"The Izzy's"

It's s Boy!!!!

2011-07-07T21:44:00.000-07:00

Well, it's now July, 2011. I am pregnant again with my third, and we just found out...it's a boy!!! We are so excited!! Jesse and Hannah will have a little brother, due some time in mid November.

Thank you Lord for this blessing! I told my neighbor, Gayle, (who watched the kids while Stephen and I went to the appointment), and she came over this afternoon and gave me my first little boy gift, complete with balloons. =) It was a little blue outfit, with teddy bears on it. =) She is so sweet. I am so excited about my new little boy!

Hello 2010!!!

2010-01-07T14:08:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone who is reading this!!! Hope you all had as wonderful of a Christmas as we did! Stephen got to be home from the Tuesday before Christmas all the way through the weekend; it was so nice to have him home. His parents came up that Monday, so we spent the week having fun with them. We went to the Wild Animal park, Stephen and his dad fixed Stephen's bikes (a long standing item on the "to-do" list), his mom and I cooked Christmas goodies (including baklava), and we had an all around good time. On Christmas day, my side of the family came up for Christmas dinner, and I must say I cooked the best turkey we have ever had! =) The relatives all went hog-wild with Christmas presents, of course, and I would like to say they only spoiled Jesse...but no, it was a shower of gifts on all of us. Our families spoils us! Thanks to all of you. We loved having everyone come to our house for Christmas. It was so special. We love having company, especially when it's those we love so much.

I have included some pics of Christmas...hope you enjoy them.

MamaBell, the train video is for you. =) Jesse loves it! Thank you!!!

This was a cookies exchange that my mom, Angela (my older sister) and my mother-in-law did together. Unfortunately, my mother-in-law left before we got any pics.

My sister and brother-in-law gave us a keyboard, and we all enjoyed singing Christmas carols around it.

The day after Christmas, Stephen took Jesse and three of my sisters to the beach.

Rough California winters!

Happy New Year!!!

Happy Holloween...I mean Birthday!!!!

2009-11-07T15:57:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I know this is uncharacteristic of me, but I have a few spare minutes, so I thought I would share about our fun Halloween with the Isbell side of the family. Yes, my father-in-law's birthday is Oct. 31, and no, we did not go trick-or-treating in honor of him. However, we did spend our weekend with him. Anna Joe (my sister-in-law) and her boyfriend also flew out from Chicago, which made it an extra special birthday for dad. It was also her first time meeting her new little niece...whom she did not drop once! =)
Jesse had a cute little costume that he wore for the day, and we made fresh-squeezed orange juice from their orange tree.
And no, Nate and I did not kill each other...this time. =) Unfortunately, Stephen picked up the "plague", and was very sick the second day of our stay. But, a week later, I am happy to report that he is almost fully recovered. =)
Happy Birthday, Papa Bell! It was so much fun visiting you!!!

Two months

2009-10-22T14:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, So I haven't updated this blog since Hannah was born, and I can't say that I never have time..I was able to write that whole first sent acne before I had to pick up the baby. =) In the last two months, we have adjusted very well to having two little ones. Hannah is a sweet, pretty little girl, and Jesse is an energetic, busy little boy. Jesse's vocabulary expands more and more every day; he is even putting two words together at times. He loves his little sister, and is learning to be gentle with her. Hannah had her one month check up, and was 10lb. This week we will have her second month check up, and I will update on her status then.

The biggest adventure we have had in the last two months was a trip to Pennsylvania on the first of October. Stephen's cousin got married, and we went to the wedding. We stayed in PA a whole week, and very much enjoyed the vacation. My in-laws came with us, and it was wonderful traveling with them. They really helped keep Jesse entertained and Hannah soothed while we traveled. A big thanks to the Alan Roush family who let us stay with them the entire time, and were such gracious hosts. And Caroline, thanks again for the beautiful pics you took of the kids! I'll post some here, and my face book has all of them.

Caroline's Pics

The only other big news to report is the demolition and reconstruction of our fence on the south side of our house. Nate (Stephen's brother) and Randy (Stephen's good friend) came down last weekend to help Stephen with this project. They moved the fence forward to the front corner of our house, which opened up the usable back yard space considerably. They also destroyed the two raised planters in the back yard, haled away the dirt, and took down a 30 foot flag pole in the front yard. All in 1 1/2 days!!!!! Thank you so much for all your work, guys! We could not have done it alone. Thank you also to my mom and Lindsey ( Randy's wife) for coming and helping me feed the guys, watch the kids, and keep me company over the weekend. it was so much fun. I look forward to work weekends with this crew in the future.

