Blessing...

We received an incredible gift from one of our dear family friends, Morton J. He was in town visiting his son and his family and stopped by to see baby Eli. He offered a prayer of blessing over Eli and we were able to capture it on video. It was an incredible moment (too precious and treasured to adequately put into words). Morton is an INCREDIBLE man of faith and prays prayers that could move mountains. We will always treasure that moment and look forward to replaying Eli's blessing over and over as he grows into the man that God created him to be. Here are a couple still shots from the blessing....

The second we put Eli in Morton's arms he must've felt the Spirit moving b/c he immediately lifted his hand in praise!!

Thank you, Morton!! This meant SO MUCH to us!!!

It's a Boy!

Baby Eli has arrived!
Proud Mama!!!

Proud Papa!!!

Jaime gave birth to Eli Burkhalter Sanderson on Tuesday, June 12, 2007 at 3:59 pm. He weighed 8 lbs, 1 oz at birth, and was 19.5 inches long. He is totally healthy and handsome, with a ruddy complexion and dark brown hair. And I have a whole new level of love, admiration and respect for my beautiful wife than I already had! (and that's after she delivered our 9 lb 12 oz baby girl 1.5 years ago.)

My wife is a certified superhero. After delivering our 8 lb 1 oz baby on Tuesday, she was delivered from a "very large rock", in the words of our urologist, aka kidney stone, on Wednesday. He showed it to us on x-ray film, and to see it would make you double over in sympathy pain.

She endured both of the most painful situations that humans will ever endure in a span of 4 days. (Sunday through Wednesday of last week) She became known this week at Reston Hospital...it seemed whenever we went anywhere that people were like, "oh, that's the woman who had a huge kidney stone and just gave birth!" Every woman we encountered who had had both a baby and a stone said that the stone was far worse. Jaime agrees wholeheartedly.

An induction was planned for Monday, June 18th, but the stone hit Jaime like a rock (well, it was a rock) last Sunday afternoon, June 10th. We spent Sunday & Monday in the hospital, where they could give her safe but strong medication for the pain, and so they could monitor her, the baby and conduct exams, x-rays, ultrasounds, etc. After our urologist discovered such a large kidney stone, he recommended that he perform a lithotripsy to blast the stone & then insert a stint so that her body could return to healthier function asap. (trying to spare you the details) Understandably, blasting is not a good thing when you have a baby inside of you, so they moved up her induction to Tuesday morning, June 12.

(A huge thank you to Bailey & Brylee and their parents Sam & Emille for keeping little Faith all week & showing her such a great time! And what did you guys feed her? Both Jaime & I feel like she gained weight and is bigger than 4 days ago...I don't suppose that's because we've been holding our little 8 lb miracle too much.)

Thankfully, the epidural blocked the kidney pain completely along with some of her labor pains. Jaime got to experience and enjoy childbirth without passing out from the pain of the stone combined with the pain of delivery. God brought her through all the suffering to a place of joy and celebration with the birth our healthy baby boy. He really is, in the words of the pediatrician, just perfect. I was the one who got to tell Jaime "it's a boy" and it's a moment I'll never forget. We were both so elated!

We are quickly adjusting to life with a newborn and an 18 month old (there's no way to do it slowly)...to say there's never a dull moment is a gross understatement. We are having so much fun though, and are catching naps whenever we can. Faith loves her little brother, but we're having to coach her on what a "gentle touch" is...so far she just enjoys coming up and tagging him on the shoulder like she's playing a game of "you're it". It's so hilarious.

We love Faithy's smile in this picture!

Our new family of four!!!

My Dallas family comes in this week, so that will be tons of fun.

Thanks everyone for the prayers, and the well wishes, the meals, the grocery runs. Say a prayer of praise & thanksgiving to God for bringing Jaime through such a painful and gut-wrenching week, and for our new little gift from Heaven.

Getting Ready....

Well, I am oficially feeling ready for the arrival of baby #2. There has been so much going on with the move and other family matters that I was afraid this baby would come and I would be TOTALLY unprepared. After our good friends had their baby nearly a month early, Murray has been asking me to get our hospital bag packed "just in case". I kept putting it off and couldn't get in gear to start packing up boxes for our move to Indiana either (a job I'd much rather do pre baby vs. post baby).

