Gavin Turned 2!!!

Hard to believe that our baby boy is 2!  Time flies!  This year, we had a party at the Aquatic Center with goldfish as a snack and fish cupcakes as a dessert!  Too fun!  Enjoy the pics!

What's new?

Greetings!  Long time no write!  Wow, you have a kiddo, and life just seems to get busier!  Priorities definitely change, as I have not posted since April!  Anyways, life is good.  At this point in our lives, Matt is in Africa, Charity is on the hunt for a new adventure in nursing, and Gavin is about to turn 2!  What a crazy, fun, and emotional time!  Though at times we become weary of the day to day responsibilities, we find great joy in small things like going for bikerides, looking for creatures, feeding birds, reading books before bedtime, and sitting on the porch at dusk eating ice cream as the loudness of the day begins to quiet down.  Though it seems to become more and more difficult to make time for those moments amongst all the "things to do," we're trying!!!  Hope you're finding some time to make sweet memories in the chaotic days of your life as well!  We love you all!  Enjoy the pics! 

Happy Spring!

Happy New Year!

Our crazy life...

Well, a lot has happened since our last blog post! In short, our family went to Louisville, KY, Calhoun, TN, and San Francisco, CA, and Matt has gone to Amman, Jordan, Singapore, Indonesia, and is now somewhere called Baubau. I still need to look that place up! I can't speak for Matt's trips, as he is still gone at the moment, but I will say that our family trips were wonderful! What a blessing for the three of us to go visit people from our recent past and go to a Missions conference with people who have a heart for Somali people living in the horn of Africa. After that conference, all I can say is that there is a great need beyond the borders of North America and that it would do each of us good to experience it for ourselves to realize how unimportant our "stressors" are day to day. In short, I will say that I gained a major perspective change! If you want to know more, please ask! I'd love to share what the Lord taught me that week! Enjoy the pics!

Happy September!

Hey everyone! Was your summer all that you hoped it would be? It always seems to go faster than you want it to, doesn't it?! Has all of the busyness of the season started? It just seems like we find ourselves too busy all the time. I'm learning that, at some point, we need to say no to some things for our own well-being and that of our family's! Although working at it, we still feel so tired and overcommitted, but are striving toward simplifying!

Well, our sweet baby boy turned one! We can't believe it's been a year since he came into this world! What a wonderful year it's been! One of my best years, for sure! These days, Gavin is crawling all over the place and getting into all kinds of things. One day, he actually crawled into a cabinet and just sat in there and played. I cracked up when I found him, just as happy as he could be! He's not quite to the point of walking, but if you'll just give him a little support, he's able to walk pretty well and has a huge grin on his face! He talks quite a bit. We love to hear his sweet voice! The only words we know that he's saying for sure are mama or dad. Other times, it sure sounds like he says words, like "cheese, all done, etc..." Not positive, though. He's eating many more finger foods. We've pretty much stopped pureeing his foods. There's not a lot of food he doesn't like. I think avocados are the only thing he can't get down! If we put food on a spoon, he can put it in his mouth. He's not consistently sleeping through the night, but is more than ever, which Matt and I appreciate! It's so fun to watch him grow! Well, that's it for now.

Love you all!

Enjoy the pics! They're mostly of Gavin playing around the house, a family photo shoot we had done recently and his birthday!

Happy Summer!

Hello friends and family! We hope you're enjoying the summer so far! We sure have been! The weather is so nice! There's just nothing like a sunny day! Love those blue skies too! Well, a lot's happened since our last posting, as Gavin is continuing to grow so fast! It's so amazing how much more enjoyable certain experiences are with a kiddo! We've gone to the swimming pool, Gavin got his first haircut, and Gavin started crawling! All have been an absolute joy! Matt got to celebrate his first Father's Day, and we got some Bradshaw family photos taken as well.

Matt's traveling has begun to increase much more as it usually does during the summer months. I've continued to work 2 days per week and stay home with Gavin the rest of the time. It's a great schedule. Otherwise, no real news to report.

Below are some pics from the last month!

Posting more pics!!!

Life is beautiful!

We are so thankful for the life the Lord has given us! My goodness. Matt and I have recently discussed how truly blessed we are! We've reflected and are amazed by the experiences we've shared over the last 12 years together! There was actually a point in time that we never thought we'd be together beyond high school, let alone get married and have children! Now, here we are...married for 7 years, and have a baby that's soon to turn one! Oh, what a beautiful life it is! We recently had one of the best weeks of our lives together as a family. Both Matt and I took a random day off of work just to reconnect...you know, get on the same page again (because as you all know, the busyness of life tends to mess things up and get you off track and, before you realize it, things get all out of sorts!) Anyways, we took some extra time to go for walks, go to the park, go to a baseball game, and go to the zoo! What an absolute blast we had! Lots of hugs, kisses, naps, and conversation between the three of us! We've decided that we're going to try to do that at least every quarter!