Hannah Elizabeth Isbell Arrives

2009-08-23T21:26:00.001-07:00

YAY!! After 9 months of waiting, Hannah Elizabeth Isbell arrived on Tuesday, August 18, 2009. She weighed in at 7 lbs 10 oz and was 19 inches long. Mom and baby are doing fine. Below are some pictures...we are loving our new arrival. Jesse loves to give her kisses. Please get a feel hours of extra sleep for us.

It's a Puppy!!!!

2009-05-04T12:43:00.000-07:00

Yes, we broke down and bought a puppy this past week. She is half Beagle, half Basset hound, 7 weeks old, and the cutest little thing you ever did see. It's a good thing she's cute too, because after a sleepless first night - listening to her howl and cry, and having to take her outside often to relieve herself - I was almost wishing we could take her back. But that was just the first night. Every night has gotten a little better, and I have gotten a little more sleep. Last night I only had to take her outside once, and she barely even whimpered all night. She is very friendly, and playful, but not as much work as I thought she would be. I think I can handle taking care of a toddler and a puppy. They both take naps. =) Jesse isn't quite sure what to think of her. He likes to watch her play, but when she wants to play with him, he doesn't know how to respond. He'll back up, whine, and want to get away from her. LOL This might take a little while for them to be good playmates. But I am here to help them learn how. Hope you like the cute pics. We all went to the park the other night, and Jesse was playing peek-a-boo with the dog over a rock. Oh, the dog's name is Freckles. =)

Bragging

2009-04-27T13:38:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know I just posted, but I couldn't resist putting this video up, just to show how smart my little guy is. =) And the other pics are from when we had a cozy evening last week, eating popcorn by the fire (Jesse's first introduction to popcorn). We love spending time together.

East Coast Trip, '09

2009-04-27T13:11:00.001-07:00

Ok, now that we've covered Easter, here is the update about the trip to the East Coast. The reason for the trip was business. Stephen had a conference for two days. Jesse and I came along to make a vacation out of the weekend. It's not every day that you get one of your two airfares paid for by someone else to a place that is very close to relatives. So, Jesse and I hung out at the hotel in Maryland for two days, and then we traveled up to New Jersey to visit my Uncle Earl and Aunt Dianne. We were only able to stay with them for 24 hours, but in that time they took us up to N.Y. City. Stephen had never been, so it was a treat for him especially to see the Statue of Liberty, Ground 0, and the Brooklyn Bridge. Although we did not get into the heart of N.Y, we did enjoy walking around South Seaside Village (I think that was the name of it), and eating at a restaurant there. Jesse was spoiled by his great aunt and uncle, and came home with two toy cars (a taxi and a police car) and two "I Love N.Y." onsies. =) Thank you! He also loved my aunt and uncle's huge, 125lb Newfoundland dog, Sydney. That black mass in the front of this picture is her. It made us really excited about getting our own dog for Jesse to play with. =) As far as the actual traveling went, Jesse did really good, but it was exhausting for us to keep him entertained for the long flight to and from the east coast. We are not sure that we are brave enough to try it again any time soon. But we are really glad we were able to make this trip.

He is Risen!

2009-04-23T21:00:00.000-07:00

I know, you all what info and pics about our trip to MD and NJ...but Easter came first, so I'll start with that. =)

Yes, Easter was fun for everyone this year. Jesse went on his first Easter Egg hunt! A family at our church (the Brwons) do a big hunt the day before Easter for all the families they know who have children. They also serve lunch, and have a story time for the children about the real meaning of Easter. Because the Browns are heavily involved in sports, many of the families who come are not Christians. So it turns out to be quite a ministry. Praise God the parents were willing to come and let their children be exposed to the gospel.

Easter day, after a wonderful morning at church, we went to my parents house and spent the afternoon with them. We had a great game of croquet. Enjoy the pics.

The Get Away

2009-04-08T16:22:00.001-07:00

Oh, one other event happened this past month that I forgot to mention. Stephen and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary! Yeah!!! For that special occasion, we left Jesse with Grandma, and spent a weekend in a small cabin in the mountian town of Idyllwild. The weather was lovely and crisp, the town was small and quaint, the cabin was interesting and cozy, and the time together was priceless. The only real activity we did was go on a 5 mile hike in the mountians, and it was so lovely. Thank you to my wonderful mother and sibblings who took care of and entertained Jesse while we were gone. He had a great weekend, too. Thank God for a wonderful family.

