Noland Jr @ 4

Holy cow!

Can you believe that Noland Jr. is 4 already?

I sure cannot. It seems just like yesterday we were meeting him for the 1st time. It all goes by so fast. All goes by in the blink of an eye. When you think about the moments, it starts to make more sense because we have made tremendous memories already. We have been incredibly thankful for absolutely every moment with our bundle of joy....

Thankful for our hearts growing on the day he was born. Thankful for the fact that he is our baby. Thankful he was the child that made us parents. Thankful that he was okay after that rough delivery. Thankful for this boy that God gave to us!

Thankful for the fact that this boy has taken my likes and amplified them. Thankful he has made my passions deeper. My love stronger. Since day 1 he has done this. You don't think he can do that at such a young age, but he has had a smile and loved our favorites from the start.

Thankful for his love of Disney and making us stronger Disney lovers. Thankful for all he has grown to love about the company which most recently includes Kion.

Thankful most of all for the love you have given to us. Your mom, Eli, and I are beyond thrilled that you are here with us!

Happy Birthday Noland Jr.! We love you and we know that with you, the best is always yet to come.

Love,

Mom, Dad, and Eli

Our New "Baby Buddy"

Hey everyone, this is Jenna. Noland has been typing up posts every week for my little blog. I love that he is keeping it active because I just haven't had the time. We are so excited that a "baby buddy" is on the way! Back in December, Noland announced that I was pregnant to the Facebook world.

And last week I was 18 weeks, I was able to get my 2nd ultrasound. This was super exciting because we could find out if it's a boy or girl. The funny thing is that Noland already had a post typed up and ready to go to share whether it is a boy or girl and I had typed one up on my phone. So I'm combining them to make it a SUPER post from both of us and intertwining our 2 separate posts together... sorry if we repeat some things but here goes...

Jenna: And so I'll reveal the news... Drum roll, please... ITS A BOY! I am so excited! I never had a preference, I just wanted a healthy baby and so far it looks like everything is going well! His name is Eli Thomas Robinson and we will call him Eli. It is special because Thomas is my grandfather's middle name but he goes by Tom. Eli will actually have the same first 2 initials to my grandpa...which is E.T. My grandpa's name is Emrys Thomas. We love my grandpa so it's awesome to give him a special little legacy. Noland Jr. was named after Noland's side of the family (obviously :)) The name "Noland" goes back at least 6 generations. We are both excited that we have special stories for how we chose our kiddos' names.

Noland: Neither of us had a clue what this bundle of joy was including Noland Jr. who referred to the baby constantly as "baby buddy." Side Note: Noland Jr. calling the baby by this name, "baby buddy" was the cutest thing we had ever seen until the gender reveal. My wonderful bosses at school agreed to let me come in 2 hours late for the big reveal. We were very excited for the big news. Jr. was probably most excited when we told him "baby buddy" was on the ultrasound screen. He said "that's baby buddy" and "baby buddy is so pretty." Can't you tell that this is going to be the best big brother ever? Anyways, after the size checks were done, it was time for the big reveal and it's another boy! There are so many advantages to another boy that we are thrilled about. Most exciting is the less than 3 year age difference between our boys. The hope and almost certainty is that they will be best buds. They will have two years together at least on sports teams in HS and, if we are really lucky, two at Florida State! We are both Noles and I am a coach so naturally I think about that. However, I am just thrilled to be having another one and can't wait to see what my kids accomplish. These kids are going to be awesome! I can't wait to see how this new boy's personality develops. Judging by our first one, he will be quite the character. Judging by Jr.'s reaction, we will be quite blessed as a family with fantastic kids. No matter how many we have and what genders we have, we know that God has truly blessed our family.

