Week of Firsts

It has been a fun and interesting week at the Vaughn household. Jacob has experienced quite a few new things in his world.

First, Jacob stayed in the nursery at church for the FIRST time this past Sunday. How did he do? Great. How did we do? Better than expected. J's teachers are Joe and Karen. They are an older couple and are in there every week to provide consistency...we like this very much. There were about six babies for J to play with. They said he was very good and liked to lie on the floor and chew on toys. That boy sure loves to chew these days!! :) West End has such an amazing children's area. It is so bright and colorful. We feel so safe leaving our sweet boy there while we go and worship. What a blessing!!!

Second, we joined the Y. We have been wanting to for quite a while and just hadn't gotten around to it. However, with me trying to shed those last baby pounds before having to wear a swimsuit and wanting a pool to take J to this summer we decided to do it. It has been wonderful. The people in the nursery are sweet and J seems to have a good time. Jared and I have been enjoying our workouts. I even went to a step class this morning...what a workout. So fun!! We are hoping to take J for his first swim at the indoor pool sometime this week.

Speaking of bathing suit weather...here is our little man in his first suit. We know it's not quite swimming time but boy are we ready!!!

In other BIG news. J started rice cereal this week. What an experience!!! He did so well and I think he is quite enjoying it. At first he was confused and not sure what to do, but it only took a few bites before he started to get the hang of it. We were waiting to start him until we absolutely had to because we have some food allergies in our family, but J was ready. He was eating tons during the day and still waking up at night the past few days to eat more. So, we decided to jump on in. Here are some pics of J's first taste of solid food. What a BIG boy!!!!

This is J before taking his first bite

Yummy!!!!

Mommy this is good stuff

Oh, I'm not sure about this

Full Mouth

Getting cleaned up

Today, I got J's Johnny Jumper. What a hit. He lOVED it. It was so cute to watch him bounce and spin around. I think this may be one of our new faves.....

That's all for now folks. Until next time.....

She's not a little girl anymore...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEANNA!!!!

My sister turned 21 today. Happy Birthday Leanna!!! I can't believe it....you are getting older and I'm just getting old :). I hope you had a wonderful day today and that you felt as special as you are. We are so proud of you and the young woman you are becoming.

Much love - your big sis

Grace Sufficient for Me

This week I have been studying God's grace. I've heard it a dozen times.. "It is by grace you have been saved. It is not of yourself. It is a gift from God." I know in my head that grace comes free. I know in my head that nothing I do can earn grace or take it away. I know in my head that God wants me to live in His grace. Yet, often my heart doesn't understand these things. I live my life feeling the need to continually show God that I am worthy of this gift. I try so hard to do and say the right thing, worrying that I'll screw things up that I miss it. I miss the gift. I live shackled to my sin and I'm so comfortable in that place that at times I can't even allow God to set me free.

And, then when I do allow God's grace to fill me it still doesn't feel like enough. Why? I honestly don't know. Is it because bad stuff happens? Is it because problems still occur? Is it because my poor self-image is still so present? Is it because God doesn't answer my prayers the way I want him to? Is it because my faith is not big enough? Maybe, maybe not. Or, maybe it's a little of all those things put together.

Can anyone relate to what I'm saying?....

Jesus paid the debt. Jesus took my place. Jesus set me free. Jesus wants me to accept his grace. Of these truths I am sure. It's learning to live like I really believe it that's the hard part. It's learning to be content in Christ no matter what doubts I have or what life may throw my way.

A quote by Max Lucado got me thinking about this idea of being content in God's grace,

"What if God's only gift to you were his grace to save you? Would you be content? You beg him to (fill in the blank)...What if his answer is, My grace is enough. Would you be content? You see, from heaven's perspective, grace is enough. If God did nothing more than save us from hell, could anyone complain? If God saved our souls and then left us to spend our lives leprosy-struck on a deserted island, would he be unjust? Having been given eternal life, dare we grumble at an aching body? Having been given heavenly riches, dare we bemoan earthly poverty?....When we are hurting, it doesn't matter how much we know about doctrine or theology. What we really need to know is Jesus. To walk with him. To talk with him. Crawl into his lap and let him hold us for awhile. Perhaps we'll never say Jesus is all I need, until he is all that we have. At that moment, he will prove to be all we need and more."

