Life with the Tooley's

Preschool and Soccer Season!

2010-09-12T18:26:00.001-07:00

I’m baaaaaaaack! That was the fastest 4 months of my life!

Micah is really enjoying preschool. She (and I) and survived the first 2 weeks. It’s actually been really nice to have one morning a week alone with my little man.

This is Micah on the first day-

Micah is playing soccer this season. Her first “game” was on Saturday. Game = twelve 3-year-olds, 2 coaches, and 20 minutes of yelling “get the ball, no hands, wrong way!” But, so stinkin cute!!

Aaron is counting the days until he can get in on the soccer action!

Vacation…. continued.

2010-06-08T10:16:00.001-07:00

We took a walk on the Gulf Shores, Alabama State Park Pier. SOOOOO pretty at dusk.

My dad, Drew, Aaron and I went to the Pensacola Naval Aviation Museum one afternoon (again, Micah stayed at the pool with Aunt Alison). I think Aaron wants to be a pilot when he grows up.

This is an anchor for an aircraft carrier. HUGE.

This lighthouse was just across the street from the museum, so we decided to check it out, too.

The spiral staircase, 178 steps to the top!

(Can you see Drew and Aaron?)

We ate at some restaurant that let people feed a crocodile and turtles from the deck.

I tried to get some cute pictures of Aaron on the beach. He was NOT in the mood for that. I didn’t even try with Micah. She has a mind of her own lately.

One last family photo to end the post!

Vacation Pics- Gulf Shores!

2010-06-08T08:42:00.001-07:00

We spent the night at Em’s, in Birmingham, on the way down. Of course we had let all the kiddos play in the bath together (Sorry Brooks! Maybe next time!)

As soon as we parked the car and before we unloaded a single suitcase we walked down to the beach. Aaron was a little overwhelmed with the ocean—he couldn’t stop looking at the water….

The view from our condo- so wonderful to wake-up to in the morning!

The next morning we were the first one’s on the sand.

Micah spent most of her afternoons (while her little brother was napping) at the pool. Aaron hated the pool- he only got in it once.

Drew and I took Aaron shopping with us at the outlet mall one morning. Micah stayed at the pool with Aunt Alison. He’s a happy guy when he’s shopping!

We took an afternoon and went to the zoo. It wasn’t anything like the Indy Zoo…. I’ll sum it up in one word. Sketchy.

After Aaron found an add for dolphin tours in a magazine, we decided to go on one. The kids both loved being on the boat!

** see next post for more **

Aaron’s 9-month Photos…. really late.

2010-05-12T18:16:00.001-07:00

Ok, so he’s 10 months old. Better late than never!

And my little partner joined the fun… she’s pretty cute, too.

I took some pictures for one of my besties--- she has such a beautiful family. Love you, Em!!

Loving Spring!

2010-04-03T20:13:00.001-07:00

The Tooley’s love being outside! Momma loves it mostly because playing outdoors keeps the indoors clean and the naptimes long!

Aaron loves to swing… for hours at a time. He’s so cute doing it, too!

Micah is my beautiful little princess- Love her!

We decorated our Easter eggs this evening. I told Micah we were going to color eggs and she couldn’t figure out why we didn’t need crayons. She got really upset about it and was sent out of the kitchen.

Happy Easter!

Pure cuteness.

2010-03-06T19:19:00.001-08:00

One night while I was feeing Aaron dinner Micah climbed up the chair I was sitting on and sat behind me. When she popped up from behind my back to see Aaron he thought it was pretty funny!!

**Forgive me for not wiping his face off- I was in a hurry to catch the moment on my camera!**

The Fashionista

2010-01-30T19:54:00.001-08:00

Micah loves to pick out her clothes and dress herself. I won’t say she’s a hot mess…. I’ll just call her very fashion-forward.

Pink sweatpants, white shirt, blue vest, purple hat (off of her snow-suit), mini mouse socks, and princess shoes.

Black pants, white tank-top, princess shoes, and princess crown g-style. Aaron digs it.

Pink hair extensions. Don’t ask.

Pajama top (rolled up to expose belly), diaper, and elmo panties.

Aaron’s 6-month Photos

2010-01-01T18:19:00.001-08:00

Here is my favorite baby boy’s 6-month photos! Love that little guy!!

Disney on Ice and Playing in the Snow

2009-12-23T17:50:00.001-08:00

So I’m not so good at this blog-more-than-once-a-month thing. I’m trying out Windows Live Writer to see if the ease of this program will help me stay on top of things…. I’ll let you know how it goes ( like you won’t be able to tell on your own).

Anywho, (I said that in a sing-song voice if you couldn’t tell….) We’ve done many, many things since Halloween and my last post, but Micah is still talking about the fun we had at Disney on Ice. We were lucky enough to get free tickets (thanks Jess!!!) to this amazing spectacle. Micah was plastered to the plexi-glass railing the e.n.t.i.r.e. first half, then I bought her some light-up Minnie Mouse toy during intermission that ~~I paid way too much for~~ occupied her for most the second half.

The stars of the show, the epitome of anything Disney- Mickey and Minnie Mouse… or if you’re Micah they’re pronounced Mickey Bice and Mimi Bice.

