Closet Fest '08

Home improvement projects... you gotta love them. So when we built our house we were very excited about our great big master closet. It had some much more room and stuff than any of our previous apartment closets. We had intentions of a few years down the road adding a closet system to help organize. Well that day has arrived. Our closet is a disaster area!! Really it could be declared. We decided to add a very neat organizing system with drawers and shelves. Matt designed some great ones online but they were just too expensive so we went to Lowe's and found a do it yourself system that was cheap but nice. So we bought it. All 32 boxes of it. Millions of pieces to put together. So for the last week that is what Matt has been working on. He has done an amazing job of putting it together. Now we just have to install it. But before that I have to clean out the closet. I am off to do that. Hopefully I won't get stuck by any falling objects!! I will keep you updated.

The Before Shot... Check back later for the after.
32 boxes and counting...

Matt working really hard. Right now it is all put together in our guest bedroom.

Ben working really hard helping Daddy

Sleep Update

I have had lots of comments and suggestions regarding Ben's sleep issues (thanks for all your suggestions!). I thought I would give you an update. Last night for the first time in about 2 months Ben slept through the night!! YEA!!! It was great to get some really good sleep. I didn't wake up to a screaming little guy. He still isn't going to sleep on his own like he used to but you only have to rock him for about 5 minutes and he is out. I think we are on the way to being over this bump in the road of sleep.

Wii Fun!

Early this summer, we decided to do our part to "stimulate" the "slow" economy. We used our great government tax check to buy a Wii!!! We had thought long and hard about doing this and finally broke down and did it. It was the best purchase ever. We love our Wii!! It has actually been good for our marriage because it is something we can do together.

At first, we just had the basic sports game. It was lots of fun (especially bowling) but recently we have branched out. We bought a surgery game and have become expert surgeons (as long as we have the magic heal all potion we can do surgery on you if needed). For our anniversary be bought each other Wii Fit which has been lots of fun and motivating us to get in shape. It really does work. I have had several of my patients ask me about it so we can count it off on our taxes as "research" : ). Then for Father's Day Ben got Matt Rock Band!!! Talk about lots of fun. We have had so much fun messing around with that. Our band's name is "Taming Ben." I am actually enjoying it and it is a great game to have for parties. Our house has become the "cool" house in the neighborhood and we have kids ringing our doorbell daily to play the Wii. So we feel pretty hip these days. Ben loves to watch us play the Wii and sometimes tries to do it himself. I can't wait until he is really able to do it!

Enjoy some pictures of us playing our new past time:

Matt and the neighborhood kids playing rock band. They are actually pretty good

Ben melting away the pounds on the Wii Fit

Sleep issues plague the Eckley house!!

So I am sitting here waiting on a conference call for work (mid year evaluation - I hate evaluations by the way!) and I thought that I would just write some random thoughts and seek some advice.


Do you think babies dream?

So lately Ben has been having some really bad sleep issues. I thought it was just because we had been so busy the last couple of months and really hadn't been on a schedule. But this week we have been at home everyday and trying to stay on a schedule and he is as bad as ever. He woke up in the middle of the night one day this week just screaming. It was like he was asleep but screaming and flailing about. I think he is having nightmares. It has made him afraid to go to sleep. He used to be a great sleeper but now it is just terrible. Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?

I need some sleep!! Last night he was up 4 times in the night. I had to wake up Matt to help me at 2:30.


Just a cute picture of Ben. Hard to believe that this baby could cause so much havock in our house!!

Mr. and Mrs. Andrew East

I know it is a little late, but I wanted to put up some pictures from my brother's wedding. The wedding was July 12th. It was a wonderful day. Everything was beautiful and they were so happy! The wedding was lots of fun as well. It was at a large house "in the country". The wedding was in the gardens outside. It was a little rainy early in the day but it was great at wedding time. Ben had a great time at the wedding. He was a little young to be the ring bearer but he did get a cute outfit and got to run around and enjoy all the festivities. He is only 16 months old and has already been to the weddings of both of his uncles.

I am so excited to have Kelly officially become part of our family. I could not have picked out a better wife for Andrew. I am so glad to have a sister!!!

The newlyweds have been in Hawaii for the last couple of weeks and are on their way home now. They are moving to Greensboro NC. They already have an apartment up there and Andrew will be starting work next week. I am so sad to see them moving so far away. I have always had my "little" brother close by. We sure are going to miss them!! Ben is especially going to miss his "Unca Do" and "Ca".

Ben with his Granna and Grandaddy The happy couple and their favorite nephew!

Introducing... Mr & Mrs!

Sad Good-Bye!

We had a great time this weekend although it was a little sad. Our friends (really our best friends), are moving so we had a going away party for them. We are so sad to see Brad and LeeAnn move. We are excited for them and the new adventure that they are embarking on but we are really going to miss them.

LeeAnn and I have been friends forever (really since we were like 6 or 7 years old). We have one of those friendships that just stands the test of time. She has always been a great support and sounding board for me. In the past we have been apart but never this far. Brad and Matt have also developed a great friendship since high school. We have been through alot together. There have been lots of wonderful memories made. It has been wonderful having them so close to get to be apart of Ben's life (they were there in the delivery room just 30 minutes after he was born). I hate to think about him not getting to see his "Aunt LeeAnn" and "Uncle Brad" very much. Mobile is only 6 hours away so hopefully we will get to see them lots! This just means lots of trips to the beach.

Saturday night we had a going away cookout at our house for Brad and LeeAnn and some of our other friends. It was lots of fun to just sit around and talk and catch up. We got to spend some time with them before the left. It was great!! Here are some pictures from the party. We love you guys and are going to miss you!!

Rock Band - More to come about that later!

Ben dancing the night away! He stayed up until 11 pm. He was not ready to stop partying.

First timer!

Ok so after a year of resisting it I am giving in. I know I know, I can't believe I am doing it but here it is.... My first attempt at blogging. I have always thought our life was just too boring and all our friends and family were close by so why would I need to blog. But with my brother and sister-in-law moving away and with friends moving and life being so busy I thought I would give it a try. I am still not sure it will be very exciting but at least it will keep everyone up to date on what is going on with us. I need to do a better job of keeping up with what we are doing myself. I promise to update often so check back. So here it is...

Yesterday morning Ben and I went out to play. The sprinklers had just gone off so there was a big puddle in the driveway. Ben loved it and splashed away for 30 minutes. Here are some pictures of the fun he had with puddles.