More Pictures

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!