Here's looking at you, kid!

When I met you, you were a super cute two year old little boy!

Today, you are an 11 year old young man!

It's been an whirlwind, and I've enjoyed every minute of it!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JACOB!

I LOVE YOU AND AM SO PROUD OF YOU!

Guessing Game-EDITED with answers!!

Who's who? Here are some pictures of our "look-alike" cuties! Can you guess which pictures are of Eli and which are of Abel?


Eli

Eli

Abel

Eli

Abel

Eli

Abel

"The laughter of a child is the light of the home"

the stuff that makes my heart sing from Jennifer Sloan on Vimeo.

Late July/Early August Update!

Seems I'm not updating the blog very often, but for those of you who still take the time to check on us here, this is what's been going on.

*Jacob went to camp and on vacation with Matt's family! He had a great time both places!
*Eli has been wearing big boy pants for almost a month now (except for naps and bedtime). He's done great!
*Abel can roll over now, but doesn't do so very often.
*Jacob starts middle school next week! I can't believe it!
*Eli has some massive language skills, saying things like carbonation, pumpernickel, and obedient with ease. His sentences can stretch up to 9 or 10 words and if I don't quite understand his articulation, he'll actually rephrase or give me a reference point! Such a smart kid!
*Abel has two teeth already and loves to chew on his fists, fingers, hands, etc.
*Jacob started baseball practice this week. He's on the Orioles and we're hoping for a winning season!
*Eli makes us laugh. He learned the story of Jonah, so one day when he was being disobedient, I asked him about Jonah. "Remember Jonah? What did Jonah do?" He replied, "He wasn't obedient." I followed with, "and what happened to Jonah?" To which Eli responded, "He got swallowed by big fish!" So, I asked, "Do you want to be swallowed by a big fish?" Quickly, Eli exclaimed, "YES!" Oh, well!
*Abel loves to hang out in the Ergo carrier and the Baby Bjorn. He loves to be near us!
*Matt and I are enjoying our little family so much! We feel so blessed!

Here are some pictures of our recent fun!

Picture Updates!

Honoring the Dads!

Three men in my life are not only great people, but amazing dads. I am blessed to share life with each of them. So today, on Father's Day, I want to take the time to honor my hubby (aka the father of my children), my father, and my father-in-law!

I could not ask for a better partner to parent with! Matt is truly dedicated to our family and our boys. He takes the time to teach them, play with them, and honestly invest into their lives daily. He is a wonderful example for our boys and I am so thankful for him!

Little Eli couldn't resist and blew out PaPa's birthday candles before he even had a chance. I just love the look on my daddy's face. I saw that look so many times as a child. He's not quick to smile, but Daddy always had a smile for me. I am blessed to have a dad who loves my mom and loves his kids. I never had to question his love for me or his interest in my life and for that I am so grateful!

And, last but not least, I'd like to honor Matt's dad. He had the tough job of raising two teenage boys and a young daughter following the unexpected loss of his wife and their mother. It is my understanding that he did so with grace and love. His children are wonderful people and I am fortunate to share life with him!

I pray that God continues to bless these guys and I am so thankful to him for their presence in my life!

Moving on up!

We've been busy celebrating the accomplishments of our boys recently. Jacob "graduated" from the fifth grade last week, Eli finished up his spring semester at The Little Gym, and Abel finally got his first tub bath (side story: Abel's belly button stump just didn't fall off on its own and had to be removed by the doctor when he was almost 8 weeks old). Here are some pictures from each event!

I am amazed at how much our boys are growing and changing...physically, emotionally, socially, cognitively, and spiritually! I am truly blessed to be parenting these gifts that God has entrusted me with. It is such a huge responsibility and I am honored to have this privilege.

"We do not remember days, we remember moments."

So, who is who??

For those wondering, this should clear up any confusion from the previous post!!

Abel

Eli

Eli

Abel

Who's who?

My youngest two look sooooo much alike! Can you tell which is which??

Just because...

...he's so cute!

A month in review!

So, I don't blog as frequently as I used to! So sorry! I'll take a few minutes (which is usually all I have now with 3 kiddos) to update what's been going on around here.

*Jacob's baseball games and practice 3 times a week-he's doing great and has had the opportunity to grow in multiple positions. He's played catcher, first base, short stop, and pitcher! He LOVES pitching!

*The end of the school year is just around the corner! HOORAY...no more carpool commutes!

