Mattox Moments

Way Overdue

2009-10-29T07:42:00.000-07:00

Okay so my best friend wanted to see some pictures of Emalyn walking so I thought I would bite the bullet and try to start posting again. Our computer was full of viruses for months so now that it is finally working again, I have no excuse. Here is my first attempt at keeping you all up to date....again. Rylan just turned 3 years old! Can't believe he is this big. He also just took his first trip to the dentist and did AWESOME! Here are a few pictures of him.

At his birthday party

With his new train set

Emalyn just turned 1 on October 27. My baby isn't really a baby anymore. Crazy how fast the time flies! Here are a few pictures of her. She started walking on Rylan's birthday, October 4th.

Birthday pancakes.

Walking everywhere! I love this expression on her face.

This was my rocking chair as a little girl. My mom gave it to me and I repainted it. I love that I have this to let her use and pass down if she has a little girl. Crazy to think that far into the future.

Check back soon for more fall pictures.

What We've Been Up To

2009-06-19T04:53:00.000-07:00

For those of you that have more than one child, AND you keep your blog updated, I applaud you. How in the world do you find the time? Our lives are so busy, but right now, it is 8:00 a.m. and the kiddos are still asleep so I am attempting to catch you up on what we've been doing lately.

Rylan is starting to build actual buildings. . . not just really tall towers. He and I were both so proud of this one!

Emalyn loves her big brother so much! And now that she can play and interact with him a little more he gives her some attention. Here he is reading her his BIG TRUCK BOOK.

"Miss Priss" (my nickname for her) had a little trouble gaining weight from 4-6 months, just like Rylan. But when we started her on solids she has quickly added almost two pounds in just 6 weeks. I am making her baby food...and she loves it! She gets so excited when we put her in her chair to eat.

And here she is sitting up and playing. She is rolling all over the place too. And trying to scoot. So I think those last few pounds of baby weight that I still need to lose might be disappearing very soon.

Mee Mee bought Rylan this scooter, so of course he needed a helmet. The elbow and knee pads came with it, so....why not. He is so proud!

We took some of the high school students from Graystone Church to the Gwinnett Braves game, so of course we took Rylan with us. He had a blast. As we headed to our seats, one of the employees handed Rylan a ball that had been knocked out of the park during batting practice. What a fun souvenier!

When I ask Rylan to give Emalyn something to play with, he thinks she needs all of her toys. Has anyone seen Emalyn!

My new favorite toy! We try to walk every morning before it gets too hot. The only problem I have with this stroller is that Emalyn is in perfect grabbing distance of everything that Rylan has. He just doesn't understand that she just wants to love on him. I did look down the other day, though, and he was holding her hand. What a sweet brother!

One of Rylan's favorite things to do is talk on the phone. It doesn't matter who I am talking to, a friend, my mom, the insurance company. He wants to know who it is. And then he proceeds to tell me that he would like to talk to them. So here is a recent shot I captured of him talking to his Aunt Val. She calls just to talk to him.

Our first trip to the pool this summer. Emalyn loved the water!

My batteries were dying so I didn't get a great picture of Rylan. As soon as we got there I put a life jacket on him and let him walk around in the kiddie pool. Not 10 seconds later, I was jumping in after him because he was stuck face first in the water. So we took the jacket off and tried the water wings and float. He did much better. I am just thankful that he's not like his mommy when it comes to having courage. I was afraid he may not want to get back in the water. Instead, I had a difficult time getting him out.

Well, it is now 8:30 and both are still asleep. I shall say goodbye for now, and I will probably write again in about...let's see...I am averaging 3 months I think.

Snow Day

2009-03-02T12:37:00.001-08:00

We had so much fun in the snow today. Rylan loved it.

He built a snowman, tried to make snow angels, and threw snowballs with Daddy.

Emalyn dressed up in her snowsuit too. Actually it was Rylan's but doesn't she look precious....kind of like Boo from Monsters Inc. I can just hear her saying "Mike Wizowski!"Here are some other pictures from the past month or so.

Emalyn in the dress I wore home from the hospital. Yes it's a little short.

Rylan's version of dress up. Anna Kate Lyon would not be impressed.

And here's what happens when I ask him to go put his shoes on.

And lastly...our little girl is trying out the Bumbo seat. She is getting so big!

Long Overdue

2009-01-05T07:04:00.000-08:00

I have received several comments from friends and family that I have not updated the blog in awhile. Even though our transition from one to two children has been very easy, life is that much busier. We now have two children. So sitting down to update has not been a priority. The fact that I am sitting here now is a miracle in itself. It is 10:05 on Monday morning and both of my children are asleep...both children are also sick. ..... and now it is 6:15 as I am finally finishing this post. We went to the doctor today and Emalyn has an ear infection and we are still waiting to hear if she has RSV. She is absolutely pitiful. The doctor thinks that Rylan has pneumonia. Both are taking breathing treatments and antibiotics and Emalyn was prescribed a steroid. So please pray that healing will come to their little bodies very soon. We've had some tough nights here in the Mattox household. Below you will find LOTS of pictures from the past two months through today...just to catch you up.

I just had to include this picture. Rylan loves his little sister.

A sausage biscuit from McDonald's is a special treat!

So is a cupcake with chocolate icing.

Just in case you missed Rylan's Halloween costume.

Reading the paper.

Rylan used to fit in this car seat.
Three weeks old.

Pictures by Shawna Pinney. Check out Art and Shawna's site. You can find a link at the right.

Playing with Noah Odom.

Go Dawgs!

Fun with Wiki Sticks from Zaxby's.

Emalyn enjoying the swing.

So proud of his own special tree for his room. He decorated it all by himself.The star goes on top!

