The Creech Family

Cruise

2011-04-05T22:30:00.002-05:00

Nick and I just got back from an amazing 7 day cruise. It was our first cruise and I doubt it will be our last. We had such a great time with some amazing people. We saw some amazing places, swam at some amazing beaches and even went snorkeling! Well Nick did anyway...I tried it but it wasn't for me. We are so blessed that we had this opportunity and hope that next time we can take the boys because they would love it. If you are even remotely thinking about taking a cruise....do it, you won't regret it.

Checking in...

2011-04-05T22:20:00.002-05:00

Obviously a lot has happened since I last wrote anything. Braden turned 5....unbelieveable! I can't believe he is five years old. How is it possible that he is now old enough to go to kindergarten? Where has the time gone? And on top of that Jackson turned 3! How was it already 3 years ago since he entered the world?

Everyone tells me that times goes fast and it is so true. How can my babies be growning up so fast? They do amazing things everyday and it makes me sad to think that I am not going to remember it all. Right now they are so funny, so frustrating and so loving. While they can definitely be challenging at times, how it is possible that this stage of their lives is going to be gone in a blink of an eye?

When I get upset with them, I try to make myself stop and realize that this is part of them growing up to be the amazing men I know that they are going to be. Maybe I need to take a que from Amber and start writing 5 things every day that I appreciate or want to remember. Maybe by doing that I will be able to look back one day and remember these very special times in all of our lives.

Our house is crazy

2010-08-29T12:22:00.002-05:00

The boys are growing like weeds....and are driving us crazy! Jackson has been going through the terribled twos for over a year now. Braden never went through them but has apparently decided that he should go through the terrible 4's. They both push us to our limit on a daily basis. We know that it will eventually pass but right now it is frustrating to try to parent in our house.

While the boys are frustrating they are amazing and sweet little boys. The things that come out of their mouths amazes me every day. I swear I don't know where they come up with most of the stuff they say. Braden is smart, funny and loves to make up stories, which he tries to convince us are the truth. Jackson loves to do everything his older brother does and seems to be growing up so fast. Jackson is still the little daredevil. Sometimes I think the only thing he is scared of is dogs.

So we are trying the wrangle these boys to be good kids and get them to listen. Somedays we are pretty sucessful, other days not so much. Needless to say we love them and will keep trying. Wish us luck.

I have posted new pictures finally. You will notice there is a theme with some of the pictures of Jackson--he loves to wear our shoes around the house; mine, Nick's or Braden's, it doesn't matter whose they are.

Long time no see

2010-01-18T14:52:00.020-06:00

Ok I know it has been about 8 months since I have posted anything....I am definitely not as consistent as my sister...what else is new.

Well obviously lots have happened since May but I will start in October, because quite honestly, I don't remember back that far.

October started with Amber, Bob, Brianna and Bryce visiting us. We went to the pumpkin patch and the kids got to paint their own pumpkins (see October 09 pictures). They had a lot of fun with it and in the end, they ended up painting themselves as well.

That Sunday Amber and I drove to Mom and Dad's to help them get ready to move. However, at 6:30 Monday morning I was back in the car driving back home because Braden had a high fever. He actually ended up having Influenza A, so instead of my week off being back in Iowa I was instead home with everyone because Nick's company didn't want him to come into work either. After that very long week, things seemed to get back to normal, at least for a while.

Halloween we went to Mom and Dad's to help them move. Braden went as Harry Potter and Jackson went as Pablo from the Backyardigans. We went tricking or treating with the Wolfe family and the Carroll family. The kids seemed to have lots of funny, after the crankiness of no naps finally wore off.

October and November brought lots of sickness to our house. Actually now that I say that December and January have also brought lots of illness as well. Jackson and Nick have occasionally gotten sick but Braden gets sick (usually with a fever) every 2-3 weeks. Apparently Influenza A totally wiped out his immune system and he gets every little bug.

Anyway, the end of November brought Braden's 4th birthday. It is so hard to believe he is 4 already. He is constantly keeping us on our toes with the things he says and does. He is amazing kid and too smart for his own good most of the time! We had a birthday party at the house and Amber made a wonderful Scooby-Doo cake for Braden. See the picture in the November pictures.

December brought Christmas and us making the trip to Iowa in time to avoid yet another winter storm. The kids were thrilled with all their gifts and getting to spend time with their cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents and great-grandparents.

Now as many of you know, our boys have never been small kids but apparently we don't feed them enough. Take a look at the December pictures and you will see what I mean. Apparently Jackson was absolutely starving because he decided that markers might make a good snack. I guess we need to feed him more often.

Jackson definitely keeps us constantly going. He is the daredevil in the family. He is not afraid of anything and that means that the name Felton, as in Jackson Felton!, gets used in our house a lot. Needless to say, he is such a sweetheart and even we you are so mad at him all he has to do is look at you with those big brown eyes and you can't stay mad for long. He is talking constantly and his vocabulary gets bigger every day.

New Year's day we had Christmas with Nick's family. Again the boys got way to many toys but everyone had a great time.

Well that pretty much brings us up to date. Tomorrow is a dentist appointment for Braden and since he is now at the 2 week mark since he has been sick, we are just waiting for the next round.

Well we are getting ready to watch the Backyardigans Might Knights for the third time today and I would hate to miss it. Check out the new pictures if you get a chance (October - January).

Now that I have a laptop I am going to try to be better about posting more often but I am not promising anything since the 3 boys in the house seems to use it more than me...go figure!

They grow up so fast...

2009-05-10T14:17:00.003-05:00

Ok I know it has been more than 3 months since I have updated pictures and the Blog site but honestly I just don't have a lot of free time these days.

The biggest note over the last 3 months is that Jackson turned 1 on March 25. I can't believe the little guy is 1 already. Jackson truly has his own personality, completely different from Braden. While Braden was always content to just sit in a room and play while Jackson is constantly on the go, getting into to absolutely everything. To add to the constant getting into everything, Jackson is starting to walk so it will only be a matter of time before he is running after Braden. It amazing that with only 2 years and 4 months between them and being raised in the same environment that they could be so different. But I guess that it what makes it great.....they are each their own person.

