Baby Tiland Blog

We are still alive!

2012-02-04T17:25:00.000-08:00

First, I am so sorry! It has been quite a while since I blogged so the pics below are kinda old and random but I wanted to catch you all up. We dont have any Christmas pics so if any family has any please send them to us!

These pics are from the Worldview Academy faculty retreat that we just went on in January. It was just 5 hours away in San Antonio and it was the first time we left both kids for 4 nights! It was great spending time with friends that we dont usually get to see.

This is our traveling team during the summer

This is our entire Worldview team!

These next pics are capturing the kids in their Christmas outfits. Mike took like a million pictures trying to get a good one and these are the best. It's funny, when you try to get kids to cooperate and take pics when you want them they really dont like too!

These pics are from vacation with our friends the Fairbaughs (November). We were away for a week and had a blast. These are from the little water park in the resort. The kids didnt really like it, Drew eventually warmed up by the end but he was quite scared through most of it. After we had to pretty much push him out of the slide and then catch him before he reached the bottom he liked it and could do it by himself by the end. Maddie took a little nap on Mike on the lazy river, so cute!

Madison's one year pics

2011-11-27T15:00:00.000-08:00

I recently started working for this fabulous photographer, Amanda McNeely who took Madison's one year pictures. Here are some of our favorites!

Fall camp, carving pumpkins, Maddie's birthday

2011-11-07T18:05:00.001-08:00

We carved pumpkins honestly just for the photo op! The kids were interested, but they didn't really like putting their hands in the pumpkin. Drew didn't like getting his hands dirty and Maddie really just wanted to try to eat it :)

We went to Glorieta, NM for our fall camp with Worldview Academy. The weather was refreshing, crisp and cool and even provided us with a little snow! And it was gorgeous! The kids got to play in the leaves (Something we have very little of here in Midland) and just enjoy nature.
The Midland Worldview girls playing the the leaves

We had a hard time getting Drew to cooperate with our picture taking, this was the best we got...a very fake smile!

Stud muffin!

These two next pics are of our silly children, Drew was playing peek-a-boo with Madison while she was making a mess eating spaghetti.

Maddie's first birthday party! We just had a few friends (and Mike's mom was in town!) to celebrate our little girl. Isn't she precious?!

Old and new

2011-09-16T11:41:00.000-07:00

These are some pictures that I just found capturing our time in Oregon before the summer for Drew's birthday. Maddie looks so small! Her hair is still crazy in these pictures, they were before it all fell out in the front making her look like a balding man...still cute though!

Now we are up to date! These pics are from Labor Day, we had a picnic with some of our friends.

This is the swing set that we got for a STEAL! We didn't really steal it... we paid for it! Just not a lot!
Mike and Josh spend ALL DAY putting it back together and making it safe :)
Just a precious pic of Maddie!
We went to Dallas for a friend's wedding. it was fun, hot and went into the late evening...at least late for our kids but they did really great. We did bribe Drew with a ring pop to keep him going :)

Disney Land and a drive from Washington to Texas

2011-08-04T08:35:00.000-07:00

So on our way from Washington to Texas we stopped in California to go to Disney Land. There were 7 adults and two kids making the trek. After Disney Land we made up the lost time with a 14 and 12 hour driving days to get to Texas. Lets just say, we survived the road trip! But it was refreshing to have a day to play. The kids were still a young to go to Disney Land but they did have a good time and since we were with a group who helped us with the kids it really worked out well. For adult rides they had a special pass for parents with young kids so our friends stood in line and got two passes after they finished the ride and then Mike and I got to go in the fast pass line with those passes and ride together. Oh and the best part... our friends watched our kids while we rode, it was wonderful! It was also really fun to watch the kids explore all the things to see. Disney Land is more fun with kids!

The "baby sitters"!
Us going on a ride together, kid free ;)

This is the whole gang, Mike is taking the picture :)
(Autopia Ride) Watch out! Drew is driving!
Both kids passed out as we are in line for Peter Pan (I got the heavy one)
Dumbo!
Drew with mommy on dumbo, he loved it!
Maddie with Daddy on Dumbo, she loved it too!

Drew exploring while waiting for a ride

The whole family

Pics and update from camp

2011-07-19T10:56:00.000-07:00

We are in our last week of camp before our 5 day drive from Washington back to Texas. It has been a good summer; adventurous, challenging, exciting, rewarding, tiring... We are ready to get back home and stay in one place for more than 5 days :)

Maddie just cut her first tooth this week and just started crawling yesterday! She can get up on all fours and crawl backwards better than forwards right now. Drew is still all over the place and has been working on his vocabulary, he is quite the talker these days!

Here are some pics of our summer adventures!

Beach in San Diego, CA

Drew sharing his cookie with momma :)

Drew's first carousel ride (He loved it)

Playing in the rain in Northern CA

2011-06-02T08:38:00.000-07:00

We went to a friend's wedding a couple weeks ago in Idaho and it was a blast! Here are some pictures of the wedding and some pics of the days leading up to it.

Drew at rehearsal dinner

Us at the wedding
The Worldview girls with the bride
Drew at the pool the day before the wedding
Angela and Drew at the rehearsal dinner

We went to Oregon a few weeks ago, Mike guest directed a Teen Pact and then we visited family.

The cousins!
We went to the zoo with the kids and it was so much fun seeing them all watch the animals and get so excited!
Uncle Jeff with Drew and Grandpa with Noah at the zoo
Easter at Bonnie and Steve's house

Video of Drew "feeding" Maddie and of the cousins playing

New House pics

2011-06-02T08:32:00.001-07:00

Here are the new pictures of our renovated house! We have not touched the outside but we will get to it when we come back in August.

Drew's room
Madison's room
Mater bath

Hall bath
Dining/office area
Kitchen

House update

2011-04-19T19:14:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay... I have been harassed enough to finally post some pics on the house. We just really have not had a spare moment, nor have we had internet until now so here you go!

We had one week to make the house livable, we didn't quite make the deadline so we are still living in some construction. My dad came down on Sunday to help and so far we have really used him! I will put up some after pictures but there are too many boxes/messes to do that. But they will come!

