Bridget & Jason Martin

1 Month Already?

2012-01-22T11:02:00.007-05:00

Mary is already 1 month old! It's hard to believe how fast the time has gone by. She is growing fast (we'll get her 1 month stats at the doctor tomorrow). She's a good eater / sleeper, but we're struggling with some tummy issues. We're hoping she will get some comfort soon as her digestive system develops. She's still really cute despite the fact that she winces in pain so often!

Here is a link to her Watch Me Grow album.

Birthdays

2011-12-29T14:44:00.009-05:00

It's been awhile since we've had a new post (we hope to do a better job in 2012), but we have two special things to celebrate as of late.

1) Andrew turned 3! It's amazing how much he's grown up in the past year. He is so inquisitive and talks a mile a minute - he definitely keeps us on our toes. He's still our sweet and happy little boy, but we do see a temper tantrum from time to time. So far, he is very cute with his little sister (see update #2 below) and has some hilarious things to say about her (i.e. 'She is quite a sleeper!). We've posted his 3 year chair pics at the following link.

2) We welcomed Mary Ellen Martin to our family on 12/21/11. She weighed 6 pounds 15 ounces and was 19 3/4 inches long. She came a few days early, but was a wonderful early Christmas present. We will have many more Mary related posts to come, but for now, we wanted to go ahead and post the start of her chair pictures - 1 week old pics are here.
We hope everyone had a great Christmas and warm wishes for 2012!

Piano Man

2011-07-16T14:13:00.003-04:00

We realize we don't post much any more - apologies for that. We do update the Picasa picture pages fairly often so check there.

However, did want to provide the video clip below of our little piano man. He had a weekend at Ga-Ga's and Grandpa Fred's and decided to learn a new skill.

Watch Me Grow

2011-01-31T15:19:00.004-05:00

So we've finally downloaded and posted updates to the 2 year Watch Me Grow pictures of Andrew in his red chair.

A few of the best shots can be found here. It's hard to keep a 2 year old still for a picture.

To see the full progression over the past 2 years, click on the Watch Me Grow album. What an amazing transformation from a little peanut to a little man!

Gentlemen's Day Out

2011-01-27T21:26:00.005-05:00

The men and little boys of the Martin and Rook families recently spent a Saturday together enjoying parts of uptown Charlotte. Since the mothers were away, Steve and Jason took Jack and Andrew on their first train ride on the light rail to uptown Charlotte to visit Discovery Place.

The little guys loved the train. While it is not exactly the same thing, they enjoyed singing the "Chuggington" theme song on the train and looking out the window.

Discovery Place was pretty impressive. The boys enjoyed the fish (all of them were Nemos), looking at the snakes and the turtles, and playing in the kids area. The kids area was a real hit once they discovered the water table and how much fun it is to dump water on themselves and each other.

The day was capped with a lunch at Brixx (Jack ate everything while Andrew ate nothing) and then the boys discovered the parking lot uptown with panels that make noise.

Pictures are found here.

Andrew's 2nd Birthday

2011-01-23T20:33:00.002-05:00

We celebrated Andrew's 2nd birthday the day after Christmas in Rocky Mount. It was a wintery day with about 12 inches of snow so we stayed inside for most of the day. Shawn and Melissa came in on Christmas day so Andrew was able to celebrate with his little cousin who, someday, may go from being "baby Grant" to just "Grant".

One highlight of Andrew's birthday was an incredible train cake made by Bridget (Jason's writing this blog entry). For someone who claims she doesn't like to bake, it was very tasty and looked great. Andrew loved it and enjoyed being a train conductor. This worked well with the big train set he received from Santa.

Another highlight was a remote control car (I don't remember getting one of these until I was about 10 yrs old) that he figured out pretty quick.

Pictures from his birthday are here.

We are slow on posting pictures so will eventually post those from Christmas.

2 year photo shoot

2011-01-01T14:09:00.005-05:00

We had our family pictures taken shortly before Andrew's 2nd birthday and they turned out great. They were taken by Jamie Carney (http://www.oasis-photography.com/), who has done all of our family portraits so far. This year's pictures have a few more action shots compared to last year since Andrew wasn't walking at the time of the last shoot. It was hard to get all of us still and smiling at once for a picture, but click here to check out some of the best shots.

Halloween

2010-12-31T17:44:00.005-05:00

Andrew definitely enjoyed Halloween a lot more this year. Last year he cried when we tried to dress him up as a turtle. He picked out his own costume - Superman - and enjoyed parties at school and on the trading floor where Bridget works. He walked around telling everyone that he was "Soupman". Andrew also enjoyed trips to 2 different pumpkin patches where he went on hayrides and play on tractors. Pictures are here.

2010 Weddings

2010-12-26T10:15:00.005-05:00

We attended 3 great weddings this fall / winter and were lucky to have grandparent babysitters, which allowed Jason and I to enjoy some out of town travel.

- We attended Sandy & Tom's wedding in Charlotte on 10/9. Bridget used to work with Sandy, who has now gone into the wedding business - opening her own Bella Bridesmaid in Cleveland, OH. The weather was perfect and the wedding was held in a really great location in Charlotte that we had never seen - the VanLandingham Estate. Pictures can be found here.

