The Coots Family

I ♥ Faces - Holiday Bokeh

2011-12-18T21:51:00.004-06:00

It has been soooo long since I have entered an I ♥ Faces contest, but when I checked the site this afternoon and saw that the next contest was "Holiday Bokeh," I knew just what pictures to enter! I just took some pictures of my son Lane in front of the Christmas tree last weekend as I was testing out a star shaped lens cover that I made following an online tutorial. I think the pictures turned out great!

Do you prefer them in color or black and white?? I go back and forth!

I ♥ Faces - Let Them Be Little

2011-10-23T21:57:00.000-05:00

Little Lane...19 months old.

I ♥ Faces - Eyes

2011-08-16T21:01:00.000-05:00

It's all about the EYES at I ♥ Faces this week! My little man has the most beautiful blue eyes and long eyelashes. This picture shows them off well!

I ♥ Faces - "Water"

2011-07-24T23:28:00.000-05:00

We have had plenty of time in the water this summer! Lane has enjoyed swimming at Mums' house, going to Hawaiian Falls, sprinkler time, splash pads, and swimming lessons. But his favorite water activity involves just a garden hose! After narrowing down all of the fun water pictures I have of him this summer, this one makes me smile the most. My little wild man--only one shoe on, stripped down after dinner one night, running around with the hose in the backyard. Summer perfection!

I ♥ Faces - "Let's Hear it for the Boys"

2011-06-19T23:30:00.000-05:00

In honor of Father's Day, I ♥ Faces is featuring pictures with boys or men in them. My husband Kyle celebrated his second Father's Day this year and our son Lane is so lucky to have such a great dad! I have PLENTY of pictures of just Lane I could enter in this week's contest, but the theme "Let's Hear it for the Boys" is just calling for this picture!!

Our childbirth class we took before Lane was born had some great couples who we kept in touch with since our babies' births. We all ended up having boys and meet up for playdates once a month to catch up and let the boys play! This was our second playdate--almost a year ago, and I had the idea to use colored cloth diapers for each of the babies. I love how they each have their own expressions! These boys were all born within 2 months of each other and will be friends for life!

Will, Austin, Alex, Ben, Lane, Charlie

I ♥ Faces - "Yellow"

2011-05-22T08:34:00.001-05:00

Our yellow-shirted boy in a field of beautiful bluebonnets by our house. April 2011.

I ♥ Faces - "Pet Week"

2011-04-26T20:54:00.001-05:00

April 20, 2011--Lane was sick, so I stayed home from work to be with him. He developed a fever overnight and slept in bed with me. He napped there that next morning, and our JRT, Scout never left his side. Less than an hour after this photo was taken, Lane had a seizure and was rushed to Cook Children's Hospital by ambulance. Everything turned out to be ok, thank goodness! He had suffered a febrile seizure as a result of his fever suddenly skyrocketing. I wish Scout was better focused here, but even though she is blurred out, this picture still takes me back to that exact moment. I love them both so much!! (Even when they are BOTH naughty!)

www.iheartfaces.com

i ♥ Faces - "Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes"

2011-02-27T22:36:00.003-06:00

I ♥ Faces is taking a break from faces this week and focusing on anything BUT faces! I had lots of feet shots of Lane to choose from, so my husband helped me choose this one! This was taken a few months ago during Lane's naptime. I just love how he sticks his little bottom in the air and crosses his feet when he sleeps. I snuck in quietly, focused between his crib bars, and snapped this picture.

I ♥ Faces - "Red"

2011-02-13T21:12:00.001-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day from my tiniest Valentine! Although he is almost a year old, this is his first Valentine's Day. I can't believe that a year ago I was finishing up last minute details on his nursery, stocking up on diapers and such, and preparing myself for the arrival of this sweet bundle! In honor of "Red" week at I ♥ Faces, here he is in all of his sweetness!

I ♥ Faces - "Winter Wonderland"

2011-01-17T21:32:00.001-06:00

Lane's first snow...
Not much...it didn't stick, but I still bundled him up and took him outside! I only snapped 5 pictures total because he wasn't really a fan of the cold. This is the first picture I took and I think it turned out so cute! Looks like he's trying to catch a snowflake on that tiny tongue!

i ♥ Faces - "Smiles"

2011-01-09T22:05:00.001-06:00

I ♥ Faces is celebrating a birthday this week! To celebrate, the theme is SMILES. This picture is nothing special really, but it really shows off my little man's best feature...his precious smile! Of all the pictures I have taken of him, this one stands out to me because of the grin, so I have chosen to enter it in this week's competition. Head over to I ♥ Faces to check out all the fantastic smiley entries!

I ♥ Faces - "Favorite Face of 2010"

2011-01-03T22:05:00.000-06:00

2010 was a fantastic year! Our baby boy, Lane, was born in March and we have had such fun watching him grow. It wasn't hard to choose my subject for my favorite photo of 2010, but it was very hard to choose exactly which picture of him! I kept coming back to this one, so here it is--(one of) my favorite face photos of 2010!

*Taken in October ~ 7 1/2 months old

I ♥ Faces - "Pets"

2010-12-13T20:26:00.002-06:00

I love pet week at I ♥ Faces! I have been waiting to enter this picture into a contest and now I finally can! I walked in to check on our napping baby one day to find our dog Scout sitting in the rocker looking at the crib. I ran to get my camera, and snapped this picture. Soon after that, Lane started stirring and Scout jumped down from the chair to check on him. This is one of my all time favorite pictures.

Walkin'

2010-12-01T09:45:00.003-06:00

Here is a little video of our little man walking! He started taking small steps over Thanksgiving Break, but really took off yesterday. He will be 9 months on Sunday! Way to go Lane!

And here's one more...this time he has his pants back on! haha

Trickster

2010-10-28T21:40:00.000-05:00

Half a Year Old

2010-09-15T16:43:00.000-05:00

I can't believe that half a year ago I gave birth to the most perfect baby boy on the planet. The time is flying by and Lane is 6 months old! He is busy learning new things and perfecting old skills. Here are some things he is up to lately.

LANE:

*Weighed 16 lbs 2 oz at his 6 mo checkup. (between 25th-50th percentile)
*Was 26 inches long (50th percentile)
*Wears size 3-6 and 6 month clothes
*Wears size 2 diaper
*Wears size 1 shoe but is approaching size 2's!

*Still eats 4, 6 oz bottles a day and solid foods twice a day
*Eats a fruit and cereal in the morning and cereal, a veggie, and a fruit at night! Nobody can believe he is eating that much at night, but he can put the baby food away!
*Is still on stage 1 foods, but has tried all of them. LOVES carrots, peas, and apples the most.
*We never tried sweet potatoes again after they gave him horrible gas.
*Prunes make his diapers extra dirty, but he likes the taste!
*Also likes squash, green beans, pears, bananas, and fresh avocado.
*Tried "Puffs" for the first time, but doesn't quite get the concept of grabbing them and putting them in his mouth.
*Also tried drinking from a sippy cup, but prefers to bang it on his tray instead of drinking from it!

*Learned how to sit up at about 5 1/2 months
*Went from army crawling to real crawling a few days after his 6 month birthday and is UNSTOPPABLE!.
*Still rolls everywhere.
*Likes to crawl up to Scout and touch her paws.
*Still smiles at everyone!! Is a happy, happy boy.

*Is VERY squirmy when getting his diaper changed and getting dressed. Rolls over onto his stomach on the changing table!
*Stays with Gran 3 days a week and Miss Melissa 2 days a week.
*Still has an unpredictable nap schedule, but usually takes one long nap a day with a few small naps here and there.
*Still has the same nighttime sleep schedule. Around 8:30p-7:00a.
*Loves to grab ALL things. Is hard to keep still these days when I am holding him.
*Sat in a high chair for the first time at a restaurant at 6 months 1 week. Did pretty well!

*Has almost started pulling up in his crib. Time to lower the mattress!
*Loves his jumper-oo. Jumps really high and laughs!
*Likes to pat the face of whoever is feeding him his last bottle before bed.
*Sticks out one arm straight forward when I walk around holding him on my hip. It's almost like he is just waiting for something to grab!
*Still sleeps on his side or stomach.
*His silky and paci are still 2 of his favorite things.
*Favorite toys include: his teething giraffe and his toy cell phone. Also has really started to like his song and light projector that I play when he is having a hard time falling asleep. Still likes all toys with lights.
*Is more interested in eating books than reading them.

These 6 months have been the most fun months of my life. Everyone who knows Lane loves him, and Kyle and I are so proud of him! Happy half birthday Lane Austen!

I ♥ Faces - "Vroom, Vroom!"

2010-09-12T17:37:00.001-05:00

The theme at I ♥ Faces this week is "Vroom, Vroom!" This is my 6 month old son, Lane in his car pj's. My own interpretation of the theme "Vroom, Vroom!" :)

Laughin' Lane

2010-08-23T23:34:00.001-05:00

Ok, the last laughing video was of Lane laughing at Daddy, but in this one it was Mommy who got him giggling! Enjoy!

5 months old!

2010-08-22T21:58:00.007-05:00

Our sweet boy turned 5 months old! He has gotten so smiley and has really filled out. This month was special because it was my last month of summer with Lane. I loved being home with him over the summer and had gotten used to him sleeping "late" in the mornings...too bad I have to go back to work! I will miss him sooo much. Anyway...back to his 5 month stats!

LANE:

-Weighs about 15 pounds. I weighed him using our scale at home and he came out to around 15.

-Wears size 2 diapers and 3-6 month clothes. Can still fit in some 0-3 month clothes.

-Wears a size 1 shoe.

-Rolls everywhere! He can flip around really fast now and can end up on the other side of the room in no time!

-Can sit up with just a little help. (Sat up un-assisted for about 1 minute at 5 1/2 months)

-Likes to "walk" with help from someone.

-Learned how to rotate in his jumper to play with all the toys around him.

-Can scoot around on the floor on his belly but hasn't crawled yet.

-Eats 6 oz of formula every 4 hours with solid food in the morning between his first 2 feedings and in the evening between his last 2 feedings. Usually takes a bottle around 8:00 am, noon, 4:00 pm and again before bed.

-Uses medium flow nipples now.

-Started trying lots of baby foods and loves them! As of 5 1/2 months he has tried: avocado, apples, sweet potato, carrots, and pears. The sweet potatoes made him very gassy and he ended up waking up 2 nights in a row at 3 am crying. We discontinued them for the time being!

-Eats oatmeal and fruit in the morning and rice cereal and a veggie in the evening.

-Goes to bed around 8:30 and sleeps until around 7:00 or 8:00.

-Has really started to notice Scout and LOVES her! She will walk by and he will start grinning and laughing. Likes to "pet" her and so far Scout has been really good with him.

-Loves all people. He smiles BIG when anyone talks to him. Is not afraid of strangers yet! Especially likes men and people with glasses or hats on. haha! Laughs hard at Daddy, my principal Mr. Gray, Uncle Mitch, Paw, and Pops. Will laugh for women too, but laughs harder at men for some reason.

-Likes to grab things you don't want him to get, such as my iphone, a magazine I am reading, the tablecloth or anything on the table when trying to eat.

-Loves paper. Likes to play with envelopes, paper bags, magazines.

-Likes to suck his toes when he can get them into his mouth!

-Discovered his tongue and likes to stick it in and out, in and out. Also blows raspberries.

-Went to visit Paw and Nonna this month.

-Went up to school to work with mommy some in her classroom.

-Went shopping and out to eat a bunch.

-Still takes a pacifier.

-Still rolls over and sleeps on his tummy at night.

-Still likes to kick and screech and sling his arms up and down.

-Still loves his bath and now takes it in the big tub with just a foam mat.

