Surratt Family Blog

Stay Tuned

2009-02-12T23:41:00.003-05:00

So we are thinking about jumping back into the world of blogging soon. Guess who's gonna be a big brother?

The many faces of Miles

2008-10-24T15:00:00.001-04:00

"What you lookin' at?"

Miles and Otis are best buds. But even best buds have conflict at times. This- was over the bowl.
Miles has such an array of facial expressions! He is sweet as pie and as silly as can be. Just had to post these pics!

Busy Summer!

2008-10-24T14:45:00.000-04:00

So I've kind of decided I'm not going to feel guilty about my sporadic updates with our blog. I think I've finally just learned to accept my inconsistency as a personality flaw and just know that -that's that! We've had such a busy summer and there's lots to catch up on.

Miles escaped to play with the toys before his bath... a sure kodak moment!

With Miles becoming more sure on his feet - the bumps and scrapes and bruises were sure to follow! He's always such a sport!

We had the pleasure of going to see Miles' and Addison's first cubs game in July! It was a blast. Go cubbies!

Happy Birthday Miles!!

2008-07-11T14:48:00.002-04:00

July 5, we celebrated Miles' first birthday. I can't believe a whole year has gone by already!! And what an incredible year it has been! Here are a few pictures from the big day....
The big guy was a little groggy to start the day, but our birthday boy perked right up after opening his first gift (ABC fridge magnets)! He looked super cute in his special birthday boy onesie to match his cute cake! And the cake... oh the cake! He wasn't quite sure what to think of the cake. He thought it was way more fun to play in than to eat!! Opening presents was a fun task too. Don't tell the grandparents, but I think he secretly liked the boxes more than the toys!

Miles, you are sooooo loved!! Your mommy and daddy are so proud of you!! You have brought so much joy into our lives and you are such a wonderful blessing! Sometimes I can't fathom loving you any more, and then... another day goes by! And, I love you twice as much as yesterday!

Thank you, God, for such a beautiful blessing!

This Changes Everything

2008-07-02T22:12:00.004-04:00

Summer Fun at the Joe!

2008-06-30T23:41:00.001-04:00

Miles experienced his very first baseball game tonight. And, I think he liked it. Who knows? We may have a little pitcher on our hands! He was tossing the ball into Daddy's glove already! Move over Carlos Zambrano!

Grandpa was in heaven with his two little cubbies!

It was a beautiful day and fun was had by all!

Love my sisters!

Miles Updates...

2008-06-09T11:49:00.000-04:00

I know I have been really bad about posting consistently- truth be told our camera is inoperable. But these are a few pics we took with some friend's cameras. This first picture was at the airport the night Daddy came home from almost 2 weeks away :( Miles was so excited to see Daddy! He is definitely turning into a little boy and less and less of a baby!! I can't believe it! They grow up so fast!! I am trying my hardest to enjoy every second of it!! Being Miles' mom is the best job ever!! I am so grateful! :)

Mommy- Daddy Vacation!!

2008-06-09T11:28:00.000-04:00

Josh and I had such a great time celebrating our 7 year anniversary! We took a 5 day cruise from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada, Mexico. We left little Miles to be spoiled by the grandparents! While we missed him a ton, it was definitely a second honeymoon!! I highly recommend getting away to those parents who aren't quite convinced they can do it. You can!! It was so rejuvenating and we came back refreshed and ready to be the best parents we can be to Miles! More pics to come! :)

Picture Updates

2008-05-04T22:41:00.000-04:00

Sorry we've fallen off of the blogging wagon! Here are a couple of pictures from a photo shoot we did at the beach a couple of weeks ago! This is definitely the most fun stage so far! All the little man wants to do is walk around! (Holding mom and dad's fingers, of course)

A little more of the story...

2008-04-08T01:52:00.001-04:00

We have some very happy grandparents, aunts & uncles and of course cousins! This pic was right before little Addison entered the world. Jenna's sister, Aunt Kiley & Grandma Connie had to get one last photo op with pregnant jenna!
After we all anxiously awaited the arrival of little Addison in the waiting room, a proud Dad brought us proof that she was really here!! - her little hand print and not so little foot print!!
We were packed into the tiny little waiting room like sardines! With a gourmet dinner from Arby's and multiple trips to the water fountain, we tried to distract ourselves from the longest hour of our lives! One by one we took turns walking past the room to the water fountain to see if we could just maybe eves drop by the room and hear a little cry or something!

