Day Twenty Four: December 6th
Blurry, but still sweet, smiles

Day Twenty Three: December 5th
Meeting new friend Faith

Day Twenty Two: December 4th
Daddy time

Day Twenty One: December 3rd
Sitting up like a big girl!

Day Twenty: December 2nd
Cuddled up in a SwaddleMe and sucking a yummy hand

Day Nineteen: December 1st
Hmmm, let me think about that...

Day Eighteen: November 30th
Beautiful and wide-eyed

Day Seventeen: November 29th
Tail end of a sweet smile

Day Sixteen: November 28th
Mommy's favorite snuggle friend

Day Fifteen: November 27th


Snug as a Bug after Bathtime

Day Fourteen: November 26th


Crying because Mommy is taking a picture instead of feeding her

Day Thirteen: November 25th


Sweet Lil' Hands

Day Twelve: November 24th


Celebrating Mommy's Birthday

Day Eleven: November 23rd


(Almost) Naked Baby!!

Day Ten: November 22nd
Mommy dresses me funny when Daddy is gone

Day Nine: November 21st
Taking a little snooze and stretching at the same time...she's an amazing multi-tasker

Day Eight: November 20th
No picture for today :(

Day Seven: November 19th
Hanging out with loved ones

With Gram
With Pop Pop

With Tio Duane and Tio Jo

Day Six: November 18th
Playing Peekaboo at 2:30 am

Day Five: November 17th
In the froggy position on Daddy's chest

Day Four: November 16th
We also had a "rehearsal Thanksgiving" dinner at my aunt and uncle's house, so I've included pictures of that.


One of my favorite pictures of my little angel

Aunt Melissa and Cousin Emery checking out the newbie to the family

Cousin Dakota trying really hard to be careful

Gracie with Great Grandma (Sorry, I don't know how to rotate this on here!)

Showing off a battle wound from her sweet lil nail

Day Three: November 15th
Finally time to go home!!

Day Two: November 14th

Day One: November 13th

She's here!!!

Our Grace (Gracie) Amara Kitchen was born on November 13th at 5:00 pm (on the dot!). Her due date was the 24th, but we went in for an appointment on the 11th and the doctor thought that I might have pre-eclampsia because I had elevated blood pressure. He said that I needed to do some tests, and if that was the case they would induce me on the 14th. The next day, after getting the tests done, they said that plans had changed and they would induce me that night!!! We were a bit in shock, but we were just trusting God.

I check in at 6:00 pm on the 12th and was put on Pitocin and magnesium something or other. I had an epidural at 1:30 on the 13th because I had been contracting for so long and knew that I might not be able to push once the time came because I was so tired, especially since I was only at 3 centimeters. Once I got the epidural, things really progressed and I started pushing at 4:35. I pushed for 25 minutes and out came our beautiful baby girl weighing 6 lbs 10.5 oz and 19 1/4 inches long!! It was an AMAZING experience and I wouldn't change a thing.

Because of the magnesium, I had to stay in the hospital for a few days, so we finally got to come home on the 15th. Gracie has done amazingly well, even letting mommy and daddy sleep a bit! We both finally caught on to breastfeeding, and daddy is a wonderful diaper changer, so we've got a good thing going!

Her first pediatrician appointment was on Tuesday, and she had already grown one quarter of an inch and gained back almost 2 of the 7 ounces she lost in the hospital. The doctor was very impressed and said that babies very rarely gain that much in that little time, especially breastfed babies. So we were very encouraged!

I'm hoping to take a picture of her every day and post them on here as soon as I can, but please bear with me as I'm a little busy getting used to being a mommy!

Hope you all are well and that you enjoy these pics of our sweet little blessing.

Fall!!

I am beyond excited for it to be fall!! I love the crispness in the air, especially when I know there is a yummy, warm meal in the slow-cooker. I feel like there are so many new options of food to make because there is no worrying about how hot it might make the kitchen. I am back to feeling very tired, so there hasn't been as much cooking as I would have liked, but it makes me feel like I accomplished something greater solely because it took all of my energy for the day!

My mom got a bread machine recently, so she let me try it out...I was blown away!!! It was the easiest thing in the world to use, just pour in all the ingredients and pop it in the machine and a few hours later you've got warm, fresh-baked, scrumptious bread.