Jenna: I absolutely agree that Noland Jr is going to be such a good big brother to his little brother! I just can't wait to see him in action. It's absolutely crazy because I almost think he understands a little bit. We've been telling him that there is a baby in Mommy's belly. As Noland shared, before we went to the ultrasound, he kept calling Eli, "baby buddy." It is so funny. At the ultra sound he said, "Baby buddy, on screen." He continued to point at the screen and even said, "Baby buddy is pretty." It was the sweetest most genuine moment. Every night I ask Noland Jr for a kiss before bed and he says, "Eli kisses?" And then proceeds to pull up my shirt so he can kiss my tummy. Even today I asked for a kiss and he said "No". But then I said "Eli kisses?" And he will kiss my tummy. I'm not sure he completely understands but it seems like he does. It will be so awesome for him to have a little brother. I know they are going to be best buddies. We are just excited to grow our little family!

Noland: Eli Thomas is a name that packs a lot of punch for us. One reason is that he is named after the nicest man alive. Not only that, but he will have the same first two initials as that great man. We did change the first name though even though her grandpa goes by Tom and his middle name is Thomas. We changed the first name to give it even more meaning. You see on our first date, Jenna and I saw the Book of Eli. Eli is also a famous name in the bible. This name is perfect for this child. A fantastic name and story for a fantastic child on his way. Please welcome Eli Thomas coming in July 2015. In the meantime we will enjoy Noland Jr. going up to mommy's stomach and saying, "I love you, baby Eli". It is adorable watching him kiss that baby belly everyday and telling Eli how much he loves him and can't wait to see him. That is the best part of my day everyday. Below are pictures of Jr.'s new "baby buddy.":

In this second picture below, I'm pretty sure that you can see his leg and his little boy part has an arrow pointing to it. Also in the bottom left, that is his head. He way laying in a silly position during the ultrasound.

In this picture below, I'm pretty sure it is his bottom and legs.

Thanks for stopping by to read our news. Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

Love,

Jenna & Noland

Happy Valentines Day!

This kiddo has stolen our hearts this Valentines Day!

I  had a little mini-photo shoot with baby Noland and my new camera that I got for Christmas! Here are two of my favorite pictures! He is so sweet! 4 months old.

Hope you enjoy this day of love no matter what your relationship status is! 

From our house to yours, have a Happy Valentines Day!

Love, 

3 months

So this post is a little late but I just haven't had the time to post lately with starting back with graduate school online and the little munchkin growing, no longer sleeping through the night and growing more.

Noland Jr, 

I can't believe that you have already been here three months. Momma is trying to soak up every sweet snuggle with you and can't believe you have already grown so much! I've turned into a bit of a couch potato because all I want to do is hold you, make you smile and rock you every day all day.

You rolled over from your tummy to your back on our bed for the first time on January 10. When your dad got home you did it again for him and we clapped because we were so excited. The clapping scared you and you haven't rolled from belly to back since but...the next day, you mastered rolling from your back to your belly and are loving it. And we absolutely love watching you. You have been rolling to your tummy, playing a little and then letting us know that you want to be on your back again. It is totally adorable.

You have started to dislike the car seat. I'm guessing the 6 hour trip to grandma's house at Christmas is why you hate the car seat so much. I can understand that. I don't like being in the car for 6 hours either even if we do take a break every 2 hours or so.

You are sleeping in a crib like a champ but the past week or so you have been waking up again at night... twice: midnight and 4am which is hard for the momma. You still love your pacifier and are usually in deep need of it when you are tired but I loved mine when I was your age too. 

I can't wait to take you to the doctor for your 4 month check up in a half a month because I know that you have grown a lot and you are soo strong! You were 15lbs at your 2 month check up so I'm sure you are atleast 17lbs now. You are already in size 3 diapers and most of your clothes are size 3-6 months but you can fit in a few 9 months too. You are a tank. It's crazy, I know.

You are the sweetest boy though. You never really fuss unless you are hungry or need a diaper change. You have the most beautiful eyes and both your dad & I could stare into them all day. And finally, you make the cutest faces. I got a new camera for Christmas so these pictures are me playing around with it. Enjoy.

