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!! :)