-Still likes to be read to.

-Still loves to watch tv.

-Still has no teeth but still has the little white nubs he has had since he was 10 weeks old!

-Still has blue eyes and long eye lashes.

-Still has barely any hair-although, it is starting to thicken up a little and is still blonde.

-Still is a mama's boy.

-Still is as cute as ever.

I ♥ Faces - "Surprise!"

2010-08-09T08:05:00.002-05:00

This picture showcases the biggest surprise of my life. (And my husband's!) Kyle had just left for a 10 day long trip to Yellowstone National Park when I found out I was expecting a baby! I took a couple of pregnancy tests just to be sure, but when the digital kind read "Pregnant" I knew for sure! I was soooo excited and couldn't wait to tell Kyle when he got home. I took this self portrait with my camera in my hand pointed at me. It took a couple of tries to get it just right, but I came up with this photograph. I had it printed with the words "Surprise! Love, Kyla and Baby L.C." (We had already picked out 2 names for a boy or a girl that both started with an L.) I kept my little secret for 10 days until he returned and was thrilled to give him a gift of this picture and a tiny Texas Longhorn onesie. He was surprised to say the least! Now we have our bundle of joy- Lane Austen Coots, who was born last March on the 5th.

He was the best surprise ever!

Screech

2010-07-30T23:44:00.007-05:00

This is the nickname that we have given Lane. This month he has started screeching so loudly! He does it most when he is either really excited or angry, but sometimes he just does it to hear his own voice I think! His favorite places to screech are restaurants, which makes for an interesting meal! He is definitely screeching in the above picture!

Here is a sampling of our little "Screech" at his finest:

4 Months Old

2010-07-27T22:46:00.001-05:00

Lane is 4 months old! I feel like this month he has shown the most change as far as milestones and developments go. He has become very smiley, but also still has a bit of a moody side! Haha! People always comment on how he is always smiling for pictures. I guess his momma knows how to get those grins out!

At 4 months LANE:

*Weighed 13 pounds 7 oz at his 4 mo checkup - 25th percentile

*Was 24 in long - 25th percentile.

*Head circumference was in 25th percentile as well. Dr. Phan said he is perfectly proportional!

*Can still wear all of his 0-3 month clothes, but can also fit into some 3-6 month depending on the brand.

*Wears a size 1 diaper

*Now wears a size 1 shoe...outgrew his 0's

*Can sit up by himself for about 10 seconds before toppling over.

*Rolls over both ways. Rolled over back to stomach on his 4 month birthday and now rolls around all over the place!

*Is much better at looking at something and grabbing it. Still chews on everything.

*Can stand and "walk" with help.

*Still takes a paci but not as much.

*Still LOVES his silky. We take one EVERYWHERE!

*Started sleeping in his crib on the 4th of July. Sleeps much better in there! (And we sleep better too!)

*Usually takes five 6 oz bottles a day.

*Goes to bed between 9:00-10:00 pm and sleeps until around 7:00 am.

*Has become more of a napper this month and will usually take one pretty long nap a day and one or two other shorter naps.

*Tried rice cereal for the first time on his 4 month birthday, but doesn't like it. Will take it better with a little bit of applesauce mixed in.

*Went to the Little Gym and storytime at the library this month.

*Has really discovered his voice now. Especially loves to "screech" really loudly.

*Laughs out loud.

*Still has no teeth, but I can see the little buds under his gums.

*Has grown to hate his carseat. Screams loudly when strapped in and arches his back to get out.

*Will no longer stay in carseat at restaurants. I have become a pro at eating with him in my lap!

*Loves to look at books.

*Can ride sitting up facing forward in his stroller now.

Lane Austen-We love you to bits! You get more and more adorable every day and are growing up so fast! I know 5 months will be just as fun as 4 months was!

"Six Pack"

2010-07-27T15:28:00.015-05:00

Kyle and I met some really nice people in our childbirth class at the hospital and I have kept in touch with all but 2 of the girls in there. We all had baby boys within a little over a month of each other! We decided to start a monthly playgroup and have met up twice this summer! The first one was at Olivia's house. She invited her neighbor who has a baby boy a week younger than Lane, and Monica invited her friend from work who has a boy a week older than Lane. 6 baby boys makes for a fun time! I nicknamed the boys the "Six Pack." Here are the girls and babies:

Michelle is a teacher like me, Olivia is a stay-at-home mom, Andrea is a pilot, and Monica and Brittany are zookeepers at the Fort Worth Zoo! An interesting array of careers!

Olivia had lots of toys and entertainment set up for the babies. Look at all of that!!

Lane was 3 months and 12 days here.

Proud mommas!

The first group picture!! Of course Lane had to be crying! Haha! Aren't they cute?! This was taken on June 17, 2010

The next playdate was at my house on July 15, 2010.

Andrea couldn't make it so her husband brought Charlie instead. What a guy!

Group picture #2. (7-15-10) So cute in their colored diapers! And Lane was smiling this time :)

And a cute tushie shot! Lane was 4 months 10 days here.

We already have our next playdate planned for August and can't wait to see each other again. I don't know what we will do once school starts back. It will be hard for all of us to meet during the day since some of us are teachers, so we will just have to do evening cookouts or something. It is so nice to have other moms to talk to, especially moms who have boys around the same age as yours! We can't wait to watch these babies grow up together!

Where does the time go?

2010-07-27T15:21:00.003-05:00

How did our "Little Longhorner" go from THIS:

To THIS:

SO FAST???!!!!!!!

ROAD TRIP!!

2010-07-27T14:37:00.006-05:00

Lane went on his first road trip at the end of May. We went to San Angelo and spent time with the Snowden's and Paw. Lane did really well in the car and basically slept the whole time.

Marley let Lane borrow her pink nap nanny. They watched Baby Einstein together and Lane loved it!

We went shopping, ate dinner at Henry's one night and Ryan and Tiffany's the other night, and took some family photos on the porch.

Paw loved seeing "Dusty" as he calls Lane, and Lane loved seeing his great-grandpa too!

Paw and his 3 great-grandchildren Marley, Lane, and Mason.

First Swim

2010-07-27T14:26:00.005-05:00

Lane took his first dip in the pool at Mums' house on his 3 month birthday. He looked sooo cute in his swim gear even though the trunks were a bit big! He wasn't a fan of swimming this first time! He cried and cried throughout the whole 3 minute ordeal. He went swimming a few more times this summer and enjoyed it more each time. (As long as he was being held!)

Trickster

2010-07-27T13:52:00.009-05:00

This summer Lane has learned lots of new tricks!

He became a pro at tummy time and can lift his head all the way up and can push up on his arms.

He can sit up with help. He sit on the floor all by himself for about 7 seconds before toppling over.

He started to grab things and likes to put them straight in his mouth.

He can stand really well with help and can even take little steps with help.

And he can roll over! These pictures were taken of him rolling over from tummy to back for the first time. He can now roll over back to tummy as of July 4. Now he rolls all over the place!

Summer Movies

2010-07-25T12:05:00.000-05:00

Ok...I am FAR behind on my blogging! You would think that being off for the summer would leave lots of time for updating my blog with Lane's latest news. But we have been super busy lately! I have lots of cute posts planned and may end up having to do a whole summer recap! Until I get those posts up, here are 2 cute videos of our little guy!

This first one is him frowning at his musical froggy. For some reason certain musical toys make Lane stick out his lower lip and frown! The purple elephant at Mums' house and this frog make him frown the most! It is pitiful, yet HILARIOUS!

This second video is Lane cracking up at his daddy. Kyle can usually make Lane laugh out loud just by making funny faces for him. We love his sweet little laugh!

Kyle's First Father's Day

2010-07-20T14:56:00.000-05:00

Kyle had a great time on his first Father's Day. We spent the day just hanging out and relaxing and went out for yogurt that night. Even though Lane and Kyle only get to see each other on weekends due to Kyle's work schedule, I can tell Lane just adores him!

I ♥ Faces - "Over My Head"

2010-07-19T08:15:00.004-05:00

This week's theme at I ♥ Faces is "Over My Head." I took this bridal picture of my sister, Kori on her college campus in College Station, TX. It was drizzling all day, but she managed to look great dispite the weather! The leopard print umbrella was her idea and turned out so cute!

I ♥ Faces - Pets

2010-06-28T08:21:00.004-05:00

This week's theme at I ♥ Faces is PETS. My first "baby" Scout has taken a backseat since Lane's arrival, and has been such a sweet dog even though she isn't getting as much attention as she once did. I can't wait until Lane grows up a little and can run and play with her!

My First Mother's Day

2010-06-22T23:20:00.007-05:00

I dreamed about being a mother for so long, so Mother's Day this year was extremely special. I am so thankful to have Lane in my life and absolutely love being a mother. I love feeding him, holding him, picking out his cute clothes, taking him shopping and out to eat, giving him baths, and even changing his diaper! Being a mommy is exhausting, but I wouldn't change it for the world. I also have to say that I have the best mom I could ask for and a wonderful mother-in-law as well! They adore Lane and would do anything for him!

I had a great Mother's Day. Kyle and Lane got me a cute card and season passes to the zoo! We had a delicious lunch over at Mum's house with her, Kori and Mitch. Mom got me a cute book with Lane's handprint inside. Then we went to Pops and Gran's and ate Macaroni Grill takeout. I got a mom frame and a cute card that had a recording of Lane's cry the day I went back to work when you opened it.

Here are some pictures of my special day!

3 months old!

2010-06-17T07:29:00.010-05:00

Well, time has flown by again and this little guy is 3 months old now! (Actually I am late on this post, so he is 3 1/2 months old!) We are loving every minute with our little boy. He is starting to develop a personality and is smiling and talking more and more each day. He had a big month full of firsts and I can't wait to see what comes next!

*These pictures were taken on his exact 3 month birthday...June 5, 2010.

LANE...

-Wears size 1 diapers. Wears either Pampers or Costco brand.

-Wears size 0-3 month clothes. And can still fit in a handful of newborn outfits! ha!

-Sleeps through the night! Usually goes to bed between 9 and 10 and sleeps until 5 or 6.

-Eats 5-6 oz every 4 hours. Takes Enfamil Gentle-Ease Formula.

-Weighed 12 lbs 4 oz at 3 months and 16 days. So probably weighed almost 12 lbs at 3 months.

-Loves to kick and move his arms around.

-Likes watching tv! Enjoys Nick Jr., and I bought him his first Baby Einstein DVD that he will watch the whole way through. Also likes watching Glee with mommy and kicks and coos the whole time!

-Loves his daddy's "SURPRISED" face. Makes him laugh every time!

-Loves stuffed animals. Will grasp and squeeze them, and likes to put them into his mouth.

-Also loves his Silkies. He has 4 different ones, and loves them all. Likes to have them right next to his face and will grab them tightly with his hands.

-Still takes the pacifier, and loves it!

-Stares at himself in the mirror and smiles and talks to himself!

-Still likes to be swaddled at night.

-Sticks his tongue out a lot and drools a bunch!

-Still has the umbilical hernia, though it has gone down a lot and looks a lot better.

-Cries every time he is put in his carseat, but is fine once he gets his paci and silky. Is content while car is moving but usually cries when we are stopped!

-Still takes medicine for his reflux, but takes a stronger dose twice a day.

-Pinches the inside of my arm when he is hungry...and it hurts!!

-Rubs his eyes when he is sleepy.

-Arches his back and throws his head back when he gets angry! A taste of what's to come in a couple of years...

-Took his first road trip to see Paw and the Snowden's in San Angelo. Did great in the car!

-Also took his first swim at Mum's house and didn't really enjoy it. He has been twice since and liked it much better.

