Hello!
Well, lots of things have been going on since I wrote last. We sold our home in Franklin within a few weeks, so we had to go live with Mom and Dad in Tullahoma until our new home is finished being built. We originally settled on a beautiful home in Spring Hill. But shortly after we closed on the sell of our Franklin home, Fox Ridge (the builder of the new home) cancelled our contract because they said there wasn't enough profit margin on the home. They were in disagreement with the developer of the community on the amount of the lots and said they could be in negotiations for weeks. We said that we needed a home asap and agreed to cancel the contract for the Spring Hill community. We were devasted to say the least. Here we were with 3 kids and now where to call home. We weren't sure what we were going to do, but the Lord showed us that He was in control and that he was going to answer our prayers and take care of us after-all. Shortly after losing the contract on the new house, we were led to a community in Nolensville called Silver Stream. It is a beautiful community with walking trails and lots of kids for Will, Jake and Emma to play with. It is a new community too, but it is doing much better in sales than the one in Spring Hill. We went to Nolensville many times to meet with the sales people and to pick our new colors and all the other stuff. The great thing about this community is that it is less than 2 miles from Paige and Lance! I believe the Lord literally picked us up from the Spring Hill community and said "I don't care if you pout, I don't want you out here, I want you in this area." So we listened to Him and made a contract on the home in Nolensville. We are on a cul-de-sac that I always wanted and can't wait to get in the new home! They are anticipating us being in around March or April.
We are adjusting well to living with Mom and Dad. It is definately different and takes cooperation on everyone's part to make it easy. Matt is traveling daily to Brentwood. Sometimes he drives with a friend that just happens to work with him who lives in Tullahoma. Kinda weird, Huh? I have learned so much from this experience. Most of all, I have learned to listen to God. He is very loud, but you have to be quiet. Sometimes in the hustle and bustle of it all (with 3 kids there's alot of noise!) it's easy to get side-tracked and do what you want to do, but you have to sit still somewhere and just pray and really listen to Him and He will guide you where He wants you. What a great lesson to learn.
Emma is growing so much! It is hard to believe she is 4 months old. I have to say that she is the very best baby on the planet. I would find it hard to believe that there is a better 4 month old out there. She eats well, sleeps great and rarely cries. She is happy ALL THE TIME! God truely blessed me with a little Angel. Will and Jake are the best BIG brothers you could ask for. They really love her from the bottom of ther little hearts. They love to kiss her and play with her and laugh at her when she blows bubbles with her cute slobber!
We are in the middle of preparing for the Christmas Holidays. We are having our yearly Boyles Family Christmas here at the house with all of my Mother's family (about 40-50 people). My Mom usually cooks a turkey and ham and everyone else brings a heavy appitizer and/or dessert. We play dirty Santa and laugh until my Uncle Ronnie rips his pants! Ha Ha!!!!!
On Christmas Eve morning, we have our traditional Spraggins Family Breakfast. My Dad's family comes over bright and early and Mom, Dad and Matt usually fix a down-home country breakfast. We usually have around 20 people for that feast. Christmas time is a wonderful time of the year for both my family and Matt's family. THis year will be somewhat difficult for Matt's family b/c Matt's Grandmother passed away a few weeks ago. She was always a sweet gentle soul everytime you would see her. She passed away from complications from pneumonia and a stroke she had nearly 14 years ago. This was Matt's Mom's Mother. We will truely miss Grandmother this year and all the years to come, but we know she is exactly where she wants to be and that is in Heaven with her Husband and daughter and many other loved ones she treasured. We will go to Matt's parents house on Christmas Day and have Christmas there. Sherry usually cooks a wonderful meal and we sit around and laugh and watch all the kids open gifts and play and make wonderful memories there!
I will go for now. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New 2008!

Love,
Steph

We've been a little busy around here to say the least. Right after Emma was born, Matt and I decided to build a new home in Spring Hill, sell our current home we've been in for seven years and try to raise 3 kids at the same time!@ Im trying not to have a nervous break down, but if I do, people will certainly understand why.
I won't be able to write much now, but wanted everyone to know that Emma is doing great and the boys are adjusting quite well. Emma's cardiology appt. went well last week. The Dr. said the hole has actually gotten smaller! Praise the Lord!
Please continue to pray for us right now. We need strength to get through these next few months. Pray that our house sells quickly and that our family gets through these stressful times soon.