- We attended Amy & John's wedding in Columbus, OH on 10/16. Amy is Bridget's childhood friend and was the happiest bride we've ever seen. The wedding was so much fun and was a family reunion of sorts because we've known many of the guests for almost 30 years. Pictures are here.

- We attended Ryan & Kate's wedding in Sanibel Island, FL on 12/4. Ryan is Jason's college friend and this wedding was in a beautiful setting and had by far the most memborable ceremony, vows, and officiant (our friend, Len Clamp). Pictures are here.

Catching up...

2010-12-26T10:13:00.001-05:00

Since we are several months behind with blog posts, we thought we'd post a series of updates on what we've been up to. Stay tuned!

Grandma ("Ga Ga") and Grant Charles Theesfeld

2010-08-15T08:05:00.006-04:00

Last weekend we went to Rocky Mount to surprise Grandma Martin ("Ga Ga" as she is affectionately called by Andrew) and to meet our new nephew, Grant Charles Theesfeld. It was a wonderful family weekend. Grandma and Grandpa Martin were so excited to have both of their little boys together. Jason, Andrew and I loved meeting Grant and seeing his proud parents, Melissa and Shawn. I got to have lots of cuddle time with Grant (I forgot what it was like to hold a little baby since mine is so big now) and we got to see Andrew's reaction to the baby. It was hard to keep Andrew still for a picture with his cousin, but he did enjoy saying 'baby" a lot, tickling the baby's toes and giving kisses.

We're so glad that Grandma was surprised and we can't wait for our next Martin/Theesfeld reunion.

Check out some of the pictures from the weekend here.

Start of Summer 2010 & 18 Month Photos

2010-06-27T13:19:00.010-04:00

It's hard to believe that July is just around the corner. It's also hard to believe that Andrew is now 18 months old! Here are some updates in terms of what we've been up to so far this summer and highlights of some of Andrew's 18th month interests, achievements and whereabouts:

* We have successfully said goodbye to the pacifier...granted, this was not by choice...a fall while running in the kitchen that almost knocked his two front teeth out meant no more 'ba' and no more sippy cups. (The verdict on whether or not he'll be able to keep his front two teeth is still out.)
* Andrew loves playing outside and especially loves playing in the pool or anything water related. You'll see some pictures of Andrew enjoying his first swim lessons at the Y in our latest photo album. He also likes to see the big kids swim at our neighborhood swim meets.
* Andrew continues to say new words - we are working on 'Grant' as of late since the most exciting news of the summer has been the recent arrival of Andrew's adorable and first cousin - Grant Charles Theesfeld.
* We are lucky to be able to see Andrew's grandparents almost once a month. He gets so excited when he seems them (and vice versa!) and they are always a big help when they are around.
* Andrew is slowly starting to expand his menu (he's a super picky eater) with his recent favorites being strawberries and turkey burgers.
* We are gearing up for the 4th of July weekend and Andrew has been practicing the Pledge of Allegiance - he puts his hand over his heart when he sees his American flag book.

Here is a link to some recent pictures. Also, check out the Watch Andrew Grow page for his 18th month pictures.

Hilton Head 2010

2010-06-06T12:12:00.004-04:00

We spent Memorial Day week in Hilton Head with Grandma and Pop Gibbons and Aunt Katie. It was a great and much needed vacation. We went to the beach / pool every day and Andrew loved the water (especially the fountains at the pool).

We enjoyed runs / walks on the beach every morning and ate way too much food (which necessitated the running / walking). Andrew liked running around on the beach pointing at birds and chasing waves. It was much different than last year where he sat in a bumbo seat under an umbrella the whole time.

It was a great week and it was so nice to spend time as a family. We're already looking forward to next year! Thanks to Grandma and Pop Gibbons for hosting our annual getaway!

For some pictures from the week, click here.

Trip to Wisconsin

2010-05-23T19:55:00.004-04:00

We recently took a trip to Wisconsin to throw a baby shower for Melissa (Jason's sister), who is expecting in late June / early July. Also, it was a great opportunity to see family and spend time with Jason's grandparents.

Andrew was a fairly good traveler - he was a wiggle worm on both flights and required changing on the plane. Changing a baby in the cramped bathroom of a regional jet is very difficult. On the flight home, he fell asleep when the wheels touched down in Charlotte so he didn't really help us get any sleep on the flight.

The baby shower was nice and Melissa got a bunch of stuff for baby Theesfeld. Unfortunately, we were not smart enough to remember to take pictures of the baby's room, which was done by Jason's mom and looks amazing. During the shower, Jason and Fred did work around Grandma/Grandpa Martin's house.

A HUGE thank you to Jason's Aunt Jill and Uncle Chuck for putting up with the three of us for a few nights. It was great to see Andrew interact with his second-cousin, Braden.

For pictures of the trip, click here.

Easter 2010

2010-05-03T19:41:00.003-04:00

I just realized that I forgot to post the pictures from Easter. We had a nice visit with both sets of grandparents. It was the week after Andrew started walking, so it was the first time he could walk up and greet them, which was cute. You'll also see that Andrew is obsessed with talking on the phone. Here's a link to some of the pics.

