The Walters' Wire

Our New Entry Way

2010-02-22T09:01:00.001-08:00

We have finally finished our entry stairs and we are so happy with the results. These photos tell the process...

Birthday Girl Eliza Jane

2009-12-23T21:18:00.000-08:00

We wanted to share some photos of the small celebration we had for our sweet Eliza Jane. We just had our household goods delivered to our new home yesterday so we whipped up a little party for Eliza's 1st birthday. We love her so much! She is starting to walk on her own a few times a day but still prefers to crawl. She waves at EVERYONE she sees. She recently has made friends with numerous people at Target, all the movers, and every painter and floor guy that we have had in our home in the last few weeks. It sure is nice to have a happy baby! Thanks to grandmas, grandpas and all her aunts that made her birthday so special.

Prescott Porter Walters

2009-12-15T17:22:00.000-08:00

Our son, Prescott Porter was born and passed away on November 14th. We actually were not expecting him to come until January 11th. The fact that we were expecting again so soon after Eliza was a shock to us; they were going to be just over 12 months apart! Just as we were getting used to the idea of having two children so close we found out that he had a condition called Diaphragmatic Hernia where his diaphragm never fully closed. His stomach, intestines and part of the liver had moved up in his chest cavity preventing his lungs to have sufficient room to grow. This condition doesn't present a problem until he is born and his lungs wouldn't have the capacity to breathe and there was no reason for him to come early. We also have just moved to Houston for Ed's job in September and felt that the Lord wanted us to be here for the wonderful medical care. I had many all day appointments at Texas Children's Hospital with ultrasounds, fetal MRI's, echocardiograms and conferences with the Neo-natalogists and Pediatric surgeons who would be working on Prescott when he came. We were actually still living in a hotel when I started having really irregular contractions in the middle of the night. We went to the hospital thinking that they would give me something to stop the contractions and that I would be put on bed rest until January. When I checked in they said that I had already dilated to 8 and I instantly started crying. I knew that I was too far to stop him from coming. He was born just an hour later.

The doctors took him immediately to try to ventilate his lungs. They worked on him, with chest compressions for over 30 minutes and they couldn't get his heart to sustain a beat nor could they get his lungs ventilated. Ed told the doctors that they could stop the heart compressions and he was able to bring Prescott into me. He was just over 32 weeks along which is usually not too early for most babies to live but he just had too much he was fighting against and of course Heavenly Father wanted him for another purpose. We feel so blessed that he was able to come to our family. We have a perfect son that is waiting for us in the Celestial Kingdom. We miss him terribly! We were able to spend as much time with him as we wanted. We were able to take a ton of photos and the hospital was so great. They brought in many blankets, outfits and fill-in-the-blank memory books that people had donated. They also took plaster molds of his hands and feet. There were so many tender mercies that took place within Prescott's short time here on earth. Looking back we were being loved by the Lord through all the events. The most cherished memory that we were able to make was the pictures of Eliza with her baby brother. We hadn't even gotten settled in our house and were still staying in a hotel so we just brought Eliza with us which was interesting having Ed hold her in one arm and hold my hand in his other while in labor. Because she was with us she was able to be in so many photos with Prescott. I know that she will treasure those photos later in her life. She was given a little kitty when Ed took her to the Ronald McDonald House for a break. When she got back to our room she kept wanting to show Prescott the kitty. She would point and wave to Prescott when we would ask, "Where is the baby?" The Neo-natalogist that was on call that night was Dr. Jennifer Arnold from TLC's The Little Couple show. I had just seen the show a few times before to know that she was a Neo-natalogist at Texas Children's Hospital. When she walked in my room just after I was checked in and told me that she would be working on my baby I told her that I felt like I knew her and she asked if we had met before. I said, "No, I have just seen your show a few times, so I feel like I know you." I felt so comforted seeing a familiar face and knowing enough about her to know she is a good person. She was very nice and after Prescott had passed she came in to apologize for not being able to save him. It really is the gospel and the fact that we know when we are sealed in the temple as husband and wife that all children born to us are ours forever. The sadness and tears come when I miss Prescott and know that I have to wait to be with him. I can't wait to get to know his personality traits and discover his talents.

Just a week after his birth we buried Prescott in Chico, California near other family members. The cemetery is less than a mile from my parents home. He will have many visitors and be remembered often. The day that he was buried we went to dress him in a beautiful outfit. We placed a letter I wrote to him in the hospital with the kitty that Eliza wanted to give him in his casket. It was raining very hard and the funeral directors offered numerous times to allow us to hold our service indoors. Ed and I both wanted to be outside. With our families, we gathered to honor Prescott. His uncle Davin gave a beautiful prayer and afterwards we sang "I am a Child of God." Just moments after we started singing the rain stopped and the sun peaked through the clouds down on his casket and flowers. It was a perfect moment where Heavenly Father wanted us all to know that he loves us and that Prescott was happy. After the song, Ed was able to share some thoughts he had. Prescott's Grandpa Arvonen then dedicated the grave site to be protected and blessed until his resurrection.