Thanks!
Steph

Emma Louise Hawkins

After about 3 strong pushes....she was OUT! I went into the hospital around 7am and had Miss Emma at 4:05. She is absolutely adorable and looks alot like Will when he was a newborn. She has blondish hair which neither of the boys had at birth. It will be interesting to see if she keeps the blond locks. After the pediatrician looked her over after birth, they noticed a small murmur in her heart. The next day she had an echocardiogram to see if anything was wrong. They have discovered a small hole in her heart called a VSD. They also discovered something called a PDA. Which is something at the top of her heart that needs to be closed and it has remained open. Apparently this heart condition is very common and both of these defects should closed and repair on their own over time. They are NOT life-threatening and shouldn't affect her quality of life. The best case scenerio would be they close and repair on their own. The worst case scenerio would be to surgical repair the defects. We went to the Pediatric Cardiologist yesterday to do another echo on Emma to see if the opening at the top of the heart (PDA) had closed and thankfully it has closed! The little hole in her heart is still 4 mm and the cardiologist was very encouraging to say that she feels it will close on it's own. Apparently 4mm is very small and they are not too worried about this being able to close on its own. CLosing could take weeks to months or even years. But all the docs say this is not life-threatening and will not affect her quality of life in the least. That makes me feel better!
We go back to the cardiologist on Aug. 31 to do another echo so we will update then.
Please continue to pray for her and her little heart. Pray that this will close soon and that she will be a healthy little girl! God has already given Matt and I an extrodinary amount of peace about this. Of course we were worried at first, but we have been praying for peace and for healing.
Emma is a wonderful, peaceful baby. She rarely cries so when she does, Matt and I just look at each other and say..."Oh, how cute her cry is!" HOw long will that last? Not too long Im sure!
Everyone is fine here, just trying to adjust to little sleep and to a new life inside our home. The boys love their sister. Wanting to hold her every chance they get! Well, I better go tuck the boys in their bed. Finally a moments peace in the house! Ha HA!

Love,
STeph

Nana came down and let the boys cool off by eating popscicles on the living room floor!
Matt and the boys went to Home Depot early one Sat. morning to make these tool boxes. Me and the boys painted them to make them extra special.
Jake is really focusing on making his "just right."
Mom painting Baby Emma's room!
I am ready to have this baby girl!

Family Shower for me and Paige
My cousin Dawn is pregnant too! Having a girl in December!
The Yummy cake for our shower!
Will and Jake riding in our neighbors' little red mustang

We spent the night in T-town one weekend and Dad decided to play pregnant too!

Well, one week from today we should have a little girl to welcome to our family! My doctor wants to induce me one week from my actual due date because of my Graves Disease and some high blood pressure issues I had after I had Jake. I went to the Doctor a couple of weeks ago and they estimated her weight by ultrasound and she was weighing 6lbs 10oz. at that time. They estimate she may weigh around 8 lbs -8 1/2 lbs. So I am somewhat relieved that they will be inducing her b/c she could be well over 9 lbs if delivered at my actual due date. That would not be fun! Ha !

I have been feeling pretty good considering it's been 100 degrees outside and 9 months pregnant. The boys and I have been trying to stay inside most of the day. Usually around 6 or 7pm we all go outside and play with the neighborhood kids for a few hours. One of my neighbors, Ashley, was due Monday (8/6). As of today, she hasn't delivered yet. So, we are usually sitting on my porch under the fan with swollen ankles and drinking lots of water watching the kids get red faced and worn out! She should be delivering her baby sometime this week. HOPEFULLY!

I took the boys out one day last week when it was scorching hot to a wonderful inside jumping gym called "Jump Zone" It's only a few minutes from my house and they loved jumping and playing and getting all that energy out. I had fun just sitting around watching them play.

I have to say that I am extremely excited about bringing baby Emma home to this wonderful house. I truly believe that the home that Matt and I have created is just perfect and very happy. I know that she will be loved and have so much fun here. I believe that she is meant to be here. I believe she is a little miracle and can't wait for her to meet her other little miracles called brothers. Will and Jake are getting excited about their little sister. Just the other day Jake said, " Where is baby sister? Is she out yet?" I said , "Not yet. Just a short while and she will be here." He is going to be the more jealous one, I think. He has always been so close to me. Will has too, but it's been different with Jake. Jake has always been more "baby" acting. It's hard to believe he is 3 years old! I know he is going to seem so big when we bring this tiny baby home. Will is going to look like a teenager Im sure! Ha!

I also cannot believe I will be having 3 children. I don't seem old enough or mature enough to have 3 children. Only old people have 3 kids! Ha!!!!!! I guess God thinks I can do this. I hope I don't disappoint Him.

Tomorrow, our friends and good neighbors, Bonnie and Nancy will be taking the boys out for most of the day. They want to give Matt and I one last break before I have this baby! They are going to take the boys to Chick Fil-A and then back to their house to make cookies and play! They just live about 2 blocks over in our neighborhood. They are wonderful friends that we've known for about 6 years now. I've had a couple of baby showers in the last couple of months. Paige gave me one with all my girlfriends and then my Mom gave Paige and I a double shower a couple of weeks ago with all of our family. That was so much fun! Paige was having some contractions that day, so she wasn't having so much fun. She has been having some pre-term contractions b/c of her demanding work schedule and just stress with her job. She was on bed rest for about 4 days and then went back to work. She says she's been feeling much better but she still has a few contractions a day. The Dr. doesn't seem to worry as long as her cervix hasn't dilated or anything. Hopefully she will just rest as soon as she gets in from work and drink lots of water!Mom came up here last week to help paint the nursery and fix up some stuff around the house that I needed help with. The nursery looks so cute with the green walls and all the pink accents around the room. This weekend I will be stenciling her name on the wall above the crib. Mom and I hung some cute wooden/decorative flowers on the wall yesterday when she came up.

