for the first time. You can see Daddy helping her out. She wasn't sure at first but did eventually learn to get them in her mouth and chew them.

She finally got her first teeth. As you can see they are on the bottom in front.

She went swimming for the first time at Aunt Carol's last Sunday. The water was really cold but she eventually started enjoying it.

She said her first words on Father's Day. To Daddy's dismay, she said "ma, ma". Actually even though he wished it had been da-da, he was still excited that she said her first words. She has said the occasionally da-da mixed in with her rambling.

Some other highlights are she learned to wave bye-bye (thanks to Daddy), she has started getting into things while she is in her walker, she can roll in any directions she chooses, and she FINALLY started CONSISTENTLY sleeping through the night. I cannot believe how much she is changing. She is no longer a little baby. She is becoming her own little person. I am excited to see how much she learns in the eighth month.

Jenna's graduation

2007-05-28T21:46:00.000-05:00

My niece Jenna graduated from high school on Saturday, May 26th. We traveled to Woodsfield, OH to attend. We are so proud of Jenna. She graduated with straight A's and she also passed her CNA test with 100% on the clinical and 95 on the written. She will start working on Tuesday and will start college in the fall. She wants to become an RN.

This was our first official road trip with Alayna. It took us about 7 hours to get there. My mom traveled with us so Alayna had a buddy in the backseat. She did really well. She adjusted to sleeping in her pack-n-play and to meeting lots of new people. She met a new friend named Brice. He is nine months old. It was so cute when Alayna saw him for the first time she just smiled and reached right out for him.

On the way home she got to meet her Aunt Rhonda for the first time. We traveled two hours from Woodsfield to Columbus to meet Brandon's sister for lunch. It was so great that we were able to do this. She traveled two hours also from Findlay. We were so happy to see her. It had been 5 years since the last time we saw her at our wedding.

Here are some more pictures from graduation:

First Mother's Day

2007-05-20T20:43:00.000-05:00

Last week I had my first official Mother's Day. Wow! I still cannot believe it. I suddenly became the recipient of dinner, cards, and flowers. Me! I was the mommy! It was so strange because Mother's Day has always been about celebrating my mom.

Motherhood is such a special blessing. From the moment I first saw Alayna I was filled with such an amazing amount of love. It is so unexplainable. Every day I am still filled with such awe realizing that she is a part of me and Brandon.

I also realized just how much my mom loved me and my brother and sisters. She loved us with all her heart and sacrificed so much for us. I now understand how she could do that. You love your child so much that you would do anything for them.

Alayna's dedication

2007-05-20T16:02:00.000-05:00

Alayna's dedication

Click on the above picture to see the entire album from her dedication.

Alayna was dedicated last Sunday on Mother's Day. Brandon and I in front of our church family vowed the following:

Knowing that we will be the first standard by which Alayna will be able to test the reality of God’s power and love. We will give ourselves to become the man and woman God desires us to be.
We will prayerfully and in love do all we can to train Alayna as God has indicated in the scriptures.
We will by example and instruction lead Alayna to worship God at home and with the church.
We will by example, instruction, and prayer endeavor to live in such a way so that as Alayna comes of age she may by God’s grace come to trust in Christ and serve Him herself.

Our church family also vowed to be godly examples and witnesses for Alayna.

Easter

2007-04-11T20:30:00.000-05:00

Easter dinner was at our house this year. We had a total of 20 people. It was so much fun. My whole family was there including my sister Sherry and my niece Jenna who came in from Ohio. Alayna was the star attraction. She enjoys having a bunch of people around. She was being passed from one to another and loving every moment of it.

Here are some pictures of Alayna in her Easter dress:

Alayna getting ready to go to church with her bonnet on.

Alayna and Mommy

Alayna trying to get her bunny.

Watching mom-mom

Alayna is happy to have her bunny and dress to eat.

She is carefully examining her bunny!

1st pair of Nikes

2007-03-22T22:21:00.000-05:00

Aunt Carol was bound and determined to get Alayna her first pair of Nikes. It wasn't very easy to find them but she finally found them last weekend when she went to the outlets in Rehobeth. As you can see from the above picture, they are adorable.

After accomplishing this mission, Aunt Carol needed to something else to search for. I sent her in search of a spring jacket for Alayna because I couldn't find any in 6-9 months. Once again she was successful!! Her newest search is for an Easter bonnet. If anyone has any suggestions of where we can find one, please let me know.

