Meeting our Littlest Man

Labor was long and rough... 14 long hours.

The highlights included two epidurals, shaking for 4+ hours, "spinning the baby" which was killer on the hips and really, the whole body while shaking, and plenty more rough details that I'll leave out.  Mike and my mom were wonderful, patient, and helpful labor coaches.   He finally arrived at the late hour of 8:29 PM, much later that I'd ever expected.  My latest-in-the-day arriving baby shortened our vacation recovery time at the hospital.  ;)

But he is oh so precious and perfect.

All cleaned up and oh my, such a handsome little man!!

 He came out smacking his lips.  PTL!

 I forgot how intense and brutal those first few days and week are.  It's been rough on mama's body in the best of ways but so good on the heart.

Grateful

  presenting our third earthly blessing....

there's not much better than your man with a newborn in his arms...

 he is oh so perfect, every little part of him...

 oh, the joy and thrill of holding a baby in your arms again...

and my most favorite picture...

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of this third little child of ours...

we are thrilled.

Thanks Be To God!!!

Benjamin David

born 5.8.14 @ 8:30pm

7lb 8oz  and  20 inches

Praise the Lord, O my soul!

All my inmost being, praise His holy name!

Psalm 103:1

He's coming!!

He's coming!  Tomorrow is the big day.  It's our due date.  And no signs of labor.  So we are going to do an induction tomorrow.  Come on, baby boy!!  We can't wait to meet you!  

Snuggles with the bigs on the last night of a big belly.  They are so sweet and pretty excited to meet their baby brother.

Finishing Up

We had a work day at the old house over the weekend.  Mike's dad helped us haul off some debris.  Mike mowed and cleaned up the yard.  I pulled nails and touched up paint.  

Such a pretty house but I am so thrilled to go and move on....

The play set is for sure the part I am most sad to leave.  The kids have had such a blast there.  We've gone over several afternoons when getting Peter from the bus stop to play.  Lily has learned to do the monkey bars in the last couple of weeks and is so proud.  I may have to post a video after our main computer is back up and running.  And she's told me several times that she wants a play set at the new house because she "just loves to swing".  I totally grafitti'ed the kids' names inside it before leaving.

One last look at the back yard.  So not sad to leave all those trees.

Driving away for the last time on that era of our life.  I had someone go over and clean today.  She did a great job and the place is looking quite polished!

After the last few years, I want to long for heaven and I couldn't help but think & pray it would be so.... that this is how it would be for heaven.... we think it will be sad, but Heaven is just soooo good that it's impossible to be sad.  

We are pretty excited to walk away!!! :)

Big Sibling Class

I signed Peter and Lily up for a free big bro-bro sis class through the hospital I'll deliver at.  It was one of those things that felt like a last minute effort that I wasn't sure we'd really get to do- or that a grandparent may take them- but again, plenty of time.  I went with them this past Saturday.  It was sorta fun to have a Saturday date with them.  It feels like Mike often is the one to do that, which I love, 

bc they are with me all week.  It was a sweet time with them to hopefully make them feel excited to be a big bro (again) and a big sis.

Learning to change a diaper

Learning to swaddle

Holding the "babies".

And feeding them a bottle.  Not sure that they'll really get to do that- or lots of these tasks- but Peter's smile in this pic makes me pretty happy....  :)

Sweet Days

I have been trying to see these last 2 weeks as bonus gifts before the baby comes to get more settled and have sweet days with Lily before it's no longer just me and her during the day.

Lily has been such a sweet helper in the days since the move.  She is generally so willing and loves to help.  We went back to the old house to clean out the fridge.

We've baked fluffernutters bc she wanted to.  She said she wanted to surprise Pete with them when he came home from school.  And we gave some to Peters bus driver.  I think it's our last week riding the bus.  :(     I mean, how cute in her apron.

She helped me write thank you notes one day by decorating the envelopes.  I am sure she is a little Brenda.  She loves to write notes (I don't).  She loves to clean (I don't).  She loves to cook (I don't).  It must have skipped a generation.  I clearly remember Mom telling me that she wished I would do these things and I just didn't want to.  

One eve Mike had his guys over (thankful for a bigger house to have friends visit!) and I worked on unpacking the nursery.  It did me good to unpack baby clothes and helped it to feel more real that this is really happening.  I couldn't help but be overwhelmed at God's goodness (a theme lately?) to give me that extra time to prepare.  Although sometimes hard to wait til the bitter end for our babies, it's one of the reasons we could move at 38+ weeks.  And to have that eve to just feel Gods goodness and faithfulness to us in the gift of another child after I didn't think we'd get that.  To think of His faithfulness to carry us through two losses and help me to accept and to say He is still good.  And then to give us another.  It felt so palpable that eve.  It feels like a gift to be able to let go of my timing and see the goodness of His timing.  It doesn't come naturally for me.  But He has forced it on me in the last few years and it's been good to learn and rest in.

There is still so much to do in the nursery- but it works for now.

Lily and I have had an every other day sorta schedule.  I work hard and get tasks done but then we sit and hang out the next day, like today.  I can't help but be thankful for and so blessed by l for the JOY. that radiates from her.  She is so pleasant to be with.

Today is 39 weeks 5 days.  No news.  I go to the doctor tomorrow.  Just waiting on baby boy to break out.  ;)

The Move

So I am not very technology savy.  I am struggling to post from the iPad so it will be wonky.

But a little recap of our move.  

The trucks, vans, SUVs lined our old street on the rainy eve before the move.  

We had a final pizza dinner on the last night at the old house.  I know everyone will be thrilled with this pic.  ;)

In true Peter form, he was found looking at books on top of a pile of boxes.

Sam, from our MCG (missional community group- thought I should clarify since I've used that several times- don't want it to sound like a weird secret thing), helped.  As he said of himself and Taylor, they were young and naive in knowing what they were volunteering for.  But they were SO helpful and we couldn't have done it without them.  I hope we didn't treat them too bad and we fed them- that makes it all better, right?!

Glenda was our mastermind in unpacking the kitchen- will turn pic later.

Holly did the pantry.... And lots of other spaces, like everyone else!!  We had amazing helpers!

Taylor brings up Peter's bed and assembles it.  Thank you, thank you!!

My dad and Glenda work on the baby's room.

My dad is the handyman.

The kids enjoy an empty truck... Probably soon to be reloaded.  

And this is my cousin, Jeff, who came up to help us for the weekend.  We could not have done it without his muscles.  I was so happy to have him stay the night with us and be around on Sunday too.  

He is single and available too.  ;)

The lunch spread courtesy of my mom.  I could go for that can of Coke right now.

The crew at lunch....

And the other side of the table.  It was SUCH a gorgeous day, adding to the festive feeling of the day.

Not to think the day ended at lunch.  Built ins were styled....

The guys went back for a second load.  Then my dad and Mike unloaded and brought over the contents of our storage unit late in the afternoon and eve.  My mom unpacked til late into each night.  I really could not believe everyone's energy. 

 Here is our pic of the family that helped.  It makes me happy.  I so enjoyed the community and team work of the weekend.  Probably easy for me to say bc I couldn't do much work so spent a fair amount of time sitting or watching.  Thank you so so so much to everyone who helped us.  It was quite amazing.  I look forward to sharing our new house with others and that weekend felt like a little tip of the iceberg of potential in having this great house.  So thankful to God for His gifts of family, friends, and the gift of this awesome new house.  He has been soooo good & generous to us!!!!