Taking Photos

Laura and I have been doing a lot more photo shoots lately.  We have a couple to do this weekend actually.  We’ve been having a great time taking them and are looking forward to more photos with our kids.  Below are some of the photos from recent shoots.

Life in the Fast Lane

Life has been moving at a breakneck speed for the Simons family lately.  Trey is going to hit 4 weeks old this week!  He’s doing really great on sleeping…I credit that to Laura’s genes and to BabyWise.  I would STRONGLY recommend all new or expecting parents giving this book a read.

Between trying to spend time with my family and a crazy last couple of weeks at work, my exercise time has suffered tremendously.  I did a triathlon this past weekend and had a blast.  The triathlon was in Sardis, MS.  It was this triathlon that was actually the first triathlon I ever completed back in 2001.  My time then wasn’t very good and my time now isn’t very good.  What is good is that I only got about 1 minute and 30 seconds slower in 8 years. 

We’ve been taking a lot of pictures for people lately.  It has been fun, but cramming it into our busy schedules hasn’t been a cakewalk.  We’ve got two more sets scheduled for next weekend and we’re looking forward to it.

Haley girl has been loving on Trey a LOT.  We were able to give him his first real bath this weekend.  Haley was a big helper.  I think she enjoyed the fact that she wasn’t the one getting scrubbed on.  She’s gotten a little whiney lately…I think mostly because she’s cutting her last teeth.  She’s nearly always got her hand in her mouth.  Poor thing.  Even so, she still seems to be having a pretty good time.  These long days have been great for getting outside as a family.  Unfortunately, the heat has already hit Memphis and it is almost unbearable until after about 7 p.m.

We got a couple of cute pictures of Haley this weekend.  A friend came into town and we had a photo shoot of her kids.  One of them is about Haley’s age and they got along GREAT.  It was so cute to watch them playing together.  Pictures are below.  In one of them, Haley was on a mission getting rocks and throwing them in the water.  It was SO funny to watch her running back and forth, working up a sweat and ENTIRELY serious about the task at hand.

Couple of Photos

We had a photo shoot late last week and are finally getting around to posting some of the photos.  Trey and Haley are so cute!  We’re having a blast with them!

Shed - Check

As usual, we can’t leave well enough alone.  From the time we started looking for houses about a year and a half ago, one thing I wanted was a 3rd car garage to store a lot of my tools/stuff.  Of course, the house we settled on only had a two car garage.  I need my space!  So, what left to do except build a shed.

My mom and dad came up this past weekend and we got to work on it.  I was surprised at how much ground we covered.  We tried to keep it under 200 square feet so that we didn’t need to get a permit.  We managed to come in with a 14×14…196 square feet.

We still need to do the trim, but I’ve already moved a few things in.  It is AMAZING how much space I can free up in the garage just by getting a few things out.  Between the stroller, jogging stroller, umbrella stroller and wagon, I think I freed up 1/3 of our garage!

Below are a couple of pictures of our adventures.  We started (well, Dad started) about lunch on Friday.  I had to work until about 4 and then I managed to kick in and help a little.  I finished nailing on the roof Monday before work.  I’m sure the neighbors loved the fact that they heard hammering at 6 a.m.

A very, very, special thanks to my Mom and Dad.  Without Mom’s help with Laura, Haley and Trey, I couldn’t have worked on the shed.  And of course, Mom kept our “gas tanks” full with fantastic food the whole weekend.  Without Dad’s help, much, much less work would have gotten done.  He is a machine.  Really.

How it looked when we started – Lunch Friday

Around 10 a.m. on Saturday

Around 11:30 a.m. on Saturday

Cutting rafters on Saturday

Around 8 a.m. on Sunday

Around 1 p.m. on Sunday

Trey Boy!

Trey is being awesome!  So is Haley.  It is so neat to watch the two of them interact.  I’ve been able to work nearly full time since Trey was born.  I’ve taken a couple of hours off on a few days, but for the most part, it has been business as usual.

Here are a couple of quick pictures.  We have not had as many photo shoots of Trey as we have of Haley, but I think we are getting more “bang” out of the photos we’re taking.  It is a amazing how much my skills have improved in two years.  We had a photo shoot tonight, but I haven’t had time to get those pictures up yet.  They’ll be up later!  For now, here’s the newest bulldog addition.

Photos are up!

Photos are up in the Gallery.  Here are a couple from the last few days.  I’m sure more will be up over the next week or so.

We’ve gotten settled in and are happy to be home.  Thanks so much for all the support and prayers.  Laura’s moving around pretty good, but is still a bit tired.  Take a look at the picture of Haley when she was born beside Trey when he was born.  Wow, any resemblance?

Okay, enough posting.  I’m going to sit out on the deck with my family!

He’s Here!

Welcome Home, Trey!  We have been so blessed throughout this pregnancy.  We prayed every day that Laura’s blood would be good, that Trey would develop just as he should and that everything in delivery would come out okay.  Matthew 7:7 says, “Ask and it shall be given to you…”  We asked continuously and ALL of our prayers were answered. 

