The Upton Family

Allen (Michael Allen Upton II) Born!

2009-07-10T17:03:00.000-07:00

New Family Photo!!

The View out our window this am

Mommy In Hospital Room In early am

Monitor: Top is babies heartbeat, Bottom is momma's contractions

Momma and equipment

Momma and Karen the first nurse

Later Visit from Steph’s Family and Abigail, Aunt Angela and Claire whom she nannies for

Abigail in Room 1

Abigail Drinking Sippy before Allen arrives

Want My sippy?

Abigail and Claire who Aunt Angela nannies

Abigail and Claire Kissing

Abigail and Claire Hugging

Our wonderful Nurse Jess who stayed with us all day and through the delivery

Mom Looking at Allen Lovingly... Right after birth

Steph looking at Allen... aww my baby :)

"Kisses Allen!" Allen looks lovingly at momma's kissies

Allen stares up at momma

Allen in Warming Bassinet

Allen all Bundled up in Bassinet

Daddy and Allen

Allen Being Held

Allen with his mouth Open Wide

Abigail looking at little brother in Grandma's arms

Grandpa Estep and Baby Allen

Grandma Estep and Allen

Uncle Michael and Baby Allen

Uncle Michael and Allen 2

Uncle Michael and Allen 3

Aunt Angela (sissy) and Allen

Mommy and Abigail After Allen was born

Mommy telling Abigail "I love you" After Allen was born

Getaway 4 A Day

2009-06-10T16:34:00.001-07:00

We decided to get away together for a whole day and we had such a blast! I would highly recommend this to any couple planning to add an addition. Thanks to my parents for watching Abby for one day and two nights so this could be possible!!!

We are about to head off to breakfast at Mary and John's to start the day.

Here is the bridge at the Toledo Botanical Gardens...the bridge we were engaged on 8 years ago.

Reminiscing and still so in love!
Mike resting in front of the arches statue
I'm leaning on the Pioneer Cabin.
This is my favorite rose...so unique and pretty.

After the gardens we ate at The Texas Roadhouse (YUM!) and went to the drive-in movies to see "Up" and "Night at the Museum II." Again, I would recommend a day away to any couple. I think it is especially important at certain times like when you will be having another baby. I hope anyone that reads this will take some extra time with the one you love!

On a side note, I have become obsessed with the web site about baby bunching. Check it out at www.babybunching.com to see what I mean. With Allen coming soon we will have two under two...oh boy! This site has great stories and advice about it that I h ave found very valuable and absolutely hilarious several times.

2009 Vacation!!

2009-06-10T15:47:00.000-07:00

Parts of our trip were in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. It was great to see family and do some sight seeing. Abigail really enjoyed the time playing with her little cousins.

Here she is with Devin.

The Disc Golf players - Brittany, Mike, Bill, and Brianna

Fun times on the slide were had by Lexi, Brianna, and Abby

The littlest of the Funky Bunch...Zoe

She's a little dare-devil and loving every bit of it

These two had a great time laughing so much at each other.

And tickling each other.

Here's Uncle Mike and the brood of girls

group photo!

Wayne and Abby in the Conservatory at Longwood Gardens

Us with Jen, Wayne, Devin and the traveling musicians at Longwood Garden in PA

Fort Rapids water park was a lot of fun!

There were lots of great kid toys for Abby like this water swing.

Almost 16 months Professional Pictures 2009

2009-05-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

Abigail's 1st Birthday Party

2009-01-27T15:26:00.000-08:00

January 23rd and 24th were very exciting days in our house. On her birthday she got to open the bouncing zebra from Grandma and Grandpa Upton. She loved it from the first sight of the box, could hardly wait for Michael to get it together, and literally rode it all day.

Here she is on it in the morning just after it was put together.

Here she is in her Birthday dress giving her baby a ride in the afternoon.

And here she's getting in one last ride for the day just before bedtime.

Saturday was her big birthday bash with lots of friends and family. Here she is eating cake with her twin cousins, Samuel and Savannah (born just three hours after Abigail).

Here is the chocolatey mess she made...yummy!!

This little video gives a glimpse of some of the party guests at the end of the party. We all had a great time...thanks everyone!

This is just after opening the bouncing zebra box.

Here she is riding it for the very first time.

We survived the holidays!

2009-01-09T16:21:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful holiday season 2008! It was so fun to see everything new through the eyes of Abigail...especially for her 1st Christmas! So here is a rundown of some pictures from November and December 2008. Hope you are having a very Happy New Year!!

Yep, you see two lines...Upton baby #2 is on the way in July 2009!

Here are the cousins on the Upton side at Thanksgiving, from left to right, Brianna holding Zoe, Lexi, Abigail, and Brittany holding Devin (Eliza was not able to be there for this one).

Here is the first view of Abigail's first tooth on the way, finally.

Here we are celebrating Grandpa Estep's birthday out to dinner.

Mommy and me looking all pretty at the Christmas Eve church service.

The neat car I got for Christmas from Grandma and Grandpa Estep. It makes lots of neat sounds.

This is the fun ball tower...she loves the music it makes.

Here is her Dora chair...just her size!

Brittany, Eliza, and Brianna showing their Christmas gifts. They are all such beautiful neices!

Grandma Upton reading the funny Christmas card with the alarming wake up call. Check out the beautiful tree and Melanee talking to me in the background.

Abigail loves to hold her babies and rock them with mommy. Here she's in her swing with them.

Here's a great shot of her two teeth now. We figure more are coming soon.

I love her pretty eyelashes.

Cute little two toothes grin...awe!

Say cheese!!

2008-11-09T11:32:00.000-08:00

Oh me? I'm just eating a puff... Yes as a matter of fact I insist on eating with my hands. Messy is a must!I can't wait for teeth. This would be so much easier! See how intent I am?

