The McHone Family

Braydens Bathtime ABC's

2011-02-01T18:41:00.001-05:00

Long time no post

2010-12-19T18:06:00.002-05:00

Hello!
Well, the semester is over and I'm finally on Christmas break! It was a difficult semester - 5 classes, working 24hrs a week, being a mommy & wife, but I did it! And I only have 2 semesters left, Praise the Lord!!! It's all been such a blessing and God continues to open doors and things just keep falling into place! God is SO Good!!! And thank you for all of your love, support & prayers during these past few month - keep 'em comin! :)

Enough about me, lets talk about adorable little Brayden! He's getting ready to turn 2 January 7th and I can't believe it! Where has the time gone??? He's talking up a storm and growing like a weed! It amazes Ryan and I how fast he learns things and applies them. Right now we are working on his name and who he is. I pat him on his chest and ask him who he is and his response is always "baby" and my response is "yes, you are my baby and always will be!" I guess we probably didn't pick the easiest name for a child to pronounce, but I like it way better than the name Bob (no offense)! He loves to read, color, play with playdoh, building blocks, and play with any type of ball. We sometimes play a miniature version of baseball in the living room and he goes crazy! He's thinks its the funniest thing to watch us hit the ball and to throw it back and forth! He just laughs and laughs!!! I love being a mommy, he's filled with such innocent joy!!!

We put our tree up this past week while Bray was at Grandma & Grandpa's and it is so funny to see. There are no ornaments on the bottom 1/4 of the tree and then on the next 1/4 are all felt, non-breakable. All of our other breakable ornaments are on the top half. Bray has been pretty good about it... well except for taking his baseball bat to it... and pulling the ornaments off... and throwing toys and balls into it - but other than that, he's been good! :)

I'll try and upload some pictures soon so you can see his cute, joyous little smile!!!

Brayden and the Dirt

2010-10-11T20:05:00.002-04:00

Dad here. I guess it is easier for me to just put a video up, so here ya go!

Finally a new post!

2010-10-05T07:57:00.008-04:00

Since Brayden will be 21 months this week I thought we should have an update. Tiffany is in full swing with school and still working 3 days a week... she's a trooper! So, I (Ryan) thought I would share this video.

Temper tantrum...

2010-08-01T20:29:00.010-04:00

I believe we saw a glimpse of a temper tantrum tonight. On our way home we saw a Little Tykes basketball goal at the end of a driveway that said free. We've been wanting to get one for Bray so this was perfect! So we stopped, loaded it up in the minivan, and took it home! We put it back together, grabbed a ball and shot some hoops with Bray. He loved it!!! Well, not only was it past his bedtime, he also needed a bath. So we brought him in and boy o' boy was he upset! I took him upstairs and put him in the bath, much to his dislike, and gave the fastest bath I've ever given! :) While still crying, we took him into our bedroom to try and get his jammies on him and he was crying so hard that he threw up, twice. He kept going to the door and crying, he wanted to get out and play with his new goal so bad. Ry and I have never seen him act this way before. We tried to sooth him but nothing would help. Finally, we got him calmed down with a bottle and I sat and rocked him back and forth while patting his back. Wow I sure hope this isn't a glimpse of the terrible two's, it stressed both of us out! Poor Bray, he wanted to play so bad! Tomorrow... all day long :)

No cable, no internet... what!?!?

2010-07-18T12:56:00.002-04:00

As you've noticed, I haven't updated the blog for a bit. Well, we did a little experiment in our household. We've been trying to cut costs and save money, so we decided that we would stop our cable and internet. We both felt that we were watching too much TV and didn't want Brayden to get addicted to it too, so we made some changes! After over a month now of neither one, we've decided that we can definitely live without cable... but internet is a little harder! So we just activated basic internet service for a much smaller fee. So now, if we want to watch a cable show or a show that we've missed, instead of a high price DVR, we can watch it on the internet. We do have an antenna so we can get local channels and Ry can keep up on his sports fix via ESPN.com! It's kind of freeing - you should try it!

So a lot happens in a month! In our continued efforts to save money, we decided that it was time to get rid of a car payment, so after pinching many pennies, we bought a minivan! And yes, I know I said I would never, ever, ever own a minivan, but I absolutely love it! It has so much more room! And you press a button and the sliding doors open or shut! This particular feature is amazing for a mom, especially when you have a child in one arm, the diaper bag, bottle of water, wallet, groceries etc, etc. So I'm proud to say that we are now minivan owners!!! We also had some good friends that are now far away come to visit.

I applied, interviewed and was accepted into a Surgical program through the hospital I work at. This is a great opportunity and blessing and that we are all very excited about!!! They only selected 16 people for this program and I was one of them! Wow! I'm so excited!!! It's an 11month program that starts August 30th. It will be hard wearing so many hats - wife, mom, student & employee, but we have prayed about it through the whole process and I know that God wouldn't have opened the doors if He wasn't going to open the rest and continue to provide! Also, Brayden is now 18 months old an talking like crazy and into everything! I am loving this stage of his life - he's so fun and such a joy!!!

I'll try to post more often again, however, when school starts it will be a little harder - but I'll do what I can!

Mommy & Me Swim Class

2010-06-11T14:19:00.015-04:00

Bray and I started our Mommy & Me swim class today! We did the "Hokey Pokey," "London Bridge," Itsey Bittsy Spider," "Humpty Dumpty," "Alligator Sit, Alligator Stand, Alligator Jump!" We also did lots of kicking and blowing bubbles in the water! It was so much fun!!! I can't wait to go again next Friday, and I think Bray feels the same way :)

One... Two... Three!

2010-06-06T20:16:00.004-04:00

When we are driving in our neighborhood we go over 3 bumps before we get to our house so each time we go over them we count. Yesterday while doing this we went over bump number one and said one... then as we're getting ready to go over bump number two, Bray says "twwoo" It was the cutest thing! Two is one of his words that he says but for him to say it in order was so precious! They are such little sponges and we just love to teach him!

Bray learned to play corn hole

2010-06-05T22:01:00.002-04:00

We had a busy weekend this weekend with a birthday party, an open house, church (I volunteered in the nursery with the one year olds), and a birthday dinner. And Bray was a trooper - as always! These are pictures from our good friend Justin's open house, where Bray learned to play corn hole... he got more in the hole than anyone else!

He's impeding the game... Sorry Michael

And this is beautiful Katie, Justin's sister, that adores Bray and we adore her :)

My "Captain Adorable"

2010-05-27T21:09:00.006-04:00

These are my new favorite jammies...

And they even have a cape in the back!

Look at those baby blues, definitely momma's captain adorable, oh how I love him!

