Here are some pictures from our home this week…where our baby boy started to crawl and is
constantly on the move!
mom and nash share a laugh…
…and laugh some more…
Nash in action…go Nash, go!
self portrait…
See you next week! Thanks for stopping by our little blog…
Nash’s tongue has been freed! Thanks to Dr. Mixon and a quick “tongue clipping” surgery on Thursday, Nash will be able to stick his tongue out at other kids, lick an ice cream cone, and with a little practice, maybe even touch his tongue to his nose! We headed to the hospital at 6am on Thursday morning for the surgery and were home by 8am! He was only put to sleep for about 5 minutes and the doctor clipped the underside of his tongue. Nash handled the procedure really well and was back to eating, talking and smiling in no time. I documented the morning with pictures posted below…
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Nash hears his name called in the waiting room…
The charts are ready…
A sweet nun comes by to pray over nash before his procedure…
but he was distracted by the cool pole. The nun didn’t mind though…
Then two nurses took Nash on to the operating room. Nash seemed
to like their shower caps…
Just a few minutes later, the procedure was done and we were feeding
Nash a bottle to help get his tongue moving…
He was a bit groggy from the sleeping gas. Not his best photo moment…
But after a good nap, Nash was back to his old self….lauging, clapping,
talking, and enjoying his newly freed tongue! (if you look closely, you can
see his little tooth on the right popping through! His mouth is surely sore!)
And eating too…
Oh how sweet it is to be home. I can not even begin to tell you how good it was to have Nash back in my arms. How we missed our little boy!! It was nearly impossible to get on the plane to leave for Indonesia knowing I wouldn’t see him for nearly 2 weeks, but it ended up being a very good thing for all of us. I feel like I grew in my faith being away and really having to trust on God like never before.
Our reunion was sweet. Nash was very excited to see me, but then suddenly realized (maybe for the first time?) that I had been away so out came the bottom lip and sad little cry. I held him for a long time and within a few minutes everything was back to normal. We are doing great and enjoying being back together.
Nash learned all sorts of new tricks from his cousin Xavier and his sweet Aunt Livvy and Uncle Adam. He is nearly crawling now (a little wiggle worm all the time!!), he pops open his mouth on cue when you say the word “bite” during meal time, he waved bye bye for the first time this week, pulling himself up is his constant ambition, drinking from his sippy cup is his passion, and his first little tooth is breaking through. Good times!
Here are a few pictures of our little man Nash…
Livvy and the boys. Great job Livvy! Thank you so much for caring for Nash so well…
Saying bye…
cool kid.
rear view…
sip away little one…
unstoppable…
Thank you, Xavier for watching out for your little cousin! You are precious!
No way! Bryson and I took some time and traveled to Bali Indonesia after our time in Jakarta for a bit of holiday. We had a great time spending time together and just resting. Bali is rad. It is tropical paradise and super cheap! Beaches, great hotels, spa’s, surfing, rainforest, awesome art, and it is all SUPER CHEAP! We had a great time exploring the island…
At the Four Seasons in Ubud…it is one of the top resorts in the world…
we just had dessert since we couldn’t afford to stay! Incredible.
Enjoying some local food…Very good!!
They have a bit of a gas problem in Bali…
Overlooking a rice field (and still wearing the same dress! did i wear this every day?)
Some local teens leave an offering at a Hindu temple…
PART 1
Our time in Indonesia was amazing! Our meeting with Jakarta pastors and leaders was excellent and productive…we are well on our way to a successful event in August. Thanks for your prayers as we were away.
Here are a few snapshots of our journey…
Our team first landed in Korea for an “extended” layover so we got
to see a bit of the city before heading on to Indonesia. Here our team is in Seoul’s version
of the Space Needle looking over the city (although it was rainy and cloudy and we could not
see a thing!)
We still had a long way to go from Seoul…
I just love this picture. People come to the top of this mountain in Seoul with
thier girlfriend/boyfriend and place a lock with their names on as a way of showing
their commitment. Super cheesy, but made for a cool picture! There are thousands
of these locks!!
