Life is good in my little world. Welcome.
Showing posts with label Ethan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ethan. Show all posts
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Thursday, January 13, 2011
My first snow!
Can you believe that I went 33 years without ever playing in the snow??
My first time was this past weekend in Flagstaff, Arizona and it was marvelous. The best part? I could sled without worrying about falling because the snow was so soft that it didn't hurt! And fall I did. Sometimes I fell down just because I was laughing so hard. It was enchanting.
My hubby made this gigantic snowball. This was the view from the back of the cabin!
It was Ethan's first time, too. He liked walking in it but wouldn't wear gloves and HATED having snow on his hands. He stayed inside with my grandmother a lot.
Andrew (in back) must have gone down the sled "run" 200 times. Mostly the cousins rode together. We're so pleased that they will always have this trip as a fun memory.
The only downside was the loooong walk back UP the sled run and trying to hold the darn string while wearing gloves!
They caught some serious air!
Andrew got Drew with a few snowballs, too.
Ain't much cuter than a baby in footy pajamas eating pancakes for breakfast! I can't believe my baby is 20 months old now!!
I think the snow looks good on me. I was excited to get to wear the J. Jill coat I bought on clearance last year. Drew picked out the teal boots for me :)
The boys with the snowman my mom and I made.
And the best part? Quality time as a family.
Put me down as a big snow fan. Especially when we could play in it for two days then return to the 50-degree weather in the valley!
My first time was this past weekend in Flagstaff, Arizona and it was marvelous. The best part? I could sled without worrying about falling because the snow was so soft that it didn't hurt! And fall I did. Sometimes I fell down just because I was laughing so hard. It was enchanting.
My hubby made this gigantic snowball. This was the view from the back of the cabin!
It was Ethan's first time, too. He liked walking in it but wouldn't wear gloves and HATED having snow on his hands. He stayed inside with my grandmother a lot.
Andrew (in back) must have gone down the sled "run" 200 times. Mostly the cousins rode together. We're so pleased that they will always have this trip as a fun memory.
The only downside was the loooong walk back UP the sled run and trying to hold the darn string while wearing gloves!
They caught some serious air!
Andrew got Drew with a few snowballs, too.
Ain't much cuter than a baby in footy pajamas eating pancakes for breakfast! I can't believe my baby is 20 months old now!!
I think the snow looks good on me. I was excited to get to wear the J. Jill coat I bought on clearance last year. Drew picked out the teal boots for me :)
The boys with the snowman my mom and I made.
And the best part? Quality time as a family.
Put me down as a big snow fan. Especially when we could play in it for two days then return to the 50-degree weather in the valley!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Less talk, more pictures
We are just loving life these days! Besides being in a new house, the perfect Arizona winter weather, the boys being at wonderful ages to really enjoy the festivities, my nephew being born, my grandmother being in town...we are feeling extraordinarily blessed!!
So rather than yack about it, here are some of my favorite pictures from this holiday season so far.
Andrew telling Santa what he wants for Christmas at my friend Chrissy's annual Santa party.
Our family at the party.
The hubs and me, headed out for his company Christmas dinner. It was a fantastic, and much-needed, night out.
My mom and I fulfilling our new goal: to cook and bake together more often!
The boys decorating their gingerbread train on a rainy day (before it collapsed and we ate it).
The JOY pillow I scored at our church women's ministry Christmas party. Yes, I actually took this right off the host's couch. She insisted. Joy is, after all, my WORD for 2011.
My mom and grandmother toasting with the monogrammed wine glasses I got them. Andrew joined in, too.
We're just loving every moment of this holiday season!
More to come....
So rather than yack about it, here are some of my favorite pictures from this holiday season so far.
Andrew telling Santa what he wants for Christmas at my friend Chrissy's annual Santa party.
Our family at the party.
The hubs and me, headed out for his company Christmas dinner. It was a fantastic, and much-needed, night out.
My mom and I fulfilling our new goal: to cook and bake together more often!
The boys decorating their gingerbread train on a rainy day (before it collapsed and we ate it).
The JOY pillow I scored at our church women's ministry Christmas party. Yes, I actually took this right off the host's couch. She insisted. Joy is, after all, my WORD for 2011.
My mom and grandmother toasting with the monogrammed wine glasses I got them. Andrew joined in, too.
We're just loving every moment of this holiday season!