We have some very proud grandparents! We are all :) smiles :) in the Surratt/Lewter family !!

Allow me to introduce to you...

2008-04-08T01:34:00.002-04:00

ADDISON GRACE SURRATT!!! Praise God! She's here! It has been a long anticipated day and it finally came! Jenna & Jason welcomed little Addison into the world on April 6, 2008 at 7:10 pm. Weighing in at 6 lbs 8 oz and measuring 19 1/4 inches long, she is perfect and beautiful. Jenna did so great!! She is up and about and feeling good! ...Adjusting to momma-hood like a pro! We are so happy to have a healthy little cousin!! Lots more pics to come... :)

Boy's Best Friend...

2008-04-04T01:04:00.000-04:00

Odie!!! Miles just loves little Otis! I have been pleasantly surprised with how good Otis is with Miles! He is less than 2 years old- definitely still a puppy- and yet he is so gentle with Miles. It seems like he understands that Miles is a little human. -that he is somewhat fragile. Miles, of course, thinks Otis is just the greatest thing since Boudreaux's Butt Paste. It's like a toy- but interactive! As you can see- Odie has these great big Mickey Mouse ears Miles can pull on - but surprisingly, Odie never really seems to mind! He is also very generous (too generous!) with big, sloppy, wet kisses all over Mile's face! I think Miles does notice that he often smells funny- sometimes really funny; but he always has a wagging nub to greet him! They love to wrestle with each other. I picked Miles up off his mat after a nice wrestling match to find Miles' head full of Odie's fur. Bathtime!!! I don't know how Odie is so good with him. Miles doesn't realize that when he grabs a big fist full of skin/hair - it probably doesn't feel the best. Somehow- Otis just grins and bears it! Don't worry... we don't just leave them to play on their own- for both of their safety!

Both Wrigley (I'll have to post a picture of him too...) and Otis have just adopted Miles as a little brother. Wrigley is much more the big brother- and definitely the protector. The other day Josh was playing with Miles and sort of lunging down at Miles playing the 'I'm going to get you' game & Wrigley (who has never hurt a fly... most of the time a pansie- really) jumped over top of Miles and barked at Josh! We were both shocked! But he was really trying to protect Miles! At first, Josh was a little ticked at Wrigley- but then realized that he thought Josh was going to hurt his little brother. -then we were proud of our eldest son! I am so thankful for two great dogs- who both love their little brother and are willing to protect him too!
Miles is also even more enamored with Daddy. I must admit- I am a little jealous that he says "da da" about one hundred times a day. I know some of it is just babbling- but now there is definitely a connection! I keep trying to get him to say "mama"- but I am starting feel like the dad on the Cheerios commercial! If you haven't seen it- the dad keeps trying to get his little boy to say 'Da da' - but the little boy just responds with "ma ma". Of course at the end of the commercial- they are sitting at the breakfast table as the little boy is eating cheerios in the highchair and dad is eating his bowl of cheerios, reading the paper- the little boy looks over and says "da da". It is so cute! If I were pregnant I would probably cry everytime I saw that commercial! Anyway... I'm sure my time will come!!

I had to post this picture too. This was Miles' grumpy day. He was woken up from his nap early by barking dogs and the doorbell- so he was NOT a happy camper! Nothing we did would make him happy. Finally, we reverted back to the faithful bouncy seat and a favorite Baby Einstein video. He is still so cute- even when he is grumpy!! :)

Fun, Fun, FUN!!!

2008-04-01T23:33:00.001-04:00

Is this not the cutest picture you've ever seen??? Ok ok... I know- I am a little bias- but I was so excited that I captured this look! Today we had such a great time at my mummy group. We met up at Atlanta Bread Company for lunch and then hit B & N for some book fun. I have really enjoyed getting to know some of the moms in my group. It is such a blessing to have godly friends who love the Lord, love their kid(s) and are like minded in how they live their lives. It is amazing to me how no matter what challenge I am going through - God places a friend in my life at the right time to give an encouraging word or verse to lift me up. I am so thankful for that!

Miles has been so much fun these past few weeks. He is always fun- but he is really starting to blossom in personality. Today I was laughing so hard in the diaper isle of Walmart that my stomach hurt. And I think his did too! Just a simple game of peek a boo turned into me laughing at him and him laughing so hard that the ladies 2 isles over had to come check out what was going on! It was one of those moments that you just won't forget. You know?? I felt at that very moment that life just couldn't get much better than this! Once again ... how grateful I am!!