Here’s Micah playing outside today… so cute in her little hat!!

When I was getting the pictures off my camera this evening she kept saying, “ Cheese, mommy? Cheese?” Then she would do this… cute, eh?

And just because this may be the only post until June… I’ll leave you with this little nugget of pure sweetness. It’s Micah reading a story to Aaron out of her Elmo Potty coloring book. If you listen carefully you’ll here her say amen in the middle of it…. so she might’ve been praying for him, too. Who knows with that girl.

Pumpkins and Rock-Stars

2009-11-06T10:07:00.000-08:00

This was a low-budget Halloween for the Tooley's. I can't justify spending a ton of money on costumes that will be worn only once... so Micah was a rock-star and Aaron was a pumpkin (Ok, so he wore a pumpkin shirt. Whatever.)

Last year we participated in the neighborhood costume parade and decided to make that our tradition. This year Aaron didn't really participate... he was more of an accessory to my mommy costume.

Daddy and his little rocker girl-

Pumpkin Train!

2009-10-30T18:35:00.001-07:00

A couple weeks ago Micah and I rode the pumpkin train with April, Josh, and Meg. After an initial period of wanting off the train Micah was able to enjoy the ride.... with some snacks and bribery :)

We were dropped off in the middle of a corn field that some local FFA kids had converted into a combo pumpkin patch/petting zoo.

Micah's favorite part of the day? The rabbit with elmo eyes. (We're working on the saying the word "RED" .... she's not quite there yet.)

She liked the hay maze, too. Mostly because I couldn't chase her through it due to the pumpkin I was carting everywhere.

It was a beautiful day spent with my precious little girl.

Aaron is 3 months and Micah is crazy

2009-10-24T07:51:00.000-07:00

I'm baaaaaaaaaack! Sorry about the delay, peeps. Life got a little crazy there for a second, but I'm back in control now. Here's the problem- I had to go back to work. BOOOOOOO.

I managed to not really get any good pictures of Aaron for his 3-month session. Big surprise. The more I plan the worse the results. Here's what I managed to get-

Micah has never liked bananas. She'll take a couple bites until she realizes she didn't really want it to begin with. So last night my dad came over for dinner and Micah insisted that she needed to have "bites" of the banana she spotted on the counter. My dad suggested we put some peanut butter on it to see if she would eat more of it. We did and she liked it. If you know my dad you know that he likes stir things up. He asked Micah if she wanted some mustard, joking of course. She said yes and then pointed to the spot on her plate where she wanted it. Seeing what she would do I gave her a little.

Yes, my friends, she dipped her banana in the mustard. And ate. every. last. bite.

Even the mustard.

My babies and their friends....

2009-09-20T13:31:00.000-07:00

One of my best-est friends, Emily, was in town this week with her 1-year-old little man, Harrison. You met him for the first time in this post. Sheesh! Time is flying by I can't believe it's been a year already! I'm so excited for Em and her hubby, Brian. They're expecting their second little man in March!

Micah, Aaron, and I spent some time hanging out with them and with Brittany and her little man, Griffin, who you met for the first time in this post.

We cleverly arranged them from oldest to youngest- Micah, Harrison, Griffin, and Aaron. The 2 middle boys hated sitting still-- and Aaron just wasn't happy.

We had such a great time getting all of our kids together-- however its not really the same kind of great times we shared as nursing students in college, but times change I suppose.

This next part is for my mother, mother-in-law, and grandma. They've been complaining about not having any current pictures of my children. So here you are. Just 3 simple steps to get them on your computer-
1. Click on the picture to open it in a new window.
2. Right-click on the picture and select 'save image as'.
3. Select the location you would like it to go on your computer and press ok!

The faces of Aaron

2009-08-29T07:24:00.000-07:00

Fish Face

Big Eyes!

Pure cuteness.

A new blog!!

2009-08-23T11:56:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to introduce my brand-spankin'-new blog!

www.injensfreetime.blogspot.com

Get excited! Add it to your favorites, bookmark it, link it to your blog, and tell your friends!! Just don't forget to check it out!!

Growing and getting loud!

2009-08-16T11:07:00.000-07:00

The Tooley household, like most households with children, has been LOUD lately! After about 5 weeks of a blissfully peaceful existence, Aaron decided to make some noise-- and he didn't stop until yesterday. After about a week of non-stop fussing I had nearly lost my mind. I didn't hesitate to take him to walk-in hours on a Saturday morning to insist on something for reflux. Good thing the doctor agreed with my diagnosis. He's doing much better now.

Micah has enjoyed helping me out-- she's such a little mommy. With any noise that Aaron makes she is convinced he needs his "pacies" and won't hesitate to try to force one into his mouth. Which can only make the situation better, right?

Everything I do my little helper is right by my side, helping me keep track of the baby. I think she thinks he's going to wander off and never come back. I almost have to tape her down just to keep her out of the bathtub while I bathe him. He takes the chaos well, I must say.