This was our Mother's Day to spend with Nick's family but his parents went to the Lake for the weekend so it is just a relaxing weekend here at the house. In fact I even got to so some shopping by myself while Nick stayed home with the boys. When I got home all three were taking a nap. 2 of them are up now so I better get going.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there.

Relay For Life

2009-01-25T14:48:00.003-06:00

I know, I know, two posts in one day but I thought this should really be separate from my previous posts. Some of you may not know but I am on the planning committee for the Relay for Life here in town. I know most of your participate/contribute to the Relay in Dyserville but I thought I would give you the link to my website for our Relay. Please don't feel obligated to give but if you would like to it would be very much appreciated. Relay for Life is a great cause that helps with cancer research, helps people going through cancer among many other things. For more information please check out my personal website. Thank you for any support you might be able to give.

http://main.acsevents.org/goto/angiecreech

3 months later...

2009-01-25T14:27:00.002-06:00

Ok I know it has been a really long time since I updated this so I will try to fill everyone in on what has been happening the last 3 months.

Well right after my last post in October, we had just gotten back from San Francisco, Jackson said 'dada' for the first time. Nick was absolutely thrilled. Of course it took Jackson quite a while before he said 'mama' but he finally is. We took Braden trick or treating door-to-door for the first time and Jackson went along for the ride. Braden had a great time and got lots of candy. In fact, we probably have over half of it left!

At the beginning of November we had Nick's family over for Terry's birthday. I think everyone had a good time. All of the cousins (Austin, Emma, McKenzie, Braden and Jackson) had a great time playing together. I think it was about a week after that that I got a call at daycare that Braden had either run into a tree or treehouse (never found that part out) and had a huge goose egg on his forehead. If you look at the November pictures you can see just how big it got. Luckily he was ok but I have to say that both of the boys are klutzes and they got it from me. They both constantly have bruises on their heads from running into things or just falling on their head (that is more Jackson). Good thing they have tough skulls!

Jackson got his first tooth the day before Braden's birthday. We had Nick's family over for Braden's birthday. Of course he had a wonderful time and as always got way too much stuff. We gave Braden a GeoTrax train set which he loves. If you don't know, GeoTrax is a very durable kid friendly remote control train or plane track set. Perfect for little kids who can be tough on stuff.

At the beginning of December Jackson had his surgery. For those that don't know, he had an undescended testicle. We took him to Children's Hospital where he had laparoscopic surgery. The surgery went perfectly, turns out the testicle was in his abdomen. He recovered quickly and I am happy to report everything is now where it should be :o) The recovery from surgery, while obviously painful, didn't last long because Jackson started crawling the next week. Unlike Braden, who really wasn't mobile until after he was 12 months old and never really got into anything, Jackson started crawling at 8 months and is into absolutely everything. We can't turn our back on him for even a second because we don't know where he will be. Luckily Braden is a great big brother and helps us keep an eye on him once in a while.

The beginning of December brought a new addition to our extended family. Amber and Bob welcomed baby Bryce Robert into the world. Though born early and small he is growing like a weed and Brianna is a very proud big sister.

The end of December brought Christmas and for the first year Braden really got the concept. We did a count down to Santa-he loved taking the rings off the chain knowing that we were one day closer. Of course, once again the boys got way too much! Boy they sure are spoiled. Santa brought Braden the GeoTrax plane set. Now all of the GeoTrax are set up together in our basement....in fact it is kind of taking over the basement. Both Braden and Jackson love it. Braden loves to play with it and Little Godzilla (otherwise known as Jackson) loves to rip the train off the track!

Well now we are in January. Nick started a new job and loves it. I am completely swamped at my job but I enjoy what I do. Braden is 3 and Jackson is 10 months old today. It just doesn't seem possible that time has gone that quickly. These two boys are pretty much running us ragged but it is a lot of fun, rewarding and sometimes a little frustrating---but I guess that is what parenting is all about.

Well that pretty much wraps up that last 3 months. I have added 3 months of pictures so you can see how much the boys have changed. Hope everyone is well. I really will try to update more often, but I can't make any promises :o)

A great week

2008-10-13T19:12:00.006-05:00

Well Nick and I left for San Francisco on Oct. 4th, our anniversary. We were out there for five days and had a great time. We were able to go to Fisherman's Wharf, Alcatraz, Muir Woods, drove Highway 1 along the coast and went to Napa Valley twice (by far my favorite part). We really enjoyed the trip but missed the boys terribly. Nick's mom watched the boys for us. We are very greatful that she did that and I know the boys had a good time. Thursday afternoon and Friday we spent with the boys, playing games and playing outside. On Saturday we took Braden to see Backyardigans Live. My co-worker, Donna, watched Jackson for us. Braden loved the Backyardigans show and wanted to go back the next day and see it again. The rest of the weekend we just enjoyed being with the boys. It was a wonderful week.

Tomorrow I am taking Jackson to the doctor for a follow-up for his ear infection. I actually think he still has it. He has also had a kind of diaper rash for about 6 weeks so we are going to get that checked out too. I also had to move up Jackson's surgery to December because I found out today that our out-of-pocket for health insurance is going up quite a bit next year so we wanted to get it in before the new cost hits.

This weekend we are off to visit Bob, Amber and Brianna. I think we are going to the pumpkin patch so the kids should have a good time with that. We have so much going on the next couple of months we are just taking it one week at a time.

Well I better get going. I have posted new pictures for anyone who wants to take a look.

Growing boys

2008-10-01T21:04:00.002-05:00

Things are going well here. Jackson just turned 6 months old, hard to believe. He can roll over in both directions-definitely quicker than Braden was. He is also sitting up. He loves playing with his toys and any attention he gets from Braden. We took him for his 6 month check-up last week and he is 18 pounds, so he is definitely a growing boy. I picked the boys up early on Friday to go to Mom and Dad's for the weekend and found out Jackson was running a fever. He ended up running a fever the entire weekend so Nick took him to the doctor on Monday and found out he has an ear infection. I have to say though, Jackson was not crabby at all even though he was sick-what a trooper. Braden woke up this morning with a touch of croup so he might be going to the doctor yet this week to get some medicine. I guess sickness is never ending when you have 2 kids in daycare.

The weekend at Mom and Dad's was fun but too short. We just hung out at Mom and Dad's and went to Bluff Lake for Dad's birthday/Mom and Dad's anniversary. I think everyone had a good time.

