Sanders Family

Summer Vacation

2010-07-27T12:28:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful time on our summer vacation. It was great to be able to spend a week together doing fun activities each day. Throughout the week we went to an indoor waterpark, the aquarium, Dollywood, Dollywood's waterpark, and lots of yummy restaurants. We also did some shopping. Of course that made me happier than the boys. Keep checking, I will post some more pictures and video soon.

Look Dada, I'm driving my first car!

Yummy! Julep from the Apple Barn is SO good.

Handsome like my daddy!

Upclose and personal with the penguins. Will loved it.

Come on daddy, I want to wear them!

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-04T18:01:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a fun time we had today. Will let us sleep until 7 this morning (much later than usual). We decided to try letting Will go into "big" church with us this morning. We were having a patriotic musical and since Will loves music so much, we thought he would really like it. He did an excellent job considering how little he is. He watched as the choir sang, clapped his hands, and even said "yah" several times. After lunch and naps we went to the Village at Sandhills to walk around. They had the streets blocked off with local bands, merchants, etc. out. We even found a helicopter giving rides. We weren't sure how Will would do, but we decided to give it a shot. He loved it. Jason went in a helicopter many years ago, but I had never been. It was fun to be able to do it together. Check out the pictures and video to see more from our fun day.

Will's First Swim Lesson

2010-06-29T20:59:00.000-07:00

Tuesday brought the fun we have been waiting on most of the summer. One of the teachers that I have worked with for the past several years offered to teach Will how to swim this summer. Will and his buddy Michael are taking swimming lessons each week until we have to go back to school. Will had a hard time not wanting me to hold him during the lesson so I wasn't able to get many pictures or video, but here is a snapshot of our lesson. The second lesson is tomorrow. Hopefully I will be able to get more pictures to add.

News for Nana!

2010-06-16T18:02:00.000-07:00

Hello Nana and Papa! I thought I would put an entry on the blog just for you. This is all of the new stuff that Will has been doing that I can think of. There is something new everyday so I am sure that I am leaving stuff out. I will try to update you regularly. Also, keep a check out next week in the mail. Will is sending you some stuff.

At last check Will was 25 pounds. I tried to measure him the other day and I got 32 inches tall. That is a good 1" or 1 1/2" taller than the last time you saw him. He is walking and climbing really well. He is starting to run through the house. He has pretty good balance so we don't have to worry about him falling too much. He has starting identifying which items in the house are used my me or Jason. He will pull out my hairbrush and brush my hair. He takes out Jason's deoderant and says "dada." He is very opinionated about what he wants to eat. He picks between two choices for breakfast. He usually eats either oatmeal, grits, a scrambled egg, or a waffle. He has to have fruit at every meal. He still loves his fruit. Blueberries, strawberries, pears, bananas, and oranges are among his favorites. He is eating his veggies again. Will loves to read and sing. Now that I am home for summer we read about 10 books a day and sing lots of songs. He has started pointing out trains, motorcycles, and trucks as we drive down the road. If we ask him what a monkey says, he says "ah, ah, ah." At last count he can say 11 words (mama, dada, dog, ball, look, pop pop, no, yeah, more, hey, bye-bye). He newest trick today is saying "hot dog."

Check out the pictures below to see all of the fun we are having. We miss you. Hope you are having fun. Talk to you soon. Love you lots!!!

We picked blueberries with two of our friends, Sally and her son Michael.

Picking blueberries made me hot and tired!

Some of Will's new art work! He loves to finger paint.

Summer is Here!!!

2010-06-06T17:57:00.001-07:00

Well, after 180 school days, what we have been waiting for has come. We are so excited that it is summer break. This makes being a teacher wonderful. Jason, Will, and I have had such a great time so far. Today we went to church, had lunch with some friends, took a nice Sunday nap, played at the pool with some of our other friends, and played in the sandbox together. What a great way to start the summer.

I will try to update the blog more regularly this summer, so keep checking!

Looks like trouble to me. Michael, Will had so much fun playing with you today.

2010-05-12T18:47:00.000-07:00

More Snow Pictures

2010-02-13T17:59:00.000-08:00

Will wasn't impressed with the snow. We were given some baby snow clothes earlier this winter; so, I dressed him in a sweatsuit, snow bibs, waterproof boots, coat, hat, and gloves. He was miserable. When we got outside he tentatively touched the snow, but was content to just look at it. We tried to make a snowman, but the snow was so fluffy it didn't want to stick together. We did make a make-shift sled. Jason drilled a hole in our recycle bin, tied a rope through the hole, and lined the bin with blankets. We sat Will in the bin and pulled him through the front yard, driveway, and sidewalks.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!!!

2010-02-12T17:45:00.000-08:00

Today has been so much fun; Will saw snow for the first time. As soon as we saw the first flakes we ran outside (without coats...we were so excited) and played in it. We had to quickly come in and bundle up. Some of the first pictures were taken when it had just started to snow, but the later ones were taken around 8pm tonight. As I am typing this it is still snowing HUGE flakes. We are planning to make a snowman tomorrow. So, checkout the blog tomorrow for more pictures.

Pictures from Christmas and Will's First Birthday

2010-02-06T19:11:00.000-08:00

Mmmm.....I like Cantaloupe

2010-01-21T19:42:00.000-08:00

I'm guessing this is how you do it.

Are you watching me?

Wow this stuff is really good.

I hope that everyone is doing well. We are going to start posting things as often as possible.

We really haven't forgotten to blog!!!