March Updates

2009-04-08T15:09:00.000-07:00

Well, here is my once a month update. =) I can't believe it's been so long since I posted last! Time flies when you're having fun! So much has been going on, it seems that life just gets more and more busy. March has found us in the middle of many a project to fix our new house up. Stephen's baby is the cluster of 20' high palm trees in our front yard. He loves trimming them, and making them look better. I keep telling him he has done all he can to them for now, but he keeps looking for more to do. =) We have also been enjoying pulling weeds, and trying to de-weed the lawns. My baby is, of course, decorating the inside of the house. I will have some project or other to keep me busy for a long time to come, I think. But it's so fun. Most recently, my mom came down and we decorated the kids bathroom "Rubber Ducky" style. It came out really cute!

As for our little Jesse, he is discovering new games and amusements all the time, from throwing things down the stairs, to hiding in his closet, to turning on the radio in the car, to coloring on the sidewalks and on some chalk boards with chalk. He can almost run now, chatters up a storm, and has a Jesse form of sign-language that I have taught him to communicate with. He is very quick to pick up any form of communication. He also understands much of what we say, and can follow simple instructions, such as "Get your blankie," "Throw ___ in the trash," and "Let's feed the turtle!" He is also more interested in books, especially those with simple, recognizable pictures. Jesse is such a joy to mother.

Oh, the latest update about baby #2 is that we are having a girl! Of course, there is always that chance that the dr. is wrong, but it's been my gut feeling that we would be having a girl the entire pregnancy. So, we are all very excited. If anyone has any good suggestions for a name, I'm considering all. =)

We Bought A House!

2009-02-27T14:10:00.000-08:00

Yes, for those of you who don't know yet, we DID buy a house!!! Yeah!!!! The 1 1/2 years of searching finally paid off. We bought in Temecula, which is about 20 minutes further north than Fallbrook. We love the new house. And we didn't realize it until we moved, but we really missed being in a real city. It's nice to not have to drive all the way up here to go to Lowe's or Joann's. Jesse is adjusting well to his new environment. I think he really likes having room inside to run around. I like the enclosed backyard where Jesse can only get into minimal trouble. Jesse likes the new experience of a bath tub, which he enjoys every evening. I love that he has his own room. =)

Thanks to all of our many friends and family members who have GREATLY helped in the moving process. I don't know what we would have done without you all. I will add more pictures as I have time and where-with-all to take them. =)

Happy New Year!!!

2009-01-06T11:23:00.000-08:00

Well, we made it through Jesse's first Christmas! It was quite a ride. We got to see both sides of the family, which was very nice. We stayed with Stephen's parents on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and then went up to my side of the family for the rest of the weekend. Jesse was spoiled rotten (of course) but really enjoyed it, and did much better this time with being friendly to the relatives. After about one day, he would actually let them hold him. =) Thank you to our families for a great Christmas!
For New Years, we went to a party that a family from Church was throwing at their house. They have a big house, with rooms for the babies to sleep in, so Jesse went to sleep in one of their cribs around 9:00, and Stephen and I stayed up playing games with all the other families until midnight. It was so much fun! Then at midnight, we had a short devotion, and then went around saying something we are thankful for this year. We are very thankful for our little Jesse, for our marriage, and for our new little one that we just found out about! Yes, we are expecting! The new one should be on the scene some time in August. We are very excited, and thank God for His showers of blessings.
As you can imagine, we are even more serious now about finding a house, and we have decided to get over our biases and look in the much more affordable city of Temecula...rather than Oceanside. We have already found many houses that are very affordable, and are what we are looking for, and we are making offers. Hopefully we will have some successful news about that soon. Please pray for us about this.
Merry Christmas to all of you again, and God's blessings for the New Year!

