2010, A Recap

The Crist family experienced quite a few changes, celebrated a few miletstones and added a new member to the family in 2010. Here's a recap of our year.

January: We announced to our friends and coworkers we expecting a new edition to the family. Jack was helping me decide what big boy bedding he wanted in his new big boy room. Jon and Uncle Josh painstakingly painted his new room two shades of brown before the new furniture arrived.
February: Katie turned 31 and we found out we were expecting a little girl! Jack moved into his big boy room. Now it was time to start thinking about girl stuff.....decisions, decisions. Jack had his first sleep over at Papa Joe and Lala's house.
March: Jon turned 34 and Katie was promoted to manager at work! We decided to name our little girl Ella, but the middle name was still undecided. Jack was begining to potty train.
April: Jon's parents came to town to celebrate Easter and help paint Ella's Room (lavender ice). We also got to see our baby girl via a 3D sonogram. Jack's imagination was in overdrive and he now feared monsters lived in his room.
May: Jon received an award from the local Rotary Club acknowleding his Paramedic of the Year status he received by his fire department in December. I had my last ultrasound- we were now in the final weeks of preparation before Ella Grace (yes we picked a middle name!) was scheduled (via c-section) to arrive.
June: Jon and Katie celebrated 5 years of wedded bliss. Jon was busy with an annual charity golf tournament honoring a former fellow fire fighter. Jack saw his first movie in a theater (Toy Story 3). Ella Grace arrived at 7:26am on June 28th. Jack was so excited to be a big brother.
July: We celebrated the 4th of July with family and fireworks (and midnight feedings)! We were learning to adjust to our newest edition. Jack started "swimming" better in the pool.
August: Mimi came to visit and help with Ella Grace. We took Jack to the circus and enjoyed out door activities- the splash park, water park and pool.
September: Katie returned to work. Summer starting winding down and the pools and splash parks closed (now what would do to burn some of Jack's energy?!?) We started planning Jack's 3rd birthday and Ella's baptism.
October: Our little man turned 3! Where did the time go?? Ella was baptized the same weekend as we celebrated Jack's birthday and we were blessed to be joined by so many family and friends. Aunt Amy and cousin Zoe met Ella for the first time.
November: Mimi came to town to celebtrate Thanksgiving. We dined on a delicious herb-roasted turkey, creamy mashed potatoes, cream casserole, peas (for Jon), rolls and dessert. Uncle Josh joined our celebration. Jack was officially out of diapers and potty trained!!! Ella started cooing and grabbing at things. She also tried rice cereal for the first time.
December: Our first family vacation to Colorado to celebrate Christmas with Jon's family! On the way there we got upgraded to first class! Ella sat up for the first time and Jack started eating everything bagels and cream cheese! (This is huge for us- Jack is the world's pickiest eater!) Jack wrote a letter to Santa to make sure he knew where to find him and we counted our blessings from the past year.

So Very Very Thankful

Now that Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday have passed, I've had a few moments to reflect on the things in my life that I am truly thankful for (some more valuable than others (don't judge, sometimes nothing makes me happier than a mommy time-out and a glass of wine)).

 1. My sexy firefighter husband. He has given me life's three greatest gifts, his love,
    Jack Ryan and Ella Grace.
 2. My beautiful children. J & E are healthy and happy and the center of my world.
 3. My sister. She gives nothing but unconditional love to me and is there no matter what.
    Someday we will be those crazy gray-haired ladies in a big house with lots of cats.
 4. My family and in-laws. Each gives so much of themselves. They helps in more ways
    than I can ever repay and love J & E so very much.
 5. My BFF. The girl I met on the first day of 4th grade has been a rock in my life for more
    than 20 years. She and I welcomed little girls into this world seven weeks apart; I hope
    they grow up to be great friends too.
 6. My friends. We've shared the best of times and the worst of times.
 7. My job. Even on the most frustrating of days, I really do love what I do. I am blessed to
     be one of the few that want to go to work each day.
 8. Surviving potty-training a toddler. It seemed to take forever, but we did it! Hopefully
     E will be easier.
 9. Knowing I picked the best man in the world when the laughter of my son fills our
     house.
10.Watching that same man dote upon his little girl with such love and tenderness.
11.Date nights
12.A good soak in the tub
13.The kindness of strangers who offer to help with a door when I have both kids by
     myself
14.Hugs from my sexy firefighter- he just knows when I need one
15.Enjoying a glass of bubbly with the sexy firefighter
16.Homemade fried rice (sexy husband's specialty)
17.Homeade gifts from J & E
18.940 Basswood- orignally owned by my grandparents, now owned by my aunt. The
    backyard holds some of my favorite childhood memories.
19.Mommy time-outs
20.Mexican Food
21.Anything pumpkin flavored
22.Winter (I love cold weather)
23.Starbucks Java Chip Frappuccino
24.Pinot Grigio
25.Fresh flowers
26.Italian Food
27.Brad Paisley's music
28.Target
29.Tex-Mex trail mix by Archer Farms
30.Freedom

A week of many firsts...

