The Gerth Family

Pictures From January

2012-01-22T10:49:00.000-06:00

frances loving her new dresser

cuddle time with buddy boy

before school on the day of the BCS championship game (ROLL TIDE)

we watched the football game at a friend's house.... frances had sooo much fun with their daughter!!

william got a cupcake after his 18 month shots

Justin and I took Frances to see her favorite movie- Beauty and the Beast- at the movie theater last weekend. She looked stunning in her Belle costume

Pizza playdate at our house with some friends

Picture with Santa

2012-01-22T09:52:00.000-06:00

William and Frances took their picture with Santa at the Birmingham Zoo during Zoolight Safari. Frances is OBSESSED with all things Santa... William, not so much!

Tacky Sweater Bunco

2012-01-22T09:48:00.000-06:00

For our December Bunco, we dressed up in our tackiest Christmas apparel. We had so much fun playing in costume..... while our hubbys also came and played poker together! My bunco group is filled with SO many sweet and fun girls! Love our time together!!!

End of Semester Ballet Recital

2012-01-22T09:41:00.000-06:00

Frances had her end of semester ballet recital in December. Parents and grandparents filled the ballet room. All of the ballerinas were SO precious!! Frances was such a ham (as usual). She also felt SUPER special when Justin gave her a bouquet of roses at the end of her performance. I took as many video clips as I could. Enjoy!!!

with her friend, Alice, after the performance

Fancy's ballet class

In Case You Need an ABC Refresher

2012-01-12T14:38:00.002-06:00

abcdefghijkELMOsopqrstuvwxyz
(how frances now says her alphabet- trying to get her on video)

Copy Cat

2012-01-09T10:33:00.000-06:00

My Little Badgers

2012-01-09T10:26:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, the kids and I went to visit my family in Mobile. While there, we went with my parents to a Spring Hill College basketball game. My dad went to college there, and he RARELY misses a game. The kids had SO much fun!!!

worn out after the game

she wanted to go on the court so bad

More Christmas Pictures

2012-01-09T10:21:00.000-06:00

at the Christmas parade

making sure brother does not get her candy

photo by Frances (our yard Christmas tree- everyone in our neighborhood had one- SO beautiful)

Christmas Day

2012-01-04T14:13:00.000-06:00

Christmas day was so magical. I woke up early to make cinnamon buns for everyone...then got the kids up to eat. After eating, we opened all of the presents that Santa brought us (everyone was VERY nice this year). Watching frances rip through all of the wrapping paper was so exciting. She reminds me of ME as a child. William had fun playing with the toys after sister opened them. I feel like this was our first "real" Christmas since Frances understands who Santa is. All she has asked for for 6 months was an Ariel dress (which my parents gave her) and a princess car (which Santa so generously gave her).
After presents, we went to church with my parents- i love going on Christmas morning because it is not crowded at all. It was hard with the kids, but we made it through... then after realizing I had NOTHING planned for lunch (just dinner), we ate at the Waffle House (which was VERY crowded-and VERY yummy). Then after a long nap, we enjoyed our wonderful Christmas dinner my hubby prepared for us. It was a perfect Christmas!!!

Discovering that Santa Claus came to our house

opening presents

my parents gave william a tractor

going outside to check to see if the reindeer ate their food- then she saw her car!!!

thanking Santa for her car (priceless picture)

justin and poppy at waffle house after church

waiting for her waffle with M

taking brother for a ride

she was SHOCKED! She has been asking for a princess car for 6 months!

Christmas Time

2012-01-03T19:42:00.000-06:00

I have been so bad about blogging lately (been too busy enjoying the Christmas season)!! Here are a bunch of pics leading up to Christmas day:

Our 2011 Christmas card

making "peppermint pretzels"

at frances' preschool performance

zoolight safari

Justin and I rented a cabin for a night while my parents babysat- FABULOUS time!!!

leaving food for the reindeer on Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve, we opened up all of the presents from our friends and family

we were SOOOO sad to say goodbye to our elf, Rover

baking cookies for Santa

wearing daddy's boots

M gave her a gorgeous Ariel gown!!

Uncle JJ's toy for William (and he loved sitting in the box)

sprinkle OVERLOAD

driving with daddy to look for reindeer in our neighborhood

checking to see if the reindeer food was gone yet

and of course, reading Twas the Night Before Christmas with the family

Happy New Year!!

2012-01-03T19:20:00.000-06:00

I know it is said EVERY YEAR, but I cannot believe how fast 2011 went. This past year has been filled with so many changes. It truly has been the best year of my life. Our biggest change was moving cities. We adore where we live, and all of us are so incredibly happy.

For once in 9 years since knowing my husband, he does not have anymore TESTS! He passed both his general surgery written and oral boards- HUGE accomplishment (NO MORE TESTS for like 10 years)!!!!!!! He LOVES his surgery practice and the guys he works with!!

The kids are fabulous as well!! The older they get, the more amazing they are. William has been diagnosed with a soy allergy... been challenging finding foods he can safely eat. He also has seasonal asthma and is on meds for that. William has the funniest personality- always smiling! Frances goes tomorrow for her 4th set of tubes. HOPEFULLY that is the last set!! She is such a dream child. She loves school and her friends. She wants to be a big kid and constantly tells Justin and me that she wants to be a teenager! errr! NOT ready for that- she is only THREE!