Finally, the nesting bug bit me and I got in to Mommy mode and started packing, shopping, and preparing like a mad woman!! I am happy to report that:

1) our hospital bags are packed.

2) the new baby's clothes are washed and ready for his/her arrival home.

3) about 3/4 of our house is packed up (thanks....Ramona and Emille!)

4) Faith has someone to watch her when we go to the hospital the morning of the induction.

We are REALLY getting excited now that it's less than a week and a half away! Most of Murray's family will be here for the "Big Day" which makes it even more fun!!

FYI--I returned home from a shopping trip to Walmart to buy some things for the baby. I was showing the purchases to Murray and when he saw this....

he asked me, "Who are the size 1 diapers for? Isn't Faith wearing a size 4 now?" It took him a minute then he remembered that we have ANOTHER baby coming soon!! It was cute!! Needless to say, he's got a lot on his "to do" list too!! We are hoping to get it all checked off so that after the baby arrives....all we will need to focus on is our new family of 4!!!

P.S. We've chosen "new" names for the baby and have decided to keep them a secret until the baby arrives!!

Future Seamstress....

This week I enjoyed a fun girls night out at my friend Amanda's. Our friend Ramona joined us and we had a wild night filled with lots of.....sewing!!!! Amanda graciously walked Ramona and I through the steps of how to make a simple A-line dress. It was so much fun!! (and easier than I expected...although I couldn't have interpreted the pattern directions without Amanda's help.)

Here are a couple pics of the finished products (the picture quality isn't that great as Faith rarely stands still for a picture these days and nearly all of them turned out really blurry!!)


Gillian (on the left) looked SO CUTE in her dress this morning too! She especially loves doing the buttons all by herself. Great job, Ramona!!


Faith is starting to "discover" her dresses. When I put this on her this morning, she started swaying back and forth and smiled as it moved along with her! So cute!!

What a deal!!

My older sister, Michelle, is QUEEN of finding a great deal. She knows where all the best rummage sales are, knows how much to pay for items and can even help price the "treasures" you are wanting to let go of (but not give away) at your own rummage sale. It truly is an talent. I have been learning from her these last few months. She bought Faith at least 10 pieces of name-brand, practically new clothes for only $8 total!!! Before this, I thought $8 for a pair of jeans at Target was a bargain! She has inspired me and thus I have to share my biggest "find" from a neighborhood rummage sale I participated in a few weeks ago.....

I bought this playhouse for $20. It retails brand new for $150. There were a few crayon marks on it but Mr. Clean's Magic Eraser took those off and now you can't even tell it was used!

Needless to say, Faithy LOVES her "new house"

The doorbell has 6 different rings and is her favorite part of the house.

The Switch....

Well, I knew it was bound to happen. I just thought it would happen MUCH LATER!! Faithy has made the switch from being Mommy's girl to Daddy's girl!! And she doesn't even try to hide it!


This past week we went house hunting in Indianapolis and had a pretty rough flight on the way there (Faith refused to nap and it was WAY PAST time for her to sleep). She finally fell asleep in Murray's arms as the wheels 0f the plane touched down in Indy. On the way back to Virginia, I captured this sweet picture of Faithy in her Daddy's arms 2 minutes after takeoff.

She all but knocks me over when Murray walks in the door after work. She cuddles with Daddy, holds his hand during our family prayers and runs to him when he chases her. It really is so very sweet!....but is it so hard to throw some love Mommy's way too?????

I love your Daddy too, Faithy and totally understand why you are eager to shower him with affection!!! He is so fun to love!! And so are you!!!

Cousin Time!!!!

We made a trip to Dallas a few weeks ago and Faith soaked up SO MUCH COUSIN TIME!! Here are a few highlights....Sharing french fries with Stone during his lunchtime at Jackson Elementary.
Walking through the line of kindergarteners as they waited for recess to begin. I was such a big girl that day!!

Bathtime with Stone and Sterling. They crack me up and they LOVED my funny hairdo!!
Pajama time!! These guys called me "Baby Jack Jack" when I was in Mommy's tummy. I was so excited to fit into my Incredible pj's so I can REALLY be Baby Jack Jack. Sterling is Dash!