More to come....
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Happy 1st Birthday, Ethan!
My baby boy is ONE year old as of 8:12am today!
I love you, Eipi Moo!!
Happy 1st Birthday, Ethan Ryan!
on PhotoPeach
I love you, Eipi Moo!!
Happy 1st Birthday, Ethan Ryan!
on PhotoPeach
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Melt my heart
Mother's Day 2009 I was 9 months pregnant and two days away from Ethan's birth day. I was eagerly awaiting Ethan's arrival while enjoying our final days as a family of three.
This year I am celebrating being a mother of two amazingly smart, happy, adorable boys that make my heart melt every day.
See what I mean?
And of course none of this would be possible without my mom and best friend.
I have a lot to celebrate!
This year I am celebrating being a mother of two amazingly smart, happy, adorable boys that make my heart melt every day.
See what I mean?
And of course none of this would be possible without my mom and best friend.
I have a lot to celebrate!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Redemption Baby
God wrote the story and now I'm telling it.
I was eight years old when I asked Jesus to come in to my heart so I didn’t have a dramatic “before and after” story of the difference Jesus made in my life. Growing up, I was a rule-following “good girl” who aimed to please so I never had any rock-bottom moments or times of darkness. Aside from a few normal bumps in the road, life was pretty peachy. It was hard for me to grasp the concept of being depraved or wrap my brain around the concept of being a “new creation.” As far back as I could remember, I had always loved Jesus and had lived a life that reflected that. Even when I heard testimonies of the pits Jesus had pulled people out of, I never bemoaned my story. Sometimes, however, I wished I could appreciate my conversion experience more by understanding what God truly saved me from.
Fast forward to 2005. My husband, Drew and I had been married for three years when we decided to start a family. I got pregnant easily and was due on my mother’s birthday. My pregnancy was picture-perfect and we planned to have a home birth. I imagined laboring in our bath tub, having a gentle birth, Drew helping catch the baby and announcing the gender and basking in the love of our new baby in the comfort of our own home. That dream was dashed when, in the final phase of labor, I was rushed to the hospital because of complications and had nearly the exact opposite birth I’d wanted. Andrew was born fast and furious and I don’t even remember who told me he was a boy. He was taken away from me immediately and I didn’t get to hold him for over an hour. Thank God he was perfectly healthy and we bonded quickly, despite his somewhat traumatic birth.
It was over two years later when we decided to try for a second baby. I was shocked when I got pregnant on the first try in April of 2008 and we didn’t hesitate to share our news with friends and family. I wasn’t even five weeks along when I filled out a pregnancy journal with a December 28th due date. Before I hit six weeks, I started having complications. It was Mother’s Day weekend when we knew the pregnancy was over. I cried in the shower. I couldn’t believe I was having a miscarriage. The experience definitely had a spiritual component to it. I was reminded of John 10:10 that says, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” That’s what he had set out to do to me and my baby. But I knew God was bigger and had already won the battle.
That Sunday, I went to church because I knew that’s where I needed to be and I sang tearful praises to the Lord, reminding myself of Romans 8:28 that says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” I celebrated Mother’s Day with my family, hugging Andrew and my mom extra-tight. A few days later, when the miscarriage actually occurred, I assigned it a word: heinous.
Drew and I were blind-sided by the miscarriage. When I told other women about what had happened, I was astonished at how many had also experienced a miscarriage. As with the other bumps in the road I’d experienced in my life, I knew God would use my story to reach other women going through the same thing. I had a compassion I’d never known before for women who had lost babies, while knowing mine was, by the grace of God, fairly minor.
Drew as the one who was eager to start trying for another baby. After a few months, we decided that with the next baby, we would take nothing for granted. We asked trusted friends and family to pray for our future baby, having a new appreciation for how delicate those early days are, especially the ones before you even know you are pregnant. We knew God was up to something but even then, we were thrilled and shocked when we got pregnant on the first try again. A day or two after I got the positive pregnancy test, I calculated my due date as May 13, which would be the exact day I’d miscarried a year earlier. I saw it as an affirmation that God was writing an amazing story. We asked those same friends and family to pray for our tiny baby.
The first 36 or so weeks of my pregnancy were, again, picture-perfect. We’d found out we were having A BOY and were ecstatic. As my baby shower approached, I ran across a verse and knew right away that God gave it to me as a reassurance: Psalm 30:11 “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing.” I claimed that verse and imagined the dancing we would do when our son was born!