Well, I better go see what we are going to have for dinner tonight. It will have to be something with hamburger meat. The boys and Matt have been wanting Sloppy Joes, so I guess I will fix that. YUM YUM!

For those that will read this before I have this child, please say a special prayer that everything will go good during the delivery. Pray that Baby Emma will be born healthy and safe and that I will be healthy and safe too. I am especially nervous about the induction b/c I've never been induced before. I pray that the baby is ready and that I am ready. Just pray that everything goes perfect with this delivery. God had taken good care of me and this baby during the pregnancy, I pray the delivery and afterbirth will be perfect as well.

Steph

Well, I feel like a big loser because I haven't been blogging in a while. I think all my energy is just plain shot by the end of the day. I think I have a pretty good excuse though. I am only 8 months pregnant with my third child in the middle of July. Our summer routine is going very well these days. The boys usually wake up around 7am. They come and try to get me and Matt up at that time. It works for Matt b/c he has to get up and get to work, but for me, some days I may lay there till around 8am. Breakfast is usually some pancakes or blueberry muffins or eggs or even some cereal for Will. We all eat around 8:30am. Since Jake and Will's swim class is over, we've been going out in our own backyard and playing on our giant water slide and spiderman pool. My parents got the slide for the boys last summer and it has been the best investment for these boys! They love it. This past weekend, we went over to our friends' house, Brad and Holland Baker. They have a 4year old boy, Coleman, and also 2 year old twins (Mac and Mason). We had a big cookout there with all of our college friends and their children. It was so much fun. We took the big water slide and it was a hit to say the least!

Summer time is so much fun. I just love being able to stay home with my children and watch them play and giggle and run! I love to be able to give them popsicles and let them get all messy and watch them play with their neighborhood friends! I feel so blessed to be able to do this.

I cannot wait for our little girl to join in on all this fun with her big brothers.

I am feeling quite well so far with this pregnancy. I get extremely tired at night. My back has been really bothering me. I've been going to my chiropractor and he sets me straight (literally!). I have also been going to get prenatal massages. Let me tell you, nothing is better than a massage when you are pregnant! Oh, my aching feet and back! Plus, for me, just the fact that Im getting to leave the house alone for one hour makes me one happy Mama.

We had a great July 4. Matt had the day off, so we just played on the giant water slide most of the day with our neighbors. We went out to eat that night with the boys and then headed to the Willamson County Recreation Center to watch fireworks. They didn't start until 9:30 so needless to say, we didn't get home until after 11:00pm. It took longer to get out of the stinkin' parking lot than it did to watch the fireworks. We had a great time though, just hanging with our little family. WIll and Jake loved the fireworks. Will did cover his ears the whole time though. Im not sure why he feels he has to cover his ears. They aren't THAT loud. He is definitely his Mother's son! I can remember doing the same thing way back when.

My parents have bought the boys bunk beds to go in their room. Im anxious to see how Will is going to do on the top bunk. I pray he doesn't fall off! My parents are coming up here tomorrow to deliver them and put them up. I never liked bunk beds when I was little, but I hope my boys will! They aren't going to have an option to like them.

We are in the process of remodeling both of our full bathrooms. We are on a schedule to get them totally finished before the baby gets here. Matt is putting beadboard in the upstairs bath. He has already tiled both bath floors. Today, I painted the upstairs bath an apple green. It looks really good. I am decorating it with a bug theme and some butterflies and lady bugs for the baby sis. We have decided to name her Emma Louise. I have always loved the name Emma and Louise is named after Matt's Grandmother Norman. Also, I have a wonderful Aunt named Louise as well.

I guess I better go. It's getting late. I will try and keep blogging up until I deliver!

Love,

Steph

Whoever coined the phrase, "Lazy Days of Summer" never spent a day in my shoes during the summer time! Ever since the boys have been out of school, we have had so much fun playing with neighbors (everyday) and going swimming and everything else you do in the summer! We have wonderful neighbors who have kids the same age as Will and Jake, so around 5pm, we all head outside (usually our house) and play on the swing set, ride the battery operated hummer and ride bikes. Me and the other Moms, just sit back and have grown-up talk and handle little fights that might break out. Will started swimming lessons at the YMCA last week and he finishes up tomorrow. The lessons start at 10:30am and last only 30 minutes. Then we swim at the YMCA pool for about an hour and then head home for lunch. It's a great routine that the boys have adjusted well to. The swimming and sunshine really wear them out and 7 months preggo Mom too! Jake starts his lessons the end of the month and go for 2 weeks too. They are probably going to go to lessons again during the month of August to a lady who gives them private lessons at her pool in Leiper's Fork. She is really great and they say your child learns to swim before leaving her class.
Paige found out yesterday that she is having a girl! We are so excited! We all thought it was going to be a boy. But the ultrasound showed it very clear that it was a girl! I am so excited b/c my little girl and her's hopefully will be very close. Paige and I want to move closer together so we can raise our kids together. Hopefully it will all work out.
Matt has been really busy getting some last minute handy-man jobs done before the little girl arrives. He and Lance tiled our upstairs bathroom and will be putting beadboard on the walls in the next few weeks. This weekend Matt will be tileing our downstairs bathroom. The nursery hasn't even been touched. I can't wait to start decorating it. I will probably start doing the majority of it in July. I don't have to paint, but of course it all needs new girly stuff!
Well, the boys are finished cleaning up the playroom and now it's time for bed. I will write more later!
Love, Steph