We would like to thank all our family, friends and doctors that showed us such an outpouring of love, support and skill. We love our little Prescott so much. We know that we will have the opportunity to raise him after we pass from this life. He is a beautiful, perfect son of our Heavenly Father and we cannot wait to be with him. We miss him terribly and hope that we live worthy to return to him.

Photo Update on Eliza

2009-02-17T17:06:00.000-08:00

Eliza is exactly 8 weeks old today. These last two months have been wonderful, emotional, exciting and tiring all at the same time. It is amazing how one little life needs so much attention. I love that Eliza has been smiling and laughing at everyone she meets. She is such a joy to spend my days with. I love being her mom and I hope that I will be everything she needs as we grow together. Eliza sure loves her dad too; he is great with her. He can't wait to talk to her every night after work and they take lots of walks with and without me. I am blessed that Ed loves his children so much. Here are some photos that we love of Eliza during the last month. Enjoy!

Welcoming Eliza Jane

2009-01-05T21:45:00.000-08:00

Eliza Jane Walters was destined to be born December 23, 2008. We had been scheduled to be induced on this date by our doctor and the night before I started having very painful contractions at 3am. By 5:30 am I woke up Ed because the contractions were 5 minutes apart and getting worse. We got to the hospital at 6:45 am and to our surprise I was already dialated to 6 cm. It wasn't long after that little Eliza was born. She came into this world at 9:55 am. We joke that Eliza heard us talking about being induced and decided she didn't want to be forced out so she beat us to it! Our doctor was so surprised that we were so far along when she arrived at the hospital that morning; I think we made her day. By the time she arrived, I was already pushing and just about 10 pushes later Eliza was here. I feel so blessed that her delivery was a successful one, without any problems and we were able to deliver naturaly. It was extrememly painful and intense for the time that it did take for her to arrive but given the choice I wouldn't change our experience. Many times I remember thinking, " I wish I could just have a minute or two break from the contractions to catch my breath." Ed and one nurse named Nell were with me the whole time holding each of my hands and telling me exactly what to do. I couldn't have done it without them.

The moment that she came out is one that I will never forget! I remember looking at her in amazment and thinking, "She is perfect; I cannot believe she is mine!" Ed and I tell her every day how much we love her. She weighed 7 lbs, 11 oz. and was 20 inches long. She was born with a full head of blonde hair. Here are some photos of her in her first 2 weeks of life. We will be sure to share more as she grows!

Showered with Gifts

2008-11-10T10:13:00.000-08:00

Here are just a couple of photos from my baby shower. My friend, Shireen did a great job and the food couldn't have been more gourmet.

Hannah and I are due just weeks apart... Sorting out all the gifts....
A sea of pink, Pink and PINK!I told Ed that I feel so loved. One of the cards I recieved said "Babies just love presents..... (and then on the inside it said...)Just ask their Mommies!" I have to say getting gifts for a baby girl is so much fun. I just can't wait to see her using them all. Thank you to all that we recieved gifts from! We love you!

Baby Bump - 34 weeks

2008-11-10T09:51:00.000-08:00

Our little girl is sure getting big! We can't wait to meet her.

Long lost cousins

2008-10-23T14:18:00.000-07:00

When I was in 7th grade ceramics class I made a jewelery case in the shape of a turtle. I thought I was so original, something that I had dreamed up all on my own! But no, for the last few months I have been walking by a lady's desk that I don't even know but the other day I had to introduce myself and ask her about a ceramic turtle sitting on her countertop to her office cubicle. Apparently, one her children had made it and given it to her. Her desk at work became a better alternative to store it than displaying it at her home. So the other day I pulled out my turtle from my childhood treasure box to bring it in. At last, the turtles met so here they are....

A Week in Paradise

2008-09-19T12:31:00.000-07:00

This last week has been a great break from the office life. Ed and I spent a long weekend at his Dad's place in Key West....thanks Dad and Lori! Then Tuesday to Thursday we were in Miami where I attended all day conferences and Ed continued his vacation on the beach. It was great to take a little time out alone before I can't fly anymore and our little girl joins us. Here are some shots of the good times! The drive to Key West alone the many keys was beautiful. The water was so clear and aqua.

