Elyse Noelle Turns ONE!

Well, it's here! Today we celebrate the birth of Elyse. There are so many things that have changed in the last year, it's hard to even think of listing them. I guess there are a few obvious ways I have changed, and most of those changes can be contributed to motherhood. Jordan has probably changed in many ways, but he continues to be the "anchor" for our family, just as he has been from day 1. Elyse, on the other hand, has tripled in weight (SO glad I can't say I have done that... yet), produced 5 teeth, grown almost ALL new hair, learned how to jabber, chew, do some tricks, ... the list goes on and on. The miracle of life is so incredible, and so is the miracle of growth. I walked into her room the other night as Jordan was rocking her before bed, and it startled me to see her legs hanging down so far... she was looking so big. I was shocked to find out she weights more than 20 pounds. What??? It's been so fun to see her develop more personality. Seems like yesterday we sat around trying to make her laugh, and she now spends her time trying to get laughs out of us (NOT a challenge). There are so many things I love about this stage, but I'll just list a few of my new "fun's" and "not-so-fun's."

"fun's"

* cow's milk, baby! Elyse loves it, thankfully!

* the new "doodle-oodle-oodle" noise she makes

* peek-a-boo at all times of the day

* a new hearty laugh at odd times

* excessively big hugs lately

* lots of dancing & bopping to music

* much more flexibility to eat out when we can (when she's rested & happy :) Bye, bye, baby food!

* "walking" with her around the house (no, she still can't do this by herself yet!)

* hearing lots of "meemee," "..ssss....," "teeteetee," in addition to the "mama's" and "dada's"

* transitioning away from the ol' bottle

* teaching her some manners, like sharing

* she's been a real cuddler lately, especially when I rock her before bed...LOVE this.

* Elyse rests her head lots on my shoulder, especially when she's shy :)

* she hums along when I sing to her

"not-so-fun's"

* fierce independent streak

* the face she makes when she knows she's going to get scolded (okay, it's actually kind of funny, but....)

* on a similar note, biting the inside of my cheek when I'm trying NOT to laugh at her bad behavior

* removing "toys" she shouldn't have & listening to the aftermath

* she's getting to love all the foods I love, but not necessarily the foods I want her to love :)

* small anger fits over SILLY things

* graduating my baby into the world of a one-year-old!!! :(

Elyse, you are such a precious gift to us. We thank God every day for you! We know that this year you will learn SO many new things, but you will always be our little girl.

The big week

Well, it's here! This is the week we get to celebrate Elyse's birthday & Christmas! Together! Forever! :) Yes, this is going to be interesting for many years. I have been doing lots of reminiscing this week as I get ready for both celebrations. I thought I would post Elyse's birth story, pulled straight from the letter that I wrote her just a couple of months ago when I finally decided to write it all out. BIG MISTAKE. Should have written all the details down sooner. I'm gettin' old! I edited this, don't worry :) I figured there are some details that just don't need to be shared...

