So much funnnn!!!!

Logan is so funny when he says his name because he leaves off the "L" sound. So, it comes out "ogan!" What a GREAT kid!! He is such a blast and amazes us each day with his words and what he does. We are truly blessed!!!!!

"I YUV U!"

Logan is saying the sweetest phrase ANY parent can ever hear...enjoy this video. BTW--Logan was getting ready for bath time--he did have shorts on, though you can't tell from this video :-

S~

Big Boy Hair Cut!!

"I don't like this chair!!"

This sucker helps ALOT!

...and daddy, too!

Tickles...

All smiles with my new "Big Boy" haircut!

Today was a big day for Logan! His first haircut! Thankfully, Chad's sister, Alicia was gracious enough to cut Logan's hair for us. When Logan was first born, I wondered if he would ever have enough hair to even cut--well, just in the last few months, his hair has really begun to GROW!! Especially over his ears and along his neck. So...we made the trip to GENESIS Salon for the BIG Event!!

Thank you Aunt Alicia!!

Today is another reminder of how fast Logan is growing up right before our eyes. He is so much fun and is learning each day! We are so very blessed!

S~

17

Lovin' Life!!

Logan's First Baseball Game--The Louisville Bats

Looks like a long way down...

Neighbor "H" wanting to play...Logan LOVEs her!!

Ridin' the Lawn Mower with Daddy--mommy was nervous.  Of course he loved it!!  GREAT~

Here I go again...

Happy Birthday, Dad!  You are THE BEST and we love you!!

Lovely Lillies

Can you say--uh-oh?  Bath time!!

seventeen months...ago...Logan...came...into...this...world!!  And nothing has been the same since--it is ALL so much BETTER!!  Even everyday things like hearing the "choo, choo" train or feeling the spring breeze from swinging (or wing as Logan says) are a GAZILLION times better.  It is like seeing the world for the first time!  

So much learning going on in the Hoene home--

~learning to take the steps one at a time

~learning to whisper especially when Savannah is napping in the chair

~learning to jump (we haven't made it off the toes yet)

~learning to put a name with EVERYTHING!  "Car, tree, dirt, star, uh-uh, uh-oh, oh-no, bubbles--yep, that is right, bubbles--ride (as in lawn mower), and wing (swing).  There are tons more!!

~learning to say our prayers (ABC, 123, Thank you God for blessing me--then we bless everyone--kind of like Roll Call at a family reunion, if you can imagine that :-)

~LEARNING IS FUNNNNN!!!~

This time is so special.  I just want to capture each moment and keep it forever.  The Hoene's have done some celebrating of late--Memorial day was great!  Thanks to the neighbors for having us over for some great food and fun.  Last night we celebrated Papa's birthday with a cookout at the house.  The kids played in the sprinkler, small pool and on the swing.  Ah...summer fun!!  My wonderful hubby took some time over the long weekend and landscaped the front of the house--LOVE IT!!  And Logan loved the dirt and especially when daddy and mommy water the flowers with the hose.  I think we have a "water bug" on our hands.  Maybe that is why he screams when bath time is over!!!!

June is here and we are looking forward to slowing down a bit this summer to be in the moment with our family and enjoy each-and-EVERY-moment.  We wish the same for you...

Until next time...

S~

15

~all smiles (15 months)
~1st birthday (january, 2009)

~angel boy (6 months)

~newborn miracle (january, 2008)

STOP-S.T.O.P! My son, you are different each time I glance in your direction. Your smile, your temper(ment), your words, Y-O-U! Can time really pass this quickly? For so many years we hoped and prayed for you--and it seemed the time crept...inched slowly from minute to minute, hour to hour, day to day. Not the case anymore, my sweet baby. It flies--so quickly--too fast--for mommy to catch her breath and notice all you are becoming. "Time, you are stealing from mommy--slow down!"

