Getting ready for Ivy Catherine

Well, reality is setting in now that we are just a few weeks away from meeting our sweet baby girl, Ivy Catherine. We are going to have 4 kids! Are we ready? Not sure, but we are excited to meet and start getting to know every part of this sweet baby. The girls are thrilled and eager to meet her. I anticipate telling them I am in labor or that their baby sister has arrived, to seeing their faces as they meet her for the first time, to hearing what they have to say, to seeing all four of my children together and feeling completely and totally overwhelmed with the love I have for each of them. Jonathan and I feel very blessed to be able to experience and savor this experience one last time. I am trying not to rush these last few weeks but really soak it all up knowing it will be our last pregnancy. I love feeling her move, and all of the emotions of anticipating the surprise and excitement of how her birth story will unfold. This stage of life is a gift and I want to enjoy each first that we are about to have with our sweet Ivy.

Harrison's last therapy and FEEs test

Harrison is officially free from therapy. We enjoyed and loved our therapist Ms. Anitra but we are so glad that we are released. Since Harrison is taking a couple of steps now she felt confident to let us follow a home program and follow up at 18 months if he is not walking more consistently.



The same week we went for our last swallow study. We choose a different type of study this time to better visualize Harrison's anatomy while he swallowed thin liquids. It is called a FEE study. They passed a camera through Harrison's nose down to his vocal cords and tried to get him to drink and eat yogurt and pudding. Our little man did not appreciate this at all and was quite vocal about it, which he had every right to be. It was hard to watch and I was so glad that Jonathan was there with us. At the end of the test it was 100% worth all the tears because HE PASSED!!!!! No more thicken liquids.

We saw Dr. Simon last week and she was pleased with our little guys progress. We thanked her for all that she did for us this past year, but also very glad that we can say goodbye.

Snow week

We made the most of every minute of the snow storm a few weeks ago. I was scheduled to work Saturday and Sunday so I was at work when the snow started coming down on Sunday night. All I could think about all night was how I had hoped that I would be able to get home the next morning before being snowed in all week. Well, my daddy made the slow trip to the hospital to pick me up in his truck and then we made it home slowly safe and sound. Little did we know that the week would turn into a vacation for our family. Mimi and Pawpaw spent the night, Sarah Grace and Charlotte stayed two nights with us for a slumber party, Steph and Adam spent the afternoons and evenings with us playing, eating, and watching movies. We loved having Daddy home too! The kids enjoyed the snow together, the men enjoyed the snow and sledding, and I enjoyed the food, fire and watching everyone else play. I think we need a week like this every year.

Kiki and Matt's Wedding weekend

On Wednesday night we headed to Asheville, North Carolina to start celebrating Matt and Kiki. On Thursday the girls and I went to the Bridesmaid lunch and then met the guys at the rehearsal. That night we had the rehearsal dinner which was very nice and yummy too. Friday morning was Wedding Day!!! We started off with a delicious breakfast at City Bakery and then went next door to the salon. After the salon we had just enough time to get dressed before heading to the farm for the wedding. The weather and scenery could not have been more perfect. Matt and Kiki did a wonderful job planning all the little details of the wedding that made it special. It was a fun night with family!
Another highlight of the weekend was that we got to spend good time with the Goforths. They graciously allowed us to stay at their house. It was fun to hang out with them and watch all of our kids play together. After the wedding on Friday my parents babysat for us so that we could go out with the wedding party and ring in the New Year. It was fun to spend time with such sweet friends.




having a little spa time with friends

breakfast with the bride at City Bakery - YUMMY

the weather was beautiful, warm with snow on the ground!!!!

our very handsome boys


they love their Uncle Matt









Payton saying the blessing at the wedding


time to play in the snow

Payton's 5th Birthday

Hard to believe that five short years ago this little girl made Jonathan and I parents. Wow, how much a little person can grow in just five years. I think we are really going to like five years old. We are very proud of who Payton has become and enjoy watching her grow up, even though it tugs at our heart sometimes. She is very excited to be 5! She says she will learn so much this year and get to go to kindergarten too. She wants to learn how to tie her shoes, ride a bike without training wheels, read, and more. We had a great day celebrating her starting off with breakfast and a few gifts, lunch with Kiki, and ending with a much anticipated dinner and shopping at the American Girl Bistro with Mimi and Pawpaw. I think she felt very loved and special today.




5 years exactly from the moment she was born

Christmas Day

Christmas day is usually very relaxed at our house. We play a lot and stay in our jammies until we have to get dressed. This year the day was capped off with snow! The kids loved the beautiful falling snow and fire in the fireplace.

Christmas Eve

Another wonderful year at Nani and Pawpaw Jimmy's house. The highlight of our Christmas Eve was that Harrison took his first steps!!! He walked from Daddy to sweet and beautiful Laura. It was a precious moment and there were even some happy tears in the eyes of those watching, especially mine! Then we headed home to greet Nana before going to sleep and waiting on Santa to arrive.




one of the sweetest moments of my life

As Christmas draws near

We packed in a few more festivies before Christmas day. A playdate, baking cookies for Santa, family Christmas parties, and celebrating this special time of year.

Baby Connor is here!!!!

Baby Connor is the newest and post precious addition to the family! He was born December 9th at 8:00 pm and weighed 8 lbs 3 ounces. He is perfect and we got a chance to see him in Charlotte the next weekend. The girls talked about him all week long and could not wait to see him, Cameron, Jill, and Nana. Daddy took a day off of work and we got to head up early to Nana's new house. Nana moved into her new house the weekend before Thanksgiving and we think it is perfect! It is in the same neighborhood as Aunt Terri and Aunt Jean, and when it gets warmer we will be able to walk to their house from Nana's. Uncle Cameron and Aunt Jill were so kind to spend a lot of time with us during the weekend and we got to admire sweet Connor. Nana took the girls to see Yogi Bear on Saturday, which was quite the treat for them. We ended the weekend with dinner with Mawmaw and the other Aunt Jill too. It was a very nice weekend.