*We went strawberry picking and picked 3 flats brimming over with berries!

*Eli has acquired a new athletic ability and can now hit a pitched ball. All I hear from that little guy is "Mama, take me outside? Hit the ball?"

*Abel is adjusting to life here in this crazy family. He's on the go with us everyday and handles it wonderfully!

*I've learned how to do the shopping cart train. I push the kiddos in one cart and pull the groceries in another!

*I've learned that slinging your baby will definitely get stares!! I've also learned that it makes life so much easier that I just don't care!!

*Jacob scored all 4s on his EOGs! So proud of that kid!

*Matt got an email from Jacob's Nonnie (his mom's mom) following a weekend he spent with them. She wanted to let us know that all weekend long, she never had to open a door for herself. I love that my husband is raising our boys to respect women and be gentlemen. BTW, I never have to open a door, either!

*Eli's language is growing by leaps and bounds. He speaks in sentences and makes me laugh! I also learned that he listens to everything I say and WILL repeat it!

*Abel sleeps wonderfully! He drifts off around 8:30pm. Matt dreamfeeds him around midnight. Then, Abel sleeps until 4:30am when I feed him. He goes right back to sleep and wakes up around 7:30am. I LOVE IT!!!

*Matt and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary. I thank God for being the author of our love story...all those who know our story, know it wouldn't be possible without Him!

*My birthday is Saturday, so we are heading to the zoo on Friday to celebrate!

Well, that's all for now. Hopefully I'll be back before Christmas to post again! Love to you all!

Family Photo Shoot

Despite the 95 degree weather, we recently headed outside for a family photo shoot with a super talented photographer. My college roommate (who also happens to still be one of my closest friends) has a great husband who is an amazing photographer. We met up at a local park and he took some beautiful photos of our little family. He also took some in our yard and at our house. Here's a slideshow of his excellent work.



Thanks, Richard Barlow Photography for making us look so good! We love you guys!

We welcome with love...

Matthew Abel Sloan

Abel made his grand appearance only 7 short hours after my water broke. He came into the world at 9:57pm, weighing in at 8 pounds, 8 ounces, and measuring 21 inches long. His delivery was so quick and so smooth.

I arrived at the hospital around 5:00pm after a quick stop at the OB's office to confirm that my water had indeed broken. Matt stayed home with Eli until Mema and PaPa could get there. He met me at the hospital around 5:45. I was only having mild irritations and not strong contractions, so by 6:00 we were walking the halls to encourage some progress. After a few laps around the floor, I was obviously making some progress. We would be walking and talking one minute and two minutes later, I was stopping to work through a contraction. It was wonderful to have this labor progress naturally. I did opt for an epidural and one was administered around 8:45. By that time however, I was almost complete and ready to roll and with just a little work, Abel was born! We are so thankful for God's blessing!

Everything is going well as we get to know each other in the hospital. We will be discharged sometime tomorrow! I can't wait to get back home! Thanks so much for all the prayers and support! We love you guys!

Checked in

We are officially checked in and ready to proceed. My water broke earlier this afternoon around 3:00...at the library! Yet one more reason to save the Southeast Regional Library...great memories!! So, we are hanging out in the hospital room and hallways waiting for Abel to make his grand appearance. We'll try to keep you posted here and on Facebook! Love to you all!

Birthday wishes

To the man who bounced me on the bed and sang "Bye Baby Bunting," introduced me to donut holes and Sunkist for breakfast, acquainted me with wax paper on slides, made many salami, cheese, and ketchup sandwiches, took me to play Putt-Putt and then treated me to ice cream from the Creamery, coached me on keeping baseball stats, showed up for every performance, recital, skit, show, and presentation I was in, taught me to drive a stick-shift, encouraged me and supported me through four years of college, and now embraces me and my family with support, encouragement, kindness, and love...

Happy Birthday!!

I love you, Daddy!!

Stream of Consciousness and such!

1. Finally a belly pic of me and Abel 2. It's Spring Break, so Jacob has no school this week...HOORAY!!! We get to stay home and play all week!!

3. Abel's due date is a week and a half away. I'm hoping the full moon tonight works some magic.

4. The weather is simply beautiful and we are spending so much time outside. I had no clue how much I missed being outside. I adore it!

5. Eli is certainly adjusting to being a two-year old. Now, not only is he full of energy and always wide open, but he also has a great need for independence and doing things "self". He's certainly got a stubborn streak...I wonder where he got that??

