Adventures Around San Antonio

Awhile back we went on an adventure with Brad's parents out into the hill country where we found this beautiful little place. Lots of people were swimming, but it was a little too chilly for me. The man made waterfall was pretty cool, but Jack was a little unsure b/c it was really loud. We walked across it, and let him put his hands under the running water.

and life goes on...

Before finding out I was pregnant I started getting pretty nervous about actually being pregnant and being able to take care of Jack considering when I was pregnant for him...I was sick for the first 16-20 weeks. Then I found out I was pregnant...and then at 5 weeks along I started getting sick. I have to say it has been pretty sucky. I'm very thankful I don't have to get up and go to work everyday, but in a way its harder because I feel so bad when I can't play with Jack like he's used to. As far as taking care of the house...cooking supper...those things can suffer a little, but it kills me when Jack obviousely needs my attention, and I can't give it to him. When I was pregnant with Jack I basically just suffered through the nausea and vomiting b/c my doctor was pretty conservative, but now that my husband is a doctor I've been able to get some relief with a fabulous drug called Zofran. There's nothing worse than a crying baby, and a mommy who can't get away from the toilet bowl. I only take it when I really need it, and its been a true life savor!

On a lighter note, this morning I woke up feeling well...no drugs nothing...just my almost normal feeling self, and I LOVE TO FEEL WELL!!!!!!! I say almost normal b/c there have definitely been some edgy moments, but no real nausea or vomiting! Thank you GOD. I was able to go to the grocery store and gets some light cleaning done around the house...and I was able to really start feeling excited about this baby rather than feeling so sick. I'm convinced its a girl...please Lord let it be a girl. I want to decorate a girl nursery sooo bad! I've probably spent waayy too much time on the internet looking up girl nursery stuff today!

Anyways, for an update on Mr. Big Brother to be...

Jack is doing great. We had our follow up appt., and he's not anemic anymore, so the iron supplements have worked! He'll stay on them for another two months though, and we'll continue to do follow ups monthly to make sure. Hopefully he'll start gaining some weight! As far as everything else with him, he's a busy little boy! He saw a cat on the TV today, and he walked up to the TV and said "at" (which means "cat"). He has also associated our front door with Brad, so he'll walk to it throughout the day and say "DaDa" which breaks my heart. He also LOVES to be outside getting dirty, but its so darn HOT. I'm so ready for the fall! Soon enough it will be here, and we can look forward to nice evenings outside, pumpkin patches, Halloween, crispy leaves, scarves, hot chocolate, thanksgiving, christmas trees....oh how I love the Fall!

Jack plus 1 more makes a family of 4!

If you haven't heard, we found out we are pregnant this week! It's still early, and we won't see a doctor until 8 weeks, but we are extremely excited to share this news with our friends & family!

Brad is beyond thrilled...he was ready for another one 6 months ago! I still can hardly believe it, but at the same time I'm very happy too! As you would expect...Brad wants a boy...and I'm ready for bows, dresses, and everything pink! I guess we'll see soon enough! At this time we think the due date will be April 16th, but ofcourse I'm sure it will change a little once we see a doctor. I'm excited because I'll be big and pregnant during the winter...and Spring is just a great time to be born!

*If you knew me when I was pregnant with Jack...things got yucky pretty quick....I'm keeping my fingers crossed...since some prayers my way!

Home Sweet Home

Last week I went home, and we had a great visit! Jack spent almost every afternoon playing in the yard with my mom. I'd usually find him full of dirt and stripped down to his diaper...he was in heaven! He has also learned what "outside" means since then! After supper we'd usually go to the park where Jack played and splashed in the water area. It was really nice in the evenings, and my Dad was able to relax and watch Jack play which he enjoyed. We visited my family in Kinder one day, so Jack got to see Marianna! We also went out to my parents camp where Jack rode the four wheeler again....he was so serious the whole time...he wanted to figure it all out! My dad showed him how to turn it on, and he thought that was really cool! Overall, the trip was great and I'm already ready to go back :)

*Sorry the pics are out of order

We told Jack to give her a hug...so he got a little closer but ever so gently.
at the park

diggin in the dirt...he LOVED it!

Water park area

*Notice the oh so serious look on Jack's face!

Playing with Granna!

Let's toast to an amazing life...

As some of you may know, Ben Brown passed away last week. Ben was a good friend of mine many years ago. I have many wonderful memories of Ben even though its been years since we have seen eachother or talked. I met Ben through Key Club, and I got the honor of going to his senior prom with him. It was on that night that I learned what a true gentleman was. Ben was one of the happiest people I've ever met. Everyday he had a smile on his face, and he was ALWAYS making the best of life. He loved life. He loved making other people happy, and he did anything he could to do so. I feel lucky to have known Ben, and I will always remember him. I am determined to remember Ben in all of the positive ways, and I ask that you do too.

What happened to Ben was a tragedy. I've had the hardest time wrapping my head around it, because it doesn't make sense. A letter was written by one of his friends, and its helped me to find peace in all of this. Its something we all should read carefully.

Classmates and friends,

As I’m sure you’ve heard by now, our Catholic High Family has suffered a great tragedy in the loss of Ben Brown. I can attest that he had an intense devotion to Catholic High and his family, and I regret that we will never find a replacement for him.

There are a few things I want to address concerning the past few days. First, please do not make any presumptions about Ben’s death based upon the limited information available. Rumors seem to be the most abundant source of information at this time, and unfortunately, it seems as though we will never know the exact truth about what happened to Ben. I would encourage you to pursue this line of thought: at this time, there is more information indicating that Ben’s death was accidental, and not a planned or intentional act. His coworkers have indicated that he sometimes sat on the roof of his office building to enjoy the quiet, and watch the sunrise over the city. Also, he left no behavioral indicators that he was seeking any closure in his life. He was beginning many new projects in his life, and was pursuing them with his typical unparalleled intensity. There is no physical evidence to indicate any otherwise.

Secondly, we can all form hypothetical explanations for what may have happened, but in truth, none really matter. We owe it to Ben and his loved ones to remember him for his incomparable dedication, his compassion for everyone in his life, and his tireless pursuit to better himself and those around him. I ask that you have the courage to promote these memories of Ben in the face of any rumors or falsehoods that may emerge in the future. The best thing we can do to honor Ben’s memory is to carry on where he left off: continue to strive to better ourselves, care for our loved ones, and build the institutions that make our lives better.

That being said, many of you have approached me with questions about memorial scholarships and endowment funds. Ben was the driving force behind the Class of 99 Endowment Scholarship, which was included in the June 2009 Bear Facts. When he first proposed the idea of creating a scholarship, Ben wanted to create something to honor the memory of our former classmate, Jared “Happy” Rachal. We later decided to create a general endowment fund for our entire class, in the event that another classmate would pass away. As Ben explained to us, “we do not want to create a competition between memorial scholarships.” If you choose to make a donation to the Class of 99 Endowment Fund that Ben created, you can choose to do so in his memory. Additional avenues to honor Ben’s memory may materialize in the future, and I encourage you to pursue them as well.

Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.

Very Respectfully,
Norman V. Ryan, Jr.