Other things going on in our world...Matt and I started leading a Small Group of young couples! It's wonderful! It's been a while since we led a Bible Study. We've missed this type of interaction with people, but are so glad to have started it up again! It's been a breath of fresh air! There's just nothing like opening up the Bible and having some discussion on what the Lord's teaching us week after week. Although it's hard and humbling at times, there are always things to celebrate! We're so excited to see what the Lord's going to do in each of our lives!

I guess that's the latest news! Will continue to keep updates coming! Love to you all!

Char

Well, Gavin is growing and going! These days, he's sitting unsupported, playing with toys, beginning to eat solid foods, and interacting more and more! He's been sick a couple times this month, which hasn't been too much fun. He had croup earlier in the month and now has a cold. It just breaks our heart to see him so miserable! Poor baby! Day by day, though, he continues to improve. As you will see in the slide show below, we got some professional pictures taken. Although you can't really tell, Gavin was quite unhappy the majority of the photo shoot. It was quite surprising because we made sure that he was changed, full, and well rested. As we found out, none of those mattered. Either way, he was not going to play! The pictures still turned out great, and we're excited to have them! Thanks, Josh! Also in the pics, you will see Gavin having some fun with mom and dad, bath time, eating solids (peas) sitting up unsupported, and our trip to Farmington to visit Gram for her 55th birthday! We had lots of fun with the aunties and cousins! Enjoy!

January Update

Hello everyone! Hope the new year is starting out well for you! Ours is going great so far! Gavin just turned 5 months old! Oh, how the time flies. Everyone told us that from the beginning. So, we've just been trying to soak up every single minute with Gavy since he'll be all grown up before we know it! So, let's see...where to begin. At Gavin's last appointment, he was 13.3 lbs and in the 25th percentile for kiddos his age. Everything checked out as good! His newest tricks are rolling over and playing with his feet! So, we find his socks in random places and his big toe in his mouth oftentimes. It's precious! He's started laughing lots more, which is such a joy. He really likes playing peek-a-boo and being chased by one of us while the other is holding him. He thinks it's hilarious! A kiddos laugh just melts your heart, doesn't it?! My goodness, we love this little boy so much! This last week, he's slept the whole night through which has been so wonderful! We're all happier about that! I think that's the latest and greatest about Gav!

I've gone back to work doing 2 twelve hour shifts per week. It's going pretty well. I love being a nurse! The hardest thing has been leaving Gavin! This last week, I had a pretty bad day at work. So, I wasn't so happy when I got home. I'll tell you what, though. Gavin greeted me with a great big grin and laugh. After that, what happened in the day just didn't seem to matter as much. The next day when I had to go to work, it was so hard for me to leave Gavin. I just wanted to spend the whole day with him. I went to work anyways, and his daddy sent me a precious picture of Gavin with the message, "Miss you, Mommy!" I just cried! It's hard to leave that baby boy!

Matt's doing well! Just plugging away at work mostly, making lots of plans for future trips to Mexico, Jordan, France, and possibly Haiti sooner than later. He's a busy guy! As far as home life, it's been fun to watch him be a daddy! Although it's not a surprise, he's great at it! I'm so thankful for him! I love my boys!

Enjoy the pictures!

Char

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

Hello everyone!

We are so blessed this Christmas that we had to share our joy with you! First, Matt returned home this week, after a long trip to Jordan. There were a few delays due to the storm that rocked the east coast, but he got home just in time for Christmas. Next, Charity's parents came down for Christmas Eve and we all went to church together. It was so sweet! After that we headed to Charity's family Christmas party at her Aunt Renee's. That was a blast! We were able to see most of Charity's family and celebrate Christmas with them. Lastly, we opened gifts on Christmas morning with Charity's folks. It was so fun to celebrate Gavin's first Christmas! I told you we were blessed, and now you believe me!

On a side note, Charity got a new Flip camera for Christmas (thank you Mark & Charlotte)! We have been playing with it and our Mac and here is our first production. (We did a side view of Gavin because we've noticed that he tends to be a bit camera shy, quieting down when he notices it pointed toward him!) Be patient...it takes a while to load. Hope you enjoy it!

Happy Holidays!

Greetings, family and friends! How are you all? We are doing well! Currently, Matt is in Amman, Jordan, and Gavin and I are holding the fort here in Albuquerque. We sure do miss Matt, but know that he's right in the middle of some exciting things happening there! He'll be back in time for Christmas. So, we're eagerly awaiting his arrival back to NM early next week!

As a family, we're getting more and more comfortable and continue to enjoy each other so much. Gavin continues to learn and grow so fast! It's so crazy to us that's he's already 4 months old! His next doctor's appointment is next week. So, we'll see how big he's grown and how well he's developing! As far as Matt and I are concerned, he's doing great!

