Happy Halloween!

Well the little buddy has a slight obsession with cars, trucks, etc.  So of course for Halloween we had to incorporate that into our costume.  He is too small to walk around with a box to become a car or truck so I found an idea on the internet for him to be an interstate.  So Chance "became" Interstate 10 for Halloween.  He was so proud of his costume and has already worn it 3 times before the actual Halloween.  We had a Boo Bash with work for referring docs, a party with some friends, and then of course our neighborhood parade.  Enjoy the pictures!

All the kiddos at the party!

Tyler and Chance holding a conversation with McCoy!  Too funny!

Wouldn't stay still long enough at the pumpkin patch to get good photos.

He spotted the fire truck leading the parade

So excited!!

Running after the fire truck!

We probably ran two blocks straight!  He was so excited!

Sitting in the fire truck

Our Family:))

The Sayings of Chance

Chance has started saying the funniest things!  We have to watch out because he will repeat everything you say!  I just wanted to record for my own record the funny things our 18 months is saying:

• He calls Boomer "BoBo" Bailey "BeBe" (imagine a french accent) and Sealy "See". He also feels the need to discipline them by telling them no all throughout the day.
• I heard him in his crib this morning talking to himself saying "Hey Chance No No!"  I wonder who he hears that from!
• At swim lessons they teach them to get out of the pool by doing elbow elbow knee knee,  As he was climbing onto a kitchen chair he was repeating this phrase to himself!  
• This week once we got home we climbed up into the kitchen chair told me boldly "Eat"  I then asked him what he wanted to eat and his response was "Pasta!"  Thank goodness I had some around because that is what he then ate!!
• One night this week Ben and I were playing ball with him in the living room he kept saying over and over "I catch it!  I threw it!"  He was so proud of himself!
• We were practicing catching the ball in his room.  He threw the ball to me and he loudly proclaimed Yea Yea Yea!!  He was so proud that his mama caught the ball.  
• He has a love for all trucks and as we drive down the road he points them out, "Bobcat, Biggg truck, dump truck, garbage truck, tow truck, Pickup.."  This list goes on and on.
• He is known for crying wolf!  My mom watched him a few weeks back and he got her to get him up early by yelling "Help Help Help" over the monitor and of course his MiMi went in and saved him!
• During dinner time he will continually ask us to "Pay (pray)" and then he will clasp his hands.  He then will proclaim Amen once we are done.
• Anytime he is on the couch he reminds himself to "Sit" over and over.
• Will turn the TV on and ask for "Mickey House or Hotdog" to watch his favorite show!
• Likes to count with you and his favorite numbers are 3, 6, and 8!  Maybe he has a love for numbers like his Aunt Stacy!
• Can say Hallie's name but often refers to Mama's belly as "Ball!"

That is all for now!  

And her name will be.....

Hallie Ray Hembree

When deciding on our little girl's name we didn't agree for the first 20 weeks.  Ben had names he liked, I had names that I really liked as well.  SO... we agreed not to discuss it until we found out what we were having! So the day or two after we found out we turned to the good ole internet for suggestions.  It went back and forth for awhile with no consensus.  Out of the blue I mentioned the name Hallie and we both really liked it.  Then of course I turned once again to the internet and found out that her name is really short for Hallelujah and means Praise the Lord!  With having such a difficult time getting pregnant with Chance, God really blessed our family quickly with our little girl and what else could we say but PRAISE THE LORD!  Her middle was very easy to choose!  My middle is Ray, my sweet GeeGee's middle name was Ray as well as her mother.  It always bothered me growing up that it was a boy name, but as I have grown up I would not change it for the world!  It has such a special meaning to me and my family being named for my GeeGee Dorothy Ray (those who knew her can attest to what an amazing woman she really was!) I always joke that Ray really stands for Ray of Sunshine when discussing my own name.  So there we go our little girl has such a special name and means so much, and we cannot wait to meet her!  Praise the Lord for our little Ray of sunshine:)) Chance Russell's name by the way does not have such a story, but no less meaning to us.  He is named after Ben's granddaddy Howard Russell, and we really just liked the name Chance.  Chance by the way really has no idea that I am pregnant and what that means, but can point to my belly when asked about the baby!  Last night he said Hallie for the first time and I just about cried!  He is such a sweet little guy that is going to make such a great big brother!

