The Ely Family

Christmas in the Park

2012-01-20T17:45:00.000-08:00

Every year the city of Upper Arlington puts on a wonderful event called Christmas in the Park. It is held in the park right near our house. They decorate a shelter house and a few families at a time get to go in a horse drawn wagon to see Santa on the other side of the park. This year it was raining so the thrill of the horse drawn wagon had to be replaced with a city bus. I think I prefered that this year in the rain anyways and Gavin didn't care because he was GOING TO SEE SANTA. Last year he didn't want anything to do with Santa once we actually saw him but this year he talked to him as long as he didn't have to look at him. He was so excited to tell Santa that he wanted a dog like Abby (Jon and Julie's dog) and Gracie (Josh and Danila's dog). I didn't have the heart to tell him that between taking care of him and Grant, anything else might send Mommy over the deep end! Grant wasn't scared at all. He not only let Santa hold him, he also felt comfortable enough to give some good tugs on Santa's beard.

Ryan and Grant

Gavin with Mimi and Papa riding the bus

Grant not sure where he is going

Gavin enjoyed the talking Christmas tree

One of the few pictures we have of Gavin smiling at the camera.

This was right before Grant started tugging on Santa's beard.

This is where Gavin looked when asked a question by Santa.

Gavin's Third Birthday

2012-01-20T17:27:00.000-08:00

Gavin loves to know everything about dinosaurs. So for his 3rd birthday party we decided to have a dinosaur theme complete with a dinosaur dig in popcorn for mini dinosaurs. I didn't end up getting pictures of the dino dig as I was too busy showing the kids what to do besides eat all the popcorn. I am hoping The Woolley Family blog with be able to show pictures of the dino dig.

Gavin has all girl cousins (so far) who love helping him do things. They especially like helping him open presents. He received an astranaut helmet, along with many other great gifts, that seemed to entice everyone to put it on. It was a great time!

Ryan and Grant

Olivia and Hannah are helping Gavin open some gifts.

Mr. Astranaut aka Uncle Josh

Hannah making her trip back from space

Olivia has landed! A smaller astranaut named Lauren is taking a look around.

Thanksgiving 2011

2012-01-20T17:16:00.000-08:00

We always have a wonderful time at Thanksgiving just being with family. This year was extra special as we had Thanksgiving with both sides all in one day. It was nice spending time with everyone and the food was outstanding!

Aunt Nancy helping to round up the kids

Sarah with Evelyn

Grant is wondering why we keep taking pictures of him

Gavin is enjoying his meal

Gavin's First OSU Basketball Game

2011-12-20T07:30:00.000-08:00

Ryan decided it was time to introduce Gavin to live Buckeye sports. Ohio State football games are not going to happen for a few more years but a pre-season basketball game seemed to be something Gavin might enjoy with daddy. We weren't sure if he would sit still at all but he (they) had a great time!

Halloween 2011

2011-12-20T07:18:00.000-08:00

Gavin and Grant had a fun time dressing up in their costumes. Grant didn't really know what was going on but was a trooper wearing his costume twice for different Halloween events. Gavin refused to smile at the camera but I did manage to get a few pictures of him in his T-Rex costume. The boys enjoyed seeing Mimi and Papa Ely before they went trick-or-treating around the neighborhood.

Gavin's First Day of Preschool

2011-09-19T07:01:00.001-07:00

Ryan and I decided to start Gavin in preschool a year early to help socialize him and give him some structure since he is home with me all day. We weren't sure what he would think of it. He loved it and woke up the next morning at 6:30 am ready to go again. Unfortunately, he only goes once a week so I had to keep reminding him that we are not going to school today.

Gavin doesn't like to get his picture taken so it usually takes some persuading to get him to smile for me. I managed to get one good picture to document this day.

New Pictures of Gavin and Grant

2011-09-19T06:38:00.000-07:00

Grant turned 6 months old on September 2. He is doing more and more everyday. He just started eating baby food and loved every bite. Gavin is so excited to have a brother but still has to be reminded that Grant can't play with him yet. They both enjoy just being together!

The first big boy bath for Grant.