Trip to New Jersey

2010-04-25T19:57:00.004-04:00

Earlier this month, we made a trip to New Jersey to celebrate my mom's 60th birthday and to introduce Andrew to some of the Gibbons/Lyons side of the family. The trip started with a girls trip to Atlantic City for some gambling, good food and good times. While none of us came home winners, we had a ton of fun and made 'friends' along the way because our 'Oh No the Big 60!' buttons with my mom's picture drew a lot of interest.

The trip continued with family time at Aunt Ellen and Uncle Doug's. Andrew was spoiled with lots of love and attention (and presents!) from all his northern relatives. It was great catching up with family and we hope to see everyone again soon.

For some pictures from the trip, click here.

Andrew Walks!

2010-03-29T21:33:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the delay in posting...we've had a busy few weeks with various events and some sick days. But everyone is feeling better now.

This past week, Andrew had his 15 month check-up. He's gotten a lot taller over the past few months and has learned several body parts and animal sounds. And...to top things off...he started walking on Sunday (finally!). For so long, he's been literally running around behind push toys, but he finally figured out he could walk without support. Within a two hour timeframe, he went from walking about four feet at a time to walking around the whole house. We managed to get some of the early steps on video (sorry for the shaky camera work - we were excited).

Andrew's 1 Year Photo Shoot

2010-02-10T20:23:00.001-05:00

We decided to have Jamie Carney (www.oasis-photography.com) take some pictures of Andrew at one year. She took his pictures at around 3 months old and they were great, but the recent shoot was even more fun. She got some great family photos as well.

Check out the pics here.

Andrew's First Haircut

2010-01-09T11:40:00.003-05:00

Right after Christmas, Andrew got his first haircut. His bangs were getting in his eyes and the hair in the back was looking kind of shaggy. There was no way I was going to attempt to take scissors to his hair on my own because he is a total wiggle room. So, my mom and I took Andrew to a place called Pigtails and Crewcuts down the street from our house. It was great - he got to sit in this airplane chair / ride looking thing and pretend to fly while watching cartoons. This provided all the necessary distractions required to keep him still while his hair was cut. The hair stylist put a little hair gel in his hair when she was done and he looked like a movie star (this will be the last time he uses 'product' if his dad has anything to say about it).

Here are some pictures of the first haircut experience. He looks pretty pitiful in some of them, but it was a probably more fun for me and my mom to watch than it was for him to go through it.

What a difference a year makes

2010-01-08T19:42:00.004-05:00

I forgot to post Andrew's 1 year 'Watch Andrew Grow' pictures so check out the latest pics here.

One Week

One Year

Merry Christmas & Happy 1st Birthday!

2010-01-03T19:20:00.012-05:00

Over the past few weeks, we celebrated Christmas and Andrew's first birthday. We had a great time spending time with family and friends over the holidays and are still in denial that Andrew is 1!

We celebrated an early Christmas with the Gibbons side of the family. Andrew was more interested in climbing the nearby stairs than opening presents, but he was spoiled with clothes, toys and love. Click here for the early Christmas pictures.

We headed to Rocky Mount where we celebrated Christmas with the Martin side of the family. We had a great time and Andrew was spoiled with more clothes, toys and love. By this time, he
had more practice opening presents and seemed to have fun with the paper and ribbons. Click here for some pictures from our Rocky Mount Christmas visit.

On 12/26, we celebrated Andrew's birthday party while in Rocky Mount. The birthday boy was a bit timid around birthday cake, but he got into it once Aunt Melissa introduced him to the icing. Click here for pictures of Andrew's Rocky Mount birthday celebration.

On 1/2, we had Andrew's 'official' birthday party in Charlotte. Poor kid's birthday is so close to Christmas, but by this point, he was an experienced present opener and cake eater (well, sort of). Click here for more birthday party pictures and other pictures from the week.

Needless to say, we are extremely blessed to have such loving family and friends with which to celebrate these special occasions. 2009 was an amazing year and we can hardly believe that our little boy is already one. We hope that everyone has a happy and health 2010!

Washing Hands

2009-12-18T07:58:00.003-05:00

Andrew seems to be learning a lot these days - especially, from watching aspects of mommy and daddy's routine. For example, he tries to put on his own socks. He can't quite figure out how to get the sock hole open so he basically just ends up placing them on top of his feet. His latest trick is washing his hands. We keep sanitizer on the changing table and noticed that he starting rubbing his hands together at the same time we were. Here's a video of him practicing his hand washing.

Andrew is 11 Months (+9 Days)

2009-12-06T10:00:00.004-05:00

We were a little behind in taking Andrew's 11 month picture since we were out of town and he was under the weather. However, here is the link to the Watch Andrew Grow album where we've uploaded his recent shots.

We can't believe that the little man is going to be 1 year old in 3 weeks. We'll be sure to post some updated pictures from the holidays and from his birthday celebrations later this month. Happy Holidays!

Andrew's New Playroom

2009-11-22T08:42:00.002-05:00

Grandma and Grandpa Martin recently visited and did a makeover of our bonus room. Grandma Martin has been planning this makeover for months and her idea of the horizontal stripes turned out great. She worked so hard and late for nights and the room turned out great. You can see from the pictures here that Andrew is already enjoying his new room and waiting for new things to put in the cabinets and magnetic wall.

