The Talented Hubby's Hobby Photography Blog...

Check it out...

http://mfohnerphoto.blogspot.com/

I think he's pretty good, wifely bias aside ;)

My Pool Boys (sorry, ladies...one's off the market & the other one won't be available for 30+ years ;)

So last weekend we Fohner's headed back to our roots near SU on the good 'ole Easter Shore to take our first family vacation, just us 3 (a Christmas present from my dad) at the Cambridge Hyatt.

This is our favorite vacation spot that we usually go to for a night every Spring & Fall.  Since it's the offseason, they have a special deal where you can stay for under $100 a night, so on years we don't take a big family vacation or when we just need to get away from it all for 24 hours or so, we head east  :)

It's a BEAUTIFUL facility that is the perfect place to relax & hang out.  And even though the hotel offers a lot of fun things to do, there are some times that all that we have done between check in & check out is enjoy the in room movies & room service & catch up on some much needed zzz's.

Now that little man is here, all I could think about was enjoying the pool, which we've actually never swan in in the half a dozen times we've gone to the hotel.  In preparation for this, I ordered his cute Nemo cloth swim diaper so all 3 of us could swim.  FYI, swim diapers (even disposable ones) are only made to contain #2's, otherwise they would weigh the infant or toddler down when they swam do to having to maintain absorbency to contain urine.  So anytime you see a cute little swimmer in a diaper, most likely you're swimming in urine (something I never knew before, but am so glad to know now).  Now that Matt knows this, he doesn't make fun of me near as much for taking a shower every time after I swim  :)

Since Abram LOVES baths, so I thought for sure we'd see smiles & hear giggles galore when we dipped him in, but Abram was waaay more interested in "Toy Story 3" that was playing on the big screen above the pool.  Little boy also LOVES TV (what can I say, he is his mother's son  :)  I always block his viewing angle to the TV when it's on, but if those baby blues do happen connect with those images on the screen, he is in the zone.  He was very nonchalant about the pool, he just kinda looked down & around.  He was actually pretty tired since we had traveled down earlier that day, meaning his naps were a little off.  He totally perked up once we got back to the room & he realized it was bath time.  Little guy was a smiling & laughing fool once he & I were in the tub.

He did super well the whole time we were there & traveling.  We had such a good time & bonus, Matthew got to practice using his new camera on us (see the previous post below).  His new camera is amazing & another bonus, takes HD Video that is crystal clear (unlike my lowly point & shoot digital camera that shot these 2 videos).  Triple bonus, we only spent $50 on Matthew's new camera (after years of saving up Best Buy Gift Cards that were given to us for birthdays & Christmas').

First Fohner Family of 3 Vacation = success!

Warning...cute baby alert :)

Oh, those chubby cheeks (the only chunky things on my long & lean boy)...I could just kiss them all day long!

So please excuse me while I attend to that matter  ;)

Reminders...

God and I have been talking a lot lately...well, I've been doing a lot of talking & He's been doing awesome about listening to me cry, complain, worry, stress, not sleep, not even feel like I even have time to eat, etc.  At just the right moment, I mean exactly the the right moment, a phrase or verse comes into my head & bam...He makes it all better.

Isn't God awesome like that?

Yesterday, as Abram & I were driving home from spending the day with Matt's mom, her husband, 2 out of three of Matt's sisters, & 4 of our 10 nephews & nieces I almost had to pull over to just breathe when, "take it one day at a time" came swirling into the fog that can be my mind these days.  I remembered the verses that speak about worrying & doubt that I have studied and studied since I was a teen & it was as simple as God reminding me that I can't be effective for Him when I get so wrapped up in silly little things.

He reminded me to just relax & trust.  That despite the fact that though Abram is an excellent night sleeper (yet I still feel sleep deprived because it takes a lot of energy to take care of that cute little one, especially since he's in a cat-napping phase right now & the only time I can get much accomplished is when Matt gets home from school...of course, all I want to do then is just spend time with my boys since Matt's been gone all day) I'm tired & because of that, it's challenging to keep my emotions in check, & because of that my mind goes awry & I feel like I'm just going loose it sometimes.