Stage one: cleaning! The house had been vacant for two years so the layers of dust and dirt and gross stuff we didn't even want to try to figure out what it was covered every surface of the house. We closed and signed papers on Thursday and we started cleaning on Friday. Myself, Sarah and Cara cleaned while Mike started prepping for paint and worked on the door locks.

Look at that dust!

Sarah

Cara

Main room before pic

Master Bathroom before picture; shower wall and floor. It was a mess!

Master bath demo. They took this bathroom to the beams and then jackhammered into the foundation to get to some plumbing issues. The blessing is that they did not have to make a bigger hole to fix what we believed to be a larger problem with the plumbing. Praise God!

Our ugly bright yellow kitchen (Don't worry, we painted!)

Mike and Josh moving our whole apartment (Thank you Josh!!!) They moved out all our belongings to the Worldview trailer and then we crashed at a friend's house for two days while our bathrooms were out of order. We moved in on Sunday, still without a working shower but one of them got done today (Tuesday)

Painting the dining area

The Tilands in March

2011-03-26T14:27:00.000-07:00

Our little girl is growing up! She loves to be "thrown" in the air, my little dare devil :)

Drew playing with bubbles, he is obsessed with bubbles now. When I hand him the bubble container he says "no spill" over and over. Grandma Brenda came to watch Drew when Mike and I went out of town for a few days and they had LOTS of fun together. The bubbles were her idea and Drew loves it!
Maddie watching Drew play with bubbles
Grandma Brenda with the grandkids

Life at home

2011-02-21T18:21:00.000-08:00

Life at home has been busy, but enjoyable. Madison has started laughing which seems like a small thing but it is so awesome to see her developing and learning new things.

The kids are watching the movie Cars, Drew's favorite movie.

Also, watching Cars... (We have seen it a lot recently!)
After the Super Bowl's half time Drew started singing and dancing. This is a clip of his singing "ya, ya, ya" and offering me and his dog to sing as well. The last video is of Drew whining to see one of his favorite people, Josh. He is quite persistent, asking for him throughout the day, every day!

Snow, Sickness and Super Bowl

2011-02-06T20:03:00.000-08:00

We have had a rough few days as Drew battled the flu and a high fever. The high fever caused two seizures on Thursday. It was certainly scary but not as bad as the first time he had a seizure in June because they didnt last as long and we also were more informed on what to do and the potential risks. The good thing is that his fever broke that following night and even though he was really weak, he started showing personality again on Friday. It is always hard to see your little one not themselves and its a sense of relief when they become themselves again! The other hard part was that we sequestered Madison in our room to try and give her the best chance of not getting sick. So far she is just fine! Mike and I took turns with Drew and Madison in the different rooms, after 48 hrs of no fever we let them reunite, Drew was very happy to see his sister again!

So Midland got cold, I mean COLD! It will usually snow one or two times a year but it would melt by noon. But it was below freezing for a few days and it felt below zero with the wind chill! Drew liked the snow but didn't like it when the cold wind blew so we only stayed out a little bit.

Sweet Madison

This is Drew's dance during half time at the Super Bowl. The funny thing is that he never really danced before so I'm not sure where he picked it up but it's super cute!

update

2011-01-29T16:19:00.000-08:00

It been a long time since I have updated you all on our lives so here are some pics and stories from what we have been up to.

Andrew loves to smile when he sees the camera, there is not a recent picture where he isnt making this silly face!

Madison is just growing so much. She smiles a lot and it more interactive. She has been sleeping through the night for a few weeks now which is a HUGE blessing because that means that we get more sleep!

We started being a little more relaxed with giving Andrew treats. This was a chocolate strawberry...he really liked it!

Andrew just wants to play with he little sister, unfortunately that creates a problem because Madison cant really play with him yet. He tries to feed her, hold her, give her toys, push or rock her when she is in the car seat or bouncer. He really is sweet to her and she survives :)
Messy boy!

Opening presents on Christmas. We went to Hood River (Grandpa/Grandma Lane) for Christmas eve and Christmas morning. Drew liked the first present in his stocking but didnt want to stop playing with it to open more... he didnt quite get the present thing yet. The next day we spent Christmas with Mike's family and by then Drew was all about opening presents and helped most everyone open theirs! Thank you everyone for spoiling us and our kids on Christmas, it was too much!

Grandma Brenda and miss Madison
Drew is so busy that sometimes the only way to get him to sit on our laps and snuggle is if we bribe him with a snack. He also loves sharing his snack. Uncle Danny had fun with this!

Grandpa Tiland
My (Angela) sister has two kids and they had fun playing together. Eden, the oldest, showed Drew her tricks like how to slide down the stairs. They would also chase each other around the house. Noah (on the right) would try to keep up and play along :)
Uncle Jeff
This may seem like a weird picture to include but it comes with a story... We were waiting for our ride when we arrived in Oregon so Mike and Drew rode the escalator over and over and over. I stayed with Madison and the bags and whenever we came into view Drew would wave and scream "mamma!". It never got old to him!
Before we left Midland to go to Oregon all the Worldview family got together. This is Sarah and Madison and I. Madison is dressed as a little present, cute hu?!!

The second video is of our Christmas at Mike's dad's home. Drew was having fun handing out the presents. The third video is of Drew eating an Oreo, one of his favorite things to eat. He is very meticulous in how he eats it, first the filling, then the cookie.

New pics

2010-12-22T12:38:00.000-08:00

Family visiting us in Texas and us visiting family in Oregon

Uncle Danny

Grandpa Tiland

Grandma and Grandpa Lane

Family Photos

2010-12-04T20:42:00.000-08:00

Madison: 2 Weeks
Andrew: 18 Months

The last 5 days...

2010-11-13T12:22:00.000-08:00

We welcomed Madison Joy Tiland into the world on Monday, November 8, 2010 at 12:35pm. She weighed 7 lbs, 13 oz and was 18.5 inches long.

We started our day at 4am when we went to the hospital for our scheduled induction. We walked the quiet halls for about an hour and a half while I contracted regularly. Mike's mom, Brenda and our friend Kristen Fairbaugh came into the labor and delivery room at about 8:30 so witness the delivery. My doctor came in at 8:45am and broke my water and officially declared me in active labor. Thankfully I didnt have to have Pitosin because I went into labor naturally from my water breaking. A short 4 hours later Madison made her arrival. It was a fast and hard 4 hours as I progressed very quickly in a short amount of time. The end came so fast that I kept on telling the nurse to get the doctor because the baby was coming, now! I pushed 3 times and Madison came, the doctor came just in time for the delivery. Madison had a lot of bruising on her face because she came out so fast, but at least she didnt have a cone head which usually comes with a long labor!