2009-12-13T18:36:00.000-08:00

If anyone is even checking this blog anymore, we really haven't forgotten to blog. We have been so busy being back in school and watching our little man grow up so quickly. I will give a quick update, but Jason promises to post some videos REALLY soon. Will loves his school. He is the hit of daycare. Everyone loves him and he loves all of them. He is crawling everywhere. He gets frustrated when we try to coax him to walk. He has taken a few steps, but I think he likes crawling better. He has cut 8 teeth. He had a set of tubes earlier in the month after 6 weeks of one continuous ear infection. He feels so much better now. He is talking more and has better balance. Will had his first haircut yesterday. He did as well as could be expected. He did squirm all over the place, but the lady who cut his hair did a fabulous job. He looks so handsome now. I promise to post pictures and video soon. Please check back again real soon!!!!

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-10T17:43:00.001-07:00

Today we went to a local pumpkin patch. Our little pumpkin had fun picking out the perfect pumpkin.

Football Saturdays

2009-10-04T18:33:00.001-07:00

Will has really been enjoying football Saturdays this year. Here is a couple of photos of Will from one of the game days.

Football really wears me out. I had to take a quick nap, so I could see the 4th quarter.

Visit with Granny and Grandad

2009-09-07T19:21:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I got to visit my Granny and Grandad McGee. I had a great time seeing them.

Random Pictures

2009-09-07T18:48:00.000-07:00

How do you like my fireman's hat?

Bath time is so much fun.

I got to see Elmo at Gym Class.

Reading Award

2009-09-07T18:36:00.001-07:00

Well, Will received a reading award from the library from the Richland County Library. Here are a couple pictures of Mommy and Will receiving the award.

More Pictures

2009-08-11T18:11:00.003-07:00

Our Little Ham

2009-08-09T19:23:00.000-07:00

Will loves to have his picture taken. It can't have anything to do with the fact that all we have done is take his picture like every day since he was born. Here are some pictures from our last portrait session with Brooke. Enjoy!!!

I will post more of the pictures soon.

New Pictures

2009-08-02T17:25:00.000-07:00

6 month check-up

2009-07-29T08:29:00.000-07:00

Will had his 6 month check-up this morning. He is happy and healthy and growing like a weed. He was 16.4 lbs and 28 1/2 inches long. His weight was in the 22nd percentile and his length was the 95 percentile. He has grown 2 1/2 inches in 2months. It is no wonder that he keeps out growing his clothes so quickly. The doctor said that Will is doing well with his motor and social skills. All said, our bundle of joy is doing well and continuing to thrive.

An Adorable New Picture

2009-07-28T18:50:00.000-07:00

Will had his 6 month pictures taken last week. So far Brooke has only posted one picture, but as she posts more, I will add them to our blog. Click on the link below to see Will's grown-up boy picture.

http://www.brooketurnerphotography.com/blog/

More Vacation Pictures

2009-07-23T20:50:00.000-07:00

Caught!!!

2009-07-23T17:40:00.000-07:00

This morning I awoke to hearing Will "talking" on the monitor. I love to listen to him play in his crib first thing in the morning. It is so adorable to hear him in there having so much fun. Well, I went to get him, and I was surprised at what I saw. Will had pulled himself up in his crib for the very first time. (He pulled himsef up for the first time earlier in the week, but only on either Jason or me.) By the time I could grab the camera he had hit his head on the rail and was crying. He was fine, but ready to get up for the day. Needless to say, Da-Da lowered the crib this evening, and Will is sleeping soundly in a much lower setting.

Pictures from the Beach

2009-07-22T18:59:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from our vacation. Enjoy!!!

Will's First Vacation

2009-07-18T18:03:00.000-07:00

Jason, Will, and I just got home from a wonderful week at the beach. It was our first family vacation, and we had a great time. We shopped (a little), played in the water lots, went to a kiddie waterpark several times, and visited the aquarium. I will post pictures and video of our trip soon.

4th of July Fun

2009-07-07T18:28:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful time on our first 4th of July as a family. Eric and Joy (friends from church) brought their two boys Cooper and Lave over to the house. We grilled hamburger and hotdogs and let the boys play outside. Cooper and Lave are Will's closest friends. We had lots of water activities for the boys to play in. All of the boys loved the water. After more than an hour of playing outside, all three boys were tuckered out. We can't wait to have fun playing again real soon!!!

Will's First Trip to Virginia

2009-07-03T18:53:00.000-07:00

Well, Will and I made it home from a very long car ride and a nice several days in Virginia. Will, Mimi, and I joined Poppie in Virginia on Monday night after about 8 hours in the car. We stayed with our Uncle Boo and Aunt Rose (my dad's aunt and uncle). It was their first time seeing Will. To put it mildly, they thought Will was the best thing since sliced bread. They loved to watch him and talk to him. They really loved to watch him eat and play in his Johnny Jumper. I am glad that Will was able to make his first trip up, and I am really glad that my great aunts and uncle were able to see him. We miss our family up there, but we are happy to be home and back in our routine.

PS...thanks Mimi and Poppie for helping so much with Will while we were gone. We couldn't have made the trip without you!!!!!!!

Yuck to dairy and soy!!!

2009-06-26T11:51:00.001-07:00

At least according to baby Will's system...we are now allergic to dairy and soy. We have been battling constipation for about a month now with Will (on and off). Well, after not being pleased with our pediatrician, we took Will to see a different doctor in the same practice today. He was very nice, spent much time with us, tested Will, and confirmed that he does indeed have a soy allergy. Because I am nursing this limits my already limited diet. We are going to continue nursing for as long as possible with the understanding that the end is probably going to come before I am ready to stop. All this being said, the most important thing is that little Will's tummy starts to feel better soon and we see our happy baby again.

Having Fun

2009-06-22T17:02:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the pool, Mimi. It sure is lots of fun!!!