Family Vacation to Illinois

2011-07-28T05:46:00.000-07:00

We had a great time visiting Kevin and Sarah and their children, Olivia and Evelyn. Gavin couldn't get enough of the girls and wanted to play with them every second. Enjoy the pictures from our trip!

Olivia and Gavin playing with the bubble machine

Evelyn getting ready for bed

We took about 2 dozen pictures in our mini photo shoot. Kevin and Sarah's yard was fabulous. It looked better than a professional setting but Gavin wasn't having any of it. He was his usual self with refusing to look in our direction or smile.

The girls are getting tired of waiting on Gavin to smile!

Now it's time to start lifting up our shirt in case Mom and Aunt Sarah didn't get the other clues that I don't want my picture taken.

Grant was so patient!

We thought switching chairs might help and having Ryan pretend to fall down in the background. It kind of worked.

I'm glad someone was having a good time.

My last try with just the two boys.

What a cutie!!!

Gavin enjoyed a pony ride with daddy.

Evelyn with Kevin

My wonderful boys!

Grant was not sure what to think of Gavin and Olivia giving him kisses.

Happy boy!

Ryan took this picture after we came home and Gavin got to take a nap in his own bed. Home Sweet Home.

Grant at 3 Months and Gavin's New Toys

2011-07-10T12:57:00.000-07:00

Grant is a solid 17 lbs at 3 months. He has such a sweet disposition. He rarely cries and loves to smile at you all day long. I hope this stage of being sweet and happy lasts forever!

Gavin got a little grill and chef hat with apron to kick off the summer. He likes to pretend he is grilling up some burgers and dogs like daddy. We also decided to buy a large sandbox that both boys can enjoy in the next few years. Gavin loves to play in it and recently had some of his friends over to build sand castles.

Ryan enjoying time with his sons!

Easter 2011

2011-06-11T17:30:00.000-07:00

***Editor's Note*** I recently had a good friend of mine tell me she wasn't going to look at my blog anymore unless I started keeping it more up-to-date. Even though she was only kidding, I have been getting quite behind in keeping up with the posts. I will attempt to do better in the future!

We celebrated Easter this year with both sides of the family. My sister-in-law, Julie, made a wonderful lunch for the Woolleys, Folgers and a few other friends. There was an Easter egg hunt for the kids inside because it rained. They loved finding the plastic eggs and finding out what was inside! We then went Mimi and Papa Ely's house for an Easter egg hunt for Gavin and a delicious dinner. We had a full day. Here are some pictures of one of the Easter eggs hunts and some newer pics of Grant.

This is as close to a smile as I get right now. Gavin doesn't like his picture taken.

Gavin found Mimi's sun hat and thought he would wear it around for a little bit.

Grant loves to nap in his swing.

This is the look at Gavin gives when he is about to do something bad to Grant.

Grant is looking a little worried!

Gavin was told not to tackle Grant. It almost looks like Grant has a smirk on his face.

And then there was two...

2011-06-08T05:14:00.000-07:00

It is a challenge adjusting from one toddler to a toddler and a new baby. It has been hard on Gavin as well but he is getting used to the idea that baby Grant is staying. When we first brought Grant home, we had a flutter of people visiting the house and bringing food. It was nice to have the company but every now and then Gavin would ask if they were here to take baby Grant home. We had to assure him that Grant is staying here with us.

We tried to give Gavin extra attention during the first few months after Grant was born. He enjoyed the attention, especially the time with daddy! At first, there were many presents coming in the mail for Grant. Gavin would see the package, think it was Christmas, and try to open the present. He would usually be disappointed that it was clearly not for him. Every now and then, we would receive a few presents, one for Grant and one for Gavin. He would get so excited that something came for him. One of the gifts we documented was a set of gifts from Aunt Rose. Gavin was so excited he carried his gift into a few different rooms before he opened it. Everyone has been so generous with all the calls, emails, cards, presents and food. We appreciate everything during this transition in our lives!

Some gifts from Aunt Rose

Gavin enjoying "Daddy Time"

Photos 3/26/11

2011-03-26T12:08:00.001-07:00

Here are a few photos taken today, 3/26/11

Grant Two Week Photos

2011-03-20T06:58:00.001-07:00

Grant is starting to pack on the pounds! He measured in at around 9 lb on 3/20/11 (just past two weeks) and he's eating like a champ!