Four months old and all of the firsts

2007-03-14T08:23:00.000-05:00

Alayna is four months old now. As you can see from this photo, she definitely has her own little personality.

In one week we have been amazed at how many firsts she has had. We want to share them with you.

1st time sitting in her highchair
1st time holding a spoon. She seemed to know exactly what she needed to do.

1st time eating baby food. She loved bananas!!

1st time in the exersaucer. She thought the seal should fit in her mouth and when he wouldn't she would get so mad!! ha!ha!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!

2007-02-14T17:47:00.000-05:00

Three months old

2007-02-01T21:14:00.000-05:00

Alayna is a little over three months old and SHE ROLLED OVER today !!!! I couldn't believe it. It was from her belly to her back. She hasn't mastered rolling over from her back to her belly yet.

She has also started chewing on her fingers. In fact it seems like everything goes in her mouth. She is also drooling all over herself. We are beginning to wonder if she is already teething. We have a friend who is a dental hygienist and she said it is possible by around 4 months to have a first tooth.

She definitely has her preferences already. She does not like being held like a tiny baby anymore. In fact she likes being held so she can face out and see everything. She also loves to stand up. She also seems to know when the phone is next to her face that she should talk. She will babble on and on.

I cannot believe how fast she is growing and developing. It is amazing to watch each new little trick. Every day brings new surprises.

Beware of M&Ms

2007-01-26T15:27:00.000-05:00

On Monday we had to take Alayna back to the ER for difficulty breathing. They think that she has croup based on what we told them. Of course, she did not have the symptoms the whole time we were there. They just said to put Vicks vapor rub on her pajamas and put her in the bathroom with the shower on if she has difficulty breathing. She seems to be doing better.

You always see a variety of different people and issues when you go to the ER. It started with a small child approximately 4 yrs old screaming at his mom in the waiting area telling her what he would and would not do. Amazingly, Alayna who was right across from him continued sleeping.

The most interesting case we came across was when we got back to Alayna's room at the ER. We heard the nurses and doctor as they looked in awe at a chest xray of a five year old little boy. It showed a definite obstruction in one of his lungs. Apparently, the little boy had swallowed an M&M and it went into his lung!!! They had to transport him to John's Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore for surgery. They were commenting that M&Ms may melt in your mouth but not in your lung. What a scarry thing!!

Trip to the ER

2007-01-17T13:46:00.000-05:00

We had to take our first trip to the emergency room last night with Alayna. She has had a cold for about one week. However, late yesterday afternoon Brandon noticed that she was wheezing and you could feel her rattling in her back. I called the doctor and since it was after hours she told us to take her to the ER to be evaluated.

We went to Upper Chesapeake and were not surprised to find a waiting room full of people. We checked in and were told that it would only be a few minutes because Alayna would go to the pediatric er. I was a little skeptical but we were called within five minutes and taken directly back to a room. It is very nice because there is a totally seperate pediatric er with pediatricians on duty 24 hours a day.

Alayna did pretty well. She had a few crying fits but nothing major in our opinion. They gave her a breathing treatment which really did help. They also checked for RSV and the flu. Thankfully they were both negative. She was diagnosed with an upper respiratory tract infection. They didn't prescribe any medications because she is still too small.

We returned to our pediatrician today and were pleased to find out that her lungs were clear. We still have to watch her and the doctor said based on family history (me having asthma)she still may need a nebulizer at home.

She does seem to be doing better today. She is talking to her Pooh on her bouncer and giving him an occasionally whack. :)

First Cold

2007-01-14T21:56:00.000-05:00

I had to take Alayna to the doctor's on Thursday. She officially has her first cold. Fortunately it is pretty mild and she is already doing much better. As you can see from our pictures it did wipe her out for a few days.

We had to go out and buy a vaporizer and a new thermometer. I asked the pediatrician what type of thermometer she recommended and she said a temporal scanner. I had never heard of such a thing. Brandon found one at Walmart for about $35. It is actually pretty cool because you just scan it across the forehead. We are learning about all kind of new things as parents!! :)

Christmas 2006 and lessons learned

2006-12-25T21:32:00.000-05:00

What a difference one year makes!!! I would have never imagined last Christmas that we would have a two month old baby girl this year. In fact we had just received our completed home study for the adoption.