Fun in the Sun

2009-06-18T14:25:00.000-07:00

Summer is in full swing, and I am loving every minute of it. I know it has been forever since the last time I posted, but Will, Jason, and I have been rather busy. Will and I are continuing to go to story hour at the library and gym class once a week. We are also staying busy taking walks and trying to squeeze in as much fun as possible over the next several weeks. One of the fun things we did last weekend was take Will to Myrtle Beach. We met Jason's family down there and all spent the weekend together. It was lots of fun. On Friday night we took Will to Broadway at the Beach. He loved looking at all of the bright lights and colors. On Saturday we spent the day on the beach. Will did NOT like the ocean at all. We sat on the sand so that the water would get our feet, but he would grunt every time the water came near. He did enjoy playing in the kiddie pool and touching the dry sand. Jason and I are planning to take him back in a couple of weeks. Hopefully he will do as well then as he did last weekend.

I'm ready for some fun in the sun!

Whoa Mom! What is this stuff???

Hanging out with Aunt Kayla!

The sand is lots of fun!

Mom, will you please stop taking pictures of me???

Taking a break with Uncle Jeremy

A day at the beach wears me out!!!

It has been forever!!!

2009-05-19T17:10:00.001-07:00

Well, it has been quite some time since we have last posted. I guess that is what going back to work does to you. So much has changed with Will since the last time I wrote anything. He rolls over nonstop. Everytime he lays down he thinks he has to roll. It causes some problems when he sleeps. He doesn't like to sleep on his tummy so when he rolls over, he wakes up and starts crying. He reaches out for all of his toys now and is even holding them pretty well. When we were in the grocery store this weekend he reached out for a package of pudding I was holding and carried it for a couple of seconds. I was impressed. He is trying hard to sit up on his own. He did actually sit up for about 2 seconds on Saturday without any assistance...it's a start.

Will has also been growing like a weed; he has also been a little sick. Aunt Corri and I took him to the doctor yesterday. He weighed 15.3 lbs. The doctor checked him out and said that he has a virus and that his throat was red. He seems to have felt better today. We have been giving him some pear juice to help with the sore throat. He LOVES it!!! We go back to the doctor on Friday for our 4 month check-up. We will find out how long he his...he has grown up a storm (wearing 6-9 month onesies to sleep in). Until Friday...

Will is growing up so fast!!!!

2009-04-30T15:19:00.000-07:00

We had Will's 3 month pictures taken a week or so again. Check them out below and check out brooketurnerphotography.com/blog for more pictures and an adorable slide show. If you go to Brooke's blog, you have to scroll down a little to find Will's pictures.

Way to go Will

2009-04-22T18:17:00.000-07:00

Will had an exciting evening tonight. Jason and I were on the floor playing with him when all of a sudden he rolled over. This was the first time. It happened so fast we almost didn't believe it. When Jason put him back on his back, he tried so hard to do it again, but he was so tired that he couldn't quite make it. Maybe we will see him do it again tomorrow!

You Did It!!!!

2009-04-17T18:27:00.000-07:00

That was the phone call I received this afternoon from a good friend of mine, Mary Paul, after finishing my first day back at work. I did it; I made it through an entire day back at work while Will was home with is Daddy. It was comforting to know that Will was getting some quality Daddy time while I was back at school. They played, went to the store, and then Will convinced Daddy that he wanted to get Mommy some flowers and a card. So, when I got home I had some beautiful lilies and a sweet card waiting on me. All things considering it wasn't a horrible day...only 35 more school days to go until summer vacation, but I'm not counting. Until then I will hurry home every afternoon to spend some quality time with my baby.

Busy Several Days

2009-04-15T19:05:00.000-07:00

Wow! We have been busy over the last several days. Daddy was off with us on Monday. We spent the day running errands. It was fun to be able to do it together. Yesterday we went to Newberry to see Aunt Corri for her birthday. Will had so much fun visiting Aunt Corri, seeing where his mommy went to school, meeting some professors, and looking at all the pretty flowers. Today was even busier. Will had his 3 month pictures taken this morning. Brooke sent us a couple this afternoon. She does such a great job. We can't wait to see the rest. After pictures we all went to gym class. Daddy got to see Will sit in the Johnny Jumper for the first time. I guess we will be hunting one this weekend. Then, my favorite part of the day...shopping. That was my treat after mailing off my National Boards box earlier in the day. Wahoo...it is sent off, and I don't have to think about it anymore!!!! Check out the pictures below to catch up on Easter, our trip to Newberry, and all of the other fun stuff we have been doing!

Happy Easter!!!!

2009-04-12T15:25:00.000-07:00

Will has had an exciting several days. We went to North Augusta yesterday to visit our family for Easter. It was so nice to see everyone. For some of Jason's family, this was their first time seeing Will. After visting, we came back home and went to bed so that the Easter bunny could come. This morning, we opened the goodies from the Easter bunny and headed off to church. Will apparently slept through Sunday School and most of service in the nursery, but when he woke up he was all smiles and attracted much attention. When we picked him up, everyone said, "Will has quite the personality." I never know if this is a good thing. Once home, Will, Daddy, and I had lunch, all took a Sunday nap, and then watched the Masters together. Will took notes and prepared for his big debute there...several years from now.

I will add more pictures this evening...when the Masters is over.

I hate National Boards!!!!!!!!!!

2009-04-04T18:56:00.000-07:00

I think the title says it all...I really, really, really hate National Boards!!!!!!! This is a horrible process, that in my opinion, doesn't prove anything about my teaching ability. All it shows is that someone, who may or may not have a background in education, likes all the blood, sweat, and tears that have been poured into my writing. So instead of spending a day with my sweet baby, I turned him over to his grandparents for the afternoon so that I could work on this terrible thing. Will really did love spending the afternoon with his grandparents, and I know they enjoyed spending time with him, but it is still no fun to be stuck inside writing an 11 page paper. I know complaining doesn't get the work done, but it sure does feel good to vent. So after all of this suffering, hopefully this fall you can read that I passed National Boards and celebrating in a fun and special way with my family!!!!!!!!!!!