My grandmother turned 90 on January 1. She has been living in the hospital/ nursing home for an entire year. She is such a strong woman, and she has made us realize how precious EVERY day is! I am also so thankful for having such a strong support system with my parents- they have given us such unconditional love through our entire life, and they love justin and my children so much! They have never gotten in our way and are silently always there. I love them so much and hope Justin and I can be a smidge of how they are!!

Our family has struggled so much through Justin's schooling over the past 9 years. We are so blessed to be done with that stage, and now we can focus on living life.

and now I leave you with a PRECIOUS video of my girl dancing in our backyard on New Year's Eve (our next door neighbor's had a band in their front yard, and frances had fun dancing to the music)

Storytime

2012-01-03T18:58:00.000-06:00

Her First Holiday Party

2011-12-18T13:27:00.001-06:00

Frances went to her first "big girl-by herself" holiday party at her ballet studio. The party was today (Sunday) and ages 3 to 12 were invited. The older girls were going to perform for the little girls and then they would have their party. She was told to wear a fancy party dress. Since our closet is 99% lace and smocked dresses, I thought I would buy her something a little more "big girl" (which absolutely broke my heart). Frances looked SO sweet and BIG in her new "party dress." She pranced around the room all morning telling everyone how fancy she was. When i dropped her off, she gave me a huge hug and said, "Bye, mommy. It is time for my party now." She has never been the one to cry when we leave her. She is SO independent and loves being a big girl.

look at her sitting on the front row in her sweet little bow.

What Will He Sit On Next?

2011-12-18T13:17:00.000-06:00

First, he took a seat on the dollhouse table.....

Then, he took a drive in Barbie's car....

November Pictures

2011-12-02T08:17:00.000-06:00

dancing with brother bear

his new "thing" is walking around with monkey lovey on head!!

hugs are the best!

silly boy

vampire frances

my little turkey

TOUCHDOWN!!!

Preschool Thanksgiving Program

2011-12-01T16:04:00.001-06:00

The preschool at Frances' school celebrated Thanksgiving by performing a few songs for the parents. The 3K dressed up as Indians, the 4K were Pilgrims, and the 5K were turkeys. Frances was such a little ham, and she sand everything so well. She really seemed to have a lot of fun!

We Can't Get Enough of These Two

2011-12-01T13:39:00.000-06:00

there has been lots of construction on our street lately, and the children love watching all the action.

playing "princess school" in the window

waking her grandmother up bright and early

reading with daddy

i die seeing babies squat like this when they play. i probably have a thousand pics of him sitting like this over the past few months.

my buddy LOVES hats...you hear that Santa (hoping he will bring william some play hats- police, fireman, etc)

watching cartoons on the "fort"

comfy

waiting to get ready for school- sister was NOT happy about the camera

Pumpkin Carving Contest

2011-12-01T13:38:00.000-06:00

Justin was asked to participate in the chef vs surgeon pumpkin carving contest at a local farmer's market. There were 3 surgeons and 2 chefs who participated. Justin and another female doctor by far had the best pumpkins. Shockingly, a chef walked away with the win (turns out the chef who won worked with the 3 judges). Anyway, it was a lot of fun to watch the contest.

Pictures From October

2011-12-01T10:27:00.000-06:00

frances after falling down concrete stairs

i just had to take this picture. we were going on a picnic, and i thought pb&j would be the easiest lunch. boy was i wrong... everyone wanted a different kind of peanut butter.

yummy chocolate apples

Our friend, Ryan, turned FIVE!!!! We loved his bounce house party

my little spider

frances making "witch hat" cookies for the street party

at the toy store looking at things he wants for Christmas

Tinkerbell

at the Pumpkin Patch

one of her favorite things to do with daddy

having fun at my mom's group Halloween party

painting one of our pumpkins

Saturday in Tuscaloosa

2011-12-01T08:11:00.000-06:00

The Gerths decided to take a very last minute road trip over to Tuscaloosa to soak up a little football action. Even though we did not actually go to the game, we had so much fun hanging out around campus before and during the game (plus I got to try out my fabulous birthday present- a new Bob double stroller).

she loved riding in the stroller WITH her backpack on

kids loved their new hats

She is Just SOOOO Funny

2011-11-30T13:40:00.000-06:00

(in case you are wondering, Rover is our Elf on the Shelf)

making a train with the groceries

Little Indian Boy

2011-11-30T13:07:00.000-06:00

cutest little school project

Halloween 2011

2011-11-30T13:06:00.000-06:00

Halloween is probably one of my favorite holidays. The Gerth family has been talking about Halloween for months and months. Frances' FAVORITE books are the Ladybug Girl books. She has been wanting to be a ladybug since August! So, what did our kids dress up like???

______________________________________________
We went to the Halloween parade that runs through the village in our neighborhood. Frances had a blast watching the floats go past.

________________________________________

Before we went trick or treating, we went to our street party. The "bugs" were so precious!

loving all the holiday food

The Bug Squad

____________________________

Trick-or-treating was insane. I was not prepared at all for Halloween in our new neighborhood. All of our neighbors tried to prepare us, but it was like something out of a movie. We had 2 babysitters stay at our house to pass out candy while we took the children out. The only thing Justin and I can compare what Halloween in our neighborhood was like would be Bourbon Street in New Orleans but with kids. Mostof the time there were SO many people you could not get down the street. Every family was sitting on their front lawns passing out treats- anything from Dominoes pizza to popcorn to yummy candy. We liked the houses that were passing out adult beverages!! There were several families who had bands play in their front yards as well. SO. Much. Fun!!!!!

our next door neighbors went ALL out!!!

completely lost in a sugar high

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-30T12:51:00.000-06:00

This Thanksgiving was absolutely wonderful.... probably the best holiday we have had in a really long time (100% stress free, which we all needed). Justin and I hosted my mom, dad, brother, sister-in-law, and their son. It was a completely packed house from Wednesday to Monday, but it was so nice having everyone under one roof! The kids had a blast with their cousin. Charlie is 3 months older than William. The kids all got along beautifully (no fighting, pushing, yelling, crying, ect). Justin was on call the entire time (except Sunday night), but we were able to spend a ton of time with him.