Hmmm....makes me wanna learn to be content. Thank you God for being enough!!!!!

So Long Friend

Jared and his truck

So...this week we said farewell to a good friend. Who? Our truck. Our wonderful, manly, green truck. It was quite a sad day. Jared got this truck when he graduated high school and is quite attached to it. Friday when he came hom from work he said he got sad knowing that was the last time he would drive his truck home from work. This truck is special for me too because it was the car we dated in. Some of my fondest memories with Jared involve going places and having deep conversations while sitting on those oh so uncomfortable seats!

Friday night we drove it around the block one last time. It was a sweet time for us. I'm sure you are wondering why we are getting rid of something we are obviously so fond of. Well...as great as it is, this car just does not work with a baby. Jacob's car seat does not fit in the backseat so sadly we are having to get a different car. Don't worry though - the truck isn't going to some stranger. Our wonderful friend now belongs to Jared's dad. :) We know he'll take good care of it and I'm sure if we get the need to drive it around the block for old times sake he would let us.

We now are the proud owners of a Honda CRV. It's a great car and we are thankful to have it. Hopefully we can create some fun family memories behind the wheel of our new friend.

So long Green Tacoma Truck. We will miss you!!

For Jacob

For Jacob

It's the hardest thing you'll do they say

This job you do that has no pay

Day and night. Around the clock.

Always going. Never stop.

Feed, change, burp, sleep

You think you're done. Nope repeat.

Sometimes he just cries and cries

You wonder what else you can try

Body tired. Patience thin.

Close your eyes and count to ten

Pray to God to help you through

Show you just what you should do

Sometimes you walk and walk and walk the floor

But not that often thank the Lord.

Hold him, love him, pat him dry

Watch how fast the time flies by

You know he's sleeping in the night

And wonder if he is alright

Over to his bed you creep

You'll be quiet. Just one peek

As you watch him tucked away

You wonder what he'll be one day

He's growing up so very fast

Enjoy these moments while they last

Every laugh. Every cry. Every coo. Every sigh

The way he looks when you walk by

His skin so soft. His smile so sweet

Tiny little hands and feet

The mohawk high up on his head

Is the cutest thing. Enough said.

His big blue eyes convey so much

Every tickle. Every touch.

He grabs your finger. Won't let go

But you don't mind you love him so

Mistakes he'll make. You know he will

But through it all you'll love him still

You've made it through another day

Laughed and giggled. Read and played

His belly full. He's so content

Eyes so heavy. Energy spent

He curls right up. Soft and snug

Cherish each and every hug

There he is your little boy

Who knew he'd bring you so much joy

It's the hardest thing you'll do they say

This job you do that has no pay

Yes it's non-stop. Yes it's hard.

The hardest thing you've done so far

But you have the biggest grin

Can't wait to do it all again

For it is worth it. This you knew

And your little boy sure does love you

And that moment when your eyes connect

You know that you have no regrets

For this thing called mommyhood is just for you

Doing what you were born to do

You wonder what tomorrow will bring

As into his ear you softly sing

I am your mommy. You are my son

I love you so my little one

Written for my sweet Jacob. I love you more than words can say!!!

Our Little Volunteer

In honor of his Aunt Leelee coming home for the weekend from Good Ole Rocky Top...

Enough Said

Some Fun Times

We're having a good week and thought we'd share some of the fun things we've been doing....

Jacob stayed with Grammy on Tuesday and they worked on neck muscles. Look at how good he is doing! We are SO proud!!!!

Last night we went out with Branden and Annie. They are some of our good friends who are about to move to Kyrgestan with Campus Crusade for Christ. We are going to miss them, but know they are doing the Lord's will. Below is a picture of sweet Annie with our boy.