Nick and I are taking off on Saturday to go to San Francisco for our 5th anniversary. We haven't been on vacation in 4 years so thought we were due. Terry is watching the boys at our house so we don't have to drag all their stuff up to their house. We are really appreciative of her watching the boys especially since Terry and Gerald's 35 wedding anniversary is on Monday.

Well I better get going. Hope everyone is well and enjoying the nice weather. I have added new pictures if you are interested.

We're back

2008-08-27T19:39:00.002-05:00

I know we have been away for a while but 2 boys under 3 will do that to you. Things have been going well here. Jackson gets bigger every day and loses a little more hair too-must be the Felton in him :o) Braden is potty trained (for the most part) which is a great accomplishment in our house. Now we only need to buy diapers for one--yipee!

Back on July 4th we had Nick's family came over for the fireworks, which has become a tradition, and Mom, Dad, Jean, Vic, Pat, Sandie, Bob, Amber and Brianna came to visit as well. The adults were kind enough to put together the swingset for us. We never would have gotten it together without them so we are very thankful. It was a fun weekend for everyone, I hope.

The first weekend in August, Braden, Jackson and I made the trek to Mom and Dad's to participate in the Relay for Life walk and celebrate Brianna's third birthday. We had a lot of fun visiting with everyone and just relaxing.

Two weekends ago we visited Nick's grandma in the nursing home. She is doing well and was thrilled to see the boys. Grandma also took Braden on two rides in her electric wheelchair which he always loves. Then we visited Terry and Gerald since the weekend before Braden was sick and he and I couldn't go to Brian's birthday get together.

Last weekend we went to the zoo and had a really good time. It was pretty hot but Braden had a ball seeing all the animals. It was fun to have a family outing with the boys. Starting on Saturday will be going to the Mizzou football games. We have season tickets and we are looking forward to going to the games.

Well I think that about covers what has been going on here for the last couple of months. I hope you enjoy the new pictures.

Just a quick note

2008-06-14T10:25:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to let you all know there are new pictures posted from Jackson's baptism. I am here with the boys by myself so I don't have time to write. I will try to do an entry later.

Growing boys

2008-06-02T19:40:00.003-05:00

It is hard to believe that Jackson is 2 months and Braden in 2 1/2 years old, man does time fly. Jackson actually slept through the night on Friday night, of course it wasn't my night to get up with him but he is definitely a better sleeper than Braden, even today. Jackson weighed in at his 12 pounds, 5 ounces at his 2 month appointment, a gain of 5 pounds. He still seems so much smaller than Braden every was.

Braden can get a little too excited at times when it comes to Jackson but it is obviously he loves him. Nick and Braden took a trip to the park yesterday. It sounds like Braden had a good time because the first thing he wanted to do when he woke up this morning was go to the playground.

Jackson is getting baptized this weekend so we will have guests from out of town. We are looking forward to seeing everyone and celebrating Jackson becoming part of the church. I will try to be more timely about posting pictures from baptism.

I hope this finds everyone well. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Greg's brother Bradley, his wife Kelly and their baby.

Visitors

2008-04-20T16:25:00.008-05:00

Amber, Bob and Brianna came to visit this weekend. We had a really good time. Braden and Brianna seemed to have a lot of fun playing together and the big kids also had fun since Bob and Amber brought their Wii with them. It was nice to have visitors as the days get pretty long being with the boys all day long during the week.

Both Braden and Jackson are doing well. Braden had another bout of croup this week as he does every month to two months. I am hoping that he will grow out of it soon because the steroids the doctor puts him on for it makes him crabbier than normal. Jackson is growing like a weed though he still seems tiny. At his two week appointment he was up to 8 pounds from just under 7 when we left the hospital. I am taking him to the audiologist this week for a hearing test since he has failed the hearing screening on his left ear 3 times. I am not concerned as Braden didn't pass his hearing tests either initially. We (at least me and the boys) will be off to Iowa this weekend to visit Mom and Dad, the great-grandmas and any one else who we happen to see. I have added new pictures if you want to take a look. Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the great weather.

A new member of the family

2008-03-31T15:23:00.002-05:00

For those of you who haven't heard, a new addition to our family arrived on March 25th. Jackson Felton Creech was born at 11:55 am, weighing 7 lbs 5 ozs and 20 inches long and has a full head of dark hair. We came home on Friday afternoon and everything is going well so far. Jackson wakes up 2 or 3 times a night for a bottle and then back off to sleep. Braden is very protective of his little brother. In fact this morning when Nick was burping Jackson, Braden told Nick to "stop hitting Jackson." So far Braden wants to hold Jackson all the time and give him kisses and hugs. Needless to say the transition with Braden has been pretty easy and hopefully it will continue. Mom and Dad stayed here last week to watch Braden and to put ceramic tile in the kitchen and laundry room while I was in the hospital. The floor looks great and we are very appreciative. Plus I know Braden loved spending time with Grandma Susan and Papa Lester. Braden will go back to daycare tomorrow and will go twice a week until I go back to work. This will keep him in somewhat of a routine plus give me a little break once Nick goes back to work next week. I have added new pictures if you want to take a look.

Hope this finds everyone well. Take care.

We are still here

2008-02-16T10:34:00.002-06:00

I know it has been an incredibly long time since I have updated the site or posted new pictures but things have been a little hectic around here. I started my new job in January and I love it. I am still at the same company but doing a job with very little stress and doesn't require me to put in overtime. Right now that is exactly what I need. Braden is growing like a weed and doing new things every day. This week he was running on the concrete at daycare (which he wasn't supposed to be doing), he fell and hit is nose so his coat was covered in blood from the bloody nose. You may notice on some of the February pictures the scuff marks he has on his nose and lip. Nick is doing well. Today is his 29th birthday so he is saying goodbye to his 20's. He had a wisdom tooth pulled yesterday but seems to be doing really well. We also find out that he needs crowns on all his teeth so we are trying to figure out how to budget that. Oh the fun of being an adult. Lastly, we have less than 6 weeks to go before the addition of our new baby boy. We still haven't picked a name. It is much more difficult this time. Some suggestions have been Baby Tyrone (the moose from the kid's show The Backyardigans) and Baby Fruit Snack.....I think we will pass on both of those :o) We are set to deliver on March 25 at 11:30 though most days it doesn't feel like the baby is going to stay put that long. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law had their little girl on January 20. She was born at 32 weeks at 2 pounds 10 ounces but is doing really well-she was almost at 4 pounds yesterday. Though she is doing well any spare prayers you might have wouldn't hurt. Well I better get going I just wanted to give a quick update to the happenings at the Creech house. Hope you are all well and for those of you in Iowa I hope the snow starts to go away. There are new pictures in the December 2007 and February 2008 albums. Talk to you all soon.