Horsing around with my Gorilla gets me prepared for when Mom or Dad comes to tickle me!

I'm so tired I can barely tell what color things are!

Fun morning

2008-10-16T15:04:00.000-07:00

She got hungry for more puffs and decided to help herself...

She loved this praying mantis from Aunt Angela, but unfortunately we aren't sure where it is now.

Her eyes are so blue.

She was smiling big for the camera this time.

Abigail 7-8 months old

2008-10-11T08:32:00.001-07:00

Abigail shares the teething ring with Daddy

She loves shoes already!

Abigail started pulling herself to standing at 7 months.

She's pretty happy about her new abilities to explore.

Abby found the baby in the oven.

It was great to get away and visit Connie in Cedarville, OH...even though she roots for the Nebraska football team.

Connie's grandson Michael was visiting, too. What a cutie!

Can I have some of this, please?

She's proud to be sitting where her toys belong. You see they are all over the floor behind her instead. :)

I love her big smiles and fun laughs.

Abby is attempting to crawl through the kitchen chair.
A success!

Not sure about this food.
What a messy eater! She likes to eat with her hand in her mouth.
It was great to visit Connie in Cedarville, OH.

Experimenting with the silver bowls in the kitchen.

Learning that they make noise.

It sure makes a good hat!

Having a blast!!

She's a daring girl and likes to stand on the edge of her walker.

Trying to get in on her own...so independent.

She's experimenting with more finger foods and loving it.

Here's a video of Abigail pulling to standing.

She learned to buzz her lips and did it all day long for a few whole days. It was hilarious!

The funny sounds we hear lately

2008-08-20T22:41:00.000-07:00

My Latest Adventure

2008-08-19T20:05:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! It's Abigail here. I have really been enjoying some of my new toys, except for when I get tiring phonecalls!

One day I really wanted to climb underneath my bouncer.

So, I did. All by myself!

And I got to the toys I wanted to reach on the other side, some fun Elephants. Am I in trouble mommy?

OK, onto the next toy. Now I just have to get outta here.

Can I eat my way out?

Hmmm let me think about this...

Yawn, I've been in here a long time!

Wah, how do I get out? Help!!

Never mind, I got it.

Here's how I like to pose lately. Am I model material?

Here is me and Daddy on the porch of the house we are living in now. It has a neat stained glass window that I love.

And lots of space for all my stuff! Don't tell mommy and daddy, but I have taken over. Ha ha!!

She's getting faster

2008-08-12T17:24:00.000-07:00

and starting to get into places she shouldn't hee hee life is getting more and more interesting... and she's only 6 1/2 months old!

Visit to DC & MD

2008-08-09T13:15:00.000-07:00

There are so many beautiful things to see right when you get into Washington DC!! Mom and Dad Upton, thanks SO MUCH for helping us stay in DC for a few days. It was great to see you all for a little while, too!

Here's the Capital Building

Michael being crazy

Mom and Dad Upton waiting in line for the inside tour of the Capital

Abigail's first time to sit in a restaurant highchair...she did great!

The Library of Congress

We took a tour of this too

We were particularly interested in this part of the ceiling

Abigail had a good time, most of the time, too!

The Washington Monument

The World War II Memorial

The National Archives

My sweet baby and hubby

Brittany and Brianna meet Abby for the first time, unfortunately she needed a nap.

National Air and Space Museum (in Virginia near Dulles, not in DC)
This was Michael's favorite plane, the SR-71 Blackbird!

This propellar is about as tall as both of them put together.

See, I was there, too!

Mom Upton, Brianna, Brittany, and Abigail

Here we are outside the museum after a fun visit.

When we dropped the girls off at home we got to see Mel and Lexi

Here we are:
Mom and Dad Upton, Justin, me, Mel, Abby, Lexi, Brianna, Brittany, and Michael's taking the picture

Here's Michael's two cute preggo sisters Mel and Jenny!! Can't wait to meet the babies!! :)

Becoming Mobile

2008-08-07T12:00:00.000-07:00

From Illinois to Ohio

2008-07-28T12:19:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Team Records for making my last day a great one!

the wonderful decorations on my desk

Luane Duda came back to see me

Donna, Angi, and Lona

Our time to move has now come and gone, but I wanted to share some memories. Here are some cute shots of Abigail during the packing process (she was in her crib playing a lot while our house was in chaos).

It didn't seem to bother her until the last few days when everything was busy and she kept being moved from room to room. Thankfully, there were lots of people to keep her entertained.

Since Michael graduated from Trinity we had to get out of our Apt on campus. We decided to move away from the Chicago Area to be closer to family and to be in a more cost effective area. When we move to Ohio we will stay with my family for a few days, visit Michael's family in Maryland for a week, and then move into a temporary home Aug 1st until we know more about Michael's job plan. Basically, we don't know when and where we will be in ministry, Michael plans to keep his job with Amplivox doing web design, and I get to stay home with Abigail. If you want more details, just let me know.

Happy Independence Day!

2008-07-06T16:56:00.001-07:00

She was in such a good mood, making for lots of great pictures. Hope you all had a good 4th of July celebration as well!!

She was so good for the fireworks, shortly after all these cute smiles she fell asleep, stired some from the loud booming, but slept through and we got to enjoy the time. She sure seems unsure of what's going on in this picture though. Michael cracked up for a few minutes when he saw this for the first time. When I asked what was so funny, he said, "just her expression."

This was one morning, she was enjoying playing with her blanket and I couldn't help but snap a few pics of her cuteness.

Abigail is 5 Months Old

2008-06-29T18:43:00.000-07:00

My mom and dad still take me everywhere, mostly against my will! I saw these neat yellow things called flowers, I'm not sure what they are for.
I'll tell you a thing or two...but you have to come see me.
Look how hard I'm trying to sit up!
I love to stare at Daddy, really, it's one of my favorite past times.
Awe, Daddy's kissing me!!!
Guess what?!? I found my tounge!
We were both exhausted from playing hard, so we had a little rest together.
Look at my cool Bumbo seat, other babies are jealous, hee hee.