Our precious little girl in her Christmas dress.

And just for fun, here's a similar picture of Rylan when he was this age.Rylan with The Elf (aka Heath Hollandsworth)Family who came for Emalyn's dedication at church.Graystone Church staff and our babies.Mixing the dough for Christmas cookies.Cutting out the cookies.Enjoying the cookies.Hello!Our trip to A Stone Mountain Christmas.

Watching The Polar Express in 4D.

Getting ready to ride the train.

Mommy and Rylan on the train.

Daddy and Rylan on the train.

Playing with each other.

Our trip to see Santa Claus.

Ready to open presents.

Emalyn's cute little tobaggan.

Rylan and Emalyn's precious cousin Cohen.

Rylan got his own digital camera. Yes, it really does take pictures. Can you believe that?

After opening all the presents Christmas morning.

"Check out my new ride!"

Our sweet little girl.And our sweet little girl this afternoon after throwing up EVERYTHING all over Mommy and herself. The steroid didn't agree with her.

And this evening, here is Rylan showing what a big boy he is. He didn't fight this at all.

Hope you enjoyed our life in pictures.

New Pictures of Emalyn

2008-11-08T11:46:00.000-08:00

So here are a few recent pictures of Miss Emalyn. She is such a joy and adding her to our family has been a breeze thus far. Praise the Lord for a baby that just eats and sleeps. I am sure that will change very soon, but as for now the transition has been very easy. Rylan loves his little sister and is so proud. No jealousy right now. Please pray this continues. If he's not looking at her and yelling "Emalyn" then he is totally ignoring her and just going about his business. Daddy is so proud! I have to make him put her down sometimes so she doesn't get used to being held. They like to nap together on the sofa. She already has him wrapped around her little finger.

Emalyn Abigail Mattox

2008-10-27T11:35:00.000-07:00

Emalyn Abigail was born on October 27, 2008 at 4:11 pm. She was 6lbs 8oz and 19 1/4 inches long. Mom and Emalyn are doing great! Rylan is a proud big brother. More pictures to come soon!

More Pictures of Rylan's Party

2008-10-09T07:11:00.001-07:00

If any of you are interested in more pictures of our little guy, his Aunt Erica took her usual thousand pictures. You can click on this link to enjoy more. Just scroll through the football stuff.
http://theflorciks.blogspot.com/ Enjoy!

Coming Soon...

2008-10-08T11:36:00.000-07:00

Some of you don't get to see me very often and have been wanting to see a preggo picture. Well here I am. The countdown has officially begun. My original due date was set for November 4, but after a recent ultrasound it looks as if our little girl might be big enough to come sooner. Mommy is hoping that is the case. For those of you gals that have carried babies in your belly, you understand the stage that I am in. It's time! Please pray that Emalyn continues to grow and is healthy. Hopefully my next blog will be welcoming her to our family.

Rylan's Birthday Party

2008-10-08T11:27:00.000-07:00

We had such a great time at Rylan's birthday party. I can't believe that my baby is 2 years old! Crazy how fast time flies. Here are some fun pictures from the celebration.

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Rylan's Trip to the Zoo

2008-10-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

Rylan turned 2 on October 4th, so for his birthday we took him to the zoo. We had a great time! Check out the slide show below.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Top 5 Excuses for Not Blogging

2008-08-26T12:13:00.001-07:00

So, it has been close to two months since I have updated our blog. If you keep up with my brother's blog, I am doing just about as poorly as he is. Don't take it personally, Kyle. Your last blog was great. And my best friend, Stephanie has tagged me to list my goals and fears, and joys, etc. Sorry Steph, I don't think it is going to happen. I still love you, but please "tag" someone else. Blogging just hasn't been a priority these days. Here are the top five reasons why...

NUMBER 1

When you're carrying a medicine ball in your tummy, it's not comfortable to sit at the computer, especially for extended periods of time. As a matter of fact, nothing is comfortable anymore. Only 10 weeks to go.

NUMBER 2

I am now sharing computer time with my precious little boy.

NUMBER 3

This is where my Willow Tree figurines are supposed to be.

This is where they end up when I am sitting at the computer with my back turned away from Rylan.

NUMBER 4

Someone's got to take some time to teach this kid to fix his hair! Can we say 80's. AND NUMBER 5

We've been doing some serious Olympic Training. I don't think he's quite ready for hurdles, but the 100 meter isn't out of the question.

On Your Mark.....Get Set....Go!

Little Baby Ella

2008-07-22T11:53:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to ask everyone for your prayers for our friends Kent and Candice Wiginton who had their baby 10 weeks early while out of town. Please check out their link below for details. http://web.mac.com/kentwiginton/Ella/Ella.html

The Real Vacation Post

2008-07-14T16:39:00.000-07:00

Here it is! My first ever slide show!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Vacation

2008-07-14T15:03:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. Only one picture again. But this post has been an extreme headache for me. As soon as I can get pictures where they are supposed to be, I will attempt my very first slide show. Here's the family on vacation....just a glimpse of the next post.

Spaghetti

2008-06-23T18:27:00.000-07:00

I know it has been forever since I have posted. I apologize for those of you who actually enjoy reading our blog. Our computer was down for awhile and so many pictures have been taken that I can't possibly catch up. But here's a momentous occasion. Rylan has finally decided to eat spaghetti!

IT'S A......

