Adison One Week Old

Here she is at one week old with her little Doggy friend. I leave the naming of it up to Kevin, as he is the one who named Cole's small stuffed Elephant "elly". So for now it's just boring old doggy.

I am stealing an idea from another Blogging friend of mine (Brandy & Sarala!!) and decided it would be fun to chart a little of her growth against her doggy friend. Since she started her little life on the smaller side, it will be neat to see how quickly she catches up. So here she is against her friend and every week or so I'll post another picture of them and we'll watch Doggy begin to look smaller and smaller!

P.S. Thanks to Aunt Jenny for the super, super adorable knit outfit she is wearing. Adison will be wearing this until it absolutely will not fit anymore. It's our favorite!!

And Then there were FOUR!

We joyfully announce the arrival of Adison Margaret Marie Spillman on October 12, at 3:08pm in the afternoon. Our little girl weighed in at 4 pounds 12 ounces. She arrived early via C-section and spent a little time in the hospital after her arrival, but we are thankfully home now and getting settled in!

We are thrilled and Cole is already a huge helper and wonderful brother. He keeps saying, "he's a good baby!" (we're working on the he/she thing......) and "it's a tiny little baby!" :)

One of My Favorite Things

Yesterday for the first time since Cole started Preschool, I didn't have any appointments or errands to do. So I stopped and got myself a Mocha and a muffin at Starbuck's and came home to read my bible. 10:00 is one of my favorite times of the day, which may sound silly. But it's still got a lot of morning light and it's quiet and with no one in the house but me and two doggies, I was able to sit at the table and read with no schedule to keep.

It's Back!

Hockey Season officially started on Wednesday and Kevin and I went to opening night for the Hurricanes. It was an extra special game since they were raising the Stanley Cup Champions banner. The Stanley Cup, Conn Smythe, Prince of Wales and....I think the Selke trophy were also on dislplay in the arena. We lost the game 3-2 in a shoot-out against Buffalo (boo!), so that was the only downer of the night. Kevin and I aren't getting season tickets for the first time in quite awhile, just because with a new baby in the mix, we just wouldn't be going to as many games. We're still planning on going to one a month.

Just Chilling Out

Cole decided yesterday that he wanted to wear his sunglasses when we were getting dressed. It's funny because he hasn't worn them in a long time and they were stuffed in his closet so I'm not sure what made him decide he needed them. When I was getting ready and he sat down to watch his video, he refused to take them off. :)

C-O-L-E spells "Cole"

We captured a little something surprising on video this past weekend. Cole wrote out his name for the first time. Now Kevin is really the Teacher in the family, and has been spelling out important words like "Cole, Mama, Daddy, Irbe and Bou" for awhile now. Cole knew what they were purely by memorization. He learned how to do an "E" a few weeks ago. And the "L" came easily after that. Anyway, I'm blabbing on but to one day I hear him in his playroom at his table saying "spells Cole!" So I come in and look at his little paper, and call Kevin and tell him his son has just written his name, alone, without any prompting.

We captured a repeat on video and sometime soon I'll figure out how to do those video posts on blogger. But until now, here's a picture of him with his little masterpiece, and a close up.

We're trying not to put too much stock into it.....but that's pretty impressive for 2 1/2, right?

Baby Bedding

While I'm not completely done, I dont' have the patience to wait until the finished product to post my latest venture. I'm making a bumper for the crib in a fabric that matches the room and I'm halfway there. I went ahead and put it on the crib to see how it looked and it's fun to see something take shape! This was a great and easy project I bought forever ago where the bumper pad inserts are pre-cut and ready for you to basically just cut some rectangles out and sew around them. It's taken a little time to measure all the pieces since it doesn't come with a pattern, but I'm pretty happy with the results. The little pink bows add a girly touch to the crib without over-doing it. I have the same fabric in a 'boy' pattern of blue and green that I'll use to make a pillow case for Cole's "blue bed" as we call it. I still have a few more finishing touches planned for the room, so maybe I can hold out now until it's all done before I post again. :)

Four Eyes

Here we have Cole with his first take-home craft from Preschool. He calls it "for eyes", which is funny since 'four eyes' also applies. He wore it all around his neck this morning and then got a few good laughs at himself looking at me through his little binoculars.

He seems to be enjoying preschool more and more. I think he's always liked his teachers, Ashley and Kim as he asks about them the minute I pick him up to take him home, "Where's Miss Ash-eh-ley" (he says her name in 3 sylables). Some days, however he's reluctant to go ("all done school today"), and sometimes when I pick him up and ask him about school he refuses to talk about it. I think it's just a busy morning twice a week and he's probably ready to just let down on the way home.

Drop off time had been a bit traumatic, but we are finding a little system that works for us. We pray either before we leave the house or in the car on the way about his day at school outloud together, and then he's reminded that when I pick him up, there will be a Chocolate Milk waiting in his little cup holder in his car seat for him.