Mommy and Daddy read lots of stories to me, I pretend to pay attention.

I have to eat everything in sight, this poor elaphant had no idea what was coming! I love to eat my toes too!! Yummy!!
Grandpa tries to teach me how to play with my lips, but I'm not sure how to yet.
We did enjoy holding hands though.

Think I have plenty of toys? Grandma spoils me already!

I am learning the piano early, just call me Mozette.

Can I play this with my head?

Here comes the rice cereal, not so bad at first.

I'm not so sure about it anymore.

DONE, I'm done I say!

Look at me, I'm SUPER BABY!!!

Foreman Family Get Together

2008-06-21T21:10:00.000-07:00

Grandpa and Abigail hang out together at lunch.

He taught her how to pull her socks off...thanks a lot!
Uncle Michael helped put it back on.
Great Grandma, Haley, and Aunt Angela chatting.
Aunt Connie and Jordan getting some sun.
Scott would make a good driver...if only he had the keys, ha ha.
Autumn and her grandpa, Uncle Eldon.
Michael and Uncle Scott loved this game, Redneck Golf.
Uncle Clay, Aunt Laura and two of their granddaughters (Casey and Teigan).
Uncle Michael, he know's he's a handsome guy.

Abigail with Trina...supposed to be napping, but fussing instead.
All the kids hanging out on the golf cart, possibly plotting their getaway.
Grandma giving Abby her bottle.
Great Grandma Foreman
Autumn, Michael, and Jordan playing Redneck Golf...again.

Casey making faces as Abigail cracks up and makes Grandma Estep laugh, too.
The girls played dollhouse in the garage because it started to rain.
We didn't let the rain spoil the party, but had to check our cell reception...just in case, right?
Grandma and Uncle Michael just before saying goodbye.
It was such a great time to see everyone. Thanks Uncle Clay and Aunt Laura for hosting us all, you have such a lovely place! Hope to see you all again soon.

Michael's First Father's Day

2008-06-16T22:48:00.000-07:00

Here's what we did:

Got to see the opening of the Dwarf Conifer Garden at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Took some pictures in front of the waterfall garden. We took a little break...boy was it beautiful weather!

Went to fly his kite in the park (Independance Grove) and threw around the frisbee.

Daddy and Abigail played at the park...lots.

It was really relaxing and a great Father's Day.

Our Fun Little Cutie

2008-05-28T19:48:00.000-07:00

Look! I'm trying to sit up!

Every time I'm laid down I want to try my new trick and roll right over.
Now what?
Where's my bottle cap? Help Daddy!
The shirt says it all, she's a "dream come true."

Night and Morning Moments

2008-05-27T13:31:00.000-07:00

She's been learning to be mobile. One night she was put down back down in the middle of the crib and ended up head up in the top corner of the crib.

She stuck her legs straight in the air to start waking up.
Yawned half asleep still.
Wide awake and ready to EAT!
I'm still a cutie and even with my thumb in my mouth I'll give a smile.

I can curl my tounge when I yawn.
I'll eat my fingers if you don't feed me...wink, wink.

THEN...then next night...we laid her down to sleep in the middle of her cib on her back and she rolled over (for the first time ever) and slept though the night on her stomach! She has slept on her stomach ever since.
Daddy likes to have fun with me when he gets me changed in the mornings. I play along. Hee hee!

Abby goes to the Brookfield Zoo

2008-05-26T21:24:00.000-07:00

I love to travel with Mommy and Daddy and they took me to the zoo for the first time. I saw lots of neat things for the first time and I plan to remember them all...by the pictures. We met Geoff and Steph Clapp there, they were celebrating their 10th Anniversary!

Here's a look at our day and all the great animals we saw...

We took the tram so we didn't miss a thing.

I had fun getting to know Geoff and Steph...funny thing is, they called my Mommy Steph too!

Here's Grandma Estep's favorite...a kangaroo!

This game was stuck to the table or I would have got it for you gramma.
The hippo was out of the water, so now I have never seen one IN the water.

Mommy had a message for Aunt Angela...

I saw another baby like me, buy it was all furry with humps!

This horse had stripes! I never saw one like this before! I have NEVER seen animals so tall!
I saw your relative Uncle Matt. He said "Hi" to you! I can't wait for the Dolphin show to start even though I hadn't seen them yet.
They did neat tricks and had lots of people to help them.
They could jump high out of the water!
It was really nice outside and I had fun laughing at daddy and seeing myself in his sunglasses.
Steph, Geoff, and Mommy got to feel the stingrays...they said they were slimy. I'll take their word for it! We were really close to them!
The brown bears seemed tired and hot.
I was hot too, so I got some ICE CREAM (AKA...creamy)
The polar bears were having a great time with the ball and...
body slamming each other into the water!! This was scary!!!
These big fury baboons seemed to be eating the rocks. Yuck!
These are the prettiest birds I have ever seen.
These birds were weird...they waddled around. Maybe I will walk like them some day.
We saw a peacock there by the water. Mommy made some funny noises and it showed us it's tail feathers!!
Geoff and Steph posed in front of the fountain.

We had so much fun!!

My Day Off

2008-05-22T22:23:00.000-07:00

This is our fun little day trip to the Chicago Botanic Garden...we love it there!!!

The Circle Garden

Evening Island

Tulips on the Esplanade

We love the many kinds of Bonsai

Lakeside Gardens

The Japanese Garden

Abby's dedication and first swim

2008-05-11T16:47:00.000-07:00

Abigail's Baby Dedication, May 11th (and my 1st Mother's Day!)

We really appreciate the love and support of our church, Life on the Vine Christian Fellowship.