2008-05-19T11:35:00.000-07:00

No pictures this time but some very exciting news! If you've read Erica's blog lately you already know this. Sorry you didn't find out from us first, but we've been having some computer trouble. We are having a....(drum roll, please)...GIRL! Yes, finally another Mattox girl. Lydia, Bailey, and Haleigh will have another girl to play with. For those of you that don't know, the boys far outnumber the girls in every generation on the Mattox side of the family, and there are just as few on the Hale side, so our families are VERY excited. When we started telling people we were expecting again, the first thing they would say is, "I hope it's a girl." Well, we're glad that we didn't disappoint you! Even my grandfather decided to find out. He normally doesn't want to know what we're having, but my grandmother said she was NOT keeping it a secret this time around. So, I told him, and he is SOOOO excited! He was telling everyone that he saw that he was going to have a great granddaughter. It's been 18 years since a little girl has been born on that side of the family. My two youngest girl cousins are graduating this week, so it's time to start a new generation of girls. Time for us to start buying PINK!

New Pictures of Rylan

2008-05-02T11:36:00.000-07:00

Okay, so Art Pinney is the most amazing photographer! I already raved about his work in my last blog, but here are some new pictures that he took this week. Just click on this link: www.artpinneyblog.com

Art Pinney Photography

2008-04-25T06:39:00.001-07:00

So I am actually going to blog today....no pictures from me. Don't worry, there are pictures, but I didn't take them. We have a friend, Art Pinney, who goes to church with us. He and his wife, Shawna have their own photography business. He is an amazing photographer! You'll see just how amazing in a moment. Basically, I just wanted to do a little free advertising for him. Right now he and Shawna spend most of their time shooting weddings, but as their children get older, they want to do more photography sessions instead of being gone almost every Saturday. So, if you're looking for someone to take pictures of you and your kids, I highly recommend him. He has a 4 year old and an eighteen month old, so he is GREAT with kids. Rylan took to him almost immediately. So.... click on this link: http://www.artpinneyblog.com/ and check out the latest pictures of Rylan. If you want to get in touch with Art, let me know and I can give you his contact information.

Stone Mountain

2008-04-11T18:48:00.000-07:00

Our friends Jeremy, Kimberly, and Ethan Hartzog convinced us to buy annual passes to Stone Mountain. And we're glad we did, because even when the Daddies can't go with us, we'll have tons of fun just the boys and mommies. Here's a little taste of our first outing of the year.

We headed straight to meet the Veggie Tales upon our arrival. Rylan loved it, he was dancing to the songs, and immediately gave both Bob and Larry high fives.

Here are Rylan and Ethan in front of a Monster Truck tire.

Then we headed to "The Great Barn." It is a 3-story building with balls everywhere. It is fun for kids of all ages. Older kids actually play games, at different stations, and score points. The little ones just run around throwing and chasing all of the balls.

Rylan did not want to go down the slide!

Rylan's favorite thing is anything to do with a ball so he loved this!

I wonder what this button does.

Help! It's got my arm!

These buttons would light up and you would have to move quickly to push them before another one lit up. Rylan didn't score any points at this game. But he had fun trying.

Before the laser show we decided to get in a round of miniature golf. Has anyone ever played putt putt with a one and a half and a two and a half year old. If you haven't . . .don't. We did get some good pictures of the boys, but Kimberly was in charge of these shots. Dustin got some great video footage, but I still haven't tackled the task of posting those to the blog.

The boys in front of the mountain.

We're looking forward to lots more memories with our little guy. Next trip we'll be sure to skip putt putt and ride the train instead!

New Portraits

2008-04-11T18:28:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that my baby is already one and a half. I was looking through pictures today and it made me want to cry to think about how fast he has grown into a little boy. I feel like I am going to blink and he'll be riding a bike, then playing tee ball, then driving a car. Everyone says that's how it happens, so I want to cherish every single moment that we have while he's still little. I thought I would share some of the pictures from his first year. 3 Months old
6 Months old
9 Months Old
1 Year Old

Hasn't he grown so fast!

Yesterday we took him to have his pictures made again. Our appointment was at 11:15, but we didn't start our photo shoot until 12:15. Rylan did amazing well. His meltdown didn't occur until lunch in the middle of the restaurant with my grandparents, brother, and sister-in-law. He doesn't melt down very often, but when he does, it is not a pretty sight. At least he waited until AFTER the pictures.

Daddy's Favorite Pose

Mommy's Favorite Pose

Doesn't he look so sweet?

Look, no hands! Is this foreshadowing of our future?

Here's my head.

Here's my nose.

And my belly.

Okay, that's enough. No more pictures, please.

I said, "No more."

Okay, so the pictures didn't really happen in that order, but wasn't it more fun with the dialogue? Nobody wants to see that many pictures of Rylan unless you're related.

Lots of New Stuff!

2008-03-27T14:07:00.001-07:00

So it has been way too long since I have updated everyone on what's been happening in the lives of the Mattox Family. Rylan is blowing us away daily with all of the things he is doing and saying. It's like a light bulb went off and he has decided to talk and do puzzles and just be a funny guy. He is so much fun!

Here he is telling us how old he is.

He wants to make dinner, but we just don't feel that he is old enough to use the oven yet.We thought that Kyle and Tiffany were going to be induced to have their baby on Easter night, but Cohen Nash Hale decided to come early. Mommy and baby are doing well. Here's the proud aunt and uncle with Cohen.6 pounds, 15 ounces, 20 inches long What a precious little boy!
Easter was a blast! Here's Rylan (actually on Saturday morning) with his Easter basket. We knew Sunday morning would be crazy with church so we gave him his basket a day early.

The real celebration was Sunday morning. We celebrated our resurrected Savior. Dustin and I led worship for three services, so needless to say we were exhausted. But it was well worth it. After service two we headed to Uncle Jack and Aunt Brigette's house for some lunch with the family and an egg hunt.