Madison is beautiful and we just LOVE her! The first day she looked so much like Drew that it was difficult to place her as a girl. It has only been 5 days and she is showing us that she is very much a girl, the way she cries, how she snuggles in... she is a very sweet girl! She has my ears and nose and hands and feet, and hair. I guess it is only fair because Drew is a mini Mike, I was feeling left out!

My recovery has been good. Things have been a lot easier than last time and some things have been harder. My nerve is still constantly hurting but we pray that after a few trips to the Chiropractor that it will go away. Madison is doing great with nursing and my supply is starting to regulate to her needs (= less pain!)

Drew is doing great with Madison. He has a little chair that grandma bought for him that he sits in and holds up his arms and says "baby, baby". He sees us hold her and he wants to do it too! He gives her kisses and hugs (probably because we give him attention and say how sweet he is when he does it). He doesnt understand his strength so we have to watch any interaction that they have, but he is not jealous and has been doing great with it all.

Me ready to pop!

First picture of Madison

Just after delivery (So tired)

Grandma Brenda holding Madison for the first time

First family photo

Daddy with his crew

Coming home from the hospital

Drew in his special chair with his blankets and dog

Big brother holding little sister

Precious

My sweet little girl

Grandma Brenda with her grandchildren

First time all together as a family

Life at home

2010-11-04T07:16:00.001-07:00

Madison update: I just went to the doctor yesterday and everything looks good and everything is in order to have her. We have an induction set up for this Monday at 4am if she doesn't come before that. Mike wasn't to fond of the time but it doesn't bother me at all because I'm usually up and not sleeping anyways! It's been a tough couple of weeks and we are all ready to see Madison. Please pray for patience as we wait these last few days!

Drew wanted to try on Daddy's hat, aren't they just adorable!?!

Drew watches me get ready most mornings and he know where the blush goes and loves to put it on mommy. He also knows where the mascara goes and when I was in the other room he got into it and put it on his face! I thought it was hilarious, Mike didn't think it was very funny...
Daddy and Drew made rice crispy treats and you just have to lick the spoon :)

We all went to the park last night, it was nice to get out and Drew just LOVES to slide!

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-21T21:05:00.001-07:00

We went to a pumpkin patch this week with some friends to take some pics of the kids. Andrew was really just too interested in everything other then taking pictures but we were able to capture some cute ones. He was having a really good time just running around and exploring everything.

It doesn't look like it, but he really does love us!

These two pictures are of Madison's "nursery". It really is just a little nook in our room but we tried to make it as special as we could!

Cutest video EVER!

2010-10-14T12:30:00.000-07:00

Black eye and Playtime

2010-10-12T05:13:00.000-07:00

This picture is brought to you by a proud Daddy. Andrew got his first black eye and we (really only Mike) just had to document it and share it with you. We were over at our friends house and Drew fell on the corner of a table, bruising his right eye. Drew is just fine now but the day after his accident produced a nice looking shiner. This picture was taken a couple of days after and doesn't really capture the full effect but you can see the puffiness.

Tickle time!

Andrew loves the slide at the park, he found that our couch is just as fun!

Interview time with Drew

2010-10-08T15:28:00.000-07:00

Getting Ready

2010-10-07T11:10:00.001-07:00

We have finished everything crucial on our to do list for Madison's arrival which feels so good! We created a little nook in our room just for her! I still want to make some things for the wall above her pack n play to girl it up, but its not really that big of a deal if it doesn't get done before she comes. I am into the second week of "rapid fetal growth" which is just another discouraging way of saying, you think you are already huge, well you are just going to get bigger and more uncomfortable! It's true, I don't think I could get any bigger but I have at least 4 weeks left so I know this baby will get bigger! I know it is a good thing, she does need to grow to arrive a healthy baby, but that doesn't make the process any easier. Okay, I'm done ranting a raving... I really am doing okay and we are still able to do life just fine.

Andrew is doing great, he has cut most of the teeth that he was working on a couple weeks back and now has two more that he is cutting. Having more teeth has been great, he has discovered more food that he enjoys eating like chicken. It makes it a lot easier to do meals because he can eat more and more of what we fix for ourselves.

Mike took apart the infant car seat so we could wash it all. Andrew got in it to play, he just looks so huge compared to when he was a newborn in it!

Drew just LOVES breakfast bars, he can down one in just a couple minutes. He does get it all over, but he sure has fun!

God's energy for the teething situation!

2010-09-23T07:16:00.000-07:00

These past two weeks have been more trying than usual as Andrew continues to cut his two upper molars, starts to cut through his two bottom molars and also his two teeth on the bottom on either side of his front teeth. There have been times where I almost lose it. I know that he is acting up or not eating well because he is hurting, but it can get trying! We have had some enjoyable time as the weather is cooling down into the 80's (It still gets into the 90's at the heat of the day), so we have spent more time outside which is a good distraction!

Baby girl Tiland (Madison) is growing and making mommy more and more uncomfortable. I go in for another appointment next Wednesday and I am hoping to get a better idea idea of when she will be coming. I have a diaper shower this Saturday which I am really excited for because diapers are expensive and it will be such a blessing to be given those! Also, after the shower we will know exactly what we will still need to buy and we can get the final things ready for Madison before she comes.

Whenever we come home Andrew knocks on the door or window before we get in, I don't really know why or where he got it because we don't knock on our window!

I just love these two!!!!!

Drew loves to play and mimic daddy, just hear the sound affects Daddy is teaching him! The next video Andrew was playing outside our apartment and he was just talking up a storm. I didn't catch his constant chatter, but I got a little bit of it!

Oregon

2010-08-30T17:50:00.000-07:00

We went to Oregon for about 9 days and I wanted to share a few pictures of our time. It was beautiful there! Wonderful weather, crisp and clean. We spent a lot of time outside!

Mommy, Drew and uncle Danny

Peek a boo!