Abby had lots of family here to see her be dedicated... both parents, both grandma's, both grandpa's, two aunts, and two uncles!
This is her favorite toy at church...she loves to kick it and make the wheels spin.

Here is a short video of her first swim. She loved to be upright or on her tummy to see the shiny water and everything around her.

After such a LONG weekend, she was tired (weren't we all!!) and she is so cute sleeping in her car seat. :)

Hallelujah We Survived the MDiv!!!

2008-05-10T22:29:00.000-07:00

Michael has made it through the very academically rigorous Master of Divinity at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. If you could hear the Hallelujah chorus from a distance on May 10th...that was me.
It was so great to have our families come to celebrate with us! Thanks for makng the trip guys!

Abigail just couldn't wait to get her hands on the diploma.

Good times at the Graduation party and reception...
Dr. Perry Downs

Michael's sister Jenny (with Abby) and parents

Our great friends Misty and Andy

Michael's mom, our friend Tonja and Scotty boy
Scott showing off his new found Rubics cube skills to Matt and Bonnie

Michael had a tough time figuring out the "hood" thing for getting a Masters degree. Nah...he's just silly. :)

A Day in the Life of Abigail...

2008-04-27T19:27:00.000-07:00

I get sneaky at night and try to trick my parents, so I end up in weird places in my crib in the morning and they don't know how. Today I decided to cram my legs at the bottom.

When I wake up, I will eat just about anything in sight! "Feed me more" is one of my mottos lately.

After food comes the clothing, today I get to wear my first pair of baby jeans. Eat your heart out Aunt Angela. :)

OK, I'm awake enough now so I will give you some smiles and make conversation. Watch out! I may not let you get a word in edgewise!

Now Mommy's playin' dress up with me...watch out! oh, I'm breaking out in song..."Here comes the sun little darlin', it's alright." I am not sure about this sun hat thing.

What is going on with these bug eye things?!?! Hey, I look cool though, don't I? Don't deny it!

I thought I would never get to nap, I fight it, but finally I'm sleeping and someone can get something done around here. But not for long!

Daddy's giving me dancing lessons, he's such a good dancer! Some day I will be a little twinkle toes as long as all my toes aren't to the market, eating roast beef, or heading wee wee wee all the way home.

Today I'm getting my first taste of cereal. What is this stuff? I'm optimistic about it.

Hmm, seems ok. I'm not real sure though, it got all over my face. I still prefer the bottle.

What a day! This is how they all are!! They always keep me guessing, so I do my part to keep them guessing too! hee hee hee Shhhh, don't tell.

Eventful Easter at 2 Months Old

2008-03-31T12:06:00.000-07:00

It has been an eventful time and I havn't had a chance to post new pics for you. SO, here are lots of new ones!!!

We have had so much snow lately. Me and Abby have enjoyed staying inside and watching it out the window.

Here's the neighbor's snowmen.

Unfortunately, Michael got to do lots of shoveling to prepare for my parents coming to town right in the middle of the snowstorm. Thankfully they made it safe!

She gives cute smiles to the toys in her crib.

We think that yellow may be her favorite color for now because she loves the girafes. Also, she smiled and cooed at a taco bell wrapper!

Here's our strong girl working on her push-ups.

Bath time!! One of Abigail's favorite times of the day! She loves to splash around in the warm water.
We get lots of wiggles and smiles during her baths.
Here is Easter Sunday...me (Stephanie), Abigail, Chanda, and tiny Annalise.

Abby and her friend Annalise are less than two months apart.

This is Abby's pretty Easter dress (picked out by Daddy).

Grandpa Estep feeding her a bottle on Easter...I think he planned to match her outfit (surveyor's bright green!) Here she is napping while we eat Easter dinner.

She loved sharing stories and secrets with Grandma Estep.
Lately, she has found her thumb. She's not great at keeping it in her mouth, but she's trying it out.

This is her dress from Last Sunday... Isn't she adorable? We wanted the easter theme to continue!

This is Abigail and her friend Nolene Ostlie... Abby and Noli loved meeting each other and made funny faces at each other.

Now that Abigail is 2 months old she is 23 inches long and weighs 13 pounds 5 ounces. She is growing super quick!!

Caught Ya Abby!

2008-03-17T17:22:00.000-07:00

More Fun with More Visitors!

2008-03-15T20:18:00.000-07:00

Abigail has now gotten to visit the city of Chicago for a second time. She was a little more awake this time, but still had no idea what was going on.

Our college friends Sarah and Michelle came to visit last weekend and it was great to get caught up! We visited the Magnificent mile especially to see the Hancock building and the Water Tower.
We had a very authentic Chicago visit, you decide which place in this photo we went to. A little hint...I have never seen relish soooo green (and the sweet potato fries were great!).
Part of visiting Chicago is eating the deep dish pizza...here we are at Lou Malnati's.
Michael's parents flew in to visit from Maryland for the whole week to see Abigail for the first time. She loved meeting her Grandma and Grandpa Upton! Thanks for all the help!!!

Abby has been awake lots more lately and she enjoys looking at herself in the mirror of her play gym.

Gotta love her cute baby smiles!

Visit to Ohio

2008-03-07T12:07:00.000-08:00

Since Michael had Spring break from Trinity we drove to Ohio to see some of Stephanie's family. Abigail did good in the car and just got a little fussy near the end of the trip.

It was great to see Phil Gruber, a great friend from college in Georgia, and for him to meet Abigail.
We went to Newark, Ohio to visit some of Grandma's family and met...

Great Aunt Connie

Great Aunt Jennie

Great Aunt Cathy

And they all had lots of fun playing with Abby and putting her back to sleep.

Here's a picture with four generations: Great Grandma Foreman, Grandma Estep, me, and Abigail

Back in Tiffin, Ohio we got to meet some of Grandpa's family.