A Day of Firsts

2009-03-31T17:00:00.000-07:00

Today was a fun day. Jason took off and the three of us had a picnic lunch and went to the zoo. It was so much fun. Although Jason and I have been to the zoo many times before, it was fun to share all of the animals with Will. I know he had no idea what he was looking at, but he did seem to look at several of the animals. You can see the progression of our day from the pictures below. Will started off wide-eyed, but he quickly got tired and fell fast asleep. I guess exploring the zoo makes a baby tired!!!

Just Like My Poppie!!!!

2009-03-18T17:43:00.001-07:00

Over the weekend my mom and I threw a bridal shower for a friend so Will and I went home for the day. After the shower, Will went to the police station to visit some of Poppie's friends. While we were at the police station Will got to drive the firetruck, practice shifting the gears, and stand out front of Poppie's police car. He had SO much fun that he is thinking about being a policeman when he grows up.

102 1/4 reporting in for duty!!!

Look out North Augusta here I come!!!

Awww, Poppie your embarassing me!

Thanks Mimi, I needed some rest. That is hard work!!!

2 month check-up

2009-03-13T19:21:00.000-07:00

Today was a hard day for Will. We had his 2 month check-up this morning. The doctor was very pleased with his development and even said that he looks more like a 4 month old instead of the 2 months he really is. He weighed 13 pounds (91st percentile) and his length was 23 1/2 inches (92nd percentile). She said not to worry, his weight matches his height...he is going to be a really tall guy. After our check-up the nurse came in and gave Will an oral medicine and three shots. He screamed, Mom cried, and poor Dad looked distressed to have to handle both of us. Once it was all over with, I got to hold him, a.k.a. be the good guy, and make everything better. The rest of the afternoon was spent sleeping. I have never seen Will sleep so much. He was starting to feel more like himself this evening...I even got several big smiles before bedtime. I am sure he will be good as new tomorrow.

P.S. After today's visit I started thinking about my favorite book from when I was a little girl. I know my Mama will remember it well...Farley Goes to the Doctor. So, Mama if you get a chance can you pull it out for me. I would love to read it to Will. Thanks!!!

Sleeping on my Daddy makes it all better!

This "big boy" crib has lots more room than that little cradle.

More Will Pictures

2009-03-07T18:22:00.000-08:00

I know these pictures don't show what Will looks like now, but they are so adorable I couldn't help putting them up. Jason and I had pictures taken of Will when he was 2 weeks old. We got the cd of all of the pictures this week so I wanted to share a few of our favorites. We hope you enjoy!!!!

Exercising Makes Me TIRED!!!!

2009-03-04T18:17:00.000-08:00

Will and I have started a new "Mommy and Me" class on Wednesday afternoons. It is so much fun. Today was our second class. There have been 3 to 4 other babies in the class with us. Most of the babies are a few months older than Will; it is exciting to see all of the fun things he will be doing soon (i.e holding up his head without support). Last week Will slept through the entire class, but he was awake for most of the class today. Jason met us for today's class. He was able to take pictures while Will and I had fun moving our arms and legs, singing songs together, and having free time exploring the gym. Don't worry, I'm not the only crazy mom at the class taking pictures. All of the others do the same thing.

Grandma Time

2009-03-03T18:19:00.000-08:00

Will had company today. Jason's mom and grandma come to visit. Jason met us for lunch at Applebee's and then each grandma enjoyed some time holding Will.

Here are some other pictures of Will over the past several days.

The picture with Daddy was taken on Sunday after church. He did so good on his first day in the nursery!

I'm not just a PC fan...Newberry is pretty good too!

Hanging out with Mommy is so much fun!

Pictures of Will

2009-03-01T18:07:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures. Scroll down to see more. We will be adding pictures regularly. Talk to you soon.

I'm talking on the phone with my Aunt Corri.

Here is one of my Big Smiles....

I'm taking a nap on my mommy right now.

I'm in my first overalls.

More Pictures....

2009-03-01T17:57:00.000-08:00

Look at me snoozing around....

2009-03-01T17:46:00.001-08:00

More Pictures

2009-03-01T17:34:00.001-08:00

Tummy time will wear you out!!!

I'm hanging out on my lounger. It's my favorite chair (outside of my parents' lap).

This is Mary Paul. She loves to steal kisses from Ellie and me.

Our first family photo. Aren't Mommy and Daddy cute?

More Pictures

2009-03-01T16:56:00.000-08:00

Been awhile...Here are some pictures

2009-03-01T14:31:00.001-08:00

Wow! I have grown so much over the last several weeks. I have had a hard time dealing with my reflux and milk allergy, but now that Mommy has taken all dairy out of her diet I am feeling SO much better. Daddy and Mommy are so silly that I have to laugh at them all the time. They must like it because they get excited and keep doing silly things. Below you will see pictures of me with some of my friends and family. I will put new pictures up soon...promise. I am keeping Mommy and Daddy straight.

Will is getting so big!!!

2009-01-30T15:33:00.000-08:00

Wow! Time goes by really fast when you are having fun. Jason and I are having so much fun with our precious baby boy! We went to the doctor today for Will's two week check-up. He weighed in at 8 lbs. 13.5 oz. That is 2 pounds over his birth weight. We knew that he was getting big, but we never guessed he was already well over 8 lbs. His head measured 36.5 centimeters, and he was 21 1/2 inches long. His weight was in the 50th percentile and his head was in the 47th percentile...so I guess we are all doing what we should be. We don't go back to the doctor until he is 2 months old. He is going to grow and change so much by then!!!