The final month of my pregnancy brought anxiety and a loss of appetite. I was weak, drained and losing weight but I knew I’d be dancing soon! At almost 41 weeks along, I started having labor pains one night. By 3:00am, I woke Drew up to help me cope with contractions. We left for the hospital and were checked in by 6:00am. The nurses were amazed that I was in advanced labor and still smiling and joking around. I felt fantastic and marveled at how “easy” this labor was. It was so different than my first labor! Things progressed quickly. My family arrived at 7:00am and Ethan was born at 8:12am on May 12. His birth was exactly what I had wanted. They placed him on my chest and I held him for over an hour before they took him to take his stats. My family was there to meet him and marvel in his perfection. Everyone congratulated me on his by-the-book birth. My doctor even said, “I haven’t attended a birth like that in a long time,” and we thanked the Lord together.
Ethan, whose name means “strong,” came home on May 13th, a year after my miscarriage. May 13 now marks “the day our redemption baby came home.” Ethan has, since literally day one, been an amazing baby. He has been perfectly healthy, is sweet-natured, easy-going, cheerful, smart and affectionate and delights everyone he meets. Even strangers have commented on how precious and angelic he is. He seems to exude joy. Even when I was dealing with more anxiety postpartum, when I woke up to his smiling face, I was reminded of God’s goodness and the work of redemption that God did.
During a recent sermon from the Genesis account of creation, our pastor, Tim Jacobs, said, “God’s greatest work wasn’t creation; His greatest work is redemption.” I didn’t have a dramatic redemption story from my childhood but when I think of how heinous that miscarriage was and how perfect our baby is, I know I will always hold our story of redemption in my heart. God took something heinous and turned it into something beautiful. I know now what being depraved looks like and it is truly heinous. I am so grateful that God pulled me out of that pit.
That is how God works. He redeemed my first birth experience. He redeemed a lost pregnancy. He turned our mourning into dancing!
The enemy didn’t account for the second part of John 10:10 which says that “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” Jesus came to offer redemption and God is still in the business of redemption today. And I will dance for joy every day because of it.
I was eight years old when I asked Jesus to come in to my heart so I didn’t have a dramatic “before and after” story of the difference Jesus made in my life. Growing up, I was a rule-following “good girl” who aimed to please so I never had any rock-bottom moments or times of darkness. Aside from a few normal bumps in the road, life was pretty peachy. It was hard for me to grasp the concept of being depraved or wrap my brain around the concept of being a “new creation.” As far back as I could remember, I had always loved Jesus and had lived a life that reflected that. Even when I heard testimonies of the pits Jesus had pulled people out of, I never bemoaned my story. Sometimes, however, I wished I could appreciate my conversion experience more by understanding what God truly saved me from.
Fast forward to 2005. My husband, Drew and I had been married for three years when we decided to start a family. I got pregnant easily and was due on my mother’s birthday. My pregnancy was picture-perfect and we planned to have a home birth. I imagined laboring in our bath tub, having a gentle birth, Drew helping catch the baby and announcing the gender and basking in the love of our new baby in the comfort of our own home. That dream was dashed when, in the final phase of labor, I was rushed to the hospital because of complications and had nearly the exact opposite birth I’d wanted. Andrew was born fast and furious and I don’t even remember who told me he was a boy. He was taken away from me immediately and I didn’t get to hold him for over an hour. Thank God he was perfectly healthy and we bonded quickly, despite his somewhat traumatic birth.
It was over two years later when we decided to try for a second baby. I was shocked when I got pregnant on the first try in April of 2008 and we didn’t hesitate to share our news with friends and family. I wasn’t even five weeks along when I filled out a pregnancy journal with a December 28th due date. Before I hit six weeks, I started having complications. It was Mother’s Day weekend when we knew the pregnancy was over. I cried in the shower. I couldn’t believe I was having a miscarriage. The experience definitely had a spiritual component to it. I was reminded of John 10:10 that says, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” That’s what he had set out to do to me and my baby. But I knew God was bigger and had already won the battle.
That Sunday, I went to church because I knew that’s where I needed to be and I sang tearful praises to the Lord, reminding myself of Romans 8:28 that says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” I celebrated Mother’s Day with my family, hugging Andrew and my mom extra-tight. A few days later, when the miscarriage actually occurred, I assigned it a word: heinous.