Thank you to Grandma Martin for her ideas and hard work. Andrew made a sign for one of the pictures but then he attacked his own sign. Thank you also to Grandpa Martin for his constant trips to Lowe's and painting efforts.

Happy Halloween?

2009-11-06T09:45:00.003-05:00

So I just looked at several friends' blogs and all of their kids looked like they enjoyed or at least tolerated Halloween costumes. This was not the case in our house as you will be able to tell via the pictures and video in this post. We tried two different costumes and both caused an Andrew riot. It was actually pretty hilarious, but I simultaneously felt guilty for putting him through the discomfort of the costume.

Andrew is 10 Months Old?!

2009-10-31T14:46:00.002-04:00

I can't believe my baby is already 10 months old. I know that people say all the time that they can't believe how fast time flies by, but I just can't believe that it's been 10 months since Andrew was born. He has changed so much and continues to bring me so much joy.

In terms of what he's been up to, you name it - he's getting into it.
* He pulls up to stand on everything - dressers, open dishwashers, cabinets, walls, his crib, my legs, etc.
* He started crawling on his knees (vs. army crawling) on his official 10 month birthday
* He can walk around when holding on to pieces of furniture
* He's been saying dada and mama for awhile, but he doesn't differentiate between the two (the mamama comes out more when he's tired or sick and the dadada comes out when he's excited)
* He made his first trip to the dentist earlier this month (8 teeth in, 3 on the way)
* His favorite toys right now are anything that makes noise
* He has started 'dancing' to his toddler tunes (more like a head bop and wiggle while sitting on his tush)

We are in the process of fixing up his playroom so that he will have more space to roam and burn off some energy. We'll post pictures of the finished product soon. In the meantime, here is a link to a few shots from his 10 month photo shoot - there weren't too many good shots this month since he was a bit cranky from 4 hours in the car.

Our Not-So-Little Pumpkin

2009-10-18T16:33:00.003-04:00

Thought we would share pictures from Andrew's first pumpkin patch trip. We went to a nice farm down the street and Andrew helped us pick out some pumpkins for the front door. Happy fall!

Click here for the pictures.

Random October Life and Martin Family Visit

2009-10-15T20:47:00.005-04:00

It's been a rainy September and October in Charlotte, which is good for the Martin family. We recently planted a set of trees and shrubs in our backyard. Here are some pictures of the old and new backyard.

We had a special visit by Grandma Martin, who came for a week to take care of Andrew. Grandpa Martin later joined her to give us a night away as a belated birthday present for Jason. I think the grandparents enjoy teaching Andrew new tricks. For example, Grandma Dawn taught Andrew how to "climb" stairs and Grandpa Fred put him in a bucket. Not sure what putting him in a bucket would teach him but he seemed to enjoy it. Find pictures of a few of our random October adventures, including some playtime with friends Grady Nettles and Jack Rook, here.

We have Andrew's first Halloween coming up and he's excited to dress up and stay at home (don't think he is ready to walk from house to house yet). We also have a trip to Rocky Mount planned to see Grandma and Grandpa Martin.

Andrew's 9 Month Birthday

2009-09-26T15:31:00.003-04:00

So our monthly "Watch Andrew Grow" photo shoots are becoming increasingly difficult. The little man just won't sit still. Click here for our attempt at some 9 month shots.

Andrew continues to grow big and strong. We're anxious to see his official stats at his 9 month check-up on Monday. He's still army crawling, can pull up from the sitting position and we've found him standing in his crib. He couldn't quite figure out how to get down so he had to cry out for help. He's starting to 'walk' around our ottoman coffee table while holding on. He has 8 teeth (yes, that is a LOT for his age) and when he shows his pearly whites he looks like he's 19 months instead of 9. He's been a bit of a picky eater lately, but we're excited to see how he handles some 'adult' food soon. Andrew LOVES other little people. He goes wild when he sees anyone under the age of 2.

Click here to see some other random shots from the past month. We can't believe how quickly the past 9 months have gone by!

Gibbons Family Visit

2009-09-13T17:53:00.004-04:00

Grandma and Pop Gibbons came for a quick visit this weekend since they will be out of town when we make a trip to Atlanta next weekend.

Andrew enjoyed hanging out with them while his dad was running the Blue Ridge Relay. Here are some pictures of the little man and his adoring grandparents.

Say Cheese!

2009-09-02T16:10:00.012-04:00

Andrew made his first trip to his dad's home state of Wisconsin last weekend. We had a great time hanging out with our Wisconsin family and introducing Andrew to everyone. Some of the highlights of the trip included:

1) Andrew was an amazing traveler - the only noise he made on the plane was hysterical laughter (playing peekaboo with the lady next to us). He slept through the landing in both Wisconsin and Charlotte (see pic below).

2) We hung out with Andrew's Aunt Melissa and Uncle Shawn and attended their boat party on Lake Geneva.

3) Andrew got to meet his great-Grandparents and several other family members and friends. Four generations of Martin men in the same place made for some great photo opportunities.

It was a great trip and we hope to go back soon. Thanks to Melissa and Shawn for letting us convert their bedroom into a nursery for the weekend! For the full photo album, click here.