Bryson and Mike in a serious conversation on a bus…
Visiting a local University…and being silly…
College kids are the same everywhere…
PART 2
One of the most overwhelming things about Jakarta, Indonesia is contrast between the rich and the poor. Jakarta has fabulous malls that boast stores like Gucci, Versaci, Tiffanys, etc. and then right around the corner from the malls you walk straight into extreme poverty…people living in makeshift huts, bathing in rivers, no clean drinking water, starvation. The contrast is mind blowing. During our time in Jakarta we had the priviledge of meeting up with some folks from Compassion International. Compassion is a Christian ministry that is focused on releasing children from poverty around the world. It is an amazing organization and it was an honor to see first hand the work they are doing in the heart of Jakarta in the slums. Here are some pictures of the less glamorous side of Jakarta.
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One of the Compassion sponsored children…
Some kids we met in the street…
Some boys swim in the “river”. This is also where they bathe, wash their clothes,
drink from, etc.
A local shop…
This is the way you cross the river to get to the other side of the village…
in a boat pulled by this guy…
Even motor bikes have to use this “ferry”…
The bird flu is no joke…
A little boy stands outside his house…
I am missing Nash a lot today. His happy smile, his silly laugh, his fat little belly and legs, kissin’ his fat cheeks…man, I am just missing everything about my little man and just looking forward to coming home! We will finish up our ministry time in Jakarta tomorrow, then Bryson and I will be taking some personal time vacationing in Bali for a few days to “cultivate our marriage”. This will be good for us to just have some time away together. Everyone says these type of weekend get aways are crucial for your marriage after you have a kid so we are taking the advice of our mentors and taking an “Emily + Bryson weekend get away”…it just happens that we get to “get away” to Bali. Not a bad retreat, eh? It’s going to be tough though…I am so ready to go home and pick up my baby. Pray I am able to enjoy the moment and not wish away our time!
Nash is still doing great in West Virginia. We have had a hard time talking via Skype the past 2 days which has been frustrating. I look forward to seeing him and talking to him on Skype…it’s really precious time for me each day so when it fails to work out, i am really devestated. Hoping it will work out today! Here are a few photos from the past 2 days from awesome Aunt Livvy who is doing an incredible job caring for my son.
Thanks for stopping by!
drool baby…that lil’ tooth is still trying to break through…
Xavier gives his best pose…
Adam tries to cheer up the boys during the 4 o’clock fuss.
A trip in the laundry basket is a crowd pleaser!
They LOVE it!
The boys continue to enjoy playing together…
Nash puts his finger through the hole in the wooden block…very facinating!
Xavier takes some time to coach Nash on how to crawl.
“Go Nash, Go! You are so close!”
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Day 4 abroad and it feels like I have been gone for a month! I miss Nash more and more each day, but thankfully, with the modern marvel of the internet, I am able to video Skype Nash every day so he can see me and I can see him. It’s awesome! He is having an excellent time at Aunt Livvy’s! Marmi and Obi came down for a little grandparent visit this weekend, so I am grateful Nash was able to spend some time with his amazing grandparents!
It’s a surreal feeling to be on the other side of the world without your child. I am in a constant state of feeling like I have forgotten something. It’s like that sudden feeling you get when you realize you’ve forgotten your purse or wallet at the grocery store or that feeling that hits you when you remember a meeting you are supposed to be in. I have that feeling a hundred times a day…only to realize that what I am missing isn’t my wallet or a meeting, but my baby boy.
Bryson and I cant wait to take Nash with us next time we travel! I think I am going to get him a passport as soon as I get home…not sure I can leave him this along again! But overall Bryson and I are doing really well and enjoying our trip. Thanks for your prayers!
Here are some new pictures of Nash and Xavier…
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They boys take the car for a spin…
Livvy says she thinks Nash is starting to get a little tooth bud!
As always, he is chewing on everything!
The boys are playing great together.
Marmi and Obi came for a visit…
Obi’s on baby partrol. Sorry Livvy, looks like the boys and their toys have
taken over the house!
Speaking of toys…Nash has really enjoyed all the new
toys he gets to play with at Xavier’s house. “How does this one work?”
Xavier looking for Nash…”Nash, you under this rug?”