Drew and I were blind-sided by the miscarriage. When I told other women about what had happened, I was astonished at how many had also experienced a miscarriage. As with the other bumps in the road I’d experienced in my life, I knew God would use my story to reach other women going through the same thing. I had a compassion I’d never known before for women who had lost babies, while knowing mine was, by the grace of God, fairly minor.
Drew as the one who was eager to start trying for another baby. After a few months, we decided that with the next baby, we would take nothing for granted. We asked trusted friends and family to pray for our future baby, having a new appreciation for how delicate those early days are, especially the ones before you even know you are pregnant. We knew God was up to something but even then, we were thrilled and shocked when we got pregnant on the first try again. A day or two after I got the positive pregnancy test, I calculated my due date as May 13, which would be the exact day I’d miscarried a year earlier. I saw it as an affirmation that God was writing an amazing story. We asked those same friends and family to pray for our tiny baby.
The first 36 or so weeks of my pregnancy were, again, picture-perfect. We’d found out we were having A BOY and were ecstatic. As my baby shower approached, I ran across a verse and knew right away that God gave it to me as a reassurance: Psalm 30:11 “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing.” I claimed that verse and imagined the dancing we would do when our son was born!
The final month of my pregnancy brought anxiety and a loss of appetite. I was weak, drained and losing weight but I knew I’d be dancing soon! At almost 41 weeks along, I started having labor pains one night. By 3:00am, I woke Drew up to help me cope with contractions. We left for the hospital and were checked in by 6:00am. The nurses were amazed that I was in advanced labor and still smiling and joking around. I felt fantastic and marveled at how “easy” this labor was. It was so different than my first labor! Things progressed quickly. My family arrived at 7:00am and Ethan was born at 8:12am on May 12. His birth was exactly what I had wanted. They placed him on my chest and I held him for over an hour before they took him to take his stats. My family was there to meet him and marvel in his perfection. Everyone congratulated me on his by-the-book birth. My doctor even said, “I haven’t attended a birth like that in a long time,” and we thanked the Lord together.
Ethan, whose name means “strong,” came home on May 13th, a year after my miscarriage. May 13 now marks “the day our redemption baby came home.” Ethan has, since literally day one, been an amazing baby. He has been perfectly healthy, is sweet-natured, easy-going, cheerful, smart and affectionate and delights everyone he meets. Even strangers have commented on how precious and angelic he is. He seems to exude joy. Even when I was dealing with more anxiety postpartum, when I woke up to his smiling face, I was reminded of God’s goodness and the work of redemption that God did.
During a recent sermon from the Genesis account of creation, our pastor, Tim Jacobs, said, “God’s greatest work wasn’t creation; His greatest work is redemption.” I didn’t have a dramatic redemption story from my childhood but when I think of how heinous that miscarriage was and how perfect our baby is, I know I will always hold our story of redemption in my heart. God took something heinous and turned it into something beautiful. I know now what being depraved looks like and it is truly heinous. I am so grateful that God pulled me out of that pit.
That is how God works. He redeemed my first birth experience. He redeemed a lost pregnancy. He turned our mourning into dancing!
The enemy didn’t account for the second part of John 10:10 which says that “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” Jesus came to offer redemption and God is still in the business of redemption today. And I will dance for joy every day because of it.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
My boys
Big sentences. Big imagination. Big ideas. My big son, almost 4.5 years old.
He does a little exploring. He's a little mischevious.
Brothers learning to play together.
My new glasses :)
Life is good and time sure flies.
He does a little exploring. He's a little mischevious.
Brothers learning to play together.
My new glasses :)
Life is good and time sure flies.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Redemption Baby
Easter is the perfect time, I think, to tell this story.
We call our youngest son, Ethan, our "Redemption Baby."
Here's why.
Our pastor has been preaching this year out of the book of Genesis. Two recent phrases really stuck out to me:
"God's greatest work isn't creation. God's greatest work is redemption."
"Jesus didn't come to make bad people good, He came to make dead people ALIVE."
Death to life. That's redemption. That's Easter. That's our Ethan.
I was born with a mother's heart. I always wanted to be a mommy. I was one of those girls who hauled a baby doll and diaper bag, along with my Bible, to church on Sundays and who took a stroller with a doll to the mall. I bathed my dolls, rocked them to sleep, held them endlessly and loved them like they were real.