As you can see, Aaron is starting to look more like his daddy everyday... blue eyes and hairline included. At his 1-month check-up he weighed 10lbs 10oz (65th percentile) and was 22.25in long (66th percentile). I'm sure he's over 12lbs now since his cute clothes are finally starting to fit. I love the outfit he wore to church this morning! (Thanks to Aunt April and Uncle Josh for the shirt!!!)

My little 2-ring circus.

2009-07-24T11:03:00.000-07:00

I've decided not to send out birth announcements-- mainly because I'm not satisfied with the results of my several attempts to get some baby pictures. Sorry to all of you running to your mailbox every afternoon hoping to see some adorable pictures of my child. I'll show you what I've been able to get-- they're still cute, but not the drop-dead-gorgeous baby photos I had envisioned.

Adjusting to life with a second child hasn't been the circus I had thought it would be. Don't get me wrong- I definitely feel like I'm running a zoo sometimes, but I chalk that up to the crazy 2-year-old living with me. From the moment Micah's little eyelids open in the morning she is ready to go bye-bye. And, while she was an only-child, we usually did have some place to go or something to do. Now that her little brother has entered the scene she can't seem to understand why we're not conquering all the end-of-summer-sales at the Castleton Mall.... oh, how I wish we could!!! Playing with "bubblef" and going to the park are only fun the first 15 minutes, or however long it takes Aaron to realize he is hungry.... again.

The last 4 weeks and been a whirlwind- a little stressful, but a lot of wonderful. My baby boy has gained a little over 2 pounds already!! He weighed 9lbs 11oz a couple of days ago and is starting to outgrow some of his newborn clothes. He's looking like a little man- complete with a beautiful pair of blue eyes to compete with his sister's.

Speaking of that little girl- here's what Aaron thinks of her....

Another big day!

2009-07-02T18:33:00.000-07:00

As planned, the nasal cannula was discontinued early this morning. Feedings went really well during the night-- so well that I only got about 3 hrs of sleep. The IV nutrition was discontinued late this morning because of his great breastfeeding. I was able to give Aaron his first bath, unfortunately I was alone at the time so I wasn't able to get any pictures. After his bath he was upgraded to a normal crib-- clearing the warmer out of the room. YAY!!

Micah was able to visit again today- this is her 4th time seeing her new brother. She is thrilled with the baby. I asked her what the baby's name was and she quickly replied, "ELMO!". Too bad the birth certificate is already filed.

Aaron is finally our normal baby. I can't begin to imagine how families cope with NICU stays lasting weeks and months. Our 7-day tour was quite enough. We anticipate going home Saturday afternoon-evening sometime.

Thank you all again for your thoughts and prayers for our family and our precious baby boy. I truly believe that without our faith this small bump in the road would not have passed so smoothly.

And he's off!...

2009-07-01T19:11:00.000-07:00

Big day for Aaron- he's off the vent and breathing on his own!!! And doing great, too! In fact, he's almost off everything! Shortly after he was extubated, the doctor discontinued one of his umbilical lines, leaving the other in place for him to continue to received the antibiotics. Then, about 30 minutes after that was out I got to feed him! He did wonderfully breastfeeding, picking up right where he left off on Saturday. I couldn't be more proud of my little man. As you can see in the picture, he still has on a little bit of oxygen. If you ask me, it's such a small amount I don't think he really even needs it-- his nurse agrees with me. That should be gone by the morning.

The plan now is this--

**Antibiotics for another 3 days.
**Eat
**Sleep
**Pee and poop.
**Get circumcised.
**Pass hearing screen.
**Watch fireworks from NICU window.
**Go home and live happily ever after.

Drew's Turn on Cloud 9

2009-06-30T12:09:00.000-07:00

Aaron continues to do very well. His chest xray is much improved again today, however it still is showing some crud in the lower parts of his lungs. Dr. Hertz decided to given him one more day on the vent to wean the oxygen he requires. Right now he is at 25%- the goal is to be at 21% tomorrow so they can take him off the vent at that time. Once he's off the vent Dr. Hertz would like to see him skip the tube-feedings and go straight to breastfeeding. Yay!! I'm so sick of bonding with my breastpump- I'm ready for my baby!!

Drew got to hold Aaron today for about on hour- this is only the second time he's been able to hold is son. I know it was therapeutic for both of them. True to the Tooley name, Aaron didn't waste any time pooping while in daddy's arms. This is quite a feat considering the kiddo hasn't eaten for 2 days.

I was able to take a few pictures of Aaron this morning- his swelling seems to have reached a peak. All of the nurses and Dr. Hertz say that on day 3 babies start to get rid of all the excess fluid they've been storing.

Micah came to visit her little brother yesterday- she loves that baby. In fact, that's the only word she says the entire time she's here, "Baby. Baby? Wuv baby." What a great big sis!

I'm on cloud 9...

2009-06-29T13:27:00.000-07:00

I got to hold my baby today for an hour!! Aaron is doing really well- holding up his O2 sats and keeping his breathing under 60. I talked with Dr. Hertz, the neonatalogist, about the plan for the next few days. It has changed a little since Aaron's last chest xray still showed a little something in the base of his right lung. Here's the current plan-

**IV nutrition will begin this evening.
**Vent weaning will start tomorrow as long as he continues to do well.
**Tube feedings will start later tomorrow, with oral feedings starting after he is weaned off the vent.
**IV antibiotics will continue for a total of 7 days.
**Go home and live happily ever after.