"The Linus Gene"

2010-05-16T13:30:00.016-04:00

In the past two weeks Bray has shown a sudden interest in the blankets in his crib. He has one that is from Aunt Koryn & Uncle Jay that is wonderfully soft and fuzzy that he curls up on top of. And another one that is blue with sports on it and soft that he pulls up next to him to cuddle with while he sleeps (I can't remember where this one came from so if it was you, let me know :)). These two blankets have been in his crib with him for a few months now, but he's recently showed a great interest in them. Any time you get him from his crib, he grabs at least one if not both of them and carries them around the house with him - kind of like Linus from the Peanuts. He gets so excited about taking them with him when he gets up!

Ok, so here comes the confession... I too had a blankie when I was growing up that I slept with and carried around the house behind me, kind of like Linus. So apparently, the genealogy runs really deep between Bray and I because we share this same childhood gene. I'm going to call this gene "The Linus Gene." This gene is very unique and is well known throughout our family, in fact after talking to my dad last night, he agreed that Bray was definitely my son and that we must name the blankie. Confession #2: not only did I carry my blanket all around with me as a child, I also named him... his name was Bambi. So, its official, Brayden now has a Bambi of his own. I'll post some pictures soon to show you just how cute he is with his new pal, Bambi.

Playing in the dirt

2010-05-05T09:52:00.010-04:00

Brayden loves the dirt...

He's planting his crop... :)

I usually plant flowers in this little pot... I think I'll skip it this year! :)

Art project

2010-04-25T13:49:00.005-04:00

So after church today I noticed something blue sticking up out of the diaper bag... it's Bray's first art project while in the nursery! I put it on the fridge right away! It's the cutest thing, it made me cry!
It's so precious

The Zoo

2010-04-12T21:06:00.000-04:00

For my birthday weekend (we celebrate for at least a weekend if not the whole week in our family :) we decided to go to the zoo! We didn't take Bray last year so we were very excited to take him this year! Here are some pictures of our first day at the zoo...

Here I am petting a shark! They actually have a shark petting tank - crazy!

The sea lions, which Bray loved!

The dolphins...

The donkeys... where Bray decided he didn't want to wear his hat, so he threw it into their pin... good thing daddy has long arms because he had to reach in and get it!

Lamas...
The big grizzly bears were chasing each other around - Bray was greatly enthused!

Then we went to see the butterflies and flowers at White River Gardens which is all so beautiful

Bray is such a boy, he kept smacking the tulips back and forth!

Then came the water...

This face says it all :) :) :)

The Children's Museum

2010-04-05T13:49:00.021-04:00

Ryan decided to take off work for Good Friday because I had to work all Easter weekend. Since we had the whole day together, we decided we needed to do something fun! Well Aunt Koryn had free tickets from her law firm to the Children's Museum so it was perfect!!! So we got up, ate breakfast and headed out! We got there right around lunch time so we decided to eat first, and then play :) All of us had SO much fun! Bray was so excited and curious about everything - it was so cute! It was an amazing day!!!

Here are some pictures of our wonderful day at The Children's Museum...

The Dinosphere...

Fireworks of Glass, which was so beautiful...

The special Barbie exhibit...

Take Me There: Egypt....

The Playscape - which is just for toddlers/preschoolers...

Carousel Wishes and Dreams...

Bob The Builder: Project Build It...

Picture time, say cheese...

Running, running, running!

Checking out the gift shop & trying on some hats...

And in the words of Brayden: "All done" :)

The park

2010-04-01T15:00:00.009-04:00

I'm not sure what person gave the impression that it was a breeze to take your child to the park, but it's not. Now I'm not saying its not fun, it's just a lot of work. Brayden is almost 15months old, so he's walking and running all over the place, and enjoys putting everything he finds in his mouth. Well it's been so nice out this week that we have either went for a walk or to the park, or both, every day. Yesterday for example - we went to a park down the street, went for a stoll and then I took him to the playground. Well, this is a whole new world to winter baby Brayden! There is grass and wood-chips, aka mulch, and flowers and bugs and sidewalk, and, and, and! So while we are playing on the playground he wants to go everywhere but the playground. Well of course I worry about him tripping on the sidewalk and getting hurt, or kids knocking him over etc, etc. So while I'm trying to keep him from putting everything in his mouth and all the other stuff, he spots it.... a ball. Let me preface this by saying that my child is obsessed, and I do mean obsessed, with balls. And anything that is round or remotely round and resembles a ball, is in fact a ball. And once he sees a ball, it's over. He can say quite a few words and ball is probably the word he says the most because it's his favorite thing. When he spots a ball says it over and over and over. So, he sees a basketball at the park and of course it is over by a little boy who is swinging on the swing set. I couldn't do anything to keep him away from it. I would pick him up and take him over to the other side of the playground - it didn't matter. All he wanted was that stupid ball. So we go over there, mind you kids are swinging back and forth and I just know one of them is going to kick him or knock him over because not only is he walking and running, he's fast. So we go over there I let him touch the ball - hoping that would be enough to get it out of his system... nope lol. It didn't even subdue his crave at all, I think it made it worse. Now, I do believe that I have one of the cutest kids on the planet (all moms think that about their kids) because I think he knew what to do with this basketball because he was trying to dribble it - like hey, this is a basketball and that's what you do! I tried to get him to play by showing him the giant turtle and taking him down the slides but as soon as I let go of him, he was off to the ball! So after what seemed like an eternity and a hot and sweaty mommy, I decided that even if he wasn't done, I was. Then today we met Bray's friend Colin at a little park at our outdoor mall. And it was the same exhausting thing! Only this playground has recycled tires instead of mulch, so this was something new for him to feel and taste! And yes, even though they cut the tires up, they are still dirty and now, so is Bray lol. And I do know that I'm not the only one to feel that a trip to the park is exhausting because one of the moms there said it before I did! You can't turn your head for a second or even bat an eye - they are fast little dudes!!! Now, I love to take him because I know he loves it, but that doesn't mean that I'm not exhausted physically and mentally when we are done :) So, a trip to the park...is far from being a breeze!

Bike

2010-03-27T14:02:00.003-04:00

Brayden has taken a new interest in his little "bike" He likes to ride it...

