The McNicolls

Hold Me Jesus

2011-12-06T18:57:00.000-08:00

Well, sometimes my life
Just don't make sense at all
When the mountains look so big
And my faith just seems so small

CHORUS:
So hold me Jesus, 'cause I'm shaking like a leaf
You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace

And I wake up in the night and feel the dark
It's so hot inside my soul
I swear there must be blisters on my heart

CHORUS

Surrender don't come natural to me
I'd rather fight You for something
I don't really want
Than to take what You give that I need
And I've beat my head against so many walls
Now I'm falling down, I'm falling on my knees

And this Salvation Army band
Is playing this hymn
And Your grace rings out so deep
It makes my resistance seem so thin

CHORUS

You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace

-Rich Mullins

Lord, we miss this sweet precious girl with all our hearts. We know she is free from pain, worry, and fear but we still long to see her face again. I pray that you become the Prince of Peace for her family and friends as we remember her sweet presence in all of our lives. Amen.

The Magic Blanket

2011-04-20T18:31:00.000-07:00

So, we have this ongoing joke in our house about the magic blanket. We were given a Little Giraffe Blanket and blanky (little square blanket) for a shower gift when Connor was born! It was a gorgeous blanket and super soft! We washed it up and folded it with all the other blankets and stuck it in the drawer. When Connor was about 1 month old he was crying hysterically one night and we couldn't get him to calm down. We had tried everything. Finally I went into his room looking for something that would help soothe him and I found the Little Giraffe blanket. I grabbed it and handed it to Matt who wrapped Connor up in and you wouldn't believe it but we were able to get him to calm down! He loved being rocked and snuggled up in this SUPER soft blanket. Needless to say these blankets have stuck around. We have big blanky and little blanky. Fortunately, Connor does not carry his blankets around all the time but does prefer to have them when it's time for sleep!

We love these blankets SO much I decided to order one for Ryan's easter basket. Check it out here. I ordered the dark blue version! I cannot wait for Easter so we can start using this blanket. Ryan LOVES to be cuddled up snug in something soft and it has taken every bit of restraint not to pull it out and give it to him. It's not like he will know the the difference right?! Needless to say I hope this blanket works the same kind of magic on Ryan that it did on Connor. I was watching Ryan today as he slept in his car seat and was pulling the blanket up to his face so it looks like I need to break down and order him a blanky for travel.

So, that is my plug for the Little Giraffe Blankets. Sorry to spoil that surprise but if you are a friend of mine and have a baby this is what you will be getting from me or my Mom! :) It it my one can't live without baby item. Okay, I have a bunch of can't live without items but this is our favorite! Enjoy!

Gulf Shores

2011-04-19T08:07:00.000-07:00

So, we have decided to take a trip to Gulf Shores, AL in August. We invited all our family along with us and most of them are going to join us. We found an AWESOME house on the beach that we are renting for the week! It sits right on the coast and has all the amenities of the neighborhood community. We have access to tennis courts, basketball courts, a clubhouse and pool! We are very excited to just have some time to relax by the ocean and spend time with family! Brandon and Matt and excited about hitting up some of the golf courses and my parents talked about doing some deep sea fishing. We told Connor we were going to the beach this summer and he is already talking about it. He says "We go to the beach this summer"! Poor kid probably thinks we are going soon! He will probably forget about it by the time August rolls around. I think both boys are going to LOVE the beach. I have already bought them a sand bucket with all the shovels and toys in it. Of course, I have to figure out a way to get it there as we are going to fly into Pensacola, FL, rent a car, and then drive the 45 miles into Gulf Shores, AL.

Well....after writing this post I also realize I need to get myself in the gym! I personally LOVE summer and can't wait for the lake, pool, beach, etc BUT I am not ready for the summer clothes and swim suits! Time to get this baby weight off. If I could only find the time.............................