Grandma Brenda was babysitting so Drew got to do and have pretty much anything he wanted. He loved the popsicle!
See the two dogs to either side of Drew, Andrew loves to share!
Andrew like to "help"

We went to a few parks in Oregon, Andrew really learned how to slide by himself by the last trip. Drew enjoyed trying out all the cool things parks have to offer!
Andrew loved to crawl up the side, Daddy climbed right along with him
Drew loved to play with the dogs! They tolerated him and played with him some of the time. Both of these two were in a playing mood!

Watermelon and Weekend with Friends in Ft Worth

2010-08-09T15:51:00.000-07:00

This past week we drove to Ft Worth to visit some friends of ours. Although it was REALLY HOT outside we enjoyed the Knapp's company. One evening we went to a park where there was a water feature. At first Andrew did not like the water spraying him in the face but then he got use to it and the boys had a lot of fun!

Mike, Tim and "Drew" playing Mario Cart. How cute are they!

Mike decided that Andrew could handle a massive piece of watermelon, Drew had so much fun with it! He was very sticky after, but it was worth it!

Doctor Update

2010-07-30T08:54:00.000-07:00

We went to get an ultrasound today and we found out that our prayer has been answered, the placenta has moved which means that I now have a "normal" pregnancy. We were told two months ago that I had a complete Placenta Privia, because of that I have been under a lot of physical restrictions in order to protect the more fragile placenta. We were also told that it would not move and that we were going to have to have a Cesarean section. Also, the doctor said that I may have to be on bed rest my whole last trimester. You can just guess why were have been praying for the placenta to move!

The doctor also confirmed that the baby is in fact a girl like we were told early on in the pregnancy. So we are starting to think through some names, which is turning out to be a lot hard than when we were looking through buy names, there are just so many more options!

Drew is doing well, he just cut two more teeth in the upper back part of his mouth on both sides. He seems to only cut teeth in pairs, first came the two front middle teeth, then the two bottom middle teeth and now his new teeth. It just a little weird to me!

PA and videos

2010-07-20T13:21:00.000-07:00

In Pennsylvania I met up with a really good friend from college and we went with the Worldview faculty to an awesome ice cream place in Philadelphia. The ice cream was so good and the atmosphere was very special, it was also so good to see you Katie!

These are videos of Andrew and what he is up to these days. The first video is of Andrew in his camp bathtub, he loves to tell us all about it! The second video is of our staff director, Miles, playing a game with Drew at the dining hall. Andrew wouldn't do what he normally does with the camera right there and Miles was trying so hard! Usually Andrew gets really riled up and points his finger right back at Miles laughing and "talking". The last one is of Mike and Drew playing. Drew loves to be upside down, he is a little dare devil!

New York

2010-07-13T08:49:00.000-07:00

We went into New York City this past weekend and stayed a couple of blocks away from Times Square. If you know Mike at all you would know that he hates the city and I love the city. So it really worked out well because Mike stayed with Drew in the hotel watching sports to his hearts content and Angela went with the staff to explore the city. On Saturday we all went to the Broadway show, Phantom of the Opera. Mike stayed behind with Drew because he wasn't allowed in the theatre, but Mike's good friend Chad Warren was in the area so he came into the city and the had a good visit. So Mike did what he wanted to in the city, totally avoid it, and I got to do what I wanted as well!

Mike and Drew met up with us for lunch on the town and for pics outside the theatre before the show started.

On Saturday morning we walked to a pastery shop that was just a few blocks away from the hotel, it had the best tasting pastries I have ever tasted! I love going to new places to eat and trying authentic things (Mike had a blueberry muffin...)

Just a cute picture of our cute little boy!

Niagara Falls and Camp Update

2010-07-05T13:37:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have not posted for a while but our camera broke a couple of weeks ago and I have not had pictures to share. We still do not have a camera (it should come in tomorrow), but some of the staff had some pictures that I wanted to share with you all!

We went to Niagara Fall in NY and took a boat tour so we could see the Canadian side. It was SO COOL!!! We all got to wear these really cool blue ponchos, which was really necessary because it got really wet.

I love this man!

This is the USA side of Niagara falls which was cool, but nothing like the Canadian side which was a huge wall of water in a horse shoe shape. I have never seen anything like it!

The faculty boys

All our staff and faculty in our cool ponchos

The right side of the Canadian side of Niagara falls

Andrew didnt love it when it got really wet...

Angela with the other faculty wives

Camp as been going well, we are in NH right now where the weather is hot but it is beautiful here. Last week we were in western PA and it was wonderfully cool. Only three weeks left and then we head back to Texas. Baby girl Tiland is doing well, getting bigger and harder to lug around all over the country though. I feel her quite a bit now! But all in all we are all fine and healthy!

Chicago Fun

2010-06-20T09:13:00.001-07:00

Interesting fact, last Thursday in Minnesota there was a record of 36 tornadoes just in that one day, thankfully where we were in Minnesota there wasn't any!!! We left Minnesota on Friday at 1pm to make it into Chicago by about 9pm. We did that whole drive with just one, 30 min stop. That has to be a Worldview record! That is 30 people including a baby and pregnant person (me)! The next day, on Saturday we all took a train into the city and ate Chicago style pizza and saw the sights. We all walked A LOT. Andrew was the only one when didnt come back with sore feet, he had the luxury of being pushed around the city. It was fun just to hang out with everyone for the weekend in a place many of our staff had never been to before.

There is a giant "bean" that is reflective in Chicago and a very fun place to take pictures. This is some of our staff and the city being reflected in the bean.

The leadership team at the bean

There was a huge wall with water flowing down it, it seemed to be a very popular spot for kids to run around and get wet. We just watched :)

Drew was so curious about everything around him, there was a lot to look at!

We went to the famous Giovanni's for Chicago style pizza. One piece was enough for me!

This was at the train station where Mike was giving instructions to all the staff to not get lost in Chicago.

This was a sign at the train station and we had to get a picture of it!

Weekend Fun

2010-06-15T08:07:00.001-07:00

This weekend we went to Cabela's, which is a large outdoor store with animal displays and pretty much anything having to do with outdoor adventures. It was fun to just walk around and see all the "animals". We also went to the Mall of America which is the largest mall in America and it even has a roller coaster park in the middle of the mall. It is always fun to go places that are special to particular areas in the USA.