Buddies!!

2008-04-01T00:04:00.000-04:00

This past week was so beautiful, we took full advantage of the beach! A few Mommy friends from my Mom's group joined me and the little peeps had a great time! Here you'll see Miles' buddies Sadie Hayes in the white and Leah in the pink. Miles is the mac daddy! :) Who wouldn't want to spend the day at the beach with these 2 cuties!

I have a few more pics I'll be posting soon from the last trip to the beach with all the moms. Stay tuned! :)

Grateful...

2008-03-25T10:38:00.000-04:00

Can you believe it?? 2 blogs in one week!! I'm trying hard to make this a habit! We hit the beach as part of my birthday weekend and it was beautiful. The wind was a little chilly- but we had so much fun! I think Miles is a fan.

I think we have expert sand castle building in our future. Miles was already trying to figure out the tools.

I have to say I think being parents is the best gift in the world. It is amazing to watch Miles grow, explore, learn and change everyday! I look at him and think- how could anyone doubt there is a God??! You know... there was no person and now there is this cute little person! - who works- everything works!! Praise God! He is such a joy in my life. I couldn't ask for anything greater. I am incredibly grateful! :)

Back to Bloggin'

2008-03-23T00:26:00.003-04:00

Ok friends.... I know you all have been very disappointed in our lack of posting. I have been saying for weeks now that I am GOING to get back in to posting. So here it is 12:30 am and I am determined to get a new post in. It's amazing how time just slips away from you- especially when you have a little man who is growing like a weed! I can't believe how much he has grown since my last post!! He is now 8 months old- soon to be 9 months! almost crawling. He has the one leg scoot going on and tends to go the wrong direction when he finally figures out how to get on all fours. It is so cute. He is so cute. I'm not proud or anything.
He thinks he is big stuff now that he can pull up to a stand pretty much on his own. He babbles all the time- dadadada- and an occassional mumumumum. Of course it is usually when he is crying in his crib those few minutes before he drifts off to sleep. It just breaks my heart! There's nothing like hearing your own child cry mum mum. "mum mum please .... rescue me... " I have had to just say to myself- go take a shower or do something to occupy my brain- so I can be tough mommy and survive those 4 minutes of sweet sadness. I know it is good for him - he is really starting to get the hang of putting himself to sleep. Thank goodness!
Well, I must say- I'll be shocked if anyone still checks up on our blog- since we have been so slack. But here are a few new pics from my St. Patty's day (my bday party):) what fun!

Miles Updates...

2007-10-23T18:40:00.001-04:00

Fall has arrived... Someone forgot to tell the weather!

This is a pic of our mommies group at the pumpkin patch. We had a great time playing with the little ones & all the pumpkins. You'd never guess that it's late October by the 83 degree weather! Where's the sweater weather??!!

Miles has his mommy & daddy wrapped around his finger with all the smiles he's been giving us lately! He gets more & more fun everyday!! He laughs at all the silly songs we sing to him- no matter where we are. Don't be surprised if you run into us at Wal-mart singing B-I-N-G-O....B-I-N-G-O...B-I-N-G-O & Bingo was his name Ohhhh. It's really been quite humorous seeing what parenthood will do to you! Suddenly you don't care what other people think about you- as long as you're child is happy it's all good!

Miles discovered pumpkins for the 1st time this week. I think he likes orange! Go Gators & Clemson!

He actually got to help carve his 1st one (see pic below)! ok- not really but he probably would have liked to play in the slimy pumpkin mush!

I know, the cubbies are done this year- but they gave it a good shot this year- so Miles had to give them some love and show his support. Plus he looks so darn cute in this outfit!!

Go cubbies!!

Miles and his buddy Brody hit the gym together.

He found a girl-friend to hang out with too- Meet Leah Klein.

Maybe in oh... about 30 years!! Sorry- he can't date until he is 30- nothing personal - just house rules!

Daddy & Miles love to hang out & watch sports center!

Daddy's Birthday!

2007-09-14T23:57:00.000-04:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!!!