Today you saw your favorite doctor and he was so impressed with you once again. You have grown about 2 inches since January (30 inches)! You only gained about .6 of a pound, but mommy is certain it is because you are so active--running, jumping, dancing, spinning, playing--ALL the time! Your brains are growing too--almost a whole inch since the end of January!! So smart!

I love the way you won't settle for a simple "no" from mommy. Your baby blues long for an explanation--Why can't I play with the phone? Why can't I press the buttons on the printer? How does the water come out of the faucet like that? Why can't I ride the lawn mower with Papa? You are so curious, my angel boy.

Thank God you show us your emotions--happy smiles, sad furrowed brow, wondering eyes looking for Savannah or Papa, and utter upset and frustration when you don't get your way. You did read this correctly--We thank God each day that you are showing your emotions and expressing yourself--even when mommy and daddy are pooped and really just want their boy to be the happy, go-lucky little toddler you almost ALWAYS are!

Never in a million, gazillion years did I dream that I would enjoy communicating with a 15 month old almost as much as I enjoy communicating with adults?!?! Who knew it would be so much fun to watch you learn, explore, problem solve, and figure out why the world is the way it is...you watch mommy and daddy and mimmick what we do and say. What does a kitty-kitty say? What does the doggy say? What does the sheep say? Where are your ears? Amazing! That is Y.O.U!

I know it might sound corny and someday when you are older you might think mommy is silly--but you really do light up my life (just like the song says)! Each day, I can't wait to see what you will do next! Mommy and daddy are so blessed--We love you--Forever and EVER!!

Stats:

Height: 30 inches (25 %)

Weight: 22 pounds (25%)
Head circumference: 46cm (25%)



Words:
Dad-da
Mom-ma
Bye-Bye
Wee-Wee
Yeah, Yeah (any questions you ask him, he answers "Yeah, Yeah"--Hilarious!!)
PaPa
Ball
Pa (for paci)



Responds:
What does a kitty say? repeats meow over and over
What does a doggy say? kind of sounds like "oof, oof" rhymes with roof.
What does a sheep say? BAAAAAAAAH
Bird says "weet, weet"
Choo-Choo train says "Whoo, Whoo"
Points to ear, eye, nose, mouth when asked where they are.
Pats belly when asked where it is, then he goes to find daddy or mommy's belly.



Favorite foods:
Chicken, Turkey, Hamburger
Cheerios for breakfast
FRUIT--loves it!!
Some veggies--peas and carrots
Bananas
Grilled Cheese
Goldfish
COOKIES and Milk
So far Logan loves to try any type of food we have offered him.



Sign language: We have been working with baby signs since he was born.
More
Please
Thank you
Drink/Milk
Eat/Bite
All Done
New ones: Help, hurt, good.



No wonder your head circumference grew a whole inch!! Lots of brains in there, kid!
Happy 15 months my sweet, sweet, angel boy!!



~heart,
Mommy

Spring is HERE!!

Last Spring Logan was a bit too small to really be able to "play" outside. In fact, I don't think we even ventured out of the house until April. Not the case this year! We have had a few nice days of 70 degree weather. So, we have ventured outside. Needless to say--HE LOVES IT!! Our neighbors have dogs and he loves to yell at them from our back deck. On Tuesday, Mimi and Logan decided to take a walk. He walked all the way up the street (on the side walk, of course) and back. Even mommy gets out of breath on that walk, but not him. Apparently, he wanted to go more than once! That afternoon he took a 3 hour nap--ha!

We are so excited for nice weather so we can play outside with our son. Bring on the sunshine!!

S~

Words!!

Logan's communicating with us! How amazing!!!

Where is your belly? He puts his hands on his belly and then he goes to find either mommy's or daddy's belly. So funny!!

He is growing and developing so fast--words and jestures each day! He jabbers non-stop!! We are so blessed!

Sorry about the quality of these videos, but I couldn't resist sharing them with everyone~make sure your volume is turned up!! Oh...if the music is playing, scroll all the way to the bottom and click on pause. Then you will be able to hear the video :-)

S~

Tubes

~in the waiting room before surgery

~funny yellow gown

~back to normal tonight~

Can you tell daddy dressed me? Mommy knows green is NOT my color!!

