Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays from our family to yours!!! 2010 has gone by super fast, and I can't wait for 2011! Bring on the New Year! Above is our Christmas card this year. I've used Tiny Prints for the past two years and have been super pleased with the way they have turned out. My dad shot this in front of our Christmas tree, and I think the card pretty much sums up how we feel about the year- Blessed beyond measure! We have so many things to be thankful for! And this will be our last Christmas just the two (or 4) of us!
I don't have a ton of Christmas pics to share this year, because 1. I didn't worry with my camera a whole lot and 2. We had a very low key Christmas-which I highly enjoyed! We attended several little family and friend get togethers and got to hang out with some of our favorite little people. We went to see a movie on Christmas Eve and had dinner at McEwen's, where we had our first date 5 years ago. We ate a lot of good meals, had some really good rest, and got a lot of baby planning done and underway. *Elvis did give us a scare on Christmas day and decided to have a little joy run in my parent's neighborhood right before night time. Thanks to my keen tracking skills :) I was able to locate him after about 45 minutes down the street in a cove. Trent was already making his way across town. Sad to say, but I don't think Prissy was to concerned about us finding her brother.
I have an aunt that says whatever you are doing on New Year's day is an indicator of how the rest of your year will go. Tomorrow I plan on spending the day in my pj's, putting all of Christmas up, and organizing. So maybe I will have a productive 2011! I will be having a baby, after all!

17 weeks and "HO, HO, HO"!

We went to NEA women's clinic Friday the 10th and had a gender scan done! We figured that we had been patient for two years waiting for God to bless us with a child, why not be a little impatient in find out if we are going to have a daughter or a son!? AND.....It looks like Baby Haynes is a GIRL!!!!!!!!! I asked the tech if she was 100% certain and she said YES! Trent said he knew it was a girl before she said anything! We have named her Ava Leona Haynes, after my mother Ava and her mother (my grandmother) Opal Leona. We are THRILLED!!! She was a little modest wanting to keep her little ankles crossed! Looks like we already have a little lady! (I hope she stays that way!) The tech made her move around, and we could see her little arms and legs fly up! It is such an AMAZING experience. There is nothing like seeing her move around and I'm sure it will be even more amazing to hold her when she gets here! We go for my scheduled appointment at Ruch in a couple of weeks for the big ultrasound. I can't wait!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 17 Weeks

Size of Baby: About the size of a turnip or sweet potato (depending on what you read)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 2 lbs from the 10 lost

Maternity Clothes: Love my maternity jeans/pants and am having to wear more of my maternity shirts. Some regular things still fit with the help of the belly band.

Gender: Just found out Baby Haynes is a GIRL!!! Ava Leona!...had been feeling that the baby was a girl for the last couple of weeks!

Movement: Nothing defining yet, but I'm starting to feel more pressure in my abdomen were her head is.

Sleep: Differs from night to night, but I'm pretty sure I had my last full night of sleep a long, long time ago and probably wont for a long, long time! Her head rest right on my bladder.

What I Miss: 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep...and I think I'm about to have to give up my occasional glass of sweet tea.

Craving: honey dew, cantaloupe, salad, chips and cheese dip

Symptoms: Nausea...that's part of the reason of haven't blogged in a while. 2nd trimester hit me HARD....meaning after every meal, I went and got sick. Some nights I would just come in and go to bed to stop from getting sick. Over the past week, though, I've started having more specific cravings. And one of the biggest symptoms- is that my stomach is noticably becoming harder and rounder.

Best Moment This Week: Was actually last Friday (12/10/10)...Finding out that we are having a GIRL!!!

Ava Leona Haynes

Delight yourself in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Psalms 37:4

Had to throw this picture in, too! This was taken last night at the Vaught annual Cookies with Santa party. Trent was asked to play Santa this year...seeing as we have easy access to a Santa suit :)! We both had a really good time, and he enjoyed seeing the look on the kids' faces! They were all too cute. And, Kelly, he has already said that he would do it next year. I think he wants to upgrade his Santa suit, though, so we'll be on the look out! *Dana Johnson insisted that we get this pic, so I'll get her back later :)! I guess we could say that this is the first pic of Baby Ava sitting on Santa's lap!