Yesterday Jason, Will, and I had some family pictures taken. A friend of ours from church came to our house and took some wonderful pictures. She took several of Will by himself and then with each of us individually and then finally some as a family. We don't get all of the pictures for another week or so, but she put some up on her blog for a "sneek peek." If you would like to check these out, go to www.brooketurnerphotography.com/blog. Scroll down until you see Baby Will. There are 5 pictures to look at. We are thrilled with the pictures.

I have some more pictures of Will that we have taken over the past few days, but when I tried to put them on the blog, I messed them up. Hopefully Jason can figure out what I did, and get them up before too long.

2009-01-21T08:38:00.001-08:00

Wow! The past week and a half has gone by so quickly. I have been meaning to update the blog every day, but the time just gets away from me. Jason, Will, and I are continuing to adjust to our new schedules, but we are all doing well. Will eats about every 3 hours and loves to sleep in between feedings. He is up for a while each night, but we are starting to get our days and nights figured out. My mom stayed with us last week, Jason's mom is with us this week, and Jason will be home next week. The extra help has been wonderful. Will and I are looking forward to Daddy being home with us next week.

Will is growing quickly. We went to the doctor yesterday to have Will's eye examined. He has a clogged tear duct. Nothing major...we just have to massage between his eye and nose several times a day. At the doctor, Will weighed in at a whopping 7 lbs. 7 oz. He is already over his birth weight by a good bit. I can also tell that he is getting longer. His sweet newborn clothes are getting a little short.

More Pictures!!!!!

2009-01-12T11:57:00.000-08:00

Pictures of Will from Birthday

2009-01-12T10:36:00.000-08:00

The stork has landed!!!!

2009-01-12T09:54:00.000-08:00

Well, William Bryan Sanders decided to make his grand appearance at 6:29 P.M. He is 6 lbs and 14 oz and is 20" long.

Here is Mom and Will.

Here is Dad and Will.

Update from the doctor

2009-01-07T17:11:00.000-08:00

We had an update from our doctor today. His office called this morning to let us know that Dr. Addy's schedule had changed. We are still going in for an induction on Tuesday, but it will be Tuesday morning instead of evening. So, maybe Will will be here on Tuesday instead of Wednesday. Either way, we have a baby on the way in less than a week.

Another Doctor's Appointment

2009-01-06T13:51:00.000-08:00

Jason and I had our regular check-up today. We were able to hear Will's heartbeat; everything was fine. The doctor said that I am 2 1/2 centimeters dilated. He said that we are well on our way to having a baby. I go for my next appointment next Monday afternoon, and then he is going to induce me on Tuesday evening (he is on call Tuesday night). He did say that it would take until Wednesday to have the baby. So, if Will doesn't come by next week, he will be here on Wednesday!!!

First Day Back

2009-01-05T17:00:00.000-08:00

Today was my first day back at school after Christmas break. It was really nice to go back and see friends and my students. I think my students were glad to see me back for a little longer. I was a little worried that today would be rough, but it wasn't near as bad as I expected. My fingers didn't swell at all, and my feet were only a little swollen at the end of the day. I hope that tomorrow goes as well as today. We go to the doctor tomorrow for our check-up, maybe we will have more news then.

nothing new to report

2008-12-31T11:02:00.000-08:00

We hope that everyone had a wonderful and Merry Christmas. We only went home for a couple of days, but it was so nice to see our families. We had a wonderful Christmas. It was a little scary how much stuff Will got this Christmas and he isn't even here yet. I know that his grandparents, aunts, and uncles are going to love spoiling him rotten.

We went to the doctor yesterday for our check-up. The doctor said that everything looked good, and we are right on schedule. He said that Will's head is in position for delivery; he thinks that I will have a smooth delivery. After our appointment, we took a tour of the hospital. I think that everyone knows that I will be delivering at Provience Northeast (where Jason works). So, Jason and I have been there before, but it was nice to have an official tour. We saw the rooms. The great thing about Providence is that I will be in one room the whole time that I am in the hospital. The nurse who gave us the tour told us which two rooms to request when we get there...they are the biggest rooms since we will have a big family there with us. She also showed us the nursery that we can send Will to if we choose; he can stay in the room with us if we want. We also saw the waiting room for our families to stay in while I deliver. It was nice, but I think they will be bored. There is no tv. It is a tiny hospital, so that was about everything there was to see. Jason, of course, knows and talks to everyone there, so I know they are going to take really good care of me. Now we just have to sit back and wait for the big day to come.

All is Well

2008-12-21T05:16:00.001-08:00

Jason and I had our last doctor's appointment this past Tuesday. Everything is going well with both Will and me. The doctor did another ultrasound. It was great to be able to see Will again. He is growing big, but we got some exciting news. Will measured in the 48th percentile this go round. He is about 6 lbs. 4 oz. We were so happy to hear that his size is more on track and slowing down some. The even more exciting news for me was when the doctor said that Will's head was actually measuring a week behind schedule. I like the idea of delivering a baby with a (hopefully) smaller head. After the ultrasound the doctor examined me and said that I am 1 to 2 cm. dilated. He said not to worry; I could stay at this point for a month. So, we are hanging on for a few more days until our next update, but we are getting excited that the big day isn't too far away!!!!

Showered with Love

2008-12-09T17:01:00.000-08:00

Wow! It is hard to believe that I am 35 weeks pregnant. The time has gone by so quickly. It seems like just yesterday we found out that we are going to have a baby. Words cannot express how much fun Jason and I have had over the past few months. We have loved hearing Will's heartbeat and seeing him through ultrasounds. Shopping, of course, has been great fun. There hasn't been a part of this pregnancy that I haven't enjoyed. I have truly been blessed to be so healthy and feel so good. We can't begin to thank all of our family and friends for all of their love and support throughout this time. We have definitely felt everyone's support; we knew that we were loved, but everyone has been so wonderful to us. We truly appreciate everything that everyone has done for us, and we love you all dearly!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!