It was Daddy's birthday Sept 11 - so we decided to get away for a few days and head up to the mountains outside Gatlinburg, TN. Miles was dressed and ready to celebrate. With Daddy's favorite Starbucks and a Chick Fila chicken biscuit in hand (ok, it was Mommy's hands) -Miles greeted Daddy for his birthday morning. Unfortunately it was a rainy day- but we considered everyday Daddy's birthday while on vacation.

Turns out, Miles is quite the little hiker as you can see. In fact, his very 1st trip he got to see a black bear. I must say I was a bit nervous about the hike -Josh kept saying... I hope we see a bear. And I kept saying... I hope we don't! But all in all it was a really neat experience. Miles actually got to see a real live Winny the Pooh before the cartoon! The bear found honey! He was coverd in bees! It was a little scary - but great never the less! I plan to put the video up on the blog- but I don't know if we are blog savvy enough yet to do that! We'll see!

In other news... Miles also made his 1st trip to the beach! It wasn't the best timing on Mommy's part- We had just come the dr- Miles got his 2month shots :( But- our great friend Jen was in town and we had to make it to the beach before she left. Miles was rescued by Daddy about 15 minutes after we got there! Hopefully the next beach experience will be better!

This was Miles before his mean shots.... He was so happy- laughing and smiling. Which of course made it that much more difficult - I can't even express how sad I was to let him get shots. I know it it is a necessary evil- but I wish I could have taken them for him!!

This was right after ... :( :( :(

I couldn't even stand next to him while he got the shots. Josh was the brave one. I stood in the corner, heating a bottle- trying to distract myself so I wouldn't have a melt down! I mean really, I felt like if I stood next to him while this mean nurse stabbed him in both legs- I thought he would look at me and think- how could you let her do that to me?! So I was the clean up crew and tried to soothe him after the storm. I am thankful that Daddy could do the hard work!

I know it's been a while since we have posted... sorry to those faithful readers. We'll try to get better!

4 Generations of Surratts...and a little more!

2007-08-28T23:53:00.000-04:00

Miles' Great Grandpa was in town this week and they got to spend some quality time together. I thought this was a cool picture - 4 generations of Surratts in one picture. It's kind of crazy when I start to think of some of the history that is there. 3 out of 4 of the Surratts that are pictured are pastors. I don't know what Miles will do when he grows up, but I am thankful for the groundwork that my dad and grandpa have laid for him. Because they have chosen to give up their lives for God, Miles will have every opportunity to grow up with the knowledge of Jesus' love for him.

In other developments:

Miles sat in the bumbo seat for the first time. This is definitely dad's favorite wake time activity!

Mom started a new mom's small group on Tuesday mornings. Miles is meeting lots of new friends...and mom is getting to spend some time with some adults!

I love our bedtime routine. We feed him, change him into his pj's, sing him 4 songs (Jesus Loves Me, Jesus Loves the Little Children, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and You are My Sunshine), pray with him, and put him down to sleep while he's still awake. We are so proud of him for learning how to get himself to sleep! Now if only he would sleep a little longer!

Lisa and I have been reading some great parenting books that have helped us develop a gameplan with Miles. I'll post on that later.

Miles is really embracing the Cubs as his favorite baseball team. Imagine that!

S-MILES!

2007-08-17T19:15:00.000-04:00

Okay, nobody actually prepared me for what happened today. Lisa and I were hanging out in our bed this morning, playing with Miles, when he looked up at me and did the most amazing thing I have ever seen - he smiled at me. Apparently this type of activity started a couple of days ago with Lisa, but I hadn't witnessed it yet...until today.

Miles officially has his parents wrapped around his finger after that one. I think he will pretty much get anything that he asks for from here on out. All he has to do is flash those pink gums at his daddy and I won't be able to say no! In fact, I think I am going to go buy him a car tomorrow!

In other news, Miles weighed in at 10 pounds, 14 ounces yesterday. The boy has been gaining weight to the tune of an ounce a day for the last few weeks! He definitely takes after his father in the eating category. Failure to thrive is not an issue with this little chunker!

Here are a couple of pictures for your (my) enjoyment!

Pictures are courtesy of Papa Greg. If that preaching thing doesn't work out, I think he could make a career in photography!

OUCH!!

2007-08-10T13:35:00.000-04:00

Miles got his first shot this week! I must say, as his father, that I was pretty impressed with him. He had fallen asleep right before the nurse came in to give him the shot, so when she hit him with it, he was totally unsuspecting.

