The Hesters

I Think I'm Back!!

2010-04-29T17:33:00.000-07:00

I mean could I get any more non-committal? Seriously...But, I am planning on making a return to the blogging world. We shall see how it goes. I figured this post might motivate me a little. So for any of you out there who might be reading...I will blog to ya soon...maybe. :-)

ryan

ps.

An Eli Picture Rewind

2009-04-18T18:11:00.000-07:00

It has been a while so I thought I would try and visually bring us up to date. Here goes 6 months to 10 months...

First Christmas

Watching Baby Einstein in Mom and Dad's bed

Examining a leaf after dedication day at church

Listening to our friend Mathew tell a very serious story

First trip to Florida

Yay for Spring and hangin out in the yard!

Already 10 months...it is true when they say...it goes by fast!

Happy April Everyone!

Snow Day

2008-12-31T16:55:00.001-08:00

Here are some pictures from Eli's first snow ever and our first snow of the winter. Even though I am no longer going to or working in the schools I still woke up at 5:00am to check the report to see if Williamson County was out of school and I still got excited watching the different schools run across the screen waiting anxiously for White County to not be followed by Wilson County because that would mean that Williamson was still in. (Yes, I am a total weirdo.) Needless to say Williamson followed White and all was well with my world until I realized that it did not mean that Jordan had the day off too. So, we all got up, layered up, and headed out to enjoy what might be the only snow of the Winter before Jordan had to leave. Happy New Years and we will have some pics from Eli's first Christmas coming soon. luv to all....ryan

my snow angels

It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's...

2008-11-21T17:06:00.000-08:00

... a Cute Fluffy Bear!

Mom, I thought I was going to be Superman?

And he's off for a costume change...Eli was glad to find out that during the day he might have been a cute fluffy bear but with a quick trip to the nearest phone booth, he became one of our favorite hunky heroes.

Superman and his adorable crime fighting sidekick, Sydney, the Monkey.

The Fam..Lois, Lex, and a sleepy Superman.

Hope everyone had a fabulous, fun filled Halloween...it only took me nearly a month to get this post up. Better late then never right? Happy Thanksgiving!

Pictures Pictures Pictures

2008-10-21T08:16:00.001-07:00

Family Inspiration

2008-10-08T10:18:00.000-07:00

Well, this all got started when my aunt Brenda posted her sweet poem on our Gann Family website. Yes, we have a website and yes it is awesome. Anyway, she posted a sweet poem to all the newish mommas in the family and it started non other than an original poetry extravaganza. This is not at all unusual for the Gann clan considering our vacations together consist of a family talent show and a brainstorming session about the newest family business idea. :-) Love it!! It has been great having this family website because there are a lot of us and we don't get to see eachother as often as we would like and this way we can keep up and even have hilarious discussions on the message boards. All that to say Aunt Brenda's entry led me to join in on the extravaganza and write a little poem of my own. So, I thought I might as well post it on the blog since I have not posted anything in 2 weeks.

More posts to come and pics of Eli. He is 4 months now! Whoa how time flies and they say it only goes quicker. Crazy! Happy Wednesday. Post ya later....ryan

MY POEM
(nice title huh?)

Before the sun decides to rise
Before the sand's out of my eyes

Once or twice or maybe three
This little voice calls out to me

So out of bed I slowly stand
To check up on my little man

Is he hungry? Maybe so!
Sometimes it is just hard to know

Feed him, pat him, let him cry
Which one this time should I try

Conversations in the night
About which methods might be right

A bounce, a rock, a midnight sing
Purchasing a sound machine

For there is no price I would not pay
To have my sleep back one fine day

Cause it has been since early June
That I have slept the whole night through

But besides the sleep there's other things
Like spit up in gallons and more laundry-ing

Like one arm meals and long long days
Without the hope of a nice pay raise

Like Milk allergies, a nursing Chore
Which really means you can't eat anymore!