Here is Rylan with cousin Renn on the trampoline.
Look at all those eggs!
And last but not least, Rylan has a BIG announcement!Yes, we are expecting our second child in November. We are so excited! And we can't wait to see what God has in store for this precious little baby!
Our little Teddy Graham

Mayfield Dairy

2008-02-22T11:18:00.001-08:00

Okay, I have to admit that I was expecting a lot more from Mayfield Dairy. Maybe some cows, or seeing ice cream being made. Nope, none of that. But the trip was definitely worth it because I got to spend time with my friends eating ice cream. Rylan didn't like the ice cream so I had to eat all of it.

This is the only cow on the property.

We had to wear hair nets for the tour.

Ethan and Evan Ashley. Look at those eyes!

Not a great group picture, but here's the crew.

Gina, Evan, and Ethan Ashley(in the back), 2 random little girls on the far left, Stephanie and Anna Kate Lyon, and Erin and Rylan

Rylan's New Tricks

2008-02-22T11:01:00.001-08:00

So these days Rylan's newest thing is putting stuff on his head. It doesn't matter what it is. Let me post this disclaimer for those of you moms that are freaking out because I let him put bags on his head. . . as you can see from the pictures he is supervised.

He has also learned some new tricks. And he is so proud of himself.

Tada! Look no hands!

Yes, I did it!

Rylan has also taken up some new hobbies.

Camping

Playing the GuitarListening to David Crowder Band on the I-pod

He is keeping us very busy, but each day just gets more fun! There is nothing like a little boy!

Christmas Came and Went

2008-01-02T09:10:00.001-08:00

Christmas is an amazing time of year when we actually focus on the birth of Jesus Christ and honor Him for all that He is and all that He has done. It's unfortunate that sometimes we don't slow down throughout the rest of the year to give Him the glory that He deserves. In the midst of celebrating His birth, we did a little hustling and bustling of our own. Here are some snap shots of how our week went.

Pops came by early this year to play with Rylan. He brought some Christmas Money so we could buy him whatever he needs. Thanks Dad!

The craziness began on December 23. We celebrated with Mee Mee, Uncle Corey, Uncle Kyle, and Aunt Tiffany. We celebrate early so we can actually spend some quality time together. Mom cooked an awesome dinner, and we opened gifts and played games. Every year we have to play Christmas BINGO. That's Mom's favorite. Rylan got lots of FUN presents and Mee Mee even bought him new stuff for his bathroom....because he is such a little monkey!

Aunt Tiffany, Rylan, Uncle Kyle

(I don't have a picture of Corey and Rylan...sorry Corey)

If you've seen any cute monkey pictures, I'd love to know so I can put them in his bathroom! Thanks Mom for Rylan's new place to "monkey around."

Christmas Eve was very busy! We had 2 services at our church. It was an amazing time of worship. After that we headed to Colbert for a Mattox Family Christmas. Here is the brief moment that we had all of the kids in one place at the same time. Then the fun began!

Here's a shot of Pa Pa and his family.

Tom, Erica, Eric, Rylan, Erin, Dustin

Here's a picture of Rylan enjoying someone else's toy. As if he didn't have enough of his own.

After a very long day and night, we went home and slept. When we woke up, there were toys everywhere! Here's the before Rylan shot.

And here he is playing with all of his fun new stuff.

Will he be a conductor?

... a musician? (It runs in the family)

a builder? (like Granddad and Uncle Jack)

...a professional golfer? (Thank you Grandpa and Grandma)

...a professional basketball player? (not likely)

...a car mechanic? (Thank you Pa Pa)...a businessman who "makes deals"?
He says he's keeping his options open right now.

After a fun and busy morning we headed to Denise and Tom's house for a family Christmas with Erin's family. Great Granny and Great Granddad were our host and hostess. Here's Rylan with Great Granddad, learning how the woodpecker doorknocker works.
Here's half of the family....

....and here's the other half!
Our next stop was Aunt Valarie's house for some fun with Dustin's family.

Rylan enjoyed the bows!

Here he is with his Great Aunt Val

Posing for a quick shot with Grandma. He wasn't still very long.

And after he's worn out and ready for bed with his Nanie. Rylan is so excited about the swing set that his grandparents and great grandparents got for him. It should be delivered soon, so all of his buddies will have to come play when the weather gets warmer. Thank you grandparents!And here we are the day after Christmas for our annual breakfast at Team Jenkins' house. Next year we'll be at their new house. Check out their blog on the Team Jenkins link. We were joined by the Lyon Family, with their new addition-Abigail. You can see more pictures of their girls on their blog page. Also this year Russ and Kristy Masterson came. They brought their dog whom the kids loved! They will be welcoming their first child this summer. We had a great time!
And now we are back to a normal schedule. Dustin is back at school. Erin is trying to straighten the house and find a place for all of Rylan's new toys. Rylan is growing and growing and growing. He finally got his two front teeth! Just in time for Christmas. Hope all is well and we hope you have a Happy New Year!

Thankful

2007-11-27T05:22:00.001-08:00

I am reminded of the song we used to sing in church when I was little . . . "We've got so much, so much, so much, so much, so much, so much, so much, so much, so much, so much, so much, so much, so much (CLAP) to be thankful for." Did you find yourself singing? The song has always been a little cheesy. Fun, but cheesy. But there is so much truth in it. And we don't need to wait until Thanksgiving each year to thank God for all the blessings He has given us. Another song comes to mind "Count Your Blessings" I actually had never heard this song until I started teaching 5 years ago at a Christian school. There is one line that says, "Count your many blessings, name them one by one. And it will surprise you what the Lord has done!" That is so true. Take time each day to "Count your Blessings" and thank the Lord daily for what He has done.
We're thankful for our precious little boy that is growing like a weed. He eats like a horse, sometimes more than Mommy. His favorite thing to do is play "Bawl" (ball) and that is the only word he will say. Not Mama or Dada (well actually lots of things are dadadada). But his only true word is ball-all boy already.
We're thankful for our trip to Yulee, Florida to see Dustin's grandparents. This was Rylan's first trip to their house. We had a blast. It was so good to spend some time with them. Thank you Grandpa and Grandma for everything!

