Blessed

Blessed...it's the word that keeps coming to mind these days. I just feel amazingly and wonderfully blessed. I know it's cliche, I know most new moms feel blessed, but I just truly feel that Ginny has been a huge blessing to our family. I've noticed more joy and laughter in our home since she's arrived. Lucy and Murray enjoy playing together more often (this could be the absence of my pregnancy cranky pants and my encouragement of more activities and games), but I also feel as though they have a renewed sense of joy and ownership in being "brother" and "sister". They are not only excited to be Ginny's brother and sister, but they're discovering that they can be a team together as well. I can't explain the joy I feel when Murray wants to do a craft and Lucy offers to help him...or Lucy wants a push on the swing and Murray does everything he can to give her that big push (she gave up on that and practiced pumping today and did great)!

I feel truly blessed to be able to snuggle my baby at night and put her back to sleep. While the payment for these late night snuggles can be a bit tiring...I'll take it. There's something magical about watching a thunderstorm out the window while feeding a snuggly newborn while the rest of the house sleeps. These moments are gone all too fast and you never get them back...I may still get snuggles from my bigger kids, but they just don't fit in my arms the same way.

I feel blessed to be the mom of 3 great kids and the wife of a loving and supportive husband. He may be a bit crazy at times, but the love and energy Nick brings to our family could not be replaced, and our home would not be the same without him.

Life is good these days...and the blessings seem to be as abundant as the snuggles!

Sisters!

Thanks for our matching outfits Boba and Tommy! We love letting everyone know we're sisters!

Don't you love the hair bow mommy found to match my pink tutu...makes me think of your wedding day...everyone at church loved it! I told them I borrowed it from mommy :)

Wordless Wednesday

We found a friend while trimming the bushes....

anyone know what it is? We found it quite interesting...

We have a big kid at our house!

I can't believe it...I know it's been approaching...but there's no denying it now...

We've started kindergarten, she's getting taller and has been showing characteristics of a big kid for quite a while now...

But, since we brought Ginny home from the hospital our "Little Lucy Girl" has made 3 major accomplishments:

*She started swimming on her own with no assistance...she can swim the front crawl, floating on her back and under water...it's pretty amazing!

*She can pump on a swing! What a joy this is for me...no more pushes...or sometimes just a little one to start her off!

*Yesterday we walked up to the school playground and Lucy went across the monkey bars all by herself without any help!

I can't believe how strong she's getting, how much control she has over her body and just what an all around "kid" she has become. It's not just the baby in the house...she's really growing up!

Thankful Thursdays

We certainly have a lot to be thankful for this week.

I'm thankful for Ginny's arrival and a successful acclimation to life at home as a family of 5!

I'm thankful for all the family and friends that have shown us so much love in the past few weeks.

I'm thankful I finished these adorable shirts in time so my 3...yes 3...wonderful children can wear them and be oh so proud.

I'm thankful...

Wordless Wednesday

Enjoying some time with Lotty Ladybug!

Murray found it entertaining as well!

Ginny's First Bath

These are pictures from Ginny's first bath...she had lots of helpers. She actually really enjoys baths, except for the aftermath in which she seems to get a little cold.

Ginny's first bath was Friday July 15th...and quite the family event!

Also a cute one of Lucy and Murray in the bath...I think that was taken the morning Ginny came home. It's always nice when the kids show off how much they really like each other and don't fight about doing things together!

In Love

We are all in LOVE with our newest addition. She's exactly what we've all been waiting for!

You can see it all over our faces! We love her from the tip of her head down to her cutest little toes!

(as an aside, if you double click on the collage it should make the pictures bigger and you should be able to zoom in even more on other pictures...the collage just lets me post more pictures at one time...let me know if there's any trouble with this and I'll try to fix it...)

38 weeks and 2 days

I wish I could recall the conversation Nick and I had last fall...it was something to this effect: We've been talking about it for over a year now...I just don't know if we should have another baby...if we have another baby should we try to get pregnant? I'm not sure my body will take another pregnancy...maybe we should look into adoption in a year or two. My wise husband (after a year of this conversation over and over again) said, we just need to pray about it, keep praying about it and let God decide. Well, God decided and He gave us another miracle. Another sweet baby girl to love and adore...and is she ever loved and adored!