"He will be a different kid, you'll see!" "He will feel so much better! No more doctor's!"

These words have been ringing through my head over the last few days as we prepared for Logan to have tubes put in both ears. The procedure, which is very common, was done this morning with little fuss. Everyone at work assured me that Logan would be much better off and that, at first, he would cry and be upset, but by mid-afternoon, he would be back to playing and running around. Friend after friend tried to comfort me with their kind words. Deep down, I knew they were right. Deep down, I knew that everything would be okay. And...it is!

Logan did really well. He didn't even cry when the nurse took him from us for the surgery!! Mommy did, but he didn't. Once he was in the OR, Chad, Mimi and I headed back to the waiting room. Seriously, when the Dr. said it would only take about 10 minutes, I thought he was just telling me that to make me feel better. But it really was only about 10 minutes until I could hear Logan crying. When we got back to the recovery room, the nurse had Logan. He was so pitiful--eyes closed, big tears, crying like his feelings were deeply hurt by someone. Once I held him, he seemed to calm a bit, but the crying didn't cease until he woke up a bit more and daddy gave him some juice in his sippee cup. Long story--once we got home, Logan slipped back into his normal routine with the exception of a few whines here and there. He took two really good naps and is snoozing away as I type this post.

Everywhere we go, people comment on how beautiful Logan is. They say such amazing things about him--how sweet his temperment is, how beautiful his baby blues are, how contagious his laugh is...this visit to the doctor was no different. He swept the nurses right off their feet. In fact, becuase of the anethesia, we disclosed Logan's adoption with the office staff. Well, many of you know our story and how we are so blessed to be the parents of this miracle, but somehow God always has a way of reasurring us and calming our (really mine, Chad is a ROCK) fears. As it turned out, both of Logan's nurses were adopted as babies. Can you believe that?

So, another lesson learned for this learning mommy. God is good. He is faithful and if we trust in Him, he will provide. One would think that I would know this by now, with everything we have gone through. But sometimes I forget and worry gets the best of me. Then, when I least expect it, when I really think I am leaning on God, He show me just how much He loves me and wants me to put all my fears on Him.

Thank you to everyone who sent up some prayers and well wishes for The Hoene's and especially for Logan. They are much appreciated. Enjoy the pictures...

S~

KRASH...

Don't get me wrong...I am thrilled with the fact that Logan is curious and loves to explore the world around him. It is the way he is learning and developing. He is so curious...he loves to try new things, open new cabinets, look under the furniture for his toys, etc. However curious he is, Chad and I feel certain that we have "Logan Proofed" pretty much the whole living/kitchen area so much so that he sometime roams into the kitchen while we are in the living room or visa-versa. Other areas of the house are usually off limits--doors shut on the bathrooms, bedrooms and laundry room. Unless we are in the bedrooms or bathrooms, the doors stay shut and our little curious boy is safe and happy.

So...last night while my wonderful hubby was putting up some laundry in our bedroom, Logan followed daddy into the bedroom--bathroom door still shut. Now, until recently Logan simply roamed from one side of the room to the other playing with the pillows on the floor, etc. That was UNTIL last night...

KRASH, BOOM, BANG...

Here is the result of the KRASH--

~a hurtful bonk in between my eyeballs...

Move over Olympic runners, here comes a mommy whose baby is screaming because his curiousity got the best of him. Yes, the jewlery chest Chad gave me for Valentines Day a few years ago came toppeling over on our beautiful and daring little Logan. Now, this thing has to weigh at least 25 pounds...in fact, I have a hard time even moving it. Amidst all of the fuss and flying jewlery, Logan really came away from this KRASH (our first of many, apparently) with a minor but colorful little bump on his forehead.