Andrew's 8 Month Birthday

2009-08-26T20:00:00.001-04:00

Today is Andrew's 8 month birthday and we're going to call his 8th month the 'Adventurous Andrew' month. He's walking around (actually taking real steps) if you hold his hands for balance. He can almost pull himself up on our coffee table ottomans. He's diving forward to reach for things (almost too eagerly). He's a daredevil. However, he's still not that interested in crawling - he prefers an army crawl or pivoting around on his stomach to do a 360 as I move a toy around and out of his reach (yes, this sounds mean, but I'm just trying to help him crawl!).

Check out the additions to the Watch Andrew Grow album here.

We've also posted some pictures from the Gibbons family visit last weekend here. (We really need to do a better job of taking pictures of other people with Andrew, but none of us are as cute as he is.)

We are headed to Wisconsin on Friday, which means Andrew will have his first plane ride. We're hoping that all goes smoothly at the airport and that he does okay on the plane. We're looking forward to seeing our Wisconsin family!

A Special Video for Aunt Katie

2009-08-25T21:53:00.003-04:00

Before Andrew heads to Wisconsin to get his fill of Wisconsin Badgers, we thought we should post this video for Andrew's Aunt Katie to show that he is learning his Georgia Bulldog cheers. Plus, he was going to outgrow his GA gear before football season.

Week with Grandma and Jason's 30th

2009-08-08T15:17:00.001-04:00

Andrew enjoyed a week with Grandma Martin as his nanny. They went to the library and Mr. Nigel. Grandma Martin and Jason also took Andrew to the subdivision pool for the first time. He liked to splash around and stand (with assistance) in the pool. Finally, Andrew got his first taste of ping-pong but has many years to go before he can beat his dad.

Also, we celebrated Jason's 30th birthday with both sides of the family in-town.

To view pictures of his week with Grandma Martin, click here.

To view pictures of Jason's 30th birthday party, click here.

The Joy of Teething

2009-07-31T07:32:00.000-04:00

Last weekend we were able to capture a prime example of Andrew's teething experience on video. He found some relief by chewing on the high chair tray, but he didn't know whether to laugh, cry or scream. It was hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time. Click here to share in the Joy of Teething.

Happy 7 Month Birthday!

2009-07-27T20:21:00.001-04:00

Andrew celebrated his 7 month birthday yesterday with a trip to Target, a visit from Grandma and the arrival of a few more teeth (a video that we affectionately call 'The Joy of Teething' will be posted later). He's looking forward to celebrating his daddy's 30th birthday this week and to seeing the rest of his grandparents over the weekend.

We are slowly preparing to child proof our house because we can tell that the little man is going to get into everything. We're also gearing up for Andrew's first plane trip in a few weeks to visit our Wisconsin family. We have lots to look forward to in Andrew's 7th month! We are also hoping that the 7th month comes with better sleeping habits and relief from teething.

Click here for a link to our 7 month photo shoot. Let's just say that he was a bit of a wild child when I was taking his picture, so it was hard to get him to sit still and not try to eat the 7 month sign.

Independence Day

2009-07-05T09:19:00.000-04:00

Andrew would like to wish everyone a happy July 4th!

Some pictures of him celebrating (and sitting up like a big boy) can be found here.

Sleeping

2009-07-04T16:09:00.001-04:00

Andrew's favorite new sleeping position for the past few weeks has been on his side or his stomach. Since he's been rolling from front to back and back to front every chance he gets, I guess he just figured that he can reposition himself to a more cozy sleeping position. Granted, since I started catching him asleep on his stomach, I've been making several trips a night into his room to check on him. He sometimes wakes up mad when he realizes he's on his tummy since he was never a big fan of tummy time. However, he's been better lately and is realizing that you can reach for a lot more stuff when you're on your belly as opposed to your back (some pictures of that are also included here).

Fun with Food (& Other Random June Shots)

2009-06-27T17:51:00.000-04:00

We started feeding Andrew some baby oatmeal a few weeks ago. It took him awhile to warm up to it, but he's doing a much better job with the spoon and has moved on to sweet potatoes. Hopefully he's not a picky eater like his mom.

Check out some of the pictures from his first eating experience along with some other shots from this month here.

Andrew is 6 Months Old!

2009-06-27T17:18:00.000-04:00

Andrew Joseph Martin turned 6 months old yesterday. We can hardly believe it - the time has gone by so quickly - I feel like we just brought him home from the hospital. However, when I look at the pictures from back then, I realize how much he's changed and how big he's gotten. His official 6 months stats at the doctor yesterday were as follow:

Height - 26.5 inches (50th percentile)
Weight - 17 pounds 7 ounces (50th percentile)

His latest tricks include rolling from point to point (I'm afraid that he's just going to roll around the house as opposed to crawling), sleeping on his side, sitting and playing with toys with less support and eating some solids without too much of a mess (relatively speaking).

We continue to be completely in love and in awe of everything he does. Check out his 6 month photos under the Watch Andrew Grow link.

Andrew's 5 Month (+3 Days) Birthday

2009-06-04T23:31:00.000-04:00

Andrew's 5 month birthday (5/26) was celebrated while we were at the beach, so his 'Watch Me Grow' shot was taken a few days late. This month has included lots of smiles, laughs, teething frustration, and practice sitting up and holding his bottle on his own (with some support). He's more fun by the minute and is growing like a weed.