After dinner, we went with the Glenn's to visit our other friends John and Leah who had their baby on Tuesday morning. His name is Elias and he is precious. He is a big boy, but super sweet and cuddly. Jacob has been waiting a long time to meet his new friend and we were so excited to see him.


Our good friends the Helton's are letting us borrow their exersaucer for Jake to play with. We tried it out for the first time today and he LOVED it. He bounced up and down and was fascinated by all the toys that make noise. Thanks Helton's for such a special treat!!

Wanna play with me guys?...

I am so happy...

This is my sweet friend Leah. She and I had the wonderful opportunity to be pregnant buddies. Jacob has been here for a while now and we have anxiously been awaiting Elias Hitson's arrival for a LONG time. Leah's due date was last Tuesday...still no baby. Jared and I keep thinking today will be the day and then it's not. Well, TODAY is the day!!!! Leah's mom just called and said that Leah is at 6 centimeters. Elias will make his grand entrance into the world hopefully this evening or early morning.

"Lord, would you protect my sweet friend. Give her a quick and safe labor and delivery. Be with the midwife and nurses as they provide care for Leah. Give Leah peace and the strength she needs to get through these next few hours. Help John know how to be supportive during this time. Please watch over little Elias and may he arrive healthy and just the way you want Him to. Lord, give John and Leah precious time during those first few hours with their child."

Elias, all I can say is...."It's about time!!! We are SO very excited to meet you and Jacob can't wait to get to know his new friend."

T.R.O.U.B.L.E.

So I knew the time would come when Jacob would no longer stay on his back to sleep. However, I wasn't prepared for it. I went in to check on him this morning during nap time and this is what I found....
Oh my sweet, sweet boy. Mommy is NOT ready for this. But, it is still cute. As you can see we are still using a sleep positioner. Jacob is laying on top of it and it doesn't seem to be keeping him awake at all. Funny guy!!!

In other news, we had the most wonderful weekend. A lot of it was due to the weather. Wasn't it just perfect outside!?! I hope everyone was able to enjoy the sunshine a bit. We sure did. Saturday morning I went to a consignment sale with a friend and got some AWESOME clothes for Jacob. Did I say awesome? That afternoon we went on a lovely walk in the park with our neighbors. We all thought we would walk until Emma (she's 5) got tired, but we all managed to tire long before her. It was a great day to spend in God' beautiful creation with wonderful friends. Jacob has not been outside much since it has been cold. He was fascinated. He kept looking at the trees and talking to them. It was super cute. However, it must have worn him out because after we got home he fell asleep like this....

One pooped little dude

Sweet boy

My parents came over Saturday evening and we grilled out. What a treat!! We are so excited grilling weather is back. After dinner, Jared and I challenged my dad to a game of RISK. For those of you that don't know my father. He is EXTREMELY competitive and usually beats us. Well, this time was no different. He dominated!! It was so much fun.

Jacob loves spending time with his grandparents...they spoil him. We are so very thankful that all of Jacob's grandparents live so close. I grew up 6 hours away from my grandparents and always felt like I missed out on things that my cousins didn't. I am so glad Jake is able to see them often.

J with Coach and Nonni

Some of our friends gave J this fun toy. It's a catapillar that sings songs and J loves it. He and Coach had fun playing with it together.

Our other exciting news of the weekend is that Jacob's Aunt Emily came for a visit. She goes to school at UT Chattanooga and is in the interior design program. It keeps her very busy so she is not able to come home a lot. We sure do miss her. Emily had not seen Jacob in 8 weeks. I think she was a little surprised at how much he has grown. We had a great time.

Jacob and Emily

Here we are at P.F. Chang's. We attempted to take pictures, but as you can tell it was really, really windy. They didn't come out quite like we hoped. Oh well....

Me, Jared, Jacob, Emily, Grammy, Papa Doc, and Jayme

Emily got to help with bath time last night. Jacob LOVED it. He smiled, cooed, and kicked his feet against the sides (I think he liked the noises it made) the whole time. He always smells so yummy after a bath. Oh, and he looks cute too!!!!....