Upon realizing that he had been attacked by this lady while his parents stood by and did nothing to help him, he let out two really loud screams...and then he went right back to sleep! Whew...we got by the first one with out too much damage. I hear it gets harder as they get older.

On a happier note, we did a little photo shoot with Miles this week and it turns out he really likes the attention. Here's a couple of the pictures. Will post more later!

Miles Turns 1! (1 month, that is)

2007-08-05T22:24:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe that Miles is already one month old today. In some ways, it has flown by, and on the other hand we feel like he has always been a part of our lives. He has blessed us beyond our wildest dreams!

So we celebrated by doing one of Miles' favorite things...taking a bath! As you can see, he is a big fan!

Then I remembered how much stinkin' money we spent on his crib...and he hasn't slept in it once! So what better present than to introduce him to his crib. He actually did really well! You may notice that he is actually sleeping on his changing pad in the crib. I guess he's on that changing pad so frequently that he is pretty comfortable with it.

Here was our view of the action from our bedroom on our sweet video monitor that we got courtesy of our small group! Just one of the many perks of being in a small group!

Bring on the next month...we are absolutely loving this!

These are a few of my favorite friends...

2007-07-30T22:20:00.000-04:00

(Sorry for the long wait between posts! Dad had a busy week last week in prep for the weekend...but we're back.)

For being such a little guy, Miles has made quite a few friends. We can't wait until he can actually play with them! So here are some introductions:

This is Wrigley, Miles' oldest brother. He has more or less ignored him since day 1...but he did that with Otis too. So the jury is still out on how that friendship is going to work out.

Speaking of Otis...here he is! Today Otis grew concerned about some of Miles' whimpering so he licked his face! Believe it or not it worked! He's a great older brother.

This is Miles' first actual baby friend Brody Banks! He and Miles love to play soccer together...they will pretty soon anyways. Right now they just like to sit in their car seats and hang out. The Banks are great friends and we are so excited to be raising our kids together.

Say hi to Gavin Plis, another one of Miles' good friends! He even offered to hold Miles' head up for him during a quick cat nap. Heather, Cory, Haley and Gavin are long-time friends of the Surratt family!

Miles' first girlfriend could possibly be Seven Overcash. There's no doubt that Seven is one of the smartest, most athletic little 2 week old girls you will ever meet! Michael and Kristen sure did make a cute little princess!

As you can see, Seacoasters have been busy popping out babies here lately! We still have the Robinsons, Fazals, and Phelps in the on deck circle. There's no doubt that these little crumbcrunchers are going to be keeping KidsCoast busy!

Miles Goes to the Movies

2007-07-20T23:48:00.000-04:00

Obviously things are really different for Lisa and I now that we have Miles. We understand and embrace the adjustments that we have to make now that he's here. But at the same time, we still want to live our lives and continue to do the things that we enjoy. So in the two weeks that we have had Miles we have had the grandparents babysit four times...most of them so that we could go and work out, run errands, and visit our friends, Michael and Kristen, who recently had a baby. They are so gracious to do this for us...it's quite the sacrifice...can't you tell!

Tonight we decided to take Miles with us on our date night. It was quite the adventure! After a nice dinner at Outback thanks to a gift certificate from some other great friends, we decided to go catch a movie that we've been wanting to see, License to Wed. Miles did great, but we did have a couple of minor issues. 20 minutes into the movie Miles got a bit queasy and spit up all over himself! Fortunately, Lisa always packs a couple of extra outfits for him so she got him changed and back in there. He must have been pretty bored because he slept through the rest of the movie.

Then a pretty bad thunderstorm came through towards the end of the movie...which caused a power outage. By the time we left our theater they were experiencing some pretty bad flooding in there. We had to wade through ankle deep water to get out. Quite the adventure!

We capped the evening off with some Starbucks with our great friends and small group leaders, Matt and Brooke. Our first date night with Miles in tow was great! We're looking forward to many more!

Some More Firsts

2007-07-16T22:34:00.000-04:00

Over the past few days, Miles has experienced several more firsts. Here's the proof:

1st Starbucks

1st time to Seacoast

1st Restaurant - Charleston's Cafe - mmmm!

1st Diaper Change By Grams and Papa Greg

All in all, it's been a good couple of days!

Why Miles?