It's been a while since I have had a chance to sit down and type on this computer! After we got home from the beach, the boys and I have been to the park a few times, been busy outside and then just doing the normal day to day things here around the house. We went to the park last week with all my good friends that I went to Lipscomb with and their children. Will and Jake love to play with these boys and so we want to try to get them together as much as possible. In fact we are all planning a trip to Gatlinburg in November with everyone and their kids. We did this about 2 years ago and had a blast. We've reserved an even bigger cabin this time b/c we've added to the bunch since then. Jay and Lex have had a third child, Wallace. Holland and Brad have had twin boys since then and we will have a little addition when we go too!
Matt has been busy trying to fix our front porch. I hope he gets it done this weekend. He is replacing all the wooden posts b/c they rotted out and then he is painting the entire porch as well.
I had a great Mother's Day this past weekend. We spent the weekend in Tullahoma. Paige's birthday was that weekend too so we celebrated it as well. Paige is feeling fine and finds out the sex of their baby on June 5. I am so excited to get these babies out and start playing with them and showing them what a wonderful family they will be joining!
Will and Jake had a blast riding the go-cart and playing on the swing and monkey bars Pop Pop got them. My Dad has spent the last few weeks replacing all the boards on the back deck. It was a HUGE job and it looks great. We spent most of the weekend out there on the deck! Before, we would never go out there b/c it looked like the deck was going to fall. The boards were about 18 years old! They look great now.
Me and Matt's 9 year anniversary is tomorrow. Matt called his brother and his wife (Joel and Marci) to babysit the boys and we are going to go to dinner. I can't believe we've been married for 9 years. It really doesn't seem that long. We've been dating since 1993. So we've been together a total of 14 years. I can honestly say we were just meant for each other. We are each other's best friend and feel like we've known each other our whole lives.
Today was the boys' last day of pre-school. Will had a little program he did for the end of the year. He was so cute. I didn't take a camera, so I don't have any pics, but trust me he was just the cutest and best one out there! They sang, "Peace like a river, Love like an ocean, Joy like a fountain," and a few more. Will has swim lessons at the end of the month and Jake has lessons at the end of June. They are so excited about them! I can't wait until summer. We will be spending alot of time at our neighborhood pool!
I cooked spaghetti tonight and for dessert I made these awesome oatmeal raisin cookies! The boys love these cookies, not to mention Mom and Dad too! Jake helped me make the cookies and then wanted to help wash the dishes. So, of course, I took this opportunity to teach him! I hope it sticks with him. I think he mostly liked to play in the suds!
Well, I better go! It's getting late.
Love,
Steph

Hawkins Family Destin vacation!

The cousins!

Celebrating Amelia's and Jack's Bd while in Destin

The water was cold but beautiful everyday

They buried Matt in the sand!
The cousins resting after a long day at the beach!

It has taken about a day to recoup from our long weekend at the beach. We went to Destin with Matt's family last Friday thru Monday. It was so much fun. We stayed at a very nice house right on the beach. The house was a friend of Amelia and John's. They let us use it since no one else had rented it out. Matt and I rented a mini van to take the long 8 hour excursion with two very busy boys. Thank goodness for DVD players in cars! I tell you what. I don't know what we would have done without one! We left about 9am on Friday and headed to the beach. We arrived in Destin about 4:30. We had a great meal that night. Matt's Dad and John (Amelia's hubby) bought a bunch of shrimp, corn, new potatoes, mushrooms and onions and we had a shrimp boil. It was great. The boys played with their BIG cousins Jack (8yrs old) and Owen (5yrs old) before heading to bed.