I LOVED getting to hear Bennett and Briggs' band, Slyde of Hand, practice. I'm their #1 fan!!

5, 6...pick up sticks

During our walks around the cove, Faith is always on the lookout for little sticks. She stops every few feet to pick one up to add to her collection. It's so cute to see her walking along with a big stash of them in her hand. Occasionally, she'll stop. Drop them on the sidewalk. Pick them all back up and start walking again. When we get back to our driveway she knows to bring them to the stick pile that Daddy has made. So cute!!!
There's gotta be some more sticks around here somewhere!!
Hmmm...I think I see some more sticks in Ms. B's yard.
Got them all, time to go find some more.
On her way to the stick pile.

New Names....

Snagged this from my friend, Kelli's blog.... Be sure and leave your "new names" in the comments or on your blog.

1. YOUR REAL NAME

Jaime
Faith
Murray

2. YOUR GANGSTA NAME (First 3 letters of real name plus “-izzle”)

Jai-izzle
Fai-izzle
Mur-izzle

3. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME (favorite color and favorite animal)

Green Puppy
Red Doggie
Blue Dog

4. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME (Your middle name and the street you live on)

Melissa Pennsboro
Kinder Pennsboro
Lloyd Pennsboro

5. YOUR STAR WARS NAME (The first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first)

Sanja (this is awfully close to Sanjaya!!)
Sanfa
Sanmu

6. YOUR SUPERHERO NAME (Your 2nd favorite color and favorite drink)

Pink Slush
Green Danimal
Maroon Mocha Frappuccino

7. YOUR IRAQI NAME (2nd letter of your first name, 3rd letter of your last name, any letter of your middle name, 2nd letter of your mom’s maiden name, 3rd letter of your dad’s middle name, 1st letter of a sibling’s first name, and last letter of your mom’s middle name)

Analcky
Ankoola (if we have a boy) Ankooea (if we have a girl)
Unlume

8. YOUR WITNESS PROTECTION NAME (Parents’ middle names)

Kay Michael
Melissa Lloyd
B. Mae

9. YOUR GOTH NAME (”Black” and the name of one of your pets)

Black Frodo
Black Sam
Black Wimpie

Chip on her shoulder....

It seems like these days our sweet Faithy has been sitting around with a "chip" on her shoulder... (look closely at the pic below...sorry, I couldn't resist!!)

Isn't she the cutest thing????

Weekend update!!!

Well, things have been a bit crazy around our house....seems like each member of our family has an update to share....

Murray & Jaime: Over the last few months, we've been earnestly trying to test and approve what God’s will is for our lives. After much prayer and consideration, we feel that God is calling us to a new church home where we can be closer to family. In July, Murray will begin working with the North Central Church of Christ in Indianapolis as their Worship & Administration Minister. When God made us aware of this opportunity, we felt the time could be right to make a transition, especially as our family grows from 3 to 4. We've made it a top priority to have Jaime stay at home with our kids, and the cost of living in this area is not cooperating with that priority, even though the elders have been generous with us in every way. Additionally, Jaime’s family lives in the Indianapolis area, and will be a great source of support for us. We are so sad to leave such a beautiful area filled with friends (who have become our family) we treasure dearly!! It is a bittersweet occasion for us!! Please pray for us as we make this transition!!

Faith: Walking ALL THE TIME!! Talking ALL THE TIME!! Most of her words sound like a foreign language to us but her "English" words consist of the following: Mommy, Daddy, Murray (this is the cutest!!), Me (meow), Me (moo for when she sees a cow), Cookie, Doggie, and Birdie. It's been SO FUN to hear these sweet words for the first time!! She has developed (along with most little toddlers her age) a STRONG preference for doing things her way AND for choosing what she wants to do. She's not too found of being told no. She is also interacting SO MUCH MORE!! It's really fun to play with her instead of just beside her. She also LOVES kids. We love watching her play with others and she blows kisses ALL THE TIME!! She LOVES being outside. On our walks, she is always stopping to pick up twigs. She'll carry them with her until we get home. She is a delight!!

