The Neves Family

Seriously.

2010-06-30T22:08:00.000-07:00

We'll just go ahead with text and, if we're all lucky, MAYBE pictures will come in the future. :)

So it's been way too long so we'll just start from here! Adam is now 4 years old and has been for the past two months but still tells everyone he sees that he's 4 now and he had a baseball birthday party! He asks me how to spell every word I say throughout the day and loves practicing writing his letters. In other news, he got a bunk bed and thinks that's pretty much the coolest thing ever!

Sam is 2 1/2, and had a "Green Eggs and Ham" party in November and probably knows more letters than Adam. He loves to preface most of his statements with "actually" and he has a great sense of humor. His prayers at bedtime and mealtime never vary: "Dear God, thank you day, in Jesus, Amen." It's SO much cuter on video, which does exist, but is currently being held hostage by our flip camera. Seriously. Maybe someday I'll get a little better at updating.

And the wee one. I'll definitely have more news on this one in about 18 hours if he/she shows him/herself for the ultrasound tech. Pray for immodesty. Is that even a word? I've been feeling the baby move for the past month which has been really cool- I missed that. But this pregnancy is definitely different. I never felt an ounce of discomfort with the boys but for the first couple months of this one, I pretty much gave up eating dinner. I just felt queasy. Nick got excited and thought that maybe it's because we're having a girl but sometimes consecutive pregnancies just come with stronger symptoms. I don't know and don't have a feeling either way but hey, I guess we'll find out tomorrow!

Nick and I are doing well. We're still on the Dave Ramsey financial plan and have paid of $20k in debt in the last 13 months- which is cool to say on one hand, but embarrassing to admit that we even had that debt in the first place! We still have a chunk to go but the end is in sight!

The boys and I went to the adoption court ruling for my now official little brother today and it was so cool to be there for it. Nick and I have no idea how the Lord will grow our family but we want to be faithful to what He has called us to do. Anyway, it's great to see the ins of how Isaac's adoption went to better prepare us for what our future holds.

Here it comes again!

2010-01-13T14:35:00.000-08:00

So I figure I could catch the blog up to my life if I just do it one month at a time. So here we go!

Random fun stuff.

2009-07-31T20:27:00.000-07:00

I love the way Sam's fat little belly looks in this skin tight swimsuit.

Barefoot in the rain.

In May, I started watching Kai'a's little sister Kaleilani (now 7 months). So adorable. Adam thinks that she's his little sister and Sam just yells "baby" over and over and tries to sit on her.

What a fun dinner! I got this idea from Megan, i.Amy's sister who is oh so creative!
The boys love it and it's fun to make and eat.

Emma.

2009-07-31T20:11:00.000-07:00

On our way back home from the San Diego Zoo, we stopped in to see Darren, April, and Emma. We're trying to set up our kids together so we have to get as much face time as possible! This time, we stopped off for dinner and the park but we always wish we could stay longer.
We love you guys!

Three.

2009-07-31T19:54:00.000-07:00

Adam turned 3 on April 30 and was king for the day. Breakfast at Mimi's, off to watch daddy "tackle" at jui-jitsu practice, the park with Sam, ice cream with blue sprinkles, and then Grandpa and Grandma bought him a blue motorcycle! We are so proud of our little boy-Happy Birthday!

...and we're back!

2009-07-31T14:40:00.000-07:00

We didn't really go anywhere but apparently, I haven't posted anything since May. How does this happen!?! I don't have big plans for tonight and maybe since I'm putting it in writing now, it will happen- more posts to come...

The World Famous San Diego Zoo

2009-05-26T22:37:00.001-07:00

...or at least that's what they call it in the movie, Madagascar. For the better part of the past year, Adam has been praying daily to go to the San Diego Zoo for his birthday. He loves the movie Madagascar and can even quote some parts for you so I'm pretty sure that's where he got the idea. His dream has evolved into wearing a blue shirt with a "3" on it, seeing elephants, a cake and candles, and balloons. Every time he'd pray at a meal or before bed: "Dear God, thank you for this day and thank you for this food. I want to go to the San Diego Zoo for my birthday, and the circus, and the fair, and the zoo, and the circus, and the fair. Amen." Well, we got most of it.

Nick was already going to be down in Irvine for the Catalyst Conference so we just made a vacation out of it. We went to the park with Lollie, Bella, and Madalyn. We also rode in the big orange hot air balloon -for free- at the Great Park in Irvine. Amber helped me make...I mean I helped her make...actually Amber made this totally cool shirt for Adam to wear. It was blue, of course, and she cut out a 3 for the front and the name Neves for the back. It looks great in the pictures but now is even better since it frayed in the wash. Thanks, Aunt Amber!

Saturday morning came, and we all headed to the Zoo. Nick, Adam, Sam, and I, Trevor and Amber, and Jeremy, Lollie, and the girls. I brought along animal crackers and stuffed zoo animals for the kids. Adam chose the elephant even though he already has three at home! I don't know if Adam was expecting cartoon animals and lemurs singing "Move it, move it" but he sure enjoyed himself. He even got to let a giraffe eat out of his hand. We took a break at lunch to head out to the cars for the birthday cupcakes. Looking at the pictures out of context, you'd think we gave our son a birthday party in a parking lot- which we did, but then we went back in to the "World Famous San Diego Zoo"! Lions, and tigers, and bears. Then dinner, and off to home!

April 11th

2009-05-26T22:31:00.000-07:00

For Nick's birthday this year, we went with a group of friends to a MMA fight. We all had a really good time, even the girls!, and I'm finally learning after over 10 years of being with Nick, how to give a "boy" gift.

He is risen!

2009-05-26T22:26:00.001-07:00

He is risen indeed!

The boys were excited about hunting eggs even before they found out that Aunt Bubby puts chocolate inside!

Home-Owners!

2009-05-26T22:08:00.000-07:00

We are now home-owners, or at least we will be in 30 years! We got the keys on a Wednesday night, had a first meal of Taco Bell on our dining room carpet, put the boys down to sleep, and then we decided it would be fun to stay up until 4 in the morning for a few consecutive days to scrape the popcorn off the ceilings and start painting! Crazy! We had so much help, though. Thank you to all of you who were such a blessing to us.

The first event we had in the house was the second night, Thursday, when the Deep End college group meets at our house. So we met in the empty family room amidst paint rollers and bags of debris and worshiped our Lord. We somehow convinced several people to stay after to help, too.