Here we are taking a ride around the fish pond in the back yard.

Boys, do not get any closer. You're making Mommy nervous.

The boys playing ball. Imagine that!
Grandma and Rylan after a quick game of Patty Cake.

We're thankful for times we get to spend with family. For pictures of the Mattox Family Thanksgiving I'm sure you can visit Erica's website.

Rylan also loves cell phones.

Here's a daily activity. Taking off the socks. And then putting them in his mouth.

Here's Rylan attempting an illusion that he has seen Brock Gill do. If you've seen Brock you know what I'm talking about. If not, it goes something like this. "I ust made un ping tong doll isapper" (I just made one ping pong ball disappear) "But I know what you're thinking....You're thinking WOW!"

And last but not least, God has provided us with a new minivan. I NEVER thought I would WANT a minivan, but I've been praying for one for awhile now. And God has so generously given, above and beyond. It is awesome. And notice the RAIN! Another answer to prayer! God is so good!

Trick or Treat?

2007-11-01T10:15:00.000-07:00

Treat, of course! No tricks around here! Hope everyone got lots of candy. Rylan didn't get any, but he did have a blast dressing up and heading out for a night on the town.

Our first stop was to see Pa Pa at the church. He was fixing some plumbing issues, so we thought it would be a good opoprtunity to stop in to play.

Then we went to see Aunt Denise at her office. We got the fire extinguisher off the wall and pretended to put out a fire.

Then we went to see Granny and Granddad where we greeted them at the door on our fire engine. I have no pictures of his fire engine. I'm not sure what happened. Then we met Mee Mee and Corey at Uncle Kyle and Aunt Tiff's house where he got to play in the candy bowl.

And our last stop of the night was a costume party for the youth at our church. Rylan had so much fun with all of his buddies. It was a late night but definitely worth all of the fun.

Rylan is in the middle with his mentor in fighting fires.

The Pumpkin Patch

2007-10-31T10:53:00.000-07:00

We made a trip out to Washington Farms for Rylan's first punkin' pickin' but he didn't actually have to pick one. He found one just his size on the outskirts of the patch. That worked out nicely for Mommy and Daddy. We went just to get some cute pictures! I think they turned out nicely

Dancing Machine

2007-10-31T10:50:00.000-07:00

Rylan is all about dancing these days. Just thought I'd give you a few action shots since I can't get a video on here yet. Check out those curls!

One Year Portrait

2007-10-27T10:46:00.000-07:00

Rylan finally got his 1 year portrait made today. His mommy was a little behind in her planning this time. Thankfully he hasn't really changed in the last three weeks. He has a bit of a cold so he wasn't as smiley as he usually is. He has started walking in the past two weeks, so there are a few that look like he is about to take off. And for you DAWG fans there are a few pictures just for you. And if you're interested in more birthday pictures, check out my sister-in-law's blog. She is much better than I am at posting, and there are a ton of pictures from the party. Just click on Erica and Tom Florcik's link at the right.

GO DAWGS!

Now You Want to Play Football, huh?

Bust a Move

You want me to do what?

Rylan's Birthday

2007-10-13T17:28:00.000-07:00

Rylan's birthday was October 4. As usual I am a little delayed in getting pictures posted. Part of the problem this time is that Rylan's Aunt Erica took over 300 pictures that I had to choose from. And no I am not exaggerating. Rylan's actual birthday was on a Thursday, so no party. . . but he did get to eat pancakes that spelled his name. Thank you Jenkins family for letting me borrow an idea. He thought they were neat. And great to eat!
We had dinner at Johnny Carino's with his Pa Pa and Aunt Erica. The waitress brought him an ice cream sundae to celebrate.

We had his actual PARTY on Saturday. We did a Safari Theme. You'll notice all of the animals in some of the pictures. Aunt Erica made his cake. It was awesome! Unfortunately he had a fever and was absolutely pitiful. For those of you that are around him a lot, you know that he is such a content little boy. Not so on October 6. But Mommy and Daddy had fun and he got lots of fun stuff! Thanks to everyone who contributed to Rylan's new stash of toys. We had another party for family on Sunday. He was feeling much better and decided that he would try the yummy cake. So...my little boy is growing up. Am I sad? No. Just ready to enjoy these next phases of his precious life. He's so much fun! Enjoy the pictures!

