Our Boy.

Our precious son, Christian Judah Hall, joined us one week ago tonight at 10:31 p.m. He weighed 7 lbs 9 oz and was 19 3/4 inches long.

We are truly overjoyed at his addition to our family.

I wept with happiness several times, but incident #1 occurred upon my first time to hold him. Several more incidences would follow. :)

Straight out of the womb, and he was already quite laid-back.

Again, can you tell we were joyful?

My sweet friend, Lindsey, stayed four hours after she finished a 12 hour shift at the hospital just to be there with us. Not sure what I would have done without her rubbing my back through some of those contractions. That is a true friend.

Freshly bathed and already deliciously adorable.

Grandmommy and Grandpa were there waiting to welcome him into the world.

Angela and her boys were our first visitors the morning after. Eight months pregnant and she can still get herself and her boys around and bring us delicious chai tea, all before 9 a.m. Impressive.

Grammy Kristine squeezed in a visit just before she jetted off to Hawaii for a week.

Upon meeting him for the first time, Edy was thrilled- despite having said she wanted another baby sister. Hattie, on the other hand, (who had correctly predicted that he was a boy) responded by first jamming her fingers into his mouth then sucking her thumb profusely.

Bless her heart, it's been a tough transition.

But things have gotten much better.

Since then, we've had first car rides,

first Daddy-sandwiches,

first baths,

and lots and lots of snuggles.

We are simply blessed here in the Hall house.

Life Since May...

I can see that I'm going to get no rest from my grumbling followers until I post some new pics, so we're going to go way back into the archives here to catch ourselves up.

We went to Houston in May, I think...

It was great to see Jake and Mindy and fam. We visited the Houston Children's Museum, which was well worth it.

We painted faces,

played in the make-believe city, where Edy checked the vital signs of numerous wounded and ill stuffed animals,

Hattie and Jax navigated the perilous roads of Tot-Land,

And in true Smith-fashion, we brough our own lunch and ate it right outside the museum. Take that, expensive sub-par museum food!

Also in May, to finish out the year in the HIPPY program, all the kiddos were rewarded with a train ride...

and graduation, where Edy showed off her multi-tasking skills. She can both accept a diploma and pick her nose.

We spent a very hot Memorial Day at Devil's Den with much of the Smith-clan,

and attended birthday parties. Here, Hattie was apparently playing the role of the Sad Clown. (Perhaps she had a premonition because it was at this very party that she contracted Hand, Food and Mouth Disease...)

which she then passed on to Jagger and Jax who had come to visit us in mid-June. :( So, so sorry, Mindy!!

But, heck, they had a good time while they were at it!

And finally, this is was happens when the girls disappear into my closet and it gets very, very quiet for a while.

Until next time (which will probably be a long time), adios!

For Sandy Mounce (my dental hygienist and loyal reader)

I can't seem to keep ahead of this silly blog. If I didn't occasionally have someone comment on it, I probably would drop it all together. So, to you folks who comment out there, keep up the good work.

I meant to post this one a while ago. Edy and her best friend, Gibson, were Mary and Joseph for our children's Christmas program at church.


They played their parts well. Edy even did a quick solo dance number while onstage. Mommy was so proud. :)


There's an outdoor ice skating rink open in Bentonville now. We went on Christmas Eve and had a blast, despite being pretty terrible at it in general.


The girls are growing. And growing. And growing.


Hattie is quite the dramatic.


And Edy must practically be pried out of her princess dress for such lowly tasks as bathing and bedtime.


We took a recent road trip to visit my grandparents in Bryant...

And our dear friends, the Greers, in Bismark.


Their trampoline was a hit.

Edy also got to sleep on her first bunk bed while at the Greers. When I told her about it she looked excited but quietly asked me, "Do they bump hard?"

And Hattie started going to "school" on Thursdays this week.


This was her first day. She loved her lunch bag.

(This update was for you, Sandy :)

Silver Dollar City

This trip took place well over a month ago, but you know how the holidays are. Who has time to blog?


We had a great time. Edy is truly a ride-lover, like her mommy and daddy. As it was, we could only ride the kiddie-coasters, but someday + a few inches, we will take her on the Big Ones!






Free Advertising: Everyone should go to Silver Dollar City over the Holidays. And go with us! It would have been even more fun if someone else had been there to enjoy it.


So, for next year, any takers?