Braden is 2

2007-12-01T10:58:00.001-06:00

It is hard to believe that Braden celebrated his 2nd birthday two weeks ago. Time goes so fast. He amazes us everyday with the things he does. We had a small birthday party here with the great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. I think everyone had a good time and I know Braden did. He has now officially moved out of the crib and into a toddler bed, which works well until 4:45 in the morning when he gets up and stands at the door crying until someone comes to get him. Any ideas to break him from this would be more than appreciated.

Other than that things are going well. We have our Christmas tree and decorations up, which Braden loves. He points to the ornaments and tells us who they belong to and what the ornament is. We have my work Christmas party at the zoo tonight (in a pavillion). It is the year of the family party so they are having face painting, cookie decorating, etc. along with Santa Claus. We have never taken Braden to see Santa so it should be fun. Then we can walk around the zoo and look at the Christmas lights. Hopefully it is not too cold we are getting a little freezing rain right now but it is supposed to warm up.

Nick is being a good sport and going to the party and will watch the Mizzou game after we get back. They are ranked #1 and if they win tonight they will play for the National Championship.

Hope you are all safe, I know a lot of you are getting bad weather today. I finally got new pictures posted in the Sept/Oct and November albums. I will try to post the pictures from tonight quicker than I normally do.

Take care.

Just checking in

2007-10-21T18:54:00.000-05:00

Everything is going well in the Creech household. Braden continues to amaze us-he is now able to count to 5 in both English and Spanish. Of course he won't do it when we want him to show people what he can do, only when he feels like it....how typical. It is hard to believe that he will be 2 next month. I don't know where the last 2 years have went. And once the new baby is born I am sure time will only go faster. Here is a picture of Braden in his Halloween costume. He is going as Pablo from the Backyardigans, his absolute favorite TV character. Doesn't he look cute?Well I better get going, Nick is making dinner and Braden sounds like he is having a meltdown, but then that tends to happen when he only takes a 30 minute nap.

I have posted new pictures of Braden and Brianna for anyone who is interested.

Hope you all have a good Halloween.

Long time, no see

2007-09-11T21:54:00.000-05:00

I know it has been a long time since I updated the blog. Things have been pretty busy around here. We are in the process of finishing our basement. I am very excited about getting this new space in our house. We figured since we weren't able to sell it, we would stick some money into it and stay awhile. Braden is growing like a weed. He is such a little man and keeps us on our toes and laughing all along the way. The other exciting news is that we are expecting a new addition to our family! I am due the beginning of April but will go at the end of March for a scheduled c-section. We still aren't sure if we are going to find out ahead of time if it is a boy or a girl (it is actually up to Nick to decide). As long as the baby is healthy then that is all we can ask for. Even though it has been awhile that is really all news we have from down our way. I hope to see some of you at Matt and Ann's wedding. Hope you all are healthy and happy. Talk to you soon.

Long time no see....

2007-07-05T22:29:00.000-05:00

Just a quick message. I finally figured out the new website for storing the pictures to be able to share them. I am not very technicologically inclined, to say the least. Things are going well here. Braden amazes us every day with the new words he is saying. He has quite the personality. He definitely keeps us laughing and on our toes. Well I need to get to sleep, I will try to write something a little longer next time. Enjoy the new pictures.

Finally an update

2007-05-25T21:07:00.000-05:00

I know it has been awhile but we have had a lot going on lately. First off Braden is doing great. We just had his 18 month check-up last week. It is hard to believe that he is 1 1/2 already. The time has gone so fast. He talks constantly and his vocabulary seems to get bigger every day. He is climbing on everything and getting into all the stuff he isn't supposed to, but I guess that is a typical kid. He is also Mr. Independent. He doesn't want help climbing stairs, climbing up to get to a slide or even crossing the street. Don't worry I didn't let him cross the street by himself. He just amazes me with all the things he does. Beyond Braden keeping us busy, Nick and I have both been very busy at work. I went to Laredo, TX for 5 days at the beginning of the month for work. It was a good trip but very hard to be away for that long. I am very glad the work is finally going to slow down a little in the next week or so. We are also still trying to sell our house. It has been really slow but we have had quite a few people in to look at the house this week. Hopefully that is a good sign. We are planning on taking Braden to the zoo tomorrow if it doesn't rain. It should be fun to see him with all the animals and see if he makes the animal noises like he does here at home. Well I better get going, have a class to work on. I did post a few new pictures but not many. Hopefully I will have more after tomorrow's trip.

Hope everyone has a safe and fun Memorial Day weekend.

Happy Belated Easter

2007-04-11T20:47:00.000-05:00

Well things have been going pretty well here. We have been keeping very busy. On Monday we got back from a great extended weekend in Iowa. We got to see alot of the family including the Grandmas. It was really nice seeing everyone since it had been at least 3 months. Braden and Brianna had a great time playing with each other and chasing each other around. They were very fun to watch. They did a great job dying Easter eggs and were very excited about what the Easter Bunny brought them. All in all it was a great weekend. Nick and I have both been very busy with work, but that seems to be the way it goes. Braden is growing like a weed and says more words every day. Right now his favorite word is "NO"--I think we are in for some trouble :o) I have loaded new pictures in the April 2007 album if you want to take a look. Sorry this is so short but I have to get some things done before I go to bed.

Hope this finds everyone well.

We are off and running.....

2007-03-11T21:16:00.000-05:00

Well the big news is that Braden has finally starting walking....or at least that we have seen. Apparently he has walked at daycare and at Grandma and Grandpa Creech's but Nick and I saw him walk for the first time this weekend. It was really exciting. Now we really aren't going to be able to keep track of him..I guess that comes with the territory.