Dear Elyse,

So, my little darling, you are almost ten months old, and I am just now documenting the day of your birth. Sad, I know. I know I have forgotten SO many of the details, but I still hope that someday you will enjoy reading how you entered the world.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008, started just like every other day EXCEPT for the fact that for once, giving birth to you was not on my mind. I went into work at 8:30 that morning, and my boss decided to close our office at noon so we could all meet up at Carrabba’s for lunch. I remember specifically arriving at the restaurant and hearing “mean” comments from my coworkers about me still being pregnant well into January. Honestly, since your due date was January 1, I wasn’t expecting to be giving birth this day. For lunch, I was ravenous, and in addition to eating almost an entire basket of Italian bread dipped in olive oil and oregano, I ordered shrimp scampi and even ate dessert. We all laughed about how much I was eating, but I was later very thankful! I left the restaurant at about 2pm, and I was so excited for the evening ahead of us. This would be the first Christmas Eve that Dad and I had spent alone. We had lofty plans of putting together a puzzle in our pajamas and watching “Elf” while eating oreo balls. Daddy got off work at about 1 that day, so he was waiting for me when I arrived home.
We headed down to Target to pick up a puzzle and grab the movie, and while we were at Target, your dad bought me a caramel frappuccino from Starbucks. I managed to guzzle that in no time. We found our little puzzle and headed home. Jordan decided to make the oreo balls for us, so we changed into our pj’s and Jordan started on the dessert. It was about 4pm when my water broke. I KNEW I had already gone to the bathroom, so that just left one option! I distinctly remember looking down, then up at Jordan, and the expression on his face was priceless. He said, “What?” I responded that I thought my water had just broken, and all he said was, “Really?”
After I convinced Jordan that I really believed my water broke, I called my doctor’s office. Minutes later, I received a call from the doctor on call that night, Dr. G. After he asked about my “symptoms,” he told me to head over to the hospital to confirm that it was indeed my water. He closed our conversation with, “See you at the stable, Mary!” I immediately packed up our bags (no, I didn’t do that ahead of time), changed clothes, and went to check on your dad. There he is, still in his pajamas, washing dishes and sweeping the floor! I finally convinced him to get ready, and by 4:30, we hit the road. The hospital was about 20 minutes from our house, but we weren’t in a rush. We still hadn’t eaten dinner, so we did decide to grab Jordan something to eat (I was still very full). We knew we were in for the long haul. At this point, I wasn’t having any contractions, but I was feeling a little nauseous. We found a 7-11 that was open, and Jordan grabbed a drink and a packaged sandwich that looked kind of crummy. There were not a lot of open restaurants on Christmas Eve! We headed up to labor & delivery, and we settled into a small observation room. The nurse had to confirm that it was indeed my water that had broken. This took forever, and I was starting to feel very uncomfortable. Once they confirmed it, Jordan headed down to the car to get our stuff, and I was taken over to our room. I was officially admitted at about 6:30pm when I was 4cm dilated. Our room was very spacious, and Jordan set out to make it as homey as possible. He had grabbed our Christmas “stuff” from home, and he even hung our stockings on the IV pole next to my bed! The nurses got a real kick out of that.
My contractions hit hard just as I got settled into my room. They had me all hooked up to the machines, but a nurse came in rather quickly to confirm that my contractions had STARTED at 2 minutes apart. She asked me how I was doing, and at the time, I just told her I was okay. She left us, and Jordan decided we would celebrate our little Christmas. He had our cards and the few gifts that we had, and I remember very little of that time. I remember him reading cards to me between contractions, and I could hardly see straight, let alone listen. It was quite funny. I felt like I was almost hitting a little delirium. I remember telling Jordan that I felt like such a wimp, but I felt I needed something. When the nurse came back in, I asked her for something, and she gave me Nubain. It didn’t take long for the drug to kick in, and I felt a little dizzy and got sick. Although it took some of the edge off the pain, it wasn’t all that helpful. I was ready for an epidural, and I remember panting like a dog to get through the contractions! It was about 9:30pm when I told the nurse that I really needed the epidural. She mentioned that I would have to be fairly dilated to be ready for that. She decided to check, and I was over 8cm dilated. She called the anesthesiologist and called Dr. G (who had not yet arrived at the hospital).
Shortly later, the anesthesiologist arrived to administer the epidural. I remember throwing myself over the small table on wheels to sit still for him, but I was oblivious. I remember him administering a test dose and asking me if I was seeing any dark spots or bright lights (scary!). Since I wasn’t, he showed me how to use the little pain button (which the nurse pushed once for me, but I didn’t use at all since I was so out of it) and took off. As soon as he left the room, I informed the nurse that I was ready to push. She informed me that I was NOT ready to push, and again called Dr. G. Shortly after that, he arrived to the “stable” with his little suit on and his Christmas tie. Yes, I had indeed called him out of his Christmas Eve service.
Once he dropped by the room to inform the nurse that he would scrub in, she set up the bed “delivery style” and gave me one practice push (at approximately 10:30pm). Once I completed that push, Daddy could see your head! The nurse told me to STOP. Once Dr. Groves arrived, he quickly settled in and we started the pushing. It was actually quite relaxed (I was not in much pain) and the two nurses were great. Jordan was so helpful. After 3 long pushes, you came out (11:01pm)! It was truly the most amazing thing I’ve ever experienced. Once you cried (which was fairly soon, but not too loud), they placed you on a towel on my belly and I was able to “hug” you for the first time. They quickly took you over to the corner of the room where they cleaned you all up, bathed you, weighed you, and swaddled you all up.