And check the tire pressure...
:) :) :)

Bedtime

2010-03-17T20:51:00.014-04:00

Bedtime is one of my favorite times of day. Brayden and I come upstairs, I lay him in the middle of our king size bed, snuggle up close and give him a warm bottle. I stroke his precious little head, moving the hair back off of his perfect forehead. He usually grabs a piece of my shirt and rubs it back and forth between his little fingers, he's done this since he was a newborn. I recount the day in my head as I stare at him and think of how amazing he is and how blessed I am to have him in my life. As we lay snuggled together, after the bottle is long gone, I pray. And pray some more. I pray that God will protect him, keep him healthy, watch over him, and help him to grow up to be big and strong. I put him in God's loving hands and tell Him that Brayden is all His. And most importantly, I pray with all of my heart that Brayden will be a Godly man. I pray that he will have a heart for Jesus and that he will be the most amazing Godly man I will ever know. I have tears streaming down my face as I write this because this is more important to me than anything in the world. I know that my husband and I are going to heaven, and my most sacred prayer is that our precious child will be there with us.

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." 3 John 1:4

Limes...

2010-03-11T20:38:00.001-05:00

We went to the grocery store and bought some limes to use with our chicken and every time Brayden was in the kitchen he would point to them and say "ball." I let him hold one and check it out and explained to him that it wasn't a ball, it was a lime...

Then we cut the lime and let him taste it....

Swings, slides, walk - busy day!

2010-03-10T20:33:00.008-05:00

It was beautiful outside today so I met my friend Erika and her baby, Leah, at one of the playgrounds in our neighborhood (we have a big neighborhood). We put the kids on the swings and slid them down the slide and had lots of fun! This is the first Bray and I have done any of this and it was so a blast!!!
I love to watch Brayden because he seems to understand more and is more inquisitive every day - so with him, everything is an adventure! He was so interested in Leah and the little kids running around and the grass and the mulch and the leaves and well, everything! It was so cute - I love everything about him!!!
We had so much fun playing and going for a walk! Thanks Erika and Leah for a great day!

Going for a walk...

2010-03-08T19:18:00.006-05:00

It was beautiful outside today so I decided to take Brayden and Gracie for a walk. So I put Gracie on her leash, strapped Bray in the stroller and off we went! We haven't been on a walk in awhile and I think for the first time Brayden really grasped what was going on, and I have to say that I think it was probably the most fun I've ever had on a walk! Brayden was laughing so hard at Gracie and the fact that she was on a string, that he was belly laughing! He was "holding" the leash all by himself and he just thought it was the best thing in the world! He thought it was so cool - he actually had control of her. I was laughing an smiling from ear to ear - it was adorable and so much fun! I can't wait to go for another walk! And maybe next time daddy can go too!

Bath time

2010-03-04T10:01:00.002-05:00

Bath time is so much fun at our house and Bray loves it! We splish & splash and sing songs and play. Here are a couple of pictures of him enjoying his bath time!

Fever

2010-02-23T21:22:00.001-05:00

It's been a little bit since I've posted - Brayden hasn't wasn't feeling very well this past week/weekend and had a fever for 3 days :( We have been very blessed because he's only been ill about 4 times in his little life. So this weekend when his fever spiked 102.8 we got a little worried! And they even say that when you take their temp under their arm you should add 1 whole degree - yikes! Well we finally got it to break on Sunday night by giving him double the dose of Motrin. Praise the Lord that he's feeling much better and is back to his normal self!!! Here a couple pictures of us trying to cool him down... and sick or not, he's so darn cute! :)

check out those muscles in his little arm! :)

Trash...

2010-02-14T14:33:00.003-05:00

So Brayden has this obsession with our trash can. It's the kind that has a swivel top so you just toss things in and the lid is always swivels back in place. Well, So far I have found various toys, balls, Tupperware, socks, the remote, his shoes in there! And who knows what I haven't rescued! I understand his fascination - the lid rocks back and forth & you put things in there and they "disappear"! It's probably like magic to him! So now, every time we throw something away, we check to make sure there is nothing else in there! :)

Just hanging out with mommy

2010-02-08T22:04:00.008-05:00

Here are some pictures that I took the other day when we playing!

Bray often has crazy hair... :)

And he LOVES any ball and says ball over and over...

He's looking out the door at his pal Gracie...

Do you want to play ball with me? I'll share!

And this is one of Brayden's famous faces - we call it his Popeye face! From time to time he will talk out of the side of his mouth like this - it's SO cute and funny!

I thought you might enjoy a little touch of Brayden being Brayden ;)

Vote for Brayden!

2010-02-03T13:56:00.002-05:00

I entered Brayden in a magazine cover contest and they contacted me telling me that he had been selected as one of the Parents photo faves! So please visit the link below and vote for our picture of Brayden in the leaves!

http://photos.parents.com/category/vote/photo/80040

Oh little spinach leaf...

2010-02-01T15:10:00.007-05:00

Who knew that a spinach leaf could create so much joy?! Ryan, Brayden & I went to the grocery store on Saturday - which was badly needed! Knowing this, I was thinking of things to occupy Brayden for this long adventure. Well, we were walking through the produce and there was fresh clean spinach leaves... so I gave him one. And he loved it! It was a little wet and deep green which added to his pleasure. He held it in his little hand and looked it up and down and all around. He was so fascinated by this little spinach leaf that mommy had so gracefully given him. After several minutes of checking it out, he decided to really check it out and taste it (everything eventually ends up in his mouth). He made a few funny faces but that didn't stop him, he continued to play with his leaf throughout the store. He loved his little spinach leaf - who knew something so simple could be so much fun :)

Walking, walking, walking

2010-01-22T21:21:00.001-05:00

Birthday Party!

2010-01-16T16:43:00.012-05:00

Last Saturday, January 9th, we celebrated Brayden's first Birthday. We had a wonderful house full of family & friends for his big bash! It was a great day of celebration & love - thank you everyone for being a part of this special day!

The cake
(the little baseball was his smash cake)

Brayden telling everyone thank you for coming

Opening gifts...

Brayden loves any kind of ball

Mommy & Daddy bought Bray a Mickey Mouse that dances - his favorite character

This is Brayden's friend Colin in the wagon with him and one of his girlfriends, Leah, is getting a quick snack before cake (just kidding Erika - she's still too little)

"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday dear Brayden, Happy Birthday to you!!!"

He wasn't too sure about the cake at first, but as you'll see, he soon decided he liked it!

He just kept eating, and eating so I actually took it away! Grandma sure knows how to make a good cake ;)

Happy 1st Birthday Brayden Ellis!!!

2010-01-07T10:25:00.000-05:00

A year of pictures...

Happy Birthday Brayden! You've been such a joyful blessing from God, we couldn't have asked for a better gift!

Mommy & Daddy love you, to the moon and back!!!

Brayden's first haircut

2010-01-05T21:07:00.008-05:00

We took Bray to Cookie Cutters today to get his first haircut - it was getting pretty long and covering his ears. It was quite the adventure! Lets just say that he didn't really like it.