Here are some pictures I took just a few weeks in, so pardon the random shop vac or moving box. The boys' rooms look super bland. We haven't quite finished those. The plan is to decorate Sam's beige room with a road and vintage vehicles. Adam decided that he wanted rocketships and dump trucks. We're going with the rocketship plan with painted stars on the ceiling. :)

The Arkansas Branch

2009-05-26T22:03:00.000-07:00

Nick's brother, Justin, and his family moved out to Arkansas several years ago and they came back for a visit. It was great to hang out with them before they headed off to the "happiest place on earth". We've gone out there to visit a couple times with the boys but mostly, they know them as magnetic heads on our fridge so it was so nice for all the boys to hang out and get to know their cousins.

Has it really been three months!?

2009-05-26T21:23:00.001-07:00

I could make excuses but they might only satisfy myself...
I can't tell you how many times I've talked to people about our blog and said, "I'll update it during naptime, or after the boys go to bed." Well, it's taken me three months but they have finally gone to sleep!

Our lives have been filled with blessings and I will add more detail in other posts but in short: Nick and I bought our first house!, I've run probably a total of 4 times since my marathon, Nick turned 31, Adam turned 3 and we celebrated at the San Diego Zoo, I'm still in my twenties- but not for long!, I'm directing this year's VBS, and our church is moving into a new building.

So thank you for being so very patient with me and here it comes...

Waiting, waiting, waiting...

2009-02-24T22:41:00.000-08:00

House update: We have a verbal acceptance from the bank and are just waiting on signatures to make it official. Then, and only then, can we start the lovely process of escrow. If all goes well, we should have keys by Easter. We're praying!

House Hunting Chapter 2

2009-02-13T13:39:00.000-08:00

The first house countered our offer way over the asking price so we are onto bigger (2,054 square feet) and better (forclosed houses as opposed to short sales) things. So, this is what we are trying to get now. I love it. Our offer went in this morning and now the house shows as "pending". But we only want it if this is what the Lord wants for us. Tons of pictures!

26.2

2009-02-08T21:12:00.000-08:00

It's over. Eleven months of training. Non-runner to marathoner. It's crazy how it just stops. Heather said it reminder her of the night before a wedding when she and Amy saw me the night before the run. It totally does feel like that. You do all this planning and prep, it consumes your thoughts and your schedule for months, and after a few hours of the event, it suddenly comes to a halt. Only, when I got married, I went to Hawaii for a week with Nick. This time, I hobbled around for 2 1/2 days and got to ride in a car for 7 hours.

We drove down Friday morning to Irvine to stay with my brother, Trevor, and his wife, Amber. But we detoured a little to have lunch at Wings To Go in Bakersfield. This is the only one in California and it's the best wings place ever. This was my payment to Nick for supporting me through all of this- he ran the 1/2 marathon that weekend with me too. We also had lunch there on the way back home! Tori brought down her black nail polish for me to wear. I read in Runner's World about a girl who painted her nails black before running marathons because it made her feel hard core. I'm totally hard core- but the more you have to say you're hard core, the less hard core you become. Friday was the night I needed to get a good night's sleep so we all (my parents and little sisters came down too) retired early for the night.

Saturday started out great. Nick got up with the boys and let me sleep in. We went down to Huntington Beach to the Expo so we could pick up our shirts and numbers. Jeremy, Lollie, and their girls met us down at the beach so we could play a little. Adam loved it but Sam tried to pick up his feet whenever they touched the sand! Trevor was in charge of the carb load and made such great baked ziti that I had 3 helpings. I laid out everything I could possibly need for the morning out on the table and checked it through four times, set the alarm, and went to bed.

Sunday, February 1, 2009. Marathon day! I wake up before my alarm. I feel good. Refreshed. I'm ready. It's dark outside but it's probably 5am- time to wake up. I check the clock...12:32am. Oh.

I wake up before the alarm goes off. Check the clock before I think too hard. 4:56am. I love it when that happens- right before the alarm. I feel good. Ready to go. I put Glide on every part of my body that might ever even slightly touch another part. Oatmeal. Aleve. Socks, shoes, etc. We're good to go.

Then we hit the traffic. I guess I didn't really think about the impact 18,000 runners and their friends would have at six in the morning. I start to get a little nervous as the traffic cops direct us away from where we want to go. I tell Nick that I'm getting out of the car. I have utterly no concern for anyone else- all I know is that I start my race in 17 minutes. I'm not the only one who's running today. Nick and Amber are doing the half marathon, Jeremy, Tori, and Alicia are running a 5k, and Adam and Bella are running in the one mile kids run. Nick, Tori, Alicia, and I hop out and Amber, bless her, ventures off to find a parking spot.

It's beautiful weather. A little cold but it's 6:49...in the morning...at the beach. The guy on the mic up at the start line asks for a shout out for all those doing their first marathon. Woo-hoo! I cheer with the rest. Then he asks who's doing their last marathon. My lone voice yells out from the crowd. Everyone else just doesn't want to admit it. This is hard. And time-consuming. And really not very good for you body. And it hurts afterwards.

6:50am. The Beach Boys' "Surfin' USA" song blasts through the speakers as they let the sub 4 hour runners go. And three minutes later, it's our turn. I've been training on a run/walk program where I walk for a minute out of every mile. Eleven minutes in, I start to walk for my minute, and a spectator looks at me and asks, "What happened?" I smile and let him know it's all part of my plan. The first 8 miles were great. I was keeping up with the 4:45 pacer and somehow lost him in the park. Dozens of kids were lining the park paths, cheering us on. It was so great. They were full of energy that we were running out of. Just past mile marker 7, a lady was cheering on the side "You're doing great! Almost there!" Are you kidding?? We have 19 miles to go!!

Somewhere around mile 9, the half marathoners merged with us. It totally killed my morale because the batch that came through then were running at 8 minutes per mile. I've been running comfortably for over an hour and a half and all the sudden, hundreds of people are passing me! It might have actually been good, though, because it made me run a little faster to try to keep up. I see Nick running up the hill as I'm running down and yell at the top of my lungs to him. I'm pretty loud but that was a pretty big hill and he was focused.

We turn back onto the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) and head north. There were so many switchbacks on this course. I see people running south and know that's where I will be in about an hour. I feel like I'm going the wrong way! I finally make it to the turn-around and on my way back down, I search for Nick in the oncoming runners. He was so excited for me. So encouraging. He ran over and said, "There's my girl!" and then he tried to catch up. I passed my 13 mile marker and said, "Praise the Lord! I'm halfway through." I'm slow so he did catch up and we were able to run together for about 3 miles. That was great. I'm so blessed with him.