-Sat in his Bumbo seat for the first time on May 27, 2010 and did pretty well! Is fine in it for about 5 minutes and then starts crying and arching his back.

-Spent his first night away from Mommy when we went to Mexico for Brittany's wedding. Stayed with Mums 2 nights and Gran 1.

-Had his first playgroup with the babies from our childbirth class. (more on this in a post coming up!)

-Has giggled out loud only a few times, but it wasn't very loud.

-Has become much smilier and coos a lot more.

-Can stand up well when being held. Sometimes turns one foot in and stands on the edge of it, but is starting to flatten out his feet better when standing.

-Still sleeps in the pack n' play next to our bed, but is getting ready to transition to his crib soon!

AND...he's still the cutest thing ever!

I ♥ Faces - Babies!!!

2010-06-13T21:19:00.004-05:00

I have been participating in I ♥ Faces contests since long before I was even pregnant. I always longed to have my own baby to photograph and enter in the weekly competitions. And now I have my own baby and this week's theme is BABIES! I had such a hard time choosing a photo for this week. Since I had Lane I have taken thousands of pictures of him, so it was a difficult choice. My husband helped me choose this one, and I think he picked a good one! Lane just looks so sweet and peaceful and I love his personalized outfit. He was 9 weeks old here. It's hard to believe he is already 3 months old now!

Now go check out all the other cute babies at I ♥ Faces!!

Papa John

2010-05-27T21:33:00.008-05:00

4 years ago today one of the most important people in my life passed away. My dad was the most caring, loving, and funny man I know. He would do anything for me including driving around looking for me if I was out too late, waking up early to start my truck before school so it wouldn't be too cold, and attending every sporting event I competed in. He always showed me he loved me to pieces and was so very brave in battling his horrible disease. This year's anniversary was extra difficult because all I can think about is how proud he would have been of Lane. It breaks my heart to think of all the fun things they would have done together and how much "Papa John" would have enjoyed being around him. But I am comforted in knowing that he is in a better place, free of the pain and suffering that came along with ALS.

Today Lane wore his most special outfit. My mom had this onesie made with one of my dad's old ties sewn on it and gave it to me in the hospital the day I had Lane. I have been waiting for him to fit into it, and what better day for him to wear it than on the anniversary of dad's passing! I came right home from school and dressed him up in it. He was grinning a lot and so happy. I know my dad was looking down as pleased as ever. Lane looked so precious!

I love you, dad.

A Visit From Nonna

2010-05-09T09:21:00.005-05:00

The last weekend in April, Lane got a special visit from his Great Grandma, Nonna. She drove all the way from Houston just to meet him and we are so glad! She had seen lots of pictures but was thrilled to see him in person. She fed, burped, and rocked him to sleep all the nights we saw her. We were also able to enjoy her fabulous cooking! Chicken salad for lunch, homemade pot roast and lasagna for the 2 dinners, and lots of sweets! Thank you for coming to see us Nonna! We can't wait to see you again.

2 Months Old

2010-05-05T22:55:00.012-05:00

Well time is flying with my baby boy. He is already 2 months old! Lane turned 2 months old on the day I returned back to work. I was supposed to start back on Monday, May 3, but decided to start on Wednesday the 5th instead so I could transition back into work with a 3 day work week. I was a mess that morning...very emotional! I missed him so much and even though I knew he was in great hands with my mother-in-law, I still didn't want to leave. It got much easier as the week went on.

As soon as I got home from school I took his 2 month pictures. He wasn't being very smiley, but looked cute nonetheless!

At 2 months Lane...

-Weighed 9 lbs 10 oz (at 8 weeks.)
-Can still wear some newborn clothes and can now wear most 0-3 month.
-Still in newborn diapers, but almost ready to transition to size 1.
-Was diagnosed with an umbilical hernia, which the Dr. thinks will correct itself within a year.
-Still very fussy and on medication twice a day for reflux.
-Still likes to grab things with his hands.
-Really loves his "Silkie" blanket now. He likes both the minky side and the silk side, and prefers to have it right next to his face! Also likes to grab it tight with those hands!
-Likes to have his diaper changed now. Is very happy when laying on the changing table and smiles a bunch!
-Loves his bath. He doesn't go crazy laughing or anything, but you can just tell he is content in the warm bath!
-Eats about 4-5 oz every 3-4 hours. Still drinking breastmilk and some formula bottles each day.
-Prefers the playtex nurser bottles.
-Usually eats around 8:00 or 9:00 at night and then wakes up twice before I go to work. It will be nice to eliminate that 1 am feeding!!
-Likes to be on his back and kick
-Recognizes my voice and turns his head when he hears me! :)
-Has rolled over from tummy to back 1 time (without ANY help!)...and I caught it on tape by chance!!! Hasn't done it since, though.

We love you to pieces Lane!!!

Big Weekend!

2010-05-05T22:53:00.012-05:00

Lane had a busy first weekend of May! He met a new friend, went to 3 showers, and got ready to turn 2 months old!

My last week of maternity leave, Lee came in town with her new baby, Corbin, who was born 11 days after Lane. Lee, Corbin, and her other son Rhett met us at B.J.'s for lunch and Brittany came too! Here we are after the babies woke up from napping in their carriers!

Hey buddy!

That Saturday morning we went to Megan Yeats' baby shower for baby Micaela Rose! It was at Aristide Event center in Mansfield under their covered patio and it was beautiful! Lane did great at the shower. He liked being outside and loved being held by everyone.

These old friends got to meet up again for some fun!

That night was Brittany and Collin's couples shower at the same location. This was mine and Kyle's first night out without the baby. We brought him at the beginning to see everyone, and then Gran came to pick him up for the rest of the evening. We got a quick family picture in before he left. He looked so cute in his little jeans and white button up!

Our family of 3!

On Sunday was Lee and Corbin's shower. This shower was scheduled for a day back in March, but Lee had to have an early c-section and it had to be moved. Lee got to bring Corbin to his own shower! It was at Rose Garden Tea Room in Arlington. We had a delicious lunch and Lee got to open her gifts for her baby boy.

We were pooped out after our busy weekend!

27 years old!

2010-05-03T17:08:00.010-05:00

Friday, April 23 I turned 27 years old! This past year was a great one! My biggest and most precious gift was my son, and I am so glad I got to spend my 27th birthday with my 7 week old little man and my 27 year old "old" man...

On my actual birthday, Kyle, Lane, Scout and I ventured out to the Joann Fabric in Cedar Hill to get some window treatments that were on sale. Our Joann's didn't have the right color, so we made the trip out there. We decided to eat lunch out there, so we tied Scout's leash to a chair and ate on the patio at Panera Bread. It was a nice afternoon! That night, Kyle and Lane took me to Italiani's which is my favorite Italian restaurant. It was good as always, and I got a special birthday dessert-complete with candle, for free!

Then on Saturday, we celebrated with my mom and Kori. (Mitch had to work.) We ate at one of my favorite mexican food places, Uncle Julio's in Fort Worth. It was sooo good! The weather was nice, so we were able to sit on the patio.

Then we went to my mom's to open my gifts and eat her famous "Everyday Good Chocolate Cake" that I requested. Lane looked so, so cute in his monogrammed outfit and converse sock shoes! I took a quick picture of Kyle and Lane and wanted one of me with him next...

And then minutes after this picture was taken he had a gigantic blowout all up the back of his shirt and we had to change him out of the cute outfit before I could get my picture with him!

I had to settle for a picture of him in his jammies...but he still looks precious!

Our little family

On Sunday we went out to eat again! We were also celebrating my mother in law's birthday, which was later that week, so we ended up going to The Keg with Kyle's whole family. Lane got dressed up in his polo shirt and cute jeans. He was really good at dinner.
All in all my birthday weekend was really great!

6 Week Check-up

2010-05-03T17:00:00.006-05:00

On Friday, April 16, Lane turned 6 weeks old. Instead of having to go in two different times for shots and a 2 month well check, we combined them and did them at 6 weeks. He weighed 8 lbs 13 oz (exactly 3 lbs heavier than his birth weight) which was the 10th percentile. He was 21 1/4 in long (exactly 2 inches longer than birth) which was the 25th percentile, and his head circumference was in the 10th percentile as well. He of course cried during the shots, but was not too fussy when we got home.

Here is the little man waiting to see Dr. Phan.

I'm this big, mom!

Battle wounds on his little legs after we got home. He had to get 3 shots! Poor thing!

I ♥ Faces - "Smiles"

2010-04-26T11:48:00.002-05:00

This week's theme at I ♥ Faces is "Smiles!" How fitting! I love this picture of my cousin's little boy Ryan. He was having fun on the swings, and his smile is so genuine here! I also love how he still has a dirty mouth from lunch! Haha!

Paci King

2010-04-25T09:12:00.018-05:00

Lane started taking a pacifier when he was 3 days old and hasn't looked back since! Anytime he is fussy, a paci usually does the trick and calms him down. For the first month of his life, he would only take the Soothie brand paci's. He loved to grab them with his hands to hold them in! So cute...and they were almost as big as his head at first!

Around a month old he started taking different kinds. We tried the Avent...

And the MAM. He really liked these for a while and still likes them.

But his very favorite is the Nuk brand.

Paci's are his favorite accessory!

Going Home Outfit

2010-04-23T07:53:00.002-05:00

Before I had Lane, I picked out several little outfits for him to wear while he was in the hospital. Since he was early and pretty small, he basically only wore preemie clothes. Luckily I brought a couple of preemie outfits with me, and he was able to wear one of them home. The outfit I really wanted him to wear home from the hospital was a little blue sleeper with tiny velvet stars on it. It was newborn size and said "for babies 7-10 lbs." It would have swallowed Lane! The other day I was looking in his closet, and saw the outfit. Lane was 7 lbs 3 oz at his last checkup, so I thought I would try it on him! It fit great! And it only took him over 5 weeks to fit in it!

Elephant Jammies

2010-04-22T06:11:00.005-05:00

I bought these cute pajamas at Target before I found out what I was having. I knew whether it was a boy or a girl that I was going to do an elephant painting and elephant accented nursery, and when I saw these cute elephant jammies I had to have them! They are size newborn and Lane is finally fitting into them at almost 6 weeks old. I will be sad when he outgrows them because he looks so cute wearing them!

Play Ball!

2010-04-22T05:44:00.009-05:00

On April 9, 2010, Kyle and I took Lane to his first Ranger game. He was only 5 weeks old! It was still a little bit chilly, so we dressed him up in his baseball outfit and hoodie sweatshirt and bought tickets under the overhang behind home plate. The seats were great and Lane did fantastic. He slept through everything, including loud cheering and fireworks when someone hit a homerun! He looked so cute, and we can't wait to take him back again!

Rub-a-dub-dub

2010-04-22T05:29:00.011-05:00

We finally gave Lane his first bath on April 6, when he was one month and one day old. We had to wait until his circumcision ring fell off and then right when it did, Daddy left for San Francisco for the week. I had been giving Lane sponge baths since birth, but waited until Kyle got home to give him his first "real" bath. It was an experience, that's for sure! Lane HATED it. He screamed the whole time...the red-faced, not breathing kind of screams! Poor little guy couldn't wait for it to be over! And mean mommy kept taking pictures while daddy video taped! :(

This is a fake smile...
It's over! Calming down with daddy...
He was content when he was wrapped in dad's arms.

The next night we tried again, and Lane actually liked it! He just sat there looking relaxed, and didn't cry this time until he got out!

Finally got that thumb in his mouth!
He now loves his bath, and it is one of my favorite times of the day. He will smile and coo while I bathe him, but still hates to be dried off, probably because he is cold. There is nothing like the smell of a clean baby!

