The makings of a Cantwell Clan...

This is my "overview" of our family.  The history of how we came to be.  =)

It all begins at LSU Medical Center in Shreveport, LA.  I was working as a Pharmacy Resident, and Scott was a 3rd year Medical Resident.  We were both assigned to the same team. (A "team" consists of a Medical Resident, interns, medical students, and sometimes a pharmacy resident and/or pharmacy student who will round on a set of patients and are solely responsible for the medical management of them.)

Nevertheless....we worked together, and the sparks flew!  ;-)   He actually listened to my suggestions and DID them!!  lol.  You probably don't realize how BIG that was!  Usually the doctors roll their eyes at the PharmD and ignore them at all cost!  But not Scott!  He took my advise!   He was (and still is) the smartest, cutest, friendliest, funniest person I'd met!  It wasn't long before he stole my heart!

We started dating, and it quickly became serious.  It honestly was one of those "when you know, you know" kind of thing.  We just had a blast together!

He's so sweet!

and silly!

Fast forward 9 long months ( haha) and we are secretly hopping a plane to Vegas to get married!  We didn't tell a soul.  THAT was the BEST thing we could've done!  We had a blast!  And, when we finally told them, our parents were actually relieved that they weren't going to have to worry with wedding details!  Not to mention, it was MUCH cheaper for them!! lol.

We were married at the top of the Stratosphere at 10am on 6-7-08.  (It was probably more like 9:45. The observation deck doesn't open until 10, and we were up there early--before the public was allowed!  So it was VERY private and WONDERFUL!!!)  Our wedding day was actually FUN for us!  It wasn't filled with stress or conflict or trying to appease everyone else!  It was truly about US!!  I am so very glad that we did it this way!

Sooo....We get back and settle into a routine.  We start to get the used to waking up together and sharing a bathroom.

Bacchus and Ozzie.  Our babies

Oz as a puppy.  He was so cute!

Then.... a very short three months later we got some very special news..

That's right.  We were going to have a baby!!  Wow! That didn't take long!! lol.  Yeah....we thought the same thing!  Nevertheless, we were ecstatic!
Our sonogram showed that our little bundle of joy was a baby girl.

The planning was ON!! We chose a name for our sweet baby, decorated her nursery, and then waited.  And waited, and waited, it seemed.  

Those seemed like the longest 9 months of my life.  Every day I was googling what a 8 week baby (gestationally) looked like, then 9 week, then 10 week.  Eventually I got to the point where I would check mid-week! lol.  Obsessed much?  Oh yeah.

It is currently September 2008. Scott is continuing his training at LSU Medical Center.  He has completed his residency and is now in a Critical Care fellowship.  (He likes the really sick ones.)  I have moved on from LSU and am working as the Pharmacy Manager for a small chain pharmacy called QVL in Shreveport.  Life is good!  We start to look for places to live and work after Scott's fellowship is complete. (in June 2010) Scott talks to a program in Alexandria, LA and also in Tyler, TX.  To make a long story short, we chose Tyler.  Scott signs a contract to start working in July of 2010.

Meanwhile, I'm just trucking along with my preggo self!

Aunt Jo's homecoming Oct 2008

I just get bigger and bigger and bigger! My torso isn't the longest thing, so she only had one way to grow....OUT!! haha.  Thankfully, I don't have many pics of that huge thing!

After what seemed like an ETERNITY......

aunt Jo with her first niece!

 

She was here!!!  Gracie Madison Cantwell born on April 30, 2009 at 3:05 pm at Schumpert Highland in Shreveport, LA.   She was PERFECT and so sweet!  We were in love!! Of course, we were absolutely clueless about what to do with this little creature once we got home, but thankfully she was a great baby and we learned quickly!! =)

This was our first family pic!

I'm just SO sleepy!!

Doesn't this just look comfy?  

One week old

One Month old!

Gracie was plagued with horrible, horrible reflux.  Which, of course, I didn't know she was being more fussy than "normal" babies.  I thought all of them screamed non-stop!!  She spit up copious amounts of formula.  It really didn't seem like she could have possibly been getting enough nutrition, but she continued to grow, albeit slowly!  She was always a runt!
It took a few months, but we eventually got her on meds that actually worked for her.  Life was great!  She turned out to be the greatest baby in the world! 

Mimi, Papa, Paige, Ryan and Gracie

first trip to church! 2 months old

Three months

About to eat "food" in her big girl highchair for the 1st time! 4 months

5 mths

my ULM baby!

6 mths

 I know that this is totally sad, but this is the ONLY pic I have of Gracie's Baby Dedication!! Boo!! We were celebrating afterward at Chili's in Shreveport, and G decided she wanted some coke!!  Notice her tonguing the glass!  lol.

Proud Papa!!