What's really interesting is that each day he mentions another one of the kids in his class, and so far he hasn't mentioned the same kid twice. So either these other 2 year olds are actually befriending each other, or they are bothering each other. :) The moms of the class are getting together next week after we all drop the kids off and I look forward to meeting them. Honestly I'm just happy to go through the year anonymous, but it's good for me to step outside the comfort zone and really get to know other mothers in his class.

All in all I think it's a great thing for Cole, and for me, although the adjustment has been harder than I anticipated. I figured 3 hours free twice a week would be party-time but I find I miss my little boy and wish I could be a fly on the wall, watching him interact with others in a social environment without his mother around. But the time before baby has been valuable and will be even more so after her arrival.

Lunch with the Stanley Cup Champions

We were very fortunate again this year to be invited by one of Kevin's chemical suppliers to the annual "We Love the Hurricanes Luncheon". Last year we went and had a blast and were surprised when Debbie invited us to attend again. We sat with Ray Whitney, who was a real nice guy and we heard lots about his summer in his home town of Edmonton, his adjustment to Raleigh, his hockey history and then a lengthy college football conversation with some other guys at the table at which point I zoned out. :)

He is playing at the first exhibition game tonight and left early so we didn't get a picture with him, but we did nab Eric Staal and grap a photo with him. He really is tall. We also said hello to Frank Kaberle, who we sat with last year and absolutely loved. He will be sidelined most likely all of this season after surgery and was wearing this arm brace that looked incredibly uncomfortable. So while we're sad we wont' see him on the ice, it was nice to see him in person. Obviously he's not going to remember we sat with him, but several of us at the table last year said hello at the same time and mentioned it and he was so gracious and warm. A great guy.

My only complaint is that the Stanley Cup was not there. I was really hoping this would be my chance to see it up close and not have to wait in line with thousands of other people at the Caniac Carnival in a few weekends....bummer.

8 Months

Not much to say here....I'm 8 months and starting the countdown. Going to the dr. weekly, which seems unreal. It's been an uneventful pregnancy aside from the beginning morning sickness, so we are grateful for that. Just ready to meet our little girl.

I'm also putting up an ultrasound we had of her at...hmmm....I think it was 28 weeks or something. Her eyes are clearly open, as well as her mouth. She was opening and closing it during the ultrasound. This same little girl was "clapping" in the womb at 16 weeks when we found out her gender. So far she has been a pretty active little lady....you'd think she was auditioning for Cirqu de Soliel the way she's been moving around. :)

Working Weekend

This weekend Kevin and I got out our "To Do" lists and set out to tackle a good portion of it. We got a lot done, which felt really great!!

First on our list was painting Cole / Baby Girl's room a lighter green on the top half to lighten the Lime-Factor in there. I still have all the decorations to put up, including the bumper (which still needs to be made: but fabric is on order!), and I think it's all going to come together just great. A great happy room for both of them.

Next I painted a 'chalkboard' with chalkboard paint in the sewing / play room. I had been wanting to try this for awhile. I haven't used chalk on it yet, b/c you're supposed to wait 3 days so tomorrow will be the big try.

Kevin also put up a magnetic strip for Cole's pictures above the drawing area.

And finally, the Outdoor Taskmaster (Kevin) moved some plants to the back yard and made a beautiful border for it. It looks so finished, I wish I had a before picture, it was really quite yucko. He further surprised me by buying a Hydrandgea plant, which we've been wanting to get for quite some time. We refer to this plant as our '3rd Baby' because we really want this pretty thing to survive and blossom.

The funny thing is all this was done to "get ready for the baby" and pretty much none of it is necessary for bringing a baby home, but it feels good to have some projects done. :)

Virginia Beach

Last weekend we went to visit my brother and his fam in Virginia Beach. It was such a nice visit, and so relaxed and the girls kept all 6 of their little eyes on Cole the whole time, making certain he was entertained. We were able to see the Oceana Air Show that is put on there every year. Kevin and Dean braved the entire day, from 10-5. The rest of us met up with them around 2, in time to see the Blue Angels perform. It was so cool. The one picture I caught on my little camera doesn't do it justice, but thankfully Dean made us a copy of all his super great pictures. Here we are enjoying the show!!

First Day of Preschool

I'll get a better picture next week, one of his class, but Cole had his first full day of preschool last tuesday. He was apprehensive, to say the least. I left with him clinging to my legs and crying in agony......so I spent my 3 hours at a nearby shopping center, sure that I would get "the call" to come retrieve him. But much to my delight, it never came. And when I picked him up at 12:15, I heard him laughing several times inside his little classroom. When he came out, I attempted to get him to go back inside the class to get a picture, but he had done his time and would only stand outside the door. I think he will really like it, it's just the new location and teachers. It's run by a great church in the area and he goes tuesday and thursday mornings. They do all sorts of things, and he even brought home a picture he made on the very first day. Since I only have about 6 weeks left until my due date, the extra time is going to be great for all those last minute projects, like the crib bumper I've been planning to make for 9 months.