38 weeks and 2 days. That's how long it takes to grow a perfect blessing from God. At least in my body anyway. With Lucy it was closer to 36 weeks and 3 days before the doctor coaxed her out...I now wonder if they hadn't if she too would have arrived at 38 weeks and 2 days. Murray and Evangeline both thought that was the perfect amount of time to prepare for life on the outside. A crazy similarity that 38 weeks 2 days was on a Sunday for each of them, and on the wedding anniversary of their Godparents. 3 years apart, yet so much the same.

This pregnancy has truly been a miracle. I'm not sure it was the most "enjoyable" with all the sickness I had, but it was truly special, and Ginny's entrance into the world could not have been orchestrated any better. After laboring for almost 2 days and begging for drugs in the final hour (although it was way too late for that), she made her entrance at 8:44 pm on Sunday July 10th. (A perfect anniversary present to her Godparents Katy and Mark).

The labor while difficult and not exactly enjoyable, was a great experience for both Nick and I. We were very thankful for Lisa's involvement and encouragement at the end and for the way my doctor controlled the room when things were a little hectic at the end. 9 lbs. 5 oz and 20 inches long...worth every labor pain and struggle. She is absolutely perfect!

Something about this pregnancy and this little girl just seem magical...she is truly a blessing from God and I can see now that Ginny was chosen for our family at this time. Both Lucy and Murray are over the moon in love with her and the only arguments we've had is over who gets to give her a kiss, or lay next to her or hold her longer. I keep telling Lucy I'm going to remind her of all these things the first time she tells me Ginny won't leave her alone.

We're all doing well, settling into life as a family of 5 and just enjoying our sweet little Evangeline Kate. I'll post pictures and more later...but for now I'm just enjoying newborn snuggles and the over abundance of love in our family (plus all the pictures are on Nick's computer).

Thankful Thursdays

Today I am thankful for an hour of quiet I had this morning. I thought the clock said 8:43 so I got out of bed, got dressed and went downstairs to make myself breakfast. I quickly realized it was actually 6:43 and my entire family was sleeping. It seemed a little silly to go back to bed so I enjoyed my breakfast in silence, folded some laundry, started another load and just enjoyed the peace of the morning. I wouldn't mind if this became a regular routine once my new little one arrives...although I know I'll enjoy sleeping once she's here as well.

The quiet was nice and I feel as though it's been awhile since I've had an extended period of time like that. The kids have been staying up later and I've been going to bed "early" so our bedtimes are not very far apart. I also have not had any desire to set the alarm to wake up early...we've all been depending on Murray to wake us up in the morning. So, even though I needed a little caffeine half way through my morning I'll take that with the hour of peace and quiet I had this morning! I had visions of touching up paint, starting projects and all the uninterrupted things I could get done...then I settled back on reality and just enjoyed a little bit of silence before showering and starting the day.

Wordless Wednesday

Waiting for Baby

Keeping Cool

37 Weeks

I may regret a picture of myself in a bathing suit at 37 weeks pregnant later on...but I promised my little sister a more recent picture...Here's what I have....

37 Weeks!!!

Well...we've made it. This tiny peanut (well...not really so tiny anymore) has grown FULL TERM! I think back on that day when I first learned I was pregnant and the prayers I have said for this sweet baby already and am feeling so blessed that I will get to meet her soon. I am not naive enough to think that nothing can go wrong from this point out, but I know that she is ready...she has grown big enough to survive outside of my belly.

What a blessing!! We can't wait to meet her! The kids are over the moon for her already and my concerns are less about how they'll feel and adapt when baby comes home and more about if she'll survive the smothering of kisses and head rubs she'll get from them! Murray knows he can not pick the baby up...but he can rub her head and tickle her toes. Lucy can't wait to be the pacifier provider and has even asked to learn how to change diapers (we'll have to see on that one!).

What a blessing to grow our family. I can't wait to meet our little girl, to decide on a name and to learn all about her. Come on sweet girl...it's been 37 weeks...aren't you ready to see the outside world yet?!? We're sure ready to see you!