Welcome Grant Carson Ely

2011-03-05T10:06:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures of me before Grants big arrival.

Grant Carson was born on March 2. 2011 at 12:33 pm. He was 7 lbs 13 oz and 20 inches long. The birth was short. I was induced about 7:15 that morning and by noon the nurse was telling us our little guy should be here around 1:00 pm. About 20minutes later I was ready to push and after 10 minutes Grant made his grand entrance. We are extremely blessed to have such a wonderful new baby. He seems to be content with just eating and sleeping but rarely crying. We are trying to get used to only sleeping a few hours each night and then having enough energy to play with Gavin during the day. It is a big adjustment but we are doing our best to cope right now.

Gavin is starting to get used to the idea that baby Grant is going to stay with us. He likes to know where the baby is at all times and then goes about his day playing. We gave Gavin a special dinosaur present at the hospital and told him it was from baby Grant. He lets us know all the time who gave him the dinosaurs. I think he is more interested in them than his little brother right now.

Enjoy the pictures of our new little miracle!

My wonderful doctor

Our completed family

Don "Papa" Ely

Judy "Mimi" Ely

My precious boys!

Grant just about a half hour after birth

Gavin is Two Years Old

2010-12-12T11:20:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Gavin's birthday twice this year. The first celebration happened at one of his favorite places, Chuck E. Cheese, with Ryan's side of the family just before Thanksgiving. He had a great time playing games with his cousins, Olivia and Evelyn. He also had a special surprise when Chuck E. Cheese came out and danced with all the children.

Evelyn with Papa

The next celebration happened the following weekend with my side of the family. I decided to make a special train cake that I found online. The directions said it would take anywhere from 2-3 hours. About 8 hours later, it finally came together with the help of one of my sister-in-laws, Danila, and turned out to be a success. I won't be making anything that extravagant again, especially when I am pregnant. I am happy I did it this one time!

Another Boy

2010-10-31T17:13:00.000-07:00

We are expecting another baby in early March and recently found out we will be having another boy. Everything is going well with the pregnancy. I was incredibly sick for the first few months but I am feeling fine now. We had a few ultrasound pictures that came out clear. The first is the entire baby and the second shows his little feet. I will post more pictures as the belly continues to grow.

Halloween 2010

2010-10-30T18:11:00.000-07:00

Gavin was able to wear his Mickey Mouse Fireman costume a few times this year. We took him to Boo at the Zoo where he got to dress up, see all the animals and get some candy with Mimi and Papa. He had a great time and we even ran into Jon, Julie, Hannah and our friends Sheri and her children, Jacob and Megan. Later that week, we had Trick-or-Treat in our neighborhood and my good friend Theresa came over with her son, David. Gavin had a great time!

Papa with Gavin

Gavin's friend David

Ely Summer Vacation

2010-10-30T17:28:00.000-07:00

We traveled to Geneva, Illinois again this year to visit Kevin, Sarah, Olivia and Evelyn (Ryan's brother, Sister-in-Law and their two girls). We had a great time watching a baseball game at Wrigley Field, playing in the big pool in the backyard, taking the kids on a nature walk and watching Gavin and Olivia having a ball on the indoor roller coaster. Sarah and I received a much needed break to attend a disabled jockey fundraiser which we were able to dress up, eat an elegant lunch and actually talk to adults. It was a great trip!

Spending Time with Grandpa

2010-10-30T17:18:00.000-07:00

My parents were in town a few weeks ago and Gavin just loves being with Grandpa. He has a hard time saying Grandpa so he calls him "Go'Pa" which I think is really cute! He enjoyed sitting and reading a book and watching some football almost as much as Grandpa did. After they left, he kept going into the guest bedroom and asking for "Go'Pa".

Mimi and Papa's House

2010-10-30T16:39:00.000-07:00

Gavin lovess to go to Mimi and Papa's (Ryan's parents) house. He loves to play with all the different toys and go for rides in their wagon they have for the grandchildren. The picture below was from an OSU football game and Ryan made sure he had all his OSU gear on. He discovered a Brutus Buckeye doll, who he refers to as "Buckey", and barely put it down the entire time game.

