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My snuggle bug

Love that smile!

FAVORITE picture so far!

Bad blogger = good momma

I admit it... I'm a bad blogger. I can't believe that I haven't posted anything since July 4th! Much has gong on in the past few months. Brennen is growing quickly. He's between 18 and 19 lbs already! He's started smiling and laughing! He is the joy of our lives! We've been blessed.

Enjoy some newer pictures.

July 4th, 2009

Happy Independence Day everyone. Ashley, Brennen, Starla and I had the pleasure of being visited by Leigh Anne, Eric and Apollo. The dogs wrestled continuously for nearly 4 hours. They should sleep well tonight. Maybe that is a good thing in case there are fireworks in the area. At one point they were both chasing Malo, the black cat, and he bowed up on top of the counter so much he looked like a porcupine.
We had Sausage and German potato salad for dinner and then had a red, white and blue dessert of pound cake topped with strawberries, cool whip and blueberries. All the while participating in the American past-time of watching a James Bond movie. ;-) Leigh Anne was officially christened by Brennen as he pretended to be Old Faithful when she changed his diaper. It was also a celebration of sorts as we were celebrating Leigh Anne and Eric having their bid accepted on a house in South Austin. Yeah!!!
As you can tell in the picture, Brennen isn't too excited about his first 4th of July. He has been sleeping most of the day (not counting the peeing episode), which isn't a good thing, as he will probably be a "rock star" tonight and be awake from 2 - 4 in the morning partying.

Writing my name in the snow

Well... Much has happened in the last 12 days. I've been spit up on... I've been pooped on... but today we took it to a whole new dimension!

I was in the process of changing Brennen's diaper. It's a tricky process because if you're not fast enough, you get peed on. Well, I got caught without a diaper under his cute little tush when the golden fountain decided to erupt. I had a towel under him because of my previous experiences. So in the heat of the situation, I just directed it down toward the towel. Meanwhile, Stephen is sitting about 2 ft away watching the catastrophe take place laughing hysterically. So... as a woman I'll never be able to "write my name in the snow" but I have had the opportunity to direct the fountain where it didn't end up on me!

~Love Mamma Ash

Brennen's Debut

Brennen Carter Graf made his debut at 9:38PM on Friday June 19, 2009 weighing in at 8 pounds and 6 ounces at a height of 20 3/4 inches long. The doctors and nurses were wonderful. However, the husband couch was amazingly awful. Thank goodness my mother-in-law was able to bring my sleeping bag mattress up to the hospital. If having to change your sleep patterns to accomodate the baby is a challenge enough, try it with a back ache where you can't stand up straight for a couple of days.
After watching and experiencing Brennen's birth, we can honestly say we are grateful we did not do a home birth and would never consider one now that we have been through one.
The amount of love you can have for a small human being that you just met is so overwhelming. Having a child completely dependent on you is definitely a life-changing experience.
~Stephen aka Proud Dad

Easter Weekend

Stephen, Starla and I took a little trip to his parents house for Easter Weekend. It was great to get to spend some time with his parents and get to see a few of the family friends while we were away. Stephen and I both got stomped at a game of Russian Rummy. I think they had home turf advantage! Starla, our wonderful Golden Retriever, gets a little car sick so we gave her Dramamine and it was a great success! No sick Golden! A huge storm rolled through on Sat night/Sun morning about the same time as baby Brennen got the hiccups. It's a very strange feeling but I enjoyed every second of it.. even if it was at 5:00 in the morning! Needless to say, I need a day off to recover from our trip. I love traveling but hate being away from my big king sized-memory foam- slice of luxury.

I hope that everyone had a Happy Easter filled with chocolate bunnies and memorable time with your loved ones.

LA and Eric's Wedding

Stephen and I are both honored that we had the chance to stand with Leigh Anne and Eric on their special day. The weather here in Texas has been less than desirable as far as an outdoor wedding is concerned. I think we've had about 2.5 inches of rain over the three days prior to the wedding.. which doesn't seem like much unless you're planning an outdoor wedding! About an hour before the ceremony was set to begin the clouds parted and the sun started shining on us. Many prayers were answered when the clouds finally broke. In my opinion, it was His way of providing a blessing on that sacred ceremony. My favorite part of their vows "May the spirit of God-which is in the blue sky, in the wind, and in the fresh smells of the Earth-enter your bodies, fill your hearts, and bless your lives" brings a tear to my eyes just reliving it in memory.
Eric's best man, Rhett, gave an outstanding toast and I'd like to share a little of what he said with you.
"Never lie, steal, cheat, or drink.
But if you must lie, lie in the arms of the one you love.
If you must steal, steal away from bad company.
If you must cheat, cheat death.
And if you must drink, drink in the moments that take your breath away" ..words that I'm sure that Eric and LA as well as many guests will never forget.
Thanks to the loving couple for letting us take part in their blessed day. May the love that you share today continue to grow every day of your lives together.
WELCOME TO THE FAMILY ERIC!