Justin cooked our entire dinner. Amazing hubby!! I loved not having to lift a finger! He served a very traditional turkey dinner-SO good!!

I hated for the holiday to end. We had such an awesome time with my family, and we look forward to the next time we see them! Here are a few pics from the holiday (it was pretty hard to get a picture of the kids' faces- they were all over the place):

my incredibly kind husband

Auntie Ellen, Charlie, and Uncle Martin

the babies could not get enough of Ellen

dot art

early morning cartoons

Having fun in the snow at The McWane Center

M, Charlie, Martin, Ellen, and Frances looking at the trains

BUSY boys!!!!

the kiddos digging for dinosaur bones

football with daddy

watching cartoons in bed

cute cousins

frances with her uncle martin and aunt ellen

silly charlie wearing M's glasses

frances, Alex, william, and charlie playing SOOOOO well together!!

cousins playing together!!!

Where is William?

2011-11-30T12:18:00.000-06:00

My Polka Dot Princess

2011-11-30T12:15:00.001-06:00

{polka dot rain boots, polka dot pants, and polka dot rain coat..... i personally think she should be on the best dressed list}

My Favorite Time of Year

2011-11-05T20:20:00.000-05:00

FALL:

Our First Birmingham Dinner Party

2011-11-05T18:44:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago we hosted our first dinner party for a doctor and his family who are interested in coming to Justin's hospital, as well as some of the recruiters from the hospital. A fabulous chef came to cook for us- probably the neatest dining experience of my life!

the chef made chicken fingers and tater tots for the kids (YUM!!)

Why We Should NOT Eat Fast Food

2011-11-05T10:37:00.000-05:00

You would think by now I would have learned my lesson. For those who know me, you may remember my history with finding things in my food (typically fast food). If you need a refresher, here are a few random finds in my food:

*when i was like 17, i took a bite into a piece of a Popeye's chicken strip and bit into a piece of wire from the Tyson conveyor belt (had to get a root canal... and was not the only one this happened to- pieces were found in the chicken all along the gulf coast)

*on my first date with justin, i took a bite of mashed potatoes from Carraba's and noticed it was really "tough." well, it was the tip of a LATEX GLOVE from one of the workers.

*when i was nine months pregnant with William i bit into a reese's mcflurry and there was a false tooth (had to take it to health dept, etc...came from one of the workers in the packing department)

*This is the latest gross fast food experience:

RAW chicken nugget from McDonalds!!!!!!!

Photos from Famous Photographer..... FRANCES!!!

2011-11-04T13:40:00.000-05:00

Halloween at Ballet

2011-11-04T13:19:00.000-05:00

Frances was super excited to wear her Halloween costume to ballet class last week. Parents are not allowed to stay during class, so I could not get a picture of all of the ballerinas.... here are a few I snapped of my ladybug!

October Preschool Program

2011-11-04T12:24:00.000-05:00

Frances' preschool class had a performance a few weeks ago for the parents. For those who may not know me, I LIVE for this stuff!! Frances is such a ham and LOVES to perform wherever she goes! I KNEW she was going to have a blast singing for all of the parents. Her teachers always comment on how well she participates and how much she loves singing songs, etc. Well, she did NOT want to participate at all! She sat there with a sad face the whole time. As soon as the program was over, she was her happy silly self again.

this is what she looked like the entire time

Buddies!! Peyton and Frances (i went to sewanee with peyton's mommy- wonderful to see these kids grow up together)

all the kids got a chance to sing part of the Cookie Jar song.... when it was frances' turn, she just said, "I don't want to." Sourpuss???

It's a Two Monkey Lovey Kind of Day

2011-11-04T11:34:00.000-05:00

I know I have blogged about William's monkey lovey before, but I just have to again. He loves his lovey sooooo much. Since he was born, we have ~~lost~~ gone through probably 10 monkey loveys. Whenever I see one in a store, I always buy it. Well, we were down to just one recently (lost the back up at wal mart), so i bought another to tuck away. Before I could put it in the closet, william found it and was SO happy (and a bit confused). He had been so fussy b/c of his new teeth breaking through, and he immediately stopped fussing and played with both loveys. I do not think I have ever seen him so happy.

Baby Urrego

2011-11-04T11:26:00.000-05:00

Catalina Angela Urrego was born on October 26 at 2:02 PM. She weighs 7lbs 6oz and is absolutely perfect! Our friends, Jennifer and Hernan, are in heaven with this little baby girl. Congrats to you all! We look forward to meeting Catalina very soon!!

Cutest Picture of William- EVER!!!

2011-10-27T21:56:00.000-05:00

What do You Do During a Two Hour Wait at the Doctor's Office?

2011-10-27T21:55:00.000-05:00

Take TONS of pictures of your SILLY and CUTE kids!!!!

she LOVES reading to her brother

so goofy

I can stick my tongue out too

super silly

i can make super silly faces too

sister teaching william how to spin the book around

always into something.....

