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...

Planes, trains, and cars...

With the exception of a few pictures and personalized wall art the nursery is finally complete! I really cannot take much credit for it though. Patrick was the one who painted, replaced the floor boards to white, installed the ceiling fan, installed the closet organizer, put the curtain rod up, put all the furniture together, and installed the hardware! I just sat back and watched anxiously! :) A big thank you goes to my mom. She made the curtains and pillows-aren't they cute?! They turned out perfect in my eyes:) I truly am grateful for all the hard work Patrick put into our little guy's room. He knew exactly how I wanted it to be and made sure I was happy. It makes me appreciate my wonderful husband even more:) Now we just have to wait for his arrival-we are ready!

I love the pillows-they match perfectly. Thanks, Mom!

I love this airplane dresser hardware-great find on Amazon.com!

I think our little guy will have more clothes than me!!

Something to celebrate!!

With the passing of both my grandparents in January, the year, thus far, has been hard for our family. Looking forward and moving on, we had an opportunity to celebrate new beginnings yesterday. With a total count of 32 dear friends and family members we celebrated a soon to be new member of the Hancock household! My loving mom hosted the shower for me that I will forever remember. The shower was equipped with all the traditions- games that stemmed several laughs, a delicious meal-made with love from my mom, an overwhelming explosion of gifts-several handmade and dear to our family, and an abundance of excitement. Thank you to all who could be there and share this special new beginning in our lives!! :)

Showered with love..

This past Thursday my co-workers thru me a baby shower! It was so fun to see all the hard work they put into it-complete with games, lunch, gifts, the best tasting red velvet cake around, and adorable decorations! I have to give props to my friend Elizabeth who has mastered the "balloon diaper"!! It was so fun opening all the gifts and to experience the excitement, knowing we are going to have a little blessing soon! A big THANK YOU goes to all who were able to come and help me celebrate:)

HAITI Relief

Late January, Patrick had the opportunity to aid in the Haiti Relief effort. Based out of Charleston AFB, SC he led a crew into Haiti and helped deliver cargo where needed. Several missions took place transporting cargo and supplies to and from Haiti and the Dominican Republic. In 10 days time he brought 70 thousand pounds of cargo into Haiti and returned to the US with 111 refugees. What an amazing experience. He’s repeatedly expressed how it was one of the most rewarding and challenging missions he has had yet. You can read more about his mission on the link below.

Reserve Airmen join in relief operations for Haiti

Just hangin' out..

This video was taken at 20 weeks. He's just content as can be:)

Time is sooo slow..

Weeks 12-21..

I had a conversation the other day with a friend about how time passes so much faster as you get older. She told me of a theory she read about. When we are younger, we are experiencing new things in our lives, those times are filled with drama, excitement, and anticipation. As we get older-birthdays, anniversaries, and events continue to take place and that anticipation dies. Coincidentally, time seems to pass by faster. Since pregnancy is a brand new experience for me-I have anticipated his arrival with excitement! Experiencing time as I did when younger has it's cons...VERY slow. Every week Patrick looks at me and says he's getting so big! Even though I know he continues to grow, I am tired of waiting for his arrival. We are so happy and excited for the day he comes. God has truly blessed us.

And we are off...!!

Alright...I gave in..and have wondered into the whole world of blogging. I figured it was about time, as Patrick and I are starting a family and even though I love to sit and create scrapbook pages and books, I'd like to have something viewable online for family and friends to see. :)