Well, athough it was difficult, I was able to board the plane and fly around the world yesterday. I only cried 3 times! Now I find myself completely jet-lagged in Seoul, South Korea as we spend the night before flying the last 7 hours to Jakarta tomorrow morning. I was able to drop Nash off in West Virginia with my wonderful sister Olivia and brother-in-law Adam. I spent a few days there with Nash getting him acclimated to his new surroundings… and getting Livvy acclimated to caring for 2 baby boys! Olivia and Adam’s little boy, Xavier, is just 6 weeks older than Nash and I am happy to report that the 2 boys REALLY enjoy each other! Spending a few days with Livvy, Adam, and Xavier made my heart much more at ease about leaving him during my trip.
I will post pictures (sent to me daily from Livvy!) of the boys and their grand adventures while mama is on the other side of the world.
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We are convinced these little cousins will be friends for life…
Olivia is already a super-mom!!
I try to show livvy how to hold both boys…they are heavy!
Xavier hopes for some of Nash’s crumbs…
Play time is always more fun with two…
Three is fun as well! Adalyn visits the boys…
Sharing is on the “to do list” for the week…
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Xavier tries his best to share with Nash…
Uncle Adam makes Nash laugh…
Play, play, play…that’s what they do all day! Pray for livvy…she is exhausted! 
Oh how I desperately miss my little boy!
A few more Easter pictures for you to enjoy…
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Nash looks like a handsome little man in his easter outfit…
His first easter basket…he loved the eggs!
And really really loved (and is STILL enjoying the card.)
Dad got a little carried away and “filled” Nash up with Easter eggs…
Yup, still enjoying the card.
What do you get when you have 20,000 Easter eggs dropped out of a helicopter…the in-laws moving to town…and a mama that is brokenhearted that she has to leave her little one as she travels around the globe for almost 2 weeks? Quite a weekend!
Its Easter weekend and Bryson’s folks have begun moving to Athens. They wont be here full time yet (retirement isnt for a few more years) but it will be a good to have family close by for part of the year!
Bryson and I are heading to Jakarta, Indonesia on Tuesday for our role with Passion Conferences World Tour. Pray for us (especially me) as we travel to Indonesia…even though I am leaving Nash in good hands (my sister Olivia + Adam and their son Xavier) I am going to need a lot of strength to do make it through!
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Mama loves on her baby…How am I going to be able to get on that plane and leave him!
(PS: that’s not my mini van in the background…I still refuse to drive a minivan!
No offense to those of you who do…i know my days are numbered! )
Mimi and Grandpa Roy go shopping with Nash…
Nash meets the Chick-fil-a cow at the Athens Egg Drop. Nash is
very well acquainted with Chick-fil-a…while in the womb, Emily
practically lived on their waffle fries, so this child knows them well!
Nash and Mimi watch the helicopter drop eggs on the field
while kids wait to collect them…crazy fun!
Nash found his Easter basket a little early… and enjoyed it thoroughly!
Sometimes (when mom isn’t looking) dad likes to make
sure Nash learns what it means to be “wild at heart”…
(*Note, bryson is always safe and never lets go! He is an
excellent dad!)
Nash LOVES mama’s cell phone…he really enjoys texting…
He is just too sweet…
It was hot yesterday…in the 70’s! Nash was stripped down to his onsie, and mom
thought it was so cute we decided to have a little photo shoot…
But Nash got tired of getting his picture taken…
so we moved to a new location…
He was much happier to have his clothes on and just play with his toys…
While Dad was away on his retreat this week, Emily and Nash headed to North Georgia to
hang out with the Gaileys and lil’ Hayden…
Nash was happy to have dad home…
It’s a rainy, gloomy day in Athens today…the kind of day you just want to
hide under your covers until noon. But I guess Nash didn’t get the memo because,
like clock-work, he was up talking and playing at 7am waiting for mama to pull
herself out of her cozy bed and rescue him from his crib. Nash has been on a schedule from
the day we brought him home from the hospital and we have LOVED it! But there have
been a few days…like today…where I wished that maybe he would just decide to sleep
in a little later than usual. The great thing about Nash is that he is very patient in the mornings
and rarely wakes up crying but will just play in his crib…as if he knows I will be
coming through the door any moment and greets me with a massive smile! It surprises me every morning!