Jack and Ella are both growing so fast these days. We have had quite a few "firsts" for both kids this week. Jack has been pottying training for some time and about a two weeks ago decided he could go by himself and he didn't need any help. Jon has been working with him on standing up like a big boy this week. With the help of some "targets" he is doing fairly well. We are also trying to coax him into eating new foods. Some days are more successful than others. Ella transitioned from a size 1 to size 2 diaper this week, which I know sounds pretty uneventful, but to me its just another sign of how fast she is growing. She also tried rice cereal for the first time this week (see pics below). I always wonder what babies must think when they get something other than formula or breastmilk. The texture alone must be mind-blowing. On the downside, Ella also made her first trip to the urgent care center for kids. She got her first cold (thankfully it wasn't an ear infection). Suctioning her nose is torture to both of us. Jack was very helpful at the doctor's he told both the nurse and doctor all about her symptoms. It was really very cute. I am amazed at how conversational he has become.

You're a Beautiful Girl

Recently we had some pictures taken of Ella Grace, they are below for your viewing pleasure. At her 4-month check-up she was 25 1/2 inches long and 13lbs 4oz. She loves to laugh and scoot around her crib, tummy time is getting better (less screaming and crying on her part) and she loves to "sit" up and look around. Jon and I love the way she watches her older brother. She is so entertained by Jack and we can just tell she can't wait to move and play with him.

The Sacrament of Baptism

Ella Grace was baptized at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, in Plano, TX, this past weekend. As is tradition in our family, she wore the baptismal gown I was baptized in. Her Great Auntie Barb had a beautiful new bonnet made for her as well. Ella's Godparents are Jon's brother Rick and my cousing Emily. Rick was unable to attend due to some work obligations so Josh was kind enough to stand in him at the ceremony. Ella did great, she only cried a little when the holy water was poured over her head. Her are a few pictures from the event and reception. It was so great to have our family here for her special day. Grammie, Poppy, Papa Joe, Lala, The Chicago Duds, Uncle Josh, cousins and Aunt Virg made this little girl feel so blessed.

There's a 3 year old in the house....

Jack Ryan turned three years old on Friday, October 22nd. I can't believe he is three! I am consistently amazed by this little boy. He is so smart, friendly, funny and sweet. God truly blessed us the day he arrived. I remember thinking that I had never seen anything as beautiful as he and the love I felt for him was overwhelming. Jon and I began a great adventure when he was born. We were blessed to have family from both sides join us in celebrating his birthday. We took him to the toy store to pick out some special gifts, had lunch at Dave & Busters and that evening we celebrated Papa Joe's 60th birthday. Jack had so much fun with his cousins, aunt, uncle and grandparents.

Happy Birthday to you....

Fall Fun

Well it's finally cooled down in the Lone Start State and that means we get to play at the parks and do things outdoors. This past weekend could not have been more perfect! Friday night after work we took Jack to the park to play. Jon and I were absolutley astonished that nearly all the parents there were busy on their cell phones instead of playing with their kids. While I understand that after a certain age kids no longer find it cool for you to ride down the slide with them, but maybe just maybe you should at least pay attention to them. Is it too much to ask that parents put down their phones to engage with their children? Do these parents think that at 2 or 3 their kid isn't paying attention to them? Wake up! They are! And if they could articulate it, I am sure they would ask you what was more important- them or the phone. Okay, I am stepping off my soapbox now.

Saturday we continued with our tradition of visiting the Dallas Arboretum. For the past several years we have been taking Jack to see the pumpkins at the arboretum and snap some cute pictures at the same time. This year was Ella's first trip and we got some great photos. Jack had a great time until he managed to get soaking wet. Jon took him over to play in the fountain and right as we were about to leave and continue on our walk he stepped into a drop-off in the fountain and soaked his pains and shirt. Of course I didn't bring an extra set of clothes...he was miserable. We patted him down as best we could and hoped the sun would help to dry him off, but a short time later we ended up leaving. A wet and hungry 3 year-old + 2 hungry parents= end of trip. Plus it was a great football watching day! Baylor had a great game against Kansas- Sic 'em Bears! It's been along time since Baylor has had a better record than UT.