William's 15 Month Well Visit

2011-10-27T21:45:00.001-05:00

weight: 22 pounds, 15 ounces (25th percentile)
height: 29 1/4 inches (10-25th percentile)

William is such a little ham! He is the happiest little baby- always giggling, always smiling (a HUGE difference from this time last year). He is extremely predictable, which makes our lives so easy. He goes to bed by 6:30PM and wakes up around 7:30 or 8:00AM. He always takes a 2 or 3 hour nap in the afternoon, and on the days he is not in school, he takes an hour morning nap as well. He will eat anything you give him- right now he REALLY loves apples, hot dogs, green beans, raisins, cheese, and yogurt.

William adores his teachers (miss leslie and miss evelyn).... and they adore him. He has a blast at school. He enjoys doing puzzles, playing with trucks and cars (and the occasional princess until sister sees him and gets so upset). Being outside is his absolute favorite thing to do. Climbing, getting dirty, getting into things he shouldn't- this child is ALL BOY!!!!!

He is too sweet- loves giving WET kisses, flirts with anyone who looks at him, gives the best hugs, loves curling up with his daddy and reading bedtime stories. William is still obsessed with his monkey lovie and HAS to have it to sleep. He goes so crazy when he sees me with it- he knows it is cuddle time!

He has still not been sick since moving away from New Orleans- well, he did have one flair up, but other than that he has a clean bill of health. He did have his first ear infection recently (quickly followed by his second one). William is getting SO many new teeth right now. Looking less and less like a baby everyday- SAD!!!

Boo at the Zoo

2011-10-24T15:34:00.000-05:00

We went to Boo at the Zoo a few weekends ago.... it was a blast! We have taken the kids for the past few years to the New Orleans one, and I do have to say, this one was my favorite! TONS of fun kid things to do- trick or treating, dancing to silly monster music, games, and too much more to write about. Both kids had so much fun!!

dancing with her new mermaid friend

loves dancing with her brother bear

my little bama fans!

SO excited for Boo at the Zoo

a bit happy? Lion King is her FAVORITE movie!!!

Cute Pictures From the Past Few Weeks

2011-10-24T15:28:00.000-05:00

love having a high chair free house

all bundled up- we adore this fall weather

eating dinner with her new helmet

this man is in charge

sweet little boy

leave me alone!!

helping sister

loves looking at airplanes

drawing "lines" with sidewalk chalk

guess what was for dinner?

giving daddy a "haircut"

with her new princess scooter

William vs Sidewalk

2011-10-23T10:53:00.000-05:00

it may not look pretty (and 1 week later still looks yucky), but william barely cried when he tripped and slid down on the sidewalk. clearly, william won!!

Sweet Love

2011-10-23T10:44:00.002-05:00

Family Photo Shoot

2011-10-23T10:26:00.000-05:00

We had our FIRST family photo shoot at The Botanical Gardens last weekend. Janie Long, from Mobile, took the pictures, and they turned out beautiful (note: william SCREAMED for almost every picture- poor thing is teething and so uncomfortable).

William's First Haircut

2011-10-14T14:26:00.000-05:00

Bye, Bye baby curls......

hello, big boy haircut

(don't worry, his curls are already back)

Sunday at Old Baker Farm

2011-10-14T14:21:00.000-05:00

Happy Thursday

2011-10-06T14:51:00.000-05:00

WHERE Will She Fall Asleep Next?

2011-10-06T14:47:00.000-05:00

William's Christening

2011-10-06T14:34:00.001-05:00

We celebrated the baptim of William a few weeks ago. William's godfather, Hernan, and his wife came here from New Orleans. We met them while living down the street from them during residency. Justin and Hernan have always been very close, and we know he will be a lifelong friend and the perfect godfather to William.

My dear friend, Rachel, and her fiancee came to celebrate as well. Rachel and I went to Sewanee together and instantly became close friends. She and I have remained wonderful friends through the years.... she was a bridesmaid in our wedding as well. Justin and I respect her so much and know she will be an incredible spiritual guide in our son's life. We are blessed to have her be William's godmother!

The ceremony was so spiritual. The ceremony took place during mass. Afterwards we hosted a luncheon at our home for our friends and family. We truly appreciate the support of all of our family and friends who travelled so far to be with us on this most special day.

at brunch with our dear friends from new orleans

corum, justin, william, and poppy

before the christening with william's godparents

i think this picture is just too sweet :)

our sweet family

rachel, me, father bob, frances, justin, william, hernan

william with his wonderful godparents

with my parents

with aunt lulu and uncle jj

we are thrilled that corum (left) and rachel (holding william) just got engaged!! so excited that we will be able to share a lifetime of memories with these two!!

hernan, william, and jennifer (who has a little baby girl due in november)

miss priss

the man of the hour

Happy Birthday, Bibb!!

2011-09-23T09:24:00.000-05:00

We recently celebrated Bibb's first birthday. The party was at his house, and there was LOTS to do (and eat)!! William ONLY cared about eating- it was so funny watching him walk to all the different food tables. Frances had fun playing outside, but she really loved taking a swing at the pinata. Thanks for inviting us to your party, Bibb!!

frances and alex

who took the cookie from the cookie jar??!!

really cute idea (that i will totally steal)- all the guests signed a book for the birthday boy

the babies loved to snacks

she swings... ahhh- she misses

(but, when the pinata did break, all the kids grabbed handfuls of candy. sweet frances thought she could only get one piece. so she got a lollipop and gracefully stepped aside. i forced her to go get more, but she only got one more!!)

william and bibb

Sleeping Beauty

2011-09-22T15:04:00.000-05:00

Our daughter is officially a sleeping MESS:

here she is sleeping with her shoes on (she fished them out of her closet after we tucked her in)

and who knew a bookcase could be just as comfy as a pillow??