I've posted the entire 5 month photo shoot here (there were several funny pics that at least the grandparents will enjoy - he tried to eat the arm of the chair, body slammed the frog, etc.), but the traditional monthly comparison is still under the Watch Andrew Grow section of the blog.

Andrew at the Beach

2009-05-31T12:49:00.000-04:00

We joined my parents in Hilton Head for their annual Memorial Day week visit. Katie was also able to make the trip this year, so we had a great time spending time with the Gibbons crew and Andrew enjoyed being spoiled with attention.

Andrew experienced several firsts this week - 'walking' on the beach, splashing his feet in the ocean, and taking a dip in the pool. He spent a lot of time just looking around and taking in the scenery. Check out some of the pictures from the week here. Andrew provided the captions.

We were also able to stop in Walterboro, SC on the way home to visit my college roommate and good friend, Ashley.

It was a great week and we wish we were still on vacation!

Our Very Hungry Caterpillar

2009-05-10T13:06:00.000-04:00

Jason's Aunt Jill and Uncle Chuck came to Charlotte for a visit and brought Andrew The Very Hungry Caterpillar book and caterpillar stuffed animal to match. Andrew loves his new toy and seems to enjoy 'eating' the very hungry caterpillar.

Check out some pictures from the visit and the past few days here.

Andrew is teething?!

2009-05-03T17:02:00.000-04:00

Somehow we went from no teeth on Monday (4/27) at the pediatrician's office (4 month check-up) to a tooth breaking through and another one on the way by Wednesday (4/29)! While it's definitely on the early side for teething, it does explain his massive amounts of drool. The poor little guy is in a lot of pain, but is in good spirits for the most part. Simultaneously, we're transitioning him to formula, which thankfully, he likes - I think he'd eat anything we put in front of him. We're also trying to put him to sleep un-swaddled. I think he'd be fine with this if it weren't for the fact that he keeps waking himself up to try to get his hands in his mouth (probably tied to the teething).

Needless to say, he's got a lot of change to process and we're hoping that he continues to be the happy little man he's been to date.

Andrew is 4 Months Old!

2009-04-26T19:28:00.000-04:00

Today marks Andrew's 4 month birthday - we can't believe how much he has changed / grown! The pictures above show him at 4 days old versus 4 months old (for the complete progression, check out the Watch Andrew Grow section of the blog). We go to the pediatrician tomorrow for his official weigh in / height check. He's definitely proven to be a good eater and has the belly and cheeks to prove it! His extra chubs haven't slowed him down - he rolled over from his tummy to his back for the first (and second) time this week. It was hilarious to watch because he had this stunned look on his face when he ended up on his back and was just happy to be relieved of tummy time.

We continue to love every minute with Andrew. Check out a few additional pictures from today in the radom April album (click here).

April Pictures Update

2009-04-23T20:36:00.000-04:00

Just a quick update on the family...we have been very lucky to have grandparents serve as nannies over the past three weeks. Andrew has really grown to love the time with his grandparents and he was sad to see them go.

Here are some new pictures

Mr. Giggles

2009-04-10T13:33:00.000-04:00

Andrew has been laughing on occasion for a few weeks now, but we haven't been able to catch him on camera until this week. He laughs most often while getting his diaper changed and I'm sure he will appreciate that I'm not taking video at those times when he's a teenager. I was finally able to keep him laughing this week while Grandma got it on video. Check out the video - he laughed so hard he got the hiccups!

Happy 3 Month Birthday Andrew!

2009-03-26T17:15:00.001-04:00

I can't believe that it's been 3 months since the love of our lives arrived. He's getting so big and cuter by the day. He has been a great baby - we can only hope that we have been half as good at being his parents. His favorite things at 3 months are talking (sometimes even to himself), trying to get his hands and toys in his mouth, and testing out his Exersaucer.

Click here to access the Watch Andrew Grow album.

We love you Andrew!

Andrew's Baptism

2009-03-21T12:52:00.000-04:00

We celebrated Andrew's Baptism this weekend with the main event held at St. Matthew's yesterday. Grandma and Pop Gibbons, Grandma and Grandpa Martin, Aunt Katie, Aunt Melissa and Uncle Shawn, Great Aunt Ellen and Uncle Doug, and "Uncle" Steve and "Aunt" Lindsey were all here to participate in the festivities. The weekend started with a cook out on Saturday. The weather was dreary so we didn't get to test out the fire pit on the patio, but we still enjoyed hanging out with our family and friends and ate way too much food. A pre-Baptism brunch followed on Sunday morning, which also involved lots of yummy food (are you noticing a theme?).

The Baptism itself was very nice. Andrew wore a cute white jumper from Aunt Katie and Aunt Ellen (my godmother) and didn't cry at all - even as lukewarm water was poured over his head. None of the 8 babies that were baptized made a peep during a ceremony - the priest was shocked that everyone was on such good behavior.

Thanks to all of our family and friends that were here to help us celebrate! More pictures will be posted to our Picasa album shortly (click here).

Andrew's Professional Pics

2009-03-17T13:06:00.001-04:00

Here are some of the pictures from Andrew's first professional photo shoot. We were very happy with how they turned out - we may be biased, but he's so cute!

Click here.

