Then & Now

Today marks the one year anniversary of bringing our baby home from the hospital. I still remember that feeling of "newness" and thank God for the sleep we now receive :)

That was then, and this is now...

Christmas Time Was Here!

Here are some pictures of our 7th Christmas together as a family. Speaking of family, I remember specifically mentioning to Jordan when we were first married that someday it would be fun to do things as a "family" and hearing his prompt reminder that we became a family the day we got married :) I love that.

We crashed at Anneke's and Izaak's house along with Seth and Bethany on Christmas Eve, and it was so fun to wake up Christmas morning and watch Shiloh and Eli anticipate opening the presents. I'm sure Elyse will be there next year, but for this year, she was pretty interested in breakfast alone. After reading the Christmas story together, we broke into presents and spent the rest of the day celebrating God's great Gift!!! I think the highlight of my day was probably the afternoon the "grown-ups" had while the kiddos were napping. We prepared a huge meal and enjoyed some great conversation without any distractions. Now that I'm in the mommy world, I realize what 2 1/2 hours of peace and quiet means! :) It made me so thankful for our siblings and for the great relationship we have with them! We love you guys! Yes, it was fun when the kids woke up, but definitely a different kind of fun :) Hope your Christmas was merry!

This was the best sight to me Christmas morning!

I love this guy!

Yes, she's fascinated with her own reflection...

Our Christmas buds. :) Love you guys!

1!

Elyse's first birthday party was so fun. We started the Christmas Eve festivities off with some appetizers and cake (of course) before we headed over to Anneke's and Izaak's house for our big slumber party. Elyse did not seem to mind at all that her party was the prelude to Christmas fun, and I can only hope that her sweet attitude will continue for many years. Elyse loved her first cupcake and managed to keep herself fairly clean, much to the joy of Daddy and me and our OCD tendencies (I'm just partially kidding). She had no interest in trying to open her presents, but she did enjoy her gifts! I am so thankful that her aunts, uncles and cousins were so thoughtful in making her birthday so special. We are blessed with such a sweet girl, and I know I will never forget the fun we had as we celebrated the first year of her life!

Beautiful.

The sight of our new baby girl was a beautiful sight today. This picture captures only a fraction of what we witnessed as the ultrasound technician explored the surface of my stomach this morning. I forgot what an amazing sight it is to see more than little "hiccups" of movement on the screen. It was just 16 months ago that I watched sweet little Elyse stretch and hold her little foot as she put on a show for us. I fell in love all over again as I watched our new baby scrunch her little knees up to her chest and yawn, as if exhausted from... performing. I watched her little hands frame her face as if to say "cheese!" Not only did she "empty her bladder" (as the technician politely informed us) for us on camera, but she also showed us what a great eater she will be as she gulped fluid for a good 15 seconds before our very eyes. There is nothing like seeing a baby weighing no more than 8 ounces as she stretches and moves in me the very way I know she will in our arms. Yes, I fell in love with our baby the minute my little pregnancy test showed positive, but I fell in love again with this little baby girl today. As I feel her squirm around in me tonight as I type, I love her even more than I did yesterday. And I know I will love her even more tomorrow. We can't wait to meet you, little one! Your dad and I couldn't be happier as we anticipate your arrival!

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,

the fruit of the womb a reward."

Psalm 127:3

Merry Christmas!

I hope each of you enjoys a great day of reflection on God's perfect Gift. God truly blessed us in Jesus Christ!

Here's a picture of our little stocking stuffer last year, and a picture of our big stocking stuffer this year. Wishing each of you a wonderful Christmas!

(I think somebody's a bit too excited about her presents!)

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