Angela with the staff girls at Cabela's.

Whenever Andrew has our phone he puts it up to his ear and then he puts it up to our ear!

One of Andrew's favorite foods is mac and cheese, he also likes "feeding himself".

Can you see his teeth? He has 4 now, two on the top and two on the bottom, right in the middle.

All is well

2010-06-13T09:49:00.000-07:00

Thank the Lord our little boy has been without fever for 24 hrs!!! His fever broke on Thursday evening and still did not have a fever on Friday morning. We were on the road going from Missouri to Minnesota and at a rest stop we felt Andrew and he was hot. His fever came back at 104. We were in the middle of nowhere so we just stripped him and "bathed" him with Mike's clean socks soaked in cold water. By evening it was under control but still had a little fever so we kept him on Tylenol and Motrin through the night in into Saturday. Since Saturday he has been great! He is himself, eating well, drinking well, and playing well.

Even in such a bad situation so much good came from it. We gained wisdom and understanding about fevers and seizes, Andrew learned that he loves to snuggle and I have been loving the extra hugs and loves he has been giving us. Also, so many people were praying for our situation. We received so many phone calls and emails and had so much support, it was amazing to see how many people care for our family. I (Angela) also discovered a new understanding of how God loves me. As I was in the ambulance with Andrew I was thinking about how much I loved and cared for Andrew... how much more does our Lord and Savior love and care for us. It is too much for me to even comprehend but it overwhelmed me and I am so thankful for God's love and to be His child.

We are in Minnesota right now and everything looks great. We are in an awesome dorm and the campus is beautiful. I will get some more pics downloaded this week, we have Internet in our room!!!

Camp update

2010-06-10T15:41:00.001-07:00

We have had limited Internet here on campus in Missouri so I have not been able to update the most recent pics and news. We had a very eventful day yesterday so I wanted to update you all on that but also update you on our Worldview Adventure as we are at the end of week #2. First, about yesterday... Andrew started running a high fever on Tuesday evening and it continued into Wednesday. We took him into an urgent care center in the morning and they didn't really find anything that was wrong with him but gave him an antibiotic just in case there was an infection somewhere. We had since the night before been trying to get his fever down with Tylenol and liquids. At 3pm on Wednesday he had a 3-5 min seizure. It really came out of nowhere, we figure that his fever just spiked really fast and his body responded in that way. It really was the scariest thing to go through in my entire life. I called 911 and just carried him to the dorm lobby where 2 police men met me and Drew. He was shaking all over and his eyes were rolled back. After he was done he just laid there totally spent. If the police were not there checking his pulse I would have probably been freaking out even more at that point but they told me he was just fine. he then took his first ambulance ride (mine too) and we proceeded to the hospital who got him stable and began to do tests. All the tests were fine and did not result in finding the source of the fever or seizure. After two failed attempts to get spinal fluid from a spinal tap (I did not watch them do this) they recommended that he be transferred to the children's hospital 1hr away. We found out that it was the 2ND best children's hospital in the nation! So after ambulance ride number 2 we arrived there and we learned a lot about seizures. We are so thankful to have gotten the wisdom and information about them and it makes them less scary. It is not abnormal for kids 6months -6 years to get seizures from a sudden spike in temperature. We also found out that they do not cause any brain damage and are really not harmful to the child, just scary. So, all in all. Drew is fine, we are still fighting the fever and he is still fighting whatever virus he has. besides the high fever (still) he really is doing well, he is finally sleeping well, eating and drinking some and is showing his personality when he has awake time. We are just so thankful for the support that we received through this episode and are to thankful for God's providence and protection.

Okay, although what has been happening has taken up a lot of attention, we really have been having a great time on the road. We were in Oklahoma last week for staff training and it was really a blast to spend time with the staff and drew loved practicing his walking and getting all kinds of attention. over the weekend we went to a baseball game in Kansas City, Kansas. Although it was hat, I mean very hot, we all had fun. It is really nice to go places with the staff because they like to take Drew and give him attention which frees us to spend time with the staff and each other.

These are pics of the game and of our happy boy.

We got some family pics done just a month or so ago in Oregon with my side of the family (Lane) and we got them in last week and I wanted to post some, they are so cute...

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Andrew's first birthday and WALKING

2010-05-18T17:51:00.000-07:00

So today Andrew is 1 year old. It seems like this past year was both long and short, how can that even be?!?! Our lives as a family has changed so much and Mike and I have learned so much more about life through Andrew's life. The exciting thing that happened today was that Andrew also took his first few steps. He was really loving our game of walking to mom and then to dad. Im sure with practice he will eventually be running all over the place!

I want to say a special thank you to our friends and family who have walked with us in this special year with our family. As we are expecting another little bundle of joy, who we just found out should be a girl, we are not anticipating any slowing down in our lives.

We went to the beach in Oregon, Andrew loved the sand and didn't put it in his mouth at all, what a blessing for us!

Mike and Andrew playing their favorite game

Andrew eating his birthday cake, what a mess!

Mike with his brothers and Andrew

Andrew's first steps!!!

Camping and Easter

2010-04-16T08:46:00.000-07:00

So, I am way behind on the blog so I am attempting to catch up. A lot has gone on since last post that caused the delay but hopefully we will be up to date soon!

This wouldnt turn the right way but it is also the only picture we have of easter. We went to some friends of ours in Midland and Bonnie made Andrew an easter basket full of goodies and toys. He really loved playing with the eggs!

We went camping with some friends the couple of days before Easter. Andrew was really at the wrong age to go we found out because he wanted to get into everything dirty but could not walk so he couldnt really explore. But it was a good experience anyways and we will have to go back when he is a little older. He did like the playground!

Leadership Muster and Grandparents

2010-03-26T15:51:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we met up with 13 other people in Kerrville, TX for a training session for the Worldview Academy leadership teams. It was a blast! The fellowship was awesome and we got a lot accomplished.

The Worldview Men

Angela and Leah (Leah was Angela's roommate in college and is Mike's female staff director this year, we will have so much fun this summer!!!)

The North East Leadership team (Mike, Leah, Laurel and Miles)

Our big eater!