A blessing for my children

Those of you who have close family near your young children know that when people say “It takes a village to raise a child” it really is true. It becomes even more apparent when you add another child. As parents we give and give and give. Raising children is the hardest job in the world, but the one you love the most. Neither my husband nor I would trade it for anything in the world - even when Jack is up at 6:30 a.m. on a Saturday begging us to watch Phineas & Ferb or when Ella lets out an “I’m hungry” cry at 3 a.m. The second your child laughs or smiles at you with sheer delight or hugs you with all their might being tired simply doesn’t matter.

We are blessed to have one set of grandparents nearby and Jon’s youngest brother Josh. I don't know what we do with out them. So, I thought it was time to pay due to those we rely on so heavily.

Papa Joe and Lala host sleepovers and babysit when asked. Whether its an hour for me to go get a pedicure, a few hours to clean the house without having to tend to the kids, or a date night this set of grandparents really comes through, often at a moments notice. Over the summer Jack would play in the pool, Lala would tend to Ella and mommy would get a nice nap. Lala continues to help when she can on days that Jack is at the firehouse so I don't have to put Ella in daycare any sooner than necessary. Jack enjoys rough-housing with Papa and doing little projects like painting or reading with Lala. He loves all of his grandparents so much- I wish they all got to visit with him as regularly as Papa Joe and Lala do.

On to Uncle Josh. Uncle Josh is one of Jack’s favorite people in the whole world and Ella has taken quite the liking to him as well. Uncle Josh helps with all sorts of things when it comes to the kids. He helps on days when Jon is at the firehouse and I am at work. While on maternity leave this summer I was a bit overwhelmed with both the kids by myself on days Jon was at the firehouse, thankfully Uncle Josh would take Jack outside to play at the splash park or to the movies. He let me rest and focus soley on Ella for a few hours and I am eternally grateful.

Jack gets so excited when we tell him he gets to see Uncle Josh or ride in his big truck. He calls his uncle is friend and I hope as both he and Ella get older, they will continue to view him that way. He is truly selfless when it comes to helping with them. One day he is going to make a great dad. Watching the way the kids interact with Josh makes me wish my sister and Jon’s other brother lived closer. I want so badly for Jon and me to have that relationship with our nieces and for Jack and Ella to know Uncle Rick and Aunt Jess and Aunt Amy that well. I hate that in today’s world families live so far apart; because of this I treasure time with out of town family more than have before.

Time flies.....

I am just one week away from returning to work full-time. I can't believe how quickly 11 weeks went by. We have had a busy summer and it's been fun to be at home with Jack during the warmer months of the year. I learned all about Phinneas and Ferb, we painted many beautiful pictures of Buzz Lightyear and Woody, went to the splash park several times a week and attempted to work on counting, ABC's and potty training. Towards the end of the summer Jack discovered Iron Man and he has been pretending to be Tony Stark for a few weeks now. Every night we read his Iron Man book before he goes to bed.

Ella is growing up so fast! Her two month check up was last Monday- mommy and baby made it through her first immunizations (several tears were shed by both) and she weighed in at 11 lbs 3 oz. She is also 23 1/4 inches long! She has grown two inches in two months! She is smiling, cooing, and laughing. She loves to talk to the little animals on her activity mat and kick her legs.

During the last few weeks the kids also got to spend time with Mimi. She came to help with Ella and play with Jack-Jack. They had lots of fun together! We can't wait to see her again. I am missing her greatly too....we had home cooked meals nearly every night and she was kind enough to get up or stay up with Ella when I was exhausted.

Weeks 4-5 Update

Well needless to say, life's been a bit busy at the Crist house. All is well and we are getting into the groove when it comes to raising two kids and balancing life. Now, I can't say all will run smoothly when I return to work in a few weeks, but for now we are doing great. 


Jack Ryan is getting to spend time with his Mimi this month. Mimi spent the summer with Aunt Amy and Zoe Marley and is now in Texas for a few weeks to help me. So far it has been fantastic. She is helping with all the house work and taking care of Ella. She and Jack are "roommates", which is great. He has been sleeping in his room and with any luck it will continue from here on out. I think he is finally over his fear of "monsters". Jack has been swimming or playing at the water park on a daily basis, which is a great way to burn some of the energy he has. Potty training is going okay. We started working with a potty chart and each time he goes in the potty he gets a sticker. After 10 stickers he gets a prize.  So far it's motivating him. 


Ella Grace is doing well. She is getting so strong and able to hold her head up for longer periods of time. She is sleeping a lot better. We have had several nights of her sleeping from midnight until 6 or 7. I am hoping to have a new family pictures taken later this month along with pictures of just her. I even ordered a tutu! I never thought I would be so girly! 