Terrible Two's & Sleep Training

2011-04-05T07:37:00.000-07:00

So, let me preface by saying I love Connor more than anything and I wouldn't change one thingabout him. With that being said, we have had the most challenging 4 months of our lives. Amongst other things, Connor has developed a raging case of the terrible 2's. I thought what we went through at 18 months was bad....I was WRONG. I have never seen one kid go through so many emotions in one minute....happy, sad, angry, frustrated, and back to happy. I know most of this is related to his age and of course the arrival of his Baby Ryan.

Connor had started hitting, pushing, and poking his friends at school and refusing to sleep on his nap mat during nap time. Instead, he would get up and scream. And I don't mean crying scream, I mean the kind of scream that will bust ear drums. This behavior also started to spill over to home. He was refusing to take naps, refusing to eat, and would pretty much scream at the top of his lungs when asked to do anything. I mean, we could ask him to sit down and eat ice cream and he would throw himself on the ground and scream so loud we might all need hearing aids. This of course makes Ryan start crying which makes Mom want to cry.

After months of battling it out with Connor, I mean seriously it was his will against ours, we decided to soften our approach. We started giving him hugs when he would get frustrated and start to throw a fit and tell him we loved him. We also would acknowledge his anger instead of sending him to time out for being angry with us. Of course he still has to obey and will be sent to his room or time out for blatantly not obeying when we ask him to stop doing something like kicking, hitting, putting feet on the table, or screaming (just to name a few common offenders). I was surprised to notice that within a week of softening our approach with Connor (and making sure he was getting good sleep) things have started to improve. He has become so pleasant to be around again. He is the most polite little boy. He always says thank you, please, yes ma'm, no sir, good morning, etc. Some many people have commented on how polite he is. Needless to say, I am so happy to have my sweet/loving baby back....actually big boy!

On top of all this terrible two business we have started sleep training our sweet Baby Ryan. I HATE sleep training. It is so hard. The baby cries, Mom cries, and Dad doesn't understand why everyone is crying! :) From Day 1, Ryan has loved to be held. For the first 8 wks of his life he would only sleep during the day if he was being walked and bounced around the house. Let me tell you my shoulder is SHOT from all the hours of walking and rocking we have done. As we type I can feel the ache and the shooting pain down my arm. Needless to say, we just can't keep doing it. We are all exhausted and hurting. So, it is time for Ryan to figure out how to soothe himself. This part is really hard. When time for sleep, whether it be nap or bed we will soothe him for about 5 minutes to get him drowsy and then its into bed. Some days are better than others. Some days he may only cry for 5 min. and then he is fast asleep and others (like today) he cries FOREVER. I go in every 10-15 min and give him his paci (which he immediately spits out) and tell him it will be okay, etc without picking him up. Then, I leave the room and the process starts all over. Today has been horrible. After 30 min of this cycle I finally give in an pick him up and rock/walk him and of course he falls asleep within 2 min. So, I put him back in bed. 5 min later he wakes up crying again! Can you tell I am sitting here listening to him cry right now and my blood pressure is rising. HEHE Luckily, when he wakes up at night to nurse he goes right back to sleep and I have no problem transferring him back into his bed. So, really the tough parts are naps and bedtime. I really don't remember Connor being this hard to get to sleep. Either I have a major case of amnesia or this kid is so much harder than Connor. *sigh*

Well, enough of the complaints for one day. Everyone has to have a post like this once in awhile right! Off to pick up my screaming baby and rock him to sleep. UGH!

Baby Ryan

2011-03-31T08:11:00.000-07:00

As I was looking through my blog today I realized that it is a great resource for remembering things with Connor. I am HORRIBLE about writing things down and documenting when things happen....HORRIBLE! So, I was really enjoying reading through all the old blog entries that I have posted over the past few years. So, I have decided that I am going to continue with the tradition and hope to create some lasting memories in my blog. I am trying not to pressure myself as to how often I blog so maybe I will stick with it this time! We shall see.

Well, since the last time we wrote alot has happened. Connor is 2 1/2 yrs old now and runs everywhere. I laughed when I read my blog about Connor starting to crawl and I predicted he would skip walking and go straight to running....turns out I was right! He is a very sweet and polite little man. For his 2nd birthday, Connor got a big boy bed. He LOVES it and it so proud of it. He slept great from Day 1. What a big boy. He attends a Mother's Day Out on Tues/Thurs from 9-2pm. I love those 5 hours to get things done around the house or town but they FLY by.