13 and 1/2 weeks :)

I'm a little late posting this, but I was in bed sick the majority of last weekend. When you're pregnant and sick, it seems to make all your symptoms worse...but no pity party! I'm feeling much better now!
I have a friend that asked me to post pregnancy pics on here (you know who you are) ;)! I still haven't decided if I am into doing that yet, but we will see. Nothing has really changed bump wise! In fact, I've lost weight-which is fine with me as long as the baby is growing!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 13 and 1/2 Weeks (evidently I thought I was entering my 2nd trimester last week, but it seems that it might start this weekend! There's so much conflicting information out there!)

Size of Baby: Baby Haynes is the size of a lemon (or a peach! Who knows!)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Lost 10 lbs so far

Maternity Clothes: Wore my first pair of maternity pants to work today! They are still plenty roomy, but the waistband on maternity pants is a whole lot nicer to your stomach.

Gender: Highly anticipating finding out December 10th! We can't wait!

Movement: Haven't felt any movement yet! It's still surreal to me that there's a baby growing in there!

Sleep: Still waking up 3 or 4 times a night! I've been tossing and turning from left to right trying to find a comfortable position. Sometimes the only thing that help is lying on my back, but I think I'm suppose to stop that at some point.

What I Miss: Not a whole lot, but I did give into my craving for sweet tea! I limit myself!

Cravings: Haven't really craved anything in particular recently! Mexican food always sounds and looks good!

Symptoms: Nausea! It was bad last weekend, but it seems to be getting better! Today was a good day. And I feel like I'm getting more of an appetite back!

Best Moment This Week: Not getting sick today!

Blessed

God is able to do immeasurably more than all we could ask or imagine.

Ephesians 3:20

This has been one of my favorite verses for the last two years. And after patiently trying and waiting for God to grant us with a child, we are THRILLED to announce on our blog that we are 12 weeks pregnant!!!! Most family and friends and everyone else that has been in hearing range know this already, but I figured it was time to make it blog official. The upstairs computer and I have not spent much time together for the last 2 months due to exhaustion and going to bed at about 5 o'clock everyday- no lie.

I must admit that in a world and time when you are so used to instant self gratification, the process of conceiving has been a very learning, draining, and maturing experience. I truly don't know if we were ready two years ago when I first asked God to grant us a child. But looking back I feel that He used those two years to strengthen our marriage and help us grow as a couple so that we would be ready when that time came. And His timing could not have been more perfect- in every aspect!!!! Baby Haynes will be here sometime around May 21st, and that means that Trent and I can pretty much have the whole summer off with the baby. I have this feeling that he or she will make their debut before the actual due date (My birth weight was a little over 8 lbs and Trent's was almost 11 lbs)- so I'm praying that we can make it as close to the due date as possible.

Today I am officially 12 weeks pregnant, which means I am entering into my 2nd Trimester. We have had great Dr.'s visits so far, and at the last appt Baby Haynes had a heartrate of 178. We did find out that I am Rh-, which means that I have to get a shot at 28 weeks but no big! Evidently my body is not exactly immune to Rubella either-even though I had all my shots when I was younger. So I will have to get a booster shot in the hospital right after the baby comes.
I'm stealing something from Kelly at Kelly's Korner. I am probably not going to be as devoted about doing this as she is, but I think it is a neat way to keep up with the progression of the pregnancy.

I'm 12 Weeks!!! First Trimester Down! YAY!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 12 Weeks

Size of baby: Baby Haynes is the size of a Peach-which I was craving today!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Lost 6lbs so far due to food aversions

Maternity Clothes: Not really wearing maternity clothes yet. However, sometimes it is uncomfortable to button the top button on my pants due to bloating so I bought a maternity tank top to smooth things out. I can tell maternity jeans are going to be GREAT!!!

Gender: We CANNOT wait to find out. Looks like December 10th is going to be THE day! Everyone thinks it's going to be a boy.