A New School Year

2011-09-21T14:06:00.001-05:00

Frances and William were SO happy to go back to school. It was a LONG summer at home, and we all needed a change of scenery. Frances goes to Preschool 4 days a week, and WIlliam goes 2 days a week. Both children love their teachers and all of their friends. The first week of school was cancelled because of power outages after tropical storm lee came through.

the first day of school

Happy Birthday, Justin!!

2011-09-21T14:01:00.000-05:00

Justin recently celebrated his 33rd birthday!!! We surprised him at work with balloons, a yummy cake, and gifts! Happy birthday to the WORLD'S BEST DADDY!!!

waiting on daddy

Random Photos From the Past Few Weeks

2011-09-21T10:03:00.000-05:00

umm, when did he get SO big??

watching the balls go up the ladder

my precious toddler

frances attends a program at her school called Friday Fun Day- they wear these shirts every Friday!

loving gymnastics class

watching frances at gymnastics- trying to do the stretches along with the group

my helper

drawing spiders

a scary spider face

at her first day of ballet class

ROLL TIDE

this boy is my love

Waiting For Daddy to Get Home

2011-09-18T21:05:00.000-05:00

More Pictures from Gymnastics Class

2011-09-18T21:04:00.000-05:00

"Is it over yet??"

Best Friends!!!!!

2011-09-18T21:01:00.000-05:00

Peyton and Campbell's Birthday Party

2011-09-18T20:55:00.000-05:00

We recently celebrated Peyton and Campbell's birthdays. Peyton, who is in frances' class at school, turned three, and her little sister, Campbell, turned one. The kids had so much fun with their friends, and it was a blast catching up with the adults.

Campbell enjoying her "smash cake"

"I'm THREE!"

waiting patiently for cake

daddy and william having fun on the tire swing

frances pulling peyton

Allie Turns FOUR!!

2011-08-24T08:48:00.002-05:00

Allie had her fourth birthday party at a dress up place. The theme was princess and pirates. Frances was in heaven! We had a blast!! Thanks for having us Allie!

first costume of the day- Cinderella

waiting patiently to get a princess tattoo (I love how she is daintily holding her skirt)

now she is Rapunzel

my boy!!

all the party guests (princess allie is in the middle with the purple gown)

nothing better than dancing with bubbles

he loved the hula hoop

Happy Birthday, Harrison!!

2011-08-24T08:46:00.000-05:00

Our neighbor and friend, Harrison, turned FOUR and celebrated with a race car birthday party. His mom is insanely creative and the details for his big day were perfect. Happy birthday, Harrison! We had a wonderful time with you at your party!

each child was given a driver's license with their picture, etc. SO creative!!

racing his fire truck while holding his license

race cars that the children decorated

the birthday boy with his yummy cake that his mommy made

harrison and frances

The Future Football Star

2011-08-23T10:18:00.000-05:00

Our Little Gymnast

2011-08-23T10:14:00.001-05:00

After frances' gymnastics birthday party, we decided to enroll her in classes. she has such a gymnasts body and is a natural. parents had to sit upstairs in the viewing stands, and i admit that i was a bit worried about how she would handle the class by herself. well, she had NO problem being without me. she is so independent and loves trying new things on her own- thank God! she goes once a week and loves it so much!!

the entire group during stretches- then they break off into groups of 3-6 kids each

Frances' Birthday Party

2011-08-21T14:16:00.000-05:00

We celebrated Frances' 3rd birthday party last weekend at a local gymnastics place. The party was AMAZING! It was very well organized, and the kids were constantly moving from one activity to another. Many thanks to all of our friends and family who celebrated with us. Frances loved her party and being with her friends.

the birthday girl!!!

william wondering who this boy is in "Emma's" arms.... not sure he is liking it (haha)

roe and william having a deep conversation with uncle jj

listening to instructions about how to go on the big slide (the boys LOVED it, but frances would not go near it)

with my man moseley

classic fancy face whenever she is at a party and everyone is singing "happy birthday" (even if it is NOT her party)

frances and her "little friends" (that is what she always calls her friends)

Our Trip to the Beach

2011-08-21T08:56:00.000-05:00

The kids, Poppy, and I took a trip to Gulf Shores for the day. Frances has been DYING to go to see the sand and water and has talked about the beach all summer. I HAD to take her. I am not a beach person. I never have been. Now, don't get me wrong, I could LIVE in the Caribbean. The beaches there are so relaxing, clean, and breathtaking. The beaches near my hometown though are anything but...... BUT, I knew it would make frances' life if we went.
We got there early, and the weather was a bit overcast which was nice. Frances and William were in awe! After we put all of our stuff in the sand, I took the kids to the water... Frances FLIPPED OUT. William FLIPPED OUT. It was horrible. Both kids screaming at the top of their lungs. They were so scared and wanted as far away from this as possible.

(look at that pitiful tear coming from her right eye)

The did LOVE the sand... which I HATED!! William wanted to eat the sand (and he did eat quite a bit), my dad was enjoying the beach air and was NO help with keeping the sand out of william's mouth, and frances was in her own world having the best time.

After an hour, I could not take it anymore. We got out of our bathing suits but were still covered in sand b/c the kids would not shower off. Then we headed to LuLu's for a fabulous lunch..... and they had the perfect play area for frances. William slept on me for most of lunch which was nice. Even though it was so stressful for me, I am happy I took Frances. I love making memories with her!!