Mike and Josh. Before everyone came in we (Mike, Josh, Sarah, myself and Drew) ate at an amazing restaurant in New Braunfels, TX. It is the best food I have ever eaten!

One Monday My mom and Dad came to visit Andrew...and us. We had a great time playing games and enjoying the warm Texas weather. Tuesday was a little hot, 85 degrees! (There were a lot of more pics taken but the grandparents have them all, can you send them to me please?)

Midland and Grandma

2010-03-08T07:24:00.000-08:00

Grandma Brenda visited us in Midland over the weekend. We relaxed, ate good food, and watched Andrew. Andrew just loved showing his new tricks to Grandma like clapping and pulling up on just about anything! We really enjoyed her company!

It snowed a couple of weeks back in Midland. We got quite a bit! We really just enjoyed the view from inside most of the day.
View from back porch
It is a rare thing when Andrew falls asleep on me, I take advantage of it when it does come my way!!!

Andrew "sampling" his Dominoes

9 months old and crawling

2010-02-19T15:50:00.000-08:00

Our little boy is growing up... he has grown from 8 and 1/2 lbs to 20 lbs in just 9 short/long months. He came out a precious, dependent gift from God and now is starting to learning to do some things on his own. In 9 months he has learned to roll over, sit up, crawl backwards, crawl forwards, smile, laugh, play peek-a-boo, give "hugs and kisses", jump, eat finger food, jump some more and many other little things that has made him who he is right now. We took some pictures to compare with his newborn pictures. It was a little bit harder to get Andrew to pose this time but we got some cute pics.

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We had fun playing in the hamper!

Andrew started crawling on his 9 month birthday! He doesn't go very far just yet, but he is loving that he can get to things easier.

We love to play!!!!

2010-02-16T12:17:00.000-08:00

We have been having so much fun together! Andrew is in such a fun stage, he loves to laugh, jump, and just spend time with his mommy and daddy. Mike and I love watching each other play and interact with him. It brings me so much joy to see Mike loving his son, they are both so precious! We are so blessed!

This is kinda gross, but really cute!

Videos of Andrew eating and "crawling"

2010-02-10T14:38:00.000-08:00

Andrew eating peas. Yes, there are more peas on the floor than in his tummy!

The next video shows Andrew playing with his toys and "talking". He is a noisy one!

Andrew loves his Cheerios!

This next video shows Andrew stuck after he crawled backward across the room. He gets frustrated and doesn't know what to do after he reaches the end!

Cruise pics 2

2010-01-27T07:45:00.000-08:00

Terri, Ginny, Andrew and I

The whole Worldview Academy crew on the ship

On daddy's shoulders...there is no better place!

There may be more dinner on his face than in his stomach!

Nap time on deck

This is the closest Andrew gets to crawling, he gets on his knees and just lays there!

Andrew started eating cheerios, it was really the only way we got through our formal dinners!

Mexico Cruise

2010-01-26T10:00:00.001-08:00

We just got back from a 4 night cruise to Cozumel Mexico with the Worldview Academy faculty. It was great to fellowship with wonderful people and it was nice to do something that we had never done before. Will we go on another one... probably not, but it was a fun experience. Andrew came with us and we think he had fun soaking in the sun, wind and being held by different people. Every crew member that we came in contact with said hello to Andrew and tried to make him smile.

All the Worldview Academy faculty

Mike and I at the formal dinner
Ginny Cook and I posing after loosing in the Putt-putt golf tournament.

Sarah and I posing in front of our ship on Mexican soil (cement)
Mike and Andrew explored Mexico for a short time and then returned to the ship to hang out.

Mike and sleeping Andrew playing putt-putt golf

More pics to come!!!!

Christmas and our time in Oregon

2009-12-27T19:21:00.000-08:00

Christmas has come and gone and we have both memories and pictures to share...

We spent Christmas eve day with Mike's dad, Ron and brother, Danny in Corvallis. We then met up with most of Ron's family at a Christmas eve party where Andrew was passed around all evening.

Christmas morning the two boys snuggled up with my brother, Jeff by the Christmas tree.
Everyone enjoyed opening up gifts, it was really fun with the kids. Eden was the only one who really understood what was going on, Andrew understood there was paper to play with and munch on and Noah just slept and looked at everything going on.

The kids all got Christmas outfits, aren't they just darling!!!

Mike and I met up with some friends in Portland. It was good to see a number of friends this visit!

We also spent a lot of time at Grandma Brenda's.
Andrew is really snuggly after his bath!
Grandma got a hold of a camera...

Grandma Lane and Grandma Brenda sandwich!!!

Andrew loves to jump, even when he is tired!

Time in Oregon

2009-12-15T12:20:00.000-08:00

We are really enjoying our time here in Oregon for Christmas. We have been here since the first part of December and it has been a pretty relaxing time so far. Family has enjoyed spending time with us...who are we kidding, they all just want to spend time with Andrew! We went to my sister and Brother-in-law's house first to spend time with them and their two kids, Eden and Noah. This was the first time we had a chance to see Noah and we are in love! While we were there my mom and dad came down to pick out their Christmas tree.

This picture has a story: I asked Mike to take a picture of Andrew, my mom, dad and me. I was holding Andrew at the time and then...right before the picture was taken my mom took Andrew and scooted me out of the picture! Grandparents!!!

Us all bundled up

Eden, Andrew and Noah...So sweet!

Andrew "kissing" Noah

Andrew loves to purse his lips and spit ALL THE TIME, we were able to capture this fun stage in a picture.

Andrew LOVES dogs!

More pics and stories to come of our trip to Oregon and the Christmas season...

Thanksgiving

2009-12-01T08:45:00.000-08:00

We went to our friends house in Ft Worth for Thanksgiving and it was FUN! Andrew had a great time, he couldn't get enough of the kids that were there too, he just stared and stared. There were also new toys that he enjoyed exploring. It was good to spend some quality time with good friends and also enjoy the larger city.

We started packing for Oregon and we wanted Andrew to try on a warm outfit that a friend let us borrow, lets just say that he didn't really know what to do with it. HE looked at me like, what are you doing to me mom?!?!
At our friend's house there was this horse that made noise and rocked. He really liked it!
Andrew and friend Carter taking a bath (See Andrew sitting up!)

Listen to Andrew making his spitting sound, its his new favorite thing to do!