What?  Are you kidding me?  All I've ever wanted to do is be a wife & a mommy & I'm feeling this way?  Seriously?  After all we had to do to get this little miracle boy here (& his little frozen brothers & sisters) I sometimes feel so overwhelmed that I lose sight of the amazing blessing that motherhood is.  How does this happen?  For years I've heard others talk about the hard stuff that comes with parenting & my only thought was, "what I'd give to know what that feels like" & "I've waited my whole life not to sleep due to a little fussy babe."  And then the naggyness (yes, I made that word up, don't steal it ;) of things undone creeps up & I feel so down.

And then God nudges my brain to remind me, "dear child, you are not superwoman, you are human.  I made you that way, imperfections & all.  And I love you.  Your emotions, your never ending to-do list, never changes who you are in Me.  Those things will get done, I will help you.  Let's just take this slow, remember?"

And though there are no two people I love more than my boys, I'm reminded of how thankful I am for the first love of my life & how He's the best parent that this lowly parent ever could ever be...and I love Him so for it  :)

A Year Ago Today...

Abram looked like this...

This picture was taken right before Abram was transferred into me at Shady Grove Fertility Center (SGFC) in Rockville.  He was 5 days old here.

Exactly 9 months later, Matthew held my hand through a contraction at the stoplight directly in front of SGFC.  To our left was where Abram's life began after our IVF surgeries at SGFC & to our right was where Abram would finally enter the world hours later at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital.

This is what Abram looks like today...

We are truly blessed beyond measure.

I love him...

I love him...

I love

him

I

love

him

I

LOVE

HIM!

a video to hold you over until I get around to posting something semi-significant here...

We were still in the hospital, little man was 2 days old, & Matt and I were both noticing how Abram was so alert for a newborn...hence this little video.

Maybe this had something to do with stubborn boy finally deciding to make his debut 15 days after his due date, but anyway...A.B. was (and still) is a busy boy.  If there's something going on, he wants to be a part of it.  Praise God, he is an excellent sleeper at night.  During the day, he usually only gets 4-5 forty-five minute naps before he goes down for 7-8 hours in a row at night (around 11:30-midnight).  The first 10-15 minutes of the naps need to be taken on me (he usually falls asleep nursing).  If I try to move him during the first quarter of his nap, as soon as I put him in his crib, he opens those beautiful baby blues and smiles.  He is then instantly awake & looks at me like, "what did I miss, Mom?  I know I missed something.  I think I'll stay awake to figure it out."  Of course, I start laughing as soon as this happens.  One look at sweet boy's face & I can't help but laugh, despite the disappointment that another nap time is lost.  I guess that's why he sleeps so well at night?  I am certainly NOT going to complain about that.  I am loving how many hours I get in a row since he staring sleeping through the night (5+ hours) at 3 weeks old.  Needless to say, I have become very productive in these fleeting 4-5 thirty minute periods a day that I have all to myself.

I digress to my original topic...this cute video.  It's done on my iPhone, so it's grainy (like the last video I posted), but it is my favorite video we've taken of him to date.  It reminds me of our time in the hospital...the amazing bonding that took place between Matt & I during labor & delivery, our first sweet moments as a family, & the quiet stillness that the 3 of us enjoyed in our first few days together.  I also love it because despite the fact that Abram is not even 3 months old yet, bits of his personality were present at only 2 days old.  As you'll see in the video he never blinks during the entirety of it.  He was a little shocked to be experiencing hiccups, but going wide-eyed is a funny trait of his that he still exibits...when something surprises him or peeks his curiosity, his eyes go SUPER wide & he just stares (without blinking) until he figures it out.  It's absolutely hilarious to me.  Enjoy...