2007-07-13T13:09:00.001-04:00

I have had a lot of people ask the logical question, "What's the significance of the name Miles?" That is a great question. I mean, choosing a name is one of the more stressful parts of having a child. The name is something that a child is going to have to live with for the rest of his life - or at least until he's old enough to legally change it.

So naturally, Lisa and I struggled for a long time trying to decide what to name him. We didn't actually make the decision until we were in the recovery room after Lisa's c-section. Here's the logic: We just like the way the name sounds. It's not a family name. It's not a biblical name. We didn't even name him after my good friend Jim Miles, although I thought about giving Miles a "silent Jim" on his birth certificate. In fact, when you look up the origin of the name Miles, heres what you get:

MILES m English The meaning of this name is not known for certain...

I love that...because we were uncertain of what to name him up until the last minute!

If you dig in, the origin of the name is believed to come from the Latin word for "soldier". We hope that Miles will grow up to be a mighty soldier in the army of God! I pray Jeremiah 29:11 over him all the time!

While that would make a great reason for picking the name, the truth is that we just like the way that Miles sounds! As for the middle name, my middle name is Gregory, which is my dad's first name. We liked the idea of carrying that tradition on to the next generation. Thus the name Miles Joshua Surratt!

I was happy to hear that my sister and her husband are now thinking of naming their first child Kilometer. Ha!

#1 Dad

2007-07-12T00:41:00.000-04:00

I really have been in awe this past week with my life. The Lord has doused me with blessings! I am so thankful for my boys. Josh has been the most amazing husband to me for 6 years and now to watch the Lord mold him into a dad has truly been awesome. His love for Miles has made me love him more than I ever thought possible. He has been so patient with me and the 2am feeding frenzies. He has jumped in with both feet - helping out with all of the house work, changing diapers during late night/early am feedings, bringing me breakfast in bed, and keeping us all on somewhat of a schedule. And all without me asking. He has blown me away in out serving me. He has made me feel more beautiful and more loved than ever- even with my mushy belly and leaky boobs! He has been so cute taking pictures of every waking moment- careful not to miss a beat of Miles' little life. I thought he might even document the 1st poopy diaper... I am glad he spared us! But really, I think this kid will be the most photographed child around!

Anyhow, I write all of this in great gratitude to Josh for all of this - and the Lord for his awesome blessings of an amazing husband and a beautiful baby boy. If I even get started on my love for Miles- I am afraid my postpartum hormones will leave me a sappy puddle of tears on the floor! He is truly more than I could have asked or imagined!

I thought I'd share a few pictures of Miles and Daddy taking an afternoon

nap. Aren't they cute?! He certainly looks like he has made himself his own personal throne upon daddy's lap. There really is nothing sweeter to me than these two boys!

Much Better!

2007-07-11T08:27:00.000-04:00

I ragged on the little man yesterday, so I have to give credit where credit is due today. Miles slept like a champ last night. We actually feel like we could get out and accomplish some things today. It's amazing how your perspective on sleep changes after you have a baby. 2 hour stretches of uninterrupted sleep are like gold these days!

Here are some pics from the last couple of days:

Miles loved his first bath.

He liked being dry and bundled up even better

These are the two most precious people in the world to daddy!

He had his first doctor's appointment yesterday. He's healthy as a horse! He currently weighs in at 6 lbs 12 ounces...one ounce more than his birth weight. Pretty impressive after only 5 days. Like any Surratt worth his name, God gave him the appetite of an offensive lineman in the body of a defensive back!

So This Is What They Were Talking About

2007-07-10T09:32:00.001-04:00

I think the planets lined up against us last night. See, Miles has been in a really good rhythm for the last day or two. Once we finally figured out how to get him to stay awake through a feeding, he would eat a full meal and then sleep for a good 2 hours and then wake up happy and hungry. Then we would repeat the process. I actually thought to myself before we went to bed last night that this isn't as hard as everbody says it is.

Then reality set in. We fed Miles at about midnight, burped him and changed him, then settled in for our 2 hours of sleep. About 5 minutes later he was screaming. He had spit up all over himself and was not happy about it.

