Having scheduled a C-Section for today (July 6), meant we went to bed Thursday night thinking we had 3 days to wrap up a few loose ends before Will’s arrival.

Yes, Erica’s water had broke
and No, Will didn’t get the memo about the Monday C-Section.

Will came on the good Lord’s schedule at 5:47 AM.  He weighed 8 pounds 2 ounces.  Erica was a trooper and Will, so far, has been super easy.

We’re getting ready to go home as I type this and look forward to spending some family time with Clara.  Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers!

Ok, It is really bad that our last blog update was from November!  We have had a busy 2009.  As most of you know, we are expecting our second bundle of joy in July and it is a little Boy!  Wes and I are very excited that we will be blessed with a girl and a boy.  I think Clara is starting to understand about having a brother, but we will see. 

Clara on Easter Morning 2009

Clara is growing up so quickly.  She is talking in full sentences now and has a very good memory.  You cannot get anything passed this kid.  She is still going to Kindermusik and loves to sing and dance.  She has now started gymnastics and is doing summersaults and handstands like a pro.  She has boundless energy so we are just focusing in productive ways. 

We just got back from spending Easter in Longview and Clara had a lot of fun opening her basket from the Easter Bunny and hunting for eggs at MiMi’s house.  Unfortunately it was raining so we did not get to hunt outside this year.  She also got to spend time with all her Aunts and Uncles and enjoyed the special egg cakes they brought her.  So much so, she had 3 in one day! (I know, too much sugar but it was Easter so why not.) 

I hope 2009 is treating you all well and I promise to be better about updating our blog. Hugs and kisses! -Erica

Clara dressed as a little blue princess for Halloween 2008.

Clara just finished enjoying Halloween more than y’all will ever know. David, Cristy, Erica and I escorted our little blue princess to the big party, our neighborhood, Hackberry Creek, throws every Halloween. 

Clara enjoyed big bounce house slides, a wonderful petting zoo and quite a bit of Trick or Treating after the party.  Clara had a great Halloween weekend and is really pumped up about putting away some Turkey in a few weeks for Thanksgiving.  Soon, we’ll start decorating for Christmas and we’re really looking forward to Clara really understanding what all is going on with that.

Erica and I were able to take a week off in late October and we got to take Clara to the Fort Worth Zoo as well as visit the big pumpkin patch in Flower Mound.

Thanks again to all of your for continued kind thoughts for our family in regard to my dad’s death.  It’s still a shock, but there is nothing for us to do but move on.  Looking forward to seeing y’all for the holidays!

As many of you know, my dad passed away from a stroke on September 12, 2008.  Losing dad has been a big blow to our family as we try to figure out how to move on having lost him at a relatively young 65 years of age.  As I said in his eulogy at the funeral, dad never feared death, having found Jesus as his savior early in life.  As was so common for him, he always worried about those left behind.  What I do know, is dad died happy, enjoying some of the best times in his life the last three years.

I think for us, the biggest loss is the time we will never get to spend with him.  James adored Clara, and while I am thankful he got to spend 21 months with her, I’ll always regret all the years he won’t get to enjoy with her.  The one thought that goes through my mind is how unfair it is to have lost a wonderful dad so early.  Of course, the next thought that runs through my head is how dad always said, “Son, life isn’t fair.

Thank you so much to everyone who has helped my mom, Erica and me through this rough period.  Your thoughts, prayers, and gifts overwhelm us.  Words cannot express our gratitude and what your friendship has meant to us.

If anything, the one thing I have figured out about this whole ordeal is that we have to make the most of the days we have and not worry about the little things.

July may be hot, but we had a cool time at our gathering with the Longview bunch (Walkers, Jacksons and Wakefields). 

The kids stayed cool with tents, a pool and a slip and slide and the parents stayed cool with lots of yummy margaritas. It was great to see all the kids together and boy have they grown up quickly. We have all vowed to make sure we get together more often. Clara has had a great summer so far. She is still in Kindermusik and loves it.

Wes and I find ourselves dancing around the house a lot with Clara. She is going to the library, the club pool and Going Bonkers with her nanny Michelle who Clara lovingly calls “Mush”.  In the past couple of weeks Clara has started to sing the ABC song as well as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. We are amazed how quickly she is picking up new words and starting to even do a few short sentences.  We hope you all are having a safe and enjoyable summer and I promise I will be better about updating our blog (I as in Erica).

Clara is gearing up for summer.  She’s already had one nice pool day and loves playing in her new pool.  She’s growing so fast now, and the new words she says each day surprise us.  She’s started to say her A-B-C’s and is counting a little now.

More than anything, Clara just loves to be outside.  Her Nanny thankfully loves to take her to the park as well, and Clara has made several friends near her age here in the neighborhood.

Clara got to spend a few days with Erica’s parents when they came down and visited for a week.  It didn’t take long for Clara to learn “Grampa Jack” and Grandma.  She had a great time with them and got to see her cousins quite a bit last week.

Clara is getting ready to visit her Mimi and Grandy in Longview for 3 whole days… this will be her first visit away from home without mom and dad, and we’re sure she’s chomping at the bit for some Mimi and Grandy time.

Erica has been blessed with a new job that doesn’t require her to travel anymore.  We’re very thankful to God for this blessing.

The Mobile.WLWakefield.com website has been updated with better weather maps for the Dallas and East Texas area, as well as movie times for these areas.  Soon, we’ll be adding access to the photo galleries there as well.

Hope y’all have a great start to the summer!

It’s certainly been a while since our last update. Clara had a wonderful Valentine’s Day and just got through celebrating Easter with the family.

Clara handled the Easter bunny pretty well, but did not like it when he picked up her Elmo. She had a great time with her cousins, Aubin and Ava, on an Easter Egg Hunt, and later took a long nap from all the fun!

Have you ever seen the Volvo commercial where the dad is picking his daughter up from school and she’s rambling on about her day, and never stops talking? Well that’s what Clara seems like she’s going to be like. It’s amazing how fast these kids pick up these words and start talking. Clara has had added about 10 new words in the past couple of weeks bringing her vocabulary to around 30, and can say part of the alphabet (A-F anyway). Her funniest word is Vodka and she knows just where it is in the house. *Note to self: lock that up before she reaches her teen years.

Clara is still eating like a horse, and it’s not unusual for her to have 3 eggs, a pancake, and a piece of bacon for breakfast. The last few Saturdays, she’s been able to go to McDonald’s with her “Grandy” and has just had a blast.

Clara is still very tall, and was in the 90^th percentile for height at her 15 month check up but only running 50^th percentile for weight.

Clara has made a friend, Julien, through her Kindermusik class and they play at the park every Wednesday after class. As always, you can see all our pictures in the Photo Galleries.

In the coming weeks, I’ll be adding a recipe section (yum!) to the website and the ability to sign up to receive an email when the site is updated.

Y’all have a great spring!