A Visist From Uncle Johnny

2008-12-10T09:35:00.000-08:00

I just had to brag about my little brother real quickly. I know, I have posted nothing about Thanksgiving, or anything in a little while, but I have to post this now...updates later. My little brother, Johnny, is visiting for the week. I am suppose to be helping him with his last week of schoolwork before his Christmas vacation (my mom took a seasonal job that started this week, so she needed someone to help Johnny). But he has wound up being more help to me than I am to him...at least that's what I think. He gets along with Jesse so well...they love playing together, and Johnny will often entertain Jesse while I cook dinner, TAKE A SHOWER, or whatever. Just yesterday, we were helping decorate a ladies house for Christmas, and Johnny played with Jesse almost half of the time, which freed me up to be more helpful. And (this is the cute one) just today, I asked Johnny to watch Jesse while I took a shower, and when I came out, there they were, sitting in the rocking chair, Jesse asleep in Johnny's arms! It was so cute! I am really going to miss Johnny when he goes home on Friday.

The little Driver

2008-11-16T17:21:00.000-08:00

Well, Jesse's Dad finally figured out how to post videos. Check out this clip of him "driving" his car.

2008-11-06T15:47:00.000-08:00

Ok, I know I just updated, but you like new videos, I know. I could'nt resist putting this one up. Jesse is so much fun to video. Enjoy the pictures too of my Little Drowned Rat, as Daddy so affectionately loves to call him under these circomstances.

Oooopppss! Update needed!

2008-10-31T13:01:00.000-07:00

So, I must be getting really forgetful. There is something new about Jesse this month! He has his first tooth!!! It came in 3 weeks ago, and a second just broke through today. I LOVE his cute little tooth. Can you see it on the bottom left?

Here are a couple more pics, just cause I am here doing this. We took Jesse to a pumpkin patch last Sunday, and here we are with him carving the pumpkin. Yes, he is trying to eat the inside of the pumpkin. =)

Here's our little "Tigger".

And here he managed to open and climb into the bottom drawer while daddy was cooking dinner. He is a little rascal.

Time Flies!!!

2008-10-29T13:38:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is almost at the end of October. Where does the time go? Fall is one of my favorite seasons, and it always seems to go so fast. Since my last post, Jesse is still growing, but not many new things to report. He is getting better and better at the skills he has learned...like crawling, sitting up, and cruzing. But no, he is not walking yet. Here are some really cute pics we took this month. My parents both had their birthdays this month, and we went to see them that weekend. They loved having Jesse stay with them for a weekend...I don't think they really noticed that Stephen and I were even there. =) LOL JK So, here are some October pics and videos of the little cutie. Enjoy!!!

Daddy and Baby. My Blue Eyed Boys!

Jesse likes to find odd places to crawl into.

Yes, I made a swing outside our front door. Jesse loves it!Jesse loves playing in the water outside. =)

Video for Grandma

2008-10-06T14:25:00.000-07:00

Ok, Grandma, here is the little cutie! He is eating cucmbers, having a geat time. He loves feeding himself. =)

SO Big!

2008-10-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

Well, our little man is growing like a weed. He had a check-up last week, and he was 27 inches long, but only 17.8 lbs. According to the doctor, he is in the 80th percentile in height (meaning only 20 percent of kids his age are taller than him), but only the 10th percentile in weight (90 percent of kids his age are heavier than him). So, we are growing a tall, skinny boy...just like daddy. I am hoping that this trend continues. =) His motor development, however, is the thing that is progressing by leaps and bounds. There is no stopping him now from crawling wherever he wants to go...and he goes fast! He has learned how to cruz sideways along the couch, the short wall outside, or whatever he finds to pull himself up with. While standing, he can switch from one chair to another, or from the wall to my leg. =) His balance has gotten much better, and he hardly ever falls down now. He can (and does) get himself into the sitting position, and will play that way. He can climb up steps, and with some care he can get back down. He will walk on hands and feet instead of knees when he is crawling over something that is rough, like dirt. He can pick up Cheerios with his fingers, or whatever other food I give him...or the dirt or bugs he finds on the floor. His sense of humor gets more and more fun the older he gets, and the things that he finds funny often make Stephen and I laugh, too. I think this is my most favorite stage so far. He is so much fun. I love him sooo much. And he loves his daddy!!!!!!!!!!!
Event-wise, we have gone on a camping trip with the Costello's, visited Mamaw and Grandaddy Isbell while daddy went on a camping trip, and gone to the Wild Animal Park with our friends Kirsten and her son, Justice. Jesse loves animals.
We love our little cutie!