We have been keeping very busy lately. We put our house on the market 6 weeks ago and this was the first weekend since then we haven't been out looking for a house. We put an offer on a house last weekend that has much more room. The only downside is that we had to do a contingency on the sale of our house. Hopefully our house will sell soon so we get the house we really want. Keep your fingers crossed for us!

Even though I haven't posted in awhile these are really the only things that have been going on. I hope everyone is well and has recovered from all the awful winter weather. After this weekend it seems like spring might be here soon, at least I hope.

Happy Birthday on the 12th Mom. Hope you enjoy your milestone birthday.

Some big things....

2007-02-04T17:40:00.000-06:00

First of all, Braden had his tubes put in on Thursday. He did great. By the time he had something to eat Thursday morning you would have never known that he had surgery earlier in the morning. He is all over the place and into everything. It is hard to keep up with him most of the time. Nick and I also decided to start looking for a bigger house. We put ours on the market on Monday and started looking for houses yesterday. We found one that we like but are still going to keep looking because it may take awhile to sell our house. Other than that not much has changed around here. I have started taking the same Medical Transcription class that Amber is taking. Between that, keeping up with Braden and Nick, working and the usual day-to-day stuff I am keeping very busy. Braden's 1 year pictures are posted in the February 2007 folder if you want to take a look. Hope everyone is doing well. Talk to you soon.

Happy New Year late

2007-01-21T16:25:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone has had a great beginning to 2007. For the most part ours has been going pretty well. We decided on Monday after on appointment with an ear doctor that Braden will be getting tubes. The procedure is set for February 1st. While we were at the appointment the doctor noted that Braden still had fluid on his ears and was beginning another ear infection, so he is once again on antibiotics. We are really hoping that the tubes will take care of it. Last weekend we had our second ice storm since November. While we were luckily and only lost power for a couple of hours many others were not so lucky. I am grateful that we have no full grown trees in our yard so we didn't have to worry about limbs breaking and falling under the weight of the ice. Last night we got probably 4-5 inches of snow but I will take that over the ice any day.

On to more positive news, last week Braden moved up to the toddler room from the baby room. He seems to really like it. I can't believe how fast he is growing. He is trying to say words and sometimes you can almost make out what he is saying....it is usually what we are trying to get him to repeat, like please and thank you. Though for thank-you he uses sign language that he learned at day care. Very cute. We finally got his 1 year pictures taken on Monday--only 2 months late. Better late than never. I will post them once we get them back.

Well I better get going. I hope you are all surviving the winter weather I know many of you are getting. Talk to you soon.

Merry Christmas

2006-12-27T21:35:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, I know we did. It was fun to watch Braden open gifts and be much more involved in Christmas this year. I think he had a good time. A couple of updates on Braden: he finally started crawling more than just a couple of paces at a time. Now he switches between scooting and crawling. He is pulling himself up all the time and walking around furniture. He is even walking behind one of his new toys. Unfortunately we had to make another trip to the doctor's office yesterday. Braden has another double ear infection so on the 15th we are going to see an ENT because he most likely will need to get tubes. Though it is a simple procedure it still makes me a little nervous--I guess that is part of being a mom. I do hope, however, that once he gets tubes the ear infections will go away and we can have a healthy little boy again. I have added new pictures to the December album. He is getting so big so fast it is just amazing. He weighed at the doctor's office yesterday at a whopping 26 pounds. He is quite a load to carry around. Well I better get going. Hope everyone has a wonderful New Year's. Be safe.

It's cold outside...

2006-12-02T19:19:00.000-06:00

Well we got our first dose of winter on Thursday. We had several inches of ice and sleet with some snow on top of that. The roads were so bad my office even called off work on Friday. That turned out to the a good thing because on Thursday I had to take Braden back to the doctor. He now has pink eye and still has fluid on his ears plus a cold. So he is on two medications and the doctor said if he has one more month of fluid on his ears he will need tubes. Hopefully this new dose of antibiotics will clear everything up and we can skip that. I added new pictures to the December album is you are interested. Well better get back to little man. Bye.

Happy Birthday

2006-11-20T20:29:00.000-06:00

It's hard to believe but Braden turned 1 yesterday. I can't believe it has been a year already. Our lives have changed in so many ways since he arrived I couldn't even begin to describe it. Yesterday we had a birthday party for him with Nick's family. Needless to say he got tons of noisy toys and lots of clothes. It was a good time and I think he really enjoyed the cake as you can tell by the pictures. We were glad he was finally feeling better yesterday because on Thursday Nick took Braden to the doctor and we found out he has a double ear infection. He just had an ear infection a couple of weeks ago so we were a little surprised. He is on antibiotics again and seems to be doing well. Hopefully he will stay healthy now for a little while. Wednesday we are making our trip to Iowa for the holidays but will only stay a couple of days as we have a wedding back here on Saturday and Austin's (nephew) birthday party on Sunday. We are going to have another birthday party for Braden at Mom and Dad's on Thursday for lunch--boy is this kid spoiled. Well there are new pictures in the November album if you are interested. Hope to see many of you this weekend.

Happy Birthday to Miss McKenna--she turned 1 yesterday as well.

Happy belated Halloween

2006-11-01T10:52:00.000-06:00

Well we took Braden out last night for his first Halloween. He, of course, was Superman. He seemed to have a pretty good time and enjoyed the toys he got from the relatives. We have been having a mini vacation with Braden this week. He, unfortunately, has a contagious virus and cannot go to daycare until it is cleared so Nick and I have been taking turns staying home with him. Since he isn't feeling bad it has been kind of fun. Other than that there haven't been many things happening around here, just the usual. I have added new pictures in the November 2006 album if you want to take a look. There are some of Braden in his costume.

On a different note, I ask that people pray for my uncle Denny so that he may get through his health issues quickly and completely. For those of you interested in my friend Paul, his wife is still hanging on and will be 33 weeks pregnant on Friday. Continue the prayers for them as well.

It's getting colder....