I've Been Blessed

I'm a super lucky gal to find someone as special as Stephen but when we got married I hit the JACKPOT! Not only did I get a super wonderful husband but I got friends and family that others dream about. My mother (in law) is a true southern bell. She's compassionate and loving and is always aware of how she makes others feel. She's a great cook, loves to play games and knows how to have a good time. She's always welcome in my home and I hope that she's there more often when Baby Graf arrives. She's going to be the best Oma (German Grandma) on this planet! My dad (in law) is brilliant! I hope that his smarts are passed on to our little one. He's always up for a good conversation and has a very strong faith that I've only seen matched by one other. I admire the way that he's able to say a blessing in a crowd and bring tears to peoples eyes. (especially mine right now with all of these crazy hormones) ...and he can grow the best beard.. if it were more white, I'd rent him out as Santa! I have trouble narrowing down what to say about Leigh Anne. She's my sister in law and I'm so thankful to have her in my life. It's pretty amazing to have someone with so much energy and drive to do great things in my life. She's not only my sister but also one of the best friends a girl could ever ask for! Her wedding is what inspired this blog. I got to meet a few people from Stephens family that I hadn't met at her wedding. They're all awesome! I've heard nothing but good stories about Aunt June and Uncle Jack but when I finally heard Jack's voice I understood what everyone was talking about. I'll bet that he's one of the best story tellers with his booming voice and contagious laugh. Anne and Lucy were so much fun to visit with. Lucy is a girl after my own heart... I think she's around 9 or so and she has the cutest shoes! I think during the rehearsal and dinner she was in 3 different pair! I LOVE IT! Then there's the family that I've had the opportunity to spend time with.. I can't write about them all or this blog with be a book but there are a few that can't go without being mentioned. The thought of Aunt Nancy's egg rolls are making my mouth water just writing about them! She's always so generous and her and Uncle Ray can host a family gathering like no other. Ann and Bill are always welcome in our home (as long as Ann can tolerate our dog Starla) :) I love seeing pictures of their grandchildren and the way that telling stories about their family lights up their eyes!
There are so many that I didn't mention but are equally as special to us. I know that Baby Graf is going to be so loved by this family! I've been blessed to have them as part of mine.

Week 24 Update and other fun stuff

Week 24 has had it's ups and downs. I had to have a root canal on Monday. I really don't recommend that while preggo! Overall the pregnancy has been pretty good... except for the problems with my teeth. I'm ready for that to come to an end! My dentists are nice and all but I feel like I've spent more than enough time with them for 2009!

Stephen and Starla worked on our front yard to add a little color so that everything looks nice for next weekend. They did a great job planting Snap Dragons, a Texas Sage and smoothing out fresh mulch. It's amazing how fresh mulch brightens up the whole front yard.

My friend, Jen, was in town with her in-laws for the weekend. I met up with her and the family for dinner on Sat. night. Her husband and his family were so much fun to hang out with. I imagine that there aren't very many dull moments when that group gets together! Jen got Baby Graf his first baby gift off of our registry. We're now the proud owners of a Boppy! She also got a set of onesies and a kit that has a frame and ink to keep our little one's hand and foot print.

This week is going to be jam packed with preparations for family and friends gathering for Leigh Anne and Eric's wedding. I'm sure there will be a post wedding blog next week. -More to come!
-S&A

Fun Week!

This week has been action packed! Stephen and I met up with his cousin, sister and soon to be brother in law at an awesome Pizza place for dinner on Wed. We're glad that Terri's getting settled in and hope that they enjoy Austin as their new home!
Work was pretty rough this week so we decided to go to the mall for a quick $10 for 10 min massage on Thursday... Well, I got a massage while Stephen went shoe shopping. I'm giving in to the fact that I'm going to have to wear the dreaded maternity clothes. I found a cute pair of capri pants in hopes that the weather would hold up for the kite festival. (It's on 3/1 and I hope to have some fun pictures to post) After we got home from the mall and dinner I was lounging around and the baby decided to bounce around like a pinball machine. Stephen finally got to feel Baby Graf move!
We hope that everyone's weekend is off to a great start!

Where did Stephen Go?

Stephen purchased a new toy off of Woot.com. I have to admit it's pretty cool... but I think I've lost him for a few weeks.

His new mantoy is this nifty little gadget that records records into MP3s. I've been teasing him that he'll have to get rid of his collection once they're all converted and saved on the computer to make room for baby. This isn't an exact duplicate of what Stephen purchased but it's similar.

Stephen says "It is a vinyl archiver, baby, isn't that cool!"

Hope you're having a great weekend.

S&A

21 Week Dr Appointment

We went to our 2nd sonogram this morning. (started the blog on 2/10 and then fizzled out. SORRY!) They measure bone sizes, look for major organs, check to make sure baby's heart is beating properly. It was amazing to see all of those little parts and pieces that make up baby Graf. 2 arms, 2 legs, 2 kidneys, nose, lips, and a brain (always good to have). And yes, still a boy.

Greetings

Stephen and I created this as an easy way to keep family and friends updated on us, our pets and our baby (coming in June).
We have our 20 week sonogram scheduled for tomorrow which will actually be 21 weeks for me and baby. I hope to have an updated sonogram picture to share with you after the appointment.
More to come...
-S&A