So, daddy went on to church. Mimi and Papa came over to check out the evidence that our son is a healthy, curious, and ALL BOY one-year old. WE are glad to have this first KRASH checked off the list of "growing little boy" and are thankful that it wasn't more serious.

~this is my cabinet and I LOVE IT!!

Until next time...
~S

We are WALKING!!

Yep...that's right! Logan has been taking steps for a few days now!! How did this happen? I vaguely remember him sitting up amidst his toys, perfectly happy, just sitting! Then, out of nowhere came the crawling--lightning fast, I might add. Mommy and daddy thought we were safe for a while since crawling seemed to come so naturally and he was so proficient at it. So much for mommy and daddy's thoughts on that one...

Logan will be 11 months old on Monday, December 1, and we can officially say he is walking!!!!!!!!

What a blessing!!

~Staci

Say Cheese!!

Say Cheese!

Hangin' with the BIG girls

Family Photo, October 2008

Logan is just like a little sponge. His brain is making all kinds of little pathways for each and every new discovery. This week Logan is spending time with not only his cousin Savannah, but Carrington is off school for fall break. So, he thinks he is a BIG boy hanging out with the girls. Enjoy a few pictures of them playing in Savannah's playroom. Another "new" thing with Logan is his big, beautiful smile! He LOVES to CHEESE for the camera. I guess with a mommy who constantly has the camera snapping in his face, it is a wonder it took 10 months for him to figure it out. These are just too cute!!

S~

The Little Prince

The Prince and his Princess

I LOVE taking a BATH!!

Look at me with my sippee cup!!

Graham Crackers--yummy!

Can't find me...

I know I can get it...

Yes, it has been a bit since I have posted...sorry! But those of you with little ones know just how busy life can be...it is hard to believe that August has come and gone. I turned 35 on August 16 and it was the best birthday ever because I have the best present EVER--a loving family and beautiful son (http://sunshinesavannahleigh.blogspot.com/2008/08/aunt-sissys-birthday.html).

Other events have also happened--family birthdays, Logan's first trip to the KY State Fair, Oldham County Day (slept through both of these outings)and many more, but now it is almost September and we are gearing up for the BIG GAME--Cats vs. Cards and some down time to rejuvenate over the long weekend!!

Since Logan has become mobile, he is REALLY busy and CURIOUS!! I love to watch him discover new places and new things. It is almost as if I can see the pathways in his brain just going to town. He is SOOOOO smart!! He had a big week with Mimi--tea party (he was the host of course, being the only male), picking Carrington up from school, discovering the kitchen, and graham crackers (mimi, not mommy!). Enjoy the photos...

~S

We are CRAWLING!!!

Yep! Can you believe it? Logan is just barely 7 months old and he is crawling!!!! Logan has been sitting up for about 2 months now, but Chad and I always had to actually sit him up. He couldn't figure out how to go from laying down to sitting up. Well, last Monday, he figured that out. Needless to say, I knew the crawling would be coming next BUT I never DREAMED it would happen so soon after.

Hopefully this video will post. It is a bit long and he doesn't actually crawl until the very end. In fact, he teases you a bit and then finally he crawls. We are so blessed and can't believe how fast he is growing and learning. We love him so very much!! Enjoy!

Yes, that is a Notre Dame onesie he is wearing. I remember when we purchased those in January right after he was born. I thought..."He will never grow into these??" Little did I know it would only take 7 months to get there...

S~

So Blessed...Part 2

Images by Staci...

Please forgive me. I know many of you check our blog regularly and I have been lagging on my posts. I have officially gone back to work (though it seems as though I never had a break to begin with) and with that comes mommy going to bed earlier. Enough excuses...

Chad, Logan and I had the pleasure of having our pictures taken earlier this month by Robin Smith (http://www.robinsmithphotography.com/) I have been waiting to post most of them because I wanted to get the actual prints to give to my family...well, they came in today!! So, family...get ready! They really are great! So, this wonderful little "video short" showcases some of the pictures Robin took of our family (So Blessed) as well as some of the pictures I took of Logan at my parent's house (this post, above).