Like crying and crying that does not stop
Unless I walk and rock and bounce and bop

And then someone asks, so is it hard?
This question I would not dare discard

Is it hard? Oh yes you bet!
But is it worth it...Every Cent!

Because when the sun decides to rise
And I've wiped the sand out of my eyes

Once and twice and ten times three
This little face looks up at me

And all my lack of sleeping miles
Disappear inside those smiles

For now I know inside this calm
How it feels to be a mom :-)

-Ryan :-)

Toby

2008-09-17T06:36:00.000-07:00

Don't be fooled, he always looks like this, however his world has changed drastically over the last 3 months and it makes me wonder sometimes if he just might be a little sad on the inside. He has done a great job adjusting to the change. He has been sweet and gentle and laid back. He is not quite sure what to think of the little man yet, but I am sure one day they will be great playmates. (hopefully) Although Toby and I are a little distant these days as much of my attention is aimed elsewhere, we still share some great moments.

Toby and I pass in the middle of every night as I walk through the living room to feed a crying baby. It is at that moment where I have never felt more connected to the emotions and ideas of my 4 year old dog. It is at that moment, in the dark of night, with sleepy eyes, when Toby and I share a short but meaningful conversation. Toby lifts his head off his dog bed, turns and stares at me. I look at him prying my eyes open just enough to not run into the wall and to not miss out on this shared sentiment. With crying in the background, a dim lit room, and the clock glowing 2:00 am, we exchange these unspoken words....

Toby: SERIOUSLY?
Me: seriously!
Toby: Wow!
Me: tell me about it

Luv ya Tobes, thanks for being so understanding...hehe

Lets Face It...

2008-09-03T09:25:00.000-07:00

some days you just feel like this!!!

Words just don't do it justice. So, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand.

some days I just feel a little like this picture. On days when I don't feel like this picture, looking at this picture makes me laugh. So, today, I am laughing. Who knows if I will be laughing tomorrow, but today I am and for that I am thankful...hehe. :-)

And so the adventure begins...

2008-08-20T11:35:00.000-07:00

Well, August was a very eventful month at the Hester house. On Wednesday August 6th our sweet little man got really sick and had to spend the night at the hospital. He was poked and pricked and hooked up to IVs, but in the end all was well and we were all sent home the next day in perfect health. However 6 days later, Eli got sick again and Jordan and I rushed him to the Emergency room at Vanderbilt Children's hospital. He had to go through all the same tests that he endured the Wednesday prior including his second spinal tap in 6 days. It was quite scary and very sad to watch him go through all of this. We found out that his white count was almost twice as high as it was last time he was there, which was really high. But in the end Eli perked up and continued to perplex the doctors as all of his tests came back negative. All the doctors were wonderful and tried their best to answer all of our questions. We spent 3 nights at the hospital and Eli continued to act well despite having an IV in both his foot and hand. He also impressed the nurses with how well he handled having his temperature taken (not under his arm if you know what I mean) every 4 hours. He would hardly even flinch, as if saying, "oh that thing again, no big deal, I mean after 10 or so of those you kinda get used to it mom."

Eventually, because Eli continued to look so good and act like himself, they gave us the "OK" that we could go home. We were so glad that he was well but still a little unsatisfied that we did not really know what caused these 2 episodes, other than a virus or maybe a food allergy of some sort. The next few days at home were filled with a cranky, what in the world is going on, child and two confused and extremely tired parents. It was hard to not sit and try and disect everything that he was doing to give us some clue as to what had happened. That of course drove us crazy. I was able to call my cousin who is a doctor and she shed a lot of light on what could have been going on. So, we are in the midst of exploring his food allergy and trying to get his tummy back on track, which means that I am on a hypoallergenic diet of meat, rice, and green vegetables. Fun Times!! No more Three Musketeers for me. hehe.