Baby's First Easter

2010-04-21T20:12:00.016-05:00

We had a wonderful Easter with our new addition this year! Lane was 1 day shy of being 1 month old. I had an outfit picked out for him long before he was even born for his first Easter, and he ended up looking so cute in it. He wore tiny seer sucker pants (that had to be altered to fit him!) and a little white button up collared shirt from Baby Gap. He completed his ensemble with some little brown shoes that I bought in San Angelo at Walmart before I even knew what I was having!

We started off our Easter by going to church with Mums, Kori, and Mitch. Lane did great during church. He slept most of the time and was complimented by many other church-goers. We then went back to Mums for Easter lunch and took lots of pictures. Lane got an Easter basket from mommy and daddy, Mums, AND Gran and Pops! He is one spoiled little boy! We headed over to the Coots' house after lunch with mom, and hung out over there and ate pizza! Holidays are so much more special now, and I can't wait to enjoy the ones coming up with our baby boy.

Our family of 3 on Easter 2010

We love our little man! Doesn't he look handsome in his Easter clothes? (I guess both "he's" look handsome in their Easter clothes!)

Tittle girls and baby Coots

Mums and Lane

Lane with his Easter spread from Mums...a new book, a Longhorn sweatshirt, and some toys!
Holding his Easter basket from mommy and daddy. He grabbed the handle himself!
A comb and brush set - (he loves to have his hair brushed), new pacis, an Easter board book, and some lotion for his dry skin! :)

Lane with his Easter basket at Gran and Pops' house. Another book, some more toys, and a stuffed Elephant. (Not pictured-An Easter bunny stuffed toy.) He also had a wardrobe change into his "My first Easter" outfit from Gran.

Lane and Gran

Chillin' with Pops..nice and relaxed.

Lane and Uncle Trent
Aunt Sara and Lane

Baby's first Easter. Decked out in his Easter gear and pooped out from a long day!

I ♥ Faces - "Collages"

2010-04-19T10:01:00.003-05:00

The theme at I ♥ Faces this week is "collages." I am very new to the world of collages and storyboards, but with the help of the amazing Coffee Shop Actions, I was able to download a template for a nice, 5 picture collage. It was so easy to use, and I highly recommend Coffee Shop Actions!

This collage features a group of pictures from the day my son Lane was born. March 5, 2010 was one of the most wonderful days of my life!

One Month Old

2010-04-13T22:03:00.008-05:00

(April 5, 2010)

Lane Austen Coots - You are one month old!! Here are some fun facts about my little babe...

LANE...

*Is still wearing newborn diapers.

*Is wearing newborn size clothes. (Wore mostly preemie and some newborn until about 3 weeks old.) Can wear just a few 0-3 month outfits now.

*Is ALWAYS grabbing something, especially when he eats. Whether it is his shirt, my shirt, my hair, or my hands. Holds on tight and even digs his little nails in! Ouch!

*Weighs 7 lbs 3 oz - 5th percentile (up from the 3rd percentile at 2 weeks)

*Eats every 3 hours during the day and at night.

*Started smiling "real" smiles. SOOO cute!

*Hair on the top of his head fell out, but the back is still there! He looks a little like Fred Mertz!

*LOVES his paci...cries when it falls out. We can't wait until he is able to put it back in himself! Takes the "Soothie" pacis.

*Began vomiting large amounts after eating about once a day and was put on a reflux medicine called Ranitidine. Takes it twice a day and it seems to be helping.

*Is extremely spoiled!! Cries a lot between feedings, but stops the minute someone picks him up.

*Sleeps swaddled tightly at night in his pack n' play next to our bed.

*Has 2 different cries--one is his hungry/angry cry, which is loud and hard...the other is his "fake" cry that is very high pitched and softer. The "fake" one usually means he wants attention...which I can't help but give him! :)

*HATES having his diaper changed!

*Had his first bath (we had to wait a while until his circumcision ring fell off) and did not like it at all. Daddy video taped it and Lane screamed the entire time! The very next bath, he loved, and likes it ever since! Go figure!

*Started following things with his eyes. Enjoys watching his mobile, his rainforest light show, and the toys hanging from his carseat.

*Has blue eyes.

*Likes his carseat for the most part. Has been on many shopping trips and out to dinner and usually just sleeps peacefully.

We are so in love with our baby boy and can't wait to see how much he changes this month!!

I ♥ Faces - "I Heart Desserts"

2010-04-12T04:17:00.003-05:00

It has been a while since I have participated in an I ♥ Faces weekly challenge! I have been super busy with the new baby and haven't had any time! This week's contest is something different...no faces must be in the photo! In honor of my new little man, I am posting a picture I took at his baby shower a few months ago of the mini cupcakes that were served. Not only were they cute in baby blue icing, but they had baby Lane's monogram piped on them! They were a huge hit at the shower!

Head over to I ♥ Faces to check out all the other mouthwatering dessert photos!

First Walk

2010-04-09T10:21:00.004-05:00

On March 24, I took Lane on his first walk around the neighborhood while daddy was at work. He likes his carrier, so he fell right asleep and slept the whole way. Scout got to come too, and did surprisingly well. I was worried about pushing a stroller and holding a leash with a crazy dog attached, but we managed. We only went around the block because it got a little bit windy. I showed Kyle the pictures when he got home from work that night and he was upset we went without him! I told him Lane didn't even know we went, and we would take many walks in the future!

Sleepy boy

Lane and Scout ready to go!

Upset when I tried to get him out of the carrier! He has mastered this pouty face!

GREAT Grandpa!

2010-04-09T03:00:00.008-05:00

The day after we got home from the hospital, Lane got to meet a very special person. My grandpa came all the way from Brady to see him when he was just 3 days old. Paw guessed that Lane would be a boy long before we knew, and he deemed him the name "Dustin Blake" early on. Since then, he has always called Lane "Dusty." Little "Dusty" is lucky to have such a cool great grandpa. He already has a savings account of money funded by Paw, and even got a cute outfit that Paw shopped for and picked out for him. Lane can't wait to see Paw again soon!

Lane and Paw

Here is Lane modeling the outfit that Paw picked out for him. It took a while for him to fit in it, even though it is newborn size, but it finally fits! Doesn't he look cute? Blue is definitely Lane's color ;)

due date

2010-04-07T23:18:00.009-05:00

These pictures were taken on March 23, 2010, which was my due date. It's hard to believe Lane was already 18 days old!

Handsome

2010-04-07T23:10:00.002-05:00

I just love this picture of Lane. He was still a very sleepy newborn, but in this picture he was so alert and looks so much older than 13 days old!

Little Leprechaun

2010-04-07T22:51:00.009-05:00

Lane celebrated his first holiday when he was 12 days old. He sported his green on St. Patrick's day and looked cute in his St. Patty's day bib from Mums. We spent the holiday with Ryan, Tiffany, Kathy, Mason, and Marley. We ate dinner at Joe T Garcia's and stopped for ice cream at Cold Stone afterwards. Lane did great at dinner and enjoyed meeting Mason and Marley for the first time!

1 Week Old

2010-04-07T22:34:00.007-05:00

I had a little photo shoot with my favorite boy on his one week birthday. He is such a cute little model!

"0 Months Old"

2010-04-07T22:13:00.006-05:00

I ordered these cool stickers off of etsy that stick right onto a t-shirt or onesie. I got one for "0 months old" and one for each month after that up until 12 months. I can't wait to see how Lane grows each month! These pictures were taken a few days after we got home from the hospital.

Best Buds

2010-04-07T15:12:00.008-05:00

Tara and Trey Taylor have been friends with us for a long time. Trey and Kyle met in 2nd grade and played sports together all the way through high school. Tara went to school with us too, and now teaches 2nd grade at the same school as me! They had a baby boy named Gage on February 17, just 16 days before Lane was born. They brought us dinner one night and we let Lane and Gage meet!

Proud papas!

And proud mamas!
We layed them down together and they kept trying to hit each other in the face! Gage attacks first...
And Lane retaliates with a mean left jab!
Already sharing toys. Don't they look like they are having a blast?
I can't wait for our boys to grow up together!!

Home Sweet Home

2010-04-07T14:59:00.007-05:00

Just a few pictures of Lane's first week at home.

We had to supplement some formula after each feeding to fatten Lane up! Here is daddy feeding him his extra ounce! Lane looks pretty relaxed with his legs crossed like always! Look at his long toes!

Lane's first time in the swing. He didn't like it at first, but eventually came around.

"They Call Me Mellow Yellow"

2010-04-05T04:44:00.009-05:00

The day after we got home from the hospital we took Lane in for his first Dr. appointment with Dr. Phan. She did a weight check and he had gained a tiny bit since we left the day before. They also checked his bili levels again. He had to get a heel prick and wasn't too happy about it! They called with the results that afternoon and the level was too high to leave alone. She instructed us to do light therapy in an open light window and they would check again the next day.

Daddy and Lane at his first visit to the pediatrician. 3 days old...

This picture was taken that same afternoon. You can see the yellow tint to his skin.

Catching some rays from our back window. He sat like this for so long! Legs crossed, holding his paci.

When the results of the first test came back, his levels were still too high. Dr. Phan told us he would need to lay under the bili lights to help get his bili levels down. She said she would send a nurse to our house from Cooks Children's to bring the lights and give us instructions. The home health nurse dropped off the light system and instructed us to keep him in there with nothing but a diaper for 24 hours. He was only to come out to eat and get his diaper changed. He was allowed to wear a cap and had to wear tiny little goggles to protect his eyes. I was really emotional this night and kept crying! I was scared he was sick, or getting too cold, and I just wanted him to be ok! He didn't even mind the lights one bit! He just stretched out and slept like a champ. The lights were so bright, however, mom and dad didn't get much sleep that night!

We called him our little Ray Charles! We were so surprised that the goggles didn't bother him!

Our sweet little guy getting his tan on!

He ended up having to stay under the lights for 3 full nights/days plus one extra night of light treatment with the detachable blanket. Each day the first week we were home, a nurse would come to our house to weigh him and prick his heel! Poor thing had his heel pricked every day for the first week of his life and still has little scars on them. When the nurse would rub the alcohol wipe on his foot, he knew what was coming and I felt so bad for him! After a week, his levels began to go down, and he was able to discontinue treatment. We are glad our little baby is ok! His skin looks much, much better now! No more yellow!

Headed Home

2010-04-04T22:18:00.013-05:00

On Sunday, March 7, 2010, we were discharged from the hospital and able to come home with Lane. He passed his hearing test and looked good at his discharge appointment with the pediatrician. His jaundice levels were a little high, but not high enough for them to make him stay another night. They told us to bring him in the next day to be checked again and we would go from there. My blood pressure was still acting up all night the night before we were to go home, so I was worried they would make us stay another night. Kyle was fine with that if it happened...I think he enjoyed having the nurses there to help if we needed it and liked the free food from the cafeteria! My blood pressure ended up being ok, so we cleaned ourselves up, dressed our little guy in his going home outfit and headed to our house with our newborn!

Getting dressed to go home. This outfit was the only preemie outfit I brought, and it fit him like a glove. Good thing I brought something small enough for him to wear! He weighed 5 lbs 6 oz at discharge, and his bili level was an 11.

Dressed to impress and ready to go home.

He looks so tiny in his carseat!

Daddy putting the car seat in the car. He drove extra carefully on the way home!

I rode in the backseat with Lane.

Scout meeting Lane for the first time. Already licking!!!!

And now the fun begins...

Hangin' at the Hospital

2010-04-04T18:12:00.007-05:00

The day after Lane was born, I was able to move into a post-partum room and get rid of all of my iv's. We enjoyed some more visitors and had a good day with our little guy.