We love you little guy! You have changed our lives and definitely made it a little more spicy.

2 months.

I just can't take the cuteness. How do u do it? I just can't take the cuteness of my own child. This may sound stuck up because everybody knows that you always think your child is the cutest. It's human nature because he or she is a part of you. If you have children, you know what I mean. Even when they frustrate you by being fussy, being smart mouth or whatever, it's like an ache inside your heart that you still love them so much. Not that my child has been a smart mouth... but I know I have been to my mom and now I finally get it. I wish I could have explained that more eloquently.

I haven't even been able to get on the computer lately to blog, check email or anything because I feel the need to hold the little man, watch him as he sleeps, catch up on my own sleep, clean, do laundry or just entertain him plain and simple. 

Here are some instagrams lately. I'm asking Santa for a new camera for a Christmas!

He's only been here 2 months and has stolen pieces of my heart. He's a big boy! Already 15 lbs and I could just eat his chubby lil legs! His smiles drive me wild as I dance about the house being as goofy as can be to get some constant smile action. He does have a few fussy moments here and there but they are very few. Most of all he's just a happy and content lil guy. His favorite thing this month is sitting up. Even thought he can't sit up on his own yet, he loves when u hold him like he is sitting up! He'll look around the room and make the cutest little face. He also enjoys talking... Not that he can talk but he makes noises and its fun to pretend we are having a conversation. It's funny because sometimes it will almost sound like he understood...and who knows, maybe he does.

I was talking with my friend Victoria the other day, who now has 2 little ones. She mentioned how when she had her first little one, she looked at parents of multiples like they were rock stars. I am totally there. I try to give Noland Jr. my complete attention and can't imagine having a second little one running around. I know there will come a day and time when it happens, and I'll just figure it out like everyone does. For now, I'll enjoy my naps with baby boy soaking in every ounce of his smell, smiles, chubby legs and coos.

Being a mom is definitely one of the best things I've ever done. And my husband is the best dad! When I'm not patient or at my best, he is. And that's what it's all about. We're a team that works together. It's been a pretty great 2 months as we try to cherish every moment because 3 months will be here before we know it! 

If you are still looking for a Christmas gift for that special someone, check out my Datevitation review and giveaway going on here.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I'm back & ready to attempt to post every other day or so. Some minor changes will still be made to the blog in the next few weeks such as adding networking info (twitter, fb). You can navigate through the blog a lot easier using the navigational bar at the top of the page. Having a little guy is busy and making it a lot harder to post consistently but most of all, it's that I just want to enjoy every little moment with him.. but I'll share more on that later!

(These pictures are low quality due to being taken on my phone. So Sorry.)

 Well, I don't know about your family but Noland & I started playing Christmas music the day after Thanksgiving. We put up our tree, stockings and all the magic. We could have waited a little while but he had off the whole week of Thanksgiving and it was just easier to go ahead and start the decorating! As a Catholic, I don't consider it to be Christmas just yet though. It's what we call Advent... preparation for Christ's coming at birth. No worries, Christmas will soon arrive and Catholics don't take all their decorations down the day after Christmas because Christmas is such an important holiday in the eyes of the church, it should be celebrated at least 12 days ending on January 6. The Epiphany! So growing up, we usually kept our decorations up until them and we probably will this year too.

 One of our favorite places is to visit the Christmas store... we bought 2 ornaments this year and plan on buying one every year to add a little here and there to our tree. I can't wait til the little man is older so he can enjoy it more! They had all these fun colored trees there too, which I felt the need to take a picture of. 

Noland picked out this adorable little outfit for baby at Target! Don't you just want to pinch his little cheeks?

 Also, here is a shot of our tree. Usually a shelf goes their with a cross over it.. and I didn't take the cross off the wall because I just like it. And we got our 1970 blinds on the left, gotta love 'em.

