The Ingrams

It's gonna be a...

2010-09-01T12:01:00.000-07:00

...GIRL!!

Yep, that's right! And we could not be more thrilled! We honestly didn't care either way what it was (because after you have had your newborn sent to the NICU, the sex just doesn't seem that important), but here are the reasons that I'm super-excited to have another girl:

*matching outfits
*lots of monogramming
*hairbows in every color
*dance recitals
*2 girls close in age will have similar interests, friends, etc.
*2 shopping buddies
*the girls can be lifelong best friends
*we have everything we need for a girl, so this time around we can just buy all of the fun, cutesy stuff
*I already know Benjy is a great Daddy for a little girl
*I believe God gives you what you can best raise

So, in the spirit of having another little girl--Hannah and I went shopping! Here is what Hannah picked out for her little sister:

And, of course, we had to treat the big sister, too. This is what she picked out:

So much fun and so much to look forward to! We are so blessed.

Have you ever...

2010-08-18T11:12:00.000-07:00

seen anything cuter than this?

on Uncle Jonathan & Aunt Ashley's boat

Hannah has had a blast this summer "swimming". I was really pleased to find out that she's not afraid of the water much at all. I'm thinking we might be ready for lessons next summer!

Side note: I just LOVE her pink tutu swimsuit from her Aunt Lynn. I guess this is me living vicariously through her, but I always wish that I had stuck with ballet when I was younger. I can't wait to sign her up for ballet one day! I think it's totally meant to be with those long legs!!

Uncle Ry Ry & Aunt 'Nette's Wedding

2010-08-05T12:41:00.000-07:00

This summer has been quite a blur of excitement! So many things happening! Here was one of the most exciting--my little sister got married! It was so much fun helping her get ready and celebrating! She was a beautiful bride!

Beautiful bride before the ceremony

adorable flower girl at the rehearsal

Annette & Ryan at the rehearsal

(don't wish he'd SMILE a little bigger?)

The wedding was perfect! I just wish I had more pictures to show, but when you're the Matron of Honor plus you are in charge of the flower girl and one of the groomsmen, you just don't have much free time to take pictures ;)

Ingram, party of four?!?!

2010-06-23T06:53:00.000-07:00

Surprise! Funny thing is, it was Benjy who insisted I was late and that I needed to take a test (yes, he keeps up with my cycle). So I had an old test from Target that had come in a 2 pack. So I took it. Got the results. Couldn't find the instructions. Had no idea what the test meant! So, then I ran to Walgreens and got this digital one. Much clearer! Life is full of surprises! But we're looking forward to meeting him/her sometime in February 2011. As for Hannah she has NO clue what's going on! But she's very good with her baby dolls, so maybe that's a good sign :)

Our Work in Progress

2010-05-17T11:31:00.000-07:00

I realized that if I was waiting for everything to be just the way I want it, I would probably NEVER blog about our new home! So, I will go ahead and share a few pics with you.

We need not power or splendor, Wide hall or lofty dome;

The good, the true, the tender, These form the wealth of home. -- Sarah J. Hale

...and what home would be complete without these two???

12

2010-03-26T17:26:00.000-07:00

This is my big 1 year old girl.

She's no longer a "baby"...she's a little girl.

But, to me, she'll always be my little baby.

12 things about my 12 month old:

1. She LOVES to give out kisses.

2. She likes to dance...and has rhythm!

3. She will eat almost anything I give her.

4. But when she's full she'll pull the food back out of her mouth!

5. She has been in the 95th percentile or above in height since she was born.

6. Her hair is very curly after it's just washed.

7. Hannah LOVES to be tickled.

8. She has a million bows...but pulls them out if she can.

9. She can point to her nose and your nose.

10. She can sign "please".

11. She prefers to be barefoot.

12. Hannah Elizabeth is the perfect mix of her Mama and Daddy.

She is the light of our world and we can not imagine life without her !

Par-tay!

2010-03-25T18:04:00.001-07:00

Here are a few pics from Hannah's 1st birthday party!

Gaga baby-sitting the Loebs twins

Hannah opening her presents

Hannah and her "party planner"

CAKE!!

party favors

tables set up before the party

special little cake

fashion show

2010-03-07T17:58:00.000-08:00

One of the most fun things about having a little girl is dressing her in so many pretty little outfits! I'm trying to get better about taking pictures of her in her most "special" outfits.

Here are a few...

This was the same dress she wore on our Christmas card.

It was actually a dress that my aunt made for me when I was a baby.

This is not the best picture...but you can see her shirt pretty well.

My friend Katie made this shirt especially for Hannah to go see Santa.

This was a cute outfit from Hannah's Uncle Jonathan and Aunt Ashley.

This was a sweet outfit Hannah's Nana found at a children's consignment store.

We are hoping to have another little girl one day who can wear it too!
Not the best picture...but this was just a cute Valentine's outfit.

This is one of my favorites.
The cute little pants are from Hannah's Granny.
I found this shirt at a consignment store!