We checked into Germantown Methodist at 8 p.m. on the 20th.  They took Laura back and asked all the medical questions while I waited in the waiting room what seemed like forever.  It nearly was forever!  About 9:30 they let me go back.  Laura was robed up and hanging out in the bed in the L&D room.  About 10 her Cervidil Rx arrived.  We quickly went to sleep.  It had been a long day and we’d had a big “last meal” of Macaroni grill with my parents, my sister, Haley and Seth.

Of course, the nurses came in throughout the night, but we got some pretty good rest.  Around 6 AM, they started giving Laura fluids through IV and began a VERY light dose of Potossin to start labor.  Within a few hours, the anesthesiologist came in to start the epidural.  Once that kicked in, they upped the Potossin.

About 1:10, a nurse came in to check Laura.  She let everyone know that we were ready to start having this baby.  We just needed to wait on the doctor.  How exciting!  Our doctor showed up about 15 minutes later.  We sent the family out of the room.  Laura had just the two of us and the doctors in the room for Haley.  It gave US the special time.  We really enjoyed it that way.  With minimal effort (easy for me to say), Trey was out!  1:38 p.m. on the 21st was the ‘official’ time of birth.  He was 21 inches long and weighed in at 8 lbs. 12 oz. (just one ounce more than Haley.)

It took about 20 minutes for the docs to clean Laura up and do all their tests on her to make sure she was okay.  It only took about 10 minutes for them to clean up Trey, so I got to spend some special time with him.  After the docs and nurses left, Laura and I spent about 15 minutes with just the three of us before we let any family back in.  It was a really special time.  My feelings when Trey were born were a little different than Haley.  With Haley, I was completely overwhelmed with emotion.  With Trey, it was much more “excitement”.  I’m not sure why.  Maybe because I already know what it is like to be a dad.  Regardless, it is an awesome feeling to know we’ve added another member to our family. 

Pictures will come later.  We are hoping to get to go home today.  Laura is doing VERY well and Trey is too.  We’re going to have our “stork meal” at lunch.  It’s a “fancy” steak dinner that the Hospital gives to all new parents.  It was funny as we were letting them know what we wanted.  Our options on done-ness were medium-well or well-done.  I’m sure it is going to be delectable.

We are also anxious for Haley to meet Trey.  She hasn’t been up here yet, but should be coming in this morning.  She’s going to flip out!

Things we’re thankful for:  safe pregnancy, safe delivery for mom and baby, wonderful family, fantastic friends, blankets of prayer that others laid over us, great recovery.

Things we’re praying for:  strength to raise up Trey and Haley in a Godly and loving home, ability to do a good job disciplining and being compassionate, that Laura and I continue to focus on each other and not just on the children, the strength to back off and let our kids face some adversity so that they can grow stronger.

Almost time!

Well, we’re about to head to the Germantown Methodist to bring home a new addition to the family.  Thanks for all who have been keeping us in their prayers.  While we’re out, here are a few pictures from the weekend.  The first one is from the Neighborhood party that we had in the park on Sunday.  I like this one because the girls look like the Mod Squad walking towards us.  The next two were early Sunday morning - Haley getting ready for a bath and  a deer in the back yard.

Deck…Check

The deck is done!  Along with a boatload of other things on my list.  If Trey doesn’t come before Wednesday night, we’ll be going in to get induced.  Time is flying!  over the past week, I’ve made 6 trips to Home Depot,  stained a deck twice (which took time nearly every day), made cornice boards, hung cornice boards, scotch guarded furniture, mowed grass, fertilized, over seeded the yard, been to the gym 3 times, been to WalMart 3 times, ridden my bike, found out I have high cholesterol, changed my diet and ran electrical wiring for an outdoor spotlight.  Of course, I did the normal duties as well (like working, church, etc.)  I think when Trey gets here, I’ll actually have less to do.  We’ll see!

Laura’s been buzzing around as well.  She is the one that actually did the upholstery on the cornice boards.  And, she’s been a cleaning machine!  We’ve got someone coming to do the hard core cleaning on Monday.  It will be nice to come home from the hospital to a clean house.

BEFORE

AFTER

AWESOME WEATHER

Wow, hasn’t this weather been awesome lately?  We’ve been taking as much advantage of it as possible lately and spending time outdoors.  I’ve taken Haley fishing a few times over the past week or so.  We just go down by the pier across the street.  She seems to enjoy walking there as much as fishing.  She does like to touch the fish, though, when we catch them.

We’ve also been spending time at the park and I’ve managed to finally put one coat of stain/weatherproofing on the deck.  It looks great, but needs another coat of stain.  Maybe I’ll get to that this weekend.  I’ve got a list about a mile long of things I’d like to do before Trey gets here.  But there isn’t much time.  If he doesn’t come before next Thursday, he’ll they’ll induce.  So right now, we’re t-minus 9 days until we have a new addition. 

Mother’s day went well.  I made Laura a photo album of picutures of Haley, her and me over the past year or so.  It turned out nice.  We also had a tasty breakfast on Sunday morning and her parents came over for dinner on Sunday night.  All in all, I think she enjoyed it.  I hope she did.  I have the most amazing wife ever.  She is a wonderful mother and there is no doubt that God set me up with a blessing I didn’t deserve when he put us together.