Update and Mother's Day Out

Ok, I realize it's been a little bit a long time since I last posted.

A lot has happened in the last 6 months. Here is the short version:

• Several months ago the Lord began tugging at mine and especially Alex's heart regarding church planting.
• After much praying, we decided to move our family back to Alex's hometown of Jonesboro, AR to become part of a church planting residency.
• We have been settled in our new home for almost 2 months now. 
• Alex has a new job working as a teller/new accounts at First Security Bank. He loves the laid back atmosphere and has already had several opportunities to share the Gospel with his co-workers.
• I am currently still working as a stay-at-home mom. I may be looking for a part-time job in the near future but right now I am loving being at home with Nathan.
• Nathan started attending a Mother's Day Out last week. He has only been two times but seems to be adjusting well.
• Nathan recently turned 18 months! I can't believe he is half way to being 2. Where has the time gone? 
• Nathan keeps me on my toes. If you want to know what life is like with an 18 month old, let me sum it up with two words: charades and chaos. Nathan can say some words but still isn't at the point of talking in full sentences and still doesn't know every word so I am constantly trying to figure out what he wants which can lead to frustration on both ends. And then chaos just comes with the age. He runs from the minute he wakes up to the minute he goes to bed at night. It is very rare to find him sitting still for more than 5 minutes. 

 
Like I said, a lot has happened but that was just the high points! I mentioned earlier that Nathan has started attending MDO two days a week. Now when I taught MDO in Texas, Nathan would attend with me in my class even though he wasn't old enough yet. So this is the first time he has attended by himself! I wanted to document his first day!

Since Nathan woke up at 5:30am, we decided to make waffles for breakfast to celebrate his first day of school!

I, of course, had to snap a few pictures of my little man before his 1st day!

That paci...

Nathan had a great first day and even took a nap! They said he had a big appetite...definitely a Beasley! So proud of my big boy. Looking forward to watching him grow and learn this next year.

Happy 1st birthday, Nathan!

On Friday, July 19th, my precious baby turned 1! I can't believe how this past year has just flown by!

We woke up Friday morning and ate birthday pancakes in the shape of Mickey Mouse. And of course, I forgot to take a picture! We then headed to the airport to pick up Aunt Amy! After picking up Aunt Amy, we met Uncle Chad, Aunt Julie and cousins Mabry and Clark for lunch at MoMak's Burger joint.

I love this picture! Look at those faces!

 Sweet cousins!

After lunch, we ran a few errands before heading home for Nathan to take a nap! Then when he woke up, Granddad, Grandmother, Aunt Nan and Uncle Pop were at his house!

We hung out at the house for a little bit before heading to eat supper at Texas Pride BBQ. 

We had such a fun filled day spent with family and friends! I still cannot believe that God chose me to be his mom. What a blessing he is to our family.

We love you Nathan!!

10 Signs You Are a New Mom

1. You smell like spit-up

2. You can't remember the last time you fixed your hair.

3. Your new wardrobe now consist of t-shirts and shorts.

4. "If You're Happy and You Know It" is stuck in your head all day long.

5. Your house is a mess.

6. You google things like "how to get rid of belly fat" and "lose 5 pounds in 5 days".

7. Your whole budget goes to things for the baby like diapers, wipes, baby food, etc.

8. You can't remember the last time you cooked a meal.

9. You are stuck watching Mickey Mouse and Baby Einstein all day.

10. You realize that concealer is your new best friend.

Don't get me wrong, I love Nathan more than anything. But sometimes I just have to laugh on how drastically my life has changed since Nathan was born. My priorities, my choice of wardrobe, my way of doing life...all of it has been turned upside down because of one little boy.

I wouldn't change it for the world. There are days where I want to pull my hair out. There are days where I think there is no way I could have another kid. But when I see Nathan smile and hear him laugh or when he leans in to slobber my face with spit, all these hardships seem to fade.

Motherhood has taught me humility. It has taught me about grace and love. It has shown me just how much God loves his children. I am thankful for my heavenly Father who bestows his grace and mercy upon me day after day. What an awesome God we serve!