Nick left to finish the half and I still had 9 miles to go. This part of the course was beautiful. A paved path right on the beach. I played games with myself to catch a certain person up ahead or run at least to the flag and then I could take a walk break. Up to this point, I thought I was going to break 5 hours. I've been very consistent in my training. 12 minute miles. I expected to finish sometime between 5:20 and 5:30. My hope started to dwindle. This is hard. "Eye of the Tiger" came onto my ipod for the third time as I rounded the turn-around. I ran the last four or five miles near a 80 year old man. I mostly ran a little behind him because his shirt had Isaiah 40:31 on it.

"Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

Thanks, I needed that. I saw my dad, camera in hand, at mile 25. So close! I ran down to their pier, and back up onto the PCH. I rounded the corner and saw thousands of people lining the street. My bib had my name on it so people cheered for me by name. I saw my husband, my kids, my family, my friends, and complete strangers cheering me on to the end. I crossed the finish line at 5:07. What a beautiful day! I felt great. Heather and Amy, who drove all the way down to support me for the weekend, hugged me even when I was sweaty and smelly. They were so genuinely happy and proud. I love my people. Thank you, Lord, for blessing me with these people.

Back to the house for the Superbowl party where I indulged in every snack that I wanted. Hey, my ipod told me that I burned over 3,600 calories that day! Thank you to everyone who has put up with my running stories. In a very small corner, in the back of my mind, I think that I would like to try again to break 5 hours but I'm trying to ignore that corner. Maybe a triathalon, though!

House Hunting

2009-01-28T18:31:00.000-08:00

I am sorry it's been so long since I've posted. Our lives have been filled with holidays, church, running, and now- house hunting! Today, I found the one. I hope. There are no pictures online so I'm posting the ones I took. We've looked at about 20 houses with weird smells, trashed carpet, bad neighborhoods, old roofs, etc. We walked into this one- REAL hardwood floors, crown molding, fantastic neighborhood, great layout... I love it and Nick really likes it too. The only real downfalls are that it doesn't have a big sideyard and that it is a short sale- so it's a longer process and we might not get it. We've been praying that the Lord would make it totally clear where (and if) He wants us to go. So we'll see... We are going to put in an offer tomorrow afternoon- the day before we leave to go down to Huntington Beach for the marathon! So, lots going on and we'll let you know how it goes! And if we don't get this one, we know the Lord has better plans for us.

21.

2008-12-21T14:25:00.000-08:00

The miles I ran. My marathon is 6 weeks from today! - said with excitement AND fear. I started running in March and 5 miles was the first run that I didn't know if I could even do. I remember that Nick went with me and I actually survived! Since then, I've been pretty confident that I might be able to do this thing. Until yesterday... I started having doubts. 21 miles seems like such a long way. I didn't know if I could do it. And I couldn't. I can't. But God can. Only by the grace of God am I able to run that far. Who does that? I don't know. Sometimes I think I am crazy but I love to go out on the long runs with my ipod. It's my time to ponder God for more than a few moments. I download the latest sermons from Francis Chan and just take off running. It's great. Thank you, Lord.

The pounds I've lost. I originally wanted to do the marathon so that I could have some motivation to get off the Sam baby weight. It didn't work so well. Contrary to what I had believed, running does not take off the weight. You have to actually eat well too. Imagine that- diet AND exercise! So, six weeks ago, I cut out all refined flour and sugar from my diet. It's been great and I don't feel deprived. To quote my skinny cousins: "A moment on your lips, forever on your hips" and "Nothing tastes as good as being skinny feels." So there you have it. 21 is a great number for me this week.

SAM I AM IS A WHOLE YEAR OLD!

2008-11-19T00:15:00.000-08:00

Happy, Happy Birthday, baby Sam! It's amazing to think back to a year ago when he just decided, all of a sudden to join our family. He was almost born in the car (seriously, we had a bowl in the back of the car for the placenta in case it did come down to that) and if you want to read Nick's rendition of that night, here it is.
What a blessing you have been to our family, Sam. We thank God for the gift of you every night and love that we get to share our lives with you. We love that you are so cheerful and that you get so excited to see us each morning as we come in to get you out of your crib. We love how you adore your brother and try to show him by cracking your skull against his. I love that you have a dimple like your daddy! I love that you are so easy to get to smile and will wave at anyone who looks your way. I love that you start dancing when you hear music. I love that you suck your thumb when you are sleepy. I love that you climb up in Adam's chair and rock yourself back and forth. I love that you are crazy and reckless in the bath. I love your smell. I love the way you touch my face when I feed you your bottle. I love to rock you and sing to you about our Lord. I love that you enjoy food and your thighs remind us of how "healthy" you are. I love your soft skin. I love to watch you play and squeal in delight. We love you, Sam! Happy first birthday ever!

My mom is really smart.

2008-11-18T23:04:00.000-08:00

My mom had a four year old and two 22 month old twins when I was born, then had two more after a 15 year break, and lived to tell about it. So, I usually call her when my kids are sick before I call the doctor. Sam had a fever for three days and then it went away and was replaced by mysterious little red spots on his tummy. Called mom, she asked a few questions, said "Sounds like roseola virus. Look it up on the internet and see if it matches." Lo, and behold, my child had exactly every symptom that was described. I talked with my doctor because that's what What to Expect the First Year says to and we were good to go. Anyway, my mom is smart.

On the road again- oh, wait. It's a treadmill.

2008-11-18T22:53:00.000-08:00

A little update on the running. While we were in Tahoe, I was scheduled to do my 15 miles and God was scheduled to send snow that day. So I spent the better part of the morning, over 3 1/2 hours, on the treadmill in the Marriott's gym. I staked out a pretty good one- overlooking the pool, watching the snow fall on the trees. I was afraid I was going to be bored because I detest running on treadmills so I put an audiobook on my ipod to keep me company. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers is a novel based on the story of Hosea. Note to self: it's pretty difficult to cry while you are running. But I did it and I think it was the first time where I felt like I actually might be able to run a marathon in February. Through Christ who strengthens me...

Fast forward two weeks to this past Saturday. I ran through 3 cities! 18 miles. A little less than four hours. And a whole audiobook. I felt good when I was done but I need to find some long trails to run on. It's probably not safe to run over Kirker Pass but I want to run from Walnut Creek to my house. Only three more long runs before Huntington!

The First Snow

2008-11-18T22:52:00.000-08:00

God is so nice to us! A family in our church gifted us with a week in Tahoe at their time share. What an unexpected blessing. Nick and I left the boys with my parents for a few days while we went by ourselves for a little R&R. We slept in, read by the fire, played wii golf, ate lots of food at non-kid-friendly restaurants, saw the movie Fireproof (so good, by the way), stayed out past the boys' bedtime, went on a run (which was a little hard to get used to in the over 6,000 foot elevation), and totally enjoyed God's creation up there. Then, Nick drove back to pick up the boys to join us while I went on a long run. Adam loved it. It was the first snow of the season when we were up there and he and Nick scraped up all the snow they could to make a little snowman. What a fun way to see snow for the first time.

