"The Pappy"

We have taken "Pappy" away and everything has gone great so far. Last night we were at a party and another baby had one and Gabe said "pappy" and put his hands out for "gone gone" then started looking everywhere for it but we made it with out any tears.
I have been saying for a long time that I was going to do it but have been putting it off because it kinda makes me sad. It is making me realize that he is not a baby anymore but a toddler. Passy has also been my life saver during church. Gabe is just like his daddy, he loves to talk so it gives me a little bit more time in service every Sunday. But I decided to let go and just do it. After all it will be better for him now then when he is starting kindergarten.

Terrible Two's

I think they have hit our family. This was Gabe all weekend.
One minute this
Then next this

"Happy Birthday" Mammaw

Gabe's Mammaw Bradford (my grandmother) turned 87 last Friday. We spent the afternoon in Arab visiting with her. She is confined to bed now but she lived on her own until two years ago this June. Our family is so blessed to have found Cindy. She lives in with Mammaw and treats her like she is her own mother. Cindy did all the decorating in Mammaw's room.
I can't wait to tell Gabe stories about Mammaw. Like how she loved to give me and my brother a little money every time we went to see her (I came home with a new barbie every weekend) and how she wouldn't send us home without a snack, cup of water and a fresh picked flower from her yard.
Here's a couple pictures from our visit.

On the go nap

How do kids sleep like this? It hurt me just to look at him. Every time the car would turn his head would flop. When I got him out a puddle of drool had built up on the buckle. It was too cute.

GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS!!!!!!

Gabe has a lot of girls in his life. He LOVES the attention he gets from each one of them and they have been a big help for me from day one. Whether they are changing his clothes are just watching out for him. I have never doubted his safety when he is with them.

Audrey and Gabe at homecoming '07

Sarah and Gabe at a family picnic

Emilee helping Gabe learn to walk











Erin playing with Gabe in Destin, FL last summer.
(Erin calls Gabe her little brother)

Jordan holding Gabe for the first time.
(She helps me watch him at the office)

He even has the girls in the youth group

wrapped around his finger.

Gabe also has his little girls. Abbi is one of his 1st cousins. She helped me feed and burp him when he was a baby. He was her first baby cousin, so she loved him so much from the day he was born. Now that Gabe is older, he has learned that he loves her ponytail SO MUCH!!

Janna Beth is Jordan's sister . She loves to come to the office after school, when she gets here, her first words to me are "Hey Drea, is Gabe here?"

Abbi and Gabe playing

Abbi and Gabe watching his first
Alabama game.

Janna and Gabe









In February Gabe got a new role. He is now a big cousin to Ellie. Because they are so close in age, I can see him one day taking on the "big brother role". The same as Jake and his brothers have done for Audrey, Sarah, Emilee, and very soon Erin.

Gabe and Ellie Easter '08

Gabe and his daddy

One of Gabe's most favorite things to do is to play with his Daddy. As soon as we pull in the drive every afternoon I hear "DADDY, DADDY, DADDY!!" he can't wait to play with him. Gabe also loves watching cartoons with daddy which works great because Jake LOVES cartoons.








Gabe's first swim

sleeping with daddy Playing in the floor
(five weeks old)

Gabe and daddy riding the waves

Gabe and daddy's attempt at eating

Playing at the pumpkin patch







Playing with the fall leaves

From our beginning

Jake and I have know each other for as long as we can both remember. We grew up in the same church together 'till Jake and his family moved when he was 10. So we fast forward a few years to age 16. He spent that summer down here with his grandmother, who still went to the same church, and this is when our life together began.

I know what a lot of you might be thinking "at 16 you're too young to meet the love of your life" but I think it's a "southern thing" or maybe a "Sutton thing". You see the young love thing goes all the way back to Jake's great- grandfather "Pop". He married his wife "Grandmother" when she was just 14 and had their first baby when she was 15. That was Jake's grandmother "MawMaw" Inez who also got married young. I don't think it was quite that young though. But they had Debbie (Jake's mom) and Greg. Debbie and Sam were high school sweethearts, Greg and Melody were high school sweethearts and their sister Wendy and her husband Tony were high school sweethearts. So it's only natural that Jake and I "fell in love" in high school.

For two and half years we had a long distance relationship. After Jake's graduation in 2001 he moved down here to go to UAH for enginering. On January 3rd, 2004 we were married. After going back and forth on the idea of a baby for months in early 2006 we had decided to try, thinking it would take a long time. About a week later I found out I was already pregnant. After a great pregnancy and 70lbs. later on December 1st, 2006 David Gabel (Gabe) was born by schedule c-section. He was 8lbs. 11oz. and 21 1/2 in. long.

We thought Gabe was a healthy baby boy when he was born. Then the next morning Jake noticed he was laboring to breath. So he was sent down to the NICU. My doctor kept me in the hospital for four days so I could be close to Gabe; however, I ended up having to go home with out Gabe. (That was the worst feeling I have ever had in my life and I pray that I never have to do it again.) After many prayers and tears we got to bring our healthy baby home at a week old.I don't know where the time has gone. The past sixteen months have been so much fun and at the same time scary. It was amazing watching him do things like crawling one day and the next just deciding to take off walking. But then there are the times when he won't eat or wakes up screaming that are scary. It always leaves me second guessing myself. I have to say that the "mama" thing definitely kicks in, but having to decide if it just teething or another ear infection and whether to call the doctor, that what gets me. So most of the time the answer is just call the doctor.

This is just a few pictures from the past 16 months. It's a short walk down memory lane. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

1 month

Joining the band wagon

I'm hitching a ride on the band wagon today. I'm starting our family blog. I'm not sure how long it will last. It might last only a few weeks or maybe years. You see English/writing/spelling was my worst subject in school so this might end up being a huge challenge. However I do love talking about and showing off pictures of my son and husband so this might end up being a lot of fun for me. So, if you're looking for great writing, with correct prononciation or even just a basic whole sentence let me go ahead and say SORRY, you won't find it here.