N - Sunset Match Game

One of the great things about living in Oklahoma, especially this time of year, is the amazing sunsets. I would encourage you to turn off the radio and put the cell phone away on the ride home from work tomorrow and simply take it in. God's creation is astoundingly beautiful!

To get you in the spirit, I've created a little match game. All you have to do is match the sunset picture with the correct location.

1. Edmond, Oklahoma

2. Maui, Hawaii

3. Ardmore, Oklahoma

4. Salt Lake City, Utah

5. Edmond, Oklahoma

(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)

(E)

N - Some more pics of the little guy

The end of a long hard day . . .

Chillin' with my boppy . . .

What up world?

Me and the Ferguson men . . .

N - First Car Ride

We brought Joel home on Sunday November 18. It was a beautiful day. Mary sat in the back seat with Joel while I drove more carefully than I have since June 21, 1990, the day I turned 16 and got my driver's license.  This video is pretty cute.  Somehow Joel managed to sleep, even with his cheek and ear doing a little diddy.

N - A Chip Off The Ol' Block

I joked with Mary before Joel was born about how I hoped he got her looks and my hand-eye coordination. Early polling is in and he looks an awful lot like me in my baby pictures. Here is a picture of my dad holding me at 1 day old and a picture of me holding Joel at about the same age.

The hand-eye coordination determination may have to wait awhile but I think I saw his eyes light up yesterday when I showed him a basketball.  I'm pretty sure Joel and I will be able to take Carson and Kyle Mauck in Puck-It when the time comes.

N - Our Beautiful Boy

In case you haven't heard, Joel Emmitt Ferguson made his arrival at 12:03pm on Friday November 16, 2007.  That makes him one of the Oklahoma Centennial Babies!  Joel weighed 9lb 6oz and was 21 inches long.  Here are a few pictures to enjoy until you get to meet him in person.

N - So this is what labor is like

As I type this, the clock reads 2:45am and Mary is sleeping in the hospital bed next to me.  That's right you heard me, SLEEPING!!!  I thought labor was supposed to be horribly painful.  I don't know what women have been talking about all these years, it doesn't seem too bad to me.  Before you boycott the internet and rip the computer out of my (freezing cold) hands in response to this blasphemy, know that I am only joking.  Drugs evidently do amazing things.  I just thought I would see if you were paying attention.

Here's the lowdown: our friend did an ultrasound on Mary this afternoon, saw that Joel might be a little on the large side, encouraged Mary to go to the hospital to try to get on the list for an induction, while there Mary started contracting and has basically been in labor since about 4pm.  Everything is going really well.  We're just waiting to meet the little guy.

What an AMAZING thing!  I still can't believe this is happening.

M - Is it a compliment?

My friends make fun of me because I really enjoy cooking.  My grandparents are really blown away by this fact too.  It's true though, I am one of those weirdos who love trying new and more difficult recipes.  Why? I think in a sick twisted way it's where my competitive edge comes out.  I really like the challenge of making something new that no one else would even attempt to try. 

So, with that in mind, I made shrimp etoufe last night for dinner.  To which my husband repetitively said, "This is some good slop!"  The sad thing is that he was being completely sincere and he really enjoyed the meal.  Still, is it ever a compliment to call something you're eating slop?  

M - Another Sweet Nephew

As of 8:00 this morning, Neil and I have another nephew! Nicholas Brian is 8 pounds and 20 inches. That's a big boy! I have to admit it's a little unfair that my sister had her baby first since her due date was three days after mine, but I'm over it. I couldn't be a more excited aunt.

Neil and I have 4 nephews and 3 nieces, and I can't help but think we'll be better prepared parents for it. (Although next month when I'm about to pull out my hair because I'm so tired, don't rub salt in the wounds by reminding me of that statement.) No seriously, we have been so blessed to be a part of each of their lives. We've seen the three boys be, well, boys. They've caught frogs from the park behind their house, caught many catfish, and picked on their little sister (but don't worry she (Katie and Lily) can take care of herself). Our nieces, of course, are perfect angels and would never be stinkers. Wait! I can't be talking about any of our nieces. Katie tears the arms off frogs, Michaela can get me to do just about anything, and I'm a little afraid to see what Lily has in stow for me (especially if she's anything like her mommy).

Thinking about all 7 of these little imps makes me wonder if we're really prepared to be parents after all. Yikes! I guess we don't have a choice in the matter any longer.

N - Here goes (a lot of) nothing

So Joel Emmitt Ferguson's due date is now less than 1 week away. We've bought the crib, painted the room, installed the car seats, and freaked out multiple times about becoming parents. What else is there to do right? Oh yeah . . . the blog. It's sort of a requirement nowadays isn't it? This is actually the last thing to do on our pre-baby checklist. We are now completely ready!  (yeah right!)

I'm not sure who will have more time to update this but we'll try to post pictures of Joel often for the grandparents and others interested.  I'll also keep you posted on how many diapers I've changed.  Here's the current tally:  ZERO, ZILCH, NADA.

That's all for now.  We hope you enjoy.

PS - We stole the name Ferguson Family Fun from our family campout tradition that started about 3 years ago and well fergylicious, enough said about that.