Halloween

2008-11-18T22:51:00.000-08:00

I'm a little behind on the blogging so here comes a bunch...
Adam bounced around like Tigger all day long and would not let go of his bucket because that was the key to getting the goods. Sam had no idea what was going on but looked so cute dressed up like Winnie the Pooh and his fat little belly.

My parents bought Adam and Sam each a pumpkin in October. Adam calls it his "pumpkin pie" and carries it around with him in the car, sits with it at meals, they watch movies together on the couch, and he practically sleeps with it.

The Cat in the Hat

2008-10-29T20:19:00.000-07:00

I read this at least three times a day...I have the first 10 pages completely memorized...just wanted to let you know...

Rock n' Roll Half Marathon

2008-10-21T21:48:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, October 5th, Missie and I participated in the Rock n' Roll half marathon in San Jose. Here is a minute by minute breakdown of our experience. Much of it may be made up. Or not. I can't really remember because I was pretty tired.
6:30am - I awaken to my lovely wife's happy face smiling way bigger than anyone should be smiling at 6:30am. She is obviously much more excited about this race than I am. Maybe that has something to do with the fact that I have run a total of 6 miles in the last, oh, 6 months and she's been training three days a week for ever. A half marathon is... let me check... 13.1 miles long. Red flag.
6:45am - Missie introduces me to a product called 'Glide' which looks like deodorant but is actually a lubricant that is designed to keep your rubbing places from chafing. I take the 'more is better approach' and apply it liberally to my whole body. You never know what's gonna chafe.
6:46am - I can't get out of the bathroom because my hand keeps slipping on the door knob. This glide stuff really works.
7:00am - Missie frees me from my bathroom prison. We ceremoniously eat a spoonful of peanut butter for breakfast. Missie swears that tons of runners eat this stuff as fuel before a race. I think it's just an excuse to eat peanut butter.
7:03am - Missie turns her back and I shovel a bunch more peanut butter in before she can catch me. I hope she doesn't read this blog.
8:00am - We're lining up for our race, and I find out that I'm not supposed to be in the same coral as Miss. Apparently they assumed that since I'm a boy, I'm probably faster than Missie. Sexist pigs.
8:01am - Ok, I am faster than Miss. but today I'm running at her pace so I bend the rules and start in her coral. A guy close to us is wearing a prison jumpsuit and a mullet wig. Apparently we picked the PARTY coral! I'm wishing I wore my 'Mr. Tumnus' costume.
8:05am - We start running.
8:35am - We're still running.
8:45am - The running continues.
9:00am - You're probably thankful at this point that I'm not doing a true 'minute by minute' rundown of our experience. Let's just stick to the highlights.
9:07am - We are thankful for roadside port-a-potties. I'll spare you the details.
9:15am - We pass a cover band playing 50's bee-bop rock. The Rock n' Roll half marathon is unique because several bands are placed throughout the race to encourage and inspire the runners. Many of the runners raise their hands up and cheer for the band. I hope we get some 'Eye of the Tiger' at some point.
9:25am - The sun is starting to come up and I am sweating gratuitously. My wife is glistening. Gratuitously. I'm pretty happy with my decision NOT to wear the Mr. Tumnus costume about now.
9:38am - Every couple of miles there are tables set up with water and Cytomax (Gatorade competitor). It's pretty fun drinking your fill and then just chucking the cup on the ground. I feel like a rebel. Missie is fighting the urge to pick up every cup and make sure it finds it's way into the trash.
9:51am - We've been running since 8:00am. That's almost two hours, or more than I have run in the last three months combined. What am I doing out here? I pass a guy who's wearing a t-shirt that just about sums up my experience: "Our sport is what your sport does for punishment". That's seems about right.
9:55am - We come up on another re-hydrating station. In addition to my free Cytomax, a volunteer hands me a protein gel packet. I tear it open and squeeze some into my mouth. Apparently I got the 'Bitter dirt' flavored protein gel. I litter the packet and then run back to the table for more Cytomax.
10:03am - We're getting tired, so we start to play a game were we pick out a person in front of us and try to catch up to them. It motivates us, and keeps our mind off the fact that we could be doing anything other than running on this beautiful Sunday morning.
10:15am - "Hey Miss, you see that tall guy in the red..." "THE GAME IS OVER. I DON'T WANT TO PLAY ANYMORE." Wow. I guess that's just Missie's 'competitive streak' coming out. Or maybe she didn't use enough Glide. That's some good stuff right there.
10:20am - We spot the donkey lady ahead of us. The donkey lady is a supremely pleasant gal in her mid fifties who is wearing a pair of stylish donkey ears that set her apart from the pack. Something else that sets her apart from the pack is the fact that she is speed walking, and faster than a bunch of us who are running. We are determined to finish ahead of her.
10:24am - Donkey lady is faster than we thought.
10:30am - We are officially not going to make it in our goal time of 2.5 hours. But by golly, we will not be beaten by a senior citizen wearing Donkey ears.
10:32am - As we climb a subtle grade, a young woman beside us is struggling. Her friends, who are obviously more athletic and better prepared than her, give some cheerful encouragement - "You can do it, pump your arms." "I'M PUMPING ALREADY!!!", she replies, obviously tired of hearing encouragements from people who do not feel her pain. 80 percent of the other runners around her immediately cheer her frustrated response, she has said what most of the people in our pace group want to say but don't have the energy to.
10:34am - Those donkey ears are taunting us, gently bobbing up and down at a brisk rate as we scrape together the last bit of energy we have. I bet you Missie is wishing she shoveled in a little more peanut butter this morning. She hits the 'power song' button on her i-pod and we make our final push.
10:38am - I give donkey lady props as we PASS her, just minutes before the finish line. Ok, so how lame am I that I'm proud I defeated a speed walking grandma in a half-marathon. Regardless, we're almost there. I think I hear 'We've Come So Far' from the Hairspray Soundtrack playing from Missie's earphones.
10:40am - IT'S OVER!!! We cross the line and are immediately greeted by volunteers holding cold wet towels, chilled water bottles and signs that encourage us for working so hard. That refreshing towel makes the whole thing worth it. Oh wait, no it doesn't. But seeing the joy in Missie's face that I was willing to share this experience with her DOES make it worth it. I'm really proud of her, and I'm grateful that I'll always be a big part of her memory of this day. Ok Miss, I ran a half marathon with you, now you get to enter a jiu-jitsu tournament with me, right?

