Summer Clothes!

I know it's not summer yet, but if you live in Virginia these days, it is just as hot as any summer day in July, so we are officially breaking out summery clothes. I must say, babies look so cute in as little clothing as possible! Aunt Bethany got Elyse some adorable outfits from a garage sale, and I just love seeing arm and leg rolls, and, of course, bare baby feet. Summer baby clothes are one bright spot in the beginnings of smoldering weather.

Four Months Old!

My baby is four months old today. I have officially stopped using weeks to mark her short life. She's no longer an infant! It's hard to believe that four months ago, I was still pregnant. I decided to dig out the picture Jordan took right before we left for the hospital. This is a first: only a select few have been able to see this lovely picture of me about to pop. Other than the fact that it makes me kind of nauseous, I still like to be reminded of what a miracle took place that day! Life sure changed, but all for the better. As I look at each month's picture, it reminds me of how fast Elyse has grown and changed. We're so thankful for our little munchkin and can't imagine life without her! We love you, Elyse Noelle (just in case you're reading this)!!!


Boy, was I ready to have this baby! This was 7 hours before the big event.


Brand spankin' new.


1 month old


2 months old


3 months old


4 months old!

Not so brave...

Today I took Elyse to the doctor's for her 4-month check up. Things started beautifully. She weighed in at 14.1, and she is still 25 inches long. She was cooing for the doctor, melting my heart... all until the doctor decided to check her ears. An initial check turned into a small excavation, and my little darling went nuts. She broke out a new cry, one I'd never heard before. It was very similar to the squealing of a little pig. Poor baby. For some reason, I wanted to hit the doctor, and I truly wasn't prepared for that reaction. I know she was just doing her job, but it really got on my nerves. NOW I understand why mommies are always defending their little darlings! :) Anyway, it was downhill from there. Shots were next, and those were handled in similar fashion. Needless to say, nothing would calm her down at that point. Elyse has her first ear infection, apparently, and I had NO clue. The doc asked if she had been fussy... hmm, other than the fact that she was laying on the table screaming her head off, she's been happy. I'm sure the doctor is thinking, "Sure, she's been happy..." I had to chuckle. It did bring back TONS of memories when I gave Elyse her first dose of bubblegum-flavored medicine, though. Remember that, Kris? We used to BEG for that stuff! And, lest we feel too bad for Elyse, I brought her home and could barely get her to eat because she was smiling so much. Ah, if only she'll always be that forgiving... You can thank me for not posting any pictures of the actual event (none were taken), but I'll post HAPPY pictures of Elyse soon.

1 Year Ago Today...

It was one year ago today that my Grandma Helland went home to be with Jesus. It seems like yesterday, in so many ways, yet SO much has happened in a year! I will always wish that she was able to meet Elyse. In fact, it was just after returning from her funeral that I found out I was pregnant. I remember telling my Grandpa that we had chosen the name Elyse, and after his initial reaction of, "What kind of name is that???", he commented that it sounds a lot like Alice, my Grandma's name. I have so many fond memories of Grams and all that she meant to me. I look forward to showing Elyse her pictures and telling her all the stories of Grams that I love. She's been with Jesus a year. Wow. I'm sure she doesn't miss this place a bit, but I sure do miss her.

"Homesick"
Bart Millard, Mercy Me

You're in a better place, I've heard a thousand times
And at least a thousand times I've rejoiced for you
But the reason why I'm broken, the reason why I cry
Is how long must I wait to be with you

I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

Help me Lord cause I don't understand your ways
The reason why I wonder if I'll ever know
But, even if you showed me, the hurt would be the same
Cause I'm still here so far away from home

In Christ, there are no goodbye
And in Christ, there is no end
So I'll hold onto Jesus with all that I have
To see you again
To see you again

And I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow

I've never been more homesick than now.

Chillin' Outside

Elyse and I enjoyed a small portion of our afternoon out in the back yard. If it weren't for naps, we'd probably be out here a lot more! It was gorgeous today- I think it reached 80 degrees. FINALLY! I love to watch her when she's outside - she gasps whenever the wind blows and gets so nosey at every noise. Birds especially fascinate her! Watching the myriad of expressions that cross her face always get me thinking about what might be going through her mind. I'm guessing her thoughts usually center around her hands these days. She's always doing something with her hands...

Time's Flyin'!

I can hardly believe that my little munchkin is almost 4 months old! As much as I hate seeing her grow up, I love every new stage (is that so cliche, or what?). I remember my niece Natalie was almost 4 months old when Elyse was born, and Kris told me I'd LOVE this stage. She was right. Some of my favorite Elyse activities are:

Watching her head pop up when I enter her room to rescue her from her crib,
Smiles, smiles, smiles everywhere,
Seeing a cry turn into a huge smile when she gets my attention (I know, that one will come back to bite me!),
Seeing her smile so big when I put her down for bed (sometimes that quickly changes to a whine when I leave...),
and most of all, finally feeling like she's hugging me when I put her up against my shoulder. ***sigh***

Some of my NOT-so-favorite things are:

The weekly poop. How does one prepare for THAT?
Seeing a VERY short fuse- boy, does she have a temper! (I don't think I can blame Jordan for that one...)

It's worth it, though, poop and all. Here are some pics from today. There's drool everywhere these days!

A Good Read for Moms

My husband recently passed on a fabulous article from Modern Reformation that I'd love to pass on to any of you busy mommies looking for an encouraging read. It's entitled "Simple Grace, Simple Growth." I had recently been thinking how my time with the Lord has somewhat "evolved" with this tiny new distraction in the house, so when Jordan gave it to me, I devoured it! I still treasure the times I do have in the day, but the author of this article brings a great perspective to the table. Many of you will probably be able to relate to the author more than I, since your days are probably MULTIPLE times busier than mine! It's worth a 10 minute read. You can access the article here.

Daddy's Girl

Today as I watched Jordan play with Elyse, I had to pause and thank God for a husband who truly enjoys being a dad. Since Elyse is still in the "sleep-a-lot" stage, I take for granted that he usually only has a couple of waking hours with her on the days he's working. I love the way his face falls when he comes in from working in the yard or running errands, and the answer to his question of "Where's my little girl?" is the standard: "Asleep." That sounded mean... I don't LOVE the sadness in his face, but I do LOVE that he misses her. He enjoys being the one to wake her up from naps, convince her she's happy when she's truly mad, cuddle with her when there's a million other things that he could be doing... I must admit, there's nothing like watching your man adore his girl. I have a wonderful dad, so needless to say, it is so important to me that Elyse have that same experience. Knowing the pressure I face as a new mom, I cannot begin to imagine the weight Jordan must carry as the provider for and spiritual leader of our family. Yet, seeing him take the time to enjoy all the little moments of parenthood that I enjoy, I'm reminded how blessed I am! So, I thought it only fitting that my first real post be about the person that consumes most of my thoughts... my husband. I can't wait for Elyse to figure out what a great guy he is! I had better hurry and post this before he gets home and stops me...

Giving this a shot...

I am eating many of my words by actually activating our blog. For years, we have been the "Jordan & Sue" that participates only in witty comments on all of your blogs. I swore I would never have one of these, so the fact that I am now joining is pretty amusing! Perhaps it's just part of the euphoria that I am experiencing in the "honeymoon" stage of being a stay-at-home mom, but I hope this will be a good spot for all of you long-lost family members and long-lost friends to actually get a current update on what God is doing in our lives and our family. If my suspicions are correct, I will probably not be a faithful blogger, so at least I won't have my hopes dashed if my posts are few and far between. So, here it goes- Shelley, you convinced me :)