My Leprechaun

2009-03-17T13:04:00.000-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

For additional pictures, check out our March 2009 Picasa album.

Rocky Mount Visit

2009-03-11T23:39:00.000-04:00

Andrew made his first trip to Rocky Mount, NC to visit Grandma and Grandpa Martin last weekend. He got to meet some of Grandma and Grandpa's friends and enjoyed going for stroller walks and hanging out on the patio in the unseasonably warm weather. Uncle Mark and Aunt Cathy were also able to join us in Rocky Mount to meet the little man. I've posted a few pictures from our weekend here.

We're looking forward to celebrating Andrew's baptism this weekend and will have lots of family and friends around for Andrew to play with.

Your Moment of Zen - Andrew Sleeping

2009-03-06T21:57:00.000-05:00

Here's something to calm anyone's day...

Handsome Boy

2009-03-01T17:49:00.000-05:00

Lots of pictures were taken of Andrew this weekend since he's more alert everyday and likes to pretend he's a baby model when in front of the camera. I've added some additional candids taken by Grandma Gibbons to an existing folder on the Picasa page (click here) - professional ones taken today will be posted in about 2 weeks.

Baby Rook Shower

2009-03-01T17:35:00.001-05:00

On Saturday, we helped host a shower for Baby Rook (aka Paco - for now). We are so excited to be sharing this phase in our lives with Steve and Lindsey - they will be great parents and we're sure that Baby Boy Rook and Andrew will be great friends.

Check out some of the pictures on our Picasa web site.

Atlanta Visit & Other Random Pictures

2009-02-24T15:02:00.000-05:00

Andrew made his first trip to Atlanta over Valentine's weekend to hang out with Grandma and Pop Gibbons and to meet his Atlanta friends. I was really bad about taking pictures, but wanted to share what I have plus some other random shots. The little man is currently recovering from his first cold, which has lasted over a week. He may not look like me, but he unfortunately inherited my very runny nose.

We are looking forward to hosting a baby shower for the Rooks this weekend - Drew will have another playmate soon! We also having our first set of professional pictures taken this weekend and will share them once they are ready.

To view our latest pictures, click here.

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T12:34:00.001-05:00

Andrew would like to wish everyone a happy Valentine's Day.

Carolina Fan

2009-02-14T12:15:00.000-05:00

Daddy and Andrew enjoyed the UNC victory over Duke last week and are looking forward to March Madness.

Andrew's 6 Week Update

2009-02-07T12:46:00.000-05:00

We're a little bit behind on posts, so we thought we would provide a quick update on what we've been up to. Andrew had his 1 month check-up on 1/28 and is doing well. He weighed in at 9 pounds and was 21.5 inches long. He is in the 25th percentile for weight, 50th for height and 10th for head size. He's long and lean - he'll probably be a runner like his dad.

Andrew has also hung out with a few friends over the past few weeks. Meredith and Jennifer stopped by to meet him and Alise and I have been trying to get together regularly with our boys.

Jason has had to travel for work over the past few weeks, so it's just been me and my little man. It's been good bonding time, but Drew is very excited to see his daddy when he comes home. His daddy got him geared up for the Super Bowl (even though his favorite team, the Packers, wasn't playing). He was ready to go with the remote, a bottle and chips on the couch.

We're looking forward to our visit to Atlanta next week where we will get to meet some of Grandma and Pop Gibbons' friends. He will be spoiled with attention for sure!

See our latest pictures here.

Andrew's 1 Month Birthday and Aunt Ellen's Visit

2009-01-26T17:16:00.000-05:00

Today is Andrew's 1 month birthday - I can't believe our baby is 1 month old already! Great Aunt Ellen was visiting this weekend and helped us celebrate. Andrew was very excited to meet her and they spent a lot of time getting to know each other. Pop and Jason hung out with Andrew while the girls did some shopping. Grandma and Aunt Ellen made lots of delicious meals, which was great since Jason and I haven't quite gotten a routine down yet in terms of cooking / cleaning since the little one arrived. This week Andrew has his 1 month check-up and we're looking forward to seeing how much he has grown - check out the Watch Andrew Grow section of the blog for updated pictures of him in his red chair.

Also, for more pictures from this weekend, click here.

Our Little Inchworm

2009-01-21T10:57:00.000-05:00

So we continue to keep a video diary of some of the cuter Andrew moments. Check out this video of Andrew attempting to crawl with dad's assistance. He can sort of launch himself off of dad's hand to inch himself forward. He also enjoys playing with the inchworm from the Bumgarners.

Andrew's First Bath

2009-01-20T12:22:00.000-05:00

We continue to use our new video camera. Here are some video snippets of Andrew's first bath. He seemed to like the bath as long as we were pouring water on him and when he wasn't cold. We received good help from Grandma and Grandpa Martin in his first bath.

Andrew Hanging Out

2009-01-14T19:55:00.000-05:00

Aunt Melissa and Uncle Shawn got us a great video camera for Christmas. Jason just started to figure it out and came up with this video for the little guy. It's nothing exciting - in fact, it kind've reminds me of watching David Beckham sleep in London's National Portrait Museum - but the grandparents will surely love it.