Once Dr. G left, I was finally able to hold you. You were and still are beautiful. I remember thinking that your skin looked so dark and your little cheeks were so chubby! We were finally able to spend time as a family. I remember Daddy pulling off your little candy-striped stocking cap, and I think we both gasped at your beautiful hair. It was so dark and thick! You were wide awake, and your little eyes were so dark. After I had a few minutes with you, I passed you off to Dad, and he was instantly in love. I will never forget the look on his face as he looked at you closely for the first time. You were the best Christmas present we could have ever received.
We had to trust God the day you were born, and we still trust him for every part of your life. We pray you will love him and trust him, too, as HE is trustworthy always. We love you, Elyse. I hope you enjoyed reading your story. I enjoyed reliving it ☺

All my love,

Mom

Happy Birthday, Happy Bear!

No, it's not Elyse's birthday yet, but it is the first birthday of her bear, lovingly named Happy Bear until Elyse bequeaths it with a new name (when she can speak). Actually, the bear's birthday was yesterday. On December 14, 2008, Jordan and I had a "walk-this-baby-out" date to the mall, and we headed to Build-A-Bear so he could make a bear for the new baby. I still remember looking at his face when he surveyed the clothing bins for the bears. I don't know what he was expecting, but it was NOT Hannah Montana glitter-wear. He finally settled on the most innocent outfit in the bunch, and he even requested the bows. Elyse LOVES this bear so much, in fact, that she will usually stop mid-scream to smile and bury her face in the bear. There are many times that the bear has napped with her, in fact, and I don't feel guilty at all. Whatever works. The "walk-this-baby-out" method we used last year obviously did not work, as Elyse made her entrance on Christmas Eve. BUT, I look back at those antsy days with fond memories (believe it or not). We sure had fun anticipating her arrival! I can't wait to see what Daddy will build for the new baby. I'm sure it will be done with just as much love. Happy birthday, Happy Bear! Thank you for sparing us moments of sheer insanity! May you continue to bring joy to an occasionally grumpy little girl. And may you always maintain the two bows on your ears, as opposed to losing them to my daughter's belly. AND, may I never find Elyse trying on your underwear.

This was Elyse's first introduction to Happy Bear back in June. The tummy rolls are crackin' me up!

Grandma & Grandpa time!

Last week, we enjoyed a visit from my folks. Their trip was LONG, but they endured it to spend a few days with us down here where it's supposed to be warm. Well, it wasn't warm. It was actually quite cold. Elyse loved the extra attention, though, and when she woke up after they left on Tuesday morning, she immediately started looking over my shoulder to see who was next to greet her. Sadly, it was just ME. We had a great time catching up, and I'll admit, I had a nice little break from lots of the little mommy-ing extras: feeding, reading, bathing, dressing, etc... (For any of you wise-guys out there, yes, I still ate, read, bathed and dressed, but I was speaking of Elyse.) Grandma and Grandpa were a great help, and I think I got a nap each day they were here! **aah!!** I'm so thankful that they took a trip to visit us, and it sure made me wish we lived closer to each other!

When I grow up...

... I think I want to be a dentist.

For the last few weeks, I have been obsessed with the inside of Mommy's and Daddy's mouth.

This bizarre obsession with teeth may indicate that I'm leaning towards choosing a career in dentistry.

Mommy & Daddy are applying now for scholarships.

On this rare occasion, Daddy indulged my obsession and let me poke around.