Before...

Looking a little concerned...
And then, the break down...
After...My little boy is so handsome! I can't believe that he got his first haircut and is turning one in a couple of days - lots of firsts and many more to come!

Walking

2010-01-02T21:12:00.004-05:00

Brayden is on his way to walking! Today, while I was at work, Ryan said that he was by the entertainment center playing and kept letting go and just standing there for long periods of time and after discovering that he was doing it on his own, he kept doing it and doing it. Then he became even more brave and took about 4 steps on his own! So tonight after I got home, we sat down with him and were having him walk back and forth between us and he was taking steps on his own and just kept doing it and laughing! He thought it was so funny to walk! It was SO cute! I don't think it will be long before he's walking all by himself. My little boy isn't so little any more... And did I mention that he's going to be one in less than a week... snif, snif

Pink eye...

2009-12-29T15:00:00.005-05:00

When Brayden woke up this morning his right eye was all red and crusty, along with a yellowish/greenish snotty nose. So I called and got him an appointment with the NP and he has pink eye :( While we were there we also found out that he is working on 4 teeth!!! I knew he was working on his top two but the top four - wow! No wonder he's been fussy and not really himself! Poor guy! They weighed him too and he is now 19lbs 10oz! I hope his little eyes get better soon - they are all red and puffy :( She said that everything else looks and sounds good - no fever, clear lungs, no ear infections, just pink eye - yuck!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-26T17:29:00.026-05:00

This was Brayden's first Christmas and it was so much fun! Christmas day was my holiday to work this year, so we celebrated mostly on Christmas Eve. When Brayden woke up we went down stairs and let Bray open his first present... the busy ball popper! He wasn't too sure about it at first because it makes a lot of noise and blows balls out of the top, but that didn't last long - now he loves it! At around 11 my siblings, Steffany, Cody, Matt & his girlfriend Megan came over and we opened presents with them and had our Christmas dinner before going to church. We had so much fun and it was great to hang out with them!
Then on Christmas day after I got off work, I went to Ryan's parents house and we had another Christmas dinner and opened more presents! Ryan and Brayden got to spend the day with his parents, Great Grandpa Frazier (Ryan's Mom's Dad) and his aunt Carol. It's so fun to watch Brayden and see what toys he gets! He did really well with opening them - he opened most of his presents with little help. He was so cute!!!

11 Months

2009-12-07T11:08:00.001-05:00

Brayden is 11 months old... which to me says he's almost 1... I don't like it! I don't want him to grow up - he's my baby! I know, it's inevitable, but that doesn't mean I have to like it! :) As for milestones, he'll be walking any time - he pulls himself up on everything, and I mean everything! And he's becoming more and more brave by holding on with only one hand and even letting go totally. He would rather walk with you or his toys than crawl. He loves to eat anything that you are eating, and if you don't share, he whines! He's a busy little guy - nothing is out of his reach it seems! His 4th tooth as broke the skin - he has both bottom teeth and now two front teeth. He loves to sit and read books and turn the pages. He especially likes the ones that make noise or have touch and feel things in them. He probably weighs around 20lbs and has grown out of his 12 month jammies! I put some on him the other day and they were 3/4 sleeve! He's such a joy and so full of love & innocence. And I love that when I give him kisses, he tries to give me one back! I love him so much! Thank you Jesus for blessing us with such a wonderful gift... even if he does have to grow up!!!

Leaves...

2009-12-02T21:32:00.009-05:00

I posted a lot of pictures this time but they are all so good I couldn't resist! A couple of weeks ago we raked some leaves together and put Bray in them for the first time and Ryan took some amazing pictures Enjoy!

Wisconsin/Thanksgiving

2009-12-01T14:25:00.008-05:00

Every year Ryan's parents go to Reedsburg Wisconsin for Thanksgiving - Ryan's Aunt Donna & Uncle Tom own a bed and breakfast called Parkview B&B. They have 4 guest rooms that everyone stays in and it's so much fun! Family comes from Indiana, Illinois & other cities in Wisconsin - this was my third year to go and Brayden's first!

Taking a little nap
This is new favorite toy - he's walking all over so he just pushes this little walker all over the place and loves it!

Family photo... and let me tell you how long it took to get one! Someone (aka Ryan) kept closing his eyes... and if his eyes were kind of open then Brayden wasn't looking or his eyes were shut - it was a hoot!
Awe, I love him! And see what his shirt says?! "Thankful for Mommy"
So the trip is normally around 8 hours to Reedsburg Wisconsin... it took us 12. Thankfully, he slept some, and was pretty good. Look at those cheeks!!!

Helping

2009-11-14T20:51:00.001-05:00

Brayden is helping mommy do the laundry... so he thinks :)

Jay & Koryn's Wedding

2009-11-10T13:05:00.014-05:00

I was blessed with a beautiful sister-in-law, Koryn this past weekend! Ryan's brother Jay married his long time girlfriend Koryn Saturday November 7th at Carmel Lutheran Church. Ryan, Brayden & I were all in the wedding which was so special! Ryan & were attendants and Bray was the adorable ring bearer! It was a beautiful day for such a beautiful occasion! And Brayden was such a trooper - he only napped for about 1 1/2 hours for the entire day and he stayed awake and partied until about midnight! He never fussed or anything, he even sat through the entire ceremony! We were so proud of him! He's such a good baby and that just confirmed it even more!

It was so neat how Jay & Koryn did things, Ryan walked out with Bray and held him up front while the girls 3/4 of the way down the aisle and then the guys met the girls and finished the walk - so we go to walk down as a family! It was so special! Everything was beautiful and perfect! Thank you Jay & Koryn for having all of us share in your special day! Congratulations - we love you!!!

Getting ready!

The girls got ready in the nursery, which thrilled Bray!
They got married at Carmel Lutheran Church, which is beautiful
Done with the wedding, on to the Renaissance Hotel for hors d'oeurves!
The reception was at the Ritz Charles in Carmel
The AMAZING cake!
Bray in his little ring bearer tux :)
Brayden & Grandma McHone - they're buddies! (And isn't she a beautiful mother of the Groom!)
The beautiful Bride & Groom!

Brayden's Great Grandpa (Ryan's Grandpa)My two boys - I'm so blessed!!!
Dancing, dancing, dancing!!!
And then, the day after... :)

HaLLoWeEn

2009-10-31T22:27:00.000-04:00

Brayden was our little football player for Halloween. I was really sick so I never made it to the store to get a him a costume, so we improvised! He had his little colts jersey, some white pants, a football candy basket, so I made him a football player! Then I gave him shoulder pads and leg pads (I used maxi-pads - sorry Bray) and wha-la!
We went to trick-or-treat at Uncle Jay & Aunt Koryn's, Grandma Karen & Grandpa Les, and Grandma & Grandpa McHone's. It was so fun and he's always such a joy!