Bean is THREE!!

2011-08-19T10:01:00.000-05:00

(for those who are wondering about "bean:" when i was pregnant with frances my students called her bean until we knew what her name would be.... and it just kinda stuck)

Frances turned THREE on August 7. I know that with each passing month, I say the same thing- WHERE HAS TIME GONE??!! I am amazed at how independent and beautiful my child is. She is so enthusiastic about life.
Here are her 3 year stats:
Height- 35 5/8 inches (25th-50th percentile)
weight- 34 pounds (75th percentile)

A FEW of her favorites:

She says, "_____ is my favorite." EVERYTHING is her favorite!!
foods: she is going through a VERY difficult picky eating phase (i pray it is just a phase). anything that is "bad" for you is what she loves- cupcakes, cookies, ice cream, cheese dip....
she adores her "moo moo" (william). she enjoys teaching him how to do new things. frances is incredibly protective of him.
she amazes us every time she speaks. her vocabulary is insane!
her favorite cartoons are Blue's Clues, Caillou, and Barney. she used to be obsessed with dora, but she does not really like her that much anymore.
she loves to match like things.
she is the BEST ballerina.... and just started gymnastics which she LOVES!!!
she always wants to wear a pretty bow
she is such a girly girl!
frances still has a love for books.
she loves baby dolls-her favorite is "baby anna"- a baby snow white doll
she could draw pictures of people all day
she is SOOOOO funny!!!
she loves her friends more than anything
she is VERY responsible
she LOVES school!!!!

Justin and I always forget that she is JUST three. She seems so grown up and does well in so many situations. Justin constantly tells frances to stop growing- her response is so cute- "oh yes I will. I gonna be a grown up and go to college so i can be a _____." (usually she says doctor or teacher).
Bean, you can be whatever you want to be!! You make us so incredibly happy every single day. your daddy and i love you more than you can ever imagine!!

Oh How We LOVE Summertime

2011-08-05T09:35:00.000-05:00

nothing better than eating mama's ice off the dirty front steps

An Afternoon Stroll

2011-08-05T09:17:00.000-05:00

William is ONE!!!

2011-08-05T08:59:00.003-05:00

(note: he is actually 13 months.... but i waited to post this after we went for his 12 month check up)
William Gerth. Where do I begin? The past 12 13 months have been the hardest yet most rewarding months of my entire life. As many of you know, William started out his little life so sick. There were so many times that we all felt so helpless/ hopeless. Doctors did not know what to do about his chronic respiratory problems. The poor child screamed ALL night long. No, not a colicky baby. He was legitimately so sick. He and I would literally sleep minutes a night. Of course that would bring ANYONE to a breaking point. Sleep deprivation is a scary and dangerous thing.

Since moving away from New Orleans, this child is a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PERSON!! For the first time in his life, he is sleeping. He takes 2 excellent naps during the day, and he sleeps 12 to 13 hours at night. He is such a happy baby now. He has never liked to cuddle until now. He LOVES curling up in our arms and reading, sleeping, etc. He is a NORMAL little boy now. He can breathe healthy air here.

We took him to the pulmonologist on Monday for a follow up from New Orleans.... He had a chest x-ray, and the doctor said William's lungs did NOT look like healthy one year old lungs. SAD. That broke my heart. The doctor said William's lungs show a lot of "wear" most likely from chronic infection as a baby. Hopefully with time this will clear up.

A few little tidbits about my love:

William is SOOOO close to walking on his own. He was been walking from furniture to furniture and while using his walker for a few months now. He takes a few steps on his own, but has still not begun to fully walk yet.
He loves pop up books. He gets so excited with each page.
He wants his lovie most of the time. He loves holding soft blankies in his hands. He can't sleep without his monkey blankie.
His favorite (non pop up) book is Put Me In the Zoo (which was also Frances' favorite book).
William loves doing all things "boy"- playing in dirt, eating dirt, climbing on all furniture, getting into cabinets, being outside, making a mess, eating paint.....
He LOVES school. He was in summer camp 2 days a week and will be at mother's day out 2 days in the fall.
He LOVES food- ALL types of food. He will eat anything we give him. A few of his favorites: blackberries, watermelon, green beans, nutri grain bars, saltines, turkey.....
He likes Mickey Mouse.
William adores his sister!!
He blows lots of kisses, loves waving bye bye, claps all the time!!

One year stats:

weight- 21.5 pounds (10th to 25th percentile)

height- 29 1/4 inches (10th to 25th percentile)

He is a little PETITE thing!!!

William has truly given me so much love. Through all of the hard times we have gone through, he and his sister were our reasons for getting up everyday. I am so thankful for him. William is so flirty and lures everyone in with the blink of an eye. I adore this little peanut more than anyone will ever know. We share such a special bond.
__________________________________________
A few pictures from July 2 (his actual birthday)

not so sure about this birthday thing.....

wait.... this might be a good thing

oh yea!!

ok. I can relax now and enjoy my cake!

playing at a local bounce house on his birthday

loving his sister!!

Silly Boy

2011-07-30T09:54:00.000-05:00

my little man took his pants off while trying to go to sleep. i could just eat him up!

where's william?

so cute with a mouthful of green beans (his favorite)

Dancing Frances

2011-07-30T09:44:00.000-05:00

Our Little Ballerina

2011-07-30T09:39:00.003-05:00

at the beginning of each class, the teacher asks each girl how they would like to move around the circle. every week frances has always said "twirl around the circle," but today she said RUN.... she loved it!!

outside of the cutest little dance studio

she wore this the first day- so excited! During the school year, she is required to wear the blue leotard and pink tutu like in the other pictures.