These pictures are the results :)

Good & Perfect Gifts

I really feel like this stage of life is charmed for us. No, we don't have a lot of money, but we never really expected to. No, we don't have a very big home, but we never really expected to. No, we don't have a lot of time to do all the things we would love to do, but we never really expected to. We seem to be exactly at the stage of life that we expected to be 6 1/2 years ago when we started this little family. Jobs, babies, busy lives, ministry, great friends, wonderful family, cheap dates, RedBox movies, diapers, coupons, renting, saving, saving, saving, some spending, road trips, pregnancy (for me, at least :), cooking, strollers & car seats, do-it-yourself repairs, clearance shopping, ... The list really could go on, but I'm tired of commas. I just say that to remind myself that my expectations can often determine my outlook. We entered our marriage expecting to start small. And we have. And we have loved it. Perhaps it's in looking back at this phase of life that I will remember all the joy and none of the hardship. I hope so. We have it so good. Not only do we not have to worry about our physical provision (God takes care of that for us), but we get to enjoy serving a God whose plans for us are bigger than a big house or a sweet car. We get to look forward to glorification. Wow. So, what do we have to worry about? If God is for us, who can be against us? No, my expectations aren't low, they're high. I'm still in the process of realizing that the best things in life really are the simple, free things :) I really do expect great things from a God that keeps amazing us.

I am so thankful for my husband who is sitting a few miles away in a crummy call center talking to frustrating people... thankful that he goes to work so I can stay at home & care for Elyse... thankful that he's faithful to God and to us... thankful that I'm pretty sure he's never been bored one minute in his life... thankful that he asked me out and thankful that he keeps charming the daylights out of me. I'm thankful that we love marriage and treasure time together. I'm thankful for the little pumpkin in the other room who's probably all wound up in her blankets as she dreams of pears and her stuffed bear. I'm thankful she smiles at me when I have totally botched something... I'm thankful that she forgives when I mess up & don't have a clue what I'm doing. I'm thankful that she IS in the next room. I'm thankful for this little baby that I'm feeling poke around in my belly tonight. I'm thankful that I can get the meds I need to keep this little baby poking around. I'm thankful for the anticipation of meeting this new little person. I'm thankful for a family that truly loves our God and lives for Him. I could embellish on that forever. I'm thankful for our church family that surrounds us with encouragement, edification and love. I'm thankful for Christ, who made it possible for us to come to the Father. Where would I be without Him? I'd have no joy in all the things I've mentioned. In Christ, I can give thanks in everything. I can even thank him for the washer that seems to be dying, the neighbor that's pesky, the savings account that doesn't grow as quickly as I'd like, and the loser that almost hacked into our bank account... Yes, life is good because God is good. I mean it when I say that I can't wait to see what God does in our family this year. My expectations are high.

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."

James 1:17

11 Months Old. Wow.

Well, my little sweetie is one month away from being 1 year old. Elyse seems to have changed so much this month in personality and development. No, she still has not become mobile. Hmm. We'll just see what happens with that :) I can now see so much more in her facial expressions. The looks of "innocence" when food mysteriously falls to the floor... the determination in her eyes when she insists on getting Daddy to look at her... I love these new faces. She has two new teeth since my last birthday post, and one more looks to be so close to coming through! I just have a great feeling that maybe it will choose Thanksgiving Day to bug her. Wouldn't that be fun? :) Elyse is definitely getting more determined to get what she wants to, as long as she doesn't have to move much to do it. I'm sure that will all change soon, but life is still pretty simple around here (for which I am thankful). She seems to be getting a bit pickier in the food department, and the only green she still likes is peas. Beans and broccoli are the new enemy. She's into laughing each time we put her down for a nap or for bedtime. I'm not sure how this has become a game...? I am cherishing each day I have with this little girl, and we are so amazed at how much fun she brings to our lives. I can only describe her as a true delight to us, and we thank God for her! Here are my traditional "fun's" and "not-so-fun's" for this month:

"fun's"

* Elyse is still working on being consistent with the "please" sign (yes, that means we're working on it), but we added "all done" and we're working on "more." Sometimes they all come out as a clap, but I don't care a bit :)
* She loves to "play" the piano, and though the noise is horrible, the look on her face is priceless!
* The time change has somehow worked some magic on her wake-up time- it's now 8am many mornings. What would I do with 14 hours of sleep every night? I get lazy just thinking about it.
* She can eat most foods by hand now, except for some slippery fruits :)
* She loves to squish the bumper in her crib down so she can put her arms and legs through the slats. ?
* "Mama" is quite frequent now, and she's starting to really convince me it's on purpose!