Lions and tigers and bears...

2008-10-17T16:06:00.000-07:00

...but no elephants or penguins. Sad.
Adam and Sam took their first trip to the zoo! We went with my mom, sisters, aunt Wendy, cousins, and my cousin Lauren and her kids.

We saw this scary monkey.

Adam and Cade were in heaven.

Adam's first push-pop. This was my favorite as a kid from the ice cream truck!

It was a long day...

6 years of wedded bliss!

2008-10-15T10:27:00.000-07:00

Our anniversary started with Nick handing me a post-it note when we woke up. He had hidden 12 more around the house. It took me a week to find all those little love notes everywhere from the toilet paper roll to inside the microwave. If only every girl was as blessed as I am! Thank you, Lord, for choosing me to be Nick's wife. And thank you, Nick for 6 years!

The Circus! Featurning Adam's new obsession with Dumbo.

2008-09-12T13:14:00.000-07:00

I ordered Dumbo on Netflix about a month ago, foolishly thinking we would keep it for a couple days then send it back for the next movie. But oh, no. I was wrong. Adam has watched Dumbo daily- at least once a day- for the past month. He quotes the lines, sings the songs, and jumps up and down with pure excitement every time that elephant starts to fly. That's why, when my friend Alisha sent out an email for free tickets to the circus, we couldn't resist.
We counted down the days and last night we got to see Dumbo! (Don't you dare tell him that it really wasn't a big Dumbo.) It was perfect. Not too big or overwhelming. We sat right in front of the center ring and this is pretty much what heaven must be like for two year olds. He rode a pony, rode an elephant (who we renamed Dumbo), fed llamas and he-haws (aka: donkeys), met clowns, ate popcorn that I responsibly brought from home, ate cotton candy that his dad bought for him there, saw motorcyles, hula hoops, and slid down a gigantic inflatable slide. It brought so much joy to Nick and I to be able to give this gift to our son. We had such a great time! "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" (Matthew 7:11)

The comb-over is over!

2008-09-09T14:57:00.004-07:00

It's a little bit harder for me to do the "growing up" things with Sam. The boys are 19 months apart so I was pregnant when Adam was doing the "firsts". It was easier for me to let go of my baby when another was on the way. Well, not pregnant and not really planning on it for a couple years. Alas, my baby for now is growing up.

Sam did so good sitting there while Nick took the clippers to his baby fine locks. I saved up and just got my Nikon D40 camera last week and the pictures turn out so wonderful- especially of moments like this. It was a sad moment but I'm over it now and he looks great. He's turning into a little boy!

The Human Race

2008-09-09T14:57:00.003-07:00

So I have about 5 and a half months until my marathon, but I need little milestones to hit along the way. I am running in the Rock 'n Roll half marathon (13 miles) on October 5 and I convinced Nick, who does not run regularly, to do it with me. I run 2 days during the week and do a long run on the weekends. I'm now up to 11 miles!

Nick bought me the Nike+ that plugs into my ipod and tracks my runs. It lets me know my pace, mileage, minutes, calories, and all sorts of fun stuff. My favorite part about it though, is when I do a longer run than I ever have before. A voice comes on at the end of every run to let me know my stats but when I do the longest, either Paula Radcliffe or Lance Armstrong comes on to say, "Wow! That was your farthest workout so far. Good job!" I will gladly run for 2 hours to get that reward. Isn't that weird? But I need motivation like that.

Anyway, Nike+ put on the first global 10k (6 miles) so you just run wherever you are and download your information to their website and they know who all ran. So Nick and I set out to run on a Sunday evening our 10k. Nick was pushing Adam and Sam in the double stroller when about 2 miles into the run, one of the tires went flat. He was such a trooper and continued the whole run pushing about 80 pounds on a blown out tire. I asked if he wanted me to take a turn pushing but his pride wouldn't let him be seen running next to a girl pushing a stroller.

Potty Training Part 1

2008-09-09T14:57:00.001-07:00

There are some who may read this who do not have children so I will spare you the details. Let's just say Adam did great for a week and then he got sick. I reevaluated and decided we need another month before he totally grasps the concept. Strike one. We'll let you know when we have another go at it. I'll have to invest in some more jelly beans...

Nick's Tournament

2008-09-09T14:55:00.000-07:00

Nick has been training in jiu-jitsu for about a year now. He decided to enter the Gracie Open tournament and Adam and I went out to support him in the 90 degree gym. Sorry if the video is a little wobbly- Adam kept pulling on me and saying, "Look, Mommy! Daddy tackle!!"

And then there were 15...

2008-09-09T14:54:00.001-07:00

Reunion. That word conjures up some image of distant relatives who fly to some remote location to see people that they are apparently related to and only see once every five years. But that is what we called this long weekend at my parents' house. I am number four of six children. Six seems like such a huge number but then you have to account for the parents, spouses, and children and suddenly it becomes 15! How did that happen?! And that's only my immediate family and I love it.

So we retreated to Somerset, the closest recognizable city being Placerville, 40 miles away. We played in the pool, played games, watched movies, ate pizza, took pictures, laughed at the kids, celebrated birthdays, and just enjoyed each other. One day, my parents treated us all to a whitewater rafting trip on the middle fork of the American River. It was so great- and thank the Lord for my grandparents and aunt Wendy who took on our 4 extra kids under the age of 3. We all survived the trip and only managed to lose Trevor and his wife Amber into the freezing rapids for a minute or two. And yes, if you can see from the pictures, that is my leg up in the air as I prepared to be the 3rd casualty of the river. My dad pulled me back in but pretty much all the pictures are of me upside down.

"Jesus gives us the power to" survive VBS

2008-09-09T10:33:00.000-07:00

After about six months of planning, hours of preparing, and even permanently inscribing a huge "Power Lab" logo on our dining room table (ouch!), we have survived Vacation Bible School! It was my first year as a director, and as it almost sucked the very life out of me, I loved almost every minute. I had great volunteers and such a supportive congregation. The Lord was so merciful to me: there were many areas that I dropped the ball on but He definitely pulled it off. What a blessing. I'm already thinking about next year.
And as a thank you for all my hard work, I was slimed from head to toe at the end of the last day. We had our annual VBS penny drive to raise money for missions- boys versus girls. Out of over 23,000 pennies raised, the boys won by less than $4, and I had green slime stuck in my hair for a week.

Swimming 101

2008-07-02T23:48:00.001-07:00

Scoops and kicks - two essential movements that a two year old must master if he wants to learn how to swim. But while the other kids in Adam's intro to swimming class were wiggling their legs and perfecting their doggy paddles, all my boy wanted to do was yell "Gabio!" and jump off the side into my arms. He's a bit of a daredevil. I think he gets it from his mom. ; ) Adam spent a little time scooping but he really just wanted to jump off the side and push away on his own. Not the safest strategy, but I've got to say, the kid's courageous.