Visiting Daddy at Work

2011-07-29T13:12:00.000-05:00

Summer Photos

2011-07-28T14:32:00.000-05:00

During our last trip to Mobile, the kids had pictures taken at Stewartfield. Carolyn Tierce took the sweetest photos of the children. She captures so so many images.... hard to pick a few to place on the blog. Here is just a glimpse of my favorites!!

When Did She Get SO Big??!!

2011-07-28T14:21:00.000-05:00

Don't kids look insanely cute in footed jammies? Frances is obsessed with wearing these despite the 96 degree temp outside. Boy, I could just gobble her up!!

Today was her last day of summer camp. She looked extra cute today as she got ready to leave.

William's FIRST Birthday

2011-07-28T14:12:00.000-05:00

allie and frances teaching william how to jump

poppy and frances

a photo of the very tired family

just chatting about life.....

trying so hard to be a big boy

william spent most of his party playing with the drinks and eating all the ice!!

the boys at the party enjoyed playing with the dollhouse :)

haley, wes, william, leila, and me

med school besties

alex and frances.... probably my favorite picture ever! i picture her 30 years down the road walking her baby with her husband. adorable!!

frances and harrison

buddy loved his birthday hat

waving to everyone who is singing "happy birthday" (SUCH a flirt)

daddy with william

could not stop eating the yummy cake

some of the party guests

More CUTE Pictures of the Children

2011-07-11T03:22:00.004-05:00

our little helper- making cupcakes for the fourth of july

my adorable ONE year old

looking beautiful while visiting daddy's new hospital

being sneaky in daddy's new office

LOVE LOVE LOVE the new PJs from Aunt Rachel!!

really bad picture, but Aunt Rachel sent him a hat for his birthday- so cute on the little guy!

Cute Pictures of the Children

2011-07-09T13:24:00.010-05:00

Playdate with the Garrison boys:

Moseley, Frances, and William

Roe, Moseley, and Frances

William and Roe "fighting" over Sleeping Beauty
_____________________________

I LOVE LOVE LOVE his scrunched up nose when he giggles!! Looks like he is up to no good :)
____________________________
Another fun day at the McWane Center:

William trying to sneak a few bites of rubber from the dinosaur dig area

my future paleontologist

watching what big sister does

they love crawling on the piano

of course he loves drinking the disgusting water!!

frances teaching william how to pour water in a cup!

______________________________________
ICE CREAM!!!!

_____________________________________
William is the BEST baby brother in the world. He took a moment from crashing trucks and knocking down blocks to have a princess tea party with his adorable big sister!

Pictures from Father's Day

2011-07-08T21:10:00.004-05:00

The kids and I travelled to New Orleans for Father's Day to be with Justin. We spent the night before in the Quarter. On Sunday, we went to church at St. Louis Cathedral (our absolute favorite church we have ever been to). Then on to the aquarium. BOTH kids had a blast (probably the first time William REALLY enjoyed himself there).

We had the best time with Justin. He is such an incredible husband to me and an even more amazing father to our children. We all worship the ground he walks on. He is an inspirational leader in our family. He provides so much love and support for each of us. Words can never express our love for him.

We're Going on a BUGHUNT!

2011-07-07T10:49:00.002-05:00

My Sleeping Beauties

2011-07-07T10:38:00.002-05:00

worn out after a LONG day!!

(and NO, william does not typically sleep on PINK FLOWER sheets :); his were dirty and it was our only option!!)

Residency is OVER!!

2011-06-23T15:20:00.012-05:00

Justin graduated from the General Surgery department at Ochsner Hospital a few weeks ago. It has been a long five years there (plus 4 previous years in medical school). My parents and I were there to support him during this important milestone. The ceremony was very special- a wonderful tribute to all of those who have sacrificed so much to pursue their passion. We are so incredibly proud of Justin. He has made us so proud with all that he has done. He will make an amazing General Surgeon!!

Justin and John

with Caroline

a few of the graduates

SO proud of my hubby!!

the General Surgery chief residents
During the ceremony, a video clip was shown with about 6 residents discussing their views on the program. Justin was one of them:

celebrating at Commander's Palace with my family

--------------------------------------
The Surgery department end of the year dinner was held at The Southern Yacht Club in New Orleans. Perfect setting for such an exciting night! Justin has been looking forward to this night for FIVE years! Hard to believe it has come and gone!

with our dear friends Hernan and Jennifer

with Jennifer

during dinner with Natalie and Eric (who also just graduated)

Hernan "roasting" Justin- VERY glad I did not record him-haha! But, I did learn quite a bit about my husband through his speech

Justin giving his speech- so beautiful- and it melted my heart when he addressed his thanks and love to me (probably b/c he knew he was in trouble after Hernan's roast-haha)

Zeid and Justin

Jay and Justin

the chief residents

First Day of Summer Camp

2011-06-23T10:54:00.002-05:00

My little BEAUTIES all ready for their first day of summer camp.

Both had a BLAST at school. Frances was sad after school though. When I asked her what was wrong she told me she was sad because her teacher did not tell her the names of the other children in the class. Oh what a sweet child I have!! The ice cream man delivered ice cream to all the kids at her school Tuesday... Frances could not stop talking about it. William was also perfect. His teacher said she paraded him around the school so all the other classes could she him :) Precious!!