Many of you know that I am working to build up my photography business, so this is an example of some of my shots. The website to lauch my business is close to being done and as soon as it is ready, you all will be the first to know!!

I am thinking of naming my business "Images by Staci" What do you think? Please leave a comment especially concerning the pictures, but also about the name...

Thank you again for reading our blog. I have also added some of the blogs I regularly read to the list on the side. If you have a blog, please pass on the URL so we can see how you are doing!

Until next time...

S~

6

My son...are you really growing up so fast?  Please do mommy and daddy a favor and slow down a little bit.  We just can't keep up with all of the amazing things you do and say each day.  Has it really been half a year since we first met you.  I remember that snowy drive, blizzard I should say, to get to you.  Your dad just kept saying..."We're almost there, honey."  Picture him grasping the steering wheel, white knuckled, eyes wide with anticipation.  Our Angels were with us on that trip for certain; as I recall, we couldn't even begin to see the lines of the road and it seemed to me all of the snow plows were headed in the opposite direction.  There weren't even any other cars on the road for us to follow their tail lights into town...

what a journey!  

And here we are six months later...

This last month has brought many milestones our way and I would like to share them with everyone.  Let's see...the biggest in mommy's mind is that you are sitting up all by yourself.  It was just like one day you decided you didn't need any help or any "safety pillows".  You are so very strong, little one.  It seems strange to me that mommy can simply put you down on the floor with an array of toys and books, and you are completely satisfied.  How did this happen so fast.  Wasn't it just a few minutes ago, you depended upon me or daddy for everything?  Now you can sit up without our help??

Milestone #2...you are eating baby food!!  Yes, just fruits and veggies right now.  In fact, cereal and applesause happens to be your favorite though.  I have to get you on video...the mere sight of the jar of food and your arms wave, you grunt like a big boy and mommy can't seem to get the spoon to your mouth fast enough.  It always makes me smile and you too!!  Mommy just loves our feeding time.

Milestone #3...happens to be your squeal and first words.  Mommy and daddy have a decision to make about whether or not to keep you in church with us this weekend or leave you in the nursery (for the first time, YIKES!).  I am not sure how Bob would feel as happy about your squeal as we do.  You read it right, you have officially begun to talk.  Right now, it sounds like "geee, geee, geee" and sometimes a "daaaa".  Yep...DAAAAA!!  We are working on "MAAAA", but not yet.  Mommy is so happy you said DAAAA first...you should have seen your daddy's face.  Mommy won't soon forget that never-ending smile.

Milestone #4...this one scares mommy to death because I don't like it when you sleep on your tummy...but you must, because you constantly roll over.  Yep, you are a rolling machine.  If you aren't sitting up, you are rolling over and turning yourself in a circle.  Mommy is amazed at how much you travel just in your crib!  

Milestone #5...sleeping in your crib in your own room all the way upstairs away from mommy and daddy.  Actually, this milestone is probably for mommy and daddy, because you ABSOLUTELY love your bed.  You give me this look and I know it is time--you want your bed. This process was probably very easy for you, my son, but it has given mommy and daddy some much needed excercise running up and down the stairs checking in on you every time the monitor speaks.  We have even quit watching TV at night and watch the video monitor instead...silly, for sure.

Mommy could go on and on with a gazillion more milestones from your beautiful baby blue eyes to how you and daddy traveled all the way to Illinois without mommy, but I will stop for now.  

Just know, Angel Boy, that you are the reason I was born...to be your mommy.  

I know that now.  

You are such a happy, healthy baby and mommy and daddy thank God everyday for your past, your present, and your future.  

When God winks, miracles happen, I believe.

You are our miracle and we love you so very much!! 

We LOVE you LOGAN WILLIAM!!   

**Please note--more photos will be posted this weekend and next week of the 3 of us.  Don't forget to check back.  Comments appreciated!!