Footprints of the animals
Cake and Friends
Opening Presents
Safari Friends Again

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Our Trip to the Fair

2007-09-19T12:14:00.001-07:00

For those of you who have lived in Gwinnett County for awhile, you know what fun can be had at the Fair! If you aren't from the area, unfortunately it can't really be explained. You just have to experience it for yourself. It is going on now until the 23rd if you want to get a taste. And if you like to people watch. . . this is definitely somewhere you should go. As a child I remember the mini-donut man who sold cinnamon sugar donuts for $1.50 a bag. They were so good that my mom actually mailed them to me my first year at college. Not so good after traveling USPS but it's the thought that counts. I also remember the ride "Go Gator" The ride operator talked so fast you couldn't understand a thing he said other than "Go gator!" You kind of had to be there. I remember the Clydesdale horses and the awful stench that the pigs and cows brought to the fair. Go Gator has been renovated, but still there, the stench is still available for your smelling pleasure, but I didn't get to see the Clydesdales. The donut man is not there anymore. Something about him being set up too close to the livestock area. Whoever cared about that? But you can get a latte. Since when is coffee a fair beverage? New foods include but are not limited to: chicken on a stick, fried twinkies and candy bars, boiled peanuts, and cotton candy (if you want to pay $4 for a small bag.) Even a funnel cake costs $5 these days. That is not the fair that I remember. We went with some friends, Kimberly and Jeremy Hartzog, and their son Ethan. You may want to check out the link to their blog. They will probably have some more fun pictures. We had a great time even though both of our boys were too small to ride anything. But, we did get out of there for $18. It would have been $16 but Dustin felt the need to try to win Rylan a stuffed animal. Rylan did get to ride the carousel and he visited the petting zoo. He was pretty amazed by both experiences. Here are some fun pictures from the night.

These blues eyes just melt my heart!This wasn't a ride, but as you can tell Rylan loved driving the car.

Ethan had a little cough in this picture but I love Rylan's expression.

Petting the goat.

And the duckling....

....and the pig. I think the pig was his favorite.

Where's he going, Mommy?

Fun on the carousel. He thinks he is such a big boy.

Fun! Fun! Fun!

2007-08-21T14:22:00.000-07:00

Rylan is changing and learning new things everyday! It makes me so sad that my baby isn't a baby anymore. He'll be one year old in a month and a half. He just cut his second tooth. He won't let us get a good picture of that, but he is so cute when he smiles.

I know we are biased, but isn't he precious!

Playing catch with Daddy is one of his favorite games!

"Mommy, there's a bug on the window!"

Fun at the Waterpark!

This is Luis. He lives in the Dominican Republic. This was his first trip to the United States. He loved getting Rylan to "Give him Five"

Bathtime Fun! Look at those curls!
Watch me go!I'm standing by myself, too!

Long Overdue

2007-08-15T12:36:00.000-07:00

It's been over a month since our last post. Just the day to day activities around here. Nothing really exciting. Dustin started back to school this week. Like I said, nothing exciting. Just kidding. He loves his students and is very thankful for the opportunity to teach. Rylan is continuing to keep Erin very busy. He is into everything. He cut his very first tooth at the end of July. He is eating more table foods now, but he's not a great eater. It depends on the day and his mood. When he's hungry, I guess he'll eat. We've learned quickly not to stress about it. Here are some recent pictures of what he's been up to.

Visitng with Great Grandma Mattox
Mee Mee taught me to climb the stairs
Grandma helped me drive Great Grandpa Jon's new BMW
I loved the fireworks at the Stone Mountain Laser Show
Look out Beethoven!

Fun crawling in the water at Folly Beach, S.C.

More fun at the beach

Go Braves!

Already learning my letters

Bathtime is so much fun! I love to splash!

9 Month Portaits

2007-07-14T11:08:00.001-07:00

Rylan got his picture made this week. I think we might have a little ham on our hands!

Our Trip to the Beach

2007-07-13T06:13:00.000-07:00

Dustin, Rylan, and myself went to Seagrove, FL with my mom, my brother Corey, and Kyle and Tiffany (my brother and sister-in-law). We had an amazing time! Rylan was a great traveler and absolutely loved the beach!

Packing the night before our trip. We tried to explain that we didn't have to pack him in the suitcase. He got to ride in his carseat.So excited to be out of the car seat. FINALLY there!
The family

Mommy and Rylan, our first day on the beach

So cute in his lttle hat (which did not stay on his head)

Rylan loved playing in the waves with Uncle Kyle

The walker was a life saver!

Rylan loved standing by the shore and letting the water hit his legs.

Playing in the sand, and eating it once in awhileJust a funny face for the camera
Worn out!Snoozing in the cabana
Just chillin'
4th of July parade

Waiting for the Fireworks

Family Photo
Rylan and Aunt Tiffany (Rylan flirted with her all week)

Watching the fireworks with Daddy

Sleeping through the fireworks

Watching Nanny McPhee on the lawn in Seaside

(As you can tell from his eyes, Rylan didn't make it through the movie)

Trip to the Dominican Republic

2007-06-24T05:53:00.000-07:00

Our church sent a group of around 40 people to Monte Cristi, Domincan Republic yesterday. In that group are Erin's brother, Kyle and his wife, Tiffany. This is their second time going to work with the orphanage there. The group will be providing a sports camp for the children as well as arts and crafts, music, donated food and clothing, and most importantly the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Please pray for the hearts of these children to be drawn by the Holy Spirit to the Father. We want to see many begin a personal relationship with Jesus. Please also pray for the health of the team members and their safety as they return home Saturday. Tiffany gets migraines a lot and last year she got one on the trip. Please pray that the Lord would keep her well on this trip as the weather is extremely hot, and living conditions are not that great. I will update you with news of their trip when they return. Thank you for your prayers!

Pulling Up Already?

2007-06-20T11:27:00.000-07:00

Okay I know, I haven't been keeping up with my blog very well. But I spend alot of my time these days chasing a baby around the house, or trying to occupy him long enough to keep my house in order. As I am typing he is in the living room behind me playing his piano. This is one of his new favorite activities. He really thinks he's such a big boy.

He is pulling up on everything. So to keep him safe, I left these boxes in the living room for him. He's fallen a couple of times, but he's a boy. Boys are tough. Mommy has decided to let him get all those bumps and bruises early.

Just last night we had to do an emergency crib lowering. We have a video monitor on his crib, and after I left his room last night I turned it on, to find him standing up looking over the side. I went back in to find him grinning at me. He was so proud. We knew that the next trick would be putting his leg up, so we decided to remove the temptation.