My next "investment" is definitely going to be a bread machine. Can't wait!!

Other than bread-making, not much new here. I went shopping last week for stuff for the hospital bag...hard to believe that our beautiful Gracie is due in 5 weeks!! She is still a very active little girl, kicking Mommy quite a bit! James always prays with her before bed and when he's telling her good night, he kisses my tummy and says, "Where's your butt? Where's your butt? Gonna get your butt." When he does that I just want to cry...he is becoming a different person (in a wonderful way!! Not that he was too shabby to begin with!) just knowing that we're having a little girl. He is going to be an amazing daddy!! I can't wait to come in from grocery shopping and seeing Gracie sleeping on his chest while he takes a snooze as well. Be still my heart!

Though I know that being parents is going to totally change us and that there will be days that I will wonder what I got myself into, I absolutely cannot wait. I really feel like this is what I was created to do and to be.

It's been a while...

almost 4 months, actually.  And wow has a lot happened since the last post.

In June, we found out that my blood levels were looking like there was a 1 in 111 possibility that the baby had Down syndrome.  So we went in for a 3d ultrasound to check everything out (they measure the leg bones, nasal bone, folds of skin on the back of the neck...and the baby was only about 5 inches long at this point!!  Amazing!) and though they could not be sure without an amniocentesis, the doctor said that our chances were cut in half of the baby having Downs, so that was encouraging.  

It was weird though, because we were a little nervous leading up to the appointment, and then seeing our precious baby up there on the screen, moving around, rubbing her teeny eye, chewing on a bit of amniotic fluid...neither of us could have cared even a little bit about what our child might have, whether Downs or anything else.  This was our BABY, our amazing little gift that God has given us.  We both just wanted to say, "Bring it on!" to whatever came up.

The doctor was also able to tell us that we were having a little girl!!!!  Before we found out the sex, we were planning on doing everything fairly neutral, to be practical for other kids that come along.  But then she said it was a girl, and of course we wanted everything PINK and BOWS and FRILLY.  So exciting!!! :)

So since that appointment, we have decided on our beautiful little girl's name: Grace Amara.  Grace is self-explanatory, and Amara means "precious gift, wished-for child."  Absolutely perfect for our little blessing.  

I first felt her move around on June 12th, and she's come a loooooong way since then!  Yesterday I felt a little foot or something poke into my tummy, and I put my finger on it and gave it a little push. She pushed right back!  It was absolutely amazing.  Her moving around at first was amazing and a true realization that there was something living inside of me...and now, now you can feel her actual body parts...she's a PERSON!  Like a real, live PERSON!!  God is just beyond amazing.  The fact that we can grow mini versions of ourselves, INSIDE OF ourselves...wow.  It's a little overwhelming sometimes.  We have both been just in awe so many times during this pregnancy.

Anyway, we go in for another 3d on the 15th of this month, just to check again about Downs. On the 9th we start childbirth classes...AHHHH!!!  Just another little reminder that this is really really happening.  Crazy!

I will post pictures as soon as I can of "the belly."  It's definitely a-growin'! :)

Ok, it's time to get some work done, being Labor Day and all!  God bless.

Dear Pickle

Our sweet little pickle,

I've been wanting to write a letter to you for a while, but couldn't bring myself to do it until now.  I guess part of my was just waiting to get past the 12.5 week mark, which is when we lost your sister last year.  Yesterday was that day (finally!).  

Sometimes I can't even believe that there is a person growing inside of me.  A beautiful, amazing person.  There are so many questions that I can't wait to have answered.  Of course there are the obvious questions: Are you a boy or girl?  What color eyes and hair will you have?  Will you look more like Mommy or Daddy?  Will you have any health problems?

And then the more I think about it, the more questions come up.  What will you want to be when you "grow up?"  Will you be a touchy person or more stand-offish?  Who will be your first love?  Your first real loss?  

There are so many things I want for you, so many things I want to protect you from.  I am already dreading the day when you get your heart-broken, whether it be by someone of the opposite sex or the loss of a loved one or pet.  I don't want you to ever hurt.  Ever.

But I know that it is part of you becoming YOU.

I do pray that through anything you go through, that you always know these two things; First, Mommy and Daddy love you so very much and you can always come to us for anything.  Secondly, as much as Mom and Dad love you, it is NOTHING compared to how very much Jesus loves you.  There is absolutely nothing that you can do that will make Him love you any more, and nothing that you can do to make him love you less.  I hope that you learn this from us, that we are good examples of His unending love.