2006-10-12T19:30:00.000-05:00

It is hard to believe that it is October already. Braden will be 1 in 6 weeks and sometimes it seems like he just got here. Our little man has had several firsts in the last month. He cut his first tooth, he starting pulling himself up at the couch, he can sit up by himself from laying on his back and started saying Ut-oh (which is incredibly cute). He is scooting all over the house, we can't keep him in one room anymore. It is just amazing everything he is doing now and so much fun to play with. Last weekend he stayed with Grandma Susan and Grandpa Lester for several days. He apparently was very good even though we weren't there but he came back to us very spoiled. That's ok though. That is what grandparents are supposed to do, right? Needless to say our little man is the joy of our lives and we can't imagine not having him.

Some of you have asked how my friend Paul's wife was doing. She is doing well. Still in the hospital but things right now are going pretty well. She will be 30 weeks pregnant tomorrow so the prayers are helping so please keep them up.

There are, however, some prayers needed in the Creech family. A couple of weeks ago Nick's uncle found out he has acute leukemia. He went into the hospital and after several days was put into ICU due to a lung condition that they are still unsure about. While in ICU they had to put him in a drug-induced coma and then his kidneys started to fail. Now he is on dialysis. They are trying to get the lung issue resolved so they can move him to a bigger hospital to deal with the leukemia. He and his family are definitely in need of some prayers. He is only 61 and has a wife, 2 girls who are married and 4 grandchildren.

Well I better get going and give Mr. Braden a bath. I am hoping that tonight he will go to sleep before 10:00, which he has been doing for several nights now. There are new pictures posted in the October album if you want to take a look.

Thank you to everyone who is praying for our friends and family. I know that it is very much appreciated.

Prayers Needed

2006-09-07T18:38:00.000-05:00

No updates about Braden today, this blog is on a totally different subject. One of my best friends at work, Paul, and his family are in need of prayers. To give a background, 2 years ago this October Paul and his wife Jennifer had a baby girl at 24 weeks. Her name is Asha. Asha spent over 3 months in the hospital and while she is home doing well she does have health issues common with premature babies. Paul and wife are expecting again and I found out today that Jennifer will have to stay in the hospital until she delivers their new baby, a boy. Jennifer will be 25 weeks along tomorrow. Paul told me that there is a 50% chance that she will deliver the baby within 2 weeks. Having been though this once before they are both very upset, nervous and scared. So I am asking that anyone who reads this blog to please pray for them and the arrival of a healthy baby, hopefully in the distant future. Besides Asha, Paul and Jennifer have two other children at home, Julian and Jessica. I know this is a topic that affects many members of our family. With everyone prayers for Miss McKenna (Dale and Suzanne's little girl) she is doing great. I am hoping that those same type of prayers for my friend Paul and his family will have the same impact. I know that they would appreciate any extra prayers that come their way. So please light a candle at church, say a prayer everyday, whatever you can do to keep these wonderful people and their family in your thoughts.

Things are a changin'

2006-09-04T19:18:00.000-05:00

While things have been pretty uneventful with Nick and I lately Braden has been doing all sorts of things. On Saturday our little guy finally started rolling over from his back to his stomach. We thought he was just going to skip that step but I guess not, he has been doing it constantly. Though he hasn't quite figured out that rolling will get him to where he wants to go. To get where he wants he scoots on his butt, it is really funny to watch him because it is quite a unique move that he does. But he is definitely on the move, and moving toward things he shouldn't be at. Guess it's time to put the safety items in place. We also think he is starting to get his bottom and top teeth. You can feel the bumps of the bottom teeth and I swear you can see the outline of the top teeth through his gums. Lucky us he will probably get all four at the same time. He is also eating table food and loves it. It will be nice that we can start cutting back on buying baby food. Well I better get going, need to get Braden in a bath. I did post some new pictures in the August/September album. Enjoy and I hope everyone has a great week.

9 months old

2006-08-22T20:51:00.000-05:00

Yes we are still here. We have been pretty busy and I haven't really had time to update the site. I took Braden for his 9 month check up yesterday. He is now weighing in at 23 pounds and 28 1/2 inches long. Yes he is definitely a growing boy. He can now say 'mama', needless to say I am thrilled about that. He isn't crawling yet but he turns around on his butt and stretches really far. I don't think it will be too long and the gates will have to go up. Yesterday I also took him for his 3rd hair cut. It is amazing how much hair he has. The last month we have gone to Iowa and Chicago. While it is nice to travel and see everyone it was nice to stay home this past weekend and just relax a bit. Other than that we are just working and enjoying our little man. Well have to get going and get some work done before tomorrow. I will try to do better about updating the website. Hope everyone has a great week and weekend.

P.S. There are a couple new pictures in the August album..

8 months old

2006-07-24T21:04:00.000-05:00

It is hard to believe our little guy is 8 months old already. It is amazing how fast time goes. He makes us laugh everyday by the new things he does. He is constantly saying "dada" but I don't ever think he will say "mama." Right now he can say "nana" and I am taking what I can get and guessing that he means "mama." As you can tell by the picture Braden takes after his mom and loves his ice cream. We have been pretty busy lately. Two weekends ago Mom, Grandma, Greg, Cathy, Tyler, Justin and Nicole came to visit for the weekend. It was a jammed packed weekend of things to do but we had a lot of fun. This upcoming weekend we are going to Chicago to celebrate Brianna's 1st birthday. It is hard to believe she is one already. The weekend after that we are going to Iowa for the Relay for Life and a family reunion. Hopefully with all this family time I will have lots of pictures to post, but don't expect them right away. Well I am off to bed. Braden hasn't been sleeping well and I need to get my winks in when I can.

We are still here

2006-07-06T21:04:00.000-05:00

I know it has been awhile since I have posted anything but we have been pretty busy. First of all Braden is now 7 1/2 months old, hard to believe. The little tyke is growing like a weed. He was weighed at the doctor's office yesterday and he is up to 21 pounds 12 ounces. Yes he went to the doctor again yesterday. We have been there 4 times in the past 4 weeks. Every time he gets over something he picks up something new. This time it is throat infection. Not to worry for all the parents of the little ones at Denny and Glady's party, he didn't get sick until Tuesday. On top of that I think he is teething. He has become a little drool monster and is constantly pulling on his ear (we know it isn't an ear infection because the doctor has looked the past two visits.) Needless to say our normally happy, smiley little boy isn't so happy and smiley right now.