Gavin Visits a Firestation

2010-07-12T16:54:00.000-07:00

There is a new firestation in Upper Arlington and they held an open house for the public to see. There were numerous trucks, ambulances and things for kids to do. Gavin had a blast looking at the fire trucks and honking the horn. It was a great memory for everyone!

Gavin with his cousins

2010-07-12T16:46:00.000-07:00

When Kevin and Sarah were in town we decided to have everyone over for some fun in the sun in the backyard. It was Julie's day off so she was able to join us and bring Hannah. This is one of the few pictures we have with all the cousins together.

(L-R) Olivia, Evelyn, Hannah and Gavin

Ely Family Picnic

2010-05-31T06:20:00.000-07:00

We invited the Ely side of the family over for a picnic. Kevin and Sarah came in with the girls. We had a great time seeing everyone. Gavin loved following Olivia around and she seemed to enjoy the company. He doesn't seem to mind that he is the only boy out of three girl cousins, at least not yet. Olivia decided she wanted to wear one of Gavin's construction hats around and since Gavin wanted to do everything like her, he put on his fireman hat. They both ate their dinners with the hats either on their head or nearby. It was too cute!

Olivia, Gavin and Evelyn

Rachel, Sarah, Lynn, Judy and Olivia

Kevin and Sarah

Picnic with UA Guys

2010-05-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

Ryan has a large group of friends from high school that are all still friends. All have married and gone on to have children. We were invited to a last minute cookout at the Seidelmann's house and quite a few of the families were able to make it. Here is the old gang with the new additions.

Jason and Noah Nordstrom, Ryan, Jon-Tony Seidelmann, Brian Speer and Tom Assante

Front Row- Andrew Assante, Aidan Speer, Ben Seidelmann, Luke Seidelmann

Back Row- Liam Nordstrom, Noah Nordstrom and Gavin Ely

Brian and Colleen with son Aidan

Jason and Gina with sons Noah and Liam

Tom and Anne with son Andrew

Easter Egg Hunts

2010-05-14T16:47:00.000-07:00

We took Gavin to a couple Easter egg hunts. One was for a Mommies workout group that I attend with Gavin and the other was at the park, close to our house. He had a great time but liked putting things in his bucket and then taking them back out again. He didn't understand that he didn't have all the time in the world to carry around his bucket and explore before all the candy disappeared. It was fun to watch him and we were happy that Ryan got to come to one of them!

Hats

2010-04-21T16:25:00.001-07:00

I found a couple play hats at a thrift store for Gavin. After I cleaned them, Gavin had the best time playing with them. He would put on the fireman hat then the construction hard hat. Who knew I could spend a dollar and get so much entertainment for me and him!

Florida Vacation

2010-04-21T16:06:00.000-07:00

We had a great time in Florida. Gavin had many firsts on the trip. His first airplane ride, first time in the baby pool and his first time in the sand. He loved all of it except for the plane ride. Enjoy the pictures from our vacation.

Aunt Nancy's 60th Birthday

2010-03-17T17:51:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Nancy's 60th birthday with a great cook-in at John and Marilyns house. We had a nice time visiting with Ryan's family including cousins and their children. Nancy got to be a princess all day and even shook her booty on the dance floor with Marilyn playing the Nintendo Wii. Everyone had a fantastic time. We hope this year will be a blessed one for Nancy- you deserve it!

The Birthday Girl

Ryan and Nancy

Nancy and Marilyn

Erin with Brendan, Jack, Gavin with Nancy, Grace and Sofia

Gavin's First Haircut

2010-03-17T17:39:00.001-07:00

When Gavin was almost 15 months old, we decided it was time for his first haircut. He doesn't have much on top but the back was starting to curl around his ears. We took him to a fancy place called Cookie Cutters which specializes in kids haircuts. He thought it was fun except when the stylist started cutting. He got to pick out a balloon at the end so it was all worth it!

The Before Pictures

Outside Cookie Cutters

Christmas 2009

2010-01-21T05:30:00.001-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas with both sides of the family. First we celebrated with the Ely side on Christmas Eve and then we celebrated in Pittsburgh with the Woolley side on New Year's Day. We had a great time and we loved watching Gavin and our nieces open all the presents.