I was also one of those kids who were "raised in a Christian home." If it's possible to be saved because of your parents' relationship with Jesus, I would have surely qualified! But I made the decision to repent of my sins and ask Jesus into my heart at the age of 8. I remember feeling an immense feeling of peace that night.
My salvation story was not dramatic. I wasn't at rock bottom when I turned to God. I was just a kid who wanted to follow Christ.
Fast forward to March 2005. My husband, Drew, and I had been married for over two years and thought it was time to start a family. I was doing Fertility Awareness and it took about four "official tries" before we got a positive pregnancy test. We were thrilled!!
My pregnancy was a breeze and we planned to have a home birth with a midwife. I dreamed of being handed our baby, Drew announcing whether it was a boy or a girl and celebrating as a family in our own home, without any interference or interruptions.
On November 26, 2005, I labored for 18 hours at home but due to complications during the pushing phase, I had to be transported to the nearest hospital to deliver our son. His delivery was fast and furious and I don't even remember who said he was a boy. Andrew was 8 lbs. 4 oz. and 21" long.
He was taken from me immediately to be assessed and because of damage I incurred during the process, I had to have a spinal shot and go into surgery. I didn't get to hold Andrew until an hour after he was born. All of my dreams about his birth (aside from it being un-medicated) were lost. He was, by the way, perfectly healthy, born at 40 weeks and 6 days gestation and was 8 lbs. 4 oz. and 21" long.
I wanted my second birth to be different. We started trying to get pregnant when Andrew was about three years old and got pregnant on the first try. I was due on December 26, 2008 and eagerly told everyone our news and filled in my pregnancy journal.
It was right before Mother's Day and I was just 5 weeks along when I started bleeding. I attended church on Mother's Day, knowing my pregnancy was over, but with peace, knowing God was with me. On May 13th, before leaving home for work, I miscarried. I was actually very relieved.
We gave my body a few months to recover, then my husband was eager to start trying again. We told our friends, family and church family to start praying, even before we conceived. I was stunned when we, again, got pregnant on the first try. I was thrilled to discover that I was due on May 13th, the very day I'd miscarried the year before. I felt like God was at work, trying to somehow "make up for" the pregnancy we lost.
My pregnancy was, again, complication-free. I did have some hormonal issues and anxiety, but the baby and I checked out perfectly at every appointment. I had decreased appetite so I had only gained 12lbs when I went into labor.
I was at 40 weeks and five days when I went into labor at about 8pm on May 11th. I tried to sleep but finally woke my husband up at about 3am, wondering if "this was it." I worked through my contractions and by 5am, my husband insisted that we go to the hospital. I was checked in at 6am and was already at 7cm dilation, hooray! My contractions were shockingly mild and I felt excited and happy--a far cry from the hours of agony I spent in the bathtub during my first labor.
My doctor was called and said she'd get a quick cup of coffee and I'd be ready to go--she was right. I was ready to start pushing at 8am and Ethan was born at 8:12am. He weighed 8 lbs. 6 oz and was 22" long and perfectly healthy. Everyone was amazed at how "easy" my birth was. Thank you, Lord!! As soon as he came out, I was thanking my doctor and we were both thanking God!
The nurses handed him to me immediately and we waited for the cord to stop pulsing before cutting it. It was love at first sight and I was able to hold and admire him for an hour before they took him aside to clean him up. I finally got the birth experience I wanted.
We named him Ethan, which means "strong." Ethan would have been my name, had I been a boy! He came home from the hospital on May 13th, the same day I'd miscarried the year before. That day will always be a happy day in my memory now. God redeemed that day, the baby we lost, and my first birth experience. God's greatest work is redemption and I am so grateful to have seen it played out in my own life. What a mighty God we serve!
Ethan lives up to his name. He is this exceptionally sweet, happy, adorable baby. Even strangers comment on what an angel he is. He is also very strong and healthy, has hit all of his milestones early and is into everything! He is a tremendous blessing to everyone who knows him and we can't imagine our lives without him.
Since I gained so little weight during my pregnancy, I was at my pre-pregnancy weight by the time I got home from the hospital and within a month, my weight was lower than it had been in over five years. It was just a "happy side effect" of feeling yucky during my pregnancy--but it sure helped when it came to losing the baby weight!
