First case of the "sickies"...

Jonah has officially had his first case of the "sickies". Although his first case is a bad one at that. Poor little guy. I noticed his breathing was sounding difficult a few days ago and he carried what seemed to be a huge amount of congestion. So-I took him to the doctor and sure enough, his first cold has turned into a little bit more. :( He was diagnosed today with croup. Along with that, a more scientific diagnosis is that he has reactive airway disease, which is a broad way to say that his lungs are reacting and constricting to something. In this case, the dreaded croup. Here he sits undertaking a nebulizer treatment procedure. A device is used to administer medication in the form of mist, inhaled into the lungs. Equipped with an at home nebulizer machine, we hope this mild case of croup will disappear and Jonah will be back to breathing freely in no time. I know it might have been silly to capture him in this moment, and he might resent me later for taking the photo, but who could resist this cute face?

the Wonderful world of Solids

Jonah started eating solids about a month ago. He slowly has progressed from rice cereal to several different types of fruits and veggies. Some are more welcomed than others:) I've enjoyed making the food myself. Every minute of the process has been fun-from picking the fresh/local produce, to steaming, baking, pureeing, and storing! I not only have found great comfort in knowing exactly what is being put in that little growing body of his, but have realized it is significantly cheaper to do it on my own. A great online resource I have used can be found here-it lists what is appropriate to feed your little one at each stage, recipes, and tips in preparing homemade baby food. I look forward to the many more foods, tastes, and textures he will soon begin to discover.

All things Arbonne

One of the main reasons I haven't kept up to date on my postings is that most of my time has been devoted to the re-launch of my Arbonne business! For those of you who aren't aware, I started Arbonne back in 2007 and built a district in as little as 6 months. At that time, I was still working 40 hours a week. To say it straight, "life happened" and it amounted to the fact that I didn't have the time I wanted to devote solely to my business. I stepped down in 2008 but still continued to provide Arbonne with my loyal clients. Now, being a stay at home mom, I have more time to devote to my business and am overly excited!

Truthfully, this decision to re-launch hasn't been easy. I have really struggled with the desire to contribute financially to my family. Patrick and I are stable enough for me to stay home, but personally I want to make a difference. I loved being in activity, sharing Arbonne with others. I want to have a place and share that difference with others. I prayed about it and know that God has given me the "go-ahead". So-with two feet in, I plan to have my re-launch party in October! I've been reviewing, learning, and actively speaking to those around me what Arbonne is all about! If you haven't heard, or I haven't told you already, I'd love to share that difference Arbonne's products have with you.

Summer update

Well, it's been a while since I have posted anything new, so I thought I'd catch all of you up on what has been happening in the Hancock household! Patrick has been training in Altus, OK for the majority of the summer. He's been at Aircraft Commander Airdrop and Instructor Pilot school. Needless to say, it's been hard without him here. Jonah and I stay busy though and have kept ourselves very occupied as we eagerly wait for Dad to come home! We've made several trips down to Oregon to spend time with family, spent time with friends, and have precious moments together. Jonah has grown up so much this summer already. He has ventured into the wondrous world of "solids" and enjoys trying new foods. He has mastered holding his head up, enjoys rolling over, and is extremely vocal! Here are a few snapshots I've taken this summer.

Dinner with the fam

This past Saturday night my parents, my brother KC, Jonah and I all went to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. It was great to spend time with KC, as he leaves shortly for border patrol training in NM. It's always great to get snapshots of family-even if it took a bit of convincing for my brother to crack a smile. :)

A weekend in Leavenworth, WA

This past weekend Jonah and I had a chance to get away for a bit and head up to Leavenworth, WA. My friend Bree and her son, Cody (he is 3 weeks older than Jonah) invited us to a weekend away up at their cabin. Bree and I had the chance to do some shopping, get some good food, and spend some quality time with the boys. Her parents were up at the cabin too and went along with us to partake in Jonah's first time swimming! Both Cody and Jonah were troopers, despite being tired and wanting to nap. It truly was a much needed get away. Here are a few photos we took.

"Mom-do I have to wear this?"

"Um..not so sure about this..Cody, what do you think?"

"Okay..this isn't that bad-it's kinda fun!"

..best buds tuckered out from an afternoon of swimming!

Time with Grandpa

When I was home my dad made sure to spend some time with Jonah, letting him know that "us guys need to stick together". It was cute seeing Jonah respond to my dad. Here are a few snapshots.

First trip..Oregon bound

For the 4th of July, Jonah and I headed down to Oregon for a few days to visit Grandma, Grandpa, friends and family. It was great to see friends and meet new faces. For it being our first road trip, Jonah did pretty well! And of course, Grandma was all ready for his stay-equipped with diapers, pack n' play, and swing! Here are a few pictures we took while visiting with friends and family.

Jonah with Great Aunt Barb

..loving Aunt Julie

..hangin' with Grandpa and lounging with "auntie" Monika

A blessing

It's been a few weeks (9 to be exact) since Jonah was born. God truly has blessed us! We experience something new everyday with him-whether it be a smile, new facial expression, a change in his sleep patterns(which by the way, are pretty good-he's almost sleeping through the night..almost!), seeing him play while taking a bath, learning the difference in his cries, his eating habits, and even learning what is "normal" as parents. One of my favorite things to do is watch him sleep. I know it's silly, but those are the moments where I realize the small blessings are so important. I hope that we do not forget or fail to recognize what an amazing gift God has given us. Here are are few photos we had taken when he was three weeks old.

Meet our new family addition..

Jonah Allan Hancock

born April 12, 2010 at 8:44pm

8.3 lbs, 20.5 inches

I went in for my induction at 9am, Monday, April 12th. After receiving my epidural around noon, I quickly progressed through the stages and delivered Jonah at 8:44pm. It was an amazing, emotional experience. God truly has blessed us. I never would have imagined the love that one can have for a child. I am so thankful God has given us that opportunity.

Jonah was born on a very special day. It would have been my grandparents 65th wedding anniversary. Before they passed I hoped that they would be able to see their grandson. Even though God took them both home before his arrival, I know that they were smiling from above. In addition, we carried on the tradition of cousins in our family sharing the same birthday. Patrick's cousin, Robbie, was born 2 years to the day of his arrival, and now Jonah was born 4 years to the day of his cousin, Kaitlyn. Here are a few pictures just hours after his birth with family...