On another subject- I'm thinking Micah's birthday party will have to be cancelled. I'm looking forward to having Micah's 3rd and Aaron's 1st birthday party together next year!!!

And his name is......

2009-06-29T04:58:00.000-07:00

Aaron Daniel Tooley

Aaron is doing well this morning. His respirations are in the 50's (we want him to be less than 60). When he was placed on the vent his respirations were 140's, so this is a huge improvement. All his blood work is coming back exactly where it needs to be. He's very relaxed and sleeping peacefully.

The next step is to start feedings- as long as his breathing remains stable. Initially he will get tube feedings to avoid the stress of having to suck/swallow/and breath. As he proves able to do that (and doesn't need the assistance of the vent to breath) then I can start breastfeeding. Hopefully this process will start sometime today.

Thank you all for all of your kind words, thought, and prayers. I can't imagine going through this without your support.

More later...

He's Here!

2009-06-28T08:08:00.000-07:00

It's a BOY!! Drew and I feel so blessed to have this little man in our lives. He entered the world at 12:07 on June 27th-- just a little less then 3 weeks early. He weighed 7lbs 7oz and is 20 3/4 in long. A few hours after he was born he was transferred to the NICU for closer monitoring of his breathing. He needed a little bit of oxygen at that time.

Long story short- the neonataologist felt that he needed the assistance of a ventilator to breath after seeing his chest x-ray and blood work. He was sedated and put on the vent at around 4am this morning. Please keep him, Drew and I in your prayers. It's so hard to see my baby in this condition-- I can't even begin to explain to you how my heart aches. I want more than anything to hold and kiss my baby and I can't.

His blood work and chest xray from this morning seem to be pointing towards pneumonia, which is routinely a 7-day course of antibiotics.

Here are some pictures of him from this morning. His face seems a little swollen- he's getting some fluids to keep his blood pressure up. His breathing seems much more relaxed.

Please forgive Drew and I for not responding to all the phone calls and text messages- we appreciate all of your support and love. Visitors are welcome to come to the hospital-- just know that we won't be able to let everybody go up the the NICU.

I'm going to keep all significant updates posted here. ... like when we name him. :)

A Day at the Zoo

2009-06-12T11:57:00.000-07:00

Drew and I took Micah to the zoo on Tuesday. I had been wanting to take her there for awhile. It finally worked out that Drew had a day off and the weather was perfect! We started our little adventure at the dolphin show. Micah loved watching the dolphins jump out of the water and swim around the pool playing with their toys.

Drew and Micah watching the dolphin show. (The pointing finger was very active while we were at the zoo.)

After the show we went to the underwater viewing area. I think Drew enjoyed this part more than Micah.

In the desert building Micah was fascinated with the Meerkats. She kept saying "Hi, kee kee kee!". That's her version of "kitty, kitty, kitty".

Next was the plains exhibit-- the giraffes were very active and so pretty!

After lunch we saw some Canadian Brown Bears-

And our day ended in the Oceans Building (By the way- this is the coolest part of the zoo. I could spend hours in that place.)

Sorry- didn't get any pictures of Micah in this part. She wasn't as thrilled with it was I was.... plus nap time had already been delayed by over an hour.

UPDATE: 35 weeks

**WARNING- This belly is a little out of control. Viewer discretion advised**

**WARNING- The owner of this belly is slightly hormonal- no comments are to be made about the large size of this belly- she already knows. Should such comments be made, the owner of this belly reserves the right to comment on the size of the commenter's belly. However, you may repeatedly comment on how great the owner of this belly looks.**

Impromptu photo session

2009-06-02T11:46:00.000-07:00

Do you ever miss your camera? Like, really miss it? Sometimes I feel it calling my name from the closet- "Jen.....JEN.... you need to fill my memory card with pictures of your beautiful growing girl!!".

It was especially loud today. I grabbed it on my way upstairs with Micah- she wanted to play in her room..uh um....I mean get out all of her shoes and try them on. She gets her fascination with shoes honestly... although my shoe and clothing wardrobe lately is in serious need of a make-over.... that's a whole other post.

Anyway.

I was skeptical of how well this little impromptu shoot would turn out. From my experience- the little that I have- unplanned picture taking can go 2 directions- bad or worse.

But I had a breakthrough today!

ADORABLE!!! These are some of my favorite pictures of her to date!

Memorial Day Weekend!!!

2009-05-24T17:56:00.001-07:00

I love Memorial Day weekend for several reasons-
1. The public pool opens which means that summer is officially on the way!!!
2. The 500 Festival Parade- so much fun.
3. Warm weather is here to stay, and I L. O. V. E. warm weather.

If you have never been the to 500 Festival Parade you need to make an effort to go. I heard on the radio the other day it is the 3rd largest parade in the nation (the first is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the second the the Christmas Day Parade)!! All of the drivers in the Indianapolis 500 are in the parade along with many other celebrities.

We saw Dannica Patrick- always a crowd favorite.

Sarah Fisher- another one of the super-fast women in the race.