We woke up bright and early on Saturday. Matt's parents made a great breakfast with sausage, bacon, eggs and biscuits! Yum! After that, we headed down to the beach where we stayed most the day. Saturday night we had more grilled fish, fried shrimp and the best hushpuppies (thanks Sherry!) ever!
Sunday we went to church at a little chuch their at the beach. It was nice to give praise to God for a wonderful time with our family! We headed back to the beach right after church.
We didn't want to leave on Monday, but we headed back around 1pm. We got back to Franklin around 9pm. The boys had a wonderful time they will never forget. They loved playing with Jack and Owen!
Tuesday I spent most of the day doing laundry and cleaning up after our trip. I have almost finished all the laundry. I wish I could afford to pay someone to come do my laundry!
I am going out to dinner with my girlfriends (Amy, Lex, Jennifer, and Holland) tomorrow night. We are going to J. Alexander's in Cool Springs. I need a little girls night out. We try and get together once a month. These are the girls I hung out with in college. All of our hubbies were in the same fraternity and so naturally all of us girls got to be great friends.
I am feeling very good these days considering my belly is getting bigger and bigger everyday. My Endocrinologist called Monday to say he wants me to lower my dosage of PTU even lower. I only need to take one pill a day. Praise the Lord! God is really watching over me and this child. Thank you for all your prayers. God hears you and is answering our prayers. Please continue to pray for me b/c the Endocrinologist said there is a chance that this can be cured with just taking PTU after the delivery. No radioactive iodine may have to be used. He also encouraged me to breastfeed saying that many women successfully breastfeed while taking PTU. He was very encouraging at this appointment. I pray that God will take this condition away from me and let me be healthy after delivery!
I cooked spaghetti tonight and the boys were full! They like spaghetti especially Jake. You can always tell they've had spaghetti b/c of the red stains around their mouth for days afterwards! Ha!
Last night I went to the grocery stores so that I could get my good deals before they end today. I came home saving almost 50% of my bill. I love that feeling of saving money! I may not work a 9-5 job, but I want to do my part and help save money. I may not MAKE money, but I feel like I can help take some of the burden off of Matt by SAVING money. He appreciates it too. He loves looking at the recepits when I come home and unloading the TRUNK-FULL of groceries out of the car.
Well I better go. I need to get the boys lunch and backpacks ready for the day tomorrow!
Love,
Steph

Will and Jake in their Easter outfits outside at church
Posing for some pics outside after church
Paige and Lance. Yes, Paige is now a brunette!
Another pose!
Pop Pop and Nana Spraggins with their grand-boys!

Well, another day in the books!

Im posting some pics of our Easter weekend. We had a wonderful weekend. Matt's Mom and Dad came up for just the day on Saturday. We went to lunch together with them and Joel and Martha Ann. We didn't do much that day; just came back to our house and talked. On Sunday morning, my Mom and Dad came up early before church to see the boys with their Easter baskets. Matt and I had so much fun with the Easter baskets! Before we went to bed we shredded up cotton balls to make it look like the bunny was shedded fur in the house. Will woke up the next morning and we heard him tell Jake that there was "fur everywhere!" Will was a little nervous before he went to bed that night before the bunny came. He kept telling me and Matt to lock the door and not let the bunny in. He said the bunny could just leave the baskets outside. It was halarious! We kept telling him the bunny has to come in to leave the baskets. He and Jake were so excited Easter morning. It brought back so many memories when I was a kid. I love EASTER!

We have had a great weekend this weekend even though it was wet and cold most of the time. Friday night we all went to our favorite pizza place, Nashville Pizza Co. It is a great local pizza place that is always crowded with all the locals. Saturday, we got up early and headed to the mall to do some shopping. Matt needed a few pairs of nice pants and I needed some maternity shorts and some PJ's. We ate lunch at the food court and then Matt took the boys over to the play area while I shopped. The boys played their hearts out over there! Their faces were so red and sweaty! Because it was rainy and cloudy most of the day, we just rested when we got home. We made sandwiches for supper and put the boys to bed early.

This morning we got up extra early and headed to Cracker Barrel for breakfast. We rarely go here with the boys so they thought this was great. They chowed down on the biscuits and pancakes! So did Mom and Dad! We didn't go to church this morning because Jake has had a touch of diarreah. YUCK! I didn't want him to give it to anyone.

I am so excited about our trip to Destin, FL next Friday- Tuesday. We are going with Matt's family. Matt's sister has a friend who is letting us use their beach house for the weekend. It looks like a great house. 7 bedrooms, a private pool and a guest house! The boys are so excited about going to play with their cousins, Jack and Owen. Matt and I have rented a mini-van to travel in b/c we want to have plenty of room for an 8 hr trip with two wild boys! I am busy planning on what we will need and getting all the laundry done.

Paige has been in Memphis all weekend for business. She is feeling a little under the weather lately. She thinks she has a bladder infection. That is pretty common with pregnancy. She also has a head cold and feels just plain bad. I hope she starts feeling better soon. I know it's hard to work and be pregnant at the same time. I worked throughout my pregnancy with Will. I was sick all the time b/c I stayed stressed out at my job. But thanks to God that I am able to stay at home and raise my boys and be pregnant in the comforts of my home. It's still hard, don't get me wrong, but I love my job. That's the difference.