A token photo of Ed and Dad at the Southernmost Point in the Continental USA!Ed chillin' at the pool...Our little friends that were everywhere.Me with some of the Florida Pink Flamingos!This car was a great find! A truly unique way to show off your shell collection, huh?Waiting for the sunset at the pier. It is a tradition that the moment the sun touches the horizon that everyone claps and cheers. Some beautiful sunsets! In Miami, we went out to a fun party one of the vendor's invited me to but unfortunately no bowling for me. It was still a lot of fun.

A Miami beach shot...

Blog Slacker...

2008-09-08T16:08:00.000-07:00

That is what Ed has been calling me lately.....and I would have to agree. So to do a quick catch up, this is what we have been up to for the last few weeks...

On Labor Day, we labored at our home, pulling weeds and washing cars. We have been getting so much rain which unfortunately means towering weeds. We just have a 12 x12' patio behind our townhouse so it is too small to mow. After our labors, we did head over to the pool to take one last dip before it closed for the year. That was, by far, the best part of the weekend.

Ed has been traveling to and from Philadelphia and working super hard to complete the opening of the Army Experience Center. You can read about it here-http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/client/e3i4091ce08679099b9660c156258d54d1f

This is just one of the great ideas that he has put into action during his time as the Chief Marketing Officer of the Army. He has also been on film sets for the new commerials, done great things with their website and set in place the first-ever Army marketing plan to check and balance their progress. He truly amazes me in what he is able to accomplish each day.

And we have both been working every night on our 'Mile Long' To Do list as we prepare for this little princess and a new job for Ed. It is still a toss up on which one will come first!

Belated Birthday Post

2008-08-22T13:09:00.000-07:00

So of course with all my birthday money I wanted to buy baby things. I promised myself I wouldn't do that but when it comes right down to it, I'm pratical and it is overwhelming to think of the huge list of all the things you have to buy for a first baby and time is running out. Ed and I spent my birthday weekend registering for baby things. He found and liked this stroller and car seat. I really liked it too but my first thought was that it was too female gender oriented and if we ever have a boy, it wouldn't go. Ed didn't agree and said by the time the second one comes around, you don't care too much and so we ended up getting it. The photos are ones from a Craiglist posting but ours is the same model. I love it more and more! PS... I wasn't practical with ALL my birthday $$, I did get some new clothes for me too!

Saturday in DC

2008-08-12T04:18:00.000-07:00

We wanted to spend Caleb and Abby's last Saturday with us in DC checking out some sights & museums they hadn't seen before. Of course we had to eat lunch at our favorite restaurant Matchbox so we could eat some mini burgers. They are the best!

Then we headed to the National Smithsonian Museum of Natural History to check out the dinosaurs, rocks, mammals and insects.

Caleb's favorite dinosaur, the Triceratops.

Abby had to take a picture of the Hope Diamond.Look at all those bees!

Abby's Photo Shoot

2008-08-05T10:29:00.000-07:00

The other night Abby said she wanted us to take some pictures of her striking a pose. She had so many poses, we could have gone on all night. So here are a few of the best ones. What a ham! And I'm sure you can all guess where she gets it from!

And the doctor says...

2008-08-01T10:42:00.000-07:00

It's a Girl!
A few of her bum with her legs out to the right.

A profile shot where she is in her fainting pose again.

That means everyone who voted on our poll was correct!!! That amazes me. I have to admit that the two votes for a boy were from Ed. He wasn't even supposed to vote and he was secretly trying to persuade people to bumb up the boy votes.

Well, we are both very happy, including Ed. Abby is thrilled to have a little sister coming too! Both Caleb and Abby were able to come with us to see the ultrasound, that was a lot of fun. On both sides of our familys we have been blessed with lots of boys so we are super exited to have a girl to help even out the count. Now comes the fun part! I can start making some more of these for every outfit....

Fun Flashback

2008-07-28T12:12:00.000-07:00

This last weekend was Ed's High School Reunion so we took a quick trip back to Long Island; the kids stayed with Papa Ed and Nanny Lori since our trip was so quick. They will bring them back on Wednesday night. I wouldn't say that I was excited about going to a reunion where I knew no one and plus being pregnant didn't help my desire to be there but we both had a great time. I realized that everyone loved Ed in high school and I got to hear all the funny stories about him from the crazy English skits to the great track meets. Everyone we met was very nice and also very excited that we were expecting. It was nice just to have a great dinner on the bay and even a chance to dance with my Love!

A shot before the night got started. This also serves as a 19 week prenancy shot for all those who've been asking.

The whole gang. Ed is in the middle of the back row in a white shirt.

All good things must come to an end....

2008-07-12T11:45:00.000-07:00

Here are just some pictures of the fun we had on our last few days of vacation. We hit the beach a few more times, had some great bonfires out back and made a stop in NYC. We even had a flat tire on the way home but we are trying not to re-live that experience and we did make it home in one piece.