He has made some pretty awesome friends at school and really enjoys learning new things.

He is super energetic and athletic. He plays basketball like an all-star! He attends swim lessons once a week and can swim across the pool to the side and pull himself out!

On Jan. 31st, 2011 at 2:28pm we welcomed our 2nd sweet boy into this world. Ryan Collier McNicoll weighed in at 6 pounds 12 ounces, and was 18 1/2 inches long! He was a carbon copy of his brother at birth only he has brown hair. He has been a complete joy. He loves to hear his brother's voice and often looks around when he hears him (you always know where Connor is because he is so loud). He is smiling all the time. Even at night when he wakes up and wants to be fed he will give you a little smile when you go to get him out of his crib. What a sweet and patient boy. He has rolled over from his tummy to his back twice!! I just can't believe how fast these things happen. He is already 2 months old and it feels like he was just born. He is sleeping fairly well at night. The last few nights have been 8pm-2am-6am. I am NOT complaining about those hours. :) Plus, he goes right back to sleep like a champ. Now....if he would only take naps during the day without being held or in the car............... :) That is a work in progress but it is getting better. Here are a few pics of our sweet new baby boy!

Baby McNicoll #2

2010-07-21T15:14:00.001-07:00

Arrives Feb. 10th, 2010. Maybe I am nesting and feel the need to document the memories but I am going to try and keep up this blog. I think this is attempt number 50 to keep up with the blog but we will see how it goes!

We are very excited (and nervous) for the arrival of our second little miracle. I know Connor will be an amazing big brother!

Well, that's is for now. Check back for more updates and some belly pics.

Canada, eh!

2009-07-19T19:18:00.000-07:00

We spent last Friday-Wednesday just outside of Montreal, Quebec in a small town called LaChute. Matt's Gran and Uncle live up there and we went to see them. Nans and Gramps both grew up in Montreal and LaChute and enjoyed showing Connor where they grew up. It was his first trip to visit his Great Gran and Great Uncle Don.

Connor is an amazing traveler and we had a great time. He was amazing on the plane rides and an absolute trooper the whole week....what an awesome boy! Connor got to visit a flea market in LaChute and meet a horse for the first time. He absolutely loved it....I think he thought they were like overgrown puppies. We just couldn't get him away from them. Of course, one tried to bite his little hand but luckily Mom was too fast for the horse! I think he was looking for carrotts.

We also had a picnic at his Great Gran's farm house with lots of family. Connor got to meet his Great Great Uncle Doug, his Great Auntie Joan, and his 3rd cousin Les. It was a really awesome experience for everyone to meet the newest McNicoll.

Here are a few pictures of our Canadian experience. You can also few the whole album at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=91178&id=500038261&l=1f99f2308c

Sprouting Teeth & Milestones

2009-07-08T09:36:00.000-07:00

We found Connor's first tooth last Monday. I was feeding him lunch and he LOVES to drink water from my water glass so I proceeded to let him have a sip. To my amazement when the glass hit his gums I heard a "clanck"....so I felt around and sure enough he had a little tooth coming in on the bottom....FINALLY! Over the next few days he has started to get another tooth on the top and another tooth on the bottom. They are just sprouting like crazy. They are still quite small and hard to see in pictures but I will post some "teeth" pictures as soon as I get some good ones.

Connor has also started to crawl over the past few weeks. He started slowly but surely when we were in Lubbock visiting Aunt Lyd and Uncle B. He still isn't crawling on his hands and knees but he gets where he needs to go (more of an army crawl). I am already starting to find things that need to be baby proofed and he isn't even moving at full speed yet....I am in trouble. I have no doubt this kid will go from crawling to running and just skip over walking! :) He is ALWAYS going.