Well,
The day started out totally awesome because we found out today that we will be having a baby GIRL! I could hardly believe it when the ultrasonographer said it! I told her to make sure and so she check 5 different times in several positions. She said that the baby was in perfect position and could tell for sure we will be having a girl! I am still in shock. What in the world will I do with a girl? I suppose I will figure it all out. I have to say that my maternal insticts were telling me we were having a girl. Not b/c I wanted one necessarily, but because I was so sick in the beginning and not to mention all the strawberry slushies I've been craving. Paige and Lance just happened to have a Dr.'s appt. today at 9:15 and my appt. was at 9:30. So she and Lance were there with us when we found out. We all celebrated and went to Logan's for lunch and chowed down on some rolls! My Mom came up today to pick the boys up from school b/c I would have been in the doc still. She was so happy too! Matt's parents are excited as well. When Will and Jake came in from school, Will asked immediately, "Is it a boy or a girl?" I said a GIRL! He just looked at me and smiled and said she could play with all his toys. I told him she is going to want Barbie dolls and pink things. He said, "No, no Barbies...she can play with my toys." Oh boy, here we go! Ha! Jake has not quite gotten the whole jist of the baby thing. The only thing he does is play with my belly button and askes if he can kiss the baby. He is my little sweetie! If none of my other kids take care of me when I get old and gray, Jake will be right there, I just know it!
I have to say that I haven't done much today but sit and thank God for the blessing of a girl. Not only a girl but a healthy baby. The ultrasound results were good. No abnormalities. Sometimes I sit and wonder what in the world I did to deserve such a wonderful and blessed life. Absolutely nothing. That's the whole point of God's grace. He loves us and blesses us and wants the best for us just like we want for our own children. And he doesn't expect anything in return. What an awesome God!
My Mom came up last night and spent the night so that she could be here early for my appt. Paige was craving this pepper steak my Mom used to make all the time. So, Mom had to come up last night and make it for our family and Paige and Lance. Then after supper, we all went to Shoney's and had their Hot Fudge Cake and Strawberry Pies! We were naughty! But it sure was gooooooooooooooood!!!
I just got the boys out of the tub so that Matt doesn't have to do it tonight. He may be tired from working a little late tonight.
Well I better go! I need to start some supper! I have to say, I'm not too hungary b/c Im so excited and happy! But I know the other members of the family are so I guess I need to feed my family!

Here we go hunting for Easter Eggs at the Community Easter Egg Hunt!

Jake loves to hunt eggs!
Found one!
Me and my beautiful boys!
Will found a bunch!
This is our neighbor, Miranda, who came with us to the hunt.

I know it's been a while since I've written, but we've had a busy week. Matt went out of town for a few days and so I was tired every night so I went to bed as soon as the kids did. The boys and I went to the park a couple of times this week since it was so pretty. And of course we play with the neighborhood kids just about everyday in our backyard. Tonight as I was unloading the groceries from the car, one of our neighbors who I don't really know, came up and asked if they could play on our swing set. Of course I said yes, but I thought it was odd that someone whom I do not know well would come and ask that. They played for a while and then went home. I didn't go out back to talk b/c I was fixing supper. It was about 6:45pm when they came over. I wouldn't have the nerve to ask if my kids could play on someone else's swingset, but some people do. That's what makes the world go 'round I guess. Maybe she and I will be good friends one day. She is expecting in June. She alread has one little girl who is 6 years old.
Matt came home on Friday after being gone a few days. He was tired but ready to get busy fixing our columns on our front porch. They are rotting. The wood wasn't treated lumber, so he is having to replace them. He got started on Saturday morning and finished up today. We took the boys to the community Easter Egg hunt on Saturday. It was fun! The boys really love finding all the eggs. Easter will be fun this year. The Bunny was there but Jake didn't like him very much, so he started crying everytime the bunny got near. Will didn't like him either. My kids are very skeptical children. I think that's good. My Dad was going to rent a bunny outfit and come see the kids on Easter morning, but I told him that probably wouldn't be a good idea b/c they don't like the REAL bunny. They like the candy he leaves, but if they see a 7ft white bunny coming close to them, they go into freak mode. Dad dressed up like the bunny last year and it went over real well. He rented the costume and got dressed in the car and then snuck up from the woods and greeted them with candy. Will loved it last year. Jake was too young to cry, but this year is a different story. Oh well, maybe another year for the new baby! Ha! Ha!
Paige wasn't feeling good this morning and so she didn't make it to church. I called her and she said she has a stomach bug. Yuck! I hope she is feeling better soon.
I am also having to dog-sit two dogs that live a couple of houses over. The owners went on a cruise for 8 days and so me and another neighbor are caring for them. I have to go over there twice a day and let them out to pee and poop. Both of the dogs are extremely over weight. I have to pick one of them up and take him outside b/c he is crippled. Both of them are old. Thank good they are small dogs but they are certainly not light. They probably weigh about 25 lbs. I have to do this all week until Sunday. Fun!
Will went to the dentist for the first real time on Thursday. I took him to our dentist that we've been going to for about 8 years. Will did great. He loved the people there. It helped that he watched me first get my teeth cleaned.
Well, I better go. I need to get the boys to bed. They are worn out from playing all weekend outside!
Love,
Steph