Our Active 6 Month Old

2008-08-17T16:27:00.000-07:00

I have realized lately that I have been publishing a lot of info about what Jesse has been doing as far as trips and activities go, and not much about his physical growth...which is progressing by leaps and bounds. So....Jesse is now almost 6 months old (on the 20th), and this is what he can do now. He scooted on his belly for about two weeks, and now he CRAWLS EVERY
WHERE!!! And he is not content with that! He pulls himself up on everything he can reach... and, of course, he falls often.
I began feeding him solid food in August, and he loves it. He feeds himself crackers, and loves anything else I will give him.
He loves to explores everything, and be involved in every thing I am doing... from "helping" me put away groceries,
to doing dishes with me, to even... yes, even laundry. =)

He also recently dis-covered the excite-ment of a swim-ming pool, and now every time he is submerged in water, he laughs and splashes, and thinks it's just the best thing ever. Thank you Aunt Angela for playing with him in the pool near your house.

And, probably my favorite thing is that he finds everything funny! He laughs all the time, at the silliest things. The world is fun, exciting, and new, and he loves it. He is soooo CUTE!!!!

Chicago!

2008-08-06T15:17:00.000-07:00

This month, Stephen had a work related trip not far from Chicago, so Jesse and I came along to visit with Stephen's sister, Anna Jo, who lives very close to Chicago. We took a red eye flight on Friday night, and stayed a whole week. Stephen only had to work 2 of those days, so it was a nice little vacation for us. Jesse met his Aunt A.J. for the first time, and loved her four dogs. We also went on a little sight seeing in downtown Chicago, which was lots of fun. Jesse went on all common means of transportation during the trip. He flew to Chicago, drove to his aunt's house, took the train into down town Chicago,

and road a "water taxi" down the Chicago River. He even got to ride a carrossell on the Navy Pier in Chicago. I have to say, Jesse is a very good traveler. He slept on the plane, in the car, and on the train. The boat ride was a bit too short for sleeping. =) Thank you A.J and Steve for letting us visit with you. We had so much fun!!!

Happy 4th of July!!!

2008-07-17T16:12:00.000-07:00

Holidays are great excuses to visit family! To celebrate July 4th, we traveled (at night while Jesse was asleep) up to Oxnard to visit with Stephen's side of the family. Cousin Becky from PA is staying with them for the summer, and we had fun hanging out with her one afternoon. Jesse and daddy were getting into trouble again, as usual, but having fun doing it. =) Jesse saw fireworks for the first time, which I wasn't too sure he would like. But after the startle of the first couple, he actually saw them, and was fascinated for the rest of the 1/2 hour show. Also for the first time that weekend, Jesse got his first inter-action with a real dog (no, Crouton doesn't count). The dog's name is Marely, and she belongs to Randy and Lindsey Carpenter, the former of whom is a really good friend of Stephen's. Jesse loved her, and she was very gentle with Jesse. If we can have a dog someday, we think this is a good kind to think about getting. Any opinions out there about what the best family dog is? I accept all suggestions. =) Thank you Isbell grandparents for letting us come up for the weekend. It was so fun!!!

P.S.
One more note. Jesse has a new favorite way to travel ... facing forward in the stroller, eating the back of the seat, watching the world. I think he should patent the idea.

Hot Summer Days

2008-07-17T14:40:00.000-07:00

July has been a busy month so far. It has been fairly hot in Fallbrook so we have been hibernating a lot during the day, and coming out to have fun in the evening. Jesse likes being outside, as you can see.
Here he is helping daddy wash the cars.
Ok, so maybe daddy did most of the work while Jesse and I watched and played.=) But, hey, we were an essential part of the team! The week before July 4th, my mom and Suey came down to visit for a couple days. While they were here, we went to the San Diego Zoo with Aunt Candy, Holly, and her three kids, Abby, Gracie, and MacArthur. It's always fun to have visitors. Doesn't Aunty Suey look like she is having sooo much fun? =) Thanks for coming! It was a lot of fun!!!

"Everything changes..."

2008-06-27T15:58:00.000-07:00

Summer is here! And with it comes several exciting changes. Jesse is getting bigger and more active every day. He is never still. He rolls over all the time, puts every thing he can reach into his mouth, and is very noisy...I think he inherited his father's "Gift Of Gab". =) He will probably be crawling by the end of the summer, which is going to make our little one bedroom apartment even smaller. We are feeling the need for more room...and, as many know, the housing market in So Cal (like everywhere) is very low right now. Therefore, Stephen and I decided that now would be a great time to look for a house.