Sad news

2009-11-28T17:40:00.000-08:00

Well, we thought because we made our pregnancy public we should give you all the update on our pregnancy. We unfortunately lost the baby last week via miscarriage. We are very sad about our loss and recovering both physically and emotionally. We know that God has us in His hands and that we are in His ultimate will so we are trying to not dwell on what we lost.

Andrew is more precious to us and we are living each day with new reverence as we all never know when our last day will be. We are thankful that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us and who we can turn to when we remember our loss. For those of you who did not know, we were not trying to have another baby so soon nor were we really confident that we wanted another one. We really fell in love with the thought of Andrew having a sibling so close in age and we hope to have another one in the near future. We want first and foremost to be content in God's will and the life that we have right now and not just look longingly into the future. We have so much to be grateful for!

Playing around

2009-11-12T17:44:00.000-08:00

This week has been fun with Andrew, he is interacting more and giggling more. We make fools of ourselves just to get a little laugh! Andrew started eating baby food in addition to his rice cereal. The first two day of trying peas he was VERY against it! He puckered his mouth and gaged on his small bite of foreign food. We were going to give up on peas but thought, we will try it one more time... he ate it like he never had a problem with it before in his life! What a weird child! He now seems to enjoy his peas and I am excited to try something else in a couple of days. I plan on making all or most of his baby food with my new Magic Bullet. It really is easy and we are looking forward to all the money we will save!

When we were in Colorado we bought Andrew some warm accessories for when we go to Oregon in December and back to Colorado in January. When we got back to Midland I just had to try it all on him, he is just SO DARLING!

Yup, another one is one the way....

2009-11-07T14:25:00.001-08:00

We are excited and surprised to announce that we are expecting another child, due the end of June. Andrew and his sibling will be very close in age which will be great when they are older but may present a few more challenges when they are younger. We ask for your prayers as we adjust to this new reality and as I get in the mindset of being pregnant again... not really ready for that. I am going to continue to nurse Andrew as long as I can and I plan on continuing my exercise routine which should help in the recovery after delivery. I wish I did this with Andrew!

Thanks for being a part of our lives!

Trip to Colorado

2009-11-04T05:55:00.001-08:00

Mike, Andrew, myself and a friend (Josh) set out to drive to Winter Park, Colorado to visit some friends and do a sight visit for Worldview Academy. We got caught in a snow storm on the way there and had to stop in Trinidad, CO. It was a really good place to stop, the hotel was nice and there was a Wendys next door and a Walmart across the street. We did get stuck getting into the hotel parking lot though, but there was a really nice guy who had a tow rope drug us out. We stayed there two nights and made it to our destination on Friday. We were all safe and had a really good time in Winterpark with our friends the Warrens. It was beautiful!!! Monday morning we drove down the mountain to Castle Rock, CO (near Denver) to visit a Worldview faculty family, the Jacks. It was very relaxing and a good rest before our 12 hour drive the next day.

Andrew and Angela at the hotel in Trinidad

Bundled up for the walk to Wendys beside the hotel (it was cold!)

Winter Park: Andrew is tasting snow for the first time, he really liked it!

Mike with Truet Warren and Andrew

Truet and Andrew played well together. Andrew basically just stared at Truet the whole time!

Andrew all bundled up

Back at home: Andrew sitting up... for a few seconds

Andrew is getting batter at tummy time, he can get his knees under him but then he doesn't know what to do after that.

Andrew using teddy as a pillow

Friends Josh and Kristen feeding Andrew

Andrew trying to reach his pacifier on tummy time, he just can't reach it yet!

Time with Daddy

2009-10-21T07:29:00.000-07:00

The pics speak for themselves... Both boys are darling!

Time with mommy

2009-10-15T19:54:00.000-07:00

Mike got a hold of the camera and captured some photos that represents most of Andrew's and my days at home.

Mommy loving on Andrew after burping him.

It was cold for a few days so we bundled up to keep warm.

Mike thought it would be funny to leave Andrew's shirt on his head while he ate his cereal... it was very cute!

Andrew getting ready to eat his cereal and playing in his toy.

Rolling over and eating cereal

2009-10-09T06:11:00.000-07:00

Andrew rolled over last night officially! Unfortunately it was 2:30 am when we discovered that he had rolled over, he did not like where rolling over brought him....tummy time! I had worked with him yesterday for a while, he just didn't really want to do it by himself just yet. Or he would get himself over and then his arm would be stuck and he was just content laying there with his arm stuck then try to get it out. At 2:30am we were thrilled about his new skill, but wished it could have been found at a later hour of the morning!

Andrew started eating rice cereal once a day. The pics below are of his very first time trying cereal. He is still getting use to the spoon and the new taste and texture. He still has not finished a whole bowl but we are getting there. However, for the first time in a long time, last night Andrew did not wake up between 5-6am for a feeding. He just needed more that what I was giving him nursing. So, I am loving the new stages and Andrew is bringing much joy to both Mike and I.

He got the runny cereal ALL OVER HIM! He pretended to gag on the spoon a few times but he wasn't really gagging, I guess that is the natural reaction to a new object in a baby's mouth. Mommy and daddy both took turns feeding Andrew.

After much harassment, finally a new post...

2009-10-05T07:12:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry it has been a while since I posted pics, we have had a busy life these past couple of weeks. My friend and college roommate, Leah, came to visit for a few days before Fall camp. We all then went to Giddings, TX for Worldview's fall camp. The first few days were great, hanging out in amp and with the staff. And then... the flu! Students started dropping like flies and so Mike, Andrew and I stayed mostly indoors. Then on Wednesday I got really sick. After testing negative for strep, the flu and other things they determined that they did not know what I had, so it must be a random virus. A had a high fever and muscular pain for a couple of days and a lingering headache for a couple days after that. Andrew, thank the Lord, did not get sick. Mike did an awesome job at protecting him and taking care of the both of us that week. Another friend from college, Jimmy, drove with us from Giddings to Midland to spend a few days with us. We get to see him once or twice a year so it has been good to hang out with him. Andrew is now, we think, cutting a tooth. He is chewing on anything and is extra irritable. I hope the tooth comes soon!

Andrew sitting in his Bumbo chair, he loves to sit up!

I just love this picture, he is so precious!