And a little note from mom in response: I'm pretty sure I'm not the one who goes cliff diving and jumps over rocks with reckless abandon! :) Adam did end up pretty well- he can swim to the wall if we push him towards it, and he can climb out all by himself!

Gabio!

2008-07-02T23:33:00.000-07:00

Every warrior worth his salt needs a war cry. Geronimo! Banzai! Gabio? Yes, Gabio. (ga'-bee-oh)If you know what it means, please e-mail me. My fearless son Adam has been using this mysterious word for months and he hasn't bothered to explain where it came from or what it's supposed to communicate. We only know that when Adam's excited or has just accomplished a new feat of toddlerhood it's very likely that he's going to rear back and holler "Gabby... Gabio!!!" Makes me smile every time.

Gee-Gee

2008-06-17T14:00:00.000-07:00

My Gee-Gee passed away this afternoon and it just got me thinking about all the things I loved about her. This post is for my benefit but you are free to catch a glimpse of this piece of my heart if you wish.
I remember...
...driving back to Santa Rosa to visit for a while and we'd stop at a place on the way where we'd ride a little train and go feed the animals.
...going for walks in the woods and being so quiet that we could see the deer up close.
...the little basket of Barbies that I'd play with in the guest room.
...sitting on the bed to listen to her recording her voice reading us stories.
...peanut time, about an hour before dinner when I could go down to the garage to get a short can of soda and eat peanuts in those little wooden bowls.
...Pops' incredible model train set up downstairs.
...swimming all the time and feeling the soft tan skin on her arms.
...playing "Go Fish" on the beach towel.
...seeing raccoons in the early morning out on the deck.
...eating my favorite meal that she made for me- hamburger stroganoff out on the deck.
...my friend across the street who was a granddaughter of Gee-Gee's friend. I was given two fudgesicles for her and I to share.
...playing Barbies with that same little girl while we were at a funeral reception for one of Gee-Gee's friends.
...spilling juice on the oriental rug and being scolded for it.
...playing "Memory". There was a card that had bugs on it and whenever she would turn it over, she'd scream in mock disgust. Later, when I was in high school, I went on a trip to Colorado and bought her a souvenir. It was a purple paperweight with a scorpion inside. She and I mailed it back and forth to each other several times. :) I have it now.
...coffee cake.
...goofy cake.
...snickerdoodles. We'd cook them together and she'd send them back with me for my dad- they were his favorite.
...my green Tinkerbell toothbrush.
...that big plastic pink fish in the bathtub.
...going to church and kneeling on that thing that you kneel on.
...going out to North's brunch for dinner.
...one time she took me to a miniature horse show and I got to ride in a little carriage pulled by the horses.
...creamed spinach.
...rolled up dollar bills tied with a red ribbon.
...sometimes, she'd send me money on my brothers' birthday so that I wouldn't feel left out.
...the smell from their house- I loved it and was so reluctant to have my mom wash my things when I came home.
...when they moved to Mission Viejo and she called the security guard to say that there was a rattlesnake in her back patio. They came out expecting to see a garden snake but sure enough, Gee-Gee knew what she saw!
...Gee-Gee teaching me to cross-stitch and to knit.
...the Suzy's Friends ornaments that she made for our Christmas tree.
...my pink baby blanket that she knit for me. I left it on the heater once and now it has two large holes in it.
...driving with Nick and our new baby to Palm Desert to introduce Adam to his great grandma and grandpa in the 117 degree weather.
...the one and only time that Sam and Gee-Gee were able to meet this past December.
...all of those Christmas and birthday cards that she always remembered to send and signed with xoxo.
...that she used to spell my name "Missie" when my name was "Missy". I liked it better her way and changed it in 6th grade.
...that I loved her.
...that I already miss her.

The world just got a little sweeter

2008-06-14T17:18:00.000-07:00

Emma Grace Board was born this morning to my best friend April and her husband Darren. What a sweet precious little girl! Congratulations and we love you!

Adam's favorite spot

2008-06-11T10:54:00.000-07:00

We have been blessed with a beautiful backyard. Adam loves climbing the hill, climbing the tree, swinging, playing baseball and soccer and basketball, roasting marshmallows, or just running around on the grass. And yet, his favorite spot to go is a lonely plot of dirt behind a bench to play in the dirt and pour it on his head. Go figure.

Did you know?

2008-06-11T10:51:00.000-07:00

Did you know that when you go cherry picking, that it is all you can eat cherries while you pick? But more importantly, did you know that a toddler can ingest over 20 cherry PITS in one sitting with seemingly no harm to his digestive tracks?

The boys

2008-06-11T10:37:00.000-07:00

What a joy to have these boys! We love to watch them grow and learn daily. Adam adores his daddy and puts Nick's hat on whenever he gets the chance. He loves anything to do with Nick. He doesn't call something red- he says "dada's car" because that's the color of Nick's car.
We always had to work to get a smile out of Adam when he was little but Sam just dishes them out to anyone who looks his way. He's our little social butterfly.
I love to watch them play together. Or, more accurately, I love to watch Sam smile and laugh at his big brother as Adam drives some vehicle over Sam's head or tries to tackle him.
So, as Sam is our social one, Adam has become quite the scientist- making experiments with every dinner meal. He usually combines all the contents of his plate into his cup of water and, much to our disgust moments later, he eats the food and then drinks the water. To each his own.

The 10k from down under

2008-06-11T10:25:00.000-07:00

On May 10th, I succeeded in convincing some unsuspecting friends that they wanted to run the 1st annual Wildflower 10k at the Los Vaqueros Watershed. This was the farthest I had run to date and I probably couldn't have done it without Judy. She stayed with me the whole time up huge inclines in the middle of nowhere. An experienced runner, Judy said this was the most difficult 10k out of the dozens that she had run. But we finished! It only took me an hour and 28 minutes- I like to set the bar low so that I have room to improve. From left to right: Judy, me, Alaura, and Shannon

Happy Birthday, Adam!

2008-05-03T15:10:00.000-07:00

Adam turned two on Wednesday and we celebrated today with a Curious George party. There was messy finger painting and chalk drawing galore and the tables were decorated with bananas, mini bananas, and monkey paraphernalia. Nick is the creative one so he used he sweet skills to craft a monkey cake for the birthday boy. I found an old coffee table in my parent's barn and we cleaned it up so Nick could turn it into a train table. Adam's face lit up when he saw it and he started squealing "choo-choo" in a high pitched voice because he was so excited. Everything ran smoothly (other than Adam burning his finger on the candle while he was trying to blow it out.) and we all had a great time. Now I've gotta go work off that cake with a five mile run...