Movement: Can't feel any movement yet and will probably be a while

Sleep: Usually great until about 2 or 3 in the morning and then I alternate between going to the bathroom and switching back and forth from R to L side. Sometimes the only way I can get comfortable is on my back, which is unusual bc I'm kind of a side/stomach sleeper. The Boppy full body pillow is coming in handy.

What I Miss: Sleeping on my stomach, sweet tea, and being able to make it through a meal

Cravings: Salads, soup, salty foods, and starbursts the past couple of days- trying to limit that intake

Symptoms: Tiredness, Extreme food aversions, bloating, headaches the past couple of days, metallic taste in mouth most days and then some I'm just not going to name

Best Moment This Week: Everyday is great because we are so THANKFUL to be pregnant!! I am also glad that we have made it to the 2nd trimester. YAY!! and Praise the LORD!

Better Late than Never!

I have been a BAD blogger lately! Life got crazy with working this summer, then summer vacation, then starting back my first job, and so on and so on! But speaking of summer vacation, I wanted to try and update our blog with a slideshow from our little trip this summer. We had a nice little get away. It was really not long enough!
Trent and I took off the last week of July and headed to Durham NC (while stopping at Knoxville and Ashville). He has always wanted to see Duke's basketball arena, so that was first on our trip. Then we headed down to Charleston for a weekend and met up with two of my besties from grad school, Jonee' and Whitney and their fellas. We had a great time catching up and sight seeing! Charleston is such a beautiful city.
After we left Charleston, we headed down to Hilton Head-which we loved! Trent is dying to go back and stay longer. Then after leaving HH, we headed to Savannah for a bit! We were busy, busy! I truly loved our vacation and am so thankful that we were able to get away together, but next time I think I am staying in one spot!
On the way home we stopped at the GA Aquarium in Atlanta and just across the way- The World of Coke. Um....let's just say Trent was in heaven. Drinking coke is not really a habit I support of his, and he truly has gotten better about it. But that boys loves him some coke!

Above is our slideshow. I still haven't figured out how to combine everything into one post, so if anyone knows, please share the wealth!

4 years and going strong!

Four years ago today....Trent and I were getting ready to dance our first dance as husband and wife. We danced to the song we had our first dance to, on our first date (about 6 months before). And every time we hear Al Green's "Let's Stay Together"...it brings back so many great memories. Here's to many more great years and the fun that lies ahead!

July 21, 2006

This and That...

Oh my! Where has this summer gone? I can't believe it's only a month until school starts back! I guess we better make it a good one!
These pics are actually in reverse from when they were taken. Trent and I went to Dallas over the Fourth of July for a long weekend. It was a very relaxing but quick trip. We were able to spend some time with Trent's best friend from high school, Tab, and his family. I didn't get any pics from our time together, but we always enjoy visiting with them. And...I played shuffle board for the first time. I don't know if it was the rush of learning a new game or...the fact that I beat Trent our first round :)- but I have to say that I am a fan now. I was a little intimidated, though, because I was playing on a team with Mr. Gary, Tab's dad. This guy is way more athletic than I'll ever be, considering he's officiated two Super Bowls.

Now, jump ahead....The next two pics are from when Trent and I babysat my best friend Sarah's little boy, JP. He is such a little ham, and I love all his little curls that he is getting. He turns the big 1 next week. I can't believe that a year has already gone by! JP loves Trent and cracks up whenever he's around. Although, I don't think he's too sure about having his picture taken.

He's thinking.."What's so interesting about me and my veggie puffs?"

Now go back to Dallas....Thank you Rebekah for this recommendation below.....

I think we'll plan all future trips around cities that have a Sprinkles from now on!

We ate lunch at a great little place in the Highland Park area.

And this was the sunset right before fireworks lit up the night sky.

*On the brighter side- Trent had more of the area removed from his shoulder, and UAMS was RIGHT...he in fact did not have melanoma. The cells were abnormal, but they did not meet all the criteria for melanoma. Praise the Lord! I know that many people have melanoma removed every day and go on to live long healthy lives. But...it's still a scary word to hear regardless, and I pray that we do not ever have to encounter it again.