Mike teaching Jimmy how to change a diaper for the first time

Andrew falling asleep on daddy

Andrew loves to watch sports with Daddy!

Andrew is interested in more and more things at bath time.

Friend's house and chilling at home

2009-09-14T07:57:00.001-07:00

I love my boys!

Daddy was having fun dressing up Andrew like a big boy!

We went to our friends home in Ft Worth, TX last week. They have a little boy of their own who is 5 months older than Andrew. They don't really care about one another now, but I'm sure they will grow up to be good friends!

Jolene and Angela relaxing as their babies are content...for the moment!

Andrew had so much playing with their toy, come to find out, we had the exact same toy given to us from some friends in Midland! Yes Mike, you were right, it is EXACTLY the same toy!

5 months difference.....?

Dedication and new stages

2009-08-31T11:03:00.000-07:00

Andrew was dedicated at our church this Sunday. It was a really special day for us because Mike and I got to stand up and commit to raise Andrew in a Christian home. We committed to show Andrew how to love by loving each other; "love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek it's own, is not provoked, does not take into account wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices in truth; bear all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. " (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). If you want to watch the service it should be posted on Tuesday at http://stonegatefellowship.com/.

We went to a banquet on Saturday where we were given these gifts for Andrew when he gets older.

Our friends the Dodds were dedicating their little girl who is just one month younger than Andrew.

Daddy and Andrew sleeping after church, how sweet!

Andrew has gotten so good at lifting his head!

Andrew trying to roll over, he still get caught by his arm.

Life with Andrew

2009-08-26T08:03:00.000-07:00

Life with Andrew is so fun! He has been responding to us and smiling and is just a JOY to be with! Life with a baby at home has been an adjustment, but it has been really nice to not have to pack up our lives twice a week. I have enjoyed being able to cook and go grocery shopping again, picking up my role as a keeper of the home and mommy. Andrew has adjusted well and has been taking wonderful naps and is now sleeping from 10:30pm to 7-8 am...a miracle!

Daddy multi tasking texting and playing with Andrew

Andrew use to just look at his little toys above his mat and pump his arm and legs. Now He grabs the toys and pulls down the bar, puts his legs on the bar and then tries to flip himself over. He still has not rolled over, but he sure does have fun trying.

Doesn't he look like a character in a Dr. Seuss movie?!?!

Andrew loves to smile!

Hot Hot Hot Family Visit

2009-08-05T18:19:00.000-07:00

We got to visit family while in Oregon and we brought the heat with us! We first introduced Andrew to his grandpa Tiland in Corvallis, OR and then we headed to Beaverton. Grandpa Lane got to hold him for the first time and then uncles Danny and Tommy and great aunt Cindy. It was SO hot and no one had air conditioning so we spent the better part of our visit trying to stay cool. Andrew did not like the heat and had a harder time sleeping. He constantly had fans on him, was laying around in his diapers and took baths to stay cool. We had a get together at grandma Brenda's for more family to dote on Andrew. Later on in the week we went to Hood River to spend time with more family.

Although it was so great to spend time with everyone, we are all ready to go home and learn how to do normal life. We get home this coming Thursday so please pray for safe travels as we trek from Washington to Texas.

Grandpa Tiland with Andrew

Grandpa Lane with Andrew

Uncle Danny with Andrew

Grandma Brenda with Andrew

"Prince" Andrew trying to keep cool with all the fans

Second cousin Katherine

Great Grandma Packard

Kelly, Angela's friend since 1st grade and her new little boy

Andrew is a great excuse to take a nap!

Great grandpa Phillippi

Great grandpa Lane

Aunt Jenny

Cousin Eden playing in the water, she was SO fun to be with!

Grandma and grandpa Lane with their two grandchildren

Camp in North California and the Golden Gate Bridge

2009-08-05T18:03:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry I am late in posting these pics, life got busier the closer we got to Oregon and family. These pictures are of our camp in Northern California and of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Michael, staff director Josh Fairbaugh and faculty member Dell Cook.

Growing

2009-07-20T21:11:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to give you all an update on our healthy boy... Andrew had his two month check up and immunization shots today. He weighs 12 lbs 3 oz, (we are not worried about his weight anymore, he learned how to eat and eat he did!) his head circumference is 39.5 cm. and he is 23 inches long. He is in the 61 percentile for weight, 37 percentile for head circumference and 51 percentile for length. All in all he is right where he needs to be!

Andrew did pretty good with the shots; he received one oral immunization and five more immunizations in three shots. The nurse did all three shots so fast Andrew didn't have much time to react; he cried for a very short time and then was good. I hope all his shots go this well... but I know that is not very realistic.

The next check up will be in a month when we get back to Midland so our pediatrician can check him out after all our nationwide travels.

More Baseball and friends

2009-07-20T14:31:00.001-07:00

Our friend Ginny took these pics of us at the Baseball game when our camera died. Doesn't Andrew look handsome in his striped sweater?!

This is Andrew Cook, one of the faculty kids, holding our Andrew.

Worldview's female staff director, Brooke Gifford, loving on Andrew.

Beach and Baseball

2009-07-19T18:22:00.001-07:00

On Friday after camp the staff and faculty went to the beach and then to a Padre's baseball game. Andrew slept through most of his beach experience but he did put his feet in the pacific ocean, which he didn't particularly like. He seemed to really like the ocean sounds and even the breeze.

Momma and son's feet in the sand.

We were only in this position for a few minutes, the sand kept on flying on our faces.

We are at the Padre's game in this picture, we only have this one picture because our camera battery died. Andrew was out of his carrier for most of the game being passed from staff member to staff member. They love holding him, but only when he is happy and smells good. He did really good though, he must like baseball games!

San Diego "Beach"

2009-07-13T11:52:00.001-07:00

Andrew started smiling regularly but we haven't been able to get a good picture of it,
this is the best pic of his smile so far.

Grand Canyon

2009-07-13T11:43:00.001-07:00

We went to the Grand Canyon on the way to San Diego, California from Flagstaff, Arizona. Seeing the majesty of God's creation is such a cool thing to do and be a part of. Andrew won't remember it, but we have these cute pics to show him when he is older.

Bath time and playtime

2009-07-09T14:21:00.000-07:00