Latest Doctor's Appointment and More Pictures

2008-12-04T18:20:00.000-08:00

We had our latest doctor's appointment yesterday afternoon. Everything was good with both Will and me. I told the doctor that I feel really good. I still haven't had any real problems. The only uncomfortable part I have had is bad indigestion, but no swelling and no major problems. I feel like I have been really lucky with my pregnancy. I think I have more energy and feel better pregnant than not.

The doctor did tell me that I am measuring 36 weeks (which is 2 weeks ahead of schedule). This was the first time that he actually measured my belly. Before now he measured Will's bones on the ultrasound to determine if he was measuring ahead of schedule. Although I was sad not to have another ultrasound, it was neat to be measured. I have another appointment in 2 weeks; after that I will be on my weekly appointments.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-25T13:20:00.000-08:00

It is almost time for Thanksgiving. I am out of school and really happy for the break. Jason and I will be traveling home to North Augusta for a few days. It will be nice to see family and eat some yummy food. We hope that everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving!!!!

National Boards

2008-11-22T05:23:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, I spent the entire school year last year working on my National Board Certification. It was a very grulling process that literally took the entire school year to complete and frankly was not a lot of fun, but I stuck through it. I got my scores yesterday, and it looks like I will be working on it some more this school year. I missed getting it by 4 points. I am really proud of all of the effort that I made to obtain this certification, and I am proud that I got so close. It still stinks that I have to continue working on it, but I know I can do this. So, hopefully next November I will have better news.

Latest Doctor's Appointment

2008-11-19T16:30:00.000-08:00

Jason and I had our regular doctor's appointment yesterday afternoon. Everything went well. I feel fine, and Will is continuing to grow and develop as he should. We got to hear the heartbeat again. It was really exciting to be able to hear the heartbeat one more time. This was the first time that we have heard the heartbeat since about week 14 or so. Jason and I have been so lucky that we have been able to have an ultrasound at each of the other appointments...nothing has been wrong; I think they just spoil us since Jason works there. His heartbeat was strong and sounded wonderful. The doctor said that all was well, and I see him again in 2 weeks. After that we start our weekly appointments. Hard to believe, huh?

Updates

2008-11-12T14:56:00.000-08:00

Lots has been going on since we have last updated the blog. My belly is continuing to get bigger by the day, Jason and I have finished all of our baby classes, and we are thinking that it is getting close to time to pack "the bag." We have also ordered the bedding for Will's room. It seems like everything is falling into place. Now I just hope that I can get my Christmas shopping done soon so I know that everything is ready.

Jason got to play with Will last night. While Will was rolling all around in my tummy, Jason would press on the side that he was on. When Jason would press, Will would roll to the other side. After a few minutes of doing this, Will finally started kicking at Jason's hand. We laughed, but I am sure Will was telling his daddy to quit bothering him.

We have also had 2 very nice showers. I am including some of the pictures from our first shower so that everyone can see an updated look at my belly. The shirt that I am wearing helps to camouflage the size of my belly so I hope you can get the full effect!!!!

Happy Halloween!!!!

2008-11-04T19:21:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,

I hope that you had a great Halloween. I know that I did, and I am about to prove it. Well on Friday night, we had some really cute kids come by and get some candy. But by 8:00 P.M. we decided to cut-off the light and have a little fun ourselves. I'll let the pictures do the talking.......

WOW.....Keep on looking......

Birthing Class

2008-11-04T09:15:00.000-08:00

Our all day birthing class was this past Saturday. It went really well. Jason and I learned lots of new information. We learned what to expect during each stage of labor, when to head to the hospital, and how to breathe when I am in labor. Jason learned several relaxation techniques to help keep me calm during the labor. We had the most fun when we got to practice the different breathing and relaxation techniques. Of course, it all sounded good at the time, but I know when the time comes, I will forget everything and probably panic.

Our First Baby Class

2008-10-29T03:37:00.000-07:00

Everything has been so busy around here lately. Last weekend Mama and I were in Simpsonville, SC to see Corri's band and colorguard compete at State. Her girls did an excellent job. Overall they placed second in the state, but the colorguard beat out the first place colorguard by 5 points. We are all so proud of her hard work with them.

Last night, my sweet daddy drove an hour to see Jason and I and then we had to rush out after like 20 minutes of seeing him to go to our first baby class. We had lots of fun at our class though. A pediatrician talked for about an hour about things we expect in the hospital and then immediately after we get home. She also talked about vaccines, feedings, etc. We were able to ask any questions that we may have. We also watched a video, changed a baby doll's diaper, and practiced swaddling the baby doll. Jason isn't sure if he has every changed a diaper before last night...I'm not sure that he has. He did a pretty good job with it.

We have another class on Saturday. This is an all day birthing class. I hope to learn lots of new information and not be freaked out. We'll see.

94th Percentile

2008-10-15T14:29:00.001-07:00

Oh my gosh...I have a huge baby. We went to the doctor today. Will is measuring in the 94th percentile at 2 lbs. 14 oz. That is give or take 7 ounces. So he could weigh 2 lbs. 7 oz. or up to 3 lbs. 4 oz. The doctor said that if he continues to be this big throughout the pregnancy, he will induce me around 38 weeks. Wow!!! Other than that shocking news, everything is going well. I had my gestational diabetes test done today; I passed with flying colors. I also had my flu shot...no fun. We see the doctor again in 3 weeks.