So proud of my little boy!

Kisses from daddy

Love these wrinkled feet!!!

Look at that little smirk! We love his sweet dimples.

Naptime with dad

Lane's Biggest Fans!

2010-04-02T10:35:00.010-05:00

Lane had lots of wonderful visitors come to see him in the hospital! He is already so loved.

Mums and baby Lane - minutes after birth!

Pops and Lane

Gran and Lane

Aunt Kori

Uncle Mitch

Riley came all the way from Dallas and was there right after Lane was born!

Billy and Megan

Ashley and Lane

Josh and Carrie

Ross and Lane

Other visitors included Aunt Sara and Uncle Trent, Jane Johnson, Pat Ming, Speedy and Linette Armstrong, Janis DeRogatis, Mary Morales, and Tara and Trey Taylor. I am sad didn't get pictures of all of them! :(

Little Longhorner

2010-04-02T10:06:00.007-05:00

Lane's nurse in the hospital was this nice little lady that took great care of him. Right after he was born she was the one that cleaned him up and made him look pretty! She combed his hair and dressed him and talked sweet to him the whole time. When she asked if we had a special hat or clothes we wanted to dress him in, Kyle took over his longhorn cap and booties. From then on she called Lane her "Little Longhorner!"

Happy Birthday Lane

2010-03-31T12:01:00.015-05:00

Wow! This post is long overdue, but is one of the most important posts I have written to date! Our son, Lane Austen Coots was born Friday, March 5, 2010. Here are the details:

On March 1, I went to Dr. Hernandez for my 37 week check-up. It was pretty routine, except that he found a little bit of protein in my urine. He assessed my swelling feet and legs, and began asking some questions about other symptoms. He thought there may be a small chance that I had developed preeclampsia. He decided that I better head up to the lab to pick up a 24 hour urine sample test kit to monitor the amount of protein after a full day. One of the main symptoms of preeclampsia is high blood pressure, and that was one thing I didn't have throughout the pregnancy, or that day. He told me to monitor my blood pressure with the nurse at school and to call him if it got higher than 140/90.

The next day I lugged my urine jug to school to collect my sample each time I urinated. What a pain! After school I checked my blood pressure and it was really high. I decided that Mitch better come over after work and check it again. He came by around 9:00 that night and took it twice. It was sky high both times. I decided I would check it first thing the next morning at school and go from there.

The next day at school was Thursday, March 4, 2010. This was the day I was supposed to take my urine sample to the lab and find out the results of the test. I went on to school that morning with plans to take the urine sample to the lab at 9:00 during my planning. Right before I left I went to check my blood pressure one more time. This time it was really high and the nurse advised me to call Dr. Hernandez. He asked me to come in immediately after I dropped off the sample at the lab. I did just that and arrived at his office a little bit nervous after dropping off the urine test.

When I got there my b.p. was still alarmingly high. He decided to do a sonogram to check on the baby and basically diagnosed me with preeclampsia right there, before even getting the results of the urine test. The baby seemed to be ok, and he guessed him to be around 6 lbs. The next thing he said was..."I am going to send you to the hospital to be admitted and induced. I just want you to know that you are going to have the baby, not just to be monitored." He told me they would start me on a drug called magnesium. This is to prevent seizures from happening. He told me it would make me feel really, really crummy, but was necessary for my health as well as the baby's. I asked if I could wait on Kyle to come get me from work and then head up there, and he politely said no, that I really needed to get admitted soon to start the mag drip. I almost teared up then, but tried to keep my cool. I realized I had left my purse at school in my rush to get to the Dr., and he cleared me to run back up there and get it. I did, and all the teachers were so excited, but I was fighting back tears!! I quickly ran home after that to get my labor bag I had packed, and tried to scramble to pack my overnight bag with clothes and such. Then I headed up to Methodist Mansfield to have my baby!

A nice nurse named Tonya quickly got me admitted and soon after I got there, Kyle arrived carrying some beautiful peach and orange colored roses. A nurse named Holly started the mag drip soon after. It made me feel a little puny and really, really hot and sweaty, but wasn't as bad as I had imagined. Family began to arrive and they started the pitocin drip to begin contractions. The rest of that day was very long. I was having contractions, but not dialating quickly. Dr. Hernandez said that the magnesium and pitocin were fighting each other, and causing my contractions to be too far apart. I felt uncomfortable, but never in major pain. However, I was STARVING because I hadn't eaten anything but 3 mini muffins at 8 am, and they would only allow me ice chips. Around 9 pm, when I still wasn't progressing, they decided to take me off of the pitocin to give me a break and eat something. Then they gave me a sleeping pill and said they would try again the next morning. The nurses began to talk of a possible c-section if it didn't work the next day. It was pretty disheartening to hear that we had to start all over the next morning.

Around 5:00 am, the nurses came in to start the pitocin drip. The family came back up around 6 or 7 am, and things began to progress a little before noon. For the longest time I was only dilated to a 1. Dr. Hernandez broke my water and my contractions really picked up. I was dilated to a 2 at this point. My contractions became very strong and I was hoping for my epidural soon! I was in a lot of pain when Dr. Hernandez came to check me and thankfully I was almost a 5. The anesthesiologist came in to start the epidural and I was in so much pain from the contractions, that it didn't hurt at all. In fact, I couldn't even feel it. The minutes before the epidural were the most painful minutes of the whole birth. But once the meds kicked in it was smooth sailing for me. The nurses monitored me (Dr. H went back to his office) until it was time to push. When I was ready they called Dr. H and he took a while to get there. :( By the time he came I was really close. The problem was that my contractions were too far apart. I would push 3 big pushes and the baby's head was visible, but in the time until my next contraction, he was slipping back up. Dr. H said that this was putting the baby into distress and he needed to use a "Kiwi" to get him out. This basically a vacuum type suction that sticks to the baby's head and is used to pull them out. Kyle stayed really calm throughout the birth. He held my leg and cheered me on while I pushed and saw a lot more than he thought he wanted to!! Dr. Hernandez attached the suction to Lane's head and pulled, pulled, pulled...and at 12:52 pm, Lane Austen Coots entered the world. I was overjoyed, and thought he looked just like I did when I was a baby. Kyle had the camera around his neck and video camera in hand as they cleaned the baby up. He was crying as he switched back and forth taking pictures and video. I am thankful he did this because I couldn't see anything! They weighed and measured him and said he was a healthy baby boy! We instantly became proud parents and it was love at first sight!

Lane Austen Coots

Born at 12:52 pm on March 5, 2010

5 lbs 13 oz 19 1/4 in long

First Family Photo

Dr. Hernandez and Lane

My nurse, Tonya. My other nurse was Christina and I forgot to get a picture! They basically did all the work until Dr. Hernandez got there!

More pictures to come soon!

Baby Shower #3

2010-02-27T15:13:00.015-06:00

I am way behind on this post, but here goes! On February 13, 2010, my high school friends Brittany Gaydos and Rebecca Pulliam hosted a shower for me at Brittany's moms' house in Granbury. Lots of my high school friends and their moms were able to come as well as my aunt Kathy and cousin Tiffany, who couldn't come to the last shower. We had some good food and very cute cupcakes, and I got lots of wonderful gifts! After this shower I pretty much have all we will need for baby Lane! Enjoy the pics!

I got this cute frame from Claire that we hung outside of Lane's room in the hallway. Now I just need a cute picture of him to put in it!

A big group of friends and moms went in together to get us our high chair! I was surprised to get such a big gift!

Kathy and Tiffany made this CUTE diaper cake. I have it displayed in Lane's nursery and it looks great! I never want to take it apart!

Mums and Mommy

Grannies!

Marley looked so cute at the shower! She was very happy here but eventually started feeling bad.

Kori, Kathy, Tiffany, and Marley

Lee's baby boy is due just 2 weeks after I am due! We had to take a belly shot! Her baby, Corbin, will be delivered via c-section early on March 15. Maybe Corbin and Lane will have the same birthday?!?

A good picture of Kathy, mom and Marley

Me with the wonderful hostesses! Thanks Becca and Britt!

Sister shot

A group shot of my high school friends. L to R: Becca, Lauren, me, Lee, Brittany, and Megan

I was very lucky to have such wonderful showers!

I ♥ Faces - "Hands-On" Fun!

2010-02-21T16:52:00.002-06:00

It's hands week at I ♥ Faces! I took this picture last summer of my friend Ashley and her baby boy, Nate. I think it is a perfect photo for this week's challenge because of what she is holding in her hands! Within a month I will be able to hold my baby boy in my hands! I can't wait!!

Lane's Nursery

2010-02-17T18:26:00.017-06:00

Well, it is finally ready...(pretty much!)

Here are some pictures of our unborn babe's room! I think he will be nice and cozy in here!

This is the view from the door.

His crib.

Comfy bedding!

This is the view from the glider.

I debated on what to put above this chest and ended up using some of the fabric from the bedding to cut out the little elephants to frame. I love how they turned out!

Close-up of the elephants and the cute diaper cake that Kathy and Tiffany made me!

Glider/Changing Table wall.

Mitch's grandpa made this cross for me out of wood and I covered it with scrapbook paper and added the bow. The cute canvas frame was ordered off etsy and has a quote from one of my favorite children's books.

Here is Lane's bookshelf and the elephant painting that Mrs. Conques, the art teacher at my school, made for him! He already has quite a few books thanks to everyone who came to my baby shower at Kori's house. The hostesses asked that instead of a card, to bring a book for Lane. I ended up getting a lot of cute books that I can't wait to read to him!

Here is a close-up of the cute painting and the "Scout" night light lamp. The ipod and speakers are courtesy of Kyle. He got an itunes gift card for Christmas and used every bit of it on lullabies for Lane. We found a bunch of songs by "Rock-A-Bye Baby" that are famous songs that have been made into lullabies. We loaded up Kyle's old ipod with the songs and Kyle went to Best Buy and found the little colored speaker box. He was so proud that it lights up baby blue!

Now all we need is a sweet baby to put in there!

Glider!

2010-02-15T21:22:00.006-06:00

Last weekend mom took me to Lone Star Baby and let me pick out our glider as her big gift to us! I ended up choosing a pretty glider/recliner that was a dark khaki color with brown piping. They had one in the back warehouse, so we were able to take it home that day! It looks great in Lane's room! The colors are perfect and it is so comfy! Kyle and I tested it out on Scout the night we put it in the room...

Baby Shower #2

2010-02-11T18:25:00.020-06:00

On Saturday, February 6, 2010, Kori, Carrie, and Tara hosted a baby shower for me at Kori's new house. It was so much fun! Lots of people were able to come and I got such great gifts! The decorations and food were perfect and it couldn't have gone smoother! Here are a bunch of pictures from the event!

So pretty!

The cupcakes and elephant cookies turned out so cute!

Carrie ordered the mini cupcakes from "Tart" Bakery in Dallas.

I just loved the monogram on them!

Kori got white tulips and dyed them blue. They looked so good on the table!

We played a fun game where each bag with Lane's name had a baby item inside that started with that letter. We ended up having a 4 way tie and had to break out a tie-breaker! Then everyone got the answer to the tie breaker, so we had to think of another question!

So many wonderful gifts!!

I got some very cute clothes for Lane, including this outfit complete with tiny flip flops from my cousin Erin Pruitt!

Teacher pic! All of these ladies have taught with me at some time. L to R: Brandy Conklin-teaches 4th grade at TJE, Sara Parr-used to teach 4th grade at TJE with me, Carrie Smith-Student taught with me at TJE, Tara Taylor-teaches 2nd grade with me now at TJE, and Ashley Arber-used to teach 2nd grade with me at TJE!

Me with Nonna, Lane's great-grandmother.