Christmas Eve with the Elys

Stockings for all the grandchildren- Gavin, Olivia and Evelyn.

Olivia (almost 3) and Gavin (1 year)

A family picture

I don't have many pictures. We had a wonderful dinner and then it was time to open presents. Gavin wanted to go to bed so he only opened a few before letting everyone know he was done for the evening. Olivia also only opened a few presents and was so excited about Santa coming on Christmas day that she asked to go to bed after dinner. Evelyn was up for a little while. I know everyone loves seeing pictures of the children that we didn't take any pictures of the adults opening gifts.

Christmas with the Woolleys

Danila, Gavin with Rachel, Jon

Hannah (almost 2) with Julie

Gavin down for a short nap before the big OSU game.

Hannah getting her last big present from Grandma and Grandpa.

We couldn't keep her out of that car for the rest of the day,

Gavin begging Hannah to please let him ride.

Hold on tight

This is fun! When am I getting on of these?

Las Vegas

2010-01-05T05:50:00.001-08:00

Ryan and I took a trip to Las Vegas to celebrate our 5 1/2 year wedding anniversary without Gavin. It was our first time being without him since he was born. We were thankful that both sets of grandparents could help take care of the little guy while we had a much needed vacation. It was a wonderful and relaxing time!

We stayed at the Trump Tower which was a beautiful hotel.

The Venetian (my favorite!)

Gandola ride at Venetian

The Bellagio (another one of my favorites!)

Water show in front of The Bellagio.

Paris Hotel

Pete Rose - he was signing autographs at a store in Ceasar's Palace.

The Wynn Hotel

Thanksgiving

2010-01-04T09:56:00.000-08:00

I am a little behind on my posts. The next few should catch everyone up as to what has been going on in our lives over the past couple of months.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with first the Ely side and then later that day the Woolley side. It was nice to be able to stay in town and see both sides of the family.

The Ely Family

We were trying to get Gavin, cousin Evelyn and cousin Olivia

to smile for the cameras. One out of three isn't too bad.

Judy and Evelyn

Gavin with Ryan

Uncle Kevin reading to Gavin.

Gavin didn't want to get into his pajamas.

There was more interesting things to do like waving

to the dogs with cousin Hannah.

We also celebrated my Josh and Danila's (my brother and sister-in-law)

30th birthdays that weekend. Welcome to the thirties!

Gavin is One Year Old

2009-12-08T16:30:00.000-08:00

Our boy is growing up. I can't believe he is a year old already! This past year has just flown by.

Gavin had a great time at his birthday party and he didn't need any help when it came time to eat his cake.

Gavin's First Halloween

2009-11-02T06:25:00.000-08:00

Gavin had a great time going to a couple houses for trick-or-treat night. He didn't really know what was going on except that mommy and daddy made him wear this funny looking costume. He did smile right on cue for all the neighbors and looked adorable in his monkey costume.

2009-10-05T09:44:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Patch

My friend Theresa and I took our boys to a pumpkin patch. The activities were a little too old yet for Gavin, but her son, David, had a great time.

Gavin had fun playing in the corn sandbox. He didn't understand why he couldn't eat the corn.

Theresa helped David pick out a pumpkin

Gavin left his hat on for this picture then tore it off for the rest of the day. This became a fun game (for Gavin) of put the hat on and throw it on the floor.

Here are some new pictures of Gavin. As you can see below, he still enjoys sleeping on his back in his yoga pose. At 10 months old, he weighs 24 lbs and is 31.5 inches long. He is growing up so fast!

Here are a few videos. The first shows how excited Gavin becomes when Ryan arrives home from work. The other shows him repeating words. Something he has started to do often but sometimes he says his own version of the word.

Surprise 40th Wedding Anniversary Party for Don and Judy Ely

Everyone had a great time at the cookout held at our house in honor of Don and Judy. The hosts were Kevin and Sarah (Ryan's brother and sister-in-law) along with Ryan and myself. Don and Judy were surprised and Gavin, Olivia and Evelyn (all the grandchildren) wore shirts that said, "Happy 40th Anniversary Mimi and Papa." We all had a wonderful evening!