We call our youngest son, Ethan, our "Redemption Baby."
Here's why.
Our pastor has been preaching this year out of the book of Genesis. Two recent phrases really stuck out to me:
"God's greatest work isn't creation. God's greatest work is redemption."
"Jesus didn't come to make bad people good, He came to make dead people ALIVE."
Death to life. That's redemption. That's Easter. That's our Ethan.
I was born with a mother's heart. I always wanted to be a mommy. I was one of those girls who hauled a baby doll and diaper bag, along with my Bible, to church on Sundays and who took a stroller with a doll to the mall. I bathed my dolls, rocked them to sleep, held them endlessly and loved them like they were real.
I was also one of those kids who were "raised in a Christian home." If it's possible to be saved because of your parents' relationship with Jesus, I would have surely qualified! But I made the decision to repent of my sins and ask Jesus into my heart at the age of 8. I remember feeling an immense feeling of peace that night.
My salvation story was not dramatic. I wasn't at rock bottom when I turned to God. I was just a kid who wanted to follow Christ.
Fast forward to March 2005. My husband, Drew, and I had been married for over two years and thought it was time to start a family. I was doing Fertility Awareness and it took about four "official tries" before we got a positive pregnancy test. We were thrilled!!
My pregnancy was a breeze and we planned to have a home birth with a midwife. I dreamed of being handed our baby, Drew announcing whether it was a boy or a girl and celebrating as a family in our own home, without any interference or interruptions.
On November 26, 2005, I labored for 18 hours at home but due to complications during the pushing phase, I had to be transported to the nearest hospital to deliver our son. His delivery was fast and furious and I don't even remember who said he was a boy. Andrew was 8 lbs. 4 oz. and 21" long.
He was taken from me immediately to be assessed and because of damage I incurred during the process, I had to have a spinal shot and go into surgery. I didn't get to hold Andrew until an hour after he was born. All of my dreams about his birth (aside from it being un-medicated) were lost. He was, by the way, perfectly healthy, born at 40 weeks and 6 days gestation and was 8 lbs. 4 oz. and 21" long.
I wanted my second birth to be different. We started trying to get pregnant when Andrew was about three years old and got pregnant on the first try. I was due on December 26, 2008 and eagerly told everyone our news and filled in my pregnancy journal.
It was right before Mother's Day and I was just 5 weeks along when I started bleeding. I attended church on Mother's Day, knowing my pregnancy was over, but with peace, knowing God was with me. On May 13th, before leaving home for work, I miscarried. I was actually very relieved.
We gave my body a few months to recover, then my husband was eager to start trying again. We told our friends, family and church family to start praying, even before we conceived. I was stunned when we, again, got pregnant on the first try. I was thrilled to discover that I was due on May 13th, the very day I'd miscarried the year before. I felt like God was at work, trying to somehow "make up for" the pregnancy we lost.
My pregnancy was, again, complication-free. I did have some hormonal issues and anxiety, but the baby and I checked out perfectly at every appointment. I had decreased appetite so I had only gained 12lbs when I went into labor.
I was at 40 weeks and five days when I went into labor at about 8pm on May 11th. I tried to sleep but finally woke my husband up at about 3am, wondering if "this was it." I worked through my contractions and by 5am, my husband insisted that we go to the hospital. I was checked in at 6am and was already at 7cm dilation, hooray! My contractions were shockingly mild and I felt excited and happy--a far cry from the hours of agony I spent in the bathtub during my first labor.
My doctor was called and said she'd get a quick cup of coffee and I'd be ready to go--she was right. I was ready to start pushing at 8am and Ethan was born at 8:12am. He weighed 8 lbs. 6 oz and was 22" long and perfectly healthy. Everyone was amazed at how "easy" my birth was. Thank you, Lord!! As soon as he came out, I was thanking my doctor and we were both thanking God!
The nurses handed him to me immediately and we waited for the cord to stop pulsing before cutting it. It was love at first sight and I was able to hold and admire him for an hour before they took him aside to clean him up. I finally got the birth experience I wanted.
We named him Ethan, which means "strong." Ethan would have been my name, had I been a boy! He came home from the hospital on May 13th, the same day I'd miscarried the year before. That day will always be a happy day in my memory now. God redeemed that day, the baby we lost, and my first birth experience. God's greatest work is redemption and I am so grateful to have seen it played out in my own life. What a mighty God we serve!