Great Aunt Mary Ann
Great Aunt Jannie

Great Aunt Mary Abigail got to be the centerpeice at the dinnertable.
She also had a chance to play with Grandpa on the floor and told lots of stories. She loves cooing and gurgling to everyone that will let her.
Abigail met her first animal, Uncle Michael's dog "L" and she didn't really have any reaction to him. For now he is just like anyone else to her, just a little more rowdy.
There was an ice storm the night before we planned to leave so we had to leave later. But, Uncle Scott's School was cancelled, so Abby got to spend a little extra time with him and he got her smiling.
Then they had a little nap together.

Uncle Michael also had the day off work, so he came over for a little more time with Abby too. Funny how she is the center of attention. Well, she is the cutest after all...I guess I am bias.

Grieving

2008-02-25T22:26:00.000-08:00

I write again deeply saddened by the loss of a friend. A friend from High School and one of my brothers close friends, Matty Johnson, went to be with his Lord and Savior early Monday morning. He was visiting friends and family in Ohio for the weekend. During his drive back home he was in a fatal car accident. Matty will be missed by all his friends, family, and anyone that knew him.

In these past couple of days I am reminded of how fleeting life is. We are all blessed by life. It is a gift that God gives us every day. We so often take it for granted. I hug my husband and baby all the more closely and remind them of my love as often as possible. No one knows what will happen from day to day…or even from moment to moment. I am thankful that both of these friends are with the Lord today and will enjoy living in paradise with him forever. I am also thankful that I will be with them someday. Ironically, there are stories of both of them sharing the blessings and encouragements of the Lord in their life just before they went to be with Him. Even though there is so much I do not understand today, I know and trust that God is faithful. He has a purpose for all He does and His will is far better than any plans I would make.

1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 & 23-24
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

May God's grace, peace, strength, and comfort be with all those that are grieving.

In loving memory of Jean McNeill

2008-02-25T07:46:00.000-08:00

Stephanie's co-worker, Jean McNeill, went home to her Lord Feb 22nd, after a tragic Amtrak accient on her way home from work. She will be deeply missed.

Here are a few pictures of recent Trinity Records Office memories with Jean (on left in first picture):

One Month Old

2008-02-23T12:27:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures of Abigail Joy at one month old:

Momma loves the butt ruffles on her pants.
She has an idea, we just wonder what it is.

Visit from Aunt Angela, Uncle Matt, and Uncle Michael

2008-02-21T20:53:00.000-08:00

We had a great visit this past week with Stephanie's sister Angela, her husband Matt, and Stephanie's brother Michael. Here's a picture of Aunt Angela and her new neice Abigail at Fazoli's after we picked them up from the airport last Wednesday.
Uncle Matt was helpful with taking care of Abigail...especially getting her to stop crying in her car carrier by saying, "It's OK Abigail, Uncle Matt's here." These words always gave her comfort. Prepare for a call from us Matt...some night when she will not stop crying!

Uncle Michael came Sunday night and met his only neice for the first time. She was happy to see him! And seemed to enjoy the songs he sang to her. I am not sure what she thought of his beard...I think she liked it.

Abigail really enjoyed the Noah story read to her by Aunt Angela...take a look.

Abigail is lucky to have family that loves her so much and I am lucky to have siblings that take great care of us. Thanks Sissy, Matt, and Michael for helping me out so much while you were here! We love you guys!!

Here's my beautiful baby and me all ready for a fun night out to dinner.

She's wearing another old hat from when I was younger and looked so sweet in it.

We are using the cloth diapers from BumGenious and so far they are working great. We hope to use them until she's out of diapers as they are adjustable. In front are snaps that will change the size as she grows and they fasten with velcro. Abigail sends her love to you all and wanted to show one off to you. I told her this is the only underwear acceptable to show to public. ;)

Here she's getting eskimo kisses from Daddy. Awe!

Happy Birthday Aunt Jenny!

2008-02-15T11:49:00.000-08:00

Abigail sends Birthday wishes to her Aunt Jenny in Maryland.

Sunday Fun, Havin' a Blast

2008-02-10T23:55:00.000-08:00

Abigail is all ready for church. The hat was a little big, but I couldn't resist putting her in this hat from when I was little.

Here's Daddy and Abby taking a nap on the couch together after church.

Abigail has fun staring at her flower friend while getting her clothes and diaper changed.

I can never resist to give my sweet pea a little lovin'!!

Birthday Wishes from Abigail

2008-02-07T12:44:00.000-08:00

Abigail wishes her new Uncle Michael Happy Birthday!!! She wishes she could be there to celebrate with him. Hope to see you soon!! Lots of Love to you!

Visit from Aunt Melanee and Cousin Lexi and Good Times Hanging Out at Home

2008-02-05T18:02:00.000-08:00

It was great to have Melanee, Michael's older sister, and her daughter Lexi here for the weekend. Lexi was not real sure what to think of baby Abby at first, especially her crying.

But she warmed up to her little by little and even helped take care of her some.

Abigail's all ready to go to the Children's Museum at Navy Pier in Chicago in her cute pink elephant jacket.

Here we are at Navy Pier, ready for a big fun day!

The Upton family under the shooting fountains.

Look closely and you can see me (Stephanie) in the background of the mirrors.

Abby's just hanging out (literally) and comfy with Daddy.

Abigail's ready for another Doctor's apointment. She is now past her birth weight and is up to 8 pounds 15 1/2 ounces as of Monday.

Here we are, at home playing with Mommy in our baby chick "I love Mommy" sleeper. Hmmm, I wonder who dressed her today?!?

I am pretending to have a fake eye...arrr matey. Are you scared?

Snug as a bug in a rug sitting up on the Boppy pillow with the "Thank Heaven, Little Ones" blanket from Great Grandma Foreman. Happy 80th Birthday Great Grandma...wish we could have been there to celebrate! Sounds like it was a great time!! Hope to see you soon!!!