Hello! What a fun filled week and weekend we have had. The boys were on Spring Break last week, so we went to the park on Monday with our neighbor and then on Wednesday we headed down to Tullahoma to spend with my parents until Friday. Matt was in NJ for business for a few days. He is in the process of meeting with one of their customers and their team about some software they bought from Matt's company. So Matt goes up there and answers questions and teaches them more about the software. He really likes doing this. The travel is not his favorite thing to do b/c he misses the boys so much, but it is not something he does very often, just every now and then.
Me and the boys had a great time in Tullahoma. I like going b/c Dad just totally entertains the kids and I get a good break. Mom and I usually go shopping or just sit around and talk about stuff. Dad took off work on Thursday and Friday to play with the boys and also to finish up putting new boards on their deck. It is time to start replacing all the boards b/c they are like 20 years old. He built new steps leading down to the pool and then made all the railings closer together so the boys or other kids wouldn't slip through them and fall down. Will and Jake really helped my dad the whole time. They love helping and learning new things. Of course they rode the go-carts and played on their bikes too! Friday as it was time to go home, my Dad suggested the boys stay for the weekend and I could go back to Franklin to be with Matt. I said "Okay!" No one had to coax me into anything like that. So I went back to Franklin on Friday afternoon and Matt and I had a nice relaxing weekend--kid free! We went out to eat Friday and Saturday night and met Paige and Lance bright and early Saturday morning at the Craker Barrel for some good eatin'. Saturday, Paige and I went to the mall to look for Easter dresses. I found a really cute one. My belly is really starting to show. I am in full maternity gear now. Paige isn't showing quite yet. She is only about 11 weeks. She can still wear most of her regular clothes. Matt worked out in the yard most of the day on Saturday. He borrowed Lance's truck to go get about 10 bags of mulch. Our yard looks so good. I just need to get out there this next weekend and plant some pretty flowers.
We went to church this morning and then right after church we went to Tullahoma to get the boys. We stayed a few hours to let the boys get some last minute energy out and then we came back home. While we were home, my uncle Ron, from California called to say that my Aunt Patricia had a mild stroke last night. She is in the hospital there in CA and will be there for a few days. She is feeling better and seems to be doing good. Patricia is my Mom's older sister. Please say a prayer for her tonight. Pray she gets better and heals quickly.
The boys were exausted when we were saying prayers and getting into bed. I have to say I am a bit tired too! I am feeling so good. Thank you so much for your prayers for me. I have gotten lots of emails and phone calls from many of you saying you are praying for me and this baby. You'll never know how much that means to me. Keep praying, though, for healing and for this condition to GO AWAY after I deliver. I believe it is possible through Christ. Keep praying for the baby as well.
Time to hit the sack! As my Mom and Dad would say!
Love,
Steph

I have to tell everyone first and foremost, thank you for all your prayers for me and this pregnancy. The Endocrinologist called me today to tell me the results of my blood work I did on Thursday of last week. He wanted to see how the PTU was doing with my Thyroid count. The results were great! He even LOWERED the dose. I have been taking 200 mg of PTU and he wants to go down to just 100 mg. I have to say that I TRULY believe this is GOD telling me that he WILL take care of me and this baby. I have always been a praying person my whole life. However, it hasn't been until recently, with the help of my church, that Ive learn HOW to pray. Don't be afraid to be very specific of your need and tell others to pray for you. I cannot wait to give God the glory of this pregnancy and the healthy baby that awaits in 4 months.
We had a great day today. My friend, Jennifer, across the street called me this morning and asked if we wanted to go to the park with her and Madeline (3yrs) and Logan (5 mo.). Of course we went and had a great time. The boys ran everywhere. We took there soccer balls and they played soccer and played on the playground. After that we just came home. I fixed them their favorite lunch....grilled cheese sandwiches, grapes and cheese puffs. It was a great day.
I got the boys enrolled in swimming lessons this year. Will is going to be going the end of May for 8 days and Jake will be going the end of June for 8 days. They are going to the YMCA.
I have also signed them up for private swim lessons from this lady everyone calls the "Swim Nazi." Apparently your child will know how to swim before the lesson is over. SHe is VERY booked and the boys may not get in until Aug or Sept. I've heared she is well worth the wait. We intend on wait and hoping they get in.
Matt came home fairly early tonight and we grilled out hamburgers. I made homemade fried potatoes like my Mom used to make. The boys loved them and ate so many of them they got full and didn't want their burgers. But we made them eat the burgers!
The boys are in bed and we are winding down for the night.
Matt goes to New Jersey on Wednesday for just one night. Me and the boys are going to Tullahoma to visit my parents and let the boys play on the go cart and all the other things to do there. I hope to visit my friend Annie while Im there. She just had a baby about 8 months ago and is also going through a pretty bad divorce. I feel so bad for her b/c she also lost her Mom to brain cancer about 3 years ago. She's been through alot. But, I have to tell you, she has been an inspiration to me so many times b/c when my day is not going good, I think of Annie and get inspired. I rarely hear her complain and all she wants is the best for her little boy, Logan. I hope to see her this week and catch up.
Well, I better go get ready for bed!
Love,
Steph