Emily and my little water bug

We are looking forward to a full week ahead. Will try to update again soon. In closing, here is Jacob in his first Spring outfit. Absolutely presh!!! We love this time of year!!!

4 Months and Growing

J - 5 days old
the sweetest thing

These pictures were taken 5 days after we brought Jacob home from the hospital. It's amazing how a person can change so much in just a short amount of time. He looks so tiny here!!!

We can't believe it has already been 4 months since our sweet little boy entered this world. He has changed our lives so much, and all for the better. We simply cannot imagine life without him!!

Most of you know, but for those of you that don't....Jacob made his entrance a little earlier than planned. He came four weeks ahead of schedule and was a mere 6 pounds 3 ounces at birth. He was not breathing at first and for the first couple of weeks we really struggled to get him to eat anything. I wondered for a while if he was ever going to gain weight.

Well ladies and gentlemen - have no fear!!!! He is healthy as can be. Jacob went for his 4 month check up today and things could not have been better. The doctor said he looks perfect and is advanced for his age. She said he looks more like a 6 month old...really!?!

As far as weight/height go. Jacob is now a whopping 14 pounds/13 ounces and is about 25 inches long. He is in the 50% for both height and weight. This is awesome. He has jumped over 46% in height considering he was in the less than 5% when he went for his 2 month check up. This boy is growing like a weed. Who knows...maybe he will get that dormant tall gene :).

We are so very proud of our little man and just love him to pieces. He is the best thing that's happened to us and our family is so blessed by his presence. We thank God everyday for allowing us the pleasure of being his parents. What an honor!!!

Happy 4 months little man. I can't wait to see what you'll look like next month.

Fun Filled Weekend

It was a GREAT weekend at the Vaughn home. My sister, and Jacob's Aunt Leanna (Leelee) came home for the weekend. Leanna is a junior at UTK and we are so very proud of her. She is studying to be an elementary teacher. She loves kids and will be so good at what she does. She loves school and we are so glad for that....but, we love it more when she comes to play. Jacob sure does love his aunt!!!

Leelee and J

Our friend Kari came to meet Jacob on Friday night after we went to dinner at Shane's Rib Shack (yum!!). Kari and Leanna went to high school together and lived together for a year at UTK before Kari transferred to MTSU to pursue nursing. She starts her clinicals this week -good luck giving out those shots Kari!!! Kari loves babies. She was so excited during my pregnancy and always wanted to know how the little man was growing. We were so glad she finally got to meet J in person.

I told ya'll last post he rolled over. He is doing it ALL the time now. So fun!!! Here is Leanna encouraging him to go for it. And he did.

Saturday morning Jared, Jacob, and I had a lazy morning at home. Here is little man chillin in his swing. He used to hate this thing, but now he likes it...

Saturday afternoon The Belmont Bruins took on The Jacksonville Dolphins in a fight for the championship. Boy was it a GREAT game. The Bruins came back from almost a 20 point lag in the first half to tie it up for over-time. They played their hearts out, but we lost by 2 points. The Bruins play on Thursday afternoon for the first round of the conference tournament. Hopefully they will win. We have so much fun at the games and love to cheer them on...

Here we are at half-time

Jacob fell asleep right at the good part

Jared watching the game

After the game my parents took little man to our house and Jared, my sister, and I went to Dave and Buster's to celebrate our sweet friend (and neighbor) Tara's birthday. It was a blast. After dinner we went to Tara and Chad's house for cupcakes. Chad baked them himself and they were yummy!!!!

My sister the professional bowler

The neighborhood guys -Chad, Jared, and Daren

The girls -Tara (the b-day girl), Kristen, Taylor, me, and Leanna

Sisters

After church this morning we met my parents at Barbara's in Grassland for some good home cookin'. Their rolls are killer!

Nonni and Jacob waiting on our food

All in all it was a fabulous weekend. God, family, friends, basketball, and good food - life doesn't get much better!!!