Pulling up!

2009-10-28T12:17:00.001-04:00

Brayden started pulling himself up... on everything!

2nd Tooth!

2009-10-12T08:48:00.004-04:00

Brayden finally has his second tooth! I've been checking in his mouth and nothing, nothing and then yesterday I saw it! It's already broke through the skin and is on it's way up! He also has received his first cold with a complimentary runny nose and cough :) He had his 9month check up on Thursday 10/8 and the pediatrician said that he looked and sounded great. He hasn't had a fever (even with teething), his cough is non-productive and his snot is clear so he's good to go! He weighed in at 17lbs 4oz and over 26inches long. He's doing good and getting bigger each day!

He's also saying ma-ma A LOT! And sometimes just mom. It's the cutest thing! And I know that they usually say da-da first, but not Brayden - it's ma-ma ma-ma all the time. Since he's been sick he hasn't been eating that well throughout the day, so he's been waking me up about once a night to nurse. Well, a couple of nights ago I hear him around 4-5am on the baby monitor saying ma-ma, ma-ma, ma-ma - what a wonderful way to wake up! It made me smile :)

Brayden is still army crawling all over the place. And on Friday when Ryan I were both home, he got up onto all fours again, but this time he took a "step"! He did this a couple of times! So he may not skip crawling. He's doing great! He's such a joy - I love being a mommy - it's the best job I've ever had ;)

New hiding spot

2009-10-09T17:29:00.003-04:00

Brayden has found a new hiding spot. Our entertainment center has two doors and a empty spot for a shelf (which we didn't put in) and Brayden has recently discovered it - it's his new favorite place to be! He's so darn cute!!!

The Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-04T17:05:00.008-04:00

Brayden at the pumpkin patch!

He as checking out a pumpkin...

And he really checked it out by licking it! He was too fast for me!

8 Months!

2009-09-07T12:53:00.001-04:00

Brayden is now 8 months old - boy how time flys! He's sitting up, rolling all around, trying to pull himself up on everything and eating like a champ! He loves to eat any food you give him, he opens his mouth up as big as he can and kicks his little feet with excitement! He's also "talking" up a storm, and I could just listen to him all day long! He's so much fun! He has tooth number 1 and is working on number 2 so of course everything goes straight to the mouth and comes out with tons of drool. He's doing great! Such a wonderful bundle of joy :)

So cute!

2009-09-03T11:14:00.003-04:00

This is his new favorite toy... a chip clip

He's laughing at mommy

Teething...

2009-09-02T15:56:00.002-04:00

Brayden has his first tooth! It's his front, bottom left. I didn't realize how long the teething process took - he's been working on it since the 13th of August. I first noticed a swollen, white bump on the 13th and any time he put anything in his mouth he would cry so I knew something was going on. It finally broke through the skin about a week ago and is still working its way up. He's only been fussy a couple of days through this whole process, which is amazing because I'm sure it hurts!

I also weighed him last week and he weighs over 17lbs! And I think he may have had a growth spurt since then because one night last week he woke me up to nurse about every 3 hours and he hasn't done that in a long, long time. My little boy is growing up!

Sprinkler park!

2009-08-27T11:30:00.008-04:00

Yesterday Brayden and I went to a sprinkler park here in Fishers and it was so much fun! They have all these little spouts of water coming up out of the ground along with water spraying out of things and buckets filling up and dumping all over everyone. At first he wasn't too sure about it because the water was kinda cold but after a little while he really got excited and was 'talkin' and kicking his feet and putting his hands into the water, it was so cute! I wish Ryan could have been there with us :)

Here's Bray in his llittle swim trunks!
Here is the park, we were playing under this yellow thing splashing in one of the little water spouts

He's all wet :)

Time to go home!

It wore him out!

Jumpie, Jumpie, Jumpie

2009-08-21T20:09:00.001-04:00

Ryan was home with Brayden and he was so tired but somehow full of energy, a dangerous combo at 7 months! So Ryan put him in his jumpie to get rid of some of his energy...

Awake...

Asleep...

Awake... but NOT happy about still being in the jumpie!

State fair

2009-08-13T22:00:00.005-04:00

We went to the Indiana state fair and showed Brayden some animals, he wasn't too sure about them - especially when they would make noises!

7 Months

2009-08-07T10:37:00.000-04:00

I can't believe that Bray is 7 months old - it went by so fast!!! He's finally doing great with food and eating, he's so curious and eager to eat. He's sitting up mostly by himself and somehow got into a sitting position all by himself the other day! I was at work and Ryan was home with Bray. Ryan said he walked into the kitchen (our downstairs is very open) and Bray was on his belly but when he turned around, he was sitting up! Ryan has no idea how he did it, but he did! So Ryan said to Bray "how'd you do that Brayden?" and Bray looked up at him, smiled, and fell backwards and hit his head :) He hasn't done it since. And he's finally getting his first tooth! It's his bottom left and it's so funny to watch him rub it with his tongue - he makes some of the funniest faces! He's probably wondering what in the world is going on down there! He hasn't been very fussy with it - Ryan I were just discussing how truly blessed we are, he really is the perfect baby. He still isn't crawling, but he will in his own time. Yesterday he sure was trying - I was on the floor with him and he was on his belly just squealing and he'd go up on his toes and then back down and he was moving his arms and legs and then he'd roll over and back and forth! I kept saying "come get me" and he'd just laugh and squeal - he was trying so hard to get to me :) It was SO cute but of course the video camera was upstairs. Oh I just love being his mommy! He has been showing some attachment issues lately though, like yesterday he was playing on the floor while I was doing house work and he was ok until he would see me and then he would whine. So I'd go over there and tell him he was ok and give him a little attention and then he'd be fine again... until he saw me - stupid house work, I'd much rather be on the floor with him all day! But everything is going well, he's getting bigger each day and becoming more and more curious and interactive. Sorry it's been a bit since I've posted, it just seems like the summers are so busy. We did go see Grandma & Grandpa Benefiel last weekend and that was fun. They haven't seen Bray since May so you can imagine how much he's changed to them! My brothers are both graduated and going off to college so we wanted to see them before they left. I attached a picture that Grandma McHone took and I just can't get over what a big boy he's becoming - he looks so grown up it it! I'll try to make my next post sooner :)

Yay for squash!!!