For those Office fans out there- we saw "Meredith"

And a fan favorite- "Jan"

But the highlight of my day was being within several yards of this cutie-patootie-- MARIO LOPEZ!!!!! We totally had a moment. Don't be jealous.
After the parade we went to my dad's house for a "cook-out"- he picked up KFC on the way home. He did have some guacamole, however no one really got any because Micah claimed the bowl as her personal portion.

She was completely satisfied dipping her chip in the guac... until my dad offered her a spoon. That was exactly what she needed to get the fresh tomato pieces scooped up into that little mouth.

Here's the little lady hangin-out with her Aunt Alison.

This picture is from our drive home from Drew's parents' this evening- she thought it was funny that the wind was blowing her hair everywhere.

BELLY UPDATE: 32 WEEKS + 2 DAYS

Quite impressive, eh? This little bean is doing well- kicking and growing just like a baby should! At my appointment this week the heart rate was 140- middle of the road as far as heart rates go. I'm still thinking girl.... I will remind you that I thought Micah was a boy- my "mother's intuition" has a history of being wrong. Only 8 more weeks (at most!) and we will know!!!

Mom's Wedding!!

2009-04-28T13:15:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a busy one- my mom got married! Her and Rick, my step-dad, had a small ceremony in Brown county at a small wedding chapel. It was such a beautiful day and everything went perfectly.

My little flower girl did a wonderful job, she was a little too excited to walk down the isle-- so she ran.

After the ceremony I found her doing this.... she's such a polite little thing.

Here are some pictures I got of the happy couple-

CONGRATULATIONS MOM and RICK! WE LOVE YOU!!

The hotel we stayed in the night before the wedding was basically in the parking lot of the Edinburgh Outlet Mall. Have I ever told you how much I love outlet malls?? One store in particular caught my eye- I could see it from our hotel window.-- C.O.A.C.H. I couldn't resist.

Yep- I got another!! Let's just say my mom really appreciated me helping with her wedding. Don't worry... she got herself one, too!

BELLY UPDATE: 28 WEEKS!

We're growing! Everything is going perfectly. Let the countdown begin- only 12 more weeks! (I'm keeping my fingers crossed for slightly less, and heaven forbid no more than 12 weeks!)

And my little growing girl eating a snack this afternoon. This is the first time she's smiled for the camera when I've told her to- hence the fake smile. I just love her little face!!!

The Big Move!

2009-04-21T17:31:00.000-07:00

Isn't this adorable!! I love how her room turned out. There are still a few details to add, but you get the idea. Tonight is her first night in the new space-- and I haven't heard a peep yet! I decided to keep her in her crib until she is used to sleeping in there. I feel bad forcing a million changes on her at once-- new room, new sibling, and a new bed would be a little much. We will get there.... and then we'll have to think about potty training. Yikes! Does it ever end???

Anyway, I want to show you the dresser I made-over for my little lady. I love how it turned out! Here's the BEFORE:

And AFTER!!!!

I love the faux-crystal handles I added-- gives it a little shabby-chic flare. I've decided I want to be like this incredibly cool lady. I love all the cuteness that oozes out of her blog. Anyway... taking the shabby-chic a little farther I invested in this lamp- yes, it was an investment- but I love it, too!

Another view of the room-

OH! And the little thingies on the walls? MAGNETS! Can you believe that?? Aren't they adorable? I found the flowers at Bed, Bath, and Beyond and the butterflies at Target. They were all white, but I fixed that with a little girlie-pink spray paint on a few of them.

I've also been reaching deep into my inner-crafter to put together all the flowers for my mom's wedding- can I tell you that working with fake flowers is a lot harder then real ones? They have a mind of their own.
Being the only grandchild on that side of the family, Micah, of course, is the flower girl. I made her this cute little 'flower ball'.

The bride's bouquet-

The matron of honor's bouquet and bride's bouquet-

And boutonnieres for the best man and groom-

The wedding is this weekend- pictures of that in posts to follow!

Spring has arrived..... FINALLY!

2009-04-17T09:42:00.000-07:00

I don't know why I get so excited to see all my flowers start to bloom. Micah and I take walks around the house checking on all our plants and flowers, making sure all of them survived the winter-- she mainly is on a search for rabbits, or "hop-hops" as she calls them.
Yesterday we spent most of the afternoon outside- coloring with chalk, picking dandelions, and chasing the ducks that live in our ditch- doing all the things that kids do on spring days.

We had a fantastic Easter weekend. Micah was old enough this year to enjoy getting an Easter basket filled with surprises!

Micah and Drew all dressed up for church!

So pretty!

2009-04-10T09:43:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was crazy busy for us- Drew's sister, Nikki, got hitched! We couldn't be happier for her and her new hubby, Josh. I was a little overwhelmed with the day's events and wasn't very good at taking pictures. Lucky for you I have a link to their photographer's blog to the right. The wedding pictures should be posted on or near April 18th. I did manage to at least get a family photo...

And a video of Micah dancing to some Jack Johnson.... so CUTE! She couldn't resist the dance floor.

**UPDATE: The Big Girl Room is in the final stages.... the big reveal is coming soon!!

I've missed you!