This past weekend we were in Iowa for my aunt and uncle's (Denny -I got your name right :o) and Glady) party. It was great to see everyone and it is unbelieveable to number of new additions to the family in the past year, with two more still on the way. We came back to Missouri on Monday to get the house ready for company for the 4th of July. We can watch the fireworks from our deck so naturally we have the 4th of July party every year. If any of you are ever in the area on the 4th you are more than welcome to come to the party and watch the fireworks. Braden did watch the fireworks and he wasn't scared by all the noise, but that could be because he was sick.

Two weeks ago we went to get Braden's pictures taken and also get some family pictures taken. Here is the link if you are interested. You will need to type in Angie Creech in the customer name field in order to look at them.
https://www.smilesbywire.com/home.asp?AC=LTP70301071030JCP

I have also added a new album July 2006 with new pictures from the past few weeks.

I also want to add that we have a new addition to the Creech family. Emma Marie was born on June 27. She is a beautiful little girl with lots of hair. Congratulations to Jerry, Tiffany and big brother Austin on your new little girl.

Well I better get going. Last night was a long night up with Braden and I am exhausted. Hope everyone has a great week.

Our little Superman

2006-06-15T19:21:00.000-05:00

I know I already did a post this week but I had to get these new pictures out. We just love him in the new Superman pjs. Hard to believe that our little Superman is going to be 7 months old on Monday. Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Enjoying the good life

2006-06-09T20:57:00.000-05:00

I know it has been awhile since I have updated the website but it's hard to keep it updated with a 6 month to take care, not a lot of free time. Braden is doing great. We went for his 6 month check up last week. He is up to a whopping 20 pounds 12 ounces. He can sit up on his own and says Dada all the time. He has finally started to roll over. In fact he won't stay on his stomach because as soon as we put him on his stomach he rolls over. Needless to say the little guy is doing great. Nick and I are doing well too. Braden definitely keeps us busy. Well that's all for now. Have to get the little guy to bed.

Just checking in

2006-05-22T22:01:00.000-05:00

I know I haven't posted anything in a while. It has been kind of busy. Luckily the project I am currently working on will be finished this week which means less working at home and more time to spend with my boys. Braden is doing great. It is hard to believe that he is six months old. It doesn't seem that long though I can't really remember what it was like without him. He is able to sit up on his own but still isn't rolling over. I guess he will get to that in his own time. He is 'dada' all the time but when I try to get him to say 'mama' he just laughs at me. I guess he thinks it's a joke. Well better get to bed as I have another full day of driving tomorrow. Talk to you all soon.

To the Klostermann's-congratulations on your new bundle of joy, Sophia Marie.

Another week

2006-05-10T18:20:00.000-05:00

Things here are going well. Braden is doing well and growing like a weed. He still isn't rolling over (McKenna beat him) but at least he is starting to try. He has become very vocal and very loud. It's fun to listen to him "talk" though he never seems to stop. It is hard to believe that next week he will be 6 months old. I can't believe how fast it has gone. We are making the trip to Iowa this weekend to celebrate Mother's Day. We are looking forward to seeing everyone on Sunday. Well that's all for now.....better to get back to the little man. Hope everyone has a great week.

A new look

2006-04-26T21:45:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to add some new pictures. Braden got his first haircut last night. He did really well, no crying at all but he wasn't smiling either. I am off to Marshall for the next two days then on Sunday I am off to Texas for a week. Nothing else much happening. Hope everyone has a great week and weekend.

Happy Easter

2006-04-17T19:17:00.000-05:00

We hope that everyone had a great Easter. We had a lot of fun with Braden's first Easter--as you can tell by the new pictures (April 2006). I am going to Texas the first weekend in May for work--so Nick is going to watch Braden on his own (with a little help from his mom) for the week. I know he will do a great job but I will miss them both terribly. Other than that not much going on. Hope everyone has a good week.

New pictures

2006-04-02T21:14:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to let you know that we have new pictures posted. I know it has been a long time. As you can tell Braden has grown quite a bit. We are trying to get him to roll over but he doesn't seem to what any part of it. I guess he will do it in his own time.

Hope everyone has a great week. We look forward to seeing the Felton family for Easter on Sunday.

And we keep growing....

2006-03-27T18:38:00.000-06:00

Braden had his 4 month checkup last week. He is now weighing in at 17 pounds 7 ounces and is 26 1/4 inches long (95th percentile for his age). Nick said at least he isn't a short fat baby. The doctor thought that was pretty funny. We got medicine to clear up his face and it has done wonders. Nothing much else is going on. I started traveling last week and so far I really like it. Today I went to Potosi, MO which is 2 hours away. Though that seems like a ways away it was kind of nice to be in the car driving instead of sitting in my cube.

No new pictures sorry--haven't had much time for that lately. I will try to do better and get some posted in the next couple of weeks.

Hope everyone has a great week and hope to see you all soon.

New Pictures

2006-03-14T18:27:00.000-06:00

I know you can't believe I am doing another post this week. We just got Braden and Brianna's pictures back and wanted to share them with everyone (Braden #5). Also for the past couple of nights Braden has only woken up once, sometime between 3:00 and 5:00--which is a big improvement for him. Hopefully soon he will be sleeping through the night.

Congratulations to Dale and Suzanne--they were able to bring Miss McKenna home this weekend. I know it was a long wait but I am know it was well worth it.

For all the new babies in the family, the joy you bring to our family is immeasurable. Our family is truly blessed to have you in our lives.

Hope everyone has a great week.

Not much going on

2006-03-12T19:59:00.000-06:00

As you can tell by my title there isn't a whole lot going on in our neck of the woods. Braden continues to do well and is growing like a weed. We started feeding him cereal, he is 16 weeks old now we can do that (the doctor said we could start foods at 4 months.) Braden seems to really like daycare and being around the other kids. Although he is the youngest in the room he seems to be one of the bigger kids, imagine that. Nothing exciting is happening around here, just work and playing with Braden. Obviously we enjoy the second much more than the first. There a few new pictures in album #5. Enjoy.

Congrats Audrey and Seth on your beautiful baby girl, Kelsey. She is so cute and so little.

Hope you had a good birthday Mom.

