2011

I'll admit - I'm a little sad to see 2011 end. 2011 was a year of wonderful blessings, new beginnings and it was just an all around fantastic year for our family. Like all years, there were moments of sadness, anxiety, frustration and worry, but the Lord did immeasurably more for us than we ever could have imagined.

On January 10th, we were told we were having a little girl (boy, was that doctor wrong!). The next day, January 11th at 1:11pm, we welcomed our precious niece Madison Claire into this world. Immediately after her birth, we almost lost my sister due to complications. She spent 4 or so hours in surgery while the doctors worked furiously to save her life and her uterus, while we spent those 4 hours on our knees in prayer, begging God for her life. She made it out of surgery and spent the next few days in ICU, but recovered so quickly! On Friday the 14th, Jon was laid off from his job and being 12 weeks pregnant, I spent the next few days sobbing, wondering how we would make it through! It's so true that when something like that happens, something MUCH better always comes along.

In February, we were told we were really having a boy, and after a couple of days in shock, we hit the road running, prepping our home and our lives for the arrival of Luke.

Fast forward to April, and Jon began a new job as a Sr. Manager for a consulting firm here in Dallas. He went from traveling weekly to never having to travel at all. Such a great blessing right before the birth of our son! I also found out I had gestational diabetes, which is never fun, but after a couple of days of crying somewhat non-stop, it became an easy thing to manage and live with. And it had an upside - I was able to get an induction before my due date!

May and June brought 4 baby showers! It was so fun to be able to celebrate with friends and family and we got lots of great things for Luke.

On July 19th, Luke Holland was born via c-section. He immediately changed our lives and we are so incredibly thankful to be his parents. The first 2 weeks were extremely tough on me, with the recovery and baby blues, but we all survived and got into a routine that works for our family (again, the biggest thank you goes to Moms on Call!). Sleepless nights very quickly turned to full nights of sleep for both us and Luke, and he has been the most easy-going baby.

September was full of weddings of dear friends and lots of Longhorn football. While 2011 may not have been the best year for our Horns, we are ever thankful to be part of the Texas family. Our blood is burnt orange!

In November, we celebrated Thanksgiving in Austin, and truly, we have too many blessings this year to count. We have our health, a happy son who loves life, good jobs with great bosses, a beautiful home in a neighborhood we love, precious friends and a large loving family, a wonderful church home, our salvation - the list goes on and on. Luke and I like to sing the song - Count Your Blessings, Name Them One By One - Count Your MANY Blessings and See What God Has Done!

We spent December traveling our great state celebrating Christmas with both sides of the the family, our friends and Jon's coworkers.

As the year winds down, we've spent the day outdoors with Luke, letting him swing in his new swing and just enjoying the sunshine before the winter gets bad here. We're reflecting on how far we've come this year and looking forward to where we'll go next year. 2011 was a fantastic year for us, and we look forward to all the new year has to bring. Happy New Year!

Luke: 5 Months!

My sweet, sweet Luke! You are 5 months old and time is flying by. This month, you have shown us so much more of your personality, and I am absolutely in love. You are the funniest, sweetest, cutest little thing and mommy and daddy simply can't get enough of you!


You don't go the doctor for a well checkup this month, but you've been seeing Dr. McClard quite often for ear infections. You are so happy all the time that mommy can tell when you just aren't yourself and want to cuddle and sleep at odd times. Unofficially, you're measuring in at 18 lbs, 10 oz. I'm not sure of height or head this month!


You have moved up to a size 3 diaper and wear 3-6, 6 month and quite a bit of your 6-9 month clothing. We have been putting you in Christmas outfits almost daily, but you have so many cute clothes that it's so fun to dress you each day. You're getting more and more clothes from your family and friends this Christmas season too, so you have no shortage of things to wear.


You now eat 7 oz. of Similac Advance every 4 hours, and then 8 oz. at bedtime. We have not started rice cereal, but we'll probably do so in early January. Dr. McClard says you are doing just fine and growing big and strong on just formula, so for now that's all we are giving you. I have a feeling you're going to LOVE food!


You are sleeping so well! We put you on a new bedtime routine at a much earlier time and it's working wonders. You get in the bathtub at 7pm each night, play and splash around for a little while, and then pajamas and an 8 oz. bottle. Daddy rocks you until you are sleepy but happy and down you go (around 7:30pm). You sleep through the night until about 6:30 or 7 each morning. The only nights you wake up are when we travel, but we're working hard to get you adjusted to that as well.


This month you discovered tons of new tricks. You can roll over both ways, but really only love to be on your back. If we put you on your tummy, you're on your back in 2 seconds. You can also sit up for a few seconds at a time. You are so strong and so determined to sit up, so we try to let you as much as we can! You discovered your thumb and love chewing on that and your hand. You also discovered your toes and are working very hard to get those up to your mouth as well. It's funny and gross all at the same time! You still love your exersaucer, your bumbo and just playing on the floor. You got a new toy puppy that sings and dances and you adore it. It's your favorite thing.


You still love to go to school. You are happiest in the mornings and you just smile and giggle when I tell you it's time for school. You love your teachers and are busy making friends. It is such a joy to come and pick you up at school and see you smiling and laughing. I have a sneaking suspicion you are one of the favorites!


This past month, you've done a lot of fun things. You went to Austin for Thanksgiving at Uncle Mark and Aunt Jenn's house. You refused to take a nap because you didn't want to miss a second of the action. There was just so much going on. Mommy gave you a small taste of mashed potatoes, and you were a fan. In early December, you went to Brunch with Santa at the country club. You sat on Santa's lap and did so good, and then mommy and daddy got to eat lots of yummy food and listen to a wonderful pianist. Next year, I'm sure you'll love it even more.


You went to visit Nana and Papa in Sugar Land for the Nash family Christmas. You did so wonderful and did so well getting passed around to all your great aunts and uncles. You and Maddie Claire dressed up in matching gingerman/girl outfits to go see Santa again, but the line was just too long. You sure did look adorable though!


This past weekend, you went to celebrate Christmas with the Wallace/Dorsey side of the family.
You had so much fun and got lots of neat presents. You also got to see Pappy and KerrBear and you smiled and laughed and were so sweet the entire time you were at their house. You are so very blessed to have a wonderful family who loves you so much!


Luke, this is the best Christmas I've ever had because you're here to celebrate with. You are such a delight and the biggest blessing in my life. Your daddy and I love spending all of our time with you and you are absolutely the light of our lives. We are excited for 2012 and all the fun next year will bring as you grow and change. We love you, sweet boy!