* She waves "hi" and "bye" 75% of the times we ask her :) Maybe 50%...

"not-so-fun's"

* She is quite independent. If we invade her personal space too much, she lets us know!

* She's into thrashing her arms around when she doesn't like something, especially getting her diaper changed. Not too charming.
* She isn't easily distracted from a toy anymore- if it's taken from her, she does have a meltdown :(
* She snubs (I'm putting that nicely) foods she doesn't like.
* Packing up all her baby clothes- it does make me want some more pink in our house someday :)

We love you, Elyse! And someday if you ever read this, just imagine us having to turn and laugh our heads off right after we scold you for some of the funniest things. I know it's only going to get worse, but we have to get a grip! :) Oh, my...

Surprise Getaway!

My husband left a little note for me after he left for work one day last week telling me that he was going to take me away for a night. His note was really cute, but he said we were just going somewhere in our own backyard. Yes, I missed the figurative aspect of that phrase, and immediately I pictured a small 4 person tent in our backyard, the baby monitor 12 inches from my head. Nope, I don't think so! Once I clarified that with him, I was actually quite excited! My sweet hubby took me to the Governor Dinwiddie Hotel in Olde Towne Portsmouth. The name of the hotel made me giggle, but the place was awesome! We had a great suite and perfect weather to walk around and catch the ferry over to downtown Norfolk for dinner. Jordan got to enjoy a whole lobster, and I inhaled a filet mignon at the charming Freemason Abbey. I promise I did chew! :) It was my first night away from Elyse, but I knew she was in very capable hands. Of course, I still had to confirm with Aunt Anneke that she was truly asleep before I could sleep peacefully, but it was a perfect night away. Yes, I was so excited to see my pumpkin the next morning, but our getaway was a lovely reminder of our "original" little family. I knew it was just what we needed when we came home ready to fight over who got to hold Elyse first! I'm so thankful Jordan & I are more in love today than we ever dreamed we could be 6 1/2 years ago. Every day gets better!

What's been soundin' good

This current pregnancy of mine has me wanting LOTS of carbs and NOT a lot of vegetables. It really has been a chore this time to make myself a salad or fix veggies. And believe me, it's not because I fail to have good food on hand. In fact, I am most motivated when I shop! Last year, I switched out all of our whites for whole wheats, and I only go back on rare occasions (eg. french toast!). I spend more time now shopping the perimeter of the grocery store (fresh and refrigerated), but now there are days when I return from the grocery store discouraged because I don't want to eat a BIT of what I bought! I'm determined to persist through this phase, though, knowing it will pass & knowing my baby's health is more important than what sounds good to me. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before I begin craving spinach & carrot sticks again. *cough, cough* I have been feeling well, as long as I refrain from overeating (always a good thing!) and remember to eat something small at least every 2 or 3 hours. Here are some pictures of what's been tasting good to me (the salad picture is quite motivational to me). One is good, one is okay, and one is very, very, very bad :)

Who doesn't love a BLTCheese???

And my all-time new favorite, our version of the Canadian "Poutine." (FYI, please do not look that up in any search engine... take my word for it.) BUT, I'll tell you it's french fries, gravy and cheese. I mocked it for years until I finally tried it. I'm sorry, poutine! I will make it up to you! :)

This little piggy...

... stole our hearts :) Our community group met last night, and we had a great time outside in the 70-some degree weather. I know, strange! I remember trick-or-treating in South Dakota when I was little, wearing at least 50 layers. In fact, our costumes usually consisted of anything we could wear OVER our winter coats! This year, my friend Becca passed along an outfit her two adorable girls wore, and Elyse was Piglet. She didn't last in the costume all too long because of the heat, but we had enough time to snap some pictures. Cousins Eli and Shiloh were looking smashing in their costumes, and we even watched the guys bob for apples in the backyard. Wow, that was frightening. No candy for the munchkin this year, but Mommy made sure she ate Elyse's share, too. Isn't that nice of Mommy?