2009-03-29T09:59:00.000-07:00

Ok, sorry about the L-O-N-G delay in blog updates. Sometimes I don't think my life is interesting enough to blog weekly-- but I certainly hear about it from my girls if I'm a few days late! Love you girls!

Anyway, I've been working on Micah's "big girl" room for a couple of weeks now and I'm excited to show you the finished project!.... But you'll have to wait, Drew and I are in the midst of the finishing touches (what I need to say is- Drew is painting her headboard and I need to paint her dresser). I was hoping for a launch date of yesterday, but obviously that didn't really work out. I'm hopeful she'll be in her new room before...um... we need the nursery.

Let's see... this week our friend Wyatt and his mommy, Bethany, came over for a play-date. You can visit their blog by clicking here. I met Bethany when she was pregnant with Wyatt. She was one of my patients in the hospital for many, many weeks. Everything turned out beautifully, especially her precious baby boy.

Micah couldn't resist joining in on the fun.... Wyatt wasn't a big fan.

Speaking of that little monster... do you know what this is???

Let me zoom-out a little bit for you...

That would be Micah stealing peanut-butter cookies of the table and eating them on my micro-suede couch. Right after I took this picture she ever-so-kindly offered me a bite. Such a sweet girl she is.

BELLY UPDATE:

24 weeks + 2 days today! This little one is doing great-wiggling and kicking like a champ. I had a dream earlier this week it was a boy.... take that for what its worth. I've also had girl dreams. Truth be told- I have no idea.

The View From Up Here

2009-03-07T14:13:00.000-08:00

There ya have it. This is what I look at the majority of my days. A wonderfully round belly and the back side of a beautiful little girl as I chase her around all of creation. I couldn't ask for anything different. Both of my babies are God's greatest blessings in my life, second only to my wonderful husband-who, by the way, is turning 29 today!! **More on that later**

I don't have a whole lot of updates. Micah was very sick a couple of weeks ago- hence the lack of blogging being done. Of course, Drew was quick to follow. Luckily I got away with a sore throat for a day.

Anyway, here is a belly picture to satisfy all that have been asking.... it's still hard to believe I'm having another baby!! What do you think- boy belly or girl belly??

As always, I have to have a picture of my sweetness to complete the entry.

Have a great week!!!

Baby Tooley #2

2009-02-19T07:55:00.000-08:00

I made it! We didn't find out this baby's gender at our ultrasound today!! Drew and I will be surprised in July- boy or girl!!

Everything is looking great! This baby is already a super-active little thing. I can't wait until July!!

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T09:42:00.001-08:00

As promised, I have pictures of my newest sewing project. I know you all have been anxiously waiting to see what it is.... the Amy Butler Birdie Sling!!! I love all of the patterns that this girl has, they're so cute and surprisingly easy to make!! Here's how mine turned out.

I love the pleated detail on the exterior... this was a little intimidating at first, but so easy to actually do!! It adds so much to the overall appearance of the bag.

This bag doubles as my diaper bag, too! I love the 3 interior pockets. Micah's cup fits in one of the small pockets, my wallet in the other, and my calendar in the biggest pocket. Then there's plently of room for my diaper & wiper pouch and whatever else I need.

Of course, no blog entry would be complete without some pictures of my baby- fresh from this morning! Enjoy!

The famous "scrunchie face". (She was running a special on these this morning.)

Patiently waiting to go to Grandma's house...

My favorite.... such a sweet little face!!

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day! Tell your sweetie you love them!

Snow Days!

2009-02-07T18:17:00.000-08:00

This is the first year that Micah has been old enough to notice the snow outside; and she was ready to get out there and play in it! Of course we had to get all the appropriate gear (thanks to Gaga!)- light-up Disney princess snow boots and a purple snow suit.

**That's the dog's leg coming out of the back of her head.**

In fact, she loved the snow so much she wouldn't leave me alone about playing in it. One night while I was making dinner I kept her entertained with some snow she could play with indoors.... this confused her a little.

In other news, I'm almost done with a super-cute sewing project.... Pics to come next week!!

My New Year's Resolution

2009-01-30T19:13:00.000-08:00

I WILL BLOG WEEKLY.

Hold me to it! I've been such a slacker and it's time for a change. I feel like I always have sooo much to catch up on when I finally force myself to blog. I don't even know what to start with this one...

Em came down to visit a couple of weeks - I love it when she does that! It had been way too long since I had seen her and she needed to meet Mr. Griffin, Brittany's newest man. We thought it would be fun to have all 6 of us get our pictures taken.... They turned out so cute!

Love my girls!!!

We were able to hang out quite a bit while Em was here, which was really nice! I miss being with my girls all the time. Em is moving back here in July of 2010 and I couldn't be more excited!!!

Everybody (Katie, too!!) was able to come over to my house on Monday to have lunch and I just had to get the camera out to capture the cuteness! I got some great pictures of the kiddos....

Precious Baby Griffin

Mr. Harrison- so cute!