2009-08-01T10:23:00.003-04:00

Last night at dinner Brayden finally ate the way a parent pictures their baby eating baby food! It was our 3rd or 4th day of squash and he was opening his mouth and eagerly eating each bite and wanting more!!! He finished off the jar and I had to open up a new one! We are so excited!!! It's only been a month that we've been working on this lol :) We're gonna just keep pushing forward and hopefully this is a break through and we'll be good to go... we'll see :)

2009-07-29T11:28:00.006-04:00

It's been a little while since I've added a new post - I feel like we've been really busy! I think that's what happens during the summer, there is just so much going on! Well we're still working with Brayden and eating. After the sweet potato incident we decided to just buy a couple of jars of food to see what he liked instead of making all this baby food that he wouldn't eat so first we tried peas - it was a no go. Then I tried his rice cereal again because we knew he liked that... it was a no go. So I decided to go to fruits thinking that because they are sweet maybe he would eat those... and it was an ok, he doesn't make the "lemon faces" with every bite. So we just keep feeding him at least once a day and he's doing better - he'll get there! You can tell that he's interested because he watches us eat and will grab my arm and take it to his mouth so we try to feed him when we eat because he's so interested - he wants to be a big boy :) Speaking of being a big boy, he weighs around 16lbs and is well over 2feet tall! We're still working on sitting up, he will sit up for bits at a time but he's so curious about what is around him and so wiggly that he ends up back on his belly or back. As for crawling he usually gets his legs under him or his arms and chest up but never both as the same time except for last night! I was on the floor with him and he got both of them right and got into the crawling position! It was so cute because he just stayed there like he wasn't sure what he'd done or what to do! Ryan said not to encourage him too much because we'll really be in trouble when he's crawling! lol :) He already rolls and scoots all over let alone adding crawling into the mix - mommy's going to be in trouble! :) :) He's SO cut - he's such a blessing and joy! I love to watch him grow and learn - being a parent is SO amazing and rewarding! I love it!!!

Sweet potatoes

2009-07-15T09:10:00.004-04:00

On Sunday we gave Brayden baby food for the first time! We've been giving him cereal for over a month but since he was six months we made the shift to baby food. We are going to make our own so we went to the store and bought sweet potatoes, steamed them, pureed them and froze them for our little Bray... but he sure didn't like them!!! He was doing everything he could to get away from us - he was turning his head and arching his back trying to get out of the seat - doing what he could to get away! It was the funniest thing!!! And he was making the funniest faces we've ever seen!!! I tasted them and I thought they were good, but he sure didn't think so! We tried everything, we added breast milk, thinned them way out, we added cereal - but he didn't care! It was SO funny!!! I'm home today so I'm going to try something else like peas or green beans to see if he likes them - I'll keep ya posted ;)

Almost 15lbs

2009-07-09T12:05:00.004-04:00

We went to the doctor yesterday and Brayden is 14lbs 14oz and almost 26inches long!!! I thought he was getting pretty heavy!!! :) Heavy or not, he's still cute as can be! He's in his exer-saucer right now telling me a pretty lengthy story - I love him SO much!!! Thank you Jesus for this amazing blessing, I cherish every moment!

6 Months Old!!!

2009-07-07T10:54:00.001-04:00

Happy 6 month birthday Brayden!!! Wow, I can't believe that he's already 6 months old! The time has just flown by! I can see why people have more children - the labor, birth and sleep deprivation are a distant memory... not totally gone, just distant :) He goes for his 6 month doctors appt. tomorrow and I'm guessing he's over 15lbs by now! He's trying to sit up, he can do it on his own for a tiny bit and then puts his hands out or just falls over! He's babbling up a storm - we have conversations all the time ;) I just love to watch him watch his hands and stick his feet in his mouth. And he's been blowing kisses by making that smack sound - Ryan and I do this a lot to each other and now Brayden does it - it's so cute!!! Lets see, what else is he doing... rolling all over and scooting him self around by putting his feet flat down on the floor and pushing while lifting his butt up (this is why his hair is thinner in the back) I love all the little things he does and the faces he makes, he's really coming into quite the little boy and his personality is really starting to shine :) We love you Bray-Bray!!!

Sick :(

2009-07-01T11:08:00.007-04:00

Well Brayden has officially been sick for the first time. Last night at about 9:30 we put him down to bed and then all the sudden we hear him choking so we run in there to find that he has thrown up ALL over - I mean ALL over. He was soaked, the bed was soaked all the way through the mattress pad to the mattress, it was in his ear, his hair - all over everywhere! That was round one. He continued to puke as much as an adult at least 5 more times along with a few dry heaving sessions. We were both crying! Every time he would start to fall asleep (he was exhausted) he was start throwing up again. We called the pediatrician's office and the nurse instructed us to give him some Pedialyte, watch him over night along with a few other instructions. So Ryan went and bought some Pedialyte at 11pm and he finally stopped throwing up and fell asleep around midnight. Then this morning I changed the worst smelling poopy diaper ever! He seems to be better, he has only spit up a little so far and he slept really well so hopefully he is getting it through his system, he is pretty much back to acting normal. Well, now the dog is sick and has diarrhea... she's still outside I won't let her in, she has to get a bath first! So the last 12 hours have been fun at the McHone house lol Oh, I forgot to mention that he has his first ouie. He has this little abrasion under his nose that looks like a rug burn. We aren't sure how he got it but it's been there since Sunday and has been a little yuckie so who knows! Maybe he did a face plant in his crib... we'll never know!

Pool party!!!

2009-06-27T12:53:00.007-04:00

This is Brayden's first pool party!!! Thursday we went over to my friend Emily's house for a play date and pool party! From left to right it's Sydney (mommy Lena), Sadie (mommy Krista) and Brayden! Colin is still eating
This is them playing! And this time Colin is in the picture (mommy Emily)!
Sydney, Sadie, Brayden, Colin
Sadie is putting everything in her mouth... even her friends hands!!! Oh, do you like Bray's little mohawk? He has this one patch of hair on the top of his head that he hasn't lost yet that is really long so mommy stuck it straight up!
Brayden & Sadie laying on their tummies kicking with their feet and licking the side of the pool - they have to see how it tastes :)

Brayden was so cute and had so much fun splish spashing that we decided to buy our own little pool. We filled it up today so that it could sit in the sun and get warm, while Ryan was filling it up I put Bray's little feet in there and he immediately retracted them because it was so cold! But he kept arching his back because he wanted to put his feet back in! So finally he warmed up to it and was just kickin up a storm and splashing! Too cute!!! I'll post more pictures after we put him it for the first time!