The first few days home

2008-01-30T18:49:00.000-08:00

Here we are heading home from the hospital on Friday afternoon. It was so cold, but Abigail handled it really well.

It was really nice having Stephanie's parents here for the first week. We had lots of adjusting to do and new things to figure out. It was great having them here for help and support!!Here's Grandpa Estep talking to Abby as she just intently stares back. They quickly became good friends...he is always warm and makes funny faces and noises for her to enjoy. :)
She is all ready for her first time to church where she met lots of friends. What a big day!!

Just had to show off her sweet little face! She is so pretty...just like her shirt says.

Baby Abigail Arrives!!!!

2008-01-24T18:48:00.000-08:00

Meet Our little Baby girl! Abigail Joy Upton

This picture was taken after we moved to postpartum... But gives a great picture of what our sweetpea looks like :)

Another pic of our Abigail

The day (January 23rd 2008!) began with Stephanie's water breaking at 2:15am at home. We got our stuff together as Stephanie was getting ready for the big day. We called the doctor's office and they told us to head to the hospital right away. We got the car packed up and headed to the hospital as quickly as we could. We got to the hospital at 3:30 and had monitors hooked up to measure the baby's heart rate, and Stephanie's contractions. The nurse confirmed that Stephanie's water had broken with a positive test for amniotic fluid, and then we were admitted.

We walked around for about an hour, and then we we're taken up to labor and delivery and the room we'd be in for the next many hours.

Mom did a great Job with Labor!!! She went to 6+ centimeters completely natural. Then she had an epidural around 4:00pm so that the labor could progress better with her relaxed. At 6:00pm she was fully dilated and ready to Push, and What a great job she did!! Abigail Joy was born at 7:23pm! She was 8 pounds 11 ounces and 20 1/4" Long! Here are some pics!

Our lil baby's first bath.... She did really well, but it sure wasn't fun for her!
Steph not to long after labor. Looks phenomenal for someone who has just pushed an 8 lb 11oz baby out!!!! Pics of everyone holding the baby... Mom, Dad, and the brand new grandparents Mike and Joanna estep... We had a great visit with our good friend and pastor Matt Tebbe.. He read from the passage where Jesus says "Let the little children come to me" and prayed for us.
Here are two videos...

Steph and baby!

Baby Sleeping and smacking her lips. She's great at that!

Mom and Baby are doing Great!! Breastfeeding is going well, and we're scheduled to head home Friday afternoon. We're gonna take her to her new home externally this time!!

It's the Final Countdown

2008-01-17T20:25:00.000-08:00

Here I am, nine months pregnant and feeling ready to have the baby. I am trying to not think about the countdown too much which is hard with everyone constantly reminding me. We are so excited to meet her and hold her for the first time!
We are having weekly doctor appointments now and had a very eventful one this week. I am one cm dilated...so the process has officially started. We had an ultrasound that measured her to be about 7 lbs 5 oz with good levels of amniotic fluid. Found out I have strep B, I am not harmed by it but will need to be on antibiotics for the labor so it doesn't make Abigail sick. Finally, we went to the hospital to have a non-stress test. See the picture below...they strapped me up to measure the baby's heart rate and movement and all was normal. This was reasuring! So praise the Lord for all this good news! Hopefully she will come soon. :)

Christmas and New Year's

2008-01-02T19:18:00.000-08:00

Boy does life go by quickly sometimes! We had a very busy Christmas and New Years...but it was great! For Christmas we flew to Maryland to see Michael's family and for New Year's my family came to visit here in Illinois.

Here are some pics from Christmas in Maryland:

Lexi absolutely loves to play with her baby dolls and takes great care of them. Here she is sitting in the pack-n-play giving Michael some tips.

Brianna just loved to talk to baby Abigail and feel her move in my tummy.

The always animated Jenny getting the rolls ready for Christmas dinner.

Here we are gathered around the table for a wonderful Christmas feast.

Brittany and Eliza on the computer...probaby playing with webkins.

Uncle Wayne with Brianna and Lexi...so cute!

It was fun to have my Mom, Dad, and brothers here for "Christmas at New Year's" this year. We had a great visit with them. I also really appreciated my Mom's help getting the baby's room ready. We are getting there and hope to be ready for when she comes. Only time will tell now!

Maryland Baby Shower

2007-12-23T13:47:00.000-08:00

Michael's family threw us a shower while we were there for Christmas. Melanee and family were gracious enough to host it in their home and we had lots of fun!

They decorated with Noah's Arc theme and here are some of the cute decorations and snacks they had.

The elephant cake Jenny decorated for us was just perfect! Stephanie was sure to have Michael share his elephant noise with everyone.

The ever-entertaining Lexi is just chillin' at the shower.

Jenny did a great job planning games for the evening. Here you can see us tasting what's in the diapers...yuck! Well, yummy actually because it was different kinds of candy bars. Later we got to taste baby foods and see if we could tell the different flavors, not easy to do!

We also played baby shower BINGO and then made lists of all the different baby items we could think of. Here's Bill, Cheryl, and Brianna racking their brains.

Mel and Brittany are making their lists...of course Mel thought of lots of items, she is well versed with the baby items.

Here we are opening the gift from Grandma and Grandpa Upton.

Here are some pretty outfits from Uncle Wayne and Aunt Jenny.

Brianna with the baby shower balloon...what a fun shower! Thanks everyone!

Church Baby Shower

2007-12-15T22:33:00.000-08:00

Today, Dec.15th was the baby shower from the ladies at our church. Here are some that were there...

Wendy (the hostess) and Laura

Sharon and Cyd, having a good time

Misty & Andy Kuhn and Rachel & Jared Ostlie
Judy, Sharron, and Bethany

Here we are by all the gifts...