Cute Stuff

Nothing big here, just a few pictures of Cole doing some cute things.

the first is of Cole sitting next to Irbe. Big deal, I know. But he got all his goodies out (his elephant and his blankie) and then announced that he was going to sit down with Irbe. He is just recently starting to show some connection to the dogs. It started with Bou, and he would pet her and tell her she was a good doggie. He'll pet Irbe too, but mostly bosses him around, mainly b/c Irbe is often the one we are scolding. He's a good doggie...actually more obedient than Bou, but do more of the annoying stuff like drool everywhere and sniff you all the time. :)


Cole has been reading his books in bed now after we read his night time books and several times he's fallen asleep with the book on his face. Always the same book. He is REALLY into his truck books right now.

Pictures by Cole

Cole continues to impress with his snapshot ability. Here are some of his more recent works. He was playing with the camera, very carefully I must say, when our neighbor popped by for a moment. So he captured me making googly-eyes at their little boy Evan (he is ADORABLE.) I'm 6 1/2 months pregnant there, by the way if you're counting. I've sort of slacked on the belly documentation this time.....

And then a picture of his prized fire truck. He's done them out of focus for that artsy touch. :)

July 4

We spent July 4th week in Virginia Beach with the extended Mattix Family. Let me tell you, 17 people total is a lot. But it always seems to work itself out just fine. Dean & fam graciously stayed at their own house for their vacation, but we were able to still spend lots of time together. The Race on the 4th at the YMCA that Dean headed up was lots of fun (I was a bystander, not a participator), and that night we watched more fire works than I have ever seen before. We saw the ones being set off across the canal, as well as the ones on the beach and even the 'big ones' in town. It was really neat. Cole had a terrific time with his cousin's and Kevin and I had a good time relaxing. Cole wasn't a big fan of the beach, so we spent most of our time poolside in the blow up pool we brought, but that was fine by us.
Kevin thoroughly enjoyed challenging anyone to ping pong, but his favorite challenger was Dean. Dean's hockey skills have improved quite impressively, so Kevin takes a great amount of joy in beating him in anything else that he can.
It's already fun to think about next year's trip.
Note: technical difficulty withe the blog, so I'll try adding pictures again soon.

Parade

So there were several celebrations for our Hockey Champs (see previous post) and one was a downtown parade on tuesday. Cole and I decided to wing it in the heat and it turns out it worked out perfectly. We got a great parking spot near the beginning of the parade, then ate at Char-Grill while waiting for it all to start.

There were hellicopters circling above, which kept Cole fascinated until the parade began and a fire truck started the procession. He literally squealed with delight. It's so funny to see him get SO EXCITED when a fire truck is actually moving.

Just a few pics of some of the players, the goalie with his MVP award, and of course the Stanley Cup. We had a great view, and the best part was as soon as it was over we zipped out of there no traffic at all!

Stanley Cup Champions

Kevin and I had an exciting opportunity this year with the Hurricanes going to the playoff finals. We were able to go to all the home games during all 4 rounds and that of course included the finaly Game 7 in Raleigh on Monday. We had hoped they would finish the task at Game 6, but obviously now we're glad they finished it all at home. It was an absolute thrill. The game was exciting, and I had that 'good feeling' all night long.

We've been going to the games since they moved from Greensboro to Raleigh, and were there for the playoff finals in 2002 when they were beaten by the Red Wings, so it was even more exciting to see them finish the task.

With another kiddie due at the start of next season, we realized that this would be the 'last hoorah' for us to go to as many games as we did, and we enjoyed every minute of it. And thanks to mom and dad who watched Cole OFTEN as the playoffs started so we could enjoy this together.

Fathers Day

We went to visit Kevin's parents at their farm on fathers day. It was a beautiful day, and in the middle of the time with them, we took a little family trip on the Gator to see the goats. I'm sure it's no surprise to anyone that Kevin is a great father. Cole literally lights up when he comes through the door. Not only is he fun and energetic, but he's also a solid leader and teacher raising this little boy.
We missed Fathers day with my dad, but had a little pre-fathers day celebration watching game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals here at the house. It was a fun evening, and time with both families during the weekend was a treat.

Big Boy Bed

After a dive from the crib last week, we decided to look into beds for Cole. We happened to find a great ikea bed for sale online and got a great deal on it. As of now, Cole hasn't actually slept in the bed yet. We were giving it a little time to lose its novelty, and go over the bed rules with him, particularly no Bouncing, which is what he loves to do on our bed. He's like a little gymnast. Anyway, Cole was fascinated with this new bed and "helped" Kevin put it together last Sunday. And finally a picture of the finished product, although with him climbing on and off of it, this picture is pretty much the only time the bed has been made.