Into the woods we go!!

This evening we went to the "woods" in our neighborhood!  This is a frequent place for Chance and Tiffany our nanny so he pretty much acted like he owned the place.  He is cautious enough not to tumble down the hills but crazy enough that Ben and I were chasing him the whole time!  It  is amazing to watch him be so confident!  He is such a big boy and we are definitely starting to see a very independent stubborn side to our little guy!  Enjoy!

Daddy and Chance! Love Love Love this one!

Mama and Chance! Pregnant belly at 22 weeks!

Trip to the Library!

I had a Wednesday off a few weeks ago so I was able to take Chance to the storytime at the Boerne Library.  He loves to read and had so much fun with his friends Tyler, Hailey and Kate!  Debbie gets to take him now on Wednesday mornings and I know how much she loves it!  We are doing well and have been sickness free for a couple of weeks!  Slowly but surely he is gaining back the weight he lost from not being able to eat for several days due to the Hand Foot and Mouth!  A funny story: if you remember Chance sings Good Morning to "usually" people he picks!  He started out Thursday morning by picking a truck so we sang to the truck, but then this was followed by poopoo with a huge grin.  I had to quickly tell him that we do not get to sing to poopoo and that wasn't very nice!  So funny how boys are such boys even at such a young age!  Enjoy!

Wearing his hard hat like his daddy!

Music time

He loved the BIG book!

BUBBLES!

Looking at gerbils with Gran! Such a pretty picture of Ben's mom!

And the 4th member of the Hembree family will be.......

A Little Girl! We feel very blessed and so excited!

Updates, Boating, and Fifth disease

We have been busy these last few weeks! I feel horrible that I don't update my blog very often.  I am working on Chance's baby book and the only way I have a real update is through the blog so I have to be better! 

• Chance is running and talking like crazy!  He is now putting a few words together such as "Go Dad Go!" and the other day he told me to "put away" when referring to the dog bowls.  He helps me put them away everyday so we don't: 1: eat dog food or 2: play in the dog water!  He can also count to three when prompted with one.....
•  He also made me sad today because he would ask Daddy Home?? wondering where his Dad was or Mommy Home? making sure I was not going to work today.  I think he really understands more when we leave him for work.  I am so grateful for Ben's mom and Tiffany that take such great care of him!
• When he is doing number 2 he will look at me and say "poop!" too funny!
• He knows that Elmo is on his diapers and gets very excited about "Melmo" even though we have only watched Seseame Street a couple of times. 
• Carries his bat and car everywhere including CVS and Gran's house.
• Such a little boy playing with choo-choos, cars, and trucks! Loves to watch the garbage men and any big truck that drives by!  He even gets a few honks!
• He gets this very serious look on his face and squishes up his nose when he is either trying to hit the golf ball or swing his bat!
• I told him the other day to go get a certain book off his shelf to read and he did!
• He likes to dance and sing.  Can even finish a few words to songs that he knows!
• He somehow got Fifths disease last week.  What a horrible rash!  Luckily it has cleared up and he did fine with it.  I had to get my blood drawn to make sure I did not get it since it is harmful to the baby.  Praise God I was immune!
• We just love this little boy!  He makes me smile!




Dont you just love Ben's sunglasses!







He was worn out!



Not so happy with Mommy taking pictures of his rash from Fifths disease (they need to name it something else! Sounds so horrible!)



Was a very weird rash



He loves the dogs! Laying on Boomer (aka "BoBo)





His new shoes! Makes him look like a big boy!



Our receptionist in Bulverde painted this picture for Chance! The background is his baby quilt from his crib! What an amazing gift!  We just love it!