Back at the beach, where we had a day of great waves.

Smore Fun...

Down in Times Square...
We had to stop in the LARGEST Toys R Us ever. They had a huge ferris wheel when you first walked in and 4 mezzanzine floors packed with every kind of toy overlooking the carosel. We thought that the Lego Statue of Liberty was the best. Wouldn't that be great if your job was to build these Lego displays? For the Sports Fans....
The M&M store was by far our favorite. There was a machine that if you stood under it, it would tell you what M&M best fit your mood at the time. And there was a huge wall that dispensed every color and kind of M&M there is under the sun.
The view from our room....

4th of July Parade

2008-07-06T10:48:00.000-07:00

We started out our 4th of July holiday with a small town parade in the town of Southampton. It was great to see all the fire trucks, school bands, and even some ballerinas.

A video clip of some of the action....

Backyard Friends

2008-07-06T10:17:00.001-07:00

Most people would not think that Long Island is such a great haven for nature but in Hampton Bays where Papa Ed and Lori live it is very wooded and full of great animals. Here are just a few friends we have made while staying at their house this week:

Tommy the Turtle

Our Deer Friend

Hit the Beach

2008-07-06T09:24:00.000-07:00

The first thing we did when we got to Long Island was to hit the beach. There are so many great beaches here! Also while on their Canoeing Trip Ed and the kids found a great swimming hole. Thank goodness everyone has had 2 swimsuits.

Abby, Ed and Caleb resting in an inlet created from the ocean water.

Ed carrying Abby "backpacky" style

Video of Caleb riding the skim board

Video of Caleb on the Rope Swing at the swimming hole

Video of Ed on the Rope Swing

Video of Abby on the Rope Swing

Keeping warm after the day's adventures

We will Officially be on Vacation in 1 hour!

2008-07-01T09:35:00.000-07:00

Ed is coming by to pick me up from work and we will head to the Baltimore Airport to pick up Caleb and Abby. From there we are driving staight to Long Island to stay at Papa Ed's house and spend a week at the beach relaxing. I can't wait, my work is all done (ha!), my timesheet turned in, my out-of-office reply on. It has been a whole year for me since seeing Caleb and Abby, so I am sure they will be much taller. Watch for photos of the fun to follow.....

Dinner Downtown D.C.

2008-06-30T13:59:00.000-07:00

It had been too long since I had hung out with the girls. Thanks to Camie who planned our dinner plans; we ended up at Pasta Mia, a place none of us had been to before and believe me it will probably be another year at least before I go back. The Tortilli Rosa that I ordered was De-lish and probably more calories than I normally eat in a day. Ed of course was happy to get my leftovers.

Camie, Anna, Gretchen & Me.

Thanks girls for a fun night out!

And baby makes 5....

2008-06-09T15:26:00.000-07:00

We are so exicted to finally be letting our family and friends know that we are expecting! We are due December 21. Not our ideal timing but we feel blessed to be pregnant at all. After last year's miscarriage we are cautiously but joyfully awaiting our Christmas Baby. This morning Ed surprised me at the last minute and came with me to my appointment, which was the most exciting one by far. We had some blood testing and and ultrasound done. During the ultrasound as we were watching our baby the doctor asked me to cough and he/she jumped super high and fast. It was the funniest thing Ed and I had ever seen. I couldn't stop laughing. Our baby then continued to jump on their own without me even moving. It looked like we had a jumping bean for a baby. Their arms and legs were moving continuously. It truly is amazing to realize God's plan and how miraculous it is to create life. It is BEAUTIFUL!

All American BBQ

2008-06-05T09:26:00.000-07:00

Ed and I were invited to the White House for a BBQ Tuesday evening. Usually when we have visited the White House for the Christmas and Garden Tours it is more like a cattle line and Mr. President is never home. But when we showed up, we were pleasantly surprised! There were numerous food, drink and dessert tent without a single line. There was a band, line dancing, hay rides, potato sack races and games and balloons for the kids. We even got to meet and talk with Pres. and Laura Bush. Apparently, they just wanted to thank all those who worked for the administration and thought that we would enjoy having a BBQ at their home with our families.

Ed posing with Uncle Sam....

Betsy Ross was great! She had a wonderful accent and she gave out flags. She also showed us how to folder a piece of paper in such a way that with 1 cut of her antique scissors you could make a perfect star!

What a view!

This was a great surprise....President and Laura were both so hospitable and happy to meet us.
Look what my great husband "designed" for me at the dessert tent! Grandma Richins would be so proud!

Does this work?

2008-05-20T14:18:00.000-07:00

BB, I am just trying this out.....