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T16:59:00.001-04:00

Happy father's day to the most amazing husband, friend & dad. We love you Ryan and hope that your first father's day was as wonderful as you are!!!
Love,
Tiff, Brayden & Gracie

Cereal

2009-06-10T17:29:00.000-04:00

Brayden is 5 months old and is turning into a big boy - he ate cereal for the first time on Sunday 6/7 his 5th month birthday! He did pretty well, the first couple of times we put it into his mouth it all came back out and then he started making bubbles with his mouth every time we put the spoon in but I'd say he got some of it and is now getting it down pretty good! We're trying to give it to him at least every other night. And as you can see, he also enjoyed chewing on his bib... actually he likes chewing on anything he can get into his little mouth!

This is him in his bumbo seat waiting for his first cereal meal - SO cute!

Brayden's Dedication

2009-05-31T15:51:00.004-04:00

Brayden's dedication was at Indy First Church of the Naz on Sunday, May 31st. Great grandpa Frazier and great aunt Carol came from Illinois for the special day along with grandma & grandpa McHone and uncle Jay & aunt Koryn and our special friends Scott & Amanda Pittman. Grandma & grandpa bought Brayden the shirt he's wearing which has a little lamb on it and says "His little lamb" on the front and Psalm 23 on the back :) Too cute! And grandma made him the little cake below to celebrate!

Rollin, Laughin, Watchin, O-H-I-O, Graduation

2009-05-29T11:38:00.001-04:00

This is a picture that my amazing husband took for Brayden's dedication that will be this Sunday at church - isn't he cute! Good job Ry!
Ohio -
So this past weekend we went to Ohio for Ryan's cousins graduation and it was a lot of fun! We got to see family and they got to meet little Brayden and he did pretty well with the trip. We took his pack-n-play for him to sleep in, which he did and really the only thing he got fussy about was the long ride. That's the most he's been in his car seat at one time and he wasn't too keen on the idea of not getting out! He did a lot better when I would sit back there with him which was ok since I get car sick but oh well.
Rollin, Rollin, Rollin
Bray is rolling all over the place now! Grandma Karen (my second mom/good friend) warned me that when he started doing it he'd just keep doing it and be all over... well she was right! And he's so good at it! I'll turn around and he's done it again! The other thing she warned me about was him doing this in his crib... well the last few nights he'll be fussin a little so I'll go check on him and he's on his belly with his leg or legs caught out of the crib - I have got to get a picture of this, it's so funny to see his little leg just boppin outside the crib because he can't get it free - poor little guy!!!
It's so amazing to see how fast they change - I know I say it often but I just can't believe how much he has changed right before our very eyes! He's laughin, and talkin and rollin and just so much fun and interactive - I just love it so much!
Speaking of growing up, my littlest brother graduates from High School tonight and then off to college - wow that went by fast! Oh the things I remember from when we were little... :) I'm so proud of all 3 of my siblings and love them bunches!
We should be getting our pictures we had taken of Brayden at 3months back today which is nice since his dedication is this weekend and he great grandpa and great aunt carol will be here and I can also take them to Matt's (my lil brother) open house too! I can't wait to show him and them off!
Well, sorry such a long post - It's been like a week!

He did it!!!

2009-05-21T09:11:00.003-04:00

So last night Ryan was cooking dinner and I was looking through a book about baby purees and Brayden rolled over! He was on his back and in what seemed like slow motion, he rolled over onto his tummy! I'm so glad we were both home to see. He had done it once from his belly to his back but we were playing "roll over" and this time mommy was not encouraging him - he just did it! Then this morning, he did it again! It's SO cute and amazing to watch him learn new things :) He's still talking up a storm and wiggling all over - Ryan was holding him last night and it was like he had ants in his pants and wouldn't stay still!
We're going on our first road trip this weekend - Ryan's cousin Heather is graduating so we're going to Ohio to watch that and visit family, including Brayden's great grandpa McHone. Normally the trip is almost 5 hours so we'll see how long it takes us... keep us in your prayers! :) My friend Krista recently went on a trip that was about 8 hours & she gave me some tips that worked for them so that should help - we'll see! I hope you have a great holiday weekend! I'll let you know how the travels go ;)

Bray is over 12 pounds!!!

2009-05-15T15:31:00.004-04:00

My little man! He's getting so big :) And can you see the little fat rolls on his legs?! I just love em! We went to the doctor Wednesday and he weighs 12lbs 4oz and is 24inches long! I remember when he was just a 1/4lb and in my tummy! He had to get his 4month shots and boy do I hate all of that... he cries this awful cry that brings tears to my eyes. He's also starting to really talk A LOT more! Especially when we are in the car he just talks up a storm but each day it's more and more like last night when he woke up at 2:30am, I fed him and laid him back down and he just talked and talked until he fell back asleep! SO cute!!!
This was my 1st Mother's Day gift! Ryan got up and made me buttermilk blueberry & pecan pancakes (I couldn't decide which I wanted so he put it together and they were yummy), scrambled eggs, bacon and fresh fruit and put it all on this plate! So sweet! And we got to enjoy a meal alone because Brayden was still in bed! After breakfast we finished getting ready and went off to church and then to brunch with Mike, Ilene, Jay & Koryn. It was a wonderful first Mother's Day! Now I have to figure out what to do for Ryan for Father's Day!!!
Brayden is trying to roll over from his back to his belly. He's rolled over once from his belly to his back and gotten pretty close like in this pic but he hasn't totally conqured it yet! I'll keep ya posted ;)

4 Months

2009-05-08T14:15:00.002-04:00

Wow, I can't believe that Brayden is 4 months old! It has just flown by! He's becoming so much more interactive and aware - it's so neat to watch him grow and change. He's really grabbing at toys, blankets, mommies hair - anything he can get his hands on! And whatever he has in his hands goes straight to his mouth... followed by a funny face :) And he's still drooling up a storm and every now an then sucking on his bottom lip. He's still sucking his thumb and it's still the left one which has lead to some thinning of his hair on that side of his head because he's always on that side. He's doing really well with holding his head up and today... he rolled over!!! I sit on the floor with him and roll him back an forth applauding each time we roll and today I rolled him from his back to his belly and on his own he right away rolled over onto his back! Daddy was so sad he missed it but later that evening when Ryan was home Brayden was SO close to rolling from his back to his belly! He'll be rolling all over the place before we know it! I am pretty sure that he also knows his name because he'll look at you when you say it and some times startle a little. He's changing right before our very eyes! We also picked out his 3month pictures this week (thank you Grandma :-)) and boy are they cute! My favorite one is a picture of him on his belly, holding his head up high with his chubby cheeks hanging down because they are so big! :) I just want to squeeze em! Happy 4 months Bray, I love you!!!