Thanks for the prayers (Shea) and anyone else that might have sent some up for us. They are always appreciated :).

Family Time

We've had a busy time with family visits during the month of June. My brother, his wife, and two little ones came in the second week. And we stayed busy with a huge family fish fry, a trip to build a bear and the Children's Museum, swimming, and the list goes on. I think the hit of the trip for my nephew Avery was watching his dad and me play old school Nintendo. (I'm talking 1st generation!) Mine is still in perfect condition.
We do not get to see them enough because we live so far away from each other, but I'm already looking forward to our next get together-hopefully sooner rather than later.

We were able to get some family pics before they left for the airport...minus Prissy and Elvis!

And here is all four of the Hankins men. I think Avery got some jelly beans for staying still long enough to get some family pics.

Here in one pic from our trip to CMOM. The boys both loved it!

And then it was time to say our goodbyes. Trent is so good with kids....probably because he knows how to act like one himself.

Our neices and nephew from CO also came for a visit in June. I caught this cute pic of Garrett and Trent swinging in his parents backyard. Lawson and Kennedy were too busy running around, but I think Garrett was about to play out. We are lucky to be the aunt and uncle of some great kids!

*Other June news.....Trent took a new job, we put our house back on the market, and Trent is going in for a surgey on Tuesday at UAMS to have an area of skin removed from his back. The initial biopsy indicated that it was Melanoma. Now there are a few questions. If you read this, please send up a few prayers for us this week...that it is in fact NOT Melanoma and wisdom for these doctors, so they will quit giving us the run around.

Updates

Wow! It's been a long time since I put anything on here! What a fast year so far.... I know I can't possibly go back and remember everything that's happened since January, so I'm just going to hit a few of the high points.

Our nieces and nephew from CO came in sometime in the Spring, and we had a nice little visit with them...even squeezing in a picnic and trip to the zoo.

Before that, Elvis celebrated his third birthday in February. He loves his extra special treats from Three Dog Bakery. He even got a bison bone, that I think is still around somewhere. For anyone that know Elvis, that is pretty rare. He can destroy a stuffed animal in under 5 minutes.

And we had a special celebration with the birth of Lawson Thomas in January. One of our closest family friend's little boy. He has grown so much since this picture and is such a cute baby!

Christmas 2009..part 2

I could spend all day posting Christmas pics, but I have a million and one things around the house that I need to be doing...like taking down our Christmas tree! I know! We are terrible! I might just put a big heart on top of it to celebrate Valentine's Day....I've been helping out at a nursing home in West Memphis on the weekends, so the weekends are short and sweet for me!
I would much rather be doing what Prissy is doing below, today!... This pic was taken a couple of days after Christmas, and I think she was pretty much worn out! I got a few pics of Elvis over the holidays. But...mostly you just see a leg or a tail! He is a CRAZY dog, but we love him!

So today I am taking advantage of this SNOW DAY!!! and getting caught up around the house! Yea! for snow days..even though we will have to make it up :(.
We had a very busy Christmas season...school parties, birthday dinners, baby showers, baby arrivals, Christmas get-togethers...you name it and we probably did it! We said goodbye to 2009 and rang in 2010. And I must say, although 2010 has gotten off to a rocky start; I am optimistic that 2010 is going to be a great year.

Prissy loves her daddy...and her grandpa and grandma!

Christmas Eve night! We almost forgot to take a pic. Trent was too busy playing with his new Benelli...and no, he did not shoot his eye out!

My parents gave us a Fontanini Nativity before Christmas and I cannot wait to add to it in years to come.

2009 Christmas tree...looks a lot like 2008!

We love our stockings Ms. Joanne made us. They are one of my favorite things to put out at Christmas.

Christmas 2009

This is a belated Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday's from the Haynes' Family in case you did not receive a card from us. (I need to update my mailing list!)
We created our Christmas card this year, and I was pleased with the way they turned out. My dad even snapped a few family pics in my parents backyard that turned out ok. With two pups, that is a task in itself!

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