We got lots of great gifts including bath toys, cloths, a musical piano, and a hanging jumpster.

Here is a set of bath soaps and books...

They also had a wonderful brunch for everyone including breakfast casseroles, fruit, blueberry muffins & scones, chocolates, and chicken salad croissants.

Work Baby Shower

2007-12-15T20:58:00.000-08:00

My co-workers at Trinity threw a baby shower for us on Dec. 5th. Here is the stack of gifts...

They served a great dinner with two types of chili (perfect for the cold snowy night that it was), corn bread, veggies, fruits, and yummy chocolate strawberry layered dessert.

Kati, Sara, Kami, and Tonja try to guess some hard questions on the game...

Anna Wagner reads a Bible verse about parents and children for us for encouragement.

All Steph's co-workers from the Records office went together to get us the Pack and Play!!! We plan to use it by the bed as a bassinet for a little while. It's nice that it's so multi-functional.

Here's the whole group...minus a few that had to leave early...

Tiffin Baby Shower

2007-12-13T21:25:00.000-08:00

Here are pictures of the baby shower my sister had for us in Tiffin, Ohio on Nov. 25th with family and friends.

Here 's the cake...

This is my Dad and his brother, Uncle David
Here is Aunt Mary waving "Hi" and my Dad's sisters, Auth Mary Ann and Aunt Joanie.

The handmade baby blanket from Aunt Mary Ann...

We got baby's first doll...

Here's my sister's signature gift, baby jeans and a cute top :)

Here is the Noah's Ark bedding set from Steph's parents.

Here is a family sibling photo -
Michael Jr., me, Michael Upton, Matt Kerner, Angela (Sissy), and Scott.

Will post pics soon!!

2007-12-09T14:53:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to post pictures of our baby showers since Thanksgiving. SO, here's my excuse...the semester is ending and Michael has been on the computer finishing things up 24/7. Thankfully, this is the last week for him...yahoo!! SO, I should be able to get some new pics and info up for you soon!

Hope you all are doing good, healthy, and blessed. We are...baby Abigail is seeming healthy, moving around but getting squished in there. I am feeling her in my ribs more often and it is getting harder to bend over for anything. Michael is a little stressed, but mostly in good spirits at such a crazy time, to finish off the semester. I am proud of him, he has really planned ahead well and is ending strong. Many little things tire me these days, but what else is new. I am sleeping, so I am happy. :)

5th Anniversary Celebration

2007-11-20T16:41:00.000-08:00

This year we are happy to celebrate our 5th Anniversary!! Michael made special plans for us to have dinner and go to the theatre in Chicago on November 14th. Our acctual Anniversary is December 14th, but we didn't know if I would be up to a lot of action a month before the baby may come.

We ate at a nice Italian Restaurant named Maggiano's and then went to see Wicked!! I have been wanting to see the musical Wicked ever since we moved here, so it was quite a treat for me. The story was great and the music was fantastic!! We had such a great time!! I think the baby enjoyed it too, she kept moving around during the music. :)

This weekend we look forward to going to Ohio to see Stephanie's family for Thanksgiving. Will tell you more when we get back! Have a restful and blessed Turkey Day Celebration!

Third Trimester Already!?!

2007-11-11T19:26:00.000-08:00

SO, here we are already in the third trimester...seems like time is flying by and there is so much to do in such little time. We have been attending our Childbirth Preparation class for three weeks and this Thursday is our last. There is so much to learn. I am disappointed that we will not be learning more lamaze techniques in class, but my parents are willing to help teach us! We will be seeing them for Thanksgiving and I am soooooo excited!! They have been wanting me to post belly shots, so here you go...

I can't stop this feelin' deep inside of me

2007-10-12T19:03:00.000-07:00

It is amazing to feel the baby move multiple times every day!! I can't quite explain what it is like, but it's so neat. Finally, here are the pictures from our last ultrasound....

On the right you can see her face, looking right at you...posing for the camera already! Her hands can be seen in the middle on top and bottom and her abdomen is to the left. I could not believe we cought her SMILING!!!

The Ultrasound specialist liked the pic of her smile so much he took a second one for us 9 seconds later. I will never know what has made her smile so much in the womb, but every time I see these pictures it makes me smile, too.

This one's a little blurry because she was moving all around, but you can see her head on the right, her arm sticking up in the middle, and her legs to the left.

You may or may not know this, but the name Abigail means "Father's Joy" which I think is so fitting. Michael could not be more excited!! Her middle name is also joy, because she gives an extra burst of joy for me, too. Our beautiful little Abigail Joy!! Praise the Lord for a healthy and happy baby - even in the womb.

We're having a girl!! Ultrasound of Abigail at 5 months along!

2007-10-06T12:12:00.000-07:00

It's A GIRL!!! See the video of our 5 month ultrasound.

Abigail is 1 pound, and at 24 weeks.

Our sweet lil Abigail... See her head, her arms, her legs, her body, her feet and her fingers!

We were so excited to see our little one!

Ultrasound Day!

2007-10-04T18:09:00.000-07:00

So, we have gotten the chance to see our baby lots within the last two days. Wednesday we had an ultrasound scheduled, which went well. They took all the measurements and we got to find out - It's a Girl!! She weighs about one pound now and is doing great. They tried to take a video for us, but when we got home we found out it didn't work. I was so dissapointed! I was really looking forward to sharing the experience. But we did get one picture...

Here you can see her head on the left, one hand in the top middle and her spine on the bottom.

The next day at lunch we decided to call the hospital to let them know our video didn't work and to let them know they may want to check their equipment. Just a little while later we got a call back from them wanting us to come back for another ultrasound. They said that the video is part of the experience and they would like to offer it to us. So, of course we went back on Thursday for another ultrasound. We will post the video and pics from this trip as soon as we can. It was such a great experience, and so unexpected!