I am so grateful that Nash helps me start the mornings off happy…even on rainy, gloomy days
like today.
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Speaking of Mr. Happy….
Cloud 9…
Nash enjoys time with his Dad…and boy does Nash love his daddy!!
Every kid loves riding the horse (aka: daddy’s bouncing knee)
Nash works on holding his bottle…
Then awaits the rest of his meal…
Nash also enjoys relaxing in his recliner….
Top 5 of the week
5. Nash can drink out of a real cup! It’s a little messy but a whole lot of fun
4. We made a visit to a doctor to see about getting Nash’s tongue clipped. 
He will have the procedure done in April.
3. Rollin’ rollin…the boy loves to roll and wiggle! He is always on the move…He should be crawling soon!
2. Nash giggles and laughs all the time…it’s hilarious! He really is such a happy baby!
1. We went to the Georgia vs. Florida basketball game
Nash at the Basketball game…he even made it on TV!
UGA couldn’t beat the Gators, but Nash can show them how it’s done!
Nash “hangs out” with dad…
Eating got a little out of hand…
All this fun makes the little guy exhausted…
Is my baby really 6 months old? Time has flown by!
Nash is doing great. He battled a cold this week but is feeling
and sleeping much better again. He had a few “ah-ha!” moments this
week that cracked me up. There is nothing funnier than watching your kid
discover something new like, “Wow, I have TWO hands! AND they both move!”.
Nash also realized he could pick up 2 toys at once and pound them together to
make a wonderful loud sound…that is until he accidently smacks his head
with the toys and then it’s no more fun. Here are some new pictures of my wide-eyed
explorer!
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Nash loves to lean over in his chair and hit his rattle against the floor….
Let me show you how it’s done…
Bath time is super fun…he of course likes to splash!
A big orange fish was on the menu tonight…
I tried to sneak up on Nash to catch a picture of him “discovering his hands” but the boy
always knows where the camera is…
Happy Valentine’s Day! Here are some pictures of our lil’ Valentine…
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Won’t you be my valentine?
Auditioning for Cupid?
Can you do this?
All bundled up…
Cool in camo…can you find me?
Action shot: Dad tries to teach Nash how to “catch”…
Story time with dad…
Well, Bryson isn’t quite “out of Africa” yet, but his trip is winding down
and it wont be long now! Nash and I have missed him ton this week. And
what an eventful week it has been…and it’s only Tuesday! Nash
officially became a bottle-fed only baby this weekend, making mom very excited!
He also got an upgraded car seat with a little more room since his big-little
body was a little to snug in his other one. At his recent doctors visit Nash
weighed in at 18.6lbs (80th percentile) and 28 inches (97th percentile!) so
our little baby…isn’t so little. We will have pictures of our big man later
this week when Bryson gets home with the camera, but until then, here are
a few more shots from Bryson in Swaziland…
Bryson meets our sponsored child through World Vision
pure joy.
The good news is that Bryson is in Africa this week having an amazing
time. The bad news is that he brought the camera with him so I have
no new pictures of Nash to post. So, I dug around in our “archive”
photos and found a funny shot of Bryson and I that we took just after
we found out we were pregnant with Nash! It makes me smile to think
about how our minds were racing with the excitement and fear of “becoming
parents” when we took this picture more than a year ago now. We knew we were
in for the ride of our lives, but we never could have guessed what a fun ride it
would be.
In-N-Out Burger.
Nash gets his first lesson about the best burger in the world. It’s just
a shame he couldn’t taste one for himself…
We are jet-setters once again as we head across country to LA for the
Passion Conferences LA Regional event. We flew out a little early to take a
quick road trip to the San Diego area so Bryson could show us where he grew
up and spent his childhood. Very fun! Plus we got to celebrate my 28th birthday!
The Passion gathering starts tonight so we will post more pictures as we take them,
but here are some pictures of our time driving down the coast…
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My husband…My baby…and the ocean…Could I ask for a better birthday??
It was windy and a bit cold, but Nash enjoyed the beach…
Feeling sand for the first time…
A highlight for mom…we visited Laguna Beach! 
Nash…you are my best birthday gift ever! What a great year…