I think I have finally learned a valuable life lesson after many years, that is that God is in CONTROL of my life and not me. He is the one who directs my steps and knows my future. I have always tried to plan things out. I can remember as a teenager planning to be married by age 21 or 22 and having children by age 25. God was probably laughing at my foolish thinking. None of my plans worked out the way I thought. I didn't get married until age 32 and didn't become a mom until I was 36. It was very difficult being single and listening to everyone ask when I was ever going to get married and then once I was married they'd ask when we were going to have a baby. They failed to realized that as much as I wanted each of the above, I couldn't make either happen. I learned to trust God for a husband and for a baby.

I am not saying that it was an easy road but it was definitely worth waiting for God's best. Anyone who may be struggling with being single or being childless, please remember to keep asking God and trust Him for his answers. Don't let other people rush you into something that is not God's best for you. Hang in there and just keep serving as you wait.

I am enjoying one of my greatest Christmas gifts ever: Alayna Marie :) It is so much fun watching her discover new things like her toys and her new favorite thing: Her TONGUE!!!

Merry Christmas

2006-12-21T15:41:00.000-05:00

This year has been a little challenging in terms of getting ready for Christmas. I didn't get started shopping until about two weeks ago. I'm still not done!!

We went and got our tree on Saturday and decorated it on Sunday. Having the tree up makes it feel more like Christmas.

I have to keep reminding myself that Christmas is not about all of the chaos of decorating and shopping. It is about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. If none of the other things get done, it doesn't matter because Christmas is not about us and our satisfaction.

We hope that our family and friends will have a very merry Christmas and take time to reflect on the true meaning.

Update

2006-12-14T22:32:00.000-05:00

Alayna is changing so quickly. I can hardly believe that she is 7 weeks old already. She is starting to smile and trying desperately to talk. It is so neat to see her face light up. She loves exercising her arms and legs. She also likes flying around in the air in her daddy's arms.

We had to change her formula because she was having stomach problems. Amazingly though she knew that it was different and would not drink it. We couldn't believe she would already know that it didn't taste the same. The doctor was pretty amazed too. She said that we could give her a mixture of the old and new so she would have a little bit of familiarity. That trick worked and after one day of a mixture, I was able to switch her completely to the new formula. She is doing SO much better on the new formula. She is so much more content. We haven't had any major breakdowns since she changed.

The best thing about her being content is that she slept through the night last Saturday. She was only 6 1/2 weeks old. I was so happy. She is continuing to sleep at least 4-5 hours at a time. She can go 6-9 hours at night without eating. It is great!!! I think I am finally starting to be coherent again. : )

Our basement remodeling is done!!! The last step is getting the carpet in. We have started the fun job of moving everything back down into the basement from the garage. We decided to work about one hour a night until we get it done. It will be so nice to have both cars back in the garage and everything back to being accessible in the basement.

First full bath

2006-11-26T21:53:00.000-05:00

Alayna was finally able to have her first bath where she could actually be down in the water. She didn't really know what to think at first. I think she was a little scared. She cried and cried to show her total dissatisfaction. She finally did settle down and MAYBE enjoyed it a little. Actually I think she probably just considered it another way her mom tortures her!! (changing her clothes and diapers are also forms of torture) ha!ha!

Thanksgiving

2006-11-26T21:41:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving is a time to thank God for all that He has blessed us with. This year my biggest blessing is Alayna. She is definitely a miracle. I never realized just how much she would bring to my life. Everyone tells you how much you will love your child and I have to say it is overwhelming. It is automatic from the first moment you see that tiny little face. I cannot even begin to put into words just how much I love this little girl. She is amazing. Everyday I watch her grow and develop. She has already changed so much in just one month. I have to remind myself to cherish each moment because before we know it she will be all grown up.

Alayna's big day

2006-11-12T21:02:00.000-05:00

Today was Alayna's big day out. We started the day out by going to the 8:30 service at church. Everyone was so happy to finally meet her. She did really well in church. She let out one little cry when Pastor John was talking about her from the pulpit. She is very sensitive and doesn't like to be talked about!! :)

We then ventured out to Steak and Ale for lunch with the grandmoms. She was pretty good at the restaurant. I have already learned how to feed her with one hand and myself with the other.

The most traumatic thing for her was the car ride. She really hates riding in the car. She doesn't like curves or stopping and starting. She also doesn't like being strapped in her car seat. She is already a very opinionated child.

Two weeks old

2006-11-08T21:08:00.000-05:00

Alayna is two weeks old today. She is changing everyday. Today was the first day that she was awake most of the day. I am hoping this means that she will sleep longer tonight. We will see!!

It is so funny to see how she has some of my mannerisms. I have always slept with my hand over my eye and Alayna is now doing it also. She also groans in her sleep just like me. I cannot believe she has picked up my habits at such a young age. It is so funny. She is definitely her mother's daughter.