Here's another cute one of him in his toy basket. He can get in, but can't quite figure out how to get out of it. So he decided to just lie there and play.

A couple of weekends ago we went to visit our friends Larry, Stephanie, and Anna Kate Lyon. We had such a great time. They live in Raleigh, N.C. where Larry is attending seminary. They were such great hosts, and Anna Kate was a terrific playmate for Rylan. She got some great practice being a "big helper" as we called her. She is going to be a big sister in October. Stephanie is actually due on Rylan's birthday.
Anna Kate's favorite thing was having Dustin read her "I Spy" book to her. Stephanie said that she woke from her nap on the day we left searching for Dustin. She wanted to read again.

We also got to see Hugh, Hollie, and Laney Carson. Laney is just a couple of months younger than Rylan. We think there might be a future for the two of them. . .when they are 25. Rylan won't be allowed to date until then.

Hugh and Rylan.

Erin, Steph, and Hollie

And our last big news is that Rylan has another new little friend. Noah James Odom was born to David and Amanda on June 15. Just in time for Father's Day. Here are the proud parents, and their precious little boy. Mommy and baby are doing great!

Noah James, 7 lb. 2 oz. 20 1/4 inches

What's He Doing Now?!

2007-06-07T07:07:00.000-07:00

The latest news is that Rylan is crawling! I can't believe it. He's eight months old now and into everything. Where did the time go? Every parent tells me not to blink because they grow up so fast. I am finally beginning to understand the truth of that statement.

He's getting more hair.

He's trying to hold on to things and pull himself up.

Right now he wants to wrestle alligators when he grows up. I'm sure that will change as the years go by.

He has recently found his tongue.

He loves taking a bath, so it was no surprise that he also loved his pool. Mee Mee has an inground pool so when the water gets a little warmer he'll be trying out his crab float. Watch for those pictures!

We recently received a Baby Bjorn carrier free of charge from the BabSwede Company. Recently I bought a carrier at a consignment sale only to find out that the straps were size extra large. So I e-mailed the company and asked about purchasing new straps. To make a long story short, they don't make those straps anymore so they just sent me a new carrier. For those of you that don't know, they cost $80. So we thought we would put in a good work for Baby Bjorn. Customer service at its best! This is Rylan rehearsing with Mommy on Sunday morning at church. He loves singing!

A VERY FUN AND BUSY WEEKEND

2007-05-15T17:38:00.000-07:00

We had an extremely long and fun filled weekend. There are over 250 pictures to prove it. I'll try to keep it to a minimum. I could look at pictures of Rylan all day long, but most of you would probably get bored.

Aunt Erica (Dustin's twin sister) came all the way from Indiana to visit Rylan. From the time we picked her up until the time she left we were on the go. We were very sad to see her leave. We miss you Aunt Erica!

Our first stop was HH Gregg. Uncle Tom (Erica's husband) manages the store in Indianapolis. Rylan may have a future as a salesman.

Rylan spent much of his day in a shopping cart.

Here he is taking a nap with his new buddy Bob. He's a sting ray that Aunt Erica brought from the aquarium in Maryland. Bob's tail spent a lot of time in Rylan's mouth.

Aunt Erica bought him lots of fun stuff. Here he is sporting his new froggy PJs.

Saturday we had a cookout at our house with Dustin's Dad and all of his family. We had a blast! Here's Rylan trying to hula! Great Grandma with Lydia, Rylan, and Haleigh.
Lydia and Rylan had fun playing in the grass.

Look at all those fair skinned Mattox children! We keep the sunscreen companies in business.
Rylan and Pa Pa (Dustin's dad)

Erin's first Mother's Day was memorable for lots of reasons. First, Rylan's dedication was held at our church. This was our way of publicly stating our desire to raise him in a Godly home. Many members of our family were able to attend and that made it very special. Rylan and Daddy gave Mommy some flowers and a very sweet card.
We also got to spend some time with Great Granny and Erin's mom's family. Erin, her mom, and her grandmother got to celebrate Mother's Day together. We had a great time visiting. Great Granddad shocked us all as soon as we arrived. He isn't too keen on holding babies, but a miracle occurred. He decided to hold Rylan. Notice the precious outfit he is wearing, compliments of Aunt Erica.
Rylan decided to try drinking out of a big boy cup. Happy Mother's Day!

New Tricks

2007-05-02T12:17:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know he's not a dog, but Rylan is doing so many fun new things. Before too long, he is going to be into everything. We have to start baby-proofing soon. First, let me share that Rylan has gained 1 and 1/2 pounds in 3 weeks! He now weighs 14 pounds 4 ounces. Still small but really growing. He loves his food. Not the bottle so much. Please pray that he will drink at least 20 ounces a day. He just doesn't want formula. Not in the bottle, not in a cup, and not even in his cereal. I am trying to sweeten it with applesauce, but I think he knows something is different.

The first of his new "tricks" is his ability to sit alone. It is the cutest thing ever! Here are a few pics of him playing.

Next, we have recently put him in the Baby Einstein exersaucer. He loves being able to twirl and play with all of the stimulating toys. Thanks Uncle John, Aunt Kathy and Uncle Richard! Not sure what the expression is all about.

Here he is after a busy playtime. This is the first time he has fallen asleep while playing.

And he had his first swinging experience this week. Erin kept the Jenkins boys on Monday and Rylan had a blast with the big boys. Now I know what it is like to have 4 kids, if only for a moment. Not ready for that endeavor just yet!