We have looked at several houses several times, and have refined our search to a specific neighborhood that is close to the base (where Stephen works), and feels safe and nice. We are putting offers in on two houses at this point, neither of which might work out, because of the nature of the sales. But we know God has a perfect place for us, and we are patiently (and with great excit -ment) waiting on Him. We are tight in our apartment, but are in no hurry. We know we could certainly stay where we are much longer if need be. So, that is our summer excitement. Please pray with us for God's direction and wisdom. Enjoy the pictures of our growing boy! =)

At the Costello's

2008-06-10T18:38:00.000-07:00

L to R: Aunty Sarah Jesse, Great Grandma Hyson, Uncle Johnny What a little poser!

Aaaaahhhhh!!! It's spitting!!! Is grandma trying to teach the baby how to crawl? Or is she about to kiss him? It's anyone's guess.

Aw! Aunt Joey and the little nephew. Aren't they cute?

Camping Memorial Day Weekend

2008-06-10T18:17:00.000-07:00

The girls all played crocket one day...and mom cheated!
What a cute camper!

Aunty Sarah and the baby. Yes, Jesse stole the show.

The CRAZY Campers!!!

2008-06-10T14:06:00.000-07:00

We know, we know...it's been a long time since we posted. But here we are! May was a very busy month for us. As you know, my parent's anniversary began the month. Then there was Mother's Day, which we spent with Stephen's side of the family. Then a friend came out for a weekend visit. Then Memorial Day weekend...and my birthday, for which we went camping with the whole Costello side of the family, and the Isbell side even came up for a day. Then a friend in Santa Clarita had a birthday party that we went to. Then Stephen had a two day trip to Hawthorne, NV. And then...here we are! This past weekend has been the first weekend that something wasn't planned for over a month! We enjoyed it thoroughly. We spent a lot of time looking at house listings in the Oceanside area. Yes, we are shopping for a house. Our housing situation so far has been a huge blessing from God...we love our little barn. But it's getting too tight with little Jesse, and with the housing market so low, we decided now is the time to start the process of finding a house. So pray for us in that. By God's guidance, we will find the perfect little place.

Here are some pics from May, and all our excursions. Enjoy the little cutie! =)

Happy 29th Anniversary

2008-05-06T15:29:00.001-07:00

Well, yesterday was my mom and dad's 29th anniversary. So they called us on Sunday night to say they were driving down to Fallbrook as soon as they got packed, and were going to spend their anniversary visiting us! We were very surprised, because we had not heard a word about this before. I understand it was a very last minute decision...something about mom "kidnapping" dad. =) We had a fun day with them, exploring our home, the neighborhoods where Stephen and I are looking to buy a house, hanging out at the beach, and visiting roadside fruit stands.
Does dad look like he is reverting back to his childhood? He wanted to jump off the swing! I promise I did not dare him! Mom was shocked that he didn't wind up in the emergency room. =) Thanks for coming down mom and dad, and Happy Anniversary!!!! I'm scared to think of what you might do next year on the big 30th anniversary.

Strong Baby

2008-05-03T19:42:00.000-07:00

Are you tired of videos yet? I just love this baby!!!

Flying Baby/eating out

2008-05-03T19:25:00.000-07:00

In Hawthorne, there are about 3 resturants that you would consider going to. One is a little Mexican resturant run by our Indian hotel owners (does that give you any clue about the food?), the second is McDonalds, and the third is a cafe called Maggies. Maggies is the best of the three. They make thier food fresh, but even that you get sick of after about four or five days straight. Isn't Jesse the cutest? He kept us sane.

Talking baby!!!

2008-05-03T19:02:00.000-07:00

Here's video #2. We had nothing better to do in Hawthorne than to pay attention to Jesse, so we took a lot of video of him. While Stephen was gone all day, Jesse and I went for walks at the park. The park was on the opposite end of town from our hotel, but I could walk to it because the town of 4,000 people is only about 1 mile square. The walks were a great use of time, and I loved the exercise; but I blew the tire on the stroller. So, I stopped taking walks after that. (Jesse gets heavy when you carry him around the park for an hour, and your back starts to hurt.) Thankfully the tire didn't go until about 5 days before we went home.