6. Matt and I are thoroughly enjoying the Wii that we purchased for Christmas. It's become a nightly ritual, and really is good quality time together. But, I'm staying up way too late!!

7. If Abel comes on Friday, he'll share a birthday with my Daddy! That would be an awesome birthday gift...I'd never be able to top it!

8. Jacob's getting a haircut tonight...I love fresh haircuts. I'll try to take a picture and post it soon. He's growing up so much and is so handsome! Look out, girls!

9. I ADORE MY FAMILY!!

10. COME ON, ABEL...WE CAN'T WAIT TO MEET YOU!

We'll keep you posted!

Brothers

We recently bought new furniture and it took some time to get everything settled. So, one Saturday morning while Matt and I worked on the living room, Jacob took responsibility for Eli. I left them playing in the playroom. Before long, I heard them in the kitchen. I look in, and the photos below are what I see. Jacob not only planned some crafty fun, but also took charge of getting Eli in his chair! I was totally impressed and of course, touched. I am proud to have their finished product hanging on my refrigerator.

With their age difference, they just don't have much in common, but that hasn't seemed to affect their bond as brothers. They do all the things brothers do--chase each other around the house, play catch, wrestle, tickle, bicker and argue over toys, create chaos--and I am so thankful for all of it. Their relationship is truly a blessing!!

Party Pictures!

We had a great time celebrating Eli's birthday this weekend. I think the Shrek 2 themed cake turned out pretty well, as did the dirt cake. Eli adored hearing "Happy Birthday" sung to him and did an awesome job blowing out the candle. He was so ready to taste the cake that he swiped a finger-full of icing as I was taking the cake to be cut! He was blessed with some fun presents and has already begun enjoying them! Thanks to all who made his day special! Here are some photos from the big party day!

Awesome worship!

We sang this song for the first time this morning at church. I was so blessed by the lyrics, that I felt like sharing! What an awesome image to be resting on the chest, in the arms of our Savior!

Look who's two!!

You've come a long way, baby!

I can't believe you are already two. It seem like just yesterday we were waiting for your arrival. You have been such a blessing to our family and I adore watching you grow, learn, and change everyday. You are so curious and full of life! I thank God for allowing me to have the privilege of being your mom and I pray that He continues to guide me as I do His work. You are so special, little boy and loved beyond measure!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ELI!

Belated birthday wishes!

Things have been kind of busy around here, so unfortunately I missed posting about Matt's birthday. But, we certainly didn't miss celebrating it! As I've said before, I LOOOOOOOVE birthdays! So, we celebrated twice! Once with my family (with a chocolate/chocolate cake), and then with friends on SuperBowl Sunday (with chocolate chip cookie dough brownies). The weekend was so much fun! We even had a new family picture taken...thanks, PaPa!


Happy Belated Birthday, Matt! I love you so much and am sooooo thankful for you!

Almost Wordless Wednesday

I had to take the time to write this one down.

Eli, without any provocation or persuasion, walked up to me, kissed my belly, said "kiss Abel," then went right back to playing. My heart melted!!

I love moments like those!

Wordless Wednesday

It's snow fun!!

It's winter weather time. The snow started Friday evening and continued into Saturday changing over to sleet. We've had fun playing in the snow the past couple of days. Jacob has been at his mom's house and has been dearly missed! Eli and Daddy really enjoyed sledding and attempting to build a snowman (unfortunately, our snow is too icy for that).

However, with all of the fun times, I must say that I'm officially done with the snow and ice and I'm ready for everything to melt. My cabin fever has reached an all new high and if I don't get out of the cul-de-sac soon things could get ugly. :)

Here are some cute pictures of the boys playing in the snow. Stay warm and enjoy!!

The Little Gym

This past week was "Show Week" at the Little Gym. We were finishing up the semester and it was time for the kiddos to show off. Eli absolutely LOVES the Little Gym and so do I. It's a great opportunity for him to play with other kiddos (since he's home with me most of the time) and also a great opportunity for me to network with other moms (since I'm home with him most of the time)! He's really progressed over this semester and couldn't have done it without Ms. Jen, his teacher. Since he started the Little Gym about 20 weeks ago, he's learned to do a forward roll, hang from the bars, walk on the beam, "freeze", and follow a group. Balls, bubbles, and the routine (same class format, same songs) are also favorite activities at the Little Gym. I can't wait to start the new semester tomorrow! Here are some pictures from Show Week!