Here's What's New

2007-04-22T16:38:00.000-07:00

So Rylan is eating like a big boy now! Thank you so much for all the prayers. He is eating peas, carrots, broccoli (not so much), and SWEET POTATOES. Tomorrow we try corn. Scary diapers! He is learning to use a cup, and he's sitting in his big boy booster seat. Here are some fun pictures of his latest meals.

You would think there is more than watered down apple juice in here!

Rylan's great grandparents bought him this cool new jogging stroller so Mommy could walk him around the neighborhood. This is him after a tough ride.

CARROTS

2007-04-12T05:21:00.000-07:00

Rylan went to the doctor for his 6 month check-up on Tuesday. He weighs 12 pounds, 12 ounces and he is 24 inches long. Yep, he's still tiny! Dr. Morgan didn't seem too concerned, but she did say that we need to get some more calories in him. So we started some solid food. Mommy is making his baby food. We tried carrots for the first time this morning. It wasn't quite as eventful as we thought it might be. He seemed to like the flavor, but the texture was definitely different than the cereal he is used to eating. By the time we were finishing up, he was ready to feed himself! Applesauce is next. Yummy! Please pray he takes to the new foods quickly so he can start packing on the pounds.

Happy Easter

2007-04-09T08:17:00.000-07:00

Rylan's first Easter was so much fun! His day started at 8:00 and didn't end until almost 4:00. We had a very busy day. We went to both church services and celebrated the resurrection of our Lord with over 500 people! Praise His Name! Then after Daddy changed our flat tire, we headed to Uncle Jack and Aunt Brigette's house for our annual Easter Egg Hunt. Rylan's eggs had a total of $11.00. Way to go Rylan! Then Mommy couldn't help but dress him up as a little lamb and hide him with all his new bunnies and chicks. Can you find Rylan?

Six Month Portraits

2007-04-09T08:09:00.000-07:00

Okay, so Mommy is a little biased, as all mothers are, but isn't he precious! We had Rylan's six month pictures taken this past weekend. He did so well posing for the camera. Isn't this little baseball glove the cutest thing you've ever seen? Our friend Kelli Richards gave it to Rylan. Thanks Kelli!

Rylan's New Friend

2007-04-02T15:13:00.000-07:00

On March 28th our good friends Jason and Nan Britt proudly welcomed Carson James into the world. 8 pounds 1 ounce and a head full of hair! Rylan is so excited to play with his first of many little buddies.

Rylan Had a Busy Weekend

2007-03-26T05:18:00.000-07:00

Rylan had such a busy weekend. On Saturday he went to a wedding and met alot of Mommy and Daddy's friends from SuperWOW. Sharon Hall got married. Daddy worked with her about 7 years ago in Jekyll Island. There's a group picture of Rylan with his new friends and old friends. Shannon and Maggie posed for a quick pic. Shannon plays lead guitar for Echoing Angels. You may have heard them on the radio. If not, you should check them out on I-tunes. Dustin and Shannon went to high school together. We got a family photo made. And Aunt CoCo (Courtney Couch) got him to take a little snooze. He was worn out after meeting all those new people.

Sunday

2007-03-26T05:10:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, we went to church and Rylan got a special gift. Grandma Kay and Grandpa Jerry (he has lots of adopted relatives) gave him an Easter basket. They are going to South Africa on a mission trip so he got his basket early. He had lots of fun shaking his maracas. And he thinks he's cool in his new lime green shades. Also on Sunday he got to meet Kemp Wells. She is his Mee Mee's best friend's granddaughter. Here's a cute picture of them. He didn't get a nap on Sunday, so when 7:00 rolled around he was exhausted. Quite a weekend!

Jersey Day at Graystone Church

2007-03-21T13:38:00.000-07:00

We are currently attending Graystone Church in Grayson. In January Dustin joined the staff as the high school minister. Erin's brother, Corey, is in the youth group. Her other brother, Kyle, is the worship leader and she gets to sing with him about twice a month. Erin's mom is leading a women's Bible study. It is so amazing how God has brought us all together and allowed us to use our gifts in the same body of believers. Graystone values children and youth, realizing that this generation is the future of the church. We focus a lot of our time and energy at the nearby ball parks and schools in an effort to support the athletic associations. Our church is also very missions minded and has a trip to South Africa during Spring Break. Please pray that many come to know Christ because of this trip. The picture you see is from Jersey Day on March 18. This is a day where all the local sports teams were invited to wear their jerseys to church. The Mattox Family made matching jerseys. Aren't we cute! This outreach event brought in over 100 guests and 6 people gave their lives to Christ. Praise the Lord! Please pray for our church as we continue to grow and serve this community.

Bumbo Seat

2007-03-17T18:55:00.000-07:00

Okay. So the only time a Bumbo seat is actually effective is when it is used correctly.

We've Joined the 21st Century!

2007-03-16T18:02:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends and Family! We have finally joined the ranks of those who have the Internet in their homes. We have been members of the World Wide Web since October 2006. We also aquired dish network and a home telephone. Since having a baby, our lives have changed drastically. In our attempt to be technologically savvy, we will be able to share our lives with you. What better way to keep everyone up to date than with a "blog"? Thank you to everyone who has encouraged us to do so. We're looking forward to connecting with you and many others via the Internet. Please be patient in the construction of our blog. If any of you have short cuts or creative ideas to make this easier, please let us know.

Rylan Emerson Mattox

2007-03-16T17:42:00.000-07:00

The thing that consumes most of our time these days is our wonderful son! So most of our posts will be related to him. Hopefully we can figure out how to put videos on our page so that those of you that don't get to see us often can watch him in action. For now, please settle for a picture. We're a little biased, but we think he is absolutely precious! He is so laid back, as you can see from his picture. We really didn't pose him. What a blessing God has given to us!