Baby Sanderson: Growing like a weed (with an extra heap of fertilizer added). Due to the gestational diabetes (I was diagnosed about 3 weeks ago), this baby is growing like a champ and is currently measuring 2 1/2 weeks ahead of schedule!! Because of this, (and b/c big sister weighed nearly 10 lbs.) our doctor is inducing my labor 2 weeks early. Lincoln or Elizabeth will make his/her debut on June 18th (Jaime's Grandma's birthday) if all goes as planned. We get to see this sweet little baby every other week on sonogram to make sure its doing well and handling the diabetes ok. The baby is VERY active and has the sweetest little face!!

We continue to feel blessed beyond measure and are overwhelmed by God's goodness and graciousness towards us!!

Whew...is it too late for Easter pics???

Well, I could rattle off a lot of excuses about why I have been unable to update our blog but I'll skip that and just share some extremely adorable pics of Faith on Easter Sunday and then on Monday at the Easter Egg Roll at the White House (thanks Hannah for the tickets...we had a ball!!)

Faith and Daddy participating in the traditional Easter egg roll. (Daddy did most of the rolling and Faith was eager to get back in his arms!!)

The White House Easter Egg Roll was such an incredible event. We got to meet Billy Dean (country star most popular in the 1990's...although he looks the exact same...he's the Keith Urban of the late 90's), got lots of really great pics CLOSE to the White House!!, listened to Kasey Kahn (Nascar driver) read a story during story time, saw Laura Bush come out on the balcony and wave, had lots of photo ops with numerous storybook characters, Easter bunnies, and the little chick from Peeps (that was for you, Candice!!) and Daddy jogged on the same track the President uses. There were a lot more stops to make but those activities were mostly for older kids so we just walked around and took in the view!

The weather was chilly and Faith didn't want to walk around much but we enjoyed our time and had wonderful company. Ben, Katherine and Nelson...thanks for the fun day!! Again, special thanks to Hannah D. for giving us the tickets...it was a wonderful experience we won't ever forget (and we'll remind Faith each year about what a priviledge it was to be there).

Hope all of you enjoyed your Easter holiday!!

Cherry Blossoms!!

It's that time of year again!! Our favorite part of spring...the peak of the cherry blossoms!! We went downtown last week to take some pics of our beautiful girl with these beautiful trees. It was a lot harder to catch her looking at the camera this year. She's so mobile these days. Here are a few of our favorites....

This is the sweetest...I just wish she were holding a cute little bunny or something else besides Daddy's sunglasses!

I couldn't find the other pics from our visit last year but here's one that shows how much our little girl has grown!!!

P.S. Sorry for the delay in posting. We drove to IN last week to visit my family and to attend my 13 year high school reunion (I know it's an odd year to celebrate). We stopped along the way to have a mini-family vacation at Fort Rapids Hotel/Waterpark. We'll post more about that later.... Happy Spring everyone!!!

Video of Faith's Big day!!!

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Check out the post below for the details from this exciting moment!!!

Steps of Faith...

Less than a week shy of turning 15 months old, Faith took her first steps. Now, I must confess that I have been breaking the #1 “mommy rule”. Don't compare your child to others. I ignored this piece of wisdom and have been comparing her to other kids (her age and younger) and began to worry because she wasn’t walking yet and all of them were. I kept reminding myself about the development norms and that there is an age RANGE that kids acquire certain skills. However, most of these kiddos were WAY younger than Faith (in baby development that is, I know in a few years 6 months seems like nothing but right now those little 10 month olds seem light years younger than Faith). Anyway, the Dr. had said she was fine, she passed her check-up and I was told to give her 3-4 more months before being concerned. The worry did ease up but I couldn’t help wondering if she was ever going to walk. She seemed TOTALLY happy scooting and had NO INTEREST in walking (except while cruising around a table or with a push-toy). Murray and I had tried to “help” her learn but she was NOT interested in taking Walking 101 with Mommy and Daddy!!!

Well.....out of the blue......