Well the boys are fast asleep. We put them in the bed about 10 minutes ago and they are out like a light! They were exausted! Especially Will. He doesn't nap during the day, so going to bed at 9:15 is late for him. We went out to eat at Texas Roadhouse with Paige and Lance tonight. It was good to visit with them for a while. Paige was "on call" with her work. She got called in as soon as we paid our ticket. She had to go check on a patient at Centennial. She works for a company called Medtronics. She programs pacemakers and defibulators in heart patients. Every now and then she is on call. Once the baby is born, she hopes to stay at home for a year with it. Her job will hold her position for one year. Hopefully it will all work out for her.
We had a good Saturday today. Matt woke up before me and fixed blueberry pancakes, eggs and bacon with the boys. He's such a good dad and hubby! Everything was wonderful. I told him I am going to expect this every Saturday! After breakfast we went to Lowes to get some stuff for the yard. We had to go run several other errands and then we came home. Will helped Matt plant a new bush in our yard. The old one died for some reason. Will loves to help. It was cold outside today, so not much was accomplished in the yard today. Maybe tomorrow.
I went to my Endocrinologist on Thursday and then I went to my OB right after that appointment. Both appointments went very well. My endocrinologist said that I would be able to breastfeed my baby! I was so happy about this. Thank you for all your prayers. He did say that the baby would have to be monitored closely (blood work) when I am breastfeeding b/c they didn't want the PTU to affect the baby. He said many women do this and have healthy babies. He took some blood work from me that day to see if the PTU is working on me or if he needs to adjust the dose. We should find out Monday the results. Hopefully we won't have to increase the dose. Let's pray that we don't.
My OB visit went well too. We heard the baby's heartbeat. It was going about 140 bpm. That is very normal and it sounded great. I will have to have ultrasounds more regularly b/c of the Graves Disease. They want to make sure the baby is growing normally and not too small. Please pray the baby is growing good and will be healthy and safe! I felt the baby kicking around for the first time a few days ago! It was amazing! It felt like little butterflies going crazy in there. No matter how many times Im pregnant, the feeling of the life inside you moving around is still so wonderful. I'll never forget this feeling.
Well, I will go so that I can get some rest. Talk later...
Steph

Spring Program at school. Jake is in the back row with Green shirt.
Jake is done and waiting for brother to come out!
Here comes Will!
Will singing, "Im a star!"
Such a great performer...He gets it from me! Ha Ha!!!
Playing by the water!
The boys LOVED having picnics everday!

Jake splashing with a stick.

Mimi and Pop Pop with the boys!

Will loves to throw in the biggest rocks he can find to make a BIG splash!

Matt and his boys take a break from the hike to pose by the water.

Matt and the boys playing inside the camper.

Well, the boys and Matt made it back safe and sound on Sunday from their weekend of camping with their MiMi and Pop Pop Hawkins. Matt said the boys didn't sit down the entire weekend. They parked the camper near a playground and the boys were playing there the whole time. Will and Jake brought their bikes and I believe Will rode his alot. They went walking on a hike on Saturday to a nearby waterfall where they got to rest and throw some rocks in the water. It was a perfect weekend to camp outside. Matt said the weather was beautiful. I'm so glad they had a chance to spend a weekend together with Matt's parents!
I had a wonderful weekend too! I didn't do a darn thing. I slept in both days and went shopping on Saturday to some shops in the downtown Franklin area that I had never had time to go to before. I went out to dinner on Saturday night with my parents and Paige and Lance to an Italian restraunt called Buca Di Peppo in Cool Springs. My Dad LOVES to go here. He loves the wine and garlic bread. He won't eat any red meat so, we always have to order something with Chicken or Fish. It is a family-style restruant so you order about 3 entrees and share it all. It's yummy food. I could tell my parents missed having the boys there. My Dad kept saying..."It's awful quiet without those crazy boys!" But I was quite happy about that! Ha!!!
Matt and the boys got in about 4pm on Sunday. We all rested awhile and headed over to Paige and Lance's house to cookout some burgers and hot dogs. The boys played with their dog Maddox. We hung out their for a while and then headed home.
Monday night I met some of my girlfriends at Carrabbas for dinner. These are some girls I have been good friends with since college and since we have all started families we haven't gotten together as often. But we had a great time talking about everything from how to handle our children to liposuction! It was fun. We vowed to get together monthly. All of our husbands are good friends and they get together often too. So there's no reason why we shouldn't as well.
Last night, Tuesday, was Will and Jake's preschool Spring Program. They got up on stage and sang Bible songs and danced to cute songs. It was great! Will did a GREAT job! He really paid attention and remembered all the words to the songs and followed along great. Jake on the other hand, just stood up there with his thumb in his mouth! He saw me one time and took it out and smiled a big smile and said.."Hey Mommy!" I have to remember he is only 2 and Will did the same thing when he was two too!
Jake came into our room last night around 1 am crying and saying there was bugs in his bed. So, we cuddled him right up and he slept between us all night long. There were no bugs in his bed, if some of you might be wondering.... He and Will have got a phobia of bugs right now b/c we have been outside lately and they are buzzing all around. I keep telling them that bugs are smaller than they are and that the bugs are afraid of you more than you think! I even pick some of them up and let them know they won't hurt you. But It's not working so far. This is becoming somewhat embarrasing especially when the little girls next door come over and play outside and they are comforting my "rough and tough" little boys about bugs! Ha!!!
Well, I better go. Laundry is calling. The boys are dying to play with me.
I go to the doctor tomorrow. Endocrinologist at 10:00am and OB at 11:00. Please pray that everything goes well!
Love,
Steph