Here are a few pics of our lake trip with Aunt Jess, Uncle Jared, and Kaitlyn! Connor had a great time and LOVED the water. He also got to tube for the first time with Mama! It was a great day!
P.S. Connor wants a disclaimer that the sunglasses are Kaitlyn's and MOM made him wear them! :)

Peek A Boo.....I See You!

2009-06-18T17:52:00.000-07:00

We had Connor sitting in his crib while we were getting his bath ready tonight and he thought it was really funny to look at us through the slats on his crib! So of course it makes Matt and me laugh which then made Connor laugh....it was super funny! He can be such a little clown.

Hanging with Moni and Grandad

2009-06-16T19:11:00.000-07:00

Connor and I spent 5 days in Midland with Moni and Grandad while Matt was on a golf trip in North Carolina with Uncle Ryan. We had a great time. Connor tried his first biscuit and loved it (see pic below), drove Grandad's truck, and just spent some great time with his Grandparents. Here are a few pictures of our days in Midland.

More Swimming Pictures

2009-06-16T19:02:00.000-07:00

Swimming

2009-06-02T20:43:00.000-07:00

So we took Connor swimming a few times of the past few weeks and he LOVED it. We went down to the pool at Nan's and Gramps neighborhood the first time with Aunt Erin and Uncle Corey. The water was a bit cold but Connor did not seem to mind as long as he could splash! Then we went swimming with Abby and Kaitlyn. Connor was a bit unsocial...seems he is a little particular about people taking his spoons. I think he missed a nap and we all paid the price. So Abby....Connor says he is sorry for being so mean Saturday. Next time we are not bringing the spoons! HEHE Here are a few pics from our swimming adventures. Hopefully we have many more to come this summer. I haven't uploaded the pictures from our swim with Abby and Kaitlyn but I will get them up as soon as I upload them!

BYE BYE HELMET!

2009-05-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

YAY! We are helmet free! I can't tell you how excited we are about that. And to think I was devastated when we decided to put Connor in a helmet. Turns out it was a pretty awesome experience. Seeing as he stuck out like a sore thumb with his helmet and the fact that his name was plastered across the front of it he got TONS and I mean TONS of attention. We couldn't go out without someone stopping us and talking to Connor. I actually enjoyed seeing him interact with everyone and he loved the attention. He would just smile and sometime you might even get a wave out of him....we are learning to wave bye bye! Anyways, we are so happy to be helmet free for summer (it was really hot and sweaty) and we will see how long I can hold out before this boy needs a haircut.....its getting pretty long! Here is a pic of our last day with the helmet (notice our new cheesy smile and sticking out of the tongue....Connor's new fav expressions) and a few from our first post helmet days! **Just a note: I know the hair looks red in a few pics but it is just the camera it's still SUPER blond. **

Thanks Uncle B for my new Tech hat...I can't wait for football season!

Easter

2009-04-16T11:30:00.000-07:00

We spent Easter in Southlake with Nans, Gramps, Aunt Erin, and Uncle Corey. Connor did amazing at church and we had a great ham dinner afterwards (thanks Nans)! Connor had a great time with his family and LOVED the new toy that they easter bunny brought in his basket.

Branding

2009-04-16T11:24:00.001-07:00

We went to Artesia to help Great Grammie, Moni and Grandad brand some cows! Matt's parents came with us and got to experience Easter New Mexico for the first time. The wind blew like crazy (surprise surprise) but we made the best of it and had a really good time. Connor was a little skeptical of the cows at first but eventually came around and had a great time hanging out with his Nans. We also went up and saw Moni and Grandad's new house. We can't wait until it's done and they get moved in! SO FUN!

We're Back!

2009-04-16T11:17:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it's been another month since I have posted a blog! I am horrible at this. So, I will probably post 3 or 4 in a row to get caught up! We had a great March and stayed really busy. Connor is growing like a weed. Here are a few pics of him from last month.

Sweet POTATOES!!

2009-03-06T12:05:00.000-08:00

Connor tried sweet potatoes for the first time today and loved them. He was much more enthusiastic about eating sweet potatoes then his yucky rice cereal! Here is a pic from our sweet potato experience and a few more for early that day.