The Overwhelming Gift Registries

2007-09-15T19:58:00.000-07:00

We finally started our gift registries recently. So, we have one with Babies R Us/Toys R Us and one with Baby Depot (in Burlington)...so far. :) There are so may things needed for a baby that I have not thought of and many options available. So, it takes lots of time to choose what we like, what is most practical, and what will be best for our baby. Whew! It can get tiring! We finally found a stroller combo that we liked and Michael wanted to buy it right away. Who can blame him? It is the perfect one for us. But, we decided to wait. God blessed our decision with a $100 gift card for there from our church (for him co-leading VBS). But, added together we would need $50 more. So, we waited some more. When we went to register there they were having a huge sale. We ended up paying less than $10 AND getting a FREE (adorable) light weight push stroller. Here is a picture of this stuff...

At Baby Depot we are only registered for bedding, so far. We have found a cute and really nice Noah's Arc bedding set (Two by Two). It's funny how we have been having a hard time finding certain things we like and then we run into just the right one and we both love it. It's also funny how everything is ending up to have elephants in it.

We still have a long ways to go in registery world. So, hopefully we will find the time one of these weekends!

2007-09-04T16:52:00.000-07:00

My parents and Scott were here to visit for the weekend. It was so nice to see them and to just hang out and have a nice relaxing time together. Strangely, I had a few weird dreams over the weekend - I guess that happens with being pregnant sometimes. They were fun to share with them all though.

I think I have been feeling the baby move more lately and it's supposed to be about 5 inches long now. Michael can't wait until he can feel it move too, but he is reasured that I can feel it at least. He noticed today that my belly button is starting to come out a little. I guess there is not even room for that with the baby in there. Interesting.

Heatbeat - Loud and Clear

2007-08-29T19:41:00.000-07:00

We just had a regular appt with the doctor today. It was great to hear the baby's heartbeat, loud and clear. I have not gained any weight yet, which is a good thing for me. They took some blood for standard tests. Dr. Allen said we will set up another ultrasound at our next appt. We will be at 22 weeks then, hope the baby won't be too squished to give us the "show" - if you know what I mean. :) Well, all in all the Doc is pleased and things are normal.

Michael's older sister Melanee gave us a book that explains the changes in the baby and in me week by week. It is so neat to find out about what is happening through the whole process. Honestly, it's something I haven't thought too much about before. But, I just get a new sense of how awesome and amazing God is to do such miracles. I have never been so personaly involved in a miracle in all my life and I count it a privilage. Just the fact that each cell knows which part of the body to be is awesome. Knowing the different stages of the heart and that the last bit does not form and start working until the birth is amazing. Thing after thing just blows me away. There must be so many things that science can not completely explain, because they are simple miracles.

I have just recently started wearing maternity clothes because even the clothes that used to be loose on me are tight now. So, I had to give in. I think I will have to look for some more though. This will be my only wardrobe for the next few months. Could be a good thing. Looking forward to getting the package from Melanee with more clothes, too. :)

The Crib and other Loot

2007-08-01T09:40:00.000-07:00

Right after we told my co-workers in the Records office about the pregnancy, my co-worker Cathy said they have a crib they would love to give us. This was such a shock! We had just found out about the pregnancy and just a few weeks later we had the crib. It is just like brand new. Also, we just couldn't help but buying a few gender neutral things. SO, we went to a few garage sales and found a cute sleeper with elephants on it, a ducky towel, a nice graco carrier, and a basket. We also got a gift already from my Aunt Connie of a flower rattle toy, some onesies, and washclothes.

OK, last thing, we had been wanting to find a baby book so that we could start writing in it. SO, we decided to chack at Baby Depot and found the perfect one. It made me cry from the first page. There are lots of scriptures throughout and all kinds of neat information to include. But, the first page says, "For this child I prayed; And the Lord has given me what I ask of him. I Samuel 1:27" I could not have said it better myself.

12 week Pictures of Baby Upton

2007-07-25T16:30:00.000-07:00

Here are our ultrasound pictures of baby Upton at 12 weeks along. Hopefully we will be able to find out the gender at our next ultrasound. :) The baby was very active, this was so reasuring for both of us. It is crazy to think about it moving so much and I can't even feel it. Praise the Lord that all is well!!

Our First Picture of the Baby

2007-06-15T21:42:00.000-07:00

We got to have our first ultrasound at 6 weeks. The baby is so tiny, but we could see it's little heart beating. It was amazing!! The heart was not even fully formed yet, but was still in two parts pounding against each other. I am so amazed at how God has planned this pregnancy and how he sustains such a tiny life. We are hoping and praying that the baby stays healthy.

We're Pregnant!!!!

2007-06-01T19:00:00.000-07:00

At the end of May we went to see Stephanie's OBGYN for a routine appointment, and found out... WE'RE PREGNANT!!! It was the most exciting news we have ever heard! We couldn't wait to tell our family and friends. This will be our very first child!! We're so excited to be new parents!!
First we told Stephanie's parents. We dropped a few hints in a phone call earlier, and then called them back to tell them the great news when everyone was there to hear. We asked them a bunch of family history questions from when we saw the doctor and got more and more specific about history of childbirths in the family.
We did the same thing with Michael's parents. They finally got it after we asked them about chromosomal abnormalities in births in the family. Michael told his niece Brianna on the phone, and she said CONGRATULATIONS, and then we could here her singing "Aunt Stephanie is gonna have a baby! Aunt Stephanie is gonna have a baby!" Brittany our other niece ScReAmEd in excitement!
They were all so excited for us. And we were excited too!
It has been so fun telling people of our joyous news and thinking about becoming parents!

The Upton Family's First Blog

2007-06-01T08:32:00.000-07:00

This is the start of the Upton Family Blog - for now, a tribute to what God is doing in our lives through Baby Upton!! We are so blessed!!