Alrighty, my love, Mommy has to go to work.  Technically, you have to go with her ;)  So let's go my sweetie!

With so very much love,

Mommy

Aaaaaaaaand I'm back...for now :-)

First of all, I think it is terrible that they call it "morning sickness."  Mine is definitely more of a "morning/noon/night/everywhere in-between sickness."  The good thing is that once I get itout, I feel yuck for a few minutes but then I feel pretty great.  Usually.

I am 11 weeks and 2 days along.  My first appointment was last Monday and it went swimmingly, as they say.  My doctor was wonderful, very understanding of our situation (ie the miscarriage) and how we are a little nervous.  He 

was very reassuring, but just to make sure WE felt as reassured as possible, he said we could do an ultrasound!!  We were hoping to be able to hear the heartbeat, but an ultrasound was more than we could have hoped for!!  

Here is the most BEAUTIFUL picture in the world, our little pickle!

Pickle was in the perfect position for his/her first photo op, so you can see the head in the left hand corner, perfect little hands/arms next, then a sweet little belly that is just BEGGING to be kissed, and finally little wonderful feet/legs.  I am so excited to meet this little one!!!

My first real craving was Sunday night, after getting an email from my sister-in-law describing her trip to a fish n' chip shop.  All of a sudden, I absolutely HAD to have Red Robin's Arctic Cod Fish & Chips (which were fabulous RR endless steak fries) with one of their AMAZING chocolate milk shakes.  The hubs and I shared both, and it was the perfect amount for both of us.  

Hmm, other than that, can't wait to find out the sex of the pickle whenever we can so that I can start sewing...clothes, bedding, whatever I can!  Oh so very exciting!

Things I Want in a House

We've been house hunting....for about a year!  

Prices have finally started going down, which is good good good for us.  But we still haven't found what we're looking for.  I know that as first-time home buyers we won't get our dream house right away, but at the same time, there are some things we've decided we can't live without:

• At LEAST 3 bedrooms, but would love either 4 or a bonus room so that I can have a craft/sewing room
• 2 or more bathrooms
• A backyard that has enough room for our kids to run around as well as a little veggie garden and a place to put my herbs
  
• Not too much work to be done, especially since we found out we're pregnant!  
  
• An open floor plan as far as the kitchen and living room are concerned 
  
• Most importantly, a neighborhood that feels safe and kid-friendly

Now, I don't think that is asking too much.  But, as I said, we've been looking for over a year, and haven't found THE house.  We're just trusting that God knows and has our back! :)

My "babies"

Fourth of July Tomatoes  

Sweet 100 Tomatoes  

Strawberries

Here are some pictures of my new obsession!  The strawberry plant IS actually there, in the right hand corner.  I know it's kind of lame to be so excited about some tiny little sprouts, but I NEED something to nurture and take care of!  Two more tomato plants have sprouts coming up and I have planted some herbs today (sweet basil, curled parsley, thyme, chives, and cilantro).  I'm so excited!! :)

Productive-ness-a-licious

Today was a wonderfully productive day! But the best part was that it was productive and not stressful in the least! I woke up at 7:15-ish and went outside to the balcony to catch up on some of my Bible reading (I was on February 5th...ooops!). Then in the next 5 hours, I planted tomatoes and strawberries; made potato salad; cooked and cut a tri-tip; cleaned the kitchen, dining room and living room; read more Bible; swept and vacuumed the balcony, and finished off another few little things. WHAT A GREAT DAY!!!

To celebrate life in general, and beautiful faux-spring weather in particular, we walked over to Coldstone and got a Mint Mint Chocolate Chocolate Chip Gotta Have It!! We subbed the choc chips for Oreos and it was deeeelish! Then when we got home, I finished my dad's birthday present (a notebook full of geocaches).

What a splendiferous day!

Guess what time it is?

It's Friday night, 9:58, and it's time to get started on a new project...oh that's right, I FINISHED my blanket!!!!!!! Life is gooooooood :-D

I'm writing it down

There has been research done that says people who write their goals down are much more likely to accomplish those goals.

