Merry Christmas 2008

I am posting our Christmas card picture and letter for all you blogger readers who may not have received a card via snail mail. Don't know if I will get back here before Christmas so have a wonderful holiday season!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone! What a busy, crazy year it’s been. We’ll do our best to catch you up on anything you may have missed about us over the past year.
Chase turned 1 on Jan. 26 and I find it hard to believe that we are quickly approaching birthday number 2 for our little guy. Chase really got into NASCAR with his daddy this year. If he sees the number 24 in fluorescent yellow he immediately starts saying “go! go!”! He is starting to talk up a storm and constantly amazes Howard and me with the new words he comes out with. Chase loves Matchbox cars and spends hours playing with them. He also spends a lot of time going through his books and reading to himself or asking us to read to him (yay!). Chase is also becoming quite the little helper around the house and loves to vacuum with me when I am cleaning, help his daddy with anything pertaining to cars or the outdoors and feed our cat. Chase was diagnosed with a severe egg allergy in February so we’ve had to make some changes to our diet and closely monitor what he eats. We carry an epi-pen with us everywhere and so far we thankfully have had no emergencies!
As most people probably know by now, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the start of my second pregnancy. I started with insulin shots and quickly have progressed to the insulin pump. It allows me much more flexibility and control over my routine. With the pregnancy and the diabetes together it has proven to be a very trying and stressful year for me. Howard has been a wonderful support and encouragement and helped me keep things in perspective. I’ve run the full range of emotions and have come to terms with the fact that I just have to adjust some areas of my life to accommodate this disease. Otherwise, my year has been full of motherhood. I love staying home with Chase and have enjoyed watching him blossom. We spent hours outside playing, taking walks and meeting neighbors this summer. We also spent one day a week at my parents keeping my grandmother company, as she is in the beginning stages of Alzheimer's. I made a point, whenever possible, to get to the library and keep up on my reading this year, since I am such a voracious reader. I always come home excited when I find new books!
Howard got a slow start to his work year due to the economy affecting funding for roadwork. He still was able to make it a decent year at Guidemark and has high hopes for next year. He was able to get out golfing a few times throughout the year and has found some guys at work to golf with when their schedules allow. Howard fully enjoyed the 2008 NASCAR season, although Jeff Gordon didn’t do anywhere near as well as he had hoped. In addition to the sports stuff Howard has also been reading and studying up on the stock market and is quite excited to have some time during this layoff to try a few different options the stock market offers. He has the mind for it so we’ll see what happens.
Our second child, Alexa Kathryn, made her debut on December 2, 2008, via c-section. She has been such a great baby so far. She is very content and easy going. We’re hoping that continues in the weeks ahead!
With Howard working and me being pregnant, we didn’t take any vacations this year. We planned weekends together and got outside whenever we were able. We enjoyed taking Chase to various playgrounds in our area and watching the Phillies win their second World Series Title! Chase is a great fan! Now we are all enjoying our little girl. Chase is making such an excellent big brother.
We helped my parents move in April and then helped my grandmother move in with them in July. My brother Peter and his wife Kendal just purchased their first home in November so Howard and I helped them move as well. Lots of transition for my family this year!
Howard’s sister Steph and her kids, Austin and Gwen, flew in from Washington state for a visit in August and we got to spend a day with them. It was really nice but much too quick! The kids are doing well and appear to be thriving
We are looking forward to spending time with family this Christmas season. It’s going to be a lot of fun watching Chase during this time of year! We’re also looking forward to growing closer together as a family. We hope each of you has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Love,
Howard, Sarah, Chase & Alexa Hackelton

Giving Thanks

I just wanted to post a quick update about how we are doing. Alexa spends most of her time sleeping and is generally very content. It is such a change from how our first few months were with Chase. He was so colicky and miserable that the little bit of fussing Alexa may do doesn't even faze us. I'm so grateful for how content she is.

When Alexa is awake I just marvel at this new little life that God has given us. She is so tiny and yet so perfect. I keep praying for her and Chase and the world that they are going to grow up in. Our kids need our prayers covering them each and every day, more so now than ever.

I'm so grateful for a little boy who delights in the fingers and toes of his sister and wants to hold and help with her whenever possible. I'm grateful to have my husband home for the winter. His help with the kids and the household has made my recovery so much easier and less tiring. I'm so grateful for a swift recovery and that every day I am feeling so much better than the last.

I'm grateful that yesterday Howard took Alexa for an 1 1/2 so that I could have some time to play with our little boy. He just lit up to have my undivided attention and talked to me with such exuberance. I've missed the opportunities to revel in his wonder at the world. Chase is so quick to pick up on everything going on around him and continues to delight me (us) with his chattering about the world.

So this is thanks Lord for my family. For the transition of a new little one going smoothly so far. For a wonderful, supportive husband and our time together. Thanks for my two healthy, precious children and the light they bring to our lives. This is thanks for how blessed we are and how grateful I am for Your grace...

She's Here!

She's Here! Alexa Kathryn Hackelton was born at 9:40am on December 2, 2008. She weighed in at 6lbs, 12oz and was 20 1/4" long. She checked out healthy and we are hoping to keep it that way! :-)

Big brother Chase is so proud to help take care of her and has been really amazing the last few days. Mommy and Daddy are proud of him too.

Sarah is recovering well so far and is really happy to be home. As a family we are adjusting to a new little one and a new schedule. We'll keep you posted as often as time allows. Enjoy the photos in the meantime...

Chase gave Alexa a bottle and suddenly she wasn't so scary anymore!

Soon!

Hi All! We will know by about 8:30am tomorrow who the newest member of the Hackelton clan is. I will try to post info and pictures as soon as I am up to it. Can't wait to meet this precious little baby! Big-brother-to-be Chase is getting to spend two days with his Nee Nee and Me-Mom so he'll be having fun! Please keep us in your prayers.