My first 5k

2008-04-30T21:28:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, the boys and I ran in the Spring to Life Fun Run in Brentwood. The top three stroller runners won a prize and I was holding 2nd for the first half of the race then people slowly started passing me. If you want to see the posted results, I'm at the very bottom of the page in the stroller division. I was the very first double stroller to cross the line but I guess they don't give prizes for that :( I have a 10k scheduled for May 10th and I won't have to push around an extra 80 pounds on that one so we'll see how we do...

The great thing about weeds:

2008-04-29T10:39:00.000-07:00

One day, when they were playing in the backyard, Nick helped Adam pick a flower and told him to bring it in to mommy. Ever since then, every single time he goes outside, Adam picks a flower and brings it inside to me. It's one of the highlights of my day- I love knowing that he's thinking of me while searching for a flower and all the way back inside to find me. That's a lot of focus for such a little boy! He'll be two years old tomorrow and I can't believe how fast the time has gone. He's done such a good job at growing and we thank the Lord every night that He's blessed our family with Adam.

The big 30!

2008-04-28T15:20:00.000-07:00

He made it! On April 11th, Nick turned 30! A bunch of us met at the bowling alley to surprise him and to celebrate this momentous occasion. I had everything planned to perfection but alas, things did not work out quite as well as I had hoped. We arrived home from Arkansas at two in the morning and spent most of his day recovering and unpacking. We were going to get some hot wings (his absolute favorite) for dinner and then blindfold him so we could go the the bowling alley. I was so proud of myself for having it all together- we drove up to "Wings to Go" and they sure had gone-OUT OF BUSINESS! On Nick's birthday! We were very sad but the rest of the evening was a hit. Adam especially enjoyed the Funfetti cupcakes. And I have no idea why this whole thing is underlined. I can't get rid of it so I am sorry. :)

Arkansas bound

2008-04-21T10:17:00.000-07:00

4:00am- in the morning- before the sun is up when it's still dark outside and any sane person would still be sleeping soundly in bed. We arise and head off to the airport. We were crazy enough to each fly with a child on our lap so we could save a few bucks. The first 2 1/2 hour flight was hard for Nick and Adam (who was too excited to go on an airplane to go back to sleep). Toddlers do not like to be contained especially when there is a whole airplane to explore. They finally both conked out on the second flight as you can see! Sam, on the other hand, was an angel- other than his training me to change several diapers on my lap in an airplane seat. We survived all but one of them, and for the weak of stomach, I'll spare you the gory details.

We were able to see family that we hadn't seen in a year and a half. Adam loved wrestling with cousins Christian and Cameron. At Nana and Papa's house, he helped Papa mow his lawn and ran around with Chase. Sam got to meet everyone and he had an exciting trip too. He learned to roll over and also started eating rice cereal when we were out there.

The night before we were scheduled to come home, we bathed the kids and put them to bed early so they would be well rested for our day of traveling the next day. We were so proud of ourselves for being so responsible. Then the sirens went off... Are you kidding me? Are tornadoes really that serious? But I just put them to bed! The next hour and a half was spent in the tornado shelter. Adam loved it- running around with his cousins in a big room is so much more fun than going to sleep. So we saw the pictures of the tennis ball-sized hail on TV and then made our way home when the twister had passed. Home, kids to bed again, not ten minutes pass and the sirens go off AGAIN! I love living in California. We go back to the shelter again to hear stories of roofs being torn off and cars being flooded off the road. So, after two stints in the tornado shelter and hoping there was no rotation in the third storm, we survived our last night in Arkansas.

At Papa and Grammie's

2008-04-21T10:03:00.000-07:00

On Easter, we drove Nick to the airport so he could go on the church mission trip to Mexico, then the boys and I escaped to my parents' house for the week. It was a nice break for me because there is always someone willing to hold the baby, read to Adam, get up to feed in the middle of the night... (oh, wait- I went to far with that one!) Actually, both boys are great at sleeping and Sam's been sleeping from 9pm to 7am for months now. We are blessed.

I am a big fan of scheduling and the boys' days are very predictable. During an afternoon naptime, we heard some noises coming from the room where Adam was sleeping. These noises were much to gleeful for a slumbering toddler. I opened the door to check on him and this is what I found: apparently, I underestimated the distance from the port-a-bed to my sister's dresser. But no problem for my son- he emptied almost the entire contents of the top drawer onto his head and into his bed.

It's got its own weather system!

2008-03-20T14:41:00.000-07:00

So now the appropriate thing is to joke about it... because there's nothing wrong with Sam's head! Praise God. After 3 hours in the waiting room at Children's Hospital, and 45 minutes for him to fall asleep for the CT scan, the results are in: he has an extreme case of bathrocephaly. At 4 months old and 14 pounds, he is in the 50th percentile for his height and weight and 75th percentile for his head. The Lord knows the plans for Sam's future and maybe someday that thick skull will come in handy. Thank you so much for all those prayers- God heard you!

Mama? Run...c'mon!

2008-03-08T08:42:00.001-08:00

Praise the Lord! We mentioned to a family in our church that we were looking for a jogging stroller so I could run with the boys to train for the marathon in 358 days. We were hoping they could just help us find a used one but they bought a brand new one for us! God is good- all the time.

We wasted no time; we got the stroller last night and Sam, Adam, and I went on a 2.5 mile run/walk this morning. The stroller is so easy to push- it's my legs that are the stubborn part. When I would take a little break to walk, Adam would look up through the little plastic window at me and say, "Mama? Run...c'mon!" How could I say no to that sweet little boy who just wanted to go fast? I think he'll be a valuable asset to my training.

Sam update:

2008-03-06T16:34:00.000-08:00

We have a CAT scan scheduled for St. Patrick's Day, March 17th at 1pm.

The Saga Continues...

2008-03-03T21:17:00.000-08:00

We took Sam to Children's Hospital today and met with the fabulous Dr. Gizzi who has two guesses to what it might be that makes his head look like a bike helmet. The more likely one, and the one we are hoping it is, is bathrocephaly, "a developmental anomaly marked by a steplike posterior projection of the skull, caused by excessive growth of the lambdoid suture". It basically means that he has a really thick clump of bone at the back of his skull for no particular reason whatsoever.

The other option is that there could be something in/on/around his brain that is pushing the skull out and we will find that out with an MRI which requires general anesthesia (we're not excited about that). He also needs to get a CT scan to see if the skull is especially thick. The Lord knew what He was doing when He made Sam, and apparently, that's the head God wanted for him. If it is bathrocephaly, then we don't need to do anything- it will just be less noticeable as he grows into his head. He just won't ever look good with a buzz cut...