And here are the grandma's! Claire is undecided on her grandma name and mom will be called "Mums!" Lane is a lucky grand-baby boy with these two!

My Aunt Vera, cousin's wife Cobi and Aunt Marcia got to come!

Kyle's sister Sara came in town from Texas State and some of Claire's work friends were there.

Mitch's mom Linette, my Aunt Kathy, and family friend Pat came as well!

A hostess picture! Thanks for everything Tara, Carrie and Kori!

It was such a perfect shower!

I ♥ Faces - "Kisses"

2010-02-08T17:01:00.004-06:00

Wow! It's been a while since I have entered an I ♥ Faces Contest! I have been so busy with baby stuff that I haven't had the time to enter! Feels good to be back. :)

Since Valentine's Day is right around the corner, this week's theme is "Kisses." This sweet picture was taken a while back of my sister, Kori, and her fiance Mitch at a local park in Mansfield, TX. Kori spotted this tree that had a heart cutout and it was the perfect engagement shot! Now they are happily married!

Head over to I ♥ Faces to see all the other "love"ly entries!

32 Weeks

2010-01-27T21:40:00.009-06:00

On Thursday, January 28, 2010 I went to the doctor for my 32 week check-up. Everything was normal and it was a routine exam. I was pretty pleased with my weight gain thus far...until this time! I gained 6 lbs in a month! I'd like to think that some of this weight is due to the swelling that I have begun to experience, but who knows! The nurse said I am measuring at exactly 32 weeks, which is good. Dr. Hernandez asked me my thoughts on inducing and I told him that as long as he thought my body was ready and everything is ok with the baby, then I am fine with it. I definitely am not one of those women that are totally against it, but I also don't want to be 41 weeks pregnant and waiting and waiting! He told me that he won't let me go more than a week past my due date, and he would induce no earlier than about 38 1/2 weeks if we decide to. Basically he gave me the ok to induce the week before my due date, which is over spring break! That would be perfect because I would already be off of work and get those days with the baby without having to use my maternity days since it is a holiday. Plus, mom would be off that week to help out. I know we have some time before this comes, and he may end up coming earlier than that on his own, but it looks like now that we will have our baby boy sometime the week of spring break or before! I'm sure these next 6-7 weeks will FLY by!

Here is a current picture of the belly:

And here are my current stats!

Total Weight Gain so far: 18 lbs

Belly Button: still in, just stretched!

Stretch Marks: None yet!

Cravings: Still craving fruit, but not as much. Lately I have kinda been craving bean burritos with sour cream from Taco Bueno. Not such a healthy craving to have! Maybe this has to do with the 6 lb weight gain...

Sleeping Situation: Getting a little bit worse. I still have no trouble falling asleep, but I do wake up at least 2-3 times a night to go to the bathroom and am usually thirsty and get a drink of water. Most nights I normally wake up needing to use the bathroom around 12:00, again around 2:00/3:00, and on days when I sleep in, I get up again around 7:00.

I miss: Getting my back popped, putting on shoes and socks with ease, and I still miss sleeping on my stomach.

Annoying symptoms: The area around my belly button, especially underneath and on top, is very sore and feels bruised. I am assuming this is just from the stretching, and the baby pushing on those areas. Still having indigestion every now and then, and have now started SWELLING! I noticed last week (when I was 31 weeks) at school that my lower calves and ankles were awfully swollen. I took off my socks and they had left a huge ring around my ankle! The skin around the sock line was very puffy and uncomfortable. My hands have not swollen as much, but I do notice that after a long day at school when I have been on my feet all day I am definitely swelling in the legs. They seemed to be better over the weekend when I am taking it easy. I may just need to start teaching in my rolling chair soon! I asked Dr. Hernandez about it and he said it is normal. He suggested trying to drink more water, putting my feet up, and wearing support hose.

Exciting news this month:

-Our nursery is coming right along! We got the room painted and the furniture came in. Kyle put the crib together last weekend and we arranged the furniture where we want it. I hung Lane's name above the crib and bought a large mirror on sale for $30 at Kirkland's to go above the changing table. The baby bedding came in today and it looks very cute! I will be doing a separate post soon about the nursery that will include pictures. There are still some nursery items that we need that I am sure we will get at the showers coming up!

-On Tuesday, January 26, 2010, Kyle and I had our first childbirth class at the hospital where I will be delivering. There are 6 couples total and we will go on Tuesday nights for 5 weeks. We already had the privilege of watching a live birth on a huge plasma screen TV, and learned a little bit about what to expect when I go into labor. We learned some breathing and relaxing techniques as well as some pregnancy exercises that will help with getting my body ready to go! There were some funny/awkward moments, and Kyle was a trouper and took it more seriously than I thought he would!

-I had my first shower on January 21, 2010 that was given to me by the school. Tara and I had a joint shower and both got lots of great gifts. Then Tara had her big shower last weekend that was held at her mom's house. She got LOTS of good gifts for baby Gage, and it made me so excited for my showers coming up!

-I have still been feeling the baby move a lot each day, but am now able to really tell where he is. I guess since he is getting bigger I can feel larger movements and can see my belly moving all around. I have noticed that when I sit up straight for a while I can really feel him in my lower right ribs. If he has remained in the same position as he was 2 weeks ago, it must be his bottom/and or legs poking them!

I go back for another check-up on Monday, February 8 when I will be 34 weeks.

Thelma Jones Elementary Baby Shower

2010-01-24T20:24:00.020-06:00

On Thursday, January 21, 2010, my school hosted a double shower for Tara Taylor and me. Tara and I are due only a month apart and were excited to have our baby shower together! It was held in the library after school.

Here are our cakes!

Tara and I with our cakes.

All of Lane's gifts! The office staff gave me the umbrella stroller I registered for, and I also got some gift cards, my boppy pillow and cover, a sleep positioner, and lots of cute outfits and bibs. Kyle's mom Claire came and gave us our baby monitor, and my mom gave us the cutest elephant humidifier and a little dress coat for Lane to wear next winter! It looks just like the one my dad used to wear with his dress clothes!

One of my favorite gifts was a painting that our art teacher Nicole Conques painted for me. I saw an elephant painting at a boutique in Dallas the day after I found out I was pregnant. I hadn't even told anyone I was expecting yet, but fell in love with it and decided I wanted it whether the baby was a boy or a girl. I printed off a picture of the painting and bought a large canvas, and Nicole was able to reproduce the painting perfectly! (saving me some major $$) It looks so cute in the nursery!!

Tara, Jane, Me, and Stacie. Our second grade team is great! I love working with these ladies!

Showing off our bellies! Tara is due February 26 and I am due March 23.

Me with the Grannie's!

These handmade burp cloths are so cute! One of our fourth grade teachers made them for me.

Wash rags!

Lane in 3D!

2010-01-16T20:18:00.010-06:00

Today was such a fun day! This morning, Kyle and I went back to Stork Vision to get a 4D sonogram. Dr. Hernandez doesn't do 3 or 4D, so we bit the bullet and paid to have one done. It was so worth it! I was exactly 30 weeks and 4 days today and we got some great pictures of our little guy! I can't tell who he looks like yet, but most people are saying he looks like Kyle. My Uncle Mel said he thinks Lane may have gotten my dad's "Tittle Nose!" Whoever he looks like, he looks pretty cute to me!

I think he looks so sweet here. Such a cute little profile!

The sonographer said that he cooperated well. She said there was plenty of fluid in front of his face, which made it easy to get clear pictures. Every now and then he would put his hand in front of his face, but then would put it back down for her to pause the picture.

His feet look long here to me!

Here he goes with the hand in the face. I think it is so amazing that technology these days can show images like this!

Near the end of the sonogram, he decided to stick his tongue out at us! It was so funny because he kept it out for a long time.

The sonographer said that Lane is head down with his head way down low on my left side. His bottom is just to the right of my belly button and his legs were curled back around by his face. Basically if you were looking straight at my belly and could see through it, he would be in the shape of a C with his head at the bottom.

We got a cd with 30 still images, and a 13 minute long DVD of the whole ultrasound. It was so cool to get a sneak peek of what our baby will look like. I can't wait to kiss that little face in a few more weeks!

After the sonogram, we headed up to Babies R' Us to pick up our furniture. It has been in for a while, but we waited to pick it up this weekend because we had some coupons. Back when I went to register with mom we made a helpful friend who let us have some 20% off coupons that were good for furniture. We "returned" the furniture and then "re-purchased" it with our 20% and ended up saving over $300.00! Kyle's dad came over to help us unload it from the truck and it is boxed up in the nursery now. We plan on getting the nursery painted tomorrow and since Monday is a holiday, Kyle and I have off work and will work on putting the crib together. The crib bedding is supposed to be finished at the end of this week, so it won't be long until Lane's room is ready! I will post pictures as soon as we make some more progress!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-29T21:38:00.024-06:00

Kyle and I had a wonderful Christmas! I have really enjoyed my time off of work and have kept myself busy! On the day before Christmas Eve, Kori and I went over to mom's to bake our traditional iced Christmas cookies. Mom got a bunch of new Christmas cookie cutters and we tried out a new way of icing the cookies. They turned out soooo cute! Mason told mom that they were "famous" cookies and that she was the best cookie maker of the whole world! Here are some of our creations...

I made this little Coots gingerbread family...Kyle, Kyla, and baby Lane!

Kori and I showing off some of our best ones!
And here is mom with her "best" one. Ha ha!

We spent Christmas Eve with my mom, Kori, and Mitch. We ate our traditional enchilada soup dinner and then headed out to church for the 8:00 service. When we got home we took our yearly pictures and then opened all of our gifts!

This picture was a little challenging, but we ended up getting a decent one! All of the dogs are looking and no one closed their eyes!

Mom gave us a cute bib that says "No more silent nights" to use for Lane's first Christmas.

And Lane gave "Mums" a bib to keep at her house when he comes over.

He also gave bibs to Aunt Kori and Uncle Mitch!

We always change into our pj's after church to open presents. Thanks mom and Kori for the great gifts!

When we got home from mom's house, Kyle was so excited to exchange our gifts to each other. He handed me a small box to open and inside I found an envelope with a number 1 on it. I read the card inside and it was a poem that led me outside to our garage refrigerator. In the fridge was a card that said #2 and it sent me in to the extra bedroom. I kept following the rhyming clues and eventually ended up in the office. The last card said that Scout had the "keys" to my final clue, and i looked on her collar and found a tiny luggage key. Kyle was sitting in the office chair with a small carry-on suitcase at his feet. I quickly got the key off of Scout's collar and opened the suitcase...and inside was a MACBOOK PRO!!! I was soooo excited! I have been wanting a Mac laptop for 2 years now and did not expect to get one this year because of the baby coming and other expenses. I felt bad having Kyle open his gifts after my huge surprise from him, but he was happy to get new running shoes and was very excited to see that I bought him 2 tickets to the Mavs vs. Lakers game in February.

Here I am showing off my shiny new Mac!

The next day we woke up and headed to the Coots' house for Christmas morning. I didn't take any pictures :( but we had a great time. Claire was as generous as always and did not disappoint with her gifts. I got some new boots, a cute diaper bag, new perfume, gift cards, and lots of trinkets and cute gifts for Lane. Both my mom and Kyle's parents gave us Best Buy gift cards to go towards a video camera to use when Lane arrives. We also got some Babies R Us gift cards together to put towards our nursery furniture. After gifts, we ate lunch and played a few rounds of the game "Apples to Apples."

The day after Christmas we headed to Brady for our 3rd and last celebration. We had fun playing with Mason and Marley and Mason was very excited to show off his new Wii that Santa brought him. We ate delicious enchiladas, tamales and chalupas for dinner and opened presents that night.