Updates

2008-10-12T13:58:00.000-07:00

Everything is going well with Will. He must be getting bigger because everyone says that my belly is getting even bigger. Jason and I have decided that Will is going to enjoy music. Last night we went over to some friends' house for dinner. After dinner Jason and the other guys were playing Guitar Hero. Will was dancing in my belly while they were playing. I have never felt him move that much. Again during church this morning he was moving while the congregation and choir were singing. I hope he gets Jason's singing ability...I love music, but I can't carry a tune.

We go to the doctor on Wednesday. I am sure we will have more updates then.

We promise to have pictures of the nursery furniture up soon. I have given up on putting pictures on this thing. I have had such a hard time with it, and Jason has been really busy at work (budget season). But, more pictures will be up soon.

Miscellaneous Pictures

2008-09-29T16:58:00.001-07:00

Here is a picture of Chrissy's belly. As you can see Will is getting bigger and bigger.

The next few pictures are of our little family as you see it today.

These last few pictures are of me painting the nursery over the weekend. We will be getting the furniture this week, and we will add some pictures once we have the furniture.

Updates!

2008-09-29T16:24:00.000-07:00

Wow! Time is going by so quickly. We are busy trying to get ready for Will to come. We ordered his baby furniture this past Thursday. It will be delivered on Thursday of this week. We are so excited about it. Jason painted the nursery over the weekend. We picked a light mint green color for the walls. The room decorations will be based off the book Guess How Much I Love You. This is one of my favorite children's books. I will put more pictures of the furniture and finished room up when the room is finished.

Will is so active...he moves all the time. Although I feel him some during the day, he loves to really move around in the early evening and during the middle of the night. He has been waking me up around 3 am dancing in my belly. I think this is preparing me for the sleepness months to come. Jason sleeps through it all. Will and I will make sure that changes come January. His kicks are getting so strong that we have been able to see my belly jump with his kicks. We both love to feel it when he really gets going in there!

Baby Boy Sanders Has A Name!!!

2008-09-16T13:51:00.000-07:00

Well, it is finally official. Our baby finally has a name...his name is William Bryan Sanders. We will call him Will. These are both family names. William was my paternal grandfather's name and is my great uncle's name. Bryan is Jason's middle name. We are very excited to be able to call the baby Will now instead of Baby Sanders.

Georgia vs. Carolina!!!! Go DAWGS!!!!

2008-09-14T15:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a big day for the Sanders family. We took the baby to his first football game!!!! I think he started to enjoy it around the 4th quarter...that is when he finally started to kick. We started the day with our good friends Jeff and Christina. We tailgated with them and Jason's family. The baby enjoyed hamburgers, pasta salad, cookies, and other goodies. We had excellent seats; which is why I am sure that I made it through the game. I didn't have to climb many stairs and could actually follow the game since we were close to the field. We sat on the 20 yard line 18 rows up from the field. It was so much fun!!!! I hope the baby got a taste of football and will be ready to play soon.

Additional Photos and more

2008-09-03T17:07:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

I know that it has been awhile since I have made any posts. It is starting to be my busy season at work. I am currently working on both the Operating and Capital Budgets and our Month-End close. Anyone that has taken part in either of these events, can attest to it being a very busy time, but when I have all of these items hitting at one time, I'm being pulled in many different directions. Well enough about me. Here are some more photos of the baby that we received from the doctors visit two weeks ago. ENJOY!!!!

If you look for what appears to be a turtle's head, you will be able to see that the picture shows we are having a boy.

Here is a picture of our son looking at us during the sonogram.

Here is a picture of the baby laying on his back. You are able to see the baby's spine on the bottom half of the picture.

Here is a full body photo of the baby. You may need a little help making out the photo, but the head is in the middle of the photo. The body is just to the left of the head, and a portion of his legs are at the end of the body. You are able to see the gap between his legs.

Here is a 3D picture of the baby. You can see the baby's head, eyes, nose, body, legs and umbilical cord. This was a really cool picture to see at the doctor's office because this is the first life-like picture of our son.

The Baby is Moving!

2008-09-01T05:41:00.000-07:00

Wow! I felt the baby move this weekend. It felt like bubbles popping in my belly. On Friday evening, I was sitting in the recliner relaxing and it kept happening over and over. I asked a few friends, and they confirmed that that is what the baby feels like when he is moving. Now that I know, I realized that I have been feeling this for a while now and just didn't know what it was. On Saturday, I thought that maybe Jason could feel something on my belly so he put his hand over where the baby was moving, and he could feel tiny movements. We are so excited about starting to feel him move.

It's a...!!!

2008-08-24T16:36:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official the Sanders' family is growing, and I am outnumbered. It's a boy! I couldn't be more thrilled. Jason and I are so excited about football games, baseball gloves, and all the other fun stuff that comes along with having a boy. We are still looking for a name for this upcoming bundle of joy; hopefully, we will come up with one soon. For right now we are still referring to him as "the baby."

At my last appointment the doctor assured us that all is well with our son and me. The baby is in 89th percentile for his size...oh my gosh, he is already 11 ounces. He was measuring about a week and a half ahead of schedule. I'm blaming his daddy for that. The ultrasound was amazing. We counted 2 arms and legs, saw his heart, stomach, eyes, and witnessed our little boy with the hiccups. As Jason said, he gets that from me. It was unreal to see how much he has grown from the first ultrasound to now. That was my last scheduled ultrasound, but the doctor said that he would try to get us in for another one before the delivery day. I think he knows how anxious we are.

I have been reading lots of information on the baby, and apparently he can now hear me. Jason and I have been reading to him every night. I don't think the baby has a favorite book yet, but I am sure he will have one before long.

Weekend of Fun

2008-08-11T17:35:00.001-07:00

Over the weekend Jason and I had a new experience. We went with 4 other couples to Hot Springs, NC for a weekend of camping and whitewater rafting...don't worry, I didn't raft. The water levels were VERY low so Jason and the other couples spent a great deal of time pushing themselves off the rocks. Although they worked hard and were all sore the next day, they seemed to have a great time.