It has been quite the introduction to parenthood. I am hoping we have met our hospital visit quota for a while. Thank you to all those who got word and prayed for Eli and our family as we waited for test results. We really appreciate it and are so very blessed by all the love and support. Well, onward in the new adventures that await us as we still begin to wrap our heads around this new world called "being a parent". Much Love to all.

Ryan

...and of course one more look at our little fella.

Road Trip

2008-07-29T14:28:00.000-07:00

My grandfather is unable to travel due to some recent health problems. In fact, I had not even seen him for a long time because he was in the hospital when I was pregnant and I was not allowed to visit him. Also, July 17th was my grandmother's 80th birthday so we wanted to be there to celebrate and introduce Eli. They, along with my aunts and cousins on my dad's side of the family, live in Atlanta or nearby. So, on July 18th we packed up the car with ALL of Eli's things, our luggage, my sisters, and my mom, and we headed south. Jordan drove and I sat up front with him, while the aunts and DeDe (my mom) sat in the back and entertained the little one.

They did a great job keeping a fussy car seat rider happy the whole way there.

Feeding him helped...and we didn't have to stop at all.

Jordan and I enjoyed our time in the front talking and listening to music.

When we arrived we were met with some anxious great grandparents, great aunts, and cousins.

Eli and Pa

My Aunt Debbie in the background...so sweet.

Eli and Grammy

It was a wonderful weekend. More pictures to come of aunts and cousins. I just don't have them uploaded yet...whoops. We had a great time and look forward to seeing them all again soon. Now, Eli needs to see my Ohio family and he will have met most of our extended family members. Ohio, Eli is anxious for a meeting....a plan is in the works. Love you all.

A California Visit

2008-07-29T13:48:00.000-07:00

2 of our dearest friends, Adam and Mary, who live all the way in California were in town working but were able to come by and meet our little man. It was short but sweet and so wonderful to see them.

Eli loved them I could just tell, mother's intuition, that he would really like it if they would be our neighbors someday. No pressure you guys, I mean no big deal disappointing a one month old. :-) Love you guys... we look forward to another visit.

Eli Meets Jordan's Grandparents

2008-07-29T13:01:00.000-07:00

We are very behind on our posts considering this event happened a month ago. However, I am on a mission to get caught up, so here goes...At the end of June, Jordan's grandparents made a visit from South Carolina to Tennessee to meet Eli. We all had a good time visiting and passing Eli around.

The first look

Eli and Nonny

Eli and Memaw

Eli and Papa

The Boys

Eli's Favorite Pics

2008-07-10T18:44:00.000-07:00

Thank you Caitlin for the personalized onsie!

Momma did not know that Dad was allowing this to happen, but no worries momma, Toby loves me...so much that he even gave me a kiss, but dad told me not to post that one.

Dad asked me to "Look Terrified" for my 1 month old pic. Pretty good huh?

Hugs to all! Check ya later.

Hello

2008-07-06T08:32:00.001-07:00

Hey out there!!! I have been quite the absentee blogger...Jordan has really stepped up to the plate and kept us current for the most part. I thought that I would surface today and tell those who venture by "Hello".

All is well in the Hester house accept that my sweet angel has been quite the fussy fella lately, leaving me to type with one hand while constantly bouncing him with the other. We are in the midst of trying to decode his various vocal cues. Now, it is true that I have been known to purchase a good logic book with all those crazy, brain exercising, problem solving, puzzles just for fun. I find much joy in figuring those things out and doing everything in my power to not peek at the back of the book with all the answers. However, I will say when it comes to Eli's puzzle, I would pay big bucks for a glance at all the right answers. But, I guess, just like those books it would not be near the ride if all the answers were simply given to me before I even had a chance to try and figure them out.