Here is our last Christmas picture as a family of 2 (+dog). Next year we will have our baby boy in the picture!

Me and Paw

The whole gang with Paw

Mason had fun opening his gifts and got some wii games from me and Kyle and Gator Golf from Kori and Mitch.

Marley was sooo cute and seemed to have a great first Christmas. She got some cute new outfits and was very happy! I just love this picture of her!

It's always sad when Christmas is over! Now comes the not so fun part of taking down Christmas lights and decorations and heading back to work. :( Now we can just look forward to March!

28 Week Update

2009-12-29T11:21:00.010-06:00

Today marks the start of my 28th week of pregnancy! Hello 3rd trimester! I thought I would start documenting a few stats from now on so I can look back and see what was happening and when.

28 Weeks

Total Weight Gain so far: 12 lbs
Belly Button: In, getting a little bit flatter
Stretch Marks: None yet!
Cravings: Fruit, especially apples and mandarin oranges.
Sleeping Situation: So far so good, no problems falling asleep or staying asleep! Still waking up 1-2 times a night to use the restroom.
I miss: Sleeping on my stomach and wearing my hoodies. None of them are long enough to fit over my belly anymore!
Annoying symptoms: Very itchy skin, occasional leg cramps, and just last week I started getting what I think is acid reflux or indigestion. I have never had any of this in my life, but late at night I have started feeling a burning lump in my throat and assume that it is acid reflux.
Exciting news this week: LOTS!
1. Last week I was laying on the couch watching a movie with Kyle and Lane was kicking a bunch! I lifted my shirt and noticed that my whole stomach was moving! There was a huge lump to the right of my belly button and then the left side of my stomach started twitching and my belly button started moving all around! It was crazy! He is definitely getting bigger and more and more active!

2. Kyle and I went to Babies R' Us on Monday during his lunch break to register for some big items. Mom and Kori will be going with me to register for all of the little things later this week. Kyle and I picked out our stroller, pack n' play, swing and bouncer, monitor, and a few other things. We also bought our nursery furniture and it should be delivered in the next week! Here is a picture of the furniture:

3. This morning I went in for my glucose tolerance screening. I was dreading this because I had heard such horror stories about the juice I was going to have to drink. It was orange flavored and actually didn't taste that bad. I am not a good "chugger" and had to finish the bottle in 5 minutes, so it did make me gag a few times, and I felt a little nauseous while waiting to have my blood drawn, but I did fine. Glad it is over and hopefully the test will come back ok!

4. I had my 28 week appointment today and it went well. I didn't get a sonogram, but I did get to hear the heartbeat. Dr. H said that at 28 weeks the baby will most likely be more active than he will ever be. He said that Lane is taking full advantage of being able to move around because there is still room in my belly. He said as the weeks pass, he will slow down a little because he is getting cramped! That explains why I am able to see so much movement going on on the outside of my stomach! I go back in another month and then will start going every 2 weeks.

Here is a picture of me at exactly 29 weeks (taken a week after I posted this.)

finalist!!!!!!!!!

2009-12-21T22:14:00.002-06:00

UPDATE:

Well, my photo didn't win first place, but Ree did award all of the other 9 finalists with a $100 gift card to B&H Photo!

Original Post:

Ahhhh! The Pioneer Woman chose my photo as one of the top 10 finalists!!! She is announcing the winner tomorrow...keep your fingers crossed for me! If I win I will definitely have to cut Paw a portion of my prize! Here is the link:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/photography/2009/12/black-and-white-finalists/

Pioneer Woman Fame

2009-12-17T16:53:00.003-06:00

Oh my goodness! I was so excited when I checked one of my favorite blogs today to see that my black and white picture of Paw made her page! I read The Pioneer Woman's blog daily and entered my picture into this contest about a week ago and then forgot all about it. When I checked out the photography section of her blog today my heart almost jumped out of my chest when I saw Paw's picture! She is choosing a couple of winners from all of the B&W's she posted to get a prize on Sunday. There were some other amazing pictures, so I am not holding my breath, but it is still so cool to see your name and photograph on a blog that THOUSANDS of people read! Here is the link to the page:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/photography/2009/12/your-black-whites-part-2/

Paw said he is going to need a royalty on that picture and that he needs to start charging by the wrinkle. :)

I ♥ Faces - "Pets"

2009-12-13T23:09:00.004-06:00

Yay! It's pets week at I ♥ Faces! Scout and I have had many little photo shoots, and while looking through photos of her, I kept coming back to this one. I caught her mid-bark and I love that her little ears were flopped up in the air. This photo really captures her feisty personality! Now go check out all the other precious animals at I ♥ Faces...

Belly Pics

2009-12-09T21:50:00.003-06:00

Now that my belly has really started to show I thought I would post some pictures of the progression so far. My 8 week picture was really bad quality and I am kicking myself now for not taking a better one! After all, it will be a while until I look like that again!

Here is a picture of me at 24 weeks and 2 days.

And here is the progression from 12 weeks to 24. Baby boy is growing fast!

I ♥ Faces - "Sweet Dreams"

2009-12-06T21:12:00.004-06:00

It's been a while since I've entered an I ♥ Faces contest, but this week I had a few cute pictures to choose from for the "Sweet Dreams" theme. I ended up choosing this picture of my friend's baby Nate when he was a newborn. This was taken in the hospital when he was just a few hours old. There is nothing sweeter than a sleeping baby!

Bedding Samples!!

2009-12-03T20:01:00.007-06:00

Well, the baby bedding sample fabrics finally came in and we have pretty much made our decision!

Here is the polka dot fabric that first caught my eye. I just love the colors in it! The bumper will be patchwork with this fabric and the 2 different blue colors in solid minky fabric. The lady is going to embroider Lane's monogram in the middle of the bumper in chocolate brown. I can't wait to see the finished product!

Now we need to purchase the crib and changing table, and our rocking chair! Here is the crib I like best so far:

Long time no post

2009-11-20T19:55:00.003-06:00

Well, not much has really been going on around here...I have been feeling pretty despite the head cold that I have had for a few days. I STILL have not received the fabric samples for the baby bedding, and am getting a little impatient! Hopefully by next week they will be in and I can post pictures then. Lane has still been kicking away. I can tell he is beginning to get into sleep patterns. I feel him some in the mornings, then again around lunch time, and ALOT at night time. My stomach has really popped out in the last month and I am now getting to where lots of my pants and shirts are a little too tight! I went to the Hulen Mall GAP last night (they have a maternity section) looking for a couple of good pairs of maternity jeans, but am having the hardest time finding some that fit just right. I am picky about the waist band and it seems like if they fit in the legs and hips, they are too big in the waist. Maybe I am just not big enough in the belly quite yet and I will grow into them. (Or maybe my hips and legs are too big.) I didn't end up getting any pants, but I did find a bunch of really cute maternity shirts! I can't believe I am already half-way through this pregnancy! March will be here before we know it!

Birthday Boy

2009-11-01T20:31:00.009-06:00

Happy 27th birthday Kyle!! I love you very much and I know Lane will too. I hope your 27th year is perfect!

"Kicking around" some different bedding ideas...

2009-11-01T09:01:00.003-06:00

I have been having the hardest time finding crib bedding that I like for little Lane. I have looked ALL over the internet and in stores and only a few sets have caught my attention. Mom and I decided to go check out a few places in Canton that make custom baby bedding from fabric you choose. We asked my mother in law Claire to come along and headed out Halloween morning. It was rather overwhelming at first because I have never been to Canton before. It is a giant flea market/craft fair that has so much stuff! We finally found our way to the bedding place we had set out to find. After about 20 minutes of looking at fabric samples we found one that I really liked. It was chocolate brown with big ivory, cream, dark blue and light blue polka dots. We found some coordinating colors and started designing with the lady that owned the booth. She mentioned a fabric in the same polka dot pattern but somewhat different colors that I may like, but didn't have the sample for us to see. She wrote down all that I liked and is going to send me the swatch of the other option this week. I will put pictures up on here as soon as I receive the samples and see what you all think! Both options are pretty much the same colors, just different layouts. I can't wait to get his bedding ordered and get started on the room! Now we have to find a crib!

Later that same night I kept feeling something weird in my stomach. It was Lane kicking! I have been waiting and waiting to feel something, especially since 2 of my pregnant friends who are due around the same time as me began feeling their babies kick weeks ago! At 19 1/2 weeks, on Halloween, and on the day I found his crib bedding, he started kicking up a storm! He must have been as excited about his crib bedding as I am! It feels like the inside of my stomach is twitching or kind of like bubbles popping in there. I am sure it is him, because I am still feeling it this morning. We go back to see Dr. H for our 20 week check up this week, so I will be posting my sono pics soon!

Scout

2009-10-28T12:54:00.021-05:00

Today is our first baby Scout's 3rd birthday! Kyle and I adore Scout and even though she can be wild and crazy at times we still love her! After my cousin's family came to stay with us last weekend with their newborn, we quickly found out that Scout needs some work on her baby behavior... She was very curious and wanted to sniff and lick baby Marley. She also took Mason's new toy truck outside and destroyed it, along with one of Marley's pacifiers. Hopefully once Lane comes she will get used to the new addition! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCOUT! We ♥ You!

Our little family...December 2006. Exactly 2 weeks after we got married.

Baby Scout was so cute in her Longhorn hoodie!

Baby Scout and Daddy
Posing with Momma. She was still a pup here!

One of the many naughty things she has done. Still cute though... :)Scout on her 1st birthday. Smiling about her new toy!

Scout on her 2nd birthday. She got a long dog like the one on her first birthday. Now that I know she destroys and pulls out the stuffing of anything stuffed, I rarely buy her stuffed toys anymore!

Scout's first Halloween as Pocahontas.
Still supporting the Longhorns in her "Scout" jersey!

Here is her Halloween costume last year. She hates wearing clothes!

Scout September 2009.
Scout in her Halloween costume this year! Sweet little banana.

It's a.......BOY!

2009-10-12T21:08:00.014-05:00

On October 6, 2009, Kyle and I went to see Dr. Hernandez for our 16 week check-up. I was soooo excited about this appointment because I was sure he would be able to tell us the sex of the baby. He said he was 80% sure it was a boy at my 12 week appointment, but since then I had taken an over the counter urine test that "predicts" the sex of your baby and it had a girl result. Our appointment was at 3:30, so the school day went by really slow! We were so disappointed when Dr. H wasn't able to tell us for sure what we were having!! Little L.C. was not being cooperative and would not give a clear shot! Dr. H said that our baby was just nice and comfy and a little modest. We were told that he could maybe boost the percentage to 85% boy, but he was too unsure to say 100%. When I went to check out and schedule my next appointment they told me that I would have to wait another month to come back in. :(

I decided to call a local sonogram place in Mansfield that specializes in 3d sonograms and also does 2d. They said they could see me that Saturday! Kyle and I woke up early and headed to our appointment very anxious and excited! It was a really nice place that projected the sonogram picture onto a big screen tv. Just as the woman put the machine to my belly I said "I just hope the baby cooperates a little more this time." She immediately said "I already know what it is, I just saw "it" fly by." Ha ha! We were so happy and shocked that she could already tell! She ended up taking a few 3d pictures for free and put everything on a dvd for us to take home. We also got a cd of all of the digital pictures. All of that for just $69.00! It was well worth the price!! Here are a few of the pictures she took:

This one looks a little creepy to me because it looks kind of like a smiling skeleton!

And here is the proof that we will have a bouncing baby boy in a few months!

This is one of the 3d pictures. It is sort of hard to see, so I labeled the parts.

That little foot already has lots of cute shoes to put on it!