Fun at the McWane Center

2011-06-23T10:49:00.002-05:00

The Past Few Weeks....

2011-06-22T20:25:00.010-05:00

We moved....

Goodbye New Orleans....Hello HEAVEN!!

Since Justin had to stay in NOLA a bit longer, the kids and I made the move with my parents. Thank God they were there to help with the children so I could unpack.

Frances finally found the box with her dress up clothes.

waiting on the "BIG truck" as Frances would say.

drink break

teaching william how to color with sidewalk chalk

frances and poppy enjoying ice cream from the ice cream man who stopped in our neighborhood.

Frances met 2 new friends (both were found climbing our tree in our yard- they said it was their fort-so cute). They drew these pictures for frances. They are like 8 years old... so i am not sure if they are too interested in coming back to play! we will see!
---------------------------------------

Justin and William being cute at dinner

frances dancing and playing on stage at the restaurant

Goodbye, New Orleans!!

2011-05-30T14:58:00.004-05:00

It is hard to believe that for the past 5 years I have called New Orleans home. It is even harder to believe that the time has come for us to depart this wonderful city. I have always adored this city. Growing up only 2 hours away, my parents would bring us here at least once, sometimes twice a month to visit the zoo or go to the Quarter. I will never forget riding on the streetcar on St. Charles Avenue and seeing mothers with strollers. I could not believe that people actually lived and raised children here! I only knew of New Orleans from what I saw in the Quarter. I NEVER imagined that one day that would be me strolling the kids in this city!!

Even though I will miss New Orleans so much, I look forward to beginning this new journey with my family.

Frances' "Special Book"

2011-05-30T14:30:00.005-05:00

On the last day of school, Frances received a book made by her teachers. The book was filled with pictures of her and her classmates throughout the year. Also in the book are pictures of all of the shapes and colors that the kids learned. Here are a few pages from her "special book."

the cover of her book- the teachers wrote a few describing words about her. I was so proud that they describe her as "attentive" and "loving."

This description from her teachers is EXACTLY how I would describe her!!

Too Sick to Get in Bed

2011-05-30T09:00:00.003-05:00

Frances was sent home from school on Wednesday with a 104.3 fever! We have never seen her this sick. Poor thing was too weak to crawl into bed!

A Teenager Already?

2011-05-30T08:34:00.003-05:00

Is Frances already a teen? The past few days she has only addressed me as MOM!! Her favorite new saying is, "Hey, Mom." WHAT happened to MOMMY and MAMA??

Conversations with the Kids

2011-05-30T08:14:00.003-05:00

Just chatting with William after dinner

Just chatting with frances after brushing her teeth

School's Out For Summer!

2011-05-30T07:15:00.004-05:00

(Frances on her first day of school. She was SO happy!!)
--------------------------------------
Frances is really going to miss her school here in New Orleans. She has truly loved going there. Her teachers, Ms. Bonnie and Ms. Cathy were so supportive and loving. She has blossomed so much more than I could have ever imagined. Here are a few pictures from Frances' last day of school (Ms. Cathy was not there- sad).

loving ms. bonnie

she just wanted to hold on a bit longer :)

best friends at school, Kate and Frances

Frances made so many sweet friends this year. Even though they will be missed, Frances is SO excited about moving and meeting new friends. She always says, "I move to Honeysuckle and meet new friends. I give big hugs and kisses!" Oh her innocence is beyond adorable!

Pics at the Cool Zoo

2011-05-27T16:38:00.002-05:00

frances and i went to the Cool Zoo a few days ago. we had so much fun...we could both really enjoy more since William was not with us.

Our Morning in the French Quarter

2011-05-26T20:06:00.004-05:00

Pierce's SECOND Birthday

2011-05-26T11:37:00.006-05:00

Our little friend, Pierce, turned two and had a "farmyard" party. Frances was a bit shy around all of the animals at first, but she quickly warmed up to them. Thanks again Pierce for including us in your special day!

Enjoying this INCREDIBLE Weather

2011-05-17T07:19:00.003-05:00

The past few days New Orleans has had incredible "fall like" weather. A nice break from the mid 90 degrees that we were having. We have been taking full advantage of the cooler weather by taking family strolls on the levee each afternoon. It seems like everyone is outside....enjoying time on the levee, oh wait, maybe everyone is just up there checking out the status of the Mississippi River (which by the way is just about 5 houses away from our house). Anyway, hoping this weather can last just a tiny bit longer!

(note: the Mississippi River SHOULD be past the trees- it has come in quite a lot over the past few days)

Two Going on Twenty-Two

2011-05-15T20:54:00.004-05:00

"I just a little chilly." She uses her baby's blanket as a wrap in the 90 degree heat.

ready to party!!

TWINS!!

2011-05-15T20:45:00.001-05:00

Not only do they look alike, they sleep alike too.
(note: NO, our child does NOT usually sleep in our bed. Happens once in a blue moon when we have a guest over b/c the guest must sleep in her bed)

Update on William

2011-05-15T20:14:00.005-05:00

Thanks for all of the comments and prayers for William on previous posts. Thought I would give a quick update. All went well during his surgery on Thursday. The pulmonologist discovered that he has Tracheomalacia- a weakened/ floppy trachea. Biopsy results will not be back for another couple of days. SO, in the meantime we just wait! I will give an update when we know more.

A few pics of him:

bored??

being baptized (looking forward to doing it all over again with his fabulous Godparents present)

a little drugged up :)

Sweet Pictures

2011-05-10T07:52:00.002-05:00