And the trouble-maker- Micah

She loved having all the babies around-- Beebee!! Beebee!! That's all she said the whole time they were here! She has no clue what's coming this summer- a beebee of her own! I ask her where mommy's baby is and she quickly pulls my shirt up and sticks her finger in my belly button. Then she looks for her baby in her belly button. Silly girl.

Tooley #2 update-

16 WEEKS!!

The bump is growing... in about 3 weeks I'll have some new ultrasound pictures to post. I've promised myself (and Drew) that I wouldn't do any peeking at work-- and I've been doing well! Stay tuned for more info. (The best info will be posted early-mid July!!)

New camera and a new belly.

2008-12-23T09:19:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

This is absolutely my favorite time of year.... the only thing that could make it better is warm weather. I really don't like the arctic temperatures, but I do like being cozy-warm with my family watching everybody open presents and enjoy each others company. This year my dad will be breaking tradition by going to Arizona (my uncle and grandparents are out there) for Christmas. For the first Christmas in my life I will not be with both of my parents. Wow, how things have changed over the last year for the Morphey family. Anyway, we had Christmas with my dad on Saturday and he surprised me with a new camera! If you care-- its a Canon EOS Rebel XSi. It's AWESOME!!

This is a typical "hold me" gesture from Micah.

My sis, Alison, and her boyfriend, Jordan.

Cuteness.

I've been thinking and I've decided it's time to post some ultrasound pictures of our little peanut- aka Tooley #2.

This is a full-body profile with the head at the bottom and the knees drawn up towards the body.

This picture shows the doppler of the heartbeat. 178 beats/minute!

And I certainly didn't waist any time getting a pooch! This picture was taken at 10 weeks!! Sheesh!

Well friends, that's it for now. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas!!

A much needed update!!!

2008-12-07T17:21:00.000-08:00

So sorry about the delay in posting!! So much has been happening this past month and I have so many pictures to share! Lets start at the beginning of November. I went out to eat with the girls from work to PF Chang's. Can I tell you how much I love that place??!! We each order a dish of our choice, then when our food comes we take a little from what we ordered and pass the plate. It's great because you get to taste a little of everything.... and at PF Chang's it's the way to eat!

Drew and I are a part of a new church plant called Oasis of Fishers. Right now we meet at my sister and brother-in-law's house every-other Tuesday evening. On March 1st we will start meeting every Sunday morning at Hoosier Road Elementary. Anyway, their daughter, Meg, is only 5 weeks younger than Micah, so of course they have a blast playing all evening.

Meg. Love her.

Micah. Clearly announcing she's ready for bed.

Since Drew and I have lived in our house (2 years) we have been meaning to get our fireplace in working condition. The past 2 springs we have been host to 2 families of chimney swifts. This year, once the little ones 'flew the coop', I wasted no time in getting our chimney cleaned and capped. Drew, who has pyromaniac tendencies, was quick to light a fire this season. So pretty!!

Micah is becoming such a little girl. My little baby girl is gone; she's turned into one sassy, hilarious toddler. She's made great friends with our dog, Mia. Frankly, Mia is happy to be getting attention again. Micah's favorite place to rendezvous with her friend is... well... you'll see...

So, the other day I needed to give Micah a bath. I had turned on the water in the bathtub, waited until it was warm, and closed the drain to let the tub fill. Micah was playing with her little potty. I went into her room, which is literally 3 feet away from the bathroom, and grabbed a washcloth and towel. Here's what I found back in the bathroom...

As you can see, her hair and the top of her pajamas are dry. She didn't fall into the tub head-first. She strategically climbed in. How? I have no earthly idea.

Halloween and baby showers...

2008-11-07T13:52:00.000-08:00

Wow, time has gotten away from me! We had a busy weekend last week. Of course it was Halloween so we had to have fun with all of the festivities in our neighborhood. The neighborhood association sponsors a parade for all the kiddos; it ends in the park (which is right next to our house) where all the costume awards are handed out. Making her daddy proud, Micah was a Purdue cheerleader.

(sorry about the red-eye!!)

On our way to the start of the parade!!

Micah getting fresh with Cinderella... Aren't all the little ones so cute?!!

Micah won 3rd place for "Most Original" costume. Cheerleader? Original? Anyway, I'm still a proud mama!!

Also this weekend was Brittany's baby shower. It was so much fun! Em, Brian, and Harrison were in town (a link to their blog is to the right- The Ludwigs). Harrison is getting so big and he is still such a great baby!!

Here are all the girls that get me in trouble... Katie, Me (duh!), Britt, and Em.

This is more like us...

Fall Festivities!!

2008-10-26T11:01:00.000-07:00

This fall has been so much fun! Micah loves being outside and exploring so we've been taking advantage of the beautiful weather. Last Saturday we went to a bonfire with Brian and Jess. The kids LOVED being able to run around and scream. Claire and Micah looked so cute all bundled up! Micah's hat is handmade from ETSY. I love that site!!

On Sunday we went to Smith Family Farms; aka "the pumpkin patch". Of course we had to take time to look at all the animals...

Micah and Lyza- BFF

MISSION: Picking the perfect pumpkin...

I'll post our selection later- all carved and ready to be displayed.

Also, my grandma brought this picture over the other day. It's me on my first birthday...