So, in the mean time when "the going gets fussy...the fussy goes dancing". Eli loves him some dance and music, which works out well because his mother does too. He has especially taken heart to one of our friend's songs. So, it has been played probably over 20 times in the last few days. Also, lucky for me, I love the song as well and have been known to play many other songs over and over myself (much to Jordan's dismay). Therefore it is definitely a win win situation because it makes Eli so very happy and keeps his momma's head from spinning around and her spirits up. All this, so very important. :-)

Experiencing joy in the midst of challenging situations...a gift from God. I am thankful.

fyi. you can buy our friend, Andy's cd at your local Barnes and Noble. It is called "Let The Woman" by Andy Davis and Eli's favorite is track number 2. You should check it out. Eli knows good music. :-)

Thanks for stopping by,

Ryan

Bath Time

2008-06-28T11:14:00.000-07:00

So we gave Eli his first "real" bath. He was pretty cool and content for the first few minutes, until.....

Overall, we think he did pretty well and seemed to enjoy it (reference the above picture for evidence).

Eli meets his Peeps- Week 2

2008-06-21T07:25:00.000-07:00

Two weeks into parenthood and all is well. Eli is giving us more personality everyday- eyes are open more often, smiles are more defined, and his cries even have a little "voice" to them. Aunt Jamie was away for the week and when she returned Friday, she noticed how much he has already grown.

Highlights of the week: We made our first family outing- ice cream at Cold Stone and a walk in the park. Perfect. We also gave Eli is first full-on naked bath- it was going well until he peed on the sugar container on our kitchen sink. Nice.

Eli has been introduced to a lot of important people in his life- more surrogate aunts and uncles than he can imagine. We think he is going to have trouble knowing his blood relatives from his community-family, which we are cool with. Here are some pics of these first meetings and interactions.

*Note: To date, grandparents have not been officially renamed. The ( ) after their names below are what we have been using so far, mostly for our own entertainment.
*Note 2: Actual aunts and uncles have been indicated with a "*" after their name.

Grandpa Duke (aka Mr.Duke)

Grandma Hester (aka Grandma) and Uncle Justin's* Foot

Grandma Duke (aka DeDe) and Aunt Jamie*Aunt Sara BethGrandpa Hester (aka Jimmy)Aunt Teryn & Uncle ChadAunt Inga*

Uncle Mathew (and Laurianne's elbow)

Uncle Justin*
(Eli always looks much smaller when Justin holds him)Uncle Loffi
(I feel very passionate about my responsibility as a father
to make sure Eli never knows Loffi's first name- J)

Aunt Jessie
(Ryan's childhood friend and knowledgeable delivery nurse)Uncle Andy

Week One Highlights

2008-06-13T14:16:00.001-07:00

So Eli is officially one week old now.
Here are a few of our favorite pictures of his life so far...

Eli is here!

2008-06-06T10:53:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, June 3 at 4:22 pm, Eli Adam Hester entered this world.

He weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces and was 20.5 inches long. Even just a few minutes after he was born, he was very alert and was scanning the room checking out his surroundings.

Here he is with just a small piece of our entourage that waited patiently, and some impatiently, for his arrival.
Eli with Aunt Jamie and De De (Alva).

Eli and Ryan just before we left the hospital. All the nurses at Williamson were amazing and it was hard to leave these nice people that played such an important role in the first few days of Eli's life.

We will add more pictures later to properly tell the story of Eli's arrival.

Thanks for all the support and prayers from our wonderful group of family and friends. We appreciate everyone's excitement and willingness to help in any way.
Eli is blessed to have so many people in his life who already care so much about him.

Our First

2008-05-24T13:24:00.000-07:00

Toby, our first, born October 12, 2004 is now all grown up. We have recently let him know that he is going to be a big brother very soon. He has been having a little bit of a hard time with it.

We have been talking to him a lot about how now that he is going to be a big brother it is time for him to give up some of his old things and learn to share and be a good example to his new little brother. He is not quite adjusting to the idea yet.

... but after a few days of sulking around the house and some deep thought and contemplation

I think he has turned a corner and really accepted his new role ...