Week 3 Update

Nothing too much to report this week. Jack is doing great with his potty training- he is getting better about pooping in the potty, which I must confess, is one of those things I never thought I would be so excited about, but surprisingly it is a great moment when you realize you are steps closer to not having to change two people's diapers. Now, if we could just tackle is "monster" issues, we will be golden. A few weeks before Ella was born he starting talking about monsters and now he is convinced they are in is room and in any place that is dark in our house. We have more night lights and flash lights than outlets in our house, but still he is afraid. Anyone have any ideas to help with this?

Ella is doing great as well. She continues to be her cute little self. She is sleeping better most nights and I think she is having a growth spurt. She is feeding all the time, which for me is a bit exhausting. Thank goodness we decided to substititute with formula every other feeding or so. I sent out birth announcements for her as well. I must admit I was super proud of myself for getting them done so quickly. Next week our little lady will be a month old already- time is flying by! Here are her three week pictures.

Two Week Checkup

We took Ella in for her two week checkup yesterday and she is doing quite well. She still hasn't regained her birthweight so we were told to increase the amount we are feeding her and we have to take her in on Thursday to check her weight again. She measured 21 3/4 inches and weighed in at 8 lbs. Her length is in the 95% percentile and her weight is in the 25%-50%.

Two weeks into our adventure with two kids, things are going pretty well. Patience is truly a virtue, especially when you have children. Ella is sleeping better and sleeping more at night. We have been practicing lifting our head and she has been spending quality time on her tummy. Jack is in a very inquisitive stage. He asks questions about everything and no answer is good enough and we aren't even to the "why" stage yet. He has also started to repeat himself five or six times when asking for something. Not sure how to correct this behavior. Potty training is going along so-so. He is really good about it some days, others he is either embarrassed or doesn't want to relinguish control and puts up a fight about going potty in the potty. I am hoping to have him trained by the time I go back to work full time.

Jack went back to school for the first time today since I had Ella. The kids were excited to see him and when I picked him up he couldn't stop talking about playing with his friends. I plan to continue to take him to school at least one day a week so he doesn't completely freak out when I go back to work. While he was at school, I took Ella to Target. I forgot what it was like to go into that store without being asked to look at the toys or getting asked asked a million questions about what we were buying and why. It was nice to stroll through the store, though I was suprised by how many people were there in the middle of the day. Its amazing to see what you miss when you work full time.

I am a little late in posting the pictures below, but here are Ella's week one and week two pictures.

Week One 7/6/2010

Week Two: 7-12-2010

We survived the first week....

What a week this has been! We went from a family of 3 to a family of 4 a week ago today and so far we seem to be adjusting quite well. Ella is a bit confused on when she should be sleeping and mommy and daddy are exhausted. Last night she slept six hours (2 am until 8 am) which was a blessing after the first few days of not sleeping much at all. Jack has been potty training with Grammie all week and so far we have only had 3 accidents. Tomorrow Jon's parents leave and the true test begins. It's been such a blessing to have his mother here to help with Jack, Ella and the house. Jack has been doing great with Ella. He loves her and is quite helpful with her. He loves helping us change and bathe her and so far her lack of a sleep schedule hasn't disturbed him at all. We intended to continue with our traditional 4th of July activities, however mother nature had other plans. We missed out on the Plano parade, but we did get to see great fireworks two nights in a row. First from Freedom Fest in Frisco then Red, White and Boom in McKinney. We had a great view from my brother-in-law's apartment. 


Miss Ella Grace's First 4th of July 

Jack at the pool with his new Buzz and Woody Swim Toy

The Family

Ella's first 24 hours...

Well after a little more than a day out in the world, Miss Ella Grace is doing remarkably well. She slept for over 6 hours last night and is a pro when it comes to breast feeding. She spent a bit more time awake today, which made Jack very happy. His grammie has been staying at our house with him while I recover and when asked if he wants to go see Ella, he replies, with "yes, I go see My Ella"- he is so in love with her and we feel so blessed. We shall see how she sleeps tonight. My epidural was removed this morning and I even took a few walks down the hall. My incision hurts horribly, but one look at sweet Ella and all pain is forgotten. Here are the latest pictures of our girl.

Meet Ella Grace

Ella Grace joined our family today at 7:27 a.m. She weighed in at 8lbs 7 oz and measuring 21 1/2 inches long. She has blonde hair, dark blue eyes and a dimple on the left side. We are just completely in love with her. Jack is in love as well. He loves holding her and teaching her about Phinneaus and Ferb.