Mommy, why would I nap when I can do this instead?

New Year's Goal = bust (insert sigh)

I tried...I really did.  I had the best of intentions of posting sooner than now.  If we could be judged by intentions, I'm pretty sure I'd be up there close to first place if there were a contest.  Can I say it's a goal of mine to follow through more this year?  Would you believe me?  If not, I guess that would also help me continue to own the fact that I'm a procrastinator.  And if I ever let go of that, I just wouldn't be me  ;)

Anyway, while I intend to eventually write Abram's birth story on here (before I forget all the details), since it's getting close to his bed time when Matt & I like to chill out together, I will instead write why I LOVE my new job...being a mommy.

What I love about Motherhood...

• that I used to be pretty meticulous about my clothing, meaning if I smelled the least bit of B.O., I would change clothes as soon as I could

...& that now if spit up, snot, drool, poop, or pee magically appear on my person, I laugh, look at Abram, & talk to him about how silly he is for messing up Mommy's clothes.  And (gasp) half the time, I don't pause to change because I'm taking care of him & then before I know it, I'm sniffing around wondering what that smell is (& then I change).

• that I never used to think I would care about half the things I do now (natural childbirth, cloth diapering, eventually making A.B.'s baby food, exclusively nursing him until he's 6 months old [& continue to nurse at least once a day after that until he's 1], delaying & selecting which vaccines he will get...& a million other things I can't seem to think of now)

...& that I could care less for things I once thought we so important (sleeping in, spending $ on myself, cable TV [the 1st thing to go if we need to cut back], going out to a movie every once in a while, teaching Phys. Ed. [not that teaching doesn't matter, it totally does.  But if I ever go back to it, I will always know that what I teach after I get home from school is way more important than what I will ever teach at school]).

• that I used to become a mean mean witch if my sleep ever got interrupted.  I'm serious, I would secretly hold a grudge the whole day if someone's text, phone call, or something else woke me up before I was "ready" to wake up for the day.  If I wasn't able to get a nap to catch up, oh, you had better run (just ask Matt)!  Plus, it would seem to trigger some pretty depressive feelings & I wouldn't be able to get much done since I would be so tired

...& that now I have an "alarm clock" that wakes me from sometimes the deepest & most satisfying slumber to a sleep-deprived headache that takes me the whole day to get rid of, nothing, I mean nothing compares to the way my heart bursts with joy when I see that little smiley face, even if I feel like a zombie.

• that I'm usually a pretty composed person.  I mean, I can get goofy as well as be serious, but you wouldn't catch me dead singing or dancing or cooing or constantly talking in a high-pitched nonsensical gibberish

...& that now I will look like an absolute fool & not think twice about who is watching just to entertain my little guy.

• that I used to wonder how it would be possible to love a person as much as I love Matthew

...& that now it's just like another part of my heart opened up to swell with so much love that my chest literally hurts from happiness.

• that I would be excited to see which of our kids favored which parts of us

...& that I would be so ecstatic to discover every little part of Abram & what makes him part of each of us & our families as well as what makes him him, his own special & incredibly unique person that God knit together.

•  that I could be so thrilled for the future

...& that yet the present would be so utterly amazing.

• that I am FINALLY a mommy

...& that I never realized how amazingly proud I would be once he came.

It's a New Year with Our New Son...

...which means I'll be blogging more (well, that's the idea).

I don't make resolutions (because the Type A in me makes standards way too high than I can reach & then I just get mad at myself), but I do have goals (much more attainable than resolutions).

One of them happens to be to keep up more with this blog, especially because I now have something to blog about...

introducing,

Abram Brian Fohner

Thursday, December 9th, 2010

1:52 AM

9 pounds, 8 ounces

21 & 1/2 inches

Hopefully, I'll be adding his birth story up here within the next week (don't worry, I won't be graphic).

Quick summary...