11 Months

I don't even want to talk about it.

Wanna know why I'm so late writing this blog post? Because I refuse to accept the fact that we are now less than month away from my tiny, sweet, baby boy turning 1.

Again, I don't want to talk about it.

Nonetheless, I need to write this post so my OCD won't kick in from skipping a month. So here goes nothing...

Nathan, this is what you have been up to this month:

• You still wear 9-12 month clothing
• You still wear a size 3 diaper but sometimes a 4
• I'm guessing you weigh around 20 pounds
• You eat all table food and you eat like a man!
• You wear a size 2 shoe...you have tiny feet
• You take 24 oz of formula each day
• You love to share your food. We can ask to have a bite and you are always willing to give us one. You also love to share your food with CeCe especially your vegetables.

• You sleep about 12 hours every night...usually go to bed around 7
• You take about a 2-3 hour nap each day
• You are so busy and crawl everywhere
• You can walk holding our hands or holding on to something but refuse to walk on your own (I think if your feet would grow some then you would have better balance!)
• Your favorite thing to do is throw any and every ball or as you say "ba-ba-ba"
• You still love to say "igh" and point to every light you see
• You know where your head and eyes are
• You are able to sign the words "more", "please" and "all done"

• You don't like to sit still. You are constantly on the move.
• You LOVE to climb the stairs. We have to block the stairs at all times.
• You have figured out how to open the pocket door leading to the kitchen. I no longer can keep you contained to the living room.
• You still love to play with CeCe. You walk and crawl all over her. You love playing ball and rope with her.
• You love watching Mickey Mouse and Baby Einstein. For some reason, you do NOT like Veggie Tales. You cry every time I put it on.

Nathan, you are the sweetest little boy. Your daddy and I don't deserve you but I'm so glad the Lord saw fit to bless us with you. You are truly a joy.



We love you sweet boy!!

Eat. Sleep. Play Ball.

We have a sign hanging above Nathan's crib that reads "Eat. Sleep. Play Ball." This pretty much sums up our time in Jonesboro and life as a Beasley. But it was so much fun!

We arrived in Jonesboro Friday evening. As soon as we rolled into town, myself, Alex and Alex's dad traveled to Memphis to attend a Memphis Redbird game while Grandmother kept Nathan at home. Let me just say, I wish everyone had the opportunity to attend a baseball game with the Beasley men.

Here is the father/son duo looking at baseball cards WHILE watching the baseball game! If you haven't noticed, they are some die hard baseball fans. I can't wait for Nathan to get a little older so he and Alex can talk baseball.

Saturday morning we all headed to Springfield, MO, which was about a 5 hour drive, to attend a Springfield Cardinal game.

Nathan loved having Grandmother keep him company during the drive. We arrived and checked into our hotel then went straight to the mall to get new Cardinal shirts to wear to the game!

My boys were so excited about the game!

Nathan even got his first autograph! The player's name is James Ramsey. He was such a nice guy. He is a Christian and writes different bible verses on the baseball cards when signing his autograph.

Nathan did awesome at his first ball game! He loved looking at all the people and lights and listening to the music. I know Nathan will love baseball as much as his daddy and Granddad...I don't think he has much choice!

Arkansas Vacation Pt. 1

Several weeks ago, we headed up to Jonesboro, AR to spend a few days with Alex's parents. We had such a good time! Nathan experienced a lot of "firsts" this trip! He got to ride on an airplane, go to his first baseball game and get his first haircut.

Bear with me, because I took a lot of pictures! It will probably take a few posts to get everything in.

We left on a Thursday morning and drove to Frisco, TX to spend the night with Alex's sister and her family. Nathan loved getting to play with his cousins, Mabry and Clark! And mommy and daddy enjoyed getting to spend time with the adults!

Clark and Nathan are only about 6 months apart. I know these 2 are going to be best friends!