No big deal right? We just changed him and tried to get him settled down. After about an hour or so he calmed down and went to sleep. Just when mom and dad are getting ready to fall asleep, he was screaming again. I got up and rubbed his chest and talked to him but none of my tricks were working. That's because he soaked himself - diaper, onesie, swaddler, sheets, and anything else within range. Now I'm getting just a tiny bit frustrated:(

So we go through the whole changing, feeding, burping process again and decide to pull out all of the stops. We put him in the swing. He loved it - for about ten minutes. So we switched that arrangement and I put him down in a bassinet type deal...and I begin to pray. I think it worked because as I was praying for God to settle His peace down on Miles, he relaxed to the point that I heard a loud rumble in his diaper, then another, followed by a loud scream. Uggh! By this point it is 4:39am and we've all been up since midnight. Miles changed clothes more times last night than I do in an entire week! After one more feeding, he finally settled down and spent the rest of the night sleeping on mommy's chest.

Time to start it all over again today! Praise God for fresh starts. We realize that it was a lot tougher on Miles than it was on us. Through all the frustration, sleep deprivation, urination, and defecation, I just can't help but look down at this little guy with total adoration. Yep, Miles has his mom and dad head over heels in love!

Miles Comes Home!

2007-07-08T22:53:00.000-04:00

Today was a pretty big day in the world of Mr. Miles. He got to experience several firsts - his first time being outside, his first thunderstorm, his first time meeting his cousins Brea and Ella, and of course, his first time coming home! We were super excited when we put him in the car seat for the ride home and he totally loved it. He didn't make a peep for the entire ride home. (all 5 minutes of it) Here are some pics of the major milestones!

First time in the car seat

He felt very welcome at his new home

He liked his car seat so much that we just plopped it on Papa George's lap at the house!

Grams and Papa Greg came by to babysit for a couple of hours so Lisa and I could get a nap. AAHHH - so great!

A Natural

2007-07-07T22:17:00.000-04:00

I just have to post real quick on what an amazing woman Lisa is. She has totally blown me away by the way she has picked up on this whole mommy thing. Miles is so blessed to have a mommy who is so willing to give up everything to provide and care for him. It is like she has been doing this all of her life! Watching her bring Miles into this world this week has opened up a whole new chamber of love in my heart for her. This picture above is my favorite picture yet. When Miles came out, he got off to a slow start. He didn't breathe at all for a couple of minutes after he came out...and Lisa was behind a curtain and couldn't see any of it. After what seemed like an eternity of the nurses giving him oxygen and trying to get him going, he made a little peep. Obviously, it was scary for all of us. This picture is after they got him breathing. I just love to look at Lisa's expression of relief and joy as she saw him for the very first time. For 10 months she had wondered what he would look like, worried for his health, and longed to meet him...and in that moment it all came together. I will never forget it as long as I live!

Second Day Highs and Lows

2007-07-06T23:40:00.000-04:00

Miles' second day was quite an adventure. He had some highs:

He met lots of new friends who came by to welcome him to the world! (He's so sorry he missed a couple of you in the afternoon. He got a little worn out...so did mom and dad!) He loved meeting all of his new friends

The staff at East Cooper is spoiling him rotten. I don't know if they would admit it or not, but of the 11 (yes, I said eleven) new babies born here yesterday I think Miles is a front runner for the favorite

His doctor came by and checked him out and he is in tip top shape

He ate lots of good meals and got lots of good sleep!

His daddy sang him some good songs and put him to sleep. (This was the first time daddy has ever had a raving fan of the singing voice!)

There were some lows too:

He got circumsized today. OUCH! Enough said.

He's not a big fan of the diaper changes right now. Give me some time buddy, I'll figure it out.

As you can see, the highs far outweighed the lows. The best high of them all is the grandparents though. He got to spend some quality time with Papa Greg, Grams, Grandma Bobbi, and Papa George. Grandparents are the best!

A Great Day!

2007-07-05T22:42:00.000-04:00

What can you say about a day like this! July 5, 2007 will forever be remembered as the day that Miles Joshua Surratt swept his mommy and daddy right off of their feet! Neither of us were remotely prepared for the magnitude of the love that we feel for him.

He came at 2:10 pm via C Section weighing in at a respectable 6lbs 11oz. He was 19 inches long, but I think that he'll lose an inch or so when his little head decreases in swelling. (We'll tell that story later)

Here are some more pics:

The official weigh-in

Meeting Mom For The First Time

Daddy is Pumped!

Thank you all so much for your prayers and support. We are incredibly blessed to have such great family and friends to support us and help us raise Miles. Our single greatest desire is that he grows up to love and serve the Lord...whether that is in ministry or the NBA or anything in between! We'll post more later, but it's time for some rest.