Yesterday, Faith and I spent the day with our friend, Ramona and her 2 children, Gillian and George. (Ramona is on bed rest for about 6-8 weeks so we went to offer our help in any way we could.) Her son, George, is exactly 6 months older than Faith. She and George were playing together like 2 peas in a pod. It seriously was the cutest thing EVER!! (That’s another blog post). Ramona and I kept saying how cute they were, how surprised we were by the way they were interacting, etc. It really was so fun to watch. After about an hour of playing, I got up to wash some dishes. Ramona’s kitchen has a cut out in the wall where you can look into the next room while standing at the kitchen sink. I wasn’t paying much attention to the kids as they were playing nicely. Ramona and I were talking (she was on the couch in the same room as the kids). All of the sudden, I noticed Faith’s little arms moving around as if to help her keep her balance and I saw her move several steps from where she was….I couldn’t see her feet, just her body from the waist up…but it was obvious she wasn’t scooting over to George. I screamed….”I think she just started walking!!!” Ramona said, “I think you’re right!” I ran in and hugged her and tried to recreate the moment so I could see her whole body take those amazing steps, but Faith wasn’t that interested. A few minutes later, Faith was sitting in a little rocking chair; she stood straight up, raised her arms above her head and took about 5 steps forward. It was THE CUTEST thing EVER!!! I was so delighted and excited. What a joy to watch this unfold. I really was in disbelief for I convinced myself it wasn’t going to happen (without some major work from Murray and me “teaching” her how to do this).

Murray happened to call a few minutes later and I told him the GREAT NEWS!! He was SO EXCITED…he decided to come over to Ramona’s and see this for himself (I’m SO GLAD he did!!). After Murray arrived, Faith was ready to show off her stuff again. This time she walked about 6-7 steps. (This is what the video shows). It was such a special moment! We both were BEAMING…to put it mildly!!!

Later that evening, I was retelling this story to someone and they said, “Just wait, you’ll regret that she’s walking as soon as she starts getting into everything now.” I quickly answered with full confidence, “I don’t think so. We’ve waited such a long time to see this happen that I truly am excited to follow her around and watch her walk. I can’t wait for her to walk even more!” I honestly believe that. This is such a gift to us….why would I resent this incredible ability?!?!?! I’m finding that the more you wait for things, the easier it is to appreciate them. OK—enough of the “life lessons” I just wanted to share our great news (and warn you NOT to tell me I’ll soon regret this phase of Faith’s development J ). I’m happy as a lark to have a little toddling girl to follow around!!

P.S. These steps couldn't have come at a better time. Now that the weather is getting warmer, we've been spending a lot of time outside. Here is a picture of what Faith's jeans and onesie looked like after playing today.... the scooting sure does a number on her clothes. Looks like she's gonna be a "leftie!!"

This is only the second time she's worn these jeans!!

I couldn't resist this picture either... Faith's first time to sit at a "big girl" table and eat lunch off of a plate. She's asking for "more". This is her buddy, George, who I think inspired those first steps!! Doesn't she look like such a big girl????

And He or She shall be named.....

Thanks so much for all your suggestions. It was SO FUN to read them. Several of them had us close to reconsidering our original choices....but maybe we'll save those for future Sanderson children. That is, if the Lord chooses to bless us with more kiddos in the future :)

Without further ado, here are the names we've picked out for Baby Sanderson #2...

Lincoln Burkhalter Sanderson

Elizabeth Mae Sanderson

Names carry A LOT of significance and importance in life, thus, we feel like our children's names should reflect significant meaning so allow us to explain how we came to select these names....

Lincoln, "Linc": Murray proposed to me just after midnight on November 15, 2003 at the Lincoln Memorial. We also admire the character and faith of President Lincoln.

Burkhalter: Family is extremely important to us. Murray's mom's maiden name is Burkhalter. Granddad Burkhalter died when Murray was just a year old, but his legacy of faith was passed on through actions such as the founding of a health clinic for the poor (he was a pediatrician), helping to plant a church(White Station Church of Christ in Memphis), and starting a Christian school (Memphis Harding Academy). His Grandmother Burkhalter played a significant role in his childhood and beyond through her Christian example, generosity and zest for life.