We got up Friday morning and flew to Little Rock. This was Nathan's first plane ride. I wasn't too nervous because it was only an hour flight and Alex was with me. Nathan did awesome! We had a bottle ready for him at take-off and he finished it when we landed. And he watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in the middle!

And I did not even plan for him to wear that shirt with the airplane on it! I didn't even notice until we were on the plane. Guess it was just a sixth sense type thing. :)

Up next, Nathan's first baseball game!

10 Months

We have now hit the double digits...oh my goodness! I know I say this every month but this past month has been my favorite so far! His little personality just shines through every day. Alex and I love playing with him.

Nathan, this is what you have been up to this month:

• You weigh around 19 pounds (I'm guessing)
• You are wearing 9-12 month clothing
• You are still wearing a size 3 diaper
• You wear a size 2-3 size shoe (you have tiny feet!)
• You are such a good little eater. The transition to formula has gone way better than I could of ever expected. You love your bottle!
• You take about 5-7 ounces of formula about 3-4 times a day.
• You are eating 3 additional meals plus snacks. You are still eating baby food but eat a lot of table food. You are almost to the point of no longer liking your baby food.
• You are still taking 2 naps every day. 

• You are everywhere! You crawl all over the house and pull-up on anything and everything. 
• You are getting so good at holding on to things and walking. You love to walk around the coffee table and you do it over and over. 
• You are so smart. I can ask you "Where is your head?" and you will put your hand on top of your head.
• You know the sign for "all done" but I don't think you know what it means just yet but you can do the sign when I ask you!
• You just learned how to clap your hands and I love it!! You get so excited

• You also have learned how to climb the stairs. You are a fast little booger, too. We have to always have the baby gate up or you will constantly be on the stairs. 
• I think your first word is "light". We can ask you where the light is and you will point to it and say "ight"! 
• You have a little bit of separation anxiety. You get upset when mommy leaves you in the nursery but you are getting better!
• You spent your first night(s) away from home! You stayed 3 nights by yourself at Nonny and Pops' house! You did great!
• You still LOVE being outside. You especially love watching daddy and CeCe play frisbee. 
• You love throwing the ball and have gotten quiet good at it too! Daddy especially loves that you seem to throw better left-handed.

• You also love to play ball and rope with CeCe. You know which toys are hers and will throw them for her. 
• You busted your lip for the first time. You were holding on to the coffee table and CeCe ran by you and knocked you over. You hit your lip on the table and bled for a little bit. But once daddy took you outside, you were all better!
• You are such a happy and content little boy!

I can't believe we are only 2 months away from celebrating your 1st birthday!! It will be a bittersweet day for mommy and daddy but it will be a joyous one! We love you stinker!!

Mother's Day

I had a wonderful, relaxing first Mother's Day. There's nothing better than just spending quality time with my boys.

My sweet husband surprised me with an iPhone 5. I'm always way behind when it comes to having the newest phone so I was quite surprised. Since I'm always taking pictures of Nathan with my phone, it is nice having a good phone.

But after church, we just relaxed at home all day. We took naps, threw the ball with Nathan and chased CeCe outside.

I just love this video of Alex and Nathan playing outside. This is an almost nightly occurrence and I absolutely love it!

God has truly blessed me more than I could ever imagine. I love being a mom to my precious Nathan. I am thankful that God chose me to be his mother. 

9 Months

Sorry my blogging has been lacking lately but Nathan sure is keeping me busy! Needless to say, he is everywhere and into everything! But I wouldn't trade it for the world!

Nathan, here is what you have been up to this month:

• We went to the doctor yesterday and you weigh 18 lbs, 6 oz. And are 28 inches long. 
• You have been nursing about every 4 hours until yesterday. We are now starting the weaning process. You will still be nursing in the mornings and evenings but will be taking formula during the day. (You had your first bottle of formula last night and loved it!)
• You are eating an additional 3 meals a day with a few snacks. You are still eating baby food but are transitioning to eating some table food. 
• You are wearing a size 3 diaper. 

• You wear 9-12 month clothing.
• You have your 2 bottom teeth and love to bite!
• Your favorite word is still da-da. But say ma-ma every once in awhile. 
• You are crawling everywhere and are into everything! 
• You are constantly pulling up on anything you can.