 The best part of putting up Christmas decor, is that baby boy absolutely loves staring at the tree. He will get fussy sometimes so I just place him on the floor or in his papasan and he will stare at the tree like it is magical. Now that we have the little guy, I feel like Christmas is going to be so exciting again. The mystery of Santa, the magic of all the holiday lights & music, and the birth of our Lord and Savior. It's all so wonderful.

This really is the most wonderful time of the year. People are so much more friendly in the giving season. I love shopping for others and being creative. I love the music and the smiles on children's faces. I love the decorations! And we live in the south, so the weather is pretty perfect too.. not too hot, not too cold. 

What's your favorite thing about the holidays?

Insta-Baby Lately

Well, this past Tuesday was 5 weeks of sweet snuggles, kisses, and smiles with our sweet baby boy! I've been absent from the blog but with good measure. I'm starting to get the hang of things and I'd say we have somewhat of a schedule going for us. Today, I decided to share some baby instagrams of late.

 If you've been wondering what I've been up to well, I just can't get enough of this little man. When he sleeps, I sometimes just like to stare at him because he's so handsome. He's like a part of me and a part of my husband. I stare at him and see both of us. 

Every day when Noland comes home from work, he holds him for an hour or longer because he hasn't seen him all day and I throw something together for dinner. The two of us are just so in love with this little fellow. Just when you think you can't love anymore, your heart grows three sizes and makes more room to love.

I always think it is funny when people ask who a baby looks like because other than particular features, you can never tell at 0-5 weeks old... or at least I can't. Our little man just looks like both of us. Sometime I look at him and think, "that is totally a Noland face" and other times I think, "he looks just like me." Today, I think his eyes are shaped like mine but he has Noland's eyes. My baby pictures look like him minus a few features. It's just so exciting every day to watch him as he grows. He's already bigger.

 His most recent appointment was on Monday. 

He is 12.44 lbs and 23.75 inches long at 5 weeks old. Crazy, huh?! He's a big boy! 

He loves eating, playing in his play gym, swinging in the swing, riding in the car, his pacifier, being held, waking up when he is put down, staring at mom and dad, when we hold him like he is sitting up, rocking in our rocking recliner, tummy time (he can already hold his head up and almost roll over). 

He likes to play the game where his pacifier falls out of his mouth and then he makes a little fussy noise until you put it back in. Sometimes he'll be laying in his little bouncer and it will fall on shoulder, he will make a fussy noise and try to move his shoulder to maneuver it back into his mouth. He has been unsuccessful so far but it sure is fun to watch for a second as I reach to put it back in his mouth. 

He is just so fun and we are so excited and blessed to have him in our lives! I wake up with him in the middle of the night to feed him during the week because the hubs has to wake up early for work and I'm able to nap while he naps during the day. It's actually not too bad. He probably wake up twice a night around 1-2am and 4-5am. I say that now and tonight he will probably wake up like 17 times... haha. No, but he has been a really amazing baby, such a little angel.

Alright folks, well that's all for today. Stay tuned: in the next day or 2, I'm going to be giving away 25 FREE Red Box codes to 25 different people! And more fun posts coming soon! (still waiting on newborn pictures but hopefully I'll have those soon too!)

A Baby Story

I've been so busy with our little guy lately that I haven't had much time to share about his arrival. He is currently napping on my lap and I finally have time to tell some of the story on this lazy Sunday afternoon.

I was told that our little guy would definitely arrive early. Well, you guessed it, my due date (Sept 29) came and went and still no arrival. I was told we could schedule an induction... and that's what I decided to do. So on Tuesday, October 2, 2012, my husband and I woke up early and headed to the hospital. We were supposed to be there by 6 am. We anxiously waited in the hospital waiting room for the nurse to come get us. We filled out some paperwork and were shown to the labor and delivery room!

Not long after our arrival, we met our nurse and I requested an epidural. She gave me my IV & started the pitocin to get the contractions started. Soon, anesthesiology came in to give me my epidural. For me, the IV and the epidural were the worst part of labor. I didn't feel any contractions for a few hours and then they came back to check on my epidural and give me some extra meds. 