SO, this is the week that I will finish this dang stamped cross-stitch blanket that I started in April-ish of 2007. I bought it to make for Avery, so I want to finish it and put it in a box with a scrapbook for her. Of course, it won't have any pictures of her, but we'll put in pictures of the flowers that were sent, receipt for pregnancy test, journal entries that I wrote, etc. So that's one of the many projects I hope to start once this blanket is done!

Alright, back to cross-stitching :-D

My little "secret"

I have only shared this blog with, hmm, maybe 2 people?! It is really nice, because I have been using it more as a journal, and to look back at what I've done because I have such a terrible memory! I don't have to worry about offending, boring, watching my words, etc. It is just for me, and I love it!

On my mind...

Here are some random things that I've been kind of mulling over...

1. I always thought that people who want to take care of the Earth were weird, new age-y people who didn't really have a good reason to believe what they do. But recently, I have been really convicted of how I treat this beautiful planet. Even if we don't necessarily go as far as "environmental extremists," we have a responsibility.

"Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.'" Genesis 1:26, New International Version

"God spoke: 'Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature, so they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, and, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth.'" Genesis 1:26, The Message

...Doesn't that say that we need to be taking care of the Earth simply because it's one of the things we were CREATED to do?! It should just be in our nature to do so. But maybe I'm way off. Any thoughts?

2. I have been wondering what I am supposed to DO with my life. Right now I am babysitting. I am 26 years old, have a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology (and spent a ridiculous amount of money to get that!), and I am babysitting for about $5.50 an hour (2 kids). I also occasionally babysit my very sweet little cousin. I keep praying that God would show me something that I am good at, something that I can do that is "meaningful." Today it hit me when I was driving home...maybe that IS what I am good at. Maybe I'm babysitting and taking care of people's children because that is what I am good at, and it is meaningful. It is huge for people to know that when they can't be with their kids, there is someone who loves them to pieces and will do everything in their power to keep them safe and happy. I am so glad that I can be that person for some people. I absolutely ADORE all of the kids in my life. Darwin, Alex, Isaac, Emery, Dakota, Ethan, Ainsley, and Audrey, just to name a few, have been such big blessings in my life. Thank you Lord that I am good at loving them and being one of their biggest fans.

3. I am still SO needing to create something, but SO at a loss of where to start. Very frustrating. I actually am almost to the point of being stressed out by the fact that I have all of this "creative energy" inside of me, but no way to get it out! So, I am "stuck" with making scarves! Luckily, Michaels had a FABULOUS sale on yarn and I got a few really cool skeins that were normally $6.99 or $8.99 for $2 a piece!!! Woo hoo!!

4. I love my husband. God has blessed me beyond anything I could have ever imagined.

That's all for now :)

WOO HOO!!!

I'm outta here for a bit...COLORADO, HERE WE COME!!!!!!!

So excited. :-D

Frustration and Thankfulness

So today I finished my Sort Things out organizer thing. It looks terrible...but I kind of love it! It was the first thing that I sewed that I didn't have any help on, not one little bit! The only thing is that I am frustrated with myself. Frustrated that it is not perfect, not even close to straight, the bias tape isn't even sewn down all the way around! But, of course it's not going to be perfect! I have to work on this need for things to be "just right" the very first time I try. I do have to say, straight or not, it felt great to see that I had made something!!!

And now for the list (and yes, I realize that I skipped yesterday...crazy day...)

1. New glasses so that I can finally watch TV without either squinting or wearing my prescription sunglasses (which is even MORE cool since they have 2 flippin' different colored lenses!)
2. Going to Colorado with the hubs to see my best friend from high school (who I haven't seen in 5 years!!)
3. Great prices for tickets to Colorado
4. My husband thinking that I am beautiful, even on days when that is the last word I would use to describe myself
5. Biggest Loser
6. Waking up early to clean...and actually doing it!
7. Reading
8. My whole family...they each bring a special-ness and wonderful-ness to my life
9. God putting certain people in my life, just at the right time
10. I love that James and I have been able to travel quite a bit in our relationship. We have so much fun when we are traveling, and I think we are at our best in a new place. Though we're pretty good at home too ;)

10 things, Monday

1. Watching Amazing Race with Jamesay
2. Making lists
3. Finishing a project
4. An extra 2 hours in my day, just from cutting out Friends and Frasier in the morning while getting ready
5. Eating healthy meals...but ESPECIALLY eating yummy healthy meals that James enjoys too! We've already noticed a difference!
6. Libraries and bookstores
7. My mom and pops
8. That my body, though it is tired right now, works
9. Going to bed early!
10. A warm home

It's been a stressful month, especially financially, but my goodness, we are so very blessed! Thank you Jesus for your provision.