Ethan lives up to his name. He is this exceptionally sweet, happy, adorable baby. Even strangers comment on what an angel he is. He is also very strong and healthy, has hit all of his milestones early and is into everything! He is a tremendous blessing to everyone who knows him and we can't imagine our lives without him.
Since I gained so little weight during my pregnancy, I was at my pre-pregnancy weight by the time I got home from the hospital and within a month, my weight was lower than it had been in over five years. It was just a "happy side effect" of feeling yucky during my pregnancy--but it sure helped when it came to losing the baby weight!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
What's happenin'
First of all, Monkey is now 10 months old!
He has been walking for almost two months, but now he walks everywhere, all the time. Check out that concentration!
And he almost always has something in each hand. Maybe it helps him balance?? {Yes, he's wearing Christmas pajamas in March}
He now has a total of five teeth, two on the bottom and three on the top. He looks so different!! Too grown up!!
Booter's new obsession is puzzles. He can do this James puzzle by himself, no problem.
He also went bowling for the first time this weekend. He even got a spare!
Nothing unusual for me these days, just crafting along. Here's me, sporting one of my fabric flowers, and the coffee cozy my friend, Jen, ordered from Etsy. Love it!
My new favorite thing is making fabric flowers for my Etsy shop. Here are the newest ones for St. Patrick's Day, whether you are Irish Catholic or Irish Protestant. They can be pins, hair clips or both.
And these are perfect for Spring! "spring garden" fabric.
That's about it from here...
Head to Roots & Wings on Etsy to check out what's new!
He has been walking for almost two months, but now he walks everywhere, all the time. Check out that concentration!
And he almost always has something in each hand. Maybe it helps him balance?? {Yes, he's wearing Christmas pajamas in March}
He now has a total of five teeth, two on the bottom and three on the top. He looks so different!! Too grown up!!
Booter's new obsession is puzzles. He can do this James puzzle by himself, no problem.
He also went bowling for the first time this weekend. He even got a spare!
Nothing unusual for me these days, just crafting along. Here's me, sporting one of my fabric flowers, and the coffee cozy my friend, Jen, ordered from Etsy. Love it!
My new favorite thing is making fabric flowers for my Etsy shop. Here are the newest ones for St. Patrick's Day, whether you are Irish Catholic or Irish Protestant. They can be pins, hair clips or both.
And these are perfect for Spring! "spring garden" fabric.
That's about it from here...
Head to Roots & Wings on Etsy to check out what's new!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Merry Christmas!!!
This is us this year. Drew and me at 32, Andrew at 4 and Ethan at 6 months. This was at Ethan's baby dedication in November.
So Merry Christmas!!
This is just a quick family update so you know our latest and greatest!
Drew is in his second year at Baker Commodities and enjoys his job very much. He only has a 30-minute commute and never brings his work home with him. It's a blessing when you enjoy your work! He still serves as an elder at our church and enjoys his video games, reading, watching football, keeping up with politics and playing with the boys. Drew and I are both planning to start running in 2010 and hope to encourage each other in our efforts!
Us in November.
And Drew and the boys recently.
My year has largely been occupied with Ethan. We call him our redemption baby because he came home from the hospital on May 13, a year to the day that I miscarried in '08. God is good! Ethan Ryan was 8 lbs. 6 oz. and 21" long and his birth was remarkably "easy."
He's still measuring very tall but because he's so active, he's never been as chubby as Andrew was. He is an incredibly easy-going and cheerful baby and brings so much joy into our lives.
Ethan adores his big brother! He just cut his first tooth, is crawling and cruising and loves to chew on everything! He's a "morning person," and brings a smile to my face every morning when we wake up next to each other! We just can't imagine our lives without him.
At our visit with Santa at my friend Chrissy's house.
I'm still serving at church on the women's ministry team, the prayer team and the teaching team. I'm taking a break to do some studies of my own and will do my "How to Study the Bible" class again in the fall. I just hit 100 sales in my Etsy shop and hope to get it fully stocked in time for Valentine's Day. Drew's sister, Sarah, moved out after six years into a nearby home of her own and her former room is now my craft room/guest room. I'm looking forward to doing a lot of crafting in 2010!