And here is one of the pictures that Dr. Hernandez took. It is one of my favorites. He said Lane just likes to lay back and relax like he is in a hammock. His little leg looks so long and skinny here! Knowing our baby is a boy makes everything seem so real! Now we can actually call it by name and not have to say "the baby!" I have already done ~~some~~ alot of shopping! Right after our appointment Kyle and I went to Target and picked out an outfit and a few other items for Lane. Then that afternoon Kori and I went to the mall and I bought Lane his first pair of tennis shoes! I can't wait to see him in them! Maybe he will like shoes as much as his Mommy!

I ♥ Faces - "Blue"

2009-09-27T20:37:00.004-05:00

My cousin's little boy Mason has made many appearances on my blog for the I ♥ Faces contests. Every time I see him I follow him around with my camera taking pictures. It is great practice for me, because most of the time he is being an active little boy and is not too enthusiastic to have his picture taken. On this particular day he had been smiling for the camera as he played outside of his house. After a few too many pictures in his opinion, he gave me this face and I knew he was about finished with our little photo shoot! The blue shirt, blue eyes, and blue background made this my best choice for this week's "blue" themed contest!

Baby L.C. - 12 Weeks

2009-09-22T17:24:00.017-05:00

On September 10, 2009, we went in for our 12 week check-up with Dr. Hernandez. He got started with the sonogram and said everything was looking good. He showed us all of the limbs and the baby was moving around a lot! At first it was just sleeping and we saw it's profile. Then it's little arm started moving and from then on it was never still! Dr. Hernandez surprised us when he said "I think I may know what you are having if you guys would want to know." With it only being my 12 week appointment I was really shocked that he was saying this! He kept quiet for a minute, just looking around, and then asked if I thought I knew what it was and if I had been having any dreams about what it was. I told him no and that I had no clue, but that at my last appointment there was a pink pacifier on the ground right by my car door and I took it as a sign. :) He started laughing and said, "well, I think you may be having a little boy." Kyle and I were looking at each other and smiling and both of us said "Little Lane!" Dr. H said not to go painting the room blue, but that he was about 80% sure it was a boy! We will see if he is right when we go back on October 6th!!

This picture is the baby's profile and it is laying on it's back. This was the first picture when the baby was being really still.

This one is kind of hard to tell anything, but the baby is head down and it is looking right at the camera. The dark places are the eyes and mouth! It looks to me like he/she is smiling a little!

This last one shows one of the hands when it was waving at us!

After our appointment we had to decide if we were going to tell anyone because it was so early and he wasn't 100% sure. I decided I couldn't keep it in for a whole month, so we decided to have an early "Reveal Party" with our parents and family. We had them over that Sunday and Kyle cooked ribs and mom brought the side items. Kyle whipped up some "special" cupcakes and I iced and decorated them. The surprise was that when they opened the cupcake wrapper and took a bite, the cupcake would be either pink or blue.

Here are Kori, mom, and Claire opening their cupcakes. Scout was excited to see if she was getting a sister or brother!!

Or maybe she just wanted a bite. ;)

Danny excited to see blue!

Proud parents!
Here are the cute cupcakes

Baby boy blue!!
Who knows? If the doc is wrong, we may need to whip up a batch of pink cupcakes soon...

I ♥ Faces - "Completely Candid"

2009-09-20T15:04:00.003-05:00

This week's theme at I ♥ Faces is all about candid shots that aren't posed. I took this picture while visiting my aunt, uncle, and cousins in Lubbock a few months ago. My cousin's little boy Ryan was playing catch and made this face EVERY time he tried to catch the ball. I thought this photo fit nicely into the candid category!

I ♥ Faces - "Contemplative"

2009-09-14T19:06:00.003-05:00

This week's theme is "Contemplative." I was looking through my pictures and came across this one of my cousin Mason. I took a bunch of pictures of him this day and most of them had a big smile or a silly face. I guess I caught him here in a moment of contemplation. I wonder what was going on in that little head of his!?!

8 Weeks

2009-09-07T19:36:00.006-05:00

Since I am playing catch-up on my blog, here is the information from our 8 week check up with our doctor. I am seeing Dr. Hernandez, who is an OB/GYN in Mansfield and delivers at the new hospital. Kyle went with me to the first appointment, which was August 11, 2009. Dr. H did a vaginal sonogram and we got to hear the heartbeat and see the little peanut. He said everything looked great and answered a bunch of our questions. He was very friendly and thorough, which we liked. Here is one of the pictures he took.
After I got home I was looking at the sonogram thinking, "I can't really even tell it's a baby!" Then I remembered that he said the baby was upside down. I flipped the sonogram over and sure enough, I could make out it's little head and feet. It made it feel so much more real! Our little babe is already so cute! Kyle said that day "I think it looks like a boy." I opened the picture in photoshop, flipped it and added the typing to point out the parts.

We go back September 10 for our 12 week check up and will have another ultrasound done. We are looking forward to seeing L.C. again!

Baby L.C.

2009-09-07T18:59:00.012-05:00

I have been meaning to update my blog with the big news and have been so busy with school starting that I just kept putting it off! I wanted to document how it all began...

It was July 9, 2009 and this was the night that Kyle was leaving for a 10 day trip to Yellowstone National Park with Trey, Ross, and Josh. I had been off of birth control for about a month and a half, and knew there was a small chance I could be pregnant. I took a pregnancy test around 5:00 that evening. I was SHOCKED to see a very, very faint blue line alongside the dark line. I googled "faint blue line on pregnancy test" and every site said I was definitely pregnant. Kyle got home from work and decided to take a quick nap because they were leaving for their trip at 9:00 that night and would be driving through the night. I decided that I didn't want to tell him and then not see him for 10 days, so I just kept it in. It was soooo hard!! I kissed him goodbye that night, knowing that when he got back from his trip our lives would never be the same! I already started thinking that night of ways I could tell him when he got home.

The next morning I woke up early because I was excited and couldn't sleep. I decided to take the other pregnancy test to see if the line was any darker this time. It was definitely darker, but still kind of faint, but I knew then that I was pregnant. I knew it would be impossible to keep the secret to only myself, so I decided to call Kori. She was at work and couldn't get too loud or excited but was shocked and thrilled. She was the only person I told for the entire 10 days I didn't see Kyle. I even kept it a secret from my mom! It was so hard to keep it in.

While Kyle was gone I decided how I would tell him and planned it all out for the day he returned. On Saturday, July 18, Kyle got home from his trip around 3:00 pm. I gave him a wrapped gift and he said "a gift for me?" While he was opening it I was so nervous for some reason. It was a UT onesie that I ordered from the Co-op and a picture of me with the pregnancy test. At first he said "oh, it's another UT shirt for Scout." Then he unfolded it and it was evident that it was for a baby. His jaw dropped and he said "you're pregnant?!" He was really shocked at first. He asked when I was due, when I found out, and the third question was "is it twins?" I thought that was so funny! I don't know why he came up with that question so soon! He immediately wanted us to tell family members, so we came up with a plan and went that night.

This is the picture that I wrapped with the onesie. We decided a long time ago that our baby would be named Lane if it is a boy and Landry if it is a girl. I thought we could call it L.C. until we find out the sex, since the initials are L.C. either way!

I went to Ross and found 2 cute grandparent frames for my mom and Claire and Danny. Then I found a cute poem on the internet and printed it for the frames. First we went to my mom's house. I called Kori to let her know I was coming and to make sure mom was home. When we walked in Kyle said "Terri, I got you a gift since you let me borrow your camera on my trip." He handed her the frame and she just kept looking at it and said "oh, how pretty." Then she caught on and said "Kyla Delaine and Kyle Austen!" She was really excited and surprised.

Next we went to the Coots' house. Kyle handed the frame to Claire and she didn't catch on right away either. After she figured it out she started waving her hands around and hugging us. Danny was calm and collected as usual, but excited nonetheless. Claire ran into her room and came back bearing gifts from her "hope chest" that she had been saving for when I got pregnant. She gave us a UT bib and burp cloth and a cute Longhorn hoodie bath towel. It was a very exciting day!!

I ♥ Faces - "Nostalgia"

2009-08-23T20:04:00.006-05:00

This week's theme at I ♥ Faces is "Nostalgia." The photo I am entering just screams nostalgia to me! It is of my grandpa who I call "Paw." Paw is a World War II veteran and will be 84 years old this week. This picture was taken on Memorial Day, which makes it extra special. I entered a picture of him that was taken on the same day as this one for the "sepia tone" week and ended up getting 3rd place. I like how Paw is looking away in this picture, and how you can see every wrinkle and his slight smile. My grandpa is very special to me. He is my only living grandparent and is very excited about being a great-grandfather to the little baby I am expecting in March. I will always feel a sense of nostalgia whenever I look at the series of pictures I took of Paw on that Memorial Day weekend.

I ♥ Faces - Crazy, Silly, Funny Faces Week

2009-08-09T21:08:00.005-05:00

This week's theme at I ♥ Faces is Crazy, Silly, Funny Faces! This is my cousin's little boy Mason and getting a silly face from him is always easy!

I ♥ Faces Giveaway!

2009-07-29T21:11:00.001-05:00

I ♥ Faces is hosting a great giveaway from Simply Couture Designs! Go to the I ♥ Faces Website to enter to win a $50 gift certificate!!

Show Us Your Life Friday - Wedding Dresses!

2009-07-24T09:50:00.005-05:00

This week Kelly's Korner is hosting "Show Us Your Life Friday," and the theme is Wedding Dresses! I absolutely loved my wedding dress! I tried on 3 dresses and when I put this one on I knew it was the one I wanted! It was white with lace scalloping at the top and bottom. It also had a ribbon sash that I couldn't decide if I wanted to wear or not. I wasn't wearing it in these bridal portraits, but decided to wear it at the wedding. My bridal portraits were taken in Las Colinas at the Canals.

My mom took this picture while the photographer was changing lenses and I loved it!

Here is my dress right after I said "I do!"

And here is a side view of the whole dress at the reception. This was our first dance.
Go check out all of the pretty dresses at Kelly's Korner!

I ♥ Faces - "Feet Week"

2009-07-19T21:42:00.004-05:00

This week's theme at I ♥ Faces is "Feet." I took this picture of my friend Ashley's newborn baby Nate. He was only 8 days old here! I love how his little toes are curled up! Check out all of the other tootsies at I ♥ Faces!

I ♥ Faces - "Let's Hear it for the Boys!"

2009-06-21T22:44:00.022-05:00

I was soooo excited to have won 3rd place in last week's Sepia Tone challenge! What an honor! This week the theme is "Let's Hear it for the Boys" in honor of Father's Day. All pictures must have boys only.

Here is my children's entry. This is my friend's nephew Grayson. My first I ♥ Faces entry ever had Grayson in it too!
And here is my adult entry. This is my friend Collin. He is an awesome musician and this picture was taken at one of his many gigs.

I ♥ Faces - Sepia Tone

2009-06-14T16:02:00.010-05:00

Sepia Toned-Adult Category

I have been so excited about this week's contest at I ♥ Faces! I had the perfect picture in mind for the Adult Category. This picture features one of my favorite people in the world-my grandpa, who I call "Paw." Paw fought in WWII where he was shot in the leg and became a prisoner of war. He is my only living grandparent now and is such a great person. What makes this picture so special is that it was taken on Memorial Day of 2009...a day to honor our country's heroes!

Sepia Toned-Kids Category

Here is my entry for the kids category this week. These cute kids belong to one of the 2nd grade teachers on my team at school. Sydney and Travis are so much fun! I thought this picture with Travis peeking over the fence turned out pretty cute and looked nice in the sepia toned tint.

Check out the other great entries at I ♥ Faces!