• I went into labor naturally on the morning I turned 42 Weeks (though he didn't arrive until the following morning making him 15 DAY LATE...whew!)
• We didn't arrive at the hospital until I had been having contractions that were anywhere from 3-5 minutes apart & at least 1 minute long for 5 hours straight (I was 5 centimeters dilated when we got there)
• It took me 17 hours to dilate the last 5 centimeters...ewww
• I was stuck at 9.5 centimeters for 6 (yes, 6) hours without any medication (honestly, it wasn't that painful, just annoying & frustrating that I wasn't progressing like I thought I would/should
• Though it wasn't the worst pain I have ever been in, labor was definitely the hardest workout (with the sweetest reward) that I've ever had...with being a 3-sport high school athlete at Severna Park as well as a 2 sport collegiate athlete at the University of Richmond & Salisbury University, that's saying a lot
• Call me crazy, but I can't wait to do it again!  I LOVE being a mommy  :)

Since my little man is starting to get on a schedule now that he's 3.5 weeks old (he is an amazing baby, I'm not just saying that, he eats like a champ & has been sleeping 6-7 straight through the night since he was 3 weeks old...swaddling is a miracle fix), I'm hoping to be able to blog more, especially since I am taking a Leave of Absence from teaching through the end of the school year...SO EXCITED about that  :)

Speaking of little man, he's stirring from his evening nap.  My favorite job ever (motherhood) is calling...

Updates on Baby Fohner (since it's been so long)...

Has it been 2 whole months since I updated...goodness.  Well, I do feel like I'm back in my First Trimester (exhaustion-wise), so can that be my excuse?  Really, I feel wonderful...just tired again.  I can still sleep pretty well.  Most nights I get through the entire night without waking up, which is awesome, though I'm going to bed later & later because though my body is tired, most of the time I just lay there reading for an hour or so before I can fall asleep.  I've been able to get through a lot of my Bible reading than I usually do each night (which has been so nice) & I think I'll be able to get through all my baby books before this little one actually arrives.

Currently, I'm skimming "Heathy Sleep Habits, Happy Child", "The Vaccine Book", "The Womanly Art of Breast-feeding", "Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way", "The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth" & all our pregnancy books.  I reading in full "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth", "Spiritual Midwifery"& "Husband Coached Childbirth".  Yeah, I pretty much LOVE reading.  I'm trying to soak up every article, website, DVD, & book I can to be the most prepared for Baby Fohner.  I know you can never be as prepared as you want to, but I'm trying!  And we are prepared...if Baby Fohner came today, Matthew would need to go out & buy the crib mattress & sheets, but at this point, that's all we absolutely need.  As my Facebook friends can see, the nursery is done, minus cosmetic touches that we want to finish (actually putting things on the wall for decoration).

I can say that we LOVE our birthing classes.  We're doing the Bradley Method of natural childbirth & have learned SO MUCH!  I think I would be completely freaked out at this point if we choose not to do these classes.  I mean, I'm a pretty tough cookie, but just reading books, going to a weekend intensive of birthing classes, & praying that I get through it without accepting medication just wouldn't work for me.  I have nothing but the upmost respect for women who do so, but I know that Matthew & I really need to be prepared with all that Bradley offers in order to really be able to do this thing.   We've completed 8 of our 12, weekly two-hour birthing classes & are set to finish 3 weeks before Baby Fohner's due date.  I just know that if we didn't take these classes, I'd probably be able to get through most of labor, but then I'm pretty sure I'd cave.  Now that we know what we know, we're pretty determined (no surprise about stubborn me there, eh?) that we can do this & I can honestly say that I am so excited for labor.  Seeing how these amazing Bradley Women give birth in the DVD's each week, how close these husbands & wives become while going through the process together, & how healthy & alert those babies are when they're born gets me so excited for what our own birthing experience will be like & I can't wait.