This is Hannah's "Diva" outfit from her Aunt Dona.

This is Hannah's "church" birthday dress.

(I say "church", bc she also has a "party" birthday dress.)

I'm not really sure if it's supposed to be a birthday dress or a Christmas dress, but it's really pretty and she'll probably wear it next Christmas, too!

...and a Happy New Year!

2010-01-22T19:06:00.000-08:00

Happy 2010!!

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

Merry Christmas Ya'll

2010-01-22T18:46:00.001-08:00

December proved to be the busiest time of the year!

Here are a few of the pictures I took of Miss Priss and her first Christmas:

Noah & Hannah

(after she had made him cry by trying to poke him in the eye)

Hannah & me in front of the tree at Sandhill after seeing Santa

Daddy & Hannah reading "The Night Before Christmas" on Christmas Eve

Hannah in her new hat from Nana & Granddaddy

giving her new doll a kiss on Christmas morning

Our little family on Christmas

One of Hannah's new ornaments from Poppy & Granny

Edisto

2009-12-06T17:27:00.000-08:00

Love, love, love the beach! I haven't actually been to the beach in over a year, but I have to say it actually is fun to go during the winter. Obviously there was no swimming or tanning, but it was still great weather and you can see sunsets like this...

Thanks to the Bechts for inviting us. We had such a great time. There was something (someone?) for everyone. While the girls spent time doing this...

(thanks to Nancy & Martha for taking literally 100 pics of us on the beach to get a good one)

...the boys did this!

(you can't really tell by the pic, but they went fishing)

Below are pics of Hannah & Ellison playing. I think Ellison (who is 1 1/2) was a good influence on Hannah. After being around Ellison, Hannah started pulling up more and talking a lot more. They were so sweet playing together.

Thanksgiving Day

2009-12-01T18:04:00.000-08:00

Our little family

Let me just begin this blog by saying how irritating my camera is. It never fails that whenever there is a "Kodak moment" the batteries die completely. Ugh. And my camera doesn't take just any ol' battery...it has to be alkaline. Ugh. So, my pictures are not very balanced from Thanksgiving...I didn't get one single picture at the Ingram's Thanksgiving. Sorry Granny Ingram :(

Ha! Here we are attempting to get a good family pic for my Mom's Christmas card. I sure hope mom got a better one than I did! (I love how Daddy is about to drop Hannah!)

Hannah & Aunt Nette

Giving cousin Livi a kiss

"talking" with Nana

Olivia, Matt, & Hannah

Busy Girl- 8 months

2009-11-29T17:39:00.001-08:00

Hannah is now 8 months old! And it's definitely time to clear off bottom shelves, cover outlets, and lock bottom cabinets--she's on the move! She's crawling like crazy and pulling up on everything in sight. This is such a fun age!

I could just EAT those cheeks!!

pouty lips are her new thing

loves being tickled!

loves her "big brother" Bailey...he's not too into her, though!

Okay, the school teacher is coming out in me a little here. I really love it when Hannah "makes" things. We've been to Mad Platter a few times, but then I got this idea and it's a lot cheaper and we can do it at home. All of the materials were pretty cheap and are available at Hobby Lobby.

painted little hands

bare tree

Final result!

Halloween Fun

2009-11-02T18:49:00.001-08:00

The Friday before Halloween Hannah and some of her friends got to go to Harmon's Tree Farm in Lexington to go on a hayride and see other fun stuff. It was a fun little experience for both of us. I hope to make it an annual tradition :)

Harmon's Tree Farm

I thought these signs were cool :)

Hannah and I after the hayride

measuring her height

Cute picture op! (l-r) Anna-Kate, Hannah, Ella, & Noah

Hannah in the pumpkin bin...she wouldn't look up in any

of the pictures...too intrigued...

Halloween night we took Hannah (aka our little "Hunny Bunny") to

both of her grandparents' houses to "trick or treat" for baby food.

Sweet little bunny

Making an important phone call on her new cell phone

Hannah in her fancy Halloween dress from Aunt Dona

7 months going on 17

2009-11-02T18:26:00.001-08:00

Pretty girl!

everything goes in the mouth!

Drama Queen

...and Daddy is almost 31!!

Family & Fall

2009-10-20T17:52:00.000-07:00

I loooove Fall!! The weather is nice, holidays are just around the corner, and it's a great time for getting together with family. We had a great time visiting with family this past weekend. We hope to do it again real soon!

Hannah & her Daddy (before he went hunting)

Hannah & Nana in their matching Halloween orange

Hannah & cousin Livi (they're just about the same
size even though Olivia is 1 yr. & 5 days older than Hannah!)

Ryan helping her crawl

Aunt 'Nette & Hannah-Poo

Hannah & Auntie 'Nette

4 Great-grands with Gaga Carter

Duncan, Hannah, & Grace

Grace, Hannah, Shera, & Duncan

Grace, Hannah, & Shera

Old Friends & Twins

2009-10-13T18:09:00.000-07:00

It was so special to get together with some of my oldest and best friends from high school. I still can't believe that it's been 10 years since we graduated! It's funny how sometimes life gets so busy that we may not speak for awhile, but as soon as we get together it's like old times again...except now with a bunch of babies!