Andrew's First 2 Weeks

2009-01-09T10:53:00.000-05:00

Andrew's first 2 weeks at home have been a wonderful adventure. We started out a little rocky with extra visits to the doctor to monitor his jaundice, but the jaundice is pretty much gone now and the little man is growing fast - hats that used to swallow his head now fit nicely.

We've been lucky to have help from both sets of grandparents over the past few weeks as Jason and I continue our on-the-job parenthood training. We don't know what we would have done without them - thanks Grandma and Pop Gibbons and Grandma "D" and Grandpa Martin!

Grandma Gibbons and I took Andrew on his first shopping excursion yesterday and he slept through the whole thing. While shopping seems to put him to sleep, we seem to have a little night owl on our hands. :-)

Check out some of the pictures from the past two weeks here.

Drew comes home

2008-12-31T18:33:00.000-05:00

Little Drew came home on Monday from the hospital with Mom and Dad. He is enjoying his Pack'n'Play and checking out new areas of the house (albeit in the arms of Mom and Dad). Bridget is recuperating well. Drew had a few visitors and expecting more later this week.

Links to more pictures can be found here.

Welcome Andrew Joseph Martin!

2008-12-26T20:34:00.000-05:00

Andrew Joseph Martin was born today (12/26/2008) at 11:38am! He weighed in at 6lbs 7oz and measured 19.5 inches. Bridget is doing great and was a trooper through the surgery. The nurses and doctors at CMC-Main are taking excellent care of the extended family. We are lucky to have both sets of grandparents and along with Andrew's aunts and uncle around to meet him. He is spending most of his time sleeping, which is just fine with Mom and Dad.

Link to pictures from his big day.

Thanksgiving and Shower in Atlanta

2008-12-04T20:48:00.000-05:00

Gobble, gobble! Thanksgiving was spent in Atlanta with the Gibbons side of the family. We ate way too much (cake and pie especially) but it was all in the Thanksgiving spirit.

On the Friday after Thanksgiving, we ignored the malls completely. Instead, a few of Bridget's friends from high school threw a baby shower for Bridget and baby Andrew. Thanks to Amy Elliott, Kristi Barbre, Alison Burk, and Cindy Phelps for a great shower. Baby Andrew is well-prepared to come into the world very soon.

Pictures of the T hanksgiving fun and baby shower ca n be found at our Google site.

Charlotte Shower

2008-11-21T20:50:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, 11/16, our friends in Charlotte threw a great baby shower for us. The hosts included Meredith Sullivan, Steve and Lindsey Rook, Jennifer and Jeff Saxon, and David and Robyn Corrado. Baby Andrew got a number of great gifts and useful items. Everyone enjoyed the great food and a terrific cake (cake is good). We are getting more ready and more excited for the little guy with each day. He's really starting to take up all available space in Bridget's belly.

Link to pictures from the shower.

Updated Baby Room Pictures

2008-11-17T20:07:00.000-05:00

We wanted to share some baby room pictures based on updates from the weekend. The name is on the wall (so that way the little guy can learn his name quickly) and the curtains are up. We put some of the excellent gifts from the Charlotte shower in the wall boxes created by Grandma Martin (Andrew's Grandma). We will post pictures of the shower later.

Here's a link to the baby room pictures.

Martin Family Baby Shower

2008-11-09T09:39:00.000-05:00

The Martin family threw us a great baby shower in Charlotte this weekend. Shawn made a surprise trip to join Fred, Dawn and Melissa in the celebration. Highlights included a special car and dump truck made by Jason's grandfather, Grandpa Martin, and painted by Dawn.

Here's a link to the pictures on our Picasa photo website.

Bridget's Birthday and Baby Room Enhancements

2008-10-05T19:09:00.000-04:00

We had visitors this weekend for an early celebration of Bridget's 30th birthday. My parents, Bridget's parents, and Bridget's sister Katie came to visit for the celebration and for the men to work on the baby's room. Fred, Joe, and I spent time on Saturday finishing the closet and painting the baby's room. Dawn, Betty, Katie, and Bridget did some birthday shopping and decorating for the baby's room.

Visit our Google Picasa website for more pictures of the room and Bridget's birthday.

Finally caught up - Latest Baby Scans from Doctor

2008-09-15T20:20:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to post the baby scan pictures from Bridget's last visit on August 26th. This will be her last ultrasound for awhile so I suppose it will be the last of pictures for awhile. We saw a full stomach and good movement - these "4-D" pictures are almost too realistic.

Jason Doesn't Learn Lessons....Runs the Blue Ridge Relay with a team of 4

2008-09-13T21:24:00.000-04:00

I clearly didn't remember the pain from last year. For the second year, Team 4tunate took on the 208 mile Blue Ridge Relay from southern VA to Asheville, NC. For the second year, Team 4tunate realized about 80 miles in that running this event with 4 people might not be the smartest move. However, we finished and for the second straight year finished as the #1 4-person....because we were the ONLY 4-person team again.

A link to some pictures is here.

Still catching up....12 week checkup

2008-09-11T21:00:00.000-04:00

We are still catching up on posting some baby pictures. This was from the 12-week checkup. Soon after this, we started to tell friends and family.

8-Week Baby Scan

2008-09-09T23:16:00.001-04:00

This posting is a bit late....it happened back on May 30th. Our first pictures of the baby boy!