Jesse in Hawthorne, NV

2008-05-03T18:46:00.000-07:00

Well everyone, we are finally back from Hawthorne, NV. It seems like we have been gone much longer than 2 1/2 weeks. Stephen worked every day we were gone except for one, and most of those days were 10 or 11 hour days... poor guy. He was so tired. We drove all day on Wednesday and got home around 5:30pm. Jesse did great in the car all day. We are soooo glad to be home! Here and following are some videos we took while in Hawthorne.

2008-04-20T17:51:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, Sorry we haven't posted for a while. We are in a little town in the middle of nowhere in Navada called Hawthorn. I have email and internet access, but unfortunately I can't post anything. Stephen is here for work, and Jesse and I are very thankful that we could come with him this time. We will be here till the end of the month, so I will post more updates when we get home. God bless. Till then, Lizzy.

2008-04-04T21:53:00.000-07:00

Springtime in the neighborhood

2008-04-04T21:43:00.000-07:00

(Lizzy is pointing up towards our barn)

The Happy Baby

2008-03-31T11:16:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know we haven't updated for a little bit, but here is a video that will make up for it. Jesse is growing and developing so fast. He has now started to smile and laugh a bit...and he is sooooo cute! Babies should not be allowed to be so cute! Watch the video. I know you'll agree. =)

March 24th

2008-03-27T11:12:00.000-07:00

Our 1st anniversary was Monday!!! Yeah!!!!!! We made it through the first year! =) It's been a great first year. To celebrate, I went and helped some friends - the Ross family - move. This is their youngest child, Jerad, with Jesse. I wish they could have had a chance to become friends. They are only about three and a half months apart.
This is Erin Ross. She is one of the first people who made friends with me at the church we are now attending.
That night when Stephen got home, we tried to go out for a nice romantic dinner at Red Lobster ( I love fish, and Stephen very graciously took me, even though he does NOT like fish). Our romantic dinner turned into an eat-and-run because Jesse (who had had a shot at the doctor's that morning) woke up crying and grumpy, so we ended up rushing to end our dinner, then going home and trying to make him happy for the rest of the evening. Oh, well. I am thankful for this first year of marriage, despite the fact that celebrations were cut short. And I still adore my baby. =)
And yes, Stephen did bring me flowers...a hand picked boquet. =)

Growing fast

2008-03-19T15:12:00.000-07:00

Jesse is growing so fast! His eyes able to focus better every day, now to the point where he looks steadily at objects that are in front of him, and even moves his head to follow something that is moving. This video is him in his bassinet, watching a toy that I dangled from the top of it. It kept him entertained for about a half an hour straight! He's so adorable!

Bathtime and Uncle N8

2008-03-17T22:30:00.001-07:00

Jesse loves his baths and his Uncle N8.

A Shower, A Visit

2008-03-17T22:03:00.000-07:00

I was given a baby shower at my church on Sunday the 9th, and both my mom and my mother-in-law were able to make it down...along with my four younger sisters, and my Grandma Hyson.
Mama 'Bell came down Saturday afternoon and stayed all day Sunday, and everyone else came for the day on Sunday. It was so much fun seeing them all!!! We all hung out at my house after the shower...and went a little picture crazy.
Is Joey always tired these days????

A new way to travel

2008-03-17T13:57:00.000-07:00

I love this pack. It gives me two hands to use agian!

Laundry?

2008-03-06T17:07:00.000-08:00

I was doing laundry, and set Jesse down in the basket of clothes I had just taken out of the hot dryer so that I could carry them all inside together. He was almost asleep already, and I guess he liked the warm clothes, because he fell asleep as soon as I put him down. Isn't he the cutest load of laundry you ever did see?

Grandma on the Bigscreen

2008-03-01T14:51:00.000-08:00

Grandma + Beach + Sunset + Diaper Suprise = The perfect evening

2008-02-28T23:55:00.000-08:00

Acclimating to San Diego Winters

2008-02-28T23:47:00.000-08:00

Grandma to the RESCUE!!

2008-02-28T23:38:00.000-08:00

Hello All, this is my first post, but since I'm only 1 week old, I'll keep it brief. YAY! Grandma came to visit me. She is awesome, I think Mommy and Daddy really appreciated it, beacause she was all around the barn cleaning, cooking, and taking care of everything and everybody. Daddy said her lasagna was killer (he ate 3 pieces for dinner). She even took me to the beach, but I'll let Mom and/or Dad tell you about that. Grandma and I even got to see 2 sunsets together. TTFN!! -JSI

First Dr's Visit!!