Also please keep the Hochstetlers in your prayers - you can click on Troy's blog under the links of blogs I follow

Discoveries...

2009-04-30T14:20:00.006-04:00

Brayden just keeps changing and discovering more and more each day! He's always moving his tongue around and sticking it out and opening and shutting his mouth - he's really fascinated by it all and is putting everything in his mouth - while drooling like crazy! I think he might start cutting teeth pretty soon, although mommy thinks he's still too little!!! I just want him to remain my little baby forever and ever :) He is also really watching and paying attention to his hands and feet, he puts his feet up in the air and just stares at them and watches them move around! He still hasn't rolled over but this morning when I went to get him out of his crib his head was where his feet were and he was all side-ways so who knows - maybe he did it!!!

I love my little man and I love being a mom! I have this unexplainable joy that only God could give! And to think that God loves us more then we love Brayden - that's just amazing! And to think that he gave His only son so that I could live and experience this love and joy - wow! Thank you Lord for making me a mom. I promise to cherish every moment.

Splish splash

2009-04-18T07:49:00.006-04:00

When I give Brayden a bath I take his little foot and splash it in the water and sing "Splish splash I was takin' a bath" thinking in the back of my mind that I will one day be telling him not to splash the water out of the tub! Well, last night while giving him his bath he was kicking his little feet in the water doing splish splash!!! It was the cutest thing and he was really concentrating about what he was doing! He had such a serious look on his little face - I wish I would have had the camera!!!

Also, we are excited to say that any day now he'll be rolling over! Yesterday I had him in the living room on a blanket and Ryan grabbed me to come and watch him because he almost had it! I hope that I get to be there when he does roll over - I don't want to miss it! He's growing up so fast!!! I'll let you know when he rolls over!

SOOOO cute!!!

2009-04-15T18:24:00.003-04:00

Brayden in his Bumbo seat! I wasn't sure about putting him in it since he's still so little but it comes up in the back enough that it even gives his neck a little support - he seemed to really like it!

Just hangin out with mommy! I love him SO much and adore being a mommy - it's so amazing!!!

Busy weekend - family, birthday & Easter!

2009-04-12T15:28:00.000-04:00

Happy Easter!

We got up, went to church - and Bray was great he even slept the entire time! He had a blue vest on but he's a little human furnace so we had to take it off! Then we went lunch with Ryan's parents Mike & Ilene, and his brother Jay & fiance Koryn to celebrate my birthday!

Happy big 3-0!!! Yuck! ;)

Saturday we went to the westside to see my family and some friends. This is aunt Steffany - who loves to hold Brayden and keeps tabs on whos turn it is!

Cody, my oldest little brother, was also eager to hold Brayden - I was surprised because Matt, the youngest, was scared to hold him - he said he would play with him when he was old enough to go fishing :)

And this is Pap-paw - my dad who is so excited about his little grandson! I love seeing them together - I've always been a daddy's girl so there is a special bond between us and I love to see my son with him!

These are Brayden's cousins: Johnathan, who will be 5 and Maci who was born at the end of November so almost 5 months.

And on Friday Brayden's girlfriend Sadie (my friend Krista's beautiful baby girl) came over to play for a bit! Here she's watching Bee movie and laying on Brayden's ocean wonders play mat while I was feeding Bray. They are only 2 weeks apart and are both cute as can be!!!

So we had a busy, fun weekend!!!

3 months old!!!

2009-04-06T21:29:00.003-04:00

Brayden is 3 months old today and changing every minute! He's really been studying my face lately and will just look at me an smile - it's such a wonderful feeling! I love to sit and look at him and watch him smile at mommy - this picture was taken while I was doing just that! On Sunday he was sticking his tongue out and moving it around (he just recently started doing this too) so I was doing back and then he started to mimic me and we were sticking them out at each other! Ryan tried to capture it on video but of course he stopped and soon became interested in other things. He has also realized that he has control over his little hands and will grab my finger an take it straight to his mouth where he proceeds to "taste" it and then makes a funny face... but of course he just "tastes" it again... and again! He's really starting to grab things and hold onto them! He's just so stink'n cute!!! Happy 3month birthday Bray!

Thumb sucking

2009-04-03T11:58:00.000-04:00

Brayden has recently found his thumb and starts sucking it to calm himself down and also when he's tired - it's the cutest thing! He even likes it better than his paci because he spits it out and stick his thumb in! I love watching him learn new things! He truly is such a blessing! He's also been sleeping the entire night - I usually have to wake him up so I can feed him and go to work or so that I don't have to pump multiple times! He's also starting to grab at things and hold onto things more, he's discovering his little hands more and more each day! I can't even explain how much I love him and being a mommy, it's the most amazing thing I've ever felt - I love you Brayden!!! And I couldn't do any of it without my amazingly wonderful husband Ryan!

Sleeping...

2009-03-30T17:48:00.000-04:00

Brayden has been doing so well with sleeping at night! For the past two nights he's slept at least 6 hours in a row! We're working on getting him to sleep even more :) He really is such a good baby, we couldn't ask for more! As for the parents, I think I've been more tired when he does these long stretches and I wake up than I was when he was waking up every 3-4 hours - tell me how that works!

And can you believe he's almost 3 months old!!! He's growing up so fast right before our eyes! Before you know it we'll be sending him off to school! We absolutely love every minute of it and are so unbelievably blessed - thank you Jesus!

Baby talk

2009-03-25T13:41:00.000-04:00

Brayden is 11 weeks old today and talking more an more each day! Here's a clip of our little man telling me how much he wants to play with his little friends hanging over his head!

Welcome!

2009-03-22T15:01:00.002-04:00

Hello and welcome to the McHone family blog! We have a lot of family and friends that don't live here so I decided to start a blog so that everyone could keep up with the many changes that having a baby brings.
I'd like to give a little background about our little family to get things started so here we go! Ryan and I met at Olivet Nazarene University and started dating in May of 2005, he graduated May 6, 2006 and we got married May 27th, 2006! We moved back to Indiana (where we're both from) after his graduation and have been here ever since. After getting married we purchased a home on the North side of Indianapolis in a town called Fishers. A few years later we decided it was time to start our expanding our little family and welcomed our joyous baby boy Brayden Ellis into our lives on January 7th, 2009 at 12:05pm! Sorry Gracie, you're no longer an only child (Gracie is our precious little chihuahua that we absolutely adore - Gracie was born just 3 days before we got married and we adopted her a few months later)! Ryan and I love being parents - it's a love and joy you just can't explain!
So there is a quick overview of what's been going on for the last few years in our McHone family, and we're so excited to share in the growing and changing of the future with you! Thank you for reading our new family blog!

Take Care & God Bless!