Don and Judy Ely

John and Marilyn (Don's sister) Dilley

Nancy (Don's sister) Ely

Lynn (Judy's sister) Peterson and Sarah (Kevin's wife) Ely

Marilyn (great friend of the family) Hickey with Gavin

Don with Olivia (Kevin and Sarah's daughter)

Judy with Olivia and Gavin

Peter Ely

Olivia and Gavin

Ryan with Sarah and Evelyn

Precious Evelyn Victoria Ely

Kevin and Judy

Lynn and Gavin

Mike Hickey, Marilyn and John Dilley, Don and Judy with Olivia

By the end of the night, Evelyn had enough.

Family Vacation

2009-07-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

We had a great trip to Illinois to see Kevin, Sarah, Olivia and meet Evelyn for the first time. Gavin went on an 8 hour car trip for the first time. He can now say he has been in 3 states, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. He enjoyed riding in the car and loved seeing his cousins.

Ryan and Gavin before the trip.

Gavin enjoyed playing with his 2 1/2 year old cousin, Olivia, but was getting tired off all the pictures.

Olivia playing in the pool in the backyard.

Gavin's first time in a baby pool. He entertained himself by splashing in the water and eating the toy balls.

We took everyone to a sprinkler park where Olivia had tons of fun.

Precious Evelyn joined us. She is now a healthy 8 lbs at 3 months.

Sarah and Kevin with Olivia.

We thought Gavin would have fun at the sprinkler park but he decided to sleep the entire time. He finally opened his eyes as we were pulling out of the parking lot.

We also went to the outlet mall.

Gavin had his first big boy bath with daddy.

What a happy little guy! He is also showing off his new bottom two teeth.

We finally got a great family picture.

We were trying to get Gavin to smile in this picture but as you can see he had other plans.

2009-07-04T05:52:00.000-07:00

At the time these pictures were taken Gavin was 6 months and 21 lbs. They show how big has has become over the past few months and his early love for yoga poses.

2009-07-04T05:30:00.000-07:00

Memorial Weekend

Josh and Danila came in for Memorial weekend and we all enjoyed a great cookout at Jon and Julie's house. Hannah and Gavin had fun playing together.

Rachel and Gavin

Uncle Josh and Hannah

Gavin having fun with Ryan

Ryan trying to handle both Gavin and Hannah at the same time

Aunt Julie with Gavin and Hannah (learning to use the cell phone at an early age)

2009-05-04T13:17:00.000-07:00

Gavin having a good time
with Papa Ely.

WOOLLEY DUDE
My mom and I found this shirt when I was pregnant and thought it was fitting for our family with a Woolly Mammoth and the words "Wooly Dude" on the front of it. At the time we weren't sure if Gavin would be able to wear it because it was for a 9 month old. He just turned 5 months old, weighing in at a hefty 19 pounds and wearing 9-12 month clothing. I think we did alright with this shirt!

The Columbus Zoo

A few weeks ago, my sister-in-law, Julie Woolley, our friend, Sheri Lichtensteiger and I took the kids to the zoo. We had a great time and as you can see from the pictures, so did Hannah, Jacob and Gavin. Gavin was determined to hold his own bottle and he did for about 3 seconds when I took the picture. Our little guy is growing up and already trying to become independent.

Playground Trips

2009-04-03T18:49:00.000-07:00

When Uncle Josh and Aunt Danila came for a quick visit, Hannah invited Gavin to swing at the playground. They had so much fun. Check out the pictures and video.

Photos of Our New Niece Evelyn Victoria Ely

2009-03-31T18:13:00.000-07:00

These are photos of our new niece Evelyn Victoria Ely who was born 11 weeks early at 2 lb 10 oz. She is now off the respirator and is breathing on her own. Keep Kevin, Sarah, Olivia, and Evelyn in your prayers as these next few weeks will be critical needless to say. Here is an email from Kevin today with some additional details:

I have a couple of picture of our surprise, early new addition, Evelyn Victoria. Sarah was 29 1/2 weeks pregnant yesterday and the due date wasn't supposed to be until June 12. We were surprised yesterday when we found out that Sarah's water broke around 11:45am. After being directed by her doctor to check into the labor and delivery unit at our hospital, we were quickly working with the high risk pregnancy doctors. It was confirmed that in fact, her water did break and it was likely the baby was going to be delivered very soon. At the doctors recommendation, they encouraged us to transfer to Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, IL where they have specialists in high risk deliveries and infant care.