2008-02-26T21:35:00.000-08:00

Psalm 40:16
May all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; may those who love Your salvation alwas say, "The Lord be exalted"

Today Jesse had is first Dr's visit. He now weighs 7lbs 13ozs which is 8 ozs more than his birth weight...pretty good for only being 6 days old! Also he is 21 (or was it 22?) inches long which is at least 2 inches longer than they reported when he was born. That means he increased his height more than 10% and is now more than 1/3 of Mommy's height

All is well and the Dr. said he is growing like a weed.

We praise God for our bundle of joy.

We also praise God that Grandma came down to help us out for a few days...stay tuned for pics of her and Jesse.

Jesse with Mommy

2008-02-25T19:54:00.000-08:00

Awake and GROWING!!!

2008-02-25T19:49:00.000-08:00

Yawn-Z's

2008-02-25T19:36:00.000-08:00

Sleep?????

2008-02-24T13:37:00.000-08:00

Poor daddy is not use to getting only 2 1/2 hours of sleep at a time.

Video Clip

2008-02-23T18:21:00.000-08:00

Here is Jesse and Daddy on the bigscreen!

Jesse's First Visitors

2008-02-23T17:16:00.000-08:00

The BIG day

2008-02-23T16:53:00.000-08:00

We had a baby!!!
Jesse Stephen Isbell was born on
Wednesday, Feb. 20th at 1:03p.m.
Weight: 7lb. 5oz.
Length: 19 inches
Hair: Dark Brown
Eyes: Dark Blue (for now)
He is Absolutley BEAUTIFUL!!!!

I went into labor at about 1:30am,
checked into the hospitol at about 7:30am,
and Jesse was born 5 1/2 hours later. It went muchfaster than I could have hoped.
And just look at the beautiful result!

Baby yet??

2008-02-18T15:13:00.001-08:00

Instead of directly answering the question, "Has the baby come yet?"
I have posted 4 pictures of my beautiful wife. This way you can decide for yourself if she still looks pregnant.

PICTURE #1
This is in our yard next to the "windmill"
PICTURE #2
Here is the lovely lady getting ready to eat one of our oranges...doesn't she look pretty?

PICTURE #3

PICTURE #4

Lizzy with her garden...I don't know how she gets things to grow. All I can grow are weeds.
Ok, you decide! =)

Lizards Beware!!!

2008-02-18T14:51:00.000-08:00

This is our new friend, "Puddy Cat" (aka "Killer"...according to guess who?). She belongs to our landlady, but really likes us, too. She just killed a lizard, which was hiding in our outside couch. She proudly took and deposited it at our landlady's doorstep. =) She's a sweet little thing.

The Get-Away

2008-02-13T16:19:00.000-08:00

Here we are, off to sea!!! We took the advise of family and took a last get-away before baby comes to............

CATALINA!!!!!

2008-02-13T16:17:00.001-08:00

The weather was great, but the day we left the fog rolled in for a little while. It was kind of eerie looking but very fun!

2008-02-13T16:14:00.000-08:00

Lizzy threw me in the water, but fortunately I was able to grab the camera and take a couple of shots before the fish swam away. Ha, ha! J.K.

Can you find Nemo?

Sandy Toes

2008-02-13T15:48:00.000-08:00

Yep, we had a lot of hard work, but managed to find a few minutes to relax =)

Lizzy Having Fun!!! =)

2008-02-09T21:46:00.000-08:00

I am having way too much fun with this new blog thing!

In response to what Stephen said...no, we are not creating this blog to be antisocial! We simply wanted an easy way to keep everyone updated on the baby when he comes. It's too difficult to email everyone pictures and updates individually....and I don't think the baby will allow us that much time anyway. So, this is for your convenience and ours, and I am loving it so far. =) Hope you take advantage of it.

Until the next post,

Lizzy for the Izzys

Our first Post.. T-minus 15 days

2008-02-09T21:08:00.001-08:00

Well, Lizzy did it. She pushed me kicking and screaming into the 2000's, or whatever the decade after the 90's is called. It's official...we are now "bloggers." We hope this will help keep family and friends up to date on our lives and let us off the hook for not calling or being social. =)

The countdown for the baby is 15 days and counting. We will try to post pictures here to keep everyone up to speed.

Until Next Post,

Stephen for the Izzys

P.S. Lizzy and I are having a secret competition as to who is the better blogger. Please vote for me!