Well, maybe I can wait...I have absolutely LOVED being pregnant.  Since actually conceiving was the hardest, most emotional, & trying thing that Matthew & I have ever gone through in our lives, we've not wanted to take anything for granted & enjoy this pregnancy since even though Shady Grove was amazing, we are only guaranteed this one baby.  We know that God has a purpose behind everything & we feel so blessed to have had everything work & become so much stronger through it.  We are closer than we have ever been & our faith has grown tremendously.  We would go through everything over again in a heartbeat, but we never want to take anything about the miracle that this baby is for granted.

So how's our little one doing?  Excellent!  He/she is growing strong, & I mean really growing strong.  Our midwives scheduled another ultrasound for us since instead of measuring 2 weeks ahead like I have throughout the whole pregnancy, at my 32 Week Appointment last Friday, I measured 4 weeks ahead.  Yesterday, at 33 Weeks & 2 Days, Baby Fohner was weighing 5 lbs. 5 oz. & due to arrive 8 days early. Though ultrasounds are amazing machines, they can be off anywhere by as much as a pound & a week, so even though Baby Fohner is measuring over 1 lb. what he/she should be around now, the measurements could be not be entirely accurate.  I've always known I'm going to have big babies since I was 3 oz. shy of 10 pounds myself, so we're not worried about it.  Women's bodies are designed to have babies & the way this one kicks & punches, I know he/she will fight his/her way out of there somehow  :)

Though Baby Fohner was being shy & kept his/her face nestled into my back during the entire 50 minute ultrasound, our ultrasound tech was fabulous & got some great shots.  For those that don't have Facebook, here's some of our favorite shots from yesterday...

Happy Fifth Anniversary...

...to the most amazing, kindest, handsomest, coolest, funniest, sweetest...

husband & father-to-be.

It's been the best five years I ever could have dreamed of...

and I'm beyond privileged to be your wife

& to have a little part of you

that we get to meet

very soon  :)

here's to our next big adventure together!

I LOVE...

...being pregnant with my best friend  :)

So this is the little foot...

that's been kicking me...

Definitely our favorite pic from the ultrasound today  :)

Baby Fohner was being a tad stubborn & squirming around when the tech was trying to take a good picture & then staying completely still when the tech would jiggle the wand around to try & have him/her move so she could get a certain shot.  We didn't get to see a good profile shot, but we did get this semi-profile...

It was so amazing to see how much bean has grown since we last saw him/her...the bones, the movements, the little mouth opening up...so cool!

Though it was very tempting to find out the gender, especially when the tech said she could tell us (Matthew joked that he'd pay her to tell just him)...we remained strong knowing that that delivery room excitement will be so worth the wait  :)

Happy First Father's Day!

It was a very nice 1st Father's Day in the Fohner Fam

Breakfast at Panara...church...Matthew getting his new Airsoft Gun (yes, a gun for Father's Day, but it is what he really wanted & it was his day...don't worry, it just shoots plastic BB's).  Oh, & yes he turns thirty-one a week before the baby's due.  Boys & their toys.

Then it was off to my dad's for crabs, sailing, & relaxing on the Cypress Creek sandbar just on the edge of the Magothy...it was a good day  :)

Matthew's over in O.C. this week to work B-ball Camp with some other SU Alumni through Thursday while I'll be working on curriculum for the Board of Ed. here in the 'neck...let's see if I actually get around to working on the junk-room-into-nursery project after I get home from my half days this week.  Here's hoping!

So...I've been a tad busy...

growing this little one...

See?  I have a perfectly legitimate excuse for not updating for a while  :)

It was a challenging journey to get here & we are so blessed to finally be expecting this little bean around Thanksgiving!

If you haven't seen me for a while here's a recent pic of me taken last week when we entered into 4 month territory...

Apparently this little one is a very punctual one (unlike me, but just like his/her daddy)...on the day my 16th week began, I started to feel bean flipping & turning.  It took me 2 days to figure out it out since I wasn't sure what to expect.  Sure enough, we have a very active one in there (appropriately so...a future Salisbury Sea Gull Athlete like dad & mom, perhaps?).