Around 7pm, Sarah was taken away in an ambulance and I met her at the hospital. At 10:20pm, we welcomed Evelyn. It was a very quick delivery for Sarah and there were 11 doctors and nurses surrounding the situation. Some of you know the other details which included dad passing out, having to get stitches in the ER and missing the delivery by 2 minutes.

Evelyn seems to be doing well at this point. She is actually off of the respirator as of late this morning (about 12 hours after birth). She is now able to breath on her own with her tiny little lungs. This afternoon, they mentioned that her white blood cell count is low and they have put her on some antibiotics for that. This will be monitored closely.

The situation is difficult for many reasons, but primarily because we can't hold her and are not able to have any control over her situation. Fortunately, she is under some of the best care we could possibly get. We've been told to expect her to need to stay in the hospital for almost 11 weeks (up until the original due date). The hospital is a 55 minute drive from our house, and that obviously is difficult as well.

Please keep little Evelyn in your prayers and we will keep everyone informed on her progress.
Best wishes,
Kevin

Another March Video of Gavin

2009-03-30T16:18:00.000-07:00

Gavin was having a very happy dream!

March Videos of Gavin

2009-03-30T14:58:00.000-07:00

Playing in his new Rainforest Jumper

March Photos of Gavin

2009-03-29T15:33:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of Gavin during the month of March. He is currently about 16 pounds and 26" long.

This is Gavin's new chair (he's not potty trained quite yet).

Taking a snooze.

Ready to watch some basketball with his daddy.

Gavin with Daddy

2009-03-03T17:11:00.000-08:00

Gavin Lucas Ely

Ryan and I received the best Christmas present of all last year, our son, Gavin Lucas Ely. He was born December 2, 2008 and we are incredibly blessed to have such a wonderful baby!

Before I talk about Gavin, I do feel the need to talk a little bit about the miscarriage we had before him. When Ryan and I decided we wanted to start a family, we became pregnant right away in December 2007. It was the same time that my brother, Jon, and sister-in-law, Julie, were also expecting. Julie, was pregnant with our niece, Hannah, and having numerous complications with her pregnancy. We decided to keep quiet about our news until we had the first ultrasound and saw the heartbeat. Julie ended up delivering Hannah 10 weeks early on January 21, 2008. We were all excited yet incredibly worried about our little niece who was now in the NIC Unit and just trying to survive. I really struggled at this time watching my brother and sister-in-law going through this difficult time and knowing we would soon have our own news to announce. It was an especially hard time because I didn't want to steal their spotlight in any way.

A week after Hannah was born, I had my first ultrasound and there was no heartbeat. We knew I would soon have a miscarriage. We decided to tell only our parents at that time and deal with everything on our own. I had a harder time with it than I let anyone know. It helped me get through every day that I heard Hannah was improving in the hospital. Our parents were also incredibly helpful with their prayers and just being there for us to talk to during this time. I know everything happens for a reason and I feel this experience has taught us that there are no guarantees in this precious life and God does have a plan for each of us but it might not be the same plan we see for ourselves. Thankfully, Hannah was released from the hospital after several weeks and is a thriving one year old whom we love dearly.

The next month after we had the miscarriage, we found out we were pregnant again. This time we told our parents right away and waited to tell everyone else until after we heard the heartbeat. There was a heartbeat! We told the rest of our family and although everyone was sad to hear about the miscarriage the first time, they were thrilled to hear that we were pregnant again.

I decided to paint a mural in the nursery which took quite a bit longer than I thought it would. I am no Picasso, that's for sure! I had a rough pregnancy from a 5 week battle with extreme morning sickness to being on bed rest for 4 weeks towards the end. At 7:05 pm on December 2, 2008 Gavin was born and changed our lives completely. He weighed in at 8lbs 2oz and is now a hefty 14 lbs. Below are some pictures to show how much he has grown and changed over the past 3 months. Enjoy!

Gavin is 11 Weeks Old Today

2009-02-12T18:22:00.000-08:00