Glow Baby

2006-11-02T14:49:00.000-05:00

On Thursday, October 26th they told us that Alayna had jaundice. Her bilirubin level was high. Apparently this was caused by the fact that our blood types were incompatible. I was O positive and Alayna was A postitive.

They started her on a bili blanket to try to bring the levels down. The blanket was actually a long pad illuminating a special blue light that was placed under her t-shirt. It was pretty ackward to move her around because the pad was attached to a tube.

They retested her blood by pricking her heel and squeezing the blood out. It broke my heart every time they did it. She would cry and cry. I hated watching her in pain.

On Friday when they retested her, they found out it had went up a little. They told us that she may be placed on a bili bed or be put in the special care nursery with the lights over top of her. This was a little frightening even though they assured us that her levels were not dangerously high.

They decided on the bili bed. She would need to stay on this all day and at least overnight. I was officially being discharged on Friday but she would have to stay. The hospital was great because they said that they would just transfer her to pediatrics on paper and allow us to stay in the same room. This meant that we could still stay with her.

The bili bed looked like the bottom half of a tanning bed with a bunting that she fit inside. She had no clothes on underneath except for her diaper to allow the light to penetrate her skin better. She did so great with staying content in the bili bed. At night she looked like a little glow worm.

We thought that we would be discharged on Saturday but her levels were still higher than they wanted. They were coming down but slowly. Brandon and I both continued to stay with Alayna at night. We were both exhausted at this point because as everyone knows you don't sleep in the hospital. They kept coming in and checking her vitals.

On Sunday we finally were discharged. She had to come home with a bili blanket until her levels came down. On Monday, they sent out a home health nurse to take her blood to check her levels. They were still a little high so she would have to stay on for at least another day.

On Tuesday the nurse came back in the morning to recheck her blood. We also had an appointment with the pediatrician. Things went well and the doctor felt that if her levels were continuing to decrease she could come off of the bili blanket. Later in the afternoon the nurse called and said that we could take the blanket off and just put her in the sun.

The nurse came back out on Wednesday morning to check her blood to ensure that her levels did not rebound up again. Thankfully everything was great. She was finally done with all of the blood draws!!!

Alayna has arrived

2006-10-31T17:32:00.000-05:00

Last Tuesday I went to the hospital for a nonstress test. The doctor also wanted to do an ultrasound to check the amniotic fluid around the baby. Upon finishing the ultrasound, she told me that she was keeping me. I asked her for what?!! She said to have a baby. The fluid was low so she wanted me to deliver.

I was so shocked. I called Brandon and he kept repeating "Your kidding"!! I finally convinced him that I was serious and that Alayna would be coming that day.

They took me upstairs around 11a.m. and started getting things going. They started pitocin to get the contractions going. When they first checked me, I was already 3-4 centimeters dilated and 50% effaced. I had not a clue!! Things kept progessing nicely. Around 5:30 they broke my water and things really started moving.

My contractions started getting stronger and stronger. I asked for an epidural and they were able to give it to me in about 30 minutes. I only had to struggle with hard contractions for about 45 minutes. The edidural was great and even had a button I could push for more medicine.

Around 9:00 pm I was starting to feel the contractions and pressure again so they came back in and gave me more medicine through the epidural. This ended my second bout of pain which had only lasted about 20 minutes.

At 11:30 pm, it was time to push. I was so excited because I thought it won't be long now. Boy was I wrong!! It took two hours of pushing before Alayna arrived at 1:38 am on October 25th. I was so overwhelmed when I saw her. I couldn't believe that she was here and she was perfect!! My first reaction was to thank God for this wonderful blessing!!

She weighed in at 7lb 10oz. She was 18 1/2 inches long. They said that her hair was blond. I couldn't really tell until they cleaned her up. The doctor said it was good that I didn't go three more weeks until my due date because Alayna would have weighed a whole lot more. I can't imagine.

My whole labor experience went very well. I am so amazed by the whole process. I can't wait to watch our little miracle grow and strive.

The excitement continues...

2006-10-22T22:30:00.000-05:00

Saturday morning at 6 a.m. Brandon and I headed back to the Family Birthplace. My blood pressure had been high all night and my head was throbbing. The doctor instructed us to head to the hospital to be checked. It was still a little high when I got there but after about an hour it starting leveling out again. The nurse and doctors say this is not unusual.