My New Helmet

2009-03-06T12:00:00.000-08:00

So Connor has officially had is helmet for 1 week now. I wish I could say that is was smooth sailing but unfortunately....we have had some issues. He doesn't seem to mind the helmet at all and it doesn't effect his sleep in the least. BUT...he gets overheated and gets heat rash on his head. So, we have to take the helmet off and let him cool down and the rash go away (can take 1 to 2 days) before we put the helmet back on. It's like starting over every time the helmet has to be taken off for more than an hour. Needless to say we are working through that and wearing nothing but short sleeve onsies these days. If we can get through the sweating and heat rash we will be good to go! Here are a few pics of him in his new helmet. I just pray that all this effort is worth it and the helmet truely does its job.

Update

2009-02-22T18:47:00.001-08:00

Okay, so I have been really bad this month and I haven't had an entry in almost 3 weeks! BUT in my defense we have had one of those months! It started off with the entire family getting the stomach bug...YEA! Then we finally recovered and headed off to New Mexico to see the parents new house/ranch and when we got home....Matt and I had sinus infections. OH joy...nothing better than taking care of a baby when you can hardly take care of yourself. :) Anyways, we survived and we are getting back to life.

Connor was cleared last week at the heart doctor of Short QT which is the genetic disorder he had a 50% chance of inheriting from his father....in the midst of such a hard trial in our family God is nothing short of miraculous! We feel so blessed that he will not have to deal with that hurdle.

On another note....Connor will be wearing a helmet for a semi flat spot he has on the right side of his head. He has had it from birth and it has just not corrected itself. We got fitted last week and he will get his new helmet on Thursday! At first I was so depressed with that thought of my baby having to wear this helmet but he will only need it for 6-8 weeks and we get to decorate it however we want.....any ideas let us know!

From a milestone perspective....Connor rolled over from his back to his stomach for the first time on Saturday! He still has his little hand caught underneath him but he seemed so proud of his accomplishment....and I was too!!! We started experimenting with rice cereal and oh my goodness this kid LOVES it. He already opens his mouth for you to feed him and then he smiles when you give him a bite and goes "MMMM"....it is the cutest thing EVER!

So, I think that is it for my update. Needless to say....we don't know where Feb. went and I can't believe it is almost March! Bring on the warm weather please.

Well, here are few pics from the past month!

Poo

2009-01-30T13:00:00.000-08:00

Okay, so the title itself should already have you letting out a little chuckle but OH keep reading it only gets better! Connor and I had the worst diaper change in our history on Tuesday. I have been changing him on the floor recently becuase he is trying really hard to roll over and I don't want it to be while I have him on the changing table. So I get him on the floor on a blanket (thankfully) but without the nifty little sheet savers I normally use. Oh well, I think to myself it's only a wet one. So, I get the diaper off get him wiped and start getting the other diaper unfolded when I hear this lovely pooing sound. At first I think okay...it was just a toot and then I look down and OH NO it was not just a toot it was a full poo! And to make matters worse I am holding his legs up so it's now a projectile poo! I look down to assess the damamge and it's all over the blanket and my jeans! Not my jeans....the only post-pregnancy jeans I like! Looks like it will be sweatpants for the rest of the day. Well, you think yeah that's pretty funny....it gets worse. As I try to get things cleaned up he starts moving around so I have to get him shifted where he won't roll in the poo. And while all this is going on I have yet to put a new diaper on and as all little boys do he starts peeing with a perfect arch into his mouth, eyes, and hair. Lovely....how can I make this stop! So, I get the diaper on thankfully....no more fluids from that end. Wipe off his face and hair. Then the dog comes in and decides that this smells pretty good!!!!!! Are you kidding?! I finally get her to leave the scene and get everything cleaned up. Needless to say....only I can turn a simple pee diaper into a natural diaster! Oh the joys of motherhood! :)

Awww.....the weather!