At this point, Gracie was sleeping all night (bedtime was between 7-8 pm, and she'd sleep until we went to get her in the morning about 7) She decided to sleep all night all by herself!  She didn't need any help from mom or dad!  Life was certainly good!! =)


On October 3, 2009 we had a "celebration of life" party to celebrate the life of my brother, Josh.  He was the silliest, goofiest, sweetest-spirited (when he wanted to be!! lol) person I ever did meet.  He was a RABID LSU and Saints fan (and yes, I do mean rabid.  Most people are "avid" fans....not Josh, he would foam at the mouth and get crazed.)  So we kicked off the celebration honoring him by wearing all LSU.  =)  He was looking down smiling at us.  I just know it.

Josh eating a MONSTER steak!

Geaux LSU!!!  Oct '09

I LOVE this pic!  She is tickled!

Gracie's own personal pony! 

It was right around here that I told Scott, "I'm ready for another one if you are!"  Of course, I received the craziest look that I'd ever seen!  But....It wasn't a week later and he was on board with the idea!  lol. I know that most "normal" people think that we are absolutely insane for planning babies so close together.  However...My brother was 17 months older than me and Scott's sister is 18 months older than him.  I certainly LOVED having a built in play-mate!!  Josh and I certainly kept each other entertained.  I really wanted my children to be able to experience that.  It was so special!  So, we decided it was OK to try for another.  =)  More about that later....

October 2009

Our sweet baby wanted to be a giraffe for Halloween!  She sure was a cutie-patooty!

all tuckered out after all that trick-or-treating!

Thanksgiving 2009

Thanksgiving '09

I'm pretty sure this is the last time I saw this!

 

yes...I'm fully aware that I look crazed. 7 mths 12/09

Gracie with cousin Paige, Christmas 2009

Another one of my favorites!  Christmas 2009

It was right after Christmas that we found out that we would, indeed, be welcoming another sweet baby into our family!  What a great gift from God!  We told our parents that they would be Grandparents again!! =)  Well...I guess Gracie announced it!  lol 

Sweet Baby #2!!

Gracie was (is) SO active and constantly going and going and going!!  That first trimester was a little tough due to the exhaustion that goes along with it (why exactly IS that, anyway?) as well as the nausea.  Nothing horrible, just a little challenge!  =)  Especially when I just wanted to lie on the couch and rest for "just a minute!" And our little Gracie bug wouldn't have it!!  lol.  Oh well.  I wouldn't trade it for the world!

January 2010

At the doctor's office checking on peanut. Jan'10

So sassy!  Feb 2010

Feb 2010.  9 months

Snow in Shreveport?? Feb 12, 2010

I wanna LICK it!

Who would've thought that we'd get a "real" snowfall in Louisiana?  We were amazed!  Gracie didn't seem to care for it all THAT much....was more interested in the dog running like a lunatic!

Feb 2010

Feb '10

Showing my teef

silly girl!

do you like my hat?  Feb 25, 10

So, it's February 2010.  Scott finishes his fellowship in June.  We know that we are moving to Tyler, TX over the summer.  We have to put our house on the market, hopefully sell it, move to Texas, and settle into a new house very very soon.  So we pack up the clutter that is in our house, and start packing.  We need the house to look clean and orderly when we put it on the market!!

Gracie wanted to be packed!  March 2010

Silly Pappy!!  April 2010

April 2010

April was already here!!  We couldn't believe that our munchkin was already closing in on her first birthday!!!  Where does the time go? These are some pictures that we had taken for her 1st birthday. 

I love for mom to get my neck sugar!!  April 2010

She was such a sweetie!  (still is!)  It was now time to start planning a par-tay!!  Woo Hoo!  Gracie's first birthday!!  =)

mmmm mmmm

We had a GREAT time!!  Gracie was so happy to see her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins Paige and Ryan!  She said we needed to do it again in about a year! ;-)

We had placed our house on the market the first of April.  It was on the market for one week and we were under contract!  Talk about a relief!! God certainly took care of us!

Unfortunately (or fortunately, whichever way you look at it...) our house went from looking like this at Gracie's party....

to like this the next week....

I was kinda sad!  We were moving farther away from family, and leaving the house that we made our first home!  Our first memories were there!!  =(  We then put our stuff in an apartment in Tyler....

Have I mentioned that I hate unpacking?  Well....if I didn't before seeing this sight, I certainly did afterward!

If you ever have to move, I HIGHLY suggest hiring a mover.  Oh wow.  They were absolutely WONDERFUL.  They came to Shreveport, packed us up (we didn't have to do a thing.  They even took the pictures off the wall!), moved us to Tyler, and put the boxes in the rooms that they were supposed to be in.  Talk about NICE!  We vowed to never move ourselves again!
Our poor moving guys!  My sister, Jordan, was graduating High School the DAY we were scheduled to move.  So we essentially sent them to Tyler with our stuff, unlocked the apartment for them, and then said "See Ya!"  We had to haul it to Jonesboro to attend her graduation!  Which...I wouldn't have missed for the WORLD! 

May 2010

I look like Scott Jr in this picture!!

G loves her Aunt Jo!

Greatest sister EVER!

I love my little sis!  She is 10 years younger than me, so I've felt like I have watched her grow up.  She is just PRECIOUS to me, and I love her dearly!  We used to call her "baby Jordan" when we were growing up.  I guess she's not a baby anymore!  **sniff, sniff**

To be continued.....