The Countdown Begins...

2008-03-02T14:10:00.000-08:00

Today, thousands of people ran over 26 miles in the L.A. Marathon and I am hoping to join them for next year! Today, I am capable of running about 3 miles in one stretch so I have quite a ways to go. My friend Tim just ran 63 marathons in 63 days to raise over $750,000 for the AT Children's Project, so I figure if he can do that, I can at least run one, right?

An update...

2008-02-20T14:51:00.000-08:00

Not much has changed since the exciting story of Sam's birth. We've just been adjusting to life with a family of four! Nick still loves youth ministry and just got back from the annual snow trip.

I somehow got it into my mind that I want to run a marathon next year (and if I write it down, maybe it will actually happen!).

Adam adores his little brother even though he can't say his name- he just calls him baby. Someday he'll be able to say words that start with "s" but until then, he loves doing puzzles, bowling, climbing things, and tackling daddy. He'll be two in April and we are already planning a Curious George party.

Sam, 3 months, is mastering smiling and laughing and that's about it for now.

As you can see from Sam's profile picture, he has a strangely shaped head. We have an appointment to see a doctor at Children's Hospital craniofacial department on March 3. Remember us in your prayers as we try to figure out if there's something we need to do about it or if Sam just has a funny head.

Take a look!

2007-11-21T09:57:00.001-08:00

Here are some picures of Samuel. More to come soon!

Introducing: Samuel Bryan Neves!

2007-11-20T19:55:00.000-08:00

At 3:38am Monday morning we welcomed the latest member of our family into the world! Here is a minute by minute account of that happy morning:

1:30am - Missie waddles into the den and tells me I should get some sleep, she thinks the baby may be coming soon. I turn off homestarrunner.com and hit the sack.
2:00am - A voice from the bathroom pulls me from my slumber. Missie thinks her water just broke. I'm secretly hoping it's just bladder control problems.
2:01am - It's definitely not bladder control problems. I quickly try to employ the coaching techniques I learned over the past twelve weeks of Bradley training - encouraging words, back message, relaxation techniques... I know exactly what to do. She says "Stop talking and don't touch me." I go downstairs and start to load the car.
2:07am - I check in on Missie to see if she wants that massage yet. She gives me 'The look' and I scurry downstairs to get her a glass of water. Mr. Bradley, I want my Thursday nights back.
2:12am - I call Missie's mom Debbie and she picks up on the first ring sounding alert and composed, like the woman in the movies who wakes up with her hair nice and her make-up already done - weird. She will later tell me I should have called her an hour earlier.
2:13am - I call Angie and leave a message letting her know we're dropping Adam off and heading to the hospital. She is sound asleep and oblivious to the excitement.
2:26am - I continue loading the car. I stop in the kitchen and hear Missie moaning upstairs in the bathroom. I grab a couple extra towels and a tupperware container to hold the placenta in case we don't make it to the hospital and we have to deliver in the car on the side of the road. Not that that would ever really happen. Right?
2:27am - I check in on Miss as she bears down for a hard contraction. I consider reaching over to console her but think twice. I might need both my hands later and I don't want to get one bitten off. She finishes the contraction and thanks me for not doing anything to help. Anytime, hun.
2:35am - I carry a groggy Adam out to the car and he doesn't put up a fuss. He's so calm and content that I later wonder if he was in on it.
2:45am - We head over to Angie's (they gave us a house key for just such an emergency) and I quietly put Adam down in the nursery. I could have stolen the TV while I was there - no one heard me coming or going.
2:46am - I get in the car and Missie is struggling. She is clearly in active labor. I'm looking forward to breaking many traffic laws in the next few minutes.
2:47am - I run my first red light.
2:48am - I run my second red light.
2:50am - Missie asks if I'm running red lights (she's laboring with her eyes closed). I say, "just focus on the labor, I'll get you there safe." I hope she's more convinced than I am.
3:05am - Missie starts making very load howling noises. I tell myself it's her way of dealing with the pain. In between contractions, she tells me that when she's howling, it's because she's pushing and there's nothing she can do to stop it. I try to look calm, but it's officially panic time.
3:15am - We're 15 minute away when Missie tells me "The baby is coming NOW!" And I thought 3:05 was panic time!
3:30am - We roll up to the emergency room door and I run in to get some help. A doctor and two nurses come out with a wheel chair. I think to myself "We're going to need a gurney."
3:31am - The doctor tries to check the baby while Missie is mid-contraction in the front seat. Missie denies him like a goalie in a playoff game. He looks over at the nurse - "Go get a gurney".
3:35am - After getting Missie on the gurney, the doctor checks her and finds out the baby is crowning. We rush into the first room in ER and park next to an elderly woman who has no idea what is going on. The attending doctor prepares to catch the baby and I hear him say 'It's been a few years since I've done this'. I briefly wonder if we would have been better of on the side of the road. I look down and see the baby's head crown hard and stop wondering.
3:38am - The doctor tells Missie not to push. She ignores him and pushes with all she's got. The baby twists out in one big rush, two minutes after we got into the room. I'm thankful I didn't stop to go to the bathroom before we left the house, otherwise the baby would have been born in the Volvo!
3:40am - I hold our new son in my arms as all the ER nurses give him googly eyes. From behind the curtain, our elderly roommate asks in a shaky voice "Can somebody get me a drink of water?"
3:41am - The nurses continue to hover over the baby - they don't get many newborns down in the ER. From behind the curtain, our elderly roommate asks again in a shaky voice "Can somebody get me a drink of water?"
3:42am - "Can someone get me something to drink?"
3:43am - "Would somebody please get me some water?" The nurses aren't fazed.
3:44am - "Can I get a drink of water?" I tell the nurses "I think someone should get her something to drink." She smiles at the baby and says, "Oh, she'll be fine." I decide to get the baby out of the ER before the poor old lady dies of dehydration.
3:45am - We're reunited with Missie upstairs in labor and delivery, in a daze from the amazing turn of events. It was exciting, it was terrifying, and it wasn't like anything I've ever experienced. Glory to God, our family of three is officially a family of four!

BTW - His name is Samuel Bryan Neves, and he weighed 8lbs, 7oz. Pictures to come.

The Unnamed one

2007-09-13T15:56:00.000-07:00

We call him "Bob" because there's nothing else to name him. If the Lord sends you a vision as to what to call this boy, please send us a memo, preferably before November 24th. Thank you.

2007-09-11T18:17:00.000-07:00