Elizabeth "Ellie": We LOVE the Bible. Elizabeth was a woman of great faith and also the aunt of Jesus. We admire her character greatly and especially love the verse found in Luke 1:5, "Zachariah's wife was descended from the daughters of Aaron. Her name was Elizabeth. Together they lived honorably before God, careful in keeping to the ways of the commandments and enjoying a clear conscience before God."

Mae: Murray's mother, a woman who seeks after God with great endurance, and his Great-Grandmother have Mae as a middle name. We'd love to pass it along to our sweet baby girl.

So there you have it. Now you can put a name with the prayers you offer on behalf of this little one!!

Just for Fun....

Before we reveal the names we've selected for Baby Sanderson #2, we were inspired by 2 of our friends (both are named Kelly) to try a little experiment...

Our friend Kelli B. LOVES naming babies (I do too!) she's so fun to talk to about baby names so this post is especially for her (and all the other people who LOVE to talk baby names just for fun!). Our other friend, Kelly V., actually gave us the idea. She and her family live in Benin, West Africa where it is customary for new parents to select someone to name their baby for them. The chosen person(s) waits until a special ceremony (I think it's held a month after the baby is born) to reveal the name of the baby to the parents. Now, I wouldn't be brave enough to do this for real....or really want to, because coming up with a name is one of my favorite parts of having a baby!!

But FOR FUN, we thought it'd be interesting to let our blogging friends share the names that they think would fit our new little babe best. We'll reveal the names we've already selected in a few days. The only "rule" is that you can only select 1 girl name and 1 boy name....please don't list a bazillion options. Narrow it down to the one you would absolutely choose if we selected you to be in charge of naming our baby boy or girl!! You can do first and middle name or just first.....

Can't wait to hear what you come up with!

Nana's coming!!!

Sorry for the hiatus...there hasn't been much "blogworthy" news to share (I should get my friend, Ramona to make us another yummy meal :)

Faith has added some new "skills" that are too adorable for words! She can:

1) Climb DOWN the stairs now...all by herself. It's so cute to see her scoot to the edge and then flip over and go down on her tummy.

2) She signs "more" with great accuracy.

3) She can point to her nose (she's about 60% with actually hitting her nose but she always points somewhere on her face which is just adorable.

4) She gives Mommy and Daddy a hug now...when all we say is "Mommy (or Daddy) needs a BIG hug", she'll do it. It melts our hearts every time!

5) She blows kisses. She started this on her own yesterday in the checkout line at the grocery store. The cashier was being so sweet to her and she just started blowing kisses at her.

She is the cutest thing ever....how will we ever be able to love another baby as much as we love her?!?!? Everyone assures us that it'll happen so naturally and I am COMPLETELY CONFIDENT it will but it's just hard to imagine loving another little one too! My heart is bursting with so much love already!!! Can't wait to experience this times 2!!!

In other "news"....Nana is coming!!! We pick her up at the airport TODAY!! She'll be here with us all week. To say she delights in Faith is an complete understatement. We can hardly wait to watch Faith show off her new skills and see Nana's reaction as her sweet, precious (and only) granddaughter melts her heart!!

Can you believe it's March already!! Enjoy the new month....and Happy Birthday, Jenni T. and Nora C.!!!

3 years!!!

3 years ago today, I walked down the aisle to the most handsome man in the world. I can honsestly say that I couldn't be happier and more thankful to God for bringing such a WONDERFUL man into my life. He is MORE THAN what I had hoped for in my wildest of dreams. I tear up thinking about how much the Lord knows me and LOVES me, by simply giving me the gift of Murray. (I would bawl like a baby if I counted my other blessings too!). I look forward to countless other anniversaries with him. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I love you, Murray!! "My heart is and always will be....yours!"


Here we are at the Nashville Courthouse signing our marrigae license. What a FUN memory!!


I can't believe I get to be Murray's wife!!! I'm so excited, I just have to click up my heels!!


On the evening of our wedding day (we got married at midnight on the morning of Valentine's Day) we attended the wedding of Murray's cousin, Eileen and her new hubby, Eric. They were SO GRACIOUS to share their wedding day with us...and Eileen even attended our midnight ceremony! Happy 3rd Anniversary to you guys too!! We love you!