Eric seeing what it feels like to hold a little girl!

Jen, Court, Em, & Shan

(we missed Jackson!)

Auntie Shannon trying to "steal" Hannah ;)

Parker & Austin

holding one of the boys

Sweet little feet!

Eric & Courtney: The proud parents!

Our Little Gamecock

2009-10-13T18:01:00.000-07:00

With a family full of Gamecocks, she doesn't have much of a chance!

Hannah in her cheerleading uniform with Daddy

Too much excitement!

She actually said "Go Cocks!" while we were watching the game.

(Just kidding...but maybe one day...)

6 months and counting...

2009-10-13T13:48:00.000-07:00

Hannah has been doing so many new things! Recently she has been eating solid foods, sitting on her own, pulling up (with help), getting ready to crawl, "clapping" her hands together, saying "Mama", AND she has two new teeth!! Unfortunately, I can never seem to grab a camera at the appropriate time. But here are some pics that I was able to get.

Future "Blue Hose" bib

"My brother is a black lab" bib :)

Hannah LOVES her exersaucer!! (Thanks Price & Owen for sharing!)

Playing on her Leap Frog table

Hannah holding her own little bottle!

...peeking out from under her towel after a bath

Hannah in her jumperoo

Peek-a-boo!

Church Dedication

2009-09-08T17:25:00.001-07:00

What a special day! We dedicated Hannah to the Lord and vowed to do our best to guide her in the right direction. It was a really sweet ceremony (short, but sweet) and the most amazing thing was how good all the babies were-not one crier!

My family after the church service

Hannah with her Aunt Dona

...and with Granny ... the white smocked dress -and the huge white bow!- she is wearing were gifts from Granny. The bib she has on in the pictures (although she didn't wear it in the service) was a gift from a teacher friend of mine, Anne Marie. And the sweet little shoes she is wearing was a gift from Kelly. They were one of my favorite things because they had her initials on them and they're just so sweet! I was hoping to squeeze her feet in them one last time!

Our little family before the church service

Hannah with friends Noah and Anna-Kate before the service

Summertime Fun

2009-09-08T16:50:00.001-07:00

We've been extremely busy this summer...mostly just visiting and relaxing with friends...what could be better? Here are a few friends we've been hanging out with...

We had a great time cooking out and catching up with the Cresses. Sarah Cress is almost exactly 3 years older than Hannah.

Sarah Cress holding Hannah--future baby-sitter??

Owen Jackson's 1st Birthday Party at Silverjax

Hannah and me with Lauren and Noah

(Sidenote: I will never again go to a birthday party without Benjy...it's not easy holding, feeding, and taking care of a 4 month old...what a workout!)

Here are all the babies lined up napping during the party. They were overwhelmed by the excitement of it all :)

Noah and Hannah

We had so much fun hanging out with Noah and Lauren this summer. Once they were a little older we went to the pool a lot too. Noah always took a nap, but Hannah stayed awake every time...she doesn't want to miss a thing!!

Playdates!

Cannon & Hannah at a playdate at Julie's

2009-06-14T20:01:00.000-07:00

We were SO excited that our good friends John & Maria Hine and their baby boy Porter could stop by Sunday evening on their way back to Greenville. Porter is almost 8 months old and he is precious!! It was so great catching up with them. Hannah and Porter seemed to really enjoy "talking" to each other. It's so nice that she already has such sweet friends!

John & Maria with Hannah

Me & Hannah

Maria & Porter

Maria, Porter, & Hannah

Me, Hannah, & Porter

(notice Hannah's intense stare...)

Friday at the Zoo

2009-06-14T19:52:00.001-07:00

I was so excited to take Hannah to the zoo last Friday with our cousins Shera and Olivia. (Livi is almost exactly one year older than Hannah.) It was an overall good experience despite the fact that it was REALLY hot and crowded that day and Hannah wasn't really into looking at all the animals. In fact, she pretty much slept the entire time. Good thing her admission was free :).

Outside the gate at Riverbanks Zoo

Mommy & Hannah with cousins Shera & Livi

(this is Hannah's "future ADPi" pic)

Sunday with the fam

2009-06-08T09:15:00.000-07:00

The Generations:

Aunt Lynn, Shera, and Livi

Mom, Me, and Hannah

Hannah with Mommy on the swing at Nana and Grandaddy's.

Holding her own bottle!

Swinging

2009-06-04T12:45:00.000-07:00

Mommy puts me in straight, but I like to

turn myself and get comfortable.

Tummy Time

2009-06-04T12:38:00.001-07:00

Tummy time is SO fun!

So many toys to play with!

Hannah "talking"

2009-06-04T08:47:00.000-07:00

She has so much to say!