Our room had a DVD player and TV in it, so as soon as I was set with the IV, pitocin and epidural, Noland and I began our movie marathon. We watched Tangled, The Jungle Book, The Lion King and then the Avengers. I thought it was so weird that I was in labor because I didn't really feel much pain. 

About 4:30-5pm (ish), the doctor and nurse came in and said I needed to try and push... and then it began. It just felt like pressure but not a lot of pain. I pushed for about an hour and a half (possibly longer) until Noland Jr. arrived! He finally arrived at 6:33pm.

He was 9lbs 14oz of pure LOVE.

(The hospital photos I have are not that good but here is a picture I took the other day)

I got to hold him after delivery for a few minutes. He was perfect, beautiful and healthy. I was  having some problems so I didn't get to hold him long. I had a uterine hemorrhage on top of a fever and high blood pressure so he was sent to the nursery pretty soon after I got to hold him. My husband went up too and was able to bring our little man back that night to stay in our room with us. I had to have two blood transfusions that night as well as some other medical things done which I won't elaborate on. Luckily, everything is a lot better now that it has been two weeks. Recovery wasn't too bad. I had a lot of help from my amazing husband, friends and family. Baby is doing well and I'm feeling a lot better. Thank the Lord that everything turned out alright.

I would share the whole story about the after birth hemorrhaging but I read a billion birth stories before I had Noland Jr and I can honestly say I was terrified going into the hospital on the morning of October 2. I don't want to share that part of my birth story because well, everyone's birth experience is different. The most important thing is that giving birth is one of the most life changing experiences you will ever have. And although, the hemorrhaging thing was pretty scary, I'm alive and healthy today so it wasn't that bad. Most of all, if you haven't had a baby and read this...think of it this way. Thousands of people do it every day and live to tell the story, even have multiple kids, so it can't be that bad. I look back and can't believe I did it. Don't ever live in fear. And so...

Our sweet boy is here! We are just enjoying every minute of snuggles, coo-ing, his facial expressions and trying to sleep when he sleeps. It's just crazy that I'm a mom!

I found this poem online a week or so ago... and it pretty much describes my life right now

"Cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow 

for babies grow up we have learned to our sorrow. 

So quiet down cobwebs, dust go to sleep 

I'm rocking my baby, cause babies don't keep!"

And that's all for today! More posts to come as I continue to get the hang of multi-tasking.

Thanks for stoppin by! 

xoxo. Jen

Noland David Jr.

Noland David Jr. 

Date of Birth: 10/2/2012

9 lbs 14 oz

21.75 inches

He's here and we couldn't be more excited! Our lives have officially changed forever! 

I'm sorry I haven't been around but I've been snuggling with my Nolands (Noland & Noland Jr.) and recovering from a rough delivery. I promise to post some more details and possibly a birth story soon. 

I love the first picture of my sweet husband! This was while I was in labor (I had an epidural) and we were basically having a movie marathon... He was so excited with good reason. He's already an amazing dad! Middle picture is our little guy sporting the Seminoles at one day old!

Next, A picture snuggling with Mommy, and a picture snuggling with Daddy. The picture in the middle is one of my favorites. One morning in the hospital, he just sat and stared at me, with his little hand under his chin. He has definitely stolen a piece of our hearts.

Can you tell we're Orioles fans? This happens to be the week of the Division Series and we were prepared. Little Noland has some awesome Orioles onesies thanks to his dad, and has definitely been sporting them on game days! The middle picture is our first family picture. It's a little blurry due to being an iPhone picture. Hopefully, we'll take some family pictures soon!

That's all for now but I should be getting back to blogging more regularly as I get the hang our being a mom and fully recover. Life is so wonderful, and God is so good and continues to reign down his blessings upon us. 

xoxo. Jen