I'll be posting more pics soon. Just wanted to write a quick note to wish you all a happy holiday season!

We love you all!

More pics...

Hey everyone! I got a request for more pictures. So, here you go!

Things are going well here. They seem to be getting better and better as we're beginning to feel more comfortable in our "routine." The only thing we're lacking is some sleep. Looking forward to full nights of rest, but in the meantime, enjoying loving on Gavin day and night!

Happy Halloween!

Gavin's 2 month checkup!

Hello all! How's it going? The Bradshaw's are doing well. Although still learning so much with our new baby boy, we're starting to get the hang of some things and adjusting pretty well! Thank you, Jesus!

So, Gavin just turned 2 months old! Oh, how the time flies! I know you all said it would, but I guess with some things, you just don't believe it until you're there. We're still having so much fun! Gavin is smiling much more, cooing, and quite a bit more active than before! Some of his favorite things to do are suck on his fist and forearm, watch the mobile while he lays in his swing, stare at the fan whether still or going round, stretch as long as he can when he's waking up, and pee all over himself and the walls when we're changing his diaper. That last one's not so fun! :) He's not quite at the point of sleeping through the night, but according to the MD, it's usually when babies are about 15 pounds that they do that! Gavin measured at 10 1/2 pounds today and was 22 1/4 inches long. He is at the 25th percentile for everything, and they say he's doing great! He got a few immunization shots today and was a champ! He's only cried for seconds. It was amazing! What a trooper! We're so proud!

Well, that's all for now. Enjoy the pics!

Char

Life as Parents!!!

Hello everyone! I'm so sorry for not being more consistent with postings. Anyways, here I am. Gavin is currently taking a nap. So, I have a small window of time to get this completed! Well...where do I start? This last month and a half has been a whirlwind! As you know pregnancy was not so fun. I would have to say that delivery wasn't either! Lots of things unexpected happened, but rather than share the details with you, I will move on to the fun part, Gavin!

You guys, Gavin is so wonderful! Honestly, having a baby has been such a blessing. I know you all told me that all the aches and pains would be worth it, but I've gotta tell ya...it's so much more enjoyable than I thought it was going to be. I was so worried about so many things like not bonding, going crazy, having cabin fever, etc... I was completely wrong in my preconceived notions of having a child! I can't even believe how wrong I was! I have just held him and cried because I am so happy to have him in my/our life! I just stare at him. There are days when I just don't want to let him go, although I will only because I realize the necessity of paying bills, eating, and showering on a regular basis. Who would have thought I would change a diaper with a smile? I mean, I have to give the Lord all the glory for this because those of you that know me well know that I've never really been a "kid person." So, to have the response I've had has really been a gift from the Lord! We sing and dance, read stories, go for walks. All kinds of fun stuff! What a blast! Gavin is so gracious with his inexperienced mama!

Matt has been so wonderful too! He's already won the award for "Dad of the Year" in our house. He's not afraid to calm him down when he's fussing, give him a bottle, change his diapers, give him a bath. The list goes on. Matt's all about it! He is so good with Gavin and is having a ball! It's really a joy to watch them interact. Matt took Gavin to Home Depot and the Car Wash the other day. They were out doing "guy stuff." So cute! I look forward to watching their relationship continue to grow!

Well, I'm sure you're enjoying the update, but would much rather see pictures. So, here you go! Enjoy! Visit or call if you get a chance. We'd love to see you and show off our baby boy! We love you!

Thanks to those of you who have called to check on us, brought us meals, and showered us with your love! It has been so appreciated!

Char

Gavin is home...

Hello everyone!

We just wanted to update you all very quickly. Gavin is finally home and happy to be here. He loves to sleep all day and party all night. And by "party," I mean crying, fussing and eating of course. Anyways, Charity is feeling better, still a little sore but she is happy to be able to see her feet again. We love you all and greatly appreciate all the visitors, e-mails, text messages, phone calls, and most of all your prayers. We cannot possibly thank you enough for your support and for your part in this exciting time in our lives. So, THANK YOU! That may be all you hear but please know that we mean it and you are appreciated.

So, let's get to the good stuff, the pictures!

By the way, you are all welcome to come visit Gavin. Please call ahead and we look forward to seeing you!

Greetings Family and Friends!

Hey everyone! Hope you all have been enjoying the summer months and have found some time for rest and relaxation,! Matt and I are doing well. Life has been quite busy for pretty much the entire summer. Between trips, baby showers, working, prenatal classes, doctor's visits, and the chaos of everyday living, time has flown by. Soon and very soon, our baby boy will be born, and who knows what life will look like then?! We've prepared as much as we can and are ready for his arrival whenever he is! A few weeks ago, Matt and I had some preggo pics taken. We thought you might enjoy them! I also added a couple pics of the baby's room! Again, we hope you all are doing well. Hope to be able to update you with some big news soon! We love you all!