Remind you of anyone??? Here's my baby when she was 9 months-

Obviously the blue eyes aren't mine, but there may be more mommy in Micah than we think!

Lots to catch up on!!

2008-10-18T11:28:00.000-07:00

The Tooley's have been busy this fall! Drew is practicing with the band at least once a week. Micah is on the go! She's so busy taking books to all corners of the house, emptying drawers, playing with the dog, eating like there's no tomorrow, and wandering in the park. Here are some of her latest pictures...I've been busy with the sewing machine! Somehow I've been able to find time and energy to put together some super-cute stuff. Check out the wallet I made...

It's not perfected, but I love it!

I also made my baby girl a sweet little dress. I bought some leggins and a pink long-sleeve shirt to put under it. Obviously she doesn't have the leggins or shirt on in the pictures, but you'll get the idea. What's great about this pattern is that as she grows the dress can be worn as a shirt with a cute pair of jeans. I have the pattern for sizes 12M-5T. If you want me to make one for your little princess let me know! I'm thinking about selling them for $15, and of course you can choose the fabric!

"I could make that!"

2008-09-29T18:37:00.000-07:00

So, my new toy is here! Are you jealous???

I've been quite busy learning how to use it with the help of a wonderful book called Sew Fast Sew Easy. This book comes with all the how-to one could ask for and 3 simple projects to get you started; a pillow cover, a tote, and a skirt. So far I've made the pillow cover and the tote...

Yes, my friends, that is a pocket on the inside of the tote. I'm quite proud of myself. Alison thought I wouldn't even be able to thread the machine. Ahh, but I did!

I hope you all like pillow covers and totes... because that's what you're getting for Christmas, unless I figure out how to make the skirt.

Mr. Harrison

2008-09-29T17:55:00.000-07:00

Since February I have waiting for the day that I would meet baby Ludwig- Mr. Harrison entered the world on Sept. 8th via his mommy, my fabulous friend, Emily. Brittany and I made the 6-hour drive up to Madison, WI to meet this handsome young dude...

Emily looks fabulous and has motherhood under control. Harrison is a perfect baby- eat, sleep, poop, repeat. No prolonged fussy times, spit-up, poop blow-outs, or nocturnal behavior!

It was so good to spend some time with my girls. Of course we had to take some time to do what we do best- SHOP!! We took a quick trip to Macy's and dropped the baby off with daddy just in time to spend 2+ hours at Target.

Here are some more pictures of my sweet little nephew...

In anticipation of our visit, Emily told Harrison that his Aunt Jen and Aunt Brittany were coming to visit. Brian, Em's husband, decided he would call us "Aunt Jittany" for short. So here are Em and Aunt Jittany...

GO COLTS!

2008-09-14T13:07:00.001-07:00

My mom wanted to see some pictures of Micah wearing her Colts attire made by your's truly ;)

I've been quite crafty lately... I found a website ( www.etsy.com ) that has given me inspiration. In fact, I actullay purchased a sewing machine! Ha! People are going to hate me at Christmas....

Something was funny about those bugs!

2008-09-03T10:14:00.000-07:00

Micah tends to be a pretty serious kid (she gets that from her dad!) although, as she gets older we're seeing more smiles and giggles. Generally, I have to work pretty hard to get her to do anything but wine. But yesterday Micah found some plastic bug toys at Jessica's house and she thought they were a riot! Alison, my sis, was getting her to laugh and laugh. I've never seen her laugh like this before.

My husband is a ROCK STAR!!

2008-08-30T17:18:00.000-07:00

Drew and his friends (Brian, Lucas, and Scott) are all rock stars. They are currently the "worship band " for Burn for Him Ministries. It's pretty cool gig with a great message... Jesus loves you. Take a look at some of their work....

Last night they played in Whitewater Memorial State Park for a youth group retreat. Here are some pictures...

We got to the park around 7:30 so they could set up and practice before the kids arrived at 9:00.

This is during the show. Furthest left is Lucas DeShong on bass, Scott DeShong on drums, Brian DeShong on vocals and guitar, and Drew (on the far right side) on guitar. Yes, everybody's last name is DeShong except Drew's; to put it simply- they're all cousins.

Anyway, it was a great night of music and worship. They guys had a ton of fun and the youth really seemed to enjoy it.

Micah Grace

2008-08-27T21:34:00.000-07:00

I'm having some trouble getting over the fact that my baby is ONE!!! She started walking a couple days ago and I just can't believe it. What happened to my tiny baby?

Drew says I need a hobby....

2008-08-27T21:23:00.000-07:00

Is blogging considered a hobby?? I could see how this could become one. Who doesn't like to write about themselves and all the the people they love the most??

Right now life the the Tooley's is holding steady... Drew is working hard in the service department at a company owned by Stanley Security Solutions, I am working 3 days a week as a nurse on a crazy-busy labor and delivery unit, and Micah, the light of our lives, is making it all worth it. She is learning new stuff everyday!! For instance, I've noticed lately she's started grunting when she bends over to pick up things off the floor, or if I'm holding her and bend over to get something off the floor. Too funny.

Ok, more later. I've gotta figure out how to get some pictures on this thing!!!