Big Weekend

2006-02-27T16:02:00.000-06:00

Bob, Amber, Brianna, Mom, Dad, Grandma Kramer and Grandama Felton all arrived late Saturday afternoon. It was great to be able to visit with everyone this weekend. On Sunday Braden was baptized at St. Theodore's in Flint Hill, MO. He was the only baby being baptized. They even sang a song to him during church (At St. Theodore's they do that for all babies being baptised.) Braden did very well with his baptism though he did cry a little when the water was poured on his head. He still smells like the oil they put on his head even though I scrubbed it really well this morning. Since Nick and I took off work today to see everyone off back to their respective states and to recuperate from the weekend, we went and had Braden's 3 month pictures taken. And they are adorable if I do say so myself. Once we get them back I will post them on the site for all to see our "big" little boy. I put big in parenthesis because when we weighed him last week he was 16.8 pounds. He isn't too far away from Brianna...I think by next week he will have caught up. I have new photos in Album 4 if you are interested. Hope everyone has a great week.

13 weeks tomorrow

2006-02-17T22:22:00.000-06:00

Wow times flies when you are having fun. This week has been pretty busy with Valentine's Day (big trip to the grocery store) and Nick's birthday on Thursday. Tonight he is enjoying a poker game with his friends from work so Mr. Braden and I are home alone. Tomorrow night Nick and I are going out on a "date" for the first time in a long time and Braden is staying over night with Grandma and Papa Creech. It is going to be tough not having him here but I am looking forward to being asleep by 9:30 or so and having a night of uninterrupted sleep. I finally have new pictures posted in Album #4 if you are interested.

Congratulations to Miss McKenna for reaching the 5 1/2 pound mark. I am sure Dale and Suzanne are thrilled and are ready to bring their little girl home.

Hope everyone has a great and safe weekend. Later :o)

Almost 12 weeks old

2006-02-09T19:06:00.000-06:00

It is hard to believe that our little man will be 12 weeks old on Saturday. I was looking at the first pictures of him and it is hard to remember him being that small (though he was never very small). It is just amazing how much he has grown. He is constantly talking, smiling and laughing. Every morning when I get him ready to go to daycare he gives me a huge smile and it totally makes my entire day. It is amazing how one little smile can do that. We are heading to Iowa tomorrow in the hopes of buying a new car. I know what you are thinking, Wow you just got a new car last year, you have a new baby and now you are getting another car. Starting in March my job will have me driving over a good portion of Missouri and it will be nice to have a car with a lot less miles. We do have new pictures of Braden; however, they aren't posted yet. We will try to get them posted next week. Plus I am sure that we will have pictures from the weekend. Well that is all for now. Better get packing. Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Growing Boy

2006-01-25T18:59:00.000-06:00

Today was Braden's doctor's appointment and his first round of shots. He actually did really well with the shots. Unfortuantely he also has a cold and the doctor needed to relieve the congestion in his nose, that he didn't do so well with. He weighed in today at a whopping 14 pounds 12 ounces. He is not such a little boy anymore. Except for his cold Braden is doing great and a very happy baby. We could watch him smiling all day long. In case you didn't see the new pictures they are under Braden Photos #2. Until later, hope everyone has a great week.

A New Adventure

2006-01-17T21:37:00.000-06:00

Today was my first day back at work and Braden's first day at daycare. He did great but I missed him terribly. It was weird not being with him all day and not knowing what he was doing. Needless to say Nick and I are giving him a ton of attention tonight. This weekend we went to Iowa for Braden's baby shower. We were barely able to fit all the great gifts in the car for the trip home. And what a trip home, both Nick and I got the flu on Sunday so it was a long ride back on Monday. Thankfully Braden didn't get sick. He is quite the healthy little boy as Nick and I have both been sick twice in the past two weeks and Braden hasn't had so much as a sniffle though I am sure that will change now that he is in daycare. We do have new pictures but haven't been able to get them posted yet. We will try to get them up in the next couple of days. Until then--hope everyone has a wonderful and healthy week.

7 weeks

2006-01-09T22:05:00.000-06:00

Well I have just one more week of maternity leave left so needless to say I am trying my best to enjoy every minute. This weekend we will head to Iowa for Braden's baby shower. I am sure Grandma Susan and Grandpa Lester are looking forward to seeing both Braden and Brianna. Braden is doing well (though at the moment he is crabby because he is tired but doesn't want to go to sleep) and is growing like a weed. Last week Nick got on the scale with Braden and it looks like he is at least 12 pounds now. I can't believe how big he has gotten. The new pictures on in album 3. Enjoy. I hope everyone has a great week.

Happy Holidays

2005-12-27T20:05:00.000-06:00

I can't believe that Christmas is over already. We had a great time in Iowa visting with the family. Even in Iowa Santa was able to find Braden and Brianna. Grandpa Lester and Grandma Susan of course spoiled the kids to no end. In fact every time I put Braden down today he would start crying because he was so used to be held this weekend. We hope everyones holidays were as great as ours. Hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable New Year. All of the Christmas pictures are under Braden #1

4 weeks

2005-12-18T18:57:00.000-06:00

It is hard to believe that Braden has already been here for 4 weeks, it seems like he has been around for much longer. Not too much has happened around here this week. Nick and I went to a Christmas party last night and Grandma Terry watched Braden. It was very nice to be out among adults if only for a short time but of course we were glad to come home to our little guy.

Up and running

2005-12-13T18:23:00.000-06:00

We have finally figured out how to get our pictures on the website. You can click on Braden's photos to see our pictures. These actually go back to before Relay for Life so there are a lot of them.

Braden's doctor's appointment went well. He is now 10 pounds 8 ounces. He is quite the little bruiser. He is a little a stubborn about going to bed at night but once he does go to sleep he just wakes up for his bottles. I guess we are pretty lucky there.

We are looking forward to going to Iowa for Christmas next Thursday. Needless to say the best gift we could ever have received was our little boy. He is our pride and joy.

3 Weeks Old

2005-12-11T18:50:00.000-06:00

We have decided to start a website like Amber and Bob because Mom has finally pestered us enough :o) This is totally new to us so it may take awhile to get the hang of it. Braden is doing really well. He seems to be older than 3 weeks -he is so alert and is able to hold his head up pretty well on his own. He has a check-up tomorrow, hopefully it goes well. Nick and I left Braden with his mom and dad on Friday so that we could do some Christmas shopping. It was the first time we left him but I think we both handled it ok.