Peer pressure, everyone's doing it!

Alright, so a few important people in my life have started to write down 10 things a day that they are thankful. And because I have been blessed by seeing what THEY are thankful for, I thought it would help me to see what I am thankful for as well. Here goes:

1. Blankets
2. God providing, lots of times at just the right time
3. The feeling of clean teeth
4. Snuggling in bed with James...waking up, watching tv, whatever it is, just feeling safe and loved by an amazing man
5. Knitting
6. Really soft angel hair yarn
7. Sew-n-Such, a sweet little store in Franktown Corners, which is in the space that used to be my favorite little bridal shop too
8. Looking at fabric...I'm currently LOVING Loralie Designs and Amy Butler!
9. FINALLY being able to read my Bible and not feel like it is homework (thanks PBC! :-/)
10. Snow

A few months ago I had seen a a pattern for an organizer at Ben Franklin. I had decided at that point that because I was spending so much on craft supplies, I would wait it out and if I thought about it again (meaning that I liked it so much that I would remember it!) I would go back and get it. I actually COULD NOT stop thinking about it, so I went back a few weeks ago to look for it, proud of myself that I had really thought about this purchase. But OF COURSE it wasn't there any more! I asked the lady and she helped me find this Sort Things Out! organizer, which was very similar.

So far, it's um, well, less than successful! I did everything exactly as it said to do, but it just did not look quite right. I think that some of the measurements were wrong, because it said that the pocket flap should be 5 inches wide and the pocket itself should be 8 1/2 inches wide. Now, if I was an experienced sewer, or maybe even if I had just thought about it for 2 seconds, I probably would have caught on to this! But I figured they knew better than I!! It looks fairly ridiculous as it is now, but I'm hoping to fix it tomorrow or the next day. Unfortunately, in this case, "fixing" it pretty much means redoing the entire thing.....ahhh well, asi es la vida! And it was a good learning experience! ;)

Content...

I am cuddled up in an electric blanket, sitting just a few feet away from my very hot and wonderful husband, watching what they are saying is the biggest storm here for 50 years, and waiting for a cup of tea to sit down and cross-stitch with. I am, to say the least, content.

My First Meme

Here's my first meme...hopefully I did it right! I got it from Tip Junkie



1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before?
 GEOCACHING!!!
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I don't think that I made any last year....but I made some this year, mostly to do with keeping fit, eating better, praying more, reading my Bible, etc.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? My best friend, sister-in-law and my cousin did.
4. Did anyone close to you die? I lost my baby on March 25th. So, yes.
5. What countries did you visit? Hmm, in 2007, only the good ol' US. But in 2006 I was in US, England, Austria, Australia, England again, and Germany.
6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007? A baby.
7. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Sewing 12 pairs of pajama pants with my mom...she hasn't sewn for 25 years and I had made 2 aprons in the month before this feat...we were pretty proud!
8. What was your biggest failure? Failure to fill out a little paper that said that we had car insurance, which then resulted in a $250 fine :(
9. Did you suffer illness or injury? Lots of different colds from the kids I babysit.
10. What was the best thing you bought? An iPod nano for my hubby!
11. Where did most of your money go? To our new Camry. And rent. Bleh.
12. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Being a mommy.
13. Compared to this time last year, are you:
About the same for all.
a) happier or sadder? 
b) thinner or fatter? 
c) richer or poorer?
14. What do you wish you’d done more of? Enjoying what I had instead of focusing on what I didn't have.
15. What do you wish you’d done less of? Spending frivolously.
16. What was the best book you read? Ooooh, too many good ones. Shopaholic and Baby. The first 4 Yada Yada Prayer Group books. Numerous miscarriage books. The Bible.
17. What did you want and get? An even better relationship with my husband. I have seen what a true treasure I have.
18. What did you want and not get? My Avery.
19. What kept you sane? Keeping my house semi-clean and organized. And watching Food Network and HGTV!!! Also my family.
20. Who did you miss? Avery, Chelsea, everyone in Australia.