While there we stayed in our good friends Derek and Rachel's camper. Although we had lots of fun I'm not sure camping is really for me. I enjoyed everything except the bath house (which made me feel like I was back in college) and the bugs. I saw enough spiders and other creepy crawlers to last for quite some time. It was really fun to roast marshmellows, grill hamburgers and hotdogs, and do a lot of relaxing. On the bright side, I can at least say that now I have really camped.

Week at the Beach

2008-08-06T16:32:00.001-07:00

Boy, it has been awhile since we have posted. I have been very busy trying to squeeze in as much last minute fun as possible before school starts back. I went to the beach last week with my parents and sister. We had lots of fun. We stayed at the Dayton House in Myrtle Beach. It was a beautiful hotel with lots of pools and even a lazy river to relax in. We all enjoyed relaxing in the lazy river, but Corri and I spent lots of time there. Of course there was lots of eating out and some shopping too. The baby got some more cute new outfits. We are getting anxious to know if this baby is a boy or girl. We go for our next appointment on August 19th. We hope to be able to find out then. As far as the pregnancy, everything seems to be coming along nicely. The baby is doing fine. I still haven't felt any movements, but hopefully that will be soon. We are all doing well and staying busy preparing for this little one.

2008-07-21T18:22:00.000-07:00

My belly at almost 15 weeks.

My Growing Belly

2008-07-21T18:13:00.001-07:00

My belly at almost 13 weeks.

Hearing the Heartbeat

2008-07-21T16:45:00.000-07:00

Today was lots of fun. We had another doctor's appointment this afternoon. It was just a routine checkup, but we got to finally hear the baby's heartbeat. Wow!!! The baby's heartbeat is really fast. The doctor said that the baby's heart was beating 160 beats a minute. The doctor said that even though I "popped" faster than he thought I would, I am doing fine. I am also right on schedule (15 weeks). He even gave us some encouraging news. He said that even though I am pretty big right now (bigger than most this early on), he doesn't think that I will be huge at the end. I am glad about that. I was getting worried that my feet were going to disappear before too many more days.

Click on the link below to hear the baby's heartbeat. Once the website is up, click on "Play."

Gabcast! Baby's Heartbeat #1

Vacation

2008-07-21T16:25:00.001-07:00

Well, we were on vacation for the last week. We went to Myrtle Beach for a week, and we did a lot of sitting on the beach. We had a great time just sitting and enjoying the time by ourselves. We are really looking forward to the baby coming. We didn't take any pictures while we were at the beach, but you really should see Chrissy's belly. There's a pooch!

While we were at the beach I spent quite a bit of time at the outlet stores. Most of the time was spent looking for either clothes to fit my growing belly or adorable clothes for the baby. Jason was a good sport about it all. He went in all the stores and even started picking out a few outfits himself. He was pretty good at it, but best of all was that he carried all the bags for me. I ended up with several bags as everything for babies is just so darn cute. The most adorable is a frilly pink dress....I guess that one will have to go back if this baby is a boy.

Second Visit

2008-06-16T18:16:00.000-07:00

Well we had our second doctor's visit today. We were able to see the baby moving all around. Although the baby can't be felt kicking, there was a lot of movement going on. We could see the baby's arms and legs just going all over the place. While the picture quality was very minimal, we were able to see the heart beating steadily.

With a little one on the way, we wanted to ensure that we had some furniture for our visitors in the guest bedroom. Along with some guest bedroom furniture, we purchased furniture for our room. This will be nice for when we need have a quiet place of our own.

First Ultrasound

2008-06-02T17:46:00.000-07:00

Well today was our first doctor's appointment. We were able to see the baby's head, heart beat, arms and legs (nubbs). This was pretty cool.

Sanders Family

Summer Vacation

Happy 4th of July!

Will's First Swim Lesson

News for Nana!

Summer is Here!!!

More Snow Pictures

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!!!

Pictures from Christmas and Will's First Birthday

Mmmm.....I like Cantaloupe

We really haven't forgotten to blog!!!

Pumpkin Patch

Football Saturdays

Visit with Granny and Grandad

Random Pictures

Reading Award

More Pictures

Our Little Ham

New Pictures

More 6 month pictures and a slideshow

6 month check-up

An Adorable New Picture

More Vacation Pictures

Caught!!!

Pictures from the Beach

Will's First Vacation

4th of July Fun

Will's First Trip to Virginia

Yuck to dairy and soy!!!

Having Fun

Fun in the Sun

It has been forever!!!

Will is growing up so fast!!!!

Way to go Will

You Did It!!!!

Busy Several Days

Happy Easter!!!!

I hate National Boards!!!!!!!!!!

A Day of Firsts

Just Like My Poppie!!!!

2 month check-up

More Will Pictures

Exercising Makes Me TIRED!!!!

Grandma Time

Pictures of Will

More Pictures....

Look at me snoozing around....

More Pictures

More Pictures

Been awhile...Here are some pictures

Will is getting so big!!!

More Pictures!!!!!

Pictures of Will from Birthday

The stork has landed!!!!

Update from the doctor

Another Doctor's Appointment

First Day Back

nothing new to report

All is Well

Showered with Love

Latest Doctor's Appointment and More Pictures

Happy Thanksgiving!

National Boards

Latest Doctor's Appointment

Updates

Happy Halloween!!!!

Birthing Class

Our First Baby Class

94th Percentile

Updates

Miscellaneous Pictures

Updates!

Baby Boy Sanders Has A Name!!!

Georgia vs. Carolina!!!! Go DAWGS!!!!

Additional Photos and more

The Baby is Moving!

It's a...!!!

Weekend of Fun

Week at the Beach

My Growing Belly