• You LOVE to be outside especially when daddy is playing frisbee with CeCe. As soon as you go outside, you start kicking your legs. You even cry when I make you come inside or won't let you go outside.
• You still are not sleeping through the night. We are working on that so hopefully we can all enjoy a full night's rest soon! 
• You have a little bit of separation anxiety. You know if you cry a lot then mommy always comes back to get you. Never fails. 
• You are able to cruise along the coffee table. You hold on to the side and walk all around. I'm afraid you will be walking before I know it!
• You still absolutely love bath time. You splash the entire time and would probably put your head underwater if I would let you.   
• You love books especially Snuggle Puppy. As soon as I get done reading the book, you whine and whine until I read it again.

Nathan, you are so much fun! I can't believe we are only 3 months away until we celebrate your 1st birthday! Daddy and mommy love you more than you know. We pray for you daily. Love you sweet boy!!

Crawling

For the past few weeks Nathan has shown signs of crawling but hadn't quite figured it out. He started crawling a few steps but today he is a crawling pro!

8 Months

Once again I am several days late on this post but my life has been pretty hectic for the past 3 weeks.

Nathan, here is what you have been up to this month:

• You weigh almost 18 pounds.
• You wear a size 3 diaper.
• You are still nursing every 3-4 hours (we are working on making it 4 hours)
• You are eating an additional 2 meals each day, sometimes 3. 
• You are such a good eater and will eat pretty much anything I give you.

• You are wearing 9-12 month clothing.
• You LOVE bath time. You splash the entire time.
• I wish I could say that you are sleeping through the night but you have been waking up about 2 times each night. 

• You love to try and pull-up on everything. You aren't quite there yet but are pretty darn close.
• You are so close to crawling. You can go forward with your hands but can't seem to figure out how to get your legs going. But you are pretty good at scooting backwards.
• You have learned how to sit-up from laying on your belly.

• You LOVE to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. You squeal and kick your legs as soon as we turn it on for you. 
• You are such a talker. You jabber all day long.
• At home, you are into everything and are so busy. But when you are around a lot of people or people you don't know, you are so observant and will just sit there and watch everyone.
• You are still shy when meeting new people but seem to warm up pretty quickly.

I can't believe we are only 4 months from celebrating your 1st birthday. We love you!

7 Months

I'm a few several days late on this post but better late than never!

Nathan turned 7 months on the 19th. Seriously, how can he already be 7 months?? I feel like he has grown and changed so much in the past month.

Here is what you have been up to this month:

• You are still nursing about every 3-4 hours.
• You now eat 2 additional meals each day. 
• You eat peaches, bananas (you love bananas!), pears, apples, carrots, sweet potatoes, green beans and peas. You also still eat cereal at night mixed with apple juice.
• When you went for your 6 month check-up, you weighed 16 pounds and were 26 inches long. 
• You are learning how to drink water out of a sippy cup. You weren't too sure at first but have become quite the pro at it. 

• You are constantly grabbing for anything and everything. 
• You finally rolled from your back to belly. 
• Still no sign of crawling which is fine with me!
• And still no teeth yet.
• We can ask you where the light is and you almost always look straight at it. We also ask you where daddy and CeCe are and you always look straight at them. You are so smart!

• You are such a laid back baby. 
• You are always happy and smiling. 
• I would love to say that you are sleeping through the night but you aren't. Ever since your cold, you wake up several times during the night. Mommy and daddy can't wait for the day that we get a full night's rest!
• You are wearing 9-12 month clothing.
• You are wearing a size 3 diaper.
• You have the chubbiest legs which I love!

• Your favorite word to say is da-da. You say it all day long. 
• You love to play in your exer-saucer and play on the floor with your toys. 
• You experienced your first Valentine's Day and got lots of goodies from the MOPS party and from your Grandparents. 

Can't believe we are only 5 months away from celebrating your 1st birthday. What a blessing you are to us. We love you!!