He's here!

2007-07-05T21:41:00.000-04:00

Miles Joshua Surratt arrived at 2:10pm on July 5th, 2007. His grandpa thinks he may be the best looking kid ever born. Mom and Dad will check in later with the vital stats.

Finding out...

2007-06-28T00:57:00.000-04:00

So... I haven't really jumped into the blogging world yet- this is my 1st post. Quite honestly, I have been avoiding it for some time now- as I really am not a fan of adding one more thing to occupy my time. But- I must admit it is pretty effective in keeping good friends- both near and far- connected. So, I suppose I will give in and finally join the blogger world.

A fun little story to share... how it all began. I had just finished school and started a new job when Josh & I decided to go off birth control and see what happened. We weren't really trying to get pregnant- but we weren't preventing either. It was November 3, 2006. Josh and I had been driving around looking at houses (just for fun) and I kept thinking- I don't know why I feel so car sick. I have never been one to get motion sickness. After getting to the point of obvious nausea- I finally said something to Josh. His first response was "don't try to talk yourself into thinking you're pregnant". I actually was pretty shocked he said that. That had not even crossed my mind!

After I got home- I couldn't stop thinking about his comment. He left to go get a haircut- so I started looking at the calendar and suddenly realized - I was 5 days late. I had one test left from a previous freak out episode in which I thought I might be pregnant. I thought - let's just see what happens. I took the test to find a very quick positive. I was shocked! I started running around the house like a little girl on Christmas day. And then I started questioning the results. Surely it had to be a bad test. Or maybe I was reading it wrong. Of course, I rushed over to the drug store and bought another test or 2. You know - the digital kind that reads "PREGNANT" or "NOT PREGNANT". I figured Josh wouldn't believe it any other way.

He pulled in the driveway right behind me and began questioning my sudden trip to the drug store. Despite my best efforts to keep my testing materials under raps- he busted me! I finally had to confess to him what had just happened- when he said "what are you waiting for... hurry!". Once again, the test came out a quick positive. We just smiled and stared at each other in blissful shock. Praise the Lord... we are going to have a baby!

It was actually Debbie's birthday, and we just couldn't keep our excitement to ourselves! I quickly went out and bought a "Happy Birthday" bib and I love Grandma picture frame. We wrapped it up and presented it as the last gift at the family get together. How fun!

I can't believe the little one we have been dreaming about since that day will be here so soon!

Arrival Predictions

2007-06-24T22:48:00.000-04:00

Family and friends have been talking for a long time about predictions for when the baby will make his entrance...so we decided to have a little contest. Below is the current tally. Feel free to write in your guess in the comments section. We will be awarding a prize to the person who picks the correct date and to the person who picks the correct weight. Guess away! BTW...due date is July 9th.

Name Date Weight
Bobbi 26-Jun 6lbs 3oz
Jen Block 30-Jun 7lbs 10 oz
Amber Babcock 1-Jul 7lbs 2oz
Brooke Morris - 2-Jul 8lbs 8 oz
Randy Lewter 4-Jul 6lbs 0oz
Brad Batson 4-Jul 8lbs 8oz
Matt Morris 4-Jul 22lbs!
Nathan Babcock 4-Jul 7lbs 15oz
Jenna Daniel 5-Jul 7lbs 2oz
Jason 6-Jul 9 lbs
Lisa 7-Jul 7lbs 7oz
Jenna 8-Jul 7lbs 14 oz
Greg 9-Jul 8lbs 7oz
Connie Lewter 10-Jul 7lbs 8oz
Josh 11-Jul 8lbs 1oz
Debbie 13-Jul 8lbs 2oz
Marcy Verduin 14-Jul 6lbs 10 oz

Let the Count Down begin...

2007-06-22T23:57:00.000-04:00

So... Here we are. Just 16 days shy of our due date- and we can't believe it is already here. It seems like yesterday we found out our little family was expanding... and so was Lisa's tummy!

We are officially up to bat! In the line up of the 18 pregnant friends that we have, we are the next to go. A little anxious and a lot excited, we could really go any day now! Little B3 was the last one in front of us and he made his grand entrance today. Congrats Banks family! We can't wait to get the little guys together.

So we'll try to keep everybody updated with our progress here as well as catch you up on what has happened along the way.