The thing that was different this time was that I actually starting to have contractions. As I was feeling the pain, we could see the number on the monitor increasing also. The doctor did confirm that I was indeed having contractions. They were not consistent so I was not officially in labor. My body is just beginning to prepare.

Today I have had several nonconsistent contractions. The worst one was in my back. Wow, it was pretty rough!!! I am hoping that when I go into labor that I do not have back labor.

These contractions were like a slap of reality. I could really go at any time now and when I do it is going to be PAINFUL!! I have to keep reminding myself that at then end of the pain I will see my baby :)

We will see what this new week brings!!!!

Exciting week

2006-10-18T21:40:00.000-05:00

We have had an exciting week already. On Monday I was scheduled to go to my family doctor to get a flu shot as recommended by my ob/gyn. When I woke up I realized that my hands, legs, and feets were swollen pretty bad. I called my family doctor's office and asked them if he could take a look at them before I got the shot. He did and was very concerned because my right leg was swollen more than the left. He called my ob/gyn and they both agreed that I should go to the hospital and have a doppler ultrasound on both legs to make sure that I didn't have any blood clots. Thankfully there were none. The tech said there was just alot of fluid.

Today I went for my 36 week appointment. My swelling was still significant and my blood pressure was up. My doctor thought that I should go to the hospital and be checked out by another doctor in the same practice. We were able to go directly to the family birthplace at the hospital. They automatically took me in and hooked me up to monitors and did blood work. My blood pressure came down and everything seemed to be ok. The doctor came in and said that my bloodwork showed that I was anemic so I would need to take more iron. I was cleared to go home after about 1 1/2 hours. I told Brandon this was our practice run!!! Hopefully the rest of the week will be quiet.

Recent news

2006-10-14T21:12:00.000-05:00

I am slipping up on my postings. I realized that it has been almost two weeks since I last posted. So here are some of the latest happenings:

On the homefront:
We are in the process of having the basement remodeled. Are we crazy or what?!! We are just praying that it gets done before Alayna comes. We are putting in a multipurpose room, full bath, and a study. We are excited because we will be able to have more of our friends over with younger children. They can go to the basement and watch movies or play while the adults stay upstairs.
We also are painting our bedroom this weekend.

Pregnancy update: I am just about 36 wks now. I am really starting to be uncomfortable now. It is difficult to walk due to the pressure, I am not sleeping very well, my hands,legs, and feet are swollen, and I can barely get in and out of the car. I have to just keep focusing on the end result!! :) It really does seem like I am getting close. I can tell that I have dropped significantly. Brandon told me that I should pack my hospital bag now because he doesn't think it will be much longer. I go to the doctor on Wednesday so I should know more then.

Baby shower

2006-10-01T21:01:00.000-05:00

Today was my baby shower given by my church and my family. The room looked so neat decorated with Precious Moments! They put a sock at each place setting filled with candy and then once you took the candy out you could mate the socks. I have such a variety of socks now.

I was so overwhelmed with just how many of my friends and family were there. I was so happy to see people who I hadn't seen for a long time including some former co-workers.
It is amazing to know just how many people love and care about me and Alayna.

There were so MANY presents. We actually had to take an intermission during the opening of gifts. It took me over two hours to open everything. I am so thankful for all of the incredible gifts. Alayna is already loved by so many people. This day was so much more than I could have ever imagined. I am truly blessed with friends and family who share our joy.

Renaissance festival

2006-10-01T18:58:00.000-05:00

Three years ago we started a tradition of going to the Maryland Renaissance Festival with our friends Terri and Brian. We went yesterday and enjoyed a beautiful day. The festival is so much fun. The festival grounds in Crownsville are a recreation of a 16th century English village. You really feel like you are in that time period. There are alot of attendees who are in costumes for that period. People watching can be very entertaining.

They put on a variety of shows at several different outside theaters. Some of the highlights are the abbreviated Shakespeare plays, Shakespeare skum plays,and the Squire on the wire. Another definite crowd pleaser is watching a Jousting match.

The food is very good and priced very reasonable also. Some of the unique or favorite dishes are turkey legs, cheesecake on a stick, and apple dumplings.

If you have never been to the festival, you should definitely go. It is a fun and unique experience.

Hooked

2006-09-27T09:40:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I FINALLY completed my first Sudoku puzzle without looking at the answers! I was so excited. I owe Brandon a big thank you for directing me to a web site that gave me tips on solving the puzzles. I warned him that if he got me started on these things, he may not be able to get me to stop. I was right because now I am officially HOOKED!!