I love hosting events (like Christmas dinner for the family, pictured below) and have a big Peter Pan-themed Valentine's Day tea party in the works! I want to really embrace my "Domestic Goddess side" in 2010!
Andrew is a typical 4-year-old and still obsessed with all things Thomas the Train. He loves to play in his sand box, trips to "Popcorn Target," doing artwork at his easel, watching videos and crafting with me. He loves hearing and telling stories, singing and dancing and wrestling with Drew. He always makes me smile and he loves making his baby brother laugh.
We enjoyed getting together with Drew's family the week of Thanksgiving and took all the kiddos to the Phoenix Zoo.
Our family also took a trip on the Verde Canyon Railway in November. Andrew even got a birthday cake on the train and the entire train car sang to him! It was marvelous!
Here's the boys at our neighborhod's annual Christmas party. We take this picture in the snow every year!
Here's us at our nephew's Cardinal's birthday party!
Drew and I feel incredibly blessed this year and have so much to be thankful for. Besides our home and our boys, we are blessed with loving families, wonderful friends, a terrific church home and so many other things. To God be the glory!
May you embrace the peace and love that only Jesus can bring during this Christmas season. Wishing you a prosperous and joyful 2010!
Lastly, Drew and I are both on Facebook so that's the best way to keep up with us and to see our latest pictures.
E-mail me if you need our address or phone numbers--please keep in touch!
tabandrew@hotmail.com
So Merry Christmas!!
This is just a quick family update so you know our latest and greatest!
Drew is in his second year at Baker Commodities and enjoys his job very much. He only has a 30-minute commute and never brings his work home with him. It's a blessing when you enjoy your work! He still serves as an elder at our church and enjoys his video games, reading, watching football, keeping up with politics and playing with the boys. Drew and I are both planning to start running in 2010 and hope to encourage each other in our efforts!
Us in November.
And Drew and the boys recently.
My year has largely been occupied with Ethan. We call him our redemption baby because he came home from the hospital on May 13, a year to the day that I miscarried in '08. God is good! Ethan Ryan was 8 lbs. 6 oz. and 21" long and his birth was remarkably "easy."
He's still measuring very tall but because he's so active, he's never been as chubby as Andrew was. He is an incredibly easy-going and cheerful baby and brings so much joy into our lives.
Ethan adores his big brother! He just cut his first tooth, is crawling and cruising and loves to chew on everything! He's a "morning person," and brings a smile to my face every morning when we wake up next to each other! We just can't imagine our lives without him.
At our visit with Santa at my friend Chrissy's house.
I'm still serving at church on the women's ministry team, the prayer team and the teaching team. I'm taking a break to do some studies of my own and will do my "How to Study the Bible" class again in the fall. I just hit 100 sales in my Etsy shop and hope to get it fully stocked in time for Valentine's Day. Drew's sister, Sarah, moved out after six years into a nearby home of her own and her former room is now my craft room/guest room. I'm looking forward to doing a lot of crafting in 2010!
I love hosting events (like Christmas dinner for the family, pictured below) and have a big Peter Pan-themed Valentine's Day tea party in the works! I want to really embrace my "Domestic Goddess side" in 2010!
Andrew is a typical 4-year-old and still obsessed with all things Thomas the Train. He loves to play in his sand box, trips to "Popcorn Target," doing artwork at his easel, watching videos and crafting with me. He loves hearing and telling stories, singing and dancing and wrestling with Drew. He always makes me smile and he loves making his baby brother laugh.
We enjoyed getting together with Drew's family the week of Thanksgiving and took all the kiddos to the Phoenix Zoo.
Our family also took a trip on the Verde Canyon Railway in November. Andrew even got a birthday cake on the train and the entire train car sang to him! It was marvelous!
Here's the boys at our neighborhod's annual Christmas party. We take this picture in the snow every year!
Here's us at our nephew's Cardinal's birthday party!
Drew and I feel incredibly blessed this year and have so much to be thankful for. Besides our home and our boys, we are blessed with loving families, wonderful friends, a terrific church home and so many other things. To God be the glory!
May you embrace the peace and love that only Jesus can bring during this Christmas season. Wishing you a prosperous and joyful 2010!
Lastly, Drew and I are both on Facebook so that's the best way to keep up with us and to see our latest pictures.
E-mail me if you need our address or phone numbers--please keep in touch!
tabandrew@hotmail.com
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