2009-01-23T15:24:00.001-08:00

It's beautiful outside! 80 degrees in Jan. It's days like this that I wish Connor was old enough to enjoy the park. But, since he isn't we improvised and enjoyed some time on our back patio. He really seems to enjoy being outside. I hope he enjoys it as much as I did as a kid. Lydia and I hardly ever watched TV as kids. We were outside ALL the time. It didn't seem to bother us if it was cold.....we were out riding our bikes anyway. And who can forget the mud pies in the backyard during the summer....oh what a mess we made! My poor parents.

It's so hard to keep kids away from TV these days but I am doing my best to leave the TV on as little as possible. I turn on the radio and sing to Connor while we play. I have to admit I have cheated a little bit and let him watch Mickey Mouse while on his tummy....it's the only way I can distract him. He HATES tummy time. What else can I do?!

Well, here are a few pics of our day outside and Connor enjoying his Winnie the Pooh today!

Kaitlyn Olivia Doss

2009-01-22T15:38:00.001-08:00

Well....she isn't here yet but she is on her way! So, I thought I would start my entry about our newest little member of our big Hutson, McNicoll, Doss family! We are SO excited that she has decided to arrive a wee bit early. Jess and Jared are at the hospital having little Miss Kaitlyn as I write this so look for updates tomorrow with stats and pics! Connor can't wait for his newest playmate to arrive! We are so proud of you Jess....keep up the good work!

Matt and I feel blessed beyond measure to share this experience with our dearest friends. We are so excited to raise our kiddos with our friends kiddos. It will definitely make for some crazy and fun vacations in the future.

6 pounds 6 ounces

19 3/4 inches

Nothing to say.........

2009-01-15T18:11:00.001-08:00

But here are a few pics of Connor:

Christmas Catch-up

2009-01-10T09:01:00.000-08:00

I know we are in the middle of Jan. but here are a few pics of Connor's first Christmas in Midland! He did great and we all had a ball! We love our family!

Thoughts of a Working Mom

2009-01-09T06:53:00.000-08:00

So, as I have been working for the past month I have really come to realize and respect how hard it is to be a working Mom. Now, I realize some women LOVE to work and are better parents for it and honestly I thought I would fall into thist category until I went back to work. I then realized that I truly was meant to raise my child and look forward to being home. Matt and I are so blessed that we have this option.

As I come home every night to a content but not happy baby my heart breaks as I hear the stories of how cute he was all day. That he giggled, smiled, and talked all day. While I am so thankful that I have family to watch him while I have been at work and I am happy that they get to experience the Connor that I know I can't help but be jealous that they got to experience the best part of my day while I was at work. I arrive home at 6pm to a tired baby who is normally ready to wind down his day....have a bottle, take a bath, and off to bed! While I treasure this time I know I am missing so much. I can't imagine dropping him off at daycare with someone who will take great care of him I am sure but will not treasure him as I do or even the family that has been watching him over the past month.

With all that being said....I can't wait for Monday afternoon when I get to go home and spend time with my precious son and get back into a routine. While Connor has been kept on an amazing routine....I need to get myself back on a schedule! :)

So, kudos to all working Mom's because it's TOUGH!

Love,
Mamma McNicoll

New Year's Resolution #1..................

2009-01-08T12:28:00.001-08:00

Keep up with my blog! Ashlie has volunteered to be my blog stalker to ensure that I keep this updated in a timely manner. Now that Connor is 3 months old and we are getting the hang of things....I think I can manage to keep this thing updated.

For those that read my old blog....it was all about Baby McNicoll so I decided to create a blog that was all about our family. So trash the old blog and check back here often for updates on our wonderful family.

Just for a little update....Connor was born on September 29th, 2008 at 12:31pm and has been a complete joy to our family ever since. He the BEST baby. We are so truly blessed. After 11 weeks of maternity leave I ventured back to my old job only to realize that my new job was waiting for me SO I decided to quit the corporate world and took a position as the CEO of the McNicoll household. I look forward to spending more time with my precious son and husband. The Lord has truly blessed us with this opportunity and I could't be happier about it. My last day with Merit Energy will be Monday, Jan. 12th. So look for updates coming soon!

Love,

Mamma McNicoll