No inclinations on gender felt yet by me, despite everyone seeming to think we're having a boy...though the moment we knew we were pregnant, Matthew turned to me & said, "I think it's a girl."  Voting for Team Blue is mostly our Youth Group kids who already want to play matchmaker since Kyle & Ashley are due with their first (a little girl to be named Lydia).  Sorry folks, you'll have to wait around 5 more months to find out from us...we want to be surprised  :)

Now that the 2nd Trimester is here, I'm less & less tired so I promise I'll be updating more...hold me to it, people!

"I Was Paralyzed With Fear"

Because the oldest of my little brothers, Scotty, is buying a Dalmatian Puppy just a few weeks after his 26th b-day, he asked for some items to stock up on while he awaits the cute little one's arrival.

One of these items that he was gifted was a squeaky hedgehog that our mom's Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Deacon, was VERY interested in.  So much so that though I was able to whip out the camera to record how upset Deacon was that the toy was not his.

Unfortunately, I was too stunned to grab my camera while Deacon launched all of his 90+ lbs. on Scotty multiple times in desperate attempts to reach the toy.  His bark is piercing...I'm not kidding.  This video does not do him justice, but it's funny to us Bateman's anyway.

Enjoy!



"I Was Paralyzed With Fear" from Matthew & Lynsey Fohner on Vimeo.

Love It...

love, Love, LOVE...

this commercial...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bJOIqVAD-s

hehehe...

It's Moments Like That Remind Me of Why I'm a Teacher

Three ago this young man was a freshman in my Fitness for Life Class at Lingnore High.


Before you watch the video on this awesome kid, read below...

Sometimes you doubt your career choices.  I know every teacher, at least, has been here at one point.  One class walks out your door & you sit down for a minute & wonder how you're going to make it through the next class (let alone the rest of the day or week) without completely flipping out.  You're so tired of the disrepect, the back-talk, the parents who curse you out because it's somehow your fault their kid doesn't behave in your class, & all the other multiple problems that turn up each day.  Those of you who know me well have heard a story or two...if you haven't, I'll gladly share one that will drop your jaw or have you rolling on the floor laughing.

But then that certain kid walks through the door & you realize that you teach for kids like this.  The ones that write you letters during Teacher Appreciation Week talking about how much they love you & their class, the ones that come walk in beaming each day & make you smile just because they are, the ones that give you hugs & say thanks, the ones that have so much going against them in life & still choose to not let that limit their future & possibilities...they put on their game face & go.

I have the privelige of meeting & teaching kids like this everyday.  Yes, the difficult ones are sprinkled in their classes, too, but it's a wonderful kid like this one that God uses to remind you that there is a reason that He led you into teaching & why you keep showing up to work each morning.  Sometimes, it's not you as the teacher who makes a difference in your student's life, it's vice versa...& with kid's like this one, you just feel so thankful to have met them & even more thankful that they got put in your class.

Everyday that Tyler DeVries walked into my class with his twin brother, Kevin (also an amazing kid), he gave 100%.  I can't tell you how many of the thousands of students that I have had in my five years of teaching I can actually say that about, but it's only a handful.  During Fitness Testing every few weeks, this kid ran the mile in under 10 minutes...& beat the tail out of half of the rest of the class!  Each time I would tell him that he didn't need to run all four laps & he would say that he just wanted to beat his last time.  Not only did he always try his hardest, he is SUCH a nice kid!  He & his twin brother were two of the most cordial & respectful students that Matt & I have every had (Matt taught them when they were in middle schoo).  See below for how extra amazing this kid is...


http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?storyID=101710

Fat Tuesday :)

why is Matthew smiling?

It's FAT Tuesday!

which means homemade donuts...yummmyyy  :)

YAY for more baking due to another Snow Day tomorrow!